The responsiveness of the IAA2 promoter to IAA and IBA is differentially affected in Arabidopsis roots and shoots by flavonoids

G. Rusak, S. Cerni, D. Stupin Polancec, J. Ludwig-Müller

Biologia plantarum 54:403-414, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0075-2

The structural features of flavonoids which are involved in the modulation of auxin distribution in Arabidopsis thaliana were evaluated. An auxin-inducible promoter IAA2 fused to a reporter gene (GUS) was used to monitor the tissue responsiveness to auxins. The following aspects were investigated: 1) the influence of flavonoids (quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, myricetin and isorhamnetin) on the distribution of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in roots and leaves, 2) differences in flavonoid uptake into roots and shoots depending on flavonoid concentration in the medium, and 3) influence...

Chlorophyll fluorescence in micropropagated Rhododendron ponticum subsp. baeticum plants in response to different irradiances

M. L. Osório, J. Osório, A. Romano

Biologia plantarum 54:415-422, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0076-1

The aim of this study was to investigate acclimation of micropropagated plants of Rhododendron ponticum subsp. baeticum to different irradiances and recovery after exposure to high irradiance. Plants grown under high (HL) or intermediate (IL) irradiances displayed higher values of maximum electron transport rate (ETR_max) and light saturation coefficient (E_k) than plants grown under low irradiance (LL). The capacity of tolerance to photoinhibition (as assessed by the response of photochemical quenching, q_p) varied as follows: HL > IL > LL. Thermal energy dissipation (q_N) was also affected...

Plant regeneration in Curcuma species and assessment of genetic stability of regenerated plants

A. Das, V. Kesari, L. Rangan

Biologia plantarum 54:423-429, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0077-0

An efficient plant regeneration protocol was developed from rhizomes of two Curcuma species C. longa and C. amada. Response was highly dependent on the season, with above 69 % of culture developing adventitious shoots during spring. Greatest regeneration and multiplication was observed in modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 13.31 μM benzyladenine and 2.68 μM α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) in C. longa or 2.46 μM indolebutyric acid in C. amada. Effect of sugars and agar at different concentrations were also studied and 2 % maltose and 0.7 % agar were found optimum for shoot multiplication...

Induction of capsaicinoid synthesis in Capsicum chinense cell cultures by salicylic acid or methyl jasmonate

M. G. Gutiérrez-Carbajal, M. Monforte-González, M.de L. Miranda-Ham, G. Godoy-Hernández, F. Vázquez-Flota

Biologia plantarum 54:430-434, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0078-z

Suspension cultures of Habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) were exposed to salicylic acid or methyl jasmonate to change secondary metabolism. Both treatments led to the accumulation of capsaicinoids and their late biosynthetic intermediate, vanillin. Both elicitors had a positive effect on the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase and coumarate O-methyltransferase, but none of them represented the main limiting step for capsaicinoid accumulation since vanillin contents were two orders of magnitude higher than those of capsaicinoids.

PCR-based molecular markers for assessment of somaclonal variation in Pinus pinea clones micropropagated in vitro

C. Cuesta, R. J. Ordás, A. Rodríguez, B. Fernández

Biologia plantarum 54:435-442, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0079-y

Four different markers [random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and selective amplified microsatellite polymorphism length (SAMPL)] were applied for evaluating somaclonal variation of micropropagated genotypes of stone pine (Pinus pinea L.). The total number of primers tested was 130, with 223 combinations assayed. A high number of them amplified successfully (178), representing 79.82 % of the total, and the average number of amplified fragments ranged from 2.47 (ISSR) to 65.76 (SAMPL). Based on internal controls, no problem of reproducibility was detected....

DIANTHIN, a negative selection marker in tobacco, is non-toxic in transgenic rice and confers sheath blight resistance

J. M. Shah, K. Veluthambi

Biologia plantarum 54:443-450, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0080-5

The DIANTHIN gene encoding a ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) from Dianthus caryophyllus L. was tested for negative selection in tobacco and rice. Tobacco leaf discs and scutellum-derived callus of rice were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 (pSB1, pJAS1). pJAS1 harbors the DIANTHIN gene under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter. Tobacco transformation efficiency, in comparison to pCAMBIA1301, was reduced by 87 % in pJAS1-transformed leaf discs. The DIANTHIN gene proved to be completely toxic to tobacco as all the recovered hygromycin-resistant transgenic plants harbored truncated T-DNAs...

Transient expression of human papillomavirus type 16 virus-like particles in tobacco and tomato using a tobacco rattle virus expression vector

M. Šmídková, M. Müller, N. Thönes, K. Piuko, P. Angelisová, J. Velemínský, K. J. Angelis

Biologia plantarum 54:451-460, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0081-4

The major capsid protein L1 of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) was transiently expressed in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana and Nicotiana tabacum) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) leaves using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The expression vector pTV00 was derived from tobacco rattle virus (TRV). The highest L1 expression 15 μg g^-1(f.m.) was achieved when the coding sequence of L1 was optimized for expression in humans that caused an increase of the guanine and cytosine (GC) content from 38.2 % in wild type HPV16 to 64.1 % in optimized sequence. L1 monomers readily self-assembled into capsomeres and further...

Effect of abiotic stresses on the activity of antioxidative enzymes and contents of phytohormones in wild type and AtCKX2 transgenic tobacco plants

Z. Mýtinová, V. Motyka, D. Haisel, A. Gaudinová, Z. Lubovská, N. Wilhelmová

Biologia plantarum 54:461-470, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0082-3

The responses of antioxidant enzymes (AOE) ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) in soluble protein extracts from leaves and roots of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun NN) plants to the drought stress, salinity and enhanced zinc concentration were investigated. The studied tobacco included wild-type (WT) and transgenic plants (AtCKX2) harbouring the cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase gene under control of 35S promoter from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtCKX2). The transgenic plants exhibited highly enhanced CKX activity and decreased contents of cytokinins and abscisic...

Role of calcium in nitric oxide-induced programmed cell death in tobacco protoplasts

Y. Wang, J. S. Lin, G. X. Wang

Biologia plantarum 54:471-476, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0083-2

We tried to determine the mechanisms by which Ca²⁺ mediated NO-induced programmed cell death (PCD) in tobacco protoplasts. Treatment of tobacco protoplasts with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) resulted in a rapid [Ca²⁺]_cyt accumulation and decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ_m) before the appearance of PCD. NO-induced PCD could be largely prevented not only by NO scavenger c-PTIO, but also by EGTA (Ca²⁺ chelator), LaCl₃ (Ca²⁺-channel blocker) or CsA (a specific mitochondrial permeability transition pore inhibitor, which also inhibit Ca²⁺...

Endogenous brassinosteroids in wheat treated with 24-epibrassinolide

A. Janeczko, J. Swaczynová

Biologia plantarum 54:477-482, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0084-1

The aim of the study was to examine the effect of exogenous 24-epibrassinolide on its uptake and content of endogenous brassinosteroids in wheat seedlings. 24-Epibrassinolide was applied at two concentrations (0.1 and 2.0 μM) and in three different methods: by soaking seeds, by drenching and by spraying plants. Brassinosteroids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray mass spectrometry. Three important brassinosteroids, 24-epibrassinolide, brassinolide and castasterone, were detected in the wheat leaves, but their contents varied with leaf insertion and plant age. Increased 24-epibrassinolide content in...

Contents of polyamines during vernalization in wheat and the effect of zearalenone

M. Filek, J. Biesaga-Kościelniak, I. Marcińska, M. Cvikrová, I. Macháčková, J. Krekule

Biologia plantarum 54:483-487, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0085-0

The contents of endogenous free and conjugated polyamines, putrescine (Put) and spermidine (Spd), were determined during 9 week of vernalization (at 5 °C) in winter wheat seedlings cultivated on Murashige and Skoog media without (MS0) and with 2 mg dm^-3 zearalenone (MSZEN). At the 4^th week of chilling treatment, which is sufficient to induce generative development in 30 % of plants, the marked increase in free and conjugated forms of Put and free Spd were observed. The presence of ZEN in medium significantly accelerated the vernalization. About 20 % of plants treated with ZEN flowered already after 2 weeks and 40 % after 3 weeks...

Effect of temperature on water transport through aquaporins

I. F. Ionenko, A. V. Anisimov, N. R. Dautova

Biologia plantarum 54:488-494, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0086-z

The mean effective water self-diffusion coefficient in maize root segments under the effect of aquaporin blocker (mercuric chloride, 0.1 mM) was measured using the spin-echo NMR method with pulsed magnetic field gradient within the temperature range from 10 to 35 °C. HgCl₂ caused the reduction in water diffusion by 30 % as compared to the control samples. Temperature dependences of water self-diffusion coefficients showed two linear regions with different values of Q₁₀ and activation energy, E_a. As the temperature reduced from 20 to 10 °C, E_a values calculated from the Arrhenius plots were close to those...

Exogenously-supplied trehalose protects thylakoid membranes of winter wheat from heat-induced damage

Y. Luo, F. Li, G. P. Wang, X. H. Yang, W. Wang

Biologia plantarum 54:495-501, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0087-y

The effects of trehalose pretreatment on thylakoid membranes of winter wheat were investigated under heat stress. Under normal growth conditions, the winter wheat synthesized 502 μg g^-1(f.m.) trehalose, which increased to 1250 μg g^-1(f.m.) under heat stress and to 1658 μg g^-1(f.m.) in trehalose-pretreated seedlings. Under heat stress, proteins in the thylakoid membranes and the photosynthetic capacity were protected by trehalose pretreatment. Moreover, the electrolyte leakage, contents of malondialdehyde, superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, and lipoxygenase activity in trehalose-pretreated seedlings were...

Leaf structural modifications in Populus × euramericana subjected to Zn excess

D. Di Baccio, A. Minnocci, L. Sebastiani

Biologia plantarum 54:502-508, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0088-x

In previous experiments elevated but sub-symptomatic applications of Zn (0.1 mM and 1 mM) caused impairments in growth parameters and photosynthetic performance of Populus × euramericana (Dode) Guinier clone I-214. The aim of this work was to evaluate leaf morphological and anatomical traits in this clone in response to the same Zn concentrations. The results showed that Zn treatments induced variations in leaf dry mass, area, mesophyll thickness, intercellular spaces, stomatal density and size. Stronger modifications, especially concerning stomata characteristics induced by 1 mM Zn, were consistent with physiological impairments while...

Activity of antioxidant enzyme during in vitro organogenesis in Crocus sativus

E. Vatankhah, V. Niknam, H. Ebrahimzadeh

Biologia plantarum 54:509-514, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0089-9

The effect of various hormonal combinations on regeneration of shoots and roots from meristem-derived callus of Crocus sativus L. and activities of antioxidant enzymes have been studied. The most efficient regeneration occurred with 1.0 mg dm^-3 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) + 1.0 mg dm^-3 thidiazuron and 1.0 mg dm^-3 NAA + 2.0 mg dm^-3 kinetin. For sprouting, regenerated shoot were subcultured on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 1.0 mg dm^-3 NAA + 1.0 mg dm^-3 benzylaminopurine (BAP). Protein content and superoxide dismutase activity decreased in regenerated shoots and roots...

Expression of two genes of paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway during germination of Taxus baccata zygotic embryos

K. Bruňáková, J. Košuth, Z. Katkovčinová, M. Lázárová, E. Čellárová

Biologia plantarum 54:515-519, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0090-3

The spatial and temporal expression of dbat and dbtnbt genes involved in the later steps of paclitaxel biosynthesis in relation to baccatin III and paclitaxel accumulation in Taxus baccata L. germinating embryos and seedlings was investigated. The steady-state of mRNA transcripts was measured by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), the content of taxanes was determined by HPLC. The spatial distribution of the metabolites was found to be in accordance with the transcript level of the respective genes. Higher content of mRNA transcripts in shoots of yew seedlings responded to higher content of taxanes in stems...

Simple method for isolation of oxygen evolving photosystem 2 core complex free of cytochrome f contamination

R. K. Mishra

Biologia plantarum 54:520-524, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0091-2

This communication presents a simple method for isolation of oxygen evolving photosystem 2 (PS 2) core complex by solubilisation of PS 2 membranes with the nonionic detergent octyl-β-D-thioglucopyranoside (OTG). This complex was free of cytochrome (Cyt) f contamination and also lacked the 22 and 10 kDa proteins that may not be directly required for primary photochemistry of the PS 2 complex and water oxidation. OTG could also remove the Cyt f contamination from the PS 2-core complex isolated using octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (OGP). The Cyt f contamination in the PS 2 complexes could potentially interfere with spectrophotometric...

Spatial and temporal dynamics of peroxidase and amine oxidase activity is linked to polyamines and lignin in wheat grains

B. Asthir, S. Kaur, W. Spoor, T. Roitsch

Biologia plantarum 54:525-529, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0092-1

The regulation of contents and activities of peroxidase (POX), diamine oxidase (DAO) and polyamine oxidase (PAO) were determined in relation to polyamines and lignin content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains. Two cultivars WH 542 (heat susceptible) and PBW 343 (heat tolerant) were used. Activities of POX, DAO and PAO were substantially higher in PBW 343 as compared with WH 542 and appeared to be independently regulated. POX and PAO showed peak activities at mid-milky stage (15 d post anthesis) while the activity of DAO showed continuous decline. Histochemical localization of POX and PAO in situ revealed their presence in the chalazal...

Antioxidative system in maize roots as affected by osmotic stress and different nitrogen sources

M. Vuletić, V. Hadži-Tašković Šukalović, K. Marković, J. Dragišić Maksimović

Biologia plantarum 54:530-534, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0093-0

The activities of antioxidative enzymes and contents of proline and total phenolics were assayed in roots of two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes grown in a medium containing nitrate (NO₃ ^-) or both nitrogen forms, nitrate and ammonium (NH₄ ⁺/NO₃ ^-). An increase in the activities of class III peroxidases (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), ascorbate oxidase (AO) and proline content, and decrease in phenolic content were observed in NH₄ ⁺/NO₃ ^- in comparison with NO₃ ^- grown plants. When polyethylene...

Genetic diversity in Passiflora species determined by morphological and molecular characteristics

A. J. C. Viana, M. M. Souza, I. S. Araújo, R. X. Corrêa, D. Ahnert

Biologia plantarum 54:535-538, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0094-z

Morphological and molecular characteristics were studied in six wild species of Passiflora. There were statistically significant differences among these six species for all characteristics studied. Intra-specific variability was observed for number of flowers, number of fruits, number of seeds, fruit length, fruit width and leaf area. Cluster analysis using morphological data showed three groups: 1) P. palmeri var. sublanceolata, P. morifolia and P. foetida var. foetida, 2) P. coriacea and P. micropetala, and 3) P. suberosa. The dendrogram constructed using randomly amplified...

Using morphological diagnosis and molecular markers to assess the clonal fidelity of micropropagated Echinacea purpurea regenerants

S. J. Chuang, C. L. Chen, J. J. Chen, J. M. Sung

Biologia plantarum 54:539-542, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0095-y

Both morphological characteristics and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to validate the genetic fidelity of 1 080 field-grown Echinacea purpurea plants regenerated from leaf explants of donor T5-9. Morphological diagnosis revealed that 1 067 out of 1 080 regenerants were normal, while 13 regenerants were aberrant. AFLP analysis was further performed to assess DNA variations among donor, 43 sampled normal regenerants and all 13 aberrant regenerants. Seven primer combinations generated 471 fragments among donor and normal regenerants, of which 9 fragments were polymorphic. The same primer pairs generated 484 fragments...

Study of the origin of the rarely cultivated edible Solanum species: morphological and molecular data

P. Poczai, K. Mátyás, J. Taller, I. Szabó

Biologia plantarum 54:543-546, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0096-x

The present study applies RAPD technique and morphometric analysis to study the diversity of some accessions belonging to section Solanum. A total of 252 products were amplified with 23 12-mer arbitrary primer pairs, among which 210 were found to be polymorphic. Sixteen morphological characters were measured and used to compile a dendrogram. Both the morphological and RAPD marker analysis clearly separated the different accessions into similar groups. The results indicate that the analyzed cultivars with unknown origin could be derived from S. retroflexum. We found morphological differences among the S. scabrum subsp. scabrum...

Storage and conversion of Eclipta alba synseeds and RAPD analysis of the converted plantlets

A. Ray, S. Bhattacharya

Biologia plantarum 54:547-550, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0097-9

The encapsulated shoot tips and nodal segments of Eclipta alba were stored at 4, 12 and 20 °C under irradiance of 1.5 gmmol m^-2 s^-1 and high conversion was observed in synseeds stored at 4 °C for 8 weeks. Duration of storage was extended up to 12 weeks by decreasing sucrose concentration in the alginate matrix from 3 to 1 or 2 % and conversion frequency was 71.2-76.1 %. Synseed-derived plantlets survived by 100 % in ex vitro conditions. RAPD analysis revealed uniform amplification profile in donor and synseed derived plantlets.

Isolation of resistance gene analogues to powdery mildew resistance sequences in hexaploid wheat

D. S. Feng, X. Ma, A. L. Lin, H. G. Wang, J. C. Tian

Biologia plantarum 54:551-555, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0098-8

This paper reports the characterization of the powdery mildew resistance homologous genes family of Triticum aestivum. Using degenerate primer pair for wheat resistance genes, we have cloned seven 3' truncated powdery mildew resistance gene homologous fragments Tpc5a, Tp25a, Tp25b, Tp3a5a, Tp3a5b, Tp4b5a and Tp4b5b. These fragments were sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequences showed that six of them have premature stop codons. All these sequences had a very high level of similarity to known Pm resistance genes such as Pm3a, Pm3b, Pm3d and pm3f in hexaploid wheat. By ignoring the stop codons in the sequences,...

Fluoride affects distribution of absorbed excitation energy more in favour of photosystem 1

P. Singh-Rawal, A. Jajoo, S. Bharti

Biologia plantarum 54:556-560, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0099-7

The effects of fluoride on the photosynthetic electron transport chain have been studied in spinach thylakoid membranes. Inhibition in photosystem (PS) 2 electron transport rates and a subsequent increase in PS 1 electron transport rate indicated a possibility of state transitions being a mechanism of fluoride action. This hypothesis was further confirmed by the increase in fluorescence emission F_735/685 at 77 K, a decrease in variable to maximum fluorescence ratio (F_v/F_m) at room temperature and increase in the absorption cross section of PS 1 suggesting that fluoride affects distribution of the excitation energy in...

ISSR marker based analysis of micropropagated plantlets of Nothapodytes foetida

M. Chandrika, V. Ravishankar Rai, Thoyajaksha

Biologia plantarum 54:561-565, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0100-5

A DNA-based, inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to monitor genetic stability in micropropagated plantlets of Nothapodytes foetida. A total of 146 clear and distinct bands were produced using 26 primers resulting in 3 212 fragments. Out of 146, 135 bands (92.4 %) were monomorphic and 11 bands (7.53 %) were polymorphic which ranged from 200 to 21 226 bp in size. The number of bands per each primer varied from 1 to 11 with an average of 5.6 bands per primer. The banding pattern for each primer was uniform and comparable to mother plant from which the cultures had been established. The dendrogram based on the unweighted pair-group...

Hairy roots formation in recalcitrant-to-transform plant Chenopodium rubrum

S. Dmitrović, N. Mitić, S. Zdravković-Korać, B. Vinterhalter, S. Ninković, L. J. Ćulafić

Biologia plantarum 54:566-570, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0101-4

Susceptibility of C. rubrum to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was demonstrated by inoculating the petioles of in vitro grown plants with A. rhizogenes strain A4M70GUS. Hairy roots were produced in 8 % of explants. They were isolated and maintained on plant growth regulator-free solid or liquid half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium for two years. Hairy root fresh mass increased 30 - 90 folds when grown in liquid medium, which was superior to solid medium, where most of the hairy roots produced calli. When these calli were grown on medium supplemented with 0.5 mg dm-3 thidiazuron, embryo-like structures were obtained....

UV-B induced stress responses in three rice cultivars

I. Fedina, J. Hidema, M. Velitchkova, K. Georgieva, D. Nedeva

Biologia plantarum 54:571-574, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0102-3

UV-B responses of three rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars (Sasanishiki, Norin 1 and Surjamkhi) with different photolyase activity were investigated. Carbon dioxide assimilation data support that Sasanishiki was less sensitive to UV-B than Norin 1 and Surjamkhi. UV-B radiation sharply decreased the content of Rubisco protein in Surjamkhi and has no effect in Sasanishiki. The photochemical activities of photosystem (PS) 1 and PS 2 was slightly affected by UV-B treatment. The content of H₂O₂ and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, catalase (CAT), peroxides (POX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were enhanced after UV-B treatment....

Significance of a β-ketoacyl-CoA synthase gene expression for wheat tolerance to adverse environments

X. J. Hu, Z. B. Zhang, Z. Y. Fu, P. Xu, S. B. Hu, W. Q. Li

Biologia plantarum 54:575-578, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0103-2

TaCer6 was firstly cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and identified as a tissue-specific gene in wheat. To determine if environmental factors such as drought and low temperature induce TaCer6 transcription, we examined the effects of these factors on TaCer6 in two wheat cultivars. Our results demonstrated that light was essential for TaCer6 transcription, salt stress inhibited TaCer6 expression and application of salicylic acid enhanced TaCer6 transcripts accumulation. In addition, polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) and abscisic acid increased the expression of TaCer6 more in the drought-...

The influence of sulfur limitation on expression levels of an o-acetylserine (thiol) lyase gene cloned from Vicia sativa

A. U. Novero, R. Ford

Biologia plantarum 54:579-582, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0104-1

The o-acetylserine (thiol) lyase (OAS-TL) gene is part of the plant sulfate assimilation pathway. The synthesis of cysteine, the first product of the pathway containing organic sulfur, has been previously observed to be dependent on the availability of sulfur and activity of OAS-TL. In this study, the ability of Vicia sativa L. to alter its metabolism to compensate for deficiencies brought about by sulfur stress was utilized to elucidate the functionality of Voas-tl5 (GenBank Accession No. DQ456491), a gene cloned from Vicia sativa. The transcription levels of Voas-tl5 increased in response to sulfur deficiency, indicating...

Changes in biomass and photosynthetic parameters of tomato plants exposed to trivalent and hexavalent chromium

F. S. Henriques

Biologia plantarum 54:583-586, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0105-0

Tomato plants were treated for two weeks with different concentrations of Cr(III) or Cr(VI) compounds to compare their toxic effects. The concentration of total Cr in plant tissues increased linearly with its concentration in the growth medium and Cr accumulated largely in the roots, regardless of the form in which it was supplied to the plant. All measured plant growth parameters were negatively affected by Cr, but Cr(VI) showed much more pronounced toxic effects. Leaf net photosynthetic rate (P_N) was decreased by both Cr forms, and the decrease was also greater for Cr(VI). Cr(III) caused no significant effect on leaf stomatal conductance,...

Analysis of Lupinus albus heat-shock granule proteins in response to high temperature stress

S. Cherian, R. B. Ferreira

Biologia plantarum 54:587-591, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0106-z

An important aspect of heat-shock response of lupin (Lupinus albus cv. Rio Maior) is the formation of cytoplasmic granular aggregates, called heat-shock granules (HSGs). In this study, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to detect the component proteins of HSG complexes formed in vivo. Evaluation of 2-DE revealed differential expression of several proteins under heat shock conditions when compared with control. Among them, small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) of 15 to 30 kDa were found to be the major representative proteins along with other proteins of relative molecular mass ranging from 36 to 45 kDa and above.

Morpho-histological study of direct somatic embryogenesis in endangered species Frittilaria meleagris

A. Subotić, M. Trifunović, S. Jevremović, M. Petrić

Biologia plantarum 54:592-596, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0107-y

Direct somatic embryogenesis of Frittilaria meleagris L. was induced using leaf base explants excised from in vitro grown shoots. Somatic embryos occurred at the basal part of leaf explants 4 weeks after culture on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) or kinetin (KIN). The highest number of somatic embryos (SEs) were formed (9.74) from leaf explant on MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg dm^-3 2,4-D after 4 weeks of culture initiation. An initial exposure to a low concentration of KIN in the medium also enhanced SEs induction. Our observations by light...

The effect of 2,4-dichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol on antioxidant system in the leaves of Phalaris arudinacea

J. Michałowicz, H. Urbanek, B. Bukowska, W. Duda

Biologia plantarum 54:597-600, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0108-x

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) on the activity of antioxidative system and lipid peroxidation in the leaves of reed canary grass (Phalaris arudinacea). The activity of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) as well as the content of glutathione, ascorbate and phenolic compounds were determined. An induced-increase in the APX, CAT, GPX and GR activities was stronger for PCP, while a significant increase in the GST activity was noted only for 2,4-DCP. Both compounds increased...

Peter Apel Member of Editorial Board 1936-2009

Martin Peisker, Armin Meister

Biologia plantarum 54:401-402, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0074-3