Quality and yield of Alicante Grenache and Semillon on various rootstocks in an arid climate

Alicante Grenache and Semillon wine grape varieties, were studied on their own roots and on seven rootstocks, for yield and quality criteria, in an arid climate. Grenache on its own roots was outstanding in yield, vigour, T.S.S. and acid content. Of the grafted rootstock combinations, 140 Ru yielded highest, followed by 110 R, 41 B MG, 1103 P. Acid content was lowest with 41 B MG. Bunch weight was lowest on ungrafted vines and highest on 140 Ru and 1103 P. Semillon had the highest yield and acid content on 41 B MG, followed by ownroot vines, 161-49 C (low vigour) and 1103 P. Highest bunch weights were observed with 140 Ru and 41 B MG, while high T.S.S. were observed with 161-49 C, own root-vines and 99 R.On 1103 P and 140 Ru, both varieties showed less decline in vigour with age, relative to other combinations.Qualitäts- und Ertragseigenschaften von Alicante Grenache und Semillon auf verschiedenen Unterlagen in einem ariden KlimaIn einem ariden Klima wurden Ertrags- und Qualitätskriterien der Keltertraubensorten Alicante Grenache und Semillon bei wurzelechtem Anbau und in Kombination mit sieben Unterlagen untersucht.Grenache zeigte bei wurzelechtem Anbau überdurchschnittliche Leistungen in Ertrag, Wüchsigkeit, löslicher Trockensubstanz und Säuregehalt. Bei den Pfropfkombinationen wirkte sich 140 Ru auf den Ertrag am vorteilhaftesten aus; es folgten 110 R, 41 B MG, 1103 P. Der Säuregehalt war in Verbindung mit 41 B MG am niedrigsten. Das Traubengewicht war bei den wurzelechten Reben am niedrigsten und auf 140 Ru und 1103 P am höchsten.Semillon hatte auf 41 B den höchsten Ertrag und Säuregehalt, gefolgt von der wurzelechten Rebe und den Kombinationen mit 161-49 C (schwache Wüchsigkeit) sowie mit 1103 P. Das höchste Traubengewicht wurde nach Pfropfung auf 140 Ru und 41 B MG gemessen, während auf 161-49 C, im wurzelechten Zustand und auf 99 R ein hoher Gehalt an löslicher Trockensubstanz beobachtet wurde.Auf 1103 P und 140 Ru ließ die Wüchsigkeit beider Sorten mit fortschreitendem Alter weniger nach als bei anderen Pfropfkombinationen

Performance of table grape cultivars on different rootstocks in an arid climate

The performance of the table grape varieties Queen of the Vineyards, Muscat of Hamburg and Dabouki on eight different rootstocks, was studied in the arid Negev, on a loess soil under irrigation.The highest yields (nine years of bearing) from Queen of the Vineyards were recorded on 161-49, followed by 1202 and 99 R; from Muscat of Hamburg on ownroot plants, 41 B and 110 R; from Dabouki on 41 B, 110 R and 161-49. Maximum vigor in Queen of the Vineyards was obtained on 1202, followed by own-root plants and 1103; in Muscat of Hamburg, on 140 R and 1202; in Dabouki, 0n 110 R and 1202.Highest relative fruitfulness (ratio of total crop per total weight of prunings) 1Jf Queen of the Vineyards was found on 161-49, followed by 41 B and 216-3; of Muscat of Hamburg, on 110 Rand 41 B; of Dabouki, on 41 B and 216-3.No correlation was noted between the ranking of stionic combinations as to vigor and their ranking as yielders. There was a marked tendency toward decreased vigor with age, except on 140 with all three varieties, on 1103 and 1202 with Muscat, on 216-3 with Dabouki, and on 1103 with Queen of the Vineyards. A comparatively large overgrowth in the Dabouki variety with some rootstocks n.id not impair performance.Great variation was noted in the performance of different varieties of V. vinifera on their own roots; high relative yields were obtained with Muscat of Hamburg, and low yield with Queen of the Vineyards. Only small differences were found in quality, cluster weight and berry weight on different rootstocks

Hydrodynamic gene delivery in human skin using a hollow microneedle device

Microneedle devices have been proposed as a minimally invasive delivery system for the intradermal administration of nucleic acids, both plasmid DNA (pDNA) and siRNA, to treat localised disease or provide vaccination. Different microneedle types and application methods have been investigated in the laboratory, but limited and irreproducible levels of gene expression have proven to be significant challenges to pre-clinical to clinical progression. This study is the first to explore the potential of a hollow microneedle device for the delivery and subsequent expression of pDNA in human skin. The regulatory approved MicronJet600® (MicronJet hereafter) device was used to deliver reporter plasmids (pCMVβ and pEGFP-N1) into viable excised human skin. Exogenous gene expression was subsequently detected at multiple locations that were distant from the injection site but within the confines of the bleb created by the intradermal bolus. The observed levels of gene expression in the tissue are at least comparable to that achieved by the most invasive microneedle application methods e.g. lateral application of a microneedle. Gene expression was predominantly located in the epidermis, although also evident in the papillary dermis. Optical coherence tomography permitted real time visualisation of the sub-surface skin architecture and, unlike a conventional intradermal injection, MicronJet administration of a 50 μL bolus appears to create multiple superficial microdisruptions in the papillary dermis and epidermis. These were co-localised with expression of the pCMVβ reporter plasmid. We have therefore shown, for the first time, that a hollow microneedle device can facilitate efficient and reproducible gene expression of exogenous naked pDNA in human skin using volumes that are considered to be standard for intradermal administration, and postulate a hydrodynamic effect as the mechanism of gene delivery

Conjugation of a peptide autoantigen to gold nanoparticles for intradermally administered antigen specific immunotherapy

Antigen specific immunotherapy aims to tolerise patients to specific autoantigens that are responsible for the pathology of an autoimmune disease. Immune tolerance is generated in conditions where the immune response is suppressed and thus gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are an attractive drug delivery platform due to their anti-inflammatory effects and their potential to facilitate temporal and spatial delivery of a peptide autoantigen in conjunction with pro-tolerogenic elements. In this study we have covalently attached an autoantigen, currently under clinical evaluation for the treatment of type 1 diabetes (PIC19-A3 peptide), to AuNPs to create nanoscale (<5 nm), negatively charged (−40 to −60 mV) AuNP-peptide complexes for immunotherapy. We also employ a clinically approved microneedle delivery system, MicronJet600, to facilitate minimally-invasive intradermal delivery of the nanoparticle constructs to target skin-resident antigen presenting cells, which are known to be apposite target cells for immunotherapy. The AuNP-peptide complexes remain physically stable upon extrusion through microneedles and when delivered into ex vivo human skin they are able to diffuse rapidly and widely throughout the dermis (their site of deposition) and, perhaps more surprisingly, the overlying epidermal layer. Intracellular uptake was extensive, with Langerhans cells proving to be the most efficient cells at internalising the AuNP-peptide complex (94% of the local population within the treated region of skin). In vitro studies showed that uptake of the AuNP-peptide complexes by dendritic cells reduced the capacity of these cells to activate naïve T cells. This indicator of biological functionality encourages further development of the AuNP-peptide formulation, which is now being evaluated in clinical trials

Parasitic Nematodes Modulate PIN-Mediated Auxin Transport to Facilitate Infection

Plant-parasitic nematodes are destructive plant pathogens that cause significant yield losses. They induce highly specialized feeding sites (NFS) in infected plant roots from which they withdraw nutrients. In order to establish these NFS, it is thought that the nematodes manipulate the molecular and physiological pathways of their hosts. Evidence is accumulating that the plant signalling molecule auxin is involved in the initiation and development of the feeding sites of sedentary plant-parasitic nematodes. Intercellular transport of auxin is essential for various aspects of plant growth and development. Here, we analysed the spatial and temporal expression of PIN auxin transporters during the early events of NFS establishment using promoter-GUS/GFP fusion lines. Additionally, single and double pin mutants were used in infection studies to analyse the role of the different PIN proteins during cyst nematode infection. Based on our results, we postulate a model in which PIN1-mediated auxin transport is needed to deliver auxin to the initial syncytial cell, whereas PIN3 and PIN4 distribute the accumulated auxin laterally and are involved in the radial expansion of the NFS. Our data demonstrate that cyst nematodes are able to hijack the auxin distribution network in order to facilitate the infection process

Safety of the use of gold nanoparticles conjugated with proinsulin peptide and administered by hollow microneedles as an immunotherapy in Type 1 diabetes

Antigen-specific immunotherapy is immunomodulatory strategy for autoimmune diseases, such as Type 1 diabetes, in which patients are treated with autoantigens to promote immune tolerance, stop autoimmune beta-cell destruction and prevent permanent dependence on exogenous insulin. In this study, human proinsulin peptide C19-A3 (known for its positive safety profile) was conjugated to ultrasmall gold nanoparticles (GNP), an attractive drug delivery platform due to the potential anti-inflammatory properties of gold. We hypothesised that microneedle intradermal delivery of C19-A3 GNP may improve peptide pharmacokinetics and induce tolerogenic immunomodulation and proceeded to evaluate its safety and feasibility in a first-in-human trial. Allowing for the limitation of the small number of participants, intradermal administration of C19-A3 GNP appears safe and well-tolerated in participants with Type 1 diabetes. The associated prolonged skin retention of C19-A3 GNP after intradermal administration offers a number of possibilities to enhance its tolerogenic potential, which should be explored in future studies