Natural variation in CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE-GATED ION CHANNEL 4 reveals a novel role of calcium signaling in vegetative phase change in Arabidopsis.

The timing of vegetative phase change (VPC) in plants is regulated by a temporal decline in the expression of miR156. Both exogenous cues and endogenous factors, such as temperature, light, sugar, nutrients, and epigenetic regulators, have been shown to affect VPC by altering miR156 expression. However, the genetic basis of natural variation in VPC remains largely unexplored.

Research progress of non-coding RNAs in vegetable responses to abiotic stresses.

Vegetable crops play a crucial role in agricultural production, providing essential vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy diet. Recently, there has been growing interest in cultivating vegetable varieties with outstanding agricultural and economic traits. However, vegetable production is often exposed to various abiotic stresses like soil drought, temperature fluctuations, and heavy metal stress, which can negatively impact yield and quality.

Genome-wide identification of miR156 and SPL family genes and phenotypic analysis of vegetative phase change in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).

After germination, plants go through two phases of vegetative development - juvenile and adult - before entering the reproductive phase. These phases have varying characteristics and timing across plant species, making it challenging to determine if different vegetative traits correspond to the same or distinct developmental processes. miR156 has been identified as the primary regulator of vegetative phase change in plants, with the miR156-SPLs (SQUAMOSA Promoter Binding Protein-Likes) module playing a crucial role in regulating age-related agronomic traits in various crops.

Coordinated regulation of vegetative phase change by brassinosteroids and the age pathway in Arabidopsis.

Vegetative phase change in plants is regulated by a gradual decline in the level of miR156 and a corresponding increase in the expression of its targets, SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) genes. Gibberellin (GA), jasmonic acid (JA), and cytokinin (CK) regulate vegetative phase change by affecting genes in the miR156-SPL pathway. However, whether other phytohormones play a role in vegetative phase change remains unknown.

Binding mechanism of oseltamivir and influenza neuraminidase suggests perspectives for the design of new anti-influenza drugs.

Oseltamivir is a widely used influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) inhibitor that prevents the release of new virus particles from host cells. However, oseltamivir-resistant strains have emerged, but effective drugs against them have not yet been developed. Elucidating the binding mechanisms between NA and oseltamivir may provide valuable information for the design of new drugs against NA mutants resistant to oseltamivir.

Development of full-length cell-culture infectious clone and subgenomic replicon for a genotype 3a isolate of hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 is widely distributed, and genotype 3-infected patients achieve a lower cure rate in direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy and are associated with a higher risk of hepatic steatosis than patients with other genotypes. Thus, the study of the virology and pathogenesis of genotype 3 HCV is increasingly relevant. Here, we developed a full-length infectious clone and a subgenomic replicon for the genotype 3a isolate, CH3a.

RNA-Seq Identification of Cd Responsive Transporters Provides Insights into the Association of Oxidation Resistance and Cd Accumulation in L.

Greenhouse vegetable production (GVP) has grown rapidly and has become a major force for cucumber production in China. In highly intensive GVP systems, excessive fertilization results in soil acidification, increasing Cd accumulation and oxidative stress damage in vegetables as well as increasing health risk of vegetable consumers. Therefore, enhancing antioxidant capacity and activating the expression level of Cd transporter genes seem to be feasible solutions to promote plant resistance to Cd stress and to reduce accumulated Cd concentration.

The Formation of Fruit Quality in L.

Cucumber is one of the most widely grown vegetables in China and an indispensable fresh fruit in the diet. With the development of society, the demand of people for cucumber quality is higher and higher. Therefore, cultivating high-quality cucumber varieties is one of the main goals of cucumber breeding.

Production of HS with a Novel Short-Process for the Removal of Heavy Metals in Acidic Effluents from Smelting Flue-Gas Scrubbing Systems.

Direct sulfidation using a high concentration of HS (HC-HS) has shown potential for heavy metals removal in various acidic effluents. However, the lack of a smooth method for producing HC-HS is a critical challenge. Herein, a novel short-process hydrolysis method was developed for the on-site production of HC-HS.

Recent progress on the molecular breeding of Cucumis sativus L. in China.

Molecular breeding of Cucumis sativus L. is based on traditional breeding techniques and modern biological breeding in China. There are opportunities for further breeding improvement by molecular design breeding and the automation of phenotyping technology using untapped sources of genetic diversity.

Regulation of cadmium tolerance and accumulation by miR156 in Arabidopsis.

Plants have evolved effective strategies to cope with heavy metals Cd toxicity, but the regulatory mechanism underlying Cd tolerance and accumulation are still poorly understood. miR156 has been shown to be the master regulator of development and stress response in plants. However, whether miR156 is also involved in plant Cd stress response remains unknown.

Development of an Infectious Cell Culture System for Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 6a Clinical Isolate Using a Novel Strategy and Its Sensitivity to Direct-Acting Antivirals.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is classified into seven major genotypes, and genotype 6 is commonly prevalent in Asia, thus reverse genetic system representing genotype 6 isolates in prevalence is required. Here, we developed an infectious clone for a Chinese HCV 6a isolate (CH6a) using a novel strategy. We determined CH6a consensus sequence from patient serum and assembled a CH6a full-length (CH6aFL) cDNA using overlapped PCR product-derived clones that shared the highest homology with the consensus.

Identification of nucleotides in the 5'UTR and amino acids substitutions that are essential for the infectivity of 5'UTR-NS5A recombinant of hepatitis C virus genotype 1b (strain Con1).

Genotype 1b strain Con1 represents an important reference in the study of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Here, we aimed to develop an advanced infectious Con1 recombinant. We found that previously identified mutations A1226G/F1464L/A1672S/Q1773H permitted culture adaption of Con1 Core-NS5A (C-5A) recombinant containing 5'UTR and NS5B-3'UTR from JFH1 (genotype 2a), thus acquired additional mutations L725H/F886L/D2415G.

Modulation of miR156 to identify traits associated with vegetative phase change in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum).

After germination, plants progress through juvenile and adult phases of vegetative development before entering the reproductive phase. The character and timing of these phases vary significantly between different plant species, which makes it difficult to know whether temporal variations in various vegetative traits represent the same, or different, developmental processes. miR156 has been shown to be the master regulator of vegetative development in plants.

[Growth characteristics of Campylobacter jejuni on different culture media and their expression of outer membrane proteins].

Objective: To evaluate the biological characteristics of Campylobacter jejuni (CJ) cultured on different culture media and their expression abundance of outer membrane proteins (OMPs).

Methods: CJ was cultured on the improved Bull's medium yolk agar, improved Bull's blood agar or improved Bull's agar for 48 h. The biological characteristics of the bacteria, including the colony feature, morphology, motility, biochemistry, and results of indirect fluorescence test were observed and compared.