EGCG alleviates heat-stress-induced fat deposition by targeting HSP70 through activation of AMPK-SIRT1-PGC-1α in porcine subcutaneous preadipocytes.

Obesity has emerged as a prominent global health concern, with heat stress posing a significant challenge to both human health and animal well-being. Despite a growing interest in environmental determinants of obesity, very few studies have examined the associations between heat stress-related environmental factors and adiposity. Consequently, there exists a clear need to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the obesogenic effects of heat stress and to formulate preventive strategies. This study focused on culturing porcine subcutaneous preadipocytes at 41.5 ℃ to induce heat stress, revealing that this stressor triggered apoptosis and fat deposition. Analysis demonstrated an upregulation in the expression of HSP70, BAX, adipogenesis-related genes (PPARγ, AP2, CEBPα and FAS), the p-AMPK/AMPK ratio and SIRT1, PGC-1α in the heat stress group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conversely, the expression of lipid lysis-related genes (ATGL, HSL and LPL) and Bcl-2 decreased in the heat stress group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, subsequent activator and/or inhibitor experiments validated that heat stress modulated HSP70 and AMPK signalling pathways to enhance lipogenesis and inhibit lipolysis in porcine subcutaneous preadipocytes. Importantly, this study reveals, for the first time, that EGCG mitigates heat-stress-induced fat deposition by targeting HSP70 through the activation of AMPK-SIRT1-PGC-1α in porcine subcutaneous preadipocytes. These findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms contributing to heat stress-induced obesity and provide a foundation for the potential clinical utilisation of EGCG as a preventive measure against both heat stress and obesity.

Genome-wide identification and functional analysis of the SiCIN gene family in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.).

Cell wall invertase (CIN) is a vital member of plant invertase (INV) and plays a key role in the breakdown of sucrose. This enzyme facilitates the hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose and fructose, which is crucial for various aspects of plant growth and development. However, the function of CIN genes in foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is less studied. In this research, we used the blast-p of NCBI and TBtools for bidirectional comparison, and a total of 13 CIN genes (named SiCINs) were identified from foxtail millet by using Arabidopsis and rice CIN sequences as reference sequences. The phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the CIN genes can be categorized into three subfamilies: group 1, group 2, and group 3. Furthermore, upon conducting chromosomal localization analysis, it was observed that the 13 SiCINs were distributed unevenly across five chromosomes. Cis-acting elements of SiCIN genes can be classified into three categories: plant growth and development, stress response, and hormone response. The largest number of cis-acting elements were those related to light response (G-box) and the cis-acting elements related to seed-specific regulation (RY-element). qRT-PCR analysis further confirmed that the expression of SiCIN7 and SiCIN8 in the grain was higher than that in any other tissues. The overexpression of SiCIN7 in Arabidopsis improved the grain size and thousand-grain weight, suggesting that SiCIN7 could positively regulate grain development. Our findings will help to further understand the grain-filling mechanism of SiCIN and elucidate the biological mechanism underlying the grain development of SiCIN.

Whole transcriptome sequencing identifies key lncRNAs,circRNAs, and mRNAs for exploring the pathogenesis and therapeutic target of mouse pneumoconiosis.

BACKGROUND: Pneumoconiosis is a kind of lung dysfunction caused by the inhalation of mineral dust. However, the potential molecular mechanism of pneumoconiosis have not been fully elucidated. METHODS: In this study, the silica-treated pneumoconiosis mice model was constructed and the transcriptome sequencing data including lncRNA, circRNA, and mRNA were obtained. Firstly, differentially expressed lncRNA, circRNA, and mRNA (DElncRNA, DEcircRNA, DEGs) between control and pneumoconiosis/silicosis samples were screened, the target miRNAs (co-pre-miRNAs) were obtained by intersecting the miRNAs predicted by DElncRNA and DEcircRNA, respectively, and the target mRNAs (co-mRNA) were obtained by intersecting the mRNAs predicted by target miRNA and DEGs. Then, the lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks were constructed by Cytoscape. Next, the key mRNAs were obtained by protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, and the key lncRNAs/circRNAs were selected by correlation analysis. Moreover, the expression of the key lncRNAs, circRNAs and mRNAs on chromosome were studied by the "circlize" package. Furthermore, the TFs-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed and the function of DEGs were explored by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). To demonstrate the feasibility and value of the constructed ceRNA networks, we validated key genes and mmu-miR-682 pathway. Finally, We used the Drug-Gene Interaction database to predict potential drugs that could interfere with key genes,which may help to find promising treatment. RESULTS: There were 427 DElncRNAs, 107 DEcircRNAs and 1,597 DEGs between silicosis and control groups. Totals of 77 co-pre-miRNAs and 96 co-mRNA were screened, and the lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks were constructed with 27 lncRNA/25 circRNAs, 74 miRNAs and 96 mRNAs. Then, 6 key mRNAs including Igf1, Klf4, Ptgs2, Epas1, Gnao1, and Il1a were obtained by PPI, and all of these key mRNAs and 10 key lncRNAs and 8 circRNAs were significantly different between the pneumoconiosis and normal groups, in which 10 lncRNAs and 9 circRNA that have not been previously studied in pneumoconiosis/silicosis can be used as new potential therapeutic targets. Moreover, the TFs-miRNA-mRNA network were constructed with 11 TFs, 1 key miRNA (mmu-miR-682) and 3 key mRNAs (Igf1, Epas1, Ptgs2). And the validation of key genes revealing by RNA-seq through experimental approaches shows the the predictive power of this study. Finally, IPA results indicated that 41 pathways were activated and 2 pathways were suppressed in pneumoconiosis/silicosis groups, and Pathogen Induced Cytokine Storm Signaling Pathway was the most significant pathway affected by pneumoconiosis/silicosis. In addition, 93 drugs were screened out by Drug-Gene Interaction database. Among them, Hydroxychloroquine was a kind of drug which associated with Il1a and Ptgs2, may be a promising treatment. CONCLUSION: This study constructed the lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA and TFs-miRNA-mRNA networks, which could deepen the potential molecular regulatory mechanism of pneumoconiosis/silicosis.

Impact of high temperature on microstructural changes and oil absorption of tigernut (Cyperus esculentus L.) starch: Investigations in the starch-oil model system.

This study was to explore the internal reasons for the changes in oil absorption performance of tigernut starch (TS) by revealing the high-temperature induced variations of structural and functional properties of TS. The results showed that as the temperature increased from 80 °C to 140 °C, the degree of starch gelatinization increased, while the proportion of double helix structures, the total proportion of B1 and B2 chains, the relative crystallinity and the molecular weight decreased, accompanied by the fragmentation and swelling of TS granules. The oxidation of tigernut oil (TNO) led to a decrease in oil density and an increase in total polar component content. These phenomena could result in an increase of oil absorption capacity of TS and starch-lipid complex index. With further increase in temperature from 170 °C to 200 °C, the disruption of the crystalline structure and chain structure increased, resulting in the melting and disintegration of TS granules. This caused a decrease in the starch-oil contact area and capillary absorption of TNO by the TS granules. The results will contribute to revealing the effect of high-temperature induced changes in the structural and functional properties of TS on its oil absorption properties.

Widespread incomplete lineage sorting and introgression shaped adaptive radiation in the Gossypium genus.

Cotton (Gossypium) stands as a crucial economic crop, serving as the primary source of natural fiber for the textile sector. However, the evolutionary mechanisms driving speciation within the Gossypium genus remain unresolved. In this investigation, we leveraged 25 Gossypium genomes and introduced four novel assemblies-G. harknessii, G. gossypioides, G. trilobum, and G. klotzschianum (Gklo)-to delve into the speciation history of this genus. Notably, we encountered intricate phylogenies potentially stemming from introgression. These complexities are further compounded by incomplete lineage sorting (ILS), a factor likely to have been instrumental in shaping the swift diversification of cotton. Our focus subsequently shifted to the rapid radiation episode during a concise period in Gossypium evolution. For a recently diverged lineage comprising G. davidsonii, Gklo, and G. raimondii, we constructed a finely detailed ILS map. Intriguingly, this analysis revealed the non-random distribution of ILS regions across the reference Gklo genome. Moreover, we identified signs of robust natural selection influencing specific ILS regions. Noteworthy variations pertaining to speciation emerged between the closely related sister species Gklo and G. davidsonii. Approximately 15.74% of speciation structural variation genes and 12.04% of speciation-associated genes were estimated to intersect with ILS signatures. These findings enrich our understanding of the role of ILS in adaptive radiation, shedding fresh light on the intricate speciation history of the Gossypium genus.

Simulation and Optimization Study on the Ventilation Performance of High-Rise Buildings Inspired by the White Termite Mound Chamber Structure.

High-rise buildings often use mechanical systems to assist ventilation to maintain the stability of their internal environments, and the energy consumption of mechanical ventilation poses a great challenge to urban environments and energy systems. The ventilation system of termite mounds with a combination of internal main and attached chambers is one of the classic examples of nature's bionic approach to maintaining a stable internal ventilation environment for large-volume structures. In this study, based on the inspiration of the internal ventilation chamber structure of bionic termite mounds, we constructed seven high-rise building chamber ventilation models based on the chamber structure of termite mounds with main chambers, main chambers plus single-attached chambers (three types), and main chambers plus double-attached chambers (three types) under natural ventilation conditions, aiming at obtaining the optimal low-energy and high-efficiency chamber ventilation model for bionic termite mounds in high-rise buildings. (1) The wind speed and wind pressure of the high-rise building with the addition of the bionic termite mound chamber structure is higher than that of the traditional chamber-free high-rise building in the sample floors, the maximal difference of the wind speed between the two models is 0.05 m/s, and the maximal difference of the wind speed of the single building is 0.14 m/s, with the maximal difference of the wind speed of the single building being 0.14 m/s; and the natural ventilation environment can be satisfied by a high-rise building with a chamber. (2) After increasing the single-attached chamber structure of the bionic termite mound, the difference in wind speed of different floors is 0.15 m/s, which is 0.10 m/s higher than that of the high-rise building model with the main chamber only. (3) Under the bionic termite mound chamber high-rise building double-attached chamber model, the maximum difference in wind speed of each floor sampling point can reach 0.19 m/s, while the wind pressure cloud map shows a stable wind environment system. (4) Two attached chambers are added at A and B of the high-rise building to form the a4 model of the chamber of the high-rise building with a double-chamber bionic termite mound. According to the results, it can be seen that the model of the nine floor sampling points of the maximum wind speed difference has six places for the highest value, and the single building wind speed difference for the minimum value of 0.10 m/s. The study aims to optimize the connectivity and ventilation performance of high-rise buildings under natural ventilation conditions and to promote the green and sustainable design of high-rise buildings.

Genome-Wide Identification and Functional Analysis of RF2 Gene Family and the Critical Role of GhRF2-32 in Response to Drought Stress in Cotton.

Cotton is an important natural fiber crop. The RF2 gene family is a member of the bZIP transcription factor superfamily, which plays an important role in plant resistance to environmental stresses. In this paper, the RF2 gene family of four cotton species was analyzed genome-wide, and the key gene RF2-32 was cloned for functional verification. A total of 113 RF2 genes were identified in the four cotton species, and the RF2 family was relatively conserved during the evolution of cotton. Chromosome mapping and collinear analysis indicated that fragment replication was the main expansion mode of RF2 gene family during evolution. Cis-element analysis showed that there were many elements related to light response, hormone response and abiotic stress response in the promoters of RF2 genes. The transcriptome and qRT-PCR analysis of RF2 family genes in upland cotton showed that RF2 family genes responded to salt stress and drought stress. GhRF2-32 protein was localized in the cell nucleus. Silencing the GhRF2-32 gene showed less leaf wilting and increased total antioxidant capacity under drought and salt stress, decreased malondialdehyde content and increased drought and salt tolerance. This study revealed the evolutionary and functional diversity of the RF2 gene family, which laid a foundation for the further study of stress-resistant genes in cotton.

Genome-wide chromatin accessibility landscape and dynamics of transcription factor networks during ovule and fiber development in cotton.

BACKGROUND: The development of cotton fiber is regulated by the orchestrated binding of regulatory proteins to cis-regulatory elements associated with developmental genes. The cis-trans regulatory dynamics occurred throughout the course of cotton fiber development are elusive. Here we generated genome-wide high-resolution DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) maps to understand the regulatory mechanisms of cotton ovule and fiber development. RESULTS: We generated DNase I hypersensitive site (DHS) profiles from cotton ovules at 0 and 3 days post anthesis (DPA) and fibers at 8, 12, 15, and 18 DPA. We obtained a total of 1185 million reads and identified a total of 199,351 DHSs through ~ 30% unique mapping reads. It should be noted that more than half of DNase-seq reads mapped multiple genome locations and were not analyzed in order to achieve a high specificity of peak profile and to avoid bias from repetitive genomic regions. Distinct chromatin accessibilities were observed in the ovules (0 and 3 DPA) compared to the fiber elongation stages (8, 12, 15, and 18 DPA). Besides, the chromatin accessibility during ovules was particularly elevated in genomic regions enriched with transposable elements (TEs) and genes in TE-enriched regions were involved in ovule cell division. We analyzed cis-regulatory modules and revealed the influence of hormones on fiber development from the regulatory divergence of transcription factor (TF) motifs. Finally, we constructed a reliable regulatory network of TFs related to ovule and fiber development based on chromatin accessibility and gene co-expression network. From this network, we discovered a novel TF, WRKY46, which may shape fiber development by regulating the lignin content. CONCLUSIONS: Our results not only reveal the contribution of TEs in fiber development, but also predict and validate the TFs related to fiber development, which will benefit the research of cotton fiber molecular breeding.

Correction: Yu et al. Comparison of Physical and Biochemical Characterizations of SARS-CoV-2 Inactivated by Different Treatments. Viruses 2022, 14, 1938.

In the original publication [...].

Large-scale metabolome analysis reveals dynamic changes of metabolites during foxtail millet grain filling.

Compared with traditional staple crops, foxtail millet grain is rich in nutrition and beneficial to human health. Foxtail millet is also tolerance to various abiotic stresses, including drought, making it a good plant for growing in barren land. The study on the composition of metabolites and its dynamics changes during grain development is helpful to understand the process of foxtail millet grain formation. In our study, metabolic and transcriptional analysis were used to uncover the metabolic processes that could influence grain filling in foxtail millet. A total of 2104 known metabolites, belonging to 14 categories, were identified during grain filling. Functional analysis of DAMs and DEGs revealed a stage-specific metabolic properties in foxtail millet grain filling. Some important metabolic processes, such as flavonoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism and valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis were co-mapped for DEGs and DAMs. Thus, we constructed a gene-metabolite regulatory network of these metabolic pathways to explain their potential functions during grain filling. Our study showed the important metabolic processes during grain filling and focused on the dynamic changes of related metabolites and genes at different stages, which provided a reference for us to better understand and improve foxtail millet grain development and yield.

Advances in Next-Generation Coronavirus Vaccines in Response to Future Virus Evolution.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread to more than 230 countries and territories worldwide since its outbreak in late 2019. In less than three years, infection by SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in over 600 million cases of COVID-19 and over 6.4 million deaths. Vaccines have been developed with unimaginable speed, and 11 have already been approved by the World Health Organization and given Emergency Use Listing. The administration of several first-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccines has successfully decelerated the spread of COVID-19 but not stopped it completely. In the ongoing fight against viruses, genetic mutations frequently occur in the viral genome, resulting in a decrease in vaccine-induced antibody neutralization and widespread breakthrough infection. Facing the evolution and uncertainty of SARS-CoV-2 in the future, and the possibility of the spillover of other coronaviruses to humans, the need for vaccines with a broad spectrum of antiviral variants against multiple coronaviruses is recognized. It is imperative to develop a universal coronavirus or pan-coronavirus vaccine or drug to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as to prevent the next coronavirus pandemic. In this review, in addition to summarizing the protective effect of approved vaccines, we systematically summarize current work on the development of vaccines aimed at suppressing multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern as well as multiple coronaviruses.

Overexpression of cotton GhNAC072 gene enhances drought and salt stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.

BACKGROUND: Crops face several environmental stresses (biotic and abiotic), thus resulting in severe yield losses. Around the globe abiotic stresses are the main contributors of plant damages, primarily drought and salinity. Many genes and transcription factors are involved in abiotic and biotic stress responses. NAC TF (Transcription Factors) improves tolerance to stresses by controlling the physiological and enzyme activities of crops. RESULTS: In current research, GhNAC072 a highly upregulated TF in RNA-Seq was identified as a hub gene in the co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). This gene was transformed to Arabidopsis thaliana to confirm its potential role in drought and salt stress tolerance. Significant variations were observed in the morpho-physiological traits with high relative leaf water contents, chlorophyll contents, higher germination and longer root lengths of the overexpressed lines and low excised leaf loss and ion leakage as compared to the wildtype plants. Besides, overexpressed lines have higher amounts of antioxidants and low oxidant enzyme activities than the wildtype during the period of stress exposure. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the above analysis showed that GhNAC072 might be the true candidate involved in boosting tolerance mechanisms under drought and salinity stress.

Evolutionary divergence of duplicated genomes in newly described allotetraploid cottons.

Allotetraploid cotton (Gossypium) species represents a model system for the study of plant polyploidy, molecular evolution, and domestication. Here, chromosome-scale genome sequences were obtained and assembled for two recently described wild species of tetraploid cotton, Gossypium ekmanianum [(AD)6, Ge] and Gossypium stephensii [(AD)7, Gs], and one early form of domesticated Gossypium hirsutum, race punctatum [(AD)1, Ghp]. Based on phylogenomic analysis, we provide a dated whole-genome level perspective for the evolution of the tetraploid Gossypium clade and resolved the evolutionary relationships of Gs, Ge, and domesticated G. hirsutum. We describe genomic structural variation that arose during Gossypium evolution and describe its correlates-including phenotypic differentiation, genetic isolation, and genetic convergence-that contributed to cotton biodiversity and cotton domestication. Presence/absence variation is prominent in causing cotton genomic structural variations. A presence/absence variation-derived gene encoding a phosphopeptide-binding protein is implicated in increasing fiber length during cotton domestication. The relatively unimproved Ghp offers the potential for gene discovery related to adaptation to environmental challenges. Expanded gene families enoyl-CoA δ isomerase 3 and RAP2-7 may have contributed to abiotic stress tolerance, possibly by targeting plant hormone-associated biochemical pathways. Our results generate a genomic context for a better understanding of cotton evolution and for agriculture.

Comparison of Physical and Biochemical Characterizations of SARS-CoV-2 Inactivated by Different Treatments.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused huge social and economic distress. Given its rapid spread and the lack of specific treatment options, SARS-CoV-2 needs to be inactivated according to strict biosafety measures during laboratory diagnostics and vaccine development. The inactivation method for SARS-CoV-2 affects research related to the natural virus and its immune activity as an antigen in vaccines. In this study, we used size exclusion chromatography, western blotting, ELISA, an electron microscope, dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism, and surface plasmon resonance to evaluate the effects of four different chemical inactivation methods on the physical and biochemical characterization of SARS-CoV-2. Formaldehyde and ß-propiolactone (BPL) treatment can completely inactivate the virus and have no significant effects on the morphology of the virus. None of the four tested inactivation methods affected the secondary structure of the virus, including the α-helix, antiparallel ß-sheet, parallel ß-sheet, ß-turn, and random coil. However, formaldehyde and long-term BPL treatment (48 h) resulted in decreased viral S protein content and increased viral particle aggregation, respectively. The BPL treatment for 24 h can completely inactivate SARS-CoV-2 with the maximum retention of the morphology, physical properties, and the biochemical properties of the potential antigens of the virus. In summary, we have established a characterization system for the comprehensive evaluation of virus inactivation technology, which has important guiding significance for the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants and research on natural SARS-CoV-2.

Conservation and Divergence of Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase Gene Family in Cotton.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is an important enzyme in plants, which regulates carbon flow through the TCA cycle and controls protein and oil biosynthesis. Although it is important, there is little research on PEPC in cotton, the most important fiber crop in the world. In this study, a total of 125 PEPCs were identified in 15 Gossypium genomes. All PEPC genes in cotton are divided into six groups and each group generally contains one PEPC member in each diploid cotton and two in each tetraploid cotton. This suggests that PEPC genes already existed in cotton before their divergence. There are additional PEPC sub-groups in other plant species, suggesting the different evolution and natural selection during different plant evolution. PEPC genes were independently evolved in each cotton sub-genome. During cotton domestication and evolution, certain PEPC genes were lost and new ones were born to face the new environmental changes and human being needs. The comprehensive analysis of collinearity events and selection pressure shows that genome-wide duplication and fragment duplication are the main methods for the expansion of the PEPC family, and they continue to undergo purification selection during the evolutionary process. PEPC genes were widely expressed with temporal and spatial patterns. The expression patterns of PEPC genes were similar in G. hirsutum and G. barbadense with a slight difference. PEPC2A and 2D were highly expressed in cotton reproductive tissues, including ovule and fiber at all tested developmental stages in both cultivated cottons. However, PEPC1A and 1D were dominantly expressed in vegetative tissues. Abiotic stress also induced the aberrant expression of PEPC genes, in which PEPC1 was induced by both chilling and salinity stresses while PEPC5 was induced by chilling and drought stresses. Each pair (A and D) of PEPC genes showed the similar response to cotton development and different abiotic stress, suggesting the similar function of these PEPCs no matter their origination from A or D sub-genome. However, some divergence was also observed among their origination, such as PEPC5D was induced but PEPC5A was inhibited in G. barbadense during drought treatment, suggesting that a different organized PEPC gene may evolve different functions during cotton evolution. During cotton polyploidization, the homologues genes may refunction and play different roles in different situations.

Protoplast Dissociation and Transcriptome Analysis Provides Insights to Salt Stress Response in Cotton.

As one of the pioneer crops widely planted in saline-alkaline areas, Gossypium provides daily necessities, including natural fiber, vegetable proteins, and edible oils. However, cotton fiber yield and quality are highly influenced by salt stress. Therefore, elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cotton in response to salinity stress is importance to breed new cultivars with high tolerance. In this study, we first developed a method for single-cell RNA-seq based on isolating protoplast from cotton root tips; then, we studied the impact of salinity stress on gene expression profiling and their dynamic changes using the developed high-efficiency method for protoplast dissociation suitable for single-cell RNA-seq. A total of 3391 and 2826 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in salt-treated samples before and after protoplast dissociation, respectively, which were enriched into several molecular components, including response to stimulus, response to stress, and cellular macromolecule metabolic process by gene ontology (GO) analysis. Plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and MAPK signaling pathway were found to be enriched via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Twenty-two and nine salinity-responsive DEGs participated in plant hormone signaling and MAPK signaling in roots, before and after protoplast dissociation, respectively; six upregulated DEGs were involved in ABA signaling transduction, namely, Ga04G2111, Ga07G0142, Ga09G2061, Ga10G0262, Ga01G0063, and Ga08G1915 which indicates their potential functions on plants adapting to salt stress. Additionally, 384 and 257 transcription factors (TFs) were differentially expressed in salt-stress roots before and after protoplast dissociation, respectively, of which significantly up-regulated TFs mainly belonged to the AP2/ERF-ERF family, which implied their potential roles responding to salt stress. These results not only provide novel insights to reveal the regulatory networks in plant's root response to salt stress, but also lay the solid foundation for further exploration on cellular heterogeneity by single-cell transcriptome sequencing.

Identification of the Golden-2-like transcription factors gene family in Gossypium hirsutum.

BACKGROUND: Golden2-Like (GLK) transcription factors are a type of transcriptional regulator in plants. They play a pivotal role in the plant physiological activity process and abiotic stress response. METHODS: In this study, the potential function of GLK family genes in Gossypium hirsutum was studied based on genomic identification, phylogenetic analysis, chromosome mapping and cis-regulatory elements prediction. Gene expression of nine key genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR experiments. RESULTS: Herein, we identified a total of 146 GhGLK genes in Gossypium hirsutum, which were unevenly distributed on each of the chromosomes. There were significant differences in the number and location of genes between the At sub-genome and the Dt sub-genome. According to the phylogenetic analysis, they were divided into ten subgroups, each of which had very similar number and structure of exons and introns. Some cis-regulatory elements were identified through promoter analysis, including five types of elements related to abiotic stress response, five types of elements related to phytohormone and five types of elements involved in growth and development. Based on public transcriptome data analysis, we identified nine key GhGLKs involved in salt, cold, and drought stress. The qRT-PCR results showed that these genes had different expression patterns under these stress conditions, suggesting that GhGLK genes played an important role in abiotic stress response. This study laid a theoretical foundation for the screening and functional verification of genes related to stress resistance of GLK gene family in cotton.

Multi-mode interferometric measurement system based on wavelength modulation and active vibration resistance.

Optical interferometers are widely used in the measurement of micro- and nanoscale surface topography. However, their accuracy and resolution can be seriously affected by environmental noise. We present a multi-mode interferometric measurement system based on wavelength modulation and active vibration resistance. This supports two measurement modes: wavelength-scanning interferometry, which is suitable for structured surfaces, and wavelength-tuning interferometry, which is suitable for smooth continuous surfaces. In addition, the system can measure the optical path difference of the current position in real time, which is convenient for making system adjustments and improving the measurement accuracy. The proposed system was used to measure 1.806 µm and 43.2 nm step height standards. Under different degrees of vibration, the measured heights in the two modes agreed well with the calibrated values.

ESR2 regulates PINK1-mediated mitophagy via transcriptional repression of microRNA-423 expression to promote asthma development.

Asthma represents an inflammatory airway disease related to the induction of airway eosinophilia, mucus overproduction, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. This study explored the effects of microRNA-423 (miR-423) on mitophagy and inflammation in asthmatic mice challenged with house dust mites (HDMs) and rhinovirus (RV). By searching for differentially expressed miRNAs in the GSE25230 microarray, miR-423 was identified as our target. Moreover, miR-423 was expressed at low levels in the lung tissues from patients with asthma, and agomiR-423 significantly inhibited RV-induced inflammatory injury and activation of inflammasome signaling in mouse lung tissues. Additionally, miR-423 downregulated the expression of IL-1ß/NLRP3/Caspase-1 inflammasome signaling by targeting phosphatase and tensin homolog-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1). Furthermore, luciferase reporter experiments and ChIP-qPCR assays revealed that estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2) transcriptionally repressed miR-423 expression by coordinating with H3K9me2 modification of the miR-423 promoter histone. Overall, ESR2 synergized with the H3K9me2 modification of the miR-423 promoter histone to transcriptionally repress miR-423 expression and increase PINK1 expression in lung tissues, resulting in asthma exacerbation.

DNA Methylation and RNA-Sequencing Analysis Show Epigenetic Function During Grain Filling in Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica L.).

Grain filling is a crucial process for crop yield and quality. Certain studies already gained insight into the molecular mechanism of grain filling. However, it is unclear whether epigenetic modifications are associated with grain filling in foxtail millet. Global DNA methylation and transcriptome analysis were conducted in foxtail millet spikelets during different stages to interpret the epigenetic effects of the grain filling process. The study employed the whole-genome bisulfite deep sequencing and advanced bioinformatics to sequence and identify all DNA methylation during foxtail millet grain filling; the DNA methylation-mediated gene expression profiles and their involved gene network and biological pathway were systematically studied. One context of DNA methylation, namely, CHH methylation, was accounted for the largest percentage, and it was gradually increased during grain filling. Among all developmental stages, the methylation levels were lowest at T2, followed by T4, which mainly occurred in CHG. The distribution of differentially methylated regions (DMR) was varied in the different genetic regions for three contexts. In addition, gene expression was negatively associated with DNA methylation. Evaluation of the interconnection of the DNA methylome and transcriptome identified some stage-specific differentially expressed genes associated with the DMR at different stages compared with the T1 developmental stage, indicating the potential function of epigenetics on the expression regulation of genes related to the specific pathway at different stages of grain development. The results demonstrated that the dynamic change of DNA methylation plays a crucial function in gene regulation, revealing the potential function of epigenetics in grain development in foxtail millet.