Energy efficiency of transmit diversity systems under a realistic power consumption model

We compare the downlink energy efficiency of spatial diversity multiple transmit antenna schemes. We determine the minimum required transmit power for a given outage probability. Our analysis shows that antenna selection is in general the most energy efficient option as it requires a single radio-frequency chain. We also investigate the limiting distances up to which the antenna selection technique outperforms the transmit beamforming scheme for different numbers of transmit antennas

A Detection Method for Tropical Race 4 of the Banana Pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is the causal agent of Fusarium wilt, the devastating disease that ruined the ‘Gros Michel’ (AAA)-based banana production in the first half of the 20th century. The occurrence of a new variant in Southeast Asia that overcomes the resistance in Cavendish clones such as ‘Grand Naine’ (AAA) is a major concern to current banana production worldwide. The threat posed by this new variant, called tropical race 4 (TR4), may be overcome by the introduction of resistant cultivars. However, the identification of new resistant sources or breeding for resistance is a long-term effort. Currently, the only option to control the disease is to avoid or reduce the spread of the pathogen by eradication of infected plants and isolation of infested plantations. This requires sensitive and highly specific diagnostics that enable early detection of the pathogen. A two-locus database of DNA sequences, from over 800 different isolates from multiple formae speciales of F. oxysporum, was used to develop a molecular diagnostic tool that specifically detects isolates from the vegetative compatibility group (VCG) 01213, which encompasses the Foc TR4 genotype. This diagnostic tool was able to detect all Foc TR4 isolates tested, while none of the Foc isolates from 19 VCGs other than 01213 showed any reaction. In addition, the developed diagnostic tool was able to detect Foc TR4 when using DNA samples from different tissues of ‘Grand Naine’ plants inoculated with TR4 isolate

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Mycosphaerella fijiensis, the devastating Black Sigatoka pathogen of bananas

Mycosphaerella fijiensis, M. musicola en M. eumusae veroorzaken de Sigatoka-ziekte in banaan. Op dit moment is de toepassing van fungiciden de enige optie om deze ziekte te bestrijden. Het PRPB (Pesticide Reduction Program for Banana) investeert in de ontwikkeling van technieken voor de genotype- en fenotypebepaling van M. fijiensis. Hierbij wordt gebruikt gemaakt van ATMT (Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation)

A molecular diagnostic for tropical race 4 of the banana

This study analysed genomic variation of the translation elongation factor 1 (TEF-1) and the intergenic spacer region (IGS) of the nuclear ribosomal operon of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) isolates, from different banana production areas, representing strains within the known races, comprising 20 vegetative compatibility groups

Identification and Validation of EST-Derived Molecular Markers, TRAP and VNTRs, for Banana Research

The advent of high-throughput sequencing technology has generated abundant information on DNA sequences for the genomes of many plant species. Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs), which are unique DNA sequences derived from a cDNA library and therefore representing genes transcribed in specific tissues or at some stage of development, are one type of DNA sequences highly available today for many important crop species. Molecular markers are used for bridging DNA sequence information with particular phenotypes and are useful tools for genotyping germplasm collections and also for tagging genes involved in desirable agronomic traits. In this sense, there is always a strong demand for suitable marker techniques to better utilise existing sequence information. A transcriptome database from banana (Musa spp.), DATAMusa, containing 42,724 ESTs from 11 different cDNA libraries and encompassing approximately 24 Mb of DNA sequence, was used in this study for the design of primers to PCR-amplify two types of EST-derived molecular markers, Variable Nucleotide Tandem Repeat (VNTR) and Target Region Amplification Polymorphism (TRAP). These primers were then validated against a panel of 14 diploid Musa genotypes and produced 32 (VNTR) and 119 (TRAP) alleles. Used separately or together, both types of markers were able to discriminate Musa genotypes from different genome background (A or B genomes). The TRAP alleles identified were derived from only one EST, while the VNTR alleles were derived from 12 unigenes. Based on the results of this study, EST-derived markers can be an important source of polymorphism to be used in genetic diversity and gene discovery studies in banan

The Potential Of High-Resolution BAC-FISH In Banana Breeding

Abstract The genetic complexity in the genus Musa has been subject of study in many breeding programs worldwide. Parthenocarpy, female sterility, polyploidy in different cultivars and limited amount of genetic and genomic information make the production of new banana cultivars difficult and time consuming. In addition, it is known that part of the cultivars and related wild species in the genus contain numerous chromosomal rearrangements. In order to produce new cultivars more effectively breeders must better understand the genetic differences of the potential crossing parents for introgression hybridization, but extensive genetic information is lacking. As an alternative to achieve information on genetic collinearity we make use of modern chromosome map technology known as high-resolution fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). This article presents the technical aspects and applications of such a technology in Musa species. The technique deals with BAC clone positioning on pachytene chromosomes of Calcutta 4 (Musa acuminata ssp. burmanicoides, A genome group, section Eumusa) and M. velutina (section Rodochlamys). Pollen mother cells digestion with pectolytic enzymes and maceration with acetic acid were optimized for making cell spread preparations appropriate for FISH. As an example of this approach we chose BAC clones that contain markers to known resistance genes and hybridize them for establishing their relative positions on the two species. Technical challenges for adapting existing protocols to the banana cells are presented. We also discuss how this technique can be instrumental for validating collinearity between potential crossing parents and how the method can be helpful in future mapping initiatives, and how this method allows identification of chromosomal rearrangements between related Musa species and cultivar

Thermodynamics of the S=1 spin ladder as a composite S=2 chain model

A special class of S=1 spin ladder hamiltonians, with second- neighbor exchange interactions and with anisotropies in the $z$-direction, can be mapped onto one-dimensional composite S=2 (tetrahedral S=1) models. We calculate the high temperature expansion of the Helmoltz free energy for the latter class of models, and show that their magnetization behaves closely to that of standard XXZ models with a suitable effective spin $S_{eff}$, such that $S_{eff}(1+S_{eff})=$, where ${\bf S}_i$ refers to the components of spin in the composite model. It is also shown that the specific heat per site of the composite model, on the other hand, can be very different from that of the effective spin model, depending on the parameters of the hamiltonian.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures. Submitted for publicatio

Variable number of tandem repeat markers in the genome sequence of Mycosphaerella fijiensis, the causal agent of black leaf streak disease of banana (Musa spp)

ABSTRACT. We searched the genome of Mycosphaerella fijiensis for molecular markers that would allow population genetics analysis of this plant pathogen. M. fijiensis, the causal agent of banana leaf streak disease, also known as black Sigatoka, is the most devastating pathogen attacking bananas (Musa spp). Recently, the entire genome sequence of M. fijiensis became available. We screened this database for VNTR markers. Forty-two primer pairs were selected for validation, based on repeat type and length and the number of repeat units. Five VNTR markers showing multiple alleles were validated with a reference set of isolates from different parts of the world and a population from a banana plantation in Costa Rica. Polymorphism information content values varied from 0.6414 to 0.7544 for the reference set and from 0.0400 and 0.7373 for the population set. Eighty percent of the polymorphism information content values were above 0.60, indicating that the markers are highly informative. These markers allowed robust scoring of agarose gels and proved to be useful for variability and population genetics studies. In conclusion, the strategy we developed to identify and validate VNTR markers is an efficient means to incorporate markers that can be used for fungicide resistance management and to develop breeding strategies to control banana black leaf streak disease. This is the first report of VNTR-minisatellites from the M. fijiensis genome sequence. Key words: Molecular markers; VNTRs; Genetic diversity; Population genetics; Black Sigatok

Structural insights into selectivity and cofactor binding in snake venom l-amino acid oxidases

Abstractl-Amino acid oxidases (LAAOs) are flavoenzymes that catalytically deaminate l-amino acids to corresponding α-keto acids with the concomitant production of ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Particularly, snake venom LAAOs have been attracted much attention due to their diverse clinical and biological effects, interfering on human coagulation factors and being cytotoxic against some pathogenic bacteria and Leishmania ssp. In this work, a new LAAO from Bothrops jararacussu venom (BjsuLAAO) was purified, functionally characterized and its structure determined by X-ray crystallography at 3.1Å resolution. BjsuLAAO showed high catalytic specificity for aromatic and aliphatic large side-chain amino acids. Comparative structural analysis with prokaryotic LAAOs, which exhibit low specificity, indicates the importance of the active-site volume in modulating enzyme selectivity. Surprisingly, the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor was found in a different orientation canonically described for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic LAAOs. In this new conformational state, the adenosyl group is flipped towards the 62–71 loop, being stabilized by several hydrogen-bond interactions, which is equally stable to the classical binding mode