European beech, Fagus sylvatica L., is one of the most important and widespread deciduous tree species in Central Europe and is widely managed for its hard wood. The complete DNA sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Fagus sylvatica L. was assembled and annotated based on Illumina MiSeq reads and validated using long reads from nanopore MinION sequencing. The genome assembled into a single DNA sequence of 504,715 bp in length containing 58 genes with predicted function, including 35 protein-coding, 20 tRNA and three rRNA genes. Additionally, 23 putative protein-coding genes were predicted supported by RNA-Seq data. Aiming at the development of taxon-specific mitochondrial genetic markers, the tool SNPtax was developed and applied to select genic SNPs potentially specific for different taxa within the Fagales. Further validation of a small SNP set resulted in the development of four CAPS markers specific for Fagus, Fagaceae, or Fagales, respectively, when considering over 100 individuals from a total of 69 species of deciduous trees and conifers from up to 15 families included in the marker validation. The CAPS marker set is suitable to identify the genus Fagus in DNA samples from tree tissues or wood products, including wood composite products.

The objective of this work was to estimate the genetic, phenotypic, and environmental parameters of 113 barley accessions (Hordeum vulgare), previously selected based on high yield, in an irrigated production system in the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna), for use in breeding programs in Brazil. The experiment was conducted in 2013 at two sites in the Federal District, using a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The evaluated traits were: grain yield, kernel plumpness, thousand grain weight, plant height, lodging, and days to heading. Significant differences were observed between environment and accessions for all studied traits, as well as genotype x environment interaction. The MCU 3832 PI 402310, MCU 3484 PI 401962, CI 08053 Custer, MCU 3634 PI 402112, and MCU 3816 PI 402294 accessions stood out regarding grain yield and kernel plumpness. It is possible to obtain high selection gains with high heritability values. However, indirect selection is not recommended in the experimental conditions due to the low genotypic and phenotypic correlations obtained. It is also possible to select barley accessions with high yield and early heading date simultaneously, an important factor in the genotype selection process for future experiments. The accessions from Colombia are the most adapted to the Cerrado conditions.

The objective of this work was to quantify the genetic variability of 213 conilon coffee accessions of the Robusta Tropical cultivar, based on chemical characteristics related to the quality of green coffee beans, as well as to identify promising accessions for the breeding program of irrigated conilon coffee in the Brazilian Cerrado. The chemical characteristics evaluated were: protein and caffeine contents, total soluble solids and total lipids, ether extract, pH, and total titratable acidity. The data were subjected to the principal component analysis and cluster analysis based on the similarities observed within the first two principal components using the minimum variance method (Wards) and, as a measure of similarity, the Euclidean distance. The three main components explained 72.64% of the total variation of the data. All characteristics, except pH, were correlated with the first three components. It was possible to separate the genotypes in three clusters, according to the similarities observed in the behavior of the variables. The evaluated accessions present genetic variability regarding the assessed quality characteristics of green coffee beans, and CPAC 160 and CPAC 32 are the most promising for the breeding program of conilon coffee for cultivation under irrigation in the Cerrado.

Extensive laboratory experimentation has revealed conserved molecular pathways controlling growth and stress responses in plants, yet how these programs operate in natural settings remains poorly understood. We investigated transcriptome organization in wild populations of Arabidopsis thaliana by sampling plants from 60 natural sites in Europe and North America across two seasons. Transcriptomes varied extensively among individuals and showed largely continuous rather than discrete structure across geography and season. Although disease and microbial colonization were common in the wild, wild transcriptomes did not simply recapitulate canonical laboratory stress signatures. Measured microbial infection, environmental, and phenotypic variables explained only a modest fraction of total expression variation, but infection-associated signals accounted for the largest share of the explainable component. Consistent with this, biotic-response networks defined in controlled laboratory experiments were well conserved in wild transcriptomes, whereas control and abiotic-response networks were substantially reorganized. Together, these results suggest that while core transcriptional modules remain recognizable across environments, regulatory relationships among modules differ markedly between laboratory and natural contexts. Graphical

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar os parâmetros genéticos e caracterizar agronomicamente 18 acessos de cevada nua, e 3 testemunhas de cevada com grãos cobertos pertencentes ao banco de germoplasma da Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, utilizando dez caracteres agronômicos quantitativos. O experimento foi realizado em dois locais no Distrito Federal, em maio de 2012, utilizando um delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso com três repetições. As características avaliadas foram: rendimento de grãos, classificação comercial, peso de mil sementes, altura de plantas, acamamento, ciclo de espigamento, peso hectolítrico e teor de proteína no grão. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias agrupadas pelo teste de Scott-Knott. Foram detectadas diferenças significativas a 1% de probabilidade entre os acessos para todas as características avaliadas. Há possibilidade de se obter ganhos genéticos devido aos elevados valores do coeficiente de variação genotípico. Foi observada alta herdabilidade em sentido amplo para todas as características, exceto para teor de proteína, possibilitando a seleção efetiva de características de interesse dos genitores para seus descendentes. Os acessos CI 13453, CN Cerrado 1, CN Cerrado 2, CN Cerrado 5 e PI356466 destacaram-se positivamente dos demais para rendimento de grãos e acamamento.