Influência do Glyphosate sobre a nodulação e o crescimento de cultivares de soja resistente ao Glyphosate

A soja resistente ao glyphosate (RR) é uma tecnologia que vem acrescentar mais uma ferramenta ao manejo de plantas daninhas para essa cultura, que possui a maior área plantada em nosso país. Por se tratar de uma técnica recente tanto no Brasil quanto no mundo, é preciso estudos buscando informações para o uso correto desta importante e cada vez mais freqüente prática agrícola: o cultivo de soja transgênica. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar os efeitos causados pelas aplicações de glyphosate sobre 20 cultivares de soja RR. As doses utilizadas foram: testemunha sem herbicida; glyphosate em aplicação seqüencial de 0,54/0,36 kg equivalente ácido (e.a.) ha-1, aos 12/24 dias após a emergência (DAE); glyphosate em aplicação única de 0,72 kg e.a. ha-1, aos 20 DAE; glyphosate em aplicação seqüencial de 0,72/0,54 kg ha-1, aos 12/24 DAE; e glyphosate em aplicação única de 0,90 kg ha-1, aos 24 DAE. Foram avaliadas as variáveis matéria seca do sistema radicular (MSSR), matéria seca da parte aérea (MSPA), matéria seca dos nódulos acumulados (MSNT) e número de nódulos acumulados (NN). Os cultivares que demonstraram maior suscetibilidade às aplicações de glyphosate foram: MSOY 8008 RR, ANTA RR, CD 213 RR, MSOY 8100 RR, VALIOSA RR, CD 219 RR, MSOY 6001 RR, CRISTALINA RR e BRS 247 RR, apresentando reduções de pelo menos três das quatro variáveis estudadas. BRS 242 RR, BRS 243 RR, BRS 244 RR, BRS 246 RR, CD 214 RR, MSOY 8151 RR, MSOY 9000 RR e BRS 245 RR foram as mais tolerantes, pois não sofreram reduções significativas em nenhuma ou em uma das variáveis avaliadas. De modo geral, a MSSR foi mais afetada pela modalidade de aplicação do que pela dose de glyphosate; por outro lado, a MSPA e a nodulação foram mais afetadas em cultivares de ciclo mais longo, em relação às variedades de ciclo precoce. A nodulação também foi menos afetada pelo glyphosate em variedades do grupo BRS, comparada aos demais materiais genéticos.

Evaluation of techniques for C and ASG banding of the mitotic chromosomes of Anastrepha species (Diptera, Tephritidae)

Methods previously described by Canovai et al. (Caryologia 47: 241-247, 1994) which produced C and ASG bands in mitotic chromosomes of Ceratitis capitata were applied to the chromosomes of several Anastrepha species. Metaphase plate yield was substantially increased by use of imaginal disks together with cerebral ganglia. The C-bands were quite prominent allowing the resolution of tiny blocks of heterochromatin. The ASG method produced G-like banded chromosomes, which permitted recognition of each individual chromosome. These simple techniques do not require special equipment and may be valuable for karyotype variability studies in fruit flies and other Diptera

Looking for the GAP effect in manual responses and the role of contextual influences in reaction time experiments

When the offset of a visual stimulus (GAP condition) precedes the onset of a target, saccadic reaction times are reduced in relation to the condition with no offset (overlap condition) - the GAP effect. However, the existence of the GAP effect for manual responses is still controversial. In two experiments using both simple (Experiment 1, N = 18) and choice key-press procedures (Experiment 2, N = 12), we looked for the GAP effect in manual responses and investigated possible contextual influences on it. Participants were asked to respond to the imperative stimulus that would occur under different experimental contexts, created by varying the array of warning-stimulus intervals (0, 300 and 1000 ms) and conditions (GAP and overlap): i) intervals and conditions were randomized throughout the experiment; ii) conditions were run in different blocks and intervals were randomized; iii) intervals were run in different blocks and conditions were randomized. Our data showed that no GAP effect was obtained for any manipulation. The predictability of stimulus occurrence produced the strongest influence on response latencies. In Experiment 1, simple manual responses were shorter when the intervals were blocked (247 ms, P < 0.001) in relation to the other two contexts (274 and 279 ms). Despite the use of choice key-press procedures, Experiment 2 produced a similar pattern of results. A discussion addressing the critical conditions to obtain the GAP effect for distinct motor responses is presented. In short, our data stress the relevance of the temporal allocation of attention for behavioral performance.

High frequency of mutation G377S in Brazilian type 3 Gaucher disease patients

Gaucher disease (GD), the most prevalent lysosome storage disorder, presents an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. It is a paradigm for therapeutic intervention in medical genetics due to the existence of effective enzyme replacement therapy. We report here the analysis of GD in 262 unrelated Brazilian patients, carried out in order to establish the frequency of the most common mutations and to provide prognostic information based on genotype-phenotype correlations. Among 247 type 1 GD patients, mutation N370S was detected in 47% of all the alleles, but N370S/N370S homozygosity was found in only 10% of the patients, a much lower frequency than expected, suggesting that most individuals presenting this genotype may not receive medical attention. Recombinant alleles were detected at a high frequency: 44% of the chromosomes bearing mutation L444P had other mutations derived from the pseudogene sequence, present in 25% of patients. Three neuronopathic type 2 patients were homozygous for L444P, all presenting additional mutations (E326K or recombinant alleles) that probably lead to the more severe phenotypes. Six children, classified as type 1 GD patients, had a L444P/L444P genotype, showing that neuronopathic symptoms may only manifest later in life. This would indicate the need for a higher treatment dose during enzyme replacement therapy. Finally, mutation G377S was present in 4 homozygous type 1 patients and also in compound heterozygosity in 5 (42%) type 3 patients. These findings indicate that G377S cannot be unambiguously classified as mild and suggest an allele-dose effect for this mutation.

Assessment of carotenoids in pumpkins after different home cooking conditions

Carotenoids have antioxidant activity, but few are converted by the body into retinol, the active form of vitamin A. Among the 600 carotenoids with pro-vitamin A activity, the most common are α- and β-carotene. These carotenoids are susceptible to degradation (e.g., isomerization and oxidation) during cooking. The aim of this study was to assess the total carotenoid, α- and β-carotene, and 9 and 13-Z- β-carotene isomer contents in C. moschata after different cooking processes. The raw pumpkin samples contained 236.10, 172.20, 39.95, 3.64 and 0.8610 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene, 13-cis-β-carotene, and 9-Z-β-carotene, respectively. The samples cooked in boiling water contained 258.50, 184.80, 43.97, 6.80, and 0.77 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene, 13-Z-β-carotene, and 9-Z-β-carotene, respectively. The steamed samples contained 280.77, 202.00, 47.09, 8.23, and 1.247 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoids, β-carotene, α-carotene,13-Z-β-carotene, and 9-Z-β-carotene, respectively. The samples cooked with added sugar contained 259.90, 168.80, 45.68, 8.31, and 2.03 µg.g- 1 of total carotenoid, β-carotene, α-carotene, 13-Z- β-carotene, and 9-Z- β-carotene, respectively. These results are promising considering that E- β-carotene has 100% pro-vitamin A activity. The total carotenoid and carotenoid isomers increased after the cooking methods, most likely as a result of a higher availability induced by the cooking processes.