Current-use pesticides monitoring and ecological risk assessment in vegetable soils at the provincial scale.

Pesticides represent one of the largest intentional inputs of potentially hazardous compounds into agricultural soils. However, as an important vegetable producing country, surveys on pesticide residues in soils of vegetable production areas are scarce in China. This study presented the occurrence, spatial distribution, correlation between vegetable types and pesticides, and ecological risk evaluation of 94 current-use pesticides in 184 soil samples from vegetable production areas of Zhejiang province (China). The ecological risks of pesticides to soil biota were evaluated with toxicity exposure ratios (TERs) and risk quotient (RQ). The pesticide concentrations varied largely from below the limit of quantification to 20703.06 µg/kg (chlorpyrifos). The situation of pesticide residues in Jiaxing is more serious than in other cities. Soils in the vegetable areas are highly diverse in pesticide combinations. Eisenia fetida suffered exposure risk from multiple pesticides. The risk posed by chlorpyrifos, which exhibited the highest RQs at all scenarios, was worrisome. Only a few pesticides accounted for the overall risk of a city, while the other pesticides make little or zero contribution. This work will guide the appropriate use of pesticides and manage soil ecological risks, achieving green agricultural production.

Spatio-temporal distribution of organochlorine pesticides in agricultural soils of southeast China during 2014-2019.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are organic pollutants that are persistent and undegradable in the environment. To investigate their residual concentrations, spatial and temporal distributions, and the relationship with the crops planted, 12 individual OCPs in 687 soil samples from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces of southeast China were examined. The detection frequencies of OCPs in the studied areas were 1.89%-64.9%. The concentrations of dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and endosulfans ranged from 0.01 to 5659 µg/kg, 0.03-3.58 µg/kg, and 0.05-3235 µg/kg, respectively. Jiangsu was mainly contaminated by p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD and endosulfan sulfate, Zhejiang was more polluted by OCPs except δ-HCH, and Jiangxi was more vulnerable to the contamination of OCPs except o,p'-DDE. The partial least-squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) model with RX2 36.3-36.8% revealed that compounds with similar chemical properties tended to appear in the same year and month. All crop lands were polluted by DDTs and Endosulfans. The highest concentrations of DDTs and Endosulfans were found in citrus and vegetable fields, respectively. This study offers new insight into the layout and partitioning of OCPs in agricultural land and into insecticide management on public health and ecological safety.

Environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic exhibits negligible impacts on thiacloprid dissipation and enzyme activity in soil.

Microplastics (MPs) as a type of emerging contaminant in the environment have attracted extensive attentions in recent years, and understanding the impacts of MPs on soil biodiversity and functioning are thus increasingly urgent. Nevertheless, few studies were performed to investigate potential effects of MPs on decay of soil organic pollutants in particular pesticides and enzyme activities. Herein, three types of MPs including polystyrene fragments (PS-50) and polyvinyl chloride beads (PVC-42000 and PVC-10) were added to soil at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.2 and 1.0%) to study their impacts on dissipation of thiacloprid and activities of urease, acid phosphatase, invertase and catalase. MPs exhibited negligible impacts on thiacloprid dissipation regardless of MPs type and content, being probably attributed to the unaltered bioavailability of thiacloprid in soil even after an addition of MPs, which was documented by using the hydroxypropyl-ß- cyclodextrin (HPCD) extraction method. Batch sorption experiments also exhibited the comparable adsorption capacity of thiacloprid to soil with and without MPs, along with Kf valuses of 3.44-3.77. Besides, MPs exerted negligible effects on enzyme activities of soil. Taken together, this study showed negligible impacts of MPs at environmentally relevant concentrations on thiacloprid dissipation and enzyme activity, expanding our knowledge on impacts of MPs at the environmentally relevant concentrations on pesticide dissipation in soil.

Upregulation of long noncoding RNA SNHG20 promotes cell growth and metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via modulating ATM-JAK-PD-L1 pathway.

Increasing evidence have proved that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play significant roles in tumorigenesis and development of various cancers. However, the effect of small nucleolar RNA host gene 20 (SNHG20) on the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains to be discovered. Herein, we aim to find out the function and the possible mechanism of SNHG20 in ESCC progression. In our study, we demonstrate that SNHG20 is markedly upregulated in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Besides, the level of SNHG20 is closely associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and tumor grade. In addition, SNHG20 level is an independent predictor for clinical outcomes of ESCC patients. Then the gain- and loss-of-function assays reveal that SNHG20 overexpression promotes cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition as well as represses apoptosis, whereas depletion of SNHG20 exhibits opposite effects. Moreover, we uncover that SNHG20 modulates the expression of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated kinase (p-ATM), p-JAK1/2, and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) in ESCC cells and ATM upregulation restores the suppressive effect of SNHG20 inhibition on ESCC progression. Therefore, we conclude that SNHG20 serves as a carcinogen in ESCC by promoting growth and metastasis via ATM-JAK-PD-L1 pathway, supplying a possibly effective therapeutic target for ESCC.

[Research on distribution and quality suitability division of Desmodium styracifolium].

The research on distribution and quality suitability division of Desmodium styracifolium were formulated by Maxent and ArcGIS model based on the content of schaftoside and polysaccharide of D. styracifolium and its field research in the south and southwest areas of China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Yunnan), and the most suitable habitats of distribution suitability and quality suitability were screened. The distribution suitability results indicated that average air temperature in April,mean temperature of coldest quarter, soil type, coldness index were found as the four dominant factors contributing to the plant distribution. The quality suitability results indicated that: ①Polysaccharide content and precipitation in April show significant positive correlation;Schaftoside content and mean temperature of April, mean temperature of coldest quarter show significant negative correlation. Schaftoside content shows significant negative correlation with the precipitation in October and November and the sunshine duration in April and May, while there is a significant positive correlation between schaftoside content and precipitation in April and temperature seasonality standard deviation, and a highly significant positive correlation was found between schaftoside content and precipitation in February and March. ②The quality zoning map was drawn depend on general content of polysaccharide and schaftoside as the index of quality. And this research provides scientific location basis for the production regionalization, cultivation bases selection and directive breeding of D. styracifolium.

Insulin upregulates the expression of epithelial sodium channel in vitro and in a mouse model of acute lung injury: role of mTORC2/SGK1 pathway.

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are characterized by proteinaceous pulmonary edema and severe arterial hypoxemia with a mortality of approximately 40%. Stimulation of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) promotes Na(+) transport, a rate-limiting step for pulmonary edema reabsorption. Insulin is known to participate in the ion transport; however, its role in pulmonary edema clearance and the regulatory mechanism involved have not been fully elucidated. In the current study, in a lipopolysaccharide-based mouse model of ALI, we found that insulin alleviated pulmonary edema by promoting ENaC-mediated alveolar fluid clearance through serum and glucocorticoid induced kinase-1 (SGK1). In alveolar epithelial cells, insulin increased the expression of α-, ß-, and γ-ENaC, which was blocked by the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) inhibitor or knockdown of Rictor (a necessary component of mTORC2), and SGK1 inhibitor, respectively. In addition, an immunoprecipitation study demonstrated that SGK1(Ser422) phosphorylation, the key step for complete SGK1 activation by insulin, was conducted through PI3K/mTORC2 pathway. Finally, we testified the role of mTORC2 in vivo by demonstrating that PP242 prevented insulin-stimulated SGK1 activation and ENaC increase during ALI. The data revealed that during ALI, insulin stimulates alveolar fluid clearance by upregulating the expression of α-, ß-, and γ-ENaC at the cell surface, which was, at least, partially through activating mTROC2/SGK1 signaling pathway.

[Effects of storage time on quality of Desmodium styracifolium seeds].

The dynamic changes of germination percentage, germination potential, thousand-seed weight, antioxidase activity in Desmodium styracifolium seeds with different storage time were tested, and electrical conductivity, contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein, starch in seed leach liquor were also determined in order to reveal the mechanism of seed deterioration. The results as the following. (1) The germination percentage, germination potential and thousand-seed weight of D. styracifolium seeds declined, while the seed coat color darkened with the extension of storage time. (2) The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) decreased with the prolongation of storage period. The SOD activity declined fastest in 1,095-1,185 d of storage, while the POD activity declined significantly in 365-395 d of storage. (3) The electrical conductivity and the contents of soluble sugar, starch in seed leach liquor increased, while the content of soluble protein declined with the extension of storage time. (4) Correlation analysis indicated that the germination percentage, germination potential and thousand-seed weight of D. styracifolium seeds have a significantly positive correlation with SOD and POD activity, while have a significantly negative correlation with the electrical conductivity, contents of soluble sugar and starch. It can be concluded that during the storage of D. styracifolium seeds, physiological and biochemical changes including decrease in antioxidase activity, rise in electrical conductivity, degradation effluent of soluble sugar and starch, degradation of soluble protein were the main factors leading to the seed deterioration.

[De novo sequencing and analysis of root transcriptome to reveal regulation of gene expression by moderate drought stress in Glycyrrhiza uralensis].

Moderate drought stress has been found to promote the accumulation of active ingredients in Glycyrrhiza uralensis root and hence improve the medicinal quality. In this study, the transcriptomes of 6-month-old moderate drought stressed and control G. uralensis root (the relative water content in soil was 40%-45% and 70%-75%, respectively) were sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 2000. A total of 80,490 490 and 82 588 278 clean reads, 94,828 and 305,100 unigenes with N50 sequence of 1,007 and 1,125 nt were obtained in drought treated and control transcriptome, respectively. Differentially expressed genes analysis revealed that the genes of some cell wall enzymes such as ß-xylosidase, legumain and GDP-L-fucose synthase were down-regulated indicating that moderate drought stress might inhibit the primary cell wall degradation and programmed cell death in root cells. The genes of some key enzymes involved in terpenoid and flavonoid biosynthesis were up-regulated by moderate drought stress might be the reason for the enhancement for the active ingredients accumulation in G. uralensis root. The promotion of the biosynthesis and signal transduction of auxin, ethylene and cytokinins by moderate drought stress might enhance the root formation and cell proliferation. The promotion of the biosynthesis and signal transduction of abscisic acid and jasmonic acid by moderate drought stress might enhance the drought stress tolerance in G. uralensis. The inhibition of the biosynthesis and signal transduction of gibberellin and brassinolide by moderate drought stress might retard the shoot growth in G. uralensis.

Isolation and characterization of pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene-degrading Klebsiella pneumonia PL1 and its potential use in bioremediation.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are hard to degrade, are the main pollutants in the environment. Degradation of PAHs in the environment is becoming more necessary and urgent. In the current study, strain PL1 with degradation capability of pyrene (PYR) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was isolated from soil and identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae by morphological and physiological characteristics as well as 16S rDNA sequence. With the presence of 20 mg L⁻¹ PYR and 10 mg L⁻¹ BaP in solution, the strain PL1 could degrade 63.4 % of PYR and 55.8 % of BaP in 10 days, respectively. The order of biodegradation of strain PL1 was pH 7.0 > pH 8.0 > pH 10.0 > pH 6.0 > pH 5.0. Strain PL1 degradation ability varied in different soil. The half-life of PYR in soil was respectively 16.9, 24.9, and 88.9 days in paddy soil, red soil, and fluvo-aquic soil by PL1 degradation; however, the half-lives of BaP were respectively 9.5, 9.5, and 34.0 days in paddy soil, red soil, and fluvo-aquic soil by PL1 degradation. The results demonstrate that the degradation capability on PYR and BaP by PL1 in paddy soil was relatively good, and K. pneumoniae PL1 was the new degradation bacterium of PYR and BaP. K. pneumoniae PL1 has potential application in PAH bioremediation.

Serum level of eight cytokines in Han Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus using multiplex fluorescent microsphere method.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the role of 8 cytokines and their correlation with clinical characteristics in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Han Chinese population by detecting their serum levels using the multiplex fluorescent microsphere method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Serum was separated from 79 patients with SLE and 40 healthy controls. The serum cytokine detection was conducted according to the instruction of MILLIPLEX MAP human cytokine detection kit on the Luminex liquid phase array platform with 0.01 pg/ml detectable level. The 8 cytokines were interferon α2 (IFN-α2), IFN-γ, interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-17. Variable data were in skewed distribution and were expressed with median (P25, P75). Mann-Whitney analysis was used in statistical analysis. RESULTS: At the baseline level without any stimulus, the level of IP-10 expression was the highest among the 8 cytokines and the second highest was IL-8. The level of IL-17 was too low to be detected. The level of 7 cytokines was higher in SLE patients than in healthy controls (p < 0.01). The level of dsDNA antibody, C3, CRP, ESR and anti-nucleosome antibody was correlated with IL-10. Proteinuria was not correlated with any cytokine. CONCLUSIONS: Eight cytokines were measured in our study, while not all of them were detected. The most important finding was the usefulness of IL-10 as a disease activity biomarker for Han Chinese patient with SLE. None of cytokines reflected kidney injury.

A risk entropy approach for linking pesticides and soil bacterial communities.

Pesticides play a vital role in ensuring modern agricultural production, but also adversely affecting soil health. Microorganisms are the cornerstone of soil ecology, however, to date, there are few unified standards to measure the risk of soil pesticide residues to soil microbial community. To compensate for this gap, we collected soil samples from 55 orchards and monitored and risk-assessed 165 pesticides to microbial community in the soil. Results showed that a total of 137 pesticides were detected in all samples. Pesticide residues significantly influenced the microbial diversity and community structure in orchard soils, particularly fungicides and herbicides. The risk entropy of each pesticide was calculated in all samples and it was found that 60% of the samples had a "pesticide risk" (Risk quotient > 0.01), where the relative abundance significantly increased in 43 genera and significantly decreased in 111 genera (p < 0.05). Through multiple screens, we finally identified Bacillus and Sphingomonas as the most abundant sensitive genera under pesticide perturbation. The results showed that despite the complexity of the effects of pesticide residues on soils health, we could reveal them by identifying changes in soil bacterial, especially by the differences of microbial biomarkers abundance. The present study could provide new insights into the research strategy for pesticide pollution on soil microbial communities. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: The risk of pesticide residues in soil needs to be quantified and standardized. We believe that microorganisms can be used as a marker to indicate soil pesticide residue risk. For this end, we investigated the residues of 165 pesticides in 55 orchard soil samples, calculated pesticide risk entropy and their effects on the soil microbial community. Through multiple analyzing and screening, we ultimately identified that, out of the 154 detected biomarkers, Bacillus and Sphingomonas were the most abundant sensitive genera under pesticide perturbation, which have the potential to be used as key biomarkers of soil microbiomes induced by pesticide perturbation.

Blood miRNAs as Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Investigate the efficacy of blood microRNAs (miRNAs) as diagnostic biomarkers for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Patients and Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search in English and Chinese databases, selecting studies based on predetermined criteria. Diagnostic parameters like summarized sensitivity (SSEN), summarized specificity (SSPE), summarized positive likelihood ratio (SPLR), summarized negative likelihood ratio (SNLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) of the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were analyzed using a bivariate model. Each parameter was accompanied by a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Eighteen high-quality studies were included. For diagnosing COPD with blood miRNAs, the SSEN was 0.83 (95% CI 0.76-0.89), SSPE 0.76 (95% CI 0.70-0.82), SPLR 3.50 (95% CI 2.66-4.60), SNLR 0.22 (95% CI 0.15-0.33), DOR 15.72 (95% CI 8.58-28.77), and AUC 0.86 (95% CI 0.82-0.88). In acute exacerbations, SSEN was 0.85 (95% CI 0.76-0.91), SSPE 0.80 (95% CI 0.73-0.86), SPLR 4.26 (95% CI 3.05-5.95), SNLR 0.19 (95% CI 0.12-0.30), DOR 22.29 (95% CI 11.47-43.33), and AUC 0.89 (95% CI 0.86-0.91). Conclusion: Blood miRNAs demonstrate significant accuracy in diagnosing COPD, both in general and during acute exacerbations, suggesting their potential as reliable biomarkers.

Clinical features, polysomnography, and genetics association study of restless legs syndrome in clinic based Chinese patients: A multicenter observational study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To systemically describe the clinical features, polysomnography (PSG) finding, laboratory tests and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a clinic based Chinese primary restless legs syndrome (RLS) population. METHODS: This observational study, conducted from January 2020 to October 2021 across 22 sleep labs in China, recruited 771 patients diagnosed with RLS following the 2014 RLSSG criteria. Clinical data, PSG testing, and laboratory examination and SNPs of patients with RLS were collected. A total of 32 SNPs in 24 loci were replicated using the Asian Screening Array chip, employing data from the Han Chinese Genomes Initiative as controls. RESULTS: In this study with 771 RLS patients, 645 had primary RLS, and 617 has DNA available for SNP study. Among the 645 primary RLS, 59.7% were women. 33% had a family history of RLS, with stronger familial influence in early-onset cases. Clinical evaluations showed 10.4% had discomfort in body parts other than legs. PSG showed that 57.1% of RLS patients had periodic leg movement index (PLMI) of >5/h and 39.1% had PLMI >15/h, respectively; 73.8% of RLS patients had an Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) > 5/h, and 45.3% had an AHI >15/h. The laboratory examinations revealed serum ferritin levels <75 ng/ml in 31.6%, and transferrin saturation (TSAT) of <45% in 88.7% of RLS patients. Seven new SNPs in 5 genes showed a significant allelic association with Chinese primary RLS, with one previously reported (BTBD9) and four new findings (TOX3, PRMT6, DCDC2C, NOS1). CONCLUSIONS: Chinese RLS patients has specific characters in many aspects. A high family history with RLS not only indicates strong genetic influence, but also reminds us to consider the familial effect in the epidemiological study. Newly developed sequencing technique with large samples remains to be done.

Degradation of rizazole in water-sediment systems.

This study investigated the degradation of rizazole in water-sediment systems (West Lake system, WL; Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal system, BG) with two different types of sediments under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The half-lives of rizazole in the WL water phase (14.59-15.13 d) were similar to those in the BG water phase (15.90-16.46 d). Within 3-7 d, the rizazole concentration in the sediments reached the maximum values, i.e., equilibrium. Rizazole dissipation was faster in the WL sediment phase with higher organic matter content (T(1/2) = 18.99-19.09 d) compared with the BG sediment phase (T(1/2) = 31.08-33.32 d). Rizazole degradation was slightly faster in the West Lake water-sediment system (WL system) (T(1/2) = 17.11-18.05 d) than in the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal water-sediment system (BG system) (T(1/2) = 20.51-25.02 d). The aerobic degradation of rizazole was similar to its anaerobic degradation in the water-sediment system. The findings are useful to understand the behavior of pesticide in environment.

[Analysis of quality variation and genetic diversity of Desmodium styracifolium from different provenances].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the quality variation and genetic diversity of Desmodium styracifolium from different provenances, and lay a foundation for rational exploitation on germplasm resources and fine variety breeding of D. styracifolium. METHOD: Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were developed to analyze genetic diversity in D. styracifolium from 18 resources. NTSYSpc-2. 11F software was used to analyze the similarity among the D. styracifolium germplasms and construct the genetic phylogenetic tree. The schaftoside content in D. styracifolium from different provenances was determined by HPLC. RESULT: A total of 844 fragments were amplified with 8 primers, in which 717 were polymorphic bands, accounting for 84. 27% of the total detected variation. All the specimens from 18 resources could be grouped into 3 clusters by cluster analysis. The schaftoside contents of D. styracifolium germplasms differed significantly, with the highest content in the germplasm from Sanya, Hainan. CONCLUSION: Significant quality variation and genetic diversity can be observed among D. styracifolium germplasms. The diverse germplasm resources should be explored and the fine variety should be selected to breed.

Genetic Polymorphism of Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 Influences Susceptibility to Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Chinese Population.

Purpose: This paper aims to study the relationship between lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) by detecting Lp-PLA2 level and its gene polymorphism. Patients and Methods: From January to June 2022, 82 GDM patients treated in our hospital were included as an experimental group, and 89 healthy pregnant women during the same period were selected as the control group. Lp-PLA2 concentration and TG, TC, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels were tested with specialized instruments in clinical laboratories. The PLA2G7 gene polymorphisms (rs1805017, rs1805018, and rs76863441) were detected by fluorescent probe method and sequencing. Results: Lp-PLA2 concentration was significantly higher in GDM group than control group (P<0.05). Among three polymorphism loci of PLA2G7 gene (rs1805017, rs1805018, and rs76863441) the significant associations were only found in GT genotype of rs76863441 loci (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pregnant women with high levels of Lp-PLA2 concentration are more likely to develop GDM, especially those with PLA2G7 rs76863441 polymorphism. Lp-PLA2 concentration and PLA2G7 rs1805017 polymorphism may be a novel marker for GDM diagnosis and prediction.

Preparation of garlic stem cellulose nanocrystal/leaf extract/chitosan film for black garlic preservation by electrostatic spraying.

In this study, a novel active chitosan (CH) packaging film that incorporates garlic leaf extract (GL) and stem cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) was prepared. The addition of CNC to the CH film increased its tensile strength, hydrophilicity, thermal stability, and water/oxygen barrier and decreased its water contact angle and weight-loss rate, while the addition of GL greatly enhanced its antioxidant and antibacterial activities. SEM and AFM analyses showed that the CNC agglomerates and deposits in the lower layer and the surface roughness of the film was the highest at 1.2 % concentration. The optimal composition of the film was determined to be 0.8 % CNC and 4 % GL by the fuzzy mathematics evaluation method. Then, black garlic was preserved with the optimized coating by electrostatic spraying and was found to slow water loss and migration, while its excellent antioxidant activities decreased the degree of browning during 90 d of storage.

[Cloning and expression regulation of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase cDNA from Alpinia officinarum].

The rhizome of Alpinia officinarum is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine. The essential oil in A. officinarum rhizome is mainly composed of 1, 8-cineole and other monoterpenes, as the major bioactive ingredients. In plants, monoterpenes are synthesized through the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway in the plastids, and 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) is an enzyme catalyzing a committed step of the MEP pathway. In the present study, the full-length cDNA encoding DXR was cloned from the rhizome of A. officinarum, using homology-based RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques. The new cDNA was designated as AoDXR and submitted to GenBank to be assigned with an accession number HQ874658. The full-length cDNA of AoDXR was 1 670 bp containing a 1 419 bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 472 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 51.48 kDa and an isoelectric point of 6.15. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that AoDXR showed extensive homology with DXRs from other plant species and contained a conserved plastids transit peptide, a Pro-rich region and two highly conserved NADPH-binding motifs in its N-terminal region characterized by all plant DXRs. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that AoDXR belonged to angiosperm DXRs. The structural modeling of AoDXR showed that AoDXR had the typical V-shaped structure of DXR proteins. The tissue expression pattern analysis indicated that AoDXR expressed strongly in leaves, weak in rhizomes of A. officinarum. Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) could enhance the expression of AoDXR and the production of 1, 8-cineole in A. officinarum rhizomes. The cloning and characterization of AoDXR will be helpful to reveal the molecular regulation mechanism of monoterpene biosynthesis in A. officinarum and provides a candidate gene for metabolic engineering in improving the medicinal quality of A. officinarum rhizome.

Encapsulation of Imazalil in HKUST-1 with Versatile Antimicrobial Activity.

Based on high surface areas, adjustable porosity and microbicide activity, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) HKUST-1 are widely used as drug release carriers for their slow degradation characteristics under slightly acidic conditions. In this work, porous HKUST-1 was reacted rapidly by cholinium salt (as the deprotonation agent and template) in an aqueous solution at room temperature. A novel antimicrobial system based on an imazalil encapsulated metal organic framework (imazalil IL-3@HKUST-1) was established. Imazalil IL-3@HKUST-1 could achieve synergism in inhibiting pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Moreover, six days after treatment, the slow and constant release of imazalil from imazalil IL@HKUST-1 exhibited better sustainability and microbicidal activity than imazalil. We believe that the method may provide a new strategy for related plant diseases caused by bacteria or fungi.

Odorant-Binding Protein 3-Oriented Rational Design and Discovery of Novel Jasmonate Derivatives as Potential Aphid-Repellent Agents.

Odorant-binding protein (OBP) is a potential target for developing insect behavior control agents due to its properties in transporting semiochemicals. In this study, 12 novel jasmonic acid (JA) derivatives were rationally designed and synthesized based on the binding features between Acyrthosiphon pisum OBP3 (ApisOBP3) and compound D1 [(E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-yl 2-(3-oxo-2-pentylcyclopentyl)acetate] with a binding affinity (Kd) of 26.79 µM. Most novel JA derivatives displayed better binding affinities than D1 (Kd = 1-26 µM). Among them, compound 6b [(E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-yl-2-((Z)-3-((acryloyloxy)imino)-2-pentylcyclopentyl)acetate] is the most promising compound with an excellent Kd of 1.33 µM and a significant repellent activity with repellent rates of 50-60% against A. pisum and Myzus persicae. Both hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions were found to contribute significantly to the binding of 6b to ApisOBP3. This study provides significant guidance for the rational design and efficient identification of novel aphid repellents based on aphid OBPs.