Genotypic Differences Research Articles

Effect of Drought and Pluvial Climates on the Production and Stability of Different Types of Peanut Cultivars in Guangdong, China

The production and breeding of peanuts was restricted by the frequently extreme climatic conditions in Guangdong province, China. To understand the influence of drought and pluvial climates on peanut traits and yield, a phenotypic investigation of seventy peanut cultivars was conducted from 2018 to 2022; comprehensive field meteorological data collection, and typical drought (2021) and pluvial (2022) climates were recorded. The results revealed that the cultivars achieved the highest single plant pod weight (SPPW) and single plant seed weight (SPSW) of 61.03 g and 45.84 g, respectively, in drought conditions, followed by the control, and finally the pluvial. The SPPW, SPSW and eight agronomy traits exhibited significant differences across the different climatic conditions. Correlation analysis revealed the yield traits and key yield-related traits were positively or negatively correlated with soil water content (SWC), total global radiation (TGR), total precipitation (TP) and total net radiation (TNR). The intermediate and Spanish type cultivars were more stable and productive than the other botanical types of cultivars, commercial varieties exhibited better performance than landraces, and seven cultivars were identified with good production potential, under drought and pluvial conditions. Our study showed that pluvial climate was detrimental to peanut yield, and the SPPW and SPSW were significantly influenced by climates with genotype differences.

ShinyFruit: interactive fruit phenotyping software and its application in blackberry.

Horticultural plant breeding programs often demand large volumes of phenotypic data to capture visual variation in quality of harvested products. Increasing the throughput potential of phenomic pipelines enables breeders to consider data-hungry molecular breeding strategies such as genome-wide association studies and genomic selection. We present an R-based web application called ShinyFruit for image-based phenotyping of size, shape, and color-related qualities in fruits and vegetables. Here, we have demonstrated one potential application for ShinyFruit by comparing its estimates of fruit length, width, and red drupelet reversion (RDR) with ImageJ and analogous manual phenotyping techniques in a population of blackberry cultivars and breeding selections from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Fruit Breeding Program. ShinyFruit results shared a strong positive correlation with manual measurements for blackberry length (r = 0.96) and ImageJ estimates of RDR (r = 0.96) and significant, albeit weaker, correlations with manual RDR estimation methods (r = 0.62 - 0.70). Neither phenotyping method detected genotypic differences in blackberry fruit width, suggesting that this trait is unlikely to be heritable in the population observed. It is likely that implementing a treatment to promote RDR expression in future studies might strengthen the documented correlation between phenotyping methods by maximizing genotypic variance. Even so, our analysis has suggested that ShinyFruit provides a viable, open-source solution to efficient phenotyping of size and color in blackberry fruit. The ability for users to adjust analysis settings should also extend its utility to a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

Variability for seed germination and seedling vigour in aging groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seeds after storage under ambient conditions

Seed germination and seedling vigour in aging seeds of 32 groundnut genotypes was studied under ambient storage conditions to assess the extent of variability for these traits under storage. The association, if any of these traits with seed soil content and seed mass was also examined. Both,seed germination and seedling vigour declined with aging of the groundnut seeds in all test genotypes. However, the rate of decrease varied among the genotypes suggesting significant genotypic difference and possibility of their improvement through breeding. Aging also has strong negative effect on both, root and shoot growth of the seedlings, but profound effect was observed on root growth. Seed germination and seedling vigour are not associated with seed oil content, but seedling vigour is positively correlated with seed mass. The results indicate the possibility of developing new groundnut genotypes that retained good levels of seed germination and seedling vigour even in storage for 12 months under ambientconditions. Further, it is also possible to combine enhanced high seed oil content with high seed germination and seedling vigour. As seed germination and seedling vigour are associated with pod yield, it may be desirable to evaluate the advanced breeding lines for these traits besides other yield and yield parameters.

Two genetic variants in the SRD5A2 gene are found to be associated with sex differences in the disease characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

BackgroundTo examine the expression characteristics of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SRD5A2 gene and investigate their potential association with differences in the clinical characteristics between sexes in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.MethodsA total of 30 loci in six genes primarily involved in the metabolism and signaling of sex hormones/sex hormone receptors, namely AKR1C2, AKR1C3, HSD17B6, SRD5A1, SRD5A2, and ESR1, were genotyped in 1007 patients from eight counties (cities) in Northeastern China with chronic HBV infection and 1040 healthy controls, and their association with viral replication characteristics and the differences in disease severity between sexes was assessed. Western blotting was conducted to determine the hepatic SRD5A2 protein level and its relationship with the inflammatory activity and fibrosis degree in male and female patients.ResultsTwo SNP loci in the SRD5A2 gene (rs12470143 and rs7594951) exhibited significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies between sexes, with the proportion of T alleles significantly higher in males than in females. It was found that the incidence and severity of HBV-related liver fibrosis were significantly higher in patients with the T/T genotype in SRD5A2 rs12470143 and rs7594951 than those with the non-T/T genotype. Additionally, serum HBV DNA levels were significantly elevated in T/T patients compared to non-T/T patients. Female patients exhibited significantly lower serum DNA levels compared to male patients. Western blot analysis indicated that greater hepatic SRD5A2 protein levels were associated with higher METAVIR inflammation and fibrosis scores. Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that the two genetic variants in the SRD5A2 gene (rs12470143 C > T, r7594951 C > T), together with the male sex, age > 50 years old, HBeAg positive status, elevated serum HBsAg load, high serum HBV DNA load, and HBV genotype C, were independent risk factors for HBV-related liver fibrosis.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that two genetic variants in the SRD5A2 gene (rs12470143 C > T, r7594951 C > T) are associated with sex differences in the clinical characteristics of patients with chronic HBV infection.

Cultivar-dependent and drought-induced modulation of secondary metabolites, adaptative defense in Fagopyrum esculentum L

The present study investigates the biochemical responses of buckwheat to drought stress, particularly focusing on phenolic acids and flavonoids, abundant in this crop. We hypothesize that distinct genotypic responses to drought stress will lead to variations in phenolic acid accumulation. Two common buckwheat cultivars, Panda (East European origin) and PI 482597 (originating from Zimbabwe), were subjected to drought treatment, with biochemical traits, relative water content, and photosynthetic pigments regularly assessed. While chlorophyll content remained unaffected by dehydration, total carotenoid content decreased. The unique increase in the chlorophyll to carotenoid ratio suggests a specific role of carotenoids in buckwheat's metabolic stress response. While most phenolic acids and flavonoids exhibited increasing trends during progressive dehydration, their dynamics differed. Notably, rutin content increased early in drought stress, while chlorogenic acid and kaempferol showed enhanced levels only under severe dehydration. Genotypic differences were observed in chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and quercetin. Conversely, trans-p-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, vanillic acid, rutin, and kaempferol showed similar trends in both cultivars. By aligning observed drought-induced changes in phenolic compound contents with biosynthesis pathways, trade-offs between individual compounds were identified, contributing to the mechanistic understanding of varied stress responses.

Effects of Short-Term Transportation and Lairage Time on Meat Quality, CAST, CAPN1, CAPN3, HSPA1A Gene Expression Levels and Myofibrillary Structure of M. longissimus dorsi of Kıvırcık Breed Sheep

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of short term transportation and lairage time on meat quality, myofibrillary structure and calpastatin (CAST), µ-calpain (CAPN1), calpain 3 (CAPN3) and heat shock protein 70 (HSPA1A) expression levels of longissimus dorsi of Kıvırcık breed sheep (n=40). Meat quality was evaluated by muscle glycogen amounts, pH, temperature, cooking loss, water holding capacity, shear force, instrumental color, sarcomere length and organoleptic properties. Cellular changes in the muscle during the ageing process was scanned by electron microscopy and CAST, CAPN1, CAPN3, HSPA1A expression levels were measured to reveal the association on meat tenderness. As a result, positive effect of long lairage time groups was observed in the pH, glycogen, SF values and organoleptic evaluation. CAST, CAPN1, CAPN3 expression showed no difference, however, HSPA1A showed significant difference in aging process. In conclusion, genotypic differences, their effect on gene expression and protein level on meat quality should be further investigated.

B-217 The study of association of FokI Polymorphism of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) Gene, Vitamin D and Parathyroid Hormone Levels in Stage 4–5 Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an important public health problem globally and almost 35% patients of CKD have deficiency in vitamin D which progresses to 80% in stage 4–5 CKD patients. Active vitamin D binds to Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) to regulate target gene transcription. Various genetic variations (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) such as FokI polymorphism, which is a T/C transition polymorphism (ACG to ATG) may affect the VDR gene expression and thus may play an important role in pathogenesis of CKD. The aim of the study is to study association between FokI Polymorphism of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) Gene, serum Vitamin D and PTH levels in Stage 4–5 CKD patients. Methods A total of 150 patients, aged 25–60 years, attending the Department of Nephrology AIIMS New Delhi with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4–5, were enrolled for the study. FokI polymorphism was analyzed by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in study subjects. Following DNA isolation and PCR amplification, restriction digestion was done using FokI restriction endonuclease and visualised on 1.5 % agarose gel electrophoresis. The prevalence of different genotypes and allelic frequency distribution was compared between CKD patients and healthy controls (HC). Levels of PTH, Vitamin D were estimated by eCLIA. Results No significant differences in genotype and in allelic frequencies between CKD patients and HC were observed as shown in Table 1. No significant differences in biochemical parameters based on genotypic variations in CKD patients and in HC were observed. Conclusion The present study reveals no association of VDR FokI polymorphism with CKD. Furthermore, no significant differences in biochemical parameters were observed in FF, Ff and ff genotypic subgroups in CKD or HC groups. Further analysis revealed no significant differences in biochemical parameters based on genotypic variations in CKD patients and in HC. Table 1.Genotype frequency and allelic frequency of VDR FOK1 gene polymorphism in CKD patients and HC.Genotype(FOK1)Genotype frequency (%)P-valueX2 (chi2)Allelic frequencyCKD (n = 150)HC (n = 150)Total study group (n = 300)0.7700.5220CKD (n = 150)HC (n = 150)FF53.33 (n = 80)57.33 (n = 86)55.33 (n = 166)FfFfFf41.33 (n = 62)37.33 (n = 56)39.33 (n = 118)0.740.260.760.24ff5.33 (n = 8)5.33 (n = 8)5.33 (n = 16)

ВЛИЯНИЕ РАЗЛИЧНЫХ КОНЦЕНТРАЦИЙ ГЛЮКОЗЫ В ПИТАТЕЛЬНОЙ СРЕДЕ НА МОРФОГЕНЕЗ РАСТЕНИЙ ВИНОГРАДА IN VITRO

To study the organic nutrition of grape plants in in vitro culture, we conducted research on the effect of glucose introduced into the nutrient medium on the morphogenesis of test-tube grape plants. The experiments were carried out on two model varieties (Sibirkovyi and Krasnostop Karpi) selected by us from the laboratory collection of in vitro healthy grape plants. These varieties, in addition to differences in genotypes, most noticeably differ in the features of development in in vitro culture, which we noted earlier when they were cultivated and deposited in the collection. The Sibirkovyi variety is one of the fastest growing, and Krasnostop Karpi is one of the slowest developing varieties in in vitro culture. In the experiment, glucose concentrations from 0.0 (sucrose control 10.0 g/l) to 40.0 g/l were used. The varietal response of the model varieties in the experiment with different concentrations of glucose in the nutrient medium was different. The variety Sibirkovyi was already one and a half times ahead of the variety Krasnostop Karpi in development in the first terms of accounting. At the same time, for the Sibirkovyi variety, the optimal range of concentrations for the development and preservation of microplants according to most indicators was the range from 5 to 20 g/l, and for the Krasnostop Karpi variety, the optimal range was narrower – 0-20 g/l. At high glucose concentrations of 30,0-40,0 g/l, the plants of both varieties experienced stress, which was manifested in the intensive release of phenols into the nutrient medium (this was most clearly manifested in the Sibirkovyi variety), and often the plants did not reach the top of the cultivation vessel during ontogenesis. besides, they showed earlier aging processes. At the same time, at high concentrations of glucose, a slowdown in growth processes and its ripening of shoots in individual microplants was noted.

Investigating the interactions of endornaviruses with each other and with other viruses in common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris

BackgroundPlant viruses of the genus Alphaendornavirus are transmitted solely via seed and pollen and generally cause no apparent disease. It has been conjectured that certain plant endornaviruses may confer advantages on their hosts through improved performance (e.g., seed yield) or resilience to abiotic or biotic insult. We recently characterised nine common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties that harboured either Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus (PvEV1) alone, or PvEV1 in combination with PvEV2 or PvEV1 in combination with PvEV2 and PvEV3. Here, we investigated the interactions of these endornaviruses with each other, and with three infectious pathogenic viruses: cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), and bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV).ResultsIn lines harbouring PvEV1, PvEV1 and PvEV2, or PvEV1, PvEV2 plus PvEV3, the levels of PvEV1 and PvEV3 RNA were very similar between lines, although there were variations in PvEV2 RNA accumulation. In plants inoculated with infectious viruses, CMV, BCMV and BCMNV levels varied between lines, but this was most likely due to host genotype differences rather than to the presence or absence of endornaviruses. We tested the effects of endornaviruses on seed production and seedborne transmission of infectious pathogenic viruses but found no consistent relationship between the presence of endornaviruses and seed yield or protection from seedborne transmission of infectious pathogenic viruses.ConclusionsIt was concluded that endornaviruses do not interfere with each other’s accumulation. There appears to be no direct synergy or competition between infectious pathogenic viruses and endornaviruses, however, the effects of host genotype may obscure interactions between endornaviruses and infectious viruses. There is no consistent effect of endornaviruses on seed yield or susceptibility to seedborne transmission of other viruses.

Genome streamlining and clonal erosion in nutrient-limited environments: a test using genome-size variable populations.

Some selection-based theories propose that genome streamlining, favoring smaller genome sizes, is advantageous in nutritionally limited environments, particularly under P-limitation. To test this prediction, we conducted several experimental evolution trials on clonal populations of a facultatively asexual rotifer that exhibits intraspecific variation in genome size. Most trials showed a rapid decline in clonal diversity, which was accelerated in populations that were initially non-adapted. Populations consisting of three rotifer clones often became monoclonal within a few weeks, while populations starting with 120 clones eroded to ten multi-locus genotypes, of which only five were abundant in higher numbers. While P-limitation affected population growth during the experiments, it did not affect the outcome of clonal competition or the speed at which clonal diversity was lost. Common garden transplant experiments revealed that the evolved populations were better adapted to the experimental conditions than the ancestral controls. However, contrary to expectations, the evolved populations did not show an overrepresentation of small genomes. Intermediate genomes were also frequently abundant, although very large genomes were rare. Our findings suggest that fitness is more influenced by genotypic differences among clones than by differences in GS, and indicate that such differences might hinder genome streamlining during early adaptation to a new environment.

Gene expression pattern of K transporter GhHAK5 gene of potassium efficient and in-efficient cotton cultivars based on morphological physiognomies as affected by potassium nutrition and reduced irrigation

BackgroundUnder K deficiency the uptake and distribution pattern in plant cells is mediated through different transport proteins and channels which were controlled by specific gene family. Therefore, a hydroponic experiment was conducted under control condition for testing the gene expression pattern of the K transporter under adequate and low K supply levels. After that, a 2-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate five selected cotton cultivars (four K-efficient cultivars, viz., CIM-554, CYTO-124, FH-142, IUB-2013, and one K non-efficient, BH-212) screened from the initial hydroponics culture experiment and two levels of potassium (0 K2O kg·ha−1 and 50 K2O kg·ha−1) were tested under reduced irrigation (50% available water content; 50 AWC) and normal irrigation conditions (100% available water content; 100 AWC).ResultResults revealed that the transcript levels of GhHAK5aD in roots were significantly higher in K+ efficient cultivars than that in K+ non-efficient cultivars. The GhHAK5aD expression upon K+ deficiency was higher in roots but lower in shoots, indicating that GhHAK5aD could have a role in K+ uptake in roots, instead of transport of K+ from root to shoot. Similarly, under field conditions the cultivar FH-142 showed an increase of 22.3%, 4.9%, 2.4%, and 1.4% as compared with BH-212, IUB-2013, CYTO-124, and CIM-554, respectively, in seed cotton yield (SCY) with K application under reduced irrigation conditions. With applied K, the FH-142 showed an increase in net photosynthetic rate by 57.3% as compared with the rest of the cultivars under reduced irrigation over K control. However, the overall performance indicators of K-efficient cultivars like FH-142, CYTO-124, CIM-554, and IUB-2013 were better than BH-212 (K in-efficient) under reduced irrigation conditions with applied K at 50 kg·ha−1. Fiber quality trait improved significantly with K application under water deficit. The increase in micronaire was 3.6%, 4.7%, 7.8%, 3.4%, and 6.7% in BH-212, IUB-2013, CIM-554, CYTO-124, and FH-142, respectively, with K application at 50 kg·ha−1 over without K application under reduced irrigation conditions during the cotton growing season. Similarly, the cultivars FH-142 increased by 12% with K application under reduced irrigation as compared with other cultivars. The performance of K-efficient cultivars under reduced irrigation conditions was 30% better in SCY and quality traits with the application of K at 50 kg·ha−1 as compared with K-non-efficient cultivars. Similarly, water use efficiency (WUE) (40.1%) and potassium use efficiency (KUE) (20.2%) were also noted higher in case of FH-142 as compared with other cultivar with K application under reduced conditions.ConclusionHigher expression of GhHAK5aD gene was observed in K-efficient cultivars as compared with K-non-efficient cultivars in roots indicates that GhHAK5aD may be contributing to genotypic differences for K+ efficiency in cotton. K-efficient cotton cultivars can be used for the low-K environments and can also be recommended for general cultivars.

Time of day and genotype sensitivity adjust molecular responses to temperature stress in sorghum.

Sorghum is one of the four major C4 crops that are considered to be tolerant to environmental extremes. Sorghum shows distinct growth responses to temperature stress depending on the sensitivity of the genetic background. About half of the transcripts in sorghum exhibit diurnal rhythmic expressions emphasizing significant coordination with the environment. However, an understanding of how molecular dynamics contribute to genotype-specific stress responses in the context of the time of day is not known. We examined whether temperature stress and the time of day impact the gene expression dynamics in thermo-sensitive and thermo-tolerant sorghum genotypes. We found that time of day is highly influencing the temperature stress responses, which can be explained by the rhythmic expression of most thermo-responsive genes. This effect is more pronounced in thermo-tolerant genotypes, suggesting a stronger regulation of gene expression by the time of day and/or by the circadian clock. Genotypic differences were mostly observed on average gene expression levels, which may be responsible for contrasting sensitivities to temperature stress in tolerant versus susceptible sorghum varieties. We also identified groups of genes altered by temperature stress in a time-of-day and genotype-specific manner. These include transcriptional regulators and several members of the Ca2+ -binding EF-hand protein family. We hypothesize that expression variation of these genes between genotypes along with time-of-day independent regulation may contribute to genotype-specific fine-tuning of thermo-responsive pathways. These findings offer a new opportunity to selectively target specific genes in efforts to develop climate-resilient crops based on their time-of-day and genotype variation responses to temperature stress.

The effect of extended cold storage on the functional quality attributes of different potato genotypes

AbstractPotato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a staple food widely consumed in Tunisia and represents a source of various secondary metabolites with human health benefits. However, cold storage of potato tuber affects their bioactive properties and functional quality. Despite the importance of this fact, few studies have examined the effects of extended cold storage on potato tubers quality. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of cold storage on the main quality traits of different potato genotypes grown in Tunisia. This investigation focused on four cultivated potato varieties including three commercial (Selena, Elbeidha, and Naima) and a selected clone CL27 grown under late cropping season conditions with planting at the beginning of autumn and a winter tuberization. The tubers from this trial were stored for 90 days at 8°C. The results obtained showed that quality traits of potato tubers were strongly influenced by storage at 8°C throughout 90 days. Additionally, disregarding the genotype, total carotenoids, phenolics, and flavonoids contents increased significantly following 90 days storage at 8°C. However, genotypic differences underlying the antioxidant activity in both hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions were detected suggesting their sensibility to cold storage. This study might be useful for breeders working on potato genotypes suitable for extended storage duration and for growers storing their material for extended period under low temperature.

Effects of Salt Stress on Grain Yield and Quality Parameters in Rice Cultivars with Differing Salt Tolerance.

Rice yield and grain quality are highly sensitive to salinity stress. Salt-tolerant/susceptible rice cultivars respond to salinity differently. To explore the variation in grain yield and quality to moderate/severe salinity stress, five rice cultivars differing in degrees of salt tolerance, including three salt-tolerant rice cultivars (Lianjian 5, Lianjian 6, and Lianjian 7) and two salt-susceptible rice cultivars (Wuyunjing 30 and Lianjing 7) were examined. Grain yield was significantly decreased under salinity stress, while the extent of yield loss was lesser in salt-tolerant rice cultivars due to the relatively higher grain filling ratio and grain weight. The milling quality continued to increase with increasing levels. There were genotypic differences in the responses of appearance quality to mild salinity. The appearance quality was first increased and then decreased with increasing levels of salinity stress in salt-tolerant rice but continued to decrease in salt-susceptible rice. Under severe salinity stress, the protein accumulation was increased and the starch content was decreased; the content of short branched-chain of amylopectin was decreased; the crystallinity and stability of the starch were increased, and the gelatinization temperature was increased. These changes resulted in the deterioration of cooking and eating quality of rice under severe salinity-stressed environments. However, salt-tolerant and salt-susceptible rice cultivars responded differently to moderate salinity stress in cooking and eating quality and in the physicochemical properties of the starch. For salt-tolerant rice cultivars, the chain length of amylopectin was decreased, the degrees of order of the starch structure were decreased, and pasting properties and thermal properties were increased significantly, whereas for salt-susceptible rice cultivars, cooking and eating quality was deteriorated under moderate salinity stress. In conclusion, the selection of salt-tolerant rice cultivars can effectively maintain the rice production at a relatively high level while simultaneously enhancing grain quality in moderate salinity-stressed environments. Our results demonstrate specific salinity responses among the rice genotypes and the planting of salt-tolerant rice under moderate soil salinity is a solution to ensure rice production in China.

Inheritance of Early Stomatal Closure Trait in Soybean: Ellis × N09-13890 Population.

Drought conditions exhibit various physiological and morphological changes in crops and thus reduce crop growth and yield. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of drought stress on soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) production, identification and selection of genotypes that are best adapted to limited water availability in a specific environmental condition can be an effective strategy. This study aimed to assess the inheritance of early stomatal closure traits in soybeans using a population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between N09-13890 and Ellis. Thirty soybean lines were subjected to progressive water-deficit stress using a dry-down experiment. The experiment was conducted from June to November 2022 at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center (WTREC), University of Tennessee in Jackson, TN, under controlled environment conditions. This study identified significant differences among soybean lines in their early stomatal closure thresholds. The fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) thresholds among 30 tested lines ranged from 0.18 to 0.80, at which the decline in transpiration with soil drying was observed. Almost 65% of the RILs had FTSW threshold values between 0.41 to 0.80. These results, indicating inheritance, are supportive of the expression of early stomatal closure trait in progeny lines at a high level in cultivar development for water-deficit stress conditions. Thus, identifying the differences in genotypes of water use and their response to water-deficit stress conditions can provide a foundation for selecting new cultivars that are best adapted to arid and semi-arid agricultural production systems.

Effects of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizospheric Bacteria (PGPR) on Survival, Growth and Rooting Architecture of Eucalyptus Hybrid Clones

Clonal plantation involves the rooting of cuttings from superior genotypes selected for their hybrid vigor and desired qualities. However, the cuttings of some Eucalyptus species and their hybrid genotypes present difficulties in their rooting capacity. Applying PGPR to cutting growth medium as a root stimulating agent has not been extensively studied for Eucalyptus tree species. We aimed to assess the rooting capacity of cuttings taken from two poor-rooting Eucalyptus hybrid clones of E. grandis × E. nitens through the application of PGPR in nursery trials. Seven rhizospheric bacterial species that demonstrated the ability to produce indole-3-acetic acid and to solubilise phosphate were used to prepare two rhizospheric consortium inoculums in which Pseudomonas-Bacillus strains and non-Pseudomonas-Bacillus were grouped. Inoculums were tested for their rooting stimulating capacity on cuttings of the hybrids GN 018B and GN 010 and compared to the nursery standard indole-3-butyric acid. A total of 320 cuttings were treated. Both hybrid clones demonstrated significant (p < 0.0001) genotype differences for all three growth responses, i.e., total, root, and shoot length. Cuttings of both hybrids demonstrated high survival rates and rooting percentage. Although several rooting architectural configurations were prevalent, the Pseudomonas-Bacillus consortium promoted adventitious root development and fibrosity in GN 018B hybrids.

Kinetics study comparing bacterial growth and iron oxidation kinetics over a range of temperatures 5–45 °C

This comprehensive study summarizes kinetic data from experiments performed over a wide temperature range that overlaps the physiological operating temperature windows for most mesophilic Fe-oxidizers. Three acidophilic autotrophic bacterial strains Acidithiobacillus (At.) ferrivorans, At. ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum (L.) ferriphilum were investigated in this work in order to compare their growth and iron oxidation kinetics over a temperature range of 5–45 °C. On-line gas analysis was applied to determine the O2 and CO2 consumption rates during the culture incubation. Despite the genotypic differences these three strains share many common physiological traits. At t = 30 °C, the specific growth rate (μ) at all three species reached 0.11 h−1 which is equivalent to generation time 6.5 h. Maximum ferrous‑iron oxidation rate per unit of biomass was achieved with L. ferriphilum at t = 40 °C and approached 10 mmol Fe2+ (C-mmol) h−1. The temperature of incubation had a profound effect on the specific rates, while the kinetic parameter Ks/Ki at the Acidithiobacilli strains remained unaffected. Cultures with Leptospirillum incubated at temperatures >35 °C were capable of iron oxidation at redox potentials close to +950 mV and kept constant specific rates until Fe2+ depletion. The parameter Ks/Ki at L. ferriphilum was two order of magnitude lower than for the Acidithiobacilli. However, this feature disappears at temperatures below 30 °C, where Ks/Ki has a value comparable to Acidithiobacilli, which suggests that L. ferriphillum uses different Fe oxidation systems depending on temperature conditions. Strong correlation was observed between ferrous iron oxidation, and carbon dioxide fixation in the exponentially growing cultures with the yield coefficient (YSX) approaching 14 μmol C fixed per mmol Fe2+ oxidized. The kinetic parameters differed significantly between bacterial strains under “extreme” temperatures (t < 10 °C; t > 35 °C). All three bacterial strains were capable of oxidizing iron over the entire range (5–45 °C) of incubation temperatures. Neither At. ferrivorans nor At. ferrooxidans showed exponential growth at the temperature 40 °C. Bacterial iron oxidation not associated with growth was observed during incubation at 5 °C. At. ferrivorans, was the only species that can grow exponentially at a temperature of 5 °C. Moreover, it differed from the other species by greater sensitivity to low pH which seems to be more pronounced at temperatures t < 10 °C, with minimum of pH 1.9 for growth.

Diazepam effects on anxiety-related defensive behavior of male and female high and low open‐field activity inbred mouse strains

Open-field activity is a commonly used measure of anxiety-related behavior in rodents. The inbred High and Low Activity strains of mice, selected for extreme differences in open-field activity, have been used as a genetic model of anxiety-related behaviors. These selected strains have been thoroughly studied through extensive behavioral testing, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, whole-genome sequencing, and RNA sequencing, to uncover phenotypic and genotypic differences related to anxiety-related behavior. However, the effects of anxiolytic drugs on anxiety-related behavior in these strains have not been studied previously. This study allowed us to expand on previous findings to further characterize the anxiety-related behavior of these unique strains, using an anxiolytic drug. The goal of this study was to determine whether the treatment of adult male and female High Activity (low anxiety) and Low Activity (high anxiety) mice with diazepam, an agonist at the benzodiazepine allosteric site on the GABAA receptor and a drug commonly prescribed to treat anxiety disorders in humans, led to decreases in anxiety-like defensive behavioral responses as assessed in the open-field test (OFT) and elevated plus-maze (EPM). We tested the effects of three doses of diazepam (0, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg, i.p.), given 30 min before behavioral testing to one High Activity strain (H2) and two Low Activity strains (L1 and L2). There was an anxiolytic effect of diazepam observed in the High Activity strain, with more entries into the open arms of the elevated plus-maze, an effect similar to that seen in common mouse strains. However, the only anxiolytic effect of diazepam seen in the Low Activity strains was a reduction in stretch attend posture (SAP). Low Activity strains also displayed freezing behavior in both the OFT and EPM. The combination of the observed freezing behavior, that was not reduced by diazepam, and the reduction in SAP seen with diazepam, suggests a more complex phenotype that includes a component of innate fear in addition to anxiety-related risk assessment behaviors. Since fear and anxiety are distinguishable traits, and both contribute to human anxiety disorders, these results provide novel insight about interpretation of previous genetic and phenotypic differences observed between the High and Low Activity strains.

Callus induction studies in various explants in different genotypes of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

The goal of this study was to develop a suitable protocol for callus induction in sesame, Sesamum indicumwhich can be further used for regeneration studies. The experiments were carried out using three explants viz.,cotyledonary leaf, hypocotyls and primary leaf at different hormonal combinations and concentrations to studycallus induction. There was significant difference in the response of explants to different hormone treatmentsalthough there is no genotypic difference with regard to explants. Results showed that callus induction wassignificantly influenced by explants type. Hypocotyls responded well for callus induction in most of the genotypes.The callus induction frequency was significantly reduced (36.5%) when 0.2 mg BA was used along with 0.2 mg/lNAA. Replacing this hormonal combination with 2.0mg/l BA and 0.2 mg/l NAA greatly improved the callusinduction frequency (51.4%).

Silent Cerebral Infarcts in Iraqi Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Silent ischemic infarcts have been reported to be the most frequent neurological abnormalities in sickle cell disease (SCD) in several studies worldwide. However, no previous studies investigated this neurological disorder in Iraqi SCD patients. To address this issue, a total of 52 patients with a median age of 20 years (range 10–46) and including 46.2% males were enrolled. Patients were clinically evaluated and their records were reviewed. They had full blood and reticulocyte counts, hemoglobin F estimation, serum lactic dehydrogenase and bilirubin assayed, as well as brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to screen for silent cerebral infarcts. Six out of the 52 patients (11.5%) had silent cerebral infarcts, all of which were in the deep white matter, ranging from 6 to 10 mm in their largest diameters. There were no significant differences in age, sex, or sickle cell genotype between those with silent cerebral infarcts and those without it. Those with silent cerebral infarcts had lower median hemoglobin, higher reticulocytes and lower pain frequencies than those without it, yet again this was not significant. Follow up MRI in four out of the six silent infarct patients showed no additional lesions and no increase in size of the original ones after six to eight months. In conclusion, it appears that the frequency of silent cerebral infarcts in Iraqi SCD patients is lower than the bulk of the literature from other populations. Further studies to screen for genetic polymorphisms that may explain this lower rate may be informative.