Systematic analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">NPK1</Emphasis>-like genes in rice reveals a stress-inducible gene cluster co-localized with a quantitative trait locus of drought resistance

Phosphorylation by protein kinase is a ubiquitous key mechanism in translating external stimuli such as drought stress. NPK1 is a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase identified in Nicotiana tabacum and plays important roles in cytokinesis and auxin signaling transduction and responses to multiple stresses. Here we report the evolution, structure, and comprehensive expression profile of 21 NPK1-like genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Phylogenetic analysis of NPK1-like sequences in rice (OsNPKL), Arabidopsis, and other plants reveals that NPK1-like genes could be classified into three subgroups. Three OsNPKL gene clusters, located on chromosome 1 (OsNPKL1, 2, 3, and 4), 5 (OsNPKL14 and 15), and 10 (OsNPKL19 and 20), respectively, were identified in the rice genome. These clustered genes, which most likely evolved by tandem gene duplication, belong to the same phylogenetic subgroup, with similar genomic structures and conserved motifs in the kinase domain, which is unique to this subgroup. Expression analysis of OsNPKL genes under abiotic stresses suggests that the stress-responsive genes are mainly from the same subgroup. Especially interesting is that all the clustered genes are induced by drought, salt, or cold stress, and a few members are very strongly induced by drought. Some of the clustered genes are also induced by abscisic acid. The gene cluster on chromosome 1 is co-located with a quantitative trait locus (QTL) related to drought resistance. Although the drought-induced expression levels of the four genes in the cluster show no difference between the two parents used for QTL mapping, sequence variation in coding regions of the genes between the parents has provided some clues for further functional characterization of this gene cluster in abiotic stress tolerance in rice.     

Circular RNA circFOXO3 regulates KDM2A by targeting miR‐214 to promote tumor growth and metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a pathological type of oral cancer, which accounts for over 90% of oral cancers. It has been widely shown that circRNA is involved in the regulation of multiple malignant oral diseases including OSCC. However, the mechanism underlying how circRNA regulates OSCC is still not clearly elucidated. In this article, we report circFOXO3 promotes tumor growth and invasion of OSCC by targeting miR‐214 which specifically degrades the lysine demethylase 2A (KDM2A). CircRNA sequencing was conducted in OSCC tumor and tumor‐side tissues, and the expression of circFOXO3 is found to be markedly increased in tumor tissues. CircFOXO3 is also highly expressed in several OSCC cell lines compared with human oral keratinocytes. Transwell assay and colony formation showed that knockdown of circFOXO3 prevents the invasion and proliferation of oral cancer cells. Via bioinformatic research, miR‐214 was found to be the target of circFOXO3 and correlate well with circFOXO3 both in vitro and in vivo. KDM2A was then validated by database analysis and luciferase assay to be the direct target of miR‐214. KDM2A helps to promote tumor invasiveness and proliferation of OSCC. Collectively, our results proved that circFOXO3 sponges miR‐214 to up‐regulate the expression of KDM2A, thus promotes tumor progression in OSCC.     

RIR1 represses plant immunity by interacting with mitochondrial complex I subunit in rice

We previously observed decreased expression of rice OsmiR159a.1 on infection with the bacterial blight-causing pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), and identified the OsLRR_RLK (leucine-rich repeat_ receptor like kinase) gene as an authentic target of OsmiR159a.1. Here, we found that a Tos17 insertion mutant of LRR_RLK displayed increasing temporal resistance to Xoo, whereas the LRR_RLK overexpression lines were susceptible to the pathogen early on in the infection, indicating that LRR_RLK encodes a repressor of rice resistance to Xoo infection, and it was renamed as RIR1 (Rice Immunity Repressor 1). RIR1 overexpression plants were more susceptible to Xoo at late growth stage, suggesting that RIR1 mRNA levels are negatively correlated with the resistance of rice against Xoo. We discovered that OsmiR159a.1 repression in Xoo-infected plants was largely dependent on the pathogen's type III secretion system. Co-immunoprecipitation, bimolecular fluoresence complementation, and pull-down assays indicated that RIR1 interacted with the NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (NUO) 51-kDa subunit of the mitochondrial complex I through its kinase domain. Notably, impairment of RIR1 or overexpression of NUO resulted in reactive oxygen species accumulation and enhanced expression of pathogen-resistance genes, including jasmonic acid pathway genes. We propose that pathogens may inhibit OsmiR159 to interfere with the RIR1–NUO interaction, and subsequently depression of rice immune signalling pathways. The resistance genes manipulated by Xoo can be a probe to explore the regulatory network during host–pathogen interactions.     

靶向蛋白降解技术及其在疾病治疗中的研究进展

靶向蛋白降解 (Targeted protein degradation,TPD) 技术利用细胞内天然存在的两大蛋白降解系统：泛素化-蛋白酶体系统与溶酶体降解途径实现对疾病相关蛋白的特异、高效降解,从而达到疾病治疗的效果。相较于传统的小分子抑制剂,基于TPD技术的药物在靶点蛋白的选择上限制性更小,能够作用于“无成药性”的蛋白,从而拥有更为丰富的靶点库。与在基因、mRNA层面干扰蛋白表达的技术相比,TPD药物具有特异、快速以及不受蛋白翻译后修饰约束等特点。在过去的20年里,基于TPD技术的各类降解系统层出不穷,相关研究成果在近些年呈爆发式增长,更令人兴奋的是,2019年两种基于TPD技术的治疗性药物进入临床阶段并初步显示出良好的治疗效果。虽然TPD技术的发展处于起步阶段,目前仍存在诸多缺陷,但凭借其独有的优势,在不久的将来,该技术必将成为药物研发的主要手段之一,同时,也将给学术界和产业界带来前所未有的机遇。本综述详细介绍了基于TPD技术的不同降解系统的研究现状,阐述了各系统在疾病治疗中的应用,系统地总结了各自的优势和不足,以期为TPD技术在科学研究和药物研发中的进一步应用提供理论指导。     

基于电子导航地图POI的北京城区绿色空间服务半径分析

近年来,电子导航地图中的兴趣点（Point of Interest,POI）在城市地理与城市生态研究方面越来越受到重视。城市绿色空间对其居民的生产生活服务作用十分重要,城市绿地系统的配置是否科学对城市生态系统服务供需情况有着重要影响。利用北京城区五环以内的POI数据,采用核函数模拟出城市居民生产生活在空间分布上强弱程度的热力图,对该区域绿色空间实体不同半径服务区内的热力特征进行耦合分析。研究表明：北京市五环以内绿色空间实体500、750 m和1000 m典型服务半径的覆盖面分别占总面积的77.99%、91.55%和97.46%,从服务供给角度表现出空间分布格局相对均匀;但在绿色空间500 m服务半径内,仅覆盖了POI热力图中极高密度区中51.19%的地区,高密度区中54.78%的地区,中密度区中66.21%的区域,从服务需求角度表现出绿色空间分布格局明显不均衡。研究认为城市绿色空间在POI热度较高区域的主要商圈、人流密集区域匹配明显不足,需要通过增加绿地或疏解POI集中程度来缓解绿色空间供需矛盾。     

氮素营养水平对膜下滴灌玉米穗位叶光合及氮代谢酶活性的影响

本文以先玉420为试验材料,研究在大垄双行膜下滴灌种植模式下,氮素水平对玉米穗位叶光合特征及氮代谢关键酶活性的影响。结果表明：1)玉米穗位叶氮素含量、光合速率(Pn)、蒸腾速率(Tr)、气孔导度(Gs)和水分利用效率(WUE),均以N3(300 kg/hm2)水平最高,其平均Pn达35.1μmol m-2 s-1,Tr达7.57 m mol m-2 s-1,Gs 为0.58 mol m-2 s-1,WUE为 4.64μmol mmol-1。2) 最大光化学效率(Fv/Fm)、实际光化学效率(ΦPSⅡ)和光化学猝灭(qP),以N3水平最高,Fv/Fm均在0.75以上,ΦPSⅡ和qP均在0.45以上。3) PEP羧化酶对氮肥的响应较RUBP羧化酶敏感。氮肥少于100 kg/hm2才显著降低RUBP羧化酶活性;而PEP羧化酶则仅在N3处理时活性最高。4) 施用氮肥均增加穗位叶硝酸还原酶(NR)和谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)活性,以N3处理增幅最大,平均比不施氮肥分别增加22.4%(NR)和64.8%(GS),蛋白水解酶活性则相反,平均比不施氮肥分别降低51.6%(内肽酶)和76.9%(氨肽酶)。5）相关分析表明：穗位叶氮含量与与内肽酶和氨肽酶呈现负相关,与其他各项指标均呈现正相关,差异显著性因花后不同时期而不同。6）在供试试验区,在氮肥施用总量为300 kg/hm2时,玉米穗位叶保持较高的光合特性和相关酶活性,为玉米籽粒产量的形成奠定了基础。     

城市内涝调节服务供需关键区识别与优先级划分

在全球气候变化和城市化背景下,城市内涝灾害频发,严重危及城市居民的人身安全、财产安全及公共安全。如何精准施策,针对关键区域进行城市内涝调节治理已成为社会各界关注并亟需解决的重要问题。基于生态系统服务供需视角,以径流调节率表征城市内涝调节的供给水平,以胁迫性、暴露性和脆弱性指标表征城市内涝调节的需求水平,构建了完整的技术路线和指标体系,从而识别城市内涝调节供需失衡的关键区,并确定规划干预的优先级。基于此,以岛屿型城市厦门岛为例,使用遥感数据和人口、社会、经济数据,运用ArcMap10.8、ENVI5.3和GeoDA平台,模拟评估了城市街区尺度下城市内涝调节服务的供需水平及空间分布特征。通过供需匹配将研究单元划分为:高供-高需,低供-高需,低供-低需和高供-低需4种类型,并识别出114个供需严重失衡的关键区,该类关键区面临城市内涝调节服务供给短缺的严峻挑战,是未来城市规划过程中需要重点优化的对象。在此基础上,使用优先级指数将关键区划分为5个规划干预优先级,明确了城市内涝治理的优先次序。研究结果为开展具有针对性的城市内涝调节治理实践提供了新的科学依据,同时在解决城市内涝灾害问题,推进以人为核...     

铁皮石斛内生真菌的分离及其挥发性成分分析

铁皮石斛(Dendrobium officinale)是我国重要的濒危中药材,其药用价值和经济价值很高。以铁皮石斛为研究对象,采用组织块法,从铁皮石斛根、茎和叶中分离获得22株内生真菌。采用固相微萃取固定吸附(SPME),结合气相质谱(GCMS)解吸附分析技术对其中具有产香特性的3株内生真菌KLBMPD001、KLBMPD004和LBMPD009的挥发性成分进行分析。结果显示,这3株内生真菌均含有较高比例的棕榈酸,分别为37.94%、24.15%和48.55%,其中菌株KLBMPD001和KLBMPD009含有一定比例的硬脂酸,分别为12.64%和37.37%,只有菌株KLBMPD004含有8.74%的酞酸二丁酯。     

中国土地利用格局及其影响因子分析

在遥感技术与 GIS技术的支持下 ,对中国土地利用空间格局及其影响因子进行了分析。首先通过 1∶1 0万中国土地利用数据库经过分层提取 ,生成中国土地利用类型空间分布格局数据库 ,在此基础上对中国土地利用空间格局进行了分析 ;而后在引入景观多样性指数、优势度指数、均匀度指数、破碎度指数的基础上 ,对中国土地利用景观格局进行了定量分析。研究结果表明 :中国土地利用景观多样性指数、优势度指数、均匀度指数、破碎度指数空间分布上具有明显的规律性 :随着人类活动的逐渐增强 ,景观的多样性指数逐渐增加 ,优势度指数逐渐减少 ,破碎度指数逐渐增加 ;而当人类已经彻底改变自然景观 ,多样性指数则逐渐减少 ,优势度指数增加 ,而破碎度指数逐渐减少。同时 ,针对中国土地利用景观格局及其生态背景的特点 ,选择北纬 40°、2 8°和 2 4°三条样带 ,东经 1 0 8°和 1 1 4°两条样带 ,对中国土地利用格局的影响因子进行了分析。