Thidiazuron afeta a qualidade de maçãs 'Gala' armazenadas sob atmosfera controlada

This work was carried out aiming to evaluate the effect of thidiazuron (TDZ) on the quality of 'Gala' apples stored under controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions. Plants were sprayed at full bloom with TDZ at 0, 10, 20, or 40g ha-1 (a.i.). Harvested fruits were then stored in CA with 1.0+2.5, 1.5+2.5 and 1.5+5.0 (kPa O2+kPa CO2), both at 0.5°C. In addition, the partial pressure of 1.5kPa of O2+2.5kPa of CO2 was also evaluated at -0.5°C. Higher flesh firmness and titratable acidity was obtained by applying 20 or 40g ha-1 TDZ. Furthermore, these TDZ doses decreased the respiration rate as well as the occurrence of flesh breakdown, mealiness and decay. The application of TDZ at doses ranging from 20 to 40g ha-1 maintains higher fruit quality for up to 8 months under CA. In addition, the storage of 'Gala' apples under CA with 1.0kPa O2+2.5kPa CO2 at 0.5°C results in higher flesh firmness and titratable acidity. Moreover, this CA condition reduces the incidence of flesh breakdown, mealiness and postharvest decay in 'Gala' apple fruits.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da aplicação de thidiazuron (TDZ) na qualidade de maçãs 'Gala' armazenadas em condições de atmosfera controlada (AC). Avaliou-se o efeito do TDZ nas doses de 0, 10, 20 e 40g ha-1 (i.a.), aplicadas no pleno florescimento. Após a colheita, os frutos foram armazenados em condições de AC com 1,0+2,5; 1,5+2,5 ou 1,5+5,0 (kPa de O2+kPa de CO2), ambas a 0,5°C. Além disso, a pressão parcial de 1,5kPa de O2+2,5kPa de CO2 também foi avaliada a -0,5°C. Doses de TDZ entre 20 e 40g ha-1 mantiveram maior firmeza da polpa e acidez titulável. Além disso, essas mesmas doses reduziram a atividade respiratória e a incidência de degenerescência da polpa, de polpa farinhenta e de podridões. A aplicação pré-colheita de TDZ, especialmente em doses entre 20 e 40g ha-1, melhora a qualidade de maçãs 'Gala' armazenadas em AC por até oito meses. Em relação às condições de AC avaliadas, o uso de 1,0kPa de O2+2,5kPa de CO2 a 0,5°C resultou em frutos mais firmes e com maior acidez titulável, além de menor incidência de degenerescência da polpa, de polpa farinhenta e de podridões

Controlled atmosphere storage for 'maciel' peaches harvested in two ripening stages

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de duas temperaturas e condições de atmosfera controlada (AC) sobre a conservação de pêssegos da cultivar Maciel, colhidos em dois estádios de maturação. Os tratamentos avaliados foram: armazenamento refrigerado (AR) na temperatura de +0,5°C; AR na temperatura de -0,5°C; 2,0kPa O2 + 4,0kPa CO2 em -0,5°C; 1,0kPa O2 + 3,0kPa CO2 em -0,5°C; 2,0kPa O2 + 6,0kPa CO2 em -0,5°C. As avaliações foram realizadas após 60 dias de armazenamento e mais dois e quatro dias de exposição dos frutos à temperatura de 20ºC. Na análise realizada após dois meses de armazenamento, mais dois dias a 20°C, verificou-se que os frutos submetidos a 2,0kPa de O2 + 4,0 kPa de CO2 apresentaram maior firmeza de polpa em relação aos demais tratamentos, sendo que a mesma não foi influenciada pelo estádio de maturação. Os sólidos solúveis totais foram maiores em frutos com estádio de maturação maduro independente da condição de armazenamento. A ocorrência de podridões e escurecimento interno da polpa não foi influenciada pelo estádio de maturação. No entanto, a condição de AC de 1,0 kPa de O2 + 3,0kPa de CO2 proporcionou o menor percentual de podridões e escurecimento interno da polpa em relação aos demais tratamentos. Na avaliação realizada aos quatro dias de exposição a 20°C, os frutos colhidos no estádio maduro estavam completamente podres, independente da condição de armazenamento praticada.The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of temperature and controlled atmosphere (CA) storage conditions on the quality of 'Maciel' peaches harvested in two ripening stages. The treatments were: refrigerated air storage (RA) at +0.5°C; RA at -0.5°C; 2.0kPa O2 + 4.0kPa CO2 plus -0.5°C; 1.0kPa O2 + 3.0kPa CO2 plus -0.5°C; 2.0kPa O2 + 6.0kPa CO2 plus -0.5°C. Evaluations of fruit quality were carried out after two months of storage plus two and four days at 20°C. Fruits stored in 2.0kPa O2 + 4.0kPa CO2 at -0.5°C showed the highest firmness independent of ripening stage. The solid soluble content was higher at mature stage independent of storage conditions. Occurrence of decay and internal browning were not influenced by ripening stage. However, the CA storage at 1.0kPa O2 + 3.0kPa CO2 plus -0.5°C provided the small occurrence of decay and internal browning of flesh pulp. After four days at 20°C fruits at mature stage were completely rotten, independently of storage condition

Methods for bitter pit prediction in Fuji and Braeburn apples

Experimentos foram conduzidos com objetivo de avaliar a eficiência de métodos para predição da ocorrência de bitter pit em maçãs 'Fuji' e 'Braeburn' em duas épocas de amostragem. Os frutos, provenientes de seis pomares distintos, três para cada cultivar, foram coletados antecipadamente (20 dias em relação à colheita) e na data prevista para a colheita comercial. Os métodos de predição utilizados foram: a) infiltração dos frutos com solução 0,10M MgCl2 mais 0,01% Tween-20 e 0,4M de sorbitol; b) imersão dos frutos em solução com 2500nL L-1 de ethephon mais 0,01% Tween-20. Os frutos foram armazenados em atmosfera controlada (AC) por cinco meses mais 12 dias, a 20°C, simulando a incidência real de bitter pit em armazenamento comercial. Cada tratamento foi constituído por quatro repetições de 25 frutos. A incidência e severidade de bitter pit, prevista por ambos os métodos foi semelhante à ocorrência real de bitter pit após o armazenamento em atmosfera controlada para cada uma das cultivares utilizadas, quando os frutos foram amostrados antecipadamente em relação à colheita comercial. Na avaliação realizada com frutos amostrados na colheita comercial, nenhum dos métodos foi capaz de prever a incidência de bitter pit após o armazenamento de maneira confiável. Para ambas as cultivares, a infiltração com magnésio e a imersão dos frutos em ethephon só são eficientes na predição da incidência de bitter pit em frutos coletados 20 dias antes da colheita comercial.Experiments were carried out with objective to evaluate the efficiency of methods for bitter pit prediction in 'Fuji' and 'Braeburn' apples sampled at two harvest dates. Fruits from 6 orchards, three for each cultivar, were sampled earlier (20 days before harvest) and at commercial harvest date. The prediction methods assessed were: infiltration of apples with 0.10M MgCl2 solution containing 0.01% Tween-20 and 0.4M sorbitol; and immersion of fruits in 2.500nL L-1 ethephon solution plus 0.01% Tween-20. Four replications of 25 fruits of each orchard were stored on controlled atmosphere (CA) during five months plus 12 days at 20°C in order to assess the real bitter pit occurrence. Both methods showed incidence and severity similar to real bitter pit occurrence after storage for both cultivars sampled 20 days before harvest. On the other hand, none method was able to predict the incidence of bitter pit after CA storage for fruits sampled at commercial harvest. The magnesium infiltration and immersion of fruits on ethephon only are efficient to predict bitter pit incidence on fruits when sampled 20 days before commercial harvest

The Urea Carboxylase and Allophanate Hydrolase Activities of Urea Amidolyase Are Functionally Independent

Urea amidolyase (UAL) is a multifunctional biotin-dependent enzyme that contributes to both bacterial and fungal pathogenicity by catalyzing the ATP-dependent cleavage of urea into ammonia and CO2. UAL is comprised of two enzymatic components: urea carboxylase (UC) and allophanate hydrolase (AH). These enzyme activities are encoded on separate but proximally related genes in prokaryotes while, in most fungi, they are encoded by a single gene that produces a fusion enzyme on a single polypeptide chain. It is unclear whether the UC and AH activities are connected through substrate channeling or other forms of direct communication. Here, we use multiple biochemical approaches to demonstrate that there is no substrate channeling or interdomain/intersubunit communication between UC and AH. Neither stable nor transient interactions can be detected between prokaryotic UC and AH and the catalytic efficiencies of UC and AH are independent of one another. Furthermore, an artificial fusion of UC and AH does not significantly alter the AH enzyme activity or catalytic efficiency. These results support the surprising functional independence of AH from UC in both the prokaryotic and fungal UAL enzymes and serve as an important reminder that the evolution of multifunctional enzymes through gene fusion events does not always correlate with enhanced catalytic function

Increasing agrin function antagonizes muscle atrophy and motor impairment in spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a pediatric genetic disease, characterized by motor neuron (MN) death, leading to progressive muscle weakness, respiratory failure, and, in the most severe cases, to death. Abnormalities at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) have been reported in SMA, including neurofilament (NF) accumulation at presynaptic terminals, immature and smaller than normal endplates, reduced transmitter release, and, finally, muscle denervation. Here we have studied the role of agrin in SMAΔ7 mice, the experimental model of SMAII. We observed a 50% reduction in agrin expression levels in quadriceps of P10 SMA mice compared to age-matched WT controls. To counteract such condition, we treated SMA mice from birth onwards with therapeutic agrin biological NT-1654, an active splice variant of agrin retaining synaptogenic properties, which is also resistant to proteolytic cleavage by neurotrypsin. Mice were analyzed for behavior, muscle and NMJ histology, and survival. Motor behavior was significantly improved and survival was extended by treatment of SMA mice with NT-1654. At P10, H/E-stained sections of the quadriceps, a proximal muscle early involved in SMA, showed that NT-1654 treatment strongly prevented the size decrease of muscle fibers. Studies of NMJ morphology on whole-mount diaphragm preparations revealed that NT-1654-treated SMA mice had more mature NMJs and reduced NF accumulation, compared to vehicle-treated SMA mice. We conclude that increasing agrin function in SMA has beneficial outcomes on muscle fibers and NMJs as the agrin biological NT-1654 restores the crosstalk between muscle and MNs, delaying muscular atrophy, improving motor performance and extending survival

Markedly Divergent Tree Assemblage Responses to Tropical Forest Loss and Fragmentation across a Strong Seasonality Gradient

We examine the effects of forest fragmentation on the structure and composition of tree assemblages within three seasonal and aseasonal forest types of southern Brazil, including evergreen, Araucaria, and deciduous forests. We sampled three southernmost Atlantic Forest landscapes, including the largest continuous forest protected areas within each forest type. Tree assemblages in each forest type were sampled within 10 plots of 0.1 ha in both continuous forests and 10 adjacent forest fragments. All trees within each plot were assigned to trait categories describing their regeneration strategy, vertical stratification, seed-dispersal mode, seed size, and wood density. We detected differences among both forest types and landscape contexts in terms of overall tree species richness, and the density and species richness of different functional groups in terms of regeneration strategy, seed dispersal mode and woody density. Overall, evergreen forest fragments exhibited the largest deviations from continuous forest plots in assemblage structure. Evergreen, Araucaria and deciduous forests diverge in the functional composition of tree floras, particularly in relation to regeneration strategy and stress tolerance. By supporting a more diversified light-demanding and stress-tolerant flora with reduced richness and abundance of shade-tolerant, old-growth species, both deciduous and Araucaria forest tree assemblages are more intrinsically resilient to contemporary human-disturbances, including fragmentation-induced edge effects, in terms of species erosion and functional shifts. We suggest that these intrinsic differences in the direction and magnitude of responses to changes in landscape structure between forest types should guide a wide range of conservation strategies in restoring fragmented tropical forest landscapes worldwide