Genetic diversity in soybean genotypes using phenotypic characters and enzymatic markers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of soybean cultivars by adopting phenotypic traits and enzymatic markers, the relative contribution of agronomic traits to diversity, as well as diversity between the level of technology used in soybean cultivars and genetic breeding programs in which cultivars were inserted. The experiments were conducted on the field at the Center for Scientific and Technological Development in crop-livestock production and the Electrophoresis Laboratory of Lavras Federal University. The agronomic traits adopted were grain yield, plant height, first legume insertion, plant lodging, the mass of one thousand seeds, and days for complete maturation, in which the Euclidean distance, grouped by Tocher and UPGMA criteria, was obtained. After electrophorese gels for enzymatic systems, dehydrogenase alcohol, esterase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase were performed. The genetic similarity estimative was also obtained between genotypes by the Jaccard coefficient with subsequent grouping by the UPGMA method. The formation of two groups was shown using phenotypic characters in the genetic diversity study and individually discriminating the cultivar 97R73 RR. The character with the greatest contribution to the genetic divergence was grain yield with contribution higher than 90.0%. To obtain six different groups, individually discriminating the cultivars CG 8166 RR, FPS Jupiter RR, and BRS MG 780 RR, enzymatic markers were used. Cultivars carrying the RR technology presented more divergence than conventional cultivars and IPRO cultivars.

Estimates of genetics and phenotypics parameters for the yield and quality of soybean seeds.

Estimating genotype x environment (GxE) parameters for quality and yield in soybean seed grown in different environments in Minas Gerais State was the goal of this study, as well as to evaluate interaction effects of GxE for soybean seeds yield and quality. Seeds were produced in three locations in Minas Gerais State (Lavras, Inconfidentes, and Patos de Minas) in 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons. Field experiments were conducted in randomized blocks in a factorial 17 x 6 (GxE), and three replications. Seed yield and quality were evaluated for germination in substrates paper and sand, seedling emergence, speed emergency index, mechanical damage by sodium hypochlorite, electrical conductivity, speed aging, vigor and viability of seeds by tetrazolium test in laboratory using completely randomized design. Quadratic component genotypic, GXE variance component, genotype determination coefficient, genetic variation coefficient and environmental variation coefficient were estimated using the Genes software. Percentage analysis of genotypes contribution, environments and genotype x environment interaction were conducted by sites combination two by two and three sites combination, using the R software. Considering genotypes selection of broad adaptation, TMG 1179 RR, CD 2737 RR, and CD 237 RR associated better yield performance at high physical and physiological potential of seed. Environmental effect was more expressive for most of the characters related to soybean seed quality. GxE interaction effects were expressive though genotypes did not present coincidental behavior in different environments.

Two separate effects contribute to regulatory T cell defect in systemic lupus erythematosus patients and their unaffected relatives.

Forkhead box P3 (FoxP3)+ regulatory T cells (Tregs ) are functionally deficient in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), characterized by reduced surface CD25 [the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor alpha chain]. Low-dose IL-2 therapy is a promising current approach to correct this defect. To elucidate the origins of the SLE Treg phenotype, we studied its role through developmentally defined regulatory T cell (Treg ) subsets in 45 SLE patients, 103 SLE-unaffected first-degree relatives and 61 unrelated healthy control subjects, and genetic association with the CD25-encoding IL2RA locus. We identified two separate, uncorrelated effects contributing to Treg CD25. (1) SLE patients and unaffected relatives remarkably shared CD25 reduction versus controls, particularly in the developmentally earliest CD4+ FoxP3+ CD45RO- CD31+ recent thymic emigrant Tregs . This first component effect influenced the proportions of circulating CD4+ FoxP3high CD45RO+ activated Tregs . (2) In contrast, patients and unaffected relatives differed sharply in their activated Treg CD25 state: while relatives as control subjects up-regulated CD25 strongly in these cells during differentiation from naive Tregs , SLE patients specifically failed to do so. This CD25 up-regulation depended upon IL2RA genetic variation and was related functionally to the proliferation of activated Tregs , but not to their circulating numbers. Both effects were found related to T cell IL-2 production. Our results point to (1) a heritable, intrathymic mechanism responsible for reduced CD25 on early Tregs and decreased activation capacity in an extended risk population, which can be compensated by (2) functionally independent CD25 up-regulation upon peripheral Treg activation that is selectively deficient in patients. We expect that Treg -directed therapies can be monitored more effectively when taking this distinction into account.

Wildfire patterns and landscape changes in Mediterranean oak woodlands.

Fire is infrequent in the oak woodlands of southern Portugal (montado) but large and severe fires affected these agro-forestry systems in 2003-2005. We hypothesised transition from forest to shrubland as a fire-driven process and investigated the links between fire incidence and montado change to other land cover types, particularly those related with the presence of pioneer communities (generically designed in this context as "transitions to early-successional communities"). We present a landscape-scale framework for assessing the probability of transition from montado to pioneer communities, considering three sets of explanatory variables: montado patterns in 1990 and prior changes from montado to early-successional communities (occurred between 1960 and 1990), fire patterns, and spatial factors. These three sets of factors captured 78.2% of the observed variability in the transitions from montado to pioneer vegetation. The contributions of fire patterns and spatial factors were high, respectively 60.6% and 43.4%, the influence of montado patterns and former changes in montado being lower (34.4%). The highest amount of explained variation in the occurrence of transitions from montado to early-successional communities was related to the pure effect of fire patterns (19.9%). Low spatial connectedness in montado landscape can increase vulnerability to changes, namely to pioneer vegetation, but the observed changes were mostly explained by fire characteristics and spatial factors. Among all metrics used to characterize fire patterns and extent, effective mesh size provided the best modelling results. Transitions from montado to pioneer communities are more likely in the presence of high values of the effective mesh size of total burned area. This cross-boundary metric is an indicator of the influence of large fires in the distribution of the identified transitions and, therefore, we conclude that the occurrence of large fires in montado increases its probability of transition to shrubland.

Causes and consequences of centrosome abnormalities in cancer.

Centrosome amplification is a hallmark of cancer. However, despite significant progress in recent years, we are still far from understanding how centrosome amplification affects tumorigenesis. Boveri's hypothesis formulated more than 100 years ago was that aneuploidy induced by centrosome amplification promoted tumorigenesis. Although the hypothesis remains appealing 100 years later, it is also clear that the role of centrosome amplification in cancer is more complex than initially thought. Here, we review how centrosome abnormalities are generated in cancer and the mechanisms cells employ to adapt to centrosome amplification, in particular centrosome clustering. We discuss the different mechanisms by which centrosome amplification could contribute to tumour progression and the new advances in the development of therapies that target cells with extra centrosomes.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha processing in interstitial lung disease: a potential role for exogenous proteinase-3.

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) blockade has become an important immunomodulatory therapy, particularly in patients refractory to conventional immunosuppression, but responses can be unpredictable. Understanding the complex biology of TNF processing may be key to predicting such responses and reduce unwanted side effects. TNF bioavailability is regulated partly by TNF-alpha converting enzyme (TACE) cleavage; however, it can also be cleaved by proteinase-3 (PR-3). We have demonstrated this mechanism previously in healthy human alveolar macrophages (AM), leading us to hypothesize that PR-3-mediated TNF processing may be an important mechanism in inflammatory lung disease. Furthermore, this may be more apparent in diseases with a neutrophil component typical of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), compared with sarcoidosis, where lymphocytes predominate. We isolated AM from patients with UIP and sarcoidosis and healthy subjects. We found increased TACE expression on AM in sarcoidosis. In contrast, TACE was not increased in UIP; we found increased cleavage of glutathione S-transferase-proTNF) substrate, relative to both sarcoidosis and healthy controls. Furthermore, cleavage was subject to inhibition by serine protease inhibitor, rather than a TACE inhibitor BB-3103. Cleavage was proportional to the number of neutrophils isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage, whereas there was an inverse relationship between neutrophils and BB-3103 inhibition. There was also increased PR-3 on the AM surface in UIP relative to healthy controls. These data provide evidence for PR-3-mediated cleavage in UIP, which may have implications for future therapeutic targeting of TACE.

Reaching and grasping phenotypes in the mouse (Mus musculus): a characterization of inbred strains and mutant lines.

Skilled movements, such as reaching and grasping, have classically been considered as originating in the primate lineage. For this reason, the use of rodents to investigate the genetic and molecular machinery of reaching and grasping has been limited in research. A few studies in rodents have now shown that these movements are not exclusive to primates. Here we present a new test, the Mouse Reaching and Grasping (MoRaG) performance scale, intended to help researchers in the characterization of these motor behaviors in the mouse. Within the MoRaG test battery we identified early phenotypes for the characterization of motor neurone (Tg[SOD1-G93A](dl)1Gur mice) and neurodegenerative (TgN(HD82Gln)81Dbo transgenic mice) disease models in addition to specific motor deficits associated with aging (C3H/HeH inbred strain). We conclude that the MoRaG test can be used to further investigate complex neuromuscular, neurological, neurodegenerative and behavioral disorders. Moreover, our study supports the validity of the mouse as a model for reaching and grasping studies.

Genetic and molecular analysis of the central and peripheral circadian clockwork of mice.

A hierarchy of interacting, tissue-based clocks controls circadian physiology and behavior in mammals. Preeminent are the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN): central hypothalamic pacemakers synchronized to solar time via retinal afferents and in turn responsible for internal synchronization of other clocks present in major organ systems. The SCN and peripheral clocks share essentially the same cellular timing mechanism. This consists of autoregulatory transcriptional/posttranslational feedback loops in which the Period (Per) and Cryptochrome (Cry) "clock" genes are negatively regulated by their protein products. Here, we review recent studies directed at understanding the molecular and cellular bases to the mammalian clock. At the cellular level, we demonstrate the role of F-box protein Fbxl3 (characterized by the afterhours mutation) in directing the proteasomal degradation of Cry and thereby controlling negative feedback and circadian period of the molecular loops. Within SCN neural circuitry, we describe how neuropeptidergic signaling by VIP synchronizes and sustains the cellular clocks. At the hypothalamic level, signaling via a different SCN neuropeptide, prokineticin, is not required for pacemaking but is necessary for control of circadian behavior. Finally, we consider how metabolic pathways are coordinated in time, focusing on liver function and the role of glucocorticoid signals in driving the circadian transcriptome and proteome.

MR spectroscopy-aided differentiation: "giant" extra-axial tuberculoma masquerading as meningioma.

Tuberculosis is common in the developing world and in developed nations secondary to increasing immunocompromise in the population. It commonly causes meningitis and parenchymal tuberculomas. We present a case of an unusual masslike "giant" extra-axial tuberculoma during pregnancy. Unusual morphology and size at imaging made meningioma a close differential. MR spectroscopy served to complement MR imaging, providing diagnostic confirmation and depicted findings characteristic of a tuberculoma.

Ultrafast MRI in the prenatal diagnosis of Bourneville's tuberous sclerosis.

The purpose of this report is to highlight the utility of prenatal MRI as an adjunctive imaging modality in the diagnosis and prognosis of Tuberous Sclerosis (TS) (Bourneville's disease). We report a case of TS detected in utero at 30 weeks gestation. A routine ultrasonography at 26 weeks in a 28-year-old primigravida was followed by an ultrafast MRI examination at 30 weeks gestation. Ultrasound raised the possibility of TS based on the detection of multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas. Fetal MRI, subsequently performed, showed the presence of cortical tubers and subependymal nodules establishing the diagnosis. Fetal MRI in the appropriate clinical setting can be potentially invaluable and can have important prognostic implications.

Polarization effects and charge separation in AgCl-water clusters.

Structural, energetic, vibrational, and electronic properties of salt ion pairs (AgCl and NaCl) in water (W) clusters were investigated by density functional theory. In agreement with recent theoretical studies of NaCl-water clusters, structures where the salt ion pair is separated by solvent molecules or solvent separated ion pair (SSIP) were found in AgCl-W(6) and AgCl-W(8) aggregates. Our results indicate that for small AgCl-water clusters, contact ion pair (CIP) structures are energetically more stable than SSIP, whereas an opposite tendency was observed for NaCl-water clusters. In comparison with CIP, SSIP are characterized by extensive electronic density reorganization, reflecting enhanced polarization effects. A major difference between AgCl-water and NaCl-water CIP aggregates concerns charge transfer. In AgCl-water CIP clusters, charge is transferred from the solvent (water) to the ion pair. However, in NaCl-water CIP clusters charge is transferred from the ion pair to the water molecules. The electronic density reorganization in the aggregates was also discussed through the analysis of electronic density difference isosurfaces. Time dependent density functional theory calculations show that upon complexation of AgCl and NaCl with water molecules, excitation energies are significantly blueshifted relative to the isolated ion pairs ( approximately 2 eV for AgCl-W(8) SSIP). In keeping with results for NaI-water clusters [Peslherbe et al., J. Phys. Chem. A 104, 4533 (2000)], electronic oscillator strengths of transitions to excited states are weaker for SSIP than for CIP structures. However, our results also suggest that the difference between excitation energies and oscillator strengths of CIP and SSIP structures may decrease with increasing cluster size.

Analysis of an IL-10 polymorphism in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive fibrotic disorder of the lung parenchyma. We have demonstrated changes in IL-10 protein production by alveolar macrophages (AMs) from patients with IPF, which we hypothesise could be because of an IL-10 gene polymorphism. We have screened the coding sequence and 3' untranslated region of IL-10 for polymorphisms using single-standard conformational polymorphism analysis. A novel polymorphism was identified resulting in a G to A substitution of +43 nucleotides from the start codon changing glycine to arginine at amino acid 15 of the signal peptide sequence. We have introduced the signal peptide mutation into the IL-10 gene and compared secretion of the mutant and wild-type forms after transient transfection of COS-7 cells. Our studies showed that the signal peptide mutation did not have a significant effect on secretion at 24 h post-transfection (P=0.4529 by Mann-Whitney test). However, by 48 h there are significantly lower levels of mutant IL-10 (P=0.0515). There were no differences in the level of cell-associated IL-10 at either 24 or 48 h (P=0.9296 and 0.4268). We suggest that the mutation could affect the efficiency of protein translocation and signal peptide cleavage resulting in lower levels of IL-10 protein secretion.

Evaluation of fluoride uptake by enamel in children from fluoride dentifrices.

Fluoride dentifrices are well accepted for their caries preventive effects. Although it is generally accepted that the presence of fluoride in the enamel protects teeth against carious attack, at the same time, there is some concern that ingestion of fluoride from toothpastes may substantially contribute to the total intake of this element. The present study was undertaken to clinically evaluate the fluoride uptake by human enamel after the use of lower concentrations of fluoride dentifrices and compare their potency to higher concentration in increasing the uptake of fluoride by enamel. Enamel biopsy was conducted on first permanent molars of 100 school children, aged 6-8 years before brushing and at intervals of one hour, 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 12 weeks following brushing with different concentrations of fluoride dentifrices. The fluoride content of the enamel biopsy samples were estimated using the Orion microprocessor ion analyser and by taking into consideration the enamel biopsy mass and depth of the etch. The results of the present study suggest that low fluoride concentration dentifrices provide similar fluoride uptake by enamel when compared with that of higher concentrations.