Background The transcription factor MYB46, together with its redundant paralog MYB83, regulates expression of secondary cell wall biosynthesis genes in Arabidopsis [reviewed in 1]. We isolated the Populus MYB46 ortholog, PtxtMYB021 from hybrid aspen (Populus tremula x tremuloides) [2]. Transiently expressed MYB021 transactivated gene promoters of Populus xylan-active enzymes GT43A, GT43B and Xy...

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is an important staple food crop, especially in Ethiopia where it is annually grown on 2.8 million hectares of land. It is important for food security in the region, in spite of having a low yield, mainly due to lodging. In this study, 15 representative landraces as well as three improved varieties have been selected for in-depth characterization of many par...

The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of protection on herbaceous species composition, total plant cover, dry matter, plant density, floristic richness and diversity. Characteristics of vegetation under continued grazing and protected area for 10 and 65 years were examined in a degraded arid environment in South Tunisia. Our results show that protection enhances significantly ...

Background Aspen(Populus tremula) and birch (Betula pubescens) are the fast-growing trees successfully used for the aim of plantation forestry. These species have the great potential in Russia to meeting the need for paper, timber and other wood-based products. However, enhanced growth rate, decreased lignin content and herbicide resistance are the required properties of new trees for plantatio...

PURPOSE: This technical note is a product of the Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program work unit titled “Effects of invasives on the distribution of keystone desert plants on military lands.” The objective of the work unit is to provide a better understanding of the impacts of invasive species on key components of ecosystems and pollinator communities. The study documented he...

Invasion by exotic grasses is a severe threat to the integrity of grassland ecosystems all over the world. Because grasslands are typically grazed by livestock and wildlife, the invasion is a community process modulated by herbivory. We hypothesized that the invasion of native South American grasslands by Eragrostis plana Nees, an exotic tussock-forming grass from Africa, could be deterred by g...

We determined stellar parameters (Teff , [m/H], θ) and E(B− V ) for all β Cephei stars observed during the IUE satellite mission. All parameters were derived by using an algorithmic procedure of fitting theoretical flux distribution (Kurucz 1996) to the IUE observations.