Structural variations of a new fertility restorer gene, Rf20, underlie the restoration of wild abortive-type cytoplasmic male sterility in rice.

The discovery of a wild abortive-type (WA) cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) line and breeding its restorer line have led to the commercialization of three-line hybrid rice, contributing considerably to global food security. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying fertility abortion and the restoration of CMS-WA lines remain largely elusive. In this study, we cloned a restorer gene, Rf20, following a genome-wide association study analysis of the core parent lines of three-line hybrid rice.

Appressoria Formation in Phytopathogenic Fungi Suppressed by Antimicrobial Peptides and Hybrid Peptides from Black Soldier Flies.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from black solider flies (, BSF) exhibiting broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity are the most promising green substitutes for preventing the infection of phytopathogenic fungi; therefore, AMPs have been a focal topic of research. Recently, many studies have focused on the antibacterial activities of BSF AMPs against animal pathogens; however, currently, their antifungal activities against phytopathogenic fungi remain unclear. In this study, 7 AMPs selected from 34 predicted AMPs based on BSF metagenomics were artificially synthesized.

Dissecting the genetic basis of heterosis in elite super-hybrid rice.

Y900 is one of the top hybrid rice (Oryza sativa) varieties, with its yield exceeding 15 t·hm-2. To dissect the mechanism of heterosis, we sequenced the male parent line R900 and female parent line Y58S using long-read and Hi-C technology. High-quality reference genomes of 396.

Predicting the Glycemic Index of Biscuits Using Static In Vitro Digestion Protocols.

In vitro digestion methods that can accurately predict the estimated GI (eGI) values of complex carbohydrate foods, including biscuits, are worth exploring. In the current study, standard commercial biscuits with varied clinical GI values between 9~30 were digested using both the INFOGEST and single-enzyme digestion protocols. The digestion kinetic parameters were acquired through mathematical fitting by mathematical kinetics models.

Fabrication and characterization of pullulan-based composite films incorporated with bacterial cellulose and ferulic acid.

Pullulan-based composite films incorporated with bacterial cellulose (BC) and ferulic acid (FA) were prepared by solution casting method. The rheological, morphological, barrier, optical, anti-fogging, and antioxidant properties of pullulan-based composite films doped with BC and FA were investigated. The rheological results showed that all film-forming solution was pseudoplastic fluid and its viscosity increased with the increase of BC content.

Nobiletin Inhibits Hypoxia-Induced Placental Damage via Modulating P53 Signaling Pathway.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of Nobiletin (NOB) on the placenta of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats that had undergone reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) surgery and to evaluate the safety of NOB intervention during pregnancy. The results showed that NOB alleviated placental hypoxia, attenuated placental cell apoptosis, and inhibited placental damage in RUPP rats. No side effect of NOB intervention during pregnancy was observed.

Transcriptome-Wide Characterization of Seed Aging in Rice: Identification of Specific Long-Lived mRNAs for Seed Longevity.

Various long-lived mRNAs are stored in seeds, some of which are required for the initial phase of germination and are critical to seed longevity. However, the seed-specific long-lived mRNAs involved in seed longevity remain poorly understood in rice. To identify these mRNAs in seeds, we first performed aging experiment with 14 rice varieties, and categorized them as higher longevity (HL) and lower longevity (LL) rice varieties in conventional rice and hybrid rice, respectively.

Zein/pullulan complex colloidal particle-stabilized Pickering emulsions for oral delivery of polymethoxylated flavones: protection effect and in vitro digestion.

Background: Polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) show multiple biological functions, while their high hydrophobicity leads to a low bioaccessibility and limits their wide applications. The design of a reasonable food-grade drug delivery system is an effective strategy to improve the low bioaccessibility of PMFs. In this study, sinensetin, tangeretin and nobiletin were encapsulated in Pickering emulsions stabilized by zein/pullulan complex colloidal particles (ZPPs), and the protection effect and in vitro digestion were characterized.

Nobiletin, a hexamethoxyflavonoid from citrus pomace, attenuates G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in hypoxia-induced human trophoblast cells of JEG-3 and BeWo via regulating the p53 signaling pathway.

Background: Hypoxia is associated with abnormal cell apoptosis in trophoblast cells, which causes fetal growth restriction and related placental pathologies. Few effective methods for the prevention and treatment of placenta-related diseases exist. Natural products and functional foods have always been a rich source of potential anti-apoptotic drugs.

Senescence-Specific Expression of Accelerates Non-structural Carbohydrate Remobilization and Grain Filling in Rice ( L.).

Remobilization of pre-anthesis NSCs (non-structural carbohydrates) is significant for effective grain filling in rice ( L.). However, abundant starch particles as an important component of NSCs are still present in the leaf sheath and stem at the late stage of grain filling.

The Ile-2041-Val mutation in the ACCase gene confers resistance to clodinafop-propargyl in American sloughgrass (Beckmannia syzigachne Steud).

Background: Exploring the mechanisms of herbicide resistance in weeds is an important part of designing resistance management strategies and rationalizing herbicide use. Beckmannia syzigachne is one of the most important agricultural weeds in China. Long-term use of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides has led to the evolution of herbicide resistance in B.

Integrative Transcriptome and Proteome Analysis Identifies Major Molecular Regulation Pathways Involved in Ramie ( (L.) Gaudich) under Nitrogen and Water Co-Limitation.

Water and N are the most important factors affecting ramie ( (L.) Gaudich) growth. In this study, de novo transcriptome assembly and Tandem Mass Tags (TMT) based quantitative proteome analysis of ramie under nitrogen and water co-limitation conditions were performed, and exposed to treatments, including drought and N-deficit (WdNd), proper water but N-deficit (WNd), proper N but drought (WdN), and proper N and water (CK), respectively.

Resequencing of 1,143 indica rice accessions reveals important genetic variations and different heterosis patterns.

Obtaining genetic variation information from indica rice hybrid parents and identification of loci associated with heterosis are important for hybrid rice breeding. Here, we resequence 1,143 indica accessions mostly selected from the parents of superior hybrid rice cultivars of China, identify genetic variations, and perform kinship analysis. We find different hybrid rice crossing patterns between 3- and 2-line superior hybrid lines.

Quizalofop-p-ethyl resistance in Polypogon fugax involves glutathione S-transferases.

Background: Asia minor bluegrass (Polypogon fugax) is one of the main weeds invading Chinese canola fields. The P. fugax resistant population SC-R, which survived quizalofop-p-ethyl at the field-recommended rate (67.

The Effects of 5,6,7,8,3',4'-Hexamethoxyflavone on Apoptosis of Cultured Human Choriocarcinoma Trophoblast Cells.

5,6,7,8,3,4'-Hexamethoxyflavone, also called nobiletin (NOB), widely found in the citrus peel, is one of the main byproducts in citrus processing. NOB is considered safe, but its safety for women during pregnancy is unknown. Therefore, the effect of NOB on apoptosis in human choriocarcinoma trophoblast cells (BeWo cells) was evaluated.

A method for mechanized hybrid rice seed production using female sterile rice.

Background: The breeding and large-scale adoption of hybrid rice is an important achievement in modern agriculture. Mechanized seed production is urgently needed for widespread adoption of hybrid rice because it can compensate for the shortage of manual labor to meet the growing food demands in China.

Results: Here, we report the development of a mechanized hybrid rice seed production method using a female sterile rice.

Shortened Basal Internodes Encodes a Gibberellin 2-Oxidase and Contributes to Lodging Resistance in Rice.

Breeding semi-dwarf varieties to improve lodging resistance has been proven to be enormously successful in increasing grain yield since the advent of the "green revolution." However, the breeding of the majority of semi-dwarf rice varieties in Asia has been dependent mainly on genetic introduction of the mutant alleles of SD1, which encodes a gibberellin (GA) 20-oxidase, OsGA20ox2, for catalyzing GA biosynthesis. Here, we report a new rice lodging-resistance gene, Shortened Basal Internodes (SBI), which encodes a gibberellin 2-oxidase and specifically controls the elongation of culm basal internodes through deactivating GA activity.