Morphological and anatomical observations of abnormal somatic embryos from anther cultures of Citrus reticulata

C. Benelli, M. A. Germanà, T. Ganino, D. Beghè, A. Fabbri

Biologia plantarum 54:224-230, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0040-0

A morphological and anatomical study of regenerants obtained from mandarin anther culture was carried out. Beside morphologically normal somatic embryos, abnormal structures were originated in the course of somatic embryogenesis. Anatomical anomalies can be found at several growth stages, causing the formation of slender stems, stubby structures, non-functional leaves. When too long, some structures are subject to shedding, with the formation of various abscission zones. Most of them are subject to degeneration, although many are capable of further, localized, morphogenesis. A thorough knowledge of morphology and anatomy of normal and abnormal regenerants...

High efficiency organogenesis and analysis of genetic stability of the regenerants in Solanum melongena

Y. Xing, Y. Yu, X. Luo, J. -N. Zhang, B. Zhao, Y. -D. Guo

Biologia plantarum 54:231-236, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0041-z

A novel protocol for plant regeneration from cotyledon explants of eggplant (Solanum melongena) reducing concentration of sucrose was established. The most efficient bud induction medium consisted of Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2.0 mg dm^-3 zeatin, 0.1 mg dm^-3 indoleacetic acid and 10 g dm^-3 sucrose. After 15 d, the shoot buds were fragmented and transferred to the shoot elongation MS supplemented with 1.0-2.0 mg dm^-3 gibberellic acid and 4.0-8.0 mg dm^-3 AgNO₃, which promoted shoots elongation. The genetic stability of the regenerated plants was analyzed by...

Ex vitro acclimatization of plantain plantlets micropropagated in temporary immersion bioreactor

C. Aragón, L. Carvalho, J. González, M. Escalona, S. Amâncio

Biologia plantarum 54:237-244, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0042-y

Plantain (Musa ABB CEMSA 3/4) plantlets were micropropagated in temporary immersion bioreactors (TIB) or in gelled medium (GM). After ex vitro transfer ROS accumulation was determined by infiltrating leaves with nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) and 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB). Stomatal cells were more stained with NBT and DAB in GM plants than in TIB plants, but the difference disappeared at the end of acclimatization. At the end of the in vitro phase, GM plantlets showed higher activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) and glutathione reductase (GR), while activities...

Somatic embryogenesis and regeneration of Vigna radiata

P. Sivakumar, R. Gnanam, K. Ramakrishnan, A. Manickam

Biologia plantarum 54:245-251, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0043-x

An efficient regeneration protocol via somatic embryogenesis was optimized for mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek; cv. Vamban 1]. Primary leaf explants were used for embryogenic callus induction in MMS medium (Murashige and Skoog salts with B5 vitamins) containing 2.0 mg dm^-3 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 150 mg dm^-3 glutamine and 3 % sucrose. Fast growing, highly embryogenic cell suspensions were established from 21-d-old calli in MMS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg dm^-3 2,4-D and 50 mg dm^-3 proline (Pro), and maximum recovery of globular (39.0 %), heart-shaped (26.3 %) and torpedo-stage...

Cytogenetic analysis of hybrids derived from wheat and Tritipyrum using conventional staining and genomic in situ hybridization

G. Mirzaghaderi, G. Karimzadeh, H. S. Hassani, M. Jalali-Javaran, A. Baghizadeh

Biologia plantarum 54:252-258, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0044-9

The new salt tolerant cereal, Tritipyrum (2n=6x=42, AABBE^bE^b) offers potential to introduce desirable characters for wheat improvements. This study was aimed to generate a segregating population from Iranian local wheat cultivars (2n=6x=42, AABBDD) and Tritipyrum crosses, study of the meiotic behaviour in F₂ hybrids and identification of E^b chromosomes in F₃ individuals. Results showed meiotic abnormalities in F₂ plants and different pairing frequency in the meiosis among F₂ plants. Genomic in situ hybridization revealed that total and E^b chromosome...

GISH reveals different levels of meiotic pairing with wheat for individual Aegilops biuncialis chromosomes

I. Molnár, M. Molnár-Láng

Biologia plantarum 54:259-264, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0045-8

The Triticum aestivum - Aegilops biuncialis (2n=4x=28; U^bU^bM^bM^b) disomic addition lines 2M^b, 3M^b, 7M^b and 3U^b were crossed with the wheat cv. Chinese Spring ph1b mutant genotype in order to induce homoeologous pairing, with the final goal of introgressing Ae. biuncialis chromatin into cultivated wheat. Wheat-Aegilops homoeologous chromosome pairing was studied in metaphase I of meiosis in the F₁ hybrid lines. Using U and M genomic probes, genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) demonstrated the occurrence of wheat-Aegilops...

Production and selection of marker-free transgenic plants of Petunia hybrida using site-specific recombination

R. S. Khan, I. Nakamura, M. Mii

Biologia plantarum 54:265-271, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0046-7

MAT (multi-auto-transformation) vector system has been one of the strategies to excise the selection marker gene from transgenic plants. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 harboring an ipt-type MAT vector, pNPI132, was used to produce morphologically normal transgenic Petunia hybrida 'Dainty Lady' employing isopentenyl transferase (ipt) gene as the selection marker gene. β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene was used as model gene of interest. Infected explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium without plant growth regulators (PGR) and antibiotics. Shoots showing extreme shooty phenotype (ESP)...

Assessment of genetic diversity and relationships among Coix lacryma-jobi accessions using microsatellite markers

K. -H. Ma, K. -H. Kim, A. Dixit, I. -M. Chung, J. -G. Gwag, T. -S. Kim, Y. -J. Park

Biologia plantarum 54:272-278, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0047-6

The present study describes the assessment of genetic diversity and relationships among 79 Job's tears (Coix lacrymajobi L.) accessions collected from China and Korea using 17 microsatellite markers. A total of 57 alleles were detected with an average of 3.4 alleles per locus. A high frequency of rare alleles (36.3 %) was observed within the collection. Values for observed (H_O), expected heterozygosity (H_E) and Shannon's information index (I) within the analysis ranged from 0.00 (GBssrJT183) to 0.81 (GBssrJT130), from 0.01 (GBssrJT170) to 0.65 (GBssrJT130) and from 0.034 (GBssrJt170) to 1.13 (GBssrJT130), respectively....

The lack of plastidal transit sequence cannot override the targeting capacity of Bradyrhizobium japonicum δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase in transgenic rice

K. Back, S. Jung

Biologia plantarum 54:279-284, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0049-4

The δ-aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALA-S) is an enzyme which catalyzes the synthesis of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). The Bradyrhizobium japonicum ALA-S coding sequence lacking plastidal transit sequence was introduced into the rice genome (C line). The transgenic lines, C4 and C5, were compared with the transgenic lines expressing TALA-S gene with plastidal transit sequence (P line) to investigate whether the plastidal sequence affects the targeting capacity of B. japonicum ALA-S gene and the ALA-synthesizing capacity in rice plants. The B. japonicum ALA-S mRNA was expressed efficiently in C lines and the protein was...

Influence of water stress on photosynthetic characteristics in barley plants under ambient and elevated CO₂ concentrations

A. Robredo, U. Pérez-López, M. Lacuesta, A. Mena-Petite, A. Muñoz-Rueda

Biologia plantarum 54:285-292, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0050-y

We evaluated the combined effects of elevated CO₂ and water availability on photosynthesis in barley. Soil and plant water content decreased with water stress, but less under elevated CO₂ concentration (EC) compared with ambient CO₂ concentration (AC). During water stress, stomatal conductance, carboxylation rate, RuBP regeneration, and the rate of triose phosphate utilisation (TPU) were decreased but less when plants grew under EC. Drought treatments caused only a slight effect on maximum photochemical efficiency (variable to maximum fluorescence ratio, F_v/F_m), whereas the actual quantum yield...

Cold tolerance, water relations and accumulation of osmolytes in Bituminaria bituminosa

D. J. Walker, P. Romero, E. Correal

Biologia plantarum 54:293-298, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0051-x

We determined the cold (freezing) tolerance of five Spanish populations of the perennial shrub Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H. Stirton (Fabaceae), as the temperature at which 50 % of leaf electrolytes are released (LT₅₀) using leaves of field-grown plants, obtained in two winters and one spring. The freezing tolerance was greater in winter and reflected the minimum temperatures at the original sites from which the populations were obtained. Tolerance in vitro was related to osmotic adjustment in the leaves; more negative osmotic potential values and more positive pressure potential values (MPa) were associated with...

Sensitivity of stem and petiole hydraulic conductance of deciduous trees to xylem sap ion concentration

K. Aasamaa, A. Sõber

Biologia plantarum 54:299-307, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0052-9

Hydraulic conductance of stem and petioles increased in response to an increase in xylem sap ion concentration, and decreased in response to a decrease in the ion concentration in six temperate deciduous tree species. The ion sensitivity of hydraulic conductance of stem and petioles was higher than the ion sensitivity of the stem alone. The ion sensitivity was lowest in the earliest developmental stages of the xylem, and had a seasonal maximum in the second half of summer. The ion sensitivity was highest in slow-growing species and lowest in fast-growing species. The ion sensitivity correlated negatively with mean radius of xylem conduits, hydraulic...

Effect of zinc and cadmium on physiological and production characteristics in Matricaria recutita

M. Kummerová, Š. Zezulka, K. Kráľová, E. Masarovičová

Biologia plantarum 54:308-314, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0053-8

Effects of zinc (12-180 μM) alone and in mixtures with 12 μM Cd on metal accumulation, dry masses of roots and shoots, root respiration rate, variable to maximum fluorescence ratio (F_V/F_M), and content of photosynthetic pigments were studied in hydroponically cultivated chamomile (Matricaria recutita) plants. The content of Zn in roots and shoots increased with the increasing external Zn concentration and its accumulation in the roots was higher than that in the shoots. While at lower Zn concentrations (12 and 60 μM) the presence of 12 μM Cd decreased Zn accumulation in the roots, treatment with 120 and 180...

Effect of salicylic acid pretreatment on cadmium toxicity in wheat

H. R. Moussa, S. M. El-Gamal

Biologia plantarum 54:315-320, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0054-7

Cadmium (100, 400 and 1000 μM CdCl₂) treatments resulted in the inhibition of root dry biomass, root elongation and increased Cd accumulation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) roots. Further, these treatments decreased relative water content, chlorophyll content, ¹⁴CO₂-fixation, activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase and abscisic acid content while increased malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide and free proline contents. Chloroplast and root ultrastructure was also changed. Pretreatment of seeds with SA (500 μM) for 20 h resulted in amelioration of these effects.

Transcription factors in plants and ABA dependent and independent abiotic stress signalling

P. K. Agarwal, B. Jha

Biologia plantarum 54:201-212, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0038-7

Plants face variable environmental stresses that negatively affect plant growth and productivity. The multiplicity of responses is an important aspect of the complexity of stress signalling. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a broad-spectrum phytohormone involved not only in regulating stomatal opening, growth and development but also in coordinating various stress signal transduction pathways in plants during abiotic stresses. The both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signal transduction pathways from stress signal perception to gene expression involve different transcription factors such as DREB, MYC/MYB, AREB/ABF, NAM, ATAF1,2, CUC and their corresponding...

Multifunctional genes: the cross-talk among the regulation networks of abiotic stress responses

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

Biologia plantarum 54:213-223, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0039-6

Unfavourable environment brings many kinds of stresses to plants. To survive such stresses, efficient resistance is required for the plants. Multifunctional genes enable the cross-talk among the various abiotic stress resistance systems. This paper reviews the action mechanisms of multifunctional genes. These genes can be classified into three groups: genes encoding diverse proteins through mRNA splicing (e.g. AOX in rice); genes like BADH, P5CS and HAV that control drought, salinity, osmotic and heat stress resistance; and a gene family, for example AQP, controlling transport of many compounds including water and nutrients....

Schlegel, R.H.J.: Dictionary of Plant Breeding

J. Pospíšilová

Biologia plantarum 54:278, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0048-5

Thiellement, H., Zivy, M., Damerval, C., Méchin, V.: Plant Proteomics. Methods and Protocols

R. Podlipná

Biologia plantarum 54:400, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0073-4

Involvement of arabinogalactan proteins in the control of cell proliferation of Cucurbita pepo suspension cultures

A. Ben Amar, P. Cobanov, A. Ghorbel, A. Mliki, G. M. Reustle

Biologia plantarum 54:321-324, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0055-6

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) secreted by zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) cell cultures into the medium are implicated in cell proliferation. Conditioned medium derived from cell suspensions of squash cultivar Dundoo could enhance multiplication rate of slow-growing cell line Cx3005. To examine the role of AGPs, a precipitation assay was performed using Yariv reagent which binds selectively to AGPs. This AGP precipitation as well as proteinase application arrested cell division. However, chitinase treatment successfully increased embryogenic callus mass. A growth promotion was also obtained by arabinogalactan addition to the culture medium....

Somatic embryogenesis from rhizome explants of Cymbopogon winterianus

T. Dey, S. Bhattacharya, P. D. Ghosh

Biologia plantarum 54:325-328, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0056-5

Plantlet regeneration through indirect somatic embryogenesis was attempted from rhizome derived callus of Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt (cv. Jorlab2). Optimum callus was induced on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 4 mg dm^-3 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Initially the callus was friable, shiny white and watery in nature. After subculturing on MS medium containing 2,4-D and kinetin (Kn), callus was transferred onto the MS medium supplemented with 2,4 -D, Kn and coconut water to induce somatic embryogenesis. Optimum somatic embryogenesis (78.33 %) was achieved on MS medium containing 3.0 mg dm^-3...

Stimulation of antioxidative enzymes and polyamines during stripe rust disease of wheat

B. Asthir, A. Koundal, N. S. Bains, S. K. Mann

Biologia plantarum 54:329-333, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0057-4

Content of polyamines and activities of antioxidative enzymes in response to stripe rust disease caused by Puccinia striiformis have been studied in two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars PBW 343 (resistant) and HD 2329 (susceptible). Various infection stages ranging from traces to 100 % were collected. Infection leads to stimulation of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, diamine oxidase and polyamine oxidase activities along with increase in putrescine, spermidine and spermine content while ascorbate, tocopherol and chlorophyll content decreased in HD 2329 and no visible symptoms appeared in PBW 343. Histochemical...

An assessment of genetic fidelity of micropropagated plants of Chlorophytum borivilianum using RAPD markers

S. Samantaray, S. Maiti

Biologia plantarum 54:334-338, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0058-3

Rapid micropropagation was achieved in Chlorophytum borivilianum Santapau and Fernandes using shoot base as explants. Multiple shoots were induced on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with 3.0 mg dm^-3 6-benzylaminopurine, 0.1 mg dm^-3 1-naphthaleneacetic acid, 150 mg dm^-3 adenine sulphates and 3 % saccharose. Rooting was readily achieved upon transferring the shoots onto half strength MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg dm^-3 indolebutyric acid and 2 % saccharose. Micropropagated plantlets were hardened in the greenhouse and successfully established in soil. Random amplified polymorphic DNA...

Photosystems activities and polypeptide composition of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba and Vigna mungo thylakoids as affected by exclusion of solar UV radiation

P. Amudha, M. Jayakumar, G. Kulandaivelu

Biologia plantarum 54:339-343, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0059-2

The impacts of solar UV (280-400 nm) radiation on photosynthetic activities and polypeptide composition of thylakoids of cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L, UV-B sensitive) and black gram (Vigna mungo L., UV-B resistant) plants were compared. The activity of photosystem 1 and especially photosystem 2 increased in cluster bean while decreased in black gram, when either UV-B or UV-B + UV-A radiation was removed as compared to control plants. Exclusion of UV-B radiation caused changes in the protein composition of the thylakoids particularly in the 33, 23 and 17 kDa proteins of photosystem 2.

Efficient production of transgenic tomatoes via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation

P. Kaur, K. C. Bansal

Biologia plantarum 54:344-348, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0060-9

Cotyledonary leaves of 9-d-old tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV 3101 harboring binary vector pBI101 containing kanamycin resistance gene (npt II) as selection marker. Murashige and Skoog (MS) inorganic salts with Gamborg's B5 vitamins supplemented with optimized concentrations of zeatin riboside and indole-acetic acid resulted in enhanced regeneration efficiency. Under optimized conditions of plant regeneration, transformation frequency in cvs. Pusa Ruby, Pusa Uphar and DT-39 was greater than 37 %. Transformed shoots were selected on kanamycin medium and the presence of...

Activities of antioxidant enzymes during strawberry fruit development and ripening

A. P. López, M. T. N. Gochicoa, A. R. Franco

Biologia plantarum 54:349-352, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0061-8

The analyses of some antioxidant enzyme activities were carried out in the course of strawberry fruits development and ripening. The catalase activity was maximum in small-sized green fruits, it decreased in middle-sized green fruits and increased again during the ripening stages. The highest superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities were observed in white fruits.

2D random walk representation of Begonia × tuberhybrida multiallelic loci used for germplasm identification

I. Wiesner, D. Wiesnerová

Biologia plantarum 54:353-356, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0062-7

In this study, we wanted to inspect whether the evolutionary driven differences in primary sequences could correlate, and thus predict the genetic diversity of related marker loci, which is an important criterion to assess the quality of any DNA marker. We adopted new approach of quantitative symbolic DNA sequence analysis called DNA random walk representation to study multiallelic marker loci from Begonia × tuberhybrida Voss. We described significant correlation of random walk-derived digital invariants to genetic diversity of the marker loci. Specifically, on the 3D-contour plot of multivariate principal component analysis (PCA), we...

Indirect regeneration of Withania somnifera and comparative analysis of withanolides in in vitro and greenhouse grown plants

Y. H. Dewir, D. Chakrabarty, S. -H. Lee, E. -J. Hahn, K. -Y. Paek

Biologia plantarum 54:357-360, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0063-6

The present study reports an efficient protocol for indirect shoot organogenesis and plantlets regeneration of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. Leaf explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The highest callus induction rate (89.5 %) and shoot regeneration rate (92 %) were obtained when 2 mg dm^-3 BAP was combined with 0.5 mg dm^-3 IAA. Three major withanolides (withaferine A, 12-deoxywithastramonolide and withanolide A) were investigated in different plant organs from in vitro and...

Direct somatic embryogenesis and shoot organogenesis from leaf explants of Primulina tabacum

G. H. Ma, C. X. He, H. Ren, Q. M. Zhang, S. J. Li, X. H. Zhang, B. Eric

Biologia plantarum 54:361-365, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0064-5

An efficient propagation system via somatic embryogenesis and shoot organogenesis and plant regeneration system for endangered species Primulina tabacum Hance was established. Thidiazuron (TDZ) was the key plant growth regulator for inducing somatic embryogenesis and kinetin (KIN) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) were the key cytokinins for inducing shoot organogenesis from leaf explants. TDZ combined with BAP or KIN in the induction Murashige and Skoog medium induced both somatic embryos and adventitious shoots. Leaf explants with abaxial site in contact with the medium induced less somatic embryos or adventitious shoots compared to inversely...

Tree water dynamics non-destructively assessed through sap flow measurements and potential evapotranspiration

R. Bequet, J. Čermák, N. Nadezhdina, C. De Canniere, R. Ceulemans

Biologia plantarum 54:366-368, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0065-4

Sap flow and potential evapotranspiration rates were analyzed for two coniferous tree species (Douglas-fir and Scots pine) and one broadleaf species (sessile oak) in a mixed Carpineto-Quercetum forest during the growing season 2005. The relationship between sap flow and potential evapotranspiration rates, effective crown area as a measure of the relative transpiration and daily relative proportion of the storage water used for transpiration were used as indicators of the tree water dynamics. These indicators were determined on four consecutive days and all three showed good reliability concerning tree water dynamics.

Direct shoot regeneration from leaf explants of Jatropha curcas in response to thidiazuron and high copper contents in the medium

V. Khurana-Kaul, S. Kachhwaha, S. L. Kothari

Biologia plantarum 54:369-372, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0066-3

Leaf explants of Jatropha curcas cultured on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ; 0.90 μM) in combination with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA; 0.98μM) produced adventitious shoot buds directly on the surface of the explants without formation of intervening callus while shoot bud formation was accompanied with callus formation on medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP; 13.3 μM) and IBA (2.46 μM). TDZ treatment resulted in more than twice higher rate of shoot bud induction than BAP. Shoot buds were multiplied and elongated following repeated transfers to medium containing BAP (2.22 μM) and...

Cytological studies on meiosis and male gametophyte development in autotetraploid cucumber

W. -P. Diao, S. -Y. Bao, B. Jiang, L. Cui, C. -T. Qian, J. -F. Chen

Biologia plantarum 54:373-376, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0067-2

With improved staining and chromosome preparation techniques, meiosis of pollen mother cells (PMCs) and male gametophyte development in autotetraploid cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) was studied to understand the correlation between chromosomes behaviour and fertility. Various chromosome configurations, e.g. multivalent, quadrivalents, trivalents, bivalents and univalents were observed in most PMCs at metaphase I. Lagging chromosomes were frequently observed at anaphase in both meiotic divisions. In addition, chromosomes segregations were not synchronous and equal in some PMCs during anaphase II and telophase II. Dyads, triads, tetrads...

Cloning and characterization of two osmotin isoforms from Piper colubrinum

T. Mani, S. Manjula

Biologia plantarum 54:377-380, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0068-1

In the present study, we report the cloning and sequence characterization of two isoforms of osmotin, an antifungal PR-5 gene homologue, from a salicylic acid-induced subtracted cDNA library earlier generated in Piper colubrinum. The larger form of the gene is 693 bp long, encoding a 21.5 kDa protein. The smaller form comprises a 543 bp long coding sequence which code for a protein of 16.4 kDa. A notable feature of the smaller form was a prominent internal deletion of 150 bp besides certain point mutations. Cloned isoforms of osmotin from resistant species could be candidates for molecular breeding for the improvement of black...

In vitro responses of grape rootstocks to NaCl

M. Alizadeh, S. K. Singh, V. B. Patel, R. C. Bhattacharya, B. P. Yadav

Biologia plantarum 54:381-385, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0069-0

An investigation was undertaken to adjudge the in vitro salt tolerance and biochemical changes due to NaCl on four grape rootstocks (Dogridge, SO4, H-144 and 3309C). The in vitro two-node micro-cuttings from the established cultures were sub-cultured on rooting medium comprising Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 0.5 μM indolebutyric acid (IBA), 200 mg dm^-3 activated charcoal and different NaCl concentrations ranging from 0 to 125 mM. The surviving and proliferated cultures were further sub-cultured four times on respective media. Dogridge and H-144 tolerated 125 and 100 mM NaCl, respectively, while...

Proline accumulation and the expression of Δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase in two safflower cultivars

M. Thippeswamy, P. Chandraobulreddy, B. Sinilal, M. Shiva Kumar, Chinta Sudhakar

Biologia plantarum 54:386-390, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0070-7

Proline (Pro) accumulation under water stress was measured in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) drought tolerant cv. A1 and sensitive cv. Nira. Activities of pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5C reductase) and pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5C synthetase), two enzymes involved in the Pro biosynthetic pathway were also estimated. Water stress resulted in a reduction in the leaf dry mass and chlorophyll content along with a gradual accumulation of Pro. RT-PCR results show higher expression of Δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (p5cs) gene in correlation with up-regulated Pro accumulation in cv. A1. P5C reductase...

In vitro propagation of Drosera intermedia in a single step

T. Grevenstuk, N. Coelho, S. Gonçalves, A. Romano

Biologia plantarum 54:391-394, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0071-6

A simple and efficient protocol for the micropropagation of Drosera intermedia, using cultures initiated from in vitro produced seedlings, is described. Shoot proliferation was significantly influenced by Murashige and Skoog (MS) macronutrient concentration, showing higher multiplication rates for 1/4 MS (the lowest concentration), but was not affected by the addition of 0.1 mg dm^-3 kinetin. In all cases a multiplication percentage above 90 % was recorded. High rooting percentages (up to 100 %) were obtained in multiplication phase on 1/4 MS medium without growth regulators. In average 15.8 plantlets per initial shoot was produced...

Gibberellin retards chlorophyll degradation during senescence of Paris polyphylla

J. R. Li, K. Yu, J. R. Wei, Q. Ma, B. Q. Wang, D. Yu

Biologia plantarum 54:395-399, 2010 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-010-0072-5

Chlorophyll (Chl) degradation was found to be related to the endogenous gibberellin (GA) content in shoots during senescence in the perennial plant Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (Franch.). Treatment with gibberellic acid (GA₃) significantly increased the content of endogenous GAs (GA₄ + GA₇), retarded the senescence of shoots, and the degradation of proteins and Chl. Chlorophyllase, Mg-dechelation and peroxidase activities increased more in control plants than in those treated with GA₃. GA₃ treatment also protected lipoxygenase activity, which decreased significantly in control plants.