Tackling the cell wall of the grape berry

Abstract: The cell wall (CW) is the dynamic border of plant cells. In grape berries, the CW decisively accounts for the difference between the pulp and skin cells, with direct consequences on the grape characteristics, wine quality and wine-making methods. The softening of mature berries results from the depolymerisation and solubilisation of CW polymers. Modifications of grape pulp and skin CW provide the flexibility for cell expansion during fruit growth and to modulate the final texture. Wine making and berry processing methods are directly related with the absence, in white wines, or the presence, in red wines, of skin CW in the fermenting must. Anthocyanin extraction depends directly on skin yielding of the pigment upon CW degradation. During fruit growth and ripening, the cooperative action between different enzyme families is capital in CW metabolism. The sequencing and public availability of the Vitis genome allowed us to focus on individual pathways, to profile the expression pattern of isoforms associated with each tissue, developmental phase or stress response, anticipating the effects on berry (and wine) production and quality. Retrieving the sequences of genomic coding regions and the predicted enzymes that act on the Vitis, CW allows us for the first time to tackle the grape berry Cell Wallom

Influence de défauts sur la dynamique d'une structure intelligente

La détection de défauts par des méthodes non destructives est devenue un facteur majeur d'intérêt dans de nombreux domaines industriels, pour des raisons économiques et de fiabilité des systèmes. L'étude proposée s'intéresse plus particulièrement à l'influence de fissures sur les caractéristiques dynamiques d'une structure intelligente, instrumentée d'actionneurs et de capteurs piézoélectriques reliés par une boucle de contrôle des vibrations et repose sur une modélisation par éléments finis de la structure fissurée

Mineral stress affects the cell wall composition of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) callus

Versão provisória aceite p. publicação na Plant Science (ISSN 0168-9452)em 19-01-2013Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most economically important fruit crops in the world. Deficit in nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur nutrition impairs essential metabolic pathways. The influence of mineral stress in the composition of the plant cell wall (CW) has received residual attention. Using grapevine callus as a model system, 6-weeks deficiency of those elements caused a significant decrease in growth. Callus CWs were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), by quantification of CW components and by immunolocalization of CW epitopes with monoclonal antibodies. PCA analysis of FT-IR data suggested changes in the main components of the CW in response to individual mineral stress. Decreased cellulose, modifications in pectin methyl esterification and increase of structural proteins were among the events disclosed by FT-IR analysis. Chemical analyses supported some of the assumptions and further disclosed an increase in lignin content under nitrogen deficiency, suggesting a compensation of cellulose by lignin. Moreover, polysaccharides of callus under mineral deficiency showed to be more tightly bonded to the CW, probably due to a more extensive cross-linking of the cellulose-hemicellulose network. Our work showed that mineral stress impacts the CW at different extents according to the withdrawn mineral element, and that the modifications in a given CW component are compensated by the synthesis and/or alternative linking between polymers. The overall results here described for the first time pinpoint the CW of Vitis callus different strategies to overcome mineral stress, depending on how essential they are to cell growth and plant development

Programmed Cell Death-Related Proteases in Plants

From an ancient Greek term related to the “leavening of bread” (en, in; zyme, leaven), an enzyme can be defined as a substance showing the properties of a catalyst that is produced as a result of cellular activity. Every proteinaceous enzyme that performs hydrolysis of peptide bonds is appropriately termed “protease” (peptidase). All of them share aspects of catalytic strategy, but with some variation. As a result, the proteases are grouped into six different catalytic families: serine, threonine, cysteine, aspartic, glutamic and metallopeptidases (http://merops.sanger.ac.uk/). The larger families (cysteine, serine, aspartic and metallopeptidases) have a wide range of distribution on living organism groups, and are also present in the “controversial” viruses. As a well‐represented family, the cysteine proteases play important roles in events such as signalling pathways, programmed cell death (PCD), nutrient mobilization, protein maturing, hormone synthesis and degradation. In the past two decades, an increased interest was driven to the study of the programmed cell death (PCD), mainly after the discovery of caspase‐related proteins and caspase‐like activities in organisms not metazoan. Caspases are cysteine proteases that cleave their substrate after aspartate residues and are part of signalling cascades of the apoptotic PCD process (also in inflammatory process), unique of metazoan. The caspase‐related proteins are named paracaspases and metacaspases. Paracaspases are found on metazoan and Dictyostelium, whereas the metacaspases are present on plants, fungi and groups of protozoan. On plants, PCD has features that are distinct from that of animals and is an important pathway on developmental events, defensive and stress response (biotic and abiotic). All these events have their own particularities, but the participation of proteases seems to be universal with those responsible for caspase‐like activities and metacaspases having an increasing number of reports that put them as important for plant PCD. In this chapter, we tackle important aspects of the proteases, in special that involved in plant PDC, as well as their specific regulators. Aspects of function, catalytic mechanisms and interaction with ligands will be on focus

Relating water deficiency to berry texture, skin cell wall composition and expression of remodeling genes in two Vitis vinifera varieties

The cell wall (CW) is a dynamic structure that responds to stress. Water shortage (WS) impacts grapevine berry composition and its sensorial quality. In the present work, berry texture, skin CW composition, and expression of remodeling genes were investigated in two V. vinifera varieties, Touriga Nacional (TN) and Trincadeira (TR), under two water regimes, Full Irrigation (FI) and No Irrigation (NI). The global results allowed an evident separation between both varieties and the water treatments. WS resulted in increased anthocyanin contents in both varieties, reduced amounts in cellulose and lignin at maturation, but an increase in arabinose-containing polysaccharides more tightly bound to the CW in TR. In response to WS, the majority of the CW related genes were down-regulated in a variety dependent pattern. The results support the assumption that WS affects grape berries by stiffening the CW through alteration in pectin structure, supporting its involvement in responses to environmental conditions

Estimativa da renda bruta dos pescadores de iscas vivas do Porto da Manga, Corumbá (MS).

A pesca de iscas vivas é uma importante atividade econômica e social para as populações ribeirinhas do Pantanal, assim como uma das atividades que dá suporte ao expressivo turismo pesqueiro realizado na região. A fim de atender à demanda destes pescadores, a pesca de iscas vivas passou a ser a principal atividade dos pescadores profissionais-artesanais dessa comunidade. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo teve como objetivo efetuar uma primeira estimativa da renda bruta dos pescadores oriunda da captura e venda de iscas vivas na região do Porto da Manga em 2007.bitstream/CPAP-2009-09/56779/1/CT79.pdfFormato eletrônico

O Desenvolvimento da Pesquisa Científica Envolvendo Sustentabilidade no Brasil: Evolução e Estruturação do Campo na Área de Administração

This research aims to describe the historical evolution of the field of research in the area of administration and sustainability. As for the methodological procedures, the research is classified as exploratory, descriptive and quantitative, whose data were extracted from periodicals B1 and A2 in the Administration area. The analysis involved the complementarity of bibliometric and sociometric techniques. Concerning to results, a meaningful evolution about sustainability was noticed between 2000 and 2014; Through the law of Zipf,  demonstrated the dimensions of sustainability and the organizational theories used in the articles in each five years; It was possible to perceive that the relations have intensified to the point of suggesting the formation of a field, pointing to the possibility of consolidation of the national knowledge on the subject of sustainability in the Administration area was also related.Esta pesquisa busca describir la evolución histórica del campo de investigación en el área de administración y sostenibilidad. Con relación a los procedimientos metodológicos, la pesquisa se clasifica como exploratoria, descriptiva, cuantitativa, cuyos datos fueron extraídos de periódicos nacionales en el área de Administración, con calificación CAPES superiores a B1 e A2 en el área de administración. El analísis involucró la complementariedad de las tecnicas bibliométricas y sociométricas. En lo que se refiere a los resultados, se verificó una significativa evolución sobre la sostenibilidad entre 2.000 y 2.014; se evidenciaron los principales centros difusores de investigación y la red de relaciones que sirve de soporte al intercambio científico entre investigadores e instituciones. Por médio de la Ley de Zipf se explicaron los principales temas, dimensiones de la sostenibilidad y teorías organizacionales de cada quinquenio; Se pudo percibir que las relaciones se han intensificado a punto de sugerir para la posibilidad de consolidación del conocimiento nacional sobre el tema sostenibilidad en el área de Administración.O presente artigo visa descrever a evolução histórica do campo de pesquisa na área de Administração e sustentabilidade. Os procedimentos utilizados para tal investigação podem ser classificados como exploratório, descritivo e quantitativo e os dados aqui apresentados foram extraídos de periódicos B1 e A2. Já a análise foi complementada com técnicas bibliométricas e sociométricas. Desse modo, foi possível verificar uma evolução da inserção do tema sustentabilidade em artigos publicados entre 2000 e 2014. Além disso, também foi possível evidenciar os principais centros difusores de pesquisa e a rede de relacionamentos que serve de suporte ao intercâmbio científico entre pesquisadores e instituições. Por meio da lei de Zipf, pode-se explicitar os principais temas abordados, as dimensões da sustentabilidade e as teorias organizacionais utilizadas nos artigos em cada quinquênio. Além disso, foi possível perceber que as relações têm se intensificado a ponto de sugerir a formação de um campo, apontando para a possibilidade de consolidação do conhecimento nacional sobre o tema sustentabilidade na área de Administração

Vitis vinifera secondary metabolism as affected by sulfate depletion: diagnosis through phenylpropanoid pathway genes and metabolites

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is rich in phenylpropanoid compounds, namely flavonoids and stilbenes which, present in most tissues, are described as antioxidants and known to accumulate in response to biotic and abiotic stress. Grapevine is then a choice model for studying the interplay between the phenylpropanoid pathway and nutrient deficiency. Here we report the response to sulfur deficiency ( S) of flavonoids and stilbenes biosynthetic pathways in chlorophyll tissues (plantlets) and cell culture. Anthocyanins and trans-resveratrol accumulated in plantlets and trans-resveratrol glucoside in cell cultures in response to sulfur deficiency, while a significant decrease in chlorophyll was observed in S plantlets. The up-regulation of chalcone synthase gene and the downstream flavonoid biosynthesis genes dihydroflavonol reductase and anthocyanidin synthase matched the accumulation of anthocyanins in S V. vinifera plantlets. The mRNA level of stilbene synthase gene(s) was correlated tightly with the increase in trans-resveratrol and trans-resveratrol glucoside levels, respectively in S plantlets and cell cultures. As a whole, the present study unveil that V. vinifera under sulfur deficiency allocates resources to the phenylpropanoid pathway, probably consecutive to inhibition of protein synthesis, which can be advantageous to resist against oxidative stress symptoms evoked by S condition

Developmental Regulation of Transcription in Touriga Nacional Berries under Deficit Irrigation

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most economically important crops worldwide, especially due to the economic relevance of wine production. Abiotic stress, such as drought, may contribute to low yield, shifts in quality, and important economic loss. The predicted climate change phenomena point to warmer and dryer Mediterranean environmental conditions; as such, it is paramount to study the effects of abiotic stress on grapevine performance. Deficit irrigation systems are applied to optimize water use efficiency without compromising berry quality. In this research, the effect of two deficit irrigation strategies, sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), in the grape berry were assessed. The effects of different levels of drought were monitored in Touriga Nacional at key stages of berry development (pea size, véraison, and full maturation) through RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis and by specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) monitoring through RT-qPCR. Handy datasets were obtained by bioinformatics analysis of raw RNA-Seq results. The dominant proportion of transcripts was mostly regulated by development, with véraison showing more upregulated transcripts. Results showed that primary metabolism is the functional category more severely affected under water stress. Almost all DEGs selected for RT-qPCR were significantly upregulated in full maturation and showed the highest variability at véraison and the lowest gene expression values in the pea size stageinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio