In silico analysis of the wheat BBX gene family and identification of candidate genes for seed dormancy and germination.

BACKGROUND: B-box (BBX) proteins are a type of zinc finger proteins containing one or two B-box domains. They play important roles in development and diverse stress responses of plants, yet their roles in wheat remain unclear. RESULTS: In this study, 96 BBX genes were identified in the wheat genome and classified into five subfamilies. Subcellular localization prediction results showed that 68 TaBBXs were localized in the nucleus. Protein interaction prediction analysis indicated that interaction was one way that these proteins exerted their functions. Promoter analysis indicated that TaBBXs may play important roles in light signal, hormone, and stress responses. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that 14 TaBBXs were highly expressed in seeds compared with other tissues. These were probably involved in seed dormancy and germination, and their expression patterns were investigated during dormancy acquisition and release in the seeds of wheat varieties Jing 411 and Hongmangchun 21, showing significant differences in seed dormancy and germination phenotypes. Subcellular localization analysis confirmed that the three candidates TaBBX2-2 A, TaBBX4-2 A, and TaBBX11-2D were nuclear proteins. Transcriptional self-activation experiments further demonstrated that TaBBX4-2A was transcriptionally active, but TaBBX2-2A and TaBBX11-2D were not. Protein interaction analysis revealed that TaBBX2-2A, TaBBX4-2A, and TaBBX11-2D had no interaction with each other, while TaBBX2-2A and TaBBX11-2D interacted with each other, indicating that TaBBX4-2A may regulate seed dormancy and germination by transcriptional regulation, and TaBBX2-2A and TaBBX11-2D may regulate seed dormancy and germination by forming a homologous complex. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the wheat BBX gene family was identified and characterized at the genomic level by bioinformatics analysis. These observations provide a theoretical basis for future studies on the functions of BBXs in wheat and other species.

Functional analysis of a wheat class III peroxidase gene, TaPer12-3A, in seed dormancy and germination.

BACKGROUND: Class III peroxidases (PODs) perform crucial functions in various developmental processes and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, their roles in wheat seed dormancy (SD) and germination remain elusive. RESULTS: Here, we identified a wheat class III POD gene, named TaPer12-3A, based on transcriptome data and expression analysis. TaPer12-3A showed decreasing and increasing expression trends with SD acquisition and release, respectively. It was highly expressed in wheat seeds and localized in the endoplasmic reticulum and cytoplasm. Germination tests were performed using the transgenic Arabidopsis and rice lines as well as wheat mutant mutagenized with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) in Jing 411 (J411) background. These results indicated that TaPer12-3A negatively regulated SD and positively mediated germination. Further studies showed that TaPer12-3A maintained H2O2 homeostasis by scavenging excess H2O2 and participated in the biosynthesis and catabolism pathways of gibberellic acid and abscisic acid to regulate SD and germination. CONCLUSION: These findings not only provide new insights for future functional analysis of TaPer12-3A in regulating wheat SD and germination but also provide a target gene for breeding wheat varieties with high pre-harvest sprouting resistance by gene editing technology.

Identification of genetic loci and candidate genes underlying freezing tolerance in wheat seedlings.

KEY MESSAGE: Ten stable loci for freezing tolerance (FT) in wheat were detected by genome-wide association analysis. The putative candidate gene TaRPM1-7BL underlying the major locus QFT.ahau-7B.2 was identified and validated. Frost damage restricts wheat growth, development, and geographical distribution. However, the genetic mechanism of freezing tolerance (FT) remains unclear. Here, we evaluated FT phenotypes of 245 wheat varieties and lines, and genotyped them using a Wheat 90 K array. The association analysis showed that ten stable loci were significantly associated with FT (P < 1 × 10-4), and explained 6.45-26.33% of the phenotypic variation. In particular, the major locus QFT.ahau-7B.2 was consistently related to all nine sets of FT phenotypic data. Based on five cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers closely linked to QFT.ahau-7B.2, we narrowed down the target region to the 570.67-571.16 Mb interval (0.49 Mb) on chromosome 7B, in which four candidate genes were annotated. Of these, only TaRPM1-7BL exhibited consistent differential expression after low temperature treatment between freezing-tolerant and freezing-sensitive varieties. The results of cloning and whole-exome capture sequencing indicated that there were two main haplotypes for TaRPM1-7BL, including freezing-tolerant Hap1 and freezing-sensitive Hap2. Based on the representative SNP (+1956, A/G), leading to an amino acid change in the NBS domain, a CAPS marker (CAPS-TaRPM1-7BL) was developed and validated in 431 wheat varieties (including the above 245 materials) and 318 F2 lines derived from the cross of 'Annong 9267' (freezing-tolerant) × 'Yumai 9' (freezing-sensitive). Subsequently, the TaRPM1-7BL gene was silenced in 'Yumai 9' by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), and these silenced wheat seedlings exhibited enhanced FT phenotypes, suggesting that TaRPM1-7BL negatively regulates FT. These findings are valuable for understanding the complex genetic basis of FT in wheat.

Understanding the Origin and Evolution of Tea (Camellia sinensis [L.]): Genomic Advances in Tea.

Tea, which is processed by the tender shoots or leaves of tea plant (Camellia sinensis), is one of the most popular nonalcoholic beverages in the world and has numerous health benefits for humans. Along with new progress in biotechnologies, the refined chromosome-scale reference tea genomes have been achieved, which facilitates great promise for the understanding of fundamental genomic architecture and evolution of the tea plants. Here, we summarize recent achievements in genome sequencing in tea plants and review the new progress in origin and evolution of tea plants by population sequencing analysis. Understanding the genomic characterization of tea plants is import to improve tea quality and accelerate breeding in tea plants.

Origin, evolution and diversification of plant mechanosensitive channel of small conductance-like (MSL) proteins.

Mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels provide efficient molecular mechanism for transducing mechanical forces into intracellular ion fluxes in all kingdoms of life. The mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS) was one of the best-studied MS channels and its homologs (MSL, MscS-like) were widely distributed in cell-walled organisms. However, the origin, evolution and expansion of MSL proteins in plants are still not clear. Here, we identified more than 2100 MSL proteins from 176 plants and conducted a broad-scale phylogenetic analysis. The phylogenetic tree showed that plant MSL proteins were divided into three groups (I, II and III) prior to the emergence of chlorophytae algae, consistent with their specific subcellular localization. MSL proteins were distributed unevenly into each of plant species, and four parallel expansion was identified in angiosperms. In Brassicaceae, most MSL duplicates were derived by whole-genome duplication (WGD)/segmental duplications. Finally, a hypothetical evolutionary model of MSL proteins in plants was proposed based on phylogeny. Our studies illustrate the evolutionary history of the MSL proteins and provide a guide for future functional diversity analyses of these proteins in plants.

Multimodal and Multicolor Anti-counterfeiting Realized in CaCd2Ga2Ge3O12 with a Single Activator of Mn2.

The continuously growing significance of information security and authentication has put forward many new requirements and challenges for modern luminescent materials and anti-counterfeiting technologies. Recently, luminescent materials have attracted much attention in this field owing to their legibility, repeatability, multicolor, and multiple stimuli-responsive nature. In this work, the efficient multicolor and multimodal luminescence material CaCd2Ga2Ge3O12:Mn2+ was successfully designed and synthesized using the strategy of single-doped Mn2+ in a single matrix. Also, we combined the morphology, crystal structure, energy band calculation, luminescence properties, and trap analysis to study the optical data storage capacity of CaCd2Ga2Ge3O12:Mn2+. Interestingly, in the presence of the 254 nm UV lamp, the sample can exhibit a tunable emission color from bule to cyan to yellow by increasing the dopant concentration of Mn2+. Also, under the afterglow and thermoluminescence luminescence modes, it presented strong yellow emission centered at 558 nm. Based on the advantage of multiple tunable luminescence, samples were made into anti-counterfeiting ink and were used to print four optical devices through the screen printing technology. The results show that the material has excellent multicolor anti-counterfeiting properties under the three luminescence modes, which has contributed to the development of many kinds of luminescent anti-counterfeiting materials for security purposes.

Metabolomics in rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) after infection by attenuated and virulent grass carp reovirus genotype â ¡.

Grass carp reovirus genotype Ⅱ (GCRV Ⅱ) causes hemorrhagic disease in a variety fish, seriously affecting the aquaculture industry in China. However, the pathogenesis of GCRV Ⅱ is unclear. Rare minnow is an ideal model organism to study the pathogenesis of GCRV Ⅱ. Herein, we applied liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics to investigate metabolic responses in the spleen and hepatopancreas of rare minnow injected with virulent GCRV Ⅱ isolate DY197 and attenuated isolate QJ205. Results indicated that marked metabolic changes were identified in both the spleen and hepatopancreas after GCRV Ⅱ infection, and the virulent DY197 strain induced more significantly different metabolites (SDMs) than the attenuated QJ205 strain. Moreover, most SDMs were downregulated in the spleen and tend to be upregulated in hepatopancreas. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that tissue-specific metabolic responses were identified after viruses infection, and the virulent DY197 strain induced more SDMs involved in amino acid metabolism in the spleen, especially the tryptophan metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, which were essential for immune regulation in host; Meanwhile, nucleotide metabolism, protein synthesis and metabolism related pathways were enriched in the hepatopancreas by both virulent and attenuated strains. Our findings revealed the large scale metabolic alterations in rare minnow in response to attenuated and virulent GCRV Ⅱ infection, which will lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of viruses and host-pathogens interactions.

Effect of prior drought and heat stress on Camellia sinensis transcriptome changes to Ectropis oblique (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) resistance.

Tea plants are continuously confronted with a wide range of biotic and abiotic stressors in the field, which can occur concurrently or sequentially. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms in responses to such individual and combined stresses, we used RNAseq to compare the temporal changes in the transcriptome of Camellia sinensis to Ectropis oblique Prout alone or in combination with exposure to drought and heat. Compared with the individual stress, tea plants exhibit significant differences in transcriptome profiles under the combined stresses. Additionally, many unique genes exhibited significant differences in expression in individual and combined stress conditions. Our research showed novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of E. oblique Prout resistance in tea plants and provided a valuable resource for developing tea varieties with broad spectrum stress tolerance.

Characterization of the wheat VQ protein family and expression of candidate genes associated with seed dormancy and germination.

BACKGROUND: Seed dormancy and germination determine wheat resistance to pre-harvest sprouting and thereby affect grain yield and quality. Arabidopsis VQ genes have been shown to influence seed germination; however, the functions of wheat VQ genes have not been characterized. RESULTS: We identified 65 TaVQ genes in common wheat and named them TaVQ1-65. We identified 48 paralogous pairs, 37 of which had Ka/Ks values greater than 1, suggesting that most TaVQ genes have experienced positive selection. Chromosome locations, gene structures, promoter element analysis, and gene ontology annotations of the TaVQs showed that their structures determined their functions and that structural changes reflected functional diversity. Transcriptome-based expression analysis of 62 TaVQ genes and microarray analysis of 11 TaVQ genes indicated that they played important roles in diverse biological processes. We compared TaVQ gene expression and seed germination index values among wheat varieties with contrasting seed dormancy and germination phenotypes and identified 21 TaVQ genes that may be involved in seed dormancy and germination. CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-five TaVQ proteins were identified for the first time in common wheat, and bioinformatics analyses were used to investigate their phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary divergence. qRT-PCR data showed that 21 TaVQ candidate genes were potentially involved in seed dormancy and germination. These findings provide useful information for further cloning and functional analysis of TaVQ genes and introduce useful candidate genes for the improvement of PHS resistance in wheat.

Nonpharmaceutical interventions against the COVID-19 pandemic significantly decreased the spread of enterovirus in children.

Precise prevention and control measures have been adopted to impede the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. This study was performed to investigate the effect of protective measures on gastrointestinal infection in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data on the rotavirus and adenovirus antigen tests were collected in outpatient children due to gastroenteritis from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020, at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. According to age and month distribution, the positive number and rate of rotavirus and adenovirus in 2020 were compared with 2019. A 3.8-fold and 4-fold reduction in the number of rotavirus- and adenovirus-positive patients in 2020 were found, respectively. The overall positive rate of rotavirus and adenovirus infection was drastically decreased in 2020 (rotavirus 2020: 18.18% vs. 2019: 9.75%, p < 0.001; adenovirus 2020: 3.13% vs. 2019: 1.58%, p < 0.001). The proportions of rotavirus and adenovirus in all age groups in 2020 decreased compared with those in 2019. The highest frequency of rotavirus infection occurred among children aged 1-3 years both in 2019 and 2020 (2019: 27.95% vs. 2020: 17.19%, p < 0.001), while adenovirus infection was detected in children aged 3-5 years, which had the highest percent positivity (2019: 8.19% vs. 2020: 4.46%; p < 0.001). An obvious peak prevalence of rotavirus incidence was found during December-April, and the percent positivity of rotavirus significantly decreased in 2020 (December 2019: 24.26% vs. 2020: 8.44%, p < 0.001; January 2019: 40.67% vs. 2020: 38.18%, p < 0.05; February 2019: 40.73% vs. 2020: 15.04%, p < 0.001; March 2019: 31.47% vs. 2020: 7.88%, p < 0.001; April 2019: 15.52% vs. 2020: 4.78%, p < 0.001). The positive rate of adenovirus distributed throughout 2019 was 1.91%-4.86%, while the percent positivity during 2020 in the same period was much lower (0.00%-3.58%). Our results confirmed that the preventive and control measures adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic and the collateral benefit of these interventions have significantly decreased the transmission of rotavirus or adenovirus.

The quantitative proteomic analysis of rare minnow, Gobiocypris rarus, infected with virulent and attenuated isolates of grass carp reovirus genotype â ¡.

Grass carp reovirus genotype Ⅱ (GCRV II) causes severe hemorrhagic disease in grass carp and affects the aquaculture industry in China. GCRV Ⅱ isolates have been collected from different epidemic areas in China, and these isolates can lead to different degrees of hemorrhagic symptoms in grass carp. Rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) is widely used as a model fish to study the mechanism of hemorrhagic disease because of its high sensitivity to GCRV. In this study, the protein levels in the spleen of rare minnow after infection with GCRV virulent isolate JZ809 and attenuated isolate XT422 were investigated using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomics. 109 and 50 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the virulent and attenuated infection groups were obtained, respectively, among which 40 DEPs were identified in both groups. Combining protein expression profiling with gene ontology (GO) annotation, the responses of rare minnow to the two genotypes GCRV Ⅱ in terms of upregulated proteins were similar, focusing on ATP synthesis, in which ATP can serve as a "danger" signal to activate an immunoreaction in eukaryotes. Meanwhile, the virulent genotype JZ809 induced more immunoproteins and increased the levels of ubiquitin-proteasome system members to adapt to virus infection. However, together with a persistent and excessive inflammatory response and declining carbon metabolism, rare minnow presented more severe hemorrhagic disease and mortality after infection with virulent JZ809 than with attenuated XT422. The results provide a valuable information that will increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of viruses with different levels of virulence and the mechanism of interaction between the virus and host. Furthermore, the 6 proteins that were only significantly upregulated in the XT422 infection group all belonged to cluster 2, and 28 of 30 proteins that were only upregulated in JZ809 infection group were clustered into cluster 1. For the downregulated proteins, all DEPs in the XT422 infection group were clustered into cluster 4, and 25 of 39 proteins that were only significantly downregulated in the JZ809 infection group belonged to cluster 3. The results indicated that the DEPs in the attenuated XT422 infection group might be sensitive and their abundance changed more quickly when fish experienced virus infection.

CRISPR-Cas12a-Based Aptasensor for On-Site and Highly Sensitive Detection of Microcystin-LR in Freshwater.

On-site monitoring of trace organic pollutants with facile methods is critical to environmental pollutant prevention and control. Herein, we proposed a CRISPR-Cas12a-based aptasensor platform (named as MC-LR-Casor) for on-site and sensitive detection of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). After hybridization with blocker DNA, the MC-LR aptamers were conjugated to magnetic beads (MBs) to get the MB aptasensor. In the presence of MC-LR, their interactions with aptamers were triggered and the specific binding caused the release of blocker DNA. Using the programmability of the CRISPR-Cas system, the released blocker DNA was designed to activate a Cas12a-crRNA complex. Single strand DNA reporters were rapidly cleaved by the complex. Signal readout could be achieved by fluorometer or lateral flow strips, which were positively correlated to MC-LR concentration. Benefiting from the CRISPR-Cas12a amplification system, the proposed sensing platform exhibited high sensitivity and reached the limit of detection of ∼3 × 10-6 µg/L (fluorescence method) or 1 × 10-3 µg/L (lateral flow assay). In addition, the MC-LR-Casor showed excellent selectivity and good recovery rates, demonstrating their good applicability for real water sample analysis. During the whole assay, only two steps of incubation at a constant temperature were required and the results could be visualized when employing flow strips. Therefore, the proposed assay offered a simple and convenient alternative for in situ MC-LR monitoring, which may hold great promise for future environmental surveillance.

The Influence of Robots' Fairness on Humans' Reward-Punishment Behaviors and Trust in Human-Robot Cooperative Teams.

OBJECTIVE: Based on social exchange theory, this study investigates the effects of robots' fairness and social status on humans' reward-punishment behaviors and trust in human-robot interactions. BACKGROUND: In human-robot teamwork, robots show fair behaviors, dedication (altruistic unfair behaviors), and selfishness (self-interested unfair behaviors), but few studies have discussed the effects of these robots' behaviors on teamwork. METHOD: This study adopts a 3 (the independent variable is the robot's fairness: self-interested unfair behaviors, fair behaviors, and altruistic unfair behaviors) × 3 (the moderator variable is the robot's social status: superior, peer, and subordinate) experimental design. Each participant and a robot completed the experimental task together through a computer. RESULTS: When robots have different social statuses, the more altruistic the fairness of the robot, the more reward behaviors, the fewer punishment behaviors, and the higher human-robot trust of humans. Robots' higher social status weakens the influence of their fairness on humans' punishment behaviors. Human-robot trust will increase humans' reward behaviors and decrease humans' punishment behaviors. Humans' reward-punishment behaviors will increase repaired human-robot trust. CONCLUSION: Robots' fairness has a significant impact on humans' reward-punishment behaviors and trust. Robots' social status moderates the effect of their fair behavior on humans' punishment behavior. There is an interaction between humans' reward-punishment behaviors and trust. APPLICATION: The study can help to better understand the interaction mechanism of the human-robot team and can better serve the management and cooperation of the human-robot team by appropriately adjusting the robots' fairness and social status.

Identification of the Wheat (Triticum aestivum) IQD Gene Family and an Expression Analysis of Candidate Genes Associated with Seed Dormancy and Germination

The IQ67 Domain (IQD) gene family plays important roles in plant developmental processes and stress responses. Although IQDs have been characterized in model plants, little is known about their functions in wheat (Triticum aestivum), especially their roles in the regulation of seed dormancy and germination. Here, we identified 73 members of the IQD gene family from the wheat genome and phylogenetically separated them into six major groups. Gene structure and conserved domain analyses suggested that most members of each group had similar structures. A chromosome positional analysis showed that TaIQDs were unevenly located on 18 wheat chromosomes. A synteny analysis indicated that segmental duplications played significant roles in TaIQD expansion, and that the IQD gene family underwent strong purifying selection during evolution. Furthermore, a large number of hormone, light, and abiotic stress response elements were discovered in the promoters of TaIQDs, implying their functional diversity. Microarray data for 50 TaIQDs showed different expression levels in 13 wheat tissues. Transcriptome data and a quantitative real-time PCR analysis of wheat varieties with contrasting seed dormancy and germination phenotypes further revealed that seven genes (TaIQD4/-28/-32/-58/-64/-69/-71) likely participated in seed dormancy and germination through the abscisic acid-signaling pathway. The study results provide valuable information for cloning and a functional investigation of candidate genes controlling wheat seed dormancy and germination; consequently, they increase our understanding of the complex regulatory networks affecting these two traits.

Ferritin as a key risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children with obesity.

BACKGROUND: The association between serum ferritin and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children with obesity is not clear. This study was designed to investigate whether serum ferritin can be an independent predictor for NAFLD. METHODS: According to the hepatic ultrasound results, a total of 347 children with obesity were enrolled in this study. Among them, 95 patients with NAFLD and 95 without NAFLD were matched for gender, age, blood pressure and body mass index, the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of ferritin and the risk of NAFLD were analyzed. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, ferritin values of the patients with NAFLD were significantly higher than those without NAFLD group. Alanine aminotransferase and ferritin were strongly associated with NAFLD in multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis. The medium and high levels of ferritin increased risk of NAFLD, and the adjusted ORs were 3.298 (95% CI:1.326-8.204), 7.322 (95% CI:2.725-19.574) across the ferritin concentration tertiles after adjustment for confounders. Ferritin was shown to be the best predictor for NAFLD with sensitivity and specificity of 60.0% and 77.9%, respectively, area under the curve was 0.733. CONCLUSION: The results show that serum ferritin can usefully be considered as a predictor of NAFLD in children with obesity.

Hemolytic specimens in complete blood cell count: Red cell parameters could be revised by plasma free hemoglobin.

INTRODUCTION: Hemolysis is the main cause of unqualified clinical samples. In this study, we established a method for detecting and evaluating hemolysis in whole blood test. We used a mathematical formula for correcting the influence of hemolysis on complete blood cell count (CBC) so as to avoid re-venipuncture and obtain more accurate parameters of red blood cell detection, reduce the burden of patients, and improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: Hemolytic samples were selected and then corrected using the new formula. Plasma free hemoglobin (fHB) was used as the criterion to determine the degree of hemolysis; the uncertainty of measurement is acceptable as the limit value of deviation between the measured value and the revised value. Hemolysis simulation analysis in vitro and continuous monitoring of clinical patients were used to verify the correction effect. RESULTS: A total of 83 clinical samples with hemolysis were collected and analyzed; fHB 1.4 g/L was selected as the unacceptable value for clinical hemolysis detection. In hemolytic samples, the red blood cell parameters corrected by formula are significantly different from those uncorrected and had a good consistency with those before hemolysis. CONCLUSION: The results show that the hemolysis phenomenon of CBC has a significant impact on routine blood testing. By using the new formula, the influence of hemolysis on erythrocyte and related parameters can be quickly and easily corrected, thus avoiding venipuncture again for re-examination, reducing diagnostic errors, and saving medical resources.

Genome-wide association study of pre-harvest sprouting tolerance using a 90K SNP array in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

KEY MESSAGE: Three major loci for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance (PHST) were mapped on chromosomes 1AL, 3BS, and 6BL, and two CAPS and one dCAPS markers were validated. Sixteen lines with favorable alleles and increased PHST were identified. Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) significantly affects wheat grain yield and quality. In the present study, the PHS tolerance (PHST) of 192 wheat varieties (lines) was evaluated by assessment of field sprouting, seed germination index, and period of dormancy in different environments. A high-density Illumina iSelect 90K SNP array was used to genotype the panel. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on single- and multi-locus mixed linear models was used to detect loci for PHST. The single-locus model identified 23 loci for PHST (P < 0.0001) and explained 6.0-18.9% of the phenotypic variance. Twenty loci were consistent with known quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Three single-nucleotide polymorphism markers closely linked with three major loci (Qphs.ahau-1A, Qphs.ahau-3B, and Qphs.ahau-6B) on chromosomes 1AL, 3BS, and 6BL, respectively, were converted to two cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (CAPS) and one derived-CAPS markers, and validated in 374 wheat varieties (lines). The CAPS marker EX06323 for Qphs.ahau-6B co-segregated with a novel major QTL underlying PHST in a recombinant inbred line population raised from the cross Jing 411 × Wanxianbaimaizi. Linear regression showed a clear dependence of PHST on the number of favorable alleles. Sixteen varieties showing an elevated degree of PHST were identified and harbored more than 16 favorable alleles. The multi-locus model detected 39 marker-trait associations for PHST (P < 0.0001), of which five may be novel. Six loci common to the two models were identified. The combination of the two GWAS methods contributes to efficient dissection of the complex genetic mechanism of PHST.

Synthesis of a Dimeric Base-Stabilized Cobaltosilylene Complex for Catalytic C-H Bond Functionalization and C-C Bond Formation.

The synthesis of a dimeric base-stabilized cobaltosilylene complex and its catalytic reactions are described. Treatment of the amidinato silicon(I) dimer [LSi:]2 (1; L=PhC(NtBu)2 ) with CoBr2 in toluene for 10 days afforded the dimeric amidinato cobaltosilylene [(LSi)µ-{CoBr(LSiBr)}]2 (2), which is speculated to proceed via "LSiCoBr" and "LSiBr" intermediates in the reaction. Compound 2 is paramagnetic, with an effective magnetic moment of 2.8 µB. Its electronic structure was elucidated by single-crystal X-ray crystallography and DFT studies. It was capable of catalyzing C-H bond functionalization, in which a combination of 2, phosphine and MeMgI can regio- and stereoselectively promoted the addition of the C≡C triple bonds in alkynes to the ortho-C-H position in arylpyridines. In addition, compound 2 catalyzed Kumada-type coupling reactions between aryl chlorides and the Grignard reagent 2-mesitylmagnesium bromide.

Synthesis of a Base-Stabilized Silicon(I)-Iron(II) Complex for Hydroboration of Carbonyl Compounds.

The reaction of the amidinatosilicon(I) dimer [LSi:]2 (1; L = PhC(N tBu)2) with FeBr2 in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at ambient temperature afforded the silicon(I)-iron(II) dimer [LSi(FeBr2·THF)]2 (2) after 40 h. Compound 2 can catalyze hydroboration of aliphatic and aromatic ketone compounds with HBpin in the absence of any strong reducing agent. Mechanistic studies show that complex 2 reacts with ketone compounds to form a zwitterionic intermediate in the first step of catalysis. Subsequent reaction with HBpin affords the corresponding boron esters and then regenerates complex 2.

CD36: a promising therapeutic target in hematologic tumors.

Cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) is a multiligand receptor with important roles in lipid metabolism, angiogenesis and innate immunity, and its diverse effects may depend on the binding of specific ligands in different contexts. CD36 is expressed not only on immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) but also on some hematopoietic cells. CD36 is associated with the growth, metastasis and drug resistance in some hematologic tumors, such as leukemia, lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome. Currently, some targeted therapeutic agents against CD36 have been developed, such as anti-CD36 antibodies, CD36 antagonists (small molecules) and CD36 expression inhibitors. This paper not only innovatively addresses the role of CD36 in some hematopoietic cells, such as erythrocytes, hematopoietic stem cells and platelets, but also pays special attention to the role of CD36 in the development of hematologic tumors, and suggests that CD36 may be a potential cancer therapeutic target in hematologic tumors.