The Nubian Complex of Dhofar, Oman: An African Middle Stone Age Industry in Southern Arabia

PubMed Central

Rose, Jeffrey I.; Usik, Vitaly I.; Marks, Anthony E.; Hilbert, Yamandu H.; Galletti, Christopher S.; Parton, Ash; Geiling, Jean Marie; Černý, Viktor; Morley, Mike W.; Roberts, Richard G.

2011-01-01

Despite the numerous studies proposing early human population expansions from Africa into Arabia during the Late Pleistocene, no archaeological sites have yet been discovered in Arabia that resemble a specific African industry, which would indicate demographic exchange across the Red Sea. Here we report the discovery of a buried site and more than 100 new surface scatters in the Dhofar region of Oman belonging to a regionally-specific African lithic industry - the late Nubian Complex - known previously only from the northeast and Horn of Africa during Marine Isotope Stage 5, ∼128,000 to 74,000 years ago. Two optically stimulated luminescence age estimates from the open-air site of Aybut Al Auwal in Oman place the Arabian Nubian Complex at ∼106,000 years ago, providing archaeological evidence for the presence of a distinct northeast African Middle Stone Age technocomplex in southern Arabia sometime in the first half of Marine Isotope Stage 5. PMID:22140561

The Barley Phytomer

PubMed Central

Forster, Brian P.; Franckowiak, Jerome D.; Lundqvist, Udda; Lyon, Jackie; Pitkethly, Ian; Thomas, William T. B.

2007-01-01

Background and Aims Morphological mutants have been useful in elucidating the phytomeric structure of plants. Recently described mutants have shed new light on the ontogeny (development of plant structures) and the phytomeric system of barley (Hordeum vulgare). Since the current model for barley phytomers was not adequate to explain the nature of some mutants, a new model is proposed. Methods New phytomer mutants were detected by visual assessment of mutant families in the Optic barley mutation grid population. This was done at various growth stages using laboratory, glasshouse and field screens. Simple explanations were adopted to account for aberrant phytomer phenotypes and a thesis for a new phytomer model was developed. Key Results and Conclusions A barley phytomer model is presented, in which the origins of vegetative and generative structures can be explained by a single repeating phytomer unit. Organs on the barley plant are divided into two classes, single or paired, depending on their origin. Paired structures are often fused together to create specific organs. The model can be applied to wheat (Triticum aestivum) and related grasses. PMID:17901062

Technical note: In situ ruminal starch disappearance kinetics of hull-less barley, hulled barley, and corn grains.

PubMed

Ferreira, G; Yang, Y; Teets, C L; Brooks, W S; Griffey, C A

2018-07-01

The objective of this study was to compare ruminal starch disappearance rates of hull-less barley, hulled barley, and corn grains. Five different genotypes were used for each of the 2 barley types. In addition, each of these genotypes was grown in 2 different locations and years, resulting 10 independent barley samples for each of the 2 barley grain types. Five different genotypes of corn grain were obtained from a commercial seed company. After being ground to pass through a 4-mm screen of a cutter mill, 3.6 g of each grain was placed into a porous bag, which was then incubated in the rumen of 2 ruminally cannulated cows for 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h. Corn grains had greater instant ruminal starch disappearances than barley grains (22.4 and 8.2%, respectively). Instant ruminal starch disappearances did not differ between hulled and hull-less barley grains. Ruminal starch fractional disappearance rates were greatest for hulled barley grains, moderate for hull-less barley grains, and lowest for corn grains (15.3, 13.9, and 7.1%/h, respectively). Ruminal starch half-life was shortest for hulled and hull-less barley grains (4.4 h) and longest for corn grains (6.6 h). Ruminal starch half-life did not differ between hulled barley and hull-less barley grains. In conclusion, using a holistic experimental design and statistical analysis, this study showed that starch from hull-less barley grains has a ruminal half-life similar to that of hulled barley grains and shorter than that of corn grains. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New interpretation of the so-called Nubian strata in northeast Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klitzsch, E.H.; Squyres, C.H.

1988-08-01

Stratigraphical interpretation of the so-called Nubian Sandstone of Egypt and northern Sudan have led to new ideas on the structural and paleogeographical development of northeast Africa. The strata formerly comprised under the term Nubian Sandstone include sediments from Cambrian to Paleocene age. Based on field work and paleontological investigations during the last 10 years, these strata can be subdivided into three major cycles, each characterizing a certain structural situation of northeast Africa. The first or Paleozoic cycle comprises strata of Cambrian to Early Carboniferous age. These strata were deposited during a period of generally northern dip of northeast Africa; continentalmore » sediments transported northward interfinger with marine strata resulting from southward transgressions. Sediments of the second cycle were deposited during and after Gondwana and northern continents collided, which caused updoming of large areas of Egypt and bordering areas to the west and east. As a result, most of Egypt became subject to erosion; transgressions remained near the present northern edge of the continent, and purely continental deposition took place in northern Sudan and bordering areas in Chad and Libya. The resulting strata are similar to the Karroo of East Africa. Strata of the third cycle were deposited after Pangea began to disintegrate. Northeast Africa now had a generally northern dip again, and consequently deposition was controlled - as during the first cycle - by northward drainage and southward transgressions. This last cycle began during Late Jurassic time.« less

7 CFR 810.204 - Grades and grade requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley. 810.204 Section 810.204 Agriculture Regulations of the... requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley. Grade Minimum limits of— Test... and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley varieties not meeting the requirements of this section shall be...

7 CFR 810.204 - Grades and grade requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley. 810.204 Section 810.204 Agriculture Regulations of the... requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley. Grade Minimum limits of— Test... and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley varieties not meeting the requirements of this section shall be...

7 CFR 810.204 - Grades and grade requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley. 810.204 Section 810.204 Agriculture Regulations of the... requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley. Grade Minimum limits of— Test... and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley varieties not meeting the requirements of this section shall be...

7 CFR 810.204 - Grades and grade requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley. 810.204 Section 810.204 Agriculture Regulations of the... requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley. Grade Minimum limits of— Test... and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley varieties not meeting the requirements of this section shall be...

Experimental metolachlor toxicosis in Nubian goats in the Sudan.

PubMed

Mohamed, O S; Ahmed, K E; Adam, S E; Idris, O F

1994-01-01

Six out of 15 Nubian goats kids were given single oral doses of metolachlor (Dual 720 EC) at 2,000 or 500 mg/kg liveweight and died within 1 h of the dosing. Other 6 goats were given daily oral doses at 200 or 25 mg/kg and died or were slaughtered between days 8 and 25. In goats receiving single doses, the signs of poisoning were convulsive episodes, incoordination of movement, tremors, severe muscular spasms, stiffness, profuse salivation, respiratory distress, abnormal posture and recumbency. In goats receiving metolachlor at daily doses, the signs were similar, but developed slowly. Increases in the activities of serum AST and GGT and in the concentration of urea, and decreases in total protein concentration were correlated with clinical changes and lesions.

A complete ancient RNA genome: identification, reconstruction and evolutionary history of archaeological Barley Stripe Mosaic Virus

PubMed Central

Smith, Oliver; Clapham, Alan; Rose, Pam; Liu, Yuan; Wang, Jun; Allaby, Robin G.

2014-01-01

The origins of many plant diseases appear to be recent and associated with the rise of domestication, the spread of agriculture or recent global movements of crops. Distinguishing between these possibilities is problematic because of the difficulty of determining rates of molecular evolution over short time frames. Heterochronous approaches using recent and historical samples show that plant viruses exhibit highly variable and often rapid rates of molecular evolution. The accuracy of estimated evolution rates and age of origin can be greatly improved with the inclusion of older molecular data from archaeological material. Here we present the first reconstruction of an archaeological RNA genome, which is of Barley Stripe Mosaic Virus (BSMV) isolated from barley grain ~750 years of age. Phylogenetic analysis of BSMV that includes this genome indicates the divergence of BSMV and its closest relative prior to this time, most likely around 2000 years ago. However, exclusion of the archaeological data results in an apparently much more recent origin of the virus that postdates even the archaeological sample. We conclude that this viral lineage originated in the Near East or North Africa, and spread to North America and East Asia with their hosts along historical trade routes. PMID:24499968

2015 nationwide survey revealed Barley stripe mosaic virus in Korean barley fields

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A seed-transmitted virus has consistently caused significant economic damage to barley crops in Korea in recent years, and may be increasing because many farmers save seed for replanting. Because some barley seed is imported, there is the potential for introduction of new seed-transmitted viruses, c...

Drought stress variability in ancient Near Eastern agricultural systems evidenced by δ13C in barley grain

PubMed Central

Riehl, Simone; Pustovoytov, Konstantin E.; Weippert, Heike; Klett, Stefan; Hole, Frank

2014-01-01

The collapse and resilience of political systems in the ancient Near East and their relationship with agricultural development have been of wide interest in archaeology and anthropology. Despite attempts to link the archaeological evidence to local paleoclimate data, the precise role of environmental conditions in ancient agricultural production remains poorly understood. Recently, stable isotope analysis has been used for reconstructing site-specific ancient growing conditions for crop species in semiarid and arid landscapes. To open the discussion of the role of regional diversity in past agricultural production as a factor in societal development, we present 1.037 new stable carbon isotope measurements from 33 archaeological sites and modern fields in the geographic area of the Fertile Crescent, spanning the Aceramic Neolithic [10,000 calibrated years (cal) B.C.] to the later Iron Age (500 cal B.C.), alongside modern data from 13 locations. Our data show that drought stress was an issue in many agricultural settlements in the ancient Near East, particularly in correlation with the major Holocene climatic fluctuations, but its regional impact was diverse and influenced by geographic factors. Although cereals growing in the coastal areas of the northern Levant were relatively unaffected by Holocene climatic fluctuations, farmers of regions further inland had to apply irrigation to cope with increased water stress. However, inland agricultural strategies showed a high degree of variability. Our findings suggest that regional differences in climatic effects led to diversified strategies in ancient subsistence and economy even within spatially limited cultural units. PMID:25114225

New isotopic evidence for the origin of groundwater from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer in the Negev, Israel

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vengosh, A.; Hening, S.; Ganor, J.; Mayer, B.; Weyhenmeyer, C.E.; Bullen, T.D.; Paytan, A.

2007-01-01

The geochemistry and isotopic composition (H, O, S, Osulfate, C, Sr) of groundwater from the Nubian Sandstone (Kurnub Group) aquifer in the Negev, Israel, were investigated in an attempt to reconstruct the origin of the water and solutes, evaluate modes of water-rock interactions, and determine mean residence times of the water. The results indicate multiple recharge events into the Nubian sandstone aquifer characterized by distinctive isotope signatures and deuterium excess values. In the northeastern Negev, groundwater was identified with deuterium excess values of ???16???, which suggests local recharge via unconfined areas of the aquifer in the Negev anticline systems. The ??18OH2O and ??2H values (-6.5??? and -35.4???) of this groundwater are higher than those of groundwater in the Sinai Peninsula and southern Arava valley (-7.5??? and -48.3???) that likewise have lower deuterium excess values of ???10???. Based on the geochemical differences between groundwater in the unconfined and confined zones of the aquifer, a conceptual geochemical model for the evolution of the groundwater in the Nubian sandstone aquifer has been reconstructed. The isotopic composition of shallow groundwater from the unconfined zone indicates that during recharge oxidation of pyrite to SO4 (??34SSO4 ???-13???; ??18OSO4 ???+7.7???) and dissolution of CaCO3 (87Sr/86Sr ???0.70787; ??13CDIC = -3.7???) occur. In the confined zone of the aquifer, bacterial SO4 reduction removes a significant part of dissolved SO42 -, thereby modifying its isotopic composition (??34SSO4 ???-2???; ??18OSO4 ???+8.5???) and liberating dissolved inorganic C that contains little or no radiocarbon (14C-free) with low ??13CDIC values (<-12???). In addition to local recharge, the Sr and S isotopic data revealed contribution of external groundwater sources to the Nubian Sandstone aquifer, resulting in further modifications of the groundwater chemical and isotopic signatures. In the northeastern Negev, it is shown that

Mixed fluvial systems of Messak Sandstone, a deposit of Nubian lithofacies, southwestern Libya

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lorenz, J.C.

1987-05-01

The Messak Sandstone is a coarse to pebbly, tabular cross-bedded, Lower Cretaceous deposit of the widespread Nubian lithofacies. It was deposited at the northern edge of the Murzuq basin in southwestern Libya. Although the sedimentary record is predominantly one of braided fluvial systems, a common subfacies within the formation is interpreted to record the passage of straight-crested sand waves across laterally migrating point bars in sinuous rivers, similar to the pattern documented by Singh and Kumar on the modern Ganga and Yamuna Rivers. Because the sand waves were larger on the lower parts of the point bars, lateral migration createdmore » diagnostic thinning-upward, unidirectional cosets of tabular cross-beds as well as fining-upward, grain-size trends. Common, thick, interbedded claystones, deposited in associated paludal and lacustrine environments, and high variance in cross-bed dispersion patterns also suggest the local presence of sinuous fluvial systems within the overall braided regime. The Messak Sandstone contains some of the features that led Harms et al to propose an unconventional low-sinuosity fluvial environment for the Nubian lithofacies in Egypt, and the continuously high water levels of this model may explain channel-scale clay drapes and overturned cross-beds in the Messak. However, most of the Messak characteristics are incompatible with the low-sinuosity model, suggesting instead that the fluvial channels in the Murzuq basin alternated between braided and high-sinuosity patterns.« less

Distribution of oceanic and continental leads in the Arabian-Nubian Shield

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stacey, J.S.; Stoeser, D.B.

1983-01-01

New common lead data for feldspar, whole-rock, and galena samples from the Arabian-Nubian Shield, together with data from previous work, can be divided into two main groups. Group I leads have oceanic (mantle) characteristics, whereas group II leads have incorporated a continental-crustal component of at least early Proterozoic age. The group I leads are found in rocks from the Red Sea Hills of Egypt and the western and southern parts of the Arabian Shield. Group II leads are found in rocks from the northeastern and eastern parts of the Arabian Shield, as well as from the southeastern Shield near Najran. They are also found in rocks to the south in Yemen, to the east in Oman, and to the west at Aswan, Egypt. This distribution of data suggests that the Arabian-Nubian Shield has an oceanic core flanked by rocks that have developed, at least in part, from older continental material. Two mechanisms are suggested by which this older lead component could have been incorporated into the late Proterozoic rocks, and each may have operated in different parts of the Shield. The older lead component either was derived directly from an underlying early Proterozoic basement or was incorporated from subducted pelagic sediments or sediments derived from an adjacent continent. New U-Pb zircon data indicate the presence of an early Proterozoic basement southeast of Jabal Dahul in the eastern Arabian Shield. These data, together with 2,000-Ma-old zircons from the Al Amar fault zone, verify the implication of the common lead data that at least a part of the eastern Arabian Shield has an older continental basement. Because continental margins are particularly favorable locations for development of ore deposits, these findings may have important economic implications, particularly for tin, tungsten, and molybdenum exploration. ?? 1983 Springer-Verlag.

Comparison of beer quality attributes between beers brewed with 100% barley malt and 100% barley raw material.

PubMed

Steiner, Elisabeth; Auer, Andrea; Becker, Thomas; Gastl, Martina

2012-03-15

Brewing with 100% barley using the Ondea® Pro exogenous brewing enzyme product was compared to brewing with 100% barley. The use of barley, rather than malt, in the brewing process and the consequences for selected beer quality attributes (foam formation, colloidal stability and filterability, sensory differences, protein content and composition) was considered. The quality attributes of barley, malt, kettle-full-wort, cold wort, unfiltered beer and filtered beer were assessed. A particular focus was given to monitoring changes in the barley protein composition during the brewing process and how the exogenous OndeaPro® enzymes influenced wort protein composition. All analyses were based on standard brewing methods described in ASBC, EBC or MEBAK. To monitor the protein changes two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used. It was shown that by brewing beer with 100% barley and an appropriate addition of exogenous Ondea® Pro enzymes it was possible to efficiently brew beer of a satisfactory quality. The production of beers brewed with 100% barley resulted in good process efficiency (lautering and filtration) and to a final product whose sensory quality was described as light, with little body and mouthfeel, very good foam stability and similar organoleptic qualities compared to conventional malt beer. In spite of the sensory evaluation differences could still be seen in protein content and composition. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Fusariotoxicosis from barley in British Columbia. II. Analysis and toxicity of syspected barley.

PubMed Central

Puls, R; Greenway, J A

1976-01-01

Fusariotoxin T-2, a trichothecene, was tentatively identified in barley samples which caused field outbreaks of mycotoxicosis in British Columbia. Geese died when fed the contaminated barley experimentally but mice were little affected after long term feeding. The methods used in the laboratory for trichothecene extraction and identification of T-2 toxin are described. PMID:1000373

Surface interactions of Fusarium graminearum on barley.

PubMed

Imboden, Lori; Afton, Drew; Trail, Frances

2018-06-01

The filamentous fungus Fusarium graminearum, a devastating pathogen of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), produces mycotoxins that pose a health hazard. To investigate the surface interactions of F. graminearum on barley, we focused on barley florets, as the most important infection site leading to grain contamination. The fungus interacted with silica-accumulating cells (trichomes and silica/cork cell pairs) on the host surface. We identified variation in trichome-type cells between two-row and six-row barley, and in the role of specific epidermal cells in the ingress of F. graminearum into barley florets. Prickle-type trichomes functioned to trap conidia and were sites of fungal penetration. Infections of more mature florets supported the spread of hyphae into the vascular bundles, whereas younger florets did not show this spread. These differences related directly to the timing and location of increases in silica content during maturation. Focal accumulation of cellulose in infected paleae of two-row and six-row barley indicated that the response is in part linked to trichome type. Overall, silica-accumulating epidermal cells had an expanded role in barley, serving to trap conidia, provide sites for fungal ingress and initiate resistance responses, suggesting a role for silica in pathogen establishment. © 2017 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

Barley hulls and straw constituents and emulsifying properties of their hemicelluloses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Barley hulls (husks) are potential by-products of barley ethanol production. Barley straw is an abundant biomass in the regions producing barley for malting, feeds, and fuel ethanol. Both barley hulls and straw contain valuable hemicelluloses (arabinoxylans) and other useful carbohydrate and non-car...

Products based on a high fiber barley genotype, but not on common barley or oats, lower postprandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy humans.

PubMed

Liljeberg, H G; Granfeldt, Y E; Björck, I M

1996-02-01

Postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses to cereal products made from common barley, oats or a barley genotype containing elevated levels of beta-glucans were evaluated in nine healthy subjects. Porridges were made from commercial Swedish whole-meal barley or oat flours, and a mixed whole-meal porridge using the high fiber barley genotype and commercial Swedish common barley (50:50). Also studied were two types of flour-based bread products composed of high fiber barley and common barley in ratios of 50:50 or 80:20, respectively. The common oat and barley porridges produced postprandial glucose and insulin responses similar to the white wheat bread reference, suggesting that the naturally occurring dietary fiber in these whole-meal flours has no impact on the glucose tolerance. In contrast, all high fiber barley products induced significantly lower responses than did the reference product, with the glycemic and insulin indices ranging from 57 to 72 or 42 to 72%, respectively. It is concluded that "lente" products of high sensory quality can be prepared from a barley genotype with an elevated content of soluble dietary fiber. The glycemic index of these products compares favorably with that of products made from common cereals, suggesting their use as a potential component of diets for patients with diabetes and hyperlipidemia, and for individuals predisposed to metabolic disease.

Transcriptome profiling reveals mosaic genomic origins of modern cultivated barley.

PubMed

Dai, Fei; Chen, Zhong-Hua; Wang, Xiaolei; Li, Zefeng; Jin, Gulei; Wu, Dezhi; Cai, Shengguan; Wang, Ning; Wu, Feibo; Nevo, Eviatar; Zhang, Guoping

2014-09-16

The domestication of cultivated barley has been used as a model system for studying the origins and early spread of agrarian culture. Our previous results indicated that the Tibetan Plateau and its vicinity is one of the centers of domestication of cultivated barley. Here we reveal multiple origins of domesticated barley using transcriptome profiling of cultivated and wild-barley genotypes. Approximately 48-Gb of clean transcript sequences in 12 Hordeum spontaneum and 9 Hordeum vulgare accessions were generated. We reported 12,530 de novo assembled transcripts in all of the 21 samples. Population structure analysis showed that Tibetan hulless barley (qingke) might have existed in the early stage of domestication. Based on the large number of unique genomic regions showing the similarity between cultivated and wild-barley groups, we propose that the genomic origin of modern cultivated barley is derived from wild-barley genotypes in the Fertile Crescent (mainly in chromosomes 1H, 2H, and 3H) and Tibet (mainly in chromosomes 4H, 5H, 6H, and 7H). This study indicates that the domestication of barley may have occurred over time in geographically distinct regions.

A Barley Powdery Mildew Fungus Non-Autonomous Retrotransposon Encodes a Peptide that Supports Penetration Success on Barley.

PubMed

Nottensteiner, Mathias; Zechmann, Bernd; McCollum, Christopher; Hückelhoven, Ralph

2018-05-11

Pathogens overcome plant immunity by the means of secreted effectors. Host effector targets often act in pathogen defense but might also support fungal accommodation or nutrition. The barley ROP GTPase HvRACB is involved in accommodation of fungal haustoria of the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei (Bgh) in barley epidermal cells. We found that HvRACB interacts with the ROP-interactive peptide 1 (ROPIP1) that is encoded on the active non-long terminal repeat retroelement Eg-R1 of Bgh. Over-expression of ROPIP1 in barley epidermal cells and host-induced post-transcriptional gene silencing (HIGS) of ROPIP1 suggested that ROPIP1 is involved in virulence of Bgh. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and co-localization supported that ROPIP1 can interact with activated HvRACB in planta. We show that ROPIP1 is expressed by Bgh on barley and translocated into the cytoplasm of infected barley cells. ROPIP1 is recruited to microtubules upon co-expression of microtubule associated ROP GTPase ACTIVATING PROTEIN (HvMAGAP1) and can destabilize cortical microtubules. Data suggest that Bgh ROPIP targets HvRACB and manipulates host cell microtubule organization for facilitated host cell entry. This points to a possible neo-functionalization of retroelement-derived transcripts for the evolution of a pathogen virulence effector.

Comparative genomic analysis and expression of the APETALA2-like genes from barley, wheat, and barley-wheat amphiploids

PubMed Central

Gil-Humanes, Javier; Pistón, Fernando; Martín, Antonio; Barro, Francisco

2009-01-01

Background The APETALA2-like genes form a large multi-gene family of transcription factors which play an important role during the plant life cycle, being key regulators of many developmental processes. Many studies in Arabidopsis have revealed that the APETALA2 (AP2) gene is implicated in the establishment of floral meristem and floral organ identity as well as temporal and spatial regulation of flower homeotic gene expression. Results In this work, we have cloned and characterised the AP2-like gene from accessions of Hordeum chilense and Hordeum vulgare, wild and domesticated barley, respectively, and compared with other AP2 homoeologous genes, including the Q gene in wheat. The Hordeum AP2-like genes contain two plant-specific DNA binding motifs called AP2 domains, as does the Q gene of wheat. We confirm that the H. chilense AP2-like gene is located on chromosome 5Hch. Patterns of expression of the AP2-like genes were examined in floral organs and other tissues in barley, wheat and in tritordeum amphiploids (barley × wheat hybrids). In tritordeum amphiploids, the level of transcription of the barley AP2-like gene was lower than in its barley parental and the chromosome substitutions 1D/1Hch and 2D/2Hch were seen to modify AP2 gene expression levels. Conclusion The results are of interest in order to understand the role of the AP2-like gene in the spike morphology of barley and wheat, and to understand the regulation of this gene in the amphiploids obtained from barley-wheat crossing. This information may have application in cereal breeding programs to up- or down-regulate the expression of AP2-like genes in order to modify spike characteristics and to obtain free-threshing plants. PMID:19480686

Allelic barley MLA immune receptors recognize sequence-unrelated avirulence effectors of the powdery mildew pathogen

PubMed Central

Lu, Xunli; Kracher, Barbara; Saur, Isabel M. L.; Bauer, Saskia; Ellwood, Simon R.; Wise, Roger; Yaeno, Takashi; Maekawa, Takaki; Schulze-Lefert, Paul

2016-01-01

Disease-resistance genes encoding intracellular nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs) are key components of the plant innate immune system and typically detect the presence of isolate-specific avirulence (AVR) effectors from pathogens. NLR genes define the fastest-evolving gene family of flowering plants and are often arranged in gene clusters containing multiple paralogs, contributing to copy number and allele-specific NLR variation within a host species. Barley mildew resistance locus a (Mla) has been subject to extensive functional diversification, resulting in allelic resistance specificities each recognizing a cognate, but largely unidentified, AVRa gene of the powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh). We applied a transcriptome-wide association study among 17 Bgh isolates containing different AVRa genes and identified AVRa1 and AVRa13, encoding candidate-secreted effectors recognized by Mla1 and Mla13 alleles, respectively. Transient expression of the effector genes in barley leaves or protoplasts was sufficient to trigger Mla1 or Mla13 allele-specific cell death, a hallmark of NLR receptor-mediated immunity. AVRa1 and AVRa13 are phylogenetically unrelated, demonstrating that certain allelic MLA receptors evolved to recognize sequence-unrelated effectors. They are ancient effectors because corresponding loci are present in wheat powdery mildew. AVRA1 recognition by barley MLA1 is retained in transgenic Arabidopsis, indicating that AVRA1 directly binds MLA1 or that its recognition involves an evolutionarily conserved host target of AVRA1. Furthermore, analysis of transcriptome-wide sequence variation among the Bgh isolates provides evidence for Bgh population structure that is partially linked to geographic isolation. PMID:27702901

Allelic barley MLA immune receptors recognize sequence-unrelated avirulence effectors of the powdery mildew pathogen.

PubMed

Lu, Xunli; Kracher, Barbara; Saur, Isabel M L; Bauer, Saskia; Ellwood, Simon R; Wise, Roger; Yaeno, Takashi; Maekawa, Takaki; Schulze-Lefert, Paul

2016-10-18

Disease-resistance genes encoding intracellular nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat proteins (NLRs) are key components of the plant innate immune system and typically detect the presence of isolate-specific avirulence (AVR) effectors from pathogens. NLR genes define the fastest-evolving gene family of flowering plants and are often arranged in gene clusters containing multiple paralogs, contributing to copy number and allele-specific NLR variation within a host species. Barley mildew resistance locus a (Mla) has been subject to extensive functional diversification, resulting in allelic resistance specificities each recognizing a cognate, but largely unidentified, AVR a gene of the powdery mildew fungus, Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh). We applied a transcriptome-wide association study among 17 Bgh isolates containing different AVR a genes and identified AVR a1 and AVR a13 , encoding candidate-secreted effectors recognized by Mla1 and Mla13 alleles, respectively. Transient expression of the effector genes in barley leaves or protoplasts was sufficient to trigger Mla1 or Mla13 allele-specific cell death, a hallmark of NLR receptor-mediated immunity. AVR a1 and AVR a13 are phylogenetically unrelated, demonstrating that certain allelic MLA receptors evolved to recognize sequence-unrelated effectors. They are ancient effectors because corresponding loci are present in wheat powdery mildew. AVR A1 recognition by barley MLA1 is retained in transgenic Arabidopsis, indicating that AVR A1 directly binds MLA1 or that its recognition involves an evolutionarily conserved host target of AVR A1 Furthermore, analysis of transcriptome-wide sequence variation among the Bgh isolates provides evidence for Bgh population structure that is partially linked to geographic isolation.

Metabolism of Linoleic Acid by Barley Lipoxygenase and Hydroperoxide Isomerase 1

PubMed Central

Lulai, Edward C.; Baker, Charles W.; Zimmerman, Don C.

1981-01-01

The oxidation of linoleic acid in incubation mixtures containing extracts of barley lipoxygenase and hydroperoxide isomerase, and the production of these enzymes in quiescent and germinated barley, were investigated. The ratio of 9-hydroperoxylinoleic acid to 13-hydroperoxylinoleic acid was higher for incubation mixtures containing extracts of quiescent barley than for mixtures containing extracts of germinated barley; production of 13-hydroperoxylinoleic acid from germinated barley exceeded that of quiescent barley. Hydroperoxy metabolites of linoleic acid were converted to 9-hydroxy-10-oxo-cis-12-octadecenoic acid, 13-hydroxy-10-oxo-trans-11-octadecenoic acid, and small amounts of 11-hydroxy-12,13-epoxy-cis-9-octadecenoic acid and 11-hydroxy-9,10-epoxy-cis-13-octadecenoic acid whether quiescent or germinated barley was the enzyme source; a fifth product, 13-hydroxy-12-oxo-cis-9-octadecenoic acid was formed only when germinated barley was the enzyme source. Lipoxygenase was readily extracted by buffer, but hydroperoxide isomerase was bound in a catalytically active state to the insoluble barley grist and was efficiently extracted only when Triton X-100 was included in the extraction buffer. Hydroperoxide isomerase was localized in the embryo of quiescent barley, but it was present in the embryo, acrospire, and in small but concentrated amounts in the rootlet of germinating barley. The levels of both lipoxygenase and hydroperoxide isomerase increased through the thirteenth day of germination. Images PMID:16662032

Geology and geophysics of the West Nubian Paleolake and the Northern Darfur Megalake (WNPL-NDML): Implication for groundwater resources in Darfur, northwestern Sudan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsheikh, Ahmed; Abdelsalam, Mohamed G.; Mickus, Kevin

2011-08-01

The recent delineation of a vastly expanded Holocene paleo-lake (the Northern Darfur Megalake which was originally mapped as the West Nubian Paleolake and here will be referred to as WNPL-NDML) in Darfur in northwestern Sudan has renewed hopes for the presence of an appreciable groundwater resource in this hyper-arid region of Eastern Sahara. This paleolake which existed within a closed basin paleo-drainage system might have allowed for the collection of surface water which was subsequently infiltrated to recharge the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Nubian Aquifer. However, the presence of surface exposures of Precambrian crystalline rocks in the vicinity of the paleolake has been taken as indicating the absence of a thick Paleozoic-Mesozoic sedimentary section capable of holding any meaningful quantity of groundwater. This work integrates surface geology and gravity data to show that WNPL-NDML is underlain by NE-trending grabens forming potential local Paleozoic-Mesozoic aquifers that can hold as much as 1120 km 3 of groundwater if the sedimentary rocks are completely saturated. Nevertheless, it is advised here that recharge of the Nubian aquifer under WNPL-NDML is insignificant and that much of the groundwater is fossil water which was accumulated during different geological times much wetter than today's hyper-arid climate in Eastern Sahara. Excessive extraction will lead to quick depletion of this groundwater resource. This will result in lowering of the water table which in turn might lead to the drying out of the oases in the region which provide important habitats for humans, animals and plants in northern Darfur.

Characterization of Resistance to Cephus cinctus (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) in Barley Germplasm.

PubMed

Varella, Andrea C; Talbert, Luther E; Achhami, Buddhi B; Blake, Nancy K; Hofland, Megan L; Sherman, Jamie D; Lamb, Peggy F; Reddy, Gadi V P; Weaver, David K

2018-04-02

Most barley cultivars have some degree of resistance to the wheat stem sawfly (WSS), Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae). Damage caused by WSS is currently observed in fields of barley grown in the Northern Great Plains, but the impact of WSS damage among cultivars due to genetic differences within the barley germplasm is not known. Specifically, little is known about the mechanisms underlying WSS resistance in barley. We characterized WSS resistance in a subset of the spring barley CAP (Coordinated Agricultural Project) germplasm panel containing 193 current and historically important breeding lines from six North American breeding programs. Panel lines were grown in WSS infested fields for two consecutive years. Lines were characterized for stem solidness, stem cutting, WSS infestation (antixenosis), larval mortality (antibiosis), and parasitism (indirect plant defense). Variation in resistance to WSS in barley was compared to observations made for solid-stemmed resistant and hollow-stemmed susceptible wheat lines. Results indicate that both antibiosis and antixenosis are involved in the resistance of barley to the WSS, but antibiosis seems to be more prevalent. Almost all of the barley lines had greater larval mortality than the hollow-stemmed wheat lines, and only a few barley lines had mortality as low as that observed in the solid-stemmed wheat line. Since barley lines lack solid stems, it is apparent that barley has a different form of antibiosis. Our results provide information for use of barley in rotation to control the WSS and may provide a basis for identification of new approaches for improving WSS resistance in wheat.

Transposable element junctions in marker development and genomic characterization of barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Barley is a model plant in genomic studies of Triticeae species. A complete barley genome sequence will facilitate not only barley breeding programs, but also those for related species. However, the large genome size and high repetitive sequence content complicate the barley genome assembly. The ma...

Sprouted barley for dairy cows: Nutritional composition and digestibility

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A 4-unit dual-flow continuous culture fermentor system was used to assess the effect of supplementing 7-d sprouted barley or barley grain with an haylage or pasture diet on nutrient digestibility and methane output. Barley grain was sprouted in climate controlled growth chambers, to be used as part ...

Shotgun proteomics of the barley seed proteome

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Barley seed proteins are of prime importance to the brewing industry, human and animal nutrition and in plant breeding for cultivar identification. To obtain comprehensive proteomic data from barley seeds, acetone precipitated proteins were in-solution digested and the resulting peptides were analyz...

7 CFR 810.201 - Definition of barley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARD ADMINISTRATION (FEDERAL GRAIN INSPECTION SERVICE), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Barley Terms Defined § 810.201 Definition of barley. Grain that...

7 CFR 407.10 - Group risk plan for barley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Group risk plan for barley. 407.10 Section 407.10..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GROUP RISK PLAN OF INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 407.10 Group risk plan for barley. The provisions of the Group Risk Plan for Barley for the 2000 and succeeding crop years are as follows: 1...

7 CFR 407.10 - Group risk plan for barley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Group risk plan for barley. 407.10 Section 407.10..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GROUP RISK PLAN OF INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 407.10 Group risk plan for barley. The provisions of the Group Risk Plan for Barley for the 2000 and succeeding crop years are as follows: 1...

Milk yield and composition of crossbred Sahelian × Anglo-Nubian goats in the semi-intensive system in Mali during the preweaning period.

PubMed

Sanogo, Souleymane; Shaker, Mohamed Momani; Nantoumé, Hamidou; Salem, Abdel-Fattah Z M

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate milk yield and its composition during the preweaning period for Sahelian goats (SG) and Anglo-Nubian (AN) crossbred depending on some factors. The experiments were conducted from January to December 2008 for 44 suckled and hand-milked does, randomized, and divided into two equal groups: SG (n = 22) and F(1) Anglo-Nubian × Sahelian goats (1/2AN; n = 22). The does and their offsprings were kept in a pen where they stayed indoors for 45 days before they were allowed outdoors when the weather was suitable. Each category received supplemental feeds depending on the season (rainy season, dry cold season, and dry hot season). The average daily milk yield was recorded weekly from parturition to 100 days of age. Individual milk samples were taken for chemical analysis in connection with the yield measurements twice per month from the fourth week of lactation throughout the different seasons (rainy, cold dry, and hot dry). The daily milk yield differed between breed types (P = 0.001) during the preweaning, while the effect of kids' sex on daily milk production was not significant. Litter size affected milk yield up to day 60 (P = 0.032) where does with twins producing more milk than those with single kid. However, at day 100, both groups had similar (P = 0.001) milk production. Total milk yield at weaning increased by 103 % in 1/2AN over SG. The highest concentration of total solids of milk was (12.76 %) recorded in the hot dry season. The results of this study indicate that crossbreeding native Sahelian goats with high potential Anglo-Nubian buck improved milk production and its composition.

7 CFR 457.102 - Wheat or barley winter coverage endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Wheat or barley winter coverage endorsement. 457.102... INSURANCE CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMON CROP INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 457.102 Wheat or barley... Wheat or Barley Winter Coverage Endorsement (This is a continuous endorsement) 1. In return for payment...

Ectoparasitic growth of Magnaporthe on barley triggers expression of the putative barley wax biosynthesis gene CYP96B22 which is involved in penetration resistance

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Head blast caused by the fungal plant pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae is an upcoming threat for wheat and barley cultivation. We investigated the nonhost response of barley to an isolate of the Magnaporthe species complex which is pathogenic on Pennisetum spp. as a potential source for novel resistance traits. Results Array experiments identified a barley gene encoding a putative cytochrome P450 monooxygenase whose transcripts accumulate to a higher concentration in the nonhost as compared to the host interaction. The gene clusters within the CYP96 clade of the P450 plant gene family and is designated as CYP96B22. Expression of CYP96B22 was triggered during the ectoparasitic growth of the pathogen on the outside of the leaf. Usage of a fungicidal treatment and a Magnaporthe mutant confirmed that penetration was not necessary for this early activation of CYP96B22. Transcriptional silencing of CYP96B22 using Barley stripe mosaic virus led to a decrease in penetration resistance of barley plants to Magnaporthe host and nonhost isolates. This phenotype seems to be specific for the barley-Magnaporthe interaction, since penetration of the adapted barley powdery mildew fungus was not altered in similarly treated plants. Conclusion Taken together our results suggest a cross-talk between barley and Magnaporthe isolates across the plant surface. Since members of the plant CYP96 family are known to be involved in synthesis of epicuticular waxes, these substances or their derivatives might act as signal components. We propose a functional overlap of CYP96B22 in the execution of penetration resistance during basal and nonhost resistance of barley against different Magnaporthe species. PMID:24423145

7 CFR 810.204 - Grades and grade requirements for Six-rowed Malting barley and Six-rowed Blue Malting barley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...— Damaged kernels 1 (percent) Foreign material (percent) Other grains (percent) Skinned and broken kernels....0 10.0 15.0 1 Injured-by-frost kernels and injured-by-mold kernels are not considered damaged kernels or considered against sound barley. Notes: Malting barley shall not be infested in accordance with...

Characterization of volatile aroma compounds in different brewing barley cultivars.

PubMed

Dong, Liang; Hou, Yingmin; Li, Feng; Piao, Yongzhe; Zhang, Xiao; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Li, Cheng; Zhao, Changxin

2015-03-30

Beer is a popular alcoholic malt beverage resulting from fermentation of the aqueous extract of malted barley with hops. The aroma of brewing barley impacts the flavor of beer indirectly, because some flavor compounds or their precursors in beer come from the barley. The objectives of this research were to study volatile profiles and to characterize odor-active compounds of brewing barley in order to determine the variability of the aroma composition among different brewing barley cultivars. Forty-one volatiles comprising aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, organic acids, aromatic compounds and furans were identified using solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, among which aldehydes, alcohols and ketones were quantitatively in greatest abundance. Quantitative measurements performed by means of solvent extraction and calculation of odor activity values revealed that acetaldehyde, 2-methylpropanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal, hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, 3-methyl-1-butanol, cyclopentanol, 2,3-butanedione, 2,3-pentanedione, 2-heptanone, acetic acid, ethyl acetate, 2-pentylfuran and benzeneacetaldehyde, whose concentrations exceeded their odor thresholds, could be considered as odor-active compounds of brewing barley. Principal component analysis was employed to evaluate the differences among cultivars. The results demonstrated that the volatile profile based on the concentrations of aroma compounds enabled good differentiation of most barley cultivars. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

7 CFR 457.118 - Malting barley price and quality endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... highest additional value price will be used until the number of bushels covered at the higher additional... barley contract or malting barley price agreement, you must provide us with a copy of your current crop... contract or malting barley price agreement is not provided to us by the acreage reporting date. (c) Under...

Evaluation of triticale dried distillers grains with solubles as a substitute for barley grain and barley silage in feedlot finishing diets.

PubMed

Wierenga, K T; McAllister, T A; Gibb, D J; Chaves, A V; Okine, E K; Beauchemin, K A; Oba, M

2010-09-01

The objective of this study was to assess the value of triticale dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) as a replacement for barley silage in addition to a portion of the dry-rolled barley (DRB) in a grain-based feedlot finishing diet. The trial used 160 crossbred yearling steers: 144 noncannulated (478 +/- 84 kg) in a complete randomized design, and 16 ruminally cannulated (494 +/- 50 kg) in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design. The noncannulated steers were assigned to 8 standard pens (10 per pen) and 8 pens equipped with the GrowSafe system (GrowSafe Systems Ltd., Airdrie, Alberta, Canada; 8 per pen). The cannulated steers were placed (2 per pen) in the 8 GrowSafe pens and moved between pens at 28-d intervals. Each of 4 experimental diets was fed in 2 standard and 2 GrowSafe pens. The diets contained (DM basis) 1) 85% DRB and 10% barley silage (CON); 2) 65% DRB, 20% triticale DDGS, and 10% barley silage (D-10S), 3) 65% DRB, 25% triticale DDGS, and 5% barley silage, and 4) 65% DRB, 30% triticale DDGS, and no barley silage. Supplement (5% of dietary DM) was included in all diets. Ruminal pH was measured over four 7-d periods using indwelling electrodes. Replacing barley silage with triticale DDGS linearly decreased mean ruminal pH (P = 0.006), linearly increased duration (P = 0.006 and P = 0.01) and area under the curve (P = 0.02 and P = 0.05) below pH 5.5 and 5.2, and linearly increased the frequency of subacute (P = 0.005) and acute (P = 0.05) bouts of ruminal acidosis. Variation in mean ruminal pH decreased (P = 0.008) in steers fed D-10S compared with CON. Similarly, variation in DMI was less for steers fed triticale DDGS compared with CON. Steers fed D-10S tended to have greater DMI (P = 0.08) but similar ADG and G:F compared with CON steers. Replacing barley silage with triticale DDGS tended to linearly decrease DMI (P = 0.10) and increase (P = 0.06) G:F. Compared with CON, steers fed D-10S tended to have greater backfat thickness (P = 0.10) and

Application of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy for Rapid and Non-Destructive Discrimination of Hulled Barley, Naked Barley, and Wheat Contaminated with Fusarium

PubMed Central

Lim, Jongguk; Kim, Giyoung; Mo, Changyeun; Oh, Kyoungmin; Kim, Geonseob; Ham, Hyeonheui; Kim, Seongmin; Kim, Moon S.

2018-01-01

Fusarium is a common fungal disease in grains that reduces the yield of barley and wheat. In this study, a near infrared reflectance spectroscopic technique was used with a statistical prediction model to rapidly and non-destructively discriminate grain samples contaminated with Fusarium. Reflectance spectra were acquired from hulled barley, naked barley, and wheat samples contaminated with Fusarium using near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy with a wavelength range of 1175–2170 nm. After measurement, the samples were cultured in a medium to discriminate contaminated samples. A partial least square discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) prediction model was developed using the acquired reflectance spectra and the culture results. The correct classification rate (CCR) of Fusarium for the hulled barley, naked barley, and wheat samples developed using raw spectra was 98% or higher. The accuracy of discrimination prediction improved when second and third-order derivative pretreatments were applied. The grains contaminated with Fusarium could be rapidly discriminated using spectroscopy technology and a PLS-DA discrimination model, and the potential of the non-destructive discrimination method could be verified. PMID:29301319

Molecular evidence of RNA polymerase II gene reveals the origin of worldwide cultivated barley

PubMed Central

Wang, Yonggang; Ren, Xifeng; Sun, Dongfa; Sun, Genlou

2016-01-01

The origin and domestication of cultivated barley have long been under debate. A population-based resequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the single copy of RPB2 gene was used to address barley domestication, to explore genetic differentiation of barley populations on the worldwide scale, and to understand gene-pool exchanges during the spread and subsequent development of barley cultivation. Our results revealed significant genetic differentiation among three geographically distinct wild barley populations. Differences in haplotype composition among populations from different geographical regions revealed that modern cultivated barley originated from two major wild barley populations: one from the Near East Fertile Crescent and the other from the Tibetan Plateau, supporting polyphyletic origin of cultivated barley. The results of haplotype frequencies supported multiple domestications coupled with widespread introgression events that generated genetic admixture between divergent barley gene pools. Our results not only provide important insight into the domestication and evolution of cultivated barley, but also enhance our understanding of introgression and distinct selection pressures in different environments on shaping the genetic diversity of worldwide barley populations, thus further facilitating the effective use of the wild barley germplasm. PMID:27786300

Origin of worldwide cultivated barley revealed by NAM-1 gene and grain protein content

PubMed Central

Wang, Yonggang; Ren, Xifeng; Sun, Dongfa; Sun, Genlou

2015-01-01

The origin, evolution, and distribution of cultivated barley provides powerful insights into the historic origin and early spread of agrarian culture. Here, population-based genetic diversity and phylogenetic analyses were performed to determine the evolution and origin of barley and how domestication and subsequent introgression have affected the genetic diversity and changes in cultivated barley on a worldwide scale. A set of worldwide cultivated and wild barleys from Asia and Tibet of China were analyzed using the sequences for NAM-1 gene and gene-associated traits-grain protein content (GPC). Our results showed Tibetan wild barley distinctly diverged from Near Eastern barley, and confirmed that Tibet is one of the origin and domestication centers for cultivated barley, and in turn supported a polyphyletic origin of domesticated barley. Comparison of haplotype composition among geographic regions revealed gene flow between Eastern and Western barley populations, suggesting that the Silk Road might have played a crucial role in the spread of genes. The GPC in the 118 cultivated and 93 wild barley accessions ranged from 6.73 to 12.35% with a mean of 9.43%. Overall, wild barley had higher averaged GPC (10.44%) than cultivated barley. Two unique haplotypes (Hap2 and Hap7) caused by a base mutations (at position 544) in the coding region of the NAM-1 gene might have a significant impact on the GPC. Single nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes of NAM-1 associated with GPC in barley could provide a useful method for screening GPC in barley germplasm. The Tibetan wild accessions with lower GPC could be useful for malt barley breeding. PMID:26483818

7 CFR 801.3 - Tolerances for barley pearlers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Tolerances for barley pearlers. 801.3 Section 801.3 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARD... FOR GRAIN INSPECTION EQUIPMENT § 801.3 Tolerances for barley pearlers. The maintenance tolerances for...

Phenolic compounds of barley grain and their implication in food product discoloration.

PubMed

Quinde-Axtell, Zory; Baik, Byung-Kee

2006-12-27

Barley grains contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds that may play a major role in the discoloration of food products. Phenolic acid and proanthocyanidin (PA) composition of 11 barley genotypes were determined, using high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and their significance on food discoloration was evaluated. Abraded grains contained 146-410 microg/g of phenolic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic) in hulled barley and 182-282 microg/g in hulless barley. Hulled PA-containing and PA-free genotypes had comparable phenolic acid contents. Catechin and six major barley PAs, including dimeric prodelphinidin B3 and procyandin B3, and four trimers were quantified. PAs were quantified as catechin equivalents (CE). The catechin content was higher in hulless (48-71 microg/g) than in hulled (32-37 microg/g) genotypes. The total PA content of abraded barley grains ranged from 169 to 395microg CE/g in PA-containing hulled and hulless genotypes. Major PAs were prodelphinidin B3 (39-109 microg CE/g) and procyanidin B3 (40-99 microg CE/g). The contents of trimeric PAs including procyanidin C2 ranged from 53 to 151 g CE/g. Discoloration of barley flour dough correlated with the catechin content of abraded grains (r = -0.932, P < 0.001), but not with the content of individual phenolic acids and PAs. Discoloration of barley flour dough was, however, intensified when total PA extracts and catechin or dimeric PA fractions were added into PA-free barley flour. The brightness of dough also decreased when the total PA extract or trimeric PA fraction was added into heat-treated PA-free barley flour. Despite its low concentration, catechin appears to exert the largest influence on the discoloration of barley flour dough among phenolic compounds.

Volatile Compound-Mediated Interactions between Barley and Pathogenic Fungi in the Soil

PubMed Central

Fiers, Marie; Lognay, Georges; Fauconnier, Marie-Laure; Jijakli, M. Haïssam

2013-01-01

Plants are able to interact with their environment by emitting volatile organic compounds. We investigated the volatile interactions that take place below ground between barley roots and two pathogenic fungi, Cochliobolus sativus and Fusarium culmorum. The volatile molecules emitted by each fungus, by non-infected barley roots and by barley roots infected with one of the fungi or the two of them were extracted by head-space solid phase micro extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The effect of fungal volatiles on barley growth and the effect of barley root volatiles on fungal growth were assessed by cultivating both organisms in a shared atmosphere without any physical contact. The results show that volatile organic compounds, especially terpenes, are newly emitted during the interaction between fungi and barley roots. The volatile molecules released by non-infected barley roots did not significantly affect fungal growth, whereas the volatile molecules released by pathogenic fungi decreased the length of barley roots by 19 to 21.5% and the surface of aerial parts by 15%. The spectrum of the volatiles released by infected barley roots had no significant effect on F. culmorum growth, but decreased C. sativus growth by 13 to 17%. This paper identifies the volatile organic compounds emitted by two pathogenic fungi and shows that pathogenic fungi can modify volatile emission by infected plants. Our results open promising perspectives concerning the biological control of edaphic diseases. PMID:23818966

Molecular cytogenetic and morphological characterization of two wheat-barley translocation lines

PubMed Central

Ivanizs, László; Farkas, András; Linc, Gabriella; Molnár-Láng, Márta

2018-01-01

Abstract Barley chromosome 5H, carrying important QTLs for plant adaptation and tolerance to abiotic stresses, is extremely instable in the wheat genetic background and is eliminated in the early generations of wheat-barley crosses. A spontaneous wheat-barley 5HS-7DS.7DL translocation was previously obtained among the progenies of the Mv9kr1 x Igri hybrid. The present work reports on the transfer of the 5HS-7DS.7DL translocation into a modern wheat cultivar, Mv Bodri, in order to use it in the wheat breeding program. The comparison of the hybridization bands of DNA repeats HvT01, pTa71, (GAA)n and the barley centromere-specific (AGGGAG)n in Igri barley and the 5HS-7DS.7DL translocation, together with the visualization of the barley chromatin made it possible to determine the size of the introgressed barley segment, which was approximately 74% of the whole 5HS. Of the 29 newly developed PCR markers, whose source ESTs were selected from the Genome Zipper of barley chromosome 5H, 23 were mapped in the introgressed 1–0.26 FL 5HS bin, three were located in the missing C-0.26 FL region, while three markers were specific for 5HL. The translocation breakpoint was flanked by markers Hv7502 and Hv3949. A comparison of the parental wheat cultivars and the wheat-barley introgression lines indicated that the presence of the translocation improved tillering ability in the Mv9kr1 and Mv Bodri genetic background. The similar or better yield components under high- or low-input cultivation environments, respectively, indicated that the 5HS-7DS.7DL translocation had little or no negative effect on yield components, making it a promising genotype to improve wheat genetic diversity. These results promise to accelerate functional genomic studies on barley chromosome 5H and to support pre-breeding and breeding research on wheat. PMID:29889875

BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF BARLEY RIHANE (HORDEUM VULGARE L.).

PubMed

Lahouar, Lamia; Ghrairi, Fatma; El Arem, Amira; Medimagh, Sana; El Felah, Mouledi; Salem, Hichem Ben; Achour, Lotfi

2017-01-01

Many experimental studies have suggested an important role for barley Rihane(BR)in the prevention of colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physico-chemical properties and nutritional characterizations of BR compared to other varieties grown in Tunisia (Manel, Roho and Tej). Total, insoluble and soluble dietary fiber(β-glucan), total protein, ash and some minerals of BR and Tunisian barley varieties were determined. The results revealed that BR is good source of dietary fiber mainly β-glucan compared to the other varieties. This variety is a relatively rich source of phosphorous and potassium and it contains many important unsaturated fatty acids. BR has higher nutritional value than other varieties. Barley Rihane has significant nutritional characterizations compared to others Tunisian barleys varieties. Abbreviations: BR, Barley Rihane; LDL, low density lipoprotein; HDL, high density lipoprotein; AOM, azoxymethane; TBV, Tunisian barley varieties; TGW, thousand grain weight; SW, weight specific; TDF, total dietary fiber; IDF, insoluble dietary fiber; SDF, soluble dietary fiber; DM, Dry Matter.

BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF BARLEY RIHANE (HORDEUM VULGARE L.)

PubMed Central

Lahouar, Lamia; Ghrairi, Fatma; El Arem, Amira; Medimagh, Sana; El Felah, Mouledi; Salem, Hichem Ben; Achour, Lotfi

2017-01-01

Background: Many experimental studies have suggested an important role for barley Rihane(BR)in the prevention of colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physico-chemical properties and nutritional characterizations of BR compared to other varieties grown in Tunisia (Manel, Roho and Tej). Material and Methods: Total, insoluble and soluble dietary fiber(β-glucan), total protein, ash and some minerals of BR and Tunisian barley varieties were determined. Results: The results revealed that BR is good source of dietary fiber mainly β-glucan compared to the other varieties. This variety is a relatively rich source of phosphorous and potassium and it contains many important unsaturated fatty acids. BR has higher nutritional value than other varieties. Conclusion: Barley Rihane has significant nutritional characterizations compared to others Tunisian barleys varieties. Abbreviations: BR, Barley Rihane; LDL, low density lipoprotein; HDL, high density lipoprotein; AOM, azoxymethane; TBV, Tunisian barley varieties; TGW, thousand grain weight; SW, weight specific; TDF, total dietary fiber; IDF, insoluble dietary fiber; SDF, soluble dietary fiber; DM, Dry Matter. PMID:28480409

Barley ROP Binding Kinase1 Is Involved in Microtubule Organization and in Basal Penetration Resistance to the Barley Powdery Mildew Fungus1[W

PubMed Central

Huesmann, Christina; Reiner, Tina; Hoefle, Caroline; Preuss, Jutta; Jurca, Manuela E.; Domoki, Mónika; Fehér, Attila; Hückelhoven, Ralph

2012-01-01

Certain plant receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases were reported to interact with small monomeric G-proteins of the RHO of plant (ROP; also called RAC) family in planta and to be activated by this interaction in vitro. We identified a barley (Hordeum vulgare) partial cDNA of a ROP binding protein kinase (HvRBK1) in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid screenings with barley HvROP bait proteins. Protein interaction of the constitutively activated (CA) barley HvROPs CA HvRACB and CA HvRAC1 with full-length HvRBK1 was verified in yeast and in planta. Green fluorescent protein-tagged HvRBK1 appears in the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm, but CA HvRACB or CA HvRAC1 can recruit green fluorescent protein-HvRBK1 to the cell periphery. Barley HvRBK1 is an active kinase in vitro, and activity is enhanced by CA HvRACB or GTP-loaded HvRAC1. Hence, HvRBK1 might act downstream of active HvROPs. Transient-induced gene silencing of barley HvRBK1 supported penetration by the parasitic fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei, suggesting a function of the protein in basal disease resistance. Transient knockdown of HvRBK1 also influenced the stability of cortical microtubules in barley epidermal cells. Hence, HvRBK1 might function in basal resistance to powdery mildew by influencing microtubule organization. PMID:22415513

Evidence of three new members of malignant catarrhal fever virus group in Muskox (Ovibos moschatus), Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana), and gemsbok (Oryx gazella)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Li, H.; Gailbreath, K.; Bender, L.C.; West, K.; Keller, J.; Crawford, T.B.

2003-01-01

Six members of the malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) virus group of ruminant rhadinoviruses have been identified to date. Four of these viruses are clearly associated with clinical disease: alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1) carried by wildebeest (Connochaetes spp.); ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2), ubiquitous in domestic sheep; caprine herpesvirus 2 (CpHV-2), endemic in domestic goats; and the virus of unknown origin found causing classic MCF in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; MCFV-WTD). Using serology and polymerase chain reaction with degenerate primers targeting a portion of the herpesviral DNA polymerase gene, evidence of three previously unrecognized rhadinoviruses in the MCF virus group was found in muskox (Ovibos moschatus), Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana), and gemsbok (South African oryx, Oryx gazella), respectively. Based on sequence alignment, the viral sequence in the muskox is most closely related to MCFV-WTD (81.5% sequence identity) and that in the Nubian ibex is closest to CpHV-2 (89.3% identity). The viral sequence in the gemsbok is most closely related to AlHV-1 (85.1% identity). No evidence of disease association with these viruses has been found. ?? Wildlife Disease Association 2003.

Barley stripe mosaic virus: Structure and relationship to the tobamoviruses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kendall, Amy; Williams, Dewight; Bian, Wen

Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) is the type member of the genus Hordeivirus, rigid, rod-shaped viruses in the family Virgaviridae. We have used fiber diffraction and cryo-electron microscopy to determine the helical symmetry of BSMV to be 23.2 subunits per turn of the viral helix, and to obtain a low-resolution model of the virus by helical reconstruction methods. Features in the model support a structural relationship between the coat proteins of the hordeiviruses and the tobamoviruses. - Highlights: • We report a low-resolution structure of barley stripe mosaic virus. • Barley stripe mosaic virus has 23.2 subunits per turn ofmore » the viral helix. • We compare barley stripe mosaic virus with tobacco mosaic virus.« less

Using barley genomics to develop Fusarium head blight resistant wheat and barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fusarium head blight, caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a major problem for wheat and barley growers. During infection, F. graminearum produces trichothecene mycotoxins (e.g., deoxynivalenol or DON) that increases fungal virulence and reduces grain quality and yield. Previous work in Arabidopsis sh...

Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with the Tocochromanol (Vitamin E) Pathway in Barley.

PubMed

Graebner, Ryan C; Wise, Mitchell; Cuesta-Marcos, Alfonso; Geniza, Matthew; Blake, Tom; Blake, Victoria C; Butler, Joshua; Chao, Shiaomen; Hole, David J; Horsley, Rich; Jaiswal, Pankaj; Obert, Don; Smith, Kevin P; Ullrich, Steven; Hayes, Patrick M

2015-01-01

The Genome-Wide Association Studies approach was used to detect Quantitative Trait Loci associated with tocochromanol concentrations using a panel of 1,466 barley accessions. All major tocochromanol types- α-, β-, δ-, γ-tocopherol and tocotrienol- were assayed. We found 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with the concentration of one or more of these tocochromanol forms in barley, seven of which were within 2 cM of sequences homologous to cloned genes associated with tocochromanol production in barley and/or other plants. These associations confirmed a prior report based on bi-parental QTL mapping. This knowledge will aid future efforts to better understand the role of tocochromanols in barley, with specific reference to abiotic stress resistance. It will also be useful in developing barley varieties with higher tocochromanol concentrations, although at current recommended daily consumption amounts, barley would not be an effective sole source of vitamin E. However, it could be an important contributor in the context of whole grains in a balanced diet.

Identification of a Phytase Gene in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

PubMed Central

Dai, Fei; Qiu, Long; Ye, Lingzhen; Wu, Dezhi; Zhou, Meixue; Zhang, Guoping

2011-01-01

Background Endogenous phytase plays a crucial role in phytate degradation and is thus closely related to nutrient efficiency in barley products. The understanding of genetic information of phytase in barley can provide a useful tool for breeding new barley varieties with high phytase activity. Methodology/Principal Findings Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for phytase activity was conducted using a doubled haploid population. Phytase protein was purified and identified by the LC-ESI MS/MS Shotgun method. Purple acid phosphatase (PAP) gene was sequenced and the position was compared with the QTL controlling phytase activity. A major QTL for phytase activity was mapped to chromosome 5 H in barley. The gene controlling phytase activity in the region was named as mqPhy. The gene HvPAP a was mapped to the same position as mqPhy, supporting the colinearity between HvPAP a and mqPhy. Conclusions/Significance It is the first report on QTLs for phytase activity and the results showed that HvPAP a, which shares a same position with the QTL, is a major phytase gene in barley grains. PMID:21533044

Occurrence of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone in brewing barley grains from Brazil.

PubMed

Piacentini, Karim C; Rocha, L O; Savi, G D; Carnielli-Queiroz, L; Almeida, F G; Minella, E; Corrêa, B

2018-03-09

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important cereal crop for food and represents one of the main ingredients in beer production. Considering the importance of barley and its derived products, the knowledge about the mycotoxin contamination in the barley production is essential in order to assess its safety. In this study, the levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) in brewing barley were determined using a LC-MS/MS method. A survey was conducted in 2015 to estimate the mycotoxin levels in these products (n = 76) from four crop regions in Brazil. The results showed high levels of DON and ZEN in the analyzed samples, with contamination levels of 94 and 73.6%, respectively. The mean levels of DON and ZEN ranged from 1700 to 7500 μg/kg and from 300 to 630 μg/kg, respectively. Barley samples from regions 1 and 2 presented higher levels of ZEN and DON, respectively, and those from region 4 presented lower levels of both. Co-occurrence of DON and ZEN was seen in the majority of the barley grain samples, and the mycotoxin content was above the maximum levels established by the Brazilian and European regulations.

Evaluation of the mature grain phytase candidate HvPAPhy_a gene in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) using CRISPR/Cas9 and TALENs.

PubMed

Holme, Inger B; Wendt, Toni; Gil-Humanes, Javier; Deleuran, Lise C; Starker, Colby G; Voytas, Daniel F; Brinch-Pedersen, Henrik

2017-09-01

In the present study, we utilized TALEN- and CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations to analyze the promoter of the barley phytase gene HvPAPhy_a. The purpose of the study was dual, validation of the PAPhy_a enzyme as the main contributor of the mature grain phytase activity (MGPA), as well as validating the importance of a specific promoter region of the PAPhy_a gene which contains three overlapping cis-acting regulatory elements (GCN4, Skn1 and the RY-element) known to be involved in gene expression during grain filling. The results confirm that the barley PAPhy_a enzyme is the main contributor to the MGPA as grains of knock-out lines show very low MGPA. Additionally, the analysis of the HvPAPhy_a promoter region containing the GCN4/Skn1/RY motif highlights its importance for HvPAPhy_a expression as the MGPA in grains of plant lines with mutations within this motif is significantly reduced. Interestingly, lines with deletions located downstream of the motif show even lower MGPA levels, indicating that the GCN4/SKn1/RY motif is not the only element responsible for the level of PAPhy_a expression during grain maturation. Mutant grains with very low MPGA showed delayed germination as compared to grains of wild type barley. As grains with high levels of preformed phytases would provide more readily available phosphorous needed for a fast germination, this indicates that faster germination may be implicated in the positive selection of the ancient PAPhy gene duplication that lead to the creation of the PAPhy_a gene.

Late Precambrian (740 Ma) charnockite, enderbite, and granite from Jebel Moya, Sudan: A link between the Mozambique Belt and the Arabian-Nubian Shield

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stern, R.J.; Dawoud, A.S.

1991-09-01

New Rb-Sr and whole rock and U-Pb zircon data are reported for deep-seated igneous rocks from Jebel Moya in east-central Sudan. This exposure is important because it may link the high-grade metamorphic and deep-seated igneous rocks of the Mozambique Belt with the greenschist-facies and ophiolitic assemblages of the Arabian-Nubian Shield, both of Pan-African (ca. 900-550 Ma) age. The rocks of Jebel Moya consist of pink granite, green charnockite, and dark enderbite. A twelve-point Rb-Sr whole rock isochron for all three lithologies yields an age of 730 {plus minus} 31 Ma and an initial {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr of 0.7031 {plus minus}more » 1. Nearly concordant zircon ages for granite, charnockite, and enderbite are 744 {plus minus} 2,742 {plus minus} 2, and 739 {plus minus} 2 Ma, respectively. Initial {epsilon}-Nd for these rocks are indistinguishable at 3.0 {plus minus} 0.4. The data suggest that the charnockite, enderbite, and granite are all part of a deep-seated igneous complex. The initial isotopic compositions of Sr and Nd indicate that Jebel Moya melts were derived from a mantle source that experienced significantly less time-integrated depletion of LRE and LIL elements than the source of Arabian-Nubian Shield melts. The ages for Jebel Moya deep-seated igneous rocks are in accord with data from elsewhere in the Mozambique Belt indicating that peak metamorphism occurred about 700-750 Ma. The northward extension of the Mozambique Belt to the Arabian-Nubian Shield defines a single east Pan-African orogen. The principal difference between the northern and southern sectors of this orogen may be the greater degree of thickening and subsequent erosion experienced in the south during the late Precambrian, perhaps a result of continental collision between East (Australia-India) and West Gondwanaland (S. America-Africa) about 750 Ma.« less

Barley yellow dwarf virus: Luteoviridae or Tombusviridae?

PubMed

Miller, W Allen; Liu, Sijun; Beckett, Randy

2002-07-01

Summary Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), the most economically important virus of small grains, features highly specialised relationships with its aphid vectors, a plethora of novel translation mechanisms mediated by long-distance RNA interactions, and an ambiguous taxonomic status. The structural and movement proteins of BYDV that confer aphid transmission and phloem-limitation properties resemble those of the Luteoviridae, the family in which BYDV is classified. In contrast, many genes and cis-acting signals involved in replication and gene expression most closely resemble those of the Tombusviridae. BYDV is in genus Luteovirus, family Luteoviridae. BYDV includes at least two serotypes or viruses: BYDV-PAV and BYDV-MAV. The former BYDV-RPV is now Cereal yellow dwarf virus-RPV (CYDV-RPV). CYDV is in genus Polerovirus, family Luteoviridae. Genus Luteovirus shares many features with family Tombusviridae. Physical properties: approximately 25 nm icosahedral (T = 3) virions. One major (22 kDa) and one minor (50-55 kDa) coat protein. 5.6-5.8 kb positive sense RNA genome with no 5'-cap and no poly(A) tail. Most grasses. Most important in oats, barley and wheat. Also infects maize and rice. Yellowing and dwarfing in barley, stunting in wheat; reddening, yellowing and blasting in oats. Some isolates cause leaf notching and curling. Key attractions: Model for the study of circulative transmission of aphid-transmitted viruses. Plethora of unusual translation mechanisms. Evidence of recombination in recent evolutionary history creates taxonomic ambiguity. Economically important virus of wheat, barley and oats, worldwide. Useful websites/meetings: International symposium: 'Barley Yellow Dwarf Disease: Recent Advances and Future Strategies', CIMMYT, El Batan, Mexico, 1-5 September 2002, http://www.cimmyt.cgiar.org/Research/wheat/Conf_BYD_02/invitation.htm http://www.cimmyt.org/Research/wheat/BYDVNEWS/htm/BYDVNEWS.htm Aphid transmission animation: http://www.ppws.vt.edu/~sforza/tmv/bydv_aph.html.

Assessment of genetic diversity among barley cultivars and breeding lines adapted to the US Pacific Northwest, and its implications in breeding barley for imidazolinone-resistance.

PubMed

Rustgi, Sachin; Matanguihan, Janet; Mejías, Jaime H; Gemini, Richa; Brew-Appiah, Rhoda A T; Wen, Nuan; Osorio, Claudia; Ankrah, Nii; Murphy, Kevin M; von Wettstein, Diter

2014-01-01

Extensive application of imidazolinone (IMI) herbicides had a significant impact on barley productivity contributing to a continuous decline in its acreage over the last two decades. A possible solution to this problem is to transfer IMI-resistance from a recently characterized mutation in the 'Bob' barley AHAS (acetohydroxy acid synthase) gene to other food, feed and malting barley cultivars. We focused our efforts on transferring IMI-resistance to barley varieties adapted to the US Pacific Northwest (PNW), since it comprises ∼23% (335,000 ha) of the US agricultural land under barley production. To effectively breed for IMI-resistance, we studied the genetic diversity among 13 two-rowed spring barley cultivars/breeding-lines from the PNW using 61 microsatellite markers, and selected six barley genotypes that showed medium to high genetic dissimilarity with the 'Bob' AHAS mutant. The six selected genotypes were used to make 29-53 crosses with the AHAS mutant and a range of 358-471 F1 seeds were obtained. To make informed selection for the recovery of the recipient parent genome, the genetic location of the AHAS gene was determined and its genetic nature assessed. Large F2 populations ranging in size from 2158-2846 individuals were evaluated for herbicide resistance and seedling vigor. Based on the results, F3 lines from the six most vigorous F2 genotypes per cross combination were evaluated for their genetic background. A range of 20%-90% recovery of the recipient parent genome for the carrier chromosome was observed. An effort was made to determine the critical dose of herbicide to distinguish between heterozygotes and homozygotes for the mutant allele. Results suggested that the mutant can survive up to the 10× field recommended dose of herbicide, and the 8× and 10× herbicide doses can distinguish between the two AHAS mutant genotypes. Finally, implications of this research in sustaining barley productivity in the PNW are discussed.

Ingestible roasted barley for contrast-enhanced photoacoustic imaging in animal and human subjects.

PubMed

Wang, Depeng; Lee, Dong Hyeun; Huang, Haoyuan; Vu, Tri; Lim, Rachel Su Ann; Nyayapathi, Nikhila; Chitgupi, Upendra; Liu, Maggie; Geng, Jumin; Xia, Jun; Lovell, Jonathan F

2018-08-01

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) is an emerging imaging modality. While many contrast agents have been developed for PACT, these typically cannot immediately be used in humans due to the lengthy regulatory process. We screened two hundred types of ingestible foodstuff samples for photoacoustic contrast with 1064 nm pulse laser excitation, and identified roasted barley as a promising candidate. Twenty brands of roasted barley were further screened to identify the one with the strongest contrast, presumably based on complex chemical modifications incurred during the roasting process. Individual roasted barley particles could be detected through 3.5 cm of chicken-breast tissue and through the whole hand of healthy human volunteers. With PACT, but not ultrasound imaging, a single grain of roasted barley was detected in a field of hundreds of non-roasted particles. Upon oral administration, roasted barley enabled imaging of the gut and peristalsis in mice. Prepared roasted barley tea could be detected through 2.5 cm chicken breast tissue. When barley tea was administered to humans, photoacoustic imaging visualized swallowing dynamics in healthy volunteers. Thus, roasted barley represents an edible foodstuff that should be considered for photoacoustic contrast imaging of swallowing and gut processes, with immediate potential for clinical translation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of enzyme production by submerged culture of Aspergillus oryzae using whole barley.

PubMed

Masuda, Susumu; Kikuchi, Kaori; Matsumoto, Yuko; Sugimoto, Toshikazu; Shoji, Hiroshi; Tanabe, Masayuki

2009-10-01

We have reported on high enzyme production by submerged culture of Aspergillus kawachii using barley with the husk (whole barley). To elucidate the mechanism underlying this high enzyme production, we performed a detailed analysis. Aspergillus oryzae RIB40 was submerged-cultured using whole barley and milled whole barley. Enzyme production was analyzed in terms of changes in medium components and gene expression levels. When whole barley was used, high production of glucoamylase and alpha-amylase and high gene expression levels of these enzymes were observed. Low ammonium concentrations were maintained with nitrate ion uptake continuing into the late stage using whole barley. These findings suggest that the sustainability of nitrogen metabolism is related to high enzyme production, and that a mechanism other than that associated with the conventional amylase expression system is involved in this relationship.

Epidemiology and control of rusts of wheat and barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rusts of wheat and barley were monitored throughout the Pacific Northwest (PNW) using trap plots and through field surveys during the 2008 growing season. Through collaborators in other states, stripe rusts of wheat and barley were monitored throughout the US. In 2008, stripe rust occurred in 18 st...

Characterizing the Pyrenophora teres f. maculata–Barley Interaction Using Pathogen Genetics

PubMed Central

Carlsen, Steven A.; Neupane, Anjan; Wyatt, Nathan A.; Richards, Jonathan K.; Faris, Justin D.; Xu, Steven S.; Brueggeman, Robert S.; Friesen, Timothy L.

2017-01-01

Pyrenophora teres f. maculata is the cause of the foliar disease spot form net blotch (SFNB) on barley. To evaluate pathogen genetics underlying the P. teres f. maculata–barley interaction, we developed a 105-progeny population by crossing two globally diverse isolates, one from North Dakota and the other from Western Australia. Progeny were phenotyped on a set of four barley genotypes showing a differential reaction to the parental isolates, then genotyped using a restriction site-associated-genotype-by-sequencing (RAD-GBS) approach. Genetic maps were developed for use in quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis to identify virulence-associated QTL. Six QTL were identified on five different linkage groups and individually accounted for 20–37% of the disease variation, with the number of significant QTL ranging from two to four for the barley genotypes evaluated. The data presented demonstrate the complexity of virulence involved in the P. teres f. maculata–barley pathosystem and begins to lay the foundation for understanding this important interaction. PMID:28659291

Barley Transformation Using Agrobacterium-Mediated Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harwood, Wendy A.; Bartlett, Joanne G.; Alves, Silvia C.; Perry, Matthew; Smedley, Mark A.; Leyland, Nicola; Snape, John W.

Methods for the transformation of barley using Agrobacterium-mediated techniques have been available for the past 10 years. Agrobacterium offers a number of advantages over biolistic-mediated techniques in terms of efficiency and the quality of the transformed plants produced. This chapter describes a simple system for the transformation of barley based on the infection of immature embryos with Agrobacterium tumefaciens followed by the selection of transgenic tissue on media containing the antibiotic hygromycin. The method can lead to the production of large numbers of fertile, independent transgenic lines. It is therefore ideal for studies of gene function in a cereal crop system.

Involvement of Alternative Splicing in Barley Seed Germination

PubMed Central

Zhang, Qisen; Zhang, Xiaoqi; Wang, Songbo; Tan, Cong; Zhou, Gaofeng; Li, Chengdao

2016-01-01

Seed germination activates many new biological processes including DNA, membrane and mitochondrial repairs and requires active protein synthesis and sufficient energy supply. Alternative splicing (AS) regulates many cellular processes including cell differentiation and environmental adaptations. However, limited information is available on the regulation of seed germination at post-transcriptional levels. We have conducted RNA-sequencing experiments to dissect AS events in barley seed germination. We identified between 552 and 669 common AS transcripts in germinating barley embryos from four barley varieties (Hordeum vulgare L. Bass, Baudin, Harrington and Stirling). Alternative 3’ splicing (34%-45%), intron retention (32%-34%) and alternative 5’ splicing (16%-21%) were three major AS events in germinating embryos. The AS transcripts were predominantly mapped onto ribosome, RNA transport machineries, spliceosome, plant hormone signal transduction, glycolysis, sugar and carbon metabolism pathways. Transcripts of these genes were also very abundant in the early stage of seed germination. Correlation analysis of gene expression showed that AS hormone responsive transcripts could also be co-expressed with genes responsible for protein biosynthesis and sugar metabolisms. Our RNA-sequencing data revealed that AS could play important roles in barley seed germination. PMID:27031341

Leaf rust of cultivated barley: pathology and control.

PubMed

Park, Robert F; Golegaonkar, Prashant G; Derevnina, Lida; Sandhu, Karanjeet S; Karaoglu, Haydar; Elmansour, Huda M; Dracatos, Peter M; Singh, Davinder

2015-01-01

Leaf rust of barley is caused by the macrocyclic, heteroecious rust pathogen Puccinia hordei, with aecia reported from selected species of the genera Ornithogalum, Leopoldia, and Dipcadi, and uredinia and telia occurring on Hordeum vulgare, H. vulgare ssp. spontaneum, Hordeum bulbosum, and Hordeum murinum, on which distinct parasitic specialization occurs. Although Puccinia hordei is sporadic in its occurrence, it is probably the most common and widely distributed rust disease of barley. Leaf rust has increased in importance in recent decades in temperate barley-growing regions, presumably because of more intensive agricultural practices. Although total crop loss does not occur, under epidemic conditions yield reductions of up to 62% have been reported in susceptible varieties. Leaf rust is primarily controlled by the use of resistant cultivars, and, to date, 21 seedling resistance genes and two adult plant resistance (APR) genes have been identified. Virulence has been detected for most seedling resistance genes but is unknown for the APR genes Rph20 and Rph23. Other potentially new sources of APR have been reported, and additivity has been described for some of these resistances. Approaches to achieving durable resistance to leaf rust in barley are discussed.

Fast characterization of C-glycoside acetophenones in Medemia argun male racemes (an Ancient Egyptian palm) using LC-MS analyses and computational study with their antioxidant effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Said, Ridha; Hamed, Arafa I.; Essalah, Khaled; Al-Ayed, Abdullah S.; Boughdiri, Salima; Tangour, Bahoueddine; Kowalczyk, Mariusz; Moldoch, Jaroslaw; Mahalel, Usama A.; Olezek, Wolesow; Stochmal, Anna

2017-10-01

Medemia argun is an ancient endemic palm growing in Nubian Desert of Egypt and Sudan. Liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry in negative ion mode (LC/ESI-MS) has proved to be a potent tool for rapid identification and characterization of complex phytochemicals in male racemes of M. argun. A total of seven compounds were tentatively identified comprising of two C-glycoside acetophenones, along with the known compounds one stilbene derivative and four known flavonol derivatives from 40% methanolic portion. The product ions of acetophenone derivatives [M-H]- were shown to be cross-ring cleavages of the hexoside moiety [M-(90/120)-H]- characteristic for C-glycoside linkage. The position of Csbnd C-linkage was elucidated by DFT study using the Fukui functions and descriptors. The results revealed that hexose was conjugated with aglycones at C3 or C5. In addition, the theoretical antioxidant activity of compounds 6 and 7 was evaluated by using Bond Dissociation Enthalpy (BDE).

phiC31 Integrase-Mediated Site-Specific Recombination in Barley

PubMed Central

Rubtsova, Myroslava; Kumlehn, Jochen; Gils, Mario

2012-01-01

The Streptomyces phage phiC31 integrase was tested for its feasibility in excising transgenes from the barley genome through site-specific recombination. We produced transgenic barley plants expressing an active phiC31 integrase and crossed them with transgenic barley plants carrying a target locus for recombination. The target sequence involves a reporter gene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP), which is flanked by the attB and attP recognition sites for the phiC31 integrase. This sequence disruptively separates a gusA coding sequence from an upstream rice actin promoter. We succeeded in producing site-specific recombination events in the hybrid progeny of 11 independent barley plants carrying the above target sequence after crossing with plants carrying a phiC31 expression cassette. Some of the hybrids displayed fully executed recombination. Excision of the GFP gene fostered activation of the gusA gene, as visualized in tissue of hybrid plants by histochemical staining. The recombinant loci were detected in progeny of selfed F1, even in individuals lacking the phiC31 transgene, which provides evidence of stability and generative transmission of the recombination events. In several plants that displayed incomplete recombination, extrachromosomal excision circles were identified. Besides the technical advance achieved in this study, the generated phiC31 integrase-expressing barley plants provide foundational stock material for use in future approaches to barley genetic improvement, such as the production of marker-free transgenic plants or switching transgene activity. PMID:23024817

Structural comparison of arabinoxylans from two barley side-stream fractions.

PubMed

Pitkänen, Leena; Tuomainen, Päivi; Virkki, Liisa; Aseyev, Vladimir; Tenkanen, Maija

2008-07-09

The structures of barley ( Hordeum vulgare) arabinoxylans isolated from two industrial side fractions, barley husks (BH) and barley fiber (BF), were characterized. Arabinoxylans were extracted with saturated barium hydroxide after enzymatic pretreatment. Barium hydroxide was selective toward arabinoxylans, and only a minor amount of glucose-containing material was coextracted. Acid methanolysis followed by gas chromatography, 1H NMR spectroscopy, and specific enzymatic treatments followed by anion exchange chromatography with pulse amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) revealed that the chemical structure of barley husk arabinoxylan (BHAX) clearly differed from that of barley fiber arabinoxylan (BFAX). BFAX was more branched, containing more beta-D-xylopyranosyl (beta-D-Xylp) residues carrying alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl (alpha-L-Araf) units at both O-2 and O-3 positions. BHAX, on the other hand, contained more 2-O-beta-D-Xyl p-alpha-L-Ara f substituents than BFAX. BHAX and BFAX also differed with respect to the hydrodynamic properties investigated with multidetector size exclusion chromatography. BFAX had a higher weight-average molar mass and larger hydrodynamic volume, the latter indicating less dense conformation than BHAX. Mn, Mw /Mn, Rh, and the Mark-Houwink a value were also determined for both arabinoxylans.

7 CFR 810.206 - Grades and grade requirements for barley.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... weight per bushel (pounds) Sound barley (percent) Maximum Limits of— Damaged kernels 1 (percent) Heat damaged kernels (percent) Foreign material (percent) Broken kernels (percent) Thin barley (percent) U.S... or otherwise of distinctly low quality. 1 Includes heat-damaged kernels. Injured-by-frost kernels and...

Biotype differences for resistance to Russian wheat aphid in barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Russian wheat aphid (RWA) is a worldwide insect pest of barley, causing crop losses each year. Previously identified resistant barley lines do not show variable reactions to the eight USA RWA biotypes identified by wheat reactions. However, additional RWA isolates have been identified outside the ...

Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Aluminum Tolerance in Cultivated and Tibetan Wild Barley

PubMed Central

Cai, Shengguan; Wu, Dezhi; Jabeen, Zahra; Huang, Yuqing; Huang, Yechang; Zhang, Guoping

2013-01-01

Tibetan wild barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ssp. spontaneum), originated and grown in harsh enviroment in Tibet, is well-known for its rich germpalsm with high tolerance to abiotic stresses. However, the genetic variation and genes involved in Al tolerance are not totally known for the wild barley. In this study, a genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) was performed by using four root parameters related with Al tolerance and 469 DArT markers on 7 chromosomes within or across 110 Tibetan wild accessions and 56 cultivated cultivars. Population structure and cluster analysis revealed that a wide genetic diversity was present in Tibetan wild barley. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) decayed more rapidly in Tibetan wild barley (9.30 cM) than cultivated barley (11.52 cM), indicating that GWAS may provide higher resolution in the Tibetan group. Two novel Tibetan group-specific loci, bpb-9458 and bpb-8524 were identified, which were associated with relative longest root growth (RLRG), located at 2H and 7H on barely genome, and could explain 12.9% and 9.7% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Moreover, a common locus bpb-6949, localized 0.8 cM away from a candidate gene HvMATE, was detected in both wild and cultivated barleys, and showed significant association with total root growth (TRG). The present study highlights that Tibetan wild barley could provide elite germplasm novel genes for barley Al-tolerant improvement. PMID:23922796

Barley HvPAPhy_a as transgene provides high and stable phytase activities in mature barley straw and in grains.

PubMed

Holme, Inger Baeksted; Dionisio, Giuseppe; Madsen, Claus Krogh; Brinch-Pedersen, Henrik

2017-04-01

The phytase purple acid phosphatase (HvPAPhy_a) expressed during barley seed development was evaluated as transgene for overexpression in barley. The phytase was expressed constitutively driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S-promoter, and the phytase activity was measured in the mature grains, the green leaves and in the dry mature vegetative plant parts left after harvest of the grains. The T 2 -generation of HvPAPhy_a transformed barley showed phytase activity increases up to 19-fold (29 000 phytase units (FTU) per kg in mature grains). Moreover, also in green leaves and mature dry straw, phytase activities were increased significantly by 110-fold (52 000 FTU/kg) and 57-fold (51 000 FTU/kg), respectively. The HvPAPhy_a-transformed barley plants with high phytase activities possess triple potential utilities for the improvement of phosphate bioavailability. First of all, the utilization of the mature grains as feed to increase the release of bio-available phosphate and minerals bound to the phytate of the grains; secondly, the utilization of the powdered straw either directly or phytase extracted hereof as a supplement to high phytate feed or food; and finally, the use of the stubble to be ploughed into the soil for mobilizing phytate-bound phosphate for plant growth. © 2016 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development and Implementation of High-Throughput SNP Genotyping in Barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Approximately 22,000 SNPs were identified from barley ESTs and sequenced amplicons; 4,596 of them were tested for performance in three pilot phase Illumina GoldenGate assays. Pilot phase data from three barley doubled haploid mapping populations supported the production of an initial consensus map, ...

Expression of stress/defense-related genes in barley grown under space environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugimoto, Manabu; Shagimardanova, Elena; Gusev, Oleg; Bingham, Gail; Levinskikh, Margarita; Sychev, Vladimir

Plants are exposed to the extreme environment in space, especially space radiation is suspected to induce oxidative stress by generating high-energy free radicals and microgravity would enhance the effect of space radiation, however, current understandings of plant growth and responses on this synergistic effect of radiation and microgravity is limited to a few experiments. In this study, expression of stress/defense-related genes in barley grown under space environment was analyzed by RT-PCR and DNA microarray experiments to understand plant responses and adaptation to space environment and to develop the space stress-tolerant plants. The seeds of barley, Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Haruna nijo, kept in the international space station (ISS) over 4 months, were germinated after 3 days of irrigation in LADA plant growth chamber onboard Russian segment of ISS and the final germination ratio was over 90 %. The height of plants was about 50 to 60 cm and flag leaf has been opened after 26 days of irrigation under 24 hr lighting, showing the similar growth to ground-grown barley. Expression levels of stress/defense-related genes in space-grown barley were compared to those in ground-grown barley by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. In 17 stress/defense-related genes that are up-regulated by oxidative stress or other abiotic stress, only catalase, pathogenesis-related protein 13, chalcone synthase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase genes were increased in space-grown barley. DNA microarrya analysis with the GeneChip Barley Genome Array showed the similar expression profiles of the stress/defense-related genes to those by RT-PCR experiment, suggesting that the barley germinated and grown in LADA onboard ISS is not damaged by space environment, especially oxidative stress induced by space radiation and microgravity.

Pasting and rheological properties of chia composites containing barley flour

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The chia containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs) was composited with barley flour having high ß-glucan content. Both omega-3 PUFAs and ß-glucan are well known for lowering blood cholesterol and preventing coronary heart disease. Barley flour was dry blended with ground chia ...

Ancient Astronomy in Armenia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsamian, Elma S.

2007-08-01

The most important discovery, which enriched our knowledge of ancient astronomy in Armenia, was the complex of platforms for astronomical observations on the Small Hill of Metzamor, which may be called an ancient “observatory”. Investigations on that Hill show that the ancient inhabitants of the Armenian Highlands have left us not only pictures of celestial bodies, but a very ancient complex of platforms for observing the sky. Among the ancient monuments in Armenia there is a megalithic monument, probably, being connected with astronomy. 250km South-East of Yerevan there is a structure Zorats Kar (Karahunge) dating back to II millennium B.C. Vertical megaliths many of which are more than two meters high form stone rings resembling ancient stone monuments - henges in Great Britain and Brittany. Medieval observations of comets and novas by data in ancient Armenian manuscripts are found. In the collection of ancient Armenian manuscripts (Matenadaran) in Yerevan there are many manuscripts with information about observations of astronomical events as: solar and lunar eclipses, comets and novas, bolides and meteorites etc. in medieval Armenia.

Ancient Resistome.

PubMed

Olaitan, Abiola Olumuyiwa; Rolain, Jean-Marc

2016-08-01

Antibiotic resistance is an ancient biological mechanism in bacteria, although its proliferation in our contemporary world has been amplified through antimicrobial therapy. Recent studies conducted on ancient environmental and human samples have uncovered numerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes. The resistance genes that have been reported from the analysis of ancient bacterial DNA include genes coding for several classes of antibiotics, such as glycopeptides, β-lactams, tetracyclines, and macrolides. The investigation of the resistome of ancient bacteria is a recent and emerging field of research, and technological advancements such as next-generation sequencing will further contribute to its growth. It is hoped that the knowledge gained from this research will help us to better understand the evolution of antibiotic resistance genes and will also be used in drug design as a proactive measure against antibiotic resistance.

Biotesting of radioactively contaminated forest soils using barley-based bioassay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mel'nikova, T. V.; Polyakova, L. P.; Oudalova, A. A.

2017-01-01

Findings from radioactivity and phytotoxicity study are presented for soils from nine study-sites of the Klintsovsky Forestry located in the Bryansk region that were radioactively contaminated after the Chernobyl accident. According to the bioassay based on barley as test-species, stimulating effect of the soils analyzed is revealed for biological indexes of the length of barley roots and sprouts. From data on 137Cs specific activities in soils and plant biomass, the migration potential of radionuclide in the "soil-plant" system is assessed as a transfer factor. With correlation analysis, an impact of 137Cs in soil on the biological characteristics of barley is estimated.

Production of Ethanol From Newly Developed and Improved Winter Barley Cultivars.

PubMed

Nghiem, Nhuan P; Brooks, Wynse S; Griffey, Carl A; Toht, Matthew J

2017-05-01

Winter barley has attracted strong interest as a potential feedstock for fuel ethanol production in regions with mild winter climate such as the mid-Atlantic and northeastern USA. Ten recently developed and improved winter barley cultivars and breeding lines including five hulled and five hull-less lines were experimentally evaluated for potential ethanol production. The five hulled barley lines included three released cultivars (Thoroughbred, Atlantic, and Secretariat) and two breeding lines (VA09B-34 and VA11B-4). The five hull-less lines also included three released cultivars (Eve, Dan, and Amaze 10) and two breeding lines (VA08H-65 and VA13H-34). On the average, the hull-less barley cultivars produced more ethanol per unit mass because of their higher starch and β-glucan contents. However, since the hulled barley cultivars had higher agronomic yield, the potential ethanol production per acre of land for the two types were approximately equal. Among the ten cultivars tested, the hull-less cultivar Amaze 10 was the best one for ethanol production. The ethanol yield values obtained for this cultivar were 2.61 gal per bushel and 292 gal per acre.

7 CFR 457.102 - Wheat or barley winter coverage endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... designate both a fall final planting date and a spring final planting date, and for which the actuarial... planted spring barley. 6. If you elect this endorsement for winter barley, the contract change, cancellation, and termination dates applicable to wheat in the county will be applicable to all your spring and...

7 CFR 457.102 - Wheat or barley winter coverage endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... designate both a fall final planting date and a spring final planting date, and for which the actuarial... planted spring barley. 6. If you elect this endorsement for winter barley, the contract change, cancellation, and termination dates applicable to wheat in the county will be applicable to all your spring and...

7 CFR 457.102 - Wheat or barley winter coverage endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... designate both a fall final planting date and a spring final planting date, and for which the actuarial... planted spring barley. 6. If you elect this endorsement for winter barley, the contract change, cancellation, and termination dates applicable to wheat in the county will be applicable to all your spring and...

7 CFR 457.102 - Wheat or barley winter coverage endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... designate both a fall final planting date and a spring final planting date, and for which the actuarial... planted spring barley. 6. If you elect this endorsement for winter barley, the contract change, cancellation, and termination dates applicable to wheat in the county will be applicable to all your spring and...

Fermentation of Barley by Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Examination of Barley as a Feedstock for Bioethanol Production and Value-Added Products ▿

PubMed Central

Gibreel, Amera; Sandercock, James R.; Lan, Jingui; Goonewardene, Laksiri A.; Zijlstra, Ruurd T.; Curtis, Jonathan M.; Bressler, David C.

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine the ethanol yield potential of three barley varieties (Xena, Bold, and Fibar) in comparison to two benchmarks, corn and wheat. Very high gravity (VHG; 30% solids) fermentations using both conventional and Stargen 001 enzymes for starch hydrolysis were carried out as simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. The grains and their corresponding dried distiller's grain with solubles (DDGS) were also analyzed for nutritional and value-added characteristics. A VHG traditional fermentation approach utilizing jet-cooking fermentation revealed that both dehulled Bold and Xena barley produced ethanol concentrations higher than that produced by wheat (12.3, 12.2, and 11.9%, respectively) but lower than that produced by corn (13.8%). VHG-modified Stargen-based fermentation of dehulled Bold barley demonstrated comparable performance (14.3% ethanol) relative to that of corn (14.5%) and wheat (13.3%). Several important components were found to survive fermentation and were concentrated in DDGS. The highest yield of phenolics was detected in the DDGS (modified Stargen 001, 20% solids) of Xena (14.6 mg of gallic acid/g) and Bold (15.0 mg of gallic acid/g) when the hull was not removed before fermentation. The highest concentration of sterols in DDGS from barley was found in Xena (3.9 mg/g) when the hull was included. The DDGS recovered from corn had the highest concentration of fatty acids (72.6 and 77.5 mg/g). The DDGS recovered from VHG jet-cooking fermentations of Fibar, dehulled Bold, and corn demonstrated similar levels of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Corn DDGS was highest in crude fat but was lowest in crude protein and in vitro energy digestibility. Wheat DDGS was highest in crude protein content, similar to previous studies. The barley DDGS was the highest in in vitro energy digestibility. PMID:19114516

Boron Stress Responsive MicroRNAs and Their Targets in Barley

PubMed Central

Ozhuner, Esma; Eldem, Vahap; Ipek, Arif; Okay, Sezer; Sakcali, Serdal; Zhang, Baohong; Boke, Hatice; Unver, Turgay

2013-01-01

Boron stress is an environmental factor affecting plant development and production. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be involved in several plant processes such as growth regulation and stress responses. In this study, miRNAs associated with boron stress were identified and characterized in barley. miRNA profiles were also comparatively analyzed between root and leave samples. A total of 31 known and 3 new miRNAs were identified in barley; 25 of them were found to respond to boron treatment. Several miRNAs were expressed in a tissue specific manner; for example, miR156d, miR171a, miR397, and miR444a were only detected in leaves. Additionally, a total of 934 barley transcripts were found to be specifically targeted and degraded by miRNAs. In silico analysis of miRNA target genes demonstrated that many miRNA targets are conserved transcription factors such as Squamosa promoter-binding protein, Auxin response factor (ARF), and the MYB transcription factor family. A majority of these targets were responsible for plant growth and response to environmental changes. We also propose that some of the miRNAs in barley such as miRNA408 might play critical roles against boron exposure. In conclusion, barley may use several pathways and cellular processes targeted by miRNAs to cope with boron stress. PMID:23555702

Genetic dissection of grain beta-glucan and amylose content in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

High beta glucan (BG) barleys (Hordeum vulgare L.) have major potential as food ingredients due to the well know health benefits. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with BG have been reported in hulled barley, however no QTL studies have been reported in hulless barley. In this study, QTL an...

Construction of a map-based reference genome sequence for barley, Hordeum vulgare L.

PubMed Central

Beier, Sebastian; Himmelbach, Axel; Colmsee, Christian; Zhang, Xiao-Qi; Barrero, Roberto A.; Zhang, Qisen; Li, Lin; Bayer, Micha; Bolser, Daniel; Taudien, Stefan; Groth, Marco; Felder, Marius; Hastie, Alex; Šimková, Hana; Staňková, Helena; Vrána, Jan; Chan, Saki; Muñoz-Amatriaín, María; Ounit, Rachid; Wanamaker, Steve; Schmutzer, Thomas; Aliyeva-Schnorr, Lala; Grasso, Stefano; Tanskanen, Jaakko; Sampath, Dharanya; Heavens, Darren; Cao, Sujie; Chapman, Brett; Dai, Fei; Han, Yong; Li, Hua; Li, Xuan; Lin, Chongyun; McCooke, John K.; Tan, Cong; Wang, Songbo; Yin, Shuya; Zhou, Gaofeng; Poland, Jesse A.; Bellgard, Matthew I.; Houben, Andreas; Doležel, Jaroslav; Ayling, Sarah; Lonardi, Stefano; Langridge, Peter; Muehlbauer, Gary J.; Kersey, Paul; Clark, Matthew D.; Caccamo, Mario; Schulman, Alan H.; Platzer, Matthias; Close, Timothy J.; Hansson, Mats; Zhang, Guoping; Braumann, Ilka; Li, Chengdao; Waugh, Robbie; Scholz, Uwe; Stein, Nils; Mascher, Martin

2017-01-01

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a cereal grass mainly used as animal fodder and raw material for the malting industry. The map-based reference genome sequence of barley cv. ‘Morex’ was constructed by the International Barley Genome Sequencing Consortium (IBSC) using hierarchical shotgun sequencing. Here, we report the experimental and computational procedures to (i) sequence and assemble more than 80,000 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones along the minimum tiling path of a genome-wide physical map, (ii) find and validate overlaps between adjacent BACs, (iii) construct 4,265 non-redundant sequence scaffolds representing clusters of overlapping BACs, and (iv) order and orient these BAC clusters along the seven barley chromosomes using positional information provided by dense genetic maps, an optical map and chromosome conformation capture sequencing (Hi-C). Integrative access to these sequence and mapping resources is provided by the barley genome explorer (BARLEX). PMID:28448065

Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase genes in barley and wheat: cloning and heterologous expression.

PubMed

Galuszka, Petr; Frébortová, Jitka; Werner, Tomás; Yamada, Mamoru; Strnad, Miroslav; Schmülling, Thomas; Frébort, Ivo

2004-10-01

The cloning of two novel genes that encode cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) in barley is described in this work. Transformation of both genes into Arabidopsis and tobacco showed that at least one of the genes codes for a functional enzyme, as its expression caused a cytokinin-deficient phenotype in the heterologous host plants. Additional cloning of two gene fragments, and an in silico search in the public expressed sequence tag clone databases, revealed the presence of at least 13 more members of the CKX gene family in barley and wheat. The expression of three selected barley genes was analyzed by RT-PCR and found to be organ-specific with peak expression in mature kernels. One barley CKX (HvCKX2) was characterized in detail after heterologous expression in tobacco. Interestingly, this enzyme shows a pH optimum at 4.5 and a preference for cytokinin ribosides as substrates, which may indicate its vacuolar targeting. Different substrate specificities, and the pH profiles of cytokinin-degrading enzymes extracted from different barley tissues, are also presented.

Substitution of wheat dried distillers grains with solubles for barley grain or barley silage in feedlot cattle diets: intake, digestibility, and ruminal fermentation.

PubMed

Li, Y L; McAllister, T A; Beauchemin, K A; He, M L; McKinnon, J J; Yang, W Z

2011-08-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of substituting wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) for barley grain and barley silage on intake, digestibility, and ruminal fermentation in feedlot beef cattle. Eight ruminally cannulated Angus heifers (initial BW 455 ± 10.8 kg) were assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 4 treatments: control, low (25%), medium (30%), and high (35%) wheat DDGS (DM basis). The diets consisted of barley silage, barley concentrate, and wheat DDGS in ratios of 15:85:0 (CON), 10:65:25 (25DDGS), 5:65:30 (30DDGS), and 0:65:35 (35DDGS; DM basis), respectively. The diets were formulated such that wheat DDGS was substituted for both barley grain and barley silage to evaluate whether wheat DDGS can be fed as a source of both energy (grain) and fiber in feedlot finishing diets. Intakes (kg/d) of DM and OM were not different, whereas those of CP, NDF, ADF, and ether extract (EE) were greater (P < 0.01) and intake of starch was less (P < 0.01) for the 25DDGS compared with the CON diet. The digestibilities of CP, NDF, ADF, and EE in the total digestive tract were greater (P < 0.05) for 25DDGS vs. CON. Ruminal pH and total VFA concentrations were not different (P > 0.15) between 25DDGS and CON diets. Replacing barley silage with increasing amounts of wheat DDGS (i.e., from 25DDGS to 35DDGS) linearly reduced (P < 0.05) intakes of DM and other nutrients without altering (P=0.40) CP intake. In contrast, digestibilities of DM and other nutrients in the total digestive tract linearly increased (P < 0.05) with increasing wheat DDGS except for that of EE. Additionally, with increasing amounts of wheat DDGS, mean ruminal pH tended (P=0.10) to linearly decrease, and ruminal pH status decreased with longer (P=0.04) duration of pH <5.5 and <5.2, and greater (P=0.01) curve area under pH <5.8 and <5.5 without altering (P > 0.19) ruminal VFA and NH(3)-N concentrations. Results indicated that wheat DDGS can be effectively

Cold-Specific Induction of a Dehydrin Gene Family Member in Barley.

PubMed Central

Van Zee, K.; Chen, F. Q.; Hayes, P. M.; Close, T. J.; Chen, THH.

1995-01-01

An interval on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) chromosome 7 accounting for significant quantitative trait locus effects for winter hardiness were detected in a winter (Dicktoo) x spring (Morex) barley population (P.M. Hayes, T. Blake, T.H.H. Chen, S. Tragoonrung, F. Chen, A. Pan, and B. Liu [1993] Genome 36: 66-71). Two members of the barley dehydrin gene family, Dhn1 and Dhn2, were located within the region defining the winter hardiness quantitative trait locus effect (A. Pan, P.M. Hayes, F. Chen, T. Blake, T.H.H. Chen, T.T.S. Wright, I. Karsai, Z. Bedo [1994] Theor Appl Genet 89: 900-910). To investigate the possible role of Dhn1 and Dhn2 in winter hardiness, we examined the expression pattern of six barley dehydrin gene family members in shoot tissue in response to cold temperature. Incubation of 3-week-old barley plants at 2[deg]C resulted in a rapid induction of a single 86-kD polypeptide that was recognized by an antiserum against a peptide conserved in the dehydrin gene family. Northern blot analysis confirmed the induction of an mRNA corresponding to Dhn5. The expression patterns of cold-induced dehydrins in shoot tissue for Dicktoo and Morex were identical under the conditions studied, in spite of the known phenotypic differences in their winter hardiness. These results, together with the allelic structure of selected high- and low-survival lines, suggest that the Dicktoo alleles at the Dhn1 and Dhn2 may not be the primary determinants of winter hardiness in barley. PMID:12228540

Diversity and Evolution of Disease Resistance Genes in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

PubMed Central

Andersen, Ethan J.; Ali, Shaukat; Reese, R. Neil; Yen, Yang; Neupane, Surendra; Nepal, Madhav P.

2016-01-01

Plant disease resistance genes (R-genes) play a critical role in the defense response to pathogens. Barley is one of the most important cereal crops, having a genome recently made available, for which the diversity and evolution of R-genes are not well understood. The main objectives of this research were to conduct a genome-wide identification of barley Coiled-coil, Nucleotide-binding site, Leucine-rich repeat (CNL) genes and elucidate their evolutionary history. We employed a Hidden Markov Model using 52 Arabidopsis thaliana CNL reference sequences and analyzed for phylogenetic relationships, structural variation, and gene clustering. We identified 175 barley CNL genes nested into three clades, showing (a) evidence of an expansion of the CNL-C clade, primarily due to tandem duplications; (b) very few members of clade CNL-A and CNL-B; and (c) a complete absence of clade CNL-D. Our results also showed that several of the previously identified mildew locus A (MLA) genes may be allelic variants of two barley CNL genes, MLOC_66581 and MLOC_10425, which respond to powdery mildew. Approximately 23% of the barley CNL genes formed 15 gene clusters located in the extra-pericentromeric regions on six of the seven chromosomes; more than half of the clustered genes were located on chromosomes 1H and 7H. Higher average numbers of exons and multiple splice variants in barley relative to those in Arabidopsis and rice may have contributed to a diversification of the CNL-C members. These results will help us understand the evolution of R-genes with potential implications for developing durable resistance in barley cultivars. PMID:27168720

Production of ethanol from newly developed and improved winter barley cultivars

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Winter barley has attracted strong interest as a potential feedstock for fuel ethanol production in regions with mild winter climates such as the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States. Ten recently developed and improved winter barley cultivars and breeding lines, including five hulled and fiv...

Transcriptome analysis of trichothecene-induced gene expression in barley.

PubMed

Boddu, Jayanand; Cho, Seungho; Muehlbauer, Gary J

2007-11-01

Fusarium head blight, caused primarily by Fusarium graminearum, is a major disease problem on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Trichothecene mycotoxins produced by the fungus during infection increase the aggressiveness of the fungus and promote infection in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Loss-of-function mutations in the TRI5 gene in F. graminearum result in the inability to synthesize trichothecenes and in reduced virulence on wheat. We examined the impact of pathogen-derived trichothecenes on virulence and the transcriptional differences in barley spikes infected with a trichothecene-producing wild-type strain and a loss-of-function tri5 trichothecene nonproducing mutant. Disease severity, fungal biomass, and floret necrosis and bleaching were reduced in spikes inoculated with the tri5 mutant strain compared with the wild-type strain, indicating that the inability to synthesize trichothecenes results in reduced virulence in barley. We detected 63 transcripts that were induced during trichothecene accumulation, including genes encoding putative trichothecene detoxification and transport proteins, ubiquitination-related proteins, programmed cell death-related proteins, transcription factors, and cytochrome P450s. We also detected 414 gene transcripts that were designated as basal defense response genes largely independent of trichothecene accumulation. Our results show that barley exhibits a specific response to trichothecene accumulation that can be separated from the basal defense response. We propose that barley responds to trichothecene accumulation by inducing at least two general responses. One response is the induction of genes encoding trichothecene detoxification and transport activities that may reduce the impact of trichothecenes. The other response is to induce genes encoding proteins associated with ubiquitination and cell death which may promote successful establishment of the disease.

Effects of barley β-glucan-enriched flour fractions on the glycaemic index of bread.

PubMed

Finocchiaro, Franca; Ferrari, Barbara; Gianinetti, Alberto; Scazzina, Francesca; Pellegrini, Nicoletta; Caramanico, Rosita; Salati, Claudia; Shirvanian, Vigen; Stanca, Antonio Michele

2012-02-01

The aim of this research was to evaluate β-glucan-enriched flours, obtained from barleys with either normal or waxy starch, for their effects on the glycaemic index (GI) and the quality of bread. Rheological results confirmed that when barley flour was included in the dough the overall quality of bread slightly worsened. However, positive consequences on glycaemia were obtained with the normal starch barley: the GI of all-wheat bread (82.8 ± 7.2) was significantly reduced (57.2 ± 7.9) when 40% of wheat flour was substituted with β-glucan-enriched barley flour (6.0% ± 0.1 β-glucan in the final flour blend). In contrast, this positive effect was significantly reduced (GI: 70.1 ± 9.1) when 40% of wheat flour was substituted with the β-glucan-enriched flour of a waxy barley (CDC Alamo; 6.6 ± 0.2 β-glucan in the final flour blend), suggesting that the ability of β-glucans to lower the GI was affected by the barley starch-type.

Endosperm structure affects the malting quality of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

PubMed

Holopainen, Ulla R M; Wilhelmson, Annika; Salmenkallio-Marttila, Marjatta; Peltonen-Sainio, Pirjo; Rajala, Ari; Reinikainen, Pekka; Kotaviita, Erja; Simolin, Helena; Home, Silja

2005-09-07

Twenty-seven barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) samples collected from growing sites in Scandinavia in 2001 and 2002 were examined to study the effect of endosperm structure on malting behavior. Samples were micromalted, and several malt characteristics were measured. Samples were classified as having a mealier or steelier endosperm on the basis of light transflectance (LTm). Because endosperm structure is greatly dependent on protein content, three barley sample pairs with similar protein contents were chosen for further analysis. During malting, the steelier barley samples produced less root mass, but showed higher respiration losses and higher activities of starch-hydrolyzing enzymes. Malts made from steelier barley had a less friable structure, with more urea-soluble D hordein and more free amino nitrogen and soluble protein. The reason for these differences may lie in the structure or localization of the hordeins as well as the possible effects of endosperm packing on water uptake and movement of enzymes.

Effects of process parameters on the properties of barley containing snacks enriched with brewer's spent grain.

PubMed

Kirjoranta, Satu; Tenkanen, Maija; Jouppila, Kirsi

2016-01-01

Brewer's spent grain (BSG), a by-product of malting of barley in the production of malt extract, was used as an ingredient in extruded barley-based snacks in order to improve the nutritional value of the snacks and widen the applications of this by-product in food sector. The effects of the extrusion parameters on the selected properties of the snacks were studied. Snacks with different ingredients including whole grain barley flour, BSG, whey protein isolate (WPI), barley starch and waxy corn starch were produced in 5 separate trials using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. Extrusion parameters were water content of the mass (17-23 %), screw speed (200-500 rpm) and temperature of the last section and die (110-150 °C). Expansion, hardness and water content of the snacks were determined. Snacks containing barley flour and BSG (10 % of solids) had small expansion and high hardness. Addition of WPI (20 % of solids) increased expansion only slightly. Snacks with high expansion and small hardness were obtained when part of the barley flour was replaced with starch (barley or waxy corn). Yet, the highest expansion and the smallest hardness were achieved when barley flour was used with barley starch and WPI without BSG. Furthermore, expansion increased by increasing screw speed and decreasing water content of the mass in most of the trials. This study showed that BSG is a suitable material for extruded snacks rich in dietary fiber. Physical properties of the snacks could be improved by using barley or waxy corn starch and WPI.

Barley Coleoptile Peroxidases. Purification, Molecular Cloning, and Induction by Pathogens1

PubMed Central

Kristensen, Brian Kåre; Bloch, Helle; Rasmussen, Søren Kjærsgaard

1999-01-01

A cDNA clone encoding the Prx7 peroxidase from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) predicted a 341-amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 36,515. N- and C-terminal putative signal peptides were present, suggesting a vacuolar location of the peroxidase. Immunoblotting and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction showed that the Prx7 protein and mRNA accumulated abundantly in barley coleoptiles and in leaf epidermis inoculated with powdery mildew fungus (Blumeria graminis). Two isoperoxidases with isoelectric points of 9.3 and 7.3 (P9.3 and P7.3, respectively) were purified to homogeneity from barley coleoptiles. P9.3 and P7.3 had Reinheitszahl values of 3.31 and 2.85 and specific activities (with 2,2′-azino-di-[3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid], pH 5.5, as the substrate) of 11 and 79 units/mg, respectively. N-terminal amino acid sequencing and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass-spectrometry peptide analysis identified the P9.3 peroxidase activity as due to Prx7. Tissue and subcellular accumulation of Prx7 was studied using activity-stained isoelectric focusing gels and immunoblotting. The peroxidase activity due to Prx7 accumulated in barley leaves 24 h after inoculation with powdery mildew spores or by wounding of epidermal cells. Prx7 accumulated predominantly in the epidermis, apparently in the vacuole, and appeared to be the only pathogen-induced vacuolar peroxidase expressed in barley tissues. The data presented here suggest that Prx7 is responsible for the biosynthesis of antifungal compounds known as hordatines, which accumulate abundantly in barley coleoptiles. PMID:10364401

Ancient Egypt.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evers, Virginia

This four-week fourth grade social studies unit dealing with religious dimensions in ancient Egyptian culture was developed by the Public Education Religion Studies Center at Wright State University. It seeks to help students understand ancient Egypt by looking at the people, the culture, and the people's world view. The unit begins with outlines…

Radium Isotopes in Nubian Aquifer Groundwater, Western Desert, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherif, M. I.; Sturchio, N. C.

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent of natural radioactivity from Ra isotopes in groundwater from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) in northeast Africa. Activities of long-lived Ra isotopes (226Ra and 228Ra) were analyzed in 40 groundwater samples from the NSAS in the Western Desert of Egypt; including Baharyia, Farafra, Dakhla, and Kharga Oases. The activities of 226Ra and 228Ra ranged from 0.012 Bq/L to 1.512 Bq/L and from 0.012 Bq/L to 2.136 Bq/L, respectively. High activities of Ra isotopes, up to 2000% higher than the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.185 Bq/L (combined 226Ra + 228Ra) for drinking water were measured in groundwater from some locations. Groundwater samples from Bahariya Oasis had the highest activities of Ra isotopes among the samples collected. No correlation between salinity and Ra activities was observed. The two radium isotopes are highly correlated in most samples with a 228Ra/226Ra activity ratio ranging from 1.04 to 3.12 and a median of 2.08; this indicates a high Th/U ratio in the aquifer materials. The weak correlation between Ra activities and salinity indicates that adsorption/desorption processes are not the primary mechanism of Ra release to groundwater. Recoil input of Ra from the aquifer rocks may be the dominant input mechanism. These results indicate that groundwater within the Western Desert must be used with caution for domestic and agricultural purposes, and radium removal may be necessary before water is used for human consumption.

Extraction of starch from hulled and hull-less barley with papain and aqueous sodium hydroxide.

PubMed

Sharma, Priyanka; Tejinder, S

2014-12-01

Starch was isolated from hulled (VJM 201) and hull-less (BL 134) barley with papain and aqueous sodium hydroxide treatments. For enzyme-assisted extraction, barley was steeped in water containing 0.2 % SO2 + 0.55 % lactic acid at 50° ± 2 °C for 4-5 h. The slurry was mixed with 0.4-2.0 g papain/kg barley and incubated at 50° ± 2 °C for 1-5 h. Aqueous sodium hydroxide (0.01-0.05 M) was added to the finely ground barley meal. The alkaline slurry was incubated at ambient temperature (25° ± 2 °C) for 15-60 min. The starch and grain fractions were isolated by screening and centrifugation. Increases in the time of treatment significantly affected the fiber, centrifugation and non-starch residue losses. Concentration of papain and sodium hydroxide had negligible effect on extraction losses. The enzyme-assisted extraction efficiency of starch was higher (80.7-84.6 %) than the alkaline method (70.9-83.7 %). The hulled barley showed higher extraction efficiency than the hull-less barley. The slurry treated with 0.4 g papain/kg barley for 5 h and 0.03 M sodium hydroxide for 60 min produced maximal yield of starch. Barley starch showed desirably high pasting temperature, water binding capacity and hold viscosity; and low final and setback viscosity compared with the commercial corn starch. The alkaline extracted hull-less barley starch showed exceptionally high peak and hold viscosities.

Fusariotoxicosis from barley in British Columbia. I. Natural occurrence and diagnosis.

PubMed

Greenway, J A; Puls, R

1976-01-01

Clinical sickness was observed in domestic ducks, geese, horses and swine during October 1973. All species showed upper alimentary distress with mortalities occurring in the geese. Barley derived from a common source had been fed. Examination of the barley revealed invasion by Fusarium spp and detection of a high level of dermatitic fusariotoxins.

Apps for Ancient Civilizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Stephanie

2011-01-01

This project incorporates technology and a historical emphasis on science drawn from ancient civilizations to promote a greater understanding of conceptual science. In the Apps for Ancient Civilizations project, students investigate an ancient culture to discover how people might have used science and math smartphone apps to make their lives…

The facial reconstruction of an Ancient Egyptian Queen.

PubMed

Manley, Bill; Eremin, Katherine; Shortland, Andrew; Wilkinson, Caroline

2002-12-01

The National Museums of Scotland Mummy Project has provided important new information about a burial excavated in Egypt. This has resulted in the facial reconstruction of a woman who was probably a queen at Thebes ca. 1570-1520 BCE. There are strong suggestions from the grave goods and her diet that this woman may have been ethnically Nubian rather than Egyptian. However, it is not yet possible to establish her ethnic identity for sure, so a definitive reconstruction of her appearance in life remains elusive.

Brassinosteroid enhances resistance to fusarium diseases of barley.

PubMed

Ali, Shahin S; Kumar, G B Sunil; Khan, Mojibur; Doohan, Fiona M

2013-12-01

Fusarium pathogens are among the most damaging pathogens of cereals. These pathogens have the ability to attack the roots, seedlings, and flowering heads of barley and wheat plants with disease, resulting in yield loss and head blight disease and also resulting in the contamination of grain with mycotoxins harmful to human and animal health. There is increasing evidence that brassinosteroid (BR) hormones play an important role in plant defense against both biotic and abiotic stress agents and this study set out to determine if and how BR might affect Fusarium diseases of barley. Application of the epibrassinolide (epiBL) to heads of 'Lux' barley reduced the severity of Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium culmorum by 86% and reduced the FHB-associated loss in grain weight by 33%. Growth of plants in soil amended with epiBL resulted in a 28 and 35% reduction in Fusarium seedling blight (FSB) symptoms on the Lux and 'Akashinriki' barley, respectively. Microarray analysis was used to determine whether growth in epiBL-amended soil changed the transcriptional profile in stem base tissue during the early stages of FSB development. At 24 and 48 h post F. culmorum inoculation, there were 146 epiBL-responsive transcripts, the majority being from the 48-h time point (n = 118). Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis validated the results for eight transcripts, including five defense genes. The results of gene expression studies show that chromatin remodeling, hormonal signaling, photosynthesis, and pathogenesis-related genes are activated in plants as a result of growth in epiBL.

Transcriptome reprogramming due to the introduction of a barley telosome into bread wheat affects more barley genes than wheat.

PubMed

Rey, Elodie; Abrouk, Michael; Keeble-Gagnère, Gabriel; Karafiátová, Miroslava; Vrána, Jan; Balzergue, Sandrine; Soubigou-Taconnat, Ludivine; Brunaud, Véronique; Martin-Magniette, Marie-Laure; Endo, Takashi R; Bartoš, Jan; Appels, Rudi; Doležel, Jaroslav

2018-03-06

Despite a long history, the production of useful alien introgression lines in wheat remains difficult mainly due to linkage drag and incomplete genetic compensation. In addition, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of foreign chromatin on plant phenotype. Here, a comparison of the transcriptomes of barley, wheat and a wheat-barley 7HL addition line allowed the transcriptional impact both on 7HL genes of a non-native genetic background and on the wheat gene complement as a result of the presence of 7HL to be assessed. Some 42% (389/923) of the 7HL genes assayed were differentially transcribed, which was the case for only 3% (960/35 301) of the wheat gene complement. The absence of any transcript in the addition line of a suite of chromosome 7A genes implied the presence of a 36 Mbp deletion at the distal end of the 7AL arm; this deletion was found to be in common across the full set of Chinese Spring/Betzes barley addition lines. The remaining differentially transcribed wheat genes were distributed across the whole genome. The up-regulated barley genes were mostly located in the proximal part of the 7HL arm, while the down-regulated ones were concentrated in the distal part; as a result, genes encoding basal cellular functions tended to be transcribed, while those encoding specific functions were suppressed. An insight has been gained into gene transcription in an alien introgression line, thereby providing a basis for understanding the interactions between wheat and exotic genes in introgression materials. © 2018 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparison of different pretreatment strategies for enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat and barley straw.

PubMed

Rosgaard, Lisa; Pedersen, Sven; Meyer, Anne S

2007-12-01

In biomass-to-ethanol processes a physico-chemical pretreatment of the lignocellulosic biomass is a critical requirement for enhancing the accessibility of the cellulose substrate to enzymatic attack. This report evaluates the efficacy on barley and wheat straw of three different pretreatment procedures: acid or water impregnation followed by steam explosion versus hot water extraction. The pretreatments were compared after enzyme treatment using a cellulase enzyme system, Celluclast 1.5 L from Trichoderma reesei, and a beta-glucosidase, Novozyme 188 from Aspergillus niger. Barley straw generally produced higher glucose concentrations after enzymatic hydrolysis than wheat straw. Acid or water impregnation followed by steam explosion of barley straw was the best pretreatment in terms of resulting glucose concentration in the liquid hydrolysate after enzymatic hydrolysis. When the glucose concentrations obtained after enzymatic hydrolyses were related to the potential glucose present in the pretreated residues, the highest yield, approximately 48% (g g-1), was obtained with hot water extraction pretreatment of barley straw; this pretreatment also produced highest yields for wheat straw, producing a glucose yield of approximately 39% (g g-1). Addition of extra enzyme (Celluclast 1.5 L+Novozyme 188) during enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in the highest total glucose concentrations from barley straw, 32-39 g L-1, but the relative increases in glucose yields were higher on wheat straw than on barley straw. Maldi-TOF MS analyses of supernatants of pretreated barley and wheat straw samples subjected to acid and water impregnation, respectively, and steam explosion, revealed that the water impregnated + steam-exploded samples gave a wider range of pentose oligomers than the corresponding acid-impregnated samples.

Functional and structural characterization of plastidic starch phosphorylase during barley endosperm development

PubMed Central

Ruzanski, Christian; Krucewicz, Katarzyna; Meier, Sebastian; Hägglund, Per; Svensson, Birte; Palcic, Monica M.

2017-01-01

The production of starch is essential for human nutrition and represents a major metabolic flux in the biosphere. The biosynthesis of starch in storage organs like barley endosperm operates via two main pathways using different substrates: starch synthases use ADP-glucose to produce amylose and amylopectin, the two major components of starch, whereas starch phosphorylase (Pho1) uses glucose-1-phosphate (G1P), a precursor for ADP-glucose production, to produce α-1,4 glucans. The significance of the Pho1 pathway in starch biosynthesis has remained unclear. To elucidate the importance of barley Pho1 (HvPho1) for starch biosynthesis in barley endosperm, we analyzed HvPho1 protein production and enzyme activity levels throughout barley endosperm development and characterized structure-function relationships of HvPho1. The molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation of starch granule biosynthesis, that is, the enzymes and substrates involved in the initial transition from simple sugars to polysaccharides, remain unclear. We found that HvPho1 is present as an active protein at the onset of barley endosperm development. Notably, purified recombinant protein can catalyze the de novo production of α-1,4-glucans using HvPho1 from G1P as the sole substrate. The structural properties of HvPho1 provide insights into the low affinity of HvPho1 for large polysaccharides like starch or amylopectin. Our results suggest that HvPho1 may play a role during the initiation of starch biosynthesis in barley. PMID:28407006

Gene Deletion in Barley Mediated by LTR-retrotransposon BARE

PubMed Central

Shang, Yi; Yang, Fei; Schulman, Alan H.; Zhu, Jinghuan; Jia, Yong; Wang, Junmei; Zhang, Xiao-Qi; Jia, Qiaojun; Hua, Wei; Yang, Jianming; Li, Chengdao

2017-01-01

A poly-row branched spike (prbs) barley mutant was obtained from soaking a two-rowed barley inflorescence in a solution of maize genomic DNA. Positional cloning and sequencing demonstrated that the prbs mutant resulted from a 28 kb deletion including the inflorescence architecture gene HvRA2. Sequence annotation revealed that the HvRA2 gene is flanked by two LTR (long terminal repeat) retrotransposons (BARE) sharing 89% sequence identity. A recombination between the integrase (IN) gene regions of the two BARE copies resulted in the formation of an intact BARE and loss of HvRA2. No maize DNA was detected in the recombination region although the flanking sequences of HvRA2 gene showed over 73% of sequence identity with repetitive sequences on 10 maize chromosomes. It is still unknown whether the interaction of retrotransposons between barley and maize has resulted in the recombination observed in the present study. PMID:28252053

Comparative energy content and amino acid digestibility of barley obtained from diverse sources fed to growing pigs.

PubMed

Wang, Hong Liang; Shi, Meng; Xu, Xiao; Ma, Xiao Kang; Liu, Ling; Piao, Xiang Shu

2017-07-01

Two experiments were conducted to determine the content of digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) as well as the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in barley grains obtained from Australia, France or Canada. In Exp. 1, 18 growing barrows (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire; 31.5±3.2 kg) were individually placed in stainless-steel metabolism crates (1.4×0.7×0.6 m) and randomly allotted to 1 of 3 test diets. In Exp. 2, eight crossbred pigs (30.9±1.8 kg) were allotted to a replicate 3×4 Youden Square designed experiment with three periods and four diets. Two pigs received each diet during each test period. The diets included one nitrogen-free diet and three test diets. The relative amounts of gross energy (GE), CP, and all AA in the Canadian barley were higher than those in Australian and French barley while higher concentrations of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, total dietary fiber, insoluble dietary fiber and β-glucan as well as lower concentrations of GE and ether extract were observed in the French barley compared with the other two barley sources. The DE and ME as well as the SID of histidine, isoleucine, leucine and phenylalanine in Canadian barley were higher (p<0.05) than those in French barley but did not differ from Australian barley. Differences in the chemical composition, energy content and the SID and AID of AA were observed among barley sources obtained from three countries. The feeding value of barley from Canada and Australia was superior to barley obtained from France which is important information in developing feeding systems for growing pigs where imported grains are used.

Utilization of barley or wheat bran to bioconvert glutamate to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

PubMed

Jin, Wen-Jie; Kim, Min-Ju; Kim, Keun-Sung

2013-09-01

This study deals with the utilization of agro-industrial wastes created by barley and wheat bran in the production of a value-added product, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The simple and eco-friendly reaction requires no pretreatment or microbial fermentation steps but uses barley or wheat bran as an enzyme source, glutamate as a substrate, and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) as a cofactor. The optimal reaction conditions were determined on the basis of the temperatures and times used for the decarboxylation reactions and the initial concentrations of barley or wheat bran, glutamate, and PLP. The optimal reactions produced 9.2 mM of GABA from 10 mM glutamate, yielding a 92% GABA conversion rate, when barley bran was used and 6.0 mM of GABA from 10 mM glutamate, yielding a 60% GABA conversion rate, when wheat bran was used. The results imply that barley bran is more efficient than wheat bran in the production of GABA. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Identification of a negative regulator of gibberellin action, HvSPY, in barley.

PubMed Central

Robertson, M; Swain, S M; Chandler, P M; Olszewski, N E

1998-01-01

To broaden our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of gibberellin (GA) action, we isolated a spindly clone (HvSPY) from barley cultivar Himalaya and tested whether the HvSPY protein would modulate GA action in barley aleurone. The HvSPY cDNA showed high sequence identity to Arabidopsis SPY along its entire length, and the barley protein functionally complemented the spy-3 mutation. HvSPY and SPY proteins showed sequence relatedness with animal O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferases (OGTs), suggesting that they may also have OGT activity. HvSPY has a locus distinct from that of Sln, a mutation that causes the constitutive GA responses of slender barley, which phenotypically resembles Arabidopsis spy mutants. The possibility that the HvSPY gene encodes a negative regulator of GA action was tested by expressing HvSPY in a barley aleurone transient assay system. HvSPY coexpression largely abolished GA3-induced activity of an alpha-amylase promoter. Surprisingly, HvSPY coexpression increased reporter gene activity from an abscisic acid (ABA)-inducible gene promoter (dehydrin), even in the absence of exogenous ABA. These results show that HvSPY modulates the transcriptional activities of two hormonally regulated promoters: negatively for a GA-induced promoter and positively for an ABA-induced promoter. PMID:9634587

Effect of barley and its amylopectin content on ruminal fermentation and nitrogen utilization in lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Foley, A E; Hristov, A N; Melgar, A; Ropp, J K; Etter, R P; Zaman, S; Hunt, C W; Huber, K; Price, W J

2006-11-01

The effect of type of grain (corn vs. barley) and amylopectin content of barley grain (normal vs. waxy) on ruminal fermentation, digestibility, and utilization of ruminal ammonia nitrogen for milk protein synthesis was studied in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square design trial with 6 lactating dairy cows. The experimental treatments were (proportion of dietary dry matter): CORN, 40% corn grain, NBAR, 30% normal Baronesse barley:10% corn grain, and WBAR, 30% high-amylopectin (waxy) Baronesse barley:10% corn grain. All grains were steam-rolled and fed as part of a total mixed ration. The NBAR and WBAR diets resulted in increased ruminal ammonia concentrations compared with CORN (8.2, 7.4, and 5.6 mM, respectively), but other ruminal fermentation parameters were not affected. Ruminal digestibility of dietary nutrients and microbial protein synthesis in the rumen were also not affected by diet. Corn grain had greater in situ effective ruminal dry matter degradability (62.8%) than the barley grains (58.2 and 50.7%, respectively), and degradability of the normal barley starch was greater than that of the waxy barley (69.3 and 58.9%, respectively). A greater percentage of relative starch crystallinity was observed for the waxy compared with the normal barley grain. Total tract apparent digestibility of dry matter and organic matter were decreased by WBAR compared with CORN and NBAR. Total tract starch digestibility was greater and milk urea nitrogen content was lower for CORN compared with the 2 barley diets. In this study, the extent of processing of the grain component of the diet was most likely the factor that determined the diet responses. Minimal processing of barley grain (processing indexes of 79.2 to 87.9%) reduced its total tract digestibility of starch compared with steam-rolled corn (processing index of 58.8%). As a result of the increased ammonia concentration and reduced degradability of barley dry matter in the rumen, the utilization of ruminal ammonia

Ancient genomics

PubMed Central

Der Sarkissian, Clio; Allentoft, Morten E.; Ávila-Arcos, María C.; Barnett, Ross; Campos, Paula F.; Cappellini, Enrico; Ermini, Luca; Fernández, Ruth; da Fonseca, Rute; Ginolhac, Aurélien; Hansen, Anders J.; Jónsson, Hákon; Korneliussen, Thorfinn; Margaryan, Ashot; Martin, Michael D.; Moreno-Mayar, J. Víctor; Raghavan, Maanasa; Rasmussen, Morten; Velasco, Marcela Sandoval; Schroeder, Hannes; Schubert, Mikkel; Seguin-Orlando, Andaine; Wales, Nathan; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Willerslev, Eske; Orlando, Ludovic

2015-01-01

The past decade has witnessed a revolution in ancient DNA (aDNA) research. Although the field's focus was previously limited to mitochondrial DNA and a few nuclear markers, whole genome sequences from the deep past can now be retrieved. This breakthrough is tightly connected to the massive sequence throughput of next generation sequencing platforms and the ability to target short and degraded DNA molecules. Many ancient specimens previously unsuitable for DNA analyses because of extensive degradation can now successfully be used as source materials. Additionally, the analytical power obtained by increasing the number of sequence reads to billions effectively means that contamination issues that have haunted aDNA research for decades, particularly in human studies, can now be efficiently and confidently quantified. At present, whole genomes have been sequenced from ancient anatomically modern humans, archaic hominins, ancient pathogens and megafaunal species. Those have revealed important functional and phenotypic information, as well as unexpected adaptation, migration and admixture patterns. As such, the field of aDNA has entered the new era of genomics and has provided valuable information when testing specific hypotheses related to the past. PMID:25487338

Wet processing barley grains into concentrates with protein, beta-glucan, and starch

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An improved wet method was developed to process barley into fractions concentrated in protein, (1-3)(1-4)-b-D-glucan (BG), starch, or other carbohydrates (CHO). Alkaline concentration, solvent to barley flour ratio (SFR), and extraction temperature were evaluated for their effects on concentration a...

Compositional equivalence of barleys differing only in low and normal phytate levels

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recent breeding advances have led to the development of several barley lines with reduced levels of phytate. One of them was further developed and released as a hulless low phytate cultivar (Clearwater). Because barley oil contains high levels of tocotrienols and other functional lipids, we conduc...

Heterogeneity of Powdery Mildew Resistance Revealed in Accessions of the ICARDA Wild Barley Collection

PubMed Central

Dreiseitl, Antonin

2017-01-01

The primary genepool of barley comprises two subspecies – wild barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum) and cultivated barley H. vulgare. subsp. vulgare. The former originated 5.5 million years ago in southwest Asia and is the immediate ancestor of cultivated barley, which arose around 10,000 years ago. In this study, the specific resistance of a set of 146 wild barley accessions, maintained by the International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), to 32 isolates of barley powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei was evaluated. The set comprised 146 heterogeneous accessions of a previously tested collection. Seed was obtained by single seed descent and each accession was usually represented by five single plant progenies. In total, 687 plant progenies were tested. There were 211 phenotypes of resistance among the accessions, 87 of which were found in single plants, while 202 plants contained the eight most common phenotypes. The most frequent phenotype was found in 56 plants that were susceptible to all pathogen isolates, whereas the second most frequent phenotype, which occurred in 46 plants, was resistant to all isolates. The broad resistance diversity that was revealed is of practical importance and is an aid to determining the extent and role of resistance in natural ecosystems. PMID:28261253

Distribution, functional impact, and origin mechanisms of copy number variation in the barley genome

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background There is growing evidence for the prevalence of copy number variation (CNV) and its role in phenotypic variation in many eukaryotic species. Here we use array comparative genomic hybridization to explore the extent of this type of structural variation in domesticated barley cultivars and wild barleys. Results A collection of 14 barley genotypes including eight cultivars and six wild barleys were used for comparative genomic hybridization. CNV affects 14.9% of all the sequences that were assessed. Higher levels of CNV diversity are present in the wild accessions relative to cultivated barley. CNVs are enriched near the ends of all chromosomes except 4H, which exhibits the lowest frequency of CNVs. CNV affects 9.5% of the coding sequences represented on the array and the genes affected by CNV are enriched for sequences annotated as disease-resistance proteins and protein kinases. Sequence-based comparisons of CNV between cultivars Barke and Morex provided evidence that DNA repair mechanisms of double-strand breaks via single-stranded annealing and synthesis-dependent strand annealing play an important role in the origin of CNV in barley. Conclusions We present the first catalog of CNVs in a diploid Triticeae species, which opens the door for future genome diversity research in a tribe that comprises the economically important cereal species wheat, barley, and rye. Our findings constitute a valuable resource for the identification of CNV affecting genes of agronomic importance. We also identify potential mechanisms that can generate variation in copy number in plant genomes. PMID:23758725

Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Acid Soil Resistance in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

PubMed Central

Zhou, Gaofeng; Broughton, Sue; Zhang, Xiao-Qi; Ma, Yanling; Zhou, Meixue; Li, Chengdao

2016-01-01

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) based on linkage disequilibrium (LD) have been used to detect QTLs underlying complex traits in major crops. In this study, we collected 218 barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) lines including wild barley and cultivated barley from China, Canada, Australia, and Europe. A total of 408 polymorphic markers were used for population structure and LD analysis. GWAS for acid soil resistance were performed on the population using a general linkage model (GLM) and a mixed linkage model (MLM), respectively. A total of 22 QTLs (quantitative trait loci) were detected with the GLM and MLM analyses. Two QTLs, close to markers bPb-1959 (133.1 cM) and bPb-8013 (86.7 cM), localized on chromosome 1H and 4H respectively, were consistently detected in two different trials with both the GLM and MLM analyses. Furthermore, bPb-8013, the closest marker to the major Al3+ resistance gene HvAACT1 in barley, was identified to be QTL5. The QTLs could be used in marker-assisted selection to identify and pyramid different loci for improved acid soil resistance in barley. PMID:27064793

Genomic Regions Influencing Seminal Root Traits in Barley.

PubMed

Robinson, Hannah; Hickey, Lee; Richard, Cecile; Mace, Emma; Kelly, Alison; Borrell, Andrew; Franckowiak, Jerome; Fox, Glen

2016-03-01

Water availability is a major limiting factor for crop production, making drought adaptation and its many component traits a desirable attribute of plant cultivars. Previous studies in cereal crops indicate that root traits expressed at early plant developmental stages, such as seminal root angle and root number, are associated with water extraction at different depths. Here, we conducted the first study to map seminal root traits in barley ( L.). Using a recently developed high-throughput phenotyping method, a panel of 30 barley genotypes and a doubled-haploid (DH) population (ND24260 × 'Flagship') comprising 330 lines genotyped with diversity array technology (DArT) markers were evaluated for seminal root angle (deviation from vertical) and root number under controlled environmental conditions. A high degree of phenotypic variation was observed in the panel of 30 genotypes: 13.5 to 82.2 and 3.6 to 6.9° for root angle and root number, respectively. A similar range was observed in the DH population: 16.4 to 70.5 and 3.6 to 6.5° for root angle and number, respectively. Seven quantitative trait loci (QTL) for seminal root traits (root angle, two QTL; root number, five QTL) were detected in the DH population. A major QTL influencing both root angle and root number (/) was positioned on chromosome 5HL. Across-species analysis identified 10 common genes underlying root trait QTL in barley, wheat ( L.), and sorghum [ (L.) Moench]. Here, we provide insight into seminal root phenotypes and provide a first look at the genetics controlling these traits in barley. Copyright © 2016 Crop Science Society of America.

Physical and sensory characterization and consumer preference of corn and barley-fed beef.

PubMed

Wismer, W V; Okine, E K; Stein, A; Seibel, M R; Goonewardene, L A

2008-11-01

Steaks from corn-fed and barley-fed beef were characterized by a trained panel, which rated corn-fed beef higher (p<0.05) for tenderness attributes and overall flavor intensity. Canadian consumers preferred (p<0.01) cooked and raw steaks from barley-fed beef, while Mexican consumers showed no preference (p>0.05) for either type of finished beef. Japanese consumers showed a preference (p<0.05) for the appearance of raw barley-fed steaks but a preference for cooked corn-fed steaks (p<0.05). No differences (p>0.05) were observed for Warner-Bratzler shear, marbling scores, cooking losses or Hunter colorimeter values. There was a trend for higher concentrations (p<0.08) of the saturated fatty acids in the barley treatment, but no differences (p>0.10) in mono or polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Study of fluorescence quenching of Barley α-amylase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakkialakshmi, S.; Shanthi, B.; Bhuvanapriya, T.

2012-05-01

The fluorescence quenching of Barley α-amylase by acrylamide and succinimide has been studied in water using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. The steady-state fluorescence quenching technique has been performed in three different pHs (i.e., 6, 7 and 8) of water. Ground state and excited state binding constants (Kg &Ke) have been calculated. From the calculated binding constants (Kg &Ke) the free energy changes for the ground (ΔGg) and excited (ΔGe) states have been calculated and are presented in tables. UV and FTIR spectra have also been recorded to prove the binding of Barley α-amylase with acrylamide and succinimide.

Classification of Fusarium-Infected Korean Hulled Barley Using Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis

PubMed Central

Lim, Jongguk; Kim, Giyoung; Mo, Changyeun; Oh, Kyoungmin; Yoo, Hyeonchae; Ham, Hyeonheui; Kim, Moon S.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to use near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy equipment to nondestructively and rapidly discriminate Fusarium-infected hulled barley. Both normal hulled barley and Fusarium-infected hulled barley were scanned by using a NIR spectrometer with a wavelength range of 1175 to 2170 nm. Multiple mathematical pretreatments were applied to the reflectance spectra obtained for Fusarium discrimination and the multivariate analysis method of partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used for discriminant prediction. The PLS-DA prediction model developed by applying the second-order derivative pretreatment to the reflectance spectra obtained from the side of hulled barley without crease achieved 100% accuracy in discriminating the normal hulled barley and the Fusarium-infected hulled barley. These results demonstrated the feasibility of rapid discrimination of the Fusarium-infected hulled barley by combining multivariate analysis with the NIR spectroscopic technique, which is utilized as a nondestructive detection method. PMID:28974012

Transient Overexpression of HvSERK2 Improves Barley Resistance to Powdery Mildew.

PubMed

Li, Yingbo; Li, Qingwei; Guo, Guimei; He, Ting; Gao, Runhong; Faheem, Muhammad; Huang, Jianhua; Lu, Ruiju; Liu, Chenghong

2018-04-18

Somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinases (SERKs) play an essential role in plant response to pathogen infection. Here we identified three SERK genes ( HvSERK1/2/3 ) from barley, and aimed to determine their implication in defense responses to barley powdery mildew ( Bgh ). Although HvSERK1/2/3 share the characteristic domains of the SERK family, only HvSERK2 was significantly induced in barley leaves during Bgh infection. The expression of HvSERK2 was rapidly induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) treatment, but not by treatment with salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), ethephon (ETH), or abscisic acid (ABA). Bioinformatics analysis of the cloned HvSERK2 promoter revealed that it contains several elements responsible for defense responses against pathogens. Promoter functional analysis showed that the HvSERK2 promoter was induced by Bgh and H₂O₂. Subcellular localization analysis of HvSERK2 indicated that it is mainly located on the plasma membrane. Transient overexpression of HvSERK2 in epidermal cells of the susceptible barley cultivar Hua 30 reduced the Bgh haustorium index from 58.6% to 43.2%. This study suggests that the HvSERK2 gene plays a positive role in the improvement of barley resistance to powdery mildew, and provides new insight into the function of SERK genes in the biotic stress response of plants.

Ancient dna from pleistocene fossils: Preservation, recovery, and utility of ancient genetic information for quaternary research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hong

Until recently, recovery and analysis of genetic information encoded in ancient DNA sequences from Pleistocene fossils were impossible. Recent advances in molecular biology offered technical tools to obtain ancient DNA sequences from well-preserved Quaternary fossils and opened the possibilities to directly study genetic changes in fossil species to address various biological and paleontological questions. Ancient DNA studies involving Pleistocene fossil material and ancient DNA degradation and preservation in Quaternary deposits are reviewed. The molecular technology applied to isolate, amplify, and sequence ancient DNA is also presented. Authentication of ancient DNA sequences and technical problems associated with modern and ancient DNA contamination are discussed. As illustrated in recent studies on ancient DNA from proboscideans, it is apparent that fossil DNA sequence data can shed light on many aspects of Quaternary research such as systematics and phylogeny. conservation biology, evolutionary theory, molecular taphonomy, and forensic sciences. Improvement of molecular techniques and a better understanding of DNA degradation during fossilization are likely to build on current strengths and to overcome existing problems, making fossil DNA data a unique source of information for Quaternary scientists.

The 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment. Volume 2: Addenda

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bizzell, R. M.; Prior, H. L.; Payne, R. W.; Disler, J. M.

1983-01-01

Three study areas supporting the U.S./Canada Wheat and Barley Exploratory Experiment are discussed including an evaluation of the experiment shakedown test analyst labeling results, an evaluation of the crop proportion estimate procedure 1A component, and the evaluation of spring wheat and barley crop calendar models for the 1979 crop year.

The barley MATE gene, HvAACT1, increases citrate efflux and Al3+ tolerance when expressed in wheat and barley

PubMed Central

Zhou, Gaofeng; Delhaize, Emmanuel; Zhou, Meixue; Ryan, Peter R.

2013-01-01

Background and Aims Aluminium is toxic in acid soils because the soluble Al3+ inhibits root growth. A mechanism of Al3+ tolerance discovered in many plant species involves the release of organic anions from root apices. The Al3+-activated release of citrate from the root apices of Al3+-tolerant genotypes of barley is controlled by a MATE gene named HvAACT1 that encodes a citrate transport protein located on the plasma membrane. The aim of this study was to investigate whether expressing HvAACT1 with a constitutive promoter in barley and wheat can increase citrate efflux and Al3+ tolerance of these important cereal species. Methods HvAACT1 was over-expressed in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) using the maize ubiquitin promoter. Root apices of transgenic and control lines were analysed for HvAACT1 expression and organic acid efflux. The Al3+ tolerance of transgenic and control lines was assessed in both hydroponic solution and acid soil. Key Results and Conclusions Increased HvAACT1 expression in both cereal species was associated with increased citrate efflux from root apices and enhanced Al3+ tolerance, thus demonstrating that biotechnology can complement traditional breeding practices to increase the Al3+ tolerance of important crop plants. PMID:23798600

The barley MATE gene, HvAACT1, increases citrate efflux and Al(3+) tolerance when expressed in wheat and barley.

PubMed

Zhou, Gaofeng; Delhaize, Emmanuel; Zhou, Meixue; Ryan, Peter R

2013-08-01

Aluminium is toxic in acid soils because the soluble Al(3+) inhibits root growth. A mechanism of Al(3+) tolerance discovered in many plant species involves the release of organic anions from root apices. The Al(3+)-activated release of citrate from the root apices of Al(3+)-tolerant genotypes of barley is controlled by a MATE gene named HvAACT1 that encodes a citrate transport protein located on the plasma membrane. The aim of this study was to investigate whether expressing HvAACT1 with a constitutive promoter in barley and wheat can increase citrate efflux and Al(3+) tolerance of these important cereal species. HvAACT1 was over-expressed in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) using the maize ubiquitin promoter. Root apices of transgenic and control lines were analysed for HvAACT1 expression and organic acid efflux. The Al(3+) tolerance of transgenic and control lines was assessed in both hydroponic solution and acid soil. Increased HvAACT1 expression in both cereal species was associated with increased citrate efflux from root apices and enhanced Al(3+) tolerance, thus demonstrating that biotechnology can complement traditional breeding practices to increase the Al(3+) tolerance of important crop plants.

Accelerated rates of protein evolution in barley grain and pistil biased genes might be legacy of domestication.

PubMed

Shi, Tao; Dimitrov, Ivan; Zhang, Yinling; Tax, Frans E; Yi, Jing; Gou, Xiaoping; Li, Jia

2015-10-01

Traits related to grain and reproductive organs in grass crops have been under continuous directional selection during domestication. Barley is one of the oldest domesticated crops in human history. Thus genes associated with the grain and reproductive organs in barley may show evidence of dramatic evolutionary change. To understand how artificial selection contributes to protein evolution of biased genes in different barley organs, we used Digital Gene Expression analysis of six barley organs (grain, pistil, anther, leaf, stem and root) to identify genes with biased expression in specific organs. Pairwise comparisons of orthologs between barley and Brachypodium distachyon, as well as between highland and lowland barley cultivars mutually indicated that grain and pistil biased genes show relatively higher protein evolutionary rates compared with the median of all orthologs and other organ biased genes. Lineage-specific protein evolutionary rates estimation showed similar patterns with elevated protein evolution in barley grain and pistil biased genes, yet protein sequences generally evolve much faster in the lowland barley cultivar. Further functional annotations revealed that some of these grain and pistil biased genes with rapid protein evolution are related to nutrient biosynthesis and cell cycle/division. Our analyses provide insights into how domestication differentially shaped the evolution of genes specific to different organs of a crop species, and implications for future functional studies of domestication genes.

Geographical and environmental determinants of the genetic structure of wild barley in southeastern Anatolia.

PubMed

Pournosrat, Reza; Kaya, Selma; Shaaf, Salar; Kilian, Benjamin; Ozkan, Hakan

2018-01-01

Despite the global value of barley, compared to its wild progenitor, genetic variation in this crop has been drastically reduced due to the process of domestication, selection and improvement. In the medium term, this will negatively impact both the vulnerability and yield stability of barley against biotic and abiotic stresses under climate change. Returning to the crop wild relatives (CWR) as sources of new and beneficial alleles is a clear option for enhancing the resilience of diversity and adaptation to climate change. Southeastern Anatolia constitutes an important part of the natural distribution of wild barley in the Fertile Crescent where important crops were initially domesticated. In this study, we investigated genetic diversity in a comprehensive collection of 281 geo-referenced wild barley individuals from 92 collection sites with sample sizes ranging from 1 to 9 individuals per site, collected from southeastern Anatolia and 131 domesticated genotypes from 49 different countries using 40 EST-SSR markers. A total of 375 alleles were detected across entire collection, of which 283 were carried by domesticated genotypes and 316 alleles were present in the wild gene pool. The number of unique alleles in the wild and in the domesticated gene pool was 92 and 59, respectively. The population structure at K = 3 suggested two groups of wild barley namely G1-W consisting wild barley genotypes from the western part and G1-E comprising those mostly from the eastern part of the study area, with a sharp separation from the domesticated gene pool. The geographic and climatic factors jointly showed significant effects on the distribution of wild barley. Using a Latent Factor Mixed Model, we identified four candidate loci potentially involved in adaptation of wild barley to three environmental factors: temperature seasonality, mean temperature of driest quarter, and precipitation of coldest quarter. These loci are probably the targets of genomic regions, with potential

Geographical and environmental determinants of the genetic structure of wild barley in southeastern Anatolia

PubMed Central

Shaaf, Salar; Kilian, Benjamin

2018-01-01

Despite the global value of barley, compared to its wild progenitor, genetic variation in this crop has been drastically reduced due to the process of domestication, selection and improvement. In the medium term, this will negatively impact both the vulnerability and yield stability of barley against biotic and abiotic stresses under climate change. Returning to the crop wild relatives (CWR) as sources of new and beneficial alleles is a clear option for enhancing the resilience of diversity and adaptation to climate change. Southeastern Anatolia constitutes an important part of the natural distribution of wild barley in the Fertile Crescent where important crops were initially domesticated. In this study, we investigated genetic diversity in a comprehensive collection of 281 geo-referenced wild barley individuals from 92 collection sites with sample sizes ranging from 1 to 9 individuals per site, collected from southeastern Anatolia and 131 domesticated genotypes from 49 different countries using 40 EST-SSR markers. A total of 375 alleles were detected across entire collection, of which 283 were carried by domesticated genotypes and 316 alleles were present in the wild gene pool. The number of unique alleles in the wild and in the domesticated gene pool was 92 and 59, respectively. The population structure at K = 3 suggested two groups of wild barley namely G1-W consisting wild barley genotypes from the western part and G1-E comprising those mostly from the eastern part of the study area, with a sharp separation from the domesticated gene pool. The geographic and climatic factors jointly showed significant effects on the distribution of wild barley. Using a Latent Factor Mixed Model, we identified four candidate loci potentially involved in adaptation of wild barley to three environmental factors: temperature seasonality, mean temperature of driest quarter, and precipitation of coldest quarter. These loci are probably the targets of genomic regions, with potential

Preventive and Therapeutic Role of Functional Ingredients of Barley Grass for Chronic Diseases in Human Beings

PubMed Central

Du, Juan; Yang, Xiaomeng; Li, Xia; Li, Ling; Zhou, Yan; Yang, Tao

2018-01-01

Barley grass powder is the best functional food that provides nutrition and eliminates toxins from cells in human beings; however, its functional ingredients have played an important role as health benefit. In order to better cognize the preventive and therapeutic role of barley grass for chronic diseases, we carried out the systematic strategies for functional ingredients of barley grass, based on the comprehensive databases, especially the PubMed, Baidu, ISI Web of Science, and CNKI, between 2008 and 2017. Barley grass is rich in functional ingredients, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), flavonoids, saponarin, lutonarin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), K, Ca, Se, tryptophan, chlorophyll, vitamins (A, B1, C, and E), dietary fiber, polysaccharide, alkaloid, metallothioneins, and polyphenols. Barley grass promotes sleep; has antidiabetic effect; regulates blood pressure; enhances immunity; protects liver; has anti-acne/detoxifying and antidepressant effects; improves gastrointestinal function; has anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and antigout effects; reduces hyperuricemia; prevents hypoxia, cardiovascular diseases, fatigue, and constipation; alleviates atopic dermatitis; is a calcium supplement; improves cognition; and so on. These results support that barley grass may be one of the best functional foods for preventive chronic diseases and the best raw material of modern diet structure in promoting the development of large health industry and further reveal that GABA, flavonoids, SOD, K-Ca, vitamins, and tryptophan mechanism of barley grass have preventive and therapeutic role for chronic diseases. This paper can be used as a scientific evidence for developing functional foods and novel drugs for barley grass for preventive chronic diseases.

Cooking Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of Rice-Barley Mix at Different Cooking Method and Mixing Ratio.

PubMed

Woo, Koan Sik; Kim, Hyun-Joo; Lee, Ji Hae; Ko, Jee Yeon; Lee, Byong Won; Lee, Byoung Kyu

2018-03-01

This study aimed to compare the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of barley at different proportion (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%), and using different cooking methods. The grains used in this experiment are barley ( Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Huinchalssal) and Samkwang rice. The rice-barley mixture was cooked using general and high pressure cooking methods with and without fermented alcohol. The quality characteristics such as water binding capacity, pasting characteristic, water solubility, and swelling power of different proportions of barley were evaluated. The antioxidant characteristics evaluated are total polyphenol, flavonoid contents, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) diammonium salt radical scavenging activities. Results showed that peak [195.0~184.0 rapid visco units (RVU)], trough (130.0~116.2 RVU), final (252.0~221.8 RVU), and setback viscosity (57.0~37.5 RVU) decreased correspondingly with the increase in the amount of barley. Water binding capacity (187.31~136.01%) and swelling power (162.37~127.58%) decreased as amounts of barley increases, however the water solubility (5.35~6.89%) increased. Moreover, the total polyphenol and flavonoid, and the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities contents increased as the amounts of barley in the mixture increases. This study generally aims to provide useful information for the manufacturing of processed products.

A Genome Wide Association Study of arabinoxylan content in 2-row spring barley grain

PubMed Central

Hassan, Ali Saleh; Houston, Kelly; Lahnstein, Jelle; Shirley, Neil; Schwerdt, Julian G.; Gidley, Michael J.; Waugh, Robbie; Little, Alan

2017-01-01

In barley endosperm arabinoxylan (AX) is the second most abundant cell wall polysaccharide and in wheat it is the most abundant polysaccharide in the starchy endosperm walls of the grain. AX is one of the main contributors to grain dietary fibre content providing several health benefits including cholesterol and glucose lowering effects, and antioxidant activities. Due to its complex structural features, AX might also affect the downstream applications of barley grain in malting and brewing. Using a high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method we quantified AX amounts in mature grain in 128 spring 2-row barley accessions. Amounts ranged from ~ 5.2 μg/g to ~ 9 μg/g. We used this data for a Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) that revealed three significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with grain AX levels which passed a false discovery threshold (FDR) and are located on two of the seven barley chromosomes. Regions underlying the QTLs were scanned for genes likely to be involved in AX biosynthesis or turnover, and strong candidates, including glycosyltransferases from the GT43 and GT61 families and glycoside hydrolases from the GH10 family, were identified. Phylogenetic trees of selected gene families were built based on protein translations and were used to examine the relationship of the barley candidate genes to those in other species. Our data reaffirms the roles of existing genes thought to contribute to AX content, and identifies novel QTL (and candidate genes associated with them) potentially influencing the AX content of barley grain. One potential outcome of this work is the deployment of highly associated single nucleotide polymorphisms markers in breeding programs to guide the modification of AX abundance in barley grain. PMID:28771585

Transcriptomics analysis of hulless barley during grain development with a focus on starch biosynthesis.

PubMed

Tang, Yawei; Zeng, Xingquan; Wang, Yulin; Bai, Lijun; Xu, Qijun; Wei, Zexiu; Yuan, Hongjun; Nyima, Tashi

2017-01-01

Hulless barley, with its unique nutritional value and potential health benefits, has increasingly attracted attentions in recent years. However, the transcription dynamics during hulless barley grain development is not well understood. In the present study, we investigated the transcriptome changes during barley grain development using Illumina paired-end RNA-sequencing. Two datasets of the developing grain transcriptomes from two barley landraces with the differential seed starch synthesis traits were generated, and comparative transcriptome approach in both genotypes was performed. The results showed that 38 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found co-modulated in both genotypes during the barley grain development. Of those, the proteins encoded by most of those DGEs were found, such as alpha-amylase-related proteins, lipid-transfer protein, homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-Zip), NUCLEAR FACTOR-Y, subunit B (NF-YBs), as well as MYB transcription factors. More interestingly, two genes Hvulgare_GLEAN_10012370 and Hvulgare_GLEAN_10021199 encoding SuSy, AGPase (Hvulgare_GLEAN_10033640 and Hvulgare_GLEAN_10056301), as well as SBE2b (Hvulgare_GLEAN_10018352) were found to significantly contribute to the regulatory mechanism during grain development in both genotypes. Moreover, six co-expression modules associated with specific biological processes or pathways (M1 to M6) were identified by consensus co-expression network. Significantly enriched pathways of those module genes showed difference in both genotypes. These results will expand our understanding of the complex molecular mechanism of starch synthesis during barley grain development.

Genetic differentiation and geographical Relationship of Asian barley landraces using SSRs

PubMed Central

Naeem, Rehan; Dahleen, Lynn; Mirza, Bushra

2011-01-01

Genetic diversity in 403 morphologically distinct landraces of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare) originating from seven geographical zones of Asia was studied using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from regions of medium to high recombination in the barley genome. The seven polymorphic SSR markers representing each of the chromosomes chosen for the study revealed a high level of allelic diversity among the landraces. Genetic richness was highest in those from India, followed by Pakistan while it was lowest for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Out of the 50 alleles detected, 15 were unique to a geographic region. Genetic diversity was highest for landraces from Pakistan (0.70 ± 0.06) and lowest for those from Uzbekistan (0.18 ± 0.17). Likewise, polymorphic information content (PIC) was highest for Pakistan (0.67 ± 0.06) and lowest for Uzbekistan (0.15 ± 0.17). Diversity among groups was 40% compared to 60% within groups. Principal component analysis clustered the barley landraces into three groups to predict their domestication patterns. In total 51.58% of the variation was explained by the first two principal components of the barley germplasm. Pakistan landraces were clustered separately from those of India, Iran, Nepal and Iraq, whereas those from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan were clustered together into a separate group. PMID:21734828

The low-recombining pericentromeric region of barley restricts gene diversity and evolution but not gene expression

PubMed Central

Baker, Katie; Bayer, Micha; Cook, Nicola; Dreißig, Steven; Dhillon, Taniya; Russell, Joanne; Hedley, Pete E; Morris, Jenny; Ramsay, Luke; Colas, Isabelle; Waugh, Robbie; Steffenson, Brian; Milne, Iain; Stephen, Gordon; Marshall, David; Flavell, Andrew J

2014-01-01

The low-recombining pericentromeric region of the barley genome contains roughly a quarter of the genes of the species, embedded in low-recombining DNA that is rich in repeats and repressive chromatin signatures. We have investigated the effects of pericentromeric region residency upon the expression, diversity and evolution of these genes. We observe no significant difference in average transcript level or developmental RNA specificity between the barley pericentromeric region and the rest of the genome. In contrast, all of the evolutionary parameters studied here show evidence of compromised gene evolution in this region. First, genes within the pericentromeric region of wild barley show reduced diversity and significantly weakened purifying selection compared with the rest of the genome. Second, gene duplicates (ohnolog pairs) derived from the cereal whole-genome duplication event ca. 60MYa have been completely eliminated from the barley pericentromeric region. Third, local gene duplication in the pericentromeric region is reduced by 29% relative to the rest of the genome. Thus, the pericentromeric region of barley is a permissive environment for gene expression but has restricted gene evolution in a sizeable fraction of barley's genes. PMID:24947331

Staining paraffin embedded sections of scald of barley before paraffin removal.

PubMed

Xi, K; Burnett, P A

1997-07-01

Staining of paraffin embedded sections with periodic acid-Schiff reagent and fast green before paraffin removal resulted in differentiation of barley seed and leaf tissue from fungal structures of Rhynchosporium secalis. Crystal violet, toluidine blue O and antiline blue also successfully stained fungal structures of R. secalis in barley leaf tissues. Staining of embedded sections before paraffin removal allows simple processing of a series of sections, saves time and reduces solvent consumption.

Antifungal activities of Bacillus thuringiensis isolates on barley and cucumber powdery mildews.

PubMed

Choi, Gyung Ja; Kim, Jin-Cheol; Jang, Kyoung Soo; Lee, Dong-Hyun

2007-12-01

Fourteen Bacillus thuringiensis isolates having both insecticidal activity and in vitro antifungal activity were selected and tested for in vivo antifungal activity against tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust, tomato gray mold, and barley powdery mildew in growth chambers. All the isolates represented more than 70% disease control efficacy against at least one of four plant diseases. Specifically, 12 isolates exhibited strong control activity against barley powdery mildew. Under glasshouse conditions, four (50-02, 52-08, 52-16, and 52- 18) of the isolates also displayed potent control efficacy against cucumber powdery mildew. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. thuringiensis isolates that have disease control efficacy against powdery mildew of barley and cucumber as well as insecticidal activity.

Influence of barley grain particle size and treatment with citric acid on digestibility, ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in Holstein calves.

PubMed

Kazemi-Bonchenari, M; Salem, A Z M; López, S

2017-08-01

Chemical and physical treatments of barley grain increase ruminally resistant starch and can improve the rumen fermentation pattern. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of chemical (addition of citric acid, CA) and physical (grinding to two different particle sizes, PS) treatment of barley grain on performance, rumen fermentation, microbial protein yield in the rumen and selected blood metabolites in growing calves. In all, 28 male Holstein calves (172±5.1 kg initial BW) were used in a complete randomised design with a factorial arrangement of 2 barley grain particle sizes×2 levels of citric acid. The diets were as follows: (i) small PS (average 1200 µm) barley grain soaked in water (no CA addition); (ii) small PS barley grain soaked in a CA solution (adding 20 g CA/kg barley); (iii) large PS (average 2400 µm) barley grain soaked in water (no citric acid addition) and (iv) large PS barley grain soaked in a citric acid solution (adding 20 g CA/kg barley). Barley grain was then incorporated at 35% in a total mixed ration and fed to the calves for 11 weeks. Feeding small PS barley decreased feed intake (P=0.02) and average daily weight gain (P=0.01). The addition of CA to barley grain did not affect intake but increased weight gain (P0.05). However, the molar proportion of propionate was increased (P=0.03) when barley was more finely ground, and that of acetate was increased (P=0.04) when CA was added to barley grain. The ruminal concentration of ammonia nitrogen was increased (P<0.01) and microbial nitrogen synthesis in the rumen tended to decrease by adding CA to barley. Treating barley grain with citric acid increased fibre digestibility of total mixed rations, attenuated the decrease in ruminal pH, and improved weight gain and feed efficiency in male Holstein growing calves fed a high-cereal diet (550 g cereal grain/kg diet).

Comparative mapping of quantitative trait loci associated with waterlogging tolerance in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

PubMed

Li, Haobing; Vaillancourt, René; Mendham, Neville; Zhou, Meixue

2008-08-27

Resistance to soil waterlogging stress is an important plant breeding objective in high rainfall or poorly drained areas across many countries in the world. The present study was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with waterlogging tolerance (e.g. leaf chlorosis, plant survival and biomass reduction) in barley and compare the QTLs identified across two seasons and in two different populations using a composite map constructed with SSRs, RFLP and Diversity Array Technology (DArT) markers. Twenty QTLs for waterlogging tolerance related traits were found in the two barley double haploid (DH) populations. Several of these QTLs were validated through replication of experiments across seasons or by co-location across populations. Some of these QTLs affected multiple waterlogging tolerance related traits, for example, QTL Qwt4-1 contributed not only to reducing barley leaf chlorosis, but also increasing plant biomass under waterlogging stress, whereas other QTLs controlled both leaf chlorosis and plant survival. Improving waterlogging tolerance in barley is still at an early stage compared with other traits. QTLs identified in this study have made it possible to use marker assisted selection (MAS) in combination with traditional field selection to significantly enhance barley breeding for waterlogging tolerance. There may be some degree of homoeologous relationship between QTLs controlling barley waterlogging tolerance and that in other crops as discussed in this study.

Golgi Localized Barley MTP8 Proteins Facilitate Mn Transport

PubMed Central

Pedas, Pai; Schiller Stokholm, Michaela; Hegelund, Josefine Nymark; Ladegård, Anne Hald; Schjoerring, Jan Kofod; Husted, Søren

2014-01-01

Many metabolic processes in plants are regulated by manganese (Mn) but limited information is available on the molecular mechanisms controlling cellular Mn homeostasis. In this study, a yeast assay was used to isolate and characterize two genes, MTP8.1 and MTP8.2, which encode membrane-bound proteins belonging to the cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) family in the cereal species barley (Hordeum vulgare). Transient expression in onion epidermal cells showed that MTP8.1 and MTP8.2 proteins fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) are localized to Golgi. When heterologously expressed in yeast, MTP8.1 and MTP8.2 were found to be Mn transporters catalysing Mn efflux in a similar manner as the Golgi localized endogenous yeast protein Pmr1p. The level of MTP8.1 transcripts in barley roots increased with external Mn supply ranging from deficiency to toxicity, while MTP8.2 transcripts decreased under the same conditions, indicating non-overlapping functions for the two genes. In barley leaves, the expression of both MTP8 genes declined in response to toxic Mn additions to the roots suggesting a role in ensuring proper delivery of Mn to Golgi. Based on the above we suggest that barley MTP8 proteins are involved in Mn loading to the Golgi apparatus and play a role in Mn homeostasis by delivering Mn to Mn-dependent enzymes and/or by facilitating Mn efflux via secretory vesicles. This study highlights the importance of MTP transporters in Mn homeostasis and is the first report of Golgi localized Mn2+ transport proteins in a monocot plant species. PMID:25486417

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Aluminum Tolerance in Tibetan Wild and Cultivated Barleys

PubMed Central

Dai, Huaxin; Cao, Fangbin; Chen, Xianhong; Zhang, Mian; Ahmed, Imrul Mosaddek; Chen, Zhong-Hua; Li, Chengdao; Zhang, Guoping; Wu, Feibo

2013-01-01

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major limiting factor for plant production in acid soils. Wild barley germplasm is rich in genetic diversity and may provide elite genes for crop Al tolerance improvement. The hydroponic-experiments were performed to compare proteomic and transcriptional characteristics of two contrasting Tibetan wild barley genotypes Al- resistant/tolerant XZ16 and Al-sensitive XZ61 as well as Al-resistant cv. Dayton. Results showed that XZ16 had less Al uptake and translocation than XZ61 and Dayton under Al stress. Thirty-five Al-tolerance/resistance-associated proteins were identified and categorized mainly in metabolism, energy, cell growth/division, protein biosynthesis, protein destination/storage, transporter, signal transduction, disease/defense, etc. Among them, 30 were mapped on barley genome, with 16 proteins being exclusively up-regulated by Al stress in XZ16, including 4 proteins (S-adenosylmethionine-synthase 3, ATP synthase beta subunit, triosephosphate isomerase, Bp2A) specifically expressed in XZ16 but not Dayton. The findings highlighted the significance of specific-proteins associated with Al tolerance, and verified Tibetan wild barley as a novel genetic resource for Al tolerance. PMID:23691047

Landscape genomics reveal signatures of local adaptation in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

PubMed Central

Abebe, Tiegist D.; Naz, Ali A.; Léon, Jens

2015-01-01

Land plants are sessile organisms that cannot escape the adverse climatic conditions of a given environment. Hence, adaptation is one of the solutions to surviving in a challenging environment. This study was aimed at detecting adaptive loci in barley landraces that are affected by selection. To that end, a diverse population of barley landraces was analyzed using the genotyping by sequencing approach. Climatic data for altitude, rainfall and temperature were collected from 61 weather sites near the origin of selected landraces across Ethiopia. Population structure analysis revealed three groups whereas spatial analysis accounted significant similarities at shorter geographic distances (< 40 Km) among barley landraces. Partitioning the variance between climate variables and geographic distances indicated that climate variables accounted for most of the explainable genetic variation. Markers by climatic variables association analysis resulted in altogether 18 and 62 putative adaptive loci using Bayenv and latent factor mixed model (LFMM), respectively. Subsequent analysis of the associated SNPs revealed putative candidate genes for plant adaptation. This study highlights the presence of putative adaptive loci among barley landraces representing original gene pool of the farming communities. PMID:26483825

Overexpression of HvHGGT Enhances Tocotrienol Levels and Antioxidant Activity in Barley.

PubMed

Chen, Jianshu; Liu, Cuicui; Shi, Bo; Chai, Yuqiong; Han, Ning; Zhu, Muyuan; Bian, Hongwu

2017-06-28

Vitamin E is a potent lipid-soluble antioxidant and essential nutrient for human health. Tocotrienols are the major form of vitamin E in seeds of most monocots. It has been known that homogentisate geranylgeranyl transferase (HGGT) catalyzes the committed step of tocotrienol biosynthesis. In the present study, we generated transgenic barley overexpressing HvHGGT under endogenous D-Hordein promoter (proHor). Overexpression of HvHGGT increased seed size and seed weight in transgenic barley. Notably, total tocotrienol content increased by 10-15% in seeds of transgenic lines, due to the increased levels of δ-, β-, and γ-tocotrienol, but not α-tocotrienol. Total tocopherol content decreased by 14-18% in transgenic lines, compared to wild type. The antioxidant activity of seeds was determined by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and lipid peroxidation assays. Compared to wild type, radical scavenging activity of seed extracts was enhanced by 17-18% in transgenic lines. Meanwhile, the lipid peroxidation level was decreased by about 20% in transgenic barley seeds. Taken together, overexpression of HvHGGT enhanced the tocotrienol levels and antioxidant capacity in barley seeds.

Modeling light and temperature effects on leaf emergence in wheat and barley

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Volk, T.; Bugbee, B.

1991-01-01

Phenological development affects canopy structure, radiation interception, and dry matter production; most crop simulation models therefore incorporate leaf emergence rate as a basic parameter. A recent study examined leaf emergence rate as a function of temperature and daylength among wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars. Leaf emergence rate and phyllochron were modeled as functions of temperature alone, daylength alone, and the interaction between temperature and daylength. The resulting equations contained an unwieldy number of constants. Here we simplify by reducing the constants by > 70%, and show leaf emergence rate as a single response surface with temperature and daylength. In addition, we incorporate the effect of photosynthetic photon flux into the model. Generic fits for wheat and barley show cultivar differences less than +/- 5% for wheat and less than +/- 10% for barley. Barley is more sensitive to daylength changes than wheat for common environmental values of daylength, which may be related to the difference in sensitivity to daylength between spring and winter cultivars. Differences in leaf emergence rate between cultivars can be incorporated into the model by means of a single, nondimensional factor for each cultivar.

Films based on oxidized starch and cellulose from barley.

PubMed

El Halal, Shanise Lisie Mello; Colussi, Rosana; Deon, Vinícius Gonçalves; Pinto, Vânia Zanella; Villanova, Franciene Almeida; Carreño, Neftali Lenin Villarreal; Dias, Alvaro Renato Guerra; Zavareze, Elessandra da Rosa

2015-11-20

Starch and cellulose fibers were isolated from grains and the husk from barley, respectively. Biodegradable films of native starch or oxidized starches and glycerol with different concentrations of cellulose fibers (0%, 10% and 20%) were prepared. The films were characterized by morphological, mechanical, barrier, and thermal properties. Cellulose fibers isolated from the barley husk were obtained with 75% purity and high crystallinity. The morphology of the films of the oxidized starches, regardless of the fiber addition, was more homogeneous as compared to the film of the native starch. The addition of cellulose fibers in the films increased the tensile strength and decreased elongation. The water vapor permeability of the film of oxidized starch with 20% of cellulose fibers was lower than the without fibers. However the films with cellulose fibers had the highest decomposition with the initial temperature and thermal stability. The oxidized starch and cellulose fibers from barley have a good potential for use in packaging. The addition of cellulose fibers in starch films can contribute to the development of films more resistant that can be applied in food systems to maintain its integrity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of functional spaghetti enriched in bioactive compounds using barley coarse fraction obtained by air classification.

PubMed

Verardo, Vito; Gómez-Caravaca, Ana Maria; Messia, Maria Cristina; Marconi, Emanuele; Caboni, Maria Fiorenza

2011-09-14

Barley byproducts obtained by air classification have been used to produce a different barley functional spaghetti, which were compared to different commercial whole semolina samples. Total, insoluble, and soluble fiber and β-glucan contents of the barley spaghetti were found to be greater than those of commercial samples. Furthermore, it was proved that barley spaghetti reached the FDA requirements, which could allow these pastas to deserve the health claims "good source of dietary fiber" and "may reduce the risk of heart disease". When the barley coarse fraction was used, a flavan-3-ols enrichment and an increase of antioxidant activity were reported, while commercial samples showed the absence of flavan-3-ols and a higher presence of phenolic acids and tannins. Whole semolina commercial spaghetti had a significantly higher content of phenolic acids than semolina spaghetti samples. Besides, it was observed that when vital gluten was added to the spaghetti formulation, phenolic compounds were blocked in the gluten network and were partially released during the cooking process.

Antioxidant-guided isolation and mass spectrometric identification of the major polyphenols in barley (Hordeum vulgare) grain.

PubMed

Gangopadhyay, Nirupama; Rai, Dilip K; Brunton, Nigel P; Gallagher, Eimear; Hossain, Mohammad B

2016-11-01

In the present study, the relative contribution of individual/classes of polyphenols in barley, to its antioxidant properties, was evaluated. Flash chromatography was used to fractionate the total polyphenol extract of Irish barley cultivar 'Irina', and fractions with highest antioxidant properties were identified using total phenolic content and three in vitro antioxidant assays: DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC. Flavanols (catechin, procyanidin B, prodelphinidin B, procyanidin C) and a novel substituted flavanol (catechin dihexoside, C27H33O16(-), m/z 613.17), were identified as constituents of the fraction with highest antioxidant capacity. Upon identification of phenolics in the other active fractions, the order of most potent contributors to observed antioxidant capacity of barley extract were, flavanols>flavonols (quercetin)>hydroxycinnamic acids (ferulic, caffeic, coumaric acids). The most abundant polyphenol in the overall extract was ferulic acid (277.7μg/gdw barley), followed by procyanidin B (73.7μg/gdw barley). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The transfer of {sup 137}Cs from barley to beer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Proehl, G.; Mueller, H.; Voigt, G.

Beer has been brewed from barley contaminated with {sup 137}Cs as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident. The {sup 137}Cs activity has been measured in all intermediate steps and in the by-products of the production process. About 35 % of the {sup 137}Cs in barley were recovered in beer. Processing factors defined as the concentration ratio of processed and raw products were determined to be 0.61, 3.3, 0.1 and 0.11 for malt, malt germs, spent grains and beer, respectively. 4 refs., 2 tabs.

Tamil merchant in ancient Mesopotamia.

PubMed

Palanichamy, Malliya Gounder; Mitra, Bikash; Debnath, Monojit; Agrawal, Suraksha; Chaudhuri, Tapas Kumar; Zhang, Ya-Ping

2014-01-01

Recent analyses of ancient Mesopotamian mitochondrial genomes have suggested a genetic link between the Indian subcontinent and Mesopotamian civilization. There is no consensus on the origin of the ancient Mesopotamians. They may be descendants of migrants, who founded regional Mesopotamian groups like that of Terqa or they may be merchants who were involved in trans Mesopotamia trade. To identify the Indian source population showing linkage to the ancient Mesopotamians, we screened a total of 15,751 mitochondrial DNAs (11,432 from the literature and 4,319 from this study) representing all major populations of India. Our results although suggest that south India (Tamil Nadu) and northeast India served as the source of the ancient Mesopotamian mtDNA gene pool, mtDNA of these ancient Mesopotamians probably contributed by Tamil merchants who were involved in the Indo-Roman trade.

Adaptation of barley to mild winters: A role for PPDH2

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Understanding the adaptation of cereals to environmental conditions is one of the key areas in which plant science can contribute to tackling challenges presented by climate change. Temperature and day length are the main environmental regulators of flowering and drivers of adaptation in temperate cereals. The major genes that control flowering time in barley in response to environmental cues are VRNH1, VRNH2, VRNH3, PPDH1, and PPDH2 (candidate gene HvFT3). These genes from the vernalization and photoperiod pathways show complex interactions to promote flowering that are still not understood fully. In particular, PPDH2 function is assumed to be limited to the ability of a short photoperiod to promote flowering. Evidence from the fields of biodiversity, ecogeography, agronomy, and molecular genetics was combined to obtain a more complete overview of the potential role of PPDH2 in environmental adaptation in barley. Results The dominant PPDH2 allele is represented widely in spring barley cultivars but is found only occasionally in modern winter cultivars that have strong vernalization requirements. However, old landraces from the Iberian Peninsula, which also have a vernalization requirement, possess this allele at a much higher frequency than modern winter barley cultivars. Under field conditions in which the vernalization requirement of winter cultivars is not satisfied, the dominant PPDH2 allele promotes flowering, even under increasing photoperiods above 12 h. This hypothesis was supported by expression analysis of vernalization-responsive genotypes. When the dominant allele of PPDH2 was expressed, this was associated with enhanced levels of VRNH1 and VRNH3 expression. Expression of these two genes is needed for the induction of flowering. Therefore, both in the field and under controlled conditions, PPDH2 has an effect of promotion of flowering. Conclusions The dominant, ancestral, allele of PPDH2 is prevalent in southern European barley germplasm

Ethnobotany, diverse food uses, claimed health benefits and implications on conservation of barley landraces in North Eastern Ethiopia highlands

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Barley is the number one food crop in the highland parts of North Eastern Ethiopia produced by subsistence farmers grown as landraces. Information on the ethnobotany, food utilization and maintenance of barley landraces is valuable to design and plan germplasm conservation strategies as well as to improve food utilization of barley. Methods A study, involving field visits and household interviews, was conducted in three administrative zones. Eleven districts from the three zones, five kebeles in each district and five households from each kebele were visited to gather information on the ethnobotany, the utilization of barley and how barley end-uses influence the maintenance of landrace diversity. Results According to farmers, barley is the "king of crops" and it is put for diverse uses with more than 20 types of barley dishes and beverages reportedly prepared in the study area. The products are prepared from either boiled/roasted whole grain, raw- and roasted-milled grain, or cracked grain as main, side, ceremonial, and recuperating dishes. The various barley traditional foods have perceived qualities and health benefits by the farmers. Fifteen diverse barley landraces were reported by farmers, and the ethnobotany of the landraces reflects key quantitative and qualitative traits. Some landraces that are preferred for their culinary qualities are being marginalized due to moisture shortage and soil degradation. Conclusions Farmers' preference of different landraces for various end-use qualities is one of the important factors that affect the decision process of landraces maintenance, which in turn affect genetic diversity. Further studies on improving maintenance of landraces, developing suitable varieties and improving the food utilization of barley including processing techniques could contribute to food security of the area. PMID:21711566

Registration of 'Dan' winter hulless barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dan’ (Reg. No. CV- , PI 659066) six-rowed winter hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was developed and released by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station in March 2009. Dan was derived from the cross VA96-41-17 / SC872143. It was released for production in the eastern United States, as a poten...

Registration of ‘Secretariat’ winter barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Secretariat’ (PI 673931) is a six-row hulled winter feed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar developed by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station and released in May 2014. Secretariat, formerly designated VA08B-85, was derived from the cross VA00B-199 / VA00B-259 and was developed using a mod...

Evaluation of the stability of a nanoremediation strategy using barley plants.

PubMed

Gil-Díaz, M; González, A; Alonso, J; Lobo, M C

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of nZVI in reducing the availability of Cd, Cr or Zn in polluted soils. The influence of this nanoremediation process on the development of barley plants as well as its impact on soil properties and the stability of the metal immobilization afterwards were also evaluated in a greenhouse experiment. The application of nZVI reduced the availability of these metals in the soil, but the effectiveness of the immobilization and its stability depended on the metal chemical characteristics. Cadmium distribution in soil fractions showed an important change after the barley crop, favoring the immobilization of Cd in RS fraction for both nZVI-treated and untreated soils. The Cr immobilization was stable over the time studied and the doses of Cr were lethal for the barley plants. In contrast, the decrease of Cr availability reached after the nZVI treatment induced a reduction of soil phytotoxicity and an improvement in the development of the plants, which were able to complete their growing period. The Zn immobilization with nZVI was stable over time, but its effectiveness was moderate, and the growth of barley plants was poorer than that observed in the cases of Cd and Cr. Thus the best results of metal immobilization with nZVI were obtained for Cr-polluted soils. There was no overall increase of Fe in barley plants from nZVI-treated soils. In relation to the soil, no negative effects on its physico-chemical properties were observed after the time exposure with nZVI. Taking into account these results we can conclude that the use of nZVI is a promising remediation strategy, and its effectiveness would be conditioned to the soil properties and the bioavailable metal concentration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 61287 - Request for Public Comment on the United States Standards for Barley

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

... barley marketing and define U.S. barley quality in the domestic and global marketplace. The standards define commonly used industry terms; contain basic principles governing the application of standards... standards using approved methodologies and can be applied at any point in the marketing chain. Furthermore...

Effects of particle size of processed barley grain, enzyme addition and microwave treatment on in vitro disappearance and gas production for feedlot cattle.

PubMed

Tagawa, Shin-Ichi; Holtshausen, Lucia; McAllister, Tim A; Yang, Wen Zhu; Beauchemin, Karen Ann

2017-04-01

The effects of particle size of processed barley grain, enzyme addition and microwave treatment on in vitro dry matter (DM) disappearance (DMD), gas production and fermentation pH were investigated for feedlot cattle. Rumen fluid from four fistulated feedlot cattle fed a diet of 860 dry-rolled barley grain, 90 maize silage and 50 supplement g/kg DM was used as inoculum in 3 batch culture in vitro studies. In Experiment 1, dry-rolled barley and barley ground through a 1-, 2-, or 4-mm screen were used to obtain four substrates differing in particle size. In Experiment 2, cellulase enzyme (ENZ) from Acremonium cellulolyticus Y-94 was added to dry-rolled and ground barley (2-mm) at 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/g, while Experiment 3 examined the interactions between microwaving (0, 30, and 60 s microwaving) and ENZ addition (0, 1, and 2 mg/g) using dry-rolled barley and 2-mm ground barley. In Experiment 1, decreasing particle size increased DMD and gas production, and decreased fermentation pH (p<0.01). The DMD (g/kg DM) of the dry-rolled barley after 24 h incubation was considerably lower (p<0.05) than that of the ground barley (119.1 dry-rolled barley versus 284.8 for 4-mm, 341.7 for 2-mm; and 358.6 for 1-mm). In Experiment 2, addition of ENZ to dry-rolled barley increased DMD (p<0.01) and tended to increase (p = 0.09) gas production and decreased (p<0.01) fermentation pH, but these variables were not affected by ENZ addition to ground barley. In Experiment 3, there were no interactions between microwaving and ENZ addition after microwaving for any of the variables. Microwaving had minimal effects (except decreased fermentation pH), but consistent with Experiment 2, ENZ addition increased (p<0.01) DMD and gas production, and decreased (p<0.05) fermentation pH of dry-rolled barley, but not ground barley. We conclude that cellulase enzymes can be used to increase the rumen disappearance of barley grain when it is coarsely processed as in the case of dry-rolled barley

Resistance genes in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and their identification with molecular markers.

PubMed

Chełkowski, Jerzy; Tyrka, Mirosław; Sobkiewicz, Andrzej

2003-01-01

Current information on barley resistance genes available from scientific papers and on-line databases is summarised. The recent literature contains information on 107 major resistance genes (R genes) against fungal pathogens (excluding powdery mildew), pathogenic viruses and aphids identified in Hordeum vulgare accessions. The highest number of resistance genes was identified against Puccinia hordei, Rhynchosporium secalis, and the viruses BaYMV and BaMMV, with 17, 14 and 13 genes respectively. There is still a lot of confusion regarding symbols for R genes against powdery mildew. Among the 23 loci described to date, two regions Mla and Mlo comprise approximately 31 and 25 alleles. Over 50 R genes have already been localised and over 30 mapped on 7 barley chromosomes. Four barley R genes have been cloned recently: Mlo, Rpg1, Mla1 and Mla6, and their structures (sequences) are available. The paper presents a catalogue of barley resistance gene symbols, their chromosomalocation and the list of available DNA markers useful in characterising cultivars and breeding accessions.

[Tuberculosis in ancient Egypt].

PubMed

Ziskind, B; Halioua, B

2007-12-01

Did Tuberculosis plague Ancient Egypt five millennia ago? Some medical papyri appear to evoke tuberculosis. Egyptian physicians did not individualize it, but they seem to have noticed some of its clinical expressions, such as cough, cervical adenitis, and cold abscesses. In Egyptian iconography, some cases of hump-backs were probably due to Pott's disease of the spine Descriptive paleopathology, born with the 20th century, has identified pulmonary and especially spinal lesions compatible with tuberculosis. Progress of molecular biology has made a decisive contribution with the diagnosis of tuberculosis on ancient samples. Tuberculosis has been identified using PCR in nearly a third of the Egyptian mummies recently examined. Spoligotyping has made it possible to re-evaluate the phylogenic tree of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in Ancient Egypt. Tuberculosis certainly plagued the Nile Valley and appears to have been an important cause of mortality in Ancient Egypt.

Study of Barley Grain Molecular Structure for Ruminants Using DRIFT, FTIR-ATR and Synchrotron Radiation Infrared Microspectroscopy (SR-IMS): A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Peiqiang

2012-05-01

Barley inherent structures are highly associated with nutrient utilization and availability in both humans and animals. Barley has different degradation kinetics compared with other cereal grains. It has a relatively higher degradation rate and extent, which often cause digestive disorder in the rumen. Therefore understanding barley inherent structure at cellular and molecular levels and processing-induced structure changes is important, because we can manipulate barley inherent structures and digestive behaviors. Several molecular spectroscopy techniques can be used to detect barley inherent structures at cellular and molecular levels. This article reviews several applications of the IR molecular spectral bioanalytical techniques - DRIFT, FT/IR-ATR and SR-IMS for barley chemistry, molecular structure and molecular nutrition research

Mobile bag starch prececal disappearance and postprandial glycemic response of four forms of barley in horses.

PubMed

Philippeau, C; Varloud, M; Julliand, V

2014-05-01

To determine prececal starch digestibili-ty and estimate glucose uptake from the digestion of 4 forms of barley in the small intestine, 4 mature cecally fistulated geldings (449 ± 41 kg BW) fed a 62:38 (wt/wt) meadow hay:concentrate diet at 1.7 kg DM/100 kg BW were included in a 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment. During each period, horses received 80% DM of their concentrate as 1 of the 4 forms of a same batch of barley, whole grain, 2.5 mm ground, steam flaked, and pelleted. Hay was offered in 2 equal meals and concentrate in 2 unequal meals. The starch supply in the morning meal amounted 2.7 g starch/kg BW. At each period, mobile bag DM and starch disappearance was determined. Except for ground barley, each form of barley was 4 mm ground before being introduced in the bag. Nylon bags containing each substrate were intubated in the horse receiving the pelleted barley. Bags were collected in the cecum for 10 h postintubation. At each period, postprandial glycemia was measured on blood samples collected on the 4 horses via an indwelling jugular catheter just before the concentrate morning meal and for 8 h. No hay in the morning meal was given the day of the measurements. Whole blood glucose was analyzed with a portable blood glucose meter. Mobile bag prececal DM disappearance and starch disappearance depended (P < 0.01) on barley form. Prececal starch disappearance of whole barley was the lowest but no difference (P > 0.05) was detected among the 3 processed grains. No significant effect of barley form was found whatever the glycemic parameters. No significant correlation was reported between glycemic parameters and the amount of prececal mobile bag disappeared starch calculated as the starch intake in the morning meal by the mobile bag starch disappearance. To conclude, the whole form of barley exhibited the lowest prececal mobile bag starch disappearance whereas, in relationship with large individual variations, no significant variation has been shown in

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of flavonoids from young barley leaves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Tian; Zhang, Min; Fang, Zhongxiang; Zhong, Qifeng

2017-01-01

A central composite design combined with response surface methodology was utilized to optimise microwave-assisted extraction of flavonoids from young barley leaves. The results showed that using water as solvent, the optimum conditions of microwave-assisted extraction were extracted twice at 1.27 W g-1 microwave power and liquid-solid ratio 34.02 ml g-1 for 11.12 min. The maximum extraction yield of flavonoids (rutin equivalents) was 80.78±0.52%. Compared with conventional extraction method, the microwave-assisted extraction was more efficient as the extraction time was only 6.18% of conventional extraction, but the extraction yield of flavonoids was increased by 5.47%. The main flavonoid components from the young barley leaf extract were probably 33.36% of isoorientin-7-O-glueoside and 54.17% of isovitexin-7-O-glucoside, based on the HPLC-MS analysis. The barley leaf extract exhibited strong reducing power as well as the DPPH radical scavenging capacity.

Changes in isovitexin-O-glycosylation during the development of young barley plants.

PubMed

Brauch, Dominic; Porzel, Andrea; Schumann, Erika; Pillen, Klaus; Mock, Hans-Peter

2018-04-01

Phenylpropanoids are a class of plant natural products that have many biological functions, including stress defence. In barley, phenylpropanoids have been described as having protective properties against excess UV-B radiation and have been linked to resistance to pathogens. Although the phenylpropanoid composition of barley has recently been addressed in more detail, the biosynthesis and regulation of this pathway have not been fully established. Barley introgression lines, such as the S42IL-population offer a set of genetically diverse plants that enable the correlation of metabolic data to distinct genetic regions on the barley genome and, subsequently, identification of relevant genes. The phenylpropanoid profiles of the first and third leaf of barley seedlings in Scarlett and four members of the S42IL-population were obtained by LC-MS. Comparison of the leaf profiles revealed a change in the glycosylation pattern of the flavone-6-C-glucoside isovitexin in the elite cultivar Scarlett. The change was characterized by the stepwise decrease in isovitexin-7-O-glucoside (saponarin) and an increase in isovitexin-2″-O-β-D-glucoside content. The lines S42IL-101-, -177 and -178 were completely devoid of isovitexin-2″-O-β-D-glucoside. Parallel glucosyltransferase assays were consistent with the observed metabolic patterns. The genetic region responsible for this metabolic effect was located on chromosome 1H between 0.21 and 15.08 cM, encompassing 505 gene candidates in the genome of the sequenced cultivar Morex. Only one of these genes displayed sequence similarity with glucosyltransferases of plant secondary metabolism that possessed the characteristic PSPG motif. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physicians of ancient India.

PubMed

Saini, Anu

2016-01-01

A survey of Indian medical historiography will reveal no dearth of work on the systems of medicine and medical literature of ancient India. However, the people who were responsible for the healing have not received much attention. This article traces the evolution of the physician as a professional in ancient India. This article reviews the secondary literature on healing and medical practice in India, specifically pertaining to the individual medical practitioner, drawing from varied sources. The healers of ancient India hailed from different castes and classes. They were well-respected and enjoyed state patronage. They were held to the highest ethical standards of the day and were bound by a strict code of conduct. They underwent rigorous training in both medicine and surgery. Most physicians were multi-skilled generalists, and expected to be skilled in elocution and debate. They were reasonably well-off financially. The paper also briefly traces the evolution of medicinal ideas in ancient India.

Efficient removal of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in barley: differential contribution of light-dependent and dark DNA repair pathways.

PubMed

Manova, Vasilissa; Georgieva, Ralitsa; Borisov, Borislav; Stoilov, Lubomir

2016-10-01

Barley stress response to ultraviolet radiation (UV) has been intensively studied at both the physiological and morphological level. However, the ability of barley genome to repair UV-induced lesions at the DNA level is far less characterized. In this study, we have investigated the relative contribution of light-dependent and dark DNA repair pathways for the efficient elimination of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) from the genomic DNA of barley leaf seedlings. The transcriptional activity of barley CPD photolyase gene in respect to the light-growth conditions and UV-C irradiation of the plants has also been analyzed. Our results show that CPDs induced in the primary barley leaf at frequencies potentially damaging DNA at the single-gene level are removed efficiently and exclusively by photorepair pathway, whereas dark repair is hardly detectable, even at higher CPD frequency. A decrease of initially induced CPDs under dark is observed but only after prolonged incubation, suggesting the activation of light-independent DNA damage repair and/or tolerance mechanisms. The green barley seedlings possess greater capacity for CPD photorepair than the etiolated ones, with efficiency of CPD removal dependent on the intensity and quality of recovering light. The higher repair rate of CPDs measured in the green leaves correlates with the higher transcriptional activity of barley CPD photolyase gene. Visible light and UV-C radiation affect differentially the expression of CPD photolyase gene particularly in the etiolated leaves. We propose that the CPD repair potential of barley young seedlings may influence their response to UV-stress. © 2016 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Barley and Oat beta-Glucan content measured by Calcofluor fluorescence in a microplate assay

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Beta-glucans, linear glucan polymers of mixed linkage, are important constituents of cereal cell walls. They have important health benefits in the human diet, but also can negatively affect the use of barley grain as an animal feed. High beta-glucans in barley malt can also cause problems in brewi...

iTAG Barley: A 9-12 classroom module to explore gene expression and segregation using Oregon Wolfe Barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Oregon Wolfe Barleys (OWBs) are a model resource for genetics research and instruction (http://barleyworld.org/oregonwolfe ; http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/ggpages/OWB_gallery/ISS-OWB/index.htm). The population of 94 doubled haploid lines was developed from an F1 of a cross between dominant and reces...

An LRR/Malectin Receptor-Like Kinase Mediates Resistance to Non-adapted and Adapted Powdery Mildew Fungi in Barley and Wheat.

PubMed

Rajaraman, Jeyaraman; Douchkov, Dimitar; Hensel, Götz; Stefanato, Francesca L; Gordon, Anna; Ereful, Nelzo; Caldararu, Octav F; Petrescu, Andrei-Jose; Kumlehn, Jochen; Boyd, Lesley A; Schweizer, Patrick

2016-01-01

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) belonging to the multigene family of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are the sensing devices of plants for microbe- or pathogen-associated molecular patterns released from microbial organisms. Here we describe Rnr8 (for Required for non-host resistance 8 ) encoding HvLEMK1, a LRR-malectin domain-containing transmembrane RLK that mediates non-host resistance of barley to the non-adapted wheat powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici . Transgenic barley lines with silenced HvLEMK1 allow entry and colony growth of the non-adapted pathogen, although sporulation was reduced and final colony size did not reach that of the adapted barley powdery mildew fungus B. graminis f.sp. hordei . Transient expression of the barley or wheat LEMK1 genes enhanced resistance in wheat to the adapted wheat powdery mildew fungus while expression of the same genes did not protect barley from attack by the barley powdery mildew fungus. The results suggest that HvLEMK1 is a factor mediating non-host resistance in barley and quantitative host resistance in wheat to the wheat powdery mildew fungus.

2012 Mississippi Valley Uniform Regional Barley Nursery

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

It was a much better year for the barley nursery than last year when only four locations were able to contribute useable data for the report. Much drier weather prevailed during this growing season. The reader is referred to the "Nursery Conditions" section immediately following thi...

Postprandial lipid, glucose, insulin, and cholecystokinin responses in men fed barley pasta enriched with beta-glucan.

PubMed

Bourdon, I; Yokoyama, W; Davis, P; Hudson, C; Backus, R; Richter, D; Knuckles, B; Schneeman, B O

1999-01-01

Fiber regulates the rate and site of lipid and carbohydrate digestion and absorption and thus can modify the alimentary responses to a meal. When fiber sources containing viscous polysaccharides are included in a meal, a slower rate of carbohydrate and lipid absorption will modify the alimentary hormone and lipid responses. We investigated in 11 healthy men the response of insulin, glucose, cholecystokinin, and lipid to 2 test meals containing beta-glucan. One of the meals was high in fiber (15.7 g) and the other meal was low in fiber (5.0 g). The low-fiber meal contained pasta made with wheat flour. The high-fiber meals contained pasta prepared by replacing 40% of the wheat with 2 types of barley flour: barley naturally high in beta-glucan and the other a flour enriched in beta-glucan during processing. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations increased significantly after all meals but the insulin response was more blunted after the barley-containing meals. The test meals were low in fat (25% of energy) but elicited an increase in plasma triacylglycerol and cholecystokinin. Cholecystokinin remained elevated for a longer time after the barley-containing meals. After the low-fiber meal, plasma cholesterol concentrations did not change significantly; however, 4 h after the barley-containing meals, the cholesterol concentration dropped below the fasting concentration and was significantly lower than that after the low-fiber meal. Carbohydrate was more slowly absorbed from the 2 high-fiber meals. Consumption of the barley-containing meals appeared to stimulate reverse cholesterol transport, which may contribute to the cholesterol-lowering ability of barley.

Genetic dissection of barley morphology and development.

PubMed

Druka, Arnis; Franckowiak, Jerome; Lundqvist, Udda; Bonar, Nicola; Alexander, Jill; Houston, Kelly; Radovic, Slobodanka; Shahinnia, Fahimeh; Vendramin, Vera; Morgante, Michele; Stein, Nils; Waugh, Robbie

2011-02-01

Since the early 20th century, barley (Hordeum vulgare) has been a model for investigating the effects of physical and chemical mutagens and for exploring the potential of mutation breeding in crop improvement. As a consequence, extensive and well-characterized collections of morphological and developmental mutants have been assembled that represent a valuable resource for exploring a wide range of complex and fundamental biological processes. We constructed a collection of 881 backcrossed lines containing mutant alleles that induce a majority of the morphological and developmental variation described in this species. After genotyping these lines with up to 3,072 single nucleotide polymorphisms, comparison to their recurrent parent defined the genetic location of 426 mutant alleles to chromosomal segments, each representing on average <3% of the barley genetic map. We show how the gene content in these segments can be predicted through conservation of synteny with model cereal genomes, providing a route to rapid gene identification.

Microbial populations and fermentation profiles in rumen liquid and solids of Holstein cows respond differently to dietary barley processing.

PubMed

Metzler-Zebeli, B U; Khol-Parisini, A; Gruber, L; Zebeli, Q

2015-12-01

To evaluate the effects of treating barley grain with lactic acid (LA) and heat on postprandial dynamics of 19 microbial taxa and fermentation in the rumen of dairy cows. This study was designed as a double 3 × 3 Latin square with six rumen-cannulated cows and three diets either containing untreated control barley or barley treated with 1% LA and 1% LA and heat (LAH, 55°C). Microbial populations, pH and volatile fatty acids were assessed in rumen liquid and solids during the postprandial period. Propionate increased and butyrate decreased in rumen solids of cows fed LA and LAH treated barley compared to the control barley. The LA but not LAH treatment depressed Fibrobacter succinogenes in rumen liquid and solids, whereas the opposite effect was observed for Ruminococcus albus in both fractions and Ruminococcus flavefaciens in rumen solids. LA promoted Ruminobacter amylophilus with the effect being more pronounced with LAH. The Lactobacillus group and Megasphaera elsdenii increased in both fractions with LA but not with LAH. LA and LAH treatment of barley differently altered ruminal abundance of certain bacterial taxa and fungi and increased propionate fermentation in rumen solids, whereby LA and LAH effects were consistent and mostly independent of the rumen fraction and time after barley feeding. Results provided evidence that LA and LAH treatment of barley can enhance rumen propionate fermentation without adversely affecting rumen pH. As propionate is the major contributor to gluconeogenesis in ruminants, the present barley treatment may have practical application to enhance energy supply in dairy cows. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Ancient Egyptian herbal wines

PubMed Central

McGovern, Patrick E.; Mirzoian, Armen; Hall, Gretchen R.

2009-01-01

Chemical analyses of ancient organics absorbed into pottery jars from the beginning of advanced ancient Egyptian culture, ca. 3150 B.C., and continuing for millennia have revealed that a range of natural products—specifically, herbs and tree resins—were dispensed by grape wine. These findings provide chemical evidence for ancient Egyptian organic medicinal remedies, previously only ambiguously documented in medical papyri dating back to ca. 1850 B.C. They illustrate how humans around the world, probably for millions of years, have exploited their natural environments for effective plant remedies, whose active compounds have recently begun to be isolated by modern analytical techniques. PMID:19365069

BAX INHIBITOR-1 is required for full susceptibility of barley to powdery mildew.

PubMed

Eichmann, Ruth; Bischof, Melanie; Weis, Corina; Shaw, Jane; Lacomme, Christophe; Schweizer, Patrick; Duchkov, Dimitar; Hensel, Götz; Kumlehn, Jochen; Hückelhoven, Ralph

2010-09-01

BAX INHIBITOR-1 (BI-1) is one of the few proteins known to have cross-kingdom conserved functions in negative control of programmed cell death. Additionally, barley BI-1 (HvBI-1) suppresses defense responses and basal resistance to the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei and enhances resistance to cell death-provoking fungi when overexpressed in barley. Downregulation of HvBI-1 by transient-induced gene silencing or virus-induced gene silencing limited susceptibility to B. graminis f. sp. hordei, suggesting that HvBI-1 is a susceptibility factor toward powdery mildew. Transient silencing of BI-1 did not limit supersusceptibility induced by overexpression of MLO. Transgenic barley plants harboring an HvBI-1 RNA interference (RNAi) construct displayed lower levels of HvBI-1 transcripts and were less susceptible to powdery mildew than wild-type plants. At the cellular level, HvBI-1 RNAi plants had enhanced resistance to penetration by B. graminis f. sp. hordei. These data support a function of BI-1 in modulating cell-wall-associated defense and in establishing full compatibility of B. graminis f. sp. hordei with barley.

Alternative Splicing of Barley Clock Genes in Response to Low Temperature

PubMed Central

Calixto, Cristiane P. G.; Simpson, Craig G.; Waugh, Robbie; Brown, John W. S.

2016-01-01

Alternative splicing (AS) is a regulated mechanism that generates multiple transcripts from individual genes. It is widespread in eukaryotic genomes and provides an effective way to control gene expression. At low temperatures, AS regulates Arabidopsis clock genes through dynamic changes in the levels of productive mRNAs. We examined AS in barley clock genes to assess whether temperature-dependent AS responses also occur in a monocotyledonous crop species. We identify changes in AS of various barley core clock genes including the barley orthologues of Arabidopsis AtLHY and AtPRR7 which showed the most pronounced AS changes in response to low temperature. The AS events modulate the levels of functional and translatable mRNAs, and potentially protein levels, upon transition to cold. There is some conservation of AS events and/or splicing behaviour of clock genes between Arabidopsis and barley. In addition, novel temperature-dependent AS of the core clock gene HvPPD-H1 (a major determinant of photoperiod response and AtPRR7 orthologue) is conserved in monocots. HvPPD-H1 showed a rapid, temperature-sensitive isoform switch which resulted in changes in abundance of AS variants encoding different protein isoforms. This novel layer of low temperature control of clock gene expression, observed in two very different species, will help our understanding of plant adaptation to different environments and ultimately offer a new range of targets for plant improvement. PMID:27959947

A Transgenic Transcription Factor (TaDREB3) in Barley Affects the Expression of MicroRNAs and Other Small Non-Coding RNAs

PubMed Central

Hackenberg, Michael; Shi, Bu-Jun; Gustafson, Perry; Langridge, Peter

2012-01-01

Transcription factors (TFs), microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and other functional non-coding small RNAs (sRNAs) are important gene regulators. Comparison of sRNA expression profiles between transgenic barley over-expressing a drought tolerant TF (TaDREB3) and non-transgenic control barley revealed many group-specific sRNAs. In addition, 42% of the shared sRNAs were differentially expressed between the two groups (|log2| >1). Furthermore, TaDREB3-derived sRNAs were only detected in transgenic barley despite the existence of homologous genes in non-transgenic barley. These results demonstrate that the TF strongly affects the expression of sRNAs and siRNAs could in turn affect the TF stability. The TF also affects size distribution and abundance of sRNAs including miRNAs. About half of the sRNAs in each group were derived from chloroplast. A sRNA derived from tRNA-His(GUG) encoded by the chloroplast genome is the most abundant sRNA, accounting for 42.2% of the total sRNAs in transgenic barley and 28.9% in non-transgenic barley. This sRNA, which targets a gene (TC245676) involved in biological processes, was only present in barley leaves but not roots. 124 and 136 miRNAs were detected in transgenic and non-transgenic barley, respectively. miR156 was the most abundant miRNA and up-regulated in transgenic barley, while miR168 was the most abundant miRNA and up-regulated in non-transgenic barley. Eight out of 20 predicted novel miRNAs were differentially expressed between the two groups. All the predicted novel miRNA targets were validated using a degradome library. Our data provide an insight into the effect of TF on the expression of sRNAs in barley. PMID:22870277

Current and potential barley grain food products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Barley has been an important food source from the beginning of human civilization, and remains an important staple food crop in a few countries, although its consumption has decreased sharply with the ample availability of more palatable and versatile food crops such as rice and wheat. In many Weste...

Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) as a virus-induced gene silencing vector in maize seedlings

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV; genus Hordeivirus family Virgaviridae) was the first reported and still widely used virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) vector for monocotyledons. The utility of the virus as VIGS vector has been demonstrated in monocotyledonous hosts including wheat and barley. Des...

Influence of jet-cooking Prowashonupana barley flour on phenolic composition, antioxidant activities, and viscoelastic properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The influence of jet-cooking Prowashonupana barley flour on total phenolic contents, antioxidant activities, water holding capacities, and viscoelastic properties was studied. Barley flour was jet-cooked without or with pH adjustment at 7, 9, or 11. Generally, the free phenolic content and antioxi...

Nitrate transport is independent of NADH and NAD(P)H nitrate reductases in barley seedlings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warner, R. L.; Huffaker, R. C.

1989-01-01

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has NADH-specific and NAD(P)H-bispecific nitrate reductase isozymes. Four isogenic lines with different nitrate reductase isozyme combinations were used to determine the role of NADH and NAD(P)H nitrate reductases on nitrate transport and assimilation in barley seedlings. Both nitrate reductase isozymes were induced by nitrate and were required for maximum nitrate assimilation in barley seedlings. Genotypes lacking the NADH isozyme (Az12) or the NAD(P)H isozyme (Az70) assimilated 65 or 85%, respectively, as much nitrate as the wild type. Nitrate assimilation by genotype (Az12;Az70) which is deficient in both nitrate reductases, was only 13% of the wild type indicating that the NADH and NAD(P)H nitrate reductase isozymes are responsible for most of the nitrate reduction in barley seedlings. For all genotypes, nitrate assimilation rates in the dark were about 55% of the rates in light. Hypotheses that nitrate reductase has direct or indirect roles in nitrate uptake were not supported by this study. Induction of nitrate transporters and the kinetics of net nitrate uptake were the same for all four genotypes indicating that neither nitrate reductase isozyme has a direct role in nitrate uptake in barley seedlings.

Interactions between barley grain processing and source of supplemental dietary fat on nitrogen metabolism and urea-nitrogen recycling in dairy cows.

PubMed

Gozho, G N; Hobin, M R; Mutsvangwa, T

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of methods of barley grain processing and source of supplemental fat on urea-N transfer to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and the utilization of this recycled urea-N in lactating dairy cows. Four ruminally cannulated Holstein cows (656.3 +/- 27.7 kg of BW; 79.8 +/- 12.3 d in milk) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design with 28-d periods and a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. Experimental diets contained dry-rolled barley or pelleted barley in combination with whole canola or whole flaxseed as supplemental fat sources. Nitrogen balance was measured from d 15 to 19, with concurrent measurements of urea-N kinetics using continuous intrajugular infusions of [15N 15N]-urea. Dry matter intake and N intake were higher in cows fed dry-rolled barley compared with those fed pelleted barley. Nitrogen retention was not affected by diet, but fecal N excretion was higher in cows fed dry-rolled barley than in those fed pelleted barley. Actual and energy-corrected milk yield were not affected by diet. Milk fat content and milk fat yield were higher in cows fed dry-rolled barley compared with those fed pelleted barley. Source of supplemental fat did not affect urea-N kinetics. Urea-N production was higher (442.2 vs. 334.3 g of N/d), and urea-N entering the GIT tended to be higher (272.9 vs. 202.0 g of N/d), in cows fed dry-rolled barley compared with those fed pelleted barley. The amount of urea-N entry into the GIT that was returned to the ornithine cycle was higher (204.1 vs. 159.5 g of N/d) in cows fed dry-rolled barley than in pelleted barley-fed cows. The amount of urea-N recycled to the GIT and used for anabolic purposes, and the amounts lost in the urine or feces were not affected by dietary treatment. Microbial nonammonia N supply, estimated using total urinary excretion of purine derivatives, was not affected by diet. These results show that even though barley grain processing altered urea

Relationship of carbohydrates and lignin molecular structure spectral profiles to nutrient profile in newly developed oats cultivars and barley grain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prates, Luciana Louzada; Refat, Basim; Lei, Yaogeng; Louzada-Prates, Mariana; Yu, Peiqiang

2018-01-01

The objectives of this study were to quantify the chemical profile and the magnitude of differences in the oat and barley grain varieties developed by Crop Development Centre (CDC) in terms of Cornell Net Carbohydrate Protein System (CNCPS) carbohydrate sub-fractions: CA4 (sugars), CB1 (starch), CB2 (soluble fibre), CB3 (available neutral detergent fibre - NDF), and CC (unavailable carbohydrate); to estimate the energy values; to detect the lignin and carbohydrate (CHO) molecular structure profiles in CDC Nasser and CDC Seabiscuit oat and CDC Meredith barley grains by using Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR); to develop a model to predict nutrient supply based on CHO molecular profile. Results showed that NDF, ADF and CHO were greater (P < 0.05) in oat than in barley. The starch content was greater (P < 0.05) in barley than in oat. The CDC Meredith showed greater total rumen degradable carbohydrate (RDC), intestinal digestible fraction carbohydrate (FC) and lower total rumen undegradable carbohydrate (RUC). However, the estimated milk production did not differ for CDC Nasser oat and CDC Meredith barley. Lignin peak area and peak height did not differ (P > 0.05) for oat and barley grains as well as non-structural CHO. However, cellulosic compounds peak area and height were greater (P < 0.05) in oat than barley grains. Multiple regressions were determined to predict nutrient supply by using lignin and CHO molecular profiles. It was concluded that although there were some differences between oat and barley grains, CDC Nasser and CDC Meredith presented similarities related to chemical and molecular profiles, indicating that CDC Meredith barley could be replaced for CDC Nasser as ruminant feed. The FTIR was able to identify functional groups related to CHO molecular spectral in oat and barley grains and FTIR-ATR results could be used to predict nutrient supply in ruminant livestock systems.

Community dynamics and metabolite target analysis of spontaneous, backslopped barley sourdough fermentations under laboratory and bakery conditions.

PubMed

Harth, Henning; Van Kerrebroeck, Simon; De Vuyst, Luc

2016-07-02

Barley flour is not commonly used for baking because of its negative effects on bread dough rheology and loaf volume. However, barley sourdoughs are promising ingredients to produce improved barley-based breads. Spontaneous barley sourdough fermentations were performed through backslopping (every 24h, 10days) under laboratory (fermentors, controlled temperature of 30°C, high dough yield of 400) and bakery conditions (open vessels, ambient temperature of 17-22°C, low dough yield of 200), making use of the same batch of flour. They differed in pH evolution, microbial community dynamics, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species composition. After ten backsloppings, the barley sourdoughs were characterized by the presence of the LAB species Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Lactobacillus brevis in the case of the laboratory productions (fast pH decrease, pH<4.0 after two backslopping steps), and of Leuconostoc citreum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Weissella confusa and Weissella cibaria in the case of the bakery productions (slow pH decrease, pH4.0 after eight backslopping steps). In both sourdough productions, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was the sole yeast species. Breads made with wheat flour supplemented with 20% (on flour basis) barley sourdough displayed a firmer texture, a smaller volume, and an acceptable flavour compared with all wheat-based reference breads. Hence, representative strains of the LAB species mentioned above, adapted to the environmental conditions they will be confronted with, may be selected as starter cultures for the production of stable barley sourdoughs and flavourful breads. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Drivers of Phosphorus Uptake by Barley Following Secondary Resource Application

PubMed Central

Brod, Eva; Øgaard, Anne Falk; Krogstad, Tore; Haraldsen, Trond Knapp; Frossard, Emmanuel; Oberson, Astrid

2016-01-01

Minable rock phosphate is a finite resource. Replacing mineral phosphorus (P) fertilizer with P-rich secondary resources is one way to manage P more efficiently, but the importance of physicochemical and microbial soil processes induced by secondary resources for plant P uptake is still poorly understood. Using radioactive-labeling techniques, the fertilization effects of dairy manure, fish sludge, meat bone meal, and wood ash were studied as P uptake by barley after 44 days and compared with those of water-soluble mineral P (MinP) and an unfertilized control (NoP) in a pot experiment with an agricultural soil containing little available P at two soil pH levels, approximately pH 5.3 (unlimed soil) and pH 6.2 (limed soil). In a parallel incubation experiment, the effects of the secondary resources on physicochemical and microbial soil processes were studied. The results showed that the relative agronomic efficiency compared with MinP decreased in the order: manure ≥fish sludge ≥wood ash ≥meat bone meal. The solubility of inorganic P in secondary resources was the main driver for P uptake by barley (Hordeum vulgare). The effects of secondary resources on physicochemical and microbial soil processes were of little overall importance. Application of organic carbon with manure resulted in microbial P immobilization and decreased uptake by barley of P derived from the soil. On both soils, P uptake by barley was best explained by a positive linear relationship with the H2O + NaHCO3-soluble inorganic P fraction in fertilizers or by a linear negative relationship with the HCl-soluble inorganic P fraction in fertilizers. PMID:27243015

Detection of addition of barley to coffee using near infrared spectroscopy and chemometric techniques.

PubMed

Ebrahimi-Najafabadi, Heshmatollah; Leardi, Riccardo; Oliveri, Paolo; Casolino, Maria Chiara; Jalali-Heravi, Mehdi; Lanteri, Silvia

2012-09-15

The current study presents an application of near infrared spectroscopy for identification and quantification of the fraudulent addition of barley in roasted and ground coffee samples. Nine different types of coffee including pure Arabica, Robusta and mixtures of them at different roasting degrees were blended with four types of barley. The blending degrees were between 2 and 20 wt% of barley. D-optimal design was applied to select 100 and 30 experiments to be used as calibration and test set, respectively. Partial least squares regression (PLS) was employed to build the models aimed at predicting the amounts of barley in coffee samples. In order to obtain simplified models, taking into account only informative regions of the spectral profiles, a genetic algorithm (GA) was applied. A completely independent external set was also used to test the model performances. The models showed excellent predictive ability with root mean square errors (RMSE) for the test and external set equal to 1.4% w/w and 0.8% w/w, respectively. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phenotypic and Physiological Evaluation of Two and Six Rows Barley under Different Environmental Conditions.

PubMed

Naser, Mahmoud; Badran, Mohamed; Abouzied, Hanaa; Ali, Heba; Elbasyoni, Ibrahim

2018-05-04

In recent years, barley has attracted more interest as a food and feed source because of its high soluble dietary fiber and β-glucan content compared with other small grains. Twenty-five barley genotypes (20 imported genotypes and five check cultivars) were grown in three environments for two successive seasons: 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. The first environment was in El-Nubaria, Alexandria, Egypt during 2015/2016, while the second and third environments were in El-Bostan, Elbhera, Egypt during 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. The experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with the three replicates. The primary objectives of the current study were to evaluate the performance of 20 imported barley genotypes under several environmental conditions. The imported materials were superior to the local commercial cultivars for several traits, including grain yield. Therefore, the superior genotypes will be further evaluated and used in barley breeding programs. Our future work will focus on creating several crosses among the selected superior genotypes to improve yield and other important traits, while applying marker-assisted selection.

Mutagenesis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by sodium azide activated in barley.

PubMed

Velemínský, J; Silhánková, L; Smiovská, V; Gichner, T

1979-07-01

Concentrated dialysate of the extract prepared from barley seeds treated with sodium azide increased up to 100--200 times the frequency of forward mutations to cycloheximide resistance in the excision-deficient UV-sensitive heploid strain rad2-5 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, when applied to growing cells in complete medium at pH 4.2. Only a slight increase of mutation frequency (less than 4 times) was found in the haploid RAD+ strain treated in the same way as well as in haploid RAD+ and rad2-5 strains treated directly by sodium azide. In contrast with the barley-activated sodium azide, UV irradiation was more effective in the induction of cycloheximide resistance in the RAD+ strain than in the RAD2-5 mutant. The dialysate from azide-treated barley seeds, applied at both pH 4.2 and pH 9, also significantly increased the frequency of locus-specific suppressor mutations to isoleucine independence and -- to a lesser extent -- reversions and/or gene conversions in the trp5 locus in growing cells of the diploid strain D7. The dialysate was also mutagenic in resting cells of strains D7 and rad2-5 but with lower effectiveness.

Transposition of the maize transposable element Ac in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

PubMed

Scholz, S; Lörz, H; Lütticke, S

2001-01-01

Transposition of the maize autonomous element Ac (Activator) was investigated in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with the aim of developing a transposon tagging system for the latter. The Ac element was introduced into meristematic tissue of barley by microprojectile bombardment. Transposon activity was then examined in the resulting transgenic plants. Multiple excision events were detected in leaf tissue of all plant lines. The mobile elements generated empty donor sites with small DNA sequence alterations, similar to those found in maize. Reintegration of Ac at independent genomic loci in somatic tissue was demonstrated by isolation of new element-flanking regions by AIMS-PCR (amplification of insertion-mutagenized sites). In addition, transmission of transposed Ac elements to progeny plants was confirmed. The results indicate that the introduced Ac element is able to transpose in barley. This is a first step towards the establishment of a transposon tagging system in this economically important crop.

Elucidation of the origin of 'agriocrithon' based on domestication genes questions the hypothesis that Tibet is one of the centers of barley domestication.

PubMed

Pourkheirandish, Mohammad; Kanamori, Hiroyuki; Wu, Jianzhong; Sakuma, Shun; Blattner, Frank R; Komatsuda, Takao

2018-05-01

Wild barley forms a two-rowed spike with a brittle rachis whereas domesticated barley has two- or six-rowed spikes with a tough rachis. Like domesticated barley, 'agriocrithon' forms a six-rowed spike; however, the spike is brittle as in wild barley, which makes the origin of agriocrithon obscure. Haplotype analysis of the Six-rowed spike 1 (vrs1) and Non-brittle rachis 1 (btr1) and 2 (btr2) genes was conducted to infer the origin of agriocrithon barley. Some agriocrithon barley accessions (eu-agriocrithon) carried Btr1 and Btr2 haplotypes that are not found in any cultivars, implying that they are directly derived from wild barley through a mutation at the vrs1 locus. Other agriocrithon barley accessions (pseudo-agriocrithon) carried Btr1 or Btr2 from cultivated barley, thus implying that they originated from hybridization between six-rowed landraces carrying btr1Btr2 and Btr1btr2 genotypes followed by recombination to produce Btr1Btr2. All materials we collected from Tibet belong to pseudo-agriocrithon and thus do not support the Tibetan Plateau as being a center of barley domestication. Tracing the evolutionary history of these allelic variants revealed that eu-agriocrithon represents six-rowed barley lineages that were selected by early farmers, once in south-eastern Turkmenistan (vrs1.a1) and again in the eastern part of Uzbekistan (vrs1.a4). © 2018 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Implications of Nubian-Like Core Reduction Systems in Southern Africa for the Identification of Early Modern Human Dispersals

PubMed Central

Phillips, Natasha

2015-01-01

Lithic technologies have been used to trace dispersals of early human populations within and beyond Africa. Convergence in lithic systems has the potential to confound such interpretations, implying connections between unrelated groups. Due to their reductive nature, stone artefacts are unusually prone to this chance appearance of similar forms in unrelated populations. Here we present data from the South African Middle Stone Age sites Uitpanskraal 7 and Mertenhof suggesting that Nubian core reduction systems associated with Late Pleistocene populations in North Africa and potentially with early human migrations out of Africa in MIS 5 also occur in southern Africa during early MIS 3 and with no clear connection to the North African occurrence. The timing and spatial distribution of their appearance in southern and northern Africa implies technological convergence, rather than diffusion or dispersal. While lithic technologies can be a critical guide to human population flux, their utility in tracing early human dispersals at large spatial and temporal scales with stone artefact types remains questionable. PMID:26125972

Seismic anisotropy and subduction-induced mantle fabrics beneath the Arabian and Nubian Plates adjacent to the Red Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsheikh, Ahmed A.; Gao, Stephen S.; Liu, Kelly H.; Mohamed, Abdelnasser A.; Yu, Youqiang; Fat-Helbary, Raafat E.

2014-04-01

For most continental areas, the mechanisms leading to mantle fabrics responsible for the observed anisotropy remain ambiguous, partially due to the lack of sufficient spatial coverage of reliable seismological observations. Here we report the first joint analysis of shear-wave splitting measurements obtained at stations on the Arabian and Nubian Plates adjacent to the Red Sea. More than 1100 pairs of high-quality splitting parameters show dominantly N-S fast orientations at all 47 stations and larger-than-normal splitting times beneath the Afro-Arabian Dome (AAD). The uniformly N-S fast orientations and large splitting times up to 1.5 s are inconsistent with significant contributions from the lithosphere, which is about 50-80 km thick beneath the AAD and even thinner beneath the Red Sea. The results can best be explained by simple shear between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere associated with northward subduction of the African/Arabian Plates over the past 150 Ma.

Dwarfs in ancient Egypt.

PubMed

Kozma, Chahira

2006-02-15

Ancient Egypt was one of the most advanced and productive civilizations in antiquity, spanning 3000 years before the "Christian" era. Ancient Egyptians built colossal temples and magnificent tombs to honor their gods and religious leaders. Their hieroglyphic language, system of organization, and recording of events give contemporary researchers insights into their daily activities. Based on the record left by their art, the ancient Egyptians documented the presence of dwarfs in almost every facet of life. Due to the hot dry climate and natural and artificial mummification, Egypt is a major source of information on achondroplasia in the old world. The remains of dwarfs are abundant and include complete and partial skeletons. Dwarfs were employed as personal attendants, animal tenders, jewelers, and entertainers. Several high-ranking dwarfs especially from the Old Kingdom (2700-2190 BCE) achieved important status and had lavish burial places close to the pyramids. Their costly tombs in the royal cemeteries and the inscriptions on their statutes indicate their high-ranking position in Egyptian society and their close relation to the king. Some of them were Seneb, Pereniankh, Khnumhotpe, and Djeder. There were at least two dwarf gods, Ptah and Bes. The god Ptah was associated with regeneration and rejuvenation. The god Bes was a protector of sexuality, childbirth, women, and children. He was a favored deity particularly during the Greco-Roman period. His temple was recently excavated in the Baharia oasis in the middle of Egypt. The burial sites and artistic sources provide glimpses of the positions of dwarfs in daily life in ancient Egypt. Dwarfs were accepted in ancient Egypt; their recorded daily activities suggest assimilation into daily life, and their disorder was not shown as a physical handicap. Wisdom writings and moral teachings in ancient Egypt commanded respect for dwarfs and other individuals with disabilities. Copyright (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Supplementation of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose into yeast leavened all-whole grain barley bread potentiates cholesterol-lowering effect.

PubMed

Kim, Hyunsook; Turowski, Maciej; Anderson, W H Kerr; Young, Scott A; Kim, Yookyung; Yokoyama, Wallace

2011-07-27

We investigated in Syrian Golden hamsters the biological impact and its underlying mechanism of single whole grain breads supplemented with 2-3% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), a semisynthetic viscous soluble dietary fiber (SDF) as a substitute for gluten. Hamsters were fed high-fat diets supplemented with 48-65% (w/w) differently ground, freeze-dried single grain breads including whole grain wheat, barley, barley supplemented with HPMC, debranned oat, and oat supplemented with HPMC which were compared to a diet containing microcrystalline cellulose (control). All single grain breads significantly lowered plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations compared to the control. Enrichment with HPMC further lowered plasma and hepatic cholesterol concentrations. Despite the reduced molecular weight of naturally occurring soluble (1--->3),(1--->4)-β-d-glucan (β-glucan) caused by the bread-making process, whole grain barley breads downregulated hepatic expression of CYP7A1 and HMG-CoAR genes that are responsible for bile acid and cholesterol synthesis, suggesting a possible role of bioactive compounds such as short-chain fatty acids and phenolic compounds from barley bread. Barley bread enriched with HPMC downregulated expression of ABCG5 gene. Taken together, it appears that distinctive modulation of synthesis and excretion of hepatic cholesterol and bile acid contributes to the cholesterol-lowering properties of whole grain barley breads and breads enriched with HPMC. These data suggests that alternative whole grain breads supplemented with HPMC may provide consumers with a staple food that can assist in cholesterol management.

Six-rowed barley originated from a mutation in a homeodomain-leucine zipper I-class homeobox gene

PubMed Central

Komatsuda, Takao; Pourkheirandish, Mohammad; He, Congfen; Azhaguvel, Perumal; Kanamori, Hiroyuki; Perovic, Dragan; Stein, Nils; Graner, Andreas; Wicker, Thomas; Tagiri, Akemi; Lundqvist, Udda; Fujimura, Tatsuhito; Matsuoka, Makoto; Matsumoto, Takashi; Yano, Masahiro

2007-01-01

Increased seed production has been a common goal during the domestication of cereal crops, and early cultivators of barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare) selected a phenotype with a six-rowed spike that stably produced three times the usual grain number. This improved yield established barley as a founder crop for the Near Eastern Neolithic civilization. The barley spike has one central and two lateral spikelets at each rachis node. The wild-type progenitor (H. vulgare ssp. spontaneum) has a two-rowed phenotype, with additional, strictly rudimentary, lateral rows; this natural adaptation is advantageous for seed dispersal after shattering. Until recently, the origin of the six-rowed phenotype remained unknown. In the present study, we isolated vrs1 (six-rowed spike 1), the gene responsible for the six-rowed spike in barley, by means of positional cloning. The wild-type Vrs1 allele (for two-rowed barley) encodes a transcription factor that includes a homeodomain with a closely linked leucine zipper motif. Expression of Vrs1 was strictly localized in the lateral-spikelet primordia of immature spikes, suggesting that the VRS1 protein suppresses development of the lateral rows. Loss of function of Vrs1 resulted in complete conversion of the rudimentary lateral spikelets in two-rowed barley into fully developed fertile spikelets in the six-rowed phenotype. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the six-rowed phenotype originated repeatedly, at different times and in different regions, through independent mutations of Vrs1. PMID:17220272

Characterization of barley Prp1 gene and its expression during seed development and under abiotic stress.

PubMed

Jiang, Qian-Tao; Liu, Tao; Ma, Jian; Wei, Yu-Ming; Lu, Zhen-Xiang; Lan, Xiu-Jin; Dai, Shou-Fen; Zheng, You-Liang

2011-10-01

The pre-mRNA processing (Prp1) gene encodes a spliceosomal protein. It was firstly identified in fission yeast and plays a regular role during spliceosome activation and cell cycle. Plant Prp1 genes have only been identified from rice, Sorghum and Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, we reported the identification and isolation of a novel Prp1 gene from barley, and further explored its expressional pattern by using real-time quantitative RTPCR, promoter prediction and analysis of microarray data. The putative barley Prp1 protein has a similar primary structure features to those of other known Prp1 protein in this family. The results of amino acid comparison indicated that Prp1 protein of barley and other plant species has a highly conserved 30 termnal region while their 50 sequences greatly varied. The results of expressional analysis revealed that the expression level of barley Prp1 gene is always stable in different vegetative tissues, except it is up-regulated at the mid- and late stages of seed development or under the condition of cold stress. This kind of expressional pattern for barley Prp1 is also supported by our results of comparison of microarray data from barley, rice and Arabidopsis. For the molecular mechanism of its expressional pattern, we conclude that the expression of Prp1 gene may be up-regulated by the increase of pre-mRNAs and not be constitutive or ubiquitous.

Effect of natural flocculants on purity and properties of β-glucan extracted from barley and oat.

PubMed

Kurek, Marcin Andrzej; Karp, Sabina; Stelmasiak, Adrian; Pieczykolan, Ewelina; Juszczyk, Karolina; Rieder, Anne

2018-05-15

In this study, β-glucan was extracted from wholegrain oat and barley flours by a novel extraction and purification method employing natural flocculants (chitosan, guar gum and gelatin). The use of flocculants decreased the total amount of extracted gum, which was highest in control samples (9.07 and 7.9% for oat and barley, respectively). The β-glucan specific yield, however, increased with the use of chitosan and guar gum, which were able to remove protein and ash impurities resulting in gums with a higher purity.The highest concentration of chitosan (0.6 %) resulted in gums with the highest β-glucan content (82.0 ± 0.23 and 79.0 ± 0.19 for barley and oat, respectively) and highest β-glucan specific yield (96.9 and 93.3 % for oat and barley, respectively). Explanation is in R&D section. The use of gelatin was not successful. All gum samples had a high content of total dietary fiber (>74%) and a high water holding capacity (4.6-7.4 g/g), but differed in apparent viscosity, which was highest for the oat sample extracted with 0.6% chitosan. This sample also showed the highest β-glucan molecular weight among the oat samples, which were in general 10-fold higher than for the barley samples. Among the barley samples, β-glucan molecular weight was highest for the control. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An LRR/Malectin Receptor-Like Kinase Mediates Resistance to Non-adapted and Adapted Powdery Mildew Fungi in Barley and Wheat

PubMed Central

Rajaraman, Jeyaraman; Douchkov, Dimitar; Hensel, Götz; Stefanato, Francesca L.; Gordon, Anna; Ereful, Nelzo; Caldararu, Octav F.; Petrescu, Andrei-Jose; Kumlehn, Jochen; Boyd, Lesley A.; Schweizer, Patrick

2016-01-01

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) belonging to the multigene family of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are the sensing devices of plants for microbe- or pathogen-associated molecular patterns released from microbial organisms. Here we describe Rnr8 (for Required for non-host resistance 8) encoding HvLEMK1, a LRR-malectin domain-containing transmembrane RLK that mediates non-host resistance of barley to the non-adapted wheat powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici. Transgenic barley lines with silenced HvLEMK1 allow entry and colony growth of the non-adapted pathogen, although sporulation was reduced and final colony size did not reach that of the adapted barley powdery mildew fungus B. graminis f.sp. hordei. Transient expression of the barley or wheat LEMK1 genes enhanced resistance in wheat to the adapted wheat powdery mildew fungus while expression of the same genes did not protect barley from attack by the barley powdery mildew fungus. The results suggest that HvLEMK1 is a factor mediating non-host resistance in barley and quantitative host resistance in wheat to the wheat powdery mildew fungus. PMID:28018377

Effect of β-glucan-rich barley flour fraction on rheology and quality of frozen yeasted dough.

PubMed

Hamed, Abdelmagid; Ragaee, Sanaa; Abdel-Aal, El-Sayed M

2014-12-01

Research has shown that prolonged frozen storage of bread dough reduces the quality of the end product. In this study, the effect of air-classified barley flour fraction rich in β-glucan (approximately 25%) on rheology and quality of frozen yeasted bread dough was investigated. Wheat flour (W) was replaced by air-classified barley flour fraction (B) at 10% without or with 1.4% vital gluten to produce β-glucan enriched barley dough (WB) or barley dough plus gluten (WB + G). Dough products were stored at -18 ºC for 8 wk and their rheological properties were investigated weekly. During frozen storage dough extensibility increased, while elastic and viscous moduli decreased. Differential scanning calorimeter and nuclear magnetic resonance data indicated that WB and WB + G dough products contained approximately 10% less freezable water and 9% more bound water compared to the control dough (W). β-Glucan enriched dough also exhibited less changes in gluten network as shown by SEM photographs. The addition of air-classified barley flour fraction at 10% in frozen dough reduced deterioration effects caused by frozen storage via minimizing water redistribution and maintaining rheological properties of frozen dough. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

Enzymatic fractionation of SAA-pretreated barley straw for production of fuel ethanol and astaxanthin as a value-added co-product

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Barley straw was used to demonstrate a process for production of ethanol and astaxanthin as a value-added co-product. Barley straw was pretreated by soaking in aqueous ammonia (SAA) using the previously determined optimum conditions. The pretreated barley straw was first hydrolyzed with Accellerase®...

Safeguarding world wheat and barley production against Russian wheat aphid: An international pre-breeding initiative

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Russian wheat aphid (RWA), Diuraphis noxia, is one of the most damaging insect pests of wheat and barley throughout the World. This aphid, although is not yet present in Australia, is extremely damaging with up to 70% yield loses in wheat and barley producing lands, causing significant financia...

A Barley ROP GTPase ACTIVATING PROTEIN Associates with Microtubules and Regulates Entry of the Barley Powdery Mildew Fungus into Leaf Epidermal Cells[C][W

PubMed Central

Hoefle, Caroline; Huesmann, Christina; Schultheiss, Holger; Börnke, Frederik; Hensel, Götz; Kumlehn, Jochen; Hückelhoven, Ralph

2011-01-01

Little is known about the function of host factors involved in disease susceptibility. The barley (Hordeum vulgare) ROP (RHO of plants) G-protein RACB is required for full susceptibility of the leaf epidermis to invasion by the biotrophic fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp hordei. Stable transgenic knockdown of RACB reduced the ability of barley to accommodate haustoria of B. graminis in intact epidermal leaf cells and to form hairs on the root epidermis, suggesting that RACB is a common element of root hair outgrowth and ingrowth of haustoria in leaf epidermal cells. We further identified a barley MICROTUBULE-ASSOCIATED ROP-GTPASE ACTIVATING PROTEIN (MAGAP1) interacting with RACB in yeast and in planta. Fluorescent MAGAP1 decorated cortical microtubules and was recruited by activated RACB to the cell periphery. Under fungal attack, MAGAP1-labeled microtubules built a polarized network at sites of successful defense. By contrast, microtubules loosened where the fungus succeeded in penetration. Genetic evidence suggests a function of MAGAP1 in limiting susceptibility to penetration by B. graminis. Additionally, MAGAP1 influenced the polar organization of cortical microtubules. These results add to our understanding of how intact plant cells accommodate fungal infection structures and suggest that RACB and MAGAP1 might be antagonistic players in cytoskeleton organization for fungal entry. PMID:21685259

Structural Basis for Specificity of Propeptide-Enzyme Interaction in Barley C1A Cysteine Peptidases

PubMed Central

Cambra, Inés; Hernández, David; Diaz, Isabel; Martinez, Manuel

2012-01-01

C1A cysteine peptidases are synthesized as inactive proenzymes. Activation takes place by proteolysis cleaving off the inhibitory propeptide. The inhibitory capacity of propeptides from barley cathepsin L and B-like peptidases towards commercial and barley cathepsins has been characterized. Differences in selectivity have been found for propeptides from L-cathepsins against their cognate and non cognate enzymes. Besides, the propeptide from barley cathepsin B was not able to inhibit bovine cathepsin B. Modelling of their three-dimensional structures suggests that most propeptide inhibitory properties can be explained from the interaction between the propeptide and the mature cathepsin structures. Their potential use as biotechnological tools is discussed. PMID:22615948

Antidepressant-like effects of young green barley leaf (Hordeum vulgare L.) in the mouse forced swimming test.

PubMed

Yamaura, Katsunori; Nakayama, Noriyuki; Shimada, Maki; Bi, Yuanyuan; Fukata, Hideki; Ueno, Koichi

2012-01-01

Young green barley leaf is one of the richest sources of antioxidants and has been widely consumed for health management in Japan. In this study, we examined whether oral administration of young green barley leaf has an antidepressant effect on the forced swimming test in mice. Mice were individually forced to swim in an open cylindrical container, one hour after oral administration of young green barley leaf (400 or 1000 mg / kg) or imipramine (100 mg / kg). Expression of mRNA for nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and glucocorticoid receptor in the brain was analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). There was a significant antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test; both 400 and 1000 mg / kg young green barley leaves, as well as the positive control imipramine (100 mg / kg), reduced the immobility duration compared to the vehicle group. The expression of mRNA for NGF detected in the hippocampus immediately after the last swimming test was higher than that in the non-swimming group (Nil). Oral administration of imipramine suppressed this increase to the level of the Nil group. Young green barley leaf (400 and 1000 mg / kg) also showed a moderate decrease in the expression of mRNA for NGF, in a dose-dependent manner. Oral administration of young green barley leaf is able to produce an antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test. Consequently it is possible that the antidepressant-like effects of the young green barley leaf are, at least in part, mediated by an inhibition of the increase in the hippocampus levels of NGF.

Microbiological and technological characterization of sourdoughs destined for bread-making with barley flour.

PubMed

Zannini, Emanuele; Garofalo, Cristiana; Aquilanti, Lucia; Santarelli, Sara; Silvestri, Gloria; Clementi, Francesca

2009-10-01

The aim of the present study was the microbiological and technological characterization of laboratory- made sourdoughs for use in barley-flour-based bread-making. A defined multi-strain starter culture consisting of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts from wheat sourdoughs was inoculated into three flour-water mixtures, composed of: (i) 100% wheat flour (ii) 50% wheat flour and 50% hull-less barley flour (composite flour); (iii) 100% hull-less barley flour. After two months of continuous propagation, the chemical characteristics of the three sourdoughs were investigated by measuring: pH, total titratable acidity and concentrations of various microbial metabolites by HPLC (i.e. lactic, acetic, phenyllactic and butyric acids and diacetyl). The microbial traits were studied through viable counts, isolation and typing of LAB and yeasts and PCR-DGGE analyses. Only Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum were detectable in the sourdoughs together with other lactobacilli species which were different depending on the type of flour blend used. The molecular typing of the isolates highlighted that only a few strains among those initially inoculated prevailed. The volume increases of the three types of sourdough were also investigated and a correlation was seen between an increase in the barley flour content and a reduction in the dough volume.

Barley whole exome capture: a tool for genomic research in the genus Hordeum and beyond

PubMed Central

Mascher, Martin; Richmond, Todd A; Gerhardt, Daniel J; Himmelbach, Axel; Clissold, Leah; Sampath, Dharanya; Ayling, Sarah; Steuernagel, Burkhard; Pfeifer, Matthias; D'Ascenzo, Mark; Akhunov, Eduard D; Hedley, Pete E; Gonzales, Ana M; Morrell, Peter L; Kilian, Benjamin; Blattner, Frank R; Scholz, Uwe; Mayer, Klaus FX; Flavell, Andrew J; Muehlbauer, Gary J; Waugh, Robbie; Jeddeloh, Jeffrey A; Stein, Nils

2013-01-01

Advanced resources for genome-assisted research in barley (Hordeum vulgare) including a whole-genome shotgun assembly and an integrated physical map have recently become available. These have made possible studies that aim to assess genetic diversity or to isolate single genes by whole-genome resequencing and in silico variant detection. However such an approach remains expensive given the 5 Gb size of the barley genome. Targeted sequencing of the mRNA-coding exome reduces barley genomic complexity more than 50-fold, thus dramatically reducing this heavy sequencing and analysis load. We have developed and employed an in-solution hybridization-based sequence capture platform to selectively enrich for a 61.6 megabase coding sequence target that includes predicted genes from the genome assembly of the cultivar Morex as well as publicly available full-length cDNAs and de novo assembled RNA-Seq consensus sequence contigs. The platform provides a highly specific capture with substantial and reproducible enrichment of targeted exons, both for cultivated barley and related species. We show that this exome capture platform provides a clear path towards a broader and deeper understanding of the natural variation residing in the mRNA-coding part of the barley genome and will thus constitute a valuable resource for applications such as mapping-by-sequencing and genetic diversity analyzes. PMID:23889683

Cosmogenic, radiogenic, and stable isotopic constraints on groundwater residence time in the nubian aquifer, western desert of egypt

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patterson, Leslie J.; Sturchio, Neil C.; Kennedy, B.Mack

2004-06-01

Measurements of radiochlorine ({sup 36}Cl), radiogenic noble gases ({sup 4}He and {sup 40}Ar), and stable chlorine isotope ratios were obtained to assess the residence time of groundwater in the Nubian Aquifer of the Western Desert of Egypt. Measured {sup 36}Cl/Cl ratios yield apparent residence times from {approx}0.2 to 1.2 x 10{sup 6} years in the deep (600-1200 m) groundwater (assuming constant Cl) and {le} 0.16 x 10{sup 6} years in the shallow (<600 m) groundwater. Values of {delta}{sup 37}Cl in the groundwater strengthen the application of the {sup 36}Cl dating method by constraining Cl sources and identifying groundwater mixing. Dissolvedmore » gases were measured in some of the deep groundwater samples. Measured {sup 4}He concentrations indicate accumulation of radiogenic {sup 4}He that is qualitatively consistent with the age progression indicated by the {sup 36}Cl/Cl ratios, but the flux of external {sup 4}He from the underlying crust has not been quantified and is not constant throughout the aquifer. Concentrations of {sup 40}Ar range from 3.3 to 6.7 x 10{sup -4} ccSTP/g and indicate excess air incorporation at recharge. Measured {sup 40}Ar/{sup 36}Ar ratios do not exceed the atmospheric ratio. A two-dimensional numerical hydrodynamic transect of the aquifer was modeled from the area of the Uweinat Uplift to the northern Bahariya Oasis. Predicted groundwater velocities in the deep portion of the aquifer are 0.5-3.5 m/yr with groundwater residence times up to 9 x 10{sup 5} years; residence times up to 1.3 x 10{sup 6} years are predicted in the confining shale. Aquifer properties are estimated by using the model to fit the measured {sup 36}Cl/Cl ratios. Under these conditions, hydrodynamic residence times are within about 30 percent of those calculated from {sup 36}Cl when mixing of Cl{sup -} is accounted for in the highest-Cl{sup -} deep groundwaters. By mutually calibrating multiple methods (hydrodynamic, {sup 36}Cl, and {sup 4}He), a consistent picture

Global Landscape of a Co-Expressed Gene Network in Barley and its Application to Gene Discovery in Triticeae Crops

PubMed Central

Mochida, Keiichi; Uehara-Yamaguchi, Yukiko; Yoshida, Takuhiro; Sakurai, Tetsuya; Shinozaki, Kazuo

2011-01-01

Accumulated transcriptome data can be used to investigate regulatory networks of genes involved in various biological systems. Co-expression analysis data sets generated from comprehensively collected transcriptome data sets now represent efficient resources that are capable of facilitating the discovery of genes with closely correlated expression patterns. In order to construct a co-expression network for barley, we analyzed 45 publicly available experimental series, which are composed of 1,347 sets of GeneChip data for barley. On the basis of a gene-to-gene weighted correlation coefficient, we constructed a global barley co-expression network and classified it into clusters of subnetwork modules. The resulting clusters are candidates for functional regulatory modules in the barley transcriptome. To annotate each of the modules, we performed comparative annotation using genes in Arabidopsis and Brachypodium distachyon. On the basis of a comparative analysis between barley and two model species, we investigated functional properties from the representative distributions of the gene ontology (GO) terms. Modules putatively involved in drought stress response and cellulose biogenesis have been identified. These modules are discussed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the co-expression analysis. Furthermore, we applied the data set of co-expressed genes coupled with comparative analysis in attempts to discover potentially Triticeae-specific network modules. These results demonstrate that analysis of the co-expression network of the barley transcriptome together with comparative analysis should promote the process of gene discovery in barley. Furthermore, the insights obtained should be transferable to investigations of Triticeae plants. The associated data set generated in this analysis is publicly accessible at http://coexpression.psc.riken.jp/barley/. PMID:21441235

Structural Control and Groundwater Flow in the Nubian Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathy, K.; Sultan, M.; Ahmed, M.; Save, H.; Emil, M. K.; Elkaliouby, B.

2017-12-01

An integrated research approach (remote sensing, field, geophysics) was conducted to investigate the structural control on groundwater flow in large aquifers using the less studied Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) of NE Africa as a test site. The aquifer extends over 2.2 x 106 km2 in Egypt, Libya, Chad, and Sudan and consists of thick (> 3 kms), water-bearing, Paleozoic and Mesozoic sandstone with intercalations of Tertiary shale and clay. It is subdivided into three sub-basins (Northern Sudan Platform [NSP], Dakhla [DAS], and Kufra) that are separated by basement uplifts (e.g., E-W trending Uweinat-Aswan uplift that separates DAS from the NSP). Aquifer recharge occurs in the south (NSP and southern Kufra) where the aquifer is unconfined and precipitation is high (Average Annual Precipitation [AAP]: 117 mm/yr.) and discharge is concentrated in the north (DAS and northern Kufra). Our approach is a three-fold exercise. Firstly, we compared GOCE-based Global Geopotential Models (GGMs) to terrestrial gravity anomalies for 21262 sites to select the optimum model for deriving Bouguer gravity anomalies. Secondly, structures and uplifts were mapped using hill shade images and their extension in the subsurface were mapped using the Eigen_6C4 model-derived Bouguer anomalies and their Tilt Derivative products (TDR). Thirdly, hydrological analysis was conducted using GRACE CSR 1° x 1° mascon solutions to investigate the mass variations in relation to the mapped structures. Our findings include: (1) The Eigen-6C4 is the optimum model having the lowest deviation (9.122 mGal) from the terrestrial gravity anomalies; (2) the surface expressions of structures matched fairly well with their postulated extensions in the subsurface; (3) identified fault systems include: Red Sea rift-related N-S to NW-SE trending grabens formed by reactivating basement structures during Red Sea opening and Syrian arc-related NE-SW trending dextral shear systems; (4) TWS patterns are uniform

Sequencing of 15,622 gene-bearing BACs clarifies the gene-dense regions of the barley genome

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) possesses a large and highly repetitive genome of 5.1 Gb that has hindered the development of a complete sequence. In 2012, the International Barley Sequencing Consortium released a resource integrating whole-genome shotgun sequences with a physical and genetic framework....

Integration of β-glucan fibre rich fractions from barley and mushrooms to form healthy extruded snacks.

PubMed

Brennan, Margaret A; Derbyshire, Emma; Tiwari, Brijesh K; Brennan, Charles S

2013-03-01

β-glucan is a commonly researched plant cell wall component that when incorporated into food products has been associated with cholesterol and glycaemic response reductions. This study focusses on β-glucan rich fractions from barley and mushroom used in the production of extruded ready to eat snacks. Inclusion of barley β-glucan rich fractions and mushroom β-glucan fractions at 10 % levels increased the total dietary fibre content of extrudates compared to the control (P < 0.05). Product expansion increased with the introduction of both barley and mushroom fraction (P < 0.05) which in turn resulted in a reduction in product hardness (P < 0.05). In vitro digestion protocol illustrated that inclusion of barley and mushroom β-glucan rich fractions manipulated the starch digestibility profile and hence rate of glucose release during digestion compared to the control sample. This in turn resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in potential glycaemic response of the samples of between 20 and 25 % for barley β-glucan rich fractions and between 17 and 25 % for mushroom β-glucan rich fractions. We conclude that the inclusion of these fractions could be utilised by the food industry to manipulate the glycaemic response of extruded snack products.

Nitrate Transport Is Independent of NADH and NAD(P)H Nitrate Reductases in Barley Seedlings 1

PubMed Central

Warner, Robert L.; Huffaker, Ray C.

1989-01-01

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has NADH-specific and NAD(P)H-bispecific nitrate reductase isozymes. Four isogenic lines with different nitrate reductase isozyme combinations were used to determine the role of NADH and NAD(P)H nitrate reductases on nitrate transport and assimilation in barley seedlings. Both nitrate reductase isozymes were induced by nitrate and were required for maximum nitrate assimilation in barley seedlings. Genotypes lacking the NADH isozyme (Az12) or the NAD(P)H isozyme (Az70) assimilated 65 or 85%, respectively, as much nitrate as the wild type. Nitrate assimilation by genotype (Az12;Az70) which is deficient in both nitrate reductases, was only 13% of the wild type indicating that the NADH and NAD(P)H nitrate reductase isozymes are responsible for most of the nitrate reduction in barley seedlings. For all genotypes, nitrate assimilation rates in the dark were about 55% of the rates in light. Hypotheses that nitrate reductase has direct or indirect roles in nitrate uptake were not supported by this study. Induction of nitrate transporters and the kinetics of net nitrate uptake were the same for all four genotypes indicating that neither nitrate reductase isozyme has a direct role in nitrate uptake in barley seedlings. PMID:11537465

Gravimorphism in rice and barley: promotion of leaf elongation by vertical inversion in agravitropically growing plants.

PubMed

Abe, K; Takahashi, H; Suge, H

1998-12-01

We have compared shoot responses of agravitropic rice and barley plants to vertical inversion with those of normal ones. When rice plants were vertically inverted, the main stems of a japonica type of rice, cv. Kamenoo, showed negative gravitropism at nodes 2-15 of both elongated and non-elongated internodes. However, shoots of lazy line of rice, lazy-Kamenoo, bent gravitropically at nodes 11-15 only elongated internodes but not at nodes 2-10 of non-elongated ones. Thus, shoots of Kamenoo responded gravitropically at all stages of growth, whereas shoots of lazy-Kamenoo did not show gravitropic response before heading. In Kamenoo plants, lengths of both leaf-sheath and leaf-blade were shortened by vertical inversion, but those of the vertically inverted plants of lazy-Kamenoo were significantly longer than the plants in an upright position. When agravitropic and normal plants of barley were vertically inverted, the same results as in rice were obtained; elongation of both leaf-sheath and leaf-blade was inhibited in normal barley plants, Chikurin-Ibaragi No. 1, but significantly stimulated in agravitropic plants of serpentina barley. These results suggest that vertical inversion of rice and barley plants enhances the elongation growth of leaves in the absence of tropistic response.

Short Vegetative Phase-Like MADS-Box Genes Inhibit Floral Meristem Identity in Barley1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Trevaskis, Ben; Tadege, Million; Hemming, Megan N.; Peacock, W. James; Dennis, Elizabeth S.; Sheldon, Candice

2007-01-01

Analysis of the functions of Short Vegetative Phase (SVP)-like MADS-box genes in barley (Hordeum vulgare) indicated a role in determining meristem identity. Three SVP-like genes are expressed in vegetative tissues of barley: Barley MADS1 (BM1), BM10, and Vegetative to Reproductive Transition gene 2. These genes are induced by cold but are repressed during floral development. Ectopic expression of BM1 inhibited spike development and caused floral reversion in barley, with florets at the base of the spike replaced by tillers. Head emergence was delayed in plants that ectopically express BM1, primarily by delayed development after the floral transition, but expression levels of the barley VRN1 gene (HvVRN1) were not affected. Ectopic expression of BM10 inhibited spike development and caused partial floral reversion, where florets at the base of the spike were replaced by inflorescence-like structures, but did not affect heading date. Floral reversion occurred more frequently when BM1 and BM10 ectopic expression lines were grown in short-day conditions. BM1 and BM10 also inhibited floral development and caused floral reversion when expressed in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We conclude that SVP-like genes function to suppress floral meristem identity in winter cereals. PMID:17114273

Effect of barley flour, crude cinnamon, and their combination on glycemia, dyslipidemia, and adipose tissue hormones in type 2 diabetic rats.

PubMed

Shatwan, Israa Ali; Ahmed, Lamiaa Ali; Badkook, Maha Mohamed

2013-07-01

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of barley flour, crude cinnamon, and their combination on blood glucose, serum insulin, serum lipid profile, and serum adipose tissue hormones in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats (n=35) were divided into five groups: nondiabetic, diabetic, diabetic group fed 5% cinnamon, diabetic group fed 30% barley, and diabetic group fed 5% cinnamon and 30% barley. Fasting blood glucose, insulin, lipid profile, adiponectin, and leptin were measured after 8 weeks. Blood glucose significantly decreased in all treated diabetic rats compared with the diabetic group. Serum insulin and high-density lipoprotein significantly increased, while cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein were significantly decreased after 8 weeks. Adiponectin significantly increased, while leptin significantly decreased with administration of either cinnamon, barley, or their combination. No significant differences were observed among the three treated groups on all parameters. A cinnamon and barley combination caused obvious improvement in insulin-positive cells of pancreatic tissue. In conclusion, consuming diets containing either cinnamon, barley, or their combination regulates blood glucose, lipid profile, and adipose tissue hormones in type 2 diabetic rats. The most effective treatment was the cinnamon and barley combination.

Internal Water Balance of Barley Under Soil Moisture Stress 1

PubMed Central

Millar, Agustin A.; Duysen, Murray E.; Wilkinson, Guy E.

1968-01-01

Leaf water potential, leaf relative water content, and relative transpiration of barley were determined daily under greenhouse conditions at 3 growth stages: tillering to boot, boot to heading, and heading to maturity. The leaf moisture characteristic curve (relative water content versus leaf water potential) was the same for leaves of the same age growing in the same environment for the first 2 stages of growth, but shifted at the heading to maturity stage to higher leaf relative water content for a given leaf water potential. Growth chamber experiments showed that the leaf moisture characteristic curve was not the same for plants growing in different environments. Relative transpiration data indicated that barley stomates closed at a water potential of about −22 bars at the 3 stages studied. The water potential was measured for all the leaves on barley to determine the variation of water potential with leaf position. Leaf water potential increased basipetally with plant leaf position. In soil with a moisture content near field capacity a difference of about 16.5 bars was observed between the top and bottom leaves on the same plant, while in soil with a moisture content near the permanent wilting point the difference was only 5.6 bars between the same leaf positions. PMID:16656869

Screening of the aerodynamic and biophysical properties of barley malt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghodsvali, Alireza; Farzaneh, Vahid; Bakhshabadi, Hamid; Zare, Zahra; Karami, Zahra; Mokhtarian, Mohsen; Carvalho, Isabel. S.

2016-10-01

An understanding of the aerodynamic and biophysical properties of barley malt is necessary for the appropriate design of equipment for the handling, shipping, dehydration, grading, sorting and warehousing of this strategic crop. Malting is a complex biotechnological process that includes steeping; germination and finally, the dehydration of cereal grains under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. In this investigation, the biophysical properties of barley malt were predicted using two models of artificial neural networks as well as response surface methodology. Stepping time and germination time were selected as the independent variables and 1 000 kernel weight, kernel density and terminal velocity were selected as the dependent variables (responses). The obtained outcomes showed that the artificial neural network model, with a logarithmic sigmoid activation function, presents more precise results than the response surface model in the prediction of the aerodynamic and biophysical properties of produced barley malt. This model presented the best result with 8 nodes in the hidden layer and significant correlation coefficient values of 0.783, 0.767 and 0.991 were obtained for responses one thousand kernel weight, kernel density, and terminal velocity, respectively. The outcomes indicated that this novel technique could be successfully applied in quantitative and qualitative monitoring within the malting process.

Mapping resistance to powdery mildew in barley reveals a large-effect nonhost resistance QTL.

PubMed

Romero, Cynara C T; Vermeulen, Jasper P; Vels, Anton; Himmelbach, Axel; Mascher, Martin; Niks, Rients E

2018-05-01

Resistance factors against non-adapted powdery mildews were mapped in barley. Some QTLs seem effective only to non-adapted mildews, while others also play a role in defense against the adapted form. The durability and effectiveness of nonhost resistance suggests promising practical applications for crop breeding, relying upon elucidation of key aspects of this type of resistance. We investigated which genetic factors determine the nonhost status of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to powdery mildews (Blumeria graminis). We set out to verify whether genes involved in nonhost resistance have a wide effectiveness spectrum, and whether nonhost resistance genes confer resistance to the barley adapted powdery mildew. Two barley lines, SusBgt SC and SusBgt DC , with some susceptibility to the wheat powdery mildew B. graminis f.sp. tritici (Bgt) were crossed with cv Vada to generate two mapping populations. Each population was assessed for level of infection against four B. graminis ff.spp, and QTL mapping analyses were performed. Our results demonstrate polygenic inheritance for nonhost resistance, with some QTLs effective only to non-adapted mildews, while others play a role against adapted and non-adapted forms. Histology analyses of nonhost interaction show that most penetration attempts are stopped in association with papillae, and also suggest independent layers of defence at haustorium establishment and conidiophore formation. Nonhost resistance of barley to powdery mildew relies mostly on non-hypersensitive mechanisms. A large-effect nonhost resistance QTL mapped to a 1.4 cM interval is suitable for map-based cloning.

Granary trial of protein-enriched pea flour for the control of three stored-product insects in barley.

PubMed

Hou, Xingwei; Fields, Paul G

2003-06-01

A granary trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of protein-enriched pea flour against three common stored-grain insects, Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens). Six 30-t farm granaries were filled with approximately 11 t of barley. The barley was either not treated, treated with protein-enriched pea flour at 0.1% throughout the entire grain mass, or treated at 0.5% throughout the top half of the grain mass. Adult insects were released in screened boxes (two insects per kilogram barley for S. oryzae and T. castaneum 1.4 insects per kilogram barley for C. ferrugineus). Barley was sampled four times during the 70-d trial. The number and mortality of adults and emerged adults in the samples were noted. Four kinds of traps, flight, surface-pitfall, probe-pitfall, and sticky-bar, were placed at different locations in the granaries to estimate the movement of insects. The 0.1% protein-enriched pea flour treatment reduced adult numbers of S. oryzae by 93%, T. castaneum by 66%, and C. ferrugineus by 58%, and reduced the emerged adults by 87, 77, and 77%, respectively. Treating the top half of the barley with 0.5% protein-enriched pea flour had similar effects as treating the entire grain mass with 0.1% pea-protein flour. However, the top-half treatment failed to prevent insects from penetrating into the untreated lower layer. Differences between traps are discussed.

Free α-dicarbonyl compounds in coffee, barley coffee and soy sauce and effects of in vitro digestion.

PubMed

Papetti, Adele; Mascherpa, Dora; Gazzani, Gabriella

2014-12-01

α-Dicarbonyl (α-DC) compounds were characterised in roasted (coffee, barley coffee) and in fermented (soy sauce) food matrices. Glyoxal (GO), methylglyoxal (MGO), diacetyl (DA) and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG) were found in all samples, and hydroxypyruvaldehyde and 5-hydroxypentane-2,3-dione in barley and soy. Cis and trans 3,4-dideoxyglucosone-3-ene (3,4-DGE) isomers and 4-glucosyl-5,6-dihydroxy-2-oxohexanal (4-G,3-DG) were found only in barley, and 3,4-DGE only in soy sauce with molasses. GO, MGO, and DA were quantified. Findings indicate that i) α-DC profiles depend on the food matrix and any technological treatments applied; ii) α-DC quantitation by HPLC requires matrix-specific, validated methods; iii) GO and MGO were the most abundant α-DCs; and iv) barley coffee was the matrix richest in α-DCs both qualitatively and quantitatively. In vitro simulated digestion reduced (coffee) or strongly increased (barley, soy sauce) free α-DC content. These findings suggest that α-DC bioavailability could actually depend not on food content but rather on reactions occurring during digestion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation hybrid map of barley chromosome 3H

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Assembly of the barley genome is complicated by its large size (5.1 Gb) and proportion of repetitive elements (84%). This process is facilitated by high resolution maps for aligning BAC contigs along chromosomes. Available genetic maps; however, do not provide accurate information on the physical po...

Registration of Sawtooth low-phytate, hulled spring barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS), has released 'Sawtooth', (Hordeum vulgare L.) (Reg. No. xxxxxx, P.I. xxxxxx). Sawtooth is a hulless, low-phytate, spring barley, the second to be developed and released by the USDA-ARS. Compared to the previously released ...

Effect of barley flour on rheological characteristics of dough, organoleptic, nutritional and storage characteristics of south Indian parotta.

PubMed

Maiya, G Koushika; Shwetha, B G; Indrani, D

2015-01-01

Barley (Hordeum sativum) is a good source of dietary fibre, particularly β-glucan. Effect of 10, 20, 30 and 40% barley flour on the rheological characteristics of dough and quality characteristics of south Indian parotta was studied. Use of increasing amount of barley flour from 0 to 40% increased farinograph water absorption and decreased stability, increased extensograph resistance to extension and decreased extensibility, decreased amylograph set back and increased peak viscosity values. Sensory analysis showed that use of barley flour above 30% brought about adverse effect on the quality of parotta. Addition of combination of 2% dry gluten powder and 0.001% xylanase enzyme, XY (combination of improvers) decreased elasticity, increased extensibility of the dough and quality of parotta with 30% BF. During 48 h of storage, parottas with 30% barley flour remained softer than control parotta. The total dietary fibre and β-glucan contents of parotta with 30% BF were 2.0 and 10.5 times higher than the control parotta. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Additive effects of Na+ and Cl– ions on barley growth under salinity stress

PubMed Central

Tavakkoli, Ehsan; Fatehi, Foad; Coventry, Stewart; Rengasamy, Pichu; McDonald, Glenn K.

2011-01-01

Soil salinity affects large areas of the world's cultivated land, causing significant reductions in crop yield. Despite the fact that most plants accumulate both sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl–) ions in high concentrations in their shoot tissues when grown in saline soils, most research on salt tolerance in annual plants has focused on the toxic effects of Na+ accumulation. It has previously been suggested that Cl– toxicity may also be an important cause of growth reduction in barley plants. Here, the extent to which specific ion toxicities of Na+ and Cl– reduce the growth of barley grown in saline soils is shown under varying salinity treatments using four barley genotypes differing in their salt tolerance in solution and soil-based systems. High Na+, Cl–, and NaCl separately reduced the growth of barley, however, the reductions in growth and photosynthesis were greatest under NaCl stress and were mainly additive of the effects of Na+ and Cl– stress. The results demonstrated that Na+ and Cl– exclusion among barley genotypes are independent mechanisms and different genotypes expressed different combinations of the two mechanisms. High concentrations of Na+ reduced K+ and Ca2+ uptake and reduced photosynthesis mainly by reducing stomatal conductance. By comparison, high Cl– concentration reduced photosynthetic capacity due to non-stomatal effects: there was chlorophyll degradation, and a reduction in the actual quantum yield of PSII electron transport which was associated with both photochemical quenching and the efficiency of excitation energy capture. The results also showed that there are fundamental differences in salinity responses between soil and solution culture, and that the importance of the different mechanisms of salt damage varies according to the system under which the plants were grown. PMID:21273334

Low GI Food with Barley in Space Foods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katayama, Naomi; Sugimoto, Manabu; Hashimoto, Hirofumi; Kihara, Makoto; Yamashita, Masamichi; Space Agriculture Task Force

The construction of the life-support system to perform space, moon base, Mars emigration is demanded. The space foods will play a very important role of life support on this occasion. Particularly, in environment of the microgravity, our metabolism becomes less than the face of the Earth. The management of the blood sugar level is very important. We need to eat the meal which will be rise in blood sugar level slowly. The barley which includes much water-soluble dietary fibers is helpful to make low GI space food. After eating 30% barley with unpolished rice, blood sugar level was rise slowly. The cooking process is very important to our body in thinking about digestion and absorption. Soft foods, long-heated foods and grind-foods are easy to digest. After eating these-foods, our blood sugar level will rise, easily. We introduce the space foods with 30% wheat that the blood sugar level is hard to rising.

Evolution of the Grain Dispersal System in Barley.

PubMed

Pourkheirandish, Mohammad; Hensel, Goetz; Kilian, Benjamin; Senthil, Natesan; Chen, Guoxiong; Sameri, Mohammad; Azhaguvel, Perumal; Sakuma, Shun; Dhanagond, Sidram; Sharma, Rajiv; Mascher, Martin; Himmelbach, Axel; Gottwald, Sven; Nair, Sudha K; Tagiri, Akemi; Yukuhiro, Fumiko; Nagamura, Yoshiaki; Kanamori, Hiroyuki; Matsumoto, Takashi; Willcox, George; Middleton, Christopher P; Wicker, Thomas; Walther, Alexander; Waugh, Robbie; Fincher, Geoffrey B; Stein, Nils; Kumlehn, Jochen; Sato, Kazuhiro; Komatsuda, Takao

2015-07-30

About 12,000 years ago in the Near East, humans began the transition from hunter-gathering to agriculture-based societies. Barley was a founder crop in this process, and the most important steps in its domestication were mutations in two adjacent, dominant, and complementary genes, through which grains were retained on the inflorescence at maturity, enabling effective harvesting. Independent recessive mutations in each of these genes caused cell wall thickening in a highly specific grain "disarticulation zone," converting the brittle floral axis (the rachis) of the wild-type into a tough, non-brittle form that promoted grain retention. By tracing the evolutionary history of allelic variation in both genes, we conclude that spatially and temporally independent selections of germplasm with a non-brittle rachis were made during the domestication of barley by farmers in the southern and northern regions of the Levant, actions that made a major contribution to the emergence of early agrarian societies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of jet milling and particle size on the composition, physicochemical and mechanical properties of barley and rye flours.

PubMed

Drakos, Antonios; Kyriakakis, Georgios; Evageliou, Vasiliki; Protonotariou, Styliani; Mandala, Ioanna; Ritzoulis, Christos

2017-01-15

Finer barley and rye flours were produced by jet milling at two feed rates. The effect of reduced particle size on composition and several physicochemical and mechanical properties of all flours were evaluated. Moisture content decreased as the size of the granules decreased. Differences on ash and protein contents were observed. Jet milling increased the amount of damaged starch in both rye and barley flours. True density increased with decreased particle size whereas porosity and bulk density increased. The solvent retention capacity profile was also affected by jet milling. Barley was richer in phenolics and had greater antioxidant activity than rye. Regarding colour, both rye and barley flours when subjected to jet milling became brighter, whereas their yellowness was not altered significantly. The minimum gelation concentration for all flours was 16%w/v. Barley flour gels were stronger, firmer and more elastic than the rye ones. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An investigation into the ancient abortion laws: comparing ancient Persia with ancient Greece and Rome.

PubMed

Yarmohammadi, Hassan; Zargaran, Arman; Vatanpour, Azadeh; Abedini, Ehsan; Adhami, Siamak

2013-01-01

Since the dawn of medicine, medical rights and ethics have always been one of mankind's concerns. In any civilisation, attention paid to medical laws and ethics depends on the progress of human values and the advancement of medical science. The history of various civilisations teaches that each had its own views on medical ethics, but most had something in common. Ancient civilisations such as Greece, Rome, or Assyria did not consider the foetus to be alive and therefore to have human rights. In contrast, ancient Persians valued the foetus as a living person equal to others. Accordingly, they brought laws against abortion, even in cases of sexual abuse. Furthermore, abortion was considered to be a murder and punishments were meted out to the mother, father, and the person performing it.

Genome-wide association mapping of barley yellow dwarf virus tolerance in spring oat (Avena sativa L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Barley yellow dwarf (BYD) is one of the most destructive diseases of cereal crops worldwide. Barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) are responsible for BYD and affect many cereals including oat (Avena sativa L.). Until recently, the molecular marker technology in oat has not allowed for many marker-t...

The discovery of resistant sources of spring barley, Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum, and unique greenbug biotypes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The genetic sources for host-plant resistance to the greenbug (Schiazphis graminum Ronani) in barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum) are limited in that only two single dominant genes Rsg1 and Rsg2 are available for resistance to greenbug biotypes. We evaluated four new barley lines from the Wild...

Urology and the scientific method in ancient Egypt.

PubMed

Gordetsky, Jennifer; O'Brien, Jeanne

2009-03-01

To examine the practice of urology in ancient Egypt using various sources, including the Edwin Smith and Ebers Papyri. The sources of knowledge of ancient Egyptian medicine include medical papyri, paleopathology, art, and hieroglyphic carvings. A brief overview of the medical system in ancient Egypt was completed, in addition to an examination of the training and specialization of the physician in the ancient world. Urologic diseases treated in ancient Egypt and some of the first documented urologic surgeries are presented. Finally, we studied the role of the physician-priest and the intertwined use of religion and magic in ancient Egyptian medicine. The same medical conditions urologists treat in the office today were methodically documented thousands of years ago. Medical papyri show evidence that the ancient Egyptians practiced medicine using a scientific method based on the clinical observation of disease. This has been exemplified by the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, a collection of surgical cases that gives a diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for each ailment, and the discovery of medical specialization in ancient Egypt, giving us perhaps the world's first urologists. Intertwined with the scientific method was also the rich mysticism and religion of ancient Egypt, which were integral components of the healing process. We present an overview of the practice of urology in ancient Egypt, in terms of both pharmacologic and surgical intervention, as well as with a look into the religion of medicine practiced at that time.

2000 Year-old ancient equids: an ancient-DNA lesson from pompeii remains.

PubMed

Di Bernardo, Giovanni; Del Gaudio, Stefania; Galderisi, Umberto; Cipollaro, Marilena

2004-11-15

Ancient DNA extracted from 2000 year-old equine bones was examined in order to amplify mitochondrial and nuclear DNA fragments. A specific equine satellite-type sequence representing 3.7%-11% of the entire equine genome, proved to be a suitable target to address the question of the presence of aDNA in ancient bones. The PCR strategy designed to investigate this specific target also allowed us to calculate the molecular weight of amplifiable DNA fragments. Sequencing of a 370 bp DNA fragment of mitochondrial control region allowed the comparison of ancient DNA sequences with those of modern horses to assess their genetic relationship. The 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene was also examined to unravel the post-mortem base modification feature and to test the status of Pompeian equids taxon on the basis of a Mae III restriction site polymorphism. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Diversity in boron toxicity tolerance of Australian barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes.

PubMed

Hayes, Julie E; Pallotta, Margaret; Garcia, Melissa; Öz, Mehmet Tufan; Rongala, Jay; Sutton, Tim

2015-09-26

Boron (B) is an important micronutrient for plant growth, but is toxic when levels are too high. This commonly occurs in environments with alkaline soils and relatively low rainfall, including many of the cereal growing regions of southern Australia. Four major genetic loci controlling tolerance to high soil B have been identified in the landrace barley, Sahara 3771. Genes underlying two of the loci encode the B transporters HvBot1 and HvNIP2;1. We investigated sequence and expression level diversity in HvBot1 and HvNIP2;1 across barley germplasm, and identified five novel coding sequence alleles for HvBot1. Lines were identified containing either single or multiple copies of the Sahara HvBot1 allele. We established that only the tandemly duplicated Sahara allele conferred B tolerance, and this duplicated allele was found only in a set of nine lines accessioned in Australian collections as Sahara 3763-3771. HvNIP2;1 coding sequences were highly conserved across barley germplasm. We identified the likely causative SNP in the 5'UTR of Sahara HvNIP2;1, and propose that the creation of a small upstream open reading frame interferes with HvNIP2;1 translation in Sahara 3771. Similar to HvBot1, the tolerant HvNIP2;1 allele was unique to the Sahara barley accessions. We identified a new source of the 2H B tolerance allele controlling leaf symptom development, in the landrace Ethiopia 756. Ethiopia 756, as well as the cultivar Sloop Vic which carries both the 2H and HvBot1 B tolerance alleles derived from Sahara 3771, may be valuable as alternative parents in breeding programs targeted to high soil B environments. There is significant diversity in B toxicity tolerance among contemporary Australian barley varieties but this is not related to variation at any of the four known B tolerance loci, indicating that novel, as yet undiscovered, sources of tolerance exist.

The variation in chemical composition of barley feed with or without enzyme supplementation influences nutrient digestibility and subsequently affects performance in piglets.

PubMed

Clarke, L C; Sweeney, T; Curley, E; Duffy, S K; Rajauria, G; O'Doherty, J V

2018-06-01

This study investigates the effect of dietary supplementation of a β-glucanase and β-xylanase enzyme mix to barley based diets, at two different chemical compositions achieved through different agronomical conditions on growth performance, coefficient of apparent total tract digestibility (CATTD) of nutrients, selected faecal microbial populations and faecal scores in piglets. Sixty-four piglets (11.7 kg (SD 0.96)) housed in pens of two were assigned to one of four dietary treatments (n = 8). The dietary treatments were as follows: (T1) low quality barley diet, (T2) low quality barley diet containing a β-glucanase and β-xylanase enzyme supplement, (T3) high quality barley diet and (T4) high quality barley diet containing a β-glucanase and β-xylanase enzyme supplement. Piglets offered the low quality barley-based diet had a higher (p < .05) average daily gain (ADG) (0.73 vs. 0.69 kg, SEM 0.001), gain:feed (G:F) ratio (0.61 vs. 0.58 kg, SEM 0.011) and a higher CATTD (p < .001) of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), ash, gross energy (GE) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) compared with piglets offered the high quality barley diet. Piglets offered the high quality barley-based diet had reduced faecal scores compared to piglets offered the low quality barley-based diet (2.44 vs. 2.57, SEM 0.036) (p < .05). There was a higher population of Lactobacillus spp. (11.6 vs. 10.5 log gene copy number/g faeces, SEM 0.177) (p < .001) and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration (185 vs. 165 mmol/g faeces, SEM 5.658) (p < .001) in the faeces of piglets offered the high quality barley-based diet compared to piglets offered the low quality barley-based diet. The inclusion of a β-glucanase and β-xylanase enzyme complex had no effect on any variable measured. In conclusion, the higher quality barley-based diet showed beneficial effects on the faecal Lactobacillus spp. population and faecal scores of the piglets; however, the higher level of

Unique and Conserved Features of the Barley Root Meristem

PubMed Central

Kirschner, Gwendolyn K.; Stahl, Yvonne; Von Korff, Maria; Simon, Rüdiger

2017-01-01

Plant root growth is enabled by root meristems that harbor the stem cell niches as a source of progenitors for the different root tissues. Understanding the root development of diverse plant species is important to be able to control root growth in order to gain better performances of crop plants. In this study, we analyzed the root meristem of the fourth most abundant crop plant, barley (Hordeum vulgare). Cell division studies revealed that the barley stem cell niche comprises a Quiescent Center (QC) of around 30 cells with low mitotic activity. The surrounding stem cells contribute to root growth through the production of new cells that are displaced from the meristem, elongate and differentiate into specialized root tissues. The distal stem cells produce the root cap and lateral root cap cells, while cells lateral to the QC generate the epidermis, as it is typical for monocots. Endodermis and inner cortex are derived from one common initial lateral to the QC, while the outer cortex cell layers are derived from a distinct stem cell. In rice and Arabidopsis, meristem homeostasis is achieved through feedback signaling from differentiated cells involving peptides of the CLE family. Application of synthetic CLE40 orthologous peptide from barley promotes meristem cell differentiation, similar to rice and Arabidopsis. However, in contrast to Arabidopsis, the columella stem cells do not respond to the CLE40 peptide, indicating that distinct mechanisms control columella cell fate in monocot and dicot plants. PMID:28785269

Transcriptome Sequencing in a Tibetan Barley Landrace with High Resistance to Powdery Mildew

PubMed Central

Zeng, Xing-Quan; Luo, Xiao-Mei; Wang, Yu-Lin; Xu, Qi-Jun; Bai, Li-Jun; Yuan, Hong-Jun; Tashi, Nyima

2014-01-01

Hulless barley is an important cereal crop worldwide, especially in Tibet of China. However, this crop is usually susceptible to powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei. In this study, we aimed to understand the functions and pathways of genes involved in the disease resistance by transcriptome sequencing of a Tibetan barley landrace with high resistance to powdery mildew. A total of 831 significant differentially expressed genes were found in the infected seedlings, covering 19 functions. Either “cell,” “cell part,” and “extracellular region” in the cellular component category or “binding” and “catalytic” in the category of molecular function as well as “metabolic process” and “cellular process” in the biological process category together demonstrated that these functions may be involved in the resistance to powdery mildew of the hulless barley. In addition, 330 KEGG pathways were found using BLASTx with an E-value cut-off of <10−5. Among them, three pathways, namely, “photosynthesis,” “plant-pathogen interaction,” and “photosynthesis-antenna proteins” had significant matches in the database. Significant expressions of the three pathways were detected at 24 h, 48 h, and 96 h after infection, respectively. These results indicated a complex process of barley response to powdery mildew infection. PMID:25587568

Identification of Mild Freezing Shock Response Pathways in Barley Based on Transcriptome Profiling.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaolei; Wu, Dezhi; Yang, Qian; Zeng, Jianbin; Jin, Gulei; Chen, Zhong-Hua; Zhang, Guoping; Dai, Fei

2016-01-01

Low temperature is a major abiotic stress affecting crop growth and productivity. A better understanding of low temperature tolerance mechanisms is imperative for developing the crop cultivars with improved tolerance. We herein performed an Illumina RNA-sequencing experiment using two barley genotypes differing in freezing tolerance (Nure, tolerant and Tremois, sensitive), to determine the transcriptome profiling and genotypic difference under mild freezing shock treatment after a very short acclimation for gene induction. A total of 6474 differentially expressed genes, almost evenly distributed on the seven chromosomes, were identified. The key DEGs could be classified into six signaling pathways, i.e., Ca(2+) signaling, PtdOH signaling, CBFs pathway, ABA pathway, jasmonate pathway, and amylohydrolysis pathway. Expression values of DEGs in multiple signaling pathways were analyzed and a hypothetical model of mild freezing shock tolerance mechanism was proposed. Expression and sequence profile of HvCBFs cluster within Frost resistance-H2, a major quantitative trait locus on 5H being closely related to low temperature tolerance in barley, were further illustrated, considering the crucial role of HvCBFs on freezing tolerance. It may be concluded that multiple signaling pathways are activated in concert when barley is exposed to mild freezing shock. The pathway network we presented may provide a platform for further exploring the functions of genes involved in low temperature tolerance in barley.

Effects of Microbial Additives on Chemical Composition and Fermentation Characteristics of Barley Silage

PubMed Central

Amanullah, S. M.; Kim, D. H.; Lee, H. J.; Joo, Y. H.; Kim, S. B.; Kim, S. C.

2014-01-01

This study examined the effects of bacterial inoculants on chemical composition and fermentation indices of barley silage. Barley forage (Youngyang) was harvested at 24% dry matter (DM) and wilted to 47.9% DM. The wilted barley forage was chopped to 3–5 cm length and applied with no inoculant (CON), L. plantarum (1×1010 cfu/g, LP) or Effective Microorganisms (0.5×109 cfu/g, EM). Then the forages were ensiled in four replications for each treatment in 20 L mini silos and stored for 100 days. The contents of crude protein and ether extract were higher in CON silage ensiled for 100-d, while the contents of DM and crude ash were higher in EM silage (p<0.05). The contents of ADF, NDF and hemicellulose as well as the in vitro DM digestibility were not affected by microbial inoculation (p>0.05). The pH, ammonia-N concentration and lactate to acetate ratio were higher (p<0.05) in CON silage, while lactate concentrations were higher (p<0.05) in CON and LP silage. Acetate concentration and lactic acid bacteria was increased (p<0.05) by both inoculants (LP and EM), but propionate concentration and yeast was increased (p<0.05) by EM and LP, respectively. These results indicated that the fermentation quality of barley silage was improved by the application of bacterial inoculants. PMID:25049981

The Ancients' Appliance of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephenson, Philip; Sword, Frances

2004-01-01

An innovative collaboration between the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education encourages new questions to be asked of ancient objects. In the museum galleries children work directly from ancient Egyptian objects through activities designed to encourage questioning that unpicks the technologies of the…

Registration of Harriman low-phytate, hulled spring barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS), has released 'Harriman', (Hordeum vulgare L.) (Reg. No. xxxxxx, P.I. xxxxxx). Harriman is a hulled, low-phytate barley, the second to be developed and released by the USDA-ARS. Compared to the previously released hulled, l...

Skeletal dysplasia in ancient Egypt.

PubMed

Kozma, Chahira

2008-12-01

The ancient Egyptian civilization lasted for over 3000 years and ended in 30 BCE. Many aspects of ancient Egyptian culture, including the existence of skeletal dysplasias, and in particular achondroplasia, are well known through the monuments and records that survived until modern times. The hot and dry climate in Egypt allowed for the preservation of bodies and skeletal anomalies. The oldest dwarf skeleton, the Badarian skeleton (4500 BCE), possibly represents an epiphyseal disorder. Among the remains of dwarfs with achondroplasia from ancient Egypt (2686-2190 BCE), exists a skeleton of a pregnant female, believed to have died during delivery with a baby's remains in situ. British museums have partial skeletons of dwarfs with achondroplasia, humeri probably affected with mucopolysaccharidoses, and a skeleton of a child with osteogenesis imperfecta. Skeletal dysplasia is also found among royal remains. The mummy of the pharaoh Siptah (1342-1197 BCE) shows a deformity of the left leg and foot. A mummified fetus, believed to be the daughter of king Tutankhamun, has scoliosis, spina bifida, and Sprengel deformity. In 2006 I reviewed the previously existing knowledge of dwarfism in ancient Egypt. The purpose of this second historical review is to add to that knowledge with an expanded contribution. The artistic documentation of people with skeletal dysplasia from ancient Egypt is plentiful including hundreds of amulets, statues, and drawing on tomb and temple walls. Examination of artistic reliefs provides a glance of the role of people with skeletal dysplasia and the societal attitudes toward them. Both artistic evidence and moral teachings in ancient Egypt reveal wide integration of individuals with disabilities into the society. Copyright (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Influence of inoculum and climatic factors on the severity of Fusarium head blight in German spring and winter barley.

PubMed

Linkmeyer, Andrea; Hofer, Katharina; Rychlik, Michael; Herz, Markus; Hausladen, Hans; Hückelhoven, Ralph; Hess, Michael

2016-01-01

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of small cereals is a disease of global importance with regard to economic losses and mycotoxin contamination harmful to human and animal health. In Germany, FHB is predominantly associated with wheat and F. graminearum is recognised as the major causal agent of the disease, but little is known about FHB of barley. Monitoring of the natural occurrence of FHB on Bavarian barley revealed differences for individual Fusarium spp. in incidence and severity of grain infection between years and between spring and winter barley. Parallel measurement of fungal DNA content in grain and mycotoxin content suggested the importance of F. graminearum in winter barley and of F. langsethiae in spring barley for FHB. The infection success of these two species was associated with certain weather conditions and barley flowering time. Inoculation experiments in the field revealed different effects of five Fusarium spp. on symptom formation, grain yield and mycotoxin production. A significant association between fungal infection of grain and mycotoxin content was observed following natural or artificial infection with the type B trichothecene producer F. culmorum, but not with the type A trichothecene-producing species F. langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides. Trichothecene type A toxin contamination also occurred in the absence of significant damage to grain and did not necessarily promote fungal colonisation.

Boron-toxicity tolerance in barley arising from efflux transporter amplification.

PubMed

Sutton, Tim; Baumann, Ute; Hayes, Julie; Collins, Nicholas C; Shi, Bu-Jun; Schnurbusch, Thorsten; Hay, Alison; Mayo, Gwenda; Pallotta, Margaret; Tester, Mark; Langridge, Peter

2007-11-30

Both limiting and toxic soil concentrations of the essential micronutrient boron represent major limitations to crop production worldwide. We identified Bot1, a BOR1 ortholog, as the gene responsible for the superior boron-toxicity tolerance of the Algerian barley landrace Sahara 3771 (Sahara). Bot1 was located at the tolerance locus by high-resolution mapping. Compared to intolerant genotypes, Sahara contains about four times as many Bot1 gene copies, produces substantially more Bot1 transcript, and encodes a Bot1 protein with a higher capacity to provide tolerance in yeast. Bot1 transcript levels identified in barley tissues are consistent with a role in limiting the net entry of boron into the root and in the disposal of boron from leaves via hydathode guttation.

Structural features of immunostimulatory polysaccharide purified from pectinase hydrolysate of barley leaf.

PubMed

Kim, Hoon; Kwak, Bong-Shin; Hong, Hee-Do; Suh, Hyung-Joo; Shin, Kwang-Soon

2016-06-01

Four polysaccharide fractions were isolated from young barley leaves treated with or without pectinase followed by ethanol fractionation. Among the polysaccharide fractions, BLE-P isolated from pectinase digested with a high molecular weight had the most enhanced macrophage stimulatory activity, indicating that pectinase digestion of barley leaf is a useful method for enhancement of its activity. BLE-P was further purified by column chromatography to identify the chemical and structural properties. BLE-P-I eluted in void volume fraction showed potent macrophage stimulatory activity. Monosaccharide composition and linkage analysis indicated that at least three kinds of polysaccharide, that is, glucuronoarabinoxylan (GAX; 40-45%), rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) with branching mainly involving a type II arabinogalactan (AG-II) side chain (30-35%), and linear glucan such as starch and cellulose (less than 10%) coexisted in BLE-P-I. Given the association with macrophage stimulatory activity, it is likely that the GAX and to the RG-I polysaccharide branched with an AG-II side chain may be important for expression of the activity in barley leaf. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome Assembly and Analysis of Tibetan Hulless Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum) Developing Grains, with Emphasis on Quality Properties

PubMed Central

Chen, Xin; Long, Hai; Gao, Ping; Deng, Guangbing; Pan, Zhifen; Liang, Junjun; Tang, Yawei; Tashi, Nyima; Yu, Maoqun

2014-01-01

Background Hulless barley is attracting increasing attention due to its unique nutritional value and potential health benefits. However, the molecular biology of the barley grain development and nutrient storage are not well understood. Furthermore, the genetic potential of hulless barley has not been fully tapped for breeding. Methodology/Principal Findings In the present study, we investigated the transcriptome features during hulless barley grain development. Using Illumina paired-end RNA-Sequencing, we generated two data sets of the developing grain transcriptomes from two hulless barley landraces. A total of 13.1 and 12.9 million paired-end reads with lengths of 90 bp were generated from the two varieties and were assembled to 48,863 and 45,788 unigenes, respectively. A combined dataset of 46,485 All-Unigenes were generated from two transcriptomes with an average length of 542 bp, and 36,278 among were annotated with gene descriptions, conserved protein domains or gene ontology terms. Furthermore, sequences and expression levels of genes related to the biosynthesis of storage reserve compounds (starch, protein, and β-glucan) were analyzed, and their temporal and spatial patterns were deduced from the transcriptome data of cultivated barley Morex. Conclusions/Significance We established a sequences and functional annotation integrated database and examined the expression profiles of the developing grains of Tibetan hulless barley. The characterization of genes encoding storage proteins and enzymes of starch synthesis and (1–3;1–4)-β-D-glucan synthesis provided an overview of changes in gene expression associated with grain nutrition and health properties. Furthermore, the characterization of these genes provides a gene reservoir, which helps in quality improvement of hulless barley. PMID:24871534

Mathematical Modelling of Allelopathy: IV. Assessment of Contributions of Competition and Allelopathy to Interference by Barley

PubMed Central

Liu, De Li; An, Min; Johnson, I.R.; Lovett, J.V.

2005-01-01

One of the main challenges to the research on allelopathy is technically the separation of allelopathic effect from competition, and quantitatively, the assessment of the contribution of each component to overall interference. A simple mathematical model is proposed to calculate the contribution of allelopathy and competition to interference. As an example of applying the quantitative model to interference by barley (Hordeum vulgare cv. Triumph), the approach used was an addition of allelopathic effect, by an equivalent amount, to the environment of the test plant (white mustard, Sinapis alba), rather than elimination of competition. Experiments were conducted in glasshouse to determine the magnitude of the contributions of allelopathy and competition to interference by barley. The leachates of living barley roots significantly reduced the total dry weight of white mustard. The model involved the calculation of adjusted densities to an equivalent basis for modelling the contribution of allelopathy and competition to total interference. The results showed that allelopathy contributed 40%, 37% and 43% to interference by barley at 6, 12 and 18 white mustard pot−1. The consistency in magnitude of the calculated contribution of allelopathic effect by barley across various densities of receiver plant suggested that the adjusted equivalent density is effective and that the model is able to assess the contribution of each component of interference regardless of the density of receiver plant. PMID:19330162

Assessing the Relationship of Ancient and Modern Populations

PubMed Central

Schraiber, Joshua G.

2018-01-01

Genetic material sequenced from ancient samples is revolutionizing our understanding of the recent evolutionary past. However, ancient DNA is often degraded, resulting in low coverage, error-prone sequencing. Several solutions exist to this problem, ranging from simple approach, such as selecting a read at random for each site, to more complicated approaches involving genotype likelihoods. In this work, we present a novel method for assessing the relationship of an ancient sample with a modern population, while accounting for sequencing error and postmortem damage by analyzing raw reads from multiple ancient individuals simultaneously. We show that, when analyzing SNP data, it is better to sequence more ancient samples to low coverage: two samples sequenced to 0.5× coverage provide better resolution than a single sample sequenced to 2× coverage. We also examined the power to detect whether an ancient sample is directly ancestral to a modern population, finding that, with even a few high coverage individuals, even ancient samples that are very slightly diverged from the modern population can be detected with ease. When we applied our approach to European samples, we found that no ancient samples represent direct ancestors of modern Europeans. We also found that, as shown previously, the most ancient Europeans appear to have had the smallest effective population sizes, indicating a role for agriculture in modern population growth. PMID:29167200

Fine Mapping of the Barley Chromosome 6H Net Form Net Blotch Susceptibility Locus

PubMed Central

Richards, Jonathan; Chao, Shiaoman; Friesen, Timothy; Brueggeman, Robert

2016-01-01

Net form net blotch, caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Pyrenophora teres f. teres, is a destructive foliar disease of barley with the potential to cause significant yield loss in major production regions throughout the world. The complexity of the host–parasite genetic interactions in this pathosystem hinders the deployment of effective resistance in barley cultivars, warranting a deeper understanding of the interactions. Here, we report on the high-resolution mapping of the dominant susceptibility locus near the centromere of chromosome 6H in the barley cultivars Rika and Kombar, which are putatively targeted by necrotrophic effectors from P. teres f. teres isolates 6A and 15A, respectively. Utilization of progeny isolates derived from a cross of P. teres f. teres isolates 6A × 15A harboring single major virulence loci (VK1, VK2, and VR2) allowed for the Mendelization of single inverse gene-for-gene interactions in a high-resolution population consisting of 2976 Rika × Kombar recombinant gametes. Brachypodium distachyon synteny was exploited to develop and saturate the susceptibility region with markers, delimiting it to ∼0.24 cM and a partial physical map was constructed. This genetic and physical characterization further resolved the dominant susceptibility locus, designated Spt1 (susceptibility to P. teres f. teres). The high-resolution mapping and cosegregation of the Spt1.R and Spt1.K gene/s indicates tightly linked genes in repulsion or alleles possibly targeted by different necrotrophic effectors. Newly developed barley genomic resources greatly enhance the efficiency of positional cloning efforts in barley, as demonstrated by the Spt1 fine mapping and physical contig identification reported here. PMID:27172206

Improving phenolic bioactive-linked anti-hyperglycemic functions of dark germinated barley sprouts (Hordeum vulgare L.) using seed elicitation strategy.

PubMed

Ramakrishna, Ramnarain; Sarkar, Dipayan; Manduri, Avani; Iyer, Shreyas Ganesan; Shetty, Kalidas

2017-10-01

Sprouts of cereal grains, such as barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), are a good source of beneficial phenolic bioactives. Such health relevant phenolic bioactives of cereal sprouts can be targeted to manage chronic hyperglycemia and oxidative stress commonly associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Therefore improving phenolic bioactives by stimulating plant endogenous defense responses such as protective pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) during sprouting has significant merit. Based on this metabolic rationale, this study aimed to enhance phenolic bioactives and associated antioxidant and anti-hyperglycemic functions in dark germinated barley sprouts using exogenous elicitor treatments. Dark-germinated sprouts of two malting barley cultivars (Pinnacle and Celebration), treated with chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) and marine protein hydrolysate (GP), were evaluated. Total soluble phenolic content (TSP), phenolic acid profiles, total antioxidant activity (TA) and in vitro inhibitory activities of hyperglycemia relevant α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes of the dark germinated barley sprouts were evaluated at day 2, 4, and 6 post elicitor treatments. Overall, TSP content, TA, and α-amylase inhibitory activity of dark germinated barley sprouts decreased, while α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and gallic acid content increased from day 2 to day 6. Among barley cultivars, high phenolic antioxidant-linked anti-hyperglycemic bioactives were observed in Celebration. Furthermore, GP and COS seed elicitor treatments in selective doses improved T2D relevant phenolic-linked anti-hyperglycemic bioactives of barley spouts at day 6. Therefore, such seed elicitation approach can be strategically used to develop bioactive enriched functional food ingredients from cereal sprouts targeting chronic hyperglycemia and oxidative stress linked to T2D.

Basic leucine zipper family in barley: genome-wide characterization of members and expression analysis.

PubMed

Pourabed, Ehsan; Ghane Golmohamadi, Farzan; Soleymani Monfared, Peyman; Razavi, Seyed Morteza; Shobbar, Zahra-Sadat

2015-01-01

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family is one of the largest and most diverse transcription factors in eukaryotes participating in many essential plant processes. We identified 141 bZIP proteins encoded by 89 genes from the Hordeum vulgare genome. HvbZIPs were classified into 11 groups based on their DNA-binding motif. Amino acid sequence alignment of the HvbZIPs basic-hinge regions revealed some highly conserved residues within each group. The leucine zipper heptads were analyzed predicting their dimerization properties. 34 conserved motifs were identified outside the bZIP domain. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that major diversification within the bZIP family predated the monocot/dicot divergence, although intra-species duplication and parallel evolution seems to be occurred afterward. Localization of HvbZIPs on the barley chromosomes revealed that different groups have been distributed on seven chromosomes of barley. Six types of intron pattern were detected within the basic-hinge regions. Most of the detected cis-elements in the promoter and UTR sequences were involved in seed development or abiotic stress response. Microarray data analysis revealed differential expression pattern of HvbZIPs in response to ABA treatment, drought, and cold stresses and during barley grain development and germination. This information would be helpful for functional characterization of bZIP transcription factors in barley.

What can ancient mummies teach us about atherosclerosis?

PubMed

Wann, Samuel; Thomas, Gregory S

2014-10-01

Ancient mummies have captivated a wide variety of audiences for centuries. In order to better understand the evolution and causative features of atherosclerosis, the Horus group is applying modern scientific methods to study ancient mummies. We have used CT scanning to detect calcification in arteries as an indication of the presence of atherosclerosis, and are correlating these results with cultural and lifestyle features of various populations of ancient people as represented by their ancient mummified remains. We are also pursuing related studies of ancient DNA to define genotypes associated with atherosclerotic phenotypes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Competitive advantage and tolerance of selected shochu yeast in barley shochu mash.

PubMed

Takashita, Hideharu; Fujihara, Emi; Furutera, Mihoko; Kajiwara, Yasuhiro; Shimoda, Masahiko; Matsuoka, Masayoshi; Ogawa, Takahira; Kawamoto, Seiji; Ono, Kazuhisa

2013-07-01

A shochu yeast strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae BAW-6, was previously isolated from Kagoshima yeast strain Ko, and has since been utilized in shochu production. The BAW-6 strain carries pho3/pho3 homozygous genes in contrast to the heterozygous PHO3/pho3 genes in the parental Ko strain. However, absence of the PHO3 gene per se cannot explain the fermentation superiority of BAW-6. Here, we demonstrate the growth advantage of the BAW-6 strain over the Ko strain by competitive cultivation in barley shochu preparation, where alcohol yield and nihonshudo of the former strain were higher than those of the latter strain. In addition, the maximum growth rate of BAW-6 was less affected than that of Ko by high Brix values of barley koji medium, suggesting that BAW-6 is less sensitive to growth inhibitory compounds derived from barley or barley koji. The tolerance of BAW-6 to growth inhibitory compounds, cerulenin and diethylstilbestrol (an H⁺-ATPase inhibitor), was also higher than that of other yeast strains. Consistent with BAW-6's tolerance to diethylstilbestrol in the presence of 8% ethanol (pH 4.5), H⁺-ATPase activity, but not transcription of its gene, was higher in BAW-6 than in Ko. We conclude that the BAW-6 strain is associated with certain gene alterations other than PHO3, such that it can maintain cellular ion homeostasis under conditions of ethanol stress during the latter phase of fermentation. Copyright © 2013 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Communication Media in Ancient Cultures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jabusch, David M.

Interest in early means of communication and in the uses and kinds of media that existed in ancient cultures is starting to grow among communication scholars. Conversation analysis of these cultures is obviously impossible, so that the emphasis must rest with material cultural artifacts. Many ancient cultures used non-verbal codes for dyadic…

Effects of dietary oat, barley, and guar gums on serum and liver lipid concentrations in diet-induced hypertriglyceridemic rats.

PubMed

Oda, T; Aoe, S; Imanishi, S; Kanazawa, Y; Sanada, H; Ayano, Y

1994-04-01

Effects of dietary oat, barley, and guar gums on serum and liver triglyceride or cholesterol concentrations were examined in diet-induced hypertriglyceridemic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a hypertriglyceridemic diet that contained 20% coconut oil, 17.5% fructose, 17.5% sucrose, and 5% cellulose at 4 weeks of age for 14 days. In the gum-supplemented diets, 2% cellulose was replaced by oat gum, barley gum, or guar gum. Hypertriglyceridemia was observed in the control group, whereas serum cholesterol concentration was not increased. All of the gums lowered serum and liver cholesterol concentrations except barley gum which had no significant effect on liver cholesterol. Both oat and barley gums suppressed the elevation of serum and liver triglyceride concentrations but guar gum had no effect.

Dietary fiber and flavan-3-ols in shortbread biscuits enriched with barley flours co-products.

PubMed

Verardo, Vito; Riciputi, Ylenia; Messia, Maria Cristina; Vallicelli, Melania; Falasca, Luisa; Marconi, Emanuele; Caboni, Maria Fiorenza

2011-05-01

The coarse fraction obtained by air classification of barley flour, rich in dietary fiber and flavan-3-ols, was utilized to develop functional biscuits. The flavan-3-ol content, antioxidant activity and oxidative stability of biscuits were measured during storage under retail conditions for 1 year. The replacement of 60% (w/w) refined wheat flour with barley coarse fraction increased the ash, fiber and flavan-3-ol contents significantly. Biscuit samples enriched with barley coarse fraction had a significantly higher amount of fiber compared with the control sample (six times higher). The β-glucan content in enriched samples was 15 times higher than control samples. The flavan-3-ol loss in biscuits after baking was about 67%. The initial content of flavan-3-ols increased from 0.6 to 4.3 mg/100 g in biscuits formulated with barley coarse fraction and showed improved antioxidant properties. Lipid oxidation increased during the shelf-life; the enriched biscuit showed the higher lipid oxidation status, but the level reached during the shelf-life was lower than the limit of acceptance reported for bakery products and, for this reason, does not compromise the safety.

Structure, morphology and functionality of acetylated and oxidised barley starches.

PubMed

El Halal, Shanise Lisie Mello; Colussi, Rosana; Pinto, Vânia Zanella; Bartz, Josiane; Radunz, Marjana; Carreño, Neftali Lenin Villarreal; Dias, Alvaro Renato Guerra; Zavareze, Elessandra da Rosa

2015-02-01

Acetylation and oxidation are chemical modifications which alter the properties of starch. The degree of modification of acetylated and oxidized starches is dependent on the catalyst and active chlorine concentrations, respectively. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of acetylation and oxidation on the structural, morphological, physical-chemical, thermal and pasting properties of barley starch. Barley starches were acetylated at different catalyst levels (11%, 17%, and 23% of NaOH solution) and oxidized at different sodium hypochlorite concentrations (1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% of active chlorine). Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractograms, thermal, morphological, and pasting properties, swelling power and solubility of starches were evaluated. The degree of substitution (DS) of the acetylated starches increased with the rise in catalyst concentration. The percentage of carbonyl (CO) and carboxyl (COOH) groups in oxidized starches also increased with the rise of active chlorine level. The presence of hydrophobic acetyl groups, carbonyl and carboxyl groups caused a partial disorganization and depolymerization of starch granules. The structural, morphological and functional changes in acetylated and oxidized starches varied according to reaction conditions. Acetylation makes barley starch more hydrophobic by the insertion of acetyl groups. Also the oxidation promotes low retrogradation and viscosity. All these characteristics are important for biodegradable film production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Using a Supercontinuum Laser: Application to Long Wavelength Transmission Spectra of Barley Endosperm and Oil.

PubMed

Ringsted, Tine; Dupont, Sune; Ramsay, Jacob; Jespersen, Birthe Møller; Sørensen, Klavs Martin; Keiding, Søren Rud; Engelsen, Søren Balling

2016-07-01

The supercontinuum laser is a new type of light source, which combines the collimation and intensity of a laser with the broad spectral region of a lamp. Using such a source therefore makes it possible to focus the light onto small sample areas without losing intensity and thus facilitate either rapid or high-intensity measurements. Single seed transmission analysis in the long wavelength (LW) near-infrared (NIR) region is one area that might benefit from a brighter light source such as the supercontinuum laser. This study is aimed at building an experimental spectrometer consisting of a supercontinuum laser source and a dispersive monochromator in order to investigate its capability to measure the barley endosperm using transmission experiments in the LW NIR region. So far, barley and wheat seeds have only been studied using NIR transmission in the short wavelength region up to 1100 nm. However, the region in the range of 2260-2380 nm has previously shown to be particularly useful in differentiating barley phenotypes using NIR spectroscopy in reflectance mode. In the present study, 350 seeds (consisting of 70 seeds from each of five barley genotypes) in 1 mm slices were measured by NIR transmission in the range of 2235-2381 nm and oils from the same five barley genotypes were measured in a cuvette with a 1 mm path length in the range of 2003-2497 nm. The spectra of the barley seeds could be classified according to genotypes by principal component analysis; and spectral covariances with reference analysis of moisture, β-glucan, starch, protein and lipid were established. The spectral variations of the barley oils were compared to the fatty acid compositions as measured using gas chromotography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). © The Author(s) 2016.

A hybrid composite dike suite from the northern Arabian Nubian Shield, southwest Jordan: Implications for magma mixing and partial melting of granite by mafic magma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarrar, Ghaleb H.; Yaseen, Najel; Theye, Thomas

2013-03-01

The Arabian Nubian Shield is an exemplary juvenile continental crust of Neoproterozoic age (1000-542 Ma). The post-collisional rift-related stage (~ 610 to 542 Ma) of its formation is characterized among others by the intrusion of several generations of simple and composite dikes. This study documents a suite of hybrid composite dikes and a natural example of partial melting of granite by a mafic magma from the northernmost extremity of Arabian Nubian Shield in southwest Jordan. The petrogenesis of this suite is discussed on the basis of field, petrographic, geochemical, and Rb/Sr isotopic data. These dikes give spectacular examples of the interaction between basaltic magma and the granitic basement. This interaction ranges from brecciation, partial melting of the host alkali feldspar granite to complete assimilation of the granitic material. Field structures range from intrusive breccia (angular partially melted granitic fragments in a mafic groundmass) to the formation of hybrid composite dikes that are up to 14 m in thickness. The rims of these dikes are trachyandesite (latite) with alkali feldspar ovoids (up to 1 cm in diameter); while the central cores are trachydacite to dacite and again with alkali feldspar ovoids and xenoliths from the dike rims. The granitic xenoliths in the intrusive breccia have been subjected to at least 33% partial melting. A seven-point Rb/Sr isochron from one of these composite dikes yields an age of 561 ± 33 Ma and an initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.70326 ± 0.0003 (2σ) and MSWD of 0.62. Geochemical modeling using major, trace, rare earth elements and isotopes suggests the generation of the hybrid composite dike suite through the assimilation of 30% to 60% granitic crustal material by a basaltic magma, while the latter was undergoing fractional crystallization at different levels in the continental crust.

Genetic Dissection of Photoperiod Response Based on GWAS of Pre-Anthesis Phase Duration in Spring Barley

PubMed Central

Alqudah, Ahmad M.; Sharma, Rajiv; Pasam, Raj K.; Graner, Andreas; Kilian, Benjamin; Schnurbusch, Thorsten

2014-01-01

Heading time is a complex trait, and natural variation in photoperiod responses is a major factor controlling time to heading, adaptation and grain yield. In barley, previous heading time studies have been mainly conducted under field conditions to measure total days to heading. We followed a novel approach and studied the natural variation of time to heading in a world-wide spring barley collection (218 accessions), comprising of 95 photoperiod-sensitive (Ppd-H1) and 123 accessions with reduced photoperiod sensitivity (ppd-H1) to long-day (LD) through dissecting pre-anthesis development into four major stages and sub-phases. The study was conducted under greenhouse (GH) conditions (LD; 16/8 h; ∼20/∼16°C day/night). Genotyping was performed using a genome-wide high density 9K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) chip which assayed 7842 SNPs. We used the barley physical map to identify candidate genes underlying genome-wide association scans (GWAS). GWAS for pre-anthesis stages/sub-phases in each photoperiod group provided great power for partitioning genetic effects on floral initiation and heading time. In addition to major genes known to regulate heading time under field conditions, several novel QTL with medium to high effects, including new QTL having major effects on developmental stages/sub-phases were found to be associated in this study. For example, highly associated SNPs tagged the physical regions around HvCO1 (barley CONSTANS1) and BFL (BARLEY FLORICAULA/LEAFY) genes. Based upon our GWAS analysis, we propose a new genetic network model for each photoperiod group, which includes several newly identified genes, such as several HvCO-like genes, belonging to different heading time pathways in barley. PMID:25420105

Bioaccessible mineral content of malted finger millet (Eleusine coracana), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and barley (Hordeum vulgare).

PubMed

Platel, Kalpana; Eipeson, Sushma W; Srinivasan, Krishnapura

2010-07-14

Malted grains are extensively used in weaning and geriatric foods. Malting generally improves the nutrient content and digestibility of foods. The present investigation examined the influence of malting of finger millet, wheat, and barley on the bioaccessibility of iron, zinc, calcium, copper, and manganese. Malting increased the bioaccessibility of iron by >3-fold from the two varieties of finger millet and by >2-fold from wheat, whereas such a beneficial influence was not seen in barley. The bioaccessibility of zinc from wheat and barley increased to an extent of 234 and 100%, respectively, as a result of malting. However, malting reduced the bioaccessibility of zinc from finger millet. Malting marginally increased the bioaccessibility of calcium from white finger millet and wheat. Whereas malting did not exert any influence on bioaccessibility of copper from finger millet and wheat, it significantly decreased (75%) the same from barley. Malting did increase the bioaccessibility of manganese from brown finger millet (17%) and wheat (42%). Thus, malting could be an appropriate food-based strategy to derive iron and other minerals maximally from food grains.

Automated Analysis of Barley Organs Using 3D Laser Scanning: An Approach for High Throughput Phenotyping

PubMed Central

Paulus, Stefan; Dupuis, Jan; Riedel, Sebastian; Kuhlmann, Heiner

2014-01-01

Due to the rise of laser scanning the 3D geometry of plant architecture is easy to acquire. Nevertheless, an automated interpretation and, finally, the segmentation into functional groups are still difficult to achieve. Two barley plants were scanned in a time course, and the organs were separated by applying a histogram-based classification algorithm. The leaf organs were represented by meshing algorithms, while the stem organs were parameterized by a least-squares cylinder approximation. We introduced surface feature histograms with an accuracy of 96% for the separation of the barley organs, leaf and stem. This enables growth monitoring in a time course for barley plants. Its reliability was demonstrated by a comparison with manually fitted parameters with a correlation R2 = 0.99 for the leaf area and R2 = 0.98 for the cumulated stem height. A proof of concept has been given for its applicability for the detection of water stress in barley, where the extension growth of an irrigated and a non-irrigated plant has been monitored. PMID:25029283

Ancient Biomolecules and Evolutionary Inference.

PubMed

Cappellini, Enrico; Prohaska, Ana; Racimo, Fernando; Welker, Frido; Pedersen, Mikkel Winther; Allentoft, Morten E; de Barros Damgaard, Peter; Gutenbrunner, Petra; Dunne, Julie; Hammann, Simon; Roffet-Salque, Mélanie; Ilardo, Melissa; Moreno-Mayar, J Víctor; Wang, Yucheng; Sikora, Martin; Vinner, Lasse; Cox, Jürgen; Evershed, Richard P; Willerslev, Eske

2018-04-25

Over the last decade, studies of ancient biomolecules-particularly ancient DNA, proteins, and lipids-have revolutionized our understanding of evolutionary history. Though initially fraught with many challenges, the field now stands on firm foundations. Researchers now successfully retrieve nucleotide and amino acid sequences, as well as lipid signatures, from progressively older samples, originating from geographic areas and depositional environments that, until recently, were regarded as hostile to long-term preservation of biomolecules. Sampling frequencies and the spatial and temporal scope of studies have also increased markedly, and with them the size and quality of the data sets generated. This progress has been made possible by continuous technical innovations in analytical methods, enhanced criteria for the selection of ancient samples, integrated experimental methods, and advanced computational approaches. Here, we discuss the history and current state of ancient biomolecule research, its applications to evolutionary inference, and future directions for this young and exciting field. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry Volume 87 is June 20, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 3 Regulates Seed Dormancy in Barley.

PubMed

Nakamura, Shingo; Pourkheirandish, Mohammad; Morishige, Hiromi; Kubo, Yuta; Nakamura, Masako; Ichimura, Kazuya; Seo, Shigemi; Kanamori, Hiroyuki; Wu, Jianzhong; Ando, Tsuyu; Hensel, Goetz; Sameri, Mohammad; Stein, Nils; Sato, Kazuhiro; Matsumoto, Takashi; Yano, Masahiro; Komatsuda, Takao

2016-03-21

Seed dormancy has fundamental importance in plant survival and crop production; however, the mechanisms regulating dormancy remain unclear [1-3]. Seed dormancy levels generally decrease during domestication to ensure that crops successfully germinate in the field. However, reduction of seed dormancy can cause devastating losses in cereals like wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) due to pre-harvest sprouting, the germination of mature seed (grain) on the mother plant when rain occurs before harvest. Understanding the mechanisms of dormancy can facilitate breeding of crop varieties with the appropriate levels of seed dormancy [4-8]. Barley is a model crop [9, 10] and has two major seed dormancy quantitative trait loci (QTLs), SD1 and SD2, on chromosome 5H [11-19]. We detected a QTL designated Qsd2-AK at SD2 as the single major determinant explaining the difference in seed dormancy between the dormant cultivar "Azumamugi" (Az) and the non-dormant cultivar "Kanto Nakate Gold" (KNG). Using map-based cloning, we identified the causal gene for Qsd2-AK as Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Kinase 3 (MKK3). The dormant Az allele of MKK3 is recessive; the N260T substitution in this allele decreases MKK3 kinase activity and appears to be causal for Qsd2-AK. The N260T substitution occurred in the immediate ancestor allele of the dormant allele, and the established dormant allele became prevalent in barley cultivars grown in East Asia, where the rainy season and harvest season often overlap. Our findings show fine-tuning of seed dormancy during domestication and provide key information for improving pre-harvest sprouting tolerance in barley and wheat. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anthocyanin composition and oxygen radical scavenging capacity (ORAC) of milled and pearled purple, black, and common barley.

PubMed

Bellido, Guillermo G; Beta, Trust

2009-02-11

The importance of anthocyanins to the total antioxidant capacity of various fruits and vegetables has been well established, but less attention has been focused on cereal grains. This study investigated the antioxidant capacity and anthocyanin composition of a bran-rich pearling fraction (10% outer kernel layers) and whole kernel flour of purple (CI-1248), black (PERU-35), and yellow (EX-83) barley genotypes. HPLC analysis showed that as much as 6 times more anthocyanin per unit weight (microg/g) was present in the bran-rich fractions of yellow and purple barley (1587 and 3534, respectively) than in their corresponding whole kernel flours (210 and 573, respectively). Delphinidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-rutinoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, petunidin 3-glucoside, and cyanidin chloride were positively identified in barley, with as many as 9 and 15 anthocyanins being detected in yellow and purple barley, respectively. Antioxidant activity analysis showed that the ORAC values for the bran-rich fractions were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than for the whole kernel flour.

Ancient "Observatories" - A Relevant Concept?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belmonte, Juan Antonio

It is quite common, when reading popular books on astronomy, to see a place referred to as "the oldest observatory in the world". In addition, numerous books on archaeoastronomy, of various levels of quality, frequently refer to the existence of "prehistoric" or "ancient" observatories when describing or citing monuments that were certainly not built with the primary purpose of observing the skies. Internet sources are also guilty of this practice. In this chapter, the different meanings of the word observatory will be analyzed, looking at how their significances can be easily confused or even interchanged. The proclaimed "ancient observatories" are a typical result of this situation. Finally, the relevance of the concept of the ancient observatory will be evaluated.

Mid-Infrared (MIR) and Near-Infrared (NIR) Detection of Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-2 IIIB on Barley-Based Artificial Inoculum.

PubMed

Webb, Kimberly M; Calderón, Francisco J

2015-10-01

The amount of Rhizoctonia solani in the soil and how much must be present to cause disease in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is relatively unknown. This is mostly because of the usually low inoculum densities found naturally in soil and the low sensitivity of traditional serial dilution assays. We investigated the usefulness of Fourier transform mid-infrared (MIR) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic properties in identifying the artificial colonization of barley grains with R. solani AG 2-2 IIIB and in detecting R. solani populations in plant tissues and inoculants. The objectives of this study were to compare the ability of traditional plating assays to NIR and MIR spectroscopies to identify R. solani in different-size fractions of colonized ground barley (used as an artificial inoculum) and to differentiate colonized from non-inoculated barley. We found that NIR and MIR spectroscopies were sensitive in resolving different barley particle sizes, with particles that were <0.25 and 0.25-0.5 mm having different spectral properties than coarser particles. Moreover, we found that barley colonized with R. solani had different MIR spectral properties than the non-inoculated samples for the larger fractions (0.5-1.0, 1.0-2.0, and >2.0 mm) of the ground barley. This colonization was confirmed using traditional plating assays. Comparisons with the spectra from pure fungal cultures and non-inoculated barley suggest that the MIR spectrum of colonized barley is different because of the consumption of C substrates by the fungus rather than because of the presence of fungal bands in the spectra of the colonized samples. We found that MIR was better than NIR spectroscopy in differentiating the colonized from the control samples.

Association of barley photoperiod and vernalization genes with QTLs for flowering time and agronomic traits in a BC2DH population and a set of wild barley introgression lines

PubMed Central

Wang, Gongwei; Schmalenbach, Inga; von Korff, Maria; Léon, Jens; Kilian, Benjamin; Rode, Jeannette

2010-01-01

The control of flowering time has important impacts on crop yield. The variation in response to day length (photoperiod) and low temperature (vernalization) has been selected in barley to provide adaptation to different environments and farming practices. As a further step towards unraveling the genetic mechanisms underlying flowering time control in barley, we investigated the allelic variation of ten known or putative photoperiod and vernalization pathway genes between two genotypes, the spring barley elite cultivar ‘Scarlett’ (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare) and the wild barley accession ‘ISR42-8’ (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum). The genes studied are Ppd-H1, VRN-H1, VRN-H2, VRN-H3, HvCO1, HvCO2, HvGI, HvFT2, HvFT3 and HvFT4. ‘Scarlett’ and ‘ISR42-8’ are the parents of the BC2DH advanced backcross population S42 and a set of wild barley introgression lines (S42ILs). The latter are derived from S42 after backcrossing and marker-assisted selection. The genotypes and phenotypes in S42 and S42ILs were utilized to determine the genetic map location of the candidate genes and to test if these genes may exert quantitative trait locus (QTL) effects on flowering time, yield and yield-related traits in the two populations studied. By sequencing the characteristic regions of the genes and genotyping with diagnostic markers, the contrasting allelic constitutions of four known flowering regulation genes were identified as ppd-H1, Vrn-H1, vrn-H2 and vrn-H3 in ‘Scarlett’ and as Ppd-H1, vrn-H1, Vrn-H2 and a novel allele of VRN-H3 in ‘ISR42-8’. All candidate genes could be placed on a barley simple sequence repeat (SSR) map. Seven candidate genes (Ppd-H1, VRN-H2, VRN-H3, HvGI, HvFT2, HvFT3 and HvFT4) were associated with flowering time QTLs in population S42. Four exotic alleles (Ppd-H1, Vrn-H2, vrn-H3 and HvCO1) possibly exhibited significant effects on flowering time in S42ILs. In both populations, the QTL showing the strongest effect corresponded to

Development and Genetic Characterization of an Advanced Backcross-Nested Association Mapping (AB-NAM) Population of Wild × Cultivated Barley

PubMed Central

Nice, Liana M.; Steffenson, Brian J.; Brown-Guedira, Gina L.; Akhunov, Eduard D.; Liu, Chaochih; Kono, Thomas J. Y.; Morrell, Peter L.; Blake, Thomas K.; Horsley, Richard D.; Smith, Kevin P.; Muehlbauer, Gary J.

2016-01-01

The ability to access alleles from unadapted germplasm collections is a long-standing problem for geneticists and breeders. Here we developed, characterized, and demonstrated the utility of a wild barley advanced backcross-nested association mapping (AB-NAM) population. We developed this population by backcrossing 25 wild barley accessions to the six-rowed malting barley cultivar Rasmusson. The 25 wild barley parents were selected from the 318 accession Wild Barley Diversity Collection (WBDC) to maximize allelic diversity. The resulting 796 BC2F4:6 lines were genotyped with 384 SNP markers, and an additional 4022 SNPs and 263,531 sequence variants were imputed onto the population using 9K iSelect SNP genotypes and exome capture sequence of the parents, respectively. On average, 96% of each wild parent was introgressed into the Rasmusson background, and the population exhibited low population structure. While linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay (r2 = 0.2) was lowest in the WBDC (0.36 cM), the AB-NAM (9.2 cM) exhibited more rapid LD decay than comparable advanced backcross (28.6 cM) and recombinant inbred line (32.3 cM) populations. Three qualitative traits: glossy spike, glossy sheath, and black hull color were mapped with high resolution to loci corresponding to known barley mutants for these traits. Additionally, a total of 10 QTL were identified for grain protein content. The combination of low LD, negligible population structure, and high diversity in an adapted background make the AB-NAM an important tool for high-resolution gene mapping and discovery of novel allelic variation using wild barley germplasm. PMID:27182953

Barley 4H QTL confers NFNB resistance to a global set of P. teres f. teres isolates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Net form net blotch (NFNB), caused by Pyrenophora teres f. teres Drechs., is prevalent in barley-growing regions worldwide. A population of 132 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from a cross of the barley varieties 'Falcon' and 'Azhul' were used to evaluate resistance to NFNB due to their di...

Economic analysis of fuel ethanol production from hulled barley by the EDGE (Enhanced Dry Grind Enzymatic) process

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A cost model was developed for fuel ethanol production from barley based on the EDGE (Enhanced Dry Grind Enzymatic) process (Nghiem, et al., 2008). In this process, in addition to beta-glucanases, which is added to reduce the viscosity of the barley mash for efficient mixing, another enzyme, beta-...

Effects of hydrolyzed Chlorella vulgaris by malted barley on the immunomodulatory response in ICR mice and in Molt-4 cells.

PubMed

Kim, Na-Hyung; Kim, Kyu-Yeob; Jeong, Hyun-Ja; Kim, Hyung-Min; Hong, Seung-Heon; Um, Jae-Young

2010-07-01

Chlorella vulgaris is a unicellular and microscopic algae that is currently used in a variety of forms of tablets, capsules and liquid as a biological response modifier. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hydrolyzed Chlorella vulgaris by malted barley for its potential reduction of the immobility time in ICR mice and on the cytokine regulation in human T cell line, Molt-4. After a forced swimming test, the changes in aspects of blood biochemical parameters due to the administration of hydrolyzed Chlorella vulgaris by malted barley were examined. The effect of hydrolyzed Chlorella vulgaris by the malted barley-treated group for 14 days on the immobility time was significantly reduced in comparison with that of the control group (P < 0.01). The plasma level of blood urea nitrogen was significantly decreased in hydrolyzed Chlorella vulgaris by malted barley-treated group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, hydrolyzed Chlorella vulgaris by malted barley increased interferon-gamma and interlukin-2 levels in Molt-4 cells. These results indicate that hydrolyzed Chlorella vulgaris by malted barley is useful for immune function improvements, enhanced physical stamina, and as a candidate for an anti-fatigue or antidepressant agent.

Viability and Biological Properties of Barley Seeds Expose to Outside of International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugimoto, Manabu; Ishii, Makoto; Mori, Izumi; Shagimardanova, Elena; Gusev, Oleg; Sychev, Vladimir; Levinskikh, Margarita; Novikova, Nataliya; Grigoriev, Anatoly

Plants play an important role in supplying nutrients and oxygen to human under material recycle system in space as well as on earth, therefore, seed storage in space should be necessary to self-supply foods when number of astronauts would stay and investigate for a long-term habitation of orbit and the bases of the Moon and Mars. In order to understand the effect of real space environment on the preservation of seeds, the seeds of malting barley, Haruna Nijo, were exposed to outside of the Pier docking station of International Space Station in the framework of the Biorisk-MSN program. After exposure to outside of International Space Station for 13 months, the seeds (SP) were transported to Earth, soaked in water, and germinated on the filter paper filled with water. The germination ratio of SP was 82%, while that of the ground control was 96%, showing that the barley seeds survived cosmic radiation, vacuum, and temperature excursion in space. The germinated seeds of SP and ground control were transplanted to the Wagner pots filled with soil and grown for 5 months in the greenhouse. The agronomic character, such as number of main stem leaf and ear, straw weight, culm length, ear length, thousand kernel weight, and percentage of ripening, were not different significantly between SP and ground control. The germination ratio of the harvested SP was 96% as same as that of the harvested ground control. Genomic DNA and protein were extracted from leaves of the barleys and analyzed by AFLP and 2-DE, respectively. The results demonstrated no significant difference in genetic polymorphism and protein production in these barleys. From our results, barley seeds could survive real space environment for the long-term habitation without phenotypic and genotypic damages.

Boron toxicity tolerance in barley through reduced expression of the multifunctional aquaporin HvNIP2;1.

PubMed

Schnurbusch, Thorsten; Hayes, Julie; Hrmova, Maria; Baumann, Ute; Ramesh, Sunita A; Tyerman, Stephen D; Langridge, Peter; Sutton, Tim

2010-08-01

Boron (B) toxicity is a significant limitation to cereal crop production in a number of regions worldwide. Here we describe the cloning of a gene from barley (Hordeum vulgare), underlying the chromosome 6H B toxicity tolerance quantitative trait locus. It is the second B toxicity tolerance gene identified in barley. Previously, we identified the gene Bot1 that functions as an efflux transporter in B toxicity-tolerant barley to move B out of the plant. The gene identified in this work encodes HvNIP2;1, an aquaporin from the nodulin-26-like intrinsic protein (NIP) subfamily that was recently described as a silicon influx transporter in barley and rice (Oryza sativa). Here we show that a rice mutant for this gene also shows reduced B accumulation in leaf blades compared to wild type and that the mutant protein alters growth of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) under high B. HvNIP2;1 facilitates significant transport of B when expressed in Xenopus oocytes compared to controls and to another NIP (NOD26), and also in yeast plasma membranes that appear to have relatively high B permeability. We propose that tolerance to high soil B is mediated by reduced expression of HvNIP2;1 to limit B uptake, as well as by increased expression of Bot1 to remove B from roots and sensitive tissues. Together with Bot1, the multifunctional aquaporin HvNIP2;1 is an important determinant of B toxicity tolerance in barley.

Endocrinology in ancient Sparta.

PubMed

Tsoulogiannis, Ioannis N; Spandidos, Demetrios A

2007-01-01

This article attempts to analyze the crucial link between the plant Agnus castus and human health, particularly hormonal status, with special reference to the needs of the society of ancient Sparta. The ancient Spartans used Agnus both as a cure for infertility and as a remedy to treat battle wounds. These special properties were recognized by the sanctuary of Asclepios Agnita, which was located in Sparta, as well as by medical practitioners in Sparta during the classical, Hellenistic and Roman ages.

New starch phenotypes produced by TILLING in barley.

PubMed

Sparla, Francesca; Falini, Giuseppe; Botticella, Ermelinda; Pirone, Claudia; Talamè, Valentina; Bovina, Riccardo; Salvi, Silvio; Tuberosa, Roberto; Sestili, Francesco; Trost, Paolo

2014-01-01

Barley grain starch is formed by amylose and amylopectin in a 1:3 ratio, and is packed into granules of different dimensions. The distribution of granule dimension is bimodal, with a majority of small spherical B-granules and a smaller amount of large discoidal A-granules containing the majority of the starch. Starch granules are semi-crystalline structures with characteristic X-ray diffraction patterns. Distinct features of starch granules are controlled by different enzymes and are relevant for nutritional value or industrial applications. Here, the Targeting-Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes (TILLING) approach was applied on the barley TILLMore TILLING population to identify 29 new alleles in five genes related to starch metabolism known to be expressed in the endosperm during grain filling: BMY1 (Beta-amylase 1), GBSSI (Granule Bound Starch Synthase I), LDA1 (Limit Dextrinase 1), SSI (Starch Synthase I), SSIIa (Starch Synthase IIa). Reserve starch of nine M3 mutant lines carrying missense or nonsense mutations was analysed for granule size, crystallinity and amylose/amylopectin content. Seven mutant lines presented starches with different features in respect to the wild-type: (i) a mutant line with a missense mutation in GBSSI showed a 4-fold reduced amylose/amylopectin ratio; (ii) a missense mutations in SSI resulted in 2-fold increase in A:B granule ratio; (iii) a nonsense mutation in SSIIa was associated with shrunken seeds with a 2-fold increased amylose/amylopectin ratio and different type of crystal packing in the granule; (iv) the remaining four missense mutations suggested a role of LDA1 in granule initiation, and of SSIIa in determining the size of A-granules. We demonstrate the feasibility of the TILLING approach to identify new alleles in genes related to starch metabolism in barley. Based on their novel physicochemical properties, some of the identified new mutations may have nutritional and/or industrial applications.

Differential disease resistance response in the barley necrotic mutant nec1.

PubMed

Keisa, Anete; Kanberga-Silina, Krista; Nakurte, Ilva; Kunga, Laura; Rostoks, Nils

2011-04-15

Although ion fluxes are considered to be an integral part of signal transduction during responses to pathogens, only a few ion channels are known to participate in the plant response to infection. CNGC4 is a disease resistance-related cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel. Arabidopsis thaliana CNGC4 mutants hlm1 and dnd2 display an impaired hypersensitive response (HR), retarded growth, a constitutively active salicylic acid (SA)-mediated pathogenesis-related response and elevated resistance against bacterial pathogens. Barley CNGC4 shares 67% aa identity with AtCNGC4. The barley mutant nec1 comprising of a frame-shift mutation of CNGC4 displays a necrotic phenotype and constitutively over-expresses PR-1, yet it is not known what effect the nec1 mutation has on barley resistance against different types of pathogens. nec1 mutant accumulated high amount of SA and hydrogen peroxide compared to parental cv. Parkland. Experiments investigating nec1 disease resistance demonstrated positive effect of nec1 mutation on non-host resistance against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) at high inoculum density, whereas at normal Pst inoculum concentration nec1 resistance did not differ from wt. In contrast to augmented P. syringae resistance, penetration resistance against biotrophic fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh), the causal agent of powdery mildew, was not altered in nec1. The nec1 mutant significantly over-expressed race non-specific Bgh resistance-related genes BI-1 and MLO. Induction of BI-1 and MLO suggested putative involvement of nec1 in race non-specific Bgh resistance, therefore the effect of nec1on mlo-5-mediated Bgh resistance was assessed. The nec1/mlo-5 double mutant was as resistant to Bgh as Nec1/mlo-5 plants, suggesting that nec1 did not impair mlo-5 race non-specific Bgh resistance. Together, the results suggest that nec1 mutation alters activation of systemic acquired resistance-related physiological markers and non-host resistance in barley

Registration of STARS 1501B and STARS 1502B barley germplasm with Rsg2 resistance to greenbug

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

STARS 1501B (Reg. No. GP- , PI 675335) greenbug-resistant, six-rowed, spring, feed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) germplasm and STARS 1502B (Reg. No. GP-, PI 675336) greenbug-resistant, six-rowed, winter, feed barley germplasm, tested as GR 001 and GR 010 respectively, were developed and released by US...

Whole Tibetan Hull-Less Barley Exhibit Stronger Effect on Promoting Growth of Genus Bifidobacterium than Refined Barley In Vitro.

PubMed

Gong, Lingxiao; Cao, Wenyan; Gao, Jie; Wang, Jing; Zhang, Huijuan; Sun, Baoguo; Yin, Meng

2018-04-01

The gut microbiota has recently become a new route for research at the intersection of diet and human health. The aim of this study was to investigate whether whole Tibetan hull-less barley (WHB) and refined Tibetan hull-less barley (RHB) caused differentiation of the fecal microbiota in vitro. The microbiota-accessible ingredients in the 2 barley samples were studied using an in vitro enzymatic digestion procedure. After in vitro digestion, insoluble dietary fiber, phenolic compounds, proteins, and β-glucans were 93.2%, 103.4%. 18.8%, and 10.2% higher provided by WHB flour as compared with RHB flour based on the same mass amount. However, due to the significantly higher content of insoluble dietary fiber, WHB digesta had lower percentage contents of fast fermentable substrates including dietary fiber and starch as compared with RHB digesta. The results of Next-generation sequencing of the bacterial 16SrRNA gene showed that both WHB and RHB fermentation had significantly promoted the growth of Bifidobacterium and inhibited the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Dorea, Escherichia, Oscillopira, and Ruminococcus. Moreover, in response to WHB fermentation, the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium increased by 78.5% and 92.8% as compared with RHB and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOs). Both WHB and RHB are good sources of fermentable dietary fiber with the ability to yield high concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as compared to FOs. However, the higher fraction of soluble fiber in RHB digesta increase higher amounts of SCFA compared with WHB digesta. Our findings shed light on the complex interactions of whole cereals with gut microbiota and the possible impact on host health. Until now, only few reports have regarded the impact of in vitro digestion in components of whole grain with complex food matrix. Moreover, our findings shed light on the complex interactions of whole cereals with gut microbiota and the possible impact on host health. © 2018

HvFT1 polymorphism and effect—survey of barley germplasm and expression analysis

PubMed Central

Loscos, Jorge; Igartua, Ernesto; Contreras-Moreira, Bruno; Gracia, M. Pilar; Casas, Ana M.

2014-01-01

Flowering time in plants is a tightly regulated process. In barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), HvFT1, ortholog of FLOWERING LOCUS T, is the main integrator of the photoperiod and vernalization signals leading to the transition from vegetative to reproductive state of the plant. This gene presents sequence polymorphisms affecting flowering time in the first intron and in the promoter. Recently, copy number variation (CNV) has been described for this gene. An allele with more than one copy was linked to higher gene expression, earlier flowering, and an overriding effect of the vernalization mechanism. This study aims at (1) surveying the distribution of HvFT1 polymorphisms across barley germplasm and (2) assessing gene expression and phenotypic effects of HvFT1 alleles. We analyzed HvFT1 CNV in 109 winter, spring, and facultative barley lines. There was more than one copy of the gene (2–5) only in spring or facultative barleys without a functional vernalization VrnH2 allele. CNV was investigated in several regions inside and around HvFT1. Two models of the gene were found: one with the same number of promoters and transcribed regions, and another with one promoter and variable number of transcribed regions. This last model was found in Nordic barleys only. Analysis of HvFT1 expression showed that association between known polymorphisms at the HvFT1 locus and the expression of the gene was highly dependent on the genetic background. Under long day conditions the earliest flowering lines carried a sensitive PpdH1 allele. Among spring cultivars with different number of copies, no clear relation was found between CNV, gene expression and flowering time. This was confirmed in a set of doubled haploid lines of a population segregating for HvFT1 CNV. Earlier flowering in the presence of several copies of HvFT1 was only seen in cultivar Tammi, which carries one promoter, suggesting a relation of gene structure with its regulation. HvCEN also affected to a large extent flowering

Molecular breeding of Aspergillus kawachii overproducing cellulase and its application to brewing barley shochu.

PubMed

Nomachi, Wataru; Urago, Ken-Ichi; Oka, Takuji; Ekino, Keisuke; Matsuda, Minoru; Goto, Masatoshi; Furukawa, Kensuke

2002-01-01

In order to improve fermentation of barley without addition of commercial cellulase, a white koji mold, Aspergillus kawachii IFO4308, was transformed with the egl1 gene encoding endoglucanase I (EGI) of Trichoderma viride and the endogenous cekA gene encoding endoglucanase (CekA). Transformants with egl1 under the control of the strong glaA promoter produced EGI in both submerged and solid-state cultures. However, the EGI produced in solid-state culture was unstable due to the acidic condition of this culture. A transformant N10 with two additional copies of the cekA gene exhibited endoglucanase activities against carboxymethyl-cellulose, which are 21- and 1.8-fold higher than that of the wild-type (wt) strain when the cells were cultivated in submerged and solid-state cultures, respectively. Cultivation of strain N10 in steamed barley for preparing koji followed by fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in improved fermentation assessed based on higher productions of ethanol, amino acids, and organic acids, the reduction of residual sugar, and the low viscosity of barley mash. The overall fermentation result for the transformant carrying cekA was comparable with that for the wt strain using commercial cellulase. These results demonstrate that acquisition of only two-fold CekA activity by A. kawachii in the solid-state culture allows us to improve the brewing of barley shochu.

New developments in ancient genomics.

PubMed

Millar, Craig D; Huynen, Leon; Subramanian, Sankar; Mohandesan, Elmira; Lambert, David M

2008-07-01

Ancient DNA research is on the crest of a 'third wave' of progress due to the introduction of a new generation of DNA sequencing technologies. Here we review the advantages and disadvantages of the four new DNA sequencers that are becoming available to researchers. These machines now allow the recovery of orders of magnitude more DNA sequence data, albeit as short sequence reads. Hence, the potential reassembly of complete ancient genomes seems imminent, and when used to screen libraries of ancient sequences, these methods are cost effective. This new wealth of data is also likely to herald investigations into the functional properties of extinct genes and gene complexes and will improve our understanding of the biological basis of extinct phenotypes.

Molecular Farming in Barley: Development of a Novel Production Platform to Produce Human Antimicrobial Peptide LL-37.

PubMed

Holásková, Edita; Galuszka, Petr; Mičúchová, Alžbeta; Šebela, Marek; Öz, Mehmet Tufan; Frébort, Ivo

2018-06-01

The peptide LL-37, a component of the human innate immune system, represents a promising drug candidate. In particular, the development of low-cost production platform technology is a critical bottleneck in its use in medicine. In the present study, a viable approach for the LL-37 production in transgenic barley is developed. First, comparative analyses of the effects of different fused peptide epitope tags applicable for accumulation and purification on LL-37 production yield are performed using transient expression in tobacco leaves. Following the selection of the most yielding fusion peptide strategies, eight different constructs for the expression of codon optimized chimeric LL-37 genes in transgenic barley plants are created. The expression of individual constructs is driven either by an endosperm-specific promoter of the barley B1 hordein gene or by the maize ubiquitin promoter. The transgenes are stably integrated into the barley genome and inherited in the subsequent generation. All transgenic lines show normal phenotypes and are fertile. LL-37 accumulated in the barley seeds up to 0.55 mg per 1 kg of grain. The fused epitope tags are cleaved off by the use of enterokinase. Furthermore, in planta produced LL-37 including the fused versions is biologically active. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Induced variations in brassinosteroid genes define barley height and sturdiness, and expand the green revolution genetic toolkit.

PubMed

Dockter, Christoph; Gruszka, Damian; Braumann, Ilka; Druka, Arnis; Druka, Ilze; Franckowiak, Jerome; Gough, Simon P; Janeczko, Anna; Kurowska, Marzena; Lundqvist, Joakim; Lundqvist, Udda; Marzec, Marek; Matyszczak, Izabela; Müller, André H; Oklestkova, Jana; Schulz, Burkhard; Zakhrabekova, Shakhira; Hansson, Mats

2014-12-01

Reduced plant height and culm robustness are quantitative characteristics important for assuring cereal crop yield and quality under adverse weather conditions. A very limited number of short-culm mutant alleles were introduced into commercial crop cultivars during the Green Revolution. We identified phenotypic traits, including sturdy culm, specific for deficiencies in brassinosteroid biosynthesis and signaling in semidwarf mutants of barley (Hordeum vulgare). This set of characteristic traits was explored to perform a phenotypic screen of near-isogenic short-culm mutant lines from the brachytic, breviaristatum, dense spike, erectoides, semibrachytic, semidwarf, and slender dwarf mutant groups. In silico mapping of brassinosteroid-related genes in the barley genome in combination with sequencing of barley mutant lines assigned more than 20 historic mutants to three brassinosteroid-biosynthesis genes (BRASSINOSTEROID-6-OXIDASE, CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC DWARF, and DIMINUTO) and one brassinosteroid-signaling gene (BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE1 [HvBRI1]). Analyses of F2 and M2 populations, allelic crosses, and modeling of nonsynonymous amino acid exchanges in protein crystal structures gave a further understanding of the control of barley plant architecture and sturdiness by brassinosteroid-related genes. Alternatives to the widely used but highly temperature-sensitive uzu1.a allele of HvBRI1 represent potential genetic building blocks for breeding strategies with sturdy and climate-tolerant barley cultivars. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Capturing pair-wise epistatic effects associated with three agronomic traits in barley.

PubMed

Xu, Yi; Wu, Yajun; Wu, Jixiang

2018-04-01

Genetic association mapping has been widely applied to determine genetic markers favorably associated with a trait of interest and provide information for marker-assisted selection. Many association mapping studies commonly focus on main effects due to intolerable computing intensity. This study aims to select several sets of DNA markers with potential epistasis to maximize genetic variations of some key agronomic traits in barley. By doing so, we integrated a MDR (multifactor dimensionality reduction) method with a forward variable selection approach. This integrated approach was used to determine single nucleotide polymorphism pairs with epistasis effects associated with three agronomic traits: heading date, plant height, and grain yield in barley from the barley Coordinated Agricultural Project. Our results showed that four, seven, and five SNP pairs accounted for 51.06, 45.66 and 40.42% for heading date, plant height, and grain yield, respectively with epistasis being considered, while corresponding contributions to these three traits were 45.32, 31.39, 31.31%, respectively without epistasis being included. The results suggested that epistasis model was more effective than non-epistasis model in this study and can be more preferred for other applications.

Comparative scaffolding and gap filling of ancient bacterial genomes applied to two ancient Yersinia pestis genomes

PubMed Central

Doerr, Daniel; Chauve, Cedric

2017-01-01

Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of the bubonic plague, a disease responsible for several dramatic historical pandemics. Progress in ancient DNA (aDNA) sequencing rendered possible the sequencing of whole genomes of important human pathogens, including the ancient Y. pestis strains responsible for outbreaks of the bubonic plague in London in the 14th century and in Marseille in the 18th century, among others. However, aDNA sequencing data are still characterized by short reads and non-uniform coverage, so assembling ancient pathogen genomes remains challenging and often prevents a detailed study of genome rearrangements. It has recently been shown that comparative scaffolding approaches can improve the assembly of ancient Y. pestis genomes at a chromosome level. In the present work, we address the last step of genome assembly, the gap-filling stage. We describe an optimization-based method AGapEs (ancestral gap estimation) to fill in inter-contig gaps using a combination of a template obtained from related extant genomes and aDNA reads. We show how this approach can be used to refine comparative scaffolding by selecting contig adjacencies supported by a mix of unassembled aDNA reads and comparative signal. We applied our method to two Y. pestis data sets from the London and Marseilles outbreaks, for which we obtained highly improved genome assemblies for both genomes, comprised of, respectively, five and six scaffolds with 95 % of the assemblies supported by ancient reads. We analysed the genome evolution between both ancient genomes in terms of genome rearrangements, and observed a high level of synteny conservation between these strains. PMID:29114402

Quantitative and qualitative stem rust resistance factors in barley are associated with transcriptional suppression of defense regulons

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici; Pgt) is a devastating fungal disease of wheat and barley. Pgt race TTKSK (isolate Ug99) is a serious threat to these Triticeae grain crops because resistance is rare. In barley, the complex Rpg-TTKSK locus on chromosome 5H is presently the only known so...

Inferring geographic origin of barley accessions using molecular markers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Small Grains Collection (NSGC) has 207 landrace barleys obtained from a nursery grown in the Ukraine in 1930 by N.I. Vavilov, many of which have multiple resistance (MR) to disease similar to accessions from Ethiopia. Vavilov collected germplasm ...

Adaptive microclimatic evolution of the dehydrin 6 gene in wild barley at "Evolution Canyon", Israel.

PubMed

Yang, Zujun; Zhang, Tao; Li, Guangrong; Nevo, Eviatar

2011-12-01

Dehydrins are one of the major stress-induced gene families, and the expression of dehydrin 6 (Dhn6) is strictly related to drought in barley. In order to investigate how the evolution of the Dhn6 gene is associated with adaptation to environmental changes, we examined 48 genotypes of wild barley, Hordeum spontaneum, from "Evolution Canyon" at Mount Carmel, Israel. The Dhn6 sequences of the 48 genotypes were identified, and a recent insertion of 342 bp at 5'UTR was found in the sequences of 11 genotypes. Both nucleotide and haplotype diversity of single nucleotide polymorphism in Dhn6 coding regions were higher on the AS ("African" slope or dry slope) than on the ES ("European" slope or humid slope), and the applied Tajima D and Fu-Li test rejected neutrality of SNP diversity. Expression analysis indicated that the 342 bp insertion at 5'UTR was associated with the earlier up-regulation of Dhn6 after dehydration. The genetic divergence of amino acids sequences indicated significant positive selection of Dhn6 among the wild barley populations. The diversity of Dhn6 in microclimatic divergence slopes suggested that Dhn6 has been subjected to natural selection and adaptively associated with drought resistance of wild barley at "Evolution Canyon".

Chlorophyll Fluorescence as a Possible Tool for Salinity Tolerance Screening in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

PubMed Central

Belkhodja, R.; Morales, F.; Abadia, A.; Gomez-Aparisi, J.; Abadia, J.

1994-01-01

The application of chlorophyll fluorescence measurements to screening barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes for salinity tolerance has been investigated. Excised barley leaves were cut under water and incubated with the cut end immersed in water or in a 100-mM NaCl solution, either in the dark or in high light. Changes in rapid fluorescence kinetics occurred in excised barley leaves exposed to the saline solution only when the incubation was carried out in the presence of high light. Fluorescence changes consisted of decreases in the variable to maximum fluorescence ratio and in increases in the relative proportion of variable fluorescence leading to point I in the Kautsky fluorescence induction curve. These relative increases in fluorescence at point I appeared to arise from a delayed plastoquinone reoxidation in the dark, since they disappeared after short, far-red illumination, which is known to excite photosystem I preferentially. We show that a significant correlation existed between some fluorescence parameters, measured after a combined salt and high-light treatment, and other independent measurements of salinity tolerance. These results suggest that chlorophyll fluorescence, and especially the relative fluorescence at point I in the Kautsky fluorescence induction curve, could be used for the screening of barley genotypes for salinity tolerance. PMID:12232117

The β-Ketoacyl-CoA Synthase HvKCS1, Encoded by Cer-zh, Plays a Key Role in Synthesis of Barley Leaf Wax and Germination of Barley Powdery Mildew.

PubMed

Li, Chao; Haslam, Tegan M; Krüger, Anna; Schneider, Lizette M; Mishina, Kohei; Samuels, Lacey; Yang, Hongxing; Kunst, Ljerka; Schaffrath, Ulrich; Nawrath, Christiane; Chen, Guoxiong; Komatsuda, Takao; von Wettstein-Knowles, Penny

2018-04-01

The cuticle coats the primary aerial surfaces of land plants. It consists of cutin and waxes, which provide protection against desiccation, pathogens and herbivores. Acyl cuticular waxes are synthesized via elongase complexes that extend fatty acyl precursors up to 38 carbons for downstream modification pathways. The leaves of 21 barley eceriferum (cer) mutants appear to have less or no epicuticular wax crystals, making these mutants excellent tools for identifying elongase and modification pathway biosynthetic genes. Positional cloning of the gene mutated in cer-zh identified an elongase component, β-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (CER-ZH/HvKCS1) that is one of 34 homologous KCSs encoded by the barley genome. The biochemical function of CER-ZH was deduced from wax and cutin analyses and by heterologous expression in yeast. Combined, these experiments revealed that CER-ZH/HvKCS1 has a substrate specificity for C16-C20, especially unsaturated, acyl chains, thus playing a major role in total acyl chain elongation for wax biosynthesis. The contribution of CER-ZH to water barrier properties of the cuticle and its influence on the germination of barley powdery mildew fungus were also assessed.

Global Identification of MicroRNAs and Their Targets in Barley under Salinity Stress

PubMed Central

Cui, Licao; Feng, Kewei; Liu, Fuyan; Du, Xianghong; Tong, Wei; Nie, Xiaojun; Ji, Wanquan; Weining, Song

2015-01-01

Salinity is a major limiting factor for agricultural production worldwide. A better understanding of the mechanisms of salinity stress response will aid efforts to improve plant salt tolerance. In this study, a combination of small RNA and mRNA degradome sequencing was used to identify salinity responsive-miRNAs and their targets in barley. A total of 152 miRNAs belonging to 126 families were identified, of which 44 were found to be salinity responsive with 30 up-regulated and 25 down-regulated respectively. The majority of the salinity-responsive miRNAs were up-regulated at the 8h time point, while down-regulated at the 3h and 27h time points. The targets of these miRNAs were further detected by degradome sequencing coupled with bioinformatics prediction. Finally, qRT-PCR was used to validate the identified miRNA and their targets. Our study systematically investigated the expression profile of miRNA and their targets in barley during salinity stress phase, which can contribute to understanding how miRNAs respond to salinity stress in barley and other cereal crops. PMID:26372557

Characterization of a Thermo-Inducible Chlorophyll-Deficient Mutant in Barley.

PubMed

Wang, Rong; Yang, Fei; Zhang, Xiao-Qi; Wu, Dianxin; Tan, Cong; Westcott, Sharon; Broughton, Sue; Li, Chengdao; Zhang, Wenying; Xu, Yanhao

2017-01-01

Leaf color is an important trait for not only controlling crop yield but also monitoring plant status under temperature stress. In this study, a thermo-inducible chlorophyll-deficient mutant, named V-V-Y, was identified from a gamma-radiated population of the barley variety Vlamingh. The leaves of the mutant were green under normal growing temperature but turned yellowish under high temperature in the glasshouse experiment. The ratio of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b in the mutant declined much faster in the first 7-9 days under heat treatment. The leaves of V-V-Y turned yellowish but took longer to senesce under heat stress in the field experiment. Genetic analysis indicated that a single nuclear gene controlled the mutant trait. The mutant gene ( vvy ) was mapped to the long arm of chromosome 4H between SNP markers 1_0269 and 1_1531 with a genetic distance of 2.2 cM and a physical interval of 9.85 Mb. A QTL for grain yield was mapped to the same interval and explained 10.4% of the yield variation with a LOD score of 4. This QTL is coincident with the vvy gene interval that is responsible for the thermo-inducible chlorophyll-deficient trait. Fine mapping, based on the barley reference genome sequence, further narrowed the vvy gene to a physical interval of 0.428 Mb with 11 annotated genes. This is the first report of fine mapping a thermo-inducible chlorophyll-deficient gene in barley.

Natural occurrence of the mycotoxin viomellein in barley and the associated quinone-producing penicillia.

PubMed Central

Hald, B; Christensen, D H; Krogh, P

1983-01-01

In a batch of barley associated with field cases of mycotoxic porcine nephropathy and containing ochratoxin A and citrinin, the mycoflora were isolated by parallel incubation at 10 and 25 degrees C. Subsequently, the isolated cultures were checked for production of nephrotoxins (xanthomegnin, viomellein, ochratoxin, and citrinin). The nephrotoxin producers, all isolated by incubation at 10 degrees C, were comprised of one culture of Penicillium viridicatum, five cultures of Penicillium cyclopium, and one culture of Penicillium crustosum, all producing xanthomegnin and viomellein. One culture of P. cyclopium produced citrinin. Viomellein was detected in the barley at a concentration of approximately 1 mg/kg. The method of analysis for xanthomegnin and viomellein included extraction with chloroform, partitioning in hexane-acetone, and thin-layer chromatographic separation and identification. The identity of the xanthomegnin and viomellein produced by the isolated fungi and of viomellein detected in the barley was supported by infrared spectroscopy. This is the first report of viomellein as a natural contaminant of foodstuffs. Images PMID:6660870

Identification of aerenchyma formation-related QTL in barley that can be effective in breeding for waterlogging tolerance.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuechen; Zhou, Gaofeng; Shabala, Sergey; Koutoulis, Anthony; Shabala, Lana; Johnson, Peter; Li, Chengdao; Zhou, Meixue

2016-06-01

Aerenchyma formation after 7 days of waterlogging in commercial potting mixture can be a reliable, fast, and widely utilized approach for the selection of waterlogging tolerant barley genotypes. One major QTL for aerenchyma formation after 7 days of waterlogging treatment was identified and the newly developed markers explained 44 % of the phenotypic variance. This QTL can now be effectively used in barley breeding programs. Waterlogging is one of the important limiting conditions for crop yield and productivity. The main feature of waterlogged soils is oxygen deprivation, due to slow gas diffusion in water. Decreased oxygen content in waterlogged soils leads to the oxygen deficiency in plant tissues, resulting in reduced energy availability for plants. Rapidly induced aerenchyma formation is critical to maintaining adequate oxygen supply and overall waterlogging tolerance in barley. In this study, we have proved that quantifying aerenchyma formation after 7 days of waterlogging in commercial potting mixture can be a reliable, fast, and widely utilised approach for the selection of waterlogging tolerant barley genotypes, which is supported by measurements of redox potential (an indicator of anaerobic conditions). This protocol was also used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) in a doubled haploid population of barley from the cross between Yerong (tolerant) and Franklin (sensitive) genotypes. The QTL for aerenchyma formation and root porosity were at the same location as the waterlogging tolerance QTL. Seven new markers were developed and added onto this region on chromosome 4H. One major QTL for aerenchyma formation after 7 days waterlogging treatment explained 44.0 % of the phenotypic variance. This successful QTL for aerenchyma formation can be effectively used in the marker assisted selection to improve waterlogging tolerance in barley.

Total antioxidant capacity and starch digestibility of muffins baked with rice, wheat, oat, corn and barley flour.

PubMed

Soong, Yean Yean; Tan, Seow Peng; Leong, Lai Peng; Henry, Jeya Kumar

2014-12-01

Muffins are a popular snack consumed in western and emerging countries. Increased glycemic load has been implicated in the aetiology of diabetes. This study examined the starch digestibility of muffins baked with rice, wheat, corn, oat and barley flour. Rapidly digested starch (RDS) was greatest in rice (445 mg/g) and wheat (444 mg/g) muffins, followed by oat (416 mg/g), corn (402 mg/g) and barley (387 mg/g). Total phenolic content was found to be positively correlated with total antioxidative capacity and inversely related to the RDS of muffins. The phenolic content was highest in muffin baked with barley flour (1,687 μg/g), followed by corn (1,454 μg/g), oat (945 μg/g), wheat (705 μg/g), and rice (675 μg/g) flour. Browning was shown not to correlate with free radical scavenging capacity and digestibility of muffins. The presence of high phenolic content and low RDS makes barley muffin an ideal snack to modulate glycemic response. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overexpression of HvIcy6 in Barley Enhances Resistance against Tetranychus urticae and Entails Partial Transcriptomic Reprogramming.

PubMed

Santamaria, M Estrella; Diaz-Mendoza, Mercedes; Perez-Herguedas, David; Hensel, Goetz; Kumlehn, Jochen; Diaz, Isabel; Martinez, Manuel

2018-03-01

Cystatins have been largely used for pest control against phytophagous species. However, cystatins have not been commonly overexpressed in its cognate plant species to test their pesticide capacity. Since the inhibitory role of barley HvCPI-6 cystatin against the phytophagous mite Tetranychus urticae has been previously demonstrated, the purpose of our study was to determine if barley transgenic lines overexpressing its own HvIcy6 gene were more resistant against this phytophagous infestation. Besides, a transcriptomic analysis was done to find differential expressed genes among wild-type and transformed barley plants. Barley plants overexpressing HvIcy6 cystatin gene remained less susceptible to T. urticae attack when compared to wild-type plants, with a significant lesser foliar damaged area and a lower presence of the mite. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a certain reprogramming of cellular metabolism and a lower expression of several genes related to photosynthetic activity. Therefore, although caution should be taken to discard potential deleterious pleiotropic effects, cystatins may be used as transgenes with impact on agricultural crops by conferring enhanced levels of resistance to phytophagous pests.

[Psychiatry in ancient Mexico].

PubMed

Calderón Narváez, G

1992-12-01

Using studies on prehispanic and early post-conquest documents of Ancient Mexico--such as the Badianus Manuscript, also known as Libellus de Medicinalibus Indorum Herbis, and Brother Bernardino de Sahagún's famous work History of the Things of the New Spain, a description of some existing medical and psychiatric problems, and treatments Ancient Aztecs resorted to, is presented. The structure of the Aztec family, their problems with the excessive ingestion of alcoholic beverages, and the punishments native authorities had implemented in order to check alcoholism up are also described.

Effect of soaking in water and rumen digeta solutions on metabolizable energy content and chemical composition of barley seeds for use in poultry diet.

PubMed

Tabatabee, S N; Sadeghi, G H; Tabeidian, S A

2007-03-15

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of soaking in water and different rumen digesta solutions on nutritional value of dry barley seeds. Treatments were included distilled water as control and rumen digesta that diluted with distilled water to obtain 20, 40 and 60% digesta solutions. Solutions have added to 10 kg of barley seed samples to achieve final 30% moisture content. After 21 days the chemical composition and energy content of barley seed were determined. Gross energy of barley seeds did not affected by different experimental treatments. Use of 20% rumen digesta solution resulted to a significant (p<0.01) increase in AME and AMEn content of barley seeds. Barley seed that treated with 40% of rumen digesta solution had highest TME and TMEn content and its different from seeds that treated with 60 and 100% rumen digesta solutions was significant (p<0.05). The chemical composition such as dry matter, crud protein, crude fat, crud fiber, ash and NFE were found to be similar and there was no significant difference. However, soaking in rumen digesta solutions increased crud protein, ether extract, crude fiber and ash content of barley seeds numerically.

Barley β-glucan increases fecal bile acid excretion and short chain fatty acid levels in mildly hypercholesterolemic individuals.

PubMed

Thandapilly, Sijo J; Ndou, Saymore P; Wang, Yanan; Nyachoti, Charles M; Ames, Nancy P

2018-06-20

The cholesterol-lowering effect of barley β-glucan has been proposed to be the result of a pleiotropic effect, which involves several biological mechanisms such as gut fermentation, inhibition of intestinal cholesterol absorption and increased bile acid excretion and its synthesis. However, one of the recent studies from our laboratory indicated that increased bile acid excretion and subsequent increase in its synthesis, but not the inhibition of cholesterol absorption or synthesis might be responsible for the cholesterol-lowering effect of barley β-glucan. Accordingly, the primary objective of the present study was to investigate the concentration of bile acids (BA), neutral sterols (NS) and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) excreted through the feces by mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects who consumed diets containing barley β-glucan with varying molecular weights (MW) and concentrations. In a controlled, four phase, crossover trial, 30 mildly hypercholesterolemic but otherwise healthy subjects were randomly assigned to receive breakfast containing 3 g high MW (HMW), 5 g low MW (LMW), 3 g LMW barley β-glucan or a control diet for 5 weeks. The concentrations of BA, NS and SCFA in the feces were measured at the end of each treatment phase. Compared to the other treatment groups, 3 g day-1 HMW barley β-glucan consumption resulted in increased lithocholic acid (LCA) excretion (P < 0.001) but not LMW β-glucan, even at the high dose of 5 g day-1. Increased fermentability of fibre was also evident from a significant increase in fecal total SCFA concentrations in response to the 3 g HMW β-glucan diet compared to the 3 g LMW barley β-glucan and control diet (P = 0.0015). In summary, the current results validate our previous report on the role of fecal bile acid excretion in cholesterol lowering through the consumption of barley β-glucan. In addition, increased SCFA concentrations indicate that an increase in β-glucan molecular weight promotes hindgut fermentation

Inducers of Glycinebetaine Synthesis in Barley1

PubMed Central

Jagendorf, André T.; Takabe, Tetsuko

2001-01-01

Glycinebetaine is an osmoprotectant accumulated by barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants in response to high levels of NaCl, drought, and cold stress. Using barley seedlings in hydroponic culture, we characterized additional inducers of glycinebetaine accumulation. These included other inorganic salts (KCl, MgCl2, LiCl, and Na2SO4), oxidants (H2O2 and cumene hydroperoxide), and organic compounds (abscisic acid, polymixin B, n-butanol, salicylic acid, and aspirin). Stress symptoms brought on by high NaCl and other inducers, and not necessarily correlated with glycinebetaine accumulation, include wilting, loss of chlorophyll, and increase in thiobarbituric acid reacting substances. For NaCl, Ca2+ ions at 10 to 20 mm decrease these stress symptoms without diminishing, or even increasing, glycinebetaine induction. Abscisic acid induces glycinebetaine accumulation without causing any of the stress symptoms. NaCl, KCl, and H2O2 (but not other inducers) induce glycinebetaine at concentrations below those needed for the other stress symptoms. Mg2+ at 10 to 20 mm induces both stress symptoms and glycinebetaine, but only at low (0.2 mm) Ca2+. Although illumination is needed for optimal induction, a significant increase in the leaf glycinebetaine level is found in complete darkness, also. PMID:11743126

Mueilha rare metals granite, Eastern Desert of Egypt: An example of a magmatic-hydrothermal system in the Arabian-Nubian Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu El-Rus, Mohamed A.; Mohamed, Mohamed A.; Lindh, Anders

2017-12-01

The Mueilha granite pluton is one of the rare-metals bearing peraluminous granitic plutons in the Arabian-Nubian Shield. It represents the apical part of a highly evolved magma chamber emplaced at a shallow level subsequent to the post Pan-African orogeny. The pluton can be seen as a highly leucocratic medium-grained albite/oligoclase framework infilled with quartz, K-feldspar and muscovite that are variably overgrown by K-feldspar, muscovite, quartz and topaz megacrysts. The increasing number and size of the K-feldspar megacrysts at the expense of the whitened albite/oligoclase framework imparts variably red color to the Mueilha granite. Contacts between the milky white and red granites are usually gradational, but may be locally sharp or may form narrow transition zones resulting from abrupt variations in texture and lithology. Textural relations indicate an initial stage of hydrothermal albitization of magmatic plagioclase and crystallization of topaz megacrysts resulting from infiltration of Na-rich fluorine bearing fluids. A subsequent stage of metasomatic enrichment is characterized by extensive growth of large K-feldspar, quartz and muscovite megacrysts at the expense of the albite/oligoclase crystals as a result of infiltration of K-Si rich hydrous fluids. Post-magmatic infiltration of hydrous fluids along the fault planes is shown by the intense replacement of alkali feldspar megacrysts by quartz, development of myrmekitic intergrowth pockets along the K-feldspar megacrysts and sealing of the micro-fractures by cryptocrystalline mixtures of clay minerals, iron oxides, sericite and chlorite. Compositionally, the red granitic rocks have higher SiO2, Fe2O3total, K2O/Na2O, Σ REE, Y, Th, U, Zr and Zn and lower Al2O3, Ga, Ta, Nb and Mo compared to the milky white granites. LILE and Sn do not show clear variation trends throughout the Mueilha granite pluton, suggesting their immobility during hydrothermal alteration. Microthermometric measurements indicate that

The viscoelastic properties of the protein-rich materials from the fermented hard wheat, soft wheat and barley flours

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The linear and non-linear rheological properties of the suspensions for the hard red spring wheat (HRS) flour, soft wheat (Pastry) flour, barley flour, as well as the remain residues of HRS flour, Pastry flour, and barley flour after fermentation were investigated. The linear and non-linear rheologi...

Wheat and barley exposure to nanoceria: Implications for agricultural productivity

EPA Science Inventory

The impacts of man-made nanomaterials on agricultural productivity are not yet well understood. A soil microcosm study was performed to assess the physiological, phenological, and yield responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) exposed to nanoceria (n...

Towards Positional Isolation of Three Quantitative Trait Loci Conferring Resistance to Powdery Mildew in Two Spanish Barley Landraces

PubMed Central

Silvar, Cristina; Perovic, Dragan; Nussbaumer, Thomas; Spannagl, Manuel; Usadel, Björn; Casas, Ana; Igartua, Ernesto; Ordon, Frank

2013-01-01

Three quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring broad spectrum resistance to powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei, were previously identified on chromosomes 7HS, 7HL and 6HL in the Spanish barley landrace-derived lines SBCC097 and SBCC145. In the present work, a genome-wide putative linear gene index of barley (Genome Zipper) and the first draft of the physical, genetic and functional sequence of the barley genome were used to go one step further in the shortening and explicit demarcation on the barley genome of these regions conferring resistance to powdery mildew as well as in the identification of candidate genes. First, a comparative analysis of the target regions to the barley Genome Zippers of chromosomes 7H and 6H allowed the development of 25 new gene-based molecular markers, which slightly better delimit the QTL intervals. These new markers provided the framework for anchoring of genetic and physical maps, figuring out the outline of the barley genome at the target regions in SBCC097 and SBCC145. The outermost flanking markers of QTLs on 7HS, 7HL and 6HL defined a physical area of 4 Mb, 3.7 Mb and 3.2 Mb, respectively. In total, 21, 10 and 16 genes on 7HS, 7HL and 6HL, respectively, could be interpreted as potential candidates to explain the resistance to powdery mildew, as they encode proteins of related functions with respect to the known pathogen defense-related processes. The majority of these were annotated as belonging to the NBS-LRR class or protein kinase family. PMID:23826271

Characterization of protected designation of origin Italian meat products obtained from heavy pigs fed barley-based diets.

PubMed

Prandini, A; Sigolo, S; Gallo, A; Faeti, V; Della Casa, G

2015-09-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the quality and sensory properties of protected designation of origin (PDO) Parma ham and Piacentina neck obtained from heavy pigs (Italian Duroc × Italian Large White) fed barley-based diets. Four diets were tested: 1) a corn-based diet (control), 2) the control diet with 80% of a normal-amylose hulled barley variety (Cometa), 3) the control diet with 80% of a normal-amylose hulless barley variety (Astartis), and 4) the control diet with 80% of a low-amylose hulless barley variety (Alamo). All the meat products were analyzed for physicochemical and color parameters. The dry-cured hams and necks were also evaluated for sensory properties. The data of physicochemical, color, and sensory parameters were separately analyzed by multivariate factor analysis, and interpretation of each extracted factor was based on specific original variables loading on each one. The meat products obtained from pigs fed the barley-based diets differed from those obtained from the control pigs on the PUFA factors characterized by C18:2-6 and omega-3:omega-6 ratio. In particular, the meat products obtained from pigs fed the barley-based diets had a lower content of C18:2-6 and a higher omega-3:omega-6 ratio ( < 0.05) than the control. In fresh hams, iodine number and SFA (C16:0 and C18:0) in addition to PUFA and omega-3:omega-6 ratio loaded on the PUFA/SFA factor. The fresh hams produced from pigs fed the barley-based diets had subcutaneous fat (SC) with a lower iodine number and a higher SFA level compared with those produced from the control pigs ( < 0.05). A sex effect was measured for PUFA/SFA and oleic acid factors. In particular, the barrow SC had a lower SFA content, higher PUFA and C18:1-9 levels, and a higher iodine number ( < 0.05) than the gilt SC. There were no appreciable differences in the color and sensory properties of meat products obtained from pigs fed the different diets. The hams from barrows differed from those obtained from gilts on

Discovery of novel cold-induced CISP genes encoding small RNA-binding proteins related to cold adaptation in barley.

PubMed

Ying, Mengchao; Kidou, Shin-Ichiro

2017-07-01

To adapt to cold conditions, barley plants rely on specific mechanisms, which have not been fully understood. In this study, we characterized a novel barley cold-induced gene identified using a PCR-based high coverage gene expression profiling method. The identified gene encodes a small protein that we named CISP1 (Cold-induced Small Protein 1). Homology searches of sequence databases revealed that CISP1 homologs (CISP2 and CISP3) exist in barley genome. Further database analyses showed that the CISP1 homologs were widely distributed in cold-tolerant plants such as wheat and rye. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR analyses indicated that the expression of barley CISP genes was markedly increased in roots exposed to cold conditions. In situ hybridization analyses showed that the CISP1 transcripts were localized in the root tip and lateral root primordium. We also demonstrated that the CISP1 protein bound to RNA. Taken together, these findings indicate that CISP1 and its homologs encoding small RNA-binding proteins may serve as RNA chaperones playing a vital role in the cold adaptation of barley root. This is the first report describing the likely close relationship between root-specific genes and the cold adaptation process, as well as the potential function of the identified genes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Starch granule-associated proteins of hull-less barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China.

PubMed

Wang, Chun-Ping; Pan, Zhi-Fen; Nima, Zha-Xi; Tang, Ya-Wei; Cai, Peng; Liang, Jun-Jun; Deng, Guang-Bing; Long, Hai; Yu, Mao-Qun

2011-03-15

The starch granule-associated proteins (SGAPs) are the minor components of the starch granules and a majority of them are believed to be starch biosynthetic enzymes. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, one of the centres of origin of cultivated barley, is abundant in hull-less barley resources which exhibit high polymorphism in SGAPs. The SGAPs of hull-less barley from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were analysed by one-dimensional (1-D) SDS-PAGE, 2-D PAGE and ESI-Q-TOF MS/MS. In the 1-D SDS-PAGE gel, four proteins including a 80 kDa starch synthase, actin, actin 4 and ATP synthase β-subunit were identified as novel SGAPs. A total of six different bands were identified as starch granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) and the segregation of the novel GBSSI bands in F(1) and F(2) seeds derived from yf127 × yf70 was in accordance with Mendel's law. In the 2-D PAGE gel, 92 spots were identified as 42 protein species which could be classified into 15 functional groups. Thirteen protein species were identified as SGAPs for the first time and multiple spots were identified as GBSSI. This study revealed novel SGAPs in hull-less barley from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China and these will be significant in further studies of starch biosynthesis in barley. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mapping and validation of major quantitative trait loci for kernel length in wild barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum).

PubMed

Zhou, Hong; Liu, Shihang; Liu, Yujiao; Liu, Yaxi; You, Jing; Deng, Mei; Ma, Jian; Chen, Guangdeng; Wei, Yuming; Liu, Chunji; Zheng, Youliang

2016-09-13

Kernel length is an important target trait in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) breeding programs. However, the number of known quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling kernel length is limited. In the present study, we aimed to identify major QTLs for kernel length, as well as putative candidate genes that might influence kernel length in wild barley. A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the barley cultivar Baudin (H. vulgare ssp. vulgare) and the long-kernel wild barley genotype Awcs276 (H.vulgare ssp. spontaneum) was evaluated at one location over three years. A high-density genetic linkage map was constructed using 1,832 genome-wide diversity array technology (DArT) markers, spanning a total of 927.07 cM with an average interval of approximately 0.49 cM. Two major QTLs for kernel length, LEN-3H and LEN-4H, were detected across environments and further validated in a second RIL population derived from Fleet (H. vulgare ssp. vulgare) and Awcs276. In addition, a systematic search of public databases identified four candidate genes and four categories of proteins related to LEN-3H and LEN-4H. This study establishes a fundamental research platform for genomic studies and marker-assisted selection, since LEN-3H and LEN-4H could be used for accelerating progress in barley breeding programs that aim to improve kernel length.

Neonatal medicine in ancient art.

PubMed

Yurdakök, Murat

2010-01-01

There are a limited number of artistic objects from ancient times with particular importance in neonatal medicine. The best examples are figurines from ancient Egypt of Isis nursing Horus, showing the importance of breastfeeding. The earliest images of the human fetus were made by the Olmecs in Mexico around 1200- 400 BCE. One of the earliest representations of congenital anomalies is a figurine of diencephalic twins thought to be the goddess of Anatolia, dated to around 6500 BCE. In addition to these figurines, three sets of twins in the ancient world have medical importance, and Renaissance artists often used them as a subject for their paintings: "direct suckling animals" (Romulus and Remus), "heteropaternal superfecundation" (mother: Leda, fathers: Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods, and Leda's husband, Tyndareus), and "twin-to-twin transfusion" in monozygotic twins (Jacob and Esau).

The study of two barley Type I-like MADS-box genes as potential targets of epigenetic regulation during seed development

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background MADS-box genes constitute a large family of transcription factors functioning as key regulators of many processes during plant vegetative and reproductive development. Type II MADS-box genes have been intensively investigated and are mostly involved in vegetative and flowering development. A growing number of studies of Type I MADS-box genes in Arabidopsis, have assigned crucial roles for these genes in gamete and seed development and have demonstrated that a number of Type I MADS-box genes are epigenetically regulated by DNA methylation and histone modifications. However, reports on agronomically important cereals such as barley and wheat are scarce. Results Here we report the identification and characterization of two Type I-like MADS-box genes, from barley (Hordeum vulgare), a monocot cereal crop of high agronomic importance. Protein sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed that the putative proteins are related to Type I MADS-box proteins, and classified them in a distinct cereal clade. Significant differences in gene expression among seed developmental stages and between barley cultivars with varying seed size were revealed for both genes. One of these genes was shown to be induced by the seed development- and stress-related hormones ABA and JA whereas in situ hybridizations localized the other gene to specific endosperm sub-compartments. The genomic organization of the latter has high conservation with the cereal Type I-like MADS-box homologues and the chromosomal position of both genes is close to markers associated with seed quality traits. DNA methylation differences are present in the upstream and downstream regulatory regions of the barley Type I-like MADS-box genes in two different developmental stages and in response to ABA treatment which may be associated with gene expression differences. Conclusions Two barley MADS-box genes were studied that are related to Type I MADS-box genes. Differential expression in different seed developmental

In situ identification and quantification of protein-hydrolyzing ruminal bacteria associated with the digestion of barley and corn grain.

PubMed

Xia, Yun; Kong, Yunhong; Huang, Heping; Yang, Hee Eun; Forster, Robert; McAllister, Tim A

2016-12-01

In this study, BODIPY FL DQ™ casein staining combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect and identify protein-hydrolyzing bacteria within biofilms that produced active cell-surface-associated serine- and metallo-proteases during the ruminal digestion of barley and corn grain in cows fed barley-based diets at 2 different levels. A doublet coccoid bacterial morphotype associated with barley and corn grain particles fluoresced after BODIPY FL DQ™ casein staining. Bacteria with this morphotype accounted for 3%-10% of the total bacteria attached to surface of cereal grain particles, possibly indicative of an important role in the hydrolysis of the protein matrix within the endosperm. However, the identity of these predominant proteolytic bacteria could not be determined using FISH. Quantitative FISH revealed that known proteolytic species, Prevotella ruminicola, Ruminobacter amylophilus, and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, were attached to particles of various cultivars of barley grain and corn, confirming their role in the proteolysis of cereal grains. Differences in chemical composition among different barley cultivars did not affect the composition of proteolytic bacterial populations. However, the concentrate level in the basal diet did have an impact on the relative abundance of proteolytic bacteria and thus possibly their overall contribution to the proteolysis of cereal grains.

The effects of reduced gluten barley diet on humoral and cell-mediated systemic immune responses of gluten-sensitive rhesus macaques.

PubMed

Sestak, Karol; Thwin, Hazel; Dufour, Jason; Aye, Pyone P; Liu, David X; Moehs, Charles P

2015-03-06

Celiac disease (CD) affects approximately 1% of the general population while an estimated additional 6% suffers from a recently characterized, rapidly emerging, similar disease, referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). The only effective treatment of CD and NCGS requires removal of gluten sources from the diet. Since required adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is difficult to accomplish, efforts to develop alternative treatments have been intensifying in recent years. In this study, the non-human primate model of CD/NCGS, e.g., gluten-sensitive rhesus macaque, was utilized with the objective to evaluate the treatment potential of reduced gluten cereals using a reduced gluten (RG; 1% of normal gluten) barley mutant as a model. Conventional and RG barleys were used for the formulation of experimental chows and fed to gluten-sensitive (GS) and control macaques to determine if RG barley causes a remission of dietary gluten-induced clinical and immune responses in GS macaques. The impacts of the RG barley diet were compared with the impacts of the conventional barley-containing chow and the GFD. Although remission of the anti-gliadin antibody (AGA) serum responses and an improvement of clinical diarrhea were noted after switching the conventional to the RG barley diet, production of inflammatory cytokines, e.g., interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) by peripheral CD4+ T helper lymphocytes, persisted during the RG chow treatment and were partially abolished only upon re-administration of the GFD. It was concluded that the RG barley diet might be used for the partial improvement of gluten-induced disease but its therapeutic value still requires upgrading-by co-administration of additional treatments.

The Effects of Reduced Gluten Barley Diet on Humoral and Cell-Mediated Systemic Immune Responses of Gluten-Sensitive Rhesus Macaques

PubMed Central

Sestak, Karol; Thwin, Hazel; Dufour, Jason; Aye, Pyone P.; Liu, David X.; Moehs, Charles P.

2015-01-01

Celiac disease (CD) affects approximately 1% of the general population while an estimated additional 6% suffers from a recently characterized, rapidly emerging, similar disease, referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). The only effective treatment of CD and NCGS requires removal of gluten sources from the diet. Since required adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is difficult to accomplish, efforts to develop alternative treatments have been intensifying in recent years. In this study, the non-human primate model of CD/NCGS, e.g., gluten-sensitive rhesus macaque, was utilized with the objective to evaluate the treatment potential of reduced gluten cereals using a reduced gluten (RG; 1% of normal gluten) barley mutant as a model. Conventional and RG barleys were used for the formulation of experimental chows and fed to gluten-sensitive (GS) and control macaques to determine if RG barley causes a remission of dietary gluten-induced clinical and immune responses in GS macaques. The impacts of the RG barley diet were compared with the impacts of the conventional barley-containing chow and the GFD. Although remission of the anti-gliadin antibody (AGA) serum responses and an improvement of clinical diarrhea were noted after switching the conventional to the RG barley diet, production of inflammatory cytokines, e.g., interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) by peripheral CD4+ T helper lymphocytes, persisted during the RG chow treatment and were partially abolished only upon re-administration of the GFD. It was concluded that the RG barley diet might be used for the partial improvement of gluten-induced disease but its therapeutic value still requires upgrading—by co-administration of additional treatments. PMID:25756783

[Effects of phosphorus sources on phosphorus fractions in rhizosphere soil of wild barley genotypes with high phosphorus utilization efficiency].

PubMed

Cai, Qiu-Yan; Zhang, Xi-Zhou; Li, Ting-Xuan; Chen, Guang-Deng

2014-11-01

High P-efficiency (IS-22-30, IS-22-25) and low P-efficiency (IS-07-07) wild barley cultivars were chosen to evaluate characteristics of phosphorus uptake and utilization, and properties of phosphorus fractions in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere in a pot experiment with 0 (CK) and 30 mg P · kg(-1) supplied as only Pi (KH2PO4), only Po (phytate) or Pi + Po (KH2PO4+ phytate). The results showed that dry matter and phosphorus accumulation of wild barley in the different treatments was ranked as Pi > Pi + Po > Po > CK. In addition, dry matter yield and phosphorus uptake of wild barley with high P-efficiency exhibited significantly greater than that with low P-efficiency. The concentration of soil available phosphorus was significantly different after application of different phosphorus sources, which was presented as Pi > Pi + Po > Po. The concentration of soil available phosphorus in high P-efficiency wild barley was significantly higher than that of low P-efficiency in the rhizosphere soil. There was a deficit in rhizosphere available phosphorus of high P-efficiency wild barley, especially in Pi and Pi+Po treatments. The inorganic phosphorus fractions increased with the increasing Pi treatment, and the concentrations of inorganic phosphorus fractions in soil were sorted as follows: Ca10-P > O-P > Fe-P > Al-P > Ca2-P > Ca8-P. The contents of Ca2-P and Ca8-P for high P-efficiency wild barley showed deficits in rhizosphere soil under each phosphorus source treatment. In addition, enrichment of Al-P and Fe-P was observed in Pi treatment in rhizosphere soil. The concentrations of organic phosphorus fractions in soil were sorted as follows: moderate labile organic phosphorus > moderate resistant, resistant organic phosphorus > labile organic phosphorus. The labile and moderate labile organic phosphorus enriched in rhizosphere soil and the greatest enrichment appeared in Pi treatment. Furthermore, the concentrations of moderate resistant organic phosphorus and resistant

Old Continental Crust Underlying Juvenile Oceanic Arc: Evidence From Northern Arabian-Nubian Shield, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xian-Hua; Abd El-Rahman, Yasser; Abu Anbar, Mohamed; Li, Jiao; Ling, Xiao-Xiao; Wu, Li-Guang; Masoud, Ahmed E.

2018-04-01

The Neoproterozoic Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS) is the best preserved and the largest exposed Neoproterozoic juvenile crust on Earth. While the lithology and early Sr and Nd isotopic data demonstrate that the ANS crust is overwhelmingly juvenile, pre-ANS old zircon crystals have been increasingly recognized in the ANS igneous and sedimentary rocks, casting doubt on the "juvenility" of the ANS crust. In order to understand the origin of the old continental materials in the ANS and its roles in generation of juvenile oceanic arcs, we carry out for the first time an integrated in situ analysis of zircon U-Pb age and Hf-O isotopes for greywacke and felsic volcanic cobble samples from the Atud Formation in the Eastern Desert of northwestern part of the ANS. Our data indicate that the Atud Formation was deposited between ca. 720 and 700 Ma, concurrent with the production of oceanic arcs in the ANS. The Atud greywacke was derived from the erosion of a proximal arc terrane that contains numerous old continental crust materials. We identify for the first time a 755-Ma felsic volcanic cobble from the Atud Formation that is derived from old continental materials during juvenile crust production, suggesting presence of an old continental crust substrate that underlies the ANS. Our work demonstrates that reworking of old continental crust played important roles in generation of oceanic arcs in the northwestern ANS that is likely much less juvenile than previously thought. Thus, the crustal growth rates calculated based on estimates of temporal island arc development need to be revised.

Re-discovering ancient wheat varieties as functional foods.

PubMed

Cooper, Raymond

2015-07-01

With the gluten-free food market worth almost $1.6 bn in 2011, there is every reason for renewed interest in ancient grains. This resurgent interest is expressed in re-discovering ancient varieties as functional foods. In particular, people affected by celiac disease have to avoid all gluten in their diet and several ancient grains may offer an important alternative.

Evolutionary history of barley cultivation in Europe revealed by genetic analysis of extant landraces

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Understanding the evolution of cultivated barley is important for two reasons. First, the evolutionary relationships between different landraces might provide information on the spread and subsequent development of barley cultivation, including the adaptation of the crop to new environments and its response to human selection. Second, evolutionary information would enable landraces with similar traits but different genetic backgrounds to be identified, providing alternative strategies for the introduction of these traits into modern germplasm. Results The evolutionary relationships between 651 barley landraces were inferred from the genotypes for 24 microsatellites. The landraces could be divided into nine populations, each with a different geographical distribution. Comparisons with ear row number, caryopsis structure, seasonal growth habit and flowering time revealed a degree of association between population structure and phenotype, and analysis of climate variables indicated that the landraces are adapted, at least to some extent, to their environment. Human selection and/or environmental adaptation may therefore have played a role in the origin and/or maintenance of one or more of the barley landrace populations. There was also evidence that at least some of the population structure derived from geographical partitioning set up during the initial spread of barley cultivation into Europe, or reflected the later introduction of novel varieties. In particular, three closely-related populations were made up almost entirely of plants with the daylength nonresponsive version of the photoperiod response gene PPD-H1, conferring adaptation to the long annual growth season of northern Europe. These three populations probably originated in the eastern Fertile Crescent and entered Europe after the initial spread of agriculture. Conclusions The discovery of population structure, combined with knowledge of associated phenotypes and environmental adaptations

A mutant of barley lacking NADH-hydroxypyruvate reductase

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blackwell, R.; Lea, P.

1989-04-01

A mutant of barley, LaPr 88/29, deficient in peroxisomal NADH-hydroxypyruvate reductase (HPR) activity has been identified. Compared to the wild type the activities of NADH-HPR and NADPH-HPR were severely reduced but the mutant was still capable of fixing CO{sub 2} at rates equivalent to 75% of that of the wild type in air. Although lacking an enzyme in the main photorespiratory pathway, there appeared to be little disruption to photorespiratory metabolism as ammonia release, CO{sub 2} efflux and {sup 14}CO{sub 2} release from L-(U-{sup 14}C) serine were similar in both mutant and wild type. LaPr 88/29 has been used tomore » show that NADH-glyoxylate reductase (GR) and NADH-HPR are probably not catalyzed by the same enzyme in barley and that over 80% of the NADPH-HPR activity is due to the NADH-HPR enzyme. Immunological studies, using antibodies raised against spinach HPR, have shown that the NADH-dependent enzyme protein is absent in LaPr 88/29 but there appears to be enhanced synthesis of the NADPH-dependent enzyme protein.« less

Differential heat sensitivity index in barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L.) monitored by chlorophyll a fluorescence OKJIP.

PubMed

Oukarroum, Abdallah; El Madidi, Saïd; Strasser, Reto J

2016-08-01

The objective of this study was to differentiate the heat tolerance in ten varieties of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) originating from Morocco. Five modern varieties and five landraces (local varieties) collected at five different geographical localities in the south of Morocco were investigated in the present study. After two weeks of growth, detached leaves were short term exposure to various temperatures (25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 °C) for 10 min in the dark. Two chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters derived from chlorophyll a fluorescence transient (OKJIP) (performance index (PIABS) and relative variable fluorescence at the K-step (VK)) were analysed. Heat treatment had a significant effect on the PIABS and VK at 45 °C treatment and the analysis of variance for PIABS and VK is highly significant between all varieties. The slope of the relationship between logPIABS and VK named heat sensitivity index (HSI) was used to evaluate the thermotolerance of photosystem II (PSII) between the studied barley varieties. According to this approach, barley varieties were screened and ranked for improving heat tolerance. HSI was found to be a new indicator with regard to distinguishing heat tolerance of different barley cultivars. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Transgenic Wheat, Barley and Oats: Future Prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunwell, Jim M.

Following the success of transgenic maize and rice, methods have now been developed for the efficient introduction of genes into wheat, barley and oats. This review summarizes the present position in relation to these three species, and also uses information from field trial databases and the patent literature to assess the future trends in the exploitation of transgenic material. This analysis includes agronomic traits and also discusses opportunities in expanding areas such as biofuels and biopharming.

Improved palatability and bio-functionality of super-hard rice by soaking in a barley-koji miso suspension.

PubMed

Nakamura, Sumiko; Nakano, Yohei; Satoh, Hikaru; Ohtsubo, Ken'ichi

2013-01-01

Cooked grains of ae rice cultivars are too hard and non-sticky due to the presence of long-chain amylopectin, and ae rice cultivars are therefore called ``super-hard rice'' and cannot be used as table rice. However, they are promising in terms of their bio-functionality such as preventing diabetes. Miso (soybean paste) is a yeast-fermented food, made from steamed soybeans, salt, and inoculated cereals known as koji, made from rice, barley, or soybeans.We investigated the effects of soaking ae mutant rice cultivars in a miso suspension. Their chemical components, physical properties, and enzyme activities were measured under different conditions (milled rice before or after soaking in a 5% barley-koji miso suspension). Rice grains cooked after soaking in the miso suspension were less hard and more sticky than those cooked after soaking in water. Rice grains cooked after soaking in a 5% barley-koji miso suspension maintained high amounts of resistant starch and dietary fiber, and were fortified with polyphenols and isoflavones. Palatable and bio-functional ae rice could therefore be produced by cooking after soaking in a 5% barley-koji miso suspension.

New Starch Phenotypes Produced by TILLING in Barley

PubMed Central

Sparla, Francesca; Falini, Giuseppe; Botticella, Ermelinda; Pirone, Claudia; Talamè, Valentina; Bovina, Riccardo; Salvi, Silvio; Tuberosa, Roberto; Sestili, Francesco; Trost, Paolo

2014-01-01

Barley grain starch is formed by amylose and amylopectin in a 1∶3 ratio, and is packed into granules of different dimensions. The distribution of granule dimension is bimodal, with a majority of small spherical B-granules and a smaller amount of large discoidal A-granules containing the majority of the starch. Starch granules are semi-crystalline structures with characteristic X-ray diffraction patterns. Distinct features of starch granules are controlled by different enzymes and are relevant for nutritional value or industrial applications. Here, the Targeting-Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes (TILLING) approach was applied on the barley TILLMore TILLING population to identify 29 new alleles in five genes related to starch metabolism known to be expressed in the endosperm during grain filling: BMY1 (Beta-amylase 1), GBSSI (Granule Bound Starch Synthase I), LDA1 (Limit Dextrinase 1), SSI (Starch Synthase I), SSIIa (Starch Synthase IIa). Reserve starch of nine M3 mutant lines carrying missense or nonsense mutations was analysed for granule size, crystallinity and amylose/amylopectin content. Seven mutant lines presented starches with different features in respect to the wild-type: (i) a mutant line with a missense mutation in GBSSI showed a 4-fold reduced amylose/amylopectin ratio; (ii) a missense mutations in SSI resulted in 2-fold increase in A:B granule ratio; (iii) a nonsense mutation in SSIIa was associated with shrunken seeds with a 2-fold increased amylose/amylopectin ratio and different type of crystal packing in the granule; (iv) the remaining four missense mutations suggested a role of LDA1 in granule initiation, and of SSIIa in determining the size of A-granules. We demonstrate the feasibility of the TILLING approach to identify new alleles in genes related to starch metabolism in barley. Based on their novel physicochemical properties, some of the identified new mutations may have nutritional and/or industrial applications. PMID:25271438

Glycemic potency of muffins made with wheat, rice, corn, oat and barley flours: a comparative study between in vivo and in vitro.

PubMed

Soong, Yean Yean; Quek, Rina Yu Chin; Henry, Christiani Jeyakumar

2015-12-01

Muffins made with wheat flour are a popular snack consumed in western and emerging countries. This study aimed to examine the content of amylose, glycemic response (GR) and glycemic index (GI) of muffins baked with refined wheat and rice flours, as well as wholegrain corn, oat and barley flours. This study adopted a randomized, controlled, crossover, non-blind design. Twelve healthy participants consumed wheat, rice, corn, oat and barley muffins once and the reference glucose solution three times in a random order on non-consecutive day. Capillary blood samples were taken every 15 min in the first 60 min and every 30 min for the remaining 60 min for blood glucose analysis. The Megazyme amylose/amylopectin assay procedure was employed to measure amylose content. The GR elicited from the consumption of wheat, rice and corn muffins was comparable between these samples but significantly greater when compared with oat and barley muffins. Consumption of wholegrain muffins, apart from corn muffin, blunted postprandial GR when compared with muffins baked with refined cereal flours. Muffins baked with wheat, rice, corn, oat and barley flours gave rise to GI values of 74, 79, 74, 53 and 55, respectively. The content of amylose was significantly higher in corn, oat and barley muffins than wheat and rice muffins. The greater content of amylose and fibre may play a part in the reduced glycemic potency of oat and barley muffins. Wheat flour can be substituted with oat and barley flours for healthier muffins and other bakery products.

Mosaic genome structure of the barley powdery mildew pathogen and conservation of transcriptional programs in divergent hosts

PubMed Central

Hacquard, Stéphane; Kracher, Barbara; Maekawa, Takaki; Vernaldi, Saskia; Schulze-Lefert, Paul; Ver Loren van Themaat, Emiel

2013-01-01

Barley powdery mildew, Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh), is an obligate biotrophic ascomycete fungal pathogen that can grow and reproduce only on living cells of wild or domesticated barley (Hordeum sp.). Domestication and deployment of resistant barley cultivars by humans selected for amplification of Bgh isolates with different virulence combinations. We sequenced the genomes of two European Bgh isolates, A6 and K1, for comparative analysis with the reference genome of isolate DH14. This revealed a mosaic genome structure consisting of large isolate-specific DNA blocks with either high or low SNP densities. Some of the highly polymorphic blocks likely accumulated SNPs for over 10,000 years, well before the domestication of barley. These isolate-specific blocks of alternating monomorphic and polymorphic regions imply an exceptionally large standing genetic variation in the Bgh population and might be generated and maintained by rare outbreeding and frequent clonal reproduction. RNA-sequencing experiments with isolates A6 and K1 during four early stages of compatible and incompatible interactions on leaves of partially immunocompromised Arabidopsis mutants revealed a conserved Bgh transcriptional program during pathogenesis compared with the natural host barley despite ∼200 million years of reproductive isolation of these hosts. Transcripts encoding candidate-secreted effector proteins are massively induced in successive waves. A specific decrease in candidate-secreted effector protein transcript abundance in the incompatible interaction follows extensive transcriptional reprogramming of the host transcriptome and coincides with the onset of localized host cell death, suggesting a host-inducible defense mechanism that targets fungal effector secretion or production. PMID:23696672

Boron Toxicity Tolerance in Barley through Reduced Expression of the Multifunctional Aquaporin HvNIP2;11[W

PubMed Central

Schnurbusch, Thorsten; Hayes, Julie; Hrmova, Maria; Baumann, Ute; Ramesh, Sunita A.; Tyerman, Stephen D.; Langridge, Peter; Sutton, Tim

2010-01-01

Boron (B) toxicity is a significant limitation to cereal crop production in a number of regions worldwide. Here we describe the cloning of a gene from barley (Hordeum vulgare), underlying the chromosome 6H B toxicity tolerance quantitative trait locus. It is the second B toxicity tolerance gene identified in barley. Previously, we identified the gene Bot1 that functions as an efflux transporter in B toxicity-tolerant barley to move B out of the plant. The gene identified in this work encodes HvNIP2;1, an aquaporin from the nodulin-26-like intrinsic protein (NIP) subfamily that was recently described as a silicon influx transporter in barley and rice (Oryza sativa). Here we show that a rice mutant for this gene also shows reduced B accumulation in leaf blades compared to wild type and that the mutant protein alters growth of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) under high B. HvNIP2;1 facilitates significant transport of B when expressed in Xenopus oocytes compared to controls and to another NIP (NOD26), and also in yeast plasma membranes that appear to have relatively high B permeability. We propose that tolerance to high soil B is mediated by reduced expression of HvNIP2;1 to limit B uptake, as well as by increased expression of Bot1 to remove B from roots and sensitive tissues. Together with Bot1, the multifunctional aquaporin HvNIP2;1 is an important determinant of B toxicity tolerance in barley. PMID:20581256

The barley anion channel, HvALMT1, has multiple roles in guard cell physiology and grain metabolism.

PubMed

Xu, Muyun; Gruber, Benjamin D; Delhaize, Emmanuel; White, Rosemary G; James, Richard A; You, Jiangfeng; Yang, Zhenming; Ryan, Peter R

2015-01-01

The barley (Hordeum vulgare) gene HvALMT1 encodes an anion channel in guard cells and in certain root tissues indicating that it may perform multiple roles. The protein localizes to the plasma membrane and facilitates malate efflux from cells when constitutively expressed in barley plants and Xenopus oocytes. This study investigated the function of HvALMT1 further by identifying its tissue-specific expression and by generating and characterizing RNAi lines with reduced HvALMT1 expression. We show that transgenic plants with 18-30% of wild-type HvALMT1 expression had impaired guard cell function. They maintained higher stomatal conductance in low light intensity and lost water more rapidly from excised leaves than the null segregant control plants. Tissue-specific expression of HvALMT1 was investigated in developing grain and during germination using transgenic barley lines expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) with the HvALMT1 promoter. We found that HvALMT1 is expressed in the nucellar projection, the aleurone layer and the scutellum of developing barley grain. Malate release measured from isolated aleurone layers prepared from imbibed grain was significantly lower in the RNAi barley plants compared with control plants. These data provide molecular and physiological evidence that HvALMT1 functions in guard cells, in grain development and during germination. We propose that HvALMT1 releases malate and perhaps other anions from guard cells to promote stomatal closure. The likely roles of HvALMT1 during seed development and grain germination are also discussed. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Suicide in ancient Greece.

PubMed

Laios, K; Tsoukalas, G; Kontaxaki, M-I; Karamanou, M; Androutsos, G

2014-01-01

The theme of suicide appears several times in ancient Greek literature. However, each such reference acquires special significance depending on the field from which it originates. Most of the information found in mythology, but the suicide in a mythological tale, although in terms of motivation and mental situation of heroes may be in imitation of similar incidents of real life, in fact is linked with the principles of the ancient Greek religion. In ancient drama and mainly in tragedies suicide conduces to the tragic hypostasis of the heroes and to the evolution of the plot and also is a tool in order to be presented the ideas of poets for the relations of the gods, the relation among gods and men and the relation among the men. In ancient Greek philosophy there were the deniers of suicide, who were more concerned about the impact of suicide on society and also these who accepted it, recognizing the right of the individual to put an end to his life, in order to avoid personal misfortunes. Real suicides will be found mostly from historical sources, but most of them concern leading figures of the ancient world. Closer to the problem of suicide in the everyday life of antiquity are ancient Greek medicines, who studied the phenomenon more general without references to specific incidents. Doctors did not approve in principal the suicide and dealt with it as insane behavior in the development of the mental diseases, of melancholia and mania. They considered that the discrepancy of humors in the organ of logic in the human body will cause malfunction, which will lead to the absurdity and consequently to suicide, either due to excessive concentration of black bile in melancholia or due to yellow bile in mania. They believed that greater risk to commit suicide had women, young people and the elderly. As therapy they used the drugs of their time with the intention to induce calm and repression in the ill person, therefore they mainly used mandragora. In general, we would say

Milk production is unaffected by replacing barley or sodium hydroxide wheat with maize cob silage in rations for dairy cows.

PubMed

Hymøller, L; Hellwing, A L F; Lund, P; Weisbjerg, M R

2014-05-01

Starch is an important energy-providing nutrient for dairy cows that is most commonly provided from cereal grains. However, ruminal fermentation of large amounts of easily degradable starch leads to excessive production and accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFA). VFA not only play a vital role in the energy metabolism of dairy cows but are also the main cause of ruminal acidosis and depressed feed intake. The aim of the present study was to compare maize cob silage (MCS) as an energy supplement in rations for dairy cows with highly rumen-digestible rolled barley and with sodium hydroxide wheat (SHW), which has a higher proportion of by-pass starch than barley. Two studies were carried out: (1) a production study on 45 Danish Holstein cows and (2) an intensive study to determine digestibilities, rumen fermentation patterns and methane emission using three rumen-cannulated Danish Holstein cows. Both studies were organised as a 3×3 Latin square with three experimental periods and three different mixed rations. The rations consisted of grass-clover silage and maize silage (~60% of dry matter (DM)), rapeseed cake, soybean meal, sugar beet pulp and one of three different cereals as a major energy supplement: MCS, SHW or rolled barley (~25% of DM). When MCS replaced barley or SHW as an energy supplement in the mixed rations, it resulted in a lower dry matter intake; however, the apparent total tract digestibilities of DM, organic matter, NDF, starch and protein were not different between treatments. The energy-corrected milk yield was unaffected by treatment. The fat content of the milk on the MCS ration was not different from the SHW ration, whereas it was higher on the barley ration. The protein content of the milk decreased when MCS was used in the ration compared with barley and SHW. From ruminal VFA patterns and pH measures, it appeared that MCS possessed roughage qualities with respect to rumen environment, while at the same time being sufficiently energy rich

Effect of ancient population structure on the degree of polymorphism shared between modern human populations and ancient hominins.

PubMed

Eriksson, Anders; Manica, Andrea

2012-08-28

Recent comparisons between anatomically modern humans and ancient genomes of other hominins have raised the tantalizing, and hotly debated, possibility of hybridization. Although several tests of hybridization have been devised, they all rely on the degree to which different modern populations share genetic polymorphisms with the ancient genomes of other hominins. However, spatial population structure is expected to generate genetic patterns similar to those that might be attributed to hybridization. To investigate this problem, we take Neanderthals as a case study, and build a spatially explicit model of the shared history of anatomically modern humans and this hominin. We show that the excess polymorphism shared between Eurasians and Neanderthals is compatible with scenarios in which no hybridization occurred, and is strongly linked to the strength of population structure in ancient populations. Thus, we recommend caution in inferring admixture from geographic patterns of shared polymorphisms, and argue that future attempts to investigate ancient hybridization between humans and other hominins should explicitly account for population structure.

Identification and characterisation of a previously unknown drought tolerance-associated microRNA in barley.

PubMed

Zhou, Hui; Hussain, Syed Sarfraz; Hackenberg, Michael; Bazanova, Natalia; Eini, Omid; Li, Jie; Gustafson, Perry; Shi, Bujun

2018-04-22

Drought is the most serious abiotic stress, which causes crop losses on worldwide scale. The present study identified a previously unknown microRNA (designated as hvu-miRX) of 21 nucleotides (nt) in barley. Its precursor (designated pre-miRX) and primary transcript (designated pri-miRX) were also identified, with lengths of 73 nt and 559 nt, respectively. The identified upstream sequence of pri-miRX contains both the TATA box and the CAAT box, which are both required for transcription initiation. Transient promoter activation assays showed that the core promoter region of pri-miRX ranged 500 nt from the transcription start site. In transgenic barley over-expressing the wheat DREB3 transcription factor (TaDREB3) caused hvu-miRX to be highly expressed as compared to the same miRNA in non-transgenic barley. However, the high expression was not directly associated with TaDREB3. Genomic analysis revealed that the hvu-miRX gene was a single copy located on the short arm of chromosome 2 and appeared to be only conserved in Triticeae, but not in other plant species. Notably, transgenic barley overexpressing hvu-miRX showed drought tolerance. Degradome library analysis and other tests showed that hvu-miRX targeted various genes including transcription factors via the cleavage mode. Our data open an excellent opportunity to develop drought stress tolerant cereals with hvu-miRX. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Genomic Prediction of Seed Quality Traits Using Advanced Barley Breeding Lines.

PubMed

Nielsen, Nanna Hellum; Jahoor, Ahmed; Jensen, Jens Due; Orabi, Jihad; Cericola, Fabio; Edriss, Vahid; Jensen, Just

2016-01-01

Genomic selection was recently introduced in plant breeding. The objective of this study was to develop genomic prediction for important seed quality parameters in spring barley. The aim was to predict breeding values without expensive phenotyping of large sets of lines. A total number of 309 advanced spring barley lines tested at two locations each with three replicates were phenotyped and each line was genotyped by Illumina iSelect 9Kbarley chip. The population originated from two different breeding sets, which were phenotyped in two different years. Phenotypic measurements considered were: seed size, protein content, protein yield, test weight and ergosterol content. A leave-one-out cross-validation strategy revealed high prediction accuracies ranging between 0.40 and 0.83. Prediction across breeding sets resulted in reduced accuracies compared to the leave-one-out strategy. Furthermore, predicting across full and half-sib-families resulted in reduced prediction accuracies. Additionally, predictions were performed using reduced marker sets and reduced training population sets. In conclusion, using less than 200 lines in the training set can result in low prediction accuracy, and the accuracy will then be highly dependent on the family structure of the selected training set. However, the results also indicate that relatively small training sets (200 lines) are sufficient for genomic prediction in commercial barley breeding. In addition, our results indicate a minimum marker set of 1,000 to decrease the risk of low prediction accuracy for some traits or some families.

Genomic Prediction of Seed Quality Traits Using Advanced Barley Breeding Lines

PubMed Central

Nielsen, Nanna Hellum; Jahoor, Ahmed; Jensen, Jens Due; Orabi, Jihad; Cericola, Fabio; Edriss, Vahid; Jensen, Just

2016-01-01

Genomic selection was recently introduced in plant breeding. The objective of this study was to develop genomic prediction for important seed quality parameters in spring barley. The aim was to predict breeding values without expensive phenotyping of large sets of lines. A total number of 309 advanced spring barley lines tested at two locations each with three replicates were phenotyped and each line was genotyped by Illumina iSelect 9Kbarley chip. The population originated from two different breeding sets, which were phenotyped in two different years. Phenotypic measurements considered were: seed size, protein content, protein yield, test weight and ergosterol content. A leave-one-out cross-validation strategy revealed high prediction accuracies ranging between 0.40 and 0.83. Prediction across breeding sets resulted in reduced accuracies compared to the leave-one-out strategy. Furthermore, predicting across full and half-sib-families resulted in reduced prediction accuracies. Additionally, predictions were performed using reduced marker sets and reduced training population sets. In conclusion, using less than 200 lines in the training set can result in low prediction accuracy, and the accuracy will then be highly dependent on the family structure of the selected training set. However, the results also indicate that relatively small training sets (200 lines) are sufficient for genomic prediction in commercial barley breeding. In addition, our results indicate a minimum marker set of 1,000 to decrease the risk of low prediction accuracy for some traits or some families. PMID:27783639

Tocotrienols and tocopherols in colored-grain wheat, tritordeum and barley.

PubMed

Lachman, Jaromír; Hejtmánková, Alena; Orsák, Matyáš; Popov, Marek; Martinek, Petr

2018-02-01

Colored-grain spring and winter wheat, spring tritordeum and barley (blue aleurone, purple pericarp, and yellow endosperm) from the harvests 2014 and 2015 were evaluated for tocol contents by HPLC-FD. Higher content of total tocols was found in spring wheat varieties compared with winter varieties. Four tocols (β-tocotrienol, α-tocotrienol, β-tocopherol, and α-tocopherol) were identified in wheat and tritordeum varieties. Dominant tocols in purple- and blue-grained wheat and yellow-grained tritordeum were α-tocopherol and β-tocotrienol, whereas spring barley varieties differed from wheat and tritordeum by high α-tocotrienol content. Tocol content was significantly affected by genotype and in a lesser extent in some varieties and lines also by rainfall and temperatures during crop year. Higher rainfall and lower temperatures caused in most varieties higher tocol contents. Purple- and blue-grained wheat lines with higher tocol, anthocyanin and phenolic acids with health benefits may be useful for breeding new varieties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary Patterns and Processes: Lessons from Ancient DNA.

PubMed

Leonardi, Michela; Librado, Pablo; Der Sarkissian, Clio; Schubert, Mikkel; Alfarhan, Ahmed H; Alquraishi, Saleh A; Al-Rasheid, Khaled A S; Gamba, Cristina; Willerslev, Eske; Orlando, Ludovic

2017-01-01

Ever since its emergence in 1984, the field of ancient DNA has struggled to overcome the challenges related to the decay of DNA molecules in the fossil record. With the recent development of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies and molecular techniques tailored to ultra-damaged templates, it has now come of age, merging together approaches in phylogenomics, population genomics, epigenomics, and metagenomics. Leveraging on complete temporal sample series, ancient DNA provides direct access to the most important dimension in evolution—time, allowing a wealth of fundamental evolutionary processes to be addressed at unprecedented resolution. This review taps into the most recent findings in ancient DNA research to present analyses of ancient genomic and metagenomic data.

Evolutionary Patterns and Processes: Lessons from Ancient DNA

PubMed Central

Leonardi, Michela; Librado, Pablo; Der Sarkissian, Clio; Schubert, Mikkel; Alfarhan, Ahmed H.; Alquraishi, Saleh A.; Al-Rasheid, Khaled A. S.; Gamba, Cristina; Willerslev, Eske

2017-01-01

Abstract Ever since its emergence in 1984, the field of ancient DNA has struggled to overcome the challenges related to the decay of DNA molecules in the fossil record. With the recent development of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies and molecular techniques tailored to ultra-damaged templates, it has now come of age, merging together approaches in phylogenomics, population genomics, epigenomics, and metagenomics. Leveraging on complete temporal sample series, ancient DNA provides direct access to the most important dimension in evolution—time, allowing a wealth of fundamental evolutionary processes to be addressed at unprecedented resolution. This review taps into the most recent findings in ancient DNA research to present analyses of ancient genomic and metagenomic data. PMID:28173586

Deep Sequencing of RNA from Ancient Maize Kernels

PubMed Central

Rasmussen, Morten; Cappellini, Enrico; Romero-Navarro, J. Alberto; Wales, Nathan; Alquezar-Planas, David E.; Penfield, Steven; Brown, Terence A.; Vielle-Calzada, Jean-Philippe; Montiel, Rafael; Jørgensen, Tina; Odegaard, Nancy; Jacobs, Michael; Arriaza, Bernardo; Higham, Thomas F. G.; Ramsey, Christopher Bronk; Willerslev, Eske; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.

2013-01-01

The characterization of biomolecules from ancient samples can shed otherwise unobtainable insights into the past. Despite the fundamental role of transcriptomal change in evolution, the potential of ancient RNA remains unexploited – perhaps due to dogma associated with the fragility of RNA. We hypothesize that seeds offer a plausible refuge for long-term RNA survival, due to the fundamental role of RNA during seed germination. Using RNA-Seq on cDNA synthesized from nucleic acid extracts, we validate this hypothesis through demonstration of partial transcriptomal recovery from two sources of ancient maize kernels. The results suggest that ancient seed transcriptomics may offer a powerful new tool with which to study plant domestication. PMID:23326310

The knottin-like Blufensin family regulates genes involved in nuclear import and the secretory pathway in barley-powdery mildew interactions

PubMed Central

Xu, Weihui; Meng, Yan; Surana, Priyanka; Fuerst, Greg; Nettleton, Dan; Wise, Roger P.

2015-01-01

Plants have evolved complex regulatory mechanisms to control a multi-layered defense response to microbial attack. Both temporal and spatial gene expression are tightly regulated in response to pathogen ingress, modulating both positive and negative control of defense. BLUFENSINs, small knottin-like peptides in barley, wheat, and rice, are highly induced by attack from fungal pathogens, in particular, the obligate biotrophic fungus, Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh), causal agent of barley powdery mildew. Previous research indicated that Blufensin1 (Bln1) functions as a negative regulator of basal defense mechanisms. In the current report, we show that BLN1 and BLN2 can both be secreted to the apoplast and Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV)-mediated overexpression of Bln2 increases susceptibility of barley to Bgh. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays signify that BLN1 and BLN2 can interact with each other, and with calmodulin. We then used BSMV-induced gene silencing to knock down Bln1, followed by Barley1 GeneChip transcriptome analysis, to identify additional host genes influenced by Bln1. Analysis of differential expression revealed a gene set enriched for those encoding proteins annotated to nuclear import and the secretory pathway, particularly Importin α1-b and Sec61 γ subunits. Further functional analysis of these two affected genes showed that when silenced, they also reduced susceptibility to Bgh. Taken together, we postulate that Bln1 is co-opted by Bgh to facilitate transport of disease-related host proteins or effectors, influencing the establishment of Bgh compatibility on its barley host. PMID:26089830

[Characteristics of dry matter production and nitrogen accumulation in barley genotypes with high nitrogen utilization efficiency].

PubMed

Huang, Yi; Li, Ting-Xuan; Zhang, Xi-Zhou; Ji, Lin

2014-07-01

A pot experiment was conducted under low (125 mg x kg-1) and normal (250 mg x kg(-1)) nitrogen treatments. The nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency of 22 barley cultivars were investigated, and the characteristics of dry matter production and nitrogen accumulation in barley were analyzed. The results showed that nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency were different for barley under two nitrogen levels. The maximal values of grain yield, nitrogen utilization efficiency for grain and nitrogen harvest index were 2.87, 2.91 and 2.47 times as those of the lowest under the low nitrogen treatment. Grain yield and nitrogen utilization efficiency for grain and nitrogen harvest index of barley genotype with high nitrogen utilization efficiency were significantly greater than low nitrogen utilization efficiency, and the parameters of high nitrogen utilization efficiency genotype were 82.1%, 61.5% and 50.5% higher than low nitrogen utilization efficiency genotype under the low nitrogen treatment. Dry matter mass and nitrogen utilization of high nitrogen utilization efficiency was significantly higher than those of low nitrogen utilization efficiency. A peak of dry matter mass of high nitrogen utilization efficiency occurred during jointing to heading stage, while that of nitrogen accumulation appeared before jointing. Under the low nitrogen treatment, dry matter mass of DH61 and DH121+ was 34.4% and 38.3%, and nitrogen accumulation was 54. 8% and 58.0% higher than DH80, respectively. Dry matter mass and nitrogen accumulation seriously affected yield before jointing stage, and the contribution rates were 47.9% and 54.7% respectively under the low nitrogen treatment. The effect of dry matter and nitrogen accumulation on nitrogen utilization efficiency for grain was the largest during heading to mature stages, followed by sowing to jointing stages, with the contribution rate being 29.5% and 48.7%, 29.0% and 15.8%, respectively. In conclusion, barley genotype with high

Twins in Ancient Greece: a synopsis.

PubMed

Malamitsi-Puchner, Ariadne

2016-01-01

This brief outline associates twins with several aspects of life in Ancient Greece. In Greek mythology twins caused ambivalent reactions and were believed to have ambivalent feelings for each other. Very often, they were viewed as the representatives of the dualistic nature of the universe. Heteropaternal superfecundation, which dominates in ancient myths, explains on one hand, the god-like qualities and, on the other hand, the mortal nature of many twins. An assumption is presented that legends referring to twins might reflect the territorial expansions of Ancient Greeks in Northern Mediterranean, around the Black Sea, in Asia Minor, as well as North East Africa. In conclusion, in Greek antiquity, twins have been used as transitional figures between myth and reality.

Evidence for long-lived subduction of an ancient tectonic plate beneath the southern Indian Ocean: Ancient Slab Beneath the Indian Ocean

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simmons, N. A.; Myers, S. C.; Johannesson, G.

In this study, ancient subducted tectonic plates have been observed in past seismic images of the mantle beneath North America and Eurasia, and it is likely that other ancient slab structures have remained largely hidden, particularly in the seismic-data-limited regions beneath the vast oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. Here we present a new global tomographic image, which shows a slab-like structure beneath the southern Indian Ocean with coherency from the upper mantle to the core-mantle boundary region—a feature that has never been identified. We postulate that the structure is an ancient tectonic plate that sank into the mantle along anmore » extensive intraoceanic subduction zone that migrated southwestward across the ancient Tethys Ocean in the Mesozoic Era. Slab material still trapped in the transition zone is positioned near the edge of East Gondwana at 140 Ma suggesting that subduction terminated near the margin of the ancient continent prior to breakup and subsequent dispersal of its subcontinents.« less

Evidence for long-lived subduction of an ancient tectonic plate beneath the southern Indian Ocean: Ancient Slab Beneath the Indian Ocean

DOE PAGES

Simmons, N. A.; Myers, S. C.; Johannesson, G.; ...

2015-11-14

In this study, ancient subducted tectonic plates have been observed in past seismic images of the mantle beneath North America and Eurasia, and it is likely that other ancient slab structures have remained largely hidden, particularly in the seismic-data-limited regions beneath the vast oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. Here we present a new global tomographic image, which shows a slab-like structure beneath the southern Indian Ocean with coherency from the upper mantle to the core-mantle boundary region—a feature that has never been identified. We postulate that the structure is an ancient tectonic plate that sank into the mantle along anmore » extensive intraoceanic subduction zone that migrated southwestward across the ancient Tethys Ocean in the Mesozoic Era. Slab material still trapped in the transition zone is positioned near the edge of East Gondwana at 140 Ma suggesting that subduction terminated near the margin of the ancient continent prior to breakup and subsequent dispersal of its subcontinents.« less

Ancient DNA and the tropics: a rodent's tale.

PubMed

Gutiérrez-García, Tania A; Vázquez-Domínguez, Ella; Arroyo-Cabrales, Joaquín; Kuch, Melanie; Enk, Jacob; King, Christine; Poinar, Hendrik N

2014-06-01

Most genetic studies of Holocene fauna have been performed with ancient samples from dry and cold regions, in which preservation of fossils is facilitated and molecular damage is reduced. Ancient DNA work from tropical regions has been precluded owing to factors that limit DNA preservation (e.g. temperature, hydrolytic damage). We analysed ancient DNA from rodent jawbones identified as Ototylomys phyllotis, found in Holocene and Late Pleistocene stratigraphic layers from Loltún, a humid tropical cave located in the Yucatan peninsula. We extracted DNA and amplified six short overlapping fragments of the cytochrome b gene, totalling 666 bp, which represents an unprecedented success considering tropical ancient DNA samples. We performed genetic, phylogenetic and divergence time analyses, combining sequences from ancient and modern O. phyllotis, in order to assess the ancestry of the Loltún samples. Results show that all ancient samples fall into a unique clade that diverged prior to the divergence of the modern O. phyllotis, supporting it as a distinct Pleistocene form of the Ototylomys genus. Hence, this rodent's tale suggests that the sister group to modern O. phyllotis arose during the Miocene-Pliocene, diversified during the Pleistocene and went extinct in the Holocene. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Investigation of the Germination of Barley and Wheat Grains with a Design of Experiments for the Production of Hydrolases

PubMed Central

Kranz, Bertolt; Koch, Milena; Schapfl, Matthias

2015-01-01

Summary The production of hydrolases from cereals has been examined in order to investigate food-derived enzymes as an alternative source to microbial enzymes for the use in food processes. For that, the influence of temperature on the pretreatment, imbibition and germination of barley and wheat grains was determined by measuring the β-glucosidase, β-galactosidase and lipase activities using a design of experiments. The evaluation of the statistical model showed an increase of the β-glucosidase activity with low imbibition and low germination temperature for barley grains and low imbibition and high germination temperature for wheat grains. The maximum β-glucosidase activity in wheat extracts was (585±151) nkat per g of dry mass (dm), while in barley extracts it was (109±15) nkat per g of dm. The maximum β-galactosidase activities in barley and wheat extracts were (34±12) and (63±23) nkat per g of dm, respectively. The maximum lipase activities of (6.7±0.1) and (4.6±4.4) nkat per g of dm in barley and wheat extracts, respectively, were rather low compared to the glycosidase activities. The extracts were also tested for other hydrolase activities (e.g. peptidase and α-amylase activities). The insights obtained enable the basis for the potential use of cereal hydrolases in food processing, which might be attractive to consumers. PMID:27904341

EARLY FLOWERING3 Regulates Flowering in Spring Barley by Mediating Gibberellin Production and FLOWERING LOCUS T Expression[C][W

PubMed Central

Boden, Scott A.; Weiss, David; Ross, John J.; Davies, Noel W.; Trevaskis, Ben; Chandler, Peter M.; Swain, Steve M.

2014-01-01

EARLY FLOWERING3 (ELF3) is a circadian clock gene that contributes to photoperiod-dependent flowering in plants, with loss-of-function mutants in barley (Hordeum vulgare), legumes, and Arabidopsis thaliana flowering early under noninductive short-day (SD) photoperiods. The barley elf3 mutant displays increased expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T1 (FT1); however, it remains unclear whether this is the only factor responsible for the early flowering phenotype. We show that the early flowering and vegetative growth phenotypes of the barley elf3 mutant are strongly dependent on gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis. Expression of the central GA biosynthesis gene, GA20oxidase2, and production of the bioactive GA, GA1, were significantly increased in elf3 leaves under SDs, relative to the wild type. Inhibition of GA biosynthesis suppressed the early flowering of elf3 under SDs independently of FT1 and was associated with altered expression of floral identity genes at the developing apex. GA is also required for normal flowering of spring barley under inductive photoperiods, with chemical and genetic attenuation of the GA biosynthesis and signaling pathways suppressing inflorescence development under long-day conditions. These findings illustrate that GA is an important floral promoting signal in barley and that ELF3 suppresses flowering under noninductive photoperiods by blocking GA production and FT1 expression. PMID:24781117

Isolation and purification of a papain inhibitor from Egyptian genotypes of barley seeds and its in vitro and in vivo effects on the cowpea bruchid, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.).

PubMed

Abd El-Latif, Ashraf Oukasha

2015-02-01

The cysteine inhibitors that are known as cystatin have been identified and characterized from several plant species. In the current study, 44 barley (Hordeum vulgare) genotypes including 3 varieties and 41 promising lines were screened for their potential as protease inhibitors. The barley genotypes showed low inhibitory activity against trypsin and chymotrypsin enzymes with a mean of 4.15 TIU/mg protein and 4.40 CIU/mg protein. The barley variety, Giza 123, showed strong papain inhibitory activity of 97.09 PIU/mg proteins and was subjected for further purification studies using ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column. Barley purified proteins showed two bands on SDS-PAGE corresponding to a molecular mass of 12.4-54.8 kDa. The purified barley PI was found to be stable at a temperature below 80 °C and at a wide range of pH from 2 to 12. Barley PI was found to have higher potential inhibitory activity against papain enzyme compared to the standard papain inhibitor, E-64 with an IC50 value of 21.04 µg/ml and 25.62 µg/ml for barley PI and E-64, respectively. The kinetic analysis revealed a non-competitive type of inhibition with a Ki value of 1.95 × 10(-3 )µM. The antimetabolic effect of barley PI was evaluated against C. maculatus by incorporating the F30-60 protein of the purified inhibitor into the artificial diet using artificial seeds. Barley PI significantly prolonged the development of C. maculatus in proportion to PI concentration. Barley PI significantly increased the mortality of C. maculatus and caused a significant reduction in its fecundity. On the other hand, barley PI seemed to have non-significant effects on the adult longevity and the adult dry weight. The in vitro and in vivo results proved the efficiency of the papain inhibitory protein isolated from barley as a tool for managing the cowpea bruchid, C. maculatus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cloning and Characterization of Purple Acid Phosphatase Phytases from Wheat, Barley, Maize, and Rice[W][OA

PubMed Central

Dionisio, Giuseppe; Madsen, Claus K.; Holm, Preben B.; Welinder, Karen G.; Jørgensen, Malene; Stoger, Eva; Arcalis, Elsa; Brinch-Pedersen, Henrik

2011-01-01

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) possess significant phytase activity in the mature grains. Maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa) possess little or virtually no preformed phytase activity in the mature grain and depend fully on de novo synthesis during germination. Here, it is demonstrated that wheat, barley, maize, and rice all possess purple acid phosphatase (PAP) genes that, expressed in Pichia pastoris, give fully functional phytases (PAPhys) with very similar enzyme kinetics. Preformed wheat PAPhy was localized to the protein crystalloid of the aleurone vacuole. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that PAPhys possess four conserved domains unique to the PAPhys. In barley and wheat, the PAPhy genes can be grouped as PAPhy_a or PAPhy_b isogenes (barley, HvPAPhy_a, HvPAPhy_b1, and HvPAPhy_b2; wheat, TaPAPhy_a1, TaPAPhy_a2, TaPAPhy_b1, and TaPAPhy_b2). In rice and maize, only the b type (OsPAPhy_b and ZmPAPhy_b, respectively) were identified. HvPAPhy_a and HvPAPhy_b1/b2 share 86% and TaPAPhya1/a2 and TaPAPhyb1/b2 share up to 90% (TaPAPhy_a2 and TaPAPhy_b2) identical amino acid sequences. despite of this, PAPhy_a and PAPhy_b isogenes are differentially expressed during grain development and germination. In wheat, it was demonstrated that a and b isogene expression is driven by different promoters (approximately 31% identity). TaPAPhy_a/b promoter reporter gene expression in transgenic grains and peptide mapping of TaPAPhy purified from wheat bran and germinating grains confirmed that the PAPhy_a isogene set present in wheat/barley but not in rice/maize is the origin of high phytase activity in mature grains. PMID:21220762

Stimulation of Phenolics, Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities During Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Seed Germination.

PubMed

Ha, K-S; Jo, S-H; Mannam, V; Kwon, Y-I; Apostolidis, E

2016-06-01

The rationale of this study was to enhance the nutritional quality of dry barley seeds. In this study we are evaluating the effect of germination on barley seeds relevant to total phenolic contents, antioxidant activity (in terms of DPPH free-radical scavenging) and the in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Barley seeds were germinated for 18.5, 24, 30, 48, and 67 h and then extracted in water. The total phenolic contents, antioxidant activities and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities changed with germination time. More specifically, within the first 48 h of germination the total phenolic content increased from 1.1 mg/g fresh weight (0 h) to 3.4 mg/g fresh weight (48 h) and then slightly reduced by 67 h. Similarly, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was significantly increased from an IC50 128.82 mg/mL (0 h) to an IC50 18.88 mg/mL (48 h) and then slightly reduced by 67 h. Significant maltase inhibitory activity was observed only with 48 h-germinated extract. Antioxidant activities increased continuously from an IC50 15.72 mg/mL at 0 h to and IC50 5.72 mg/mL after 48 h of germination. Based on our observations, barley seed germination was over after 48 h. During the progress of germination phenolic compounds are becoming available and are more easily extracted. After 48 h, lignification is initiated resulting to the decreased total phenolic content and observed antioxidant and carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzyme inhibition activities. The above results indicate the positive effect of germination in barley seeds for enhanced antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities.

Response-based selection of barley cultivars and legume species for complementarity: Root morphology and exudation in relation to nutrient source.

PubMed

Giles, Courtney D; Brown, Lawrie K; Adu, Michael O; Mezeli, Malika M; Sandral, Graeme A; Simpson, Richard J; Wendler, Renate; Shand, Charles A; Menezes-Blackburn, Daniel; Darch, Tegan; Stutter, Marc I; Lumsdon, David G; Zhang, Hao; Blackwell, Martin S A; Wearing, Catherine; Cooper, Patricia; Haygarth, Philip M; George, Timothy S

2017-02-01

Phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) use efficiency may be improved through increased biodiversity in agroecosystems. Phenotypic variation in plants' response to nutrient deficiency may influence positive complementarity in intercropping systems. A multicomponent screening approach was used to assess the influence of P supply and N source on the phenotypic plasticity of nutrient foraging traits in barley (H. vulgare L.) and legume species. Root morphology and exudation were determined in six plant nutrient treatments. A clear divergence in the response of barley and legumes to the nutrient treatments was observed. Root morphology varied most among legumes, whereas exudate citrate and phytase activity were most variable in barley. Changes in root morphology were minimized in plants provided with ammonium in comparison to nitrate but increased under P deficiency. Exudate phytase activity and pH varied with legume species, whereas citrate efflux, specific root length, and root diameter lengths were more variable among barley cultivars. Three legume species and four barley cultivars were identified as the most responsive to P deficiency and the most contrasting of the cultivars and species tested. Phenotypic response to nutrient availability may be a promising approach for the selection of plant combinations for minimal input cropping systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Ancient Kemetic Roots of Library and Information Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zulu, Itibari M.

This paper argues that the ancient people of Kemet (Egypt), "the black land," built and operated the first major libraries and institutions of higher education in the world. Topics of discussion include the Ancient Egyptians as an African people; a chronology of Ancient Kemet; literature in Kemet; a history of Egyptian Librarianship; the…

7 CFR 457.118 - Malting barley price and quality endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... and succeeding crop years are as follows: FCIC policies United States Department of Agriculture... the class barley in accordance with the Official United States Standards for Grain; and (3) Is not... identified by the Food and Drug Administration or other public health organizations of the United States as...

7 CFR 457.118 - Malting barley price and quality endorsement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... and succeeding crop years are as follows: FCIC policies United States Department of Agriculture... the class barley in accordance with the Official United States Standards for Grain; and (3) Is not... identified by the Food and Drug Administration or other public health organizations of the United States as...

Microbiology of ancient and modern hydrothermal systems.

PubMed

Reysenbach, A L; Cady, S L

2001-02-01

Hydrothermal systems have prevailed throughout geological history on earth, and ancient ARCHAEAN hydrothermal deposits could provide clues to understanding earth's earliest biosphere. Modern hydrothermal systems support a plethora of microorganisms and macroorganisms, and provide good comparisons for paleontological interpretation of ancient hydrothermal systems. However, all of the microfossils associated with ancient hydrothermal deposits reported to date are filamentous, and limited STABLE ISOTOPE analysis suggests that these microfossils were probably autotrophs. Therefore, the morphology and mode of carbon metabolism are attributes of microorganisms from modern hydrothermal systems that provide valuable information for interpreting the geological record using morphological and isotopic signatures.

The Genetic Basis of Composite Spike Form in Barley and ‘Miracle-Wheat’

PubMed Central

Poursarebani, Naser; Seidensticker, Tina; Koppolu, Ravi; Trautewig, Corinna; Gawroński, Piotr; Bini, Federica; Govind, Geetha; Rutten, Twan; Sakuma, Shun; Tagiri, Akemi; Wolde, Gizaw M.; Youssef, Helmy M.; Battal, Abdulhamit; Ciannamea, Stefano; Fusca, Tiziana; Nussbaumer, Thomas; Pozzi, Carlo; Börner, Andreas; Lundqvist, Udda; Komatsuda, Takao; Salvi, Silvio; Tuberosa, Roberto; Uauy, Cristobal; Sreenivasulu, Nese; Rossini, Laura; Schnurbusch, Thorsten

2015-01-01

Inflorescences of the tribe Triticeae, which includes wheat (Triticum sp. L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) are characterized by sessile spikelets directly borne on the main axis, thus forming a branchless spike. ‘Compositum-Barley’ and tetraploid ‘Miracle-Wheat’ (T. turgidum convar. compositum (L.f.) Filat.) display noncanonical spike-branching in which spikelets are replaced by lateral branch-like structures resembling small-sized secondary spikes. As a result of this branch formation ‘Miracle-Wheat’ produces significantly more grains per spike, leading to higher spike yield. In this study, we first isolated the gene underlying spike-branching in ‘Compositum-Barley,’ i.e., compositum 2 (com2). Moreover, we found that COM2 is orthologous to the branched headt (bht) locus regulating spike branching in tetraploid ‘Miracle-Wheat.’ Both genes possess orthologs with similar functions in maize BRANCHED SILKLESS 1 (BD1) and rice FRIZZY PANICLE/BRANCHED FLORETLESS 1 (FZP/BFL1) encoding AP2/ERF transcription factors. Sequence analysis of the bht locus in a collection of mutant and wild-type tetraploid wheat accessions revealed that a single amino acid substitution in the DNA-binding domain gave rise to the domestication of ‘Miracle-Wheat.’ mRNA in situ hybridization, microarray experiments, and independent qRT-PCR validation analyses revealed that the branch repression pathway in barley is governed through the spike architecture gene Six-rowed spike 4 regulating COM2 expression, while HvIDS1 (barley ortholog of maize INDETERMINATE SPIKELET 1) is a putative downstream target of COM2. These findings presented here provide new insights into the genetic basis of spike architecture in Triticeae, and have disclosed new targets for genetic manipulations aiming at boosting wheat’s yield potential. PMID:26156223

Characterizing avulsion stratigraphy in ancient alluvial deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, H. L.; Hajek, E. A.

2007-11-01

Guidelines for identifying ancient avulsion deposits were set forth by Kraus and Wells [Kraus, M.J., Wells, T.M., 1999. Recognizing avulsion deposits in the ancient stratigraphical record. In: Smith, N.D., Rogers, J. (Eds.), Fluvial Sedimentology VI, Special Publication of the International Association of Sedimentologists, vol. 28, pp. 251-268], building on the study by Smith et al. [Smith, N.D., Cross, T.A., Dufficy, J.P., Clough, S.R., 1989. Anatomy of an avulsion. Sedimentology 36, 1-23] of the modern Saskatchewan River system (Cumberland Marshes, central Canada), and serve to characterize avulsion depositional sequences in the ancient Willwood and Fort Union Formations (Paleogene, Bighorn Basin, NW Wyoming, USA). We recognize, however, that the model is not universally applicable to avulsion-dominated successions, specifically systems which lack defining "heterolithic avulsion deposits", set forth by Kraus and Wells [Kraus, M.J., Wells, T.M., 1999. Recognizing avulsion deposits in the ancient stratigraphical record. In: Smith, N.D., Rogers, J. (Eds.), Fluvial Sedimentology VI, Special Publication of the International Association of Sedimentologists, vol. 28, pp. 251-268]. Observations in several fluvial intervals suggest that the avulsion stratigraphy outlined by Kraus and Wells [Kraus, M.J., Wells, T.M., 1999. Recognizing avulsion deposits in the ancient stratigraphical record. In: Smith, N.D., Rogers, J. (Eds.), Fluvial Sedimentology VI, Special Publication of the International Association of Sedimentologists, vol. 28, pp. 251-268] represents one category of avulsion stratigraphy found in the rock record, but does not capture the nature of avulsion deposits everywhere. Based on observations (using measured sections, outcrop photo-panels, and aerial photographs) in the Willwood Formation (Eocene, Wyoming) and Ferris Formation (Cretaceous/Paleogene, Wyoming), we present two end-member categories of avulsion stratigraphy in ancient deposits; stratigraphically

Gibberellic acid (GA3) induced changes in proanthocyanidins and malt quality of two- and six-row husked barleys.

PubMed

Yadav, S K; Luthra, Y P; Sood, D R; Aggarwal, N K

2000-01-01

Analysis of husked barleys for proanthocyanidins and malt quality attributes has shown that not a single variety is free of proanthocyanidins. The proanthocyanidins in barley grains varied from 3.85 to 4.94 mg/g as catechin equivalent. The concentration of proanthocyanidins decreased, while total soluble sugars, reducing sugars, diastatic power and beta-amylase activity increased during maltings as well as with exogenous gibberellic acid (GA3) application. Alfa 93 (two-row) and RD2560 (six-row) varieties appeared to be superior for malting and brewing purposes on the basis of proanthocyanidins, total phenols, diastatic power and beta-amylase activity. It is suggested that exogenous application of GA3 at 15 ppm may be useful for producing good quality malt from barley grains.

Metabolite profiling of barley flag leaves under drought and combined heat and drought stress reveals metabolic QTLs for metabolites associated with antioxidant defense

PubMed Central

Templer, Sven Eduard; Ammon, Alexandra; Pscheidt, David; Ciobotea, Otilia; Schuy, Christian; McCollum, Christopher; Sonnewald, Uwe; Hanemann, Anja; Förster, Jutta; Ordon, Frank; von Korff, Maria

2017-01-01

Abstract Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is among the most stress-tolerant crops; however, not much is known about the genetic and environmental control of metabolic adaptation of barley to abiotic stresses. We have subjected a genetically diverse set of 81 barley accessions, consisting of Mediterranean landrace genotypes and German elite breeding lines, to drought and combined heat and drought stress at anthesis. Our aim was to (i) investigate potential differences in morphological, physiological, and metabolic adaptation to the two stress scenarios between the Mediterranean and German barley genotypes and (ii) identify metabolic quantitative trait loci (mQTLs). To this end, we have genotyped the investigated barley lines with an Illumina iSelect 9K array and analyzed a set of 57 metabolites from the primary C and N as well as antioxidant metabolism in flag leaves under control and stress conditions. We found that drought-adapted genotypes attenuate leaf carbon metabolism much more strongly than elite lines during drought stress adaptation. Furthermore, we identified mQTLs for flag leaf γ-tocopherol, glutathione, and succinate content by association genetics that co-localize with genes encoding enzymes of the pathways producing these antioxidant metabolites. Our results provide the molecular basis for breeding barley cultivars with improved abiotic stress tolerance. PMID:28338908

Genetic differentiation and geographical relationship of Asian barley landraces using SSRs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genetic diversity in 403 morphologically distinctive landraces of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare) originating from seven geographical zones of Asia was studied using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The seven polymorphic SSR markers representing each chromosome chosen for this study ...

Enrichment of Antioxidant Capacity and Vitamin E in Pita Made from Barley.

PubMed

Do, Thi Thu Dung; Muhlhausler, Beverly; Box, Amanda; Able, Amanda J

2016-03-01

This study aimed to enhance total antioxidant and vitamin E content of pita bread, by replacing 50% of the standard baker's flour with flours milled from covered (WI2585 and Harrington) or hulless (Finniss) barley genotypes, previously shown to have high antioxidant and vitamin E levels at harvest. Pita breads were made from either 100% baker's flour (control) or 50% malt flour, whole-grain flour, or flour from barley grains pearled at 10%, 15%, and 20% grain weight. Antioxidant capacity and vitamin E content of flours and pitas were determined by their ability to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. The physical and sensory properties of the pitas were also assessed. All pitas made from either whole grain or pearled barley flour had a higher antioxidant capacity and most also had higher vitamin E content than standard pita. The antioxidant and vitamin E levels were reduced in pearled compared to whole grains, however the extent of that reduction varied among genotypes. The greatest antioxidant and vitamin E levels were found in pita made from malt flour or Finniss whole grain flour. Furthermore, sensory analysis suggested these pitas were acceptable to consumers and retained similar physical and sensory properties to those in the control pita. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Some quality attributes of low fat ice cream substituted with hulless barley flour and barley ß-glucan.

PubMed

Abdel-Haleem, Amal M H; Awad, R A

2015-10-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate some quality attributes of low fat ice cream (LFIC) substituted with hulless barley flour (HBF) and barley ß-glucan (BBG). The methodology included in this paper is based on adding HBF (1, 2, 3 and 4 %) as a partial substitution of skim milk powder (SMP) and BBG (0.40 %) as a complete substitution of carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC). All mixes and resultant ice cream samples were evaluated for their physicochemical properties as well as the sensory quality attributes.The results indicated that substitution of SMP with HBF significantly increased total solids (TS), fat and crude fiber, while crude protein and ash significantly decreased in ice cream mixes. BBG exhibited the same manner of control. Specific gravity was gradually increased with adding HBFand BBG in the mixes and therefore the overrun percent was significantly changed in the resultant ice cream. Adding HBF in ice cream formula led to significant decrease in acidity with higher freezing point and the product showed higher ability to meltdown. BBG treatment showed the same trend of control. Values of flow time and viscosity significantly increased with increasing HBF in the ice cream mixes, but these values significantly decreased in BBG mix. The time required to freeze ice cream mixes was decreased with increasing the ratio of HBF but, increased in BBG treatment. The substitution of SMP with 1 and 2 % HBF significantly (P ≤ 0.05) enhanced sensory attributes of ice cream samples. While, BBG treatment achieved mild score and acceptability.

The thyroid gland in ancient Greece: a historical perspective.

PubMed

Konstantinidou, Sevasti; Konstantinidou, Eirini

2018-06-19

Thyroidology is a discipline of Endocrinology which has evolved markedly over the past few decades. However, its historical roots can be seen in the literature of, among others, ancient Greek medicine. In the present article, we present the descriptions of the thyroid gland by ancient Greek physicians and its depiction in ancient Greek art.

The orthopedic diseases of ancient Egypt.

PubMed

Fritsch, Klaus O; Hamoud, Heshem; Allam, Adel H; Grossmann, Alexander; Nur El-Din, Abdel-Halim; Abdel-Maksoud, Gomaa; Soliman, Muhammad Al-Tohamy; Badr, Ibrahim; Sutherland, James D; Sutherland, M Linda; Akl, Mahmoud; Finch, Caleb E; Thomas, Gregory S; Wann, L Samuel; Thompson, Randall C

2015-06-01

CT scanning of ancient human remains has the potential to provide insights into health and diseases. While Egyptian mummies have undergone CT scans in prior studies, a systematic survey of the orthopedic conditions afflicting a group of these ancient individuals has never been carried out. We performed whole body CT scanning on 52 ancient Egyptian mummies using technique comparable to that of medical imaging. All of the large joints and the spine were systematically examined and osteoarthritic (OA) changes were scored 0-4 using Kellgren and Lawrence classification. The cruciate ligaments and menisci could be identified frequently. There were much more frequent OA changes in the spine (25 mummies) than in the large joints (15 cases of acromioclavicular and/or glenohumeral joint OA changes, five involvement of the ankle, one in the elbow, four in the knee, and one in the hip). There were six cases of scoliosis. Individual mummies had the following conditions: juvenile aseptic necrosis of the hip (Perthes disease), stage 4 osteochondritis dissecans of the knee, vertebral compression fracture, lateral patella-femoral joint hyper-compression syndrome, severe rotator cuff arthropathy, rotator cuff impingement, hip pincer impingement, and combined fracture of the greater trochantor and vertebral bodies indicating obvious traumatic injury. This report includes the most ancient discovery of several of these syndromes. Ancient Egyptians often suffered painful orthopedic conditions. The high frequency of scoliosis merits further study. The pattern of degenerative changes in the spine and joints may offer insights into activity levels of these people. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic Diversity among Ancient Nordic Populations

PubMed Central

Melchior, Linea; Lynnerup, Niels; Siegismund, Hans R.; Kivisild, Toomas; Dissing, Jørgen

2010-01-01

Using established criteria for work with fossil DNA we have analysed mitochondrial DNA from 92 individuals from 18 locations in Denmark ranging in time from the Mesolithic to the Medieval Age. Unequivocal assignment of mtDNA haplotypes was possible for 56 of the ancient individuals; however, the success rate varied substantially between sites; the highest rates were obtained with untouched, freshly excavated material, whereas heavy handling, archeological preservation and storage for many years influenced the ability to obtain authentic endogenic DNA. While the nucleotide diversity at two locations was similar to that among extant Danes, the diversity at four sites was considerably higher. This supports previous observations for ancient Britons. The overall occurrence of haplogroups did not deviate from extant Scandinavians, however, haplogroup I was significantly more frequent among the ancient Danes (average 13%) than among extant Danes and Scandinavians (∼2.5%) as well as among other ancient population samples reported. Haplogroup I could therefore have been an ancient Southern Scandinavian type “diluted” by later immigration events. Interestingly, the two Neolithic samples (4,200 YBP, Bell Beaker culture) that were typed were haplogroup U4 and U5a, respectively, and the single Bronze Age sample (3,300–3,500 YBP) was haplogroup U4. These two haplogroups have been associated with the Mesolithic populations of Central and Northern Europe. Therefore, at least for Southern Scandinavia, our findings do not support a possible replacement of a haplogroup U dominated hunter-gatherer population by a more haplogroup diverse Neolithic Culture. PMID:20689597

Ancient and modern women in the "Woman's World".

PubMed

Hurst, Isobel

2009-01-01

Under the editorship of Oscar Wilde, the "Woman's World" exemplified the popular dissemination of Hellenism through periodical culture. Addressing topics such as marriage, politics, and education in relation to the lives of women in the ancient world, the magazine offered an unfamiliar version of the reception of ancient Greece and Rome in late-Victorian aestheticism, one that was accessible to a wide readership because it was often based on images rather than texts. The classical scholar Jane Ellen Harrison addressed herself to this audience of women readers, discussing the similarities between modern collegiate life and the "woman's world" that enabled Sappho to flourish in ancient Greece. The "Woman's World" thus questions gender stereotypes by juxtaposing ancient and modern women, implicitly endorsing varied models of womanhood.

No rheumatoid arthritis in ancient Egypt: a reappraisal.

PubMed

Kwiecinski, Jakub; Rothschild, Bruce M

2016-06-01

Antiquity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains controversial, and its origins in Americas or in the Old World are disputed. Proponents of the latter frequently refer to RA in ancient Egypt, but validity of those claims has never been examined. Review of all reported RA cases from ancient Egypt revealed that none of them represent real RA, instead being either examples of changing naming conventions or of imprecise diagnostic criteria. Most cases represented osteoarthritis or spondyloarthropathies. Also review of preserved ancient Egyptian medical writings revealed many descriptions of musculoskeletal disorders, but none of them resembled RA. This suggests that RA was absent in ancient Egypt and supports the hypothesis of the New World origin of RA and its subsequent global spread in the last several centuries.

Supplementation of a high-carbohydrate breakfast with barley beta-glucan improves postprandial glycaemic response for meals but not beverages.

PubMed

Poppitt, Sally D; van Drunen, Jenneke D E; McGill, Anne-Thea; Mulvey, Tom B; Leahy, Fiona E

2007-01-01

There is growing support for the protective role of soluble fibre in type II diabetes. Soluble fibre beta-glucan found in cereal products including oats and barley may be the active component. There is evidence of postprandial blunting of blood glucose and insulin responses to dietary carbohydrates when oat soluble fibre is supplemented into the diet but few trials have been carried out using natural barley or enriched barley beta-glucan products. The aim of this trial was to investigate the postprandial effect of a highly enriched barley beta -glucan product on blood glucose, insulin and lipids when given with a high-CHO food and a high-CHO drink. 18 lean, healthy men completed a 4 treatment intervention trial comprising (i) high-CHO(food control), (ii) high-CHO(food+fibre), (iii) high-CHO(drink control), (iv) high-CHO(drink+fibre) where a 10g dose of barley beta-glucan fibre supplement (Cerogen) containing 6.31g beta-glucan was added to food and drink controls. There was an increase of glucose and insulin following all 4 treatments. Addition of the beta -glucan supplement significantly blunted the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses on the food (p<0.05) but not drink (p>0.05) treatments when compared to controls. The high-CHO breakfasts decreased total, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol from baseline to 60 mins postprandially but there were no differential effects of beta-glucan treatment on circulating lipids. We conclude that a high dose barley beta-glucan supplement can improve glucose control when added to a high-CHO starchy food, probably due to increased gastro-intestinal viscosity, but not when added to a high-CHO beverage where rapid absorption combined with decreased beta-glucan concentration and viscosity may obviate this mechanism.

Supplementation of Reduced Gluten Barley Diet with Oral Prolyl Endopeptidase Effectively Abrogates Enteropathy-Associated Changes in Gluten-Sensitive Macaques.

PubMed

Sestak, Karol; Thwin, Hazel; Dufour, Jason; Liu, David X; Alvarez, Xavier; Laine, David; Clarke, Adam; Doyle, Anthony; Aye, Pyone P; Blanchard, James; Moehs, Charles P

2016-06-28

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder that affects approximately three million people in the United States. Furthermore, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) affects an estimated additional 6% of the population, e.g., 20 million in the U.S. The only effective treatment of CD and NCGS requires complete removal of gluten sources from the diet. While required adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is extremely difficult to accomplish, efforts to develop additional supportive treatments are needed. To facilitate these efforts, we developed a gluten-sensitive (GS) rhesus macaque model to study the effects of novel therapies. Recently reported results from phase one of this project suggest that partial improvement-but not remission-of gluten-induced disease can be accomplished by 100-fold reduction of dietary gluten, i.e., 200 ppm-by replacement of conventional dietary sources of gluten with a mutant, reduced gluten (RG) barley (lys3a)-derived source. The main focus of this (phase two) study was to determine if the inflammatory effects of the residual gluten in lys3a mutant barley grain could be further reduced by oral supplementation with a prolylendopeptidase (PE). Results reveal that PE supplementation of RG barley diet induces more complete immunological, histopathological and clinical remission than RG barley diet alone. The combined effects of RG barley diet and PE supplementation resulted in a further decrease of inflammatory mediators IFN-γ and TNF secretion by peripheral lymphocytes, as well as decreased plasma anti-gliadin and anti-intestinal tissue transglutaminase (TG2) antibodies, diminished active caspase production in small intestinal mucosa, and eliminated clinical diarrhea-all comparable with a gluten-free diet induced remission. In summary, the beneficial results of a combined RG barley and PE administration in GS macaques may warrant the investigation of similar synergistic approaches.

Supplementation of Reduced Gluten Barley Diet with Oral Prolyl Endopeptidase Effectively Abrogates Enteropathy-Associated Changes in Gluten-Sensitive Macaques

PubMed Central

Sestak, Karol; Thwin, Hazel; Dufour, Jason; Liu, David X.; Alvarez, Xavier; Laine, David; Clarke, Adam; Doyle, Anthony; Aye, Pyone P.; Blanchard, James; Moehs, Charles P.

2016-01-01

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder that affects approximately three million people in the United States. Furthermore, non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) affects an estimated additional 6% of the population, e.g., 20 million in the U.S. The only effective treatment of CD and NCGS requires complete removal of gluten sources from the diet. While required adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is extremely difficult to accomplish, efforts to develop additional supportive treatments are needed. To facilitate these efforts, we developed a gluten-sensitive (GS) rhesus macaque model to study the effects of novel therapies. Recently reported results from phase one of this project suggest that partial improvement—but not remission—of gluten-induced disease can be accomplished by 100-fold reduction of dietary gluten, i.e., 200 ppm—by replacement of conventional dietary sources of gluten with a mutant, reduced gluten (RG) barley (lys3a)-derived source. The main focus of this (phase two) study was to determine if the inflammatory effects of the residual gluten in lys3a mutant barley grain could be further reduced by oral supplementation with a prolylendopeptidase (PE). Results reveal that PE supplementation of RG barley diet induces more complete immunological, histopathological and clinical remission than RG barley diet alone. The combined effects of RG barley diet and PE supplementation resulted in a further decrease of inflammatory mediators IFN-γ and TNF secretion by peripheral lymphocytes, as well as decreased plasma anti-gliadin and anti-intestinal tissue transglutaminase (TG2) antibodies, diminished active caspase production in small intestinal mucosa, and eliminated clinical diarrhea—all comparable with a gluten-free diet induced remission. In summary, the beneficial results of a combined RG barley and PE administration in GS macaques may warrant the investigation of similar synergistic approaches. PMID:27367722

Variation between Ethiopian and North American barley varieties (Hordeum vulgare) in response to Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) populations.

PubMed

Araya, Alemu; Belay, Tesfay; Hussein, Temam

2014-03-15

The Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), causes severe damage to barley, Hordeum vulgare L. (Poales: Poaceae), in the highlands of Ethiopia. Little information is available on the control of this pest in Ethiopia. An experiment aimed at evaluating the resistance of barley varieties from the USA to D. noxia populations and determining biotypic variation between Ethiopian and North American D. noxia populations was conducted. The D. noxia-resistant barley varieties Burton and RWA-1758 from the USA, the resistant barley line 3296-15 from Ethiopia, and a local Ethiopian susceptible variety were included in a randomized design in a greenhouse under natural light conditions. There were highly significant differences (P < 0.001) in the mean D. noxia population, leaf chlorosis, leaf rolling, plant stunting, number of tillers per plant, and the percentage of infested tillers per plant between the resistant and susceptible varieties. The aphid population per tiller was lower on the resistant barley plants than on the susceptible plants. Severe plant damage was observed on the local barley variety, while the least damage was observed on Burton, followed by RWA-1758. Burton and RWA-1758 were therefore highly resistant and moderately resistant, respectively, to the northern Ethiopian D. noxia populations, indicating similarities in biotypes between the United States and northern Ethiopian D. noxia populations. The damage to variety 3296-15 was greater than to Burton and RWA-1758. Leaf chlorosis scores and leaf rolling scores for variety 3296-15 upon treatment with the north Ethiopian D. noxia population indicate likely biotypic variation between D. noxia populations of northern and central Ethiopia. This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.

snpAD: An ancient DNA genotype caller.

PubMed

Prüfer, Kay

2018-06-21

The study of ancient genomes can elucidate the evolutionary past. However, analyses are complicated by base-modifications in ancient DNA molecules that result in errors in DNA sequences. These errors are particularly common near the ends of sequences and pose a challenge for genotype calling. I describe an iterative method that estimates genotype frequencies and errors along sequences to allow for accurate genotype calling from ancient sequences. The implementation of this method, called snpAD, performs well on high-coverage ancient data, as shown by simulations and by subsampling the data of a high-coverage Neandertal genome. Although estimates for low-coverage genomes are less accurate, I am able to derive approximate estimates of heterozygosity from several low-coverage Neandertals. These estimates show that low heterozygosity, compared to modern humans, was common among Neandertals. The C ++ code of snpAD is freely available at http://bioinf.eva.mpg.de/snpAD/. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Defining Astrology in Ancient and Classical History

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campion, Nicholas

2015-05-01

Astrology in the ancient and classical worlds can be partly defined by its role, and partly by the way in which scholars spoke about it. The problem is complicated by the fact that the word is Greek - it has no Babylonian or Egyptian cognates - and even in Greece it was interchangeable with its cousin, 'astronomy'. Yet if we are to understand the role of the sky, stars and planets in culture, debates about the nature of ancient astrology, by both classical and modern scholars, must be taken into account. This talk will consider modern scholars' typologies of ancient astrology, together with ancient debates from Cicero in the 1st century BC, to Plotinus (204/5-270 AD) and Isidore of Seville (c. 560 - 4 April 636). It will consider the implications for our understanding of astronomy's role in culture, and conclude that in the classical period astrology may be best understood through its diversity and allegiance to competing philosophies, and that its functions were therefore similarly varied.

An eQTL Analysis of Partial Resistance to Puccinia hordei in Barley

PubMed Central

Chen, Xinwei; Hackett, Christine A.; Niks, Rients E.; Hedley, Peter E.; Booth, Clare; Druka, Arnis; Marcel, Thierry C.; Vels, Anton; Bayer, Micha; Milne, Iain; Morris, Jenny; Ramsay, Luke; Marshall, David; Cardle, Linda; Waugh, Robbie

2010-01-01

Background Genetic resistance to barley leaf rust caused by Puccinia hordei involves both R genes and quantitative trait loci. The R genes provide higher but less durable resistance than the quantitative trait loci. Consequently, exploring quantitative or partial resistance has become a favorable alternative for controlling disease. Four quantitative trait loci for partial resistance to leaf rust have been identified in the doubled haploid Steptoe (St)/Morex (Mx) mapping population. Further investigations are required to study the molecular mechanisms underpinning partial resistance and ultimately identify the causal genes. Methodology/Principal Findings We explored partial resistance to barley leaf rust using a genetical genomics approach. We recorded RNA transcript abundance corresponding to each probe on a 15K Agilent custom barley microarray in seedlings from St and Mx and 144 doubled haploid lines of the St/Mx population. A total of 1154 and 1037 genes were, respectively, identified as being P. hordei-responsive among the St and Mx and differentially expressed between P. hordei-infected St and Mx. Normalized ratios from 72 distant-pair hybridisations were used to map the genetic determinants of variation in transcript abundance by expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping generating 15685 eQTL from 9557 genes. Correlation analysis identified 128 genes that were correlated with resistance, of which 89 had eQTL co-locating with the phenotypic quantitative trait loci (pQTL). Transcript abundance in the parents and conservation of synteny with rice allowed us to prioritise six genes as candidates for Rphq11, the pQTL of largest effect, and highlight one, a phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (HvPHGPx) for detailed analysis. Conclusions/Significance The eQTL approach yielded information that led to the identification of strong candidate genes underlying pQTL for resistance to leaf rust in barley and on the general pathogen response pathway

Registration of 'Mesa' Russian wheat aphid-resistant winter feed barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

'Mesa' (Reg. No., PI 659768), Russian wheat aphid [RWA, Diruaphis noxia (Kurdjumov)]-resistant six-rowed winter feed barley Hordeum vulgare L.) tested as 97BX 43-99A and STARS 1401B, was developed and released by USDA-ARS, Stillwater, OK. Although all crossing, selection, and evaluation was done by...

Microanalysis study on ancient Wiangkalong Pottery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Won-in, K.; Tancharakorn, S.; Dararutana, P.

2017-09-01

Wiangkalong is one of major ceramic production cities in northern of Thailand, once colonized by the ancient Lanna Kingdom (1290 A.D.). Ancient Wiangkalong potteries were produced with shapes and designs as similar as those of the Chinese Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Due to the complex nature of materials and objects, extremely sensitive, spatially resolved, multi-elemental and versatile analytical instruments using non-destructive and non-sampling methods to analyze theirs composition are need. In this work, micro-beam X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy based on synchrotron radiation was firstly used to characterize the elemental composition of the ancient Wiangkalong pottery. The results showed the variations in elemental composition of the body matrix, the glaze and the underglaze painting, such as K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn and Fe.

High Diversity of Genes for Nonhost Resistance of Barley to Heterologous Rust Fungi

PubMed Central

Jafary, Hossein; Albertazzi, Giorgia; Marcel, Thierry C.; Niks, Rients E.

2008-01-01

Inheritance studies on the nonhost resistance of plants would normally require interspecific crosses that suffer from sterility and abnormal segregation. Therefore, we developed the barley–Puccinia rust model system to study, using forward genetics, the specificity, number, and diversity of genes involved in nonhost resistance. We developed two mapping populations by crossing the line SusPtrit, with exceptional susceptibility to heterologous rust species, with the immune barley cultivars Vada and Cebada Capa. These two mapping populations along with the Oregon Wolfe Barley population, which showed unexpected segregation for resistance to heterologous rusts, were phenotyped with four heterologous rust fungal species. Positions of QTL conferring nonhost resistance in the three mapping populations were compared using an integrated consensus map. The results confirmed that nonhost resistance in barley to heterologous rust species is controlled by QTL with different and overlapping specificities and by an occasional contribution of an R-gene for hypersensitivity. In each population, different sets of loci were implicated in resistance. Few genes were common between the populations, suggesting a high diversity of genes conferring nonhost resistance to heterologous pathogens. These loci were significantly associated with QTL for partial resistance to the pathogen Puccinia hordei and with defense-related genes. PMID:18430953

Barley yellow dwarf virus Infection Leads to Higher Chemical Defense Signals and Lower Electrophysiological Reactions in Susceptible Compared to Tolerant Barley Genotypes.

PubMed

Paulmann, Maria K; Kunert, Grit; Zimmermann, Matthias R; Theis, Nina; Ludwig, Anatoli; Meichsner, Doreen; Oelmüller, Ralf; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Habekuss, Antje; Ordon, Frank; Furch, Alexandra C U; Will, Torsten

2018-01-01

Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is a phloem limited virus that is persistently transmitted by aphids. Due to huge yield losses in agriculture, the virus is of high economic relevance. Since the control of the virus itself is not possible, tolerant barley genotypes are considered as the most effective approach to avoid yield losses. Although several genes and quantitative trait loci are known and used in barley breeding for virus tolerance, little is known about molecular and physiological backgrounds of this trait. Therefore, we compared the anatomy and early defense responses of a virus susceptible to those of a virus-tolerant cultivar. One of the very early defense responses is the transmission of electrophysiological reactions. Electrophysiological reactions to BYDV infection might differ between susceptible and tolerant cultivars, since BYDV causes disintegration of sieve elements in susceptible cultivars. The structure of vascular bundles, xylem vessels and sieve elements was examined using microscopy. All three were significantly decreased in size in infected susceptible plants where the virus causes disintegration of sieve elements. This could be associated with an uncontrolled ion exchange between the sieve-element lumen and apoplast. Further, a reduced electrophysiological isolation would negatively affect the propagation of electrophysiological reactions. To test the influence of BYDV infection on electrophysiological reactions, electropotential waves (EPWs) induced by leaf-tip burning were recorded using aphids as bioelectrodes. EPWs in infected susceptible plants disappeared already after 10 cm in contrast to those in healthy susceptible or infected tolerant or healthy tolerant plants. Another early plant defense reaction is an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Using a fluorescent dye, we found a significant increase in ROS content in infected susceptible plants but not in infected tolerant plants. Similar results were found for the

Barley yellow dwarf virus Infection Leads to Higher Chemical Defense Signals and Lower Electrophysiological Reactions in Susceptible Compared to Tolerant Barley Genotypes

PubMed Central

Paulmann, Maria K.; Kunert, Grit; Zimmermann, Matthias R.; Theis, Nina; Ludwig, Anatoli; Meichsner, Doreen; Oelmüller, Ralf; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Habekuss, Antje; Ordon, Frank; Furch, Alexandra C. U.; Will, Torsten

2018-01-01

Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) is a phloem limited virus that is persistently transmitted by aphids. Due to huge yield losses in agriculture, the virus is of high economic relevance. Since the control of the virus itself is not possible, tolerant barley genotypes are considered as the most effective approach to avoid yield losses. Although several genes and quantitative trait loci are known and used in barley breeding for virus tolerance, little is known about molecular and physiological backgrounds of this trait. Therefore, we compared the anatomy and early defense responses of a virus susceptible to those of a virus-tolerant cultivar. One of the very early defense responses is the transmission of electrophysiological reactions. Electrophysiological reactions to BYDV infection might differ between susceptible and tolerant cultivars, since BYDV causes disintegration of sieve elements in susceptible cultivars. The structure of vascular bundles, xylem vessels and sieve elements was examined using microscopy. All three were significantly decreased in size in infected susceptible plants where the virus causes disintegration of sieve elements. This could be associated with an uncontrolled ion exchange between the sieve-element lumen and apoplast. Further, a reduced electrophysiological isolation would negatively affect the propagation of electrophysiological reactions. To test the influence of BYDV infection on electrophysiological reactions, electropotential waves (EPWs) induced by leaf-tip burning were recorded using aphids as bioelectrodes. EPWs in infected susceptible plants disappeared already after 10 cm in contrast to those in healthy susceptible or infected tolerant or healthy tolerant plants. Another early plant defense reaction is an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Using a fluorescent dye, we found a significant increase in ROS content in infected susceptible plants but not in infected tolerant plants. Similar results were found for the

A comparative assessment of antioxidant properties, total phenolic content of einkorn, wheat, barley and their malts.

PubMed

Fogarasi, Attila-Levente; Kun, Szilárd; Tankó, Gabriella; Stefanovits-Bányai, Eva; Hegyesné-Vecseri, Beáta

2015-01-15

Two einkorn wheat, one barley, three optional winter cultivation wheat and five winter cultivation wheat samples harvested in Hungary in 2011, and their malts were evaluated for their DPPH radical and ABTS radical cation scavenging activity, ferric reduction capacity (FRAP) and total phenolic content (TPC). All einkorn and barley samples exhibited significant antioxidant activities determined by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities. The einkorn samples show higher polyphenol content than the other wheat samples. In all cases the barley sample had the highest antioxidant potential and polyphenol content. The einkorn malts had high DPPH and ABTS radical cation scavenging activities, but the phenolic content was lower against wheat samples. There was significant difference between the antioxidant potential of optional and winter cultivation wheat samples except on ABTS scavenging activities. Einkorn wheat is potentially a new raw material to produce organic beer that might have beneficial effects with its increased antioxidant potential. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies in Continuity and Change: A Comparative Study of the Mother Goddess in Ancient India and Ancient Egypt.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardiman, W. J.

Visiting the Temple of Kali in Calcutta, India, one understands the importance of an Afro-centric methodology in describing the complex nature of the Mother Goddess in ancient India. Discoveries of ancient female figurines indicate an early Indian concept of the female role in the creation of civilization and culture and of the notion of the…

Attitudes Toward Deviant Sex in Ancient Mesopotamia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bullough, Vern L.

1971-01-01

The article concludes that the whole question of sexual life in ancient Mesopotamia is difficult to reconstruct and fraught with many uncertainties. Nevertheless, it seems certain that the ancient Mesopotamians had fewer prohibitions against sex than our own civilization, and regarded as acceptable many practices which later societies condemned.…

Legacy of the Ancient World: An Educational Guide. Understanding Ancient Culture through Art at the Tampa Museum of Art.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitelaw, R. Lynn

Among the many contributions made by Ancient Greeks and Romans to contemporary life, are those which influence art, architecture, literature, philosophy, mathematics and science, theater, athletics, religion, and the founding of democracy. The Tampa Museum of Art's classical collection offers a unique opportunity to learn about Ancient Greeks and…

The Compromised Recognition of Turnip Crinkle Virus1 Subfamily of Microrchidia ATPases Regulates Disease Resistance in Barley to Biotrophic and Necrotrophic Pathogens1[C][W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Langen, Gregor; von Einem, Sabrina; Koch, Aline; Imani, Jafargholi; Pai, Subhash B.; Manohar, Murli; Ehlers, Katrin; Choi, Hyong Woo; Claar, Martina; Schmidt, Rebekka; Mang, Hyung-Gon; Bordiya, Yogendra; Kang, Hong-Gu; Klessig, Daniel F.; Kogel, Karl-Heinz

2014-01-01

MORC1 and MORC2, two of the seven members of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Compromised Recognition of Turnip Crinkle Virus1 subfamily of microrchidia Gyrase, Heat Shock Protein90, Histidine Kinase, MutL (GHKL) ATPases, were previously shown to be required in multiple layers of plant immunity. Here, we show that the barley (Hordeum vulgare) MORCs also are involved in disease resistance. Genome-wide analyses identified five MORCs that are 37% to 48% identical on the protein level to AtMORC1. Unexpectedly, and in clear contrast to Arabidopsis, RNA interference-mediated knockdown of MORC in barley resulted in enhanced basal resistance and effector-triggered, powdery mildew resistance locus A12-mediated resistance against the biotrophic powdery mildew fungus (Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei), while MORC overexpression decreased resistance. Moreover, barley knockdown mutants also showed higher resistance to Fusarium graminearum. Barley MORCs, like their Arabidopsis homologs, contain the highly conserved GHKL ATPase and S5 domains, which identify them as members of the MORC superfamily. Like AtMORC1, barley MORC1 (HvMORC1) binds DNA and has Mn2+-dependent endonuclease activities, suggesting that the contrasting function of MORC1 homologs in barley versus Arabidopsis is not due to differences in their enzyme activities. In contrast to AtMORCs, which are involved in silencing of transposons that are largely restricted to pericentromeric regions, barley MORC mutants did not show a loss-of-transposon silencing regardless of their genomic location. Reciprocal overexpression of MORC1 homologs in barley and Arabidopsis showed that AtMORC1 and HvMORC1 could not restore each other’s function. Together, these results suggest that MORC proteins function as modulators of immunity, which can act negatively (barley) or positively (Arabidopsis) dependent on the species. PMID:24390392

A cathepsin F-like peptidase involved in barley grain protein mobilization, HvPap-1, is modulated by its own propeptide and by cystatins

PubMed Central

Diaz, Isabel

2012-01-01

Among the C1A cysteine proteases, the plant cathepsin F-like group has been poorly studied. This paper describes the molecular and functional characterization of the HvPap-1 cathepsin F-like protein from barley. This peptidase is N-glycosylated and has to be processed to become active by its own propeptide being an important modulator of the peptidase activity. The expression pattern of its mRNA and protein suggest that it is involved in different proteolytic processes in the barley plant. HvPap-1 peptidase has been purified in Escherichia coli and the recombinant protein is able to degrade different substrates, including barley grain proteins (hordeins, albumins, and globulins) stored in the barley endosperm. It has been localized in protein bodies and vesicles of the embryo and it is induced in aleurones by gibberellin treatment. These three features support the implication of HvPap-1 in storage protein mobilization during grain germination. In addition, a complex regulation exerted by the barley cystatins, which are cysteine protease inhibitors, and by its own propeptide, is also described PMID:22791822

Design and development of an ancient Chinese document recognition system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Liangrui; Xiu, Pingping; Ding, Xiaoqing

2003-12-01

The digitization of ancient Chinese documents presents new challenges to OCR (Optical Character Recognition) research field due to the large character set of ancient Chinese characters, variant font types, and versatile document layout styles, as these documents are historical reflections to the thousands of years of Chinese civilization. After analyzing the general characteristics of ancient Chinese documents, we present a solution for recognition of ancient Chinese documents with regular font-types and layout-styles. Based on the previous work on multilingual OCR in TH-OCR system, we focus on the design and development of two key technologies which include character recognition and page segmentation. Experimental results show that the developed character recognition kernel of 19,635 Chinese characters outperforms our original traditional Chinese recognition kernel; Benchmarked test on printed ancient Chinese books proves that the proposed system is effective for regular ancient Chinese documents.

Effect of sprouted barley grain supplementation of an herbage or haylage diet on ruminal fermentation and methane output in continuous culture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A 4-unit dual-flow continuous culture fermentor system was used to assess the effect of supplementing 7-d sprouted barley (SB) or barley grain (BG), with a pasture (orchardgrass) or haylage diet, on nutrient digestibility, VFA production, bacterial protein synthesis, and methane production. Treatmen...

Evaluation of a barley core collection for spot form net blotch reaction reveals distinct genotype specific pathogen virulence and host susceptibility

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Spot form net blotch (SFNB) caused by Pyrenophora teres Drechs. f. maculata Smedeg., (anamorph Drechslera teres [Sacc.] Shoem.) is a major foliar disease of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) worldwide. SFNB epidemics have recently been observed in major barley producing countries, suggesting that the loca...

The prevalence and impact of Fusarium head blight pathogens and mycotoxins on malting barley quality in UK

PubMed Central

Nielsen, L.K.; Cook, D.J.; Edwards, S.G.; Ray, R.V.

2014-01-01

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium and Microdochium species can significantly affect the yield of barley grain as well as the quality and safety of malt and beer. The present study provides new knowledge on the impacts of the FHB pathogen complex on the malting and brewing quality parameters of naturally infected barley. Quantitative real-time PCR and liquid chromatography double mass spectrometry were used to quantify the predominant FHB pathogens and Fusarium mycotoxins, respectively, in commercially grown UK malting barley samples collected between 2007 and 2011. The predominant Fusarium species identified across the years were F. poae, F. tricinctum and F. avenaceum. Microdochium majus was the predominant Microdochium species in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 whilst Microdochium nivale predominated in 2009. Deoxynivalenol and zearalenone quantified in samples collected between 2007 and 2009 were associated with F. graminearum and F. culmorum, whilst HT-2 and T-2, and nivalenol in samples collected between 2010 and 2011 correlated positively with F. langsethiae and F. poae, respectively. Analysis of the regional distribution and yearly variation in samples from 2010 to 2011 showed significant differences in the composition of the FHB species complex. In most regions (Scotland, the South and North of England) the harvest in 2010 had higher concentrations of Fusarium spp. than in 2011, although no significant difference was observed in the Midlands between the two years. Microdochium DNA was significantly higher in 2011 and in the North of England and Scotland compared to the South or Midlands regions. Pathogens of the FHB complex impacted negatively on grain yield and quality parameters. Thousand grain weight of malting barley was affected significantly by M. nivale and M. majus whilst specific weight correlated negatively with F. avenaceum and F. graminearum. To determine the impact of sub-acute infections of the identified Fusarium and Microdochium

Transient over-expression of barley BAX Inhibitor-1 weakens oxidative defence and MLA12-mediated resistance to Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei.

PubMed

Eichmann, Ruth; Dechert, Cornelia; Kogel, Karl-Heinz; Hückelhoven, Ralph

2006-11-01

SUMMARY BAX Inhibitor-1 (BI-1) is a conserved cell death suppressor protein. In barley, BI-1 (HvBI-1) expression is induced upon powdery mildew infection and when over-expressed in epidermal cells of barley, HvBI-1 induces susceptibility to the biotrophic fungal pathogen Blumeria graminis. We co-expressed mammalian pro-apoptotic BAX together with HvBI-1, and the mammalian BAX antagonist BCL-X(L) in barley epidermal cells. BAX expression led to cessation of cytoplasmic streaming and collapse of the cytoplasm while co-expression of HvBI-1 and BCL-X(L) partially or completely, respectively, rescued cells from BAX lethality. When B. graminis was attacking epidermal cells, a green fluorescent protein fusion of HvBI-1 accumulated at the site of attempted penetration and was also present around haustoria. Over-expression of HvBI-1 in epidermal cells weakened a cell-wall-associated local hydrogen peroxide burst in a resistant mlo-mutant genotype and supported haustoria accommodation in race-specifically resistant MLA12-barley. HvBI-1 is a cell death regulator protein of barley with the potential to suppress host defence reactions.

A fermented barley and soybean formula enhances skin hydration.

PubMed

Lee, Sein; Kim, Jong-Eun; Suk, Sujin; Kwon, Oh Wook; Park, Gaeun; Lim, Tae-Gyu; Seo, Sang Gwon; Kim, Jong Rhan; Kim, Dae Eung; Lee, Miyeong; Chung, Dae Kyun; Jeon, Jong Eun; Cho, Dong Woon; Hurh, Byung Serk; Kim, Sun Yeou; Lee, Ki Won

2015-09-01

Skin hydration is one of the primary aims of beauty and anti-aging treatments. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and soybean (Glycine max) are major food crops, but can also be used as ingredients for the maintenance of skin health. We developed a natural product-based skin treatment using a barley and soybean formula (BS) incorporating yeast fermentation, and evaluated its skin hydration effects as a dietary supplement in a clinical study. Participants ingested a placebo- (n = 33) or BS- (3 g/day) containing drink (n = 32) for 8 weeks. A significant increase in hydration in the BS group as compared to the placebo group was observed on the faces of subjects after 4 and 8 weeks, and on the forearm after 4 weeks. Decreases in stratum corneum (SC) thickness were also observed on the face and forearm. BS enhanced hyaluronan (HA) and skin barrier function in vitro and reduced Hyal2 expression in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). BS also recovered ultraviolet (UV) B-induced downregulation of HA in HaCaT cells. These results suggest that BS has promising potential for development as a health functional food to enhance skin health.

A fermented barley and soybean formula enhances skin hydration

PubMed Central

Lee, Sein; Kim, Jong-Eun; Suk, Sujin; Kwon, Oh Wook; Park, Gaeun; Lim, Tae-gyu; Seo, Sang Gwon; Kim, Jong Rhan; Kim, Dae Eung; Lee, Miyeong; Chung, Dae Kyun; Jeon, Jong Eun; Cho, Dong Woon; Hurh, Byung Serk; Kim, Sun Yeou; Lee, Ki Won

2015-01-01

Skin hydration is one of the primary aims of beauty and anti-aging treatments. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and soybean (Glycine max) are major food crops, but can also be used as ingredients for the maintenance of skin health. We developed a natural product-based skin treatment using a barley and soybean formula (BS) incorporating yeast fermentation, and evaluated its skin hydration effects as a dietary supplement in a clinical study. Participants ingested a placebo- (n = 33) or BS- (3 g/day) containing drink (n = 32) for 8 weeks. A significant increase in hydration in the BS group as compared to the placebo group was observed on the faces of subjects after 4 and 8 weeks, and on the forearm after 4 weeks. Decreases in stratum corneum (SC) thickness were also observed on the face and forearm. BS enhanced hyaluronan (HA) and skin barrier function in vitro and reduced Hyal2 expression in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). BS also recovered ultraviolet (UV) B-induced downregulation of HA in HaCaT cells. These results suggest that BS has promising potential for development as a health functional food to enhance skin health. PMID:26388675

Folate distribution in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum durum Desf.) pearled fractions.

PubMed

Giordano, Debora; Reyneri, Amedeo; Blandino, Massimo

2016-03-30

Wholegrain cereals are an important source of folates. In this study, total folate was analysed in pearled fractions of barley and wheat cultivars employing AOAC Official Method 2004.05. In particular, the distribution of folate in the kernels was evaluated in three barley cultivars (two hulled types and a hulless one as well as two- and six-row types) and in a common and a durum wheat cultivar. A noticeable variation in the folate content was observed between the barley [653-1033 ng g(-1) dry matter (DM)] and wheat cultivars (1024-1119 ng g(-1) DM). The highest folate content was detected in the hulless barley cultivar (1033 ng g(-1) DM). A significant reduction in total folate, from 63% to 86%, was observed in all cultivars from the outermost to the innermost pearled fractions. Results proved that folates are mainly present in the germ and in the outer layers of the kernel. This is the first study reporting the folate distribution in kernels of both common and durum wheat and in a hulless barley cultivar. Results suggest that the pearling process could be useful for the selection of intermediate fractions that could be used in order to develop folate-enhanced ingredients and products. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Changes in cell wall polysaccharide composition, gene transcription and alternative splicing in germinating barley embryos.

PubMed

Zhang, Qisen; Zhang, Xiaoqi; Pettolino, Filomena; Zhou, Gaofeng; Li, Chengdao

2016-02-01

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) seed germination initiates many important biological processes such as DNA, membrane and mitochondrial repairs. However, little is known on cell wall modifications in germinating embryos. We have investigated cell wall polysaccharide composition change, gene transcription and alternative splicing events in four barley varieties at 24h and 48 h germination. Cell wall components in germinating barley embryos changed rapidly, with increases in cellulose and (1,3)(1,4)-β-D-glucan (20-100%) within 24h, but decreases in heteroxylan and arabinan (3-50%). There were also significant changes in the levels of type I arabinogalactans and heteromannans. Alternative splicing played very important roles in cell wall modifications. At least 22 cell wall transcripts were detected to undergo either alternative 3' splicing, alternative 5' splicing or intron retention type of alternative splicing. These genes coded enzymes catalyzing synthesis and degradation of cellulose, heteroxylan, (1,3)(1,4)-β-D-glucan and other cell wall polymers. Furthermore, transcriptional regulation also played very important roles in cell wall modifications. Transcript levels of primary wall cellulase synthase, heteroxylan synthesizing and nucleotide sugar inter-conversion genes were very high in germinating embryos. At least 50 cell wall genes changed transcript levels significantly. Expression patterns of many cell wall genes coincided with changes in polysaccharide composition. Our data showed that cell wall polysaccharide metabolism was very active in germinating barley embryos, which was regulated at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Structural setting and kinematics of Nubian fault system, SE Western Desert, Egypt: An example of multi-reactivated intraplate strike-slip faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakran, Shawky; Said, Said Mohamed

2018-02-01

Detailed surface geological mapping and subsurface seismic interpretation have been integrated to unravel the structural style and kinematic history of the Nubian Fault System (NFS). The NFS consists of several E-W Principal Deformation Zones (PDZs) (e.g. Kalabsha fault). Each PDZ is defined by spectacular E-W, WNW and ENE dextral strike-slip faults, NNE sinistral strike-slip faults, NE to ENE folds, and NNW normal faults. Each fault zone has typical self-similar strike-slip architecture comprising multi-scale fault segments. Several multi-scale uplifts and basins were developed at the step-over zones between parallel strike-slip fault segments as a result of local extension or contraction. The NNE faults consist of right-stepping sinistral strike-slip fault segments (e.g. Sin El Kiddab fault). The NNE sinistral faults extend for long distances ranging from 30 to 100 kms and cut one or two E-W PDZs. Two nearly perpendicular strike-slip tectonic regimes are recognized in the NFS; an inactive E-W Late Cretaceous - Early Cenozoic dextral transpression and an active NNE sinistral shear.

Serum metabolites, milk yield, and physiological responses during the first week after kidding in Anglo-Nubian, Angora, Baladi, and Damascus goats under subtropical conditions.

PubMed

Anwar, M M; Ramadan, T A; Taha, T A

2012-12-01

This study was carried out to determine the level of certain biochemical variables reflecting the energy metabolic statuses during the first week of lactation in goats. A total of 120 Anglo-Nubian, Angora, Baladi, and Damascus does (30 does per breed) were used throughout 5 consecutive parities (30 does per parity) to investigate the effect of breed, parity, day of lactation, and their interaction on serum metabolites including total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, total lipids, cholesterol, and transaminases. Blood samples were collected every other day during the first week of lactation. Baladi does had the greatest (P < 0.001) values in all measured biochemical variables followed by Anglo-Nubian [in total protein, globulin, and aminotransferase (AST)] and Damascus (in globulin and AST) and then Angora, which had the lowest (P < 0.001) values for all variables. Fifth parity exhibited the greatest (P < 0.001) values in all serum metabolites compared with other parities except for alanine transaminase (ALT) enzyme activity in which the greatest (P = 0.046) values were observed in the first and fourth parties. Serum concentrations of the measured variables increased gradually throughout the first day after kidding until the seventh day for total protein (P < 0.001), albumin (P = 0.013), globulin (P = 0.017), and cholesterol (P = 0.028) whereas serum glucose concentration exhibited an opposite trend. Serum concentrations of total lipids and enzyme activities of AST and ALT were not affected by day (P > 0.05) after kidding. Baladi goats had the least (P < 0.001) serum insulin concentration, which was associated (P < 0.001) with greatest serum glucose concentration. Serum triiodothyronine (T(3)) was inversely correlated (P = 0.032) with milk yield whereas greatest (P = 0.003) T(3) concentrations were associated with least (P < 0.001) milk yield recorded in Angora goats. Animal physiological responses and their indices were not affected (P > 0.05) by breed whereas

Comparisons of modern United States and Canadian malting barley cultivars with those from pre-prohibition: III. Wort sugar production during mashing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study was conducted to compare wort sugar production during mashing of barley malts of pre-Prohibition varieties and modern elite cultivars. Four of the five modern cultivars utilized were significantly higher (P<0.0001) in glucose production than all six pre-Prohibition barley varieties at al...

Betaine synthesis and accumulation in barley during field water-stress

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hitz, W.D.; Ladyman, J.A.R.; Hanson, A.D.

1982-01-01

The timing and extent of betaine accumulation by mature leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were followed in irrigated (I) and non-irrigated (N-I) plots under rain-shelters. In the N-I crop, leaf water potential (/sup psi/leaf) began to fall at the five-leaf stage, continued to drop steadily until maturity, and reached a minimum of about -35 bars. Betaine accumulation started in the N-I crop about a week after the decline in /sup psi/leaf began and continued until about 10 days post-anthesis. The maximum betaine concentration attained by N-I leaves (100 ..mu..mol/g dry wt) was three times that in I leaves. Betainemore » accumulation by upper leaves was due mainly to de novo synthesis in these leaves, because: (1) there was little /sup 14/C-import into upper leaves when (/sup 14/C)betaine was applied to lower leaves, and (2) attached upper leaves of N-I plants rapidly converted supplied (/sup 14/C)ethanolamine to (/sup 14/C)betaine during the peak period of betaine accumulation. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) behaved as an intermediate in the conversion of (/sup 14/C)ethanolamine to betaine. The estimated peak metabolic cost of betaine biosynthesis via PC by stressed leaves (about 2 mg hexose/g dry wt/day) approached the cost of protein turnover in the same leaves (3 to 5 mg hexose/g dry wt/day) as estimated from (/sup 3/H) lysine incorporation. In N-I plants, cessation of betaine synthesis preceded the onset of senescence by several days, indicating that continuous betaine production is not mandatory for leaf function at lowered /sup psi/leaf. These field results are consistent with an adaptive value for betaine accumulation in barley during prolonged water stress. A search for genetic variation in betaine-accumulating potential in barley is now warranted.« less

Registration of ‘Kardia’, a Two-Rowed Spring Food Barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

‘Kardia’ (Reg. No. XXXX, XXXX), a two-rowed spring food barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) developed by the USDA-ARS, Aberdeen, ID, in cooperation with the University of Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station, was released in 2015. Kardia is derived from the cross of ‘03AH3054 / 98Ab12019’ and was advanced...

Ancient DNA analysis reveals woolly rhino evolutionary relationships.

PubMed

Orlando, Ludovic; Leonard, Jennifer A; Thenot, Aurélie; Laudet, Vincent; Guerin, Claude; Hänni, Catherine

2003-09-01

With ancient DNA technology, DNA sequences have been added to the list of characters available to infer the phyletic position of extinct species in evolutionary trees. We have sequenced the entire 12S rRNA and partial cytochrome b (cyt b) genes of one 60-70,000-year-old sample, and partial 12S rRNA and cyt b sequences of two 40-45,000-year-old samples of the extinct woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis). Based on these two mitochondrial markers, phylogenetic analyses show that C. antiquitatis is most closely related to one of the three extant Asian rhinoceros species, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. Calculations based on a molecular clock suggest that the lineage leading to C. antiquitatis and D. sumatrensis diverged in the Oligocene, 21-26 MYA. Both results agree with morphological models deduced from palaeontological data. Nuclear inserts of mitochondrial DNA were identified in the ancient specimens. These data should encourage the use of nuclear DNA in future ancient DNA studies. It also further establishes that the degraded nature of ancient DNA does not completely protect ancient DNA studies based on mitochondrial data from the problems associated with nuclear inserts.

Barley has two peroxisomal ABC transporters with multiple functions in β-oxidation

PubMed Central

Mendiondo, Guillermina M.; Medhurst, Anne; van Roermund, Carlo W.; Zhang, Xuebin; Devonshire, Jean; Scholefield, Duncan; Fernández, José; Axcell, Barry; Ramsay, Luke; Waterham, Hans R.; Waugh, Robbie; Theodoulou, Frederica L.; Holdsworth, Michael J.

2014-01-01

In oilseed plants, peroxisomal β-oxidation functions not only in lipid catabolism but also in jasmonate biosynthesis and metabolism of pro-auxins. Subfamily D ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters mediate import of β-oxidation substrates into the peroxisome, and the Arabidopsis ABCD protein, COMATOSE (CTS), is essential for this function. Here, the roles of peroxisomal ABCD transporters were investigated in barley, where the main storage compound is starch. Barley has two CTS homologues, designated HvABCD1 and HvABCD2, which are widely expressed and present in embryo and aleurone tissues during germination. Suppression of both genes in barley RNA interference (RNAi) lines indicated roles in metabolism of 2,4-dichlorophenoxybutyrate (2,4-DB) and indole butyric acid (IBA), jasmonate biosynthesis, and determination of grain size. Transformation of the Arabidopsis cts-1 null mutant with HvABCD1 and HvABCD2 confirmed these findings. HvABCD2 partially or completely complemented all tested phenotypes of cts-1. In contrast, HvABCD1 failed to complement the germination and establishment phenotypes of cts-1 but increased the sensitivity of hypocotyls to 100 μM IBA and partially complemented the seed size phenotype. HvABCD1 also partially complemented the yeast pxa1/pxa2Δ mutant for fatty acid β-oxidation. It is concluded that the core biochemical functions of peroxisomal ABC transporters are largely conserved between oilseeds and cereals but that their physiological roles and importance may differ. PMID:24913629

The ancient lunar crust, Apollo 17 region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, O. B.

1992-01-01

The Apollo 17 highland collection is dominated by fragment-laden melt rocks, generally thought to represent impact melt from the Serenitatis basin-forming impact. Fortunately for our understanding of the lunar crust, the melt rocks contain unmelted clasts of preexisting rocks. Similar ancient rocks are also found in the regolith; most are probably clasts eroded out of melt rocks. The ancient rocks can be divided into groups by age, composition, and history. Oldest are plutonic igneous rocks, representing the magmatic components of the ancient crust. The younger are granulitic breccias, which are thoroughly recrystallized rocks of diverse parentages. The youngest are KREEPy basalts and felsites, products of relatively evolved magmas. Some characteristics of each group are given.

Short communication: Effects of processing methods of barley grain in starter diets on feed intake and performance of dairy calves.

PubMed

Jarrah, A; Ghorbani, G R; Rezamand, P; Khorvash, M

2013-01-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different processing methods of barley grain in starter rations on feed intake, average daily gain, feed efficiency, skeletal growth, fecal score, and rumen pH of dairy calves. Thirty-two Holstein dairy calves (16 female and 16 male) were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 treatments consisting of coarse ground, whole, steam-rolled, or roasted barley from d 4 to 56 of birth in a completely randomized design. Starter diets were formulated to have similar ingredients and composition. All calves had free access to water and feed throughout the study period and received 4 L of milk/d from a bottle from d 4 to 41, 2L/d from d 41 to 45, and weaning occurred on d 45. Feed intake and fecal score were recorded daily. Body weight and skeletal growth measures were recorded on d 4 (beginning of the study), 45, and 56. Rumen fluid and blood samples were collected on d 35, 45, and 56. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). The results indicate that different methods of processing barley had no detectable effect on dry matter intake, average daily gain, and feed efficiency and that skeletal growth, health, and rumen pH were not affected by dietary treatments. In conclusion, the results show that different processing methods of barley included in starter diets had no detectable effect on the performance of dairy calves under our experimental conditions. Therefore, feeding whole or coarsely ground barley would be a more economical method compared with steam rolled or roasted barley. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of feeding hull-less barley on production performance, milk fatty acid composition, and nutrient digestibility of lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Yang, Y; Ferreira, G; Teets, C L; Corl, B A; Thomason, W E; Griffey, C A

2017-05-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate production performance, milk fatty acid composition, and nutrient digestibility in high-producing dairy cows consuming diets containing corn and hull-less barley (cultivar Amaze 10) in different proportions as the grain source. Eight primiparous and 16 multiparous Holstein cows were assigned to 1 of 4 diets in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 21-d periods. Cows were fed once daily (1200 h) by means of a Calan gate system (American Calan Inc., Northwood, NH). All diets contained ∼20% grain (dry matter basis). Treatments consisted of 100% corn (0B), 67% corn and 33% hull-less barley (33B), 33% corn and 67% hull-less barley (67B), and 100% hull-less barley (100B) as the grain sources. Total-tract nutrient digestibility was estimated using lanthanum chloride (LaCl 3 ) as an external marker. Dry matter intake differed quadratically among treatments, being lowest for 67B and highest for 0B and 100B. Feeding hull-less barley did not affect milk yield, and milk fat concentration differed cubically among treatments. The cubic response was attributed to the higher milk fat concentration observed for the diet containing 67B. Neither the concentrations in milk of protein and lactose nor the yields of protein and lactose differed among treatments. The proportion of de novo synthesized fatty acids in milk did not differ among treatments. The apparent total-tract digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber did not differ among treatments. Although a quadratic effect was observed, starch digestibility was minimally affected by treatments. In conclusion, this study indicates that hull-less barley grain is as good as corn grain as an energy source when formulating diets for high-producing dairy cows. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Single-feature polymorphism discovery in the barley transcriptome

PubMed Central

Rostoks, Nils; Borevitz, Justin O; Hedley, Peter E; Russell, Joanne; Mudie, Sharon; Morris, Jenny; Cardle, Linda; Marshall, David F; Waugh, Robbie

2005-01-01

A probe-level model for analysis of GeneChip gene-expression data is presented which identified more than 10,000 single-feature polymorphisms (SFP) between two barley genotypes. The method has good sensitivity, as 67% of known single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were called as SFPs. This method is applicable to all oligonucleotide microarray data, accounts for SNP effects in gene-expression data and represents an efficient and versatile approach for highly parallel marker identification in large genomes. PMID:15960806

Ancient human microbiomes

PubMed Central

Warinner, Christina; Speller, Camilla; Collins, Matthew J.; Lewis, Cecil M.

2015-01-01

Very recently, we discovered a vast new microbial self: the human microbiome. Our native microbiota interface with our biology and culture to influence our health, behavior, and quality of life, and yet we know very little about their origin, evolution, or ecology. With the advent of industrialization, globalization, and modern sanitation, it is intuitive that we have changed our relationship with microbes, but we have little information about the ancestral state of our microbiome, and therefore, we lack a foundation for characterizing this change. High-throughput sequencing has opened up new opportunities in the field of paleomicrobiology, allowing us to investigate the evolution of the complex microbial ecologies that inhabit our bodies. By focusing on recent coprolite and dental calculus research, we explore how emerging research on ancient human microbiomes is changing the way we think about ancient disease and how archaeological studies can contribute to a medical understanding of health and nutrition today. PMID:25559298

Alternative Respiratory Pathway Component Genes (AOX and ND) in Rice and Barley and Their Response to Stress

PubMed Central

Dametto, Lettee; Shavrukov, Yuri; Jenkins, Colin L. D.

2018-01-01

Plants have a non-energy conserving bypass of the classical mitochondrial cytochrome c pathway, known as the alternative respiratory pathway (AP). This involves type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases (NDs) on both sides of the mitochondrial inner membrane, ubiquinone, and the alternative oxidase (AOX). The AP components have been widely characterised from Arabidopsis, but little is known for monocot species. We have identified all the genes encoding components of the AP in rice and barley and found the key genes which respond to oxidative stress conditions. In both species, AOX is encoded by four genes; in rice OsAOX1a, 1c, 1d and 1e representing four clades, and in barley, HvAOX1a, 1c, 1d1 and 1d2, but no 1e. All three subfamilies of plant ND genes, NDA, NDB and NDC are present in both rice and barley, but there are fewer NDB genes compared to Arabidopsis. Cyanide treatment of both species, along with salt treatment of rice and drought treatment of barley led to enhanced expression of various AP components; there was a high level of co-expression of AOX1a and AOX1d, along with NDB3 during the stress treatments, reminiscent of the co-expression that has been well characterised in Arabidopsis for AtAOX1a and AtNDB2. PMID:29558397

Dreams in ancient Greek Medicine.

PubMed

Laios, K; Moschos, M M; Koukaki, E; Vasilopoulos, E; Karamanou, M; Kontaxaki, M-I; Androutsos, G

2016-01-01

Dreams preoccupied the Greek and Roman world in antiquity, therefore they had a prominent role in social, philosophical, religious, historical and political life of those times. They were considered as omens and prophetic signs of future events in private and public life, and that was particularly accentuated when elements of actions which took place in the plot of dreams were associated directly or indirectly with real events. This is why it was important to use them in divination, and helped the growth of superstition and folklore believes. Medicine as a science and an anthropocentric art, could not ignore the importance of dreams, having in mind their popularity in antiquity. In ancient Greek medicine dreams can be divided into two basic categories. In the first one -which is related to religious medicine-dreams experienced by religionists are classified, when resorted to great religious sanctuaries such as those of Asclepius (Asclepieia) and Amphiaraos (Amfiaraeia). These dreams were the essential element for healing in this form of religious medicine, because after pilgrims underwent purifications they went to sleep in a special dwelling of the sanctuaries called "enkoimeterion" (Greek: the place to sleep) so that the healing god would come to their dreams either to cure them or to suggest treatment. In ancient Greek literature there are many reports of these experiences, but if there may be phenomena of self-suggestion, or they could be characterized as propaganda messages from the priesthood of each sanctuary for advertising purposes. The other category concerns the references about dreams found in ancient Greek medical literature, where one can find the attempts of ancient Greek physicians to interpret these dreams in a rational way as sings either of a corporal disease or of psychological distress. This second category will be the object of our study. Despite the different ways followed by each ancient Greek physician in order to explain dreams, their

Polycistronic artificial miRNA-mediated resistance to Wheat dwarf virus in barley is highly efficient at low temperature.

PubMed

Kis, András; Tholt, Gergely; Ivanics, Milán; Várallyay, Éva; Jenes, Barnabás; Havelda, Zoltán

2016-04-01

Infection of Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) strains on barley results in dwarf disease, imposing severe economic losses on crop production. As the natural resistance resources against this virus are limited, it is imperative to elaborate a biotechnological approach that will provide effective and safe immunity to a wide range of WDV strains. Because vector insect-mediated WDV infection occurs during cool periods in nature, it is important to identify a technology which is effective at lower temperature. In this study, we designed artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs) using a barley miRNA precursor backbone, which target different conservative sequence elements of the WDV strains. Potential amiRNA sequences were selected to minimize the off-target effects and were tested in a transient sensor system in order to select the most effective constructs at low temperature. On the basis of the data obtained, a polycistronic amiRNA precursor construct (VirusBuster171) was built expressing three amiRNAs simultaneously. The construct was transformed into barley under the control of a constitutive promoter. The transgenic lines were kept at 12-15 °C to mimic autumn and spring conditions in which major WDV infection and accumulation take place. We were able to establish a stable barley transgenic line displaying resistance to insect-mediated WDV infection. Our study demonstrates that amiRNA technology can be an efficient tool for the introduction of highly efficient resistance in barley against a DNA virus belonging to the Geminiviridae family, and this resistance is effective at low temperature where the natural insect vector mediates the infection process. © 2015 BSPP and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influence of diurnal photosynthetic activity on the morphology, structure, and thermal properties of normal and waxy barley starch.

PubMed

Goldstein, Avi; Annor, George; Vamadevan, Varatharajan; Tetlow, Ian; Kirkensgaard, Jacob J K; Mortensen, Kell; Blennow, Andreas; Hebelstrup, Kim H; Bertoft, Eric

2017-05-01

This study investigated the influence of diurnal photosynthetic activity on the morphology, molecular composition, crystallinity, and gelatinization properties of normal barley starch (NBS) and waxy barley starch (WBS) granules from plants cultivated in a greenhouse under normal diurnal (16h light) or constant light photosynthetic conditions. Growth rings were observed in all starch samples regardless of lighting conditions. The size distribution of whole and debranched WBS analyzed by gel-permeation chromatography did not appear to be influenced by the different lighting regimes, however, a greater relative crystallinity measured by wide-angle X-ray scattering and greater crystalline quality as judged by differential scanning calorimetry was observed under the diurnal lighting regime. NBS cultivated under the diurnal photosynthetic lighting regime displayed lower amylose content (18.7%), and shorter amylose chains than its counterpart grown under constant light. Although the relative crystallinity of NBS was not influenced by lighting conditions, lower onset, peak, and completion gelatinization temperatures were observed in diurnally grown NBS compared to constant light conditions. It is concluded that normal barley starch is less influenced by the diurnal photosynthetic lighting regime than amylose-free barley starch suggesting a role of amylose to prevent structural disorder and increase starch granule robustness against environmental cues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of QTL conferring resistance to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei) and leaf rust (Puccinia hordei) in barley using nested association mapping (NAM).

PubMed

Vatter, Thomas; Maurer, Andreas; Perovic, Dragan; Kopahnke, Doris; Pillen, Klaus; Ordon, Frank

2018-01-01

The biotrophic rust fungi Puccinia hordei and Puccinia striiformis are important barley pathogens with the potential to cause high yield losses through an epidemic spread. The identification of QTL conferring resistance to these pathogens is the basis for targeted breeding approaches aiming to improve stripe rust and leaf rust resistance of modern cultivars. Exploiting the allelic richness of wild barley accessions proved to be a valuable tool to broaden the genetic base of resistance of barley cultivars. In this study, SNP-based nested association mapping (NAM) was performed to map stripe rust and leaf rust resistance QTL in the barley NAM population HEB-25, comprising 1,420 lines derived from BC1S3 generation. By scoring the percentage of infected leaf area, followed by calculation of the area under the disease progress curve and the average ordinate during a two-year field trial, a large variability of resistance across and within HEB-25 families was observed. NAM based on 5,715 informative SNPs resulted in the identification of twelve and eleven robust QTL for resistance against stripe rust and leaf rust, respectively. Out of these, eight QTL for stripe rust and two QTL for leaf rust are considered novel showing no overlap with previously reported resistance QTL. Overall, resistance to both pathogens in HEB-25 is most likely due to the accumulation of numerous small effect loci. In addition, the NAM results indicate that the 25 wild donor QTL alleles present in HEB-25 strongly differ in regard to their individual effect on rust resistance. In future, the NAM concept will allow to select and combine individual wild barley alleles from different HEB parents to increase rust resistance in barley. The HEB-25 results will support to unravel the genetic basis of rust resistance in barley, and to improve resistance against stripe rust and leaf rust of modern barley cultivars.

Non-Destructive Sampling of Ancient Insect DNA

PubMed Central

Thomsen, Philip Francis; Elias, Scott; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Haile, James; Munch, Kasper; Kuzmina, Svetlana; Froese, Duane G.; Holdaway, Richard N.; Willerslev, Eske

2009-01-01

Background A major challenge for ancient DNA (aDNA) studies on insect remains is that sampling procedures involve at least partial destruction of the specimens. A recent extraction protocol reveals the possibility of obtaining DNA from past insect remains without causing visual morphological damage. We test the applicability of this protocol on historic museum beetle specimens dating back to AD 1820 and on ancient beetle chitin remains from permafrost (permanently frozen soil) dating back more than 47,000 years. Finally, we test the possibility of obtaining ancient insect DNA directly from non-frozen sediments deposited 3280-1800 years ago - an alternative approach that also does not involve destruction of valuable material. Methodology/Principal Findings The success of the methodological approaches are tested by PCR and sequencing of COI and 16S mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragments of 77–204 base pairs (-bp) in size using species-specific and general insect primers. Conclusion/Significance The applied non-destructive DNA extraction method shows promising potential on insect museum specimens of historical age as far back as AD 1820, but less so on the ancient permafrost-preserved insect fossil remains tested, where DNA was obtained from samples up to ca. 26,000 years old. The non-frozen sediment DNA approach appears to have great potential for recording the former presence of insect taxa not normally preserved as macrofossils and opens new frontiers in research on ancient biodiversity. PMID:19337382

QTL controlling grain filling under terminal drought stress in a set of wild barley introgression lines.

PubMed

Honsdorf, Nora; March, Timothy J; Pillen, Klaus

2017-01-01

Drought is a major abiotic stress impeding the yield of cereal crops globally. Particularly in Mediterranean environments, water becomes a limiting factor during the reproductive developmental stage, causing yield losses. The wild progenitor of cultivated barley Hordeum vulgare ssp spontaneum (Hsp) is a potentially useful source of drought tolerance alleles. Wild barley introgression lines like the S42IL library may facilitate the introduction of favorable exotic alleles into breeding material. The complete set of 83 S42ILs was genotyped with the barley 9k iSelect platform in order to complete genetic information obtained in previous studies. The new map comprises 2,487 SNPs, spanning 989.8 cM and covering 94.5% of the Hsp genome. Extent and positions of introgressions were confirmed and new information for ten additional S42ILs was collected. A subset of 49 S42ILs was evaluated for drought response in four greenhouse experiments. Plants were grown under well-watered conditions until ten days post anthesis. Subsequently drought treatment was applied by reducing the available water. Several morphological and harvest parameters were evaluated. Under drought treatment, trait performance was reduced. However, there was no interaction effect between genotype and treatment, indicating that genotypes, which performed best under control treatment, also performed best under drought treatment. In total, 40 QTL for seven traits were detected in this study. For instance, favorable Hsp effects were found for thousand grain weight (TGW) and number of grains per ear under drought stress. In particular, line S42IL-121 is a promising candidate for breeding improved malting cultivars, displaying a TGW, which was increased by 17% under terminal drought stress due to the presence of an unknown wild barley QTL allele on chromosome 4H. The introgression line showed a similar advantage in previous field experiments and in greenhouse experiments under early drought stress. We, thus

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) in the Okhotsk culture (5th–10th century AD) of northern Japan and the role of cultivated plants in hunter–gatherer economies

PubMed Central

Sergusheva, Elena A.; Müller, Stefanie; Spengler, Robert N.; Goslar, Tomasz; Kato, Hirofumi; Wagner, Mayke; Weber, Andrzej W.; Tarasov, Pavel E.

2017-01-01

This paper discusses archaeobotanical remains of naked barley recovered from the Okhotsk cultural layers of the Hamanaka 2 archaeological site on Rebun Island, northern Japan. Calibrated ages (68% confidence interval) of the directly dated barley remains suggest that the crop was used at the site ca. 440–890 cal yr AD. Together with the finds from the Oumu site (north-eastern Hokkaido Island), the recovered seed assemblage marks the oldest well-documented evidence for the use of barley in the Hokkaido Region. The archaeobotanical data together with the results of a detailed pollen analysis of contemporaneous sediment layers from the bottom of nearby Lake Kushu point to low-level food production, including cultivation of barley and possible management of wild plants that complemented a wide range of foods derived from hunting, fishing, and gathering. This qualifies the people of the Okhotsk culture as one element of the long-term and spatially broader Holocene hunter–gatherer cultural complex (including also Jomon, Epi-Jomon, Satsumon, and Ainu cultures) of the Japanese archipelago, which may be placed somewhere between the traditionally accepted boundaries between foraging and agriculture. To our knowledge, the archaeobotanical assemblages from the Hokkaido Okhotsk culture sites highlight the north-eastern limit of prehistoric barley dispersal. Seed morphological characteristics identify two different barley phenotypes in the Hokkaido Region. One compact type (naked barley) associated with the Okhotsk culture and a less compact type (hulled barley) associated with Early–Middle Satsumon culture sites. This supports earlier suggestions that the “Satsumon type” barley was likely propagated by the expansion of the Yayoi culture via south-western Japan, while the “Okhotsk type” spread from the continental Russian Far East region, across the Sea of Japan. After the two phenotypes were independently introduced to Hokkaido, the boundary between both barley

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) in the Okhotsk culture (5th-10th century AD) of northern Japan and the role of cultivated plants in hunter-gatherer economies.

PubMed

Leipe, Christian; Sergusheva, Elena A; Müller, Stefanie; Spengler, Robert N; Goslar, Tomasz; Kato, Hirofumi; Wagner, Mayke; Weber, Andrzej W; Tarasov, Pavel E

2017-01-01

This paper discusses archaeobotanical remains of naked barley recovered from the Okhotsk cultural layers of the Hamanaka 2 archaeological site on Rebun Island, northern Japan. Calibrated ages (68% confidence interval) of the directly dated barley remains suggest that the crop was used at the site ca. 440-890 cal yr AD. Together with the finds from the Oumu site (north-eastern Hokkaido Island), the recovered seed assemblage marks the oldest well-documented evidence for the use of barley in the Hokkaido Region. The archaeobotanical data together with the results of a detailed pollen analysis of contemporaneous sediment layers from the bottom of nearby Lake Kushu point to low-level food production, including cultivation of barley and possible management of wild plants that complemented a wide range of foods derived from hunting, fishing, and gathering. This qualifies the people of the Okhotsk culture as one element of the long-term and spatially broader Holocene hunter-gatherer cultural complex (including also Jomon, Epi-Jomon, Satsumon, and Ainu cultures) of the Japanese archipelago, which may be placed somewhere between the traditionally accepted boundaries between foraging and agriculture. To our knowledge, the archaeobotanical assemblages from the Hokkaido Okhotsk culture sites highlight the north-eastern limit of prehistoric barley dispersal. Seed morphological characteristics identify two different barley phenotypes in the Hokkaido Region. One compact type (naked barley) associated with the Okhotsk culture and a less compact type (hulled barley) associated with Early-Middle Satsumon culture sites. This supports earlier suggestions that the "Satsumon type" barley was likely propagated by the expansion of the Yayoi culture via south-western Japan, while the "Okhotsk type" spread from the continental Russian Far East region, across the Sea of Japan. After the two phenotypes were independently introduced to Hokkaido, the boundary between both barley domains possibly

Immunomodulatory Activity of Dietary Fiber: Arabinoxylan and Mixed-Linked Beta-Glucan Isolated from Barley Show Modest Activities in Vitro

PubMed Central

Samuelsen, Anne Berit; Rieder, Anne; Grimmer, Stine; Michaelsen, Terje E.; Knutsen, Svein H.

2011-01-01

High intake of dietary fiber is claimed to protect against development of colorectal cancer. Barley is a rich source of dietary fiber, and possible immunomodulatory effects of barley polysaccharides might explain a potential protective effect. Dietary fiber was isolated by extraction and enzyme treatment. A mixed-linked β-glucan (WSM-TPX, 96.5% β-glucan, Mw 886 kDa), an arabinoxylan (WUM-BS-LA, 96.4% arabinoxylan, Mw 156 kDa), a mixed-linked β-glucan rich fraction containing 10% arabinoxylan (WSM-TP) and an arabinoxylan rich fraction containing 30% mixed-linked β-glucan (WUM-BS) showed no significant effect on IL-8 secretion and proliferation of two intestinal epithelial cell lines, Caco-2 and HT-29, and had no significant effect on the NF-κB activity in the monocytic cell line U937-3κB-LUC. Further enriched arabinoxylan fractions (WUM-BS-LA) from different barley varieties (Tyra, NK96300, SB94897 and CDCGainer) were less active than the mixed-linked β-glucan rich fractions (WSM-TP and WSM-TPX) in the complement-fixing test. The mixed-linked β-glucan rich fraction from NK96300 and CDCGainer showed similar activities as the positive control while mixed-linked β-glucan rich fractions from Tyra and SB94897 were less active. From these results it is concluded that the isolated high molecular weight mixed-linked β-glucans and arabinoxylans from barley show low immunological responses in selected in vitro test systems and thus possible anti-colon cancer effects of barley dietary fiber cannot be explained by our observations. PMID:21340001

Labeled Azospirillum brasilense wild type and excretion-ammonium strains in association with barley roots.

PubMed

Santos, Adrian Richard Schenberger; Etto, Rafael Mazer; Furmam, Rafaela Wiegand; Freitas, Denis Leandro de; Santos, Karina Freire d'Eça Nogueira; Souza, Emanuel Maltempi de; Pedrosa, Fábio de Oliveira; Ayub, Ricardo Antônio; Steffens, Maria Berenice Reynaud; Galvão, Carolina Weigert

2017-09-01

Soil bacteria colonization in plants is a complex process, which involves interaction between many bacterial characters and plant responses. In this work, we labeled Azospirillum brasilense FP2 (wild type) and HM053 (excretion-ammonium) strains by insertion of the reporter gene gusA-kanamycin into the dinitrogenase reductase coding gene, nifH, and evaluated bacteria colonization in barley (Hordeum vulgare). In addition, we determined inoculation effect based on growth promotion parameters. We report an uncommon endophytic behavior of A. brasilense Sp7 derivative inside the root hair cells of barley and highlight the promising use of A. brasilense HM053 as plant growth-promoting bacterium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Is atherosclerosis fundamental to human aging? Lessons from ancient mummies.

PubMed

Clarke, Emily M; Thompson, Randall C; Allam, Adel H; Wann, L Samuel; Lombardi, Guido P; Sutherland, M Linda; Sutherland, James D; Cox, Samantha L; Soliman, Muhammad Al-Tohamy; Abd el-Maksoud, Gomaa; Badr, Ibrahem; Miyamoto, Michael I; Frohlich, Bruno; Nur el-din, Abdel-Halim; Stewart, Alexandre F R; Narula, Jagat; Zink, Albert R; Finch, Caleb E; Michalik, David E; Thomas, Gregory S

2014-05-01

Case reports from Johan Czermak, Marc Ruffer, and others a century or more ago demonstrated ancient Egyptians had atherosclerosis three millennia ago. The Horus study team extended their findings, demonstrating that atherosclerosis was prevalent among 76 ancient Egyptian mummies and among 61 mummies from each of the ancient cultures of Peru, the American Southwest, and the Aleutian Islands. These findings challenge the assumption that atherosclerosis is a modern disease caused by present day risk factors. An extensive autopsy of an ancient Egyptian teenage male weaver named Nakht found that he was infected with four parasites: Schistosoma haematobium, Taenia species, Trichinella spiralis, and Plasmodium falciparum. Modern day patients with chronic inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and human immunodeficiency virus experience premature atherosclerosis. Could the burden of chronic inflammatory disease have been a risk factor for atherosclerosis in these ancient cultures? The prevalence of atherosclerosis in four diverse ancient cultures is consistent with atherosclerosis being fundamental to aging. The impact of risk factors in modern times, and potentially in ancient times, suggests a strong gene-environmental interplay: human genes provide a vulnerability to atherosclerosis, the environment determines when and if atherosclerosis becomes manifest clinically. Copyright © 2014 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ancient DNA analysis of dental calculus.

PubMed

Weyrich, Laura S; Dobney, Keith; Cooper, Alan

2015-02-01

Dental calculus (calcified tartar or plaque) is today widespread on modern human teeth around the world. A combination of soft starchy foods, changing acidity of the oral environment, genetic pre-disposition, and the absence of dental hygiene all lead to the build-up of microorganisms and food debris on the tooth crown, which eventually calcifies through a complex process of mineralisation. Millions of oral microbes are trapped and preserved within this mineralised matrix, including pathogens associated with the oral cavity and airways, masticated food debris, and other types of extraneous particles that enter the mouth. As a result, archaeologists and anthropologists are increasingly using ancient human dental calculus to explore broad aspects of past human diet and health. Most recently, high-throughput DNA sequencing of ancient dental calculus has provided valuable insights into the evolution of the oral microbiome and shed new light on the impacts of some of the major biocultural transitions on human health throughout history and prehistory. Here, we provide a brief historical overview of archaeological dental calculus research, and discuss the current approaches to ancient DNA sampling and sequencing. Novel applications of ancient DNA from dental calculus are discussed, highlighting the considerable scope of this new research field for evolutionary biology and modern medicine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the association of nitrate reductase with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) root membranes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyerhoff, P. A.; Fox, T. C.; Travis, R. L.; Huffaker, R. C.

1994-01-01

The nature of the association between nitrate reductase (NR) and membranes was examined. Nitrate reductase activity (NRA) associated with the microsomal fraction of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) roots amounted to 0.6 to 0.8% of soluble NRA following sonication in the presence of 250 mM KI and repeated osmotic shock. This treatment removed all contaminating soluble NRA from microsomes of uninduced barley roots that had been homogenized in a soluble extract from roots of NO3(-)-induced plants. On continuous sucrose gradients, NRA co-migrated specifically with VO4(-)-sensitive ATPase activity, a plasma membrane (PM) marker; activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, assayed as cytosolic marker, co-migrated with NRA. Microsomal NRA was absent in barley deficient in soluble NR. Perturbation and trypsinolysis experiments with PM vesicles isolated by aqueous two-phase partitioning indicated that NR is associated with the periphery of the cytoplasmic face of the bilayer. These results demonstrate that PM and soluble NRs are essentially the same protein but that the membrane-associated form is tightly bound. Although it is possible that PM-associated NR exists in vivo, unequivocal evidence for this has yet to be shown. However, PM NR is definitely present in vitro.

Using Goat's Milk, Barley Flour, Honey, and Probiotic to Manufacture of Functional Dairy Product.

PubMed

Ismail, Magdy Mohamed; Hamad, Mohamed Farid; Elraghy, Esraa Mohamed

2017-08-23

Stirred yogurt manufactured using probiotic culture which usually called Rayeb milk in the Middle East region is one of the most important functional fermented milk products. To increase the health and functionality properties to this product, some ingredients like fruits, cereal, and whey protein are used in production. This study was carried out to prepare functional Rayeb milk from goat's milk, barley flour (15%) and honey (4%) mixtures using ABT culture. Also, vanilla and cocoa powder were used as flavorings. Adding barley flour and honey to goat's milk increased curd tension and water-holding capacity and decreased coagulation time and susceptibility to syneresis. The values of carbohydrate, total solids, dietary fiber, ash, total protein, water soluble nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, oleic, linoleic, α-linolenic acids, and antioxidant activity were higher in Rayeb milk supplemented with barley flour and honey than control. The viabilities of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 (Chr. Hansen's Lab A/S) increased in fortified Rayeb milk. The recommended level of 10 7  cfu g -1 of bifidobacteria as a probiotic was exceeded for these samples. Addition of vanilla (0.1%) or cocoa powder (0.5%) improved the sensory properties of fortified Rayeb milk.

Induced Variations in Brassinosteroid Genes Define Barley Height and Sturdiness, and Expand the Green Revolution Genetic Toolkit1[C][W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Dockter, Christoph; Gruszka, Damian; Braumann, Ilka; Druka, Arnis; Druka, Ilze; Franckowiak, Jerome; Gough, Simon P.; Janeczko, Anna; Kurowska, Marzena; Lundqvist, Joakim; Lundqvist, Udda; Marzec, Marek; Matyszczak, Izabela; Müller, André H.; Oklestkova, Jana; Schulz, Burkhard; Zakhrabekova, Shakhira; Hansson, Mats

2014-01-01

Reduced plant height and culm robustness are quantitative characteristics important for assuring cereal crop yield and quality under adverse weather conditions. A very limited number of short-culm mutant alleles were introduced into commercial crop cultivars during the Green Revolution. We identified phenotypic traits, including sturdy culm, specific for deficiencies in brassinosteroid biosynthesis and signaling in semidwarf mutants of barley (Hordeum vulgare). This set of characteristic traits was explored to perform a phenotypic screen of near-isogenic short-culm mutant lines from the brachytic, breviaristatum, dense spike, erectoides, semibrachytic, semidwarf, and slender dwarf mutant groups. In silico mapping of brassinosteroid-related genes in the barley genome in combination with sequencing of barley mutant lines assigned more than 20 historic mutants to three brassinosteroid-biosynthesis genes (BRASSINOSTEROID-6-OXIDASE, CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC DWARF, and DIMINUTO) and one brassinosteroid-signaling gene (BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE1 [HvBRI1]). Analyses of F2 and M2 populations, allelic crosses, and modeling of nonsynonymous amino acid exchanges in protein crystal structures gave a further understanding of the control of barley plant architecture and sturdiness by brassinosteroid-related genes. Alternatives to the widely used but highly temperature-sensitive uzu1.a allele of HvBRI1 represent potential genetic building blocks for breeding strategies with sturdy and climate-tolerant barley cultivars. PMID:25332507

Association mapping of stem rust race TTKSK resistance in US barley breeding germplasm.

PubMed

Zhou, H; Steffenson, B J; Muehlbauer, Gary; Wanyera, Ruth; Njau, Peter; Ndeda, Sylvester

2014-06-01

Loci conferring resistance to the highly virulent African stem rust race TTKSK were identified in advanced barley breeding germplasm and positioned to chromosomes 5H and 7H using an association mapping approach. African races of the stem rust pathogen (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) are a serious threat to barley production worldwide because of their wide virulence. To discover and characterize resistance to African stem rust race TTKSK in US barley breeding germplasm, over 3,000 lines/cultivars were assessed for resistance at the seedling stage in the greenhouse and also the adult plant stage in the field in Kenya. Only 12 (0.3 %) and 64 (2.1 %) lines exhibited a resistance level comparable to the resistant control at the seedling and adult plant stage, respectively. To map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to race TTKSK, an association mapping approach was conducted, utilizing 3,072 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. At the seedling stage, two neighboring SNP markers (0.8 cM apart) on chromosome 7H (11_21491 and 12_30528) were found significantly associated with resistance. The most significant one found was 12_30528; thus, the resistance QTL was named Rpg-qtl-7H-12_30528. At the adult plant stage, two SNP markers on chromosome 5H (11_11355 and 12_31427) were found significantly associated with resistance. This resistance QTL was named Rpg-qtl-5H-11_11355 for the most significant marker identified. Adult plant resistance is of paramount importance for stem rust. The marker associated with Rpg-qtl-5H-11_11355 for adult plant resistance explained only a small portion of the phenotypic variation (0.02); however, this QTL reduced disease severity up to 55.0 % under low disease pressure and up to 21.1 % under heavy disease pressure. SNP marker 11_11355 will be valuable for marker-assisted selection of adult plant stem rust resistance in barley breeding.

Molecular Clustering Interrelationships and Carbohydrate Conformation in Hull and Seeds Among Barley Cultivars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N Liu; P Yu

2011-12-31

The objective of this study was to use molecular spectral analyses with the diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT) bioanlytical technique to study carbohydrate conformation features, molecular clustering and interrelationships in hull and seed among six barley cultivars (AC Metcalfe, CDC Dolly, McLeod, CDC Helgason, CDC Trey, CDC Cowboy), which had different degradation kinetics in rumen. The molecular structure spectral analyses in both hull and seed involved the fingerprint regions of ca. 1536-1484 cm{sup -1} (attributed mainly to aromatic lignin semicircle ring stretch), ca. 1293-1212 cm{sup -1} (attributed mainly to cellulosic compounds in the hull), ca. 1269-1217 cm{sup -1}more » (attributed mainly to cellulosic compound in the seeds), and ca. 1180-800 cm{sup -1} (attributed mainly to total CHO C-O stretching vibrations) together with an agglomerative hierarchical cluster (AHCA) and principal component spectral analyses (PCA). The results showed that the DRIFT technique plus AHCA and PCA molecular analyses were able to reveal carbohydrate conformation features and identify carbohydrate molecular structure differences in both hull and seeds among the barley varieties. The carbohydrate molecular spectral analyses at the region of ca. 1185-800 cm{sup -1} together with the AHCA and PCA were able to show that the barley seed inherent structures exhibited distinguishable differences among the barley varieties. CDC Helgason had differences from AC Metcalfe, MeLeod, CDC Cowboy and CDC Dolly in carbohydrate conformation in the seed. Clear molecular cluster classes could be distinguished and identified in AHCA analysis and the separate ellipses could be grouped in PCA analysis. But CDC Helgason had no distinguished differences from CDC Trey in carbohydrate conformation. These carbohydrate conformation/structure difference could partially explain why the varieties were different in digestive behaviors in animals. The molecular spectroscopy

Alleviating effects of calcium on cobalt toxicity in two barley genotypes differing in cobalt tolerance.

PubMed

Lwalaba, Jonas Lwalaba Wa; Zvobgo, Gerald; Fu, Liangbo; Zhang, Xuelei; Mwamba, Theodore Mulembo; Muhammad, Noor; Mundende, Robert Prince Mukobo; Zhang, Guoping

2017-05-01

Cobalt (Co) contamination in soils is becoming a severe issue in environment safety and crop production. Calcium (Ca) , as a macro-nutrient element, shows the antagonism with many divalent heavy metals and the capacity of alleviating oxidative stress in plants. In this study, the protective role of Ca in alleviating Co stress was hydroponically investigated using two barley genotypes differing in Co toxicity tolerance. Barley seedlings exposed to 100µM Co showed the significant reduction in growth and photosynthetic rate, and the dramatic increase in the contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes, with Ea52 (Co-sensitive) being much more affected than Yan66 (Co-tolerant). Addition of Ca in growth medium alleviated Co toxicity by reducing Co uptake and enhancing the antioxidant capacity. The effect of Ca in alleviating Co toxicity was much greater in Yan66 than in Ea52. The results indicate that the alleviation of Co toxicity in barley plants by Ca is attributed to the reduced Co uptake and enhanced antioxidant capacity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of Fusarium langsethiae and T-2 and HT-2 Toxins in Italian Malting Barley

PubMed Central

Morcia, Caterina; Tumino, Giorgio; Ghizzoni, Roberta; Badeck, Franz W.; Lattanzio, Veronica M.T.; Pascale, Michelangelo; Terzi, Valeria

2016-01-01

T-2 and HT-2 toxins are two of the most toxic members of type-A trichothecenes, produced by a number of Fusarium species. The occurrence of these mycotoxins was studied in barley samples during a survey carried out in the 2011–2014 growing seasons in climatically different regions in Italy. The percentage of samples found positive ranges from 22% to 53%, with values included between 26 and 787 μg/kg. The percentage of samples with a T-2 and HT-2 content above the EU indicative levels for barley of 200 μg/kg ranges from 2% to 19.6% in the 2011–2014 period. The fungal species responsible for the production of these toxins in 100% of positive samples has been identified as Fusarium langsethiae, a well-known producer of T-2 and HT-2 toxins. A positive correlation between the amount of F. langsethiae DNA and of the sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins was found. This is the first report on the occurrence of F. langsethiae—and of its toxic metabolites T-2 and HT-2—in malting barley grown in Italy. PMID:27556490

Occurrence of Fusarium langsethiae and T-2 and HT-2 Toxins in Italian Malting Barley.

PubMed

Morcia, Caterina; Tumino, Giorgio; Ghizzoni, Roberta; Badeck, Franz W; Lattanzio, Veronica M T; Pascale, Michelangelo; Terzi, Valeria

2016-08-20

T-2 and HT-2 toxins are two of the most toxic members of type-A trichothecenes, produced by a number of Fusarium species. The occurrence of these mycotoxins was studied in barley samples during a survey carried out in the 2011-2014 growing seasons in climatically different regions in Italy. The percentage of samples found positive ranges from 22% to 53%, with values included between 26 and 787 μg/kg. The percentage of samples with a T-2 and HT-2 content above the EU indicative levels for barley of 200 μg/kg ranges from 2% to 19.6% in the 2011-2014 period. The fungal species responsible for the production of these toxins in 100% of positive samples has been identified as Fusarium langsethiae, a well-known producer of T-2 and HT-2 toxins. A positive correlation between the amount of F. langsethiae DNA and of the sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins was found. This is the first report on the occurrence of F. langsethiae-and of its toxic metabolites T-2 and HT-2-in malting barley grown in Italy.

Agronomical, biochemical and histological response of resistant and susceptible wheat and barley under BYDV stress

PubMed Central

Choudhury, Shormin; Hu, Hongliang; Larkin, Philip; Meinke, Holger; Shabala, Sergey; Ahmed, Ibrahim

2018-01-01

Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV) is one of the major viruses causing a widespread and serious viral disease affecting cereal crops. To gain a better understanding of plant defence mechanisms of BYDV resistance genes (Bdv2 and RYd2) against BYDV-PAV infection, the differences in agronomical, biochemical and histological changes between susceptible and resistant wheat and barley cultivars were investigated. We found that root growth and total dry matter of susceptible cultivars showed greater reduction than that of resistant ones after infection. BYDV infected leaves in susceptible wheat and barley cultivars showed a significant reduction in photosynthetic pigments, an increase in the concentration of reducing sugar. The protein levels were also low in infected leaves. There was a significant increase in total phenol contents in resistant cultivars, which might reflect a protective mechanism of plants against virus infection. In phloem tissue, sieve elements (SE) and companion cells (CC) were severely damaged in susceptible cultivars after infection. It is suggested that restriction of viral movement in the phloem tissue and increased production of phenolic compounds may play a role in the resistance and defensive mechanisms of both Bdv2 and RYd2 against virus infection. PMID:29868264

Colour Perception in Ancient World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesterov, D. I.; Fedorova, M. Yu

2017-11-01

How did the human thought form the surrounding color information into the persistent semantic images of a mythological, pseudoscientific and religious nature? The concepts associated with colour perception are suggested. The existence of colour environment does not depend on the human consciousness. The colour culture formation is directly related to the level of the human consciousness development and the possibility to influence the worldview and culture. The colour perception of a person goes through the stages similar to the development of colour vision in a child. Like any development, the colour consciousness has undergone stages of growth and decline, evolution and stagnation. The way of life and difficult conditions for existence made their own adjustments to the development of the human perception of the surrounding world. Wars have been both a powerful engine of progress in all spheres of life and a great destructive force demolishing the already created and preserved heritage. The surrounding world has always been interesting for humans, evoked images and fantasies in the consciousness of ancient people. Unusual and inexplicable natural phenomena spawned numerous legends and myths which was reflected in the ancient art and architecture and, accordingly, in a certain manifestation of colour in the human society. The colour perception of the ancient man, his pragmatic, utilitarian attitude to colour is considered as well as the influence of dependence on external conditions of existence and their reflection in the colour culture of antiquity. “Natural Science” conducts research in the field of the colour nature and their authorial interpretation of the Hellenic period. Several authorial concepts of the ancient world have been considered.

The complete genomic sequence of a tentative new polerovirus identified in barley in South Korea.

PubMed

Zhao, Fumei; Lim, Seungmo; Yoo, Ran Hee; Igori, Davaajargal; Kim, Sang-Min; Kwak, Do Yeon; Kim, Sun Lim; Lee, Bong Choon; Moon, Jae Sun

2016-07-01

The complete nucleotide sequence of a new barley polerovirus, tentatively named barley virus G (BVG), which was isolated in Gimje, South Korea, has been determined using an RNA sequencing technique combined with polymerase chain reaction methods. The viral genomic RNA of BVG is 5,620 nucleotides long and contains six typical open reading frames commonly observed in other poleroviruses. Sequence comparisons revealed that BVG is most closely related to maize yellow dwarf virus-RMV, with the highest amino acid identities being less than 90 % for all of the corresponding proteins. These results suggested that BVG is a member of a new species in the genus Polerovirus.

Characterizing the pathotype structure of barley powdery mildew and effectiveness of resistance genes to this pathogen in Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Rsaliyev, Aralbek; Pahratdinova, Zhazira; Rsaliyev, Shynbolat

2017-11-14

Powdery mildew of barley is a wind-borne and obligate biotrophic pathogen, which ranks among the most widespread barley pathogens worldwide. However, purposeful research towards studying the structure of the barley powdery mildew populations, of their virulence and of effectiveness of certain resistance genes against the infection was not conducted in Kazakhstan till present time. This paper is the first to describe characteristics of the pathotype structure of Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei (Bgh) population and effectiveness of resistance genes in two regions of barley cultivation in the republic. One hundred and seven isolates of Bgh were obtained from seven populations occurring on cultivated barley at two geographically locations in Kazakhstan during 2015 and 2016. Their virulence frequency was determined on 17 differential lines Pallas. All isolates were virulent on the resistance gene Mla8 and avirulent for the resistance genes Mla9, Mla1 + MlaAl2, Mla6 + Mla14, Mla13 + MlRu3, Mla7 + MlNo3, Mla10 + MlDu2, Mla13 + MlRu3 and Mlo-5. The frequencies of isolates overcoming the genes Mla3, Mla22, Mlat Mlg + MlCP and Mla12 + MlEm2 were 0.0-33.33%, and frequencies of isolates overcoming the genes Mlra, Mlk, MlLa and Mlh ranged from 10.0 to 78.6%. Based on reactions of differential lines possessing the genes Mla22, Mlra, Mlk, Mlat, MlLa and Mlh, pathotypes were identified. In total, 23 pathotypes with virulence complexity ranging from 1 to 6 were identified. During both years in all populations of South Kazakhstan and Zhambyl regions pathotypes 24 and 64 mainly prevailed. Obtained data suggest that low similarity of populations Bgh in Kazakhstan to European, African, Australian and South-East Asian populations. The present study provides a foundation for future studies on the pathogenic variability within of Bgh populations in Kazakhstan and addresses the knowledge gap on the virulence structure of Bgh in Central Asia. Complete effectiveness of the

Quantitative trait loci associated with the tocochromanol (vitamin E) pathway in barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this study, the Genome-Wide Association Studies approach was used to detect Quantitative Trait Loci associated with tocochromanol concentrations using a panel of 1,466 barley accessions. All major tocochromanol types- alpha-, beta-, delta-, gamma-tocopherol and tocotrienol- were assayed. We found...

Did the ancient egyptians discover Algol?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jetsu, L.; Porceddu, S.; Porceddu, S.; Lyytinen, J.; Kajatkari, P.; Markkanen, T.; Toivari-Viitala, J.

2013-02-01

Fabritius discovered the first variable star, Mira, in 1596. Holwarda determined the 11 months period of Mira in 1638. Montanari discovered the next variable star, Algol, in 1669. Its period, 2.867 days, was determined by Goodricke (178). Algol was associated with demon-like creatures, "Gorgon" in ancient Greek and "ghoul" in ancient Arab mythology. This indicates that its variability was discovered much before 1669 (Wilk 1996), but this mythological evidence is ambiguous (Davis 1975). For thousands of years, the Ancient Egyptian Scribes (AES) observed stars for timekeeping in a region, where there are nearly 300 clear nights a year. We discovered a significant periodicity of 2.850 days in their calendar for lucky and unlucky days dated to 1224 BC, "the Cairo Calendar". Several astrophysical and astronomical tests supported our conclusion that this was the period of Algol three millennia ago. The "ghoulish habits" of Algol could explain this 0.017 days period increase (Battersby 2012).

Cranial surgery in ancient Peru.

PubMed

Rifkinson-Mann, S

1988-10-01

Trephination is the oldest known surgical technique. Peru has been recognized as a major source of ancient trephined skulls, many of which date back 2300 years. This presentation reviews from a neurosurgical perspective many of the archaeological studies performed on these skulls. Comparative osteology has shown that almost 70% of patients survived the procedure. The various instruments, hemostatic agents, anesthetics, surgical techniques, and cranioplasties used are reconstructed from the anthropological literature. The possible reasons for the use of trephination are discussed. Analysis of the data leads to the conclusion that, despite their rudimentary knowledge of disease, the ancient Incas must have had some knowledge of anatomy and proper surgical procedure.

[Restore of the ancient "moxibustion the pulse" method].

PubMed

Wu, Qi-Fei; Bai, Xing-Hua

2013-03-01

The manipulation of ancient "moxibustion the pulse" method are replicated and discussed through literature review. It turned out that the old year moxa was the best material for moxibustion in ancient times because of its mild heat power and uninjurious to the skin or blood and vessels; it was believed by the ancient people that the ideal fire to light moxa which could play the curative effect best was "sunfire" (lighted through the bronze concave mirror focussing) while the prohibited were "eight kinds of wood fire"; the moxibustion area were the convergence of the pulse on limb ends. The way to determine the time and amount of moxibustion were various, but in general the moxa amount was larger; still after moxibustion, proper exercise and diet were recommended, the nursing methods of the moxibustion sore were recorded. In ancient times, moxibustion was not only a treatment method but also an unique culture carrier to reflect the faith and worship.

Tectonostratigraphy and depositional history of the Neoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary sequences in Kid area, southeastern Sinai, Egypt: Implications for intra-arc to foreland basin in the northern Arabian-Nubian Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalaf, E. A.; Obeid, M. A.

2013-09-01

This paper presents a stratigraphic and sedimentary study of Neoproterozoic successions of the South Sinai, at the northernmost segment of the Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS), including the Kid complex. This complex is composed predominantly of thick volcano-sedimentary successions representing different depositional and tectonic environments, followed by four deformational phases including folding and brittle faults (D1-D4). The whole Kid area is divisible from north to south into the lower, middle, and upper rock sequences. The higher metamorphic grade and extensive deformational styles of the lower sequence distinguishes them from the middle and upper sequences. Principal lithofacies in the lower sequence include thrust-imbricated tectonic slice of metasediments and metavolcanics, whereas the middle and upper sequences are made up of clastic sediments, intermediate-felsic lavas, volcaniclastics, and dike swarms. Two distinct Paleo- depositional environments are observed: deep-marine and alluvial fan regime. The former occurred mainly during the lower sequence, whereas the latter developed during the other two sequences. These alternations of depositional conditions in the volcano-sedimentary deposits suggest that the Kid area may have formed under a transitional climate regime fluctuating gradually from warm and dry to warm and humid conditions. Geochemical and petrographical data, in conjunction with field relationships, suggest that the investigated volcano-sedimentary rocks were built from detritus derived from a wide range of sources, ranging from Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic continental crust. Deposition within the ancient Kid basin reflects a complete basin cycle from rifting and passive margin development, to intra-arc and foreland basin development and, finally, basin closure. The early phase of basin evolution is similar to various basins in the Taupo volcanics, whereas the later phases are similar to the Cordilleran-type foreland basin. The

Regression and direct methods do not give different estimates of digestible and metabolizable energy values of barley, sorghum, and wheat for pigs.

PubMed

Bolarinwa, O A; Adeola, O

2016-02-01

Direct or indirect methods can be used to determine the DE and ME of feed ingredients for pigs. In situations when only the indirect approach is suitable, the regression method presents a robust indirect approach. Three experiments were conducted to compare the direct and regression methods for determining the DE and ME values of barley, sorghum, and wheat for pigs. In each experiment, 24 barrows with an average initial BW of 31, 32, and 33 kg were assigned to 4 diets in a randomized complete block design. The 4 diets consisted of 969 g barley, sorghum, or wheat/kg plus minerals and vitamins for the direct method; a corn-soybean meal reference diet (RD); the RD + 300 g barley, sorghum, or wheat/kg; and the RD + 600 g barley, sorghum, or wheat/kg. The 3 corn-soybean meal diets were used for the regression method. Each diet was fed to 6 barrows in individual metabolism crates for a 5-d acclimation followed by a 5-d period of total but separate collection of feces and urine in each experiment. Graded substitution of barley or wheat, but not sorghum, into the RD linearly reduced ( < 0.05) dietary DE and ME. The direct method-derived DE and ME for barley were 3,669 and 3,593 kcal/kg DM, respectively. The regressions of barley contribution to DE and ME in kilocalories against the quantity of barley DMI in kilograms generated 3,746 kcal DE/kg DM and 3,647 kcal ME/kg DM. The DE and ME for sorghum by the direct method were 4,097 and 4,042 kcal/kg DM, respectively; the corresponding regression-derived estimates were 4,145 and 4,066 kcal/kg DM. Using the direct method, energy values for wheat were 3,953 kcal DE/kg DM and 3,889 kcal ME/kg DM. The regressions of wheat contribution to DE and ME in kilocalories against the quantity of wheat DMI in kilograms generated 3,960 kcal DE/kg DM and 3,874 kcal ME/kg DM. The DE and ME of barley using the direct method were not different (0.3 < < 0.4) from those obtained using the regression method (3,669 vs. 3,746 and 3,593 vs. 3,647 kcal

HvWRKY10, HvWRKY19, and HvWRKY28 positively regulate Mla-triggered immunity and basal defense to barley powdery mildew

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

WRKY proteins represent a large family of transcription factors (TFs), involved in plant development and defense responses. So far, fifty-five unique barley TFs have been annotated that contain the WRKY domain; twenty-six of these are present on the Barley1 GeneChip. We analyzed time-course expres...

Population Structure of Barley Landrace Populations and Gene-Flow with Modern Varieties

PubMed Central

Bellucci, Elisa; Bitocchi, Elena; Rau, Domenico; Nanni, Laura; Ferradini, Nicoletta; Giardini, Alessandro; Rodriguez, Monica; Attene, Giovanna; Papa, Roberto

2013-01-01

Landraces are heterogeneous plant varieties that are reproduced by farmers as populations that are subject to both artificial and natural selection. Landraces are distinguished by farmers due to their specific traits, and different farmers often grow different populations of the same landrace. We used simple sequence repeats (SSRs) to analyse 12 barley landrace populations from Sardinia from two collections spanning 10 years. We analysed the population structure, and compared the population diversity of the landraces that were collected at field level (population). We used a representative pool of barley varieties for diversity comparisons and to analyse the effects of gene flow from modern varieties. We found that the Sardinian landraces are a distinct gene pool from those of both two-row and six-row barley varieties. There is also a low, but significant, mean level and population-dependent level of introgression from the modern varieties into the Sardinian landraces. Moreover, we show that the Sardinian landraces have the same level of gene diversity as the representative sample of modern commercial varieties grown in Italy in the last decades, even within population level. Thus, these populations represent crucial sources of germplasm that will be useful for crop improvement and for population genomics studies and association mapping, to identify genes, loci and genome regions responsible for adaptive variations. Our data also suggest that landraces are a source of valuable germplasm for sustainable agriculture in the context of future climate change, and that in-situ conservation strategies based on farmer use can preserve the genetic identity of landraces while allowing adaptation to local environments. PMID:24386303

Effect of Microbial and Chemical Combo Additives on Nutritive Value and Fermentation Characteristic of Whole Crop Barley Silage

PubMed Central

Kim, Dong Hyeon; Amanullah, Sardar M.; Lee, Hyuk Jun; Joo, Young Ho; Kim, Sam Churl

2015-01-01

This study was conducted to assess the effects of microbial and chemical combo additives on nutritive values, fermentation indices and aerobic stability of whole crop barley silage. Barley forage (Youngyang) was harvested at about 30% dry matter (DM) by treatments, chopped to 5 cm length and treated with distilled water only (CON), Lactobacillus plantarum (INO), propionic acid (PRO) or an equal mixture of INO and PRO (MIX). Barley forages were ensiled in 4 replications for 0, 2, 7, and 100 days. On 100 days of ensiling, MIX silage had higher (p<0.05) in vitro DM digestibility than CON silage, but lower (p<0.05) acid detergent fiber concentration. The pH in all treated silages was lower (p<0.05) than CON silage. The MIX silage had higher (p<0.05) lactate concentration and lactate to acetate ratio than in CON, but lower (p<0.05) yeast count. Aerobic stability in CON, PRO, and MIX silages were higher (p<0.05) than in INO silage. It is concluded that microbial and chemical combo additives using L. plantarum and propionic acid could efficiently improve nutritive values of barley silage in terms of increased in vitro DM digestibility compared to other treatments. In addition, all treatments except CON reduced yeast count which is the initiate microorganism of aerobic spoilage. PMID:26323517

Plasma membrane proteome analysis identifies a role of barley membrane steroid binding protein in root architecture response to salinity.

PubMed

Witzel, Katja; Matros, Andrea; Møller, Anders L B; Ramireddy, Eswarayya; Finnie, Christine; Peukert, Manuela; Rutten, Twan; Herzog, Andreas; Kunze, Gotthard; Melzer, Michael; Kaspar-Schoenefeld, Stephanie; Schmülling, Thomas; Svensson, Birte; Mock, Hans-Peter

2018-06-01

Although the physiological consequences of plant growth under saline conditions have been well described, understanding the core mechanisms conferring plant salt adaptation has only started. We target the root plasma membrane proteomes of two barley varieties, cvs. Steptoe and Morex, with contrasting salinity tolerance. In total, 588 plasma membrane proteins were identified by mass spectrometry, of which 182 were either cultivar or salinity stress responsive. Three candidate proteins with increased abundance in the tolerant cv. Morex were involved either in sterol binding (a GTPase-activating protein for the adenosine diphosphate ribosylation factor [ZIGA2], and a membrane steroid binding protein [MSBP]) or in phospholipid synthesis (phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase [PEAMT]). Overexpression of barley MSBP conferred salinity tolerance to yeast cells, whereas the knock-out of the heterologous AtMSBP1 increased salt sensitivity in Arabidopsis. Atmsbp1 plants showed a reduced number of lateral roots under salinity, and root-tip-specific expression of barley MSBP in Atmsbp1 complemented this phenotype. In barley, an increased abundance of MSBP correlates with reduced root length and lateral root formation as well as increased levels of auxin under salinity being stronger in the tolerant cv. Morex. Hence, we concluded the involvement of MSBP in phytohormone-directed adaptation of root architecture in response to salinity. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ancient Wisdom, Applied Knowledge for a Sustainable Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, K.; Philippe, R. Elde; Dardar, T. M. Elde

2017-12-01

Ancient wisdom informs traditional knowledges that guide Indigenous communities on how to interact with the world. These knowledges and the ancient wisdom have been the life-giving forces that have prevented the complete genocide of Indigenous peoples, and is also the wisdom that is rejuvenating ancient ways that will take the world into a future that embraces the seventh generation philosophy.. Western scientists and agency representatives are learning from the work and wisdom of Native Americans. This presentation will share the ways in which the representatives of two Tribes along the coast of Louisiana have been helping to educate and apply their work with Western scientists.

Pyrenophora teres: profile of an increasingly damaging barley pathogen.

PubMed

Liu, Zhaohui; Ellwood, Simon R; Oliver, Richard P; Friesen, Timothy L

2011-01-01

Pyrenophora teres, causal agent of net blotch of barley, exists in two forms, designated P. teres f. teres and P. teres f. maculata, which induce net form net blotch (NFNB) and spot form net blotch (SFNB), respectively. Significantly more work has been performed on the net form than on the spot form although recent activity in spot form research has increased because of epidemics of SFNB in barley-producing regions. Genetic studies have demonstrated that NFNB resistance in barley is present in both dominant and recessive forms, and that resistance/susceptibility to both forms can be conferred by major genes, although minor quantitative trait loci have also been identified. Early work on the virulence of the pathogen showed toxin effector production to be important in disease induction by both forms of pathogen. Since then, several laboratories have investigated effectors of virulence and avirulence, and both forms are complex in their interaction with the host. Here, we assemble recent information from the literature that describes both forms of this important pathogen and includes reports describing the host-pathogen interaction with barley. We also include preliminary findings from a genome sequence survey. Pyrenophora teres Drechs. Kingdom Fungi; Phylum Ascomycota; Subphylum Pezizomycotina; Class Dothideomycete; Order Pleosporales; Family Pleosporaceae; Genus Pyrenophora, form teres and form maculata. To date, no clear morphological or life cycle differences between the two forms of P. teres have been identified, and therefore they are described collectively. Towards the end of the growing season, the fungus produces dark, globosely shaped pseudothecia, about 1-2mm in diameter, on barley. Ascospores measuring 18-28µm × 43-61µm are light brown and ellipsoidal and often have three to four transverse septa and one or two longitudinal septa in the median cells. Conidiophores usually arise singly or in groups of two or three and are lightly swollen at the base

Evolution of Management Thought in the Ancient Times.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, C. L.

This paper argues that although systematic management thought is a distinctly modern development, the writings of ancient scholars and records of ancient rulers infer that they understood the rudiments of management principles and concepts. To support this thesis, the author reviews the evidence of management practices and concepts in various…

An Ancient Inca Tax and Metallurgy in Peru

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Chemical Education, 2007

2007-01-01

The discovery of ancient Inca tax rulers and other metallurgical objects in Peru show that the ancient civilizations of the country smelted metals. The analysis shows that the smelters in Peru switched from the production of copper to silver after a tax was imposed on them by the Inca rulers.

Reservoir zonation based on statistical analyses: A case study of the Nubian sandstone, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Sharawy, Mohamed S.; Gaafar, Gamal R.

2016-12-01

Both reservoir engineers and petrophysicists have been concerned about dividing a reservoir into zones for engineering and petrophysics purposes. Through decades, several techniques and approaches were introduced. Out of them, statistical reservoir zonation, stratigraphic modified Lorenz (SML) plot and the principal component and clustering analyses techniques were chosen to apply on the Nubian sandstone reservoir of Palaeozoic - Lower Cretaceous age, Gulf of Suez, Egypt, by using five adjacent wells. The studied reservoir consists mainly of sandstone with some intercalation of shale layers with varying thickness from one well to another. The permeability ranged from less than 1 md to more than 1000 md. The statistical reservoir zonation technique, depending on core permeability, indicated that the cored interval of the studied reservoir can be divided into two zones. Using reservoir properties such as porosity, bulk density, acoustic impedance and interval transit time indicated also two zones with an obvious variation in separation depth and zones continuity. The stratigraphic modified Lorenz (SML) plot indicated the presence of more than 9 flow units in the cored interval as well as a high degree of microscopic heterogeneity. On the other hand, principal component and cluster analyses, depending on well logging data (gamma ray, sonic, density and neutron), indicated that the whole reservoir can be divided at least into four electrofacies having a noticeable variation in reservoir quality, as correlated with the measured permeability. Furthermore, continuity or discontinuity of the reservoir zones can be determined using this analysis.

Reconstructing an Ancient Wonder.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Imhof, Christopher J.

2001-01-01

Describes a Montessori class project involving the building of a model of the ancient Briton monument, Stonehenge. Illustrates how the flexibility of the Montessori elementary curriculum encourages children to make their own toys and learn from the process. (JPB)

Cognitive aspects of ancient Maya eclipse theory.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Closs, M. P.

This paper is concerned with determining the nature of eclipse phenomena as it was perceived by the ancient Maya. It approaches the problem by considering the linguistic information pertaining to eclipses and by exploring the traditional beliefs associated with the occurrence of eclipses among the postconquest Maya. These data yield a model of a native eclipse theory which is compatible with hieroglyphic and iconographic materials pertaining to the ancient Maya.

Developing a Molecular Identification Assay of Old Landraces for the Genetic Authentication of Typical Agro-Food Products: The Case Study of the Barley ‘Agordino’

PubMed Central

Palumbo, Fabio; Galla, Giulio

2017-01-01

Summary The orzo Agordino is a very old local variety of domesticated barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. distichum L.) that is native to the Agordo District, Province of Belluno, and is widespread in the Veneto Region, Italy. Seeds of this landrace are widely used for the preparation of very famous dishes of the dolomitic culinary tradition such as barley soup, bakery products and local beer. Understanding the genetic diversity and identity of the Agordino barley landrace is a key step to establish conservation and valorisation strategies of this local variety and also to provide molecular traceability tools useful to ascertain the authenticity of its derivatives. The gene pool of the Agordino barley landrace was reconstructed using 60 phenotypically representative individual plants and its genotypic relationships with commercial varieties were investigated using 21 pure lines widely cultivated in the Veneto Region. For genomic DNA analysis, following an initial screening of 14 mapped microsatellite (SSR) loci, seven discriminant markers were selected on the basis of their genomic position across linkage groups and polymorphic marker alleles per locus. The genetic identity of the local barley landrace was determined by analysing all SSR markers in a single multi-locus PCR assay. Extent of genotypic variation within the Agordino barley landrace and the genotypic differentiation between the landrace individuals and the commercial varieties was determined. Then, as few as four highly informative SSR loci were selected and used to develop a molecular traceability system exploitable to verify the genetic authenticity of food products deriving from the Agordino landrace. This genetic authentication assay was validated using both DNA pools from individual Agordino barley plants and DNA samples from Agordino barley food products. On the whole, our data support the usefulness and robustness of this DNA-based diagnostic tool for the orzo Agordino identification, which could be

Identification of QTL conferring resistance to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei) and leaf rust (Puccinia hordei) in barley using nested association mapping (NAM)

PubMed Central

Vatter, Thomas; Maurer, Andreas; Perovic, Dragan; Kopahnke, Doris; Pillen, Klaus

2018-01-01

The biotrophic rust fungi Puccinia hordei and Puccinia striiformis are important barley pathogens with the potential to cause high yield losses through an epidemic spread. The identification of QTL conferring resistance to these pathogens is the basis for targeted breeding approaches aiming to improve stripe rust and leaf rust resistance of modern cultivars. Exploiting the allelic richness of wild barley accessions proved to be a valuable tool to broaden the genetic base of resistance of barley cultivars. In this study, SNP-based nested association mapping (NAM) was performed to map stripe rust and leaf rust resistance QTL in the barley NAM population HEB-25, comprising 1,420 lines derived from BC1S3 generation. By scoring the percentage of infected leaf area, followed by calculation of the area under the disease progress curve and the average ordinate during a two-year field trial, a large variability of resistance across and within HEB-25 families was observed. NAM based on 5,715 informative SNPs resulted in the identification of twelve and eleven robust QTL for resistance against stripe rust and leaf rust, respectively. Out of these, eight QTL for stripe rust and two QTL for leaf rust are considered novel showing no overlap with previously reported resistance QTL. Overall, resistance to both pathogens in HEB-25 is most likely due to the accumulation of numerous small effect loci. In addition, the NAM results indicate that the 25 wild donor QTL alleles present in HEB-25 strongly differ in regard to their individual effect on rust resistance. In future, the NAM concept will allow to select and combine individual wild barley alleles from different HEB parents to increase rust resistance in barley. The HEB-25 results will support to unravel the genetic basis of rust resistance in barley, and to improve resistance against stripe rust and leaf rust of modern barley cultivars. PMID:29370232

HvALMT1 from barley is involved in the transport of organic anions

PubMed Central

Gruber, Benjamin D.; Ryan, Peter R.; Richardson, Alan E.; Tyerman, Stephen D.; Ramesh, Sunita; Hebb, Diane M.; Howitt, Susan M.; Delhaize, Emmanuel

2010-01-01

Members of the ALMT gene family contribute to the Al3+ resistance of several plant species by facilitating malate efflux from root cells. The first member of this family to be cloned and characterized, TaALMT1, is responsible for most of the natural variation of Al3+ resistance in wheat. The current study describes the isolation and characterization of HvALMT1, the barley gene with the greatest sequence similarity to TaALMT1. HvALMT1 is located on chromosome 2H which has not been associated with Al3+ resistance in barley. The relatively low levels of HvALMT1 expression detected in root and shoot tissues were independent of external aluminium or phosphorus supply. Transgenic barley plants transformed with the HvALMT1 promoter fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) indicated that expression of HvALMT1 was relatively high in stomatal guard cells and in root tissues containing expanding cells. GFP fused to the C-terminus of the full HvALMT1 protein localized to the plasma membrane and motile vesicles within the cytoplasm. HvALMT1 conferred both inward and outward currents when expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes that were bathed in a range of anions including malate. Both malate uptake and efflux were confirmed in oocyte assays using [14C]malate as a radiotracer. It is suggested that HvALMT1 functions as an anion channel to facilitate organic anion transport in stomatal function and expanding cells. PMID:20176888

HvALMT1 from barley is involved in the transport of organic anions.

PubMed

Gruber, Benjamin D; Ryan, Peter R; Richardson, Alan E; Tyerman, Stephen D; Ramesh, Sunita; Hebb, Diane M; Howitt, Susan M; Delhaize, Emmanuel

2010-03-01

Members of the ALMT gene family contribute to the Al(3+) resistance of several plant species by facilitating malate efflux from root cells. The first member of this family to be cloned and characterized, TaALMT1, is responsible for most of the natural variation of Al(3+) resistance in wheat. The current study describes the isolation and characterization of HvALMT1, the barley gene with the greatest sequence similarity to TaALMT1. HvALMT1 is located on chromosome 2H which has not been associated with Al(3+) resistance in barley. The relatively low levels of HvALMT1 expression detected in root and shoot tissues were independent of external aluminium or phosphorus supply. Transgenic barley plants transformed with the HvALMT1 promoter fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) indicated that expression of HvALMT1 was relatively high in stomatal guard cells and in root tissues containing expanding cells. GFP fused to the C-terminus of the full HvALMT1 protein localized to the plasma membrane and motile vesicles within the cytoplasm. HvALMT1 conferred both inward and outward currents when expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes that were bathed in a range of anions including malate. Both malate uptake and efflux were confirmed in oocyte assays using [(14)C]malate as a radiotracer. It is suggested that HvALMT1 functions as an anion channel to facilitate organic anion transport in stomatal function and expanding cells.

Fusarium and mycotoxin spectra in Swiss barley are affected by various cropping techniques.

PubMed

Schöneberg, Torsten; Martin, Charlotte; Wettstein, Felix E; Bucheli, Thomas D; Mascher, Fabio; Bertossa, Mario; Musa, Tomke; Keller, Beat; Vogelgsang, Susanne

2016-10-01

Fusarium head blight is one of the most important cereal diseases worldwide. Cereals differ in terms of the main occurring Fusarium species and the infection is influenced by various factors, such as weather and cropping measures. Little is known about Fusarium species in barley in Switzerland, hence harvest samples from growers were collected in 2013 and 2014, along with information on respective cropping factors. The incidence of different Fusarium species was obtained by using a seed health test and mycotoxins were quantified by LC-MS/MS. With these techniques, the most dominant species, F. graminearum, and the most prominent mycotoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), were identified. Between the three main Swiss cropping systems, Organic, Extenso and Proof of ecological performance, we observed differences with the lowest incidence and toxin accumulation in organically cultivated barley. Hence, we hypothesise that this finding was based on an array of growing techniques within a given cropping system. We observed that barley samples from fields with maize as previous crop had a substantially higher F. graminearum incidence and elevated DON accumulation compared with other previous crops. Furthermore, the use of reduced tillage led to a higher disease incidence and toxin content compared with samples from ploughed fields. Further factors increasing Fusarium infection were high nitrogen fertilisation as well as the application of fungicides and growth regulators. Results from the current study can be used to develop optimised cropping systems that reduce the risks of mycotoxin contamination.

Fusarium and mycotoxin spectra in Swiss barley are affected by various cropping techniques

PubMed Central

Schöneberg, Torsten; Martin, Charlotte; Wettstein, Felix E.; Bucheli, Thomas D.; Mascher, Fabio; Bertossa, Mario; Musa, Tomke; Keller, Beat; Vogelgsang, Susanne

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Fusarium head blight is one of the most important cereal diseases worldwide. Cereals differ in terms of the main occurring Fusarium species and the infection is influenced by various factors, such as weather and cropping measures. Little is known about Fusarium species in barley in Switzerland, hence harvest samples from growers were collected in 2013 and 2014, along with information on respective cropping factors. The incidence of different Fusarium species was obtained by using a seed health test and mycotoxins were quantified by LC-MS/MS. With these techniques, the most dominant species, F. graminearum, and the most prominent mycotoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), were identified. Between the three main Swiss cropping systems, Organic, Extenso and Proof of ecological performance, we observed differences with the lowest incidence and toxin accumulation in organically cultivated barley. Hence, we hypothesise that this finding was based on an array of growing techniques within a given cropping system. We observed that barley samples from fields with maize as previous crop had a substantially higher F. graminearum incidence and elevated DON accumulation compared with other previous crops. Furthermore, the use of reduced tillage led to a higher disease incidence and toxin content compared with samples from ploughed fields. Further factors increasing Fusarium infection were high nitrogen fertilisation as well as the application of fungicides and growth regulators. Results from the current study can be used to develop optimised cropping systems that reduce the risks of mycotoxin contamination. PMID:27491813

Free and Bound Phenolic Compound Content and Antioxidant Activity of Different Cultivated Blue Highland Barley Varieties from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

PubMed

Yang, Xi-Juan; Dang, Bin; Fan, Ming-Tao

2018-04-11

In this study, the polyphenols composition and antioxidant properties of 12 blue highland barley varieties planted on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau area were measured. The contents of the free, bound and total phenolic acids varied between 166.20-237.60, 170.10-240.75 and 336.29-453.94 mg of gallic acid equivalents per 100 g of dry weight (DW) blue highland barley grains, while the free and bound phenolic acids accounted for 50.09% and 49.91% of the total phenolic acids, respectively. The contents of the free, bound and total flavones varied among 20.61-25.59, 14.91-22.38 and 37.91-47.98 mg of catechin equivalents per 100 g of dry weight (DW) of blue highland barley grains, while the free and bound flavones accounted for 55.90% and 44.10% of the total flavones, respectively. The prominent phenolic compounds in the blue hulless barley grains were gallic acid, benzoic acid, syringic acid, 4-coumaric acid, naringenin, hesperidin, rutin, (+)-catechin and quercetin. Among these, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid and (+)-catechin were the major phenolic compounds in the free phenolics extract. The most abundant bound phenolics were gallic acid, benzoic acid, syringic acid, 4-coumaric acid, benzoic acid, dimethoxybenzoic acid, naringenin, hesperidin, quercetin and rutin. The average contribution of the bound phenolic extract to the DPPH • free radical scavenging capacity was higher than 86%, that of free phenolic extract to the ABTS •+ free radical scavenging capacity was higher than 79%, and that of free phenolic (53%) to the FRAP antioxidant activity was equivalent to that of the bound phenol extract (47%). In addition, the planting environment exerts a very important influence on the polyphenol composition, content and antioxidant activity of blue highland barley. The correlation analysis showed that 2,4-hydroxybenzoic acid and protocatechuic acid were the main contributors to the DPPH • and ABTS •+ free radical scavenging capacity in the free phenolic extract

Nano-encapsulations liberated from barley protein microparticles for oral delivery of bioactive compounds.

PubMed

Wang, Ruoxi; Tian, Zhigang; Chen, Lingyun

2011-03-15

Novel microparticles (3-5 μm) were created by pre-emulsifying barley proteins with a homogenizer followed a microfluidizer system. These microparticles exhibited a high oil carrying capacity (encapsulation efficiency, 93-97%; loading efficiency, 46-49%). Microparticle degradation and bioactive compound release behaviours were studied in the simulated gastro-intestinal (GI) tract. The data revealed that nano-encapsulations (20-30 nm) were formed as a result of enzymatic degradation of barley protein microparticle bulk matrix in the simulated gastric tract. These nano-encapsulations delivered β-carotene to a simulated human intestinal tract intact, where they were degraded by pancreatic enzymes and steadily released the β-carotene. These uniquely structured microparticles may provide a new strategy for the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries to develop targeted delivery systems for lipophilic bioactive compounds. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of barley varieties to weather in Finland.

PubMed

Hakala, K; Jauhiainen, L; Himanen, S J; Rötter, R; Salo, T; Kahiluoto, H

2012-04-01

Global climate change is predicted to shift seasonal temperature and precipitation patterns. An increasing frequency of extreme weather events such as heat waves and prolonged droughts is predicted, but there are high levels of uncertainty about the nature of local changes. Crop adaptation will be important in reducing potential damage to agriculture. Crop diversity may enhance resilience to climate variability and changes that are difficult to predict. Therefore, there has to be sufficient diversity within the set of available cultivars in response to weather parameters critical for yield formation. To determine the scale of such 'weather response diversity' within barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), an important crop in northern conditions, the yield responses of a wide range of modern and historical varieties were analysed according to a well-defined set of critical agro-meteorological variables. The Finnish long-term dataset of MTT Official Variety Trials was used together with historical weather records of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The foci of the analysis were firstly to describe the general response of barley to different weather conditions and secondly to reveal the diversity among varieties in the sensitivity to each weather variable. It was established that barley yields were frequently reduced by drought or excessive rain early in the season, by high temperatures at around heading, and by accelerated temperature sum accumulation rates during periods 2 weeks before heading and between heading and yellow ripeness. Low temperatures early in the season increased yields, but frost during the first 4 weeks after sowing had no effect. After canopy establishment, higher precipitation on average resulted in higher yields. In a cultivar-specific analysis, it was found that there were differences in responses to all but three of the studied climatic variables: waterlogging and drought early in the season and temperature sum accumulation rate before heading

Paleomicrobiology: a Snapshot of Ancient Microbes and Approaches to Forensic Microbiology

PubMed Central

RIVERA-PEREZ, JESSICA I.; SANTIAGO-RODRIGUEZ, TASHA M.; TORANZOS, GARY A.

2017-01-01

Paleomicrobiology, or the study of ancient microorganisms, has raised both fascination and skepticism for many years. While paleomicrobiology is not a recent field, the application of emerging techniques, such as DNA sequencing, is proving essential and has provided novel information regarding the evolution of viruses, antibiotic resistance, saprophytes, and pathogens, as well as ancient health and disease status, cultural customs, ethnic diets, and historical events. In this review, we highlight the importance of studying ancient microbial DNA, its contributions to current knowledge, and the role that forensic paleomicrobiology has played in deciphering historical enigmas. We also discuss the emerging techniques used to study the microbial composition of ancient samples as well as major concerns that accompany ancient DNA analyses. PMID:27726770

Economic analysis of fuel ethanol production from winter hulled barley by the EDGE (Enhanced Dry Grind Enzymatic) process.

PubMed

Nghiem, Nhuan P; Ramírez, Edna C; McAloon, Andrew J; Yee, Winnie; Johnston, David B; Hicks, Kevin B

2011-06-01

A process and cost model was developed for fuel ethanol production from winter barley based on the EDGE (Enhanced Dry Grind Enzymatic) process. In this process, in addition to β-glucanases, which are added to reduce the viscosity of the mash, β-glucosidase is also added to completely hydrolyze the oligomers obtained during the hydrolysis of β-glucans to glucose. The model allows determination of capital costs, operating costs, and ethanol production cost for a plant producing 40 million gallons of denatured fuel ethanol annually. A sensitivity study was also performed to examine the effects of β-glucosidase and barley costs on the final ethanol production cost. The results of this study clearly demonstrate the economic benefit of adding β-glucosidase. Lower ethanol production cost was obtained compared to that obtained without β-glucosidase addition in all cases except one where highest β-glucosidase cost allowance and lowest barley cost were used. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genome-wide analysis of the SPL/miR156 module and its interaction with the AP2/miR172 unit in barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The SQUAMOSA-promoter binding like (SPL) gene family encodes transcription factors shown in a number of species to influence plant growth and development, but information about these genes in barley is limited. This study identified 13 barley SPL genes, within five distinct groups, that are ortholog...

Free and esterified carotenoids in pigmented wheat, tritordeum and barley grains.

PubMed

Paznocht, Luboš; Kotíková, Zora; Šulc, Miloslav; Lachman, Jaromír; Orsák, Matyáš; Eliášová, Marie; Martinek, Petr

2018-02-01

Carotenoids are important phytonutrients responsible for the yellow endosperm color in cereal grains. Five carotenoids, namely lutein, zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin, α- and β-carotene, were quantified by HPLC-DAD-MS in fourteen genotypes of wheat, barley and tritordeum harvested in Czechia in 2014 and 2015. The highest carotenoid contents were found in yellow-grained tritordeum HT 439 (12.16μg/gDW), followed by blue-grained wheat V1-131-15 (7.46μg/gDW), and yellow-grained wheat TA 4024 (7.04μg/gDW). Comparing carotenoid contents, blue varieties had lower whereas purple ones had the same or higher levels than conventional bread wheat. Lutein was the main carotenoid found in wheat and tritordeum while zeaxanthin dominated in barley. The majority of cereals contained considerable levels of esterified forms (up to 61%) of which lutein esters prevailed. It was assessed that cereal genotype determines the proportion of free and esterified forms. High temperatures and drought during the growing season promoted carotenoid biosynthesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 1980 US/Canada wheat and barley exploratory experiment, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bizzell, R. M.; Prior, H. L.; Payne, R. W.; Disler, J. M.

1983-01-01

The results from the U.S./Canada Wheat and Barley Exploratory Experiment which was completed during FY 1980 are presented. The results indicate that the new crop identification procedures performed well for spring small grains and that they are conductive to automation. The performance of the machine processing techniques shows a significant improvement over previously evaluated technology. However, the crop calendars will require additional development and refinements prior to integration into automated area estimation technology. The evaluation showed the integrated technology to be capable of producing accurate and consistent spring small grains proportion estimates. However, barley proportion estimation technology was not satisfactorily evaluated. The low-density segments examined were judged not to give indicative or unequivocal results. It is concluded that, generally, the spring small grains technology is ready for evaluation in a pilot experiment focusing on sensitivity analyses to a variety of agricultural and meteorological conditions representative of the global environment. It is further concluded that a strong potential exists for establishing a highly efficient technology or spring small grains.

The rights of patients as consumers: An ancient view.

PubMed

Barapatre, Nishant Bhimraj; Joglekar, Vishnu Prabhakar

2016-01-01

As far as the rights of consumers are concerned, the International Organization of Consumer's Union (IOCU) in 1983 has specified about the eight rights of a consumer. The Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 1986 then prescribed six "Rights of Consumers," which are protected under the act. However, these rights can be observed in the ancient Indian texts such as Brihat-trayee , Narad Smruti , and Kautilya Arthashastra ., in the form of rights given to patients. For the purpose of present study, the implemented methodology includes - (1) study of the consumer rights described by IOCU and CPA, (2) detailed review of literature for observance of replication of these consumer rights in the ancient Indian texts and (3) a comparative study of the present consumer rights with the rights of patients observed in ancient Indian texts. This study shows that the substance of consumer rights is not a recent evolution, but the foundation of these rights has been laid well beforehand in the ancient times, which were provided to the patients by medical profession as well as by the rulers. The current scenario of protection of consumer rights is the replication of this ancient practice only.

The rights of patients as consumers: An ancient view

PubMed Central

Barapatre, Nishant Bhimraj; Joglekar, Vishnu Prabhakar

2016-01-01

As far as the rights of consumers are concerned, the International Organization of Consumer's Union (IOCU) in 1983 has specified about the eight rights of a consumer. The Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 1986 then prescribed six “Rights of Consumers,” which are protected under the act. However, these rights can be observed in the ancient Indian texts such as Brihat-trayee, Narad Smruti, and Kautilya Arthashastra., in the form of rights given to patients. For the purpose of present study, the implemented methodology includes – (1) study of the consumer rights described by IOCU and CPA, (2) detailed review of literature for observance of replication of these consumer rights in the ancient Indian texts and (3) a comparative study of the present consumer rights with the rights of patients observed in ancient Indian texts. This study shows that the substance of consumer rights is not a recent evolution, but the foundation of these rights has been laid well beforehand in the ancient times, which were provided to the patients by medical profession as well as by the rulers. The current scenario of protection of consumer rights is the replication of this ancient practice only. PMID:29491665

Ancient Human Parasites in Ethnic Chinese Populations.

PubMed

Yeh, Hui-Yuan; Mitchell, Piers D

2016-10-01