Volume 14 No. 1 January – February, 2009 ROMANIAN BIOTECHNOLOGICAL LETTERS – an international journal – CONTENTS 1.DANIEL I. PACURARModel organisms – a journey from the dawn of biological research to the post-genomic era ……………40872.ANCA PAUNESCUBiotechnology for Endangered Plant Conservation: A Critical Overview ……………4095 3.ANCA POPESCU, CONSTANTA GANEA, TERESA MOURA, ANA BICHOGalantamine modulates the recovery from desensitization of nicotinic receptors in TE 671 cells ……………41044.MONICA STAVARACHI, POMPILIA APOSTOL, DĂNUŢ CIMPONERIU, MIHAI TOMA, NICULINA BUTOIANU, LUCIAN GAVRILĂPossible association between L-selectin gene P213S polymorphism and respiratory complications of childhood spinal muscular atrophy patients ……………41195.MONA GAZEL, KADRIYE CAGLAYAN, CIGDEM ULUBAS SERCE, LEVENT SONEvaluations of apricot trees infected by Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum for horticultural characteristics ……………41236.GULSAH CANAKCI ADIGUZEL, MUSTAFA ATASEVERPhenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Turkish dry fermented sausage ……………4130 7.CRISTIAN BANCIU, MONICA ELENA CARASAN, AURELIA BREZEANUIn vitro propagation of the endangered species Marsilea quadrifolia L. – morphological and biochemical analysis of the regenerates ……………41398.SIMONA OANCEAIdentification of glycomacropeptide as indicator of milk and dairy drinks adulteration with whey by immunochromatographic assay ……………41469.KADIR UGURTAN YILMAZ, YASAR ZENGIN, SEZAI ERCISLI, SEDAT SERCE, KAZIM GUNDUZ, MEMNUNE SENGUL, BAYRAM MURAT ASMASome selected physico-chemical characteristics of wild and cultivated blackberry fruits (Rubus fruticosus L.) from Turkey ……………415210.ANAMIKA SINGH, SUSAN EAPEN, M.H.FULEKARPotential of Medicago sativa for uptake of cadmium from contaminated environment ……………416411.RALUCA GHINDEA, TATIANA VASSU, ILEANA STOICA, ANA-MARIA TANASE, ORTANSA CSUTAKPreliminary taxonomic studies on yeast strains isolated from dairy products ……………417012.ENACHE- SOARE SIMONA, PELINESCU DIANA, IONESCU ROBERTINA, AVRAM IONELA, STOICA ILEANA, VASSU-DIMOV TATIANAMolecular identification of some yeast strains involved in oral candidosis ……………418013.ANA-MARIA TANASE, TATIANA VASSU, CRISTINA TRASCA, ILEANA STOICAIn Situ Visualization of Natural Microbial Communities in Black Sea Coastal Shelf Sediments ……………4187 14.E. GEORGESCU, MARIA ADINA MANEA, MIHAELA ZAULET, MARIETA COSTACHEGenetic diversity among Romanian cattle breeds with a special focus on the Romanian Grey Steppe Breed …………… 4194 Cover: The Bucharest University Building