Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of the Heterosis of Salt Tolerance in Inter-Subspecific Hybrid Rice.

Soil salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting rice growth. Hybrids outperform their parents in salt tolerance in rice, while its mechanism is not completely understood. In this study, a higher seedling survival was observed after salt treatment in an inter-subspecific hybrid rice, Zhegengyou1578 (ZGY1578), compared with its maternal japonica Zhegeng7A (ZG7A) and paternal indica Zhehui1578 (ZH1578). A total of 2584 and 3061 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with at least twofold changes were identified between ZGY1578 and ZG7A and between ZGY1578 and ZH1578, respectively, in roots under salt stress using the RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) approach. The expressions of a larger number of DEGs in hybrid were lower or higher than those of both parents. The DEGs associated with transcription factors, hormones, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes might be involved in the heterosis of salt tolerance. The expressions of the majority of transcription factors and ethylene-, auxin-, and gibberellin-related genes, as well as peroxidase genes, were significantly higher in the hybrid ZGY1578 compared with those of both parents. The identified genes provide valuable clues to elucidate the heterosis of salt tolerance in inter-subspecific hybrid rice.

Glutaredoxin in Rice Growth, Development, and Stress Resistance: Mechanisms and Research Advances.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food for more than half of the global population. Various abiotic and biotic stresses lead to accumulation of reactive oxygen species in rice, which damage macromolecules and signaling pathways. Rice has evolved a variety of antioxidant systems, including glutaredoxin (GRX), that protect against various stressors. A total of 48 GRX gene loci have been identified on 11 of the 12 chromosomes of the rice genome; none were found on chromosome 9. GRX proteins were classified into four categories according to their active sites: CPYC, CGFS, CC, and GRL. In this paper, we summarized the recent research advances regarding the roles of GRX in rice development regulation and response to stresses, and discussed future research perspectives related to rice production. This review could provide information for rice researchers on the current status of the GRX and serve as guidance for breeding superior varieties.

Identification and integrated analysis of glyphosate stress-responsive microRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs in rice using genome-wide high-throughput sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Glyphosate has become the most widely used herbicide in the world. Therefore, the development of new varieties of glyphosate-tolerant crops is a research focus of seed companies and researchers. The glyphosate stress-responsive genes were used for the development of genetically modified crops, while only the EPSPS gene has been used currently in the study on glyphosate-tolerance in rice. Therefore, it is essential and crucial to intensify the exploration of glyphosate stress-responsive genes, to not only acquire other glyphosate stress-responsive genes with clean intellectual property rights but also obtain non-transgenic glyphosate-tolerant rice varieties. This study is expected to elucidate the responses of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs to glyphosate applications and the potential regulatory mechanisms in response to glyphosate stress in rice. RESULTS: Leaves of the non-transgenic glyphosate-tolerant germplasm CA21 sprayed with 2 mg·ml- 1 glyphosate (GLY) and CA21 plants with no spray (CK) were collected for high-throughput sequencing analysis. A total of 1197 DEGs, 131 DELs, and 52 DEMs were identified in the GLY samples in relation to CK samples. Genes were significantly enriched for various biological processes involved in detoxification of plant response to stress. A total of 385 known miRNAs from 59 miRNA families and 94 novel miRNAs were identified. Degradome analysis led to the identification of 32 target genes, of which, the squamosa promoter-binding-like protein 12 (SPL12) was identified as a target of osa-miR156a_L + 1. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network consisted of osa-miR156a_L + 1, two transcripts of SPL12 (LOC_Os06g49010.3 and LOC_Os06g49010.5), and 13 lncRNAs (e.g., MSTRG.244.1 and MSTRG.16577.1). CONCLUSION: Large-scale expression changes in coding and noncoding RNA were observed in rice mainly due to its response to glyphosate. SPL12, osa-miR156, and lncRNAs (e.g., MSTRG.244.1 and MSTRG.16577.1) could be a novel ceRNA mechanism in response to glyphosate in rice by regulating transcription and metal ions binding. These findings provide a theoretical basis for breeding glyphosate-tolerant rice varieties and for further research on the biogenesis of glyphosate- tolerance in rice.

Achieving Zero/Negative-Emissions Coal-Fired Power Plants Using Amine-Based Postcombustion CO2 Capture Technology and Biomass Cocombustion.

The strengthening carbon mitigation efforts to meet the 1.5 °C target requires the development of zero/negative CO2 emission technologies to eliminate large direct CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel fired power stations. Amine scrubbing is a dominant technology to capture CO2 from fossil-fuel power stations, but its application in achieving zero/negative emission in power stations is rarely reported. The present study investigates the MEA-based technologies to achieve zero and negative CO2 emission in coal-fired power stations, and their techno-economic performance was evaluated in detail. These zero/negative-emission technologies include 99.7% CO2 capture from flue gas (zero emission), biomass cocombustion with coal integrated with CO2 capture at ratios of 10% biomass/90% CO2 capture and 5% biomass/95% CO2 capture (zero-emission), and 10% biomass/95% CO2 capture for negative-emission power station. Our investigation revealed that these zero/negative-emission technologies are technically and economically viable, and their CO2 avoided costs did not significantly increase compared to the standard 90% CO2 capture. The CO2 avoided cost for 99.7%-capture is estimated at $66.5/tonne CO2, which is $2.6/tonne CO2 higher than that of 90%-capture. The biomass cocombustion zero/negative-emission technologies show better economic performance with CO2 avoided cost of $64.1-64.8/tonne CO2, which is only $0.2-0.7/tonne CO2 higher than the standard 90%-capture. These results indicate that the amine-based CO2 capture integrated with biomass cocombustion technology would be economically competitive to achieve zero or even negative CO2 emissions in coal-fired power stations.

Mapping and application of the twin-grain1 gene in rice.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The map-based cloning and application of a flower organ number gene twin - grain1 provide great potential for improving seed production in hybrid rice. A new germplasm for high-yield rice breeding, the twin-grain1 (tg1) mutant with more than one grain in a glume, was obtained from the Zhejing 22 rice variety via physical mutagenesis. The mapping results showed that TG1 is allelic to FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER2 (FON2)/FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER4 (FON4), a flower organ number gene located at 88.7 cM on chromosome 11. The novel tg1 gene allele was introgressed into the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) line Zhejing 22A, giving rise to a new CMS line Zhejing 22-tg1A. The Zhejing 22-tg1A line showed enhanced glume opening and stigma exsertion, which increased the outcrossing rate in hybrid rice. A small-scale hybrid rice seed production test demonstrated that the grain yield of the Zhejing 22-tg1A/Zhejinghui 5 line was significantly increased compared to that of the Zhejing 22A/Zhejinghui 5 line. The plot yield evaluation of the F1 hybrid lines showed a higher yield for the Zhejing 22-tg1A/Zhejinghui 5 line than that of the Zhejing 22A/Zhejinghui 5 line. The results implied great potentials for the tg1 gene in hybrid rice breeding.

Reference Intervals of and Relationships among Essential Trace Elements in Whole Blood of Children Aged 0-14 years.

BACKGROUND: Essential trace elements are vital to human health. In this study, our aim was to establish reference intervals of and to evaluate relationships among Ca, Fe, Cu, Mg, and Zn for children. METHODS: We collected blood samples of 3210 children aged 0-14 years from Lu'an, China, and concentrations of the above elements were determined by atomizer absorption spectrophotometer. A nonparametric method was used to establish the reference intervals. RESULTS: Gender-related differences in concentrations were not statistically significant for the elements, except for Fe. There were strong positive and negative correlations between age and Fe (R = 0.305, P < 0.001), Zn (R = 0.573, P < 0.001); and age and Ca (R = -0.372, P < 0.001), Cu (R = -0.127, P < 0.001), respectively. Correlations between Ca-Mg (r = 0.222~0.384, P < 0.001), Fe-Mg (r = 0.495~0.614, P < 0.001), and Fe-Zn (r = 0.239~0.471, P < 0.001) were the strongest compared with others. In multivariable linear regression, after adjusted for confounding factors, the associations between Zn-Fe and Mg-Fe were the strongest with per concentration quintile increase of Fe caused Zn and Mg increasing by 4.19% (ß = 0.041; 95% CI: 0.037, 0.045; P < 0.001) and 3.87% (ß = 0.038; 95% CI: 0.036, 0.040; P < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Gender- and age-based reference intervals of Ca, Fe, Cu, Mg, and Zn for children were established, and correlations between them were quite complex. More works are needed to illuminate these relationships and their impacts on children's health.

Genome wide association mapping for grain shape traits in indica rice.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Using genome-wide association mapping, 47 SNPs within 27 significant loci were identified for four grain shape traits, and 424 candidate genes were predicted from public database. Grain shape is a key determinant of grain yield and quality in rice (Oryza sativa L.). However, our knowledge of genes controlling rice grain shape remains limited. Genome-wide association mapping based on linkage disequilibrium (LD) has recently emerged as an effective approach for identifying genes or quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying complex traits in plants. In this study, association mapping based on 5291 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was conducted to identify significant loci associated with grain shape traits in a global collection of 469 diverse rice accessions. A total of 47 SNPs were located in 27 significant loci for four grain traits, and explained ~44.93-65.90 % of the phenotypic variation for each trait. In total, 424 candidate genes within a 200 kb extension region (±100 kb of each locus) of these loci were predicted. Of them, the cloned genes GS3 and qSW5 showed very strong effects on grain length and grain width in our study. Comparing with previously reported QTLs for grain shape traits, we found 11 novel loci, including 3, 3, 2 and 3 loci for grain length, grain width, grain length-width ratio and thousand grain weight, respectively. Validation of these new loci would be performed in the future studies. These results revealed that besides GS3 and qSW5, multiple novel loci and mechanisms were involved in determining rice grain shape. These findings provided valuable information for understanding of the genetic control of grain shape and molecular marker assistant selection (MAS) breeding in rice.

Seasonal Variation of Blood Calcium Levels in Children Aged 1-10.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the associations of seasons with blood calcium levels in children aged 1-10 have not been evaluated. METHODS: In 2012-2014, whole blood samples were collected from 2,562 children and calcium concentrations were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The associations of seasons with calcium levels were analyzed by multivariable regression. RESULTS: The mean value of calcium concentrations was 1.61 ± 0.13 mmol/l and the overall deficiency was 29.3%. Overall, compared to those in winter, children in spring and summer had significant lower calcium concentrations that decreased by 1.2% (ß = -0.012; 95% CI: -0.021, -0.002) and 1.4% (ß = -0.014; 95% CI: -0.023, -0.005), respectively; and corresponding higher calcium deficiencies than those in spring, summer, and autumn with odds ratios (OR) were 1.93 (95% CI: 1.39, 2.66), 1.65 (95% CI: 1.21, 2.24), and 1.57 (95% CI: 1.14, 2.15), respectively. Moreover, this seasonality was more significant in girls in whom calcium concentration in summer decreased by 1.9% (ß = -0.019; 95% CI: -0.036, -0.003) and OR for calcium deficiencies in summer was 2.46 (1.38-4.41), compared to the girls in winter. CONCLUSIONS: The seasons have significant association with blood calcium levels, especially in girls. However, the impact of this seasonality on children's health is still unknown.

Transcriptome analysis of rice root heterosis by RNA-Seq.

BACKGROUND: Heterosis is a phenomenon in which hybrids exhibit superior performance relative to parental phenotypes. In addition to the heterosis of above-ground agronomic traits on which most existing studies have focused, root heterosis is also an indispensable component of heterosis in the entire plant and of major importance to plant breeding. Consequently, systematic investigations of root heterosis, particularly in reproductive-stage rice, are needed. The recent advent of RNA sequencing technology (RNA-Seq) provides an opportunity to conduct in-depth transcript profiling for heterosis studies. RESULTS: Using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform, the root transcriptomes of the super-hybrid rice variety Xieyou 9308 and its parents were analyzed at tillering and heading stages. Approximately 391 million high-quality paired-end reads (100-bp in size) were generated and aligned against the Nipponbare reference genome. We found that 38,872 of 42,081 (92.4%) annotated transcripts were represented by at least one sequence read. A total of 829 and 4186 transcripts that were differentially expressed between the hybrid and its parents (DGHP) were identified at tillering and heading stages, respectively. Out of the DGHP, 66.59% were down-regulated at the tillering stage and 64.41% were up-regulated at the heading stage. At the heading stage, the DGHP were significantly enriched in pathways related to processes such as carbohydrate metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction, with most of the key genes that are involved in the two pathways being up-regulated in the hybrid. Several significant DGHP that could be mapped to quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for yield and root traits are also involved in carbohydrate metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction pathways. CONCLUSIONS: An extensive transcriptome dataset was obtained by RNA-Seq, giving a comprehensive overview of the root transcriptomes at tillering and heading stages in a heterotic rice cross and providing a useful resource for the rice research community. Using comparative transcriptome analysis, we detected DGHP and identified a group of potential candidate transcripts. The changes in the expression of the candidate transcripts may lay a foundation for future studies on molecular mechanisms underlying root heterosis.

Immune adaptor ADAP in T cells regulates HIV-1 transcription and cell-cell viral spread via different co-receptors.

BACKGROUND: Immune cell adaptor protein ADAP (adhesion and degranulation-promoting adaptor protein) mediates aspects of T-cell adhesion and proliferation. Despite this, a connection between ADAP and infection by the HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus-1) has not been explored. RESULTS: In this paper, we show for the first time that ADAP and its binding to SLP-76 (SH2 domain-containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa) regulate HIV-1 infection via two distinct mechanisms and co-receptors. siRNA down-regulation of ADAP, or expression of a mutant that is defective in associating to its binding partner SLP-76 (termed M12), inhibited the propagation of HIV-1 in T-cell lines and primary human T-cells. In one step, ADAP and its binding to SLP-76 were needed for the activation of NF-κB and its transcription of the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) in cooperation with ligation of co-receptor CD28, but not LFA-1. In a second step, the ADAP-SLP-76 module cooperated with LFA-1 to regulate conjugate formation between T-cells and dendritic cells or other T-cells as well as the development of the virological synapse (VS) and viral spread between immune cells. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that ADAP regulates two steps of HIV-1 infection cooperatively with two distinct receptors, and as such, serves as a new potential target in the blockade of HIV-1 infection.

Identification of qRL7, a major quantitative trait locus associated with rice root length in hydroponic conditions.

Root system development is an important target for improving yield in rice. Active roots that can take up nutrients more efficiently are essential for improving grain yield. In this study, we performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses using 215 recombinant inbred lines derived from a cross between Xieqingzao B (XB), a maintainer line with short roots and R9308, a restorer line with long roots. Only a QTLs associated with root length were mapped on chromosomes 7. The QTL, named qRL7, was located between markers RM3859 and RM214 on chromosome 7 and explained 18.14-18.36% of the total phenotypic variance evaluated across two years. Fine mapping of qRL7 using eight BC3F3 recombinant lines mapped the QTL to between markers InDel11 and InDel17, which delimit a 657.35 kb interval in the reference cultivar Nipponbare. To determine the genotype classes for the target QTL in these BC3F3 recombinants, the root lengths of their BC3F4 progeny were investigated, and the result showed that qRL7 plays a crucial role in root length. The results of this study will increase our understanding of the genetic factors controlling root architecture, which will help rice breeders to breed varieties with deep, strong and vigorous root systems.

Discovery of effective combination from Renshen-Fuzi herbal pair against heart failure by spectrum-effect relationship analysis and zebrafish models.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditional herbal pair Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (roots and rhizomes of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey, Renshen in Chinese) and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux, Fuzi in Chinese), composition of two traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine formula, in which Shenfu decoction has been used clinically in China for the treatment of heart failure at present. AIM OF THE STUDY: Although the ginsenosides and aconite alkaloids have been proven as the essential bioactive components in Renshen-Fuzi herbal pair, the exact composition of effective components to combat heart failure are still unclear. Therefore, spectrum-effect relationship analysis was performed to reveal its effective combination for anti-heart failure effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, the chemical constituents of Renshen-Fuzi herbal pair were identified using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS). The 39 major compounds in Renshen-Fuzi with five different compatibility ratios were simultaneously quantified using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QQQ MS/MS). Subsequently, zebrafish models induced by verapamil hydrochloride were constructed and four heart failure-related indexes were selected for pharmacodynamic evaluation of Renshen-Fuzi. To analyze the spectrum-effect relationships, partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were established among the contents of 39 compounds in Renshen-Fuzi with each pharmacodynamic index. According to the contribution of each compound to the whole efficacy, 12 compounds were finally screened out as the effective combination. RESULTS: A total of 157 chemical compounds of Renshen-Fuzi herbal pair were identified, in which 39 components were simultaneously determined. The pharmacological effects indicated that Renshen-Fuzi with 1:2 ratio exhibited the best effect based on zebrafish model, which could improve cardiac output and blood flow velocity and inhibit pericardial enlargement and venous blood stasis significantly. A combination of 9 ginsenosides and 3 aconite alkaloids based on a component-efficacy modeling by PLSR was screened, and exerted approximately equivalent pharmacological effects compared with Renshen-Fuzi herbal pair. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings elucidated the effective combination of Renshen-Fuzi herbal pair that has been used in clinic for the treatment of heart failure, which could also promote the pharmacological research and quality control of their formula such as Shenfu decoction.

A mitochondrion-associated PPR protein, WBG1, regulates grain chalkiness in rice.

Rice kernel quality has vital commercial value. Grain chalkiness deteriorates rice's appearance and palatability. However, the molecular mechanisms that govern grain chalkiness remain unclear and may be regulated by many factors. In this study, we identified a stable hereditary mutant, white belly grain 1 (wbg1), which has a white belly in its mature grains. The grain filling rate of wbg1 was lower than that of the wild type across the whole filling period, and the starch granules in the chalky part were oval or round and loosely arranged. Map-based cloning showed that wbg1 was an allelic mutant of FLO10, which encodes a mitochondrion-targeted P-type pentatricopeptide repeat protein. Amino acid sequence analysis found that two PPR motifs present in the C-terminal of WBG1 were lost in wbg1. This deletion reduced the splicing efficiency of nad1 intron 1 to approximately 50% in wbg1, thereby partially reducing the activity of complex I and affecting ATP production in wbg1 grains. Furthermore, haplotype analysis showed that WBG1 was associated with grain width between indica and japonica rice varieties. These results suggested that WBG1 influences rice grain chalkiness and grain width by regulating the splicing efficiency of nad1 intron 1. This deepens understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing rice grain quality and provides theoretical support for molecular breeding to improve rice quality.

[Applications of ion mobility-mass spectrometry in the chemical analysis in traditional Chinese medicines].

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) is a combination of ion mobility separation and mass spectrometry technologies. In IM-MS, analytes are ionized by the ion source to form gas-phase ions, which are then rapidly separated using ion mobility based on their mobility difference, under the influence of both neutral buffer gas and an electric field, and then traversed and detected using mass spectrometry, which can separate ions based on mass-to-charge ratio. Furthermore, IM-MS could provide not only mass-to-charge ratio parameters like MS1 and MS2 spectra but also new structural information for component identification like collision cross-section values, drift time, arrival time, compensation voltage, and so on, which can be employed to resolve complex chemical components, especially indistinguishable isomers using mass spectrometry alone. In recent years, with the development of IM-MS technologies, IM-MS has become more widely employed in chemical analysis in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Firstly, IM-MS was been successfully used in the separation of complex TCMs complex extract from interfering isobaric species. Secondly, IM-MS also offers new types of MS/MS fragmentation modes, and the combination of IM separation and fragmentation modes enables the acquisition of more specific and detailed fragment ion spectra. Thirdly, the collision cross-section is introduced by IM-MS, which is a unique physicochemical property of a component. Related data post-processing strategies based on experimentally derived collision cross-section values have been continuously developed in recent years to make full use of the collision cross-section values, these data post-processing strategies include collision cross-section database matching, theoretical collision cross-section values matching, machine-learning-based collision cross-section values prediction matching, mass-to-charge ratio versus collision cross-section correlation trend lines and so on. In doing so, these diverse strategies can greatly enhance the reliability and accuracy of the structural annotation of TCM compounds. This review primarily briefly introduces the major types and basic principles of IM-MS. The applications of IM-MS in TCM chemical analysis are highlighted in this study. The current applications of IM-MS in improving TCM chemical component separation are summarized, followed by a discussion of several strategies for enhancing separation selectivity. This review also offers some new fragmentation modes, novel data acquisition approaches, and collision cross-section data post-processing strategies applied in TCM qualitative analysis. Finally, the prospect of IM-MS applied in TCM chemical analysis is also discussed. This review provides approaches and ideas for future IM-MS research on TCM's chemical analysis.

Metal Oxyhydroxide Catalysts Promoted CO2 Absorption and Desorption in Amine-Based Carbon Capture: A Feasibility Study.

The huge energy penalty of CO2 desorption is the greatest challenge impeding the commercial application of amine-based CO2 capture. To deal with this problem, a series of metal oxide and oxyhydroxide catalysts were synthesized in this study to kinetically facilitate the CO2 desorption from 5.0 M monoethanolamine (MEA). The effects of selected catalysts on CO2 absorption kinetics, CO2 absorption capacity, CO2 reaction enthalpy, and desorption duty reduction of 2.0 M MEA were investigated by a true heat flow reaction calorimeter to access the practical feasibility of the catalytic CO2 desorption. The kinetic study of catalytic CO2 desorption was also carried out. CO2 desorption chemistry, catalyst characterization, and structure-function relationships were investigated to reveal the underlying mechanisms. Results show that addition of the catalyst had slight effects on the CO2 absorption kinetics and CO2 reaction enthalpy of MEA. In contrast, the CO2 desorption efficiency greatly increased from 28% in reference MEA to 52% in ZrO(OH)2-aided MEA. Compared to the benchmark catalyst HZSM-5, ZrO(OH)2 exhibited a 13% improvement in CO2 desorption efficiency. More importantly, compared to the reference MEA, the CO2 desorption duties of ZrO(OH)2 and FeOOH-aided MEA significantly reduced by 45 and 47% respectively, which are better than those of most other reported catalysts. The large surface area, pore volume, pore diameter, and amount of surface hydroxyl groups of ZrO(OH)2 and FeOOH afforded the catalytic performance by promoting the adsorption of alkaline speciation (e.g., MEA and HCO3 -) onto the particle surface.

Differential Physiological Responses to Salt Stress between Salt-Sensitive and Salt-Tolerant japonica Rice Cultivars at the Post-Germination and Seedling Stages.

Soil salinity is a key source of abiotic stress in the cultivation of rice. In this study, two currently cultivated japonica rice species-Zhegeng 78 (salt-tolerant) and Zhegeng 99 (salt-sensitive)-with similar backgrounds were identified and used to investigate their differential responses to salt stress at the post-germination and seedling stages. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the expression of OsSOS1, OsHAK1, and OsHAK5 at the post-germination stage, and the expression of OsHKT1,1, OsHTK2,1, and OsHAK1 at the seedling stage, were significantly higher in the salt-tolerant Zhegeng 78 compared with those of the salt-sensitive Zhegeng 99 under salt stress. The significantly lower Na+ net uptake rate at the post-germination and higher K+ net uptake rates at the post-germination and seedling stages were observed in the salt-tolerant Zhegeng 78 compared with those of the salt-sensitive Zhegeng 99 under salt stress. Significantly higher activity of peroxidase (POD) and the lower hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation were observed in the salt-tolerant Zhegeng 78 compared with those of salt-sensitive Zhegeng 99 under salt stress at the seeding stage. The salt-tolerant Zhegeng 78 might be valuable in future cultivation in salinity soils.

The blood lead levels of outpatients aged 1-18 years from Lu'an, China, 2012-2014.

To evaluate blood lead levels (BLLs) and possible influencing factors among children and adolescents in Lu'an, we collected blood samples of 3266 outpatients aged 1-18 years from January 2012 to December 2014 and BLLs were determined by atomizer absorption spectrophotometer. The results showed that the geometric mean (GM) of BLLs was 29.53µg/L (95% CI: 29.00-30.06µg/L) and the prevalence of BLLs ≥50 and 100µg/L were 17.7% and 0.2%, respectively. The GM BLLs and prevalence of BLLs ≥50µg/L were increased with age before 7 years old and then slightly decreased, and, contrary to previous studies, they were the highest at Jan-Feb and the lowest at Sep-Oct. From 2012 to 2014, the GM BLLs were significantly increased (P<0.001) while the prevalence of BLLs ≥50µg/L was decreased but with no significant difference (P>0.05). These results suggested that although the BLLs of Lu'an children were lower than most areas of China and several neighboring cities as previously reported, they were still higher than that of developed countries. Meanwhile, the GM BLLs of children and adolescents from Lu'an have a trend of increase in recent years. A lot of future works need to be done to identify the risk factors for lead exposure.

Identification of transcriptome SNPs for assessing allele-specific gene expression in a super-hybrid rice Xieyou9308.

Hybridization, a common process in nature, can give rise to a vast reservoir of allelic variants. Combination of these allelic variants may result in novel patterns of gene action and is thought to contribute to heterosis. In this study, we analyzed genome-wide allele-specific gene expression (ASGE) in the super-hybrid rice variety Xieyou9308 using RNA sequencing technology (RNA-Seq). We identified 9325 reliable single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed throughout the genome. Nearly 68% of the identified polymorphisms were CT and GA SNPs between R9308 and Xieqingzao B, suggesting the existence of DNA methylation, a heritable epigenetic mark, in the parents and their F1 hybrid. Of 2793 identified transcripts with consistent allelic biases, only 480 (17%) showed significant allelic biases during tillering and/or heading stages, implying that trans effects may mediate most transcriptional differences in hybrid offspring. Approximately 67% and 62% of the 480 transcripts showed R9308 allelic expression biases at tillering and heading stages, respectively. Transcripts with higher levels of gene expression in R9308 also exhibited R9308 allelic biases in the hybrid. In addition, 125 transcripts were identified with significant allelic expression biases at both stages, of which 74% showed R9308 allelic expression biases. R9308 alleles may tend to preserve their characteristic states of activity in the hybrid and may play important roles in hybrid vigor at both stages. The allelic expression of 355 transcripts was highly stage-specific, with divergent allelic expression patterns observed at different developmental stages. Many transcripts associated with stress resistance were differently regulated in the F1 hybrid. The results of this study may provide valuable insights into molecular mechanisms of heterosis.

Histamine enhances HIV-1-induced modulation of dendritic cells to skew naïve T cell differentiation toward regulatory T cells.

Altered cytokine profiles and imbalanced frequencies of CD4(+) T helper cell subsets are thought to be linked with HIV-1/AIDS pathogenesis, but the causes need to be further clarified. Histamine, a biogenic amine with many functions, shows enhancement in HIV-1 infected individuals, which are considered to link with disease progression, but is poorly understood. This study investigated histamine-assisted HIV-1 modulation of dendritic cell (DC) functions. Histamine and HIV-1 showed a synergistic role in induction of interleukin-10; histamine inhibited HIV-1-induced IL-12 production from MDDCs (monocyte-derived DCs); notably, histamine augmented HIV-1-induced MDDC functional polarization and skewed naïve T cell differentiation toward regulatory T cells (Tregs). The results indicate the novel role of histamine in HIV-1-induced DC functional regulation, which promoted Treg cell differentiation and up-regulated immunosuppressive factors. These findings help to bridge the correlation between elevated histamine and increased Treg cell frequency in HIV-1 infected individuals, and add to our understanding of HIV-1-induced immunosuppression.