The Dark Side of the pollen: BSA-seq identified genomic regions linked to male sterility in globe artichoke.

Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus; 2n = 2x = 34) is a food crop consumed for its immature flower heads. Traditionally, globe artichoke varietal types are vegetatively propagated. However, seed propagation makes it possible to treat the crop as annual, increasing field uniformity and reducing farmers costs, as well as pathogens diffusion. Despite globe artichoke's significant agricultural value and the critical role of heterosis in the development of superior varieties, the production of hybrids remains challenging without a reliable system for large-scale industrial seed production. Male sterility (MS) presents a promising avenue for overcoming these challenges by simplifying the hybridization process and enabling cost-effective seed production. However, within the Cynara genus, genic male sterility has been linked to three recessive loci in globe artichoke, with no definitive genetic mechanism elucidated to date. A 250 offsprings F2 population, derived from a cross between a MS globe artichoke and a male fertile (MF) cultivated cardoon (C. cardunculus var. altilis) and fitting a monogenic segregation model (3:1), was analyzed through BSA-seq, aiming at the identification of genomic regions/genes affecting male sterility. Four QTL regions were identified on chromosomes 4, 12, and 14. By analyzing the sequence around the highest pick on chromosome 14, a cytochrome P450 (CYP703A2) was identified, carrying a deleterious substitution (R/Q) fixed in the male sterile parent. A single dCAPS marker was developed around this SNP, allowing the discrimination between MS and MF genotypes within the population, suitable for applications in plant breeding programs. A 3D model of the protein was generated by homology modeling, revealing that the mutated amino acid is part of a highly conserved motif crucial for protein folding.

Epileptic spasms in clusters without hypsarrhythmia in infancy and childhood: A single age-dependent type of epilepsy or well-defined epileptic syndrome?

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we present the electroclinical features and outcomes of 92 patients with epileptic spasms (ES) in clusters without modified or classical hypsarrhythmia that started in either in infancy or in childhood; we compared both groups in terms of electroclinical features, etiology, treatment, evolution, and outcome. METHODS: Between June 2000 and July 2022, 92 patients met the electroclinical diagnostic criteria of ES in clusters without hypsarrhythmia. Patients with ES associated with other epileptic encephalopathies including West Syndrome, as well as those with the specific etiology of ES and developmental and epileptic encephalopathy associated with CDKL5 were excluded. RESULTS: The patients were divided into two groups based on the age at ES onset: those with ES onset before (Group 1) and those with ES onset after 2 years of age (Group 2). The features of ES and the type of associated seizures before and after ES onset, as well as the interictal and ictal EEG and electromyography findings were similar in both groups. The etiologies were mainly structural (40.2%), genetic (11.9%), and unknown (44.6%) in majority of the patients in both groups. Thirty-one patients were seizure-free, while in the remaining patients the seizures continued. Nine patients (9.8%) with unilateral structural lesions underwent surgery with good results. The neurological abnormalities and developmental findings prior to ES onset depended on the underlying etiology. CONCLUSION: Our series of patients may represent a well-defined epileptic syndrome or type of epilepsy with onset in infancy or childhood characterized by ES in clusters without hypsarrhythmia associated with focal and generalized seizures and EEG paroxysms without neurological deterioration.

Psychological and psychobiological stress in the relationship between basic cognitive function and school performance / El estrés psicológico y psicobiológico en la relación entre funcionamiento cognitivo básico y rendimiento académico

This study analyses the role played by daily stress, assessed through self-report and at the psychobiological level, in relation to basic cognitive function when predicting school performance. The sample comprised 100 schoolchildren (55 girls and 45 boys, age range 8 to 11 years) from a state school in the city of Malaga (Spain). Daily stress was assessed through the Children's Daily Stress Inventory (IIEC m Spanish; Tnanes et al., 2009). Psychobiological stress was measured through the cortisol/DHEAS ratio, derived from saliva samples taken in the morning on two consecutive days. Basic cognitive skills were assessed by means of the Computerized Cognitive Assessment System (CDR battery; Wesnes et al., 2003, 2000). Finally, the measure of school performance was the mean value of the final grades recorded in the child's school report. In addition to descriptive and correlational statistical analyses, multiple regression analyses were conducted in order to assess the model. The results show that children's daily stress self-reported contributes to predict school performance, and has proven to be more influential than basic cognitive function when it comes to predict school performance. Therefore, in order to achieve good school performance, a pupil not only requires good basic cognitive function, but must also present low levels of self-reported daily stress. These findings suggest a new way of explaining and predicting school failure

Este estudio analiza el papel desempeñado por el estrés cotidiano, evaluado a través de auto-informe y de los niveles psicobiológicos, en relación con la función cognitiva básica a la hora de predecir el rendirmento académico. La muestra está compuesta por 100 alumnos (55 niñas y niños de 45, con un rango de edad de 8 a 11 años) de una escuela pública de Málaga capital (España). El estrés diario se evaluó mediante el Inventario de estresores cotidianos en niños (IIEC; Trianes et al, 2009). El estrés psicobiológico se midió a través de la ratio cortisol / DHEA, derivado de varias muestras de saliva tomadas por la mañana en dos días consecutivos. Las habilidades cognitivas básicas se evaluaron por medio del sistema de evaluación cognitiva computarizada (batería CDR; Wesnes et al, 2003, 2000). Por último, el rendimiento académico se evaluó a través del valor medio de las calificaciones finales registradas en el informe de la escuela del niño. Además de los análisis estadísticos descriptivos y correlacionales, se realizaron análisis de regresión múltiple con el fin de evaluar el modelo. Los resultados muestran que el estrés diario autopercibido por los niños, actúa pronosticando el rendimiento académico con mayor peso que el funcionamiento cognitivo básico. Por lo tanto, a fin de lograr el buen rendimiento escolar, un alumno no sólo requiere una buena función cognitiva básica, sino que también debe presentar bajos niveles de estrés cotidiano auto-percibido. Estos hallazgos sugieren una nueva forma de explicar y predecir el fracaso escolar