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Abstract Background The American Heart Association recently introduced a novel cardiovascular health (CVH) metric, Life's Essential 8 (LE8), for health promotion. However, the relationship between LE8 and cancer mortality risk remains uncertain. Methods We investigated 17,076 participants from US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (US NHANES) and 272,727 participants from UK Biobank, all free of cancer at baseline. The CVH score, based on LE8 metrics, incorporates four health behaviors (diet, physical activity, smoking, and sleep) and four health factors (body mass index, lipid, blood glucose, and blood pressure). Self-reported questionnaires assessed health behaviors. Primary outcomes were mortality rates for total cancer and its subtypes. The association between CVH score (continuous and categorical variable) and outcomes was examined using Cox model with adjustments. Cancer subtypes-related polygenic risk score (PRS) was constructed to evaluate its interactions with CVH on cancer death risk. Results Over 141,526 person-years in US NHANES, 424 cancer-related deaths occurred, and in UK Biobank, 8,872 cancer deaths were documented during 3,690,893 person-years. High CVH was associated with reduced overall cancer mortality compared to low CVH (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37–0.91 in US NHANES; 0.51, 0.46–0.57 in UK Biobank). Each one-standard deviation increase in CVH score was linked to a 19% decrease in cancer mortality (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.73–0.91) in US NHANES and a 19% decrease (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.79–0.83) in UK Biobank. Adhering to ideal CVH was linearly associated with decreased risks of death from lung, bladder, liver, kidney, esophageal, breast, colorectal, pancreatic, and gastric cancers in UK Biobank. Furthermore, integrating genetic data revealed individuals with low PRS and high CVH exhibited the lowest mortality from eight cancers (HRs ranged from 0.36 to 0.57) compared to those with high PRS and low CVH. No significant modification of the association between CVH and mortality risk for eight cancers by genetic predisposition was observed. Subgroup analyses showed a more pronounced protective association for overall cancer mortality among younger participants and those with lower socio-economic status. Conclusions Maintaining optimal CVH is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of overall cancer mortality. Adherence to ideal CVH correlates linearly with decreased mortality risk across multiple cancer subtypes. Individuals with both ideal CVH and high genetic predisposition demonstrated significant health benefits. These findings support adopting ideal CVH as an intervention strategy to mitigate cancer mortality risk and promote healthy aging.

Abstract Increased selenium (Se) content in fruits can supply Se in human body, but the effects of teas on the Se uptake in fruit trees are unknown. The effects of infusions of four teas (green, black, dark, and white) on the Se uptake of grapevine were studied to promote the Se uptake in fruit trees in this study. However, only black tea infusion increased the biomass, photosynthetic pigment content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, and soluble protein content of grapevine. Except for white tea infusion, other tea infusions also increased the catalase (CAT) activity of grapevine. Furthermore, the tea infusions increased the activities of adenosine triphosphate sulfurase (ATPS) and adenosine 5’-phosphosulfate reductase (APR), and decreased the activities of serine acetyltransferase (SAT) and selenocysteine methyltransferase (SMT). Only the dark and white tea infusions increased the shoot total Se content by 86.53% and 23.32%, respectively (compared with the control), and also increased the shoot inorganic Se content and shoot organic Se content. Notably, four tea infusions decreased the organic Se proportion and increased the inorganic Se proportion in grapevine. Correlation and grey relational analyses showed that the root total Se content, ATPS activity, and ARP activity were closely associated with the shoot total Se content. The principal component and cluster analyses also showed that the ATPS activity, APR activity, root total Se content, and shoot total Se content were classified into one category. These findings show that black tea infusion can promote grapevine growth, while dark and white tea infusions can promote the Se uptake in grapevine.

Abstract Background Artificial sweeteners are widely popular worldwide as substitutes for sugar or caloric sweeteners, but there are still several important unknowns and controversies regarding their associations with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to extensively assess the association and subgroup variability between artificial sweeteners and CVD and CVD mortality in the UK Biobank cohort, and further investigate the modification effects of genetic susceptibility and the mediation role of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods This study included 133,285 participants in the UK Biobank who were free of CVD and diabetes at recruitment. Artificial sweetener intake was obtained from repeated 24-hour diet recalls. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate HRs. Genetic predisposition was estimated using the polygenic risk score (PRS). Furthermore, time-dependent mediation was performed. Results In our study, artificial sweetener intake (each teaspoon increase) was significantly associated with an increased risk of incident overall CVD (HR1.012, 95%CI: 1.008,1.017), coronary artery disease (CAD) (HR: 1.018, 95%CI: 1.001,1.035), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (HR: 1.035, 95%CI: 1.010,1.061), and marginally significantly associated with heart failure (HF) risk (HR: 1.018, 95%CI: 0.999,1.038). In stratified analyses, non-whites were at greater risk of incident overall CVD from artificial sweetener. People with no obesity (BMI

Urban environments and cardiovascular health are closely linked, yet only a few specific exposures have been explored in isolation and mostly adopting cross-sectional design. The influence of socioeconomic status and genetic predisposition also remains unclear. Hence, leveraging the UK Biobank data (n = 206,681), we conducted a prospective analysis of 213 urban environmental variables and their association with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The ExWAS and regularized Cox models analyses highlighted air pollution, industrial sites, and complex street networks as primary environmental risk factors. Instead, land-use density of leisure, public services, infrastructure and residential, and drinking water hardness showed a negative association with ASCVD risk. By integrating sparse canonical correlation and mediation analyses, we found distinct urban environment patterns through diverse pathways influence ASCVD. The environment characterized by pollution and complex streets impact ASCVD through adverse mental health (mediation proportion:30.7 %, 95 % CI:22.4 %-44.0 %), while highly-developed community and high-water hardness environment via cardiometabolic status (22.6 %, 95 % CI:19.7 %-26.0 %). Further, we found low socioeconomic status amplifies disadvantaged urban environment effects on ASCVD, yet there were no similar findings for ASCVD genetic predisposition. This research deepened our understanding of city-cardiovascular health links and the role of socioeconomic status, with implications for urban planning and public health interventions.

Abstract To alleviate the selenium (Se) stress in fruit trees and improve its accumulation, the effects of exogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on the growth and Se accumulation of grapevine under Se stress were studied. The application of exogenous IAA increased the biomass of grapevine, and the concentration of exogenous IAA had a regression relationship with the biomass. The root and shoot biomass were the maximum at 60 mg L− 1 IAA, increasing by 15.61% and 23.95%, respectively, compared with the control. Exogenous IAA also increased the photosynthetic pigments and the activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in grapevine. Moreover, exogenous IAA increased the contents of total Se, organic Se, and inorganic Se, and the concentration of exogenous IAA had a regression relationship with the total Se content. The highest contents of root total Se and shoot total Se were accumulated at 90 mg L− 1 IAA, increasing by 29.94% and 55.77% respectively,. In addition, the correlation and path analyses revealed that the carotenoid content and root total Se content were closely associated with the shoot total Se content. Therefore, the application of exogenous IAA can alleviate the stress of Se to grape and promote its uptake and the most effective amount for the uptake of Se is 90 mg L− 1 IAA.

Plums (Prunus salicina and Prunus domestica) are prevalent in southwestern China, and have attracted interest owing to their delectable taste and exceptional nutritional properties. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the nutritional and flavor properties of plum to improve its nutritional utilization. Specifically, we determined the soluble sugars, organic acids, and phenolic components in 86 accessions using high-performance liquid chromatography. Notably, glucose, fructose, malic, and quinic acids were the predominant sweetness and acidity in plums, with sucrose contributing more to the sweetness of the flesh than the peel. Moreover, The peel contains 5.5 fold more phenolics than flesh, epicatechin, gallic acid, and proanthocyanidins C1 and B2 were the primary sources of astringency. Correlation and principal component analyses showed eight core factors for plum flavor rating, and a specific rating criterion was established. Conclusively, these findings provide information on the integrated flavor evaluation criteria and for enhancing optimal breeding of plums.

IntroductionExogenous melatonin (MT) can promote horticultural crops growth under stress conditions.MethodsIn this study, the effects of exogenous MT on the accumulation of selenium (Se) in grape were studied under Se stress.Results and discussionUnder Se stress, exogenous MT increased the biomass, content of photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant enzyme activity of grapevines. Compared with Se treatment, MT increased the root biomass, shoot biomass, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll b content, carotenoids, superoxide dismutase activity, and peroxidase activity by 18.11%, 7.71%, 25.70%, 25.00%, 25.93%, 5.73%, and 9.41%, respectively. Additionally, MT increased the contents of gibberellin, auxin, and MT in grapevines under Se stress, while it decreased the content of abscisic acid. MT increased the contents of total Se, organic Se and inorganic Se in grapevines. Compared with Se treatment, MT increased the contents of total Se in the roots and shoots by 48.82% and 135.66%, respectively. A transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that MT primarily regulated the cellular, metabolic, and bioregulatory processes of grapevine under Se stress, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were primarily enriched in pathways, such as aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, spliceosome, and flavonoid biosynthesis. These involved nine DEGs and nine metabolic pathways in total. Moreover, a field experiment showed that MT increased the content of Se in grapes and improved their quality. Therefore, MT can alleviate the stress of Se in grapevines and promote their growth and the accumulation of Se.

An excess of selenium (Se) can cause toxicity to plants. Treatment with melatonin (MT) can alleviate the stress conditions in plants. Limited research exists on the impact of MT on Se stress and uptake in fruit trees. To address Se stress and enhance Se accumulation in Cyphomandra betacea Sendt. (Solanum betaceum Cav.), the effects of exogenous MT (50–200 µmol L−1) on C. betacea growth and Se accumulation under Se stress were studied. MT increased the biomass, photosynthetic pigments levels, and peroxidase activity of C. betacea under Se stress. Only at concentrations of 150 and 200 µmol L−1 did MT increase superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, as well as soluble protein content in C. betacea leaves. MT treatment also boosted the Se content and bioconcentration factor of C. betacea under Se stress while reducing the translocation factor. The dose of MT was directly related to the Se content, and the highest levels of Se in roots and shoots were observed at 150 µmol L−1, which was an increase of 114% and 60%, respectively, compared with the control. In addition, correlation, principal component, cluster, grey, and path analyses revealed a strong correlation between root Se content and shoot biomass with the shoot Se content. Therefore, MT treatment can mitigate Se stress and enhance Se uptake in C. betacea, and the most effective dose of MT is 150 µmol L−1.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), with its abundant phenolic substances and strong antioxidant activity, holds significant research and utilization potential across various organs. However, there have been few studies on the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of different parts of pomegranate, especially the placenta. This study investigated the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of fruits, flowers, and leaves of two pomegranate varieties, ‘Tunisia’ and ‘Qingpi’, throughout their growth and development. Results indicated significant variations in phenolic content among different organs, with petals exhibiting the highest total polyphenol content (TPC, 49.40 mg GAE/g FW) and total anthocyanin content (TMAC, 1938.54 nmol/g FW). Placenta contained the highest levels of total flavonoids (TFC, 173.58 mg RE/g FW) and punicalagin (109.30 mg/g FW). The peel had the highest content of total flavanols (TFAC, 19.42 mg CE/g FW). Over the course of pomegranate development, total polyphenols, total flavonoids, total flavanols, punicalagin, and antioxidant activity declined in different organs. Antioxidant activity followed the order: fruit > flower > leaf, with the placenta exhibiting the highest antioxidant activity among fruits. Antioxidant activity showed a significant positive correlation with total polyphenols (R2 = 0.77-1.00), total flavonoids (R2 = 0.71-0.99, except tegmens), and punicalagin (R2 = 0.71-1.00). This study provides a comparative analysis of the phenolic content and antioxidant activity in different organs of pomegranate, highlighting the placenta as the primary source of punicalagin. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of pomegranate phenolic compounds.

Abstract The most commercialized kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa (Acd), is an allohexaploid (2n = 6x = 174), making high-quality assemblage genome challenging. We previously discovered a rare naturally occurring diploid Acd plant. Here, chromosome-level de novo genome assembly for this diploid Acd was reported, reaching approximately 621.98 Mb in length with contig and scaffold N50 values of 10.08 and 21.09 Mb, respectively, 99.66% of the bases anchored to 29 pseudochromosomes, and 38,990 protein-coding genes and 42.29% repetitive elements annotated. The divergence time of A. chinensis cv. ‘Red5’ and ‘Hongyang’ (11.1–27.7 mya) was more recent compared with the divergence time of them and Acd (19.9–41.2 mya), with the divergence time of A. eriantha cv. ‘White’ being the earliest (22.9–45.7 mya) among that of the four Actinidia species. The 4DTv distance distribution highlighted three recent whole-genome duplication events in Acd. This is the first high-quality diploid Acd genome, which lays an important foundation for not only kiwifruit functional genomics studies but also further elucidating genome evolution of allohexaploid Acd.

IntroductionSalicylic acid (SA) is a multi-functional endogenous phytohormone implicated in the growth, development, and metabolism of many plant species.MethodsThis study evaluated the effects of different concentrations of SA (0, 25, 100, 200, and 500 mg/L) on the growth and cadmium (Cd) content of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under Cd stress. The different concentrations of SA treatments were administered through foliar application. ResultsOur results showed that 100-200 mg/L SA significantly increased the plant height and biomass of lettuce under Cd stress. When SA concentration was 200 mg/L, the plant height and root length of lettuce increased by 19.42% and 22.77%, respectively, compared with Cd treatment alone. Moreover, 200 mg/L and 500mg/L SA concentrations could reduce peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities caused by Cd stress. When the concentration of exogenous SA was 500 mg/L, the POD and SOD activities of lettuce leaves decreased by 15.51% and 19.91%, respectively, compared with Cd treatment. A certain concentration of SA reduced the uptake of Cd by the lettuce root system and the transport of Cd from the lettuce root system to shoots by down-regulating the expression of Nramp5, HMA4, and SAMT, thus reducing the Cd content of lettuce shoots. When the concentration of SA was 100 mg/L, 200 mg/L, and 500 mg/L, the Cd contents of lettuce shoots were 11.28%, 22.70%, and 18.16%, respectively, lower than that of Cd treatment alone. Furthermore, principal component and correlation analyses showed that the Cd content of lettuce shoots was correlated with plant height, root length, biomass, antioxidant enzymes, and the expression level of genes related to Cd uptake.DiscussionIn general, these results provide a reference for the mechanism by which SA reduces the Cd accumulation in vegetables and a theoretical basis for developing heavy metal blockers with SA components.

MADS-box is a large transcription factor family in plants and plays a crucial role in various plant developmental processes; however, it has not been systematically analyzed in kiwifruit. In the present study, 74 AcMADS genes were identified in the Red5 kiwifruit genome, including 17 type-I and 57 type-II members according to the conserved domains. The AcMADS genes were randomly distributed across 25 chromosomes and were predicted to be mostly located in the nucleus. A total of 33 fragmental duplications were detected in the AcMADS genes, which might be the main force driving the family expansion. Many hormone-associated cis-acting elements were detected in the promoter region. Expression profile analysis showed that AcMADS members had tissue specificity and different responses to dark, low temperature, drought, and salt stress. Two genes in the AG group, AcMADS32 and AcMADS48, had high expression levels during fruit development, and the role of AcMADS32 was further verified by stable overexpression in kiwifruit seedlings. The content of α-carotene and the ratio of zeaxanthin/β-carotene was increased in transgenic kiwifruit seedlings, and the expression level of AcBCH1/2 was significantly increased, suggesting that AcMADS32 plays an important role in regulating carotenoid accumulation. These results have enriched our understanding of the MADS-box gene family and laid a foundation for further research of the functions of its members during kiwifruit development.

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to depict the global death burden of atrial fibrillation and/or flutter (AFF) between 1990 and 2019 and predict this burden in the next decade.MethodsWe retrieved annual death data on cases and rates of AFF between 1990 and 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 and projected the trends for 2020–2029 by developing the Bayesian age-period-cohort model.ResultsThe global number of deaths from AFF increased from 117,038.00 in 1990 to 315,336.80 in 2019. This number is projected to reach 404,593.40 by 2029. The age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) of AFF have increased significantly in low- to middle-sociodemographic index (SDI) regions, which will surpass that in high SDI regions and reach above 4.60 per 100,000 by 2029. Globally, women have a higher ASMR than men, which is largely attributed to disproportionately higher mortality in women than men in lower SDI regions. Notably, AFF-related premature mortality continues to worsen worldwide. A pandemic of high systolic blood pressure and high body mass index (BMI) largely contributes to AFF-associated death. In particular, low- to middle-SDI regions and younger populations are increasingly affected by the rapidly growing current and future risk of high BMI.ConclusionThe global death burden of AFF in low-income countries and younger generations have not been sufficiently controlled in the past and will continue growing in the future, which is largely attributed to metabolic risks, particularly for high BMI. There is an urgent need to implement effective measures to control AFF-related mortality.

Abstract Background High fasting plasma glucose (HFPG) is the leading risk factor contributing to the increase of stroke burden in the past three decades. However, the global distribution of stroke burden specifically attributable to HFPG was not studied in depth. Therefore, we analyzed the HFPG‐attributable burden in stroke and its subtypes in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Methods Detailed data on stroke burden attributable to HFPG were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The numbers and age‐standardized rates of stroke disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), deaths, years lived with disability, and years of life lost between 1990 and 2019 were estimated by age, sex, and region. Results In 2019, the age‐standardized rate of DALYs (ASDR) of HFPG‐attributable stroke was 354.95 per 100 000 population, among which 49.0% was from ischemic stroke, 44.3% from intracerebral hemorrhage, and 6.6% from subarachnoid hemorrhage. The ASDRs of HFPG‐attributable stroke in lower sociodemographic index (SDI) regions surpassed those in higher SDI regions in the past three decades. Generally, the population aged over 50 years old accounted for 92% of stroke DALYs attributable to HFPG, and males are more susceptible to HFPG‐attributable stroke than females across their lifetime. Conclusions Successful key population initiatives targeting HFPG may mitigate the stroke disease burden. Given the soaring population‐attributable fractions of HFPG for stroke burden worldwide, each country should assess its disease burden and determine targeted prevention and control strategies.

BackgroundWhether serum apolipoprotein B (ApoB) is a risk factor for the development of Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been fully established in the general population. Therefore, our study evaluated the correlation between serum ApoB level and CKD to look for an alternative approach for CKD prevention and treatment in the general population.MethodsThere were 146,533 participants in this cross-sectional study. 3,325 participants with more than 2 measurements were enrolled in the retrospective longitudinal study with at least a 3-year follow-up. ApoB was measured by the immunoturbidimetric method in 6 centers. Our study defined CKD as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2. The Spearman rank correlation analysis and the Random Forest algorithm were applied to rank the importance of variables determining the levels of eGFR. We used the logistic regression model to explain the correlation between serum ApoB and CKD. We used the Cox model to detect the correlation between baseline serum ApoB and the subsequent occurrence of CKD.ResultsBased on a cross-sectional study, 66.5% of the participants were males, with a median age of 49 (interquartile range [IQR] 43-55). Compared to the non-CKD group, the CKD group has higher levels of lipid profile and fasting glucose as well as the proportion of hypertension and hyperuricemia. The Spearman rank correlation analysis and the Random Forest algorithm revealed that ApoB has the highest correlation with eGFR decline among lipid profiles. The logistic regression analysis revealed that ApoB had a positive correlation with the prevalence of CKD after fully controlling confounders (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.11). Moreover, baseline ApoB level was correlated with a new-onset CKD in the longitudinal cohort after full adjustment for confounding factors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.61; 95% CI: 1.02-2.54). The correlation between ApoB level and the new-onset CKD was consistently observed in all sensitivity analyses.ConclusionSerum ApoB had the strongest correlation with CKD among all lipid variables. Moreover, high serum ApoB levels might precede the occurrence of CKD, suggesting that monitoring and reducing serum ApoB levels may provide an alternative method to prevent and treat CKD.

China is the largest kiwifruit producer in the world, accounting for more than half of the total. However, in terms of yield per unit area, China is much lower than the global average and lags behind that of other countries. Yield improvement is of critical importance for the current kiwifruit industry in China. In this study, an improved overhead pergolas trellis (OPT) system, namely, the umbrella-shaped trellis (UST) system, was developed for Donghong kiwifruit, which is now the second most popular and widely cultivated red-fleshed kiwifruit in China. Surprisingly, the estimated yield on the UST system was more than two times higher than that with a traditional OPT, while the external fruit quality was maintained and the internal fruit quality was improved. One of the mechanisms contributing to the yield improvement was the significant promotion of the vegetative growth of canes at 6 ~ 10 mm in diameter by the UST system. The upper canopy of the UST treatment served as a natural shading condition for the lower fruiting canopy and thus had positive effects on the accumulation of chlorophylls and total carotenoids in the fruiting canopy. The most productive zones on the fruiting canes (6 ~ 10 mm in diameter) contained significantly higher (P < 0.05) levels of zeatin riboside (ZR) and auxin (IAA) and ratios of ZR/gibberellin (GA), ZR/abscisic acid (ABA), and ABA/GA. A relatively high carbon/nitrogen ratio may promote the flower bud differentiation process of Donghong kiwifruit. The outcomes of this study provide a scientific basis for manifold increase in production of kiwifruit and contribute to the sustainability of the kiwifruit industry.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to escalate intensively worldwide. Massive studies on general populations with SARS-CoV-2 infection have revealed that pre-existing comorbidities were a major risk factor for the poor prognosis of COVID-19. Notably, 49–75% of COVID-19 patients had no comorbidities, but this cohort would also progress to severe COVID-19 or even death. However, risk factors contributing to disease progression and death in patients without chronic comorbidities are largely unknown; thus, specific clinical interventions for those patients are challenging. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective study based on 4806 COVID-19 patients without chronic comorbidities was performed to identify potential risk factors contributing to COVID-19 progression and death using LASSO and a stepwise logistic regression model. Results: Among 4806 patients without pre-existing comorbidities, the proportions with severe progression and mortality were 34.29% and 2.10%, respectively. The median age was 47.00 years [interquartile range, 36.00–56.00], and 2162 (44.99%) were men. Among 51 clinical parameters on admission, age ≥ 47, oxygen saturation < 95%, increased lactate dehydrogenase, neutrophil count, direct bilirubin, creatine phosphokinase, blood urea nitrogen levels, dyspnea, increased blood glucose and prothrombin time levels were associated with COVID-19 mortality in the entire cohort. Of the 3647 patients diagnosed with non-severe COVID-19 on admission, 489(13.41%) progressed to severe disease. The risk factors associated with COVID-19 progression from non-severe to severe illness were increased procalcitonin levels, SpO2 < 95%, age ≥ 47, increased LDH, activated partial thromboplastin time levels, decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, dyspnea and increased D-dimer levels. Conclusions: COVID-19 patients without pre-existing chronic comorbidities have specific traits and disease patterns. COVID-19 accompanied by severe bacterial infections, as indicated by increased procalcitonin levels, was highly associated with disease progression from non-severe to severe. Aging, impaired respiratory function, coagulation dysfunction, tissue injury, and lipid metabolism dysregulation were also associated with disease progression. Once factors for multi-organ damage were elevated and glucose increased at admission, these findings indicated a higher risk for mortality. This study provides information that helps to predict COVID-19 prognosis specifically in patients without chronic comorbidities.

BackgroundThe relationship between thyroid function parameters and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) remains controversial. Additionally, little is known about the relationship between thyroid function parameters and MAFLD in the Chinese population.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study involving 177,540 individuals with thyroid function tests and MAFLD diagnosis from 2010-2018. The association between thyroid function parameters and MAFLD was evaluated on a continuous scale with restricted cubic spline (RCS) models and by the prior-defined centile categories with multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. Thyroid function parameters included free triiodothyronine (FT3), free tetra-iodothyronine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Additionally, fully adjusted RCS models stratified by sex, age, and location were studied.ResultsIn the RCS models, the risk of MAFLD increased with higher levels of FT3 when FT3

To evaluated the effects melatonin (MT) on the sugar and acid metabolism of early-ripening peach fruits, the concentration of 150 μmol/L MT was sprayed on the leaves of peach trees. MT increased the contents of total soluble sugar and sucrose in peach fruits during the whole ripening period, and increased the contents of glucose and sorbitol at the mature stage. During the whole ripening period, MT also increased the activities of sucrose synthase, sucrose phosphate synthase, neutral invertase, and acidic invertase and the relative expression levels of sucrose synthase, sucrose phosphate synthase, neutral invertase, and acidic invertase genes, while decreased the activity of sorbitol oxidase and the relative expression level of sorbitol dehydrogenase to some extent. Moreover, MT decreased the contents of total organic acid, malic acid, and citric acid at mature stage. At mature stage, MT decreased the activities of citrate synthetase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and the relative expression levels of citrate synthetase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase genes, while increased the relative expression levels of Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+)-malic enzyme, malate dehydrogenase, and aconitase genes. Therefore, MT promotes the sugar accumulation and organic acid degradation in early-ripening peach fruits.

Asparagus bean (Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedialis) is an important cowpea subspecies. We assembled the genomes of Ningjiang 3 (NJ, 550.31 Mb) and Dubai bean (DB, 564.12 Mb) for comparative genomics analysis. The whole-genome duplication events of DB and NJ occurred at 64.55 and 64.81 Mya, respectively, while the divergence between soybean and Vigna occurred in the Paleogene period. NJ genes underwent positive selection and amplification in response to temperature and abiotic stress. In species-specific gene families, NJ is mainly enriched in response to abiotic stress, while DB is primarily enriched in respiration and photosynthesis. We established the pan-genomes of four accessions (NJ, DB, IT97K-499-35 and Xiabao II) and identified 20,336 (70.5%) core genes present in all the accessions, 6,507 (55.56%) variable genes in two individuals, and 2,004 (6.95%) unique genes. The final pan genome is 616.35 Mb, and the core genome is 399.78 Mb. The variable genes are manifested mainly in stress response functions, ABC transporters, seed storage, and dormancy control. In the pan-genome sequence variation analysis, genes affected by presence/absence variants were enriched in biological processes associated with defense responses, immune system processes, signal transduction, and agronomic traits. The results of the present study provide genetic data that could facilitate efficient asparagus bean genetic improvement, especially in producing cold-adapted asparagus bean.

Kiwifruit is a vine fruit tree that is vulnerable to water deficiency due to its shallow root system and large leaves. Although mycorrhizal inoculation and melatonin application has been proved to improve plants drought tolerance, their interaction effects are still unclear. In this study, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi incubation and melatonin (MT) irrigation were applied to kiwifruit seedlings alone or in combination to investigate their effect on drought tolerance. The results revealed that AM had more effect on promoting root biomass, water use efficiency, and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and iron. While MT was more effective in promoting shoot biomass and antioxidant enzyme activities to remove reactive oxygen species accumulation. Moreover, MT supplementary significantly increased the AM colonization, spore density and hyphal length density in roots. Therefore, combined application of AM fungi and MT had additive effects on improvement biomass accumulation, increasing chlorophyll content, photosynthetic efficiency, catalase activity, and decreasing malondialdehyde accumulation under drought stress, thus promoting plant growth and alleviating the drought damage to plant. These results provide guidance for AM and MT combined application to improve abiotic resistance in plants.

BackgroundGallbladder and biliary diseases are common gastrointestinal conditions associated with huge socioeconomic costs and are considered risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and digestive system cancers. The prevalence and incidence of gallbladder and biliary diseases have not received enough attention from 1990 to 2019. Several non-communicable diseases were associated with the incidence of gallbladder and biliary diseases. It is necessary to clarify the change in the incidence and disability burden of gallbladder and biliary diseases worldwide.MethodsData on high body mass index (BMI)-related disease burden and incidence, years of life lost prematurely, and years lived with disability (YLDs) due to gallbladder and biliary diseases were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease 2019. The estimated annual percentage change was calculated to qualify the gallbladder and biliary disease burden change.ResultsThe global age-standardized incidence rate has increased from 585.35 per 100,000 (95% UI: 506.05–679.86) in 1990 to 634.32 per 100,000 (95% UI: 540.21–742.93) in 2019. And the increase in incidence was positively correlated with rising high BMI-related summary exposure value. The high BMI-related YLDs of gallbladder and biliary diseases have increased worldwide over time. Globally, the 25–49 age group suffered a rapid rise in incidence and high BMI attributable to the YLDs rate of gallbladder and biliary diseases.ConclusionThe global incidence and high BMI-related YLDs of gallbladder and biliary diseases remain prominent to increase over the past 30 years. Notably, the incidence and high BMI-related YLDs among people aged 25–49 years have rapidly increased over time. Therefore, high BMI should be emphasized in strategic priorities for controlling gallbladder and biliary diseases.

IntroductionCadmium (Cd) contamination is a severe problem in paddy soils that has affected crops’ safety. The present study aimed at remediating Cd-contaminated paddy soil by improving the phytoremediation capability of aquatic accumulator plants.MethodsWe conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on the growth and Cd phytoremediation capability of the aquatic accumulator plant Nasturtium officinale.ResultsSA with the concentrations of 100, 150, and 200 mg/L increased the root and shoot biomass of N. officinale, while only 150 mg/L increased the chlorophyll a and b contents. SA increased the activities of peroxidase and catalase of N. officinale to a great extent, but decreased the superoxide dismutase activity and soluble protein content. SA also increased the root Cd content, shoot Cd content, root Cd extraction, and shoot Cd extraction to a large extent. At concentrations of 100, 150, and 200 mg/L, SA increased the shoot Cd extraction by 17.59%, 47.16%, and 43.27%, respectively, compared with the control. Moreover, SA concentration had a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with the root Cd extraction and shoot Cd extraction. The correlation and grey relational analyses revealed that root Cd extraction, shoot biomass, and root biomass were closely associated with shoot Cd extraction of N. officinale.ConclusionThus, our results suggest that SA promoted the growth and improved the phytoremediation (extraction) capability of N. officinale, and 150 mg/L SA was the most suitable concentration.

Soil in most areas of the world is selenium (Se) deficient, which results a low Se content in agricultural products. To improve the fruit tree Se accumulation, the effects of different Artemisia argyi water extract concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400-fold dilutions) on the growth and Se accumulation of peach seedlings were studied by a pot experiment. A 300- and 400-fold dilution of A. argyi water extract increased the root and shoot biomass (dry weight), leaf chlorophyll a content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and peroxidase (POD) activity of peach seedlings, but decreased the leaf chlorophyll a/b. Different A. argyi water extract concentrations had no significant effects on peach leaf chlorophyll a content of peach seedlings, but increased the leaf carotenoid content, catalase (CAT) activity, and soluble protein content. Different A. argyi water extract concentrations increased the total Se, inorganic Se, and organic contents in roots and shoots of peach seedlings to some extent. Furthermore, A. argyi water extract concentration exhibited a linear relationship with the root and shoot total Se contents. Compared with the control, the 100-, 200-, 300-, and 400-fold dilutions of A. argyi water extract increased the shoot total Se content by 18.95%, 31.31%, 39.32%, and 51.59%, respectively. Different A. argyi water extract concentrations also increased the leaf Se metabolism-related enzyme activities of peach seedlings, including the activities of adenosine triphosphate sulfurase (ATPS), adenosine 5’-phosphosulfate reductase (APR), and serine acetyltransferase (SAT), as well as selenocysteine methyltransferase (SMT) to some extent. Moreover, correlation and grey relational analyses revealed the root total Se content, CAT activity, and ATPS activity to be closely associated with the total shoot Se content. Therefore, applying A. argyi water extract can thus promote the growth and Se uptake of peach seedlings, and the future study should focus on the application effects of Se uptake in peach fruits.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of paddy soil affects safe crop production. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of plant biostimulant amino acid fertilizer on the phytoremediation capability of an emergent accumulator plant Nasturtium officinale R. Br. for Cd-contaminated paddy soils. A pot study was carried out to study the effects of different concentrations of amino acid fertilizer on the Cd accumulation of N. officinale grown in Cd-contaminated paddy soil. The amino acid fertilizer increased the biomass of N. officinale. The amino acid fertilizer concentration exhibited a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with the root and shoot biomass. The fertilizer also increased the photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll and carotenoid) contents, peroxidase (POD; EC 1.11.1.7) activity, and catalase (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6) activity of N. officinale, but decreased the soluble protein content and had no significant effect on the superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1) activity. Furthermore, the amino acid fertilizer increased the Cd content and Cd extraction of N. officinale. The shoot Cd extraction increased by 29.06%, 63.05%, 77.22%, and 17.40% at 1500-, 1200-, 900-, and 600-fold dilutions of the amino acid fertilizer, respectively, compared with the control. Moreover, the amino acid fertilizer promoted the Cd transport from the roots to shoots of N. officinale. The amino acid fertilizer concentration also exhibited a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with the root Cd content, shoot Cd content, root Cd extraction, and shoot Cd extraction, respectively. The correlation, grey relational, and path analyses revealed that the root biomass, shoot biomass, chlorophyll content, catalase activity, shoot Cd content, and root Cd extraction were closely associated with the shoot Cd extraction. Therefore, the amino acid fertilizer can promote Cd uptake and improve the phytoremediation capability of N. officinale to remediate Cd-contaminated paddy soils, and 900-fold dilution is the most suitable concentration.

BackgroundRheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains the leading cause of preventable death and disability in children and young adults, killing an estimated 320,000 individuals worldwide yearly.Materials and methodsWe utilized the Bayesian age-period cohort (BAPC) model to project the change in disease burden from 2020 to 2030 using the data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019. Then we described the projected epidemiological characteristics of RHD by region, sex, and age.ResultsThe global age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) and age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of RHD increased from 1990 to 2019, and ASPR will increase to 559.88 per 100,000 population by 2030. The global age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) of RHD will continue declining, while the projected death cases will increase. Furthermore, ASPR and cases of RHD-associated HF will continue rising, and there will be 2,922,840 heart failure (HF) cases in 2030 globally. Female subjects will still be the dominant population compared to male subjects, and the ASPR of RHD and the ASPR of RHD-associated HF in female subjects will continue to increase from 2020 to 2030. Young people will have the highest ASPR of RHD among all age groups globally, while the elderly will bear a greater death and HF burden.ConclusionIn the following decade, the RHD burden will remain severe. There are large variations in the trend of RHD burden by region, sex, and age. Targeted and effective strategies are needed for the management of RHD, particularly in female subjects and young people in developing regions.

The selenium (Se) deficiency is threatening the human health, and the increase of Se content in food can prevent the Se deficiency of human body. To increase the Se content in fruit trees and alleviate the Se stress to fruit trees, the effects of gibberellic acid (GA) on the growth and Se accumulation in Cyphomandra betacea under Se stress were studied. Although GA increased the biomass of C. betacea, it did not significantly affect the root/shoot ratio. The root and shoot biomass had a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with the GA concentration. Furthermore, GA increased the photosynthetic pigment content, photosynthetic parameters, and antioxidant enzyme activity of C. betacea. GA also increased the Se content in C. betacea, peaking at 300 mg/L GA. For instance, GA (300 mg/L) increased the Se contents in roots and shoots of C. betacea by 70.31 and 22.02%, respectively, compared with the control. Moreover, the root Se and shoot Se contents had a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with the GA concentration. Correlation and gray relational analyses showed that the carotenoid, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b contents were closely related to the Se uptake in C. betacea under the GA application. These results show that GA (300 mg/L) can promote the growth and Se uptake of C. betacea under Se stress.

Potassium (K) is the most important element for fruit quality improvement. This study aimed at determining the best K fertilizer type that can promote grape growth and nutrient uptake. Specifically, four types of K fertilizers (complex fertilizer, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate) were applied to grapevines grown in plastic pots, and then their effects on grape growth and nutrient uptake were explored. Results showed that the complex fertilizer and potassium nitrate treatments increased the biomass of the grapevine plants, whereas the other fertilizers had no significant effects on the biomass. Only the potassium nitrate treatment increased the contents of photosynthetic pigments in grapevine leaves. The complex fertilizer and potassium nitrate treatments increased the total N content in the grapevine plants to some extent, whereas the other fertilizer treatments decreased the total N content to some extent. It was also evident that all four K fertilizers increased the total P and K contents in the grapevine plants. Compared to the control, the complex fertilizer, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate treatments increased the scion total P content by 20.18%, 9.77%, 12.52%, and 30.81%, respectively, and increased the scion total K content by 15.37%, 8.41%, 20.15%, and 26.48%, respectively. In addition, correlation and grey relational analyses showed that the rootstock stem total N content, rootstock root biomass, and soil alkali-hydrolyzable N concentration were the top three indicators most closely associated with the scion total N content, whereas the rootstock root total P content, soil available P concentration, and rootstock stem total P content were the top three indicators most closely associated with the scion total P content. Additionally, the rootstock root total K content, soil available K concentration, and rootstock root total P content were the top three indicators most closely associated with the scion total K content. Overall, the different K fertilizers can all promote the uptake of P and K by grapevine plants, and the potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer is the best choice.

Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), an important free amino acid in plant tissues, plays an essential role in all stages of plant growth and development. In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of GABA on the nutrient absorption of loquat [Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.] seedlings. The effects of applying exogenous GABA in different concentrations (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2 g L−1) on the nutrient uptake of loquat seedlings were studied. GABA increased the biomass (dry weight) and contents of photosynthetic pigments in loquat seedlings to a certain extent. GABA concentration exhibited a quadratic polynomial regression relationship with the biomass. Exogenous GABA in different concentrations increased the total nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents in loquat seedlings, whereas only 0.5 and 1.0 g L−1 of GABA increased the potassium (K) content. Similarly, GABA concentration also had a polynomial regression relationship with the total N, P, and K contents. Compared to the control, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g L−1 of GABA increased the shoot total N content by 27.30, 32.99, 15.41, and 12.93%, respectively, and also increased the shoot total P content by 26.12, 37.52, 21.99, and 9.61%, respectively. Furthermore, correlation and grey relational analyses showed that the carotenoid content, root biomass, and soil alkali-hydrolyzable N concentration were the indicators most closely associated with the uptakes of N, P, and K in shoots. This study shows that exogenous GABA can promote the growth and nutrient uptake of loquat seedlings at an optimum concentration of 1.0 g L−1.

Selenium (Se) deficiency causes various diseases in humans. Se can be obtained from fruits and vegetables. In this study, the fruit tree Cyphomandra betacea was intercropped with three Solanum sect. Solanum (Solanaceae) wild vegetables [diploid (S. photeinocarpum), tetraploid (colchicine-induced S. photeinocarpum), and hexaploid (S. nigrum)], respectively, and Se uptakes of these plants were determined by a pot experiment. Intercropping decreased the biomass, photosynthetic pigment content, and superoxide dismutase activity of C. betacea, but increased the peroxidase (POD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, and soluble protein content of C. betacea. These indicators’ values of sect. Solanum increased after intercropping. The contents of Se increased in C. betacea and sect. Solanum after intercropping. Intercropped with diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid increased the shoot Se contents in C. betacea by 13.73%, 17.49%, and 26.50%, respectively, relative to that of C. betacea monoculture. Intercropped with C. betacea increased the shoot Se contents in diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid by 35.22%, 68.86%, and 74.46%, respectively, compared with their respective monoculture. The biomass and Se content of intercropped sect. Solanum showed linear relationships with the biomass and Se content of their monocultures. The biomass and Se content of intercropped C. betacea also exhibited linear relationships with that of sect. Solanum monocultures. Correlation and grey relational analyses revealed that the CAT activity, POD activity, and soluble protein content were the top three indicators closely associated with the C. betacea shoot Se content. The POD activity, soluble protein content, and translocation factor were the top three indicators closely associated with sect. Solanum shoot Se content. Therefore, intercropping can promote the Se uptake in C. betacea and sect. Solanum wild vegetables.

Abstract Background Grape buds exhibit non-uniform, or delayed, break in early spring in subtropical regions because the accumulation of chilling is insufficient. Hydrogen cyanamide (H2CN2, HC) can partially replace chilling to effectively promote bud sprouting and is used widely in warm winter areas. However, the exact underlying mechanism of grape bud release from endodormancy induced by HC remains elusive. Results In this study, the transcriptome of grape winter buds under in vitro conditions following HC and water treatment (control) was analyzed using RNA-seq technology. A total of 6772 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Furthermore, the gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that starch and sucrose metabolism and plant hormone signaling transduction were most enriched out of the 50 total pathways. HC treatment induced the upregulated expression of sucrose synthase (SUS), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), α-amylase (AM), and β-amylase (BM) and downregulated expression of sucrose invertase (INV), hexokinase (HK), fructokinase (FK), soluble starch synthase (SS), and granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS). Hence, the starch concentration in the HC-treated group was significantly lower than that in control, whereas soluble sugar content in the HC-treated group increased quickly and was higher than that in control between 0 and 8 d. The concentration of indoleacetic acid (IAA) and zeatin (ZT) increased, whereas that of abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA) decreased in HC treated group, which coincided with the expression level of genes involved in above hormone signals. The content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) were increased in grape buds with HC treatment, whereas catalase (CAT) activity was decreased. HC treatment increased the expression of POD, SOD, primary amine oxidase (PAO), polyamine oxidase (PAOX), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Conclusion Based on these results, it is possible to propose a mechanistic model that underlies the regulation of endodormancy release in grapevine buds by exogenous HC application.

Fruit aromas are composed of a complex mixture of volatile organic compounds, which are essential attributes associated with the overall flavor and consumer preference. Muscadine grape (MG; Vitis rotundifolia Michx.) is an aroma-dense fruit crop. However, there is very scarce information on its volatile profiles. In this study, the volatile constituents of five newly introduced MG cultivars, including Alachua, Carlos, Fry, Granny Val, and Noble, were profiled using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS) combined with multivariate statistical analysis. A total of 44 compounds, including esters, aldehydes, alcohols, fatty acids, terpenes, ketones, and furan, were identified and relatively quantified. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) evidently discriminated against the five MG cultivars based on their volatile profiles. The specific volatiles that contributed the most to this discrimination were highlighted. Geraniol and cinnamyl alcohol were demonstrated to be essential for characterizing the Alachua MG cultivar, whereas ethyl trans-2-butenoate and propyl acetate were shown to be important compounds to characterize the Noble MG cultivar. The results further showed that 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol, (Z)-3-hexenal, and (E)-2-hexenol were closely related to Carlos, Fry, and Granny Val cultivars, respectively. This investigation is the first in-depth exploration of the volatile profiles of the aroma-dense muscadine grape, which is essential for future genetic or biotechnological improvements to attain a cultivar with the desired flavor.

Cadmium (Cd) is highly toxic and not easily degradable. It damages plant growth and results in large-scale economic losses. The present study explored the feasibility of using melatonin to alleviate Cd toxicity, and to reduce Cd accumulation in tea seedlings cultivated in Cd-contaminated soil. Exogenous melatonin, especially at 150 μM, promoted tea seedling growth under Cd stress, and increased the photosynthetic pigment by 16% and soluble protein content by 5%. Furthermore, melatonin effectively increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) by 21 and 31%, respectively, contributed to a decrease of the malondialdehyde (MDA) by 2% and the Cd content in leaves by 52%. Furthermore, soil enzyme activities were enhanced, including acid phosphatase (ACP), urease (UE), soil sucrase (SC), and soil catalase (CAT), by 11, 70, 1, and 18%, respectively, along with a pH reduction and available Cd content increase, after melatonin application. Taken together, our results provide evidence that melatonin lessens the adverse Cd effects on tea seedlings’ physiology, mainly through enhancing the antioxidant capacity of the plants and soils to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon Cd exposure. Therefore, melatonin may be used as a modulator to alleviate Cd-induced toxicity in tea seedlings, thereby resulting in healthier tea plant growth.

In this experiment, four cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator species (Crassocephalum crepidioides, Galinsoga parviflora, Sigesbeckia orientalis, and Solanum nigrum) were intercropped with grape (Vitis vinifera) cuttings together in Cd-containated soil to study the effects of intercropping with the Cd-hyperaccumulator plants on growth and Cd accumulation of grape seedlings. Compared with the monoculture, intercropping with S. nigrum increased the biomass of grape seedlings, but intercropping with the other three hyperaccumulator species decreased the grape seedling biomass. Intercropping with S. nigrum increased chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll contents in leaves of grape seedlings compared with the monoculture, whereas intercropping with the other three hyperaccumulator species showed either a decrease or no effect. Intercropping with hyperaccumulator plants had no significant effects on chlorophyll b and carotenoid contents in leaves of grape seedlings compared with the monoculture. Compared with the monoculture, intercropping with C. crepidioides, G. parviflora, S. nigrum and S. orientalis significantly decreased Cd contents in shoots of grape seedlings by 78.7%, 12.7%, 29.8% and 26.5%, respectively. Therefore, intercropping with hyperaccumulator plants can decrease Cd accumulation in grape, and intercropping with S. nigrum can also promote grape seedling growth.

Carrizo citrange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck × Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf., CC] is one of the most widely used rootstocks in citriculture worldwide, but its cytogenetic study has been hampered by its inherent small size, morphological similarity to mitotic chromosomes, and lack of accessible cytological landmarks. In our previous study, a spontaneously occurring tetraploid CC seedling was discovered. The main goals of this study were to elucidate the chromosome constitution and construct the karyotypes of diploid CC rootstock and its corresponding spontaneously occurring tetraploid. To accomplish these, the chromosomal characteristics were investigated by sequential multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with eight properly labeled repetitive DNA sequences, including a centromere-like repeat, four satellite repeats, two rDNAs, and an oligonucleotide of telomeric (TTTAGGG)n repeat. The results nicely demonstrated that these repetitive DNAs are reliable cytogenetic markers that collectively facilitate simultaneous and unequivocal identification of homologous chromosome pairs. Based on chromosome size and morphology together with FISH patterns of repetitive DNAs, an integrated karyotype of CC rootstock was constructed, consisting of 2n = 2x = 12m (1sat) + 6sm with karyotype asymmetry degree being divided into 2B category. Cytogenetically speaking, the variable and asymmetric distribution patterns of these repetitive DNAs were fully confirmed the hybrid nature of CC rootstock. In addition, comparative distribution patterns and chromosomal localizations of these repetitive DNAs convincingly showed that this tetraploid CC material arose from somatic chromosome doubling of diploid CC rootstock. This study revealed, for the first time, the integrated karyotype and chromosomal characteristics of this important citrus rootstock as well as its spontaneously occurring tetraploid plant. Furthermore, this study is a good prospective model for study species with morphologically indistinguishable small chromosomes.

Background Although multiple signaling cascades and molecules contributing to the pathophysiological process have been studied, the treatments for stroke against present targets have not acquired significant clinical progress. Although CARD3 (caspase activation and recruitment domain 3) protein is an important factor involved in regulating immunity, inflammation, lipid metabolism, and apoptosis, its role in cerebral stroke is currently unknown. Methods and Results Using a mouse model of ischemia‐reperfusion (I‐R) injury based on transient blockage of the middle cerebral artery, we have found that CARD3 expression is upregulated in a time‐dependent manner during I‐R injury. Further animal study revealed that, relative to control mice, CARD3‐knockout mice exhibited decreased inflammatory response and neuronal apoptosis, with reduced infarct volume and lower neuropathological scores. In contrast, neuron‐specific CARD3‐overexpressing transgenic (CARD3‐TG) mice exhibited increased I‐R induced injury compared with controls. Mechanistically, we also found that the activation of TAK1 (transforming growth factor‐β–activated kinase 1) was enhanced in CARD3‐TG mice. Furthermore, the increased inflammation and apoptosis seen in injured CARD3‐TG brains were reversed by intravenous administration of the TAK1 inhibitor 5Z‐7‐oxozeaenol. Conclusions These results indicate that CARD3 promotes I‐R injury via activation of TAK1, which not only reveals a novel regulatory axis of I‐R induced brain injury but also provides a new potential therapeutic approach for I‐R injury.

Melatonin (MT) has many important functions in plants. In this study, different concentrations of MT (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 μmol/L) were sprayed on grape seedlings, and its effects on plant growth and sucrose metabolism were determined. The results show that there was a mutual influence and promotional relationship between growth and sugar metabolism in grape seedlings. The MT treatments promoted the development and growth of grape seedlings by increasing their biomass and promoting the photosynthetic performance of leaves. This resulted in increased nutrient absorption and a greater ability to compete for resources. The increase in photosynthesis resulted in greater sucrose production. The MT treatments increased the activities of enzymes related to sucrose metabolism, so that a large amount of sucrose was hydrolysed into glucose and fructose to meet the rapid growth requirements of grape seedlings. The increased total soluble sugars contents and increased activities of antioxidant enzymes resulted in greater resistance of grape seedlings, and greater adaptability to environmental changes. In general, MT treatments had beneficial effects on grape seedling growth, glucose metabolism, and resistance. Under these conditions, foliar spraying with MT at 150 μmol/L had the best effects.

Reference genes are used for the correction of qRT-PCR data, and it is necessary to investigate the optimum reference gene under certain conditions. The expression levels of seven traditional reference genes ACT1, ACT2, GAPDH, 18S rRNA, UBQ, TUB and CYP were analyzed using qRT-PCR in different varieties, tissues, developmental stages and hormone (or pollen polysaccharide) treatments in kiwifruit. Gene expression stability was assessed with the help of three common software (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper), and the minimum number of reference genes necessary for normalization was also determined. GAPDH, ACT1 and ACT2 were selected as reference genes for different genotypes of kiwifruit. GAPDH and UBQ were the best combinations of reference genes for root, stem, leaf, flower and fruit. GAPDH and ACT1 could be the preferred reference genes for normalization of qRT-PCR data during fruit development. The pairing of ACT1 and UBQ constituted the optimal combination of reference genes in kiwifruit treated with different hormones (or pollen polysaccharide). This study provides a new and reliable option for the use of reference genes in the analysis of gene expression patterns of interest in kiwifruit.

Abstract Background During fresh fruit consumption, sensory texture is one factor that affects the organoleptic qualities. Chemical components of plant cell walls, including pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, play central roles in determining the textural qualities. To explore the genes and regulatory pathways involved in fresh citrus’ perceived sensory texture, we performed mRNA-seq analyses of the segment membranes of two citrus cultivars, Shiranui and Kiyomi, with different organoleptic textures. Results Segment membranes were sampled at two developmental stages of citrus fruit, the beginning and end of the expansion period. More than 3000 differentially expressed genes were identified. The gene ontology analysis revealed that more categories were significantly enriched in ‘Shiranui’ than in ‘Kiyomi’ at both developmental stages. In total, 108 significantly enriched pathways were obtained, with most belonging to metabolism. A detailed transcriptomic analysis revealed potential critical genes involved in the metabolism of cell wall structures, for example, GAUT4 in pectin synthesis, CESA1, 3 and 6, and SUS4 in cellulose synthesis, CSLC5, XXT1 and XXT2 in hemicellulose synthesis, and CSE in lignin synthesis. Low levels, or no expression, of genes involved in cellulose and hemicellulose, such as CESA4, CESA7, CESA8, IRX9 and IRX14, confirmed that secondary cell walls were negligible or absent in citrus segment membranes. A chemical component analysis of the segment membranes from mature fruit revealed that the pectin, cellulose and lignin contents, and the segment membrane’s weight (% of segment) were greater in ‘Kiyomi’. Conclusion Organoleptic quality of citrus is easily overlooked. It is mainly determined by sensory texture perceived in citrus segment membrane properties. We performed mRNA-seq analyses of citrus segment membranes to explore the genes and regulatory pathways involved in fresh citrus’ perceived sensory texture. Transcriptomic data showed high repeatability between two independent biological replicates. The expression levels of genes involved in cell wall structure metabolism, including pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, were investigated. Meanwhile, chemical component contents of the segment membranes from mature fruit were analyzed. This study provided detailed transcriptional regulatory profiles of different organoleptic citrus qualities and integrated insights into the mechanisms affecting citrus’ sensory texture.

Although the effects of melatonin on plant abiotic and biotic stress resistance have been explored in recent decades, the accumulation of endogenous melatonin in plants and its influence on fruit quality remains unclear. In the present study, melatonin accumulation levels and the expression profiles of five synthesis genes were investigated during fruit and leaf development in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.). Melatonin was strongly accumulated in young fruits and leaves, then decreased steadily with maturation. Transcript levels of PacTDC and PacSNAT were highly correlated with melatonin content in both fruit and leaves, indicating their importance in melatonin accumulation. Furthermore, application of 50 and 100 μmol·L−1 of melatonin to leaves had a greater influence on fruit quality than treatments applied to fruits, by significantly improving fruit weight, soluble solids content, and phenolic content including total phenols, flavanols, total anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid. Meanwhile, melatonin application promoted the antioxidant capacity of fruit assayed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylben zothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). These results provide insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying melatonin metabolism of sweet cherry.

PAL, UFGT as structural genes and MYB10 as a regulatory gene play an important role in the accumulation of anthocyanins in plants. In this experiment, ‘Cuihongli’ and ‘Qiangcuili’ were used as materials to clone PAL, UFGT and MYB10 related to anthocyanin synthesis by homologous sequence cloning. The results showed that the full length of PAL was 2160 bp, encoding 719 amino acids; the full length of UFGT was 1428 bp, encoding 475 amino acids, and the differences of PAL and UFGT between the two cultivars were one amino acid and three amino acids, respectively. The sequence length of ‘Cuihongli’ MYB10 gene is 732 bp, which encodes 243 amino acids and belongs to the superfamily of SANT family. Homology analysis and phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the proteins encoded by PAL, UFGT and MYB10 genes were short and closely related to Prunus persica, Prunus avium, Prunus armeniaca and Prunus cerasifera in Rosaceae.

MYB10, bHLH and WD40 are correlative regulatory factors of anthocyanin. In this paper, the expression of MYB10, bHLH and WD40 in the peel and the pulp of two plum cultivars were analyzed with the materials of ‘Cuihongli’ and ‘Qiangcuili’. The results showed that, with the development of the fruit of ‘Cuihongli’, the expression of MYB10 in the peel was downregulated firstly then upregulated, and the expression of MYB10 was not detected in the flesh of ‘Cuihongli’s pulp and the peel and the pulp of the ‘Qiangcuili’. The expression of bHLH and WD40 showed that the they had no significant correlation with the accumulation of anthocyanin in the two cultivars. It is suggested that the deletion of MYB10 gene expression result in the lack of anthocyanin in the flesh of ‘Qiangcuili’ .

Melatonin, a multiple signal molecule, plays important roles in delaying senescence during the development of plants. Because few species have been studied for the effect of exogenous melatonin on anti-aging, the plausible mechanism of melatonin of anti-aging effects on other plant species has remained largely unknown. In the present study, the effects of exogenous melatonin on leaf senescence in kiwifruit were examined during natural aging after melatonin (200 μM) or water (Control) pretreatment. The decreased membrane damage and lower hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content due to the enhanced scavenging activity of antioxidant enzymes peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) demonstrated that melatonin effectively delayed the aging of kiwifruit leaves. Likewise, owing to up-regulated expression of chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (CAB) gene in the sampled leaves pretreated with melatonin, chlorophyll degradation decreased. Therefore, osmoregulatory substances in sampled leaves accumulated (e.g., soluble sugar and soluble protein) and seedling cell environment stability was maintained. Simultaneously, melatonin decreased H2O2 concentration owing to increased glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate (AsA) content, and the expression levels of glutathione reductase (GR), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) were up-regulated by melatonin application, indicating that the increase of GSH and AsA was attributed to the expression of these genes. In addition, a large amount of flavonoids accumulated in seedlings pretreated with melatonin, and transcript levels of eight genes involved in flavonoid synthesis, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxymate (C4H), chalcone synthase (CHS), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonol synthase (FNS), leucoanthocyanin reductase (LAR), anthocyanin reductase (ANR), flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UFGT) were enhanced in response to melatonin application. These results indicated that melatonin delayed aging of kiwifruit leaves by activating the antioxidant capacity and enhancing flavonoid biosynthesis. All of these results can provide clear proof that melatonin plays a key roles in delaying leaf senescence.

To elucidate metabolism of ascorbic acid (AsA) in sweet cherry fruit (Prunus avium 'Hongdeng'), we quantified AsA concentration, cloned sequences involved in AsA metabolism and investigated their mRNA expression levels, and determined the activity levels of selected enzymes during fruit development and maturation. We found that AsA concentration was highest at the petal-fall period (0 days after anthesis) and decreased progressively during ripening, but with a slight increase at maturity. AsA did nevertheless continue to accumulate over time because of the increase in fruit fresh weight. Full-length cDNAs of 10 genes involved in the L-galactose pathway of AsA biosynthesis and 10 involved in recycling were obtained. Gene expression patterns of GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase (GGP2), L-galactono-1, 4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDH), ascorbate peroxidase (APX3), ascorbate oxidase (AO2), glutathione reductase (GR1), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR1) were in accordance with the AsA concentration pattern during fruit development, indicating that genes involved in ascorbic acid biosynthesis, degradation, and recycling worked in concert to regulate ascorbic acid accumulation in sweet cherry fruit.

Evidence exists to suggest that melatonin (MT) is important to abiotic stress tolerance in plants. Here, we investigated whether exogenous MT reduces heat damage on biological parameters and gene expression in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) seedlings. Pretreatment with MT alleviates heat-induced oxidative harm through reducing H2O2 content and increasing proline content. Moreover, MT application raised ascorbic acid (AsA) levels and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). We also observed elevation in the activity of enzymes related to the AsA-GSH cycle, such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and glutathione reductase (GR). Furthermore, MT application increased the expression of 28/31 glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes, reducing oxidative stress. These results clearly indicate that in kiwifruit, MT exerts a protective effect against heat-related damage through regulating antioxidant pathways.

Pot and field experiments were conducted to study the effects of mulching with straw of cadmium (Cd) tolerant plants (Ranunculus sieboldii, Mazus japonicus, Clinopodium confine and Plantago asiatica) on growth and Cd accumulation of Galinsoga parviflora in Cd-contaminated soil. In the pot experiment, mulching with M. japonicus straw increased the root biomass, stem biomass, leaf biomass, shoot biomass, plant height and activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase) of G. parviflora compared with the control, whereas mulching with straws of R. sieboldii, C. confine and P. asiatica decreased these parameters. Straws of the four Cd-tolerant plants increased the Cd content in roots of G. parviflora compared with the control. However, only straws of M. japonicus and P. asiatica increased the Cd content in shoots of G. parviflora, reduced the soil pH, and increased the soil exchangeable Cd concentration. Straw of M. japonicus increased the amount of Cd extraction in stems, leaves and shoots of G. parviflora by 21.11%, 29.43% and 24.22%, respectively, compared with the control, whereas straws of the other three Cd-tolerant plants decreased these parameters. In the field experiment, the M. japonicus straw also increased shoot biomass, Cd content in shoots, and amount of Cd extraction in shoots of G. parviflora compared with the control. Therefore, straw of M. japonicus can be used to improve the Cd extraction ability of G. parviflora from Cd-contaminated soil.