A chloride efflux transporter,BIG RICE GRAIN 1, is involved in mediating grain size and salt tolerance in rice

Grain size is determined by the size and number of cells in the grain. The regulation of grain size is crucial for improving crop yield; however, the genes and molecular mechanisms that control grain size remain elusive. Here, we report that a member of the detoxification efflux carrier /Multidrug and Toxic Compound Extrusion (DTX/MATE) family transporters, BIG RICE GRAIN 1 (BIRG1), negatively influences grain size in rice (Oryza sativa L.). BIRG1 is highly expressed in reproductive organs and roots. In birg1 grain, the outer parenchyma layer cells of spikelet hulls are larger than in wild-type (WT) grains, but the cell number is unaltered. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, BIRG1 exhibits chloride efflux activity. Consistent with this role of BIRG1, the birg1 mutant shows reduced tolerance to salt stress at a toxic chloride level. Moreover, grains from birg1 plants contain a higher level of chloride than those of WT plants when grown under normal paddy field conditions, and the roots of birg1 accumulate more chloride than those of WT under saline conditions. Collectively, the data suggest that BIRG1 in rice functions as a chloride efflux transporter that is involved in mediating grain size and salt tolerance by controlling chloride homeostasis.     

沙生植物沙鞭不同居群形态变异研究

以沙鞭(Psammochloa villosa Bor.)20个自然居群为研究对象,对其株高、花序长度、旗叶长度、旗叶宽度和小穗长度等12个表型性状进行形态变异研究。结果显示,12个性状群体间F值为1.832~8.958,达到显著或极显著水平,表明沙鞭不同居群表型性状存在广泛变异,且变异程度各不相同;主成分分析结果显示,前4个主成分代表了沙鞭形态多样性的82.277%,其中旗叶长度、旗叶宽度、颖片长度、小穗长度等是造成不同居群表型性状差异的主要因素;依据欧式距离对参试居群进行的UPGMA聚类分析结果表明,当遗传距离为20.5时,可以将20个沙鞭野生居群划分为两类,且各表型性状并没有依居群地理分布而聚类。     

Genomes of 12 fig wasps provide insights into the adaptation of pollinators to fig syconia

Figs and fig pollinators are one of the few classic textbook examples of obligate pollination mutualism. The specific dependence of fig pollinators on the relatively safe living environment with sufficient food sources in the enclosed fig syconia implies that they are vulnerable to habitat changes. However, there is still no extensive genomic evidence to reveal the evolutionary footprint of this long-term mutually beneficial symbiosis in fig pollinators. In fig syconia, there are also non-pollinator species. The non-pollinator species differ in their evolutionary and life histories from pollinators. We conducted comparative analyses on 11 newly sequenced fig wasp genomes and one previously published genome. The pollinators colonized the figs approximately 66.9 million years ago, consistent with the origin of host figs. Compared with nonpollinators, many more genes in pollinators were subject to relaxed selection. Seven genes were absent in pollinators in response to environmental stress and immune activation. Pollinators had more streamlined gene repertoires in the innate immune system, chemosensory toolbox, and detoxification system. Our results provide genomic evidence for the differentiation between pollinators and nonpollinators. The data suggest that owing to the long-term adaptation to the fig, some genes related to functions no longer required are absent in pollinators.     

文冠果性别分化关键期花芽转录组分析

为探究文冠果(Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge)性别分化过程的分子机制,本研究对其性别分化关键期花芽进行RNA-seq分析.结果 共获得37.13 Gb原始数据,de novo组装后共产生29430条Unigenes,平均长度1144 bp,其中21887条Unigenes获得功能注释.此外,共得到差异基因4864个,其中相对于性别分化前期(Ta)差异上调基因3003个,差异下调基因1861个.GO富集分析显示,差异基因主要注释到代谢进程、植物激素信号转导、生长素激活的信号通路等功能.KEGG富集分析显示,差异基因主要注释到植物激素信号转导、淀粉和蔗糖代谢等生物功能.还筛选出6个MADS-box相关基因(TR576|c0_g1,TR7438|c0_g1,TR10037|c1_g10,TR13325|c0_g1,TR 6316|c0_g1,TR5807|c0_ g1),参与雄蕊发育、花粉管生长、花发育调节、花瓣发育、胚珠发育、转录因子活性等过程调节.RT-qPCR检测了16个基因在两个时期的表达量,结果均与RNA-seq一致.研究结果将为进行文冠果性别分化过程中基因表达分析提供参考.     

昆虫抗菌肽对肿瘤细胞的抑制作用研究进展

昆虫抗菌肽(antimicrobial peptide,AMPs)是一类昆虫先天免疫系统中十分重要的效应因子,它分子量小、热稳定,并且具有广谱抗菌性,能够抑制、杀死多种细菌、真菌.近几年来,由于昆虫抗菌肽具有抗肿瘤的活性且其不具有抗原性而受到研究者的广泛关注.昆虫种类多、分布广,因此昆虫抗菌肽具有很高的开发潜力和实际应用价值.但是,目前对于昆虫抗菌肽抗肿瘤能力的研究尚不够深入,对其作用机制还没有一套准确并且系统的理论.现在普遍认为昆虫抗菌肽的抗肿瘤机制与其抗菌机制类似,可以分为破坏细胞膜机制以及非破坏细胞膜机制,并且同一种昆虫抗菌肽可以通过多种方式来抑制甚至杀死肿瘤细胞,但是对正常真核细胞无明显的毒副作用.相较于传统化疗药物的无差别杀伤,昆虫抗菌肽在肿瘤治疗领域有着巨大潜力.本文简要综述了昆虫抗菌肽对肿瘤细胞的抑制作用及其作用机制,并对其开发潜力和实际应用价值进行了展望,以期为今后的研究提供理论支持.     

联合TCGA和GEO数据库筛选乳腺癌易感基因

本研究是利用公共基因芯片数据库筛选乳腺癌的预后基因,预测和探索这些基因在乳腺癌进展中的可能机制和临床价值.首先,我们筛选了公共基因芯片数据库(gene expression omnibus,GEO)GSE22820和癌症基因组图谱(the cancer genome atlas,TCGA)乳腺癌数据库的重叠差异表达基因,联合R语言分析乳腺癌组织与癌旁正常组织差异表达的基因;其次,基于STRING数据库及Cytoscape软件构建蛋白质相互作用网络图,分析并识别了中枢基因和前3个模块;之后进行了更多的功能分析,包括基因本体(gene ontology,GO)和京都基因与基因组百科全书(kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes,KEGG)通路分析以及基因集富集分析(gene set enrichment analysis,GSEA),以研究这些基因的作用以及潜在的潜在机制;最后进行了Kaplan-Meier分析和Cox比例风险分析,以阐明这些基因的诊断和预后效果.相关数据分析表明15个基因的表达水平与生存预后相关,高表达基因患者的总生存时间短于低表达患者(P＜0.05);Cox比例风险分析表明UBE2T、ER-CC6L和RAD51这3个基因是预后生存的独立因素(P＜0.05);GSEA分析表明在UBE2T、ERCC6L和RAD51基因中细胞周期、基础转录因子和卵母细胞减数分裂明显富集.最终,我们得出结论,这3种基因标志物的高表达是乳腺癌预后不良因素,可作为预测乳腺癌患者转移和预后的有效生物标志物.     

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine in comparison with chloroquine in moderate and severe patients with COVID-19

Science China Life Sciences -     

Sodium cantharidinate,a novel anti-pancreatic cancer agent that activates functional p53

Science China Life Sciences - Despite the use of many types of chemotherapies for pancreatic cancer, optimal efficacy has not been obtained so far. Pancreatic cancer shows a high incidence of TP53...     

Single‐cell dynamics of chromatin activity during cell lineage differentiation in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos

Elucidating the chromatin dynamics that orchestrate embryogenesis is a fundamental question in developmental biology. Here, we exploit position effects on expression as an indicator of chromatin activity and infer the chromatin activity landscape in every lineaged cell during Caenorhabditis elegans early embryogenesis. Systems‐level analyses reveal that chromatin activity distinguishes cellular states and correlates with fate patterning in the early embryos. As cell lineage unfolds, chromatin activity diversifies in a lineage‐dependent manner, with switch‐like changes accompanying anterior–posterior fate asymmetry and characteristic landscapes being established in different cell lineages. Upon tissue differentiation, cellular chromatin from distinct lineages converges according to tissue types but retains stable memories of lineage history, contributing to intra‐tissue cell heterogeneity. However, the chromatin landscapes of cells organized in a left–right symmetric pattern are predetermined to be analogous in early progenitors so as to pre‐set equivalent states. Finally, genome‐wide analysis identifies many regions exhibiting concordant chromatin activity changes that mediate the co‐regulation of functionally related genes during differentiation. Collectively, our study reveals the developmental and genomic dynamics of chromatin activity at the single‐cell level.