Genetic transformation of garlic (Allium sativum L.) with tobacco chitinase and glucanase genes for tolerance to the fungus Sclerotium cepivorum

Garlic yield and quality have decreased due to white rot disease caused by Sclerotium cepivorum Berk. A transformation protocol to introduce tobacco chitinase and glucanase genes into garlic embryogenic calli using Agrobacterium tumefaciens has been established. LBA4404 strain having pC2301CHGLU plasmid with TaCh, glu, gus and nptII genes (coding for chitinase, glucanase, β-glucuronidase and neomycin phosphotransferase, respectively) was used. 30 putative transgenic clones were obtained from inoculated calli after six months. Histochemical assay revealed high gus activity in 43% of the clones. Molecular analysis of transgenic plants showed 92% of the clones carried TaCh gene. Eight culture media for plant regeneration from transgenic calli were evaluated; MTDZ-1 (thidiazuron 1 mg/l) medium induced the highest number of plants (38.4 plants). Transgenic plants were grown in the greenhouse and they developed normally. S. cepivorum in vitro bioassays showed 41 to 60% of mycelial invasion in the transgenic plants, and 80% in non-transgenic plants (control). Transformed plants were not completely resistant, but they showed a delay in fungal infection. This is the first report on the introduction of fungal resistance genes in garlic.Keywords: Allium sativum, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Sclerotium cepivorum, glucanase, chitinaseAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(22), pp. 3482-349

Análisis del sistema productivo de amaranto en Temoac, Morelos, México

Se realizó una caracterización del proceso productivo de amaranto de Temoac, Morelos, para conocer por qué la superficie se está reduciendo. Se utilizó una encuesta dirigida a 64 productores (mayo-septiembre de 2013). En promedio siembran 2.7 ha, son minifundistas y 92% cultivan en ejidos. No cuentan con crédito y seguro agrícola. Su producción es de temporal, con 1.5 toneladas por hectárea; 47% de los productores disminuye-ron la superficie sembrada en los últimos años. Existe un desarrollo de economías familiares, con uso de mano de obra familiar. Los costos por hectárea tienen como rubro importante los gastos de labores manuales (49%), sólo 15% de los productores tiene tractor. La baja productividad y mecanización son los principales problemas que influyen para que se abandone la producción.A characterization of amaranth productive process was carried out in Temoac, Morelos; in order to understand why this crop has decreased. A survey of 64 producers (May-September 2013) was used. The production unit is 2.7 hectares in average; so they are smallholders; 92% of peasants are growing in communal landholdings. They have no credit nor agricultural insurance. The production is seasonal, with 1.5 tons per hectare; 47% of peasants downsized the amaranth planting surface. There is a development of household economy by using family labor. The costs per hectare are an important category of manual labor costs (49%). Only 15% of peasants have tractors. Low productivity and mechanization are the main factors that are causing the reduc-tion of productio

Amaranth protein improves lipid profile and insulin resistance in a diet-induced obese mice model

"Amaranth has been claimed as functional food, but its function on obesity-related disorder is not fully known. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of amaranth protein intake on blood lipids profile and insulin resistance in diet-induced obese mice. The effect of soybean protein was also analysed for comparative purposes. C57BL-6 mice were fed for eight weeks with regular or high fat diet. Amaranth or soybean protein isolates (10 mg/kg) were supplied via oral administration. Changes in body weight, adipose tissue, total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, a glucose tolerance test, as well as the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes were measured. Our results have shown that amaranth protein induces a decrease in plasma insulin in mice fed with a regular diet, whereas a decrease in triglycerides was observed in mice fed with high fat diet. Furthermore, down-regulation of Tnf-? and Res, suggested the inhibition of inflammation state. The present study demonstrates that amaranth protein, but not soybean protein, improves the obese mice health, and the hormonal modulation (Lep, Fasn, Lpl) could lead to new mechanism of action by which amaranth consumption exerts its beneficial health effect.

Gluten proteins and rheology of Mexican bread wheats as affected by environmental and genotypic factors

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of environmental and genotypic factors on industrial quality and on the monomeric and polymeric protein contents and ratio of 24 rainfed bread wheat recombinant lines. The cultivation was done in five environmental conditions generated by agronomic management in the autumn-winter 2006/2007 cycle, at Roque, Guanajuato, Mexico. The mixing time (TMA), strength (ALVW) and extensibility (ALVPL) of the dough, gliadin (50PS) and glutenin (50PI) rich fractions, and their ratio (50PS/50PI), were evaluated. The best combinations of high and low molecular weight glutenins for TMA and ALVW were 1, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3c, Glu-B3g, Glu-D3b; 1, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3c, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b; and 2*, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3c, Glu-B3g, Glu-D3b; for ALVPL it was 2*, 17+18, 2+12/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b; and for 50PS they were 2*, 17+18, 2+12/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b; and 1, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b. The 50PS/50PI ratio was higher in genotypes with 2*, 17+18, 2+12/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3g, Glu-D3b. TMA is higher when temperature increases, and the best ALVPL is found under normal environmental conditions. Gliadin fraction and the 50PS/50PI ratio are higher when sulphur fertilization is done, and 50PI increases with drought and higher temperatures during grain-filling stage.El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer el efecto de factores ambientales y genotípicos sobre los parámetros de calidad industrial y sobre la cantidad y relación de proteínas monoméricas y poliméricas del gluten en 24 líneas recombinantes de trigos harineros de temporal. El cultivo se desarrolló en cinco condiciones ambientales generadas por manejo agronómico, ciclo otoño-invierno 2006/2007, en Roque, Guanajuato, México. Se evaluaron el tiempo de amasado (TMA), fuerza (ALVW), extensibilidad (ALVPL) de la masa, fracción rica en gliadina (50PS) y en glutenina (50PI), y su relación (50PS/50PI). Las mejores combinaciones de gluteninas de alto y bajo peso molecular para TMA y ALVW fueron los genotipos con 1, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3c, Glu-B3g, Glu-D3b; 1, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3c, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b, y 2*, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3c, Glu-B3g, Glu-D3b; para ALVPL, 2*, 17+18, 2+12/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b; para 50PS, 2*, 17+18, 2+12/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b; y 1, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b. La relación 50PS/50PI fue mayor en genotipos con 2*, 17+18, 2+12/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3g, Glu-D3b. El TMA es mayor cuando aumenta la temperatura y la mejor ALVPL se obtiene en el ambiente bajo condiciones normales. La fracción 50PS y la relación 50PS/50PI son mayores cuando se realiza la fertilización con azufre, y se obtiene incremento de 50PI con riego limitado y aumento de temperaturas durante el llenado de grano.The objective of this study was to determine the effect of environmental and genotypic factors on industrial quality and on the monomeric and polymeric protein contents and ratio of 24 rainfed bread wheat recombinant lines. The cultivation was done in five environmental conditions generated by agronomic management in the autumn-winter 2006/2007 cycle, at Roque, Guanajuato, Mexico. The mixing time (TMA), strength (ALVW) and extensibility (ALVPL) of the dough, gliadin (50PS) and glutenin (50PI) rich fractions, and their ratio (50PS/50PI), were evaluated. The best combinations of high and low molecular weight glutenins for TMA and ALVW were 1, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3c, Glu-B3g, Glu-D3b; 1, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3c, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b; and 2*, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3c, Glu-B3g, Glu-D3b; for ALVPL it was 2*, 17+18, 2+12/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b; and for 50PS they were 2*, 17+18, 2+12/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b; and 1, 17+18, 5+10/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3h, Glu-D3b. The 50PS/50PI ratio was higher in genotypes with 2*, 17+18, 2+12/Glu-A3e, Glu-B3g, Glu-D3b. TMA is higher when temperature increases, and the best ALVPL is found under normal environmental conditions. Gliadin fraction and the 50PS/50PI ratio are higher when sulphur fertilization is done, and 50PI increases with drought and higher temperatures during grain-filling stage

The 1AL.1RS translocation in the hard red winter wheat \u27Nekota\u27

The presence of the short arm of rye chromosome (IRS) has been associated with agronomic advantages and a decrease in end-use quality in hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L Em. Thell). These effects have been demonstrated mainly with the 1BL.1RS translocation. Less information is available regarding the effect of the 1AL.1RS translocation. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of the 1AL.1RS translocation on agronomic and end-use quality traits and their stability across diverse winter wheat environments. Derived from the heterogeneous cultivar Nekota 16 homogeneous 1AL.1RS lines, 18 1A lines (non-1RS), four composites (1AL.1RS, 1A, 1AL.1RS + 1A and Nekota), and six check cultivars were seeded in eight Nebraska environments. The presence of 1AL.1RS translocation in the Nekota background increased kernel weight (3.3%), grain volume weight (0.4%) and flour protein (4.3%); had no effect on grain yield, kernels per spike, and anthesis date; and decreased kernels per spike (0.4%), plant height (1.2%), spikes per square meter (2.9%), flour yield (2.3%), mixing time (from 2.9 to 2.7 min) and mixing tolerance (from 3.5 to 3.1). The increase in flour protein was not accompanied by a decrease in grain yield. However, the higher flour protein in the 1AL.1RS lines did not cause an improvement of Mixograph mixing traits. The 1A and 1AL.1RS had similar stability for grain yield, kernels per spike, spikes per square meter, plant height, flour yield, and flour protein. The 1A lines were more responsive to the environment than the 1AL.1RS lines for kernel weight, gain volume weight, mixing time, and mixing tolerance. The 1AL.1RS lines had exceptional stability for mixograph mixing traits. The 1AL.1RS translocation on Nekota was not beneficial for grain yield and agronomic performance and was detrimental for end-use quality. Nekota can be described as a mixture of 1A lines with good agronomic and end-use quality performance and 1AL.1RS lines with good agronomic and poor to good end-use quality performance