Core descriptors for in situ conservation of crop wild relatives v.1.

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are wild plant species that are more or less closely related to domesticated species, include crop progenitors and are a potential source of traits beneficial to our crops. Given their importance for agricultural research and development, their conservation is of high priority, in particular their in situ conservation that allows continued evolution of new adaptive traits as well as the maintenance of the breadth of genetic diversity present in the many CWR species. The core descriptors for in situ conservation of CWR are designed to facilitate the compilation and exchange of data, which are needed to develop and implement in situ conservation activities. They are compatible with Bioversity’s crop descriptor lists, the ‘FAO/Bioversity List of Multi-Crop Passport Descriptors V.2’ and IUCN red listing categories and criteria

In situ conservation—harnessing natural and human-derived evolutionary forces to ensure future crop adaptation

Ensuring the availability of the broadest possible germplasm base for agriculture in the face of increasingly uncertain and variable patterns of biotic and abiotic change is fundamental for the world's future food supply. While ex situ conservation plays a major role in the conservation and availability of crop germplasm, it may be insufficient to ensure this. In situ conservation aims to maintain target species and the collective genotypes they represent under evolution. A major rationale for this view is based on the likelihood that continued exposure to changing selective forces will generate and favor new genetic variation and an increased likelihood that rare alleles that may be of value to future agriculture are maintained. However, the evidence that underpins this key rationale remains fragmented and has not been examined systematically, thereby decreasing the perceived value and support for in situ conservation for agriculture and food systems and limiting the conservation options available. This study reviews evidence regarding the likelihood and rate of evolutionary change in both biotic and abiotic traits for crops and their wild relatives, placing these processes in a realistic context in which smallholder farming operates and crop wild relatives continue to exist. It identifies areas of research that would contribute to a deeper understanding of these processes as the basis for making them more useful for future crop adaptation

Cleavage of the pseudoprotease iRhom2 by the signal peptidase complex reveals an ER-to-nucleus signaling pathway.

iRhoms are pseudoprotease members of the rhomboid-like superfamily and are cardinal regulators of inflammatory and growth factor signaling; they function primarily by recognizing transmembrane domains of their clients. Here, we report a mechanistically distinct nuclear function of iRhoms, showing that both human and mouse iRhom2 are non-canonical substrates of signal peptidase complex (SPC), the protease that removes signal peptides from secreted proteins. Cleavage of iRhom2 generates an N-terminal fragment that enters the nucleus and modifies the transcriptome, in part by binding C-terminal binding proteins (CtBPs). The biological significance of nuclear iRhom2 is indicated by elevated levels in skin biopsies of patients with psoriasis, tylosis with oesophageal cancer (TOC), and non-epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma (NEPPK); increased iRhom2 cleavage in a keratinocyte model of psoriasis; and nuclear iRhom2 promoting proliferation of keratinocytes. Overall, this work identifies an unexpected SPC-dependent ER-to-nucleus signaling pathway and demonstrates that iRhoms can mediate nuclear signaling

Red lists for cultivated species: why we need it and suggestions for the way forward

The world's food basket is today shrinking at an alarming rate and most concerning is the reduction in the number of species and varieties used by humankind for food and nutrition, which raises serious concerns about the sustainability of feeding the world today and in the future. Yet, whereas we deploy consistent efforts in monitoring the status of wild biodiversity, very limited is the research in monitoring diversity of plants used by farmers, assess threats of genetic erosion, understand how diversity is helping farmers in coping with climate change, etc. Documenting and monitoring agrobiodiversity on farm is fundamental for enhancing its sustainable use and prevent losses of both genetic diversity and indigenous knowledge to happen before it is too late. This poster explains why a Red List for Cultivated Species is needed and a proposed approach to creating one

Age-related increases in parathyroid hormone may be antecedent to both osteoporosis and dementia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Numerous studies have reported that age-induced increased parathyroid hormone plasma levels are associated with cognitive decline and dementia. Little is known about the correlation that may exist between neurological processing speed, cognition and bone density in cases of hyperparathyroidism. Thus, we decided to determine if parathyroid hormone levels correlate to processing speed and/or bone density.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The recruited subjects that met the inclusion criteria (n = 92, age-matched, age 18-90 years, mean = 58.85, SD = 15.47) were evaluated for plasma parathyroid hormone levels and these levels were statistically correlated with event-related P300 potentials. Groups were compared for age, bone density and P300 latency. One-tailed tests were used to ascertain the statistical significance of the correlations. The study groups were categorized and analyzed for differences of parathyroid hormone levels: parathyroid hormone levels <30 (n = 30, mean = 22.7 ± 5.6 SD) and PTH levels >30 (n = 62, mean = 62.4 ± 28.3 SD, p ≤ 02).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Patients with parathyroid hormone levels <30 showed statistically significantly less P300 latency (P300 = 332.7 ± 4.8 SE) relative to those with parathyroid hormone levels >30, which demonstrated greater P300 latency (P300 = 345.7 ± 3.6 SE, p = .02). Participants with parathyroid hormone values <30 (n = 26) were found to have statistically significantly higher bone density (M = -1.25 ± .31 SE) than those with parathyroid hormone values >30 (n = 48, M = -1.85 ± .19 SE, p = .04).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings of a statistically lower bone density and prolonged P300 in patients with high parathyroid hormone levels may suggest that increased parathyroid hormone levels coupled with prolonged P300 latency may become putative biological markers of both dementia and osteoporosis and warrant intensive investigation.</p

Knowledge Sharing on Best Practices for Managing Crop Genebanks

The Crop Genebank Knowledge Base (CGKB) is an initiative of the Consultative Group of International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP). The CGKB was created for sharing knowledge about best practices for managing plant genetic resources (PGR), and making effective decisions about genebank management. Genebank practices from CGIAR Centers and national genebanks were gathered for nine crops (banana, barley, cassava, chickpea, forage grasses and legumes, maize, rice and wheat). This information will help PGR professionals to participate in a global crop conservation effort. An interactive approach with many partners and stakeholders was used to gather published and unpublished information about genebank management. Information on crop-specific best practices was initially collected from crop experts using pre-defined forms. In parallel, a web portal was developed using the open-source content management system (CMS) Joomla!. The CMS allows several editors to maintain pages and update them. Other participatory tools such as wiki pages, a blog, a discussion forum and online forms have been set up to gather future contributions, including information on other crops. The site provides a one-stop platform for information on conservation, characterization, regeneration and safety duplication of each of the nine crops. It also provides information on general (non-crop-specific) genebank management procedures, as well as a comprehensive bibliography of online publications, a glossary, links to relevant external websites, video and photo materials, and training modules. This paper discusses a process of collective action to develop a multi-institutional web platform, highlights important criteria for success, challenges and major lessons learned, and proposes options for the way forward