Resistenzzüchtung in Dresden-Pillnitz - Der Apfel

The Institute of Fruit Breeding has a long tradition in breeding resistant apple cultivars. Systematic resistance breeding started in the 1930 ties in Müncheberg. Material developed in Müncheberg was transferred in the 1970 ties to the Institute for Fruit Research, the antecessor of the Institute of Fruit Breeding. Based on this material, a couple of multiple resistant cultivars were generated. The time schedule for combining biotic and abiotic resistant traits which demonstrates the long-lasting period necessary for systematic resistance breeding is given. An overview of resistant cultivars of Dresden-Pillnitz and the respective resistant traits is presented. This assortment of cultivars was developed to provide a resistant cultivar for each ripening group and every application in fruit growing. Modern resistance breeding is focused on quality and combination of different resistance genes for each pathogene to achieve durable resistance. Selection is facilitated by genetic markers. Likewise the look for new resistance genes, the analyses of genetics and the development of basic material are main areas of interest. Practical approaches in apple breeding to reach these aims are reported

Diversity of banana streak-inducing viruses in Nigeria and Ghana: Twice as many sources detected by immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) than by TAS-ELISA or IC-PCR

Our previous study had shown that some Musa leaf samples with Banana streak symptoms tested negative for Banana streak virus (BSV) in triple antibody-sandwich ELISA (TAS-ELISA). Therefore, in this study 63 additional Musa leaf samples were tested for BSV by TAS-ELISA, immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) and immunocapture polymerase chain reaction (IC-PCR). Sensitivity tests by sap dilution end-point analyses indicated that IC-PCR was considerably more sensitive than IEM fordetecting typical BSV, while IEM proved to be of similar sensitivity as TAS-ELISA. However, when leaf samples of Musa plants, obtained from different farmers’ fields in Nigeria and Ghana and some Nigeriansources maintained in the greenhouse were screened for BSV, more than twice as many samples revealed BSV-like particles by IEM than were detected by TAS-ELISA or IC-PCR. Of the 51 leaf samplesthat were BSV positive in all tests taken together, 48 were positive by IEM, 25 by IC-PCR and only 19 by TAS-ELISA. Upon IEM examination, typical bacilliform BSV-like particles were clearly recognized although in very diverse concentrations. Bacilliform particles deviating in length from the main particle populations or showing an angularly bent morphology were found. Occasionally, in certain samples and with certain antisera the IEM decoration tests revealed mixtures of strongly decorated and weaklydecorated BSV-like particles or bacilliform particles which did not at all react with the antibodies available. This proved, the occurrence, besides the presence of typical BSV, of diverse populations of BSV-like viruses in West Afric

Turnip mosaic potyvirus probably first spread to Eurasian brassica crops from wild orchids about 1000 years ago

Turnip mosaic potyvirus (TuMV) is probably the most widespread and damaging virus that infects cultivated brassicas worldwide. Previous work has indicated that the virus originated in western Eurasia, with all of its closest relatives being viruses of monocotyledonous plants. Here we report that we have identified a sister lineage of TuMV-like potyviruses (TuMV-OM) from European orchids. The isolates of TuMV-OM form a monophyletic sister lineage to the brassica-infecting TuMVs (TuMV-BIs), and are nested within a clade of monocotyledon-infecting viruses. Extensive host-range tests showed that all of the TuMV-OMs are biologically similar to, but distinct from, TuMV-BIs and do not readily infect brassicas. We conclude that it is more likely that TuMV evolved from a TuMV-OM-like ancestor than the reverse. We did Bayesian coalescent analyses using a combination of novel and published sequence data from four TuMV genes [helper component-proteinase protein (HC-Pro), protein 3(P3), nuclear inclusion b protein (NIb), and coat protein (CP)]. Three genes (HC-Pro, P3, and NIb), but not the CP gene, gave results indicating that the TuMV-BI viruses diverged from TuMV-OMs around 1000 years ago. Only 150 years later, the four lineages of the present global population of TuMV-BIs diverged from one another. These dates are congruent with historical records of the spread of agriculture in Western Europe. From about 1200 years ago, there was a warming of the climate, and agriculture and the human population of the region greatly increased. Farming replaced woodlands, fostering viruses and aphid vectors that could invade the crops, which included several brassica cultivars and weeds. Later, starting 500 years ago, inter-continental maritime trade probably spread the TuMV-BIs to the remainder of the world

Oxytocin system gene methylation is associated with empathic responses towards children

Empathy is an essential component of sensitive caregiving behavior, which in turn is an important predictor of children's healthy social-emotional development. The oxytocin (OXT) system plays a key role in promoting sensitive parenting and empathy. In this study, we investigated how OXT system gene methylation was associated with empathic processes in nulliparous women (M age = 23.60, SD =0.44)-measuring both physiological facial muscle responses and ratings of compassion and positive affect to affective images depicting children. Linear mixed effects analyses demonstrated that lower methylation levels in the OXT and OXTR genes were related to enhanced empathic responses. The effect of OXT system gene methylation on empathic processes was partly qualified by an interaction with individual variations in women's care motivation. Our findings provide experimental evidence for an association between the methylation of OXT system genes and empathy.Education and Child Studie

Critical structure factor in Ising systems

We perform a large-scale Monte Carlo simulation of the three-dimensional Ising model on simple cubic lattices of size L^3 with L=128 and 256. We determine the corresponding structure factor (Fourier transform of the two-point function) and compare it with several approximations and with experimental results. We also compute the turbidity as a function of the momentum of the incoming radiation, focusing in particular on the deviations from the Ornstein-Zernicke expression of Puglielli and Ford.Comment: 16 page