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Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The genus L. possesses many medically important plants, belonging to the family Apiaceae. It is one of the most taxonomically difficult taxa, largely due to the great...
The genus L. possesses many medically important plants, belonging to the family Apiaceae. It is one of the most taxonomically difficult taxa, largely due to the great variability in habit, foliage, flowers and fruits. Previous studies have mainly focused on the molecular studies of this genus, and the morphological research for this genus was limited, especially in the micromorphological research. In the current study, we newly obtained leaf materials from twenty-two members, fruit and pollen materials from twenty members and performed comprehensively micromorphological analyses for this complicated genus. The results of the leaf epidermis showed that the upper and lower epidermis were smooth and glabrous, and the cell shape was polygonal or irregular. The patterns of anticlinal wall were shallowly undulating, deeply undulating, subflat or flat. The cuticular membrane ornamentations were diverse, and some species had epidermal appendage. All species observed the stomata in the lower epidermis, and only five species (, , , and ) observed stomata in the upper epidermis, which can easily identify them from other members. In addition, we found that the fruits scarcely compressed, and some fruits had their distinctive shape, such as the fruit shape of was subglobose, was broadly ovate and was ellipsoid. All taxa fruits surfaces were covered with prickles, bristles, protuberance, or tubercles, prickles were either long or short, uncinate or straight, rarely scale-like, ribs inconspicuous or slightly prominent, but the prickles/bristles/tubercles were different in shape, sparseness and arrangement. The vittae were distinct in , , , , , , , and , and the remaining taxa were obscure. These findings indicated that the fruits can clearly distinguish these members. Furthermore, the micromorphological characteristics of pollen showed that the equatorial view included four shapes: ellipsoid, subrectangular, equatorially constricted and super-rectangular-equatorially constricted; and the polar view possessed four shapes: triangular, triangular-circular, suborbicular and trilobate circular. The germ furrow and the outer wall ornamentation of all taxa were quite similar, indicating that the genus was a natural unit. In summary, our study promoted the improvement of a taxonomic system for the genus and also provided additional evidence for future taxonomic study of the genus .
PubMed: 38931068
DOI: 10.3390/plants13121635 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jun 2024Cannabis allergy is a relatively new phenomenon described in the 1970s. Its increased frequency has been observed over the last years due to the increasing therapeutic... (Review)
Review
Cannabis allergy is a relatively new phenomenon described in the 1970s. Its increased frequency has been observed over the last years due to the increasing therapeutic and recreational use of cannabis-based products. Sensitization possibly leading to allergy symptoms can occur not only through the smoking of cannabis, but also through ingestion, the inhalation of pollen, or direct contact. The severity of symptoms varies from benign pruritus to anaphylaxis. There is scant information available to support clinicians throughout the entire therapeutic process, starting from diagnosis and ending in treatment. In this review, we present six cases of patients in whom molecular in vitro testing revealed sensitization to cannabis extract and/or cannabis-derived nsLTP molecules (Can s 3). Based on these cases, we raise important questions regarding this topic. The article discusses current proposals and highlights the importance of further research not only on cannabis allergy but also on asymptomatic sensitization to cannabis allergens, which may be ascertained in some percentage of the population.
Topics: Humans; Allergens; Cannabis; Hypersensitivity; Immunoglobulin E
PubMed: 38929571
DOI: 10.3390/medicina60060954 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Specific immunotherapy represents the only potentially curative treatment for allergic asthma. Allergens can be administered subcutaneously (SCIT) or sublingually...
Specific immunotherapy represents the only potentially curative treatment for allergic asthma. Allergens can be administered subcutaneously (SCIT) or sublingually (SLIT). The aim of the current study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of SCIT and SLIT for the treatment of allergic asthma in children. Our study included 69 children with allergic asthma who underwent immunotherapy for house dust mites or pollen for at least 3 consecutive years. After 3 years of SCIT and SLIT, the median number of asthma exacerbations in the last three months decreased from 2 to 0 ( < 0.01) and from 1 to 0 ( < 0.01), respectively. When comparing the efficacy of SCIT and SLIT, our study revealed a significantly better efficacy of SCIT only in terms of increasing lung function. The median increase in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) after 3 years was 8% with SCIT and -1% with SLIT ( < 0.01). Daily controller therapy could be withdrawn or reduced in 9 out of 16 (56.3%) children who received it before SCIT ( < 0.01) and in 19 of 29 (65.6%) children who received it before SLIT ( < 0.01), but the difference in efficacy was not significant ( = 0.88). Both SCIT and SLIT are effective treatments for allergic asthma in children.
PubMed: 38929271
DOI: 10.3390/children11060692 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Honey and bee pollen offer potential health benefits due to their nutrient and bioactive molecules, but they may also harbor contaminants such as heavy metals. This...
Honey and bee pollen offer potential health benefits due to their nutrient and bioactive molecules, but they may also harbor contaminants such as heavy metals. This study aimed to assess the content of different metals, including Mg, Al, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, As, Rb, Sr, Cd, Cs, Tl, Pb and U, in honey and bee pollen collected from different Abruzzo region (Italy) areas (A1, A2, A3, A4), characterized by different anthropic influences described by Corine Land Cover maps. Differences were observed in the mineral and heavy metal content associated with the influence of biotic and abiotic factors. Honeys were found to be safe in regard to non-carcinogenic risk in all the consumer categories (THQ < 1). A particular carcinogenic risk concern was identified for toddlers associated with Cr (LCTR > 1 × 10) in A1, A2 and A3 apiaries. Pb and Ni represent potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks in children and adults due to bee pollen consumption, showing high values of THQ and LCTR. The results suggest the advantages of utilizing bee products to screen mineral and heavy metal content, providing valuable insights into environmental quality and potential health risks.
PubMed: 38928872
DOI: 10.3390/foods13121930 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Pollen from common ragweed is an important allergen source worldwide and especially in western and southern Romania. More than 100 million patients suffer from symptoms...
Pollen from common ragweed is an important allergen source worldwide and especially in western and southern Romania. More than 100 million patients suffer from symptoms of respiratory allergy (e.g., rhinitis, asthma) to ragweed pollen. Among the eleven characterized allergens, Amb a 6 is a non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP). nsLTPs are structurally stable proteins in pollen and food from different unrelated plants capable of inducing severe reactions. The goal of this study was to produce Amb a 6 as a recombinant and structurally folded protein (rAmb a 6) and to characterize its physicochemical and immunological features. rAmb a 6 was expressed in cells as a secreted protein and characterized by mass spectrometry and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy regarding molecular mass and fold, respectively. The IgE-binding frequency towards the purified protein was evaluated using sera from 150 clinically well-characterized ragweed-allergic patients. The allergenic activities of rAmb a 6 and the nsLTP from the weed (Par j 2) were evaluated in basophil activation assays. rAmb a 6-specific IgE reactivity was associated with clinical features. Pure rAmb a 6 was obtained by insect cell expression. Its deduced molecular weight corresponded to that determined by mass spectrometry (i.e., 10,963 Da). rAmb a 6 formed oligomers as determined by SDS-PAGE under non-reducing conditions. According to multiple sequence comparisons, Amb a 6 was a distinct nsLTP with less than 40% sequence identity to currently known plant nsLTP allergens, except for nsLTP from (i.e., 52%). rAmb a 6 is an important ragweed allergen recognized by 30% of ragweed pollen allergic patients. For certain patients, rAmb a 6-specific IgE levels were higher than those specific for the major ragweed allergen Amb a 1 and analysis also showed a higher allergenic activity in the basophil activation test. rAmb a 6-positive patients suffered mainly from respiratory symptoms. The assumption that Amb a 6 is a source-specific ragweed allergen is supported by the finding that none of the patients showing rAmb a 6-induced basophil activation reacted with Par j 2 and only one rAmb a 6-sensitized patient had a history of plant food allergy. Immunization of rabbits with rAmb a 6 induced IgG antibodies which strongly inhibited IgE binding to rAmb a 6. Our results demonstrate that Amb a 6 is an important source-specific ragweed pollen allergen that should be considered for diagnosis and allergen-specific immunotherapy of ragweed pollen allergy.
Topics: Humans; Allergens; Immunoglobulin E; Antigens, Plant; Animals; Carrier Proteins; Plant Proteins; Female; Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal; Male; Adult; Ambrosia; Spodoptera; Recombinant Proteins; Amino Acid Sequence; Sf9 Cells; Middle Aged; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 38928218
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126513 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Yield in many crops is affected by abscission during the early stages of fruitlet development. The reasons for fruitlet abscission are often unclear but they may include...
Yield in many crops is affected by abscission during the early stages of fruitlet development. The reasons for fruitlet abscission are often unclear but they may include genetic factors because, in some crops, self-pollinated fruitlets are more likely to abscise than cross-pollinated fruitlets. Pollen parentage can also affect final fruit size and fruit quality. Here, we aimed to understand the effects of pollen parentage on fruitlet retention and nut quality in orchards of macadamia ( Maiden & Betche). We identified the pollen parent of macadamia 'cultivar '816' embryos by analysing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in their DNA using customised MassARRAY and Single Allele Base Extension Reaction (SABER) methods. This allowed us to determine the proportions of self-fertilised and cross-fertilised progeny during premature fruit drop at 6 weeks and 10 weeks after peak anthesis, as well as at nut maturity. We determined how pollen parentage affected nut-in-shell (NIS) mass, kernel mass, kernel recovery, and oil concentration. Macadamia trees retained cross-fertilised fruitlets rather than self-fertilised fruitlets. The percentage of progeny that were cross-fertilised increased from 6% at 6 weeks after peak anthesis to 97% at nut maturity, with each tree producing on average 22 self-fertilised nuts and 881 cross-fertilised nuts. Three of the four cross-pollen parents provided fruit with significantly higher NIS mass, kernel mass, or kernel recovery than the few remaining self-fertilised fruit. Fruit that were cross-fertilised by '842', 'A4', or 'A203' had 16-29% higher NIS mass and 24-44% higher kernel mass than self-fertilised fruit. Nuts that were cross-fertilised by 'A4' or 'A203' also had 5% or 6% higher kernel recovery, worth approximately $US460-540 more per ton for growers than self-fertilised nuts. The highly selective abscission of self-fertilised fruitlets and the lower nut quality of self-fertilised fruit highlight the critical importance of cross-pollination for macadamia productivity.
Topics: Macadamia; Fruit; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Seeds; Self-Fertilization; Pollen; DNA, Plant; Nuts; Pollination
PubMed: 38928124
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126419 -
Genes Jun 2024An appropriate flowering period is an important selection criterion in maize breeding. It plays a crucial role in the ecological adaptability of maize varieties. To...
An appropriate flowering period is an important selection criterion in maize breeding. It plays a crucial role in the ecological adaptability of maize varieties. To explore the genetic basis of flowering time, GWAS and GS analyses were conducted using an associating panel consisting of 379 multi-parent DH lines. The DH population was phenotyped for days to tasseling (DTT), days to pollen-shedding (DTP), and days to silking (DTS) in different environments. The heritability was 82.75%, 86.09%, and 85.26% for DTT, DTP, and DTS, respectively. The GWAS analysis with the FarmCPU model identified 10 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed on chromosomes 3, 8, 9, and 10 that were significantly associated with flowering time-related traits. The GWAS analysis with the BLINK model identified seven SNPs distributed on chromosomes 1, 3, 8, 9, and 10 that were significantly associated with flowering time-related traits. Three SNPs 3_198946071, 9_146646966, and 9_152140631 showed a pleiotropic effect, indicating a significant genetic correlation between DTT, DTP, and DTS. A total of 24 candidate genes were detected. A relatively high prediction accuracy was achieved with 100 significantly associated SNPs detected from GWAS, and the optimal training population size was 70%. This study provides a better understanding of the genetic architecture of flowering time-related traits and provides an optimal strategy for GS.
Topics: Zea mays; Genome-Wide Association Study; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Flowers; Phenotype; Quantitative Trait Loci; Plant Breeding; Selection, Genetic; Genome, Plant; Chromosomes, Plant
PubMed: 38927676
DOI: 10.3390/genes15060740 -
Genes Jun 2024The citrus cultivar 'Local Juhong', which has historically been used as a traditional Chinese medicinal material, originated in Yuanjiang County, Hunan Province.Its...
The citrus cultivar 'Local Juhong', which has historically been used as a traditional Chinese medicinal material, originated in Yuanjiang County, Hunan Province.Its parental type and genetic background are indistinct as of yet. Morphological observation shows that 'Local Juhong' has a slight oblateness in fruit shape, a relatively smooth pericarp, a fine and slightly raised oil vacuole, and an inward concave at the blossom end. The tree form and fruit and leaf morphology of 'Local Juhong' are similar to those of 'Huangpi' sour orange. To reveal the genetic background of 'Local Juhong', 21 citrus accessions were evaluated using nuclear and chloroplast SSR markers and whole-genome SNP information. 'Local Juhong' was grouped with mandarins and sub-grouped with 'Miyagawa Wase' and 'Yanxi Wanlu' in a nuclear SSR analysis, which indicated that its pollen parent might be mandarins. It was closely clustered with orange and pummelo in the chloroplast SSR analysis. The genomic sequence similarity rate of 'Local Juhong' with mandarin and pummelo heterozygosity was 70.88%; the main part was the heterozygosity, except for the unknown (19.66%), mandarin (8.73%), and pummelo (3.9%) parts. Thus, 'Local Juhong' may be an F hybrid with pummelo as the female parent and mandarin as the male parent, sharing sisterhood with 'Huangpi' sour orange.
Topics: Citrus; Microsatellite Repeats; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Plants, Medicinal; Genomics; Genome, Plant; Genetic Markers; Phylogeny; Chloroplasts
PubMed: 38927655
DOI: 10.3390/genes15060719 -
Identification, Elucidation and Deployment of a Cytoplasmic Male Sterility System for Hybrid Potato.Biology Jun 2024Recent advances in diploid F hybrid potato breeding rely on the production of inbred lines using the () gene. As a result of this method, female parent lines are...
Recent advances in diploid F hybrid potato breeding rely on the production of inbred lines using the () gene. As a result of this method, female parent lines are self-fertile and require emasculation before hybrid seed production. The resulting F hybrids are self-fertile as well and produce many undesirable berries in the field. Utilization of cytoplasmic male sterility would eliminate the need for emasculation, resulting in more efficient hybrid seed production and male sterile F hybrids. We observed plants that completely lacked anthers in an F population derived from an interspecific cross between diploid and . We studied the trait to determine its suitability for use in hybrid potato breeding. We mapped the causal locus to the short arm of Chromosome 6, developed KASP markers for the () locus and introduced it into lines with T and A cytoplasm. We found that type male sterility is not expressed in T and A cytoplasm, proving that it is a form of CMS. We hybridized male sterile plants with P cytoplasm with pollen from plants with T and A cytoplasm and we show that the resulting hybrids set significantly fewer berries in the field. Here, we show that the antherless CMS system can be readily deployed in diploid F hybrid potato breeding to improve hybridization efficiency and reduce berry set in the field.
PubMed: 38927327
DOI: 10.3390/biology13060447 -
Biology Jun 2024Pollinators are needed for the reproduction of , and only sphingid moths have mouthparts long enough to reach the nectar at the bottom of the species' long, twisted...
Pollinators are needed for the reproduction of , and only sphingid moths have mouthparts long enough to reach the nectar at the bottom of the species' long, twisted floral tube. Though plants produce many flowers over a period of several months, one observes very few fruits in nature. We asked: (1) Are plants self-compatible, or do they need pollen from another individual to set fruit and seed? (2) Are cross-pollinations between unrelated individuals more successful than crosses with relatives? (3) How does the relatedness of pollen and ovule parent plants affect fruit set, seed number, and seed quality? We investigated the breeding system of by collecting fruits from seven sites, growing plants and performing hand pollinations over a period of several years, collecting and measuring fruits and counting seeds. is self-incompatible, though some individuals produce fruit by self-pollination. Cross-pollinations between unrelated individuals set the most fruit (59%), and those that were self-pollinated set the least (9%). Fruit set from cross-pollinations between related individuals was intermediate (32%). Although the number of seeds per fruit did not differ significantly among pollination treatments, fruits from self-pollinations had substantially fewer viable seeds than outcrossed fruits, with fruits from sibling crosses being intermediate. There were higher levels of self-compatibility in the fragment populations compared with plants from intact habitats. Self-incompatibility may explain why fruit set is low in this plant species; future investigation into the breakdown of self-incompatibility in smaller populations is warranted.
PubMed: 38927303
DOI: 10.3390/biology13060423