A comparative genetic diversity analysis in mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP)

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to study the DNA polymorphism in elite mungbean genotypes. A total of nine AFLP primer combination and 22 ISSR primers were used. Amplification of genomic DNA of the 30 genotypes, using AFLP analysis, yielded 300 fragments that could be scored, of which 192 were polymorphic, with an average of 21.3 polymorphic fragments per primer. Number of amplified fragments with AFLP primers ranged from 29 (E-AAC: M-CAG) to 10 (E-ACG: M-CAT). Percentage polymorphism ranged from 46.3% (E-AAC: M-CCA) to a maximum of 100% (E-AAC: M-CAC), with an average of 64%. The 22 ISSR primers used in the study produced 108 bands across 30 genotypes, of which 68 were polymorphic. The number of amplified bands varied from two UBC820) to ten URP 6F). The average numbers of bands per primer and polymorphic bands per primer were 4.9 and 3.1, respectively. Percentage polymorphism ranged from 25% (UBC844) to 85% (UBC846, UBC864, UBC895), with an average percentage polymorphism of 58.3% across all the genotypes. AFLP markers were more efficient than the ISSR assay, as they detected 64% polymorphic DNA markers in Vigna radiata as compared to 58.3% for ISSR markers. The Mantel test between the two Jaccard's similarity matrices gave r = 0.19, showing low correlation between AFLP- and ISSR-based similarities. Clustering of genotypes within groups was not similar when AFLP and ISSR derived dendrograms were compared.Key words: AFLP, ISSR, Vigna radiata (mung bean), marker index, unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA)

Inhibition of all-TRANS-retinoic acid metabolism by R116010 induces antitumour activity

All-trans-retinoic acid is a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation and inducer of differentiation. However, the clinical use of all-trans-retinoic acid in the treatment of cancer is significantly hampered by its toxicity and the prompt emergence of resistance, believed to be caused by increased all-trans-retinoic acid metabolism. Inhibitors of all-trans-retinoic acid metabolism may therefore prove valuable in the treatment of cancer. In this study, we characterize R116010 as a new anticancer drug that is a potent inhibitor of all-trans-retinoic acid metabolism. In vitro, R116010 potently inhibits all-trans-retinoic acid metabolism in intact T47D cells with an IC50-value of 8.7 nM. In addition, R116010 is a selective inhibitor as indicated by its inhibition profile for several other cytochrome P450-mediated reactions. In T47D cell proliferation assays, R116010 by itself has no effect on cell proliferation. However, in combination with all-trans-retinoic acid, R116010 enhances the all-trans-retinoic acid-mediated antiproliferative activity in a concentration-dependent manner. In vivo, the growth of murine oestrogen-independent TA3-Ha mammary tumours is significantly inhibited by R116010 at doses as low as 0.16 mg kg−1. In conclusion, R116010 is a highly potent and selective inhibitor of all-trans-retinoic acid metabolism, which is able to enhance the biological activity of all-trans-retinoic acid, thereby exhibiting antitumour activity. R116010 represents a novel and promising anticancer drug with an unique mechanism of action

Integração entre os mapas físicos e molecular de uma população trihíbrida de Allium através da análise do componente haplóide.

A integração entre mapas físicos e moleculares em plantas de grande genoma tem sido feita em um número limitado de espécies porque, entre outros fatores, é complexo desenvolver populações específicas para este fim. Para contornar essa limitação, Allium foi escolhido para estudar uma nova estratégia para obtenção de populações adequadas:genótipos tri-híbridos com apenas um homeólogo recombinante em cada par de cromossomos.Resumo

The impact of depression and physical multimorbidity on health-related quality of life in China:a national longitudinal quantile regression study

Abstract The co-occurrence of mental and physical chronic conditions is a growing concern and a largely unaddressed challenge in low-and-middle-income countries. This study aimed to investigate the independent and multiplicative effects of depression and physical chronic conditions on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in China, and how it varies by age and gender. We used two waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011, 2015), including 9227 participants aged ≥ 45 years, 12 physical chronic conditions and depressive symptoms. We used mixed-effects linear regression to assess the effects of depression and physical multimorbidity on HRQoL, which was measured using a proxy measure of Physical Component Scores (PCS) and Mental Component Scores (MCS) of the matched SF-36 measure. We found that each increased number of physical chronic conditions, and the presence of depression were independently associated with lower proxy PCS and MCS scores. There were multiplicative effects of depression and physical chronic conditions on PCS (− 0.83 points, 95% CI − 1.06, − 0.60) and MCS scores (− 0.50 points, 95% CI − 0.73, − 0.27). The results showed that HRQoL decreased markedly with multimorbidity and was exacerbated by the presence of co-existing physical and mental chronic conditions

Exploring the Natural Variation for Seedling Traits and Their link with Seed Dimensions in Tomato

The success of germination, growth and final yield of every crop depends to a large extent on the quality of the seeds used to grow the crop. Seed quality is defined as the viability and vigor attribute of a seed that enables the emergence and establishment of normal seedlings under a wide range of environments. We attempt to dissect the mechanisms involved in the acquisition of seed quality, through a combined approach of physiology and genetics. To achieve this goal we explored the genetic variation found in a RIL population of Solanum lycopersicum (cv. Moneymaker) x Solanum pimpinellifolium through extensive phenotyping of seed and seedling traits under both normal and nutrient stress conditions and root system architecture (RSA) traits under optimal conditions. We have identified 62 major QTLs on 21 different positions for seed, seedling and RSA traits in this population. We identified QTLs that were common across both conditions, as well as specific to stress conditions. Most of the QTLs identified for seedling traits co-located with seed size and seed weight QTLs and the positive alleles were mostly contributed by the S. lycopersicum parent. Co-location of QTLs for different traits might suggest that the same locus has pleiotropic effects on multiple traits due to a common mechanistic basis. We show that seed weight has a strong effect on seedling vigor and these results are of great importance for the isolation of the corresponding genes and elucidation of the underlying mechanisms

The long and winding road leading to the successful introgression of downy mildew resistance into onion

Downy mildew resistance originating from Allium roylei Stearn provides a complete resistance to onions and is based on one, dominant gene. Since A. roylei can successfully be hybridized with onion (A. cepa L.), a breeding scheme aimed at the introgression of this gene was initiated ca. 20 years ago. Several setbacks in this programme were encountered, firstly the identified molecular marker linked to the downy mildew resistance locus became increasingly difficult to use and finally lost its discriminating power and secondly the final step, making homozygous introgression lines (ILs), turned out to be more difficult then was hoped. GISH analysis showed that the chromosomal region harbouring the resistance locus was the only remaining piece of A. roylei in the nuclear background of onion and it also confirmed that this region was located on the distal end of chromosome 3. It was hypothesized that some factor present in the remaining A. roylei region was lethal when homozygously present in an onion genetic background. The identification of an individual with a smaller and more distally located introgression fragment and homozygous ILs in its progeny validated this hypothesis. With the help of these nearly isogenic lines four AFLP® markers closely linked to the resistance gene were identified, which can be used for marker-aided selection. The introduction of downy mildew resistance caused by Peronospora destructor into onion is a significant step forward in the development of environmentally-friendly onion cultivars.<br/>Downy mildew resistance originating from Allium roylei Stearn provides a complete resistance to onions and is based on one, dominant gene. Since A. roylei can successfully be hybridized with onion (A. cepa L.), a breeding scheme aimed at the introgression of this gene was initiated ca. 20 years ago. Several setbacks in this programme were encountered, firstly the identified molecular marker linked to the downy mildew resistance locus became increasingly difficult to use and finally lost its discriminating power and secondly the final step, making homozygous introgression lines (ILs), turned out to be more difficult then was hoped. GISH analysis showed that the chromosomal region harbouring the resistance locus was the only remaining piece of A. roylei in the nuclear background of onion and it also confirmed that this region was located on the distal end of chromosome 3. It was hypothesized that some factor present in the remaining A. roylei region was lethal when homozygously present in an onion genetic background. The identification of an individual with a smaller and more distally located introgression fragment and homozygous ILs in its progeny validated this hypothesis. With the help of these nearly isogenic lines four AFLP (R) markers closely linked to the resistance gene were identified, which can be used for marker-aided selection. The introduction of downy mildew resistance caused by Peronospora destructor into onion is a significant step forward in the development of environmentally-friendly onion cultivars

Graphical analysis and experimental evaluation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae P_TRK1|2 and P_BMH1|2 promoter region

Plant sciencesMicrobial Biotechnolog