Overexpression of the WAPO-A1 gene increases the number of spikelets per spike in bread wheat.

Two homoeologous QTLs for number of spikelets per spike (SPS) were mapped on chromosomes 7AL and 7BL using two wheat MAGIC populations. Sets of lines contrasting for the QTL on 7AL were developed which allowed for the validation and fine mapping of the 7AL QTL and for the identification of a previously described candidate gene, WHEAT ORTHOLOG OF APO1 (WAPO1). Using transgenic overexpression in both a low and a high SPS line, we provide a functional validation for the role of this gene in determining SPS also in hexaploid wheat. We show that the expression levels of this gene positively correlate with SPS in multiple MAGIC founder lines under field conditions as well as in transgenic lines grown in the greenhouse. This work highlights the potential use of WAPO1 in hexaploid wheat for further yield increases. The impact of WAPO1 and SPS on yield depends on other genetic and environmental factors, hence, will require a finely balanced expression level to avoid the development of detrimental pleiotropic phenotypes.

Location, Clinical Presentation, Diagnostic Algorithm and Open vs. Arthroscopic Surgery of Knee Synovial Haemangioma: A Report of Four Cases and a Literature Review.

Objective: The aim was to report 4 patients with intra-articular knee synovial haemangioma (KSH) and to perform a systematic review to describe the patient characteristics, patterns of tumor location, clinical presentation, usefulness of imaging examinations, pros and cons of arthroscopic vs. open resection, and follow-up in the literature. Design: From 1996 to 2016, four patients with KSH were retrospectively reviewed. A literature search was conducted in PubMed from 2000/01 to 2020/06 using the search terms "synovial haemangioma" and "knee." Fifty full-text articles that included a total of 92 patients were included for further discussion. Results: Four adults (20-40 years) were diagnosed with KSH. Three lesions located in the suprapatellar pouch, two eroding the patella and one the supratrochlear bone, and one in the posterior compartment. Persistent anterior knee pain was the main complain. MRI revealed a benign tumor mass in all cases except one. Open excisional biopsy and regional synovectomy were performed in three patients, and by arthroscopy of the posterior compartment in the fourth. Histological type was arteriovenous in three cases and capillary in one. A pain-free knee without recurrence was achieve in all cases except one, which was successfully reoperated. Average follow-up time was 3.5 years. A literature review showed that KSH appears most frequently in children and teenagers (64.6%) and does not differ by gender. The suprapatellar and patella-femoral joint compartment was the most frequent location (47.9%). The bony tissue of the knee was rarely affected (13.5%). Pain, swelling and haemarthrosis were frequently reported (88.2, 66.7, and 47.1%). MRI was the most commonly used imaging test (98%). Treatment consisted of regional synovectomy by open surgery or arthroscopy in 66.7 and 15.6% of cases, respectively. Conclusions: KSH should be considered in the differential diagnosis of adult patients with chronic low-intensity knee pain. MRI is the most useful exam because it establishes the location, extent and benign characteristics of the tumor. Definitive diagnosis requires histological examination. We believe excisional biopsy and regional synovectomy by arthroscopy should be the treatments of choice for intra-articular tumors, but we recommend open surgery when the lesion extends to the tendons, muscle or bone.

Evaluation of the impact of heat on wheat dormancy, late maturity α-amylase and grain size under controlled conditions in diverse germplasm.

In the Australian wheat belts, short episodes of high temperatures or hot spells during grain filling are becoming increasingly common and have an enormous impact on yield and quality, bringing multi-billion losses annually. This problem will become recurrent under the climate change scenario that forecast increasing extreme temperatures, but so far, no systematic analysis of the resistance to hot spells has yet been performed in a diverse genetic background. We developed a protocol to study the effects of heat on three important traits: grain size, grain dormancy and the presence of Late Maturity α-Amylase (LMA), and we validated it by analysing the phenotypes of 28 genetically diverse wheat landraces and exploring the potential variability existing in the responses to hot spells. Using controlled growth environments, the different genotypes were grown in our standard conditions until 20 days after anthesis, and then moved for 10 days into a heat chamber. Our study showed that our elevated temperature treatment during mid-late filling triggered multiple detrimental effects on yield and quality. We observed a reduction in grain size, a reduction in grain dormancy and increased LMA expression in most of the tested genotypes, but potential resistant lines were identified for each analyzed trait opening new perspectives for future genetic studies and breeding for heat-insensitive commercial lines.

Economic uncertainty before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We consider several economic uncertainty indicators for the US and UK before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: implied stock market volatility, newspaper-based policy uncertainty, Twitter chatter about economic uncertainty, subjective uncertainty about business growth, forecaster disagreement about future GDP growth, and a model-based measure of macro uncertainty. Four results emerge. First, all indicators show huge uncertainty jumps in reaction to the pandemic and its economic fallout. Indeed, most indicators reach their highest values on record. Second, peak amplitudes differ greatly - from a 35% rise for the model-based measure of US economic uncertainty (relative to January 2020) to a 20-fold rise in forecaster disagreement about UK growth. Third, time paths also differ: Implied volatility rose rapidly from late February, peaked in mid-March, and fell back by late March as stock prices began to recover. In contrast, broader measures of uncertainty peaked later and then plateaued, as job losses mounted, highlighting differences between Wall Street and Main Street uncertainty measures. Fourth, in Cholesky-identified VAR models fit to monthly U.S. data, a COVID-size uncertainty shock foreshadows peak drops in industrial production of 12-19%.

Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en población víctima del conflicto armado en Colombia / Quality of life related to health in the population victims of the armed conflict in Colombia

Resumen Este artículo describió la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en población víctima del conflicto armado colombiano. El estudio fue de tipo cuantitativo, descriptivo y transversal, con un diseño no experimental. La muestra estuvo constituida por 265 personas, a las cuales se les aplicó una ficha de datos sociodemográficos y el cuestionario SF-36. Los resultados muestran que el tipo de hecho victimizante que más se presenta es el desplazamiento forzado con un 96,6 %; la mayoría de las víctimas son mujeres, con un 72,1 %, las cuales tienen una menor percepción de calidad de vida en salud en comparación con los hombres. En general, los participantes presentan una baja percepción en la dimensión del rol emocional, mientras que se tiene una buena percepción en la dimensión relacionada con la función social. Los resultados sugieren realizar nuevas investigaciones para profundizar la relación existe entre el rol emocional y la función social, y se diferencie entre población clínica y no clínica.

Abstract In the present research the quality of life related to health was described in population victims of the Colombian armed conflict. The study was of quantitative,descriptive and transversal type, with a non-experimental design. The sample consisted of 265 people, who were given a socio-demographic data sheet and the SF-36 Questionnaire. The results show that the type of victimization that presents the most is forced displacement with 96.6% and there is a high score in lathes to Quality of Life related to the social function dimension. The results suggest establishing the relationship between emotional role and social function and the differentiation between clinical and nonclinical populations in future studies.

Comparative Phosphoproteomic Analysis of Barley Embryos with Different Dormancy during Imbibition.

Dormancy is the mechanism that allows seeds to become temporally quiescent in order to select the right time and place to germinate. Like in other species, in barley, grain dormancy is gradually reduced during after-ripening. Phosphosignaling networks in barley grains were investigated by a large-scale analysis of phosphoproteins to examine potential changes in response pathways to after-ripening. We used freshly harvested (FH) and after-ripened (AR) barley grains which showed different dormancy levels. The LC-MS/MS analysis identified 2346 phosphopeptides in barley embryos, with 269 and 97 of them being up- or downregulated during imbibition, respectively. A number of phosphopeptides were differentially regulated between FH and AR samples, suggesting that phosphoproteomic profiles were quite different between FH and AR grains. Motif analysis suggested multiple protein kinases including SnRK2 and MAPK could be involved in such a difference between FH and AR samples. Taken together, our results revealed phosphosignaling pathways in barley grains during the water imbibition process.

Zebularine treatment is associated with deletion of FT-B1 leading to an increase in spikelet number in bread wheat.

The number of rachis nodes (spikelets) on a wheat spike is a component of grain yield that correlates with flowering time. The genetic basis regulating flowering in cereals is well understood, but there are reports that flowering time can be modified at a high frequency by selective breeding, suggesting that it may be regulated by both epigenetic and genetic mechanisms. We investigated the role of DNA methylation in regulating spikelet number and flowering time by treating a semi-spring wheat with the demethylating agent, Zebularine. Three lines with a heritable increase in spikelet number were identified. The molecular basis for increased spikelet number was not determined in 2 lines, but the phenotype showed non-Mendelian inheritance, suggesting that it could have an epigenetic basis. In the remaining line, the increased spikelet phenotype behaved as a Mendelian recessive trait and late flowering was associated with a deletion encompassing the floral promoter, FT-B1. Deletion of FT-B1 delayed the transition to reproductive growth, extended the duration of spike development, and increased spikelet number under different temperature regimes and photoperiod. Transiently disrupting DNA methylation can generate novel flowering behaviour in wheat, but these changes may not be sufficiently stable for use in breeding programs.

Haplotype Analysis of the Pre-harvest Sprouting Resistance Locus Phs-A1 Reveals a Causal Role of TaMKK3-A in Global Germplasm.

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is an important cause of quality loss in many cereal crops and is particularly prevalent and damaging in wheat. Resistance to PHS is therefore a valuable target trait in many breeding programs. The Phs-A1 locus on wheat chromosome arm 4AL has been consistently shown to account for a significant proportion of natural variation to PHS in diverse mapping populations. However, the deployment of sprouting resistance is confounded by the fact that different candidate genes, including the tandem duplicated Plasma Membrane 19 (PM19) genes and the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (TaMKK3-A) gene, have been proposed to underlie Phs-A1. To further define the Phs-A1 locus, we constructed a physical map across this interval in hexaploid and tetraploid wheat. We established close proximity of the proposed candidate genes which are located within a 1.2 Mb interval. Genetic characterization of diverse germplasm used in previous genetic mapping studies suggests that TaMKK3-A, and not PM19, is the major gene underlying the Phs-A1 effect in European, North American, Australian and Asian germplasm. We identified the non-dormant TaMKK3-A allele at low frequencies within the A-genome diploid progenitor Triticum urartu genepool, and show an increase in the allele frequency in modern varieties. In United Kingdom varieties, the frequency of the dormant TaMKK3-A allele was significantly higher in bread-making quality varieties compared to feed and biscuit-making cultivars. Analysis of exome capture data from 58 diverse hexaploid wheat accessions identified fourteen haplotypes across the extended Phs-A1 locus and four haplotypes for TaMKK3-A. Analysis of these haplotypes in a collection of United Kingdom and Australian cultivars revealed distinct major dormant and non-dormant Phs-A1 haplotypes in each country, which were either rare or absent in the opposing germplasm set. The diagnostic markers and haplotype information reported in the study will help inform the choice of germplasm and breeding strategies for the deployment of Phs-A1 resistance into breeding germplasm.

A role for jasmonates in the release of dormancy by cold stratification in wheat.

Hydration at low temperatures, commonly referred to as cold stratification, is widely used for releasing dormancy and triggering germination in a wide range of species including wheat. However, the molecular mechanism that underlies its effect on germination has largely remained unknown. Our previous studies showed that methyl-jasmonate, a derivative of jasmonic acid (JA), promotes dormancy release in wheat. In this study, we found that cold-stimulated germination of dormant grains correlated with a transient increase in JA content and expression of JA biosynthesis genes in the dormant embryos after transfer to 20 (o)C. The induction of JA production was dependent on the extent of cold imbibition and precedes germination. Blocking JA biosynthesis with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) inhibited the cold-stimulated germination in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, we have explored the relationship between JA and abscisic acid (ABA), a well-known dormancy promoter, in cold regulation of dormancy. We found an inverse relationship between JA and ABA content in dormant wheat embryos following stratification. ABA content decreased rapidly in response to stratification, and the decrease was reversed by addition of ASA. Our results indicate that the action of JA on cold-stratified grains is mediated by suppression of two key ABA biosynthesis genes, TaNCED1 and TaNCED2.

Arabidopsis INCURVATA2 Regulates Salicylic Acid and Abscisic Acid Signaling, and Oxidative Stress Responses.

Epigenetic regulatory states can persist through mitosis and meiosis, but the connection between chromatin structure and DNA replication remains unclear. Arabidopsis INCURVATA2 (ICU2) encodes the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase α, and null alleles of ICU2 have an embryo-lethal phenotype. Analysis of icu2-1, a hypomorphic allele of ICU2, demonstrated that ICU2 functions in chromatin-mediated cellular memory; icu2-1 strongly impairs ICU2 function in the maintenance of repressive epigenetic marks but does not seem to affect ICU2 polymerase activity. To better understand the global function of ICU2 in epigenetic regulation, here we performed a microarray analysis of icu2-1 mutant plants. We found that the genes up-regulated in the icu2-1 mutant included genes encoding transcription factors and targets of the Polycomb Repressive Complexes. The down-regulated genes included many known players in salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis and accumulation, ABA signaling and ABA-mediated responses. In addition, we found that icu2-1 plants had reduced SA levels in normal conditions; infection by Fusarium oxysporum induced SA accumulation in the En-2 wild type but not in the icu2-1 mutant. The icu2-1 plants were also hypersensitive to salt stress and exogenous ABA in seedling establishment, post-germination growth and stomatal closure, and accumulated more ABA than the wild type in response to salt stress. The icu2-1 mutant also showed high tolerance to the oxidative stress produced by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT). Our results uncover a role for ICU2 in the regulation of genes involved in ABA signaling as well as in SA biosynthesis and accumulation.

Transcriptomic analysis of wheat near-isogenic lines identifies PM19-A1 and A2 as candidates for a major dormancy QTL.

BACKGROUND: Next-generation sequencing technologies provide new opportunities to identify the genetic components responsible for trait variation. However, in species with large polyploid genomes, such as bread wheat, the ability to rapidly identify genes underlying quantitative trait loci (QTL) remains non-trivial. To overcome this, we introduce a novel pipeline that analyses, by RNA-sequencing, multiple near-isogenic lines segregating for a targeted QTL. RESULTS: We use this approach to characterize a major and widely utilized seed dormancy QTL located on chromosome 4AL. It exploits the power and mapping resolution afforded by large multi-parent mapping populations, whilst reducing complexity by using multi-allelic contrasts at the targeted QTL region. Our approach identifies two adjacent candidate genes within the QTL region belonging to the ABA-induced Wheat Plasma Membrane 19 family. One of them, PM19-A1, is highly expressed during grain maturation in dormant genotypes. The second, PM19-A2, shows changes in sequence causing several amino acid alterations between dormant and non-dormant genotypes. We confirm that PM19 genes are positive regulators of seed dormancy. CONCLUSIONS: The efficient identification of these strong candidates demonstrates the utility of our transcriptomic pipeline for rapid QTL to gene mapping. By using this approach we are able to provide a comprehensive genetic analysis of the major source of grain dormancy in wheat. Further analysis across a diverse panel of bread and durum wheats indicates that this important dormancy QTL predates hexaploid wheat. The use of these genes by wheat breeders could assist in the elimination of pre-harvest sprouting in wheat.

A role for barley CRYPTOCHROME1 in light regulation of grain dormancy and germination.

It is well known that abscisic acid (ABA) plays a central role in the regulation of seed dormancy and that transcriptional regulation of genes encoding ABA biosynthetic and degradation enzymes is responsible for determining ABA content. However, little is known about the upstream signaling pathways impinging on transcription to ultimately regulate ABA content or how environmental signals (e.g., light and cold) might direct such expression in grains. Our previous studies indicated that light is a key environmental signal inhibiting germination in dormant grains of barley (Hordeum vulgare), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and Brachypodium distachyon and that this effect attenuates as after-ripening progresses further. We found that the blue component of the light spectrum inhibits completion of germination in barley by inducing the expression of the ABA biosynthetic gene 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase and dampening expression of ABA 8'-hydroxylase, thus increasing ABA content in the grain. We have now created barley transgenic lines downregulating the genes encoding the blue light receptors CRYTOCHROME (CRY1) and CRY2. Our results demonstrate that CRY1 is the key receptor perceiving and transducing the blue light signal in dormant grains.

Relación entre las estrategias de afrontamiento, ansiedad, depresión y autoestima, en un grupo de adultos con diagnóstico de cáncer / Relationship between coping strategies, anxiety, depression and self-estee m in a group of adult patients diagnosed with cancer

El presente estudio es de tipo descriptivo correlacional, tiene como objetivo identificar la relación existente entre las estrategias de afrontamiento, los niveles de autoestima, ansiedad y depresión en un grupo de 17 pacientes adultos con diagnóstico de cáncer, para lo cual se emplearon la Escala de Autoestima de Rosemberg, la Escala Hospitalaria de Ansiedad y Depresión (HAD) y la Escala de Estrategias de Coping Modificada (EEC-M). Se obtuvo como resultado una correlación significativa entre los niveles de ansiedad y los niveles de autoestima y entre los niveles de ansiedad y las estrategias de afrontamiento de solución de problemas, reevaluación positiva y reacción agresiva. Al igual que una correlación significativa entre los niveles de depresión y las estrategias de afrontamiento de solución de problemas, negación, reacción agresiva y la expresión de la dificultad de afrontamiento.

To carry out this project a descriptive correlational design was used in order to identify the existent relationship between coping strategies, self-esteem, anxiety levels and depression in a group of 17 adult patients diagnosed with cancer. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and the modified Coping Strategies Scale (EEC-M) were applied for this purpose. This research showed the following results: A correlation between anxiety and self-esteem levels, anxiety levels and coping strategies for problem solving, positive reappraisal and aggressive reaction. Likewise, a meaningful correlation between depression levels and coping strategies for problem solving, negation, aggressive reaction and the expression of the coping difficulty were observed.

The barley grain thioredoxin system - an update.

Thioredoxin (Trx) reduces disulfide bonds and play numerous important functions in plants. In cereal seeds, cytosolic h-type Trx facilitates the release of energy reserves during the germination process and is recycled by NADPH-dependent Trx reductase. This review presents a summary of the research conducted during the last 10 years to elucidate the structure and function of the barley seed Trx system at the molecular level combined with proteomic approaches to identify target proteins.

Roles for blue light, jasmonate and nitric oxide in the regulation of dormancy and germination in wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.).

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a central role in seed dormancy and transcriptional regulation of genes coding for ABA biosynthetic and degradation enzymes is responsible for control of ABA content. However, little is known about signalling both before and after ABA regulation, in particular, how environmental signals are perceived and transduced. We are interested in these processes in cereal grains, particularly in relation to the development of strategies for controlling pre-harvest sprouting in barley and wheat. Our previous studies have indicated possible components of dormancy control and here we present evidence that blue light, nitric oxide (NO) and jasmonate are major controlling elements in wheat grain. Using microarray and pharmacological studies, we have found that blue light inhibits germination in dormant grain and that methyl jasmonate (MJ) and NO counteract this effect by reducing dormancy. We also present evidence that NO and jasmonate play roles in dormancy control in vivo. ABA was reduced by MJ and this was accompanied by reduced levels of expression of TaNCED1 and increased expression of TaABA8'OH-1 compared with dormant grain. Similar changes were caused by after-ripening. Analysis of global gene expression showed that although jasmonate and after-ripening caused important changes in gene expression, the changes were very different. While breaking dormancy, MJ had only a small number of target genes including gene(s) encoding beta-glucosidase. Our evidence indicates that NO and MJ act interdependently in controlling reduction of ABA and thus the demise of dormancy.

Genetic, hormonal, and physiological analysis of late maturity α-amylase in wheat.

Late maturity α-amylase (LMA) is a genetic defect that is commonly found in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars and can result in commercially unacceptably high levels of α-amylase in harvest-ripe grain in the absence of rain or preharvest sprouting. This defect represents a serious problem for wheat farmers, and apart from the circumstantial evidence that gibberellins are somehow involved in the expression of LMA, the mechanisms or genes underlying LMA are unknown. In this work, we use a doubled haploid population segregating for constitutive LMA to physiologically analyze the appearance of LMA during grain development and to profile the transcriptomic and hormonal changes associated with this phenomenon. Our results show that LMA is a consequence of a very narrow and transitory peak of expression of genes encoding high-isoelectric point α-amylase during grain development and that the LMA phenotype seems to be a partial or incomplete gibberellin response emerging from a strongly altered hormonal environment.

The microRNA pathway genes AGO1, HEN1 and HYL1 participate in leaf proximal-distal, venation and stomatal patterning in Arabidopsis.

We isolated Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with incurved vegetative leaves. Positional cloning of incurvata8 (icu8), icu9 and icu15 has identified them as new loss-of-function alleles of the HYPONASTIC LEAVES1 (HYL1), ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) and HUA ENHANCER1 (HEN1) genes, respectively, which encode known components of the microRNA pathway. The morphological and histological characterization of these mutants and of dicer-like1-9 indicates that small RNAs participate in the proximal-distal and adaxial-abaxial patterning of leaves, as well as in stomatal number establishment. The abnormal vasculature of ago1 and hyl1 leaves also suggests a role for AGO1 and HYL1 in venation patterning. Our mutants expand the allelic series of AGO1, HYL1 and HEN1, and might help to understand the developmental and cellular significance of miRNA-mediated posttranscriptional regulation.

Grain dormancy and light quality effects on germination in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon.

• Lack of grain dormancy in cereal crops such as barley and wheat is a common problem affecting farming areas around the world, causing losses in yield and quality because of preharvest sprouting. Control of seed or grain dormancy has been investigated extensively using various approaches in different species, including Arabidopsis and cereals. However, the use of a monocot model plant such as Brachypodium distachyon presents opportunities for the discovery of new genes related to grain dormancy that are not present in modern commercial crops. • In this work we present an anatomical description of the Brachypodium caryopsis, and we describe the dormancy behaviour of six common diploid Brachypodium inbred genotypes. We also study the effect of light quality (blue, red and far-red) on germination, and analyse changes in abscisic acid levels and gene expression between a dormant and a non-dormant Brachypodium genotype. • Our results indicate that different genotypes display high natural variability in grain dormancy and that the characteristics of dormancy and germination are similar to those found in other cereals. • We propose that Brachypodium is an ideal model for studies of grain dormancy in grasses and can be used to identify new strategies for increasing grain dormancy in crop species.