WPA1 encodes a vWA domain protein that regulates wheat plant architecture

Plant height,spike,leaf,stem and grain morphologies are key components of plant architecture and related to wheat yield.A wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)mutant,wpa1,displaying temperaturedependent pleiotropic developmental anomalies,was isolated.The WPA1 gene,encoding a von Willebrand factor type A(vWA)domain protein,was located on chromosome arm 7DS and isolated by map-based cloning.The functionality of WPA1 was validated by multiple independent EMS-induced mutants and gene editing.Phylogenetic analysis revealed that WPA1 is monocotyledon-specific in higher plants.The identification of WPA1 provides opportunity to study the temperature regulated wheat development and grain yield.

Apical meristem transcriptome analysis identifies a role for the blue light receptor gene GhFKF1 in cotton architecture development

Cotton architecture is determined by the differentiation fate transition of axillary meristem(AM),and influences cotton yield and the efficiency of mechanized harvesting.We observed that the initiation of flowering primordium was earlier in early-maturing than that in late-maturing cultivars during the differentiation and development of AM.The RNA-Seq and expression level analyses showed that genes FLAVIN BINDING,KELCH REPEAT,F-BOX1(GhFKF1),and GIGANTEA(GhGI)were in response to circadian rhythms,and involved in the regulation of cotton flowering.The gene structure,predicted protein structure,and motif content analyses showed that in Arabidopsis,cotton,rapseed,and soybean,proteins GhFKF1 and GhGI were functionally conserved and share evolutionary origins.Compared to the wild type,in GhFKF1 mutants that were created by the CRISPR/Cas9 system,the initiation of branch primordium was inhibited.Conversely,the knocking out of GhGI increased the number of AM differentiating into flower primordium,and there were much more lateral branch differentiation and development.Besides,we investigated that proteins GhFKF1 and GhGI can interact with each other.These results suggest that GhFKF1 and GhGI are key regulators of cotton architecture development,and may collaborate to regulate the differentiation fate transition of AM,ultimately influencing plant architecture.We describe a strategy for using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to increase cotton adaptation and productivity by optimizing plant architecture.

Development of biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture over four decades(1980-2022)

The application of biofertilizers is becoming an inevitable trend to substitute chemical fertilizers for sustainable agriculture.To better understand the development of biofertilizers from 1980 to 2022,we used bibliometric mining to analyze 12,880 journal articles related to biofertilizer.The network cooccurrence analysis suggested that the biofertilizers research can be separated into three stages.The first stage(1980-2005)focused on nitrogen fixation.The second stage(2006-2015)concentrated on the mechanisms for increasing plant yield.The third stage(2016-2022)was the application of biofertilizers to improve the soil environment.The keyword analysis revealed the mechanisms of biofertilizers to improve plant-growth:biofertilizers can impact the nutritional status of plants,regulate plant hormones,and improve soil environments and the microbiome.The bacteria use as biofertilizers,included Pseudomonas,Azospirillum,and Bacillus,were also identified through bibliometric mining.These findings provide critical discernment to aid further study of biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture.

Tomato LysM receptor kinase 4 mediates chitin-elicited fungal resistance in both leaves and fruit

Fungal infection is a major cause of crop and fruit losses.Recognition of chitin,a component of fungal cell walls,endows plants with enhanced fungal resistance.Here,we found that mutation of tomato LysM receptor kinase 4(SlLYK4)and chitin elicitor receptor kinase 1(SlCERK1)impaired chitin-induced immune responses in tomato leaves.Compared with the wild type,sllyk4 and slcerk1 mutant leaves were more susceptible to Botrytis cinerea(gray mold).SlLYK4 extracellular domain showed strong binding affinity to chitin,and the binding of SlLYK4 induced SlLYK4-SlCERK1 association.Remarkably,qRT–PCR analysis indicated that SlLYK4 was highly expressed in tomato fruit,andβ-GLUCURONIDASE(GUS)expression driven by the SlLYK4 promoter was observed in tomato fruit.Furthermore,SlLYK4 overexpression enhanced disease resistance not only in leaves but also in fruit.Our study suggests that chitin-mediated immunity plays a role in fruit,providing a possible way to reduce fungal infection-related fruit losses by enhancing the chitin-induced immune responses.

Comparative advantages of chemical compositions of specific edible vegetable oils

As important supplementary to major edible oils, comparative chemical advantages of minor edible oils decidetheir development and usage. In this study, chemical composition of 13 kinds of specific edible vegetable oilswere investigated. The comparative advantages of chemical compositions of these edible oils were obtained asfollows: (1) camellia, tiger nut and almond oil were rich in oleic acid, the contents of which accounted for79.43%, 69.16% and 66.26%, respectively;(2) safflower oil contained the highest content of linoleic acid(76.69%), followed by grape seed (66.85%) and walnut oil (57.30%);(3) perilla seed, siritch, peony seed andherbaceous peony seed oil were rich in α-linolenic acid (59.61%, 43.74%, 40.83% and 30.84%, respectively);(4)the total phytosterol contents of these oils ranged from 91.46 mg/100 g (camellia oil) to 506.46 mg/100 g (siritchoil);and (5) The best source of tocopherols was sacha inchi oil (122.74 mg/100 g), followed by perilla seed oil(55.89 mg/100 g), peony seed oil (53.73 mg/100 g) and herbaceous peony seed oil (47.17 mg/100 g). Thecomparative advantages of these specific edible oils indicated that they possess the high potential nutritionalvalues and health care functions.

A toolbox for genetic manipulation in intestinal Clostridium symbiosum

Gut microbes are closely related with human health,but remain much to learn.Clostridium symbiosum is a conditionally pathogenic human gut bacterium and regarded as a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of intestinal tumors.However,the absence of an efficient toolbox that allows diverse genetic manipulations of this bacterium limits its in-depth studies.Here,we obtained the complete genome sequence of C.symbiosum ATCC 14940,a representative strain of C.symbiosum.On this basis,we further developed a series of genetic manipulation methods for this bacterium.Firstly,following the identification of a functional replicon pBP1 in C.symbiosum ATCC 14940,a highly efficient conjugative DNA transfer method was established,enabling the rapid introduction of exogenous plasmids into cells.Next,we constructed a dual-plasmid CRISPR/Cas12a system for genome editing in this bacterium,reaching over 60% repression for most of the chosen genes as well as efficient deletion(>90%)of three target genes.Finally,this toolbox was used for the identification of crucial functional genes,involving growth,synthesis of important metabolites,and virulence of C.symbiosum ATCC 14940.Our work has effectively established and optimized genome editing methods in intestinal C.symbiosum,thereby providing strong support for further basic and application research in this bacterium.

Cynaroside regulates the AMPK/SIRT3/Nrf2 pathway to inhibit doxorubicin-induced cardiomyocyte pyroptosis

Doxorubicin(DOX)is a commonly administered chemotherapy drug for treating hematological malignancies and solid tumors;however,its clinical application is limited by significant cardiotoxicity.Cynaroside(Cyn)is a flavonoid glycoside distributed in honeysuckle,with confirmed potential biological functions in regulating inflammation,pyroptosis,and oxidative stress.Herein,the effects of Cyn were evaluated in a DOX-induced cardiotoxicity(DIC)mouse model,which was established by intraperitoneal injections of DOX(5 mg/kg)once a week for three weeks.The mice in the treatment group received dexrazoxane,MCC950,and Cyn every two days.Blood biochemistry,histopathology,immunohistochemistry,reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR),and western blotting were conducted to investigate the cardioprotective effects and potential mechanisms of Cyn treatment.The results demonstrated the significant benefits of Cyn treatment in mitigating DIC;it could effectively alleviate oxidative stress to a certain extent,maintain the equilibrium of cell apoptosis,and enhance the cardiac function of mice.These effects were realized via regulating the transcription levels of pyroptosis-related genes,such as nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),caspase-1,and gasdermin D(GSDMD).Mechanistically,for DOX-induced myocardial injury,Cyn could significantly modulate the expression of pivotal genes,including adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK),peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγcoactivator-1α(PGC-1α),sirtuin 3(SIRT3),and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2).We attribute it to the mediation of AMPK/SIRT3/Nrf2 pathway,which plays a central role in preventing DOX-induced cardiomyocyte injury.In conclusion,the present study confirms the therapeutic potential of Cyn in DIC by regulating the AMPK/SIRT3/Nrf2 pathway.

Phosphorylation of KAT-2B by WKS1/Yr36 redirects the lipid flux to jasmonates to enhance resistance against wheat stripe rust

Wheat(Triticum aestivum)is one of the most essential human energy and protein sources.However,wheat production is threatened by devastating fungal diseases such as stripe rust,caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend.f.sp.tritici(Pst).Here,we reveal that the alternations in chloroplast lipid profiles and the accumulation of jasmonate(JA)in the necrosis region activate JA signaling and trigger the host defense.The collapse of chloroplasts in the necrosis region results in accumulations of polyunsaturated membrane lipids and the lipid-derived phytohormone JA in transgenic lines of Yr36 that encodes Wheat Kinase START 1(WKS1),a high-temperature-dependent adult plant resistance protein.WKS1.1,a protein encoded by a full-length splicing variant of WKS1,phosphorylates and enhances the activity of keto-acyl thiolase(KAT-2B),a critical enzyme catalyzing theβ-oxidation reaction in JA biosynthesis.The premature stop mutant,kat-2b,accumulates less JA and shows defects in the host defense against Pst.Conversely,overexpression of KAT-2B results in a higher level of JA and limits the growth of Pst.Moreover,JA inhibits the growth and reduces pustule densities of Pst.This study illustrates the WKS1.1-KAT-2B-JA pathway for enhancing wheat defense against fungal pathogens to attenuate yield loss.

Studies on the Activities of Electrophilic Sites on Benzene Ring of 4-Substituted Anilines and Their Acyl Compounds with Multiphilicity Descriptor

In this paper, the activities of electrophilic sites on benzene ring of 4-substituted anilines and their acyl compounds were studied with the quantitative indicator of multiphilicity descriptor. Four substituents were synthe- sized with microwave irradiation in good yields to verify the quantitative analysis data. Friedel-Crafts acylation was carried out by the microwave method for the first time.