Rapid Identification by Resequencing-Based QTL Mapping of a Novel Allele RGA1-FH Decreasing Grain Length in a Rice Restorer Line 'Fuhui212'.

Grain size is one of the most frequently selected traits during domestication and modern breeding. The continued discovery and characterization of new genes and alleles in controlling grain size are important in safeguarding the food supply for the world's growing population. Previously, a small grain size was observed in a rice restorer line 'Fuhui212', while the underlying genetic factors controlling this trait were unknown. In this study, by combining QTL mapping, variant effect prediction, and complementation experiments, we recovered a novel allele RGA1-FH that explains most of the phenotypic changes. The RGA1-FH allele contains an A-to-T splicing site variant that disrupts the normal function of RGA1. While population analysis suggests extremely strong artificial selection in maintaining a functional allele of RGA1, our study is the first, to the best of our knowledge, to prove that a dysfunctional RGA1 allele can also be beneficial in real agricultural production. Future breeding programs would benefit from paying more attention to the rational utilization of those overlooked 'unfavored' alleles.

Ancient rapid functional differentiation and fixation of the duplicated members in rice Dof genes after whole genome duplication.

Whole genome duplication (WGD) in plants is typically followed by genomic downsizing, where large portions of the new genome are lost. Whether this downsizing is accompanied by increased or decreased evolutionary rates of the remaining genes is poorly known, not least because homeolog pairings are often obscured by chromosomal rearrangement. Here, we use the newly published genome from a sedge, namely Kobresia littledalei, and CRISPR/Cas-9 editing to investigate how the Rho WGD event 70 million years ago (MYA) affected transcription factor evolutionary rates, fates, and function in rice (Oryza sativa) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). We focus on the 30-member DNA-binding with one zinc finger (Dof) transcription factor family in both crops due to their agronomic importance. Using the known speciation dates of rice from Kobresia (97 MYA) and sorghum (50 MYA), we find that rates of amino acid substitution in the critical Dof domain region were over twofold higher during the 20-million-year period following the WGD than before or afterward. Through comparison of synteny blocks, we report that at least 11% of Dof genes were purged from 70 to 50 MYA, while only 6% have been lost in the most recent 50-million-year interval. CRISPR/Cas9 editing revealed widespread fitness-related defects in flowering and lack of redundancy of paired members, as well as significant differences in expression between gene pairs. Together these findings demonstrate the strength of Dof genes as a model for deep evolutionary study and offer one of the most detailed portraits yet of the Rho WGD impact on a gene lineage.

Comparative transcriptome analysis provides insight into the molecular mechanisms of long-day photoperiod in Moringa oleifera.

Moringa oleifera, is commonly cultivated as a vegetable in tropical and subtropical regions because of nutritional and medicinal benefits of its fruits, immature pods, leaves, and flowers. Flowering at the right time is one of the important traits for crop yield in M.oleifera. Under normal conditions, photoperiod is one of the key factors in determining when plant flower. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of a long-day photoperiod on Moringa is not clearly understood. In the present study, deep RNA sequencing and sugar metabolome were conducted of Moringa leaves under long-day photoperiod. As a result, differentially expressed genes were significantly associated with starch and sucrose pathway and the circadian rhythm-plant pathway. In starch and sucrose pathway, sucrose, fructose, trehalose, glucose, and maltose exhibited pronounced rhythmicity over 24 h, and TPS (trehalose-6-phosphate synthase) genes constituted key regulatory genes. In an Arabidopsis overexpression line hosting the MoTPS1 or MoTPS2 genes, flowering occurred earlier under a short-day photoperiod. These results will support molecular breeding of Moringa and may help clarify to genetic architecture of long-day photoperiod related traits. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01186-4.

Zhaoshumycins A and B, Two Unprecedented Antimycin-Type Depsipeptides Produced by the Marine-Derived Streptomyces sp. ITBB-ZKa6.

Marine actinomycetes are prolific chemical sources of complex and novel natural products, providing an excellent chance for new drug discovery. The chemical investigation of the marine-derived Streptomyces sp. ITBB-ZKa6, from Zhaoshu island, Hainan, led to the discovery of two unique antimycin-type depsipeptides, zhaoshumycins A (1) and B (2), along with the isolation of the four known neoantimycins A (3), F (4), D (5), and E (6). The structures of the new compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of the analysis of diverse spectroscopic data and biogenetic consideration. Zhaoshumycins A (1) and B (2) represent a new class of depsipeptides, featuring two neoantimycin monomers (only neoantimycin D or neoantimycins D and E) linked to a 1,4-disubstituted benzene ring via an imino group. Initial toxicity tests of 1-6 in MCF7 human breast cancer cells revealed that compounds 5 and 6 possess weak cytotoxic activity. Further structure-activity relationship analysis suggested the importance of the NH2 group at C-34 in 5 and 6 for cytotoxicity in MCF7 cells.

Hierarchical Colloidal Polymeric Structure from Surfactant-Like Amphiphiles in Selective Solvents.

We investigated the self-assembly of surfactant-like amphiphiles consisting of a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail using the dissipative particle dynamics method. By controlling the interaction parameter between the hydrophilic head and the solvent, the length of the hydrophobic tail, the size of the hydrophilic head, and the polymer concentration, we found seven self-assembled morphologies, including spherelike micelles, pomegranate-like micelles, hierarchical colloidal polymeric (HCP) structures, pomegranate-like columnar structures, branched hybrid structures, disklike micelles, and vesicles. Importantly, the HCP structure widely existing in this system has a regular two-component alternating structure and prospective application in soft-matter nanotechnology. The formation process and the structural properties of the HCP structure are intensively studied. The dimension of the HCP structure is largely controlled by the hydrophobic tail and the polymer concentration.

Hierarchical nanostructures of diblock copolymer thin films directed by a saw-toothed substrate.

An extensive and systematic calculation was performed to explore hierarchical cylindrical structures and the order-to-order transitions of AB diblock copolymers (f(A) = 0.3) on a saw-toothed substrate using self-consistent mean-field theory. We obtained fifteen relatively simple morphologies, including the existing morphologies observed experimentally and from simulations, and five more complicated structures, by varying the lateral periodicity of the substrate, the film thickness of diblock copolymers, the interaction between the A-block and the substrate and the tilt angles (or the shape) of the substrate. These structures show that the orientation and number of layers of cylinders can be tailored. Even lamellae and spherical microdomains were observed. Most interestingly, hierarchical structures are also observed, such as the morphology of C(ab)(//) within the upper cylinder perpendicular to the bottom cylinder, SC(b)(//) morphology that the upper is a cylinder but the bottom is a sphere. In addition, we discussed these complex hierarchical structures in detail and have analyzed the order-to-order transitions between the cylindrical morphologies with distinct orientations and layers.

Controlling the localization of nanoparticles in assemblies of amphiphilic diblock copolymers.

We performed a dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) approach to study the self-assembly of AB diblock copolymer tethered nanoparticles (P) in dilute solutions. Different morphological aggregates, including spherical micelles, vesicles, disk-like micelles and rod-like micelles, were found by varying the interaction between block copolymers and nanoparticles. Most importantly, the nanoparticles can selectively localize in the different domains within the aggregates. When the repulsive interaction between block copolymers and nanoparticles aPA = aPB = 25, the nanoparticles are evenly distributed within the spherical micelles. While aPA or aPB increases, the nanoparticles gradually aggregate and separate from copolymers and then localize in the central portion of vesicular wall or disk-like and rod-like micelles. The degree of stretching of the tethered copolymer chains gradually grows with the increase of aPA or aPB, while the degree of stretching of solvophobic block B decreases when the morphologies change from spherical to disk-like micelles and further to rod-like micelles. This work illustrates that tuning the miscibility of copolymers and nanoparticles could be used to project the selective localization of nanoparticles within the aggregates self-assembled by diblock copolymer tethered nanoparticles in dilute solutions.

Eco-friendly managements and molecular mechanisms for improving postharvest quality and extending shelf life of kiwifruit: A review.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) is a commercially important horticultural fruit crop worldwide. Kiwifruit contains numerous minerals, vitamins, and dietary phytochemicals, that not only responsible for the flavor but can also serve as adjuncts in the treatment of diabetes, digestive disorders, cardiovascular system, cancer and heart disease. However, fruit quality and shelf life affect consumer's acceptance and production chain. Understanding the methods of fruit storage preservation, as well as their biochemical, physiological, and molecular basis is essential. In recent years, eco-friendly (comprehensive and environmentally friendly) treatments such as hot water, ozone, chitosan, quercetin, and antifungal additive from biocontrol bacteria or yeast have been applied to improve postharvest fruit quality with longer shelf life. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in control measures, applications, and mechanisms related to water loss, chilling injury, and pathogen diseases in postharvest kiwifruit. Further studies should utilize genome editing techniques to enhance postharvest fruit quality and disease resistance through site-directed bio-manipulation of the kiwifruit genome.

Formation and structural characteristics of thermosensitive multiblock copolymer vesicles.

The spontaneous vesicle formation of ABABA-type amphiphilic multiblock copolymers bearing thermosensitive hydrophilic A-block in a selective solvent is studied using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) approach. The formation process of vesicle through nucleation and growth pathway is observed by varying the temperature. The simulation results show that spherical micelle takes shape at high temperature. As temperature decreases, vesicles with small aqueous cavity appear and the cavity expands as well as the membrane thickness decreases with the temperature further decreasing. This finding is in agreement with the experimental observation. Furthermore, by continuously varying the temperature and the length of the hydrophobic block, a phase diagram is constructed, which can indicate the thermodynamically stable region for vesicles. The morphological phase diagram shows that vesicles can form in a larger parameter scope. The relationship between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic block length versus the aqueous cavity size and vesicle size are revealed. Simulation results demonstrate that the copolymers with shorter hydrophobic blocks length or the higher hydrophilicity are more likely to form vesicles with larger aqueous cavity size and vesicle size as well as thinner wall thickness. However, the increase in A-block length results to form vesicles with smaller aqueous cavity size and larger vesicle size.

Resident Immune Cells of the Liver in the Tumor Microenvironment.

The liver is a central immunomodulator that ensures a homeostatic balance between protection and immunotolerance. A hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the deregulation of this tightly controlled immunological network. Immune response in the liver involves a complex interplay between resident innate, innate, and adaptive immune cells. The immune response in the liver is modulated by its continuous exposure to toxic molecules and microorganisms that requires a degree of immune tolerance to protect normal tissue from damage. In HCC pathogenesis, immune cells must balance a dual role that includes the elimination of malignant cells, as well as the repair of damaged liver tissue to maintain homeostasis. Immune response in the innate and adaptive immune systems extends to the cross-talk and interaction involving immune-regulating non-hematopoietic cells, myeloid immune cells, and lymphoid immune cells. In this review, we discuss the different immune responses of resident immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Current FDA-approved targeted therapies, including immunotherapy options, have produced modest results to date for the treatment of advanced HCC. Although immunotherapy therapy to date has demonstrated its potential efficacy, immune cell pathways need to be better understood. In this review article, we summarize the roles of specific resident immune cell subsets and their cross-talk subversion in HCC pathogenesis, with a view to identifying potential new biomarkers and therapy options.

Field experiments of different fracturing designs in tight conglomerate oil reservoirs.

Mahu oilfield is currently the largest tight conglomerate reservoir in the world, where Ma-131 and Ma-18 plays are the first two commercially developed reservoirs. In order to reduce the cost and explore the best fracturing parameters, field experiments have been conducted in these two plays since 2017. Types of proppant and fracturing fluid, the slickwater ratio, and the fracture spacing are mainly changed for comparison, and fracturing effects are evaluated to establish a reference for developing neighboring plays in the Mahu oilfield. This paper summarizes the fracturing parameters and production histories of 74 wells in Ma-131 and Ma-18 plays during four years of field operations. Firstly, results indicate that silica sands perform similar to ceramics in the Ma-131 play where the reservoir depth is smaller than 3300 m; however, in the Ma-18 play where the reservoir is deeper than 3500 m, increasing the sand volume by 1.1-1.2 times still cannot reach the production in wells using ceramics. Secondly, when the fracture spacing is reduced, both oil production and water flowback become even smaller in wells using sands than those using ceramics; this is due to the increase of closure pressure and decrease of fluid volume per cluster respectively. Thirdly, when the crosslinked guar is replaced by the slickwater, no obvious change in oil production is noticed even though the volume of fracturing fluid is almost doubled; limited lengths of propped fractures due to the poor proppant-carrying ability of slickwater likely offset the production enhancement from the decrease of formation damage by slickwater. This paper summarizes learnings from the field experiments during the four-year development of the Mahu oilfield, and help guide the optimization of hydraulic fracturing parameters for future wells.

catena-Poly[[chlorido(1,10-phenanthro-line)copper(II)]-µ-{2-[(1S,3S)-3-acetyl-2,2-dimethyl-cyclo-but-yl]acetato}].

The title compound, [Cu(C(10)H(15)O(3))Cl(C(12)H(8)N(2))](n), is a one-dimensional coordination polymer. The Cu(II) atom is coordin-ated by a chloride ion, two N atoms from the 1,10-phenanthroline ligand, and a monodentate carboxyl-ate O atom from the pinononate anion, forming a CuN(2)ClO approximate square plane. A symmetry-generated pinononate O atom completes a square-based pyramidal geometry for the copper ion. The bridging 2-(3-acetyl-2,2-dimethyl-cyclo-but-yl)acetate anion leads to chains in the crystal propagating in [001]. Adjacent 1,10-phenanthroline rings form a dihedral angle of 39.4 (2)°.

(2E,5E)-2,5-Difurfurylidenecyclo-penta-none.

In the title mol-ecule, C(15)H(12)O(3), the three five-membered rings are nearly coplanar: the dihedral angles between the cyclopentanone ring and the furan rings are 3.5 (2) and 9.7 (2)°, and the two furan rings form a dihedral angle of 7.2 (2)°. In the crystal structure, weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds help to consolidate the crystal packing.

(2E,6E)-2,6-Difurfurylidenecyclo-hexa-none.

The complete mol-ecule of the title compound, C(16)H(14)O(3), is generated by crystallographic mirror symmetry, with two C atoms and one O atom lying on the mirror plane. The mol-ecule adopts an E configuration about the C=C bond and the dihedral angle between the furan rings is 16.1 (2)°.

Chlorido(5-formyl-2-hydroxy-phenyl-κC)mercury(II).

In the planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.027 Å) title compound, [Hg(C(7)H(5)O(2))Cl], the Hg(II) atom shows a typical linear coordination by a C atom of the benzene ring and a Cl atom. Inter-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds are present in the crystal structure, resulting in chains propagating along the b axis. The crystal studied was a non-merohedral twin, with a twin ratio of 0.802 (2):0.198 (2).

Sodium (1R,2S,5S)-2-hydr-oxy-6,6-dimethyl-bicyclo-[3.1.1]heptane-2-carboxyl-ate penta-hydrate.

In the title compound, Na(+)·C(10)H(15)O(3) (-)·5H(2)O, the vertices of a distorted octa-hedron centred on the Na(+) cation are defined by six O atoms of water mol-ecules. The edge-sharing Na(H(2)O)(6) octa-hedra form a chain extended along the b-axis direction with adjacent Na(+) cations related by a twofold screw symmetry operation. The organic anion, which is not in close contact with the Na(+ )cation, is hydrogen-bonded to an uncoordinated water mol-ecule and to water mol-ecules of the Na(H(2)O)(6) octa-hedra.