Assessing the Suitability of Various Physiological Traits to Screen Wheat Genotypes for Salt Tolerance

Success of improving the salt tolerance of genotypes requires effective and reliable screening traits in breeding programs. The objective was to assess the suitability of various physiological traits to screen wheat genotypes for salt tolerance. Thirteen wheat genotypes from Egypt, Germany, Australia and India were grown in soil with two salinity levels （control and 150 mmol/L NaCI） in a greenhouse. The physiological traits （ion contents in leaves and stems, i.e. Na^＋, Cl^-, K^＋, Ca^2＋）, the ratios of K^＋/Na^＋ and Ca^＋/Na^＋ in the leaves and stems, net photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, chlorophyll content （SPAD value）, and leaf water relations, were measured at different growth stages. The physiological traits except for Na^＋ and Cl^- in stems and the leaf transpiration rate at 150 mmol/L NaCI showed a significant genotypic variation, indicating that the traits that have a significant genotypic variation may be possibly used as screening criteria. According to the analysis of linear regression of the scores of the physiological traits against those of grain yield, however, the physiological traits of Ca^2＋ and Ca2^＋/Na^＋ at 45 d and final harvest with the greatest genotypic variation were ranked at the top. From a practical and economic point of view, SPAD value should be considered to be used as screening criteria and/or there is a need to develop a quick and practical approach to determine Ca^2＋ in plant tissues.     

Monocytes/macrophages express chemokine receptor CCR9 in rheumatoid arthritis and CCL25 stimulates their differentiation

Introduction  

Monocytes/macrophages accumulate in the rheumatoid (RA) synovium where they play a central role in inflammation and joint destruction. Identification of molecules involved in their accumulation and differentiation is important to inform therapeutic strategies. This study investigated the expression and function of chemokine receptor CCR9 in the peripheral blood (PB) and synovium of RA, non-RA patients and healthy volunteers.     

A theoretical thermodynamic investigation of cascade reactions in dinuclear octa-azacryptates involving carbon dioxide

This paper investigates the thermodynamics of gas-phase CO₂ cascade uptake-reactions in the form of carbonate or monomethylcarbonate anions in the host cavity of various dinuclear octa-azacryptates of m-CH₂C₆H₄CH₂ and 2,5-furano-spaced hosts, L ¹ and L ² cryptands, using density functional theory (DFT). The cascade process involves two stages, namely the formation of dinuclear cryptate complexes, and the subsequent formation of either μ-carbonato cryptate complexes or μ-monomethylcarbonato cryptates. The geometric and electronic structures were also investigated to determine the parameters that affect the stability of the complexes. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis was used to investigate the interactions between the trapped anion and its host. Ion selectivity was studied in terms of the formation of dinuclear cryptate complexes, while the basicity and nucleophilicity of cryptands towards Lewis acids was also studied, and good agreement was found vis-à-vis available experimental data.     

Association of genetic variants rs641153 (CFB), rs2230199 (C3), and rs1410996 (CFH) with age-related macular degeneration in a Brazilian population

This study aimed to investigate the association among genetic variants of the complement pathway CFB R32Q (rs641153), C3 R102G (rs2230199), and CFH (rs1410996) with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a sample of the Brazilian population. In a case-control study, 484 AMD patients were classified according to the clinical age-related maculopathy grading system (CARMS) and compared to 479 unrelated controls. The genetic variants rs1410996 of complement H (CFH), rs641153 of complement factor B (CFB), and rs2230199 of complement 3 (C3) were evaluated through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. The associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and AMD, adjusted by age, were assessed by using logistic regression models. A statistically significant association was observed between AMD risk and rs2230199 variant with an OR of 2.01 (P  = 0.0002) for CG individuals compared to CC individuals. Regarding the comparison of advanced AMD versus the control group, the OR was 2.12 (P = 0.0036) for GG versus AA genotypes for rs1410996 variant. Similarly, the OR for rs2230199 polymorphism was 2.3034 (P  = 5.47^e-05) when comparing CG individuals to CC carriers. In contrast, the rs641153 variant showed a significant protective effect against advanced AMD for GA versus GG genotype (OR = 0.4406; P  = 0.0019). When comparing wet AMD versus controls, a significant association was detected for rs1410996 variant (OR = 2.16; P  = 0.0039) comparing carriers of the homozygous GG versus AA genotype, as well as in the comparisons of GG (OR = 3.0713; P  = 0.0046) and CG genotypes (OR = 2.2249; P  = 0.0002) versus CC genotype for rs2230199 variant, respectively. The rs641153 variant granted a significant protective effect against wet AMD for GA versus GG genotypes (OR = 0.4601; P  = 0.0044). Our study confirmed the risk association between rs2230199 and rs1410996 variants and AMD, and the protective role against AMD for rs641153 variant.     

The genetic basis of spectral reflectance indices in drought-stressed wheat

Drought imposes a major constraint over the productivity of wheat, particularly in arid and semi-arid production zones. Here, the genetic basis of spectral reflectance indices was investigated in drought-stressed wheat by comparing, under two contrasting moisture regimes, the performance of an F₆ recombinant inbred line (RIL) population bred from a cross between the drought tolerant cultivar Pavon76 and the sensitive cultivar Yecora Rojo. The parents and RILs were genotyped with respect to both a set of microsatellite (SSR) loci and a number of known drought-responsive genes. In all, 28 quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling dry weight per plant, water content of the above-ground biomass, leaf water potential, canopy temperature, and spectral reflectance indices traits were identified. The loci were distributed over 11 chromosomes, belonging to each of the three wheat sub-genomes. There were important location-flanking markers Barc109 and Barac4 on chromosome 5B relating to dry weight per plant accumulation under the limited irrigation regime. The same region-harbored QTL associated with leaf water potential, canopy temperature, and ratio index under the limited irrigation regime. Linkage between the known drought-responsive genes and aspects of the drought response was established. Some of QTL were of substantial enough effect for their linked markers to be likely usable for the marker-assisted breeding of drought tolerance in wheat.     

Fucosebeta-1-P-Ser is a new type of glycosylation: using antibodies to identify a novel structure in Dictyostelium discoideum and study multiple types of fucosylation during growth and development

Three antibodies that recognize distinct fucose epitopes were used to study fucosylation during growth and development of Dictyostelium discoideum. mAb83.5 is known to recognize an undefined "fucose epitope" on several proteins with serine-rich domains, while mAb CAB4, and a component of anti-horse-radish peroxidase, specifically recognize Fucalpha1,6GlcNAc and Fucalpha1,3GlcNAc residues respectively in the core of N-linked oligosaccharides. We show that mAb 83.5 defines a new type of O-glycosylation. Serine-containing peptides incubated with GDPbeta[3H]Fuc and microsomes formed two fucosylated products. A neutral product accounting for 30% of the label did not react with the antibody, while the rest of the label was incorporated into a charged product which contained all the mAb83.5 reactive material. beta- Elimination of the labeled peptide or endogenous products produced [3H]Fuc-1-P, indicating phosphodiester linkage to serine. Fucbeta-1-P and GDP-betaFuc at 100 microM blocked mAb83.5 binding to endogenous and peptide products, but their alpha-linked anomers did not. Electrospray ionization mass spectra of the neutral and anionic labeled products showed major peaks of mass units corresponding to O-Fuc-Ser peptide and O-Fuc-phospho-Ser peptide, respectively. The activity of Fuc- phosphotransferase exactly paralleled the accumulation of reactive glycans during growth and development. The expressions of N-glycan core Fucalpha1,6GlcNAc and Fucalpha1,3GlcNAc and their respective fucosyl transferase activities were also synchronous, but their developmental regulation differed from one another. Fucalpha1, 6GlcNAc was expressed maximally during growth but declined during development. In contrast core Fucalpha1,3GlcNAc epitopes were expressed almost exclusively during development. These findings provide direct evidence for a novel type of O-phosphofucosylation, demonstrate the existence of an O- fucosyl transferase, and identify two different types of core fucosylation in the N-glycans of Dictyostelium.