WOX family transcriptional regulators modulate cytokinin homeostasis during leaf blade development in Medicago truncatula and Nicotiana sylvestris.

The plant-specific family of WUSCHEL (WUS)-related homeobox (WOX) transcription factors is key regulators of embryogenesis, meristem maintenance, and lateral organ development in flowering plants. The modern/WUS clade transcriptional repressor STENOFOLIA/LAMINA1(LAM1), and the intermediate/WOX9 clade transcriptional activator MtWOX9/NsWOX9 antagonistically regulate leaf blade expansion, but the molecular mechanism is unknown. Using transcriptome profiling and biochemical methods, we determined that NsCKX3 is the common target of LAM1 and NsWOX9 in Nicotiana sylvestris. LAM1 and NsWOX9 directly recognize and bind to the same cis-elements in the NsCKX3 promoter to repress and activate its expression, respectively, thus controlling the levels of active cytokinins in vivo. Disruption of NsCKX3 in the lam1 background yielded a phenotype similar to the knockdown of NsWOX9 in lam1, while overexpressing NsCKX3 resulted in narrower and shorter lam1 leaf blades reminiscent of NsWOX9 overexpression in the lam1 mutant. Moreover, we established that LAM1 physically interacts with NsWOX9, and this interaction is required to regulate NsCKX3 transcription. Taken together, our results indicate that repressor and activator WOX members oppositely regulate a common downstream target to function in leaf blade outgrowth, offering a novel insight into the role of local cytokinins in balancing cell proliferation and differentiation during lateral organ development.

INTERMEDIUM-M encodes an HvAP2L-H5 ortholog and is required for inflorescence indeterminacy and spikelet determinacy in barley.

Inflorescence architecture dictates the number of flowers and, ultimately, seeds. The architectural discrepancies between two related cereals, barley and wheat, are controlled by differences in determinacy of inflorescence and spikelet meristems. Here, we characterize two allelic series of mutations named intermedium-m (int-m) and double seed1 (dub1) that convert barley indeterminate inflorescences into wheat-like determinate inflorescences bearing a multifloreted terminal spikelet and spikelets with additional florets. INT-M/DUB1 encodes an APETALA2-like transcription factor (HvAP2L-H5) that suppresses ectopic and precocious spikelet initiation signals and maintains meristem activity. HvAP2L-H5 inhibits the identity shift of an inflorescence meristem (IM) to a terminal spikelet meristem (TSM) in barley. Null mutations in AP2L-5 lead to fewer spikelets per inflorescence but extra florets per spikelet. In wheat, prolonged and elevated AP2L-A5 activity in rAP2L-A5 mutants delays but does not suppress the IM-TSM transition. We hypothesize that the regulation of AP2L-5 orthologs and downstream genes contributes to the different inflorescence determinacy in barley and wheat. We show that AP2L-5 proteins are evolutionarily conserved in grasses, promote IM activity, and restrict floret number per spikelet. This study provides insights into the regulation of spikelet and floret number, and hence grain yield in barley and wheat.

Iron-Catalyzed Sulfonylmethylation of Imidazo[1,2-α]pyridines with N,N-Dimethylacetamide and Sodium Sulfinates.

Functionalized imidazo[1,2-α]pyridines are important scaffolds in pharmaceuticals. Herein, we present an efficient 3-sulfonylmethylation protocol for imidazo[1,2-α]pyridines by sodium sulfinates in DMA and H2O (2:1) via an FeCl3-catalyzed three-component coupling reaction. Various sulfonylmethyl imidazo[1,2-α]pyridines were thus afforded in high yields with excellent functional group tolerance. A plausible oxidation-addition mechanism was proposed.

Characterization and expression profiles of WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) gene family in cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

The WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) family members are plant-specific transcriptional factors, which function in meristem maintenance, embryogenesis, lateral organ development, as well as abiotic stress tolerance. In this study, 14 MsWOX transcription factors were identified and comprehensively analyzed in the cultivated alfalfa cv. Zhongmu No.1. Overall, 14 putative MsWOX members containing conserved structural regions were clustered into three clades according to phylogenetic analysis. Specific expression patterns of MsWOXs in different tissues at different levels indicated that the MsWOX genes play various roles in alfalfa. MsWUS, MsWOX3, MsWOX9, and MsWOX13-1 from the three subclades were localized in the nucleus, among which, MsWUS and MsWOX13-1 exhibited strong self-activations in yeast. In addition, various cis-acting elements related to hormone responses, plant growth, and stress responses were identified in the 3.0 kb promoter regions of MsWOXs. Expression detection of separated shoots and roots under hormones including auxin, cytokinin, GA, and ABA, as well as drought and cold stresses, showed that MsWOX genes respond to different hormones and abiotic stress treatments. Furthermore, transcript abundance of MsWOX3, and MsWOX13-2 were significantly increased after rhizobia inoculation. This study presented comprehensive data on MsWOX transcription factors and provided valuable insights into further studies of their roles in developmental processes and abiotic stress responses in alfalfa.

Revisiting the origin and identity specification of the spikelet: A structural innovation in grasses (Poaceae).

Spikelets are highly specialized and short-lived branches and function as a constitutional unit of the complex grass inflorescences. A series of genetic, genomic, and developmental studies across different clades of the family have called for and permitted a synthesis on the regulation and evolution of spikelets, and hence inflorescence diversity. Here, we have revisited the identity specification of a spikelet, focusing on the diagnostic features of a spikelet from morphological, developmental, and molecular perspectives. Particularly, recent studies on a collection of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), wheat (Triticum spp.), and rice (Oryza sativa L.) mutants have highlighted a set of transcription factors that are important in the control of spikelet identity and the patterning of floral parts of a spikelet. In addition, we have endeavored to clarify some puzzling issues on the (in)determinacy and modifications of spikelets over the course of evolution. Meanwhile, genomes of two sister taxa of the remaining grass species have again demonstrated the importance of genome duplication and subsequent gene losses on the evolution of spikelets. Accordingly, we argue that changes in the orthologs of spikelet-related genes could be critical for the development and evolution of the spikelet, an evolutionary innovation in the grass family. Likewise, the conceptual discussions on the regulation of a fundamental unit of compound inflorescences could be translated into other organismal groups where compound structures are similarly formed, permitting a comparative perspective on the control of biological complexity.

Synthesis of Asymmetric Diaryl Sulfides via HI-Mediated C(sp2)-H Sulfenylation of Arenes with Sodium Sulfinates.

A novel hydroiodic acid-promoted metal-free C(sp2)-H sulfenylation of electron-rich arenes was developed using stable and easy-to-handle sodium sulfinates as sulfur sources. Diverse kinds of asymmetric aryl sulfides were afforded in good yields from various commercially available aromatic substrates under mild conditions. Comprehensive mechanistic experiments demonstrate that RSO2SR and RSSR are the key intermediates responsible for the redox process.

Ectopic Expression of PvHMA2.1 Enhances Cadmium Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Cadmium (Cd) in soil inhibits plant growth and development and even harms human health through food chain transmission. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a perennial C4 biofuel crop, is considered an ideal plant for phytoremediation due to its high efficiency in removing Cd and other heavy metals from contaminated soil. The key to understanding the mechanisms of switchgrass Cd tolerance is to identify the genes involved in Cd transport. Heavy-metal ATPases (HMAs) play pivotal roles in heavy metal transport, including Cd, in Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, but little is known about the functions of their orthologs in switchgrass. Therefore, we identified 22 HMAs in switchgrass, which were distributed on 12 chromosomes and divided into 4 groups using a phylogenetic analysis. Then, we focused on PvHMA2.1, which is one of the orthologs of the rice Cd transporter OsHMA2. We found that PvHMA2.1 was widely expressed in roots, internodes, leaves, spikelets, and inflorescences, and was significantly induced in the shoots of switchgrass under Cd treatment. Moreover, PvHMA2.1 was found to have seven transmembrane domains and localized at the cell plasma membrane, indicating that it is a potential transporter. The ectopic expression of PvHMA2.1 alleviated the reduction in primary root length and the loss of fresh weight of Arabidopsis seedlings under Cd treatment, suggesting that PvHMA2.1 enhanced Cd tolerance in Arabidopsis. The higher levels of relative water content and chlorophyll content of the transgenic lines under Cd treatment reflected that PvHMA2.1 maintained water retention capacity and alleviated photosynthesis inhibition under Cd stress in Arabidopsis. The roots of the PvHMA2.1 ectopically expressed lines accumulated less Cd compared to the WT, while no significant differences were found in the Cd contents of the shoots between the transgenic lines and the WT under Cd treatment, suggesting that PvHMA2.1 reduced Cd absorption from the environment through the roots in Arabidopsis. Taken together, our results showed that PvHMA2.1 enhanced Cd tolerance in Arabidopsis, providing a promising target that could be engineered in switchgrass to repair Cd-contaminated soil.

Controllable synthesis of disulfides and thiosulfonates from sodium sulfinates mediated by hydroiodic acid using ethanol and H2O as solvents.

A controllable and rapid synthesis of disulfides and thiosulfonates from sodium sulfinates mediated by hydroiodic acid is presented for the first time. In these reactions, ethanol and H2O are employed as solvents to generate different products, thiosulfonates can be further transformed to corresponding disulfides in an ethanol reaction system. Moreover, these simple methods are environmentally benign and can be performed under mild conditions with a short reaction time, showing good functional group tolerance.

Practical catalytic enantioselective synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquin-azolinones by chiral brønsted acid catalysis.

Herein, we report on the highly efficient and practical synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolinones directly from diverse aldehydes with excellent yields and enantioselectivity. Particularly, this protocol affords better enantiocontrol for aliphatic aldehydes (up to 99% yield, 97% ee), which always gave unsatisfactory results in the previous studies. Moreover, this catalytic system shows wide tolerance to different functional groups such as alkenyl, nitro and halogens. Most importantly, its practicability is well elucidated via the gram-scale synthesis of different types of products at 0.1 mol% catalyst loading and the simplified work-up procedure. To better understand the reaction pathway and origin of the enantioselectivity, DFT calculations were also performed.

CENTRORADIALIS Interacts with FLOWERING LOCUS T-Like Genes to Control Floret Development and Grain Number.

CENTRORADIALIS (CEN) is a key regulator of flowering time and inflorescence architecture in plants. Natural variation in the barley (Hordeum vulgare) homolog HvCEN is important for agricultural range expansion of barley cultivation, but its effects on shoot and spike architecture and consequently yield have not yet been characterized. Here, we evaluated 23 independent hvcen, also termed mat-c, mutants to determine the pleiotropic effects of HvCEN on developmental timing and shoot and spike morphologies of barley under outdoor and controlled conditions. All hvcen mutants flowered early and showed a reduction in spikelet number per spike, tiller number, and yield in the outdoor experiments. Mutations in hvcen accelerated spikelet initiation and reduced axillary bud number in a photoperiod-independent manner but promoted floret development only under long days (LDs). The analysis of a flowering locus t3 (hvft3) hvcen double mutant showed that HvCEN interacts with HvFT3 to control spikelet initiation. Furthermore, early flowering3 (hvelf3) hvcen double mutants with high HvFT1 expression levels under short days suggested that HvCEN interacts with HvFT1 to repress floral development. Global transcriptome profiling in developing shoot apices and inflorescences of mutant and wild-type plants revealed that HvCEN controlled transcripts involved in chromatin remodeling activities, cytokinin and cell cycle regulation and cellular respiration under LDs and short days, whereas HvCEN affected floral homeotic genes only under LDs. Understanding the stage and organ-specific functions of HvCEN and downstream molecular networks will allow the manipulation of different shoot and spike traits and thereby yield.

FLOWERING LOCUS T3 Controls Spikelet Initiation But Not Floral Development.

In many angiosperm plants, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT)-like genes have duplicated and functionally diverged to control different reproductive traits or stages. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) carries several FT-like genes, the functions of which are not well understood. We characterized the role of HvFT3 in the vegetative and reproductive development of barley. Overexpression of HvFT3 accelerated the initiation of spikelet primordia and the early reproductive development of spring barley independently of the photoperiod. However, HvFT3 overexpression did not accelerate floral development, and inflorescences aborted under short days, suggesting that HvFT3 controls spikelet initiation but not floral development. Analysis of a nonfunctional HvFT3 allele supported the specific effects of this gene on spikelet initiation independent of the photoperiod. HvFT3 caused the up-regulation of the winter and spring alleles of the vernalization gene VERNALIZATION1 (VRN-H1) in nonvernalized plants and was therefore dominant over the repressive effects of the vernalization pathway. Global transcriptome analysis in developing main shoot apices of the transgenic lines showed that HvFT3 modified the expression of genes involved in hormone synthesis and response, of floral homeotic genes, and of barley row-type genes SIX-ROWED-SPIKE1 (VRS1), SIX-ROWED-SPIKE4 (VRS4), and INTERMEDIUM C Understanding the specific functions of individual FT-like genes will allow modification of individual phases of preanthesis development and thereby adaptation to different environments and improved yield.

Characterization of the m6A gene family in switchgrass and functional analysis of PvALKBH10 during flowering.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A), a nucleotide modification that is frequently seen in RNA, plays a crucial role in plant growth, development and stress resistance. However, the m6A regulatory machinery in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a model plant for cellulose-to-ethanol conversion, remains largely unknown. In this study, we identified 57 candidate genes involved in m6A-regulation in the switchgrass genome, and analyzed their chromosomal distribution, evolutionary relationships, and functions. Notably, we observed distinct gene expression patterns under salt and drought stress, with salt stress inducing writer and eraser genes, alongside drought stress predominantly affecting reader genes. Additionally, we knocked out PvALKBH10, an m6A demethylase gene, via CRISPR/Cas9 and found its potential function in controlling flowering time. This study provides insight into the genomic organization and evolutionary features of m6A-associated putative genes in switchgrass, and therefore serves as the basis for further functional studies.

N6-methyladenosine analysis unveils key mechanisms underlying long-term salt stress tolerance in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification is critical for plant growth, development, and environmental stress response. While short-term stress impacts on m6A are well-documented, the consequences of prolonged stress remain underexplored. This study conducts a thorough transcriptome-wide analysis of m6A modifications following 28-day exposure to 200 mM NaCl. We detected 11,149 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 12,936 differentially methylated m6A peaks, along with a global decrease in m6A levels. Notably, about 62% of m6A-modified DEGs, including demethylase genes like PvALKBH6_N, PvALKBH9_K, and PvALKBH10_N, showed increased expression and reduced m6A peaks, suggesting that decreased m6A methylation may enhance gene expression under salt stress. Consistent expression and methylation patterns were observed in key genes related to ion homeostasis (e.g., H+-ATPase 1, High-affinity K+transporter 5), antioxidant defense (Catalase 1/2, Copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 2, Glutathione synthetase 1), and osmotic regulation (delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase 2, Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase). These findings provide insights into the adaptive mechanisms of switchgrass under long-term salt stress and highlight the potential of regulating m6A modifications as a novel approach for crop breeding strategies focused on stress resistance.

PvARL1 Increases Biomass Yield and Enhances Alkaline Tolerance in Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.).

Switchgrass is an important bioenergy crop valued for its biomass yield and abiotic tolerance. Alkali stress is a major abiotic stress that significantly impedes plant growth and yield due to high salinity and pH; however, the response mechanism of switchgrass to alkali stress remains limited. Here, we characterized PvARL1, an ARF-like gene, which was up-regulated in both the shoot and root tissues under alkali stress conditions. Overexpression of PvARL1 not only improved alkali tolerance but also promoted biomass yield with more tiller and higher plant height in switchgrass. Moreover, PvARL1 overexpression lines displayed higher capacities in the maintenance of water content and photosynthetic stability compared with the controls under alkali treatments. A significant reduction in the ratio of electrolyte leakage, MDA content, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) showed that PvARL1 plays a positive role in protecting cell membrane integrity. In addition, PvARL1 also negatively affected the K+ efflux or uptake in roots to alleviate ion toxicity under alkali treatments. Overall, our results suggest that PvARL1 functions as a positive regulator in plant growth as well as in the plant response to alkali stress, which could be used to improve switchgrass biomass yield and alkali tolerance genetically.

Revealing nitrogenous VX metabolites and the whole-molecule VX metabolism in the urine of guinea pigs.

VX, a well-known organophosphorus nerve agent (OPNA), poses a significant threat to public safety if employed by terrorists. Obtaining complete metabolites is critical to unequivocally confirm its alleged use/exposure and elucidate its whole-molecular metabolism. However, the nitrogenous VX metabolites containing 2-diisopropylaminoethyl moiety from urinary excretion remain unknown. Therefore, this study applied a newly developed untargeted workflow platform to discover and identify them using VX-exposed guinea pigs as animal models. 2-(N,N-diisopropylamino)ethanesulfonic acid (DiPSA) was revealed as a novel nitrogenous VX metabolite in urine, and 2-(Diisopropylaminoethyl) methyl sulfide (DAEMS) was confirmed as another in plasma, indicating that VX metabolism differed between urine and plasma. It is the first report of a nitrogenous VX metabolite in urine and a complete elucidation of the VX metabolic pathway. DiPSA was evaluated as an excellent VX exposure biomarker. The whole-molecule VX metabolism in urine was characterized entirely for the first time via the simultaneous quantification of DiPSA and two known P-based biomarkers. About 52.1% and 32.4% of VX were excreted in urine as P-based and nitrogenous biomarkers within 24 h. These findings provide valuable insights into the unambiguous detection of OPNA exposure/intoxication and human and environmental exposure risk assessment.

Stereoselective synthesis of (E)-α,ß-unsaturated esters: triethylamine-catalyzed allylic rearrangement of enol phosphates.

α,ß-Unsaturated esters are key structural motifs widely distributed in various biologically active molecules, and their Z/E-stereoselective synthesis has always been considered highly attractive in organic synthesis. Herein, we present a >99% (E)-stereoselective one-pot synthetic approach towards ß-phosphoroxylated α,ß-unsaturated esters via a mild trimethylamine-catalyzed 1,3-hydrogen migration of the corresponding unconjugated intermediates derived from the solvent-free Perkow reaction between low-cost 4-chloroacetoacetates and phosphites. Versatile ß,ß-disubstituted (E)-α,ß-unsaturated esters were thus afforded with full (E)-stereoretentivity by cleavage of the phosphoenol linkage via Negishi cross-coupling. Moreover, a stereoretentive (E)-rich mixture of a α,ß-unsaturated ester derived from 2-chloroacetoacetate was obtained and both isomers were easily afforded in one operation.

Chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed enantioselective phosphinylation of 3,4-dihydroisoquinolines with diarylphosphine oxides.

Chiral phosphorous-containing compounds are playing a more and more significant role in several different research fields. Here, we show a chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed enantioselective phosphinylation of 3,4-dihydroisoquinolines with diarylphosphine oxides for the efficient and practical construction of a family of chiral α-amino diarylphosphine oxides with a diverse range of functional groups. The phosphine products are suitable for transforming to several kinds of chiral (thio)ureas, which might be employed as chiral ligands or catalysts with potential applications in asymmetric catalysis. Control and NMR tracking experiments show that the reaction proceeds via the tert-butyl 1-(tert-butoxy)-3,4-dihydroiso-quinoline-2(1H)-carboxylate intermediate, followed by C-P bond formation. Furthermore, computational studies elucidated that the hydrogen bonding strength between the phosphonate and isoquinolinium determines the stereoselectivity of the phosphinylation reaction.

Efficient Synthesis of 3-Mercaptoindoles via HI-Promoted Sulfenylation of Indoles with Sodium Sulfinates.

A new direct sulfenylation method of indoles by sodium sulfinates and hydroiodic acid was developed giving variety of 3-sulfenylindoles in high yields under mild conditions without using any catalysts or other additives. In situ-generated RS-I species are supposed to be mainly responsible for the key electrophilic alkyl- or aryl-thiolation process.

Copper-catalyzed stereo- and regioselective hydrophosphorylation of terminal alkynes: scope and mechanistic study.

Herein, a protocol for copper-catalyzed highly stereo- and regioselective hydrophosphorylation of terminal alkynes to E-alkenylphosphorus compounds was well developed. It represents a general and practical hydrophosphorylation method, of which diarylphosphine oxide, dialkylphosphine oxide and dialkyl phosphite all had effective P(O)H parts to react with different types of terminal alkynes. Contrary to previous air-sensitive reports, all the reactions proceeded well under air. This methodology is quite attractive owing to the high stereo- and regioselectivity, good functional group tolerance, scalability and facile late-stage derivatization of some natural product derivatives and commercially available herbicides. What's more, investigations on the reaction mechanism with deuterium-labeling experiments and DFT studies firstly disclosed the deprotonation-protonation equilibrium of terminal alkynes and P(O)H part during the catalytic hydrophosphorylation process.

Organobase-catalyzed 1,1-diborylation of terminal alkynes under metal-free conditions.

An organobase-catalyzed 1,1-diborylation of terminal alkynes from propargylic derivatives with bis(2,4-dimethylpentane-2,4-glycolato)diboron (B2oct2) is first reported, regioselectively providing 1,1-diborylalkene products with high efficiency. The catalytic pathway is well postulated on the basis of DFT calculations.