101 research outputs found
Mineral Monitorization in Different Tissues of Solanum tuberosum L. during Calcium Biofortification Process
Calcium is one of the 16 essential elements for plants, being required as Ca2+ and being
involved in several fundamental processes (namely, in the stability and integrity of the cell wall, the
development of plant tissue, cell division, and in stress responses). Moreover, Ca plays an important
role in potato production. In this context, this study aimed to monitor the culture development
(in situ and using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)) and the mineral content of four essential
elements (Ca, P, K, and S) in different organs of Solanum tuberosum L. (roots, stems, leaves, and tubers)
during a calcium biofortification process, carried out with two types of solutions (CaCl2 and Ca-
EDTA) with two concentrations (12 and 24 kg ha1). The calcium content generally increased in the
S. tuberosum L. organs of both varieties and showed, after the last foliar application, an increase in Ca
content that varied between 5.7–95.6% and 20.7–33%, for the Picasso and Agria varieties, respectively.
The patterns of accumulation in both varieties during the biofortification process were different
between the variety and mineral element. Regarding the quality analysis carried out during the
development of the tubers, only the Agria variety was suitable for industrial processing after the last
foliar applicationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Enrichment of Grapes with Zinc-Efficiency of Foliar Fertilization with ZnSO4 and ZnO and Implications on Winemaking
Grapes and wine are widely consumed in the world, yet their mineral content can be
influenced by many factors such as the mineral composition of soils, viticulture practices and
environmental conditions. In this context, considering the importance of Zn in the human physiology,
the enrichment of Moscatel and Castelão grapes (white and red variety, respectively) with this
nutrient prompted this study; further assessment of tissue deposition and some implications for wine
production. Using two foliar fertilizers (ZnO or ZnSO4, at 150, 450 and 900 g ha1), decreases in net
photosynthesis and stomatal conductance occurred in both varieties, suggesting that the physiological
threshold of Zn toxicity was reached without visible symptoms. Following foliar spraying with
both fertilizers, the content of Zn in leaves of the Castelão and Moscatel varieties showed higher
values in all treatments relative to the control. Moreover, in grapes this tendency occurred only in
Castelão. Concerning Cu, Fe, Ca, K, S and P, some significant differences also happened in leaves
and grapes among treatments. At harvest, the indexes of Zn enrichment in grapes increased between
2.14- and 8.38-fold and between 1.02- and 1.44-fold in Castelão and Moscatel varieties, respectively.
Zinc in the dried skin of Castelão only increased with ZnO and ZnSO4 sprayed at 900 g ha1 (ca.
2.71- and 1.5-fold relative to the control, respectively), but in Moscatel a clear accumulation trend
could not be found. The dry weight of grapes ranged (in %) between 16 and 23 (but did not vary
significantly among treatments of each variety or in each treatment between varieties), and total
soluble solids (e.g., mainly soluble sugars and proteins) and color parameters showed some significant
variations. Through winemaking, the contents of Zn increased in both varieties (1.34- and 3.57-fold,
in Castelão and Moscatel, respectively) and in all treatments, although non-significantly in Castelão.
It is concluded that, to increase the contents of Zn in grapes without reaching the threshold of toxicity ZnO or ZnSO4 can be used for foliar spraying of Castelão and Moscatel varieties until 900 g ha1 and
that winemaking augments the level of this nutrientinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Zinc Biofortification in Vitis vinifera: Implications for Quality and Wine Production
Nowadays, there is a growing concern about micronutrient deficits in food products, with
agronomic biofortification being considered a mitigation strategy. In this context, as Zn is essential
for growth and maintenance of human health, a workflow for the biofortification of grapes from
the Vitis vinifera variety Fernão Pires, which contains this nutrient, was carried out considering
the soil properties of the vineyard. Additionally, Zn accumulation in the tissues of the grapes
and the implications for some quality parameters and on winemaking were assessed. Vines were
sprayed three times with ZnO and ZnSO4 at concentrations of 150, 450, and 900 g ha1 during
the production cycle. Physiological data were obtained through chlorophyll a fluorescence data, to
access the potential symptoms of toxicity. At harvest, treated grapes revealed significant increases
of Zn concentration relative to the control, being more pronounced for ZnO and ZnSO4 in the
skin and seeds, respectively. After winemaking, an increase was also found regarding the control
(i.e., 1.59-fold with ZnSO4-450 g ha1). The contents of the sugars and fatty acids, as well as the
colorimetric analyses, were also assessed, but significant variations were not found among treatments.
In general, Zn biofortification increased with ZnO and ZnSO4, without significantly affecting the
physicochemical characteristics of grapesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Magnesium Accumulation in Two Contrasting Varieties of Lycopersicum esculentum L. Fruits: Interaction with Calcium at Tissue Level and Implications on Quality
As the productivity and quality of tomato fruits are responsive to Mg applications, without
surpassing the threshold of toxicity, the assessment of potential levels of Mg accumulation in tissues,
as well as the interactions with Ca and physicochemical properties, prompt this study. An agronomic
workflow for Mg enrichment, consisting of six foliar applications of MgSO4 with four concentrations
(0%, 0.25%, 1% and 4%), equivalent to 0, 43.9, 175.5 and 702 g ha-1
, was applied on two tomato
(Lycopersicum esculentum L.) genotypes (Heinz1534 and Heinz9205). During fruit development, leaf
gas exchange was screened, with only minor physiological deviations being found. At harvest,
Mg contents among tissues and the interactions with Ca were analyzed, and it was found that in
both varieties a higher Mg/Ca ratio prevailed in the most external part of the fruit sprayed with
4% MgSO4. However, Mg distribution prevailed relatively near the epidermis in H1534, while
in H9205 the higher contents of this nutrient occurred in the core of the fruit, which indicated a
decrease of the relative proportion of Ca. The morphologic (height and diameter), physical (dry
weight and density) and colorimetric parameters, and the total soluble solids of fruits, did not reveal
significant changes in both tomato varieties. It was further concluded that foliar application until
4% MgSO4 does not have physiological impacts in the fruit’s quality of both varieties, but in spite of
the different patterns of Mg accumulation in tissues, if the mean value in the whole fruit is considered,
this nutrient prevails in H1534. This study thus suggests that variety H1534 can be used to attain
tomato fruits with added value, providing an option of further processing to achieve food products
with functional properties, ultimately proving a beneficial option to producers, the food processing industry and consumers. Moreover, the study reinforces the importance of variety choice when
designing enrichment workflowsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Motor uncoordination and neuropathology in a transgenic mouse model of Machado-Joseph disease lacking intranuclear inclusions and ataxin-3 cleavage products
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the ataxin-3 protein. We generated two transgenic mouse lineages expressing the expanded human ataxin-3 under the control of the CMV promoter: CMVMJD83 and CMVMJD94, carrying Q83 and Q94 stretches, respectively. Behavioral analysis revealed that the CMVMJD94 transgenic mice developed motor uncoordination, intergenerational instability of the CAG repeat and a tissue-specific increase in the somatic mosaicism of the repeat with aging. Histopathological analysis of MJD mice at early and late stages of the disease revealed neuronal atrophy and astrogliosis in several brain regions; however, we found no signs of microglial activation or neuroinflammatory response prior to the appearance of an overt phenotype. In our model, the appearance of MJD-like symptoms was also not associated with the presence of ataxin-3 cleavage products or intranuclear aggregates. We propose the transgenic CMVMJD94 mice as a useful model to study the early stages in the pathogenesis of MJD and to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in CAG repeat instability.We would like to thank to Dr. Henry Paulson for providing the anti-ataxin-3 serum, Dr. Monica Sousa for the pCMV vector and to Eng. Lucilia Goreti Pinto for technical assistance. AS-F., M.C.C., S.S. and C.B. received FCT fellowships (SFRH/BD/15910/2005; SFRH/BPD/28560/2006; PTDC/SAU-GMG/64076/2006; SFRH/BPD/20987/2004). This research was funded by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia through projects FEDER/FCT, POCI/SAU-MMO/60412/2004, PTDC/SAU-GMG/64076/2006; and Ataxia MJD Research Project
Paradoxical effects of Worrisome Thoughts Suppression: the influence of depressive mood
Thought suppression increases the persistence of unwanted idiosyncratic worries
thoughts when individuals try to suppress them. The failure of suppression may
contribute to the development and maintenance of emotional disorders. Depressive
people seem particulary prone to engage in unsuccessful mental control strategies such
as thought suppression. Worry has been reported to be elevated in depressed individuals
and a dysphoric mood may also contribute for the failure of suppression. No studies
examine, however, the suppression of worisome thoughts in individuals with depressive
symptoms. To investigate the suppression effects of worrisome thoughts, 46
participants were selected according to the cut-off score of a depressive
symptomatology scale and they were divided in two groups (subclinical and nonclinical
group). All the individuals took part in an experimental paradigm of thought
suppression. The results of the mixed factorial analysis of variance revealed an
increased frequency of worrisome thoughts during the suppression phase on depending
of the depressive symptoms. These findings confirm that depressive mood can reduce
the success of suppression.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Foliar Spraying of Solanum tuberosum L. with CaCl2 and Ca(NO3)2: Interactions with Nutrients Accumulation in Tubers
Calcium is essential for plants, yet as its mobility is limited, the understanding of the rate
of Ca2+ accumulation and deposition in tissues of tubers, as well as the interactions with other critical
nutrients prompted this study. To assess the interactions and differential accumulation of micro
and macronutrients in the tissues of tubers, Solanum tuberosum L. varieties Agria and Rossi were
cultivated and, after the beginning of tuberization, four foliar sprayings (at 8–10 day intervals) with
CaCl2 (3 and 6 kg ha1) or Ca(NO3)2 (2 and 4 kg ha1) solutions were performed. It was found that
both fertilizers increased Ca accumulation in tubers (mostly in the parenchyma tissues located in the
center of the equatorial region). The functioning of the photosynthetic apparatus was not affected
until the 3rd application but was somewhat affected when approaching the end of the crop cycle
(after the 4th application), although the lower dose of CaCl2 seemed to improve the photochemical
use of energy, particularly when compared with the greater dose of Ca(NO3)2. Still, none of these
impacts modified tuber height and diameter. Following the increased accumulation of Ca, in the
tubers of both varieties, the mean contents of P, K, Na, Fe, and Zn revealed different accumulation
patterns. Moreover, accumulation of K, Fe, Mn, and Zn prevailed in the epidermis, displaying a
contrasting pattern relative to Ca. Therefore, Ca accumulation revealed a heterogeneous trend in the
different regions analyzed, and Ca enrichment of tubers altered the accumulation of other nutrientsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Association of 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid Exposure during Pregnancy with Maternal Outcomes and Newborn Anthropometric Measures: Results from the IoMum Cohort Study
The aims of this study were to characterize the exposure of pregnant women living in
Portugal to 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) and to evaluate the association of this exposure with
maternal outcomes and newborn anthropometric measures. We also aimed to compare exposure
in summer with exposure in winter. Pregnant women attending ultrasound scans from April 2018
to April 2019 at a central hospital in Porto, Portugal, were invited to participate. Inclusion criteria
were: gestational week between 10 and 13, confirmed fetal vitality, and a signature of informed
consent. 3-PBA was measured in spot urine samples by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry
(GC-MS). The median 3-PBA concentration was 0.263 (0.167; 0.458) μg/g creatinine (n = 145). 3-PBA
excretion was negatively associated with maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.049),
and it was higher during the summer when compared to winter (p < 0.001). The frequency of fish or
yogurt consumption was associated positively with 3-PBA excretion, particularly during the winter
(p = 0.002 and p = 0.015, respectively), when environmental exposure is low. Moreover, 3-PBA was
associated with levothyroxine use (p = 0.01), a proxy for hypothyroidism, which could be due to a
putative 3-PBA—thyroid hormone antagonistic effect. 3-PBA levels were not associated with the
anthropometric measures of the newborn. In conclusion, pregnant women living in Portugal are
exposed to 3-PBA, particularly during summer, and this exposure may be associated with maternal
clinical features.This article was supported by national funds through the FCT Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., within the scope of the projects RISE - LA/P/0053/2020; CINTESIS, R&D UNIT (reference UIDB/4255/2020) and LAQV (references: UIDB/50006/2020 AND UIDP/50006/2020). Virgínia Cruz Fernandes was funded by FCT/MCTES (Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) and the ESF (European Social Fund) through NORTE 2020 (North Region Operational Program) through a grant of Post-Doc (reference SFRH/BPD/109153/2015). Juliana Guimarães was funded by FCT/MCTES (Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under CINTESIS by a PhD scholarship (reference UI/BD/152087/2021).
The authors would like to thank the kind participation of all pregnant women and the support of the recruitment activities by the health professionals of the Department of Obstetrics, Centro Hospitalar Universitário S. João, Porto, Portugal and also to the professionals of REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Politécnico do Porto, for their collaboration in carrying out the analyzes of the 3-PBA metabolite. This work received support from PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through the projects LA/P/0053/2020; UIDB/4255/2020; UIDB/5006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020. Virgínia Cruz Fernandes thanks FCT/MCTES (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) and ESF (European Social Fund) through NORTE 2020 (Programa Operacional Região Norte) for his/her Post-Doc grant ref. SFRH/BPD/109153/2015). Juliana Guimarães was funded by FCT/MCTES (Foundation for Science and Technology and Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under CINTESIS by a PhD scholarship (reference UI/BD/152087/2021).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Macaronesia Acts as a Museum of Genetic Diversity of Relict Ferns: The Case of Diplazium caudatum (Athyriaceae)
Macaronesia has been considered a refuge region of the formerly widespread subtropical
lauroid flora that lived in Southern Europe during the Tertiary. The study of relict angiosperms
has shown that Macaronesian relict taxa preserve genetic variation and revealed general patterns
of colonization and dispersal. However, information on the conservation of genetic diversity and
range dynamics rapidly diminishes when referring to pteridophytes, despite their dominance of the
herbaceous stratum in the European tropical palaeoflora. Here we aim to elucidate the pattern of
genetic diversity and phylogeography of Diplazium caudatum, a hypothesized species of the Tertiary
Palaeotropical flora and currently with its populations restricted across Macaronesia and disjunctly in
the Sierras de Algeciras (Andalusia, southern Iberian Peninsula). We analysed 12 populations across
the species range using eight microsatellite loci, sequences of a region of plastid DNA, and carry out
species-distribution modelling analyses. Our dating results confirm the Tertiary origin of this species.
The Macaronesian archipelagos served as a refuge during at least the Quaternary glacial cycles, where
populations of D. caudatum preserved higher levels of genetic variation than mainland populations.
Our data suggest the disappearance of the species in the continent and the subsequent recolonization
from Macaronesia. The results of the AMOVA analysis and the indices of clonal diversity and
linkage disequilibrium suggest that D. caudatum is a species in which inter-gametophytic outcrossing
predominates, and that in the Andalusian populations there was a shift in mating system toward
increased inbreeding and/or clonality. The model that best explains the genetic diversity distribution
pattern observed in Macaronesia is, the initial and recurrent colonization between islands and
archipelagos and the relatively recent diversification of restricted area lineages, probably due to the
decrease of favorable habitats and competition with lineages previously established. This study
extends to ferns the concept of Macaronesia archipelagos as refugia for genetic variation
Teratogenic processes in an embryo without gills and low yolk absorption of Zapteryx brevirostris (Elasmobranchii: Rhinobatidae)
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