Bulbing in Long-day Onion (Allium cepa L.) Cultured In Vitro: Comparison Between Sugar Feeding and Light Induction

Bulbs were obtained on onion plants cultured in vitro. No bulbinghappened under long days with fluorescent light and 30–40g l^–1 sucrose. Bulb formation was mainly dependent eitheron sucrose concentration in the culture medium, or on lightspectral composition. Raising the sucrose concentration from40 to 120 g l^–1 increased plant basal swelling and stoppedfurther vegetative development. These plants were not dormant.When fluorescent light was enriched in incandescence duringa long day period, bulbs were obtained in two months and underwenta consecutive dormancy. Bulb, dormancy, light spectral quality, photoperiod, R: FR ratio, sugar, tissue culture     

Effect of acetaminophen on the membrane anchoring of Na+, K+ATPase of rat renal cortical cells

In previous works we reported that the administration of a toxic dose of acetaminophen (APAP) induces acute renal failure (ARF) and promotes changes on Na(+), K(+)ATPase distribution in renal proximal plasma membranes. In the present work, we analyzed if APAP could promote the dissociation of Na(+), K(+)ATPase from its membrane anchorage. The participation of calpain activation was also evaluated. We analyzed the Triton X-100 extractability of Na(+), K(+)ATPase in freshly isolated cortical cell suspensions incubated with different APAP concentrations (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 mM). Both alpha(1) and beta(1) subunits were studied by Western blot. APAP promoted the increment of both subunits abundance in the Triton-soluble fraction. Calpain activation was detected in the membrane fractions of cells incubated with APAP. Incubation with APAP 0.1, 1 and 10 mM did not promote an increment in LDH release compared with controls, while APAP 100 mM promoted an increased LDH release. Our results show that incubation of proximal cells with sublethal and lethal APAP concentrations promotes the detachment of Na(+), K(+)ATPase from its membrane anchoring. Inhibition of calpain activation by SJA 7029 protected against APAP-induced membrane damage but not against APAP-induced increase of the Triton X-100 extractability of Na(+), K(+)ATPase.     

First record in America of Aedes albopictus naturally infected with dengue virus during the 1995 outbreak at Reynosa, Mexico

Abstract Mosquito collections were conducted during a dengue outbreak in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, July-December 1995. A total of 6694 adult mosquitoes (four genera and nine species) were captured, of which 2986 (78.3% females and 21.7% males) were Aedes albopictus and 2339 (39.7% females and 60.3% males) were Ae.aegypti. These two species comprised 84.2% of the total collection. Specimens were grouped into pools, nearly 50% of them processed for detection of virus by cythopathic effect in C6-36 and VERO cell cultures and by haemagglutination test. Five pools gave positive haemagglutin-ation reactions and were examined by immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies to flavivirus and to dengue virus. One pool of ten Ae.albopictus males was positive for dengue virus: serotypes 2 and 3 were identified by serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies arid confirmed by RT-PCR. This is the first report of Ae.albopictus naturally infected with dengue virus in America. Also, it is the very first time Ae.albopictus males have been found infected with dengue virus in the wild.     

Primary production dynamics and climate variability: ecological consequences in semiarid Chile

Increase in rainfall variability has important consequences for organisms in arid and semiarid regions around the world. In South American and Australian deserts, the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon greatly influences rainfall patterns, and therefore the dynamics of plant communities. However, the field data needed to assess the effect of climate change on vegetational patterns is difficult to obtain because of the large spatial scale required for such studies. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) characteristics allow the use of several indexes related to vegetational structure. Due to its direct relationship with primary productivity, it is possible to obtain several measures of annual productivity. These include annual plant yield, annual maximum yield, onset of 'greening-up' and senescence phases, length of the 'green' season, vegetation peak, and therefore, the periods when more or less food is available for herbivores. After verification with ground-truth measures, we used NDVI data from two semiarid localities in north-central Chile (Fray Jorge and Aucó) to determine the relationship between rainfall patterns and vegetation cover and productivity related to El Niño phenomenon. With this information we gauge the influence of climatic processes on primary productivity in western South America, an area subject to strong climate variability. We predict significant variation in Chilean semiarid regions due to climate change, affecting mainly the extent and timing of annual growth season of vegetation, and also including a shorter and delayed greening-up season. Also, we predict that important decreases in rainfall levels will not have strong effects on primary production in these semiarid ecosystems.     

Is Cupressus sempervirens native in Italy? An answer from genetic and palaeobotanical data

This study represents the first large-scale analysis using nuclear molecular markers to assess genetic diversity and structure of Cupressus sempervirens L.. Genetic and fossil data were combined to infer the possible role of human activity and evolutionary history in shaping the diversity of cypress populations. We analysed 30 populations with six polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers. Dramatic reductions in heterozygosity and allelic richness were observed from east to west across the species range. Structure analysis assigned individuals to two main groups separating central Mediterranean and eastern populations. The two main groups could be further divided into five subgroups which showed the following geographical distributions: Turkey with the Greek islands Rhodes and Samos, Greece (Crete), Southern Italy, Northern Italy, Tunisia with Central Italy. This pattern of genetic structure is also supported by samova and Barrier analyses. Palaeobotanical data indicated that Cupressus was present in Italy in the Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene. Furthermore, our molecular survey showed that Italian cypress populations experienced bottlenecks that resulted in reduced genetic diversity and allelic richness and greater genetic differentiation. Recent colonization or introduction may also have influenced levels of diversity detected in the Italian populations, as most individuals found in this range today have multilocus genotypes that are also present in the eastern range of the species. The data reveal a new interpretation of the history of cypress distribution characterized by ancient eastern populations (Turkey and Greek islands) and a mosaic of recently introduced trees and remnants of ancient, depauperate populations in the central Mediterranean range.