bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exhumation controlled by transcurrent tectonics: the Argentera–Mercantour massif (SW Alps)
Authors: Sanchez Guillaume , Rolland Yann , Jolivet Marc , Brichau Stéphanie , Corsini Michel , Carter Andrew 
Published: February 2011

Terra Nova, 23, 116–126, 2011AbstractNew apatite fission track (AFT) and (U‐Th)/He ages from the Argentera–Mercantour External Crystalline Massif of the SW Alps document an exhumation history along transcurrent dextral faults. Significant AFT age differences across the strikes of the main faults have been obtained from the NE (12.9 Ma) to the SW (5.2 Ma) and are linked to vertical uplifts along these right‐lateral transpressional structures. Such segmentation is not observed in AHe ages. AHe ages have preserved younger ages (4–5 Ma) on the eastern hangingwall side of the High Durance extensional system. Such an exhumation history is interpreted to result from a transition of transpressional to transtensional regimes at 8–5 Ma during continuing Adria–Europe convergence. These data show that recent extensional deformation in the SW Alps can be related to the development of a transtensional domain in the Ubaye–Embrunais depression linked to ongoing strike‐slip deformation along the Argentera–Mercantour.
Molecular characterization of one of the maize polygalacturonase gene family members which are expressed during late pollen development
Authors: Allen Rebecca L. , Lonsdale David M. 
Published: February 2011

SummaryA gene exhibiting homology to the polygalacturonases of several species, including tomato and Oenothera, has been shown by RNA dot‐blot analysis and in situ hybridization experiments to be expressed post‐first microspore mitosis in maize. A 2.87 kbp section of the promoter fused to E. coli β‐glucuronidase (uidA) coding sequence conferred the correct spatial and temporal expression in transgenic tobacco plants. However, low levels of expression were detected in other tissues, and in particular in the tissues surrounding the vascular branch points of leaf nodes. The maize polygalacturonase gene is one member of a highly conserved gene family. The lack of detectable expression in sporophytic tissues and the isolation of a number of related cDNAs from maize suggests that all expressed members of this family show the same spatial and temporal regulation.
Regulation of nitrate and nitrite reductase expression in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia leaves by nitrogen and carbon metabolites
Authors: Vincentz Michel , Moureaux Thérèse , Leydecker Marie‐Thérèse , Vaucheret Hervé , Caboche Michel 
Published: February 2011

SummaryNitrate (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR) catalyse the reduction of nitrate to ammonium. The regulation of NR and NiR gene expression by carbohydrates (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolites was studied using detached leaves. In the dark, glucose, fructose and sucrose supplied to detached green leaves of dark‐adapted Nicotiana plumbaginifolia plants resulted in NR mRNA and protein accumulation and the loss of circadian rhythmicity in the size of the transcript pool. The characterization of transgenic plants expressing either a NR cDNA controlled by the 35S CaMV promoter or a transcriptional fusion between the tobacco nia1 (NR structural gene) promoter and the β‐glucuronidase reporter gene, led us to conclude that C metabolite control is taking place at the transcriptional level. Under low light conditions (limiting photo‐synthetic conditions), the supply of glutamine or glutamate resulted in a drop in the level of NR mRNA. Exogenously supplied carbohydrates partially antagonized this inhibitory effect suggesting that the availability of N and C metabolites affects the expression of the NR gene. The effects of carbohydrates and glutamine on NiR expression were also studied. NiR mRNA levels in the dark were relatively insensitive to feeding with glucose. Glutamate and glutamine were less efficient at decreasing NiR mRNA than NR mRNA levels. In contrast to NR, NiR mRNA levels were significantly increased by light treatments, indicating that NiR display regulatory characteristics reminiscent of photosynthetic genes such as the small subunit of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase than to NR.
Molecular homology among members of the R gene family in maize
Authors: Consonni Gabriella , Geuna Filippo , Gavazzi Giuseppe , Tonelli Chiara 
Published: February 2011

SummaryThe R gene family determines the timing, distribution and amount of anthocyanin pigmentation in maize. This family comprises a set of regulatory genes, consisting of a cluster of several elements at the R locus, on chromosome 10, the Lc and Sn gene lying about two units R distal and B on chromosome 2. Each gene determines a tissue‐specific pigmentation of different parts of the seed and plant. The proposed duplicated function of R, Sn, Lc and B loci is reflected in cDNA sequence similarity. In this paper an extensive analysis of the predicted proteins of the R, Sn, Lc and B genes together with a search for putative sites of post‐translational modification is reported. A comparison with the PROSITE database discloses several N‐glycosylation and phosphorylation sites, as well as the basic Helix‐Loop‐Helix (HLH) domain of transcriptional activators. Sn, Lc, and R‐S show a high conservation of these sites, while B is more divergent. Analysis of the 5′ leader of mRNA sequences discloses the presence of five ATG triplets with two upstream open reading frames (uORFs) of 38 and 15 amino acids and a loop structure indicating a possible mechanism of control at the translational level. It is conceivable that possible mechanisms acting at the translational and post‐translational level could modulate the expression and the activation of these transcription factors. Northern analysis of various tissues of different R alleles highlights a strict correlation between pigment accumulation in different tissues and the expression of the regulatory and structural genes suggesting that the pattern of pigmentation relies on a mechanism of differential expression of the members of the R family. Analysis of the Sn promoter discloses the presence of several sequences resembling binding sites of known transcription factors (as GAGA and GT) that might be responsible for the spatial and light‐induced expression of this gene. Two regions include a short sequence homologous to the consensus binding site of the B‐HLH domain suggesting a self‐regulatory control of the Sn gene.
Epigenetic variation in the FWA gene within the genus Arabidopsis
Authors: Fujimoto Ryo , Sasaki Taku , Kudoh Hiroshi , Taylor Jennifer M. , Kakutani Tetsuji , Dennis Elizabeth S. 
Published: February 2011

Summaryfwa is a late flowering epi‐mutant in Arabidopsis thaliana. FWA is silenced by DNA methylation in vegetative tissue but is demethylated in the central cell of the female ovule and continues to be expressed in the endosperm from the maternal copy. FWA is stably silenced in A. thaliana, but in related Arabidopsis species, FWA expression and DNA methylation levels vary in vegetative tissue. In this study, we show that variation in FWA expression in field isolates having identical DNA sequences is associated with changes in DNA methylation and may change over time. Vegetative FWA expression is correlated with decreased methylation at non‐CG sites in the region upstream of the transcription start site in species related to A. thaliana and we conclude that methylation of this region is critical for FWA silencing in these species. In A. thaliana, FWA expression is affected by methylation in regions both upstream and downstream of the transcription start site. Ectopic A. thaliana FWA expression causes a late flowering phenotype, but over‐expression of Arabidopsis lyrata FWA does not. In A. thaliana, stable silencing of FWA to prevent late flowering may have evolved through the selection of large tandem repeats and spread of the critical methylated region to include these repeats.
Identification of the MBF1 heat‐response regulon of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Suzuki Nobuhiro , Sejima Hiroe , Tam Rachel , Schlauch Karen , Mittler Ron 
Published: February 2011

SummaryBrief periods of heat stress of even a few days can have a detrimental effect on yield production worldwide, causing devastating economic and societal impacts. Here we report on the identification of a new heat‐response regulon in plants controlled by the multiprotein bridging factor 1c (MBF1c) protein of Arabidopsis thaliana. Members of the highly conserved MBF1 protein family function as non‐DNA‐binding transcriptional co‐activators involved in regulating metabolic and development pathways in different organisms from yeast to humans. Nonetheless, our studies suggest that MBF1c from Arabidopsis functions as a transcriptional regulator which binds DNA and controls the expression of 36 different transcripts during heat stress, including the important transcriptional regulator DRE‐binding protein 2A (DREB2A), two heat shock transcription factors (HSFs), and several zinc finger proteins. We further identify CTAGA as a putative response element for MBF1c, demonstrate that the DNA‐binding domain of MBF1c has a dominant‐negative effect on heat tolerance when constitutively expressed in plants, and show that constitutive expression of MBF1c in soybean enhances yield production in plants grown under controlled growth conditions without causing adverse effects on growth. Our findings could have a significant impact on improving heat tolerance and yield of different crops subjected to heat stress.
Cortical microtubules optimize cell‐wall crystallinity to drive unidirectional growth in Arabidopsis
Authors: Fujita Miki , Himmelspach Regina , Hocart Charles H. , Williamson Richard E. , Mansfield Shawn D. , Wasteneys Geoffrey O. 
Published: February 2011

SummaryThe shape of plants depends on cellulose, a biopolymer that self‐assembles into crystalline, inextensible microfibrils (CMFs) upon synthesis at the plasma membrane by multi‐enzyme cellulose synthase complexes (CSCs). CSCs are displaced in directions predicted by underlying parallel arrays of cortical microtubules, but CMFs remain transverse in cells that have lost the ability to expand unidirectionally as a result of disrupted microtubules. These conflicting findings suggest that microtubules are important for some physico‐chemical property of cellulose that maintains wall integrity. Using X‐ray diffraction, we demonstrate that abundant microtubules enable a decrease in the degree of wall crystallinity during rapid growth at high temperatures. Reduced microtubule polymer mass in the mor1‐1 mutant at high temperatures is associated with failure of crystallinity to decrease and a loss of unidirectional expansion. Promotion of microtubule bundling by over‐expressing the RIC1 microtubule‐associated protein reduced the degree of crystallinity. Using live‐cell imaging, we detected an increase in the proportion of CSCs that track in microtubule‐free domains in mor1‐1, and an increase in the CSC velocity. These results suggest that microtubule domains affect glucan chain crystallization during unidirectional cell expansion. Microtubule disruption had no obvious effect on the orientation of CMFs in dark‐grown hypocotyl cells. CMFs at the outer face of the hypocotyl epidermal cells had highly variable orientation, in contrast to the transverse CMFs on the radial and inner periclinal walls. This suggests that the outer epidermal mechanical properties are relatively isotropic, and that axial expansion is largely dependent on the inner tissue layers.
A T‐DNA mutation in the RNA helicase eIF4A confers a dose‐dependent dwarfing phenotype in Brachypodium distachyon
Authors: Vain Philippe , Thole Vera , Worland Barbara , Opanowicz Magdalena , Bush Max S. , Doonan John H. 
Published: February 2011

SummaryIn a survey of the BrachyTAG mutant population of Brachypodium distachyon, we identified a line carrying a T‐DNA insertion in one of the two eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) genes present in the nuclear genome. The eif4a homozygous mutant plants were slow‐growing, and exhibited reduced final plant stature due to a decrease in both cell number and cell size, consistent with roles for eIF4A in both cell division and cell growth. Hemizygous plants displayed a semi‐dwarfing phenotype, in which stem length was reduced but leaf length was normal. Linkage between the insertion site and phenotype was confirmed, and we show that the level of eIF4A protein is strongly reduced in the mutant. Transformation of the Brachypodium homozygous mutant with a genomic copy of the Arabidopsis eIF4A‐1 gene partially complemented the growth phenotype, indicating that gene function is conserved between mono‐ and dicotyledonous species. This study identifies eIF4A as a novel dose‐dependent regulator of stem elongation, and demonstrates the utility of Brachypodium as a model for grass and cereals research.
Prevalence and factors associated with knowledge of and willingness for male circumcision in rural Zimbabwe
Authors: Mavhu Webster , Buzdugan Raluca , Langhaug Lisa F. , Hatzold Karin , Benedikt Clemens , Sherman Judith , Laver Susan M. , Mundida Oscar , Woelk Godfrey , Cowan Frances M. 
Published: February 2011

SummaryObjective  To explore male circumcision (MC) prevalence, knowledge, attitudes and intentions among rural Zimbabweans.Methods  Representative survey of 18–44 year olds in two provinces, as part of an evaluation of the Zimbabwe National Behaviour Change Programme. We conducted univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses. Linear regression was employed to predict knowledge of MC (composite index) and logistic regression to predict knowledge that MC prevents HIV, willingness (oneself or one’s partner) to undergo MC, and willingness to have son circumcised.Results  Two thousand seven hundred and forty‐six individuals participated in the survey (87% of eligibles). About two‐thirds were women (64%). Twenty per cent of men reported being circumcised, while 17% of women reported having a circumcised partner. Knowledge of MC and its health benefits was low. Attitudes towards MC were relatively positive. If it could prevent HIV, 52% of men reported that they would undergo MC and 58% of women indicated that they would like their partners to be circumcised. Seventy‐five per cent of men who reported being HIV positive were willing to undergo MC, against 52% of those who reported HIV negative status. Reported acceptability of neonatal circumcision was high with 58% of men and 60% of women reporting that they would have their sons circumcised if it protected them against HIV. Fear of adverse effects was highlighted as a barrier to MC acceptability.Conclusion  More knowledge about MC’s health benefits positively affects people’s attitudes towards MC. The relatively high MC acceptability suggests an enabling environment for the scale‐up programme.
Three novel truncating TINF2 mutations causing severe dyskeratosis congenita in early childhood
Authors: Sasa GS , Ribes‐Zamora A , Nelson ND , Bertuch AA 
Published: February 2011

Sasa GS, Ribes‐Zamora A, Nelson ND, Bertuch AA. Three novel truncating TINF2 mutations causing severe dyskeratosis congenita in early childhood.Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a telomere biology disorder characterized by a mucocutaneous triad, aplastic anemia, and predisposition to cancer. Mutations in a narrow segment of TINF2 exon 6 have been recognized to cause often‐severe DC that is either sporadic or autosomal dominant. We describe three children with very early presentations of DC, including one with the severe variant known as Revesz syndrome. Although most TINF2 mutations reported to date are missense changes, each of our patients carried a novel heterozygous nonsense or frameshift mutation, revealing a new 5′ boundary to the affected gene segment in patients with DC. Examination of patient‐derived lymphoblastoid cell lines revealed stable expression of the predicted truncated TIN2 proteins. In co‐immunoprecipitation assays, the ability of a truncation mutant to interact with TRF1 was severely impaired, whereas the ability of the most common DC‐associated mutant was much less affected. This suggests that the disruption of TIN2–TRF1 interaction may contribute to the severe clinical phenotype observed in the context of the TIN2 truncation mutation, but is unlikely to be the primary cause of telomere shortening associated with the more prevalent TIN2 missense mutations. Telomere flow‐fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of one pedigree showed the dramatic effect a de novo nonsense TINF2 mutation had on telomere length in early development. These cases underscore the severe manifestations of truncating TINF2 mutations.
Successful double lung transplantation in a patient with bilateral pulmonary and sinus aspergillomas
Authors: Minces L.R. , Bhama J.K. , Abdel‐Massih R. , Kwak E.J. , Haider S.S. , Nguyen M.H. , Toyoda Y. , Silveira F.P. 
Published: February 2011

L.R. Minces, J.K. Bhama, R. Abdel‐Massih, E.J. Kwak, S.S. Haider, M.H. Nguyen, Y. Toyoda, F.P. Silveira. Successful double lung transplantation in a patient with bilateral pulmonary and sinus aspergillomas. Transpl Infect Dis 2011: 13: 485–488. All rights reservedAbstract: The outcome of patients with aspergilloma undergoing lung transplantation is not completely known, but anecdotal reports of poor outcome after transplant have discouraged this practice. We present a 45‐year‐old female with pulmonary sarcoidosis complicated by bilateral pulmonary and sinus aspergillomas who underwent successful double lung transplantation. Patients with aspergillomas can receive lung transplantation, provided that there is sufficient technical expertise to explant the infected lungs with minimal chance of chest wall contamination, and aggressive antifungal therapy is used post transplantation.
Effect of dietary mannan‐oligosaccharides onin vivoperformance, nutrient digestibility and caecal content characteristics of growing rabbits
Authors: Bovera F. , Lestingi A. , Marono S. , Iannaccone F. , Nizza S. , Mallardo K. , de Martino L. , Tateo A. 
Published: February 2011

SummaryTo evaluate the effect of mannan‐oligosaccharides (MOS) onin vivoperformance, nutrient digestibility, fermentation characteristics and caecal microbial populations of rabbits, 144 thirty‐five days old hybrid Hyla were equally divided into three groups, one of which was fed the same diet without additives (control group), one with antibiotics (colistin sulphate, 144 mg/kg; tylosin, 100 mg/kg; oxytetracyclin, 1000 mg/kg) and one with MOS (1 g/kg of diet). Mortality rate, live weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were recorded up to 62 days of age. At 60 days nutrient digestibility was measured by acid insoluble ash method. The caecal content of 10 rabbits per group was collected at 62 days and analysed for volatile fatty acids production, ammonia content and microbial count. Rabbits from the control group had a significantly (p < 0.01) lower body weight at 62 days (1638.9 g vs. 1779.4 g and 1862.5 g, respectively for the control, MOS and antibiotic groups) while the antibiotic group showed a higher (p < 0.05) feed intake than the control group (127.9 g/day vs. 109.3 g/day). Rabbits from the MOS group had a higher apparent digestibility of cellulose (34.27% vs. 29.61% and 27.49%, respectively for the MOS, control and antibiotic groups) and, as a consequence a higher level of acetate in the caecal content (39.93 mmol/l vs. 34.21 mmol/l and 23.09 mmol/l, respectively for the MOS, control and antibiotic groups). Caecal microflora of the MOS group rabbits also had a higher fermentative activity in respect of protein source, as demonstrated by the higher productions of branched chain fatty acids. MOS and antibiotics significantly reduced the colonies ofColiformis(2.32 vs. 3.20 vs. 2.40 logCFU/g, respectively for the MOS, control and antibiotic groups, p < 0.01). Mannan‐oligosaccharides at 1 g/kg of diet can be used as an alternative to antibiotics during the rabbit’s growth period.
Effects of Hormonal Supplementation on Nuclear Maturation and Cortical Granules Distribution of Canine Oocytes During Various Reproductive Stages
Authors: Apparicio M , Alves AE , Pires‐Butler EA , Ribeiro APC , Covizzi GJ , Vicente WRR 
Published: February 2011

ContentsThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hCG, progesterone and oestradiol supplementation on nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of canine oocytes cultured for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Oocytes obtained from 18 healthy bitches were divided into three groups according to their reproductive status (follicular, luteal and anoestrus stages) and cultured in TCM 199 + 25 UI/ml of hCG + 1 μg/ml of progesterone + 1 μg/ml of 17‐β oestradiol or without hormonal supplementation (control) for different periods. Then, they were stained with FITC‐LCA‐Hoescht for chromatin configuration and cortical granules distribution and evaluated under an epifluorescence microscope. Culture time and the influence of different stages of the oestrous cycle were also evaluated. The present study demonstrated that there was no significant difference among the reproductive stages. With regards to culture medium, only oocytes from the supplemented medium were able to complete meiosis; however, significant difference was only noticed in the percentage of MI stage oocytes (p < 0.05) in the follicular and luteal group at 72 h of culture. Most oocytes in germinal vesicle, germinal vesicle breakdown and metaphase I stage had cortical granules distributed throughout the cytoplasm (immature pattern), irrespective of the culture period (p < 0.05). Cortical granules distributed immediately beneath the plasma membrane (mature) was only observed in metaphase II stage oocytes, but not all of them presented matured cytoplasm. Our results reveal that cortical granules distribution in canine oocytes matured in vitro did not progressed in correspondence with nuclear stage changes and are in accordance with those from other species.
Germination of Prosopis juliflora (Sw) DC seeds after scarification treatments
Authors: MIRANDA RODRIGO Q. , OLIVEIRA MARCELA T. P. , CORREIA RAFAELA M. , ALMEIDA‐CORTEZ JARCILENE S. , POMPELLI MARCELO F. 
Published: February 2011

AbstractInvasive plant species are the second most important threat to global biodiversity loss after land‐use change. Invasive species can modify native community composition, deplete species diversity and affect ecosystem processes. The Caatinga is one of the most human‐affected Brazilian ecosystems owing to non‐sustainable use of its natural resources. Prosopis juliflora is an important invasive plant species in the Caatinga ecosystem. Seed germination is a critical stage in plant life cycles and is a major factor in the establishment and success of invasive plant species. Among the factors that affect seed germination and dormancy, coat‐imposed seems to be the most important for P. juliflora. In Prosopis species, the ingestion of fruits by wild and domestic animals may promote and accelerate germination, enhancing the dispersal of seeds and fruits of these species. We investigated the germination capacity of P. juliflora seeds after artificial mechanical and chemical scarification and analyzed the changes in seedling vigor caused by the scarification treatments. Germination rate, germination time (TMG) and germination synchrony (E) differed significantly with the length of the scarification treatments in H2SO4 for both seeds with endocarps and seeds without endocarps (non‐endocarp seeds). Sulfuric acid affected plant survival more strongly than germination rate, particularly in non‐endocarp seeds.