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Reducing aggregation caused quenching and enhancing stability is crucial in the fabrication of organic light-emitting diodes. Herein, we successfully fabricated blue-emitting coordination polymer glasses using perylene dye and a zinc-based coordination glass. The aggregation of perylene monomers in the solid state was significantly suppressed, and the hybrid glass demonstrated high stability and strong photoluminescent quantum yield (75.5%) under ambient conditions.

The high-value carotenoid astaxanthin is biosynthesized through a dual-enzyme-catalyzed cascade and is getting increased attention for engineered biosynthesis in plants. When developing astaxanthin-producing tobacco by expressing 2A-peptide-linked CBFD (carotenoid β-ring-4-dehydrogenase) and HBFD (carotenoid 4-hydroxy-β-ring-4-dehydrogenase) from Adonis aestivalis, this work discovered an in-enzyme splicing site at the N-terminus of HBFD that has potentials for multiple protein expression in plant using monocistronic cassette. Based on this finding, we generated astaxanthin-producing tobacco plants expressing a directly fused protein of CBFD and HBFD with a monocistronic cassette. Further integrated IP (immunoprecipitation) and LC-MS/MS assays revealed the presence of an in-enzyme splicing site at the N-terminus of HBFD. Nevertheless, the obtained astaxanthin-producing tobacco plants exhibited a growth retardation as observed by previous researches. Subsequent studies revealed that the astaxanthin-producing caused growth retardation of tobacco was correlated with chloroplast disruption and chlorophyll reduction, and it could be alleviated by expressing a chlorophyll biosynthetic enzyme identified by proteomics. Additionally, crossing the astaxanthin-producing tobacco with a variety having higher chlorophyll content also alleviated the growth retardation caused by astaxanthin production, and improved the total astaxanthin yield per plant by at least threefold along with the biomass increase. This work provides novel approaches for expressing multiple proteins in tobacco and for engineering efficient astaxanthin-producing tobacco., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Medicago, a genus in the Leguminosae or Fabaceae family, includes the most globally significant forage crops, notably alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Its close diploid relative Medicago truncatula serves as an exemplary model plant for investigating legume growth and development, as well as symbiosis with rhizobia. Over the past decade, advances in Medicago genomics have significantly deepened our understanding of the molecular regulatory mechanisms that underlie various traits. In this review, we comprehensively summarize research progress on Medicago genomics, growth and development (including compound leaf development, shoot branching, flowering time regulation, inflorescence development, floral organ development, and seed dormancy), resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, and symbiotic nitrogen fixation with rhizobia, as well as molecular breeding. We propose avenues for molecular biology research on Medicago in the coming decade, highlighting those areas that have yet to be investigated or that remain ambiguous., (Copyright © 2024 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The γ-carboxylation of glutamate residues enables Ca 2+ -mediated membrane assembly of protein complexes that support broad physiological functions including hemostasis, calcium homeostasis, immune response, and endocrine regulation 1-4 . Modulating γ-carboxylation level provides prevalent treatments for hemorrhagic and thromboembolic diseases 5 . This unique posttranslational modification requires vitamin K hydroquinone (KH 2 ) to drive highly demanding reactions 6 catalyzed by the membrane-integrated γ-carboxylase (VKGC). To decipher underlying mechanisms, we determined cryo-electron microscopy structures of human VKGC in unbound form, with KH 2 and four hemostatic and non-hemostatic proteins possessing propeptides and glutamate-rich domains in different carboxylation states. VKGC recognizes substrate proteins via knob-and-hole interactions with propeptides, thereby bringing tethered glutamate-containing segments for processive carboxylation within a large chamber that provides steric control. Propeptide binding also triggers a global conformational change to signal VKGC activation. Through sequential deprotonation and KH 2 epoxidation, VKGC generates free hydroxide ion as an exceptionally strong base required to deprotonate the γ-carbon of glutamate for CO 2 addition. The diffusion of this superbase, protected and guided by a sealed hydrophobic tunnel, elegantly resolves the challenge of coupling KH 2 epoxidation to γ-carboxylation across the membrane interface. These structural insights and extensive functional experiments advance membrane enzymology and propel the development of novel treatments for γ-carboxylation disorders., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Cotton is an important crop for fiber production, but the genetic basis underlying key agronomic traits, such as fiber quality and flowering days, remains complex. While machine learning (ML) has shown great potential in uncovering the genetic architecture of complex traits in other crops, its application in cotton has been limited. Here, we applied five machine learning models-AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting Regressor, LightGBM, Random Forest, and XGBoost-to identify loci associated with fiber quality and flowering days in cotton. We compared two SNP dataset down-sampling methods for model training and found that selecting SNPs with an Fscale value greater than 0 outperformed randomly selected SNPs in terms of model accuracy. We further performed machine learning quantitative trait loci (mlQTLs) analysis for 13 traits related to fiber quality and flowering days. These mlQTLs were then compared to those identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), revealing that the machine learning approach not only confirmed known loci but also identified novel QTLs. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of population size on model accuracy and found that larger population sizes resulted in better predictive performance. Finally, we proposed candidate genes for the identified mlQTLs, including two argonaute 5 proteins, Gh_A09G104100 and Gh_A09G104400, for the FL3/FS2 locus, as well as GhFLA17 and Syntaxin-121 (Gh_D09G143700) for the FSD09_2/FED09_2 locus. Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of machine learning in enhancing the identification of genetic loci in cotton, providing valuable insights for improving cotton breeding strategies., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethics approval: Not applicable. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Rapidly learning new tasks, such as using new technology or playing a new game, is ubiquitous in our daily lives. Previous studies suggest that our brain relies on different networks for rapid task learning versus retrieving known tasks from memory, and behavioral studies have shown that novel versus practiced tasks may rely on different task configuration processes. Here, we investigated whether explicitly informing about the novelty of an incoming task would help participants prepare for different task configuration processes, such as pre-adjusting working memory gating functions. We hypothesized that if different task configuration processes can be prepared for, a pre-cue informing about the novelty of the upcoming task should lead to better task performance. Across four experiments, participants were first trained on a subset of tasks, followed by a test session in which pre-cues were provided in some blocks but not others. After comparing task performance between cued and uncued blocks, our results provided no evidence supporting the benefit of cueing for both practiced and novel tasks, suggesting that people cannot prepare for different task configuration processes in the absence of concrete task information., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s).)

Background: Ferroptosis is a programmed cell death caused by iron-dependent accumulation and cellular lipid peroxides, which is different from apoptosis and pyroptosis. This study investigated the possible effect of ferroptotic response in the pathogenesis of infantile hemangioma (IH)., Methods and Results: The staining level of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), the marker of ferroptotic cells, was significantly increased in the involutive IH samples compared with the proliferative samples (9 proliferative versus 12 involutive lesions, P =0.0152). By contrast, the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), a key enzyme regulating ferroptotic resistance, was significantly increased in the involutive IH samples. Meanwhile, the GPX4 was richly expressed in macrophages of IH. The data from in vitro study showed that the mRNA ( P =0.0002) and protein ( P =0.0385) expression levels of GPX4 were significantly upregulated in macrophages cultured with hemangioma-derived stem cells conditional medium (HemSC-CM). Mechanistically, HemSC-CM promoted the expression of GPX4 in macrophages ( P =0.0482) by increasing nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 translocation to the nucleus ( P =0.0026). Additionally, inhibition of GPX4 or inducing ferroptosis in macrophages could inhibit progression of lesion in IH nude mice mode., Conclusions: Hemangioma-derived stem cells (HemSCs) could promote macrophage ferroptotic resistance through upregulating expression of GPX4, which is required for the progression of IH.

Gene therapy has evolved into a pivotal approach for treating genetic disorders, extending beyond traditional methods of directly repairing or replacing defective genes. Recent advancements in nucleic acid-based therapies-including mRNA, miRNA, siRNA, and DNA treatments have expanded the scope of gene therapy to include strategies that modulate protein expression and deliver functional genetic material without altering the genetic sequence itself. This review focuses on the innovative use of plant-derived nanovesicles (PDNVs) as a promising delivery system for these nucleic acids. PDNVs not only enhance the stability and bioavailability of therapeutic nucleic acids but also improve their specificity and efficacy in targeted gene therapy applications. They have shown potential in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer and inflammatory conditions. By examining the unique properties of PDNVs and their role in overcoming the limitations of conventional delivery methods, this review highlights the transformative potential of PDNV-based nucleic acid therapies in advancing the field of gene therapy., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Sucrose is an essential energy substance for tree peony (Paeonia Suffruticosa) floral organ development. However, little is known about the sucrose regulatory network in tree peony. In this study, the promoter sequence of the tree peony sucrose transporter gene PsSUT2 was cloned. Through cis-acting elements analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), 6 transcription factors potentially regulating PsSUT2 were screened. Expression analysis revealed that the 6 transcription factors had similar expression trends with the PsSUT2 in all parts of peony at the full bloom stage. Furthermore, a yeast one-hybrid assay revealed that PsMYB20 and PsMADS9 bind to the PsSUT2 promoter. Dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that PsMYB20 and PsMADS9 could activate PsSUT2 expression. Taken together, our findings suggest that PsMYB20 and PsMADS9 positively regulate PsSUT2, laying the foundation for the construction of a gene network for sucrose regulation in tree peony., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)