NaCl treatment of tomato plants in hydroponic culture at concentrations as low as 50 mM resulted in enhanced accumulation of transcripts of TPX1, a full-length cDNA clone that we had isolated from a library of NaCl-treated tomato plants using a peroxidase-specific oligonucleotide probe. Although the overall amino acid sequence identity of TPX1 to other peroxidase genes was less than 45%, there was a very high degree of identity in all of the conserved domains. The deduced amino acid sequence included the presence of a N-terminal signal peptide but not the C-terminal extension present in peroxidases targeted to the vacuole. The mature protein has a theoretical pI value of 7.5. Transcripts that hybridized to TPX1 were detected only in the roots with higher levels of mRNA in epidermal and subepidermal cell layers. Isoelectric focusing of root extracts showed two major bands of peroxidase activity at pI 5.9 and 6.2. Both activities increased with salt treatment. Southern analysis indicated the presence of only a single TPX1 gene in tomato.

and Valpuesta, V. 1995. Salt stress increases ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase activity and protein level in the leaves of tomato. -Physiol. Plant. 93: 259-264.Eerredoxin-dependent glutamate syntha.se (EC 1.4.7.1) catalyzes an essential step in the pathway of glutamate biosynthesis. Exposing detached tomato (Lycopersicon esculetitum) leaves for 6 h to 12 g L' NaCl resulted in a significant two-fold increase in the activity of ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase extracted from the leaves. Western blot studies demonstrated that salt treatment also increased the ferredoxindependent glutatiiate synthase content of the leaves. A similar effect of salt on the concentration of this enzyme was found in the leaves of hydtoponically-grown tomato plants. The induction of ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase under salt stress may provide the glutamate required for the proline synthesis which is a common response to salt stress.

The medium of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) cells adapted to grow in the presence of 15 g 1-1 NaC1 had a higher peroxidase activity than the medium of an unadapted tomato cell line. When the adapted cells were cultured in a medium without NaCI, the value found for peroxidase activity was intermediate. The increase in peroxidase activity was parallel to an increase of lignin-like compounds in the cell walls, as well as to an increased content or appearance of neutral and basic peroxidase isoenzymes. Apparently, the high values of peroxidase activity in the medium of the salt-adapted cells reflect the changed mechanical properties of the cell wall which, in turn, could be related to the salt adaptation process.

ObjectiveTo test whether there is an association between abortion legislation and maternal mortality outcomes after controlling for other factors thought to influence maternal health.DesignPopulation-based natural experiment.Setting and data sourcesOfficial maternal mortality data from 32 federal states of Mexico between 2002 and 2011.Main outcomesMaternal mortality ratio (MMR), MMR with any abortive outcome (MMRAO) and induced abortion mortality ratio (iAMR).Independent variablesAbortion legislation grouped as less (n=18) or more permissive (n=14); constitutional amendment protecting the unborn (n=17); skilled attendance at birth; all-abortion hospitalisation ratio; low birth weight rate; contraceptive use; total fertility rates (TFR); clean water; sanitation; female literacy rate and intimate-partner violence.Main resultsOver the 10-year period, states with less permissive abortion legislation exhibited lower MMR (38.3 vs 49.6; p<0.001), MMRAO (2.7 vs 3.7; p<0.001) and iAMR (0.9 vs 1.7; p<0.001) than more permissive states. Multivariate regression models estimating effect sizes (β-coefficients) for mortality outcomes showed independent associations (p values between 0.001 and 0.055) with female literacy (β=−0.061 to −1.100), skilled attendance at birth (β=−0.032 to −0.427), low birth weight (β=0.149 to 2.166), all-abortion hospitalisation ratio (β=−0.566 to −0.962), clean water (β=−0.048 to −0.730), sanitation (β=−0.052 to −0.758) and intimate-partner violence (β=0.085 to 0.755). TFR showed an inverse association with MMR (β=−14.329) and MMRAO (β=−1.750) and a direct association with iAMR (β=1.383). Altogether, these factors accounted for (R2) 51–88% of the variance among states in overall mortality rates. No statistically independent effect was observed for abortion legislation, constitutional amendment or other covariates.ConclusionsAlthough less permissive states exhibited consistently lower maternal mortality rates, this finding was not explained by abortion legislation itself. Rather, these differences were explained by other independent factors, which appeared to have a more favourable distribution in these states.

Expression of a tomato peroxidase gene that is constitutively expressed only in roots was induced in stems and leaves as a result of mechanical wounding. However, wound-induction of TPXl transcript accumulation in leaves was limited to the mid-rib. No TPXl transcript was detected in the lamina of the leaf after wounding. Peroxidase isozyme studies indicated the presence of a unique basic isoform in stems after wounding.

Ferredoxin‐dependent glutamate synthase (EC 1.4.7.1) catalyzes an essential step in the pathway of glutamate biosynthesis. Exposing detached tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) leaves for 6 h to 12 g l−1 NaCl resulted in a significant two‐fold increase in the activity of ferredoxin‐dependent glutamate synthase extracted from the leaves. Western blot studies demonstrated that salt treatment also increased the ferredoxin‐dependent glutamate synthase content of the leaves. A similar effect of salt on the concentration of this enzyme was found in the leaves of hydroponically‐grown tomato plants. The induction of ferredoxin‐dependent glutamate synthase under salt stress may provide the glutamate required for the proline synthesis which is a common response to salt stress.

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Avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBV) was detected in samples of young leaves and flowers of the avocado cultivars ‘Hass’ and ‘Fuerte’ grown in southern Spain. Partially purified nucleic acid preparations, obtained by cellulose chromatography, were analyzed by double polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This technique, consisting of two consecutive electrophoresis cycles under nondenaturing and denaturing conditions, followed by silver staining of the gel, allowed the selective and sensitive identification, of ASBV. This is the first report on the occurrence of the causal agent of avocado sunblotch in Spain.