Gian Paolo Vannozzi

Variability of Seed Fatty Acid Composition to Growing Degree-Days in High Oleic Acid Sunflower Genotypes

Abstract High temperature enhances the oleic acid content in the oil of normal cultivars but conflicting results are reported on temperature effects on oleic acid content in HO cultivars: either no effect or an increase in oleic acid content with temperature. To investigate the effects of temperature on HO genotypes under natural field conditions, a three-year field trial was conducted using two sowing dates and three HO genotypes (two inbred lines and one hybrid). To compare our results with previous works, growing degree-days (GDD) were computed (base temperature=6°C). GDD accumulated during the “flowering – 25 days after flowering” period influenced fatty acid composition of seed. Oleic and linoleic acid contents were affected by accumulated GDD in two HO genotypes (one inbred line and the hybrid). There was an increase of about 3% in oleic acid content as response to more high GDD accumulated. Their content was not modified by GDD in the other inbred line. There was a genotype×environment interaction that we suppose depending on modifier genes. These genetic factors affected oleic acid content. This indicated the importance of breeding targeted to select hybrids with a stable oleic acid content and higher than 90%. Saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic) were also influenced by temperature, and there was genetic variability among genotypes.

Peganum harmala L.’s anti-growth effect on a breast cancer cell line

Highlights • The expression of two genes TRAIL, death receptor, and Caspase-8, associated with extrinsic pathway, up-regulated upon treating with P. harmala L.’s seed extract suggesting that the extract induces mainly on apoptosis extrinsic pathway.• The pro-apoptotic genes, BH3 multidomain, Bax (Bcl-2-associated X protein) and Bak (Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer) caused permeability in mitochondrial membrane which was inhibited by anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl.• As a consequence of binding BH3-only proteins (BID, BIM (Bcl-2-like protein 11), BAD (Bcl-2-associated death promoter), and PUMA to anti-apoptotic proteins, their activities were inhibited.• Both p53 and p21 were up-regulated in treated cells with P. harmala’s seed extract, hence p53 as transcription regulator up-regulated Bax, Puma and TRAIL.• As long as the expression of anti-apoptosis Bcl-2 gen reduced dramatically, an over-expression in apoptosis genes, Bax and Puma, was monitored indicating activation of intrinsic apoptosis pathway.• The results confirm the positive effect of P. harmala L.’s extract in inducing apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cell line in both intrinsic/extrinsic apoptosis pathways and also in blocking cell cycle life.

Maternal effect on response of oleic acid content to temperature in high oleic sunflower.

SUMMARY High oleic trait has been rarely studied in reciprocal crosses and in most of these cases the maternal effect on the content of unsaturated fatty acids has not been identified. The aims of this study are: i) to check if any maternal effect on oleic acid content is present in high oleic mutants and (ii) if maternal effect and environment conditions could modify the 90% threshold for oleic acid content. Two high oleic inbred lines with different origins were evaluated: 342mt, a selection derived by Ha 342 USDA (maintainer) and line R978 (male fertility restorer, branched) selected by University of Udine and their reciprocal crosses (R978 × 342mt and 342mt × R978). The two inbred lines respond differently to the same environmental conditions. Reciprocal hybrids showed a different accumulation pattern on the first sowing date, and they showed the same response as their female parent. There is a maternal effect in the early stages of the seed filling phase. Low temperature increased linoleic acid and decreased oleic acid at 13 DAF only in 342mt inbred line and in the 342mt × R978 hybrid. High oleic inbred lines with different genetic backgrounds respond differently to the same environmental conditions. It was determined that there was the importance of female parental line choices in breeding to obtain hybrids insensitive to environmental conditions and with a stable oleic acid content over 90%. For the first time a maternal effect on temperature response was found in high oleic sunflower.

Sunflower Heat-Shock Protein Synthesis Study under Water Deficit Condition

Abstract To follow heat shock proteins (HSPs) expression in sunflower seeds as portion of total seed storage proteins (SSPs), we kept all agronomic factors constant except temperature. In this research, a drought-tolerant sunflower hybrid was planted under normal and drought stress conditions in order to investigate the effect of temperature on protein synthesis and accumulation during achene filling phase. The analyses of proteins were carried out by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), after total protein extraction from achene 25 days after pollination. In total, at least 542 protein spots were detected in seeds at normal growth condition versus 551 protein spots in seeds of stress condition. The presence of a polypeptide bond of 17.7 kDa as a small heat shock protein (SHSP) was only observed in seed grown in drought stress and the accuracy of identification was confirmed by micro-lab-on-chip capillary electrophoresis.