Fusarium verticillioides can be transmitted via seeds and cause systemic infection in maize (Zea mays L.); its mycotoxin has harmful effects on animal and human health. We combined QTL mapping in recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 217 diverse maize lines using 224,152 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) under controlled conditions to determine the genetic architecture of F. verticillioides seed rot (FSR) resistance. Our study identified 8 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and 43 genes associated with 57 SNPs that were correlated with FSR resistance through linkage mapping and GWAS, respectively. Among these, there were three candidate genes, namely GRMZM2G0081223, AC213654.3_FG004, and GRMZM2G099255, which were detected in both linkage mapping and GWAS. Furthermore, the near-isogenic lines (NILs) containing GRMZM2G0081223, which also had a susceptible parent background, were found to have a significantly improved level of resistance. In addition, the expression profile of the three candidate genes revealed that they all respond to the infection following inoculation with F. verticillioides. These genetic analyses indicate that FSR resistance is controlled by loci with minor effect, and the polymerization breeding of lines with beneficial alleles and candidate genes could improve FSR resistance in maize.Maize is one of the most important cereals in the world due to its high yield potential and its high demand for use as food, feed, and for industrial purposes. Maize is subject to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses during its lifetime, which can significantly affect final yield and quality. The planting area for maize in China is 37.07 million hectares, of which the Huang-Huai-Hai region accounts for 39%. In this region, the incidence of soil-borne diseases in maize has increased over the years, which coincides with increases in the use of cultivation systems such as double cropping, no-tillage, and straw returned. Fusarium verticillioides (formerly Fusarium moniliforme), which is a commonly-found soil-borne fungal species, can be transmitted to seeds and cause systemic infection in maize 1 . Previous studies have confirmed that seeds infected with F. verticillioides are a source of root and stalk infection 2 . In addition, the fungus can be transmitted from the planted seed through to the developing kernels via the mature plant 1,[3][4][5] . The diseases caused by F. verticillioides include seedling blight, stalk rot, root rot, kernel rot, ear rot, and seed rot 5,6 . F. verticillioides infection can result in decreased grain yields, poor grain quality, and contamination by the mycotoxin fumonisin 7 . The fumonisins produced by F. verticillioides are known to cause a variety of diseases when ingested by animals, and have been implicated in human carcinogenesis and neural tube defects, as well as in plant diseases 6 .

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One-sentence summary: Transcriptomic analyses of several wheat species with different ploidies reveal alternative splicing changes in response to wheat domestication or polyploidization.

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Summary Background Dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) are noninvasive techniques for the diagnosis of skin lesions. Their accuracy for amelanotic/hypomelanotic melanoma (AHM) has not been systematically studied. Objectives We aimed to investigate systematically the accuracy of dermoscopy and RCM and to compare the accuracy between them for diagnosing AHM. Methods We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Library databases for eligible studies about dermoscopy, RCM and AHM from inception to 31 June 2019. The quality of the studies was assessed with the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. The pooled results were calculated using a random effects model in Stata 14, Meta‐DiSc, RevMan 5·3 and SAS 9·4. We also explored the sources of heterogeneity by sensitivity analysis. Results Seven studies with a total of 1111 lesions were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of dermoscopy for the diagnosis of AHM were 61% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·37–0·81] and 90% (95% CI 0·74–0·97), respectively. The corresponding respective values of RCM for the diagnosis of AHM were 67% (95% CI 0·51–0·81) and 89% (95% CI 0·86–0·92). In three studies including the performance of both RCM and dermoscopy, the relative diagnostic odds ratio of RCM over dermoscopy was 4·69 (95% CI 0·81–27·3) (P = 0·068). Conclusions Our study demonstrates that both dermoscopy and RCM offer good diagnostic accuracy with high specificity and moderate sensitivity in the diagnosis of AHM. RCM is more accurate than dermoscopy in diagnosing AHM but the comparison needs to be confirmed. What's already known about this topic? Amelanotic/hypomelanotic melanoma (AHM) is the most lethal skin cancer. The diagnosis of AHM is a great challenge because of its nonspecific clinical manifestation. Early diagnosis can improve the prognosis. Dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) have high diagnostic accuracy for pigmented melanoma. What does this study add? Both dermoscopy and RCM offer good diagnostic accuracy with high specificity and moderate sensitivity for AHM. RCM might be more accurate than dermoscopy for diagnosis of AHM. More research on the diagnostic accuracy of dermoscopy and RCM for AHM is required in support of these findings. Linked Comment: Chi. Br J Dermatol 2020; 183:197.