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The surface of wool comprises overlapping cuticle scales that hinder processing of the fiber. Enzymatic modification is widely used for damaging or removing cuticle scales in wool. However, common protease enzyme has poor hydrolysis ability on wool (85 % are keratin) due to specificity of the enzyme, resulting in low modification effect on wool. A novel and effective method was developed to circumvent this limitation resulting in wool with excellent anti-felting, anti-pilling and dyeing properties using proteinase K, a special protease that can effectively degrade keratin. Analysis showed that proteinase K had high affinity for keratin, making it more inclined to hydrolyze the scale layer than the cortical layer compared with commercial proteases Esperase 8.0L and papain. Area shrinkage (4.7 %) of samples treated with proteinase K was significantly lower compared with the area shrinkage of untreated samples (18.5 %), thus complying with machine-washable requirements. A pilling-free modified fabric was obtained with a small enzyme dosage (8 U/g) and the percentage of dye uptake of the wool fabric increased by 100 % compared with original fabric.

The eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is one of the most important Solanaceae crops, ranking third for total production and economic value in its genus. Herein, we report a high-quality, chromosome-scale eggplant reference genome sequence of 1,155.8 Mb, with an N50 of 93.9 Mb, which was assembled by combining PacBio long reads and Hi-C sequencing data. Repetitive sequences occupied 70.1% of the assembly length, and 35,018 high-confidence protein-coding genes were annotated based on multiple sources. Comparative analysis revealed 646 species-specific families and 364 positive selection genes, conferring distinguishing traits on the eggplant. We performed genome-wide comparative identification of disease resistance genes and discovered an expanded gene family of bacterial spot resistance in eggplant and pepper, but not in tomato and potato. The genes involved in chlorogenic acid synthesis were comprehensively characterized. Highly similar chromosomal distribution patterns of polyphenol oxidase genes were observed in the eggplant, tomato, and potato genomes. The eggplant reference genome sequence will not only facilitate evolutionary studies of the Solanaceae but also facilitate their breeding and improvement.

The chloroplast genomic information was obtained from three wild Solanum and four hybrids by chloroplast genome sequencing. The chloroplast genomes of the seven samples comprise of a circular struc...

To clarify the mechanisms underlying the growth-promoting effects of yam polysaccharide on Streptococcus thermophilus (S. thermophilus), the yam polysaccharide was extracted using a deep eutectic solvents (DESs) method and separated into four fractions by DEAE-cellulose 52. These fractions were used as the alternative carbon source to substitute lactose to compare their growth-promoting effects on S. thermophilus. Furthermore, their molecular weight, monosaccharide and functional groups’ composition, microscopic forms and other basic structure characterizations were analyzed. The results showed that all the fractions could significantly promote S. thermophilus growth, and fractions exhibited significantly different growth-promoting effects, whose viable count increased by 6.14, 6.03, 11.48 and 11.29%, respectively, relative to those in the M17 broth medium. Structure-activity relationship analysis revealed that the high growth-promoting activity of yam polysaccharide might be more dependent on the higher molecular weight, the higher galacturonic acid content and its complex spatial configuration, and the existence of β-glycosides would make the yam polysaccharide have a better growth-promoting effect on S. thermophilus.

Eggplant is an important vegetable crop because of its rich nutrition, but to date no mitochondrial genome has been reported. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the eggplant was se...

The rapid and sensitive detection of Hg2+ is highly required to protect the environmental safety and human healthy. In the present work, a ratiometric fluorescent sensing platform, consisting of silicon quantum dots (SiQDs), Rox-labelled DNA (Rox-DNA), and Exonuclease III (Exo III), is developed for the accurate detection of Hg2+. As for fluorescent probe, we report the first use of glutathione as reduction reagent for the microwave synthesis of SiQDs, achieving the facile (using a house-hold microwave oven) and rapid (within 8 min) synthesis. Such SiQDs show pH-independent spectra and reversible fluorescent behavior with temperature. Moreover, experimental results revealed that the electrostatic interaction-induced aggregation of Rox-DNA and SiQDs facilitated the occurring of energy transfer (ET). And detection principle based on the regulation of ET between Rox and SiQDs with Exo III was designed for analysis. ET effect resulted in the fluorescent fading of Rox while that of SiQDs kept stable. For analysis, the addition of Hg2+ led to the formation of double-stranded Rox-DNA via T-Hg2+-T. Exo III would cut these double-stranded DNA to release Rox and Hg2+, thereby impeding the ET effect and recovering the fluorescent of Rox. Such SiQDs/Rox-DNA/Exo III ratiometric fluorescent sensing platform exhibited a linear response concentration range of 0.02 nM–10 nM with a detection limit of 0.01 nM. It was successfully used to analyze the water and soil samples. The reliability was validated by ICP-MS. Our work should promote the practical application of ratiometric fluorescent assay.

SummaryThe eggplant (Solanum melongenaL.) is one of the most important Solanaceae crops, ranking third in the total production and economic value in the genusSolanum. Here, we report a high-quality, chromosome-scale eggplant reference genome sequence of 1,155.8 Mb, with N50 of 93.9 Mb, which was assembled by combining PacBio long reads and Hi-C sequencing data. Repetitive sequences occupied 70.1% of the assembly length, and 35,018 high-confidence protein-coding genes were annotated based on multiple evidence. Comparative analysis revealed 646 species-specific families and 364 positive selection genes, conferring distinguishing traits to the eggplant. We performed genome-wide identification of disease resistance genes and discovered an expanded gene family of bacterial spot resistance in the eggplant and pepper but not in tomato and potato. The genes involved in chlorogenic acid synthesis were comprehensively characterized. Highly similar chromosomal distribution patterns of polyphenol oxidase genes were observed in the eggplant, tomato, and potato genomes. The eggplant reference genome sequence will not only facilitate evolutionary studies in the Solanaceae but also facilitate their breeding and improvement.

Morels are precious and rare edible mushroom, which contain 61 species. It is difficult to identify the species of morels based on morphological characteristics. In recent years, morels cultivation technology has made great progress, Morchella sextelata has been cultivated in China widely. In this study, a PCR-based approach was developed for identification of Morchella sextelata, based on a 190-bp segment of internal transcribed spacer (ITS). The species-specific primer, MS1F/MS1R, was designed based on the alignment of sequence obtained from the 20 representative cultivated body fruit of Morchella sextelata as well as 10 sequence data available in Genbank. Verifying the species-specific primer pair demonstrated generation of an amplicon from extracted DNA of Morchella sextelata. The primer pair was also applied and tested for five other species of morels and eight common mushrooms from other genus. This novel PCR assay allowed a rapid and effective quality evaluation of Morchella sextelata.

A 56-d feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the growth performance, feed utilization, biochemical composition, and antioxidant status of chu's croaker, Nibea coibor (12.6 ± 0.1 g) in net pens fed diets supplemented with various levels of crude palm oil: 0% fish oil (FO), 20% palm oil (2PO), 40% (4PO), 60% (6PO), 80% (8PO), and 100% (10PO). Weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly lower in fish fed 8PO and 10PO diets. The increase of PO levels did not affect fish survival, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. Feeding diet 10PO led to significantly higher lipid content in the liver, but not the whole body and dorsal muscle, than diets FO and 2PO. PO supplementation led to increased α-tocopherol, but decreased thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid (n-3 HUFA), and n-3/n-6 fatty acid ratio, in both the liver and muscle. Hepatic superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly higher in fish fed 10PO diet than FO diet. Polynomial regression analysis showed that the maximum SGR was obtained at 24.2% crude PO. Results of this study suggested that PO could replace up to 60% of FO without adverse effect on growth performance or nutritional quality of fish.

The present study aimed at determining the growth performance, feed utilization, body composition and antioxidant status of chu’s croaker (Nibea coibor) juveniles fed with increasing levels of dietary lipid: 6 % (D6), 9 % (D9), 12 % (D12) and 15 % (D15). Each diet was assigned to triplicate groups of fish in a total of 12 floating pens (300 fish, 25 fish per pen). After a 49-day growth trial, survival rate was not affected. D12 and D15 led to significantly higher specific growth rate (SGR). Fish fed D12 showed the highest protein efficiency ratio (PER), protein and lipid retention efficiencies (PER and LRE, respectively). The hepatosomatic and viscerosomatic indexes (HIS and VSI, respectively) increased, while feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed intake (FI) decreased. Body protein, ash and muscle lipid contents were not significantly affected, but significantly higher body and liver lipid were noticed in fish fed with D15. Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) was found to decrease compared to the experimental diets in muscle, while high unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) was selectively accumulated in all treatments. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT, 14.13–22.53 U/L), aspartate transaminase (AST, 34.31–51.25 U/L), cholesterol (CHO, 2.02–3.03 mmol/L) and triglyceride (TG, 5.61–8.50 mmol/L) were correlated with increasing dietary lipids. Liver malate dehydrogenase (MDA, 3.32–6.67 mmol/L) and superoxide dismutase (SOD, 42.69–52.86 U/mg prot) increased with dietary lipids, while total antioxidant capacity (t-AOC, 1.08–3.50 U/mg prot) decreased. Polynomial regression analyses between SGR and dietary lipid levels showed that the optimal dietary lipid requirement of chu’s croaker is 12.9 % of dry matter.

Juvenile Nibea diacanthus were fed various dietary protein levels, and their growth performance, feed utilization, carcass proximate composition and 24-h postprandial ammonia–nitrogen excretion were investigated. Five isoenergetic and isolipidic experimental diets, containing various protein levels ranging from 36 to 52 % by a 4 % increment, were formulated. Each diet was randomly fed to triplicate groups of 25 juvenile N. diacanthus (initial weight 62.85 ± 0.32 g) for 8 weeks. Highest weight gain, specific growth rate, feed efficiency, protein efficiency ratio and protein retention were obtained at 48 % dietary protein levels (P

Wild relatives represent a source of variation for many traits of interest for eggplant (Solanum melongena) breeding, as well as for broadening its genetic base. However, interspecific hybridization with wild relatives has been barely used in eggplant breeding programs, and reproductive barriers have resulted in reduced seed numbers in interspecific combinations. The mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. We hybridized females of cultivated eggplant 177 (Solanum melongena) with males of wild relatives 53 and Y11 (Solanum aethiopicum). Self-crossed 177 was the control. The seed number per control fruit was significantly higher than that of the hybrids. Paraffin sections showed no significant difference between control and 177×53 and 177×Y11. Double fertilization began 4 days post-pollination. Sperm cells were fused with egg cells 6 days post-pollination. To understand the differences in molecular mechanisms underlying this process, transcriptomes of ovaries at 0, 4, and 6 days after self-crossing and hybridization were analyzed. We screened 22,311 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the control and hybrids 4 and 6 days post-pollination. A total of 497 DEGs were shared among all pollination combinations. These DEGs were enriched in plant hormone transduction, cell senescence, metabolism, and biosynthesis pathways. DEG clustering analysis indicated distinct expression patterns between the control and hybrids but not between the hybrids. The DEGs in hybrids involved secondary metabolic process, phenylpropanoid metabolic process, and carboxypeptidase activity, while those in the control involved xyloglucan metabolic process, auxin-activated signaling pathway, cell wall polysaccharide metabolic process, and xyloglucosyl transferase activity. Additionally, 1683 transcription factors, including members of the AP2-ERF, MYB, bHLH, and B3 families may play important roles in self-crossing and hybridization. Our results provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying variations between ovaries of self-crossed and hybrid eggplants and a basis for future studies on crossbreeding Solanum and genetic mechanisms underlying double fertilization.

Fresh Cordyceps sinensis (CS) is rich in bioactive components but perishable with a short shelf-life and drying is the most common method for its preservation. For better retention of its quality and nutritional values, an innovative preservation technique using rapid freezing based on atomized liquid nitrogen (LN) spray followed by frozen storage below glass transition temperature (Tg) was developed in the current study. Atomized LN spray freezing of CS at −60 °C (LN-60), −80 °C (LN-80) and −100 °C (LN-100) was performed. Freezing rates and quality attributes of CS including electronic conductivity (EC), drip loss (DL), total sugar content (TSC), superoxide dismutase activity (ASOD), basic colour information (L*, a* and b* values) and total colour difference (ΔE) were investigated, and the stability of CS stored at −40 °C, which was below the Tg, for 16 weeks was evaluated. The Tg of CS was determined as −34.86 °C through differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) analysis. Multivariate data analyses including principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) verified that LN-80 and LN-100 provided CS with better quality indicators, among which, ΔE, DL, and EC were the most predominant ones. The stability test suggested that LN-80 and LN-100 minimized the quality deterioration of CS during the frozen storage.

Efficient pretreatment is a prerequisite for lignocellulosic biomass biorefinery due to the structure of lignocellulose. This study is a first-time investigation into the structural changes of Miscanthus biomass treated with 60Co &gamma, ray irradiation in different doses up to 1200 kGy. The structural properties of the treated sample have been systematically characterized by FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), XRD, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), a laser particle size analyzer, SEM, an atomic force microscope (AFM), and NMR. The results show that irradiation treatment can partially destroy the intra- or inter-molecular hydrogen bonds of biomass. Irradiation treatment can also reduce particle size, narrow the distribution range, as well as increase the specific surface area of biomasses. Noticeably, the TGA stability of the treated biomass decreases with increasing absorbed doses. To respond to these structural changes, the treated biomass can be easily hydrolyzed by cellulases with a high yield of reducing sugars (557.58 mg/g biomass), much higher than that of the untreated sample. We conclude that irradiation treatment can damage biomass structure, a promising strategy for biomass biorefinery in the future.

Heterostyly is a common floral polymorphism, but the proteomic basis of this trait is still largely unexplored. In this study, self- and cross-pollination of L-morph and S-morph flowers and comparison of embryo sac development in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) suggested that lower fruit set from S-morph flowers results from stigma-pollen incompatibility. To explore the molecular mechanism underlying heterostyly development, we conducted isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) proteomic analysis of eggplant pistils for L- and S-morph flowers. A total of 5,259 distinct proteins were identified during heterostyly development. Compared S-morph flowers with L-morph, we discovered 57 and 184 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) during flower development and maturity, respectively. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reactions were used for nine genes to verify DEPs from the iTRAQ approach. During flower development, DEPs were mainly involved in morphogenesis, biosynthetic processes, and metabolic pathways. At flower maturity, DEPs primarily participated in biosynthetic processes, metabolic pathways, and the formation of ribosomes and proteasomes. Additionally, some proteins associated with senescence and programmed cell death were found to be upregulated in S-morph pistils, which may lead to the lower fruit set in S-morph flowers. Although the exact roles of these related proteins are not yet known, this was the first attempt to use an iTRAQ approach to analyze proteomes of heterostylous eggplant flowers, and these results will provide insights into biochemical events taking place during the development of heterostyly.