Bashir, K. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2020

Reproductive tissues-specific meta-QTLs and candidate genes for development of heat-tolerant rice cultivars

Rice holds the key to future food security. In rice-growing areas, temperature has already reached an optimum level for growth, hence, any further increase due to global climate change could significantly reduce rice yield. Several mapping studies have identified a plethora of reproductive tissue-specific and heat stress associated inconsistent quantitative trait loci (QTL), which could be exploited for improvement of heat tolerance. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis on previously reported QTLs and identified 35 most consistent meta-QTLs (MQTLs) across diverse genetic backgrounds and environments. Genetic and physical intervals of nearly 66% MQTLs were narrower than 5 cM and 2 Mb respectively, indicating hotspot genomic regions for heat tolerance. Comparative analyses of MQTLs underlying genes with microarray and RNA-seq based transcriptomic data sets revealed a core set of 45 heat-responsive genes, among which 24 were reproductive tissue-specific and have not been studied in detail before. Remarkably, all these genes corresponded to various stress associated functions, ranging from abiotic stress sensing to regulating plant stress responses, and included heat-shock genes (OsBiP2, OsMed37_1), transcription factors (OsNAS3, OsTEF1, OsWRKY10, OsWRKY21), transmembrane transporters (OsAAP7A, OsAMT2;1), sugar metabolizing (OsSUS4, -Gal III) and abiotic stress (OsRCI2-7, SRWD1) genes. Functional data evidences from Arabidopsis heat-shock genes also suggest that OsBIP2 may be associated with thermotolerance of pollen tubes under heat stress conditions. Furthermore, promoters of identified genes were enriched with heat, dehydration, pollen and sugar responsive cis-acting regulatory elements, proposing a common regulatory mechanism might exist in rice for mitigsating reproductive stage heat stress. These findings strongly support our results and provide new candidate genes for fast-track development of heat-tolerant rice cultivars. Key MessageBy integrating genetics and genomics data, reproductive tissues-specific and heat stress responsive 35 meta-QTLs and 45 candidate genes were identified, which could be exploited through marker-assisted breeding for fast-track development of heat-tolerant rice cultivars.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2019

One-year descriptive analysis of patients treated at an anti-rabies clinic - a retrospective study from Kashmir

BackgroundDog bites in humans are a major public health problem in India in general and Kashmir in particular. Canine rabies is almost non-existent in developed countries and exists mainly in the poorer, low socioeconomic strata of society in the developing world. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics, pattern, and burden of dog bite injuries in the Kashmir valley.\n\nMethodology and principal findingsData from Anti-Rabies Clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Srinagar, the summer capital of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, was collated and analyzed. Analysis of records of all the patients who had reported between April 2016 and March 2017 was done. A total of 6172 patients had reported to the Anti-Rabies Clinic for management of animal bites from 1st April 2016 to 31st March 2017. Most of the patients were young males. Almost half (47.7%) of the patients were bitten in the afternoon. Lower limbs were the most common site of bite (71.7%). Most of the bites were of Category III (57.6%) followed by Category II (42.3%); only one case of Category I was recorded. Almost all (98.0%) cases reported being bitten by dogs.\n\nConclusionsCategory III dog bites on lower limbs are the most common type of animal bites. Children have more chances of a bite on head and neck region. Serious and workable efforts have to be made to reduce the incidence and consequences of animal bites.\n\nAuthor summaryIn Kashmir, dog bite is an important public health problem. Thousands of people become victims of an animal bite, especially dog bite, and some of them develop rabies. Rabies is an invariably fatal viral disease resulting in approximately 59 000 human deaths per year globally, with 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia. The only way to prevent a rabies death is vaccination of an animal bite victim. In Kashmir, the burden and characteristics of dog bites are not routinely captured by the health system in place. We, therefore, attempted to find out the burden and characteristics of animal bite victims by analyzing one-year data from an Anti-Rabies Clinic at a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir. We found that 98% of the patients registered at the clinic during the period were victims of a dog bite. The victims were mostly young males but females and children were not shown any mercy either. Lower limbs were the most favorite site of the bite. Our analysis of the data also revealed that children under 15 years were more prone to a bite in the head and neck region. We concluded that the burden of animal bites, especially dog bites, is huge in Kashmir and recommended that serious efforts directed towards immunizing and decreasing the stray dog population need to be put into practice to decrease the number of animal bite victims and prevent any rabies deaths.

epidemiology↗