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Cereals provide more than half of global human caloric intake. Though cereals are nutritious, their nutritional density, especially of micronutrients, is far below recommended level in the products we consume. Due to this, over three billion individuals are malnourished globally. About 45 micronutrients (required in μg to mg quantity) including some mineral elements, vitamins, essential amino acids and fatty acids are vital to human body. In addition, antinutrients in food staples, reduced accumulation by plants and low bioavailability of minerals contribute further to micronutrient deficiencies. Vitamin-A, iron and iodine deficiency disorders are the most common. Hence, there is a need to evolve viable strategies of micronutrient enrichment in dietary staples. Of the three major strategies viz., dietary diversification, supplementation and food fortification, agronomic and/or genetic fortification is the cost effective and sustainable way to address the problem of malnutrition. Considering the severity of malnutrition, the HarvestPlus initiated genetic biofortification program of staple food crops focusing on most limiting nutrients viz., iron, zinc, and vitamin A. Most of the HarvestPlus biofortified varieties are bred through conventional breeding. However, MAS and transgenics are also used to biofortify crops in the research programmes other than the HarvestPlus. More than 150 biofortified varieties of 10 crops have been released in 30 countries. More than 20 million people are consuming biofortified crops such as vitamin-A maize, iron pearl millet, zinc rice, zinc wheat, etc. Continuous efforts are needed still to biofortify staples and to encourage adoption further by farmers and consumers. With our present technological competence, multibiofortified staples can be developed by gene stacking. Much work on biofortification is still needed through collaborative and multi-sectoral approaches along with the strong policy support. In future, in addition to deployment of conventionally bred biofortified varieties, transgenic biofortified varieties may be approved and deployed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional pre-genomics breeding methodologies have significantly improved crop yields since the mid-twentieth century. Genomics provides breeders with advanced tools for whole-genome study, enabling a direct genotype-phenotype analysis. This shift has led to precise and efficient crop development through genomics-based approaches, including molecular markers, genomic selection, and genome editing. Molecular markers, such as SNPs, are crucial for identifying genomic regions linked to important traits, enhancing breeding accuracy and efficiency. Genomic resources viz. genetic markers, reference genomes, sequence and protein databases, transcriptomes, and gene expression profiles, are vital in plant breeding and aid in the identification of key traits, understanding genetic diversity, assist in genomic mapping, support marker-assisted selection and speeding up breeding programs. Advanced techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 allow precise gene modification, accelerating breeding processes. Key techniques like Genome-Wide Association study (GWAS), Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS), and Genomic Selection (GS) enable precise trait selection and prediction of breeding outcomes, improving crop yield, disease resistance, and stress tolerance. These tools are handy for complex traits influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors. This paper explores new genomic technologies like molecular markers, genomic selection, and genome editing for plant breeding showcasing their impact on developing new plant varieties., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The commercial significance of accurate and simple quantification of 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) cannot be overstated. Present study was carried out to standardize a method for extraction and accurate quantitation of 2-AP from rice grain using GC-MS/MS equipped with HS-SPME auto sampler. The effect of sample quantity, addition of solvent, grinding process, sample particle size, head space parameters and SPME fiber incubation parameters, were optimized in the developed method. Dehusked rice powder (2 g) prepared under liquid nitrogen, and passed through the 80-mesh sieve, incubated for 40 min at 80 °C in headspace, followed by fiber (DVB/Carbon WR/PDMS) saturation time of 15 min, could produce the maximum response. The recovery of 2-AP from fortified sample ranged between 7.02 and 9.02% at 50-200 ng g -1 fortification irrespective of the grain matrices used. Standard addition method was appropriate to overcome the matrix effect and recovery of 2-AP was more than 90% using this method. The developed method was further utilized for quantification of 2-AP in four Basmati and two non-Basmati aromatic rice samples. The content of 2-AP ranged between 57.17 and 147.10 ng g -1 of rice and varied with geographical location. This fully automated method could improve the work efficiency and reduce error during the volatile extraction and adsorption phase., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05674-7., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interestThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2023, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

The exploitation of heterosis through intersubspecific hybridisation between indica and japonica has been a major breeding target in rice, but is marred by the cross incompatibility between the genomes. Wide compatibility (WC) is a triallelic system at the S5 locus on chromosome 6 that ensures the specificity of hybridisation within and between indica and japonica. The S5n allele that favours intercrossing is sparsely distributed in the rice gene pool and therefore warrants identification of diverse WC sources to develop superior intersubspecific hybrids. In this study, we have identified several novel WC sources through the marker-assisted screening of a large set of 950 rice genotypes. Seventeen percent of the genotypes carried S5n , which fell into two subpopulations. The WC genotypes showed wide phenotypic and genotypic variability, including both indica and japonica lines. Based on phenotypic performance, the WC varieties were grouped into three clusters. A subset of 41 WC varieties was used to develop 164 hybrids, of which WC/ japonica hybrids showed relative superiority over WC/ indica hybrids. The multilocation evaluation of hybrids indicated that hybrids derived from WC varieties, such as IRG137, IRG143, OYR128, and IRGC10658, were higher yielding across all the three different locations. Most of the hybrids showed the stability of performance across locations. The identified diverse set of wide compatible varieties (WCVs) can be used in the development of intersubspecific hybrids and also for parental line development in hybrid rice breeding.

Rice sheath blight (ShB) disease, caused by the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA, is one of the devastating diseases and causes severe yield losses all over the world. No completely resistant germplasm is known till now, and as a result, the progress in resistance breeding is unsatisfactory. Basic studies to identify candidate genes, QTLs, and to better understand the host-pathogen interaction are also scanty. In this study, we report the identification of a new ShB-tolerant rice germplasm, CR 1014. Further, we investigated the basis of tolerance by exploring the disease responsive differentially expressed transcriptome and comparing them with that of a susceptible variety, Swarna-Sub1. A total of 815 and 551 genes were found to be differentially regulated in CR 1014 and Swarna-Sub1, respectively, at two different time points. The result shows that the ability to upregulate genes for glycosyl hydrolase, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, cytoskeleton and membrane integrity, the glycolytic pathway, and maintaining photosynthesis make CR 1014 a superior performer in resisting the ShB pathogen. We discuss several putative candidate genes for ShB resistance. The present study, for the first time, revealed the basis of ShB tolerance in the germplasm CR1014 and should prove to be particularly valuable in understanding molecular response to ShB infection. The knowledge could be utilized to devise strategies to manage the disease better., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Families are integrally involved in day-to-day caregiving of children with neurodevelopmental and intellectual disabilities (NDID). Given the widespread and increasing prevalence of children with NDID and the impact of family caregiving on psychological, social, and economic implications for both the child and family, understanding and supporting these families is an important public health concern. Objective: We conducted a scoping review on peer support networks to understand their implications on families. Considering increasing prevalence of NDID's, understanding the implications of existing networks is critical to improve and nurture future support networks that can complement and reduce the burden on existing formal support systems. Design: A comprehensive search of multiple databases was conducted. Articles were screened by two reviewers and any disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer. We explored existing research on parent-to-parent peer support networks, which included networks that developed informally as well as those that involved a formal facilitator for the group interpersonal processes. There were no limits on the study design, date and setting of the articles. We included all research studies in English that included an identifier for (i) "peer support networks," (ii) "children with neurodevelopmental and intellectual disabilities" and (iii) "family caregiver outcomes." Results: We identified 36 articles. Majority of the studies were conducted in North America, and were face to face networks. They included families of children with a wide range of NDIDs. Relevant information extracted from different studies highlighted peer support network characteristics and development process, needs of family caregivers attending these networks, factors affecting caregiver participation and the impact of peer support networks on family caregivers. These networks represent a way to strengthen family caregivers, developing resilience and social interactions. Family caregivers sharing similar experiences support one another and provide critical information to each other. Although results are encouraging, future studies incorporating improved study designs are needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of peer support networks. Furthermore, studies where peer support networks develop organically while the child is supported are warranted. Conclusion: Although results obtained are encouraging, our findings support the need for further research studies of peer support networks with better designs and more detailed description of the factors involved in the development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Chakraborti, Gitimoghaddam, McKellin, Miller and Collet.)

The first line therapy for Lyme disease is treatment with doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime. In endemic regions, the persistence of symptoms in many patients after completion of antibiotic treatment remains a major healthcare concern. The causative agent of Lyme disease is a spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi , an extreme auxotroph that cannot exist under free-living conditions and depends upon the tick vector and mammalian hosts to fulfill its nutritional needs. Despite lacking all major biosynthetic pathways, B. burgdorferi uniquely possesses three homologous and functional methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidases (MTANs: Bgp, MtnN, and Pfs) involved in methionine and purine salvage, underscoring the critical role these enzymes play in the life cycle of the spirochete. At least one MTAN, Bgp, is exceptional in its presence on the surface of Lyme spirochetes and its dual functionality in nutrient salvage and glycosaminoglycan binding involved in host-cell adherence. Thus, MTANs offer highly promising targets for discovery of new antimicrobials. Here we report on our studies to evaluate five nucleoside analogs for MTAN inhibitory activity, and cytotoxic or cytostatic effects on a bioluminescently engineered strain of B. burgdorferi . All five compounds were either alternate substrates and/or inhibitors of MTAN activity, and reduced B. burgdorferi growth. Two inhibitors: 5'-deoxy-5'-iodoadenosine (IADO) and 5'-deoxy-5'-ethyl-immucillin A (dEt-ImmA) showed bactericidal activity. Thus, these inhibitors exhibit high promise and form the foundation for development of novel and effective antimicrobials to treat Lyme disease.

Lack of appropriate donors, non-utilization of high throughput phenotyping and genotyping platforms with high genotype × environment interaction restrained identification of robust QTLs for grain protein content (GPC) in rice. In the present investigation a  BC 3 F 4 mapping population was developed using grain protein donor, ARC10075 and high-yielding cultivar Naveen and 190 lines were genotyped using 40 K Affimetrix custom SNP array with the objective to identify stable QTLs for protein content. Three of the identified QTLs, one for GPC (qGPC1.1) and the other two for single grain protein content (qSGPC2.1, qSGPC7.1) were stable over the environments explaining  13%, 14% and 7.8% of the phenotypic variances, respectively. Stability and repeatability of these additive QTLs were supported by the synergistic additive effects of multi-environmental-QTLs. One epistatic-QTL, independent of  the  main effect QTL was detected over the environment for SGPC. A few functional genes governing seed storage protein were hypothesised inside these identified QTLs. The qGPC1.1 was validated by NIR Spectroscopy-based high throughput phenotyping in BC 3 F 5 population. Higher glutelin content was estimated in high-protein lines with the introgression of qGPC1.1 in telomeric region of short arm of chromosome 1. This was supported by the postulation of probable candidate gene inside this QTL region encoding glutelin family proteins.

Lyme disease is the most prominent tick-borne disease with 300,000 cases estimated by CDC every year while ~2,000 cases of babesiosis occur per year in the United States. Simultaneous infection with Babesia microti and Borrelia burgdorferi are now the most common tick-transmitted coinfections in the U.S.A., and they are a serious health problem because coinfected patients show more intense and persisting disease symptoms. B. burgdorferi is an extracellular spirochete responsible for systemic Lyme disease while B. microti is a protozoan that infects erythrocytes and causes babesiosis. Immune status and spleen health are important for resolution of babesiosis, which is more severe and even fatal in the elderly and splenectomized patients. Therefore, we investigated the effect of each pathogen on host immune response and consequently on severity of disease manifestations in both young, and 30 weeks old C3H mice. At the acute stage of infection, Th1 polarization in young mice spleen was associated with increased IFN-γ and TNF-α producing T cells and a high Tregs/Th17 ratio. Together, these changes could help in the resolution of both infections in young mice and also prevent fatality by B. microti infection as observed with WA-1 strain of Babesia . In older mature mice, Th2 polarization at acute phase of B. burgdorferi infection could play a more effective role in preventing Lyme disease symptoms. As a result, enhanced B. burgdorferi survival and increased tissue colonization results in severe Lyme arthritis only in young coinfected mice. At 3 weeks post-infection, diminished pathogen-specific antibody production in coinfected young, but not older mice, as compared to mice infected with each pathogen individually may also contribute to increased inflammation observed due to B. burgdorferi infection, thus causing persistent Lyme disease observed in coinfected mice and reported in patients. Thus, higher combined proinflammatory response to B. burgdorferi due to Th1 and Th17 cells likely reduced B. microti parasitemia significantly only in young mice later in infection, while the presence of B. microti reduced humoral immunity later in infection and enhanced tissue colonization by Lyme spirochetes in these mice even at the acute stage, thereby increasing inflammatory arthritis.