Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the RWP-RK Proteins in Zanthoxylum armatum.

Apomixis is a common reproductive characteristic of Zanthoxylum plants, and RWP-RKs are plant-specific transcription factors known to regulate embryonic development. However, the genome-wide analysis and function prediction of RWP-RK family genes in Z. armatum are unclear. In this study, 36 ZaRWP-RK transcription factors were identified in the genome of Z. armatum, among which 15 genes belonged to the RKD subfamily and 21 belonged to the NLP subfamily. Duplication events of ZaRWP-RK genes were mainly segmental duplication, and synteny analysis revealed a close phylogenetic relationship between Z. armatum and Arabidopsis. The analysis of cis-elements indicated that ZaRWP-RK genes may be involved in the regulation of the embryonic development of Z. armatum by responding to plant hormones such as abscisic acid, auxin, and gibberellin. Results of a real-time PCR showed that the expression levels of most ZaRWP-RK genes were significantly increased from flowers to young fruits. Protein-protein interaction network analysis further revealed the potential roles of the ZaRWP-RK proteins in apomixis. Collectively, this study is expected to improve our understanding of ZaRWP-RK transcription factors and provide a theoretical basis for future investigations into the ZaRWP-RK genes and their regulatory mechanisms in the apomixis process of Z. armatum.

Sport tourist perceptions of destination image and revisit intentions: An adaption of Mehrabian-Russell's environmental psychology model.

In environmental psychology literature, an individual's perception of the surroundings leads to subsequent behaviors. In this regard, small-scale sport events (SSE) have been used as a marketing tool for tourism development. However, how SSEs are leveraged to improve destination image (DI) for tourists has not been fully understood. Building on Mehrabian-Russell's environmental psychology model, this study examined the relationship between the SSE environmental stimuli and revisit intentions through the sequential mediation of cognitive and affective DI. Data from the 423 respondents were collected from 2023 Wuxi Marathon held in Wuxi, China. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the hypothesized framework. The results indicated that the SSE environmental stimuli were positively associated with both cognitive and affective DI, which were positively correlated with revisit intentions. The applicability of the serial mediation of cognitive and affective DI within the relationship was confirmed. This study contributes to the sport and tourism literature by extending the applicability of Mehrabian and Russell's model to SSE settings and identifying the serial mediating effects of cognitive and affective DI.

Phylogenetic and AlphaFold predicted structure analyses provide insights for A1 aspartic protease family classification in Arabidopsis.

Aspartic proteases are widely distributed in animals, plants, fungi and other organisms. In land plants, A1 aspartic protease family members have been implicated to play important and varied roles in growth, development and defense. Thus a robust classification of this family is important for understanding their gene function and evolution. However, current A1 family members in Arabidopsis are less well classified and need to be re-evaluated. In this paper, 70 A1 aspartic proteases in Arabidopsis are divided into four groups (group I-IV) based on phylogenetic and gene structure analyses of 1200 A1 aspartic proteases which are obtained from 12 Embryophyta species. Group I-III members are further classified into 2, 4 and 7 subgroups based on the AlphaFold predicted structures. Furthermore, unique insights of A1 aspartic proteases have been unraveled by AlphaFold predicted structures. For example, subgroup II-C members have a unique II-C specific motif in the C-extend domain, and subgroup IV is a Spermatophyta conserved group without canonical DTGS/DSGT active sites. These results prove that AlphaFold combining phylogenetic analysis is a promising solution for complex gene family classification.

The Physical Location of Stripe Rust Resistance Genes on Chromosome 6 of Rye (Secale cereale L.) AR106BONE.

It was reported that the chromosome 6R of rye (Secale cereale L.) carries stripe rust resistance gene Yr83, and the region with the candidate resistance gene(s) still needs to be narrowed down. This study confirmed that the chromosome 6RLAr derived from rye AR106BONE contains stripe rust resistance gene(s). A wheat-rye T6BS.6RLAr translocation chromosome, a wheat-rye small-segment translocation T6RLAr-6AS.6AL, and three kinds of deleted T6BS.6RLAr translocations, T6BS.6RLAr-1, T6BS.6RLAr-2, and T6BS.6RLAr-3, were identified. Translocations T6BS.6RLAr, T6BS.6RLAr-2, and T6RLAr-6AS.6AL were highly resistant to stripe rust and T6BS.6RLAr-1 and T6BS.6RLAr-3 were highly susceptible. The molecular markers specific to 6RL determined that the three regions of the 6RLAr arm from 732,999,830 bp to the telomere, from 735,010,030 to 848,010,414 bp, and from 848,011,262 bp to the telomere were deleted from T6BS.6RLAr-1, T6BS.6RLAr-2, and T6BS.6RLAr-3, respectively. T6BS.6RLAr-2 and T6RLAr-6AS.6AL contained the segment that was deleted in T6BS.6RLAr-3. Therefore, it can be concluded that about 37 Mb segment from 848,011,262 bp to the telomere carried stripe rust resistance gene(s), and it was smaller than that with the Yr83 gene. Gene annotation indicated that about 37 Mb region contains 43 potential resistance genes, and 42 of them are nucleotide-binding site and leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR)-like resistance protein genes. The results in this study narrowed down the size of the region with candidate stripe rust resistance gene(s) on the 6RL arm, and the T6RLAr-6AS.6AL is a promising small-segment translocation for improvement of wheat cultivars.

Variations of subtelomeric tandem repeats and rDNA on chromosome 1RS arms in the genus Secale and 1BL.1RS translocations.

BACKGROUND: The wheat-rye 1BL.1RS translocations have played an important role in common wheat breeding programs. Subtelomeric tandem repeats have been often used to investigate polymorphisms of 1RS arms, but further research about their organizations on the 1RS chromosome is needed. RESULTS: 162 1RS arms from a wild rye species (Secale strictum) and six cultivated rye accessions (Secale cereale L.) (81 plants), 102 1BL.1RS and one 1AL.1RS translocations were investigated using oligo probes Oligo-TaiI, Oligo-pSc119.2-1, Oligo-pTa71A-2, Oligo-pSc200 and Oligo-pSc250, which were derived from tandem repeats TaiI, pSc119.2, pTa71, pSc200 and pSc250, respectively. The variations of 1RS arms were revealed by signal intensity of probes Oligo-pSc119.2-1, Oligo-pTa71A-2, Oligo-pSc200 and Oligo-pSc250. Proliferation of rDNA sequences on the 1RS chromosomes was observed. According to the presence of probe signals, 34, 127 and 144 of the 162 1RS arms contained TaiI, pSc200 and pSc250, respectively, and all of them contained pSc119.2 and pTa71. Most of the 1RS arms in rye contained three kinds of subtelomeric tandem repeats, the combination of pSc119.2, pSc200 and pSc250 was most common, and only eight of them contained TaiI, pSc119.2, pSc200 and pSc250. All of the 1RS arms in 1BL.1RS and 1AL.1RS translocations contained pSc119.2, pTa71, pSc200 and pSc250, but the presence of the TaiI family was not observed. CONCLUSION: New organizations of subtelomeric tandem repeats on 1RS were found, and they reflected new genetic variations of 1RS arms. These 1RS arms might contain abundant allelic diversity for agricultural traits. The narrow genetic base of 1RS arms in 1BL.1RS and 1AL.1RS translocations currently used in agriculture is seriously restricting their use in wheat breeding programs. This research has found new 1RS sources for the future restructuring of 1BL.1RS translocations. The allelic variations of these 1RS arms should be studied more intensely as they may enrich the genetic diversity of 1BL.1RS translocations.

[Metameric effect between natural teeth and resin teeth of A2 shade].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the metameric color differences between natural teeth and three brands of commercially available resin teeth. METHODS: The spectral reflectance and color coordinates of natural teeth and three brands of commercially available resin teeth of A2 shade were measured with a spectrophotometer (PR-650) according to the CIE L*, a*, b* and CIE XYZ color scale relative to illuminant D65, A, cool white fluorescent (CWF) and ultraviolet (UV), and the metameric indices were calculated to determine the metameric color differences between natural teeth and resin teeth. RESULTS: CIE L*, a*, b* values were influenced by the type of illuminants in both natural teeth and resin teeth. The pattern of spectral reflectance curves for natural teeth and resin teeth of A2 shade were different, while there were more than three crossing points among each curves, which meant the color of natural teeth and resin teeth of A2 shade might be the same under certain illuminant. The metameric indices between natural teeth and resin teeth of A2 shade were 3.48, 2.52 and 3.36 under illuminant A; 1.21, 1.90, and 2.79 under illuminant CWF; 1.59, 2.07, and 4.07 under illuminant UV. The metameric indices between resin teeth of different brand were 1.08, 0.10, and 1.01 under illuminant A; 1.46, 2.23, and 0.94 under illuminant CWF; and 2.55, 2.69, and 4.64 under UV. CONCLUSION: Changes in optical properties of resin teeth of A2 shade relative to the different illuminants were different from those of natural teeth, the metameric effect between natural teeth and resin teeth of A2 shade were significant. Therefore, shade matching between natural teeth and resin teeth should be performed under more than one illuminant.