ALLENE OXIDE SYNTHASE (AOS) induces petal senescence through a novel JA-associated regulatory pathway in Arabidopsis.

Flowers are crucial for the reproduction of flowering plants and their senescence has drastic effects on plant-animal interactions as well as pollination. Petal senescence is the final phase of flower development which is regulated by hormones and genes. Among these, jasmonic acid (JA) has emerged as a major contributor to petal senescence, but its molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, the role of JA in petal senescence in Arabidopsis was investigated. We showed that petal senescence in aos mutant was significantly delayed, which also affected petal cell size and proliferation. Similar significant delays in petal senescence were observed in dad1 and coi1 mutants. However, MYB21/24 and MYC2/3/4, known downstream regulators of JA in flower development, played no role in petal senescence. This indicated that JA regulates petal senescence by modulating other unknown transcription factors. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that AOS altered the expression of 3681 genes associated, and identified groups of differentially expressed transcription factors, highlighting the potential involvement of AP-2, WRKY and NAC. Furthermore, bHLH13, bHLH17 and URH2 were identified as potential new regulators of JA-mediated petal senescence. In conclusion, our findings suggest a novel genetic pathway through which JA regulates petal senescence in Arabidopsis. This pathway operates independently of stamen development and leaf senescence, suggesting the evolution of specialized mechanisms for petal senescence. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-024-01425-w.

DNA Nanostructures: Self-Adjuvant Carriers for Highly Efficient Subunit Vaccines.

Subunit vaccines based on antigen proteins or epitopes of pathogens or tumors show advantages in immunological precision and high safety, but are often limited by their low immunogenicity. Adjuvants can boost immune responses by stimulating immune cells or promoting antigen uptake by antigen presenting cells (APCs), yet existing clinical adjuvants struggle in simultaneously achieving these dual functions. Additionally, the spatial organization of antigens might be crucial to their immunogenicity. Hence, superior adjuvants should potently stimulate the immune system, precisely arrange antigens, and effectively deliver antigens to APCs. Recently, precisely organizing and delivering antigens with the unique editability of DNA nanostructures has been proposed, presenting unique abilities in significantly improving the immunogenicity of antigens. In this minireview, we will discuss the principles behind using DNA nanostructures as self-adjuvant carriers and review the latest advancements in this field. The potential and challenges associated with self-adjuvant DNA nanostructures will also be discussed.

Women's Revenge in Sexual Behavior? An Interpretation About "The Fourth Love" in Chinese Youth Culture From the Perspective of Gender Performativity.

In the current era of exploring changing sexual behavior, promoting and supporting the diversity of pleasure, the sexual health and rights of sexual minorities are getting more public attention, among which the "Fourth Love" emerges as a distinctive group within the framework of Chinese culture. Fourth Love refers to a loving relationship between couples of the opposite sex where the woman assumes the traditional male gender role and the man assumes the traditional female gender role, and always accompanied by a special pattern of sexual behavior that women penetrate the men's anus using their fingers or a device. This theoretical article begins by introducing and discussing the historical background, core concept "Fourth Love" and its related categories. Subsequently, we start from Judith Butler's gender performativity theory and interpret the Fourth Love from the perspective of "de-naturalization" and argue that the gender performativity theory provides a reasonable explanation for the gender characteristics (female top and male bottom) of the Fourth Love. Finally, we posit a discussion and outlook on the survival and development of the Fourth Love in the fields of sexual health, sexual pleasure, sexual right, and family and marriage, and calls for more understanding and psychological support from the society for them.