The Origin and Structure of Bridge Tissues in Ring-Grafted Apple Stems

THE operation of ring-grafting consists in the removal of a ring of bark from the stem, and its replacement by a similar ring taken from another variety. Gamer (1947) has drawn attention to the risk of bridge tissues being formed from the underlying stem, at the point where the two vertical edges of the split ring are brought together.     

Growth and Structural Changes Induced in Plum by an Additional Scion

Experiments were carried out with technical chlordane and toxaphene to ascertain whether, employed as insecticides, they had any effect on cell division. Root-tips of onion seedlings were used as test material and the doses used were equivalent to 20 and 200 lb. per acre of 10 per cent, dusts on gypsum. By germinating onion seeds in direct contact with the insecticide under investigation, it was shown that neither chlordane nor toxaphene affected germination, but chlordane reduced the growth rate. The frequency of nuclear divisions was unaffected by toxaphene, but reduced by chlordane. Both compounds affected the dividing cell by causing a delay in pro-metaphase and preventing nuclear reconstruction in telophase. In addition, chlordane had a lethal effect on the resting cell. The effect on telophase was evident for a period of at least four days after removal from the insecticides.

Pot experiments showed that the low dose of toxaphene had little effect on cell division, but the low dose of chlordane and the high dose of both compounds affected a large proportion of the roots examined.

Technical chlordane was separated into three fractions and each fraction was. tested separately for its effect on cell division. Samples of gamma chlordane and technical and purified heptachlor were also tested. These tests showed that one fraction of chlordane, which comprised the bulk of the material, caused the derangements in the dividing cell and similar derangements were caused by heptachlor. It is most probable that these are the compounds which determine the insecticidal properties of chlordane. A lethal effect was caused by another small fraction, the removal of which, on a commercial scale, would greatly reduce the phytotoxic effects of chlordane without reducing its insecticidal properties. Attention has been drawn to the fact that chlordane and toxaphene do not cause polyploidy ; an important difference from BHC.     

The Development of Adventitious Roots on Hardwood Cuttings of Gooseberries

Changes in percentage dry weight and in carbohydrate levels and distribution were followed in Golden Brown Lockyer onion bulbs for three months at storage temperatures of 4°, 15°, 25° and 37°C. The percentage dry weight within the bulbs increased from the outer to the inner leaf bases. Storage temperature and length of storage did not influence water loss. Sucrose concentrations increased from the outer leaf bases to become highest in the inner leaf bases, and in all leaf bases were higher at higher temperatures. Glucose and fructose levels also tended to increase from outer to inner leaf bases. After eight weeks fructose levels increased rapidly at the lower storage temperatures and this is attributed to low-temperature hydrolysis of fructans. The only fructan detected was the trisaccharide fraction, which was barely detectable in outer leaf bases and maximal in the inner ones. Trisaccharide levels were generally lower at the lower temperatures, thus supporting the suggestion of low-temperature hydrolysis of fructans. No information was obtained regarding storage temperature effects on fructans having a higher degree of polymerization than the trisaccharide. The results are discussed relative to temperature and time and the development of storage rots.     

In vitro callus-induction in globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus) as a system for the production of caffeoylquinic acids

Summary

Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus) provides a rich dietary source of bio-active compounds derived from phenylpropanoid metabolism, notably caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs) and flavonoids. Micropropagation techniques have been established for this species, but in vitro cultures have not yet been extended to generate an efficient system for the induction of callus tissue. In this study, we compared more than 100 combinations of media supplements (e.g., phytohormones, absorbers of polyphenols, and inhibitors of polyphenol oxidase), along with various light regimes, and three different genotypes of globe artichoke to define the optimal conditions for callus induction from leaf explants. This led to the elaboration of an in vitro culture protocol which resulted in a high frequency of callus induction after just 1 week in culture. The procedure used leaf explants from virus-free, meristem culturederived plantlets. Quantitative HPLC analysis revealed that, as in globe artichoke leaves, the predominant phenolic esters present in callus were mono- and di-caffeoylquinic acids (diCQA). The concentration of diCQA was three- to five-fold higher in calli than in leaves. The exposure of calli to UV-C light further enhanced the levels of CQAs. In vitro callus culture combined with UV-C irradiation may thus represent a viable production system for diCQA that is suitable for the synthesis of pharmacologically-active compounds.     

Artificial Germination Activation of Dialium corbisieri by Imitation of Ecological Process

Species of the gender Dialium commonly are trees found in Central African rainforests. They produce tasty sugary fruits, feeding numerous frugivores, but are, despite their valuable nutritional value, rarely exploited by humans. A potential reason for this could be the complexity of symbiotic dependence between trees and pollinators, germination activators, and dispersers causing problems in ancestral and contemporary domestication. We investigated Dialium corbisieri reproduction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bandundu Province. Here we give a key for an artificial activation of germination of these trees ecologically adapted to the digestive system of their ape dispersers: By perforation of the impermeable seed coat protection, water assimilation and subsequent activation of germination becomes possible. By this nicking, pretreatment germination increases from 0 to 96%, representing an inexpensive and simple treatment to be used under natural conditions and in developing countries. The use of this mechanical activation for forest management, conservation, and economic use is discussed.     

Ophiostomatoid fungi associated with three spruce-infesting bark beetles in Slovenia

Context

Ophiostomatoid fungi can severely affect the health and economic value of Norway spruce trees (Picea abies). Although the diversity of ophiostomatoid species and their associations with insects have been well-investigated in central and northern Europe, little is known about the conditions in south-eastern Europe.

Aim

This study aims to study the assemblages of ophiostomatoid fungi associated with three bark beetle species (Ips typographus, Ips amitinus, and Pityogenes chalcographus) that infect Norway spruce in Slovenia.

Methods

Bark beetles were sampled in four phytogeographic regions in Slovenia. The fungi found on the bark beetles were identified based on morphology, DNA sequence comparisons of ITS regions and phylogenetic analysis. The species compositions of the fungal associates of the three insect species were compared and the pairwise associations of the occurrence of the fungal species were analysed.

Results

Thirteen different species were found. The most commonly encountered fungal associates of the beetles were Ophiostoma bicolor, Ophiostoma brunneo-ciliatum, Grosmannia piceiperda, Ophiostoma ainoae, Ceratocystiopsis minuta, and Grosmannia penicillata. The composition of the fungal associates differed among the bark beetle species, but not among the phytogeographic regions.

Conclusions

This study confirms that ophiostomatoid species are common associates of the investigated bark beetle species. Many ophiostomatoid species have strong host associations. I. typographus and P. chalcographus can act as effective vectors for O. bicolor, O. ainoae, G. piceiperda and O. brunneo-ciliatum, whereas I. amitinus often carries G. piceiperda and C. minuta in Slovenian forests.     

Cellular-resolution in vivo imaging of the feline retina using adaptive optics: preliminary results

Purpose To perform cellular‐level in vivo imaging of the feline retina using an adaptive optics flood illumination fundus camera (AO FIFC) designed for the human eye. Materials and methods Cellular‐level images were obtained from three eyes of two normal sedated cats. Ocular aberrations were corrected using an AO system based on a 52‐acuator electromagnetic deformable mirror and a 1024 lenslet Hartmann–Shack sensor (both Imagine Eyes, Orsay, France). A square 3°×3° area of the ocular fundus was flood‐illuminated by a pulsed LED emitting at 850 nm and imaged onto a low‐noise, high‐resolution CCD camera. The animal’s pupils were dilated and the effective pupil size was set to 7.5 mm. Conjunctival atraumatic clips were used to avoid eyeball movements and eyelid closure. The cornea was artificially hydrated throughout the experiments. Each acquisition consisted of 20 consecutive images, out of which 10 were numerically averaged to produce an enhanced final image. Results The total amount of ocular aberrations was greatly reduced by the AO correction, from 2.4 to 0.21 microns root mean square on average. The resulting images presented white dots distributed at a density similar to that of cone photoreceptors and they allowed us to visualize small blood vessels and nerve fiber bundles at a higher resolution than classically obtained with conventional fundus photography. Conclusion Retinal imaging with cellular resolution was feasible in cats under sedation using an AO FIFC designed for human eyes without any optical modification. The AO FIFC technology could find new applications in clinical, pharmacological, and toxicological investigations.     

Bacterial Exopolysaccharides from Extreme Marine Habitats: Production,Characterization and Biological Activities

Many marine bacteria produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) as a strategy for growth, adhering to solid surfaces, and to survive adverse conditions. There is growing interest in isolating new EPS producing bacteria from marine environments, particularly from extreme marine environments such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents characterized by high pressure and temperature and heavy metal presence. Marine EPS-producing microorganisms have been also isolated from several extreme niches such as the cold marine environments typically of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, characterized by low temperature and low nutrient concentration, and the hypersaline marine environment found in a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems such as salt lakes and salterns. Most of their EPSs are heteropolysaccharides containing three or four different monosaccharides arranged in groups of 10 or less to form the repeating units. These polymers are often linear with an average molecular weight ranging from 1 × 10⁵ to 3 × 10⁵ Da. Some EPS are neutral macromolecules, but the majority of them are polyanionic for the presence of uronic acids or ketal-linked pyruvate or inorganic residues such as phosphate or sulfate. EPSs, forming a layer surrounding the cell, provide an effective protection against high or low temperature and salinity, or against possible predators. By examining their structure and chemical-physical characteristics it is possible to gain insight into their commercial application, and they are employed in several industries. Indeed EPSs produced by microorganisms from extreme habitats show biotechnological promise ranging from pharmaceutical industries, for their immunomodulatory and antiviral effects, bone regeneration and cicatrizing capacity, to food-processing industries for their peculiar gelling and thickening properties. Moreover, some EPSs are employed as biosurfactants and in detoxification mechanisms of petrochemical oil-polluted areas. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of current knowledge on EPSs produced by marine bacteria including symbiotic marine EPS-producing bacteria isolated from some marine annelid worms that live in extreme niches.     

Inferred origin of several Native American potatoes from the Pacific Northwest and Southeast Alaska using SSR markers

Certain Native Americans from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska of the USA have grown potatoes in their gardens for many generations. In this study, the origin of several potatoes collected from Native gardens was investigated. Fourteen SSR markers covering the 12 potato homologs yielding a total of 199 alleles were amplified and scored in Solanum tuberosum Group Andigena (52 accessions), S. tuberosum Group. Tuberosum (39 accessions) and wild species (6 accessions). “Ozette” from the Makah Nation on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State was closely related to “Maria’s” and “Kasaan” potatoes collected from Native Alaskan gardens in Southeast Alaska. These three potatoes were more closely related to either two Mexican and one Peruvian andigena accessions or three Chilean Group Tuberosum accessions, while being relatively less related to the old European or modern varieties and most distantly related to Group Andigenum. “To-Le-Ak” was closely related to two Chilean tuberosum accessions and one old European variety. All Native potatoes harbored T-type chloroplast genome indicating that their maternal lineage is shared with Chilean Group Tuberosum. Using genetic relationship as a guide to origin it appears plausible that the Native American/Alaskan cultivars are either directly or indirectly from Mexico and Chile. These Native potato cultivars present a possible second route of diffusion distinct from the South America to Europe transfer which has been assumed to the sole means by which potato was spread out of South America.