Search

Abstract Background Tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular proteins is a post‐translational modification that plays a regulatory role in signal transduction during cellular events. Dephosphorylation of signal transduction proteins caused by protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) contributed their role as a convergent node to mediate cross‐talk between signaling pathways. In the context of cancer, PTP‐mediated pathways have been identified as signaling hubs that enabled cancer cells to mitigate stress induced by clinical therapy. This is achieved by the promotion of constitutive activation of growth‐stimulatory signaling pathways or modulation of the immune‐suppressive tumor microenvironment. Preclinical evidences suggested that anticancer drugs will release their greatest therapeutic potency when combined with PTP inhibitors, reversing drug resistance that was responsible for clinical failures during cancer therapy. Areas covered This review aimed to elaborate recent insights that supported the involvement of PTP‐mediated pathways in the development of resistance to targeted therapy and immune‐checkpoint therapy. Expert opinion This review proposed the notion of PTP inhibition in anticancer combination therapy as a potential strategy in clinic to achieve long‐term tumor regression. Ongoing clinical trials are currently underway to assess the safety and efficacy of combination therapy in advanced‐stage tumors.

Ogura cytoplasmic male sterility (Ogura CMS) is extensively applied in hybrid seed production in cruciferous crops. However, the post-transcriptional molecular basis of Ogura CMS in cruciferous crops remains elusive. Here, a data-independent acquisition-based proteomic approach coupled with a parallel reaction monitoring-based targeted proteomic assay was used to analyze the proteome dynamics of Ogura CMS cabbage line RM and its maintainer line RF during floral bud development to obtain insights into the mechanism underlying Ogura CMS in cruciferous crops. A total of 9 162 proteins corresponding to 61 464 peptides were identified in RM and RF floral buds. The proteomic fluctuation of RM was weaker than that of RF. Differences in protein expression between RM and RF gradually enlarged with floral bud development. Fifteen continually up-regulated and eight continually down-regulated proteins were found in RM relative to RF throughout floral bud development. Differentially expressed proteins between RM and RF during floral bud development were implicated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated protein processing pathway, in which most of them exhibited down-regulated expression in RM. These data suggest that ER-associated protein processing may be involved in pollen abortion in Ogura CMS cabbage by inhibiting the expression of critical factors. Our findings not only deepen the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of Ogura CMS in cruciferous crops but also provide better guidance for applying Ogura CMS in the hybrid breeding of cruciferous crops.

Excess copper (Cu) imparts negative effects on plant growth and productivity in soil. To develop the ability of O. biennis to govern pollution soil containing excessive Cu, we investigated seed germination, seedling growth, and seed yield. Furthermore, Cu content and the expression levels of Cu transport related genes in different tissues were measured under exogenous high concentration Cu. O. biennis seeds were sensitive to excess Cu, with an observed reduction in the germination rate, primary root length, fresh weight, and number of seeds germinated daily. Consecutive Cu stress did not cause fatal damage to evening primrose, yet it slowed down plant growth slightly by reducing the leaf water, chlorophyll, plant yield, and seed oil contents while increasing the soluble sugar, proline, malondialdehyde, and H2O2 contents. The Cu content in different organs of O. biennis was disrupted by excess Cu. In particular, the Cu content in O. biennis seeds and seed oil increased and subsequently decreased with the increase of exogenous Cu, reaching a peak under 600 mg·kg−1 consecutive Cu. Furthermore, the 4-month 900 mg·kg−1 Cu treatment did not induce the excessive accumulation of Cu in peels, seeds, and seed oil, maintaining the Cu content within the range required by the Chinese National Food Safety Standards. The treatment also resulted in an upregulation of Cu-uptake (ObCOPT5, ObZIP4, and ObYSL2) and vigorous efflux (ObHMA1) of transport genes, of which expression levels were significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) with the Cu content. Among all organs, the stem replaced the root as the organ exhibited the greatest ability to absorb and store Cu, and even the Cu transport genes could still function continuously in stem under excess Cu. This work identified a species that can tolerate high Cu content in soil while maintaining a high yield. Furthermore, the results revealed the enrichment of Cu to occur primarily in the O. biennis stem rather than the seeds and peel under excess Cu.

Objective To evaluate the quality and analyse the content of clinical practice guidelines regarding central venous catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) to provide evidence for formulating an evidence-based practice protocol and a risk assessment scale to prevent it.Design Scoring and analysis of the guidelines using the AGREE II and AGREE REX scales.Data sources Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature, and the relevant websites of the guideline, were searched from 1 January 2017 to 26 March 2022.Eligibility criteria Guidelines covering CRT treatment, prevention, or management were included from 1 January 2017 to 26 March 2022.Data extraction and synthesis Three independent reviewers systematically trained in using the AGREE II and AGREE REX scales were selected to evaluate these guidelines.Results Nine guidelines were included, and the quality grade results showed that three were at A-level and six were at B-level. The included guidelines mainly recommended the prevention measure of central venous CRT from three aspects: risk screening, prevention strategies, and knowledge training, with a total of 22 suggestions being recommended.Conclusion The overall quality of the guidelines is high, but there are few preventive measures for central venous CRT involved in the guidelines. All preventive measures have yet to be systematically integrated and evaluated, and no risk assessment scale dedicated to this field has been recommended. Therefore, developing an evidence-based practice protocol and a risk assessment scale to prevent it is urgent.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are a group of serine-threonine protein kinases that can be activated by extracellular stimuli. MAPK14 (p38α) affects major disease processes, while inhibition of p38α has been shown to have potential therapeutic effects. Many inhibitors targeting p38α have entered clinical trials but have a long development cycle and severe side effects. We developed a multi-step receptor structure-based virtual screening method to screen potential bioactive molecules from SPECS and our MCDB libraries. Compound 10 was identified as a promising p38α inhibitor that may be used in the treatment of p38αMAPK pathway-related diseases, but corollary studies are warranted.

It is highly desirable and of utmost importance to find eco-friendly and green approaches for a sustainable environment. Nowadays researchers from different communities have determined that it is economical and highly demanding to synthesize green nanomaterials by utilizing plants, fruits, yeast, algae, fungi, and other green techniques as stabilizers and mediators. Compared to the chemical synthesis techniques, the plant-mediated approach is considered an eco-friendly, efficient, easy, stable, and cost-effective means for the synthesis of nanomaterials. Among various nano-size materials, Graphitic carbon nitride, g-C3N4, (CN) belongs to a new class of multifunctional metal-free n-type semiconductors. It has a polymeric structure with many potential applications in agriculture and energy sectors and other fields. So, it is highly demanding to explore the green synthesis approaches and their utilization for nanomaterials, especially g-C3N4. In this review, we comprehensively explored the green g-C3N4 based nanomaterials, their preparation, properties, applications, and opportunities. Adding more, this study aims to explore all feasible green synthesis approaches, applications, characterization techniques, and modification methods. Apart from this, the current statutes and future prospectus of the green g-C3N4 based nanomaterials are also explored. Finally, this work will open a new gateway for the synthesis of green g-C3N4 based nanomaterials and their utilization for a sustainable environment.

Background Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum), red currant (R. rubrum), white currant (R. rubrum), and gooseberry (R. uva-crispa) belong to Grossulariaceae and are popular small-berry crops worldwide. The lack of genomic data has severely limited their systematic classification and molecular breeding. Methods The complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of these four taxa were assembled for the first time using MGI-DNBSEQ reads, and their genome structures, repeat elements and protein-coding genes were annotated. By genomic comparison of the present four and previous released five Ribes cp genomes, the genomic variations were identified. By phylogenetic analysis based on maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods, the phylogeny of Grossulariaceae and the infrageneric relationships of the Ribes were revealed. Results The four cp genomes have lengths ranging from 157,450 to 157,802 bp and 131 shared genes. A total of 3,322 SNPs and 485 Indels were identified from the nine released Ribes cp genomes. Red currant and white currant have 100% identical cp genomes partially supporting the hypothesis that white currant (R. rubrum) is a fruit color variant of red currant (R. rubrum). The most polymorphic genic and intergenic region is ycf1 and trnT-psbD, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the monophyly of Grossulariaceae in Saxifragales and the paraphyletic relationship between Saxifragaceae and Grossulariaceae. Notably, the Grossularia subgenus is well nested within the Ribes subgenus and shows a paraphyletic relationship with the co-ancestor of Calobotrya and Coreosma sections, which challenges the dichotomous subclassification of the Ribes genus based on morphology (subgenus Ribes and subgenus Grossularia). These data, results, and insights lay a foundation for the phylogenetic research and breeding of Ribes species.

Abstract P38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) is a multifunctional protein kinase that plays an important role in human normal physiological activities and a variety of major diseases, and its signaling pathway affects a variety of regulatory factors in vivo, which is related to cell cycle, survival, metabolism, and differentiation. The four subtypes of p38MAPK have significant differences in their distribution, content, and effects in the body. The inhibitors of the four subtypes play potential roles in regulating cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases, making it an attractive target for drug development. So far, an increasing number of p38MAPK inhibitors have been developed for targeted therapy in diseases, among which some representative compounds have entered clinical trials. Therefore, this review aims to provide a summary of the structural characteristics, signaling pathways of P38MAPK and the relationship between p38MAPK and disease, along with an overview of the binding modes and structure–activity relationships of small molecule inhibitors targeting four p38MAPK subtypes, and summarizes the challenges about the development of p38MAPK inhibitors, hoping to provide a valuable reference for the development and application of novel inhibitors.

Influenza viruses are one of the major causes of human respiratory infections and the newly emerging and re-emerging strains of influenza virus are the cause of seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics, resulting in a huge threat to global public health systems. As one of the early immune cells can rapidly recognize and respond to influenza viruses in the respiratory, lung macrophages play an important role in controlling the severity of influenza disease by limiting viral replication, modulating the local inflammatory response, and initiating subsequent adaptive immune responses. However, influenza virus reproduction in macrophages is both strain- and macrophage type-dependent, and ineffective replication of some viral strains in mouse macrophages has been observed. This review discusses the function of lung macrophages in influenza virus infection in order to better understand the pathogenesis of the influenza virus.

Abstract Background OSCA (hyperosmolality-gated calcium-permeable channel) is a calcium permeable cation channel protein that plays an important role in regulating plant signal transduction. It is involved in sensing changes in extracellular osmotic potential and an increase in Ca2+ concentration. S. habrochaites is a good genetic material for crop improvement against cold, late blight, planthopper and other diseases. Till date, there is no report on OSCA in S. habrochaites. Thus, in this study, we performed a genome-wide screen to identify OSCA genes in S. habrochaites and characterized their responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Results A total of 11 ShOSCA genes distributed on 8 chromosomes were identified. Subcellular localization analysis showed that all members of ShOSCA localized on the plasma membrane and contained multiple stress-related cis acting elements. We observed that genome-wide duplication (WGD) occurred in the genetic evolution of ShOSCA5 (Solhab04g250600) and ShOSCA11 (Solhab12g051500). In addition, repeat events play an important role in the expansion of OSCA gene family. OSCA gene family of S. habrochaites used the time lines of expression studies by qRT-PCR, do indicate OSCAs responded to biotic stress (Botrytis cinerea) and abiotic stress (drought, low temperature and abscisic acid (ABA)). Among them, the expression of ShOSCAs changed significantly under four stresses. The resistance of silencing ShOSCA3 plants to the four stresses was reduced. Conclusion This study identified the OSCA gene family of S. habrochaites for the first time and analyzed ShOSCA3 has stronger resistance to low temperature, ABA and Botrytis cinerea stress. This study provides a theoretical basis for clarifying the biological function of OSCA, and lays a foundation for tomato crop improvement.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway is widely activated by a variety of extracellular stimuli, and its dysregulation is associated with the proliferation, invasion, and migration of cancer cells. ERK1/2 is located at the distal end of this pathway and rarely undergoes mutations, making it an attractive target for anticancer drug development. Currently, an increasing number of ERK1/2 inhibitors have been designed and synthesized for antitumor therapy, among which representative compounds have entered clinical trials. When ERK1/2 signal transduction is eliminated, ERK5 may provide a bypass route to rescue proliferation, and weaken the potency of ERK1/2 inhibitors. Therefore, drug research targeting ERK5 or based on the compensatory mechanism of ERK5 for ERK1/2 opens up a new way for oncotherapy. This review provides an overview of the physiological and biological functions of ERKs, focuses on the structure–activity relationships of small molecule inhibitors targeting ERKs, with a view to providing guidance for future drug design and optimization, and discusses the potential therapeutic strategies to overcome drug resistance.

In higher plants, cuticular wax deposited on the surface of epidermal cells plays an important role in protecting the plant from biotic and abiotic stresses; however, the molecular mechanism of cuticular wax production is not completely understood. In this study, we identified a glossy green mutant (98-1030gl) from the glaucous cabbage inbred line 98-1030. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the amount of leaf cuticular wax significantly decreased in 98-1030gl. Genetic analysis showed that the glossy green trait was controlled by a single recessive gene. Bulked segregant analysis coupled with whole genome sequencing revealed that the candidate gene for the glossy green trait was located at 13,860,000–25,070,000 bp (11.21 Mb) on Chromosome 5. Based on the resequencing data of two parents and the F2 population, insertion-deletion markers were developed and used to reduce the candidate mapping region. The candidate gene (Bol026949) was then mapped in a 50.97 kb interval. Bol026949 belongs to the Agenet/Tudor domain protein family, whose members are predicted to be involved in chromatin remodeling and RNA transcription. Sequence analysis showed that a single nucleotide polymorphism mutation (C → G) in the second exon of Bol026949 could result in the premature termination of its protein translation in 98-1030gl. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Bol026949 is relatively conserved in cruciferous plants. Transcriptome profiling indicated that Bol026949 might participate in cuticular wax production by regulating the transcript levels of genes involved in the post-translational cellular process and phytohormone signaling. Our findings provide an important clue for dissecting the regulatory mechanisms of cuticular wax production in cruciferous crops.

At present, there are many excellent cultivars of raspberry worldwide with different fruit colors, such as yellow, red, purple and black. Anthocyanin accumulation is responsible for flower and fruit coloration in plants. Anthocyanins belong to flavonoids which are natural pigments widely distributed in plants. The MYB transcription factor (TF) plays a vital regulatory role in the metabolic pathway of anthocyanins. Here, RoMYB10, an R2R3-MYB in black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.), was isolated. The basic physical and chemical properties, conserved motif distribution, evolutionary relationship and subcellular localization were analyzed for the RoMYB10 encoded amino acid sequence. The contents of anthocyanin were determined in four different colored raspberry fruits by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The expression levels of MYB10 genes in various tissues and fruits at different developmental stages of the four different colored raspberries were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). The results showed that the contents of anthocyanin and the expression levels of the MYB10 gene were the highest in black raspberry. Moreover, the expression of MYB10 in the fruit was significantly higher than in other tissues, especially in ripe and mottled fruits. When ectopic overexpression of RoMYB10 occurred in tobacco, the expression levels of the RoMYB10 gene and total anthocyanin contents in transgenic tobacco plants were significantly higher than those in wild-type (WT) plants. In addition, overexpression of RoMYB10 up-regulated the key genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis, such as NtCHS, NtCHI, NtF3H, NtANS and NtUFGT. Our study suggests that RoMYB10 is involved in the regulating of anthocyanin biosynthesis in raspberry and has potential as a molecular tool for manipulating biosynthesis of anthocyanins in fruits using metabolic engineering.

Abstract Background Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD) is a rare autosomal recessive condition, which is caused by biallelic mutations in mismatch repair genes: MSH2, MLH1, MSH6, and PMS2. Case presentation We reported a unique case of an 11-year-old Chinese girl with colorectal polyposis and café-au-lait macules who had no obvious family history of Lynch syndrome-associated tumors, followed by brain gliomas and colorectal carcinoma five years later. The diagnosis of CMMRD was based on gene sequencing analysis showing a homozygous deletion NM_00535.5:c.1577delA (p.Asp526fs) in exon 11 of the PMS2 gene. Although the patient underwent surgery and radiation therapy, and close surveillances including radiological, endoscopic and hematological screening have been recommended, she died of the exacerbation of neurological symptoms at the age of 18. Conclusions We identified a novel homozygous deletion in the PMS2 gene in a CMMRD patient with complex clinical features.

Plant U-box E3 ubiquitin ligases (PUBs) play an important role in growth, development, and stress responses in many species. However, the characteristics of U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase genes in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) are still unclear. Here, we carry out the genome-wide analysis of U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase genes in cabbage and identify 65 Brassica oleracea var. capitata U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase (BoPUB) genes in the cabbage genome. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that all 65 BoPUB genes are grouped into six subfamilies, whose members are relatively conserved in the protein domain and exon-intron structure. Chromosomal localization and synteny analyses show that segmental and tandem duplication events contribute to the expansion of the U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase gene family in cabbage. Protein interaction prediction presents that heterodimerization may occur in BoPUB proteins. In silico promoter analysis and spatio-temporal expression profiling of BoPUB genes reveal their involvement in light response, phytohormone response, and growth and development. Furthermore, we find that BoPUB genes participate in the biosynthesis of cuticular wax and in response to cold stress and pathogenic attack. Our findings provide a deep insight into the U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase gene family in cabbage and lay a foundation for the further functional analysis of BoPUB genes in different biological processes.

Tomato is one of the most popular and nutritious vegetables worldwide, but their production and quality are threatened by various stresses in the environment in which they are grown. Thus, the resistance and tolerance of tomatoes to various biotic and abiotic stresses should be improved. Aldo-keto reductases (AKR) are a superfamily of NAD(P)(H)-dependent oxidoreductases that play multiple roles in abiotic and biotic stress defenses by detoxification and reactive oxygen species (ROS) clearance pathways. Here, 28 identified AKR family genes of tomatoes were identified genome-wide, and their characteristics, including chromosomal location, gene structures, protein motifs, and system evolution, were analyzed. Furthermore, the phylogenetic and syntenic relationships in Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, and tomatoes were compared. Expression patterns at different tissues and in response to abiotic stresses, such as drought and salt, were monitored to further explore the function of SlAKRs. Finally, three SlAKRs candidate genes were silenced by Virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) systems in Solanum lycopersicum, showing sensitivity to drought and salt stresses with low contents of proline (Pro) and peroxidase (POD) and high content of malonaldehyde (MDA). This study provides the characteristics and potential functions of SlAKRs in response to abiotic stresses that will be helpful for further studies in S. lycopersicum.

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) is an integral part of the regional hydrological cycle and energy balance and is extremely sensitive to climate change. Based on temperature data from 24 global climate models (GCMs) in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), this study developed a multi-model ensemble based on delta statistical downscaling with multiple interpolation methods and evaluation indicators to predict the spatial and temporal evolution trends of ET0 in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) under four emission scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585) for the near- (2022–2040), mid- (2041–2060), and long- (2081–2100) term future. Results demonstrate that regional data generated based on delta statistical downscaling had good simulation performance for the monthly mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures in the YRB, and the developed multi-model ensemble had better simulation capability than any single model. Compared to the historical period (1901–2014), the annual ET0 showed a highly significant increase for different future emission scenarios, and the increase is faster with increasing radiative forcing. The first main cycle of ET0 change was 52, 53, 60, and 48 years for the SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585, respectively. ET0 in the YRB had positive values for EOF1 under all four emission scenarios, responding to a spatially consistent trend across the region. Compared to the historical period, the spatial distribution of ET0 under different future emission scenarios was characterized by being larger in the west and smaller in the east. As the radiative forcing scenario increased and time extended, ET0 significantly increased, with a maximum variation of 112.91% occurring in the western part of the YRB in the long-term future under the SSP585 scenario. This study can provide insight into the water cycle patterns of watersheds and scientific decision support for relevant departments to address the challenges of climate change.

Clonostachys rosea (Link) Schroers is a filamentous fungus that has been widely used for biological control, biological fermentation, biodegradation and bioenergy. In this research, we investigated the impact of this fungus on root growth in tomato and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that C. rosea can promote root growth in tomato, and tryptophan enhances its growth-promoting impacts. The results also showed that tryptophan increases the abundance of metabolites in C. rosea, with auxin (IAA) and auxin-related metabolites representing a majority of the highly abundant metabolites in the presence of tryptophan. It was noted that C. rosea could metabolize tryptophan into tryptamine (TRA) and indole-3-acetaldehyde (IAAId), and these two compounds are used by C. rosea to produce IAA through the tryptamine (TAM) pathway, which is one of the major pathways in tryptophan-dependent IAA biosynthesis. The IAA produced is used by C. rosea to promote root growth in tomato. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on IAA biosynthesis by C. rosea through the TAM pathway. More research is needed to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying IAA biosynthesis in C. rosea, as well as to examine the ability of this fungus to boost plant development in the field.

Abstract Background Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis is broadly utilized in genetics to understand the evolutionary and demographic history and helps geneticists identify genes associated with interested inherited traits, such as diseases. There are some tools for linkage disequilibrium analysis either in a local or online way; however, there has been no such tool supporting both graphical user interface (GUI) and parallel computing. Results We developed a GUI software called LDkit for LD analysis, which supports parallel computing. The LDkit supports both variant call format (VCF) and PLINK ‘ped + map’ format. At the same time, users could also just analyze a subset of individuals from the whole population. The LDkit reads the data by block and then paralleled the computation process by monitoring the usage of processes. Assessment on the Human 1000 genome data showed that when paralleled with 32 threads, the running time was reduced to less than 6 minutes from ~77 minutes using the chromosome 22 dataset with 1,103,547 SNPs and 2504 individuals. Conclusions The software LDkit can be effectively used to calculate and plot LD decay, LD block, and linkage disequilibrium analysis between a site and a given region. Most importantly, both graphical user interface (GUI) and stand-alone packages are available for users’ convenience. LDkit was written in JAVA language under cross-platform support.

Tomato damping-off and root rot are the two most common diseases of tomatoes at the seedling stage. At present, biological compound seed-coating agents are gradually replacing chemical agents in preventing and controlling plant diseases and insect pests, regulating plant growth, and ensuring crop yields. In this study, five biocontrol bacteria (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (Ba), Bacillus subtilis (Bs wy-1), Bacillus subtilis (WXCDD105), Pseudomonas fluorescens (WXCDD51), and Bacillus velezensis (WZ-37)), with broad antibacterial spectra were mixed with auxiliary factors (inactive components of seed-coating agent) after fermentation to compound a seed-coating agent. In this study, the formula for a compound seed-coating agent was selected through orthogonal experiment. Gaseous silica was used as a thickener, and gum arabic and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate were used as a film-forming agent and dispersant, respectively. The mass of fumed silica, gum arabic, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and pearlescent powder was 1.3 g, 1 g, 0.05 g, and 0.5 g, respectively. Adding gibberellin can improve the ability of seed-coating agents to promote seed germination and plant growth. This showed high efficiency in preventing and controlling seedling diseases and promoting seedling growth. After 6 days of inoculation with Pythium aphanidermatum, which caused tomato damping-off disease, the seedling mortality rate was 26.7% lower than that of the sterile water control, and 20% lower than that of carbendazim. After 21 days of inoculation with Fusarium sp., which caused tomato root rot disease, the seedling mortality rate was 44.31% lower than that of the control, and 22.36% lower than that of carbendazim. The plant height, stem diameter, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight of tomato seeds treated with biological compound seed-coating agent were significantly higher than that of the control. We tested the shelf life of the biological compound seed-coating agent, and found that the effect of seed germination and radicle growth did not decrease. This research provides information on the production technology and application of biological seed-coating agents in tomato production.

Tomato is an important vegetable crop. In the process of tomato production, it will encounter abiotic stress, such as low temperature, drought, and high salt, and biotic stress, such as pathogen infection, which will seriously affect the yield of tomato. Calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) is a class of major calcium signal receptor which has an important regulatory effect on the perception and decoding of calcium signals. CDPK plays a key role in many aspects of plant growth, such as the elongation of pollen tubes, plant growth, and response to biotic and abiotic stress. While some studies have concentrated on Arabidopsis and pepper, Solanum habrochaites is a wild species relative of cultivated tomato and there is no report on CDPK in Solanum habrochaites to date. Using tomato genomic data, this study identified 33 members of the CDPK gene family. Evolutionary analysis divides family members into four Asian groups, of which the CDPK family members have 11 gene replication pairs. Subcellular location analysis showed that most proteins were predicted to be located in the cytoplasm, and less protein existed on the cell membrane. Not all CDPK family members have a transmembrane domain. Cis regulatory elements relating to light, hormones, and drought stress are overrepresented in the promoter region of the CDPK genes in Solanum habrochaites. The expression levels of each gene under biotic stress and abiotic stress were quantified by qRT-PCR. The results showed that members of the CDPK family in Solanum habrochaites respond to different biotic and abiotic stresses. Among them, the expression of ShCDPK6 and ShCDPK26 genes change significantly. ShCDPK6 and ShCDPK26 genes were silenced using VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing), and the silenced plants illustrated reduced stress resistance to Botrytis cinerea, cold, and drought stress. The results of this study will provide a basis for the in-depth study of the CDPK gene family in Solanum habrochaites, laying the foundation for further analysis of the function of the gene family.

Three yeast strains, namely Cryptococcus albidus (Ca63), Cryptococcus albidus (Ca64), and Candida parapsilosis (Yett1006), and their combinations, including single yeast agent, two combined yeast strains, single yeast agent + NaHCO3, single yeast agent + chitosan, single yeast agent + ascorbic acid, and single yeast agent + konjac powder, were evaluated for their activity against Botrytis cinerea, the most economically important fungal pathogens causing postharvest disease of snap beans. In in vitro tests, no inhibition zone was observed in dual cultures of three yeast strains and B. cinerea. The mycelial growth inhibition rates of B. cinerea for Ca63, Ca64, and Yett1006 were 97%, 95%, and 97%, respectively. In in vivo tests, the optimal combination of the lowest disease index of snap beans with B. cinerea was Ca63 + Ca64, with a preventing effect of 75%. The decay rate and rust spots index of Ca64 + ascorbic acid combination were 25% and 20%, respectively, which were the lowest. The activities of defense-related enzymes increased, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was suppressed in snap beans after different treatments. Our results highlight the potential of the three yeast strains and their combinations as new nonpolluting agents for the integrated control of B. cinerea on snap beans.

Abstract Background Tomato gray leaf spot disease caused by Stemphylium lycopersici (S. lycopersici) is considered one of the major diseases of cultivated tomatoes. The only S. lycopersici resistance gene, Sm, was derived from the wild tomato species S. pimpinellifolium. Sm has been identified as an effective source of gray leaf spot resistance in tomatoes and has been mapped to tomato chromosome 11. In this study, the first bulked segregant analysis (BSA) combined with genome resequencing for the mapping and screening of the Sm candidate gene was performed. Results Based on the resequencing results, we identified 50,968 Diff-markers, most of which were distributed on chromosome 11. A total of 37 genes were located in the interval of 0.26-Mb. The gene loci of resistant and susceptible lines were sequenced successfully using PCR products. The relative expression levels of candidate genes in resistant and susceptible lines were confirmed via qRT-PCR, Solyc11g011870.1.1 and Solyc11g011880.1.1 were identified through qRT-PCR. A marker, D5, which was cosegregated with the resistant locus, was identified according to the mutation of the Solyc11g011880.1.1 trait in the resistant line. Conclusions The Sm gene was mapped to the short arm of chromosome 11. The candidate genes Solyc11g011870.1.1 and Solyc11g011880.1.1 displayed expression patterns related to the resistance response. This study will be valuable for Sm cloning and Sm gene breeding in tomato.

Tomato is a widely cultivated crop that is important for its nutritional value and genetic diversity. Tomato production is seriously challenged by pests and diseases, among which tomato gray mold and leaf mold are particularly serious. Biological control is one of the most preferred methods for disease management in tomato production. At present, the fungi used to control tomato gray mold are mainly Trichoderma and yeast. Bacillus and actinomycetes are the most effective microorganisms for controlling tomato leaf mold. Tomato gray mold and leaf mold often occur at the same time during the production process, yet there are fewer strains for controlling both diseases at the same time. Biocontrol bacteria Pseudomonas azotoformans WXCDD51, Bacillus sp. WXCDD105, Bacillus subtilis BS and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BS WY-1, which were isolated and screened in the previous stage, can prevent both tomato gray mold and leaf mold. Here, we optimized liquid fermentation for the four biocontrol bacterial strains together. We obtained the best fermentation medium formula and fermentation conditions for the four biocontrol bacteria. The broad-spectrum properties of the four biocontrol bacteria were tested, and, on this basis, compound strains were constructed. The control effect of single and compound strains on tomato gray mold and leaf mold was evaluated. Their potential effects on the growth of tomato seeds and seedlings were also studied. This research provides a foundation for the development and use of compound bacteria for growth promotion and disease management in tomato production.

Understanding the interaction between proteins and polyphenols is of significance to food industries. The aim of this research was to investigate the mode of aggregation for trypsin-EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3-gallate) complexes. For this, the complex was characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, small-angel X-ray scattering (SAXS), and atomic force microscope (AFM) techniques. The results showed that the fluorescence intensity of trypsin-EGCG complexes decreased with increasing the concentration of EGCG, indicating that the interaction between trypsin and EGCG resulted in changes in the microenvironment around fluorescent amino acid residues. The results of CD analysis showed conformational changes in trypsin after binding with EGCG. The results from SAXS analysis showed that the addition of EGCG results in the formation of aggregates of trypsin-EGCG complexes, and increasing the concentration of EGCG resulted in larger aggregates. AFM images showed that the trypsin-EGCG complex formed aggregates of irregular ellipsoidal shapes with the size of about 200 × 400 × 200 nm, with EGCG interconnecting the trypsin particles. Overall, according to these results, it was concluded that the large aggregates of trypsin-EGCG complexes are formed from several small aggregates that are interconnected. The results of this study shed some light on the interaction between digestive enzymes and EGCG.

A biological control agent is arguably an ideal alternative to chemical fungicide for the prevention and control of gray mold disease. During this process, a biological control produces low levels of pollution, generates few residues that pose no risk to the environment, and pathogens cannot gain resistance to it easily. A new antifungal strain isolated from plant rhizosphere exhibited high antifungal activity against the phytopathogens Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, F. moniliforme, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Colletotrichum orbiculare, Alternaria nees, F. equiseti, and F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. It was identified as Bacillus velezensis WZ-37 by morphological and physiological indices and comparisons of 16S rRNA and gyrB genes. WZ-37 can significantly inhibit the mycelia growth of B. cinerea by 96.97%. It can reduce a tomato fruit’s decay rate after 21 days of storage by 33.33% (13.34% less for the control) without significantly affecting its firmness and soluble solids. Plant height, stem diameter, and the fresh and dry weight of tomato seedlings were significantly increased when their seeds were soaked in a WZ-37 suspension (106 cfu/mL) for 3 h and grown for 21 days in soil. WZ-37 has broad-spectrum biocontrol and can prolong a tomato’s storage period and enhance its seedlings’ growth, making it a promising candidate strain for broad-spectrum biocontrol applications in agriculture.

Flooding in a sediment-laden floodplain is affected by riverine beach vegetation and the shape of a meandering compound channel. The laws of water and sediment exchange and the deposition distribution in beach troughs are very complex. These factors play a significant role in the formation and development of secondary suspended rivers, in the adjustment of the beach horizontal gradient, and even in the evolution of the flood control situation. In this study, we used a combination of experimental simulation and theoretical research to carry out a generalized model test of floodplain flooding evolution, analyzed the lateral distribution characteristics of sediment-laden flow and sediment factors in a meandering compound channel under the conditions of beach vegetation, and revealed the pros and cons of beach vegetation on the adjustment of the beach and channel siltation. The model test results of the flooding in the floodplain in the compound channel with meandering vegetation showed that the main stream was not only concentrated in the main channel but also appeared near the foot of the left and right bank levees and formed flood discharges along the embankment. As the riverine beach siltation was mainly concentrated at the riverine beach lip, the vegetation on the riverine beach had a significant effect on slowing down the flow velocity. Whether it was a row or full vegetation on both sides of the bank, this played an important role in the stability of the main channel. When there was no vegetation on the riverine beach, the main channel was easy to move. The arrangement of full vegetation on the riverine beach had a uniform effect on the velocity distribution of the riverine beach, which reduced the phenomenon of excessive velocity at the foot of the riverine beach and increased the velocity effect in the main channel. These results will provide a theoretical basis for the utilization of riverine beach areas and river management in the lower Yellow River and have a great significance for enriching the basic theory of water and sediment movement and promoting the integration of hydraulics, river dynamics, and ecology.

The sediment-laden floodplain flood is affected by beach vegetation and the shape of curved compound channels. The laws of water and sediment exchange and deposition distribution in beach troughs are very complex and play a significant role in the formation and development of secondary suspended rivers, the adjustment of beach horizontal gradients, and even the evolution of flood control situations. This study used a combination of experimental simulations and theoretical research to carry out a generalized model test of floodplain flood evolution, analyzing the transverse distribution characteristics of sediment-laden flow and sediment factors in a curved compound channel under the conditions of beach vegetation, proposing a theoretical model of transverse distribution of velocity and sediment concentration that is based on the momentum equation considering the inertial force of the lateral secondary flow and river curvature. The results showed the following: (1) The model test results for floodplain flood in the compound channel with curved vegetation showed that the main stream was not only concentrated in the main channel but also appeared near the foot of the left and right bank levees and formed flood discharge along the embankment, as the beach siltation was mainly concentrated in the beach lip; (2) The arrangement of full vegetation on the beach had a uniform effect on the velocity distribution of the beach, which can reduce the phenomenon of excessive velocity at the foot of the beach and increase the velocity effect in the main channel; and (3) Through five numerical examples, the lateral velocity distribution model of a curved compound channel with beach vegetation was tested and, in general, the analysis model was consistent with the experimental results. The research results will provide a theoretical basis for river management and have great significance for enriching the basic theory of water and sediment movement and promoting the integration of hydraulics, river dynamics, and ecology.

The nucleotide-binding site–leucine-rich repeat (NBS–LRR) gene family is the largest group of plant disease resistance (R) genes widespread in response to viruses, bacteria, and fungi usually involved in effector triggered immunity (ETI). Forty members of the Chinese cabbage CC type NBS–LRR family were investigated in this study. Gene and protein characteristics, such as distributed locations on chromosomes and gene structures, were explored through comprehensive analysis. CC–NBS–LRR proteins were classified according to their conserved domains, and the phylogenetic relationships of CC–NBS–LRR proteins in Brassica rapa, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Oryza sativa were compared. Moreover, the roles of BrCC–NBS–LRR genes involved in pathogenesis-related defense were studied and analyzed. First, the expression profiles of BrCC–NBS–LRR genes were detected by inoculating with downy mildew and black rot pathogens. Second, sensitive and resistant Chinese cabbage inbred lines were screened by downy mildew and black rot. Finally, the differential expression levels of BrCC–NBS–LRR genes were monitored at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h for short and 0, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 days for long inoculation time. Our study provides information on BrCC–NBS–LRR genes for the investigation of the functions and mechanisms of CC-NBS-LRR genes in Chinese cabbage.

F-box genes play an important role in the growth and development of plants, but there are few studies on its role in a plant’s response to abiotic stresses. In order to further study the functions of F-box genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, Sl), a total of 139 F-box genes were identified in the whole genome of tomato using bioinformatics methods, and the basic information, transcript structure, conserved motif, cis-elements, chromosomal location, gene evolution, phylogenetic relationship, expression patterns and the expression under cold stress, drought stress, jasmonic acid (JA) treatment and salicylic acid (SA) treatment were analyzed. The results showed that SlFBX genes were distributed on 12 chromosomes of tomato and were prone to TD (tandem duplication) at the ends of chromosomes. WGD (whole genome duplication), TD, PD (proximal duplication) and TRD (transposed duplication) modes seem play an important role in the expansion and evolution of tomato SlFBX genes. The most recent divergence occurred 1.3042 million years ago, between SlFBX89 and SlFBX103. The cis-elements in SlFBX genes’ promoter regions were mainly responded to phytohormone and abiotic stress. Expression analysis based on transcriptome data and qRT-PCR (Real-time quantitative PCR) analysis of SlFBX genes showed that most SlFBX genes were differentially expressed under abiotic stress. SlFBX24 was significantly up-regulated at 12 h under cold stress. This study reported the SlFBX gene family of tomato for the first time, providing a theoretical basis for the detailed study of SlFBX genes in the future, especially the function of SlFBX genes under abiotic stress.

Abstract In this paper, we propose a novel and sensitive ratiometric analysis method that uses the fractional intensities of time-resolved fluorescence of genetically encoded fluorescent NADH/NAD+ biosensors, Peredox, SoNar, and Frex. When the conformations of the biosensors change upon NADH/NAD+ binding, the fractional intensities (α i τ i ) have opposite changing trends. Their ratios could be exploited to quantify NADH/NAD+ levels with a larger dynamic range and higher resolution versus commonly used fluorescence intensity and lifetime methods. Moreover, only one excitation and one emission wavelength are required for this ratiometric measurement. This eliminates problems of traditional excitation-ratiometric and emission-ratiometric methods. This method could be used to simplify the design and achieve highly sensitive analyte quantification of genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors. Wide potential applications could be developed for imaging live cell metabolism based on this new method.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) as an important vegetable grown around the world is threatened by many diseases, which seriously affects its yield. Therefore, studying the interaction between tomato and pathogenic bacteria is biologically and economically important. The TPR (Tetratricopeptide repeat) gene family is a class of genes containing TPR conserved motifs, which are widely involved in cell cycle regulation, gene expression, protein degradation and other biological processes. The functions of TPR gene in Arabidopsis and wheat plants have been well studied, but the research on TPR genes in tomato is not well studied. In this study, 26 TPR gene families were identified using bioinformatics based on tomato genome data, and they were analyzed for subcellular localization, phylogenetic evolution, conserved motifs, tissue expression, and GO (Gene Ontology) analysis. The qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression levels of each member of the tomato TPR gene family (SlTPRs) under biological stress (Botrytis cinerea) and abiotic stress such as drought and abscisic acid (ABA). The results showed that members of the tomato TPR family responded to various abiotic stresses and Botrytis cinerea stress, and the SlTPR2 and SlTPR4 genes changed significantly under different stresses. Using VIGS (Virus-induced gene silencing) technology to silence these two genes, the silenced plants showed reduced disease resistance. It was also shown that TPR4 can interact with atpA which encodes a chloroplast ATP synthase CF1 α subunit. The above results provide a theoretical basis for further exploring the molecular mechanism of TPR-mediated resistance in disease defense, and also provide a foundation for tomato disease resistance breeding.

Botrytis cinerea infection can be very devastating for tomato production, as it can result in a large-scale reduction in tomato fruit production and fruit quality after harvest. Thus, it negatively affects tomato yield and quality. In this study, a biocontrol bacteria CQ-4 was isolated and screened from the rhizosphere soil of tomato plants. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed that it belongs to the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which has a strong antagonistic effect against Botrytis cinerea. In addition, the bacterium’s antibacterial spectrum is relatively extensive, and antagonistic tests have shown that it also has varying degrees of inhibition on other 12 plant diseases. The growth promotion test showed that the strain has a clear promotion effect on tomato seed germination and seedling growth. The growth-promoting effect on plant height, stem thickness, dry and fresh weight and main root length of tomato seedlings was significantly improved after the seeds were soaked in a bacterial solution of 2.5 × 108 cfu mL−1 concentration. This did not only maintain the nutritional quality of tomato fruits, but also prevents them from rotting. In vitro and pot experiments showed that the strain CQ-4 can effectively control tomato gray mold, and the control effects on tomato leaves and fruits reached 74.4% and 66.0%, respectively. Strain CQ-4 induce plants to up-regulate the activities of four disease-resistant defense enzymes. The peak enzymatic activities of Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) were increased by 35.6%, 37.6%, 46.1%, and 38.4%, respectively, as compared with the control group. This study found that the strain can solubilize phosphorus, fix nitrogen, and produce cellulase, protease, ferrophilin, and other antibacterial metabolites, but it does not produce chitinase, glucanase, and HCN (hydrocyanic acid). This research screened out an excellent Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain that can stably and effectively control tomato gray mold, and it provided theoretical basis for further development and the application of biological agents.

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most popular vegetables in the world. In tomato production, due to the effects of diseases, insect pests, drought, and cold damage, large-scale production reduction is often caused. Plant trichomes are protruding attachments distributed on the surface of different plants, providing protection for plants. When the plant is under external stress, the trichomes can play an important role in protecting the plant from damage through its physical structure. The density and type of different trichomes are closely related to the stress resistance of tomatoes. The tomato wo mutant LA3186 (referred to herein as “3186M”), LA3186 (referred to herein as “3186L”), the ln mutant LA3-071 (referred to herein as “3-071”), and the tomato cultivar Jia Ren (referred to herein as “JR”, used as the control), which possess different numbers of trichomes on the surface of the leaves, were used as materials; the glandular characteristics, types, and densities of the trichomes were observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM); and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the subcellular structure in the leaves. The relationship between the different tomato trichomes and stress resistance was investigated with treatments of low temperature, drought, disease, and insects. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical basis for the further utilization and regulation of the trichome-related characteristics of tomatoes.

The calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinase (CIPK) protein family is a critical protein family in plant signaling pathways mediated by Ca2+, playing a pivotal role in plant stress response and growth. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study of the tomato CIPK gene family in response to abiotic stress has been reported. In this study, 22 members of the tomato CIPK gene family were successfully identified by using a combination of bioinformatics techniques and molecular analyses. The expression level of each member of tomato CIPK gene family under abiotic stress (low temperature, high salt, drought treatment) was determined by qRT-PCR. Results indicated that tomato CIPK demonstrated different degrees of responding to various abiotic stresses, and changes in SlCIPK1 and SlCIPK8 expression level were relatively apparent. The results of qRT-PCR showed that expression levels of SlCIPK1 increased significantly in early stages of cold stress, and the expression level of SlCIPK8 increased significantly during the three treatments at different time points, implicating Solanum lycopersicum CIPK1(SlCIPK1) and Solanum lycopersicum CIPK8 (SlCIPK8) involvement in abiotic stress response. SlCIPK1 and SlCIPK8 were silenced using Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), and physiological indexes were detected by low temperature, drought, and high salt treatment. The results showed that plants silenced by SlCIPK1 and SlCIPK8 at the later stage of cold stress were significantly less resistant to cold than wild-type plants. SlCIPK1 and SlCIPK8 silenced plants had poor drought resistance, indicating a relationship between SlCIPK1 and SlCIPK8 with response to low temperature and drought resistance. This is the first study to uncover the nucleotide sequence for tomato CIPK family members and systematically study the changes of tomato CIPK family members under abiotic stress. Here, we investigate the CIPK family’s response under abiotic stress providing understanding into the signal transduction pathway. This study provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the function of tomato CIPK at low temperature and its molecular mechanism of regulating low temperatures.

To investigate whether the ech42 gene in Clonostachysrosea can improve the biocontrol efficacy of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and its molecular mechanism. Compared to the wild type, the B. amyloliquefaciens transformed with the ech42 gene exhibited higher chitinase activity. The B. amyloliquefaciens-ech42 also showed significantly higher biocontrol efficiency compared to Botrytiscinerea when tomato plants were pre-treated with B. amyloliquefaciens-ech42. No significant difference in biocontrol efficiency was observed between the wild type and B.amyloliquefaciens-ech42 when tomato plants were first infected by Botrytiscinerea. In addition, the activity of the defense-related enzyme polyphenol oxidase, but not superoxide dismutase, was significantly higher in B. amyloliquefaciens-ech42 than in the wild type. The ech42 enhances the biocontrol efficiency of B.amyloliquefaciens by increasing the capacity of preventative/curative effects in plants, rather than by killing the pathogens.

In this study, a strain named WXCDD105, which has strong antagonistic effects on Botrytis cinerea and Cladosporium fulvum Cooke, was screened out from the rhizosphere of healthy tomato plants. The tomato plants had inhibition diameter zones of 5.00 mm during the dual culture for four days. Based on the morphological and physiological characteristics, the 16S rDNA sequence, and the gyrB gene sequence analysis, the strain WXCDD105 was identified as Bacillus subtilis suBap. subtilis. The results of the mycelial growth test showed that the sterile filtrate of the strain WXCDD105 could significantly inhibit mycelial growth of Botrytis cinerea and Cladosporium fulvum Cooke. The inhibition rates were 95.28 and 94.44%, respectively. The potting experiment showed that the strain WXCDD105 made effective the control of tomato gray mold and tomato leaf mold. The control efficiencies were 74.70 and 72.07%. The antagonistic test results showed that the strain WXCDD105 had different degrees of inhibition on 10 kinds of plant pathogenic fungi and the average inhibition rates were more than 80%. We also found that the strain WXCDD105 stimulated both the seed germination and seedling growth of tomatoes. Using the fermentation liquid of WXCDD105 (108 cfu·mL−1) to treat the seeds, the germination rate and radicle length were increased. Under the treatment of the fermentation liquid of the strain WXCDD105 (106 cfu·mL−1), nearly all physiological indexes of tomato seedlings were significantly higher than that of the control groups. This could not only keep the nutritional quality of tomato fruits but also prevent them from rotting. This study provided us with an excellent strain for biological control of tomato gray mold, tomato leaf mold, and tomato growth promotion. This also laid the technical foundation for its application.

Tomato gray mold disease, caused by Botrytis cinerea, is a serious disease in tomato. Clonostachys rosea is an antagonistic microorganism to B. cinerea. To investigate the induced resistance mechanism of C. rosea, we examined the effects of these microorganisms on tomato leaves, along with changes in the activities of three defense enzymes (PAL, PPO, GST), second messengers (NO, H2O2, O2(-)) and phytohormones (IAA, ABA, GA3, ZT, MeJA, SA and C2H4). Compared to the control, all treatments induced higher levels of PAL, PPO and GST activity in tomato leaves and increased NO, SA and GA3 levels. The expression of WRKY and MAPK, two important transcription factors in plant disease resistance, was upregulated in C. rosea- and C. rosea plus B. cinerea-treated samples. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis showed that two abundant proteins were present in the C. rosea plus B. cinerea-treated samples but not in the other samples. These proteins were determined (by mass spectrum analysis) to be LEXYL2 (β-xylosidase) and ATP synthase CF1 alpha subunit. Therefore, C. rosea plus B. cinerea treatment induces gray mold resistance in tomato. This study provides a basis for elucidating the mechanism of C. rosea as a biocontrol agent.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a malignancy of epidermal keratinocytes that is responsible for approximately 20% of skin cancer-related death yearly. We have previously compared the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile of cSCC to healthy skin and found the dysregulation of miRNAs in human cSCC. In this study we show that miR-31 is overexpressed in cSCC (n = 68) compared to healthy skin (n = 34) and precancerous skin lesions (actinic keratosis, n = 12). LNA in situ hybridization revealed that miR-31 was specifically up-regulated in tumor cells. Mechanistic studies of inhibition of endogenous miR-31 in human metastatic cSCC cells revealed suppressed migration, invasion and colony forming ability, whereas overexpression of miR-31 induced these phenotypes. These results indicate that miR-31 regulates cancer-associated phenotypes of cSCC and identify miR-31 as a potential target for cSCC treatment.

The C-repeat (CRT)/dehydration-responsive element (DRE) binding factor (CBF/DREB1) transcription factors play a key role in cold response. However, the detailed roles of many plant CBFs are far from fully understood. A CBF gene (SsCBF1) was isolated from the cold-hardy plant Solanum lycopersicoides. A subcellular localization study using GFP fusion protein indicated that SsCBF1 is localized in the nucleus. We delimited the SsCBF1 transcriptional activation domain to the C-terminal segment comprising amino acid residues 193-228 (SsCBF1(193-228)). The expression of SsCBF1 could be dramatically induced by cold, drought and high salinity. Transactivation assays in tobacco leaves revealed that SsCBF1 could specifically bind to the CRT cis-elements in vivo to activate the expression of downstream reporter genes. The ectopic overexpression of SsCBF1 conferred increased freezing and high-salinity tolerance and late flowering phenotype to transgenic Arabidopsis. RNA-sequencing data exhibited that a set of cold and salt stress responsive genes were up-regulated in transgenic Arabidopsis. Our results suggest that SsCBF1 behaves as a typical CBF to contribute to plant freezing tolerance. Increased resistance to high-salinity and late flowering phenotype derived from SsCBF1 OE lines lend more credence to the hypothesis that plant CBFs participate in diverse physiological and biochemical processes related to adverse conditions.

Plant heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs) are the critical components involved in mediating responses to various environmental stressors. However, the detailed roles of many plant Hsfs are far from fully understood. In this study, an Hsf (SlHsfA3) was isolated from the cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, Sl) and functionally characterized at the genetic and developmental levels. The nucleus-localized SlHsfA3 was basally and ubiquitously expressed in different plant organs. The expression of SlHsfA3 was induced dramatically by heat stress, moderately by high salinity, and slightly by drought, but was not induced by abscisic acid (ABA). The ectopic overexpression of SlHsfA3 conferred increased thermotolerance and late flowering phenotype to transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Moreover, SlHsfA3 played a negative role in controlling seed germination under salt stress. RNA-sequencing data demonstrated that a number of heat shock proteins (Hsps) and stress-associated genes were induced in Arabidopsis plants overexpressing SlHsfA3. A gel shift experiment and transient expression assays in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves demonstrated that SlHsfA3 directly activates the expression of SlHsp26.1-P and SlHsp21.5-ER. Taken together, our results suggest that SlHsfA3 behaves as a typical Hsf to contribute to plant thermotolerance. The late flowering and seed germination phenotypes and the RNA-seq data derived from SlHsfA3 overexpression lines lend more credence to the hypothesis that plant Hsfs participate in diverse physiological and biochemical processes related to adverse conditions.