Leaves of many angiosperm evergreen species change colour from green to red during winter, corresponding with the synthesis of anthocyanin pigments. The ecophysiological function of winter colour change (if any), and why it occurs in some species and not others, are not yet understood. It was hypothesized that anthocyanins play a compensatory photoprotective role in species with limited capacit...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study is to measure the levels of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd and Pb) found in common vegetables (parsley, carrot, onion, lettuce, cucumber and green beans) grown in contaminated mining areas compared with those grown in reference clear area and to determine their potential detrimental effects via calculation of the daily metal intake (DImetal) and Target Haz...

Sodium valproate has been widely used by man as an antiepileptic drug. Hair loss and curly hair is a rare side effect of sodium valproate. We have conducted a prospective clinical study in the Department of Neurology in Shafa Hospital, Kerman, Iran for ten years (1994-2004). All 211 epileptic patients in our study were given sodium valproate as a single drug treatment. During the course of ther...

Transcription of the parsley pr2 gene, encoding pathogenesis-related protein 2 (PR2), is rapidly stimulated by fungal or bacterial elicitors. Previous work has revealed a 125-bp region within the pr2 promoter; this region encompasses all important cis-regulatory elements required for fungal elicitor-mediated expression. We now report the identification of a functionally relevant 11-bp DNA motif...

Chalcone synthase (CHS) catalyzes the committed enzymatic step in flavonoid biosynthesis. In parsley (Petroselinum crispum), CHS is encoded by a single gene locus. Transcriptional activation of the gene in response to UV-containing white light has been demonstrated. Analysis of the CHS gene promoter by in vivo footprinting revealed four short sequences, designated Boxes I, II, III, and IV, whic...