Ontogenetically-regulated male sterility in tissue culture - induced and spontaneous sorghum mutants

Variability of male fertility expression in the AS-1 line, a somaclonal variant obtained from tissue culture of CMS-plant, and in the progeny of revenant '124-1' obtained from fertile tiller, which developed on CMS-plant transferred from the field to the greenhouse, was investigated. Both revertants were characterized by similar expression of male fertility during plant ontogenesis: the panicle on the main tiller was almost completely sterile whereas formation of fertile pollen grains and seed set were observed on the panicles of the shoot tillers. A clear basipetal gradient of male fertility was manifested on all panicles: the base had significantly higher per cent of fertile pollen grains in comparison with the middle part, while in the top the anthers were either absent or had few sterile pollen grains. Such an ontogenetically-regulated restoration of male fertility was controlled by nuclear genes and could be transferred through the pollen in crosses with progenitor CMS-line. Growing of AS-1 plants in the growth chambers simultaneously under a long (16/8) and a short (12/12) daylength conditions demonstrated that differences of fertility level in different tillers was not caused by change of photoperiod during plant ontogenesis and functioning of photoperiod-sensitive fertility restoring gene. Whereas, the ontogenetically-regulated expression of male fertility in both revenants was temperature-dependent and was clearly manifested under relatively cool conditions during 2-week period before the beginning of anthesis of the first panicle (average daily temperature 21°C). The increase of the average daily temperature by 2-3 С resulted in sharp increase of male fertility level. Possibility of using AS-1 line in a new "two-line system" of hybrid seed production, which require only two lines (sterile mutant and fertility restorer), is discussed

The relationship between receiving an HIV test result and the traumatic stress symptoms of rape survivors

Rape survivors often have two traumatic events to deal with. In addition to the actual rape experience, survivors commonly need to deal with hearing the results of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing (which is standard practice after rape in South Africa). The relationship between these two traumatic events in terms of the survivors specific traumatic stress symptoms have not been well explored in the literature. The primary aim of this study was therefore an exploration of the relationship between receiving an HIV test result and the traumatic stress symptoms of rape survivors. In order to contextualise the main aim, an exploration of the relationship between demographic variables, knowledge of HIV status and early traumatic stress symptoms was also completed. The initial sample consisted of 97 South African rape survivors, however, only 45 participants returned for the second part of the study. This quantitative study utilised an exploratory descriptive design using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-Revised (HTQ-R) to measure the traumatic stress symptoms of rape survivors. The results of the first part of the study indicated that there was no significant difference between participants’ demographic factors in relation to their knowledge of HIV status or their overall traumatic stress symptom severity. Significant differences on individual traumatic stress symptoms indicated a relationship between not knowing one’s HIV status and dissociation after a rape incident, as well as a relationship between rape survivors who knew their HIV status is positive and emotional dysregulation. The results of the second part (and main analysis) of the study indicated that most participants presented with less severe overall traumatic stress severity after receiving their HIV test results (irrespective of their status before and after hearing their results). However, participants whose HIV status was unknown and who received a positive test result reported more severe overall traumatic stress compared to those whose HIV status was unknown and received a negative test result. Some inter-group differences on individual symptoms were HIV TEST RESULT TRAUMATIC STRESS RAPE SURVIVORS noted that highlight the possibility that dissociative and an intrusion/hyperarousal subtypes may be at work to explain some of the differences seen

Heritable Effect of Plant Water Availability Conditions on Restoration of Male Fertility in the “9E” CMS-Inducing Cytoplasm of Sorghum

Heritable changes of phenotype arising in plant ontogenesis by the influence of environmental factors belong to the most intriguing genetic phenomena. An unusual inheritance pattern was detected during examination of male fertility restoration in the CMS-inducing “9E” type cytoplasm of sorghum: Rf-genes were functional in self-pollinated progeny of F1 hybrids yet were either not expressed or poorly expressed in backcrosses of these hybrids to CMS-lines with the same cytoplasm type. In experiments on parallel growing of the same F1 hybrid combinations in the “dry plot” and in the “irrigated plot,” it was found that high level of plant water availability during panicle and pollen developmental stages significantly increased male fertility of F1 and test-cross hybrid populations, in which fertility-restoring genes were in heterozygote state, whereas in F2 populations the influences of water availability conditions cause less pronounce effects. Similarly, male-sterile F1 plants, being transferred from the “dry plot” to greenhouse, produced male-fertile panicles. In addition, male-sterile plants from F2 families, which segregated-out as recessives, being transferred to greenhouse also produced male-fertile panicles. In the progenies of these revertants that were grown in field conditions and in the “dry plot,” stable inheritance of male fertility for three cycles of self-pollination was observed, and a number of stable fertile lines in the “9E” cytoplasm were obtained. However, in test-crosses of these fertile lines to CMS-lines with the “9E” cytoplasm restoration of male fertility was not observed, except the progeny of one revertant that behaved as fertility-restorer line. These data suggest that the functional state of fertility-restoring genes for the “9E” sorghum cytoplasm is epigenetically regulated trait established by the influence of environmental factors and is transmitted to sexual generations

Experiences of sexual relationships of young black women in an atmosphere of coercion

Negotiations surrounding sexual activity are characterised by multiple power disparities that include race, social status and age, with gender being the most dominant differential in heterosexual interactions. Research has shown that women are physiologically more at risk of contracting HIV than men, as indicated by the higher infection rates of the former. Many African societies operate via a hegemonic masculinity, with patriarchal governance and female subordination being the norm, placing women at even greater risk of HIV infection. In this qualitative phenomenological study, four black school-going adolescent women living in Grahamstown were interviewed using a semi-structured interview to gather data. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted on the data to provide subjective insights of the experiences of the participants with regard to their interactions with men. From the findings, it became apparent that the participants felt pressured, coerced or manipulated by male counterparts. This pressure and coercion was not just felt in their interactions with older men, but also in their romantic  partnerships. Three of the participants experienced pressure to engage in sexual intercourse with their boyfriends when they were unwilling or unready, and they reported being faced with additional pressure to engage in unprotected sex. Furthermore, it became apparent that each participant had an underlying fear of being raped and considered this as a genuine threat to her safety and sexual health. The atmosphere within which these participants negotiate their sexual agency is thus heavily informed by male control, coercion and the threat of violence or rape.Keywords: coercion, female sexual health, HIV/AIDS, interpretative phenomenological analysis, qualitative, South Afric

Holistic Health, Disadvantage, Higher Education Access and Success: A Reflection

The objective of this article is to reflect upon the relationships amongst health, disadvantage, educational opportunities, and higher education access and success. This is a reflective article taken from the literaturereview of a doctoral study on the relationship between health, access to, and success within, higher education. The importance of health in education and the practical implementation of programmes resulting in enhanced health and academic success amongst higher education students is reviewed.  Literature for the doctoral study on which this reflection was based was sourced predominantly from Pub-Med Central, the U.S. National Institute of Health National Library of Medicine and The South African South-East Academic Library Services. From this discussion, the rationale for a holistic health promotion programme within the higher education setting, for students from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds, is given. The problem of educational failure of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds in higher education could be lessened by instituting a holistic health promotion programme within the first year of study. Evidence suggests that such a programme would have both health and educational advantages

Development of Transgenic Sorghum Plants with Improved In Vitro Kafirin Digestibility

Improvement of nutritional value of crops is one of the main goals of plant biotechnology. These studies are extremely important for sorghum—a unique drought‐tolerant cereal crop that is of special importance for sustainable grain production in the arid regions. The major cause of relatively low nutritive value of sorghum grain is the resistance of one of its seed storage proteins, γ‐kafirin, to protease digestion. Using Agrobacterium‐mediated genetic transformation, we have obtained transgenic sorghum plants harboring a genetic construct for RNA interference (RNAi) silencing of the γ‐kafirin gene. In T1 generation, transgenic plants with modified endosperm texture were found. These plants had lowered level of the 28‐kDa γ‐kafirin protein and kafirin oligomers, which are formed by natural kafirin polymerization. In vitro protein digestibility analysis showed that the amount of undigested protein in transgenic plants was reduced by 2.9–3.2 times, in comparison with the original line, the digestibility index reached 85–88% (60% in the original line). HPLC analysis showed that total amino acid content in transgenic plants was reduced, while the lysine proportion was increased by 1.6–1.7 times. PCR analysis confirmed inheritance of the genetic construct up to T4 generation

Effect of cytoplasmic male sterility type on chlorophyll content in leaves of grain sorghum hybrids

New types of CMS-inducing cytoplasms cannot be applied to hybrid sorghum breeding without knowledge of their effects on major biological and commercial plant traits. In our studies of F1 hybrids obtained by crossing of two sets of isonuclear CMS lines (with nuclear genomes of cv. Pishchevoye 614 (P614) and Zhelyozyornoye 10 (Zh10)) to two pollen parents (cv. Pishchevoye 35 (P35) and Mercury), we focused our attention on the effects of A3, A4, 9E, and M35-1A cytoplasms on chlorophyll content at different developmental stages of sorghum plants. It was found that hybrids with different types of male-sterile cytoplasm differed in chlorophyll content, and the genotypes of the CMS line and the pollen parent influenced the manifestation of cytoplasmic differences. In the F1 hybrids obtained with CMS lines possessing the P614 genome, sterile M35-1A cytoplasm increased chlorophyll a content, in comparison to 9E cytoplasm. In the F1 hybrids obtained with CMS lines with the Zh10 genome and the P35 pollen parent, sterile A4 cytoplasm increased the sum of chlorophyll a and b, in comparison to A3 and 9E cytoplasms, whereas no differences were recorded in the F1 hybrids obtained with Mercury. The F1 hybrids obtained with CMS lines with the P614 genome showed heterosis for total chlorophyll content at the tillering stage. Overdominance of this trait was observed in hybrids with M35-1A cytoplasm; true heterosis exceeded analogous indices in 9E cytoplasm by 19.0 %, and the hypothetical heterosis, by 20.6 %. These data demonstrate that the application of new types of CMS-inducing cytoplasms allows raise of F1 hybrids with heterosis for chlorophyll content. Thus, such types can be used to increase hybrid productivity