The initial step in tumor formation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the site-specific attachment of the bacteria to plant cells. A similar attachment to plant tissue culture cells has been observed. Binding to carrot suspension culture cells was not dependent on the presence of divalent cations and was not inhibited by the addition of mannose, alpha-methyl mannoside, galactose, arabinose, gluco...

The capacity of Cryptococcus spp to produce melanin in media containing phenol compounds is widely used for identifying these species in the laboratory. The aim of the present study was to compare the production of this pigment by Cryptococcus spp. in four culture media. Sixteen strains of Cryptococcus neoformans, 17 of Cryptococcus albidus, 13 of Cryptococcus laurentii and two of Cryptococcus ...

Iodine is one of the trace elements which are essential for mammalian life. The major objective of iodine biofortification of plants is to obtain food rich in this trace element, which may increase its consumption by various populations. Additionally, it may reduce the risk of iodine deficiency diseases. In this research for the first time we have assessed the bioavailability of iodine from raw...

The epidemiology of sclerotinia rot of carrot was investigated on carrot ‘Cellobunch’ during 1999 and 2000 in Ontario. Apothecia were first detected in the crop in early August to mid-September, after the carrot canopy closed and after 7–11 days with soil matric potentials between –0.1 and –0.4 bars and soil temperatures between 14 and 23 °C. Ascospores were first detected in mid-July to mid-Au...

Carrot is one of the most important vegetables worldwide, owing to its capability to develop fleshy, highly nutritious storage roots. It was domesticated ca. 1,100 years ago in Central Asia. No systematic knowledge about the molecular mechanisms involved in the domestication syndrome in carrot are available, however, the ability to form a storage root is undoubtedly the essential transition fro...

Human manipulation of wild progenitors during crop domestication has led to the foundation of modern agriculture ( Zohary and Hopf, 2000 ; Glémin and Bataillon, 2009 ). A common suite of traits including loss of seed shattering, dormancy, and branching are often selected during the domestication process and referred to as the “domestication syndrome” ( Zohary and Hopf, 2000 ). After primary tra...

Habitat diversification can influence the interactions of insects with plants and this can be used in agroecosystems for the management of pest populations. Plant diversification can be achieved through planting crops, such as trap crops, or by adjusting weed management. Aster leafhopper, Macrosteles quadrilineatus Forbes (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a polyphagous species that uses cereals, ve...

BACKGROUND On 8 September 2006, 3 Georgia residents presented with symptoms of food-borne botulism, a potentially fatal illness caused by Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins. METHODS Investigators reviewed medical records and interviewed patients and family members. Foods from patients' homes and samples of the implicated commercial beverage were tested for botulinum toxin and C. botulinum by s...

The chemical composition of the essential oils from the fruits of Daucus carota var. sativus (yellow carrot) and var. boissieri (red carrot) was determined using GC/FID and GC/MS. Altogether; 29 and 32 compounds were identified accounting for 96.58 and 96.72 % of the total detected components in the hydrodistilled yellow and red carrot oils, respectively. Carotol constituted the major component...

Carrots are widely grown and enjoyed around the world. Purple carrots accumulate rich anthocyanins in the taproots, while orange, yellow, and red carrots accumulate rich carotenoids in the taproots. Our previous studies indicated that variation in the activity of regulatory genes may be responsible for variations in anthocyanin production among various carrot cultivars. In this study, an R2R3-t...