6 research outputs found
TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives
Identification of Amazonian Trees with DNA Barcodes
International audienc
TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives
Mutations in rpoB and katG genes in Mycobacterium isolates from the Southeast of Mexico
The most frequent mutations associated with rifampin and isoniazid
resistance in Mycobacterium are the substitutions at codons 531 and 315
in the rpoB and katG genes, respectively. Hence, the aim of this study
was to characterize these mutations in Mycobacterium isolates from
patients suspected to be infected with drug-resistant (DR) pulmonary
tuberculosis (TB) in Veracruz, Mexico. Drug susceptibility testing of
25 clinical isolates revealed that five were susceptible while 20 (80%)
were DR (15% of the annual prevalence for Veracruz). Of the DR
isolates, 15 (75%) were resistant to rifampin, 17 (85%) to isoniazid
and 15 (75%) were resistant to both drugs (MDR). Sequencing analysis
performed in the isolates showed that 14 (93%) had mutations in the
rpoB gene; seven of these (47%) exhibited a mutation at 531
(S→L). Ten (58%) of the 20 resistant isolates showed mutations in
katG; nine (52%) of these 10 exhibited a mutation at 315 (S→T).
In conclusion, the DR profile of the isolates suggests a significant
number of different DR-TB strains with a low frequency of mutation at
codons 531 and 315 in rpoB and katG, respectively. This result leads us
to consider different regions of the same genes, as well as other genes
for further analysis, which is important if a genetic-based diagnosis
of DR-TB is to be developed for this region