ROS and 9-oxylipins are correlated with deoxynivalenol accumulation in the germinating caryopses of Triticum aestivum after Fusarium graminearum infection

Wheat germinating caryopses may represent a starting point for the Fusarium Head Blight disease; however, only few studies concern the defence repertoire of wheat caryopses against fungal challenge. The germinating caryopses of two wheat commercial varieties (Blasco and Sagittario), differentially susceptible to FHB in the field, were inoculated with F. graminearum and the redox status in the interaction milieu, oxylipin production, the expression profile of some host-defence related genes, and programmed cell death in the aleuronic layer, were analysed. In Sagittario, the redox balance was profoundly modified and 9-oxylipins accumulated during fungal contamination. In this variety, F. graminearum produced a high quantity of deoxynivalenol whilst programmed cell death, also through metacaspases activation, was enhanced in the aleuronic layer of its caryopses. In Blasco, the expression of tolerance factors such as Pathogenesis-Related-protein1, glucosyl-transferase and glutathione transferase genes was up-regulated consequent to infection. Results show that unscavenged ROS and 9-oxylipins may be related to deoxynivalenol accumulation in the germinating caryopses of wheat after F. graminearum infection.     

Genetic-diversity assessed by microsatellites in tropical maize populations submitted to a high-intensity reciprocal recurrent selection

BR-105 and BR-106 are important tropical maize populations, which were submitted to a high-intensity reciprocal recurrent selection, generating the IG-3 and IG-4synthetics. Using 30-microsatellite loci,we measured and compared the genetic diversity of these populations and their synthetics. The populations did not differ significantly regarding the amount of genetic diversity. As a consequence of selection, genetic variability losses, in terms of mean number of alleles per locus,proportion of polymorphic loci, and gene diversity did occur and were greater in the synthetic IG-3 than IG-4. In the synthetics, the number of loci in adherence to Hardy-Weinberg proportions was superior to that observed in the populations. The Wright's mean fixation index was higher than the mean value expected for outcrossing species (5%) indicating as light excess of homozygotic individuals in both populations. The genetic distances confirmed the favourable effects of one cycle of recurrent selection, as the synthetics became more isolated in comparison to the original populations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

PPR‐B‐31: a new maintainer allele in the male‐fertility restorer gene of radish (Raphanus sativus) Ogura cytoplasm

The PPR‐B gene is responsible for male‐fertility restoration of the Ogura‐type male‐sterile radish plants, and it is located in the complex Rfo locus in the vicinity of similar PPR‐A gene and PPR‐C pseudogene. The aim of this study was to identify PPR‐B alleles and understand the structure of the Rfo locus in radish breeding lines. Five lines of radish with normal male‐fertile cytoplasm were tested. The entire PPR‐B gene was amplified, sequenced and allelic PPR‐B sequences were identified. The results indicated that the maintainer lines 7, 15 and 21 contained a non‐restoring form of PPR‐B protein. A unique PPR‐B was found in lines 24/15 and 31 that are restorer and maintainer lines, respectively. The substitutions might be responsible for the loss of a restoring function of the PPR‐B‐31 allele. Amplification of the PPR‐A/PPR‐B and PPR‐B/PPR‐C intergenic regions allowed to identify rearrangements within Rfo locus. Obtained results confirm the wide allelic variation within the Rfo locus, as well as high genetic complexity of the fertility restoration mechanism in radish.     

Water availability affects nectar sugar production and insect visitation of the cup plant Silphium perfoliatum L. (Asteraceae)

The perennial cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) is considered as an alternative feedstock to maize for biogas plants. Due to its ecological advantages of an extensive management and function as food resource for pollinators, it can be grown in Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) since 2018. However, studies at the Julius Kühn-Institute in Braunschweig (Germany) showed that the assumed advantage of the cup plant of a high drought tolerance could not be confirmed regarding aspects of crop production and yield. We complemented this experiment by assessing how different soil moisture conditions affect the production of floral resources and insect visitation. In 2014, we sampled three irrigated and three rainfed plots of the cup plant. We quantified the nectar volume and sugar mass per inflorescence, the number of inflorescences per plant and calculated the total nectar sugar production. We further counted insect visitation on the inflorescences. Due to reduced numbers of inflorescences per plant and an earlier harvest, the estimated nectar sugar production was 58 kg/ha regarding irrigated and 20 kg/ha regarding rainfed plots. Honeybee visitation per inflorescence was about twice as high in the irrigated plots. Furthermore, the early harvest is a disadvantage for wild pollinators with a late activity period.     

Artificially induced polyploidization in Humulus lupulus L. and its effect on morphological and chemical traits

Chemically induced polyploids were obtained by the colchicine treatment of shoot tips of Humulus lupulus L. ‘Sybilla’. Flow cytometry revealed that most of the treatments resulted in the production of tetraploids. The highest number of tetraploids was obtained when explants were immersed in 0.05% colchicine for 48 h. A field experiment was conducted to compare diploid and tetraploid plants and assess the effect of genome polyploidization on the morphological and chemical characteristics. Tetraploids showed significant differences in relation to diploids. They had thinner and shorter shoots. The influence of chromosome doubling was also reflected in the length, width and area of leaves. The length of female flowers in the tetraploids was significantly shorter than that observed in diploids. Tetraploids produced a diverse number of lupuline glands that were almost twice as large as those observed in diploids. The most distinct effect of genome polyploidization was a significant increase in the weight of cones and spindles. Contents of major chemical constituents of hop cones was little affected by ploidy level. Total essential oils were significantly lower than those in diploids. However there was a significant increase in the proportion of humulene, caryophyllene and farnesene, oils desired by the brewing industry.     

Can mineral and organic fertilization help sequestrate carbon dioxide in cropland?

The soil organic matter content represents a huge reservoir of plant nutrients and an effective safeguard against pollution; beside it can sequestrate atmospheric CO₂. Since 1966 up to now in the Southeast Po valley (Italy), the soil organic C (SOC) and total N (TN) dynamics in the 0–0.40 m soil layer under a maize–wheat rainfed rotation are studied as influenced by organic and mineral N fertilizations. Every year in the same plots cattle manure, cattle slurry, and crop residues (i.e. wheat straw and maize stalk) are ploughed under to 0.40 m depth at a same dry matter rate (6.0 and 7.5 t DM ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ after wheat and maize, respectively) and are compared to an unamended control. Each plot is splitted to receive four rates of mineral fertilizer (0–100–200–300 kg N ha⁻¹). In the whole experiment, in 2000 SOC concentration was lower than in 1966 (6.77 and 7.72 g kg⁻¹, respectively), likely for the deeper tillage that diluted SOC and favoured mineralization in deeper soil layer. From 1972 to 2000 SOC stock did not change in the control and N fertilized plots, while it increased at mean rates of 0.16, 0.18, and 0.26 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ with the incorporation of residues, slurry and manure, corresponding to sequestration efficiencies of 3.7, 3.8 and 8.1% of added C with the various materials. TN followed the same SOC dynamic, demonstrating how it depends on the soil organic matter. Manure thus confirmed its efficacy in increasing both SOC content and soil fertility on the long-term. In developed countries, however, this material has become scarcely available; slurry management is expensive and implies high environmental risks. Moreover, in a C balance at a farm (or regional) scale, the CO₂ lost during manure and slurry stocking should be considered. For these reasons, the incorporation of cereal residues, even if only a little of their C content was found capable of soil accumulation, appears the best way to obtain a significant CO₂ sequestration in developed countries. Our long-term experiment clearly shows how difficult it is to modify SOC content. Moreover, because climate and soil type can greatly influence SOC dynamic, to increase CO₂ sequestration in cropland, it is important to optimize the fertilization within an agricultural management that includes all the agronomic practices (e.g. tillage, water management, cover crops, etc.) favouring the organic matter build up in the soil.     

A novel extracellular peroxidase and nucleases from a milky sap of Chelidonium majus

Using affinity chromatography, SDS-PAGE, peroxidase activity assay and mass spectrometry data, a new extracellular peroxidase (CMP) from Chelidonium majus milky sap was isolated and characterized. The protein has a molecular weight of about 40 kDa and belongs to secretory class III plant peroxidases. The peroxidase activity is also accompanied by DN-ase activities. A novel CMP combined with other proteins is probably involved in development and differentiation of the plant and defence against different pathogens. It suggests that the biological activity of C. majus whole plants and extracts may depend not only on its alkaloidal content but also on the presence of biologically active proteins.     

Iridoid, phenylethanoid and flavonoid glycosides from Sideritis trojana

From the MeOH extract of Sideritis trojana, a new iridoid glycoside, 10-O-(E)-feruloylmelittoside (1) was obtained in addition to four known iridoid glycosides [melittoside (2), 10-O-(E)-p-coumaroylmelittoside (3), stachysosides E (4) and G (5)]. Moreover, five phenylethanoid glycosides [verbascoside (6), isoacteoside (7), lamalboside (8), leonoside A (9), isolavandulifolioside (10), three flavone glycosides (isoscutellarein 7-O-[6'-O-acetyl-β-allopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-glucopyranoside (11), 4'-O-methyisoscutellarein 7-O-[6'-O-acetyl-β-allopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-glucopyranoside (12), 3'-hydroxy-4'-O-methyisoscutellarein 7-O-[6'-O-acetyl-β-allopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-glucopyranoside (13) and a benzylalcohol derivative (di-O-methylcrenatin) were obtained and identified. The structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and HRMS data. All compounds were tested for their antioxidant activity by in vitro TEAC assay and some of them exhibited moderate activity (0.97-1.44 mM) when compared with the reference compound (quercetin 1.86 mM). Glycosides 6-13, the most active compounds in the TEAC assay, were also tested by flow cytometry to evaluate their ability to affect the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human prostate cancer cells (PC3).     

Novel Prunus rootstock somaclonal variants with divergent ability to tolerate waterlogging

Plants require access to free water for nutrient uptake, but excess water surrounding the roots can be injurious or even lethal because it blocks the transfer of free oxygen between the soil and the atmosphere. Genetic improvement efforts in this study were focused on the increased tolerance in roots to waterlogging. Among a pool of clones generated in vitro from leaf explants of rootstock Mr.S.2/5 of Prunus cerasifera L., the S.4 clone was flood tolerant whereas the S.1 clone was sensitive. The S.4 clone formed adventitious roots on exposure to flooding. Moreover, the chlorophyll content and mitochondrial activity in the leaf and root, soluble sugar content, alcohol dehydrogenase activity and ethylene content were different between the clones. The sorbitol transporter gene (SOT1) was up-regulated during hypoxia, the alcohol dehydrogenase genes (ADH1 and ADH3) were up-regulated in the leaves and down-regulated in the roots of the S.4 clone during hypoxia, and the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-oxidase gene (ACO1) was up-regulated in the leaves and roots of the S.4 clone during hypoxia and down-regulated in the wild-type roots. In addition, in the S.4 root, hypoxia induced significant down-regulation of a glycosyltransferase-like gene (GTL), which has a yet-undefined role. Although the relevant variation in the S.4 genome has yet to be determined, genetic alteration clearly conferred a flooding-tolerant phenotype. The isolation of novel somaclonals with the same genomic background but with divergent tolerance to flooding may offer new insights in the elucidation of the genetic machinery of resistance to flooding and aid in the selection of new Prunus rootstocks to be used in various adverse environments.