An RRM domain protein SOE suppresses transgene silencing in rice.

Gene expression is regulated at multiple levels, including RNA processing and DNA methylation/demethylation. How these regulations are controlled remains unclear. Here, through analysis of a suppressor for the OsEIN2 over-expressor, we identified an RNA recognition motif protein SUPPRESSOR OF EIN2 (SOE). SOE is localized in nuclear speckles and interacts with several components of the spliceosome. We find SOE associates with hundreds of targets and directly binds to a DNA glycosylase gene DNG701 pre-mRNA for efficient splicing and stabilization, allowing for subsequent DNG701-mediated DNA demethylation of the transgene promoter for proper gene expression. The V81M substitution in the suppressor mutant protein mSOE impaired its protein stability and binding activity to DNG701 pre-mRNA, leading to transgene silencing. SOE mutation enhances grain size and yield. Haplotype analysis in c. 3000 rice accessions reveals that the haplotype 1 (Hap 1) promoter is associated with high 1000-grain weight, and most of the japonica accessions, but not indica ones, have the Hap 1 elite allele. Our study discovers a novel mechanism for the regulation of gene expression and provides an elite allele for the promotion of yield potentials in rice.

High-performance cost efficient simultaneous wireless information and power transfers deploying jointly modulated amplifying programmable metasurface.

Programmable metasurfaces present significant capabilities in manipulating electromagnetic waves, making them a promising candidate for simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT), which has the potential to enable sustainable wireless communication in complex electromagnetic environments. However, challenges remain in terms of maximum power transmission distance and stable phase manipulation with high-power scattered waves. Additionally, waveform limitations restrict average scattered power and rectifier conversion efficiency, affecting data transmission rates and energy transmission distance. Here we show an amplifying programmable metasurface (APM) and a joint modulation method to address these challenges. The APM mitigates the peak-to-average power ratio and improves maximum power, phase response stability, average output power, and rectifier conversion efficiency. Through experimental validation, we demonstrate the feasibility of the SWIPT system, showcasing simultaneous LED array powering and movie video transmission. This innovative SWIPT system holds promise for diverse applications, including 6 G wireless communications, IoT, implanted devices, and cognitive radio networks.

A translational regulator MHZ9 modulates ethylene signaling in rice.

Ethylene plays essential roles in rice growth, development and stress adaptation. Translational control of ethylene signaling remains unclear in rice. Here, through analysis of an ethylene-response mutant mhz9, we identified a glycine-tyrosine-phenylalanine (GYF) domain protein MHZ9, which positively regulates ethylene signaling at translational level in rice. MHZ9 is localized in RNA processing bodies. The C-terminal domain of MHZ9 interacts with OsEIN2, a central regulator of rice ethylene signaling, and the N-terminal domain directly binds to the OsEBF1/2 mRNAs for translational inhibition, allowing accumulation of transcription factor OsEIL1 to activate the downstream signaling. RNA-IP seq and CLIP-seq analyses reveal that MHZ9 associates with hundreds of RNAs. Ribo-seq analysis indicates that MHZ9 is required for the regulation of ~ 90% of genes translationally affected by ethylene. Our study identifies a translational regulator MHZ9, which mediates translational regulation of genes in response to ethylene, facilitating stress adaptation and trait improvement in rice.

Zinc-finger protein GmZF351 improves both salt and drought stress tolerance in soybean.

Abiotic stress is one of the most important factors reducing soybean yield. It is essential to identify regulatory factors contributing to stress responses. A previous study found that the tandem CCCH zinc-finger protein GmZF351 is an oil level regulator. In this study, we discovered that the GmZF351 gene is induced by stress and that the overexpression of GmZF351 confers stress tolerance to transgenic soybean. GmZF351 directly regulates the expression of GmCIPK9 and GmSnRK, leading to stomata closing, by binding to their promoter regions, which carry two CT(G/C)(T/A)AA elements. Stress induction of GmZF351 is mediated through reduction in the H3K27me3 level at the GmZF351 locus. Two JMJ30-demethylase-like genes, GmJMJ30-1 and GmJMJ30-2, are involved in this demethylation process. Overexpression of GmJMJ30-1/2 in transgenic hairy roots enhances GmZF351 expression mediated by histone demethylation and confers stress tolerance to soybean. Yield-related agronomic traits were evaluated in stable GmZF351-transgenic plants under mild drought stress conditions. Our study reveals a new mode of GmJMJ30-GmZF351 action in stress tolerance, in addition to that of GmZF351 in oil accumulation. Manipulation of the components in this pathway is expected to improve soybean traits and adaptation under unfavorable environments.

Total Synthesis of the Alleged Structure of (+)-Fimbricalyxoid A.

An enantioselective total synthesis of the alleged structure of (+)-fimbricalyxoid A is reported. The synthetic strategy features a pyridine-N-oxidate-mediated SN2' reaction to introduce an oxygen functionality at position C3 of the A-ring and a sequential three-step process via the cleavage of the C-O bonds and hemiketalization to form the 3,20-oxybridge. With this strategy, the target molecule was synthesized in 19% overall yield and 12 steps from our previously synthesized cis-fused octahydrophenanthrene (+)-6.

A Three-Step Process to Facilitate the Enantioselective Assembly of Cis-Fused Octahydrophenanthrenes with a Quaternary Stereocenter.

A three-step process for the enantioselective assembly of cis-fused octahydrophenanthrenes with a quaternary stereocenter is reported. This synthetic strategy relies on a regioselective γ-alkylation, a one-pot sequence of asymmetric hydrogenation and oxidation, and an intramolecular enolate arylation to facilitate the rapid and enantioselective construction of cis-fused octahydrophenanthrene scaffolds with an arylated all-carbon quaternary stereocenter concisely and efficiently.

Identification of monocot chimeric jacalin family reveals functional diversity in wheat.

MAIN CONCLUSION: 46 monocot chimeric jacalins (MCJs) were mined from wheat genome. They were divided into three subfamilies with the activity of mannose-specific lectins and had effects on dehydration tolerance or disease resistance. Monocot chimeric jacalin (MCJ) is a newly identified subfamily of plant lectins that exclusively exists in Poaceae. The MCJs are modular proteins consisting of a dirigent domain and a jacalin-related lectin domain. Their unique evolution and various functions are not fully understood as only few members of MCJ have so for been investigated. From wheat, 46 MCJs were identified and phylogenetically classified into three subfamilies, in which subfamily I represented the early evolutionary cluster. MCJ genes are evenly distributed among three subgenomes of wheat, indicating that MCJ might be an ancient gene in Poaceae. qRT-PCR analysis showed that TaMCJ1 and TaMCJ2 were mainly expressed in leaves while TaMCJ3 in root tissues. All these TaMCJ genes are JA or ABA inducible. All three proteins exhibited agglutinating activity but different preference to mannose-binding. The overexpression of TaMCJ3 in tobacco increased dehydration tolerance, while TaMCJ1 enhanced wildfire disease resistance. The lignin biosynthetic genes were temporarily induced after pathogen inoculation in transgenic tobacco overexpressing TaMCJ, but the specific association with TaMCJ was not established. This evidence argued against the notion that the dirigent domain in TaMCJ is directly linked with lignin metabolism. Taken together, these results pave the way for a better understanding of the manifold functionality of MCJs and offer important insights to the evolutionary history of MCJ.

Frequency-Domain and Spatial-Domain Reconfigurable Metasurface.

The recently proposed digital reconfigurable metasurfaces make it possible to manipulate electromagnetic (EM) waves flexibly. However, most existing reconfigurable metasurfaces can only exhibit a relatively single performance in the spatial domain. Here, we propose a general frequency- and spatial-domain reconfigurable metasurface (FSRM) that can manipulate the EM waves and realize reconfigurable functions in multifrequency bands. In the frequency domain, FSRM can convert different linearly polarized (LP) incident waves into left- and right-hand circularly polarized reflected waves, in which PIN diodes are used to switch the polarization conversions in different frequency bands. When the polarization direction of the incident LP wave is 45° from the +x-axis, the FSRM modulates the incident waves as a 1-bit programmable metasurface in the spatial domain. Two-dimensional beam scanning, vortex beams with orbital angular momentums, and specific beams with desired transmission directions are demonstrated via real-time adjustment of the digital coding state. To validate the modulation methodology, an FSRM prototype is fabricated and measured, which could respond to different functions for different polarization incidences. The measured results agree well with the theoretical analyses. The proposed FSRM will provide new opportunities for smart material designs.

A class B heat shock factor selected for during soybean domestication contributes to salt tolerance by promoting flavonoid biosynthesis.

Soybean (Glycine max) production is severely affected in unfavorable environments. Identification of the regulatory factors conferring stress tolerance would facilitate soybean breeding. In this study, through coexpression network analysis of salt-tolerant wild soybeans, together with molecular and genetic approaches, we revealed a previously unidentified function of a class B heat shock factor, HSFB2b, in soybean salt stress response. We showed that HSFB2b improves salt tolerance through the promotion of flavonoid accumulation by activating one subset of flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes and by inhibiting the repressor gene GmNAC2 to release another subset of genes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. Moreover, four promoter haplotypes of HSFB2b were identified from wild and cultivated soybeans. Promoter haplotype II from salt-tolerant wild soybean Y20, with high promoter activity under salt stress, is probably selected for during domestication. Another promoter haplotype, III, from salt-tolerant wild soybean Y55, had the highest promoter activity under salt stress, had a low distribution frequency and may be subjected to the next wave of selection. Together, our results revealed the mechanism of HSFB2b in soybean salt stress tolerance. Its promoter variations were identified, and the haplotype with high activity may be adopted for breeding better soybean cultivars that are adapted to stress conditions.

Wheat ROP proteins modulate defense response through lignin metabolism.

ROP is a subfamily of small GTP-binding proteins that uniquely exist in plants. It acts as versatile molecular switches that regulate various developmental processes. Some ROP proteins are also reported to affect defense responses, although their exact mechanism is not fully understood. Herein, ROP members in wheat were mined; the functions of three wheat ROP proteins were studied. RT-PCR results showed that the expression of TaRac1 was rapidly and strongly induced after leaf rust infection. TaRac1 interacted with TaCCR in yeast-hybridization assay. The overexpression of TaRac1 in tobacco promoted CCR and CAD gene expression, increased the total lignin content and sinapyl lignin proportion, and then enhanced resistance to tobacco black shank and bacterial wilt diseases. In contrast, TaRac3 and TaRac4 did not show to interact with TaCCR. Furthermore, the overexpression of TaRac3 and TaRac4 did not increase lignin gene expression and lignin accumulation either. Unlike TaRac1, the overexpression of TaRac3 increased susceptibility to both black shank and bacterial wilt pathogens, while overexpression of TaRac4 showed no effect on disease resistance but promoted the root growth in tobacco seedling. These data collectively suggest that TaRac1 in Group II is mainly involved in regulating lignin metabolism which, in turn, responsible for the observed roles in pathogen resistance. TaRac3 and TaRac4 have the minor roles in defense response but may act on regulation in plant developmental processes. These results shed light on the complexity and diverse function of ROP in plant defense pathway.

[Quantitative analyses of intrahepatic HBV cccDNA and serum HBsAg in 54 patients with chronic hepatitis B].

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively detect intrahepatic HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and serum HBsAg; and to analyze the relationship between the two parameters and with serum HBV DNA level. METHODS: Intrahepatic cccDNA (copies/cell) was quantitated by plasmid-safe ATP-dependent Danes (PSAD) digestion in combination with rolling circle amplification and gap-spanning selective real-time PCR assay using formalin fixed paraffin-embedded liver biopsy samples. HBsAg was measured by chemiluminescence's reagent manufactured by Abbott Company using sera sampled at time-point of liver biopsy. RESULTS: Intrahepatic cccDNA level was positively correlated with serum HBsAg level (r = 0.459, P < 0.001), but not correlated with serum HBV DNA level. Serum HBsAg level was positively correlated with serum HBV DNA level (r = 0.328, P = 0.015), and reversely correlated with HBV replicative efficiency defined as the ratio of serum HBV DNA to cccDNA (r = -0.373, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: In patients with chronic hepatitis B, intrahepatic cccDNA level is correlated with serum HBsAg level. The two parameters combined with serum HBV DNA may comprehensively reflect HBV replication activity and help evaluation of antiviral therapeutic efficacy.