Comprehensive analysis of WOX transcription factors provide insight into genes related to the regulation of unisexual flowers development in Akebia trifoliata.

Akebia trifoliata is a fascinating economic and medicinal plant that produces functionally unisexual flowers due to stamen/pistil abortion during flower development, and the genetic regulation pathway of this process remain completely unknown. Here, 10 AktWOXs were identified for the first time, all contained a highly conserved homeodomain. AktWOXs were divided into three clades, each with the same or similar intron, exon, and motifs distribution. Many cis-elements related to stress response, growth and development, and hormone response were found in the AktWOXs promoter region. In addition, four candidate genes AktWOX8, AktWOX11, AktWOX13.2 and AktWUS that might be involved in unisexual flowers development were screened, all of which were located in the nucleus and showed transcriptional activation activity. Yeast one-hybrid showed that both AktKNU and AktAG1, the potential core transcription factors in the activity termination pathway of flower meristem stem cells, could bind to the promoter region of AktWUS. Dual-luciferase assay further confirmed that only AktKNU inhibited the expression of AktWUS. Collectively, this study revealed the mechanism of AktWUS that might affect the formation of unisexual flowers by regulating the timely termination of flower meristem in A. trifoliata.

New Insights into the N2O formation mechanism over Pt-BaO/Al2O3 model catalysts using H2 as a reductant.

The N2O formation mechanism was investigated over a Pt-BaO/Al2O3 catalyst applied on light-duty diesel vehicles using H2 as a reductant in the absence and presence of H2O. In the absence of H2O, N2O forms mainly at the initial phase of lean NOx trapping; while in the presence of H2O, N2O appears mainly at the beginning of the rich reduction phase. In the lean period, N2O is formed via the gaseous NO/O2 reacting with the adsorbed H and NH3 that are formed during the previous rich period. The N2O formation in the rich period is insignificant in the absence of H2O but is greatly enhanced by the presence of H2O. The amount of N2O formed is proportional to the H2O level in the feed, and its formation is favored at low temperatures. Our FTIR data show that H2O enhances the rate of nitrite/nitrate reduction during the rich regeneration, which increases the amount of released NOx, an oxygen source for N2O formation. Our temperature-programmed experiments indicate that H2O competes with NH3 for adsorption sites on Pt surface. This competitive adsorption may increase the NH3 desorption rate at low temperatures in the rich phase and make Pt surface more accessible to NO.