Comparative whole plastome and low copy number phylogenetics of the core Saccharinae and Sorghinae.

Despite over 60 years' worth of taxonomic efforts, the relationships between sugarcane (Saccharum hybrid cultivars), Sorghum and their closest evolutionary relatives remain largely unresolved. Even relationships between generally accepted genera such as Miscanthus and Saccharum have not been examined in any large-scale molecular detail. Genera such as Erianthus, Miscanthidium and Narenga pose even greater taxonomic contention. Erianthus is not monophyletic and Erianthus sect. Ripidium (Valdés and Scholz 2006, Lloyd Evans et al. 2019a; Welker et al. 2019) represents a distinct and separate genus, Tripidium Scholz. Miscanthidium is placed within Miscanthus by many workers, whilst the New World Erianthus species and Narenga are currently placed within Saccharum. As these species represent a significant portion of the gene pool that sugarcane breeders use for introgression into sugarcane, their taxonomic placement and relationships to Saccharum are of significant economic import. Erianthus species from the Americas have not been significantly employed in sugarcane breeding and may represent an untapped genetic resource. In an attempt to resolve the taxonomic relationships of these genera, we have assembled three novel chloroplasts, from Miscanthidium capense, Miscanthidium junceum and Narenga porphyrocoma (this latter assembled from transcriptomic and long read data). In parallel, five low copy number loci have been assembled from species within Saccharum, Miscanthus, Sarga and Sorghum. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using both low copy number genes and whole chloroplasts. The phylogenetic results were compared with karyotype data to circumscribe the genera most closely related to sugarcane. We reveal that genera Miscanthus and Saccharum are monophyletic and have never undergone polyploidization outside their own genera. Genera Erianthus, Miscanthidium and Narenga are allopolyploids, which excludes them from being members of Saccharum and Miscanthus. Moreover, all three of these genera have divergent evolutionary histories. We therefore support the use of the genera Miscanthus, Miscanthidium, Erianthus (for the New World Species) and Narenga for those species and genera most closely allied to Saccharum. Our data demonstrate that all these genera should be excluded from Saccharum sensu lato.

Physiological Characteristics of Cultivated Tepary Bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) and Its Wild Relatives Grown at High Temperature and Acid Soil Stress Conditions in the Amazon Region of Colombia

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is sensitive to different types of abiotic stresses (drought, high temperature, low soil fertility, and acid soil), and this may limit its adaptation and consequently to its yield under stress. Because of this, a sister species, tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray), has recently gained attention in breeding for improved abiotic stress tolerance in common bean. In this study, we evaluated the adaptation of 302 accessions of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) and its wild relatives (grouped in four types of tepary bean genetic resource: cultivated, acutifolius regressive, acutifolius wild, tenuifolius wild) when grown under high temperature and acid soil conditions with aluminum toxicity in the Amazon region of Colombia. Our objective was to determine differences among four types of tepary bean genetic resource in their morpho-phenological, agronomic, and physiological responses to combined high temperature and acid soil stress conditions. We found that cultivated P. acutifolius var acutifolius presented a greater number of pods per plant, as well as larger seeds and a greater number of seeds per pod. Some traits, such as root biomass, days to flowering and physiological maturity, specific leaf area, and stomatal density, showed significant differences between types of tepary bean genetic resource, probably contributing to difference in adaptation to combined stress conditions of high temperature and acid soil conditions. The photochemical quenching (qP) was higher in cultivated P. acutifolius var. acutifolius, while energy dissipation by non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in the form of heat and the coefficient of non-photochemical dissipation (qN) were higher in acutifolius regressive and tenuifolius wild accessions. We have identified 6 accessions of cultivated and 19 accessions of tenuifolius wild that exhibited grain yields above 1800 kg ha−1. These accessions could be suitable to use as parents to improve dry seed production of tepary bean under combined stress conditions of high temperature and acid soil.

Legume Genetic Resource Security as Main Requirement for Future Challenges

Evaluating the genetic diversity of landraces has exposed us to the diverse relevance of wild line contributory to a wide range of systems ranging from morphology, physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, toxicity, etc., allowing to their genetic constituent. Today, the world is facing many global challenges. This has put the world in disarray and poses a threat via its impact leading to non-promising food security for a rapidly growing population, an increase in the production and release of greenhouse gases as a consequence of anthropogenic activity, and an increase in the level of pollutants in the environment. A well-characterized crop genetic resource is a precondition for effective breeding and genetic conservation in the world of legume security. There is a need to collect, study and conserve legume genetic resource to tackle future challenges. This will help project latent benefits of undescribed leguminous lines of various crop species.

Potential and distribution of Vitex sp and Peronema canescens jack as anti –COVID 19 plants in East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Vitex sp and Peronema canescens Jack have long been known by local people in East Kalimantan Province as traditional medicines for fever, cold, diarrhea, hypertension and malaria. Now it is widely used as an alternative medicine for Covid 19 whose symptoms are fever and colds. Although the use of anti-Covid-19 drugs should be studied further, it is very important to know information on the potential and distribution of Vitex sp and Peronema canescens Jack in East Kalimantan. This research was conducted by collecting vegetation data from the seedling level to the tree level, using inventory method on research plots that were established scattered on secondary dryland forest cover in East Kalimantan with purposive sampling technique measuring 20 x 100 meters. The results showed there were 54 individuals of Vitex sp with 36 individuals at the tree level, 16 individuals at the pole level and 2 individuals at the sapling level. Based on density, the distribution of Vitex sp commonly found at the pole vegetation level. Peronema canescens Jack totaled 66 individuals with details of 29 individuals at the tree level, 25 individuals at the pole level, 7 individuals at the sapling level and there were 5 individuals at the seedling level. Based on density, the distribution of Peronema canescens Jack was found at the seedling and sapling levels. The stand volume of Vitex sp is 19.66 m3, with the average of potential volume of 3.61 m3 ha−1 and the highest potential is at the pole level. The stand volume of Peronema canescens Jack is 8.99 m3, with an average of potential volume of 3.22 m3 ha−1, and the highest potential is at the pole level at 5.26 m3 ha−1. The presence of Vitex sp and Peronema canescens Jack trees in secondary dryland forest in East Kalimantan can be a genetic resource for the cultivation of Vitex sp and Peronema canescens Jack trees as anti-COVID 19 plants in East Kalimantan.

Genetic Variability of Autochthonous Pear Varieties from Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Pear as a fruit species has a special place because of its quality characteristic. The fact that about 20,000 pear seedlings are considered to be sold annually in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are autochthonous or spontaneously expanded varieties, also speaks in favor. The main goal of this research is to analyze the genetic variability of nine autochthonous pear varieties in Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina to enable the conservation and expansion of existing genetic resources. The study included nine autochthonous pear varieties. Samples of young leaves were collected on the following localities: the town of Srebrenik, the town of Gradačac, the municipality of Čelić-Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the spring 2019. To determine genetic diversity, 12 SSR (Simple Sequence Repeats) markers were genotyped. There were no cases of synonyms or homonyms in the analyzed set. Each of the nine tested varieties represents a unique genotype. Autochthonous pear cultivars analyzed in this paper represent an interesting genetic resource, with useful agronomic traits that can be used in future cultivation.

Structural basis of terephthalate recognition by solute binding protein TphC

Biological degradation of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and assimilation of the corresponding monomers ethylene glycol and terephthalate (TPA) into central metabolism offers an attractive route for bio-based molecular recycling and bioremediation applications. A key step is the cellular uptake of the non-permeable TPA into bacterial cells which has been shown to be dependent upon the presence of the key tphC gene. However, little is known from a biochemical and structural perspective about the encoded solute binding protein, TphC. Here, we report the biochemical and structural characterisation of TphC in both open and TPA-bound closed conformations. This analysis demonstrates the narrow ligand specificity of TphC towards aromatic para-substituted dicarboxylates, such as TPA and closely related analogues. Further phylogenetic and genomic context analysis of the tph genes reveals homologous operons as a genetic resource for future biotechnological and metabolic engineering efforts towards circular plastic bio-economy solutions.

Overexpression of OsLCT2, a Low-Affinity Cation Transporter Gene, Reduces Cadmium Accumulation in Shoots and Grains of Rice

Cadmium (Cd)-contaminated rice is a serious issue affecting food safety. Understanding the molecular regulatory mechanisms of Cd accumulation in rice grains is crucial to minimizing Cd concentrations in grains. We identified a member of the low-affinity cation transporter family, OsLCT2 in rice. It was a membrane protein. OsLCT2 was expressed in all tissues of the elongation and maturation zones in roots, with the strongest expression in pericycle and stele cells adjacent to the xylem. When grown in Cd-contaminated paddy soils, rice plants overexpressing OsLCT2 significantly reduced Cd concentrations in the straw and grains. Hydroponic experiment demonstrated its overexpression decreased the rate of Cd translocation from roots to shoots, and reduced Cd concentrations in xylem sap and in shoots of rice. Moreover, its overexpression increased Zn concentrations in roots by up-regulating the expression of OsZIP9, a gene responsible for Zn uptake. Overexpression of OsLCT2 reduces Cd accumulation in rice shoots and grains by limiting the amounts of Cd loaded into the xylem and restricting Cd translocation from roots to shoots of rice. Thus, OsLCT2 is a promising genetic resource to be engineered to reduce Cd accumulation in rice grains.