Heat-induced SUMOylation differentially affects bacterial effectors in plant cells.

Bacterial pathogens deliver effectors into host cells to suppress immunity. How host cells target these effectors is critical in pathogen-host interactions. SUMOylation, an important type of posttranslational modification in eukaryotic cells, plays a critical role in immunity, but its effect on bacterial effectors remains unclear in plant cells. In this study, using bioinformatic and biochemical approaches, we found that at least 16 effectors from the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 are SUMOylated by the enzyme cascade from Arabidopsis thaliana. Mutation of SUMOylation sites on the effector HopB1 enhances its function in the induction of plant cell death via stability attenuation of a plant receptor kinase BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1)-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE 1. By contrast, SUMOylation is essential for the function of another effector, HopG1, in the inhibition of mitochondria activity and jasmonic acid signaling. SUMOylation of both HopB1 and HopG1 is increased by heat treatment, and this modification modulates the functions of these 2 effectors in different ways in the regulation of plant survival rates, gene expression, and bacterial infection under high temperatures. Therefore, the current work on the SUMOylation of effectors in plant cells improves our understanding of the function of dynamic protein modifications in plant-pathogen interactions in response to environmental conditions.

Regulation by distinct MYB transcription factors defines the roles of OsCYP86A9 in anther development and root suberin deposition.

Cytochrome P450 proteins (CYPs) play critical roles in plant development and adaptation to fluctuating environments. Previous reports have shown that CYP86A proteins are involved in the biosynthesis of suberin and cutin in Arabidopsis. However, the functions of these proteins in rice remain obscure. In this study, a rice mutant with incomplete male sterility was identified. Cytological analyses revealed that this mutant was defective in anther development. Cloning of the mutant gene indicated that the responsible mutation was on OsCYP86A9. OsMYB80 is a core transcription factor in the regulation of rice anther development. The expression of OsCYP86A9 was abolished in the anther of osmyb80 mutant. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that OsMYB80 binds to the MYB-binding motifs in OsCYP86A9 promoter region and regulates its expression. Furthermore, the oscyp86a9 mutant exhibited an impaired suberin deposition in the root, and was more susceptible to drought stress. Interestingly, genetic and biochemical analyses revealed that OsCYP86A9 expression was regulated in the root by certain MYB transcription factors other than OsMYB80. Moreover, mutations in the MYB genes that regulate OsCYP86A9 expression in the root did not impair the male fertility of the plant. Taken together, these findings revealed the critical roles of OsCYP86A9 in plant development and proposed that OsCYP86A9 functions in anther development and root suberin formation via two distinct tissue-specific regulatory pathways.

Singlet oxygen induces cell wall thickening and stomatal density reducing by transcriptome reprogramming.

Singlet oxygen (1O2) has a very short half-life of 10-5 s; however, it is a strong oxidant that causes growth arrest and necrotic lesions on plants. Its signaling pathway remains largely unknown. The Arabidopsis flu (fluorescent) mutant accumulates a high level of 1O2 and shows drastic changes in nuclear gene expression. Only two plastid proteins, EX1 (executer 1) and EX2 (executer 2), have been identified in the singlet oxygen signaling. Here, we found that the transcription factor abscisic acid insensitive 4 (ABI4) binds the promoters of genes responsive to 1O2-signals. Inactivation of the ABI4 protein in the flu/abi4 double mutant was sufficient to compromise the changes of almost all 1O2-responsive-genes and rescued the lethal phenotype of flu grown under light/dark cycles, similar to the flu/ex1/ex2 triple mutant. In addition to cell death, we reported for the first time that 1O2 also induces cell wall thickening and stomatal development defect. Contrastingly, no apparent growth arrest was observed for the flu mutant under normal light/dim light cycles, but the cell wall thickening (doubled) and stomatal density reduction (by two-thirds) still occurred. These results offer a new idea for breeding stress tolerant plants.

Ornithine δ-aminotransferase OsOAT is critical for male fertility and cold tolerance during rice plant development.

Cold stress is a major factor limiting the production and geographical distribution of rice (Oryza sativa) varieties. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance remain to be elucidated. Here, we report that ornithine δ-aminotransferase (OsOAT) contributes to cold tolerance during the vegetative and reproductive development of rice. osoat mutant was identified as a temperature-sensitive male sterile mutant with deformed floral organs and seedlings sensitive to cold stress. Comparative transcriptome analysis showed that OsOAT mutation and cold treatment of the wild-type plant led to similar changes in the global gene expression profiles in anthers. OsOAT genes in indica rice Huanghuazhan (HHZ) and japonica rice Wuyungeng (WYG) are different in gene structure and response to cold. OsOAT is cold-inducible in WYG but cold-irresponsive in HHZ. Further studies showed that indica varieties carry both WYG-type and HHZ-type OsOAT, whereas japonica varieties mostly carry WYG-type OsOAT. Cultivars carrying HHZ-type OsOAT are mainly distributed in low-latitude regions, whereas varieties carrying WYG-type OsOAT are distributed in both low- and high-latitude regions. Moreover, indica varieties carrying WYG-type OsOAT generally have higher seed-setting rates than those carrying HHZ-type OsOAT under cold stress at reproductive stage, highlighting the favorable selection for WYG-type OsOAT during domestication and breeding to cope with low temperatures.

(Z)-3-Hexenol integrates drought and cold stress signaling by activating abscisic acid glucosylation in tea plants.

Cold and drought stresses severely limit crop production and can occur simultaneously. Although some transcription factors and hormones have been characterized in plants subjected each stress, the role of metabolites, especially volatiles, in response to cold and drought stress exposure is rarely studied due to lack of suitable models. Here, we established a model for studying the role of volatiles in tea (Camellia sinensis) plants experiencing cold and drought stresses simultaneously. Using this model, we showed that volatiles induced by cold stress promote drought tolerance in tea plants by mediating reactive oxygen species and stomatal conductance. Needle trap microextraction combined with GC-MS identified the volatiles involved in the crosstalk and showed that cold-induced (Z)-3-hexenol improved the drought tolerance of tea plants. In addition, silencing C. sinensis alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (CsADH2) led to reduced (Z)-3-hexenol production and significantly reduced drought tolerance in response to simultaneous cold and drought stress. Transcriptome and metabolite analyses, together with plant hormone comparison and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis pathway inhibition experiments, further confirmed the roles of ABA in (Z)-3-hexenol-induced drought tolerance of tea plants. (Z)-3-Hexenol application and gene silencing results supported the hypothesis that (Z)-3-hexenol plays a role in the integration of cold and drought tolerance by stimulating the dual-function glucosyltransferase UGT85A53, thereby altering ABA homeostasis in tea plants. Overall, we present a model for studying the roles of metabolites in plants under multiple stresses and reveal the roles of volatiles in integrating cold and drought stresses in plants.

Longitudinal metabolomics of human plasma reveal metabolic dynamics and predictive markers of antituberculosis drug-induced liver injury.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the second leading cause of death from a single infectious agent and long-term medication could lead to antituberculosis drug-induced liver injury (ATB-DILI). We established a prospective longitudinal cohort of ATB-DILI with multiple timepoint blood sampling and used untargeted metabolomics to analyze the metabolic profiles of 107 plasma samples from healthy controls and newly diagnosed TB patients who either developed ATB-DILI within 2 months of anti-TB treatment (ATB-DILI subjects) or completed their treatment without any adverse drug reaction (ATB-Ctrl subjects). The untargeted metabolome revealed that 77 metabolites (of 895 total) were significantly changed with ATB-DILI progression. Among them, levels of multiple fatty acids and bile acids significantly increased over time in ATB-DILI subjects. Meanwhile, metabolites of the same class were highly correlated with each other and pathway analysis indicated both fatty acids metabolism and bile acids metabolism were up-regulated with ATB-DILI progression. The targeted metabolome further validated that 5 fatty acids had prediction capability at the early stage of the disease and 6 bile acids had a better diagnostic performance when ATB-DILI occurred. These findings provide evidence indicating that fatty acids metabolism and bile acids metabolism play a vital role during ATB-DILI progression. Our report adds a dynamic perspective better to understand the pathological process of ATB-DILI in clinical settings.

Superhydrophilic PANI/Ag/TA@PVDF Composite Membrane with Antifouling Property for Oil-Water Separation.

The current membrane materials used for oil-water separation suffer from low separation efficiency and poor durability, and membrane contamination is also a key issue that must be addressed urgently. In this paper, a superhydrophilic PANI/Ag/TA@PVDF composite membrane with PANI-Ag NPs heterojunction structure was prepared via chelation and reduction of Ag+ by tannic acid (TA) and in situ growth of hydrochloric acid-doped polyaniline (PANI). TA endows the prepared composite membrane with excellent superhydrophilicity and underwater oleophobicity, remarkable oil-water separation capacity (the separation efficiency of more than 97% for soybean oil), and extraordinary antifouling properties. Notably, the range of photodegradation is expanded from UV to visible light by the construction of a Schottky heterostructure between PANI and Ag NPs, the photocatalytic degradation ability of composite membrane for organic pollutants has been improved obviously, and the degradation efficiency for crystal violet (CV) is 97.9%. Considering these merits, the PANI/Ag/TA@PVDF composite membrane provides an effective strategy to overcome the shortcomings of existing membrane materials, presenting enormous potential in the treatment and purification of oily wastewater.

Synthesis of the Ag2S/PANI@PES Composite Membrane and Its Antipollution Properties.

Membrane separation technology offers a sustainable and efficient solution to wastewater management; however, membrane fouling significantly impedes its application. Photocatalytic membranes, integrating photocatalytic and membrane separation technologies, enhance membrane separation efficacy while effectively mitigating organic and biological contaminations. In this work, Ag2S/PANI@PES composite membranes were prepared via a facile in situ polymerization and successive layer adsorption technique. The modified poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membrane demonstrated improved hydrophilicity and separation performance, and its heterostructure between polyaniline (PANI), Ag0, and Ag2S effectively addressed organic fouling issues. Moreover, Ag2S/PANI@PES exhibited outstanding antimicrobial properties, as well as chemical and mechanical stability.

Amine-Terminated Phenanthroline Diimides as Aqueous Masking Agents for Am(III)/Eu(III) Separation: An Alternative Ligand Design Strategy for Water-Soluble Lanthanide/Actinide Chelating Ligands.

Selective actinide coordination (from lanthanides) is critical for both nuclear waste management and sustainable development of nuclear power. Hydrophilic ligands used as masking agents to withhold actinides in the aqueous phase are currently highly pursued, while synthetic accessibility, water solubility, acid resistance, and extraction capability are the remaining problems. Most reported hydrophilic ligands are only effective at low acidity. We recently proved that the phenanthroline diimide skeleton was an efficient building block for the construction of highly efficient acid-resistant hydrophilic lanthanide/actinide separation agents, while the limited water solubility hindered the loading capability of the ligand. Herein, amine was introduced as the terminal solubilizing group onto the phenanthroline diimide backbone, which after protonation in acid showed high water solubility. The positively charged terminal amines enhanced the ligand water solubility to a large extent, which, on the other side, was believed to be detrimental for the coordination and complexation of the metal cations. We showed that by delicately adjusting the alkyl chain spacing, this intuitive disadvantage could be relieved and superior extraction performances could be achieved. This work holds significance for both hydrophilic lanthanide/actinide separation ligand design and, concurrently, offers insights into the development of water-soluble lanthanide/actinide complexes for biomedical and bioimaging applications.

Identification of two plastid transit peptides for construction of pollen-inactivation system in rice.

Hybrid seed production technology (SPT) is achieved through the utilization of a recessive nuclear male-sterile mutant transformed with a transgenic cassette comprising three essential components: the wild-type gene to restore the fertility of the male-sterile mutant, an α-amylase gene to disrupt transgenic pollen grains, and red fluorescence protein gene DsRed to distinguish the transgenic seeds from the nontransgenic male sterile seeds. In rice, we establish the pollen disruption system by introducing an amyloplast targeting signal peptide (ASP) at the N-terminus of maize α-amylase protein ZM-AA1ΔSP (ZM-AA1 with the N-terminal signal peptide removed). The ASP facilitates the transport of ZM-AA1ΔSP protein into amyloplast where it degrades starch, resulting in disruption of the pollen fertility. To obtain such signal peptides for rice, we searched the rice proteins homologous to the defined wheat amyloplast proteins followed by protein-protein interaction network predictions and targeting signal peptides prediction. These analyses enabled the identification of four candidate ASPs in rice, which were designated as ASP1, ASP2, ASP3, and ASP4, respectively. ASP1 and ASP2, when linked with ZM-AA1ΔSP, exhibited the capability to disrupt transgenic pollen grains, whereas ASP3 and ASP4 did not produce this effect. Interestingly, the localization experiments showed that ASP3 and ASP4 were able to target the proteins into chloroplast. The ASP1 and ASP2 sequences provide valuable tools for genetic engineering of the rice male-sterile system, which will contribute to the hybrid rice breeding and production. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-024-01471-y.

A solid-state pulse power sub-nanosecond SiC DSRD-based generator with high-voltage and high repetition frequency for pulse discharge water treatment.

Water treatment is one of the most important issues for all walks of life around the world. The unique advantages of the solid-state power electronic pulses in water treatment make it attractive and promising in practical applications. The output voltage, rising time, repetition rate, and peak power of output pulses have a significant impact on the effectiveness of water treatment. Especially in pulse electric field treatment and pulse discharge treatment, the pulse with fast rising time achieves the advantage of generating plasma without corona, which can avoid water heating effect and greatly improve the efficiency of the pulse generator. High repetition rate can significantly reduce the peak power requirement of the pulse in water treatment application, making the equipment smaller and improving the power density. Therefore, the study developed a high-voltage high frequency sub-nanosecond pulse power generator (PPG) system for wastewater treatment. It adopts SiC DSRD (Drift Step Recovery Diode) solid-state switches and realize modular design, which can achieve high performance and can be flexible expanded according to the requirements of water treatment capacity. Finally, an expandable high-voltage PPG for water treatment is built. The output parameters of the PPG include output pulse voltage range from 1 to 5.28 kV, rise time <600 ps (20%-90%), repetition up to 1 MHz. The experiment results of PPG application for pulse discharge water treatment is presented. The results indicate that the proposed generator achieves high-efficiency degradation of 4-Chlorophenol (4-CP), which is one of the most common chlorophenol compounds in wastewater. From experiment, the homemade system can degrade 450 mL waste water containing 500 mg/L 4-CP in 35 min, with a degradation rate of 98%. Thereby, the requirement for electric field intensity decreased. Through the further quantitative analysis, the impact of frequency, voltage, and electrode spacing on the degradation effect of 4-CP is confirmed.

Radiological classification of the Heidelberg triangle and its application in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignancies.

BACKGROUND: The TRIANGLE operation benefits patients with pancreatic cancer; however, the Heidelberg triangle, where the operation occurs, contains vessels that can impact safety, especially in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) with the TRIANGLE operation. This study aimed to identify Heidelberg triangle vessel types and their implications in pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). METHODS: Retrospective collection of radiographic data was performed from January 2017 to April 2023. Three-dimensional (3D) CT reconstructions were performed on patients. Vascular types in the Heidelberg triangle were classified based on named vessels crossing its interior. The impact of these types on surgical outcomes and complications in PD with the TRIANGLE operation was assessed. RESULTS: Preoperative CT reconstruction was conducted on 184 pancreatic surgery patients. The findings revealed 99 patients (53.8%) with the type I Heidelberg triangle, lacking named vessels crossing the interior. Type II (n = 85, 46.2%), with named vessels crossing the interior, was identified. Among reconstructed patients who underwent PD with the TRIANGLE operation (n = 103), they were categorized as type I (n = 57) or type II (n = 46). The results showed that LPD patients with type II had significantly higher median intraoperative blood loss (300 mL vs. 200 mL, P = 0.030) and mean examined lymph nodes (17.2 ± 7.6 vs. 13.4 ± 5.2, P = 0.019) compared to those with type I. No significant differences were found in operative time or postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: The presence of named vessels crossing the interior of the Heidelberg triangle was associated with increased intraoperative bleeding during LPD combined with the TRIANGLE operation. Therefore, targeted preoperative planning is required before the operation, thus improving the safety of the TRIANGLE operation in minimally invasive surgery.

Pore size and organic carbon of biochar limit the carbon sequestration potential of Bacillus cereus SR.

Carbon-fixing functional strain-loaded biochar may have significant potential in carbon sequestration given the global warming situation. The carbon-fixing functional strain Bacillus cereus SR was loaded onto rice straw biochar pyrolyzed at different temperatures with the anticipation of clarifying the carbon sequestration performance of this strain on biochar and the interaction effects with biochar. During the culture period, the content of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), easily oxidizable organic carbon, and microbial biomass carbon in biochar changed. This finding indicated that B. cereus SR utilized organic carbon for survival and enhanced carbon sequestration on biochar to increase organic carbon, manifested by changes in CO2 emissions and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) enzyme activity. Linear regression analysis showed that the strain was likely to consume DOC on 300 °C biochar, although the Rubisco enzyme activity was higher. In contrast, the strain had a higher carbon sequestration potential on 500 °C biochar. Correlation analysis showed that Rubisco enzyme activity was controlled by the physical structure of the biochar. Our results highlight the differences in the survival mode and carbon sequestration potential of B. cereus SR on biochar pyrolyzed at different temperatures.

Assembly patterns and key taxa of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) under different Cd and Pb pollution.

Moso bamboo is excellent candidate for cadmium (Cd)/lead (Pb) phytoremediation, while rhizosphere microbiome has significant impact on phytoremediation efficiency of host plant. However, little is known about the rhizosphere bacterial communities of moso bamboo in Cd/Pb contaminated soils. Therefore, this study investigated the assembly patterns and key taxa of rhizosphere bacterial communities of moso bamboo in Cd/Pb polluted and unpolluted soils, by field sampling, chemical analysis, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results indicated α-diversity between Cd/Pb polluted and unpolluted soils showed a similar pattern (p > 0.05), while ß-diversity was significantly different (p < 0.05). The relative abundance analysis indicated α-proteobacteria (37%) and actinobacteria (31%) were dominant in Cd/Pb polluted soils, while γ-proteobacteria (40%) and α-proteobacteria (22%) were dominant in unpolluted soils. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated microbial networks were less complex and more negative in polluted soils than in unpolluted soils. Mantel analysis indicated soil available phosphorus, organic matter, and available Pb were the most important environmental factors affecting microbial community structure. Correlation analysis showed 11 bacterial genera were significantly positively related to Cd/Pb. Overall, this study identified the bacterial community composition of bamboo rhizosphere in responding to Cd/Pb contamination and provides a theoretical basis for microbe-assistant phytoremediation in the future.

To date, little is known about the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of moso bamboo under Cd and Pb multiple stresses. This study investigated the assembly patterns and key taxa of rhizospheric bacterial communities of moso bamboo in Cd/Pb polluted and unpolluted soils. It was found that the bacterial community structure in bamboo rhizosphere is easily influenced by soil chemical environment, such as fertilities and heavy metals. The key bacterial taxa identified here could be target microbe in future microbe-assistant phytoremediation.

Dynamic simulation and projection of ESV changes in arid regions caused by urban growth under climate change scenarios.

Spatial simulation and projection of ecosystem services value (ESV) changes caused by urban growth are important for sustainable development in arid regions. We developed a new model of cellular automata based grasshopper optimization algorithm (named GOA-CA) for simulating urban growth patterns and assessing the impacts of urban growth on ESV changes under climate change scenarios. The results show that GOA-CA yielded overall accuracy exceeding 98%, and FOM for 2010 and 2020 were 43.2% and 38.1%, respectively, indicating the effectiveness of the model. The prairie lost the highest economic ESVs (192 million USD) and the coniferous yielded the largest economic ESV increase (292 million USD) during 2000-2020. Using climate change scenarios as urban future land use demands, we projected three scenarios of the urban growth of Urumqi for 2050 and their impacts on ESV. Our model can be easily applied to simulating urban development, analyzing its impact on ESV and projecting future scenarios in global arid regions.

The impact of long-term antihypertensive treatment on wound healing after major non-cardiac surgery in patients with cardiovascular diseases: A meta-analysis.

Hypertension is a prevalent condition that poses significant challenges in the perioperative management of patients undergoing major non-cardiac surgery, particularly concerning wound healing and scar formation. This meta-analysis assesses the impact of long-term antihypertensive treatment on postoperative wound healing, examining data from seven studies involving patients who received such treatments compared to untreated controls. Our findings reveal that long-term antihypertensive therapy is associated with significantly improved wound healing outcomes, as indicated by lower REEDA scores (I2 = 96%, SMD = -25.71, 95% CI: [-33.71, -17.70], p < 0.01) 1 week post-surgery and reduced scar formation, demonstrated by lower Manchester Scar Scale scores (I2 = 93%, SMD = -37.29, 95% CI: [-44.93, -29.64], p < 0.01) 2 months post-surgery. These results underscore the potential benefits of antihypertensive treatment in enhancing surgical recovery and offer insights into optimising perioperative care for hypertensive patients.

Achieving Exceptional Thermal and Hydrolytic Resistance in Chemically Circular Polyesters via In-Chain 1,3-Cyclobutane Rings.

Polyesters, a highly promising class of circular polymers for achieving a closed-loop sustainable plastic economy, inherently exhibit material stability defects, especially in thermal and hydrolytic instability. Here, we introduce a class of polyesters, P(4R-BL) (R=Ph, Bu), featuring conformationally rigid 1,3-cyclobutane rings in the backbone. These polyesters not only exhibit superior thermostability (Td,5%=376-380 °C) but also demonstrate exceptional hydrolytic resistance with good integrity even after 1 year in basic and acidic aqueous solutions, distinguishing themselves from typical counterparts. Tailoring the flexibility of the side group R enables the controlled thermal and mechanical performance of P(4Ph-BL) and P(4Bu-BL) to rival durable syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), respectively. Significantly, despite their high stability, both polyesters can be effectively depolymerized into pristine monomers, establishing a circular life cycle.

Exogenous spraying of IAA improved the efficiency of microspore embryogenesis in Wucai (Brassica campestris L.) by affecting the balance of endogenous hormones, energy metabolism, and cell wall degradation.

BACKGROUND: Microspore embryogenesis is an extraordinarily complicated process, comprehensively regulated by a composite network of physiological and molecular factors, among which hormone is one of the most crucial factors. Auxin is required for stress-induced microspore reprogramming, however, the mechanism of its regulation of microspore embryogenesis is still unclear. RESULTS: In this study, we found exogenously spraying 100 mg·L- 1 IAA on the buds of Wucai significantly increased the rate of microspore embryogenesis, and moreover accelerated the process of embryogenesis. Physiological and biochemical tests showed that the contents of amino acids, soluble total sugar, soluble protein, and starch were significantly increased after IAA treatment. Furthermore, exogenously spraying 100 mg·L- 1 IAA significantly enhanced IAA, GA4, and GA9 content, increased catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, and reduced abscisic acid (ABA), MDA and soluble protopectin content, H2O2 and O2·- production rate in the bud with the largest population of late-uninucleate-stage microspores. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on buds respectively treated with 100 mg·L- 1 IAA and fresh water. A total of 2004 DEGs were identified, of which 79 were involved in micropores development, embryonic development and cell wall formation and modification, most of which were upregulated. KEGG and GO analysis revealed that 9.52% of DEGs were enriched in plant hormone synthesis and signal transduction pathways, pentose and glucuronic acid exchange pathways, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that exogenous IAA altered the contents of endogenous hormone content, total soluble sugar, amino acid, starch, soluble protein, MDA and protopectin, the activities of CAT and peroxidase (POD), and the production rate of H2O2 and O2·-. Combined with transcriptome analysis, it was found that most genes related to gibberellin (GA) and Auxin (IAA) synthesis and signal transduction, pectin methylase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PGs) genes and genes related to ATP synthesis and electron transport chain were upregulated, and genes related to ABA synthesis and signal transduction were downregulated. These results indicated that exogenous IAA treatment could change the balance of endogenous hormones, accelerate cell wall degradation, promote ATP synthesis and nutrient accumulation, inhibit ROS accumulation, which ultimately promote microspore embryogenesis.

Piezo1 alleviates acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury by activating Nrf2 and reducing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species.

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the most common cause for acute liver failure (ALF) in the developed countries, with limited treatment options. Piezo1 is a mechanosensitive cation channel. We found that APAP caused upregulation of Piezo1 in both an APAP-induced acute liver injury (ALI) animal model and a mouse hepatocyte cell line AML12. Activation of Piezo1 by its activator Yoda1 reduced APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and ROS level. Mechanistically, activation of Piezo1 led to accumulation of the antioxidant regulator Nrf2 and upregulation of its target genes Nqo1 and Gsta1, while knockdown of Piezo1 downregulated this pathway. Finally, injection of Yoda1 decreased serum AST and ALT levels, reduced cell death and rescued liver injury in the APAP-induced ALI mouse model. Our findings suggested a previously undiscovered protective role of Piezo1 in APAP-induced ALI, which might shed light on a new therapeutic target for this disease.

The ribosomal protein P0A is required for embryo development in rice.

BACKGROUND: The P-stalk is a conserved and vital structural element of ribosome. The eukaryotic P-stalk exists as a P0-(P1-P2)2 pentameric complex, in which P0 function as a base structure for incorporating the stalk onto 60S pre-ribosome. Prior studies have suggested that P0 genes are indispensable for survival in yeast and animals. However, the functions of P0 genes in plants remain elusive. RESULTS: In the present study, we show that rice has three P0 genes predicted to encode highly conserved proteins OsP0A, OsP0B and OsP0C. All of these P0 proteins were localized both in cytoplasm and nucleus, and all interacted with OsP1. Intriguingly, the transcripts of OsP0A presented more than 90% of the total P0 transcripts. Moreover, knockout of OsP0A led to embryo lethality, while single or double knockout of OsP0B and OsP0C did not show any visible defects in rice. The genomic DNA of OsP0A could well complement the lethal phenotypes of osp0a mutant. Finally, sequence and syntenic analyses revealed that OsP0C evolved from OsP0A, and that duplication of genomic fragment harboring OsP0C further gave birth to OsP0B, and both of these duplication events might happen prior to the differentiation of indica and japonica subspecies in rice ancestor. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that OsP0A functions as the predominant P0 gene, playing an essential role in embryo development in rice. Our findings highlighted the importance of P0 genes in plant development.