A novel Effective Panicle Number per Plant 4 haplotype enhances grain yield by coordinating panicle number and grain number in rice

Increasing effective panicle number per plant(EPN)is one approach to increase yield potential in rice.However,molecular mechanisms underlying EPN remain unclear.In this study,we integrated mapbased cloning and genome-wide association analysis to identify the EPN4 gene,which is allelic to NARROW LEAF1(NAL1).Overexpression lines containing the Teqing allele(TQ)of EPN4 had significantly increased EPN.NIL-EPN4^(TQ) in japonica(geng)cultivar Lemont(LT)exhibited significantly improved EPN but decreased grain number and flag leaf size relative to LT.Haplotype analysis indicated that accessions with EPN4-1 had medium EPN,medium grain number,and medium grain weight,but had the highest grain yield among seven haplotypes,indicating that EPN4-1 is an elite haplotype of EPN4 for positive coordination of the three components of grain yield.Furthermore,accessions carrying the combination of EPN4-1 and haplotype GNP1-6 of GNP1 for grain number per panicle showed higher grain yield than those with other allele combinations.Therefore,pyramiding of EPN4-1 and GNP1-6 could be a preferred approach to obtain high yield potential in breeding.

π-π作用下的VOPc/g-C_3N_4用于有效提升可见光光催化制氢性能（英文）

近年来,随着全球科学技术的进步和工业的不断发展,人们的经济生活水平有了极大的提高,但同时也造成能源短缺和环境污染问题,成为21世纪制约经济和社会进一步发展的严重瓶颈,因此开发和研究环保和可再生的绿色能源技术是一项紧迫任务.自首次报道用二氧化钛为电极、采用光电化学分解水制氢之后,光催化分解水制氢引起了人们极大的兴趣,并被认为是缓解全球能源问题的最有希望的解决方案之一.其中,实现有效的太阳能制氢生产中最关键因素是设计稳定、高效和经济的光催化剂,并且能够利用可见光区进行工作(入射到地球上46%的太阳光谱是可见光).聚合物石墨相氮化物(g-C_3N_4)作为一种对可见光响应的新型无机非金属半导体光催化剂,被认为是一种"可持续"有机半导体材料,目前已并被广泛应用于各种光催化反应中.但是由于其光生电子-空穴在动力学上具有相对较大的复合速率,单纯g-C_3N_4的光催化活性远远达不到人们的要求.因此,应该尽可能的提高电荷转移动力学来抑制g-C_3N_4中光生电荷的复合,从而提高光生电荷从g-C_3N_4转移至反应位点的迁移速率.在前期研究的基础上,本文利用钒氧酞菁(VOPc)分子通过p-p相互作用以修饰g-C_3N_4的表面和电子结构,从而提高其光生电子-空穴的分离效率,最终极大提升其可见光光催化制氢性能.本文采用紫外可见光谱(UV-vis),高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM),傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR), X-射线能谱(XPS),稳态光致发光光谱(PL),时间分辨光致发光光谱(TRPL),光电流和阻抗等一系列表征手段研究了VOPc/g-C_3N_4(VOPc/CN)复合催化剂的结构和性质.FT-IR, XPS及mapping等结果表明, VOPc分子已经成功引入到g-C_3N_4表面且未对其晶相、电子结构及其纳米片结构产生显著影响;UV-vis结果显示, VOPc分子成功引入并通过非共价键的p-p作用连接.总之,引入VOPc分子即拓展了催化剂对可见光的响应区域,又有利于光生载流子的传递和光生电子-空穴对的有效分离.当引入4wt%的VOPc分子时, VOPc/CN复合光催化剂的产氢速率增加至65.52μmolh-1, 420 nm处的量子效率高达6.29%,是单纯g-C_3N_4的6倍.此外,该催化剂在可见光下连续照射反应20 h后,其光催化活性几乎没有降低,表现出良好的光化学稳定性.由于两者LUMO和HOMO轨道之间的良好匹配,在光催化过程中光生电子-空穴在VOPc和g-C_3N_4之间实现了空间分离,有效阻止了光生电子-空穴对的复合,因而g-C_3N_4光催化制氢性能显著提升.同时对比了利用NiS和Ni Px做助剂的g-C_3N_4的可见光光催化制氢性能.结果显示, VOPc/CN复合光催化剂具有较好的光催化性能.总之,本文通过一种简单、经济、有效的方法将两种新兴的功能材料有机地复合在一起,用于可见光照射下高效光催化制氢,为以后合理地开发用于太阳能转换的更为高效经济的材料提供了一个新的思路.

Genetic bases of source-,sink-,and yield-related traits revealed by genome-wide association study in Xian rice

The source-sink relationship determines the ultimate grain yield.We investigated the genetic basis of the relationship between source and sink and yield potential in rice.In two environments,we identified quantitative trait loci(QTL)associated with sink capacity(total spikelet number per panicle and thousand-grain weight),source leaf(flag leaf length,flag leaf width and flag leaf area),source-sink relationship(total spikelet number to flag leaf area ratio)and yield-related traits(filled grain number per panicle,panicle number per plant,grain yield per plant,biomass per plant,and harvest index)by genome-wide association analysis using 272 Xian(indica)accessions.The panel showed substantial variation for all traits in the two environments and revealed complex phenotypic correlations.A total of 70 QTL influencing the 11 traits were identified using 469,377 high-quality SNP markers.Five QTL were detected consistently in four chromosomal regions in both environments.Five QTL clusters simultaneously affected source,sink,source–sink relationship,and grain yield traits,probably explaining the genetic basis of significant correlations of grain yield with source and sink traits.We selected 24 candidate genes in the four consistent QTL regions by identifying linkage disequilibrium(LD)blocks associated with significant SNPs and performing haplotype analysis.The genes included one cloned gene(NOG1)and three newly identified QTL(qHI6,qTGW7,and qFLA8).These results provide a theoretical basis for high-yield rice breeding by increasing and balancing source–sink relationships using marker-assisted selection.

Genetic dissection of rice appearance quality and cooked rice elongation by genome-wide association study

Appearance and cooked rice elongation are key quality traits of rice. Although some QTL for these traits have been identified, understanding of the genetic relationship between them remains limited. In the present study, large phenotypic variation was observed in 760 accessions from the 3 K Rice Genomes Project for both appearance quality and cooked rice elongation. Most component traits of appearance quality and cooked rice elongation showed significant pairwise correlations, but a low correlation was found between appearance quality and cooked rice elongation. A genome-wide association study identified 74 QTL distributed on all 12 chromosomes for grain length, grain width, length to width ratio, degree of endosperm with chalkiness, rice elongation difference, and elongation index. Thirteen regions containing QTL stably expressed in multiple environments and/or exerting pleiotropic effects on multiple traits were detected. By gene-based association analysis and haplotype analysis, 46 candidate genes, including five cloned genes, and 49 favorable alleles were identified for these 13 QTL. The effect of the candidate gene Wx on rice elongation difference was validated by a transgenic strategy. These results shed light on the genetic bases of appearance quality and cooked rice elongation and provide gene resources for improving rice quality by molecular breeding.

Genetic mechanism of heterosis for rice milling and appearance quality in an elite rice hybrid

Development of hybrid rice with high yield and grain quality is a goal of rice breeding.To investigate the genetic mechanism of heterosis for rice milling and appearance quality in indica/xian rice,QTL mapping was conducted using 1061 recombinant inbred lines(RILs)derived from a cross of the xian rice cultivars Quan 9311B(Q9311B)and Wu-shan-si-miao(WSSM),and a backcross F_(1)(BC_(1)F_(1)) population developed by crossing the RILs with Quan 9311A(Q9311A),combined with phenotyping in two environments.The F_(1) hybrid(Q9311A×WSSM)showed various degrees of heterosis for milling and appearance quality.A total of 142 main-effect QTL(M-QTL)and 407 pairs of epistatic QTL(E-QTL)were identified for five milling and appearance quality traits and grain yield per plant(GYP)in the RIL,BC_(1)F_(1) and mid-parental heterosis(H_(MP)) populations.Differential detection of QTL in three populations revealed that most additive loci detected in the RILs did not show heterotic effects,but some of them did contribute to BC_(1)F_(1) trait performance.Unlike heterosis of GYP,single-locus overdominance and epistasis were the main contributors to heterosis for milling and appearance quality.Epistasis contributed more to the heterosis for milling quality than to that for appearance quality.Three(four)QTL regions harboring opposite(consistent)directions of favorable allele effects for GYP and grain quality were identified,indicating the presence of partial genetic overlaps between GYP and grain quality.Three strategies are proposed to develop hybrid rice with high yield and good grain quality:1)pyramiding favorable alleles with consistent directions of gene effects for GYP and grain quality at the M-QTL on different chromosomes;2)introgressing favorable alleles for GYP and grain quality into the parents and then pyramiding and fixing these additive effects in hybrids;and 3)pyramiding overdominant and dominant loci and minimizing or eliminating underdominant loci from the parents.

Contrasting elevational diversity patterns for soil bacteria between two ecosystems divided by the treeline

Above- and below-ground organisms are closely linked, but how elevational distribution pattern of soil microbes shifting across the treeline still remains unknown. Sampling of 140 plots with transect, we herein investigated soil bacterial distribution pattern from a temperate forest up to a subalpine meadow along an elevational gradient using Illumina sequencing. Our results revealed distinct elevational patterns of bacterial diversity above and below the treeline in responding to changes in soil conditions:a hollow elevational pattern in the forest(correlated with soil temperature, pH, and C:N ratio) and a significantly decreasing pattern in the meadow(correlated with soil pH, and available phosphorus). The bacterial community structure was also distinct between the forest and meadow, relating to soil pH in the forest and soil temperature in the meadow. Soil bacteria did not follow the distribution pattern of herb diversity, but bacterial community structure could be predicted by herb community composition. These results suggest that plant communities have an important influence on soil characteristics, and thus change the elevational distribution of soil bacteria. Our findings are useful for future assessments of climate change impacts on microbial community.

In-situ hydrophobic environment triggering reactive fluorescence probe to real-time monitor mitochondrial DNA damage

Mitochondrial DNA has a special structure that is prone to damage resulting in many serious diseases,such as genetic diseases and cancers.Therefore,the rapid and specific monitoring of mitochondrial DNA damage is urgently needed for biological recognition.Herein,we constructed an in situ hydrophobic environment-triggering reactive fluorescence probe named MBI-CN.The fluorophore was 2-styrene-1H-benzo[d]imidazole,and malononitrile was introduced as a core into a molecule to initiate the hydrolysis reaction in the specific environment containing damaged mitochondrial DNA.In this design,MBI-CN conjugates to mitochondrial DNA without causing additional damages.Thus,MBI-CN can be hydrolyzed to generate MBI-CHO in an in situ hydrophobic environment with mitochondrial DNA damage.Meanwhile,MBI-CHO immediately emitted a significative fluorescence signal changes at 437 and 553 nm within 25 s for the damaged mitochondria DNA.Give that the specific and rapid response of MBI-CN does not cause additional damages to mitochondrial DNA,it is a potentially effective detection tool for the real-time monitoring of mitochondrial DNA damage during cell apoptosis and initial assessment of cell apoptosis.

Mechanical stretching boosts expansion and regeneration of intestinal organoids through fueling stem cell self-renewal

Intestinal organoids,derived from intestinal stem cell self-organization,recapitulate the tissue structures and behav-iors of the intestinal epithelium,which hold great potential for the study of developmental biology,disease modeling,and regenerative medicine.The intestinal epithelium is exposed to dynamic mechanical forces which exert profound effects on gut development.However,the conventional intestinal organoid culture system neglects the key role of mechanical microenvironments but relies solely on biological factors.Here,we show that adding cyclic stretch to intestinal organoid cultures remarkably up-regulates the signature gene expression and proliferation of intestinal stem cells.Furthermore,mechanical stretching stimulates the expansion of SOX9+progenitors by activating the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling.These data demonstrate that the incorporation of mechanical stretch boosts the stemness of intestinal stem cells,thus benefiting organoid growth.Our findings have provided a way to optimize an organoid generation system through understanding cross-talk between biological and mechanical factors,paving the way for the application of mechanical forces in organoid-based models.