LFMNet: a lightweight model for identifying leaf diseases of maize with high similarity.

Maize leaf diseases significantly impact yield and quality. However, recognizing these diseases from images taken in natural environments is challenging due to complex backgrounds and high similarity of disease spots between classes.This study proposes a lightweight multi-level attention fusion network (LFMNet) which can identify maize leaf diseases with high similarity in natural environment. The main components of LFMNet are PMFFM and MAttion blocks, with three key improvements relative to existing essential blocks. First, it improves the adaptability to the change of maize leaf disease scale through the dense connection of partial convolution with different expansion rates and reduces the parameters at the same time. The second improvement is that it replaces a adaptable pooling kernel according to the size of the input feature map on the original PPA, and the convolution layer to reshape to enhance the feature extraction of maize leaves under complex background. The third improvement is that it replaces different pooling kernels to obtain features of different scales based on GMDC and generate feature weighting matrix to enhance important regional features. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the LFMNet model on the test dataset reaches 94.12%, which is better than the existing heavyweight networks, such as ResNet50 and Inception v3, and lightweight networks such as DenseNet 121,MobileNet(V3-large) and ShuffleNet V2. The number of parameters is only 0.88m, which is better than the current mainstream lightweight network. It is also effective to identify the disease types with similar disease spots in leaves.

Effects of cadmium and zinc interactions on the physiological biochemistry and enrichment characteristics of Iris pseudacorus.

Compound pollution with cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) is common in nature. The effects of compounded Cd and Zn on the growth and development of Iris pseudacorus in the environment and the plant's potential to remediate heavy metals in the environment remain unclear. In this study, the effects of single and combined Cd and Zn stress on I. pseudacorus growth and the enrichment of heavy metals in I. pseudacorus seedlings were investigated. The results showed that under Cd (160 µM) and Zn (800 µM) stress, plant growth was significantly inhibited and photosynthetic performance was affected. Cd+Zn200 (160 µM + 200 µM) reduced the levels of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and non-protein thiols by 31.29%, 53.20%, and 13.29%, respectively, in the aboveground tissues compared with levels in the single Cd treatment. However, Cd+Zn800 (160 µM + 800 µM) had no effect. Cd and Zn800 inhibited the absorption of mineral elements, while Zn200 had little effect on plants. Compared with that for Cd treatment alone, Cd + Zn200 and Cd+Zn800 reduced the Cd content in aboveground tissues by 54.15% and 49.92%, respectively, but had no significant effect on Cd in the root system. Zn significantly reduced the Cd content in subcellular components and limited the content and proportion of Cd extracted using water and ethanol. These results suggest that a low supply of Zn reduces Cd accumulation in aboveground tissues by promoting antioxidant substances and heavy metal chelating agents, thus protecting the photosynthetic systems. The addition of Zn also reduced the mobility and bioavailability of Cd to alleviate its toxicity in I. pseudacorus.

A prognostic and immune related risk model based on zinc homeostasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The dysfunction of zinc homeostasis participates in the early and advancing malignancy of HCC. However, the prognostic ability of zinc homeostasis in HCC has not been clarified yet. Here, we showed a zinc-homeostasis related risk model in HCC. Five signature genes including ADAMTS5, PLOD2, PTDSS2, KLRB1, and UCK2 were screened out via survival analyses and regression algorithms to construct the nomogram with clinical characteristics. Experimental researches indicated that UCK2 participated in the progression of HCC. Patients with higher risk scores always had worse outcomes and were more associated with immune suppression according to the analyses of immune related-pathway activation, cell infiltration, and gene expression. Moreover, these patients were likely to exhibit more sensitivity to sorafenib and other antitumor drugs. This study highlights the significant prognostic role of zinc homeostasis and suggests potential treatment strategies in HCC.

Methyl jasmonate regulation of pectin polysaccharides in Cosmos bipinnatus roots: A mechanistic insight into alleviating cadmium toxicity.

Methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a crucial phytohormone, which plays an important role in resistance to Cadmium (Cd) stress. The cell wall (CW) of root system is the main location of Cd and plays a key role in resistance to Cd toxicity. However, the mechanism effect of MeJA on the CW composition and Cd accumulation remain unclear. In this study, the contribution of MeJA in regulating CW structure, pectin composition and Cd accumulation was investigated in Cosmos bipinnatus. Phenotypic results affirm MeJA's significant role in reducing Cd-induced toxicity in C. bipinnatus. Notably, MeJA exerts a dual impact, reducing Cd uptake in roots while increasing Cd accumulation in the CW, particularly bound to pectin. The molecular structure of pectin, mainly uronic acid (UA), correlates positively with Cd content, consistent in HC1 and cellulose, emphasizing UA as pivotal for Cd binding. Furthermore, MeJA modulates pectin methylesterase (PME) activity under Cd stress, influencing pectin's molecular structure and homogalacturonan (HG) content affecting Cd-binding capacity. Chelate-soluble pectin (CSP) within soluble pectins accumulates a substantial Cd proportion, with MeJA regulating both UA content and the minor component 3-deoxy-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) in CSP. The study delves into the intricate regulation of pectin monosaccharide composition under Cd stress, revealing insights into the CW's physical defense and Cd binding. In summary, this research provides novel insights into MeJA-specific mechanisms alleviating Cd toxicity in C. bipinnatus, shedding light on complex interactions between MeJA, and Cd accumulation in CW pectin polysaccharide.

TBOPP, a DOCK1 Inhibitor, Potentiates Cisplatin Efficacy in Breast Cancer by Regulating Twist-mediated EMT.

BACKGROUND: DOCK1 has been reported to be involved in tumor progression and resistance. 1-(2-(30-(trifluoromethyl)-[1,10-biphenyl]-4-yl)-2-oxoethyl)-5-pyrrolidinylsulfonyl2(1H)- pyridone (TBOPP) is a selective DOCK1 inhibitor; however, the role and molecular mechanisms of DOCK1 and its inhibition in breast cancer (BC) resistance remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: This study aims toinvestigate the underlying mechanisms of DOCK1 in BC resistance. METHODS: DOCK1 or Twist siRNA and Twist plasmid were used to explore the function of DOCK1 in vitro experiments. A mouse xenograft model was used for in vivo experiments. RESULTS: In the present study, we demonstrated that DOCK1 siRNA promoted cisplatin sensitivity in BC cells. Moreover, TBOPP also enhances the therapeutic effect of cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, DOCK1 siRNA inhibited EMT. Twist 1 is one of the EMT-inducing transcription factors and is known to induce EMT. To further reveal the effect of DOCK in BC cells, we co-transfected with DOCK1 and Twist1 siRNA to BC cells and found that co-transfection with DOCK1 and Twist siRNA could not further enhance the cisplatin sensitivity of BC cells. Moreover, DOCK1 siRNA failed to reverse the effect of Twist 1 up-regulation. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results demonstrate that DOCK1 may function as a potential therapeutic target in BC and that combining cisplatin with TBOPP may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for cisplatin-resistant BC patients.

UPP1 promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression through the induction of an immunosuppressive microenvironment.

The complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a crucial factor in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) progression. To gain deeper insights into molecular mechanisms of LUAD, we perform an integrative single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data analysis of 377,574 cells from 117 LUAD patient samples. By linking scRNA-seq data with bulk gene expression data, we identify a cluster of prognostic-related UPP1high tumor cells. These cells, primarily situated at the invasive front of tumors, display a stronger association with the immunosuppressive components in the TME. Our cytokine array analysis reveals that the upregulation of UPP1 in tumor cells leads to the increased release of various immunosuppressive cytokines, with TGF-ß1 being particularly prominent. Furthermore, this UPP1 upregulation also elevates the expression of PD-L1 through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which contributes to the suppression of CD8 + T cells. Cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF) analysis provides additional evidence of the role of UPP1 in shaping the immunosuppressive nature of the TME. Using patient-derived organoids (PDOs), we discover that UPP1high tumors exhibit relatively increased sensitivity to Bosutinib and Dasatinib. Collectively, our study highlights the immunosuppressive role of UPP1 in LUAD, and these findings may provide insights into the molecular features of LUAD and facilitate the development of personalized treatment strategies.

Pharmacological inhibition of neddylation impairs long interspersed element 1 retrotransposition.

Aberrant long interspersed element 1 (LINE-1 or L1) activity can cause insertional mutagenesis and chromosomal rearrangements and has been detected in several types of cancers. Here, we show that neddylation, a post-translational modification process, is essential for L1 transposition. The antineoplastic drug MLN4924 is an L1 inhibitor that suppresses NEDD8-activating enzyme activity. Neddylation inhibition by MLN4924 selectively impairs ORF2p-mediated L1 reverse transcription and blocks the generation of L1 cDNA. Consistent with these results, MLN4924 treatment suppresses the retrotransposition activity of the non-autonomous retrotransposons short interspersed nuclear element R/variable number of tandem repeat/Alu and Alu, which rely on the reverse transcription activity of L1 ORF2p. The E2 enzyme UBE2M in the neddylation pathway, rather than UBE2F, is required for L1 ORF2p and retrotransposition. Interference with the functions of certain neddylation-dependent Cullin-really interesting new gene E3 ligases disrupts L1 reverse transcription and transposition activity. Our findings provide insights into the regulation of L1 retrotransposition and the identification of therapeutic targets for L1 dysfunctions.

cGAS-STING-mediated novel nonclassic antiviral activities.

Stimulatorof interferon genes (STING) is an intracellular sensor of cyclic dinucleotides involved in the innate immune response against pathogen- or self-derived DNA. For years, interferon (IFN) induction of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-STING has been considered as a canonical pattern defending the host from viral invasion. The mechanism of the cGAS-STING-IFN pathway has been well-illustrated. However, other signalling cascades driven by cGAS-STING have emerged in recent years and some of them have been found to possess antiviral ability independent of IFN. Here, we summarize the current progress on cGAS-STING-mediated nonclassic antiviral activities with an emphasis on the nuclear factor-κB and autophagy pathways, which are the most-studied pathways. In addition, we briefly present the primordial function of the cGAS-STING pathway in primitive species to show the importance of IFN-unrelated antiviral activity from an evolutionary angle. Finally, we discuss open questions that need to be solved for further exploitation of this field.

SARS-CoV-2 and oncolytic EV-D68-encoded proteases differentially regulate pyroptosis.

Pyroptosis, a pro-inflammatory programmed cell death, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 and other viral diseases. Gasdermin family proteins (GSDMs), including GSDMD and GSDME, are key regulators of pyroptotic cell death. However, the mechanisms by which virus infection modulates pyroptosis remain unclear. Here, we employed a mCherry-GSDMD fluorescent reporter assay to screen for viral proteins that impede the localization and function of GSDMD in living cells. Our data indicated that the main protease NSP5 of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) blocked GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis via cleaving residues Q29 and Q193 of GSDMD. While another SARS-CoV-2 protease, NSP3, cleaved GSDME at residue G370 but activated GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. Interestingly, respiratory enterovirus EV-D68-encoded proteases 3C and 2A also exhibit similar differential regulation on the functions of GSDMs by inactivating GSDMD but initiating GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. EV-D68 infection exerted oncolytic effects on human cancer cells by inducing pyroptotic cell death. Our findings provide insights into how respiratory viruses manipulate host cell pyroptosis and suggest potential targets for antiviral therapy as well as cancer treatment.IMPORTANCEPyroptosis plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019, and comprehending its function may facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies. This study aims to explore how viral-encoded proteases modulate pyroptosis. We investigated the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and respiratory enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) proteases on host cell pyroptosis. We found that SARS-CoV-2-encoded proteases NSP5 and NSP3 inactivate gasdermin D (GSDMD) but initiate gasdermin E (GSDME)-mediated pyroptosis, respectively. We also discovered that another respiratory virus EV-D68 encodes two distinct proteases 2A and 3C that selectively trigger GSDME-mediated pyroptosis while suppressing the function of GSDMD. Based on these findings, we further noted that EV-D68 infection triggers pyroptosis and produces oncolytic effects in human carcinoma cells. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying virus-modulated pyroptosis and identifies potential targets for the development of antiviral and cancer therapeutics.

Utilizing transcriptomics and metabolomics to unravel key genes and metabolites of maize seedlings in response to drought stress.

BACKGROUND: Drought stress can substantially restrict maize growth and productivity, and global warming and an increasing frequency of extreme weather events are likely to result in more yield losses in the future. Therefore, unraveling the molecular mechanism underlying the response to drought stress is essential for breeding drought-resilient crops. RESULTS: In this study, we subjected the 3-leaf-period plants of two maize inbred lines, a drought-tolerant line (si287) and a drought-sensitive line (X178), to drought stress for seven days while growing in a chamber. Subsequently, we measured physiological traits and analyzed transcriptomic and metabolic profiles of two inbred lines. Our KEGG analysis of genes and metabolites revealed significant differences in pathways related to glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and biosynthesis of amino acids. Additionally, our joint analysis identified proline, tryptophan and phenylalanine are crucial amino acids for maize response to drought stress. Furthermore, we concentrated on tryptophan (Trp), which was found to enhance tolerance via IAA-ABA signaling, as well as SA and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) consequent reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. We identified three hub genes in tryptophan biosynthesis, indole-3-acetaldehyde oxidase (ZmAO1, 542,228), catalase 1 (ZmCAT1, 542,369), and flavin-containing monooxygenase 6 (ZmYUC6, 103,629,142), High expression of these genes plays a significant role in regulating drought tolerance. Two metabolites related to tryptophan biosynthesis, quinolinic acid, and kynurenine improved maize tolerance to drought stress by scavenging reactive oxygen species. CONCLUSIONS: This study illuminates the mechanisms underlying the response of maize seedlings to drought stress. Especially, it identifies novel candidate genes and metabolites, enriching our understanding of the role of tryptophan in drought stress. The identification of distinct resistance mechanisms in maize inbred lines will facilitate the exploration of maize germplasm and the breeding of drought-resilient hybrids.

AMMI an GGE biplot analysis of grain yield for drought-tolerant maize hybrid selection in Inner Mongolia.

Due to the ongoing global warming, maize production worldwide is expected to be heavily inflicted by droughts. The grain yield of maize hybrids is an important factor in evaluating their suitability and stability. In this study, we utilized the AMMI model and GGE biplot to analyze grain yield of 20 hybrids from the three tested environments in Inner Mongolia in 2018 and 2019, aiming at selecting drought-tolerant maize hybrids. AMMI variance analysis revealed highly significant difference on main effects for genotype, environment, and their interaction. Furthermore, G11 (DK159) and G15 (JKY3308) exhibited favorable productivity and stability across all three test environments. Moreover, G10 (LH1) emerged as the most stable hybrid according to the AMMI analysis and the GGE biplot. Bayannur demonstrated the highest identification ability among the three tested sites. Our study provides accurate identification for drought-resilient maize hybrids in different rain-fed regions. These findings can contribute to the selection of appropriate hybrids that exhibit productivity, stability, and adaptability in drought-prone conditions.

Morphological Structure and Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Drought Stress of Iris japonica.

Drought is among the most important abiotic stresses on plants, so research on the physiological regulation mechanisms of plants under drought stress can critically increase the economic and ecological value of plants in arid regions. In this study, the effects of drought stress on the growth status and biochemical indicators of Iris japonica were explored. Under drought stress, the root system, leaves, rhizomes, and terrestrial stems of plants were sequentially affected; the root system was sparse and slender; and the leaves lost their luster and gradually wilted. Among the physiological changes, the increase in the proline and soluble protein content of Iris japonica enhanced the cellular osmotic pressure and reduced the water loss. In anatomical structures, I. japonica chloroplasts were deformed after drought treatment, whereas the anatomical structures of roots did not substantially change. Plant antioxidant systems play an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis; but, as drought stress intensified, the soluble sugar content of terrestrial stems was reduced by 55%, and the ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) activities of leaves and the MDHAR activity of roots were reduced by 29%, 40%, 22%, and 77%, respectively. Overall, I. japonica was resistant to 63 days of severe drought stress and resisted drought through various physiological responses. These findings provide a basis for the application of I. japonica in water-scarce areas.

A highly efficient Mn4+ activated Nb-based oxyfluoride red fluorescent material with excellent water stability: preparation and performance analysis.

In this study, an efficient non-rare earth Mn4+-doped K3(NbOF5)(HF2) red fluorescent material was synthesized by using the coprecipitation method. Replacing KF with K2CO3 effectively solved the problem that KF was difficult to stir due to its strong water absorption. The sample was composed of rods. The excitation spectra consisted of two strong excitation peaks at 366 nm and 468 nm. The emission spectra consisted of a series of narrow-band emissions between 580 nm and 680 nm. Besides, the luminescence quantum efficiency (QE) reached 84.3% under the excitation of 468 nm. The fluorescent lifetime of K3(NbOF5)(HF2):Mn4+ was less than 4 ms, which can achieve fast response display in backlight display applications. The WLED was fabricated with K3(NbOF5)(HF2):Mn4+ and commercial YAG:Ce3+ and the commercial InGaN blue chip. At a 30 mA drive current, the WLED device exhibited excellent luminescence properties. The correlated color temperature (CCT) was 3853 K, the Ra was 90.1 and the luminous efficiency was 310.432 lm W-1. Therefore, K3(NbOF5)(HF2):Mn4+ has very broad prospects in WLED lighting and backlight display applications.

Effects of straw return with potassium fertilizer on the stem lodging resistance, grain quality and yield of spring maize (Zea mays L.).

This experiment aimed to study the effects of straw return combined with potassium fertilizer on stem lodging resistance, grain quality, and yield of spring maize. The objective was to provide a scientific basis for the rational utilization of Inner Mongolia spring maize straw and potassium fertilizer resources. The test material used was 'Xianyu 335', and the study was conducted in three ecological regions from east to west of Inner Mongolia (Tumochuan Plain Irrigation Area, Hetao Plain Irrigation Area, and Lingnan Warm Dry Zone). A split-plot design was employed, with the straw return method as the main plot and potassium fertilizer dosage as the secondary plot. We determined the stem resistance index, grain quality, and yield. The results showed that both straw return and potassium application improved stem lodging resistance, grain quality, and maize yield. Combining straw return with the reasonable application of potassium fertilizer enhanced the effectiveness of potassium fertilizer, increased lodging resistance, maize yield, and improved grain quality and yield stability. Under the straw return treatment, with potassium application compared to no potassium application, significant increases were observed in maize plant height, stem diameter, dry weight of stems, stem compressive strength, stem bending strength, grain protein content, yield, straw potassium accumulation content, and soil available potassium content. These increases were up to 30.79 cm, 2.63 mm, 15.40 g, 74.93 N/mm2, 99.65 N/mm2, 13.68%, 3142.43 kg/hm2, 57.97 kg/hm2, and 19.80 mg/kg, respectively. Therefore, the interaction of straw return and potassium fertilizer was found to be the most effective measure for maintaining high-yield and stress-resistant cultivation, improving grain quality, and optimizing the management of straw and potassium fertilizer resources. This approach is suitable for promotion and application in the spring maize growing areas of Inner Mongolia.

14-3-3ζ targets ß-catenin nuclear translocation to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis and promote the balance between proliferation and apoptosis in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury.

Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent that is used extensively to treat solid tumors; however, its clinical application is limited by side effects, especially nephrotoxicity. Cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by DNA damage, cell-cycle arrest, and mitochondrial oxidative stress. Recent research demonstrated that 14-3-3ζ plays an important role in cancers, nerve disease, and kidney disease, although the regulatory mechanisms underlying cisplatin-induced AKI have yet to be fully elucidated. In the present study, we found that 14-3-3ζ mRNA was upregulated in human kidney organoids (GSE145085) when treated with cisplatin; subsequently, this was confirmed in experimental mice. The application of a protein interaction inhibitor for 14-3-3 (BV02) resulted in a decline in renal function, along with apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress in cisplatin-induced AKI. Accordingly, the knockdown of 14-3-3ζ in cisplatin-treated NRK-52E cells led to increased apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lipid dysbolism. Furthermore, the blockade of 14-3-3ζ, both in vivo and in vitro, suppressed ß-catenin and its nuclear translocation, thus downregulating expression of the downstream gene cyclin D1 in cisplatin-induced damage. In contrast, the overexpression of 14-3-3ζ alleviated the injury caused by cisplatin both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, a non-specific agonist of ß-catenin, BIO, reversed the effects of 14-3-3ζ knockdown in terms of cisplatin-induced damage in NRK-52E cells by activating ß-catenin. Next, we verified the direct interaction between 14 - 3-3ζ and ß-catenin by CO-IP and immunofluorescence. Collectively, these findings indicate that 14-3-3ζ protects against cisplatin-induced AKI by improving mitochondrial function and the balance between proliferation and apoptosis by facilitating the nuclear translocation of ß-catenin.

Cloudy or sunny? Effects of different environmental types of urban green spaces on public physiological and psychological health under two weather conditions.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that urban green spaces (UGSs) benefit human health, but few have focused on the influence of weather on environmental restorativeness. This study assessed how different weather conditions and environments affect human health. We exposed 50 participants to different UGS environments under cloudy and sunny conditions and collected physiological, psychological and aesthetic preference data. The result showed that the physical and mental benefits of UGSs were stronger on sunny days (pulse: [t = 2.169, p < 0.05]; positive affect: [Z = -10.299, p < 0.001]; perceived restortiveness: [Z = -3.224, p < 0.01]). The spaces with exposed sky had greater physiological restorativeness on sunny days; the spaces with calm water had greater emotional restorativeness on cloudy days, and natural spaces with less sky exposure had greater perceived restoration in both weather conditions. The spaces with water and less sky exposure promoted psychophysiological restoration in both weather conditions. This study demonstrates that weather significantly influences the restorative potential of UGSs, and there are also restorative variations in different green space environments under two weather conditions. In future UGS planning practices, it would be advisable to select appropriate environmental types and features based on the climatic characteristics of different regions. For instance, in areas with frequent overcast conditions, incorporating serene water bodies could be advantageous, while regions with predominantly sunny weather should encompass spaces with expansive sky views. By conducting comprehensive research on restoration environments that take weather conditions into account, new insights and nature-based solutions can be provided for creating healthy human habitats in the context of global climate change.

Low-temperature corn straw-degrading bacterial agent and moisture effects on indigenous microbes.

While the in situ return of corn straw can improve soil fertility and farmland ecology, additional bacterial agents are required in low-temperature areas of northern China to accelerate straw degradation. Moisture is an important factor affecting microbial activity; however, owing to a lack of bacterial agents adapted to low-temperature complex soil environments, the effects of soil moisture on the interaction between exogenous bacterial agents and indigenous soil microorganisms remain unclear. To this end, we explored the effect of the compound bacterial agent CFF constructed using Pseudomonas putida and Acinetobacter lwoffii, developed to degrade corn straw in low-temperature soils (15 °C), on indigenous bacterial and fungal communities under dry (10% moisture content), slightly wet (20%), and wet (30%) soil-moisture conditions. The results showed that CFF application significantly affected the α-diversity of bacterial communities and changed both bacterial and fungal community structures, enhancing the correlation between microbial communities and soil-moisture content. CFF application also changed the network structure and the species of key microbial taxa, promoting more linkages among microbial genera. Notably, with an increase in soil moisture, CFF enhanced the rate of corn straw degradation by inducing positive interactions between bacterial and fungal genera and enriching straw degradation-related microbial taxa. Overall, our study demonstrates the alteration of indigenous microbial communities using bacterial agents (CFF) to overcome the limitations of indigenous microorganisms for in situ straw-return agriculture in low-temperature areas. KEY POINTS: • Low-temperature and variable moisture conditions (10-30%) were compared • Soil microbial network structure and linkages between genera were altered • CFF improves straw degradation via positive interactions between soil microbes.

ISSR molecular markers and anatomical structures can assist in rapid and directional screening of cold-tolerant seedling mutants of medicinal and ornamental plant in Plumbago indica L.

Plumbago indica L. is a perennial herb with ornamental and anticancer medicinal functions widely distributed in the tropics. It is affected by temperature and cannot bloom normally in colder subtropical regions, which seriously affects its ornamental value. To create low-temperature resistance mutants and enrich new germplasm resources, this study used tissue culture and chemical reagent (0.5 mmol/L NaN3) and low-temperature stress (0°C, full darkness for 48h) induction to target and screen for cold-resistance mutants. The results showed that the ISSR band polymorphism ratio of the 24 suspected mutant materials was 87.5%. The DNA profiles of the 9 mutants initially identified were altered. The content of plumbagin in the stems and leaves of the mutants was examined, and it was found that the accumulation in the leaves of the mutant SA24 could be as high as 3.84 times that of the control, which was 0.5991%. There were significant differences in the anatomical structures of roots, stems and leaves. The mutants mostly exhibited reduced root diameter (only 0.17-0.69 times that of CK), increased stem diameter (up to 2.19 times that of CK), enlarged mesophyll cells, increased thickness (up to 1.83 times that of CK) and high specificity, which are thought to be important for the different cold resistance obtained by the mutants. In the cold resistance experiment, four cold-tolerant mutants were successfully screened according to their morphological characteristics and physiological indexes, and the mutagenesis efficiency could be as high as 2.22% and did not affect the accumulation of plumbagin in their stems and leaves, even higher than CK. The responses of the screened mutants SA15, SA19, SA23 and SA24 to low temperature showed slower leaf wilting, higher light energy conversion efficiency, less accumulation of MDA content, increased enzymatic activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD) and more accumulation of soluble sugars and proline content. These characteristics are consistent with the response of cold-resistance plants to low temperatures. The cold- resistance mutants cultivated in soil were observed of agronomic and ornamental traits for one year, mainly manifested as delayed flowering and delayed entry into the senescence stage. This study provides a more rapid and accurate technique for identifying and screening cold-tolerant mutants, and lays the foundation for future experiments on the creation of new cold-resistant varieties.

Abscisic acid (ABA) alleviates cadmium toxicity by enhancing the adsorption of cadmium to root cell walls and inducing antioxidant defense system of Cosmos bipinnatus.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is a global problem affecting soil ecology and plant growth. Abscisic acid (ABA) acts as a growth and stress hormone, regulates cell wall synthesis, and plays an important role in plant responses to stress. There are few studies on the mechanisms behind abscisic acid alleviation of cadmium stress in Cosmos bipinnatus, especially in regards to regulation of the root cell wall. This study examined the effects of different concentrations of abscisic acid at different concentrations of cadmium stress. Through adding 5 µmol/L and 30 µmol/L cadmium, followed by spraying 10 µmol/L and 40 µmol/L ABA in a hydroponic experiment, it was found that under two concentrations of cadmium stress, low concentration of ABA improved root cell wall polysaccharide, Cd, and uronic acid content. Especially in pectin, after the application of low concentration ABA, the cadmium concentration was significantly increased by 1.5 times and 1.2 times compared with the Cd concentration under Cd5 and Cd30 treatment alone, respectively. Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) demonstrated that cell wall functional groups such as -OH and -COOH were increased with exposure to ABA. Additionally, the exogenous ABA also increased expression of three kinds of antioxidant enzymes and plant antioxidants. The results of this study suggest that ABA could reduce Cd stress by increasing Cd accumulation, promoting Cd adsorption on the root cell wall, and activating protective mechanisms. This result could help promote application of C. bipinnatus for phytostabilization of cadmium-contaminated soil.

Calcyclin-binding protein contributes to cholangiocarcinoma progression by inhibiting ubiquitination of MCM2.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) represents the epithelial cell cancer with high aggressiveness whose five-year survival rate is poor with standard treatment. Calcyclin-binding protein (CACYBP) shows aberrant expression within several malignant tumors, but the role of CACYBP in CCA remains unknown. Methods: Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was used to identify CACYBP overexpression in clinical samples of CCA patients. Moreover, its correlation with clinical outcome was revealed. Furthermore, CACYBP's effect on CCA cell growth and invasion was investigated in vitro and in vivo using loss-of-function experiments. Results: CACYBP showed up-regulation in CCA, which predicts the dismal prognostic outcome. CACYBP had an important effect on in-vitro and in-vivo cancer cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, knockdown of CACYBP weakened protein stability by promoting ubiquitination of MCM2. Accordingly, MCM2 up-regulation partly reversed CACYBP deficiency's inhibition against cancer cell viability and invasion. Thus, MCM2 might drive CCA development by Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Conclusions: CACYBP exerted a tumor-promoting role in CCA by suppressing ubiquitination of MCM2 and activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, hence revealing that it may be the possible therapeutic target for CCA treatment.