Global Investigation of TBL Gene Family in Rose (Rosa chinensis) Unveils RcTBL16 Is a Susceptibility Gene in Gray Mold Resistance

The TRICHOME BIREFRINGENCE-LIKE (TBL) family is an important gene family engaged in the O-acetylation of cell wall polysaccharides. There have been a few reports showing that TBL participated in the resistance against phytopathogens in Arabidopsis and rice. However, no relevant studies in rose (Rosa sp.) have been published. In this study, a genome-wide analysis of the TBL gene family in rose was presented, including their phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, chromosomal positioning, and collinearity analysis. The phylogenetic analysis revealed a total of 50 RcTBL genes in the rose genome, and they are unevenly distributed across all seven chromosomes. The occurrence of gene duplication events suggests that both the whole genome duplication and partial duplication may play a role in gene duplication of RcTBLs. The analysis of Ka/Ks showed that the replicated RcTBL genes underwent mainly purifying selection with limited functional differentiation. Gene expression analysis indicated that 12 RcTBLs were down-regulated upon the infection of Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of the gray mold disease of rose. These RcTBLs may be a sort of candidate genes for regulating the response of rose to B. cinerea. Through virus-induced gene silencing, RcTBL16 was shown to be associated with susceptibility to gray mold in rose. Through this study, meaningful information for further studies on the function of the TBL protein family in rose is provided.

DETERMINATION OF FUNGI RESISTANCE OF SEVERAL SAMPLES OF NATURAL LEATHER IN CONDITIONS OF ARMENIA

In this work we studied the effect of microscopic soil fungi on some lather samples. The species composition of micromycetes inhabiting the samples under study was revealed, and an assessment of the fungal resistance of the materials under study was given. In the process of work, species of microscopic soil fungi were isolated and identified from the soil. In order to determine the degree of resistance to fungi for the infection of samples, a water-spore suspension was obtained. The leather materials were partially destroyed by microscopic fungi, and mold resistance ranged from 2 to 3 on a 5-point scale.

VaCRK2 Mediates Gray Mold Resistance in Vitis amurensis by Activating the Jasmonate Signaling Pathway

Cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs) are ubiquitous plant receptor-like kinases, which play a significant role in plant disease resistance. Gray mold is an economically important disease of grapes caused by Botrytis cinerea. However, CRK genes and their function in gray mold disease resistance in grapes have not been elucidated. This study aimed to identify and characterize CRKs in grapes and determine their role in gray mold resistance. Four CRKs were identified in Vitis amurensis and named VaCRK1–VaCRK4 according to their genomic distribution. The four VaCRKs were ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana to study their function in defense response against B. cinerea. Heterologous expression of VaCRK2 in A. thaliana conferred resistance to B. cinerea. VaCRK2 expression in gray mold-resistant grape cultivar increased significantly after B. cinerea inoculation and methyl jasmonate treatment. Furthermore, the expression of jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway-related genes in VaCRK2 overexpression lines of A. thaliana was significantly increased after B. cinerea inoculation, leading to the upregulation of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Overall, these results suggest that VaCRK2 confers resistance to B. cinerea by activating PR gene expression and oxidative burst through the JA signaling pathway.

Development of Sorghum Genotypes for Improved Yield and Resistance to Grain Mold Using Population Breeding Approach

The infection caused by grain mold in rainy season grown sorghum deteriorates the physical and chemical quality of the grain, which causes a reduction in grain size, blackening, and making them unfit for human consumption. Therefore, the breeding for grain mold resistance has become a necessity. Pedigree breeding has been widely used across the globe to tackle the problem of grain mold. In the present study, a population breeding approach was employed to develop genotypes resistant to grain mold. The complex genotype × environment interactions (GEIs) make the task of identifying stable grain mold-resistant lines with good grain yield (GY) challenging. In this study, the performance of the 33 population breeding derivatives selected from the four-location evaluation of 150 genotypes in 2017 was in turn evaluated over four locations during the rainy season of 2018. The Genotype plus genotype-by-environment interaction (GGE) biplot analysis was used to analyze a significant GEI observed for GY, grain mold resistance, and all other associated traits. For GY, the location explained a higher proportion of variation (51.7%) while genotype (G) × location (L) contributed to 21.9% and the genotype contributed to 11.2% of the total variation. For grain mold resistance, G × L contributed to a higher proportion of variation (30.7%). A graphical biplot approach helped in identifying promising genotypes for GY and grain mold resistance. Among the test locations, Dharwad was an ideal location for both GY and grain mold resistance. The test locations were partitioned into three clusters for GY and two clusters for grain mold resistance through a “which-won-where” study. Best genotypes in each of these clusters were selected. The breeding for a specific cluster is suggested. Genotype-by-trait biplots indicated that GY is influenced by flowering time, 100-grain weight (HGW), and plant height (PH), whereas grain mold resistance is influenced by glume coverage and PH. Because GY and grain mold score were independent of each other, there is a scope to improve both yield and resistance together.

Multienvironment Evaluation of Tannin-Free Photoperiod-Insensitive Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) for Yield and Resistance to Grain Mold in Senegal

Combining resistance to grain mold with high grain yield in tannin-free white-grained photoperiod-insensitive sorghum is of major interest for farmers in Senegal. In this study, GGE biplot analysis was used to assess the performance, adaptability, and stability of eleven sorghum parental lines and their hybrid combinations for yield and grain mold resistance under Senegalese environments. Eleven inbred lines along with their 22 hybrid combinations and one check were evaluated across three sites during the 2015 and 2016 rainy seasons under natural grain mold infestation. The results of this study showed strong genetic variability among studied genotypes for all measured traits. The highly significant G × E interaction effects for grain yield and panicle grain mold rating score (PGMR) indicated that both traits are influenced by genetics and to some extent by environment. Broad-sense heritability computed was high for all these traits except PGMR, showing a high environmental pressure on this later. The study showed that grain mold pressure in the studied sites decreased following a South-North gradient similar to the rainfall pattern, with the south region wetter, explaining the high disease pressure in Darou and Sinthiou Maleme contrary to Bambey. The GGE biplot analysis performed showed that the first two principal components explained 85.84% of the total variation of GGE sum of squares for grain yield. The which-won-where view of the GGE biplot for grain yield showed that the hybrid HB16 was the most adapted for Bambey area. The ranking of genotypes based on both yield performance and stability showed that HB16, HB5, HB21, HB18, and HB7 were the best hybrids combining high grain yield, high stability performance, and tolerance to grain mold disease across the test environments. These hybrids outperformed the best yielding inbred line P29 (2196.7 kg ha−1) with grain yield advantages ranging 17–60%. Therefore, these hybrids could be recommended to farmers in order to improve sorghum yield in Senegal.

Fructan Structure and Metabolism in Overwintering Plants

In northern regions, annual and perennial overwintering plants such as wheat and temperate grasses accumulate fructan in vegetative tissues as an energy source. This is necessary for the survival of wintering tissues and degrading fructan for regeneration in spring. Other types of wintering plants, including chicory and asparagus, store fructan as a reserve carbohydrate in their roots during winter for shoot- and spear-sprouting in spring. In this review, fructan metabolism in plants during winter is discussed, with a focus on the fructan-degrading enzyme, fructan exohydrolase (FEH). Plant fructan synthase genes were isolated in the 2000s, and FEH genes have been isolated since the cloning of synthase genes. There are many types of FEH in plants with complex-structured fructan, and these FEHs control various kinds of fructan metabolism in growth and survival by different physiological responses. The results of recent studies on the fructan metabolism of plants in winter have shown that changes in fructan contents in wintering plants that are involved in freezing tolerance and snow mold resistance might be largely controlled by regulation of the expressions of genes for fructan synthesis, whereas fructan degradation by FEHs is related to constant energy consumption for survival during winter and rapid sugar supply for regeneration or sprouting of tissues in spring.

The Impact of a CO2 Laser on the Adhesion and Mold Resistance of a Synthetic Polymer Layer on a Wood Surface

In the wood industry, laser technologies are commonly applied for the sawing, engraving, or perforation of solid wood and wood composites, but less knowledge exists about their effect on the joining and painting of wood materials with synthetic polymer adhesives and coatings. In this work, a CO2 laser with irradiation doses from 2.1 to 18.8 J·cm−2 was used for the modification of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies /L./ Karst) wood surfaces—either in the native state or after covering them with a layer of polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) or polyurethane (PUR) polymer. The adhesion strength of the phase interface “synthetic polymer—wood”, evaluated by the standard EN ISO 4624, decreased significantly and proportionately in all the laser modification modes, with higher irradiation doses leading to a more apparent degradation and carbonization of the wood adherent or the synthetic polymer layer. The mold resistance of the polymers, evaluated by the standard EN 15457, increased significantly for the less mold-resistant PVAc polymer after its irradiation on the wood adherent. However, the more mold-resistant PUR polymer was able to better resist the microscopic fungi Aspergillus niger Tiegh. and Penicillium purpurogenum Stoll. when irradiation doses of higher intensity acted firstly on the wood adherent.