BULLETIN 1
Scientists Decode the Genome of White Oak

Researchers from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Indiana University, the University of Kentucky, the U.S. Forest Service, and several other institutions have, for the first time, described the complex genome of the white oak (Quercus alba). This tree is a keystone species and one of the most abundant trees in eastern North America.
The study, published in New Phytologist, examines the genetic diversity and population differentiation of Q. alba. It explores how gene content and disease resistance genes have evolved throughout the history of Quercus and its related species. The authors also discuss the evolutionary relationships among oak species, supported by whole genome data.
Additionally, the study highlights the significant genetic variation within white oak populations and their local adaptations, which will impact how Q. alba and other white oak species respond to increasing heat and drought stress in the future.
For more details, read the news release from The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.
See https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=21223

 

BULLETIN 2
Study Explores Impact of Bt Cottonseed Cake on Growth and Health of Rams

 

ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute researchers investigated any possible long-term effects of feeding Bt cottonseed cake (CSC) to rams in a tropical setting. The results are published in Tropical Animal Health and Production.
The researchers divided eighteen male rams into three treatment groups: one with no CSC, one with 35% non-Bt CSC, and one with 35% Bt CSC in their feeds. Over 320 days, they monitored the rams' growth, feed intake, blood parameters, and semen quality.
The results showed no significant differences between the groups in terms of body weight, feed intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen intake and retention, or blood metabolites. Semen quality, including volume, sperm count, and motility, also remained within normal ranges across all groups. The study concluded that feeding up to 35% Bt cottonseed cake in the concentrate mixture did not have any observable negative impacts on the rams' health or reproductive performance over a long period.
Read the research article from Tropical Animal Health and Production.
See https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=21218

SCIENTIFIC NEWS

A wild-allele GsPP2C-51-a1 enhances tolerance to drought stress in soybean and Arabidopsis
Cheng Liu, Xianlian Chen, Wei Han, Xiaoshuai Hao, Liang Qin, Wei Luo, Lizhi Zhao, Ning Li, Lei Sun, Jiaoping Zhang, Guangnan Xing, Jianbo He, Wubin Wang & Junyi Gai
Theoretical and Applied Genetics; February 24 2025; vol.138; article 51

Key message
A wild-allele GsPP2C-51-a1 of Glyma.14g162100 was identified in SojaCSSLP5, back to wild soybean, conferring drought tolerance. Its functions were verified in transgenic hairy root soybeans and Arabidopsis under water deficit and ABA treatment.
Abstract
A population of wild soybean chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs), SojaCSSLP5, with NN1138-2 as the cultivated recurrent parent and N24852 as the wild donor parent, was used to identify drought-tolerant loci/segments from the donor. Relative shoot dry weight, a tolerance indicator, varied significantly among the parents and CSSLs. Six drought tolerance loci/segments were detected in SojaCSSLP5, including Gm14_LDB_21 with GsPP2C-51 (Glyma.14g162100) as one of the four possible genes. This gene belongs to the F1 clade of protein phosphatase 2C based on gene ontology annotation, qPCR, and previous research results. Glyma.14g162100 was traced back to the Chinese germplasm population, in which four alleles existed on the locus, with soja holding all four, and max holding only two without any new alleles emerging. N24852 and NN1138-2 hold a1 and a2, respectively. The GsPP2C-51 protein was located inside the nucleus. In transgenic hairy root composite soybean, the GsPP2C-51-a1 overexpressed plants maintained a higher leaf fresh weight (tolerance) under 15% PEG stress compared to the empty vector plants. This was strongly supported by improved tolerance, chlorophyll content, and a series of physiological responses in GsPP2C-51-a1 overexpressed Arabidopsis plants under water deficit and abscisic acid treatments. Thus, the wild-type allele GsPP2C-51-a1 (Glyma.14g162100a1) from N24852 positively regulates plant drought tolerance.
See https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00122-025-04835-w