Genome-Wide Analysis of the F3′5′H Gene Family in Blueberry(Vaccinium corymbosum L.)Provides Insights into the Regulation of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis

The F3′5′H gene family plays an important role in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis,abiotic stress,and hormone signaling.In this study,14 F3′5′H genes were identified from the blueberry genome.The chromosomal distribution,physicochemical properties,F3′5′H domain,conserved motifs,cis-acting elements,and intron/exon compositions were analyzed.The functional prediction analysis of these VcF3′5′Hs indicated that their biological functions included light response and other secondary metabolites.The results of qRT-PCR showed that VcF3′5′Hs(especially VcF3′5′H4)were highly expressed at the ripening stage.Subcellular localization revealed that VcF3′5′H4 may be located in the endoplasmic reticulum.Co-expression analysis showed that the VcF3′5′H gene family was related to anthocyanin.This research provides an overview of the blueberry F3′5′H family and helps verify the role of these genes in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis.

The Effects of Water and Fertilizer Coupling on Plant and Soil Nitrogen Characteristics and Fruit Growth of Rabbiteye Blueberry Plants in a Semi-Arid Region in China

To evaluate the effects of nitrogen(N)and irrigation coupling on the soil N distribution,plant N utilization,and fruit yield of rabbiteye blueberries(Vaccinium virgatum),a field experiment was designed using two factors(water and fertilizer application)with four levels of irrigation and three levels of fertilization,and a control.Under the different water and fertilizer combinations,N primarily accumulated in the leaves.Irrigation and N application within appropriate ranges(pure N≤29 g/plant and irrigation volume≤2.5 L/plant)significantly improved the blueberry fruit yield.Increases in water and N within these ranges promoted the effective accumulation of N in various organs and the absorption and utilization of N in the plants,which ultimately promoted blueberry yield.With increased N application rate,the nitrate N content of the 0–20 cm and 20–50 cm soil layers increased.With increased irrigation volume,the nitrate N content of the 0–20 cm soil layer decreased,while the nitrate content in the 20–50 cm soil layer increased.Low N and moderate water treatments resulted in high fruit yields and reduced nitrate N retention in the soil.Under these conditions,the economic input-output ratio was high and the soil N accumulation was low,and thus the economic and ecological benefits were maximized.

The Effects of Fertilizers on Rabbiteye Blueberry(Vaccinium ashei Reade.)Root Distribution and Fruit Yield

The root system plays an important role in the growth and development of blueberry.The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of different fertilizers on the root growth and root–yield relationship of blueberry to provide insight into the regulation of root growth and fruit yield by fertilizing from the perspective of the root system.Rabbiteye blueberry variety‘Britewell’as the test material,and six fertilizers,including BF,OR,CF,SF,HF,and RT were used in single-factor fertilization experiments to analyze the effects of different fertilizer treatments on the root morphology,root distribution,and fruit yield of blueberry.Fertilization overall increased the root length density and root surface area in most soil layers,and the RT treatment significantly increased the total root length density and total root surface area 98.6%and 98.5%,respectively,compared with a control lacking fertilizer.In addition,the effect of fertilization on the blueberry root system was mainly observed in the 0–20 cm layer.Fruit yield was positively correlated with total root length density and total root surface area,and negatively correlated with average root diameter.In summary,the SF and RT treatments increased the morphological indexes of the root system,particularly in the shallow soil layers,leading to an increase in blueberry fruit yield.

Suppressed expression of miR-378 targeting gzmb in N cells is required to control dengue virus infection

Dengue virus （DENV） remains a major public health threat because no vaccine or drugs are available for the prevention and treatment of DENV infection, and the immunopathogenesis mechanisms of DENV infection are not fully understood. Cytotoxic molecules, such as granzyme B （GrzB）, may be necessary to control viral infections. However, the exact role of GrzB during DENV infection and the mechanisms regulating GrzB expression during DENV infection are not clear. This study found that miR-27a~, miR-3Oe, and miR-378 were down-regulated in DENV-infected patients, and DENV infection in humans induced a significant up-regulation of GrzB in natural killer （NK） cells and CD8＋ T cells. Further investigation indicated that NK cells, but not CD8＋ T cells, were the major sources of GrzB, and miR-378, but not miR-27a~ or miR-3Oe, suppressed GrzB expression in NK cells. Notably, we found that overexpression of miR-378 using a miR-378 agomir in DENV-infected mice inhibited GrzB expression and promoted DENV replication. These results suggest the critical importance of miR-378 in the regulation of GrzB expression and a protective role for GrzB in controlling DENV replication in vivo. Therefore, this study provides a new insight into the immunopathogenesis mechanism of DENV infection and a biological basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies to control DENV infection.

The efficacy assessment of convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients:a multi-center case series

Convalescent plasma(CP)transfusion has been indicated as a promising therapy in the treatment for other emerging viral infections.However,the quality control of CP and individual variation in patients in different studies make it rather difficult to evaluate the efficacy and risk of CP therapy for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).We aimed to explore the potential efficacy of CP therapy,and to assess the possible factors associated with its efficacy.We enrolled eight critical or severe COVID-19 patients from four centers.Each patient was transfused with 200–400mL of CP from seven recovered donors.The primary indicators for clinical efficacy assessment were the changes of clinical symptoms,laboratory parameters,and radiological image after CP transfusion.CP donors had a wide range of antibody levels measured by serology tests which were to some degree correlated with the neutralizing antibody(NAb)level.No adverse events were observed during and after CP transfusion.Following CP transfusion,six out of eight patients showed improved oxygen support status;chest CT indicated varying degrees of absorption of pulmonary lesions in six patients within 8 days;the viral load was decreased to a negative level in five patients who had the previous viremia;other laboratory parameters also tended to improve,including increased lymphocyte counts,decreased C-reactive protein,procalcitonin,and indicators for liver function.The clinical efficacy might be associated with CP transfusion time,transfused dose,and the NAb levels of CP.This study indicated that CP might be a potential therapy for severe patients with COVID-19.