Evaluating the Potential of Using 5-Azacytidine as an Epimutagen

A number of early flowering lines were induced when 5-azacytidine was applied to germinating flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) seed. The genetics of these lines indicate that the induced changes are epigenetic and probably result from demethylation of the genomic DNA at loci that affect flowering age. Although the growth and development of three stable early flowering lines are altered and the percentage of filled seed was reduced in all three lines compared with controls, measures of seed productivity demonstrated that harvest index was unaffected in two of the lines. In the third, harvest index was lower than normal and both seed set per capsule and seed mass per 100 seed were reduced. Furthermore, six generations after induction this line began to display relatively high levels of polyembryony. The late appearance of this twinning and other aspects related to working with lines induced by 5-azacytidine and using 5-azacytidine as an epimutagen are discussed

Epigenetics for Ecologists

There is now mounting evidence that heritable variation in ecologically relevant traits can be generated through a suite of epigenetic mechanisms, even in the absence of genetic variation. Moreover, recent studies indicate that epigenetic variation in natural populations can be independent from genetic variation, and that in some cases environmentally induced epigenetic changes may be inherited by future generations. These novel findings are potentially highly relevant to ecologists because they could significantly improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying natural phenotypic variation and the responses of organisms to environmental change. To understand the full significance of epigenetic processes, however, it is imperative to study them in an ecological context. Ecologists should therefore start using a combination of experimental approaches borrowed from ecological genetics, novel techniques to analyse and manipulate epigenetic variation, and genomic tools, to investigate the extent and structure of epigenetic variation within and among natural populations, as well as the interrelations between epigenetic variation, phenotypic variation and ecological interactions

Erosion and productivity of vegetable systems on sloping volcanic ash-derived Philippine soils

Soil erosion is a significant threat to agricultural productivity on sloped lands. This paper assesses the effectiveness of several different soil conservation practices for vegetable systems on sloped volcanic ash-derived soils. A field experiment was conducted to test the authors' hypothesis that contouring, strip cropping, and high-value contour hedgerows (asparagus, pineapple, pigeonpea, and lemongrass) would reduce soil loss relative to the traditional up-and-down farming method. They found that up-and-down cultivation had the greatest annual soil loss, followed by high-value contour hedgerows, strip cropping, and contouring. For all test plots there was a large gradient in the soil characteristics and productivity between the upper and lower bounds of the plots; crop yields in the downslope sections were significantly higher. The contour hedgerow method caused rapid formation of bioterraces, which also showed much greater productivity in the bottom portion

Atividade do sistema antioxidante e desenvolvimento de aerênquima em raízes de milho 'Saracura' Antioxidant system activity and aerenchyma formation in 'Saracura' maize roots

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a influência de sucessivos ciclos de seleção do milho 'Saracura' na atividade das enzimas do sistema antioxidante, e a relação dessas enzimas com a capacidade dessa variedade em desenvolver aerênquima. Sementes de 18 ciclos de seleção intercalados do milho 'Saracura' e da cultivar BR 107, sensível à hipoxia, foram semeadas em vasos e em casa de vegetação. As plantas foram submetidas ao alagamento intermitente de dois em dois dias. As amostras de raízes foram coletadas após 60 dias e analisaram-se as atividades das enzimas peroxidase do guaiacol, peroxidase do ascorbato e catalase, além da capacidade das plantas de cada ciclo desenvolverem aerênquima. Ao longo dos ciclos, as plantas apresentaram modificações na atividade das enzimas, com aumento na de peroxidase do ascorbato e diminuição na de catalase e de peroxidase do guaiacol. Observou-se, ainda, maior capacidade de desenvolver aerênquima nos últimos ciclos de seleção. A redução na atividade das enzimas do sistema antioxidante parece estar relacionada a um desbalanço na decomposição de H2O2.<br>This work aimed to assess the influence of successive selection cycles in 'Saracura' maize on the enzyme activity of the antioxidant system and the relationship of these enzymes with the aerenchyma development capacity of this variety. Seeds of 18 intercalated selection cycles of the 'Saracura' maize and of the cultivar BR 107, sensitive to hipoxia, were sown in pots in the greenhouse. Plants were submitted to intermittent soil flooding each two days. After 60 days, the roots were sampled and analysis were done for the guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase activities and for the capacity of the plants of each cycle to develop aerenchyma. The plants showed modifications in enzyme activity along the cycles, increasing the ascorbate peroxidase activity and decreasing the catalase and guaiacol peroxidase ones. A greater capacity to develop aerenchyma was also observed in the last selection cycles. Reductions in the enzyme activity of the antioxidant system seem to be related to a disorder in the H2O2 decomposition capacity