Genotypic variation for carotenoids content and chemometric model development for seed quality parameters in wheat

Published online: 19 August 2015Among the groups of naturally occurring pigments, carotenoids serve numerous purposes in plants, including antioxidant activity and protection of the photosynthetic apparatus from the excess of light. Alongside with essential mineral elements, these pigments are well known to have high impact on human health. Therefore, accumulation of carotenoids in wheat grain is an important trait in view to improving nutritional value of cereals. Wheat is one of the major staple foods in Portugal because of its agronomical adaptability and the usage of its flour into various traditional products. In the present investigation, the seeds of ninety-four Old Portuguese wheat cultivars grown over two years were analysed. Significant genetic variability for content of carotenoids was observed in the studied lines. Within the 47 bread wheat genotypes the Yellow Pigment Content (YPC) values varied from 2.7 - 5.8 μg/g and 3.0 - 8.0 μg/g for 2004/2005 and 2009/2010, respectively. On the other hand, during 2004/2005 and 2009/2010, the 47 durum wheat cultivars exhibited the YPC values from 1.1 - 8.0 μg/g and 3.4 - 8.3 μg/g, respectively. In addition, multivariate methods were also explored to assess the wheat grains quality, resorting to FTIR spectroscopy (Figure 1). Preliminary analyses of FTIR spectra clearly revealed differences among the distinct studied genotypes. Thus, in order to find spectroscopical patterns related to carotenoids accumulation and antioxidant activity, efforts are being made to develop a model that will allow the assessment of these parameters through FTIR, in the near-future

Identification of minority grapevine cultivars from Vinhos Verdes Portuguese DOC Region

The Portuguese Vinhos Verdes DOC Region retains a considerable biodiversity in grapevine varieties. Unfortunately, regional grapevine patrimony is in danger of disappearing. The present study was carried out in order to genotype, using 12 microsatellite loci, a group of 39 accessions of Vinhos Verdes DOC region, including underuse and minor varieties included in the wine list of varieties and also several unknown accessions with regional designations. The accessions analyzed were identified and grouped into 34 different genotypes, nine of them referred as new genotypes. Some new synonyms were detected, namely between Spanish and Portuguese cultivars. Misidentifications and wrong designations were also detected

The UCR Minicore: a valuable resource for cowpea research and breeding

Open Access Journal; Published online: 06 May 2021Incorporation of new sources of genetic diversity into plant breeding programs is crucial for continuing to improve yield and quality, as well as tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. A minicore (the “University of California, Riverside (UCR) Minicore”) composed of 368 worldwide accessions of cultivated cowpea has been assembled, having been derived from the UCR cowpea collection. High-density genotyping with 51,128 SNPs followed by principal component and genetic assignment analyses identified six subpopulations in the UCR Minicore, mainly differentiated by cultivar group and geographic origin. All six subpopulations were present to some extent in West African material, suggesting that West Africa is a center of diversity for cultivated cowpea. Additionally, population structure analyses supported two routes of introduction of cowpea into the U.S.: (1) from Spain to the southwest U.S. through Northern Mexico and (2) from Africa to the southeast U.S. via the Caribbean. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) narrowed several traits to regions containing strong candidate genes. For example, orthologs of the Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS T lie within a major QTL for flowering time. In summary, this diverse, yet compact cowpea collection constitutes a suitable resource to identify loci controlling complex traits, consequently providing markers to assist with breeding to improve this crop of high relevance to global food and nutritional security

Breeding for stress tolerance in fodder crops and amenity grasses. Proceedings of the 23rd Meeting of the Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses Section of EUCARPIA, Azores, Portugal, October 1-4, 2000

Proceedings of 256 page

Berry color variation in grapevine as a source of diversity

Even though it is one of the oldest perennial domesticated fruit crops in the world, grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivation today is the result of both conventional breeding practices (i.e. hybridizations adopted during the last century) and vegetative propagation. Human-assisted asexual propagation has allowed the maintenance of desired traits but has largely impacted the frequency of spontaneous somatic mutations observed in the field. Consequently, many grapevine fruit attributes to date have been artificially selected, including: fruit yield, compactness, size and composition, the latter being greatly diversified in the pursuit of altering berry skin coloration. The present review provides an overview of various aspects related to grapevine diversity, with a special emphasis on grape berry skin color variation and will discuss the current knowledge of how grape skin color variation is affected by the synthesis of phenolic compounds, particularly anthocyanins and their underlying genetic factors. We hope this knowledge will be useful in supporting the importance of the berry color trait diversity in cultivated grapevines, which is used as basis for selection during breeding programs because of its application for vine growers, winemakers and consumers

Genetical, biochemical and technological parameters associated with biscuit quality. II. Prediction using storage proteins and quality characteristics in a soft wheat population

DOI:10.1006/jcrs.2002.0452absen

Molecular characterization of berry skin color reversion on grape somatic variants

[BACKGROUND], During grapevine domestication somatic variation has been used as a source of diversity for clonal selection. [OBJECTIVE], This work provides additional information on the molecular mechanisms responsible for berry skin color reversion on a subset of somatic variants for berry skin color never investigated before. [METHODS], The berry color locus and its surrounding genomic regionwere genetically characterized through a layer-specific approach, which has already been proven to be a successful method to decipher the molecular mechanisms responsible for color reversions on somatic variants. [RESULTS], Deletions of different extent and positions were detected among less-pigmented/unpigmented variants derived from a pigmented wild-type. These deletions affected only the inner cell layer in the less pigmented variants and both cell layers in the unpigmented variants. Regarding the pigmented variants derived from an unpigmented wild-type, only one group was distinguished by the Gret1 retrotransposon partial excision from the VvMybA1 promoter. Moreover, within this latter group, VvMybA2 showed an important role regarding the phenotypic variation, through the recovery of the functional G allele. [CONCLUSIONS], This investigation focused on the berry color locus using somatic variants for berry skin color, promotes a better understanding of the evolutionary events behind their origin and variability, opening an opportunity for their use in the genetic improvement of varieties

Effect of 6-month community-based exercise interventions on gait and functional fitness of an older population: a quasi-experimental study

Fátima Ramalho,1,2 Rita Santos-Rocha,1,2 Marco Branco,1,2 Vera Moniz-Pereira,2 Helô-Isa André,2 António P Veloso,2 Filomena Carnide2 1Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior (ESDRM), Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Rio Maior, Portugal; 2Laboratory of Biomechanics and Functional Morphology, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), Faculty of Human Kinetics (FMH), University of Lisbon, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal Background: Gait ability in older adults has been associated with independent living, increased survival rates, fall prevention, and quality of life. There are inconsistent findings regarding the effects of exercise interventions in the maintenance of gait parameters.Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the effects of a community-based periodized exercise intervention on the improvement of gait parameters and functional fitness in an older adult group compared with a non-periodized program.Methods: A quasi-experimental study with follow-up was performed in a periodized exercise group (N=15) and in a non-periodized exercise group (N=13). The primary outcomes were plantar pressure gait parameters, and the secondary outcomes were physical activity, aerobic endurance, lower limb strength, agility, and balance. These variables were recorded at baseline and after 6 months of intervention.Results: Both programs were tailored to older adults’ functional fitness level and proved to be effective in reducing the age-related decline regarding functional fitness and gait parameters. Gait parameters were sensitive to both the exercise interventions. Conclusion: These exercise protocols can be used by exercise professionals in prescribing community exercise programs, as well as by health professionals in promoting active aging. Keywords: mobility, community exercise programs, active aging, plantar pressure analysis, ground reaction forces, gait propertie

Genetics and expression of anthocyanin pathway genes in the major skin-pigmented Portuguese cultivar ‘Vinhão’ developing berries

‘Vinhão’ is an autochthonous Portuguese cultivar with an intense black-bluish skin color, highly appreciated due to this feature. This study aimed to give the first insights into the genetic background that may be responsible for the skin color properties of cv. ‘Vinhão’. For this purpose, the allelic composition of MYBA1 and MYBA2 genes was investigated, along with quantification of the expression levels of structural and regulatory genes involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway via qRT-PCR. The molecular characterization of MYBA1 and MYBA2 loci revealed that cv. ‘Vinhão’ is homozygous for the functional allele in both genes, corresponding to the most ancestral haplotype, which is consistent with the high colored phenotype that characterizes this cultivar. There were no differences in the DNA sequence of the MYBA1 promoter region between cv. ‘Vinhão’ and the grapevine reference genome Pinot Noir. The expression patterns of genes playing key functional roles in anthocyanin biosynthesis was analyzed in four developmental stages. The dynamics occurring throughout grape berry development revealed the involvement of these genes in the progression of key development events, mainly from veraison to mature berries. These findings provide the first molecular characterization focused on the skin color feature of cv. ‘Vinhão’ to improve our understanding of the genetics behind its intense skin pigmentation