R2R3-type Lo MYB21 affects jasmonate-regulated development and dehiscence of anthers in lily(Lilium oriental hybrids)

Lilies are widely cultivated for cut flowers,but their large anthers carry a considerable amount of colored pollen that is dispersed easily.Studying the molecular mechanism of anther development and dehiscence could help solve this problem.LoMYB21,encoding a putative R2R3v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog(MYB)transcription factor,was identified from oriental lilies(Lilium‘Siberia’).Real-time quantitative PCR analysis showed that LoMYB21 was mainly expressed in the anther,filament and stigma and had high expression during the late stages of lily anther development.LoMYB21 had transactivation activity and was located in the nucleus through yeast one-hybrid assays and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana.Suppression of LoMYB21 by virus-induced gene silencing(VIGS)in Lilium‘Siberia’led to anther indehiscence and reduced the expression of genes related to Jasmonate acid(JA)biosynthesis and signal transduction.Induction of LoMYB21 in DEX::LoMYB21 transgenic Arabidopsis caused procumbent inflorescences that became infertile,accompanied by higher expression of JA biosynthetic and signaling genes.These results demonstrated that JA content and signaling were abnormal in silenced lily and transgenic LoMYB21 Arabidopsis,which affected anther development.Our study indicated that LoMYB21 could regulate lily anther dehiscence through JA biosynthesis and signaling during the late stages of anther development.

Roles of Adinandra nitida(Theaceae) and camellianin A in HCl/ethanol-induced acute gastric ulcer in mice

Gastric ulcer is a global health concern nowadays. Adinandra nitida, known as Shibi tea, is a flavonoidrich plant found in South China. A. nitida possesses many healthy properties, such as antioxidation and reducing blood pressure. However, its effects on gastric ulcer have not been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the Shibi tea water extract(STE) and its main flavonoid camellianin A(CA) in hydrochloric acid(HCl) and ethanol(Et OH)-induced acute gastric ulcer in mice. Administration of CA and STE for continuous two days after stimulation by HCl/Et OH significantly attenuated the deterioration of gastric mucosal damage by lowering the gross gastric mucosal index, histopathological injury index, the oxidative stress, the expression of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, and the expression of inflammatory mediators i NOS and COX-2. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry analysis showed that CA and STE regulated the inflammatory signaling pathway protein levels of IκB-α and NF-κB. Taken together, our study verified that CA and STE have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects in gastric ulcer mice. We propose that A. nitida should be developed as natural functional food for acute gastric ulcer patients base on the gastroprotective effects of STE and its main flavonoid CA.

Comparison in phytoplankton diversity-productivity-community stability between river-type reservoir and lake-type reservoir

Relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function is one of the core issues in ecological research.Phytoplankton,as the main producer of aquatic ecosystem,its diversity,productivity,and community stability are of great signifi cance to reveal ecosystem function.There are signifi cant diff erences in hydrodynamics,water retention time,and phytoplankton community structure between river-type reservoir and newly built lake-type reservoir.The comparative analysis of phytoplankton community stability between the two types of reservoir has not been reported.Jiuquwan Reservoir(river-type)and Taihu Reservoir(lake-type),the two reservoirs in the Dongjiang River source area of Zhujiang(Pearl)River Basin,were selected for comparison in terms of multi-year operation vs.new impoundment,river-type vs.lake-type,and shallow water vs.sub-deep water reservoirs.Samples were collected in dry season(December 2019),normal season(March 2020),and wet season(August 2020),on which the phytoplankton diversity and productivity of the two reservoirs,and the relationship and diff erence of community stability were examined.Results show that(1)the number of phytoplankton species in Jiuquwan Reservoir decreased comparing that before algal bloom and the restoration treatment,while that in Taihu Reservoir increased compared with that before the impoundment of the reservoir.There was no signifi cant diff erence in functional groups and species number between the two reservoirs(P>0.05);(2)the biological stability,diversity,productivity,and resource utilization effi ciency of newly built lake-type reservoir were higher than those of multi-year river-type reservoir.In addition,the utilization effi ciency of phytoplankton resources was the highest in wet season in both reservoirs.The increases in biodiversity,richness,and evenness promoted the stability of the community,while increases in productivity and resource utilization effi ciency weakened the stability of the community;(3)community stability was aff ected by both biotic and abiotic factors,and hydrodynamic index was the main factor.This study is helpful to understand the relationship and diff erences in phytoplankton diversity,productivity and community stability in diff erent types of reservoirs,and provides a guidance for maintaining the stability of reservoir water ecosystem and protecting the biodiversity.The relationships between phytoplankton diversity,productivity,and community stability will be investigated in depth,for which a long-term observation will be conducted on the impact of environmental factors and diversity on the local biostability in diff erent types of reservoirs.

Intervention and treatment of upper limb lymphedema with traditional Chinese medicine

Breast cancer is a common malignant tumor in women. Because of the clearing of axillary lymph nodes and the radiotherapy of lymph node region, lymphatic dysfunction occurs and lymphatic fluid retards in the interstitial space. These will lead to a series of pathological changes, such as tissue edema, chronic inflammation, tissue fibrosis and fatty fibrosis. Lymphedema is a chronic disease with the feature of slow progression and is currently incurable. The timely treatment and proper care can alleviate the symptoms and improve the quality of life. The internal and external treatment of Chinese medicine intervention is beneficial for upper limb lymphedema, and the purpose of this research is to share our clinical experiences.

Monovalent cation perm-selective membranes(MCPMs)"New developments and perspectives

As one of the most typical and promising membrane processes, electrodialysis(ED) technique plays a more and more significant role in industrial separation. Especially, the separation of monovalent cations and multivalent cations is currently a hot topic, which is not only desirable for many industries but also challenging for academic explorations. The main aim of the present contribution is to view the advances of a wide variety of monovalent cation perm-selective membranes(MCPMs) and their preparation technologies including(1) covalent crosslinking,(2) surface modification,(3) polymer blending,(4) electrospinning,(5) nanofiltration alike membrane,and(6) organic–inorganic hybrid. The relevant advantages and disadvantages with respect to some specific cases have been discussed and compared in detail. Furthermore, we elaborately discuss the opportunities and challenges of MCPMs, the fabricating strategies to take and the future perspectives.

The key environmental factors driving the succession of phytoplankton functional groups in Hongfeng Reservoir, southwest China

Reservoirs are an important water source in many densely populated areas in southwest China.Phytoplankton play an essential role in maintaining the structure and function of reservoir ecosystems.Understanding the succession in phytoplankton communities and the factors driving it are essential for eff ective water quality management in drinking water reservoirs.In this study,water samples were collected monthly at the surface layers from March 2016 to December 2019 in Hongfeng Reservoir,southwest China.The relationship between functional group succession was analyzed based on nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis(NMDS),redundancy analysis(RDA),succession rate,and other analysis methods.The results showed distinct shifts in the community structure of phytoplankton functional groups within study period.The Cyclotella sp.was dominant in 2016 and 2017,and Pseudanabaena limnetica was the dominant group in 2018 and 2019.It appears that the phytoplankton composition and biomass are closely related to the water temperature and nutrient status in this reservoir.The results clearly showed that the permanganate index(COD_(Mn))was the key factor of dramatic phytoplankton functional group succession,and the change in succession rates was closely caused by total nitrogen concentration(TN).Therefore,the succession pattern and key factors of Hongfeng Reservoir revealed in this study were important guidance for the management of drinking water reservoirs in southwest China.A reasonable limit on exogenous nutrient input should be a priority,especially in high water temperature period.

Tea and Citrus maxima complex induces apoptosis of human liver cancer cells via PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in vitro

Objective:In this study,black tea and Citrus maxima(BT-CM),yellow tea and C.maxima(YT-CM),green tea and C.maxima(GT-CM)as subjects,the active ingredient content and antioxidant activity of three tea and C.maxima(T-CM)were analyzed.The effects of three T-CMs on apoptosis of liver cells in vitro and its mechanism were further explored.Methods:National standard method and HPLC were used for active ingredient analysis.MTT,cell fow cytometry and Western blot were used to analyze the effects of three T-CMs on cell proliferation,apoptosis,and its underlying molecular mechanism.Results:The content of tea polyphenols,free amino acids,ratio of polyphenols and amino acids,ester catechins,non-ester catechins and caffeine in YT-CM and GT-CM was significantly higher than that of BT-CM.The in vitro antioxidant capacity of YT-CM and GT-CM was also significantly stronger than that of BT-CM.Three T-CMs had the effects of inhibiting proliferation,arresting cell cycle and inducing apoptosis in HepG2 and Bel7402 cells,especially YT-CM and GT-CM.Western blot analysis showed three T-CMs activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and regulated the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bax,Bcl-2 and Caspase-3/9.YT-CM and GT-CM had better ability to change the signal pathway than BT-CM.Conclusion:In short,T-CMs,which combined different degrees of fermentation tea with C.maxima,were rich in nutrients and biologically active substances.T-CMs,especially YT-CM and GT-CM,are healthy drinks that help to prevent and treat liver cancer.

Effective CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing in large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

The large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) is an economically important marine species with the highest annual production among the farmed marine fishes in China. However, the aquaculture industry of this species is suffering from severe problems that include weakened disease resistance, decreased growth rate, and reduced meat quality due to frequent inbreeding. Genome editing, which has a huge potential for solving those problems by introducing favorable genetic changes, is not yet available for the large yellow croaker. Here, we pioneered the techniques of embryo microinjection and genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system in this species. Recombinant plasmids encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) were introduced into the fertilized eggs of L. crocea by microinjection before the chorion had hardened. A high survival rate (40%) and GFP-positive larvae rate (81.8%) were achieved, indicating that the microinjection technique in L. crocea was successfully established. On this basis, Cas9 mRNA and sgRNA targeting the tyrosinase a gene in L. crocea (Lc-tyra) were co-injected into fertilized eggs of L. crocea. Mutant individuals with insertion and deletion mutations of Lc-tyra were detected. These results indicated that the CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology established herein could efficiently introduce mutations at a specific site in the L. crocea genome. This method provides the potential for genetic improvement and functional genomic study in this species. This is the first report on effective CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing in L. crocea.

Effects of typical algae species（Aphanizomenon flosaquae and Microcystis aeruginosa） on photoreduction of Hg2+ in water body

Photoreduction characteristics of divalent inorganic mercury (Hg2+) in the presence of specific algae species are still not well known.Laboratory experiments were conducted in the present study to identify the effects of different concentrations of living/dead algae species,including Aphanizomenon flosaquae (AF) and Microcystis aeruginosa (MA),on the photoreduction rate of Hg2+ under various light conditions.The experimental results showed that percentage reduction of Hg2+ was significantly influenced by radiation wavelengths,and dramatically decreased with the presence of algae.The highest percentage reduction of Hg2+ was induced by UV-A,followed by UV-B,visible light and dark for both living and dead AF,and the order was dark > UV-A > UV-B > visible light for both living and dead MA.There were two aspects,i.e.,energy and attenuation rate of light radiation and excrementitious generated from algae metabolisms,were involved in the processes of Hg2+ photoreduction with the presence of algae under different light conditions.The percentage reduction of Hg2+ decreased from 15% to 11% when living and dead AF concentrations increased by 10 times (from 106 to 105 cells/mL),and decreased from11% to ~9% in the case of living and dead MA increased.Algae can adsorb Hg2+ and decrease the concentration of free Hg2+,thus inhibiting Hg2+ photoreduction,especially under the conditions with high concentrations of algae.No significant differences were found in percentage reduction of Hg2+ between living and dead treatments of algae species.The results are of great importance for understanding the role of algae in Hg2+ photoreduction.