The ER luminal binding protein (BiP) mediates an increase in drought tolerance in soybean and delays drought-induced leaf senescence in soybean and tobacco

The ER-resident molecular chaperone BiP (binding protein) was overexpressed in soybean. When plants growing in soil were exposed to drought (by reducing or completely withholding watering) the wild-type lines showed a large decrease in leaf water potential and leaf wilting, but the leaves in the transgenic lines did not wilt and exhibited only a small decrease in water potential. During exposure to drought the stomata of the transgenic lines did not close as much as in the wild type, and the rates of photosynthesis and transpiration became less inhibited than in the wild type. These parameters of drought resistance in the BiP overexpressing lines were not associated with a higher level of the osmolytes proline, sucrose, and glucose. It was also not associated with the typical drought-induced increase in root dry weight. Rather, at the end of the drought period, the BiP overexpressing lines had a lower level of the osmolytes and root weight than the wild type. The mRNA abundance of several typical drought-induced genes [NAC2, a seed maturation protein (SMP), a glutathione-S-transferase (GST), antiquitin, and protein disulphide isomerase 3 (PDI-3)] increased in the drought-stressed wild-type plants. Compared with the wild type, the increase in mRNA abundance of these genes was less (in some genes much less) in the BiP overexpressing lines that were exposed to drought. The effect of drought on leaf senescence was investigated in soybean and tobacco. It had previously been reported that tobacco BiP overexpression or repression reduced or accentuated the effects of drought. BiP overexpressing tobacco and soybean showed delayed leaf senescence during drought. BiP antisense tobacco plants, conversely, showed advanced leaf senescence. It is concluded that BiP overexpression confers resistance to drought, through an as yet unknown mechanism that is related to ER functioning. The delay in leaf senescence by BiP overexpression might relate to the absence of the response to drought

Divergência em QTLs e variância genética para teores de proteína e óleo em soja

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a relação entre os parâmetros de divergência em regiões de QTLs e a variância genética em genótipos de soja, quanto aos teores de proteína e óleo nos grãos. Dois grupos de genótipos foram avaliados, em diferentes ambientes, quanto aos teores de proteína e óleo e genotipados com marcadores moleculares de regiões de QTLs. A partir de cada grupo, estabeleceram-se subgrupos por critérios pré-definidos e avaliou-se a relação entre os parâmetros, tendo-se comparado a divergência média e a variância genética entre os subgrupos. Os subgrupos foram definidos com base nos critérios de diferença em divergência média, homogeneidade e heterogeneidade nos subgrupos e proximidade em uma projeção tridimensional da matriz de distância. As percentagens de concordância entre maiores valores de divergência média e de variância genética para o total de subgrupos de cada grupo inicial foram de 72,5 e de 73,4%, respectivamente. Portanto, nestes genótipos, há relação positiva entre as estimativas de divergência em regiões de QTL e variância genética para os teores de proteína e de óleo dos grãos. As distâncias genéticas com base nos marcadores moleculares de regiões de QTLs são eficientes para a predição da variabilidade genética em genótipos de soja para os teores de proteína e de óleo dos grãos

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

Quantification of anti-nutritional factors and their correlations with protein and oil in soybeans

Soybeans contain about 30% carbohydrate, mainly consisting of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and oligosaccharides. NSP are not hydrolyzed in the gastrointestinal tract of monogastric animals. These NSP negatively affect the development of these animals, especially the soluble fraction. This work aimed to establish a method to quantify NSP in soybeans, using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and to estimate correlations between NSP, oligosaccharides, protein and oil. Sucrose, raffinose + stachyose, soluble and insoluble NSP contents were determined by HPLC. Oil and protein contents were determined by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The soluble PNAs content showed no significant correlation with protein, oil, sucrose and raffinose + stachyose contents, but oligosaccharides showed a negative correlation with protein content. These findings open up the possibility of developing cultivars with low soluble NSP content, aiming to develop feed for monogastric animals

Quantification of anti-nutritional factors and their correlations with protein and oil in soybeans

ABSTRACT Soybeans contain about 30% carbohydrate, mainly consisting of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and oligosaccharides. NSP are not hydrolyzed in the gastrointestinal tract of monogastric animals. These NSP negatively affect the development of these animals, especially the soluble fraction. This work aimed to establish a method to quantify NSP in soybeans, using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and to estimate correlations between NSP, oligosaccharides, protein and oil. Sucrose, raffinose + stachyose, soluble and insoluble NSP contents were determined by HPLC. Oil and protein contents were determined by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The soluble PNAs content showed no significant correlation with protein, oil, sucrose and raffinose + stachyose contents, but oligosaccharides showed a negative correlation with protein content. These findings open up the possibility of developing cultivars with low soluble NSP content, aiming to develop feed for monogastric animals

Barley starch

This thesis examined barley amylopectin structure and looked for correlations between the structure and physical properties of starch. The structure of amylopectin and gelatinisation and retrogradation of starch were studied in 10 different barley cultivars/breeding lines with differing genetic background. Amylopectin is built up of thousands of chains of glucose monomers, organised into clusters. The detailed fine structure of amylopectin was studied by isolating clusters of amylopectin and their building blocks, which are the tightly branched units building up the clusters. Barley cultivars/breeding lines possessing the amo1 mutation had fewer long chains of DP≥38 in amylopectin and more large building blocks. The structure of building blocks was rather conserved between the different barley cultivars/breeding lines studied and was categorized into different size groups. These different building blocks were shown to be randomly distributed in the amylopectin molecule. The C-chains in amylopectin can be of any length and are a category of chains different from the B-chains. The backbone in amylopectin consists of a special type of B-chains which, when cleaved by α-amylase, become chains of a similar type to C-chains. Gelatinisation and retrogradation (recrystallisation of gelatinised starch) of barley starch was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The amo1 mutation resulted in a broader gelatinisation temperature range and a higher enthalpy of retrogradation. Other structural features were also found to influence the physical properties of starch. Small clusters and denser structure of the building blocks resulted in higher gelatinisation temperature. Fast retrogradation was observed in barley which had amylopectin with shorter chains and many large building blocks consisting of many chains. Amylopectin structure was also studied in developing barley kernels. Three barley cultivars/breeding lines were grown in a phytotron and kernels were harvested at 9, 12 and 24 days after flowering. The results showed that amylopectin synthesized at later stages of development had a more tightly branched structure. Expression of the enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis is also known to change during endosperm development

Inequalities in the distribution of dental caries among 12-year-old Brazilian schoolchildren

We assessed the inequality in the distribution of dental caries and the association between indicators of socioeconomic status and caries experience in a representative sample of schoolchildren. This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a sample of 792 schoolchildren aged 12 years, representative of this age group in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Guardians answered questions on socioeconomic status and a dental examination provided information on the dental caries experience (DMF-T). Inequality in dental caries distribution was measured by the Gini coefficient and the Significant Caries Index (SiC). The assessment of association used Poisson regression models. Socioeconomic factors were associated with prevalence of dental caries for the whole sample and also for individuals with a high-caries level. Children from low-income households had the highest prevalence of dental caries. The Gini coefficient was 0.7 and the SiC Index 2.5. The percentage of caries prevalence was 39.3% (95% CI: 35.8%-42.8%) and the mean for DMF-T was 0.9 (± SD 1.5). Inequalities in the distribution of dental caries were observed and socioeconomic factors were found to be strong predictors of the prevalence of oral disease in children of this age group

Efeito do inibidor de protease Kunitz sobre níveis de lipoxigenases em sementes de soja Effect of protease inhibitor on the levels of lipoxygenase in soybean seeds

As lipoxigenases (LOX) são responsáveis pelo "beany flavor", sabor característico da soja [Glycine max. (L.) Merrill], que é o maior obstáculo ao consumo da soja nos países ocidentais. O inibidor de tripsina Kunitz (KTI) é responsável por 80% da inibição da atividade tríptica, além de provocar hiperplasia pancreática em animais monogástricos. Essas duas características são muito importantes em programas de melhoramento que visam à melhoria da qualidade da soja. Objetivou-se, neste trabalho verificar o efeito do inibidor de protease (KTI), sobre níveis de LOX em sementes de soja, nos seguintes genótipos: KTI+/LOX+, KTI+/LOX-, KTI-/LOX+ e KTI-/LOX-. As LOXs foram identificadas por teste colorimétrico, atividade enzimática e eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida. O teor de proteína foi quantificado pelo método do ácido bicinconínico para determinação da atividade específica de LOX. Observou-se que, para o genótipo KTI+/LOX+, a atividade específica de LOX 1 foi alta, variando de 177,92 a 206,94 UA/mg de proteína e para LOX 3 variou de 17,90 a 19,85 UA/mg de proteína; para KTI+/LOX- e KTI-/LOX- não foi detectada atividade de LOX e que para o genótipo KTI-/LOX+ a atividade específica para LOX 1 variou de 117,24 a 124,64 UA/mg de proteína, e de 17,35 a 20,29 UA/mg de proteína para LOX 3. Houve uma redução de 40% na atividade específica de LOX1 e de 1% para LOX 3, no genótipo KTI-/LOX+, quando comparados ao KTI+/LOX+. Esses resultados comprovam uma associação negativa entre o inibidor de tripsina Kunitz e a atividade de lipoxigenases.<br>Lipoxygenases (LOX) are responsible for the beany flavor, which is the most important obstacle for the consumption of soybean [Glycine max. (L.) Merrill] products in Western countries. The Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) is responsible for 80% of the inhibition of tryptic activity in soybean seeds, and besides it can cause pancreatic hyperplasia in monogastric animals. These two traits are very important in soybean breeding programs that aim the improvement of soy protein quality. The objective of this study was to verify the influence of KTI on LOX levels in soybean seeds by analyzing the following genotypes: KTI+/LOX+, KTI+/LOX-, KTI-/LOX+ and KTI-/LOX-. LOX 1 and LOX 3 were identified by colorimetric, activity and electrophoretic assays. Protein content was determined by the bicinchoninic method for determination of LOX specific activity. For genotype KTI+/LOX+, LOX 1 specific activity was high varying from 177.92 to 206.94 AU/mg of protein and LOX 3 activity varied from 17.90 to 19.85 AU/mg of protein. No LOX activity was detected in genotypes KTI+/LOX- and KTI-/LOX-. For genotype KTI-/LOX+, LOX 1 activity varied from 117.24 to 124.64 AU/mg of protein, and the activity of LOX 3 from 17.35 to 20.29 AU/mg of protein. There was a reduction of 40% on LOX 1 specific activity and 1% for LOX 3 in the KTI-/LOX+ genotype in comparison to genotype KTI+/LOX+. These results indicate an inverse relationship between the presence of the Kunitz trypsin inhibitor in soybean seeds and lipoxygenase activity