The second-crop corn has become one of the main agricultural production systems in Brazil, with the state of Paraná being one of the largest national producers of this crop. The expansion of the soybean-corn system has significantly contributed to increased grain production and the strengthening of animal protein production chains, playing a strategic role in the state and national economy. However, second-crop corn cultivation is subject to several factors that limit productivity, notably abiotic stresses such as water deficit, low temperatures, frosts, and irregular rainfall distribution, as well as biotic factors such as the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis), the corn stunt complex, foliar diseases, insect pests, and weeds. These factors directly affect the physiological and biochemical processes of the plant, compromising the growth, development, and yield of cultivated hybrids. In this context, genetic improvement plays a fundamental role in the development of cultivars better adapted to the edaphoclimatic conditions of Paraná. The use of modern tools, such as marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, high-precision phenotyping, digital agriculture, remote sensing, and gene editing, has contributed to accelerating the development of more productive, resistant, and stable hybrids. Furthermore, the integration of breeding technologies, agronomic management, and climate monitoring represents a promising strategy to minimize the impacts of climate change and increase the sustainability of the production system. Therefore, this review gathers and discusses the main aspects related to the cultivation of second-crop maize in the state of Paraná, addressing the factors that influence productivity, the physiological and genetic mechanisms of resistance, the technological advances applied to genetic improvement, and the prospects for the development of more resilient and efficient production systems.
Helio Souza· Agronomy Science and Biotech...· 0 citations
CRISPR is biology's most improbable technology: a bacterial adaptive immune system, recognized only gradually from odd repeated sequences in microbial genomes, became within a decade the universal tool of genome editing---Cas9's programmable double-strand cuts, the Cas12 and Cas13 families' extensions, and prime editing's search-and-replace precision. This article presents a narrative review of the primary literature of that transformation, from Ishino and colleagues' nucleotide sequence of the iap gene, where the repeats were first recorded, through the biological decipherment: Mojica and colleagues' biological significance of the regularly spaced repeats, Bolotin and colleagues' spacers of extrachromosomal origin, and Barrangou and colleagues' demonstration that CRISPR provides acquired resistance against viruses---the system's function proven, Wiedenheft, Sternberg, and Doudna's synthesis of the RNA-guided silencing, and the engineering program: Jinek, Chylinski, Fonfara, Hauer, Doudna, and Charpentier's programmable dual-RNA-guided endonuclease---Cas9 harnessed---Cong and colleagues' and Mali and colleagues' multiplex engineering in human cells, Doudna and Charpentier's frontier review, Zetsche and colleagues' Cpf1 as the compact Cas12, Abudayyeh and colleagues' C2c2 as the RNA-targeting Cas13, and Anzalone and colleagues' prime editing---search-and-replace without double-strand breaks. The synthesis is organized around three themes: the curiosity phase, in which the repeats' function was decoded from bioinformatics to immunity; the engineering phase, in which the bacterial nuclease became a programmable editor; and the diversification phase, in which the Cas families' variety---DNA and RNA targeting, base and prime editing---built the editing toolkit. It is concluded that CRISPR is the paradigm case of curiosity-driven microbiology becoming world technology, and that its systems' continued natural diversity remains the source of its future.
Zen Revista, 10 BIOLOGY· Zenodo (CERN European Organi...· 0 citations
Description Thalassemia as a Genetic Disorder: From β-Globin Mutation to Precision Prevention and Gene-Based Therapy is an evidence-informed international review that provides a comprehensive overview of thalassemia as an inherited genetic disorder, with particular emphasis on the molecular basis of disease, β-globin gene mutations, genotype–phenotype relationships, disease mechanisms, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, prevention, and emerging therapeutic strategies. The manuscript examines how pathogenic variants affecting β-globin synthesis contribute to ineffective erythropoiesis, chronic anemia, iron overload, and the major clinical complications associated with thalassemia. It also discusses advances in molecular diagnostics, carrier screening, genetic counseling, prenatal and preimplantation genetic testing, and population-based prevention strategies. A major focus of this review is the transition from conventional supportive management toward precision medicine and gene-based therapies. Recent developments in hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, genome editing, gene addition, and other molecularly targeted approaches are considered in the context of their potential to modify the underlying genetic cause of disease. By integrating genetic, clinical, preventive, and therapeutic perspectives, this review aims to provide researchers, physicians, genetic counselors, students, and public-health professionals with an accessible evidence-informed synthesis of current knowledge and emerging directions in thalassemia prevention and treatment. Keywords: Thalassemia; β-thalassemia; α-thalassemia; β-globin gene; HBB gene; genetic mutations; hemoglobin disorders; inherited blood disorders; anemia; ineffective erythropoiesis; iron overload; genetic screening; carrier screening; genetic counseling; prenatal diagnosis; preimplantation genetic testing; molecular diagnostics; precision medicine; gene therapy; gene editing; genome editing; CRISPR; hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation; gene-based therapy; transfusion-dependent thalassemia; thalassemia prevention; personalized medicine.
Dr.Zeeshan Qaiser· Zenodo (CERN European Organi...· 0 citations
Enhancing plant immunity often improves resistance to pathogens, yet its consequences for beneficial symbionts remain underexplored. Here, we assessed the effects of disrupting GmLOPP, a soybean type 2 C protein phosphatase, on both immune activation and rhizobial symbiosis. Loss-of-function Gmlopp mutants displayed enhanced resistance against both bacterial blight and pustule disease. Upon treatment with lipopolysaccharides (LPS), major components of the bacterial outer membrane, these mutants showed elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and upregulated expression of GmOXI1 and GmWRKY33 . Importantly, Gmlopp plants exhibited no detectable trade-offs in growth or nodulation compared with the wild type. Collectively, our findings establish that GmLOPP knockout confers disease resistance without compromising rhizobial symbiosis, highlighting its potential as a gene-editing target for soybean breeding.
Zhixuan Wu, Yuchen Wang, Qinghong Li et al.· BMC Plant Biology· 0 citations
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CRISPR is biology's most improbable technology: a bacterial adaptive immune system, recognized only gradually from odd repeated sequences in microbial genomes, became within a decade the universal tool of genome editing---Cas9's programmable double-strand cuts, the Cas12 and Cas13 families' extensions, and prime editing's search-and-replace precision. This article presents a narrative review of the primary literature of that transformation, from Ishino and colleagues' nucleotide sequence of the iap gene, where the repeats were first recorded, through the biological decipherment: Mojica and colleagues' biological significance of the regularly spaced repeats, Bolotin and colleagues' spacers of extrachromosomal origin, and Barrangou and colleagues' demonstration that CRISPR provides acquired resistance against viruses---the system's function proven, Wiedenheft, Sternberg, and Doudna's synthesis of the RNA-guided silencing, and the engineering program: Jinek, Chylinski, Fonfara, Hauer, Doudna, and Charpentier's programmable dual-RNA-guided endonuclease---Cas9 harnessed---Cong and colleagues' and Mali and colleagues' multiplex engineering in human cells, Doudna and Charpentier's frontier review, Zetsche and colleagues' Cpf1 as the compact Cas12, Abudayyeh and colleagues' C2c2 as the RNA-targeting Cas13, and Anzalone and colleagues' prime editing---search-and-replace without double-strand breaks. The synthesis is organized around three themes: the curiosity phase, in which the repeats' function was decoded from bioinformatics to immunity; the engineering phase, in which the bacterial nuclease became a programmable editor; and the diversification phase, in which the Cas families' variety---DNA and RNA targeting, base and prime editing---built the editing toolkit. It is concluded that CRISPR is the paradigm case of curiosity-driven microbiology becoming world technology, and that its systems' continued natural diversity remains the source of its future.
Zen Revista, 10 BIOLOGY· Zenodo (CERN European Organi...· 0 citations
Description Thalassemia as a Genetic Disorder: From β-Globin Mutation to Precision Prevention and Gene-Based Therapy is an evidence-informed international review that provides a comprehensive overview of thalassemia as an inherited genetic disorder, with particular emphasis on the molecular basis of disease, β-globin gene mutations, genotype–phenotype relationships, disease mechanisms, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, prevention, and emerging therapeutic strategies. The manuscript examines how pathogenic variants affecting β-globin synthesis contribute to ineffective erythropoiesis, chronic anemia, iron overload, and the major clinical complications associated with thalassemia. It also discusses advances in molecular diagnostics, carrier screening, genetic counseling, prenatal and preimplantation genetic testing, and population-based prevention strategies. A major focus of this review is the transition from conventional supportive management toward precision medicine and gene-based therapies. Recent developments in hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, genome editing, gene addition, and other molecularly targeted approaches are considered in the context of their potential to modify the underlying genetic cause of disease. By integrating genetic, clinical, preventive, and therapeutic perspectives, this review aims to provide researchers, physicians, genetic counselors, students, and public-health professionals with an accessible evidence-informed synthesis of current knowledge and emerging directions in thalassemia prevention and treatment. Keywords: Thalassemia; β-thalassemia; α-thalassemia; β-globin gene; HBB gene; genetic mutations; hemoglobin disorders; inherited blood disorders; anemia; ineffective erythropoiesis; iron overload; genetic screening; carrier screening; genetic counseling; prenatal diagnosis; preimplantation genetic testing; molecular diagnostics; precision medicine; gene therapy; gene editing; genome editing; CRISPR; hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation; gene-based therapy; transfusion-dependent thalassemia; thalassemia prevention; personalized medicine.
Dr.Zeeshan Qaiser· Zenodo (CERN European Organi...· 0 citations
Powdery mildew is a group of plant diseases caused by fungi of the Erysiphaceae family and threatening virtually all important crop plants. The main causative agents of powdery mildew in tomato are the fungi Leveilula taurica and Erysiphe neolycopersici . The genetic basis of tomato resistance to powdery mildew includes a series of six Ol- loci conferring resistance to E. neolycopersici and a single Lv locus of resistance to L. taurica. S-genes such as SlMlo1, SlPMR4, and SlDMR1 confer resistance against multiple powdery mildew species and thus are considered more promising targets for molecular breeding using methods of genome editing by CRISPR/Cas system. Specific resistance to powdery mildew is realized through specific leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins, as a general mechanism of pathogen-specific plant immunity. The present review focuses on the current advances in the tomato breeding for resistance to powdery mildew, based on the known molecular mechanisms of susceptibility and resistance.
Alexandr Pozharskiy, Valeriya Kostyukova, Ruslan Kalendar et al.· Heliyon· 0 citations
Abstract DJ-1 is a genetic factor associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and altered DJ-1 function has been implicated in PD pathogenesis. However, DJ-1 knockout mice fail to reproduce robust PD-like phenotypes or neuropathology, leaving the contribution of DJ-1 deficiency to PD-related disease processes unresolved. To investigate this question in a species more closely related to primates than rodents, we used the tree shrew and performed bilateral, neuron-targeted DJ-1 knockout in the substantia nigra using an AAV-mediated in situ gene editing system. Four out of five DJ-1 knockout tree shrews developed key PD features, including motor abnormalities, substantial loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons, and aggregation of phosphorylated α-synuclein at serine 129 (PSer129αSyn). Notably, one DJ-1 knockout animal did not develop these phenotypes, despite comparable AAV transduction efficiency and DJ-1 knockout levels in the substantia nigra, suggesting that DJ-1 loss may not be solely sufficient in all cases and that additional modifying or compensatory factors may influence disease manifestation. Further pathological analysis showed that PSer129αSyn aggregation was associated with the development of PD-like phenotypes in this model. These findings support a model in which DJ-1 deficiency can promote key PD-like phenotypes in tree shrews, potentially involving PSer129αSyn accumulation, nigral dopaminergic neuron loss, and motor dysfunction. Given that multiple molecular pathways have been proposed to link DJ-1 dysfunction to PD, our results provide in vivo evidence supporting PSer129αSyn aggregation as an important pathological process associated with DJ-1 deficiency. This tree shrew model may therefore provide a useful experimental platform for studying DJ-1-related PD pathogenesis and evaluating potential therapeutic strategies.
Hao Li, Leyi Mei, Jingmei Cha et al.· Cell Death and Disease· 0 citations
Supplemental data failes to accompany the dissertation titled "The Evolution of Crucial Verterbate Muscle Proteins." Descriptions of files are provided below. Data S1: Myosin expression values and sample metadata from publicly available datasets. The file does not contain Lonchura striata expression data. NCBI accession numbers for both myosin loci and sample expression sets are provided. XLSX format. Data S2: Phylogenetic tree of cardiac myosin sequences with bootstrap support values. Tree is reflected graphically in Supplemental Figure S1. Newick format. Data S3. Multiple sequence alignment of vertebrate cardiac myosins. Alignment was used to generate the tree depicted in Supplemental Figure S1 and included in Data S2. FASTA format. Accession numbers included in sequence IDs. Data S4. List of vertebrate myosin sequences. The file also contains explanations of why sequences may have been excluded or descriptions of any manual edits made. CSV format. Data S5. Phylogenetic tree of avian cardiac myosins with bootstrap support values. This tree is depicted graphically in Figure 4C. Newick format. Data S6. Multiple sequence alignment of avian cardiac myosins. Alignment was used to generate the tree depicted in Figure 4C and included in Data S5. FASTA format. Accession numbers provided in sequence IDs. Data S7. Multiple sequence alignment of passerine and nonpasserine MYH6 and MYH6B sequences. Alignment was used to generate percent identity scores between passerine MYH6, nonpasserine MYH6, and passerine MYH6B. FASTA format. Data S8. Multiple sequence alignment used to generate 100% consensus sites between MYH6 and MYH6B sequences for passerine and nonpasserine birds. FASTA format. Data S9. Multiple sequence alignment of chicken myosin sequences from previous publications and NCBI reference genome. FASTA format. Data S10. Multiple sequence alignment of Sauropsid MYH15. Alignment was used to test for evidence of selection. FASTA format. Data S11. Phylogenetic tree of MYH15 sequences. Tree was used to test for evidence of selection. Newick format. Data S12. Expression data for Lonchura striata hearts. Multi-tabbed spreadsheet with proportion of MYH expressed, summarized MYH expression per sample, and NCBI genes used to quantify MYH expression. XLSX format.
Christina M Harvey· Zenodo (CERN European Organi...· 0 citations
Supplemental data failes to accompany the dissertation titled "The Evolution of Crucial Verterbate Muscle Proteins." Descriptions of files are provided below. Data S1: Myosin expression values and sample metadata from publicly available datasets. The file does not contain Lonchura striata expression data. NCBI accession numbers for both myosin loci and sample expression sets are provided. XLSX format. Data S2: Phylogenetic tree of cardiac myosin sequences with bootstrap support values. Tree is reflected graphically in Supplemental Figure S1. Newick format. Data S3. Multiple sequence alignment of vertebrate cardiac myosins. Alignment was used to generate the tree depicted in Supplemental Figure S1 and included in Data S2. FASTA format. Accession numbers included in sequence IDs. Data S4. List of vertebrate myosin sequences. The file also contains explanations of why sequences may have been excluded or descriptions of any manual edits made. CSV format. Data S5. Phylogenetic tree of avian cardiac myosins with bootstrap support values. This tree is depicted graphically in Figure 4C. Newick format. Data S6. Multiple sequence alignment of avian cardiac myosins. Alignment was used to generate the tree depicted in Figure 4C and included in Data S5. FASTA format. Accession numbers provided in sequence IDs. Data S7. Multiple sequence alignment of passerine and nonpasserine MYH6 and MYH6B sequences. Alignment was used to generate percent identity scores between passerine MYH6, nonpasserine MYH6, and passerine MYH6B. FASTA format. Data S8. Multiple sequence alignment used to generate 100% consensus sites between MYH6 and MYH6B sequences for passerine and nonpasserine birds. FASTA format. Data S9. Multiple sequence alignment of chicken myosin sequences from previous publications and NCBI reference genome. FASTA format. Data S10. Multiple sequence alignment of Sauropsid MYH15. Alignment was used to test for evidence of selection. FASTA format. Data S11. Phylogenetic tree of MYH15 sequences. Tree was used to test for evidence of selection. Newick format. Data S12. Expression data for Lonchura striata hearts. Multi-tabbed spreadsheet with proportion of MYH expressed, summarized MYH expression per sample, and NCBI genes used to quantify MYH expression. XLSX format.
Christina M Harvey· Zenodo (CERN European Organi...· 0 citations
CRISPR technology is emerging as a promising therapeutic approach for eliminating chronic viral infections, such as herpesviruses and HIV. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate in vitro that CRISPR can be used to excise the HTLV-1 genome and reduce proviral loads in PBMCs from HAM/TSP (HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis) patients. Single treatment with CRISPR-RNP (ribonucleoprotein) complexes composed of two gRNAs targeting the HTLV-1 env gene and 3’LTR sequences resulted in excision of a 2613 bp segment of the proviral genome, spanning tax and HBZ genes, without detectable off-target activity. Furthermore, CRISPR treatment led to over 50% reduction in proviral loads 5 days post-electroporation. Our data indicate that CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing can be used as a therapeutic strategy to eliminate HTLV-1 DNA from infected cells and may serve as a platform for curing HAM/TSP.
Samuel Brancazio, K. Khalili, Steven Jacobson et al.· Journal of Neurovirology· 0 citations
A programmable gene replacement tool, named prime assembly (PA), which adapts prime editors to produce one or two pairs of 3'-flaps on both the genome and donor DNA, allowing megabase-scale genomic excision and/or kilobase-scale donor insertion at the gene of interest.
Hojun Jung, Bada Jeong, Yong-Woo Kim et al.· Nature Biotechnology· 0 citations
A new method for surgically removing training examples from a model reveals that as datasets grow, the link between what a model learns and what it produces dissolves.
MIT News · Artificial Intelligence· news.mit.eduAug 17, 2026
