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Climatic changes can cause serious reductions in yield and crop quality. Under the threat of climatic changes, one of the precautions to cope is selection and development of resistant vegetable genotypes to abiotic stresses. Several physiological and biochemical reactions and different tolerance levels can occur according to plant species. When plants are subjected to environmental stresses such as salinity, drought, temperature extremes, herbicide treatment and mineral deficiency, the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species ROS and the quenching activity of antioxidants is upset, often resulting in oxidative damage. Since activated oxygen species can disrupt normal metabolism through oxidative damage to lipids, protein and nucleic acids, plants possess a number of antioxidant enzymes that protect them from these cytotoxic effects. To control the level of ROS and to protect cells under stress conditions, plant tissues contain several enzymes for scavenging ROS. The high levels of antioxidative enzyme activities were determined in the tolerant genotypes of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, melons, squash, beans, okra, etc. to several abiotic stress factors. "oth the whole plant and in vitro callus culture experiments gave similar results. "ntioxidant enzymes can be useful for screening to determine the tolerant and sensitive plant genotypes against abiotic stresses.

No abstract

A modification of a protocol used to induce tobacco microspore embryogenesis was tested in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). In tobacco, uninucleate microspores are subjected to stress treatment by culturing in mannitol containing "B" medium at 33°C for six days. The microspores are then transferred to maltose containing AT3 medium for further development. In the experiment presented here late uninucleate and bi-nucleate microspores of the eggplant cultivar Bambino were pre-cultured in B medium and then incubated at +4°C, 25°C and 33°C, respectively, for two days. After the pre-treatments, microspore cultures were transferred to AT3 medium containing 0.25 M maltose and maintained at 25°C in the dark. Presence of symmetrical division and multinucleate structures was checked with DAPI staining of the nucleus after one and two weeks. Symmetrical division of the nucleus and multinucleate structures were observed only in uni-nucleate microspores pre-treated at 33°C for two days. The frequency of multinucleate structures was 19.4% under these conditions. We demonstrated that eggplant is responsive to the modified tobacco protocol in the production of symmetrically division and multinucleate structures. These results may be used as a basis for adaptation fully of the tobacco system in eggplant. Key words: haploid, microspore culture, symmetrical division, mannitol starvation INDUÇÃO DE DIVISÃO NUCLEAR SIMÉTRICA E ESTRUTURAS MULTINUCLEADAS EM MICRÓSPOROS DE BERINJELA (Solanum melongena L.) CULTIVADOS IN VITRORESUMO: Uma modificação de um protocolo utilizado para induzir embriogênese a partir de micrósporos de tabaco foi testada em berinjela (Solanum melongena L.). Em tabaco, micrósporos uninucleados são submetidos a um tratamento de estresse em meio "B" contendo manitol a 33°C por seis dias. Os micrósporos são então transferidos para um meio AT3 contendo maltose para as fases posteriores de desenvolvimento. Neste estudo, micrósporos uninucleados e binucleados tardios do cultivar de berinjela Bambino foram pré-cultivados em meio "B" e, posteriormente, incubados a 4°C, 25°C e 33°C por dois dias. Após os pré-tratamentos, as culturas de micrósporos foram transferidas para o meio AT3 contendo maltose 0,25 M e mantidas a 25°C no escuro. A presença de divisão simétrica e estruturas multinucleadas foram verificadas com coloração DAPI do núcleo após uma e duas semanas. Foram observadas divisões simétricas dos núcleos e estruturas multinucleadas somente em micrósporos uninucleados, pré-tratados a 33ºC por dois dias. A frequência de estruturas multinucleadas foi de 19,4% sob essas condições. Nós demonstramos que a berinjela responde ao protocolo modificado de tabaco para produção de divisões simétricas e estruturas multinucleadas. Esses resultados podem ser utilizados como base para uma completa adaptação do sistema de tabaco em berinjela. Palavras chave: haplóide, cultura de micrósporos, divisão simétrica, estresse com manitol

Different responses of two melon (Cucumis melo L.) genotypes (Şemame, drought and salt-tolerant and Ananas, drought and salt-sensitive) to drought stress with or without humic acid (HA) treatment were studied. The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions. The experimental design was two factorial randomized block with 4 replicates. HA treatment increased the shoot fresh and dry weights and leaf area of both genotypes under drought stress. HA stimulated accumulation of K and Ca ions, chlorophyll (SPAD