Transfer origins in the conjugative Enterococcus faecalis plasmids pAD1 and pAM373: identification of the pAD1 nic site, a specific relaxase and a possible TraG-like protein

The Enterococcus faecalis conjugative plasmids pAD1 and pAM373 encode a mating response to the peptide sex pheromones cAD1 and cAM373 respectively. Sequence determination of both plasmids has recently been completed with strong similarity evident over many of the structural genes related to conjugation. pAD1 has two origins of transfer, with oriT1 being located within the repA determinant, whereas the more efficiently utilized oriT2 is located between orf53 and orf57 , two genes found in the present study to be essential for conjugation. We have found a similarly located oriT to be present in pAM373. oriT2 corresponds to about 285 bp based on its ability to facilitate mobilization by pAD1 when ligated to the shuttle vector pAM401; however, it was not mobilized by pAM373. In contrast, a similarly ligated fragment containing the oriT of pAM373 did not facilitate mobilization by pAD1 but was efficiently mobilized by pAM373. The oriT sites of the two plasmids each contained a homologous large inverted repeat (spanning about 140 bp) adjacent to a series of non-homologous short (6 bp) direct repeats. A hybrid construction containing the inverted repeat of pAM373 and direct repeats of pAD1 was mobilized efficiently by pAD1 but not by pAM373, indicating a significantly greater degree of specificity is associated with the direct repeats. Mutational (deletion) analyses of the pAD1 oriT2 inverted repeat structure suggested its importance in facilitating transfer or perhaps ligation of the ends of the newly transferred DNA strand. Analyses showed that Orf57 (to be called TraX) is the relaxase, which was found to induce a specific nick in the large inverted repeat inside oriT ; the protein also facilitated site-specific recombination between two oriT2 sites. Orf53 (to be called TraW) exhibits certain structural similarities to TraG-like proteins, although there is little overall homology.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72536/1/j.1365-2958.2002.03007.x.pd

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

INTRODUCTION The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities. Variations in human cortical surface area and thickness are associated with neurological, psychological, and behavioral traits and can be measured in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Studies in model organisms have identified genes that influence cortical structure, but little is known about common genetic variants that affect human cortical structure. RATIONALE To identify genetic variants associated with human cortical structure at both global and regional levels, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain MRI data from 51,665 individuals across 60 cohorts. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 cortical regions with known functional specializations. RESULTS We identified 306 nominally genome-wide significant loci (P < 5 × 10−8) associated with cortical structure in a discovery sample of 33,992 participants of European ancestry. Of the 299 loci for which replication data were available, 241 loci influencing surface area and 14 influencing thickness remained significant after replication, with 199 loci passing multiple testing correction (P < 8.3 × 10−10; 187 influencing surface area and 12 influencing thickness). Common genetic variants explained 34% (SE = 3%) of the variation in total surface area and 26% (SE = 2%) in average thickness; surface area and thickness showed a negative genetic correlation (rG = −0.32, SE = 0.05, P = 6.5 × 10−12), which suggests that genetic influences have opposing effects on surface area and thickness. Bioinformatic analyses showed that total surface area is influenced by genetic variants that alter gene regulatory activity in neural progenitor cells during fetal development. By contrast, average thickness is influenced by active regulatory elements in adult brain samples, which may reflect processes that occur after mid-fetal development, such as myelination, branching, or pruning. When considered together, these results support the radial unit hypothesis that different developmental mechanisms promote surface area expansion and increases in thickness. To identify specific genetic influences on individual cortical regions, we controlled for global measures (total surface area or average thickness) in the regional analyses. After multiple testing correction, we identified 175 loci that influence regional surface area and 10 that influence regional thickness. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes involved in the Wnt signaling pathway, which is known to influence areal identity. We observed significant positive genetic correlations and evidence of bidirectional causation of total surface area with both general cognitive functioning and educational attainment. We found additional positive genetic correlations between total surface area and Parkinson’s disease but did not find evidence of causation. Negative genetic correlations were evident between total surface area and insomnia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depressive symptoms, major depressive disorder, and neuroticism. CONCLUSION This large-scale collaborative work enhances our understanding of the genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex and its regional patterning. The highly polygenic architecture of the cortex suggests that distinct genes are involved in the development of specific cortical areas. Moreover, we find evidence that brain structure is a key phenotype along the causal pathway that leads from genetic variation to differences in general cognitive function

Dinâmica do Florescimento de Cinco Cultivares de Trevo-Branco.

Objetivando conhecer o comportamento do florescimento de cinco cultivares de trevo-branco (Trffioflum repens L.), BR- 1-Bagé, Regal, Jacuí S2, Yi e Guaíba S1, foi conduzido um experimento em condições de campo, na EEA-UFRGS, Eldorado do Sul, RS. Foram realizadas amostragens semanais durante o período de junho de 1983 a janeiro de 1985. 0 florescimento do trevo-branco apresentou um comportamento cíclico, mostrando vários picos de emissão de botões florais, sendo o primeiro pico o principal responsável pelo rendimento de sementes, tanto no primeiro como no segundo ano. A melhor época de colheita ficou em torno de 14 de dezembro em ambos os anos, para todas as cultivares, com exceção da BR- 1 -Bagé, que se antecipou em uma semana no primeiro ano. Esta data de colheita corresponde a um período de seis a sete semanas decorrido após o primeiro pico de máxima emissão de botões florais. No segundo ano, a cultivar Yi ainda apresentou um pico de igual magnitude em 4 de janeiro. A cultivar BR-1-Bagé também apresentou um segundo pico em 28 de dezembro, inferior ao primeiro (14 de dezembro).Made available in DSpace on 2011-04-09T12:21:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 pab19set91.pdf: 445522 bytes, checksum: 00035ffeab014face2863f1560944c66 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2002-02-07199

Efeito do fosforo e da irrigacao no rendimento de sementes de alfafa.

O trabalho foi conduzido na Estacao Experimental Agronomica da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, em Eldorado do Sul. RS, tendo como objetivo identificar os efeitos de niveis de disponibilidade hidrica (ETr/ETm = 0,80 a 0,85; 0,68 a 0,76; 0,46 a 0,67) e doses de fosforo (130 e 520 kg/ha de P2O) sobre o rendimento de sementes de alfafa (Medicago sativa L.) cv. Crioula e seus componentes. Nenhum dos componentes do rendimento de sementes foi afetado pelas doses de P (P>0,05). Apenas o numero de legumes por inflorescencia e o peso de 1.000 sementes foram beneficiados por uma menor disponibilidade hidrica, o que, aliado a tendencia a um maior numero de sementes por inflorescencia, determinou maior rendimento de sementes, o qual variou de 120 a 178 kg/ha. Outros fatores, mormente problemas de polinizacao, limitaram o rendimento, por sua acao sobre a porcentagem de flores e sobre o numero de sementes por legume.199

Análise de trilha dos componentes do rendimento de sementes de trevo-branco Path analysis in white clover seed yield components

Objetivou-se, por meio de uma análise de trilha para rendimento de sementes em trevo-branco, obter informações básicas para utilização em estratégias de manejo para maior produção de sementes e maior ressemeadura natural, proporcionando assim condições para maior persistência da espécie na pastagem. Foram analisadas as seguintes variáveis: botões florais, número de inflorescências, número de inflorescências maduras, número de legumes/inflorescência, peso de 100 sementes e rendimento de sementes. A variável que mais se correlacionou com o rendimento de sementes foi o número de inflorescências maduras (r = 0,91) e essa correlação ocorreu praticamente apenas pelo seu efeito direto. Nas demais variáveis, destacou-se o número de botões florais, com coeficiente de correlação alto (r = -0,55) e efeitos indiretos sobre os demais componentes. O número de inflorescências maduras parece ser a principal característica a ser considerada na busca de maior produção de sementes em trevo-branco.<br>The objective of this study was, by using a path analysis of seed yield in white clover, to obtain basic information for use in management strategies for higher seed production and higher natural reseeding and greater persistence of the species in the pasture. The following variables were analyzed: number of flower buds, number of inflorescences, number of mature inflorescences, number of legumes/inflorescence, weight of 100 seeds and seed yield. The variable most correlated with seed yield was the number of mature inflorescences (r = 0.91), and this correlation occurred almost only due to its direct effect. Among the other variables, the number of flower buds also had a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.55) and indirect effects on the other components. The number of mature inflorescences appeared to be the main characteristic to be considered when searching for a higher seed production in white clover

Avaliação do potencial de produção de sementes de acessos de trevo branco Evaluation of the seed production potential of white clover accessions

Este trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar o potencial de produção de sementes de 25 acessos da coleção básica de trevo-branco provenientes do Departamento de Agricultura dos Estados Unidos. Por meio de amostragens semanais realizadas entre 6/11/2003 e 10/3/2004, foram avaliadas as seguintes variáveis: número de inflorescências/planta, número de flores/inflorescência, número de inflorescências maduras/planta, número de legumes maduros/inflorescência, peso de mil sementes e rendimento de sementes/planta. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o completamente casualizado, com os acessos arranjados individualmente em cinco repetições. O rendimento de sementes em trevo-branco é altamente influenciado pelo número de inflorescências por planta, pelo número de inflorescências maduras por planta e pelo peso de mil sementes. Os acessos 53, 2 e 20 destacam-se pela superioridade em relação aos demais (7, 68, 19, 79, 58, 3, 15, 75, 64, 50, 33, 13, 59, 38, 28, 80, 54, 29, 31, 23, 22, 27, 65 e 73) na produção de sementes. Os acessos 27, 65 e 73 não produzem sementes nas condições locais durante o primeiro ano de avaliação.<br>This work was carried out to evaluate the potential of seed production of 25 accessions of the basic collection of white clover from the United States Department of Agriculture. Through weekly samplings performed from 11/6th/2003 to 3/10th/04 the following variables were analyzed: number of inflorescence/plant, number of flowers/inflorescence, number of mature inflorescence/plant, number of mature legumes/inflorescence, weight of 1000 seeds, and seed yield/plant. It was used a complete randomized experimental design with the accessions individually arranged in five replications. Seed yield of white clover is highly affected by number of inflorescence/plant, number of mature inflorescence/plant, and weight of 1000 seeds. The 53, 2 and 20 accessions differ from the others because of their superiority (7, 68, 19, 79, 58, 3, 15, 75, 64, 50, 33, 13, 59, 38, 28, 80, 54, 29, 31, 23, 22, 27, 65 and 73) of seed production. The accessions 27, 65 and 73 do not produce seeds in the local conditions during the first year of evaluation