NADH dehydrogenase-like complex L subunit improves salt tolerance by enhancing photosynthetic electron transport.

Cyclic electron transport (CET) around photosystem I (PSI) mediated by the NADH dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex is closely related to plant salt tolerance. However, whether overexpression of a core subunit of the NDH complex affects the photosynthetic electron transport under salt stress is currently unclear. Here, we expressed the NDH complex L subunit (Ndhl) genes ZmNdhl1 and ZmNdhl2 from C4 plant maize (Zea mays) or OsNdhl from C3 plant rice (Oryza sativa) using a constitutive promoter in rice. Transgenic rice lines expressing ZmNdhl1, ZmNdhl2, or OsNdhl displayed enhanced salt tolerance, as indicated by greater plant height, dry weight, and leaf relative water content, as well as lower malondialdehyde content compared to wild-type plants under salt stress. Fluorescence parameters such as post-illumination rise (PIR), the prompt chlorophyll a fluorescence transient (OJIP), modulated 820-nm reflection (MR), and delayed chlorophyll a fluorescence (DF) remained relatively normal in transgenic plants during salt stress. These results indicate that expression of ZmNdhl1, ZmNdhl2, or OsNdhl increases cyclic electron transport activity, slows down damage to linear electron transport, alleviates oxidative damage to the PSI reaction center and plastocyanin, and reduces damage to electron transport on the receptor side of PSI in rice leaves under salt stress. Thus, expression of Ndhl genes from maize or rice improves salt tolerance by enhancing photosynthetic electron transport in rice. Maize and rice Ndhl genes played a similar role in enhancing salinity tolerance and avoiding photosynthetic damage.

Integrated scRNAseq analyses of mouse cochlear supporting cells reveal the involvement of Ezh2 in hair cell regeneration.

BACKGROUND: In lower vertebrates like fish, the inner ear and lateral line hair cells (HCs) can regenerate after being damaged by proliferation/differentiation of supporting cells (SCs). However, the HCs of mouse cochlear could only regenerate within one to two weeks after birth but not for adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: To better understand the molecular foundations, we collected several public single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) data of mouse cochleae from E14 to P33 and extracted the prosensory and supporting cells specifically. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) results revealed a down-regulation of genes in Notch signaling pathway during postnatal stages (P7 and P33). We also identified 107 time-course co-expression genes correlated with developmental stage and predicated that EZH2 and KLF15 may be the key transcriptional regulators for these genes. Expressions of candidate target genes of EZH2 and KLF15 were also found in supporting cells of the auditory epithelia in chick and the neuromasts in zebrafish. Furthermore, inhibiting EZH2 suppressed regeneration of hair cells in zebrafish neuromasts and altered expressions of some developmental stage correlated genes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results extended the understanding for molecular basis of hair cell regeneration ability and revealed the potential role of Ezh2 in it.

Transparent, High Stretchable, Environmental Tolerance, and Excellent Sensitivity Hydrogel for Flexible Sensors and Capacitive Pens.

The prospect of ionic conductive hydrogels in multifunctional sensors has generated widespread scientific interest. The new generation of flexible materials should be combined with superior mechanical properties, high conductivity, transparency, sensitivity, good self-restoring fatigue properties, and other multifunctional characteristics, while the current materials are difficult to meet these requirements. Herein, we prepared poly(acrylamide-acrylic acid) (P(AM-AA))/gelatin/glycerol-Al3+ (PG1G2A) ionic conducting hydrogel by one-pot polymerization under UV light. The prepared PG1G2A ionic conductive hydrogel had high tensile strength (539.18 kPa), excellent tensile property (1412.96%), good fast self-recovery and fatigue resistance, high transparency (>80%), excellent moisturizing, and antifreezing/drying properties. In addition, the ionic conductive hydrogel-based strain sensor can respond to mechanical stimulation and generate accurate, stable, and recyclable electrical signals, with excellent sensitivity (GF 5.81). In addition, the PG1G2A hydrogel could be used as flexible wearable devices for monitoring multiple strain and subtle movements of different body parts at different temperatures. Interestingly, the PG1G2A hydrogel capacitive pen embedded in the mold can be used to write and draw on the screen of a phone or tablet. This new multifunctional ionic conducting hydrogel shows broad application prospects in E-skin, motion monitoring, and human-computer interaction in extreme environments.

Recent Advancements in Drug Delivery of Sinomenine, A Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug.

Sinomenine (SIN) is a benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline-type alkaloid isolated from the dried plant root and stem of Sinomenium acutum (Thumb.) Rehd.et Wils, which shows potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. As a transforming disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug, SIN has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis over twenty-five years in China. In recent years, SIN is also in development for use against other disorders, including colitis, pain, traumatic brain injury, and uveitis. However, its commercial hydrochloride (SIN-HCl) shows low oral bioavailability and certain allergic reactions in patients, due to the release of histamine. Therefore, a large number of pharmaceutical strategies have been explored to address these liabilities, such as prolonging release behaviors, enhancing skin permeation and adsorption for transdermal delivery, targeted SIN delivery using new material or conjugates, and co-amorphous technology. This review discusses these different delivery strategies and approaches employed to overcome the limitations of SIN for its efficient delivery, in order to achieve improved bioavailability and reduced side effects. The potential advantages and limitations of SIN delivery strategies are elaborated along with discussions of potential future SIN drug development strategies.

Transcriptome profiles of sturgeon lateral line electroreceptor and mechanoreceptor during regeneration.

BACKGROUND: The electrosensory ampullary organs (AOs) and mechanosensory neuromasts (NMs) found in sturgeon and some other non-neopterygian fish or amphibians are both originated from lateral line placodes. However, these two sensory organs have characteristic morphological and physiological differences. The molecular mechanisms for the specification of AOs and NMs are not clearly understood. RESULTS: We sequenced the transcriptome for neomycin treated sturgeon AOs and NMs in the early regeneration stages, and de novo assembled a sturgeon transcriptome. By comparing the gene expression differences among untreated AOs, NMs and general epithelia (EPs), we located some specific genes for these two sensory organs. In sturgeon lateral line, the voltage-gated calcium channels and voltage-gated potassium channels were predominant calcium and potassium channel subtypes, respectively. And by correlating gene expression with the regeneration process, we predicated several candidate key transcriptional regulation related genes might be involved in AOs and NMs regeneration. CONCLUSIONS: Genes with specific expression in the two lateral line sensory organs suggests their important roles in mechanoreceptor and electroreceptor formation. The candidate transcriptional regulation related genes may be important for mechano- and electro- receptor specification, in a "dosage-related" manner. These results suggested the molecular basis for specification of these two sensory organs in sturgeon.

Transcriptome and metabolite profiling reveals the effects of Funneliformis mosseae on the roots of continuously cropped soybeans.

BACKGROUND: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are the most widely distributed mycorrhizal fungi, which can form mycorrhizal symbionts with plant roots and enhance plant stress resistance by regulating host metabolic activities. In this paper, the RNA sequencing and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) technologies were used to study the transcriptome and metabolite profiles of the roots of continuously cropped soybeans that were infected with F. mosseae and F. oxysporum. The objective was to explore the effects of F. mosseae treatment on soybean root rot infected with F. oxysporum. RESULTS: According to the transcriptome profiles, 24,285 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and the expression of genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), trans-cinnamate monooxygenase (CYP73A), cinnamyl-CoA reductase (CCR), chalcone isomerase (CHI) and coffee-coenzyme o-methyltransferase were upregulated after being infected with F. oxysporum; these changes were key to the induction of the soybean's defence response. The metabolite results showed that daidzein and 7,4-dihydroxy, 6-methoxy isoflavone (glycine), which are involved in the isoflavone metabolic pathway, were upregulated after the roots were inoculated with F. mosseae. In addition, a substantial alteration in the abundance of amino acids, phenolic and terpene metabolites all led to the synthesis of defence compounds. An integrated analysis of the metabolic and transcriptomic data revealed that substantial alterations in the abundance of most of the intermediate metabolites and enzymes changed substantially under pathogen infection. These changes included the isoflavonoid biosynthesis pathway, which suggests that isoflavonoid biosynthesis plays an important role in the soybean root response. CONCLUSION: The results showed that F. mosseae could alleviate the root rot caused by continuous cropping. The increased activity of some disease-resistant genes and disease-resistant metabolites may partly account for the ability of the plants to resist diseases. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism by which AMF alleviates soybean root rot, which is important in agriculture.