Phenological phases of flowering in hop (Humulus lupulus L.) and their correspondence with microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis

[EN] Hop (Humulus Lupulus L.) suffered, as many other crops, a shrinkage of its intraspecific agrobiodiversity. Biotechnological methods of breeding would offer new opportunities to produce improved varieties with interesting phytochemical profiles and adaptable to the challenging conditions of climate change. Doubled haploid (DH) technology could be a useful tool to increase hop agrobiodiversity but, unfortunately, there is a complete lack of information about hop flower biology. For this reason, the main aim of this work is the study of the different phenological phases of flowering in hop and the corresponding developmental stages of microspores/pollen grains contained therein. The results obtained allowed the identification of morphological markers (anther and flower bud length), easy and fast to measure, that would speed up the selection of flower buds containing the highest percentage of vacuolated microspores and young pollen, the stages considered in most species as the most responsive to androgenesis. A further result, derived from the flower bud and anther microscopical observation, evidenced the increase of lupulin glands on bud and anther surface as the bud proceeds in development from microsporogenesis to microgametogenesis.This work was supported by Spanish MINECO [grant number AGL2017-88135-R to JMSS] jointly funded by FEDER.Liberatore, C.; Calabuig-Serna, A.; Rodolfi, M.; Chiancone, B.; Seguí-Simarro, JM. (2019). Phenological phases of flowering in hop (Humulus lupulus L.) and their correspondence with microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis. Scientia Horticulturae. 256:1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2019.108639S16256Easterling, K. A., Pitra, N. J., Jones, R. J., Lopes, L. G., Aquino, J. R., Zhang, D., … Bass, H. W. (2018). 3D Molecular Cytology of Hop (Humulus lupulus) Meiotic Chromosomes Reveals Non-disomic Pairing and Segregation, Aneuploidy, and Genomic Structural Variation. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9. doi:10.3389/fpls.2018.01501Nagel, J., Culley, L. K., Lu, Y., Liu, E., Matthews, P. D., Stevens, J. F., & Page, J. E. (2008). EST Analysis of Hop Glandular Trichomes Identifies an O-Methyltransferase That Catalyzes the Biosynthesis of Xanthohumol. The Plant Cell, 20(1), 186-200. doi:10.1105/tpc.107.055178Parra-Vega, V., González-García, B., & Seguí-Simarro, J. M. (2012). Morphological markers to correlate bud and anther development with microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 35(2), 627-633. doi:10.1007/s11738-012-1104-xPatzak, J., Nesvadba, V., Henychová, A., & Krofta, K. (2010). Assessment of the genetic diversity of wild hops (Humulus lupulus L.) in Europe using chemical and molecular analyses. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 38(2), 136-145. doi:10.1016/j.bse.2009.12.023Patzak, J., Nesvadba, V., Krofta, K., Henychova, A., Marzoev, A. I., & Richards, K. (2010). Evaluation of genetic variability of wild hops (Humulus lupulus L.) in Canada and the Caucasus region by chemical and molecular methods. Genome, 53(7), 545-557. doi:10.1139/g10-024Salas, P., Rivas-Sendra, A., Prohens, J., & Seguí-Simarro, J. M. (2011). Influence of the stage for anther excision and heterostyly in embryogenesis induction from eggplant anther cultures. Euphytica, 184(2), 235-250. doi:10.1007/s10681-011-0569-9Seguí-Simarro, J. M. (2010). Androgenesis Revisited. The Botanical Review, 76(3), 377-404. doi:10.1007/s12229-010-9056-6Seguí-Simarro, J. M., & Nuez, F. (2005). Meiotic metaphase I to telophase II as the most responsive stage during microspore development for callus induction in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) anther cultures. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 27(4), 675-685. doi:10.1007/s11738-005-0071-xSHEPHARD, H. L., PARKER, J. S., DARBY, P., & AINSWORTH, C. C. (2000). Sexual development and sex chromosomes in hop. New Phytologist, 148(3), 397-411. doi:10.1046/j.1469-8137.2000.00771.xXie, W., Xiong, W., Pan, J., Ali, T., Cui, Q., Guan, D., … Davis, S. J. (2018). Decreases in global beer supply due to extreme drought and heat. Nature Plants, 4(11), 964-973. doi:10.1038/s41477-018-0263-

Quantification of upper body movements during gait in older adults and in those with Parkinson's disease: impact of acceleration realignment methodologies.

The upper body accelerations of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) measured by inertial measurement units (IMUs) may contribute towards diagnostic algorithms and help track disease progression. Before extracting variables related to upper body motion, acceleration signals require realignment to a global reference; however, the impact of these techniques on the resulting upper body variables is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to examine the impact of four different realignment methods designed to correct acceleration signals on a range of upper body variables in older adults and in patients with PD. Two minutes of continuous gait were measured in 54 community-dwelling older adults (71.1 �6.7 years) and 60 people with PD (age: 68.5 � 9.1 years). Three IMUs placed on the 5th lumbar vertebra, 7th cervical vertebra and the back of the head recorded the acceleration of the upper body. A selection of upper body variables sensitive to impaired upper body control in PD and four acceleration realignment methods were compared. A mixed-model ANOVA showed that the choice of realignment method significantly affected the values of upper body variables as well as their ability to discriminate between the PD and control group. Our findings indicate researchers and clinicians should be cautious when comparing upper body variables extracted from IMUs using different realignment methods, and consideration of realignmenttechnique will be important when identifying the most sensitive markers of disease presence and progression. Therefore, it’s strongly recommend that researchers consider and report their realignment methods when assessing upper body variables during gai

A transient homotypic interaction model for the influenza A virus NS1 protein effector domain

Influenza A virus NS1 protein is a multifunctional virulence factor consisting of an RNA binding domain (RBD), a short linker, an effector domain (ED), and a C-terminal 'tail'. Although poorly understood, NS1 multimerization may autoregulate its actions. While RBD dimerization seems functionally conserved, two possible apo ED dimers have been proposed (helix-helix and strand-strand). Here, we analyze all available RBD, ED, and full-length NS1 structures, including four novel crystal structures obtained using EDs from divergent human and avian viruses, as well as two forms of a monomeric ED mutant. The data reveal the helix-helix interface as the only strictly conserved ED homodimeric contact. Furthermore, a mutant NS1 unable to form the helix-helix dimer is compromised in its ability to bind dsRNA efficiently, implying that ED multimerization influences RBD activity. Our bioinformatical work also suggests that the helix-helix interface is variable and transient, thereby allowing two ED monomers to twist relative to one another and possibly separate. In this regard, we found a mAb that recognizes NS1 via a residue completely buried within the ED helix-helix interface, and which may help highlight potential different conformational populations of NS1 (putatively termed 'helix-closed' and 'helix-open') in virus-infected cells. 'Helix-closed' conformations appear to enhance dsRNA binding, and 'helix-open' conformations allow otherwise inaccessible interactions with host factors. Our data support a new model of NS1 regulation in which the RBD remains dimeric throughout infection, while the ED switches between several quaternary states in order to expand its functional space. Such a concept may be applicable to other small multifunctional proteins

Novel genetic loci associated with hippocampal volume

The hippocampal formation is a brain structure integrally involved in episodic memory, spatial navigation, cognition and stress responsiveness. Structural abnormalities in hippocampal volume and shape are found in several common neuropsychiatric disorders. To identify the genetic underpinnings of hippocampal structure here we perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 33,536 individuals and discover six independent loci significantly associated with hippocampal volume, four of them novel. Of the novel loci, three lie within genes (ASTN2, DPP4 and MAST4) and one is found 200 kb upstream of SHH. A hippocampal subfield analysis shows that a locus within the MSRB3 gene shows evidence of a localized effect along the dentate gyrus, subiculum, CA1 and fissure. Further, we show that genetic variants associated with decreased hippocampal volume are also associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (rg =-0.155). Our findings suggest novel biological pathways through which human genetic variation influences hippocampal volume and risk for neuropsychiatric illness

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Novel genetic loci underlying human intracranial volume identified through genome-wide association

Intracranial volume reflects the maximally attained brain size during development, and remains stable with loss of tissue in late life. It is highly heritable, but the underlying genes remain largely undetermined. In a genome-wide association study of 32,438 adults, we discovered five novel loci for intracranial volume and confirmed two known signals. Four of the loci are also associated with adult human stature, but these remained associated with intracranial volume after adjusting for height. We found a high genetic correlation with child head circumference (ρgenetic=0.748), which indicated a similar genetic background and allowed for the identification of four additional loci through meta-analysis (Ncombined = 37,345). Variants for intracranial volume were also related to childhood and adult cognitive function, Parkinson’s disease, and enriched near genes involved in growth pathways including PI3K–AKT signaling. These findings identify biological underpinnings of intracranial volume and provide genetic support for theories on brain reserve and brain overgrowth

Employees’ Financial Wellness, Productivity, and Firms’ Myopic Behavior

We study how rank and file employees' financial wellness affects employers' myopic accounting decisions. By using staggered increases in consumer bankruptcy exemptions across US states to capture increments in employees' financial wellness, we find that firms reduce their real activities management, have fewer misstatements, and decrease their loss avoidance behaviors in response to higher consumer bankruptcy protection. We identify two channels that might explain these findings. First, we show that more consumer bankruptcy protection reduces employees' absenteeism from the workplace, and second, we show that firm productivity improves when consumer bankruptcy protection increases. Thus, higher firm productivity facilitates firms' achievement of their earnings-based targets, reducing the need for myopic performance-enhancing behaviors. Our evidence suggests that improving employees' financial wellness provides benefits to firms through higher productivity and fewer myopic decisions