The complete chloroplast genomes of Polygonatum hunanense, P. verticillatum, and P. caulialatum and their phylogenetic positions.

Polygonatum hunanense H.H. Liu & B.Z. Wang (2021) and P. verticillatum (L.) All. (1875) have been widely used as foods and as folk medicines in China and India, and P. caulialatum S. R. Yi (2021) has recently been described as a new medical plant in China. There is at present a lack of genome information regarding the species. Hence, this study reports the complete chloroplast genomes of the three species. The genomes of P. hunanense, P. verticillatum, and P. caulialatum were 155,583 bp, 155,650 bp, and 155,352 bp in length, respectively. They contained large single-copy (LSC) regions of 84,412 bp, 84,404 bp, and 84,285 bp, small single-copy (SSC) regions of 18,427 bp, 18,416 bp, and 18,463 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats of 26,372 bp, 26,415 bp, and 26,302 bp, respectively. The chloroplast genomes of P. hunanense, P. verticillatum, and P. caulialatum had 133 (103 unique) genes, consisting of 87 protein-coding genes, 38 ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA) genes, and eight transfer RNA genes, respectively. A maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree showed that P. kingianum Coll. et Hemsl. var. grandifolium D.M. Liu & W.Z. Zeng (1991) was closer to P. cyrtonema Hua (1892) rather than to P. kingianum Coll. et Hemsl. (1890), further supporting its status as a unique species of the genus. Moreover, P. verticillatum was separated from the easily confused herb P. cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle (1839), while P. caulialatum was closest to P. humile Fisch. ex Maxim. (1859). This research provides a foundation for further study of these herbs.

[Coupling Mechanisms of Eco-environmental Quality and Human Activities in China and Their Influencing Factors].

In the context of sustainable development, it is important to thoroughly investigate the coupling mechanism between China's eco-environmental quality and human activities, as well as identify the influencing factors, in order to provide scientific references for achieving sustainable development goals in China. This study applied trend analysis, coupling coordination degree, LMDI, and optimal parameter geographic detector models to explore and evaluate the coupling mechanism between China's eco-environmental quality and human activities. The findings of the study were as follows:① During the research period, there was a growth trend in China's coupling coordination degree, human activities, and eco-environmental quality. Human activities and coupling coordination degree exhibited a spatial differentiation pattern with the Hu Line as the boundary, showing an "east high, west low" distribution. The eco-environmental quality demonstrated a "south high, north low" differentiation pattern. ② The overall trend of China's coupling coordination type transformation was shifting from lower-level to higher-level coordination types. ③ Based on the geographic detector and LMDI models, the dominant factors influencing the coupling coordination degree in most provinces east of the Hu Line were social and economic factors, as well as the comprehensive coordination index. In contrast, the dominant factors in most provinces west of the Hu Line were natural environmental factors and coupling degree. ④ The evaluation of the impact of changes in human activities on eco-environmental quality revealed that the regions east of the Hu Line were mainly characterized by favorable development and effective protection, whereas the regions west of the line were mainly characterized by destructive development and ineffective protection. It is suggested that the regions on both sides of the Hu Line should prioritize development based on local prerequisites influencing the coupling coordination degree and the relative relationship between human activities and eco-environmental quality. It is crucial to actively adjust development strategies and pursue a sustainable development path towards the high-level coordination between eco-environmental quality and human activities.

Engineering Flat Bands in Twisted-Bilayer Graphene away from the Magic Angle with Chiral Optical Cavities.

Twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) is a recently discovered two-dimensional superlattice structure which exhibits strongly correlated quantum many-body physics, including strange metallic behavior and unconventional superconductivity. Most of TBG exotic properties are connected to the emergence of a pair of isolated and topological flat electronic bands at the so-called magic angle, θ≈1.05°, which are nevertheless very fragile. In this work, we show that, by employing chiral optical cavities, the topological flat bands can be stabilized away from the magic angle in an interval of approximately 0.8°<θ<1.3°. As highlighted by a simplified theoretical model, time reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB), induced by the chiral nature of the cavity, plays a fundamental role in flattening the isolated bands and gapping out the rest of the spectrum. Additionally, TRSB suppresses the Berry curvature and induces a topological phase transition, with a gap closing at the Γ point, towards a band structure with two isolated flat bands with Chern number equal to 0. The efficiency of the cavity is discussed as a function of the twisting angle, the light-matter coupling and the optical cavity characteristic frequency. Our results demonstrate the possibility of engineering flat bands in TBG using optical devices, extending the onset of strongly correlated topological electronic phases in moiré superlattices to a wider range in the twisting angle.

Head-to-head comparison of relevant cell sources of small extracellular vesicles for cardiac repair: Superiority of embryonic stem cells.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) derived from various cell sources have been demonstrated to enhance cardiac function in preclinical models of myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of this study was to compare different sources of sEV for cardiac repair and determine the most effective one, which nowadays remains limited. We comprehensively assessed the efficacy of sEV obtained from human primary bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC), human immortalized MSC (hTERT-MSC), human embryonic stem cells (ESC), ESC-derived cardiac progenitor cells (CPC), human ESC-derived cardiomyocytes (CM), and human primary ventricular cardiac fibroblasts (VCF), in in vitro models of cardiac repair. ESC-derived sEV (ESC-sEV) exhibited the best pro-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic effects in vitro. Then, we evaluated the functionality of the sEV with the most promising performances in vitro, in a murine model of MI-reperfusion injury (IRI) and analysed their RNA and protein compositions. In vivo, ESC-sEV provided the most favourable outcome after MI by reducing adverse cardiac remodelling through down-regulating fibrosis and increasing angiogenesis. Furthermore, transcriptomic, and proteomic characterizations of sEV derived from hTERT-MSC, ESC, and CPC revealed factors in ESC-sEV that potentially drove the observed functions. In conclusion, ESC-sEV holds great promise as a cell-free treatment for promoting cardiac repair following MI.

In vivo phage display identifies novel peptides for cardiac targeting.

Heart failure remains a leading cause of mortality. Therapeutic intervention for heart failure would benefit from targeted delivery to the damaged heart tissue. Here, we applied in vivo peptide phage display coupled with high-throughput Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and identified peptides specifically targeting damaged cardiac tissue. We established a bioinformatics pipeline for the identification of cardiac targeting peptides. Hit peptides demonstrated preferential uptake by human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes and immortalized mouse HL1 cardiomyocytes, without substantial uptake in human liver HepG2 cells. These novel peptides hold promise for use in targeted drug delivery and regenerative strategies and open new avenues in cardiovascular research and clinical practice.

Design of dual peptide-conjugated hydrogels for proliferation and differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells.

Completely synthetic cell cultivation materials for human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are important for the future clinical use of hPSC-derived cells. Currently, cell culture materials conjugated with extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived peptides are being prepared using only one specific integrin-targeting peptide. We designed dual peptide-conjugated hydrogels, for which each peptide was selected from different ECM sites: the laminin ß4 chain and fibronectin or vitronectin, which can target α6ß1 and α2ß1 or αVß5. hPSCs cultured on dual peptide-conjugated hydrogels, especially on hydrogels conjugated with peptides obtained from the laminin ß4 chain and vitronectin with a low peptide concentration of 200 µg/mL, showed high proliferation ability over the long term and differentiated into cells originating from 3 germ layers in vivo as well as a specific lineage of cardiac cells. The design of grafting peptides was also important, for which a joint segment and positive amino acids were added into the designed peptide. Because of the designed peptides on the hydrogels, only 200 µg/mL peptide solution was sufficient for grafting on the hydrogels, and the hydrogels supported hPSC cultures long-term; in contrast, in previous studies, greater than 1000 µg/mL peptide solution was needed for the grafting of peptides on cell culture materials.

SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin alleviates cardiac remodeling and contractile anomalies in a FUNDC1-dependent manner in experimental Parkinson's disease.

Recent evidence shows a close link between Parkinson's disease (PD) and cardiac dysfunction with limited treatment options. Mitophagy plays a crucial role in the control of mitochondrial quantity, metabolic reprogramming and cell differentiation. Mutation of the mitophagy protein Parkin is directly associated with the onset of PD. Parkin-independent receptor-mediated mitophagy is also documented such as BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa protein-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) and FUN14 domain containing 1 (FUNDC1) for receptor-mediated mitophagy. In this study we investigated cardiac function and mitophagy including FUNDC1 in PD patients and mouse models, and evaluated the therapeutic potential of a SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin. MPTP-induced PD model was established. PD patients and MPTP mice not only displayed pronounced motor defects, but also low plasma FUNDC1 levels, as well as cardiac ultrastructural and geometric anomalies (cardiac atrophy, interstitial fibrosis), functional anomalies (reduced E/A ratio, fractional shortening, ejection fraction, cardiomyocyte contraction) and mitochondrial injury (ultrastructural damage, UCP2, PGC1α, elevated mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake proteins MCU and VDAC1, and mitochondrial apoptotic protein calpain), dampened autophagy, FUNDC1 mitophagy and apoptosis. By Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we found overtly altered glucose transmembrane transport in the midbrains of MPTP-treated mice. Intriguingly, administration of SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin (10 mg/kg, i.p., twice per week for 2 weeks) in MPTP-treated mice significantly ameliorated myocardial anomalies (with exception of VDAC1), but did not reconcile the motor defects or plasma FUNDC1. FUNDC1 global knockout (FUNDC1-/- mice) did not elicit any phenotype on cardiac geometry or function in the absence or presence of MPTP insult, but it nullified empagliflozin-caused cardioprotection against MPTP-induced cardiac anomalies including remodeling (atrophy and fibrosis), contractile dysfunction, Ca2+ homeostasis, mitochondrial (including MCU, mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, calpain, PARP1) and apoptotic anomalies. In neonatal and adult cardiomyocytes, treatment with PD neurotoxin preformed fibrils of α-synuclein (PFF) caused cytochrome c release and cardiomyocyte mechanical defects. These effects were mitigated by empagliflozin (10 µM) or MCU inhibitor Ru360 (10 µM). MCU activator kaempferol (10 µM) or calpain activator dibucaine (500 µM) nullified the empagliflozin-induced beneficial effects. These results suggest that empagliflozin protects against PD-induced cardiac anomalies, likely through FUNDC1-mediated regulation of mitochondrial integrity.

Dynamics of Endothelial Cell Generation and Turnover in Arteries During Homeostasis and Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial cell (EC) generation and turnover by self-proliferation contributes to vascular repair and regeneration. The ability to accurately measure the dynamics of EC generation would advance our understanding of cellular mechanisms of vascular homeostasis and diseases. However, it is currently challenging to evaluate the dynamics of EC generation in large vessels such as arteries because of their infrequent proliferation. METHODS: By using dual recombination systems based on Cre-loxP and Dre-rox, we developed a genetic system for temporally seamless recording of EC proliferation in vivo. We combined genetic recording of EC proliferation with single-cell RNA sequencing and gene knockout to uncover cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying EC generation in arteries during homeostasis and disease. RESULTS: Genetic proliferation tracing reveals that ≈3% of aortic ECs undergo proliferation per month in adult mice during homeostasis. The orientation of aortic EC division is generally parallel to blood flow in the aorta, which is regulated by the mechanosensing protein Piezo1. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis reveals 4 heterogeneous aortic EC subpopulations with distinct proliferative activity. EC cluster 1 exhibits transit-amplifying cell features with preferential proliferative capacity and enriched expression of stem cell markers such as Sca1 and Sox18. EC proliferation increases in hypertension but decreases in type 2 diabetes, coinciding with changes in the extent of EC cluster 1 proliferation. Combined gene knockout and proliferation tracing reveals that Hippo/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 signaling pathways regulate EC proliferation in large vessels. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic proliferation tracing quantitatively delineates the dynamics of EC generation and turnover, as well as EC division orientation, in large vessels during homeostasis and disease. An EC subpopulation in the aorta exhibits more robust cell proliferation during homeostasis and type 2 diabetes, identifying it as a potential therapeutic target for vascular repair and regeneration.

Iron-Mediated Reductive Amidation of Triazine Esters with Nitroarenes.

A reductive amidation of triazine esters with nitroarenes by using cheap iron as a reducing metal in the presence of TMSCl in DMF was developed. The reactions proceeded efficiently under transition metal-free conditions to give the corresponding amides in moderate to good yields with good functional group compatibility. Preliminary mechanistic investigations indicated that nitrosobenzene, N-phenyl hydroxylamine, azoxybenzene, azobenzene, aniline, and N-arylformamide possibly served as the intermediates of the reaction.

Vacuum-Induced Symmetry Breaking of Chiral Enantiomer Formation in Chemical Reactions.

A material with symmetry breaking inside can transmit the symmetry breaking to its vicinity by vacuum electromagnetic fluctuations. Here, we show that vacuum quantum fluctuations proximate to a parity-symmetry-broken material can induce a chirality-dependent spectral shift of chiral molecules, resulting in a chemical reaction process that favors producing one chirality over the other. We calculate concrete examples and evaluate the chirality production rate with experimentally realizable parameters, showing the promise of selecting chirality with symmetry-broken vacuum quantum fluctuations.

Molecular mechanism of different flower color formation of Cymbidium ensifolium.

Cymbidium ensifolium is one of the national orchids in China, which has high ornamental value with changeable flower colors. To understand the formation mechanism of different flower colors of C. ensifolium, this research conducted transcriptome and metabolome analyses on four different colored sepals of C. ensifolium. Metabolome analysis detected 204 flavonoid metabolites, including 17 polyphenols, 27 anthocyanins, 75 flavones, 34 flavonols, 25 flavonoids, 18 flavanones, and 8 isoflavones. Among them, purple-red and red sepals contain a lot of anthocyanins, including cyanidin, pelargonin, and paeoniflorin, while yellow-green and white sepals have less anthocyanins detected, and their metabolites are mainly flavonols, flavanones and flavonoids. Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that the expression levels of the anthocyanin biosynthetic enzyme genes in red and purple-red sepals were significantly higher than those in white and yellow-green sepals of C. ensifolium. The experimental results showed that CeF3'H2, CeDFR, CeANS, CeF3H and CeUFGT1 may be the key genes involved in anthocyanin production in C. ensifolium sepals, and CeMYB104 has been proved to play an important role in the flower color formation of C. ensifolium. The results of transformation showed that the CeMYB104 is involved in the synthesis of anthocyanins and can form a purple-red color in the white perianth of Phalaenopsis. These findings provide a theoretical reference to understand the formation mechanism of flower color in C. ensifolium.

Left ventricular hypertrophy and metabolic resetting in the Notch3-deficient adult mouse heart.

The heart depends on a functional vasculature for oxygenation and transport of nutrients, and it is of interest to learn how primary impairment of the vasculature can indirectly affect cardiac function and heart morphology. Notch3-deficiency causes vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) loss in the vasculature but the consequences for the heart remain largely elusive. Here, we demonstrate that Notch3-/- mice have enlarged hearts with left ventricular hypertrophy and mild fibrosis. Cardiomyocytes were hypertrophic but not hyperproliferative, and the expression of several cardiomyocyte markers, including Tnt2, Myh6, Myh7 and Actn2, was altered. Furthermore, expression of genes regulating the metabolic status of the heart was affected: both Pdk4 and Cd36 were downregulated, indicating a metabolic switch from fatty acid oxidation to glucose consumption. Notch3-/- mice furthermore showed lower liver lipid content. Notch3 was expressed in heart VSMC and pericytes but not in cardiomyocytes, suggesting that a perturbation of Notch signalling in VSMC and pericytes indirectly impairs the cardiomyocytes. In keeping with this, Pdgfbret/ret mice, characterized by reduced numbers of VSMC and pericytes, showed left ventricular and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. In conclusion, we demonstrate that reduced Notch3 or PDGFB signalling in vascular mural cells leads to cardiomyocyte dysfunction.

Biosynthesis of Cosmosporasides Reveals the Assembly Line for Fungal Hybrid Terpenoid Saccharides.

Fungal hybrid terpenoid saccharides constitute a new and growing family of natural products with significant biomedical and agricultural activities. One representative family is the cosmosporasides, which feature oxidized terpenoid units and saccharide moieties; however, the assembly line of these building blocks has been elusive. Herein, a cos cluster from Fusarium orthoceras was discovered for the synthesis of cosmosporaside C (1) by genome mining. A UbiA family intramembrane prenyltransferase (UbiA-type PT), a multifunctional cytochrome P450, an α,ß-hydrolase, an acetyltransferase, a dimethylallyl transferase (DMAT-type PT) and a glycosyltransferase function cooperatively in the assembly of the scaffold of 1 using primary central metabolites. The absolute configuration at C4, C6 and C7 of 1 was also established. Our work clarifies the unexpected functions of UbiA-type and DMAT-type PTs and provides an example for understanding the synthetic logic of hybrid terpenoid saccharides in fungi.

Functional ProTracer identifies patterns of cell proliferation in tissues and underlying regulatory mechanisms.

A genetic system, ProTracer, has been recently developed to record cell proliferation in vivo. However, the ProTracer is initiated by an infrequently used recombinase Dre, which limits its broad application for functional studies employing floxed gene alleles. Here we generated Cre-activated functional ProTracer (fProTracer) mice, which enable simultaneous recording of cell proliferation and tissue-specific gene deletion, facilitating broad functional analysis of cell proliferation by any Cre driver.

The effects of topping-off instrumentation on biomechanics of sacroiliac joint after lumbosacral fusion.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar/lumbosacral fusion supplemented with topping-off devices has been proposed with the aim of avoiding adjacent segment degeneration proximal to the fusion construct. However, it remains unclear how the biomechanics of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) are altered after topping-off surgery. The objective of this study was to investigate the biomechanical effects of topping-off instrumentation on SIJ after lumbosacral fusion. METHODS: The validated finite element model of an intact lumbar spine-pelvis segment was modified to simulate L5-S1 interbody fusion fixed with a pedicle screw system. An interspinous spacer, Device for Intervertebral Assisted Motion (DIAM), was used as a topping-off device and placed between interspinous processes of the L4 and L5 segments. Range of motion (ROM), von-Mises stress distribution, and ligament strain at SIJ were compared between fusion (without DIAM) and topping-off (fusion with DIAM) models under moments of four physiological motions. RESULTS: ROM at the left and right SIJs in the topping-off model was higher by 26.9% and 27.5% in flexion, 16.8% and 16.1% in extension, 18.8% and 15.8% in lateral bending, and 3.7% and 7.4% in axial rotation, respectively, compared to those in the fusion model. The predicted stress and strain data showed that under all physiological loads, the topping-off model exhibited higher stress and ligament strain at the SIJs than the fusion model. CONCLUSIONS: Motion, stress, and ligament strain at SIJ increase when supplementing lumbosacral fusion with topping-off devices, suggesting that topping-off surgery may be associated with higher risks of SIJ degeneration and pain than fusion alone.

New insight into the microbiome, resistome, and mobilome on the dental waste water in the context of heavy metal environment.

Object: Hospital sewage have been associated with incorporation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) into microbes, which is considered as a key indicator for the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The compositions of dental waste water (DWW) contain heavy metals, the evolution of AMR and its effects on the water environment in the context of heavy metal environment have not been seriously investigated. Thus, our major aims were to elucidate the evolution of AMR in DWW. Methods: DWW samples were collected from a major dental department. The presence of microbial communities, ARGs, and MGEs in untreated and treated (by filter membrane and ozone) samples were analyzed using metagenomics and bioinformatic methods. Results: DWW-associated resistomes included 1,208 types of ARGs, belonging to 29 antibiotic types/subtypes. The most abundant types/subtypes were ARGs of multidrug resistance and of antibiotics that were frequently used in the clinical practice. Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Chryseobacterium indologenes, Sphingomonas laterariae were the main bacteria which hosted these ARGs. Mobilomes in DWW consisted of 93 MGE subtypes which belonged to 8 MGE types. Transposases were the most frequently detected MGEs which formed networks of communications. For example, ISCrsp1 and tnpA.5/4/11 were the main transposases located in the central hubs of a network. These significant associations between ARGs and MGEs revealed the strong potential of ARGs transmission towards development of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. On the other hand, treatment of DWW using membranes and ozone was only effective in removing minor species of bacteria and types of ARGs and MGEs. Conclusion: DWW contained abundant ARGs, and MGEs, which contributed to the occurrence and spread of AMR bacteria. Consequently, DWW would seriously increase environmental health concerns which may be different but have been well-documented from hospital waste waters.

Utilization of natural alleles for heat adaptability QTLs at the flowering stage in rice.

BACKGROUND: Heat stress threatens rice yield and quality at flowering stage. In this study, average relative seed setting rate under heat stress (RHSR) and genotypes of 284 varieties were used for a genome-wide association study. RESULTS: We identified eight and six QTLs distributed on chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 12 in the full population and indica, respectively. qHTT4.2 was detected in both the full population and indica as an overlapping QTL. RHSR was positively correlated with the accumulation of heat-tolerant superior alleles (SA), and indica accession contained at least two heat-tolerant SA with average RHSR greater than 43%, meeting the needs of stable production and heat-tolerant QTLs were offer yield basic for chalkiness degree, amylose content, gel consistency and gelatinization temperature. Chalkiness degree, amylose content, and gelatinization temperature under heat stress increased with accumulation of heat-tolerant SA. Gel consistency under heat stress decreased with polymerization of heat-tolerant SA. The study revealed qHTT4.2 as a stable heat-tolerant QTL that can be used for breeding that was detected in the full population and indica. And the grain quality of qHTT4.2-haplotype1 (Hap1) with chalk5, wx, and alk was better than that of qHTT4.2-Hap1 with CHALK5, WX, and ALK. Twelve putative candidate genes were identified for qHTT4.2 that enhance RHSR based on gene expression data and these genes were validated in two groups. Candidate genes LOC_Os04g52830 and LOC_Os04g52870 were induced by high temperature. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings identify strong heat-tolerant cultivars and heat-tolerant QTLs with great potential value to improve rice tolerance to heat stress, and suggest a strategy for the breeding of yield-balance-quality heat-tolerant crop varieties.

QTL mapping and identification of candidate genes for cold tolerance at the germination stage in wild rice.

BACKGROUND: Cold damage stress significantly affects rice growth (germination and seedling) and causes serious losses in yield in temperate and high-altitude areas around the globe. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the cold tolerance (CT) locus of rice and create new cold-tolerant germplasm. We constructed a chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL) with strong CT and fine mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with CT by performing the whole-genome resequencing of CSSL with phenotypes under cold treatment. METHODS: A chromosome CSSL, including 271 lines from a cross between the cold-tolerant wild rice Y11 (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) and the cold-sensitive rice variety GH998, was developed to map QTLs conferring CT at the germination stage. The whole-genome resequencing was performed on CSSL for mapping QTLs of associated with CT at the germination stage. RESULTS: A high-density linkage map of the CSSLs was developed using the whole-genome resequencing of 1484 bins. The QTL analysis using 615,466 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) led to the identification of 2 QTLs related to germination rate at low-temperature on chromosome 8 (qCTG-8) and chromosome 11 (qCTG-11). The qCTG-8 and qCTG-11 explained 14.55% and 14.31% of the total phenotypic variation, respectively. We narrowed down qCTG-8 and qCTG-11 to 195.5 and 78.83-kb regions, respectively. The expression patterns of important candidate genes in different tissues, and of RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) in CSSLs, were identified based on gene sequences in qCTG-8 and qCTG-11 cold-induced expression analysis. LOC_Os08g01120 and LOC_Os08g01390 were identified as candidate genes in qCTG-8, and LOC_Os11g32880 was identified as a candidate gene in qCTG-11. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a general method that could be used to identify useful loci and genes in wild rice and aid in the future cloning of candidate genes of qCTG-8 and qCTG-11. The CSSLs with strong CT were supported for breeding cold-tolerant rice varieties.

Internal B ← O Bond Facilitated Photo/Thermal Isomerization of Tetra-Coordinated Boranes.

A new series of O∧C-chelate tetra-coordinated boranes with naphtha-aldehyde as the chelate backbone have been synthesized. Their photophysical and photochemical properties have been examined, which show that all of the compounds can undergo both photo and thermal transformations, generating aryl-migrated [1,2]oxaborinine derivatives as the major products. 1,3-Sigmatropic shifts and an intramolecular nucleophilic addition mechanism are proposed for the photochemical and thermal conversion pathways, respectively.