Compensatory effects were not observed within other gluten protein classes. Reactivities of IgG and IgA antibodies from a cohort of patients with celiac disease toward proteins from the transgenic lines were reduced significantly relative to the nontransgenic line. Both mixing properties and SDS sedimentation volumes suggested a decrease in dough strength in the transgenic lines when compared to the control. The data suggest that it will be difficult to selectively silence specific genes within families as complex as the wheat alpha gliadins. Nonetheless, it may be possible to reduce the immunogenic potential of the flour and still retain many of the functional properties essential for the utilization of wheat. Copyright © 2020 Altenbach, Chang, Rowe, Yu, Simon-Buss, Seabourn, Green and Alaedini.Forage grasses are mainly used in animal feed to fatten cattle and dairy herds, and guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus) is considered one of the most productive of the tropical forage crops that reproduce by seeds. Due to the recent process of domestication, this species has several genomic complexities, such as autotetraploidy and aposporous apomixis. Consequently, approaches that relate phenotypic and genotypic data are incipient. In this context, we built a linkage map with allele dosage and generated novel information of the genetic architecture of traits that are important for the breeding of M. maximus. From a full-sib progeny, a linkage map containing 858 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers with allele dosage information expected for an autotetraploid was obtained. The high genetic variability of the progeny allowed us to map 10 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to agronomic traits, such as regrowth capacity and total dry matter, and 36 QTLs related to nutritional quality, which were distributed among all homology groups (HGs). Various overlapping regions associated with the quantitative traits suggested QTL hotspots. In addition, we were able to map one locus that controls apospory (apo-locus) in HG II. A total of 55 different gene families involved in cellular metabolism and plant growth were identified from markers adjacent to the QTLs and APOSPORY locus using the Panicum virgatum genome as a reference in comparisons with the genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa. Our results provide a better understanding of the genetic basis of reproduction by apomixis and traits important for breeding programs that considerably influence animal productivity as well as the quality of meat and milk. Copyright © 2020 Deo, Ferreira, Lara, Moraes, Alves-Pereira, de Oliveira, Garcia, Santos, Jank and de Souza.Impacts of climate change like global warming, drought, flooding, and other extreme events are posing severe challenges to global crop production. find more Contribution of Brassica napus towards the oilseed industry makes it an essential component of international trade and agroeconomics. Consequences from increasing occurrences of multiple abiotic stresses on this crop are leading to agroeconomic losses making it vital to endow B. napus crop with an ability to survive and maintain yield when faced with simultaneous exposure to multiple abiotic stresses. For an improved understanding of the stress sensing machinery, there is a need for analyzing regulatory pathways of multiple stress-responsive genes and other regulatory elements such as non-coding RNAs. However, our understanding of these pathways and their interactions in B. napus is far from complete. This review outlines the current knowledge of stress-responsive genes and their role in imparting multiple stress tolerance in B. napus. Analysis of network cross-talk through omics data mining is now making it possible to unravel the underlying complexity required for stress sensing and signaling in plants. Novel biotechnological approaches such as transgene-free genome editing and utilization of nanoparticles as gene delivery tools are also discussed. These can contribute to providing solutions for developing climate change resilient B. napus varieties with reduced regulatory limitations. The potential ability of synthetic biology to engineer and modify networks through fine-tuning of stress regulatory elements for plant responses to stress adaption is also highlighted. Copyright © 2020 Lohani, Jain, Singh and Bhalla.Chickpea is one of the most economically important food legumes, and a significant source of proteins. It is cultivated in more than 50 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, North America, and South America. Chickpea production is limited by various abiotic stresses (cold, heat, drought, salt, etc.). Being a winter-season crop in northern south Asia and some parts of the Australia, chickpea faces low-temperature stress (0-15°C) during the reproductive stage that causes substantial loss of flowers, and thus pods, to inhibit its yield potential by 30-40%. The winter-sown chickpea in the Mediterranean, however, faces cold stress at vegetative stage. In late-sown environments, chickpea faces high-temperature stress during reproductive and pod filling stages, causing considerable yield losses. Both the low and the high temperatures reduce pollen viability, pollen germination on the stigma, and pollen tube growth resulting in poor pod set. Chickpea also experiences drought stress at various growth stagees in chickpea, and have opened opportunities to develop stress tolerant chickpea. Copyright © 2020 Rani, Devi, Jha, Sharma, Siddique and Nayyar.Most of our crops are grown in monoculture with single genotypes grown over wide acreage. An alternative approach, where segregating populations are used as crops, is an exciting possibility, but outcomes of natural selection upon this type of crop are not well understood. We tracked allelic frequency changes in evolving composite cross populations of wheat grown over 10 generations under organic and conventional farming. At three generations, each population was genotyped with 19 SSR and 8 SNP markers. The latter were diagnostic for major functional genes. Gene diversity was constant at SSR markers but decreased over time for SNP markers. Population differentiation between the four locations could not be detected, suggesting that organic vs. non-organic crop management did not drive allele frequency changes. However, we did see changes for genes controlling plant height and phenology in all populations independently and consistently. We interpret these changes as the result of a consistent natural selection towards wild-type. Independent selection for alleles that are associated with plant height suggests that competition for light was central, resulting in the predominance of stronger intraspecific competitors, and highlighting a potential trade-off between individual and population performance. Copyright © 2020 Knapp, Döring, Jones, Snape, Wingen, Wolfe, Leverington-Waite and Griffiths.Modulation of immune activation using immunotherapy has attracted considerable attention for many years as a potential therapeutic intervention for several inflammation-associated neurodegenerative diseases. However, the efficacy of single-target immunotherapy intervention has shown limited or no efficacy in alleviating disease burden and restoring functional capacity. Marked immune system activation and neuroinflammation are important features and prodromal signs in polyQ repeat disorders and α-synucleinopathies. This review describes the current status and future directions of immunotherapies in proteinopathy-induced neurodegeneration with emphasis on preclinical and clinical efficacies of several anti-inflammatory compounds and antibody-based therapies for the treatment of Huntington’s disease and α-synucleinopathies. link2 The review concludes with how disease modification and functional restoration could be achieved by using targeted multimodality therapy to target multiple factors. Copyright © 2020 Fatoba, Ohtake, Itokazu and Yamashita.Gemcitabine has been used as first-line chemotherapy against lung cancer, but many patients experience cancer recurrence. Activation of anti-tumor immunity in vivo has become an important way to prevent recurrence. Anti-tumor immune responses are often dependent upon the immunogenicity of tumors. In our study, we observed that low-dose gemcitabine treatment enhanced the immunogenicity of lung cancer by increasing the exposure of calreticulin, high mobility group box 1, and upregulating expression of NKG2D ligands. Further studies demonstrated that low-dose gemcitabine treatment increased interferon-γ expression and NK-cell activation in mice. Low-dose gemcitabine treatment was sufficient for inhibiting tumor growth with few side effects in vivo. These data suggest that low-dose gemcitabine-induced immunochemotherapy activated antitumor immunity in immunocompetent patients. Copyright © 2020 Zhang, Wang, Li, Jiao, Jin, Cong, Zheng and Xu.Biliary atresia (BA) is a devastating fibro-inflammatory disease characterized by the obstruction of extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts in infants that can have fatal consequences, when not treated in a timely manner. It is the most common indication of pediatric liver transplantation worldwide and the development of new therapies, to alleviate the need of surgical intervention, has been hindered due to its complexity and lack of understanding of the disease pathogenesis. For that reason, significant efforts have been made toward the development of experimental models and strategies to understand the etiology and disease mechanisms and to identify novel therapeutic targets. The only characterized model of BA, using a Rhesus Rotavirus Type A infection of newborn BALB/c mice, has enabled the identification of key cellular and molecular targets involved in epithelial injury and duct obstruction. However, the establishment of an unleashed chronic inflammation followed by a progressive pathological wound healing process remains poorly understood. Like T cells, macrophages can adopt different functional programs [pro-inflammatory (M1) and resolutive (M2) macrophages] and influence the surrounding cytokine environment and the cell response to injury. In this review, we provide an overview of the immunopathogenesis of BA, discuss the implication of innate immunity in the disease pathogenesis and highlight their suitability as therapeutic targets. link3 Copyright © 2020 Ortiz-Perez, Donnelly, Temple, Tiao, Bansal and Mohanty.Overcoming tolerance to tumor-associated antigens remains a hurdle for cancer vaccine-based immunotherapy. A strategy to enhance the anti-tumor immune response is the inclusion of adjuvants to cancer vaccine protocols. In this report, we generated and systematically screened over twenty gene-based molecular adjuvants composed of cytokines, chemokines, and T cell co-stimulators for the ability to increase anti-tumor antigen T cell immunity. We identified several robust adjuvants whose addition to vaccine formulations resulted in enhanced T cell responses targeting the cancer antigens STEAP1 and TERT. We further characterized direct T cell stimulation through CD80-Fc and indirect T cell targeting via the dendritic cell activator Flt3L-Fc. Mechanistically, intramuscular delivery of Flt3L-Fc into mice was associated with a significant increase in infiltration of dendritic cells at the site of administration and trafficking of activated dendritic cells to the draining lymph node. Gene expression analysis of the muscle tissue confirmed a significant up-regulation in genes associated with dendritic cell signaling.