Molecular and morphological characterization of local apple cultivars in Southern Spain.

The number of local and traditional fruit cultivars in Andalusia (Southern Spain) has decreased dramatically since the 1970s when new commercial cultivars from breeding programs were introduced, replacing old varieties, and thus decreasing genetic diversity. The present study was included in a genetic resources project with the objective of identifying and preserving traditional fruit tree cultivars in Southern Spain. The goal of this study was to begin the characterization of 29 apple accessions (Malus x domestica Borkh) belonging to 13 traditional cultivar denominations. For molecular characterization studies, 12 simple sequence repeat markers previously developed for apple species were used. Morphological characterization was performed using 33 fruit traits. A total of 115 alleles were amplified for the 12 loci, ranging from 7 (CH01h01, CH01h10, and GD 12) to 13 alleles per locus (CH02c11). Forty-one alleles were unique to specific genotypes. The locus with the highest number of detected unique alleles was CH01f03b with 6 alleles. Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.74 for CH01h10 to 0.88 for CH02c11, with an average of 0.82. Observed heterozygosity varied from 0.45 for CH01h01 to 1.0 for CH02d08, with an average of 0.86. Three homonyms were found for accessions belonging to varieties 'Maguillo', 'Pero Minguela', and 'Castellana'. The most discriminant morphological characters studied revealed no homonyms or synonyms among cultivar denominations, although they are useful for describing varietal characteristics that have not been previously defined.

Transferability of olive microsatellite loci across the genus Olea.

The transferability of microsatellite markers developed for olive cultivars ( Olea europaea L.) has been tested and confirmed in the Olea complex. Thirty two genotypes, belonging to different taxa of the genus Olea, have been analyzed with four olive SSRs. Positive amplifications at all loci were obtained in 13 taxa (at least one accession per species). Sixty seven different alleles have been detected at the four loci analyzed. Polymorphic products have been observed at the inter- and intra-species level. Some SSR loci have shown multiple amplification products in some species. The high number of unique alleles has allowed the unambiguous discrimination of most accessions. Similarity coefficients and relationships among the Olea taxa have been calculated based on SSR amplification results. The reliability of SSRs as markers for intra-species variability evaluation has been confirmed while their use to explore relationships at the inter-species level is discussed, being dependent on the locus analyzed.

[Spontaneous dissection of the common trunk and principal branches of the left coronary arterial system. Apropos of a case]. / Dissection spontanée du tronc commun et des principales branches du réseau coronaire gauche. A propos d'un cas.

The authors report the case of a 45 year old woman presenting with inaugural anterior myocardial infarction due to spontaneous dissection of the left main and principal branches of the left coronary arterial system. Two attempts of thrombolysis at a one hour interval were made within 6 hours of the onset of symptoms with signs of reperfusion but the ECG and echocardiography showed anterolateral myocardial infarction. A recurrence of chest pain on the fifth day led to emergency coronary angiography. The extent and severity of the observed lesions led to emergency surgical revascularisation with no post-operative complications. Skin biopsy showed signs of dystrophy of the elastic tissues. Angiographic control ten months after surgery showed complete regression of the lesions, especially those of the left main coronary with, however, occlusion of the second segment of the left anterior descending artery and sequellae of anterior myocardial infarction. Treatment of this type of disease is difficult as the outcome is unpredictable and has to be decided case by case.