The fragments generated maintain and enhance the adhesive properties of full-length OPN by exposing the cryptic RGD (αvβ3, αvβ1, αvβ5, α8β1) and SVVYGLR (α9β1, α4β1, α4β7) domains for integrin-binding (Yokosaki et al., 1999, Yokosaki et al., 2005 and Scatena et al., 2007). The biphasic upregulation of OPN expression (6–48 h and 3–14 days post-venom) correlated with two distinct phases following B. lanceolatus venom-induced muscle injury. The first of these, which corresponded to the early acute inflammatory degenerative phase, was critical for the second stage that

was characterized Inhibitor Library clinical trial by muscle repair and remodeling subsequent to satellite cell activation. Whether the OPN expressed by macrophages and muscle selleck kinase inhibitor fibers 6–48 h post-venom at sites of acute inflammation acted as a chemotactic cytokine and adhesive molecule is not known. However, OPN mediates activities such as phagocytosis and cytokine production by macrophages and other immune cells

( Wang and Denhardt, 2008). These activities are necessary to activate dormant satellite cells, migration and proliferation. Similarly, the second phase of OPN upregulation seen at 3–14 days post-venom correlated temporally with the beginning of myoblasts proliferation, their migration and the subsequent transformation into myotubes (differentiation) and the growth of regenerating myofibers with centrally-located nuclei (maturation phase). In this second phase, which was more pronounced than the first, OPN was produced mainly by myogenic cells, including differentiated cells, and also by fibroblasts and M1 macrophages, as shown by double immunolabeling for CD68/OPN. In a study of muscle regeneration after the injection of cardiotoxin (CTX) from Naja naja atra snake venom, Hirata et al. (2003)

showed that the gene expression for OPN was notably increased at 2 and 4 days after envenoming. These authors suggested that OPN might be an important mediator in the early phase of muscle regeneration following intoxication with CTX. In this study, we also examined Fluorouracil in vitro the pattern of myoD and myogenin expression during regeneration correlated this with OPN expression. MyoD is a myogenic transcription factor associated with the early stage of differentiation, whereas myogenin occurs in the late stage (Dedieu et al., 2002 and Holterman and Rudnicki, 2005). However, no myoD immunolabeling was observed in this work; in contrast, myogenin expression increased steadily from 18 h to 7 days post-venom and decreased from 14 days onwards, although its levels were still higher than in the time-matched controls (Fig. 8). That OPN expressed by myoblasts and myotubes at this stage would represent a role in the adhesion of regenerating myotubes to elements of the ECM in order to promote the appropriate conditions for regenerative myogenesis is unknown. However, Pereira et al.

Depending on the type of probe and focusing, the highest resolution is achieved at a depth of approximately 0.5–1.5 cm from the skin [2]. The scanning frequency used is depending on the examined nerve and the clinical question. For superficial nerves (e.g. median nerve in the carpal tunnel or ulnar nerve at the elbow) the maximum frequency (up to 18 MHz) can be applied. Due to the limitation of the penetration depth of high frequencies, in deeper lying nerves or nerve segments (e.g. median nerve at the proximal

forearm or sciatic nerve), lower frequencies (down to 5 MHz) are required. With low ultrasound frequencies, the resolution is worse and the differentiability Ixazomib order of the nerves in the surrounding tissue as well as of their internal structure becomes difficult. Good ultrasonic devices allow up to a depth of about 2.5 cm also an assessment of subtle changes. In addition to a high physical resolution, the soft-tissue contrast in particular, is decisive for optimal visualization of the peripheral nerves. Special software, e.g. “compound-imaging”, “high-resolution-imaging”, is very helpful in this process. Additional tools, e.g. extended field of view imaging, which create

a panorama image from numerous individual images, can improve image documentation. The application of color see more coded sonography (color Doppler or power Doppler) allows assessing the vascular situation of the nerves and their surroundings. This is particularly useful in inflammatory conditions, nerve tumors or compressive neuropathies. Color coded sonography is also helpful in localizing nerves that are often accompanied by vessels (e.g. radial nerve at the lateral upper arm accompanied by the profound brachial artery; sural nerve accompanied by a vein). For color Doppler, a small-flow-setting of the ultrasound device is recommended (pulse repetition frequency 500 Hz, band-pass

filter 50 Hz). It is important to notice that an exploratory study, even without high-end ultrasound equipment, can detect major changes, such as severe nerve compression or a mass lesion. For the assessment of fine structures or complex changes, Bumetanide such as in post-operative conditions or nerve injuries, however, high-quality equipment is required. In addition to the apparative equipment a good knowledge of the regional topographic anatomy is important. Further, the examiner’s expertise in diseases of the peripheral nervous system and electrophysiological knowledge facilitate the interpretation of NUS. The typical examination of peripheral nerves begins with transverse sections. The nerve is initially visualized at a site with typical anatomical landmarks (e.g. median nerve in the carpal tunnel, ulnar nerve in the sulcus). After image optimization, the nerve can be followed further continuously in the proximal and distal directions, and in the area of suspected pathology.

When we contrasted the response to auditory Staurosporine manufacturer information against baseline, the broad auditory cortex was highlighted bilaterally. A voice-selective response was confined to the upper banks of the bilateral STS; regions that appear to correspond with the ‘TVAs’ identified by Belin et al. (2000) and Belin, Fecteau, and Bédard (2004). Maximum voice-selectivity was found in the mid-STS, a result which has been found in a number of other studies (e.g., Belin et al., 2002, Belin et al.,

2000 and Kreifelts et al., 2009). The ‘voice-selective’ regions of the STS tend to show a greater response to vocal sounds than to non-vocal sounds from natural sources, or acoustical controls such as scrambled voices or amplitude-modulated noise. This response is also observed for vocal sounds of non-linguistic content (Belin et al., 2011 and Belin et al., 2002), highlighting that these regions process more than just the speech content of voice. In a voice recognition study, von Kriegstein and Giraud (2004) delineated three distinct areas along the right STS involved in different aspects of voice processing:

whereas the mid-anterior STS carries Selleck GSK-3 inhibitor out a spectral analysis of voices, more posterior and anterior areas emphasise more paralinguistic voice processing – for example, identity. We also identified the right precuneus as a voice-selective region in this experiment. Although perhaps less commonly found than the TVA, activation of the precuneus has been apparent in a number of studies investigating voice perception (e.g., von Kriegstein et al., 2003 and Sokhi et al., 2005). The visual versus baseline contrast showed activation maps covering most of the visual ventral stream, including Carbachol early visual cortex (V1:3), V4, V5/MT, the fusiform and parahippocampal gyri and an extensive part of the human

inferior temporal (IT) gyrus. This is consistent with the vast majority of research studying visual responsiveness. Face-selectivity was found in a network of regions, including the extensive right STS, left pSTS to mid-STS, the MFG, precuneus and caudate – all regions which have been associated with either the core or extended face-processing system (e.g., Andrews et al., 2010, Haxby et al., 2000 and Rossion et al., 2003). Notably, at the set-threshold for the group-level analysis, the commonly found FFAs did not emerge, although these regions – along with the bilateral occipital face areas (OFAs) – did appear for a number of individual participants, as well as at the group level at an uncorrected cluster threshold. Instead, the strongest response appeared to be in the STG/STS – particularly, the right pSTS. In our experiment, we used only dynamic faces, in an attempt to maximise the ecological validity of our stimuli.

This study had been initiated to investigate nucleotide sequence diversity in Gossypium genomes

[32] and [33], and its findings laid the groundwork for developing large numbers of SNP markers in cotton. Now, precisely because paralogs can be distinguished, we can TSA HDAC in vitro screen DNA primer pairs that efficiently amplify single-copy loci [32]. In this study, based on differences in sequences from NCBI, we designed and pre-screened locus-specific primers and ensured that one primer pair annealed to only a single locus in the genome in both diploid and tetraploid cotton, with the aim of characterizing the allelic diversity. In total, 1265 bp from the candidate gene (Exp2) in 92 cotton lines were amplified, resulting in 26 SNPs, 7 InDels, and an average SNP frequency of 1 SNP/48 bp, similar to that (52 bp) in rye [30]. Eight SNPs were non-synonymous polymorphisms resulting in amino acid replacement. It is noteworthy that the nucleotide diversity in the 3′ region was higher than that in the 5′ region, in agreement with the observation of Zhang et al. [34] InDels were located in introns, without causing a frame shift. Lacape et al. [19] identified 21,000 inter-genotypic SNPs by deep EST pyrosequencing and

validated 48 SNPs by genetic mapping. In the multigene family Obeticholic Acid clinical trial of ubiquitin proteins, most (99.7%) SNPs showed a biallelic pattern, and transition mutations (A ← → G, or T ← → C) were the most frequent type (61%) as compared to transversion mutations (39%) as is commonly reported in plants [35]. The overall density for inter-genotypic SNPs was of 1 position every 108 bp, but that for intra-genotypic SNPs was of 1 every 82 and 79 bp in G. hirsutum and G. Anidulafungin (LY303366) barbadense, respectively [19]. Analysis of DNA sequence diversity among six cotton Expansin A genes in diploid and tetraploid cotton [33] revealed a mean frequency of SNPs per nucleotide of 2.35% (one SNP per 43 bp), with 1.74 and 3.99% occurring in coding and non-coding regions, respectively, in the selected genotypes. In plants, SNP frequency also varies among species

and is distributed unevenly across genomes. The nucleotide variation generated from this study was similar to that reported by An et al. [33] and Li et al. [30]. Lu et al.[36] identified 18 SNPs (including four InDels) in seven of the 15 fiber gene fragments on the basis of direct DNA sequencing. Lu et al.[36] concluded that the average frequency of SNPs per nucleotide was 0.34%, with 0.31% and 0.41% in coding and non-coding regions, respectively. Eight of the 15 SNPs were interspecific and 78% were nucleotide substitutions, with the four InDels contributing to interspecific polymorphism. Exp2 was transcribed only in the developing cotton fiber [18]. Twelve SNPs and seven InDels were located in the non-coding region of Exp2, and this sequence diversity should not result in any change in the Expansin protein.

For those ports near estuaries (e.g. Shanghai, New York, Hamburg, etc.), the change in density may be significant, this assumption is clearly not appropriate. In also trying to assess the influence of proposed cleaning technologies (ozone, UV, centrifugal separation), which are applied in transit, the density contrast

between re-injected (cleaner) water and ballast water can be neglected. However, if ballast water is cleaned by heat, the treated water is lighter than the original water. The new element of the paper involves development of a robust multizone model Ganetespib for ballast water flushing and a detailed comparison against experimental results. To understand the influence of outlet arrangements and compartment configurations on the flushing efficiency, we examine the temporal and spatial fluid exchange experimentally. The paper is structured as follows. In Section 2, we describe how we set up the mathematical model and the diagnostic tools used to interpret the results which are discussed in the context of simplified geometries; in Section 3, we apply the model on ballast tanks with different compartment configurations and outlet arrangements; in Section 4, we present the experimental

setup and methodology; in Section 5, we analyse the experimental results and compare with the model prediction; in Section 6, we conclude. The water used to flush a ballast tank is typically pumped into the tank at a rate Q~1m3/s. Selleck Roxadustat As we move farther away from the inlet nozzle, the mean flow decays quite quickly. It is important to estimate typical values as these variables determine the type of modelling approach and the validity of the experimental analogue described later. The ballast tanks in a large ship are characterised by a typical length L  =50 m, width W  h=20 m of the base and W  v=0.5 m of the vertical NADPH-cytochrome-c2 reductase region, height H  h=2 m of the horizontal region and H  v=25 m of the vertical region, and the nominal diameter of the inlet nozzle D  =0.5 m. The mean flow velocity through the nozzle is Un=4Q/(πD2)~5m/s. The flow in a ballast

tank is characterised by the Reynolds number Re=UL/νRe=UL/ν, where ν   is the kinematic viscosity of water, ν=10−6m2/s. We start using an assessment of the typical velocity and length scales in a ballast tank, where U   and L   are the characteristic velocity and lengthscale of the flow, respectively. The inlet nozzle Reynolds number is Ren=UnD/ν~106Ren=UnD/ν~106. Based on the horizontal section, Uh≥Q/(0.5πWhHh)~10−2m/s, Reh=UhHh/ν~104Reh=UhHh/ν~104. Up the riser section, Uv=Q/(LWv)~10−2m/s, so Rev=UvWv/ν~104Rev=UvWv/ν~104. Thus the flow in a ballast tank is inertially dominant so that Re is high and the flow is turbulent. The purpose of this model is to quantify how flushing efficiency varies within a tank.

Diagnostic imaging plays a central role in ARM evaluation. Because of the lack of ionizing radiation, excellent intrinsic contrast resolution, multiplanar imaging capabilities, technical advances in hardware, and innovative imaging protocols, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is increasingly important in assessment of ARM patients in utero, postnatally before definitive surgical GSK126 correction, and in the postoperative period. This article discusses the role of MR imaging in evaluating ARM patients. Matthew R. Hammer, Jonathan R. Dillman, Ethan A. Smith, and Mahmoud

M. Al-Hawary Noninvasive, nonionizing, multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the pelvis using a field strength of 3-T now provides a comprehensive assessment of perineal involvement in pediatric Crohn disease. MR imaging accurately evaluates inflammatory disease activity, and allows determination of the number and course of fistula tracts as well as their relationships PARP inhibitor to vital perianal structures, including the external anal sphincter, helping to guide surgical management and improve outcomes. This article provides an up-to-date review of perineal MR imaging findings of Crohn disease in the pediatric population, including fistulous disease, abscesses, and skin manifestations.

Imaging technique is also discussed. Ethan A. Smith Advances in the treatment of pediatric abdominopelvic malignancies have increased survival drastically. Imaging is critical in initial tumor characterization/staging, assessment of treatment response, and surveillance following therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is playing an increasing role in the care of these patients due to its lack of ionizing radiation, superior contrast resolution and the ability to characterize tumors based on tissue characteristics (e.g., Pyruvate dehydrogenase lipoamide kinase isozyme 1 T1 and T2 relaxation times). Modern MR techniques also allow for assessment of tumors based on functional characteristics. This

article is focused on emerging MRI technologies and potential applications in the imaging of pediatric abdominopelvic malignancies. Ranjith Vellody, Peter S. Liu, and David M. Sada Although traditional catheter-based angiography has been the gold standard for pediatric abdominal and pelvic vascular imaging for the past several decades, advances in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) have made it a viable alternative. MRA offers several advantages in that it is noninvasive, can be performed without ionizing radiation, and does not necessarily rely on contrast administration. The ability of modern MRA techniques to define variant vascular anatomy and detect vascular disease may obviate traditional angiography in some patients. Index 861 “
“Current Opinion in Chemical Biology 2013, 17:506–514 This review comes from a themed issue on Energy Edited by Michael D Burkart and Stephen P Mayfield For a complete overview see the Issue and the Editorial Available online 26th March 2013 1367-5931/$ – see front matter, © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.

In the microarray analysis, combination therapy had reduced expression of genes in the integrin-mediated cell adhesion pathway and signaling of HGF receptor pathway compared to bevacizumab monotherapy. These data may indicate the mechanisms underlying the anti-invasive effects of cilengitide on glioma. We showed that bevacizumab and cilengitide reduced tumor vascularity by changing the diameter and density of tumor vessels find protocol in the in vivo glioma

models. von Baumgarten et al. reported that bevacizumab decreased vascular density and normalized the vascular permeability of glioma [27]. Conversely, cilengitide was shown to shrink the diameter of tumor vessels in angiogenesis-dependent invasive glioma models [13]. Moreover, we investigated the ultra-microstructure of tumor vessels and proved that bevacizumab reduced the distance between endothelial Ion Channel Ligand Library concentration cells and tumor cells with a broken basal lamina at the blood-brain barrier in the border of the tumor. We also focused on the ECM of gliomas, which

is considered to play as a critical regulator of angiogenesis and invasiveness [28]. In the center area of U87ΔEGFR tumors following bevacizumab treatment and combination therapy of bevacizumab and cilengitide, ECMs were thickened remarkably at perivascular space with respectively different characteristics. Fibronectin, vitronectin, laminin, tenascin, and different types of collagen promote invasion of glioma [29] and [30]; in contrast, glycosylated chondroitin

sulfate proteoglycans consisting ECMs inhibit invasion in glioma [31]. These different mechanisms might be necessary for the regulation of tumor angiogenesis SSR128129E and invasion; however, the detailed mechanisms have not been elucidated and they need to be clarified in the future. This study showed that anti-VEGF therapy induced glioma invasion despite its intense antiangiogenic effect; however, the combination of bevacizumab with the αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrin inhibitor cilengitide exerted a significant anti-invasive effect. We revealed that combination therapy suppressed the integrin-mediated cell adhesion pathway as an underlying mechanism of its anti-invasive effect. We thank M. Furutani, M. Arao, and N. Uemori for their technical assistance. The following medical students also contributed to the animal experiments: K. Fukumoto and N. Hayashi. Cilengitide was generously provided by Merck KGaA and the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. Bevacizumab was generously provided by Genentech/Roche/Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. “
“Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world, and non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 80% of all cases of lung cancer. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard first-line care for NSCLC [1] and [2].

To address the suitability of Luminex assays to detect endogenous cytokines in clinical samples we tested unspiked biopsies from uninfected and Hp-infected individuals using our final sample homogenisation protocol (see Section 4.3) for IL-17, IFNγ and also for IL-8, IL-4 and IL-10 using MILLIPLEX kits (see 2.4 and 4.2). We detected low background levels of IL-17, IFNγ and IL-8 in uninfected and uninflamed biopsies at or below the LLOQs for these analytes (2.8, 2.4 and 0.1 pg/mL respectively). However in Hp-infected biopsies there were marked 10 to 20 fold increases in IL-8 and IL-17 concentrations, and a smaller increase

http://www.selleckchem.com/products/SP600125.html for IFNγ that did not reach statistical significance ( Fig. 2A). These findings remained after correcting cytokine concentration for total biopsy protein ( Fig. 2B). We were also able to detect differences in IL-10 in Hp-infected and uninfected tissues (median [inter-quartile

range]; 10.0 pg/mg protein [8.4–15.0] and 1.3 pg/mg protein [1.1–4.0] respectively, p < 0.001, LLOQ 3.5 pg/mL) and to detect IL-4 (Hp+: find more 4.1 pg/mg protein [2.8–4.7], Hp−: 6.3 pg/mg protein [4.2–10.0], p = 0.08, LLOQ 2.9 pg/mL). Relative cytokine yield was comparable to mRNA expression quantified by RT-qPCR ( Fig. 2C). The mean pooled intra-assay %CV across all reported analytes for standard curve cytokine measurements was 12.5% (7.3% for IL-17 and 12.1% for IFNγ). Our aim was the simultaneous quantification of multiple cytokines present in human mucosal

biopsies, which are precious samples for translational researchers. Additional challenges Rho were the limited tissue sample size and the low concentration of cytokines of interest in the healthy stomach. Multi-parameter Luminex assays are an attractive option but tissue samples are more complex than typical cell culture, plasma and sera samples with which these assays were developed. Ultimately our goal was an approach that would more accurately assess the in vivo cytokine profile. We evaluated the performance of three manufacturers’ Luminex assays for IL-17 and IFNγ in human gastric biopsies spiked with recombinant cytokines and compared different approaches to sample preparation. We found that careful kit selection and sample preparation can improve the quality of data obtained from mucosal biopsies. Finally we assessed the suitability of our optimised approach for detecting endogenous cytokines. We identified greater bead aggregation and consequently lower bead counts for the VersaMAP kit. This may in part be due to the different software settings used to classify beads as aggregates (DD gate). However the use of relatively viscous tissue homogenates and vacuum washing may retain sample matrix and clog the filter plate (Houser, 2012). Magnetic plate washing of paramagnetic Luminex beads may be an advantage for the analysis of tissue samples.

This in turn would contribute to a cooling of the Earth’s surface and could have enormous consequences for climate. Consequently, ABT-199 solubility dmso special emphasis was given to investigations on whether drizzle is suppressed in ship tracks. In 2000 this second indirect effect, often called the cloud lifetime effect, was detected by both a field experiment and satellite measurements. Ferek et al. (2000) were able to show by radiometric measurements and radar observations that increased droplet concentrations in ship tracks, accompanied by smaller droplet sizes, significantly alter the liquid water path. In observations of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) over

South Australia, Rosenfeld (2000) found the same result on the cloud scale: drop growth by collision is very effectively suppressed by anthropogenic aerosol particles originating from power plants, lead smelters and oil refineries. The same effect of cloud droplet size reduction together with a delay in the onset of precipitation was found over the Amazon during the Large-scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia subproject on Smoke, Aerosols, Clouds, Rainfall and Climate (LBA-SMOCC), where it was shown

in detail what an enormous influence thick smoke from fires can have on cloud microphysics (Andreae et al. 2004). Other comprehensive field experiments which contributed considerably to knowledge about aerosol cloud interactions are the Smoke, Clouds, Radiation-Brazil (SCAR-B) experiment (Kaufmann et al. 1998), the Tropospheric Aerosol Dasatinib in vitro P-type ATPase Radiative Forcing Experiment (TARFOX), the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX), the Aerosol Characterization Experiments (ACE-1) (Bates et al. 1998) and ACE-2 (Raes et al. 2000) and the Aerosol Characterization Experiment in Asia (ACE-Asia). The planning of these field campaigns was stimulated by the presence of global fields of aerosol optical thickness derived from satellites (e.g. Husar et al. 1997) as well as by global

model results (e.g. Langner & Rodhe 1991), which highlighted certain regions with conspicuously enhanced aerosol concentrations. One of these regions is the Indian Ocean. Here, INDOEX discussed another aspect of indirect aerosol effects: highly absorbing aerosol particles and their long-range transport over the ocean. Trade wind cumuli were moving within deep layers of dark haze. Based on these observations Ackermann et al. (2000) suggested that the reduction of tropical cloudiness by soot could represent another major effect of aerosols on clouds. Model calculations showed that the typical decrease in relative humidity during the daytime driven by solar heating with a maximum around noon is enhanced by the presence of absorbing haze in the boundary layer.

NBS-LRR proteins represent the largest class of R genes in plants, and nearly 500 NBS-LRR genes have been identified in both Nipponbare and

93-11 [31]. Eighteen of 20 cloned blast R genes (except Pid2 and pi21) encode NBS-LRR proteins [21], [26], [35] and [40]. Colocalizations of the NBS-LRR genes and blast resistance loci were identified through DAPT molecular weight genetic analyses [14] and [59]. Therefore, NBS-LRR genes are the most likely potential candidates for further blast R genes [70]. In our study, eight intact NBS-LRR genes in the 274 kb region encompassing Pi60(t) were identified in the Nipponbare sequence, but only six intact NBS-LRR genes were identified in the 93-11 sequence in the Gramene database ( Fig. 1-d), including the two alleles of Pia/PiCO39 (SasRGA4 and SasRGA5). On the other hand, four NBS-LRR genes exist in the 200 kb target region of Pi61(t) in 93-11, and all of them showed differences in comparison with the corresponding NBS-LRR genes in Nipponbare. Therefore, it is difficult to shortlist candidate genes for Pi61(t). We need to further reduce the target interval of Pi61(t), www.selleckchem.com/products/ink128.html or to transform all four NBS-LRR genes into susceptible cultivars for complementation tests. In addition, another blast R gene, Pi41(t), present

in 93-11 was predicted as a NBS-LRR-type gene [47]. Therefore, we postulate that the broad-spectrum blast resistance in 93-11 is mediated by multiple NBS-LRR genes, representing a molecular mechanism of broad-spectrum resistance different

from Digu [77], and Pi2, Pi9 and Piz-t [79]. In summary, the broad-spectrum blast resistant cv. 93-11 harbors at least three R genes, Pi60(t) on chromosome 11, and Pi61(t) and Pi41 on chromosome 12. Pi60(t) and Pi61(t) are both embedded in recombination-suppressed regions with several clustered NBS-LRR genes. We identified Rebamipide two tightly linked flanking markers, K1-4 and E12, and two co-segregating markers, Y10 and B1, for Pi60(t); and two tightly linked flanking markers G8 and M2, and one co-segregating marker M9 for Pi61(t). These markers should ensure rapid and accurate transfer of the two R genes from 93-11 into new breeding lines through MAS. The delineation of physical positions and the short-listed candidate genes of the two blast R loci have set solid foundations for positional cloning of Pi60(t) and Pi61(t). We thank Dr. Yulin Jia, USDA-ARS Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, Stuttgart, Arkansas, USA for helpful discussion. This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30871606), the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest Program of China (Grant No. 20120314), and the Major Science and Technology Project to Create New Crop Cultivars using Gene Transfer Technology (Grant No. 2011ZX08001-002). “
“Maize (Zea mays L.