Cellular localisation of VvRops and VvRabA5e, small GTPases developmentally regulated in grape berries

VvRops, in particular VvRop9, and VvRabA5e are small GTPases which are developmentally regulated in grape berries. In an attempt to help elucidate the role of these proteins during fruit development and ripening, we investigated their localisation in the fruit by immunocytofluorescence. These proteins were observed at a perinuclear location, at cell periphery and around vesicles. In particular VvRops were found to be located in the nucleus and likely on the plasma membrane. VvRop9 and VvRabA5e cDNAs were introduced separately into S. cerevisiae mutants with RHO1 and YPT31/YPT32 defective genes respectively. Neither cDNAs could complement these temperature-sensitive mutants, suggesting that the functions of the VvRop9 and VvRabA5e genes in grapevine likely differ from the functions of RHO1 and YPT31/YPT32 genes in yeast.

PA1b, a small knotted albumin from garden pea, protects transgenic rice against its major post-harvest insect pest Sitophilus oryzae

1-ACL (articles avec comité de lecture

Comparative Anatomy and Morphology of the Leaves of Grenache Noir and Syrah Grapevine Cultivars

International audienceGrenache Noir and Syrah are two of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars used to a great extent worldwide. They have very different leaf morphologies from an ampelographic (botanical) point of view. This might also be related to differences in the anatomy and micro-morphology of their leaves. The goal of the present work was to compare these cultivar's leaf anatomy and morphology. Adult leaves from both cultivars were characterised using a range of microscopy techniques. Grenache Noir had a significantly smaller leaf surface area, but a significantly thicker leaf blade, than Syrah. It also had significantly larger stomata and a larger stomatal index than Syrah. The distribution of mesophyll tissues was similar in both cultivars, but the upper epidermis was significantly thicker in Grenache Noir, and the palisade parenchyma cells were longer in Syrah. The mesophyll tissues of both cultivars contained abundant idioblasts carrying crystals of calcium oxalate and mucilage. This work reveals quantitative and qualitative differences in the anatomy and morphology of mature Grenache Noir and Syrah leaves. Further work is needed to determine how these anatomical and morphological differences may be connected with different responses at the functional level

Fish farming as a way for diversifying sources of income in the cocoa sector in Côte d'Ivoire

<p>Côte d'Ivoire is the largest producer of cocoa in the world, with production reaching 2 million tonnes in 2016-2017. The South- and Central-West regions are the main cocoa production areas in the country. However, cocoa production faces a significant crisis due to the instability of prices on world markets, land saturation, ageing plantations, and climate change. Cocoa farmers have adopted fish farming as an additional production to generate new incomes. The objective of our study was to provide the first description of cocoa production diversification practices in Côte d'Ivoire through targeted questionnaires. Surveys were conducted from May 2021 to September 2021 with cocoa farmers practising fish farming in two localities of Central-West: Bédiala (n = 21) and Sinfra (n = 12) and one in South-West: Méagui (n = 12). We used an empirical approach to highlight the farming practices. Our first results showed that all the cocoa farmers interviewed in Bédiala and 67% of the cocoa farmers in Sinfra practice fish-rice farming in which rice and tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>) are cultivated in the same ponds. In addition, the cocoa plantations in Bédiala (90%) and Sinfra (75%) are characterised by the association of cocoa and cashew for shading cocoa plants. Among the cocoa farmers interviewed in the South-West region, 50% of them practise fish-rice farming, with the monoculture of cocoa. With incomes ranging between 300 to 6000 kFCFA per year, fish farming has become the primary source of revenues for 30%, 40%, and 5% of cocoa farmers in Bédiala, Sinfra, and Méagui, respectively. In such agriculture-aquaculture integrated systems, most of the farmers use the periphery of the ponds in the dry season as cocoa nurseries, which allows the young crops to benefit from fertilised pond water collected by their roots. Such practices are likely to enhance crop growth while reducing the watering effort. In addition, fish ponds act as a natural barrier against bush fires. These results highlight the positive interactions that exist between cocoa and fish farming. Nevertheless, the consequences of using phytosanitary products in cacao production near fish ponds remain to be assessed for human consumers and surrounding environments. Based on a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis, we explore the possibilities that may be more promising for cocoa production diversification in Côte d'Ivoire.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Aquaculture, cocoa farming, diversification</p&gt