Enhanced limonene production in cyanobacteria reveals photosynthesis limitations.

Terpenes are the major secondary metabolites produced by plants, and have diverse industrial applications as pharmaceuticals, fragrance, solvents, and biofuels. Cyanobacteria are equipped with efficient carbon fixation mechanism, and are ideal cell factories to produce various fuel and chemical products. Past efforts to produce terpenes in photosynthetic organisms have gained only limited success.

16-nor Limonoids from Harrisonia perforata as promising selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitors.

Two new 16-nor limonoids, harperspinoids A and B (1 and 2), with a unique 7/5/5/6/5 ring system, have been isolated from the plant Harrisonia perforate together with a known one, Harperforin G (3). Their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and computational modelling. Compound 1 exists as polymorphic crystals.

De novo assembly and transcriptome characterization of spruce dwarf mistletoe Arceuthobium sichuanense uncovers gene expression profiling associated with plant development.

Background: The parasitic flowering plant dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium spp., Viscaceae) is one of the most destructive forest pests, posing a major threat to numerous conifer species worldwide. Arceuthobium sichuanense (spruce dwarf mistletoe, SDM) infects Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) and causes severe damage to spruce forests in Northwest China.

Effects of clove essential oil and eugenol on quality and browning control of fresh-cut lettuce.

This study confirmed the inhibitory effects of clove essential oil (CEO) and eugenol (EUG) on the browning and relevant enzymes of fresh-cut lettuce, and examined associated mechanisms by inhibition kinetics and computational docking analysis. Fresh-cut lettuce was treated with 0.05% CEO and 0.

Maximum Data Collection Rate Routing Protocol Based on Topology Control for Rechargeable Wireless Sensor Networks.

In Rechargeable Wireless Sensor Networks (R-WSNs), in order to achieve the maximum data collection rate it is critical that sensors operate in very low duty cycles because of the sporadic availability of energy. A sensor has to stay in a dormant state in most of the time in order to recharge the battery and use the energy prudently. In addition, a sensor cannot always conserve energy if a network is able to harvest excessive energy from the environment due to its limited storage capacity.

Computational identification of genes modulating stem height-diameter allometry.

The developmental variation in stem height with respect to stem diameter is related to a broad range of ecological and evolutionary phenomena in trees, but the underlying genetic basis of this variation remains elusive. We implement a dynamic statistical model, functional mapping, to formulate a general procedure for the computational identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control stem height-diameter allometry during development. Functional mapping integrates the biological principles underlying trait formation and development into the association analysis of DNA genotype and endpoint phenotype, thus providing an incentive for understanding the mechanistic interplay between genes and development.

List-Based Simulated Annealing Algorithm for Traveling Salesman Problem.

Simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is a popular intelligent optimization algorithm which has been successfully applied in many fields. Parameters' setting is a key factor for its performance, but it is also a tedious work. To simplify parameters setting, we present a list-based simulated annealing (LBSA) algorithm to solve traveling salesman problem (TSP).

A computational framework for mapping the timing of vegetative phase change.

Phase change plays a prominent role in determining the form of growth and development. Although considerable attention has been focused on identifying the regulatory control mechanisms of phase change, a detailed understanding of the genetic architecture of this phenomenon is still lacking. We address this issue by deriving a computational model.

Population genomic analysis of gibberellin-responsive long non-coding RNAs in Populus.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in a wide range of biological processes, but lncRNAs in plants remain largely unknown; in particular, we lack a systematic identification of plant lncRNAs involved in hormone responses. Moreover, allelic variation in lncRNAs remains poorly characterized at a large scale. Here, we conducted high-throughput RNA-sequencing of leaves from control and gibberellin (GA)-treated Populus tomentosa and identified 7655 reliably expressed lncRNAs.

Temporal Genetic Modifications after Controlled Cortical Impact--Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury through a Systematic Network Approach.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a primary injury caused by external physical force and also a secondary injury caused by biological processes such as metabolic, cellular, and other molecular events that eventually lead to brain cell death, tissue and nerve damage, and atrophy. It is a common disease process (as opposed to an event) that causes disabilities and high death rates. In order to treat all the repercussions of this injury, treatment becomes increasingly complex and difficult throughout the evolution of a TBI.

Structure, phylogeny, allelic haplotypes and expression of sucrose transporter gene families in Saccharum.

Background: Sugarcane is an economically important crop contributing to about 80% of the world sugar production. Increasing efforts in molecular biological studies have been performed for improving the sugar yield and other relevant important agronomic traits. However, due to sugarcane's complicated genomes, it is still challenging to study the genetic basis of traits, such as sucrose accumulation.

Transcriptional profiles of emasculated flowers of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) determined using the cDNA-AFLP technique.

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a tree in the subfamily Faboideae, native to North America, that has been naturalized and widely planted in temperate Europe and Asia. Black locust has important ecological and economic value, but its quality needs improvement. Hybridization programs are important for black locust breeding, but the low rate of fruit set after controlled pollination limits both its breeding and that of other monoclinous plant species that share this problem.

Evaluation of Appropriate Reference Genes for Reverse Transcription-Quantitative PCR Studies in Different Tissues of a Desert Poplar via Comparision of Different Algorithms.

Despite the unshakable status of reverse transcription-quantitative PCR in gene expression analysis, it has certain disadvantages, including that the results are highly dependent on the reference genes selected for data normalization. Since inappropriate endogenous control genes will lead to inaccurate target gene expression profiles, the validation of suitable internal reference genes is essential. Given the increasing interest in functional genes and genomics of Populus euphratica, a desert poplar showing extraordinary adaptation to salt stress, we evaluated the expression stability of ten candidate reference genes in P.

Improvement of radio frequency (RF) heating uniformity on low moisture foods with Polyetherimide (PEI) blocks.

Radio frequency (RF) heating is rapid, volumetric, and can penetrate most food packaging material. Thus, it is suited for in-packaged food pasteurization applications. However, the non-uniform heating problem needs to be resolved.

Molecular Cloning and Functional Analysis of UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (PeUVR8) from Populus euphratica.

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280-315 nm) light, which is an integral part of the solar radiation reaching the surface of the Earth, induces a broad range of physiological responses in plants. The UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) protein is the first and only light photoreceptor characterized to date that is specific for UV-B light and it regulates various aspects of plant growth and development in response to UV-B light. Despite its involvement in the control of important plant traits, most studies on UV-B photoreceptors have focused on Arabidopsis and no data on UVR8 function are available for forest trees.

Plastic expression of heterochrony quantitative trait loci (hQTLs) for leaf growth in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).

Heterochrony, that is, evolutionary changes in the relative timing of developmental events and processes, has emerged as a key concept that links evolution and development. Genes associated with heterochrony encode molecular components of developmental timing mechanisms. However, our understanding of how heterochrony genes alter the expression of heterochrony in response to environmental changes remains very limited.

Mapping complex traits as a dynamic system.

Despite increasing emphasis on the genetic study of quantitative traits, we are still far from being able to chart a clear picture of their genetic architecture, given an inherent complexity involved in trait formation. A competing theory for studying such complex traits has emerged by viewing their phenotypic formation as a "system" in which a high-dimensional group of interconnected components act and interact across different levels of biological organization from molecules through cells to whole organisms. This system is initiated by a machinery of DNA sequences that regulate a cascade of biochemical pathways to synthesize endophenotypes and further assemble these endophenotypes toward the end-point phenotype in virtue of various developmental changes.

Cloning of the cryptochrome-encoding PeCRY1 gene from Populus euphratica and functional analysis in Arabidopsis.

Cryptochromes are photolyase-like blue/UV-A light receptors that evolved from photolyases. In plants, cryptochromes regulate various aspects of plant growth and development. Despite of their involvement in the control of important plant traits, however, most studies on cryptochromes have focused on lower plants and herbaceous crops, and no data on cryptochrome function are available for forest trees.

Global dynamic analysis of a H7N9 avian-human influenza model in an outbreak region.

In 2013 in China a new type of avian influenza virus, H7N9, began to infect humans and had aroused severe fatality in the infected humans. We know that the spread is from poultry to humans, and the H7N9 avian influenza is low pathogenic in the poultry world but highly pathogenic in the human world, but the transmission mechanism is unclear. Since it has no signs of human-to-human transmission and outbreaks are isolated in some cities in China, in order to investigate the transmission mechanism of human infection with H7N9 avian influenza, an eco-epidemiological model in an outbreak region is proposed and analyzed dynamically.

A reciprocal cross design to map the genetic architecture of complex traits in apomictic plants.

Many higher plants of economic and biological importance undergo apomixis in which the maternal tissue of the ovule forms a seed, without experiencing meiosis and fertilization. This feature of apomixis has made it difficult to perform linkage mapping which relies on meiotic recombination. Here, we describe a computational model for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control complex traits in apomictic plants.

Selection of reference genes for gene expression studies in Siberian Apricot (Prunus sibirica L.) Germplasm using quantitative real-time PCR.

Quantitative real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction has been applied in a vast range of studies of gene expression analysis. However, real-time PCR data must be normalized with one or more reference genes. In this study, eleven putative consistently expressed genes (ACT, TUA, TUB, CYP, DNAj, ELFA, F-box27, RPL12, GAPDH, UBC and UBQ) in nine Siberian Apricot Germplasms (including much variability) were evaluated for their potential as references for the normalization of gene expression by NormFinder and geNorm programs.

Vernalization of Oriental hybrid lily 'Sorbonne': changes in physiology metabolic activity and molecular mechanism.

Oriental hybrid lily 'Sorbonne' was used to investigate molecular changes during the storage at 4 °C for dormancy-release besides physiology metabolic activity observations. In physiological mechanism, endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) concentration level of lily bulbs decreased as the cold preservation time increased, and it kept at a stable level after being preserved for 35 days. The level of soluble sugars concentrations also changed during the cold preservation time, and it increased as the cold preservation time raised to 49 days then decreased afterward.

A model framework for identifying genes that guide the evolution of heterochrony.

Heterochrony, the phylogenic change in the time of developmental events or rate of development, has been thought to play an important role in producing phenotypic novelty during evolution. Increasing evidence suggests that specific genes are implicated in heterochrony, guiding the process of developmental divergence, but no quantitative models have been instrumented to map such heterochrony genes. Here, we present a computational framework for genetic mapping by which to characterize and locate quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that govern heterochrony described by four parameters, the timing of the inflection point, the timing of maximum acceleration of growth, the timing of maximum deceleration of growth, and the length of linear growth.