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S Dolfini

Publications and source records attributed to S Dolfini.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Relativistic effects and two-body currents in (H)((-->)e(')p)n using out-of-plane detection.

Measurements of the (2)H((-->)e,e(')p)n reaction were performed with the out-of-plane magnetic spectrometers (OOPS) at the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator. The longitudinal-transverse, f(LT) and f(')(LT), and the transverse-transverse, f(TT), interference responses at a missing momentum of 210 MeV/c were simultaneously extracted in the dip region at Q2 = 0.15 (GeV/c)(2). In comparison to models of deuteron electrodisintegration, the data clearly reveal strong effects of relativity and final-state interactions and the importance of two-body meson-exchange currents and isobar configurations. We demonstrate that such effects can be disentangled by extracting these responses using the novel out-of-plane technique.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Lilliputian mutant of maize lacks cell elongation and shows defects in organization of actin cytoskeleton.

The maize mutant lilliputian is characterized by miniature seedling stature, reduced cell elongation, and aberrant root anatomy. Here, we document that root cells of this mutant show several defects in the organization of actin filaments (AFs). Specifically, cells within the meristem lack dense perinuclear AF baskets and fail to redistribute AFs during mitosis. In contrast, mitotic cells of wild-type roots accumulate AFs at plasma membrane-associated domains that face the mitotic spindle poles. Both mitotic and early postmitotic mutant cells fail to assemble transverse arrays of cortical AFs, which are characteristic for wild-type root cells. In addition, early postmitotic cells show aberrant distribution of endoplasmic AF bundles that are normally organized through anchorage sites at cross-walls and nuclear surfaces. In wild-type root apices, these latter AF bundles are organized in the form of symmetrically arranged conical arrays and appear to be essential for the onset of rapid cell elongation. Exposure of wild-type and cv. Alarik maize root apices to the F-actin drugs cytochalasin D and latrunculin B mimics the phenotype of lilliputian root apices. In contrast to AFs, microtubules are more or less normally organized in root cells of lilliputian mutant. Collectively, these data suggest that the LILLIPUTIAN protein, the nature of which is still unknown, impinges on plant development via its action on the actin cytoskeleton.

Actins↗
PubMed2001

Search for quadrupole strength in the electroexcitation of the delta+(1232).

High-precision 1H(e,e'p)pi(0) measurements at Q2 = 0.126 (GeV/c)2 are reported, which allow the determination of quadrupole amplitudes in the gamma*N-->Delta transition; they simultaneously test the reliability of electroproduction models. The derived quadrupole-to-dipole ( I = 3/2) amplitude ratios, R(SM) = (-6.5+/-0.2(stat+sys)+/-2.5(mod))% and R(EM) = (-2.1+/-0.2(stat+sys)+/-2.0(mod))%, are dominated by model error. Previous R(SM) and R(EM) results should be reconsidered after the model uncertainties associated with the method of their extraction are taken into account.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

Dap (Defective aleurone pigmentation) mutations affect maize aleurone development.

Dap (Defective aleurone pigmentation) is the designation for mutations in maize that give rise to a characteristic dappled endosperm phenotype, consisting of patches of purple tissue, of variable size and shape, on a yellow background. Features shared by all Dap mutants are: dominant expression when they are maternally derived, lack of expression or transmission when they originate from pollen, failure to recover homozygous Dap genotypes, reduced frequency of Dap seeds in the progeny of outcrosses of Dap/+ females, association of the dappled phenotype with reduction in seed size. The mutants so far tested, six in all, can be grouped into two classes, one including male-transmissible (MT) isolates not expressed in the endosperm if their contribution is paternal, and a second class of isolates (NMT) that are permanently lost following paternal transmission. We suggest that the NMT mutations are on a chromosome that carries an intercalary deletion. Assuming linkage between the mutant and the deletion, selection against the deficient chromosome during male gametogenesis would account for the failure to recover Dap seeds in the progeny of Dap/+ male parents. We have obtained genetic evidence supporting this hypothesis. This interpretation, however, does not apply to MT alleles. For these, other mechanisms, such as imprinting and/or dosage effects may be proposed. The mutable pattern in the endosperm to which all Dap mutants give rise is an intriguing phenotype which remains to be clarified. An unexpected finding is that aleuronic and subaleuronic cells corresponding to the colourless areas are abnormal in shape and anthocyanin biosynthesis is blocked in these cells. This finding calls for further investigation in light of a possible connection between flavonoid precursors and cell shape.

Anthocyanins↗
PubMed1993

Antiparallel expression of the sense and antisense transcripts of maize alpha-tubulin genes.

In all eukaryotes alpha- and beta-tubulins are encoded by small families of closely related genes and are highly conserved. In Zea mays, at least six different alpha-tubulin coding sequences are known. We describe the isolation from scutellar nodes of the maize inbred line W22 of a clone (CTM5) coding for an alpha-tubulin. On the basis of the 3' end nucleotide sequence, this clone can be assigned to the already reported tua4 gene. Northern analysis demonstrates that CTM5 encodes a 1.5 kb transcript, which is expressed in different tissues of the seed and of the seedling. In order to define the spatial and temporal expression of alpha-tubulin genes, in situ hybridization experiments were performed on these tissues. Unexpectedly, a specific signal was detected with both antisense and sense RNA strands. Temporal and spatial distribution of the two RNAs, however, shows that high levels of the two transcripts are always discordant. In tissues where sense transcripts are highly abundant (embryos at various developmental stages, root tips, pollen grains), the antisense transcripts are expressed in relatively small amounts, while in pericarp, coleoptile, leaves, and scutellar node, where antisense transcripts accumulate, the sense transcript only reaches a very low level. Northern analysis using single-stranded DNA probes confirmed the presence of an antisense transcript of 1.5 kb, prompting speculation about the role of this transcript in the regulation of the expression of alpha-tubulin genes.

Base Sequence↗