Identification of male-fertility gene AsaNRF1 and molecular marker development in cultivated garlic (Allium sativum L.).

Garlic cultivars are predominantly characterized by their sterility and reliance on asexual reproduction, which have traditionally prevented the use of hybrid breeding for cultivar improvement in garlic. Our investigation has revealed a notable exception in the garlic line G398, which demonstrates the ability to produce fertile pollen. Notably, at the seventh stage of anther development, callose degradation in the sterile line G390 was impeded, while G398 exhibited normal callose degradation. Transcriptome profiling revealed an enhanced expression of the callose-degrading gene, AsaNRF1, in the mature flower buds of the fertile line G398 compared to the sterile line G390. An insertion in the promoter of AsaNRF1 in G390 was identified, which led to its reduced expression at the tetrad stage and consequently delayed callose degradation, potentially resulting in the male sterility of G390. A discriminatory marker was developed to distinguish between fertile G398 and sterile G390, facilitating the assessment of male fertility in garlic germplasm resources. This study introduces a practical approach to harnessing garlic hybridization, which can further facilitate the breeding of new cultivars and the creation of novel male-fertile garlic germplasm using modern molecular biology methods.

Jiaji (EX-B2)-Based Electroacupuncture Preconditioning Attenuates Early Ischaemia Reperfusion Injury in the Rat Myocardium.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture preconditioning was able to reduce the extent of ischaemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. Previous studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment at T4-T5 Jiaji (EX-B2) acupoints had cardioprotective effects against myocardial I/R injury. However, the molecular mechanism remains inconclusive. METHODS: Wistar rats were pretreated with electroacupuncture for 7 days at the Neiguan (PC6), T4-T5 Jiaji (EX-B2), Yanglingquan (GB34), and Quchi (LI11) acupoints, which belong to different meridians. Then, we investigated the genome-wide gene expression profiles of rats prestimulated at these acupoints after I/R injury. RESULTS: Our study revealed previously unknown cardioprotective roles of T4-T5 Jiaji (EX-B2) acupoints in the I/R progression. The extent of myocardial injury was significantly decreased in the Jiaji group compared with the I/R group. In addition, our data are among the first to link the EA preconditioning at Neiguan (PC6) acupoints and circadian rhythm in the I/R model. Also, for the first time, we explored the meridian and acupoint specificity involved in EA pretreatment at the heart meridian, in which Yanglingquan and Quchi acupoints were selected as the control group for heart-divergent-meridian and nonheart-meridian acupoints. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested that EA pretreatment at Jiaji alters genome-wide gene expression and protects the rat myocardium against I/R injury, which are most likely through neurohumoral regulation.

Complete chloroplast genome sequences of four Allium species: comparative and phylogenetic analyses.

The genus Allium is one of the largest monocotyledonous genera, containing over 850 species, and most of these species are found in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere. Furthermore, as a large number of new Allium species continue to be identified, phylogenetic classification based on morphological characteristics and a few genetic markers will gradually exhibit extremely low discriminatory power. In this study, we present the use of complete chloroplast genome sequences in genome-scale phylogenetic studies of Allium. We sequenced and assembled four Allium chloroplast genomes and retrieved five published chloroplast genomes from GenBank. All nine chloroplast genomes were used for genomic comparison and phylogenetic inference. The chloroplast genomes, ranging from 152,387 bp to 154,482 bp in length, exhibited conservation of genomic structure, and gene organization and order. Subsequently, we observed the expansion of IRs from the basal monocot Acorus americanus to Allium, identified 814 simple sequence repeats, 131 tandem repeats, 154 dispersed repeats and 109 palindromic repeats, and found six highly variable regions. The phylogenetic relationships of the Allium species inferred from the chloroplast genomes obtained high support, indicating that chloroplast genome data will be useful for further resolution of the phylogeny of the genus Allium.

Specific Correlation between the Hegu Point (LI4) and the Orofacial Part: Evidence from an fMRI Study.

Acupoint specificity is a foundational concept in acupuncture theory. It is closely related to the function of the acupoint. In this study, we sought to probe the central mechanisms of the specific correlation between LI4 and orofacial part in Bell's palsy patients. In total, 36 patients with left Bell's palsy were divided into three groups in random order, and each group received transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) at only one of three acupoints (LI4, ST6, and a sham point). A single-block fMRI design paradigm was applied to separately detect neural activity related to different stages of TEAS (prestimulation resting state, stimulation, and poststimulation resting state). Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired during TEAS. There were extensive neuronal activities in the LI4 and ST6 groups and significant differences between stimulation at real and sham points. Brain regions were activated more by real acupoint TEAS than by sham point TEAS. Brain regions that were activated with LI4 and ST6 were broadly overlapping and adjacent. Our results provide supplementary neuroimaging evidence for the existence of acupoint specificity. These results may confirm the central mechanisms of the specific correlation between the Hegu point and the orofacial part.

[Physiological responses of different cucumber cultivars seedlings to iso-osmotic Mg (NO3) 2 and NaCl stress].

In this study, the effects of iso-osmotic solution of Mg (NO3) 2 and NaCl on seedling growth, leaf lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme activities, and osmotic adjustment substance accumulation were investigated using three cucumber cultivars with different ecotypes. Then salt tolerance was evaluated by membership function method. The results revealed that under the stress of 60 and 80 mmol x L(-1) Mg(NO3) 2 solution and its isotonic 90 and 120 mmol x L(-1) NaCl solution, the seedling traits such as height, stem diameter, leaf area, fresh and dry mass of aerial part and underground parts, and antioxidant enzymes activity were obviously decreased with the increasing concentration of Mg( NO3)2 and its isotonic NaCl in the three cucumber cultivars. Moreover, the inhibitory effects became more obvious with the increasing concentration of either Mg(NO3)2 or NaCl solution. MDA content and membrane lipid peroxidation were enhanced in cucumber seedlings. Among the three cultivars, SJ31-1 changed less than the other two cultivars regarding the reduced amplitudes of biomass, and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), and the increased amplitude of MDA. In addition, Mg (NO3)2 solution inhibited seedling growth more strongly than isotonic NaCl solution did, such difference was relatively significant with increasing the concentration of solution. The contents of proline, soluble amino acids, and soluble sugars varied depending on the cucumber genotype and salt type. The increased amplitude of proline content was the largest in SJ31-1, and that of soluble sugars was the largest in Lubai 19 when growing under salt treatment. The change of these parameters in Xintaimici was in between. Soluble sugars and soluble proteins were predominant osmolytes unde NaCl stress, whereas proline and soluble proteins were main osmolytes under Mg (NO3) 2 stress. Comprehensive evaluation showed that salt tolerance of the three cucumber cultivars was in order of SJ31-1 > Xintaimici > Lubai 19.

[Brief introduction of acupuncture needling and teaching keypoint].

We summarized our accumulated clinical and teaching experiences and explored the regularity of acupuncture needling and teaching. It is of great importance in pressing hand during inserting needle. Stroking and pressing are two crucial parts which deserve more attention, and seldom useage of pressing hand should be abolished. Operating hand needs practice before inserting needle, while it should fully relaxed during inserting. Blending "touching", "stretch" "gathering" "erupting" and "advancing" in single moment, applying appropriate dynamic mode of inserting needle such as "join 3 forces as one" "3 points in a line" expertly and naturally. In addition, enough attention should be paid on "altering direction" and "shifting point". Inserting deftly and powerfully, no/slight sensation, deqi when inserting needle are the highest reflection as an acupuncturist.

[Effects of electroacupuncture at "Jiaji" (EX-B 2) on myocardial apoptosis and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in rats with ischemia-reperfusion injury].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective mechanism of acupuncture on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS: Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group, a Jiaji group , a Neiguan group and a Yanglingquan group, 10 rats in each group. The model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury was duplicated by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery (LADCA) in the later four groups, and the LADCA was not ligated in the sham-operation group. The rats in the treatment groups were treated with electroacupuncture at "Jiaji" (EX-B 2), "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Yanglingquan" (GB 34) on both sides, respectively, once a day for 7 days. No interventions were produced in the sham-operation group and model group. Myocardial apoptosis were examined by the TUNEL method. The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins were measured by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: Apoptosis index(AI) was significantly lower in the Jiaji group, Neiguan group and sham-operation group compared with model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the sham-operation group, AI were significantly increased in other groups (all P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in AI between Jiaji and Neiguan group (P > 0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased and Bax protein was significantly decreased in Jiaji group and Neiguan group (both P < 0.01). The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins were significantly increased in other groups compared with the sham-operation group (all P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins between Jiaji and Neiguan group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture at both Jiaji (EX-B 2) and Neiguan (PC 6) has protective effects on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, and the mechanism is closely related to inhibiting myocardial apoptosis by adjusting the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax.