TaWRKY24 integrates the tryptophan metabolism pathways to participate in defense against Fusarium crown rot in wheat.

Wheat growth process has been experiencing severe challenges arising from the adverse environment. Notably, the incidence of Fusarium crown rot (FCR), a severe soil-borne disease caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum (Fp), has significantly intensified in various wheat-growing regions, resulting in a decline in grain yield. However, the identification of wheat varieties and the exploration of effective gene resources resistant to FCR have not yet been accomplished. Here, we screened and identified the tryptophan metabolism pathway to participate in wheat resistance to FCR by correlation analysis between transcriptome and metabolome, and found that indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAAld) and melatonin, two key metabolites in the tryptophan metabolic pathway, were significantly accumulated in Fp-induced wheat stem bases. Interestingly, exogenous application of these two metabolites could significantly enhance wheat resistance against Fp. Additionally, we observed that the activity of TaALDHase, a crucial enzyme responsible for catalyzing IAAld to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), was inhibited. Conversely, the activity of TaMTase, a rate-limiting involved in melatonin biosynthesis, was enhanced in the Fp-induced wheat transcriptome. Further analysis showed that TaWRKY24 could regulate IAA and melatonin biosynthesis by inhibiting the expression of TaALDHase and enhancing the transcription of TaMTase, respectively. Silencing of TaALDHase could significantly increase wheat resistance to FCR. However, interference with TaWRKY24 or TaMTase could decrease wheat resistance to FCR. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the crucial role of the tryptophan metabolism pathway in conferring resistance against FCR in wheat, thereby expanding its repertoire of biological functions within the plant system.

Transcriptional reference map of hormone responses in wheat spikes.

BACKGROUND: Phytohormones are key regulators of plant growth, development, and signalling networks involved in responses to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. Transcriptional reference maps of hormone responses have been reported for several model plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, and Brachypodium distachyon. However, because of species differences and the complexity of the wheat genome, these transcriptome data are not appropriate reference material for wheat studies. RESULTS: We comprehensively analysed the transcriptomic responses in wheat spikes to seven phytohormones, including indole acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), cytokinin (CK), salicylic acid (SA), and methyl jasmonic acid (MeJA). A total of 3386 genes were differentially expressed at 24 h after the hormone treatments. Furthermore, 22.7% of these genes exhibited overlapping transcriptional responses for at least two hormones, implying there is crosstalk among phytohormones. We subsequently identified genes with expression levels that were significantly and differentially induced by a specific phytohormone (i.e., hormone-specific responses). The data for these hormone-responsive genes were then compared with the transcriptome data for wheat spikes exposed to biotic (Fusarium head blight) and abiotic (water deficit) stresses. CONCLUSION: Our data were used to develop a transcriptional reference map of hormone responses in wheat spikes.

Re-acquisition of the brittle rachis trait via a transposon insertion in domestication gene Q during wheat de-domestication.

De-domestication is a unique evolutionary process during which crops re-acquire wild-like traits to survive and persist in agricultural fields without the need for human cultivation. The re-acquisition of seed dispersal mechanisms is crucial for crop de-domestication. Common wheat is an important cereal crop worldwide. Tibetan semi-wild wheat is a potential de-domesticated common wheat subspecies. However, the crucial genes responsible for its brittle rachis trait have not been identified. Genetic mapping, functional analyses and phylogenetic analyses were completed to identify the gene associated with Qbr.sau-5A, which is a major locus for the brittle rachis trait of Tibetan semi-wild wheat. The cloned Qbr.sau-5A gene is a new Q allele (Qt ) with a 161-bp transposon insertion in exon 5. Although Qt is expressed normally, its encoded peptide lacks some key features of the APETALA2 family. The abnormal functions of Qt in developing wheat spikes result in brittle rachises. Phylogenetic and genotyping analyses confirmed that Qt originated from Q in common wheat and is naturally distributed only in Tibetan semi-wild wheat populations. The identification of Qt provides new evidence regarding the origin of Tibetan semi-wild wheat, and new insights into the re-acquisition of wild traits during crop de-domestication.

Fusarium graminearum ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter Gene FgABCC9 Is Required for Its Transportation of Salicylic Acid, Fungicide Resistance, Mycelial Growth and Pathogenicity towards Wheat.

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters hydrolyze ATP to transport a wide range of substrates. Fusarium graminearum is a major causal agent of Fusarium head blight, which is a severe disease in wheat worldwide. FgABCC9 (FG05_07325) encodes an ABC-C (ABC transporter family C) transporter in F. graminearum, which was highly expressed during the infection in wheat and was up-regulated by the plant defense hormone salicylic acid (SA) and the fungicide tebuconazole. The predicted tertiary structure of the FgABCC9 protein was consistent with the schematic of the ABC exporter. Deletion of FgABCC9 resulted in decreased mycelial growth, increased sensitivity to SA and tebuconazole, reduced accumulation of deoxynivalenol (DON), and less pathogenicity towards wheat. Re-introduction of a functional FgABCC9 gene into ΔFgABCC9 recovered the phenotypes of the wild type strain. Transgenic expression of FgABCC9 in Arabidopsis thaliana increased the accumulation of SA in its leaves without activating SA signaling, which suggests that FgABCC9 functions as an SA exporter. Taken together, FgABCC9 encodes an ABC exporter, which is critical for fungal exportation of SA, response to tebuconazole, mycelial growth, and pathogenicity towards wheat.

Electronic excitations of bulk LiCl from many-body perturbation theory.

We present the quasiparticle band structure and the optical excitation spectrum of bulk LiCl, using many-body perturbation theory. Density-functional theory is used to calculate the ground-state geometry of the system. The quasiparticle band structure is calculated within the GW approximation. Taking the electron-hole interaction into consideration, electron-hole pair states and optical excitations are obtained by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation for the electron-hole two-particle Green function. The calculated band gap is 9.5 eV, which is in good agreement with the experimental result of 9.4 eV. And the calculated optical absorption spectrum, which contains an exciton peak at 8.8 eV and a resonant-exciton peak at 9.8 eV, is also in good agreement with experimental data.

The thoracolumbar interfascial block with local anesthesia in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures treated with percutaneous kyphoplasty provides better analgesia compared with local anesthesia alone: A randomized controlled study.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the thoracolumbar interfascial block (TLIPB) in percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP), and to confirm that the TLIPB further minimizes perioperative pain and residual back pain on the basis of local anesthesia. Method: From April 2021 to May 2022, 60 patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were included in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomly assigned to a local anesthesia group (A group) or a TLIPB on the basis of local anesthesia group (A + TLIPB group) before PKP. Pain level (visual analog scale, VAS), amount of analgesic rescue drugs (parecoxib), operative time, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and complications were assessed and compared between the two groups. Results: Compared with the A group, VAS scores were lower in the A + TLIPB group, respectively, when the trocar punctured the vertebral body (7.4 ± 0.7 vs. 4.5 ± 0.9; P < 0.01), during balloon dilatation (6.6 ± 0.9 vs. 4.6 ± 0.9; P < 0.01), during bone cement injection (6.3 ± 0.6 vs. 4.3 ± 0.8; P < 0.01), 1 h after surgery (3.5 ± 0.7 vs. 2.9 ± 0.7; P < 0.01), and 24 h after surgery (2.5 ± 0.8 vs. 1.9 ± 0.4; P < 0.01). Residual back pain (VAS: 1.9 ± 0.9 vs. 0.9 ± 0.8; P < 0.01) and the incidence of rescue analgesic use (P = 0.02) in the A + TLIPB group were lower compared with the A group. Compared with the A group, mean arterial pressure and heart rate were lower in the A + TLIPB group when the trocar punctured the vertebral body, and with balloon dilatation and bone cement injection; however, there were no statistical differences between the groups 1 and 24 h after surgery. The incidences of bone cement leakage, constipation, and nausea were similar between the two groups. No patient developed infection, neurological injuries, constipation in either group. Conclusion: The addition of the TLIPB to local anesthesia can further minimize perioperative pain and residual back pain, and reduce perioperative rescue analgesic use. When added to local anesthesia, the TLIPB is an effective and safe anesthetic method for PKP. Clinical trial registration: This study has been registered in the Clinical Trial registration: ChiCTR-2100044236.

Microarray analysis of the gene expression profile in the midgut of silkworm infected with cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus.

In order to obtain an overall view on silkworm response to Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV) infection, a microarray system comprising 22,987 oligonucluotide 70-mer probes was employed to compare differentially expressed genes in the midguts of BmCPV-infected and normal silkworm larvae. At 72 h post-inoculation, 258 genes exhibited at least 2.0-fold differences in expression level. Out of these, 135 genes were up-regulated, while 123 genes were down-regulated. According to gene ontology (GO), 140 genes were classified into GO categories. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicates that 35 genes were involved in 10 significant (P<0.05) KEGG pathways. The expressions of genes related to valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation, retinol metabolism, and vitamin B6 metabolism were all down-regulated. The expressions of genes involved in ribosome and proteasome pathway were all up-regulated. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to validate the expression patterns of 13 selected genes of interest. The results suggest that BmCPV infection resulted in the disturbance of protein and amino acid metabolism and a series of major physiological and pathological changes in silkworm. Our results provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of BmCPV infection and host cell response.

Functional Analysis of FgNahG Clarifies the Contribution of Salicylic Acid to Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Resistance against Fusarium Head Blight.

Salicylic acid (SA) is a key defense hormone associated with wheat resistance against Fusarium head blight, which is a severe disease mainly caused by Fusarium graminearum. Although F. graminearum can metabolize SA, it remains unclear how this metabolic activity affects the wheat⁻F. graminearum interaction. In this study, we identified a salicylate hydroxylase gene (FG05_08116; FgNahG) in F. graminearum. This gene encodes a protein that catalyzes the conversion of SA to catechol. Additionally, FgNahG was widely distributed within hyphae. Disrupting the FgNahG gene (ΔFgNahG) led to enhanced sensitivity to SA, increased accumulation of SA in wheat spikes during the early infection stage and inhibited development of head blight symptoms. However, FgNahG did not affect mycotoxin production. Re-introducing a functional FgNahG gene into the ΔFgNahG mutant recovered the wild-type phenotype. Moreover, the expression of FgNahG in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana decreased the SA concentration and the resistance of leaves to F. graminearum. These results indicate that the endogenous SA in wheat influences the resistance against F. graminearum. Furthermore, the capacity to metabolize SA is an important factor affecting the ability of F. graminearum to infect wheat plants.

Fusarium graminearum FgCWM1 Encodes a Cell Wall Mannoprotein Conferring Sensitivity to Salicylic Acid and Virulence to Wheat.

Fusarium graminearum causes Fusarium head blight (FHB), a devastating disease of wheat. Salicylic acid (SA) is involved in the resistance of wheat to F. graminearum. Cell wall mannoprotein (CWM) is known to trigger defense responses in plants, but its role in the pathogenicity of F. graminearum remains unclear. Here, we characterized FgCWM1 (FG05_11315), encoding a CWM in F. graminearum. FgCWM1 was highly expressed in wheat spikes by 24 h after initial inoculation and was upregulated by SA. Disruption of FgCWM1 (ΔFgCWM1) reduced mannose and protein accumulation in the fungal cell wall, especially under SA treatment, and resulted in defective fungal cell walls, leading to increased fungal sensitivity to SA. The positive role of FgCWM1 in mannose and protein accumulation was confirmed by its expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Compared with wild type (WT), ΔFgCWM1 exhibited reduced pathogenicity toward wheat, but it produced the same amount of deoxynivalenol both in culture and in spikes. Complementation of ΔFgCWM1 with FgCWM1 restored the WT phenotype. Localization analyses revealed that FgCWM1 was distributed on the cell wall, consistent with its structural role. Thus, FgCWM1 encodes a CWM protein that plays an important role in the cell wall integrity and pathogenicity of F. graminearum.

An Overexpressed Q Allele Leads to Increased Spike Density and Improved Processing Quality in Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Spike density and processing quality are important traits in modern wheat production and are controlled by multiple gene loci. The associated genes have been intensively studied and new discoveries have been constantly reported during the past few decades. However, no gene playing a significant role in the development of these two traits has been identified. In the current study, a common wheat mutant with extremely compact spikes and good processing quality was isolated and characterized. A new allele (Qc1 ) of the Q gene (an important domestication gene) responsible for the mutant phenotype was cloned, and the molecular mechanism for the mutant phenotype was studied. Results revealed that Qc1 originated from a point mutation that interferes with the miRNA172-directed cleavage of Q transcripts, leading to its overexpression. It also reduces the longitudinal cell size of rachises, resulting in an increased spike density. Furthermore, Qc1 increases the number of vascular bundles, which suggests a higher efficiency in the transportation of assimilates in the spikes of the mutant than that of wild type. This accounts for the improved processing quality. The effects of Qc1 on spike density and wheat processing quality were confirmed by analyzing nine common wheat mutants possessing four different Qc alleles. These results deepen our understanding of the key roles of Q gene, and provide new insights for the potential application of Qc alleles in wheat quality breeding.

Liposomal bupivacaine versus traditional bupivacaine for pain control after total hip arthroplasty: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the past, the efficacy of local infiltration of liposomal bupivacaine for total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients was in debate. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to determine whether local infiltration of liposomal bupivacaine provides better pain relief after THA. METHODS: We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases to the April 2017. Any studies comparing liposomal bupivacaine and traditional bupivacaine were included in our meta-analysis. The outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS) at 24, 48, and 72 hours, total morphine consumption at 24 hours, and the length of hospital stay. We assessed the pooled data using a random-effect model. RESULTS: Six studies were finally included in this meta-analysis. Our pooled data analysis demonstrated that liposomal bupivacaine was more effective than the traditional bupivacaine in terms of VAS at 24 hours (P  =  .018) and the length of hospital stay (P  =  .000). There was no significant difference in terms of the VAS at 48 and 72 hours and total morphine consumption at 24 hours (P >.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with the traditional bupivacaine, liposomal bupivacaine shows better pain control at 24 hours and reduces the length of hospital stay after THA. Its economic costs must be assessed in multimodal center randomized controlled trials when being recommended as a long-acting alternative analgesic agent for a THA patient.

Genome-wide quantitative trait locus mapping identifies multiple major loci for brittle rachis and threshability in Tibetan semi-wild wheat (Triticum aestivum ssp. tibetanum Shao).

Tibetan semi-wild wheat (Triticum aestivum ssp. tibetanum Shao) is a semi-wild hexaploid wheat resource that is only naturally distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Brittle rachis and hard threshing are two important characters of Tibetan semi-wild wheat. A whole-genome linkage map of T. aestivum ssp. tibetanum was constructed using a recombinant inbred line population (Q1028×ZM9023) with 186 lines, 564 diversity array technology markers, and 117 simple sequence repeat markers. Phenotypic data on brittle rachis and threshability, as two quantitative traits, were evaluated on the basis of the number of average spike rachis fragments per spike and percent threshability in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping performed using inclusive composite interval mapping analysis clearly identified four QTLs for brittle rachis and three QTLs for threshability. However, three loci on 2DS, 2DL, and 5AL showed pleiotropism for brittle rachis and threshability; they respectively explained 5.3%, 18.6%, and 18.6% of phenotypic variation for brittle rachis and 17.4%, 13.2%, and 35.2% of phenotypic variation for threshability. A locus on 3DS showed an independent effect on brittle rachis, which explained 38.7% of the phenotypic variation. The loci on 2DS and 3DS probably represented the effect of Tg and Br1, respectively. The locus on 5AL was in very close proximity to the Q gene, but was different from the predicted q in Tibetan semi-wild wheat. To our knowledge, the locus on 2DL has never been reported in common wheat but was prominent in T. aestivum ssp. tibetanum accession Q1028. It remarkably interacted with the locus on 5AL to affect brittle rachis. Several major loci for brittle rachis and threshability were identified in Tibetan semi-wild wheat, improving the understanding of these two characters and suggesting the occurrence of special evolution in Tibetan semi-wild wheat.