The maize transcription factor CCT regulates drought tolerance by interacting with Fra a 1, E3 ligase WIPF2, and auxin response factor Aux/IAA8.

Plants are commonly exposed to abiotic stressors, which can affect their growth, productivity, and quality. Previously, the maize transcription factor ZmCCT was shown to be involved in the photoperiod response, delayed flowering, and quantitative resistance to Gibberella stalk rot. In this study, we demonstrate that ZmCCT can regulate plant responses to drought. ZmCCT physically interacted with ZmFra a 1, ZmWIPF2, and ZmAux/IAA8, which localized to the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus, respectively, both in vitro and in vivo in a yeast two-hybrid screen in response to abiotic stress. Notably, ZmCCT recruits ZmWIPF2 to the nucleus, which has strong E3 self-ubiquitination activity dependent on its RING-H2 finger domain in vitro. When treated with higher indole-3-acetic acid/abscisic acid ratios, the height and root length of Y331-ΔTE maize plants increased. Y331-ΔTE plants exhibited increased responses to exogenously applied auxin or ABA compared to Y331 plants, indicating that ZmCCT may be a negative regulator of ABA signalling in maize. In vivo, ZmCCT promoted indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis in ZmCCT-overexpressing Arabidopsis. RNA-sequencing and DNA affinity purification-sequencing analyses showed that ZmCCT can regulate the expression of ZmRD17, ZmAFP3, ZmPP2C, and ZmARR16 under drought. Our findings provide a detailed overview of the molecular mechanism controlling ZmCCT functions and highlight that ZmCCT has multiple roles in promoting abiotic stress tolerance.

Alginate Cryogels for Rapid Hemostasis and Toluidine Blue-Mediated Photodynamic Inactivation of Bacteria.

The development of new wound dressings with fast hemostatic and bactericidal properties for prehospital care is critical. Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has attracted attention due to its broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and minimal bacterial resistance. However, photosensitizers used in aPDT often face issues such as poor water solubility, short-lived singlet oxygen (1O2), and limited 1O2 diffusion range. In this study, sodium alginate was covalently modified with the photosensitizer toluidine blue O (TBO) and phenylboronic acid (PBA). The modified alginate was then cross-linked with Ca(II) ions and lyophilized to form a cryogel, named SA@Ca(II)@TBO@PBA (SCTP). This cryogel functions as an antibacterial photodynamic wound dressing. The chemical immobilization of TBO and PBA enhanced the cryogel's targeting ability. PBA formed reversible covalent bonds with diol groups on bacterial cell surfaces, allowing the cryogel to capture bacteria effectively and enhance aPDT. The bactericidal efficiency of the cryogel was tested through in vitro antibacterial assays, and its hemostatic properties were confirmed in vivo. The results indicate that this cryogel has excellent hemostatic and antibacterial capabilities, showing great promise as a wound dressing for clinical applications.

Metal-phenolic network crosslinked nanogel with prolonged biofilm retention for dihydroartemisinin/NIR synergistically enhanced chemodynamic therapy.

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) is emerging as a promising treatment for biofilm infections. However, its effectiveness is significantly hindered by several factors: the body's stable temperature, a limited supply of Fe2+ ions, and inadequate endogenous levels of H2O2 at the infection sites. Herin, our study introduces MPN-crosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA) nanogels as an effective strategy for treating biofilm-associated infections. The DHA@HA-TA/Fe (DHTF) nanogel is synthesized through the coordination reaction between Fe2+ ions and tannic acid (TA)-modified HA, with dihydroartemisinin (DHA) encapsulated within the structure. DHTF exhibits pH-/hyaluronidase-responsiveness in the biofilm infection microenvironment, enabling sustained release of DHA as a substitute for H2O2 and Fe2+ for CDT. The incorporation of Fe2+/TA-based MPN and DHA within the nanogels enables photothermal/DHA dually-enhanced CDT, facilitating efficient disruption of biofilm matrices and bacterial eradication through boosting reactive oxygen species production. In vivo studies demonstrate that DHTF exhibit prolonged retention within biofilms. This ensures a sustained release of therapeutic agents and continuous anti-biofilm activity. Eventually, both in vitro and in vivo evaluations consistently confirm the significant anti-biofilm capacity of DHTF. Our findings highlight the potential of DHTF as a promising nanomedicine for biofilm-related infections, offering efficient treatment strategies that could improve clinical management of these challenging conditions.