Phylogeny of South American Pogonieae (Orchidaceae, Vanilloideae) based on sequences of nuclear ribosomal (ITS) and chloroplast (psaB, rbcL, rps16, and trnL-F) DNA, with emphasis on Cleistes and discussion of biogeographic implications

Tribe Pogonieae (Orchidaceae), as Currently known, comprises live genera distributed from South to North America and Eastern Asia. Phylogenetic inferences within Cleistes and among genera of tribe Pogonieae were made based oil nrDNA (ITS) and cpDNA (trnL-F, rps16, rbcL, and psaB) Sequence data and maximum parsimony. Eighteen species of Cleistes, members of all other genera of Pogonieae, and outgroups were sampled. Analyses based oil individual DNA regions provided similar topologies. All evidence indicates that Cleistes is paraphyletic. The North American C. divaricata and C bifaria are more closely related to the temperate genera Isotria and Pogonia than to their Central and South American congeners, the latter Constituting a monophyletic group characterized by the production of nectar as reward, tuberous roots, and their distribution in Central and South America. The Amazonian Duckeella is sister to the remainder of Pogonieae. Taxonomic and biogeographic implications are discussed, and morphological synapomorphies are given For clades obtained in the inferred molecular phylogeny. (C) 2008 Gesellschaft fur Biologische Systematik. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

高等植物PSI颗粒的分离提纯及其光破坏机理的初步探讨

从菠菜叶绿体中分离提纯PSI颗粒及其捕光天线色素蛋白复合物LHCI，对其光谱特性进行分析。对PSI颗粒中色素和蛋白的光破坏进程，并对外加组氨酸、Triton，以及温度对PSI颗粒光破坏的影响等进行了比较系统的研究，以探讨PSI光破坏的机理。其主要结果如下： 1. 对PSI颗粒和LHCI色素蛋白复合物的荧光光谱的研究，发现PSI中Chlb所吸收的光能主要传递给LHCI中的“长波组分”（吸收波长大于P700的Chla）。 2. 在PSI颗粒光破坏进程的研究中发现，Chla中吸收波长较长的组分首先发生光破坏;位于PSI颗粒外围的LHCI上的Chlb，也容易受到光破坏;Car先于Chlb发生光破坏。在光照处理过程中，PSI的天线色素蛋白复合物LHCI多肽降解程度大于反应中心多肽组分（PsaA，PsaB）的降解，其中LHCI-680首先由于光破坏而发生降解。PsaD也是容易受到光破坏而发生降解的一个多肽。另外，还发现在长时间光照后有蛋白聚合现象发生。 3. 在PSI颗粒中外加单线态氧的淬灭剂组氨酸，分析不同光强光照处理过程中组氨酸对PSI颗粒中色素和多肽光破坏的保护作用，发现外加组氨酸对强光照（2300μEm-2s-1）引起的叶绿素光吸收减少和CD信号减弱的有效抑制表现出一个明显的延迟期，但对强光诱导的荧光产量下降的效应却能立即表现出来;在强光照前期和弱光照（300μEm-2s-1）条件下，组氨酸不能抑制PSI颗粒的光吸收下降。另外，外加组氨酸除了对反应中心多肽有光保护作用以外，对PSI中其它多肽也有显著的保护作用。 4. 用不同浓度的Triton处理PSI颗粒，发现较低浓度的Triton可以增大叶绿素的光吸收和PSI颗粒的荧光产量，而不对PSI颗粒的多肽组成造成影响;当Triton浓度达到一定的程度时，虽然不会影响PSI颗粒的多肽组成，但是会使其光吸收减少，荧光产量下降;而当Triton浓度过高时，PSI颗粒的多肽会发生降解现象，同时其光吸收和荧光产量也迅速下降。Triton浓度较低时，PSI颗粒光破坏的程度随Triton浓度的增大而增大，当Triton浓度增大到一定的程度时，PSI颗粒的光破坏程度同Triton浓度不再呈明显的正相关。 5. 对PSI颗粒进行不同温度的热处理，其结果表明：温度较低（20 ℃～40 ℃）的热处理对PSI颗粒的多肽和叶绿素光吸收的影响程度很小，照光后不同温度热处理过的PSI颗粒光吸收减少和多肽降解的程度相近;温度较高（50 ℃～60 ℃）的热处理会对PSI颗粒的结构产生影响，使之稳定性减小，对光处理更敏感;温度更高（大于70 ℃）的热处理会破坏PSI颗粒的结构，引起多肽组分的降解。另外，不同的多肽对热处理的敏感性显著不同。 6. 低温（4 ℃）和常温（20 ℃）下PSI颗粒光破坏的比较发现，室温下PSI颗粒的光破坏程度明显大于低温下光破坏的程度，表明光处理过程中温度会影响到PSI颗粒光破坏的程度。 通过上述的研究结果，分析了PSI颗粒光破坏过程中色素和蛋白的变化及其外界因子的影响，对PSI颗粒光破坏的机制进行了初步的探讨。

小麦光系统I的分离纯化及其光合特性的研究

从不同基因型的小麦京411和小偃54中分离纯化了PSI颗粒并研究了PSI颗粒的一些光合特性： 1. 测定了两种基因型小麦PSI颗粒的室温吸收光谱、低温荧光光谱，并进行了SDS-PAGE多肽分析。吸收光谱显示了红区680nm和蓝区439nm的两个最大吸收峰，低温荧光光谱显示了PSI特征的位于735nm左右的发射峰，同时SDS-PAGE也显示我们的制备物包括PsaA、PsaB、LHCI以及一些其它小分子量蛋白亚基。这些都表明我们从不同基因型小麦中获得了比较理想的PSI颗粒制备物。 2. 测定了京411类囊体膜和PSI颗粒的脂类组成和脂肪酸成分，发现PSI颗粒中也存在着类囊体膜中的五种膜脂，即：MGDG、DGDG、PG、SQDG、PC，但PSI颗粒的MGDG含量比类囊体膜高，而DGDG含量较类囊体低。PSI颗粒和类囊体膜的脂肪酸组成也有差异。 3. 运用光谱学手段，研究两种基因型小麦PSI颗粒光破坏过程的异同。发现在经过强光破坏后，两种小麦PSI颗粒都发生叶绿素漂白现象，在各种状态叶绿素中，683nm状态的Chl a对强光最为敏感，受到光破坏的程度最大，而649nm Chl b和667nm Chl a分子变化较小。结合吸收光谱和低温荧光光谱我们提出了PSI中可能存在的能量传递途径。比较两种小麦PSI颗粒光破坏在低温荧光光谱上的不同，我们初步认为，小偃54可能通过将能量较多地分配给予长波长Chl而一定程度的避免过多能量向P700反应中心传递，从而起到对P700的保护作用。 4. 研究了不同表面活性剂SDS和Triton X-100对PSI颗粒色素结合状态和能量传递的影响。发现表面活性剂对色素状态和PSI中的能量传递都有很大的影响。并且Triton X-100的作用较SDS强烈。紫外荧光显示PSI蛋白结构也发生了显著变化。

Transient and Pulsed Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy on Type I Photosynthetic Reaction Centers

Two time-resolved EPR techniques, have been used to study the light induced electron transfer(ET) in Type I photosynthetic reaction centers(RCs). First, pulsed EPR was used to compare PsaA-M688H and PsaB-M668H mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Synechosystis sp. PCC 6803.The out-of-phase echo modulation curves combined with other EPR and optical data show that the effect of the mutations is species dependent. Second, transient and pulsed EPR data are presented which show that PsaA-A660N and PsaB-A640N mutations in C. reinhardtii alter the relative quantum yield of ET in the A- and B-branches of PS I. Third, transient EPR studies on RCs from Heliobacillus mobilis that have been exposed to oxygen show partial inhibition of ET. In the RCs in which ET still occurs, the ET kinetics and EPR spectra show evidence of oxidation of some but not all of the, BChl g and BChl g' to Chl a.

Retenção de clorofila em sementes de soja (Glycine max (L.) Merr.): estudos fisiológicos, bioquímicos e moleculares

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Agricultura) - FCA

Chloroplast genes are expressed during intracellular symbiotic association of Vaucheria litorea plastids with the sea slug Elysia chlorotica.

The marine slug Elysia chlorotica (Gould) forms an intracellular symbiosis with photosynthetically active chloroplasts from the chromophytic alga Vaucheria litorea (C. Agardh). This symbiotic association was characterized over a period of 8 months during which E. chlorotica was deprived of V. litorea but provided with light and CO2. The fine structure of the symbiotic chloroplasts remained intact in E. chlorotica even after 8 months of starvation as revealed by electron microscopy. Southern blot analysis of total DNA from E. chlorotica indicated that algal genes, i.e., rbcL, rbcS, psaB, psbA, and 16S rRNA are present in the animal. These genes are typically localized to the plastid genome in higher plants and algae except rbcS, which is nuclear-encoded in higher plants and green (chlorophyll a/b) algae. Our analysis suggests, however, that similar to the few other chromophytes (chlorophyll a/c) examined, rbcS is chloroplast encoded in V. litorea. Levels of psbA transcripts remained constant in E. chlorotica starved for 2 and 3 months and then gradually declined over the next 5 months corresponding with senescence of the animal in culture and in nature. The RNA synthesis inhibitor 6-methylpurine reduced the accumulation of psbA transcripts confirming active transcription. In contrast to psbA, levels of 16S rRNA transcripts remained constant throughout the starvation period. The levels of the photosystem II proteins, D1 and CP43, were high at 2 and 4 months of starvation and remained constant at a lower steady-state level after 6 months. In contrast, D2 protein levels, although high at 2 and 4 months, were very low at all other periods of starvation. At 8 months, de novo synthesis of several thylakoid membrane-enriched proteins, including D1, still occurred. To our knowledge, these results represent the first molecular evidence for active transcription and translation of algal chloroplast genes in an animal host and are discussed in relation to the endosymbiotic theory of eukaryote origins.

Molecular analysis of the psa permease complex of Streptococcus pneumoniae

The psaBCA locus of Streptococcus pneumoniae encodes a putative ABC Mn2+-permease complex. Downstream of the operon is psaD, which may be co-transcribed and encodes a thiol peroxidase. Previously, there has been discordance concerning the phenotypic impact of mutations in the psa locus, resolution of which has been complicated by differences in mutant construction and the possibility of polar effects. Here, we constructed unmarked, in frame deletion mutants DeltapsaB, DeltapsaC, DeltapsaA, DeltapsaD, DeltapsaBC, DeltapsaBCA and DeltapsaBCAD in S. pneumoniae D39 to examine the role of each gene within the locus in Mn2+ uptake, susceptibility to oxidative stress, virulence, nasopharyngeal colonization and chain morphology. The requirement for Mn2+ for growth and transformation was also investigated for all mutants. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis provided the first direct evidence that PsaBCA is indeed a Mn2+ transporter. However, this study did not substantiate previous reports that the locus plays a role in choline-binding protein pro-duction or chain morphology. We also confirmed the importance of the Psa permease in systemic virulence and resistance to superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, as well as demonstrating a role in nasopharyngeal colonization for the first time. Further evi-dence is provided to support the requirement for Mn2+ supplementation for growth and transformation of DeltapsaB, DeltapsaC, DeltapsaA, DeltapsaBC, DeltapsaBCA and DeltapsaBCAD mutants. However, transformation, as well as growth, of the DeltapsaD mutant was not dependent upon Mn2+ supplementation. We also show that, apart from sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide, the DeltapsaD mutant exhibited essentially similar phenotypes to those of the wild type. Western blot analysis with a PsaD antiserum showed that deleting any of the genes upstream of psaD did not affect its expression. However, we found that deleting psaB resulted in decreased expression of PsaA relative to that in D39, whereas deleting both psaB and psaC resulted in at least wild-type levels of PsaA.

Molecular analysis of evolutionary relationships of Phaseolus dumosus with the gene pool of common bean

Valuable genetic variation for bean breeding programs is held within the common bean secondary gene pool which consists of Phaseolus albescens, P. coccineus, P. costaricensis, and P. dumosus. However, the use of close relatives for bean improvement is limited due to the lack of knowledge about genetic variation and genetic plasticity of many of these species. Characterisation and analysis of the genetic diversity is necessary among beans' wild relatives; in addition, conflicting phylogenies and relationships need to be understood and a hypothesis of a hybrid origin of P. dumosus needs to be tested. This thesis research was orientated to generate information about the patterns of relationships among the common bean secondary gene pool, with particular focus on the species Phaseolus dumosus. This species displays a set of characteristics of agronomic interest, not only for the direct improvement of common bean but also as a source of valuable genes for adaptation to climate change. Here I undertake the first comprehensive study of the genetic diversity of P. dumosus as ascertained from both nuclear and chloroplast genome markers. A germplasm collection of the ancestral forms of P. dumosus together with wild, landrace and cultivar representatives of all other species of the common bean secondary gene pool, were used to analyse genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships and structure of P. dumosus. Data on molecular variation was generated from sequences of cpDNA loci accD-psaI spacer, trnT-trnL spacer, trnL intron and rps14-psaB spacer and from the nrDNA the ITS region. A whole genome DArT array was developed and used for the genotyping of P. dumosus and its closes relatives. 4208 polymorphic markers were generated in the DArT array and from those, 742 markers presented a call rate >95% and zero discordance. DArT markers revealed a moderate genetic polymorphism among P. dumosus samples (13% of polymorphic loci), while P. coccineus presented the highest level of polymorphism (88% of polymorphic loci). At the cpDNA one ancestral haplotype was detected among all samples of all species in the secondary genepool. The ITS region of P. dumosus revealed high homogeneity and polymorphism bias to P. coccineus genome. Phylogenetic reconstructions made with Maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods confirmed previously reported discrepancies among the nuclear and chloroplast genomes of P. dumosus. The outline of relationships by hybridization networks displayed a considerable number of interactions within and between species. This research provides compelling evidence that P. dumosus arose from hybridisation between P. vulgaris and P. coccineus and confirms that P. costaricensis has likely been involved in the genesis or backcrossing events (or both) in the history of P. dumosus. The classification of the specie P. persistentus was analysed based on cpDNA and ITS sequences, the results found this species to be highly related to P. vulgaris but not too similar to P. leptostachyus as previously proposed. This research demonstrates that wild types of the secondary genepool carry a significant genetic variation which makes this a valuable genetic resource for common bean improvement. The DArT array generated in this research is a valuable resource for breeding programs since it has the potential to be used in several approaches including genotyping, discovery of novel traits, mapping and marker-trait associations. Efforts should be made to search for potential populations of P. persistentus and to increase the collection of new populations of P. dumosus, P. albescens and P. costaricensis that may provide valuable traits for introgression into common bean and other Phaseolus crops.

An Analysis of Child Kidnapping in Iowa, December 1, 2013

In July 2012 the Iowa Legislative Council requested the Public Safety Advisory Board (PSAB) provide recommendations to the General Assembly relating to crimes against children. This request came in response to the high profile kidnapping of two girls and subsequent murder of one by Michael Klunder. The PSAB directed the Iowa Department of Human Rights, Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning (CJJP) to provide an analysis of child kidnapping and review of the effectiveness of Iowa kidnapping law.