bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF PHENOL RED AND STEROID HORMONES ON CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRANSMEMBRANE CONDUCTANCE REGULATOR IN MOUSE ENDOMETRIAL EPITHELIAL CELLS
Authors: Tsang L. L. , Chan L. N. , Liu C. Q. , Chan H. C.
Published: September 2002

Previous studies have demonstrated that cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a cAMP‐mediated Cl−channel found in most epithelia including reproductive tract, could be regulated by various culture conditions. The present study further investigated the effect of phenol red, a pH indicator widely used in growth medium, and steroid hormones, present in the supplement fetal bovine serum (FBS), on primary cultured endometrial epithelial cells by monitoring ion channel activities using the short‐circuit current technique. When compared to the results obtained with normal medium supplemented with regular FBS, the forskolin‐stimulated ISC, presumably mediated by CFTR, obtained in phenol red‐free medium was significantly reduced, from 16.95±1.53μA/cm2(control) to 9.72±0.89μA/cm2(medium without phenol red, P< 0.05). The forskolin‐activated ISCwas further attenuated to 5.29±0.46μA/cm2in the phenol red‐free medium when supplemented with charcoal/ dextran‐treated FBS where steroid hormones were removed. Our data suggest that phenol red and steroid hormones present in culture medium and FBS supplement, respectively, may somehow upregulate CFTR expression in vitro. Our study demonstrates the need for carefully choosing the culture media and supplements due to the effect of steroid hormones.
STUDIES OF APOPTOSIS OF MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA CELLS INDUCED BY ARSENIC TRIOXIDE
Authors: Zhang Y. , Nie L.
Published: September 2002

The present study investigated the effect of As2O3on malignant lymphoma cells. Cell apoptosis was detected by cell staining and TdT‐mediated dUTP Nick‐end Labelling (TUNEL). Cellular DNA and protein expression content were determined by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. It was found that 0.5–2.0μm /l As2O3could inhibit cell growth, including Raji cells and lymphoma cells from patients, and induce apoptosis, such as condensed chromatin and nuclear fragmentation with intact cell membrane, i.e. apoptotic body. It was also found that the cells of the sub‐G1phase increased significantly and bcl‐2 gene expression was greatly downregulated. However, this effect was not observed for Jurkat cells under the same conditions. We concluded that As2O3at a range of 0.5–2.0μm /l can inhibit the growth and induce apoptosis in malignant lymphoma cells, which may have therapeutic potential.
EFFECTS OF INSULIN‐LIKE GROWTH FACTOR‐BINDING PROTEIN 2 AND AN IGF‐TYPE I RECEPTOR‐BLOCKING ANTIBODY ON APOPTOSIS IN HUMAN TERATOCARCINOMA CELLS IN VITRO
Authors: Granerus Marika , Engström Wilhelm
Published: September 2002

Human teratocarcinoma cells (Tera‐2) deprived of serum undergo programmed cell death which can be counteracted by simultaneous addition of IGF‐I or IGF‐II. This protective effect of IGFs was specific in the sense that both addition of IGF‐binding protein‐2, and blocking of the IGF‐type I receptor by a specific antibody, both resulted in an increased apoptotic rate.
QUANTIFICATION OF ANNEXIN I IN SUBCELLULAR FRACTIONS OF HUMAN NEUTROPHILS REVEALS AN EXCLUSIVE CYTOSOLIC LOCALISATION
Authors: Movitz Charlotta , Dahlgren Claes
Published: September 2002

Annexin I is an abundant cytosolic protein in human neutrophils. Besides its intracellular location, annexin I is found as an extracellular protein and the pathway for secretion has been of interest since the protein lacks a signal sequence for secretion. It was recently shown that annexin I is stored in the secretory gelatinase granules of human neutrophils, suggesting that the protein might be released through a granule mobilisation and fusion process resembling classical secretion. In this study we have determined the intracellular localisation of annexin I in human neutrophils using subcellular fractionation, protein separation by SDS‐PAGE and immunoblotting, and show that virtually all annexin I is localised in the cell cytosol.
CONTAMINANTS WITHIN BACTERIAL PLASMID PREPARATIONS TRIGGER APOPTOSIS IN LIPOSOME TRANSFECTED OVCAR3, BUT NOT IN SKOV3 OR AZ224 HUMAN OVARIAN CANCER CELLS
Authors: Neyns Bart , De Rijcke Martine , Vermeij Joanna , Teugels Erik , Zeinoun Ziad , De Grève Jacques
Published: September 2002

Toxicity associated with plasmid/liposome transfection of eucaryote cells has been attributed to the inherent toxicity of cationic lipid formulations and also to bacterial contaminants of plasmid DNA preparations, such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Certain plasmid preparations were observed to trigger apoptosis in DNA/liposome transfected OVCAR3 human epithelial ovarian cancer cells. In contrast, AZ224 and SKOV3 cells were unaffected under the same conditions. Agarose gel electrophoresis with recovery of the plasmid DNA removed the toxic component, but not purification by phenol/chloroform extraction or isopicnic CsCl ultracentrifugation. The toxicity of individual preparations correlated with the concentration of bacterial LPS. However, polymixin B could not neutralise the toxicity and neither could the effect be reproduced by the addition of bacterial LPS to non‐toxic plasmid preparations. Surprisingly, the conditioned medium of OVCAR3 cells undergoing apoptosis was found to kill non‐transfected OVCAR3 cells but not AZ224 or SKOV3 cells. This observation illustrates the possibility that unpredictable contaminants of bacterial plasmid preparations are able to cause cell death in the context of plasmid/liposome transfection in a cell‐type specific way. It emphasizes the importance of achieving maximal plasmid DNA purity when performing DNA transfection experiments that focus on cell survival.
PERTURBATION OF β1 INTEGRIN FUNCTION USING ANTI‐SENSE OR FUNCTION‐BLOCKING ANTIBODIES ON CORNEAL CELLS GROWN ON FIBRONECTIN AND TENASCIN
Authors: Doane Kathleen J. , Bhattacharya Raka , Marchant Jeff
Published: September 2002

During corneal development, neural crest derivatives from the periocular mesenchyme migrate into the cornea and differentiate into corneal fibroblasts. During this time, these cells interact with a variety of extracellular matrices for proper orientation and development. In the present studies, we have examined the interaction of β1 integrins on periocular mesenchyme cells (POM) and corneal fibroblasts (CF) with fibronectin and tenascin by perturbing the function of this integrin. POM and CF attached and spread to a much greater extent on fibronectin than on tenascin. An antibody against β1 integrin, CSAT, decreased spreading and attachment, and resulted in a lack of immuno‐detectable β1 integrin in focal adhesions on fibronectin; few β1 positive focal adhesions were observed in cells grown on tenascin. An anti‐sense retroviral construct decreased endogenous levels of β1 integrin protein, and caused decreased attachment and spreading as well as sparse, disorganized focal adhesions. These data indicate that in vitro, both POM and CF have β1 integrins that interact with fibronectin and allow them to attach and spread, while tenascin is anti‐adhesive. Further studies using both of these experimental paradigms will clarify whether these interactions also occur in vivo.
Growth, water use efficiency, and adaptive features of the tree legume tagasaste (Chamaecytisus proliferus Link.) on deep sands in south-western Australia
Authors: Lefroy E. C. , Pate J. S. , Stirzaker R. J.
Published: September 2002

Four-year-old tagasaste trees in dense plantation and wide-spaced alley
cropping layouts at Moora, Western Australia, were cut back to 0.6 m high and
their patterns of coppice regrowth and water use monitored over 3 years. Trees
reached a permanent fresh watertable at 5 m depth by means of deeply
penetrating sinker roots. Dry matter (DM) accumulation and transpiration loss
were closely similar at the 2 planting densities despite higher soil water
contents in alley plots. Yearly transpiration at plantation density amounted
to 0.55 and 0.63 of Penman-Montieth potential evapotranspiration
(E0) in the second and third years, respectively. Mean
water use efficiency over the 3 years was 247 L/kg DM, compared with
values in the range 186–320 L/kg for younger pot-and column-grown
trees. Using a combination of neutron moisture metre (NMM) assays of soil
moisture and deuterium: hydrogen ratios of groundwater and xylem water of
tagasaste and annual weeds, it was shown that trees became increasingly
dependent on groundwater over time and had the capacity to switch rapidly
between soil and groundwater sources. Seasonal changes in carbon isotope
composition of new shoot tip dry matter indicated that plantation trees were
less stressed than alley trees by the third summer as they adapted to heavy
dependence on groundwater. In the third season, when plantation trees were
transpiring at rates equivalent to 2.3 times annual rainfall, NMM profiles and
time domain reflectometry (TDR) assays indicated that no free drainage
occurred and that trees were capable of hydraulically lifting groundwater to
near surface soil in the dry season. Additional adaptive features of
importance to this environment included heat stress induced leaf shedding,
development of perennial root nodules on lower parts of tap roots, and an
ability to respond in summer to artificial irrigation or a seasonal rainfall
by rapidly increasing transpiration 2–3-fold to values equalling
E0.
High vapour pressure deficit results in a rapid decline of leaf water potential and photosynthesis of carrots grown on free-draining, sandy soils
Authors: Gibberd Mark R. , Turner Neil C. , Loveys Brian R.
Published: September 2002

Two carrot (Daucus carota L.) genotypes (Nantes and
Imperator) were grown in the field on a coarse-textured, sandy soil.
Experiments were conducted over 2 consecutive seasons, one providing cool
growing conditions and the other much warmer growing conditions during which
the vapour pressure deficit was up to 2-fold higher than in the first season.
Changes in growth, soil water content, and environmental conditions were
monitored for both seasons, and diurnal measurements of leaf water potential
and leaf photosynthesis were taken near maturity. Frequent irrigation
maintained bulk soil water content above, or near, field capacity, with the
sum of rainfall and irrigation exceeding potential evaporation by 1.4- and
1.3-fold during the cool and warm seasons, respectively. Even under such
well-watered conditions, a large diurnal variation in leaf water potential
(1200 and 1800 kPa for the cool- and warm-season crops, respectively) was
recorded. During the cool season, withholding irrigation for up to 60 h
resulted in further reductions in midday leaf water potential. However, there
was no effect of withholding irrigation on leaf water potential during the
warm season. During both seasons, leaf photosynthetic rate of well-watered
plants peaked at around 20 µmol/m2.s in the
early morning (0900 hours) and then decreased throughout the day, with the
magnitude of the decline associated with the prevailing vapour pressure
deficit. Under well-watered conditions, leaf water potential and
photosynthesis were both negatively correlated with vapour pressure deficit,
for both genotypes. Leaf water potential and photosynthesis were positively
correlated with each other and we conclude that a high hydraulic resistance in
the plant or soil results in a vapour pressure deficit-induced reduction in
leaf water potential, which in turn reduces the rate of leaf photosynthesis.
Resistance to Alfalfa mosaic virus in transgenic barrel medic lines containing the virus coat protein gene
Authors: Jayasena K. W. , Hajimorad M. R. , Law E. G. , Rehman A-U. , Nolan K. E. , Zanker T. , Rose R. J. , Randles J. W.
Published: September 2002

Medicago truncatula is used as a pasture legume and a
source of nitrogen for grain crops in southern Australia.
Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) infection reduces herbage
production and nodulation. The coat protein gene of a South Australian strain
of AMV (AMV N20) has been transferred to
Medicago truncatula cv. Jemalong 2HA using
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The most detailed
investigations were carried out with the coat protein gene in the sense
orientation (CP+). Progeny (T1,
T2, T3) raised from
self-pollinated primary transformants (T0) containing
the coat protein CP+ gene were resistant to AMV. Based on Southern
analysis and segregation, the transformants contained a single gene copy. In
the T3 generation, one line was immune and one line
showed resistance to AMV N20. The immune line contained no detectable virus
when plant sap from either inoculated or systemic leaves was bioassayed on
Phaseolus vulgaris. This line was also immune to the
heterologous AMV S40 isolate. A line with the coat protein gene in antisense
orientation (CP–) showed delayed systemic
infection but was not immune. We conclude that coat protein mediated
protection (CPMP) is an effective strategy for controlling AMV infection and
should be further evaluated in the field.
Restricted branching narrow-leafed lupin. 2. Cross-pollination
Authors: Dracup Miles , Thomson Bob
Published: September 2002

The restricted branching character appears to be unstable in some genotypes of
narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.). This
study investigated random cross-pollination as a possible cause. Restricted
and normal branching genotypes with different flower colours were grown in
field plots, the progeny seed was sown, and the frequencies of off-flower
colours, indicating cross-pollination, were recorded. Six pairs of genotypes
were studied and there was no detectable cross-pollination in 3 pairs,
<0.1% in 1 pair, and about 2% in the other 2 pairs.
Cross-pollination appears to be related to genotype and there was no
relationship with position of the mother plant in the plot, flower position on
the mother plant, or architecture (branching habit). Most cross-pollination
was on blue-flowering mother plants.
Diet composition affects the level of ruminal methane suppression by medium-chain fatty acids
Authors: Machmüller A. , Dohme F. , Soliva C. R. , Wanner M. , Kreuzer M.
Published: September 2002

In 3 experiments, the methane-suppressing effects of medium-chain fatty acids
were investigated using basal diets of extensive type (high structural
carbohydrate content) and intensive type (low structural carbohydrate
content). In Expt 1, sheep were fed the extensive-type diet supplemented with
60 g/kg of rumen-protected fat (control) or coconut oil. The use of
coconut oil in the diet did not clearly reduce methane release from the total
digestive tract. In 2 in vitro experiments carried out
with a RUSITEC apparatus, interactions of either coconut oil (Expt 2) or pure
non-esterified lauric acid (Expt 3) with the 2 types of basal diet were
determined using 2 × 2 factorial designs. Expt 2 confirmed a high
efficacy of coconut oil against methane release in the intensive-type diet
(suppression by 62% relative to control) and a reduced efficiency in
the extensive-type diet (suppression by 6% relative to control). In
contrast, pure lauric acid supplementation suppressed methane release
in vitro by approximately 80%, and this was
independent of the basal-diet type used. The results suggest that interactions
of fat with the basal diet in the rumen have to be taken into consideration to
develop effective feeding strategies against ruminal methane formation.
Annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) reduces the uptake and utilisation of fertiliser-nitrogen by wheat
Authors: Palta J. A. , Peltzer S.
Published: September 2002

The effect of timing of annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum)
emergence on the uptake and utilisation of N by wheat was investigated in a
field trial on a duplex soil at Katanning, Western Australia, and in a
glasshouse study in which 15N-fertiliser was applied.
Three treatments were used to investigate the effect of timing of annual
ryegrass emergence on the uptake and utilisation of N by wheat: simultaneous
sowing of wheat and annual ryegrass, sowing of annual ryegrass 1 week before
wheat, and sowing of the annual ryegrass 1 week after wheat. A control
treatment, consisting of wheat sown alone, was also included. Plant densities
during the field trial were 105 and 140 plants/m2
for wheat and annual ryegrass, respectively, whereas in the glasshouse they
were 105 plants/m2 for wheat and 155
plants/m2 for annual ryegrass. Fertiliser-N was
applied at seeding of wheat at 50 kg N/ha in the field trial and 60 kg
N/ha in the glasshouse.
The introduction of annual ryegrass into the wheat system reduced the
production of biomass and the grain yield of wheat. The earlier the annual
ryegrass was introduced into the system, the greater the reduction in the
biomass and grain yield of wheat. Poor tillering and slow rates of growth were
accountable for the reduction in biomass, whilst the reduction in wheat grain
yield was caused by the reductions in ear number, kernels per ear, and kernel
size. Grain N content and hence grain protein was also reduced by the
introduction of annual ryegrass into the wheat system. Irrespective of the
timing of introduction of annual ryegrass, the low N uptake of wheat resulted
from a reduction in the uptake of both soil and fertiliser-N. This indicates
that annual ryegrass competed with wheat not only for the fertiliser-N that
was applied at seeding of wheat, but also for mineralised soil N. The
competition for N reduced the total recoveries of fertiliser-N in the wheat
plant. Total recoveries of fertiliser-N in the wheat plant suggest that
59% of the fertiliser-N was not taken up by wheat when annual ryegrass
was sown 1 week earlier than wheat or at the same time as wheat, whereas only
32% was not taken up by the wheat when annual ryegrass was sown 1 week
later than wheat. More competitive wheat genotypes would be those with better
efficiency in the uptake of N and its utilisation in maintaining yield and
grain protein under infestations of annual ryegrass.
Timing and height of defoliation affect vegetative growth and floral development in grain sorghum
Authors: Ockerby S. E. , Midmore D. J. , Yule D. F.
Published: September 2002

In earlier work, we found that the near complete defoliation of grain sorghum

[Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moenchmp;rsqb;
seedlings delayed panicle initiation and anthesis. Several aspects of the
required defoliation remain unclear, however, including which parts of the
seedling’s foliage need to be removed, the timing of defoliation, and
what effects differing defoliation treatments have on the morphology of plants
that re-form after defoliation is terminated. To answer these questions,
sorghum plants (cv. Boomer) grown under natural (c. 11.5
h) or extended (14 h) photoperiods were defoliated during the vegetative
development phase. Treatments removed the fully exposed leaf-blade and/or
the partially exposed and still expanding leaves and were varied by commencing
and ceasing defoliation at different times, by cutting the plants at different
heights, and by leaving some green leaf area on the plant. All defoliation
treatments, except the one in which only the fully exposed leaf-blade was
removed, resulted in delays in panicle initiation and anthesis. Defoliation
treatments terminating on the same date, yet commencing between the second and
fifth leaf stages, the latter just prior to panicle initiation in control
plants, gave the same delay to panicle initiation. Serial defoliation at
3–4-day intervals maintained the plants in a vegetative state.
Subsequent plant development and growth were associated with the morphology of
plants when defoliation was terminated, thus were influenced by the height at
which defoliation was performed. Plants defoliated above the first ligule took
longer to initiate reproductive development and re-formed bigger plants than
did those defoliated above the second ligule. Defoliation did not always
reduce the plant biomass at anthesis compared with that of control plants. We
interpret these responses as evidence that the signal to initiate reproductive
development in sorghum originates in the partially exposed expanding leaves
and possibly the leaf primordia, and that removal of those leaves resets the
plant’s developmental program to an earlier phase. For farmers of
rain-fed crops this is an exciting result, since it now seems likely that
post-sowing management, via defoliation, can be developed to control flowering
time and adjust the yield potential of crops in line with the amount of
in-crop rain.
Evaluation of wheat endosperm protein fingerprints as indices of Udon-noodle making quality
Authors: Nakamura H.
Published: September 2002

Hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) endosperm protein
fingerprints were used to determine the indices of Japanese soft Udon-noodle
quality. The endosperm proteins of Japanese Udon wheat lines were fractionated
by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to determine
differences between them in protein composition in two soil environments. The
differences between the lines included differences in the composition of the
endosperm with regard to the 53 kDa protein band or high-molecular-weight
glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) 2* and in the sensory viscoelasticity score of
cooked noodles, which is related to eating-quality in Japanese Udon wheats.
One line (Kanto 107) showed variation for the presence of the 53 kDa and
HMW-GS 2* bands between environments.
DNA fingerprinting and genetic relationships of potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.) commercially grown in Australia
Authors: Isenegger Daniel A. , Taylor Paul W. J. , Ford Rebecca , Franz Peter , McGregor Graeme R. , Hutchinson James F.
Published: September 2002

DNA fingerprints of 64 potato cultivars that are commercially grown in
Australia were generated using PCR-based RAPD analysis. All 64 cultivars were
differentiated by banding patterns obtained from 17 primers that generated 133
polymorphisms. Clonal variants of cvv. Atlantic, Kennebec, Sebago, and Russet
Burbank were found to have within-cultivar identical banding patterns. The
largest genetic similarity between potato cultivars and the
Solanum andigena and
Solanum acuale outgroups were 0.5 and 0.4, respectively.
The genetic similarity between only potato cultivars ranged from 0.67 to 0.9.
Using similarity data a dendrogram was constructed that showed close genetic
relationships between a number of cultivars of similar pedigree. This study
has shown that DNA fingerprinting is a useful tool for potato cultivar
identification, differentiation, and estimating genetic relationships.
Birth weights, meningeal lesions, and survival of diverse genotypes of lambs from Merino and crossbred ewes
Authors: Holst P. J. , Fogarty N. M. , Stanley D. F.
Published: September 2002

The survival of 3530 lambs of 6 diverse genotypes (Poll Dorset, Texel, Border
Leicester, and Merino sires) from Merino and Border Leicester Merino ewes was
studied over 3 years at Cowra in New South Wales. Some of the matings involved
laparoscopic insemination, which allowed gestation length to be recorded. Each
mating group lambed in separate, adjacent paddocks, and birth weights,
gestation length, lamb survival, and lamb autopsy data were collected. Breed
of ewe significantly affected birth weight and gestation length. Lambs from
Merino ewes were 0.3 kg lighter than those from Border Leicester Merino ewes
and had a 2 days longer gestation. Both birth weight and gestation length
varied significantly between years.
Lamb losses to 3 days post partum were 11.3%,
20.8%, and 46.2% for singles, twins, and triplets, respectively.
Meningeal lesions and presentation difficulties were associated with
66.6% of all deaths.
The high incidence of lesions contrasts with a negligible incidence in some
reports involving lean ewes and it is concluded that fatness of ewe may be
implicated.
Reduced early growth of direct drilled wheat in southern New South Wales - role of root inhibitory pseudomonads
Authors: Simpfendorfer S. , Kirkegaard J. A. , Heenan D. P. , Wong P. T. W.
Published: September 2002

The early growth of wheat was compared under direct drilled (DD) and
cultivated treatments at 21 farm sites throughout southern New South Wales in
1997, 7 sites in 1998, and 11 sites in 1999. The experiments investigated the
involvement of (1) paddock history/management, (2)
common soil-borne fungal pathogens, and (3) populations of various microbial
groups in early growth reductions associated with DD.
Cultivation increased early vegetative growth at 62% of sites with an
average increase in dry matter production of 33% compared with DD
plots. Reduced shoot growth under DD was closely associated
(r = 0.899) with decreased development of the
root system. Early growth reductions under DD did not appear related to
management practices such as different sowing points, herbicide or fertiliser
application, or soil pH and fertility. Soil type and previous crop species,
however, influenced the incidence but not severity of early growth reductions.
Reduced growth under DD was not associated with the presence of any of the
common soil-borne fungal pathogens of wheat, or with rhizosphere populations
of total aerobic bacteria, total fungi, aerobic spore-forming bacteria,
Gram-negative bacteria, and actinomycetes. On average,
Pseudomonas populations in the rhizosphere of seedlings
grown in cultivated soil were reduced by 61% compared with the DD
treatment at sites where early growth reductions under DD were evident. An
assessment of the inhibitory activity of pseudomonads towards wheat seedlings
in a test-tube bioassay indicated that reduced growth in DD plots was more
closely related with the inhibitory activity of
Pseudomonas spp. to root growth than their population in
the rhizosphere. A close relationship existed between the inhibitory activity
of Pseudomonas spp. isolated from each site and the
response of wheat seedlings to cultivation (r =
0.865). These results suggest that Pseudomonas spp. with
inhibitory activity to root growth are involved in the reduced early growth of
DD wheat in southern New South Wales.
The effects of fear of humans and pre-slaughter handling on the meat quality of pigs
Authors: Hemsworth P. H. , Barnett J. L. , Hofmeyr C. , Coleman G. J. , Dowling S. , Boyce J.
Published: September 2002

This study using 90 commercial pigs examined the relationships between the
handling that pigs received immediately prior to slaughter and some measures
of their meat quality. A number of significant correlations were found between
the number of negative interactions that pigs received from the stockperson
and subsequent meat quality of the pigs. For example, the number of highly
negative interactions received by the pigs was negatively
(P < 0.01) correlated with plasma glucose
concentrations post-slaughter and positively correlated
(P < 0.05) with both post-slaughter plasma lactate
concentrations and the light reflectance of the ham. Most of these highly
negative interactions were prods with an electric goad. Both the number of
interactions by the pig with the experimenter in a standard test used to
assess fear of humans and the time taken by the pig to move along the final
route to the stunning area were positively correlated (P
< 0.05) with the number of highly negative interactions received by the pig
prior to slaughter. Regression analysis revealed that the number of highly
negative interactions received by the pig, plasma lactate concentration, and
the time to physically interact by the pig with the experimenter in the
standard test were significant (P < 0.001) predictors
of ham lightness. These variables accounted for 18% of the variance in
ham lightness. It is concluded that there are some important associations
between the behaviour of the stockperson and the muscle physiology of pigs.
Although no significant associations were found between stockperson behaviour
and ham pH, the correlations between stockperson behaviour, plasma lactate and
glucose, and muscle lightness reflect increased muscle glycogenolysis,
presumably associated with increased handling stress prior to slaughter. Such
results indicate the opportunity to manipulate the behaviour of stockpeople
prior to slaughter to improve meat quality.
Hardseededness in annual clovers: variation within populations and subsequent shifts due to environmental changes
Authors: Norman Hayley C. , Galwey Nick W. , Cocks Philip S.
Published: September 2002

The first experiment investigated the possibility of variation in seed softening patterns from progeny of individual clover plants from the same population. Patterns of seed softening were attained by exposing seeds on the soil surface over a single summer-autumn period. Logistic curves were fitted to these softening patterns. Comparison of parameters of logistic curves demonstrated that there was within-population variation for hardseededness at maturity, amount of hard seeds entering the seedbank after 6 months on the soil surface, and the time at which seeds softened. The existence of such variation within populations is required for natural selection in response to environmental changes.

The second experiment compared hardseededness in populations of 2 clovers from different grazing and phosphate fertiliser treatments from a long-running grassland management trial in Syria. Differences in hardseedness (after 6 months exposure on the soil surface) between treatments demonstrated the importance of dormancy to the reproductive ecology of these clovers.
Investigation of the chromosomal location of the bacterial blight resistance gene present in an Australian cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivar
Authors: Rungis D. , Llewellyn D. , Dennis E. S. , Lyon B. R.
Published: September 2002

An early success of the CSIRO cotton breeding program was the incorporation of
resistance to the bacterial blight pathogen
Xanthomonas campestris pv.
malvacearum (Xcm ) into commercial
cultivars. Pedigree records suggest that the source of this resistance was a
set of related, so-called immune lines carrying the
B2B3B7 and
BSm genes. However, resistance to
Xcm race 18 segregates as a single dominant locus in at
least one Australian cultivar (CS50), so its true identity is unclear. Our
study uses mapped restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers to
investigate the chromosomal location of Xcm resistance
in an Australian cultivar of Gossypium hirsutum (CS50)
in an inter-specific cross with a blight-susceptible
Gossypium barbadense (Pima S-7). The mapping data
suggest that the resistance locus is not on chromosome 20 near either the
B2 or B3 genes, but co-segregates
with a marker on chromosome 14 known to be linked to the broad-spectrum
B12 resistance gene originally from African cotton
cultivars. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and simple sequence
repeats (SSRs) were also used to search for novel markers linked to the
Xcm resistance locus to facilitate introgression of this
trait into G. barbadense through a program of
marker-assisted selection. The overall level of polymorphism between the 2
Gossypium species used in our mapping cross was low, but
one additional AFLP marker loosely linked to Xcm race 18
resistance in CS50 was found. The paucity of polymorphic loci may reflect a
high degree of gene exchange between these 2 species during the breeding of
the modern-day commercial Upland and Pima cultivars.
Nitrogen fixation and soil nitrate interactions in field-grown chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and fababean (Vicia faba)
Authors: Turpin J. E. , Herridge D. F. , Robertson M. J.
Published: September 2002

Soil in which nodulated legumes are growing often contains more nitrate
nitrogen (N) than soil in which unnodulated legumes or non-legumes are
growing. There is conjecture, however, as to whether the extra or
‘spared’ N is due to reduced use of soil N by the legume or to net
mineralisation of legume root and nodular N. We report results of a field
experiment to quantify and compare, at different levels of soil-N supply,
N2 fixation, and soil-N use by chickpea
(Cicer arietinum) and fababean
(Vicia faba). Wheat
(Triticum aestivum) was included as a
non-N2-fixing control. Plants of
the 3 species were grown on a low-nitrate Vertosol with fertiliser N rates of
0, 50, and 100 kg/ha (0N, 50N, and 100N), applied 6 weeks before sowing.
Samples were collected at sowing and at 64, 100, 135, and 162 days after
sowing (DAS) for analysis of soil nitrate, root, and grain dry matter (DM) and
N and shoot DM, N, and 15N. The latter was used to
estimate the percentage (%Ndfa) and total N fixed by the 2 legumes.
Soil nitrate levels to a depth of 1.8 m at sowing were 11–17 kg N/ha
(0N), 41–55 kg N/ha (50N), and 71–86 kg N/ha (100N). Grain
yields of the 2 legumes were unaffected by soil-N supply (fertiliser N
treatment), being 2.0–2.4 t/ha for chickpea and 3.7–4.6
t/ha for fababean. Wheat grain yields varied from 1.6 t/ha (0N) to 4.8
t/ha (100N). Fababean fixed more N than chickpea. Values (total plant
including roots) were 209–275 kg/ha for fababean and 146–214
kg/ha for chickpea. Corresponding %Ndfa values were
69–88% (fababean) and 64–85% (chickpea). Early in
crop growth, when soil N supply was high in the 100N treatment, fababean
maintained a higher dependence on N2 fixation than
chickpea (Ndfa of 45% v. 12%), fixed
greater amounts of N (57 v. 16 kg/ha), and used
substantially less soil N (69 v. 118 kg/ha). In this
situation, soil N sparing was observed, with soil nitrate levels significantly
higher in the fababean plots (P < 0.05) than under
chickpea or wheat. At the end of growth season, however, there were no crop
effects on soil nitrate levels. Soil N balances, which combined crop N fixed
as inputs and grain N as outputs, were positive for the legumes, with ranges
80–135 kg N/ha for chickpea and 79–157 kg N/ha for
fababean, and negative for wheat (–20 to –66 kg N/ha). We
concluded that under the starting soil nitrate levels in this experiment,
levels typical of many cropping soils in the region, high-biomass fababean and
chickpea crops will not spare significant amounts of soil N. In situations of
higher soil nitrate and/or smaller biomass crops with less N demand,
nitrate sparing may occur, particularly with fababean.
Growth and yield differences between triazine-tolerant and non-triazine-tolerant cultivars of canola
Authors: Robertson M. J. , Holland J. F. , Cawley S. , Potter T. D. , Burton W. , Walton G. H. , Thomas G.
Published: September 2002

Canola tolerant to the triazine group of herbicides is grown widely in Australian broad-acre cropping systems. Triazine-tolerant (TT) cultivars are known to have a yield and oil content penalty compared with non-TT cultivars. This study was designed to elucidate the crop physiological basis for the yield differences between the two types. Two commercial cultivars, near-isogenic for the TT trait, were compared in a detailed growth analysis in the field, and 22 crops were compared for phenology and crop attributes at maturity. In the growth analysis study, the TT trait was found to lower radiation use efficiency, which carried through to less biomass at maturity. There were minimal effects on leaf area development and harvest index, and no effect on canopy radiation extinction. Across the 22 crops, where yield varied from 240 to 3400 kg/ha in the non-TT cultivar, yield was on average 26% less in the TT cultivar due to less biomass produced, as there was no significant effect on harvest index. The difference in oil content (2-5%) was greater in low oil content environments. Flowering was delayed by 2-10 days with a greater delay being in later flowering environments. Quantification of the physiological attributes of TT canola allows the assessment of the productivity of different cultivar types across environments.
On-farm assessment of environmental and management factors influencing wheat grain quality in the Mallee
Authors: Sadras Victor , Roget David , O'Leary Garry
Published: September 2002

We used data from 63 grower-managed wheat crops during 3 growing seasons in the Mallee to explore grain protein responses to environmental and management factors. Allometric coefficients were calculated as the slope of the regression between the mass of log-transformed protein and non-protein grain components to account for the effect of ontogenetic drift on grain protein concentration. Test weight and screenings were also investigated.

Grain protein concentration ranged from 8.7 to 16.2%; 90% of crops had less than 5% screenings, and 95% had test weight above 74 kg/hL. Screenings increased and test weight declined with increasing concentration of protein, particularly for protein concentration above 13%. Fourteen cultivars were represented in the sampled crops. In comparison with crops of varieties eligible as Australian Premium White, crops of hard wheats had greater protein content, more screenings, lower test weight, and a greater protein : non-protein allometric coefficient, indicating differences in the pattern of protein allocation between these groups of cultivars.

Protein concentration declined with increasing yield at a rate �1%/t.ha. It decreased with increasing seasonal rainfall at a rate of 0.014%/mm, and increased with the proportion of water stored below 0.5 m at a rate of 0.121%/%. Delayed sowing between mid April and mid July generated a size-dependent increase in grain protein concentration of 0.027%/day. Increasing protein content could attenuate the profit lost due to delayed sowing by up to AU$39/ha in hard wheats.

Wheat grown after legumes accumulated 64% more protein and 47% more non-protein material in the grain than their counterparts grown after cereal, and grain protein concentrations averaged 13.3 and 12.2% respectively. Protein concentration was unrelated to the amount of nitrogen in the whole soil profile (0-1 m), and weakly associated with the amount of initial nitrogen in the 0-0.1 m soil layer; it increased at a rate of 0.038%/kg N.ha. Chemical constraints in the subsoil probably affected the ability of the crop to use, and contributed to the accumulation of nitrogen in deep soil layers.
Diets containing high-quality animal proteins increase growth of early-weaned pigs
Authors: Dunshea F. R. , Kerton D. K. , Eason P. J. , Moyes T. , Pluske J. R.
Published: September 2002

A production experiment was conducted with 96 fourteen-day-old weaned male piglets to compare diets containing preparations of freeze-dried porcine plasma (P) and freeze-dried bovine colostrum (C) for 35 days after weaning. These diets were compared with a diet consisting of soybean meal (SP) and a diet with animal protein sources (AP). All diets contained varying proportions of bloodmeal, fishmeal, meat and bone meal, and skim milk powder. The levels of colostrum and porcine plasma were reduced from 60 g/kg to 25 g/kg after the first week of weaning. There were no effects of diet on performance in the first 4 days after weaning. However, between 18 and 21 days of age, pigs fed the SP diet ate less (P < 0.001) and grew slower (P = 0.002) than pigs fed diets containing AP, C, or P. In the second week after weaning, pigs fed diets with C and P showed a tendency to perform better (P�=�0.11) than those fed AP or SP. By 35 days of age, pigs fed diets containing colostrum and plasma were, on average, 6% heavier (P = 0.037) than pigs fed the AP and SP diets. The effects of dietary protein on voluntary feed intake were most pronounced up to 28 days of age in pigs fed the SP diet. There appeared little benefit of feeding C and P to early-weaned pigs over feeding a predominantly animal protein diet, although daily gain was 6% less (P�= 0.47). There were no differences (P > 0.05) in feed intake and growth rate between 28 and 35 days of age, and feed conversion efficiency was not altered by dietary protein source. Under these experimental conditions the use of bovine colostrum and a combination of animal protein sources was comparable with using freeze-dried porcine plasma in diets for early-weaned pigs. Inclusion of soybean meal in diets, however, resulted in inferior performance.
History and past achievements of plant breeding
Authors: Reeves Timothy G. , Cassaday Kelly
Published: September 2002

Developments in improving the world's three most important staple food crops—maize, wheat, and rice—are reviewed. A discussion of the origins and diffusion of maize and wheat and farmers' early plant breeding efforts is followed by an overview of the rise of the private sector in maize breeding, the development of international agricultural research, the Green Revolution in wheat and rice, the development of hybrid rice, and recent (1960-2000) achievements in international maize breeding research. Promising new tools for breeding improved food crops in developing countries are reviewed, including genomics and genetic engineering. Issues that will concern plant breeders—especially those focusing on the needs of developing countries—in years to come are discussed, including the rise of the private sector, intellectual property protection, and globalisation. The paper concludes with some thoughts on how plant breeding has changed in the course of the past century and must adapt to the needs of the present century.
Plant regeneration from mature embryo-derived callus of Australian rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties
Authors: Azria Diah , Bhalla Prem L.
Published: September 2002

In vitro plant regeneration from callus induced from
embryos of mature seeds of 4 Australian varieties of rice was studied.
Observations of callus induction on MS and N6 media indicated that MS medium
supplemented with 0.5–2 mg/L of 2,4-D is suitable for callus
formation from the varieties tested. Comparison of shoot initiation on medium
containing BAP, BAP + NAA, and TDZ + NAA indicated that these
varieties prefer BAP + NAA or TDZ + NAA in the shoot initiation
medium. Partial desiccation, resulting in up to 20% loss of fresh
weight of callus, significantly increased the regeneration frequency of the 4
rice varieties tested. The varieties showed varied response to number of
shoots produced per callus. Regenerated shoots were rooted on plant growth
regulator free medium. The plants regenerated were phenotypically normal and
fertile. Our study showed that callus derived from mature embryos of these
rice varieties are amenable to multiple shoot formation, and could be used for
genetic transformation studies.
Response of sweet potato cultivars to acid soil infertility factors. II. Effects of calcium supply and soluble aluminium on early growth
Authors: Ila'ava V. P. , Asher C. J. , Blamey F. P. C.
Published: September 2002

Good growth in acid soils suggests that sweet potato may be tolerant of acid
soil infertility factors such as Al toxicity or Ca deficiency. In a
conventional solution culture experiment, 4 cultivars responded positively
when solution Ca concentration was increased from approximately 4 to 1300
□М. However, a subsequent flowing solution culture (FSC) experiment
showed no significant (P > 0.05) differences in
growth by most of the 15 cultivars studied when solution Ca concentration was
increased from 45 to 400 □М. Hence, it was concluded that sweet
potato could be fairly tolerant of low Ca supply. In contrast, soluble Al
markedly decreased growth of the 15 sweet potato cultivars studied. The
results of the present study indicate that Al rather than low Ca supply would
be more important in limiting sweet potato growth in acid soils. Furthermore,
tolerance to low Ca and soluble Al appears to be linked in sweet potato. These
results highlight the importance of selecting sweet potato cultivars for
specific soil conditions such as soil acidity.
Summer-autumn rainfall effects on wool staple strength and position of break. I. Small-scale field simulations of rainfall onto sheep grazing dry pasture in February and April
Authors: Woodgate R. G. , Chapman H. M. , Robertson I. D. , Bell K. J.
Published: September 2002

Despite a great deal of anecdotal evidence linking summer–autumn
rainfall events to the position of break (POB) of wool from sheep grazed in a
Mediterranean environment, there are no published experiments directly
investigating this relationship. This trial examined the effects on staple
strength (SS) and POB of simulated rainfall onto sheep grazing dry pasture
residues during February and April. The simulated rainfall events had few
significant effects on the wool quality parameters of the sheep in this trial.
The natural rainfall associated with the ‘break’ of the season had
a much greater influence on SS and POB.
A significant effect on POB was noted in the wool from sheep that had been
exposed to simulated rainfall and then grazed germinating green pasture for
approximately 15–20 days. The effect on POB could be an effect of the
green feed alone or a combination of the green feed and simulated rainfall.
When grazing wetted dry pasture, sheep appeared to alter their grazing
behaviour and showed more apparent ‘selectivity’. Overall grazing
times did not appear to be affected and sheep in several treatment groups were
observed to graze whilst their rainfall simulations were in progress. Wetting
of dry pasture also appeared to increase the ‘toughness’ of the
plant material available.
Prediction of weather damage of mungbean seed in tropical Australia. I. Relation between seed quality, weather, and reproductive development
Authors: Yeates S. J. , Lawn R. J. , Adkins S. W.
Published: September 2002

Assessment of the potential for mungbean cropping in the Australian monsoon
tropics required a model that could predict pre-harvest seed quality from
long-term climatic data. Empirical relations between seed quality and
pre-harvest weather were developed from field-grown mungbean using 22 sowings
over 3 seasons. Seed quality reflected visual symptoms of weather damage
expressed as the percentage of undamaged seed. A minimum exposure to rainfall
was required before seed quality was reduced. After this minimum was exceeded,
the effect of additional rainfall was cumulative and the percentage of
unweathered seed decreased proportionally until a maximum was reached whereby
all susceptible seed was weather damaged. The percentage of unweathered seed
was best predicted as a function of the cumulative duration of rainfall
events. Exposure to at least 300 min of rainfall was required before seed
quality was downgraded. Exposure to 4000 min of rainfall was required to reach
the maximum threshold. The linear decline in the percentage of unweathered
seed was accurately predicted with independent data
(r2 = 0.84) by a function
that combined the cumulative duration of rainfall and the standard deviation
of evaporation. This function reflected the weathering process, that is,
cumulative exposure to moisture and the extent of drying of the atmosphere
between rainfall events. Alternatively, where pluviograph data were
unavailable, combining the sum of rainfall events (>0.5mm) with the
standard deviation of evaporation and mean daily solar radiation was also
highly correlated with the proportion of unweathered seed; accurate
predictions were made using independent data during crop ripening
(r2 = 0.93) and after
ripening (r2 = 0.72).
Weather damage was sensitive to the timing of reproductive development
relative to rainfall; adjusting climate variables for cohort-specific exposure
removed the confounding effects caused by the daily ripening of pods. Time to
flowering was accurately predicted, 2–3 days from observed, using mean
daily photoperiod and temperature. As expected, rate of progress from
flowering to the first ripe pod and crop maturity was dependent on
photoperiod, temperature, and moisture availability. The proportion of pods
ripe on any day was highly (P < 0.01) correlated with
the proportion of the pod-ripening phase completed.