Genome Size Variation in L. Germplasm from Niger.

L. (Pedaliaceae) is one of the most economically important oil crops in the world, thanks to the high oil content of its seeds and its nutritional value. It is cultivated all over the world, mainly in Asia and Africa.

Allopolyploidy: An Underestimated Driver in Evolution.

Allopolyploidy is considered as a principal driver that shaped angiosperms' evolution in terms of diversification and speciation. Despite the unexpected high frequency of polyploidy that was recently discovered in the coniferous genus , little is known about the origin of these polyploid taxa. Here, we conducted the first study devoted to deciphering the origin of the only hexaploid taxon in along with four of its closely related tetraploid taxa using AFLP markers with four primers combinations.

Evolution of neutral and flowering genes along pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) domestication.

Background: Pearl millet landraces display an important variation in their cycle duration. This diversity contributes to the stability of crop production in the Sahel despite inter-annual rainfall fluctuation. Conservation of phenological diversity is important for the future of pearl millet improvement and sustainable use.

Phytoecdysteroid C2-hydroxylase is microsomal in spinach, Spinacia oleracea L.

An enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of phytoecdysteroids, the C2-hydroxylase, has been investigated in spinach, Spinacia oleracea. This enzyme is microsomal and its K(m) has been determined using 2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone as substrate (K(m)=3.72 microM).

Ecdysteroids in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.): biosynthesis, transport and regulation of levels.

Many plant species produce phytoecdysteroids (PEs: i.e. analogues of insect steroid hormones).

Brca2 is involved in meiosis in Arabidopsis thaliana as suggested by its interaction with Dmc1.

Two BRCA2-like sequences are present in the Arabidopsis genome. Both genes are expressed in flower buds and encode nearly identical proteins, which contain four BRC motifs. In a yeast two-hybrid assay, the Arabidopsis Brca2 proteins interact with Rad51 and Dmc1.