58 research outputs found
Mycorrhiza-like structures in rooted microshoots of Pinus pinea L.
Pinus pinea L. (stone pine) is one of the major plantation species in Iberian
Peninsula, being Portugal the largest edible seed producer in the world. The
induction and improvement of in vitro rhizogenesis of microshoots of Pinus pinea
was developed in our laboratory using a co-culture system with ECM fungi. In the
acclimation phase in mixed substrates, or in rhizotrons, anatomical and
morphological studies were done to observe the evolution of the root system in
microshoots from the co-culture system vs. control plants. Extensive dichotomous
and coralloid branching of lateral roots occurred spontaneously in inoculated and
control plants as well. Moreover, similar branching occurred in liquid culture of
excised seedling roots without the presence of ECM fungi. The striking similarity of
these organs with pine ectomycorrhizas prompted their anatomical analysis;
however the presence of Hartig net was not confirmed. These results suggested that
the development of ECM-like structures might have occurred spontaneously.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
O-coumaric acid ester, a potential early signaling molecule in Pinus pinea and Pisolithus arhizus symbiosis established in vitro
During ectomycorrhizal (ECM) establishment, biochemical signals lead to the development of complex structures
in both the plant and the fungus that ultimately result in the formation of an ectomycorrhiza. The cross-talk
between partners begins before physical contact. Our objective was to investigate the chemical nature of the
signals during the first stages of in vitro mycorrhization of Pinus pinea with Pisolithus arhizus. For this purpose a
double-phase solid liquid medium was expressly developed for the co-culture in order to simplify the extraction
and further molecules analysis. O-coumaric acid ester was identified using HPLC UV and LC DAD MS on the
second day of co-culture and its presence was detected for up to 10 days. These results contribute to the
characterization of biochemical signals during pre-colonization involving conifer species and an ECM fungus,
and demonstrate the suitability of the double-phase medium developed for the growth of both organisms and for the analysis of released chemical mediators.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Daucus carota L. – An old model for cell reprogramming gains new importance through a novel expansion pattern of alternative oxidase (AOX) genes
The paper highlights Daucus carota L. as an ideal model to complement plant stress research on Arabidopsis thaliana L. Recently, alternative oxidase (AOX) is discussed as functional marker candidate for cell reprogramming upon stress. Carrot is the most studied species for cell reprogramming and our current research reveals that it is the only one that has expanded both AOX sub-family genes. We point to recently published, but not discussed results on conserved differences in the vicinity of the most active functional site of AOX1 and AOX2, which indicate the importance of studying AOX sequence polymorphism, structure and functionality. Thus, stress-inducible experimental systems of D. carota are especially appropriate to bring research on stress tolerance a significant step forward
Assessing the diversity of sea beet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. maritima) populations
Beta vulgaris L. subsp. maritima (L.) Arcang., sea beet, is a morphologically and
genetically variable species, belonging to beet primary gene
-pool. This crop wild relative
is a valuable genetic resource for resistance improvement in beets and could play an
important role in crop yield sustainability. Eleven Madeiran sea beet populations were
characterized using morphological descriptors and genetic markers. Our goal was to
evaluate these populations as a potential source of valuable genetic material.
Morphological characterization showed a high quantitative variation among populations.
Plant height and inflorescence height parameters had the highest influence in the
separation of populations. Molecular analysis was performed with polymorphic SSRs to
determine genetic variability between populations. Both PCA and PCoA revealed three
clusters that separated the populations according to morphological and genetic traits,
respectively. This study contributes to the knowledge of sea beet diversity in Madeira’s
archipelago and to the perception that the islands' specific environmental conditions
influence its genetic variability, making these populations a possible gene source for sugar
beet breeding programsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Molecular approach to characterize ectomycorrhizae fungi from Mediterranean pine stands in Portugal
Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.), like other conifers, forms ectomycorrhizas (ECM), which have benefi cial impact on plant growth in natural environments and forest ecosystems. An in vitro co-culture of
stone pine microshoots with pure mycelia of isolated ECM sporocarps was used to overcome the root
growth cessation not only in vitro but also to improve root development during acclimation phase.
Pisolithus arhizus (Scop.) Rauschert and Lactarius deliciosus (L. ex Fr.) S.F. Gray fungi, were col lected, pure cultured and used in in vitro co-culture with stone pine microshoots. Samples of P.
arhizus and L. deliciosus for the in vitro co-cultures were collected from the pine stands southwest
Portugal. The in situ characterization was based on their morphotypes. To confirm the identity of the
collected material, ITS amplification was applied using the pure cultures derived from the sporo carps. Additionally, a molecular profile using PCR based genomic fingerprinting comparison was
executed with other genera of Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes. Our results showed the effective ness of the techniques used to amplify DNA polymorphic sequences, which enhances the characte rization of the genetic profile of ECM fungi and also provides an option to verify the fungus identity
at any stage of plant mycorrhization.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A pilot study of the predictive potential of chemosensitivity and gene expression assays using circulating tumour cells from patients with recurrent ovarian cancer
Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from liquid biopsies are under current investigation in several cancers, including epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) but face significant drawbacks in terms of non-standardised methodology, low viable cell numbers and accuracy of CTC identification. In this pilot study, we report that chemosensitivity assays using liquid biopsy-derived metastatic EOC CTCs, from 10 patients, nine with stage IIIC and one with stage IV disease, in progression after systemic chemotherapy, submitted for hypoxic isolated abdominal perfusion (HAP), are both feasible and useful in predicting response to therapy. Viable metastatic EOC CTCs (>5 cells/mL for all 10 blood samples), enriched by transient culture and identified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and indirect immunofluorescence (IF), were subjected to flow cytometry-based Annexin V-PE assays for chemosensitivity to several chemotherapeutic agents and by RT-PCR for tumour gene expression profiling. Using a cut-off value of >80% cell death, CTC chemosensitivity tests were predictive of patient RECIST 1.1 responses to HAP therapy associated with 100% sensitivity, 50% specificity, 33% positive predictive, 100% negative predictive and 60% accuracy values. We propose that the methodology employed in this study is feasible and has the potential to predict response to therapy, setting the stage for a larger study
Los depósitos continentales triásicos
Las sedimentitas triásicas se encuentran representadas principalmente en dos regiones geográficas: la Región Patagónica, en donde se incluyen los afloramientos de El Tranquilo en el norte de la provincia de Santa Cruz y una serie de localidades ubicadas en el área del Macizo Nordpatagónico; y la Región Centro-oeste del país, donde se ubican los afloramientos de las provincias de Mendoza, San Luis, San Juan y La Rioja (Figuras 1 y 2). Además de estos grupos principales de afloramientos triásicos, se han identificado sedimentitas asignables a este período en el subsuelo de la cuenca Chacoparanense.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse
Los depósitos continentales triásicos
Las sedimentitas triásicas se encuentran representadas principalmente en dos regiones geográficas: la Región Patagónica, en donde se incluyen los afloramientos de El Tranquilo en el norte de la provincia de Santa Cruz y una serie de localidades ubicadas en el área del Macizo Nordpatagónico; y la Región Centro-oeste del país, donde se ubican los afloramientos de las provincias de Mendoza, San Luis, San Juan y La Rioja (Figuras 1 y 2). Además de estos grupos principales de afloramientos triásicos, se han identificado sedimentitas asignables a este período en el subsuelo de la cuenca Chacoparanense.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse
Two-dimensional finite element simulation of fracture and fatigue behaviours of alumina microstructures for hip prosthesis
This paper describes a two-dimensional (2D) finite element simulation for
fracture and fatigue behaviours of pure alumina microstructures such as those
found at hip prostheses. Finite element models are developed using actual Al2O3
microstructures and a bilinear cohesive zone law. Simulation conditions are
similar to those found at a slip zone in a dry contact between a femoral head
and an acetabular cup of hip prosthesis. Contact stresses are imposed to
generate cracks in the models. Magnitudes of imposed stresses are higher than
those found at the microscopic scale. Effects of microstructures and contact
stresses are investigated in terms of crack formation. In addition, fatigue
behaviour of the microstructure is determined by performing simulations under
cyclic loading conditions. It is shown that crack density observed in a
microstructure increases with increasing magnitude of applied contact stress.
Moreover, crack density increases linearly with respect to the number of
fatigue cycles within a given contact stress range. Meanwhile, as applied
contact stress increases, number of cycles to failure decreases gradually.
Finally, this proposed finite element simulation offers an effective method for
identifying fracture and fatigue behaviours of a microstructure provided that
microstructure images are available
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