Search results for "NUtrition."

2021

The scarcity of transcriptional regulatory genes in Buchnera aphidicola, an obligate endosymbiont in aphids, suggests the stability of expressed gene patterns and metabolic pathways. This observation argues in favor of the hypothesis that this endosymbiont bacteria might contribute little to the host adaptation when aphid hosts are facing challenging fluctuating environment. Finding evidence for the increased expression or silenced genes involved in metabolic pathways under the pressure of stress conditions and/or a given environment has been challenging for experimenters with this bacterial symbiotic model. Transcriptomic data have shown that Buchnera gene expression changes are confined t…

New Insights on the Evolutionary History of Aphids and Their Primary Endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola

2011

Since the establishment of the symbiosis between the ancestor of modern aphids and their primary endosymbiont,Buchnera aphidicola, insects and bacteria have coevolved. Due to this parallel evolution, the analysis of bacterial genomic features constitutes a useful tool to understand their evolutionary history. Here we report, based on data fromB. aphidicola, the molecular evolutionary analysis, the phylogenetic relationships among lineages and a comparison of sequence evolutionary rates of symbionts of four aphid species from three subfamilies. Our results support previous hypotheses of divergence ofB. aphidicolaand their host lineages during the early Cretaceous and indicate a closer relati…

Long-term effects of no tillage treatment on soil N availability, N uptake, and 15N-fertilizer recovery of durum wheat differ in relation to crop seq…

2016

Abstract No tillage (NT) soil management has largely been promoted because of its potential to generate both economic and environmental benefits. However, it often leads to reductions in crop yield and quality, which in many cases have been attributed to the effects this technique has on the nitrogen (N) dynamics in the soil–plant system. This 2-year study, performed within a long-term experiment in which NT was continuously applied for over 15 years, aimed to verify whether and to what extent the use of NT affects soil N availability, recovery of 15 N-labeled fertilizer, and N use efficiency (NUE) and its components (N uptake efficiency, NUpE; N utilization efficiency, NUtE). Durum wheat w…

Aspartic Proteinase from Barley Seeds is Related to Animal Cathepsin D

1991

In contrast to the well-characterized mammalian aspartic proteinases, plant aspartic proteinases have received little attention so far. Aspartic proteinase activity has been detected, for example, in resting seeds of scots pine (Salmia et al., 1978), soybean (Bond & Bowles, 1983), barley and wheat (Morris et al., 1985) as well as in leaves of orange (Garcia-Martinez & Moreno, 1986) and barley (Kervinen et al., 1990). Aspartic proteinases have been purified from the seeds of rice (Doi et al., 1980), cucumber, squash (Polanowski et al 1985) and wheat (Dunaevsky et al., 1989) as well as from the leaves of tomato (Rodrigo et al., 1989). The plant aspartic proteinases have been reported to enhan…

Assessment of genetically modified maize 4114 for food and feed uses, under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (application EFSA‐GMO‐NL‐2014‐123)

2018

Abstract Maize 4114 was developed through Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated transformation to provide protection against certain lepidopteran and coleopteran pests by expression of the Cry1F, Cry34Ab1 and Cry35Ab1 proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis, and tolerance to the herbicidal active ingredient glufosinate‐ammonium by expression of the PAT protein derived from Streptomyces viridochromogenes. The molecular characterisation data did not identify issues requiring assessment for food/feed safety. None of the compositional, agronomic and phenotypic differences identified between maize 4114 and the non‐genetically modified (GM) comparator(s) required further assessment. There were …

Phylogenomics Identifies an Ancestral Burst of Gene Duplications Predating the Diversification of Aphidomorpha

2019

Aphids (Aphidoidea) are a diverse group of hemipteran insects that feed on plant phloem sap. A common finding in studies of aphid genomes is the presence of a large number of duplicated genes. However, when these duplications occurred remains unclear, partly due to the high relatedness of sequenced species. To better understand the origin of aphid duplications we sequenced and assembled the genome of Cinara cedri, an early branching lineage (Lachninae) of the Aphididae family. We performed a phylogenomic comparison of this genome with 20 other sequenced genomes, including the available genomes of five other aphids, along with the transcriptomes of two species belonging to Adelgidae (a close…

Protein hydrolysates and mo-biofortification interactively modulate plant performance and quality of ‘canasta’ lettuce grown in a protected environme…

2021

Since the use of protein hydrolysates (PHs) enhances overall plant performance and quality of vegetables, they might be considered as a toll to face a number of concerns essentially associated to the growing request of premium quality foodstuff realized in agreement with eco-friendly agriculture practices. Molybdenum (Mo) is considered a fundamental trace element for human body. Thus, its shortage determines several disorders mainly related to neurological lesion and esophageal cancer. Biofortification of fruiting and leafy vegetables is a promising tool to prevent Mo deficiency in the human diet. The current study was carried out to assess the interactive effect of plant-derived PHs and Mo…

First estimates of metabolic rate in Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae.

2020

Atlantic bluefin tuna is an iconic scombrid species with a high commercial and ecological value. Despite their importance, many physiological aspects, especially during the larval stages, are still unknown. Metabolic rates are one of the understudied aspects in scombrid larvae, likely due to challenges associated to larval handling before and during respirometry trials. Gaining reliable estimates of metabolic rates is essential to understand how larvae balance their high growth needs and activity and other physiological functions, which can be very useful for fisheries ecology and aquaculture. This is the first study to (a) estimate the relationship between routine metabolic rate (RMR) and …

The rhizosphere of mycorrhizal plants

2002

Providing that appropriate carbon substrates are available, microbial communities are able to develop a range of activities which are crucial in maintaining a biological balance in soil (Bowen and Rovira 1999), a key issue for the sustainability of either natural ecosystems or agroecosystems (Kennedy and Smith 1995). Soil-borne microbes have a particular microhabitat in which to flourish. In particular, they are bound to the surface of soil particles or found in soil aggregates, while others interact specifically with the plant root system (Glick 1995). The root-soil interface is actually a dynamic changing environment, a microcosm where microorganisms, plant roots and soil constituents int…

Immunity and other defenses in pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum

2010

Background Recent genomic analyses of arthropod defense mechanisms suggest conservation of key elements underlying responses to pathogens, parasites and stresses. At the center of pathogen-induced immune responses are signaling pathways triggered by the recognition of fungal, bacterial and viral signatures. These pathways result in the production of response molecules, such as antimicrobial peptides and lysozymes, which degrade or destroy invaders. Using the recently sequenced genome of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), we conducted the first extensive annotation of the immune and stress gene repertoire of a hemipterous insect, which is phylogenetically distantly related to previously ch…