A GBS-Based GWAS Analysis of Leaf and Stripe Rust Resistance in Diverse Pre-Breeding Germplasm of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Yellow (YR) and leaf (LR) rusts caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) and Puccinia triticina, respectively, are of utmost importance to wheat producers because of their qualitative and quantitative effect on yield. The search for new loci resistant to both rusts is an ongoing challenge faced by plant breeders and pathologists. Our investigation was conducted on a subset of 168 pre-breeding lines (PBLs) to identify the resistant germplasm against the prevalent local races of LR and YR under field conditions followed by its genetic mapping. Our analysis revealed a range of phenotypic responses towards both rusts. We identified 28 wheat lines with immune response and 85 resistant wheat genotypes against LR, whereas there were only eight immune and 52 resistant genotypes against YR. A GWAS (genome-wide association study) identified 190 marker-trait associations (MTAs), where 120 were specific to LR and 70 were specific to YR. These MTAs were confined to 86 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), where 50 QTLs carried MTAs associated with only LR, 29 QTLs carried MTAs associated with YR, and seven QTLs carried MTAs associated with both LR and YR. Possible candidate genes at the site of these QTLs are discussed. Overall, 70 PBLs carried all seven LR/YR QTLs. Furthermore, there were five PBLs with less than five scores for both LR and YR carrying positive alleles of all seven YR/LR QTLs, which are fit to be included in a breeding program for rust resistance induction.

Cloning of the wheat Yr15 resistance gene sheds light on the plant tandem kinase-pseudokinase family.

Yellow rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a devastating fungal disease threatening much of global wheat production. Race-specific resistance (R)-genes are used to control rust diseases, but the rapid emergence of virulent Pst races has prompted the search for a more durable resistance. Here, we report the cloning of Yr15, a broad-spectrum R-gene derived from wild emmer wheat, which encodes a putative kinase-pseudokinase protein, designated as wheat tandem kinase 1, comprising a unique R-gene structure in wheat. The existence of a similar gene architecture in 92 putative proteins across the plant kingdom, including the barley RPG1 and a candidate for Ug8, suggests that they are members of a distinct family of plant proteins, termed here tandem kinase-pseudokinases (TKPs). The presence of kinase-pseudokinase structure in both plant TKPs and the animal Janus kinases sheds light on the molecular evolution of immune responses across these two kingdoms.

Endoscopic vein harvest in patients at high risk for leg wound complications: A cost-benefit analysis of an initial experience.

BACKGROUND: A cost-benefit analysis of endoscopic vein harvesting (EVH) versus open vein harvest (OVH) was performed in patients at high risk for wound complications. METHODS: Risk factors for leg wound infection were identified as age older than 75 years, being a woman, body mass index > 28, having diabetes, being a smoker, and diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease. Patients who had at least 2 of these risk factors were selected for a pilot use of EVH and were matched to patients undergoing OVH (n = 50 patients/group). Costs incurred included costs of dressings, additional hospital stay, and costs for attending our outpatient wound clinic (OWC), amongst others. For the EVH group, there was the additional cost of the kit (£650 per patient). Data were prospectively collected. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the preoperative characteristics between the 2 groups. During in-hospital stay, 18% (9 out of 50) versus 32% (16 out of 50) (P = .08) of patients (EVH vs OVH, respectively) had minor leg-wound suppurations. Patients in the OVH group had longer hospital stay (P = .01). Attendance at the OWC for leg-wound issues was 4% (2 out of 50) versus 48% (24 out of 50), respectively (P < .01), costing a total of £2,758 for the EVH group compared with £78,036 for the OVH group (P < .01). This amounted to cost savings of £42,778 (including EVH kit costs) favoring EVH. CONCLUSIONS: In patients at high-risk of leg wound complications, EVH was associated with significant cost-savings and less leg wound complications.