Characterization of novel microsatellite markers in Musa acuminata subsp. burmannicoides, var. Calcutta 4

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Banana is a nutritionally important crop across tropical and sub-tropical countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America and Asia. Although cultivars have evolved from diploid, triploid and tetraploid wild Asian species of <it>Musa acuminata </it>(A genome) and <it>Musa balbisiana </it>(B genome), many of today's commercial cultivars are sterile triploids or diploids, with fruit developing via parthenocarpy. As a result of restricted genetic variation, improvement has been limited, resulting in a crop frequently lacking resistance to pests and disease. Considering the importance of molecular tools to facilitate development of disease resistant genotypes, the objectives of this study were to develop polymorphic microsatellite markers from BAC clone sequences for <it>M. acuminata </it>subsp. <it>burmannicoides</it>, var. Calcutta 4. This wild diploid species is used as a donor cultivar in breeding programs as a source of resistance to diverse biotic stresses.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Microsatellite sequences were identified from five Calcutta 4 BAC consensi datasets. Specific primers were designed for 41 loci. Isolated di-nucleotide repeat motifs were the most abundant, followed by tri-nucleotides. From 33 tested loci, 20 displayed polymorphism when screened across 21 diploid <it>M. acuminata </it>accessions, contrasting in resistance to Sigatoka diseases. The number of alleles per SSR locus ranged from two to four, with a total of 56. Six repeat classes were identified, with di-nucleotides the most abundant. Expected heterozygosity values for polymorphic markers ranged from 0.31 to 0.75.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is the first report identifying polymorphic microsatellite markers from <it>M. acuminata </it>subsp. <it>burmannicoides</it>, var. Calcutta 4 across accessions contrasting in resistance to Sigatoka diseases. These BAC-derived polymorphic microsatellite markers are a useful resource for banana, applicable for genetic map development, germplasm characterization, evolutionary studies and marker assisted selection for traits.</p

Proteomic Analysis of Grape Berry Cell Cultures Reveals that Developmentally Regulated Ripening Related Processes Can Be Studied Using Cultured Cells

The original publication is available at http:/www.plosone.orgBackground: This work describes a proteomics profiling method, optimized and applied to berry cell suspensions to evaluate organ-specific cultures as a platform to study grape berry ripening. Variations in berry ripening within a cluster(s) on a vine and in a vineyard are a major impediment towards complete understanding of the functional processes that control ripening, specifically when a characterized and homogenous sample is required. Berry cell suspensions could overcome some of these problems, but their suitability as a model system for berry development and ripening needs to be established first. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study we report on the proteomic evaluation of the cytosolic proteins obtained from synchronized cell suspension cultures that were established from callus lines originating from green, véraison and ripe Vitis vinifera berry explants. The proteins were separated using liquid phase IEF in a Microrotofor cell and SDS PAGE. This method proved superior to gel-based 2DE. Principal component analysis confirmed that biological and technical repeats grouped tightly and importantly, showed that the proteomes of berry cultures originating from the different growth/ripening stages were distinct. A total of twenty six common bands were selected after band matching between different growth stages and twenty two of these bands were positively identified. Thirty two % of the identified proteins are currently annotated as hypothetical. The differential expression profile of the identified proteins, when compared with published literature on grape berry ripening, suggested common trends in terms of relative abundance in the different developmental stages between real berries and cell suspensions. Conclusions: The advantages of having suspension cultures that accurately mimic specific developmental stages are profound and could significantly contribute to the study of the intricate regulatory and signaling networks responsible for berry development and ripening. © 2011 Sharathchandra et al.Publishers' Versio

The Development of Intelligent Patient-Centric Systems for Healthcare

The delivery of healthcare is currently undergoing a major shift from a curative and reactive approach to one of proactive and preventative health management. This is further being accompanied by the fact that the digital information explosion, known as big data, has signalled a patient-centric revolution in medicine. Thus the development of intelligent patient-centric healthcare systems is becoming a dominant theme in driving new models of care. The ‘intelligent’ attribute of such models is in turn derived from complex theories and implementations of a myriad of AI and data analytics paradigms that present opportunities to discover novel methods of providing accurate patient-centred diagnosis, prognosis and management. This chapter revisits the role that AI has played in the provision of more personalised solutions and treatments, namely through the development and applications of various artificial neural networks and hidden Markov models in a wide range of clinical and healthcare services arenas

Are banana weevil borers a vector in spreading Fusarium oxysporum f. sp cubense tropical race 4 in banana plantations?

Fusarium wilt of banana is a destructive plant disease, caused by the soilborne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). Once established, it spreads rapidly, destroys the banana plants and builds up inoculum in the soil. To improve control and containment strategies, this study examined the pattern and possible methods of Foc tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) spread on a plantation. To date, root-to-root dispersal within the soil has been the presumed means of spread, but the fact that the spread of Foc TR4 occurred beyond neighbouring plants on the four fields assessed inferred that this is not the only mechanism. The banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus, is widespread in banana plantations and viable spores were found on the exoskeletons of ten per cent of the weevils, which infers that they may be a vector. Controlling vectors such as C. sordidus in banana plantations may therefore help minimise the spread of Foc TR4