ABSTRACT
Drought stress is one of the most severe abiotic stresses that restrict global crop production. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proved to play a key role in response to drought stress. However, genome-wide identification and characterization of drought-responsive lncRNAs in sugar beet is still lacking. Thus, the present study focused on analyzing lncRNAs in sugar beet under drought stress. We identified 32017 reliable lncRNAs in sugar beet by strand-specific high-throughput sequencing. A total of 386 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were found under drought stress. The most significantly upregulated and downregulated lncRNAs were TCONS_00055787 (upregulated by more than 6000 fold) and TCONS_00038334 (downregulated by more than 18000 fold), respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR results exhibited a high concordance with RNA sequencing data, which conformed that the expression patterns of lncRNAs based on RNA sequencing were highly reliable. In addition, we predicted 2353 and 9041 transcripts that were estimated to be the cis- and trans-target genes of the drought-responsive lncRNAs. As revealed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, the target genes of DElncRNAs were significantly enriched in organelle subcompartment, thylakoid, endopeptidase activity, catalytic activity, developmental process, lipid metabolic process, RNA polymerase activity, transferase activity, flavonoid biosynthesis and several other terms associated with abiotic stress tolerance. Moreover, 42 DElncRNAs were predicted as potential miRNA target mimics. LncRNAs have important effects on plant adaptation to drought conditions through the interaction with protein-encoding genes. The present study leads to greater insights into lncRNA biology and offers candidate regulators for improving the drought tolerance of sugar beet cultivars at the genetic level.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the full scope of long-term outcomes and the ongoing pathophysiological alterations among COVID-19 survivors. METHODS: We established a longitudinal cohort of 208 COVID-19 convalescents and followed them at 3.3 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1.3, 4.4, visit 1), 9.2 (IQR: 9.0, 9.6, visit 2), and 18.5 (IQR: 18.2, 19.1, visit 3) months after infection, respectively. Serial changes in multiple physical and psychological outcomes were comprehensively characterized. We, in addition, explored the potential risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 antibody response and sequelae symptoms. RESULTS: We observed continuous improvement of sequelae symptoms, lung function, chest computed tomography (CT), 6-minute walk test, and the Borg dyspnea scale, whereas sequelae symptoms (at least one) and abnormal chest CT patterns still existed in 45.2% and about 30% of participants at 18.5 months, respectively. Anxiety and depression disorders were alleviated for the convalescents, although depression status was sustained for a longer duration. CONCLUSIONS: Most COVID-19 convalescents had an overall improved physical and psychological health status, whereas sequelae symptoms, residual lesions on lung function, exercise impairment, and mental health disorders were still observed in a small proportion of participants at 18.5 months after infection. Implementing appropriate preventive and management strategies for the ever-growing COVID-19 population is warranted.
