Phytocystatins (PhyCys) comprise a group of inhibitors for cysteine proteinases in plants. They play a wide range of important roles in regulating endogenous processes and protecting plants against various environmental stresses, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we detailed the biological functions of MpCYS4, a member of cystatin genes isolated from Malus prunifolia. ...

In plants, sugar transporters are involved not only in long-distance transport, but also in sugar accumulations in sink cells. To identify members of sugar transporter gene families and to analyze their function in fruit sugar accumulation, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the Malus domestica genome. Expression profiling was performed with shoot tips, mature leaves, and developed fruit o...

Iron is a critical cofactor for a number of metalloenzymes involved in respiration and photosynthesis, but plants often suffer from iron deficiency due to limited supplies of soluble iron in the soil. Iron deficiency induces a series of adaptive responses in various plant species, but the mechanisms by which they are triggered remain largely unknown. Using pH imaging and hormone localization te...

Extracts of apple fruits (Malus domestica cv. "Brettacher") were analysed by HPLC with photodiode array detection. An unknown peak was monitored displaying the same retention time as isorhamnetin 3-O-glucoside. Preliminary identification of the isorhamnetin aglycone was performed by comparison of UV spectral data of the unknown compound with a reference substance. Using atmospheric pressure che...

The fungus Venturia inaequalis clone No. 36 isolated from Malus domestica cv. Gloster excretes a melanoprotein of 36 kDa in relatively high amounts during growth in liquid culture. The protein was isolated from the culture medium and purified to homogeneity. It was shown to contain melanin. After raising an antiserum against the isolated protein, the protein could be shown to be located in the ...

The sequence of events which occurs during the ripening of the Passe-Crassane pear fruit have been previously studied. In this work, we have investigated the ripening of another climacteric fruit (Pyrus malus L. cv Golden Delicious) and of a nonclimacteric fruit (Prunus avium L. cv Bigarreau Napoléon). We show that both climacteric fruits exhibit the same preclimacteric sequence of events. Diff...

The adaptive value of autumn colours is still a puzzle for evolutionary biology. It has been suggested that autumn colours are a warning signal to insects that use the trees as a host. I show that aphids (Dysaphis plantaginea) avoid apple trees (Malus pumila) with red leaves in autumn and that their fitness in spring is lower on these trees, which suggests that red leaves are an honest signal o...

Dionne and Vanasse (1989, 1992) have presented a bonus-malus systems (BMS) that integrates risk classification and experience rating based on the number of claims of each policyholder. This BMS is derived as a function of the years that the policyholder is in the portfolio, of the number of accidents and of the significant – for the number of accidents – individual characteristics. Frangos and ...

Nutrient deficiencies restrict apple (Malus sp.) tree growth and productivity in Northwest China. The process of autophagy, a conserved degradation pathway in eukaryotic cells, has important roles in nutrient-recycling and helps improve plant performance during periods of nutrient-starvation. Little is known about the functioning of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) in apple. In this study, one of...

Gymnosporangium species (Pucciniaceae, Pucciniales) cause serious diseases and significant economic losses to apple cultivars. Most of the reported species are heteroecious and complete their life cycles on two different plant hosts belonging to two unrelated genera, i.e. Juniperus and Malus. However, the phylogenetic relationships among Gymnosporangium species and the evolutionary history of G...