A comparison of the low temperature transcriptomes and CBF regulons of three plant species that differ in freezing tolerance: Solanum commersonii, Solanum tuberosum, and Arabidopsis thaliana

Solanum commersonii and Solanum tuberosum are closely related plant species that differ in their abilities to cold acclimate; whereas S. commersonii increases in freezing tolerance in response to low temperature, S. tuberosum does not. In Arabidopsis thaliana, cold-regulated genes have been shown to contribute to freezing tolerance, including those that comprise the CBF regulon, genes that are controlled by the CBF transcription factors. The low temperature transcriptomes and CBF regulons of S. commersonii and S. tuberosum were therefore compared to determine whether there might be differences that contribute to their differences in ability to cold acclimate. The results indicated that both plants alter gene expression in response to low temperature to similar degrees with similar kinetics and that both plants have CBF regulons composed of hundreds of genes. However, there were considerable differences in the sets of genes that comprised the low temperature transcriptomes and CBF regulons of the two species. Thus differences in cold regulatory programmes may contribute to the differences in freezing tolerance of these two species. However, 53 groups of putative orthologous genes that are cold-regulated in S. commersonii, S. tuberosum, and A. thaliana were identified. Given that the evolutionary distance between the two Solanum species and A. thaliana is 112–156 million years, it seems likely that these conserved cold-regulated genes—many of which encode transcription factors and proteins of unknown function—have fundamental roles in plant growth and development at low temperature

Amianto, perigo e invisibilidade: percepção de riscos ambientais e à saúde de moradores do município de Bom Jesus da Serra/Bahia Asbestos, danger and invisibility: perception of environmental risks and health of the residents of Bom Jesus da Serra/ Bahia state

Na sociedade atual, tornou-se importante o fato de conhecer como as populações expostas ambientalmente formulam e respondem aos riscos químicos tecnológicos. Este estudo objetivou analisar a percepção de riscos ambientais e à saúde de moradores do município de Bom Jesus da Serra/BA, que se apresenta como uma área especialmente envolvida pela exposição ambiental ao amianto no Brasil. Foram aplicados questionários mistos com moradores usuários de duas estratégias de saúde da família desse município. Os sujeitos do estudo foram selecionados conforme as seguintes características: faixas etárias específicas- uma de 20 a 35 anos e outra a partir de 60 anos; gênero; tempo e local de moradia. A amostra intencional alcançada foi de 83 sujeitos. Os resultados mostraram que predominou a preocupação sobre a contaminação do ar pela poeira, mas houve negação dos riscos ambientais relacionados ao amianto. No que se refere aos riscos à saúde, também ocorreu invisibilidade pela maioria dos informantes sobre a maior chance de se ter câncer e doenças pulmonares para quem resida nesse município, principalmente para o grupo de moradores próximo à mina e de ex-trabalhadores idosos.<br>It is important for society as a whole to know how environmentally exposed populations understand and respond to technological chemical risks. This study aimed to analyze the perception of environmental risks and health of the residents of BJS/BA, which is an area especially subjected to environmental exposure to asbestos in Brazil. Mixed questionnaires were used on residents who attend the "Family Health Program" of this city. The subjects of the study were selected according to the following characteristics: specific age groups - one group from 20 to 35 and the other group over 60; sex; length of time and location of dwelling. The intentional sample reached comprised 83 individuals. The results showed that there was general concern about contamination by dust in the air, but general denial of the environmental risks related to asbestos. With respect to health risks, there was lack of visibility by the majority of informants regarding greater risk of getting cancer and pulmonary diseases, mainly for the group of the residents close to the mine and elderly ex-workers