Seed Science Research: Global Trends in Seed Biology and Technology

In plants, lipids serve as one of the major and vital cellular constituents. Neutral lipids reserves play an essential role in the plant life cycle by providing carbon and energy equivalents for periods of active metabolism. The most common form of lipid storage are triacylglycerols (TAGs) packed into specialized organelles called lipid droplets (LDs). They have been observed in diverse plant organs and tissues, like oil seeds or pollen grains. LDs consist of a core, composed mostly of TAGs, enclosed by a single layer of phospholipids that is decorated by a unique set of structural proteins. Moreover, the recent advances in exploration of LDs proteome revealed a plethora of diverse proteins interacting with LDs. This is likely the result of a highly dynamic nature of these organelles and their involvement in many diverse aspect of cellular metabolism, tightly synchronized with plant developmental programs and directly related to plant-environment interactions. In this review we summarize and discuss the current progress in understanding the role of LDs and their cargo during plants life cycle, with a special emphasis on developmental aspects.

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The unique characteristics of the angiosperm plant life cycle and their potential consequences on the developmental plasticity of nucellar cells using wheat as a model system

Transcriptomics Open Access ◽

10.4172/2155-9910.s1.010 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 02 (02) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zsolt Ponya

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Developmental Plasticity ◽

Model System ◽

Plant Life ◽

Plant Life Cycle

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Integrated Plant Life Cycle Management: The IAEA Contribution

Aging Management and Component Analysis ◽

10.1115/pvp2003-2154 ◽

2003 ◽

Author(s):

Ki-Sig Kang ◽

Claude Russell Clark ◽

Poong Eil Juhn

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Service Life ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Management Practices ◽

Life Cycle Management ◽

Member States ◽

Life Management ◽

Plant Life ◽

Operational Life ◽

Plant Life Cycle

For the past couple of decades there has been a change of emphasis in the world nuclear power from that of building new Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) to that of taking measures to optimize the life cycle of operational plants. National approaches in many countries showed an increase of interest in Plant Life Management (PLIM), both in terms of plant service life assurance and in optimizing the service or operational life of NPP. A strong convergence of views is emerging from different National approaches, particularly in the area of the economic aspects of NPP operation and in the evolution in the scope of NPP PLIM. The latter can directly affect the cost of electricity from NPP in an increasingly competitive environment. The safety considerations of a NPP are paramount and those requirements have to be met to obtain and to extend/renew the operating license. To achieve the goal of the long term safe, economic and reliable operation of the plant an Integrated Life Cycle Management Programme (ILCMP) is necessary. Some countries already have advanced PLIM Programmes while others still have none. The ILCMP objective is to identify all that factors and requirements for the overall plant life cycle. The optimization of these requirements would allow for the minimum period of the investment return and maximum of the revenue from the sell of the produced electricity. Recognizing the importance of this issue and in response to the requests of the Member States the IAEA Division of Nuclear Power implements the Sub-programme on “Engineering and Management Support for Competitive Nuclear Power”. Four projects within this sub-programme deal with different aspects of the NPP life cycle management with the aim to increase the capabilities of interested Member States in implementing and maintenance of the competitive and sustainable nuclear power. Although all four projects contain certain issues of PLIM there is one specific project on guidance on engineering and management practices for optimization of NPP service life including decommissioning. This particular project deals with different specific issues of NPP life management including aspects of ageing phenomena and their monitoring, issues of control and instrumentation, maintenance and operation issues, economic evaluation of NPP life cycle management including guidance on its earlier shut down and decommissioning. The paper describes in detail the full scope IAEA activities on different issues of NPP life management and some of its achievements in this field during the nearest past as well as plans for the future.

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