Transcriptomic and biochemical investigations support the role of rootstock-scion interaction in grapevine berry quality

Background In viticulture, rootstock genotype plays a critical role to improve scion physiology, berry quality and to adapt grapevine (Vitis viniferaL.) to different environmental conditions. This study aimed at investigating the effect of two different rootstocks (1103 Paulsen - P - and Mgt 101-14 - M) in comparison with not grafted plants - NGC - on transcriptome (RNA-seq and small RNA-seq) and chemical composition of berry skin inPinot noir, and exploring the influence of rootstock-scion interaction on grape quality. Berry samples, collected at veraison and maturity, were investigated at transcriptional and biochemical levels to depict the impact of rootstock on berry maturation. Results RNA- and miRNA-seq analyses highlighted that, at veraison, the transcriptomes of the berry skin are extremely similar, while variations associated with the different rootstocks become evident at maturity, suggesting a greater diversification at transcriptional level towards the end of the ripening process. In the experimental design, resembling standard agronomic growth conditions, the vines grafted on the two different rootstocks do not show a high degree of diversity. In general, the few genes differentially expressed at veraison were linked to photosynthesis, putatively because of a ripening delay in not grafted vines, while at maturity the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in the synthesis and transport of phenylpropanoids (e.g. flavonoids), cell wall loosening, and stress response. These results were supported by some differences in berry phenolic composition detected between grafted and not grafted plants, in particular in resveratrol derivatives accumulation. Conclusions Transcriptomic and biochemical data demonstrate a stronger impact of 1103 Paulsen rootstock than Mgt 101-14 or not grafted plants on ripening processes related to the secondary metabolite accumulations in berry skin tissue. Interestingly, theMYB14gene, involved in the feedback regulation of resveratrol biosynthesis was up-regulated in 1103 Paulsen thus supporting a putative greater accumulation of stilbenes in mature berries

Bacteriophage T4 RNA ligase is gene 63 product, the protein that promotes tail fiber attachment to the baseplate.

RNA ligase and tail fiber attachment activities, normally induced following bacteriophage T4 infection of Escherichia coli, are not induced when gene 63 amber mutants of T4 infect nonpermissive host cells. Both activities are induced when these mutants infect permissive hosts, or when revertants of these mutants infect nonpermissive hosts. When one of these mutants infects a host that carries supF, both activities are more than normally heat labile. RNA ligase, purified to homogeneity, promotes the tail fiber attachment reaction in vitro with a specific activity similar to that of the most highly purified preparations of gene 63 product isolated on the basis of tail fiber attachment activity. We conclude that T4 RNA ligase is gene 63 product. The RNA ligase and tail fiber attachment reactions differ in requirements and in response to some inhibitors, suggesting that the two activities of the gene 63 product may be mechanistically unrelated

Final report on supplementary comparison EURAMET.EM-S32: Comparison of resistance standards at 1 TΩ and 100 TΩ

Resistance standards with values in the TΩ range play an important role in electrical instrumentation. The calibration of such standards is, thus, a service offered by many metrology institutes. The techniques used to measure very high resistance values differ quite substantially from the calibration techniques applied in the lower resistance ranges. For this reason, the EURAMET technical committee for electricity and magnetism decided in 2008 to organise for the first time a supplementary comparison of resistance at 1 TΩ and 100 TΩ based on well characterized travelling standards. Eighteen European National Metrology Institutes participated in the comparison. With some exceptions, the results supplied by the participants agree reasonably well with the comparison reference value within the expanded uncertainty. As observed in other resistance comparisons, the characteristics of the standards used as transport artefacts ultimately limit the accuracy of comparisons in this field. The transport behaviour is difficult to model and introduces an undesired bias in the laboratory results. The transport uncertainties are at the level of the uncertainties claimed by some of the participants and, thus, limit the meaningfulness of the comparison results. Another remarkable observation is the big difference in the uncertainty statements made by the participants, even in cases where similar measurement systems were used. The results of the comparison allow the participants to critically review their measurement procedures and uncertainty models

Plasma-based X-ray laser at 21 nm for multidisciplinary applications

An overview of recent advances in applications of currently the most energetic X-ray laser at 21 nm is given. The unique parameters of this half-cavity based X-ray laser such as record output energy of 10 mJ, highly symmetric beam, robustness and reproducibility, have made it possible to carry out a number of multidisciplinary scientific projects featuring novel applications of intense coherent X-ray radiation. Selected results obtained in these experiments are reviewed, including X-ray laser probing of dense plasmas, measurements of transmission of focused soft X-ray radiation at intensities of up to 1012 W cm-2, measurements of infrared laser ablation rates of thin foils, and ablative microstructuring of solids