Cereal crop yield is determined by different yield components such as seed weight, seed number per spike and the tiller number and spikes. Negative correlations between these traits are often attributed to resource limitation. However, recent evidence suggests that the same genes or regulatory modules can regulate both inflorescence branching and tillering. It is therefore important to explore the role of genetic correlations between different yield components in small grain cereals. In this work, we studied pleiotropic effects of row type genes on seed size, seed number per spike, thousand grain weight, and tillering in barley to better understand the genetic correlations between individual yield components. Allelic mutants of nine different row type loci (36 mutants), in the original spring barley varieties Barke, Bonus and Foma and introgressed in the spring barley cultivar Bowman, were phenotyped under greenhouse and outdoor conditions. We identified two main mutant groups characterized by their relationships between seed and tillering parameters. The first group comprises all mutants with an increased number of seeds and significant change in tiller number at early development (group 1a) or reduced tillering only at full maturity (group 1b). Mutants in the second group are characterized by a reduction in seeds per spike and tiller number, thus exhibiting positive correlations between seed and tiller number. Reduced tillering at full maturity (group 1b) is likely due to resource limitations. In contrast, altered tillering at early development (groups 1a and 2) suggests that the same genes or regulatory modules affect inflorescence and shoot branching. Understanding the genetic bases of the trade-offs between these traits is important for the genetic manipulation of individual yield components.

We report on flow cytometric IgG subclass determinations of red cell antibodies using polyclonal FITC-labeled antibodies. The limit of detection of this method was 1 ng anti-D per 1 x 10(7) red cells. The inter- and intra-assay coefficients of variance were 8.2 and 2.3%, respectively. In 8 newborns with a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) in the gel centrifugation test (GCT), due to ABO antibodies, IgG1 was detected in all and IgG2 additionally in 4 of these cases. In 5 severe cases of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) due to anti-D, large amounts of IgG1 were found, and in 3 of these 5, IgG3 in combination with IgG1. In 8 mild or moderate HDN cases (4 anti-D, 2 anti-E, 1 anti-Fya, 1 anti-Jka), phototherapy sufficed, and IgG1 was the only antibody. In 7 adult patients with malignant lymphoma and a positive DAT (GCT), only small amounts of IgG1 red cell autoantibodies could be demonstrated by flow cytometry. In 5 further patients with malignant lymphoma, a positive DAT, and severe hemolytic anemia, large amounts of IgG1 autoantibodies were found and IgG3 was also present in 3 of these cases. Flow-cytometric determination of IgG subclasses may be a useful tool in immunohematology, since subclass determinations were possible in all of these cases. This method is suited for clinical routine and offers the possibility of sufficient standardization.

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Background RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are fundamental regulators of cellular biology that affect all steps in the generation and processing of RNA molecules. Recent evidence suggests that regulation of RBPs that modulate both RNA stability and translation may have a profound effect on the proteome. However, regulation of RBPs in clinically relevant experimental conditions has not been studied systematically. Methods We used RNA interactome capture, a method for the global identification of RBPs to characterize the global RNA-binding proteome (RBPome) associated with polyA-tailed RNA species in murine ciliated epithelial cells of the inner medullary collecting duct. To study regulation of RBPs in a clinically relevant condition, we analyzed hypoxia-associated changes of the RBPome. Results We identified .1000 RBPs that had been previously found using other systems. In addition, we found a number of novel RBPs not identified by previous screens using mouse or human cells, suggesting that these proteins may be specific RBPs in differentiated kidney epithelial cells. We also found quantitative differences in RBP-binding to mRNA that were associated with hypoxia versus normoxia. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the regulation of RBPs through environmental stimuli and provide insight into the biology of hypoxia-response signaling in epithelial cells in the kidney. A repository of the RBPome and proteome in kidney tubular epithelial cells, derived from our findings, is freely accessible online, and may contribute to a better understanding of the role of RNA-protein interactions in kidney tubular epithelial cells, including the response of these cells to hypoxia.