First report of Fusarium solani (FSSC 6) associated with the root rot of Magnolia denudata in China.

Magnolia denudata (Lilytree or Yulan magnolia) is an important ornamental species of the genus Magnolia. It has considerable economical value because of its beautiful fragrant flowers and excellent tree structure (Wang et al. 2010). In Beijing, nurseries cultivate M. denudata as an ornamental plant and traditional medicine. In May 2020, patches of root rotted plants were observed in a field in Beijing, China, with an estimated incidence of approximately 31%. Early symptoms comprised leaves melanocratic shrunken, and the vascular tissue of roots turned brown. Progressively, the roots rotted and the whole plant died (Fig. 1 a-d). Infected roots tissue was surface disinfested and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium at 25±2 °C and incubated in the dark for 7 days. Pure cultures were obtained by hyphal tip excision (strain MFR1215.4). Fungal colonies were entire margins, and the aerial mycelium was copious, early white, and gradually developed into cream white. Colonies developed to 45.1 mm in 4 days at 25±2 °C on PDA media. On Spezieller Nährstoffarmer Agar (SNA) medium at 25±2 °C for 10 days. The morphological characteristics including macroconidia, microconidia, and chlamydospores were shown in Fig.1 (i-p). These morphological characteristics of the isolate corresponded to the description given for Fusarium solani sensu lato (Nelson et al. 1983, Summerell, 2003). Molecular identification was confirmed via amplification of translation elongation factor 1α (EF-1α), RNA polymerase I beta subunit gene (RPB1), and RNA polymerase II beta subunit gene (RPB2) regions using EF1/EF2, RPB1-Fa/G2R, RPB2-5f2/7cR, and RPB2-7cF/11aR primers (O'Donnell, 2010). Sequences were registered in GenBank. In the Fusarium-ID database, the EF-1α, RPB1, and RPB2 sequences showed 100% (677/677 bp), 99.8% (1568/1571 bp), and 100% (1457/1457 bp) identity with the F. solani species complex (FSSC). The same species-level identification was also found using Fusarium MLST. A best maximum likelihood tree was constructed using PhyloSuite v1.2.2 (Zhang et al. 2020), and the sequences of the MFR1215.4 isolation showed the same homology with FSSC 6. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on healthy one-year-old M. denudata potted seedlings. 200 ml spore suspension (1×106 spores/ml) was poured over the roots of twenty seedlings, and sterile distilled water was irrigated into twenty seedlings as controls in a greenhouse with 25/15°C day/night temperature and 80% relative humidity. The experiment was repeated three times. All inoculated seedlings showed similar symptoms to those in the field after 65 days, whereas the controls remained symptomless. The reisolating pathogens from symptomatic tissues were identical to the original isolates by morphology and EF-1α sequence identification. Based on morphological, molecular, and pathogenic characterization, the isolated pathogen was identified as FSSC 6. Fusarium species have been recorded in various places of the world and are known to be harmful to numerous plants (Trabelsi et al. 2017). It has been reported that FSSC has infected soybeans (Coleman, 2016, Nelson et al. 1989), oil palm (Hafizi et al. 2013), tobacco (Yang et al. 2020), resulting in sudden death syndrome, crown disease, and root rot. To our knowledge, this is the first report of FSSC-induced root rot in M. denudata in China. This research may contribute to the development of epidemiology and management strategies for root rot caused by FSSC on M. denudata.

Enhancing the Therapeutic Delivery of Oligonucleotides by Chemical Modification and Nanoparticle Encapsulation.

Oligonucleotide (ON) drugs, including small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA) and antisense oligonucleotides, are promising therapeutic agents. However, their low membrane permeability and sensitivity to nucleases present challenges to in vivo delivery. Chemical modifications of the ON offer a potential solution to improve the stability and efficacy of ON drugs. Combined with nanoparticle encapsulation, delivery at the site of action and gene silencing activity of chemically modified ON drugs can be further enhanced. In the present review, several types of ON drugs, selection of chemical modification, and nanoparticle-based delivery systems to deliver these ON drugs are discussed.

An Improved Seeker Optimization Algorithm for Phase Sensitivity Enhancement of a Franckeite- and WS2-Based SPR Biosensor for Waterborne Bacteria Detection.

For the purpose of detecting waterborne bacteria, a high-phase-sensitivity SPR sensor with an Ag-TiO2-Franckeite-WS2 hybrid structure is designed using an improved seeker optimization algorithm (ISOA). By optimizing each layer of sensor construction simultaneously, the ISOA guarantees a minimum reflectance of less than 0.01 by Ag (20.36 nm)-TiO2 (6.08 nm)-Franckeite (monolayer)-WS2 (bilayer) after 30 iterations for E. coli. And the optimal phase sensitivity is 2.378 × 106 deg/RIU. Sensor performance and computing efficiency have been greatly enhanced using the ISOA in comparison to the traditional layer-by-layer technique and the SOA method. This will enable sensors to detect a wider range of bacteria with more efficacy. As a result, the ISOA-based design idea could provide SPR biosensors with new applications in environmental monitoring.

Growth and Physiological Responses of Magnoliaceae to NaCl Stress.

The growth and physiological characteristics of four Magnoliaceae plants (Yulania biondii, Yulania denudata, and two varieties of Magnolia wufengensis (Jiaohong 1 and Jiaohong 2)) were investigated. Four Magnoliaceae plants were subjected to various concentrations of NaCl for 60 days: 0 mM, 60 mM, 120 mM, 180 mM, and 240 mM. The leaf water content (LWC), relative growth rate of plant height and stem diameter, photosynthetic pigments, and photosynthetic rate (Pn) decreased during the NaCl treatments, indicating slowed growth and photosynthesis. Malondialdehyde (MDA), Na+, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, ascorbic acid (AsA) content, and soluble sugar content all increased while K+ decreased. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity, glutathione (GSH), soluble protein, and proline first increased after decreasing with increasing NaCl concentration. Principal component 1 (PC1) had larger loading values for growth and photosynthesis indices, while principal component 2 (PC2) exhibited larger loading values for antioxidant substances and osmotic adjustment substances; the correlation analysis showed that PC1 and PC2 had negative correlations. The four Magnoliaceae plants exhibited largely variable growth and physiological activities in response to NaCl. Yulania denudata exhibited greater reductions in growth and photosynthesis and greater decreases in antioxidant enzyme activities and osmotic adjustment substances, which indicated poor tolerance to salt stress. Among the four Magnoliaceae plants, Jiaohong 1 exhibited the greatest salt tolerance, followed by Jiaohong 2, Yulania biondii, and Yulania denudata.

Predicting the monthly consumption and production of natural gas in the USA by using a new hybrid forecasting model based on two-layer decomposition.

As an efficient, economical, and clean energy, natural gas plays an important role in the development of the new energy revolution. Accurate prediction of natural gas consumption and production can adjust energy deployment in advance, which can ensure the stable operation of natural gas. Considering the complex and non-linear characteristics of natural gas production and consumption data, this paper develops a new hybrid forecasting model (WPD-VMD-LSTM) based on the fuzzy entropy, variational mode decomposition (VMD), wavelet packet decomposition (WPD), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM). In this model, WPD and VMD undertake the tasks of primary and secondary decompositions, respectively; fuzzy entropy is used for the preprocessing process before the re-decomposition; and LSTM is used to predict the decomposed time series. In particular, the different criteria set by fuzzy entropy lead to the establishment of two prediction models. Then, two models are used to study monthly natural gas consumption and production in the USA. The results demonstrate that the proposed model performs significantly better than other comparable models and the target model has some practical value. Meanwhile, models may cope with different types of energy data, and models can accurately predict energy transformations with strong applicability, which can be applied to future energy forecasting in various fields. Finally, the constructed models are used to forecast the NGC and NGP in the USA in the next 3 years and make reasonable policy recommendations based on the forecast results.

[Effects of Different Planting Years of Dendrocalamus brandisii on Soil Fungal Community].

To explore the effect of soil fungal community under different planting years in Dendrocalamus brandisii, the soil samples from D. brandisii with different planting years (5, 10, 20, and 40 a) were taken as the research object. The soil fungal community structure, diversity, and its functional groups of different planting years were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology and the FUNGuild fungal function prediction tool, and the main soil environmental factors influencing the variations in soil fungal community were examined. The results showed that the dominant fungal communities at the phylum level were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Mucoromycota. The relative abundance of Mortierellomycota decreased and then increased with the increase in planting years, and there was a significant difference among different planting years (P<0.05). The dominant fungal communities at the class level were Sordariomycetes, Agaricomycetes, Eurotiomycetes, and Mortierellomycetes. The relative abundance of Sordariomycetes and Dothideomycetes decreased and then increased with the increase in planting years, and there were significant differences among different planting years (P<0.01). The Richness index and Shannon index of soil fungi increased and then decreased with the increase in planting years, and the Richness index and Shannon index in 10 a were significantly higher than those of other planting years. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) showed that there were significant differences in soil fungal community structure with different planting years. The functional prediction with FUNGuild showed that the main functional trophic types of soil fungi in D. brandisii were pathotroph, symbiotroph, and saprotroph, and the most dominant functional group was endophyte-litter saprotroph-soil saprotroph-undefined saprotroph. The relative abundance of endophytes gradually increased with the increase in planting years. Correlation analysis showed that pH, total potassium (TK), and nitrate nitrogen (NO-3-N) were the main soil environmental factors affecting the change in fungal community. In summary, the planting year of D. brandisii has changed soil environmental factors and has thus changed the structure, diversity, and functional groups of soil fungal communities.

Author Correction: Large-scale generation of functional mRNA-encapsulating exosomes via cellular nanoporation.

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-021-00725-w.

Large-scale generation of functional mRNA-encapsulating exosomes via cellular nanoporation.

Exosomes are attractive as nucleic-acid carriers because of their favourable pharmacokinetic and immunological properties and their ability to penetrate physiological barriers that are impermeable to synthetic drug-delivery vehicles. However, inserting exogenous nucleic acids, especially large messenger RNAs, into cell-secreted exosomes leads to low yields. Here we report a cellular-nanoporation method for the production of large quantities of exosomes containing therapeutic mRNAs and targeting peptides. We transfected various source cells with plasmid DNAs and stimulated the cells with a focal and transient electrical stimulus that promotes the release of exosomes carrying transcribed mRNAs and targeting peptides. Compared with bulk electroporation and other exosome-production strategies, cellular nanoporation produced up to 50-fold more exosomes and a more than 103-fold increase in exosomal mRNA transcripts, even from cells with low basal levels of exosome secretion. In orthotopic phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN)-deficient glioma mouse models, mRNA-containing exosomes restored tumour-suppressor function, enhanced inhibition of tumour growth and increased survival. Cellular nanoporation may enable the use of exosomes as a universal nucleic-acid carrier for applications requiring transcriptional manipulation.

Folic acid receptor-targeted human serum albumin nanoparticle formulation of cabazitaxel for tumor therapy.

BACKGROUND: We previously developed cabazitaxel (CTX)-loaded human serum albumin nanoparticles (NPs-CTX) via a self-assembly method, and these NPs showed efficacy in prostate cancer therapy. Many studies have shown that the levels of folic acid (FA) receptor on the surface of various tumor cells are high. Therefore, FA-modified NPs-CTX may have enhanced antitumor effects compared with unmodified NPs-CTX. METHODS: NPs-CTX were first prepared via self-assembly, and FA was conjugated on the surface of NPs-CTX through the -NH2 groups of the NPs to produce FA-NPs-CTX. The FA-NPs-CTX were evaluated in tumor cells with high FA receptor (FR) expression in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Both NPs-CTX and FA-NPs-CTX exhibited good stability and morphology. Drug release from the NPs was not affected by FA conjugation. Compared with CTX dissolved in a mixture of Tween 80 and 13% ethanol (w/w) at a ratio of 1:4 (v/v) (Tween-CTX), the two nanoformulations had lower lytic activity against normal red blood cells. However, FA-NPs-CTX showed greater inhibition of tumor cells with overexpressed FR, compared with NPs-CTX, in the cytotoxicity experiments. Moreover, the cellular uptake of FA-NPs-CTX was enhanced through FR-mediated endocytosis in HeLa cells in vitro and HeLa xenograft tumors in vivo. Although Tween-CTX exhibited tumor growth inhibition similar to FA-NPs-CTX in vivo, this inhibition also caused adverse side effects; the median lethal dose (LD50) of Tween-CTX to mice was 5.68 mg/kg, while FA-NPs-CTX-treated mice survived at doses exceeding 400 mg/kg. CONCLUSION: The results showed that FA-NPs-CTX caused inhibition of tumor growth in a manner similar to that of Tween-CTX; however, the safety and tolerability of CTX were greatly improved by FA conjugation compared with those of Tween-CTX. In summary, FA-NPs-CTX have great potential in CTX delivery, and this formulation is a promising candidate for the treatment of cancers with high FR levels.

Divergent methylation pattern in adult stage between two forms of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae).

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch has two forms: green form and red form. Understanding the molecular basis of how these two forms established without divergent genetic background is an intriguing area. As a well-known epigenetic process, DNA methylation has particularly important roles in gene regulation and developmental variation across diverse organisms that do not alter genetic background. Here, to investigate whether DNA methylation could be associated with different phenotypic consequences in the two forms of T. urticae, we surveyed the genome-wide cytosine methylation status and expression level of DNA methyltransferase 3 (Tudnmt3) throughout their entire life cycle. Methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) analyses of 585 loci revealed variable methylation patterns in the different developmental stages. In particular, principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) indicates a significant epigenetic differentiation between female adults of the two forms. The gene expression of Tudnmt3 was detected in all examined developmental stages, which was significantly different in the adult stage of the two forms. Together, our results reveal the epigenetic distance between the two forms of T. urticae, suggesting that DNA methylation might be implicated in different developmental demands, and contribute to different phenotypes in the adult stage of these two forms.