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PubMed1979

Characterization of endotoxin from the rumen bacterium Megasphaera elsdenii.

Phenol-water extraction of Megasphaera elsdenii, a predominant gram-negative coccus in rumens of cattle fed high-grain diets, yielded material that exhibited typical characteristics of endotoxin. The extract was lethal to mice and to chicken embryos, caused biphasic fever in rabbits, leukopenia in mice, and local and generalized Shwartzman reactions; and induced tolerance to the lethal effect of the endotoxin in mice. The material contained carbohydrate, protein, lipid, phosphorus, and 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate, but no nucleic acid. The beta-hydroxymyristic acid was absent. Results imply that M elsdenii endotoxin has many biological and chemical characteristics common to enterobacterial endotoxin. However, the median lethal doses in mice and in chicken embryos, and minimal dose required to elicit a local Shwartzman reaction, indicate that M elsdenii endotoxin's potency is low, which may explain why the large gram-negative bacterial population in the rumen of cattle is generally innocuous.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Assessment of genomic prediction and genetic gain in multi‑population half-sib families in the perennial grass crop intermediate wheatgrass.

The University of Minnesota has been domesticating the perennial forage intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) since 2011 using a combination of conventional methods and modern breeding tools such as genomic selection. Globally, most IWG selection nurseries are spaced-planted individuals of several hundred genotypes whereas commercial fields established for grain production are row-planted panmictic populations. This study evaluated genomic prediction models and estimated genetic gain in yield and agronomic performance of row-planted IWG half-sib families assessed over 3 years and 2 locations, Lamberton and St. Paul, MN, USA. The strongest trait correlation was negative (r = -0.49) between 2023 St. Paul height and 2022 St. Paul seed size. The three St. Paul environments were more similar for plant height and seed size and so were the Lamberton environments yet no specific trend was observed for grain yield. Evaluation of different univariate and multivariate genomic prediction models showed that multivariate models outperformed the best univariate models by 23 percentage points, yet no single multivariate model was the best predictor of all traits. Cross-environment predictions were the best among St. Paul environments and no single environment was the best predictor of the remaining environments. Genetic gain estimates indicated a 20 kg ha-1 increase in grain yield and 3 cm reduction in plant height per breeding cycle. While no single model predicted all traits with high accuracy, results obtained in this study suggest that evaluating IWG sibs in row plots followed by genomic trait predictions could lead to desired breeding progress for desired traits.

Poaceae↗
PubMed2026

Transcriptional and phytohormonal regulation of positional ear development reveals yield strategies in maize.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a vital global crop, contributing ∼37% of annual grain production. Enhancing yield per unit area is crucial for food security, yet research has primarily focused on single-ear traits, overlooking the regulation of double ears-a key determinant of prolificacy. While secondary ears drive yield variability under prolificacy-favoring conditions, the mechanisms governing ear formation across shoot positions remain poorly understood. Here, we performed high-resolution transcriptomic analysis of 66 samples from three ear types (primary, secondary and third) in maize inbred B73. We uncovered distinct hormonal developmental dynamics: strigolactone (SL) signaling genes, particularly SBP transcription factors, dominated in primary (I) ears, whereas ethylene-related genes (e.g., ZmEREB131, ZmACCO35) were enriched in third (III) ears. Functional validation confirmed that knockout of ZmEREB131 and ZmACCO35 accelerated development and elongated ears compared to wild-type, implicating ethylene (ETH) signaling in ear maturation arrest. Notably, SL inhibitor application synchronized primary and secondary ear development, boosting total yield by >20% without compromising primary ear performance. Our study elucidates the transcriptional networks underlying differential ear development and provides actionable strategies for yield improvement through targeted hormonal modulation. These findings advance the understanding of maize inflorescence biology and offer molecular tools for breeding high-yielding varieties.

RNA-seq↗
PubMed2026

Holistic approaches for improvement of maize resistance against lodging stress: current status and future perspective.

Lodging is a major constraint in maize production, causing significant yield losses, reduced grain quality, and harvesting inefficiencies, thereby posing a serious challenge to global food security and climate-resilient agriculture. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the genetic, physiological, and agronomic determinants of maize lodging resistance and evaluates holistic strategies for improving tolerance to lodging stress. Recent advances in quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), functional gene characterization, genome editing, high-throughput phenotyping, and precision agronomy have provided powerful tools to enhance stalk biomechanics, root anchorage, and adaptive plant architecture. Integrating genomic discovery with advanced phenomics and optimized agronomic management offers a scalable framework for accelerating the development of high-yielding, lodging-resilient maize cultivars. However, critical gaps remain in understanding the genetic coordination between stalk strength and root system architecture, integrating multi-omics approaches to unravel regulatory networks, validating genome-editing interventions across diverse agro-ecologies, and developing environment-responsive predictive breeding models and cost-effective phenotyping tools, particularly for stress-prone regions. Addressing these challenges through coordinated multi-environment trials and integrative molecular-agronomic strategies will facilitate the translation of genomic discoveries into climate-resilient, high-performing maize cultivars. By consolidating molecular insights with applied breeding and management practices, this review provides a comprehensive framework that guides researchers in designing genome-informed and field-validated approaches to improve maize resistance to lodging stress and support sustainable crop production systems.

Zea mays↗
PubMed2026

miR9772, a Triticum-specific miRNA involved in regulating wheat salt tolerance and grain size.

Salt stress severely impairs crop productivity worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small noncoding RNAs, which played the crucial role in regulating plant growth, development as well as stress responses at the posttranscriptional level. However, the significance of miRNA on salt response in wheat is not well understood at present. In this study, we identified a salt-responsive miRNA from wild emmer wheat, miR9772, which appears to be specific to Triticum species. Under salt stress, the expression of miR9772 was significantly induced and upregulated. Functional analyses revealed that overexpression of miR9772 increased salt sensitivity in wheat, whereas silencing of miR9772 using Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM) technology markedly enhanced salt tolerance, demonstrated its crucial role in regulating wheat's salt response. Furthermore, we revealed that miR9772 could target on CYP76C4 to decline its expression abundance to affect wheat's salt resistance. Additionally, agronomic and yield-related traits of transgenic wheat lines based on field experiments showed that miR9772-silenced lines exhibited larger grain size and higher grain yield per plant, indicating that miR9772 simultaneously regulated the salt tolerance and grain development. Collectively, this study provided a new target for improving wheat salt tolerance without yield penalty through genome editing breeding.

Triticum↗
PubMed2026

Heat stress in cereal crops: reproductive development and grain filling.

Increasingly frequent extreme heat events threaten cereal production and food security under a changing climate. The reproductive-to-grain formation continuum of cereals is particularly vulnerable to elevated temperatures, as heat stress disrupts developmental processes from inflorescence formation and fertilization to grain filling and quality establishment. These disruptions reduce reproductive success, impair yield formation, and compromise grain quality. A comprehensive understanding of the developmental, physiological, molecular, and genetic basis of cereal heat tolerance is therefore essential for developing climate-adapted crops. This review summarizes recent advances in understanding heat stress during cereal reproduction and grain filling across major cereal crops. We first discuss how heat stress affects sequential developmental processes, including inflorescence development, gametophyte development, flowering and pollination, fertilization, and grain filling. We then integrate emerging evidence on cross-cutting mechanisms that connect stage-specific heat responses, focusing on hormonal and redox homeostasis, carbohydrate metabolism and source-sink coordination, proteostasis and endomembrane organization, and genome stability and multilayered gene regulation. Finally, we summarize the genetic basis of cereal heat tolerance by highlighting genetic determinants, favorable alleles, and their potential applications in breeding. We further discuss current bottlenecks and future opportunities for breeding heat-tolerant cereals.

Cereals↗
PubMed1977

The distribution of sequences complementary to human satellite DNAs I, II and IV in the chromosomes of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) and orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus).

Human satellite DNAs I, II and IV were transcribed to yield radioactive complementary RNAs (cRNAs). These cRNAs were hybridised to metaphase chromosomes of man, chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) and orang utan (Pongo pygmaeus). The results of this in situ hybridisation were analysed quantitatively and compared with accepted chromosome homologies based on Giemsa banding patterns. The cRNA to satellite II (cRNAII) did not hybridise to chimpanzee chromosomes, although its hybridisation to chromosomes of gorilla and orang utan yielded more autoradiograph grains than hybridisation to human chromosomes, and cRNAIV hybridised to many chromosomes of gorilla and chimpanzee but was almost entirely restricted to the Y chromosome in orang utan. Most sites of hybridisation were located on homologous chromosomes in all four species, but there were a number of sites which showed no correspondence between satellite DNA location and chromosome banding patterns, and others where a given chromosomal location hybridised with different cRNAs in each species. These results are in contrast to those found for many transcribed DNA sequences, where the same sequence is usually located at homologous chromosome sites in different species, and appear to cast doubt on many proposed models of satellite DNA function.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Discourse analysis and the doctor-patient relationship.

This article describes a system of discourse analysis, called a "taxonomy of verbal response modes," which can be applied to medical interviews. The taxonomy identifies eight basic categories: disclosure, question, edification, acknowledgement, advisement, interpretation, confirmation, and reflection, which are defined by three principles of classification. The categories are mutually exclusive and exhaustive. Each mode conveys a particular interpersonal intent and also has a characteristic grammatical form. With eight forms and eight intents, the taxonomy includes sixty-four possible verbal response modes, eight "pure modes," in which form and intent coincide, and fifty-six "mixed modes," in which form and intent differ. The taxonomy has yielded fine-grained descriptions of patient-physician interaction and has identified particular types of utterances and verbal exchanges that are associated with patients' satisfaction with their medical interviews. The system provides a detailed descriptive vocabulary that may be useful for teaching interviewing skills.

Humans↗
PubMed2025

Genome-wide association study reveals that TaODORANT1 negatively contributes to thousand grain weight by affecting starch synthesis in wheat.

Thousand grain weight (TGW) is one of the most important factors that control grain weight and crop yield. To date, dozens of wheat genes related to TGW have been isolated; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms governing grain development in wheat (Triticum aestivum) remain largely unknown. Benefiting from whole-genome resequencing and genome-wide association study, we identified an R2R3-type myeloblastosis (MYB) transcription factor, TaODORANT1, which was tightly associated with TGW. TaODORANT1 was specifically and highly expressed during the wheat grain developing stage. Knockout of TaODORANT1 led to an increase in TGW and starch content, as well as affected the expression of starch synthesis-related genes. Loss of function of TaODORANT1 altered the molecular structure and physiochemical properties of grain starch. Haplotype analysis showed that favorable Hap IV of TaODORANT1-A and favorable Hap I of TaODORANT1-B were significantly associated with the production of larger grains and higher TGW, respectively. Moreover, TaODORANT1 was a crucial targeted gene continuously selected in wheat domestication and breeding, and its orthologous genes might have retained similar functions in response to grain development. Our results highlight the importance of TaODORANT1 in affecting TGW, presenting potential targets for improving yield in wheat.

Triticum↗
PubMed2026

From stress signaling to yield stability: physiological and molecular mechanisms of wheat resilience to heat and drought stress.

Wheat resilience depends on coordinated signaling, reproductive protection, and source-sink regulation, providing a framework to breed robust trait combinations that stabilize yield under combined heat and drought. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of heat and drought events, posing a major threat to wheat productivity, yield stability, and food security. Because these stresses often coincide in the field, their combined effects can impair growth, reproductive development, grain filling, and final yield more severely than either stress alone. Wheat resilience under such conditions depends on coordinated physiological adjustment and molecular regulation that sustain cellular homeostasis, protect reproductive tissues, and preserve yield-related traits. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the physiological and molecular bases of wheat resilience to heat and drought, with emphasis on their combined effects. We discuss major physiological responses, including photosynthetic adjustment, stomatal regulation, canopy cooling, osmotic balance, antioxidant defense, membrane stability, and source-sink coordination. We also examine key regulatory pathways involved in stress perception and adaptation, including calcium and reactive oxygen species signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades, phytohormonal crosstalk, transcriptional regulation, heat shock proteins, late embryogenesis abundant proteins, and osmoprotective and redox-associated pathways. In addition, we highlight the growing contribution of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics to the identification of candidate genes, biomarkers, and adaptive traits. Finally, we consider how mechanistic insights can be translated into wheat improvement through molecular markers, genomic selection, gene editing, and climate-realistic phenotyping. An integrated understanding of stress signaling and adaptive trait deployment will be essential for developing wheat cultivars with improved resilience and yield stability under future climates.

Triticum↗
PubMed2025

TaLAC129 is a negative regulator of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis but enhanced the growth and yield of bread wheat.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis enhances nutrient acquisition and stress resilience in plants, yet the genetic mechanisms regulating this interaction in wheat remain poorly understood. This study explores the variation in AM colonization rates across a diverse set of wheat varieties and aims to identify key genes that regulate the wheat-AM symbiosis. Understanding these molecular mechanisms is crucial for improving nutrient uptake efficiency and stress resistance in wheat breeding programs. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 291 wheat varieties and integrated transcriptomic data to identify TaLAC129, a laccase (LAC)-encoding gene, as a critical negative regulator of AM colonization in wheat roots. Overexpression of TaLAC129 significantly increased root LAC activity and lignin content, concurrently suppressing AM colonization. While this suppression reduced nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) uptake in stems, leaves, and glumes, it markedly enhanced nutrient utilization efficiency (NUE) in grains. Furthermore, TaLAC129 overexpression improved agronomic traits, including grains per panicle, 1000-grain weight, and overall yield. Our findings reveal the dual role of TaLAC129 in balancing AM symbiosis and nutrient allocation, offering a novel genetic target for breeding wheat varieties with improved yield and nutrient efficiency. This study provides critical insights into the molecular coordination between symbiotic trade-offs and agricultural productivity in cereal crops.

Triticum↗
PubMed2025

SUG2 controls grain size and weight by influencing GS2 transcription level in rice.

Grain size is a critical yield determinant and a complex quantitative trait in rice. The major quantitative trait locus GS2, which encodes the transcriptional regulator OsGRF4, has been characterized as a key controller of grain size and grain weight in rice. Building upon existing germplasm resources, exploring the upstream and downstream genes of known grain size regulators is an effective approach to gradually refine and expand the molecular regulatory network underlying grain size. Here, we report that a suppressor of the gain-of-function allele GS2AA, SUG2, which encodes an importin β nuclear transport protein. Phenotypic characterization reveals that the sug2 GS2AA mutant exhibits small grains by inhibiting cell expansion in the spikelet hull. Protein interaction analyses demonstrate that SUG2 physically interacts with GS2 both in vivo and in vitro, and the SUG2A mutation reduces SUG2 expression levels and inhibits GS2 transcriptional activation activity, resulting in decreased GS2 expression levels and GS2 protein abundance in sug2 GS2AA. Genetic analyses indicate that SUG2 and GS2 may be partially involved in a common pathway regulating grain size and weight in rice. These findings elucidate the grain size regulatory relationship between SUG2 and GS2 and provide novel insights into the precision breeding of yield optimization in rice.

Oryza↗
PubMed2026

Genetic legacy effects in a mungbean-wheat rotation reveal potential to breed for system-level yield gains.

Legume crops provide protein-rich food, serve as critical disease breaks in cereal rotations, and contribute to soil fertility through symbiotic nitrogen fixation. However, crop improvement programs typically focus on within-crop performance rather than system-level benefits. We hypothesize that legacy effects (the influence of one crop's genotype on subsequent crop performance) are under genetic control and could be targeted in breeding programs. To test this, we evaluated how 309 genetically diverse mungbean genotypes influenced subsequent wheat performance. The mungbean panel was grown, followed by a single wheat cultivar sown in the same plots. Remarkably, wheat yield varied by nearly 1 t ha-1 (2.52-3.49 t ha-1), depending solely on the preceding mungbean genotype. Legacy effects showed moderate heritability (H2: 0.43-0.65), suggesting untapped genetic potential for breeding. However, these estimates were derived from a single site and season and require validation across environments. Analyses of mungbean traits, soil properties, and volatile organic compounds identified root architecture, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, and the soil microbiome as potential contributors to legacy effects, although these mechanisms remain to be tested directly. Haplotype mapping identified genomic regions in mungbean associated with wheat yield and, to a lesser extent, grain protein, revealing trade-offs between within-crop performance and legacy effects. Genetic simulations based on empirically derived marker effects compared genomic selection strategies targeting mungbean yield, wheat yield, or both simultaneously. A selection strategy placing equal weight on mungbean yield and subsequent wheat yield (50:50 weighting) achieved simultaneous gains in both crops (19.5% and 7.6%), highlighting the potential to breed for system-level productivity with reduced input requirements.

crop rotations↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of branched ear derivatives of Triticum aestivum L.

The branched spikes of Triticum turgidum L. have a potential of producing a high number of kernels. Some of the selected lines of T. turgidum yielded up to 150 kernels per spike as compared to 60--70 kernels per spike in the common wheat cultivar Chenab-70. The best of these lines were crossed with the common wheats Chenab-70, Mexipak, and C-271. Among the lines obtained by selection from the advanced generations of the T. turgidum X Chenab-70 cross, some are similar to Chenab-70 with respect to tillering, plant shape, plant height, and leaf position, but their spikes are branched like those of the T. turgidum parent. These lines appear to be fairly homozygous. Chenab-70 produces, on the average, 60 kernels per spike, 34.8 g of grain per plant and has a 1000-kernel weight of 35 g. The number of kernels per spike, the yield of grain per plant and the 1000-kernel weight of the selected hybrid lines ranged from 25 to 133, from 8.5 to 59.6 g, and from 30.0 to 46.0 g, respectively, which shows that the chances of obtaining high-yielding new common wheat cultivars having spikes branched as those of the T. turgidum parent fairly good.

Phenotype↗
PubMed1977

Quantitative autoradiographic light- and electron microscopic studies on the retinohypothalamic connections in the rat.

Light microscopic autoradiography performed subsequent to intraocular injection of 3H-leucine revealed silver grains (SG) above axons of the optic tract which could be followed into the ventral and caudal portion of the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) and above the contralateral anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN). By high resolution photometric measurement and computer processing the labelled areas were analysed, thus yielding statistical data of the relative grain distribution. The highest SG density was found in the ventrolateral part of both SCN (SCvl), confirming earlier reports concerning retinohypothalamic connections. That area exhibiting a cytoarchitecture different from the remaining nucleus was traversed, however, by numerous labelled axons. In the caudal part of both SCN a specific projection field of retinal fibres could be located. Here, almost no traversing fibres contribute to the rather circumscribed marked area. In the ventral part of the contralateral AHN, diffuse labelling well above background levels could be observed. Distinction between bypassing and terminating fibres within the SCvl could not be made using light microscopy. Analysis of SG distribution of the SCvl with electron microscopic autoradiography revealed a specific localization of SG within presynaptic terminals containing clear vesicles and pale mitochondria.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Changes in production, yield, and chemical composition of corn (Zea mays) after ultrasound treatments of the seeds.

In the spring of each year (1972-1974) air-dry grains of two inbred lines of Z. mays (7275-13-1 and 106) were exposed for 17 h to a low level (25 kHz) of ultrasound and subsequently planted in the field together with untreated controls and grown to maturity. In the fall of each year the ears of each group were harvested and the number of broken stalks, the yield and weight of grains and grain parts and the alcohol-soluble amino acid complement of the grain parts were determined. Broken stalks and yields were unaffected, however the embryos from the treated groups retained more moisture than their respective controls, dry weights were also significantly increased. The alcohol-soluble amino acid composition of the embryos was markedly changed, levels of proline were severely depressed in the embryos of both lines and generally increased in the endosperms. Sonication resulted in an overall decrease of up to 40% in totalled alcohol-soluble amino acids in the grains of 7275-13-1.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2026

Molecular characterization of vitellogenin and its receptor with CRISPR-based sgRNA validation in the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Geyer) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

Maruca vitrata, the legume pod borer, causes yield losses of up to 80% in grain legumes. Increasing insecticide resistance and environmental concerns necessitate sustainable pest management alternatives. In the present study, the complete vitellogenin (Vg) coding sequence (CDS), a key reproductive gene involved in oogenesis and embryonic development, was cloned and molecularly characterised from M. vitrata. The assembled Vg CDS (∼5.3 kb) shared 99.04% sequence identity with the reported M. vitrata Vg sequence (MG799570.1). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated close evolutionary association with related Lepidopteran species, while protein domain analysis identified three conserved domains, namely LPD_N, DUF1943, and VWD. Among these, the single exon-encoded LPD_N domain was selected as the target region for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing. Homology models of Vg and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) (Global Model Quality Estimation (GMQE): 0.58 and 0.51) showed a favourable interaction by protein-protein docking (score: -295.66). Three single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) were designed, synthesised through in-vitro transcription, and evaluated using in vitro cleavage assays. sgRNA1 targeting the LPD_N domain and sgRNA2 targeting the signal peptide region exhibited efficient site-specific cleavage activity, whereas sgRNA3 failed to induce cleavage because of an unfavourable secondary structure that likely impaired Cas9-sgRNA complex formation. Overall, this study provides the first CRISPR-oriented functional characterisation and sgRNA validation of the M. vitrata Vg gene, together with structural characterisation of VgR and Vg-VgR interaction analysis, providing preliminary molecular resources for future CRISPR/Cas9 studies and supporting future embryo microinjection and heritable genome editing for sustainable management of M. vitrata.

CRISPR/Cas9↗