Genetic Environments Research Articles

A large-effect QTL for rice grain yield under upland drought stress on chromosome 1

Drought is a major abiotic stress factor limiting rice production in rainfed areas. In this study we identified a large-effect quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated with grain yield under stress in five different populations on chromosome 1. The effect of this QTL was further confirmed and characterized in five backcross populations in a total of sixteen stress and non-stress trials during 2006 and 2008. In all the stress trials (eight in total) qDTY1.1 showed strong association with grain yield explaining on average 58% of the genetic variation in the trait. Homozygotes for the tolerant parent allele (Apo) yielded on average 27% more than the susceptible parent allele (IR64) homozygotes. Using an Apo/3*IR64 population, the peak of this QTL (qDTY1.1) was mapped to an interval between RM486 and RM472 at 162.8 cM at a LOD score of 9.26. qDTY1.1 was strongly associated with plant height in all the environments; this was probably due to the presence of the sd1 locus in this genomic region. In a Vandana/3*IR64 population segregating for sd1, a strong relation between plant height and yield under stress was observed. The observed relation between increased height and drought tolerance is likely due to tight linkage between qDTY1.1 and sd1 and not due to pleiotrophy of sd1. Thus there is a possibility of combining reduced plant height and drought tolerance in rice. The large and consistent effect of qDTY1.1 across several genetic backgrounds and environments makes it a potential strong candidate for use in molecular breeding of rice for drought tolerance.

Massive Increase, Spread, and Exchange of Extended Spectrum -Lactamase-Encoding Genes Among Intestinal Enterobacteriaceae in Hospitalized Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition in Niger

From the time of CTX-M emergence, extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing enterobacteria (ESBL-E) have spread worldwide in community settings as well as in hospitals, particularly in developing countries. Although their dissemination appears linked to Escherichia coli intestinal carriage, precise paths of this dynamic are largely unknown. Children from a pediatric renutrition center were prospectively enrolled in a fecal carriage study. Antibiotic exposure was recorded. ESBL-E strains were isolated using selective media from fecal samples obtained at admission and, when negative, also at discharge. ESBL-encoding genes were identified, their environments and plasmids were characterized, and clonality was assessed with polymerase chain reaction-based methods and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. E. coli strains were subjected to multilocus sequence typing. The ESBL-E carriage rate was 31% at admission in the 55 children enrolled. All children enrolled received antibiotics during hospitalization. Among the ESBL-E-negative children, 16 were resampled at discharge, and the acquisition rate was 94%. The bla(CTX-M-15) gene was found in >90% of the carriers. Genetic environments and plasmid characterization evidenced the roles of a worldwide, previously described, multidrug-resistant region and of IncF plasmids in CTX-M-15 E. coli dissemination. Diversity of CTX-M-15-carrying genetic structures and clonality of acquired ESBL E. coli suggested horizontal genetic transfer and underlined the potential of some ST types for nosocomial cross-transmission. Cross-transmission and high selective pressure lead to very high acquisition of ESBL-E carriage, contributing to dissemination in the community. Strict hygiene measures as well as careful balancing of benefit-risk ratio of current antibiotic policies need to be reevaluated.

Lateral genetic transfer and the construction of genetic exchange communities

Lateral genetic transfer (LGT) is a major source of phenotypic innovation among bacteria. Determinants for antibiotic resistance and other adaptive traits can spread rapidly, particularly by conjugative plasmids, but also phages and natural transformation. Each successive step from the uptake of foreign DNA, its genetic recombination and regulatory integration, to its establishment in the host population presents differential barriers and opportunities. The emergence of successive multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus illustrates the ongoing role of LGT in the combinatorial assembly of pathogens. The dynamic interplay among hosts, vectors, DNA elements, combinations of genetic determinants and environments constructs communities of genetic exchange. These relations can be abstracted as a graph, within which an exchange community might correspond to a path, transitively closed set, clique or near-clique. We provide a set-based definition, and review the features of actual genetic exchange communities (GECs), adopting first a knowledge-driven approach based on literature, and then a synoptic data-centric bioinformatic approach. GECs are diverse, but share some common features. Differential opportunity and barriers to lateral genetic transfer create bacterial communities of exchange.

Spread of IS CR1 Elements Containing bla DHA-1 and Multiple Antimicrobial Resistance Genes Leading to Increase of Flomoxef Resistance in Extended-Spectrum-β-Lactamase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

ABSTRACT Increasing resistance to quinolones, aminoglycosides, and/or cephamycins in extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae exacerbates the already limited antibiotic treatment options for infections due to these microbes. In this study, the presence of resistance determinants for these antimicrobial agents was examined by PCR among ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) isolates that caused bacteremia. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to differentiate the clonal relationship among the isolates studied. Transferability and the location of the resistance genes were analyzed by conjugation experiments, followed by DNA-DNA hybridization. Among the 94 ESBL-KP isolates studied, 20 isolates of flomoxef-resistant ESBL-KP were identified. They all carried a DHA-1 gene and were genetically diverse. CTX-M genes were found in 18 of the isolates. Among these DHA-1/CTX-M-producing K. pneumoniae isolates, IS CR1 was detected in 13 (72%) isolates, qnr genes (1 qnrA and 17 qnrB genes) were detected in 18 (100%), aac(6 ′ )-Ib-cr was detected in 11 (61%), and 16S rRNA methylase (all armA genes) was detected in 14 (78%). Four transconjugants were available for further analysis, and qnrB4 , aac(6 ′ )-Ib-cr , armA , and bla DHA-1 were all identified on these self-transferable bla CTX-M -carrying plasmids. The genetic environments of IS CR1 associated with armA , bla DHA-1 , and qnrB4 genes in the four transconjugants were identical. Replicon-type analysis revealed a FIIA plasmid among the four self-transferable plasmids, although the other three were nontypeable. The cotransfer of multiple resistance genes with the IS CR1 element-carrying plasmids has a clinical impact and warrants close monitoring and further study.

Similarities between the genetic environments of blaCTX-M-15 in Escherichia coli from clinical and food samples from Spain and overseas travellers

Similarities between the genetic environments of blaCTX-M-15 in Escherichia coli from clinical and food samples from Spain and overseas travellers

Developing Rice with High Yield under Phosphorus Deficiency: Pup1 Sequence to Application

The major quantitative trait locus (QTL) Phosphorus uptake1 (Pup1) confers tolerance of phosphorus deficiency in soil and is currently one of the most promising QTLs for the development of tolerant rice (Oryza sativa) varieties. To facilitate targeted introgression of Pup1 into intolerant varieties, the gene models predicted in the Pup1 region in the donor variety Kasalath were used to develop gene-based molecular markers that are evenly distributed over the fine-mapped 278-kb QTL region. To validate the gene models and optimize the markers, gene expression analyses and partial allelic sequencing were conducted. The markers were tested in more than 80 diverse rice accessions revealing three main groups with different Pup1 allele constitution. Accessions with tolerant (group I) and intolerant (group III) Pup1 alleles were distinguished from genotypes with Kasalath alleles at some of the analyzed loci (partial Pup1; group II). A germplasm survey additionally confirmed earlier data showing that Pup1 is largely absent from irrigated rice varieties but conserved in varieties and breeding lines adapted to drought-prone environments. A core set of Pup1 markers has been defined, and sequence polymorphisms suitable for single-nucleotide polymorphism marker development for high-throughput genotyping were identified. Following a marker-assisted backcrossing approach, Pup1 was introgressed into two irrigated rice varieties and three Indonesian upland varieties. First phenotypic evaluations of the introgression lines suggest that Pup1 is effective in different genetic backgrounds and environments and that it has the potential to significantly enhance grain yield under field conditions.

Role of mother's genes and environment in postpartum depression

Most studies of human molecular genetics and social environment interactions on health have relied heavily on the classic diathesis-stress model that treats genetic variations and environments as being either "risky" or "protective." The biological susceptibility model posits that some individuals have greater genetic reactivity to stress, leading to worse outcomes in poor environments, but better outcomes in rich environments. Using a nontruncated measure of a chronic environmental stressor--socioeconomic status--measured by education, and two polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR and STin2 VNTR) of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT), we find strong evidence that some women are genetically more reactive to the environment, resulting in a crossover of risks of postpartum depression for the most reactive groups. We discuss how our approach and findings provide a framework for understanding some of the confusion in the gene-environment interaction literature on stress, 5-HTT, and depression.

Variation in the genetic environments of blaCTX-M-15 in Escherichia coli from the faeces of travellers returning to the United Kingdom

The genetic surroundings of bla(CTX-M-15) in Escherichia coli recovered from faeces of travellers returning to the UK from overseas were compared with those among established UK strains to provide further insights into the spread of bla(CTX-M-15) in the UK. From August 2006 to January 2008, 1031 faecal specimens were collected at the North West London NHS Trust from general practice patients with a clinical history of diarrhoea following recent international travel. Cefuroxime-resistant E. coli were isolated on cystine-lactose-electrolyte deficient agar and those that produced extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) were identified by double disc synergy test (DDST). The molecular environments surrounding bla(CTX-M-15) were investigated by PCR, DNA sequencing, gene cloning and northern blotting. 182/1031 (18%) E. coli isolated from returning travellers gave a positive DDST, and were confirmed by PCR to produce CTX-M ESBLs; 174 (96%) had bla(CTX-M-15), including 21 belonging to clone ST131. Among these 174 isolates, the environment upstream of bla(CTX-M-15) consisted of either: (i) an intact ISEcp1 (n = 108); (ii) various lengths of truncated ISEcp1 (n = 58); or (iii) a 24 bp remnant of ISEcp1 (n = 8). Two different promoters were found to transcribe bla(CTX-M-15), resulting in different levels of cephalosporin resistance. E. coli with CTX-M-15 ESBL from returning travellers harboured previously seen UK bla(CTX-M-15) genetic environments (intact or 24 bp remnant of ISEcp1) as well as bla(CTX-M-15) genetic environments previously unseen in the UK (various lengths of truncated ISEcp1), which suggest overseas acquisition and highlight the difficulty of control in a time of population mobility and travel.

Cross-Resistance to Lincosamides, Streptogramins A, and Pleuromutilins Due to the lsa (C) Gene in Streptococcus agalactiae UCN70

Streptococcus agalactiae UCN70, isolated from a vaginal swab obtained in New Zealand, is resistant to lincosamides and streptogramins A (LS(A) phenotype) and also to tiamulin (a pleuromutilin). By whole-genome sequencing, we identified a 5,224-bp chromosomal extra-element that comprised a 1,479-bp open reading frame coding for an ABC protein (492 amino acids) 45% identical to Lsa(A), a protein related to intrinsic LS(A) resistance in Enterococcus faecalis. Expression of this novel gene, named lsa(C), in S. agalactiae BM132 after cloning led to an increase in MICs of lincomycin (0.06 to 4 μg/ml), clindamycin (0.03 to 2 μg/ml), dalfopristin (2 to >32 μg/ml), and tiamulin (0.12 to 32 μg/ml), whereas no change in MICs of erythromycin (0.06 μg/ml), azithromycin (0.03 μg/ml), spiramycin (0.25 μg/ml), telithromycin (0.03 μg/ml), and quinupristin (8 μg/ml) was observed. The phenotype was renamed the LS(A)P phenotype on the basis of cross-resistance to lincosamides, streptogramins A, and pleuromutilins. This gene was also identified in similar genetic environments in 17 other S. agalactiae clinical isolates from New Zealand exhibiting the same LS(A)P phenotype, whereas it was absent in susceptible S. agalactiae strains. Interestingly, this extra-element was bracketed by a 7-bp duplication of a target site (ATTAGAA), suggesting that this structure was likely a mobile genetic element. In conclusion, we identified a novel gene, lsa(C), responsible for the acquired LS(A)P resistance phenotype in S. agalactiae. Dissection of the biochemical basis of resistance, as well as demonstration of in vitro mobilization of lsa(C), remains to be performed.

First Report of Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance qnrA1 Gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolate of Animal Origin

One QnrA1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate GDKA1 from chicken was detected. The qnrA1 gene on plasmid pGDKA1 was located in a genetic environment similar to that in In36 on plasmid pHSH1 and could be cotransferred to Escherichia coli J53 Az(R) with other resistances by a conjugation experiment. Upstream of the qnrA1 gene, there was a class I integron with the dfrA27 and aadA2 cassettes. Similar genetic environments of qnrA1 in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from both human and animal origin might, to some extent, demonstrate similar mechanisms of qnrA distribution. The presence of qnrA1 in health animal commensal bacteria should be worthy of note. This is the first report of qnrA1 in K. pneumoniae and dfrA27 in an Enterobacteriaceae isolate of animal origin.

Growth Marks of titanian-andradite crystals from Colli Albani (Italy)

Periodico di Mineralogia (2011), 80, 1 (Special Issue), 89-104 - DOI: 10.2451/2011PM0007 Special Issue in memory of Sergio Lucchesi Growth Marks of titanian-andradite crystals from Colli Albani (Italy) Giovanna Agrosi * , Eugenio Scandale and Gioacchino Tempesta Dipartimento Geomineralogico - Universita degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Italy *Corresponding author: g.agrosi@geomin.uniba.it Abstract Growth defects and chemical zonings of Ti-rich andradite (melanite) crystals from Colli Albani were studied using X-ray Diffraction Topography and Electron Probe Microanalysis in order to determine the distinctive features, marks, characterising minerals grown directly from high temperature solution in an open system (volcanic chamber). The samples, cut in (110) and (001) slices, showed a number of primary and, above all, multiphasic melt inclusions, as well as, an unusual colour zoning consisting of a darker colour in the {211} growth sectors with the respect to the {110} sectors. The analysis of X-ray topographic contrasts of growth defects as growth bands, sector boundaries and bundles of dislocations developed parallel to the growth directions has enabled the reconstruction of the morphological evolution vs. time of the samples. The results also suggest that from their onset the crystals were faceted with {211} and predominant {110} faces. Moreover, the topographic images indicated that most of the examined dislocations were nucleated from inclusions. By using the extinction criterion, it was possible to determine that these defects are characterised by a strong edge component. The faceted morphology of garnets found in this paper and the fact that edge dislocations were only characterised suggest a layer spreading growth mechanism by two-dimensional nucleation. The reconstruction of morphology was also particularly useful in distinguishing two different types of chemical zoning: concentric and sector zoning. The results of chemical analyses confirmed that the optically observed colour zoning coincided with sector zoning because of a small but meaningful enrichment of TiO 2 and a decrease of Al 2 O 3 in correspondence with {211} growth sectors. Instead, concentration variations, chiefly of TiO 2 and SiO 2 , were recorded crossing successive growth stages. This event appeared to be associated with the physio-chemical evolution of the growth environment and was defined as concentric zoning. Comparing the results found in our study with those of previous studies on garnets from hydrothermal and metasomatic environments, the meaning of the growth marks in the Ti-rich andraditic garnets from Colli Albani could be assigned to primary multiphase melt inclusions, concentric and sector zoning, sector boundaries, growth bands and edge dislocations since these defects characterise and distinguish our samples from those grown in different genetic environments. Key words : X-ray Topography; Ti-rich andradite; structural defects; concentric zoning; sector zoning.

Microbial proteomics: how far have we come?

It is now over 15 years since the beginning of the microbial genome era. At that time, great interest was invested in the idea of understanding bacterial genome dynamics via the analysis of their protein components or 'proteomes'. As bacterial analysis had driven the early advances in genomic squencing, these organisms were amongst the first subjected to protein-based studies. it is fair to suggest in hindsight that the original hype did not match the outcomes. At that time the term proteome was coined, en masse protein analysis meant little more than two-dimensional electrophoresis gels and mainly Edman sequencing for protein identification. As such, only the most abundant cellular constituents could be analysed and interest soon turned for many researchers towards microarray-based transcriptomics where a much greater percentage of the genome could be surveyed. Despite this, substantial and continuing evidence has demonstrated that transcript and protein levels (and, of course, the associated substrates and products of the predicted protein functions) often do not correlate. Therefore, a truly ?systems biology? organism-wide approach is necessary, where genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics are integrated to understand how microbes respond to changes in their genetic or physiological environments, and thus generate new hypotheses for functional understanding. This article will examine how proteomics technology has evolved to the stage at which the total proteome can be elucidated, and provide a guide for ?best practice? for undertaking successful proteomics analyses.

High prevalence of CTX-M β-lactamases in faecal Escherichia coli strains from healthy humans in Fuzhou, China

The community could be a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and genetic environments of bla(CTX-M) among faecal Escherichia coli obtained from healthy persons in a region of China. Bacteria in stool specimens were screened for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production on 2 MacConkey agars, one with cefotaxime and one with ceftazidime. bla(CTX-M) and their genetic environments, as well as phylogenetic analysis and detection of the O25b-ST131 clone of E. coli, were characterized by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis and conjugation assays were performed by standard procedures. A surprisingly high number (50.5%, 55/109) of faecal samples showed the presence of ESBL-producing E. coli. bla(CTX-M) genes were detected in all of these strains. The CTX-M-9 group (41/55, 74.5%) was found most frequently, followed by the CTX-M-1 group (16/55, 29.1%). CTX-M-14 (n = 39) was the predominant CTX-M enzyme in this study. However, the genes for the CTX-M-2 and CTX-M-8 groups were not observed. ISEcp1 was detected in 90.9% of the strains, while IS26 was observed upstream from bla(CTX-M) in only 1 strain. Phylogenetic groups A and D were found to predominate in commensal E. coli. High clonal diversity was observed and most bla(CTX-M) genes were transferable. The O25b-ST131 clone was found in 4 strains. This study reveals the wide dissemination of CTX-M ESBL-producing E. coli in the gut flora of healthy individuals in China.

Molecular epidemiology of fluoroquinolone-resistant ST131 Escherichia coli producing CTX-M extended-spectrum -lactamases in nursing homes in Belfast, UK

Between January 2004 and May 2006 Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) were isolated from the faeces of 118/294 residents from 16 nursing homes in Belfast. Of these, 58 isolates belonged to UK strain A, a variant of the international ST131 clone. Here we investigated the remaining 60 ESBL producers. MICs were determined and interpreted using BSAC methodology. Isolates were characterized by phylogenetic typing, real-time PCR and PFGE. Plasmids were rep typed by PCR and their similarity to IncI1 reference plasmid pEK204 was investigated by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The molecular environments surrounding bla(CTX-M) were determined by DNA sequencing and PCR. Fifty-nine of 60 isolates belonged to the B2, ST131 lineage; of these 28 belonged to the previously defined UK strain C, while the other 31 were clustered into five groups by PFGE. Forty-nine isolates harboured bla(CTX-M-3) on plasmids of five different rep types (I1, FIA, FIA-FIB, N and Y) and 11 harboured bla(CTX-M-15) on F-type plasmids (FIA and FIA-FIB). All CTX-M-3 ESBL producers and three with CTX-M-15 ESBL had an intact copy of ISEcp1 immediately upstream of bla(CTX-M); the remaining eight with CTX-M-15 ESBL had a truncated ISEcp1. Gut colonization among nursing home residents in Belfast with ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli producing ESBLs almost entirely involves clonal spread of ST131 variants, with similar genetic environments for bla(CTX-M-3) or bla(CTX-M-15) as in pEK204 and pEK499. Such diversity indicates dissemination of both plasmids and ESBL genes among a single commonly multiresistant clone.

When you can't trust the DNA: RNA editing changes transcript sequences.

RNA editing describes targeted sequence alterations in RNAs so that the transcript sequences differ from their DNA template. Since the original discovery of RNA editing in trypanosomes nearly 25 years ago more than a dozen such processes of nucleotide insertions, deletions, and exchanges have been identified in evolutionarily widely separated groups of the living world including plants, animals, fungi, protists, bacteria, and viruses. In many cases gene expression in mitochondria is affected, but RNA editing also takes place in chloroplasts and in nucleocytosolic genetic environments. While some RNA editing systems largely seem to repair defect genes (cryptogenes), others have obvious functions in modulating gene activities. The present review aims for an overview on the current states of research in the different systems of RNA editing by following a historic timeline along the respective original discoveries.

Genetic organization of plasmid-mediated Qnr determinants in cefotaxime-resistant Enterobacter cloacae isolates in Korea

Because of the strong association between qnr genes and plasmids carrying β-lactamase genes, we screened 176 clinical isolates of Enterobacter cloacae with cefotaxime MICs of ≥16 μg/mL for qnr genes. The qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS genes were detected in 18 (10.2%), 11 (6.2%), and 1 (0.56%) of the isolates, respectively. The genetic environments of the plasmids encoding these qnr genes were analyzed.

Aminoglycoside modifying enzymes

Aminoglycosides have been an essential component of the armamentarium in the treatment of life-threatening infections. Unfortunately, their efficacy has been reduced by the surge and dissemination of resistance. In some cases the levels of resistance reached the point that rendered them virtually useless. Among many known mechanisms of resistance to aminoglycosides, enzymatic modification is the most prevalent in the clinical setting. Aminoglycoside modifying enzymes catalyze the modification at different -OH or -NH₂ groups of the 2-deoxystreptamine nucleus or the sugar moieties and can be nucleotidyltransferases, phosphotransferases, or acetyltransferases. The number of aminoglycoside modifying enzymes identified to date as well as the genetic environments where the coding genes are located is impressive and there is virtually no bacteria that is unable to support enzymatic resistance to aminoglycosides. Aside from the development of new aminoglycosides refractory to as many as possible modifying enzymes there are currently two main strategies being pursued to overcome the action of aminoglycoside modifying enzymes. Their successful development would extend the useful life of existing antibiotics that have proven effective in the treatment of infections. These strategies consist of the development of inhibitors of the enzymatic action or of the expression of the modifying enzymes.

Outbreak caused by a multi-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strain of new sequence type ST341 carrying new genetic environments of aac(6′)-Ib-cr and qnrS1 genes in a neonatal intensive care unit in Spain

An outbreak due to a Klebsiella pneumoniae clone occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit of a Spanish Hospital in which three newborns were infected (all with gestational age ≤29 weeks; two of them died) and seven were colonized (gestational age >32 weeks; none died). One K. pneumoniae strain per patient was further characterized. The 10 strains showed an indistinguishable pulsed-field-gel-electrophoresis pattern, were typed in the phylogenetic group KpI and were ascribed into a new sequence type registered as ST341. All 10 strains presented the same multiple-antibiotic-resistant phenotype, showed extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase production, and harbored the bla CTX-M-15, bla SHV-11, bla OXA-1, aac(6′)-Ib-cr, qnrS1, aac(3)-II, aph(3′)-Ia and aadA5 resistance genes. No class 1 or class 2 integrons were detected. The bla CTX-M-15 gene presented the following genetic environment: IS Ecp1-bla CTX-M-15 -orf477. These strains contained two copies of the aac(6′)-Ib-cr gene included in the following new genetic environments: aac(3)-II -IS 26-aac(6′)-Ib-cr -bla OXA-1 and aac(3)-II -IS 26-Δ catB3- bla OXA-1 -aac(6′)-Ib -cr (registered at GenBank with accession numbers GQ438247 and GQ438248, respectively). The genetic environment of the qnrS1 gene (IS 26-ΔIS Ecl2- qnrS1) (GenBank accession number GQ438249) was also not described previously. The aac(6′)-Ib-cr, qnrS1, bla CTX-M-15, aac(3)-II, and bla OXA-1 genes, located in a plasmid of 33.5 kb, could be transferred to Escherichia coli by transformation.

The Prospect of Genome‐guided Preventive Medicine: A Need and Opportunity for Genetic Counselors

One of the major anticipated benefits of genomic medicine is the area of preventive medicine. Commercially available genomic profiling is now able to generate risk information for a number of common conditions several of which have recognized preventive guidelines. Similarly, family history assessment affords powerful health risk prediction based on the shared genetic, physical and lifestyle environments within families. Thus, with the ability to help predict disease risk and enable preemptive health plans, genome-guided preventive medicine has the potential to improve population health on an individualized level. To realize this potential, steps to broaden access to accurate genomic health information must be considered. With expertise in genetic science, risk assessment and communication, and a patient-centered practice approach, genetic counselors are poised to play a critical role in facilitating the incorporation of genomic health risks into the burgeoning field of genome-guided preventive medicine.

The flowering gene SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS drives heterosis for yield in tomato

Intercrossing different varieties of plants frequently produces hybrid offspring with superior vigor and increased yields, in a poorly understood phenomenon known as heterosis. One classical unproven model for heterosis is overdominance, which posits in its simplest form that improved vigor can result from a single heterozygous gene. Here we report that heterozygosity for tomato loss-of-function alleles of SINGLE FLOWER TRUSS (SFT), which is the genetic originator of the flowering hormone florigen, increases yield by up to 60%. Yield overdominance from SFT heterozygosity is robust, occurring in distinct genetic backgrounds and environments. We show that several traits integrate pleiotropically to drive heterosis in a multiplicative manner, and these effects derive from a suppression of growth termination mediated by SELF PRUNING (SP), an antagonist of SFT. Our findings provide the first example of a single overdominant gene for yield and suggest that single heterozygous mutations may improve productivity in other agricultural organisms.