Crop Genebanks: Regeneration and Cutorial Load

This nation\u27s crop genetic resources are currently conserved in a se­ries of genebanks and clonal repositories that are part of the National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS). The largest and most complex assemblage of crop germplasm is held at the NPGS genebank in Griffin, Georgia. Curators, who are also technical experts, manage the collections of individual taxa and are responsible for the regeneration, characterization, acquisition, and distribution of those plant materials. The nature of the duties associated with the management of these germplasm collections, specifically their routine regeneration, results in professional challenges for those technical experts engaged in that and similarly nontechnical activities. Various approaches to address this issue including the allocation of resources specifically earmarked for career-enhancing activities of technical professionals, and the clear separation of funding allocated for basic germplasm maintenance activities vs. other activities, are discussed. Also discussed are various means to increase the efficiency of the regeneration process

Revisiting the Waxy Locus and the Capsicum annuum L. Complex

Waxy locus introns from 35 accessions of the species comprising the Cap­sicum annuum complex [C. annuum (7), C. frutescens (10), and C. chinense (11)1, C. baccatum (5), C. chacoense (1) and C. pubescens (1) were cloned and sequenced. These data were combined with existing GenBank waxy intron data on these same species, C. tovarii, C. ciliatum, Lycianthes heteroclita, L. lenta, and L. glandulosa in order to examine the phyloge­netic relationships within this group of plant materials, and to re-examine the strength of the delimitation of the members of the C. annuum complex provided previously by analysis of indel and transition/transversion poly­morphisms at this locus. Included in the subject materials analyzed were genotypes of C. annuum, C. chinense, and C. frutescens that possessed characteristics that were atypical for these respective species. PAUP analy­sis revealed strong support of Capsicum at the genus level. Capsicum ciliatum was the sister species to C. tovarii which was the sister species to a clade containing the five cultivated taxa and C. chacoense. The separation of C. pubescens from other cultivated Capsicum spp. was well supported. The separation of C. annuum from C. chinense and C. frutescens was less strongly supported based on bootstrap values. In contrast, no clear separa­tion of Capsicum chinense from Capsicum frutescens was observed

Super Star Clusters in the Blue Dwarf Galaxy UM 462

I present optical observations of the Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxy UM 462. The images of this galaxy show several bright compact sources. A careful study of these sources has revealed their nature of young Super Star Clusters. The ages determined from the analysis of the stellar continuum and $H\alpha$ are between few and few tens Myr. The total star formation taking place into the clusters is about 0.05 $\mathrm{M_{\odot}/yr}$. The clusters seem to be located at the edges of two large round-like structures, possibly shells originated in a previous episode of star formation. The sizes of the shells compare well with the ages of the clusters. Evidence for the presence of an evolved underlying stellar population is found.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Pockets of Proterozoic hydrocarbons and implications for the Archaean

Precambrian biomarkers convey invaluable information about the early evolution of life, ancient ecosystems, redox conditions, climate and depositional environment and prospective petroleum systems. They are however thermally unstable, easily obliterated by contamination and thus extremely difficult to find. This is particularly true if conditions favourable for biomarker preservation had to prevail for more than 2.5 billion years – the prerequisite for finding Archaean biomarkers. Many organic geochemists abandoned this hope after original discoveries of Archaean biomarkers proved to be of younger origin [1,2] but our study of ca. 550-825 Ma old sediments from the Centralian Superbasin now shows that biomarkers can be preserved in distinctive pockets in seemingly barren areas, even if sections are metamorphosed in parts. Most Centralian sections seem empty. Yet, eventually we identified intervals with preserved biomarkers in three drill cores. A detailed investigation of 825 Ma sediments in drill core Mt Charlotte-1 revealed maturity variations that are most likely due to hydrothermal influence and in turn control the hydrocarbon preservation. Sediments might appear metamorphosed after localized, subtle alteration by hydrothermal fluids but protected intervals can still contain biomarkers. The same might be true for Archaean sediments and we might still find those protected intervals with indigenous biomarkers that allow us to glimpse the early life on earth

"Better Safe than Sorry" - Individual Risk-free Pension Schemes in the European Union - Macroeconomic Benefits, the Mobile Working Citizen's Perspective and Why Nots

Variations between the diverse pension systems in the member states of the European Union hamper labour market mobility, across country borders but also within the countries of the European Union. From a macroeconomic perspective, and in the light of demographic pressure, this paper argues that allowing individual instead of collective pension building would greatly improve labour market flexibility and thus enhance the functioning of the monetary union. I argue that working citizens would benefit, for three reasons, from pension saving in a risk-free savings account. First, citizens would have a clear picture of the accumulation of their own pension savings throughout their working life. Second, they would pay hardly any extra costs and, third, once retired they would not be subject to the whims of government or other pension fund managers. This paper investigates the feasibility of individual pension building under various parameter settings by calculating the pension saved during a working life and the pension dis-saved after retirement. The findings show that there are no reasons why the European Union and individual member states should not allow individual risk-free pension savings accounts. This would have macroeconomic benefits and provide a solid pension provision that can enhance mobility, instead of engaging workers in different mandatory collective pension schemes that exist around in the European Union

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from Musa balbisiana

This is the first report of targeted development of B genome microsatellite markers in Musa. A total of 44 sequences with microsatellites were isolated from an enriched library of Musa balbisiana cv. 'Tani' (BB genome). Of these, 25 were polymorphic when screened on 14 diverse diploid and triploid Musa accessions. The number of alleles detected by each marker ranged between one and seven. All 25 microsatellite markers generated amplification products in all species and genome complements. These new microsatellite markers fill an important gap for diversity assessment and linkage mapping studies in plantain (AAB) and cooking banana (ABB

A large microRNA cluster on chromosome 19 is a transcriptional hallmark of WHO type A and AB thymomas

BACKGROUND: Thymomas are one of the most rarely diagnosed malignancies. To better understand its biology and to identify therapeutic targets, we performed next-generation RNA sequencing. METHODS: The RNA was sequenced from 13 thymic malignancies and 3 normal thymus glands. Validation of microRNA expression was performed on a separate set of 35 thymic malignancies. For cell-based studies, a thymoma cell line was used. RESULTS: Hierarchical clustering revealed 100% concordance between gene expression clusters and WHO subtype. A substantial differentiator was a large microRNA cluster on chr19q13.42 that was significantly overexpressed in all A and AB tumours and whose expression was virtually absent in the other thymomas and normal tissues. Overexpression of this microRNA cluster activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Treatment of a thymoma AB cell line with a panel of PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors resulted in marked reduction of cell viability. CONCLUSIONS: A large microRNA cluster on chr19q13.42 is a transcriptional hallmark of type A and AB thymomas. Furthermore, this cluster activates the PI3K pathway, suggesting the possible exploration of PI3K inhibitors in patients with these subtypes of tumour. This work has led to the initiation of a phase II clinical trial of PI3K inhibition in relapsed or refractory thymomas (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02220855)

Distributions, conservation status, and abiotic stress tolerance potential of wild cucurbits (Cucurbita L.)

Societal Impact Statement Crop wild relatives—wild species closely related to cultivated plants—are valuable genetic resources for crop improvement, but gaps in knowledge constrain their conservation and limit their further use. We develop new information on the distributions, potential breeding value, and conservation status of the 16 known wild relatives of cultivated pumpkins, squashes, zucchini, and gourds (Cucurbita L.). The taxa occur from the central USA to Central America, plus two South American species, with the greatest richness in central Mexico and the western borderlands between Mexico and the USA. We determine the majority of species are of medium priority for conservation, both with regard to collecting for ex situ maintenance, and for enhanced habitat protection. Summary Crop wild relatives are valuable genetic resources for crop improvement. Knowledge gaps, including with regard to taxonomy, distributions, and characterization for traits of interest constrain their use in plant breeding. These deficiencies also affect conservation planning, both with regard to in situ habitat protection, and further collection of novel diversity for ex situ maintenance. Here we model the potential ranges of all 16 known wild cucurbit taxa (Cucurbita L.), use ecogeographic information to infer their potential adaptations to abiotic stresses, and assess their ex situ and in situ conservation status. The taxa occur from the central USA to Central America, plus two South American species. Predicted taxon richness was highest in central Mexico and in the western borderlands between Mexico and the USA. We find substantial ecogeographic variation both across taxa and among populations within taxa, with regard to low temperatures, high and low precipitation, and other adaptations of potential interest for crop breeding. We categorize 13 of the taxa medium priority for further conservation as a combination of the ex situ and in situ assessments, two low priority, and one sufficiently conserved. Further action across the distributions of the taxa, with emphasis on taxonomic richness hotspots, is needed to comprehensively conserve wild Cucurbita populations