Lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation proteomics analyses reveal the regulatory mechanism of CaMYB61-CaAFR1 module in regulating stem development in Capsicum annuum L.

Plant stems constitute the most abundant renewable resource on earth. The function of lysine (K)-2-hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib), a novel post-translational modification (PTM), has not yet been elucidated in plant stem development. Here, by assessing typical pepper genotypes with straight stem (SS) and prostrate stem (PS), we report the first large-scale proteomics analysis for protein Khib to date. Khib-modifications influenced central metabolic processes involved in stem development, such as glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and protein translation. The high Khib level regulated gene expression and protein accumulation associated with cell wall formation in the pepper stem. Specially, we found that CaMYB61 knockdown lines that exhibited prostrate stem phenotypes had high Khib levels. Most histone deacetylases (HDACs, e.g., switch-independent 3 associated polypeptide function related 1, AFR1) potentially function as the "erasing enzymes" involved in reversing Khib level. CaMYB61 positively regulated CaAFR1 expression to erase Khib and promote cellulose and hemicellulose accumulation in the stem. Therefore, we propose a bidirectional regulation hypothesis of "Khib modifications" and "Khib erasing" in stem development, and reveal a novel epigenetic regulatory network in which the CaMYB61-CaAFR1 molecular module participating in the regulation of Khib levels and biosynthesis of cellulose and hemicellulose for the first time.

Transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed the response mechanism of pepper roots to Phytophthora capsici infection.

BACKGROUND: Phytophthora root rot caused by the oomycete Phytophthora capsici is the most devastating disease in pepper production worldwide, and current management strategies have not been effective in preventing this disease. Therefore, the use of resistant varieties was regarded as an important part of disease management of P. capsici. However, our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the defense response of pepper roots to P. capsici infection is limited. METHODS: A comprehensive transcriptome and metabolome approaches were used to dissect the molecular response of pepper to P. capsici infection in the resistant genotype A204 and the susceptible genotype A198 at 0, 24 and 48 hours post-inoculation (hpi). RESULTS: More genes and metabolites were induced at 24 hpi in A204 than A198, suggesting the prompt activation of defense responses in the resistant genotype, which can attribute two proteases, subtilisin-like protease and xylem cysteine proteinase 1, involved in pathogen recognition and signal transduction in A204. Further analysis indicated that the resistant genotype responded to P. capsici with fine regulation by the Ca2+- and salicylic acid-mediated signaling pathways, and then activation of downstream defense responses, including cell wall reinforcement and defense-related genes expression and metabolites accumulation. Among them, differentially expressed genes and differentially accumulated metabolites involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways were uniquely activated in the resistant genotype A204 at 24 hpi, indicating a significant role of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways in pepper resistance to P. capsici. CONCLUSION: The candidate transcripts may provide genetic resources that may be useful in the improvement of Phytophthora root rot-resistant characters of pepper. In addition, the model proposed in this study provides new insight into the defense response against P. capsici in pepper, and enhance our current understanding of the interaction of pepper-P. capsici.

Active Aberration Correction with Adaptive Coefficient SPGD Algorithm for Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope.

A laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) is an effective scientific instrument for studying sub-micron structures, and it has been widely used in the field of biological detection. However, the illumination depth of LSCMs is limited due to the optical aberrations introduced by living biological tissue, which acts as an optical medium with a non-uniform refractive index, resulting in a significant dispersion of the focus of LSCM illumination light and, hence, a loss in the resolution of the image. In this study, to minimize the effect of optical aberrations, an image-based adaptive optics technology using an optimized stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm with an adaptive coefficient is applied to the optical path of an LSCM system. The effectiveness of the proposed aberration correction approach is experimentally evaluated in the LSCM system. The results illustrate that the proposed adaptive optics system with an adaptive coefficient SPGD algorithm can effectively reduce the interference caused by aberrations during depth imaging.

[Effects of Straw Removal Measure on Soil Cd Bioavailability and Rice Cd Accumulation].

A field experiment was conducted in a lightly Cd-contaminated rice field in Ningxiang City, Hunan Province, to study the effects of straw removal measures on the soil Cd bioavailability and rice Cd accumulation. The results showed that:① two consecutive seasons of straw removal measures (T1-T4 treatments) effectively increased soil pH by 0.04-0.58 units, reduced soil organic matter by 0.68%-25.87%, and reduced the Cd content of rhizosphere soil by 3.76%-12.78%. ② The proportions of Cd in the acid-extractable fraction and oxidizable fraction decreased, and the proportion of Cd in the residual fraction increased. Furthermore, straw removal measures significantly reduced the bioavailability of Cd in rhizosphere soil, and the Cd contents in TCLP, DTPA, and CaCl2 extracts all significantly decreased compared with those in CK. ③ The straw removal measure could significantly reduce the content of DOC and Cd in soil pore water; and the contents of Cd in soil pore water decreased by 4.54%-40.00% and 2.75%-67.34% under the straw removal measure (T1-T4) for two consecutive seasons, respectively, indicating that DOC was one of the key factors affecting the content of Cd in soil pore water. ④ Two consecutive straw removal measures (T1-T4) reduced the accumulation of Cd in different rice tissues, among which, under the treatment of all straw and root removal (T4), the Cd contents of brown rice in late rice planting in 2020 and early rice planting in 2021 decreased by 18.52% and 39.69%, respectively. Therefore, full or partial removal of straw in Cd-contaminated rice fields is a powerful measure to reduce the risk of exceeding Cd levels in brown rice.

Prevalence and correlates of cigarette smoking among Dulong adults in China: A cross-sectional survey in 2020.

Background: The Dulong people are one of the minorities in China with the lowest population. In recent years, the lifestyle of the Dulong people has also changed drastically due to income growth and urbanization. This study aims to identify cigarette smoking prevalence and potential risk factors among Dulong adults in China. Methods: This study was conducted among 1,018 adults based on the Dulong Health Status Investigation and Evaluation (DHSIE) in Gongshan Dulong and Nu Autonomous County of Yunnan province, Southwest China. A cross-sectional design and face-to-face questionnaire were used to collect cigarette smoking habits and demographic information. Data were weighted by post-stratification weights according to the age and gender composition of Dulong resident. We also analyzed univariate and multivariate unconditional logistic regression to explore current smoking correlates. Results: The weighted prevalence of ever-smoking, currently smoking, and formerly smoking among Dulong adults is 31.3, 27.7, and 3.6%, respectively. The prevalence of ever-smoking and currently smoking among male participants (57.0 and 50.6%) is much higher than that of female participants (4.0 and 3.4%). Nearly 60% of ever-smokers and current smokers smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day, which are higher than former smokers (35.2%). Among current smokers, 33.1% relapsed, and 28.3% intend to quit smoking. By adjusting for potential confounding variables, multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that male participants (OR = 48.982, 95% CI: 25.026-95.869) and current drinkers (OR = 4.450, 95% CI: 2.556-7.746) are more likely to be current smokers. On the contrary, current smokers are also more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke (OR = 4.269, 95% CI: 2.330-7.820) and have a higher risk of chronic respiratory disease (OR = 4.955, 95% CI: 1.669-14.706). Conclusion: Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent among the Dulong people in Southwest China. An appropriate and effective tobacco control strategy is an urgent need for this population.

The APETALA2 homolog CaFFN regulates flowering time in pepper.

Flowering time is an important agronomic trait that contributes to fitness in plants. However, the genetic basis of flowering time has not been extensively studied in pepper. To understand the genetics underlying flowering time, we constructed an F2 population by crossing a spontaneous early flowering mutant and a late-flowering pepper line. Using bulked segregant RNA-seq, a major locus controlling flowering time in this population was mapped to the end of chromosome 2. An APETALA2 (AP2) homolog (CaFFN) cosegregated with flowering time in 297 individuals of the F2 population. A comparison between the parents revealed a naturally occurring rare SNP (SNP2T > C) that resulted in the loss of a start codon in CaFFN in the early flowering mutant. Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants with high CaFFN expression exhibited a delay in flowering time and floral patterning defects. On the other hand, pepper plants with CaFFN silencing flowered early. Therefore, the CaFFN gene acts as a flowering repressor in pepper. CaFFN may function as a transcriptional activator to activate the expression of CaAGL15 and miR156e and as a transcriptional repressor to repress the expression of CaAG, CaAP1, CaSEP3, CaSOC1, and miR172b based on a qRT-PCR assay. Direct activation of CaAGL15 by CaFFN was detected using yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase reporter assays, consistent with the hypothesis that CaFFN regulates flowering time. Moreover, the CaFFN gene association analysis revealed a significant association with flowering time in a natural pepper population, indicating that the CaFFN gene has a broad effect on flowering time in pepper. Finally, the phylogeny, evolutionary expansion and expression patterns of CaFFN/AP2 homologs were analyzed to provide valuable insight into CaFFN. This study increases our understanding of the involvement of CaFFN in controlling flowering time in pepper, thus making CaFFN a target gene for breeding early maturing pepper.

[Combined Effects of Soil Amendment and Zinc Fertilizer on Accumulation and Transportation of Cadmium in Soil-Rice System].

A field experiment was conducted in moderately and severely Cd contaminated paddy fields in Beishan Town, Changsha City, Hunan Province. This study examined the effects of LS amendment (limestone+sepiolite), in combination with soil application and foliar spraying of Zn fertilizer, on Cd uptake in early and late rice plants. The results showed that: ① the application of LS (2250 kg·hm-2 and 4500 kg·hm-2) significantly increased pH and CEC values in paddy soil during the early and late rice seasons, but the addition of Zn fertilizer (90 kg/hm2) to soil and through foliar spraying (0.2 g·L-1 and 0.4 g·L-1) had no significant effects on the pH or CEC of the soil. ② LS application decreased concentrations of TCLP-Cd and CaCl2-Cd in the soils, by 11.5%-38.8% and 24.0%-81.0%, respectively, while neither of the treatments involving the addition of Zn fertilizer to soil or through foliar spraying had any significant effects on the concentrations of TCLP-Cd and CaCl2-Cd. ③Single treatments involving only LS amendment, Zn fertilizer in soil, or foliar spraying of Zn fertilizer also reduced Cd concentrations in brown rice, but to a lesser degree than the combined treatments. The combined treatments (L1Z1F1, L1Z1F2, L2Z1F1, and L2Z1F2) reduced Cd concentrations in brown rice by 64.9%-67.5% and 56.1%-80.6%, for early and late rice, respectively, while L2Z1F1 (4500 kg·hm-2 LS+90 kg·hm-2 Zn fertilizer+foliar spraying 0.2 g·L-1 Zn fertilizer) resulted in the largest reduction in Cd concentration in brown rice. ④ The Cd/Zn ratio in brown rice was significantly positively correlated with Cd concentrations, indicating that increased Zn concentration in different rice tissues was one of the key reasons for decreased Cd concentration in brown rice. Clearly, as a remediation technology, combining LS amendments with zinc fertilizer is an effective method for achieving the safe utilization of moderately and severely Cd contaminated paddy fields, by effectively inhibiting the uptake, accumulation, and transportation of Cd in rice plants and decreasing Cd concentrations in brown rice.