Recycling Local Waste Glass Bottles into Cement Paste: Effect on Hydration, Microstructure, and CO2 Emission.

Large amounts of waste glass are generated along with the manufacturing of glass products, causing detrimental effects on the environment. Through crushing and ball-milling, waste glass powder (WGP) can be acquired from glass bottles and has been suggested in cementitious systems due to its potential pozzolanic activity. To better understand the impact of WGP on cementitious composites, experimental tests of rheology, heat of hydration, and strength development were conducted on cement pastes with and without WGP. Results show that the rheological performance of cement paste is improved when WGP with particles passing through 80 µm sieves is incorporated. The retarding effect and pozzolanic reaction were observed through X-ray diffraction patterns and thermo-gravimetric parameter analyses. A calcium hydroxide (CH) content calculation further confirms the secondary reactivity of WGP in cement pastes. Compared with the samples without WGP, the normalized CH content of binder per unit mass containing 35% WGP decreased by 21.01%, 24.94%, and 27.41% at the ages of 1, 28, and 90 days, respectively, which contributes to late-age strength development of pastes. At the same time, the hydration per unit of cement was increased by 21.53%, 15.48%, and 11.68%, which improved the cement efficiency. In addition, WGP particles provide nuclei for hydration products, facilitating the subsequent growth of C-S-H and strength development in late ages. Based on value engineering analysis, WGP was found to reduce the impact of Portland cement on the environment by 34.9% in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, indicating a bright prospect for WGP in the cement industry.

Construction of Polypyrrole-Coated CoSe2 Composite Material for Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

Lithium-sulfur batteries with high theoretical energy density and cheap cost can meet people's need for efficient energy storage, and have become a focus of the research on lithium-ion batteries. However, owing to their poor conductivity and "shuttle effect", lithium-sulfur batteries are difficult to commercialize. In order to solve this problem, herein a polyhedral hollow structure of cobalt selenide (CoSe2) was synthesized by a simple one-step carbonization and selenization method using metal-organic bone MOFs (ZIF-67) as template and precursor. CoSe2 is coated with conductive polymer polypyrrole (PPy) to settle the matter of poor electroconductibility of the composite and limit the outflow of polysulfide compounds. The prepared CoSe2@PPy-S composite cathode shows reversible capacities of 341 mAh g-1 at 3 C, and good cycle stability with a small capacity attenuation rate of 0.072% per cycle. The structure of CoSe2 can have certain adsorption and conversion effects on polysulfide compounds, increase the conductivity after coating PPy, and further enhance the electrochemical property of lithium-sulfur cathode material.

The genome of Corydalis reveals the evolution of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in Ranunculales.

Species belonging to the order Ranunculales have attracted much attention because of their phylogenetic position as a sister group to all other eudicot lineages and their ability to produce unique yet diverse benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs). The Papaveraceae family in Ranunculales is often used as a model system for studying BIA biosynthesis. Here, we report the chromosome-level genome assembly of Corydalis tomentella, a species of Fumarioideae, one of the two subfamilies of Papaveraceae. Based on comparisons of sequenced Ranunculalean species, we present clear evidence of a shared whole-genome duplication (WGD) event that has occurred before the divergence of Ranunculales but after its divergence from other eudicot lineages. The C. tomentella genome enabled us to integrate isotopic labeling and comparative genomics to reconstruct the BIA biosynthetic pathway for both sanguinarine biosynthesis shared by papaveraceous species and the cavidine biosynthesis that is specific to Corydalis. Also, our comparative analysis revealed that gene duplications, especially tandem gene duplications, underlie the diversification of BIA biosynthetic pathways in Ranunculales. In particular, tandemly duplicated berberine bridge enzyme-like genes appear to be involved in cavidine biosynthesis. In conclusion, our study of the C. tomentella genome provides important insights into the occurrence of WGDs during the early evolution of eudicots, as well as into the evolution of BIA biosynthesis in Ranunculales.

Complete chloroplast genome of the rare medicinal vegetable Allium hookeri.

Allium hookeri is a rare medicinal plant with unique flavor. In this study, the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of A. hookeri was sequenced and assembled based on the next generation sequencing. The cp genome is 153,592 bp in length, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,609 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,487 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,748 bp each. The genome encodes 131 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 39 tRNA genes, and six rRNA genes. The GC content of whole genome is 36.99%. The phylogenetic analysis based on 24 complete cp sequences revealed that A. hookeri was at the base of the phylogenetic tree, indicating an older species in the Allium genus.

Characterization of the first chloroplast genome of Dichroa febrifuga and its phylogenetic analysis.

Dichroa febrifuga, seen as a medicinal plant, has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, we adopted Illumina Hiseq sequencing technology in order to determine the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of D. febrifuga. The cp genome was 157,647 bp in length, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 86,728 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,675 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,122 bp. The genome encoded 128 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis based on 20 complete cp genome sequences revealed that D. febrifuga was the sister of the ancestor of the reported Hydrangeeae species. The findings of the study will serve as a stepping stone for follow-up researches regarding the development of the D. febrifuga species.

First complete chloroplast genome of the rare medicinal plant Schnabelia tetrodonta.

Schnabelia tetrodonta is a medicinal plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the molecular biology data of the species was too scarce to bioprospect the medicinal species. In this study, the first complete chloroplast genome (cp) of S. tetrodonta was sequenced and assembled based on the next generation sequencing. The cp genome is 157,004 bp in length, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,605 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 36,899 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 18,250 bp each. The genome encodes 134 genes, including 90 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The GC content of whole genome is 37.80%. The phylogenetic analysis based on 20 complete cp sequences (19 genome sequences from the Teucrioideae of Lamiaceae and an outgroup of Ipomoea purpurea) revealed that S. tetrodonta was closely related to S. oligophylla.

The first complete plastome of Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Fenzl) Makino: assembly, annotation and phylogenetic analysis.

Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Fenzl) Makino is one of the 'Square Bamboo' due to its square-shaped culm. However, as an edible bamboo, there is no genomic information reported so far. In this study, we reported and characterized the first plastome of C. quadrangularis based on Illumina Hiseq sequencing. The plastome exhibited a typical angiosperm circular structure, containing four regions: large single-copy region (LSC: 83,125 bp), small single-copy region (SSC: 12,811 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IR: 21,802 bp). The plastome consisted of 139,540 bp in size, with 82 protein-coding genes, 39 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The total nucleotide composition consisted of 30.16% A, 30.97% T, 19.25% C, and 19.63% G. The G + C content of the whole plastome was 38.88%. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete plastomes of six species indicated that C. quadrangularis was closed to C. hejiangensis. The plastome is helpful for studying the evolution of beneficial adaptations and developing bioremediation and biomedical science.

Characterization of the first chloroplast genome of Euchresta tubulosa Dunn and its phylogenetic analysis.

Euchresta tubulosa Dunn not only is a national second-level protected wild plant in China, but also has a long history as a source plant in traditional Chinese medicine. The chloroplast (cp) genome of E. tubulosa was 154,102 bp, consisting of a large single-copy region (LSC: 92,877 bp), a small single-copy region (SSC: 36,645 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRb and Ira: 12,290 bp, respectively). These sequences encoded 123 genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis showed that E. tubulosa is close to Lupinus species.

Highly variable chloroplast genome from two endangered Papaveraceae lithophytes Corydalis tomentella and Corydalis saxicola.

The increasingly wide application of chloroplast (cp) genome super-barcode in taxonomy and the recent breakthrough in cp genetic engineering make the development of new cp gene resources urgent and significant. Corydalis is recognized as the most genotypes complicated and taxonomically challenging plant taxa in Papaveraceae. However, there currently are few reports about cp genomes of the genus Corydalis. In this study, we sequenced four complete cp genomes of two endangered lithophytes Corydalis saxicola and Corydalis tomentella in Corydalis, conducted a comparison of these cp genomes among each other as well as with others of Papaveraceae. The cp genomes have a large genome size of 189,029-190,247 bp, possessing a quadripartite structure and with two highly expanded inverted repeat (IR) regions (length: 41,955-42,350 bp). Comparison between the cp genomes of C. tomentella, C. saxicola, and Papaveraceae species, five NADH dehydrogenase-like genes (ndhF, ndhD, ndhL, ndhG, and ndhE) with psaC, rpl32, ccsA, and trnL-UAG normally located in the SSC region have migrated to IRs, resulting in IR expansion and gene duplication. An up to 9 kb inversion involving five genes (rpl23, ycf2, ycf15, trnI-CAU, and trnL-CAA) was found within IR regions. The accD gene was found to be absent and the ycf1 gene has shifted from the IR/SSC border to the SSC region as a single copy. Phylogenetic analysis based on the sequences of common CDS showed that the genus Corydalis is quite distantly related to the other genera of Papaveraceae, it provided a new clue for recent advocacy to establish a separate Fumariaceae family. Our results revealed one special cp genome structure in Papaveraceae, provided a useful resources for classification of the genus Corydalis, and will be valuable for understanding Papaveraceae evolutionary relationships.

Tandem gene duplications drive divergent evolution of caffeine and crocin biosynthetic pathways in plants.

BACKGROUND: Plants have evolved a panoply of specialized metabolites that increase their environmental fitness. Two examples are caffeine, a purine psychotropic alkaloid, and crocins, a group of glycosylated apocarotenoid pigments. Both classes of compounds are found in a handful of distantly related plant genera (Coffea, Camellia, Paullinia, and Ilex for caffeine; Crocus, Buddleja, and Gardenia for crocins) wherein they presumably evolved through convergent evolution. The closely related Coffea and Gardenia genera belong to the Rubiaceae family and synthesize, respectively, caffeine and crocins in their fruits. RESULTS: Here, we report a chromosomal-level genome assembly of Gardenia jasminoides, a crocin-producing species, obtained using Oxford Nanopore sequencing and Hi-C technology. Through genomic and functional assays, we completely deciphered for the first time in any plant the dedicated pathway of crocin biosynthesis. Through comparative analyses with Coffea canephora and other eudicot genomes, we show that Coffea caffeine synthases and the first dedicated gene in the Gardenia crocin pathway, GjCCD4a, evolved through recent tandem gene duplications in the two different genera, respectively. In contrast, genes encoding later steps of the Gardenia crocin pathway, ALDH and UGT, evolved through more ancient gene duplications and were presumably recruited into the crocin biosynthetic pathway only after the evolution of the GjCCD4a gene. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows duplication-based divergent evolution within the coffee family (Rubiaceae) of two characteristic secondary metabolic pathways, caffeine and crocin biosynthesis, from a common ancestor that possessed neither complete pathway. These findings provide significant insights on the role of tandem duplications in the evolution of plant specialized metabolism.

DNA barcoding of Corydalis, the most taxonomically complicated genus of Papaveraceae.

The genus Corydalis is recognized as one of the most taxonomically challenging plant taxa. It is mainly distributed in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains, a global biodiversity hotspot. To date, no effective solution for species discrimination and taxonomic assignment in Corydalis has been developed. In this study, five nuclear and chloroplast DNA regions, ITS, ITS2, matK, rbcL, and psbA-trnH, were preliminarily assessed based on their ability to discriminate Corydalis to eliminate inefficient regions, and the three regions showing good performance (ITS, ITS2 and matK) were then evaluated in 131 samples representing 28 species of 11 sections of four subgenera in Corydalis using three analytical methods (NJ, ML, MP tree; K2P-distance and BLAST). The results showed that the various approaches exhibit different species identification power and that BLAST shows the best performance among the tested approaches. A comparison of different barcodes indicated that among the single barcodes, ITS (65.2%) exhibited the highest identification success rate and that the combination of ITS + matK (69.6%) provided the highest species resolution among all single barcodes and their combinations. Three Pharmacopoeia-recorded medicinal plants and their materia medica were identified successfully based on the ITS and ITS2 regions. In the phylogenetic analysis, the sections Thalictrifoliae, Sophorocapnos, Racemosae, Aulacostigma, and Corydalis formed well-supported separate lineages. We thus hypothesize that the five sections should be classified as an independent subgenus and that the genus should be divided into three subgenera. In this study, DNA barcoding provided relatively high species discrimination power, indicating that it can be used for species discrimination in this taxonomically complicated genus and as a potential tool for the authentication of materia medica belonging to Corydalis.

Transcriptome-Guided Mining of Genes Involved in Crocin Biosynthesis.

Gardenia jasminoides is used in traditional Chinese medicine and has drawn attention as a rich source of crocin, a compound with reported activity against various cancers, depression and cardiovascular disease. However, genetic information on the crocin biosynthetic pathway of G. jasminoides is scarce. In this study, we performed a transcriptome analysis of the leaves, green fruits, and red fruits of G. jasminoides to identify and predict the genes that encode key enzymes responsible for crocin production, compared with Crocus sativus. Twenty-seven putative pathway genes were specifically expressed in the fruits, consistent with the distribution of crocin in G. jasminoides. Twenty-four of these genes were reported for the first time, and a novel CCD4a gene was predicted that encodes carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase leading to crocin synthesis, in contrast to CCD2 of C. sativus. In addition, 6 other candidate genes (ALDH12, ALDH14, UGT94U1, UGT86D1, UGT71H4, and UGT85K18) were predicted to be involved in crocin biosynthesis following phylogenetic analysis and different gene expression profiles. Identifying the genes that encode key enzymes should help elucidate the crocin biosynthesis pathway.

[Optimization for ISSR-PCR system of traditional Chinese medicine Lysimachia christinae by orthogonal design].

In order to establish the stable andreliable ISSR-PCR System of Lysimachia christinae, L16 (4(5)) orthogonal design, which based on 7 levels of single factor experiment, were used in this study. The variance analysis was carried out by SPSS 19.0, and 5 main factors affecting the reaction system were optimized in 4 levels. The best annealing temperature was selected by the optimized reaction system. And the stability and reliability of this system was tested by 23 samples from different origins. The results showed that the five factors (DNA template, primer, dNTP, Mg2+ and Taq enzyme) were the most impacts on the amplified results of ISSR-PCR of L. christinae. The order of the influence was: primer > Taq enzyme > DNA template > Mg2+ > dNTP. The optimal system, which was determined by multiple comparison on different levels of each factor, was total volume of 25 microL, including DNA template 60 ng, primer 0.3 micromol x L(-1), dNTP 0.2 mmol x L(-1), Mg2+ 1.8 mmol x L(-1), Taq enzyme 1.25 U. The optimal system was stable and reliable tested by 23 samples from different origins. This study lays the foundation for genetic diversity analysis, fine varieties selection and molecular identification of L. christinae, and provides reference for optimization on ISSR-PCR system of other speciesin future.