Genome-wide identification and characterization of circRNAs in wheat tiller.

KEY MESSAGE: This study found that the intergenic circRNAs of wheat were more abundant than those of other plants. More importantly, a circRNA-mediated network associated with tillering was constructed for the first time. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed circular structures, which play an important role in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. Tiller is an important agronomic trait that determines plant morphological architecture and affects spike number in wheat. However, no studies on the characteristics and functions of circRNAs involved in the regulation of wheat tiller. Here, we performed a genome-wide identification of circRNAs using ribosomal-depleted RNA-seq from wheat tiller of two pairs near-isogenic lines. A total of 686 circRNAs were identified and distributed on 21 chromosomes of wheat, of which 537 were novel circRNAs. Unlike other plants, the majority of these circRNAs (61.8%) were derived from intergenic regions. One circRNA-mediated network associated with tillering was constructed through weighted gene co-expression network analysis, including 323 circRNAs, 117 miRNAs, and 968 mRNAs. GO and pathway enrichment analysis of mRNAs suggested that these circRNAs are involved in cell cycle, ncRNA export from nucleus, developmental process, plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling pathway, RNA degradation. Of these circRNAs, ten circRNAs are associated with known tillering/branching genes in rice or Arabidopsis thaliana, including OsCesA7, EBR1, DTE1, CRD1, LPA1, PAY1, LRK1, OsNR2, OsCCA1, OsBZR1. In summary, we present the first study of the identification and characterization of circRNAs in wheat tiller, and the results suggest these circRNAs associated with tillering could play an important role in wheat tiller formation and development.

Identification and Genome-Wide Association Analysis for Fusarium Crown Rot Resistance in Wheat.

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a fungal disease and severely decreases wheat production worldwide. Tibetan semiwild wheat, Yunnan hulled wheat, Xinjiang rice wheat, and Sichuan white wheat are four subspecies landraces endemic to western China and have rich genetic diversity in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, a natural population, including 209 wheat accessions of four subspecies, was evaluated for FCR resistance. he genome-wide association study was performed using the wheat 55K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The results showed that the disease index (DI) ranged from 16.88 to 85.00, while six accessions showed moderate to high resistance (DI ≤ 30). Genome-wide association analysis identified 10 stable loci for FCR resistance on chromosomes 1B, 2A (5), 5A, 7A, 7B, and 7D. Four major loci-Qfcr.sicau.2A-1, Qfcr.sicau.2A-3, Qfcr.sicau.5A, and Qfcr.sicau.7D-explained 6.01 to 14.48, 9.76 to 13.11, 8.19 to 10.29, and 5.76 to 12.21% phenotypic variation, respectively. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) pyramiding analysis of these four major loci revealed that accessions with four resistance haplotypes could significantly decrease FCR severity by 9.35 to 31.61% compared with those without or with one to three resistance haplotypes. One kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) marker each was successfully developed for Qfcr.sicau.2A-1 and Qfcr.sicau.7D. The KASP marker of Qfcr.sicau.2A-1 was used to genotype in an F6 recombinant inbred line population. The result showed that the lines carrying the resistance allele reduced FCR severity by 17.78%, demonstrating the importance of Qfcr.sicau.2A-1 in resistance breeding programs. Our findings provide valuable QTL and breeder-friendly PCR-based markers for applications in FCR resistance breeding programs. Our study also proved that gene pyramiding of major loci could enhance FCR resistance.

Mapping Stripe Rust Resistance QTL in 'N2496', a Synthetic Hexaploid Wheat Derivative.

Stripe rust is a destructive disease that affects plant growth and substantially reduces wheat yields globally. An economically and environmentally friendly way to control this disease is to use resistant cultivars. 'N2496' is a synthetic hexaploid wheat derivative that exhibits high resistance and could serve as a source of resistance for breeding programs. We developed three recombinant inbred lines (RILs) populations by crossing 'N2496' with common wheat cultivars 'CN16', 'CM107', and 'MM37'. Stripe rust responses were evaluated in all three populations using a mixture of current predominant Chinese Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici races. A stripe rust resistance quantitative trait locus (QTL) in the 'N2496'/'CN16' RIL population was mapped on chromosome arm 6BL at 519.35 to 526.55 Mb using bulked segregant RNA sequencing. The population was genotyped using simple sequence repeats and kompetitive allele-specific polymerase (KASP) markers. The QTL QYr.sicau-6B was localized to a 1.19-cM interval flanked by markers KASP-TXK-10 and KASP-TXK-6. The genetic effect of QYr.sicau-6B was validated in the 'N2496' × 'CM107' and 'N2496' × 'MM37' RILs populations and explained up to 63.16% of the phenotypic variation. RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction identified two differentially expressed candidate genes in the physical interval of QYr.sicau-6B.

Fine mapping of the tiller inhibition gene TIN4 contributing to ideal plant architecture in common wheat.

KEY MESSAGE: A tiller inhibition gene, TIN4, was mapped to an approximately 311 kb genomic interval on chromosome arm 2DL of wheat. The tiller is one of the key components of plant morphological architecture and a central agronomic trait affecting spike number in wheat. Low tiller number has been proposed as a major component of crop ideotypes for high yield potential. In this study, we characterized the development of tillering in near-isogenic lines (NIL7A and NIL7B), indicating that the TIN4 gene inhibited the growth of tillering buds and negatively regulated tiller number. Low-tillering was controlled by a single gene (TIN4) located on chromosome 2DL by genetic analysis and bulked segregant RNA-seq analysis. A total of 17 new polymorphic markers were developed in this study, and 61 recombinants were identified in the secondary F2 population containing 4,266 individuals. TIN4 was finally mapped on a 0.35 cM interval, co-segregated with molecular marker M380, within a 311 kb genomic interval of the wheat cultivar Chinese Spring reference genome sequence that contained twelve predicted genes. Yield experiments showed that the yield of low-tillering lines was higher than that of high-tillering lines at a higher density. Overall, this study provides a foundation for the construction of a low-tillering ideotype for improving wheat yield and further cloning TIN4 by map-based cloning approach.

Identification and Validation of Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping for Spike-Layer Uniformity in Wheat.

Spike-layer uniformity (SLU), the consistency of the spike distribution in the vertical space, is an important trait. It directly affects the yield potential and appearance. Revealing the genetic basis of SLU will provide new insights into wheat improvement. To map the SLU-related quantitative trait loci (QTL), 300 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) that were derived from a cross between H461 and Chinese Spring were used in this study. The RILs and parents were tested in fields from two continuous years from two different pilots. Phenotypic analysis showed that H461 was more consistent in the vertical spatial distribution of the spike layer than in Chinese Spring. Based on inclusive composite interval mapping, four QTL were identified for SLU. There were two major QTL on chromosomes 2BL and 2DL and two minor QTL on chromosomes 1BS and 2BL that were identified. The additive effects of QSlu.sicau-1B, Qslu.sicau-2B-2, and QSlu.sicau-2D were all from the parent, H461. The major QTL, QSlu.sicau-2B-2 and QSlu.sicau-2D, were detected in each of the conducted trials. Based on the best linear unbiased prediction values, the two loci explained 23.97% and 15.98% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Compared with previous studies, the two major loci were potentially novel and the two minor loci were overlapped. Based on the kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) marker, the genetic effects for QSlu.sicau-2B-2 were validated in an additional RIL population. The genetic effects ranged from 26.65% to 32.56%, with an average value of 30.40%. In addition, QSlu.sicau-2B-2 showed a significant (p < 0.01) and positive influence on the spike length, spikelet number, and thousand kernel weight. The identified QTL and the developed KASP marker will be helpful for fine-mapping these loci, finally contributing to wheat breeding programs in a marker-assisted selection way.

The environmental benefit of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coal banning area for North China.

In order to achieve the targets specified in the Action Plan for Air Pollution Prevention and Control (APAPPC), a limited coal banning area (10,000 km2) was designated in the heavily polluted Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH) for the first time in 2017. PM2.5 and elements were sampled by the network of BTH to evaluate the effectiveness of this policy. This study found that the fine days with PM2.5 < 75 µg m-3 accounted for 74.3% in the autumn and winter of 2017, which was significantly higher than that in 2016 (43%). The heavily polluted days (PM2.5 > 150 µg m-3) also decreased from 32.2% in 2016 to 4.9% in 2017. Arsenic (As) is an important tracer in coal consumption, which can be used to reflect the influence of the establishment of coal banning areas on north China. The cluster analysis of air mass forward trajectory identified that the number of polluted trajectories with PM2.5 and As in 2017 decreased by 47.6% and 49.7%, respectively. Under the implementation of the coal banning policy, the weighted concentration of PM2.5 and As decreased by 94.2 µg m-3 and 5.1 ng m-3 in the coal banning area, 60.9 µg m-3 and 3.4 ng m-3 in the no coal banning area in BTH, respectively. The influence of weighted concentration of PM2.5 and As in coal banning area on North China were 1.6-49.2 µg m-3 and 0.15-2.8 ng m-3, respectively, which was 38.8% and 29.7% lower than 2016. In coal banning area, BTH and other parts of North China, the reduction of the weight concentration of PM2.5 in 2017 accounted for 41.4%, 26.8% and 31.8% of the total reduction, respectively, so was the As in 39%, 26.3% and 34.6%, indicating that setting up a coal banning area scientifically in limited areas can produce remarkable regional benefit.

Phenotypic and genetic variation in phosphorus-deficiency-tolerance traits in Chinese wheat landraces.

BACKGROUND: Phosphorus deficiency is a major limiting factors for affecting crop production globally. To understand the genetic variation of phosphorus-deficiency-tolerance, a total of 15 seedling traits were evaluated among 707 Chinese wheat landraces under application of phosphorus (AP) and non-application of phosphorus (NP). A total of 18,594 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 38,678 diversity arrays technology sequencing markers were used to detect marker-trait associations under AP and NP. RESULTS: Top ten genotypes with extremely tolerance and bottommost ten genotypes with extremely sensitivity were selected from 707 Chinese wheat landraces for future breeding and genetic analysis. A total of 55 significant markers (81 marker-trait associations) for 13 traits by both CMLM and SUPER method. These were distributed on chromosomes 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 6D, 7A and 7B. Considering the linkage disequilibrium decay distance, 25 and 12 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected under AP and NP, respectively (9 QTL were specific to NP). CONCLUSIONS: The extremely tolerant landraces could be used for breeding phosphorus-deficiency-tolerant cultivars. The QTL could be useful in wheat breeding through marker-assisted selection. Our findings provide new insight into the genetic analysis of P-deficiency-tolerance, and will be helpful for breeding P-deficiency-tolerant cultivars.

Identification and validation of stable quantitative trait loci for grain filling rate in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

KEY MESSAGE: We identified and validated two stable grain filling rate (GFR) quantitative trait loci (QTL) in wheat that positively influenced several yield-related traits. Among them, QGfr.sicau-7D.1 was a novel GFR QTL. The grain filling rate (GFR) plays a crucial role in determining grain yield. To advance the current understanding of the genetic characteristics underlying the GFR in common wheat, three recombinant inbred line populations were used to map and validate GFR quantitative trait loci (QTL). Using a high-density genetic linkage map, 10 GFR QTL were detected. They were located on chromosomes 2D, 4A, 4B, 5B, 6D, 7A and 7D, explained 4.99-12.62% of the phenotypic variation. Two of them, QGfr.sicau-6D and QGfr.sicau-7D.1, were detected in all four environments tested and their genetic effect was validated by closely linked kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) markers in different genetic backgrounds. The effects of these two GFR QTL on other yield-related traits were also estimated. QGfr.sicau-6D had a significant positive influence (p < 0.01) on thousand kernel weight, kernel width, kernel volume, and kernel surface area. QGfr.sicau-7D.1 had a significant positive influence (p < 0.01) on thousand kernel weight and kernel length. Furthermore, QGfr.sicau-7D.1 was a completely novel QTL for GFR; several genes associated with grain growth and development were predicted in its physical interval. These results will facilitate molecular marker-assisted selection of wheat with high-confidence QTL for GFR and fine mapping of genes associated with GFR, thereby contributing to yield improvement.

Mapping of QTL for total spikelet number per spike on chromosome 2D in wheat using a high-density genetic map.

Total spikelet number per spike (TSS) is one of the key components of grain yield in wheat. Chromosome (chr.) 2D contains numerous genes that control TSS. In this study, we evaluated 138 F8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from an F2 population of a synthetic hexaploid wheat line (SHW-L1) and a common wheat cultivar (Chuanmai 32) for TSS in six different environments. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for TSS, we constructed an integrated high-density genetic map of chr. 2D containing two simple sequence repeats, 35 diversity array technology markers, and 143 single nucleotide polymorphisms. We identified three stable QTL for TSS that individually explained 9.7-19.2% of the phenotypic variation and predicted 23 putative candidate genes within the QTL mapping interval. Overall, our results provide insight into the genetic basis of TSS in synthetic hexaploid wheat that may be useful in breeding high-yielding wheat cultivars.

Quantitative trait loci analysis of root traits under phosphorus deficiency at the seedling stage in wheat.

Deficiency of available phosphorus (P) in soil limits wheat production and creates a need to develop P-deficiency-tolerant cultivars. Plant roots, important organs for absorbing nutrients and synthesizing growth regulators, are good candidates for P-efficiency screening. In this study, we evaluated five root traits under hydroponic culture conditions either with (AP) or without (NP) applied P in a recombinant inbred line population (H461/CM107) of Triticum aestivum L. at the seedling stage. Four significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected, on chromosomes 1D, 2D, 3D, and 7D in NP-treated plants, explaining up to 13.0%, 11.0%, 14.4%, and 12.8% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. Among these QTL, Qrt.sicau-3D and Qrt.sicau-7D showed pleiotropic and additive effects. All QTL were found to be novel. The diversity array technology markers flanking the QTL were converted to simple sequence repeat markers that can be deployed in future genetic studies of P deficiency. These QTL lead to an increase in root biomass and respond to P-deficiency stress; these characteristics are crucial to improve root traits for breeding or further investigation of the gene(s) involved in P-deficiency tolerance.

Investigating missing sources of glyoxal over China using a regional air quality model (RAMS-CMAQ).

Currently, modeling studies tend to significantly underestimate observed space-based glyoxal (CHOCHO) vertical column densities (VCDs), implying the existence of missing sources of glyoxal. Several recent studies suggest that the emissions of aromatic compounds and molar yields of glyoxal in the chemical mechanisms may both be underestimated, which can affect the simulated glyoxal concentrations. In this study, the influences of these two factors on glyoxal amounts over China were investigated using the RAMS-CMAQ modeling system for January and July 2014. Four sensitivity simulations were performed, and the results were compared to satellite observations. These results demonstrated significant impacts on glyoxal concentrations from these two factors. In case 1, where the emissions of aromatic compounds were increased three-fold, improvements to glyoxal VCDs were seen in high anthropogenic emissions regions. In case 2, where molar yields of glyoxal from isoprene were increased five-fold, the resulted concentrations in July were 3-5-fold higher, achieving closer agreement between the modeled and measured glyoxal VCDs. The combined changes from both cases 1 and 2 were applied in case 3, and the model succeeded in further reducing the underestimations of glyoxal VCDs. However, the results over most of the regions with pronounced anthropogenic emissions were still underestimated. So the molar yields of glyoxal from anthropogenic precursors were considered in case 4. With these additional mole yield changes (a two-fold increase), the improved concentrations agreed better with the measurements in regions of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and Yellow River in January but not in July.

Identification and validation of novel low-tiller number QTL in common wheat.

KEY MESSAGE: SNP-based QTL mapping provided useful information for novel loci that can be used in breeding programs to control tillering and improve yield in wheat via marker-assisted selection. Tillering is one of the most important agronomic traits affecting biomass and grain yield potential in wheat. Wheat lines with very limited tillering capacity are more productive than free-tillering lines under severe drought conditions. In this study, three recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations were generated and used, having H461, a low-tillering genotype, as a common parent. A linkage map containing 7808 single nucleotide polymorphism loci was constructed on the basis of H461/CN16 RIL population. Three QTL controlling low tillering were identified on Chromosome (Chr.) 2D (Qltn.sicau-2D), Chr. 2B (Qltn.sicau-2B), and Chr. 5A (Qltn.sicau-5A). Qltn.sicau-2D, Qltn.sicau-2B, and Qltn.sicau-5A explained up to 19.1, 14.6, and 9.6 % of the phenotypic variance, respectively. Comparing with previous findings, Qltn.sicau-2D and Qltn.sicau-2B should thus be novel tillering QTL. The effects of these QTL were further validated in two additional RIL populations. Significant effects of Qltn.sicau-2D were detected across all growth stages in different genetic backgrounds, making it an ideal target for breeding programs as well as for further characterization of the gene(s) underlying this locus.

Characterizations of volatile organic compounds during high ozone episodes in Beijing, China.

Air samples were collected in Beijing from June through August 2008, and concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in those samples are here discussed. This sampling was performed to increase understanding of the distributions of their compositions, illustrate the overall characteristics of different classes of VOCs, assess the ages of air masses, and apportion sources of VOCs using principal compound analysis/absolute principal component scores (PCA/APCS). During the sampling periods, the relative abundance of the four classes of VOCs as determined by the concentration-based method was different from that determined by the reactivity approach. Alkanes were found to be most abundant (44.3-50.1%) by the concentration-based method, but aromatic compounds were most abundant (38.2-44.5%) by the reactivity approach. Aromatics and alkenes contributed most (73-84%) to the ozone formation potential. Toluene was the most abundant compound (11.8-12.7%) during every sampling period. When the maximum incremental reactivity approach was used, propene, toluene, m,p-xylene, 1-butene, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene were the five most abundant compounds during two sampling periods. X/B, T/B, and E/B ratios in this study were lower than those found in other cities, possibly due to the aging of the air mass at this site. Four components were extracted from application of PCA to the data. It was found that the contribution of vehicle exhaust to total VOCs accounted for 53% of VOCs, while emissions due to the solvent use contributed 33% of the total VOCs. Industrial sources contributed 3% and biogenic sources contributed 11%. The results showed that vehicle exhausts (i.e., unburned vehicle emissions + vehicle internal engine combustion) were dominant in VOC emissions during the experimental period. The solvent use made the second most significant contribution to ambient VOCs.

Genome-wide association mapping of Fusarium crown rot resistance in Aegilops tauschii.

Fusarium crown rot (FCR), caused by various Fusarium species, is a primary fungal disease in most wheat-growing regions worldwide. A. tauschii, the diploid wild progenitor of the D-genome of common wheat, is a reservoir of genetic diversity for improving bread wheat biotic and abiotic resistance/tolerance. A worldwide collection of 286 A. tauschii accessions was used to evaluate FCR resistance. Population structure analysis revealed that 115 belonged to the A. tauschii ssp. strangulata subspecies, and 171 belonged to the A. tauschii ssp. tauschii subspecies. Five accessions with disease index values lower than 20 showed moderate resistance to FCR. These five originated from Afghanistan, China, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Turkey, all belonging to the tauschii subspecies. Genome-wide association mapping using 6,739 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) revealed that two SNPs on chromosome 2D and four SNPs on chromosome 7D were significantly associated with FCR resistance. Almost all FCR resistance alleles were presented in accessions from the tauschii subspecies, and only 4, 11, and 19 resistance alleles were presented in accessions from the strangulata subspecies. Combining phenotypic correlation analysis and genome-wide association mapping confirmed that FCR resistance loci were independent of flowering time, heading date, and plant height in this association panel. Six genes encoding disease resistance-related proteins were selected as candidates for further validation. The identified resistant A. tauschii accessions will provide robust resistance gene sources for breeding FCR-resistant cultivars. The associated loci/genes will accelerate and improve FCR in breeding programs by deploying marker-assisted selection.

Mass and number concentration distribution of marine aerosol in the Western Pacific and the influence of continental transport.

We quantify for the first time marine aerosol properties and their differences in the offshore and remote ocean in the mid-latitude South Asian waters, low-latitude South Asian waters, and equatorial waters of the Western Pacific Ocean, based on shipboard cruise observations conducted by the Western Pacific Ocean Scientific Observation Network in winter 2018, and further investigate the effects of long-range transport of continental aerosols on the marine environment. During the overall observation period, the average number concentration of particle matter which aerodynamic diameters<2.5 µm (PM2.5N) was 35.1 ± 87.4 cm-3 and the mass concentration (PM2.5M) was 12.3 ± 9.1 µg/m3. The PM2.5N and PM2.5M during the continental air mass transport period were 7.2 and 1.3 times higher than those during the non-transport period (109.2 ± 169.3 cm-3, 15.9 ± 14.9 µg/m3), respectively. Excluding transport period, the average PM2.5N and PM2.5M are reduced by 120% and 7%. Coarse mode particle number concentration (PM2.5-10N) and mass concentration (PM2.5-10M) are not significantly influenced by continental air masses (only a reduction of 7% and 2%). The variation of marine aerosol concentrations in different latitudes zones is greatly influenced by continental aerosol transport. The offshore PM2.5M/PM10M was 30%, 21%, and 22% in the mid-latitude sea of South Asia, a low-latitude sea of South Asia, and the equatorial sea, respectively. In comparison, in the remote ocean, the distribution ratio of PM2.5M/PM10M tended to be steady (22%-23%), and the background characteristics of marine aerosols were clearly represented. The aerosol concentration decreases with the increase of wind speed during the transport period, and the wind speed reflects the scavenging effect on aerosol. In the non-transport period, the wind speed at the sea surface promotes the generation of marine aerosols, and the impact in wind speed is strongest in the PM2.5-PM5 particle size range.

Effects of the sea-land breeze on coastal ozone pollution in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

Aim at the effects of the coastal characteristic on ozone pollution in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), a campaign was launched at the Ningbo, China in the summer of 2020, which mainly covered the monitoring of the vertical profiles of ozone (O3) concentration, three-dimensional wind field, temperature and humidity profiles and parameters of boundary layer dynamic-thermodynamic structure. At the coastal research station, a sea-land breeze (SLB) circulation accompanied by a concurrent coastal low-level jets (CLLJ) structure was observed and identified during 11-12 May 2020. The sea breeze first formed at 10:00 LT on 11 May, turned to land breeze at night, and returned to sea breeze again at 10:00 LT the next morning, prevailing at altitudes of 0-0.5 km and 0-0.3 km respectively. Land breeze at night carries O3 from the inland to the sea forming high ozone levels over the sea, and the shift of the sea breeze during daytime further blew pollution back to the land. Additionally, the conversion of SLB contributed to the occurrence of CLLJ at the altitudes of ~0.3-0.7 km by 02:00 and 06:00 LT, of which the center of wind speed reached ~13 m s-1. The CLLJ-induced turbulent activity decoupled the residual layer (RL) and stable boundary layer, leading to a reduction of RL-O3 levels and an increase of ~50 µg m-3 in surface-O3 concentration. The YRD's unique coastal characteristics make O3 pollution causes in coastal areas more complicated.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons induce endothelial injury through miR-155 to promote atherosclerosis.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered as an external factor that induces atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Although miR-155 is known to be involved in cardiovascular disease, whether it is involved in PAH-induced arteriosclerosis remains unclear. We evaluated the effects of PAHs on vascularization, permeability, and miR-155 expression in HUVECs. We found that PAHs-induced sclerosis of HUVECs was characterized by increasing permeability, decreasing proliferation, and vascular lumen number. The expression of miR-155 was upregulated by PAHs treatment, and transfection with miR-155 inhibitor could reverse above effect of PAHs-induced sclerosis. Meanwhile, transcriptome sequencing revealed that 63 genes were downregulated in the group of PAHs treatment alone, and were then upregulated in the miR-155 inhibitor group. These genes were mainly involved in complement and coagulation cascades, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, TNF signaling pathway, and NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Among these 63 genes, SERPIND1 was directly targeted and regulated by miR-155. Further in vivo experiments in ApoE-/- mice confirmed that PAH accelerates the development of arteriosclerosis by promoting the expression of miR-155 to downregulate the SERPIND1. Therefore, PAH exaggerates atherosclerosis by activating miR-155-dependent endothelial injury. This study provides a fundamental insight on the miR-155 mechanism for PAHs enhancing atherosclerosis and miR-155 potentially serving as a novel drug target.

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Coleoptile Length in Different Chinese Wheat Landraces.

From the perspective of wheat yield improvement, the coleoptile is vital for successful crop establishment, and long coleoptile lengths (CLs) are preferred in wheat-growing regions where deep planting is practiced. To determine the genetic basis of CL, we performed a genome-wide association study on a set of 707 Chinese wheat landraces using 18,594 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 38,678 diversity array technology sequencing markers. We accordingly detected a total of 29 significant markers [-log10 (P) > 4.76] distributed on chromosomes 2B, 2D, 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A, 6B, 6D, and 7B. Based on linkage disequilibrium decay distance, we identified a total of 17 quantitative trait loci associated with CL, among which QCl.sicau-6B.2, located at 508.17-509.26 Mb on chromosome 6B, was recognized as a novel major locus. We subsequently developed a high-resolution melt marker for QCl.sicau-6B.2, which was validated in an F 2 : 3 population. Our findings provide important insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying coleoptile growth and could be applied to marker-assisted wheat selection.

Identification and Validation of a Novel Major Quantitative Trait Locus for Plant Height in Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Plant height (PH) plays a pivotal role in plant morphological architecture and is associated with yield potential in wheat. For the quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis, a recombinant inbred line population was developed between varieties differing significantly in PH. Two major QTL were identified on chromosomes 4B (QPh.sicau-4B) and 6D (QPh.sicau-6D) in multiple environments, which were then validated in two different backgrounds by using closely linked markers. QPh.sicau-4B explained 10.1-21.3% of the phenotypic variance, and the location corresponded to the dwarfing gene Rht-B1. QPh.sicau-6D might be a novel QTL for PH, explaining 6.6-13.6% of the phenotypic variance and affecting spike length, thousand-kernel weight, and spikelet compactness. Three candidate genes associated with plant growth and development were identified in the physical interval of QPh.sicau-6D. Collectively, we identified a novel stable and major PH QTL, QPh.sicau-6D, which could aid in the development of closely linked markers for marker-assisted breeding and cloning genes underlying this QTL.

Dissection of Phenotypic and Genetic Variation of Drought-Related Traits in Diverse Chinese Wheat Landraces.

CORE IDEAS: Variations in 16 seedling traits under normal and drought conditions were investigated. Extremely resistant and sensitive accessions were identified for future analyses. Under normal and drought conditions, 57 and 29 QTL were identified, respectively. A total of 77 candidate genes were identified, and four were validated by qRT-PCR. Drought is one of the most important abiotic stressors affecting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. To improve wheat yield, a better understanding of the genetic control of traits governing drought resistance is paramount. Here, using 645 wheat landraces, we evaluated 16 seedling traits related to root and shoot growth and water content under normal and drought (induced by polyethylene glycol) conditions. Extremely resistant and sensitive accessions were identified for future drought-resistance breeding and further genetic analyses. A genome-wide association study was performed for the 16 traits using 52,118 diversity arrays technology sequencing (DArT-seq) markers. A total of 57 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected for seven traits under normal conditions, whereas 29 QTL were detected for eight traits under drought conditions. On the basis of these markers, we identified 56 candidate genes for six seedling traits under normal conditions, and 21 candidate genes for seven seedling traits under drought conditions. Four candidate genes were validated under normal and drought conditions using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) data. The co-localization of the flowering date and drought-related traits indicates that the regulatory networks of flowering may also respond to drought stress or are associated with the correlated responses of these traits. The phenotypic and genetic elucidation of drought-related traits will assist future gene discovery efforts and provide a basis for breeding drought-resistant wheat cultivars.