Genetic diversity of Agrobacterium vitis strains, isolated from grapevines and wild grapes in Bulgaria, assessed by Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences analysis of 16S-23S rDNA

Nineteen tumorigenic Agrobacterium vitis strains isolated from commercial vineyards and wild grapes at different locations in Bulgaria were studied in relation to the Ti plasmid type and chromosomal background. The PCR analysis showed that all but one of the strains harbor an octopine/cucumopine type of Ti plasmid and one carries a vitopine type. The genetic diversity among the studied strains and 20 more A. vitis strains originating from different geographic regions in Europe, Asia, USA and South Africa was assessed by Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences (CAPS) analysis of 16S-23S rDNA region. The comparison of the obtained CAPS profiles and performed cluster analysis showed a high level of polymorphism among the studied strains distributed in totally 15 different groups within two main clusters. All Bulgarian strains are located in only three groups within one of the clusters. A high level of correlation between the chromosomal background and type of the carried Ti plasmids was found. The performed CAPS analysis demonstrated that all A. vitis strains isolated from wild grapes (V. vinifera ssp. silvestris) showed CAPS profiles identical with a number of strains isolated from commercial vineyards from different vine-growing regions in Bulgaria. A possible origin of this group of strains from an ancestral A. vitis strain, which initially inhabits wild grapes (V. vinifera ssp. silvestris) and later has been disseminated to cultivated grapevines is proposed

Genotyping of Bulgarian Vitis vinifera L. cultivars by microsatellite analysis

A characterization of the Bulgarian grapevine genepool (Vitis vinifera L. cultivars) was initiated through microsatellite analysis. Seventy four wine and table grapevine varieties from the National List of Cultivars, were analyzed at 9 microsatellite loci: VVS2, ssrVvUCH11, ssrVvUCH 29, ssrVrZAG21, ssrVrZAG47, ssrVrZAG62, ssrVrZAG64, ssrVrZAG79 and ssrVrZAG83. The high genetic diversity (78 %) allowed accurate identification and discrimination of the cultivars. The low PI value (1.201 x 10-8) reflects the high discriminative power of the chosen set of markers for the investigated population. Based on the microsatellite allele data, two pairs of old native varieties, Misket Cherven and Misket Vrachanski; Tamyanka and Tamyanka tvarda, were considered distinct cultivars. The synonymy ofTamyanka, Italian Moscato Bianco and Greek Moschato Kerkyras andPamid and Greek Pamidi was verified, while the putative synonymy of Mavrud and Greek Mavroudi Arachovis was rejected.Further utilization of microsatellite profiling in the management of the Bulgarian grapevine genepool is discussed.

Genotyping Vitis vinifera L. cultivars of Cyprus by microsatellite analysis

Twelve native Vitis vinifera L. cultivars of Cyprus were genotyped at 11 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. The obtained microsatellite allelic profiles allowed precise identification and discrimination of all tested cultivars. Each cultivar had a unique allelic profile. The low PI value (5.1 x 10-9) demonstrated the high descriptive power of the chosen markers for the investigated set of grapevines. Three cases of synonymy of Cyprus cultivars with cultivars grown in other countries under different names were verified: (1) Cyprus Malaga and Muscat of Alexandria, (2) Cyprus Lefkas and Greek Verdzami, and (3) Cyprus Moscato, Bulgarian Tamyanka and Italian Moscato Bianco. The homonymy of Cyprus Sideritis and Greek Sideritis as well as of Cyprus Mavro and Bulgarian Mavrud was shown not to rely on genetic similarity.

Influence of Malolactic Fermentation on the Quality of Riesling Wine

Biotic and abiotic stress has a negative effect on both the quality and quantity of grape production. Like many woody crops, grape has been relatively recalcitrant to in vitro manipulations. The crucial point in the process of genetic transformation is to have cells that are able to both regenerate and be transformed. A regeneration system seems to be a major problem in the transformation process. Somatic embryogenesis is the favoured regenerative protocol in genetic transformations of grapes. Comparison of an embryogenic and organogenic system in grape demonstrated that organogenesis frequently leads to chemical transformation of tissues. In this respect we started to develop and apply procedures suitable for the genetic transformation of grapevine. Two sources of explants were used for embryo induction. In the first case, immature zygotic ovules of Vitis vinifera seedless genotypes were used. In the second case in vivo leaf tissues from rootstocks Vitis rupestris cv. Rupestris du Lot and 110 Richter (Vitis berlandieri x Vitis rupestris). Continual transfer to fresh medium maintained embryogenic cultures. Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation of enbryogenic cultures of seedless grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) with constructs containing the gene encoding the coat protein of Grape Fanleaf Virus (GFLV) and with four constructs containing genes encoding for an antifreeze protein. An embryogenic culture of rootstock Vitis rupestris cv. Rupestris du Lot was transformed with a construct carrying the bete-glucoronidase (GUS) gene. The first transformed plantlets have been regenerated from somatic embryos and the presence of the NPTII gene was verified by PCR and Southern blot analyses

USING DNA AND ISOZYME MARKERS TO STUDY GENETIC RELATIONSHIP AMONG HIGH REGENERATIVE INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS OF HELIANTHUS EGGERTII SMALL. X HELIANTHUS ANNUUS L

ABSTRACT RAPD, AP-PCR, IFLP, SSR and isozymes marker

Deregulated splicing is a major mechanism of RNA-induced toxicity in Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, translating into an elongated polyglutamine stretch. In addition to the neurotoxic mutant HTT protein, the mutant CAG repeat RNA can exert toxic functions by trapping RNA-binding proteins. While few examples of proteins that aberrantly bind to mutant HTT RNA and execute abnormal function in conjunction with the CAG repeat RNA have been described, an unbiased approach to identify the interactome of mutant HTT RNA is missing. Here, we describe the analysis of proteins that preferentially bind mutant HTT RNA using a mass spectrometry approach. We show that (I) the majority of proteins captured by mutant HTT RNA belong to the spliceosome pathway, (II) expression of mutant CAG repeat RNA induces mis-splicing in a HD cell model, (III) overexpression of one of the splice factors trapped by mutant HTT ameliorates the HD phenotype in a fly model and (VI) deregulated splicing occurs in human HD brain. Our data suggest that deregulated splicing is a prominent mechanism of RNA-induced toxicity in HD

THE TOTEM DETECTOR CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract The detectors of the TOTEM experiment at the LHC (Roman Pots silicon detectors, CSC & GEM) require the monitoring and control of the usual equipment used in HEP: HV/LV power supplies, VME crates and environmental sensors readout using ELMBs or through the DCU technology. Moreover, while most of the LHC experiments exploit fixed detectors, the TOTEM DCS -Big Brother-includes the control of movable parts (the Roman Pots) to keep the sensors at a specified distance from the beams. The TOTEM DCS differs from those of other LHC experiments in many ways. Engineering and project management follow a structured approach inspired by the ESA ECSS collaborative space standards. Project phasing and planning is done with GDPM on a weekly basis. The collection of functional and technical requirements uses an extension of the ALICE strategy. The Configuration Management is organized using SubVersioN. Also a set of scripts is developed to transform formal requirement representations into SW configuration (PVSS)