The PPR-Domain Protein SOAR1 Regulates Salt Tolerance in Rice.

Previous studies in Arabidopsis reported that the PPR protein SOAR1 plays critical roles in plant response to salt stress. In this study, we reported that expression of the Arabidopsis SOAR1 (AtSOAR1) in rice significantly enhanced salt tolerance at seedling growth stage and promoted grain productivity under salt stress without affecting plant productivity under non-stressful conditions. The transgenic rice lines expressing AtSOAR1 exhibited increased ABA sensitivity in ABA-induced inhibition of seedling growth, and showed altered transcription and splicing of numerous genes associated with salt stress, which may explain salt tolerance of the transgenic plants. Further, we overexpressed the homologous gene of SOAR1 in rice, OsSOAR1, and showed that transgenic plants overexpressing OsSOAR1 enhanced salt tolerance at seedling growth stage. Five salt- and other abiotic stress-induced SOAR1-like PPRs were also identified. These data showed that the SOAR1-like PPR proteins are positively involved in plant response to salt stress and may be used for crop improvement in rice under salinity conditions through transgenic manipulation.

Transparent Microcomposite Films Based on a Ce-Doped Li6Gd(BO3)3 Scintillator for Radiation Detection.

Scintillators are widely used for high-energy radiation detection. Hybrid inorganic-organic composite scintillators with high light yields, high light decay rates, excellent stability, and low costs are in great demand. Here, we report a novel scintillator composed of Ce-doped Li6Gd(BO3)3 (LGBO) microphosphors (MPs) and polymethyl methacrylate for X-ray and thermal neutron detection. The Ce-doped LGBO MPs, fabricated using a facile high-temperature solid-state reaction method, exhibit intense blue light at 416 nm under X-ray and UV excitation and have a high photoluminescence quantum yield of ∼63%. More importantly, the composite scintillator based on these MPs has excellent transparency and luminescence intensity. The luminescence integral intensity of composite scintillators is superior to that of commercial CsI:Na under X-ray excitation, and the light yield under thermal neutron irradiation is 21,000 photons/thermal neutron. The scintillation decay time is found to be below 600 ns. The neutron-gamma signal discrimination and neutron detection efficiency of the composite scintillators are acceptable for practical application. There is an excellent separation between neutron and background events. It represents significant improvements in scintillator performances, especially for reliable thermal neutron scintillators that are likely to improve the data qualities of scientific instruments, including charge-coupled device-based imagers and Anger logic-based position-sensitive detectors in neutron user facilities.

Inheritance and breeding of japonica rice with good eating quality in Jiangsu province.

In order to develop a variety of japonica rice with good eating quality suitable for planting in Jiangsu Province, the genetic basis of high quality, disease resistance and high yield japonica rice varieties in Jiangsu Province was systematically studied. The relationship among different rice qualities of cooking, nutrition, and eating was studied by association analysis. It was clear that amylose content was the key factor affecting eating quality. The semi waxy rice with amylose content of 10%~14% has bright surface, soft texture, and elasticity, combining the softness of glutinous rice and the elasticity of japonica rice. The cold rice is not hard, and the taste is excellent. It meets the taste requirements of people in Yangtze River Delta region who like to eat soft fragrant japonica rice. The semi waxy japonica rice variety "Kantou 194" with a low expression of amylose content gene Wx mp and an amylose content of about 10% was selected as the core germplasm for improving eating quality. Pyramiding breeding of japonica rice variety with good eating quality, disease resistance and high yield was carried out by examining the development of Wx mp gene molecular markers and the use of closely linked molecular markers with disease resistance and high yield genes. A series of new japonica rice varieties with good taste such as Nanjing 46, Nanjing 5055, Nanjing 9108, and Nanjing 5718, suitable for different rice areas of Jiangsu Province, have been bred and approved by Jiangsu Provincial Variety Approval Committee. The layout of japonica rice varieties with good taste covering different rice areas in Jiangsu Province has been formed. These varieties have been planted with an accumulated area of more than 5.3 million hectares, which has effectively promoted the development of high quality rice industry in Jiangsu Province and its surrounding areas, and made important contributions to the structural adjustment of the supply side of rice industry, improving quality and efficiency, and ensuring food security.

Upregulation of spinal ASIC1 by miR-485 mediates enterodynia in adult offspring rats with prenatal maternal stress.

AIMS: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disease characterized by abdominal pain. Our recent study has shown that the acid-sensitive ion channel 1 (ASIC1) in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is involved in stomachache of adult offspring rats subjected with prenatal maternal stress (PMS). MiR-485 is predicted to target the expression of ASIC1. The aim of the present study was designed to determine whether miR-485/ASIC1 signaling participates in enterodynia in the spinal dorsal horn of adult offspring rats with PMS. METHODS: Enterodynia was measured by colorectal distension (CRD). Western blotting, qPCR, and in situ hybridization were performed to detect the expression of ASICs and related miRNAs. Spinal synaptic transmission was also recorded by patch clamping. RESULTS: PMS offspring rats showed that spinal ASIC1 protein expression and synaptic transmission were significantly enhanced. Administration of ASICs antagonist amiloride suppressed the synaptic transmission and enterodynia. Besides, PMS induced a significant reduction in the expression of miR-485. Upregulating the expression markedly attenuated enterodynia, reversed the increase in ASIC1 protein and synaptic transmission. Furthermore, ASIC1 and miR-485 were co-expressed in NeuN-positive spinal dorsal horn neurons. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these data suggested that miR-485 participated in enterodynia in PMS offspring, which is likely mediated by the enhanced ASIC1 activities.

The Arabidopsis kinase-associated protein phosphatase KAPP, interacting with protein kinases SnRK2.2/2.3/2.6, negatively regulates abscisic acid signaling.

KEY MESSAGE: The kinase-associated protein phosphatase, KAPP, is negatively involved in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. KAPP interacts physically with SnRK2.2, SnRK2.3 and SnRK2.6, and functionally acts upstream of SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3. The kinase-associated protein phosphatase (KAPP) has been reported to be involved in the regulation of many developmental and signaling events, but it remains unknown whether KAPP is involved in ABA signaling. Here, we report that KAPP is negatively involved in ABA-mediated seed germination and early seedling growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. The two loss-of-function mutants of KAPP, kapp-1 and kapp-2, exhibit increased ABA sensitivity in ABA-induced seed germination inhibition and post-germination growth arrest. The three closely-related protein kinase, (SNF1)-related protein kinase SnRK2.2, SnRK2.3 and SnRK2.6, which play critical roles in ABA signaling, interact and co-localize with KAPP. Genetic evidence showed that the ABA-hypersensitive phenotypes caused by KAPP mutation were suppressed by the double mutation of SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3, indicating that KAPP functions upstream of SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3 in ABA signaling. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that KAPP mutation affects expression of multiple ABA-responsive genes. These results demonstrated that KAPP is negatively involved in plant response to ABA, which help to understand the complicated ABA signaling mechanism.

The potential role of HO-1 in regulating the MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 module scaffolded by JIP1 during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats.

Heme oxygenase (HO-1), which may be induced by Cobaltic protoporphyrin IX chloride (CoPPIX) or Rosiglitazone (Ros), is a neuroprotective agent that effectively reduces ischemic stroke. Previous studies have shown that the neuroprotective mechanisms of HO-1 are related to JNK signaling. The expression of HO-1 protects cells from death through the JNK signaling pathway. This study aimed to ascertain whether the neuroprotective effect of HO-1 depends on the assembly of the MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 signaling module scaffolded by JIP1 and further influences the JNK signal transmission through HO-1. Prior to the ischemia-reperfusion experiment, CoPPIX was injected through the lateral ventricle for 5 consecutive days or Ros was administered via intraperitoneal administration in the week prior to transient ischemia. Our results demonstrated that HO-1 could inhibit the assembly of the MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 signaling module scaffolded by JIP1 and could ultimately diminish the phosphorylation of JNK3. Furthermore, the inhibition of JNK3 phosphorylation downregulated the level of p-c-Jun and elevated neuronal cell death in the CA1 of the hippocampus. Taken together, these findings suggested that HO-1 could ameliorate brain injury by regulating the MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 signaling module, which was scaffolded by JIP1 and JNK signaling during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.

[Influence of yeast extract on the fermentation of glucose by the demulsifying strain Alcaligenes sp. S-XJ-1].

The demulsifying strain Alcaligenes sp. S-XJ-1, isolated from oil contaminated soil, was cultivated with glucose as the carbon source. The influences of yeast extract on the growth, demulsifying ability and the element composition of the strain were investigated. The results showed that the yeast extract could increase the biomass and enhance the glucose utilization of Alcaligenes sp. S-XJ-1. When the concentration of the yeast extract was 5 g x L(-1), the biomass was increased up to 3.0 g x L(-1), and the glucose utilization achieved 58%. The demulsifying ability of the strain was improved with increasing yeast extract concentration. When the concentration of the yeast extract was 10 g x L(-1), the demulsification ratio of the obtained cell was 76%. While the C/N ratio of the cells decreased with the increasing concentration of yeast extract. The proteins of cells were extracted and measured. The results showed that the proteins of the obtained cell increased with the increasing concentration of yeast extract, in accordance with the increased concentrations of proteins on the surface of the cells as measured by FTIR. It is estimated that the increase of the proteins leads to the improvement of the demulsifying ability of the demulsifying strain and theses proteins play essential roles in the demulsifying process.

[Substitution mapping of QTL for panicle exertion using CSSL in rice (Oryza sativa L.)].

Panicle exertion, the distance between the leaf cushion of flag and the neck-panicle node, is an important morphological trait, which has significant impact on hybrid seed production of rice. In this study, 94 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSL), derived from 9311/Nipponbare with 9311 as the recurrent parent, were used to analyze quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling the panicle exertion. The results showed that 17 CSSL contained QTL for the panicle exertion. Using substitution mapping, 8 QTLs were mapped on rice chromosomes 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 11, respectively. The QTL additive effect ranged from 0.10 to 3.20, and the additive effects of qPE-9 and qPE-11 were 3.15 and 2.95, respectively, showing the feature of a major gene. In addition, qPE-2-2, qPE-3-1, qPE-3-2, qPE-7, and qPE-8 were mapped in a marker interval less than 10.0 cM. Mapping of the QTL has laid a foundation for improving the panicle exertion with marker-assisted selection and cloning of the QTL in rice.

[Identification of SSR markers closely linked to eui gene in rice].

Sex determination is a complex regulatory process of early embryogenesis. Embryo must make a developmental decision to develop as a male or female during gonadogenesis. This paper reviews genetic systems of sex determination, gonadogenesis, key genes involved in sex determination of vertebrates. Molecular evolution processes of sex chromosomes and sex determination provide a clue to tendency of sex-determining genes to appear on heterotypic sex chromosome.

[QTL analysis of low-temperature-sensitive pollen sterility in Indica-japonica hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.)].

There existed a number of biological constraints in exploiting the heterosis of indica-japonica hybrid rice. The low-temperature-sensitive sterility (LTSS) of indica-japonica hybrid has become one of the major problems in indica-japonica hybrid rice breeding after the solution of poor fertility of the hybrids by the finding of wide-compatibility gene. Previous studies revealed that the LTSS might be caused by low-temperature-sensitive pollen sterility (LTSPS). However, the genetic basis of LTSPS remained unclear. To explore the genetic basis of LTSPS in indica-japonica hybrid rice, an F2 genetic population derived from 3037 (indica) and 02428 (japonica) was developed. At the booting stage, pollen fertility of F2 population together with parents were surveyed after the treatment with low temperature daily average of 21-23 degrees C. The linkage map was constructed containing 108 SSR markers distributed throughout the whole 12 chromosomes with average marker interval of 16.26 cM. Using software MapMaker/QTL, two putative QTLs, namely qLTSPS2 and qLTSPS5 on chromosomes 2 and 5 were detected by interval mapping, which could explain the phenotypic variation 15.6% and 11.9% respectively. The additive effects were 0.021 and 0.045, dominant effects were -0.246 and -0.215, and the degrees of dominance were 11.7 and 4.8, respectively for the two QTLs. Therefore, the mode of gene action in response to low-temperature stress was overdominance and LTSPS was mainly the result of interaction between the indica and japonica alleles within each locus. In addition, two-way ANOVA showed that the two QTLs acted essentially independent of each other in conditioning LTSPS.

[Preparation of a monoclonal antibody against methyl jasmonate and quantification of jasmonic acid in florets of wheat and Italian ryegrass].

A monoclonal antibody (McAb) against methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was prepared and characterized. The McAb, J2-4B, was derived from an immunogen in which the C1-COOH of jasmonic acid (JA) was conjugated to the -NH2 of keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). The McAb showed a higher recognition ability to methyl esters of JA than to its free acids. The integrity of a pentenyl in JA molecule was necessary for the recognition of McAb. Hydrogenation at C-9 and C-10 (dihydrojasmonic acid, 2H-JA) or eliminating the methyl group at C-12 (JAS-25) significantly abolished the binding force of JA molecule with the McAb. Some structural or functional analogues or precursor of JA, such as cucurbic acid, theobroxide, coronatine, and linolenic acid, could not be recognized by the McAb. The McAb has been used to set up a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a linearity range from 2.06 to 500 pmol of MeJA. Using this method, the fluctuations of JA content in florets during anthesis of wheat and Italian ryegrass were analyzed. Results showed that JA level increased obviously as the florets approaching to opening, arrived at a "peak" value at full opening and decreased sharply afterwards.