Inhibiting roles of FOXA2 in liver cancer cell migration and invasion by transcriptionally suppressing microRNA-103a-3p and activating the GREM2/LATS2/YAP axis

Cytotechnology - Forkhead box A2 (FOXA2) has emerged as a tumor inhibitor in several human malignancies. This work focused on the effect of FOXA2 on liver cancer (LC) cell invasion and migration...     

Offspring performance and female preference of Pagiophloeus tsushimanus (coleoptera: curculionidae) on three Lauraceae tree species: A potential risk of host shift caused by larval experience

The weevil Pagiophloeus tsushimanus Morimoto (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), native to Eastern Asia, is a wood-boring pest that causes severe damage to camphor trees (Cinnamomum sp.) in Shanghai, China. Other Lauraceae tree species that grew sympatrically with this pest in close proximity could face a potential threat. To assess the potential risks of host shift, we explored the phenotypic associations between preference and performance in P. tsushimanus reared on three Lauraceae tree species. In a no-choice experiment offering branches of each plant as diet material and oviposition sites, we found that individuals reared on Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl (Laurales: Lauraceae) exhibited the strongest performance with shorter development time, higher survival and growth rate in the immature stage, longer longevity and greater fecundity in adults. In contrast, those on novel Lauraceae tree species (Cinnamomum chekiangensis Nakai and Phoebe chekiangensis Shang) had difficulty completing their whole life cycle due to significantly lower survival and reproduction. In a multiple-choice experiment, C. camphora was established as the preferred host. However, we found that the larval experiences on the non-preferred host plants contributed to an increased preference for that plant species. These results indicated that both the preference-performance hypothesis and the Hopkins’ host selection principle are applicable in this weevil under experimental conditions. It is possible that although the weevil performed poorly on two novel Lauraceae tree species, under favourable conditions their surviving offspring could evolve into a new host-specific population. Consequently, this weevil pest needs to be monitored on these novel Lauraceae tree species.     

Histone H3K27 dimethylation landscapes contribute to genome stability and genetic recombination during wheat polyploidization

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is an allohexaploid that was formed via two allopolyploidization events. Growing evidence suggests histone modifications are involved in the response to ‘genomic shock’ and environmental adaptation during polyploid formation and evolution. However, the role of histone modifications, especially histone H3 lysine-27 dimethylation (H3K27me2), in genome evolution remains elusive. Here we analyzed H3K27me2 and H3K27me3 profiles in hexaploid wheat and its tetraploid and diploid relatives. Although H3K27me3 levels were relatively stable among wheat species with different ploidy levels, H3K27me2 intensities increased concurrent with increased ploidy levels, and H3K27me2 peaks were colocalized with massively amplified DTC transposons (CACTA family) in euchromatin, which may silence euchromatic transposons to maintain genome stability during polyploid wheat evolution. Consistently, the distribution of H3K27me2 is mutually exclusive with another repressive histone mark, H3K9me2, that mainly silences transposons in heterochromatic regions. Remarkably, the regions with low H3K27me2 levels (named H3K27me2 valleys) were associated with the formation of DNA double-strand breaks in genomes of wheat, maize (Zea mays) and Arabidopsis. Our results provide a comprehensive view of H3K27me2 and H3K27me3 distributions during wheat evolution, which support roles for H3K27me2 in silencing euchromatic transposons to maintain genome stability and in modifying genetic recombination landscapes. These genomic insights may empower breeding improvement of crops.     

Cytological and morphology characteristics of natural microsporogenesis within Camellia oleifera

Camellia oleifera is believed to exhibit a complex intraspecific polyploidy phenomenon. Abnormal microsporogenesis can promote the formation of unreduced gametes in plants and lead to sexual polyploidy, so it is hypothesized that improper meiosis probably results in the formation of natural polyploidy in Camellia oleifera. In this study, based on the cytological observation of meiosis in pollen mother cells (PMCs), we found natural 2n pollen for the first time in Camellia oleifera, which may lead to the formation of natural polyploids by sexual polyploidization. Additionally, abnormal cytological behaviour during meiosis, including univalent chromosomes, extraequatorial chromosomes, early segregation, laggard chromosomes, chromosome stickiness, asynchronous meiosis and deviant cytokinesis (monad, dyads, triads), was observed, which could be the cause of 2n pollen formation. Moreover, we confirmed a relationship among the length–width ratio of flower buds, stylet length and microsporogenesis. This result suggested that we can immediately determine the microsporogenesis stages by phenotypic characteristics, which may be applicable to breeding advanced germplasm in Camellia oleifera.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01002-5.     

广州市主城区城市地形类型与风环境评价

对城市地形组合类型及其地形对风场影响的研究,有助于城市风场机理的认识与生态环境的优化。以高层建筑密集的广州市主城区为例,在确定城市宏观地形类型的基础上,基于最小成本路径（LCP）辨识了风道,并对风环境质量进行评价。主要结论有：（1）将城市地形简要概括划分为4个一级地形、11个二级地形类型。（2）以LCP路径与盛行风交角不超过22.5°的标准,筛选确定通风路径作为风道。根据LCP格网的密度与频次,结合不同风向下风速与风频,评价分析了风环境类型与空间分布。（3）根据自然与城市地形的配置,北风风环境质量远高于西北风和东风;东风由于风频与风速最低,因此通风条件较差。（4）珠江航道在三种风向下都是尺度最宽贯穿城市最好的风道;区域性的风道与风环境较好的地段集中在与主风向平行的主干道上,但以近似南北走向的居多;由于广州城市地形高度以珠江新城峰林为中心向外递减,以低地地形为主的主城区外围通风优于中心区域,特别是珠江新城峰林与网络状台地为主的老城区,通风环境较差。基于LCP的评价结果需要同其他方法相互验证,才能使其不断完善优化。     

城市主城区立体模型的构建与风环境模拟——以广州主城区为例

以22 km×21 km的广州主城区为例,以40 m建筑间距作为风道宽度低限、用容积高度对建筑高度赋值和垂向拔高为建模特色,概括构建了城市尺度的立体模型。在此基础上,分别模拟了广州主城区中性流条件下,弱风（2 m/s）和强风（5 m/s）、近地面10、25、50 m三个高度的风环境。模拟表明：来流5 m/s下主城区存在不同风速等级、不同平面形态以及不同高度面的风道;白云山、珠江新城等面积较大的地形或建筑高地形成了减速明显的背风区条带,并相互组合形成了重要的风口和具有较高基面的强风道;在不同高度上主城区风速均由周边向城市中心降低;风道风速强烈地依赖于风道走向,风道风速与走向夹角呈三次函数递减,两者拟合优度R²为0.512。模拟结果很好地呈现了城市尺度宏观地形白云山和建筑密集区相互间的作用,反映了城市尺度模型构建与模拟的优势。     

鄱阳湖流域不同土地覆被碳水利用效率时空变化及其与气候因子的相关性

鄱阳湖流域作为较突出的碳汇功能区,深入掌握不同土地覆被碳素利用率（CUE）和水分利用效率（WUE）的时空分异规律及其对气候因子的响应,对明确气候变化背景下该流域生态功能和碳水循环有重要意义。利用MODIS数据产品,结合流域土地利用和气象监测数据,辅以趋势分析和相关分析等方法研究了2000-2014年鄱阳湖流域不同土地利用类型CUE和WUE的时空变化特征,并探讨了其与降水、气温和日照时数的相关性。结果表明：1）鄱阳湖流域CUE和WUE多年平均值分别为0.458和0.682 gC/kgH₂O,不同土地利用类型的CUE大小依次为草地 > 水田 > 其他林地 > 旱地 > 疏林地 > 灌木林 > 有林地,WUE大小依次为有林地 > 灌木林 > 旱地 > 疏林地 > 水田 > 其他林地 > 草地;2）鄱阳湖流域CUE、WUE在研究时段内均呈微弱下降趋势,各土地利用类型CUE和WUE则表现出较大的年际波动,且年际变化趋势率具有高度的相似性,其中林地各类型下降趋势最大,其次是旱地和水田,草地最小;3）降水是影响鄱阳湖流域土地覆被碳水利用效率变化的关键因素,其他因子与CUE和WUE的相关性均不显著,不同覆被CUE和WUE对气温、降水和日照时数的响应程度存在较大差异。     

Correction to: lncRNA MEG3, Acting as a ceRNA,Modulates RPE Differentiation Through the miR-7-5p/Pax6 Axis

Biochemical Genetics - A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10528-021-10086-3