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Effective environmental management and contamination remediation require accurate spatial variation and prediction of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soil. However, no single method has been developed to predict soil PTEs accurately. This study evaluated the ability of the advanced geostatistical method of empirical Bayesian kriging regression prediction (EBKRP), machine learning algorithms of random forest (RF), and the combination of RF and EBKRP to predict and map soil PTE content. The root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and coefficient of determination (R2) were used to assess model prediction performance. As identified by RF, soil organic carbon, soil organic matter, total (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), slope, and elevation were ranked as significant covariates to improve the prediction accuracy of PTEs in greenspace soil. Results showed that the RF method improved the prediction accuracy over the EBKRP method, and the improvement was from 24-40% for RMSE, 41-210% for R2, and 18-35% for MAPE. However, hybrid methods (RF-EBKRP) increased accuracy by comparing the individually predicted models with 345% and 33% in EBKRP and RF, based on R2, respectively. Moreover, the RF-EBKRP method decreased MAPE by 5.33-18.69% and 0.48-12.33% on average than EBKRP and RF, respectively. In conclusion, in addition to incorporating covariates into the models, combining kriging residuals with the machine learning method (RF-EBKRP) resulted in a promising approach for improving the distribution accuracy and mapping of PTEs in the soil.

Tree peonies distributed in Baokang County (Hubei Province, China) (BKTPs) displayed extensive morphological variation, especially in flower color patterns and fruit setting rates. The genetic diversity of BKTPs and their relationships to nine wild species and 14 representative traditional cultivars were assessed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in this study. All 19 analyzed loci were polymorphic, and 85 alleles were found. The number of alleles per locus varied from 3 to 7, with an average of 4.474. Cluster analysis with UPGMA method based on SSR markers partitioned 46 accessions of BKTPs into two major clusters and six subgroups, closing to P. ostii, P. qiui, P. rockii, P. jishanensis and different cultivars, respectively. Analysis of flavonoids with UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS revealed that Pn3G5G and Cy3G5G were the main anthocyanins of the pink and reddish-purple flowers of BKTPs, which were undetectable in white flowers. The fruit and seed setting rates of BKTPs ranged from 4.00 to 26.00 per plant, and 130.00 to 858.00 per plant, respectively. The content of unsaturated fatty acids was over 90% of the total fatty acids in the seed oils of BKTPs, with α-linolenic acid as the dominant compound (42.51–54.93%). Both phenotypic and molecular data suggested that the accessions of BKTPs were a hybrid complex resulted from introgression between the sympatrically distributed wild species and cultivars in Baokang, which provided novel genetic resources for tree peony breeding and germplasm innovation.

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays an important role in the field of climate change and terrestrial ecosystems. SOM in large areas, especially in urban areas, is difficult to monitor and estimate by traditional methods. Urban land structure is complex, and soil is a mixture of organic and inorganic constituents with different physical and chemical properties. Previous studies showed that remote sensing techniques that provide diverse data in the visible-near-infrared (VNIR)-shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectral range, are promising in the prediction of SOM content on a large scale. Sentinel-2 covers the important spectral bands (VNIR-SWIR) for SOM prediction with a short revisit time. Thus, this article aimed to evaluate the capacity of Sentinel-2 for SOM prediction in an urban area (i.e., Shanghai). 103 bare soil samples filtrated from 398 soil samples at a depth of 20 cm were selected. Three methods, partial least square regression (PLSR), artificial neural network (ANN), and support vector machine (SVM), were applied. The root mean square error (RMSE) of modelling (mRMSE) and the coefficient of determination ( $R^{2}$ ) of modelling $(mR^{2})$ were used to reflect the accuracy of the model. The results show that PLSR has the poorest performance. ANN has the highest modelling accuracy (mRMSE = 7.387 g kg $^{-1}$ , $mR^{2}=0.446$ ). The ANN prediction accuracy of RMSE (pRMSE) is 4.713 g kg $^{-1}$ and the prediction accuracy of $R^{2}~(pR^{2})$ is 0.723. For SVR, the pRMSE is 4.638 g kg $^{-1}$ , and the $pR^{2}$ is 0.732. The prediction accuracy of SVR is slightly higher than that of ANN. The spatial distribution of SOM demonstrates that the value obtained by ANN is the closest to the range of the bare soil samples, and ANN performs better in vegetation-covered areas. Therefore, Sentinel-2 can be used to estimate SOM content in urban areas, and ANN is a promising method for SOM estimation.

MicroRNA (miRNA) belongs to a class of non-coding small RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. In this study, we employed transcriptome, small RNA, and degradome sequencing to s...

Background The rapid expansion of urbanization leads to significant losses of soil ecological functions. Microbes directly participate in key soil processes and play crucial roles in maintaining soil functions. However, we still have a limited understanding of underlying mechanisms shaping microbial communities and the interactions among microbial taxa in park soils. Methods In this study, the community variations of bacteria and fungi in urban and suburban park soils were investigated in Shanghai, China. Real-time PCR and high-throughput Illumina sequencing were used to examine the microbial abundance and community composition, respectively. Results The results showed that soil molecular biomass and fungal abundance in urban park soils were significantly higher than those in suburban park soils, while no significant difference was observed in the bacterial abundance between urban and suburban park soils. The alpha diversity of soil microbes in urban and suburban park soils was similar to each other, except for Chao1 index of fungal communities. The results of similarity analysis (ANOSIM) revealed remarkable differences in the composition of bacterial and fungal communities between urban and suburban park soils. Specifically, park soils in urban areas were enriched with the phyla Methylomirabilota and Verrucomicrobiota, while the relative abundance of Gemmatimonadota was higher in suburban park soils. Moreover, the fungal class Eurotiomycetes was also enriched in urban park soils. Compared with suburban park soils, nodes and average paths of the bacterial and fungal networks were higher in urban park soils, but the number of module hubs and connectors of the bacterial networks and negative interactions among bacterial taxa were lower. Compared with suburban park soils, Acidobacteriota bacterium and Mortierellomycota fungus played more important roles in the ecological networks of urban park soils. Soil available zinc (Zn), available nitrogen (N), pH, and total potassium (K) significantly affected fungal community composition in park soils in Shanghai. Soil available Zn was also the most important factor affecting the bacterial community composition in this study. Conclusion There were significant differences in the soil molecular biomass, fungal abundance, and the community composition and co-occurrence relations of both soil bacterial and fungal communities between urban and suburban park soils. Soil available Zn played an important part in shaping the structures of both the bacterial and fungal communities in park soils in Shanghai.

High concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTE) create global environmental stress due to the crucial threat of their impacts on the environment and human health. Therefore, determining the concentration levels of PTE and improving their prediction accuracy by sampling optimization strategy is necessary for making sustainable environmental decisions. The concentrations of five PTEs (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Zn) were compared with reference values for Shanghai and China. The prediction of PTE in soil was undertaken using a geostatistical and spatial simulated annealing algorithm. Compared to Shanghai’s background values, the five PTE mean concentrations are much higher, except for Cd and Cr. However, all measured values exceeded the reference values for China. Pb, Cu, and Zn levels were 1.45, 1.20, and 1.56 times the background value of Shanghai, respectively, and 1.57, 1.66, 1.91 times the background values in China, respectively. The optimization approach resulted in an increased prediction accuracy (22.4% higher) for non-sampled locations compared to the initial sampling design. The higher concentration of PTE compared to background values indicates a soil pollution issue in the study area. The optimization approach allows a soil pollution map to be generated without deleting or adding additional monitoring points. This approach is also crucial for filling the sampling strategy gap.

Eight wild species in Sect. Moutan DC (tree peony) of the genus Paeonia grown in natural habitats and 1 cultivated specie were investigated to analyze their fatty acid and bioactive phenolic compound profiles. For fatty acid composition, P. ludlowii contained the lowest α-linolenic acid (27.68%) and P. jishanensis contained the highest (51.96 %) content of the 9 species. For phenolic compounds, P. qiui contained the highest resveratrol (2.12 mg/g), P. delavayi contained the highest β-gentiobiosylpaeoniflorin (26.23 mg/g), and P. ostii contained the highest paeoniflorin (23.66 mg/g). P. ostii was selected to perform a feasibility study because of its relatively high level of α-linolenic acid 46.53%, low in ω-6 to ω-3 ratio of 1:2, and high level of the preferred bioactive phenolic compounds l including paeoniflorin and resveratrol. Physical pressing and refining process were conducted to obtain P. ostii seed oil. It exhibited bland sensory attributes described as slight grassy, very slight nutty, no painty or fishy aroma and slight grassy, slight nutty flavor with a very slight throat catch. Tocol results reported high level in tree peony seed oil 223.5 ± 13.65 mg/100 g with γ-tocopherol 70.1 ± 2.14 mg/100 g, and γ-tocotrienol 149.6 ± 15.83 mg/g. Because of the high total tocol, γ-tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol levels, and tree peony seed oil exhibited better oxidation stability than flaxseed oil even with similar α-linolenic acid levels. In addition, high levels of γ-tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol can introduce therapeutic effects such as antiinflammation and antioxidation. Therefore, this study showed that tree peony seed oil has a great potential to be used in edible oil, nutraceutical supplement, and other health care products.

Tree peony (Paeonia sect. Moutan) has long been known as a horticultural and medicinal plant in China. Recent studies have shown that tree peony may have further potential applications in the field of edible oils. The selection and cultivation of acceptable varieties is a key issue. Seed from 21 genotypes belonging to P. ostii, P. rockii, and P. ludlowii were evaluated for their oil contents and fatty acid compositions. The results indicated that the average oil contents of P. ostii, P. rockii, and P. ludlowii were 28.05%, 30.52%, and 27.62% (w/w), respectively. Averaged over all genotypes, the major fatty acid components in the seed oils of all three species were the unsaturated fatty acids, linolenic [28.10–52.57% (w/w)], linoleic [14.19–23.92% (w/w)], and oleic [22.67–43.55% (w/w)] acids. Oil contents and fatty acid compositions varied significantly between species, as well as between genotypes within a species. This indicated that tree peony could become an important source of edible vegetable...

This paper presents the results of an experimental and analytical study on the residual strain behavior of non-prestressed reinforcement in partially prestressed concrete (PPC) beams under fatigue loading. For the strain measurements, fiber Bragg grating sensors were used. Two beams were initially tested under monotonic loading in order to determine their ultimate load-bearing capacity. Six were tested under fatigue loading conditions. The experimental results show that fatigue failure mode of PPC beams is fracture of the non-prestressed reinforcement. Moreover, residual strain in the non-prestressed reinforcement gradually increases during the fatigue life and the corresponding residual strain evolution can be divided into three stages. Finally, an analytical model for estimating the residual strain of non-prestressed reinforcement in beams is developed. Comparisons of the predicted curves with the experimental data indicate a good agreement. The results of investigation in this paper furnish the experimental basis for the fatigue design and analysis of PPC beams.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the steel stress/strain variation and redistribution in partially prestressed concrete (PPC) post-tensioned T-beams with bonded tendons under various ranges of fatigue loading by using an embedded Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor. A total number of six beams were tested to failure under fatigue loading, and two control beams were tested for determing the monotonic bearing capacity. Test results indicated that the initial fatigue failure of all beams was caused by fatigue fracture of the non-prestressed reinforcement rather than failure of the prestressing strands. Based on the strain recorded, the development trends of non-prestressed steel strain and the ratio of strain range between prestressed and non-prestressed reinforcement during fatigue loading were described. Moreover, an analytical model for fatigue life prediction of partially prestressed concrete beams by using the sectional analysis and local strain-life method was developed. Good agreement between analytical and experimental results for fatigue life of PPC beams is observed.

Eight wild species in Sect. Moutan DC (tree peony) of the genus Paeonia grown in natural habitats and 1 cultivated specie were investigated to analyze their fatty acid and bioactive phenolic compound profiles. For fatty acid composition, P. ludlowii contained the lowest α-linolenic acid (27.68%) and P. jishanensis contained the highest (51.96 %) content of the 9 species. For phenolic compounds, P. qiui contained the highest resveratrol (2.12 mg/g), P. delavayi contained the highest β-gentiobiosylpaeoniflorin (26.23 mg/g), and P. ostii contained the highest paeoniflorin (23.66 mg/g). P. ostii was selected to perform a feasibility study because of its relatively high level of α-linolenic acid 46.53%, low in ω-6 to ω-3 ratio of 1:2, and high level of the preferred bioactive phenolic compounds l including paeoniflorin and resveratrol. Physical pressing and refining process were conducted to obtain P. ostii seed oil. It exhibited bland sensory attributes described as slight grassy, very slight nutty, no painty or fishy aroma and slight grassy, slight nutty flavor with a very slight throat catch. Tocol results reported high level in tree peony seed oil 223.5 ± 13.65 mg/100 g with γ-tocopherol 70.1 ± 2.14 mg/100 g, and γ-tocotrienol 149.6 ± 15.83 mg/g. Because of the high total tocol, γ-tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol levels, and tree peony seed oil exhibited better oxidation stability than flaxseed oil even with similar α-linolenic acid levels. In addition, high levels of γ-tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol can introduce therapeutic effects such as antiinflammation and antioxidation. Therefore, this study showed that tree peony seed oil has a great potential to be used in edible oil, nutraceutical supplement, and other health care products.

A total of 985 bacterial strains with different colony characteristics were isolated from the root of tree peony plants (variety 'Fengdan' and 'Lan Furong'); 69 operational taxonomic units were identified by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis. Representatives of each group were selected for partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The major groups in the bulk soil, rhizosphere, and rhizoplane of Fengdan were Firmicutes (63.2%), Actinobacteria (36.3%), and Betaproteobacteria (53.0%), respectively. The major bacteria groups in the bulk soil, rhizosphere, and rhizoplane of Lan Furong were Actinobacteria (34.8%), Gammaproteobacteria (45.2%), and Betaproteobacteria (49.1%), respectively. In total, the bacterial isolates comprised 26 genera--14 in the bulk soil, 14 in the rhizosphere, and 11 in the rhizoplane. The most common genus in the bulk soil of Fengdan and Lan Furong was Bacillus (49.6% and 32.6%, respectively), in the rhizosphere Microbacterium (21.1%) and Pseudomonas (42.0%), and in the rhizoplane Variovorax (53.0% and 49.1%, respectively). The results show that there are obvious differences in the bacterial communities in the three root domains of the two varieties, and the plants exerted selective pressures on their associated bacterial populations. The host genotypes also influenced the distribution pattern of the bacterial community.

Genetic engineering plays a unique role in fundamental plant biology studies and in improving crop traits. These efforts often necessitate introduction and expression of multiple genes using promoters from a very limited repertoire. Current common practice of expressing multiple genes is the repeated use of the same or similar promoters. This practice causes more frequent transgene silencing due to a high degree of sequence homology and a greater chance of rearrangement among repeatedly used promoter sequences. Therefore, availability and use of natural bidirectional promoters to minimize gene silencing and achieve desirable expression pattern of transgenes is a critical issue in the field of plant genetic engineering. Here we describe the use of a single natural bidirectional promoter to drive the expression of two reporter genes in onion epidermal cells and in transgenic tobacco plants. We show that (1) the promoter drives the simultaneous expression of GUS and GFP reporter genes after transient expression and stable transformation, (2) the transcription is equally strong in both directions, (3) immediate upstream regions in each direction control transcription independently from each other, and (4) the reporter genes are expressed in leaves and stems but not in roots, as expected from the fact that the endogenous promoter controls the expression of two photosynthetic genes in Arabidopsis. Hence, use of bidirectional promoters in heterologous background provides a means to express multiple genes in transgenic plants and aids genetic engineering-based crop improvement.

A novel, plant growth-promoting bacterium Delftia tsuruhatensis, strain HR4, was isolated from the rhizoplane of rice (Oryza sativa L., cv. Yueguang) in North China. In vitro antagonistic assay showed this strain could suppress the growth of various plant pathogens effectively, especially the three main rice pathogens (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, Rhizoctonia solani and Pyricularia oryzae Cavara). Treated with strain HR4 culture, rice blast, rice bacterial blight and rice sheath blight for cv. Yuefu and cv. Nonghu 6 were evidently controlled in the greenhouse. Strain HR4 also showed a high nitrogen-fixing activity in N-free Dobereiner culture medium. The acetylene reduction activity and (15)N(2)-fixing activity (N(2)FA) were 13.06 C(2)H(4) nmol ml(-1) h(-1) and 2.052 (15)Na.e. %, respectively. The nif gene was located in the chromosome of this strain. Based on phenotypic, physiological, biochemical and phylogenetic studies, strain HR4 could be classified as a member of D. tsuruhatensis. However, comparisons of characteristics with other known species of the genus Delftia suggested that strain HR4 was a novel dizotrophic PGPB strain. (C) 2004 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Background: Tree peony ( Paeonia ostii ) seed oil is rich in different unsaturated fatty acids, including monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Health benefits of this edible plant oil as a whole are barely known yet. In this study, we experimentally investigated benefits of dietary tree peony seed oil (PSO) in dyslipidemia-associated metabolic diseases using a high fat diet hamster model. Methods: High fat diets (HFD) containing 15 % coconut oil (CO) or PSO were first developed based on the rodent chow diet. Fatty acid profiles of diets and red blood cells (RBC) from animals fed these diets for 8 weeks were analyzed and compared. Effects of these oil supplements on triglycerides and cholesterol levels were characterized. Benefits on fatty liver progress were also investigated in this animal model. Results: HFD fortified with 15% PSO was abundant in different unsaturated fatty acids, containing 40% α-linolenic acid, 27% linoleic acid and 23% oleic acid, respectively. Compared to the control group with 15% CO, animals with 15% PSO displayed dramatic alteration of in vivo fatty acid profile in RBC, featured with a significant increase in n-3 but no change in n-6 PUFA, resulting in decreased ratio of n-6 to n-3 PUFA. PSO intervention also remarkably reduced triglyceride levels in both blood and adipose tissues, while did not affect circulating cholesterol. Moreover, benefits on liver health were observed in the PSO group, evidenced with reduced hepatic steatosis and improved hepatic histology. Conclusion: These data altogether demonstrated multifaceted benefits of dietary PSO in reducing important risk factors of dyslipidemia-associated cardiovascular and liver diseases. Keywords: Peony seed oil, High fat diet, Triglyceride, Cholesterol, Hepatic steatosis

This paper gives details of a fatigue test programme of partially prestressed concrete T-beams. A total of six beam specimens were tested under various fatigue load ranges until failure. In addition, two specimens were tested for monotonic capacity. The residual strains of the compressive concrete and the tensile reinforcement steel were measured by FBG sensors and strain gauges at different numbers of load cycles during the tests. Based on the experimental results, the propagation process of residual strains in the non-prestressed steel reinforcement was presented, and an empirical formulas between residual strains and the cyclic number were developed. In addition, a theoretical method was proposed to quantify the residual strains of the non-prestressed steel reinforcement in partially prestressed concrete beams under fatigue loading. The results show that the theoretical method is in good agreement with the experimental data.

A total of 985 bacterial strains with different colony characteristics were isolated from the root of tree peony plants (variety 'Fengdan' and 'Lan Furong'); 69 operational taxonomic units were identified by amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis. Representatives of each group were selected for partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The major groups in the bulk soil, rhizosphere, and rhizoplane of Fengdan were Firmicutes (63.2%), Actinobacteria (36.3%), and Betaproteobacteria (53.0%), respectively. The major bacteria groups in the bulk soil, rhizosphere, and rhizoplane of Lan Furong were Actinobacteria (34.8%), Gammaproteobacteria (45.2%), and Betaproteobacteria (49.1%), respectively. In total, the bacterial isolates comprised 26 genera--14 in the bulk soil, 14 in the rhizosphere, and 11 in the rhizoplane. The most common genus in the bulk soil of Fengdan and Lan Furong was Bacillus (49.6% and 32.6%, respectively), in the rhizosphere Microbacterium (21.1%) and Pseudomonas (42.0%), and in the rhizoplane Variovorax (53.0% and 49.1%, respectively). The results show that there are obvious differences in the bacterial communities in the three root domains of the two varieties, and the plants exerted selective pressures on their associated bacterial populations. The host genotypes also influenced the distribution pattern of the bacterial community.

The distribution of culturable bacteria in the rhizosphere, rhizoplane, and interior root tissues of moso bamboo plants was investigated in this study. Of the 182 isolates showing different colony characteristics on Luria-Bertani and King B plates, 56 operational taxonomic units of 22 genera were identified by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequence analysis. The majority of root endophytic bacteria were Proteobacteria (67.5%), while the majority of rhizospheric and rhizoplane bacteria were Firmicutes (66.3% and 70.4%, respectively). The most common genus in both the rhizosphere and on the rhizoplane was Bacillus (42.4% and 44.4%, respectively), while Burkholderia was the most common genus inside the roots, comprising 35.0% of the isolates from this root domain. The endophytic bacterial community was less diverse than the rhizoplane and rhizospheric bacterial communities. Members of Lysinibacillus, Bacillus, and Burkholderia were found in all three root domains, whereas many isolates were found in only a single domain. Our results show that the population diversity of culturable bacteria is abundant in the root domains of moso bamboo plants and that obvious differences exist among the rhizospheric, rhizoplane, and endophytic bacterial communities.

To obtain the information of the cultivable microbial population diversity at the rhizosphere of Phyllostachys pubescens.We isolated strains from Tianmu Mountain and Jinyun Mountain by diluting plate counting method and analyzed the 16S rDNA sequence of the isolates.We obtained 51 and 31 strains with different morphological character of colonies from Tianmu Mountain and Jinyun Mountain separately. The 16S rDNA sequence analysis showed that they had similar microbial population diversity. There were 40% and 58% firmicutes, 36.7% and 10.52% actinobacteria, 10% and 5.26% alphaproteobacteria, 10% and 26.32% gammaproteobacteria at the rhizosphere of Phyllostachys pubescens from Tianmu Mountain and Jinyun Mountain separately. The dominant bacteria were the genera Bacillus in both two areas.The result showed that the cultivable microbial population diversity was abundant and there were some potential novel strains at the rhizosphere of Phyllostachys pubescens. Our research made it is possible to further investigate the function of the rhizosphere microbes and there interaction with the bamboo plant.

A variety of plant associated beneficial bacteria (PABB) occur in rhizosphere of many plants. This study developed an oligonucleotide microarray for detection and identification of these PABBs and evaluated the oligonucleotide microarray with 43 pure cultures of PABB which were well-identified by sequencing the initial 600-800 bp of the 16S rRNA gene. Ninety six species- or genus-specific oligonucleotide probes targeting 16S rRNA gene of PABB and three control probes were spotted onto silylated glass slides. 16S rDNA sequences of the reference strains were PCR amplified by a pair of bacterial universal primers, and the amplicons were labeled with Cy5-dUTP and hybridized with the oligonucleotide microarray. After hybridization, the microarray was scanned to detect the green Cy5-dUTP signals and generated a series of typical species- or genus- specific hybridization profiles. The microarray was able to differentiate closely related strains, indicating that the oligonucleotide microarray method developed in this study is a useful tool for the detection of pure cultures of PABB strains.

Lysin was isolated from Chlorella NC64A lysate which was infected by Chlorella virus PBCV-1. The enzyme property detection of lysin shows that it contains at least three enzyme activities: chitinase, chitosanase and beta-1, 3-Glucanase. This is consistent with the compose of Chlolrella cell wall. Chitinase and chitosanase, especially chitinase plays a important role in the process of virus entry. One 52 kD chitinase, one 56 kD chitosanase and one 36 kD chitosanase were obtained after purified by FPLC.

Background The development of plant gene transfer systems has allowed for the introgression of alien genes into plant genomes for novel disease control strategies, thus providing a mechanism for broadening the genetic resources available to plant breeders. Using the tools of plant genetic engineering, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial gene was tested for resistance against head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, a devastating disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) that reduces both grain yield and quality. Results A construct containing a bovine lactoferrin cDNA was used to transform wheat using an Agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer system to express this antimicrobial protein in transgenic wheat. Transformants were analyzed by Northern and Western blots to determine lactoferrin gene expression levels and were inoculated with the head blight disease fungus F. graminearum. Transgenic wheat showed a significant reduction of disease incidence caused by F. graminearum compared to control wheat plants. The level of resistance in the highly susceptible wheat cultivar Bobwhite was significantly higher in transgenic plants compared to control Bobwhite and two untransformed commercial wheat cultivars, susceptible Wheaton and tolerant ND 2710. Quantification of the expressed lactoferrin protein by ELISA in transgenic wheat indicated a positive correlation between the lactoferrin gene expression levels and the levels of disease resistance. Conclusions Introgression of the lactoferrin gene into elite commercial wheat, barley and other susceptible cereals may enhance resistance to F. graminearum.