Genetic diversity and origin of cultivated potatoes based on plastid microsatellite polymorphism

The origin of cultivated potatoes has remaining questions. In this study, 237 accessions of all cultivated species and 155 accessions of wild species closely related to cultivated potatoes, including their putative ancestors, were analyzed using 15 plastid microsatellites (SSRs) to investigate genetic diversity and their relationships with the wild species. We here used polymorphic plastid SSRs we developed from potato plastid genome sequences as well as already known plastid SSR markers. All 15 loci were polymorphic and identified a total of 127 haplotypes. Dramatic decreases in levels of genetic diversity were revealed in landraces in comparison with wild ancestor species. The plastid SSR results showed a decrease in haplotype number and diversity from Peru to both north and south. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two distinct groups. One of them, group A, contained the majority of accessions of cultivated species of the Solanum tuberosum Andigenum group including all accessions of cultivated diploid and triploid cytotypes of this group (S. chaucha, S. phureja, and S. stenotomum by a former taxonomic system) and most of tetraploid accessions of the S. tuberosum Andigenum group (S. tuberosum subsp. andigenum), and the majority of accessions of wild ancestors from the northern members of the S. brevicaule complex. Another group B comprised most of the wild species accessions and almost exclusively hybrid cultivated species which have introgressed plastid genomes from the other wild gene pools. Lack of clustering of traditional cultivated species (as used above) support a revised group classification of S. tuberosum.     

The responses of leaf litter invertebrates to environmental gradients along road edges in subtropical island forests

Knowledge of how roads affect forest biodiversity can be improved by measuring the responses of indicator species to complex environmental gradients caused by these infrastructures. We studied litter invertebrate species responses to road edges in laurel and pine forests in Tenerife, Canary Islands. We sampled invertebrates from litter and assessed the environmental variation related to road proximity. We also assessed the effect of relevant environmental predictors on a diverse array of potential indicator species. We applied canonical ordination and non-parametric regression (Lowess) to classify invertebrate species responses to roads and their associated gradients. Three types of responses to road edge proximity were defined for the most common invertebrate taxa: edge-preferring or edge specialists, interior-preferring or edge-avoiders, and edge-indifferent or neutral species. Those species appearing most frequently and with higher population density between 1 and 20 m from the edge (commonly peaking at 10 m from the road) were categorized as edge-preferring. We classified taxa attaining peak population densities at or beyond 60 m from the edge (and most commonly 100 m) as interior species. Edge-neutral species were those without an evident pattern of stabilization in abundance along the gradient and with peaks in abundance at varying distance intervals. These edge litter communities contain a high native and endemic diversity but also a significant density of alien fauna. The specific patterns of penetration of road edge effects on invertebrate species should be seen as having a pervasive and cumulative impact considering the exceptionally large number of roads in these forests and the high population densities of alien invertebrates. Future management plans for forest conservation on the Canary Islands should include the highly altered but valuable litter communities along road edges.     

Detection of Gibellina cerealis infection on winter common wheat in Ukraine

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - False eyespot disease caused by Gibellina cerealis (Pass.) Pass. was first detected in Ukraine during field inspections of wheat canopies in...     

Effect of annealing from traditional nixtamalisation process on the microstructural,thermal, and rheological properties of starch and quality of pozole

Eleven maize landraces were evaluated for pozole quality. The microstructural, thermal and rheological properties of annealed starch granules determine most of the quality of pozole. Annealed starch in traditional nixtamalisation has an important role in increasing gelatinisation onset (To), peak (Tp) and final (Tf) temperatures; peak, setback and final viscosity as well as the stability of the starch granule, all of which significantly affect pozole quality. Annealed starch in Cacahuacintle nixtamal (pozole end-use) increased temperatures To, Tp and Tf by >5.2, >3.8 and >4.1 °C respectively, and narrowed the range Tf − To from 13.78 to 12.62 °C. The enthalpy was reduced from 6.76 to 5.85 J/g, while the nixtamal starch in tortilla maize landraces presented fewer annealing effects. The annealing effect in nixtamal starch seems to stabilize the starch granules and avoid their collapse, compared to native starch, as shown by the X-ray diffraction peak intensity and pattern that is similar to unprocessed maize. Starch in nixtamal changes from Type A to Type V pattern in pozole. Kernel physical parameters, although important, affected the quality to a lesser extent, with the exception of the flotation index. Cacahuacintle maize landrace showed the best quality and yield as well as a short pozole cooking time.     

Influence of Fucoidans on Hemostatic System

Three structurally different fucoidans from the brown seaweeds Saccharina latissima (SL), Fucus vesiculosus (FV), and Cladosiphon okamuranus (CO), two chemically modified fucoidans with a higher degree of sulfation (SL-S, CO-S), and a synthetic totally sulfated octasaccharide (OS), related to fucoidans, were assessed on anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities in different in vitro experiments. The effects were shown to depend on the structural features of the compounds tested. Native fucoidan SL with a degree of sulfation (DS) of 1.3 was found to be the most active sample, fucoidan FV (DS 0.9) demonstrated moderate activity, while the polysaccharide CO (DS 0.4) was inactive in all performed experiments, even at high concentrations. Additional introduction of sulfate groups into fucoidan SL slightly decreased the anticoagulant effect of SL-S, while sulfation of CO, giving rise to the preparation CO-S, increased the activity dramatically. The high level of anticoagulant activity of polysaccharides SL, SL-S, and CO-S was explained by their ability to form ternary complexes with ATIII-Xa and ATIII-IIa, as well as to bind directly to thrombin. Synthetic per-O-sulfated octasaccharide OS showed moderate anticoagulant effect, determined mainly by the interaction of OS with the factor Xa in the presence of ATIII. Comparable tendencies were observed in the antithrombotic properties of the compounds tested.     

Occurrence and distribution study of residues from pesticides applied under controlled conditions in the field during rice processing

The results of an experiment to study the occurrence and distribution of pesticide residues during rice cropping and processing are reported. Four herbicides, nine fungicides, and two insecticides (azoxystrobin, byspiribac-sodium, carbendazim, clomazone, difenoconazole, epoxiconazole, isoprothiolane, kresoxim-methyl, propanil, quinclorac, tebuconazole, thiamethoxam, tricyclazole, trifloxystrobin, λ-cyhalotrin) were applied to an isolated rice-crop plot under controlled conditions, during the 2009-2010 cropping season in Uruguay. Paddy rice was harvested and industrially processed to brown rice, white rice, and rice bran, which were analyzed for pesticide residues using the original QuEChERS methodology and its citrate variation by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS. The distribution of pesticide residues was uneven among the different matrices. Ten different pesticide residues were found in paddy rice, seven in brown rice, and eight in rice bran. The highest concentrations were detected in paddy rice. These results provide information regarding the fate of pesticides in the rice food chain and its safety for consumers.     

Evaluation of the Influence of Multiple Environmental Factors on the Biodegradation of Dibenzofuran, Phenanthrene, and Pyrene by a Bacterial Consortium Using an Orthogonal Experimental Design

For a bioremediation process to be effective, we suggest to perform preliminary studies in laboratory to describe and characterize physicochemical and biological parameters (type and concentration of nutrients, type and number of microorganisms, temperature) of the environment concerned. We consider that these studies should be done by taking into account the simultaneous interaction between different factors. By knowing the response capacity to pollutants, it is possible to select and modify the right treatment conditions to enhance bioremediation.     

Mycelial fungi in saline soils of the western Transbaikal region

Mycelial fungi in a solonchakous chestnut soil, a sulfate solonchak, and a soda solonchak were studied in the western Lake Baikal basin. The humus content, the degree of salinization, and the composition of salts affected the structure of the micromycete communities. In the chestnut soil, more than half of the species identified were found. The species diversity was higher in the nonsaline and humus horizons. The eolian deposit on the soda solonchak was characterized by the presence of six species of fungi that did not occur in other soil horizons. Their occurrence in the fresh deposit seems to be related to the eolian transfer of fungi with the fine earth from the adjacent areas with the nonsaline soils. The soda solonchak fungi are dominated by the haloalkalitolerant and alkalophilic micromycetes, among which the representatives of the Acremonium (A. antarcticum and A. rutilum) and Verticillum genera and Mycelia sterilia were identified. There was also an alkalophilic ascomycete, which is an indicator of soda salinization??Heleococcum alkalinum. On the whole, the soda solonchak had the lowest number of fungal germs and the lowest species diversity of mycelial fungi among the soils compared.     

On the development of soil-genetic zoning

The principles of typological soil-genetic zoning based on the substantive-genetic classification of Russian soils (2004) and realized for the State Soil Map of Russia on a scale of 1 : 1 M are considered. Three categories of characteristics are applied to the system of zoning units: taxonomic, process-based, and landscape- indicative characteristics. The relationship between them changes in dependence on the taxonomic level of the zoning unit; at the lower level, the spatial (landscape-indicative) criterion plays the major role. This criterion is also important in the delimitation of soil groups (soil communities) serving as the central taxonomic unit of the zoning. At this level, all the three groups of characteristics are equally important. The definitions of the taxonomic units of the soil-genetic zoning are given, and their characteristic features are described. An algorithm of the zoning procedure is illustrated by the example of the maps developed for the Privolzhskii federal okrug. It is suggested that the soil-genetic zoning can be used as one of the ways to update the State Soil Map.