Combined Strategies Enable Highly Selective Light Olefins and para-Xylene Production on Single Catalyst Bed.

Achieving multiple high-value-added chemical production through novel reaction processes and shape-selective catalytic strategy is the key to realizing efficient low-carbon catalytic processes. In this work, a methanol-toluene coreaction system was developed, and combined control strategies of reaction pathway guidance and shape-selective catalysis were applied for the successful production of light olefins and para-xylene on single HZSM-5 catalyst bed. Cofeeding toluene additionally provides reactive and flowing aromatic hydrocarbon pool species that change the dominant reaction pathway in the complex network of the methanol reaction on HZSM-5 and promote the formation of ethylene. For the first time, the key reaction intermediates methylmethylenecyclodiene are directly captured and identified by experimental and theoretical techniques. This helps to propose the catalytic cycle for the dominant generation of ethylene and, more importantly, enriches the methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) chemistry and hydrocarbon pool mechanism. Furthermore, 0.4HZSM-5@S-1-CLD, an optimized HZSM-5 catalyst modified by the silicalite-1 epitaxial growth followed by silanization approach, realizes highly selective production of light olefins (especially ethylene) and para-xylene, while excellent reactant activity is maintained. This highly efficient coreaction route gives an important leading significance in synthesizing the raw materials for the polyolefin and polyester industries. The establishment of the combined control strategies provides a model for the joint production of multiple target chemicals in complex catalytic processes.

SlNAC3 suppresses cold tolerance in tomatoes by enhancing ethylene biosynthesis.

Low temperature stress poses a significant challenge to the productivity of horticultural crops. The dynamic expression of cold-responsive genes plays a crucial role in plant cold tolerance. While NAC transcription factors have been extensively studied in plant growth and development, their involvement in regulating plant cold tolerance remains poorly understood. In this study, we focused on the identification and characterisation of SlNAC3 as the most rapid and robust responsive gene in tomato under low temperature conditions. Manipulating SlNAC3 through overexpression or silencing resulted in reduced or enhanced cold tolerance, respectively. Surprisingly, we discovered a negative correlation between the expression of CBF and cold tolerance in the SlNAC3 transgenic lines. These findings suggest that SlNAC3 regulates tomato cold tolerance likely through a CBF-independent pathway. Furthermore, we conducted additional investigations to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying SINAC3-mediated cold tolerance in tomatoes. Our results revealed that SlNAC3 controls the transcription of ethylene biosynthetic genes, thereby bursting ethylene release in response to cold stress. Indeed, the silencing of these genes led to an augmentation in cold tolerance. This discovery provides valuable insights into the regulatory pathways involved in ethylene-mediated cold tolerance in tomatoes, offering potential strategies for developing innovative approaches to enhance cold stress resilience in this economically important crop species.

Combined application of myo-inositol and corn steep liquor enhances seedling growth and cold tolerance in cucumber and tomato.

Low temperatures pose a common challenge in the production of cucumbers and tomatoes, hindering plant growth and, in severe cases, leading to plant death. In our investigation, we observed a substantial improvement in the growth of cucumber and tomato seedlings through the application of corn steep liquor (CSL), myo-inositol (MI), and their combinations. When subjected to low-temperature stress, these treatments resulted in heightened levels of photosynthetic pigments, thereby fostering enhanced photosynthesis in both tomato and cucumber plants. Furthermore, it contributed to a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and electrolyte leakage (REP). The effectiveness of the treatment was further validated through the analysis of key gene expressions (CBF1, COR, MIOX4, and MIPS1) in cucumber. Particularly, noteworthy positive outcomes were noted in the treatment involving 0.6 mL L-1 CSL combined with 72 mg L-1 MI. This study provides valuable technical insights into leveraging the synergistic effects of inositol and maize leachate to promote early crop growth and bolster resistance to low temperatures.

Synergetic effects and inhibition mechanisms of the polysaccharide-selenium nanoparticle complex in human hepatocarcinoma cell proliferation.

BACKGROUND: Active components from natural fungal products have shown promising potential as anti-tumor therapeutic agents. In the search for anti-tumor agents, research to overcome the drawbacks of high molecular weight and low bioavailability of pure polysaccharides, polysaccharide-conjugated selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) has attracted much attention. RESULTS: A novel polysaccharide-selenium nanoparticle complex was produced, in which SeNPs were decorated with polysaccharide obtained from fermented mycelia broth of Lactarius deliciosus (FLDP). Transmission electron microscope, dynamic light scattering, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were utilized to characterize the FLDP-SeNPs; and human hepatocarcinoma cell line (HepG2) was used to assess growth inhibition efficacy. The FLDP-SeNPs that were prepared had a spherical shape with the smallest mean diameter of 32 nm. The FLDP-SeNPs showed satisfactory dispersibility and stability after combination, demonstrating that a reliable consolidated structure had formed. The results revealed that FLDP-SeNPs had notable growth inhibition effects on HepG2 cells. They reduced the membrane potential of mitochondria significantly, increased the generation of reactive oxygen species, enhanced levels of both Caspase-3 and Caspase-9, and led to the nucleus in a wrinkled form. CONCLUSION: The FLDP-SeNPs could exert a synergetic toxicity reduction and inhibition enhancement effect on HepG2 cells by inducing early apoptosis, through mitochondria-mediated cytochrome C-Caspases and reactive oxygen species-induced DNA damage pathways. These results indicate that FLDP-SeNP treatment of HepG2 cells induced early apoptosis with synergetic efficacy, showing that FLDP-SeNPs can be useful as natural anti-tumor agents. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Carbon ion radiotherapy with pencil beam scanning for hepatocellular carcinoma: Long-term outcomes from a phase I trial.

This study evaluates the feasibility of the pencil beam scanning technique of carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) in the setting of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and establishes the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) calculated by the Local Effect Model version I (LEM-I) with a dose escalation plan. The escalated relative biological effectiveness-weighted dose levels included 55, 60, 65, and 70 Gy in 10 fractions. Active motion management techniques were employed, and several measures were applied to mitigate the interplay effect induced by a moving target. CIRT was planned with the LEM-I-based treatment planning system and delivered by raster scanning. Offline PET/CT imaging was used to verify the beam range. Offline adaptive replanning was performed whenever required. Twenty-three patients with a median tumor size of 4.3 cm (range, 1.7-8.5 cm) were enrolled in the present study. The median follow-up time was 56.1 months (range, 5.7-74.4 months). No dose limiting toxicity was observed until 70 Gy, and MTD had not been reached. No patients experienced radiation-induced liver disease within 6 months after the completion of CIRT. The overall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 91.3%, 81.9%, and 67.1% after CIRT, respectively. The local progression-free survival and progression-free survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 100%, 94.4%, and 94.4% and 73.6%, 59.2%, and 37.0%, respectively. The raster scanning technique could be used to treat HCC. However, caution should be exercised to mitigate the interplay effect. CIRT up to 70 Gy in 10 fractions over 2 weeks was safe and effective for HCC.

A chaperonin containing T-complex polypeptide-1 facilitates the formation of the PbWoxT1-PbPTB3 ribonucleoprotein complex for long-distance RNA trafficking in Pyrus betulaefolia.

Numerous plant endogenous mRNAs move via phloem and thus affect the growth and development of long-distant organs. mRNAs are transported with RNA-binding proteins forming a ribonucleoprotein complex. However, it remains elusive how such RNP complex assembles and facilitates mRNA trafficking. Protease digestion and RNA immunoprecipitation were used to investigate the RNP assembly function of the complete Chaperonin Containing T-complex Polypeptide-1. In situ hybridization, hairy root transformation, microprojectile bombardment, and grafting experiments demonstrate the role of CCT complex in the transport of a PbWoxT1-PbPTB3 RNP complex in Pyrus betulaefolia. PbCCT5 silenced caused defective movement of GFP-PbPTB3 and GFP-PbWoxT1 from hairy roots to new leaves via the phloem. PbCCT5 is shown to interact with PbPTB3. PbCCT complex enhanced PbPTB3 stabilization and permitted assembly of PbWoxT1 and PbPTB3 into an RNP complex. Furthermore, silencing of individual CCT subunits inhibited the intercellular movement of GFP-PbPTB3 and long-distance trafficking of PbWoxT1 and PbPTB3 in grafted plants. Taken together, the CCT complex assembles PbPTB3 and PbWoxT1 into an RNP complex in the phloem in order to facilitate the long-distance trafficking of PbWoxT1 in P. betulaefolia. This study therefore provides important insights into the mechanism of RNP complex formation and transport.

Effects of additives on the performance of a laser-induced graphene sensor modified with ZrO2 nanoparticles for OP detection.

In this study, a simple and portable electrochemical sensor based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) has been developed to systematically investigate the feasibility of LIG as an electrode to detect organophosphorus pesticides (OPs). It proves that the LIG-based electrode has a relatively high electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and heterogeneous electron transfer (HET) of 0.100 cm2 and 0.000825 cm s-1, respectively. In addition, zirconium dioxide nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) have been modified on the electrode with three different binders, ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD), chitosan (CS) and Nafion, to improve the adsorption capacity of the electrode toward OPs, and the effect of the binders on the performance of the as-fabricated sensor has been investigated in detail. The results show that ß-CD increases not only the electrochemically active surface area of the electrode but also the redox peak current of methyl parathion (MP). To evaluate the sensitivity of the sensor, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) curves have been tested in solutions containing different concentrations of MP using ZrO2-ß-CD/LIG as an electrode, which shows a detection range of 5-200 ng ml-1 and a detection limit of 0.89 ng ml-1. In summary, the LIG-based sensor has a low detection limit, high sensitivity and good interference resistance, and thus has tremendous potential for the detection of pesticides in the environment.

A Laser-Induced Graphene-Based Sensor Modified with CeO2 for Determination of Organophosphorus Pesticides with Improved Performance.

In this work, a flexible electrochemical sensor was developed for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs). To fabricate the sensor, graphene was generated in situ by laser-induced graphene (LIG) technology on a flexible substrate of polyimide (PI) film to form a three-electrode array, and pralidoxime (PAM) chloride was used as the probe molecule. CeO2 was used to modify the working electrode to improve the sensitivity of the sensor because of its electrocatalytic effect on the oxidation of PAM, and the Ag/AgCl reference electrode was prepared by the drop coating method. The effects of the laser power, laser scanning speed, and CeO2 modification on the electrochemical properties of the sensor were studied in detail. The results prove that the sensor has good repeatability, stability, and anti-interference ability, and it shows an excellent linear response in the chlorpyrifos concentration range from 1.4 × 10-8 M to 1.12 × 10-7 M with the detection limit of 7.01 × 10-10 M.

Atomic Insight into the Local Structure and Microenvironment of Isolated Co-Motifs in MFI Zeolite Frameworks for Propane Dehydrogenation.

Embedding metal species into zeolite frameworks can create framework-bond metal sites in a confined microenvironment. The metals sitting in the specific T sites of zeolites and their crystalline surroundings are both committed to the interaction with the reactant, participation in the activation, and transient state achievement during the whole catalytic process. Herein, we construct isolated Co-motifs into purely siliceous MFI zeolite frameworks (Co-MFI) and reveal the location and microenvironment of the isolated Co active center in the MFI zeolite framework particularly beneficial for propane dehydrogenation (PDH). The isolated Co-motif with the distorted tetrahedral structure ({(≡SiO)2Co(HO-Si≡)2}, two Co-O-Si bonds, and two pseudobridging hydroxyls (Co···OH-Si) is located at T1(7) and T3(9) sites of the MFI zeolite. DFT calculations and deuterium-labeling reactions verify that the isolated Co-motif together with the MFI microenvironment collectively promotes the PDH reaction by providing an exclusive microenvironment to preactivate C3H8, polarizing the oxygen in Co-O-Si bonds to accept H* ({(≡SiO)CoHδ- (Hδ+O-Si≡)3}), and a scaffold structure to stabilize the C3H7* intermediate. The Co-motif active center in Co-MFI goes through the dynamic evolutions and restoration in electronic states and coordination states in a continuous and repetitive way, which meets the requirements from the series of elementary steps in the PDH catalytic cycle and fulfills the successful catalysis like enzyme catalysis.

Increasing the Number of Aluminum Atoms in T3 Sites of a Mordenite Zeolite by Low-Pressure SiCl4 Treatment to Catalyze Dimethyl Ether Carbonylation.

Controlling the location of aluminum atoms in a zeolite framework is critical for understanding structure-performance relationships of catalytic reaction systems and tailoring catalyst design. Herein, we report a strategy to preferentially relocate mordenite (MOR) framework Al atoms into the desired T3 sites by low-pressure SiCl4 treatment (LPST). High-field 27 Al NMR was used to identify the exact location of framework Al for the MOR samples. The results indicate that 73 % of the framework Al atoms were at the T3 sites after LPST under optimal conditions, which leads to controllably generating and intensifying active sites in MOR zeolite for the dimethyl ether (DME) carbonylation reaction with higher methyl acetate (MA) selectivity and much longer lifetime (25 times). Further research reveals that the Al relocation mechanism involves simultaneous extraction, migration, and reinsertion of Al atoms from and into the parent MOR framework. This unique method is potentially applicable to other zeolites to control Al location.

Realizing Fast Synthesis of High-Silica Zeolite Y with Remarkable Catalytic Performance.

High-silica zeolite Y (FAU) plays a vital role in (petro)chemical industries. However, the slow nucleation and growth kinetics of the high-silica FAU framework limit its direct synthesis and the improvement of framework SiO2 /Al2 O3 ratio (SAR). Here, a facile strategy is developed to realize the fast crystallization of high-silica zeolite Y, which involves the combination of high crystallization temperature, ultra-stable Y (USY) seeds and efficient organic-structure directing agent (OSDA). The synthesis can be finished in 5-16 h at 160 °C and with tunable SAR up to 18.2, and the key factors affecting crystallization kinetics and phase purity are elucidated. Moreover, the crystallization process was monitored to reveal the fast crystal growth mechanism. The high-silica products possess high (hydro)thermal stability and abundant strong acid sites, which endow them excellent catalytic cracking performance, obviously superior to commercial USY.

Molecular Routes of Dynamic Autocatalysis for Methanol-to-Hydrocarbons Reaction.

The industrially important methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) reaction is driven and sustained by autocatalysis in a dynamic and complex manner. Hitherto, the entire molecular routes and chemical nature of the autocatalytic network have not been well understood. Herein, with a multitechnique approach and multiscale analysis, we have obtained a full theoretical picture of the domino cascade of autocatalytic reaction network taking place on HZSM-5 zeolite. The autocatalytic reaction is demonstrated to be plausibly initiated by reacting dimethyl ether (DME) with the surface methoxy species (SMS) to generate the initial olefins, as evidenced by combining the kinetic analysis, in situ DRIFT spectroscopy, 2D 13C-13C MAS NMR, electronic states, and projected density of state (PDOS) analysis. This process is operando tracked and visualized at the picosecond time scale by advanced ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. The initial olefins ignite autocatalysis by building the first autocatalytic cycle-olefins-based cycle-followed by the speciation of methylcyclopentenyl (MCP) and aromatic cyclic active species. In doing so, the active sites accomplish the dynamic evolution from proton acid sites to supramolecular active centers that are experimentally identified with an ever-evolving and fluid feature. The olefins-guided and cyclic-species-guided catalytic cycles are interdependently linked to forge a previously unidentified hypercycle, being composed of one "selfish" autocatalytic cycle (i.e., olefins-based cycle with lighter olefins as autocatalysts for catalyzing the formation of olefins) and three cross-catalysis cycles (with olefinic, MCP, and aromatic species as autocatalysts for catalyzing each other's formation). The unraveled dynamic autocatalytic cycles/network would facilitate the catalyst design and process control for MTH technology.

Fabrication of an Au25 -Cys-Mo Electrocatalyst for Efficient Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia under Ambient Conditions.

Electrocatalysts for efficient production of ammonia from nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient conditions are attracted growing interest in recent years, which demonstrate a great potential to replace the Haber-Bosch method which suffers the problems of the huge energy consumption and massive CO2 production. In this work, a novel electrocatalyst of Au25 -Cys-M is fabricated for NRR under ambient conditions, with transition metal ions (e.g., Mo6+ , Fe3+ , Co2+ , Ni2+ ) atomically decorated on Au25 nanoclusters via thiol bridging. The Au25 -Cys-Mo catalyst exhibits the highest Faradaic efficiency (26.5%) and NH3 yield (34.5 µg h-1  mgcat -1 ) in 0.1 m HCl solution. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis and high angle annular dark field image-scanning transmission electron microscopy characterization reveal that the electronic structure of Mo is optimized by forming the structure of Au-S-Mo and Mo acts as active sites for activating the nitrogen to promote the electrochemical production of ammonia. This work provides a new insight into the precise fabrication of efficient NRR electrocatalysts.

Involvement of boron transporter BOR1 in growth under low boron and high nitrate conditions in Arabidopsis thaliana.

BOR1 is an efflux transporter of boron (B), responsible for loading B into the xylem. It has been reported that nitrate (NO3 - ) concentrations significantly influence B concentrations in leaves and BOR1 mRNA accumulation in roots. Here, to unravel the interactive effects of B and NO3 - on plant growth and the function of BOR1 under the combination of B and NO3 - , seedling growth was analyzed in Col-0 and bor1 mutants. The growth of bor1 mutants was negatively affected by high NO3 - but neither by potassium chloride (KCl) nor ammonium (NH4 + ) under low B conditions, suggesting the involvement of BOR1 in growth under high NO3 - . Mutants of bor2 and bor4 did not exhibit such growth responses, suggesting that this effect was specific to BOR1 among the BORs tested. Under low B conditions, loss of the BOR1 function led to a more significant decrease in B concentrations in the presence of high NO3 - compared to normal NO3 - . Additionally, grafting experiments demonstrated that these effects of NO3 - occurred when BOR1 is absent in roots. High NO3 - treatment elevated BOR1 mRNA accumulation while the BOR1 protein accumulation was downregulated. These apparent opposite responses indicated that the transcriptional and (post-)translational regulations follow different patterns. Our work provides evidence of a novel regulation of BOR1 and another B transport system by both B and NO3 - in an interactive manner.

Prenatal hypoxia inhibited propionate-evoked BK channels of mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells in offspring.

As a common complication of pregnancy, gestational hypoxia has been shown to predispose offspring to vascular dysfunction. Propionate, one of short-chain fatty acids, exerts cardioprotective effects via reducing blood pressure. This study examined whether prenatal hypoxia impaired propionate-stimulated large-conductance Ca2+ -activated K+ (BK) channel activities in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of offspring. Pregnant rats were exposed to hypoxia (10.5% oxygen) and normoxia (21% oxygen) from gestational day 7-21. At 6 weeks of age, VSMCs in mesenteric arteries of offspring were analysed for BK channel functions and gene expressions. It was shown firstly that propionate could open significantly BK single channel in VSMCs in a concentration-dependent manner. Antagonists of G protein ßγ subunits and inositol trisphosphate receptor could completely suppress the activation of BK by propionate, respectively. Gαi/o and ryanodine receptor were found to participate in the stimulation on BK. Compared to the control, vasodilation and increments of BK NPo (the open probability) evoked by propionate were weakened in the offspring by prenatal hypoxia with down-regulated Gßγ and PLCß. It was indicated that prenatal hypoxia inhibited propionate-stimulated BK activities in mesenteric VSMCs of offspring via reducing expressions of Gßγ and PLCß, in which endoplasmic reticulum calcium release might be involved.

Carbon ion radiation therapy for sinonasal malignancies: Promising results from 2282 cases from the real world.

The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of carbon ion radiation therapy (CIRT), proton radiation therapy (PRT), and photon-based intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in the treatment of sinonasal malignancies. We identified studies through systematic review and divided them into three cohorts (CIRT group/PRT group/IMRT group). Primary outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS) and local control (LC). We pooled the outcomes with meta-analysis and compared the survival difference among groups using Chi2 (χ2 ) test. A representative sample of 2282 patients with sinonasal malignancies (911 in the CIRT group, 599 in the PRT group, and 772 in the IMRT group) from 44 observation studies (7 CIRT, 16 PRT, and 21 IMRT) was included. The pooled 3-year OS, LC, distant metastasis-free survival, and progression-free survival rates were 67.0%, 72.8%, 69.4%, and 52.8%, respectively. Through cross-group analysis, the OS was significantly higher after CIRT (75.1%, 95% CI: 67.1%-83.2%) than PRT (66.2%, 95% CI: 57.7%-74.6%; χ2  = 13.374, P < .0001) or IMRT (63.8%, 95% CI: 55.3%-72.3%; χ2  = 23.814, P < .0001). LC was significantly higher after CIRT (80.2%, 95% CI: 73.9%-86.5%) than PRT (72.9%, 95% CI: 63.7%-82.0%; χ2  = 8.955, P = .003) or IMRT (67.8%, 95% CI: 59.4%-76.2%; χ2  = 30.955, P < .0001). However, no significant difference between PRT and IMRT for OS and LC was observed. CIRT appeared to provide better OS and LC for patients with malignancies of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. A prospective randomized clinical trial is needed to confirm the superiority of CIRT in the treatment of sinonasal tumors.

Strong enhanced efficiency of natural alginate for polymer solar cells through modification of the ZnO cathode buffer layer.

Sodium alginate (SA), as a natural marine biopolymer, possesses many merits such as super-easy accessibility from the ocean, low cost, nontoxicity, and no synthesis for practical application. For the chemical structure, SA has enough lone electron pairs of oxygen atoms in the backbone and short branched chains, which is expected to passivate oxygen vacancy on the surface of the ZnO cathode buffer layer to improve the photovoltaic performance. Herein, it was applied to modify the surface trap of the ZnO layer in fullerene and non-fullerene polymer solar cells (PSCs). The defects were successfully reduced, and the trap-assisted recombination decreased. In a PTB7-Th:PC71BM system, power conversion efficiency (PCE) was improved from 8.06% to 9.36%. In the PM6:IT-4F system, PCE was enhanced from 12.13% to 13.08%. The addition of SA did not destroy the stability of the device. Overall, this work demonstrates the potential for preparing devices with long-time stability and industrial manufacture of PSCs by using biological materials in the future.

Identification of Long-Distance Transmissible mRNA between Scion and Rootstock in Cucurbit Seedling Heterografts.

: Grafting has been widely used to improve plant growth and tolerance in crop production, as well as for clarifying systemic mRNA signaling from donor to recipient tissues in organ-to-organ communication. In this study, we investigated graft partner interaction mechanisms of Cucumis sativus (Csa) and Cucurbita moschata (Cmo) using a large-scale endogenous mRNA transport. The results indicated that most mobile transcripts followed an allocation pathway from source to sink. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that mRNA mobility functions are universally common and individually specific. Identification of mRNA mobility between distant tissues in heterografts with RT-PCR (reverse transcription PCR), RT-qPCR (reverse transcriptional quantitative real time PCR), and clone sequencing were used to estimate 78.75% of selected mobile transcripts. Integration of bioinformatic analysis and RT-qPCR identification allowed us to hypothesize a scion-to-rootstock-to-scion feedback signal loop of Csa move-down and Cmo move-up mRNAs, where Csa scion move-down mRNAs were involved in carbon fixation and biosynthesis of amino acid pathways, and Cmo root received Csa move-down mRNA and then delivered the corresponding Cmo upward mRNA to scion to improve photosynthesis of cucumber scion. This formed a feedback signal loop of scion-to-rootstock-to scion to explain why pumpkin rootstock enhanced cucumber production in the industry, which was utilized for organ communication and mediates photosynthesis processes in heterograft cucurbit crops.

Genome-Wide Characterization of GRAS Family and Their Potential Roles in Cold Tolerance of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most important cucurbit vegetables but is often subjected to stress during cultivation. GRAS (gibberellic acid insensitive, repressor of GAI, and scarecrow) genes encode a family of transcriptional factors that regulate plant growth and development. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, GRAS family genes function in formation of axillary meristem and root radial structure, phytohormone (gibberellin) signal transduction, light signal transduction and abiotic/biological stress. In this study, a gene family was comprehensively analyzed from the aspects of evolutionary tree, gene structure, chromosome location, evolutionary and expression pattern by means of bioinformatics; 37 GRAS gene family members have been screened from cucumber. We reconstructed an evolutionary tree based on multiple sequence alignment of the typical GRAS domain and conserved motif sequences with those of other species (A. thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum). Cucumber GRAS family was divided into 10 groups according to the classification of Arabidopsis and tomato genes. We conclude that tandem and segmental duplication have played important roles in the expansion and evolution of the cucumber GRAS (CsaGRAS) family. Expression patterns of CsaGRAS genes in different tissues and under cold treatment, combined with gene ontology annotation and interaction network analysis, revealed potentially different functions for CsaGRAS genes in response to cold tolerance, with members of the SHR, SCR and DELLA subfamilies likely playing important roles. In conclusion, this study provides valuable information and candidate genes for improving cucumber tolerance to cold stress.

Screening active components from Rubus amabilis for pancreatic ß-cells protection.

CONTEXT: Rubus species (Rosaceae) have been used in folk medicine to treat diabetes due to their hypoglycaemic activity. OBJECTIVE: To screen the active components that act as hypoglycaemic agents in Rubus amabilis Focke and the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aqueous stem extract of R. amabilis was incubated with MIN6 ß-cells, PBS was used as the blank control. Then the cells were washed, cell membrane-bound components were dissociated and identified by UPLC/MS. Total procyanidins (PCs) in R. amabilis was enriched and the cytotoxicity and anti-proliferation on ß-cell were evaluated by MTT assay. PCs at 25, 50, and 75 µg/mL was applied for 24 h to determine its effects on palmitate (PA)-induced apoptosis and GSIS. Western blotting was employed to detect the protein expression of PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signalling. The antioxidant indices were also measured. RESULTS: ß-Cell membrane-bound components were identified as three procyanidin B dimers and a C trimer. PCs showed no significant cytotoxicity up to a concentrations of 100 µg/mL. PCs treatment reversed the elevated apoptosis rate and impaired GSIS induced by PA. PCs markedly decreased the intracellular ROS and MDA production and increased the SOD activity. Moreover, PCs promoted the phosphorylation of Akt and FoxO1, and regulated Pdx-1 and Bax expression in MIN6 cells. Discussion and conclusion: The active components that act as hypoglycaemic agents in R. amabilis are procyanidins, which protected MIN6 cells against PA-induced apoptosis by activating PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signalling. These results indicate that ß-cell extraction, combined with UPLC/MS, is a valid method for screening antidiabetic components from herbal medicines.