Genetic diversity and population structure of 93 rice cultivars (lines) (Oryza sativa Xian group) in Qinba in China by 3 types of genetic markers.

BACKGROUND: The Qinba region is the transition region between Indica and Japonica varieties in China. It has a long history of Indica rice planting of more than 7000 years and is also a planting area for fine-quality Indica rice. The aims of this study are to explore different genetic markers applied to the analysis population structure, genetic diversity, selection and optimization of molecular markers of Indica rice, thus providing more information for the protection and utilization on germplasm resources of Indica rice. METHODS: Fifteen phenotypic traits, a core set of 48 SSR markers which originated protocol for identification of rice varieties-SSR marker method in agricultural industry standard of the People's Republic of China (Ministry of Agriculture of the PRC, NY/T1433-2014, Protocol for identification of rice varieties-SSR marker method, 2014), and SNPs data obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS, NlaIII and MseI digestion, referred to as SNPs-NlaIII and SNPs-MseI, respectively) for this panel of 93 samples using the Illumina HiSeq2000 sequencing platform, were employed to explore the genetic diversity and population structure of 93 samples. RESULTS: The average of coefficient of variation (CV) and diversity index (He) were 29.72% and 1.83 ranging from 3.07% to 137.43%, and from 1.45 to 2.03, respectively. The correlation coefficient between 15 phenotypic traits ranged from 0.984 to -0.604. The first four PCs accounted for 70.693% phenotypic variation based on phenotypic analysis. A total of 379 alleles were obtained using SSR markers, encompassing an average of 8.0 alleles per primer. Polymorphic bands (PPB) and polymorphism information content (PIC) was 88.65% and 0.77, respectively. The Mantel test showed that the correlation between the genetic distance matrix based on SNPs-NlaIII and SNPs-MseI was the largest (R2=0.88), and that based on 15 phenotypic traits and SSR was the smallest (R2=0.09). The 93 samples could be clustered into two subgroups by 3 types of genetic markers. Molecular variance analysis revealed that the genetic variation was 2% among populations and 98% within populations (the Nm was 0.16), Tajima's D value was 1.66, the FST between the two populations was 0.61 based on 72,824 SNPs. CONCLUSIONS: The population genetic variation explained by SNPs was larger than that explained by SSRs. The gene flow of 93 samples used in this study was larger than that of naturally self-pollinated crops, which may be caused by long-term breeding selection of Indica rice in the Qinba region. The genetic structure of the 93 samples was simple and lacked rare alleles.

Enantioselective direct vinylogous Michael addition for constructing enantioenriched γ,γ-dialkyl substituted butyrolactams and octahydroindoles.

A nickel(II)-catalyzed asymmetric direct vinylogous Michael addition of γ-alkyl monosubstituted α,ß-unsaturated butyrolactams to α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds has been disclosed, affording γ,γ-dialkyl substituted butyrolactams in good yields and satisfactory enantioselectivities. A tandem catalytic asymmetric vinylogous Michael addition/intramolecular Michael addition has also been developed based on this reaction, which enabled the construction of enantioenriched octahydroindoles with three consecutive stereogenic carbon centers.

Hamilton's rule and kin competition in a finite kin population.

Kin selection means that individuals can increase their own inclusive fitness through displaying more altruistically toward their relatives. So, Hamilton's rule says kin selection will work if the coefficient of relatedness exceeds the cost-to-benefit ratio of the altruistic act. However, some studies have shown that the kin competition due to the altruism among relatives can reduce, and even totally negate, the kin-selected benefits of altruism toward relatives. In order to understand how the evolution of cooperation is influenced by both kin selection and kin competition under a general theoretical framework, we here consider the evolutionary dynamics of cooperation in a finite kin population, where kin competition is incorporated into a simple Prisoner's Dilemma game between relatives. Differently from the previous studies, we emphasize that the difference between the effects of mutually and unilaterally altruistic acts on kin competition may play an important role for the evolution of cooperation. The main results not only show the conditions that Hamilton's rule still works under the kin competition but also reveal the evolutionary biological mechanism driving the evolution of cooperation in a finite kin population.

NAC1 Potentiates Cellular Antiviral Signaling by Bridging MAVS and TBK1.

Intracellular viral RNAs are recognized by the RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), which signal through the mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein MAVS. MAVS recruits and activates TBK1 kinase, which further phosphorylates and activates the transcription factor IRF3, leading to the induction of type I IFN and downstream antiviral genes. We identified human nucleus accumbens-associated 1 (NAC1), a member of the BTB/POZ family, as a bridge for MAVS and TBK1 that positively regulates the RLR-mediated induction of type I IFN. Overexpression or knockdown of NAC1 could, respectively, enhance or impair Sendai virus-triggered activation of TBK1 and IRF3, as well as induction of IFN-ß. NAC1 also significantly boosted host antiviral responses against multiple RNA viruses. NAC1 was able to interact with MAVS and TBK1 upon viral infection. The BTB/POZ domain (aa 1-133) of NAC1 interacted with MAVS, and the remainder of NAC1 bound to TBK1. Furthermore, NAC1 could promote the recruitment of TBK1 to MAVS. In contrast, knockdown of NAC1 attenuated the interaction between TBK1 and MAVS. Collectively, our study characterizes NAC1 as an important component of RLR-mediated innate immune responses and uncovers a previously unrecognized function of the BTB/POZ family proteins.

Fibronectin Facilitates Enterovirus 71 Infection by Mediating Viral Entry.

Fibronectin (FN) is a high-molecular-weight extracellular matrix protein that contains the RGDS motif, which is required to bind to integrins. Synthetic RGDS peptides have been reported to compete with FN to bind to the cell surface and inhibit the function of FN. Here, we identified that synthetic RGDS peptides significantly inhibit human enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection in cell cultures. In addition, mice treated with RGDS peptides and infected with EV71 had a significantly higher survival rate and a lower viral load than the control group. Because RGDS peptides affect the function of FN, we questioned whether FN may play a role in virus infection. Our study indicates that overexpression of FN enhanced EV71 infection. In contrast, knockout of FN significantly reduced viral yield and decreased the viral binding to host cells. Furthermore, EV71 entry, rather than intracellular viral replication, was blocked by FN inhibitor pretreatment. Next, we found that FN could interact with the EV71 capsid protein VP1, and further truncated-mutation assays indicated that the D2 domain of FN could interact with the N-terminal fragment of VP1. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the host factor FN binds to EV71 particles and facilitates EV71 entry, providing a potential therapy target for EV71 infection.IMPORTANCE Hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreaks have occurred frequently in recent years, sometimes causing severe neurological complications and even death in infants and young children worldwide. Unfortunately, no effective antiviral drugs are available for human enterovirus 71 (EV71), one of the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease. The infection process and the host factors involved remain unknown, although several receptors have been identified. In this study, we found that the host factor fibronectin (FN) facilitated EV71 replication by interacting with EV71 particles and further mediated their entry. The RGDS peptide, an FN inhibitor, significantly inhibited EV71 replication in both RD cells and mice. In conclusion, our research identified a new host factor involved in EV71 infection, providing a new potential antiviral target for EV71 treatment.

Asymmetric evolutionary game dynamics based on individuals' own volition.

For the pairwise interactions, the evolution of individual behavior should involve two major factors: one is what you will do in an interaction with a given opponent, and another is what type of opponents you prefer to interact with. In this study, we developed a two-phenotype iterated bimatrix replicator dynamics model based on individuals' own volition, where, different from the classic iterated game model, we assume that (i) for all interaction pairs, the maximum expected interaction time is same and it is limited even if two individuals in an interaction pair would like to keep their interaction; and (ii) all individuals are able to unilaterally break off the interactions with their opponents according to their own volition. Therefore, we define that, at any time t, an interaction pair will be disbanded with a given probability and the new interaction pairs will be randomly formed. The main results show that: (i) the existence of locally asymmetrically stable interior equilibrium is possible; and (ii) the evolutionary stability of the system is similar to the classic asymmetric evolutionary game. These results may provide a new insight for revealing the evolutionary significance of asymmetric game dynamics.

Chemical Synthesis of K34-Ubiquitylated H2B for Nucleosome Reconstitution and Single-Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy Structural Analysis.

Post-translational modifications (e.g., ubiquitylation) of histones play important roles in dynamic regulation of chromatin. Histone ubiquitylation has been speculated to directly influence the structure and dynamics of nucleosomes. However, structural information for ubiquitylated nucleosomes is still lacking. Here we report an alternative strategy for total chemical synthesis of homogenous histone H2B-K34-ubiquitylation (H2B-K34Ub) by using acid-cleavable auxiliary-mediated ligation of peptide hydrazides for site-specific ubiquitylation. Synthetic H2B-K34Ub was efficiently incorporated into nucleosomes and further used for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) imaging. The cryo-EM structure of the nucleosome containing H2B-K34Ub suggests that two flexible ubiquitin domains protrude between the DNA chains of the nucleosomes. The DNA chains around the H2B-K34 sites shift and provide more space for ubiquitin to protrude. These analyses indicated local and slight structural influences on the nucleosome with ubiquitylation at the H2B-K34 site.

Toxicity of 8-Hydroxyquinoline in Cryprinus carpio Using the Acute Toxicity Test, Hepatase Activity Analysis and the Comet Assay.

To evaluate the environmental toxicity of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HOQ), an important industrial raw material found in China's major ornamental fish, Cryprinus carpio, using the acute toxicity test, hepatase activity analysis and the comet assay. The results indicated that 8-HOQ had significant acute toxicity in adult C. carpio with a 96 h-LC50 of 1.15 and 0.22 mg L(-1) hepatic quinoline residues as assessed by HPLC. 8-HOQ also induced genotoxicity in the form of strand breaks in the DNA of hepatic cells as shown by the comet assay. With regard to physiological toxicity, 8-HOQ induced a decrease in the activities of hepatic GOT and GPT with increased exposure concentration and time. These data suggest that 8-HOQ may be toxic to the health of aquatic organisms when accidentally released into aquatic ecosystems. The data also suggest that the comet assay may be used in biomonitoring to determine 8-HOQ genotoxicity and hepatic GPT and GOT activities may be potential biomarkers of physiological toxicity.

One-pot native chemical ligation of peptide hydrazides enables total synthesis of modified histones.

One of the rising demands in the field of protein chemical synthesis is the development of facile strategies that yield the protein in workable quantities and homogeneity, with fewer handling steps. Although the native chemical ligation of peptide hydrazides has recently been shown to be useful for the chemical synthesis of proteins carrying acid-sensitive modification groups, previous hydrazide-based protein synthesis studies have used sequential ligation strategies. Here, we report a practical method for a "one-pot" native chemical ligation of peptide hydrazides that would circumvent the need for the isolation of the intermediate products. This method employed a fast and selective arylboronate oxidation reaction mediated by H2O2, which draws attention to the potential applications of the thus far under-exploited boron-based functionalities in protein chemical synthesis. To demonstrate the practicality and efficiency of the new one-pot method, we report its application to a scalable total synthesis of modified histones (with five analogues of H3 and H4 as examples) on a multi-milligram scale, with good homogeneity.

A new species of the Pholcusphungiformes species group (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Liaoning, China, with identification keys to four closely related species.

A new species of pholcid spiders, Pholcusfengmeii Zhang, He & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀), is described from Liaoning Province, China. The new species belongs to the speciose phungiformes species group. Taxonomic keys to four closely related species are provided.

Effect of Electroacupuncture Stimulation on Proliferation and Differentiation of Endogenous Neural Stem Cells in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury.

The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation on the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). One hundred rats were included and randomly divided into the sham-operation (SO) group, model (MO) group, EA group, and preacupuncture stimulation (PAS) group, with 25 rats in each group. All the rats in the SO group had their spinal cord of thoracic segment T10 exposed but without SCI. In the remaining three groups, the modified Allen's weight dropping method was adopted to make SCI models. Those in the SO group and the MO group did not receive any treatment. Those in the EA group were treated with EA after the modelling was completed, which stopped when the samples were collected at each time point. The spinal cord tissue of rats was subjected to immunohistochemical staining and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the expressions of neurofilament nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score of the MO group was much lower than that of the SO group on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th days after surgery (P < 0.05). The BBB scores of the EA group and PAS group were notably higher than that of the MO group (P < 0.05). The number of nestin-, GFAP-, and MAP-2-positive cells was significantly increased in rat tissues after spinal cord injury. On the 3rd, 7th, and 14th days postoperatively, the numbers of nestin-positive cells in the EA and PAS groups were considerably higher than those in the MO group (P < 0.01). However, the numbers of GFAP-positive cells in the EA and PAS groups were considerably decreased compared with those in the MO group (P < 0.01). The positive rate of MAP-2 in the model group was significantly increased compared to that in the sham-operation group (P < 0.001). The positive rates of MAP-2 in the EA group and PAS group were significantly higher than those in the MO group (P < 0.01). After spinal cord injury, EA could activate the proliferation of endogenous NSCs and promote their differentiation into neuronal cells. Consequently, injuries were repaired, and functions were rehabilitated.

Jeans and language: kin networks and reproductive success are associated with the adoption of outgroup norms.

Traditional norms of human societies in rural China may have changed owing to population expansion, rapid development of the tourism economy and globalization since the 1990s; people from different ethnic groups might adopt cultural traits from outside their group or lose their own culture at different rates. Human behavioural ecology can help to explain adoption of outgroup cultural values. We compared the adoption of four cultural values, specifically speaking outgroup languages/mother tongue and wearing jeans, in two co-residing ethnic groups, the Mosuo and Han. Both groups are learning outgroup traits, including each other's languages through contact in economic activities, education and kin networks, but only the Mosuo are starting to lose their own language. Males are more likely to adopt outgroup values than females in both groups. Females of the two groups are no different in speaking Mandarin and wearing jeans, whereas males do differ, with Mosuo males being keener to adopt them than Han males. The reason might be that Mosuo men experience more reproductive competition over mates, as Mosuo men have larger reproductive skew than others. Moreover, Mosuo men but not others gain fitness benefits from the adoption of Mandarin (they start reproducing earlier than non-speakers). This article is part of the theme issue 'Social norm change: drivers and consequences'.

Communal breeding promotes a matrilineal social system where husband and wife live apart.

The matrilineal Mosuo of southwest China live in large communal houses where brothers and sisters of three generations live together, and adult males walk to visit their wives only at night; hence males do not reside with their own offspring. This duolocal residence with 'walking' or 'visiting' marriage is described in only a handful of matrilineal peasant societies. Benefits to women of living with matrilineal kin, who cooperate with child-care, are clear. But why any kinship system can evolve where males invest more in their sister's offspring than their own is a puzzle for evolutionary anthropologists. Here, we present a new hypothesis for a matrilineal bias in male investment. We argue that, when household resources are communal, relatedness to the whole household matters more than relatedness to individual offspring. We use an inclusive fitness model to show that the more sisters (and other closely related females) co-reside, the more effort males should spend working on their sister's farm and less on their wife's farm. The model shows that paternity uncertainty may be a cause of lower overall work rates in males, but it is not likely to be the cause of a matrilineal bias. The bias in work effort towards working on their natal farm, and thus the duolocal residence and 'visiting marriage' system, can be understood as maximizing inclusive fitness in circumstances where female kin breed communally.

A newly recorded genus with description of a new cave-dwelling species of Flagelliphantes (Araneae, Linyphiidae) from northeastern China.

Background: The genus Flagelliphantes Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996 was proposed by Saaristo & Tanasevitch, 1996 to accommodate three ex-Lepthyphantes species distributed in northern Eurasia. Male Flagelliphantes are easlily recognised by having a hood-shaped thumb on the embolus. The females have a long, S-shaped scape and the posterior median plate of the epigyne is grossly enlarged ("hypertrophied"). New information: While examining Linyphiidae Blackwall, 1859 specimens from Yunxia Cave in China's Jilin Province, we discovered a new cave-dwelling species of the genus Flagelliphantes, F.yunxia sp. n. In this paper, we provide detailed description and photos of its diagnostic somatic and genitalic features. It is the first record of the genus from China.

A survey of pholcid spiders (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China.

The family Pholcidae C.L. Koch, 1850 is highly diverse in Guizhou Province, southwestern China, and currently contains four genera and 22 species. Nevertheless, the distribution of pholcid spiders is conspicuously patchy in Guizhou. Species from Guiyang are poorly studied, and only Pholcusspilis Zhu & Gong, 1991 has been recorded. A survey was undertaken for the first time to study the pholcids in Guiyang. A total of four species are reported, comprising Belisanayuhaoi Yang & Yao, sp. nov. and three other species: Leptopholcustanikawai Irie, 1999 (new record for Guiyang), Pholcusspilis Zhu & Gong, 1991 and Spermophorasenoculata (Dugès, 1836) (new record for Guizhou).

Pholcid spiders of the Pholcusphungiformes species-group (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Liaoning Province, China: an overview, with description of a new species.

Species of the Pholcusphungiformes group exhibit high diversity in Liaoning Province of northeastern China. This paper summarizes the current knowledge on this species-group from this area. A checklist of 22 species recorded from this province is given, accompanied with a distribution map of the species. Pholcusxiuyan Zhao, Zheng & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀) is described as new to science, and P.yuhuangshan Yao & Li, 2021 is reported from Liaoning for the first time.

MAVS integrates glucose metabolism and RIG-I-like receptor signaling.

MAVS is an adapter protein involved in RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) signaling in mitochondria, peroxisomes, and mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAMs). However, the role of MAVS in glucose metabolism and RLR signaling cross-regulation and how these signaling pathways are coordinated among these organelles have not been defined. This study reports that RLR action drives a switch from glycolysis to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP) through MAVS. We show that peroxisomal MAVS is responsible for glucose flux shift into PPP and type III interferon (IFN) expression, whereas MAMs-located MAVS is responsible for glucose flux shift into HBP and type I IFN expression. Mechanistically, peroxisomal MAVS interacts with G6PD and the MAVS signalosome forms at peroxisomes by recruiting TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1). By contrast, MAMs-located MAVS interact with glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate transaminase, and the MAVS signalosome forms at MAMs by recruiting TRAF6 and TRAF2. Our findings suggest that MAVS mediates the interaction of RLR signaling and glucose metabolism.

Synthesis of functionalized fluorescent indenes from electron-rich α-aryl ketonitriles.

A series of functionalized indenes bearing 1,3-dicyano groups were synthesized from electron-rich α-aryl ketonitriles in the presence of K(3)Fe(CN)(6) and NaOAc, possibly through tandem process involving dimerization, heterolytic cleavage of carbon-carbon bond, intermolecular coupling, and the subsequent intramolecular cyclization. The 2-arylindene compounds obtained possess good fluorescent properties.

Costly punishment does not always increase cooperation.

In a pairwise interaction, an individual who uses costly punishment must pay a cost in order that the opponent incurs a cost. It has been argued that individuals will behave more cooperatively if they know that their opponent has the option of using costly punishment. We examined this hypothesis by conducting two repeated two-player Prisoner's Dilemma experiments, that differed in their payoffs associated to cooperation, with university students from Beijing as participants. In these experiments, the level of cooperation either stayed the same or actually decreased when compared with the control experiments in which costly punishment was not an option. We argue that this result is likely due to differences in cultural attitudes to cooperation and punishment based on similar experiments with university students from Boston that found cooperation did increase with costly punishment.

A new species of Pholcusyichengicus species-group (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Hebei Province, China.

BACKGROUND: The Pholcusyichengicus species-group currently contains 37 species. It is distributed in central and south-eastern China and Thailand, except for P.guani Song & Ren, 1994 from Liaoning Province, north-eastern China and P.clavatus Schenkel, 1936 which is widely distributed in the country. NEW INFORMATION: Pholcusbajia sp. nov. is described as a new species of the P.yichengicus species-group collected from Hebei Province, China.