Regulating superstructures of conjugated polymers towards enhanced and stable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via covalent crosslinking and complementary supramolecular self-assembly.

The modulation of microstructures in conjugated polymers represents a viable strategy for enhancing photocatalytic efficiency, albeit hampered by complex processing techniques. Here, we present an uncomplicated, template-free method to synthesize polymeric photocatalysts, namely BCN(x)@PPy, featuring a hollow nanotube-nanocluster core-shell superstructure. This configuration is realized through intramolecular covalent crosslinking and synergistic intermolecular donor-acceptor (D-A) interactions between phenylene pyrene (PPy, D) nanotubes and poly([1,1'-biphenyl]-3-carbonitrile) (PBCN, A) nanoclusters. Interestingly, the optimized BCN2@PPy composite demonstrates remarkably enhanced performance for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, with an efficiency of 14.7-fold higher than that of unmodified PPy nanotubes. Experimental and density functional theory calculations revealed that BCN(x)@PPy composites are conducive to shortening photogenerated exciton migration, facilitating charge separation and transfer, reducing nanoclusters aggregation or re-stacking, and providing sufficient catalytically active sites, all contributing to the heightened efficiency in photocatalysis. These insights underscore the potential for precise molecular adjustments in conjugated polymers, advancing artificial photosynthesis.

A new method based on melatonin-mediated seed germination to quickly remove pesticide residues and improve the nutritional quality of contaminated grains.

In the present study, we attempted to use melatonin combined with germination treatment to remove pesticide residues from contaminated grains. High levels of pesticide residues were detected in soybean seeds after soaking with chlorothalonil (10 mM) and malathion (1 mM) for 2 hours. Treatment with 50 µM melatonin for 5 days completely removed the pesticide residues, while in the control group, only 61-71% of pesticide residues were removed from soybean sprouts. Compared with the control, melatonin treatment for 7 days further increased the content of ascorbic acid (by 48-66%), total phenolics (by 52-68%), isoflavones (by 22-34%), the total antioxidant capacity (by 37-40%), and the accumulated levels of unsaturated fatty acids (C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3) (by 17-30%) in soybean sprouts. Moreover, melatonin treatment further increased the accumulation of ten components of phenols and isoflavones in soybean sprouts relative to those in the control. The ability of melatonin to accelerate the degradation of pesticide residues and promote the accumulation of antioxidant metabolites might be related to its ability to trigger the glutathione detoxification system in soybean sprouts. Melatonin promoted glutathione synthesis (by 49-139%) and elevated the activities of glutathione-S-transferase (by 24-78%) and glutathione reductase (by 38-61%). In summary, we report a new method in which combined treatment by melatonin and germination rapidly degrades pesticide residues in contaminated grains and improves the nutritional quality of food.

Solvent-modulated luminescence of carbon dots for ion sensing and fingerprint detection.

Since carbon dots (CDs) with good water solubility are preferred by researchers and biological applications, a hydrothermal method was used to synthesize green fluorescent CDs with an excitation-independent peak at 526 nm using deionized water as the solvent and neutral red as the carbon source. To achieve spectral modulation, the pH of the solvent was adjusted with KOH to obtain orange CDs (O-CDs) in an alkaline environment, with the emission peak red-shifted to 630 nm. The water-soluble CDs were prepared for multidimension sensing as Fe3+ sensing (on/off). Carbon dots dispersed into a silica gel matrix can be used for fingerprint detection of various materials.

Fluorescence Detection of Pb2+ in Environmental Water Using Biomass Carbon Quantum Dots Modified with Acetamide-Glycolic Acid Deep Eutectic Solvent.

In this study, a novel green fluorescent probe material, nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs), was prepared by a one-step hydrothermal synthesis method using walnut green skin as a carbon source and acetamide-glycolic acid deep eutectic solvent (AGADES) as a modifier. By covalent coupling, the amide chromophore in AGADES is designed to cover the surface of walnut green skin carbon quantum dots (W-CQDs), forming a fluorescence energy resonance effect and improving the fluorescence performance of the carbon quantum dots. The prepared N-CQDs have a uniform particle size distribution, and the fluorescence quantum efficiency has increased from 12.5% to 32.5%. Within the concentration range of 0.01~1000 µmol/L of Pb2+, the linear detection limit is 1.55 nmol/L, which can meet the trace detection of Pb2+ in the water environment, and the recycling rate reaches 97%. This method has been successfully applied to the fluorescence detection and reuse of Pb2+ in actual water bodies, providing new ideas and methods for the detection of heavy metal ions in environmental water.

Visible light to the second near-infrared light-harvesting donor-acceptor1-donor-acceptor2-type terpolymers for boosted photocatalytic hydrogen evolution via dual-sulfone-acceptor engineering.

Developing visible to near-infrared light-absorbing conjugated polymer photocatalysts is crucial for enhancing solar energy utilization efficiency, as most conjugated organic polymers only absorb light in the visible range. In this work, we firstly developed a novel thiophene S,S-dioxide (TDO) monomer with the stronger electron-withdrawing character, and then prepared a series of donor-acceptor1-donor-acceptor2-type (D-A1-D-A2-type) conjugated terpolymers (THTDB-1-THTDB-5) by statistically adjusting the molar ratio of two sulfone-based acceptor monomers, dibenzothiophene-S,S-dioxide (BTDO, A1) and TDO (A2). These terpolymers demonstrate a gradually expanding absorption range from visible light to the second near-infrared (Vis-to-NIR-II) region with the gradual increase of the TDO contents in the polymer skeleton, showcasing excellent absorption properties and efficient light-capturing capabilities. The optimized D-A1-D-A2 polymer photocatalyst THTDB-4 exhibits a high hydrogen evolution rate of 21.27 mmol g-1 h-1 under visible light without any co-catalyst. The dual-sulfone-acceptor engineering offers a viable approach for developing efficient the longer Vis-to-NIR-II light-harvesting polymer photocatalysts.

Selective detection of ionic liquid fluorescence probes for visual colorimetry of different metal ions.

At present, the fast distinction of different metal ions in pure water media is not only a great challenge, but also drives the protection of water quality in environmental water bodies. In this paper, a novel ionic liquid fluorescent probe Glycolic Acid-L-Arginine (GA-L-Arg) was rationally created and designed through an in-depth study of ionic liquids. It is also used as an innovative multi-ion fluorescent probe for colorimetric detection and separate identification of Fe3+ and Co2+ in aqueous solutions of various metal ions. GA-L-Arg has excellent water solubility due to the strong hydrophilicity of Glycolic Acid and L-Arginine. The probe showed high sensitivity, extremely significant selectivity, and great pH stability for Fe3+ and Co2+ in pure water. The GA-L-Arg structure and the mechanism of Fe3+ and Co2+ detection were analyzed by infrared spectroscopic characterization and quantum chemical calculations. More importantly, the distinct colorimetric partitioning of Fe3+ and Co2+ was performed by the unique extraction of Fe3+ in the presence of the fluorescent probe and buffer solution.

Physical properties of natural deep eutectic solvent and its application in remediation of heavy metal lead in soil.

At present, solvent extraction is an effective method to remove heavy metals from soil, which has certain practical significance. The physical properties such as density, viscosity and conductivity of NADESs with different proportions synthesized based on the double solid components of glycolic acid (GA) and L-proline (L-PRO) and the physical properties of NADESs aqueous solution at the lowest eutectic point (3:1) were studied. The extraction effect of NADESs on soil heavy metal Pb2+ under different conditions was studied. The results showed that under the conditions of atmospheric pressure of 101.33 kPa, the lowest eutectic melting point, DESs concentration of 0.6 mol·L-1, extraction temperature of 313.15 K and extraction time of 4 h, the extraction rate of Pb2+ by NADESs was 95.28%. In addition, the internal structure of DESs was characterized by IR and NMR, which indicated that intermolecular hydrogen bonds were formed. and the interaction between DESs and Pb2+ was analyzed by quantum chemical calculation, which showed that the hydroxyl group of GA was more likely to form coordination bond with Pb2+, and chelation occurred between them. This kind of DESs provides a new idea for the removal of heavy metals in soil.

Preparation of carbon quantum dots from ionic liquid modified biomass for the detection of Fe3+ and Pd2+ in environmental water.

A new type of green carbon quantum dots (ILB-CQDs) was prepared by hydrothermal method using ionic liquid as a modifier and grape skin as carbon source, and was obtained from hydrogen-bonded lattice structure ionic liquid preparation, which makes the CQDs in a ring-like stable structure with a stability period of more than 90 day. There is also the catalytic effect of the ionic liquid on cellulose, which makes the prepared CQDs show good advantages, such as uniform particle size, high quantum yield (26.7%), and very good fluorescence performance. This is a smart material for the selective detection of Fe3+ and Pd2+. It has a detection limit of 0.001 nM for Fe3+ and 0.23 µM for Pd2+ in pure water. It has a detection limit of 3.2 nmol/L for Fe3+ and 0.36 µmol/L for Pd2+ in actual water, both of which meet the requirements of WHO drinking water standards. And there is to achieve more than 90% of water restoration effect.

Discovery of a novel nucleoside immune signaling molecule 2'-deoxyguanosine in microbes and plants.

INTRODUCTION: Beneficial microorganisms play essential roles in plant growth and induced systemic resistance (ISR) by releasing signaling molecules. Our previous study obtained the crude extract from beneficial endophyte Paecilomyces variotii, termed ZNC (ZhiNengCong), which significantly enhanced plant resistance to pathogen even at 100 ng/ml. However, the immunoreactive components of ZNC remain unclear. Here, we further identified one of the immunoreactive components of ZNC is a nucleoside 2'-deoxyguanosine (2-dG). OBJECTIVES: This paper intends to reveal the molecular mechanism of microbial-derived 2'-deoxyguanosine (2-dG) in activating plant immunity, and the role of plant-derived 2-dG in plant immunity. METHODS: The components of ZNC were separated using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and 2-dG is identified using a HPLC-mass spectrometry system (LC-MS). Transcriptome analysis and genetic experiments were used to reveal the immune signaling pathway dependent on 2-dG activation of plant immunity. RESULTS: This study identified 2'-deoxyguanosine (2-dG) as one of the immunoreactive components from ZNC. And 2-dG significantly enhanced plant pathogen resistance even at 10 ng/ml (37.42 nM). Furthermore, 2-dG-induced resistance depends on NPR1, pattern-recognition receptors/coreceptors, ATP receptor P2K1 (DORN1), ethylene signaling but not salicylic acid accumulation. In addition, we identified Arabidopsis VENOSA4 (VEN4) was involved in 2-dG biosynthesis and could convert dGTP to 2-dG, and vne4 mutant plants were more susceptible to pathogens. CONCLUSION: In summary, microbial-derived 2-dG may act as a novel immune signaling molecule involved in plant-microorganism interactions, and VEN4 is 2-dG biosynthesis gene and plays a key role in plant immunity.

Glutathione and neodiosmin feedback sustain plant immunity.

Plants have evolved a two-layer immune system comprising pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI) that is activated in response to pathogen invasion. Microbial patterns and pathogen effectors can be recognized by surface-localized pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) and intracellularly localized nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) to trigger PTI and ETI responses, respectively. At present, the metabolites activated by PTI and ETI and their roles and signalling pathways in plant immunity are not well understood. In this study, metabolomic analysis showed that ETI and PTI induced various flavonoids and amino acids and their derivatives in plants. Interestingly, both glutathione and neodiosmin content were specifically up-regulated by ETI and PTI, respectively, which significantly enhanced plant immunity. Further studies showed that glutathione and neodiosmin failed to induce a plant immune response in which PRRs/co-receptors were mutated. In addition, glutathione-reduced mutant gsh1 analysis showed that GSH1 is also required for PTI and ETI. Finally, we propose a model in which glutathione and neodiosmin are considered signature metabolites induced in the process of ETI and PTI activation in plants and further continuous enhancement of plant immunity in which PRRs/co-receptors are needed. This model is beneficial for an in-depth understanding of the closed-loop mode of the positive feedback regulation of PTI and ETI signals at the metabolic level.

Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) for the Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl in Apple Alternaria Blotch Disease with Aapg-1 Encoding the Endopolygalacturonase.

Apple Alternaria blotch disease, caused by Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl, is one of the most famous leaf diseases. When the disease is prevalent, it causes leaf abscission and influences the formation of flower buds and photosynthesis. Therefore, a simple, rapid, high-specificity and sensitivity method for monitoring infected leaves at early developmental stages is urgently needed, so that the occurrence and expansion of A. alternata can be controlled in time. In our research, a rapid, specific and efficient loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was developed to detect A. alternata within 60 min. Six primers of LAMP detection can only specifically amplify the aapg-1 gene in A. alternata but not in four other important fungi in apples. The aapg-1 gene encodes endopolygalacturonase in A. alternata, and there are significant differences among different species. Thus, it was applied as the target for LAMP primers. Compared to conventional PCR detection, our LAMP method had the same sensitivity as that of detecting as little as 1 fg of pure genomic DNA of A. alternata. When leaves were inoculated with A. alternata conidia, LAMP detected 1 × 102 conidia/mL as the minimum concentration. However, the traditional tissue isolation and identification method only isolated A. alternata from leaves inoculated with 1 × 105 and 1 × 106 conidia/mL, indicating that the LAMP method was more sensitive than the traditional tissue isolation and identification method for A. alternata before symptoms. Further tests also indicated that LAMP detection was more accurate and sensitive than the traditional tissue isolation and identification method for A. alternata in leaves with the Alternaria blotch symptom collected from the field. Our results showed that the LAMP-targeting the aapg-1 gene has the advantages of high sensitivity, specificity and simplicity and can be used for rapid detection and early monitoring of A. alternata in the field. LAMP is instructive for us to effectively prevent and control apple Alternaria blotch disease.

Microbial volatile organic compounds 2-heptanol and acetoin control Fusarium crown and root rot of tomato.

Some microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) can act as antagonistic weapons against plant pathogens, but little information is available on the contribution of individual mVOC to biocontrol and how they interact with plant pathogens. In this study, the Bacillus subtilis strain N-18 isolated from the rhizosphere of healthy plants grown in areas where Fusarium crown and root rot (FCRR) of tomato occurs could reduce the 30% of the incidence of FCRR. Moreover, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by N-18 had inhibitory effects on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (FORL). The identification of VOCs of N-18 was analyzed by the solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Meanwhile, we conducted sensitivity tests with these potential active ingredients and found that the volatile substances acetoin and 2-heptanol can reduce the 41.33% and 35% of the incidence of FCRR in tomato plants. In addition, the potential target protein of acetoin, found in the cheminformatics and bioinformatics database, was F. oxysporum of hypothetical protein AU210_012600 (FUSOX). Molecular docking results further predicted that acetoin interacts with FUSOX protein. These results reveal the VOCs of N-18 and their active ingredients in response to FORL and provide a basis for further research on regulating and controlling FCRR.

Phosphorylation of a wheat aquaporin at two sites enhances both plant growth and defense.

Eukaryotic aquaporins share the characteristic of functional multiplicity in transporting distinct substrates and regulating various processes, but the underlying molecular basis for this is largely unknown. Here, we report that the wheat (Triticum aestivum) aquaporin TaPIP2;10 undergoes phosphorylation to promote photosynthesis and productivity and to confer innate immunity against pathogens and a generalist aphid pest. In response to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, TaPIP2;10 is phosphorylated at the serine residue S280 and thereafter transports CO2 into wheat cells, resulting in enhanced photosynthesis and increased grain yield. In response to apoplastic H2O2 induced by pathogen or insect attacks, TaPIP2;10 is phosphorylated at S121 and this phosphorylated form transports H2O2 into the cytoplasm, where H2O2 intensifies host defenses, restricting further attacks. Wheat resistance and grain yield could be simultaneously increased by TaPIP2;10 overexpression or by expressing a TaPIP2;10 phosphomimic with aspartic acid substitutions at S121 and S280, thereby improving both crop productivity and immunity.

First report of Colletotrichum siamense causing leaf spot on Michelia macclurei in China.

Michelia macclurei Dandy is an excellent timber and ornamental tree native to South China (Lan et al. 2010). In May 2020, a leaf spot disease of M. macclurei was found on the campus of Jiangxi Agricultural University (N28°45'56″, E115°50'21″). Approximately 25% (9 out of 35) of 32-year-old M. macclurei trees showed the leaf spot disease. On average, 40% of the leaves per individual tree were affected. The symptoms began as small dark brown lesions formed along the leaf margins and tips. The lesions' center was sunken with a dark brown border as the disease developed. Thirty pieces (5 × 5 mm) from the lesion margins were surface sterilized in 70% ethanol (30 s), then in 3% NaOCl (1 min), and finally rinsed three times with sterile water. Leaf pieces were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C. Pure cultures were obtained by monosporic isolation. Sixteen strains with similar morphological characterizations were isolated, and three representative isolates (HX-1, HX-2, HX-3) were used for morphological and molecular characterization. The three isolates were white, cottony, and light gray on the reverse, producing dark-green pigmentation near the center. The conidia were single-celled, straight, hyaline, cylindrical, clavate, and measured 12.8-17.5 × 4.5-5.7 µm (14.7 ± 1.2 × 4.8 ± 0.2 µm, n = 100). Appressoria were brown to dark brown, ovoid to clavate, and ranged from 5.9-8.8 × 4.4-6.7 µm (7.1 ± 0.6 × 5.6 ± 0.6 µm, n=100). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL), chitin synthase (CHS-1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and beta-tubulin2 (TUB2) were sequenced using the primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), ACT-512F/ACT-783R, CL1/CL2, CHS-79F/CHS-345R, GDF/GDR, and T1/Bt2b, respectively (Weir et al. 2012). The sequences were deposited into GenBank (Accession Nos.: MZ323328, MZ323329, MW581269 for ITS, MZ889002, MZ889003, MW661166 for ACT, MZ889004, MZ889005, MW661167 for CAL, MZ889006, MZ889007, MW661168 for CHS-1, MZ889008, MZ889009, MW661169 for GAPDH, MZ889010, MZ889011, MW661170 for TUB2). A maximum likelihood and Bayesian posterior probability-based analyses using IQ-tree v. 1.6.8 and Mr. Bayes v. 3.2.6 with the concatenated sequences (ITS, ACT, CAL, CHS-1, GAPDH, and TUB2 ) placed three isolates in the clade of Colletotrichum siamense Prihastuti, L. Cai & K. D. Hyde. Based on the morphological characteristics and molecular data, three isolates were identified as C. siamense (Fu et al. 2019).The pathogenicity of each isolate was tested on potted 2-yr-old seedlings of M. macclurei grown in a greenhouse at 25 ℃, 70% relative humidity with a 12-h photoperiod. Twenty healthy leaves on 10 M. macclurei plants were inoculated with 10 µL of spore suspension (106 conidia/mL). Another 20 healthy leaves were inoculated with sterile water as the control. All leaves were wounded with a sterile needle (Φ=0.5 mm). The resulting symptoms were similar to those on the original infected plants, whereas the control leaves remained asymptomatic for 8 days after inoculation. C. siamense was consistently re-isolated only from the diseased leaves, fulfilling Koch's postulates. C. siamense can cause leaf diseases in a variety of hosts, such as Salix matsudana (Zhang et al. 2021), Liriodendron chinense [Hemsl.] Sarg. × tulipifera L. (Zhu et al. 2019) and Magnolia grandiflora (Zhou et al. 2022). This is the first report of C. siamense associated with leaf spot disease on M. macclurei in China, and its potential threat should be evaluated in the future. These results will help to develop effective strategies for appropriately managing this newly emerging disease.

The bacterial effector AvrRxo1 inhibits vitamin B6 biosynthesis to promote infection in rice.

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), which causes rice bacterial leaf streak, invades leaves mainly through stomata, which are often closed as a plant immune response against pathogen invasion. How Xoc overcomes stomatal immunity is unclear. Here, we show that the effector protein AvrRxo1, an ATP-dependent protease, enhances Xoc virulence and inhibits stomatal immunity by targeting and degrading rice OsPDX1 (pyridoxal phosphate synthase), thereby reducing vitamin B6 (VB6) levels in rice. VB6 is required for the activity of aldehyde oxidase, which catalyzes the last step of abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, and ABA positively regulates rice stomatal immunity against Xoc. Thus, we provide evidence supporting a model in which a major bacterial pathogen inhibits plant stomatal immunity by directly targeting VB6 biosynthesis and consequently inhibiting the biosynthesis of ABA in guard cells to open stomata. Moreover, AvrRxo1-mediated VB6 targeting also explains the poor nutritional quality, including low VB6 levels, of Xoc-infected rice grains.

Silica nanoparticles protect rice against biotic and abiotic stresses.

BACKGROUND: By 2050, the world population will increase to 10 billion which urged global demand for food production to double. Plant disease and land drought will make the situation more dire, and safer and environment-friendly materials are thus considered as a new countermeasure. The rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae, causes one of the most destructive diseases of cultivated rice worldwide that seriously threatens rice production. Unfortunately, traditional breeding nor chemical approaches along control it well. Nowadays, nanotechnology stands as a new weapon against these mounting challenges and silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) have been considered as potential new safer agrochemicals recently but the systematically studies remain limited, especially in rice. RESULTS: Salicylic acid (SA) is a key plant hormone essential for establishing plant resistance to several pathogens and its further affected a special form of induced resistance, the systemic acquired resistance (SAR), which considered as an important aspect of plant innate immunity from the locally induced disease resistance to the whole plant. Here we showed that SiO2 NPs could stimulate plant immunity to protect rice against M. oryzae through foliar treatment that significantly decreased disease severity by nearly 70% within an appropriate concentration range. Excessive concentration of foliar treatment led to disordered intake and abnormal SA responsive genes expressions which weaken the plant resistance and even aggravated the disease. Importantly, this SA-dependent fungal resistance could achieve better results with root treatment through a SAR manner with no phytotoxicity since the orderly and moderate absorption. What's more, root treatment with SiO2 NPs could also promote root development which was better to deal with drought. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings not only revealed SiO2 NPs as a potential effective and safe strategy to protect rice against biotic and abiotic stresses, but also identify root treatment for the appropriate application method since it seems not causing negative effects and even have promotion on root development.

Multiple forms of vitamin B6 regulate salt tolerance by balancing ROS and abscisic acid levels in maize root.

Salt stress causes osmotic stress, ion toxicity and oxidative stress, inducing the accumulation of abscisic acid (ABA) and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which further damage cell structure and inhibit the development of roots in plants. Previous study showed that vitamin B6 (VB6) plays a role in plant responses to salt stress, however, the regulatory relationship between ROS, VB6 and ABA under salt stress remains unclear yet in plants. In our study, we found that salt stress-induced ABA accumulation requires ROS production, in addition, salt stress also promoted VB6 (including pyridoxamine (PM), pyridoxal (PL), pyridoxine (PN), and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)) accumulation, which involved in ROS scavenging and ABA biosynthesis. Furthermore, VB6-deficient maize mutant small kernel2 (smk2) heterozygous is more susceptible to salt stress, and which failed to scavenge excessive ROS effectively or induce ABA accumulation in maize root under salt stress, interestingly, which can be restored by exogenous PN and PLP, respectively. According to these results, we proposed that PN and PLP play an essential role in balancing ROS and ABA levels under salt stress, respectively, it laid a foundation for VB6 to be better applied in crop salt resistance than ABA.

Experimental Research on NO2 Viscosity and Absorption for (1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Trifluoroacetate + Triethanolamine) Binary Mixtures.

The viscosity (9.34-405.92 mPa·s) and absorption capacity (0.4394-1.0562 g·g-1) of (1-ethyl-3-methylidazolium trifluoroacetate + triethanolamine) binary blends atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 303.15-343.15 K and at different mole fractions of [EMIM] [TFA] have been carried out. The molar fraction of [EMIM] [TFA] dependence of the viscosity and absorption capacity was demonstrated. The addition of a small amount of [EMIM] [TFA] into TEA led to rapidly decreased rates of binary blends' viscosity and absorption capacity. However, the viscosity and absorption of binary blends did not decrease significantly when [EMIM] [TFA] was increased to a specific value. Compared with the molar fraction of the solution, the temperature had no obvious effect on viscosity and absorption capacity. By modeling and optimizing the ratio of viscosity and absorption capacity of ([EMIM] [TFA] + TEA), it is proven that when the mole fraction of [EMIM] [TFA] is 0.58, ([EMIM] [TFA] + TEA) has the best viscosity and absorption capacity at the same time. In addition, at 303.15 K, ([EMIM] [TFA] + TEA) was absorbed and desorbed six times, the absorption slightly decreased, and the desorption increased.

Plant Endophytic Fungus Extract ZNC Improved Potato Immunity, Yield, and Quality.

Endophytic fungi play an important role in plant survival and reproduction, but the role of their metabolites in plant growth and immunity, as well as in crop quality formation, is poorly understood. Zhinengcong (ZNC) is a crude ethanol extract from the endophytic fungus Paecilomyces variotii, and previous studies have shown that it can improve the growth and immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. The aim of the study was to reveal the trade-off balance between plant growth and immunity by evaluating the mechanisms of ZNC on potato growth, yield, and priming immunity against the oomycete Phytophthora infestans indoors and in the field. ZNC maintained a good balance between plant growth and resistance against P. infestans with high activity. It induced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, promoted plant growth, yield and quality parameters, enhanced the expression of indoleacetic acid (IAA) related genes, and increased the absorption of nitrogen from the soil. Moreover, the plant endophytic fungus extract ZNC stimulated the pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) triggered immunity (PTI) pathway and contributed to the ZNC-mediated defense response. Two years of field trials have shown that irrigation with ZNC at one of two optimal concentrations of 1 or 10ng/ml could significantly increase the output by 18.83% or more. The quality of potato tubers was also greatly improved, in which the contents of vitamin C, protein, and starch were significantly increased, especially the sugar content was increased by 125%. Spray application of ZNC onto potato plants significantly reduced the occurrence of potato blight disease with 66.49% of control efficacy at 200ng/ml and increased the potato yield by 66.68% or more in the field. In summary, plant endophytic fungus extract ZNC promoted potato immunity, yield, and quality and presented excellent potential in agricultural applications.