Recruitment of beneficial cucumber rhizosphere microbes mediated by amino acid secretion induced by biocontrol Bacillus subtilis isolate 1JN2.

Introduction: At present, the use of beneficial microorganisms to control cucumber Fusarium wilt is a widely used method, and the rhizosphere microecological reset is one of the mechanisms involved. However, how biocontrol strains reshape cucumber rhizosphere microecology remains to be further studied. Methods: The composition changes of cucumber root exudates induced by biocontrol strain 1JN2, the microbial ecology of cucumber rhizosphere and the colonization ability of biocontrol strain 1JN2 in cucumber rhizosphere were analyzed through UHPLC-MS/MS analysis, Illumina high-throughput sequencing and SEM, respectively. Results: First, cucumber plants treated with biocontrol Bacillus 1JN2 reduced the disease severity of Fusarium wilt by 60%. Significant changes in cucumber root exudates were found after 1JN2 inoculation and the contents of four amino acids including glutamine, tryptophan, glycine and glutamic acid were significantly increased. Second, It was found that the bacterial diversity in the rhizosphere of cucumber was significantly increased in both the strain treatment group and the amino acid mixture treatment group, The number of Bacillus was the largest in all dominant populations, exceeded 20% in all treatment groups. The bacteria of Hydrogenispora and Vicinamibacteria were significantly increased after treatment. Discussion: Overall, the results demonstrated that amino acid substances in cucumber root exudates induced by biocontrol strain 1JN2 can shift the cucumber root microenvironment and prevent the occurrence of Fusarium wilt disease.

PDGFRα+ITGA11+ fibroblasts foster early-stage cancer lymphovascular invasion and lymphatic metastasis via ITGA11-SELE interplay.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) exhibit considerable heterogeneity in advanced cancers; however, the functional annotation and mechanism of CAFs in early-stage cancers remain elusive. Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomic, we identify a previously unknown PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAF subset in early-stage bladder cancer (BCa). Multicenter clinical analysis of a 910-case cohort confirms that PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs are associated with lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and poor prognosis in early-stage BCa. These CAFs facilitate LVI and lymph node (LN) metastasis in early-stage BCa, as evidenced in a PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs-specific deficient mouse model. Mechanistically, PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs promote lymphangiogenesis via recognizing ITGA11 surface receptor SELE on lymphatic endothelial cells to activate SRC-p-VEGFR3-MAPK pathway. Further, CHI3L1 from PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs aligns the surrounding matrix to assist cancer cell intravasation, fostering early-stage BCa LVI and LN metastasis. Collectively, our study reveals the crucial role of PDGFRα+ITGA11+ CAFs in shaping metastatic landscape, informing the treatment of early-stage BCa LVI.

Long-Term Field Application of a Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterial Consortium Suppressed Root-Knot Disease by Shaping the Rhizosphere Microbiota.

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are one of the most economically important plant parasitic nematodes, infecting almost all cultivated plants and resulting in severe yield losses every year. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been extensively used to prevent and control root-knot diseases and increase yield. In this study, the effect of a consortium of three PGPR strains (Bacillus cereus AR156, B. subtilis SM21, and Serratia sp. XY21; hereafter "BBS") on root-knot disease of cucumber was evaluated. The application of BBS significantly reduced the severity of root-knot disease by 56 to 72%, increased yield by 36 to 55%, and improved fruit quality by 14 to 90% and soil properties by 1 to 90% relative to the control in the cucumber fields of the Nanjing suburb, Jiangsu Province, from 2015 to 2018. BBS altered the rhizosphere bacterial community. Compared with the control group, it significantly (false discovery rate, P < 0.05) increased the abundance of 14 bacterial genera that were negatively correlated with disease severity. Additionally, the redundancy analysis suggested that BBS-treated rhizosphere soil samples were dominated by disease-suppressive bacteria, including the genera Iamia, Kutzneria, Salinibacterium, Mycobacterium, Kribbella, Pseudonocardia, Sporichthya, Sphaerisporangium, Actinomadura, Flavisolibacter, Phenylobacterium, Bosea, Hyphomicrobium, Agrobacterium, Sphingomonas, and Nannocystis, which were positively related to total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total organic matter, dissolved organic carbon, [Formula: see text]-N, and available phosphorus contents. This suggests that BBS suppresses root-knot nematodes and improves the soil chemical properties of cucumber by altering the rhizosphere microbial community.

SUMOylation-Driven mRNA Circularization Enhances Translation and Promotes Lymphatic Metastasis of Bladder Cancer.

Aberrant gene expression is a prominent feature of metastatic cancer. Translational initiation is a vital step in fine-tuning gene expression. Thus, exploring translation initiation regulators may identify therapeutic targets for preventing and treating metastasis. Herein, we identified that DHCR24 was overexpressed in lymph node (LN) metastatic bladder cancer and correlated with poor prognosis of patients. DHCR24 promoted lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, DHCR24 mediated and recognized the SUMO2 modification at lysine 108 of hnRNPA2B1 to foster TBK1 mRNA circularization and eIF4F initiation complex assembly by enhancing hnRNPA2B1-eIF4G1 interaction. Moreover, DHCR24 directly anchored to TBK1 mRNA 3'-untranslated region to increase its stability, thus forming a feed forward loop to elevate TBK1 expression. TBK1 activated PI3K/Akt signaling to promote VEGFC secretion, resulting in lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis. DHCR24 silencing significantly impeded bladder cancer lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in a patient-derived xenograft model. Collectively, these findings elucidate DHCR24-mediated translation machinery that promotes lymphatic metastasis of bladder cancer and supports the potential application of DHCR24-targeted therapy for LN-metastatic bladder cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: DHCR24 is a SUMOylation regulator that controls translation initiation complex assembly and orchestrates TBK1 mRNA circularization to activate Akt/VEGFC signaling, which stimulates lymphangiogenesis and promotes lymph node metastasis in bladder cancer.

Reconstruction of Scalp Defects Using Rotational Flaps After Revascularization Surgery in Patients with Moyamoya Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Treating scalp defects after revascularization surgery is difficult because the scalp microcirculation is severely compromised. We aimed to review the clinical effects of using rotational flaps in scalp defect reconstruction and explore risk factors for wound-related complications (WRC) after reconstruction surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients with scalp defects after combined revascularization surgery who were surgically treated with rotational flap reconstruction at our institution between January 2018 and December 2022. We analyzed treatment results in different surgical technique and revascularization strategy cohorts, including direct bypass superficial temporal artery branch selection, indirect bypass types, and skin incisions. RESULTS: Eleven patients were included. The superficial temporal artery parietal branch was selected for direct bypass surgery in 10 (90.9%) patients, 4 (40%) of whom had WRC after flap reconstruction. Five types of indirect bypass surgeries were performed; three patients treated by encephalo-duro-myo-arterio-perio-synangiosis and 1 patient treated by encephalo-duro-myo-perio-synangiosis had WRC after flap reconstruction. Question mark (n = 6, 54.5%), curved (n = 4, 36.65%), and Y-shaped (n = 1, 9.1%) incisions were used; in the first three incision cohorts, 2 patients in each cohort had WRC after flap reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Patients had the following commonalities that may be risk factors for WRC after flap reconstruction: 1) wounds with nonviable bone exposure after revascularization surgery; 2) three or more tissues used as donor tissues and donor tissues containing the periosteum; and 3) thin scalp around the defect.

The Development of Plant Genome Sequencing Technology and Its Conservation and Application in Endangered Gymnosperms.

Genome sequencing is widely recognized as a fundamental pillar in genetic research and legal studies of biological phenomena, providing essential insights for genetic investigations and legal analyses of biological events. The field of genome sequencing has experienced significant progress due to rapid improvements in scientific and technological developments. These advancements encompass not only significant improvements in the speed and quality of sequencing but also provide an unparalleled opportunity to explore the subtle complexities of genomes, particularly in the context of rare species. Such a wide range of possibilities has successfully supported the validation of plant gene functions and the refinement of precision breeding methodologies. This expanded scope now includes a comprehensive exploration of the current state and conservation efforts of gymnosperm gene sequencing, offering invaluable insights into their genomic landscapes. This comprehensive review elucidates the trajectory of development and the diverse applications of genome sequencing. It encompasses various domains, including crop breeding, responses to abiotic stress, species evolutionary dynamics, biodiversity, and the unique challenges faced in the conservation and utilization of gymnosperms. It highlights both ongoing challenges and the unveiling of forthcoming developmental trajectories.

SUMOylation-triggered ALIX activation modulates extracellular vesicles circTLCD4-RWDD3 to promote lymphatic metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer.

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is one of the predominant metastatic routes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is considered as a leading cause for the unsatisfactory prognosis of patients. Although lymphangiogenesis is well-recognized as a crucial process in mediating LN metastasis, the regulatory mechanism involving lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis in NSCLC remains unclear. In this study, we employed high-throughput sequencing to identify a novel circular RNA (circRNA), circTLCD4-RWDD3, which was significantly upregulated in extracellular vesicles (EVs) from LN metastatic NSCLC and was positively associated with deteriorated OS and DFS of patients with NSCLC from multicenter clinical cohort. Downregulating the expression of EV-packaged circTLCD4-RWDD3 inhibited lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of NSCLC both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, circTLCD4-RWDD3 physically interacted with hnRNPA2B1 and mediated the SUMO2 modification at K108 residue of hnRNPA2B1 by upregulating UBC9. Subsequently, circTLCD4-RWDD3-induced SUMOylated hnRNPA2B1 was recognized by the SUMO interaction motif (SIM) of ALIX and activated ALIX to recruit ESCRT-III, thereby facilitating the sorting of circTLCD4-RWDD3 into NSCLC cell-derived EVs. Moreover, EV-packaged circTLCD4-RWDD3 was internalized by lymphatic endothelial cells to activate the transcription of PROX1, resulting in the lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of NSCLC. Importantly, blocking EV-mediated transmission of circTLCD4-RWDD3 via mutating SIM in ALIX or K108 residue of hnRNPA2B1 inhibited the lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of NSCLC in vivo. Our findings reveal a precise mechanism underlying SUMOylated hnRNPA2B1-induced EV packaging of circTLCD4-RWDD3 in facilitating LN metastasis of NSCLC, suggesting that EV-packaged circTLCD4-RWDD3 could be a potential therapeutic target against LN metastatic NSCLC.

Extracellular vesicle-packaged circBIRC6 from cancer-associated fibroblasts induce platinum resistance via SUMOylation modulation in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play pivotal roles in chemoresistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Revealing the cross-talk network between tumor stroma and pancreatic cancer and developing effective strategies against oxaliplatin resistance are highly desired in the clinic. METHODS: High-throughput sequence was used to screened the key circRNAs transmitted by extracellular vesicles (EVs) from CAFs to pancreatic cancer cells. The associations between EV-packaged circBIRC6 and chemotherapy responsiveness were validated in a cohort of 82 cases of advanced PDAC patients. Then, the effects of EV-packaged circBIRC6 on CAF-induced oxaliplatin resistance were investigated by flow cytometry, colony formation, viability of pancreatic cancer organoids in vitro and by xenograft models in vivo. RNA pulldown, RNA immunoprecipitation, and sites mutation assays were used to reveal the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: We identified a circRNA, circBIRC6, is significantly upregulated in CAF-derived EVs and is positively associated with oxaliplatin-based chemoresistance. In vitro and in vivo functional assays showed that CAF-derived EV-packaged circBIRC6 enhance oxaliplatin resistance of pancreatic cancer cells and organoids via regulating the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) dependent DNA repair. Mechanistically, circBIRC6 directly binds with XRCC4 and enhanced the interaction of XRCC4 with SUMO1 at the lysine 115 residue, which facilitated XRCC4 chromatin localization. XRCC4K115R mutation dramatically abrogated the EV-packaged circBIRC6 induced effect. Moreover, combination of antisense oligonucleotide inhibitors against circBIRC6 with Olaparib dramatically suppressed chemoresistance in patient-derived xenograft models. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that EV-packaged circBIRC6 confer oxaliplatin resistance in PDAC by mediating SUMOylation of XRCC4, introducing a promising predictive and therapeutic target for PDAC on oxaliplatin resistance.

The transcription factor FgStuA regulates virulence and mycotoxin biosynthesis via recruiting the SAGA complex in Fusarium graminearum.

The conserved Spt-Ada-Gcn5-Acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex controls eukaryotic transcription by modifying acetylation of histones. However, the mechanisms for this complex in regulating the transcription of target-specific genes remain largely unknown in phytopathogenic fungi. A filamentous fungal-specific transcription factor FgStuA was identified to interact with the SAGA complex physically. The coordinative mechanisms of FgStuA with the SAGA complex in regulating secondary metabolism and virulence were investigated in Fusarium graminearum with genetic, biochemical and molecular techniques. The transcription factor FgStuA binds to a 7-bp cis-element (BVTGCAK) of its target gene promoter. Under mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) induction conditions, FgStuA recruits the SAGA complex into the promoter of TRI6, a core regulator of the DON biosynthesis gene cluster, leading to enhanced transcription of TRI6. During this process, we found that FgStuA is subject to acetylation by the SAGA complex, and acetylation of FgStuA plays a critical role for its enrichment in the TRI6 promoter. In addition, FgStuA together with the SAGA complex modulates fungal virulence. This study uncovers a novel regulatory mechanism of a transcription factor, which recruits and interacts with the SAGA complex to activate specific gene expression in pathogenic fungi.

ZEB1-mediated biogenesis of circNIPBL sustains the metastasis of bladder cancer via Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) circularized by back-splicing of pre-mRNA are widely expressed and affected the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of bladder cancer (BCa). However, the mechanism underlying circRNA biogenesis in mediating the distant metastasis of BCa still unexplored. METHODS: RNA sequencing data between BCa and normal adjacent tissues was applied to identify the differentially expressed circRNAs. The functions of circNIPBL in BCa were investigated via a series of biochemical experiments. The Clinical significance of circNIPBL was examined in a cohort of larger BCa tissues. RESULTS: In the present study, we identified a novel circRNA (hsa_circ_0001472), circNIPBL, which was significantly upregulated and had great influence on the poor prognosis of patients with BCa. Functionally, circNIPBL promotes BCa metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circNIPBL upregulate the expression of Wnt5a and activated the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway via directly sponged miR-16-2-3p, leading to the upregulation of ZEB1, which triggers the EMT of BCa. Moreover, we revealed that ZEB1 interacted with the flanking introns of exons 2-9 on NIPBL pre-mRNA to trigger circNIPBL biogenesis, thus forming a positive feedback loop. Importantly, circNIPBL overexpression significantly facilitated the distant metastasis of BCa in the orthotopic bladder cancer model, while silencing ZEB1 remarkably blocked the effects of metastasis induced by circNIPBL overexpression. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights that circNIPBL-induced Wnt signaling pathway activation triggers ZEB1-mediated circNIPBL biogenesis, which forms a positive feedback loop via the circNIPBL/miR-16-2-3p/Wnt5a/ZEB1 axis, supporting circNIPBL as a novel therapeutic target and potential biomarker for BCa patients.

An HGF-dependent positive feedback loop between bladder cancer cells and fibroblasts mediates lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a vital role in facilitating tumor progression through extensive reciprocal interplay with cancer cells. Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are the critical mediators involved in the crosstalk between cancer cells and stromal cells, contributing to the metastasis of cancers. Yet, the biological mechanisms of tumor-derived EVs in triggering CAFs phenotype to stimulate the lymph node (LN) metastasis of bladder cancer (BCa) are largely unknown. Here, we aimed to explore the effects and molecular mechanisms of tumor-derived EV-mediated CAFs phenotype in regulating BCa LN metastasis. METHODS: The high-throughput sequencing was utilized to identify the crucial long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) associated with CAF enrichment in BCa. The functional role of the transition of fibroblasts to CAFs induced by LINC00665-mediated EVs was investigated through the in vitro and in vivo assays. Chromatin isolation by RNA purification assays, fluorescence resonance energy transfer assays, cytokine profiling and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model were performed to explore the underlying mechanism of LINC00665 in the LN metastasis of BCa. RESULTS: We found that CAFs are widely enriched in the tumor microenvironment of BCa, which correlated with BCa lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis. We then identified a CAF-associated long non-coding RNA, LINC00665, which acted as a crucial mediator of CAF infiltration in BCa. Clinically, LINC00665 was associated with LN metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with BCa. Mechanistically, LINC00665 transcriptionally upregulated RAB27B expression and induced H3K4me3 modification on the promoter of RAB27B through the recruitment of hnRNPL. Moreover, RAB27B-induced EVs secretion endowed fibroblasts with the CAF phenotype, which reciprocally induced LINC00665 overexpression to form a RAB27B-HGF-c-Myc positive feedback loop, enhancing the lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis of BCa. Importantly, we demonstrated that blocking EV-transmitted LINC00665 or HGF broke this loop and impaired BCa lymphangiogenesis in a PDX model. CONCLUSION: Our study uncovers a precise mechanism that LINC00665 sustains BCa LN metastasis by inducing a RAB27B-HGF-c-Myc positive feedback loop between BCa cells and fibroblasts, suggesting that LINC00665 could be a promising therapeutic target for patients with LN metastatic BCa.

Mutant KRAS Mediates circARFGEF2 Biogenesis to Promote Lymphatic Metastasis of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Circular RNAs (circRNA) contribute to cancer stemness, proliferation, and metastasis. The biogenesis of circRNAs can be impacted by the genetic landscape of tumors. Herein, we identified a novel circRNA, circARFGEF2 (hsa_circ_0060665), which was upregulated in KRASG12D pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and positively associated with KRASG12D PDAC lymph node (LN) metastasis. CircARFGEF2 overexpression significantly facilitated KRASG12D PDAC LN metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circARFGEF2 biogenesis in KRASG12D PDAC was significantly activated by the alternative splicing factor QKI-5, which recruited U2AF35 to facilitate spliceosome assembly. QKI-5 bound the QKI binding motifs and neighboring reverse complement sequence in intron 3 and 6 of ARFGEF2 pre-mRNA to facilitate circARFGEF2 biogenesis. CircARFGEF2 sponged miR-1205 and promoted the activation of JAK2, which phosphorylated STAT3 to trigger KRASG12D PDAC lymphangiogenesis and LN metastasis. Importantly, circARFGEF2 silencing significantly inhibited LN metastasis in the KrasG12D/+Trp53R172H/+Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mouse PDAC model. These findings provide insight into the mechanism and metastasis-promoting function of mutant KRAS-mediated circRNA biogenesis. SIGNIFICANCE: Increased splicing-mediated biogenesis of circARFGEF2 in KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma activates JAK2-STAT3 signaling and triggers lymph node metastasis, suggesting circARFGEF2 could be a therapeutic target to inhibit pancreatic cancer progression.

Plant Disease Resistance-Related Pathways Recruit Beneficial Bacteria by Remodeling Root Exudates upon Bacillus cereus AR156 Treatment.

The environmentally friendly biological control strategy that relies on beneficial bacterial inoculants to improve plant disease resistance is a promising strategy. Previously, it has been demonstrated that biocontrol bacteria treatments can change the plant rhizosphere microbiota but whether plant signaling pathways, especially those related to disease resistance, mediate the changes in rhizosphere microbiota has not been explored. Here, we investigated the complex interplay among biocontrol strains, plant disease resistance-related pathways, root exudates, rhizosphere microorganisms, and pathogens to further clarify the biocontrol mechanism of biocontrol bacteria by using plant signaling pathway mutants. Bacillus cereus AR156, which was previously isolated from forest soil by our laboratory, can significantly control tomato bacterial wilt disease in greenhouse and field experiments. Moreover, compared with the control treatment, the B. cereus AR156 treatment had a significant effect on the soil microbiome and recruited 35 genera of bacteria to enrich the rhizosphere of tomato. Among them, the relative rhizosphere abundance of nine genera, including Ammoniphilus, Bacillus, Bosea, Candidimonas, Flexivirga, Brevundimonas, Bordetella, Dyella, and Candidatus_Berkiella, was regulated by plant disease resistance-related signaling pathways and B. cereus AR156. Linear correlation analysis showed that the relative abundances of six genera in the rhizosphere were significantly negatively correlated with pathogen colonization in roots. These rhizosphere bacteria were affected by plant root exudates that are regulated by signaling pathways. IMPORTANCE Our data suggest that B. cereus AR156 can promote the enrichment of beneficial microorganisms in the plant rhizosphere by regulating salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET) signaling pathways in plants, thereby playing a role in controlling bacterial wilt disease. Meanwhile, Spearman correlation analysis showed that the relative abundances of these beneficial bacteria were correlated with the secretion of root exudates. Our study reveals a new mechanism for SA and JA/ET signals to participate in the adjustment of plant resistance whereby the signaling pathways adjust the rhizosphere microecology by changing the root exudates and thus change plant resistance. On the other hand, biocontrol strains can utilize this mechanism to recruit beneficial bacteria by activating disease resistance-related signaling pathways to confine the infection and spread of pathogens. Finally, our data also provide a new idea for the in-depth study of biocontrol mechanisms.

SUMOylation regulates pre-mRNA splicing to overcome DNA damage in fungi.

Pathogenic fungi are subject to DNA damage stress derived from host immune responses during infection. Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modification and precursor (pre)-mRNA splicing are both involved in DNA damage response (DDR). However, the mechanisms of how SUMOylation and splicing coordinated in DDR remain largely unknown. Combining with biochemical analysis, RNA-Seq method, and biological analysis, we report that SUMO pathway participates in DDR and virulence in Fusarium graminearum, a causal agent of Fusarium head blight of cereal crops world-wide. Interestingly, a key transcription factor FgSR is SUMOylated upon DNA damage stress. SUMOylation regulates FgSR nuclear-cytoplasmic partitioning and its phosphorylation by FgMec1, and promotes its interaction with chromatin remodeling complex SWI/SNF for activating the expression of DDR-related genes. Moreover, the SWI/SNF complex was found to further recruit splicing-related NineTeen Complex, subsequently modulates pre-mRNA splicing during DDR. Our findings reveal a novel function of SUMOylation in DDR by regulating a transcription factor to orchestrate gene expression and pre-mRNA splicing to overcome DNA damage during the infection of F. graminearum, which advances the understanding of the delicate regulation of DDR by SUMOylation in pathogenic fungi, and extends the knowledge of cooperation of SUMOylation and pre-mRNA splicing in DDR in eukaryotes.

The bright side of digitization: Assessing the impact of mobile phone domestication on left-behind children in China's rural migrant families.

This study examines the mobile phone practices of rural left-behind children (LBC) whose one or both parents migrate to cities for better earnings and the impact of such practices on migrant families in China. The study has used ethnographic approach by conducting participant observations and interviews of 21 LBC, residing in Guangren village, south China's Guangxi Autonomous Region. The study uses domestication theory to analyze these LBC's adoption of mobile phones in their daily routines and spaces in and out of their households. The key findings are as follows: (a) the LBC used mobile phones primarily to engage with their distant parent(s); (b) through collaborative efforts, they tried to enhance familial connections; and (c) they overcome the separation issue by co-participating in ongoing events, thus making the domestication of mobile phone a distant solving of real-world problems faced by migrant parent(s) and their LBC. The study concludes that LBC's innovative uses of mobile phones empowered them by building shared virtual space with their migrant parent(s), via which they handled the separation issue. In such shared virtual spaces, LBC's families have developed rich expressions of familial connections in various forms based on the limited perpetuate connectedness.

Genomic survey of TCP transcription factors in plants: Phylogenomics, evolution and their biology.

The TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 (TBI1), CYCLOIDEA (CYC), and PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN FACTORS (PCF1 and PCF2) proteins truncated as TCP transcription factors carry conserved basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) structure, related to DNA binding functions. Evolutionary history of the TCP genes has shown their presence in early land plants. In this paper, we performed a comparative discussion on the current knowledge of the TCP Transcription Factors in lower and higher plants: their evolutionary history based on the phylogenetics of 849 TCP proteins from 37 plant species, duplication events, and biochemical roles in some of the plants species. Phylogenetics investigations confirmed the classification of TCP TFs into Class I (the PCF1/2), and Class II (the C- clade) factors; the Class II factors were further divided into the CIN- and CYC/TB1- subclade. A trace in the evolution of the TCP Factors revealed an absence of the CYC/TB1subclade in lower plants, and an independent evolution of the CYC/TB1subclade in both eudicot and monocot species. 54% of the total duplication events analyzed were biased towards the dispersed duplication, and we concluded that dispersed duplication events contributed to the expansion of the TCP gene family. Analysis in the TCP factors functional roles confirmed their involvement in various biochemical processes which mainly included promoting cell proliferation in leaves in Class I TCPs, and cell division during plant development in Class II TCP Factors. Apart from growth and development, the TCP Factors were also shown to regulate hormonal and stress response pathways. Although this paper does not exhaust the present knowledge of the TCP Transcription Factors, it provides a base for further exploration of the gene family.

Association analysis of rice resistance genes and blast fungal avirulence genes for effective breeding resistance cultivars.

Utilization of rice blast-resistance (R) genes is the most economical and environmentally friendly method to control blast disease. However, rice varieties with R genes influence the outcome of genetic architectures of Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae), and mutations in avirulence (AVR) genes of M. oryzae may cause dysfunction of the corresponding R genes in rice varieties. Although monitoring and characterizing rice R genes and pathogen AVR genes in field populations may facilitate the implementation of effective R genes, little is known about the changes of R genes over time and their ultimate impact on pathogen AVR genes. In this study, 117 main cultivated rice varieties over the past five decades and 35 M. oryzae isolates collected from those diseased plants were analyzed by PCR using gene-specific markers of the nine R genes and six primer pairs targeting the coding sequence or promoter of AVR genes, respectively. The R genes Pigm, Pi9, Pi2, Piz-t, Pi-ta, Pik, Pi1, Pikp, and Pikm were identified in 5, 0, 1, 4, 18, 0, 2, 1, and 0 cultivars, respectively. Significantly, none of these R genes had significant changes that correlated to their application periods of time. Among the four identified AVR genes, AVR-Pik had the highest amplification frequency (97.14%) followed by AVR-Pita (51.43%) and AVR-Pi9 (48.57%); AVR-Piz-t had the lowest frequency (28.57%). All these AVR genes except AVR-Pi9 had 1-2 variants. Inoculation mono-genic lines contained functional genes of Pi2/9 and Pik loci with 14 representative isolates from those 35 ones revealed that the presence of certain AVR-Piz-t, AVR-Pita variants, and AVR-Pik-E + AVR-Pik-D in M. oryzae populations, and these variants negated the ability of the corresponding R genes to confer resistance. Importantly, Pi2, Pi9, and Pigm conferred broad-spectrum resistance to these local isolates. These findings reveal that the complex genetic basis of M. oryzae and some effective blast R genes should be considered in future rice blast-resistance breeding programs.

Comparative transcriptomics reveal different genetic adaptations of biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis isolate 1JN2 in response to Cd2+ treatment.

Biofilm plays important roles in the life cycle of Bacillus species, such as promoting host and object surface colonization and resisting heavy metal stress. This study utilized transcriptomics to evaluate the impacts of cadmium on the components, morphology, and function of biofilms of Bacillus subtilis strain 1JN2. Under cadmium ion stress, the morphology of the B. subtilis 1JN2 biofilm was flattened, and its mobility increased. Moreover, differential gene expression analysis showed that the main regulator of biofilm formation, Spo0A, decreased in expression under cadmium ion stress, thereby inhibiting extracellular polysaccharide synthesis through the SinI/SinR two-component regulatory system and the AbrB pathway. Cadmium ion treatment also increased the SigD content significantly, thereby increasing the expression of the flagella encoding and assembly genes in the strain. This promoted poly-γ-glutamic acid production via the DegS/DegU two-component regulatory system and the conversion of biofilm extracellular polysaccharide to poly-γ-glutamic acid. This conferred cadmium stress tolerance in the strain. Additionally, the cadmium ion-mediated changes in the biofilm composition affected the colonization of the strain on the host plant root surface. Cadmium ions also induced surfactin synthesis. These findings illustrate the potential of Bacillus species as biocontrol strains that can mitigate plant pathogenic infections and heavy metal stress. The results also provide a basis for the screening of multifunctional biocontrol strains.