Progress on genic male sterility gene in soybean.

Male sterility refers to the phenomenon that stamens cannot grow normally and produce viable pollen grains in plants. Hybrid seed production by taking advantage of the trait of male sterility is an effective and quick strategy to increase crop yield. Up to date, the yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.), maize (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and other crops has been greatly increased based on hybrid vigor utilization. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a self-pollination species, artificial emasculation is not only time-consuming, but also labor-intensive and economically impracticable. So far, large scale hybrid breeding has not been performed in soybean due to the shortage of male sterile lines suitable for hybrid production. Therefore, it is urgent to identify a stable male sterile system for the rapid utilization of heterosis in soybean. In this review, we summarize the progress on the discovery of soybean genic male sterility (GMS) mutants and GMS genes. Combining with the investigation of GMS genes in Arabidopsis, rice and maize, we provide important insights into the identification and potential utilization of GMS genes in soybean in the perspective of reverse genetics.

[Pregnancy outcomes of 103 women with pulmonary arterial hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pregnancy outcome of women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). METHODS: The medical records of 103 pregnant women with PAH admitted to Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2007 to March 2011 were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: (1) Degree of PAH and cardiac function. Among the 103 PAH, 92 cases were patients with congenital heart disease and 13 cases were with rheumatic heart disease. They were divided by color doppler ultrasound into mild PAH group (34 cases), moderate PAH group (22 cases) and severe PAH group (47 cases). Per heart function classification, 21 cases (20.4%, 21/103) were class I, 44 cases (42.7%, 44/103) were class II, 27 cases (26.2%, 27/103) were class III and 11 cases (10.7%, 11/103) were class IV. More patients were class III and IV cardiac function in the severe PAH group than in the mild and moderate PAH groups, with statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). (2) Delivery mode. There were 44 term delivery and 23 preterm birth in the 103 PAH patients.Sixty-three cases (94%, 63/67) received cesarean section and 4 cases had vaginal delivery. There were 36 iatrogenic abortion (35.0%, 36/103). The iatrogenic abortion rate in the severe PAH group was significantly higher than those in the mild and moderate PAH groups (P < 0.05).(3) Perinatal outcomes. The full-term delivery rates in the mild and moderate PAH groups [80% (20/25) and 14/17] were significantly higher than the severe PAH group (40%, 10/25), respectively (P < 0.05). And the premature birth rate of the severe PAH group(60%, 15/25) was significantly higher than the mild and moderate PAH group [20% (5/25) and 3/17, P < 0.05]. There were 4 neonatal asphyxia. The birth weight of mild, moderate and severe PAH groups were (3071 ± 443), (2910 ± 619) and (2381 ± 589) g, respectively. The birth weight in the severe PAH group was significantly lower than the mild and moderate PAH groups (P < 0.05). (4) Mortality. Nine cases maternal death happened, with a mortality of 8.7% (9/103). All of them were severe pulmonary hypertension patients. CONCLUSIONS: PAH is a serious complication during pregnancy.Women with mild PAH and normal cardiac function could continue pregnancy to full-term.Women with moderate PAH might continue pregnancy to 32 weeks under intensive care, cesarean delivery is preferable. Pregnant women with severe PAH should terminate pregnancy because of the high mortality.

(2'-Amino-4,4'-bi-1,3-thia-zol-2-aminium-κN,N')aqua-[citrato(4-)-κO,O',O'')chromium(III) dihydrate.

In the title compound, [Cr(C(6)H(7)N(4)S(2))(C(6)H(4)O(7))(H(2)O)]·2H(2)O, the Cr(III) atom is in a distorted octa-hedral environment, coordinated by one water mol-ecule, two N atoms from a protonated diamino-bithia-zole ligand and three O atoms from a citrate(4-) anion. The complex is zwitterionic, with the H atom from the uncoordinated carboxyl-ate group of the citrate anion transferred to one amino group of the diamino-bithia-zole ligand. O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the complexes into layers including the two uncoordinated water mol-ecules.