Genotype×tillage interaction and the performance of winter bread wheat genotypes in temperate and cold dryland conditions

Growing concerns for food security and the alleviation of hunger necessitate knowledge-based crop management technologies for sustainable crop production. In this study, 13 winter bread wheat genotypes (old, relatively old, modern, and breeding lines) were evaluated under three different tillage systems, i.e., conventional tillage (CT, full tillage with residue removed), reduced tillage (RT, chisel tillage with residue retained) and no-tillage (NT, no-tillage with residue retained on the soil surface) in farmer's fields under rainfed conditions using strip-plot arrangements in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the west of Iran (Kamyaran and Hosseinabad locations) over two cropping seasons (2018–2019 and 2019–2020).The main objectives were to investigate the effects of tillage systems and growing conditions on the agronomic characteristics, grain yield and stability performance of rainfed winter bread wheat genotypes.Significant (P<0.01) genotype×tillage system interaction effects on grain yield and agronomic traits suggested that the genotypes responded differently to the different tillage systems. The number of grains per spike and plant height were positively (P<0.0) associated with grain yield under the NT system, so they may be considered as targeted traits for future wheat breeding. Using statistical models, the modern cultivars (“Sadra” and “Baran”) were identified as high yielding and showed yield stability across the different tillage systems. As per each tillage system, genotype “Sadra” followed by “Zargana-6//Dari 1-7 Sabalan” exhibited higher adaption to CT; while cultivars “Jam” and “Azar2” showed better performance under the RT system; and cultivars “Varan” and “Baran” tended to have better performance expression in the NT condition.The increased grain yields achieved in combination with lower costs and greater profits from conservation agriculture suggest that adapted cultivar and NT systems should be evaluated and promoted more widely to farmers in the west of Iran as an attractive package of crop management technologies.In conclusion, variations in the performance of genotypes and the significant genotype×tillage system interaction effects on grain yield and some agronomic traits assessed in this study suggest that the development and selection of cultivars adapted to the NT system should be considered and included in the strategies and objectives of winter wheat breeding programs for the temperate and cold dryland conditions of Iran.     

Dietary soybean phosphatidylcholine affects growth performance and lipolytic enzyme activity in Caspian brown trout (Salmo trutta Caspius) alevin

The effects of supplemental dietary phosphatidylcholine (PtCho) on the growth performance, survival and digestive enzyme activity of Caspian brown trout (Salmo trutta caspius Kessler 1877) alevins were investigated in this study. Alevin (initial weight 0.8 ± 0.12 g) was fed for 5 weeks with an isoproteic‐ and isolipidic‐formulated diet with increased levels of PtCho from 0 to 60 g kg^?1 dry matter and decreasing levels of soybean oil. The increase in dietary PtCho up to 4% led to an increase in alevin final weight, suggesting that moderate PtCho levels are needed during this stage of Caspian brown trout. Survival was not affected by the dietary PtCho level. Phosphatidylcholine incorporation into the diet caused higher phospholipase A2‐specific activity. Phosphatidylcholine did not show a beneficial effect on the specific activity of amylase and protease. Lipase‐specific activity was significantly higher in the PtCho groups compared with the control group. The hepatosomatic index (HSI) was significantly influenced by the dietary PtCho level. The results of the present study indicated that the dietary supplementation of PtCho in the diet of Caspian brown trout alevin improved growth and lipolytic enzyme activity.     

Characterization of a unique copper resistance gene cluster in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xanthomonas campestris</Emphasis> pv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">campestris</Emphasis> isolated in Trinidad,West Indies

Whole genome sequencing of a copper resistant (Cu^R) black rot strain of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) isolated from a broccoli plant in Trinidad revealed a unique operon for copper resistance. The cop genes of strain Xcc-BrA1 were determined to be present on a 160 to 180 kb plasmid shown to be non-conjugative with other xanthomonads. While nucleotide comparison of a putative 8.0 Kbp copLABMGF gene cluster identified in Xcc-BrA1 genome did not reveal any homologous region with other known Cu^R Xanthomonas strains from diverse origins, the comparison of the translated amino acid sequence indicated similarity with X. citri, X. c. pv. citrumelonis and X. vesicatoria Cop proteins. Cloning of the copLAB gene cluster from Xcc-BrA1 conferred copper resistance to other copper-sensitive xanthomonads. Although Xcc-BrA1 harbors copLAB genes with similar sizes and organization and is able to grow on Cu-amended medium as other Cu^R xanthomonads, the phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences indicates that the cop cluster in Xcc-BrA1 is unique and distantly related to other copLAB genes from Xanthomonas and Stenotrophomonas. The origin of copper resistance genes in Xcc-BrA1 is likely a result of horizontal gene acquisition from a still unknown phylloplane cohabitant. The findings of this study have implications for the management of crop diseases caused by Cu^R xanthomonads. Future studies could focus on and determining the distribution, overall importance and appropriate control measures for strains harbouring these unique genes.     

Sustainability assessment of potato fields using the DEXi decision support system in Hamadan Province,Iran

Potato is a staple food crop and the most important agricultural commodity, which critically affects food security and economic stability in Hamadan Province, Iran. Ex-ante sustainability appraisal of new cropping systems and their comparisons with conventional systems can increase the efficiencies of innovations and changes within the production process. This study aimed to explore the sustainability levels of potato cropping systems in Hamadan Province, Iran. To this end, DEXi methodology was developed for the sustainability assessment of the cropping systems. For assessing the three dimensions of environmental, economic, and social sustainability in the four systems of traditional potato system (TPS), Quasi-industrial potato system (QIPS), industrial potato system (IPS), and government-promoted potato system (GPPS), five groups of features were utilized: (1) irrigation method; (2) seed placement; (3) farm machinery use; (4) agrochemical use; and (5) rotation. The impact assessments of the cropping systems were based on two, three, and two groups of ecological, social, and economic indicators, respectively. Employment, supply chain, protection, operational difficulty, productivity, profitability, input use, and biodiversity resulted in 21 basic indicators and 13 aggregated indicators, by which the cropping systems were described. The results revealed that GPPS with distinctive economic and social profiles could have a better overall sustainability despite the fact that some indicators like biodiversity could be negatively affected. Finally, three strategies were recommended for the sustainability of GPPS as follows: biodiversity enhancement, input substitution, and integrated water management.     

Determining and mapping some soil physico-chemical properties using geostatistical and GIS techniques in the Naqade region,Iran

The distribution variability of soil electrical conductivity (EC), pH, clay, sand, CaCO₃, organic carbon (OC) and available potassium (K) in the Naqade region was investigated using a geostatistical method and Geographical Information System (GIS) technique. Two hundred and eighty-two topsoil (0–30 cm) samples were randomly collected and analyzed. pH and clay followed a normal distribution, whereas sand EC, CaCO₃, OC and K were log-transformed. The highest variation was observed for soil EC, and the lowest for soil pH. In the variography analysis, spherical, exponential and gaussian models were best fit on experimental semivariograms. The minimum effective spatial autocorrelation was 1500 m for OC and the maximum effective spatial autocorrelation was 4000 m for sand and K. Strong spatial correlations were noted with sand and CaCO₃ (<25%), whereas values were moderate for clay, EC, OC and K (25–75%). Ordinary kriging was utilized for the interpolation of estimated variable determinations in unsampled sites. It was found that soil properties in this study area were strongly influenced by both environmental and natural factors. The results can be used as a source of information for the development and implementation of any further land management and soil and water conservation plans.     

Growth performance,haematology, antioxidant status,immune response and histology of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) fed biofloc grown on different carbon sources

A 10 weeks trial was performed to investigate how different carbon sources (sugar beet molasses: SBM+BFT, sugar: S+BFT, corn starch: CS+BFT) along with control affect welfare status of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) fingerlings in biofloc‐based tanks. Three hundred healthy fingerlings (22.5 ± 0.2 g) were randomly distributed in 12 tanks (70 L) at a density of 8.02 kg/m³ (25 fish/tank). The fish in BFT treatments fed only 75% feeding rate of control. At the end of the experiment no differences were seen between the groups in case of growth performance, but the fish reared in CS+BFT had a significant lower food conversion ratio compared with the others (p < .05). Different carbon sources did not affect on haematological parameters (p > .05). Total serum protein and antibody concentration differed in treatments, and the highest values were found in S+BFT and CS+BFT treatments (p < .05). No significant differences were observed in case of lysozyme, superoxide dismutase and complement activity in treatments (p > .05), whereas the fish in BFT treatments showed a significant higher total antioxidant capacity and lower glutathione peroxidase than the control (p < .05). Different carbon sources resulted in no change in goblet and kupffer cells in intestine and liver respectively. The highest relative percentage survival was obtained in the CS+BFT and S+BFT (50%) in comparison with SBM+BFT (20%) treatment. The results obtained in this experiment, suggest that corn starch improves immune response, diseases resistance and histology of digestive and respiratory systems in carp fingerlings when used as a carbon source in zero water exchange system.     

Über die Schäden vonNycteola asiatica Krul. (Lepid., Noctuidae) an Pappeln im Iran

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Comparative Study of Immunological and Structural Properties of Two Recombinant Vaccine Candidates against Botulinum Neurotoxin Type E

Background

Recently, botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT)-derived recombinant proteins have been suggested as potential botulism vaccines. Here, with concentrating on BoNT type E (BoNT/E), we studied two of these binding domain-based recombinant proteins: a multivalent chimer protein, which is composed of BoNT serotypes A, B and E binding subdomains, and a monovalent recombinant protein, which contains 93 amino acid residues from recombinant C-terminal heavy chain of BoNT/E (rBoNT/E-HCC). Both proteins have an identical region (48 aa) that contains one of the most important BoNT/E epitopes (YLTHMRD sequence).

Methods

The recombinant protein efficiency in antibody production, their structural differences, and their BoNT/E-epitope location were compared by using ELISA, circular dichroism, computational modeling, and hydrophobicity predictions.

Results

Immunological studies indicated that the antibody yield against rBoNT/E-HCC was higher than chimer protein. Cross ELISA confirmed that the antibodies against the chimer protein recognized rBoNT/E-HCC more efficiently. However, both antibody groups (anti-chimer and anti-rBoNT/E-HCC antibodies) were able to recognize other proteins. Structural studies with circular dichroism showed that chimer proteins have slightly more secondary structures than rBoNT/E-HCC.

Conclusion

The immunological results suggested that the above-mentioned identical region in rBoNT/E-HCC is more exposed. Circular dichroism, computational protein modeling and hydrophobicity predictions indicated a more exposed location for the identical region in rBoNT/E-HCC than the chimer protein, which is strongly in agreement with immunological results. Iran. Biomed. Key Words: Botulinum neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E), Cross ELISA, circular dichroism, Computational modeling, recombinant vaccine-candidates     

Araguspongine C Induces Autophagic Death in Breast Cancer Cells through Suppression of c-Met and HER2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Signaling

Receptor tyrosine kinases are key regulators of cellular growth and proliferation. Dysregulations of receptor tyrosine kinases in cancer cells may promote tumorigenesis by multiple mechanisms including enhanced cell survival and inhibition of cell death. Araguspongines represent a group of macrocyclic oxaquinolizidine alkaloids isolated from the marine sponge Xestospongia species. This study evaluated the anticancer activity of the known oxaquinolizidine alkaloids araguspongines A, C, K and L, and xestospongin B against breast cancer cells. Araguspongine C inhibited the proliferation of multiple breast cancer cell lines in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, araguspongine C-induced autophagic cell death in HER2-overexpressing BT-474 breast cancer cells was characterized by vacuole formation and upregulation of autophagy markers including LC3A/B, Atg3, Atg7, and Atg16L. Araguspongine C-induced autophagy was associated with suppression of c-Met and HER2 receptor tyrosine kinase activation. Further in-silico docking studies and cell-free Z-LYTE assays indicated the potential of direct interaction between araguspongine C and the receptor tyrosine kinases c-Met and HER2 at their kinase domains. Remarkably, araguspongine C treatment resulted in the suppression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling cascade in breast cancer cells undergoing autophagy. Induction of autophagic death in BT-474 cells was also associated with decreased levels of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor upon treatment with effective concentration of araguspongine C. In conclusion, results of this study are the first to reveal the potential of araguspongine C as an inhibitor to receptor tyrosine kinases resulting in the induction of autophagic cell death in breast cancer cells.