Categorical Rhythms Are Shared between Songbirds and Humans

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Isolation of mitochondrial DNA from cytoplasmic male sterile and maintainer lines of pearl millet,Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke

Summary Mitochondrial DNA has been isolated from paired lines of pearl millet maintainer and cytoplasmic male sterile plants. Evaluation of the DNA by agarose gel electrophoresis shows that good quality DNA of high molecular weight can be obtained from mitochondria of both maintainer and male sterile pearl millet.     

Heat shock proteins in Sorghum bicolor and Pennisetum americanum I. genotypic and developmental variation during seed germination

Abstract The capacity to synthesize heat shock proteins (HSPs) during seed germination of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) has been examined. HSP synthesis is detectable in a thermotolerant genotype of sorghum during the first hour of imbibition of the seed under high temperature stress. A non-coordinate control of HSP synthesis during germination was revealed. Genotypic differences were manifest in the stage of germination at which the ability to synthesize HSPs was first apparent and this related to the thermosensitivity of that genotype.     

Molecular responses of plants to an increased incidence of heat shock

Abstract. Climatic change as a result of the greenhouse effect is widely predicted to increase mean temperatures globally and, in turn, increase the frequency with which plants are exposed to heat shock conditions, particularly in the semi-arid tropics. The consequences of extreme high-temperature treatments on plants have been considered, particularly in relation to the synthesis of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and the capacity to acquire thermotolerance. The heat shock response is described using results obtained with seedlings of the tropical cereals, sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) and pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ). A gradual temperature increase, as would occur in the field, is sufficient to induce thermotolerance. The synthesis of HSPs is a transient phenomenon and ceases once the stress is released. Despite the persistence of the HSPs themselves, de novo synthesis of HSPs is required for the induction of thermotolerance each time high temperatures are encountered. The effect of a repeated, diurnal heat shock was investigated and genotypic differences found in the ability to induce the heat shock response repeatedly.     

Effects of oxygen partial pressure and combined nitrogen on N2-fixation (C2H2) associated withZea mays and other gramineous species

Summary The objectives of this investigation were to determine the effects of oxygen partial pressure (pO₂) and combined nitrogen (NH ₄ ⁺ ) on rates of acetylene reduction (AR) associated with roots of intact corn, sorghum, and pearl millet plants. Soil-grown plants were carefully removed from soil and incubated hydroponically with the root system enclosed in a plastic cylinder; the tops were left exposed to ambient conditions. Oxygen concentrations around the root systems were controlled by sparging the nutrient solution with known quantities of O₂ in N₂. Ammonium nitrogen was added to the nutrient solution following establishment of AR rates to determine its effect on rates of N₂-fixation (AR). Substantial AR rates (0.1–1.5 mol C₂H₄ g dry wt^–1 h^–1) were associated with roots exposed to 0–2% O₂ (v/v) (0.0–2.02 kPa) in N₂ following at 12–24 h period of exposure to the reduced oxygen tension. Root systems exposed to air failed to demonstrate AR while those exposed to 100% N₂ showed lower activity than those at reduced pO₂ values. Addition of NH ₄ ⁺ (10–20 g N ml^–1 of nutrient solution) reduced AR by 75–90% within 24 h after addition. Oxygen uptake by roots exposed to low pO₂ was substantially reduced.     

Genotype dependent variation in mycorrhizal colonization and response to inoculation of pearl millet

Summary Genotypes of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum L. Leeke) were examined for differences in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) colonization and response to inoculation. For thirty genotypes tested across three field locations there was a range of mycorrhizal colonization intensity between 25 and 56%. In another experiment with two male-sterile lines, restorer lines and their derived crosses, grown in pots filled with non-sterilized soil there were significant differences between genotypes for colonization by mycorrhiza. This showed hostgenotype dependence for mycorrhizal colonization.Root growth rates, mycorrhizal root length, percentage root colonization and plant growth and P uptake were studied in ten genotypes. A set of 3 genotypes with similar root lengths varied significantly with regard to mycorrhizal root length and the percentage colonization. This supports the suggestion that VAM colonization and spread is dependent on the host genotype. The growth responses differed significantly between the genotypes and they also differed in their responses to P uptake and VAM inoculation. The utility of host-genotype dependent differences in VAM symbiosis in plant breeding is discussed.Journal Article No. 453     

DNA sequence organization in the genomes of three related millet plant species

Summary A major portion of the genomes of three millet species, namely, barn yard millet, fox tail millet and little millet has been shown to consist of interspersed repeat and single copy DNA sequences. The interspersed repetitive DNA sequences are both short (0.15–1.0 kilo base pairs, 62–64% and long (>1.5 kilo base pairs, 36–38%) in barn yard millet and little millet while in fox tail millet, only long interspersed repeats (>1.5 kilo base pairs) are present. The length of the interspersed single copy DNA sequences varies in the range of 1.6–2.6 kilo base pairs in all the three species. The repetitive duplexes isolated after renaturation of 1.5 kilo base pairs and 20 kilo base pairs long DNA fragments exhibit a high thermal stability with Tms either equal to or greater than the corresponding native DNAs. The S1 nuclease resistant repetitive DNA duplexes also are thermally stable and reveal the presence of only 1–2% sequence divergence.The present data on the modes of sequence arrangement in millets substantiates the proposed trend in plants, namely, plants with 1C nuclear DNA content of less than 5 picograms have diverse patterns of sequence organization while those with 1C nuclear DNA content greater than 5 picograms have predominantly a short period interspersion pattern.Abbreviations kbp kilobase pairs NCL Communication No. 3606.     

Effects of the d 2 dwarfing gene in pearl millet

Summary Dwarf varieties have had virtually no impact on the production of pearl millet, in contrast to the case of wheat, rice, and sorghum. This research compared tall and dwarf near-isogenic F₁ hybrids to attempt to determine if there were deleterious effects of the d ₂ dwarfing gene that might account for the lack of release/cultivation of dwarf pearl millet cultivars. Dwarf isohybrids on average yielded less than the tails, because of a smaller average seed size combined with a similar grain number per unit area. There was, however, a larger contribution of background genetic variation (pollinator, male-sterile, and interaction effects) to hybrid variation for nearly all characters measured, including seed size, than there was of the dwarfing gene. Selection of dwarf parents capable of producing hybrids with equal seed size and yield to that of tall parents should not be difficult.Journal article no. 1469 of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, A.P. 502 324, India     

Transfer of germ plasm from the secondary to the primary gene pool in pennisetum

Summary Germ plasm from the A-genome of Pennisetum purpureum Schum. (AABB) of the secondary gene pool was transferred to cultivated pearl millet (AA) [P. glaucum (L.) R. Br.] by pollinating cytoplasmicnuclear male-sterile (cms) pearl millet with fertile allohexaploid pearl millet x P. purpureum hybrids (AAAABB). Certain allohexaploids used as pollinators on cms pearl millet resulted in 14-chromosome diploid pearl millet progenies. Three types of diploid pearl millet plants were produced in addition to the expected 28-chromosome AAAB-genome plants: (1) cms plants with only the A-genome, (2) cms plants with the A- and A-genomes, and (3) fertile plants with the A- and A-genomes. The latter group has allowed the utilization of genes for fertility restoration, stiff stalk, maturity, height, and morphological characteristics from the A-genome of P. purpureum in the pearl millet breeding program. Production of monoploid gametes by the allohexaploids appeared to be genetically controlled.