Pinus mugo Turra (sensu lato) is a prostrate shrub growing above the alpine timberline in the mountain ranges of Southern, Central and Eastern Europe. It is well adapted to the harsh alpine environment creating different mechanisms for survival. The research was carried out in Krkonoše Mountains on base of Pinus mugo individuals compared with Picea abies trees. Samples from shrubs were gathered using serial sectioning from four sites in different elevations located on Sněžka Mountain and Smogornia Ridge. Further analysis of the sampled material was made with the help of different detrending methods to see which method will return the best growth response to climate parameters. RCS detrending and detrending via simple averaging reflected the best climate signal contained in dwarf pine chronologies. The advantage of these methods is based on their ability to reflect growth conditions of the particular site. Upper sites showed significant correlations with temperatures of the growing season, while on lower sites the signal was quite unclear. The amount of precipitation plays the significant role on shrub growth during the vegetation period (especially July month) and early spring when water is very important for growth initiation. Upper Pinus mugo sites showed high sensitivity to droughts, especially...

A deficiência de hormônio de crescimento (DGH) é a deficiência mais comum entre os hormônios pituitários. A terapia utilizada atualmente consiste de injeções diárias de hormônio de crescimento humano recombinante (r-hGH), entretanto esta terapia apresenta alguns inconvenientes, como a necessidade de frequentes injeções de r-hGH durante um longo período de vida, dependendo da severidade da deficiência, e o alto custo do hormônio, em razão dos dispendiosos processos de purificação. Uma alternativa ao tratamento padrão seria aquele no qual fossem evitados estes tipos de inconvenientes e o processo de liberação da proteína fosse sustentável, por um longo período e promovesse níveis normais e sustentáveis do fator de crescimento semelhante à insulina I (IGF-I), o principal mediador dos efeitos do GH. Uma alternativa é a terapia gênica in vivo, baseada na administração de DNA plasmidial em diversos órgãos/tecidos, seguida de eletroporação. É considerada uma metodologia bastante promissora e que tem sido alvo de vários estudos para diversos tipos de deficiências sistêmicas. Neste trabalho foram realizadas diversas administrações de um plasmídeo contendo o gene do hormônio de crescimento humano, nos músculos quadríceps exposto ou tibial anterior sem exposição, seguidas de eletroporação, em camundongos anões e imunodeficientes (lit/scid) com 40-80 dias de idade, na tentativa de obter uma correção fenotípica do nanismo, mediante a avaliação de parâmetros de crescimento. A administração deste plasmídeo no músculo tibial anterior, em camundongos com a idade inicial de 40 dias, foi capaz de proporcionar uma normalização dos níveis de mIGF-I, quando comparados aos dos camundongos não-deficientes de GH. Além disso, foram obtidos valores de catch-up dos parâmetros de crescimento longitudinal de 36-77%. Visando uma maior eficiência na expressão de GH, foram construídos plasmídeos parentais, e a partir destes, foram produzidos minicírculos de DNA com os promotores do CMV e Ubiquitina C e com os cDNAs de hGH e mGH. Estes minicírculos de DNA foram transfectados em células HEK 293 e foram até 2 vezes mais eficientes em relação aos plasmídeos convencionais com o promotor do CMV. Estes dados são bastantes promissores e abrem caminho para ensaios mais eficientes, utilizando este tipo de protocolo de terapia gênica para a DGH, visando uma normalização de todos os parâmetros de crescimento. / The human growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is the most common deficiency related to pituitary hormones. The current therapy is based on daily injections of recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH). This therapy, however, presents some disadvantages, as the need for frequent injections of r-hGH during a long life time, depending on the deficiency severity and the high cost of this hormone, due to the expensive purification processes. An alternative to the standard treatment should be to avoid these inconveniences via a sustainable hormone release, acting for a long time and providing normal and sustainable levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). A possible alternative is in vivo gene therapy, based on the administration of plasmid DNA in several organs/tissues, followed by electroporation. This methodology is considered very promising and has been the target of many different studies for several types of systemic deficiencies. In the present work several administrations of a plasmid containing the human growth hormone gene were carried out, in the exposed quadriceps or non-exposed tibialis cranialis muscle, followed by electroporation, using immunodeficient dwarf mice 40-80 days old. The goal was to obtain a phenotypic correction of dwarfism, through the evaluation of different growth parameters. The administration of this plasmid, in the tibialis cranialis muscle of 40 day old mice, was able to provide a normalization of mIGF-I levels, when compared to non GHD mice. Furthermore, catch-up increases of longitudinal growth parameters of 36-77% were obtained. Aiming a high efficiency on GH expression, parental plasmids were constructed and from these DNA minicircles were generated with CMV and Ubiquitin C promoter and hGH or mGH cDNA sequences. These DNA minicircles were transfected into HEK 293 cells and were even 2 times moren efficient than conventional plasmids with CMV promoter. This data are very promising and pave the way for more efficient assays utilizing this type of gene therapy protocol for GHD, aiming at a normalization of all growth parameters.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de NÃvel Superior / O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar as respostas fisiolÃgicas e bioquÃmicas de clones de cajueiro anÃo-precoce (Anacardium occidentale L.) ao estresse salino. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em casa de vegetaÃÃo, sendo as plÃntulas cultivadas em vasos plÃsticos contendo vermiculita. No primeiro experimento, cinco clones de cajueiro anÃo-precoce foram submetidos aos tratamentos com NaCl a 0 (controle), 8 e 16 dS.m-1 de condutividade elÃtrica e objetivou selecionar clones com tolerÃncias diferenciadas ao estresse salino. Para isso, foram estudados os efeitos da salinidade no crescimento, nas trocas gasosas, no teor de Ãgua, na suculÃncia foliar, no potencial osmÃtico, nas concentraÃÃes de prolina, N-aminossolÃveis e carboidratos solÃveis e nos teores dos Ãons inorgÃnicos (Na+, Cl- e K+). A salinidade reduziu o crescimento das plÃntulas de todos os clones estudados. Os efeitos inibitÃrios do NaCl foram mais conspÃcuos na parte aÃrea do que nas raÃzes. O clone CCP 06 foi aquele que apresentou maior reduÃÃo no crescimento foliar, enquanto os clones BRS 189 e CCP 09 foram os que apresentaram as menores reduÃÃes. A salinidade inibiu a mobilizaÃÃo das reservas cotiledonÃrias, principalmente, na dose mais elevada de sal. A reduÃÃo no crescimento, pela salinidade, correlacionou-se com a reduÃÃo na taxa de fotossÃntese lÃquida. Os clones CCP 06 e BRS 189 apresentaram, respectivamente, a maior e a menor reduÃÃo na taxa fotossintÃtica a 8 dS.m-1. Embora a salinidade tenha reduzido a condutÃncia estomÃtica dos clones de cajueiro anÃo-precoce, essa reduÃÃo nÃo foi acompanhada por mudanÃas nas concentraÃÃes internas de CO2. Os clones estudados nÃo apresentaram alteraÃÃes, em funÃÃo da salinidade, no estado hÃdrico das folhas e raÃzes, porÃm, apresentaram reduÃÃes no potencial osmÃtico, favorecendo o ajustamento osmÃtico e, consequentemente, a manutenÃÃo da turgescÃncia dos tecidos. Sob condiÃÃes de estresse salino, os clones BRS 189 e CCP 09 foram os mais eficientes na regulaÃÃo do transporte do Ãon Na+ para a parte aÃrea da plÃntula, acumulando-o nas raÃzes. Em relaÃÃo ao Cl-, o clone CCP 09 mostrou-se o mais eficiente no controle do transporte desse Ãon. PorÃm, CCP 06 foi o clone que mais acumulou ambos os Ãons tÃxicos na parte aÃrea da planta. Com o aumento da salinidade, os teores de potÃssio dos clones estudados tiveram seus valores reduzidos apenas nas raÃzes. Na dose de 8 dS.m-1, o BRS 189 foi o clone que mais aumento suas concentraÃÃes de N-aminosolÃveis e prolina no suco radicular. Nesse mesmo nÃvel de sal, a salinidade aumentou a concentraÃÃo de carboidratos apenas nos clones CCP 06 e BRS 189. De posse destes resultados, o segundo experimento foi realizado com os clones CCP 06 e BRS 189 que foram os que se mostraram, respectivamente, o menos e o mais tolerante à salinidade. Esse experimento teve por objetivo estudar os efeitos da salinidade (NaCl a 8 dS.m-1) na atividade da H+-ATPase e na composiÃÃo e peroxidaÃÃo dos lipÃdios de membrana plasmÃtica isoladas de raÃzes das plÃntulas dos dois clones contrastantes. A salinidade estimulou a atividade da H+-ATPase apenas no clone tolerante, o BRS 189, sendo esse clone o que apresentou maior conteÃdo de esterÃis totais e menor relaÃÃo fosfolipÃdios totais (PLt)/ esterÃis totais (Et), tanto em condiÃÃes controle como de estresse. Esses resultados foram concordantes com o fato de ter sido o BRS 189 o clone que melhor excluiu o Na+ da parte aÃrea. Nesse clone nÃo foram observadas alteraÃÃes nos teores de malondialdeÃdo, diferentemente do que ocorreu com o CCP 06, cujos teores aumentaram com o estresse salino. A maior proteÃÃo da membrana plasmÃtica do clone BRS 189 ao dano oxidativo està de acordo com os maiores acÃmulos de prolina e N-aminossolÃveis observados nesse clone. Os principais fosfolipÃdios da membrana plasmÃtica isolada de raÃzes do clone BRS 189 foram fosfatilglicerol (PG), fosfatidiletalonamina (PE) e fosfatilserina (PS). A salinidade provocou alteraÃÃes nas proporÃÃes relativas dos fosfolipÃdios, sendo PE e fosfatidilinositol (PI) os que apresentaram maiores aumentos em relaÃÃo ao total, enquanto que fosfatidilglicerol (PG) e Ãcido fosfatÃdico (PA) foram os que apresentaram maiores reduÃÃes. A percentagem de PS, em relaÃÃo ao total, nÃo foi afetada pela salinidade. No entanto, a relaÃÃo entre essas mudanÃas na composiÃÃo lipÃdica do BRS 189 pela salinidade e o aumento na atividade da H+-ATPase necessita ser melhor investigada. / Early-dwarf cashew seedlings (Anacardium occidentale L.) were used in order to investigate the physiological and biochemical changes induced by salt stress. The seeds (nuts) were sown in plastics pots containing vermiculite moistened with either distilled water (control treatment) or NaCl solutions at 8 and 16 dS.m-1 of electrical conductivity (saline treatment), and kept in greenhouse throughout the experimental period. Uniform 28-day-old seedlings were used for the analyses. The first experiment aimed to select, among five clones (CCP 06, CCP 09, CCP 76, Embrapa 51 and BRS 189), the ones showing contrasting salt-tolerance. The effect of salinity on the growth, gas exchange, water content, leaf succulence, osmotic potential and inorganic (Na+, Cl-, K+) and organic (proline, soluble carbohydrates, quaternary ammonium compounds) solute concentration for both salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant clones was studied. Salinity inhibited the growth of all clones studied, being the inhibitory effect on shoot growth more conspicuous than in root growth. Clone CCP 06 leaf area was the most inhibited by salt stress, while clones BRS 189 and CCP 09 leaf areas were the least affected by salinity. Salt stress caused a great decrease in the cotyledon reserve mobilization especially at 16 dS.m-1. Growth reduction was correlated to the reduction in net photosynthetic rate. CCP 06 and BRS 189 showed the greatest and the lowest reduction in photosynthetic rate at 8 dS.m-1, respectively. Although, salinity reduced stomatal conductance, this reduction was not followed by changes in CO2 internal concentration. The water status, expressed as water content in relation to dry mass, was not changed by salt-stress. Salinity induced the lowering of osmotic potential both in leaves and roots of all clones studied. This osmotic adjustment might have lead to turgor maintenance of those tissues. The concentrations of Cl- and Na+ increased with increasing salt stress. Clones BRS 189 and CCP 09 accumulated more Na+ in the roots, and this could explain their efficiency in maintaining a lower ion concentration in shoots, i.e. they regulated more efficiently the transport of Na+ from roots to shoots. The regulation of Cl- transport to shoots was more efficient in clone CCP 09 than in the others. Salinity did not induce significant changes in leaves and stems K+ concentration, but it induced a reduction of K+ concentration in roots. Salinity also induced increases of quaternary ammonium compounds and proline concentration in BRS 189 root at 8 dS.m-1. In addition, this level of salinity increased soluble carbohydrates in the root sap especially in clones BRS 189 and CCP 06. During the second experiment, the effect of salt stress (NaCl at 8 dS.m-1) on the activity of H+-ATPase, lipid composition and peroxidation of root plasma membrane of both salt-tolerant (BRS 189) and salt- sensitive (CCP 06) clones were studied. The vanadate-sensitive H+-ATPase activity was studied in plasma membrane-enriched vesicles isolated by discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation from roots. ATP hidrolizing activity in this fraction was mostly inhibited by vanadate and scarcely, by azide and molybdate, indicating that it was essentially enriched in plasma membrane vesicles. Salinity induced a 1.3-fold increase in the H+-ATPase specific activity in roots of BRS 189 seedlings. Salinity had no appreciable effect on the hydrolytic activity of this enzyme during the growth of CCP 06 seedlings. Likewise, clone BRS 189 roots plasma membrane showed higher sterol content and lower phospholipids/total sterol ratio than clone CCP 06. Both properties could contribute to the decrease in Na+ influx or increase in Na+ efflux or âexclusionâ from roots. This could result in less Na+ being transported to the shoot, and thus explaining the higher salt-tolerance of clone BRS 189. The higher degree of root plasma membrane lipid peroxidation of clone, and the lower proline and ammonium quaternary compounds contents of CCP 06 when compared to BRS 189 could also explain the differences in salt-tolerance between the two clones. These organic solutes could protect and stabilize plasma membrane against oxidative stress. Phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS) were the major phospholipids in the plasma membrane from BRS 189 roots. Salinity induced increases in the relative proportions of PE and phosphatidylinositol (PI), while PG and PA were reduced. No changes were detected in PS in relation to control plant. The importance of lipid composition changes on H+-ATPase activity must be more studied.

The identity of dark matter is one of the key outstanding problems in both particle and astrophysics. In this thesis, I describe a number of complementary searches for particle dark matter. I discuss how the impact of dark matter on stars can constrain its interaction with nuclei, focussing on main sequence stars close to the Galactic Centre, and on the first stars as seen through the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope. The mass and annihilation cross-section of dark matter particles can be probed with searches for gamma rays produced in astronomical targets. Dwarf galaxies and ultracompact, primordially-produced dark matter minihalos turn out to be especially promising in this respect. I illustrate how the results of these searches can be combined with constraints from accelerators and cosmology to produce a single global fit to all available data. Global fits in supersymmetry turn out to be quite technically demanding, even with the simplest predictive models and the addition of complementary data from a bevy of astronomical and terrestrial experiments; I show how genetic algorithms can help in overcoming these challenges. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 5: Accepted. Paper 6: Submitted.

This report describes simulations of observations with the near-infrared high-resolution spectrometer SIMPLE that is proposed to the ESO telescope E-ELT. We simulate M4 and G2 stars with transiting Earth-like planets and the goal is to distinguish spectral features originating from the atmosphere of the exoplanet. Noise levels of different magnitudes are added to the simulations and the minimal signal-to-noise required for detection of the atmosphere is estimated. Our conclusion is that detection of atmospheric features looks promising using this setup.

Coleanthus subtilis ist eine durch die FFH-Richtlinie geschützte, weltweit sehr seltene Art, welche periodisch trockenfallende Standorte in Flussauen (Primärhabitate) bzw. durch den Menschen geschaffene Staugewässer (Sekundärhabitate) besiedelt. Die Erarbeitung der aktuellen Verbreitungsbilder der Art in Sachsen und ihrer Besiedlungshistorie waren Ausgangspunkt für die Analysen zur Ökologie dieser Art. Anhand von Analysen zu den Ausbreitungsmechanismen, Standortansprüchen und Reaktionsmöglichkeiten von C. subtilis wurden grundlegende Beiträge zum besseren Verständnis der Strategien dieser Art erbracht. Die Arbeit gibt Hinweise für eine artenschutzgerechte Bewirtschaftung der Staugewässer insbesondere für die Regulierung von Zeitpunkt, Dauer, Intensität und Häufigkeit von Wasserstandsabsenkungen sowie hinsichtlich einzelner Praktiken im Zusammenhang mit einer fischereilichen Nutzung. Weiterhin zeigt die Arbeit auf, wie C. subtilis auf bestimmte, von den durchschnittlichen Wasserstandsschwankungen abweichende, Bedingungen reagieren kann. Damit sind nun wichtige Grundlagen zum nachhaltigen Schutz und zur Förderung von C. subtilis, insbesondere in Sekundärhabitaten, vorhanden. / Coleanthus subtilis is a globally rare species protected by the European Union Habitats Directive. This grass establishes on periodically drying sites in river floodplains (primary habitats) but also in man made ponds and reservoirs (secondary habitats). The identification of the present distribution patterns as well as the reconstruction of the colonisation history of C. subtilis in Saxony were the basis for analyses about the ecology of this species. By analysing dispersal mechanisms, habitat demands and response traits of C. subtilis fundamental contributions to a better understanding of the strategies of this species are given. The thesis provides information about optimum time, duration, intensity and frequency of water level reductions and about the consequences of different management practices particularly with respect to fishery in ponds and reservoirs inhabiting C. subtilis. Further the thesis shows how C. subtilis can cope with deviations from mean water level fluctuations. In summary important fundamental knowledge for the sustainable conservation and promotion of C. subtilis, particularly in secondary habitats, has been established.

No description available.

High resolution spectra have been analyzed for two and three stars respectively in the candidate extragalactic globular clusters, NGC 5024 and NGC 5466, with the High-Resolution Spectrograph on the 9.2 m Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The goal of this investigation is to evaluate the proposed extragalactic origins of these two globular clusters. Evidence of a tidal tail in NGC 5466 (Belokurov et al., 2006) and the association of NGC 5024 with the Sagittarius stream (Martinez-Delgado et al., 2004) targeted the clusters as likely remnants of recent accretion events and thus potentially of extragalactic origin. Determination of their chemical abundance patterns could provide unique evidence to either support or dispute these claims. NGC 5024 has been associated with a proposed wrap in the Sagittarius stream which could be supported if the chemistry of NGC 5024 is similar to other clusters associated with the stream. NGC 5466 has the longest tidal tail known, which hints at an origin in a now dispersed dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Additional evidence for these clusters' capture origins has been compiled by Yoon & Lee (2002), demonstrating that these two low metallicity clusters, along with five others, are aligned in a single highly inclined plane in the outer halo. Confirmation that these clusters are remnants of dwarf galaxies would support a Galactic history which includes recent accretion events. Such evidence may bolster the cold dark matter hierarchical clustering scenario, which postulates the presence of a significant amount of substructure in the Milky Way. Unfortunately, at the metallicity of the target clusters ([Fe/H] = -1.9), the chemical distinction between Galactic stars and known dSph stars is not significant. The low [alpha/Fe] of dSph stars seen at higher metallicity is not apparent at [Fe/H] = -1.9 in either Galactic or dSph stars. Aside from a few mild discrepancies, NGC 5024 and NGC 5466 appear chemically similar to the Galactic field stars and globular clusters compiled by Pritzl et al. (2005). A moderate enhancement in the [Ba/Y] ratios relative to the halo field stars is the only positively detected chemical signature that is typically observed in dSph stars. Comparisons with Galactic GCs of similar age, metallicity and horizontal branch morphology (NGC 2298, NGC 6397 and NGC 5897) reveal a few other differences, but these could be attributed to systematic effects in the different analysis techniques. Although NGC 5024 has a similar metallicity to the GC Arp 2 that was stripped from the merging Sagittarius dwarf, neither Arp 2 (Mottini et al., 2008) nor the clusters in this study show any particularly unusual chemical abundance patterns. Thus, no conclusive evidence in support of or in opposition to the target clusters' proposed extragalactic origins has been discovered.

Weak-scale supersymmetry is one of the most favoured theories beyond the Standard Model of particle physics that elegantly solves various theoretical and observational problems in both particle physics and cosmology. In this thesis, I describe the theoretical foundations of supersymmetry, issues that it can address and concrete supersymmetric models that are widely used in phenomenological studies. I discuss how the predictions of supersymmetric models may be compared with observational data from both colliders and cosmology. I show why constraints on supersymmetric parameters by direct and indirect searches of particle dark matter are of particular interest in this respect. Gamma-ray observations of astrophysical sources, in particular dwarf spheroidal galaxies, by the Fermi satellite, and recording nuclear recoil events and energies by future ton-scale direct detection experiments are shown to provide powerful tools in searches for supersymmetric dark matter and estimating supersymmetric parameters. I discuss some major statistical issues in supersymmetric global fits to experimental data. In particular, I further demonstrate that existing advanced scanning techniques may fail in correctly mapping the statistical properties of the parameter spaces even for the simplest supersymmetric models. Complementary scanning methods based on Genetic Algorithms are proposed. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Submitted.

PIZARRO, Juan Carlos Alvarez. Caracteres fisiológicos e bioquímicos da tolerância à salinidade em clones de cajueiro anão precoce. 2006. 135 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Bioquímica) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, 2006. / Submitted by Eric Santiago (erichhcl@gmail.com) on 2016-05-30T14:16:32Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2006_dis_jcapizarro.pdf: 935692 bytes, checksum: c709b8b0747f8a929112611a9c584729 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by José Jairo Viana de Sousa (jairo@ufc.br) on 2016-07-12T23:10:54Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2006_dis_jcapizarro.pdf: 935692 bytes, checksum: c709b8b0747f8a929112611a9c584729 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-12T23:10:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2006_dis_jcapizarro.pdf: 935692 bytes, checksum: c709b8b0747f8a929112611a9c584729 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Early-dwarf cashew seedlings (Anacardium occidentale L.) were used in order to investigate the physiological and biochemical changes induced by salt stress. The seeds (nuts) were sown in plastics pots containing vermiculite moistened with either distilled water (control treatment) or NaCl solutions at 8 and 16 dS.m-1 of electrical conductivity (saline treatment), and kept in greenhouse throughout the experimental period. Uniform 28-day-old seedlings were used for the analyses. The first experiment aimed to select, among five clones (CCP 06, CCP 09, CCP 76, Embrapa 51 and BRS 189), the ones showing contrasting salt-tolerance. The effect of salinity on the growth, gas exchange, water content, leaf succulence, osmotic potential and inorganic (Na+, Cl-, K+) and organic (proline, soluble carbohydrates, quaternary ammonium compounds) solute concentration for both salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant clones was studied. Salinity inhibited the growth of all clones studied, being the inhibitory effect on shoot growth more conspicuous than in root growth. Clone CCP 06 leaf area was the most inhibited by salt stress, while clones BRS 189 and CCP 09 leaf areas were the least affected by salinity. Salt stress caused a great decrease in the cotyledon reserve mobilization especially at 16 dS.m-1. Growth reduction was correlated to the reduction in net photosynthetic rate. CCP 06 and BRS 189 showed the greatest and the lowest reduction in photosynthetic rate at 8 dS.m-1, respectively. Although, salinity reduced stomatal conductance, this reduction was not followed by changes in CO2 internal concentration. The water status, expressed as water content in relation to dry mass, was not changed by salt-stress. Salinity induced the lowering of osmotic potential both in leaves and roots of all clones studied. This osmotic adjustment might have lead to turgor maintenance of those tissues. The concentrations of Cl- and Na+ increased with increasing salt stress. Clones BRS 189 and CCP 09 accumulated more Na+ in the roots, and this could explain their efficiency in maintaining a lower ion concentration in shoots, i.e. they regulated more efficiently the transport of Na+ from roots to shoots. The regulation of Cl- transport to shoots was more efficient in clone CCP 09 than in the others. Salinity did not induce significant changes in leaves and stems K+ concentration, but it induced a reduction of K+ concentration in roots. Salinity also induced increases of quaternary ammonium compounds and proline concentration in BRS 189 root at 8 dS.m-1. In addition, this level of salinity increased soluble carbohydrates in the root sap especially in clones BRS 189 and CCP 06. During the second experiment, the effect of salt stress (NaCl at 8 dS.m-1) on the activity of H+-ATPase, lipid composition and peroxidation of root plasma membrane of both salt-tolerant (BRS 189) and salt- sensitive (CCP 06) clones were studied. The vanadate-sensitive H+-ATPase activity was studied in plasma membrane-enriched vesicles isolated by discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation from roots. ATP hidrolizing activity in this fraction was mostly inhibited by vanadate and scarcely, by azide and molybdate, indicating that it was essentially enriched in plasma membrane vesicles. Salinity induced a 1.3-fold increase in the H+-ATPase specific activity in roots of BRS 189 seedlings. Salinity had no appreciable effect on the hydrolytic activity of this enzyme during the growth of CCP 06 seedlings. Likewise, clone BRS 189 roots plasma membrane showed higher sterol content and lower phospholipids/total sterol ratio than clone CCP 06. Both properties could contribute to the decrease in Na+ influx or increase in Na+ efflux or “exclusion” from roots. This could result in less Na+ being transported to the shoot, and thus explaining the higher salt-tolerance of clone BRS 189. The higher degree of root plasma membrane lipid peroxidation of clone, and the lower proline and ammonium quaternary compounds contents of CCP 06 when compared to BRS 189 could also explain the differences in salt-tolerance between the two clones. These organic solutes could protect and stabilize plasma membrane against oxidative stress. Phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS) were the major phospholipids in the plasma membrane from BRS 189 roots. Salinity induced increases in the relative proportions of PE and phosphatidylinositol (PI), while PG and PA were reduced. No changes were detected in PS in relation to control plant. The importance of lipid composition changes on H+-ATPase activity must be more studied. / O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar as respostas fisiológicas e bioquímicas de clones de cajueiro anão-precoce (Anacardium occidentale L.) ao estresse salino. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em casa de vegetação, sendo as plântulas cultivadas em vasos plásticos contendo vermiculita. No primeiro experimento, cinco clones de cajueiro anão-precoce foram submetidos aos tratamentos com NaCl a 0 (controle), 8 e 16 dS.m-1 de condutividade elétrica e objetivou selecionar clones com tolerâncias diferenciadas ao estresse salino. Para isso, foram estudados os efeitos da salinidade no crescimento, nas trocas gasosas, no teor de água, na suculência foliar, no potencial osmótico, nas concentrações de prolina, N-aminossolúveis e carboidratos solúveis e nos teores dos íons inorgânicos (Na+, Cl- e K+). A salinidade reduziu o crescimento das plântulas de todos os clones estudados. Os efeitos inibitórios do NaCl foram mais conspícuos na parte aérea do que nas raízes. O clone CCP 06 foi aquele que apresentou maior redução no crescimento foliar, enquanto os clones BRS 189 e CCP 09 foram os que apresentaram as menores reduções. A salinidade inibiu a mobilização das reservas cotiledonárias, principalmente, na dose mais elevada de sal. A redução no crescimento, pela salinidade, correlacionou-se com a redução na taxa de fotossíntese líquida. Os clones CCP 06 e BRS 189 apresentaram, respectivamente, a maior e a menor redução na taxa fotossintética a 8 dS.m-1. Embora a salinidade tenha reduzido a condutância estomática dos clones de cajueiro anão-precoce, essa redução não foi acompanhada por mudanças nas concentrações internas de CO2. Os clones estudados não apresentaram alterações, em função da salinidade, no estado hídrico das folhas e raízes, porém, apresentaram reduções no potencial osmótico, favorecendo o ajustamento osmótico e, consequentemente, a manutenção da turgescência dos tecidos. Sob condições de estresse salino, os clones BRS 189 e CCP 09 foram os mais eficientes na regulação do transporte do íon Na+ para a parte aérea da plântula, acumulando-o nas raízes. Em relação ao Cl-, o clone CCP 09 mostrou-se o mais eficiente no controle do transporte desse íon. Porém, CCP 06 foi o clone que mais acumulou ambos os íons tóxicos na parte aérea da planta. Com o aumento da salinidade, os teores de potássio dos clones estudados tiveram seus valores reduzidos apenas nas raízes. Na dose de 8 dS.m-1, o BRS 189 foi o clone que mais aumento suas concentrações de N-aminosolúveis e prolina no suco radicular. Nesse mesmo nível de sal, a salinidade aumentou a concentração de carboidratos apenas nos clones CCP 06 e BRS 189. De posse destes resultados, o segundo experimento foi realizado com os clones CCP 06 e BRS 189 que foram os que se mostraram, respectivamente, o menos e o mais tolerante à salinidade. Esse experimento teve por objetivo estudar os efeitos da salinidade (NaCl a 8 dS.m-1) na atividade da H+-ATPase e na composição e peroxidação dos lipídios de membrana plasmática isoladas de raízes das plântulas dos dois clones contrastantes. A salinidade estimulou a atividade da H+-ATPase apenas no clone tolerante, o BRS 189, sendo esse clone o que apresentou maior conteúdo de esteróis totais e menor relação fosfolipídios totais (PLt)/ esteróis totais (Et), tanto em condições controle como de estresse. Esses resultados foram concordantes com o fato de ter sido o BRS 189 o clone que melhor excluiu o Na+ da parte aérea. Nesse clone não foram observadas alterações nos teores de malondialdeído, diferentemente do que ocorreu com o CCP 06, cujos teores aumentaram com o estresse salino. A maior proteção da membrana plasmática do clone BRS 189 ao dano oxidativo está de acordo com os maiores acúmulos de prolina e N-aminossolúveis observados nesse clone. Os principais fosfolipídios da membrana plasmática isolada de raízes do clone BRS 189 foram fosfatilglicerol (PG), fosfatidiletalonamina (PE) e fosfatilserina (PS). A salinidade provocou alterações nas proporções relativas dos fosfolipídios, sendo PE e fosfatidilinositol (PI) os que apresentaram maiores aumentos em relação ao total, enquanto que fosfatidilglicerol (PG) e ácido fosfatídico (PA) foram os que apresentaram maiores reduções. A percentagem de PS, em relação ao total, não foi afetada pela salinidade. No entanto, a relação entre essas mudanças na composição lipídica do BRS 189 pela salinidade e o aumento na atividade da H+-ATPase necessita ser melhor investigada.