The legume used to be believed a species that its heterosis is difficult to be utilized in crop production.The release of commercial hybrids in pigeonpea,alfalfa and soybean in recent years has paved the way for the exploitation of heterosis in legume crops.The advances in the discovery of male sterility,the development of hybrid cultivars and in the technology improvement of hybrid seed production in these three crops are reviewed in details with the emphasis on the applied technology development.Studies show that heterosis commonly exists in legumes.The keys leading to the use of heterosis are to find cytoplasmic male-sterile system and genotypes with high cross-pollination rate.Enough quantity of pollination insects and favorable environment for hybrid seed production are also important.
In this paper,a comprehensive review of the utilization of heterosis in soybean was presented based on the advances in the authorized patents associated with soybean heterosis,development of soybean sterile lines,researches of soybean heterosis and pollination.It showed that despite its late beginning,China has made steadier and faster progress in research and utilization of soybean heterosis in recent years,including discovery of the first utilizable soybean cytoplasm male-sterile line and its rapid application in practice,and breakthrough in technology of hybrid seed production.
Heterosis has been widely exploited as an approach to enhance crop traits during breeding. However, its underlying molecular genetic mechanisms remain unclear. Recent advances in RNA sequencing technology (RNA-seq) have provided an opportunity to conduct transcriptome profiling for heterosis studies. We used RNA-seq to analyze the flower transcriptomes of two F1 hybrid soybeans (HYBSOY-1 and HYBSOY-5) and their parents. More than 385 million high-quality reads were generated and aligned against the soybean reference genome. A total of 681 and 899 genes were identified as being differentially expressed between HYBSOY-1 and HYBSOY-5 and their parents, respectively. These differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were categorized into four major expression categories with 12 expression patterns. Furthermore, gene ontology (GO) term analysis showed that the DEGs were enriched in the categories metabolic process and catalytic activity, while Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis found that metabolic pathway and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were enriched in the two F1 hybrids. Comparing the DEGs of the two F1 hybrids by GO term and KEGG pathway analyses identified 26 common DEGs that showed transgressive up-regulation, and which could be considered potential candidate genes for heterosis in soybean F1 hybrids. This identification of an extensive transcriptome dataset gives a comprehensive overview of the flower transcriptomes in two F1 hybrids, and provides useful information for soybean hybrid breeding. These findings lay the foundation for future studies on molecular mechanisms underlying soybean heterosis.
Isolated iliac artery aneurysms are the relatively uncommon condition. This study aims to evaluate the technical issues and clinical outcomes of endovascular repair in a cohort of isolated iliac artery aneurysms treated.We retrospectively reviewed 22 consecutive patients with isolated iliac artery aneurysms between December 2006 and September 2016. Iliac artery aneurysms were treated in one of the three ways: (1) standard bifurcated aortic stent graft placement with limb extension; (2) coverage of iliac artery aneurysms with covered stent grafts; and (3) embolization of the arterial branches distal to the aneurysms with coils or vascular plugs.Twenty-two patients (20 men) with a mean age 64.7 years underwent endovascular repair during the study period. The median diameter of the isolated iliac artery aneurysms was 5.9 ± 1.7 cm (2.9-9.0 cm). Technical success was 95.5%. Conversion to open surgery was performed in one patient with bilateral internal iliac artery aneurysms. Four patients underwent placement of a bifurcated stent graft. A covered stent graft was deployed in 16 patients, with embolization of internal iliac artery in 14 patients. Simple coil embolization of isolated internal iliac artery aneurysm was performed in one patient. There was one sudden cardiac death on day 4 after the procedure due to heart failure. During the follow-up period (range: 1-50 months, mean 19.8 months), five patients died of causes not related to isolated iliac artery aneurysms, and transient buttock claudication was observed in one patient.Our study documents the safety and effectiveness of endovascular repair of isolated iliac artery aneurysms with low morbidity and mortality.
(1) Background: Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is important for exploiting heterosis. Soybean (Glycine max L.) has a low outcrossing rate that is detrimental for breeding sterile lines and producing hybrid seeds. Therefore, the molecular mechanism controlling the outcrossing rate should be elucidated to increase the outcrossing rate of soybean CMS lines; (2) Methods: The male-sterile soybean lines JLCMS313A (with a high outcrossing rate; HL) and JLCMS226A (with a low outcrossing rate; LL) were used for a combined analysis of the transcriptome (RNA-seq) and the targeted phenol metabolome; (3) Results: The comparison between HL and LL detected 5946 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 81 phenolic metabolites. The analysis of the DEGs and differentially abundant phenolic metabolites identified only one common KEGG pathway related to flavonoid biosynthesis. The qRT-PCR expression for eight DEGs was almost consistent with the transcriptome data. The comparison of the cloned coding sequence (CDS) regions of the SUS, FLS, UGT, and F3H genes between HL and LL revealed seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) only in the F3H CDS. Moreover, five significant differentially abundant phenolic metabolites between HL and LL were associated with flavonoid metabolic pathways. Finally, on the basis of the SNPs in the F3H CDS, one derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) marker was developed to distinguish between HL and LL soybean lines; (4) Conclusions: The flavonoid biosynthesis pathway may indirectly affect the outcrossing rate of CMS sterile lines in soybean.
Significant progress has been achieved in the use of heterosis in soybean and several soybean hybrids have been released in China. However, broad use of hybrid soybean seed is limited due to low seed setting of female parents. Breeding cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines with high out-crossing rate is necessary to solve the problem. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between out-crossing rate of CMS lines and their nectar secretion. The daily nectar secretion rhythm, meteorological effect on nectar secretion, and differences in nectar secretion among genotypes and years were investigated in 27 soybean CMS lines (A-lines) with their maintainers (B-lines) and restorers (R-lines). The correlation between out-crossing rate of CMS lines and nectar production was also evaluated. Nectar secretion had diurnal variation. Secretion initiated at about 06:00 for most materials and reached a peak at 07:00–08:30 after flower opened, then the nectar secretion decreased gradually. A sub-peak appeared at about 13:00, while the nectar could not be detected at 17:00. Nectar secretion was greatly influenced by the weather conditions. The amount of nectar secretion increased gradually over time during periods of high temperature and no rainfall for several days. Rainy weather and low temperatures inhibited nectar secretion. There were obvious variations of nectar amount among different genotypes tested. Significant nectar variation within a genotype among years was also observed, and the highest nectar secretion was 3-fold higher than the lowest. The amount of nectar secretion from R-lines was significantly higher than that of A- and B-lines. There was no significant difference in nectar secretion between A- and B-lines. A- and B-lines with higher out-crossing rates secreted more nectar. The amount of nectar secretion of A- and B-lines were significantly positively correlated with the out-crossing rate of A-lines.
Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial tissues with cancer-like features in extrauterine locations. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) is a tyrosine kinase that is involved in cancer pathogenesis. This study aimed to determine the role of FGFR2 in endometriosis. A total of 29 pairs of ectopic and eutopic endometrial tissues were collected from women with endometriosis. Endometrial tissues from women with hysteromyomas were considered as normal controls. Primary ectopic stromal cells (ESCs) were isolated from the ectopic endometrium. The role of FGFR2 in ESCs was assessed using immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction, cell counting kit-8 assay, EdU staining, flow cytometry, transwell assay, and western blotting. The following signaling pathways were detected using bioinformatic analysis and confirmed in vitro. By searching the GSE171154, GSE86543, and GSE77182 datasets, FGFR2 was identified as an upregulated overlapping gene in endometriosis. Compared to eutopic and normal endometria, FGFR2 was highly expressed in ectopic tissues. Transfection of primary ESCs with FGFR2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) repressed the viability and proliferation of cells and induced apoptosis. FGFR2 siRNA inhibited the migration, invasion, and transforming growth factor-β1-triggered epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling was found to be a downstream signaling pathway for FGFR2. The ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 was found to reverse the promoting effects of FGFR2 on ESC proliferation and invasion. FGFR2 silencing effectively inhibited the growth, migration, invasion, and EMT of ESCs. The effects of FGFR2 on endometriosis might be mediated via the activation of ERK signaling.
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a high-tech method for characterizing the expression patterns of heterogeneous cells in the same tissue and has changed our evaluation of biological systems by increasing the number of individual cells analyzed. However, the full potential of scRNA-seq, particularly in plant science, has not yet been elucidated. To explore the utilization of scRNA-seq technology in plants, we firstly conducted a comprehensive review of significant scRNA-seq findings in the past few years. Secondly, we introduced the research and applications of scRNA-seq technology to plant tissues in recent years, primarily focusing on model plants, crops, and wood. We then offered five databases that could facilitate the identification of distinct expression marker genes for various cell types. Finally, we analyzed the potential problems, challenges, and directions for applying scRNA-seq in plants, with the aim of providing a theoretical foundation for the better use of this technique in future plant research.
The effects of active slow-releasing pasteurizing packaging (self-made) on the quality of Kyoho grapes were studied. Conventional polyethylene (PE) membrane with preservation tablets and naked treatments served as the control groups. Grape quality changes were evaluated by comparing sensory evaluations and experiment results. The results showed that the storage period of treatment packaged with active slow-release pasteurizing packaging can be extended to eight days. After eight days of storage, no stems were brown, and the grapes were intact; in contrast, the grade of stem browning was more than five in the PE membrane, and all the grape stems were brown in the naked treatments. In addition, the grapes' firmness was 0.59 kg/m2, the total soluble solids (TSS) content was 14.5 mg/ml, the titratable acid content was 5 g/kg, and the vitamin C content was 3.6 mg/100 g at the end of the storage period. These results indicate that Kyoho grapes stored in this manner retain good quality, edibility, and commercial value.
We wanted to evaluate the feasibility of catheter-directed thrombolysis with a continuous infusion of low-dose urokinase for treating non-acute (less than 14 days) deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremity.The clinical data of 110 patients who were treated by catheter-directed thrombolysis with a continuous infusion of low-dose urokinase for lower extremity deep venous thrombosis was analysed. Adjunctive angioplasty or/and stenting was performed for the residual stenosis. Venous recanalization was graded by pre- and post-treatment venography. Follow-up was performed by clinical evaluation and Doppler ultrasound.A total of 112 limbs with deep venous thrombosis with a mean symptom duration of 22.7 days (range: 15-38 days) were treated with a urokinase infusion (mean: 3.5 million IU) for a mean of 196 hours. After thrombolysis, stent placement was performed in 25 iliac vein lesions and percutaneous angioplasty (PTA) alone was done in five iliac veins. Clinically significant recanalization was achieved in 81% (90 of 112) of the treated limbs; complete recanalization was achieved in 28% (31 of 112) and partial recanalization was achieved in 53% (59 of 112). Minor bleeding occurred in 14 (13%) patients, but none of the patients suffered from major bleeding or symptomatic pulmonary embolism. During follow-up (mean: 15.2 months, range: 3-24 months), the veins were patent in 74 (67%) limbs. Thirty seven limbs (32%) showed progression of the stenosis with luminal narrowing more than 50%, including three with rethrombosis, while one revealed an asymptomatic iliac vein occlusion; 25 limbs (22%) developed mild post-thrombotic syndrome, and none had severe post-thrombotic syndrome. Valvular reflux occurred in 24 (21%) limbs.Catheter-directed thrombolysis with a continuous infusion of low-dose urokinase combined with adjunctive iliac vein stenting is safe and effective for removal of the clot burden and for restoration of the venous flow in patients with non-acute lower extremity deep venous thrombosis.