The protease corin regulates electrolyte homeostasis in eccrine sweat glands

Sweating is a basic skin function in body temperature control. In sweat glands, salt excretion and reabsorption are regulated to avoid electrolyte imbalance. To date, the mechanism underlying such regulation is not fully understood. Corin is a transmembrane protease that activates atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a cardiac hormone essential for normal blood volume and pressure. Here, we report an unexpected role of corin in sweat glands to promote sweat and salt excretion in regulating electrolyte homeostasis. In human and mouse eccrine sweat glands, corin and ANP are expressed in the luminal epithelial cells. In corin-deficient mice on normal- and high-salt diets, sweat and salt excretion is reduced. This phenotype is associated with enhanced epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity that mediates Na⁺ and water reabsorption. Treatment of amiloride, an ENaC inhibitor, normalizes sweat and salt excretion in corin-deficient mice. Moreover, treatment of aldosterone decreases sweat and salt excretion in wild-type (WT), but not corin-deficient, mice. These results reveal an important regulatory function of corin in eccrine sweat glands to promote sweat and salt excretion.

Sweating is a basic skin function in body temperature control, and salt excretion and reabsorption in sweat glands are essential for salt-water balance. This study identifies corin, a transmembrane protease that activates atrial natriuretic peptide, as a key enzyme in regulating salt excretion in the skin.     

OMA1 reprograms metabolism under hypoxia to promote colorectal cancer development

Many cancer cells maintain enhanced aerobic glycolysis due to irreversible defective mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). This phenomenon, known as the Warburg effect, is recently challenged because most cancer cells maintain OXPHOS. However, how cancer cells coordinate glycolysis and OXPHOS remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that OMA1, a stress‐activated mitochondrial protease, promotes colorectal cancer development by driving metabolic reprogramming. OMA1 knockout suppresses colorectal cancer development in AOM/DSS and xenograft mice models of colorectal cancer. OMA1‐OPA1 axis is activated by hypoxia, increasing mitochondrial ROS to stabilize HIF‐1α, thereby promoting glycolysis in colorectal cancer cells. On the other hand, under hypoxia, OMA1 depletion promotes accumulation of NDUFB5, NDUFB6, NDUFA4, and COX4L1, supporting that OMA1 suppresses OXPHOS in colorectal cancer. Therefore, our findings support a role for OMA1 in coordination of glycolysis and OXPHOS to promote colorectal cancer development and highlight OMA1 as a potential target for colorectal cancer therapy.     

超高产杂交水稻皮秒分辨荧光特性

采用时间分辨荧光光谱测试系统，研究了超高产杂交水稻(Oryza sativa L.)两优培九(P9)和对照汕优63(SH 63)类囊体膜的荧光光谱特性和时间特性。以脉宽为120ps，重复率为4MHz，波长为514nm的Ar^-激光分别激发P9和SH 63水稻类囊体膜荧光。通过对其超快荧光的时间特性和光谱特性比较研究发现：无论是在灌浆期还是在扬花期，P9水稻类囊体膜中光系统I激发能传递的速度比光系统Ⅱ的快；P9和SH 63两种水稻类囊体膜在灌浆期的激发能传递速度都比扬花期的快；两种水稻类囊体膜的光谱特性还给出，在从扬花期到灌浆期这一生长发育过程中，SH63水稻类囊体膜的色素成分和结合状态发生了变化，而P9却没有出现这种变化。     

AtLURE1/PRK6-mediated signaling promotes conspecific micropylar pollen tube guidance

Reproductive isolation is a prerequisite to form and maintain a new species. Multiple prezygotic and postzygotic reproductive isolation barriers have been reported in plants. In the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana conspecific pollen tube precedence controlled by AtLURE1/PRK6-mediated signaling has been recently reported as a major prezygotic reproductive isolation barrier. By accelerating emergence of own pollen tubes from the transmitting tract, A. thaliana ovules promote self-fertilization and thus prevent fertilization by a different species. Taking advantage of a septuple atlure1null mutant, we now report on the role of AtLURE1/PRK6-mediated signaling for micropylar pollen tube guidance. Compared with wild-type (WT) ovules, atlure1null ovules displayed remarkably reduced micropylar pollen tube attraction efficiencies in modified semi-in vivo A. thaliana ovule targeting assays. However, when prk6 mutant pollen tubes were applied, atlure1null ovules showed micropylar attraction efficiencies comparable to that of WT ovules. These findings indicate that AtLURE1/PRK6-mediated signaling regulates micropylar pollen tube attraction in addition to promoting emergence of own pollen tubes from the transmitting tract. Moreover, semi-in vivo ovule targeting competition assays with the same amount of pollen grains from both A. thaliana and Arabidopsis lyrata showed that A. thaliana WT and xiuqiu mutant ovules are mainly targeted by own pollen tubes and that atlure1null mutant ovules are also entered to a large extent by A. lyrata pollen tubes. Taken together, we report that AtLURE1/PRK6-mediated signaling promotes conspecific micropylar pollen tube attraction representing an additional prezygotic isolation barrier.

A modified ovule targeting assay revealed that AtLURE1/PRK6-mediated signaling promotes micropylar guidance of Arabidopsis thaliana pollen tubes while discriminating tubes of related Arabidopsis lyrata.     

甘肃马先蒿不同寄生密度对紫花针茅内生真菌共生体生理特性的影响

【目的】根寄生植物持续掠夺禾草体内营养物质成为禾草生长过程中的生物逆境,禾草内生真菌提高冷季型禾草对生物和非生物逆境耐受能力。然而,有关禾草内生真菌对根寄生逆境下禾草生理过程调控作用的研究鲜有报道。【方法】开展温室盆栽试验,以带菌(E+)和不带菌(E-)紫花针茅为研究对象,研究甘肃马先蒿不同寄生密度对紫花针茅抗氧化酶活性、渗透调节物质和根系活力影响的动态变化规律。【结果】甘肃马先蒿寄生显著增加紫花针茅抗氧化酶活性、丙二醛和脯氨酸含量,而根系活力却快速降低;高密度寄生紫花针茅植株生理特性指标显著高于低密度寄生或自然生长植株;同时,E+紫花针茅抗氧化酶活性、脯氨酸含量和根系活力显著高于E-植株,而E-植株丙二醛含量显著高于E+植株。【结论】禾草内生真菌通过增强抗氧化酶活性、调节细胞膜透性和增强根系生长能力的途径提高紫花针茅对根寄生逆境的耐受能力,利用植物替代方法带菌紫花针茅可以作为一种生物防治手段用于防控根寄生杂草。