Free Radicals Generated in Perfluorocarbon-Water (Liquid-Liquid) Interfacial Contact Electrification and Their Application in Cancer Therapy.

Electron transfer during solid-liquid contact electrification has been demonstrated to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and superoxide anion radicals (•O2-). Here, we show that such a process also occurs in liquid-liquid contact electrification. By preparing perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions to construct a perfluorocarbon-water "liquid-liquid" interface, we confirmed that electrons were transferred from water to perfluorocarbon in ultrasonication-induced high-frequency liquid-liquid contact to produce •OH and •O2-. The produced ROS could be applied to ablate tumors by triggering large-scale immunogenic cell death in tumor cells, promoting dendritic cell maturation and macrophage polarization, ultimately activating T cell-mediated antitumor immune response. Importantly, the raw material for producing •OH is water, so the tumor therapy is not limited by the endogenous substances (O2, H2O2, etc.) in the tumor microenvironment. This work provides new perspectives for elucidating the mechanism of generation of free radicals in liquid-liquid contact and provides an excellent tumor therapeutic modality.

CAR T Cell Membrane Camouflaged Nanocatalyst Augments CAR T Cell Therapy Efficacy Against Solid Tumor.

The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) reduces the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy against solid tumors. Here, a CAR T cell membrane-camouflaged nanocatalyst (ACSP@TCM) is prepared to augment CAR T cell therapy efficacy against solid tumors. ACSP@TCM is prepared by encapsulating core/shell Au/Cu2- xSe and 3-bromopyruvate with a CAR T cell membrane. It is demonstrated that the CAR T cell membrane camouflaging has much better-targeting effect than the homologous tumors cell membrane camouflaging. ACSP@TCM has an appealing synergistic chemodynamic/photothermal therapy (CDT/PTT) effect that can induce the immunogenic cell death (ICD) of NALM 6 cells. Moreover, 3-bromopyruvate can inhibit the efflux of lactic acid by inhibiting the glycolysis process, regulating the acidity of TME, and providing a more favorable environment for the survival of CAR T cells. In addition, the photoacoustic (PA) imaging and computed tomography (CT) imaging performance can guide the ACSP@TCM-mediated tumor therapy. The results demonstrated that the ACSP@TCM significantly enhanced the CAR T cell therapy efficacy against NALM 6 solid tumor mass, and completely eliminated tumors. This work provides an effective tumor strategy for CAR T cell therapy in solid tumors.

Exosome-transported circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 play a tumour-repressive role and show diagnostic value in non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), one of the major contents of exosomes, have been shown to participate in the occurrence and progression of cancers. The role and the diagnostic potential of exosome-transported circRNAs in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain largely unknown. METHODS: The NSCLC-associated exosomal circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 were screened by circRNA microarray. The role of circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 in NSCLC was examined in vitro and in vivo. The encapsulation of the two circRNAs into exosomes and the transport to recipient cells were observed by confocal microscopy. The effects of exosome-transported circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 on recipient cells were investigated using a co-culture device. Bioinformatics analyses were performed to predict the mechanisms by which circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 affected NSCLC. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify the exosome-containing circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 in the serum samples of healthy, pneumonia, benign lung tumours, and NSCLC. The diagnostic efficacy was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: The levels of circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 within exosomes were down-regulated in the serum of patients with NSCLC. The up-regulation of circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 inhibited the proliferation, migration/invasion, cloning formation of NSCLC cells in vitro and inhibited lung tumour growth in vivo. Circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 were observed to be packaged in exosomes and transported to recipient cells, where they inhibited the proliferation, migration/invasion, and cloning formation abilities of the recipient cells. Moreover, circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 might be involved in the progression of NSCLC by interacting with microRNAs and proteins. Additionally, lower serum exosomal circ_0061407 and circ_0008103 levels were associated with advanced pathological staging and distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified two novel exosome-transported circRNAs (circ_0061407 and circ_0008103) associated with NSCLC. These findings may provide additional insights into the development of NSCLC and potential diagnostic biomarkers for NSCLC.

The construction of machine learning-based predictive models for high-quality embryo formation in poor ovarian response patients with progestin-primed ovarian stimulation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the optimal models for predicting the formation of high-quality embryos in Poor Ovarian Response (POR) Patients with Progestin-Primed Ovarian Stimulation (PPOS) using machine learning algorithms. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 4,216 POR cycles who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) / intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) at Sichuan Jinxin Xinan Women and Children's Hospital from January 2015 to December 2021. Based on the presence of high-quality cleavage embryos 72 h post-fertilization, the samples were divided into the high-quality cleavage embryo group (N = 1950) and the non-high-quality cleavage embryo group (N = 2266). Additionally, based on whether high-quality blastocysts were observed following full blastocyst culture, the samples were categorized into the high-quality blastocyst group (N = 124) and the non-high-quality blastocyst group (N = 1800). The factors influencing the formation of high-quality embryos were analyzed using logistic regression. The predictive models based on machine learning methods were constructed and evaluated accordingly. RESULTS: Differential analysis revealed that there are statistically significant differences in 14 factors between high-quality and non-high-quality cleavage embryos. Logistic regression analysis identified 14 factors as influential in forming high-quality cleavage embryos. In models excluding three variables (retrieved oocytes, MII oocytes, and 2PN fertilized oocytes), the XGBoost model performed slightly better (AUC = 0.672, 95% CI = 0.636-0.708). Conversely, in models including these three variables, the Random Forest model exhibited the best performance (AUC = 0.788, 95% CI = 0.759-0.818). In the analysis of high-quality blastocysts, significant differences were found in 17 factors. Logistic regression analysis indicated that 13 factors influence the formation of high-quality blastocysts. Including these variables in the predictive model, the XGBoost model showed the highest performance (AUC = 0.813, 95% CI = 0.741-0.884). CONCLUSION: We developed a predictive model for the formation of high-quality embryos using machine learning methods for patients with POR undergoing treatment with the PPOS protocol. This model can help infertility patients better understand the likelihood of forming high-quality embryos following treatment and help clinicians better understand and predict treatment outcomes, thus facilitating more targeted and effective interventions.

POSS and PEG Contained Copolymer for Antibioadhesive Rigid Contact Lenses Materials Application.

Myopia is a global public health issue. Rigid contact lenses (RCLs) are an effective way to correct or control myopia. However, bioadhesion issues remain one of the significant obstacles limiting its clinical application. Although enhancing hydrophilicity through various surface treatments can mitigate this problem, the duration of effectiveness is short-lived and the processing involved is complex and costly. Herein, an antiadhesive RCLs material was designed via 8-armed methacrylate-POSS (8MA-POSS), and poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) copolymerization with 3-[tris(trimethylsiloxy)silyl] propyl methacrylate (TRIS). The POSS and PEG segments incorporated P(TRIS-co-PEGMA-co-8MA-POSS) (PTPM) material was obtained and their optical transparency, refractive index, resolution, hardness, surface charge, thermal features, and wettability were tested and optimized. The antibioadhesion activities, including protein, lipid, and bacteria, were evaluated as well. In vitro and in vivo results indicated that the optimized antibioadhesive PTPM materials present good biocompatibility and biosafety. Thus, such POSS and PEG segments containing material were a potential antibioadhesive RCL material option.

Upconversion nanoparticles doped optical lens: let's see the near-infrared light.

The human cannot detect light with a wavelength exceeding 700 nm, primarily due to limitations in the physiological structure of the human eye. However, in certain specific scenarios, the ability to detect near-infrared (NIR) light proves to be extremely valuable. To attain this desired capability, NIR up conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) were prepared and doped in the optical lens materials, aiming to obtain a NIR light "visible" optical lens. It is demonstrated that the doping of UCNPs in the optical lens materials does not significantly impact on their mechanical properties, optical properties, surface properties and it exhibits excellent biocompatibility in cell and animal experiments. More importantly, the UCNPs doping can convert NIR light into visible light within the material effectively and stably. The eyes can "see" the NIR light after wearing such UCNPs doped optical lens. Such NIR light visible optical lens could have great potential in actual applications.

Effects of physical method and enzymatic hydrolysis on the properties of soybean fiber-rich stabilizer for oil in water emulsions.

BACKGROUND: Okara is a by-product from the soybean industry and an abundant resource of insoluble soybean fiber (ISF). ISF with various properties could be obtained by different extraction methods. It is an attractive option to utilize okara by taking advantage of ISF as an emulsifier or stabilizer. RESULTS: Compared with the untreated ISF (ISFUT ), superfine grinding reduced the particle size and viscosity of ISF (ISFSG ). Steam explosion increased the water solubility from 17.5% to 51.7% but decreased the water holding capacity and swelling capacity of ISF (ISFSE ) from 15.0 and 14.0 g/g to 4.2 and 3.3 g/g, respectively. Emulsions prepared by ISFUT and ISFSG before or after enzymatic hydrolysis presented large oil droplets and were unstable. Although emulsions prepared by ISFSE after enzymatic hydrolysis (ISFSE-E ) showed flocculation, the volume-weighted average diameter (19.7 µm) were the smallest while the viscosity and viscoelastic modulus were the highest, and exhibited excellent physical stability during storage. CONCLUSION: ISF obtained by physical and hydrolysis treatment displayed diverging physicochemical properties while ISF prepared by steam explosion-enzymatic hydrolysis presented the best potential to stabilize emulsions. The present study could provide novel information about the utilization of okara by the application of ISF as an emulsifier or stabilizer. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Sphingolipid inhibitor response gene GhMYB86 controls fiber elongation by regulating microtubule arrangement.

Although the cell membrane and cytoskeleton play essential roles in cellular morphogenesis, the interaction between the membrane and cytoskeleton is poorly understood. Cotton fibers are extremely elongated single cells, which makes them an ideal model for studying cell development. Here, we used the sphingolipid biosynthesis inhibitor, fumonisin B1 (FB1), and found that it effectively suppressed the myeloblastosis (MYB) transcription factor GhMYB86, thereby negatively affecting fiber elongation. A direct target of GhMYB86 is GhTUB7, which encodes the tubulin protein, the major component of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Interestingly, both the overexpression of GhMYB86 and GhTUB7 caused an ectopic microtubule arrangement at the fiber tips, and then leading to shortened fibers. Moreover, we found that GhMBE2 interacted with GhMYB86 and that FB1 and reactive oxygen species induced its transport into the nucleus, thereby enhancing the promotion of GhTUB7 by GhMYB86. Overall, we established a GhMBE2-GhMYB86-GhTUB7 regulation module for fiber elongation and revealed that membrane sphingolipids affect fiber elongation by altering microtubule arrangement.

PNP Nanofluidic Transistor with Actively Tunable Current Response and Ionic Signal Amplification.

Inspired by electronic transistors, electric field gating has been adopted to manipulate ionic currents of smart nanofluidic devices. Here, we report a PNP nanofluidic bipolar junction transistor (nBJT) consisting of one polyaniline (PANI) layer sandwiched between two polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanoporous membranes. The PNP nBJT exhibits three different responses of currents (quasi-linear, rectification, and sigmoid) due to the counterbalance between surface charge distribution and base voltage applied in the nanofluidic channels; thus, they can be switched by base voltage. Four operating modes (cutoff, active, saturation, and breakdown mode) occur in the collector response currents. Under optimal conditions, the PNP nBJT exhibits an average current gain of up to 95 in 100 mM KCl solution at a low base voltage of 0.2 V. The present nBJT is promising for fabrication of nanofluidic devices with logical-control functions for analysis of single molecules.

[Blood Lipid Indicators and Different Clinical Classifications of Dyslipidemia and Diabetic Kidney Disease: Correlation and Predictive Value].

Objective: To explore the relationship between blood lipid indicators and different clinical classifications of dyslipidemia and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and to compare the value of different clinical classifications of dyslipidemia for predicting DKD. Methods: Continuously enrollment of subjects was conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and the Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between October 2020 and October 2021. A total of 356 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients admitted to the two hospitals were enrolled. They were divided into DKD group ( n=126) and simple T2DM group ( n=230) according to whether their T2DM was combined with DKD. In addition, 250 healthy individuals undergoing physical examination during the same period were enrolled for the control group. The blood pressure, blood lipid, blood glucose, and the kidney function indicators of the three groups were measured. The effects of different classifications of dyslipidemia on DKD were analyzed with unconditional logistic regression models, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed, the area under the curve ( AUC) of ROC was calculated, and the value of different classifications of dyslipidemia for predicting DKD was analyzed. Results: The diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), serum creatinine (Scr), uric acid (UA), and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of the DKD group and the simple T2DM group were significantly higher than those of the control group, while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels of the DKD group and the simple T2DM group were lower than that of the control group (all P<0.05). The disease course of T2DM, DBP, SBP, TC, TG, Scr, UA and HbA1c of the DKD group were significantly higher than those of the T2DM group (all P<0.05). After adjusting for the effects of T2DM disease course, DBP, SBP, Scr, UA and HbA1c, the results showed that TC ( OR=1.426, 95% CI: 1.088-1.868) and TG ( OR=1.404, 95% CI: 1.075-1.833) were independent risk factors for DKD, and that hypercholesterolemia ( OR=1.817, 95% CI: 1.040-3.177) and mixed hyperlipidemia ( OR=2.148, 95% CI: 1.110-4.159) were independent risk factors for DKD (all P<0.05). The AUC (95% CI) of hypercholesterolemia was 0.789 (0.729-0.871). The AUC (95% CI) of mixed hyperlipidemia was 0.671 (0.579-0.760). Hypercholesterolemia showed better predictive value for the diagnosis and prediction of DKD. Conclusion: Among the blood lipid indicators, TC and TG are independent risk factors of DKD. In the clinical classifications of dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia and mixed hyperlipidemia are independent risk factors of DKD. Hypercholesterolemia can be used as a predictor to screen for DKD among T2DM patients and is well suited for extensive application in outpatient screening.

Analyses of key gene networks controlling carotenoid metabolism in Xiangfen 1 banana.

BACKGROUND: Banana fruits are rich in various high-value metabolites and play a key role in the human diet. Of these components, carotenoids have attracted considerable attention due to their physiological role and human health care functions. However, the accumulation patterns of carotenoids and genome-wide analysis of gene expression during banana fruit development have not been comprehensively evaluated. RESULTS: In the present study, an integrative analysis of metabolites and transcriptome profiles in banana fruit with three different development stages was performed. A total of 11 carotenoid compounds were identified, and most of these compounds showed markedly higher abundances in mature green and/or mature fruit than in young fruit. Results were linked to the high expression of carotenoid synthesis and regulatory genes in the middle and late stages of fruit development. Co-expression network analysis revealed that 79 differentially expressed transcription factor genes may be responsible for the regulation of LCYB (lycopene ß-cyclase), a key enzyme catalyzing the biosynthesis of α- and ß-carotene. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, the study provided new insights into the understanding of dynamic changes in carotenoid content and gene expression level during banana fruit development.

GhCYP710A1 Participates in Cotton Resistance to Verticillium Wilt by Regulating Stigmasterol Synthesis and Plasma Membrane Stability.

Cotton is an important economic crop. Cotton Verticillium wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae seriously damages production. Phytosterols play roles in plant-pathogen interaction. To explore the function and related mechanism of phytosterols in the interaction between Verticillium dahliae and cotton plants, and the resistance to Verticillium wilt, in this study, we analyzed the changes of sterol composition and content in cotton roots infected by Verticillium dahliae, and identified the sterol C22-desaturase gene GhCYP710A1 from upland cotton. Through overexpressing and silencing the gene in cotton plant, and ectopically expressing the gene in Arabidopsis, we characterized the changes of sterol composition and the resistance to Verticillium wilt in transgenic plants. The infection of Verticillium dahliae resulted in the content of total sterol and each sterol category decreasing in cotton root. The ratio of stigmasterol to sitosterol (St/Si) increased, indicating that the conversion of sitosterol to stigmasterol was activated. Consistently, the expression level of GhCYP710A1 was upregulated after infection. The GhCYP710A1 has the conservative domain that is essential for sterol C22-desaturase in plant and is highly expressed in root and stem, and its subcellular location is in the endoplasmic reticulum. The ectopic expression of GhCYP710A1 gene promoted the synthesis of stigmasterol in Arabidopsis. The St/Si value is dose-dependent with the expression level of GhCYP710A1 gene. Meanwhile, the resistance to Verticillium wilt of transgenic Arabidopsis increased and the permeability of cell membrane decreased, and the content of ROS decreased after V991 (a strain of Verticillium dahliae) infection. Consistently, the resistance to Verticillium wilt significantly increased in the transgenic cotton plants overexpressing GhCYP710A1. The membrane permeability and the colonization of V991 strain in transgenic roots were decreased. On the contrary, silencing GhCYP710A1 resulted in the resistance to Verticillium wilt being decreased. The membrane permeability and the colonization of V991 were increased in cotton roots. The expression change of GhCYP710A1 and the content alteration of stigmasterol lead to changes in JA signal transduction, hypersensitivity and ROS metabolism in cotton, which might be a cause for regulating the Verticillium wilt resistance of cotton plant. These results indicated that GhCYP710A1 might be a target gene in cotton resistance breeding.

Novel MCM-41 Supported Dicationic Imidazolium Ionic Liquids Catalyzed Greener and Efficient Regioselective Synthesis of 2-Oxazolidinones from Aziridines and Carbon Dioxide.

A type of MCM-41 supported dicationic imidazolium ionic liquid nanocatalyst has been synthesized and found to be competent for the synthesis of 2-oxazolidinones through the sustainable chemical conversion of CO2 with aziridines. It was shown that the highest efficiency was achieved in the cycloaddition of a series of aziridines and CO2 in the presence of a catalytic amount of the solid catalyst MCM-41@ILLaCl4 under mild conditions. Merits of this meticulously designed protocol are the use of a novel supported ionic liquid catalyst, the easy work-up process, good to excellent yields, a short reaction time, and purification without column chromatography. Overall, the present protocol of synthesizing 2-oxazolidinones under cocatalyst- and solvent-free conditions using MCM-41@ILLaCl4 is promising for industrial applications.

CdS@CdSe Core/Shell Quantum Dots for Highly Improved Self-Powered Photodetection Performance.

Uniform, well-defined cadmium sulfide@cadmium selenide core/shell quantum dots (CdS@CdSe QDs) were, for the first time, successfully synthesized by a solvothermal method and chemical bath growth for photoelectrochemical activities. The as-synthesized CdS@CdSe QDs not only exhibit superior self-powered photoresponse behavior and excellent stability under ambient conditions but also display significantly improved current densities and photoresponsivity compared to those of individual CdS QDs or CdSe QDs, mainly due to the built-in electric field, and thus have great potential in the fields of renewable energy and renewable energy consumption for carbon neutrality target achievement.

Effect of anthocyanin-absorbed whey protein microgels on physicochemical and textural properties of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese.

Reduced-fat foods have become more popular due to their health benefits; however, reducing the fat content of food affects the sensory experience. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the sensory acceptance of reduced-fat foods to that of full-fat equivalents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding whey protein microgels (WPM) with an average diameter of 4 µm, or WPM with adsorbed anthocyanins [WPM (Ant)] on the textural and sensory properties of reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (RFC). Reduced-fat Cheddar cheese was prepared in 2 ways: (1) by adding WPM, designated as RFC+M, or (2) by adding WPM (Ant), designated as RFC+M (Ant). For comparison, RFC without fat substitutes and full-fat Cheddar cheese were also prepared. We discovered that the addition of WPM and WPM (Ant) increased the moisture content, fluidity, and meltability of RFC, and reduced its hardness, springiness, and chewiness. The textural and sensory characteristics of RFC were markedly inferior to those of full-fat Cheddar cheese, whereas addition of WPM and WPM (Ant) significantly improved the sensory characteristics of RFC. The WPM and WPM (Ant) showed a high potential as fat substitutes and anthocyanin carriers to effectively improve the acceptance of reduced-fat foods.

Circ_0000144 facilitates the progression of thyroid cancer via the miR-217/AKT3 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system. Circular RNA (circRNA) is vital in the regulation of tumor progression. Circ_0000144 serves as a novel oncogenic circRNA, and miR-217 is reported to inhibit the malignant phenotypes of cancer cells by targeting AKT3 in TC. The present study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of circ_0000144 and miR-217 in the progression of TC. METHODS: Circ_0000144 expression in 32 pairs of TC tissues and different TC cell lines (including BCPAP, K1, H7H83, and TPC-1) was detected by employing a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Circ_0000144 small interfering RNA was used to establish loss-of-function models. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), BrdU (5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine) and transwell assays were utilized to verify the effects of circ_0000144 on TC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. Bioinformatics, western blotting, a luciferase reporter experiment and qRT-PCR were employed to confirm the relationships among circ_0000144, miR-217 and AKT3. RESULTS: Circ_0000144 expression was remarkably elevated in TC tissues (p < 0.001) and TC cell lines. The elevation of circ_0000144 expression was markedly linked to tumor size (p = 0.015), TNM stage (p = 0.025) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.017) of the patients. Functional studies showed that knocking down circ_0000144 repressed the malignancy of TC cells. Furthermore, miR-217 was identified as a downstream target of circ_0000144; inhibition of miR-217 could reverse the effects induced by circ_0000144 knockdown. Moreover, circ_0000144 could regulate AKT3 expression by suppressing miR-217 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Circ_0000144 exerts a cancer-promoting effect on TC cells via the miR-217/AKT3 pathway.

Transcriptome analysis of atemoya pericarp elucidates the role of polysaccharide metabolism in fruit ripening and cracking after harvest.

BACKGROUND: Mature fruit cracking during the normal season in African Pride (AP) atemoya is a major problem in postharvest storage. Our current understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying fruit cracking is limited. The aim of this study was to unravel the role starch degradation and cell wall polysaccharide metabolism in fruit ripening and cracking after harvest through transcriptome analysis. RESULTS: Transcriptome analysis of AP atemoya pericarp from cracking fruits of ethylene treatments and controls was performed. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway was significantly enriched, and approximately 39 DEGs could be functionally annotated, which included starch, cellulose, pectin, and other sugar metabolism-related genes. Starch, protopectin, and soluble pectin contents among the different cracking stages after ethylene treatment and the controls were monitored. The results revealed that ethylene accelerated starch degradation, inhibited protopectin synthesis, and enhanced the soluble pectin content, compared to the control, which coincides with the phenotype of ethylene-induced fruit cracking. Key genes implicated in the starch, pectin, and cellulose degradation were further investigated using RT-qPCR analysis. The results revealed that alpha-amylase 1 (AMY1), alpha-amylase 3 (AMY3), beta-amylase 1 (BAM1), beta-amylase 3 (BAM3), beta-amylase 9 (BAM9), pullulanase (PUL), and glycogen debranching enzyme (glgX), were the major genes involved in starch degradation. AMY1, BAM3, BAM9, PUL, and glgX all were upregulated and had higher expression levels with ethylene treatment compared to the controls, suggesting that ethylene treatment may be responsible for accelerating starch degradation. The expression profile of alpha-1,4-galacturonosyltransferase (GAUT) and granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) coincided with protopectin content changes and could involve protopectin synthesis. Pectinesterase (PE), polygalacturonase (PG), and pectate lyase (PEL) all involved in pectin degradation; PE was significantly upregulated by ethylene and was the key enzyme implicated pectin degradation. CONCLUSION: Both KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs and material content analysis confirmed that starch decomposition into soluble sugars and cell wall polysaccharides metabolism are closely related to the ripening and cracking of AP atemoya. A link between gene up- or downregulation during different cracking stages of atemoya fruits and how their expression affects starch and pectin contents were established by RT-qPCR analysis.

Genome-wide characterization of a SRO gene family involved in response to biotic and abiotic stresses in banana (Musa spp.).

BACKGROUND: Banana (Musa spp.) is one of the world's most important fruits and its production is largely limited by diverse stress conditions. SROs (SIMILAR TO RCD-ONE) have important functions in abiotic stress resistance and development of plants. They contain a catalytic core of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) domain and a C-terminal RST (RCD-SRO-TAF4) domain. In addition, partial SROs also include an N-terminal WWE domain. Although a few of SROs have been characterized in some model plants, little is known about their functions in banana, especially in response to biotic stress. RESULTS: Six MaSRO genes in banana genome were identified using the PARP and RST models as a query. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 77 SROs from 15 species were divided into two structurally distinct groups. The SROs in the group I possessed three central regions of the WWE, PARP and RST domains. The WWE domain was lacking in the group II SROs. In the selected monocots, only MaSROs of banana were present in the group II. Most of MaSROs expressed in more than one banana tissue. The stress- and hormone-related cis-regulatory elements (CREs) in the promoter regions of MaSROs supported differential transcripts of MaSROs in banana roots treated with abiotic and biotic stresses. Moreover, expression profiles of MaSROs in the group I were clearly distinct with those observed in the group II after hormone treatment. Notably, the expression of MaSRO4 was significantly upregulated by the multiple stresses and hormones. The MaSRO4 protein could directly interact with MaNAC6 and MaMYB4, and the PARP domain was required for the protein-protein interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Six MaSROs in banana genome were divided into two main groups based on the characteristics of conserved domains. Comprehensive expression analysis indicated that MaSROs had positive responses to biotic and abiotic stresses via a complex interaction network with hormones. MaSRO4 could interact directly with MaNAC6 and MaMYB4 through the PARP domain to regulate downstream signaling pathway.

Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of U-Box E3 Ubiquitin⁻Protein Ligase Gene Family in Banana.

The U-box gene family is a family of genes which encode U-box domain-containing proteins. However, little is known about U-box genes in banana (Musa acuminata). In this study, 91 U-box genes were identified in banana based on its genome sequence. The banana U-box genes were distributed across all 12 chromosomes at different densities. Phylogenetic analysis of U-box genes from banana, Arabidopsis, and rice suggested that they can be clustered into seven subgroups (I⁻VII), and most U-box genes had a closer relationship between banana and rice relative to Arabidopsis. Typical U-box domains were found in all identified MaU-box genes through the analysis of conserved motifs. Four conserved domains were found in major banana U-box proteins. The MaU-box gene family had the highest expression in the roots at the initial fruit developmental stage. The MaU-box genes exhibited stronger response to drought than to salt and low temperatures. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to perform genome-wide identification and analysis of the U-box gene family in banana, and the results should provide valuable information for better understanding of the function of U-box in banana.

Genome-wide identification and expression profiling reveal tissue-specific expression and differentially-regulated genes involved in gibberellin metabolism between Williams banana and its dwarf mutant.

BACKGROUND: Dwarfism is one of the most valuable traits in banana breeding because semi-dwarf cultivars show good resistance to damage by wind and rain. Moreover, these cultivars present advantages of convenient cultivation, management, and so on. We obtained a dwarf mutant '8818-1' through EMS (ethyl methane sulphonate) mutagenesis of Williams banana 8818 (Musa spp. AAA group). Our research have shown that gibberellins (GAs) content in 8818-1 false stems was significantly lower than that in its parent 8818 and the dwarf type of 8818-1 could be restored by application of exogenous GA3. Although GA exerts important impacts on the 8818-1 dwarf type, our understanding of the regulation of GA metabolism during banana dwarf mutant development remains limited. RESULTS: Genome-wide screening revealed 36 candidate GA metabolism genes were systematically identified for the first time; these genes included 3 MaCPS, 2 MaKS, 1 MaKO, 2 MaKAO, 10 MaGA20ox, 4 MaGA3ox, and 14 MaGA2ox genes. Phylogenetic tree and conserved protein domain analyses showed sequence conservation and divergence. GA metabolism genes exhibited tissue-specific expression patterns. Early GA biosynthesis genes were constitutively expressed but presented differential regulation in different tissues in Williams banana. GA oxidase family genes were mainly transcribed in young fruits, thus suggesting that young fruits were the most active tissue involved in GA metabolism, followed by leaves, bracts, and finally approximately mature fruits. Expression patterns between 8818 and 8818-1 revealed that MaGA20ox4, MaGA20ox5, and MaGA20ox7 of the MaGA20ox gene family and MaGA2ox7, MaGA2ox12, and MaGA2ox14 of the MaGA2ox gene family exhibited significant differential expression and high-expression levels in false stems. These genes are likely to be responsible for the regulation of GAs content in 8818-1 false stems. CONCLUSION: Overall, phylogenetic evolution, tissue specificity and differential expression analyses of GA metabolism genes can provide a better understanding of GA-regulated development in banana. The present results revealed that MaGA20ox4, MaGA20ox5, MaGA20ox7, MaGA2ox7, MaGA2ox12, and MaGA2ox14 were the main genes regulating GA content difference between 8818 and 8818-1. All of these genes may perform important functions in the developmental processes of banana, but each gene may perform different functions in different tissues or during different developmental stages.