Exploring CDF gene family in wild potato under salinity stress unveils promising candidates for developing climate-resilient crops.

The DNA-binding with one finger (Dof) gene family is a class of plant-specific transcription factors involved in diverse biological processes, including response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Members of this family have been reported in the cultivated potato Solanum tuberosum, but clues to the roles of several Dof genes are still lacking. Potato wild relatives represent a genetic reservoir for breeding as they could provide useful alleles for adaptation to the environment and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Simultaneous improvement of grain yield and grain protein concentration in durum wheat by using association tests and weighted GBLUP.

Simultaneous improvement for GY and GPC by using GWAS and GBLUP suggested a significant application in durum wheat breeding. Despite the importance of grain protein concentration (GPC) in determining wheat quality, its negative correlation with grain yield (GY) is still one of the major challenges for breeders. Here, a durum wheat panel of 200 genotypes was evaluated for GY, GPC, and their derived indices (GPD and GYD), under eight different agronomic conditions.

Phenotypic evolution in durum wheat ( Desf.) based on SNPs, morphological traits, UPOV descriptors and kernel-related traits.

Durum wheat is a worldwide staple crop cultivated mainly in the Mediterranean basin. Progress in durum wheat breeding requires the exploitation of genetic variation among the gene pool enclosed in landraces, old cultivars and modern cultivars. The aim of this study was to provide a more comprehensive view of the genetic architecture evolution among 123 durum wheat accessions (41 landraces, 41 old cultivars and 41 modern cultivars), grown in replicated randomized complete block in two areas, Metaponto (Basilicata) and Foggia (Apulia), using the Illumina iSelect 15K wheat SNP array and 33 plant and kernel traits including the International Union for the Protection of new Varieties of Plants (UPOV) descriptors.

Genomics for Yield and Yield Components in Durum Wheat.

In recent years, many efforts have been conducted to dissect the genetic basis of yield and yield components in durum wheat thanks to linkage mapping and genome-wide association studies. In this review, starting from the analysis of the genetic bases that regulate the expression of yield for developing new durum wheat varieties, we have highlighted how, currently, the reductionist approach, i.e.

Short-term transcriptomic analysis at organ scale reveals candidate genes involved in low N responses in NUE-contrasting tomato genotypes.

Background: Understanding the complex regulatory network underlying plant nitrogen (N) responses associated with high Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) is one of the main challenges for sustainable cropping systems. Nitrate (NO ), acting as both an N source and a signal molecule, provokes very fast transcriptome reprogramming, allowing plants to adapt to its availability. These changes are genotype- and tissue-specific; thus, the comparison between contrasting genotypes is crucial to uncovering high NUE mechanisms.

Whole-exome sequencing of selected bread wheat recombinant inbred lines as a useful resource for allele mining and bulked segregant analysis.

Although wheat ( L.) is the main staple crop in the world and a major source of carbohydrates and proteins, functional genomics and allele mining are still big challenges. Given the advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, the identification of causal variants associated with a target phenotype has become feasible.

The Status of Genetic Resources and Olive Breeding in Tunisia.

The olive tree, an iconic symbol of the Mediterranean basin, is the object of growing international interest in the production of olive oil for the world food market. In Tunisia, which is the fourth-largest producer of olive oil in the world, the production of olives and olive oil is of great socio-economic importance. Cultivation is widespread from north to south, but it is carried out using traditional techniques that results in extremely irregular production levels.

Gene Family Drives Dormancy Release in Onion Bulbs.

Onion ( L.) is an important bulb crop grown worldwide. Dormancy in bulbous plants is an important physiological state mainly regulated by a complex gene network that determines a stop of vegetative growth during unfavorable seasons.

Biochemical Characterization and Effects of Cooking Methods on Main Phytochemicals of Red and Purple Potato Tubers, a Natural Functional Food.

Potato is a staple food crop and an important source of dietary energy. Its tubers contain several essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that contribute to the nutritional value of this important product. Recently, scientific interest has focused on purple and red potatoes that, due to the presence of anthocyanins, may be considered as natural powerful functional food.

Direct effects of octreotide on osteoblast cell proliferation and function.

Purpose: Octreotide (OCT) is a first-generation somatostatin analog (SSA) used in the treatment of acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). In both diseases, OCT interacts with somatostatin receptors 2 and 5 (SSTR2 and SSTR5), inhibiting hormone hypersecretion and cell proliferation. Skeletal health is an important clinical concern in acromegaly and NETs, since acromegalic osteopathy and NET bone metastasis occur in a remarkable number of patients.

Polyphenol oxidase genes as integral part of the evolutionary history of domesticated tetraploid wheat.

Studying and understanding the genetic basis of polyphenol oxidases (PPO)-related traits plays a crucial role in genetic improvement of crops. A tetraploid wheat collection (T. turgidum ssp.

QTL Analysis of Five Morpho-Physiological Traits in Bread Wheat Using Two Mapping Populations Derived from Common Parents.

Traits such as plant height (PH), juvenile growth habit (GH), heading date (HD), and tiller number are important for both increasing yield potential and improving crop adaptation to climate change. In the present study, these traits were investigated by using the same bi-parental population at early (F and F-derived F families) and late (F and F, recombinant inbred lines, RILs) generations to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and search for candidate genes. A total of 176 and 178 lines were genotyped by the wheat Illumina 25K Infinium SNP array.

Anthocyanins are Key Regulators of Drought Stress Tolerance in Tobacco.

Abiotic stresses will be one of the major challenges for worldwide food supply in the near future. Therefore, it is important to understand the physiological mechanisms that mediate plant responses to abiotic stresses. When subjected to UV, salinity or drought stress, plants accumulate specialized metabolites that are often correlated with their ability to cope with the stress.

Physiological Basis of Salt Stress Tolerance in a Landrace and a Commercial Variety of Sweet Pepper ( L.).

Salt stress is one of the most impactful abiotic stresses that plants must cope with. Plants' ability to tolerate salt stress relies on multiple mechanisms, which are associated with biomass and yield reductions. Sweet pepper is a salt-sensitive crop that in Mediterranean regions can be exposed to salt build-up in the root zone due to irrigation.

WRKY genes family study reveals tissue-specific and stress-responsive TFs in wild potato species.

Wild potatoes, as dynamic resource adapted to various environmental conditions, represent a powerful and informative reservoir of genes useful for breeding efforts. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are encoded by one of the largest families in plants and are involved in several biological processes such as growth and development, signal transduction, and plant defence against stress. In this study, 79 and 84 genes encoding putative WRKY TFs have been identified in two wild potato relatives, Solanum commersonii and S.

Genome-Wide HMG Family Investigation and Its Role in Glycoalkaloid Accumulation in Wild Tuber-Bearing .

Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are a class of nitrogen-containing glycosides occurring in several plant families and biosynthesized through a specific pathway. HMG-CoA reductase is the first enzyme of this pathway, and its transcription can be regulated by biotic and abiotic stressors and even in a tissue-specific manner. This study aimed to characterize the genes family in a tuber-bearing potato species, , using transcriptional and functional approaches.

Salinity and ABA Seed Responses in Pepper: Expression and Interaction of ABA Core Signaling Components.

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in various aspects of plant growth and development, including adaptation to stresses, fruit development and ripening. In seeds, ABA participates through its core signaling components in dormancy instauration, longevity determination, and inhibition of germination in unfavorable environmental conditions such as high soil salinity. Here, we show that seed germination in pepper was delayed but only marginally reduced by ABA or NaCl with respect to control treatments.

TIP41 network analysis and mutant phenotypes predict interactions between the TOR and ABA pathways.

Environmental conditions inform the rate of plant growth and development. The target of rapamycin (TOR) signalling pathway is a central regulator of plant growth in response to nutrients and energy, while abscisic acid (ABA) is a main mediator of abiotic stress responses. We recently characterized Arabidopsis TIP41, a predicted TOR pathway component involved in the ABA-mediated response to abiotic stress.

Physiological, biochemical and molecular responses to water stress and rehydration in Mediterranean adapted tomato landraces.

Mediterranean tomato landraces adapted to arid environments represent an option to counteract drought, and to address the complexity of responses to water deficit and recovery, which is a crucial component of plant adaptation mechanisms. We investigated physiological, biochemical and molecular responses of two Mediterranean tomato landraces, 'Locale di Salina' (Lc) and 'Pizzutello di Sciacca' (Pz) under two dehydration periods and intermediate rehydration in greenhouse pot experiments. Relationship between CO assimilation (A) and stomatal conductance under severe water stress (g  < 0.

The PP2A-interactor TIP41 modulates ABA responses in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Modulation of growth in response to environmental cues is a fundamental aspect of plant adaptation to abiotic stresses. TIP41 (TAP42 INTERACTING PROTEIN OF 41 kDa) is the Arabidopsis thaliana orthologue of proteins isolated in mammals and yeast that participate in the Target-of-Rapamycin (TOR) pathway, which modifies cell growth in response to nutrient status and environmental conditions. Here, we characterized the function of TIP41 in Arabidopsis.

Whole-genome re-sequencing of two Italian tomato landraces reveals sequence variations in genes associated with stress tolerance, fruit quality and long shelf-life traits.

Tomato is a high value crop and the primary model for fleshy fruit development and ripening. Breeding priorities include increased fruit quality, shelf life and tolerance to stresses. To contribute towards this goal, we re-sequenced the genomes of Corbarino (COR) and Lucariello (LUC) landraces, which both possess the traits of plant adaptation to water deficit, prolonged fruit shelf-life and good fruit quality.

The R2R3-MYB TT2b and the bHLH TT8 genes are the major regulators of proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in the leaves of Lotus species.

By exploiting interspecific hybrids and their progeny, we identified key regulatory and transporter genes intimately related to proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in leaves of Lotus spp. Proanthocyanidins (PAs), known as condensed tannins, are polymeric flavonoids enriching forage legumes of key nutritional value to prevent bloating in ruminant animals. Unfortunately, major forage legumes such as alfalfa and clovers lack PAs in edible tissues.