The transcriptional landscape of Populus pattern/effector-triggered immunity and how PagWRKY18 involved in it.

Plants trigger a robust immune response by activating massive transcriptome reprogramming through crosstalk between PTI and ETI. However, how PTI and ETI contribute to the quantitative or/and qualitative output of immunity and how they work together when both are being activated were unclear. In this study, we performed a comprehensive overview of pathogen-triggered transcriptomic reprogramming by analyzing temporal changes in the transcriptome up to 144 h after Colletotrichum gloeosporioides inoculated in Populus. Moreover, we constructed a hierarchical gene regulatory network of PagWRKY18 and its potential target genes to explore the underlying regulatory mechanisms of PagWRKY18 that are not yet clear. Interestingly, we confirmed that PagWRKY18 protein can directly bind the W-box elements in the promoter of a transmembrane leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase, PagSOBIR1 gene, to trigger PTI. At the same time, PagWRKY18 functions in disease tolerance by modulation of ROS homeostasis and induction of cell death via directly targeting PagGSTU7 and PagPR4 respectively. Furthermore, PagPR4 can interact with PagWRKY18 to inhibit the expression of PagPR4 genes, forming a negative feedback loop. Taken together, these results suggest that PagWRKY18 may be involved in regulating crosstalk between PTI and ETI to activate a robust immune response and maintain intracellular homeostasis.

Growth-regulating factor 15-mediated gene regulatory network enhances salt tolerance in poplar.

Soil salinity is an important determinant of crop productivity and triggers salt stress response pathways in plants. The salt stress response is controlled by transcriptional regulatory networks that maintain regulatory homeostasis through combinations of transcription factor (TF)-DNA and TF-TF interactions. We investigated the transcriptome of poplar 84 K (Populus alba × Populus glandulosa) under salt stress using samples collected at 4- or 6-h intervals within 2 days of salt stress treatment. We detected 24,973 differentially expressed genes, including 2,231 TFs that might be responsive to salt stress. To explore these interactions and targets of TFs in perennial woody plants, we combined gene regulatory networks, DNA affinity purification sequencing, yeast two-hybrid-sequencing, and multi-gene association approaches. Growth-regulating factor 15 (PagGRF15) and its target, high-affinity K+ transporter 6 (PagHAK6), were identified as an important regulatory module in the salt stress response. Overexpression of PagGRF15 and PagHAK6 in transgenic lines improved salt tolerance by enhancing Na+ transport and modulating H2O2 accumulation in poplar. Yeast two-hybrid assays identified more than 420 PagGRF15-interacting proteins, including ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR TFs and a zinc finger protein (C2H2) that are produced in response to a variety of phytohormones and environmental signals and are likely involved in abiotic stress. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that PagGRF15 is a multifunctional TF involved in growth, development, and salt stress tolerance, highlighting the capability of a multifaceted approach in identifying regulatory nodes in plants.

Soil Layers Impact Lithocarpus Soil Microbial Composition in the Ailao Mountains Subtropical Forest, Yunnan, China.

Plant litter decomposition is a complex, long-term process. The decomposition of litterfall is a major process influencing nutrient balance in forest soil. The soil microbiome is exceptionally diverse and is an essential regulator of litter decomposition. However, the microbiome composition and the interaction with litterfall and soil remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined the bacterial and fungal community composition of Lithocarpus across soil samples from different sampling seasons. Our results displayed that the microbiome assembly along the soil layer is influenced predominantly by the soil layer rather than by the sampling season. We identified that the soil layer strongly affected network complexity and that bacterial and fungal microbiomes displayed different patterns in different soil layers. Furthermore, source tracking and community composition analysis indicated that there are significantly different between soil and litter. Moreover, our results demonstrate that few dominant taxa (2% and 4% of bacterial and fungal phylotypes) dominated in the different soil layers. Hydnodontaceae was identified as the most important biomarker taxa for humic fragmented litter fungal microbiome and Nigrospora and Archaeorhizomycetaceae for organic soil and the organic mineral soil layer, and the phylum of Acidobacteria for the bacteria microbiome. Our work provides comprehensive evidence of significant microbiome differences between soil layers and has important implications for further studying soil microbiome ecosystem functions.

Effects of dietary zinc oxide nanoparticles on growth performance and antioxidative status in broilers.

Broilers in four groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 60 mg/kg zinc oxide (60-ZnO; control), or 20, 60, or 100 mg/kg ZnO nanoparticles (20-, 60-, and 100-nano-ZnO, respectively). Compared with the controls, after 14 days, birds in the 20- and 60-nano-ZnO groups had significantly greater weight gains and better feed conversion ratios. However, the body weight of birds in the 100-nano-ZnO group was dramatically reduced after 28 days. Relative to the control group, the total antioxidant capability (T-AOC) in serum and liver tissue was significantly higher in the 20-nano-ZnO group at all time points and also significantly higher in the 60- and 100-nano-ZnO groups in serum on days 28 and 35 and in liver tissues on days 21 and 28. Compared with the controls, the activity of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn-SOD) was significantly greater in the 60- and 100-nano-ZnO groups in serum on days 28 and 35 and in liver tissues after 21 days. Catalase activity in serum samples was significantly higher in the 20- and 60-nano-ZnO groups relative to the control and 100-nano-ZnO birds, but catalase activity in liver tissue was not affected by different nano-ZnO levels. Malondialdehyde content in serum and liver tissues was significantly reduced in the 20-, 60-, and 100-nano-ZnO groups compared with that in the control group at all time points except day 42. Taken together, our data indicate that appropriate concentration of dietary ZnO nanoparticles improves growth performance and antioxidative capabilities in broilers, and 20 mg/kg nano-ZnO is the optimal concentration.

The Experience of Hypoglycaemia and Strategies Used For Its Management by Community-Dwelling Adults with Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Hypoglycaemia, a common complication of diabetes drug therapy, has been reported to influence therapy adherence and the quality of life of people with diabetes mellitus. No systematic reviews on the experience of hypoglycaemia have been undertaken. The extant literature has taken a medical model perspective focusing on the causes, prevalence, and impact of hypoglycaemia. To understand the meaningfulness of hypoglycaemia and how this condition impacts on a person with diabetes mellitus, a systematic review was undertaken exploring the experiences of hypoglycaemia in community-dwelling people with diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE: This review aimed to synthesise evidence on the experience of hypoglycaemia, and the strategies used to control it in community-dwelling adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Type of Participants - Community-dwelling adults (18 years of age and over) who had experienced hypoglycaemia from type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus and/or who had used self-management strategies for hypoglycaemia were included.Phenomena of Interest - The experiences of hypoglycaemia in community-dwelling adults with diabetes mellitus and the strategies they used to self-manage hypoglycaemia were included.Type of Studies - Qualitative studies including, but not limited to, designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research and feminist research were included. SEARCH STRATEGY: Published and unpublished studies in English from January 2000 to August 2010 were gathered using a three-step search strategy. An initial limited search was conducted in MEDLINE and CINAHL to identify keywords and index terms, which were then used in a second search across the CINAHL, PUBMED, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Web of Science, JSTOR, EMBASE and MEDNAR databases. Additionally, the reference list of all studies was hand-searched for additional studies. METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY: Two reviewers independently assessed the retrieved studies for methodological validity, using standardised Joanna Briggs Institute-Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI) critical appraisal instruments. Disagreements that arose between the two reviewers were resolved with the help of a third reviewer. DATA COLLECTION: Data, in terms of research findings, were extracted from included studies using the standardised JBI-QARI data extraction tool. DATA SYNTHESIS: These findings were then pooled and assembled into level 1 findings, then level 2 findings (categories), and lastly meta-synthesised to form one level 3 synthesised finding. Meta-aggregation was carried out using JBI-QARI. RESULTS: Six studies were included in the review. Participants who lived independently in the community and attended primary care or outpatient clinics were included. In total, twenty findings were grouped into three categories, which were synthesised into one overall finding - i.e., "People with diabetes mellitus can self-manage their diabetes and thus prevent hypoglycaemic episodes more effectively when health professionals provide psychological, physiological and spiritual support, and an individually targeted education programme". CONCLUSIONS: The review findings revealed patient-identified priorities to maintain normality in blood glucose self-management. There is also evidence that some people lack the knowledge to identify and self-manage hypoglycaemia.To enable community-dwelling adults with diabetes mellitus to self-manage hypoglycaemia, healthcare professionals should provide individualised information and emotional support, and regularly discuss and assess the person's level of knowledge, awareness of hypoglycaemia, and their ability to self-manage.There is a lack of data that capture the person's experience and awareness of hypoglycaemia and how they self-manage the condition, particularly in varying cultural contexts. A mixed-method study could be designed to explore the experiences of hypoglycaemia, and to develop and validate a reliable tool that assesses the level of knowledge and awareness of hypoglycaemia, and the ability to self-manage. This study should include people with diabetes mellitus from different cultures and/or geographical locations.