Biology subjects

Borrell, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Borrell, J..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Differentiating wild and domesticated enset (Musaceae) using phytolith analysis

Enset (Ensete ventricosum, Musaceae) is an important economic crop from Ethiopia which accounts for 20% of the staple diet in Ethiopia today. However, its evolutionary history and spread is poorly understood. Archaeology could provide evidence of past use and contribute to our understanding of its early history, but so far, this has not transpired. Cultivated enset is clonally reproduced and seed production rarely occurs, therefore, looking for seed remains is futile and instead archaeobotanical research should focus on microfossils such as phytoliths. Phytoliths have been shown to be diagnostic for the presence of banana (Musa) and are expected to be similarly useful for identifying enset, but we need a better understanding of phytolith production and variability, and the extent to which this may be used to track domestication. The current study provides a fundamental baseline for the identification of Ensete phytoliths through the examination of phytoliths from leaves and other plant parts based on their size and shape. We consider the differentiation of phytoliths across a single plant, based on location in the leaf, the age of the leaf, and different organs of the plant. We also compare phytoliths in the Musaceae Family, and between the enset cultivar and wild samples. HIGHLIGHTSWe provide the first identification baseline to differentiate wild from domesticated enset by looking at variation across an individual enset plant and comparing these results to phytoliths from wild plants.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Post-Ischemic Reorganization of Sensory Responses in Cerebral Cortex

Sensorimotor integration is critical for generating skilled, volitional movements. While stroke tends to impact motor function, there are also often associated sensory deficits that contribute to overall behavioral deficits. Because many of the cortico-cortical projections participating in the generation of volitional movement either target or pass-through primary motor cortex (in rats, caudal forelimb area; CFA), any damage to CFA can lead to a subsequent disruption in information flow. As a result, the loss of sensory feedback is thought to contribute to motor dysfunction even when sensory areas are spared from injury. Previous research has suggested that the restoration of sensorimotor integration through reorganization or de novo neuronal connections is important for restoring function. Our goal was to determine if there was crosstalk between sensorimotor cortical areas with recovery from a primary motor cortex injury. First, we investigated if peripheral sensory stimulation would evoke responses in the rostral forelimb area (RFA), a rodent homologue to premotor cortex. We then sought to identify whether intracortical microstimulation-evoked activity in RFA would reciprocally modify the sensory response. We used seven rats with an ischemic lesion of CFA. Four weeks after injury, the rats forepaw was mechanically stimulated under anesthesia and neural activity was recorded in the cortex. In a subset of trials, a small intracortical stimulation pulse was delivered in RFA either individually or paired with peripheral sensory stimulation. Our results point to post-ischemic connectivity between premotor and sensory cortex that may be related to functional recovery. Premotor recruitment during the sensory response was seen with a peak in spiking within RFA after the peripheral solenoid stimulation despite the damage to CFA. Furthermore, stimulation evoked activity in RFA modulated and disrupted the sensory response in sensory cortex, providing additional evidence for the transmission of premotor activity to sensory cortex and the sensitivity of sensory cortex to premotor cortexs influence. The strength of the modulatory effect may be related to the extent of the injury and the subsequent reshaping of cortical connections in response to network disruption.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

The genotypic and genetic diversity of enset (Ensete ventricosum) landraces used in traditional medicine is similar to the diversity found in starchy landraces

BackgroundEnset (Ensete ventricosum) is a multipurpose crop extensively cultivated in southern and southwestern Ethiopia for human food, animal feed and fiber. It contributes to the food security and rural livelihoods of 20 million people. Several distinct enset landraces are cultivated for their uses in traditional medicine. Socio-economic changes and the loss of indigenous knowledge might lead to the decline of important medicinal landraces and their associated genetic diversity. However, it is currently unknown whether medicinal landraces are genetically differentiated from other landraces. Here, we characterize the genetic diversity of medicinal enset landraces to support effective conservation and utilization of their diversity ResultsWe evaluated the genetic diversity of 51 enset landraces of which 38 have reported medicinal value. A total of 38 alleles were detected across the 15 SSR loci. AMOVA revealed that 97.6% of the total genetic variation is among individual with an FST of 0.024 between medicinal and non-medicinal landraces. A neighbor-joining tree showed four separate clusters with no correlation to the use values of the landraces. Principal coordinate analysis also confirmed the absence of distinct clustering between the groups, showing low differentiation among landraces used in traditional medicine and those having other use values. ConclusionWe found that enset landraces were clustered irrespective of their use value, showing no evidence for genetic differentiation between enset grown for medicinal uses and non-medicinal landraces. This suggests that enset medicinal properties may be restricted to a more limited number of genotypes, a product of interaction with the environment or management practice, or partly misreported. The study provide baseline information that promotes further investigations in exploiting the medicinal value of these specific landraces

genetics↗