Relationship between jejunum ATPase activity and antioxidant function on the growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, and jejunum microbiota in Hu sheep (Ovis aries).

BACKGROUND: ATPase activity and the antioxidant function of intestinal tissue can reflect intestinal cell metabolic activity and oxidative damage, which might be related to intestinal function. However, the specific influence of intestinal ATPase activity and antioxidant function on growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, and the intestinal microbiota in sheep remains unclear. RESULTS: This study analyzed the correlation between ATPase activity and antioxidant function in the jejunum of 92 Hu sheep and their growth performance and feed conversion efficiency. Additionally, individuals with the highest (H group) and lowest (L group) jejunum MDA content and Na+ K+-ATPase activity were further screened, and the effects of jejunum ATPase activity and MDA content on the morphology and microbial community of sheep intestines were analyzed. There was a significant correlation between jejunum ATPase and SOD activity and the initial weight of Hu sheep (P < 0.01). The H-MDA group exhibited significantly higher average daily gain (ADG) from 0 to 80 days old and higher body weight (BW) after 80 days. ATPase and SOD activities, and MDA levels correlated significantly and positively with heart weight. The jejunum crypt depth and circular muscle thickness in the H-ATP group were significantly higher than in the L-ATP group, and the villus length, crypt depth, and longitudinal muscle thickness in the H-MDA group were significantly higher than in the L-MDA group (P < 0.01). High ATPase activity and MDA content significantly reduced the jejunum microbial diversity, as indicated by the Chao1 index and observed species, and affected the relative abundance of specific taxa. Among species, the relative abundance of Olsenella umbonata was significantly higher in the H-MDA group than in the L-MDA group (P < 0.05), while Methanobrevibacter ruminantium abundance was significantly lower than in the L-MDA group (P < 0.05). In vitro culture experiments confirmed that MDA promoted the proliferation of Olsenella umbonata. Thus, ATPase and SOD activities in the jejunum tissues of Hu sheep are predominantly influenced by congenital factors, and lambs with higher birth weights exhibit lower Na+ K+-ATPase, Ca2+ Mg2+-ATPase, and SOD activities. CONCLUSIONS: The ATPase activity and antioxidant performance of intestinal tissue are closely related to growth performance, heart development, and intestinal tissue morphology. High ATPase activity and MDA content reduced the microbial diversity of intestinal tissue and affect the relative abundance of specific taxa, representing a potential interaction between the host and its intestinal microbiota.

Identification of the FGB gene polymorphism and analysis of its association with fat deposition traits in Hu sheep.

As a crucial economic trait, fat deposition is directly related to carcass quality and feed efficiency in sheep. The purpose of this study was to investigate the polymorphisms of the FGB gene related to fat deposition and detect the expression features of the FGB gene in different adipose tissues of sheep by using Sanger sequencing, MassARRAY® SNP technique, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results showed that in the intron region of the FGB gene, a SNP g. 3378953 A > T has been identified, and significant association was found between perirenal fat weight, perirenal fat relative weight, mesenteric fat weight, and mesenteric fat relative weight (P < 0.05). Moreover, qRT-PCR analysis showed that FGB was expressed in all three adipose tissues, and FGB gene expression level in the AA genotype was significantly lower than that in the AT or TT genotypes (P < 0.05). Therefore, the FGB gene can be used as a candidate gene to reduce fat deposition in Hu sheep breeding, and the selection of the AA genotype in Hu sheep in production practice is more conducive to improving production efficiency.

Expression Patterns and Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Drought Tolerance of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Conferred by Transcription Factor Gene GmNAC19.

NAC transcription factors are commonly involved in the plant response to drought stress. A transcriptome analysis of root samples of the soybean variety 'Jiyu47' under drought stress revealed the evidently up-regulated expression of GmNAC19, consistent with the expression pattern revealed by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The overexpression of GmNAC19 enhanced drought tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae INVSc1. The seed germination percentage and root growth of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana were improved in comparison with those of the wild type, while the transgenic soybean composite line showed improved chlorophyll content. The altered contents of physiological and biochemical indices (i.e., soluble protein, soluble sugar, proline, and malondialdehyde) related to drought stress and the activities of three antioxidant enzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase) revealed enhanced drought tolerance in both transgenic Arabidopsis and soybean. The expressions of three genes (i.e., P5CS, OAT, and P5CR) involved in proline synthesis were decreased in the transgenic soybean hairy roots, while the expression of ProDH involved in the breakdown of proline was increased. This study revealed the molecular mechanisms underlying drought tolerance enhanced by GmNAC19 via regulation of the contents of soluble protein and soluble sugar and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, providing a candidate gene for the molecular breeding of drought-tolerant crop plants.

Polarization-sensitive multi-frequency switches and high-performance slow light based on quadruple plasmon-induced transparency in a patterned graphene-based terahertz metamaterial.

A periodic patterned graphene-based terahertz metamaterial comprising three transverse graphene strips and one longitudinal continuous graphene ribbon is proposed to achieve a dynamically tunable quadruple plasmon-induced transparency (PIT) effect. Further analysis of the magnetic field distribution along the x-direction shows that the quadruple-PIT window can be produced by the strong destructive interference between the bright mode and the dark mode. The spectral response characteristics of the quadruple-PIT effect are numerically and theoretically investigated, and the results obtained by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation fit well with that by the coupled mode theory (CMT) calculation. In addition, two hepta-frequency asynchronous switches are achieved by tuning the Fermi energy of the graphene, and their maximum modulation depths are 98.9% and 99.7%, corresponding to the insertion losses of 0.173 dB and 0.334 dB, respectively. Further studies show that polarization light has a significant impact on the quadruple-PIT, resulting in a polarization-sensitive switch being realized with a maximum modulation depth of 99.7% and a minimum insertion loss of 0.048 dB. In addition, when the Fermi energy is equal to 1.2 eV, the maximum time delay and group refractive index of the quadruple-PIT can be respectively as high as 1.065 ps and 3194, and the maximum delay-bandwidth product reaches 1.098, which means that excellent optical storage is achieved. Thus, our proposed quadruple-PIT system can be used to design a terahertz multi-channel switch and optical storage.

Saline-Alkali Soil Property Improved by the Synergistic Effects of Priestia aryabhattai JL-5, Staphylococcus pseudoxylosus XW-4, Leymus chinensis and Soil Microbiota.

Two saline-alkali-tolerant bacterial strains, Priestia aryabhattai JL-5 and Staphylococcus pseudoxylosus XW-4, were isolated, with high capabilities of hydrolyzing phosphate and producing cellulase, respectively. The molecular mechanisms regulating the saline-alkali tolerance in the strain JL-5 were further investigated using transcriptome analysis. The contents of lactic acid and proline and the enzymatic activity of glutamine synthetase in the strain JL-5 were significantly increased. The properties of saline-alkali soils were significantly improved by the enhanced growth of the indicator plant Leymus chinensis under the combined applications of the strains JL-5 and XW-4 mixed with corn straw. The contents of catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and proline of L. chinensis were significantly increased, and the content of malondialdehyde was significantly decreased in the combined treatment of both bacterial strains. The contents of available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and organic matters in the soil treated with both strains were significantly increased, as well as the diversity and abundance of the soil microbiota. Our study evidently demonstrated the synergistic effects of the strains JL-5 and XW-4, indicator plants and the local microbiota in terms of improving the saline-alkali soil properties, providing strong experimental evidence to support the commercial development of the combined application of both strains to improve the properties of saline-alkali soils.

Molecular Characterization and Drought Resistance of GmNAC3 Transcription Factor in Glycine max (L.) Merr.

Soybean transcription factor GmNAC plays important roles in plant resistance to environmental stresses. In this study, GmNAC3 was cloned in the drought tolerant soybean variety "Jiyu47", with the molecular properties of GmNAC3 characterized to establish its candidacy as a NAC transcription factor. The yeast self-activation experiments revealed the transcriptional activation activity of GmNAC3, which was localized in the nucleus by the subcellular localization analysis. The highest expression of GmNAC3 was detected in roots in the podding stage of soybean, and in roots of soybean seedlings treated with 20% PEG6000 for 12 h, which was 16 times higher compared with the control. In the transgenic soybean hairy roots obtained by the Agrobacterium-mediated method treated with 20% PEG6000 for 12 h, the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase and the content of proline were increased, the malondialdehyde content was decreased, and the expressions of stress resistance-related genes (i.e., APX2, LEA14, 6PGDH, and P5CS) were up-regulated. These expression patterns were confirmed by transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana with the overexpression of GmNAC3. This study provided strong scientific evidence to support further investigation of the regulatory function of GmNAC3 in plant drought resistance and the molecular mechanisms regulating the plant response to environmental stresses.

Polymorphisms of PLIN1 and MOGAT1 genes and their association with feed efficiency in Hu sheep.

Feed cost accounts for a high proportion of sheep production, and improving sheep's utilization of feed will reduce production costs and improve economic benefits. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression characteristics of PLIN1 and MOGAT1 genes and the relationship between their polymorphisms and feed efficiency traits in Hu sheep, and to find molecular Genetic marker that can be used in breeding. The expression levels of PLIN1 and MOGAT1 genes in various tissues were determined using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The results showed that PLIN1 and MOGAT1 genes were widely expressed in heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, rumen, duodenum, muscle, lymph, and tail fat. The PLIN1 gene had the highest expression level in in the tail fat compared to the other nine tissues. The expression levels of MOGAT1 gene in liver, tail fat, lung and heart was significantly higher than in kidney, muscle and lymph. The expression level of MOGAT1 was lowest in muscle compared to the other tissues (heart, liver, spleen, lung, rumen and tail fat). We recorded the body weight (BW80 and BW180) and feed intake (FI) information of 985 male Hu sheep at 80 and 180 days of age, and calculated the daily average feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion rate (FCR) from 80 to 180 days of age. Two intronic mutations, g.18517910 A > G and g.224856118 G > C, were identified in PLIN1 and MOGAT1 genes by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. MassARRAY ® SNP detection technology was used to genotype the DNA of 985 Hu sheep and analyze its association with feed efficiency traits. The results showed that the SNP g.18517910 A > G was significantly associated with BW80, BW180, FI, ADFI and FCR (P < 0.05), while SNP g.2248561118 G > C was significantly associated with FCR (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, significant differences were also observed in different combinations of genotypes (P < 0.05). Therefore, these two polymorphic loci can serve as candidate molecular markers for improving feed utilization efficiency in Hu sheep.

PDE9A polymorphism and association analysis with growth performance and gastrointestinal weight of Hu sheep.

Phosphodiesterase 9A (PDE9A) plays a crucial role in activating the cGMP-dependent signaling pathway and may have important effects on the growth and development of the gastrointestinal tract in Hu sheep. In this study, we analyzed the single nucleotide polymorphisms of PDE9A in 988 Hu sheep and their correlation with growth performance, feed efficiency, and gastrointestinal development. Additionally, we examined the expression level of different PDE9A genotypes in the gastrointestinal tract of Hu sheep by using fluorescence quantitative PCR. The results revealed a moderate level of polymorphism (0.25 < PIC < 0.50) at the g.286248617 T > C mutation site located in the first intron of PDE9A in Hu sheep, with three genotypes: CC, CT, and TT. The weights of the omasum, colon, and cecum were significantly greater in the CC genotype than in the TT genotype (P < 0.05), and the expression level of PDE9A in the tissues of the rumen, ileum, cecum, and colon was notably lower in the CC genotype individuals (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the polymorphism of PDE9A affects the weight of the stomach, colon, and cecum in Hu sheep through expression regulation. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the g.286248617 T > C mutation site in the first intron of PDE9A can serve as a potential molecular marker for breeding practices related to the gastrointestinal weight of Hu sheep.

[Effects of different puncture levels in bilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty on distribution of bone cement and effectiveness of osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures].

Objective: To investigate the effects of different puncture levels on bone cement distribution and effectiveness in bilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures. Methods: A clinical data of 274 patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures who met the selection criteria between December 2017 and December 2020 was retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent bilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty. During operation, the final position of the puncture needle tip reached was observed by C-arm X-ray machine. And 118 cases of bilateral puncture needle tips were at the same level (group A); 156 cases of bilateral puncture needle tips were at different levels (group B), of which 87 cases were at the upper 1/3 layer and the lower 1/3 layer respectively (group B1), and 69 cases were at the adjacent levels (group B2). There was no significant difference in gender, age, fracture segment, degree of osteoporosis, disease duration, and preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and Oswestry disability index (ODI) between groups A and B and among groups A, B1, and B2 ( P>0.05). The operation time, bone cement injection volume, postoperative VAS score, ODI, and bone cement distribution were compared among the groups. Results: All operations were successfully completed without pulmonary embolism, needle tract infection, or nerve compression caused by bone cement leakage. There was no significant difference in operation time and bone cement injection volume between groups A and B or among groups A, B1, and B2 ( P>0.05). All patients were followed up 3-32 months, with an average of 7.8 months. There was no significant difference in follow-up time between groups A and B and among groups A, B1, and B2 ( P>0.05). At 3 days after operation and last follow-up, VAS score and ODI were significantly lower in group B than in group A ( P<0.05), in groups B1 and B2 than in group A ( P<0.05), and in group B1 than in group B2 ( P<0.05). Imaging review showed that the distribution of bone cement in the coronal midline of injured vertebrae was significantly better in group B than in group A ( P<0.05), in groups B1 and B2 than in group A ( P<0.05), and in group B1 than in group B2 ( P<0.05). In group A, 7 cases had postoperative vertebral collapse and 8 cases had other vertebral fractures. In group B, only 1 case had postoperative vertebral collapse during follow-up. Conclusion: Bilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures can obtain good bone cement distribution and effectiveness when the puncture needle tips locate at different levels during operation. When the puncture needle tips locate at the upper 1/3 layer and the lower 1/3 layer of the vertebral body, respectively, the puncture sites are closer to the upper and lower endplates, and the injected bone cement is easier to connect with the upper and lower endplates.

Transcriptome Analysis to Elucidate the Effects of Milk Replacer Feeding Level on Intestinal Function and Development of Early Lambs.

Although early feeding strategies influence intestinal development, the effects of milk replacer (MR) feeding level on intestinal structure and functional development and underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, 14 male Hu lambs were fed MR at 2% or 4% of their average body weight and weaned at 35 days of age. The MR was produced by the Institute of Feed Research of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and it contains 96.91% dry matter, 23.22% protein, and 13.20% fat. Jejunal tissues were assessed by RNA-seq for differences in the gene expression of lambs at 49 days of age; regulatory pathways and mechanisms of the effects of early nutrition on intestinal function and development were analyzed, along with growth performance, feed intake, jejunal histomorphology, and digestive enzyme activities. Increasing MR- feeding levels increased dry matter intake and daily gain before weaning, as well as lactase, amylase, lipase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin activities and intestinal villus length and muscular thickness. Overall, 1179 differentially expressed genes were identified, which were enriched in nutrient metabolism, coagulation cascades, and other pathways. Further, intensive MR feeding affected insulin sensitivity to reduce excessive glucose interception by intestinal tissues to ensure adequate absorbed glucose release into the portal circulation and promoted lipid and protein degradation in intestinal tissues to meet the energy demand of intestinal cells by regulating AHSG, IGFBP1, MGAT2, ITIH, and CYP2E1 expression.

Transformation and Detection of Soybean Hairy Roots.

Agrobacterium rhizogenes is a soil bacteria with extensive infectivity, which can infect almost all dicotyledonous plants and a few monocotyledonous plants to induce root nodules. This is caused by the root-inducing plasmid, which contains genes responsible for the autonomous growth of root nodules and crown gall base synthesis. Structurally, it is similar to the tumor-inducing plasmid in that it mainly contains the Vir region, the T-DNA region, and the functional region of crown gall base synthesis. Its T-DNA is integrated into the nuclear genome of the plant with the assistance of Vir genes, causing hairy root disease in the host plant and the formation of hairy roots. The roots produced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes-infested plants are characterized by a fast growth rate, high degree of differentiation, physiological, biochemical, and genetic stability, and ease of manipulation and control. In particular, the hairy root system is an efficient and rapid research tool for plants that have no affinity for transformation by Agrobacterium rhizogenes and low transformation efficiency. The establishment of germinating root culture system for the production of secondary metabolites in the original plants through the genetic transformation of natural plants mediated by root-inducing plasmid in Agrobacterium rhizogenes has become a new technology combining plant genetic engineering and cell engineering. It has been widely used in a variety of plants for different molecular purposes, such as pathological analysis, gene function verification, and secondary metabolite research. Chimeric plants obtained by induction of Agrobacterium rhizogenes that can be expressed instantaneously and contemporarily are more rapidly obtained, compared to tissue culture and stably inheritable transgenic strains. In general, transgenic plants can be obtained in approximately one month.

Proteomic Investigation of Molecular Mechanisms in Response to PEG-Induced Drought Stress in Soybean Roots.

Roots are generally the critical drought sensors, but little is known about their molecular response to drought stress. We used the drought-tolerant soybean variety 'Jiyu 47' to investigate the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in soybean roots during the seedling stage based on the tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics analysis. Various expression patterns were observed in a total of six physiological parameters. A total of 468 DEPs (144 up-regulated and 324 down-regulated) among a total of 8687 proteins were identified in response to drought stress in 24 h. The expression of DEPs was further validated based on quantitative real-time PCR of a total of five genes (i.e., GmGSH, GmGST1, GmGST2 k GmCAT, and Gm6PGD) involved in the glutathione biosynthesis. Results of enrichment analyses revealed a coordinated expression pattern of proteins involved in various cellular metabolisms responding to drought stress in soybean roots. Our results showed that drought stress caused significant alterations in the expression of proteins involved in several metabolic pathways in soybean roots, including carbohydrate metabolism, metabolism of the osmotic regulation substances, and antioxidant defense system (i.e., the glutathione metabolism). Increased production of reduced glutathione (GSH) enhanced the prevention of the damage caused by reactive oxygen species and the tolerance of the abiotic stress. The glutathione metabolism played a key role in modifying the antioxidant defense system in response to drought stress in soybean roots. Our proteomic study suggested that the soybean plants responded to drought stress by coordinating their protein expression during the vegetative stage, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating the response to abiotic stress in plants.

Periodical Changes of Feces Microbiota and Its Relationship with Nutrient Digestibility in Early Lambs.

Early mammal gut microorganism colonization affects host health, the feed conversion rate, and production performance. Herein, we explored how fecal microbiota develops and the interactions between microorganisms and nutrients. The lambs were separated from ewes at 7 days old, artificial feeding with milk replacer completely replaced lactation, and the starter diet was added. At 21 days old, the lambs were fed with complete starter and milk replacer was stopped. At day 7, 21, 35, and 49 after birth, fecal samples were collected. Then 16S rRNA gene sequencing in the fecal samples revealed that the alpha diversity increased significantly with age. Principal coordinates analysis showed clear clustering by age (p < 0.05). At the genus level, the relative abundance of 8 genera declined, 12 genera increased (p < 0.1), and 4 genera changed dramatically with age (p < 0.05). The apparent digestibility of dry matter, protein, fat, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber significantly decreased by 21.77%, 23.15%, 23.62%, 19.38%, and 45.24%, respectively, from 7 to 35 days of age (p < 0.05), but not thereafter (p > 0.05). Fecal nutrient contents affected the abundance of bacterial genera (p < 0.05). Enterobacteriaceae_unclassified, Clostridium XlVb, Bifidobacterium, and other genera had no relationship with the fecal nutrient content; however, they were closely related to nutrient intake and digestibility, possibly promoting nutrient digestion. Our results suggested that nutrient digestion of young lambs changed rapidly, which was closely related to intestinal microbial colonization.

Effects of milk replacer feeding level on growth performance, rumen development and the ruminal bacterial community in lambs.

Feeding with a suitable level of milk replacer (MR) can improve the survival rate and stimulate the growth potential of early lambs. However, feeding excessive MR might be detrimental to rumen development and microbial colonization. Herein, we investigated the effects of feeding different levels of MR on rumen digestive function and ruminal microorganisms. Fourteen healthy male Hu lambs with similar birth weights and detailed pedigree records were divided into two groups to receive low (2% of average body weight per day) and high (4% of average body weight per day) levels of MR. We analyzed the effects of the MR feeding level on growth performance, fiber degradation rates, rumen fermentation parameters, enzyme activities and rumen histomorphology. We found that feeding with a high level of MR improved the average daily gain of early lambs, but decreased the starter intake, rumen weight and papillae length. We also analyzed the effects of the MR feeding level on the rumen microbiota using 16S-rRNA amplicon sequencing data. The results showed that high a MR feeding level increased the rumen microbial diversity but decreased the abundance of many carbohydrate degrading bacteria. Several bacterial genera with significant differences correlated positively with rumen cellulase activity and the acid detergent fiber degradation rate. Our results suggested that a high level of MR could improve the growth performance of early lambs in the short term; however, in the long term, it would be detrimental to rumen development and have adverse effects on the adaptation process of the microbiota to solid feed.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the DUF4228 Family in Soybean and Functional Identification of GmDUF4228 -70 in Response to Drought and Salt Stresses.

Domain of unknown function 4228 (DUF4228) proteins are a class of proteins widely found in plants, playing an important role in response to abiotic stresses. However, studies on the DUF4228 family in soybean (Glycine max L.) are sparse. In this study, we identified a total of 81 DUF4228 genes in soybean genome, named systematically based on their chromosome distributions. Results showed that these genes were unevenly distributed on the 20 chromosomes of soybean. The predicted soybean DUF4228 proteins were identified in three groups (Groups I-III) based on a maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree. Genetic structure analysis showed that most of the GmDUF4228 genes contained no introns. Expression profiling showed that GmDUF4228 genes were widely expressed in different organs and tissues in soybean. RNA-seq data were used to characterize the expression profiles of GmDUF4228 genes under the treatments of drought and salt stresses, with nine genes showing significant up-regulation under both drought and salt stress further functionally verified by promoter (cis-acting elements) analysis and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Due to its upregulation under drought and salt stresses based on both RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses, GmDUF4228-70 was selected for further functional analysis in transgenic plants. Under drought stress, the degree of leaf curling and wilting of the GmDUF4228-70-overexpressing (GmDUF4228-70-OE) line was lower than that of the empty vector (EV) line. GmDUF4228-70-OE lines also showed increased proline content, relative water content (RWC), and chlorophyll content, and decreased contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2, and O2-. Under salt stress, the changes in phenotypic and physiological indicators of transgenic plants were the same as those under drought stress. In addition, overexpression of the GmDUF4228-70 gene promoted the expression of marker genes under both drought and salt stresses. Taken together, the results indicated that GmDUF4228 genes play important roles in response to abiotic stresses in soybean.

Compressed sensing based CT reconstruction algorithm combined with modified Canny edge detection.

Given that the computed tomography (CT) reconstruction algorithm based on compressed sensing (CS) results in blurred edges, we propose a modified Canny operator that assists the CS algorithm to accurately capture an object's edge, to preserve and further enhance the contrasts in the reconstructed image, thereby improving image quality. We modified two procedures of the traditional Canny operator, namely non-maximum suppression and edge tracking by hysteresis according to the characteristics of low-dose CT reconstruction, and proposed two major modifications: double-response edge detection and directional edge tracking. The newly modified Canny operator was combined with the CS reconstruction algorithm to become an edge-enhanced CS (EECS). Both a 2D Shepp-Logan phantom and a 3D dental phantom were used to conduct reconstruction testing. Root-mean-square error, peak signal-to-noise ratio, and universal quality index were employed to verify the reconstruction results. Qualitative and quantitative results of EECS reconstruction showed its superiority over conventional CS or CS combined with different edge detection techniques, such as Laplacian, Prewitt, Sobel operators, etc. The experiments verified that the proposed modified Canny operator is able to effectively detect the edge location of an object during low-dose reconstruction, enabling EECS to reconstruct images with better quality than those produced by other algorithms.

Genome-wide analysis of the YABBY family in soybean and functional identification of GmYABBY10 involvement in high salt and drought stresses.

YABBY family is a plant specific transcription factor family, with the typical N-terminal C2C2 type zinc finger domain and the C-terminal YABBY conservative structure domain, which plays important biological roles in plant growth, development and morphogenesis. In this study, a total of 17 YABBY genes were identified in the soybean genome. The results of this research showed that 17 soybean YABBY genes were located on 11 chromosomes. Analysis of putative cis-acting elements showed that soybean YABBY genes contained lots of MYB and MYC elements. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that the expressions of GmYABBY3, GmYABBY10 and GmYABBY16 were more highly sensitive in drought, NaCl and ABA stresses. And the transient expression in Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that GmYABBY3 protein distributed uniformly the whole cells, while GmYABBY10 protein was mainly localized in the membranes and cytoplasm and GmYABBY16 protein was localized the nucleus and membranes. To further identify the function of GmYABBY10, we obtained the transgenic Arabidopsis overexpression GmYABBY10. Based on germination and seedling root arrays in transgenic Arabidopsis, we found that the rates of wild type seeds was a litter higher than that of GmYABBY10 transgenic seeds under both PEG and NaCl treatment. While the root length and root surface of wild type seedlings were bigger than those of GmYABBY10 transgenic seedlings. When seedlings were grown in soil, the survival rates of wild type were higher than those of transgenic plants under both PEG and NaCl treatment, which indicated that GmYABBY10 may be a negatively regulator in plant resistances to drought and salt stresses. This study provided valuable information regarding the classification and functions of YABBY genes in soybean.