Search

Cold stress severely affects the growth and quality of tomato. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) can effectively improve tomato's cold stress tolerance. In this study, a tomato glutathione S-transferase gene, SlGSTU43, was identified . Results showed that ALA strongly induced the expression of SlGSTU43 under cold stress . SlGSTU43 -overexpressing lines showed increased resistance to cold stress through an enhanced ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species. On the contrary, slgstu43 mutant lines were sensitive to cold stress, and ALA did not improve their cold stress tolerance. Thus, SlGSTU43 is a key gene in the process of ALA improving tomato cold tolerance. Through yeast library screening, SlMYB4 and SlMYB88 were preliminarily identified as transcription factors that bind to the SlGSTU43 promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift, yeast one-hybrid, dual luciferase, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays experiments verified that SlMYB4 and SlMYB88 can bind to the SlGSTU43 promoter. Further experiments showed that SlMYB4 and SlMYB88 are involved in the process of ALA-improving tomato's cold stress tolerance and they positively regulate the expression of SlGSTU43 . The findings provide new insights into the mechanism by which ALA improves cold stress tolerance. SlGSTU43 , as a valuable gene, could be added to the cold-responsive gene repository. Subsequently, it could be used in genetic engineering to enhance the cold tolerance of tomato., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nanjing Agricultural University.)

Morchella sextelata is a highly prized edible mushroom and is widely consumed for its distinctive taste and texture. The stipe of M. sextelata is significantly lower in priced compared to the pileus. The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis of the nutritional and biological properties between the pileus and stipe of M. sextelata . The results revealed that the stipe exhibited comparable levels of various nutrients and bioactive compounds to those found in the pileus. The stipe showed significantly higher levels of crude dietary fiber, various mineral elements, vitamins, amino acids, 5'-nucleotides, fatty acids, and specific sugars. Additionally, it also demonstrated significant abundance in bioactive compounds such as total flavonoids and ergothioneine. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into unlocking further knowledge about M. sextelata 's nutritional composition while highlighting its potential health benefits associated with different parts of this highly esteemed edible mushroom., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Qiu, Ren, Zhao, Cui, Li, Jiang, Zhang, Shu and Li.)

We investigated the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms (WMSs) among medical staff and evaluated the associations of different levels of adverse ergonomic factors with WMSs. A total of 6099 Chinese medical staff were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire to assess the prevalence and risk factors of WMSs from June 2018 to December 2020. A prevalence rate of 57.5% was observed for WMSs among overall medical staffs, which mainly affected the neck (41.7%) and shoulder (33.5%). 'Keeping sitting for long hours very frequently' (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.53) was positively associated with WMSs in doctors, while 'keeping sitting for long hours occasionally' (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.97) was identified as a protective factor of WMSs in nurses. The associations of adverse ergonomic factors, organisational factors, and environmental factors with WMSs were different among medical staff in different positions. Practitioner summary: We conducted a multi-city study concerning the risk factors of WMSs by carrying out a face-to-face one-to-multiple questionnaire survey among medical staff in China. As a risk factor of WMSs in medical staff, adverse ergonomic factors should be paid more attention by the standard setting department and policy makers. Abbreviations: WMSDs: work-related musculoskeletal disorders; WMSs: work-related musculoskeletal symptoms; MSDs: musculoskeletal disorders; NMQ: Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaires; DMQ: Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaires; NIOSH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; ORs: odds ratios.

Increasing photosynthesis and light capture offers possibilities for improving crop yield and provides a sustainable way to meet the increasing global demand for food. However, the poor light transmittance of transparent plastic films and shade avoidance at high planting density seriously reduce photosynthesis and alter fruit quality in vegetable crops, and therefore it is important to investigate the mechanisms of light signaling regulation of photosynthesis and metabolism in tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ). Here, a combination of red, blue, and white (R1W1B0.5) light promoted the accumulation of chlorophyll, carotenoid, and anthocyanin, and enhanced photosynthesis and electron transport rates by increasing the density of active reaction centers and the expression of the genes LIGHT-HARVESTING COMPLEX B ( SlLHCB ) and A ( SlLHCA ), resulting in increased plant biomass. In addition, R1W1B0.5 light induced carotenoid accumulation and fruit ripening by decreasing the expression of LYCOPENE β-CYCLASE ( SlCYCB ). Disruption of SlCYCB largely induced fruit lycopene accumulation, and reduced chlorophyll content and photosynthesis in leaves under red, blue, and white light. Molecular studies showed that ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (SlHY5) directly activated SlCYCB , SlLHCB , and SlLHCA expression to enhance chlorophyll accumulation and photosynthesis. Furthermore, R1W1B0.5 light-induced chlorophyll accumulation, photosynthesis, and SlHY5 expression were largely decreased in the slphyb1cry1 mutant. Collectively, R1W1B0.5 light noticeably promoted photosynthesis, biomass, and fruit quality through the photoreceptor (SlPHYB1 and SlCRY1)-SlHY5- SlLHCA/B/SlCYCB module in tomato. Thus, the manipulation of light environments in protected agriculture is a crucial tool to regulate the two vital agronomic traits related to crop production efficiency and fruit nutritional quality in tomato., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interest., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nanjing Agricultural University.)

Morchella sextelata , a highly sought-after edible mushroom worldwide, is evaluated based on its cap color as an essential commercial property indicator. In the present study, the effects of blue light on cap pigmentation in M. sextelata , as well as the synthesis and structural characteristics of melanin pigments within the cap were examined. The results showed that an increase in the proportion of blue light within the lighting environment promoted melanin synthesis and melanization of the cap. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy revealed the localization of melanin within the mycelium and its ultrastructural characteristics. The UV-visible analysis demonstrated that melanin exhibited a maximum absorption peak at 220 nm and possessed high alkaline solubility as well as acid precipitability. The structural characteristics of melanin were analyzed using FTIR, NMR, HPLC, and elemental analysis, which confirmed the presence of eumelanin, pheomelanin, and allomelanin in both brown and black caps. Furthermore, blue light can stimulate the synthesis of both eumelanin and pheomelanin. The obtained results can serve as the foundation for comprehending the mechanism by which light regulates color formation in mushrooms., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Qiu, Wang, Zhao, Cui, Wang, Cai, Li, Ren, Li and Shu.)

Malformed tomato fruit with multiple locules is a common physiological disorder that significantly affects the quality of tomatoes. Research has shown that the occurrence of malformed fruit in tomatoes is closely linked to the number of locules, and two key QTLs, lc and fas , are involved in controlling this trait. It has been observed that lc has a relatively weaker effect on increasing locule number, which is associated with two SNPs in the CArG repressor element downstream of the SlWUS . However, the precise molecular mechanism underlying lc is not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of lc in tomato locule development. We found that the number of floral organs and fruit locules significantly increased in tomato lc knockout mutants. Additionally, these mutants showed higher expression levels of the SlWUS during carpel formation. Through cDNA library construction and yeast one-hybrid screening, we identified the MADS-box transcription factor SlSEP3, which was found to bind to lc . Furthermore, we observed an increase in floral organs and fruit locules similar to the lc CR plant on SlSEP3 silencing plants. However, it should be noted that the lc site is located after the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of SlWUS in the tomato genome. As a result, SlSEP3 may not be able to exert regulatory functions on the promoter of the gene like other transcription factors. In the yeast two-hybrid assay, we found that several histone deacetylases (SlHDA1, SlHDA3, SlHDA4, SlHDA5, SlHDA6, SlHDA7, and SlHDA8) can interact with SlSEP3. This indicated that SlSEP3 can recruit these proteins to repress nucleosome relaxation, thereby inhibiting SlWUS transcription and affecting the number of locules in tomato fruit. Therefore, our findings reveal a new mechanism for lc playing a significant role in the genetic pathway regulating tomato locule development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Xiang, Meng, Ye, Han, He, Cui, Tan, Ma, Qi and Li.)

Cold stress is a key environmental constraint that dramatically affects the growth, productivity, and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum); however, the underlying molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified REDUCED CHLOROPLAST COVERAGE 2 (SlREC2) encoding a tetratricopeptide repeat protein that positively regulates tomato cold tolerance. Disruption of SlREC2 largely reduced abscisic acid (ABA) levels, photoprotection, and the expression of C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR (CBF)-pathway genes in tomato plants under cold stress. ABA deficiency in the notabilis (not) mutant, which carries a mutation in 9-CIS-EPOXYCAROTENOID DIOXYGENASE 1 (SlNCED1), strongly inhibited the cold tolerance of SlREC2-silenced plants and empty vector control plants and resulted in a similar phenotype. In addition, foliar application of ABA rescued the cold tolerance of SlREC2-silenced plants, which confirms that SlNCED1-mediated ABA accumulation is required for SlREC2-regulated cold tolerance. Strikingly, SlREC2 physically interacted with β-RING CAROTENE HYDROXYLASE 1b (SlBCH1b), a key regulatory enzyme in the xanthophyll cycle. Disruption of SlBCH1b severely impaired photoprotection, ABA accumulation, and CBF-pathway gene expression in tomato plants under cold stress. Taken together, this study reveals that SlREC2 interacts with SlBCH1b to enhance cold tolerance in tomato via integration of SlNCED1-mediated ABA accumulation, photoprotection, and the CBF-pathway, thus providing further genetic knowledge for breeding cold-resistant tomato varieties., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© American Society of Plant Biologists 2023. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

As a valuable medicinal and edible fungus, Cordyceps militaris has been industrialized with broad development prospects. It contains a lot of bioactive compounds that are beneficial to our health. However, during artificial cultivation, strain degeneration is a challenge that inhibits the industrialization utility of C. militaris . Exogenous melatonin (MT) can scavenge for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in fungus and can alleviate strain degeneration. To establish the significance and molecular mechanisms of MT on strain degeneration, we investigated the third-generation strain (W5-3) of C. militaris via morphological, biochemical, and transcriptomic approaches under MT treatment. Morphological analyses revealed that colony angulation of C. militaris was significantly weakened, and the aerial hypha was reduced by 60 μmol L -1 MT treatment. Biochemical analyses showed low levels of ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as increasing endogenous MT levels as exogenous MT increased. RNA-Seq revealed that compared with the control, several antioxidant enzyme-related genes were up-regulated under 60 μmol L -1 MT treatment. Among them, glutathione s-transferase genes were up-regulated by a factor of 11.04. In addition, genes that are potentially involved in cordycepin, adenosine and active compound biosynthesis for the growth and development of mycelium were up-regulated. Collectively, these findings provide the basis for further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in C. militaris strain degeneration., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zu, Wang, Zhao, Fan and Li.)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) mediate the degradation of target mRNA and inhibit mRNA translation to regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in response to environmental stress in plants. We characterized the post-transcriptional mechanism by deep sequencing small RNA (sRNA) to examine how miRNAs were involved in low night temperature (LNT) stress in tomato and whether the molecular mechanism depended on the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway. We annotated conserved miRNAs and novel miRNAs with four sRNA libraries composed of wild-type (WT) tomato plants and ABA-deficient mutant ( sit ) plants under normal growth and LNT stress conditions. Reverse genetics analysis suggested that miR162 participated in LNT resistance and the ABA-dependent signaling pathway in tomato. miR162-overexpressing (pRI-miR162) and miR162-silenced (pRNAi-miR162) transgenic tomato plants were generated to evaluate miR162 functions in response to LNT stress. miR162 deficiency exhibited high photosynthetic capacity and regulated stomatal opening, suggesting negative regulation of miR162 in the ABA-dependent signaling pathway in response to LNT stress. As feedback regulation, miR162 positively regulated ABA to maintain homeostasis of tomato under diverse abiotic stresses. The mRNA of DICER-LIKE1 ( DCL1 ) was targeted by miR162, and miR162 inhibited DCL1 cleavage in LNT response, including the regulation of miRNA160/164/171a and their targets. The DCL1-deficient mutants ( dcl1 ) with CRISPR/Cas9 prevented stomatal opening to influence photosynthesis in the ABA signaling pathway under LNT stress. Finally, we established the regulatory mechanism of ABA-miR162-DCL1, which systematically mediated cold tolerance in tomato. This study suggests that post-transcriptional modulators acted as systemic signal responders via the stress hormone signaling pathway, and the model at the post-transcriptional level presents a new direction for research in plant abiotic stress resistance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Li, Liu, Gao, Wang, Xu, Qi, Liu and Li.)

What Is Already Known About This Topic?: The burden of illness and economic losses due to upper-limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (UL-WMSDs) is high; thus, they have become a major global public health problem. At present, the epidemiological characteristics of UL-WMSDs in China's occupational population are still unknown., What Is Added by This Report?: The incidence of UL-WMSDs among key occupational groups in China is 22.5%, with distinct occupational characteristics., What Are the Implications for Public Health Practice?: This study has primarily determined the occurrence and potential risk factors of UL-WMSDs in key industries in China and provided data support for recommending prevention and control of the occurrence of such diseases in key industries in China, and in facilitating the addition into the China's List of Legal Occupational Diseases., (Copyright and License information: Editorial Office of CCDCW, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2022.)

Background: Changes in modern industrial production practices can easily lead to shoulder work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). The current reports on shoulder WMSD are limited to some industries are less well studied, and the sample size is usually small. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and severity of shoulder WMSD in a large sample of Chinese workers from 15 industries, analyze the possible correlations with sociodemographic and work-related variables, and compare the differences between industries., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 55,749 participants from 252 enterprises in 15 industries throughout China. A Chinese version of the musculoskeletal disease questionnaire was used to collect the demographic factors, shoulder symptoms in past 12 months, and work-related factors including posture-related factors, repetition, vibration, work organization, job control, and environmental factors as independent variables. Descriptive statistics were used, and the binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between shoulder WMSD and potential demographic and work-related factors., Results: Nearly 35.5% of participants reported shoulder pain and discomfort in the previous 12 months. Biopharmaceutical manufacturing (56.2%), medical services (54.4%), and aviation services (50.1%) were the three industries with the highest prevalence of shoulder WMSD. The pain score of aviation services workers was the highest. The related factors for shoulder WMSD varied among the different industries., Conclusion: Our study found a relatively high prevalence of shoulder WMSD in China. There were large differences in the prevalence of shoulder WMSD among industries, and the related factors were particular to each industry. Such information is useful to help occupational health practitioners and policymakers conduct preventive programs to reduce shoulder disorders in these working populations., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: With the acceleration of industrialization and population aging, low back pain (LBP) has become the leading cause of life loss years caused by disability. Thus, it places a huge economic burden on society and is a global public health problem that needs urgent solution. This study aimed to conduct an epidemiological investigation and research on a large sample of workers in key industries in different regions of China, determine the incidence and distribution characteristics of LBP, explore the epidemic law, and provide a reference basis for alleviating global public health problems caused by LBP., Methods: We adopted a modified epidemiological cross-sectional survey method and a stratified cluster sampling method. All on-duty workers who fulfill the inclusion criteria are taken as the research participants from the representative enterprises in key industries across seven regions: north, east, central, south, southwest, northwest, and northeast China. The Chinese version of the musculoskeletal disease questionnaire, modified by a standardized Nordic questionnaire, was used to collect information, and 57,501 valid questionnaires were received. Descriptive statistics were used, and multivariate logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05) was performed to explore the association between musculoskeletal disorders and potential risk factors., Results: LBP annual incidence among workers in China's key industries is 16.4%. There was a significant difference in LBP incidence among occupational groups across different industries (p < 0.05). The multivariate regression model showed the following as risk factors for LBP: frequent repetitive movements with the trunk, working in the same positions at a high pace, trunk position, frequently turning around with your trunk, often working overtime, lifting heavy loads (i.e., more than 20 kg), education level, staff shortage, working age (years), cigarette smoking, use of vibration tools at work, body mass index, lifting heavy loads (i.e., more than 5 kg), and age (years). Physical exercise, often standing at work, and absolute resting time were protective factors., Conclusion: LBP incidence among key industries and workers in China is high. Thus, it is urgent to take relevant measures according to the individual, occupational, and psychosocial factors of LBP to reduce the adverse impact of LBP on workers' health., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Plant organ abscission, a process that is important for development and reproductive success, is inhibited by the phytohormone auxin and promoted by another phytohormone, jasmonic acid (JA). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antagonistic effects of auxin and JA in organ abscission are unknown. We identified a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) class III homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor, HOMEOBOX15A (SlHB15A), which was highly expressed in the flower pedicel abscission zone and induced by auxin. Knocking out SlHB15A using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 technology significantly accelerated abscission. In contrast, overexpression of microRNA166-resistant SlHB15A (mSlHB15A) delayed abscission. RNA sequencing and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analyses showed that knocking out SlHB15A altered the expression of genes related to JA biosynthesis and signaling. Furthermore, functional analysis indicated that SlHB15A regulates abscission by depressing JA-isoleucine (JA-Ile) levels through inhabiting the expression of JASMONATE-RESISTANT1 (SlJAR1), a gene involved in JA-Ile biosynthesis, which could induce abscission-dependent and abscission-independent ethylene signaling. SlHB15A bound directly to the SlJAR1 promoter to silence SlJAR1, thus delaying abscission. We also found that flower removal enhanced JA-Ile content and that application of JA-Ile severely impaired the inhibitory effects of auxin on abscission. These results indicated that SlHB15A mediates the antagonistic effect of auxin and JA-Ile during tomato pedicel abscission, while auxin inhibits abscission through the SlHB15A-SlJAR1 module., (© American Society of Plant Biologists 2022. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

In many fruiting plant species, flower abscission is induced by low light stress. Here, we elucidated how signaling mediated by the peptide INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) controls low light-induced flower drop in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). We analyzed the expression patterns of an IDA-Like gene (SlIDL6) during low light-induced flower abscission, and used tandem mass spectrometry to identify and characterize the mature SlIDL6 peptide. Tomato knockout lines were created to investigate the in vivo function of SlIDL6. In addition, yeast one-hybrid assays were used to investigate the binding of the SlWRKY17 transcription factor to the SlIDL6 promoter, and silencing of SlWRKY17 expression delayed low light-induced flower abscission. SlIDL6 was specifically expressed in the abscission zone and at high levels during low light-induced abscission and ethylene treatment. SlIDL6 knockout lines showed delayed low light-induced flower drop, and the application of SlIDL6 peptide accelerated abscission. Overexpression of SlIDL6 rescued the ida mutant phenotype in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), suggesting functional conservation between species. SlIDL6-mediated abscission was via an ethylene-independent pathway. We report a SlWRKY17-SlIDL6 regulatory module that functions in low light promoted abscission by increasing the expression of enzymes involved in cell wall remodeling and disassembly., (© American Society of Plant Biologists 2021. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

What Is Already Known About This Topic?: In recent decades, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have become increasingly prominent and have become an important issue that is of universal concern and an urgent need to be solved in all countries of the world., What Is Added by This Report?: The top three industries or occupational groups with the highest standardized prevalence rate of WMSDs were flight attendants, medical staff, and vegetable greenhouses in that order. Women workers were 1.5 times more likely to suffer from WMSDs than men workers., What Are the Implications for Public Health Practice?: This study has found the prevalence and distribution characteristics of WMSDs in key industries in China. It is urgent to draw up relevant measures to prevent and control occupational populations with WMSDs., (Copyright and License information: Editorial Office of CCDCW, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2021.)

Abscission of plant organs is induced by developmental signals and diverse environmental stimuli and involves multiple regulatory networks, including biotic or abiotic stress-impaired auxin flux in the abscission zone (AZ). Depletion of auxin activates AZ ethylene (ETH) production and triggers acceleration of abscission, a process that requires hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, the interaction between these networks and the underlying mechanisms that control abscission are poorly understood. Here, we found that expression of tonoplast intrinsic proteins, which belong to the aquaporin (AQP) family in the AZ was important for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) pedicel abscission. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and in situ hybridization revealed that SlTIP1;1 was most abundant and specifically present in the tomato pedicel AZ. SlTIP1;1 localized in the plasma membrane and tonoplast. Knockout of SlTIP1;1 resulted in delayed abscission, whereas overexpression of SlTIP1;1 accelerated abscission. Further analysis indicated that SlTIP1;1 mediated abscission via gating of cytoplasmic H2O2 concentrations and osmotic water permeability (Pf). Elevated cytoplasmic levels of H2O2 caused a suppressed auxin signal in the early abscission stage and enhanced ETH production during abscission. Furthermore, we found that increasing Pf was required to enhance the turgor pressure to supply the break force for AZ cell separation. Moreover, we observed that SlERF52 bound directly to the SlTIP1;1 promoter to regulate its expression, demonstrating a positive loop in which cytoplasmic H2O2 activates ETH production, which activates SlERF52. This, in turn, induces SlTIP1;1, which leads to elevated cytoplasmic H2O2 and water influx., (© Crown copyright 2021.)

What is already known about this topic?, Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have a high prevalence and seriously harmful, which has attracted extensive attention in various countries in the world. Currently, the occurrence and rules of WMSDs in key industries are not known in China., What is added by this report?, The prevalence of WMSDs is relatively high among professional populations in key industries in China, with the most commonly affected body parts concentrated in neck, shoulders, and low back and increasing with age and working years., What are the implications for public health practice?, This study determined the prevalence and distribution characteristics of WMSDs in key industries in China and provided scientific evidence to recommend for inclusion of WMSDs in the new revision of the list of occupational diseases in China., (Copyright and License information: Editorial Office of CCDCW, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2020.)

Objective: To investigate the contamination condition of the aluminium in commercial foods in Shaanxi Province, and evaluate aluminium dietary intake level in Shaanxi population and its potential health risks., Methods: 1331 samples in Shaanxi Province were collected from 2013 to 2015. The aluminium contents were detected by National Food Contamination and Harmful Factors in Risk Monitoring Manual, and data of total diet study in Shaanxi Province in 2007, to calculate dietary intake of aluminium in Shaanxi population., Results: Average dietary intake of aluminium was 0. 358 mg/( kg·d), accounted for 125% of PTWI. The dietary intake of aluminium in children aged 2 to7 years old was highest, followed children aged 8 to 12 years old and men aged 13 to 19 years old. Grain products and potato products were the main sources of aluminium exposure compared with others., Conclusion: The dietary intake of aluminium in Shaanxi population is more than the PTWI. The children aged 2 to 7 years old, children aged 8 to12 years old and men aged 13 to 19 years old is high. Grain products and potato products are the main sources of aluminium exposure in Shaanxi population. The effective measureto control the intake of aluminium is to normalize and rationalize the use of additives containing aluminium.

Ethylene perception is regulated by receptors, and the downstream protein CONSTITUTIVE TRIPLE RESPONSE1 is a key suppressor of ethylene signalling. The non-conserved tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) microRNA1917 (Sly-miR1917) mediates degradation of SlCTR4 splice variants (SlCTR4sv) but the molecular details of this pathway remain unknown. Sly-miR1917 and the targeted SlCTR4sv are ubiquitously expressed in all tomato organs. Overexpression of Sly-miR1917 enhances ethylene responses, including the triple response in etiolated seedlings, in the absence of ethylene, as well as epinastic petiole growth, accelerated pedicel abscission, and fruit ripening. Enhanced ethylene signalling in Sly-miR1917-overexpressing plants (1917-OE) is accompanied by up-regulation of ethylene biosynthesis and signalling genes, and increased ethylene emission. These phenotypes were recovered by repressing the positive ethylene regulator EIN2. Moreover, the Sly-miR1917-targeted SlCTR4 splice variant SlCTR4sv3, expressed specifically in the abscission zone, exhibited the opposite expression pattern to Sly-miR1917. Complementation of the Arabidopsis thaliana ctr-1 mutant and yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays suggested that SlCTR4sv3 functions in ethylene signalling. Co-expression of Sly-miR1917 and SlCTR4sv3 in Nicotiana benthamiana further suggested that Sly-miR1917 cleaves SlCTR4sv3 in vivo. Database homology searching revealed a Solanum tuberosum CTR-like splice variant containing a Sly-miR1917 binding sequence, and a homologue of mature Sly-miR1917 in potato, indicating a conserved function for miR1917 and the regulatory miRNA-mediated ethylene network in solanaceous species.

Objective: To understand the daily intake of arsenic via daily dietary of Shaanxi inhabitants, and to assess the possible adverse health impact., Methods: The arsenic contents of 4287 samples were analyzed statistically. The safety of arsenic intake was evaluated by using the dietary arsenic PTWI recommended by JECFA. The health risk was assessed with USEPA health risk assessment model., Results: The arsenic contents of grains and vegetables were 0. 0265 mg / kg and 0. 0271 mg / kg, respectively. Grains and vegetables were major part of the daily diet of residents, 80% of dietary arsenic intake was from which. The average and the higher dietary intake of arsenic were 0. 423 and 1. 10μg /( kg·d), respectively, which was lower than the standard of PTWI recommended by JECFA. But the values of the individual health risk were 9. 03 × 10~(-5) and 2. 34 × 10~(-4)a~(-1), the both of which were higher than the standard of ICRP. That showed a potential health risk from As via dietary exposure for the residents., Conclusion: Although the average dietary intake of arsenic is in a safe range, the health risk caused by the risk cannot be ignored.

Objective: To understand the content level of nickel in all kinds of foods, and to assess the daily intake of nickel and the possible adverse health impact., Methods: Statistical analysis of the nickel contents of 1872 samples. The dietary intake of nickel was obtained using the test results and the results of Shaanxi total diet study in 2002. The safety of dietary nickel was evaluated by using the tolerable daily intake( TDI)recommended by WHO. The health risk was assessed by using USEPA health risk assessment model., Results: The content of nickel ranged from 0. 0586 to 0. 210 mg/kg in seven kinds of food, and the nickel content of cereals was higher than other kinds, the value of which was 3. 30 mg/kg. The average and the higher dietary intake of nickel were2. 17 μg/( kg·d) and 11. 2 μg/( kg·d), respectively. The rates of which were 18% and94%, compared to TDI value. That showed a potential health risk from Ni via dietary exposure for the people highly exposured. Because there was inadequate evidence for carcinogenicity of nickel, if nickel was non carcinogenic elements, the individual health risk of nickel was lower than the standard of ICRP. In contrast, the individual health riskof nickel was higher than the standard, which means a potential health risk for Shaanxi habitants., Conclusion: This study showed a potential health risk from Ni via dietary exposure for the people highly exposured.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), an important plant growth regulator, is the herbicide most commonly used worldwide to control weeds. However, broad-leaf fruits and vegetables are extremely sensitive to herbicides, which can cause damage and result in lost crops when applied in a manner inconsistent with the directions. Despite detailed knowledge of the mechanism of 2,4-D, the regulation of auxin signalling is still unclear. For example, although the major mediators of auxin signalling, including auxin/indole acetic acid (AUX/IAA) proteins and auxin response factors (ARFs), are known to mediate auxinic herbicides, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, the effects of 2,4-D on AUX/IAA gene expression in tomato were investigated, and the two most notably up-regulated genes, SlIAA15 and SlIAA29, were selected for further study. Western blotting revealed the substantial accumulation of both SlIAA15 and SlIAA29, and the expression levels of the corresponding genes were increased following abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene treatment. Overexpressing SlIAA15, but not SlIAA29, induced a 2,4-D herbicide damage phenotype. The 35S::SlIAA15 line exhibited a strong reduction in leaf stomatal density and altered expression of some R2R3 MYB genes that are putatively involved in the regulation of stomatal differentiation. Further study revealed that root elongation in 35S::SlIAA15 was sensitive to ABA treatment, and was most probably due to the altered expression of an ABA signal transduction gene. In addition, the altered auxin sensitivities of SlIAA15 transformants were also explored. These results suggested that SlIAA15 plays an important role in determining the effects of the herbicide 2,4-D., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We transformed the fip-fve gene into Pichia pastoris GS115 for inducible and constitutive expression to obtain feasible bioactvie recombinant Fip-fve. The fip-fve gene was cloned from Flammulina velutipes fruting body by PCR and ligated to pPIC9 to construct inducible expression vector pPIC9-FIP-fve, and promotor pgap was used to replace the paox1 to construct constitutive expression vector pPIC9-PGAP-FIP-fve. These two vectors were used to transform P. pastoris by PEG method. The fip-fve was expressed after histamine-absence screening and yeast colony PCR. The inducible expression level reached 158.2 mg/L at the fourth day and the constitutive expression level was 46.3 mg/L and 29.5 mg/L using glucose and glycerol, respectively. The SDS-PAGE and Western blotting both proved the correctness of rFip-fve, and the hemagglutination test indicats the rFip-fve's bioactivity.

The paper adopted the JEM-100CX II transmission electron microscope to observe chloroplast ultrastructure of five kinds of dandelion (Taraxacum) leaves in northeast, and the LI-6400 portable photosynthesis system was used to compare the chlorophyll fluorescence and the photosynthesis characteristics of five kinds of dandelions in Northeast China. Chloroplast ultrastructure showed: in the five kinds of dandelion, larger chloroplast, grana with more layers, regular thylakoid, without starch grains and so on, these chloroplasts characteristics decided to bigger photosynthetic rate. The five kinds of dandelion P(n) exhibited a "double peak" diurnal curve: stomatal limitation is the main adjustment factors for the midday depression phenomenon. The P(n),G(s),C(i) content of T. mongolicum are the highest, and T. asiaticum are the lowest among them. The relation between P(n) and G(s),C(i) is direct ratio, P(n) and T(r) is in an inverse proportion among the five kinds of dandelion. In addition, P(n) is positively correlated with Chla, Chlb, and the relationship with Chlb is bigger. The paper demonstrates the Mongolian dandelion photosynthetic efficiency is the highest, it is an higher photosynthetic efficiency dandelion,it provide theoretical basis for assessment and use of the resource of dandelion.

Objective: To determine cytology chromosome numbers, doubling, type, karyotype formulae of seven kinds of Taraxacum., Method: Seven kinds of dandelion in Northeast China were karyomorphologically studied by conventional pressed slice method., Result: The interphase nuclei and prophase chromosomes of all species were found to be of the complex chromocenter type and the interstitial type respectively. The somatic chromosomes showed polysomaty within or among species. The range of chromosome numbers was from 16 to 32, and 24 was preponderant. It is firstly confirmed that the chromosome numbers of T. ohwianum were 2n = 2x = 16 of and those of T. variegatum 2n = 4x = 32 of, and those of other five kinds of dandelion 2n = 3x = 24. Karyotype was diverse and consisted of metacentric, submetacentric and satellites. The relative lengh of chromosome varies from 3.74 to 27.68, asymmetry index was between 59.68% and 64.02%; The karyotype type was belonged to "1A", "2A"and "2B" extensively, to ensure the T. ohwianum and T. variegatum evolutional karyotype type and genetic inheritance pattern., Conclusion: According to results of the cytology karyotype we suggest that T. antungense and T. urbanum could be merged, the result was consistent with Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (FRPS). This paper reports systematically cytology karyotype feature of seven kinds of dandelions in Northeast, provides the cytology theoretical basis for further development and use of the resource and genetic breeding research of dandelions.

With the method of areoponics, this paper established a rhizosphere gas environment research system to study the effects of different rhizosphere CO2 concentration on the growth of potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants. The results showed that in treatments 380 and 380 approximately 920 micromol CO2 x mol(-1), the plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, root length, and individuals of stolon and mini-tuber had a similar variation trend with time, and presented two distinct phases. The plants grew vigorously, and their tuber yield increased markedly, compared with treatment 3,600 micromol CO2 x mol(-1), which indicated that 380 approximately 920 micromol CO2 x mol(-1) was the appropriate CO2 concentration in the root zone to promote potato growth, while overmuch rhizosphere CO2 would markedly inhibit the growth and development of potato plants. Treatment 3,600 micromol CO2 x mol(-1) and sand culture had the similar stem diameter, leaf area, and individuals of stolon and mini-tuber. The plants grew short and weak, and tuber yield was lower.

The study showed that in solar greenhouse continuously cropped cucumber soil, phenolic acids p-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid and benzoic acid had an obvious accumulation with increasing cropping year, and their contents were significantly higher after continuously cropped for 5 approximately 9 years than for 1 approximately 3 years. With the increasing concentration of treated exogenous phenolic acids, the amounts of bacteria, actinomycetes, total microbes, ammonibacteria, and nitrifying bacteria in cucumber root area increased first, but decreased then. Soil bacteria and actinomycetes had the largest amount at the concentration of 80 microg phenolic acids x g(-1) soil, while soil fungi (including Fusarium and Phytophthora) increased rapidly when the concentration of phenolic acids was lower than 120 microg x g(-1) soil. With increasing phenolic acids concentration, soil enzyme activities also increased first but decreased then, with the peak values differed in different treatments.

The study on the effects of daytime sub-high temperature (30 and 35 degrees C) in spring and autumn on the growth, development, yield and quality of greenhouse tomato in northeast China showed that compared with the plant growing under feasible temperature 25 degrees C, three days' daytime sub-high temperature increased the relative growth significantly, and made the plant spindling. Seven days or more sub-high temperature made the plant grow fast, with thinner leaves and presenility. Under sub-high temperature, the harvest time was earlier, the fruit weight and the 2nd and 3rd inflorescence lessened, the quality of fruit decreased, and the yield decreased significantly. Sub-high temperature had a strong influence on the normal growth and development of greenhouse tomato. The longer the plant suffered sub-high temperature from flower bud differentiation to fruit maturing, the worse the fruit quality, and the lower the yield would be.