Therapeutic effects of the alkaline extract of leaves of Sasa sp. and elucidation of its mechanism in acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), a common complication in hospitalized patients, is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. However, there are currently no approved or effective therapeutics for AKI. AKI is primarily caused by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, with oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species (ROS) being a major contributor. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an alkaline extract of the leaves of Sasa sp. (SE) using mouse renal I/R injury and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) models in NRK-52E cells. Renal function parameters were measured, and histopathological evaluations were performed to assess the efficacy of SE. In addition, to determine the mechanisms underlying the effects of SE on renal I/R injury, its effects on malondialdehyde (MDA) of oxidative stress and interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1ß of inflammatory cytokines were evaluated. SE (0.03, 0.3, and 3 g/kg) improved renal function in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, SE ameliorated tubular injury and, reduced IL-6, IL-1ß and MDA. Also, SE ameliorated cell death, ROS production, and inflammatory cytokine production in H/R-exposed NRK-52E cells. SE showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in the AKI. These results indicate the potential of SE as a medicinal compound for the prevention and treatment of AKI.

Sasa argenteostriata - A potential plant for phytostabilization remediation of lead-zinc tailing-contaminated soil.

Phytoremediation is an effective way to remediate metal-contaminated soils. During phytoremediation, plants immobilize heavy metals through the roots to reduce the mobility, toxicity and dispersal of the metals, and the changes in the activity of the roots are often accompanied by changes in the rhizosphere ecosystems, in which rhizobacteria are essential components and interact with roots to maintain the stability of the rhizosphere ecosystem and improve soil health. In this study, the phytoremediation potential of Sasa argenteostriata (Regel) E.G. Camu and the response of rhizobacteria were revealed with different levels of lead-zinc tailing contamination (Pb, Zn, and Cd concentrations of 1197.53, 3243.40, and 185.44 mg/kg for M1 and 2301.71, 6087.95, and 364.00 mg/kg for M2, respectively). The BCF of Sasa argenteostriata increased with increasing soil pollution, and the BCFPb, BCFZn, and BCFCd were 0.19, 0.27, and 0.08, respectively, under the M2 treatment; in contrast, the TF decreased with increasing soil pollution, and the TFPb, TFZn, and TFCd were 0.39, 0.85, and 0.07, respectively, under the M1 treatment. The mobility of Pb in the rhizosphere was higher than that of Zn and Cd, and the percentage of residual (Res) Zn and Cd in the rhizosphere increased, while the acid-soluble (Aci) Pb was significantly higher, leading to obvious uptake of Pb by the roots. Correlation analysis showed that Sasa argenteostriata affected the rhizobacterial community by changing the rhizosphere soil pH, the contents of organic matter and NRFM, and bacteria such as Proteobacteria and MND1, which are highly resistant to heavy metals (HMs), became the dominant species in the community. Further PICRUSt2 analysis showed that reducing metal transport across the membranes and increasing the efficiency of cellular reproduction were the main metabolic mechanisms of bacterial tolerance to HMs. Overall, the roots of Sasa argenteostriata were able to immobilize more heavy metals in PbZn tailing-contaminated soil, reducing the toxicity of HMs in the soil, and then influencing the rhizobacteria to change the community structure and metabolism mechanism to adapt to the HM-contaminated environment, and the soil fertility was increased, which together promoted the health and stability of the soil. This study is the first to illustrate the phytoremediation potential and response of the rhizobacterial community of Sasa argenteostriata under multimetal contamination of PbZn tailings. The results of the study provide some guidance for the practice of lead-zinc tailing-phytoremediation and soil health.

Sasa veitchii extracts protect phenytoin-induced cell proliferation inhibition in human lip mesenchymal cells through modulation of miR-27b-5p.

A cleft lip, with or without a cleft palate, is a common birth defect caused by environmental factors or genetic mutations. Environmental factors, such as pharmaceutical exposure in pregnant women, are known to induce cleft lip, with or without cleft palate in the child. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Sasa veitchii extract (SE) on phenytoin-induced inhibition of cell proliferation in human lip mesenchymal cells (KD cells) and human embryonic palatal mesenchymal cells (HEPM cells). We demonstrated that cell proliferation was inhibited by phenytoin in a dose-dependent manner in both KD and HEPM cells. Co-treatment with SE restored phenytoin-induced toxicity in KD cells but did not protect HEPM cells against phenytoin-induced toxicity. Several microRNAs (miR-27b, miR-133b, miR-205, miR-497-5p, and miR-655-3p) is reported to associate with cell proliferation in KD cells. We measured the seven kinds of microRNAs (miR27b-3p, miR-27b-5p, miR-133b, miR-205-3p, miR-205-5p, miR-497-5p, and miR-655-3p) and found that SE suppressed miR-27b-5p induced by phenytoin in KD cells. Furthermore, co-treatment with SE enhanced the expression of miR-27b-5p downstream genes (PAX9, RARA, and SUMO1). These results suggest that SE protects phenytoin-induced cell proliferation inhibition by modulating miR-27b-5p.

Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins and Bamboo Leaf Flavonoids Improve the Quality of Bull Semen Cryopreservation.

It is important to inhibit oxidative stress to maintain sperm motility during cryopreservation. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of supplementing oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC) and bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF) or their combination as an extender for Simmental bull semen freezing. OPC, BLF, or their combination were added to the frozen diluent of bovine semen. Afterwards, computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA), detection of membrane functionality, acrosome integrity, mitochondrial integrity, CAT, SOD, GSH-PX, MDA, and ROS were conducted. The results showed that adding 50 mg/L OPC or 4 mg/L BLF could improve the quality of frozen sperm. Compared with 50 mg/L OPC alone, the combination of 50mg/L OPC and 2 mg/L BLF significantly increased the kinematic parameters of sperm, and sperm CAT, GSH-PX and SOD levels (p < 0.05), whereas the MDA of sperm was decreased (p < 0.05). These results indicated that compared to the addition of 50 mg/L OPC alone, a combination of 50 mg/L OPC and 2 mg/L BLF could further improve the quality of frozen semen. The results could provide theoretical data support for the development of a new protective agent and are significant for the cryopreservation of bovine semen in the future.

Genome-wide identification and analysis of the heat shock transcription factor family in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis).

Heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are central elements in the regulatory network that controls plant heat stress response. They are involved in multiple transcriptional regulatory pathways and play important roles in heat stress signaling and responses to a variety of other stresses. We identified 41 members of the HSF gene family in moso bamboo, which were distributed non-uniformly across its 19 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the moso bamboo HSF genes could be divided into three major subfamilies; HSFs from the same subfamily shared relatively conserved gene structures and sequences and encoded similar amino acids. All HSF genes contained HSF signature domains. Subcellular localization prediction indicated that about 80% of the HSF proteins were located in the nucleus, consistent with the results of GO enrichment analysis. A large number of stress response-associated cis-regulatory elements were identified in the HSF upstream promoter sequences. Synteny analysis indicated that the HSFs in the moso bamboo genome had greater collinearity with those of rice and maize than with those of Arabidopsis and pepper. Numerous segmental duplicates were found in the moso bamboo HSF gene family. Transcriptome data indicated that the expression of a number of PeHsfs differed in response to exogenous gibberellin (GA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). A number of HSF genes were highly expressed in the panicles and in young shoots, suggesting that they may have functions in reproductive growth and the early development of rapidly-growing shoots. This study provides fundamental information on members of the bamboo HSF gene family and lays a foundation for further study of their biological functions in the regulation of plant responses to adversity.

Biomass allocation strategies and Pb-enrichment characteristics of six dwarf bamboos under soil Pb stress.

Dwarf bamboos are clonal plants with potential applications in the remediation of heavy metal-polluted soils, although their pollution adaptation strategies are unknown. This study examined the biomass allocation strategies and lead (Pb) enrichment characteristics of various dwarf bamboo tissues by the end of the growing season and explored their potential for phytoremediation of Pb stress in the soils. Six dwarf bamboo genotypes were treated with three levels (0, 300, and 1500 mg kg-1) of soil Pb stress. The majority of the bamboos adopted two biomass allocation strategies to adapt to Pb stress, namely, "reducing biomass allocation into new bamboo growth" and "increasing/stabilizing biomass allocation into rhizomes". Pb accumulation was highest in the roots, rhizomes, and old stems and showed the following trend: rhizomes/old stems> new roots/old roots> old leaves> new leaves> new stems among various tissues. Moreover, the six bamboos used three different Pb-enrichment strategies, as follows: (i) "rhizome domination and old stem synergy" (Sasaella glabra (Nakai) f. albo-striata Muroi, Sasa auricoma (Mitford) E.G. Camus, Sasa fortunei (Van Houtte) Fiori, and Shibataea lanceifolia C.H. Hu); (ii) "old stem domination and rhizome synergy" (Indocalamus decorus Q.H. Dai); and (iii) "old stem domination and new root synergy" (Sasa argenteostriata (Regel) E.G. Camus). In Pb-contaminated soils, genotypes with TFs greater than 1 were Sasa fortunei (Van Houtte) Fiori, Sasa argenteostriata (Regel) E.G. Camus, and Indocalamus decorus Q.H. Dai; in addition, only S. argenteostriata had BCF values greater than 1. Furthermore, this study provides the first evidence that S. argenteostriata can extract 0.22 and 0.58 mgplant-1 of Pb ions in soil polluted with 300 and 1500 mg kg-1 Pb, respectively. S. argenteostriata showed the greatest potential for phytoremediation among the bamboo genotypes in both Pb-contaminated urban and mining sites.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase family genes in moso bamboo and functional analysis of PeUGDH4 in hemicellulose synthesis.

Uridine diphosphate glucose dehydrogenases (UGDHs) are critical for synthesizing many nucleotide sugars and help promote the carbohydrate metabolism related to cell wall synthesis. In plants, UGDHs are encoded by a small gene family. Genome-wide analyses of these genes have been conducted in Glycine max and Arabidopsis thaliana, however, the UGDH gene family has not been comprehensively and systematically investigated in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), which is a special woody grass monocotyledonous species. In this study, we identified nine putative PeUGDH genes. Furthermore, analysis of gene duplication events and divergences revealed that the expansion of the PeUGDH family was mainly due to segmental and tandem duplications approximately 4.76-83.16 million years ago. An examination of tissue-specific PeUGDH expression indicated that more than 77% of the genes were predominantly expressed in the stem. Based on relative expression levels among PeUGDH members in different tissues in moso bamboo, PeUGDH4 was selected for detailed analysis. The results of subcellular localization indicated that PeUGDH4-GFP fusion proteins was observed to be localized in the cytoplasm. The ectopic overexpression of PeUGDH4 in Arabidopsis significantly increased the contents of hemicellulose and soluble sugar, suggesting that PeUGDH4 acts as a key enzyme involved in bamboo cell wall synthesis.

Different strategies for lead detoxification in dwarf bamboo tissues.

Dwarf bamboo Sasa argenteostriata (Regel) E.G. Camus is considered as potential plants for metal phytoremediation in previous filed observations. However, the mechanisms of lead (Pb) detoxification has not been described. The objective of this study was to explore the difference strategies or mechanisms of Pb detoxification in plant tissues. In this regard, four Pb treatments with hydroponics including 0 (control), 300, 600, and 900 mg L-1 were conducted to examine subcellular compartmentalization, Pb accumulation/species and antioxidant-assisted chelation. Our findings showed the retention of Pb by the whip-root system is one of its detoxification mechanisms to avoid damage the shoots. In addition, the cell wall retention is the dominant detoxification strategy of whips, new roots, old roots and new/old stems, while vacuolar compartmentalization is for new/old leaves. Interestingly, four low-mobility/-toxicity Pb species (i.e., FNaCl, FHAc, FHCl and FR) are distributed in roots, whips and stems, while two high-mobility/-toxicity Pb species (FE and FW) in leaves. The conversion of Pb to low-toxicity/-migration is a Pb-detoxification strategy in roots, whips and stems but not in leaves. Besides, the new/old roots and leaves can alleviate Pb damage through the synthesis of non-protein thiol, glutathione and phytochelatins. Among these, phytochelatins play a leading role in the detoxification in new/old roots, while glutathione is in new/old leaves. This study provides the first comprehensive evidence regarding the different strategies for Pb detoxification in dwarf bamboo tissues from physiological to cellular level, supporting that this plant could be rehabilitated for phytoremediation in Pb-contaminated media.

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Furfuryl Alcohol from Biomass in Tandem Reaction System.

In this study, chemoenzymatic synthesis of furfuryl alcohol from biomass (e.g., corncob, bamboo shoot shell, and rice straw) was attempted by the tandem catalysis with Lewis acid (SnCl4 or solid acid SO42-/SnO2-bentonite) and biocatalyst in one-pot manner. Compared with SnCl4, solid acid SO42-/SnO2-bentonite had higher catalytic activity for converting biomass into furfural, which could be biologically converted into furfuryl alcohol with Escherichia coli CCZU-H15 whole-cell harboring reductase activity. Sequential catalysis of biomass into furfural with SO42-/SnO2-bentonite (3.0 wt%) at 170 °C for 0.5 h and bioreduction of furfural with whole cells at 30 °C for 4.5 h were used for the effective synthesis of furfuryl alcohol in one-pot media. Corncob, bamboo shoot shell, and rice straw (3.0 g, dry weight) could be converted into 65.7, 50.3, and 58.5 mM furfuryl alcohol with the yields of 0.26, 0.25, and 0.23 g furfuryl alcohol/(g xylan in biomass) in 40 mL reaction media. Finally, an efficient process of recycling and reusing of SO42-/SnO2-bentonite catalyst and immobilized whole-cell biocatalyst was developed for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of furfuryl alcohol from biomass in the one-pot reaction system.

Manipulating rumen fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, and mitigating methane production using bamboo grass pellet in swamp buffaloes.

Bamboo grass (Tiliacora triandra Diels) pellet (BP) was assessed as a rumen modifier on feed intake, rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibilities, microbial population, and methane production in swamp buffaloes. Four male swamp buffaloes with 350 ± 10 kg of body weight (BW) were allotted according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The treatments were as follows: roughage to concentrate ratio (R:C) at 70:30 (T1), R:C at 70:30 with BP supplementation at 150 g/day (T2), R:C at 30:70 (T3), and R:C at 30:70 with BP supplementation at 150 g/day (T4). All animals were restricted to 2.5% of BW. The findings revealed that ruminal pH was reduced by the R:C at 30:70 fed groups (T3, T4); however, the rumen pH was enhanced (P < 0.05) in BP supplemented (T4) and there was an interaction between R:C and BP groups (P < 0.05). The propionate (C3) concentration was increased by the R:C ratio at 30:70 and BP fed groups (P < 0.01), and it was the highest at R:C ratio of 30:70 with BP supplemented group. Total VFA and buterate (C4) concentation were not changed (P > 0.05), while acetate (C2) concentration was reduced (P < 0.05) in the BP fed groups and there was an interaction (P < 0.05). Estimation of CH4 production in the rumen was remarkably reduced by the R:C ratio with BP supplementation (P < 0.01). Furthermore, apparent digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, NDF, and ADF were significantly increased in the R:C ratio 30:70 (P < 0.01). Nitrogen absorption and nitrogen retention were also significantly altered by R:C at 30:70 (P < 0.01) and nitrogen absorption was an interaction (P < 0.01). Based on this study, it could be concluded that supplementation of BP resulted in improvement of ruminal pH, enhanced C3, and reduced CH4 production. Thus, BP could be a dietary rumen enhancer.

Genome-Wide Characterization and Gene Expression Analyses of GATA Transcription Factors in Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis).

Moso bamboo is well-known for its rapid-growth shoots and widespread rhizomes. However, the regulatory genes of these two processes are largely unexplored. GATA transcription factors regulate many developmental processes, but their roles in moso bamboo height control and rhizome development remains unexplored. Here, thirty-one bamboo GATA factors (PeGATAs) were identified, which are evolutionarily closer to rice than Arabidopsis, and their gene expression patterns were analyzed in bamboo development and phytohormone response with bioinformatics and molecular methods. Interestingly, PeGATAs could only be classified into three groups. Phytohormone responsive cis-elements were found in PeGATA promoters and the expression profiles showed that PeGATA genes might respond to gibberellin acid and abscisic acid but not to auxin at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, PeGATA genes have a tissue-specific expression pattern in bamboo rhizomes. Interestingly, most PeGATA genes were down-regulated during the rapid-growth of bamboo shoots. In addition, over-expressing one of the PeGATA genes, PeGATA26, significantly repressed the primary root length and plant height of transgenic Arabidopsis plants, which may be achieved by promoting the gibberellin acid turnover. Overall, our results provide insight into the function of GATA transcription factors in bamboo, and into genetic resources for engineering plant height.

Facile in-situ growth of Ag/TiO2 nanoparticles on polydopamine modified bamboo with excellent mildew-proofing.

Bamboo with the outstanding properties, such as good mechanical strength, fast growth rate and low growth cost, is considered as one of utilitarian structural nature materials. But bamboo is easy to get mildewed resulting in disfiguration and fungi corrosion. In this work, a facile method was developed to improve the mildew-proofing capability of bamboo. Mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) with biomimetic adhesion function and highly active functional groups was employed to immobilize highly-dispersed Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of bamboo via an in-situ growth method. Integrating the uniform PDA coating, photocatalytic function of TiO2 nanoparticles and bactericidal role of Ag nanoparticles, the mildew-proofing capability of bamboo is enhanced significantly. The results show a non-covalent interaction is more likely to account for the binding mechanism of PDA to bamboo. And the prepared bamboo samples show good photocatalytic performance and have excellent resistance leachability. Meanwhile, the mildew-proofing property of prepared bamboo sample was greatly improved.

Genome-Wide Investigation of the NAC Gene Family and Its Potential Association with the Secondary Cell Wall in Moso Bamboo.

NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC) transcription factors (TFs) are implicated in the transcriptional regulation of diverse processes and have been characterized in a number of plant species. However, NAC TFs are still not well understood in bamboo, especially their potential association with the secondary cell wall (SCW). Here, 94 PeNACs were identified and characterized in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis). Based on their gene structures and conserved motifs, the PeNACs were divided into 11 groups according to their homologs in Arabidopsis. PeNACs were expressed variously in different tissues of moso bamboo, suggesting their functional diversity. Fifteen PeNACs associated with the SCW were selected for co-expression analysis and validation. It was predicted that 396 genes were co-expressed with the 15 PeNACs, in which 16 and 55 genes were involved in the lignin catabolic process and cellulose biosynthetic process respectively. As the degree of lignification in the growing bamboo shoots increased, all 15 PeNACs were upregulated with a trend of rising first and then decreasing except PeNAC37, which increased continuously. These results indicated that these PeNACs might play important roles in SCW biosynthesis and lignification in bamboo shoots. Seven of 15 PeNACs had been found positively co-expressed with seven PeMYBs, and they had similar expression patterns with those of the PeMYBs in bamboo shoots. The targeted sites of miR164 were found in 16 PeNACs, of which three PeNACs associated with SCW were validated to have an opposite expression trend to that of miR164 in growing bamboo shoots. In addition, three PeNACs were selected and verified to have self-activation activities. These results provide comprehensive information of the NAC gene family in moso bamboo, which will be helpful for further functional studies of PeNACs to reveal the molecular regulatory mechanisms of bamboo wood property.

Neem, pawpaw and bamboo leaf meal dietary supplementation in broiler chickens: Effect on performance and health status.

The effect of the diet supplemented with leaf meals (LM) of neem (NLM), pawpaw (PLM), bamboo (BLM) and their composite leaf mix (CLM) on broiler chickens was assessed. Three hundred 1-day old broiler chickens were distributed to five diets: (control/no LM), (5 g/kg NLM), (5 g/kg PLM), (5 g/kg BLM) and (5 g/kg NLM+PLM+BLM 1:1:1). Body weight gain of birds fed BLM and CLM supplemented diets were similar but higher (p < 0.05) than those fed the control, NLM and PLM supplemented diets at day 42. The glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase and creatinine levels in LM supplemented diets were (p < 0.05) lower compared to the control. The superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase were (p < 0.05) higher in LM supplemented diets compared to the control. The growth promoting potentials of bamboo leaf meal and the composite leaf mix can be harnessed for broiler chicken production. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The use of herbs as the growth promoter is currently gaining research attention in most countries. In particular, herbal supplementation in poultry diets had been proposed as a means of enhancing the performance, stabilizing the physiological state, boosting immunity and antioxidative status in the birds. This study showed that improved body weight gain of broiler chickens at 42 days of age with attendant low serum glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol can be achieved when leaf meals from neem, pawpaw, bamboo and their composite mix were used as phyto-additives. The bamboo leaf meal and the composite leaf meal can be used to reduce the occurrence of arteriosclerosis which predisposes sudden death syndrome in well-grown and healthy broiler chickens. The procedures of raising broiler chickens to reach about 3 kg in less than 2 months impose a heavy burden on the heart, particularly overloading on the ventricular arteries leading to arteriosclerosis with age.

Characterization of hemicelluloses in Phyllostachys edulis (moso bamboo) culm during xylogenesis.

Hemicelluloses are ß-(1→4)-linked backbone polysaccharides found in plant cell walls that include xyloglucans, xylans, mannans and glucomannans, and play important roles in plant tissue configuration. In this study, hemicelluloses were isolated from the apical, middle and basal segments of 6 m Phyllostachys edulis culm using KOH and DMSO extraction procedures, respectively. Chemical composition and structural characterization of hemicellulosic fractions were comparatively investigated by a combination of HPLC, GPC, FT-IR, 1H-, 13C-, HSQC NMR and TGA techniques. Our results show that the main chain of hemicellulose in P. edulis consists of glucuronoarabinoxylans (GAXs) with backbone 1, 4-ß-d-Xyl, and side chain arabinose, glucuronic acid and acetylation. Hemicellulose content and molecular weight increased with culm xylogenesis in P. edulis. Our results provide new insights on the dynamics of hemicellulose structure in culm xylogenesis in P. edulis.

GSK3/shaggy-like kinase 1 ubiquitously regulates cell growth from Arabidopsis to Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis).

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is one of the fastest growing species with a maximum growth rate of 1 m/day. However, the regulator genes for this explosive growth phenomenon have not been functionally studied. Here, we found that Moso bamboo GSK3/shaggy-like kinase 1 (PeGSK1) acts as a negative regulator of cell growth. Over-expression of PeGSK1 in Arabidopsis showed significant growth arrest phenotypes, including dwarfism, small leaves, reduced cell length, and disturbed cell elongation of petiole. Furthermore, Overexpression of PeGSK1 fully inhibited the longer hypocotyl phenotype of Arabidopsis atgsk1 mutants. In addition, PeGSK1-overexpressing lines were resistant to exogenous BR treatment and PeGSK1 interacted with the brassinosteroid signal transduction key regulator BZR1. The BZR1-dependent cell growth genes were down-regulated in PeGSK1-overexpressing lines. These results indicated that PeGSK1 is functionally similar to AtGSK1 and inhibited cell growth via the brassinosteroid signaling pathway. Importantly, PeGSK1 also interacted with PeBZR1, and the expression pattern of PeGSK1 was negatively correlated with the internode elongation of bamboo, indicating that PeGSK1 is involved in the cell growth of bamboo. In summary, our results provide insight into the role of brassinosteroids in the rapid-growth of bamboo culms and identifying target genes for the genetic manipulation of plant height.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analyses of the bZIP Transcription Factor Genes in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis).

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor (TF) family is one of the largest gene families, and play crucial roles in many processes, including stress responses, hormone effects. The TF family also participates in plant growth and development. However, limited information is available for these genes in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), one of the most important non-timber forest products in the world. In the present study, 154 putative PhebZIP genes were identified in the moso bamboo genome. The phylogenetic analyses indicate that the PhebZIP gene proteins classify into 9 subfamilies and the gene structures and conserved motifs that analyses identified among all PhebZIP proteins suggested a high group-specificity. Microsynteny and evolutionary patterns analyses of the non-synonymous (Ka) and synonymous (Ks) substitution rates and their ratios indicated that paralogous pairs of PhebZIP genes in moso bamboo underwent a large-scale genome duplication event that occurred 7-15 million years ago (MYA). According to promoter sequence analysis, we further selected 18 genes which contain the higher number of cis-regulatory elements for expression analysis. The result showed that these genes are extensively involved in GA-, ABA- and MeJA-responses, with possibly different mechanisms. The tissue-specific expression profiles of PhebZIP genes in five plant tissues/organs/developmental stages suggested that these genes are involved in moso bamboo organ development, especially seed development. Subcellular localization and transactivation activity analysis showed that PhebZIP47 and PhebZIP126 were localized in the nucleus and PhebZIP47 with no transcriptional activation in yeast. Our research provides a comprehensive understanding of PhebZIP genes and may aid in the selection of appropriate candidate genes for further cloning and functional analysis in moso bamboo growth and development, and improve their resistance to stress during their life.

Effect of bamboo hydrochar on anaerobic digestion of fish processing waste for biogas production.

The effect of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) temperature and bamboo hydrochar (BHC) addition on biogas production in anaerobic digestion of fish processing waste (FPW) was studied. HTC temperature (200-280 °C) had significant effects on methane yield and content, but the BHC had little effects. The maximum biogas yield observed with HTC at 200 °C and a BHC adding ratio of 1:2 (dry mass ratio of FPW to BHC) reached 292 L/kg volatile solids (VS), which were 64% higher than the control group with only FPW, with the maximum methane yield of 219 L/kg-VS and highest net methane energy yield of 3410 kJ/kg-VS. The obtained results can be used to design an efficient anaerobic digestion process for treating and effectively utilizing fish processing waste.

Evaluating the impact of bamboo biochar on the fungal community succession during chicken manure composting.

The objective of this study was to investigate the fungal community succession and variations in chicken manure (CM) compost with different concentration of bamboo biochar (BB) as additive via the using of metagenomics method. The consequent obviously revealed that Chytridiomycota, Mucoromycota, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant phylum, while Batrachochytrium, Funneliformis, Mucor, Phizophagus and Pyronema were the pre-dominant genera in each treatment. Redundancy analyses indicated that higher dosage of biochar applied treatments has significant correlation between fungal communities and environmental factors. The diversity of fungal community was analogous but the relative abundance (RA) was inconsistent among the all treatments. In addition, the principal component analysis was also confirmed that T5 and T6 treatments have considerably correlation than other treatments. However, the mean value of RA remained maximum in higher dosage of biochar blended treatments. Ultimately, the RA of different fungal genus and species were influenced in CM compost by the BB amendment.