Brassinosteroids (BS) application is associated with the increase of tolerance to some kinds of stresses, such as those induced by the infection of pathogens, temperature, salt and water deficiency. In this work, the influence of a spirostanic analogue of brassinosteroid (SAB) in the leaves of papaya Golden and UENF/CALIMAN 01 (UC 01) was tested to evaluate alterations in the content of chlorophyll in plants submitted to drought stress (DS). When plants were 70 d old, SAB was applied (0,1 mg L-1) for five consecutive days in half of the plants meant for the experiment. The treatments were: control irrigated (I), I with SAB (IB), DS and DS with SAB (DSB). The evaluated leaves were marked in accordance to the age: LEAF 1 (youngest expanded leaf), LEAF 2 (insertion immediately below LEAF 1) and LEAF 3 (insertion immediately below LEAF 2). The same leaves were used throughtout the experimental period. After the thirteenth day, the chlorophyll contents of DSB (Golden and UC 01) were always lesser than the treatment DS in LEAF 2. The irrigation was restarted in stressed plants on the fifteenth day, followed by new application of SAB (IB and DSB treatments). In Golden plants, DSB showed the lowest values of chlorophyll contents after re-watering, while in UC 01, differences in chlorophyll contents between treatments DS and DSB had not occurred. Alterations in Fv/Fm relation did not occur among the treatments during stress. In genotype UC 01, the irrigated plants showed minor values of Fv/Fm at the end of the experiment, whereas the plants submitted to DS presented increments in this relation in this same time. These results indicate that SAB might have contributed to accelerate the rate of leaf senescence of the oldest leaves of stressed plants, redistributing photoassimilates and other compounds for the youngest leaves.

Os brassinosteróides são uma nova classe de hormônios vegetais com estrutura esteroídica polioxigenada dotados de pronunciada atividade reguladora do crescimento vegetal. Esta revisão cobre sua ocorrência natural, os métodos biológicos e cromatográficos para sua detecção, sua biossíntese e metabolismo, a atividade biológica, as relações estrutura-atividade e suas perspectivas de uso agrícola.

Brassinosteroids are a new class of plant hormones with a polyoxygenated steroid structure showing pronounced plant growth regulatory activity. This review covers their natural occurrence, biological and chromatographic methods for their detection, biosynthesis and metabolism, biological activity, structure-activity relationships and prospective agricultural uses.

Caracterizou-se o teor de amilose em grãos de arroz de sequeiro, divididos em 16 genótipos de ciclo precoce e 16 de ciclo tardio, com base em linhagens e cultivares do programa de melhoramento do Instituto Agronômico, colhidos de ensaios desenvolvidos no Centro Experimental de Campinas e na Estação Experimental de Votuporanga. Os teores de amilose variaram de 16,2 a 29,3%, com predominância de teores intermediários (20 a 25%). Um genótipo mostrou teor baixo (menor que 20%); dez, teores intermediários; quatro, teores altos (maior que 25%) de amilose, em ambas as localidades, e os 17 restantes apresentaram comportamento variável nos dois ambientes. Os dados demonstram que o teor de amilose é influenciado pelo genótipo, pelo local de plantio e pela interação entre essas variáveis.

The amylose content of rice grains from 16 early and 16 late mature groups of varieties and advanced lines from Instituto Agronômico rice breeding program was studied. The experiments were grown and harvested under two different environments: Campinas Experimental Center and Votuporanga Experimental Station, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Amylose content ranged from 16.2% to 29.3%, but intermediate contents (20-25%) predominated. One genotype showed low (<20%), ten showed intermediate and four showed high (>25%) amylose content in both environments, whereas 17 other varied in amylose content in the two environments studied. Data obtained showed that amylose content is influenced by genotype, environment and the interaction of these two variables.