Biological and Molecular Properties of a Begomovirus from Dicliptera sexangularis

ABSTRACT Sixangle foldwing, Dicliptera sexangularis (Acanthaceae), showing severe yellow mottle and leaf distortion symptoms was collected from the shoreline of Calusa Island (Lee County, FL). The putative virus was transmitted from infected D. sexangularis to healthy seedlings by mechanical, whitefly (Bemisia tabaci biotype B), and graft-inoculations. Different forms of geminivirus-like DNAs were detected in total DNA extracted from infected plants by Southern blot hybridization analyses using DNA-A and -B of Bean golden mosaic virus (BGMV) from Guatemala as probes. Preliminary polymerase chain reaction experiments and sequence comparisons indicated that the virus was a distinct bipartite begomovirus. The virus was designated Dicliptera yellow mottle virus (DiYMV). Replicative dsDNAs of DiYMV were extracted, digested with selected restriction enzymes, and cloned into a plasmid vector. Both DNA-A and -B were sequenced and compared with those of other begomoviruses. Phylogenetic analyses using AV1, AC1, and BV1 nucleotide sequences indicated that DiYMV has a close relationship with the New World begomoviruses, especially those distributed in the nearby geographic areas of the Florida coast and the Caribbean Basin. However, different percent nucleotide sequence identities and phylogenetic relationships were detected when different open reading frames (ORFs) of DiYMV were compared with their counterparts from begomoviruses from the Caribbean Basin. Based on phylogenetic analyses of the AC1 and BV1 ORFs, DiYMV was closely related to BGMV type II isolates, whereas sequence comparisons of the common region and the AC4-derived amino acid sequences indicated its close relationship with Potato yellow mosaic virus from Venezuela.     

The Tryptophan Contents of Wheat, Maize and Barley Grains as a Function of Nitrogen Content

The tryptophan contents of wheat, maize and barley grains were evaluated for samples originating from commercial and experimental cultivars, using a procedure that allowed the true quantity of this amino acid to be determined. For every cereal, a linear relationship was found between the level of tryptophan and the nitrogen (N) content of the grain. The results showed that previous reports of similar relationships underestimated tryptophan by 10 ± 5%, owing to tryptophan degradation during alkaline hydrolysis prior to analysis. Linear relationships between tryptophan and N have a low predictive value, however, since a high variability was observed in tryptophan content for any given grain nitrogen content.     

ATP-driven exchange of histone H2AZ variant catalyzed by SWR1 chromatin remodeling complex

The conserved histone variant H2AZ has an important role in the regulation of gene expression and the establishment of a buffer to the spread of silent heterochromatin. How histone variants such as H2AZ are incorporated into nucleosomes has been obscure. We have found that Swr1, a Swi2/Snf2-related adenosine triphosphatase, is the catalytic core of a multisubunit, histone-variant exchanger that efficiently replaces conventional histone H2A with histone H2AZ in nucleosome arrays. Swr1 is required for the deposition of histone H2AZ at specific chromosome locations in vivo, and Swr1 and H2AZ commonly regulate a subset of yeast genes. These findings define a previously unknown role for the adenosine triphosphate-dependent chromatin remodeling machinery.     

Mesoscale eddies drive increased silica export in the subtropical Pacific Ocean

Mesoscale eddies may play a critical role in ocean biogeochemistry by increasing nutrient supply, primary production, and efficiency of the biological pump, that is, the ratio of carbon export to primary production in otherwise nutrient-deficient waters. We examined a diatom bloom within a cold-core cyclonic eddy off Hawaii. Eddy primary production, community biomass, and size composition were markedly enhanced but had little effect on the carbon export ratio. Instead, the system functioned as a selective silica pump. Strong trophic coupling and inefficient organic export may be general characteristics of community perturbation responses in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.     

Improved Method for Isolating and Quantitating α‐Amino Nitrogen as Nonprotein,True Protein,Salt‐Soluble Proteins,Zeins, and True Glutelins in Maize Endosperm

The conventional Landry‐Moureaux method for selective extraction of maize proteins was modified by reducing the contact time of meal with extractants and by removing 55% 2‐propanol as extractant. The new procedure, coupled with a method for quantitating protein at microgram level, was used for assessing the nitrogen distribution of four soluble protein fractions present in 100‐mg samples of endosperm originating from six maize inbreds and opaque‐2 versions. Proteins extracted with 55% 2‐propanol plus reductant were made up of α‐, β‐, γ‐, and δ‐zeins. Proteins extracted subsequently with salt plus reductant were minor and poor in lysine (1 mol%).They were associated with zeins. Comparison of present data with those available in the literature showed a close similarity for a given genotype between the percentage of total α‐amino nitrogen extracted by 2‐propanol plus reductant than by salt plus reductant under conditions of the modified procedure and that of total Kjeldhal nitrogen extracted by 2‐propanol with and without reductant, and by salt plus reductant, using the conventional procedure. A simplified protocol was described and tested for isolating and quantitating α‐amino nitrogen as nonprotein, true protein, salt‐soluble proteins, zeins, and true glutelins in any sample of maize endosperm.