Effect of pre-treatment with ethanolamine on the response of Helianthus annuus L. to salt stress

The accumulation of compatible solutes is one of the strategies that plants have developed to tolerate salt stress. Proline and betaine are the main metabolites that accumulate in various species of higher plants in response to salt stress. In Helianthus annuus L., pre-treatment of seeds with ethanolamine led to enhanced seedling tolerance to conditions of saline stress during germination, as evidenced by the greater growth of pretreated seedlings (EAS group) versus untreated seedlings (S group), evaluated through such parameters as length, water and chlorophyll content. During the germination period, a considerable increase was observed in proline levels (up to 300%) in seedlings subjected to saline stress, whereas in the EAS group, the proline increment was much smaller (20%). Starting from the fourth day of germination, betaine levels in seedlings pretreated with ethanolamine and then with water (EAW group) and in EAS showed a significant increase versus C (control) and S seedlings, possibly because such a precursor promotes betaine biosynthesis. This could be responsible for the enhanced growth observed in EAS versus S seedlings, as well as for preventing the decrease in chlorophyll content in the EAS group. The accumulation of betaine seems to correlate with the greater tolerance of these seedlings against stress induced by sodium chloride.Fil: Kogan, Marcelo Javier. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Kristoff, Gisela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Vegetal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Benavides, Maria Patricia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Vegetal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Tomaro, Maria Lujan. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Vegetal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Relationship between polyamines and paraquat toxicity in sunflower leaf discs

Polyamines have been reported as efficient antioxidant compounds in plants. Sunflower leaf discs, treated with 100 μM paraquat (PQ), a well known oxidative stress inducer, showed decreased levels of putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) (between 33% and 80% with respect to the controls). Arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activities decreased 42% and 33% respectively. Among the markers of oxidative stress measured after PQ treatment, chlorophyll and glutathione content were reduced (30% and 49% respectively) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content increased (60%). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity declined 60% with respect to the control and lipoxygenase (LOX) increased 25% when leaf-discs were treated with the herbicide. Pretreatment with exogenous polyamines (1 mM) reversed paraquat toxicity to different degrees according to the polyamine and/or the tested parameter. Spermidine was able to inhibit chlorophyll loss, while Spm reverted the effect of PQ on the level of TBARS almost completely and also restored SOD activity close to control values. Putrescine was the least effective as an oxidant protectant. These results provide support for the argument that polyamines are effective antioxidants through their ability to act as radical scavengers.Fil: Benavides, Maria Patricia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Vegetal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gallego, Susana Mabel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Vegetal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Comba, María E.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Tomaro, Maria Lujan. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Vegetal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Azospirillum brasilense Az39 labeled with GFP in Arabidopsis thaliana roots

La cepa Az39 de Azospirillum brasilense fue aislada de rizosfera de trigo en la localidad de Marcos Juárez, Córdoba. Esta cepa fue seleccionada por su eficiencia para promover el crecimiento de este cultivo; se encuentra depositada en el Laboratorio de Bacterias Promotoras del Crecimiento Vegetal (BPCV) del IMYZA, INTA-Castelar, y forma parte de numerosos inoculantes comerciales recomendados en cultivos de cereales y otros. Su capacidad para estimular el crecimiento de las raíces e incrementar los rindes en especies como maíz, trigo, arroz y diversas hortícolas ha sido bien documentada mediante ensayos de invernáculo y de campo. También se ha informado su capacidad para mitigar los efectos adversos del estrés hídrico o salino en maíz y cebada.Fil: Díaz Herrera, Silvana Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Rossello, Florencia J.. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes; ArgentinaFil: Benavides, Maria Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Groppa, María Daniela. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Zawoznik, Myriam Sara. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica; Argentin

Magnetite nanoparticles coated with citric acid are not phytotoxic and stimulate soybean and alfalfa growth

In this work, the internalization and distribution of citric acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles (here, Fe3O4-NPs) in soybean and alfalfa tissues and their effects on plant growth were studied. Both legumes were germinated in pots containing an inert growing matrix (vermiculite) to which Hoagland solution without (control, C), with Fe3O4-NPs (50 and 100 mg iron L−1, NP50 and NP100), or with the same amount of soluble iron supplied as Fe-EDTA (Fe50, Fe100) was added once before sowing. Then, plants were watered with the standard nutrient solution. The observation of superparamagnetic signals in root tissues at harvest (26 days after emergence) indicated Fe3O4-NPs uptake by both legumes. A weak superparamagnetic signal was also present in the stems and leaves of alfalfa plants. These findings suggest that Fe3O4-NPs are readily absorbed but not translocated (soybean) or scarcely translocated (alfalfa) from the roots to the shoots. The addition of both iron sources resulted in increased root weight; however, only the addition of Fe3O4-NPs resulted in significantly higher root surface; shoot weight also increased significantly. As a general trend, chlorophyll content enhanced in plants grown in vermiculite supplemented with extra iron at pre-sowing; the greatest increase was observed with NP50. The only antioxidant enzyme significantly affected by our treatments was catalase, whose activity increased in the roots and shoots of both species exposed to Fe3O4-NPs. However, no symptoms of oxidative stress, such as increased lipid peroxidation or reactive oxygen species accumulation, were evidenced in any of these legumes. Besides, no evidence of cell membrane damage or cell death was found. Our results suggest that citric acid-coated Fe3O4-NPs are not toxic to soybean and alfalfa; instead, they behave as plant growth stimulators.Fil: Iannone, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Groppa, María Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Zawoznik, Myriam Sara. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Biológica. Cátedra de Química Biológica Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Coral, Diego Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Fernández van Raap, Marcela Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Benavides, Maria Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; Argentin

Unravelling ties in the nitrogen network: Polyamines and nitric oxide emerging as essential players in signalling roadway

Nitrogen (N) is a central mineral nutrient essential for plant development and growth. It is usually scarcely found in soils, so the knowledge of the overall plant N metabolism deserves substantial attention. Polyamines (PAs) are N-containing low-molecular-weight compounds of polycationic nature involved in essential processes all throughout the life of plants whereas nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous free radical involved in signalling cascades related to many physiological events. PAs and NO share signalling functions and interact with each other in several biological functions, mainly in stress responses. Biosynthesis pathways of PAs and NO are overlapped; PAs induce NO formation, but it is still not completely defined whether PAs act as substrates, cofactors, or signals for promoting NO synthesis and also, which are the mechanisms involved in NO regulation of PAs metabolism. Polyamine levels are of vital importance in the regulation of the network of N-metabolising pathways in plants, as they are components of the core of the overall N metabolism. In light of the importance of improving the efficiency of N uptake and distribution, it is time to elucidate the intricate relationship among N as a nutrient with PAs and NO as emerging signalling molecules. The close cooperation among these players in the whole N metabolism is an interesting target for the development of biotechnological tools for sustainable agriculture.Fil: Recalde, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Gómez Mansur, Nabila María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Cabrera, Andrea Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Matayoshi, Carolina Lucila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Gallego, Susana Mabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Groppa, María Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Benavides, Maria Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; Argentin

Estudio comparativo de los programas juveniles implementados en las municipalidades de Jesús María y Surco con el fin de prevenir las pandillas 2007-2008

La presente tesis ha sido realizada en base a un estudio comparativo de los programas juveniles municipales: “La Casa de la Juventud” en Jesús María y “El Programa de Jóvenes” en Santiago de Surco durante su gestión inicial (2007-2008) bajo la estrategia de investigación estudio de caso, método de exposición cualitativo. El hilo conductor del estudio se entrelaza con las entrevistas a los directores de ambos programas, pues sus iniciativas responden a demandas vecinales y problemas de violencia juvenil asociados al alcohol y las drogas que devienen en conductas agresivas. Esta investigación forma parte de las propuestas de inclusión social nacional, ya que el servicio que brindan los programas en mención, están dirigidos tanto a prevenir el pandillaje como a disminuir el índice de violencia juvenil a través de programas educativos. Pese al esfuerzo realizado en ambos casos, no se ha logrado erradicar la violencia callejera, sin embargo, los programas trabajan en aras de prevenir el pandillaje. Las diferencias encontradas a lo largo de la investigación están vinculadas a la metodología de trabajo: el “Programa de Jóvenes” se ocupa de muchachos con problemas de sociabilización, mientras que la “Casa de la Juventud” dirige sus acciones a los emprendedores. El estudio revela logros importantes que apuntan a menguar el desarrollo de pandillas en distritos de clase media, demostrando que es posible ofrecer alternativas para el uso del tiempo libre en jóvenes cuyo refugio son las pandillas; así mismo, pone a la luz las dificultades existentes para afrontar el problema desde los gobiernos locales, tanto para incorporar a los pandilleros a una nueva propuesta de vida, como para sortear limitaciones presupuestales y políticas que restringen su desarrollo. Las recomendaciones apuntan a esto último: la formulación de políticas acertadas, que podrían ser un aporte de la investigación a la Gerencia Social.Tesi

Antecedentes médicos de los trabajadores de una institución universitaria pública en Popayán, Colombia

Introduction: Due to the demographic transition observed in Colombia, the prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases has increased considerably, being one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality. Objective: To describe the personal and family medical history of the employees of a public university. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study, which included the employees of a university with assessment for occupational health registered in the database of the area of Occupational Safety and Health as of May 2018. Sociodemographic information, personal and family medical history were obtained, as well like your habits. Results: 1,152 employees participated in the study, 54.2% of the male gender, with an average age of 45.75 years. 88.8% had a family medical history, cardiovascular disease prevailing (68.9%); followed by cancer (51.0%). The most frequent personal pathological antecedents were: ophthalmological (82.2%), surgical (75.3%) and cardiovascular diseases (47.3%). Among the habits, 70% exercised regularly and less than 50% reported having a toxic habit. Conclusion: The comprehensive evaluation of workers is recommended to generate health and family burden profiles that may affect their work capacity and / or quality of life in the long term.Introducción: Debido a la transición demográfica observada en Colombia, la prevalencia de las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles ha aumentado considerablemente, siendo una de las principales causas de morbimortalidad. Objetivo: Describir los antecedentes médicos personales y familiares de los empleados de una universidad pública. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo, que incluyó los empleados de una universidad con valoración por salud ocupacional registrados en la base de datos del área de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo a mayo de 2018. Se obtuvo información sociodemográfica, antecedentes médicos personales y familiares, así como sus hábitos. Resultados: Participaron en el estudio 1,152 empleados, 54.2% del género masculino, con un promedio de edad de 45.75 años. El 88.8% tuvo antecedentes médicos familiares, predominando la enfermedad cardiovascular (68.9%); seguida del cáncer (51.0%). Los antecedentes patológicos personales más frecuentes fueron: oftalmológicos (82.2%), quirúrgicos (75.3%) y enfermedades cardiovasculares (47.3%). Dentro de los hábitos, 70% hacía ejercicio de forma regular y menos del 50% manifestó tener algún hábito tóxico. Conclusión: Se recomienda la evaluación integral de los trabajadores para generar perfiles de salud y carga familiar que puedan afectar a largo plazo su capacidad laboral y/o calidad de vida

Genome editing in fruit, ornamental, and industrial crops

The advent of genome editing has opened new avenues for targeted trait enhancement in fruit, ornamental, industrial, and all specialty crops. In particular, CRISPR-based editing systems, derived from bacterial immune systems, have quickly become routinely used tools for research groups across the world seeking to edit plant genomes with a greater level of precision, higher efficiency, reduced off-target effects, and overall ease-of-use compared to ZFNs and TALENs. CRISPR systems have been applied successfully to a number of horticultural and industrial crops to enhance fruit ripening, increase stress tolerance, modify plant architecture, control the timing of flower development, and enhance the accumulation of desired metabolites, among other commercially-important traits. As editing technologies continue to advance, so too does the ability to generate improved crop varieties with non-transgenic modifications; in some crops, direct transgene-free edits have already been achieved, while in others, T-DNAs have successfully been segregated out through crossing. In addition to the potential to produce non-transgenic edited crops, and thereby circumvent regulatory impediments to the release of new, improved crop varieties, targeted gene editing can speed up trait improvement in crops with long juvenile phases, reducing inputs resulting in faster market introduction to the market. While many challenges remain regarding optimization of genome editing in ornamental, fruit, and industrial crops, the ongoing discovery of novel nucleases with niche specialties for engineering applications may form the basis for additional and potentially crop-specific editing strategies.The authors would like to acknowledge funding from MINECO, Spain (PGC2018-097655-B-I00 to P Christou), Generalitat de Catalunya Grant 2017 SGR 828 to the Agricultural Biotechnology and Bioeconomy Unit (ABBU). Work in the Dhingra lab in crop improvement is supported in part by Washington State University Agriculture Research Center Hatch grant WNP00011. ES and FR acknowledge the support received from the Department of Horticulture, BW was supported in part by a Research Assistantship from the Washington State University Graduate School. The authors would also like to thank Drs A. McHughen and H. Quemada for input and clarifications on US genome editing regulations. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments

Baseline report on the evaluation of 'Familias en Accion'

This report describes the survey that was carried out in 122 communities in rural Colombia bythe consortium formed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Econometria and SEI as the baselinefor the impact evaluation of Familias en Acción, a programme to foster the accumulation of human capital in rural Colombia, run by the Colombian government

Genetically predicted telomere length and Alzheimer’s disease endophenotypes: a Mendelian randomization study

Telomere length (TL) is associated with biological aging, consequently influencing the risk of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). We aimed to evaluate the potential causal role of TL in AD endophenotypes (i.e., cognitive performance, N = 2233; brain age and AD-related signatures, N = 1134; and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (CSF) of AD and neurodegeneration, N = 304) through a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Our analysis was conducted in the context of the ALFA (ALzheimer and FAmilies) study, a population of cognitively healthy individuals at risk of AD. A total of 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with TL were used to determine the effect of TL on AD endophenotypes. Analyses were adjusted by age, sex, and years of education. Stratified analyses by APOE-epsilon 4 status and polygenic risk score of AD were conducted. MR analysis revealed significant associations between genetically predicted longer TL and lower levels of CSF A beta and higher levels of CSF NfL only in APOE-epsilon 4 non-carriers. Moreover, inheriting longer TL was associated with greater cortical thickness in age and AD-related brain signatures and lower levels of CSF p-tau among individuals at a high genetic predisposition to AD. Further observational analyses are warranted to better understand these associations