Long focusing range and self-healing Bessel vortex beam generator: publisher's note.

This publisher's note contains corrections to Opt. Lett.45, 2580 (2020).OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.391232.

Long focusing range and self-healing Bessel vortex beam generator.

Here a continuous axial-spiral phase microplate (CAsPP), based on combining a logarithmic axicon and a spiral phase plate, was proposed for generating high-quality higher-order Bessel vortex beams. The novel optical component implemented via femtosecond laser direct writing possesses compact geometry and unique optical properties. The CAsPP with a diameter of 80 µm possesses a controllable long focus ranging from 50 to 600 µm and exhibits a good self-healing ability after free transmission of about 45 µm. Unique optical properties were demonstrated in both experiments and simulations, which were well matched to each other. This Letter provides new opportunities for applications in integrated optics, optical trapping, laser machining, and information reconstruction.

Diamond optical vortex generator processed by ultraviolet femtosecond laser.

We propose a precise diamond micromachining method based on ultraviolet femtosecond laser direct writing and a mixed acid heating chemical treatment. The chemical composition of the attached clusters generated during laser ablation and their effects on morphologies were investigated in experiments. The averaged roughness of pristine and processed regions reduced to 0.64 nm and 9.4 nm from 20.5 nm and 37.4 nm, respectively. With this method, spiral zone plates (SZPs) were inscribed on a high-pressure high-temperature diamond surface as micro-optical vortex generators. The optical performances of the diamond SZPs were characterized in both experiments and simulations, which were very consistent with each other. This chemical auxiliary processing method will contribute greatly to the wide application of integration and miniaturization of diamond surface optical components.

Mirror-rotation-symmetrical single-focus spiral zone plates.

In this Letter, we report mirror-rotation-symmetrical single-focus spiral zone plates (MS-SZPs) fabricated by femtosecond laser direct writing. The novel optical element can generate a single-focus vortex beam, owing to the element's complicated continuous surface. The MS-SZP surface possesses reverse mirror-rotation symmetry, which ensures that the transfer element has the same surface morphology as the original element. Both the transfer element and original element have good optical properties. The single-focus behavior was investigated by a microscopic imaging system and found to be in good agreement with theoretical simulation results. The innovative optical component is expected to be widely used in optical communication, quantum computation, optical manipulation, and other fields.

Synthesis and Application of Water-Soluble Oxazine Dyes for Detection of PHAs-Producing Bacteria.

Derivatives of oxazine dyes were synthesized on mulitigram scales via efficient synthetic strategies. One practical route was selected to prepare compounds 6, 9 and 10, especially water-soluble compound 6 was obtained in better yield than reported, and compound 10 was insoluble in aqueous media in absence of phenolic-OH. Compounds 3 and 9 were found to be clear pH-dependent between pH = 4.0 and 10.0, and could be used as acid-base indicators to measure intracellular pH. Compounds 6, 9, 10 all have carboxylic acid functionalities, which could be activated and used to conjugate the dyes to biomolecules. In addition, compounds 6 and 9 with good solubility in aqueous media were used to develop a simple, quick, safe, highly sensitive staining method to detect PHAs-producing bacteria on heat-fixed smears, which was confirmed by fluorescence images of PHAs granules of bacteria.

Cosuppression of RBCS3B in Arabidopsis leads to severe photoinhibition caused by ROS accumulation.

KEY MESSAGE: Cosuppression of an Arabidopsis Rubisco small subunit gene RBCS3B at Arabidopsis resulted in albino or pale green phenotypes which were caused by ROS accumulation As the most abundant protein on Earth, Rubisco has received much attention in the past decades. Even so, its function is still not understood thoroughly. In this paper, four Arabidopsis transgenic lines (RBCS3B-7, 18, 33, and 35) with albino or pale green phenotypes were obtained by transformation with a construct driving expression of sense RBCS3B, a Rubisco small subunit gene. The phenotypes produced in these transgenic lines were found to be caused by cosuppression. Among these lines, RBCS3B-7 displayed the most severe phenotypes including reduced height, developmental arrest and plant mortality before flowering when grown under normal light on soil. Chloroplast numbers in mesophyll cells were decreased compared to WT, and stacked thylakoids of chloroplasts were broken down gradually in RBCS3B-7 throughout development. In addition, the RBCS3B-7 line was light sensitive, and PSII activity measurement revealed that RBCS3B-7 suffered severe photoinhibition, even under normal light. We found that photoinhibition was due to accumulation of ROS, which accelerated photodamage of PSII and inhibited the repair of PSII in RBCS3B-7.

The use of a double-lumen central venous catheter for airway management in pediatric patients undergoing laryngeal papillomatosis surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a spontaneous ventilation anesthesia technique with insufflation of oxygen and volatile agent through a double-lumen central venous catheter (DLCVC) in pediatric patients undergoing suspension laryngoscopic surgery for laryngeal papillomatosis. METHODS: Thirty-six pediatric patients with laryngeal papillomatosis undergoing suspension laryngoscopic surgery were anesthetized with oxygen and volatile anesthetic insufflation while spontaneously breathing. Anesthesia was induced by inhalation of 8% sevoflurane in oxygen by mask. Atropine, dexamethasone, lidocaine, and midazolam were administered intravenously. The tip of a 7Fr DLCVC was inserted below the glottis after placement of the laryngoscope and establishing suspension. Anesthesia was maintained with insufflation of 4-6% sevoflurane and oxygen with a total fresh gas flow of 6 l·min(-1) through the 14G (larger lumen) of the DLCVC. Endtidal carbon dioxide tension (PetCO2) was monitored using the other lumen of the DLCVC, which was connected to the CO2 sampling line. Duration of the procedure as well as total anesthesia time was recorded. Electrocardiography (ECG), heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and PetCO2 were also monitored. Arterial blood was sampled for blood gas analysis including pH, PaO2 , PaCO2 , and actual base excess (ABE). Complications, including intraoperative patient movement, hypoxemia (SpO2 < 95% during oxygen insufflation), nausea, vomiting, bronchospasm, and arrhythmias, were recorded. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in PetCO2 and PaCO2 (P values <0.05) as well as a decrease in ABE, pH, and PaO2 (P values <0.05) in samples collected before and after surgery. MAP, HR, and SpO2 after surgery were not significantly different from after induction values (P values >0.05). During surgery, SpO2 < 95% in three cases and body movements in three cases were observed. No patient had any other of the complications previously described. Furthermore, no postsurgical endotracheal intubation was needed in any patient. CONCLUSION: After establishing an adequate depth of anesthesia, a spontaneous ventilation anesthesia technique with insufflation of oxygen and volatile agent through a DLCVC is feasible in pediatric patients undergoing suspension laryngoscopic surgery for laryngeal papillomatosis.

Antitumor Effect of Apcin on Endometrial Carcinoma via p21-Mediated Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a prevalent gynecological malignancy characterized by increasing incidence and mortality rates. This underscores the critical need for novel therapeutic targets. One such potential target is cell division cycle 20 (CDC20), which has been implicated in oncogenesis. This study investigated the effect of the CDC20 inhibitor Apcin on EC and elucidated the underlying mechanism involved. METHODS: The effects of Apcin on EC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and the cell cycle were evaluated using CCK8 assays and flow cytometry. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was subsequently conducted to explore the underlying molecular mechanism, and Western blotting and coimmunoprecipitation were subsequently performed to validate the results. Animal studies were performed to evaluate the antitumor effects in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis was also conducted to identify CDC20 as a potential therapeutic target in EC. RESULTS: Treatment with Apcin inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in EC cells, resulting in cell cycle arrest. Pathways associated with apoptosis and the cell cycle were activated following treatment with Apcin. Notably, Apcin treatment led to the upregulation of the cell cycle regulator p21, which was verified to interact with CDC20 and consequently decrease the expression of downstream cyclins in EC cells. In vivo experiments confirmed that Apcin treatment significantly impeded tumor growth. Higher CDC20 expression was observed in EC tissue than in nonmalignant tissue, and increased CDC20 expression in EC patients was associated with shorter overall survival and progress free interval. CONCLUSION: CDC20 is a novel molecular target in EC, and Apcin could be developed as a candidate antitumor drug for EC treatment.

General anesthetic agents induce neurotoxicity through oligodendrocytes in the developing brain.

General anesthetic agents can impact brain function through interactions with neurons and their effects on glial cells. Oligodendrocytes perform essential roles in the central nervous system, including myelin sheath formation, axonal metabolism, and neuroplasticity regulation. They are particularly vulnerable to the effects of general anesthetic agents resulting in impaired proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Neurologists are increasingly interested in the effects of general anesthetic agents on oligodendrocytes. These agents not only act on the surface receptors of oligodendrocytes to elicit neuroinflammation through modulation of signaling pathways, but also disrupt metabolic processes and alter the expression of genes involved in oligodendrocyte development and function. In this review, we summarize the effects of general anesthetic agents on oligodendrocytes. We anticipate that future research will continue to explore these effects and develop strategies to decrease the incidence of adverse reactions associated with the use of general anesthetic agents.

Effects of sevoflurane on the expression of tau protein mRNA and Ser396/404 site in the hippocampus of developing rat brain.

BACKGROUND: General anesthesia induces a transient hyperphosphorylation of tau protein that is associated with neurotoxicity in neonatal rats, but the mechanism remains unknown. The current study sought to investigate the effects of sevoflurane on the levels of tau phosphorylation at phosphor-Ser396/404 and total tau mRNA in the hippocampus of neonatal rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six 7-day-old rats were randomly exposed for 6 h to either 3% sevoflurane (S) or air (NC) as a placebo. They were sacrificed at 1, 7 and 14 days after the anesthesia, respectively, and thus assigned to S1d , S7d , S14d , NC1d , NC7d , and NC14d groups (n = 6). Their brain tissues were harvested and then subjected to histopathologic, Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. RESULTS: Microtubule cytoskeletons were arranged in neat parallel rows in rats exposed only to air, whereas the microtubules were arranged in a disorderly and intermittent (nonparallel) fashion in rats exposed to sevoflurane. The levels of tau mRNA in the S1d and S7d groups were significantly higher than those in the NC1d and NC7d groups. There was no significant difference in the levels of tau mRNA between the S14d and NC14d groups. The levels of tau protein at Ser404 in the S1d , S7d, and S14d groups were significantly higher than those in NC1d , NC7d, and NC14d groups. The levels of tau protein at Ser396 in the S1d , and S7d groups were significantly higher than those in the NC1d , and NC7d groups, while there was no significant difference in the levels of tau protein at Ser396 between the S14d group and the NC14d group, respectively. CONCLUSION: In rat hippocampus, sevoflurane was associated with microtubular disarray as well as increased levels of tau mRNA and excessive phosphorylation of tau protein at Ser396 and Ser404. This implicates that sevoflurane may induce neurotoxicity.

[Clinical comparison of sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil anesthesia for children with cleft lip and palate repair surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacies and safety of sevoflurane and propofol versus remifentanil and propofol anesthesia for children with cleft lip and palate repair surgery. METHODS: Upon the approval of hospital ethical committee,a total of 60 pediatric patients undergoing cleft lip and palate repair surgery were recruited from two hospitals between April 2011 and December 2012. All patients were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 30 each). Group S:sevoflurane and propofol anesthesia; and group R: propofol and remifentanil anesthesia.Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) were recorded at the time before the induction (T0), after 2 min of induction (T1), the beginning of surgery (T2) and the end of surgery (T3).Intubating satisfaction, time to extubation,incidence of emergence agitation, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and the complications of the airway were recorded. RESULTS: Satisfactory intubation rate was 90% in group S, versus 83% in group R. And there was no significantly difference between the two group. There were no significantly difference between the two group with MAP and HR.Compared with T0, There were significantly difference with MAP and HR at T1, T2 in group R (P < 0.05). The incidence of emergence agitation was significantly higher in group S (7 cases) than that in group R (2 cases).there were no records of nausea, vomiting and laryngospasm. CONCLUSION: Under an adequate depth anesthesia, these two anesthesia techniques are safe for cleft lip and palate repair surgery, emergence agitation was high in sevoflurane anesthesia, propofol and remifentanil anesthesia provides lower heart rate.

[Anesthetic management for pediatric congenital laryngomalacia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore our experience of anesthetic management for pediatric congenital laryngomalacia operation. METHODS: A total of 27 pediatric patients with congenital laryngomalacia were treated at our hospital between December 2010 and November 2012. All patients were anesthetized by intravenous anesthesia of propofol-remifentanil and spontaneous breathing. Oxygen was insufflated at a rate of 4 L/min through an endotracheal tube near glottis. Propofol was set at a constant rate of 100 µg · kg(-1) · min(-1). The initial dose of remifentanil at 0.05 µg·kg(-1)·min(-1) was adjusted in 0.05 µg·kg(-1)·min(-1) increments to titrate a 50% reduction in baseline respiratory rate. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure, pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2), respiratory rate (RR), operation time, anesthesia time and remifentanil rate were recorded. Adverse events and interventions were also examined. RESULTS: Comparison with induction of anesthesia, HR and RR changed significantly intraoperatively (P < 0.05). MAP, SpO2 were no significantly change during operation (P > 0.05). The induction time was 9-12 min and the highest remifentanil rate stood at (0.18 ± 0.03) µg·kg(-1)·min(-1). Body movements occurred in 3 (11%) patients and a bolus of propofol was administered. Desaturation below 95% occurred in 2 (7%) patients in which interventions were offered by decreasing the remifentanil infusion rate. No complications such as cough, hypoxemia, laryngospasm or bronchospasm, nausea or vomiting, arrhythmia were observed. CONCLUSION: Key points of anesthetic management for pediatric congenital laryngomalacia include sufficient preoperative evaluation, spontaneous respiration anesthesia technique with total intravenous anesthesia, suitable anesthesia depth and intensive intraoperative monitoring.

Biotransformation and bioaccessibility of active ingredients from Radix Astragali by Poria cocos during solid-state fermentation and in vitro digestion and antioxidant activity evaluation.

Radix Astragali is one of the most famous and frequently used health food supplements and herbal medicines. Among more than 227 components of Radix Astragali, Astragaloside IV (AG IV) is famous functional compound and is commonly used as a quality marker for Radix Astragali. However, the relatively low content of AG IV in Radix Astragali (< 0.04%, w/w) severely limits its application. The purpose of this study is to improve the biotransformation of AG IV and its bioaccessibility during in vitro digestion by Poria cocos solid fermenting Radix Astragali. The optimum fermentation conditions were as follows: Inoculation amount 8 mL; fermentation time 10 d; fermentation humidity 90%. Through fermentation, the content of AG IV was increased from 384.73 to 1986.49 µg/g by 5.16-fold. After in vitro digestion, the contents of genistin, calycosin, formononetin, AG IV, Astragaloside II (AG II) and total flavonoids in fermented Radix Astragali (FRA) of enteric phase II (ENTII) were 34.52 µg/g, 207.32 µg/g, 56.76 µg/g, 2331.46 µg/g, 788.31 µg/g, 3.37 mg/g, which were 2.08-fold, 2.51-fold, 1.05-fold, 8.62-fold, 3.22-fold and 1.50-fold higher than those of control, respectively. The Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of FRA showed rough surface and porous structure. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rate of FRA were higher than those of control. These results showed that the Poria cocos solid fermentation could increase the content of the AG IV in Radix Astragali and improve the bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of Radix Astragali, which is providing new ideas for future development and utilization of Radix Astragali.

Vascular endothelial growth factor B improves impaired glucose tolerance through insulin-mediated inhibition of glucagon secretion.

BACKGROUND: Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is a homeostatic state between euglycemia and hyperglycemia and is considered an early high-risk state of diabetes. When IGT occurs, insulin sensitivity decreases, causing a reduction in insulin secretion and an increase in glucagon secretion. Recently, vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGFB) has been demonstrated to play a positive role in improving glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Therefore, we constructed a mouse model of IGT through high-fat diet feeding and speculated that VEGFB can regulate hyperglycemia in IGT by influencing insulin-mediated glucagon secretion, thus contributing to the prevention and cure of prediabetes. AIM: To explore the potential molecular mechanism and regulatory effects of VEGFB on insulin-mediated glucagon in mice with IGT. METHODS: We conducted in vivo experiments through systematic VEGFB knockout and pancreatic-specific VEGFB overexpression. Insulin and glucagon secretions were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the protein expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) was determined using western blot. Further, mRNA expression of forkhead box protein O1, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and glucose-6 phosphatase was detected via quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and the correlation between the expression of proteins was analyzed via bioinformatics. RESULTS: In mice with IGT and VEGFB knockout, glucagon secretion increased, and the protein expression of PI3K/AKT decreased dramatically. Further, in mice with VEGFB overexpression, glucagon levels declined, with the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: VEGFB/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 can promote insulin-mediated glucagon secretion by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to regulate glucose metabolism disorders in mice with IGT.

Testicular exosomes disturb the immunosuppressive phenotype of testicular macrophages mediated by miR-155-5p in uropathogenic Escherichia coli-induced orchitis.

Male reproductive infections are known to shape the immunological homeostasis of the testes, leading to male infertility. However, the specific pathogenesis of these changes remains poorly understood. Exosomes released in the inflammatory microenvironment are important in communication between the local microenvironment and recipient cells. Here, we aim to identify the immunomodulatory properties of inflammatory testes-derived exosomes (IT-exos) and explore their underlying mechanisms in orchitis. IT-exos were isolated using a uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC)-induced orchitis model and confirmed that IT-exos promoted proinflammatory M1 activation with increasing expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in vitro. We further used small RNA sequencing to identify the differential miRNA profiles in exosomes and primary testicular macrophages (TMs) from normal and UPEC-infected testes, respectively, and identified that miR-155-5p was highly enriched in IT-exos and TMs from inflammatory testes. Further study of bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs) transfected with miR-155-5p mimic showed that macrophages polarized to proinflammatory phenotype. In addition, the mice that were administrated IT-exos showed remarkable activation of TM1-like macrophages; however, IT-exos with silencing miR-155-5p showed a decrease in proinflammatory responses. Overall, we demonstrate that miR-155-5p delivered by IT-exos plays an important role in the activation of TM1 in UPEC-induced orchitis. Our study provides a new perspective on the immunological mechanisms underlying inflammation-related male infertility.

2,2'-{[4,6-Bis(octyl-amino)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]aza-nedi-yl}diethanol.

In the title compound, C(23)H(46)N(6)O(2), the two hy-droxy groups are located on opposite sides of the triazine ring. One of the hy-droxy groups links with the triazine N atom via an intra-molecular O-H⋯N hydrogen bond. Inter-molecular O-H⋯N and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonding is observed in the crystal structure. π-π stacking is also observed between parallel triazine rings of adjacent mol-ecules, the centroid-centroid distance being 3.5944 (14) Å.

3-(4,6-Dichloro-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-oxazolidine.

In the title compound, C(8)H(10)Cl(2)N(4)O, the dichloro-substituted triazine ring and the quasi-plane of the five-membered dimethyl-substituted oxazolidine unit, in which the O atom lies 0.228 (1) Šout of the least-squares plane, are close to being coplanar [dihedral angle = 4.99 (10)°]. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by inter-molecular C-H⋯Cl inter-actions, forming chains extend along the a axis. Also present are weak π-π inter-actions between triazine rings [minimum ring centroid separation = 3.7427 (11) Å].

[The effect of ferric ion on the differentiation of osteoclast and bone resorption].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of ferric ion on the differentiation from both RAW264.7 and bone marrow macrophages to osteoclast in vitro and bone resorption in vivo. METHODS: In the presence of 50 ng/ml receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), RAW264.7 was treated with ferric ammonium citrate (FAC). The formation of osteoclast was observed by staining of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and the TRAP positive cell counted. The expression levels of TRAP, cathepsin-K, nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) and (receptor activator of NF-κB) RANK were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).The control and iron overload groups were established by the intraperitoneal injection of normal saline and FAC. In vivo imaging system was employed to determine the bone density of femoral midportion and the fourth lumbar vertebra. After that, the bone marrow cells of femurs were used for osteoclast culture. The serum levels of ferritin, TRAP-5b, RANKL, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide (CTX) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Ferric ion could stimulate the formation of TRAP positive cells in a dose-dependent manner. The expression levels of TRAP, cathepsin-K and NFATc1 in the FAC treated group were significantly higher those of the control group (P < 0.05) while the expression of RANK showed no statistical difference among these groups (P = 0.967). The bone marrow density of femoral midportion and the fourth lumbar vertebra of the iron-overload group decreased significantly versus the control group. The concentrations of ferritin, TRAP-5b, RANKL and CTX of the iron overload group were markedly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the concentration of ferritin showed a positive correlation with TRAP-5b and CTX respectively in the iron-overload group (r = 0.65, r = 0.76, P < 0.05). But no significant differences existed in the concentration of OPG for two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Ferric ion may enhance the differentiation of osteoclast in vitro as well as bone resorption in vivo.

Miniature optoelectronic compound eye camera.

Inspired by insect compound eyes (CEs) that feature unique optical schemes for imaging, there has recently been growing interest in developing optoelectronic CE cameras with comparable size and functions. However, considering the mismatch between the complex 3D configuration of CEs and the planar nature of available imaging sensors, it is currently challenging to reach this end. Here, we report a paradigm in miniature optoelectronic integrated CE camera by manufacturing polymer CEs with 19~160 logarithmic profile ommatidia via femtosecond laser two-photon polymerization. In contrast to µ-CEs with spherical ommatidia that suffer from defocusing problems, the as-obtained µ-CEs with logarithmic ommatidia permit direct integration with a commercial CMOS detector, because the depth-of-field and focus range of all the logarithmic ommatidia are significantly increased. The optoelectronic integrated µ-CE camera enables large field-of-view imaging (90°), spatial position identification and sensitive trajectory monitoring of moving targets. Moreover, the miniature µ-CE camera can be integrated with a microfluidic chip and serves as an on-chip camera for real-time microorganisms monitoring. The insect-scale optoelectronic µ-CE camera provides a practical route for integrating well-developed planar imaging sensors with complex micro-optics elements, holding great promise for cutting-edge applications in endoscopy and robot vision.

Cloning and functions analysis of a pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase in Brassica napus.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) is a negative regulator of the mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (mtPDC), which plays a key role in intermediary metabolism. In this study, a 1,490-bp PDK in Brassica napus (BnPDK1) was isolated and cloned from Brassica cDNA library. BnPDK1 has an 1,104 open reading frame encoding 367 amino acids. Genomic DNA gel blot analysis result indicated that BnPDK1 is a multi-copy gene. RNA gel blot analysis and RNA in situ hybridization were used to determine the expression of BnPDK1 in different organs. BnPDK1 gene was ubiquitously expressed in almost all the tissues tested, having the highest expression in the stamen and the young silique. Over-expression of BnPDK1 in transgenic Arabidopsis lines would repress the PDC activity, and resulted in the decrease of seed oil content and leaf photosynthesis. These results implied that BnPDK1 was involved in the regulation of fatty acid biosynthesis in developing seeds.