A combination of joint linkage and genome-wide association study reveals putative candidate genes associated with resistance to northern corn leaf blight in tropical maize.

Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), caused by , is a major fungal disease affecting maize production in sub-Saharan Africa. Utilizing host plant resistance to mitigate yield losses associated with NCLB can serve as a cost-effective strategy. In this study, we conducted a high-resolution genome-wide association study (GWAS) in an association mapping panel and linkage mapping with three doubled haploid (DH) and three F populations of tropical maize.

Genotype by environment interaction across water regimes in relation to cropping season response of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa).

Genotype × environment (GxE) interaction effects are one of the major challenges in identifying cultivars with stable performance across agri-environments. In this study we analysed GE interactions to identify quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) cultivars with high and stable yields under different soil moisture regimes, representing control conditions, waterlogging and drought. Waterlogging and drought treatments were artificially induced using normoxia, a combination of hypoxia-normoxia, and 10% PEG (Polyethylene glycol) under hydroponic growth conditions, respectively.

The effect of increased fruit and vegetable consumption on blood pressure and lipids: a pooled analysis of six randomised controlled fruit and vegetable intervention trials.

Background: Increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption is associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk in observational studies but with little evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The impact of concurrent pharmacological therapy is unknown.

Objective: To pool data from six RCTs to examine the effect of increasing FV intake on blood pressure (BP) and lipid profile, also exploring whether effects differed by medication use.

Accession-specific parent-of-origin dependent and independent genome dosage effects on salt tolerance in .

Improving the salt stress tolerance of crops is an important goal in plant breeding. Changes in the number of chromosome sets (i.e.

Legume seed system performance in sub-Saharan Africa: barriers, opportunities, and scaling options. A review.

Unlabelled: As a fundamental pillar of food security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), ensuring seed security is critical to empowering farmers in cultivating food and livestock feed, thereby fostering income generation from agricultural outputs. Among the crops cultivated by smallholders, legumes have the potential to deliver multifaceted benefits. Legumes are nutrient-dense and enhance soil health through their nitrogen-fixing qualities.

Linkage mapping and genomic prediction of grain quality traits in tropical maize ( L.).

The suboptimal productivity of maize systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a pressing issue, with far-reaching implications for food security, nutrition, and livelihood sustainability within the affected smallholder farming communities. Dissecting the genetic basis of grain protein, starch and oil content can increase our understanding of the governing genetic systems, improve the efficacy of future breeding schemes and optimize the end-use quality of tropical maize. Here, four bi-parental maize populations were evaluated in field trials in Kenya and genotyped with mid-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers.

Unravelling the Transcriptional Response of under Infection.

Mushrooms are a nutritionally rich and sustainably-produced food with a growing global market. accounts for 11% of the total world mushroom production and it is the dominant species cultivated in Europe. It faces threats from pathogens that cause important production losses, including the mycoparasite , the causative agent of dry bubble disease.

Haploid rhapsody: the molecular and cellular orchestra of in vivo haploid induction in plants.

In planta haploid induction (HI), which reduces the chromosome number in the progeny after fertilization, has garnered increasing attention for its significant potential in crop breeding and genetic research. Despite the identification of several natural and synthetic HI systems in different plant species, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these HI systems remain largely unknown. This review synthesizes the current understanding of HI systems in plants (with a focus on genes and molecular mechanisms involved), including the molecular and cellular interactions which orchestrate the HI process.

Unexpected Periodicity in Cationic Group 5 Initiators for the Ring-Opening Polymerization of Lactones.

ε-Caprolactone (ε-CL) adducts of cationic, amine tris(phenolate)-supported niobium(V) and tantalum(V) ethoxides initiate the ring-opening polymerization of lactones. The Ta(V) species prepared and applied catalytically herein exhibits higher activity in the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone than the previously reported, isostructural Nb(V) complex, contradicting literature comparisons of Nb(V)- and Ta(V)-based protocols. Both systems also initiate the ROP of δ-valerolactone and -β-butyrolactone, kinetic studies confirming retention of higher activity by the Ta congener.

PICKLE RELATED 2 is a Neofunctionalized Gene Duplicate Under Positive Selection With Antagonistic Effects to the Ancestral PICKLE Gene on the Seed Transcriptome.

The evolution and diversification of proteins capable of remodeling domains has been critical for transcriptional reprogramming during cell fate determination in multicellular eukaryotes. Chromatin remodeling proteins of the CHD3 family have been shown to have important and antagonistic impacts on seed development in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, yet the basis of this functional divergence remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that genes encoding the CHD3 proteins PICKLE (PKL) and PICKLE-RELATED 2 (PKR2) originated from a duplication event during the diversification of crown Brassicaceae, and that these homologs have undergone distinct evolutionary trajectories since this duplication, with PKR2 fast evolving under positive selection, while PKL is subject to purifying selection.

Coordination of ε-Caprolactone to a Cationic Niobium(V) Alkoxide Complex: Fundamental Insight into Ring-Opening Polymerization via Coordination-Insertion.

We report three niobium-based initiators for the catalytic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone, exhibiting good activity and molecular weight control. In particular, we have prepared on the gram-scale and fully characterized a monometallic cationic alkoxo-Nb(V) ε-caprolactone adduct representing, to the best of our knowledge, an unprecedented example of a metal complex with an intact lactone monomer and a functional ROP-initiating group simultaneously coordinated at the metal center. At 80 °C, all three systems initiate the immortal solution-state ROP of ε-caprolactone via a coordination-insertion mechanism, which has been confirmed through experimental studies, and is supported by computational data.

Regulation of Carotenoid Biosynthesis and Degradation in Lettuce ( L.) from Seedlings to Harvest.

Lettuce ( L.) is one of the commercially important leafy vegetables worldwide. However, lettuce cultivars vary widely in their carotenoid concentrations at the time of harvest.

Evolutionary dynamics and adaptive benefits of deleterious mutations in crop gene pools.

Mutations with deleterious consequences in nature may be conditionally deleterious in crop plants. That is, while some genetic variants may reduce fitness under wild conditions and be subject to purifying selection, they can be under positive selection in domesticates. Such deleterious alleles can be plant breeding targets, particularly for complex traits.

Climate change and land-use change impacts on future availability of forage grass species for Ethiopian dairy systems.

Forage grasses are central feed resources for livestock globally. In Ethiopian dairy systems, they serve as feed sources during both wet and dry seasons, yet escalating climate change could threaten forage supply. Here, we investigate projected climate change impacts on three forage grasses currently recommended for Ethiopian dairy systems.

Clinical Performance of Direct RT-PCR Testing of Raw Saliva for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Individuals.

RT-PCR tests based on RNA extraction from nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) are promoted as the "gold standard" for SARS-CoV-2 detection. However, the use of saliva samples offers noninvasive self-collection more suitable for high-throughput testing. This study evaluated performance of the TaqPath COVID-19 Fast PCR Combo kit 2.

Genome-wide association studies of grain yield and quality traits under optimum and low-nitrogen stress in tropical maize (Zea mays L.).

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) demonstrated that multiple genomic regions influence grain quality traits under nitrogen-starved soils. Using genomic prediction, genetic gains can be improved through selection for grain quality traits. Soils in sub-Saharan Africa are nitrogen deficient due to low fertilizer use and inadequate soil fertility management practices.

Association of TGFB1 rs1800469 and BCMO1 rs6564851 with coronary heart disease and IL1B rs16944 with all-cause mortality in men from the Northern Ireland PRIME study.

Background: Historically, high levels of morbidity and mortality have been associated with cardiovascular disease in the Northern Ireland population. Previously reported associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and cardiovascular disease within other populations have not always been consistent.

Objective: To investigate associations between 33 SNPs with fatal or non-fatal incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events and all-cause mortality in the Northern Irish participants of the Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction (PRIME).

Investigation of an international outbreak of multidrug-resistant monophasic Typhimurium associated with chocolate products, EU/EEA and United Kingdom, February to April 2022.

An extensive multi-country outbreak of multidrug-resistant monophasic Typhimurium infection in 10 countries with 150 reported cases, predominantly affecting young children, has been linked to chocolate products produced by a large multinational company. Extensive withdrawals and recalls of multiple product lines have been undertaken. With Easter approaching, widespread product distribution and the vulnerability of the affected population, early and effective real-time sharing of microbiological and epidemiological information has been of critical importance in effectively managing this serious food-borne incident.

Parent-of-Origin Effects on Seed Size Modify Heterosis Responses in .

Parent-of-origin effects arise when a phenotype depends on whether it is inherited maternally or paternally. Parent-of-origin effects can exert a strong influence on F1 seed size in flowering plants, an important agronomic and life-history trait that can contribute to biomass heterosis. Here we investigate the natural variation in the relative contributions of the maternal and paternal genomes to F1 seed size across 71 reciprocal pairs of F1 hybrid diploids and the parental effect on F1 seed size heterosis.

Plastid ribosome protein L5 is essential for post-globular embryo development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Plastid ribosomal proteins (PRPs) can play essential roles in plastid ribosome functioning that affect plant function and development. However, the roles of many PRPs remain unknown, including elucidation of which PRPs are essential or display redundancy. Here, we report that the nuclear-encoded PLASTID RIBOSOMAL PROTEIN L5 (PRPL5) is essential for early embryo development in A.