Phytosulfokine, sulfated peptides that induce the proliferation of single mesophyll cells of Asparagus officinalis L.

Proliferation of dispersed plant cells in culture is strictly dependent on cell density, and cells in a low-density culture can only grow in the presence of conditioned medium (CM). No known plant hormones have been able to substitute for CM. To quantify the mitogenic activity of CM, we examined conditions for the assay system using mechanically dispersed mesophyll cells of Asparagus officinalis L. and established a highly sensitive bioassay method. By use of this method, the mitogenic activity of CM prepared from asparagus cells was characterized: it was heat-stable, susceptible to pronase digestion, and resistant to glycosidase treatment. On the basis of these results, the mitogenic activity in CM was purified 10(7)-fold by column chromatography, and two factors named phytosulfokine-alpha and -beta (PSK-alpha and PSK-beta) were obtained. By amino acid sequence analysis and mass spectrometry, the structures of these two factors were determined to be sulfated pentapeptide (H-Tyr(SO3H)-Ile-Tyr(SO3H)-Thr-Gln-OH) and sulfated tetrapeptide (H-Tyr(SO3H)-Ile-Tyr(SO3H)-Thr-OH). PSK-alpha and PSK-beta were prepared by chemical synthesis and enzymatic sulfation. The synthetic peptides exhibited the same activity as the natural factors, confirming the structure for PSK-alpha and PSK-beta mentioned above. This is the first elucidation of the structure of a conditioned medium factor required for the growth of low-density plant cell cultures.

Rosa gallica l. var. officinalis (hort. ex Andrews) Ser. en el norte de Alicante (Comunidad Valenciana)

Se ha localizado en el margen de la carretera comarcal CV 795 en su kilómetro 17 próximo a Ulls de Canals y dentro del término de Banyeres de Mariola, una buena población asilvestrada de Rosa gallica L. var. officinalis (hort. ex Andrews) Ser., que corresponde a la segunda población localizada en Alicante, puesto que se conocía una población pero situada próxima al litoral en la comarca de la Marina Alta. La llamada rosa de Provins o provincialis (de Provenza) es una de las rosas cultivadas en Europa desde más antiguo, probablemente la primera. Aparece dibujada en los frescos de Pompeya, fue también la rosa de las boticas (“Officinalis”) y se corresponde con la famosa rosa roja o Rosa de Lancanster, símbolo de este bando en la Guerra de civil inglesa llamada de “las dos rosas”. Su cultivo en España fue muy importante y era frecuentemente citada en la literatura botánica antigua, fue llamada “rosa de Castilla” pero con el tiempo y el abandono del campo, su presencia fue disminuyendo y de forma asilvestrada solo aparece en unas pocas provincias españolas, aunque se sigue manteniendo su cultivo a pequeña escala en colecciones particulares y rosaledas. Precisamente, en la Rosaleda “Pere Dot” del Jardín Botánico de Torretes (Ibi) mantenemos en cultivo dos de las variedades botánicas reconocidas y muchos de los cultivares e híbridos de este rosal, que hemos adquirido de colecciones extranjeras. El hallazgo de este material asilvestrado probablemente procedente de antiguos cultivos en la zona, tiene gran valor etnobotánico y puede tener valor genético. Aunque en su morfología no se han encontrado diferencias relevantes, se ha procedido a su multiplicación vegetativa y será próximamente incluido en la rosaleda del Jardín Botánico, junto con pliegos de herbario y semillas.

Pharmacopoeia officinalis [et] extemporanea : or, A complete English dispensatory, in two parts. Theoretic and practical ... /

Mode of access: Internet.

"Mississippi" - the Magnolia state : A short concise history of the state of Mississippi: her resources, her varied industries, her laws, and the field she offers for immigration and investment 1904-1905 /

Mode of access: Internet.

Euphrasia officinalis et espèces voisines : Erica vagans et multiflora.

Extraites.

Bibliotheca classica siue Catalogus officinalis : in quo philosophici artiumque adeo humaniorum, poetici etiam et musici libri omnes ... /

Bibliotheca classica siue Catalogus officinalis : in quo philosophici artiumque adeo humaniorum, poetici etiam et musici libri omnes, qui intra hominum fere memoriam usque ad annum MDCXXIV ... continentur ... : p. [1297 i.e. 1305]-1654 ; Bibliotheca exotica siue Catalogus officinalis librorum peregrinis linguis vsualibus scriptorum ...

Bibliotheca classica siue Catalogus officinalis : in quo singuli singularum facultatum ac professionum libri, qui in quauis fere lingua extant ... /

Mode of access: Internet.

Magnolia street.

Mode of access: Internet.

Distinct cis-elements in the Asparagus officinalis asparagine synthetase promoter respond to carbohydrate and senescence signals

The Asparagus officinalis L. asparagine (Asn) synthetase (AS) promoter was analysed for elements responding to carbohydrate and senescence signals. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana L. plants containing deletion constructs of the –1958 bp AS promoter linked to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene (AS::GUS) were analysed by measuring GUS specific activity. Inclusion of sucrose (Suc), glucose (Glc) or fructose (Fru) in plant media repressed levels of GUS activity in –1958AS::GUS plants, regardless of the light environment, with increases in GUS found 1 d after incubation on Suc-lacking media. Hexokinase is likely to be involved in the signal pathway, as Suc, Glc, Fru, 2-deoxy-d-glucose and mannose were more effective repressors than 3-O-methylglucose, and the hexokinase inhibitor mannoheptulose reduced repression. Plants containing AS::GUS constructs with deletions that reduced the promoter to less than –405 bp did not show low sugar induction. AS::GUS activity was significantly higher in excised leaves induced to senesce by dark storage for 24 h, compared to fresh leaves, for lines containing at least –640 bp of the AS promoter but not those with –523 bp or smaller promoter fragments. Fusion of the –640 to –523 bp region to a –381AS::GUS construct generated a promoter that retained senescence induction but lacked low sugar induction. Alignment of this region to the 33-bp senescence-related sequence of the Arabidopsis and Brassica napus L. SAG12 promoters identified the sequence TTGCACG as being conserved in all the promoters, and which may be an important senescence-responsive element.

EFEITOS DOS ÓLEOS ESSENCIAIS DE ALECRIM (Rosmarinus officinalis) E PETITGRAIN (Citrus aurantium L.) EM MODELOS COMPORTAMENTAIS DE ATIVIDADE MOTORA, DEPRESSÃO, ANSIEDADE E APRENDIZADO EM RATOS

Apesar de várias evidências do potencial terapêutico dos óleos essenciais em diversas patologias, inclusive em transtornos mentais, os estudos científicos que comprovam esse potencial ainda são escassos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar e comparar de forma sistemática os efeitos dos óleos essenciais de alecrim (Rosmarinus officinalis) e petitgrain (Citrus aurantium L.) em modelos animais com ratos nos seguintes parâmetros: atividade motora, depressão, ansiedade e aprendizado. Método: foram utilizados 297 ratos em todo o estudo, sendo: 54 no piloto 1; 66 no piloto 2; 36 no campo aberto; 36 na esquiva discriminativa; 36 no teste de enterrar esferas; 33 na natação forçada e 36 no experimento de aprendizagem. Os principais resultados revelaram que: ratos tratados com 100mg/kg (i.p.) de óleo essencial de alecrim não apresentaram diferença na atividade motora avaliada em campo aberto (p=0.213 teste de Mann-Whitney), tampouco na aprendizagem da resposta de pressão à barra em caixa de Skinner (p=0.098 teste de Mann-Whitney), comparados aos ratos controles que receberam salina 0,9% (1 mL/kg), porém esse mesmo tratamento foi efetivo em modelos de depressão (p=0.006 teste de Mann-Whitney) e ansiedade (teste de esconder esferas - p=0.003 ANOVA). No que diz respeito ao óleo essencial de petitgrain administrado em ratos na dose de 30mg/kg (i.p.), não observou-se diferença na atividade motora (p=0.795 teste de Mann-Whitney), contudo obteve-se efeito ansiolítico (teste de esconder esferas - p=0.028 ANOVA) e antidepressivo (p=0.001 teste de Mann-Whitney) em relação ao controle. Ademais, o óleo de petitgrain proporcionou uma melhora na aprendizagem (p=0.002 teste de Mann-Whitney) se comparado com os animais do grupo controle e os animais tratados com alecrim. Dessa forma podemos concluir que ambos os óleos estudados (alecrim e petitgrain) apresentaram atividades ansiolítica e antidepressiva nos testes realizados e apenas o óleo de petitgrain produziu efeitos na aprendizagem dos animais.

Caractérisation moléculaire de la biodiversité des Fusarium associés à la fusariose de l'asperge (Asparagus officinalis L.) au Québec

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Caractérisation moléculaire de la biodiversité des Fusarium associés à la fusariose de l'asperge (Asparagus officinalis L.) au Québec

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and biological parameters of Sepia officinalis during experiments, 2009

Low pO2 values have been measured in the perivitelline fluids (PVF) of marine animal eggs on several occasions, especially towards the end of development, when embryonic oxygen consumption is at its peak and the egg case acts as a massive barrier to diffusion. Several authors have therefore suggested that oxygen availability is the key factor leading to hatching. However, there have been no measurements of PVF pCO2 so far. This is surprising, as elevated pCO2 could also constitute a major abiotic stressor for the developing embryo. As a first attempt to fill this gap in knowledge, we measured pO2, pCO2 and pH in the PVF of late cephalopod (Sepia officinalis) eggs. We found linear relationships between embryo wet mass and pO2, pCO2 and pH. pO2 declined from >12 kPa to less than 5 kPa, while pCO2 increased from 0.13 to 0.41 kPa. In the absence of active accumulation of bicarbonate in the PVF, pH decreased from 7.7 to 7.2. Our study supports the idea that oxygen becomes limiting in cephalopod eggs towards the end of development; however, pCO2 and pH shift to levels that have caused significant physiological disturbances in other marine ectothermic animals. Future research needs to address the physiological adaptations that enable the embryo to cope with the adverse abiotic conditions in their egg environment.