Cadmium and nickel accumulation in rice plants. Effects on mineral nutrition and possible interactions of abscisic and gibberellic acids

Rice plants accumulate high quantities of Cd and Ni when grown for 10 days in a medium containing these heavy metals. Accompanying Cd and Ni uptake, a decrease in shoot and root length was observed, though dry matter accumulation was not affected accordingly. Metal treatments also induced a decrease in K, Ca and Mg contents in the plants, particularly in the shoots, indicating that Cd and Ni interfered not only with nutrient uptake but also with nutrient distribution into the different plant parts. Addition of abscisic acid (ABA) or gibberellic acid (GA3) to the external solution could not overcome the depressing effects of the metals on nutrient acquisition, and even induced a further decr…

Biochemistry and molecular biology techniques for person characterization

Using the traditional serological tests and the most novel techniques for DNA fingerprinting, forensic scientists scan different traits that vary from person to person and use the data to include or exclude suspects based on matching with the evidence obtained in a criminal case. Although the forensic application of these methods is well known, the procedures and techniques used to obtain these results are not so well studied. Here, we report a laboratory exercise aimed to familiarize the students in several of the methods and markers employed for people individualization. With this exercise, students have to characterize themselves and an unknown sample according to the following character…

Effect of Hormones on Sucrose Uptake and on ATPase Activity of Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck Leaves

Carbohydrate accumulation in young, fully expanded leaves of Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck is affected by the presence of the fruitlet on the shoot. Previous work gave evidence that gibberellins may be involved in this 'fruit effect'. In the present work we have studied the effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) on 14C-sucrose uptake by leaf discs and whether its action could be due to a modulation of the plasma membrane ATPase, which maintains the H+ gradient that drives H+/sucrose co-transport. The effect of GA3 on 14C-sucrose uptake depended on the osmolarity of the assay medium. At 300 mOsm a reduction in the uptake rate was observed. The inhibitory effect of the hormone disappeared after preincu…

Hormone Effects on the Membrane Potential and on Sucrose-Induced Depolarization of Young <italic>Citrus</italic> Leaves