Search results for " structures"
showing 10 items of 4162 documents
An STE12 gene identified in the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices restores infectivity of a hemibiotrophic plant pathogen
2009
International audience; * • Mechanisms of root penetration by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are unknown and investigations are hampered by the lack of transformation systems for these unculturable obligate biotrophs. Early steps of host infection by hemibiotrophic fungal phytopathogens, sharing common features with those of AM fungal colonization, depend on the transcription factor STE12. * • Using degenerated primers and rapid amplification of cDNA ends, we isolated the full-length cDNA of an STE12-like gene, GintSTE, from Glomus intraradices and profiled GintSTE expression by real-time and in situ RT-PCR. GintSTE activity and function were investigated by heterologous complementation …
Artificial Oral Processing of Extruded Pea Flour Snacks
2021
International audience; The structure of extruded pea flour can affect chewing performances. Our objective was to relate the bolus properties (fragmentation, moisture content and viscosity) of chewed extruded pea snacks to their structure. In order to have control over oral physiological parameters, we opted for an in vitro approach using a chewing simulator, the variables of which were the flow rate of artificial salivary fluid and chewing time. The structure of the extruded pea snacks was characterized by its density and protein solubility in dithioerythritol (DTE), which reflected the amount of protein aggregates cross-linked by disulphide bonds. The particle size distribution and median…
Seed Bank in Annuals: Competition Between Banker and Non-banker Morphs
2002
Seed bank is a plant life history strategy against the unpredictability of the biotic and the abiotic environment. We simulated competition between a seed banking and a non-banking morph of an annual plant. A constant fraction of the banker morph seeds was allocated to the seed bank, where they had a constant mortality and germination rate. All surviving seeds of the non-banker morph germinated in the next generation. The seedlings of both morphs experienced similar density-dependent mortality. Whether one of the morphs wins or the morphs coexist was evaluated from parameter space plots and statistically with logistic regression analysis. All parameters of the model had a significant, nonli…
Biological films adhering to the oral soft tissues: Structure, composition, and potential impact on taste perception
2018
The role of free-flowing saliva in taste perception is increasingly recognized, but saliva is also present in the mouth as films intimately associated to soft or hard tissues. On mucosal surfaces, particularly on the tongue, the structure and composition of such films (including its microbial constitutive part) may play a particular role in the sense of taste due to their proximity with the taste anatomical structures. This review compiles the current knowledge on the structure of biological films adhering to oral mucosae and on their biochemical and microbiological composition, before presenting possible implications for taste perception. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The understanding of the ro…
Differences in nutritional quality of parts of Vitis vinifera berries affect fitness of the European grapevine moth
2006
International audience; The European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermuller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a major grapevine pest in Europe. The larva is polyphagous and able to develop on more than 25 plant species, several of them being more suitable than Vitaceae for the fitness of L. botrana. Larvae normally eat the pulp of the berry, but may also consume the seeds according to the development stage of the berry and the larval density per bunch. Understanding the effect on individual fitness of such feeding behaviour is important to assess how suitable the different berry tissues are for this insect. We offered to the larvae either entire berries, seeds, or pulp with s…
Is maternal thyroid hormone deposition subject to a trade-off between self and egg because of iodine?
2021
ABSTRACT Maternal hormones constitute a key signalling pathway for mothers to shape offspring phenotype and fitness. Thyroid hormones (THs; triiodothyronine, T3; and thyroxine, T4) are metabolic hormones known to play crucial roles in embryonic development and survival in all vertebrates. During early developmental stages, embryos exclusively rely on exposure to maternal THs, and maternal hypothyroidism can cause severe embryonic maldevelopment. The TH molecule includes iodine, an element that cannot be synthesised by the organism. Therefore, TH production may become costly when environmental iodine availability is low. This may yield a trade-off for breeding females between allocating the …
Fiddler crabs and their above-ground sedimentary structures: a review
2020
AbstractFiddler crabs are abundant, semi-terrestrial crustaceans inhabiting tropical, subtropical and warm temperate coasts worldwide. Some species build above-ground sedimentary structures at or near the opening to their burrows. The functions and shapes of these constructions vary interspecifically and according to the sex of the builder. Here, we compile the dispersed reports on these structures, suggest uniform naming for different shapes, review explanations for their functions and explore associations between the attributes of builders and their structures. We found that 47 fiddler crab species build at least one type (or subtype) of structure, including chimneys, hoods, pillars, semi…
Chemical host detection and differential attraction in a parasitic pea crab infecting two echinoids
2011
Mechanisms of host detection and host choice are important for mobile parasites or symbionts that frequently move among host individuals. The parasitic pea crab Dissodactylus primitivus is an ectoparasite exploiting asymmetrically two spatangoid echinoid hosts, Meoma ventricosa and Plagiobrissus grandis. The entire life cycle takes place on M. ventricosa, while only adults colonize P. grandis, the host where female's fecundity is the greatest. Dissodactylus primitivus frequently exhibits host-switching, a behaviour that raises the question of host detection. To test if adult crabs are able to detect potential hosts and are attracted to the host where their fitness is greater, crab olfactory…
The Potential Role of Medicinal Mushrooms in the Prevention and Treatment of Gynecological Cancers: A Review
2019
A review of scientific information about the potential role of medicinal mushrooms in the prevention and treatment of gynecological cancers, human immunodeficiency virus, and human papillomavirus infections is reported here. The results of in vivo and in vitro experiments on 16 different species of Basidiomycetes and three Ascomycetes, which possess chemopreventive potential and are effective in clinical application in combination with chemotherapy, are also discussed. Medicinal mushroom extracts confirm an evident efficacy on the reduction of tumor cell proliferation and side effects in patients with gynecological tumors who are undergoing chemotherapy treatments. This review, the first on…
Volatile components of ripe fruits of Morinda citrifolia and their effects on Drosophila
1996
Abstract The only larval resource of the specialist species, Drosophila sechellia , is ripe fruits of Morinda citrifolia . The chemical composition of this fruit, which is very toxic to most Drosophila species, was investigated and 51 compounds were abundant enough to be identified by GC-MS. The ripe fruit is characterized by a large amount of carboxylic acids, especially octanoic and hexanoic acids. The biological effects of the ripe fruit and its main acids were investigated with behavioural studies. Octanoic acid is responsible for the general toxicity of the fruit to most Drosophila species; D. sechellia is the only species which is resistant to this acid. Hexanoic acid has a unique eff…