Relationship Between Root Chemical Signals and Grain Quality of Rice

This study was designed to elucidate the relationship between root chemical signals and the quality of rice. Various rice genotypes were used. Zeatin （Z） ＋ zeatin riboside （ZR）, abscisic acid （ABA）, 1-aminocylopropane -1-carboxylic acid （ACC）, and organic acids in roots during grain filling and the appearance quality, cooking/eating quality were investigated. The correlations among them were analyzed. The results showed that Z ＋ ZR concentrations in the roots at mid- and lategrain-filling stages were significantly and positively correlated with the gel consistency and alkali spreading value （r = 0.72^＊ - 0.90^＊＊）, whereas negatively correlated with the amylose content （r = -0.68^＊ - -0.78^＊＊）. ABA concentrations in roots at mid- grain-filling stage were significantly and negatively correlated with the gel consistency and alkali spreading value （r = -0.90^＊＊-0.91^＊＊）, and positively correlated with the amylose content （r = 0.87^＊＊）. ACC concentrations in root exudates at mid-grain-filling stage were very significantly correlated with the percentage of chalky grains and chalkiness （r = 0.97^＊＊ - 0.98^＊＊）, and those at late-grain-filling stage Were significantly correlated with chalkiness and chalky size （r = 0.69^＊ - 0.96^＊＊）. The more the malic acid and succinic acid exuded from roots for a cultivar, the greater the breakdown values and the smaller the setback values in the starch profile, and the results were reversed for a cultivar with more tartaric acid and citric acid exuded from roots during the grain-filling period. The cultivar with more lactic acid in exudates had smaller gel consistency and alkali spreading values, but had greater amylose content. When roots were treated with exogenous ZR, ABA, and ACC during grain filling, effects of the chemicals on the rice quality were consistent with the relationships of the endogenous hormones （Z ＋ ZR, ABA, and ACC） with the quality indexes. Using rape cake as organic fertilizer can increase the concentrations of malic acid and succinic acids exuded from roots as well as the breakdown value in starch profile and reduce the setback value. The results suggest that root chemical signals play important roles in the formation of rice quality, and dee quality could be improved through regulating the signals.

Mechanisms of Physiological Regulation for Improving Dryland Crop Water Use

This paper briefly reviews the physiological mechanisms for improving crop water use and water use efficiency in dryland farming regions of Loess Plateau on the basis of its environmental conditions and progress in crop water relations and the biological basis of water saving agriculture, especially in non uniform stomatal closure, ABA effects, communication between root and shoot, and water use efficiency. Root chemical signals about water shortage are feedforward effect which contributes to balanced water relations within the plant compartment of the soil plant atmosphere continuum. ABA production is increased in tissues during these stresses, and this causes a variety of physiological effects, including stomata closure in leaves. It is concluded that the root chemical signal ABA is very important to improve the crop water use efficiency in semi arid area of Loess Plateau.

Structural and functional imaging of brains

Analyzing the complex structures and functions of brain is the key issue to understanding the physiological and pathological processes.Although neuronal morphology and local distribution of neurons/blood vessels in the brain have been known,the subcellular structures of cells remain challenging,especially in the live brain.In addition,the complicated brain functions involve numerous functional molecules,but the concentrations,distributions and interactions of these molecules in the brain are still poorly understood.In this review,frontier techniques available for multiscale structure imaging from organelles to the whole brain are first overviewed,including magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),computed tomography(CT),positron emission tomography(PET),serial-section electron microscopy(ss EM),light microscopy(LM)and synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy(XRM).Specially,XRM for three-dimensional(3D)imaging of large-scale brain tissue with high resolution and fast imaging speed is highlighted.Additionally,the development of elegant methods for acquisition of brain functions from electrical/chemical signals in the brain is outlined.In particular,the new electrophysiology technologies for neural recordings at the single-neuron level and in the brain are also summarized.We also focus on the construction of electrochemical probes based on dual-recognition strategy and surface/interface chemistry for determination of chemical species in the brain with high selectivity and long-term stability,as well as electrochemophysiological microarray for simultaneously recording of electrochemical and electrophysiological signals in the brain.Moreover,the recent development of brain MRI probes with high contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)and sensitivity based on hyperpolarized techniques and multi-nuclear chemistry is introduced.Furthermore,multiple optical probes and instruments,especially the optophysiological Raman probes and fiber Raman photometry,for imaging and biosensing in live brain are emphasized.Finally,a brief perspective on existing challenges and further research development is provided.

Comfortable Lifestyle-induced Imbalance of Neuro-endocrine-immunity Network:A Possible Mechanism of Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction

Objective： To observe the changes of vascular endothelial functions and general neuroendocrine-immunity （NEI） network under the state of qi-deficiency syndrome induced by excessive idleness and to approach their internal relevance and illuminate initially the pathophysiological mechanism of vascular lesion induced by excessive idleness. Methods： A total of 100 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group and the qi-deficiency syndrome model group, 50 rats in each group. The qi-deficiency syndrome model was established by feeding the animals with hyper-alimentation diet in combination with restricting movement for 10 weeks. Changes of common chemical signal molecules related to NEI and vascular endothelial functions were measured by the end of the experiment. Furthermore, their internal relevance was analyzed by the method of canonical correlation analysis. Results： The vascular endothelial structure and function were obviously injured in the model group. Compared with the control group, the chemical signal molecules, such as 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）, corticosterone （CORT）, triiodothyronine （T3）, tetraiodothyronine （T4）, angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ）, interleukin-1 （IL-1）, and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in peripheral blood of the model group （n=43） were changed significantly （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Canonical correlation analysis showed that vascular endothelial dysfunction was correlated to the changes of these signal molecules in the NEI network. Conclusions： Comfortbased lifestyle induced not only vascular endothelial dysfunction but also an imbalance of the NEI network. Vascular endothelial dysfunction and the imbalanced NEI network interacted with each other, and an imbalance of the NEI network may be the pathophysiologic basis for the genesis and development of vascular endothelial dysfunction, even diseases of the blood vessel.

Chemical signals coordinate the dispersal of a plant-parasitic nematode with the metamorphosis of its vector beetle

With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences,Prof.Sun Jianghua(孙江华),Zou Zhen and Zhao Lilin et al.at the State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents,Institute of Zoology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,uncovered that ascarosides coordinate the dispersal of a plant-parasitic nematode with the metamorphosis