Elevated lipoprotein(a) increases risk of subsequent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and coronary revascularisation in incident ASCVD patients: A cohort study from the UK Biobank.

Background And Aims: Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a genetic driver for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We aimed to provide novel insights into the associated risk of elevated versus normal Lp(a) levels on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in an incident ASCVD cohort.

Methods: This was an observational cohort study of incident ASCVD patients.

Analysis of the chromosomal clustering of Fusarium-responsive wheat genes uncovers new players in the defence against head blight disease.

There is increasing evidence that some functionally related, co-expressed genes cluster within eukaryotic genomes. We present a novel pipeline that delineates such eukaryotic gene clusters. Using this tool for bread wheat, we uncovered 44 clusters of genes that are responsive to the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum.

Insights into the resistance of a synthetically-derived wheat to Septoria tritici blotch disease: less is more.

Background: Little is known about the initial, symptomless (latent) phase of the devastating wheat disease Septoria tritici blotch. However, speculations as to its impact on fungal success and disease severity in the field have suggested that a long latent phase is beneficial to the host and can reduce inoculum build up in the field over a growing season. The winter wheat cultivar Stigg is derived from a synthetic hexaploid wheat and contains introgressions from wild tetraploid wheat Triticum turgidum subsp.

Wheat Encodes Small, Secreted Proteins That Contribute to Resistance to Septoria Tritici Blotch.

During plant-pathogen interactions, pathogens secrete many rapidly evolving, small secreted proteins (SSPs) that can modify plant defense and permit pathogens to colonize plant tissue. The fungal pathogen is the causal agent of Septoria tritici blotch (STB), one of the most important foliar diseases of wheat, globally. is a strictly apoplastic pathogen that can secrete numerous proteins into the apoplast of wheat leaves to promote infection.

Taxonomically Restricted Wheat Genes Interact With Small Secreted Fungal Proteins and Enhance Resistance to Septoria Tritici Blotch Disease.

Understanding the nuances of host/pathogen interactions are paramount if we wish to effectively control cereal diseases. In the case of the wheat/ interaction that leads to Septoria tritici blotch (STB) disease, a 10,000-year-old conflict has led to considerable armaments being developed on both sides which are not reflected in conventional model systems. Taxonomically restricted genes (TRGs) have evolved in wheat to better allow it to cope with stress caused by fungal pathogens, and has evolved specialized effectors which allow it to manipulate its' host.

Serpins: Genome-Wide Characterisation and Expression Analysis of the Serine Protease Inhibitor Family in .

The serine protease inhibitor (serpin) gene family is the largest family of protease inhibitors. Serine protease inhibitors have an active, but under-characterized, role in grain development and defense against pathogen attack in cereal crops. By exploiting publicly available genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data for wheat (), we have identified and annotated the entire 'serpinome' of wheat and constructed a high-quality and robust phylogenetic tree of the gene family, identifying paralogous and homeologous clades from the hexaploid wheat genome, including the Serpin-Z group that have been well characterized in barley.

Characterization of a Wheat Breeders' Array suitable for high-throughput SNP genotyping of global accessions of hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Targeted selection and inbreeding have resulted in a lack of genetic diversity in elite hexaploid bread wheat accessions. Reduced diversity can be a limiting factor in the breeding of high yielding varieties and crucially can mean reduced resilience in the face of changing climate and resource pressures. Recent technological advances have enabled the development of molecular markers for use in the assessment and utilization of genetic diversity in hexaploid wheat.