Global Regulator IscR Positively Contributes to Antimonite Resistance and Oxidation in Comamonas testosteroni S44.

Antimonial compounds can be found as a toxic contaminant in the environment. Knowledge on mechanisms of microbial Sb oxidation and its role in microbial tolerance are limited. Previously, we found that Comamonas testosteroni S44 was resistant to multiple heavy metals and was able to oxidize the toxic antimonite [Sb(III)] to the much less toxic antimonate [Sb(V)].

Role of Penicillium chrysogenum XJ-1 in the Detoxification and Bioremediation of Cadmium.

Microbial bioremediation is a promising technology to treat heavy metal-contaminated soils. However, the efficiency of filamentous fungi as bioremediation agents remains unknown, and the detoxification mechanism of heavy metals by filamentous fungi remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the cell morphology and antioxidant systems of Penicillium chrysogenum XJ-1 in response to different cadmium (Cd) concentrations (0-10 mM) by using physico-chemical and biochemical methods.

The Scion/Rootstock Genotypes and Habitats Affect Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Community in Citrus.

Citrus roots have rare root hairs and thus heavily depend on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for mineral nutrient uptake. However, the AMF community structure of citrus is largely unknown. By using 454-pyrosequencing of 18S rRNA gene fragment, we investigated the genetic diversity of AMF colonizing citrus roots, and evaluated the impact of habitats and rootstock and scion genotypes on the AMF community structure.

Population genetic structure of Bellamya aeruginosa (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Viviparidae) in China: weak divergence across large geographic distances.

Bellamya aeruginosa is a widely distributed Chinese freshwater snail that is heavily harvested, and its natural habitats are under severe threat due to fragmentation and loss. We were interested whether the large geographic distances between populations and habitat fragmentation have led to population differentiation and reduced genetic diversity in the species. To estimate the genetic diversity and population structure of B.

Identification of Putative Candidate Genes for Water Stress Tolerance in Canola (Brassica napus).

Drought stress can directly inhibit seedling establishment in canola (Brassica napus), resulting in lower plant densities and reduced yields. To dissect this complex trait, 140 B. napus accessions were phenotyped under normal (0.

Systems Genetic Validation of the SNP-Metabolite Association in Rice Via Metabolite-Pathway-Based Phenome-Wide Association Scans.

In the post-GWAS (Genome-Wide Association Scan) era, the interpretation of GWAS results is crucial to screen for highly relevant phenotype-genotype association pairs. Based on the single genotype-phenotype association test and a pathway enrichment analysis, we propose a Metabolite-pathway-based Phenome-Wide Association Scan (M-PheWAS) to analyze the key metabolite-SNP pairs in rice and determine the regulatory relationship by assessing similarities in the changes of enzymes and downstream products in a pathway. Two SNPs, sf0315305925 and sf0315308337, were selected using this approach, and their molecular function and regulatory relationship with Enzyme EC:5.

Wrinkled1 Accelerates Flowering and Regulates Lipid Homeostasis between Oil Accumulation and Membrane Lipid Anabolism in Brassica napus.

Wrinkled1 (WRI1) belongs to the APETALA2 transcription factor family; it is unique to plants and is a central regulator of oil synthesis in Arabidopsis. The effects of WRI1 on comprehensive lipid metabolism and plant development were unknown, especially in crop plants. This study found that BnWRI1 in Brassica napus accelerated flowering and enhanced oil accumulation in both seeds and leaves without leading to a visible growth inhibition.

Targeting TREM-1 Signaling in the Presence of Antibiotics is Effective Against Streptococcal Toxic-Shock-Like Syndrome (STSLS) Caused by Streptococcus suis.

Streptococcus suis (S.suis), a major swine pathogen, is also a severe threat to human health. Infection with highly virulent strains of S.

Genome-specific differential gene expressions in resynthesized Brassica allotetraploids from pair-wise crosses of three cultivated diploids revealed by RNA-seq.

Polyploidy is popular for the speciation of angiosperms but the initial stage of allopolyploidization resulting from interspecific hybridization and genome duplication is associated with different extents of changes in genome structure and gene expressions. Herein, the transcriptomes detected by RNA-seq in resynthesized Brassica allotetraploids (Brassica juncea, AABB; B. napus, AACC; B.

Boron deficiency in woody plants: various responses and tolerance mechanisms.

Boron (B) is an essential microelement for higher plants, and its deficiency is widespread around the world and constrains the productivity of both agriculture and forestry. In the last two decades, numerous studies on model or herbaceous plants have contributed greatly to our understanding of the complex network of B-deficiency responses and mechanisms for tolerance. In woody plants, however, fewer studies have been conducted and they have not well been recently synthesized or related to the findings on model species on B transporters.

Down-regulation of multiple CDK inhibitor ICK/KRP genes promotes cell proliferation, callus induction and plant regeneration in Arabidopsis.

The ICK/KRP cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors are important plant cell cycle regulators sharing only limited similarity with the metazoan CIP/KIP family of CDK inhibitors. Information is still limited regarding the specific functions of different ICK/KRP genes in planta. We have shown previously that down-regulation of multiple CDK inhibitor ICK/KRP genes up-regulates the E2F pathway and increases cell proliferation, and organ and seed sizes in Arabidopsis.

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling by modified reduced representation bisulfite sequencing in Brassica rapa suggests that epigenetic modifications play a key role in polyploid genome evolution.

Brassica rapa includes some of the most important vegetables worldwide as well as oilseed crops. The complete annotated genome sequence confirmed its paleohexaploid origins and provides opportunities for exploring the detailed process of polyploid genome evolution. We generated a genome-wide DNA methylation profile for B.

The Shewanella algae strain YM8 produces volatiles with strong inhibition activity against Aspergillus pathogens and aflatoxins.

Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus fungi and associated aflatoxins are ubiquitous in the production and storage of food/feed commodities. Controlling these microbes is a challenge. In this study, the Shewanella algae strain YM8 was found to produce volatiles that have strong antifungal activity against Aspergillus pathogens.

Origin of worldwide cultivated barley revealed by NAM-1 gene and grain protein content.

The origin, evolution, and distribution of cultivated barley provides powerful insights into the historic origin and early spread of agrarian culture. Here, population-based genetic diversity and phylogenetic analyses were performed to determine the evolution and origin of barley and how domestication and subsequent introgression have affected the genetic diversity and changes in cultivated barley on a worldwide scale. A set of worldwide cultivated and wild barleys from Asia and Tibet of China were analyzed using the sequences for NAM-1 gene and gene-associated traits-grain protein content (GPC).

Genome-wide gene expression perturbation induced by loss of C2 chromosome in allotetraploid Brassica napus L.

Aneuploidy with loss of entire chromosomes from normal complement disrupts the balanced genome and is tolerable only by polyploidy plants. In this study, the monosomic and nullisomic plants losing one or two copies of C2 chromosome from allotetraploid Brassica napus L. (2n = 38, AACC) were produced and compared for their phenotype and transcriptome.

Genetic determinants of heat resistance in Escherichia coli.

Escherichia coli AW1.7 is a heat resistant food isolate and the occurrence of pathogenic strains with comparable heat resistance may pose a risk to food safety. To identify the genetic determinants of heat resistance, 29 strains of E.

Regulation of arsenite oxidation by the phosphate two-component system PhoBR in Halomonas sp. HAL1.

Previously, the expression of arsenite [As(III)] oxidase genes aioBA was reported to be regulated by a three-component regulatory system, AioXSR, in a number of As(III)-oxidizing bacterial strains. However, the regulation mechanism is still unknown when aioXSR genes are absent in some As(III)-oxidizing bacterial genomes, such as in Halomonas sp. HAL1.

Functional analysis of the sporulation-specific diadenylate cyclase CdaS in Bacillus thuringiensis.

Cyclic di-AMP (c-di-AMP) is a recently discovered bacterial secondary messenger molecule, which is associated with various physiological functions. In the genus Bacillus, the intracellular level and turnover of c-di-AMP are mainly regulated by three diadenylate cyclases (DACs), including DisA, CdaA and CdaS, and two c-di-AMP-specific phosphodiesterases (GdpP and PgpH). In this study, we demonstrated that CdaS protein from B.

Positive selection drives adaptive diversification of the 4-coumarate: CoA ligase (4CL) gene in angiosperms.

Lignin and flavonoids play a vital role in the adaption of plants to a terrestrial environment. 4-Coumarate: coenzyme A ligase (4CL) is a key enzyme of general phenylpropanoid metabolism which provides the precursors for both lignin and flavonoids biosynthesis. However, very little is known about how such essential enzymatic functions evolve and diversify.

Response of vitamins A, E, hematological and serum biochemical markers in Crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) exposed to environmental Pb(2+) and Cd(2+).

Toxicity of Pb(2+) and Cd(2+) is a widespread issue in the world; however, few studies have been conducted to understand their effect at environmentally realistic concentration in a mixture. In the present study, Crucian carp was exposed to Pb(2+) (30 µg·l(-1)), Cd(2+) (100 µg·l(-1)) and their mixture (30+100 µg·l(-1)) for 96 h and 21 d period to assess changes in the liver and muscle vitamin A and E content, and hematological and serum biochemical parameters. The results indicated significant decline in the level of antioxidant vitamins A, E and alterations in the hematological and serum biochemical indices.

Genome-wide identification of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) histone modification gene families and their expression analysis during the fruit development and fruit-blue mold infection process.

In eukaryotes, histone acetylation and methylation have been known to be involved in regulating diverse developmental processes and plant defense. These histone modification events are controlled by a series of histone modification gene families. To date, there is no study regarding genome-wide characterization of histone modification related genes in citrus species.

Identification of heat-responsive genes in carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) by RNA-seq.

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) is an important flower crop, having substantial commercial value as a cut-flower due to the long vase-life and wide array of flower colors and forms. Standard carnation varieties perform well under cool climates but are very susceptible to high temperatures which adversely affect the yield and the quality of the cut-flowers.

Serotypes and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella spp. isolated from farm animals in China.

Salmonella spp. can indirectly infect humans via transfer from animals and animal-derived food products, and thereby cause potentially fatal diseases. Therefore, gaining an understanding of Salmonella infection in farm animals is increasingly important.

Integration of PK/PD for dose optimization of Cefquinome against Staphylococcus aureus causing septicemia in cattle.

Cefquinome is a fourth generation cephalosporin with antimicrobial activity against gram negative and gram positive bacterial species, including Staphylococcus aureus. The aim of our study was to observe the ex-vivo activity of cefquinome against Staphylococcus aureus strains by using bovine serum from intravenously treated cattle. Cefquinome kinetics were measured by liquid chromatography and UV detection.

QTL Mapping for Fiber and Yield Traits in Upland Cotton under Multiple Environments.

A population of 178 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was developed using a single seed descendant from a cross between G. hirsutum. acc DH962 and G.