Conference 2024: Building an innovative scientific research ecosystem for microbiome and One Health.

The Conference 2024 provides a platform to promote the development of an innovative scientific research ecosystem for microbiome and One Health. The four key components - Technology, Research (Biology), Academic journals, and Social media - form a synergistic ecosystem. Advanced technologies drive biological research, which generates novel insights that are disseminated through academic journals.

CPK10 regulates low light-induced tomato flower drop downstream of IDL6 in a calcium-dependent manner.

Flower drop is a major cause for yield loss in many crops. Previously, we found that the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION-Like (SlIDL6) gene contributes to flower drop induced by low light. However, the molecular mechanisms by which SlIDL6 acts as a signal to regulate low light-induced abscission remain unclear.

ChatGPT and generative AI are revolutionizing the scientific community: A Janus-faced conundrum.

The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies marks a transformative moment for the scientific sphere, unlocking novel avenues to elevate scientific writing's efficiency and quality, expedite insight discovery, and enhance code development processes. Essential to leveraging these advancements is prompt engineering, a method that enhances AI interaction efficiency and quality. Despite its benefits, effective application requires blending researchers' expertise with AI, avoiding overreliance.

SlBEL11 regulates flavonoid biosynthesis, thus fine-tuning auxin efflux to prevent premature fruit drop in tomato.

Auxin regulates flower and fruit abscission, but how developmental signals mediate auxin transport in abscission remains unclear. Here, we reveal the role of the transcription factor BEL1-LIKE HOMEODOMAIN11 (SlBEL11) in regulating auxin transport during abscission in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). SlBEL11 is highly expressed in the fruit abscission zone, and its expression increases during fruit development.

BTL2 phospho-switch surveils plant immunity.

BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1-ASSOCIATED KINASE1 (BAK1) is a co-receptor involved in the recognition of pattern-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) via plasma membrane-localized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Absence of BAK1/SERK4 leads to the activation of autoimmunity in plants. Yu et al.

iMeta progress and acknowledgment of reviewers in 2022.

Milestones of the first year of iMeta. iMeta is an open-access Wiley partner journal launched by iMeta Science Society consisting of worldwide scientists in bioinformatics and metagenomics. In 2022, iMeta released four issues, including 60 publications with a total of 340 citations.

The right microbe-associated molecular patterns for effective recognition by plants.

Plants are constantly exposed to diverse microbes and thus develop a sophisticated perceive system to distinguish non-self from self and identify non-self as friends or foes. Plants can detect microbes in apoplast recognition of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on the cell surface to activate appropriate signaling in response to microbes. MAMPs are highly conserved but essential molecules of microbes and often buried in microbes' complex structure.

Inflorescence abscission protein SlIDL6 promotes low light intensity-induced tomato flower abscission.

In many fruiting plant species, flower abscission is induced by low light stress. Here, we elucidated how signaling mediated by the peptide INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) controls low light-induced flower drop in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). We analyzed the expression patterns of an IDA-Like gene (SlIDL6) during low light-induced flower abscission, and used tandem mass spectrometry to identify and characterize the mature SlIDL6 peptide.

Tomato SlIDA has a critical role in tomato fertilization by modifying reactive oxygen species homeostasis.

Anther development and pollen tube elongation are key steps for pollination and fertilization. The timing and spatial distribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and programmed cell death are central to these processes, but the regulatory mechanism of ROS production is not well understood. Inflorescence deficient in abscission (IDA) is implicated in many plant development and responses to environmental stimuli.

KNOX protein KNAT1 regulates fruitlet abscission in litchi by repressing ethylene biosynthetic genes.

Abscission is triggered by multiple environmental and developmental cues, including endogenous plant hormones. KNOTTED-LIKE HOMEOBOX (KNOX) transcription factors (TFs) play an important role in controlling abscission in plants. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of KNOX TFs in abscission is largely unknown.

Control of Organ Abscission and Other Cell Separation Processes by Evolutionary Conserved Peptide Signaling.

Plants both generate and shed organs throughout their lifetime. Cell separation is in function during opening of anthers to release pollen; floral organs are detached after pollination when they have served their purpose; unfertilized flowers are shed; fruits and seeds are abscised from the mother plant to secure the propagation of new generations. Organ abscission takes place in specialized abscission zone (AZ) cells where the middle lamella between adjacent cell files is broken down.

The dynamics of root cap sloughing in Arabidopsis is regulated by peptide signalling.

The root cap protects the stem cell niche of angiosperm roots from damage. In Arabidopsis, lateral root cap (LRC) cells covering the meristematic zone are regularly lost through programmed cell death, while the outermost layer of the root cap covering the tip is repeatedly sloughed. Efficient coordination with stem cells producing new layers is needed to maintain a constant size of the cap.

Visualizing Morphological Changes of Abscission Zone Cells in Arabidopsis by Scanning Electron Microscope.

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a type of electron microscope which produces detailed images of surface structures. It has been widely used in plants and animals to study cellular structures. Here, we describe a detailed protocol to prepare samples of floral abscission zones (AZs) for SEM, as well as further image analysis.

Quantitative Analysis of Floral Organ Abscission in Arabidopsis Via a Petal Breakstrength Assay.

Petal breakstrength (pBS) is a method to study floral organ abscission by quantitating the force required to pull a petal from the receptacle. However, it is only well established in some labs and used in a subset of abscission studies. Here, we describe the mechanism and operation of the pBS meter, as well as detailed measurement and further data analysis.

Modulation of Arabidopsis and monocot root architecture by CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION 26 peptide.

Plant roots are important for a wide range of processes, including nutrient and water uptake, anchoring and mechanical support, storage functions, and as the major interface with the soil environment. Several small signalling peptides and receptor kinases have been shown to affect primary root growth, but very little is known about their role in lateral root development. In this context, the CLE family, a group of small signalling peptides that has been shown to affect a wide range of developmental processes, were the focus of this study.

The protein kinase TOUSLED facilitates RNAi in Arabidopsis.

RNA silencing is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism triggered by double-stranded RNA that is processed into 21- to 24-nt small interfering (si)RNA or micro (mi)RNA by RNaseIII-like enzymes called Dicers. Gene regulations by RNA silencing have fundamental implications in a large number of biological processes that include antiviral defense, maintenance of genome integrity and the orchestration of cell fates. Although most generic or core components of the various plant small RNA pathways have been likely identified over the past 15 years, factors involved in RNAi regulation through post-translational modifications are just starting to emerge, mostly through forward genetic studies.

Measurement of hydroxyproline in collagen with three different methods.

Determination of the 4-hydroxy-l-proline (hydroxyproline) concentration may provide useful information for the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases caused by disorders of collagen metabolism. The objective of the present study was to apply liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to assess the hydroxyproline concentration. The hydroxyproline concentration in lung and liver tissues measured by LC-MS was compared with values obtained by a colorimetric method, as well as a fluorescence method using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) from previous studies by our group.

[Sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPATs) in plants].

Sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) catalyzes the acylation at sn-1 position of glycerol-3-phosphate to produce lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in an acyl-CoA or acyl-ACP-dependent manner, which is the initial and rate-determining step of TAG biosynthetic pathway. Some GPATs have sn-2 transfer activity. Part members of the GPAT gene family have been cloned from different plant species.

NEVERSHED and INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION are differentially required for cell expansion and cell separation during floral organ abscission in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Floral organ shedding is a cell separation event preceded by cell-wall loosening and generally accompanied by cell expansion. Mutations in NEVERSHED (NEV) or INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) block floral organ abscission in Arabidopsis thaliana. NEV encodes an ADP-ribosylation factor GTPase-activating protein, and cells of nev mutant flowers display membrane-trafficking defects.

Measurement of transporter associated with antigen processing 1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha expression in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma and peritumor cirrhosis tissues using tissue chip technology.

Background/aims: The objective of this study was to explore the associations of expression of transporter associated with antigen processing 1 (TAP1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α with the occurrence and development of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methodology: The expression of TAP1 and TNF-α in 38 HCC, 32 peritumor liver cirrhosis and 28 normal liver tissues, were assessed by immunohistochemical assay using tissue microarray technology.

Results: TAP1 and TNF-α were negative in normal liver tissue hut positive in HCC and peritumor cirrhosis tissue.

[Spatiotemporal distribution of air temperature and precipitation in rice growth period in Fujian Province of East China and the effects of this distribution on rice planting pattern].

In order to investigate the effects of climate change on the rice production and rice planting pattern in Fujian Province, an analysis was made on the spatiotemporal distribution of air temperature and precipitation in rice growth period in the Province, and the possible changes of the local rice planting pattern in the future, based on the A2, B2, and A1 B scenarios of IPCC Special Report on Emission Scenario (SRES). In the future, the rice growth period's air temperature in the Province tended to be increased, and the increment would be increased with time, with the maximum for single cropping rice and being 0.3-2.