Biotransformations of imbricatolic acid by Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus nigricans cultures

Guillermo Schmeda-Hirschmann and Carlos Aranda Laboratorio de Química de Productos Naturales, Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de Talca, Casilla 747, Talca, Chile. Jaime A. Rodríguez and Cristina Theoduloz. Depto. de Ciencias Básicas Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Casilla 747, Talca, ChileMicrobial transformation of imbricatolic acid (1) by Aspergillus niger afforded 1α-hydroxyimbricatolic acid (2), while transformation with Rhizopus nigricans yielded 15- hydroxy-8,17-epoxylabdan-19-oic acid (3). When the diterpene 1 was added to a Cunninghamella echinulata culture, the main products were the microbial metabolites mycophenolic acid (4) and its 3-hydroxy derivative 5. All the structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The cytotoxicity of these compounds towards human lung fibroblasts and AGS cells was assessed. While 4 and 5 showed low cytotoxicity, with IC50 values > 1000 μM against AGS cells and fibroblasts, 1α-hydroxyimbricatolic acid (2) presented moderate toxicity towards these targets, with IC50 values of 307 and 631 μM, respectively. The structure of 2 is presented for the first time

Possibilities of biotechnological methods in breeding of vegetable crops at the VIR Laboratory of Breeding and Cell Technologies

Basic and applied scientific research in plant cell technologies contribute to the successful development of agricultural plant breeding, which allows the creation of new forms of plants 2-4 times faster than by traditional breeding methods. To obtain inbred lines of most vegetable crops, about 5-7 cycles of self-pollination are required. As a result, the creation of a new cultivar/hybrid takes more than 10-12 years on an average. To successfully create a variety or hybrid, it is necessary to select parental pairs in the form of inbred lines. The VIR collection of vegetables and cucurbit crops includes 52,889 accessions, representatives of 29 families, 145 genera, and 610 species. The use of biotechnological methods is an important direction for accelerating the breeding of vegetable crops. Due to the relevance of introducing cell technologies into the breeding programs of the VIR Department of Genetic Resources of Vegetable and Cucurbit Crops, a Laboratory of Breeding and Cell Technologies was set up in 2022. The goal of the research to be performed at the new laboratory is to accelerate the creation of source material, cultivars and hybrids by combining traditional breeding methods and cell technologies. The objects of the study include cultivated forms and wild relatives of cabbage Brassica oleracea L., turnip Brassica rapa L., lettuce Lactuca L., tomato Lycopersicon Mill and vegetable sweet corn Zea mays var. saccharata Sturt. In the present review, we consider the main results of breeding cabbage, tomato, and lettuce which have been obtained through applying cell technologies. Despite the progress obtained, there are still several problems in this area. The lack of standardized, efficient and reproducible protocols for in vitro methods often hinders their practical use. The tasks facing the laboratory in creating the initial breeding material and new cultivars and hybrids with the use of both conventional methods and cell technologies are relevant and correspond to the world level

Genetic diversity of VIR Raphanus sativus L. collections on aluminum tolerance

Radish and small radish (Raphanus sativus L.) are popular and widely cultivated root vegetables in the world, which occupy an important place in human nutrition. Edaphic stressors have a significant impact on their productivity and quality. The main factor determining the phytotoxicity of acidic soils is the increased concentration of mobile aluminum ions in the soil solution. The accumulation of aluminum in root tissues disrupts the processes of cell division, initiation and growth of the lateral roots, the supply of plants with minerals and water. The study of intraspecific variation in aluminum resistance of R. sativus is an important stage for the breeding of these crops. The purpose of this work was to study the genetic diversity of R. sativus crops including 109 accessions of small radish and radish of various ecological and geographical origin, belonging to 23 types, 14 varieties of European, Chinese and Japanese subspecies on aluminum tolerance. In the absence of a rapid assessment methodology specialized for the species studied, a method is used to assess the aluminum resistance of cereals using an eriochrome cyanine R dye, which is based on the recovery or absence of restoration of mitotic activity of the seedlings roots subjected to shock exposure to aluminum. The effect of various concentrations on the vital activity of plants was revealed: a 66-mM concentration of AlCl3 · 6Н2О had a weak toxic effect on R. sativus accessions slowing down root growth; 83 mM contributed to a large differentiation of the small radish accessions and to a lesser extent for radish; 99 mM inhibited further root growth in 13.0 % of small radish accessions and in 7.3 % of radish and had a highly damaging effect. AlCl3 · 6Н2О at a concentration of 99 mM allowed us to identify the most tolerant small radish and radish accessions that originate from countries with a wide distribution of acidic soils. In a result, it was possible to determine the intraspecific variability of small radish and radish plants in the early stages of vegetation and to identify genotypes that are contrasting in their resistance to aluminum. We recommend the AlCl3 · 6Н2О concentration of 83 mM for screening the aluminum resistance of small radish and 99 mM for radish. The modified method that we developed is proposed as a rapid diagnosis of aluminum tolerance for the screening of a wide range of R. sativus genotypes and a subsequent study of contrasting forms during a longer cultivation of plants in hydroponic culture (including elemental analysis of roots and shoots, contrasting in resistance of accessions) as well as reactions of plants in soil conditions

On the issue of producing doubled haploids of table beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L. var. <i>conditiva</i> Alef.) (a review)

Currently, hybrid table beet seeds make up a significant part of the seeds sold in the world due to their high synchrony, root uniformity, and the effect of heterosis. Heterosis breeding of table beet in Russia is developed insufficiently. One of the reasons is the lack of a well-studied homogeneous linear material. Another reason is a long and labor-consuming process of obtaining parent components for classical crossing due to a 2-year cycle of crop development, a pronounced self-incompatibility system, and inbreeding depression. In vitro production of doubled table beet haploids makes it possible to obtain homozygous material in a short time. It can be used in breeding programs as an alternative to traditional inbred lines. Therefore, introduction of the haploidization technology into the table beet breeding programs is of great importance. This article discusses various approaches to the production of doubled beet haploids and describes crucial achievements, major problems, and the ways to solve them. Methods for producing doubled haploids of table beet has not been studied profoundly enough, so they require additional in-depth research aimed at improving their efficiency and reproducibility

Trajectories of Body Mass Index Among Active-Duty U.S. Army Soldiers

Establishing the shape and determinants of trajectories of body mass index (BMI) among Soldiers is critical given the importance of weight management to military service requirements. To establish the shape and determinants of BMI trajectories among Soldiers, we aimed to (1) model the overall BMI trajectory of Soldiers, (2) find the most common trajectory groups among Soldiers, (3) investigate the relationship between BMI trajectories and sociodemographic and military-specific characteristics, and (4) determine if there were Soldiers with large fluctuations in BMI. The study population included all US Army Soldiers on active-duty between 2011 and 2014 who were age 17–62 (n = 827,126). With longitudinal data from the Stanford Military Data Repository, we used group-based trajectory modeling to identify the BMI trajectories of Soldiers and multinomial logistic regression to estimate associations between Soldier characteristics and trajectory membership. Four distinct BMI trajectory groups were found: increasing, decreasing, constant, and inconstant. The constant, increasing, and decreasing trajectories were similar in shape and percentage between men and women. The constant trajectory had the fewest Soldiers who exceeded weight standards or had duty limitations. The increasing trajectory was associated with marriage and fewer service years. The decreasing trajectory was associated with more service years and higher educational attainment. The inconstant trajectory differed in shape between men and women. Over 6% of men and 12% of women had fluctuations in BMI indicative of weight cycling. Understanding the characteristics associated with BMI trends may assist the Army in targeting resources aimed to improve Soldier health and combat readiness

Biochemical composition of tomato fruits of various colors

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is an economically important and widely cultivated vegetable crop that is consumed both fresh and processed. The nutritional value of tomato fruits is related to the content of carotenoids, polyphenols, sugars, organic acids, minerals and vitamins. Currently, there is a growing interest in the qualitative and quantitative increase in the content of health-promoting compounds in tomato fruits. VIR Lycopersicon (Tourn.) Mill. genetic resources collection includes 7678 accessions of one cultivated and nine wild species, which in turn provides ample opportunities for searching for information on the variability of the content of biologically active substances and searching for sources with a high content of them in the gene pool. Our work presents the results of the study of 70 accessions of cultivated and wild tomato on the main biochemical characteristics: the content of dry matter, ascorbic acid, sugars, carotenoids, chlorophylls and anthocyanins. As the basis for the selection of accessions for the study, accessions with various colors of fruits, including new accessions with varying content of anthocyanin, were taken. As a result of this study, the amplitude of variability in the content of dry matter (3.72–8.88 and 9.62–11.33 %), sugars (1.50–5.65 and 2.20–2.70 %), ascorbic acid (12.40–35.56 and 23.62– 28.14 mg/100 g), titratable acidity (0.14–0.46 and 0.33–0.48 %), chlorophylls (0.14–5.11 and 2.95–4.57 mg/100 g), carotenoids (0.97–99.86 and 1.03–10.06 mg/100 g) and anthocyanins (3.00–588.86 and 84.31–152.71 mg/100 g) in the fruits of cultivated and wild tomatoes, respectively, was determined. We have determined correlations between the content of dry matter and monosaccharides (r = 0.40, p ≤ 0.05), total sugars (r = 0.37, p ≤ 0.05) and ascorbic acid (r = 0.32, p ≤ 0.05); the content of ascorbic acid and carotenoids (r = 0.25, p ≤ 0.05). A high dependence of the content of chlorophyll a and b among themselves (r = 0.89, p ≤ 0.05), as well as between the content of chlorophyll b and anthocyanins (r = 0.47, p ≤ 0.05), the content of β-carotene (r = 0.26, p ≤ 0.05) and the content of monosaccharides (r = –0.29, p ≤ 0.05) has been noted. We have identif ied tomato accessions with a high content of individual chemical substances, as well as with a complex of traits that can be used as sources in breeding for a high content of dry matter, sugars, ascorbic acid, pigments and anthocyanins

Análisis exploratorio de zonas con diferente probabilidad de ocurrencia del Groundnut ringspot virus en la provincia de Córdoba

La principal región manisera del país se encuentra en la provincia de Córdoba donde la superficie sembrada con este cultivo se localiza, en orden de importancia, en los departamentos Río Cuarto, Gral. Roca, Juárez Celman, Pte. R. Sáenz Peña, Tercero Arriba, Gral. San Martín y Río Segundo. Sin embargo, debido a la necesidad de suelos para los programas de rotación, la superficie sembrada con maní presenta un sostenido aumento en zonas no tradicionales ubicadas en los departamentos Río Primero, Calamuchita, Unión y Marcos Juárez, entre otros. En esta región, el cultivo es afectado por el Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV), un virus perteneciente al género Orthotospovirus, el cual ha ocasionado epifitias provocando mermas en el rendimiento del cultivo en aquellos lotes afectados. En la naturaleza, este virus es transmitido desde una planta enferma a otra sana únicamente por especies de trips vectores que han adquirido el patógeno durante sus estadios juveniles de desarrollo. La presencia de estos insectos, su dinámica y características poblacionales, sumado a las condiciones climáticas de cada región, constituyen los factores más importantes que determinan el área donde la virosis constituye un riesgo para el cultivo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue comenzar a definir zonas con probabilidad diferencial de ocurrencia de la enfermedad a fin de generar conocimiento epidemiológico para el manejo regional de esta virosis.Instituto de Patología VegetalFil: Dottori, Carolina Andrea. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Giannini Kurina, F. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Cátedra de Estadística y Biometría; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Fitopatología y Modelización Agrícola (UFYMA); Argentina.Fil: Córdoba, M. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Cátedra de Estadística y Biometría; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Fitopatología y Modelización Agrícola (UFYMA); Argentina.Fil: Lenardon, Sergio Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patología Vegetal; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria. Departamento Biología Agrícola; ArgentinaFil: De Breuil, Soledad. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Patología Vegetal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Fitopatología y Modelización Agrícola (UFYMA); Argentin

Mobilization of plant genetic resources from the territory of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic

Background. The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is one of the floristically unique territories in the Russian Federation. Its vegetation, especially in the mountainous and foothill areas, is very rich due to, inter alia, the extremely complex and diverse relief. Over 50% of the entire Caucasian flora is present in the republic, representing all main groups of plant formations, except subtropical and tropical ones. It seems relevant to search for and collect crop wild relatives as well as landraces of vegetables and cucurbits cultivated for a long time in the surveyed territory and adapted to local environmental conditions in order to add new genetic resources of these crops to the VIR collection.Methods. The expedition route included explorations of the foothill and highland areas of Kabardino-Balkaria, and familiarization with the seed assortment available at the markets and agricultural stores in Nalchik and Prokhladny. The target areas were surveyed from August 18 through 26, 2019, by one- or two-day trips starting from Nalchik. The length of the itinerary was about 600 km.Results. The collecting mission examined local farms and homesteads, explored the mountains, and collected 256 local and commercial cultivars of vegetable and cucurbit crops, 69 seed and vegetative samples of vegetable crop wild relatives, plus a number of fodder plant samples. Russian and foreign breeding companies whose cultivars are popular in Kabar dino-Balkaria were identified

ГЕНЕТИЧЕСКОЕ РАЗНООБРАЗИЕ КОРНЕПЛОДНЫХ РАСТЕНИЙ RAPHANUS SATIVUS L. (РЕДИС И РЕДЬКА) КОЛЛЕКЦИИ ВИР

The study on the diversity of root plants in the species of Raphanus sativus L., which are available in the collection of VIR, enables to comprehensively evaluate the collection of small radish and radish, making descriptions of new forms and cultivar-types, and revealing the biological features of the formation of photosynthetic apparatus, yielding abilities, resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors. This article is the first part of a series of articles devoted to the study of the gene pool of root plants of the species R. sativus L. from the VIR collection. The experimental part of the article includes the results of a study of previously unexplored accessions from the radish collection, the following articles will be devoted to the radish gene pool. As a result of the research conducted in 2016-2017. 110 samples of radish of different eco-geographical origin and representing variety of cultivar type were studied. The studied radish samples were combined into several groups according to the duration of the growing season (early ripening, mid-ripening and late ripening). A longer vegetation period in radish in winter-time-growing was observed in case of insufficient illumination, but some accesions of the red oval-rounded cultivar type (k-2133, k-2343, k-1742, k-2404) have not shown any change in vegetation period. There was a strong change in the shape of the root crop when growing in winter under insufficient illumination. Samples that are capable to form a consumed organ in such conditions without changing the shape of the root crop and vegetation period were k-2404, Netherlands, k-2133, Tanzania, k-2185, Poland, k-2343, Iceland, k-1666, Russia. Among the accessions of the red-oval-round cultivar type, varieties from the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Poland emerged, formed a short-rooted, compact rosette with an elevated leaf arrangement in all growing conditions. The formation of high productivity in the open field types was revealed in most cultivars, only the samples of the cultivars White long and Red gave high yields in protected soil. In the spring greenhouse a higher quality yield was obtained. Seven samples of radish have been selected, which are valuable for nearest breeding pro-gram. They can be used as a source breeding material for productivity, root quality, resistance to bolting at low temperatures and a long day.Изучение разнообразия корнеплодных растений вида Raphanus sativus L., имеющихся в коллекции ВИР, позволит всесторонне оценить коллекцию редиса и редьки, описать новые формы и сортотипы, выявить биологические закономерности формирования фотосинтетического аппарата, урожая, устойчивости к биотическим и абиотическим стрессорам. Данная статья является первой частью серии статей посвященных изучению генофонда корнеплодных растений вида R. sativus L. коллекции ВИР. Экспериментальная часть статьи включает в себя результаты исследования ранее не изученных образцов из коллекции редиса, последующие статьи будут посвящены изучению генофонда редьки. В результате проведенных исследований в 2016-2017 годах. было изучено 110 образцов редиса различного эколого-географического происхождения и представляющих разнообразие сортотипов. Изученные образцы редиса были объединены в несколько групп по продолжительности вегетационного периода (раннеспелые, среднеспелые и позднеспелые). Отмечено увеличение вегетационного периода при выращивании в зимнее время при недостаточной освещенности, лишь отдельные образцы сортотипа Красный овально-округлый вегетационный период не изменился (к-2133, к-2343, к-1742, к-2404). Наблюдалось сильное изменение формы корнеплода при выращивании в зимнее время при недостаточной освещенности. Приведены образцы, которые способны формировать продуктовый орган в таких условиях без изменения формы корнеплода и вегетационного периода (к-2404, Нидерланды; к-2133, Танзания; к-2185, Польша; к-2343, Исландия; к-1666, Россия). Среди образцов сортотипа Красный овально-округлый выделились сортообразцы из Нидерландов, Чехии и Польши, формирующие низкорослую, компактную розетку с приподнятым расположением листьев во всех условиях выращивания. Выявлено формирование высокой урожайности в открытом грунте у большинства сортотипов, лишь образцы сортотипов Белый длинный и Красный имели высокую урожайность в защищенном грунте. В весенней теплице формировался урожай более высокого качества. Выделено 7 образцов редиса, которые представляют селекционную ценность. Их, возможно, использовать в качестве исходного материала для селекции на продуктивность, качество корнеплода, устойчивость к стеблеванию в условиях пониженных температур и длинного дня

Генетическое разнообразие и биохимическая ценность корнеплодных овощных растений семейства капустные (Brassicaceae Burnett)

Root crops of the Cabbage family (radish, turnip, garden radish, Russian turnip) are valuable root vegetable crops widely cultivated in the world. Radish and garden radish belong to botanical species Raphanus sativus L., turnips belong to species Brassica rapa L. subsp. rapa, and Russian turnip to Brassica napobrassica L. The root crops are valuable for high concentration of vitamins B1, B2, B6, PP, C, essential amino acids and essential and mustard oils. The world collection of root plants of Cabbage family is represented by more than 2500 samples of garden radish and radish from 75 countries; 604 samples of turnip from 32 countries, 251 samples of rutabaga from 26 countries. The researchers from Russian Institute of Genetic Plant Resources named after N.I.Vavilov are involved in collecting, preserving and investigating genetic resources of root crops. The collection is being completed by expeditionary surveys, references from breeding institutions in Russia, extracts from foreign genetic banks and commercial acquisitions. The authors focus on the fact that cultivation of root crops in the Asian part of Russia requires varieties of garden radish, radish, turnips and Russian turnip not only with high yield potential, but also well adapted to local conditions, high nutritional value and high concentration of biologically active matters. Breeding of these crops should be aimed at improving their biological and consumer properties. The properties are seen as tasty varieties, ones with nutritional value that are able to keep juiciness of the pulp for a long time and resistant to biotic and abiotic environmental factors.Корнеплодные культуры семейства Капустные (редька, репа, редис, брюква) являются ценными корнеплодными овощными культурами, широко возделываемыми во всем мире. Редька и редис относятся к ботаническому виду Raphanus sativus L., репа – к виду Brassica rapa L. subsp. rapa, брюква – к виду Brassica napobrassica L. Корнеплоды этих культур ценятся за высокое содержание витаминов В1, В2, В6, РР, С, незаменимых аминокислот, эфирных и горчичных масел. Мировая коллекция ВИР корнеплодных растений семейства Капустные представлена более чем 2500 образцами редиса и редьки из 75 стран мира, 604 образцами репы из 32 стран, 251 образцом брюквы из 26 стран. В настоящее время в ВИР им. Н. И. Вавилова продолжается работа по сбору, сохранению и изучению генетических ресурсов корнеплодных растений. Коллекция продолжает пополняться за счет экспедиционных обследований, поступлений из селекционных учреждений России, выписки из зарубежных генетических банков и коммерческого приобретения. Для возделывания корнеплодных культур в азиатской части России нужны сорта редиса, редьки, репы и брюквы не только с высоким потенциалом урожайности, но и хорошо приспособленные к местным условиям, имеющие высокую питательную ценность и повышенное содержание биологически активных веществ. Селекционная работа с этими культурами должна быть направлена на улучшение их биологических и потребительских качеств, таких как создание сортов с хорошим вкусом и пищевой ценностью, способных длительное время сохранять сочность мякоти, устойчивых к биотическим и абиотическим факторам среды