The parentage of Muscat of Hamburg

This research demonstrates that Muscat of Hamburg, a fine black table grape variety with muscat flavour, is the progeny of Schiava Grossa x Muscat of Alexandria. Two isozymes (GPI and PGM), 30 nuclear and 5 chloroplastic microsatellite markers were used. Two highly informative microsatellite markers from VMC (‘Vitis Microsatellite Consortium’) are suggested to enlarge the minimum set of loci selected for grapevine identification in the frame of the European Project GenRes 081.

'Vitouska' is the progeny of 'Prosecco tondo' and 'Malvasia bianca lunga'

'Vitouska' is a minor white wine grape variety, cultivated in the Kars region and recently recovered and revaluated by local viticulturists. Its obscure origins, traditionally linked to this land, are now supported by the results obtained from the present research, which identified the two parents, 'Malvasia bianca lunga' alias 'Malvasia del Chianti' and 'Prosecco tondo'. The latter cultivar has an ancient and well-documented presence in the same growing region as 'Vitouska'. Molecular analyses have been performed with 37 nuclear microsatellite loci

Wonder, refuge, promise: explorations and discoveries of America in Maria Irene Fornes' final plays

Five hundred years after Christopher Columbus' voyage to the Indies, scholar John Brushwood delineated the three main offerings of America as presented in Spanish-American literature: wonder, promise and refuge. Maria Irene Fornes' dramatic collection, Letters from Cuba and Other Plays (2007), includes three pieces that correspond to the last stage of her long career as a playwright. The trilogy presents different versions of America at the turn of the millennium, all of which share the motif of the voyage across the Atlantic, although the three journeys vary in direction, length, and implications. The article argues that, despite the obvious differences in style, tone, and theme, these plays respond to preoccupations about the meaning of "discovery" and "exploration" facilitated or triggered by the Atlantic. The effective use of palimpsest, hybridity, and simultaneity as instruments for exploration in each of the three texts, combined with the concepts that Brushwood proposes, render a new cartography for the notion of America at the end of the twentieth century

The Muscats: A molecular analysis of synonyms, homonyms and genetic relationships within a large family of grapevine cultivars

The Muscats are a large, wide-spread family of grapevines, having in common besides the name the typical Muscat flavour. A huge number of synonyms and homonyms makes it difficult to identify them. Sixty-four accessions were analysed in the present work; they are representatives of the huge variability of this family as far as morphological aspects, berry colour and size, time of ripening and aptitude for wine and/or table grape production are considered. An analysis was performed at two isozymes and 25 microsatellite loci. The 64 accessions were reduced to 20, which were easily distinguishable from each other at the molecular level by as few as two microsatellite loci, The remaining 44 were found to be synonyms. Three mutants with red and pink coloured berries were identified in the Moscato bianco group. Moscato nero encompasses at least two, Moscato rosa three different varieties. It seems that only two of the analysed Muscats are the main progenitors of the Muscat family: Moscato bianco and Muscat of Alexandria, which in turn are joined by a direct parent-offspring link. We were unable to discriminate biotypes belonging to the same cultivar by microsatellite markers.

Erratum

The Muscats: A molecular analysis of synonyms, homonyms and genetic relationships within a large family of grapevine cultivarsVitis 40(1), 23-30 (2001

Error-free bypass of 2-hydroxyadenine by human DNA polymerase λ with Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen and Replication Protein A in different sequence contexts

1,2-dihydro-2-oxoadenine (2-OH-A), a common DNA lesion produced by reactive oxygen species, is a strong replicative block for several DNA polymerases (DNA pols). We have previously shown that various bases can be misincorporated opposite the 2-OH-A lesion and the type of mispairs varies with either the sequence context or the type of DNA pol tested. Here, we have analysed the ability of the human pol family X member DNA pol λ, to bypass the 2-OH-A lesion. DNA pol λ can perform error-free bypass of 2-OH-A when this lesion is located in a random sequence, whereas in a repeated sequence context, even though bypass was also largely error-free, misincorporation of dGMP could be observed. The fidelity of translesion synthesis of 2-OH-A in a repeated sequence by DNA pol λ was enhanced by the auxiliary proteins Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) and Replication Protein A (RP-A). We also found that the DNA pol λ active site residue tyrosine 505 determined the nucleotide selectivity opposite 2-OH-A. Our data show, for the first time, that the 2-OH-A lesion can be efficiently and faithfully bypassed by a human DNA pol λ in combination with PCNA and RP-A

Error-free bypass of 2-hydroxyadenine by human DNA polymerase λ with Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen and Replication Protein A in different sequence contexts

1,2-dihydro-2-oxoadenine (2-OH-A), a common DNA lesion produced by reactive oxygen species, is a strong replicative block for several DNA polymerases (DNA pols). We have previously shown that various bases can be misincorporated opposite the 2-OH-A lesion and the type of mispairs varies with either the sequence context or the type of DNA pol tested. Here, we have analysed the ability of the human pol family X member DNA pol λ, to bypass the 2-OH-A lesion. DNA pol λ can perform error-free bypass of 2-OH-A when this lesion is located in a random sequence, whereas in a repeated sequence context, even though bypass was also largely error-free, misincorporation of dGMP could be observed. The fidelity of translesion synthesis of 2-OH-A in a repeated sequence by DNA pol λ was enhanced by the auxiliary proteins Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) and Replication Protein A (RP-A). We also found that the DNA pol λ active site residue tyrosine 505 determined the nucleotide selectivity opposite 2-OH-A. Our data show, for the first time, that the 2-OH-A lesion can be efficiently and faithfully bypassed by a human DNA pol λ in combination with PCNA and RP-

Molecular characterization of twenty seeded and seedless table grape cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.)

DNA and isoenzyme analyses were used to characterize 20 table grape cultivars including Moscato d'Amburgo, Italia, Sultanina, Bicane and some recently released new varieties. GPI and PGM isoenzyme systems were able to separate the cultivars into 9 groups whereas the 8 microsatellite loci that were analysed revealed a higher discriminating power. In fact, all the cultivars could be distinguished by DNA profiles except Sugraone from its sport Sugrafive. Parentage analysis confirmed that the cultivar Italia was obtained from the crossing Bicane x Moscato d'Amburgo. A difference was observed at one microsatellite locus between Sultanina and the published data for Thompson Seedless, considered to be its synonym. The different microsatellite loci were evaluated for their informativeness

Microhomology-mediated DNA strand annealing and elongation by human DNA polymerases λ and β on normal and repetitive DNA sequences

‘Classical' non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), dependent on the Ku70/80 and the DNA ligase IV/XRCC4 complexes, is essential for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Eukaryotic cells possess also an alternative microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) mechanism, which is independent from Ku and DNA ligase 4/XRCC4. The components of the MMEJ machinery are still largely unknown. Family X DNA polymerases (pols) are involved in the classical NHEJ pathway. We have compared in this work, the ability of human family X DNA pols β, λ and μ, to promote the MMEJ of different model templates with terminal microhomology regions. Our results reveal that DNA pol λ and DNA ligase I are sufficient to promote efficient MMEJ repair of broken DNA ends in vitro, and this in the absence of auxiliary factors. However, DNA pol β, not λ, was more efficient in promoting MMEJ of DNA ends containing the (CAG)n triplet repeat sequence of the human Huntingtin gene, leading to triplet expansion. The checkpoint complex Rad9/Hus1/Rad1 promoted end joining by DNA pol λ on non-repetitive sequences, while it limited triplet expansion by DNA pol β. We propose a possible novel role of DNA pol β in MMEJ, promoting (CAG)n triplet repeats instabilit

Autochthonous Croatian grapevine cultivar 'Jarbola' – molecular, morphological and oenological characterization

Research Note