Deciphering the inheritance of fertility restoration and influence of environmental factors on maldandi source of male sterility in rabi sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the inheritance pattern of fertility restoration in hybrids resulting from crosses between a male sterile line (M31-2A), a maldandi cytoplasm, and two promising restorers (DSMR-4 and DSMR-8). The evaluation of hybrids was conducted in two sets of experiments, including the F2, BC1F1 and F2, F3 generations. The segregation pattern was analysed in the F2 and BC1F1 generations, resulting in a 54:10 ratio of fertile to sterile plants and a 1:1 ratio of fertile to sterile plants, respectively. This indicated the involvement of three genes, at least two of which must be in a dominant condition for restoration to occur, acting in a duplicate complementary manner. In the F3 generation, both crosses were grown to confirm the stability of restorers, and they segregated in the ratio of 10 true-breeding families and 44 segregating families, which was consistent with the F2 ratio. Additionally, this study observed the influence of rainfall on the partial restoration pattern over seasons, as restorer genes are up or down-regulated depending on the availability of water.

Evaluation of different antimicrobial agents for laboratory and field against Pantoea agglomerans, the causative agent of bacterial leaf blight disease on oat (Avena sativa)

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Evaluation of different antimicrobial agents for laboratory and field against Pantoea agglomerans, the causative agent of bacterial leaf blight disease on oat (Avena sativa)

Laboratory and field experiments on the efficacy of 13 antimicrobial agents against oat leaf blight disease (Pantoea agglomerans) found that zhongshengmycin and ethylicin have excellent control efficacy.


Abstract

Leaf blight disease (LBD) caused by Pantoea agglomerans is a newly emerged oat disease in China that causes great economic and yield losses of oat production. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 13 antimicrobial agents against P. agglomerans and recommend agents with better control efficacy for use. The antibacterial potential of four concentrations of each agent was evaluated under in vitro conditions. Zhongshengmycin and ethylicin were the most effective in inhibiting the growth of P. agglomerans; their bacteriostatic rates (85.0% and 84.8%, respectively) were higher while EC50 lower (0.31 and 0.90, respectively) than other agents. The greenhouse and field experiment suggested that the greatest fresh weight per plant (57.26 g and 57.93 g), forage yield (22.53 t/ha and 22.21 t/ha) and control efficacy (>75%) were obtained after spraying twice with zhongshengmycin or ethylicin in the LBD occurrence phase, with lower yields and control by kasugamycin + dicopper chloride trihydroxide, kasugamycin + oxine copper, benziothiazolinone, copper hydroxide, phenanthrenecarboxylicacid, copper, picoxystrobin, chloroisobromine cyanuric acid, oxathiapiprolin or azoxystrobin. Foliar application of zhongshengmycin or ethylicin can therefore be used for the effective management of LBD of oat.

Genomic prediction of seed nutritional traits in biparental families of oat (Avena sativa)

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Abstract

Selection for more nutritious crop plants is an important goal of plant breeding to improve food quality and contribute to human health outcomes. While there are efforts to integrate genomic prediction to accelerate breeding progress, an ongoing challenge is identifying strategies to improve accuracy when predicting within biparental populations in breeding programs. We tested multiple genomic prediction methods for 12 seed fatty acid content traits in oat (Avena sativa L.), as unsaturated fatty acids are a key nutritional trait in oat. Using two well-characterized oat germplasm panels and other biparental families as training populations, we predicted family mean and individual values within families. Genomic prediction of family mean exceeded a mean accuracy of 0.40 and 0.80 using an unrelated and related germplasm panel, respectively, where the related germplasm panel outperformed prediction based on phenotypic means (0.54). Within family prediction accuracy was more variable: training on the related germplasm had higher accuracy than the unrelated panel (0.14–0.16 and 0.05–0.07, respectively), but variability between families was not easily predicted by parent relatedness, segregation of a locus detected by a genome-wide association study in the panel, or other characteristics. When using other families as training populations, prediction accuracies were comparable to the related germplasm panel (0.11–0.23), and families that had half-sib families in the training set had higher prediction accuracy than those that did not. Overall, this work provides an example of genomic prediction of family means and within biparental families for an important nutritional trait and suggests that using related germplasm panels as training populations can be effective.

Pythium and related species on blueberry plants in South Africa

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Abstract

The blueberry industry is one of the successful and expanding agricultural cropping systems in South Africa. As a result of this growth, research into identifying plant disease agents has become increasingly important, yet there are relatively few scientific reports published on the subject in the country. The aim of this study was to identify the causal agents of stunting and leaf scorch on blueberry plants and evaluate their pathogenicity. Root samples were collected from a commercial southern highbush blueberry planting in North West, South Africa. The resulting isolates were identified based on sequence data from the rDNA-ITS. Three Pythiaceae were identified including Globisporangium ultimum var. sporangiiferum, Globisporangium splendens and Pythium aphanidermatum. Results of pathogenicity trials showed that the isolated species were able to cause disease on 40% of the plants. This is the first official report for G. ultimum var. sporangiiferum in South Africa and the first report of G. ultimum var. sporangiiferum and P. aphanidermatum from blueberry plants.

Roles of circular RNAs in osteogenic/osteoclastogenic differentiation

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Roles of circular RNAs in osteogenic/osteoclastogenic differentiation

The present review provides a systematic overview of recent literature on the processes through which circRNAs regulate the dynamic balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts that ultimately preserve bone homeostasis. It will also give insight that can shape current understanding of the pathogenesis of OP and other bone metabolic diseases to better guide diagnostic and treatment strategies for affected patients.


Abstract

The process of bone remodeling occurs and is regulated through interactions between osteoclasts, which resorb bone, and osteoblasts, which generate bone tissue. When the homeostatic balance between these two cell types is dysregulated, this can contribute to abnormal bone remodeling resulting in a loss of bone mass as is observed in osteoporosis (OP) and other forms of degenerative bone metabolic diseases. At present, details of molecular mechanism underlying the development of bone metabolic diseases such as OP remain to be elucidated. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules with a closed-loop structure that can regulate the differentiation of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. The present review provides a systematic overview of recent literature on the processes through which circRNAs regulate the dynamic balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts that ultimately preserve bone homeostasis. It will also give insight that can shape current understanding of the pathogenesis of OP and other bone metabolic diseases to better guide diagnostic and treatment strategies for affected patients.