Pathogenesis-Related 1 (PR1) Protein Family Genes Involved in Sugarcane Responses to Ustilago scitaminea Stress.

Plant resistance against biotic stressors is significantly influenced by pathogenesis-related 1 (PR1) proteins. This study examines the systematic identification and characterization of PR1 family genes in sugarcane (Saccharum spontaneum Np-X) and the transcript expression of selected genes in two sugarcane cultivars (ROC22 and Zhongtang3) in response to Ustilago scitaminea pathogen infection. A total of 18 SsnpPR1 genes were identified at the whole-genome level and further categorized into four groups. Notably, tandem and segmental duplication occurrences were detected in one and five SsnpPR1 gene pairs, respectively. The SsnpPR1 genes exhibited diverse physio-chemical attributes and variations in introns/exons and conserved motifs. Notably, four SsnpPR1 (SsnpPR1.02/05/09/19) proteins displayed a strong protein-protein interaction network. The transcript expression of three SsnpPR1 (SsnpPR1.04/06/09) genes was upregulated by 1.2-2.6 folds in the resistant cultivar (Zhongtang3) but downregulated in the susceptible cultivar (ROC22) across different time points as compared to the control in response to pathogen infection. Additionally, SsnpPR1.11 was specifically upregulated by 1.2-3.5 folds at 24-72 h post inoculation (hpi) in ROC22, suggesting that this gene may play an important negative regulatory role in defense responses to pathogen infection. The genetic improvement of sugarcane can be facilitated by our results, which also establish the basis for additional functional characterization of SsnpPR1 genes in response to pathogenic stress.

Pathogenesis related-1 proteins in plant defense: regulation and functional diversity.

Climate change-related environmental stresses can negatively impact crop productivity and pose a threat to sustainable agriculture. Plants have a remarkable innate ability to detect a broad array of environmental cues, including stresses that trigger stress-induced regulatory networks and signaling pathways. Transcriptional activation of plant pathogenesis related-1 (PR-1) proteins was first identified as an integral component of systemic acquired resistance in response to stress. Consistent with their central role in immune defense, overexpression of PR-1s in diverse plant species is frequently used as a marker for salicylic acid (SA)-mediated defense responses. Recent advances demonstrated how virulence effectors, SA signaling cascades, and epigenetic modifications modulate PR-1 expression in response to environmental stresses. We and others showed that transcriptional regulatory networks involving PR-1s could be used to improve plant resilience to stress. Together, the results of these studies have re-energized the field and provided long-awaited insights into a possible function of PR-1s under extreme environmental stress.

Establishment of an Efficient Sugarcane Transformation System via Herbicide-Resistant CP4-EPSPS Gene Selection.

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.), a major cash crop that is an important source of sugar and bioethanol, is strongly influenced by the impacts of biotic and abiotic stresses. The intricate polyploid and aneuploid genome of sugarcane has shown various limits for conventional breeding strategies. Nonetheless, biotechnological engineering currently offers the best chance of introducing commercially significant agronomic features. In this study, an efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system that uses the herbicide-resistant CP4-EPSPS gene as a selection marker was developed. Notably, all of the plants that were identified by PCR as transformants showed significant herbicide resistance. Additionally, this transformation protocol also highlighted: (i) the high yield of transgenic lines from calli (each gram of calli generated six transgenic lines); (ii) improved selection; and (iii) a higher transformation efficiency. This protocol provides a reliable tool for a routine procedure for the generation of resilient sugarcane plants.

Visual analysis on clinical randomized controlled trial of fire needle based on VOSviewer and CiteSpace. / 基于VOSviewer与CiteSpaceçš„ç«é’ˆä¸´åºŠéšæœºå¯¹ç §è¯•éªŒç ”ç©¶å¯è§†åŒ–åˆ†æž.

To analyze the research hotspots, frontiers and trends of fire needle clinical randomized controlled trial (RCT) literature in the past 10 years by using bibliometrics and knowledge mapping methods. Six Chinese and English databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed and Web of Science ( WOS ) were searched for RCT research literature on fire needle. CiteSpace V6.1.R6 and VOSviewer V1.6.18 software were used to analyze the cooperation network, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering, keyword timeline, keyword emergence, etc., and to draw a visual knowledge map. A total of 1 973 Chinese articles and 3 English articles were included. The top three institutions that publish articles were Guangzhou University of CM, Heilongjiang University of CM and Beijing Hospital of TCM Affiliated to Capital Medical University. The fire needle was often combined with acupuncture, cupping and bloodletting therapy in the treatment of acne, vitiligo, lumbar disc herniation, herpes zoster, stroke sequelae, facial paralysis, knee osteoarthritis and so on. The research frontiers included the combined application of fire needle and other therapies, clinical mechanism research and efficacy evaluation index research. In the future, we should expand the dominant diseases, optimize the research design, strengthen the cooperation between the teams, and carry out high-level clinical research.

Exploring acupuncture treatment strategies for snoring based on meridian theory. / 基于经络学说探析鼾症的针刺治疗思路.

Starting from the perspective of meridian theory, this article briefly analyzes the meridian pathophysiology of snoring and the relationship between snoring and meridian theory. It proposes that acupuncture treatment for snoring should focus on regulating qi from the shaoyang meridians, harmonizing the spirit by the governor vessel, resolving phlegm through the three yang meridians, and harmonizing qi and blood from the yangming meridians. Additionally, attention is placed on both the root cause and the symptoms, the theory of "four seas". The ultimate goal is to promote the flow of meridian and qi-blood, improve symptoms such as nighttime snoring, poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness, and achieve the desired outcome of stopping snoring and ensuring restful sleep.

[Application of single-arm objective performance criteria/performance goal in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical trials].

Due to various constraints, such as clinical implementation conditions and unique characteristics of acupuncture-moxibustion, some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture-moxibustion still suffer from relatively low quality and limited applicability. The single-arm objective performance criteria/performance goal can be considered as an ideal supplementary and alternative research approach to RCTs. In this paper, the feasibility of applying the single-arm objective performance criteria/performance goal in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research is explored from the limitations of conducting acupuncture-moxibustion RCTs, the principles, the essential design considerations and key statistical steps. In addition, illustrative examples are provided. The objective is to offer insights into resolving practical difficulties in acupuncture-moxibustion clinical research.

[Clinical thinking of acupuncture for snoring based on "disharmony qi leads to restlessness"].

This study summarizes the clinical thinking of acupuncture for snoring based on "disharmony qi leads to restlessness". According to the pathological characteristics of qi stagnation and blood stasis, phlegm dampness and internal obstruction in snoring patients, combined with the etiology, pathogenesis and location of the disease, the innovative viewpoint of "disharmony qi leads to restlessness" is proposed. It is believed that the key to snoring treatment lies in "regulating qi ". In clinical practice, acupuncture can directly regulate the qi of the disease's location, regulate the qi of the organs and viscera, and regulate the qi of the meridians to achieve overall regulation of the body's internal and external qi, smooth circulation of qi and blood, and ultimately achieve the therapeutic goal of harmonizing qi, stopping snoring, and improving sleep quality.

In silico identification of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) genome encoded microRNAs targeting sugarcane bacilliform virus.

Sugarcane bacilliform virus (SCBV) is considered one of the most economically damaging pathogens for sugarcane production worldwide. Three open reading frames (ORFs) are characterized in the circular, ds-DNA genome of the SCBV; these encode for a hypothetical protein (ORF1), a DNA binding protein (ORF2), and a polyprotein (ORF3). A comprehensive evaluation of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) miRNAs for the silencing of the SCBV genome using in silico algorithms were carried out in the present study using mature sugarcane miRNAs. miRNAs of sugarcane are retrieved from the miRBase database and assessed in terms of hybridization with the SCBV genome. A total of 14 potential candidate miRNAs from sugarcane were screened out by all used algorithms used for the silencing of SCBV. The consensus of three algorithms predicted the hybridization site of sof-miR159e at common locus 5534. miRNA-mRNA interactions were estimated by computing the free-energy of the miRNA-mRNA duplex using the RNAcofold algorithm. A regulatory network of predicted candidate miRNAs of sugarcane with SCBV-ORFs, generated using Circos-is used to identify novel targets. The predicted data provide useful information for the development of SCBV-resistant sugarcane plants.

Molecular and Toxicity Analyses of White Granulated Sugar and Other Processing Products Derived From Transgenic Sugarcane.

This study aimed to prepare the sugar industry for the possible introduction of genetically modified (GM) sugarcane and derived retail sugar products and to address several potential public concerns regarding the characteristics and safety of these products. GM sugarcane lines with integrated Cry1Ab and EPSPS foreign genes were used for GM sugar production. Traditional PCR, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed in analyzing leaves, stems, and other derived materials during sugar production, such as fibers, clarified juices, filter mud, syrups, molasses, and final GM sugar product. The toxicity of GM sugar was examined with a feeding bioassay using Helicoverpa armigera larvae. PCR and RT-qPCR results showed that the leaves, stems, fibers, juices, syrups, filter mud, molasses, and white granulated sugar from GM sugarcane can be distinguished from those derived from non-GM sugarcane. The RT-qPCR detection method using short amplified product primers was more accurate than the traditional PCR method. Molecular analysis results indicated that trace amounts of DNA residues remain in GM sugar, and thus it can be accurately characterized using molecular analysis methods. ELISA results showed that only the leaves, stems, fibers, and juices sampled from the GM sugarcane differed from those derived from the non-GM sugarcane, indicating that filter mud, syrup, molasses, and white sugar did not contain detectable Cry1Ab and EPSPS proteins. Toxicity analysis showed that the GM sugar was not toxic to the H. armigera larvae. The final results showed that the GM sugar had no active proteins despite containing trace amounts of DNA residues. This finding will help to pave the way for the commercialization of GM sugarcane and production of GM sugar.

Culm transcriptome sequencing of Badila (Saccharum officinarum L.) and analysis of major genes involved in sucrose accumulation.

Sugarcane is an important sugar and energy crop worldwide. It utilises highly efficient C4 photosynthesis and accumulates sucrose in its culms. The sucrose content in sugarcane culms is a quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes. The regulatory mechanism underlying the maximum sucrose level in sugarcane culms remains unclear. We used transcriptome sequences to identify the potential regulatory genes involved in sucrose accumulation in Saccarum officinarum L. cv. Badila. The sucrose accumulating internodes at the elongation and mature growth stage and the immature internodes with low sucrose content at the mature stage were used for RNA sequencing. The obtained differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to sucrose accumulation were analysed. Results showed that the transcripts encoding invertase (beta-fructofuranosidase, EC: 3.2.1.26) which catalyses sucrose hydrolysis and 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK, EC: 2.7.1.11), a key glycolysis regulatory enzyme, were downregulated in the high sucrose accumulation internodes. The transcripts encoding key enzymes for ABA, gibberellin and ethylene synthesis were also downregulated during sucrose accumulation. Furthermore, regulated protein kinase, transcription factor and sugar transporter genes were also obtained. This research can clarify the molecular regulation network of sucrose accumulation in sugarcane.

High-throughput sequencing analysis of microbial community diversity in response to indica and japonica bar-transgenic rice paddy soils.

Potential environmental risks of genetically modified (GM) crops have raised concerns. To better understand the effect of transgenic rice on the bacterial community in paddy soil, a field experiment was carried out using pairs of rice varieties from two subspecies (indica and japonica) containing bar transgene with herbicide resistance and their parental conventional rice. The 16S rRNA gene of soil genomic DNA from different soil layers at the maturity stage was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform to explore the microbial community diversity among different rice soils. There were no significant differences in diversity indices between transgenic japonica rice and its sister conventional rice (japonica pair) among different soil layers, but, significant differences was observed between transgenic indica rice and its conventional rice (indica pair) in the topsoil layer around concentrated rice roots according to the ace diversity index. Though the japonica rice soil and indica rice soil were shared several key genera, including Rivibacter, Anaeromyxobacter, Roseomonas, Geobacter, Thiobacillus, Clostridium, and Desulfobulbus, the primary bacterial genera in indica rice soil were different from those in japonica rice. Synechococcus and Dechloromonas were present in japonica rice samples, while Chloronema, Flexibacter, and Blastocatella were observed in indica rice soil. Moreover, the abundance of genera between GM and non-GM varieties in japonica rice was significantly different from indica rice, and several bacterial communities influenced these differences. Anaerovorax was more abundant in transgenic japonica rice soil than conventional rice soil, while it was deficient in transgenic indica rice soil compared to conventional rice soil, and opposite responses to Deferrisoma were in that of indica rice. Thus, we concluded that transgenic indica and japonica rice had different effects on soil bacteria compared with their corresponding sister conventional rice. However, these composition and abundance difference only occurred for a few genera but had no effect on the primary genera and soil characteristics were mainly contributed to these differences. Thus, differences in bacterial community structure can be ignored when evaluating the impacts of transgenic rice in the complex soil microenvironment.