Genomewide association study reveals novel quantitative trait loci associated with resistance towards Septoria tritici blotch in North European winter wheat

Fungal diseases are a major constraint for wheat production. Effective disease resistance is essential for ensuring a high production quality and yield. One of the most severe fungal diseases of wheat is Septoria tritici blotch (STB), which influences wheat production across the world. In this study, genomewide association mapping was used to identify new chromosomal regions on the wheat genome conferring effective resistance towards STB. A winter wheat population of 164 North European varieties and breeding lines was genotyped with 15K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) wheat array. The varieties were evaluated for STB in field trials at three locations in Denmark and across 3 years. The association analysis revealed four quantitative trait loci, on chromosomes 1B, 2A, 5D and 7A, highly associated with STB resistance. By comparing varieties containing several quantitative trait loci (QTL) with varieties containing none of the found QTL, a significant difference was found in the mean disease score. This indicates that an effective resistance can be obtained by pyramiding several QTL.     

Seaweed Hydrocolloid Production: An Update on Enzyme Assisted Extraction and Modification Technologies

Agar, alginate, and carrageenans are high-value seaweed hydrocolloids, which are used as gelation and thickening agents in different food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological applications. The annual global production of these hydrocolloids has recently reached 100,000 tons with a gross market value just above US$ 1.1 billion. The techno-functional properties of the seaweed polysaccharides depend strictly on their unique structural make-up, notably degree and position of sulfation and presence of anhydro-bridges. Classical extraction techniques include hot alkali treatments, but recent research has shown promising results with enzymes. Current methods mainly involve use of commercially available enzyme mixtures developed for terrestrial plant material processing. Application of seaweed polysaccharide targeted enzymes allows for selective extraction at mild conditions as well as tailor-made modifications of the hydrocolloids to obtain specific functionalities. This review provides an update of the detailed structural features of κ-, ι-, λ-carrageenans, agars, and alginate, and a thorough discussion of enzyme assisted extraction and processing techniques for these hydrocolloids.     

Evaluation of dog owners' perceptions concerning radiation therapy

Background

External radiation therapy (RT) has been available for small animals in Sweden since 2006. This study was designed to obtain information on owner experiences and perceptions related to RT of cancer in their dogs. Another survey was used to determine the attitudes about use of RT in a group of Swedish veterinarians. Their responses were analyzed and compared to their level of knowledge of oncology and RT.

Methods

Owners of all dogs (n = 23) who had undergone RT for malignancy at Jönköping Small Animal Hospital between March 2006 to September 2007 were interviewed. A questionnaire was given to a selected group of veterinarians.

Results

All 23 owners responded. All owners thought that their dog did well during RT and most that their dog was also fine during the following phase when acute RT-related skin reactions occur and heal. Three owners stated that their dog had pain that negatively impacted quality of life because of radiation dermatitis. Five owners reported that RT positively impacted quality of life of the dog during the first weeks after RT because palliation was achieved. The owners were not disturbed by the efforts required of them. All but one owner (22 of 23) stated that they would make the same decision about RT again if a similar situation occurred. The most important factor for this decision was the chance to delay occurrence of tumour-related discomfort. The chance for cure was of less importance but still essential, followed by expected side effects. Time commitments, travel, number of treatments required and financial cost; all had low impact. The veterinarian survey showed that less background knowledge of small animal oncology/RT was associated with more negative expectations of RT for small animals.

Conclusion

The results show that for these owners, RT was a worthwhile treatment modality and that the discomfort for the dog was manageable and acceptable relative to the benefits. Improved continuing education about small animal RT in Sweden will likely result in increased evidence-based and positive treatment recommendations concerning RT by veterinarians.     

The impact of phenology,exposure and instar susceptibility on insecticide effects on a chrysomelid beetle population

Direct topical impact of an insecticide spray on a population of a non-target leaf-eating beetle, Gastrophysa polygoni, was studied, and the relative importance of phenology, instar susceptibility and instar specific exposure was evaluated. Two insecticides, cypermethrin and dimethoate, were investigated. In the laboratory, topical toxicity to eggs, second-instar larvae and adults was recorded in dose-response experiments. The spatial distribution of larvae and eggs were measured in the field. Deposition of insecticide onto eggs, second-instar larvae and adult specimens was measured at different positions within the crop canopy by use of a dye tracer technique. A temperature-driven population model was constructed to simulate population development of all life stages in the field. The model was based on laboratory measures of growth and development at various temperatures. Mortality due to direct insecticide exposure was calculated as a function of population demography, spatial distribution of individuals, spatial deposition of the insecticide, and stage-specific susceptibility. Cypermethrin had the greatest impact, reducing population size by 19–32%. The life stages most sensitive to cypermethrin were the larval instars. As the population developed from eggs to larvae and imagines, the impact of one spraying first increased and then decreased according to the proportion of larvae in the population. Dimethoate had less effect on the population, i.e. 1·9–7·6% reduction. Dimethoate was most toxic to the egg stage, and consequently the effect on the population decreased as the proportion of eggs decreased due to hatching. The direct effect of insecticide spraying was significantly affected by all three factors investigated, i.e. phenology, life stage susceptibility and stage-specific exposure. The latter factor is composed of both spray flux at various spatial positions in the canopy and the ability of different life stages to retain spray droplets. © 1998 SCI     

Lipid composition and deposition during grain filling in intact barley (Hordeum vulgare) mutant grains as studied by H HR MAS NMR

Conventional barley has an excellent nutritional value, but a lower content of lipids than oat. Nevertheless, barley lipids deserve a focused interest due to their fatty acid composition and their vitamin E composition. In this study, ¹H HR MAS NMR was used to monitor the deposition of lipids during grain filling of conventional barley, and of two barley endosperm mutants with increased lipid content. The lipids in the mutants are primarily synthesized between days 9 and 13, whereas the lipid biosynthesis in the conventional barley took place ten days later. GC analysis on barley flour lipids showed that the mutants and the control exhibit comparable relative levels of the major fatty acids: C16:0, C18:1 and C18:2 despite the higher content of lipids in the mutants. Differences in the minor fatty acid composition between control and mutants were also observed. The degree of unsaturation was found to be increasing during grain filling for both conventional barley and the two mutants.     

Chromosomal regions associated with the in vitro culture response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) microspores

Generation of doubled haploid plants is a powerful tool in breeding, as homozygous individuals will be obtained directly from hybrids. However, genotype variability in regeneration efficiency of most European wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties has limited its use in wheat. This study intended to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for green plantlet regeneration from wheat microspore cultures. A QTL analysis using DArT markers was conducted based on a bi‐parental F₃ population, derived from a cross between the varieties Svilena and Jensen, which displayed markedly different capacity for plantlet regeneration. Two QTLs on chromosome 1B and 7B explained 53% of the variation in green plantlet regeneration. Furthermore, a collection of 94 European wheat varieties was genotyped and phenotyped. The microspore response level was low among western and northern European wheat varieties, and the positive QTLs found in the bi‐parental population were rare in the variety collection. Identification of the two QTLs enables introduction of high regeneration efficiency into wheat germplasm. Moreover, our results proved that the efficient regeneration observed for one variety could be crossed into modern winter wheat.