Search results for "lime"

Not only flint: Levallois on quartzite and limestone at Abrigo de la Quebrada (Valencia, Spain): Implications for neandertal Behavior

2016

This paper investigates the application of the Levallois technique to the knapping of nonflint raw materials (limestone and quartzite) in the upper levels of the Abrigo de la Quebrada rockshelter (Chelva, Valencia, Spain). Besides highlighting the significant flexibility that characterized Neandertal behavior, such an application is of singular interest because goodquality flint—lacking fissures and impurities and presenting a compact and homogeneous texture—is abundant in the site’s immediate vicinity. In other assemblages, the scarcity or poor quality of flint often suffices to explain the recourse to alternatives, but in these Quebrada levels raw material choice must be primarily determi…

The targeted overexpression of SlCDF4 in the fruit enhances tomato size and yield involving gibberellin signalling

2020

AbstractTomato is one of the most widely cultivated vegetable crops and a model for studying fruit biology. Although several genes involved in the traits of fruit quality, development and size have been identified, little is known about the regulatory genes controlling its growth. In this study, we characterized the role of the tomato SlCDF4 gene in fruit development, a cycling DOF-type transcription factor highly expressed in fruits. The targeted overexpression of SlCDF4 gene in the fruit induced an increased yield based on a higher amount of both water and dry matter accumulated in the fruits. Accordingly, transcript levels of genes involved in water transport and cell division and expans…

Synthetic conversion of leaf chloroplasts into carotenoid-rich plastids reveals mechanistic basis of natural chromoplast development

2020

Plastids, the defining organelles of plant cells, undergo physiological and morphological changes to fulfill distinct biological functions. In particular, the differentiation of chloroplasts into chromoplasts results in an enhanced storage capacity for carotenoids with industrial and nutritional value such as beta-carotene (provitamin A). Here, we show that synthetically inducing a burst in the production of phytoene, the first committed intermediate of the carotenoid pathway, elicits an artificial chloroplast-to-chromoplast differentiation in leaves. Phytoene overproduction initially interferes with photosynthesis, acting as a metabolic threshold switch mechanism that weakens chloroplast i…

When Choice Makes Sense: Menthol Influence on Mating, Oviposition and Fecundity in Drosophila melanogaster

2016

International audience; The environment to which insects have been exposed as larvae and adults can affect subsequent behaviors, such as mating, oviposition, food preference or fitness. Experience can change female preference for oviposition, particularly in phytophagous insects. In Drosophila melanogaster, females avoid laying eggs on menthol rich-food when given the choice. Exposure to menthol during larval development reduces this aversion. However, this observation was not reproduced in the following generation. Recently, we have shown that oviposition-site preference (OSP) differs between wild type D. melanogaster lines freely or forcibly exposed to menthol. After 12 generations, menth…

A self-inducible heterologous protein expression system in Escherichia coli

2016

AbstractEscherichia coli is an important experimental, medical and industrial cell factory for recombinant protein production. The inducible lac promoter is one of the most commonly used promoters for heterologous protein expression in E. coli. Isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG) is currently the most efficient molecular inducer for regulating this promoter’s transcriptional activity. However, limitations have been observed in large-scale and microplate production, including toxicity, cost and culture monitoring. Here, we report the novel SILEX (Self-InducibLe Expression) system, which is a convenient, cost-effective alternative that does not require cell density monitoring or IPTG inducti…

Whole-genome resequencing of Cucurbita pepo morphotypes to discover genomic variants associated with morphology and horticulturally valuable traits

2019

[EN] Cucurbita pepo contains two cultivated subspecies, each of which encompasses four fruit-shape morphotypes (cultivar groups). The Pumpkin, Vegetable Marrow, Cocozelle, and Zucchini Groups are of subsp. pepo and the Acorn, Crookneck, Scallop, and Straightneck Groups are of subsp. ovifera. Recently, a de novo assembly of the C. pepo subsp. pepo Zucchini genome was published, providing insights into its evolution. To expand our knowledge of evolutionary processes within C. pepo and to identify variants associated with particular morphotypes, we performed whole-genome resequencing of seven of these eight C. pepo morphotypes. We report for the first time whole-genome resequencing of the four…

2019

Street greeneries and other green spaces within the urban matrix can potentially reduce air pollution and increase urban biodiversity. Yet, these services can be negatively affected by anthropogenic stress factors. In the boreo-nemoral zone, large amounts of salts are spread each year for deicing the pavement. To address the effect of deicing salt on street lines of lime trees and how this cascades up to influence the surrounding arthropod biodiversity, we compared heavily salt-polluted and less polluted sites in the city of Riga, Latvia. We analyzed the impairment of foliar functions and development of aphids’ colonies using a common garden experiment. We found marked variation in the soil…

Symptom severity, infection progression and plant responses in solanum plants caused by three pospiviroids vary with the inoculation procedure

2021

This article belongs to the Section Molecular Plant Sciences.

Fermented sweet lemon juice (Citrus limetta) using Lactobacillus plantarum LS5: Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities

2017

Sweet lemon juice was fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum LS5 to produce a probiotic juice. The cell counts of the L. plantarum LS5 increased from 7.0 ± 0.1 to 8.63 ± 0.38 log CFU/mL during fermentation (37 °C for 48 h) (p < 0.05) and decreased from 8.63 ± 0.38 to 7.14 ± 0.21 log CFU/mL after storage (4 °C for 28 d). Antibacterial activity against S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 was observed in fermented sweet lemon juice. Immediately after fermentation, pH, lactic acid and antioxidant capacity of the samples increased, while glucose and fructose, total acidity, citric acid and phenolic decreased. During storage, phenolics, and antioxidant decreased in both fermented and non-fermented…

Herbicidal activity of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. essential oil

2020

The bioherbicidal potential of Thymbra capitata (l.) Cav. essential oil (EO) and its main compound carvacrol was investigated. In in vitro assays, the EO blocked the germination and seedling growth of Erigeron canadensis L., Sonchus oleraceus (l.) L., and Chenopodium album L. at 0.125 &micro