A brief report on some health aspects of rats fed with crescent levels of recombinant chagasin, a potential plant defense protein.

Chagasin may be considered a potential plant-incorporated protectant (PIP) protein due to its deleterious effects on insect pests. However, extensive safety studies with PIP's are necessary before introducing them into the target plant. Thus, a short-term feeding trial in rats with high doses of r-chagasin was conducted to provide evidences about its safety. Three test diets containing casein + r-chagasin (0.25, 0.5 and 1% of total protein) were offered to rats (10 days). The test diets did not show adverse effects upon the development, organ weight, hematological parameters and serum protein profiles of rats, providing preliminary information on the safety of r-chagasin.

Genetic diversity of carotenoid-rich bananas evaluated by Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT).

The aim of this work was to evaluate the carotenoid content and genetic variability of banana accessions from the Musa germplasm collection held at Embrapa Cassava and Tropical Fruits, Brazil. Forty-two samples were analyzed, including 21 diploids, 19 triploids and two tetraploids. The carotenoid content was analyzed spectrophotometrically and genetic variability was estimated using 653 DArT markers. The average carotenoid content was 4.73 µg.g (-1) , and ranged from 1.06 µg.g (-1) for the triploid Nanica (Cavendish group) to 19.24 µg.g (-1) for the triploid Saney. The diploids Modok Gier and NBA-14 and the triploid Saney had a carotenoid content that was, respectively, 7-fold, 6-fold and 9-fold greater than that of cultivars from the Cavendish group (2.19 µg.g (-1)). The mean similarity among the 42 accessions was 0.63 (range: 0.24 to 1.00). DArT analysis revealed extensive genetic variability in accessions from the Embrapa Musa germplasm bank.

Characterization of two Acanthoscelides obtectus alpha-amylases and their inactivation by wheat inhibitors.

Wheat alpha-amylase inhibitors represent an important tool in engineering crop plants against bean bruchids. Because Acanthoscelides obtectus is a devastating storage bean insect-pest, we attempted to purify and characterize its gut alpha-amylases, to study their interaction with active proteinaceous inhibitors. Two digestives alpha-amylases (AoA1 and AoA2) were purified from gut larvae, showing molecular masses of 30 and 45 kDa for each one, respectively. The stoichiometry interaction between these alpha-amylases with two wheat inhibitors (0.19 and 0.53) showed a binding complex of 1:1 enzyme:inhibitor. In vivo activities of these inhibitors against A. obtectus were also evaluated using a rich ammonium sulfate inhibitor fraction (F(20)(-)(40)) and purified inhibitors after reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography columns. Incorporation of three different inhibitor concentrations (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0% w/w) into artificial seeds showed that addition of the purified 0.19 inhibitor at the highest concentration (1.0%) reduced the larval weight by 80%. Similar data were observed when 0.53 inhibitor was incorporated at 0.5%. When the concentration of purified 0.53 was enhanced to 1.0%, no larvae or adult emergence were observed. Our data suggest that these alpha-amylase inhibitors present great potential for use in Phaseolus genetic improvement programs.

Genetic diversity of carotenoid-rich bananas evaluated by Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT)

The aim of this work was to evaluate the carotenoid content and genetic variability of banana accessions from the Musa germplasm collection held at Embrapa Cassava and Tropical Fruits, Brazil. Forty-two samples were analyzed, including 21 diploids, 19 triploids and two tetraploids. The carotenoid content was analyzed spectrophotometrically and genetic variability was estimated using 653 DArT markers. The average carotenoid content was 4.73 µg.g-1, and ranged from 1.06 µg.g-1 for the triploid Nanica (Cavendish group) to 19.24 µg.g-1 for the triploid Saney. The diploids Modok Gier and NBA-14 and the triploid Saney had a carotenoid content that was, respectively, 7-fold, 6-fold and 9-fold greater than that of cultivars from the Cavendish group (2.19 µg.g-1). The mean similarity among the 42 accessions was 0.63 (range: 0.24 to 1.00). DArT analysis revealed extensive genetic variability in accessions from the Embrapa Musa germplasm bank.