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Our findings suggest that IL-32 is overexpressed in HS. Targeting IL-32 may therefore represent a new therapeutic option for the treatment of this recalcitrant disease.

Leaf rust of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major disease that causes significant yield losses worldwide. The short-lived nature of leaf rust resistance (Lr) genes necessitates a continuous search for novel sources of resistance. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on a panel of 1596 wheat accessions. The panel was evaluated for leaf rust reaction by testing with a bulk of Puccinia triticina Eriks. (Pt) isolates collected from multiple fields of Oklahoma in 2013 and two predominant races in the fields of Oklahoma in 2015. The panel was genotyped with a set of 5011 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. A total of 14 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for leaf rust resistance were identified at a false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.01 using the mixed linear model (MLM). Of these, eight QTL reside in the vicinity of known genes or QTL, and more studies are needed to determine their relationship with known loci. QLr.stars-7AL1 is a new QTL to bread wheat but is close to a locus previously identified in durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn.]. The other five QTL, including QLr. , are likely novel loci for leaf rust resistance. The uneven distribution of the 14 QTL in the six subpopulations of the panel suggests that wheat breeders can enhance leaf rust resistance by selectively introgressing some of these QTL into their breeding materials. In addition, another 31 QTL were significantly associated with leaf rust resistance at a FDR of 0.05. L eaf rust, caused by Puccinia, is a major foliar disease that has afflicted wheat for thousands of years (Bolton et al., 2008). Leaf rust occurs nearly everywhere wheat is grown and typically reduces yield by 5 to 15% or more depending on crop developmental stage when the initial rust infection occurs (Samborski, 1995 Abbreviations: FDR, false discovery rate; GWAS, genome-wide association study; HR, highly resistant; HS, highly susceptible; iCore, informative core; IT, infection type; LD, linkage disequilibrium; LnP(D), log probability of data; MLM, mixed linear model; MR, moderately resistant; MS, moderately susceptible; NSGC, National Small Grains Collection; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; Pt, Puccinia triticina Eriks.; QTL, quantitative trait loci; SNP, single-nucleotide polymorphism. Core Ideas• The association panel used in this study may represent the largest in wheat GWAS• Three pathotypes, including a bulked races collected in the field, were used• A total of 14 QTL for leaf rust resistance were identified at a FDR of 0.01.• Six QTL identified in this study are novel loci in bread wheat• Thirty-one additional QTL were significant at a FDR of 0.05.

W inter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in the southern Great Plains is dominated by dual-purpose management schemes that provide a winter forage source for stocker cattle (Bos taurus L.) and grain production from the same crop. Relative emphasis on forage versus grain is highly impacted by a producer's personal preference, but factors intrinsic to a given crop season are also infl uential, such as forage availability before cattle turnout and the relative pricing of wheat versus beef. Wheat producers in the southern plains do not discriminate heavily among cultivars for dual-purpose capability, and most hard winter wheat breeding programs do not include dual-purpose adaptation as a selection criterion.A breeding-oriented emphasis is justifi ed, however, by the 40% lower rate of genetic gain observed for yield potential under dual-purpose (0.9% yr −1 ) versus grain-only (1.3% yr −1 ) production systems (Khalil et al., 2002). The yield difference between grain-only and dual-purpose systems (Winter and Thompson, 1990;Carver et al., 2001) can be attributed largely to the 4-wk earlier planting date essential to forage-biomass accumulation . Hence producers who choose a cultivar for dual-purpose production may prioritize early stand establishment with rapid canopy closure.The dual-purpose system provides an integral selection environment for the development and evaluation of experimental breeding lines (Thapa et al., 2010). Lines that reach candidate status are expected to excel in a grain-only system as well as they do in a dual-purpose system. The hard red winter (HRW) wheat cultivar 'Duster' (Reg. No. CV-1065,