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Gene Pyramiding for Sustainable Crop Improvement against Biotic and Abiotic Stresses. AGRONOMY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/agronomy10091255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable agricultural production is endangered by several ecological factors, such as drought, extreme temperatures, excessive salts, parasitic ailments, and insect pest infestation. These challenging environmental factors may have adverse effects on future agriculture production in many countries. In modern agriculture, conventional crop-breeding techniques alone are inadequate for achieving the increasing population’s food demand on a sustainable basis. The advancement of molecular genetics and related technologies are promising tools for the selection of new crop species. Gene pyramiding through marker-assisted selection (MAS) and other techniques have accelerated the development of durable resistant/tolerant lines with high accuracy in the shortest period of time for agricultural sustainability. Gene stacking has not been fully utilized for biotic stress resistance development and quality improvement in most of the major cultivated crops. This review emphasizes on gene pyramiding techniques that are being successfully deployed in modern agriculture for improving crop tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses for sustainable crop improvement.
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Westfall KM, Therriault TW, Abbott CL. A new approach to molecular biosurveillance of invasive species using DNA metabarcoding. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:1012-1022. [PMID: 31657513 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Non-indigenous species (NIS) reach every corner of the world, at times wreaking havoc on ecosystems and costing the global economy billions of dollars. A rapid and accurate biosurveillance tool tailored to a particular biogeographic region is needed to detect NIS when they are first introduced into an area as traditional detection methods are expensive and require specialized expertise. Metabarcoding of environmental and community DNA meets those biosurveillance requirements; a novel tool tailored to the Northwest Pacific Ocean is presented here using an approach that could revolutionize early detection of NIS. Eight newly designed genetic markers for multiple gene regions were implemented to meet the stringent taxonomic requirements for the detection of NIS across four major marine phyla. The tool was considered highly successful because it identified 12 known NIS in the study area and a further seven species representing potential new records. Overall community composition detected here was statistically different between substrate types; zooplankton sampling accounted for significantly higher species richness than filtered sea water in most cases, but this was dominated by mollusk and arthropod species. Both substrate types sampled were required to identify the wide taxonomic breadth of known NIS in the study area. Intensive sampling is known to be paramount for the detection of rare species, including new incursions of NIS, thus it is recommended to include diverse DNA sampling protocols based on species' life-history characteristics for broad detection capacity. Application of a metabarcoding-based molecular biosurveillance tool optimized for biogeographic regions enables rapid and accurate early detection across a wide taxonomic range to allow quick implementation of eradication or control efforts and potentially mitigate some of the devastating effects of NIS worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas W Therriault
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
| | - Cathryn L Abbott
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
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Chen X, Feng H, Du Y, Luo S, Li W, Yu L, Feng Z, Cui T, Zhou L. Genetic polymorphisms in mutagenesis progeny of Arabidopsis thaliana irradiated by carbon-ion beams and γ-rays irradiations. Int J Radiat Biol 2019; 96:267-275. [PMID: 31692404 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2020.1688412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Heavy-ion beams and γ-rays are popular physical mutagenesis to generate mutations in higher plants. It has been found that they show different mutation frequencies and spectrums of phenotype induction, however, the characteristics of heavy-ion beams on genetic polymorphism have not been clarified by comparing with γ-rays.Materials and methods: In the present study, seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana were exposed to carbon-ion beams (with linear energy transfer (LET) of 50 keV/μm) and γ-rays (with average LET of 0.2 keV/μm) irradiation. By using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, the genetic polymorphism of both M1 and M3 plants were investigated, respectively.Results: Carbon-ion beams induced relatively higher polymorphism rate in both M1 and M3 generation than γ-rays: the polymorphism rates of M1 plants derived from carbon-ion beams irradiation are 12.87% (ISSR-C) and 9.01% (RAPD-C), while are 7.67% (ISSR-γ) and 1.45% (RAPD-γ) of plants derived from γ-rays. In M3 generation, the polymorphism rates of ISSR-C, RAPD-C, ISSR-γ, and RAPD-γ are 17.64%, 22.79%, 12.10%, and 2.82%, respectively.Conclusions: In summary, the exposure to carbon-ion beams and γ-rays lead to the change of genomic DNA of A. thaliana, which could be tested in M1 plants and M3 plants by ISSR and RAPD technology. So, both carbon-ion beams and γ-rays can induce variations of genetic polymorphisms in M1 plants and M3 plants. The genetic polymorphisms of M1 plants and M3 plants induced by carbon-ion beams are higher than γ-rays, indicating that heavy-ion beams irradiations mutation breeding is more advantageous than conventional ionizing radiations. Average molecular polymorphism of M1 plants is lower than M3 mutants, by nearly 4.77% (ISSR-C), 13.78% (RAPD-C), 4.43% (ISSR-γ), and 1.37% (RAPD-γ). We hope our study will provide basic information for understanding the effects of carbon-ion beams and γ-rays for plant mutation breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Chen
- Department of Biophysics, Biomedical Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Feng
- Department of Biophysics, Biomedical Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yan Du
- Department of Biophysics, Biomedical Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shanwei Luo
- Department of Biophysics, Biomedical Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wenjian Li
- Department of Biophysics, Biomedical Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lixia Yu
- Department of Biophysics, Biomedical Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhuo Feng
- Department of Biophysics, Biomedical Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Cui
- Department of Biophysics, Biomedical Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Libin Zhou
- Department of Biophysics, Biomedical Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Baiyin Innovation Academy for Heavy Ion Bioindustry, Baiyin, China
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Gabaldón T. Recent trends in molecular diagnostics of yeast infections: from PCR to NGS. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2019; 43:517-547. [PMID: 31158289 PMCID: PMC8038933 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuz015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of opportunistic yeast infections in humans has been increasing over recent years. These infections are difficult to treat and diagnose, in part due to the large number and broad diversity of species that can underlie the infection. In addition, resistance to one or several antifungal drugs in infecting strains is increasingly being reported, severely limiting therapeutic options and showcasing the need for rapid detection of the infecting agent and its drug susceptibility profile. Current methods for species and resistance identification lack satisfactory sensitivity and specificity, and often require prior culturing of the infecting agent, which delays diagnosis. Recently developed high-throughput technologies such as next generation sequencing or proteomics are opening completely new avenues for more sensitive, accurate and fast diagnosis of yeast pathogens. These approaches are the focus of intensive research, but translation into the clinics requires overcoming important challenges. In this review, we provide an overview of existing and recently emerged approaches that can be used in the identification of yeast pathogens and their drug resistance profiles. Throughout the text we highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each methodology and discuss the most promising developments in their path from bench to bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Gabaldón
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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Zhang GK, Chain FJJ, Abbott CL, Cristescu ME. Metabarcoding using multiplexed markers increases species detection in complex zooplankton communities. Evol Appl 2018; 11:1901-1914. [PMID: 30459837 PMCID: PMC6231476 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabarcoding combines DNA barcoding with high-throughput sequencing, often using one genetic marker to understand complex and taxonomically diverse samples. However, species-level identification depends heavily on the choice of marker and the selected primer pair, often with a trade-off between successful species amplification and taxonomic resolution. We present a versatile metabarcoding protocol for biomonitoring that involves the use of two barcode markers (COI and 18S) and four primer pairs in a single high-throughput sequencing run, via sample multiplexing. We validate the protocol using a series of 24 mock zooplanktonic communities incorporating various levels of genetic variation. With the use of a single marker and single primer pair, the highest species recovery was 77%. With all three COI fragments, we detected 62%-83% of species across the mock communities, while the use of the 18S fragment alone resulted in the detection of 73%-75% of species. The species detection level was significantly improved to 89%-93% when both markers were used. Furthermore, multiplexing did not have a negative impact on the proportion of reads assigned to each species and the total number of species detected was similar to when markers were sequenced alone. Overall, our metabarcoding approach utilizing two barcode markers and multiple primer pairs per barcode improved species detection rates over a single marker/primer pair by 14% to 35%, making it an attractive and relatively cost-effective method for biomonitoring natural zooplankton communities. We strongly recommend combining evolutionary independent markers and, when necessary, multiple primer pairs per marker to increase species detection (i.e., reduce false negatives) in metabarcoding studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang K. Zhang
- Department of BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Frédéric J. J. Chain
- Department of BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
- Present address:
Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Massachusetts LowellOne University AvenueLowellMA
| | - Cathryn L. Abbott
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans CanadaNanaimoBritish ColumbiaCanada
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A New Comparative-Genomics Approach for Defining Phenotype-Specific Indicators Reveals Specific Genetic Markers in Predatory Bacteria. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142933. [PMID: 26569499 PMCID: PMC4646340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Predatory bacteria seek and consume other live bacteria. Although belonging to taxonomically diverse groups, relatively few bacterial predator species are known. Consequently, it is difficult to assess the impact of predation within the bacterial realm. As no genetic signatures distinguishing them from non-predatory bacteria are known, genomic resources cannot be exploited to uncover novel predators. In order to identify genes specific to predatory bacteria, we developed a bioinformatic tool called DiffGene. This tool automatically identifies marker genes that are specific to phenotypic or taxonomic groups, by mapping the complete gene content of all available fully-sequenced genomes for the presence/absence of each gene in each genome. A putative ‘predator region’ of ~60 amino acids in the tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) protein was found to probably be a predator-specific marker. This region is found in all known obligate predator and a few facultative predator genomes, and is absent from most facultative predators and all non-predatory bacteria. We designed PCR primers that uniquely amplify a ~180bp-long sequence within the predators’ TDO gene, and validated them in monocultures as well as in metagenetic analysis of environmental wastewater samples. This marker, in addition to its usage in predator identification and phylogenetics, may finally permit reliable enumeration and cataloguing of predatory bacteria from environmental samples, as well as uncovering novel predators.
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