Platinum-group element abundance patterns in different mantle environments

Mantle-derived xenoliths from the Cameroon Line and northern Tanzania display differences in their platinum-group element (PGE) abundance patterns. The Cameroon Line lherzolites have uniform PGE patterns indicating a homogeneous upper mantle over several hundreds of kilometers, with approximately chondritic PGE ratios. The PGE patterns of the Tanzanian peridotites are similar to the PGE systematics of ultramafic rocks from ophiolites. The differences can be explained if the northern Tanzanian lithosphere developed in a fluid-rich suprasubduction zone environment, whereas the Cameroon Line lithosphere only experienced melt extraction from anhydrous peridotites.     

Some methodological aspects of apple transformation by Agrobacterium

Summary Leaf explants of apple cvs Gala and Golden Delicious were infected with the Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL0(pMOG410). The effects of a 2 d preculture of the explants before infection and the addition of 5-azacytidine to the selection medium were studied. The percentages of GUS-positive explants after 5 w did not significantly alter due to these treatments. One of the Gala shoots, which was removed from a leaf explant cultured for 8 w on selection medium, proved to be GUS-positive and will be analyzed further. In general, however, it should be concluded that regeneration of transgenic shoots directly from leaf tissue was not very effective.Abbreviations MS Murashige and Skoog medium - GD Golden Delicious     

Triazole fungicides and the selection of resistance to medical triazoles in the opportunistic mould Aspergillus fumigatus

Azole resistance is an emerging problem in the opportunistic mould Aspergillus fumigatus. The triazoles are the most important agents for the management of Aspergillus diseases in humans. Selection for acquired resistance may occur in the hospital setting through exposure to high doses of azoles during azole therapy, but evidence is accumulating that A. fumigatus may become resistant to medical triazoles through environmental exposure to fungicides. The recovery of A. fumigatus isolates resistant to the medical triazoles from azole‐naive patients as well as from the environment strongly indicates an environmental route of resistance selection. Molecule alignment studies have identified five fungicides that share a very similar molecule structure with the medical triazoles, and thus may have selected for mechanisms that confer resistance to both groups of compounds. It is important to explore further the presumed fungicide‐driven route of resistance selection in order to implement effective preventive measures as the prevalence of azole resistance in A. fumigatus continues to increase and causes major challenges in the management of azole‐resistant Aspergillus diseases. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry