De Novo Domestication Concept for Potato Germplasm Enhancement

Wild potato germplasm serves as a natural pool of agronomically valuable traits for potato breeding, such as resistance to pathogens and abiotic stresses, quality, and consumer-oriented traits. The introgression of these traits into cultivated potato is hampered by the different kinds of incompatibility and linkages between desirable and undesirable features in hybrid progeny. The trait donor improvement via correction of negative characteristics prior to hybridization to domestic potato can be a solution to the linkage drag problem. The de novo domestication concept for developing new crops using gene editing technologies was previously proposed and performed for tomato and physalis. In this review, we collected information about donor properties of different wild potato species and developed a strategy for potato germplasm enhancement using the de novo domestication approach. The possible modifications of several candidate genes responsible for undesirable traits in wild potato, including high steroidal glycoalkaloid content, self-incompatibility, tuberization under short day conditions, and long stolons are proposed. The current challenges and future prospects of implementing the de novo domestication strategy for potato are discussed

De Novo Domestication Concept for Potato Germplasm Enhancement

Wild potato germplasm serves as a natural pool of agronomically valuable traits for potato breeding, such as resistance to pathogens and abiotic stresses, quality, and consumer-oriented traits. The introgression of these traits into cultivated potato is hampered by the different kinds of incompatibility and linkages between desirable and undesirable features in hybrid progeny. The trait donor improvement via correction of negative characteristics prior to hybridization to domestic potato can be a solution to the linkage drag problem. The de novo domestication concept for developing new crops using gene editing technologies was previously proposed and performed for tomato and physalis. In this review, we collected information about donor properties of different wild potato species and developed a strategy for potato germplasm enhancement using the de novo domestication approach. The possible modifications of several candidate genes responsible for undesirable traits in wild potato, including high steroidal glycoalkaloid content, self-incompatibility, tuberization under short day conditions, and long stolons are proposed. The current challenges and future prospects of implementing the de novo domestication strategy for potato are discussed

Clinical trial through the eyes of patients:Benefit or unjustified risk?

Introduction. Clinical trials (CTs) are the footing foundation of evidence-based medicine. In Russia many aspects of CT implementation remain unexplored; one of them is the attitude of Russian society. Aims. This study aims to determine the knowledge and perception of CTs by potential participants. Analysis of the perception of CTs through the eyes of patients: CTs - is it a benefit or an unjustified risk? Materials. The primary method of research was a questionnaire. A total of 488 anonymous, voluntary surveys of patients from hospitals in Tomsk were studied. Results. More than half of the respondents heard about CTs, while the primary source of information was the media. The participants adequately assess the importance of conducting CTs to develop medicine and medical care for society. The primary goal of CTs is to determine the effectiveness and safety of drugs, and respondents regard their engagement as an opportunity to contribute to the development of science. The primary motivating factor in participating in CTs is receiving treatment for an incurable disease and observing conditions by a qualified doctor. The central negative aspect is the possibility of causing a risk to own health. The questionnaire demonstrated the need and importance of all points of informed consent. Several questions concerned the public attitude to researchers. According to patients, medical researchers arouse trust and confidence in altruistic motives during the CTs. Conclusion. This study revealed a low interest of Russians in participating in CTs, except for personal benefit. The behavior of the doctors, the ability to convey reliable information to the patient to adequately assess benefits and possible risks play an important role in deciding on the involvement of patients in the CTs. The results of this work will allow us to adapt the process of organizing CTs to the needs of patients in the local context

A tissue-intrinsic IL-33/EGF circuit promotes epithelial regeneration after intestinal injury

Abstract Intestinal stem cells (ISCs) maintain the epithelial lining of the intestines, but mechanisms regulating ISCs and their niche after damage remain poorly understood. Utilizing radiation injury to model intestinal pathology, we report here that the Interleukin-33 (IL-33)/ST2 axis, an immunomodulatory pathway monitored clinically as an intestinal injury biomarker, regulates intrinsic epithelial regeneration by inducing production of epidermal growth factor (EGF). Three-dimensional imaging and lineage-specific RiboTag induction within the stem cell compartment indicated that ISCs expressed IL-33 in response to radiation injury. Neighboring Paneth cells responded to IL-33 by augmenting production of EGF, which promoted ISC recovery and epithelial regeneration. These findings reveal an unknown pathway of niche regulation and crypt regeneration whereby the niche responds dynamically upon injury and the stem cells orchestrate regeneration by regulating their niche. This regenerative circuit also highlights the breadth of IL-33 activity beyond immunomodulation and the therapeutic potential of EGF administration for treatment of intestinal injury