QTL mapping of wheat plant architectural characteristics and their genetic relationship with seven QTLs conferring resistance to sheath blight

<div><p>Sheath blight is one of the most devastating wheat diseases worldwide. Breeding resistant cultivars is the most powerful strategy to defeat the disease. Plant resistance on “disease escape” works through modulation of morphological traits and shows sustainable resistance to disease. Plant architectural traits have been reported to play a significant role in disease response. Therefore, exploring the genetic relationship between plant architecture and disease resistance is of importance to the understanding of plant resistance via “disease escape”. Using an F₉ population of 266 RILs (Recombinant Inbred Lines) derived from the cross of Luke × AQ24788-83, we have generated a linkage map of 631 markers on 21 chromosomes. In this study, we present the QTL identification of fourteen plant architectural characteristics and heading time from two years and analyze their genetic relationships with seven previously published QTLs to sheath blight (QSBs, <i>QSe</i>.<i>cau</i>), including plant height (PH), the space between the flag leaf and penultimate leaf (fdR), heading date (Hd), and other traits. Twelve stable QTLs of the morphological traits were identified with good consistency across five replicates. For the seven previously published QSBs, we found no significant association with plant height. However, some of the QSBs displayed strong associations with plant architectural traits and heading date. Especially, <i>Q</i>_<i>fdR</i>.<i>cau-1AS</i>, <i>Q</i>_<i>Hd</i>.<i>cau-2BS</i>, <i>Q</i>_<i>fdR</i>.<i>cau-5DL</i>, and <i>Q</i>_<i>fdR</i>.<i>cau-6BL</i> were respectively mapped to the same regions as <i>QSe</i>.<i>cau-1AS</i>, <i>QSe</i>.<i>cau-2BS</i>, <i>QSe</i>.<i>cau-5DL</i>, and <i>QSe</i>.<i>cau-6BL</i>. Taken together, we have demonstrated that plant height did not exert a direct influence on the resistance to sheath blight conferred by the seven QSBs and that the plant architecture and heading date did exhibit a tight relationship with the resistance. Therefore, this study provides a novel evidence to help understand sheath blight resistance in wheat. In addition, the linked morphological characteristics and the generated flanking markers will facilitate breeding for resistance to sheath blight in wheat.</p></div

LOD Curves of QTLs for Plant Height (PH) on Chromosome 4B.

<p>LOD Curves of QTLs for Plant Height (PH) on Chromosome 4B.</p

LOD Curves of QTLs for the Ratio of Flag Leaf -Penultimate Leaf (fdR) on Chromosome 1A.

<p>The red arrow represents the position of <i>QSe</i>.<i>cau-1AS</i>.</p

LOD Curves of QTLs for Heading Date (Hd) on Chromosome 2B.

<p>The red arrow represents the position of <i>QSe</i>.<i>cau-2BS</i>.</p

LOD Curves of QTLs for the Ratio of Flag Leaf -Penultimate Leaf (fdR) on Chromosome 6B.

<p>The red arrow represents the position of <i>QSe</i>.<i>cau-6BL</i>.</p

Architecture of the Flag Leaf, the Uppermost Internode, and the Penultimate Leaf of Wheat Plants.

<p>Architecture of the Flag Leaf, the Uppermost Internode, and the Penultimate Leaf of Wheat Plants.</p

LOD Curves of QTLs for the Ratio of Flag Leaf -Penultimate Leaf (fdR) on Chromosome 5D.

<p>The red arrow represents the position of <i>QSe</i>.<i>cau-5DL</i>.</p

QTL Map of 15 Morphological Characteristics and Published Sheath Blight Resistance.

<p>QTL Map of 15 Morphological Characteristics and Published Sheath Blight Resistance.</p

Administration of BMSCs with Muscone in Rats with Gentamicin-Induced AKI Improves Their Therapeutic Efficacy

<div><p>The therapeutic action of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in acute kidney injury (AKI) has been reported by several groups. However, recent studies indicated that BMSCs homed to kidney tissues at very low levels after transplantation. The lack of specific homing of exogenously infused cells limited the effective implementation of BMSC-based therapies. In this study, we provided evidence that the administration of BMSCs combined with muscone in rats with gentamicin-induced AKI intravenously, was a feasible strategy to drive BMSCs to damaged tissues and improve the BMSC-based therapeutic effect. The effect of muscone on BMSC bioactivity was analyzed <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. The results indicated that muscone could promote BMSC migration and proliferation. Some secretory capacity of BMSC still could be improved in some degree. The BMSC-based therapeutic action was ameliorated by promoting the recovery of biochemical variables in urine or blood, as well as the inhibition of cell apoptosis and inflammation. In addition, the up-regulation of CXCR4 and CXCR7 expression in BMSCs could be the possible mechanism of muscone amelioration. Thus, our study indicated that enhancement of BMSCs bioactivities with muscone could increase the BMSC therapeutic potential and further developed a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AKI.</p></div

Additional file 1: of Comparison of the effect of high versus low mean arterial pressure levels on clinical outcomes and complications in elderly patients during non-cardiothoracic surgery under general anesthesia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

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