Changes in High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunit Composition Can Be Genetically Engineered without Affecting Wheat Agronomic Performance

The genomes of modern cultivars have been painstakingly selected for the presence of favorable alleles at multiple loci, which interact to produce superior phenotypes. Genetic transformation provides a tool to introduce new genes without altering the original gene combinations. However, the random genetic and epigenetic changes sometimes generated by the transformation process have been associated with losses in agronomic performance. The agronomic performance of 50 transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines containing additional copies of native or modified high molecular weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) genes and the selectable marker bar, their untransformed parent 'Bobwhite', four lines containing only bar, and 10 null segregant lines were assessed in small plot trials over 2 yr and three locations. Most of the transgenic lines did not show significant changes in performance relative to Bobwhite, although the transgenic lines as a group tended toward lower performance. Null-segregant and bar-only lines performed similarly to Bobwhite. No relationship could be established between performance and particular transgenes or their expression levels. Despite the overall lower performance of the transgenic lines, many with agronomic performance equivalent to Bobwhite were identified. These findings suggest that extant techniques for genetic engineering of wheat are capable of producing agronomically competitive lines for use as cultivars or parents in breeding programs. © Crop Science Society of America

Alopecia areata investigational assessment guidelines ¿ part ii

noAlopecia areata is an immunologically mediated disease characterized by extreme variability not only in the time of initial onset of hair loss but in the duration, extent and pattern of hair loss during any given episode of active loss. These variables, as well as the unpredictable nature of spontaneous regrowth and lack of a uniform response to various therapies, has made clinical trials in alopecia areata difficult to plan and implement. In fact, there are currently no drugs FDA-approved specifically for the indication of alopecia areata. To help facilitate well-controlled clinical trials for alopecia areata, this National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) sponsored subgroup of investigators/clinicians experienced in clinical trials and/or in the clinical care of patients with alopecia areata has outlined some general principles and potential endpoints for clinical studies in alopecia areata. These guidelines build on the Alopecia Areata Investigational Assessment Guidelines published in 1991 which established baseline clinical staging and background information important to gather on any alopecia areata patient involved in clinical research

Habitat manipulation to mitigate the impacts of invasive arthropod pests

Exotic invaders are some of the most serious insect pests of agricultural crops around the globe. Increasingly, the structure of landscape and habitat is recognized as having a major influence on both insect pests and their natural enemies. Habitat manipulation that aims at conserving natural enemies can potentially contribute to safer and more effective control of invasive pests. In this paper, we review habitat management experiments, published during the last 10 years, which have aimed to improve biological control of invasive pests. We then discuss during what conditions habitat management to conserve natural enemies is likely to be effective and how the likelihood of success of such methods can be improved. We finally suggest an ecologically driven research agenda for habitat management programmes.We acknowledge the following funding sources: the Tertiary Education Commission, New Zealand, through the Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, New Zealand (Mattias Jonsson and Steve Wratten), the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST); project LINX0303 (Steve Wratten, Ross Cullen, Jean Tompkins), Lincoln University, New Zealand, for a Post-graduate Scholarship to Jean Tompkins, USDA CSREES Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program (2004-51101-02210), USDA NC SARE Project (LCN 04-249), USDA CSREES Arthropod and Nematode Biology (2004-35302-14811), North Central Regional IPM, NSF-LTER at Kellogg Biological Station (NSF DEB 0423627), and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (Doug Landis)