Impact of rice variety, cooking equipment and pretreatment method on the quality of lightly milled rice.

Lightly milled rice is a healthier choice compared to refined white rice. In this study, the effects of variety, cooking equipment and pretreatment method on the quality of six varieties of lightly milled rice from China after cooking was investigated through physics, chemistry and instrumental analysis method. Nanjing-No.5055 has the best eating quality, Xiadao-No.1 has higher appearance score, and Fengliangyouxiang-No.1 has the lowest glycemic index. Compared with microwave oven and electric cooker, steamer has a more significant positive impact on component retention, eating quality and sensory quality, but the former has lower cooking time and higher glycemic index. Soaking can effectively improve the water absorption rate, thus reducing hardness. Cleaning affects component retention but is beneficial for sensory quality. The most obvious variation in organizational structure can be observed in the steamer and soaking processes. These findings could serve as a valuable reference for the processing of lightly milled rice.

Hybrid adipocyte-derived exosome nano platform for potent chemo-phototherapy in targeted hepatocellular carcinoma.

The high prevalence and severity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) present a significant menace to human health. Despite the significant advancements in nanotechnology-driven antineoplastic agents, there remains a conspicuous gap in the development of targeted chemotherapeutic agents specifically designed for HCC. Consequently, there is an urgent need to explore potent drug delivery systems for effective HCC treatment. Here we have exploited the interplay between HCC and adipocyte to engineer a hybrid adipocyte-derived exosome platform, serving as a versatile vehicle to specifically target HCC and exsert potent antitumor effect. A lipid-like prodrug of docetaxel (DSTG) with a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-cleavable linker, and a lipid-conjugated photosensitizer (PPLA), spontaneously co-assemble into nanoparticles, functioning as the lipid cores of the hybrid exosomes (HEMPs and NEMPs). These nanoparticles are further encapsuled within adipocyte-derived exosome membranes, enhancing their affinity towards HCC cancer cells. As such, cancer cell uptakes of hybrid exosomes are increased up to 5.73-fold compared to lipid core nanoparticles. Our in vitro and in vivo experiments have demonstrated that HEMPs not only enhance the bioactivity of the prodrug and extend its circulation in the bloodstream but also effectively inhibit tumor growth by selectively targeting hepatocellular carcinoma tumor cells. Self-facilitated synergistic drug release subsequently promoting antitumor efficacy, inducing significant inhibition of tumor growth with minimal side effects. Our findings herald a promising direction for the development of targeted HCC therapeutics.

Phenolic Profile and Bioactivity Changes of Lotus Seedpod and Litchi Pericarp Procyanidins: Effect of Probiotic Bacteria Biotransformation.

Theoretically, lactic acid bacteria (LABs) could degrade polyphenols into small molecular compounds. In this study, the biotransformation of lotus seedpod and litchi pericarp procyanidins by Lactobacillus plantarum 90 (Lp90), Streptococcus thermophilus 81 (ST81), Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 (HN001), and Pediococcus pentosus 06 (PP06) were analysed. The growth curve results indicated that procyanidins did not significantly inhibit the proliferation of LABs. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) revealed that procyanidin B2 and procyanidin B3 in lotus seedpod decreased by 62.85% and 25.45%, respectively, with ST81 metabolised, while kaempferol and syringetin 3-O-glucoside content increased. Although bioconversion did not increase the inhibitory function of procyanidins against glycosylation end-products in vitro, the 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) free radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power of litchi pericarp procyanidins increased by 157.34% and 6.8%, respectively, after ST81 biotransformation. These findings may inspire further studies of biological metabolism of other polyphenols and their effects on biological activity.

Effects of degree of milling on nutritional quality, functional characteristics and volatile compounds of brown rice tea.

This study investigated the effects of rice preparation using different degrees of milling (DOM) from 0% to 13% on the nutritional composition, functional properties, major volatile compounds and safety of brown rice tea (BRT). We found that 2% DOM reduced 52.33% of acrylamide and 31.88% of fluorescent AGEs. When DOM was increased from 0% to 13%, the total phenolic content (TPC) of brown rice tea decreased by 48.12%, and the total flavonoid content (TFC) and condensed tannin content (CTC) also decreased significantly, with the smallest decrease at 2% DOM. In addition, the inhibitory activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase as well as the antioxidant activity also decreased gradually. Analysis by electronic nose and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed that alkanes, furans, aldehydes, pyrazines and alcohols were the major volatiles in BRT, with 2% DOM having the greatest retention of aroma compounds. An orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and VIP score (VIP > 1 and p < 0.05) analysis were used to screen 25 flavor substances that contributed to the differences in BRT aroma of different DOMs. These results suggest that 2% milled BRT can improve safety and palatability while maximizing the retention of flavor compounds and nutrients. The findings of this study contribute to an enhanced understanding of the dynamics of changes and preservation of aroma compounds and nutrients present during the processing of BRT.

Emerging platinum(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics: A new epoch for platinum-based cancer therapy.

Owing to the unique DNA damaging cytotoxicity, platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapy has long been the first-line choice for clinical oncology. Unfortunately, Pt drugs are restricted by the severe dose-dependent toxicity and drug resistance. Correspondingly, Pt(IV) prodrugs are developed with the aim to improve the antitumor performance of Pt drugs. However, as "free" molecules, Pt(IV) prodrugs are still subject to unsatisfactory in vivo destiny and antitumor efficacy. Recently, Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics, inheriting both the merits of Pt(IV) prodrugs and nanotherapeutics, have emerged and demonstrated the promise to address the underexploited dilemma of Pt-based cancer therapy. Herein, we summarize the latest fronts of emerging Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics. First, the basic outlines of Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics are overviewed. Afterwards, how versatile Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics overcome the multiple biological barriers of antitumor drug delivery is introduced in detail. Moreover, advanced combination therapies based on multimodal Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics are discussed with special emphasis on the synergistic mechanisms. Finally, prospects and challenges of Pt(IV) prodrug nanotherapeutics for future clinical translation are spotlighted.

Insights into nutrition, flavor and edible quality changes of golden pomfret (Trachinotus ovatus) fillets prepared by different cooking methods.

Introduction: In recent years, Asia has seen an increase in demand for golden pomfret (Trachinotus ovatus). Especially in instant (ready-to-eat) and prepared (ready-to-cock) food processing industry. Thermal processing is a vital part of food processing. However, no comprehensive analysis has been reported on its flavor, nutrition and edible quality changes during the key thermal processing. Methods: Accordingly, in this study, we evaluated the effects of different cooking methods (steaming, frying, microwaving and baking) on the color, texture, cooking loss, nutrition composition, volatile flavor substances and other indicators of golden pomfret filets. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the steamed samples (SS) had the lowest cooking loss and fat content, the highest moisture content, complete appearance and the lowest levels of hardness and chewiness. Fried samples (FS) had a notable difference in fatty acid composition. The content of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) increased significantly, while the relative content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) decreased from 7.88 to 1.42%, lower than other groups. The essential amino acid index (EAAI) of microwaved samples (MS) was 94.89, which was higher than other groups. Baked samples (BS) had the highest relative content of umami amino acids (UAAs) and sweet amino acids (SAAs), which was 8.08 mg/100 mg and 5.19 mg/100 mg, respectively. Hexanal and nonanal were detected in control samples (CK), SS, FS, MS and BS. While pyrazine compounds were detected only in FS and BS. Steaming and microwaving treatment of golden pomfret resulted in better nutritional preservation, which was more conducive to human health. Frying and baking treatment of golden pomfret had better taste and flavor and higher sensory scores. The nutrition, flavor and edible quality of golden pomfret under different cooking methods were related and interactive. Cooking loss and fat content can be used as simple evaluation indicators to compare the overall quality of different cooking methods. This study provides a reference for the thermal processing technology and industrial production of golden pomfret.

Development and identification of molecular markers of GhHSP70-26 related to heat tolerance in cotton.

Heat stress significantly affect plant growth and development, which is an important factor contributing to crop yield loss. However, heat shock proteins (HSPs) in plants can effectively alleviate cell damage caused by heat stress. In order to rapidly and accurately cultivate heat-tolerant cotton varieties, this study conducted correlation analysis between heat tolerance index and insertion/deletion (In/Del) sites of GhHSP70-26 promoter in 39 cotton materials, so as to find markers related to heat tolerance function of cotton, which can be used in molecular marker-assisted breeding. The results showed the natural variation allele (Del22 bp) type at -1590 bp upstream of GhHSP70-26 promoter (haplotype2, Hap2) in cotton (Gossypium spp.) promoted GhHSP70-26 expression under heat stress. The relative expression level of GhHSP70-26 of M-1590-Del22 cotton materials were significantly higher than that of M-1590-In type cotton materials under heat stress (40 ℃). Also, M-1590-Del22 material had lower conductivity and less cell damage after heat stress, indicating that it is a heat resistant cotton material. The Hap1 (M-1590-In) promoter was mutated into Hap1del22, and Hap1 and Hap1del22 were fused with GUS to transform Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, Hap1del22 promoter had higher induction activity than Hap1 under heat stress and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. Further analysis confirmed that M-1590-Del22 was the dominant heat-resistant allele. In summary, these results identify a key and previously unknown natural variation in GhHSP70-26 with respect to heat tolerance, providing a valuable functional molecular marker for genetic breeding of cotton and other crops with heat tolerance.

Comparing the LC-MS Phenolic Acids Profiles of Seven Different Varieties of Brown Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Brown rice, an important material of whole-grain food, is increasingly popular for its health benefits. Thus, seven varieties of brown rice from southern China were analyzed in this study, concerning the free and bound phenolic compounds in the extract. The phenolic profiles of different brown rice were obtained and compared by the combination of HPLC and LC-MS analysis, in which eleven phenolic acids were identified. It was indicated that the total phenolic contents of different brown rice varied from 92.32 to 196.54 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g DW. Ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid, free and bound, dominated within the phenolic acids. To be mentioned, the total phenols of Luotiangongmi (a kind of red rice) were significantly higher than the other six varieties. The high phenolic content of brown rice can further guide us to explore the functional properties of the crops.

Biomass and Species Diversity of Different Alpine Plant Communities Respond Differently to Nitrogen Deposition and Experimental Warming.

The ability of fragile ecosystems of alpine regions to adapt and thrive under warming and nitrogen deposition is a pressing conservation concern. The lack of information on how these ecosystems respond to the combined impacts of elevated levels of nitrogen and a warming climate limits the sustainable management approaches of alpine grasslands. In this study, we experimented using a completely random blocked design to examine the effects of warming and nitrogen deposition on the aboveground biomass and diversity of alpine grassland plant communities. The experiment was carried out from 2015 to 2018 in four vegetation types, e.g., alpine desert, alpine desert steppe, alpine marsh, and alpine salinised meadow, in the Aerjin Mountain Nature Reserve (AMNR) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). We found that W (warming) and WN (warming plus N deposition) treatment significantly increased the aboveground biomass of all the vegetation types (p < 0.05) in 2018. However, W and WN treatment only significantly increased the Shannon diversity of salinised meadows in 2018 and had no significant effect on the Shannon diversity of other vegetation types. Such results suggested that long-term nitrogen deposition and warming can consistently stimulate biomass accumulation of the alpine plant communities. Compared with other vegetation types, the diversity of alpine salinised meadows are generally more susceptible to long-term warming and warming combined with N deposition. Warming accounts many of such variabilities, while short-term N deposition alone may not significantly have an evident effect on the productivity and diversity of alpine grasslands. Our findings suggested that the effects of short-term (≤4 years) N deposition on alpine vegetation productivity and diversity were minimal, while long-term warming (>4 years) will be much more favourable for alpine vegetation.

Metabolites of Procyanidins From Litchi Chinensis Pericarp With Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Effect and Antioxidant Activity.

Procyanidins from litchi pericarp (LPPC) has been evidenced to possess strong antioxidant activities in vivo that is possibly correlated with their intestinal metabolites. However, the xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect of LPPC and its metabolites was less concerned. In this study, three oligomeric procyanidins and eight metabolic phenolic acids were identified in the urine of rats administrated with LPPC by high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Data indicated that all the metabolites excreted were significantly increased by the treatment of 300 mg/kg body weight of LPPC (P < 0.05), revealing considerable 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radicals activities of scavenging. Moreover, phenolic metabolites involving epicatechin, A-type dimer, A-type trimer, caffeic acid, and shikimic acid exhibited greater xanthine oxidase inhibition effects compared with other metabolites, with an inhibitory rate higher than 50% at the concentration 200 µg/ml. The IC50 value of these five phenols were 58.43 ± 1.86, 68.37 ± 3.50, 74.87 ± 1.30, 95.67 ± 3.82, and 96.17 ± 1.64 µg/ml, respectively. As a whole, this work suggests that the xanthine oxidase inhibition and antioxidant activity of LPPC-derived metabolites as one of the mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of LPPC against hyperuricemia or gout.

Fecal Bacterial Community of Allopatric Przewalski's Gazelles and Their Sympatric Relatives.

Mammal gastrointestinal tracts harbor diverse bacterial communities that play important roles in digestion, development, behavior, and immune function. Although, there is an increasing understanding of the factors that affect microbial community composition in laboratory populations, the impact of environment and host community composition on microbiomes in wild populations is less understood. Given that the composition of bacterial communities can be shaped by ecological factors, particularly exposure to the microbiome of other individuals, inter-specific interactions should impact on microbiome community composition. Here, we evaluated inter-population and inter-specific similarity in the fecal microbiota of Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii), an endangered endemic ruminant around Qinghai Lake in China. We compared the fecal bacterial communities of three Przewalski's gazelle populations, with those of two sympatric ruminants, Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) and Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries). The fecal bacterial community richness (Chao1, ACE) did not vary across the three Przewalski's gazelle populations, nor did the composition vary between species. In contrast, the managed Przewalski's gazelle population had higher bacterial diversity (Shannon and Simpson) and was more similar to its sympatric Tibetan sheep in beta diversity than the wild Przewalski's gazelle populations. These results suggest that ecological factors like host community composition or diet affect Przewalski's gazelle's gastrointestinal bacterial community. The role of bacterial community composition in maintaining gastrointestinal health should be assessed to improve conservation management of endangered Przewalski's gazelle. More broadly, captive breeding and reintroduction efforts may be impeded, where captive management results in dysbiosis and introduction of pathogenic bacteria. In free ranging populations, where wildlife and livestock co-occur, infection by domestic pathogens and diseases may be an underappreciated threat to wild animals.

Correlation analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome reveals the role of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in regulating axillary buds in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

MAIN CONCLUSION: Flavonoids are involved in axillary bud development in upland cotton. The phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways regulate axillary bud growth by promoting the transport of auxin in upland cotton. In cotton production, simplified cultivation and mechanical harvesting are emerging trends that depend on whether the cotton plant type meets production requirements. The axillary bud is an important index of cotton plant-type traits, and the molecular mechanism of axillary bud development in upland cotton has not yet been completely studied. Here, a combined investigation of transcriptome and metabolome analyses in G. hirsutum CCRI 117 at the fourth week (stage 1), fifth week (stage 2) and sixth week (stage 3) after seedling emergence was performed. The metabolome results showed that the total lipid, amino acid and organic acid contents in the first stalk node decreased during axillary bud development. The abundance of 71 metabolites was altered between stage 2 and stage 1, and 32 metabolites exhibited significantly altered abundance between stage 3 and stage 2. According to the correlation analysis of metabolome and transcriptome profiles, we found that phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways exhibit high enrichment degrees of both differential metabolites and differential genes in three stages. Based on the verification of hormone, soluble sugar and flavonoid detection, we propose a model for flavonoid-mediated regulation of axillary bud development in upland cotton, revealing that the decrease in secondary metabolites of phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis is an essential factor to promote the transport of auxin and subsequently promote the growth of axillary buds. Our findings provide novel insights into the regulation of phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis in axillary bud development and could prove useful for cultivating machine-harvested cotton varieties with low axillary buds.

Investigating the risks of removing wild meat from global food systems.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought humanity's strained relationship with nature into sharp focus, with calls for cessation of wild meat trade and consumption, to protect public health and biodiversity.1,2 However, the importance of wild meat for human nutrition, and its tele-couplings to other food production systems, mean that the complete removal of wild meat from diets and markets would represent a shock to global food systems.3-6 The negative consequences of this shock deserve consideration in policy responses to COVID-19. We demonstrate that the sudden policy-induced loss of wild meat from food systems could have negative consequences for people and nature. Loss of wild meat from diets could lead to food insecurity, due to reduced protein and nutrition, and/or drive land-use change to replace lost nutrients with animal agriculture, which could increase biodiversity loss and emerging infectious disease risk. We estimate the magnitude of these consequences for 83 countries, and qualitatively explore how prohibitions might play out in 10 case study places. Results indicate that risks are greatest for food-insecure developing nations, where feasible, sustainable, and socially desirable wild meat alternatives are limited. Some developed nations would also face shocks, and while high-capacity food systems could more easily adapt, certain places and people would be disproportionately impacted. We urge decision-makers to consider potential unintended consequences of policy-induced shocks amidst COVID-19; and take holistic approach to wildlife trade interventions, which acknowledge the interconnectivity of global food systems and nature, and include safeguards for vulnerable people.

Transcriptome analyses provide insights into the homeostatic regulation of axillary buds in upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.).

BACKGROUND: The axillary bud is an important index of cotton plant-type traits, and the molecular mechanism of axillary bud development in upland cotton has not yet been reported. We obtained a mutant (designated mZ571) with a high-budding phenotype in axillary bud development from the low-budding phenotype variety G. hirsutum Z571 (CCRI 9A02), which provided ideal materials for the study of complex regulatory networks of axillary bud development. In this study, RNA sequencing was carried out to detect gene expression levels during three stages of axillary buds in Z571 (LB, low budding) and mZ571 mutant (HB, high budding). RESULTS: A total of 7162 DEGs were identified in the three groups (HB-E vs. LB-E, HB-G1 vs. LB-G1, HB-G2 vs. LB-G2), including 4014 downregulated and 3184 upregulated DEGs. Additionally, 221 DEGs were commonly identified in all three groups, accounting for approximately 3.09% of the total DEGs. These DEGs were identified, annotated and classified. A significant number of DEGs were related to hormone metabolism, hormone signal transduction, and starch and sucrose metabolism. In addition, 45, 22 and 9 DEGs involved in hormone metabolic pathways and 67, 22 and 19 DEGs involved in hormone signal transduction pathwayspathway were identified in HB-E vs. LB-E, HB-G1 vs. LB-G1, and HB-G2 vs. LB-G2, respectively, suggesting that endogenous hormones are the primary factors influencing cotton axillary bud growth. Hormone and soluble sugar content measurements revealed that mZ571 exhibited higher concentrations of zeatin, gibberellins and soluble sugar in all three stages, which confirmed that these hormone metabolism-, hormone signal transduction- and starch metabolism-related genes showed interaction effects contributing to the divergence of axillary bud growth between mZ571 and Z571. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed the importance of endogenous hormones and sugars in the development of axillary buds, and we found that mZ571 plants, with a high-budding phenotype of axillary buds, exhibited higher endogenous hormone and sugar concentrations. Overall, we present a model for the emergence and development of cotton axillary buds that provides insights into the complexity and dynamic nature of the regulatory network during axillary bud emergence and development.

Effect of group size and reproductive status on faecal glucocorticoid concentration and vigilance in a free-ranging population of Przewalski's gazelle.

Elevated glucocorticoid (GC) concentration and increased vigilance are two common responses to predation risk in mammals. Chronic high-level GC concentration and vigilance occur at the expense of other life maintenance and reproduction activities, reflecting a trade-off between individual survival and future fecundity. Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) is a group-living ungulate endemic to the high-altitude Qinghai Lake region of China. Group-size effect on gazelle vigilance has been examined, yet little is known about how their GC concentration is affected by group size or reproductive status. In this study, we examined the effect of group size and reproductive status on faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations and individual vigilance during different stages of the reproduction cycle (i.e. non-breeding, lambing and rutting) in free-ranging adult female Przewalski's gazelles. Group size did not influence FGMs significantly, but mean vigilance duration increased with group size. The gazelles' FGMs and vigilance peaked in lambing season. FGMs showed no difference between rutting season and non-reproductive season, but vigilance was lowest in the rutting season. FGMs correlated with vigilance frequency and vigilance duration. Antipredator responses of female Przewalski's gazelles appear to change with reproductive status but not with group size in free-ranging females. Management measures should be taken in the lambing season to minimize stress on mother gazelles.

Issues and Opportunities Associated with Trophy Hunting and Tourism in Khunjerab National Park, Northern Pakistan.

Trophy hunting and mass tourism are the two major interventions designed to provide various socioeconomic and ecological benefits at the local and regional levels. However, these interventions have raised some serious concerns that need to be addressed. This study was conducted in Khunjerab National Park (KNP) with an aim to analyze comparatively the socioeconomic and ecological impacts of trophy hunting and mass tourism over the last three decades within the context of sustainability. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with key stakeholders and household interviews were conducted to collect data on trophy hunting and mass tourism, and on local attitudes towards these two interventions in and around KNP. The results revealed that 170 Ibex (Capra sibirica) and 12 Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) were hunted in the study area over the past three decades, and trophy hunting was not based on a sustainable harvest level. Trophy hunting on average generated USD 16,272 annual revenue, which was invested in community development. However, trophy hunting has greatly changed the attitudes of local residents towards wildlife: a positive attitude towards the wild ungulates and strongly negative attitude towards wild carnivores. In addition, trophy hunting has reduced the availability of ungulate prey species for Snow leopards (Panthera uncia), and consequently, Snow leopards have increased their predation on domestic livestock. This has, in turn, increased human-snow leopard conflict, as negative attitudes towards carnivores result in retaliatory killing of Snow leopards. Furthermore, according to official record data, the number of tourists to KNP has increased tremendously by 10,437.8%, from 1382 in 1999 to 145,633 in 2018. Mass tourism on average generated USD 33,904 annually and provided opportunities for locals to earn high incomes, but it caused damages to the environment and ecosystem in KNP through pollution generation and negative impacts on wildlife. Considering the limited benefits and significant problems created by trophy hunting and mass tourism, we suggest trophy hunting should be stopped and mass tourism should be shifted to ecotourism in and around KNP. Ecotourism could mitigate human-Snow leopard conflicts and help conserve the fragile ecosystem, while generating enough revenue incentives for the community to protect biodiversity and compensate for livestock depredation losses to Snow leopards. Our results may have implications for management of trophy hunting and mass tourism in other similar regions that deserve further investigation.

The role of gibberellin synthase gene GhGA2ox1 in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) responses to drought and salt stress.

Gibberellins (GAs) is one kind of important endogenous hormone in plants that regulates vegetative and reproductive growth of plants. GA2ox is a class of oxidase that plays a regulatory role in the third stage of GAs synthesis. In this paper, we cloned the GhGA2ox1 gene from an upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. var. CCRI49). The results showed that the CDS of GhGA2ox1 is 996 bp, which encode 331 amino acids, which has high homology with GhGA2ox2 and NtGA2ox1. The quantitative real-time PCR showed that under the conditions of salt and drought stress, the expression of GhGA2ox1 had a higher upregulation in root, stem, and leaf of transgenic plant, compared with non-transgenic plant. Cotton plant that overexpressed the GhGA2ox1 gene showed higher drought and salt tolerance than non-transgenic cotton plant, and these results were supported by data of higher free proline, chlorophyll, and relative water content in transgenic plant compared with control plant. The expression level of antiretroviral genes, including GhEREB2, GhDREB1, GhWRKY5, and GhP5CS, was upregulated to varying degrees in transgenic plant. The above results indicate that overexpressed GhGA2ox1 gene can increases the tolerance to respond to drought and salt stress in upland cotton.

Overexpression of StGA2ox1 Gene Increases the Tolerance to Abiotic Stress in Transgenic Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Plants.

It has been known that GA2ox is one kind of key enzyme gene in the gibberellin synthesis pathway, which plays important regulatory roles throughout plant whole growth and development. In this article, one of the GA2ox family genes, designated StGA2ox1, was isolated from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The full length of cDNA is 1005 bp, and the cDNA corresponds to a protein of 334 amino acids; this protein was classified in a group with NtGA2ox3 based on multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic characterization. A plant expression vector pCAEZ1383-StGA2ox1 was established. qRT-PCR showed that the expression of RD28, DREB1, WRKY1, and SnRK2 genes in StGA2ox1 transgenic plant is higher than that in non-transformed control under dehydration, low temperature conditions, and abscisic acid treatments. Overexpression of StGA2ox1 cDNA in transgenic potato plants exhibited an improved salt, drought, exogenous hormone, and low temperature stress tolerance in comparison to the non-transformed plant. The enhanced stress tolerance may be associated with the subsequent accumulation of proline osmoprotectant in addition to a better control of chlorophyll, carotenoids, and water loss. These data suggest that the StGA2ox1 is involved in the regulation of plant growth and tolerance in potato by regulating the synthesis of gibberellin.

A cationic conjugated polymer and graphene oxide: Application to amplified fluorescence detection of sinapine.

An amplified fluorescence strategy is described for the detection of sinapine (SP) by using a cationic conjugated polymer (PFP) and graphene oxide (GO). It is observed that the fluorescein (FAM)-labeled single-stranded DNA (FAM-DNA) is absorbed on the surface of GO if SP is absent. This causes that fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from PFP to FAM is inefficient when adding PFP into FAM-DNA/GO complex. If SP is added to FAM-DNA/GO complex, FAM-DNA is desorbed from GO surface due to the competitive binding of SP and FAM-DNA toward GO. In this case, FAM-DNA is close to PFP in the presence of PFP through strong electrostatic interaction, leading to the occurrence of efficient FRET. Based on the above phenomenon, we demonstrate a method to amplify fluorescence signal of traditional GO-based SP assay by introducing PFP. In comparison to the use of single GO, the combination of PFP with GO-based strategy displays high turn-on ratio and enhanced sensitivity with a limit of detection as low as 7.3 ng mL-1 for SP detection. Satisfactory results in practical samples are also obtained by the recovery experiments, demonstrating the potential application of cationic conjugated polymer in plant-derived small molecule.

Evolutionary history and functional traits determine the spatial pattern of multifaceted plant diversity in a typical temperate desert disturbed by an expressway.

Temperate desert is one of the globally important biomes with unique and valuable biodiversity, which might be threatened by environmental stresses and human disturbance associated with rapid development. However, few studies have documented the spatial distribution of the multifaceted plant diversity of the temperate desert and their relationships with external impacting factors. We sampled multifaceted plant species diversity including taxonomic diversity, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity in the Alashan Desert along Beijing-Xinjiang Expressway (G6) in Northern China to identify the key factors and process which regulate the multifaceted plant diversity of the temperate desert. We found that the dynamics of species richness, functional richness, and phylogenetic richness along the elevational gradient corresponded to the unimodal model. Species phylogenetic development shifted from aggregation to divergence, while species functional traits were the opposite along the elevational gradient. The sites at an elevation around 1200-1400 m were the key habitats for the occurrence of high plant diversity including species richness, functional richness and phylogenetic richness. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in plant diversity at different distances from the road (500 m, 1000 m and 1500 m) and human disturbances (the distance from the nearest human settlements). Temperature, temperature variability, precipitation, precipitation variability, soil physical and chemistry properties showed no significant effects on plant diversity. It was concluded that evolutionary history and functional traits, not environmental or anthropogenic factors were the key determinants of the pattern of multifaceted plant diversity.