Unlocking epigenetic breeding potential in tomato and potato.

Tomato () and potato (), two integral crops within the nightshade family, are crucial sources of nutrients and serve as staple foods worldwide. Molecular genetic studies have significantly advanced our understanding of their domestication, evolution, and the establishment of key agronomic traits. Recent studies have revealed that epigenetic modifications act as "molecular switches", crucially regulating phenotypic variations essential for traits such as fruit ripening in tomatoes and tuberization in potatoes.

EMF1 functions as a 3D chromatin modulator in Arabidopsis.

It is well known that genome organizers, like mammalian CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) or Drosophila architectural proteins CP190 and BEAF-32, contribute to the three-dimensional (3D) organization of the genome and ensure normal gene transcription. However, bona fide genome organizers have not been identified in plants. Here, we show that EMBRYONIC FLOWER1 (EMF1) functions as a genome modulator in Arabidopsis.

Epigenetic control of gene expression by cellular metabolisms in plants.

Covalent modifications on DNA and histones can regulate eukaryotic gene expression and are often referred to as epigenetic modifications. These chemical reactions require various metabolites as donors or co-substrates, such as acetyl coenzyme A, S-adenosyl-l-methionine, and α-ketoglutarate. Metabolic processes that take place in the cytoplasm, nucleus, or other cellular compartments may impact epigenetic modifications in the nucleus.

Suppressing Exciton-Vibration Coupling to Prolong Exciton Lifetime of Nonfullerene Acceptors Enables High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells.

The limited exciton lifetime (τ, generally <1 ns) leads to short exciton diffusion length (L ) of organic semiconductors, which is the bottleneck issue impeding the further improvement of power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) for organic solar cells (OSCs). However, efficient strategies to prolong intrinsic τ are rare and vague. Herein, we propose a facile method to efficiently reduce vibrational frequency of molecular skeleton and suppress exciton-vibration coupling to decrease non-radiative decay rate and thus prolong τ via deuterating nonfullerene acceptors.

A novel optimal formula of nickel extraction: arsenic removal from niccolite by controlling arsenic-containing phases.

Niccolite, a rare nickel arsenide mineral, has emerged as a promising source for nickel extraction. However, its processing is limited and often associated with toxicity concerns. This study aims to search for efficient separation of arsenic during the roasting process of niccolite.

Preferential and efficient extraction of lithium under the combined action of reduction of herb-medicine residue and leaching of oxalic acid.

With the increasing demand for lithium resources, the efficient recovery of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has become the focus of social attention. Herein, a combined process of reduction roasting of herb-medicine residue (HMR) and oxalic acid (OA) leaching is proposed to improve the recovery efficiency of lithium. Due to the large amount of reducing gas produced by the pyrolysis of herb-medicine residue, the layered structure of LiNiCoMnO cathode powder can be destroyed at 650℃ for 10 min, and the cathode powder is converted into LiCO, Ni, Co, MnO.

Manipulating Vertical Phase Separation Enables Pseudoplanar Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells Over 19% Efficiency via Ternary Polymerization.

Controlling vertical phase separation of the active layer to enable efficient exciton dissociation and charge carrier transport is crucial to boost power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of pseudoplanar heterojunction (PPHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs). However, how to optimize the vertical phase separation of PPHJ OSCs via molecule design is rarely reported yet. Herein, ternary polymerization strategy is employed to develop a series of polymer donors, DL1-DL4, and regulate their solubility, molecular aggregation, molecular orientation, and miscibility, thus efficiently manipulating vertical phase separation in PPHJ OSCs.

Flowering repressor CmSVP recruits the TOPLESS corepressor to control flowering in chrysanthemum.

Plant flowering time is induced by environmental and endogenous signals perceived by the plant. The MCM1-AGAMOUSDEFICIENS-Serum Response Factor-box (MADS-box) protein SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) is a pivotal repressor that negatively regulates the floral transition during the vegetative phase; however, the transcriptional regulatory mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we report that CmSVP, a chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.

Control of histone demethylation by nuclear-localized α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase.

Methylations on nucleosomal histones play fundamental roles in regulating eukaryotic transcription. Jumonji C domain-containing histone demethylases (JMJs) dynamically control the level of histone methylations. However, how JMJ activity is generally regulated is unknown.

An attempt to simultaneously quantify the polysaccharide, total lipid, protein and pigment in single Cyclotella cryptica cell by Raman spectroscopy.

Background: At present, the conventional methods for determining photosynthetic products of microalgae are usually based on a large number of cell mass to reach the measurement baseline, and the result can only reveal the average state at the population level, which is not feasible for large-scale and rapid screening of specific phenotypes from a large number of potential microalgae mutants. In recent years, single-cell Raman spectra (SCRS) has been proved to be able to rapidly and simultaneously quantify the biochemical components of microalgae. However, this method has not been reported to analyze the biochemical components of Cyclotella cryptica (C.

The Cm14-3-3μ protein and CCT transcription factor CmNRRa delay flowering in chrysanthemum.

The floral transition from vegetative to reproductive growth is pivotal in the plant life cycle. NUTRITION RESPONSE AND ROOT GROWTH (OsNRRa), as a CONSTANS, CONSTANS-LIKE, TOC1 (CCT) domain protein, delays flowering in rice, and an orthologous protein, CmNRRa, inhibits flowering in chrysanthemum; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, using yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified the 14-3-3 protein family member Cm14-3-3µ as a CmNRRa-interacting protein.

Hierarchical iron-nickel oxyhydroxide nanosheets directly grown on porous TiFe-based intermetallics for robust oxygen evolution.

Rationally designing highly active oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with robust stability is critical for industrial electrochemical water splitting. Hierarchical iron-nickel oxyhydroxide nanosheets directly grown on porous TiFe-based intermetallics are designed and prepared as OER catalysts. The best-performing nanosheets only need 295 mV to achieve 100 mA cm, along with exceptional durability at a high current density of 1000 mA cm.

Boosting wheat functional genomics via an indexed EMS mutant library of KN9204.

A better understanding of wheat functional genomics can improve targeted breeding for better agronomic traits and environmental adaptation. However, the lack of gene-indexed mutants and the low transformation efficiency of wheat limit in-depth gene functional studies and genetic manipulation for breeding. In this study, we created a library for KN9204, a popular wheat variety in northern China, with a reference genome, transcriptome, and epigenome of different tissues, using ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis.

A pair of readers of bivalent chromatin mediate formation of Polycomb-based "memory of cold" in plants.

The Polycomb-group chromatin modifiers play important roles to repress or switch off gene expression in plants and animals. How the active chromatin state is switched to a Polycomb-repressed state is unclear. In Arabidopsis, prolonged cold induces the switching of the highly active chromatin state at the potent floral repressor FLC to a Polycomb-repressed state, which is epigenetically maintained when temperature rises to confer "cold memory," enabling plants to flower in spring.

Robust Spontaneous Raman Flow Cytometry for Single-Cell Metabolic Phenome Profiling via pDEP-DLD-RFC.

A full-spectrum spontaneous single-cell Raman spectrum (fs-SCRS) captures the metabolic phenome for a given cellular state of the cell in a label-free, landscape-like manner. Herein a positive dielectrophoresis induced deterministic lateral displacement-based Raman flow cytometry (pDEP-DLD-RFC) is established. This robust flow cytometry platform utilizes a periodical positive dielectrophoresis induced deterministic lateral displacement (pDEP-DLD) force that is exerted to focus and trap fast-moving single cells in a wide channel, which enables efficient fs-SCRS acquisition and extended stable running time.

Vernalization-triggered expression of the antisense transcript is mediated by genes.

To synchronize flowering time with spring, many plants undergo vernalization, a floral-promotion process triggered by exposure to long-term winter cold. In , this is achieved through cold-mediated epigenetic silencing of the floral repressor, (). , a cold-induced antisense RNA transcribed from the locus, has been proposed to facilitate silencing.

Porous TiNi-based intermetallics as active and robust monolith catalysts for hydrogen evolution.

Electrochemical water splitting offers an appealing method to produce hydrogen as we attempt to achieve global carbon neutrality. However, the lack of earth-abundant, low-cost, active, and stable catalysts at large current densities severely hinders its industrial applications. TiNi-based intermetallics as porous monolith catalysts (PMCs) exhibit an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance (an overpotential of 244 mV to afford 200 mA cm) and excellent stability in 1 M KOH.

Molecular epigenetic mechanisms for the memory of temperature stresses in plants.

The sessile plants encounter various stresses; some are prolonged, whereas some others are recurrent. Temperature is crucial for plant growth and development, and plants often encounter adverse high temperature fluctuations (heat stresses) as well as prolonged cold exposure such as seasonal temperature drops in winter when grown in temperate regions. Many plants can remember past temperature stresses to get adapted to adverse local temperature changes to ensure survival and/or reproductive success.

The DREAM complex antagonizes WDR5A to modulate histone H3K4me2/3 deposition for a subset of genome repression.

The master transcriptional repressor DREAM (dimerization partner, RB-like, E2F and multivulval class B) complex regulates the cell cycle in eukaryotes, but much remains unknown about how it transmits repressive signals on chromatin to the primary transcriptional machinery (e.g., RNA polymerase II [Pol II]).