Discovery of a large set of SNP and SSR genetic markers by high-throughput sequencing of pepper (Capsicum annuum).

Genetic markers based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are in increasing demand for genome mapping and fingerprinting of breeding populations in crop plants. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing provide the opportunity for whole-genome resequencing and identification of allelic variants by mapping the reads to a reference genome. However, for many species, such as pepper (Capsicum annuum), a reference genome sequence is not yet available. To this end, we sequenced the C. annuum cv. "Yolo Wonder" transcriptome using Roche 454 pyrosequencing and assembled de novo 23,748 isotigs and 60,370 singletons. Mapping of 10,886,425 reads obtained by the Illumina GA II sequencing of C. annuum cv. "Criollo de Morelos 334" to the "Yolo Wonder" transcriptome allowed for SNP identification. By setting a threshold value that allows selecting reliable SNPs with minimal loss of information, 11,849 reliable SNPs spread across 5919 isotigs were identified. In addition, 853 single sequence repeats were obtained. This information has been made available online.

Protective proteins are differentially expressed in tomato genotypes differing for their tolerance to low-temperature storage.

When stored at low temperature, tomato fruits exhibit chilling injury symptoms, such as rubbery texture and irregular ripening. To identify proteins related to chilling tolerance, we compared two tomato near isogenic lines differing for their texture phenotype at harvest in a fruit-storage trial including two temperatures (4 and 20 degrees C) along several days of conservation. Fruit evolution was followed by assessing fruit color, ethylene emission and texture parameters. The most contrasted samples were submitted to proteomic analysis including two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry of protein spots to identify the proteins, whose expression varied according to the genotype or the storage conditions. Unexpectedly, the most firm genotype at harvest was the most sensitive to cold storage. The other genotype exhibited a delay in fruit firmness loss leading to the texture differences observed after 20 days of 4 degrees C storage. The proteome analysis of these contrasted fruits identified 85 proteins whose quantities varied with temperature or genotype. As expected, cold storage decreased the expression of proteins related to maturation process, such as acidic invertase, possibly controlled post-translational regulation of polygalacturonase and up-regulated proteins related to freezing tolerance. However, the study point out proteins involved in the differential resistance to chilling conditions of the two lines. This includes specific isoforms among the large family of small heat shocked proteins, and a set of proteins involved in the defense against of the reticulum endoplasmic stress.

[Use of isokinetic techniques vs standard physiotherapy in patients with chronic low back pain. Preliminary results]. / Etude comparative entre technique isocinétique et kinésithérapie classique chez le lombalgique chronique. Résultats préliminaires.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the use of an isokinetic device for trunk exercise is more effective than standard physiotherapy in promoting motor disinhibition for patients with chronic low back pain. POPULATION: chronic low back pain outpatients who are treated in a Rheumatology or PM & R unit within an academic hospital. METHODOLOGY: This is a prospective, controlled, randomized study, with two groups of treatment: one treated with isokinetic techniques and the other with standard physiotherapy, six sessions for each treatment during 2 weeks. Outcome measures include pain (VSA), trunk mobility (Schöber index, distance from fingers to floor), muscle extensibility and muscle strength (Biering-Sorensen and Shirado-Ito test), and functional capacity (Quebec scale). RESULTS: Seventeen subjects were enrolled. The results suggest that both isokinetic exercise and physiotherapy result in improved range of motion, extensibility, muscle strength, and pain, without any significant superiority of one technique over the other. However, each technique has specific advantage. DISCUSSION: Despite methodologic limitations, this study shows that isokinetic exercise is not better than physiotherapy in reversing motor inhibition in chronic low back pain. Our results are consistent with those of other studies in the literature, with regard to the absence of established overall superiority of one exercise technique or program over the other in this population, and with regard to partial benefits of specific exercise techniques. CONCLUSION: The non-specific benefit of one technique indicates that further studies are needed to evaluate the benefit of combining exercise techniques in chronic low back pain, in order to address the multiple factors involved in this pathology.

Synthesis and ACE inhibitory activity of the stereoisomers of perindopril (S 9490) and perindoprilate (S 9780).

Perindopril, a powerful ACE inhibitor contains 5 chiral carbons, thus there is the possibility of 2(5) = 32 stereoisomers for the general structure 1. These 32 stereoisomers were synthesized by cross-coupling the 8 stereoisomers of perhydroindole 2-carboxylic acid benzylester with the 4 stereoisomers of 2-(1-carbethoxybutylamino) propionic acid 4, then hydrogenating the resulting benzylesters. Each stereoisomer of perindopril furnished by saponification the corresponding diacid stereoisomer 2 of perindoprilate which is the active form of perindopril. For each of the 32 stereoisomers 2 the in vitro ACE inhibitory potency (IC50) was determined. Four of them, including perindoprilate, had activities in the nanomolar range, and four more were ca. 10 x less active. The four acid esters 1 corresponding respectively to the four most active diacids 2 in vitro were studied (1 mg/kg via the oral route) for their in vivo activity in dogs. It could be concluded that p.o. absorption of the active acid esters 1 and their activation to the active diacid 2 depended only on the chiralities of the two ring junction carbons of the perhydroindole ring.