WEL Gene Bank: The National Gene Bank for German Crop Wild Relative Species

Die "Genbank Wildpflanzen für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft" (Genbank WEL) wurde 2009 als ein bundesweites Netzwerk gegründet, um die Nutzung wildlebender pflanzengenetischer Ressourcen in Deutschland zu sichern und deren Verfügbarkeit als Saatgut gewährleisten zu können. Wildpflanzen für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (WEL-Arten, im englischen crop wild relatives) stellen mit mehr als 2.800 Arten einen beachtlichen Anteil der ca. 4.300 heimischen Farn- und Blütenpflanzen dar. Mit der Saatgutgenbank WEL wurde eine wertvolle Ressource für zukünftige Forschungsprojekte und Anwendungen in der Pflanzenzüchtung geschaffen, die derzeit über 4.500 Akzessionen von 272 WEL-Arten umfasst. An dem Netzwerk sind die Botanischen Gärten Berlin, Karlsruhe, Osnabrück und Regensburg sowie die Pädagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe beteiligt. Der WEL-Genbankbestand soll durch weitere Sammlungsaktivitäten ausgebaut werden. Aufgrund fehlender Finanzierungsmittel kann dies nicht zielgerichtet durchgeführt werden und es besteht dringender Handlungsbedarf zur Weiterentwicklung der WEL-Genbank.The German “Genbank für Wildpflanzen für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft” (WEL) is a gene bank for crop wild relatives for which the German term ‘WEL’ species has been coined. The WEL gene bank was established in 2009 as a national network to protect wild plant genetic resources in Germany to protect and ensure availability of WEL seed material. The 2,800 species of wild plants used for nutrition and agriculture (crop wild relatives) represent a substantial proportion of our native 4,300 fern and flowering plant species. The WEL gene bank project has produced a valuable resource for future research projects and for use in crop breeding. Participating in this network are the Botanical Gardens of Berlin, Karlsruhe, Osnabrück and Regensburg, as well as the Educational College of Karlsruhe. The WEL gene bank is under management of the Botanical Garden of Osnabrück, Germany. The Information and coordination centre of the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) is responsible for the integration of the WEL gene bank in the “National Specialist Programme for Plant Genetic Resources” (PGDEU). There are currently 4,500 accessions of 272 species in the WEL gene bank. Currently no further funding is available, although the WEL gene bank needs further development

Glomeruloid Microvascular Proliferation, Desmoplasia, and High Proliferative Index as Potential Indicators of High Grade Canine Choroid Plexus Tumors.

Choroid plexus tumors (CPT) are intraventricular neoplasms accounting for 10% of all primary central nervous system tumors in dogs. They are frequently classified according to the human WHO classification into choroid plexus papilloma (CPP, grade I), atypical CPP (aCPP, grade II), and choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC, grade III). Histological features observed in canine CPT such as increased vascular density (IVD) and glomeruloid microvascular proliferation (GMVP) are not part of the WHO classification. This multi-centric study aimed to investigate tumor-associated vascular hyperplasia in dogs by determining the prevalence of GMVP and IVD in 52 canine CPT and their association with tumor grade. In addition, the expression of angiogenic factors was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 25 tumors to investigate the pathogenesis of tumor-associated vascular hyperplasia. Based on the classical histological hallmarks, this study of 52 CPT identified 22 (42%) CPP (grade I) and 30 of (58%) CPC (grade III). GMVP was more prevalent in CPC (13/30; 43%) than CPP (1/22; 4%), whereas IVD occurred to a similar extent in CPP and CPC. Desmoplasia was more common in CPC (19/30; 63%) than CPP (2/22; 9%), and similarly, the proliferative index (PI) of neoplastic epithelium was significantly higher in CPC (5.14%) than CPP (0.94%). The majority of CPT expressed platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), PDGFRα, PDGFRβ, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) irrespective of tumor grade or tumor-associated vascular hyperplasia. These results suggest that tumor-associated GMVP, desmoplasia, and PI may serve as histological indicators of malignancy in CPT