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Molecular Mapping and Genomics of Grain Yield in Durum Wheat: A Review.
Arriagada, O, Marcotuli, I, Gadaleta, A, Schwember, AR
International journal of molecular sciences. 2020;(19)
Abstract
Durum wheat is the most relevant cereal for the whole of Mediterranean agriculture, due to its intrinsic adaptation to dryland and semi-arid environments and to its strong historical cultivation tradition. It is not only relevant for the primary production sector, but also for the food industry chains associated with it. In Mediterranean environments, wheat is mostly grown under rainfed conditions and the crop is frequently exposed to environmental stresses, with high temperatures and water scarcity especially during the grain filling period. For these reasons, and due to recurrent disease epidemics, Mediterranean wheat productivity often remains under potential levels. Many studies, using both linkage analysis (LA) and a genome-wide association study (GWAS), have identified the genomic regions controlling the grain yield and the associated markers that can be used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) programs. Here, we have summarized all the current studies identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and/or candidate genes involved in the main traits linked to grain yield: kernel weight, number of kernels per spike and number of spikes per unit area.
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2.
RNA directed DNA methylation and seed plant genome evolution.
Wambui Mbichi, R, Wang, QF, Wan, T
Plant cell reports. 2020;(8):983-996
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Abstract
RNA Directed DNA Methylation (RdDM) is a pathway that mediates de novo DNA methylation, an evolutionary conserved chemical modification of cytosine bases, which exists in living organisms and utilizes small interfering RNA. Plants utilize DNA methylation for transposable element (TE) repression, regulation of gene expression and developmental regulation. TE activity strongly influences genome size and evolution, therefore making DNA methylation a key component in understanding divergence in genome evolution among seed plants. Multiple proteins that have extensively been studied in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana catalyze RNA dependent DNA Methylation pathway along with small interfering RNA. Several developmental functions have also been attributed to DNA methylation. This review will highlight aspects of RdDM pathway dynamics, evolution and functions in seed plants with focus on recent findings on conserved and non-conserved attributes between angiosperms and gymnosperms to potentially explain how methylation has impacted variations in evolutionary and developmental complexity among them and advance current understanding of this crucial epigenetic pathway.
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3.
Study of Cold-Pressed Tobacco Seed Oil Properties by Gas Chromatography Method.
Ashirov, MZ, Datkhayev, UM, Myrzakozha, DA, Sato, H, Zhakipbekov, KS, Rakhymbayev, NA, Sadykov, BN
TheScientificWorldJournal. 2020;:8852724
Abstract
A special place among vegetable oils was occupied by natural tobacco oil. Natural tobacco oil in folk medicine is used as an antiseptic and antibacterial agent. To determine the possible alternative use of tobacco, the seeds representing Kazakhstan tobacco cultivars, extracted from ground Nicotiana tabacum seeds, were investigated by using the cold press. The quality of the oil was assessed in terms of free fatty acid content. The percentage oil yield was 36.75 ± 0.50%. Tobacco seed oil is highly unsaturated, nonacidic, and would require little purification. The oil can be used for the production of soap, antiwrinkle cream for the face, hair shampoo, shoe cream, and as a high-resolution base oil for perfumes and light industry and can be commercialized due to its high oil yield, for use as anti-inflammatory drugs.
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Seed Priming: A Feasible Strategy to Enhance Drought Tolerance in Crop Plants.
Marthandan, V, Geetha, R, Kumutha, K, Renganathan, VG, Karthikeyan, A, Ramalingam, J
International journal of molecular sciences. 2020;(21)
Abstract
Drought is a serious threat to the farming community, biasing the crop productivity in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Drought adversely affects seed germination, plant growth, and development via non-normal physiological processes. Plants generally acclimatize to drought stress through various tolerance mechanisms, but the changes in global climate and modern agricultural systems have further worsened the crop productivity. In order to increase the production and productivity, several strategies such as the breeding of tolerant varieties and exogenous application of growth regulators, osmoprotectants, and plant mineral nutrients are followed to mitigate the effects of drought stress. Nevertheless, the complex nature of drought stress makes these strategies ineffective in benefiting the farming community. Seed priming is an alternative, low-cost, and feasible technique, which can improve drought stress tolerance through enhanced and advanced seed germination. Primed seeds can retain the memory of previous stress and enable protection against oxidative stress through earlier activation of the cellular defense mechanism, reduced imbibition time, upsurge of germination promoters, and osmotic regulation. However, a better understanding of the metabolic events during the priming treatment is needed to use this technology in a more efficient way. Interestingly, the review highlights the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of seed priming for enhancing the drought tolerance in crop plants. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities associated with various priming methods are also addressed side-by-side to enable the use of this simple and cost-efficient technique in a more efficient manner.
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5.
The short and intricate life of the suspensor.
Jacob, D, Brian, J
Physiologia plantarum. 2020;(1):110-121
Abstract
The suspensor is a short-lived tissue critical for proper embryonic development in many higher plants. While the tissue was initially thought to simply suspend the embryo in the endosperm, it has been found through decades of research that it serves multiple important purposes. The suspensor has been found to be vital for proper embryo patterning and numerous studies have been undertaken into the complex transcriptional cross-talk between the suspensor and the embryo proper. Indeed, many suspensor mutants also display abnormalities in the embryo. The suspensor's role as a nutrient conduit has been shown using ultrastructural and histochemical techniques. Biochemical approaches have found that the suspensor is a centre of early embryonic hormone production in several species. The suspensor has also been frequently used as a model for programmed cell death as it shows signs of termination almost immediately upon developing. This review covers the essential functions of the suspensor throughout its short existence from multiple disciplines including structural, genetic and biochemical perspectives.
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6.
Flaxseed for Health and Disease: Review of Clinical Trials.
Shayan, M, Kamalian, S, Sahebkar, A, Tayarani-Najaran, Z
Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening. 2020;(8):699-722
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) is an oil-based seed that contains high amounts of alpha-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, lignans, fiber and many other bioactive components which is suggested for a healthier life. Nowadays, flaxseed is known as a remarkable functional food with different health benefits for humans and protects against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity and altogether metabolic syndrome. METHODS To review the bioactive components of flaxseed and their potential health effects, PubMed and Scopus were searched from commencement to July 2019. Keywords including: "flaxseed", "Linum usitatissimum", "metabolic syndrome", "obesity", "inflammation", "insulin resistance", "diabetes", "hyperlipidemia" and "menopause" were searched in the databases with varying combinations. CONCLUSION Consumption of flaxseed in different forms has valuable effects and protects against cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, inflammation and some other complications. Flaxseed can serve as a promising candidate for the management of metabolic syndrome to control blood lipid levels, fasting blood sugar, insulin resistance, body weight, waist circumference, body mass and blood pressure.
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Phenolic compounds in germinated cereal and pulse seeds: Classification, transformation, and metabolic process.
Xu, M, Rao, J, Chen, B
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2020;(5):740-759
Abstract
Natural phenolic compounds are rich in cereal and pulse seeds and their dietary functions tend to improve dramatically during germination. This article reviews recent research on the transformation of phenolic compounds during seed germination. In particular, it highlights the classification of crude phenolic compounds that can be divided into extractable and non-extractable phenolic compounds based on the biosynthesis process and extraction method. It also recommends grouping resorcinol lipids in the category of extractable phenolic compounds as non-polar solvent extractable phenolic compounds. Moreover, it discusses the variation of the different form of phenolic compounds and proposes a possible metabolic model of these phenolic compounds for seeds germination. This article is crucial for phenolic compounds research, cereal and pulse seeds germination, and food ingredients industry.
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8.
Family plot: the impact of the endosperm and other extra-embryonic seed tissues on angiosperm zygotic embryogenesis.
Ingram, GC
F1000Research. 2020
Abstract
The zygotic embryos of angiosperms develop buried deep within seeds and surrounded by two main extra-embryonic tissues: the maternally derived seed coat tissues and the zygotic endosperm. Generally, these tissues are considered to play an important role in nurturing the developing embryo by acting as conduits for maternally derived nutrients. They are also critical for key seed traits (dormancy establishment and control, longevity, and physical resistance) and thus for seed and seedling survival. However, recent studies have highlighted the fact that extra-embryonic tissues in the seed also physically and metabolically limit embryonic development and that unique mechanisms may have evolved to overcome specific developmental and genetic constraints associated with the seed habit in angiosperms. The aim of this review is to illustrate how these studies have begun to reveal the highly complex physical and physiological relationship between extra-embryonic tissues and the developing embryo. Where possible I focus on Arabidopsis because of space constraints, but other systems will be cited where relevant.
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9.
Role of ethylene crosstalk in seed germination and early seedling development: A review.
Ahammed, GJ, Gantait, S, Mitra, M, Yang, Y, Li, X
Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB. 2020;:124-131
Abstract
Seed germination and early seedling development are two critical phases in plant lifecycle that largely determine crop yield. Phytohormones play an essential role in governing these developmental processes; of these, ethylene (ET; C2H4), the smallest gaseous hormone, plays a major role via crosstalk with other hormones. Typically, the mechanism of hormone (for instance, auxin, cytokinins, ET, and gibberellins) action is determined by cellular context, revealing either synergistic or antagonistic relations. Significant progress has been made, so far, on unveiling ET crosstalk with other hormones and environmental signals, such as light. In particular, stimulatory and inhibitory effects of ET on hypocotyl growth in light and dark, respectively, and its interaction with other hormones provide an ideal model to study the growth-regulatory pathways. In this review, we aim at exploring the mechanisms of multifarious phenomena that occur via ET crosstalk during the germination of seeds (overcoming dormancy), and all through the development of seedlings. Understanding the remarkably complex mechanism of ET crosstalk that emerges from the interaction between hormones and other molecular players to modulate plant growth, remains a challenge in plant developmental biology.
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10.
The Winner Takes It All: Auxin-The Main Player during Plant Embryogenesis.
Winnicki, K
Cells. 2020;(3)
Abstract
In plants, the first asymmetrical division of a zygote leads to the formation of two cells with different developmental fates. The establishment of various patterns relies on spatial and temporal gene expression, however the precise mechanism responsible for embryonic patterning still needs elucidation. Auxin seems to be the main player which regulates embryo development and controls expression of various genes in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, local auxin maxima and minima which are provided by polar auxin transport underlie cell fate specification. Diverse auxin concentrations in various regions of an embryo would easily explain distinct cell identities, however the question about the mechanism of cellular patterning in cells exposed to similar auxin concentrations still remains open. Thus, specification of cell fate might result not only from the cell position within an embryo but also from events occurring before and during mitosis. This review presents the impact of auxin on the orientation of the cell division plane and discusses the mechanism of auxin-dependent cytoskeleton alignment. Furthermore, close attention is paid to auxin-induced calcium fluxes, which regulate the activity of MAPKs during postembryonic development and which possibly might also underlie cellular patterning during embryogenesis.