Adaptation to Climate Change and the Role of Agrobiodiversity

The world’s biological diversity is eroding. This concerns in particular the entire agri-cultural diversity of genes, species and their agrarian ecosystems, the resource base for food. With species becoming extinct, mankind is jeopardised. With climate change becoming reality, genetic resources are getting a new value as they are of vital impor-tance for adaptation. This calls for a revision of present conservation approaches. Emphasis has to be placed on in-situ conservation in order to allow a maximum of species conserved and to enable species adaptation to environmental change

Agrobiodiversity is essential for coping with climate change

Agricultural biodiversity and climate change are rarely discussed in the same context. However, there are close mutual links. Biodiversity is reduced through climate change and – at the same time – is a strategic resource for coping with its consequences: The entirety of plants, animals and microorganisms in agricultural ecosystems and their genetic diversity represent the re-source base for food. With genetic resources gaining a new quality, present conservation approaches have to be re-vised. Instead of ex-situ conservation in gene banks a broader concept has to be envisaged which emphasises farmer conservation and is complemented by gene banks. The reason is twofold: As future needs are unknown, a maximum of genetic resources has to be conserved at the lowest possible public cost. On-farm conservation is not necessarily less costly, but the costs are mainly borne by farmers while it produces both private and public benefits; Secondly, adaptation of genetic resources to environmental change is necessary, a process that requires exposure to the environment, instead of being stored deep-frozen in a gene bank. Civil society organisations have taken a front-runner position in developing and spreading suit-able concepts at grassroots level. They have catalysed worldwide a boom of farmer initiatives that practise organic agriculture based on maintaining biodiversity, avoiding the use of hybrid seeds and prohibiting transgenic crops. Secondly, they are increasingly supporting local seed conservation initiatives that aim to empower local communities to protect their biodiversity and defend their community rights to seeds and knowledge. Thirdly, they have founded an alterna-tive market for plant breeding and seed production. Mainly in Europe, various initiatives have emerged that maintain, improve and make available open-pollinating varieties of cereals and vegetables, many of which are the result of crossbreeding and selection over centuries and in danger of being lost. All such activities make very clear: genetic resources must remain largely in the public domain with well-balanced benefit-sharing concepts among the various stakeholders that use and con-serve agro-genetic resources. Reference Kotschi, J (2007): Agricultural Biodiversity is Essential for Adapting to Climate Change. GAIA 16/2, 92-101. Further Reading Agrobiodiversity and climate change – a complex relationship. Issue Papers “People, Food and Biodiversity”, GTZ. Eschborn

HAND2 is a novel obesity-linked adipogenic transcription factor regulated by glucocorticoid signalling

Aims/hypothesis Adipocytes are critical cornerstones of energy metabolism. While obesity-induced adipocyte dysfunction is associated with insulin resistance and systemic metabolic disturbances, adipogenesis, the formation of new adipocytes and healthy adipose tissue expansion are associated with metabolic benefits. Understanding the molecular mechanisms governing adipogenesis is of great clinical potential to efficiently restore metabolic health in obesity. Here we investigate the role of heart and neural crest derivatives-expressed 2 (HAND2) in adipogenesis.MethodsHuman white adipose tissue (WAT) was collected from two cross-sectional studies of 318 and 96 individuals. In vitro, for mechanistic experiments we used primary adipocytes from humans and mice as well as human multipotent adipose-derived stem (hMADS) cells. Gene silencing was performed using siRNA or genetic inactivation in primary adipocytes from loxP and or tamoxifen-inducible Cre-ERT2 mouse models with Cre-encoding mRNA or tamoxifen, respectively. Adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolism were measured by Oil Red O staining, quantitative PCR (qPCR), microarray, glucose uptake assay, western blot and lipolysis assay. A combinatorial RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and ChIP qPCR approach was used to identify target genes regulated by HAND2. In vivo, we created a conditional adipocyte Hand2 deletion mouse model using Cre under control of the Adipoq promoter (Hand2AdipoqCre) and performed a large panel of metabolic tests.Results We found that HAND2 is an obesity-linked white adipocyte transcription factor regulated by glucocorticoids that was necessary but insufficient for adipocyte differentiation in vitro. In a large cohort of humans, WAT HAND2 expression was correlated to BMI. The HAND2 gene was enriched in white adipocytes compared with brown, induced early in differentiation and responded to dexamethasone (DEX), a typical glucocorticoid receptor (GR, encoded by NR3C1) agonist. Silencing of NR3C1 in hMADS cells or deletion of GR in a transgenic conditional mouse model results in diminished HAND2 expression, establishing that adipocyte HAND2 is regulated by glucocorticoids via GR in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we identified gene clusters indirectly regulated by the GR-HAND2 pathway. Interestingly, silencing of HAND2 impaired adipocyte differentiation in hMADS and primary mouse adipocytes. However, a conditional adipocyte Hand2 deletion mouse model using Cre under control of the Adipoq promoter did not mirror these effects on adipose tissue differentiation, indicating that HAND2 was required at stages prior to Adipoq expression.Conclusions/interpretation In summary, our study identifies HAND2 as a novel obesity-linked adipocyte transcription factor, highlighting new mechanisms of GR-dependent adipogenesis in humans and mice.Data availability Array data have been submitted to the GEO database at NCBI (GSE148699).</p

How transgenic crops impact on biodiversity

Genetic engineering is heralded as key technology to intensify agriculture and the acreage under transgenic crops is increasing. Agricultural diversity, on the other hand, can be considered a global resource base for food and bio-energy that may be vital in responding to unknown future needs. The article discusses the impact of genetic engineering on agricultural biodiversity, concludes that GE crops have amplified the negative impact of farming on biodiversity and proposes alternatives

Überregulierung im Öko-Landbau - Eine Herausforderung für die Bio-Bewegung

Die Öko-Landbau Richtlinien werden von Mitteleuropas Bauern immer mehr als Würgegriff erlebt, und in den Entwicklungsländern hemmen sie die Entwicklung ökologischer Alternativen in der Landwirtschaft. Plädoyer für eine Neuorientierung

The Open Source Seed Licence: A novel approach to safeguarding access to plant germplasm.

The laws to secure intellectual property rights on plant germplasm have been strongly developed in parallel to the ongoing seed market consolidation. Germplasm as a commons, i.e., a natural resource accessible to all members of a society, receives almost no legal protection. On the other hand, the use of germplasm and released cultivars in breeding is increasingly restricted by intellectual property rights. In this study, approaches to open source plant germplasm are discussed, and the Open Source Seed (OSS) Licence is introduced and analysed. The OSS Licence was developed by an interdisciplinary working group of plant breeders, agricultural scientists, lawyers, and commons experts in Europe. The aim is to protect germplasm as a commons, support the free exchange of germplasm, stimulate plant breeding, reduce costs, and accelerate innovation. The OSS Licence is a legal tool and novel approach that extends its reach on derivatives of licenced germplasm. It is compatible with current seed laws. Effects on the access to plant germplasm, on breeding for diverse pedoclimatic environments, socioeconomic systems, and on biodiversity as a whole can first show after a few breeding cycles. The impact of open source germplasm on these aspects needs to be monitored carefully

Financing Organic Plant Breeding - New Economic Models for Seed as a Commons

Gefördert durch den Publikationsfonds der Universität Kasse

HAND2 is a novel obesity-linked adipogenic transcription factor regulated by glucocorticoid signalling

Aims/hypothesis!#!Adipocytes are critical cornerstones of energy metabolism. While obesity-induced adipocyte dysfunction is associated with insulin resistance and systemic metabolic disturbances, adipogenesis, the formation of new adipocytes and healthy adipose tissue expansion are associated with metabolic benefits. Understanding the molecular mechanisms governing adipogenesis is of great clinical potential to efficiently restore metabolic health in obesity. Here we investigate the role of heart and neural crest derivatives-expressed 2 (HAND2) in adipogenesis.!##!Methods!#!Human white adipose tissue (WAT) was collected from two cross-sectional studies of 318 and 96 individuals. In vitro, for mechanistic experiments we used primary adipocytes from humans and mice as well as human multipotent adipose-derived stem (hMADS) cells. Gene silencing was performed using siRNA or genetic inactivation in primary adipocytes from loxP and or tamoxifen-inducible Cre-ERT2 mouse models with Cre-encoding mRNA or tamoxifen, respectively. Adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolism were measured by Oil Red O staining, quantitative PCR (qPCR), microarray, glucose uptake assay, western blot and lipolysis assay. A combinatorial RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and ChIP qPCR approach was used to identify target genes regulated by HAND2. In vivo, we created a conditional adipocyte Hand2 deletion mouse model using Cre under control of the Adipoq promoter (Hand2!##!Results!#!We found that HAND2 is an obesity-linked white adipocyte transcription factor regulated by glucocorticoids that was necessary but insufficient for adipocyte differentiation in vitro. In a large cohort of humans, WAT HAND2 expression was correlated to BMI. The HAND2 gene was enriched in white adipocytes compared with brown, induced early in differentiation and responded to dexamethasone (DEX), a typical glucocorticoid receptor (GR, encoded by NR3C1) agonist. Silencing of NR3C1 in hMADS cells or deletion of GR in a transgenic conditional mouse model results in diminished HAND2 expression, establishing that adipocyte HAND2 is regulated by glucocorticoids via GR in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we identified gene clusters indirectly regulated by the GR-HAND2 pathway. Interestingly, silencing of HAND2 impaired adipocyte differentiation in hMADS and primary mouse adipocytes. However, a conditional adipocyte Hand2 deletion mouse model using Cre under control of the Adipoq promoter did not mirror these effects on adipose tissue differentiation, indicating that HAND2 was required at stages prior to Adipoq expression.!##!Conclusions/interpretation!#!In summary, our study identifies HAND2 as a novel obesity-linked adipocyte transcription factor, highlighting new mechanisms of GR-dependent adipogenesis in humans and mice.!##!Data availability!#!Array data have been submitted to the GEO database at NCBI (GSE148699)