Candida rugosa lipase immobilized on hydrophobic support Accurel MP 1000 in the synthesis of emollient esters

Biotechnology Letters - To immobilize Candida rugosa lipase in Accurel MP 1000 (CRL-AMP) by physical adsorption in organic medium and apply in the synthesis of wax esters dodecanoyl octadecanoate 1...     

Chemical diversity among populations of Mikania micrantha: geographic mosaic structure and herbivory

Populations of the same species vary in their secondary metabolite content. This variation has been attributed to biotic and abiotic environmental conditions as well as to historical factors. Some studies have focused on the geographic variation of chemical diversity in plant populations, but whether this structure conforms to a central–marginal model or a mosaic pattern remains unclear. Furthermore, assessing the chemical diversity of invasive plants in their native distribution facilitates the understanding of their relationships with natural enemies. We examined the geographic variation of chemical diversity in Mexican populations of the bittervine weed Mikania micrantha and its relationship to herbivore damage. The foliar volatile terpenoid blend was analyzed in 165 individuals of 14 populations in the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico tropical watersheds. A cluster analysis grouped individuals with similar terpenoid blends into 56 compositional types. Chemical diversity was measured using the number of compounds and their concentration within the blends for individuals, and the number and frequency of compositional types for populations. A stepwise multiple regression analysis performed with geographic, climatic, and chemical diversity variables explained herbivore damage. However, population-level chemical diversity was the only variable found to be significant (β = ?0.79, P = 0.042) in the model (R ² = 0.89). A Mantel test using Euclidean distances did not indicate any separation by geographic origin; however, four barriers were identified using Monmonier’s algorithm. We conclude that variation in population-level chemical diversity follows a mosaic pattern in which geographic factors (i.e., natural barriers) have some effect and that variation is also associated with the local intensity of herbivore attack.     

Lebensformen und Florenelemente im Nordafrikanischen Trockenraum

Summary It is attempted to determine in detail the boundaries between the extratropical flora (holarctis), the saharo-arabian flora and the tropical flora (palaeotropis) in arid northern Africa on the basis of life forms.The analysis is based on 1258 species selected by a frequency distribution (Fig. 2). The species are classified into 12 groups of different life forms and floristic elements; phanerophytes (Ph), chamaephytes (Ch), hemicryptophytes (H) and therophytes (Th), as well as a tropical fkoristic element (P), a saharo-arabian (S) and an extratropical one (H). Thus, floristic boundaries of the tropics and the extratropical regions could be differentiated for the four life forms concerned (Fig. 4). The eight boundaries separate zones dominated by different floristic elements of any life form. Fig. 4 shows that, e.g., the floristic boundary of tropical phanerophytes runs much further north than equivalent boundaries of other life forms. A more detailed interpretation of fig. 4 is given for the east and west coast and for the Nile valley. The differences between the east and the west coast are explained by different temperature conditions (cold ocean current). For the Nile valley it could be shown that the taller the life forms of tropical species, the further north their numbers are still dominant over the equivalent extratropical life forms.Zonal life form spectra (Fig. 5) are presented for each floristic element. Therophytes and chamaephytes are the dominant life forms in the Sahara. Therophytes dominate on shallow gravelly soils over solid rock, whereas chamaephytes dominate where their roots can penetrate into deeper layers.Some relations between life forms or floristic elements and elimate are shown using correlation analysis. In this connection the physiology of summer and winter therophytes is briefly discussed.

Nomenklatur nach Quézel (1965)     

Infectious clones of cotton leafroll dwarf virus strains used for genotype evaluation in cotton

Cotton blue disease (CBD) and atypical-CBD are the most important viral diseases of cotton plants in the southern region of South America. Common and atypical strains of cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV and CLRDV-at, respectively) are thought to be causative agents of CBD and atypical-CBD, respectively. Inoculation of test plants via aphid vectors is difficult, as is determining strains via molecular diagnosis; accordingly, it is difficult for breeders to evaluate the effects of blue disease-associated virus infections in cotton lineages. In the present study, we attempted to circumvent these difficulties by producing six full-length cDNA infectious clones from CLRDV and CLRDV-at strains using the Gibson Assembly protocol. For inoculation of the infectious clones, a vacuum chamber-mediated agroinfiltration protocol was adapted and applied. Using this protocol, 90%–100% of cotton plants became infected with the clones, which was not possible via syringe-based agroinfiltration. A genotyping protocol based on RT-qPCR targeting a specific region of the virus P0 protein was also developed, allowing rapid differentiation of CLRDV and CLRDV-at. Applying this protocol to 68 field samples revealed that CLRDV-at was dominant (50%) over CLRDV (5.8%) in single virus infections. These preliminary results imply that CLRDV-at might occupy the ecological niche of CLRDV in the cotton fields of Brazil.     

Oxylipin biosynthesis reinforces cellular senescence and allows detection of senolysis

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Cardiac puncture in the mouse through the anterior thoracic aperture

The puncture is performed during ether anaesthesia and will usually give 0.6-0.8 ml within 10-15 s. Blood volumes up to 1 ml have frequently been obtained from adult mice with this method.