The Chimonanthus salicifolius genome provides insight into magnoliid evolution and flavonoid biosynthesis

Chimonanthus salicifolius, a member of the Calycanthaceae of magnoliids, is one of the most famous medicinal plants in Eastern China. Here, we report a chromosome‐level genome assembly of C. salicifolius, comprising 820.1 Mb of genomic sequence with a contig N50 of 2.3 Mb and containing 36 651 annotated protein‐coding genes. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that magnoliids were sister to the eudicots. Two rounds of ancient whole‐genome duplication were inferred in the C. salicifolious genome. One is shared by Calycanthaceae after its divergence with Lauraceae, and the other is in the ancestry of Magnoliales and Laurales. Notably, long genes with > 20 kb in length were much more prevalent in the magnoliid genomes compared with other angiosperms, which could be caused by the length expansion of introns inserted by transposon elements. Homologous genes within the flavonoid pathway for C. salicifolius were identified, and correlation of the gene expression and the contents of flavonoid metabolites revealed potential critical genes involved in flavonoids biosynthesis. This study not only provides an additional whole‐genome sequence from the magnoliids, but also opens the door to functional genomic research and molecular breeding of C. salicifolius.     

Proteomic Analysis of High Temperature Stress-Responsive Proteins in Chrysanthemum Leaves

Chrysanthemum is one of the most important ornamental flowers in the world, and temperature has a significant influence on its field production. In the present study, differentially expressed proteins were investigated in the leaves of Dendranthema grandiflorum ‘Jinba’ under high temperature stress using label-free quantitative proteomics techniques. The expressed proteins were comparatively identified and analyzed. A total of 1,463 heat-related, differentially expressed proteins were successfully identified by Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and 1,463 heat-related, differentially expressed proteins were successfully identified by mass spectrometry after a high temperature treatment. Among these, 701 proteins were upregulated and 762 proteins were downregulated. The in-depth bioinformatics analysis of these differentially expressed proteins revealed that these were involved in energy metabolism pathways, protein metabolism, and heat shock. In the present study, the investigators determined the changes in the levels of some proteins, and their expression at the protein and molecular levels in chrysanthemum to help reveal the mechanism of heat resistance in chrysanthemum. Furthermore, the present study elucidated some of the proteins correlated to heat resistance in chrysanthemum, and their expression changes at the protein and molecular levels to help reveal the mechanism of heat resistance in this flower species. These results provide a theoretical basis for the selection of new heat resistant varieties of chrysanthemum in the field.     

Studies on the effects of bone marrow stem cells on mitochondrial function and the alleviation of ARDS

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can alleviate acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but the mechanisms involved are unclear, especially about their...     

Genetics and Resistance Mechanism of the Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Against Powdery Mildew

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Powdery mildew (PM) is one of the most severe foliar diseases in cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.), but the inheritance of PM resistance remains unclear. The...     

The Salicylic Acid Signaling Pathway Plays an Important Role in the Resistant Process of Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis to Plasmodiophora brassicae Woronin

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Clubroot disease, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae Woronin infection, leads to significant yield and economic losses in cruciferous vegetables. However, the...     

NLRP3 regulates alveolar bone loss in ligature‐induced periodontitis by promoting osteoclastic differentiation

ObjectivesNLRP3 inflammasome is a critical part of the innate immune system and plays an important role in a variety of inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of NLRP3 inflammasome on periodontitis have not been fully studied.Materials and methodsWe used ligature‐induced periodontitis models of NLRP3 knockout mice (NLRP3^KO) and their wildtype (WT) littermates to compare their alveolar bone phenotypes. We further used Lysm‐Cre/Rosa^nTnG mouse to trace the changes of Lysm‐Cre⁺ osteoclast precursors in ligature‐induced periodontitis with or without MCC950 treatment. At last, we explored MCC950 as a potential drug for the treatment of periodontitis in vivo and in vitro.ResultsHere, we showed that the number of osteoclast precursors, osteoclast differentiation and alveolar bone loss were reduced in NLRP3^KO mice compared with WT littermates, by using ligature‐induced periodontitis model. Next, MCC950, a specific inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, was used to inhibit osteoclast precursors differentiation into osteoclast. Further, we used Lysm‐Cre/Rosa^nTnG mice to demonstrate that MCC950 decreases the number of Lysm‐Cre⁺ osteoclast precursors in ligature‐induced periodontitis. At last, treatment with MCC950 significantly suppressed alveolar bone loss with reduced IL‐1β activation and osteoclast differentiation in ligature‐induced periodontitis.ConclusionOur findings reveal that NLRP3 regulates alveolar bone loss in ligature‐induced periodontitis by promoting osteoclastic differentiation.