Gluten-free Diet, a Friend or a Foe, an American Perspective.

Gluten proteins in cereal grains are often considered unsafe for health. Indeed, the dissemination of misinformation through various sources has led to a widespread misconception that the consumption of gluten by healthy individuals results in adverse health consequences and contributes to obesity. In recent years, many health-conscious consumers have started reducing or avoiding gluten consumption without a medical recommendation.

Development of High-Yielding Upland Cotton Genotypes with Reduced Regrowth after Defoliation Using a Combination of Molecular and Conventional Approaches.

Cotton is an economically important crop. However, the yield gain in cotton has stagnated over the years, probably due to its narrow genetic base. The introgression of beneficial variations through conventional and molecular approaches has helped broaden its genetic base to some extent.

Alterations in Growth Habit to Channel End-of-Season Perennial Reserves towards Increased Yield and Reduced Regrowth after Defoliation in Upland Cotton ( L.).

Cotton ( spp.) is the primary source of natural textile fiber in the U.S.

Plant biomacromolecule delivery methods in the 21st century.

The 21st century witnessed a boom in plant genomics and gene characterization studies through RNA interference and site-directed mutagenesis. Specifically, the last 15 years marked a rapid increase in discovering and implementing different genome editing techniques. Methods to deliver gene editing reagents have also attempted to keep pace with the discovery and implementation of gene editing tools in plants.

Heterologous expression of the TaPI-PLC1-2B gene enhanced drought and salt tolerance in transgenic rice seedlings.

Drought and salt stress are important factors that affect plant growth and development and cause crop yield reductions worldwide. Phospholipase C is a class of enzymes that can hydrolyze phospholipids, and it has been shown to play an important role in plant growth regulation and stress response. We used rice as a model to investigate the function of the wheat TaPI-PLC1-2B gene in salt and drought tolerance.

Performance of Bayesian and BLUP alphabets for genomic prediction: analysis, comparison and results.

We evaluated the performances of three BLUP and five Bayesian methods for genomic prediction by using nine actual and 54 simulated datasets. The genomic prediction accuracy was measured using Pearson's correlation coefficient between the genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV) and the observed phenotypic data using a fivefold cross-validation approach with 100 replications. The Bayesian alphabets performed better for the traits governed by a few genes/QTLs with relatively larger effects.

tRNA-Dependent Import of a Transit Sequence-Less Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase (LeuRS2) into the Mitochondria of Arabidopsis.

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (AaRS) charge tRNAs with amino acids for protein translation. In plants, cytoplasmic, mitochondrial, and chloroplast AaRS exist that are all coded for by nuclear genes and must be imported from the cytosol. In addition, only a few of the mitochondrial tRNAs needed for translation are encoded in mitochondrial DNA.

Development and use of miRNA-derived SSR markers for the study of genetic diversity, population structure, and characterization of genotypes for breeding heat tolerant wheat varieties.

Heat stress is an important abiotic factor that limits wheat production globally, including south-east Asia. The importance of micro (mi) RNAs in gene expression under various biotic and abiotic stresses is well documented. Molecular markers, specifically simple sequence repeats (SSRs), play an important role in the wheat improvement breeding programs.

Proteomics Reveals the Changes that Contribute to Fusarium Head Blight Resistance in Wheat.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat, causing yield losses and quality reduction as a result of mycotoxin production. In this study, iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification)-labeling-based mass spectrometry was employed to characterize the proteome in wheat cultivars Xinong 538 and Zhoumai 18 with contrasting levels of FHB resistance as a means to elucidate the molecular mechanisms contributing to FHB resistance. A total of 13,669 proteins were identified in the two cultivars 48 h after inoculation.

Directed-Mutagenesis of Prolyl-Oligopeptidase and a Glutamine-Specific Endopeptidase From Barley.

Wheat gluten proteins are the known cause of celiac disease. The repetitive tracts of proline and glutamine residues in these proteins make them exceptionally resilient to digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. These indigested peptides trigger immune reactions in susceptible individuals, which could be either an allergic reaction or celiac disease.

Gluten Detection Methods and Their Critical Role in Assuring Safe Diets for Celiac Patients.

Celiac disease, wheat sensitivity, and allergy represent three different reactions, which may occur in genetically predisposed individuals on the ingestion of wheat and derived products with various manifestations. Improvements in the disease diagnostics and understanding of disease etiology unveiled that these disorders are widespread around the globe affecting about 7% of the population. The only known treatment so far is a life-long gluten-free diet, which is almost impossible to follow because of the contamination of allegedly "gluten-free" products.

Development of wheat genotypes expressing a glutamine-specific endoprotease from barley and a prolyl endopeptidase from Flavobacterium meningosepticum or Pyrococcus furiosus as a potential remedy to celiac disease.

Ubiquitous nature of prolamin proteins dubbed gluten from wheat and allied cereals imposes a major challenge in the treatment of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder with no known treatment other than abstinence diet. Administration of hydrolytic glutenases as food supplement is an alternative to deliver the therapeutic agents directly to the small intestine, where sensitization of immune system and downstream reactions take place. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the capacity of wheat grain to express and store hydrolytic enzymes capable of gluten detoxification.

Transcriptome-based analyses of phosphite-mediated suppression of rust pathogens Puccinia emaculata and Phakopsora pachyrhizi and functional characterization of selected fungal target genes.

Phosphite (Phi) is used commercially to manage diseases mainly caused by oomycetes, primarily due to its low cost compared with other fungicides and its persistent control of oomycetous pathogens. We explored the use of Phi in controlling the fungal pathogens Puccinia emaculata and Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the causal agents of switchgrass rust and Asian soybean rust, respectively. Phi primes host defenses and efficiently inhibits the growth of P.

Doubled Haploid Transgenic Wheat Lines by Microspore Transformation.

Microspores are preferred explant choice for genetic transformation, as their use shortens the duration of obtaining homozygous transformants. All established gene-delivery methods of particle bombardment, electroporation, and cocultivation with Agrobacterium tumefaciens were optimized on androgenic microspores or derived tissues. In the biolistic gene delivery method 35-40 days old haploid microspore embryoids were used for genetic transformation, whereas freshly isolated androgenic microspores were used for genetic transformation in the electroporation and Agrobacterium cocultivation-based methods.

NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase B (PORB) action in Arabidopsis thaliana revisited through transgenic expression of engineered barley PORB mutant proteins.

NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) is a key enzyme for the light-induced greening of etiolated angiosperm plants. It belongs to the 'RED' family of reductases, epimerases and dehydrogenases. All POR proteins characterized so far contain evolutionarily conserved cysteine residues implicated in protochlorophyllide (Pchlide)-binding and catalysis.

Serpin1 and WSCP differentially regulate the activity of the cysteine protease RD21 during plant development in .

Proteolytic enzymes (proteases) participate in a vast range of physiological processes, ranging from nutrient digestion to blood coagulation, thrombosis, and beyond. In plants, proteases are implicated in host recognition and pathogen infection, induced defense (immunity), and the deterrence of insect pests. Because proteases irreversibly cleave peptide bonds of protein substrates, their activity must be tightly controlled in time and space.