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El extracto de vainilla es popular en el mundo entero como un ingrediente usado en comida, cosméticos y aplicaciones farmacéuticas. La fuente botánica del extracto de vainilla es principalmente las vainas curadas de Vanilla planifolia. Estados Unidos es el mayor importador mundial de vainas de vainilla, pero la producción nacional es mínima. Por otra parte, el sur de la Florida tiene un clima de crecimiento favorable para este cultivo y aunque actualmente no hay producción comercial en la región, el potencial rentable de este rubro en el futuro es bastante alto. Esta publicación tiene como objetivo proporcionar información básica a los los productores interesados en establecer una plantación de vainilla en Florida.

Abstract Passiflora edulis, commonly known as passion fruit, is a crop with a fragrant aroma and refreshingly tropical flavor that is a valuable source of antioxidants. It offers a unique opportunity for growers because of its adaptability to tropical and subtropical climates. Passion fruit can be sold in the fresh market or used in value-added products, but its postharvest shelf life has not been well-researched, nor have superior cultivars been well-developed. Understanding the proteins expressed at the tissue level during the postharvest stage can help improve fruit quality and extend shelf life. In this study, we carried out comparative proteomics analysis on four passion fruit tissues, the epicarp, mesocarp, endocarp, and pulp, using multiplexed isobaric tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling quantitation. A total of 3352 proteins were identified, including 295 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Of these DEPs, 213 showed a fold increase greater than 1.45 (50 proteins) or a fold decrease less than 0.45 (163 proteins) with different patterns among tissue types. Among the DEPs, there were proteins expressed with functions in oxygen scavenging, lipid peroxidation, response to heat stress, and pathogen resistance. Thirty-six proteins were designated as hypothetical proteins were characterized for potential functions in immunity, cell structure, homeostasis, stress response, protein metabolism and miraculin biosynthesis. This research provides insight into tissue-specific pathways that can be further studied within fruit physiology and postharvest shelf life to aid in implementing effective plant breeding programs. Knowing the tissue-specific function of fruit is essential for improving fruit quality, developing new varieties, identifying health benefits, and optimizing processing techniques.

Osmanthus fragrans Lour. is prized for its fragrant, cool-season blooms, smooth leaves, and compact tree form; however, the species is limited in production and use to USDA Hardiness Zones 7 and higher. Increasing the total amount of genetic variability available for evaluation, selection, and breeding is foundational to the development of novel Osmanthus cultivars with increased cold-hardiness and improved ornamental characteristics such as high rooting rates, faster growth, fragrant flowers, and an evergreen or semi-evergreen habit. Hybridization among Osmanthus species should generate novel phenotypes and allow trait introgression among populations and breeding lines. The objectives of this study were to produce, verify, and evaluate Osmanthus hybrids by making controlled and open-pollinated crosses among Osmanthus species, using SSR markers to determine parentage of cross progeny, and comparing flowering, leaf shape, and form of hybrids offspring with parents. Fifty-eight of 66 progenies (88%) were assigned paternity at the 95% confidence level or above and 47 progenies (71%) were assigned paternity at the 99% confidence level. Novel Osmanthus hybrids were produced including O. armatus × O. fortunei, O. armatus × O. heterophyllus, and O. armatus × O. fragrans. Open-pollinated families increased in height an average of 204% and 159% per year in the first and second growing seasons, respectively. Male flower type was significantly associated with progeny flower type (χ2 = 17.5, p < 0.0001) while leaf margin was not associated with cross family (χ2 = 0.83, p = 0.84). Evaluation of more Osmanthus accessions and subsequent hybridizations will be necessary to introgress favorable genes and generate the variation necessary to expand the genus into new markets.

Amid a rapidly growing global population and increasing threats to crop yields, this review focuses on Speed Breeding (SB) in crop genetics. It traces SB’s development from carbon arc lamp experiments 150 years ago to its modern use with LED technology which significantly accelerates breeding cycles. SB has applications in genetic mapping, genetic modification, and trait stacking, enhancing crop resilience by leveraging allelic diversity. It aligns well with breeding methods like single plant selection and single seed descent. The integration of SB with gene editing, genotyping, and genomic selection holds great promise. However, SB faces challenges related to infrastructure, genotypic variations, and potential stress responses. In summary, SB is a powerful and promising approach to address food security concerns and advancing crop genetics.

Background/purpose: Minimally invasive endodontics has recently become popular in research. This study aimed to develop a new quantifiable straight-line minimally invasive endodontic cavity (SMIEC) for 3-rooted maxillary first molar based on the anatomical features of the coronal part of root canal. Materials and methods: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 80 teeth were converted into models in Mimics Research software. Anatomical features of the coronal part of root canal were measured to develop SMIECs with straight-line accesses to root canals in 3-matic Research software. Twenty models were randomly sampled and each was duplicated for 8 simulation groups: non-treated (NT), traditional endodontic cavity (TEC), ninja endodontic cavity (NEC) and 5 SMIECs. Post-simulation models were subjected to finite element analysis to detect von-Mises stresses in ABAQUS software. Results: Distributions of straight-line accesses to protogenetic root canals had certain manners, hence we developed 5 SMIECs. NEC and SMIECs had less hard tissue loss than TEC and presented different numerical rankings in different structures (P

Endophytic bacteria from pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants play important roles in regulating plant growth, health, and nutrition. To enhance the understanding of endophytic bacteria in peas, twenty pea cultivars, two chickpeas, and two broad bean cultivars were planted into artificial soils for 4 weeks. Leaves and roots were collected from plants and sterilized. Endophytic bacterial DNAs were isolated from sterilized materials (leaves, roots, and seeds) and used as templates to detect the bacterial diversity by amplifying the 16S V3–V4 region. The Remel Tryptose Soya Agar (TSA) medium, the aluminum sec-butoxide (ASb) medium, and the yeast extract mannitol agar (YMA) medium were used to isolate bacteria from sterilized leaves and roots, respectively. The plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties of these isolated bacteria, such as the solubilization of phosphorus and potassium and the production of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase, nitrogenase, pectinase, and cellulose, were studied in vitro. Bacterial isolates were processed for 16S rDNA gene sequencing and performed molecular identification by reconstruction of the phylogenetic tree using the neighborhood association approach in the software MEGA X. Results indicated that the majority of the bacterial communities were shared among leaves, roots, and seeds of pea plants. In both the leaves and roots of pea plants, the prominent phyla identified were Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, and Bacillota, with dominant genera such as Rhizobium, Bacteroides, Blautia, and Prevotella prevailing at the genus level. The samples from leaves and roots had unique dominant bacterial genera. In total, 48 endophytic bacteria strains were isolated from leaves and roots, of which 16 strains were from roots and 32 strains were from leaves. The majority of the isolates from leaves (78.13%) and roots (75%) had the ability to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Moreover, isolates from roots also had greater ability to produce 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase (81.25%) than those from leaves (62.5%). This study demonstrated the unique distribution of endophytes in leaves and roots of pea, which can have great potential in pea production.

Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) is the botanical source of miraculin, a natural, noncaloric sweetener. Miracle fruit plants have a bush-like architecture and produce multiple flushes of attractive red berries each year. The berries consist of a large seed, opaque pulp, and brilliant red peel. The pulp of the fruit contains a glycoprotein, miraculin, that binds to the tongue’s sweet receptors and induces a conformational change in response to acidic stimuli. Thus, a strong sweet sensation is imparted in the absence of sugars. The miracle fruit plant is becoming increasingly popular because of its taste-modifying properties, but the species lacks many of the breeding tools common to other crops. We report miracle fruit pulp transcriptomes from ‘Sangria’, ‘Vermilion’, ‘Flame’, and ‘Cherry’ morphotypes. A consensus transcriptome included 91,856 transcripts. Reads mapping to the miraculin gene had the highest representation in individual miracle fruit pulp transcriptomes. Other abundant transcripts primarily included Gene Ontology categories representing cellular components, nucleus and nucleic acid binding, and protein modification. The transcriptomes were used to design real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) primers for actin, elongation factor 1α, and the miraculin gene. Analysis by qRT-PCR indicated that miracle fruit pulp and peel tissues had the highest abundance of miraculin transcripts, although other tissues such as leaf, root, and flower also had detectable levels of the target sequence. Overall, these results will support discovery research for miracle fruit and the eventual breeding of this species.

This EDIS publication is to introduce indigo as a new economic crop in south Florida. It highlights the historical and cultural background, including identification and distribution, uses, and history of indigo. The information included in this publication could be of interest to researchers, students, extension agents, growers, the dye industry, and the public.

Vanilla extract is popular around the world as an ingredient in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications. The botanical source of vanilla extract is primarily the cured beans of Vanilla planifolia. The United States is the world's largest importer of vanilla beans, but domestic production is minimal. Southern Florida has a favorable growing environment for vanilla cultivation. Though currently there is no commercial production of vanilla in southern Florida, it has the potential to be a highly profitable crop in the future. This publication aims to provide basic information to growers interested in establishing a vanillery.

Vanilla orchids are members of the Vanilloideae orchid subfamily, and they hold significant economic value as a spice crop in tropical regions. Despite the presence of 180 known species within this subfamily, commercial production focuses on only three species (Vanilla planifolia, V. odorata, and V. pompona) and one hybrid (V. × tahitensis), prized for their aromatic qualities and bioactive compounds. Limited modern breeding initiatives have been undertaken with vanilla orchids, although recent advancements in genomic research are shedding light on this crop’s potential. The protracted breeding cycle of vanilla, coupled with increasing demand for germplasm, underscores the importance of research and breeding efforts in vanilla. This paper outlines a protocol for haploid production in V. planifolia using unfertilized ovaries in tissue culture conditions. Additionally, we present a methodology to confirm the haploid nature of putative haploid lines through stomatal size comparison, chromosome counting, and flow cytometry analysis, proving the successful development of haploid vanilla plants. These findings contribute to the advancement of breeding programs and genetic improvement strategies for the vanilla industry.

Cowpea is one of the most popular dry-land legumes cultivated for food and forage in arid and semi-arid areas. Genetic diversity for global germplasm can be organized into core collections providing optimum resources to serve breeding requirements. Here, we present diversity analysis and genome-wide association study (GWAS) results for part of the cowpea core collection of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) along with breeding line controls. Included in the analysis were a total of 373 accessions analyzed with 6880 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers from Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS). Population structure differentiated accessions into two groups irrespective of geographical origin and formed three clusters based on taxa upon phylogenetic analysis. A total of 56 SNPs were significantly associated to nine traits including pod length (25 Quantitative Trait Nucleotides, QTNs), seed anti-oxidant content (7 QTNs), dry pod color (7 QTNs), plant maturity (5 QTNs), flower color (5 QTNs), seed weight (4 QTNs), tolerance to low phosphate (1 QTN), growth habit (1 QTN), and response to rock phosphate (1 QTN) using Bayesian-information, Linkage-disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK), and Fixed and random model Circulating Probability Unification (FarmCPU) association models. Key genes related to all significant SNPs were identified based on annotations of the cowpea reference genome, including a flavonoid gene controlling flower color (Vigun08g040200.1), a root nodulation regulator for tolerance to low phosphate (Vigun11g168000.1), and numerous genes involved in signaling, biosynthesis, metabolite transport, and abiotic stress. Our results highlight the importance of maintaining public phenotyping databases at USDA and strengthening collaborations for data collection in cowpea to maximize research impacts.

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is an understory shrub native to the southeastern United States. The species occupies a relatively small native range, and little is known about its demography, genetic diversity, or needs for conservation. Samples were collected from 188 plants in 73 locations throughout the species range and were genotyped using genotyping by sequencing. A structure analysis identified six genetic clusters that are geographically defined. Although these clusters are weakly differentiated, each has unique alleles. An environmental association analysis revealed that environmental variables explain 11.3% of genetic diversity, and population structure explains 13.5%. Further, 231 putative adaptive alleles were identified, most of which are correlated with precipitation-related variables, indicating that precipitation has an impact on genetic diversity in H. quercifolia. Many historically documented populations were found to be either extirpated or at risk of extirpation. The genetic clusters on the southern extent of the species range are relatively small and contain putative adaptive alleles at relatively high frequencies. These results highlight the importance of preserving representative germplasm from throughout the species range.

Abstract The species Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp), commonly known as cowpea, is a multi-purpose legume that has been selected into three subspecies that are divided into grain, fodder and pod (yardlong bean) types. However, genetic bases for distinctions are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to apply genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and current reference genome for V. unguiculata to distinguish three subspecies and identify signatures of divergence. The collection of 130 accessions included 128 cultivated from: 1) ssp. cylindrica, fodder type; 2) ssp. sesquipedalis, pod vegetable type; and 3) ssp. unguiculata, grain type. Two wilds genotypes from spp. dekindtiana and spp. pubescens, were used to anchor phylogeny. A total of 11,083 highly informative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were discovered. Wild accessions showed distinct genetic fingerprints and were separated from cultivated subspecies. Principal component analysis showed closer relationship between ssp. unguiculata and ssp. cylindrica compared to ssp. sesquipedalis. Relative differentiation of cultivated subspecies (with Fixation Index, F ST ) indicated the existence of discrete signatures of selection. This work clarifies the population structure, phylogeny, and domestication of cultivated cowpeas. Furthermore, significant genetic differences between grain and pod vegetable types can provide valuable information for future breeding in three cowpea groups.

Grain amaranths are made up of three New World species of pseudo-cereals with C4 photosynthesis from the dicotyledonous family Amaranthaceae and the genus Amaranthus. They originate in two ecoregions of the Americas, namely, the inter-Andean valleys of South America and the volcanic axis and lowlands of Mexico and Central America. These correspond to two centers of domestications for Andean and Mesoamerican crops, with one cultivated species found in the first region and two found in the latter region. To date, no core collection has been made for the grain amaranths in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) germplasm system. In this study, our objective was to create a core for the 2,899 gene bank accessions with collection site data by town or farm site of which 1,090 have current geo-referencing of latitude and longitude coordinates. We constituted the core with 260 genotypes of Amaranthus, which we evaluated with 90 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers. Our goal was to distinguish between Andean and Mesoamerican gene pools of amaranths, including the cultivated species and three possible progenitor or wild relative ancestors along with two more species in an outgroup. Population structure, clustering, and discriminant analysis for principal components showed that Andean species Amaranthus caudatus and Amaranthus quitensis shared fewer alleles with Mesoamerican species Amaranthus cruentus and Amaranthus hypochondriacus, compared to each group individually. Amaranthus hybridus was a bridge species that shared alleles with both regions. Molecular markers have the advantage over morphological traits at quickly distinguishing the Andean and Mesoamerican cultivars and have the added benefit of being useful for following inter-species crosses and introgression.

Vanilla extract is popular around the world as an ingredient in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications. The United States is the world's largest importer of vanilla beans, but domestic production is minimal. Southern Florida has a favorable growing environment for vanilla cultivation, and this revised 8-page document includes information relevant to growers interested in establishing a vanillery. Written by Alan H. Chambers, Pamela Moon, Vovener de Verlands Edmond, Elias Bassil and Xingbo Wu and published by the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1348

Abstract Background Recommended regular saline flushing presents clinical ineffectiveness for hemodialysis (HD) patients at high risk of bleeding with heparin contraindication. Regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) has previously been used with a Ca2+ containing dialysate with prefiltered citrate in one arm (RCA-one). However, anticoagulation is not always achievable and up to 40% results in serious clotting in the venous expansion chamber. In this study, we have transferred one-quarter of the TSC from the prefiltered to the post filter based on RCA-one, which we have called RCA-two. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of RCA-two with either saline flushing or RCA-one in HD patients with a high bleeding risk. Method In this investigator-initiated, multicenter, controlled, prospective, randomized clinical trial, 52 HD patients (77 sessions) were randomized to the RCA-2 and RCA-one group in part one of the trial, and 45 patients (64 sessions) were randomized to the RCA-2 and saline group in part two of the trial. Serious clotting events, adverse events and blood analyses were recorded. Results Serious clotting events in the RCA-two group were significantly lower compared with the RCA-one and saline group (7.89% vs. 30.77%, P = 0.011; 3.03% vs. 54.84%, P 0.05. Conclusions Our data demonstrated that the modified anticoagulation protocol was more effective and feasible during hemodialysis therapy for patients at high risk of bleeding. Trial registration GDREC, GDREC2017250H. Registered February 2, 2018; retrospectively registered.

Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) quality is dependent on seed chemical composition, which in turn determines the benefits of its consumption for human health and nutrition. While mung bean is rich in a range of nutritional components, such as protein, carbohydrates and vitamins, it remains less well studied than other legume crops in terms of micronutrients. In addition, mung bean genomics and genetic resources are relatively sparse. The objectives of this research were three-fold, namely: to develop a genome-wide marker system for mung bean based on genotyping by sequencing (GBS), to evaluate diversity of mung beans available to breeders in the United States and finally, to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for nutrient concentrations based on a seven mineral analysis using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy. All parts of our research were performed with 95 cultivated mung bean genotypes chosen from the USDA core collection representing accessions from 13 countries. Overall, we identified a total of 6,486 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the GBS dataset and found 43 marker × trait associations (MTAs) with calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, sulfur or zinc concentrations in mung bean grain produced in either of two consecutive years’ field experiments. The MTAs were scattered across 35 genomic regions explaining on average 22% of the variation for each seed nutrient in each year. Most of the gene regions provided valuable candidate loci to use in future breeding of new varieties of mung bean and further the understanding of genetic control of nutritional properties in the crop. Other SNPs identified in this study will serve as important resources to enable marker-assisted selection (MAS) for nutritional improvement in mung bean and to analyze cultivars of mung bean.

Orphan crops, which include many of the tropical fruit species used in the juice industry, lack genomic resources and breeding efforts. Typical of this dilemma is the lack of commercial cultivars of purple passion fruit, Passiflora edulis f. edulis, and of information on the genetic resources of its substantial semiwild gene pool. In this study, we develop single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for the species and show that the genetic diversity of this fruit crop has been reduced because of selection for cultivated genotypes compared to the semiwild landraces in its center of diversity. A specific objective of the present study was to determine the genetic diversity of cultivars, genebank accession, and landraces through genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and to conduct molecular evaluation of a broad collection for the species P. edulis from a source country, Colombia. We included control genotypes of yellow passion fruit, P. edulis f. flavicarpa. The goal was to evaluate differences between fruit types and compare landraces and genebank accessions from in situ accessions collected from farmers. In total, 3820 SNPs were identified as informative for this diversity study. However, the majority distinguished yellow and purple passion fruit, with 966 SNPs useful in purple passion fruits alone. In the population structure analysis, purple passion fruits were very distinct from the yellow ones. The results for purple passion fruits alone showed reduced diversity for the commercial cultivars while highlighting the higher diversity found among landraces from wild or semi-wild conditions. These landraces had higher heterozygosity, polymorphism, and overall genetic diversity. The implications for genetics and breeding as well as evolution and ecology of purple passion fruits based on the extant landrace diversity are discussed with consideration of manual or pollinator-assisted hybridization of this species.

Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is an important ornamental crop that has been cultivated for more than 300 years. Despite the economic importance, genetic studies for hydrangea have been limited by the lack of genetic resources. Genetic linkage maps and subsequent trait mapping are essential tools to identify and make markers available for marker-assisted breeding. A transcriptomic study was performed on two important cultivars, Veitchii and Endless Summer, to discover simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and an F1 population based on the cross ‘Veitchii’ × ‘Endless Summer’ was established for genetic linkage map construction. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) was performed on the mapping population along with SSR genotyping. From an analysis of 42,682 putative transcripts, 8780 SSRs were identified and 1535 were validated in the mapping parents. A total of 267 polymorphic SSRs were selected for linkage map construction. The GBS yielded 3923 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mapping population, resulting in a total of 4190 markers that were used to generate maps for each parent and a consensus map. The consensus linkage map contained 1767 positioned markers (146 SSRs and 1621 SNPs), spanned 1383.4 centiMorgans (cM), and was comprised of 18 linkage groups, with an average mapping interval of 0.8 cM. The transcriptome information and large-scale marker development in this study greatly expanded the genetic resources that are available for hydrangea. The high-density genetic linkage maps presented here will serve as an important foundation for quantitative trait loci mapping, map-based gene cloning, and marker-assisted selection of H. macrophylla.

The pea (Pisum sativum L.) is one of the most important crops in temperate agriculture around the world. In the tropics, highland production is also common with multiple harvests of nearly mature seeds from climbing plant types on trellises. While the leafless variant caused by the afila gene is widely used in developing row-cropped field peas in Europe, its use for trellised garden peas has not been reported. In this study we describe a pea breeding program for a high-elevation tropical environment in the Department of Nariño in Colombia, where over 16,000 hectares of the crop are produced. The most widespread climbing varieties in the region are ‘Andina’ and ‘Sindamanoy’, both of which have high-biomass architecture with abundant foliage. They are prone to many diseases, but preferred by farmers given their long production season. This plant type is expensive to trellis, with wooden posts and plastic strings used for vine staking constituting 52% of production costs. The afila trait could reduce these costs by creating interlocking plants as they do in field peas. Therefore, our goal for this research was to develop a rapid breeding method to introduce the recessive afila gene, which replaces leaves with tendrils, into the two commercial varieties used as recurrent parents (RPs) with three donor parents (DPs)—‘Dove’, ‘ILS3575′ and ‘ILS3568′—and to measure the effect on plant height (PH) and yield potential. Our hypothesis was that the afila gene would not cause linkage drag while obtaining a leafless climbing pea variety. Backcrossing was conducted without selfing for two generations and plants were selected to recover recurrent parent characteristics. Chi-square tests showed a ratio of 15 normal leaved to one afila leaved in the BC2F2 plants, and 31:1 in the BC3F2 generation. Selecting in the last of these generations permitted a discovery of tall climbing plants that were similar to those preferred commercially, but with the stable leafless afila. The method saved two seasons compared to the traditional method of progeny testing before each backcross cycle; the peas reached the BC2F2 generation in five seasons and the BC3F2 in seven seasons. This is advantageous with trellised peas that normally require half a year to reach maturity. Leafless garden peas containing the afila gene were of the same height as recurrent parents and, by the third backcross, were equally productive, without the high biomass found in the traditional donor varieties. The value of the afila gene and the direct backcrossing scheme is discussed in terms of garden pea improvement and crop breeding.

The genotyping by sequencing (GBS) method has become a molecular marker technology of choice for many crop plants because of its simultaneous discovery and evaluation of a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and utility for germplasm characterization. Genome representation and complexity reduction are the basis for GBS fingerprinting and can vary by species based on genome size and other sequence characteristics. Grain amaranths are a set of three species that were domesticated in the New World to be high protein, pseudo-cereal grain crops. The goal of this research was to employ the GBS technique for diversity evaluation in grain amaranth accessions and close relatives from six Amaranthus species and determine genetic differences and similarities between groupings. A total of 10,668 SNPs were discovered in 94 amaranth accessions with ApeKI complexity reduction and 10X genome coverage Illumina sequencing. The majority of the SNPs were species specific with 4,568 and 3,082 for the two grain amaranths originating in Central America Amaranthus cruentus and A. hypochondriacus and 3,284 found amongst both A. caudatus, originally domesticated in South America, and its close relative, A. quitensis. The distance matrix based on shared alleles provided information on the close relationships of the two cultivated Central American species with each other and of the wild and cultivated South American species with each other, as distinguished from the outgroup with two wild species, A. powellii and A. retroflexus. The GBS data also distinguished admixture between each pair of species and the geographical origins and seed colors of the accessions. The SNPs we discovered here can be used for marker development for future amaranth study.

Osmanthus fragrans Lour. is prized for its fragrant, cool-season blooms, smooth leaves, and compact tree form; however, the species is limited in production and use to USDA Hardiness Zones 7 and higher. Increasing the total amount of genetic variability available for evaluation, selection, and breeding is foundational to the development of novel Osmanthus cultivars with increased cold-hardiness and improved ornamental characteristics such as high rooting rates, faster growth, fragrant flowers, and an evergreen or semi-evergreen habit. Hybridization among Osmanthus species should generate novel phenotypes and allow trait introgression among populations and breeding lines. The objectives of this study were to produce, verify, and evaluate Osmanthus hybrids by making controlled and open-pollinated crosses among Osmanthus species, using SSR markers to determine parentage of cross progeny, and comparing flowering, leaf shape, and form of hybrids offspring with parents. Fifty-eight of 66 progenies (88%) were assigned paternity at the 95% confidence level or above and 47 progenies (71%) were assigned paternity at the 99% confidence level. Novel Osmanthus hybrids were produced including O. armatus × O. fortunei, O. armatus × O. heterophyllus, and O. armatus × O. fragrans. Open-pollinated families increased in height an average of 204% and 159% per year in the first and second growing seasons, respectively. Male flower type was significantly associated with progeny flower type (χ² = 17.5, p < 0.0001) while leaf margin was not associated with cross family (χ² = 0.83, p = 0.84). Evaluation of more Osmanthus accessions and subsequent hybridizations will be necessary to introgress favorable genes and generate the variation necessary to expand the genus into new markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term "undruggable" is to describe molecules that are not targetable or at least hard to target pharmacologically. Unfortunately, some targets with potent oncogenic activity fall into this category, and currently little is known about how to solve this problem, which largely hampered drug research on human cancers. Ras, as one of the most common oncogenes, was previously considered "undruggable", but in recent years, a few small molecules like Sotorasib (AMG-510) have emerged and proved their targeted anti-cancer effects. Further, myc, as one of the most studied oncogenes, and tp53, being the most common tumor suppressor genes, are both considered "undruggable". Many attempts have been made to target these "undruggable" targets, but little progress has been made yet. This article summarizes the current progress of direct and indirect targeting approaches for ras, myc, two oncogenes, and tp53, a tumor suppressor gene. These are potential therapeutic targets but are considered "undruggable". We conclude with some emerging research approaches like proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), cancer vaccines, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based drug discovery, which might provide new cues for cancer intervention. Therefore, this review sets out to clarify the current status of targeted anti-cancer drug research, and the insights gained from this review may be of assistance to learn from experience and find new ideas in developing new chemicals that directly target such "undruggable" molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]