Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been recently found to act as a potent priming agent. This study explored the hypothesis that hydroponic pretreatment of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Camarosa) roots with a H2S donor, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS; 100 μM for 48h), could induce long-lasting priming effects and tolerance to subsequent exposure to 100mM NaCI or 10% (w/v) PEG-6000 for 7 d. Hydrogen sulfide pretreatment of roots resulted in increased leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, stomatal conductance and leaf relative water content as well as lower lipid peroxidation levels in comparison with plants directly subjected to salt and non-ionic osmotic stress, thus suggesting a systemic mitigating effect of H2S pretreatment to cellular damage derived from abiotic stress factors. In addition, root pretreatment with NaHS resulted in the minimization of oxidative and nitrosative stress in strawberry plants, manifested via lower levels of synthesis of NO and H2O2 in leaves and the maintenance of high ascorbate and glutathione redox states, following subsequent salt and non-ionic osmotic stresses. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR gene expression analysis of key antioxidant (cAPX, CAT, MnSOD, GR), ascorbate and glutathione biosynthesis (GCS, GDH, GS), transcription factor (DREB), and salt overly sensitive (SOS) pathway (SOS2-like, SOS3-like, SOS4) genes suggests that H2S plays a pivotal role in the coordinated regulation of multiple transcriptional pathways. The ameliorative effects of H2S were more pronounced in strawberry plants subjected to both stress conditions immediately after NaHS root pretreatment, rather than in plants subjected to stress conditions 3 d after root pretreatment. Overall, H2S-pretreated plants managed to overcome the deleterious effects of salt and non-ionic osmotic stress by controlling oxidative and nitrosative cellular damage through increased performance of antioxidant mechanisms and the coordinated regulation of the SOS pathway, thus proposing a novel role for H2S in plant priming, and in particular in a fruit crop such as strawberry.

The goal of the study was to assess within bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar variation through honeycomb selection, under the ultra-low density (ULD) of 1.2 plants/m 2 . Divergent selection of individual plants characterized as providing high (H) and low (L) yield led to 10 H and 10 L first generation families, respectively. Further selection of high yielding plants within H families resulted in 20 second generation families. Progeny evaluation was conducted in two locations, under ULD and the typical crop density (TCD) of 500 plants/m 2 . Six of the first generation families were also tested, in two locations for two years, across four densities (100, 300, 500, and 700 plants/m 2 ). Intra-cultivar selection improved yield potential per plant (i.e., expressed under low competition conditions), and there was an indication of overall crop yield potential improvement (i.e., maximum yield per unit area). Compared to the original cultivar at ULD conditions, five of the H first generation and 15 of the second generation families had significantly higher grain yield per plant (by 18 to 53%). Two of the H first generation and four of the second generation families significantly outperformed the original cultivar by 17 to 22% under TCD. Experimentation across the four densities showed that derived families exhibited less density dependence than their original cultivar, a determinant parameter for stability of performance. Results constituted evidence of low densities being more suitable for breeder's seed maintenance, so that any existing or newly developed variation is beneficially exploited.

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Plant yield e ciency re ects the single-plant yield at low density that precludes interplant interference for resources. e role of plant yield e ciency in adaptation to water de cit was investigated in maize (Zea mays L.). Also investigated was whether yield of space-planted environments is transferable to densely seeded situations. Further, the correlation and genotype by environment (G × E) interaction of spaced and densely seeded plots were investigated. irty-one lines and 31 crosses among them were tested in three locations under dense stand and the ultra low density of 0.74 plants m -2 as well as in normal and de cit irrigation treatments. e dense stand was 4.44 plants m -2 in the water de cit regime and 6.67 plants m -2 (lines) and 7.84 plants m -2 (hybrids) in the normal water treatment. Hybrids of greater plant yield e ciency were less sensitive to water shortage. Among four hybrids yielding the same at normally irrigated dense stand (11.50 Mg ha -1 ), yield loss due to water shortage was 46% for that of the lowest plant yield e ciency (645 g plant -1 ) and 17% for that of the highest plant yield e ciency (880 g plant -1 ). Correlations between hybrid plant yield e ciency and gas exchange water-use e ciency in dense stand were signi cant. e low density ensured G × E interaction in the quantitative aspect only and thus was of higher heritability, placing emphasis on parental yield per se. Plant yield e ciency is a key element of hybrid ability to withstand water shortage and cope with environmental heterogeneity.Supplemental material available online. I.S. Tokatlidis, C. Tzantarmas, and A. Kargiotidou, Dep. of Agricultural Development, Democritus Univ. of Th race, Orestiada, 68200, Greece; C. Dordas, C. Pankou, F. Gekas, E. Ninou, I. Mylonas, and A. Lithourgidis, School of Agriculture, Aristotle Univ. of Th essaloniki, Th essaloniki, 54124, Greece; F. Papathanasiou, I. Papadopoulos, J.K. Petrevska, and I. Sistanis, Dep. of Agricultural Technology, Technological Educational Institute of Western Macedonia, Florina, 53100, Greece. Received 22 Nov. 2014. Accepted 1 Feb. 2015. *Corresponding author (itokatl@agro.duth.gr; itokatl@hotmail.com).Abbreviations: A, assimilation rate; ASI, anthesis-silking interval; G ´ E, genotype by environment interaction; HI, harvest index; PYE, plant yield effi ciency; T, transpiration; WUE, water-use effi ciency.Ability of a cultivar to tolerate crowding but also perform well at the single-plant level has been asserted to be a determinant element to its crop yield potential (Yan and Wallace, 1995;Fasoula and Tokatlidis, 2012). However, in maize yield more improvement has resulted from improving tolerance to high plant population densities rather than single-plant performance; the per plant yield under minimal competition for light, water, and nutrients remained unchanged (Tollenaar and Lee, 2002;Duvick, 2005). Transition to higher populations in combination with stagnation in yield capacity of individual plants resulted in hybrids characterized as density-dependent (Fas...

Thymidine phosphorylase is an angiogenic factor primarily expressed by cancer cells, stromal cells and tumour-associated macrophages in many human malignancies. These different types of thymidine phosphorylase-expressing cells, however, may have a distinct place in the angiogenic process, and this question was addressed in the present study. A series of 20 normal/ hyperplastic prostate glands and 60 prostate carcinomas was investigated by immunohistochemistry, using specific antibodies for thymidine phosphorylase (P-GF.44C), tumour-associated macrophages (CD68), endothelium (CD31) and prostate specific antigen (ER-PR8). Thymidine phosphorylase expression by normal and hyperplastic epithelial or stromal cells occurred almost exclusively in the context of an intense lymphocytic infiltrate. High thymidine phosphorylase cancer cells and thymidine phosphorylase stromal cells expression was associated with high angiogenesis in prostate carcinomas, and this significant association was extended to include both tumour-associated macrophages and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes. Thymidine phosphorylase expression and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes were related inversely with prostate specific antigen reactivity. In conclusion, thymidine phosphorylase is a major angiogenic factor in prostate carcinomas and its up-regulation is likely to occur in the context of a host immune response.

Breeders ought to consider the confounding effects of the environment and genotype × environment (G × E) interaction on response to early generation selection. To meet this requirement, honeycomb breeding was performed at a low density within two dry bean populations (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under typical open‐field conditions and in an adjacent greenhouse. Nineteen progeny lines were formed through selection of nine and ten of the highest‐yielding plants in the greenhouse and the field, respectively. Honeycomb progeny testing at the low density in the two distinct environments showed up to 75% improvement in plant‐yield potential. Under farming‐density conditions in five environments, six of the lines outyielded the respective original population by 12 to 38% and exhibited the greatest stability according to the genotype and genotype × environment (GGE) biplot model. At low density, the greenhouse evaluation demonstrated less acquired variance than the field evaluation and was especially useful for selection and progeny evaluation. Three of the six outstanding lines originated from the greenhouse. Honeycomb progeny estimation on a single‐plant yield basis in the greenhouse, rather than in the field, gave a better prediction of yield potential on an area basis. The results showed that honeycomb breeding performed in two environments to address the G × E interaction may be successful for developing varieties that exhibit both high and stable productivity.

We report on a case of primary renal malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Primary manifestation in the kidney is rare with only 22 cases reported in the literature. Preoperatively, a renal cell carcinoma cannot be distinguished from a malignant mesenchymal tumor with clinical or imaging techniques. We discuss the pathologic differential diagnosis, therapeutic strategies and prognosis of this infrequent tumor.

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