Suppression of SMXL4 and SMXL5 confers enhanced thermotolerance through promoting HSFA2 transcription in Arabidopsis.

Identifying the essential factors and underlying mechanisms regulating plant heat stress (HS) responses is crucial for mitigating the threat posed by HS on plant growth, development, distribution, and productivity. In this study, we found that the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) super-killer2 (ski2) dicer-like4 (dcl4) mutant, characterized by RNA processing defects and the accumulation of abundant 22-nt small interfering RNAs derived from protein-coding transcripts, displayed significantly increased expression levels of HS-responsive genes and enhanced thermotolerance. These traits primarily resulted from the suppression of SMAX1-LIKE4 (SMXL4) and SMXL5, which encode 2 putative transcriptional regulators that belong to the SMXL protein family. While smxl4 and smxl5 single mutants were similar to wild type, the smxl4 smxl5 double mutant displayed substantially heightened seedling thermotolerance. Further investigation demonstrated that SMXL4 and SMXL5 repressed the transcription of HEAT-SHOCK TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR A2 (HSFA2), encoding a master regulator of thermotolerance, independently of ethylene-response factor-associated amphiphilic repression motifs. Moreover, SMXL4 and SMXL5 interacted with HSFA1d and HSFA1e, central regulators sensing and transducing HS stimuli, and antagonistically affected their transactivation activity. In addition, HSFA2 directly bound to the SMXL4 and SMXL5 promoters, inducing their expression during recovery from HS. Collectively, our findings elucidate the role of the SMXL4/SMXL5-HSFA2 regulatory module in orchestrating plant thermotolerance under HS.

Single-cell methylation sequencing data reveal succinct metastatic migration histories and tumor progression models.

Recent studies exploring the impact of methylation in tumor evolution suggest that although the methylation status of many of the CpG sites are preserved across distinct lineages, others are altered as the cancer progresses. Because changes in methylation status of a CpG site may be retained in mitosis, they could be used to infer the progression history of a tumor via single-cell lineage tree reconstruction. In this work, we introduce the first principled distance-based computational method, Sgootr, for inferring a tumor's single-cell methylation lineage tree and for jointly identifying lineage-informative CpG sites that harbor changes in methylation status that are retained along the lineage. We apply Sgootr on single-cell bisulfite-treated whole-genome sequencing data of multiregionally sampled tumor cells from nine metastatic colorectal cancer patients, as well as multiregionally sampled single-cell reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing data from a glioblastoma patient. We show that the tumor lineages constructed reveal a simple model underlying tumor progression and metastatic seeding. A comparison of Sgootr against alternative approaches shows that Sgootr can construct lineage trees with fewer migration events and with more in concordance with the sequential-progression model of tumor evolution, with a running time a fraction of that used in prior studies. Lineage-informative CpG sites identified by Sgootr are in inter-CpG island (CGI) regions, as opposed to intra-CGIs, which have been the main regions of interest in genomic methylation-related analyses.

Plant 22-nt siRNAs mediate translational repression and stress adaptation.

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are essential for proper development and immunity in eukaryotes1. Plants produce siRNAs with lengths of 21, 22 or 24 nucleotides. The 21- and 24-nucleotide species mediate cleavage of messenger RNAs and DNA methylation2,3, respectively, but the biological functions of the 22-nucleotide siRNAs remain unknown. Here we report the identification and characterization of a group of endogenous 22-nucleotide siRNAs that are generated by the DICER-LIKE 2 (DCL2) protein in plants. When cytoplasmic RNA decay and DCL4 are deficient, the resulting massive accumulation of 22-nucleotide siRNAs causes pleiotropic growth disorders, including severe dwarfism, meristem defects and pigmentation. Notably, two genes that encode nitrate reductases-NIA1 and NIA2-produce nearly half of the 22-nucleotide siRNAs. Production of 22-nucleotide siRNAs triggers the amplification of gene silencing and induces translational repression both gene specifically and globally. Moreover, these 22-nucleotide siRNAs preferentially accumulate upon environmental stress, especially those siRNAs derived from NIA1/2, which act to restrain translation, inhibit plant growth and enhance stress responses. Thus, our research uncovers the unique properties of 22-nucleotide siRNAs, and reveals their importance in plant adaptation to environmental stresses.

Alloyed Trimetallic Nanocomposite as an Efficient and Recyclable Solid Matrix for Ideonella sakaiensis Lipase Immobilization.

In this work, a trimetallic (Ni/Co/Zn) organic framework (tMOF), synthesized by a solvothermal method, was calcinated at 400 and 600 °C and the final products were used as a support for lipase immobilization. The material annealed at 400 °C (Ni-Co-Zn@400) had an improved surface area (66.01 m2/g) and pore volume (0.194 cm3/g), which showed the highest enzyme loading capacity (301 mg/g) with a specific activity of 0.196 U/mg, and could protect the enzyme against thermal denaturation at 65 °C. The optimal pH and temperature for the lipase were 8.0 and 45 °C but could tolerate pH levels 7.0-8.0 and temperatures 40-60 °C. Moreover, the immobilized enzyme (Ni-Co-Zn@Lipase, Ni-Co-Zn@400@Lipase, or Ni-Co-Zn@600@Lipase) could be recovered and reused for over seven cycles maintaining 80, 90, and 11% of its original activity and maintained a residual activity >90% after 40 storage days. The remarkable thermostability and storage stability of the immobilized lipase suggest that the rigid structure of the support acted as a protective shield against denaturation, while the improved pH tolerance toward the alkaline range indicates a shift in the ionization state attributed to unequal partitioning of hydroxyl and hydrogen ions within the microenvironment of the active site, suggesting that acidic residues may have been involved in forming an enzyme-support bond. The high enzyme loading capacity, specific activity, encouraging stability, and high recoverability of the tMOF@Lipase indicate that a multimetallic MOF could be a better platform for efficient enzyme immobilization.

Porous FeNi Prussian blue cubes derived carbon-based phosphides as superior sulfur hosts for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

In contrast to lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries have higher theoretical energy density and lower cost, so they would become competitive in the practical application. However, the shuttle effect of polysulfides and slow oxidation-reduction kinetics can degrade their electrochemical performance and cycle life. In this work, we have first developed the porous FeNi Prussian blue cubes as precursors. The calcination in different atmospheres was employed to make precursors convert into common pyrolysis products or novel carbon-based phosphides, and sulfides, labeled as FeNiP/A-C, FeNiP/A-P, and FeNiP/A-S. When these products serve as host materials in the sulfur cathode, the electrochemical performance of lithium-sulfur batteries is in the order of S@FeNiP/A-P > S@FeNiP/A-S > S@FeNiP/A-C. Specifically, the initial discharge capacity of S@FeNiP/A-P can reach 679.1 mAh g-1at 1 C, and the capacity would maintain 594.6 mAh g-1after 300 cycles. That is because the combination of carbon-based porous structure and numerous well-dispersed Ni2P/Fe2P active sites contribute FeNiP/A-P to obtain larger lithium-ion diffusion, lower resistance, stronger chemisorption, and more excellent catalytic effect than other samples. This work may deliver that metal-organic framework-derived carbon-based phosphides are more suitable to serve as sulfur hosts than carbon-based sulfides or common pyrolysis products for enhancing Li-S batteries' performance.

The biogenesis, regulation and functions of transitive siRNA in plants.

Small RNA (sRNA)-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) is a sequence-specific gene silencing mechanism that modulates gene expression in eukaryotes. As core molecules of RNAi, various sRNAs are encoded in the plant genome or derived from invading RNA molecules, and their biogenesis depends on distinct genetic pathways. Transitive small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), which are sRNAs produced from double-strand RNA (dsRNA) in a process that depends on RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RDRs), can amplify and spread silencing signals to additional transcripts, thereby enabling a phenomenon termed "transitive RNAi". Members of this class of siRNAs function in various biological processes ranging from development to stress adaptation. In Arabidopsis thaliana, two RDRs participate in the generation of transitive siRNAs, acting cooperatively with various siRNA generation-related factors, such as the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) and aberrant RNAs. Transitive siRNAs are produced in diverse subcellular locations and structures under the control of various mechanisms, highlighting the intricacies of their biogenesis and functions. In this review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the molecular events of transitive siRNA biogenesis and its regulation, with a particular focus on factors involved in RDR recruitment. We aim to provide a comprehensive description of the generalized mechanism governing the biogenesis of transitive siRNAs. Additionally, we present an overview of the diverse biological functions of these siRNAs and raise some pressing questions in this area for further investigation.

Feasibility and efficacy of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound of breast fibroadenoma.

OBJECTIVE: This nonrandomized prospective clinical trial aimed to assess the efficacy, safety and follow-up outcomes of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) surgery in patients with breast fibroadenoma. METHODS: With the approval of the institutional ethics committee and written informed consent, a total of 113 patients diagnosed with breast fibroadenoma by core-needle biopsy in our hospital were recruited. USgHIFU surgery was performed under local anesthesia. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) or contrast-enhanced MRI (CEMRI) was performed to evaluate the nonperfused volume (NPV). The patients were followed up with physical examination and ultrasound imaging. RESULTS: The clinical outcome of 85 patients with 147 fibroadenomas with a follow-up time of more than 3 months was analyzed in this study. Fifty-two patients had one lesion, twenty-one patients had two lesions and twelve patients had more than two lesions. During USgHIFU, the median localization time for all fibroadenomas was 3 (interquartile range: 1, 5) min, and the median treatment time was 9 (interquartile range: 5, 15) min. Under local anesthesia, all the patients tolerated the treatment well. No serious epidermal burns were observed in any of the patients. Based on CEUS or CEMRI imaging evaluation, the median NPV ratio was 100% (interquartile range: 79.2%, 116.8%). The VRR were 26.77 ± 50.05%, 50.22 ± 42.01% and 72.74 ± 35.39% at 3-6 months, 6-12 months and >12 months, respectively, which showed significant statistical difference (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided HIFU surgery is an effective and safe noninvasive alternative technique for the treatment of breast fibroadenoma.

Paravertebral Muscle Morphology in L4-L5 Disc Herniation: Insights from the Michigan State University Classification.

BACKGROUND Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) at L4-L5 impacts paravertebral muscle morphology. Intervertebral disc degeneration is linked to paravertebral muscle changes, affecting LDH treatment outcomes. This study explored L4-L5 LDH paravertebral muscle alterations, specifically in the erector spinae, multifidus, and psoas major, using Michigan State University's classification to guide LDH treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study enrolled 160 patients, including 39 normal patients and 121 L4-L5 LDH patients. Patients with LDH were grouped according to MSU classification and compared to the normal group according to demographics and imaging changes. RESULTS In patients with L4-L5 herniation in Zone B, the FI of the ES muscle at L3-L4 level, L4-L5 level, and L5-S1 level was higher than that of normal people (P=0.018, P=0.043, P=0.010, respectively), and there was no difference between FI of MF and normal people. The Zone B patients also had a smaller CSA of the ES muscle at L4-L5 level than that in the normal group (P=0.049). Patients in the Zone C group were older than those in the normal group (P=0.014). The CSA of the PM of patients with Grade 3 herniation differed from that of the normal group at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 level. They were higher than in normal people at L4-L5 level (P=0.011) and lower at L5-S1 level (P=0.028). CONCLUSIONS In patients with L4-L5 herniation in Zone B, the FI of ES at L3-S1 level was higher than in normal people, and the CSA at L4-L5 level was smaller than in normal people. In patients with Grade3 herniation, PM CSA was larger at L4-L5 level and smaller at L5-S1 level than in normal people.

Rapid and effective detection of Macrobrachium rosenbergii nodavirus using a combination of nucleic acid sequence-based amplification test and immunochromatographic strip.

Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) provides a fast and convenient approach for nucleic acid amplification under isothermal conditions, and its combination with an immunoassay-based lateral flow dipstick (LFD) could produce a higher detection efficiency for M. rosenbergii nodavirus isolated from China (MrNV-chin). In this study, two specific primers and a labelled probe of the capsid protein gene of MrNV-chin were constructed. The process of this assay mainly included a single-step amplification at a temperature of 41 â„ƒ for 90 min, and hybridization with an FITC-labeled probe for 5 min, with the hybridization been required for visual identification during LFD assay. The test results indicated that, the NASBA-LFD assay showed sensitivity for 1.0 fg M. rosenbergii total RNA with MrNV-chin infection, which was 104 times that of the present RT-PCR approach for the detection of MrNV. In addition, no products were created for shrimps with infection of other kinds of either DNA or RNA virus, which indicated that the NASBA-LFD was specific for MrNV. Therefore, the combination of NASBA and LFD is a new alternative detection method for MrNV which is rapid, accurate, sensitive and specific without expensive equipment and specialised personnel. Early detection of this infectious disease among aquatic organisms will help implement efficient therapeutic strategy to prevent its spread, enhance animal health and limit loss of aquatic breeds in the event of an outbreak.

Rapid detection of bovine rotavirus a by isothermal reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification assays.

BACKGROUND: Bovine rotavirus A (BRVA) is considered to be the most common pathogen of severe diarrhea in cattle worldwide, which could lead to the death of newborn calves and cause the significant economic losses to the cattle industry. As a novel isothermal nucleic acid amplification technique, recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) has been applied widely for the rapid detection of different important pathogens in human and animals. RESULTS: An RT-RPA assay based on the real time fluorescence monitoring (real-time RT-RPA) and an RT-RPA assay combined with a lateral flow strip (LFS RT-RPA) were successfully developed by targeting the VP6 gene of BRVA. The RT-RPA assays allowed the exponential amplification of the target fragment in 20 min. After incubation of the LFS RT-RPA on a metal bath at 40 °C, the results were displayed on the lateral flow strip within 5 min, while real-time RT-RPA allowed the real-time observation of the results in Genie III at 42 °C. Both of the two assays showed high specificity for BRVA without any cross-reaction with the other tested pathogens causing diarrhea in cattle. With the standard RNA of BRVA serving as a template, the limit of detection for real-time RT-RPA and LFS RT-RPA were 1.4 × 102 copies per reaction and 1.4 × 101 copies per reaction, respectively. In the 134 fecal samples collected from cattle with diarrhea, the BRVA positive rate were 45.52% (61/134) and 46.27% (62/134) in real-time RT-RPA and LFS RT-RPA, respectively. Compared to a previously published real-time PCR, the real-time RT-RPA and LFS RT-RPA showed a diagnostic specificity of 100%, diagnostic sensitivity of 98.39% and 100%, and a kappa coefficient of 0.985 and 1.0, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, BRVA was successfully detected in cattle fecal samples by the developed real-time RT-RPA and LFS RT-RPA assays. The developed RT-RPA assays had great potential for the rapid detection of BRVA in under-equipped diagnostic laboratory and the point-of-need diagnosis at quarantine stations and farms, which is of great importance to control BRVA-associated diarrhea in cattle herds.

Construction of g-C3N4/Ag/TiO2 Z-scheme photocatalyst and Its improved photocatalytic U(VI) reduction application in water.

The reduction of soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) by photocatalytic technology is considered to be a valid method to remove U(VI) from water. Herein, g-C3N4/Ag/TiO2 Z-scheme heterojunction was synthesized for photocatalytic U(VI) reduction application. The SEM, XRD and XPS characterization results showed that a ternary g-C3N4/Ag/TiO2 composite photocatalyst was synthesized successfully. g-C3N4/Ag/TiO2 exhibited excellent photocatalytic reduction performance for U(VI) under visible light irradiation. After 30 min irradiation, the removal rate of U(VI) was above 99%. XPS indicated that the majority of U(VI) on the surface of g-C3N4/Ag/TiO2 was reduced to U(IV). In addition, the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/Ag/TiO2 has been kept significantly after five rounds of experiments, indicating good stability. g-C3N4/Ag/TiO2 exhibited better photocatalytic reduction of U(VI) under visible light irradiation, which is mainly ascribed to Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism assisted by the LSPR effect (Local Surface Plasmon Resonance). Ag with plasmon resonance effect on the loading has a strong absorption of photon energy. In addition, an intermediate charge transfer channel is formed between Ag and the semiconductor to inhibit the combination of photogenerated electrons and holes, resulting in a significant increase in the photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst. This idea has some significance in design of other composite photocatalytic systems.

In Planta Genome Editing in Commercial Wheat Varieties: Use of TaQsd1 to Lengthen Seed Dormancy.

Dependency on in vitro culture and regeneration limits the ability to use genome editing on elite wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties. We recently developed an in planta particle bombardment (iPB) technique for gene editing in wheat that utilizes shoot apical meristems (SAMs) as a target tissue. Since the method does not require in vitro culture, it can therefore be used on recalcitrant varieties. In this chapter, we describe in detail the steps used in the iPB method. With this protocol, 3% to 5% of T0 plants grown from bombarded SAMs typically carry mutant alleles and approximately 1% to 2% of the T0 plants inherit mutant alleles in the next generation.

Circular RNAs: Regulators of endothelial cell dysfunction in atherosclerosis.

Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction is associated with atherosclerosis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are covalently closed loops formed by back-splicing, are highly expressed in a tissue-specific or cell-specific manner, and regulate ECs mainly through miRNAs (mircoRNAs) or protein sponges. This review describes the regulatory mechanisms and physiological functions of circRNAs, as well as the differential expression of circRNAs in aberrant ECs. This review focuses on their roles in inflammation, proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, apoptosis, senescence, and autophagy in ECs from the perspective of signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-repeat family, pyrin-domain-containing 3 (NLRP3)/caspase-1, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), and phosphoinositide-3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt). Finally, we address the issues and recent advances in circRNAs as well as circRNA-mediated regulation of ECs to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of atherosclerosis and provide a reference for studies on circRNAs that regulate EC dysfunction and thus affect atherosclerosis.

Amorphous-crystalline phase transition and intrinsic magnetic property of nickel organic framework for easy immobilization and recycling of ß-Galactosidase.

This work describes the synthesis of fibrous nickel-based metal organic framework (Ni-ZIF) via simple solvothermal method. The material formed was calcinated at 400, 600, 800 °C to improve its surface area, porosity and enzyme binding capacity. Changes in X-ray diffraction pattern after calcination revealed the Ni-ZIF transitioned from amorphous to crystalline structure. The surface area, pore volume and pore size for Ni-ZIF@600 were found to be 312.15 m2/g, 0.88 cm3/g and 10.28 nm, with an enzyme loading capacity of 593.85 mg/g after 30 h The free (ß-Gal-LEH) and immobilized ß-Galactosidase were stable at pH 7.5, temperature 50 °C, and yielded 70.70 and 63.95 mM glucose after milk lactose hydrolysis, respectively. The Ni-ZIF@600@ß-Gal-LEH exhibited high enzyme retention capacity, maintaining 59.44 % of its original activity after 6-cycles. The enhanced magnetic property, enzyme binding capacity and easy recoverability of the calcinated Ni-ZIF could guarantee its industrial significance as immobilization module for enzyme-mediated catalysis.

Mapping of afferent and efferent connections of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase-expressing neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii.

OBJECTIVE: Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT)-expressing neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) contribute to the regulation of autonomic functions. However, the neural circuits linking these neurons to other brain regions remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the connectivity mechanisms of the PNMT-expressing neurons in the NTS (NTSPNMT neurons). METHODS: The methodologies employed in this study included a modified rabies virus-based retrograde neural tracing technique, conventional viral anterograde tracing, and immunohistochemical staining procedures. RESULTS: A total of 43 upstream nuclei projecting to NTSPNMT neurons were identified, spanning several key brain regions including the medulla oblongata, pons, midbrain, cerebellum, diencephalon, and telencephalon. Notably, dense projections to the NTSPNMT neurons were observed from the central amygdaloid nucleus, paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, area postrema, and the gigantocellular reticular nucleus. In contrast, the ventrolateral medulla, lateral parabrachial nucleus, and lateral hypothalamic area were identified as the primary destinations for axon terminals originating from NTSPNMT neurons. Additionally, reciprocal projections were evident among 21 nuclei, primarily situated within the medulla oblongata. CONCLUSION: Our research findings demonstrate that NTSPNMT neurons form extensive connections with numerous nuclei, emphasizing their essential role in the homeostatic regulation of vital autonomic functions.

Donor-derived cell-free DNA-based liquid biopsies to determine future kidney transplant rejection.

Donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) based liquid kidney biopsies have the potential to detect the chances of kidney transplant rejection. Several studies have found that dd-cfDNA can be used to determine the risk of kidney transplant rejection and may correlate with antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR), T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). A high concentration of dd-cfDNA in the body fluids may indicate possible transplant rejection since dd-cfDNA is released as a result of apoptotic and necrotic processes initiated by the recipient's immune system. dd-cfDNA assays have advantages over conventional biopsies since they are noninvasive, and therefore, have the potential to provide a safe and reliable biomarker. Different dd-cfDNA levels have been reported above a number of cutoff thresholds: ABMR at 2.45% and TCMR at 1.3%, compared with 0.44% in healthy patients; and eGFR at 2.5%, a decrease of 25% compared with healthy patients. These results indicate the levels of dd-cfDNA that may be used to signal possible kidney rejection. dd-cfDNA assay is a rapid technique, making it particularly useful in emergencies, and further research into its use in the study of kidney rejection should prove beneficial.

Multiple factors and features dictate the selective production of ct-siRNA in Arabidopsis.

Coding transcript-derived siRNAs (ct-siRNAs) produced from specific endogenous loci can suppress the translation of their source genes to balance plant growth and stress response. In this study, we generated Arabidopsis mutants with deficiencies in RNA decay and/or post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) pathways and performed comparative sRNA-seq analysis, revealing that multiple RNA decay and PTGS factors impede the ct-siRNA selective production. Genes that produce ct-siRNAs often show increased or unchanged expression and typically have higher GC content in sequence composition. The growth and development of plants can perturb the dynamic accumulation of ct-siRNAs from different gene loci. Two nitrate reductase genes, NIA1 and NIA2, produce massive amounts of 22-nt ct-siRNAs and are highly expressed in a subtype of mesophyll cells where DCL2 exhibits higher expression relative to DCL4, suggesting a potential role of cell-specific expression of ct-siRNAs. Overall, our findings unveil the multifaceted factors and features involved in the selective production and regulation of ct-siRNAs and enrich our understanding of gene silencing process in plants.

Severus: accurate detection and characterization of somatic structural variation in tumor genomes using long reads.

Most current studies rely on short-read sequencing to detect somatic structural variation (SV) in cancer genomes. Long-read sequencing offers the advantage of better mappability and long-range phasing, which results in substantial improvements in germline SV detection. However, current long-read SV detection methods do not generalize well to the analysis of somatic SVs in tumor genomes with complex rearrangements, heterogeneity, and aneuploidy. Here, we present Severus: a method for the accurate detection of different types of somatic SVs using a phased breakpoint graph approach. To benchmark various short- and long-read SV detection methods, we sequenced five tumor/normal cell line pairs with Illumina, Nanopore, and PacBio sequencing platforms; on this benchmark Severus showed the highest F1 scores (harmonic mean of the precision and recall) as compared to long-read and short-read methods. We then applied Severus to three clinical cases of pediatric cancer, demonstrating concordance with known genetic findings as well as revealing clinically relevant cryptic rearrangements missed by standard genomic panels.

Beta oscillation is an indicator for two patterns of sensorimotor synchronization.

Previous study indicates that there are two distinct behavioral patterns in the sensory-motor synchronization task with short stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA; 2-3 s) or long SOA (beyond 4 s). However, the underlying neural indicators and mechanisms have not been elucidated. The present study applied magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology to examine the functional role of several oscillations (beta, gamma, and mu) in sensorimotor synchronization with different SOAs to identify a reliable neural indicator. During MEG recording, participants underwent a listening task without motor response, a sound-motor synchronization task, and a motor-only continuation task. These tasks were used to explore whether and how the activity of oscillations changes across different behavioral patterns with different tempos. Results showed that during both the listening and the synchronization task, the beta oscillation changes with the tempo. Moreover, the event-related synchronization of beta oscillations was significantly correlated with motor timing during synchronization. In contrast, mu activity only changes with the tempo in the synchronization task, while the gamma activity remains unchanged. In summary, the current study indicates that beta oscillation could be an indicator of behavioral patterns between fast tempo and slow tempo in sensorimotor synchronization. Also, it is likely to be the potential mechanism of maintaining rhythmic continuous movements with short SOA, which is embedded within the 3 s time window.