Szeged Timioara axis for the safe food and

Szeged – Timişoara axis for the safe food and feed SZETISA 1 HURO/0901/147/2. 2. 2. Erdei László Department of Plant Biology University of Szeged Project Inaugural Meeting Szeged, 2 -3 February, 2011

General objectives: The interactive effects of abiotic, biotic and genetic factors on the performance of wheat, maize and alfalfa plants and yield components that may influence nutrient quality and safety i) The two sides of the micronutrient availability (deficiency and excess); ii) The presence of microbial toxins due to microbial (fungal and/or bacterial) infections and their effects on the microelement accumulation (effects of toxins on channel activity); iii) Toxins and physiological/metabolic processes; iv) The effects of genomic background on micronutrient accumulation and distribution.

Activity Package 0 11/2009 – present Preparation activities Preparatory Meetings: -25. 11. 2009 Szeged; 13. 01. 2010 Timisoara Activity Package 1 2/2011 – 5/2012 Project management 2; Szeged 1, Timisoara 1 progress report 3, closing report 1 2; Timisoara 1, Szeged 1 Project preparatory meetings Progress reports and closing report Closing seminars Improved infrastrucure in the laboratories Activity Package 2 Szeged 1, Timisoara 3 instruments 2/2011 – 5/2012 Communication activities Results - Project meetings Results - Publications Outputs - Number of participants in meetings Outputs - Number of readers in newspapers Outputs - number of authors in scientific publications, number of students on courses 5; Szeged 3, Timisoara 2 7; Szeged 5, Timisoara 2 20 in each, altogether 100. Project Booklet, 100 pcs. , Project brochure - 100 pcs. N/A 6 authors, 300 students

Activity Package 3 02/2011 – 05/2012 Research and Development 1. Procuration of equipments 2 -7/2011 Szeged, Timisoara Procuration of equipments is planned in both localities to improve infrastucture. In Szeged, an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) is planned for the multielement analysis of microelements in environmnetal, food and feed plant samples in the region of mg/kg to pg/kg. In Timisora, the purchase of a Bioanalyzer, a UV-VIS Spectophotometer and a cooling centrifuge are necessary to improve molecular biological work. 2. Determination of microelements as affected by microbial infection or heavy metals presence. 7/2011 – 5/2012 Szeged, Timisoara These will be determined in 2 wheat cultivars, 2 corn genotypes (GM and conventional) and alfalfa cultivars of different susceptibilities. Microelements will be determined in Szeged, microbial presence and toxins in Timisoara. 3. Determination of antioxidant defence mechanisms as influenced by microbial toxins 7/2011 – 5/2012 Szeged The catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase , glutathione S-transferase activities will be determined in the same biologicical material. In addition, glutamine syntethase iso-enzymes and Rubisco levels will be determined by 2 D gel chromatography. These will be carried out in Szeged. 4. Effects of genomic background on essential and toxic microelements 7/2011 – 5/2012 Szeged, Timisoara This subactivity is based on earlier results: we have shown out significantly different levels of Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn in wild, ancient and cultivated wheat species in the genera Triticum and Aegilops. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivars also show different phytoremediation potential for both inorganic and organic pollutants. Besides the analysis of wheat and alfalfa cultivars, investigation for their membrane-transport mechanisms and photosynthetic activities will also be carried out.

Results and Outputs Increase laboratory infrastructure 2 laboratories, Szeged 1, Timisoara 1 3 groups, mineral Results - Determination of factors influencing food (wheat ) and feed (fodder corn and factors, toxin factors, genetic alfalfa) nutrient safety and mineral composition factors Output - Equipments for mineral analysis and for molecular biological work Output - Mineral composition, toxins, genetic background Szeged, 1 ICP-MS equipment; Timisoara, 3 molecular biological equipments. 3 for wheat, 3 for corn and 3 for alfalfa: mineral composition 1, toxins 1, genetic background 1. , each, together 9

Time-frame Bars represent the periods of activities. Locations of activities are noted under the bars. Bold M, meetings in Szeged; Italics M, meetings in Timisora. Reporting 0. periods 01. 11. 2009 Activities 31. 01. 2011 A 0 Preparation MM A 1 Management A 2 Communication A 3 Research Preliminary sample collection Procuration and installation of equipments 1. 02. 201131. 05. 2011. M 2. 01. 06. 201130. 09. 2011. M 3. 01. 10. 201131. 01. 2012. M 4. 01. 02. 201231. 05. 2012. M M Szeged Timisoara Szeged, Timisoara , Plant growing and sample collection Physiological and biochemical measurements Microbiological and toxin investigations Element analysis Szeged, Timisoara Szeged Timsoara Szeged Closing activities Szeged, Timisoara ,

80. 000 70. 000 60. 000 50. 000 40. 000 30. 000 20. 000 10. 000 -10. 000 502 C Resistant Mn 120 100 Fe Mn Cu Zn Ni Co Cr Cd As Se Elements 80 μg/g Analysis of wheat lines resistant or sensitive for Fusarium Some essential and toxic elements in wheat as determined by ICP Resistant 60 Sensitive 40 20 0 grain chaff green ear culm flagleaf

70 Zn 60 40 Resistant 30 Sensitive 20 10 0 grain chaff green ear culm flagleaf 7 Cu 6 5 μg/g 50 4 Resistant 3 Sensitive 2 1 0 grain chaff green ear culm flagleaf

3. 5 Se 3 2 Resistant 1. 5 Sensitive 1 0. 5 0 grain chaff green ear culm flagleaf 140 Fe 120 100 μg/g 2. 5 80 Resistant 60 Sensitive 40 20 0 grain chaff green ear culm flagleaf

200 Ca content 180 160 μMCa/g. DM 140 120 Sensitive 100 Resistant 80 60 40 20 0 grain green ear culm chaff flagleaf

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