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Anatomy of bovine mammillitis DNA. I Restriction endonuclease maps of four populations of molecules that differ in the relative orientation of their long and short components.

In this paper, we report that the DNA of bovine mammillitis virus (BMV) consists of two covalently linked components that are 71.5 x 10(6) and 15.7 x 10(6) in molecular weight and designated L and S, respectively. We further report that the BMV DNA consists of four equimolar populations differing only in the orientation of the L and S components relative to each other. This conclusion is based on the following: (i) The sum molecular weight of fragments generated by digestion of BMV DNA with Hsu I, Hpa I, Bgl II, or Xba I significantly exceeds the established molecular weight of the intact DNA. (ii) In each digest, the fragments form three groups differing in molar concentration. In reference to the molar concentration of intact DNA, each enzyme digest contained a set of four fragments 0.25 M in concentration, a set of four fragments 0.5 M in concentration, and a variable size set, unique for each enzyme digest, 1.0 M in concentration. (iii) Experiments involving digestion of intact DNA by lambda exonuclease followed by restriction endonuclease digestion established that each of four 0.5 M fragments were positioned at the termini of the BMV DNA. (iv) Complete maps for the fragments generated by each enzyme established that the 0.25 M fragments arise by fusion of the sequences of the terminal fragments when these are juxtaposed as a consequence of the inversion of L and S components. The maps also established the dimensions of the L and S components. We conclude that the structure of BMV DNA is similar to that of HSV DNA previously shown to consist of two unequal size components that invert relative to each other.

Base Sequence

Changes in a population of dikdik, Madoqua (Rhynchotragus) kirki (Günther 1880).

In 1968/69 a small local population (deme)--11 to 17 animals on 42 ha--of Kirk's Dikdik was studied in the Serengeti area, East Africa. All animals were known individually and all territorial boundaries mapped. The population was revisited in 1972 and all animals and boundaries were recorded anew. 6 animals of 1968 were still present in 1972, 6 had disappeared and 4 were new. 2 territories were still the same, 1 had been divided up between 2 neighbouring ones, 1 had gained 1 ha. In the following summary of the results the generally formulated statements like "Dikdik do" always are short and stand for the specific statements like "the observed Kirk's Dikdik of the Soit ol Modison deme did". 1. Dikdik live in pairs in territories.--2. The young are expelled from the parental territory at the age of 6 to 9 months.--3. They then are able--nearly fully grown, but the horns of the male male only half of their final size--to establish their own pairbond and territory.--4. The female can produce her first young at the age of 15 to 18 months and is reproductive up to at least 6 years.--5. While the reproductive potential is 2/female/year (gestation period 25 weeks), the realized rate of raised animals in 1968/69 was 1/female/year.--6. Average population age lies around 5 years.--7. Maximum physiological age is 10 or more years.--8. The pair bond is independent of the territorial bond and lasts for life.--9. The territorial bond is independent of the pairbond but does not last for life.--10. Strategical lines of the territorial boundaries are marked by dung areas. The families of both territories each use their own places on these areas. The whole family urinates and defaecates together (one after the other) in a ritualized way.--11. The territorial boundaries can shift. The number of dungplaces along a disputed and/or shifting boundary is higher than along an undisputed stable one.--12. Only the male defends the territory and chases off the grown up male young.--13. The female who does not defend the territory is nevertheless bound to it directly, not only by her bond to the male.--14. The most important open question with respect to the social organization is: How is the grown up female young induced to leave the territory? Can there be circumstances when she can stay?

Africa, Eastern

Integrative omics of the genetic basis for wheat WUE and drought resilience reveal the function of TaMYB7-A1.

Improving wheat drought resilience and water use efficiency (WUE) is critical for sustaining productivity under increasing water scarcity. Here, we integrate genome-wide association study (GWAS), expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping, population-transcriptome analysis, and summary-data-based mendelian randomization (SMR), followed by functional validation using indexed EMS mutants and transgenic lines, to systematically identify key WUE regulators. GWAS across water conditions in 228 accessions identifies 73 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for WUE-traits. Transcriptome profiling of 110 diverse accessions reveals 28 drought-responsive modules. eQTL mapping uncovers 146,966 regulatory variants, including condition-specific hotspots associated with key drought-related pathways. Integrative analysis underscores 85 high-confidence candidate genes, notably TaMYB7-A1. Overexpression of TaMYB7-A1 enhances photosynthesis, WUE, root development, and grain yield under drought condition by activating TaPIP2;2-B1 (water transport), TaRD20-D1 (stomatal regulation), and TaABCB4-B1 (root growth), reflecting reduced water loss and improved physiological resilience. Our study presents a comprehensive regulatory map and robust targets for wheat drought adaptation and resilient cultivar breeding.

Triticum

The molecular basis of alpha-thalassemias: frequent occurrence of dysfunctional alpha loci among non-Asians with Hb H disease.

Study of Asians has previously indicated that deletion of alpha-globin structural genes is the predominant lesion in alpha-thalassemias and that Hb H disease occurs when three of four normal alpha loci per cell are deleted. To test the generality of this model, Hb H disease DNAs of both Asian and non-Asian origin were analyzed by restriction endonuclease mapping using the technique of Southern (1975). Whereas in normal DNA, alpha sequences are present in a single Eco Rl fragment of cellular DNA approximately 22.5 kb long, fragments of 22.5, 20 and 2.6 kb were found in various Hb H disease DNAs. The 20 kb Eco Rl fragment alone, in which a single alpha-globin structural locus resides, was found in Asian Hb H disease DNA. This finding is consistent with the deletion model of alpha-thalassemia. In contrast, seven of eight non-Asian Hb H disease DNAs displayed a more complex molecular composition. The fragment patterns observed were 22.5 kb alone, 22.5 plus 2.6 kb, 20 plus 2.6 kb and 20 kb alone. Non-Asian Hb H disease DNAs contained one, two or three alpha loci per cell in contrast to the one locus predicted by the simple deletion model of alpha-thalassemia. The data are best explained by the existence of defective alpha loci in certain individuals with alpha-thalassemia, particularly outside the Asian population. Restriction mapping of the 20 kb Eco Rl fragment found in Asian and some non-Asian Hb H disease DNAs demonstrated a striking similarity in the placement of restriction sites about the single alpha gene compared with sites about the two genes in the 22.5 kb Eco Rl fragment seen in normal DNA. These data are consistent with origin of the 20 kb fragment from the 22.5 kb normal Eco Rl fragment by either unequal crossing-over or a deletion event. The molecular heterogeneity and frequent occurrence of defective alpha loci in non-Asian Hb H disease DNAs described here may explain, in part, the clinical heterogeneity of alpha-thalassemias and the absence of the homozygous deletion state (hydrops fetalis) in non-Asians. Further study of cellular DNA fragments containing the defective alpha loci identified in this work may indicate the types of specific mutations responsible for abnormal globin gene expression and complement similar studies on abnormal beta genes in beta-thalassemias.

Asia

Genomic Divergence Shaped the Genetic Regulation of Meiotic Homologous Recombination in Brassica Allopolyploids.

The tight regulation of meiotic recombination between homologs is disrupted in Brassica AAC allotriploids, a genomic configuration that may have facilitated the formation of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) ∼7,500 years ago. Indeed, the presence of the haploid C genome induces supernumerary crossovers between homologous A chromosomes with dramatically reshaped distribution. However, the genetic mechanisms driving this phenomenon and their divergence between nascent and established lineages remain unclear. To address these concerns, we generated hybrids carrying additional C chromosomes derived either from an established lineage of the allotetraploid B. napus or from its diploid progenitor B. oleracea. We then assessed recombination variation across twelve populations by mapping male meiotic crossovers using single nucleotide polymorphism markers evenly distributed across the sequenced A genome. Our findings reveal that the C09 chromosome of B. oleracea is responsible for the formation of additional crossovers near pericentromeric regions. Interestingly, its counterpart from an established lineage of B. napus shows no significant effect on its own, despite having a similar content of meiotic genes. However, we showed that the B. napus C09 chromosome influences crossover formation through inter-chromosomal epistatic interactions with other specific C chromosomes. These results provide new insights into the genetic regulation of homologous recombination in Brassica and emphasize the role of genomic divergence since the formation of the allopolyploid B. napus.

Meiosis

Regulation of Leishmania populations within the host. III. Mapping of the locus controlling susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis in the mouse.

Acute susceptibility of the mouse to Leishmania donovani is largely determined by a single locus designated Lsh. Linkage between the Lsh locus and the Chromosome 1 marker Id-1 was detected using several sets of recombinant inbred strains. Chromosome 1 linkage was confirmed in backcross generations using isoenzymes and a cytogenetic marker. The data indicate that the gene order is centromere-Lsh-Id-1-ln-Dip-1. The estimated recombination frequency between Lsh and Id-1 is 0.12 +/- 0.04. This mapping is away from the known histocompatibility loci.

Alleles

QTL mapping for seed vigor-related traits under artificial aging in common wheat in two introgression line (IL) populations.

BACKGROUND: Seed vigor recognized as a quantitative trait is of particular importance for agricultural production. However, limited knowledge is available for understanding genetic basis of wheat seed vigor. METHODS: The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) responsible for 10 seed vigor-related traits representing multiple aspects of seed-vigor dynamics during artificial aging with 6 different treatment times (0, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 h) under controlled conditions (48 °C, 95% humidity, and dark). The mapping populations were two wheat introgression lines (IL-1 and IL-2) derived from recipient parent (Lumai 14) and donor parent (Shaanhan 8675 or Jing 411). RESULTS: A total of 26 additive QTLs and 72 pairs of epistatic QTLs were detected for wheat seed-vigor traits. Importantly, chromosomes 1B and 7B contained several co-located QTLs, and chromosome 2A had a QTL-rich region near the marker Xwmc667, indicating that these QTLs may affect wheat seed vigor with pleiotropic effects. Furthermore, several possible consistent QTLs (hot-spot regions) were examined by comparison analysis of QTLs detected in this study and reported previously. Finally, a set of candidate genes for wheat seed vigor were predicted to be involved in transcription regulation, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION: The present findings lay new insights into the mechanism underlying wheat seed vigor, providing valuable information for wheat genetic improvement especially marker-assisted breeding to increase seed vigor and consequently achieve high grain yield despite of further investigation required.

Triticum

Incomplete genomes of the parvovirus minute virus of mice: selective conservation of genome termini, including the origin for DNA replication.

Deletion mutants of minute virus of mice arising during a single high-multiplicity passage and after serial undiluted passage have been isolated, and the incomplete viral genomes contained therein have been analyzed. The DNA isolated from incomplete virions derived from a single high-multiplicity passage was heterogeneous, ranging in size from 15 to 70% of the intact viral genome, with an average molecular length of approximately, 2,000 nucleotides. Two distinct types of molecules, designated as type I D-DNA and type II D-DNA, could be distinguished on the basis of their degree of secondary structure, and these were present in roughly equal amounts. Type I D-DNAs were predominantly single-stranded, recombinant molecules in which the self-complementary sequences derived from both genomic termini were conserved. The 5' terminus was modified relative to the analogous wild-type structure. Although virtually all of the wild-type genome sequence was seen in the total type I D-DNA population, sequences which map between coordinates 47.3 and 87.1 were clearly underrepresented. However, the extent and position of the deletions in individual molecules varied significantly. The shortest molecules in the population lacked between 90 and 95% of the internal wild-type genome sequence and consisted of sequences derived almost exclusively from within 5.0 map units (250 nucleotides) at both ends of the viral genome. Moreover, these miniature recombinant molecules were selectively amplified during serial undiluted passage and were therefore believed to contain all of the critical recognition sites necessary for the replication of minute virus of mice viral DNA. Type II D-DNAs were virus-specific, double-stranded hairpin molecules whose complementary strands were covalently continuous at variable sites distal to the 5' end of the viral minus strand. In sharp contrast to the type I genomes, these hairpin molecules consisted of sequences which mapped entirely at the 5' end of the viral genome between positions 85.0 and 100. Furthermore, type II molecules were gradually lost from the total D-DNA population during serial undiluted passage, suggesting that these molecules are not competent for DNA Replication but arise as the result of fatal replication errors. Deletion mutants of the type described here for minute virus of mice should be valuable generally as aids to future studies on parvovirus DNA replication, transcription, and cell-virus interactions.

Base Sequence

EPIC: Event Prototyping via Information Constrained graph learning for personalized cancer driver gene prediction.

MOTIVATION: Precision oncology relies on accurately distinguishing patient-specific driver mutations from the vast background of passenger alterations. While graph-based computational methods have emerged as powerful tools for this task, they often struggle to preserve the distinct genomic context of individual mutations within complex biological networks. Consequently, subtle patient-specific driver signals are frequently obscured by dominant topological patterns, critically impeding the identification of individualized oncogenic events essential for personalized cancer therapy. RESULTS: To address this, we propose EPIC, a novel framework for Event Prototyping via Information Constrained Graph Learning. Unlike traditional node-centric approaches, EPIC redefines driver prediction as a metric learning task in an event embedding space. We introduce an information-constrained learning strategy that imposes explicit geometric constraints on feature variance, effectively preventing feature collapse and ensuring that low-frequency driver signals are distinctively preserved. Experiments on large-scale cancer cohorts demonstrate that EPIC significantly outperforms established baselines. Notably, the model prioritizes low-frequency driver variants typically overlooked by population-based methods, mapping them to critical oncogenic mechanisms associated with drug resistance and metastasis. Furthermore, clinical actionability analysis confirms that EPIC substantially expands the patient population eligible for targeted therapies. EPIC provides a robust and context-aware solution for personalized cancer driver discovery, bridging the gap between genomic data and actionable therapeutic insights. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The source code and datasets are available at https://github.com/spcho-dev/EPIC.

Humans

Mapping of mitochondrial genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Populations and pedigree analysis of retention or loss of four genetic markers in Rho-cells.

1. Retention or loss of mitochondrial markers CR321, OR1, PR454, TR (gene loci RIB1, OLI1, PAR1, TSM1 respectively has been analysed in a large number of ethidium bromide induced primary rho-clones. Retention of one or more of the four markers with a single clone was observed frequently, only 20 to 25% of clones were found to be (TOCOOOPO). Primary clones retaining two or more of the four markers were found to be mixed, i.e. the primary rho- cell contained a heterogeneous population of variously deleted mitDNA molecules which segregated into different cell lines in the corresponding primary clone. 2. A representative sample of the population of ethidium bromide induced rho- mutants has been analysed by a first subcloning performed after some 30 cell generations of vegetative multiplication in the abscence of the drug. At this level the heterogeneous population of mitDNA molecules, generated by the mutagenic treatment in the primary cell, has been sorted out. The cells forming secondary clones are thus essentially homoplasmic. In contrast to primary clones, genotypes of secondary clones therefore could be determined unambiguously, and the frequency of cell types can be regarded as a faithful representation of the frequency of mitDNA molecules. Retention of markers was low, in less than 2% of secondary clones one or several markers have been found. This observation has been interpreted as indicating that induction of rho-mutants by ethidium bromide is accompanied by deletion of very large sequences of mitDNA in a very large fraction of mitDNA molecules. 3. Five individual rho-clones retaining the four markers TRCRORPR have been isolated and analysed for spontaneous deletion of one or several of these markers during successive subclonings (pedigree analysis). High genetic stability (98-99.5% per cell generation) has been observed in these clones. 4. A method has been developed allowing an unambiguous determination of the order of the four markers on a circular map. It is based on the concomitant loss of two markers and retention of the other two markers (double loss/double retention analysis). The results of four out of five pedigrees of individual rho-clones analysed (spontaneous deletion) and the results of the analysis of populations of secondary rho-clones (ethidium bromide induced deletion) were in full agreement and the order of genes has been determined as being P-T-C-O-P. In the fifth pedigree results suggest an inversion of the T and C markers. 5. Relative distances between pairs of markers have been derived from the frequencies of separation of markers by deletion and were found to be C-T less than C-O less than T-O less than T-P less than C-P less than O-P. Linkage of the four markers could be established, and distances calculated are additive. 6. The general relevance of this approach of mapping by deletion and the methods used for the determination of order and distances of mitochondrial genes has been discussed. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

DNA, Mitochondrial

The genetic basis of adaptation to copper pollution in Drosophila melanogaster.

Introduction: Heavy metal pollutants can have long lasting negative impacts on ecosystem health and can shape the evolution of species. The persistent and ubiquitous nature of heavy metal pollution provides an opportunity to characterize the genetic mechanisms that contribute to metal resistance in natural populations. Methods: We examined variation in resistance to copper, a common heavy metal contaminant, using wild collections of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Flies were collected from multiple sites that varied in copper contamination risk. We characterized phenotypic variation in copper resistance within and among populations using bulked segregant analysis to identify regions of the genome that contribute to copper resistance. Results and Discussion: Copper resistance varied among wild populations with a clear correspondence between resistance level and historical exposure to copper. We identified 288 SNPs distributed across the genome associated with copper resistance. Many SNPs had population-specific effects, but some had consistent effects on copper resistance in all populations. Significant SNPs map to several novel candidate genes involved in refolding disrupted proteins, energy production, and mitochondrial function. We also identified one SNP with consistent effects on copper resistance in all populations near CG11825, a gene involved in copper homeostasis and copper resistance. We compared the genetic signatures of copper resistance in the wild-derived populations to genetic control of copper resistance in the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource (DSPR) and the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), two copper-naïve laboratory populations. In addition to CG11825, which was identified as a candidate gene in the wild-derived populations and previously in the DSPR, there was modest overlap of copper-associated SNPs between the wild-derived populations and laboratory populations. Thirty-one SNPs associated with copper resistance in wild-derived populations fell within regions of the genome that were associated with copper resistance in the DSPR in a prior study. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the genetic control of copper resistance is highly polygenic, and that several loci can be clearly linked to genes involved in heavy metal toxicity response. The mixture of parallel and population-specific SNPs points to a complex interplay between genetic background and the selection regime that modifies the effects of genetic variation on copper resistance.

Drosophila

Large-scale admixture mapping in the All of Us Research Program improves the characterization of cross-population phenotypic differences.

Admixed individuals have been understudied in medical research largely due to their complex genetic ancestries. However, the consideration of admixture can identify ancestry-enriched genetic associations, delineating genetic underpinnings of cross-population phenotypic variation. Here, we performed admixture mapping in individuals with inferred admixture from African and European populations (N = 48,921). Across 22 traits, we identified 71 ancestry-trait associations, including loci where ancestral haplotypes explained phenotypic variation yet were missed by single-variant association testing due to their stricter multiple testing burden. One such locus where inferred local AFR ancestries are associated with increased hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 12q14.3, highlighting its potential role in explaining differences between populations. Together, our results expand upon the phenotypic differences between populations and characterize loci where genetic ancestries play a critical role in the architecture of disease.

Humans

Genetics of Drosophila subobscura populations. VIII. Allozyme loci and their chromosome maps.

Genetic information on 25 enzyme polymorphisms in Drosophila subobscura, the location of corresponding genes, and cytological and genetic maps of the chromosomes are presented, as well as photographic maps of the salivary gland chromosomes in the third instar larva and white-case early pupal stages. Biochemical markers were used to establish chromosomal homologies among D. subobscura, D. pseudoobscura, D. melanogaster, and D. willistoni.

Acid Phosphatase

Genomic Structural Equation Modeling Identifies a Shared Inflammatory Genetic Dimension Across Inflammatory Arthritis Phenotypes and Biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory arthritis (IA), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and gout, shares systemic inflammatory features indexed by C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), yet the extent of their common genetic basis remains unclear. AIMS: We aimed to delineate the shared genetic architecture across IA phenotypes and inflammatory biomarkers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We applied genomic structural equation modelling (Genomic SEM) to GWAS summary statistics for RA, PsA, gout, CRP and IL-6, fitted a single common factor, and performed multivariate GWAS followed by fine-mapping, transcriptome-wide association, gene-based analysis, pathway enrichment, and cell-type and spatial mapping. RESULTS: A single common factor was fitted (CFI = 0.990, SRMR = 0.045). The multivariate GWAS identified 56 genome-wide significant SNPs across 10 independent lead loci, including one novel signal. Fine-mapping prioritized high-confidence variants near PTPN22, the CRP gene cluster and a urate-associated locus. Gene-level analyses converged on DCLRE1B, PTPN22, IL6R, NLRP3 and HNF1A, with pathway enrichment implicating inflammasome assembly and metabolic-inflammatory overlap. Cell-type enrichment highlighted myeloid populations, and spatial mapping localized signals to lung, kidney, mucosal epithelium and gastrointestinal tissues. DISCUSSION: These results delineate a shared inflammatory genetic dimension across IA phenotypes and biomarkers, anchored in immune, inflammasome, cytokine-receptor and metabolic pathways. CONCLUSION: Together, these findings provide a valuable framework for prioritizing candidate genes and cellular contexts for future investigation.

TWAS

R loop mapping of the 18S and 28S sequences in the long and short repeating units of Drosophila melanogaster rDNA.

Cleavage of D. melanogaster rDNA with the Eco R1 restriction endonuclease reveals two major classes of repeating units: a long class of 17 kilobases (kb) and a short class of 11.4 kb. R loop mapping has been used to determine the topography of the sequences corresponding to the 18S and 28S rRNAs in both classes, including a cloned member (Dm103) of the long class. This mapping procedure derives from a novel reaction that we discovered between single-stranded RNA and homologous regions in duplex DNA molecules. In high formamide and at an elevated temperature, the RNA pairs with one of the two DNA strands in the region of homology to form an R loop in which one element is an RNA/DNA duplex and the other is single-stranded DNA (Figure 1). Mapping is accomplished by visualization of R loops in the electron microscope. The R loop map of Dm103 parallels that determined independently by Glover and Hogness (1977) from an analysis of its restriction fragments. Both maps indicate that the 28S rDNA in this cloned unit is divided into two blocks by a 5 kb insertion segment. R loop mapping of a population of long units obtained directly from the rDNA (that is, without cloning) has demonstrated that this interruption of the sequence coding for the 28S rRNA is a characteristic of the long class. By contrast, the 28S rDNA in the short units that we examined is not interrupted by an insertion segment. Otherwise, the R loop maps of the long and short units do not differ significantly. The two classes therefore correspond to repeating units that do (IN+) or do not (IN-) contain an insertion segment. Models for the transcription and function of these two classes of repeating units are discussed.

Animals

Auditing bacterial dark-gene screens for superimposed open reading frame artefacts: A multi-layer analysis of Rv2438A in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Essentiality and knockdown-vulnerability screens can promote spurious bacterial open reading frames when those frames overlap essential genes, because such a frame inherits its neighbour's signals undiluted and therefore satisfies the screen's criteria better than a genuine small gene. We present a multi-layer audit that tests this failure mode across genome annotation, transposon mutagenesis, CRISPR interference, homology, transcript mapping, proteomics, and population variation. We apply it to Rv2438A, a 92-codon conserved hypothetical open reading frame of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ranked first by our own dark-gene target screen. Rv2438A is superimposed on the essential NAD synthetase locus nadE: 44% lies within its coding sequence on the opposite strand, and the remainder covers its promoter and transcription start site. Consequently, three of five Himar1 sites lie within nadE, no CRISPRi guide can target Rv2438A without binding nadE, and the cross-species hit maps to the same nadE start junction. Rv2438A lacks its own transcription start site and is absent from every proteomic dataset that detects nadE. A genome-wide scan identifies six short, overlapping, uncharacterised loci among 3907 annotated genes, but only Rv2438A combines overlap and essentiality with non-detection across all proteomic datasets; rare genome-wide, it ranked first among screen hits. We provide an implementable audit workflow and a codon-position control, but measure the control's sensitivity as only two of five genes with attested protein, limiting it to confirmatory use. Overlap coordinates and neighbour-specific experimental resolution should therefore be reported before bacterial dark genes are prioritised.

CRISPR interference

Foliar disease resistance phenomics of fungal pathogens: image-based approaches for mapping quantitative resistance in cereal germplasm.

Host plant resistance is the most effective and environmentally sustainable means of reducing yield losses caused by fungal foliar pathogens of cereal species. Cereal genebank collections hold diverse pools of potentially underutilized disease resistance alleles, and cereal genomic resources are well advanced due to large-scale sequencing and genotyping efforts. Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have emerged as the predominant association genetics technique to initially discover novel disease resistance loci or alleles in these diverse collections. Traditional disease resistance phenotyping methods are reliant on visual estimation of disease symptom severity and have successfully supported genetic mapping studies either via GWAS or QTL mapping in biparental populations facilitating both marker development and gene cloning efforts. Due to foliar pathogens having a high capacity to evolve, there is a need to pyramid disease resistance genes with diverse mechanisms for durable control. Resistance expressed as a quantitative trait, known as quantitative resistance (QR), is hypothesized to be more durable, unlike major R-gene resistance that is race-specific and can be vulnerable to breaking down without gene stewardship. However, assessing QR visually is challenging, particularly when complicated by complex genotype × environment (G × E) effects in the field. High-throughput image-based phenotyping provides accurate and unbiased data that can support foliar disease resistance screening efforts of genebank collections using GWAS. In this review, we discuss image-based disease phenotyping based on macroscopic (visible symptoms) and microscopic features during the host-pathogen interaction. Quantitative image analysis approaches using conventional and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are also discussed.

Disease Resistance

Analysis of ferroptosis-related genes in cerebral ischemic stroke via immune infiltration and single-cell RNA-sequencing.

Ischemic stroke (IS) represents a harmful neurological disorder with limited treatment options. Ferroptosis accounts for the iron-dependent, nonapoptotic cell death pattern, which shows the feature of fatal lipid ROS accumulation. Nonetheless, ferroptosis-related biomarkers for identifying IS early are currently lacking. The present study focused on investigating the possible ferroptosis-related biomarkers for IS and analyzing their effects on immune infiltration. Altogether five hub differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes (DEFRGs) were identified from the relevant databases. Additionally, single-cell RNA-sequencing (seq) analysis was conducted for the comprehensive mapping of cell populations based on the IS database. These five hub DEFRGs were analyzed using gene set enrichment analysis, miRNA prediction, and single-cell RNA-seq analysis. A transient middle cerebral artery occlusion mouse model was constructed. We also adopted bioinformatics methods combined with western blot, changes to mitochondria, hematoxylin & eosin staining, Nissl staining, ROS fluorescence staining, immunohistochemistry, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to show the involvement of ferroptosis in IS progression. The results revealed that nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nfe2l2) was the potential candidate biomarker for IS diagnosis, and ferroptosis may be suppressed via the Nfe2l2/HO-1 pathway. Thus, drug targeting Nfe2l2 can shed novel lights on IS treatment.

Ferroptosis