Genome-wide identification of bHLH transcription factors and expression analysis under drought stress in Pseudoroegneria libanotica at germination.

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor family is the second largest in plants. bHLH transcription factor is not only universally involved in plant growth and metabolism, including photomorphogenesis, light signal transduction, and secondary metabolism, but also plays an important role in plant response to stress. However, the function of bHLH TFs in Pseudoroegneria species has not been studied yet. Pseudoroegneria (Nevski) Á. Löve is a perennial genus of the Triticeae. Pseudoroegneria species are mostly distributed in arid/semi-arid areas and they show good drought tolerance. In this study, we identified 152 PlbHLH TFs in Pseudoroegneria libanotica, which could be classified into 15 groups. Collinearity analysis indicates that 122 PlbHLH genes share homology with wbHLH genes in wheat, and it has lower homology with AtbHLH genes in Arabidopsis. Based on transcriptome profiling under an experiment with three PEG concentrations (0%, 10%, and 20%), 10 up-regulated genes and 11 down-regulated PlbHLH genes were screened. Among them, PlbHLH6, PlbHLH55 and PlbHLH64 as candidate genes may be the key genes related to drought tolerance response at germination, and they have been demonstrated to respond to drought, salt, oxidative, heat, and heavy metal stress in yeast. This study lays the foundation for an in-depth study of the biological roles of PlbHLHs in Pse. libanotica, and discovered new drought-tolerance candidate genes to enhance the genetic background of Triticeae crops. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-024-01433-w.

Association of pro-inflammatory diet with increased risk of gallstone disease: a cross-sectional study of NHANES January 2017-March 2020.

Background and aim: Gallstone disease (GSD) is a major public health problem worldwide. The dietary inflammatory index (DII) and the energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) have been used to describe dietary inflammatory potential. The current study sought to investigate the pro-inflammatory role of diet on GSD among outpatients in the United States. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 7,334 individuals older than 20 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from January 2017 to March 2020 were obtained. The relationship between GSD and DII was assessed using self-reported data. An association between DII and the risk of GSD was determined using sample-weighted logistic regression and restricted cubic splines (RCS). Subgroup analyzes were conducted to assess the interaction between DII and related factors. Sensitivity analysis was further used to confirm the stability of the relationship. To control for the effect of total energy intake, E-DII was calculated and analyzed. Results: A total of 10.5% of the study participants had GSD. The DII ranged from -5.52 to 5.51, and the median DII was significantly higher for participants with GSD than those without (1.68 vs. 1.23, p < 0.001). There was a significant and stable positive relationship between DII and GSD in adjusted models (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.00-1.20). In the fully adjusted model, subjects with DII scores in the highest tertile were more likely to have GSD than those in the lowest tertile (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19-1.93). An apparent dose-response association between DII and GSD was detected. The association between E-DII and GSD remained stable. Conclusion: Higher DII/E-DII scores linked to the intake of a pro-inflammatory diet were positively associated with a higher risk of GSD. These findings suggest that pro-inflammatory dietary patterns can promote the formation of gallstones.

A chromosome level genome assembly of Pseudoroegneria Libanotica reveals a key Kcs gene involves in the cuticular wax elongation for drought resistance.

BACKGROUND: The genus Pseudoroegneria (Nevski) Löve (Triticeae, Poaceae), whose genome symbol was designed as "St", accounts for more than 60% of perennial Triticeae species. The diploid species Psudoroegneria libanotica (2n = 14) contains the most ancient St genome, exhibited strong drought resistance, and was morphologically covered by cuticular wax on the aerial part. Therefore, the St-genome sequencing data could provide fundamental information for studies of genome evolution and reveal its mechanisms of cuticular wax and drought resistance. RESULTS: In this study, we reported the chromosome-level genome assembly for the St genome of Pse. libanotica, with a total size of 2.99 Gb. 46,369 protein-coding genes annotated and 71.62% was repeat sequences. Comparative analyses revealed that the genus Pseudoroegneria diverged during the middle and late Miocene. During this period, unique genes, gene family expansion, and contraction in Pse. libanotica were enriched in biotic and abiotic stresses, such as fatty acid biosynthesis which may greatly contribute to its drought adaption. Furthermore, we investigated genes associated with the cuticular wax formation and water deficit and found a new Kcs gene evm.TU.CTG175.54. It plays a critical role in the very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) elongation from C18 to C26 in Pse. libanotica. The function needs more evidence to be verified. CONCLUSIONS: We sequenced and assembled the St genome in Triticeae and discovered a new KCS gene that plays a role in wax extension to cope with drought. Our study lays a foundation for the genome diversification of Triticeae species and deciphers cuticular wax formation genes involved in drought resistance.

Prediction of Base-Catalyzed Hydrolysis Kinetics of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins by Density Functional Theory Calculations.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), comprising 75 congeners, have gained considerable attention from the general public and the scientific community owing to their high toxic potential. The base-catalyzed hydrolysis of PCDDs is crucial for the assessment of their environmental persistence. Nonetheless, owing to the substantial number of congeners and low hydrolysis rates of PCDDs, conducting hydrolysis experiments proves to be exceedingly time-consuming and financially burdensome. Herein, density functional theory and transition state theory were employed to predict the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of PCDDs in aquatic environments. Findings reveal that PCDDs undergo base-catalyzed hydrolysis in aquatic environments with two competing pathways: prevailing dioxin ring-opening and reduced reactivity in the hydrolytic dechlorination pathway. The resultant minor products include hydroxylated PCDDs, which exhibit thermodynamic stability surpassing that of the principal product, chlorinated hydroxydiphenyl ethers. The half-lives (ranging from 17.10 to 1.33 × 1010 h at pH = 8) associated with the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of PCDDs dissolved in water were shorter compared to those within the water-sediment environmental system. This observation implies that hydroxide ions can protect aquatic environments from PCDD contamination. Notably, this study represents the first attempt to predict the base-catalyzed hydrolysis of PCDDs by using quantum chemical methods.

Genome constitution and evolution of Elymus atratus (Poaceae: Triticeae) inferred from cytogenetic and phylogenetic analysis.

BACKGROUND: Elymus atratus (Nevski) Hand.-Mazz. is perennial hexaploid wheatgrass. It was assigned to the genus Elymus L. sensu stricto based on morphological characters. Its genome constitution has not been disentangled yet. OBJECTIVE: To identify the genome constitution and origin of E. atratus. METHODS: In this study, genomic in situ hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization, and phylogenetic analysis based on the Acc1, DMC1 and matK sequences were performed. RESULTS: Genomic in situ hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization results reveal that E. atratus 2n = 6x = 42 is composed of 14 St genome chromosomes, 14 H genome chromosomes, and 14 Y genome chromosomes including two H-Y type translocation chromosomes, suggesting that the genome formula of E. atratus is StStYYHH. The phylogenetic analysis based on Acc1 and DMC1 sequences not only shows that the Y genome originated in a separate diploid, but also suggests that Pseudoroegneria (St), Hordeum (H), and a diploid species with Y genome were the potential donors of E. atratus. Data from chloroplast DNA showed that the maternal donor of E. atratus contains the St genome. CONCLUSION: Elymus atratus is an allohexaploid species with StYH genome, which may have originated through the hybridization between an allotetraploid Roegneria (StY) species as the maternal donor and a diploid Hordeum (H) species as the paternal donor.

Regulatory loops between rice transcription factors OsNAC25 and OsNAC20/26 balance starch synthesis.

Several starch synthesis regulators have been identified, but these regulators are situated in the terminus of the regulatory network. Their upstream regulators and the complex regulatory network formed between these regulators remain largely unknown. A previous study demonstrated that NAM, ATAF and CUC (NAC) transcription factors, OsNAC20 and OsNAC26 (OsNAC20/26), redundantly and positively regulate the accumulation of storage material in rice (Oryza sativa) endosperm. In this study, we detected OsNAC25 as an upstream regulator and interacting protein of OsNAC20/26. Both OsNAC25 mutation and overexpression resulted in a chalky seed phenotype, decreased starch content, and reduced expression of starch synthesis-related genes, but the mechanisms were different. In the osnac25 mutant, decreased expression of OsNAC20/26 resulted in reduced starch synthesis; however, in OsNAC25-overexpressing plants, the OsNAC25-OsNAC20/26 complex inhibited OsNAC20/26 binding to the promoter of starch synthesis-related genes. In addition, OsNAC20/26 positively regulated OsNAC25. Therefore, the mutual regulation between OsNAC25 and OsNAC20/26 forms a positive regulatory loop to stimulate the expression of starch synthesis-related genes and meet the great demand for starch accumulation in the grain filling stage. Simultaneously, a negative regulatory loop forms among the three proteins to avoid the excessive expression of starch synthesis-related genes. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that both promotion and inhibition mechanisms between OsNAC25 and OsNAC20/26 are essential for maintaining stable expression of starch synthesis-related genes and normal starch accumulation.

Cytogenetic and genomic characterization of a novel wheat-tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum 1BS·1EL translocation line with stripe rust resistance.

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp tritici (Pst), is a destructive wheat disease pathogen. Thinopyrum elongatum is a valuable germplasm including diploid, tetraploid, and decaploid with plenty of biotic and abiotic resistance. In a previous study, we generated a stripe rust resistance wheat-tetraploid Th. elongatum 1E/1D substitution line K17-841-1. To further apply the wild germplasm for wheat breeding, we selected and obtained a new homozygous wheat-tetraploid Th. elongatum translocation line T1BS·1EL using genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), oligo-FISH-Painting, and the wheat 55K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyping array. The T1BS·1EL is highly resistant to stripe rust at the seedling and adult stage. Pedigree and molecular marker analyses revealed that the resistance gene was located on chromosome arm 1EL of tetraploid Th. elongatum, tentatively named Yr1EL. Besides, we developed and validated 32 Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers and two kompititive allele specific PCR (KASP) assays which were specific to tetraploid Th. elongatum chromosome arm 1EL to facilitate marker-assisted selection for alien 1EL stripe rust resistance breeding. This will help us explore and locate the stripe rust resistance gene mapping on the 1E chromosome and deploy it in the wheat breeding program.

Development, identification, and utilization of wheat-tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum 4EL translocation lines resistant to stripe rust.

KEY MESSAGE: The new stripe rust resistance gene Yr4EL in tetraploid Th. elongatum was identified and transferred into common wheat via 4EL translocation lines. Tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum is a valuable genetic resource for improving the resistance of wheat to diseases such as stripe rust, powdery mildew, and Fusarium head blight. We previously reported that chromosome 4E of the 4E (4D) substitution line carries all-stage stripe rust resistance genes. To optimize the utility of these genes in wheat breeding programs, we developed translocation lines by inducing chromosomal structural changes through 60Co-γ irradiation and developing monosomic substitution lines. In total, 53 plants with different 4E chromosomal structural changes were identified. Three homozygous translocation lines (T4DS·4EL, T5AL·4EL, and T3BL·4EL) and an addition translocation line (T5DS·4EL) were confirmed by the genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), FISH-painting, and wheat 55 K SNP array analyses. These four translocation lines, which contained chromosome arm 4EL, exhibited high stripe rust resistance. Thus, a resistance gene (tentatively named Yr4EL) was localized to the chromosome arm 4EL of tetraploid Th. elongatum. For the application of marker-assisted selection (MAS), 32 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed, showing specific amplification on the chromosome arm 4EL and co-segregation with Yr4EL. Furthermore, the 4DS·4EL line could be selected as a good pre-breeding line that better agronomic traits than other translocation lines. We transferred Yr4EL into three wheat cultivars SM482, CM42, and SM51, and their progenies were all resistant to stripe rust, which can be used in future wheat resistance breeding programs.

Chemerin and IL-17 are potential predictors and Chemerin silencing alleviates inflammatory response and bone remodeling in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammatory disease of paranasal sinuses. This study is formulated to explore the roles of pro-inflammatory factors Chemerin and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in CRS. Patients suffering from CRS without/with nasal polyps (CRSsNP/CRSwNP), along with volunteers, were recruited. CRS rabbit models were constructed by Staphylococcus aureus infection and rabbits were injected with lentiviral vectors of short hairpin RNA-targeting Chemerin (shChemerin), followed by micro-computed tomography (CT) scan. Levels of Chemerin and IL-17 were determined, and histopathological lesions were observed in subjects and CRS rabbits. Correlations between Chemerin/IL-17 level and Lund-Mackay/Lund-Kennedy scores of subjects and the predictive value of Chemerin or IL-17 for CRS were analyzed. In CRS patients and rabbits, inflammatory degrees and the level of Chemerin/IL-17 were increased in pathological tissues or plasma, while Chemerin silencing alleviated CRS symptoms of CRS rabbits. Chemerin and IL-17 were mainly located in the immune cells of pathological tissues and presented the positive correlation with Lund-Mackay/Lund-Kennedy score of CRS patients. Also, they showed high predictive value for CRS. Micro-CT scan uncovered that CRS rabbits had increased bone remodeling, which was alleviated by Chemerin silencing. Collectively, Chemerin and IL-17 are potential predictors and Chemerin silencing alleviates inflammatory response and bone remodeling in chronic rhinosinusitis.

ILT4 reprograms glucose metabolism to promote tumor progression in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and poorly treated subtype of breast cancer. Identifying novel drivers and mechanisms for tumor progression is essential for precise targeted therapy of TNBC. Immunoglobulin-like transcript 4 (ILT4; also known as LILRB2) is a classic myeloid suppressor for their activation and immune response. Our recent results found that ILT4 is also highly expressed in lung cancer cells, where it has a role in promoting immune evasion and thus tumor formation. However, the expression and function of ILT4 in breast cancer remains elusive. Here, using our patient cohort and public database analysis, we found that TNBC displayed the most abundant ILT4 expression among all breast cancer subtypes. Functionally, enriched ILT4 promoted TNBC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, as well as tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that ILT4 reprogrammed aerobic glycolysis of tumor cells via AKT-mTOR signaling-mediated glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3; also known as SLC2A3) and pyruvate kinase muscle 2 (PKM2, an isoform encoded by PKM) overexpression. ILT4 inhibition in TNBC reduced tumor progression and GLUT3 and PKM2 expression in vivo. Our study identified a novel driver for TNBC progression and proposed a promising strategy to combat TNBC by targeting ILT4.

Clinical Significance of Action Research-Based Seamless Care to Improve Imaging Efficiency and Patients' Cognition, and Alleviate Patient Anxiety.

Objective: The present study was undertaken to assess the clinical significance of action research-based seamless care to improve imaging efficiency and alleviate patient anxiety. Methods: A total of eighty patients who underwent imaging examinations in our hospital between May 2019 and November 2020 were recruited for this study. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group receiving routine care and the observation group receiving seamless care based on action research. The random assignment was conducted using a simple random sampling technique, ensuring an equal allocation of participants to each group at a 1:1 ratio, resulting in 40 cases in each group. Outcome measures included imaging examination duration, mean nursing duration, examination cognition, and negative emotion scores. Results: Seamless care provided shorter imaging examination duration and nursing duration, and better ensured uneventful examinations than routine care (P<0.05). Patients given seamless care exhibited higher examination cognition versus those receiving routine care (P<0.05). Seamless care offered more mitigation of negative emotions for patients than routine care (P<0.05). Conclusion: Action research-based seamless care effectively improves imaging efficiency and patients' awareness of imaging examinations and contributes to alleviating patients' adverse events.

Chromosome-specific painting in Thinopyrum species using bulked oligonucleotides.

KEY MESSAGE: Chromosome-specific painting probes were developed to identify the individual chromosomes from 1 to 7E in Thinopyrum species and detect alien genetic material of the E genome in a wheat background. The E genome of Thinopyrum is closely related to the ABD genome of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and harbors genes conferring beneficial traits to wheat, including high yield, disease resistance, and unique end-use quality. Species of Thinopyrum vary from diploid (2n = 2x = 14) to decaploid (2n = 10x = 70), and chromosome structural variation and differentiation have arisen during polyploidization. To investigate the variation and evolution of the E genome, we developed a complete set of E genome-specific painting probes for identification of the individual chromosomes 1E to 7E based on the genome sequences of Th. elongatum (Host) D. R. Dewey and wheat. By using these new probes in oligonucleotide-based chromosome painting, we showed that Th. bessarabicum (PI 531711, EbEb) has a close genetic relationship with diploid Th. elongatum (EeEe), with five chromosomes (1E, 2E, 3E, 6E, and 7E) maintaining complete synteny in the two species except for a reciprocal translocation between 4 and 5Eb. All 14 pairs of chromosomes of tetraploid Th. elongatum have maintained complete synteny with those of diploid Th. elongatum (Thy14), but the two sets of E genomes have diverged. This study also demonstrated that the E genome-specific painting probes are useful for rapid and effective detection of the alien genetic material of E genome in wheat-Thinopyrum derived lines.

Tissue lipidomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking to explore the therapeutic mechanism of anthocyanins from Lycium ruthenicum Murr. against gouty arthritis.

Lycium ruthenicum Murr. (LR) has long been used as a unique nutritional and medicinal food to treat various diseases such as gouty arthritis. However, although recently the literature has focused on the protective roles of LR anthocyanins on gouty arthritis, there is no relevant research from a holistic perspective of lipid metabolism to study their anti-gout effects. In this study, a combined tissue lipidomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking approach was performed to investigate the intervention mechanism of LR anthocyanins against a monosodium urate (MSU)-induced gout mouse model. 54 gout-related lipid markers were identified via lipidomic profiling of the mouse knee joint, including glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, glycerolipids, and plasmalogens. Integrating with pathway analysis, network pharmacology, and molecular docking, the potential targets of LR anthocyanins for treating gouty arthritis were predicted, while pathways in cancer, prostate cancer, sphingolipid signaling, choline metabolism in cancer, arachidonic acid metabolism, and ovarian steroidogenesis were involved as shared critical pathways of lipidomic analysis and network pharmacology. Furthermore, the binding sites and patterns of 3 active components and 4 core targets with the lowest binding energies were explored. Western blotting was finally used to verify the expression levels of 4 core proteins: MMP2, MMP9, MAP2K1, and MAPK14. These results provide new insights into our understanding of gouty arthritis and the anti-gout mechanism of LR anthocyanins.

Development and Characterization of a Novel Wheat-Tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum 6E (6D) Disomic Substitution Line with Stripe Rust Resistance at the Adult Stage.

Stripe rust, which is caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most devastating foliar diseases of common wheat worldwide. Breeding new wheat varieties with durable resistance is the most effective way of controlling the disease. Tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum (2n = 4x = 28, EEEE) carries a variety of genes conferring resistance to multiple diseases, including stripe rust, Fusarium head blight, and powdery mildew, which makes it a valuable tertiary genetic resource for enhancing wheat cultivar improvement. Here, a novel wheat-tetraploid Th. elongatum 6E (6D) disomic substitution line (K17-1065-4) was characterized using genomic in situ hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization chromosome painting analyses. The evaluation of disease responses revealed that K17-1065-4 is highly resistant to stripe rust at the adult stage. By analyzing the whole-genome sequence of diploid Th. elongatum, we detected 3382 specific SSR sequences on chromosome 6E. Sixty SSR markers were developed, and thirty-three of them can accurately trace chromosome 6E of tetraploid Th. elongatum, which were linked to the disease resistance gene(s) in the wheat genetic background. The molecular marker analysis indicated that 10 markers may be used to distinguish Th. elongatum from other wheat-related species. Thus, K17-1065-4 carrying the stripe rust resistance gene(s) is a novel germplasm useful for breeding disease-resistant wheat cultivars. The molecular markers developed in this study may facilitate the mapping of the stripe rust resistance gene on chromosome 6E of tetraploid Th. elongatum.

Neuron-specific enolase in hypertension patients with acute ischemic stroke and its value forecasting long-term functional outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Neuron Specific Enolase (NSE), a neuro-biochemical protein marker, may correlate with the prognosis of stroke patients. Moreover, hypertension is the most common comorbidities in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and the relationship between NSE levels and long-term functional outcomes in such an increasingly large population is unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships mentioned above and optimize the prediction models. METHODS: From 2018 to 2020, 1086 admissions for AIS were grouped as hypertension and non-hypertension, while hypertension group was randomly divided into development and validation cohorts for internal validation. The severity of the stroke was staged by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. Stroke prognosis after 1 year of follow up was documented by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. RESULTS: Analysis revealed the following findings:(i) Serum NSE levels increased greatly in hypertension subjects with poor functional outcomes(p = 0.046). However, there was no association in non-hypertension individuals(p = 0.386). (ii) In addition to the conventional factors (age and NIHSS score), NSE (OR:1.241, 95% CI: 1.025-1.502) and prothrombin time were significantly related to the incidence of unfavorable outcomes. (iii)Based on the above four indicators, a novel nomogram was established to predict the prognosis of stoke in hypertension patients with the c-index values of 0.8851. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, high baseline NSE is associated with poor 1-year AIS outcomes in hypertension patients, suggesting NSE may be a potential prognostic and therapeutic target for stroke in hypertension patients.

Precisely mapping a major QTL for grain weight on chromosome 5B of the founder parent Chuanmai42 in the wheat-growing region of southwestern China.

KEY MESSAGE: QTgw.saas-5B was validated as a major thousand-grain weight-related QTL in a founder parent used for wheat breeding and then precisely mapped to a 0.6 cM interval. Increasing the thousand-grain weight (TGW) is considered to be one of the most important ways to improve yield, which is a core objective among wheat breeders. Chuanmai42, which is a wheat cultivar with high TGW and a high and stable yield, is a parent of more than 30 new varieties grown in southwestern China. In this study, a Chuanmai42-derived recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was used to dissect the genetic basis of TGW. A major QTL (QTgw.saas-5B) mapped to the Xgwm213-Xgwm540 interval on chromosome 5B of Chuanmai42 explained up to 20% of the phenotypic variation. Using 71 recombinants with a recombination in the QTgw.saas-5B interval identified from a secondary RIL population comprising 1818 lines constructed by crossing the QTgw.saas-5B near-isogenic line with the recurrent parent Chuannong16, QTgw.saas-5B was delimited to a 0.6 cM interval, corresponding to a 21.83 Mb physical interval in the Chinese Spring genome. These findings provide the foundation for QTgw.saas-5B cloning and its use in molecular marker-assisted breeding.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Asian and European Common Wheat Accessions for Yield-Related Traits and Stripe Rust Resistance.

Identifying novel loci of yield-related traits and resistance to stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) in wheat will help in breeding wheat that can meet projected demands in diverse environmental and agricultural practices. We performed a genome-wide association study with 24,767 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 180 wheat accessions that originated in 16 Asian or European countries between latitudes 30°N and 45°N. We detected seven accessions with desirable yield-related traits and 42 accessions that showed stable, high degrees of stripe rust resistance in multienvironment field assessments. A marker-trait association analysis of yield-related traits detected 18 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in at least two test environments and two QTLs related to stripe rust resistance in at least three test environments. Five of these QTLs were identified as potentially novel QTLs by comparing their physical locations with those of known QTLs in the Chinese Spring (CS) reference genome RefSeq v1.1 published by the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium; two were for spike length, one was for grain number per spike, one was for spike number, and one was for stripe rust resistance at the adult plant stage. We also identified 14 candidate genes associated with the five novel QTLs. These QTLs and candidate genes will provide breeders with new germplasm and can be used to conduct marker-assisted selection in breeding wheat with improved yield and stripe rust resistance.

RNA-seq analysis revealed considerable genetic diversity and enabled the development of specific KASP markers for Psathyrostachys huashanica.

Psathyrostachys huashanica, which grows exclusively in Huashan, China, is an important wild relative of common wheat that has many desirable traits relevant for wheat breeding. However, the poorly characterized interspecific phylogeny and genomic variations and the relative lack of species-specific molecular markers have limited the utility of P. huashanica as a genetic resource for enhancing wheat germplasm. In this study, we sequenced the P. huashanica transcriptome, resulting in 50,337,570 clean reads that were assembled into 65,617 unigenes, of which 38,428 (58.56%) matched at least one sequence in public databases. The phylogenetic analysis of P. huashanica, Triticeae species, and Poaceae species was conducted using 68 putative orthologous gene clusters. The data revealed the distant evolutionary relationship between P. huashanica and common wheat as well as the substantial diversity between the P. huashanica genome and the wheat D genome. By comparing the transcriptomes of P. huashanica and Chinese Spring, 750,759 candidate SNPs between P. huashanica Ns genes and their common wheat orthologs were identified. Among the 90 SNPs in the exon regions with different functional annotations, 58 (64.4%) were validated as Ns genome-specific SNPs in the common wheat background by KASP genotyping assays. Marker validation analyses indicated that six specific markers can discriminate between P. huashanica and the other wheat-related species. In addition, five markers are unique to P. huashanica, P. juncea, and Leymus species, which carry the Ns genome. The Ns genome-specific markers in a wheat background were also validated regarding their specificity and stability for detecting P. huashanica chromosomes in four wheat-P. huashanica addition lines. Four and eight SNP markers were detected in wheat-P. huashanica 2Ns and 7Ns addition lines, respectively, and one marker was specific to both wheat-P. huashanica 3Ns, 4Ns, and 7Ns addition lines. These markers developed using transcriptome data may be used to elucidate the genetic relationships among Psathyrostachys, Leymus, and other closely-related species. They may also facilitate precise introgressions and the high-throughput monitoring of P. huashanica exogenous chromosomes or segments in future crop breeding programs.

Manganese and copper additions differently reduced cadmium uptake and accumulation in dwarf Polish wheat (Triticum polonicum L.).

This study investigated the effects of manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) on dwarf Polish wheat under cadmium (Cd) stress by evaluating plant growth, Cd uptake, translocation, accumulation, subcellular distribution, and chemical forms, and the expression of genes participating in cell wall synthesis, metal chelation, and metal transport. Compared with the control, Mn deficiency and Cu deficiency increased Cd uptake and accumulation in roots, and Cd levels in root cell wall and soluble fractions, but inhibited Cd translocation to shoots. Mn addition reduced Cd uptake and accumulation in roots, and Cd level in root soluble fraction. Cu addition did not affect Cd uptake and accumulation in roots, while it caused a decrease and an increase of Cd levels in root cell wall and soluble fractions, respectively. The main Cd chemical forms (water-soluble Cd, pectates and protein integrated Cd, and undissolved Cd phosphate) in roots were differently changed. Furthermore, all treatments distinctly regulated several core genes that control the main component of root cell walls. Several Cd absorber (COPT, HIPP, NRAMP, and IRT) and exporter genes (ABCB, ABCG, ZIP, CAX, OPT, and YSL) were differently regulated to mediate Cd uptake, translocation, and accumulation. Overall, Mn and Cu differently influenced Cd uptake and accumulation; Mn addition is an effective treatment for reducing Cd accumulation in wheat.

Clinical Promotion of Comfort Nursing Combined with Comprehensive Nursing in the Treatment of Severe Stroke Patients with Diabetes in ICU.

Objective: To investigate the application value of comprehensive nursing combined with comfort nursing for severe stroke patients with diabetes in the intensive care unit (ICU), as well as its effect on the incidence of pressure ulcers and aspiration. Methods: Between March 2019 and March 2021, 123 severe stroke patients with diabetes who were treated at our hospital were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the control group (n = 61) or the study group (n = 62). The control group received normal care, but the research group received comprehensive nursing as well as comfort nursing. The two patient groups were compared in terms of the effects of the clinical application. Results: The two groups did not differ significantly in general data (P > 0.05). The shorter ICU monitoring and extubation times, the lower incidence of pressure ulcers, aspiration, and nosocomial infections, and higher self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) scores and a lower MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) score were all observed in the research group when compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: For severe stroke patients with diabetes in the ICU, comprehensive nursing combined with comfort nursing has a promising effect, significantly, lowering the risk of pressure ulcers, aspiration, and nosocomial infections, accelerating physical recovery, enhancing mental state, and ensuring a better prognosis, deserving general clinical promotion.