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Understanding the relationships between leaf photosynthetic activity and physiological and morphological traits of soybeans [Glycine max. (L.) Merr.] with different stem growth habits could be exploited for yield improvement. Leaf photosynthetic rate ([P.sub.n]), stomatal conductance ([g.sub.s]), leaf mass per unit area (LMA), and leaf nitrogen content per unit area (LNC) were measured for field-grown progeny of a cross between an indeterminate type, 'Stressland', and a determinate type, 'Tachinagaha', soybean. The [P.sub.n] of the uppermost fully expanded leaves of Stressland was 19% greater than Tachinagaha during the first 20 d after seed filling (growth stage R5) in 2005. Among 18 [F.sub.3] lines, [P.sub.n] at 14 d after R5 in 2005 varied from 22.1 to 34.2 [micro]mol C[O.sub.2] [m.sup.-2] [s.sup.-1] and was more strongly and significantly correlated with [g.sub.s] (P < 0.01) than with LMA (P < 0.05) and LNC (P = 0.11). In 2006, [P.sub.n] of eight selected [F.sub.4] genotypes and the parents varied from 27.9 to 35.0 [micro]mol C[O.sub.2] [m.sup.-2] [s.sup.-1]. Leaf gas exchange activity of the selected lines was represented by two attributes; the maximum of [g.sub.s] ([g.sub.max]), and functional leaf lifespan (LL). Values of [g.sub.max] were positively correlated with stomatal density (r = 0.91, P < 0.01), and LL was positively correlated with LMA (r = 0.89, P < 0.01). Some indeterminate types had very high [g.sub.max] but exhibited shorter LL. Genetic improvement of maximum leaf photosynthesis appears possible by increasing stomatal density, and the Dt1 locus for stem habit has a positive effect on soybean leaf photosynthesis, both in its maximum and duration.

Abstract: Rice (Oryza sativa L.) pathogenesis-related (PR)-3 chitinases, like other PR proteins, are each coded by one of the genes of a multigene family in the plant genome. We assembled [...]

In rice breeding, genes for seed dormancy as well as the markers for each of them are required for incorporation of an adequate seed dormancy into japonica cultivars. To screen genetic loci for seed dormancy in rice (Oryza sativa L.), two kinds of populations were tested: (i) an [F.sub.2] population of a hybrid Milyang 23 / Todorokiwase, and (ii) [F.sub.1] populations from a three-way cross, in which an indica donor of strong dormancy, IR 36, was crossed with non-dormant japonica cultivars, Nekken 2 and Miyukimochi, in the form of IR 36 / Nekken 2 // Miyukimochi. The seeds produced on the [F.sub.2] plants from the single cross and those on [F.sub.1] plants from the three-way cross were tested at three times: immediately after maturation, after 60 d storage at 4 ° C, and after breaking dormancy (7 d at 50 ° C). Of 24 marker loci assayed, at least four loci linked to seed dormancy were detected. The strong seed dormancy of Milyang 23 was linked with three isozyme genes: [Pgi-1.sup.1] on chromosome 3, [Amp-3.sup.2] on chromosome 6, and [Est-9.sup.2] on chromosome 7, while the strong seed dormancy of IR 36 was linked with [C.sup.+] (apiculus color) on chromosome 6, [Est-9.sup.2] on Chromosome 7, and [Acp-2.sup.1] on chromosome 12. The high level of seed dormancy in indicas was found to be due to a cumulative effect of several loci. Differential responses of such loci to a dormancy-breaking treatment were detected. An allele from IR 36 at a locus on chromosome 6 seemed to be responsible for strong seed dormancy after maturation and to be easily broken during storage. This allele may be incorporated into japonica rices by means of marker C for apiculus color., Seed dormancy is an important trait in preventing pre-harvest germination, especially for rice cultivation in humid climates. There is a clear varietal difference in seed dormancy; varieties having a low [...]

“Autonomous fruit set” refers to self-pollination and fruit set without pollen vectors such as vibration or insects. Autonomous fruit set under high-temperature stress is an important breeding goal as climate change can reduce fruit yields in Capsicum. We screened Capsicum cultivars for autonomous fruit set ability in a greenhouse environment and investigated pollen germination, viability, pollen grains number, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), style length, anther cone length, and anthesis stage under high temperatures in order to identify indicator traits for screening more genotypes with autonomous fruit set ability. The fruit set of the ‘Takanotsume’ (57.7 ± 20.6%) and ‘Goshiki Kyokko’ (52.2 ± 14.2%) cultivars (both C. annuum) were higher than those of other cultivars. Correlation analysis showed that pollen germination had the highest correlation with fruit set in C. annuum cultivars (r = 0.63). These results indicate that ‘Takanotsume’ and ‘Goshiki Kyokko’ are useful cultivars for novel breeding programs focusing on autonomous fruit sets under high temperatures, and pollen germination in C. annuum was a convincing candidate for an indicator trait of autonomous fruit set ability under high temperatures.

The erect panicle (Ep) type is an important characteristic for japonica super rice in Northeast China and plays a significant role in enhancing yield. The Ep type is considered to be a genetic ideotype resource to the japonica super rice group by virtue of its agronomic advantages such as grain number per panicle and biomass. This study addresses the effects of nitrogen and planting density conditions on yielding performance regarding panicle type (PT) using the recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the cross between an Ep variety Liaogeng 5 and non-Ep variety Wanlun 422. The genetics underlying the Ep type proved to be robust not only for panicle-type optimization but also plant height, panicle length, flag leaf length and seed density. We also found that regardless of nitrogen and density, correlation between harvest index (HI) and plant height was not significant in Ep type whatever the nitrogen and density. The application of Ep type provides a potential strategy for yield improvement by increasing biomass through HI maintainable in rice.

Ovary slice culture, after cut-style pollination, was used to develop interspecific hybrids between Lilium longiflorum and L. concolor. Reciprocal crosses between diploid cultivars (2n = 2x = 24) were carried out. On the days 30, 35, 40 and 45th after pollination (DAP), ovaries were sliced and cultured on a modified hormone-free Murashige-Skoog (M-S) medium without NH4NO3, supplemented with 6% sucrose, 50 mg/l yeast extract and 0.25% gelrite at pH 6.3. For the L. longiflorum × L. concolor cross, ovule germination was found to be best at 30 DAP. After transfer to a M-S (half-strength) medium supplemented with 1.5% sucrose and 0.25% gelrite at pH 5.8, diploid and triploid hybrid plants were established. In contrast, ovules from the L. concolor × L. longiflorum cross did not germinate. The hybridity of the plantlets obtained was verified by karyotype and isozyme analysis. The importance of the ovary slice culture technique as a tool to develop new hybrids between incompatible lilly plants is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutinous rice (mochi rice), compared to non-glutinous rice (uruchi rice), exhibits a wide range of glycemic index (GI) values, from low to high. However, the underlying mechanisms behind the variation in GI values remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to identify rice cultivars with a low postprandial glycemic response and investigate the mechanisms, focusing on insulin and incretin hormones. We examined seven glutinous rice cultivars and three non-glutinous rice cultivars. We discovered that Anekomochi, a glutinous rice cultivar, has the lowest postprandial glycemic response. Anekomochi significantly enhanced glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion while suppressing insulin secretion. These effects were completely blunted by inhibiting GLP-1 receptor signaling and denervating the common hepatic branch of vagal afferent nerves that are crucial for sensing intestinal GLP-1. Our findings demonstrate that Anekomochi markedly enhances insulin action via GLP-1 release and vagal afferent neural pathways, thereby leading to a lower postprandial glycemic response., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) library construction often requires high-quality DNA extraction, precise adjustment of DNA concentration, and restriction enzyme digestion to reduce genome complexity, which results in increased time and cost in sample preparation and processing. To address these challenges, a PCR-based method for rapid NGS library preparation, named dpMIG-seq, has been developed and proven effective for high-throughput genotyping. However, the application of dpMIG-seq has been limited to diploid and polyploid species with disomic inheritance. In this study, we obtained genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for tetraploid blueberry to evaluate genotyping and downstream analysis outcomes. Comparison of genotyping qualities inferred across samples with different DNA concentrations and multiple bioinformatics approaches revealed high accuracy and reproducibility of dpMIG-seq-based genotyping, with Pearson's correlation coefficients between replicates in the range of 0.91 to 0.98. Furthermore, we demonstrated that dpMIG-seq enables accurate genotyping of samples with low DNA concentrations. Subsequently, we applied dpMIG-seq to a tetraploid F 1 population to examine the inheritance probability of parental alleles. Pairing configuration analysis supported the random meiotic pairing of homologous chromosomes on a genome-wide level. On the other hand, preferential pairing was observed on chr-11, suggesting that there may be an exception to the random pairing. Genotypic data suggested quadrivalent formation within the population, although the frequency of quadrivalent formation varied by chromosome and cultivar. Collectively, the results confirmed applicability of dpMIG-seq for allele dosage genotyping and are expected to catalyze the adoption of this cost-effective and rapid genotyping technology in polyploid studies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that this research was conducted in the absence of any relationships that could be perceived as a potential conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nanjing Agricultural University.)

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) library construction often involves using restriction enzymes to decrease genome complexity, enabling versatile polymorphism detection in plants. However, plant leaves frequently contain impurities, such as polyphenols, necessitating DNA purification before enzymatic reactions. To overcome this problem, we developed a PCR-based method for expeditious NGS library preparation, offering flexibility in number of detected polymorphisms. By substituting a segment of the simple sequence repeat sequence in the MIG-seq primer set (MIG-seq being a PCR method enabling library construction with low-quality DNA) with degenerate oligonucleotides, we introduced variability in detectable polymorphisms across various crops. This innovation, named degenerate oligonucleotide primer MIG-seq (dpMIG-seq), enabled a streamlined protocol for constructing dpMIG-seq libraries from unpurified DNA, which was implemented stably in several crop species, including fruit trees. Furthermore, dpMIG-seq facilitated efficient lineage selection in wheat and enabled linkage map construction and quantitative trait loci analysis in tomato, rice, and soybean without necessitating DNA concentration adjustments. These findings underscore the potential of the dpMIG-seq protocol for advancing genetic analyses across diverse plant species., (© 2024 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This report describes a case of generalized chronic periodontitis requiring periodontal regenerative therapy. The patient was a 56-year-old woman visiting the Tokyo Dental College Suidobashi Hospital with the chief complaint of swelling in the maxillary right gingiva. An initial examination revealed 34.0% of sites with a probing depth (PD) of ≥4 mm. The prevalence of sites with bleeding on probing was 32.7%. The plaque control record (PCR) score was 65.7%. Radiographic examination revealed angular bone resorption at #18 and 48. Horizontal absorption was also observed in other areas. The percent bone loss/age at #48 was 1.07. A clinical diagnosis of generalized chronic periodontitis (Stage III, Grade C) was made. Based on the clinical diagnosis of severe chronic periodontitis, initial periodontal therapy was performed. An improvement was observed in periodontal conditions at re-evaluation. The PCR score was 16.7%. Periodontal surgery was performed for teeth with a residual PD of ≥4 mm. Periodontal regenerative therapy using rhFGF-2 were performed on intrabony defects in #18 and 48. Open flap debridement was performed on #16, 26, and 27. Following evaluation, oral function was restored using all-ceramic crowns (#46). At 6 months postoperatively, the patient was transitioned to supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). During the 6-month SPT, stable periodontal conditions that facilitated a favourable level of plaque control were maintained.

Importance: Accurate and fast molecular testing is important for the diagnosis and control of COVID-19. During patient surges in the COVID-19 pandemic, laboratories were challenged by a higher demand for molecular testing under skilled staff shortages. We developed an automated multipurpose molecular testing system, named PCRpack, for the rapid, high-throughput testing of infectious pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. The system is provided in an all-in-one package, including a liquid handling instrument, a laboratory information management system, and other materials needed for testing operation; is highly customizable; and is easily implemented. PCRpack showed robust liquid handling performance, high clinical diagnostic performance, a shorter turn-around time with minimal hands-on time, and a high testing capacity. These features contribute to the rapid implementation of the high-performance and high-throughput molecular testing environment at any phase of the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 or future emerging pathogens., Competing Interests: Y.M. received research funds from Beckman Coulter, Nippon Control System, Toyobo, and Precision System Science. M.N. received research funds from Beckman Coulter and Precision System Science. T.N. is an employee of Beckman Coulter, and K.K. is an employee of Nippon Control System. The funding organizations had no role in the study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

The pollen germination rate decreases under various abiotic stresses, such as high-temperature stress, and it is one of the causes of inhibition of plant reproduction. Thus, measuring pollen germination rate is vital for understanding the reproductive ability of plants. However, measuring the pollen germination rate requires much labor when counting pollen. Therefore, we used the Yolov5 machine learning package in order to perform transfer learning and constructed a model that can detect germinated and non-germinated pollen separately. Pollen images of the chili pepper, Capsicum annuum, were used to create this model. Using images with a width of 640 pixels for training constructed a more accurate model than using images with a width of 320 pixels. This model could estimate the pollen germination rate of the F 2 population of C. chinense previously studied with high accuracy. In addition, significantly associated gene regions previously detected in genome-wide association studies in this F 2 population could again be detected using the pollen germination rate predicted by this model as a trait. Moreover, the model detected rose, tomato, radish, and strawberry pollen grains with similar accuracy to chili pepper. The pollen germination rate could be estimated even for plants other than chili pepper, probably because pollen images were similar among different plant species. We obtained a model that can identify genes related to pollen germination rate through genetic analyses in many plants., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study exploits quantitative algorithms of Raman spectroscopy to assess, at the molecular scale, the nutritional quality of individual kernels of the Japanese short-grain rice cultivar Koshihikari in terms of amylose-to-amylopectin ratio, fractions of phenylalanine and tryptophan aromatic amino acid residues, protein-to-carbohydrate ratio, and fractions of protein secondary structures. Statistical assessments on a large number of rice kernels reveal wide distributions of the above nutritional parameters over nominally homogeneous kernel batches. This demonstrates that genetic classifications cannot catch omic fluctuations, which are strongly influenced by a number of extrinsic factors, including the location of individual grass plants within the same rice field and the level of kernel maturation. The possibility of collecting nearly real-time Raman "multi-omic snapshots" of individual rice kernels allows for the automatic (low-cost) differentiation of groups of kernels with restricted nutritional characteristics that could be used in the formulation of functional foods for specific diseases and in positively modulating the intestinal microbiota for protection against bacterial infection and cancer prevention.

Common buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum, is an orphan crop domesticated in southwest China that exhibits heterostylous self-incompatibility. Here we present chromosome-scale assemblies of a self-compatible F. esculentum accession and a self-compatible wild relative, Fagopyrum homotropicum, together with the resequencing of 104 wild and cultivated F. esculentum accessions. Using these genomic data, we report the roles of transposable elements and whole-genome duplications in the evolution of Fagopyrum. In addition, we show that (1) the breakdown of heterostyly occurs through the disruption of a hemizygous gene jointly regulating the style length and female compatibility and (2) southeast Tibet was involved in common buckwheat domestication. Moreover, we obtained mutants conferring the waxy phenotype for the first time in buckwheat. These findings demonstrate the utility of our F. esculentum assembly as a reference genome and promise to accelerate buckwheat research and breeding., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Grafting-induced flowering is a key phenomenon to understand systemic floral induction caused by florigen. It can also be used as a breeding technique enabling rapid seed production of crops with long generation times. However, the degree of floral induction in grafted plants is often variable. Moreover, it is difficult in some crop species. Here, we explored the factors promoting variability in the grafting-induced flowering of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata), an important vegetable crop with a long generation time, via the quantitative analysis of florigen accumulation. Significant variability in the flowering response of grafted cabbage was observed when rootstocks of different genotypes were used. As reported previously, B. oleracea rootstocks did not induce the flowering of grafted cabbage plants, but radish (Raphanus sativus L.) rootstocks unstably did, depending on the accessions used. Immunoblotting analysis of the FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) protein, a main component of florigen, revealed that floral induction was quantitatively correlated with the level of accumulated FT protein in the grafted scion. To identify rootstock factors that cause variability in the floral induction of the grafted scion, we investigated FT protein accumulation and flowering response in grafted scions when the transcription levels of FT and the leaf area of rootstocks were altered by vernalization, daylength and leaf trimming treatments. We concluded that increasing the total amount of FT protein produced in the rootstock is important for the stable floral induction of the grafted cabbage, and this can be accomplished by increasing FT transcription and the leaf area of the rootstock., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

MIG-seq (Multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeats genotyping by sequencing) has been developed as a low cost genotyping technology, although the number of polymorphisms obtained is assumed to be minimal, resulting in the low application of this technique to analyses of agricultural plants. We applied MIG-seq to 12 plant species that include various crops and investigated the relationship between genome size and the number of bases that can be stably sequenced. The genome size and the number of loci, which can be sequenced by MIG-seq, are positively correlated. This is due to the linkage between genome size and the number of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) through the genome. The applicability of MIG-seq to population structure analysis, linkage mapping, and quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis in wheat, which has a relatively large genome, was further evaluated. The results of population structure analysis for tetraploid wheat showed the differences among collection sites and subspecies, which agreed with previous findings. Additionally, in wheat biparental mapping populations, over 3,000 SNPs/indels with low deficiency were detected using MIG-seq, and the QTL analysis was able to detect recognized flowering-related genes. These results revealed the effectiveness of MIG-seq for genomic analysis of agricultural plants with large genomes, including wheat., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.)

The soon spoiled strawberries need to be classified from healthy fruits in an early stage. In this research, a machine vision system is proposed for inspecting the quality of strawberries using ultraviolet (UV) light based on the excitation-emission matrix (EEM) results. Among the 100 fruits which were harvested and stored under 10 °C condition for 7 days, 7 fruits were confirmed to be spoiled by using a firmness meter. The EEM results show the fluorescence compound contributes to a whitish surface on the spoiled fruits. Based on the EEM results, UV fluorescence images from the bottom view of strawberries were used to classify the spoiled fruits and healthy fruits within 1 day after harvest. These results demonstrate the UV fluorescence imaging can be a fast, non-destructive, and low-cost method for inspecting the soon spoiled fruits. The proposed index related to the spoiling time can be a new indicator for qualifying strawberry., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Raman spectroscopy was applied to characterize at the molecular scale the nutritional quality of the Japanese Koshihikari rice cultivar in comparison with other renowned rice cultivars including Carnaroli from Italy, Calrose from the USA, Jasmine rice from Thailand, and Basmati from both India and Pakistan. For comparison, two glutinous (mochigome) cultivars were also investigated. Calibrated and validated Raman analytical algorithms allowed quantitative determinations of: (i) amylopectin and amylose concentrations, (ii) fractions of aromatic amino acids, and (iii) protein content and secondary structure. The Raman assessments non-destructively linked the molecular composition of grains to key nutritional parameters and revealed a complex intertwine of chemical properties. The Koshihikari cultivar was rich in proteins (but with low statistical relevance as compared to other investigated cultivars) and aromatic amino acids. However, it also induced a clearly higher glycemic impact as compared to long-grain cultivars from Asian countries. Complementary to genomics and wet-chemistry analyses, Raman spectroscopy makes non-destructively available factual and data-driven information on rice nutritional characteristics, thus providing customers, dietitian nutritionists, and producers with a solid science-consolidated platform.

Analytical algorithms based on Raman spectroscopy are proposed for the determination of amylopectin and amylose concentrations in polished white rice, and applied to characterize and compare linear and branched polysaccharide structures in nine different types of Japanese rice. A selected algorithm used symmetric bending vibrations of the COC glycosidic linkage from a relatively narrow spectral zone between 830 and 895 cm -1 . It specifically compared the intensity of Raman signals from two types of bending common to both starch components (C1-O-C5 and C1-O-C4 at 868 and 855 cm -1 , respectively) and that at the branch point peculiar to amylopectin (C1-O-C6 at 844 cm -1 ). Raman data were confronted with data collected by conventional amylose-iodine colorimetry method. Consistency was found between Raman and colorimetric methods over the entire series of tested rice cultivars, thus validating the newly proposed spectroscopic algorithm. The amylose content of the tested rice species broadly varied between 1.2 and 20.4%. The proposed Raman algorithm allows fast and nondestructive determination of amylose content in rice with minimal sample preparation. These characteristics might be key in the development of portable Raman devices capable to promptly screen polysaccharides in different rice cultivars with respect to their interannual and plantation-related fluctuations., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The nutritional quality of rice is contingent on a wide spectrum of biochemical characteristics, which essentially depend on rice genome, but are also greatly affected by growing/environmental conditions and aging during storage. The genetic basis and related identification of genes have widely been studied and rationally linked to accumulation of micronutrients in grains. However, genetic classifications cannot catch quality fluctuations arising from interannual, environmental, and storage conditions. Here, we propose a quantitative spectroscopic approach to analyze rice nutritional quality based on Raman spectroscopy, and disclose analytical algorithms for the determination of: (i) amylopectin and amylose concentrations, (ii) aromatic amino acids, (iii) protein content and structure, and (iv) chemical residues. The proposed Raman algorithms directly link to the molecular composition of grains and allow fast/non-destructive determination of key nutritional parameters with minimal sample preparation. Building upon spectroscopic information at the molecular level, we newly propose to represent the nutritional quality of labeled rice products with a barcode specially tailored on the Raman spectrum. The Raman barcode, which can be stored in databases promptly consultable with barcode scanners, could be linked to diet applications (apps) to enable a rapid, factual, and unequivocal product identification based on direct molecular screening., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Pezzotti, Zhu, Chikaguchi, Marin, Boschetto, Masumura, Sato and Nakazaki.)

Main Conclusion: The distribution of early flowering alleles of VRN-A3 was found to be biased to low latitudes, and these alleles may contribute to environmental adaptability to low latitudes in cultivated emmer wheat. In wheat (Triticum spp.), the flowering time is an important trait for successful seed production and yield by adapting to the regional environment. An early flowering allele of VRN-A3 with 7- and 25-bp insertions in the promoter region (Vrn-A3a-h1) has recently been reported from the analysis of an emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. dicoccum) accession, TN26. This early flowering allele of VRN-A3 might be associated with the regional adaptation of wheat. In this study, we elucidated its geographic distribution to assess the importance of the early flowering allele of VRN-A3 in worldwide wheat collection. From sequence analysis, we identified six VRN-A3 alleles with the 7- and 25-bp insertions, namely, Vrn-A3a-h2, Vrn-A3a-h3, Vrn-A3a-h4, Vrn-A3a-h5, Vrn-A3a-h6, and Vrn-A3c-h2 from wild emmer wheat, while we identified two VRN-A3 alleles with these insertions, Vrn-A3a-h2 and Vrn-A3c-h1 from cultivated tetraploid and hexaploid wheat species in addition to Vrn-A3a-h1. Among VRN-A3 alleles distributed in cultivated wheat, we found that Vrn-A3a-h2 promoted early heading, whereas Vrn-A3c-h1 did not affect heading time. Our analysis showed that the distribution of early flowering alleles of VRN-A3 dominated in cultivated emmer wheat in Ethiopia and India, which actually showed an early flowering phenotype. This implied that the early flowering alleles of VRN-A3 contribute to adaptability to a low-latitude environment in cultivated emmer wheat. We could not find durum (T. turgidum L. ssp. durum) and bread wheat (T. aestivum L. ssp. aestivum) accessions with these early flowering alleles. Our findings indicated that Vrn-A3a-h1 and Vrn-A3a-h2 were useful for breeding of early flowering cultivars in durum and bread wheat varieties.

Bread wheat is a major crop that has long been the focus of basic and breeding research. Assembly of its genome has been difficult because of its large size and allohexaploid nature (AABBDD genome). Following the first reported assembly of the genome of the experimental strain Chinese Spring (CS), the 10+ Wheat Genomes Project was launched to produce multiple assemblies of worldwide modern cultivars. The only Asian cultivar in the project is Norin 61, a representative Japanese cultivar adapted to grow across a broad latitudinal range, mostly characterized by a wet climate and a short growing season. Here, we characterize the key aspects of its chromosome-scale genome assembly spanning 15 Gb with a raw scaffold N50 of 22 Mb. Analysis of the repetitive elements identified chromosomal regions unique to Norin 61 that encompass a tandem array of the pathogenesis-related 13 family. We report novel copy-number variations in the B homeolog of the florigen gene FT1/VRN3, pseudogenization of its D homeolog and the association of its A homeologous alleles with the spring/winter growth habit. Furthermore, the Norin 61 genome carries typical East Asian functional variants different from CS, ranging from a single nucleotide to multi-Mb scale. Examples of such variation are the Fhb1 locus, which confers Fusarium head-blight resistance, Ppd-D1a, which confers early flowering, Glu-D1f for Asian noodle quality and Rht-D1b, which introduced semi-dwarfism during the green revolution. The adoption of Norin 61 as a reference assembly for functional and evolutionary studies will enable comprehensive characterization of the underexploited Asian bread wheat diversity., (� The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists.)

Background/aim: Cephalic vein (CV) cut-down for totally implantable central venous access devices (TICVADs) is not frequently used due to its low success rate. We compared the outcomes of CV cut-down using preoperative ultrasonography (US) performed by experienced surgeons versus surgical residents., Patients and Methods: From December 2015 to December 2017, 10 surgeons implanted 212 TICVADs using CV cut-down with preoperative US. The surgeons were divided into two groups of five each: surgical residents (Group A, n=124 procedures) and experienced surgeons (Group B, n=88 procedures). Duration of operation time, completion rate, and complications were retrospectively analyzed., Results: The completion rate was significantly higher in Group A (98.4% versus 92.0%, p=0.04). Duration of operation time (45.2±14.5 versus 42.0±13.1 minutes, p=0.22), rates of early complications (1.6% versus 1.1%, p=0.77) and late complications (3.2% versus 2.3%, p=0.68) were equivalent between the two groups. No fatal complications occurred in either group., Conclusion: CV cut-down can be safely performed by surgical residents under the use of preoperative US., (Copyright© 2019, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Key Message: We identified a novel allele of the Vrn-A3 gene that is associated with an early flowering trait in wheat. This trait is caused by a cis-element GATA box in Vrn-A3. To identify novel flowering genes in wheat, we investigated days from germination to heading (DGH) in tetraploid wheat accessions. We found that the tetraploid variety Triticum turgidum L. ssp. dicoccum (TN26) harbors unknown genes that surpass the earliness effect of the early flowering allele Ppd-A1a harbored by TN28 (T. turgidum L. ssp. turgidum conv. pyramidale). Using recombinant inbred lines resulting from a cross between TN26 and TN28, we performed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis for DGH. We identified a QTL for earliness in TN26 on chromosome 7AS, the chromosome on which Vrn-A3 is located. By sequence analysis for the Vrn-A3 locus in both TN26 and TN28, we identified a 7-bp insertion that included a cis-element GATA box sequence at the promoter region of the Vrn-A3 locus of TN26. Based on an expression analysis using sister lines for Vrn-A3, we suggest that the early flowering trait of TN26 was caused by the GATA box in Vrn-A3. In addition, we identified tetraploid wheat as a useful genetic resource for wheat breeding.