From fibers to flowering to metabolites: unlocking hemp (Cannabis sativa) potential with the guidance of novel discoveries and tools.

Cannabis sativa L. is an ancient crop, but its agricultural adoption has been interrupted to prevent the use of marijuana as a psychoactive drug. Nevertheless, hemp-the C.

Exploring the alpha-gliadin locus: the 33-mer peptide with six overlapping coeliac disease epitopes in Triticum aestivum is derived from a subgroup of Aegilops tauschii.

Most alpha-gliadin genes of the Gli-D2 locus on the D genome of hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) encode for proteins with epitopes that can trigger coeliac disease (CD), and several contain a 33-mer peptide with six partly overlapping copies of three epitopes, which is regarded as a remarkably potent T-cell stimulator. To increase genetic diversity in the D genome, synthetic hexaploid wheat lines are being made by hybridising accessions of Triticum turgidum (AB genome) and Aegilops tauschii (the progenitor of the D genome). The diversity of alpha-gliadins in A.

Genetic Architecture of Flowering Time and Sex Determination in Hemp ( L.): A Genome-Wide Association Study.

Flowering time and sex determination in hemp ( L.) strongly influence fiber quality and seed production of this crop. The control of these traits is paramount for the breeding of new cultivars.

Elucidating the Genetic Architecture of Fiber Quality in Hemp ( L.) Using a Genome-Wide Association Study.

Hemp ( L.) is a bast-fiber crop with a great potential in the emerging bio-based economy. Yet, hemp breeding for fiber quality is restricted and that is mainly due to the limited knowledge of the genetic architecture of its fiber quality.

Genetic Variability of Morphological, Flowering, and Biomass Quality Traits in Hemp ( L.).

Hemp ( L.) is a bast-fiber crop well-known for the great potential to produce sustainable fibers. Nevertheless, hemp fiber quality is a complex trait, and little is known about the phenotypic variability and heritability of fiber quality traits in hemp.

The Complex Interactions Between Flowering Behavior and Fiber Quality in Hemp.

Hemp, L., is a sustainable multipurpose fiber crop with high nutrient and water use efficiency and with biomass of excellent quality for textile fibers and construction materials. The yield and quality of hemp biomass are largely determined by the genetic background of the hemp cultivar but are also strongly affected by environmental factors, such as temperature and photoperiod.

Latitudinal Adaptation and Genetic Insights Into the Origins of L.

Cannabis is one of the most important industrial crops distributed worldwide. However, the phylogeographic structure and domestication knowledge of this crop remains poorly understood. In this study, sequence variations of five chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) regions were investigated to address these questions.

Screening for recombinants of Crambe abyssynica after transformation by the pMF1 marker-free vector based on chemical selection and meristematic regeneration.

The T-DNA region of pMF1 vector of marker-free system developed by Wageningen UR, has Recombinase R-LBD gene fusion and nptII and codA gene fusion between two recombination sites. After transformation applying dexamethasone (DEX) can activate the recombinase to remove the T-DNA fragment between recombination sites. The recombinant ought to be selected on 5-fluorocytocine (5-FC) because of codA converting 5-FC into 5-fluorouracil the toxic.

Detection of induced mutations in CaFAD2 genes by next-generation sequencing leading to the production of improved oil composition in Crambe abyssinica.

Crambe abyssinica is a hexaploid oil crop for industrial applications. An increase of erucic acid (C22:1) and reduction of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents in crambe oil is a valuable improvement. An increase in oleic acid (C18:1), a reduction in PUFA and possibly an increase in C22:1 can be obtained by down-regulating the expression of fatty acid desaturase2 genes (CaFAD2), which code for the enzyme that converts C18:1 into C18:2.

Quantitative and qualitative differences in celiac disease epitopes among durum wheat varieties identified through deep RNA-amplicon sequencing.

Background: Wheat gluten is important for the industrial quality of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (T. turgidum L.

Functional analysis of the omega-6 fatty acid desaturase (CaFAD2) gene family of the oil seed crop Crambe abyssinica.

Background: Crambe abyssinica produces high erucic acid (C22:1, 55-60%) in the seed oil, which can be further increased by reduction of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels. The omega-6 fatty acid desaturase enzyme (FAD2) is known to be involved in PUFA biosynthesis. In crambe, three CaFAD2 genes, CaFAD2-C1, CaFAD2-C2 and CaFAD2-C3 are expressed.

Expansion of the gamma-gliadin gene family in Aegilops and Triticum.

Background: The gamma-gliadins are considered to be the oldest of the gliadin family of storage proteins in Aegilops/Triticum. However, the expansion of this multigene family has not been studied in an evolutionary perspective.

Results: We have cloned 59 gamma-gliadin genes from Aegilops and Triticum species (Aegilops caudata L.

Celiac disease T-cell epitopes from gamma-gliadins: immunoreactivity depends on the genome of origin, transcript frequency, and flanking protein variation.

Background: Celiac disease (CD) is caused by an uncontrolled immune response to gluten, a heterogeneous mixture of wheat storage proteins. The CD-toxicity of these proteins and their derived peptides is depending on the presence of specific T-cell epitopes (9-mer peptides; CD epitopes) that mediate the stimulation of HLA-DQ2/8 restricted T-cells. Next to the thoroughly characterized major T-cell epitopes derived from the α-gliadin fraction of gluten, γ-gliadin peptides are also known to stimulate T-cells of celiac disease patients.

A universal approach to eliminate antigenic properties of alpha-gliadin peptides in celiac disease.

Celiac disease is caused by an uncontrolled immune response to gluten, a heterogeneous mixture of wheat storage proteins, including the α-gliadins. It has been shown that α-gliadins harbor several major epitopes involved in the disease pathogenesis. A major step towards elimination of gluten toxicity for celiac disease patients would thus be the elimination of such epitopes from α-gliadins.

Presence of celiac disease epitopes in modern and old hexaploid wheat varieties: wheat breeding may have contributed to increased prevalence of celiac disease.

Gluten proteins from wheat can induce celiac disease (CD) in genetically susceptible individuals. Specific gluten peptides can be presented by antigen presenting cells to gluten-sensitive T-cell lymphocytes leading to CD. During the last decades, a significant increase has been observed in the prevalence of CD.

Removing celiac disease-related gluten proteins from bread wheat while retaining technological properties: a study with Chinese Spring deletion lines.

Background: Gluten proteins can induce celiac disease (CD) in genetically susceptible individuals. In CD patients gluten-derived peptides are presented to the immune system, which leads to a CD4+ T-cell mediated immune response and inflammation of the small intestine. However, not all gluten proteins contain T-cell stimulatory epitopes.

Tetraploid and hexaploid wheat varieties reveal large differences in expression of alpha-gliadins from homoeologous Gli-2 loci.

Background: Alpha-gliadins form a multigene protein family encoded by multiple alpha-gliadin (Gli-2) genes at three genomic loci, Gli-A2, Gli-B2 and Gli-D2, respectively located on the homoeologous wheat chromosomes 6AS, 6BS, and 6DS. These proteins contain a number of important celiac disease (CD)-immunogenic domains. The alpha-gliadins expressed from the Gli-B2 locus harbour fewer conserved CD-epitopes than those from Gli-A2, whereas the Gli-D2 gliadins have the highest CD-immunogenic potential.

Up- and down-regulation of Fragaria x ananassa O-methyltransferase: impacts on furanone and phenylpropanoid metabolism.

A complex mixture of hundreds of substances determines strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) aroma, but only approximately 15 volatiles are considered as key flavour compounds. Of these, 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (HDMF) is regarded as the most important, but it is methylated further by FaOMT (Fragaria x ananassa O-methyltransferase) to 2,5-dimethyl-4-methoxy-3(2H)-furanone (DMMF) during the ripening process. It is shown here that transformation of strawberry with the FaOMT sequence in sense and antisense orientation, under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter, resulted in a near total loss of DMMF, whereas the levels of the other volatiles remained unchanged.

Molecular characterization of a stable antisense chalcone synthase phenotype in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa).

An octaploid (Fragaria x ananassa cv. Calypso) genotype of strawberry was transformed with an antisense chalcone synthase (CHS) gene construct using a ripening related CHS cDNA from Fragaria x ananassa cv. Elsanta under the control of the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter via Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

Cinnamate metabolism in ripening fruit. Characterization of a UDP-glucose:cinnamate glucosyltransferase from strawberry.

Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) fruit accumulate (hydroxy)cinnamoyl glucose (Glc) esters, which may serve as the biogenetic precursors of diverse secondary metabolites, such as the flavor constituents methyl cinnamate and ethyl cinnamate. Here, we report on the isolation of a cDNA encoding a UDP-Glc:cinnamate glucosyltransferase (Fragaria x ananassa glucosyltransferase 2 [FaGT2]) from ripe strawberry cv Elsanta that catalyzes the formation of 1-O-acyl-Glc esters of cinnamic acid, benzoic acid, and their derivatives in vitro. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that FaGT2 transcripts accumulate to high levels during strawberry fruit ripening and to lower levels in flowers.

Alpha-gliadin genes from the A, B, and D genomes of wheat contain different sets of celiac disease epitopes.

Background: Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is an important staple food. However, wheat gluten proteins cause celiac disease (CD) in 0.5 to 1% of the general population.

A gene encoding a polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein (PGIP) shows developmental regulation and pathogen-induced expression in strawberry.

•  Polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) have been demonstrated to play a role in host defence in several plants. •  The PGIP now cloned from strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) showed a high degree of homology to other fruit PGIPs. The gene expression of strawberry PGIP was monitored in healthy leaves, flowers and fruit at different maturity stages.