Morpho-cultural, Pathogenicity and Molecular Characterization of Phyllosticta capitalensis Inciting Cavendish Banana Freckle Disease in Hainan

[Objectives]The study was to identify the casual agent of freckle disease on Cavendish banana in Hainan Province,China.[Methods]Fungal isolates were isolated from affected leaf tissues and identified by the morphological features,molecular identification and pathogenicity test.[Results]The fungus isolated from affected leaf tissues was identified as Phyllosticta capitalensis based on the morphological properties of the colony and spore,coupled with sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer(ITS)region and the large subunit(LSU)rDNA gene.Koch s postulates were fulfilled by successfully re-isolating the pathogen from the artificial inoculated leaves.[Conclusions]P.capitalensis is a new pathogen responsible for Cavendish banana freckle disease in Hainan.

Host-Induced Gene Silencing of Effector AGLIP1 Enhanced Resistance of Rice to Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA

Rice sheath blight, caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA, is a major disease in rice-growing areas worldwide. Effectors of phytopathogenic fungi play important roles during the infection process of fungal pathogens onto their host plants. However, the molecular mechanisms by which R. solani effectors regulate rice immunity are not well understood. Through prediction, 78 candidate effector molecules were identified. Using the tobacco rattle virus-host induced gene silencing(TRV-HIGS) system, 45 RNAi constructs of effector genes were infiltrated into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The results revealed that eight of these constructs resulted in a significant reduction in necrosis caused by infection with the AG1-IA strain GD-118. Additionally, stable rice transformants carrying the double-stranded RNA construct for one of the effector genes, AGLIP1, were generated to further verify the function of this gene. The suppression of the AGLIP1 gene increased the resistance of both N. benthamiana and rice against GD-118, and also affected the growth rate of GD-118, indicating that AGLIP1 is a key pathogenic factor. Small RNA sequencing showed that the HIGS vectors were processed into si RNAs within the plants and then translocated to the fungi, leading to the silencing of the target genes. As a result, AGLIP1 might be an excellent candidate for HIGS, thereby enhancing crop resistance against the pathogen and contributing to the control of R. solani infection.

Biological Characteristics of the Pathogen Phyllosticta capitalensis Causing Banana Freckle Disease in Hainan Province

[Objectives]This study was conducted to clarify the biological characteristics of the pathogen Phyllosticta capitalensis,the causal agent of freckle disease on Cavendish banana in Hainan Province,China.[Methods]The impact of various nutritional and environmental factors,including media,carbon sources,nitrogen sources,temperature,pH and light on the growth and sporulation of P.capitalensis was assessed using two distinct methods:mycelium growth rate and blood counting chamber.[Results]The mycelial growth and sporulation of P.capitalensis on different media exhibited notable differences.The use of banana leaf extract dextrose agar(BLEAD)and carrot agar(CA)was observed to facilitate rapid mycelial growth.The potato dextrose agar(PDA)and potato sucrose agar(PSA)were conducive to the production of conidia.The utilization of distinct carbon and nitrogen sources exerted a pronounced influence on the growth of P.capitalensis.Maltose,dextrose,fructose,and casein acid hydrolysate were the preferred substrates for mycelial growth.The tested carbon and nitrogen sources did not significantly stimulate conidial production,whereas dextrose and NaNO 3 were found to favor sporulation.The optimal temperature for mycelial growth and conidial production was determined to be 28 and 32℃,respectively.No mycelial growth was observed at 5℃.Active mycelial growth was observed at pH 6-10,with pH 6-7 being particularly conducive to sporulation.Complete darkness was conducive to mycelial growth and sporulation.[Conclusions]It is recommended that BLEDA and PDA should be incubated at 28℃for 14 d in the dark for the purpose of mycelial growth and sporulation of P.capitalensis,respectively.

Discovery of 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase inhibitors with novel pharmacophores

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase(HPPD)is pivotal in tyrosine metabolism and essential for plant survival.Its inhibition leads to leaf bleaching and plant death.While current HPPD inhibitors are effective,they pose phytotoxicity risks and may contribute to herbicide resistance.Here,we investigated the inhibitory potential of sethoxydim and atovaquone,which traditionally target acetyl-CoA carboxylase and the cytochrome bc1 complex,respectively.Both atovaquone and the degradation product of sethoxydim exhibited moderate HPPD inhibitory activity.But the mechanism by which sethoxydim inhibited HPPD remained unclear.Therefore,we embarked on an investigation into the crystal structure of the complex,with the aim of elucidating its precise binding mode.Our findings revealed that sethoxydim degrades in solution,producing dealkoxy sethoxydim as the active component in HPPD inhibition.Structural analysis elucidated the binding modes of atovaquone and dealkoxy sethoxydim with HPPD.These binding motifs represent novel pharmacophores and offer promising leads for developing HPPD inhibitors with improved pesticidal profiles.

Rice stripe mosaic virus hijacks rice heading‐related gene to promote the overwintering of its insect vector

Rice stripe mosaic virus(RSMV)is an emerging pathogen which significantly reduces rice yields in the southern region of China.It is transmitted by the leafhopper Recilia dorsalis,which overwinters in rice fields.Our field investigations revealed that RSMV infection causes delayed rice heading,resulting in a large number of green diseased plants remaining in winter rice fields.This creates a favorable environment for leafhoppers and viruses to overwinter,potentially contributing to the rapid spread and epidemic of the disease.Next,we explored the mechanism by which RSMV manipulates the developmental processes of the rice plant.A rice heading‐related E3 ubiquitin ligase,Heading date Associated Factor 1(HAF1),was found to be hijacked by the RSMV‐encoded P6.The impairment of HAF1 function affects the ubiquitination and degradation of downstream proteins,HEADING DATE 1 and EARLY FLOWERING3,leading to a delay in rice heading.Our results provide new insights into the development regulation‐based molecular interactions between virus and plant,and highlights the importance of understanding virus‐vector‐plant tripartite interactions for effective disease management strategies.

Characteristic roadmap of linker governs the rational design of PROTACs

Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology represents a groundbreaking development in drug discovery, leveraging the ubiquitin‒proteasome system to specifically degrade proteins responsible for the disease. PROTAC is characterized by its unique heterobifunctional structure, which comprises two functional domains connected by a linker. The linker plays a pivotal role in determining PROTAC's biodegradative efficacy. Advanced and rationally designed functional linkers for PROTAC are under development. Nonetheless, the correlation between linker characteristics and PROTAC efficacy remains under-investigated. Consequently, this study will present a multidisciplinary analysis of PROTAC linkers and their impact on efficacy, thereby guiding the rational design of linkers. We will primarily discuss the structural types and characteristics of PROTAC linkers, and the optimization strategies used for their rational design. Furthermore, we will discuss how factors like linker length, group type, flexibility, and linkage site affect the biodegradation efficiency of PROTACs. We believe that this work will contribute towards the advancement of rational linker design in the PROTAC research area.

Antimicrobial metabolites produced by the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR):Bacillus and Pseudomonas

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR)such as Bacillus and Pseudomonas have drawn broad attention and interest due to their agricultural benefits.One of the major benefits of PGPR lies at their biocontrol capabilities against various plant pathogens.The biocontrol capability of PGPR is closely related to its capability of producing various kinds of antimicrobial substances.Major antimicrobial secondary metabolites secreted by PGPR include non-ribosomal lipopeptides(NRLPs),polyketides,ribosomal peptides,phenazines,pyrrolnitrins,etc.This review focuses on the major antimicrobial secondary metabolites produced by Bacillus and Pseudomonas including their classifications,structures,mechanisms of action and genetic regulations.We have also discussed their applications in plant biocontrol and provided insights into future development of improved biocontrol strains using synthetic biology approaches.

Carbene-catalyzed enantioselective seleno-Michael addition as access to antimicrobial active Se-containing heterocycles

Organoseleniums exhibit a diverse set of biological activities that are pivotal for drug discovery and are widely explored in synthetic chemistry and material science.While many transformations have been developed for non-enantioselective C–Se bond formations,the catalyst-controlled stereoselective preparation of chiral organoseleniums continues to be of considerable challenge.In particular,there are limited studies on the enantioselective seleno-Michael addition reactions to access chiral selenium functional molecules.Here,we disclose a carbene-catalyzed highly enantioselective nucleophilic C–Se bond construction through formal[3+3]annulations between selenocarboxamides and bromoenals,affording seleno-thiazinone products with good yields and excellent enantioselectivities.The choice of a weak inorganic base was pivotal to suppressing the unproductive racemization and decomposition of the selenium products.Notably,the catalytically generated chiral selenium-containing heterocyclic products feature remarkable antimicrobial activities that could serve as promising lead scaffolds for further agrochemical development.

Tuning electrochemical water activation over NiIr single-atom alloy aerogels for stable electrochemiluminescence

The anodic oxygen evolution reaction is a well-acknowledged side reaction in traditional aqueous electrochemiluminescence(ECL) systems due to the generation and surface aggregation of oxygen at the electrode, which detrimentally impacts the stability and efficiency of ECL emission. However, the effect of reactive oxygen species generated during water oxidation on ECL luminophores has been largely overlooked. Taking the typical luminol emitter as an example, herein, we employed NiIr single-atom alloy aerogels possessing efficient water oxidation activity as a prototype co-reaction accelerator to elucidate the relationship between ECL behavior and water oxidation reaction kinetics for the first time. By regulating the concentration of hydroxide ions in the electrolyte, the electrochemical oxidation processes of both luminol and water are finely tuned. When the concentration of hydroxide ions in electrolyte is low,the kinetics of water oxidation is attenuated, which limits the generation of oxygen, effectively mitigates the influence of oxygen accumulation on the ECL strength, and offers a novel perspective for harnessing side reactions in ECL systems. Finally, a sensitive and stable sensor for antioxidant detection was constructed and applied to the practical sample detection.

Combating periodontitis with an ATP-responsive metal-organic framework through synergistic ion-interference-induced pyroptosis

Periodontitis is indeed a chronic inflammatory disease caused by microorganisms, and it is a leading cause of tooth loss in adults worldwide [1–3]. The immune system typically maintains a balance with pathogenic bacteria in the body, and the local mucosal immune system effectively monitors and controls these microorganisms to prevent excessive inflammation.

Asymmetric Nucleophilic Additions Promoted by Quaternary Phosphonium Ion-Pair Catalysts

Chiral quaternary phosphonium ion-pair catalysis showcases a distinctive catalytic and stereoinductive mode arising from the synergy between ionic and noncovalent interactions.Over recent decades,this methodology has been widely adopted to facilitate enantioselective nucleophilic addition reactions,including conjugate addition,Henry reaction,Mannich reaction,Strecker reaction,and hydrophosphonylation.This strategy has been successfully applied to the synthesis of numerous structurally diverse and multifunctionalized molecules,featuring challenging stereogenic centers.This minireview specifically highlights the accomplishments in asymmetric nucleophilic addition facilitated by chiral quaternary phosphonium catalysts.Its purpose is to cultivate interest among researchers,encouraging more engagement in this field and establishing quaternary phosphonium ion-pair catalysis as a potent and dependable tool for synthetic and pharmaceutical chemists.