Modeling protein functional properties from amino acid composition

Physicochemical and functional properties of proteins were modeled as a function of the contributions of each of the 20 coded amino acids to three (z-scores) or five (extended z-scores) amino acid principal properties using partial least squares regression. The five term models were in all cases stronger in both fit and prediction than the three term models, indicating that useful information is contained in the fourth and fifth property scores. Models predicting protein hydrophobicity (R = 0.932), viscosity (R = 0.737), and foam capacity (R = 0.880) from amino acid composition rather than sequence were obtained. It is likely that additional functional and physicochemical properties of proteins can be modeled in this way.     

Long-term trapping efficiency of a vegetated filter strip under agricultural use

In a hops-producing area long-term average trapping-effectiveness of a grassed filterstrip under agricultural use was measured. Copper, applied as fungicide, was used to identify the colluvium in a meadow below a hop garden. 9,5 t material were trapped during 17 years per m width of the filterstrip. This annual accumulation of 540 kg/m width represents a trapping efficiency of 55% of the computed annual soil loss of the hop garden. The results agree with other publications which report the trapping efficiency for a longer period, whereas the reported results of short-term experiments largely overestimate the efficiency.     

Taxonomy and evolution of cultivated plants: Literature review 1983/1984

Summary Important papers on taxonomy and evolution of cultivated plants published in 1983 and 1984 were complied and briefly discussed.

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Taxonomie und Evolution der Kulturpflanzen: Literaturübersicht 1983/1984

Zusammenfassung Wichtige Arbeiten über Taxonomie und Evolution der Kulturpflanzen aus den Jahren 1983 und 1984 wurden zusammengestellt und kurz kommentiert.

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: 1983–1984

, 1983 1984 . .

     

Collection of land-races of cultivated plants in South Italy, 1984

Summary In continuation of collecting missions in the last four years a further mission has been carried out in South Italy jointly by staff members of the Istituto del Germoplasma, Bari, and the Zentralinstitut für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gatersleben, in September 1984 for studying and collecting indigenous forms of cultivated plants and their wild relatives. 185 samples, mainly of cereals, vegetables and grain legumes have been collected. The material represents highly variable old land-races; this is especially true for wheat, oats, maize,Brassica spp., french beans and faba beans. In Sicily wildBrassica spp. have been collected and in some places introgression from wild into cultivatedBrassica races could be observed. The results of this mission increase our knowledge concerning the flora of cultivated plants of South Italy considerably and stress the necessity for continuing the exploration of plant genetic resources in this region.

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Sammlung von Kulturpflanzen-Landsorten in Süditalien 1984

Zusammenfassung In Fortführung von Sammelreisen der letzten vier Jahre wurde eine weitere Reise in Süditalien gemeinsam von Mitarbeitern des Istituto del Germoplasma, Bari, und des Zentralinstituts für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Gatersleben, im September 1984 unternommen, die dem Studium und der Sammlung indigener Formen von Kulturpflanzen und ihrer verwandten Wildsippen diente. 185 Proben, vor allem von Getreiden, Gemüsen und Körnerleguminosen, wurden gesammelt. Das Material besteht aus hochvariablen alten Landsorten, besonders von Weizen, Hafer, Mais, Kohlsippen, Gartenbohnen und Ackerbohnen. In Sizilien wurden Wildkohle gesammelt, und an einigen Stellen konnten Introgressionen von Wildin Kultursippen beobachtet werden. Die Ergebnisse dieser Sammelreise, die unsere Kenntnisse der Kulturpflanzenflora Süditaliens beträchtlich erweitern, unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit zur Fortführung der Exploration pflanzengenetischer Ressourcen dieses Gebietes.

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1984

. 1984 . . 185 , , , ; ; , , , , , . , . , , .

     

Collecting plant genetic resources in Cuba

Summary After a short introduction into recent collecting activities in Cuba information is provided concerning the joint expedition of the Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical and the Zentralinstitut für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung in the province of Holguín, Eastern Cuba, in February 1986 within the agreement between the Academy of Sciences of Cuba and the Academy of Sciences of the German Democratic Republic. Altogether 249 accessions of vegetables, pulses, cereals and other crops were collected. A remarkable diversity was found inCapsicum andPhaseolus. The material collected is important for breeding purposes.

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Sammlung pflanzlicher genetischer Ressourcen in Kuba

Zusammenfassung Nach einer kurzen Einführung in die Sammelarbeit der letzten Jahre in Kuba folgen Informationen über die gemeinsame Expedition des Instituto de Investigaciones Fundamentales en Agricultura Tropical und des Zentralinstituts für Genetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, die im Rahmen des Abkommens zwischen der Akademie der Wissenschaften Kubas und der Akademie der Wissenschaften der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik im Februar 1986 durchgeführt wurde und in die Provinz Holguín, Ost-Kuba, führte. Insegsamt wurden 249 Proben von Gemüsen, Hülsenfrüchten, Getreiden und anderen Fruchtarten gesammelt. Eine bemerkenswerte Variation wurde beiCapsicum andPhaseolus gefunden. Das Sammelmaterial ist für Züchtungszwecke von Bedeutung.

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¶rt; , , , ¶rt; . C 1986 . . 249 , , . Capsicum Phaseolus. .

     

Chemical stratification in the Seneca/Oswego rivers (NY)

The occurrence and characteristics of chemically-based density stratification in portions of the Seneca and Oswego Rivers, downstream of ion-polluted Onondaga Lake, are described for seven different days in the summer and fall of 1978 and 1981, which covered a wide range of river flows. The results indicate that chemically-based density stratification occurs routinely in the Seneca River downstream of the lake inflow, in response to a continuous chemically-based density difference between the two systems of 0.0015 to 0.0030 g cm^?3. The persistence of the phenomenon, and therefore the longitudinal range over which the river stratification occurred, was dependent on the velocity of river flow and the magnitude of the density gradient that bordered the upper river water and the lower released lake water. During the low flows common to summer the stratification extended approximately 14 km downstream to a dam, and 3 km upstream, of the lake outlet — river junction. Vertical mixing between the stratified layers increased as the flow in the Seneca River increased, and as the vertical density gradient decreased. A dimensionless group, $$\frac{D}{{V\left( {\frac{\rho }{{\Delta _\rho /\Delta _z }}} \right)}}$$ where: D = apparent vertical diffusion (m² hr^?1), V = average velocity of the overlying river flow (m hr^?1 ), p = density at the interface between the stratified layers (g cm^?3), and Ap/Az = density gradient between the stratified layers (g cm^?3 m^?1), was found to be constant for summer low flow conditions for a 6.5 km length of the Seneca River, thus quantifying the interaction between vertical mixing and the included influences for that portion of the river. The occurrence of chemical stratification in the river had dramatic implications on the corresponding distribution of dissolved oxygen (DO). The isolation of the organically enriched lake water in the lower layer enhanced the depletion of DO there, which resulted in the development of substantial (> 4.0 mg 1^?1 ) DO stratification downstream of the discharge from the lake during summer low flow periods.     

Problems ofPapaver somniferum-classification and some remarks on recently collected European poppy land-races

Summary The principles of formal classification of cultivated plants are discussed with reference toPapaver somniferum. This species can be divided into 3 subspecies-the ancestral wild race ssp.setigerum (Dc.)Corb. and the two cultivated races ssp.somniferum and ssp.songaricum Basil. differing in geographical distribution and characters of the stigmatic lobes. In both of the cultivated races two convars are accepted on the basis of their indehiscent vs. shattering capsules. Varieties are defined according toDanert (1958) using seed- and flower-colours.Poppies, recently collected in parts of central Europe, are classified according to the proposed system. Unlike other crops, very variable land-races of poppies can still be found in this region. About 20 percent of the totally accepted varieties could be found, containing also races from ssp.songaricum and types with shattering capsules. The handling and maintaining of this material in the Gatersleben gene-bank is briefly discussed.

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Probleme der Klassifikation vonPapaver somniferum und einige Bemerkungen zu unlängst gesammelten europäischen Mohn-Landsorten

Zusammenfassung Grundzüge der formalen Klassifikation von Kulturpflanzen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung vonPapaver somniferum werden diskutiert. Diese Art kann in drei Subspecies aufgegliedert werden — die wilde Ausgangssippe ssp.setigerum (DC.)Corb. und die beiden Kultursippen ssp.somniferum und ssp.songaricum Basil., die sich durch ihre geografische Verbreitung und Merkmale der Narbenscheiben voneinander abgrenzen lassen. In beiden Kultursippen werden je zwei Convarietäten unter Zugrundelegung ihres Schließ- bzw. Schüttmohncharakters unterschieden. Varietäten werden nachDanert (1958) anhand der Samen- und Blütenfarben definiert.Die in jüngster Zeit in einigen Teilen Zentraleuropas gesammelten Mohne werden nach dem vorgeschlagenen System klassifiziert. Im Gegensatz zu anderen Kulturpflanzen können in diesen Gebieten noch sehr variable Mohn-Landsorten gefunden werden. Ungefähr 20% der im System aufgeführten Varietäten konnten gesammelt werden, einschließlich einiger Vertreter der ssp.songaricum und von Schüttmohnsippen. Die Bearbeitung und Erhaltung dieses Materials in der Genbank Gatersleben wird kurz diskutiert.

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Papaver somniferum

, ë Papaver somniferum. ë : — ssp.setigerum (DC.)Corb. — ssp.somniferum ssp.songaricum Basil., . (convarietas) — . , (1958) . , , . , ë . 20% , ë , ssp.songaricum . .