A method for the quantification of S-RNase levels in single styles of self-incompatible Solanum chacoense was developed and applied toward an experimental determination of the S-RNase threshold required for pollen rejection. It was found that, when single style values are averaged, accumulated levels of the S(11)- and S(12)-RNases can differ up to 10-fold within a genotype, while accumulated le...

Kinetochores may perform several functions at mitosis and meiosis including: (a) directing anaphase chromosome separation, (b) regulating prometaphase alignment of the chromosomes at the spindle equator (congression), and/or (c) capturing and stabilizing microtubules. To explore these functions in vivo, autoimmune sera against the centromere/kinetochore complex are microinjected into mouse oocy...

Natural predation is an important component of integrated pest management that is often overlooked because it is difficult to quantify and perceived to be unreliable. To begin incorporating natural predation into sweet corn, Zea mays L., pest management, a predator survey was conducted and then three sampling methods were compared for their ability to accurately monitor the most abundant predat...

A few hours of fumigation will easily eliminate a home's pest infestation. However, one has to choose other means of pest control if the home's residents cannot relocate. The same issue underpins selective nuclear elimination in multinucleate cells. Recently, we reported a novel cell elimination strategy in early developing seeds of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana; a large embryo-nourishin...

Background: Due to its nutrient content, a variety of spoilage microorganisms can grow in bee pollen, especially when handling practices are not appropriate. So, this survey was designed to assess the physicochemical and microbiological properties of bee pollen collected from Bulgaria. Methods: In June 2014, 13 fresh and 19 dried bee pollen samples were collected from Bulgaria. Water activity ...

Ogura cytoplasmic male sterility (Ogura CMS), originally identified in wild radish (Raphanus sativus), has enabled complete pollen Brassica plants, but the underlying mechanism CMS Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) remains unclear. In this study cytological analysis showed that during microsporogenesis meiosis occurred normally, and uninucleated pollens subsequently formed, develo...