Label-free integrated microfluidic plasmonic biosensor from vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers for SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain protein detection.

The nanoplasmonic sensor of the nanograting array has a remarkable ability in label-free and rapid biological detection. The integration of the nanograting array with the standard vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) platform can achieve a compact and powerful solution to provide on-chip light sources for biosensing applications. Here, a high sensitivity and label-free integrated VCSELs sensor was developed as a suitable analysis technique for COVID-19 specific receptor binding domain (RBD) protein. The gold nanograting array is integrated on VCSELs to realize the integrated microfluidic plasmonic biosensor of on-chip biosensing. The 850 nm VCSELs are used as a light source to excite the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of the gold nanograting array to detect the concentration of attachments. The refractive index sensitivity of the sensor is 2.99 × 106 nW/RIU. The aptamer of RBD was modified on the surface of the gold nanograting to detect the RBD protein successfully. The biosensor has high sensitivity and a wide detection range of 0.50 ng/mL - 50 µg/mL. This VCSELs biosensor provides an integrated, portable, and miniaturized idea for biomarker detection.

Efficacy of dynamic interpersonal therapy for major depressive disorder in China: results of a multicentered, three-arm, randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic interpersonal therapy (DIT) is a brief, structured psychodynamic psychotherapy with demonstrated efficacy in treating major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of the study was to determine whether DIT is an acceptable and efficacious treatment for MDD patients in China. METHOD: Patients were randomized to 16-week treatments with either DIT plus antidepressant medication (DIT + ADM; n = 66), general supportive therapy plus antidepressant medication (GST + ADM; n = 75) or antidepressant medication alone (ADM; n = 70). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) administered by blind raters was the primary efficacy measure. Assessments were completed during the acute 16-week treatment and up to 12-month posttreatment. RESULTS: The group × time interaction was significant for the primary outcome HAMD (F = 2.900, df1 = 10, df2 = 774.72, p = 0.001) in the acute treatment phase. Pairwise comparisons showed a benefit of DIT + ADM over ADM at weeks 12 [least-squares (LS) mean difference = -3.161, p = 0.007] and 16 (LS mean difference = -3.237, p = 0.004). Because of the unexpected high attrition during the posttreatment follow-up phase, analyses of follow-up data were considered exploratory. Differences between DIT + ADM and ADM remained significant at the 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up (ps range from 0.001 to 0.027). DIT + ADM had no advantage over GST + ADM during the acute treatment phase. However, at the 12-month follow-up, patients who received DIT remained less depressed. CONCLUSIONS: Acute treatment with DIT or GST in combination with ADM was similarly efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms and yielded a better outcome than ADM alone. DIT may provide MDD patients with long-term benefits in symptom improvement but results must be viewed with caution.

Development and internal and external validation of a nomogram model for frailty risk among hospitalised older people using comprehensive geriatric assessment data.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are few such studies about establishing the frailty prediction model on the basis of the research on the factors influencing frailty in older patients, which can better predict frailty and identify its risk factors, and then guide the formulation of intervention measures precisely, especially in the hospital setting in China. Meanwhile, comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) can provide measurable and substantial health improvements for frail older people. The study aimed to develop a nomogram model for frailty risk among hospitalised older people using CGA data and validated its predictive performance for providing a basis for medical staff to grasp the risk and risk factors of older inpatients' frailty conveniently and accurately, and to formulate reasonable nursing intervention plan. METHODS: We used CGA data of individuals over age 64. Demographic characteristics, geriatric syndrome assessment, and frailty assessment based on the FRAIL scale were included as potential predictors. Significant variables in univariate analysis were used to construct risk models by logistic regression analysis. We used the root mean square (rms) to develop the nomogram prediction model for frailty based on independent clinical factors. Nomogram performance was internally validated with Bootstrap resampling. The final model was externally validated using an independent validation data set and was assessed for discrimination and calibration. RESULTS: Data from 2226 eligible older inpatients were extracted. Five hundred sixty-two older inpatients (25.25%) suffered from frailty. The final prediction model included damaged skin, MNA-SF, GDS-15, Morse risk scores, hospital admission, ICI-Q-SF, Braden score, MMSE, BI scores, and Caprini scores. The prediction model displayed fair discrimination. The calibration curve demonstrated that the probabilities of frailty predicted by the nomogram were satisfactorily matched. CONCLUSIONS: The prediction model to identify hospitalised older people at high risk for frailty using comprehensive geriatric assessment data displayed fair discrimination and good predictive calibration. Therefore, it is inexpensive, easily applied, and accessible in clinical practice, containing variables routinely collected and readily available through consultation. It will be valuable for grasp older inpatients at high risk of frailty and risk factors in hospital setting to guide the formulation of intervention measures precisely for reversing and preventing frailty.

A Pseudomonas Lysogenic Bacteriophage Crossing the Antarctic and Arctic, Representing a New Genus of Autographiviridae.

Polar regions tend to support simple food webs, which are vulnerable to phage-induced gene transfer or microbial death. To further investigate phage-host interactions in polar regions and the potential linkage of phage communities between the two poles, we induced the release of a lysogenic phage, vB_PaeM-G11, from Pseudomonas sp. D3 isolated from the Antarctic, which formed clear phage plaques on the lawn of Pseudomonas sp. G11 isolated from the Arctic. From permafrost metagenomic data of the Arctic tundra, we found the genome with high-similarity to that of vB_PaeM-G11, demonstrating that vB_PaeM-G11 may have a distribution in both the Antarctic and Arctic. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that vB_PaeM-G11 is homologous to five uncultured viruses, and that they may represent a new genus in the Autographiviridae family, named Fildesvirus here. vB_PaeM-G11 was stable in a temperature range (4-40 °C) and pH (4-11), with latent and rise periods of about 40 and 10 min, respectively. This study is the first isolation and characterization study of a Pseudomonas phage distributed in both the Antarctic and Arctic, identifying its lysogenic host and lysis host, and thus provides essential information for further understanding the interaction between polar phages and their hosts and the ecological functions of phages in polar regions.

Reference values of impulse oscillometry (IOS) for healthy Chinese children aged 4-17 years.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the predicted value of pulmonary function determined by impulse oscillometry (IOS) in children (4-17 years old) in China. METHODS: A total of 6270 healthy children aged 4-17 years in China were included. The Master Screen IOS pulmonary function device (Jaeger Co, Germany) was used to detect the respiratory impedance (Zrs), resonant frequency (Fres), respiratory system resistance (Rrs) and respiratory system reactance (Xrs) at various oscillation frequencies, and the indices above were analysed. Stepwise multivariate regression was used to establish the regression equation of related parameters of IOS in different sexes, ages, height, and weight. RESULTS: The differences in the main IOS parameters between different age stages were statistically significant regardless of sex (P < 0.05). The stepwise multivariate regression analysis showed that IOS parameters were related to height, age, and weight, and most IOS parameters were most closely related to height (the absolute value of the regression coefficient was the largest). With increasing age and height, the values of Z5, R5, R20, R5-R20, and Fres decreased, while the value of X5 increased. Through height, age, and weight, we obtained the normal predicted values equation of children's IOS parameters. Compared with the other reference equations, our reference equation is more suitable for Chinese children. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed the reference values of IOS parameters in healthy Chinese children. In the evaluation of results for lung function measurements, this predicted value equation is more consistent with the characteristics of Chinese children than other reference equations. CLINICAL TRIAL: ChiCTR: 1800019029.

A case of brucellosis-induced Guillain-Barre syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological complication of brucellosis, and neurobrucellosis is the most common, but they have many similarities in clinical manifestations. Many clinicians are accustomed to merely explaining the manifestations of nervous system involvement with neurobrucellosis, but they ignore the possibility of GBS, and this leads to misdiagnosis, untimely treatment, and serious consequences. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old male patient was admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University for intermittent fever, fatigue, and waist pain more than three months. Brucellosis was diagnosed from the blood test. Although anti-brucella treatment was given at the time of diagnosis, the disease continued to progress. At the time of the cerebrospinal fluid systematic physical examination and the neuroelectrophysiological test, acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy was diagnosed. The patient was given immediately administered immunoglobulin therapy. After three months of systemic treatment, the patient's muscle strength of the distal limbs gradually recovered. The numbness of the limbs eased slowly, and urination function and respiratory function returned to normal. He could sit by himself. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of GBS should be closely monitored for when a brucellosis patient shows typical clinical manifestations of progressive muscle weakness, protein-cell separation of the cerebral spinal fluid, and typical demyelinating sensorimotor polyneuropathy.

Influence of the timing of bronchoscopic alveolar lavage on children with adenovirus pneumonia: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Adenovirus pneumonia is prone to severe clinical and imaging manifestations in children. Bronchoscopic alveolar lavage (BAL) is an important adjunctive therapy for patients with severe imaging findings. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of the timing on the efficacy of bronchoalveolar lavage in children with adenovirus pneumonia. METHODS: This study included 134 patients with adenovirus pneumonia treated with BAL at Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center from January 2019 to January 2020.They were classified into the severe and mild groups. Based on the timing of BAL, each group was divided into the early BAL layer (received BAL within 1-9 days of the illness course) and the late BAL layer (received BAL within 10-14 days of the illness course). The clinical data of patients with different BAL timings were analyzed in two groups. RESULTS: Among the 134 patients, 70 were categorized into the mild group and 64 were categorized into the severe group. Of the 134 patients, 42 patients received BAL early (mild group: n = 21 and severe group: n = 21) and 92 patients received BAL later (mild group: n = 49 and severe group: n = 43). In the mild group, the fever and hospital duration were shorter in patients who received BAL early than in those who received BAL later (p < 0.05). However, in the severe group, there were no statistically significant differences in the fever and hospital duration between patients who received BAL early and those who received BAL later. However, the need for mechanical ventilation and the incidence of BAL complications, such as new need for oxygen, were higher in patients who received BAL early than in those who received BAL later in the severe group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: For mild adenovirus pneumonia, early BAL may shorten the fever and hospital duration. However, early BAL in severe cases might not shorten the course of the disease or improve prognosis and may even increase the risks of mechanical ventilation and BAL complications.

Two novel mutations in TCIRG1 induced infantile malignant osteopetrosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Infantile malignant osteopetrosis (IMO) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by a higher bone density in bone marrow caused by the dysfunction of bone resorption. Clinically, IMO can be diagnosed with medical examination, bone mineral density test and whole genome sequencing. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 4-month-old male infant with abnormal skull development, hypocalcemia and premature closure of the cranial sutures. Due to the hyper bone density showed by his radiographic examination, which are characteristic patterns of IMO, we speculated that he might be an IMO patient. In order to confirm this diagnosis, a high-precision whole exome sequencing of the infant and his parents was performed. The analysis of high-precision whole exome sequencing results lead to the identification of two novel heterozygous mutations c.504-1G > C (a splicing site mutation) and c.1371delC (p.G458Afs*70, a frameshift mutation) in gene TCIRG1 derived from his parents. Therefore, we propose that there is a close association between these two mutations and the onset of IMO. CONCLUSIONS: To date, these two novel mutations in gene TCIRG1 have not been reported in the reference gene database of Chinese population. These variants have likewise not been reported outside of China in the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). Our case suggests that the use of whole exome sequencing to detect these two mutations will improve the identification and early diagnosis of IMO, and more specifically, the identification of homozygous individuals with TCIRG1 gene mutation. We propose that these mutations in gene TCIRG1 could be a novel therapeutic target for the IMO in the future.

Exposure to volatile organic compounds may be associated with oxidative DNA damage-mediated childhood asthma.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important and ubiquitous air pollutants, which may lead to a significant increase in the prevalence of respiratory diseases. To investigate the relationships between VOCs exposure and childhood asthma, 252 asthmatic children and 69 healthy children were recruited. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG, a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage), trans-3'-hydroxycotinine (OH-Cot, a biomarker of passive smoking) and 27 VOC metabolites were simultaneously determined by an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer. Results showed that levels of 8-OHdG and most VOC metabolites in asthmatic children were significantly higher than those in healthy children. More than half of the VOC metabolites were significantly and positively associated with OH-Cot with maximal ß coefficient of 0.169, suggesting that second-hand smoking is one important source of VOCs exposure for children in Guangzhou. Significant dose-response relationships between most VOC metabolites and 8-OHdG were observed. Each unit increase in ln-transformed VOC metabolite levels was significantly associated with 5.5-32% increase in ln-transformed 8-OHdG level. Moreover, each unit increase in ln-transformed 8-OHdG level was associated with an 896% increased odd ratios (OR) of asthma in children (OR = 9.96, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 4.75, 20.9), indicating that oxidative stress induced by VOCs exposure may have a significant impact on childhood asthma. Urinary 3-&4-Methylhippuric acid (3-&4-MHA, OR: 5.78, 95% CI: 3.50, 9.54), rac 2-Aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (ATCA, OR: 2.90, 95% CI: 1.69, 4.99) and N-Acetyl-S-(3,4-dihydroxybutyl)-L-cysteine (DHBMA, OR: 2.76, 95% CI: 1.73, 4.43) which may derive from m/p-xylene, cyanide and 1,3-butadiene exposure, respectively, could significantly and maximally increase the odds of asthma. Interestingly, they also had the strongest associations with 8-OHdG among all investigated VOC metabolites. Moreover, DHBMA strongly correlated with most VOC metabolites. Hence, DHBMA is a suitable biomarker to indicate not only VOCs exposure profile, but also the DNA damage-mediated asthma induced by VOCs.

Association among blood BPDE-DNA adduct, serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) and DNA strand breaks for children with pulmonary diseases.

Exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) may be a risk factor for pulmonary diseases. To investigate the correlations among B[a]P exposure level, DNA strand breaks and pulmonary inflammation, we recruited 83 children diagnosed with pulmonary diseases and 63 healthy children from Guangzhou, China. Results showed that the levels of Benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide (BPDE) DNA adduct in blood and IL-8 in serum in case group were significantly higher than those in control group (p < 0.01). Moreover, levels of atmospheric B[a]P in case group was about twice of those in control group, which was consistent with the levels of BPDE-DNA adduct in blood. Significant positive correlations were observed among the levels of BPDE-DNA adduct, IL-8 and DNA strand breaks (p < 0.05). Our findings indicate that environmental air is an important exposure source of B[a]P and higher B[a]P exposure may contribute to the occurrence of pulmonary inflammation and lead to high health risks.

Epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations and laboratory findings in 850 patients with brucellosis in Heilongjiang Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Brucellosis has extensive clinical spectrum, clinicians have insufficient understanding of the disease, and the misdiagnosis rate is still high. By collecting and analyzing the clinical characteristics of patients with brucellosis in Heilongjiang Province to provide guidance and reference for clinicians to make timely diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: The demographic and epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, complications, laboratory findings were retrospectively evaluated in 850 brucellosis patients admitted in the Department of Infectious Diseases of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University and the Second Hospital of Daqing from 2012 to 2017. RESULTS: Of the 850 patients, the most common clinical manifestations were fever (93.3%), joint pain (69.8%), sweating (45.2%), fatigue (38.6%), and splenomegaly (34.0%). Peripheral arthritis, spondylitis and epididymal-orchitis were the common complications. Of the 398 patients who were followed up and completed treatment, 22 (5.5%) had relapse. CONCLUSIONS: Brucellosis is a multisystem disease with diverse clinical manifestations. In areas where brucellosis is endemic, the possibility of the disease should be considered in patients with unexplained fever and joints pain. In addition, the high rate of relapse is mainly due to the misdiagnosis of complications, so local CT or MRI examination is necessary for patients with joint pain and low back pain. Timely diagnosis, early detection of complications are essential to improve the prognosis and reduce relapse.

Simultaneous determination of urinary 31 metabolites of VOCs, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine by UPLC-MS/MS: 13C- and 15N-labeled isotoped internal standards are more effective on reduction of matrix effect.

Human beings are inevitably exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of anthropogenic emissions as they are ubiquitous atmospheric pollutants. Smoking is an important exposure route of VOCs for the general population. Health effects induced by VOC exposure raise more concerns as they are identified with carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. trans-3'-Hydroxycotinine (OH-Cot) is a urinary biomarker of smoking, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHDG) is a urinary biomarker of DNA oxidative damage. To develop a method for quantifying VOC exposure levels of the general population and assessing the health risks induced by VOCs from second-hand smoking, an effective, rapid, and high-throughput method for the simultaneous determination of 31 metabolites of VOCs, 8-OHDG, and OH-Cot using solid-phase extraction coupled with UPLC-MS/MS was developed and validated. Method precision and accuracy, extraction recoveries, matrix effects, and storage stabilities of most analytes met the criterion (80-120%). Extraction recoveries increased from 85.1 to 100% after adjustment by isotoped internal standards (ISs). Furthermore, 13C- and 15N-labeled ISs were more effective to reduce the influence of matrix effects on recoveries and precisions than the deuterated analogs (73.0-116% vs. 53.6-140%). This developed method was successfully applied to determine urine samples collected from children. Results showed that N-acetyl-S-(3,4-dihydrobutyl)-L-cysteine, 2,2'-thiodiacetic acid (TGA), and N-acetyl-S-(3-hydroxypropyl-1-methyl)-L-cysteine (HPMMA) were well correlated with 8-OHDG with coefficients higher than 0.82, indicating those VOCs might easily lead to DNA damage. In conclusion, our co-monitoring of metabolites of VOCs with 8-OHDG and OH-Cot in one method provides a robust analytical method, which not only suggests the potential adverse health effects induced by VOCs but also discriminates and evaluates the contribution of passive smoking in human VOC exposure. Graphical abstract.

The classification of eating disorders in China: A categorical model or a dimensional model.

OBJECTIVE: According to the ICD-10 and DSM-5, eating disorders (EDs) are classified using a categorical model that assumes the subtypes are qualitatively different from one another. However, it is still intensely debated that a dimensional model is more suitable. The aim of this study is to examine whether EDs have a categorical or dimensional latent structure using a sample of Chinese ED patients. METHOD: The sample included 322 patients, diagnosed with an ED from 2010 to 2017 in the Shanghai Mental Health Center, and comparison participants (N = 850), recruited from undergraduate students in one university in Shanghai. Participants were evaluated with the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) questionnaire and another questionnaire developed by the researchers. Three taxometric procedures (MAXimum EIGenvalue [MAXEIG], latent-mode factor analysis [L-Mode], and Mean Above Minus Below A Cut [MAMBAC]) were applied, respectively, to analyze the patients' clinical symptoms data. RESULTS: Patients were divided into three groups according to their clinical diagnosis. The plots of the three taxometric analysis procedures supported the categorical construct in anorexia nervosa, binge-eating/purging group, and bulimia nervosa group. The Comparison Curve Fit Indices of the MAXEIG, L-Mode, and MAMBAC procedures were 0.694, 0.709, 0.704 in the AN-BP group and 0.727, 0.67, 0.62 in the BN group, respectively, which also support the categorical construct. DISCUSSION: The results support two distinct classes of ED subtypes among Chinese sample. Further work on applying hybrid model in analysis has been discussed.

Two transcription factors TaPpm1 and TaPpb1 co-regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in purple pericarps of wheat.

Purple pericarps of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are a useful source of dietary anthocyanins. Previous mapping results indicated that the purple pericarp trait is controlled by two complementary genes located on chromosomes 7D and 2A. However, the identity of the genes and the mechanisms by which they regulate the trait are unknown. In this study, two transcription factors were characterised as anthocyanin activators in purple pericarps: TaPpm1 (purple pericarp-MYB 1) and TaPpb1 (purple pericarp-bHLH 1). Three non-functional variants were detected in the coding sequence of TaPpm1 from non-purple seed lines, in which the function of TaPpm1 was destroyed either by insertion-induced frame shifts or truncated peptides. There were six 261-bp tandem repeats in the promoter region of TaPpb1 in the purple-grained varieties, while there was only one repeat unit present in the non-purple varieties. Furthermore, using yeast two-hybrid, dual luciferase, yeast one-hybrid, and transient assays, we were able to demonstrate that the interaction of TaPpm1 and TaPpb1 co-regulates the synthesis of anthocyanin. Overall, our results provide a better understanding of the molecular basis of anthocyanin synthesis in the wheat pericarp and indicate the existence of an integrated regulatory mechanism that controls production.

Intranasal Delivery of Recombinant NT4-NAP/AAV Exerts Potential Antidepressant Effect.

The present study was designed to construct a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) which can express NAP in the brain and examine whether this virus can produce antidepressant effects on C57 BL/6 mice that had been subjected to open field test and forced swimming test, via nose-to-brain pathway. When the recombinant plasmid pGEM-T Easy/NT4-NAP was digested by EcoRI, 297 bp fragments can be obtained and NT4-NAP sequence was consistent with the designed sequence confirmed by DNA sequencing. When the recombinant plasmid pSSCMV/NT4-NAP was digested by EcoRI, 297 bp fragments is visible. Immunohistochemical staining of fibroblasts revealed that expression of NAP was detected in NT4-NAP/AAV group. Intranasal delivery of NT4-NAP/AAV significantly reduced immobility time when the FST was performed after 1 day from the last administration. The effects observed in the FST could not be attributed to non-specific increases in activity since intranasal delivery of NT4-NAP/AAV did not alter the behavior of the mice during the open field test. The results indicated that a recombinant AAV vector which could express NAP in cells was successfully constructed and NAP may be a potential target for therapeutic action of antidepressant treatment.

Autophagy paradox and ceramide.

Sphingolipid molecules act as bioactive lipid messengers and exert their actions on the regulation of various cellular signaling pathways. Sphingolipids play essential roles in numerous cellular functions, including controlling cell inflammation, proliferation, death, migration, senescence, tumor metastasis and/or autophagy. Dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism has been also implicated in many human cancers. Macroautophagy (referred to here as autophagy) "self-eating" is characterized by nonselective sequestering of cytosolic materials by an isolation membrane, which can be either protective or lethal for cells. Ceramide (Cer), a central molecule of sphingolipid metabolism, has been extensively implicated in the control of autophagy. The increasing evidence suggests that Cer is highly involved in mediating two opposing autophagic pathways, which regulate either cell survival or death, which is referred here as autophagy paradox. However, the underlying mechanism that regulates the autophagy paradox remains unclear. Therefore, this review focuses on recent studies with regard to the regulation of autophagy by Cer and elucidates the roles and mechanisms of action of Cer in controlling autophagy paradox. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled New Frontiers in Sphingolipid Biology.

FAR5, a fatty acyl-coenzyme A reductase, is involved in primary alcohol biosynthesis of the leaf blade cuticular wax in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

A waxy cuticle that serves as a protective barrier against non-stomatal water loss and environmental damage coats the aerial surfaces of land plants. It comprises a cutin polymer matrix and waxes. Cuticular waxes are complex mixtures of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) and their derivatives. Results show that primary alcohols are the major components of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaf blade cuticular waxes. Here, the characterization of TaFAR5 from wheat cv Xinong 2718, which is allelic to TAA1b, an anther-specific gene, is reported. Evidence is presented for a new function for TaFAR5 in the biosynthesis of primary alcohols of leaf blade cuticular wax in wheat. Expression of TaFAR5 cDNA in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) led to production of C22:0 primary alcohol. The transgenic expression of TaFAR5 in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cv MicroTom leaves resulted in the accumulation of C26:0, C28:0, and C30:0 primary alcohols. TaFAR5 encodes an alcohol-forming fatty acyl-coenzyme A reductase (FAR). Expression analysis revealed that TaFAR5 was expressed at high levels in the leaf blades, anthers, pistils, and seeds. Fully functional green fluorescent protein-tagged TaFAR5 protein was localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the site of primary alcohol biosynthesis. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the TaFAR5 protein possessed a molecular mass of 58.4kDa, and it was also shown that TaFAR5 transcript levels were regulated in response to drought, cold, and abscisic acid (ABA). Overall, these data suggest that TaFAR5 plays an important role in the synthesis of primary alcohols in wheat leaf blade.