Search results for "Solanaceae"
showing 10 items of 51 documents
Production of the Sweet Protein Monellin in Transgetic Plants
1992
Monellin is a protein that elicits a flavor approximately 100,000 times sweeter than sugar on a molar basis. The protein exists naturally as a heterodimer, with its sweet flavor lost upon denaturation. A single–chain monellin gene, encoding both polypeptide chains linked by a hinge sequence, was placed under the control of constitutive and fruit–ripening specific promoters and transferred to lettuce and tomato. Expression of these genes in transgenic tomato and lettuce resulted in the accumulation of monellin protein in fruit and leaf, respectively, to significant levels. Production of monellin in transgenic fruits and vegetables represents an alternative strategy to enhance their flavor an…
Spread of tomato yellow leaf curl virus in Sicily: partial displacement of another geminivirus originally present.
2006
The geminivirus Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) was reported for the first time in Italy in 2002. We have followed its spread in Sicily, where Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV), another tomato-infecting geminivirus, is endemic and has been causing severe crop losses since 1989. The presence of the two viruses was monitored in the main tomato growing area, the Ragusa province, analyzing samples with yellow leaf curling symptoms. At first (spring-summer 2002) both viruses were always found in mixed infections, but in 2003 and 2004 18-35% of plants were found infected by TYLCV alone and 8-28% by TYLCSV alone, with 41-69% carrying both viruses. TYLCV has spread quickly in th…
Herbicidal activity of derivatives of 9-aminofluoren-9-ylphosphonic acid
1991
A series of derivatives of 9‐aminofluoren‐9‐ylphosphonic acid (phosphonic analogues of morphactins) were synthesized and screened for herbicidal activity against Lepidium sativum, Cucumis sativus and Lycopersicon esculentum. Ethyl 9‐(N‐alkylamino)fluoren‐9‐yl(phenyl)phosphinates appeared to be equipotent with glyphosate and thus may be recognized as new lead compounds for further structural modifications.
Improvement of the nitrogen uptake induced by titanium (iv) leaf supply in nitrogen‐stressed pepper seedlings
1996
Abstract The beneficial effect of titanium (Ti) on plant metabolism can result in more profitable use of fertilizer applied to a crop. A crop chamber experiment with paprika pepper (Capsicum annuum L., cv. Bunejo) seedlings under differential nitrogen (N) concentration levels in a nutrient solution (100% N, 75% N, 50% N, and 25% N) was performed. A third of the seedlings growing under each N support level remained Ti‐untreated and were used as the reference. Another third of the seedling received one and two 0.042 mM Ti(TV) ascorbate, pH 6.0, leaf spray treatments, respectively. The biomass production of the Ti‐untreated plants was only affected by the N supply of 50% or less. The Ti(IV) le…
The development of sporangia of Phytophthora infestans
1995
The dynamics of sporulation and zoosporogenesis of Phytophthora infestans in a naturally infected crop of potato cv. Maris Bard and on potted plants of the same cultivar infected artificially with the same fungus are described. Development of sporangiophores and sporangia was synchronous after induction. Migration of several nuclei from the sporangiophore into the sporangium initial was followed by nuclear division, then by degeneration of a proportion of the nuclei. Sporangia then became deciduous, developed papillae and became able to release zoospores in rapid succession. When infected leaves were detached and transferred from the field to moist Petri dishes, sporulation was at first syn…
First report of Cucumber mosaic virus infecting Solanum jasminoides in Italy
2008
Solanum jasminoides Paxton (potato vine or jasmine nightshade) is a vegetatively propagated ornamental species within the Solanaceae family. Recently, symptomless plants of this species were reported as natural hosts of the quarantine pest, Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) in Italy (1). In January 2008, approximately 1,000 potted, 2-year-old plants of S. jasminoides growing in an ornamental nursery in Sicily showed virus-like mosaic and malformation of leaves. Symptoms were observed on approximately 60% of the plants. Leaf tissue, collected from 30 symptomatic and 10 symptomless plants, was analyzed by double-antibody sandwich-ELISA with polyclonal antisera specific to Cucumber mosaic v…
Effect of grafting on yield and quality of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)
2013
Eggplants have fruits with different sizes, shapes and colours, according to the cultivar. Skin colour is due to anthocyanins, pigments located in the cell vacuole of fruit skin that belong to phenolic flavonoids, a powerful antioxidants group. Environmental conditions and growing techniques may influence fruits characteristics and their content of phenolic compounds. Grafting is a non chemical alternative for overcoming the effects of intensive and continuous cropping. The rootstocks preferred for eggplant are hybrids of tomato or tomato KVFN. Also species taxonomically close, as Solanum torvum, have been used and showed good vigour, compatibility and resistance to wilt disease. Informatio…
Changes in cell wall pectin and pectinase activity in apple and tomato fruits duringPenicillium expansum infection
2006
Cell wall pectin degradation in apple and tomato fruit during infection by Penicillium expansum was investigated. In infected apple fruit, a significant decrease in the average molecular mass was observed in pectins extracted with CDTA and also in pectins extracted with Na2CO3. In tomato fruits, depolymerisation was also observed in both pectic fractions during infection, the major change being in the pectins extracted with Na2CO3. This pectin depolymerisation associated with P. expansum infection can be attributed to the action of pectinases; in apple fruit, a significant increase in polygalacturonase and pectin methylesterase was observed in infected fruits, although in tomato fruit the o…
Population structure of a parasitic plant and its perennial host
2002
Characterization of host and parasite population genetic structure and estimation of gene flow among populations are essential for the understanding of parasite local adaptation and coevolutionary interactions between hosts and parasites. We examined two aspects of population structure in a parasitic plant, the greater dodder (Cuscuta europaea) and its host plant, the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), using allozyme data from 12 host and eight parasite populations. First, we examined whether hosts exposed to parasitism in the past contain higher levels of genetic variation. Second, we examined whether host and parasite populations differ in terms of population structure and if their populati…
Absence of the endo-beta-1,4-glucanases Cel1 and Cel2 reduces susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea in tomato.
2007
Cel1 and Cel2 are members of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill) endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (EGase) family that may play a role in fruit ripening and organ abscission. This work demonstrates that Cel1 protein is present in other vegetative tissues and accumulates during leaf development. We recently reported the downregulation of both the Cel1 mRNA and protein upon fungal infection, suggesting the involvement of EGases in plant-pathogen interactions. This hypothesis was confirmed by assessing the resistance to Botrytis cinerea infection of transgenic plants expressing both genes in an antisense orientation (Anti-Cel1, Anti-Cel2 and Anti-Cel1-Cel2). The Anti-Cel1-Cel2 plants showed enhanced …