Nitrogen and energy utilization and methane emissions of sheep grazing on annual pasture vs. native pasture.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in annual pasture and native pasture on dry matter (DM) intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen (N) and energy utilization, and methane (CH4) emission of grazing sheep, and to provide the basis for rational livestock grazing in salinized regions. The study used 10 male Hu sheep ♀ × thin-tailed Han sheep ♂ rams (20 ±â€…5 kg) aged 5 mo. Sheep grazing was conducted in annual pasture and native pasture using a 2 × 2 Latin square design. After a 15-d adaptation period for grazing, the digestion and metabolism experiment of sheep were conducted, while CH4 emissions were measured using sulfur hexafluoride tracer gas. DM intake did not differ between annual pasture and native pasture (P = 0.386). Meanwhile, the digestibility of DM (P < 0.001), neutral detergent fiber (P < 0.001), acid detergent fiber (P < 0.01), crude protein (P < 0.001), and ether extract (P < 0.001) of sheep grazing on native pasture was significantly higher than that of annual pasture. Sheep grazing on native pasture had increased N intake (P < 0.001) and N retained (P < 0.001) compared with those grazing on annual pasture. Digestion energy (P < 0.05) and metabolic energy (P < 0.01) of sheep grazing on annual pasture were significantly improved compared with those on native pasture, while fecal energy (P < 0.001), urine energy (P < 0.001) and CH4 energy (CH4-E) output (P < 0.001) and CH4 emission (P < 0.001) of sheep grazing on annual pasture were significantly decreased. The CH4-E/gross energy (GE) values of sheep grazing on annual pasture and native pasture were 0.09 and 0.10, respectively. In conclusion, grazing sheep have higher N utilization on native pasture, whereas grazing sheep have higher energy utilization and low CH4 emissions in annual pasture. In conclusion, annual pasture has a lower CH4-E/GE compared to native pasture, which helps in reducing environmental pollution.

The reduction of methane (CH4) emissions and nitrogen (N) excretion from livestock production systems can help mitigate environmental impact and improve feeding efficiency. The energy requirements of livestock are crucial for enhancing their performance and minimizing environmental impact. It is imperative to accurately ascertain the N and energy efficiency, and CH4 emissions associated with sheep grazing across diverse grassland ecosystems to optimize forage resource utilization without compromising livestock production performance, thereby facilitating sustainable grassland management and grazing practices. Sheep grazing on native pasture had higher nutrient digestibility and N utilization, while sheep grazing on annual pasture showed higher energy utilization and less CH4 emissions. CH4-energy/gross energy for grazing sheep on annual pasture and native pasture was 0.09 and 0.10, respectively. This study assessed the differences in N and energy utilization and CH4 emissions, among sheep grazing on different grasses, providing data support for the development of more rational livestock grazing methods.

H3.1K27me1 loss confers Arabidopsis resistance to Geminivirus by sequestering DNA repair proteins onto host genome.

The H3 methyltransferases ATXR5 and ATXR6 deposit H3.1K27me1 to heterochromatin to prevent genomic instability and transposon re-activation. Here, we report that atxr5 atxr6 mutants display robust resistance to Geminivirus. The viral resistance is correlated with activation of DNA repair pathways, but not with transposon re-activation or heterochromatin amplification. We identify RAD51 and RPA1A as partners of virus-encoded Rep protein. The two DNA repair proteins show increased binding to heterochromatic regions and defense-related genes in atxr5 atxr6 vs wild-type plants. Consequently, the proteins have reduced binding to viral DNA in the mutant, thus hampering viral amplification. Additionally, RAD51 recruitment to the host genome arise via BRCA1, HOP2, and CYCB1;1, and this recruitment is essential for viral resistance in atxr5 atxr6. Thus, Geminiviruses adapt to healthy plants by hijacking DNA repair pathways, whereas the unstable genome, triggered by reduced H3.1K27me1, could retain DNA repairing proteins to suppress viral amplification in atxr5 atxr6.

Prolonged administration of total glucosides of paeony improves intestinal immune imbalance and epithelial barrier damage in collagen-induced arthritis rats based on metabolomics-network pharmacology integrated analysis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by synovial inflammation and joint damage with complex pathological mechanisms. In recent years, many studies have shown that the dysregulation of intestinal mucosal immunity and the damage of the epithelial barrier are closely related to the occurrence of RA. Total glucosides of paeony (TGP) have been used clinically for the treatment of RA in China for decades, while the pharmacological mechanism is still uncertain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulatory effect and mechanism of TGP on intestinal immunity and epithelial barrier in RA model rats. The results showed that TGP alleviated immune hyperfunction by regulating the ratio of CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ in different lymphocyte synthesis sites of the small intestine, including Peyer's patches (PPs), intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), and lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs). Specially, TGP first exhibited immunomodulatory effects on sites close to the intestinal lumen (IELs and LPLs), and then on PPs far away from the intestinal lumen as the administration time prolonged. Meanwhile, TGP restores the intestinal epithelial barrier by upregulating the ratio of villi height (V)/crypt depth (C) and expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1, occludin). Finally, the integrated analysis of metabolomics-network pharmacology was also used to explore the possible regulation mechanism of TGP on the intestinal tract. Metabolomics analysis revealed that TGP reversed the intestinal metabolic profile disturbance in CIA rats, and identified 32 biomarkers and 163 corresponding targets; network pharmacology analysis identified 111 potential targets for TGP to treat RA. By intersecting the results of the two, three key targets such as ADA, PNP and TYR were determined. Pharmacological verification experiments showed that the levels of ADA and PNP in the small intestine of CIA rats were significantly increased, while TGP significantly decreased their ADA and PNP levels. In conclusion, purine metabolism may play an important role in the process of TGP improving RA-induced intestinal immune imbalance and impaired epithelial barrier.

Biosynthesis of Polycyclic Natural Products from Conjugated Polyenes via Tandem Isomerization and Pericyclic Reactions.

We report biosynthetic pathways that can synthesize and transform conjugated octaenes and nonaenes to complex natural products. The biosynthesis of (-)-PF1018 involves an enzyme PfB that can control the regio-, stereo-, and periselectivity of multiple reactions starting from a conjugated octaene. Using PfB as a lead, we discovered a homologous enzyme, BruB, that facilitates diene isomerization, tandem 8π-6π-electrocyclization, and a 1,2-divinylcyclobutane Cope rearrangement to generate a new-to-nature compound.

Dietary supplementation of Allium mongolicum modulates rumen-hindgut microbial community structure in Simmental calves.

Compared to traditional herbage, functional native herbage is playing more important role in ruminant agriculture through improving digestion, metabolism and health of livestock; however, their effects on rumen microbial communities and hindgut fermentation are still not well understood. The objective of present study was to evaluate the effects of dietary addition of Allium mongolicum on bacterial communities in rumen and feces of claves. Sixteen 7-month-old male calves were randomly divided into four groups (n = 4). All calves were fed a basal ration containing roughage (alfalfa and oats) and mixed concentrate in a ratio of 60:40 on dry matter basis. In each group, the basal ration was supplemented with Allium mongolicum 0 (SL0), 200 (SL200), 400 (SL400), and 800 (SL800) mg/kg BW. The experiment lasted for 58 days. Rumen fluid and feces in rectum were collected, Rumen fluid and hindgut fecal were collected for analyzing bacterial community. In the rumen, Compared with SL0, there was a greater relative abundance of phylum Proteobacteria (p < 0.05) and genera Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group (p < 0.01) in SL800 treatment. In hindgut, compared with SL0, supplementation of A. mongolicum (SL200, SL400, or SL800) decreased in the relative abundances of Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 (p < 0.01), Ruminiclostridium_5 (p < 0.01), Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group (p < 0.05), and Alistipes (p < 0.05) in feces; Whereas, the relative abundances of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group (p < 0.05), and Prevotella_1 (p < 0.01) in SL800 were higher in feces, to maintain hindgut stability. This study provided evidence that A. mongolicum affects the gastrointestinal of calves, by influencing microbiota in their rumen and feces.

The correlation between pharmacological activity and contents of eight constituents of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (GUF), Leguminosae) has been extensively applied in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat diseases, exactly, in almost half of Chinese herbal prescription. However, the relationship between chemical contents and efficacy has not been established, which could evaluate GUF quality. To create a simple and effective quality-evaluation method, 33 batches of GUF from different habitats in China were collected. The correlation between eight constituents (liquiritin, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid, licochalcone A, glabridin and glycyrrhetinic acid) and pharmacological activities (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunoregulatory) was analyzed per the partial least squares regression method. Results showed that eight constituents correlated significantly with the pharmacological activity. The correlation equation modes between pharmacological activity and contents of eight constituents were constructed and verified to be reliable. In GUF extract, the main constituents liquiritin, isoliquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid exhibited positive influence on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect with different potent, while the metabolites liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin exhibited positive effect on the immunoregulatory activity and glycyrrhetinic acid exhibited positive effect on all the tested activities. Thus, our chemical-efficacy correlation method is reliable and feasible to predict the pharmacological activity based on its eight constituents. It could be powerful in quality control of GUF and provides a useful way for quality evaluation of other medicinal herbs.

Transcriptome analysis of auxin transcription factor OsARF17-mediated rice stripe mosaic virus response in rice.

Introduction: Plant auxin response factors (ARFs) play an irreplaceable role in regulating the expression of auxin response genes. Our previous studies have indicated that auxin response factor OsARF17 plays a crucial role in plant defense against diverse rice viruses. Methods: Utilizing a comparative transcriptome analysis of Rice stripe mosaic virus (RSMV)-inoculated OsARF17 mutant rice plants, to further elucidate the molecular mechanism of OsARF17 in antiviral defense pathway. Results: KEGG enrichment analyses showed that the down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) belonged to plant-pathogen interaction and plant hormone signal transduction pathways were markedly enriched in OsARF17 mutants under RSMV inoculation. Furthermore, Gene ontology (GO) analyses revealed that these genes were enriched in a variety of hormone biosynthetic process, including jasmonic acid (JA), auxin, and abscisic acid (ABA). RT-qPCR assays showed that the induction of plant defense-related genes, such as WRKY transcription factors, OsAHT2 and OsDR8, and JA-related genes, were significantly suppressed in OsARF17 mutants in response to RSMV. Discussion: Our study reveals that OsARF17-mediated antiviral immunity may be achieved through affecting the interaction between different phytohormones and regulating defense gene expression in rice. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of auxin signaling in the rice-virus interaction.

Metabolomic analysis-identified 2-hydroxybutyric acid might be a key metabolite of severe preeclampsia.

This study set out to determine the key metabolite changes underlying the pathophysiology of severe preeclampsia (PE) using metabolic analysis. We collected sera from 10 patients with severe PE and from 10 healthy pregnant women of the same trimester and analyzed them using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. A total of 3,138 differential metabolites were screened, resulting in the identification of 124 differential metabolites. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis revealed that they were mainly enriched in the following metabolic pathways: central carbon metabolism in cancer; protein digestion and absorption; aminoacyl-transfer RNA biosynthesis; mineral absorption; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; and prostate cancer. After analysis of 124 differential metabolites, 2-hydroxybutyric acid was found to be the most critical differential metabolite, and its use allowed the differentiation of women with severe PE from healthy pregnant women. In summary, our analysis revealed that 2-hydroxybutyric acid is a potential key metabolite for distinguishing severe PE from healthy controls and is also a marker for the early diagnosis of severe PE, thus allowing early intervention.

Nitrogen utilisation, energy utilisation and methane emissions of sheep grazing in two types of pasture.

Livestock grazing plays a significant role in maintaining grasslands and promoting animal production globally. To understand the livestock performance in sown pasture (SP) vs native pasture (NP) is important to ensure more effective grassland-livestock interactions with minimal environmental impact. A 2 (treatment) * 2 (period) Latin Square design experiment was conducted with 10 growing Hu sheep ♂ × thin-tailed Han sheep ♀ rams grazed perennially SP vs NP in an inland arid region of China. The objectives were to evaluate the effects of grazing management on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen (N) and energy utilisation and methane (CH4) emission. The N intake, N retained and energy intake (gross energy (GE), and digestible and metabolisable energy) of sheep grazing in SP were significantly increased compared with those grazing in NP. There were significant linear relationships between DM intake (DMI) (g/kg BW or g/kg BW0.75) or CH4 (g/kg BW or g/kg BW0.75) emissions and forage nutrient and GE concentrations within each grassland type. The linear regression analysis indicated that forage CP or ether extract concentration was a good predictor for DMI (g/kg BW or g/kg BW0.75) (R2 = 0.756 or 0.752), and CH4 emission could be predicted using forage nutrient and GE concentrations (R2 = 0.381-0.503). These results suggest that DMI and CH4 emissions per unit metabolic BW were accurately predicted by multiple-factor combinations of forage nutrients, including ether extract and CP paired with GE. The present output could provide useful information for the development of sustainable sheep grazing systems in the inland arid regions of the world.

Fluoro, Trifluoromethyl, and Trifluoroacetyl Substituent Effects on Cycloaddition Reactivities: Computations and Analysis.

The importance of fluoro and trifluoromethyl substituents in drug effectiveness prompted the computational exploration of fluorine-containing substituents in valuable synthetic cycloadditions. Diels-Alder or 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of typical reactants, cyclopentadiene, N-phenyldiazoacetamide, tetrazine, and N-phenylsydnone involving fluorine-containing substituents (F, CF3, and COCF3) were studied with M06-2X density functional theory. Inductive and conjugative effects influence normal and inverse electron-demand reactions differently. These results provide a guide to the design and use of cycloadditions for the introduction of fluoro and trifluoromethyl substituents in synthetic processes.

Breakups of Chitosan microcapsules in extensional flow.

The controlled rupture of a core-shell capsule and the timely release of encapsulated materials are essential steps of the efficient design of such carriers. The mechanical and physico-chemical properties of their shells (or membranes) mainly govern the evolution of such systems under stress and notably the link between the dynamics of rupture and the mechanical properties. This issue is addressed considering weakly cohesive shells made by the interfacial complexation of Chitosan and PFacid in a planar extensional flow. Three regimes are observed, thanks to the two observational planes. Whatever the time of reaction in membrane assembly, there is no rupture in deformation as long as the hydrodynamic stress is below a critical value. At low times of complexation (weak shear elastic modulus), the rupture is reminiscent of the breakup of droplets: a dumbell or a waist. Fluorescent labelling of the membrane shows that this process is governed by continuous thinning of the membrane up to the destabilization. It is likely that the membrane shows a transition from a solid to liquid state. At longer times of complexation, the rupture has a feature of solid-like breakup (breakage) with a discontinuity of the membrane. The maximal internal constraint determined numerically marks the initial location of breakup as shown. The pattern becomes more complex as the elongation rate increases with several points of rupture. A phase diagram in the space parameters of the shear elastic modulus and the hydrodynamic stress is established.

Activity Induced Rigidity of Liquid Droplets.

Here we show that encapsulating active Janus particles within a drop renders it more resistant to deformation. This drop is deformed under the action of an extensional flow. Such deformation is primarily resisted by the drop interfacial tension. When the particles are active under the action of laser illumination, the deformation decreases signaling an increase in effective tension or Laplace pressure. This increase is attributed to the activity of the particles. Our results using numerous drop sizes, particle number densities, and active velocities show that the obtained increase agrees surprisingly well, over an extended range, with a standard expression for the pressure engendered by an ensemble of active particles, proposed years ago but not tested yet in three dimensions.

Microecosystem of yak rumen on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is stable and is unaffected by soil or grass microbiota.

The rumen of livestock grazing on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) acts as a transfer station for the circulation of soil, grass, faecal mineral elements and nutrients. Whether the microorganisms from the soil and grass could circulate through livestock rumen and excreted faeces. We studied the structural composition and interactive networks of microbiomes (bacteria and fungi) in soil, grass, and grazing yaks (rumen and faeces) on the QTP by using 16S rRNA gene and internally transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing technology and to calculate the contribution rate of microorganisms from one habitat to another habitat using SourceTracker analysis. The meta-co-occurrence network revealed that soil, grass, rumen, and faeces comprise four independent habitats. The bacterial and fungal composition was significantly different in these four habitats. Soil microbiota showed the highest alpha diversity and microbial network complexity. Rumen microbiota demonstrated the highest microbial network stability and synergy, while grass endophytes showed the lowest microbial network complexity, stability, and synergy. According to the SourceTracker model, grass contributes 0.02% to the rumen microbes of yaks, while soil microorganisms do not circulate in the rumen. The soil and grass microbiota originating from faeces were 4.5% and 1.2%, respectively. The contribution of soil to grass was found to be 1.1%. Overall, the rumen microbiota of yaks is relatively stable and is only minimally influenced by the microbiota inhabiting the environment under natural grazing conditions. However, the contribution of yaks to soil and grass microbiota is relatively high when compared with the contribution of soil and grass to yaks microbiota.

Effects of Mowing Times on Nutrient Composition and In Vitro Digestibility of Forage in Three Sown Pastures of China Loess Plateau.

Mowing, Mowing, which affects the nutritional levels of grasslands, is the main utilization of sown pasture. We sowed alfalfa monoculture grassland, tall fescue monoculture grassland and tall fescue + alfalfa mixed grassland in typical steppe of the Loess Plateau to investigate the nutrient compositions and in vitro degradability of those three grasslands under different mowing stubble times and to provide reference for nutrient management of sown pastures. The results showed that the stubble time significantly affected (p < 0.05) the nutrient compositions and mineral elements of forages in alfalfa monoculture grassland, whereas had no effects on the nutrient compositions and dry matter digestibility of forages in tall fescue monoculture grassland and alfalfa + tall fescue mixed grassland. The relative feeding value of mixed grassland of alfalfa and tall fescue was increased by 2.6−22.4% as compared to monoculture grasslands. The model constructed based on forage nutrient content could accurately predict the forage dry matter degradability of alfalfa monoculture, tall fescue monoculture and mixed alfalfa and tall fescue, respectively.

Structural characterization of the interfacial self-assembly of chitosan with oppositely charged surfactant.

Controlling the assembly of polyelectrolytes and surfactant at liquid-liquid interfaces offers new ways to fabricate soft materials with specific physical properties. However, little is known of the relationships between the kinetics of interfacial assembly, structural and rheological properties of such interfaces. We studied the kinetics at water-oil interface of the assembly of a positively charged biopolymer, chitosan, with an anionic fatty acid using a multi-scale approach. The growth kinetics of the membrane was followed by interfacial rheometry and space- and time- resolved dynamic light scattering. This set of techniques revealed that the interfacial complexation was a multi-step process. At short time-scale, the interface was fluid and made of heterogeneous patches. At a 'gelation' time, the surface elastic modulus and the correlation between speckles increased sharply meaning that the patches percolated. Confocal and electron microscopy confirmed this picture, and revealed that the basic brick of the membrane was sub-micrometric aggregates of chitosan/ fatty acid.

Pregestational screening of hereditary deafness genes carriers in 10,684 normal pregnant women in Zhuzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in genes associated with deafness differ between ethnic groups and regions in China. In this study, we investigated the genes associated with deafness in pregnant women to analyze the distribution of mutations leading to deafness in Zhuzhou, China. METHODS: A total of 10,684 pregnant women were enrolled in this study. DNA samples were collected to detect the 14 common mutations in deafness genes (at 108 sites). RESULTS: Prevalence of mutations in deafness genes in pregnant women with normal hearing in Zhuzhou was 4.92% (526/10,684). Among these 526 pregnant women with deafness gene mutations, the frequencies of mutated GJB2, GJB3, SLC26A4, and mtDNA 12S rRNA were 40.11, 7.22, 40.68, and 11.98%, respectively. The hotspots for mutations in the deafness genes were: c.235delC in GJB2 (31.18%), c.919-2A > G in SLC26A4 (18.44%), c.299_300delAT in GJB2 (5.70%), m.7444G > A in mtDNA 12S rRNA (5.70%), c.1229C > T in SLC26A4 (5.51%), m.1555A > G in mtDNA 12S rRNA (5.32%), accounting for 71.85%. Moreover, husbands of the 526 pregnant women who carried the deafness gene mutations were also included in the analysis to detect deafness gene mutations. Among the 526 husbands, 23 husbands carried mutations in deafness genes, accounting for 4.37%. The deafness gene mutations of the husbands and pregnant wives were not the same. In addition, the results of the neonatal follow-up hearing tests were all normal. CONCLUSION: Our study identified the prevalence of mutations in GJB2, SLC26A4, mtDNA 12S rRNA, and GJB3 genes in pregnant women from Zhuzhou, China.

Research progress in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. / å­ç—«å‰æœŸå‘ç— æœºåˆ¶ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder clinical syndrome, coexisting hypertension and proteinuria. It is a result of the shallow remodeling of the spiral arteries after 20 weeks of gestation, which changes the placental microenvironment and releases a series of maternal circulation factors. Currently, there are no effective tools for the treatment of preeclampsia unless terminating pregnancy. The unclear pathogenesis, the high rate of fetal growth restriction, fetal disability and maternal mortality make it important for researchers to explore the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating the expression of almost 30% of all genes by binding to the 3' untranslated region of a target mRNA, which affects various cell processes, including differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and development. A large number of miRNAs can be expressed in human placental tissues, while some are only specifically expressed and can also be released into the maternal blood in the form of exosome during pregnancy. Thus, it makes miRNA hopefully as a novel molecular marker for monitoring pregnancy, prediction and diagnosis of gestational diseases.

Effects of Allium mongolicum Regel supplementation on the digestibility, methane production, and antioxidant capacity of Simmental calves in northwest China.

This study evaluated the effects of Allium mongolicum Regel (AM) supplementation on nitrogen (N) balance, ruminal fermentation, and antioxidant properties. Sixteen male calves were assigned randomly to four groups, and the four were added with 0 (CON), 200 mg/kg (body weight; BW) (Low AM; LA), 400 mg/kg (BW) (Middle AM; MA), or 800 mg/kg (BW) (High AM; HA) per day for each individual. AM was added on dry matter (DM) basis. The experiment lasted for 58 days. Supplementation of AM could significantly increase average daily gain, DM digestibility, acid detergent fiber digestibility, and retained N/Intake N. N digestibility and molar proportion of propionate in the MA and HA treatments were higher than that in the CON treatment (p < .05), respectively. AM supplementation significantly increased the molar concentration of total volatile fatty acid in the rumen fluid (p < .05). The ratio of acetate to propionate in the MA and HA groups was lower than that in the CON treatment (p < .05). Furthermore, AM supplementation significantly reduced methane (CH4 ) (p < .05) emissions. AM supplementation significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase. The MA group could significantly increase the activities of glutathione peroxidase and decrease the content of malondialdehyde. Our results indicated that AM supplementation could affect the nutrient digestibility, CH4 emission, and antioxidant capacity of Simmental calves.

The OsGSK2 Kinase Integrates Brassinosteroid and Jasmonic Acid Signaling by Interacting with OsJAZ4.

The crosstalk between brassinosteroid (BR) and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling is crucial for plant growth and defense responses. However, the detailed interplay between BRs and JA remains obscure. Here, we found that the rice (Oryza sativa) Glycogen synthase kinase3 (GSK3)-like kinase OsGSK2, a conserved kinase serving as a key suppressor of BR signaling, enhanced antiviral defense and the JA response. We identified a member of the JASMONATE ZIM-domain (JAZ) family, OsJAZ4, as a OsGSK2 substrate and confirmed that OsGSK2 interacted with and phosphorylated OsJAZ4. We demonstrated that OsGSK2 disrupted the OsJAZ4-OsNINJA complex and OsJAZ4-OsJAZ11 dimerization by competitively binding to the ZIM domain, perhaps helping to facilitate the degradation of OsJAZ4 via the 26S proteasome pathway. We also showed that OsJAZ4 negatively modulated JA signaling and antiviral defense and that the BR pathway was involved in modulating the stability of OsJAZ4 protein in an OsCORONATINE INSENSITIVE1-dependent manner. Collectively, these results suggest that OsGSK2 enhances plant antiviral defenses by activating JA signaling as it directly interacts with, phosphorylates, and destabilizes OsJAZ4. Thus, our findings provide a clear link between BR and JA signaling.

Distinct modes of manipulation of rice auxin response factor OsARF17 by different plant RNA viruses for infection.

Plant auxin response factor (ARF) transcription factors are an important class of key transcriptional modulators in auxin signaling. Despite the well-studied roles of ARF transcription factors in plant growth and development, it is largely unknown whether, and how, ARF transcription factors may be involved in plant resistance to pathogens. We show here that two fijiviruses (double-stranded RNA viruses) utilize their proteins to disturb the dimerization of OsARF17 and repress its transcriptional activation ability, while a tenuivirus (negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus) directly interferes with the DNA binding activity of OsARF17. These interactions impair OsARF17-mediated antiviral defense. OsARF17 also confers resistance to a cytorhabdovirus and was directly targeted by one of the viral proteins. Thus, OsARF17 is the common target of several very different viruses. This suggests that OsARF17 plays a crucial role in plant defense against different types of plant viruses, and that these viruses use independently evolved viral proteins to target this key component of auxin signaling and facilitate infection.