La implementación del cultivo de tejidos vegetales de Jatropha curcas enfrenta importantes problemas como es el oscurecimiento producido por la oxidación fenólica. Por tal razón, es necesario el desarrollo de una metodología rápida para la comparación de tratamientos que puedan controlar el oscurecimiento de los tejidos vegetales. La determinación de la actividad de la enzima polifenol oxidasa (PPO) puede ser utilizada con este fin, debido a la asociación que existe entre el oscurecimiento y la actividad de esta enzima en J. curcas. En la presente investigación se analizó el efecto del agente desinfectante hipoclorito de sodio (NaClO) sobre la actividad de la enzima PPO en explantes de hoja y peciolo en los genotipos INI-3 y INI-6 de esta especie. Los resultados mostraron que el NaClO al 3,24 % ocasionó el aumento en la actividad de la PPO en hojas y pecíolos de ambos genotipos, lo que indica que este desinfectante es causante indirecto del oscurecimiento de los tejidos de la planta. Además se encontraron diferencias significativas en la actividad de la PPO entre explantes y entre genotipos.

The implementation of plant tissue culture of Jatropha curcas encounters many problems such as the browning caused by phenolic oxidation. Therefore, a rapid methodology for comparison of treatments that can prevent this oxidation of the plant tissue is required. The determination of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity could be used for this purpose due to the association between browning and the activity of the enzyme in J. curcas. In the present investigation the effect of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) as a disinfecting agent on PPO enzyme activity in leaf and petiole explants of INI-3 and INI-6 genotypes of the species was evaluated. The results showed that the NaClO caused an increase in the PPO activity of leaves and petioles in both genotypes, thus indicating that the disinfectant is an indirect agent that can promote tissue browning in the plant. In addition, significant differences of PPO activity were found in both explant types and genotypes.

We utilized two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting (2D-immunoblotting) with anti-Sporothrix schenckii antibodies to identify antigenic proteins in cell wall preparations obtained from the mycelial and yeast-like morphologies of the fungus. Results showed that a 70-kDa glycoprotein (Gp70) was the major antigen detected in the cell wall of both morphologies and that a 60-kDa glycoprotein was present only in yeast-like cells. In addition to the Gp70, the wall from filament cells showed four proteins with molecular weights of 48, 55, 66 and 67 kDa, some of which exhibited several isoforms. To our knowledge, this is the first 2D-immunoblotting analysis of the S. schenckii cell wall.