Effect of Horizontal DNA Transfer in Azospirillum and Azotobacter Strains on Biological and Biochemical Traits of Non-legume Plants

Abstract: Auxin production by Azospirillum and Azotobacter is believed to play a major role on promoting plant growth. Non legume plants inoculated with different genetically modified strains is significantly stimulated due to the contribution of Auxin biosynthesis by Azospirillum transconjugants affecting on root fresh weight of sugar beet above the plants fertilized with 50% of recommended dose. This study focuses the association between 2,4-D and Azospirillum which revealed significant increase in leaf area of top variety at the presence of 2,4-D above the plants fertilized with nitrogen recommended dose. At the absence of 2,4-D some of transconjugants significantly stimulate the leaf area of top variety above the plants fertilized with 50% of nitrogen recommended dose. The importance of horizontal gene transfer is an adaptive mechanism for bacteria, which may result in increased genetic variation by bringing together DNA from different genetic backgrounds. Furthermore, Azospirillum transconjugants (extra copy of DNA) were evaluated in field trail. Together, these results confirm the important role of IAA produced by transconjugants on stimulating root weight and illustrate the power of combining genetic tools and bioassays to elucidate the mechanism of a beneficial Azospirillum -plant interaction. The effects of biofertilizing by Azospirillum transconjugants on the technological parameters of sugar beet were studied. The better results were gained at variety Top (sugar %, potassium, sodium, quality) at the absence of 2,4-D under the effect of biofertilization, but variety dispery obtained better results of alphaamino-nitrogen under the effect of nitrogen recommended dose. When plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (Azotobacter strains) were used as inoculants for biofertilization and phytostimulation of canola, some of the inoculants improving growth and yield parametres; leaf area, plant height, root dry weight and grain yield/plant above the plants fertilized with 50% of nitrogen recommended dose. In addition, chlorophyll b and grain yield/plant in Serw 6 variety was significantly affected by the addition of 2,4-D. Corn plants biofertilized with Azospirillum strains and their transconjugants appeared significant effect on ear length, plant height, grain content of carotene and leave content of cholorophyll pigments. This work describes the beneficial effect of genetic variations in rhizobacterium strains, which contains an active biological containment system affecting on their effectiveness of nitrogen fixation and auxin production. This leading to recommend to inoculate non -legume plants with selected rhizobacterial isolates to exhibit stimulatory effect on grain yield and root fresh weight (sugar beet). However, plantresponse was varied, due to plant varieties and genetic constitution of rhizobacterial strains as shown in this study. Field experiments conducted in this study on two varieties of sugar beet, canola and corn demonstrated an increase in root fresh and/or dry weight, shoot dry weight and grain yield of inoculated seedlings, above that in the plants fertilized with 50% of nitrogen recommended dose. Colonization of the non-legume plants by rhizobacteria have indirect and direct effects on plant growth and their developments. Direct effects include enhanced provision of nutrients and the production of phytohormones. Indirect effects involve aspects of biological control: the production of antibiotics and the induction of plant resistance mechanisms. It was concluded that the highest auxins-producing strains also caused a maximum increase of growth and yield of non-legume plants

Growth and Yield of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) as Influenced by Plant Population in Arid Tropic of Sudan under Rain-fed.

Abstract Growth plant is the result of transfer of solar radiation in to the photosynthetic processes of green leaf and transmission of photosynthates into increased biomass. Recently, many researchers have manipulated plant row-spacing and direction as well as plant populations within the row, to increase crop production through more efficient use of solar energy. A field experiment was conducted in North Kordofan State of Sudan, to investigate the effect of intra -row spacing (10, 20, 30 and 40cm) and planting stand (two and three plants per stand) on yield and yield components of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. The results showed that, plant population had a significant effect on most of the attributes measured. Closer spacing increased the number of branches per plant, days to 50% flowering, days to 95% physiological maturity, number of calyces per plant, calyces yield (g/plant) and decreased final calyces yield (t/ha). Spacing of 20 cm and three plants per stand gave highest calyces yield (t/ha)

De novo identification of complex traits associated with asthma

IntroductionAsthma is a heterogeneous inflammatory disease often associated with other complex phenotypes. Identifying asthma-associated diseases and uncovering the molecular mechanisms mediating their interaction can help detangle the heterogeneity of asthma. Network analysis is a powerful approach for untangling such inter-disease relationships.MethodsHere, we integrated information on physical contacts between common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gene expression with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data from the lung and whole blood to construct two tissue-specific spatial gene regulatory networks (GRN). We then located the asthma GRN (level 0) within each tissue-specific GRN by identifying the genes that are functionally affected by asthma-associated spatial eQTLs. Curated protein interaction partners were subsequently identified up to four edges or levels away from the asthma GRN. The eQTLs spatially regulating genes on levels 0–4 were queried against the GWAS Catalog to identify the traits enriched (hypergeometric test; FDR ≤ 0.05) in each level.ResultsWe identified 80 and 82 traits significantly enriched in the lung and blood GRNs, respectively. All identified traits were previously reported to be comorbid or associated (positively or negatively) with asthma (e.g., depressive symptoms and lung cancer), except 8 traits whose association with asthma is yet to be confirmed (e.g., reticulocyte count). Our analysis additionally pinpoints the variants and genes that link asthma to the identified asthma-associated traits, a subset of which was replicated in a comorbidity analysis using health records of 26,781 asthma patients in New Zealand.DiscussionOur discovery approach identifies enriched traits in the regulatory space proximal to asthma, in the tissue of interest, without a priori selection of the interacting traits. The predictions it makes expand our understanding of possible shared molecular interactions and therapeutic targets for asthma, where no cure is currently available

Assessment of Some Mango Species by Fruit Characters and Fingerprint

Abstract: Six local mango accessions; Zebda, Zaghloul, Gemela, Ganofia, El-Madam and ElKobbaneia were collected from private farm in Sharkia Governorate. Physical and chemical characteristics of fruits study besides of molecular characterization (as total proteins). The data showed that El-Kobbaneia fruit had the biggest fruit also El-Madam produced the smallest one. The lowest fiber percentage was clear in Ganofia fruit followed by Zebda fruit as compared with all mango fruits under study. The highest fruit Juice percentage was shown in El-Kobbaneia fruit, while Ganofia fruit had the lowest one. Also, the lowest titrable acidity was clear in Ganofia fruit, but the highest one was detected in Zebda fruit. Meanwhile, the highest total sugar was clear in Gemela fruit. However, El-Madam fruit had the lowest VC. The highest total number of variable bands (seven) was existed in Zebda species while the lowest number was presented in Ganofia species (2 bands). The percentage of polymorphism in all mango species ranged between 16.7% in both EL-Kobbaneia and Gemela species to 29.2 % in Zebda species

PRIKAZ UNUTRAŠNJEG SFINKTERA URETRE I VAGINE U ZDRAVIH ŽENA I OBOLJELIH OD STRES INKONTINENCIJE MOKRAĆE I PROLAPSA VAGINE

Introduction. The internal urethral sphincter (IUS) is a cylinder formation that extends from the urinary bladder neck to the urogenital diaphragm. It is composed of a strong collagen sheet with muscle fibers that intermingle with the collagen in the middle of the cylinder’s thickness. The strong collagen sheet gives the IUS the high wall tension necessary to create the high urethral pressure. The muscle fibers, innervated by alpha sympathetic nerves (T10-L2) are responsible for closure and opening the urethra. Urinary continence depends on the presence of an intact and strong IUS and of an acquired behavior, gained by learning and training in early childhood, how to maintain a high alpha sympathetic tone at the IUS keeping it closed until there is a need. Normal vagina is a cylinder of collageno-elastic-muscular tissues. Its strong collagen sheet is responsible for keeping it in its normal upward position. Labors cause redundancy and weakness of the vaginal walls with subsequent prolapse and lacerations of the IUS which is intimately overlying the anterior vaginal wall resulting in stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Objectives. To image by 3D-US and MRI the IUS and the vagina; and to examine their histopathology. Methods. Histopathology as well as 3D-US and MR imaging are done. Results. Images show the IUS as a compact tissue cylinder that extends from the bladder neck to the urogenital diaphragm in continent women; IUS is torn in women with SUI. Conclusion. The anterior vaginal wall and the IUS are torn in patients with SUI and with vaginal prolapse. They are intact in continent women.Uvod. Unutrašnji uretralni sfinkter (IUS) je cilindričnog oblika, proteže se od vrata mokraćnog mjegura do urogenitalne dijafragme. Sastoji se od čvrstog kolagenog sloja s mišićnim vlaknima koja su izmiješana s kolagenom u sredini debljine cilindra. Jaki kolageni sloj daje IUS-u snažnu napetost stijenke potrebnu da stvori visoki intrauretralni tlak. Mišićna vlakna, inervirana alfa simpatičnim živcima (Th10-L2) su odgovorna za zatvaranje i otvaranje uretre. Kontinencija mokraće ovisi o postojanju intaktnog i jakog IUS-a te o stečenom ponašanju, učeći i vježbajući u ranom djetinjstvu kako održati visoki alfa simpatički tonus IUS-a, držeći ga zatvorenim dok je potrebno. Normalna vagina je cilindrična cijev kolageno-elastično-mišićnog tkiva. Njen jaki kolageni sloj je odgovoran za njen uspravni položaj. Porod uzrokuje suvišak i slabost vaginalne stijenke s posljedičnim prolapsom i laceracijom IUS-a, koji intimno prileži prednjoj vaginalnoj stijenci, što rezultira stresnom mokraćnom inkontinencijom (SUI). Cilj istraživanja. Prikazati trodimenzionalnim ultrazvukom (3D-UZ) i magnetskom rezonancijom (MR) te histopatološkim pregledom intrauretralni sfinkter i vaginu. Metode. Histopatološka tehnika te 3D-UZ i MR prikazi. Rezultati. Prikazi pokazuju IUS kao kompaktni tkivni cilindar koji se proteže od vrata mokraćnog mjehura do urogenitalne dijafragme u kontinentnih žena; IUS je oštećen u žena sa SUI. Zaključak. Prednja vaginalna stijenka i IUS bivaju oštećeni (prsnuti) u pacijentica sa SUI i s vaginalnim prolapsom. Oni su intaktni u kontinentnih žena

Ecophysiology of Aspergillus Section Nigri Species Potential Ochratoxin A Producers

After aflatoxins, ochratoxin A (OTA) is the most studied mycotoxin due to the toxicological significance in human and animal diets. OTA presence has been extensively reported worldwide in the last decade in several agricultural products. The main OTA producer in tropical and temperate climates is Aspergillus carbonarius followed by species belonging to A. niger aggregate. Currently, many scientists worldwide have studied the influence of water activity and temperature for growth and biosynthesis of OTA by these species on synthetic media. This article reviews ecophysiological studies of Aspergillus section Nigri strains on synthetic media and natural substrates. The results of these investigations suggest that significant amounts of OTA can be produced in only five days and that the use of different storage practices, such as aW and temperature levels below 0.930 and 15 °C, respectively, allow controlling fungal contamination and minimizing the OTA production in several products as peanuts, corn, dried grapes and derived products for human consumption

Ochratoxin A in Portugal: A Review to Assess Human Exposure

In Portugal, the climate, dietary habits, and food contamination levels present the characteristics for higher population susceptibility to ochratoxin A (OTA), one of the known mycotoxins with the greatest public health and agro-economic importance. In this review, following a brief historical insight on OTA research, a summary of the available data on OTA occurrence in food (cereals, bread, wine, meat) and biological fluids (blood, urine) is made. With this data, an estimation of intake is made to ascertain and update the risk exposure estimation of the Portuguese population, in comparison to previous studies and other populations