Major royal-jelly proteins intake modulates immune functions and gut microbiota in mice

In this study,we investigated the effects of major royal jelly proteins(MRJPs)on the estrogen,gut microbiota,and immunological responses in mice.Mice given 250 or 500 mg/kg,not 125 mg/kg of MRJPs,enhanced the proliferation of splenocytes in response to mitogens.The splenocytes and mesenteric lymphocytes activated by T-cell mitogens(Con A and anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies)released high levels of IL-2 but low levels of IFN-γand IL-17A.The release of IL-4 was unaffected by MRJPs.Additionally,splenocytes and mesenteric lymphocytes activated by LPS were prevented by MRJPs at the same dose as that required for producing IL-1βand IL-6,two pro-inflammatory cytokines.The production of IL-1β,IL-6,and IFN-γwas negatively associated with estrogen levels,which were higher in the MRJP-treated animals than in the control group.Analysis of the gut microbiota revealed that feeding mice 250 mg/kg of MRJPs maintained the stability of the natural intestinal microflora of mice.Additionally,the LEf Se analysis identified biomarkers in the MRJP-treated mice,including Prevotella,Bacillales,Enterobacteriales,Gammaproteobacteria,Candidatus_Arthromitus,and Shigella.Our results showed that MRJPs are important components of royal jelly that modulate host immunity and hormone levels and help maintain gut microbiota stability.

Effect of different levels of nitrogen deficiency on switchgrass seedling growth

Switchgrass(Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season rhizomatous perennial grass that can tolerate diverse abiotic stresses while yielding relatively high biomass, and is considered a leading biofuel feedstock for marginal lands. Nitrogen(N) is crucial for the growth and development of switchgrass, and its tolerance to low N supply and high N use efficiency are very important for its production under poor conditions. The large-scale planting of switchgrass on marginal lands could be an effective approach to solving the problem of feedstock supply for biomass energy. This study used a hydroponic experiment to evaluate the effect of N deficiency on switchgrass seedlings. Three N treatments(0, 0.15, and 1.50 mmol L-1Hoagland's solution)and six cultivars were used, three of each ecotype(upland and lowland). The results showed that biomass, leaf area, root surface area, net photosynthesis, and total chlorophyll content significantly decreased under low N treatments compared with those in full strength Hoagland's nutrient solution. However, once established, all plants survived extreme N stress(0 mmol L-1) and, to some extent, were productive. Cultivar Kanlow performed best of the six cultivars under stress. Significant interactions between stress treatment and cultivars showed that breeding for cultivars with high yield and superior performance under N deficiency is warranted. The lowland outperformed the upland ecotypes under stress, suggesting that lowland cultivars may survive and be productive under a wider range of stress conditions.However, given the better adaptability of lowland ecotypes to hydroponic cultivation, further study is needed.

Effect of GA_(3) Concentration and Soaking Time on Seed Germination Characteristics of Blueberry

This study aims to explore the effect of GA_(3) concentration and soaking time on seed germination characteristics of blueberry.To be specific,big(B),medium-sized(M),and small(S)blueberry seeds were soaked in 0,100,200,and 300 mg/L GA_(3) solution for 18 h and 200 mg/L GA_(3) solution for 0,24,and 48 h,respectively.The results showed that 300 mg/L GA_(3) had significant effect on the germination of B and M seeds(P<0.01)and enabled the germination 4~5 d and 7~8 d earlier,respectively.Soaking with 200 mg/L GA_(3) for 24 h was conducive to the germination of B and M seeds(P<0.05).However,GA_(3) concentration and soaking time had no obviously promoting effect on the germination of S seeds.The interactions between GA_(3) concentration and seed size and between soaking time and seed size were significant(P<0.01).

Environmental contribution to needle variation among natural populations of Pinus tabuliformis

Variations in the phenotypic characteristics of conifer needles is a consequence of genetic evolution that has been widely used in geographic variation and ecological studies.Although many studies are based on an in situ sampling strategy and generally realize the contribution of environmental effects to variation in needle traits,it is still uncertain which needle traits are most influenced by genetic effects and which are most influenced by the environment.Using both a common garden experiment to eliminate environmental heterogeneity and an in situ sampling strategy,we compared 18 Pinus tabuliformis needle traits among 10 geographical populations.Using both sampling strategies,we found significant differences in needle traits among populations and among individuals within populations.Differences in the‘‘among-population’’variance component between the two sampling strategies revealed the environmental contribution among natural populations for each trait.The among-population variance in the following traits exceeded 8%:needle length,number of stomata within 2 mm(NS2),number of stomatal lines on the planar side,number of resin canals(RCN)and the resin canal area(RCA).For the stability of needle traits,NS2,RCN,RCA,ratio of the vascular bundle area to the RCA(VBA/RCA),and MA/RCA differed significantly in more than five provenance changes between the common garden populations and natural populations,which may be susceptible to environmental effects.Conversely,the crosssectional area,mesophyll area(MA),MA/(VBA+RCA),and MA/VBA were phenotypically stable.Geographic variation patterns and systematic relation of needle traits differed between the two sampling strategies,suggesting that in situ sampling results may reflect environmental effects and deviate statistical parameters for genetic study.Future studies of genetic evolution in the context of geographic variation should be based on appropriate sampling strategies and stable phenotypic traits.

Study on Seed Dormancy Characteristics of Acer miaotaiense Tsoong in the Qinling Mountains

In order to discuss the dormancy characteristics of seeds about Acer miaotaiense Tsoong,an endangered species,the permeability of husk and the effects of inhibitors on seeds germination were tested.The results showed that water absorption rate and velocity both increased significantly(P<0.01)when the husk spun off seeds,which meant that seed coat was one of the factors affecting dormancy because the lignification restricted absorption of water from the environment.Some inhibitors existing in the pericarp,seed coat and embryo could inhibit the germination of cabbage seeds.There were obvious differences on the germination rate,radicle length and seedling height(P<0.01),and the inhibition degree was in the order of seed coat>pericarp>embryo.

Mating system and progeny genetic diversity of Camellia oleifera ‘Ruan Zhi’

Camellia oleifera Abel.is an important economic tree species of southern China.In this study,we evaluated the mating system and genetic diversity of a series of cultivars of C.oleifera‘Ruan Zhi’.A total of 159 individuals from the progenies of four cultivars were tested by simple sequence repeat molecular markers.Results reveal that 11 pairs of primers showed polymorphism and their polymorphism information content value was greater than 0.73,suggesting that these primers could be used to identify the genetic diversity of open-pollinated populations.The average number of effective alleles(Ne=4.88)was significantly different from the average number of alleles(Na=12.18),and their distribution in the sample population was not uniform.The average observed heterozygosity(Ho=0.96)was greater than the average expected heterozygosity(He=0.79),and the population heterozygote was excessive.Shannon index was 1.84 and populations showed high genetic diversity.As regards to the mating system,the multilocus outcrossing rate was 0.996,and the single locus 0.866.These results indicate a high degree of outcrossing by C.oleifera‘Ruan Zhi’.We recommend selecting individuals for high genetic gain from the progenies of cultivars because of outcrossing characteristics and genetic diversity for application to germplasm conservation and promotion.

Field Efficacy of Agricultural Antibiotic 702 against Rice Leaf Blast and Panicle Blast

The control effects of agricultural antibiotic 702 （ ag-antibiotic 702） on rice leaf blast and panicle blast were evaluated in field trials. With ag-antibiotic 702 and the two-line early hybrid rice 287 as test materials, different concentrations of ag-antibiotic 702 liquids were sprayed at tiUering stage and full heading stage of rice. In leaf blast test, the disease indexes of leaf blast at tillering stage were surveyed at 1 d prior to the first spraying and at 15 d post spraying, respectively. The disease indexes （DI） and the rice yield in panicle blast test was investigated at milky stage. Meanwhile, enzyme activities, including peroxidase （ POD）, catalase （CAT）, superoxide dismutase （SOD）, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase （PAL）, and polyphanol oxidase （PPO）, were measured. Kasugamycin （45 μg/mL） and deionized water were designed as positive and negative controls. When the concentrations of ag-antibiotie 702 were 15, 30 and 45 μg/mL, the control effects against leaf blast were 72.14%, 80.32% and 85.22%, respectively; the control effects on panicle blast were 74.08%, 84.87% and 86.58%, respectively; and the yield increase rates were 17.28%, 21.40% and 22.57%, respectively. So, ag-antibiotic 702, as a new agricultural antibiotic fungicide, could effectively cantrel rice blast by inducing defensive enzymes, and increase rice yield. The results will contribute to further development of ag-antibiotic 702 and its application in rice blast control.

Differences in cocaine-induced place preference persistence, locomotion and social behaviors between C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice

C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice display significant differences in sociability and response to drugs, but the phenotypic variability of their susceptibility to cocaine is still not well known. In this study, the differences between these two mice strains in the persistence of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference （CPP）, as well as the locomotion and social behaviors after the 24-hour withdrawal from a four-day cocaine （20 mg/kg/day） administration were investigated. The results showed that the cocaine-induced CPP persisted over two weeks in C57BL/6J mice, while it diminished within one week among BALB/cJ mice. After 24-hours of cocaine withdrawal, high levels of locomotion as well as low levels of social interaction and aggressive behavior were found in C57BL/6J mice, but no significant changes were found in BALB/cJ mice, indicating that cocaine-induced CPP persistence, locomotion and social behavior are not consistent between these two strains, and that overall C57BL/6J mice are more susceptible to cocaine than BALB/cJ mice at the tested doses.

Conjugate Fluorescent Compound Based on Pyrene-imidazole: Design, Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Fluorescence Property

Pyrenes are an important group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs). In order to expand the diversity of conjugate compounds based on pyrene, two new isomeric compounds anti-PyDTPAI and syn-PyDTPAI containing pyrene, imidazole and triphenylamine are synthesized via a one-pot cyclization reaction and characterized. The anti-PyDTPAI is characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction which crystallizes in monoclinic, space group P2_1/n with a = 10.132(4), b = 14.997(7), c = 18.968(9) ?, β = 95.543(19)o, V = 2869(2) ?~3, Z = 2, F(000) = 1092, Dc = 1.196 Mg/m^3, Mr = 1033.28 and μ(Mo Kα) = 0.070 mm^(-1). The presence of intermolecular C–H···π interactions results in the stability of the compound. The crystal structure shows a centrosymmetric, coplanar configuration towards pyrene-imidazole segment and a slip-stacked packing mode across the longer molecular axis which is similar to the J-type aggregation. The investigation of UV-vis absorption and fluorescence in solution indicates a strong blue emission under the ultraviolet light excitation. The two isomers also display high thermal stability which is proved by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). Additionally, the molecular structure and HOMO and LUMO levels are calculated by density functional theory(DFT) at the B3 LYP/6-31 G(d) level.

GbAt11 gene cloned from Gossypium barbadense mediates resistance to Verticillium wilt in Gossypium hirsutum

Background:Gossypium hirsutum is highly susceptible to Verticillium wilt,and once infected Verticillium wilt,its yield is greatly reduced.But G.barbadense is highly resistant to Verticillium wilt.It is possible that transferring some disease-resistant genes from G.barbadense to G.hirsutum may contribute to G.hirsutum resistance to Verticillium wilt.Result:Here,we described a new gene in G.barbadense encoding AXMN Toxin Induced Protein-11,Gb At11,which is specifically induced by Verticillium dahliae in G.barbadense and enhances Verticillium wilt resistance in G.hirsutum.Overexpression in G.hirsutum not only significantly improves resistance to Verticillium wilt,but also increases the boll number per plant.Transcriptome analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that Gb At11 overexpression can simultaneously activate FLS2,BAK1 and other genes,which are involved in ETI and PTI pathways in G.hirsutum.Conclusion:These data suggest that Gb At11 plays a very important role in resistance to Verticillium wilt in cotton.And it is significant for improving resistance to Verticillium wilt and breeding high-yield cotton cultivars.

Functional divergence of oligoadenylate synthetase 1(OAS1)proteins in Tetrapods

OASs play critical roles in immune response against virus infection by polymerizing ATP into 2-5 As,which initiate the classical OAS/RNase L pathway and induce degradation of viral RNA.OAS members are functionally diverged in four known innate immune pathways(OAS/RNase L,OASL/IRF7,OASL/RIG-I,and OASL/cGAS),but how they functionally diverged is unclear.Here,we focus on evolutionary patterns and explore the link between evolutionary processes and functional divergence of Tetrapod OAS1.We show that Palaeognathae and Primate OAS1 genes are conserved in genomic and protein structures but differ in function.The former(i.e.,ostrich)efficiently synthesized long 2-5 A and activated RNase L,while the latter(i.e.,human)synthesized short 2-5 A and did not activate RNase L.We predicted and verified that two in-frame indels and one positively selected site in the active site pocket contributed to the functional divergence of Palaeognathae and Primate OAS1.Moreover,we discovered and validated that an in-frame indel in the C-terminus of Palaeognathae OAS1 affected the binding affinity of ds RNA and enzymatic activity,and contributed to the functional divergence of Palaeognathae OAS1 proteins.Our findings unravel the molecular mechanism for functional divergence and give insights into the emergence of novel functions in Tetrapod OAS1.

Light Regulation to Chlorophyll Synthesis and Plastid Development of the Chlorophyll-Less Golden-Leaf Privet

Ligustrum vicaryi L. is a hybrid of Ligustrum ovalifolium Hassk. var. aureo-marginatum and Ligustrum vulgale L., and displays a chlorophyll-less phenotype. Therefore it is widely used as a horticultural shrub because of its golden-color leaves. Its putative mechanism, light responses, chlorophyll synthesis and plastid development were studied. L. vicaryi has a higher level of 5.aminolevulinic acid （ALA）, but lower levels of chlorophylls compared with L. quihoui. The yellowish phenotype of L. vicaryi upper leaves could be attributed to their hampered conversion from chlorophyllide into chlorophyll a. Despite the enhanced ALA level and the decreased thylakoid stacking in plastids, L. vicaryi golden leaves contain normal levels of Lhcb transcripts and photosystem apoproteins. Furthermore, reactive oxygen species （ROS） accumulation is almost the same in L. vicaryi and L. quihoui. The golden leaves often turn green and the contents of chlorophylls increase with decreasing light intensity. Dynamic changes of chlorophyll- synthesis-system under the light transition were also analyzed.

Sedum alfredii H:A new Zn hyperaccumulating plant first found in China

Field survey and greenhouse experiments were carried out to identify and characterize zinc (Zn) uptake and accumulation by a new Zn hyperaccumulating plant species (Sedum alfredii Hance) native to China. Zinc concentration in the shoots of Sedum alfredii Hance grown on an ancient mined area ranged from 4134 to 5000 mg/kg, with a mean of 4515 mg/kg. It suggests that Sedum alfredii could not only grow on heavily Pb/Zn contaminated soils, but also could accumulate extraordinarily high concentration of Zn. Under nutrient solution culture conditions, Sedum alfredii Hance grew healthy at Zn supplying levels from 0.006 to 240 mg · L-1. Zinc concentration in the shoots increased with external Zn levels increasing. The Zn concentration and accumulation in the shoots reached the highest at Zn supply level of SO mg/L, with 19.67 g/kg and 19.83 nig/plant, respectively. All the results showed that Sedum alfredii Hance is a new Zn hyperaccumulating plant. This provides a new plant material to explore mechanism of

Iso-suillin from Suillus flavus Induces Apoptosis in Human Small Cell Lung Cancer H446 Cell Line

Background： The suillin isoform iso-suillin is a natural substance isolated from a petroleum ether extract of the fruiting bodies of the mushroom Suillus.flavus. Previous studies have found its inhibition effect on some cancer cells, and we aimed to study its effects on human small cell lung cancer H446 cell line. Methods： Cell viability was measured by 3-（4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl）-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay. Cellular morphological changes （apoptosis and necrosis） were evaluated using an electron microscope and Hoechst 33258 staining detected by the inverted microscope. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Protein expression was determined by Western blotting analysis. Results： Here, we describe the ability of iso-suillin to inhibit the growth of H446 cells in time- and dose-dependent way. Iso-suillin had no obvious impact on normal human lymphocyte proliferation at low concentrations （9.09, 18.17, or 36.35 μmol/L） but promoted lymphocyte proliferation at a high concentration （72.70 μmol/L）. After treatment of different concentrations of iso-suillin （6.82, 13.63, or 20.45 μmol/L）, the apoptosis rate of H446 cells increased with increasing concentrations of iso-suillin （16.70%, 35.54%, and 49.20%, respectively, all P 〈 0.05 compared with the control）, and the expression of related apoptotic proteins in the mitochondrial pathway including cytochrome c and caspase-9 were up-regulated compared with the control （all P 〈 0.05）. On the contrary, Bcl-2/Bax ratio was down-regulated compared with the control. Besides, the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins in the death receptor apoptosis pathway, including Fas-associating protein with a novel death domain and caspase-8, and the expression of caspase-3, a downstream regulatory protein of apoptosis, were also increased compared with the control （all P 〈 0.05）. lnhibitors of caspase-9 and caspase-8 reversed the apoptosis process in H446 cells to varying degrees. Conclusions： These results suggest that iso-suillin could induce H446 cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway and the death-receptor pathway. Therefore, iso-suillin might have a potential application as a novel drug for lung cancer treatment.

Light Intensity Affects Chlorophyll Synthesis During Greening Process by Metabolite Signal from Mitochondrial Alternative Oxidase in Arabidopsis

Although mitochondrial alternative oxidase(AOX)has been proposed to play essential roles in high light stress tolerance,the effects of AOX on chlorophyll synthesis are unclear.Previous studies indicated that during greening,chlorophyll accumulation was largely delayed in plants whose mitochondrial cyanide-resistant respiration was inhibited by knocking out nuclear encoded AOX gene.Here we show that this delay of chlorophyll accumulation was more significant under high light condition.Inhibition of cyanide-resistant respiration was also accompanied by the increase of plastid NADPH/NADP^+ratio,especially under high light treatment which subsequently blocked the import of multiple plastidial proteins,such as some components of the photosynthetic electron transport chain,the Calvin-Benson cycle enzymes and malate/oxaloacetate shuttle components.Over expression of AOXla rescued the aoxla mutant phenotype,including the chlorophyll accumulation during greening and plastidial protein import.It thus suggests that light intensity affects chlorophyll synthesis during greening process by a metabolic signal,the AOX-derived plastidial NADPH/NADP^+ratio change.And our results thus revealed a molecular mechanism of chloroplast-mitochondria interactions.