A near-complete genome assembly of Catharanthus roseus and insights into its vinblastine biosynthesis and high susceptibility to the Huanglongbing pathogen.

This study reports the assembly of a near-complete genome of Catharanthus roseus, consisting of 561.7 Mb scaffolded into 8 pseudochromosomes with a contig N50 of 24.7 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 71.1 Mb. The assembly enables the construction of a gene regulatory network of the vinblastine biosynthetic pathway and provides insights into the high susceptibility of C. roseus to the Huanglongbing pathogen.

GhWRKY41 forms a positive feedback regulation loop and increases cotton defence response against Verticillium dahliae by regulating phenylpropanoid metabolism.

Despite the established significance of WRKY proteins and phenylpropanoid metabolism in plant immunity, how WRKY proteins modulate aspects of the phenylpropanoid pathway remains undetermined. To understand better the role of WRKY proteins in plant defence, we identified a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) protein, GhWRKY41, that is, universally and rapidly induced in three disease-resistant cotton cultivars following inoculation with the plant pathogenic fungus, Verticillium dahliae. We show that overexpression of GhWRKY41 in transgenic cotton and Arabidopsis enhances resistance to V. dahliae, while knock-down increases cotton more susceptibility to the fungus. GhWRKY41 physically interacts with itself and directly activates its own transcription. A genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq), in combination with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses, revealed that 43.1% of GhWRKY41-binding genes were up-regulated in cotton upon inoculation with V. dahliae, including several phenylpropanoid metabolism master switches, receptor kinases, and disease resistance-related proteins. We also show that GhWRKY41 homodimer directly activates the expression of GhC4H and Gh4CL, thereby modulating the accumulation of lignin and flavonoids. This finding expands our understanding of WRKY-WRKY protein interactions and provides important insights into the regulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway in plant immune responses by a WRKY protein.

Non-ketotic hyperglycaemic hemichorea-hemiballismus with Fahr's disease in a Chinese family: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Non-ketotic hyperglycaemic hemichorea-hemiballismus (NHHH) is often secondary to middle-aged and elderly diabetic people with poor-controlled diabetes; Fahr's disease (FD) is another rare neurological disorder characterized by abnormal calcified deposits in the brain that control movement. We described a rare case of NHHH combined with a heterozygous mutation (SLC20A2) resulting in one family with FD. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient has a 30-day history of involuntary choreic movements of the left limbs and left face. In addition, he had a bit of speech slurred and walked unsteadily. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus two months ago. Over the past two months, he had noticed that urination, appetite, and water volume increased obviously and weight loss drastically. Other problems such as dizziness, headache, difficulty swallowing, nausea, and vomiting did not occur. T1- weighted MRI indicts characteristic contralateral basal ganglia hyper-intensity. During hospitalization, he was injected insulin and oral haloperidol. And the clinical symptoms improved, but parkinsonism symptoms emerge soon after discharge. The parkinsonism symptoms were gradually improved after adjusting medications. Combined with the subsequent genetic test results, we attribute it to NHHH with FD. CONCLUSION: It is relatively rare that NHHH or FD is both presents. We should use antipsychotics with caution in these patients to avoid parkinsonism symptoms.

Identification of QTLs Associated With Agronomic Traits in Tobacco via a Biparental Population and an Eight-Way MAGIC Population.

Agronomic traits such as plant height (PH), leaf number (LN), leaf length (LL), and leaf width (LW), which are closely related to yield and quality, are important in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with agronomic traits in tobacco, 209 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and 537 multiparent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) lines were developed. The biparental RIL and MAGIC lines were genotyped using a 430 K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip assay, and their agronomic traits were repeatedly evaluated under different conditions. A total of 43 QTLs associated with agronomic traits were identified through a combination of linkage mapping (LM) and association mapping (AM) methods. Among these 43 QTLs, three major QTLs, namely qPH13-3, qPH17-1, and qLW20-1, were repeatedly identified by the use of various genetically diverse populations across different environments. The candidate genes for these major QTLs were subsequently predicted. Validation and utilization of the major QTL qLW20-1 for the improvement of LW in tobacco were investigated. These results could be applied to molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) for breeding important agronomic traits in tobacco.

Identification and Functional Analysis of lncRNA by CRISPR/Cas9 During the Cotton Response to Sap-Sucking Insect Infestation.

Sap-sucking insects cause severe damage to cotton production. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital regulatory roles in various development processes and stress response, however, the function of lncRNAs during sap-sucking insect infection in cotton is largely unknown. In this study, the transcriptome profiles between resistant (HR) and susceptible (ZS) cotton cultivars under whitefly infestation at different time points (0, 4, 12, 24, and 48 h) were compared. A total of 6,651 lncRNAs transcript and 606 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified from the RNA-seq data. A co-expression network indicated that lncA07 and lncD09 were potential hub genes that play a regulatory role in cotton defense against aphid infestation. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out mutant of lncD09 and lncA07 showed a decrease of jasmonic acid (JA) content, which potentially lead to increased susceptibility toward insect infestation. Differentially expressed genes between wild type and lncRNA knock-out plants are enriched in modulating development and resistance to stimulus. Additionally, some candidate genes such as Ghir_A01G022270, Ghir_D04G014430, and Ghir_A01G022270 are involved in the regulation of the JA-mediated signaling pathway. This result provides a novel insight of the lncRNA role in the cotton defense system against pests.

Development of an efficient and precise adenine base editor (ABE) with expanded target range in allotetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

BACKGROUND: Base editors (BEs) display diverse applications in a variety of plant species such as Arabidopsis, rice, wheat, maize, soybean, and cotton, where they have been used to mediate precise base pair conversions without the collateral generation of undesirable double-stranded breaks (DSB). Studies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) underpinning plant traits are still challenging, particularly in polyploidy species where such SNPs are present in multiple copies, and simultaneous modification of all alleles would be required for functional analysis. Allotetraploid cotton has a number of homoeologous gene pairs located in the A and D sub-genomes with considerable SNPs, and it is desirable to develop adenine base editors (ABEs) for efficient and precise A-to-G single-base editing without DSB in such complex genome. RESULTS: We established various ABE vectors based on different engineered adenosine deaminase (TadA) proteins fused to Cas9 variants (dCas9, nCas9), enabling efficient A to G editing up to 64% efficiency on-target sites of the allotetraploid cotton genome. Comprehensive analysis showed that GhABE7.10n exhibited the highest editing efficiency, with the main editing sites specifically located at the position A5 (counting the PAM as positions 21-23). Furthermore, DNA and RNA off-target analysis of cotton plants edited with GhABE7.10n and GhABE7.10d by whole genome and whole-transcriptome sequencing revealed no DNA off-target mutations, while very low-level RNA off-target mutations were detected. A new base editor, namely GhABE7.10dCpf1 (7.10TadA + dCpf1), that recognizes a T-rich PAM, was developed for the first time. Targeted A-to-G substitutions generated a single amino acid change in the cotton phosphatidyl ethanolamine-binding protein (GhPEBP), leading to a compact cotton plant architecture, an ideotype for mechanized harvesting of modern cotton production. CONCLUSIONS: Our data illustrate the robustness of adenine base editing in plant species with complex genomes, which provides efficient and precise toolkit for cotton functional genomics and precise molecular breeding.

Development of a MAGIC population and high-resolution quantitative trait mapping for nicotine content in tobacco.

Multiparent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross (MAGIC) population is an ideal genetic and breeding material for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and molecular breeding. In this study, a MAGIC population derived from eight tobacco parents was developed. Eight parents and 560 homozygous lines were genotyped by a 430K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip assay and phenotyped for nicotine content under different conditions. Four QTLs associated with nicotine content were detected by genome-wide association mapping (GWAS), and one major QTL, named qNIC7-1, was mapped repeatedly under different conditions. Furthermore, by combining forward mapping, bioinformatics analysis and gene editing, we identified an ethylene response factor (ERF) transcription factor as a candidate gene underlying the major QTL qNIC7-1 for nicotine content in tobacco. A presence/absence variation (PAV) at qNIC7-1 confers changes in nicotine content. Overall, the large size of this MAGIC population, diverse genetic composition, balanced parental contributions and high levels of recombination all contribute to its value as a genetic and breeding resource. The application of the tobacco MAGIC population for QTL mapping and detecting rare allelic variation was demonstrated using nicotine content as a proof of principle.

Orchestration of plant development and defense by indirect crosstalk of salicylic acid and brassinosteorid signaling via transcription factor GhTINY2.

Salicylic acid (SA) and brassinosteroids (BRs) are well known to regulate diverse processes of plant development and stress responses, but the mechanisms by which these phytohormones mediate the growth and defense trade-off are largely unclear. In addition, little is known about the roles of DEHYDRATION RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING transcription factors, especially in biotic stress and plant growth. Here, we identified a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR gene GhTINY2 that is strongly induced by Verticillium dahliae. Overexpression of GhTINY2 in cotton and Arabidopsis enhanced tolerance to V. dahliae, while knockdown of expression increased the susceptibility of cotton to the pathogen. GhTINY2 was found to promote SA accumulation and SA signaling transduction by directly activating expression of WRKY51. Moreover, GhTINY2-overexpressing cotton and Arabidopsis showed retardation of growth, increased sensitivity to inhibitors of BR biosynthesis, down-regulation of several BR-induced genes, and up-regulation of BR-repressed genes, while GhTINY2-RNAi cotton showed the opposite effects. We further determined that GhTINY2 negatively regulates BR signaling by interacting with BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 (BZR1) and restraining its transcriptional activation of the expression of INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID INDUCIBLE 19 (IAA19). These findings indicate that GhTINY2 fine-tunes the trade-off between immunity and growth via indirect crosstalk between WRKY51-mediated SA biosynthesis and BZR1-IAA19-regulated BR signaling.

Cotton pan-genome retrieves the lost sequences and genes during domestication and selection.

BACKGROUND: Millennia of directional human selection has reshaped the genomic architecture of cultivated cotton relative to wild counterparts, but we have limited understanding of the selective retention and fractionation of genomic components. RESULTS: We construct a comprehensive genomic variome based on 1961 cottons and identify 456 Mb and 357 Mb of sequence with domestication and improvement selection signals and 162 loci, 84 of which are novel, including 47 loci associated with 16 agronomic traits. Using pan-genome analyses, we identify 32,569 and 8851 non-reference genes lost from Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense reference genomes respectively, of which 38.2% (39,278) and 14.2% (11,359) of genes exhibit presence/absence variation (PAV). We document the landscape of PAV selection accompanied by asymmetric gene gain and loss and identify 124 PAVs linked to favorable fiber quality and yield loci. CONCLUSIONS: This variation repertoire points to genomic divergence during cotton domestication and improvement, which informs the characterization of favorable gene alleles for improved breeding practice using a pan-genome-based approach.

[Influence of Meteorological Factors on HFMD and Construction of Prediction Model in Sichuan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Sichuan Province from 2013 to 2019. To study the correlation between meteorological factors and the incidence of HFMD and construct a prediction model. METHODS: The HMFD surveillance data and meteorological data from 2013 to 2019 in Sichuan Province were collected through the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the China Meteorological data Network. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the relationship between HFMD incidence and meteorological factors. Multiple regression model and support vector regression (SVR) model were used to construct HFMD incidence prediction models respectively. RESULTS: A total of 615 840 cases of HFMD and 81 deaths were reported from 2013 to 2019. The average annual incidence rate was 107.31/105, and the mortality rate was 0.16/106. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the monthly incidence rate of HFMD was correlated with monthly average relative humidity (r=0.342), monthly average temperature (r=0.284), monthly average water vapor pressure (r=0.304) and monthly average days of precipitation (r=0.259). The prediction effect of the SVR model (R2=0.836) was better than the multiple regression model (R2=0.375). The SVR model provided a good fit to the monthly incidence of HFMD from 2013 to 2018, and can predict the peak incidence of HFMD in 2019. CONCLUSION: Relative humidity has the greatest influence on the incidence of HFMD. The fitting value of SVR model is in good agreement with the actual value, which is valuable in predicting the incidence of HFMD in Sichuan Province.

Synthesis, X-Ray Crystal Structure of Oxidovanadium(V) Complex Derived from 4-Bromo-N’-(2-hydroxybenzylidene) benzohydrazide with Catalytic Epoxidation Property.

A new oxidovanadium(V) complex, [VOL(OCH3)(CH3OH)], where H2L = 4-bromo-N'-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)benzohydrazide, has been synthesized and fully characterized on the basis of CHN elemental analysis, FT-IR, UV-Vis, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Structures of the free hydrazone and the complex were further characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, which indicates that the V atom in the complex adopts octahedral coordination, and the hydrazone ligand behaves as a tridentate ligand. The catalytic epoxidation property of the complex was investigated.

Preparation of zinc tungstate nanomaterial and its sonocatalytic degradation of meloxicam as a novel sonocatalyst in aqueous solution.

Zinc tungstate (ZnWO4) was previously used as a photocatalyst. In this paper, for the first time as an sonocatalyst, the performance of ZnWO4 for sonocatalytic degradation of meloxicam (MEL) under ultrasonic irradiation were studied. Firstly, ZnWO4 nanomaterials were synthesized at different acidity (pH = 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) via the hydrothermal method. Utilizing SEM, XRD and EDS techniques to characterize composition and morphology of each product, the same crystal forms, but different morphologies (nano-sheet, nano-microspheres or nano-rod) of ZnWO4 could be obtained. Secondly, the sonocatalytic activities of ZnWO4 on degradation of MEL were studied. It was found that the degradation ratio varied with the synthetic pH values, with ZnWO4 under synthetic pH = 6 exhibiting the best sonocatalytic performance (75.7%). Whilebeing synthesized at this pH value, ZnWO4nano-microspheres had the largest BET surface area (27.068 m2/g), the smallest particle size (40-60 nm) so as to provide more active sites on its surface, which were able to produce more reactive oxygen species (ROS) and holes under ultrasonic irradiation. These ROS and holes had a positive effect on the degradation of MEL into CO2, H2O and inorganic. Thirdly, various influential factors including ultrasonic power intensity, ultrasonic time, catalyst addition dosage, initial concentration of MEL solution and reusability of catalyst were also explored. Under the condition of 10 mg/L MEL concentration, 20 mg catalyst dosage, 120 min irradiation time, 0.278 W/cm2 ultrasonic power intensity, the degradation ratio on MEL reached 75.7%. Finally, the presence of hydroxyl radical (OH) and singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) in the reaction was confirmed by adding ROS scavenger. The experimental results suggested that ZnWO4 nanoparticle could be used not only as an effective photocatalyst, but also, under the condition of ultrasonic irradiation, a promising sonocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants in aqueous media.

Tunable Robust pacs-MOFs: a Platform for Systematic Enhancement of the C2H2 Uptake and C2H2/C2H4 Separation Performance.

As a modulatable class of porous crystalline materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have gained intensive research attention in the domain of gas storage and separation. In this study, we report on the synthesis and gas adsorption properties of two robust MOFs with the general formula [Co3(µ3-OH)(cpt)3Co3(µ3-OH)(L)3(H2O)9](NO3)4(guests) n [L = 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (1) and 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (2); Hcpt = 4-(4-carboxyphenyl)-1,2,4-triazole], which show the same pacs topology. Both MOFs are isostructural to each other and show MIL-88-type frameworks whose pore spaces are partitioned by different functionlized trinuclear 1,2,4-triazolate-based clusters. The similar framework components with different amounts of functional groups make them an ideal platform to permit a systematic gas sorption/separation study to evaluate the effects of distinctive parameters on the C2H2 uptake and separation performance. Because of the presence of additional amido groups, the MOF 2 equipped with a datz-based cluster (Hdatz = 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole) shows a much improved C2H2 uptake capacity and separation performance over that of the MOF 1 equipped with atz-based clusters (Hatz = 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole), although the surface area of the MOF 1 is almost twice than that of the MOF 2. Moreover, the high density of open metal sites, abundant free amido groups, and charged framework give the MOF 2 an excellent C2H2 separation performance, with ideal adsorbed solution theory selectivity values reaching up to 11.5 and 13 for C2H2/C2H4 (1:99) and C2H2/CO2 (50:50) at 298 K and 1 bar, showing potential for use in natural gas purification.

Comparative analysis of proteomes between diabetic and normal human sperm: Insights into the effects of diabetes on male reproduction based on the regulation of mitochondria-related proteins.

This study sought to identify sources of the reduced fertility of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Significant reductions in semen volume, sperm concentration, and total sperm count were observed in diabetic individuals, while transmission electron microscopy revealed that the structure of mitochondria in the tail of sperm from diabetic patients was damaged. Proteins potentially associated with these sperm defects were identified using proteomics. Isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantitation labeling and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry allowed us to identify 357 proteins significantly differentially expressed in diabetic versus control semen (>1.2 or <0.83). According to gene ontology enrichment and pathway analyses, many of these differentially expressed proteins are associated with sperm function, including binding of sperm to the zona pellucida and proteasome function; of particular interest, half of these proteins were related to mitochondrial metabolism. Protein-interaction networks revealed that a decrease in Cystatin C and Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 in the mitochondria may be sources of the decreased motility of sperm from diabetic patients.

Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of major polyphenol components in rat plasma after oral administration of total flavonoid tablet from Anemarrhenae Rhizoma.

Total flavonoid tablet from Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (Zhimu tablet), which was made of total polyphenol components extracted from the dried rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge. (Zhimu in Chinese), is a novel traditional Chinese medicine prescribed for the treatment of diabetes. Mangiferin (MF) and neomangiferin (NMF) are the two main components detected and determined in Zhimu tablet, accounting for 8.9% of the total weight of each tablet. In the present study, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with time-of-flight (TOF) tandem mass spectrometry (MS) was applied to characterize the metabolites of MF and NMF in rat plasmas collected at different time points after oral administration of Zhimu tablet at a dose of 3.63g/kg (corresponding to 270mg/kg MF). Accurate mass measurement was used to determine the elemental composition of metabolites and thus to confirm the proposed structures of identified metabolites. Time points of appearance of some metabolites, such as isomers, were also taken into account during the structure confirmation. A total of 21 potential metabolites were found in rat plasma at different time points, and the metabolic pathways in vivo were involved in hydrolysis, methylation, glucuronide conjugation, glycoside conjugation, sulphation, dehydration and isomerisation. Furthermore, a selective and accurate LC-MS assay method was developed and validated for the quantification of MF in plasma. Semi-quantification of main conjugated metabolites was also performed in order to describe the dynamic metabolism profiles of polyphenol components in Zhimu tablet. MF concentration in plasma reached 1.36±0.47µgmL(-1) about 5.0h after oral administration of Zhimu tablet, which showed a 3.24- and 4.91-fold increase in plasma maximum concentration and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from 0 to 24h of MF compared with those for rats administered with free MF, respectively. The results indicated that the pharmacokinetic processes and bioavailability of MF in rats would be affected by other components in Zhimu tablet.

Classification tree analysis of the factors influencing injury-related disability caused by the Wenchuan earthquake.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors that influenced the risk of injury-related disability caused by the Wenchuan earthquake. METHODS: A chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) classification tree analysis was used to retrospectively analyse clinical data from patients who underwent surgical treatment for earthquake-related injuries in the first 5 days after the earthquake. The CHAID classification tree explored the relationships between the development of disability and potential influencing factors including sex, age, time interval between injury and treatment, wound type, preoperative and postoperative haemoglobin levels, and operation time. RESULTS: A total of 334 patients underwent surgery; of these, 113 (33.8%) were discharged with varying degrees of permanent disability. The CHAID classification tree showed that children (≤ 17 years old), a long time interval between injury and treatment, an open wound and a low preoperative haemoglobin level were significant risk factors for disability. CONCLUSION: The results of this study can help to stratify patients according to their medical needs and to help allocate the available resources efficiently to ensure the best outcomes for injured patients during future earthquakes.

The clinical utility of the modified checklist for autism in toddlers with high risk 18-48 month old children in Singapore.

The modified checklist for autism in toddlers (M-CHAT) is a tool developed for 16-30 month old children to screen for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is a well-researched tool, but little is known about its utility with Singaporean toddlers and with older children referred for developmental concerns. This study investigated the M-CHAT's performance with 18-30 month old (N = 173) and >30-48 month old (N = 407) developmentally at-risk Singaporean children, when used with three recommended scoring methods i.e., the total, critical and Best7 scoring methods. The results indicate that the critical and Best7 scoring methods detected most true cases of ASD without inflating the false positive rates in toddlers, and that only the total scoring method performed acceptably for the older children.