Effects of osmotic preconditioning on nuclear replication activity in seeds of pepper (Capsicum annuum)

Routing of cytosolically synthesized precursor proteins into chloroplasts is a specific process which involves a multitude of soluble and membrane components. In this review we wil1 focus on early events of the translocation pathway of nuclear coded plastidic precursor proteins and compare import routes for polypeptide of the outer chloroplast envelope to that of internal chloroplast compartments. A number of proteins housed in the chloroplast envelopes have been implied to be involved in the translocation process, but so far a certain function has not been assigned to any of these proteins. The only exception could be an envelope localized hsc 70 homologue which could retain the import competence of a precursor protein in transit into the organelle.     

Flow Cytometric Determination of Nuclear Replication Stage in Seed Tissues

Flow cytometric determination of DNA levels in embryos of fullymatured seeds of various plant species revealed large amountsof 2C DNA signals, indicating that most cells had arrested thecell cycle at the presynthetic G₁ phase of nuclear division.The accumulation of cells at G₁ was found both in orthodox andin recalcitrant (i.e. Castanea sativa) seed species. As recalcitrantseeds are characterized by the absence of maturation drying,the arrest of the cell cycle in the presynthetic phase may notbe linked to the seed water status. Apart from the 2C signal, 4C values were found in the embryoof some seed species (e.g. Raphanus sativus) indicating thatcells were arrested in G₂ Cells arrested in G₂ were primarilylocated in the root-tip region of the embryo. In addition, combinationsof higher C values (i.e. 8C, 12C, 16C and 64C) were observedin the endosperm of Solanum melongena and Lycopersicon esculentum,and in the root-tip cells of Phaseolus vulgaris and Spinaciaoleracea. These mixtures of polyploid nuclei (also called 'polysomaty')may arise from a developmentally controlled cellular endoreduplicationand indicates that in each cell type of the seed the amountof DNA is regulated both spatially and temporally.Copyright1993, 1999 Academic Press Endive, Cichorium endiva, lettuce, Lactuca sativa, egg-plant, Solanum melongena, pepper, Capsicum annuum, tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, radish, Raphanus sativus, bean Phaseolus vulgaris, spinach, Spinacia oleracea, chestnut, Castanea sativa, beech, Fagus sylvatica, pine, Pinus nigra, DNA content, flow cytometry, seed, nuclear replication stage, C levels, storage     

Comparison of the Hematological Profile of Elite Road Cyclists during the 2010 and 2012 GiroBio Ten-Day Stage Races and Relationships with Final Ranking

Cycling stage races are strenuous endurance events during which exercise-induced variations in hematological parameters are consistently observed. However, specific literature on such changes is scarce and published data have been derived from small samples of athletes. The aims of this study were: (1) to determine the hematological response to middle-term strenuous endurance; and (2) to determine whether a relationship exists between the athlete-specific hematological profile and final placement in a cycling stage race. The study population was male professional cyclists (n = 253) competing in the 2010 (n = 144) and 2012 (n = 109) GiroBio 10-day stage races. Blood draws taken before the start of the race, at mid-race, and at end-race were performed in strict compliance with academic and anti-doping pre-analytical warnings. Blood chemistry included white blood cell, red blood cell, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean hemoglobin content (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (MCHC), platelets, and reticulocyte relative and absolute counts. Compared to baseline values, erythrocyte, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCHC, platelet and reticulocyte counts were all consistently lower at mid-race, but returned to normal by race-end, while leukocytes were increased in the final phase. MCV increased during both events. MCH increased in the first part to then return to baseline in the 2012 race. The calculated OFF-score consistently decreased in the first half of the race before increasing, but remained lower than the baseline value. The trends of variation in hematological parameters were substantially similar in both events. There was an inverse, albeit weak, relationship between placement and erythrocyte, platelet, hemoglobin, hematocrit and OFF-score values in the 2010, but not in the 2012 race. In conclusion, the data confirm that, in this large series of elite road cyclists, the strenuous effort a rider sustains during a stage race induces appreciable changes in the hematological profile.     

Patterns of Root Colonization in Epacridaceous Plants Collected from Different Sites

Root colonization was studied in ten species of the Epacridaceaeat three sites in Victoria by morphological and cross-inoculationexperiments. The sites and genera chosen were Cranbourne [Epacrisimpressa Labill. andLeucopogon ericoides(Smith) R. Br.] andRye [L. parviflorus(Andrews) Lindley] on the Mornington Peninsula,and the Grampians[Astroloma conostephioides(Sond.) Benth.,A.humifusum(Cav.) R. Br.,A pinifolium(R. Br.) Benth,Brachylomadaphnoides(Smith) Benth.,E. impressa, E. impressavar.grandifloraBenth.andStyphelia adscendensR. Br.] in western Victoria. For morphologicalstudies, samples of roots from each species at each site werecleared and stained and examined microscopically. For cross-inoculationstudies, cuttings from each site were struck in potting mediuminoculated with soil from the same and other sites. The ericoidmycorrhizae in the roots of plants found at or grown in Cranbourneand Rye soils were similar. Both were significantly differentfrom the internal hyphae found in the roots of plants foundat or grown in Grampians soils, which were three times largerin diameter and formed dense coils which filled the host celland invaded adjacent epidermal cells. This suggests that morethan one fungus is involved in the relationships, that the MorningtonPeninsula sites had a different fungus from the Grampians siteand that host specificity is low. Vesicular structures werealso found commonly on plants at the Grampians site, in contrastwith other sites. Epacridaceae; root; fungus; mycorrhiza; morphology; inoculation     

Flow cytometric measurement of nuclear DNA content inCapsicum (Solanaceae)

Nuclei were isolated from leaf tissue of differentCapsicum species and the relative fluorescence intensity was measured by flow cytometry after propidium iodide staining.Pisum sativum nuclei with known nuclear genome size (9.07 pg) were used as internal standard to determine nuclear DNA content of the samples in absolute units. The 2C DNA contents ranged between 7.65 pg inC. annuum and 9.72 pg inC. pubescens, and the general mean of the genus was 8.42 pg. These values correspond, respectively, to 1C genome size of 3.691 (C. annuum), 4.690 (C. pubescens) and 4.063 (general mean) Mbp. In general, white-flowered species proved to have less DNA, with the exception ofC. praetermissum, which displayed a 2C DNA content of 9.23 pg. It was possible to divide the studied species into three main groups according to their DNA content, and demonstrate differences in DNA content within two of the three species complexes established on the basis of morphological traits.     

Segregation distortion and linkage analysis in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

An anther-derived doubled haploid (DH) population and an F2 mapping population were developed from an intraspecific hybrid between the eggplant breeding lines 305E40 and 67/3. The former incorporates an introgressed segment from Solanum aethiopicum Gilo Group carrying the gene Rfo-sa1, which confers resistance to Fusarium oxysporum; the latter is a selection from an intraspecific cross involving two conventional eggplant varieties and lacks Rfo-sa1. Initially, 28 AFLP primer combinations (PCs) were applied to a sample of 93 F2 individuals and 93 DH individuals, from which 170 polymorphic AFLP fragments were identified. In the DH population, the segregation of 117 of these AFLPs as well as markers closely linked to Rfo-sa1 was substantially distorted, while in the F2 population, segregation distortion was restricted to just 10 markers, and thus the latter was chosen for map development. A set of 141 F2 individuals was genotyped with 73 AFLP PCs (generating 406 informative markers), 32 SSRs, 4 tomato RFLPs, and 3 CAPS markers linked to Rfo-sa1. This resulted in the assignment of 348 markers to 12 major linkage groups. The framework map covered 718.7?cM, comprising 238 markers (212 AFLPs, 22 SSRs, 1 RFLP, and the Rfo-sa1 CAPS). Marker order and inter-marker distances in this eggplant map were largely consistent with those reported in a recently published SSR-based map. From an eggplant breeding perspective, DH populations produced by anther culture appear to be subject to massive segregation distortion and thus may not be very efficient in capturing the full range of genetic variation present in the parental lines.     

Structure–activity relationships amongst 4-position quinoline methanol antimalarials that inhibit the growth of drug sensitive and resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum

Utilizing mefloquine as a scaffold, a next generation quinoline methanol (NGQM) library was constructed to identify early lead compounds that possess biological properties consistent with the target product profile for malaria chemoprophylaxis while reducing permeability across the blood–brain barrier. The library of 200 analogs resulted in compounds that inhibit the growth of drug sensitive and resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Herein we report selected chemotypes and the emerging structure–activity relationship for this library of quinoline methanols.     

Ultrasound imaging in an experimental model of fatty liver disease and cirrhosis in rats

Background

Atypical scrapie was first identified in Norwegian sheep in 1998 and has subsequently been identified in many countries. Retrospective studies have identified cases predating the initial identification of this form of scrapie, and epidemiological studies have indicated that it does not conform to the behaviour of an infectious disease, giving rise to the hypothesis that it represents spontaneous disease. However, atypical scrapie isolates have been shown to be infectious experimentally, through intracerebral inoculation in transgenic mice and sheep. The first successful challenge of a sheep with 'field' atypical scrapie from an homologous donor sheep was reported in 2007.

Results

This study demonstrates that atypical scrapie has distinct clinical, pathological and biochemical characteristics which are maintained on transmission and sub-passage, and which are distinct from other strains of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in the same host genotype.

Conclusions

Atypical scrapie is consistently transmissible within AHQ homozygous sheep, and the disease phenotype is preserved on sub-passage.     

Mapping of citrullinated fibrinogen B-cell epitopes in rheumatoid arthritis by imaging surface plasmon resonance

Introduction  

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently involves the loss of tolerance to citrullinated antigens, which may play a role in pathogenicity. Citrullinated fibrinogen is commonly found in inflamed synovial tissue and is a frequent target of autoantibodies in RA patients. To obtain insight into the B-cell response to citrullinated fibrinogen in RA, its autoepitopes were systematically mapped using a new methodology.