Wnt not, waste not

The molecular signals that regulate the regenerative function of satellite cells in the skeletal muscle remain largely obscure. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Brack et al. (2008) report that direct molecular crosstalk between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation pathways determines the timing and efficiency of muscle repair.     

加强梯田景观综合研究,促进山地系统可持续发展——第十届全国景观生态学学术研讨会梯田景观专场述评

第十届全国景观生态学学术研讨会于2020年12月18日至2020年12月20日在古都西安隆重举行，分会场之一的"梯田景观生态与可持续管理"首届学术研讨成功举办。专场分国际和国内两个半场，来自国际梯田景观联盟组织（ITLA）、世界银行、意大利、德国、奥地利、斯罗维尼亚、英国、布隆迪等知名机构的9名学者线上分享了精彩报告，国内专场有中国科学院、中国农科院、清华大学、北京师范大学、云南大学、云南师范大学等相关机构的学者和研究生及地方梯田管理部门的专家与会。国内外同行围绕全球典型区梯田景观及其边界的遥感识别与高精度制图方法、梯田生态系统服务与生态补偿、梯田水文过程的同位素示踪、梯田遗产保护与维持机制、梯田撂荒与因灾损毁等面临的突出挑战及其可持续发展等议题开展深入讨论。通过本次研讨，凸显了加强梯田景观生态研究和可持续管理的重要意义和迫切性，鉴于梯田在山区人地关系和社会生态系统中的特殊地位，以及在"山水林田湖草"综合治理和乡村振兴中的作用，在创新科学研究和解决实践问题时需要综合考量自然过程和人文驱动的综合作用；同时认为未来梯田多功能景观及其可持续管理需要强化自然科学与社会学、生态经济学、区域政策学等多学科的交叉结合，为美丽中国生态文明建设提供重要科技支持与智力服务。     

Patently not obvious

Patenting a technology is an increasingly important issue for biometrics companies around the world. On the surface, the reason for obtaining a patent seems obvious: to register a unique invention and in doing so, to stop others from copying a design which may have taken years of dedicated work and investment to complete. In actual fact, patenting is a complex issue, which requires time, money and a clear idea of what the patent may achieve.     

Legumes tolerance to rhizobia is not always observed and not always deserved

Rhizobia display dual lifestyle. These bacteria are soil inhabitants but can also elicit the formation of a special niche on the root of legume plants, the nodules. In such organs, rhizobia can promote the growth of their host by providing them nitrogen they captured from atmosphere. All along the infection process, the plant innate immunity has to be controlled to maintain compatible interaction. However, nodulation does not always result in profit for the plant as compatible interactions include both nitrogen‐fixing and non‐fixing associations. In recent years, our knowledge on the mechanisms involved in the control of plant innate immunity during rhizobia‐legume interactions has greatly improved notably by the identification of bacterial and plant genes activating or suppressing the plant defences. Surprisingly, results also demonstrated that in some cases, plant defence reactions result in abortion of the nodulation process despite that the rhizobial strain has all the genetic potential to establish mutualism. In such situation, experimental evolution approaches highlighted possible rapid switches of incompatible rhizobia either to mutualistic or parasitic behaviour. Here, we review this recent literature.