Co-mutation of OsLPR1/3/4/5 provides a promising strategy to minimize Cd contamination in rice grains.

Minimizing cadmium (Cd) contamination in rice grains is crucial for ensuring food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. Utilizing genetic modification to generate rice varieties with low Cd accumulation is a promising strategy due to its cost-effectiveness and operational simplicity. Our study demonstrated that the CRISPR-Cas9-mediated quadruple mutation of the multicopper oxidase genes OsLPR1/3/4/5 in the japonica rice cultivar Tongjing 981 had little effect on yields.

Inhibition of shoot-expressed NRT1.1 improves reutilization of apoplastic iron under iron-deficient conditions.

Iron deficiency is a major constraint for plant growth in calcareous soils. The interplay between NO and Fe nutrition affects plant performance under Fe-deficient conditions. However, how NO negatively regulates Fe nutrition at the molecular level in plants remains elusive.

The ferroxidases are critical for Fe(II) oxidation in xylem to ensure a healthy Fe allocation in .

The long-distance transport of iron (Fe) in the xylem is critical for maintaining systemic Fe homeostasis in plants. The loading form of Fe(II) into the xylem and the long-distance translocation form of Fe(III)-citrate have been identified, but how Fe(II) is oxidized to Fe(III) in the xylem remains unknown. Here, we showed that the cell wall-resided ferroxidases LPR1 and LPR2 (LPRs) were both specifically expressed in the vascular tissues of , while disruption of both of them increased Fe(II) in the xylem sap and caused excessive Fe deposition in the xylem vessel wall under Fe-sufficient conditions.

Phloem iron remodels root development in response to ammonium as the major nitrogen source.

Plants use nitrate and ammonium as major nitrogen (N) sources, each affecting root development through different mechanisms. However, the exact signaling pathways involved in root development are poorly understood. Here, we show that, in Arabidopsis thaliana, either disruption of the cell wall-localized ferroxidase LPR2 or a decrease in iron supplementation efficiently alleviates the growth inhibition of primary roots in response to NH as the N source.

STOP1 activates NRT1.1-mediated nitrate uptake to create a favorable rhizospheric pH for plant adaptation to acidity.

Protons (H+) in acidic soils arrest plant growth. However, the mechanisms by which plants optimize their biological processes to diminish the unfavorable effects of H+ stress remain largely unclear. Here, we showed that in the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana, the C2H2-type transcription factor STOP1 in the nucleus was enriched by low pH in a nitrate-independent manner, with the spatial expression pattern of NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1.

Knockout of FER decreases cadmium concentration in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana by inhibiting the pathway related to iron uptake.

Identifying the genes that affect cadmium (Cd) accumulation in plants is a prerequisite for minimizing dietary Cd uptake from contaminated edible parts of plants by genetic engineering. This study showed that Cd stress inhibited the expression of FERONIA (FER) gene in the roots of wild-type Arabidopsis. Knockout of FER in fer-4 mutants downregulated the Cd-induced expression of several genes related to iron (Fe) uptake, including IRT1, bHLH38, NRAMP1, NRAMP3, FRO2 andFIT.

Improved Plant Nitrate Status Involves in Flowering Induction by Extended Photoperiod.

The floral transition stage is pivotal for sustaining plant populations and is affected by several environmental factors, including photoperiod. However, the mechanisms underlying photoperiodic flowering responses are not fully understood. Herein, we have shown that exposure to an extended photoperiod effectively induced early flowering in plants, at a range of different nitrate concentrations.

[Exposure Levels, Sources, and Health Risks of Heavy Metal Components of PM in Housewives in Rural Shanghai].

To investigate exposure characteristics and potential health risk of PM-bound heavy metals in housewives in rural areas, 265 personal exposure samples from 143 subjects were collected in the Songjiang district, Shanghai from February 2017 to June 2018. Mass concentrations of 13 elements in PM were determined by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF). The sources of heavy metal components in PM were analyzed using positive matrix factorization (PMF).

Nicotinic acid supplementation in diet favored intramuscular fat deposition and lipid metabolism in finishing steers.

Nicotinic acid (NA) acting as the precursor of NAD(+)/NADH and NADP(+)/NADPH, participates in many biochemical processes, e.g. lipid metabolism.

Daidzein enhances intramuscular fat deposition and improves meat quality in finishing steers.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of soy isoflavone daidzein on carcass characteristics, fat deposition, meat quality, and blood metabolites in finishing steers. Fourteen crossbred steers were used in a 120-d finishing study. These steers were stratified by weight into groups and randomly allotted by group to one of two dietary treatments: (1) control and (2) daidzein (500 mg/kg concentrate).

[Genetic variation and association of prostaglandin F2alpha receptor (PTGFR) gene with sow maternal behaviors in a White Duroc x Erhualian resource population].

Maternal behaviors of sows around parturition are important for survival of newborn offspring. Failure to establish normal maternal bonds such as maternal infanticide and crushing often occurs in some individuals. It causes both significant economic losses to the pig industry and severe problems of piglet welfare.