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Abstract Background Epidermal patterning factor / -like (EPF/EPFL) gene family encodes a class of cysteine-rich secretory peptides, which are widelyfound in terrestrial plants.Multiple studies has indicated that EPF/EPFLs might play significant roles in coordinating plant development and growth, especially as the morphogenesis processes of stoma, awn, stamen, and fruit skin. However, few research on EPF/EPFL gene family was reported in Gossypium. Results We separately identified 20 G. raimondii, 24 G. arboreum, 44 G. hirsutum, and 44 G. barbadense EPF/EPFL genes in the 4 representative cotton species, which were divided into four clades together with 11 Arabidopsis thaliana, 13 Oryza sativa, and 17 Selaginella moellendorffii ones based on their evolutionary relationships. The similar gene structure and common motifs indicated the high conservation among the EPF/EPFL members, while the uneven distribution in chromosomes implied the variability during the long-term evolutionary process. Hundreds of collinearity relationships were identified from the pairwise comparisons of intraspecifc and interspecific genomes, which illustrated gene duplication might contribute to the expansion of cotton EPF/EPFL gene family. A total of 15 kinds of cis-regulatory elements were predicted in the promoter regions, and divided into three major categories relevant to the biological processes of development and growth, plant hormone response, and abiotic stress response. Having performing the expression pattern analyses with the basic of the published RNA-seq data, we found most of GhEPF/EPFL and GbEPF/EPFL genes presented the relatively low expression levels among the 9 tissues or organs, while showed more dramatically different responses to high/low temperature and salt or drought stresses. Combined with transcriptome data of developing ovules and fibers and quantitative Real-time PCR results (qRT-PCR) of 15 highly expressed GhEPF/EPFL genes, it could be deduced that the cotton EPF/EPFL genes were closely related with fiber development. Additionally, the networks of protein–protein interacting among EPF/EPFLs concentrated on the cores of GhEPF1 and GhEPF7, and thosefunctional enrichment analyses indicated that most of EPF/EPFLs participate in the GO (Gene Ontology) terms of stomatal development and plant epidermis development, and the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways of DNA or base excision repair. Conclusion Totally, 132 EPF/EPFL genes were identified for the first time in cotton, whose bioinformatic analyses of cis-regulatory elements and expression patterns combined with qRT-PCR experiments to prove the potential functions in the biological processes of plant growth and responding to abiotic stresses, specifically in the fiber development. These results not only provide comprehensive and valuable information for cotton EPF/EPFL gene family, but also lay solid foundation for screening candidate EPF/EPFL genes in further cotton breeding.

【Objective】It aims to preliminarily reveal the effect of dietary supplementation with porcine Lactobacillus reuteri LR1 on the expression of intestinal extracellular matrix (ECM) in weaned piglets, providing references for the promotion and application of porcine LR1 in animal husbandry.【Method】One hundred and forty-four Duroc-Landrace-Yorkshire crossbred weaned piglets with similar body weights at 21 days of age were selected and randomly divided into three treatment groups, which were fed a basal diet (control group, CON group), a basal diet supplemented with 75 mg/kg of aureomycin and 100 mg/kg of quinol (antibiotic group, AO group), and a basal diet supplemented with 5×1010 CFU/kg of porcine L. reuteri LR1 (porcine L. reuteri LR1 group, LR1 group), respectively, and each treatment group was divided into 8 pens for feeding, with 6 pigs in each pen. The experiment lasted for 42 days. On the 43rd day, one piglet from each group was randomly selected for slaughter, and samples of the duodenum (proximal), jejunum (middle), and ileum (distal) were taken for the detection of extracellular matrix related indicators such as intestinal collagen, fibronectin, tenascin and related regulatory factors.【Result】Masson staining observations showed that collagen fibers in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum all extended from the lower to the upper layers of the intestinal mucosa. Compared with the CON group, the collagen volume fraction of the duodenum decreased significantly in both the LR1 and AO groups (P < 0.05), and the collagen volume fraction of the ileum also decreased significantly in the LR1 group (P < 0.05). TMT high-throughput proteomics results showed that the ECM-receptor interaction pathway was one of the major differential protein-enriched pathways, and the expression of its differential proteins, COL1A2, COL4A2, COL6A1, ITGA1, and other ECM molecules, was significantly lower in the LR1 group than that in the CON group (P < 0.05). In addition, the gene expression of COL1A2, COL3A1 and ITGβ2 in jejunum and ileum of LR1 and AO groups was significantly reduced compared with the CON group (P < 0.05), and the gene expression of COL4A2, COL5A1, COL6A1, FN1, TNC, ITGα1 in jejunum, and ITGα1 in ileum was also significantly reduced in the LR1 group (P < 0.05), but there were no significant effect on COL4A2, COL5A1, COL6A1, FN1 and TNC in ileum. Compared with the CON group (P < 0.05), in the ileum of the LR1 and AO groups, the contents of Collagen Ⅰ, Collagen Ⅱ, Collagen Ⅲ, Collagen Ⅳ, Collagen Ⅴ and Collagen Ⅵ significantly decreased; the gene expression of ileal cellular regulatory factors SEC6A1 and PDE4D in LR1 group significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with the AO group (P < 0.05), the gene expression of the extracellular regulator MMP2 was significantly lower in the LR1 group (P < 0.05); and the gene expression of the intracellular regulator SEC6A1 and cytokine TGF-β significantly decreased in the LR1 group.【Conclusion】Addition of porcine L. reuteri LR1 to the diet could modulate ECM remodeling by reducing gene expression of ECM regulators SEC6A1, PDE4D and other genes.

The characteristics of pressure pulsations in centrifugal pumps have attracted considerable attention. In this study, principal component analysis is used to discuss the pressure pulsations in a centrifugal pump with a low specific speed, and the primary causes for these pressure pulsations are analyzed in conjunction with experimental results. The results indicate that principal component analysis effectively separates the primary modes that influence the flow field characteristics. An excessive wrap angle results in the formation of a backflow vortex on the working face of the blade. Obvious stratification of the zero-order modal pressure indicates that the geometric structure of the impeller is rational and that the transient flow field is stable. The second- and third-order modes are conjugates, and their dominant frequency coincides with the dominant rotating frequency of the impeller, indicating that the pulsations of a single channel are the primary component of the pressure pulsations. The primary frequency (148.54 Hz) of the pressure pulsations at monitoring points distributed across the volute is three times the rotational frequency (49.51 Hz) of the impeller. The different positions and sub-frequencies of the monitoring points mean that the principal component analysis can effectively identify the impeller-induced sub-frequency difference.

Abstract Background The development of cotton fiber is regulated by the orchestrated binding of regulatory proteins to cis-regulatory elements associated with developmental genes. The cis–trans regulatory dynamics occurred throughout the course of cotton fiber development are elusive. Here we generated genome-wide high-resolution DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) maps to understand the regulatory mechanisms of cotton ovule and fiber development. Results We generated DNase I hypersensitive site (DHS) profiles from cotton ovules at 0 and 3 days post anthesis (DPA) and fibers at 8, 12, 15, and 18 DPA. We obtained a total of 1185 million reads and identified a total of 199,351 DHSs through ~ 30% unique mapping reads. It should be noted that more than half of DNase-seq reads mapped multiple genome locations and were not analyzed in order to achieve a high specificity of peak profile and to avoid bias from repetitive genomic regions. Distinct chromatin accessibilities were observed in the ovules (0 and 3 DPA) compared to the fiber elongation stages (8, 12, 15, and 18 DPA). Besides, the chromatin accessibility during ovules was particularly elevated in genomic regions enriched with transposable elements (TEs) and genes in TE-enriched regions were involved in ovule cell division. We analyzed cis-regulatory modules and revealed the influence of hormones on fiber development from the regulatory divergence of transcription factor (TF) motifs. Finally, we constructed a reliable regulatory network of TFs related to ovule and fiber development based on chromatin accessibility and gene co-expression network. From this network, we discovered a novel TF, WRKY46, which may shape fiber development by regulating the lignin content. Conclusions Our results not only reveal the contribution of TEs in fiber development, but also predict and validate the TFs related to fiber development, which will benefit the research of cotton fiber molecular breeding.

Spatial environmental factors can effectively alleviate children’s fear of the medical environment when they seek medical treatment. This study focuses on the special environmental space of a children’s hospital, thoroughly considering the emotional needs of and the therapeutic effects on children as a unique group during medical treatment. By analyzing the existing design of children’s hospital environments, this research actively explores more suitable environmental design solutions for children’s healthcare settings. This study summarizes the user demand factors of children’s hospital environmental space design through field research and analysis interviews and calculates the weight indicators of user demand through AHP hierarchical analysis. On this basis, based on the QFD theoretical model, user needs are transformed into technical needs, and a house of quality is drawn to judge the conflicting needs through the positive and negative correlations between the factors. Finally, the forty invention principles of the TRIZ innovation theory are used to propose a solution to the environmental space program of children’s hospitals to obtain the optimal solution to the environmental space design effect. This study shows that incorporating theoretical models of AHP, QFD, and TRIZ into the environmental space design of children’s hospitals can improve and optimize the environmental space of children’s hospitals, and the example of a children’s hospital can be designed to meet children’s emotional needs according to this model. A series of interesting innovative practices, such as personalized digital information diagnosis and treatment, interesting visual guidance, and the implicit healing effect of color, can be realized. The aim is to create a modern, child-friendly medical environment that not only meets medical functional requirements but also effectively alleviates the stress of pediatric patients during diagnosis and treatment. This study preliminarily verifies the scientificity and rationality of the entire design process and provides a reference for the design practices of children’s hospital environments.

As a representative of the scientific and technological achievements of the new era, the overall development of virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming increasingly refined, which provides new development ideas and technical support in the field of ancient building restoration and architectural heritage preservation. In this context, digital conservation and the practice of architectural heritage have become important focuses of application in the industry. This paper starts from the core concept of VR technology, analyzes the value of the application of VR technology in the protection of ancient architecture, puts forward relevant suggestions and technical application methods, and takes Red Pagoda in Fuliang County as an example. In this sense, virtual reality technology is used to restore and protect the buildings, forming a digital heritage of ancient architecture. This study first utilizes a three-dimensional laser scanning instrument to collect point cloud data, and then the plane graph is drawn by measurement. Then, an Architectural Heritage Building Information Model is created, and comprehensive information on historical buildings is integrated. Finally, VR technology is used to show the effect of digital display and preservation. This study transforms architectural cultural heritage into a shareable and renewable digital form through restoration and reproduction, interpreting and utilizing it from a new perspective and providing new ideas and methods for architectural heritage conservation.

High-rise buildings often use mechanical systems to assist ventilation to maintain the stability of their internal environments, and the energy consumption of mechanical ventilation poses a great challenge to urban environments and energy systems. The ventilation system of termite mounds with a combination of internal main and attached chambers is one of the classic examples of nature’s bionic approach to maintaining a stable internal ventilation environment for large-volume structures. In this study, based on the inspiration of the internal ventilation chamber structure of bionic termite mounds, we constructed seven high-rise building chamber ventilation models based on the chamber structure of termite mounds with main chambers, main chambers plus single-attached chambers (three types), and main chambers plus double-attached chambers (three types) under natural ventilation conditions, aiming at obtaining the optimal low-energy and high-efficiency chamber ventilation model for bionic termite mounds in high-rise buildings. (1) The wind speed and wind pressure of the high-rise building with the addition of the bionic termite mound chamber structure is higher than that of the traditional chamber-free high-rise building in the sample floors, the maximal difference of the wind speed between the two models is 0.05 m/s, and the maximal difference of the wind speed of the single building is 0.14 m/s, with the maximal difference of the wind speed of the single building being 0.14 m/s; and the natural ventilation environment can be satisfied by a high-rise building with a chamber. (2) After increasing the single-attached chamber structure of the bionic termite mound, the difference in wind speed of different floors is 0.15 m/s, which is 0.10 m/s higher than that of the high-rise building model with the main chamber only. (3) Under the bionic termite mound chamber high-rise building double-attached chamber model, the maximum difference in wind speed of each floor sampling point can reach 0.19 m/s, while the wind pressure cloud map shows a stable wind environment system. (4) Two attached chambers are added at A and B of the high-rise building to form the a4 model of the chamber of the high-rise building with a double-chamber bionic termite mound. According to the results, it can be seen that the model of the nine floor sampling points of the maximum wind speed difference has six places for the highest value, and the single building wind speed difference for the minimum value of 0.10 m/s. The study aims to optimize the connectivity and ventilation performance of high-rise buildings under natural ventilation conditions and to promote the green and sustainable design of high-rise buildings.

Abstract Background Crops face several environmental stresses (biotic and abiotic), thus resulting in severe yield losses. Around the globe abiotic stresses are the main contributors of plant damages, primarily drought and salinity. Many genes and transcription factors are involved in abiotic and biotic stress responses. NAC TF (Transcription Factors) improves tolerance to stresses by controlling the physiological and enzyme activities of crops. Results In current research, GhNAC072 a highly upregulated TF in RNA-Seq was identified as a hub gene in the co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). This gene was transformed to Arabidopsis thaliana to confirm its potential role in drought and salt stress tolerance. Significant variations were observed in the morpho-physiological traits with high relative leaf water contents, chlorophyll contents, higher germination and longer root lengths of the overexpressed lines and low excised leaf loss and ion leakage as compared to the wildtype plants. Besides, overexpressed lines have higher amounts of antioxidants and low oxidant enzyme activities than the wildtype during the period of stress exposure. Conclusions In summary, the above analysis showed that GhNAC072 might be the true candidate involved in boosting tolerance mechanisms under drought and salinity stress.

In architectural spaces, the ambiance created by lighting plays a significant role in influencing people’s emotions, often relying on the use of color and light. However, previous research has primarily focused on urban architectural spaces, with relatively less attention given to rural environments, especially the interior spaces of rural accommodation. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of colored lighting within rural accommodation interiors on people’s emotions and visual perceptions. Additionally, the study aims to establish an emotional dimension model to map the experimental results onto eight basic emotions, utilizing the PAD model for quantitative analysis. To achieve this goal, the researchers recruited 90 participants and divided them into six groups, each experiencing different combinations of indoor lighting scenes with varying colors. Participants evaluated their emotions and visual perceptions. The study results indicate that the combination of cool and warm white light with colored light significantly influences the arousal level of participants but has a relatively lower impact on pleasure levels, dominance and relaxation levels. In comparing the emotions experienced after exposure to cool and warm white light followed by colored light, warm white light elicited more positive emotions. Furthermore, colored light following cool white light diminished the sense of warmth in light, while yellow–blue light enhanced visual comfort and blue–red light increased attraction. Overall, the effect of colored lighting in rural accommodation interior spaces on improving negative emotions was relatively weak. Conversely, the combination of warm white light with blue–yellow or green–yellow light had a more significant effect on enhancing visual perceptions and reducing participants’ anxiety. This research provides valuable insights and references for designing the lighting ambiance in rural accommodation interiors and lighting design, with the potential to enhance the spatial experience of rural accommodations.

The unsteady flow characteristics of pump as hydraulic turbine play a vital role in its safe and stable operation, while the ultra-low specific-speed centrifugal pump may face more stability problems due to the limitations of its flow conditions under the turbine working condition. Therefore, in this study, the unsteady characteristics of an ultra-low specific-speed centrifugal pump under turbine conditions are studied using a numerical simulation method, and the numerical simulation is verified using an experimental method. Based on the hydraulic losses of each flow passage component, the energy characteristics of pump as turbine (PAT) are established, and the distribution pattern of total pressure fluctuation in the turbine is studied. The results show that the rotor–stator interaction between the impeller and the tongue makes the hydraulic performance and the internal flow field change periodically. The pressure fluctuation intensities at the tongue, blade inlet edge, and balance hole are large, and the total pressure fluctuation in the three areas is intense in space and time. The internal flow characteristics at typical blade positions show that the secondary flow phenomena such as separation flow and wake flow near the tongue make the pressure gradient larger, which is an important influence mode of the rotor–stator interaction. This study provides a reference and guidance for the unsteady study of low specific-speed PAT.

Cotton is an important natural fiber crop. The RF2 gene family is a member of the bZIP transcription factor superfamily, which plays an important role in plant resistance to environmental stresses. In this paper, the RF2 gene family of four cotton species was analyzed genome-wide, and the key gene RF2-32 was cloned for functional verification. A total of 113 RF2 genes were identified in the four cotton species, and the RF2 family was relatively conserved during the evolution of cotton. Chromosome mapping and collinear analysis indicated that fragment replication was the main expansion mode of RF2 gene family during evolution. Cis-element analysis showed that there were many elements related to light response, hormone response and abiotic stress response in the promoters of RF2 genes. The transcriptome and qRT-PCR analysis of RF2 family genes in upland cotton showed that RF2 family genes responded to salt stress and drought stress. GhRF2-32 protein was localized in the cell nucleus. Silencing the GhRF2-32 gene showed less leaf wilting and increased total antioxidant capacity under drought and salt stress, decreased malondialdehyde content and increased drought and salt tolerance. This study revealed the evolutionary and functional diversity of the RF2 gene family, which laid a foundation for the further study of stress-resistant genes in cotton.

In the original publication [...]

The realization of the global “Double carbon” target is closely related to the energy-saving travel of human beings. Along with the increase in the number of new energy vehicles around the world, the number of new energy vehicle charging post carports has also increased. However, the collapse of the carport of the new energy vehicle charging post often occurs. The search for ways to optimize the carport structure construction and build a lighter and more stable charging post carport structure has become one of the hot spots in the new energy vehicle industry. Dragonfly wings have a comprehensive evolution in structure, form and function, and their stiffness, stability and resistance to deformation may be a potential solution to optimize the structure of the shed roof. Inspired by this, the study designs two new energy vehicle charging pile canopies based on the dragonfly wing mesh structure to enhance the loading capacity and structural stability of the canopies. The study firstly concludes that the dragonfly wing mesh can enhance the stiffness through experimental analysis, and simulates and models the structure based on the quadrilateral mesh wrinkling and hexagonal mesh arching in its mesh morphology, combined with the national design standard of the charging pile canopy. Studies on the numerical design experiment of the new energy vehicle charging station canopy model based on finite element software under different natural loads, the deflection of shed under the action of self-weight and the deflection, tensile stress and compressive stress under external load are analyzed, and the results show that: (1) The grid structure of the dragonfly wing bionic charging pile shed can optimize the stiffness of the car charging pile shed. (2) According to the wing structure, the test results of the shed roof structure under different working conditions are better than the national standard. (3) Compared with the vertical load, the transverse load of the arched membrane structure, which is represented by the charging pile shed of the new energy vehicle, is larger. (4) According to the stress point of the shed, the structure constraint of the shed can effectively reduce the pressure on the and share part of the load, which can enhance the stability of the shed. (5) In comparison with the displacement of common carport types, the bionic carport shows superior stability and durability. The new bionic carport structure proposed by the research, with stronger pressure bearing, smaller force deformation and lighter weight, is a kind of membrane structure for stable new energy vehicle charging pile carports, which will help further the optimization and promotion of the new energy vehicle industry.

Abstract Background In current clinical practice, the most commonly used fusion cage materials are titanium (Ti) alloys. However, titanium alloys are non-degradable and may cause stress shielding. ZK60 is a bio-absorbable implant that can effectively avoid long-term complications, such as stress shielding effects, implant displacement, and foreign body reactions. In this study, we aimed at investigating the biomechanical behavior of the cervical spine after implanting different interbody fusion cages. Methods The finite element (FE) models of anterior cervical disc removal and bone graft fusion (ACDF) with a ZK60 cage and a Ti cage were constructed, respectively. Simulations were performed to evaluate their properties of flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation of the cervical spine. Moreover, a side-by-side comparison was conducted on the range of motion (ROM), the deformation of cages, the stress in the cages, bone grafts, and cage-end plate interface. Simultaneously, according to the biomechanical analysis results, the microporous structure of the ZK60 cage was improved by the lattice topology optimization technology and validation using static structure. Results The ROMs in the current study were comparable with the results reported in the literature. There was no significant difference in the deformation of the two cages under various conditions. Moreover, the maximum stress occurred at the rear of the cage in all cases. The cage’s and endplate-cage interface’s stress of the ZK60 group was reduced compared with the Ti cage, while the bone graft stress in the ZK60 fusion cage was significantly greater than that in the Ti fusion cage (average 27.70%). We further optimized the cage by filling it with lattice structures, the volume was decreased by 40%, and validation showed more significant biomechanical properties than ZK60 and Ti cages. Conclusion The application of the ZK60 cage can significantly increase the stress stimulation to the bone graft by reducing the stress shielding effect between the two instrumented bodies. We also observed that the stress of the endplate-cage interface decreased as the reduction of the cage’s stiffness, indicating that subsidence is less likely to occur in the cage with lower stiffness. Moreover, we successfully designed a porous cage based on the biomechanical load by lattice optimization.

The most devastating abiotic factors worldwide are drought and salinity, causing severe bottlenecks in the agricultural sector. To acclimatize to these harsh ecological conditions, plants have developed complex molecular mechanisms involving diverse gene families. Among them, S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase (SAMS) genes initiate the physiological, morphological, and molecular changes to enable plants to adapt appropriately. We identified and characterized 16 upland cotton SAMS genes (GhSAMSs). Phylogenetic analysis classified the GhSAMSs into three major groups closely related to their homologs in soybean. Gene expression analysis under drought and salt stress conditions revealed that GhSAMS2, which has shown the highest interaction with GhCBL10 (a key salt responsive gene), was the one that was most induced. GhSAMS2 expression knockdown via virus-induced gene silencing (VGIS) enhanced transgenic plants’ susceptibility to drought and salt stress. The TRV2:GhSAMS2 plants showed defects in terms of growth and physiological performances, including antioxidative processes, chlorophyll synthesis, and membrane permeability. Our findings provide insights into SAMS genes’ structure, classification, and role in abiotic stress response in upland cotton. Moreover, they show the potential of GhSAMS2 for the targeted improvement of cotton plants’ tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses.

Cotton is an excellent model for studying crop polyploidization and domestication. Chromatin profiling helps to reveal how histone modifications are involved in controlling differential gene expression between A and D subgenomes in allotetraploid cotton. However, the detailed profiling and functional characterization of broad H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 are still understudied in cotton. In this study, we conducted H3K4me3- and H3K27me3-related ChIP-seq followed by comprehensively characterizing their roles in regulating gene transcription in cotton. We found that H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 exhibited active and repressive roles in regulating the expression of genes between A and D subgenomes, respectively. More importantly, H3K4me3 exhibited enrichment level-, position-, and distance-related impacts on expression levels of related genes. Distinct GO term enrichment occurred between A/D-specific and homeologous genes with broad H3K4me3 enrichment in promoters and gene bodies, suggesting that broad H3K4me3-marked genes might have some unique biological functions between A and D subgenome. An anticorrelation between H3K27me3 enrichment and expression levels of homeologous genes was more pronounced in the A subgenome relative to the D subgenome, reflecting distinct enrichment of H3K27me3 in homeologous genes between A and D subgenome. In addition, H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 marks can indirectly influence gene expression through regulatory networks with TF mediation. Thus, our study provides detailed insights into functions of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 in regulating differential gene expression and subfunctionalization of homeologous genes, therefore serving as a driving force for polyploidization and domestication in cotton.

Telomeres are structures enriched in repetitive sequences at the end of chromosomes. In this study, using the telomere primer AA(CCCTAAA)3CCC for the single primer PCR, two DNA sequences were obtained from Gossypium hirsutum (Linnaeus, 1753) accession (acc.) TM-1. Sequence analysis showed that the two obtained sequences were all rich in A/T base, which was consistent with the characteristic of the telomere-associated sequence (TAS). They were designated as GhTAS1 and GhTAS2 respectively. GhTAS1 is 489 bp long, with 57.6% of A/T, and GhTAS2 is 539 bp long, with 63.9% of A/T. Fluorescence in situ hybridization results showed that both of the cloned TASs were located at the ends of the partial chromosomes of G. hirsutum, with the strong signals, which further confirmed that GhTAS1 and GhTAS2 were telomere-associated sequences including highly tandemly repetitive sequences. Results of blast against the assembled genome of G. hirsutum showed that GhTAS sequences may be missed on some assembled chromosomes. The results provide important evidence for the evaluation of the integrity of assembled chromosome end sequences, and will also contribute to the further perfection of the draft genomes of cotton.

Abstract Background Cotton grows in altering environments that are often unfavorable or stressful for its growth and development. Consequently, the plant must cope with abiotic stresses such as soil salinity, drought, and excessive temperatures. Alkali-salt stress response remains a cumbersome biological process and is regulated via a multifaceted transcriptional regulatory network in cotton. Results To discover the molecular mechanisms of alkali-salt stress response in cotton, a comprehensive transcriptome analysis was carried out after alkali-salt stress treatment in three accessions of Gossypium hirsutum with contrasting phenotype. Expression level analysis proved that alkali-salt stress response presented significant stage-specific and tissue-specific. GO enrichment analysis typically suggested that signal transduction process involved in salt-alkali stress response at SS3 and SS12 stages in leaf; carbohydrate metabolic process and oxidation-reduction process involved in SS48 stages in leaf; the oxidation-reduction process involved at all three phases in the root. The Co-expression analysis suggested a potential GhSOS3/GhCBL10-SOS2 network was involved in salt-alkali stress response. Furthermore, Salt-alkali sensitivity was increased in GhSOS3 and GhCBL10 Virus-induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) plants. Conclusion The findings may facilitate to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of alkali-salt stress response and provide an available resource to scrutinize the role of candidate genes and signaling pathway governing alkali-salt stress response.

Background Golden2-Like (GLK) transcription factors are a type of transcriptional regulator in plants. They play a pivotal role in the plant physiological activity process and abiotic stress response. Methods In this study, the potential function of GLK family genes in Gossypium hirsutum was studied based on genomic identification, phylogenetic analysis, chromosome mapping and cis-regulatory elements prediction. Gene expression of nine key genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR experiments. Results Herein, we identified a total of 146 GhGLK genes in Gossypium hirsutum, which were unevenly distributed on each of the chromosomes. There were significant differences in the number and location of genes between the At sub-genome and the Dt sub-genome. According to the phylogenetic analysis, they were divided into ten subgroups, each of which had very similar number and structure of exons and introns. Some cis-regulatory elements were identified through promoter analysis, including five types of elements related to abiotic stress response, five types of elements related to phytohormone and five types of elements involved in growth and development. Based on public transcriptome data analysis, we identified nine key GhGLKs involved in salt, cold, and drought stress. The qRT-PCR results showed that these genes had different expression patterns under these stress conditions, suggesting that GhGLK genes played an important role in abiotic stress response. This study laid a theoretical foundation for the screening and functional verification of genes related to stress resistance of GLK gene family in cotton.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread to more than 230 countries and territories worldwide since its outbreak in late 2019. In less than three years, infection by SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in over 600 million cases of COVID-19 and over 6.4 million deaths. Vaccines have been developed with unimaginable speed, and 11 have already been approved by the World Health Organization and given Emergency Use Listing. The administration of several first-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccines has successfully decelerated the spread of COVID-19 but not stopped it completely. In the ongoing fight against viruses, genetic mutations frequently occur in the viral genome, resulting in a decrease in vaccine-induced antibody neutralization and widespread breakthrough infection. Facing the evolution and uncertainty of SARS-CoV-2 in the future, and the possibility of the spillover of other coronaviruses to humans, the need for vaccines with a broad spectrum of antiviral variants against multiple coronaviruses is recognized. It is imperative to develop a universal coronavirus or pan-coronavirus vaccine or drug to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as to prevent the next coronavirus pandemic. In this review, in addition to summarizing the protective effect of approved vaccines, we systematically summarize current work on the development of vaccines aimed at suppressing multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern as well as multiple coronaviruses.

Grain filling is a crucial process for crop yield and quality. Certain studies already gained insight into the molecular mechanism of grain filling. However, it is unclear whether epigenetic modifications are associated with grain filling in foxtail millet. Global DNA methylation and transcriptome analysis were conducted in foxtail millet spikelets during different stages to interpret the epigenetic effects of the grain filling process. The study employed the whole-genome bisulfite deep sequencing and advanced bioinformatics to sequence and identify all DNA methylation during foxtail millet grain filling; the DNA methylation-mediated gene expression profiles and their involved gene network and biological pathway were systematically studied. One context of DNA methylation, namely, CHH methylation, was accounted for the largest percentage, and it was gradually increased during grain filling. Among all developmental stages, the methylation levels were lowest at T2, followed by T4, which mainly occurred in CHG. The distribution of differentially methylated regions (DMR) was varied in the different genetic regions for three contexts. In addition, gene expression was negatively associated with DNA methylation. Evaluation of the interconnection of the DNA methylome and transcriptome identified some stage-specific differentially expressed genes associated with the DMR at different stages compared with the T1 developmental stage, indicating the potential function of epigenetics on the expression regulation of genes related to the specific pathway at different stages of grain development. The results demonstrated that the dynamic change of DNA methylation plays a crucial function in gene regulation, revealing the potential function of epigenetics in grain development in foxtail millet.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused huge social and economic distress. Given its rapid spread and the lack of specific treatment options, SARS-CoV-2 needs to be inactivated according to strict biosafety measures during laboratory diagnostics and vaccine development. The inactivation method for SARS-CoV-2 affects research related to the natural virus and its immune activity as an antigen in vaccines. In this study, we used size exclusion chromatography, western blotting, ELISA, an electron microscope, dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism, and surface plasmon resonance to evaluate the effects of four different chemical inactivation methods on the physical and biochemical characterization of SARS-CoV-2. Formaldehyde and β-propiolactone (BPL) treatment can completely inactivate the virus and have no significant effects on the morphology of the virus. None of the four tested inactivation methods affected the secondary structure of the virus, including the α-helix, antiparallel β-sheet, parallel β-sheet, β-turn, and random coil. However, formaldehyde and long-term BPL treatment (48 h) resulted in decreased viral S protein content and increased viral particle aggregation, respectively. The BPL treatment for 24 h can completely inactivate SARS-CoV-2 with the maximum retention of the morphology, physical properties, and the biochemical properties of the potential antigens of the virus. In summary, we have established a characterization system for the comprehensive evaluation of virus inactivation technology, which has important guiding significance for the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants and research on natural SARS-CoV-2.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is an important enzyme in plants, which regulates carbon flow through the TCA cycle and controls protein and oil biosynthesis. Although it is important, there is little research on PEPC in cotton, the most important fiber crop in the world. In this study, a total of 125 PEPCs were identified in 15 Gossypium genomes. All PEPC genes in cotton are divided into six groups and each group generally contains one PEPC member in each diploid cotton and two in each tetraploid cotton. This suggests that PEPC genes already existed in cotton before their divergence. There are additional PEPC sub-groups in other plant species, suggesting the different evolution and natural selection during different plant evolution. PEPC genes were independently evolved in each cotton sub-genome. During cotton domestication and evolution, certain PEPC genes were lost and new ones were born to face the new environmental changes and human being needs. The comprehensive analysis of collinearity events and selection pressure shows that genome-wide duplication and fragment duplication are the main methods for the expansion of the PEPC family, and they continue to undergo purification selection during the evolutionary process. PEPC genes were widely expressed with temporal and spatial patterns. The expression patterns of PEPC genes were similar in G. hirsutum and G. barbadense with a slight difference. PEPC2A and 2D were highly expressed in cotton reproductive tissues, including ovule and fiber at all tested developmental stages in both cultivated cottons. However, PEPC1A and 1D were dominantly expressed in vegetative tissues. Abiotic stress also induced the aberrant expression of PEPC genes, in which PEPC1 was induced by both chilling and salinity stresses while PEPC5 was induced by chilling and drought stresses. Each pair (A and D) of PEPC genes showed the similar response to cotton development and different abiotic stress, suggesting the similar function of these PEPCs no matter their origination from A or D sub-genome. However, some divergence was also observed among their origination, such as PEPC5D was induced but PEPC5A was inhibited in G. barbadense during drought treatment, suggesting that a different organized PEPC gene may evolve different functions during cotton evolution. During cotton polyploidization, the homologues genes may refunction and play different roles in different situations.

As one of the pioneer crops widely planted in saline-alkaline areas, Gossypium provides daily necessities, including natural fiber, vegetable proteins, and edible oils. However, cotton fiber yield and quality are highly influenced by salt stress. Therefore, elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cotton in response to salinity stress is importance to breed new cultivars with high tolerance. In this study, we first developed a method for single-cell RNA-seq based on isolating protoplast from cotton root tips; then, we studied the impact of salinity stress on gene expression profiling and their dynamic changes using the developed high-efficiency method for protoplast dissociation suitable for single-cell RNA-seq. A total of 3391 and 2826 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in salt-treated samples before and after protoplast dissociation, respectively, which were enriched into several molecular components, including response to stimulus, response to stress, and cellular macromolecule metabolic process by gene ontology (GO) analysis. Plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and MAPK signaling pathway were found to be enriched via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Twenty-two and nine salinity-responsive DEGs participated in plant hormone signaling and MAPK signaling in roots, before and after protoplast dissociation, respectively; six upregulated DEGs were involved in ABA signaling transduction, namely, Ga04G2111, Ga07G0142, Ga09G2061, Ga10G0262, Ga01G0063, and Ga08G1915 which indicates their potential functions on plants adapting to salt stress. Additionally, 384 and 257 transcription factors (TFs) were differentially expressed in salt-stress roots before and after protoplast dissociation, respectively, of which significantly up-regulated TFs mainly belonged to the AP2/ERF-ERF family, which implied their potential roles responding to salt stress. These results not only provide novel insights to reveal the regulatory networks in plant’s root response to salt stress, but also lay the solid foundation for further exploration on cellular heterogeneity by single-cell transcriptome sequencing.

The enzyme myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX) catalyzes the myo-inositol into glucuronic acid. In this study, 6 MIOX genes were identified from all of the three diploid cotton species (Gossypium arboretum, Gossypium herbaceum and Gossypium raimondii) and Gossypioides kirkii, 12 MIOX genes were identified from two domesticated tetraploid cottons Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium barbadense, and 11 MIOX genes were identified from three wild tetraploid cottons Gossypium tomentosum, Gossypium mustelinum and Gossypium darwinii. The number of MIOX genes in tetraploid cotton genome is roughly twice that of diploid cotton genome. Members of MIOX family were classified into six groups based on the phylogenetic analysis. Integrated analysis of collinearity events and chromosome locations suggested that both whole genome duplication and segmental duplication events contributed to the expansion of MIOX genes during cotton evolution. The ratios of non-synonymous (Ka) and synonymous (Ks) substitution rates revealed that purifying selection was the main force driving the evolution of MIOX genes. Numerous cis-acting elements related to light responsive element, defense and stress responsive element were identified in the promoter of the MIOX genes. Expression analyses of MIOX genes based on RNA-seq data and quantitative real time PCR showed that MIOX genes within the same group shared similar expression patterns with each other. All of these results provide the foundation for further study of the biological functions of MIOX genes in cotton environmental adaptability.

Chromosome painting is one of the key technologies in cytogenetic research, which can accurately identify chromosomes or chromosome regions. Oligonucleotide (oligo) probes designed based on genome sequences have both flexibility and specificity, which would be ideal probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of genome structure. In this study, the bulked oligos of the two arms of chromosome seven of cotton were developed based on the genome sequence of Gossypium raimondii (DD, 2n = 2× = 26), and each arm contains 12,544 oligos. Chromosome seven was easily identified in both D genome and AD genome cotton species using the bulked chromosome-specific painting probes. Together with 45S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) probe, the chromosome-specific painting probe was also successfully used to correct the chromosomal localization of 45S rDNA in G. raimondii. The study reveals that bulked oligos specific to a chromosome is a useful tool for chromosome painting in cotton.

The extrusion of toxins and substances at a cellular level is a vital life process in plants under abiotic stress. The multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) gene family plays a large role in the exportation of toxins and other substrates. We carried out a genome-wide analysis of MATE gene families in Gossypium raimondii and Gossypium arboreum and assessed their expression levels under salt, cadmium and drought stresses. We identified 70 and 68 MATE genes in G. raimondii and G. arboreum, respectively. The majority of the genes were predicted to be localized within the plasma membrane, with some distributed in other cell parts. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the genes were subdivided into three subfamilies, designated as M1, M2 and M3. Closely related members shared similar gene structures, and thus were highly conserved in nature and have mainly evolved through purifying selection. The genes were distributed in all chromosomes. Twenty-nine gene duplication events were detected, with segmental being the dominant type. GO annotation revealed a link to salt, drought and cadmium stresses. The genes exhibited differential expression, with GrMATE18, GrMATE34, GaMATE41 and GaMATE51 significantly upregulated under drought, salt and cadmium stress, and these could possibly be the candidate genes. Our results provide the first data on the genome-wide and functional characterization of MATE genes in diploid cotton, and are important for breeders of more stress-tolerant cotton genotypes.

The centrifugal pump is one of the most important pieces of energy-consuming equipment in various hydraulic engineering applications. This paper takes a low specific speed centrifugal pump as the research object. Based on the research method combining numerical calculation and experimental verification, the influence of the gap drainage structure on the performance of the low specific speed centrifugal pump and its internal flow field distribution were investigated. The flow field inside the low specific speed centrifugal pump impeller under different gap widths was studied. The comparison between the numerical calculation results and the experimental results confirms that the numerical calculations in this paper have high accuracy. It was found that the gap drainage will reduce the head of the low specific speed centrifugal pump, but increase its hydraulic efficiency. Using a smaller gap width could greatly improve the performance of the low specific speed centrifugal pump on the basis of a slight reduction in the head. The high-pressure leakage flow at the gap flows from the blade pressure surface to the suction surface can effectively suppress the low-pressure area at the impeller inlet. The flow rate of the high-pressure leakage flow increases with the gap width. Excessive gap width may cause a low-pressure zone at the inlet of the previous flow passage. These results could serve as a reference for the subsequent gap design to further improve the operating stability of the low specific speed centrifugal pump.

Grain filling is an importantly developmental process which is associated with the yield and quality of foxtail millet (Setaria italic L.). However, the molecular mechanisms of grain filling are rarely reported in foxtail millet. In our study, RNA-seq was performed to investigate the transcriptional dynamics and identify the key genes involved in grain filling in foxtail millet at five different developmental stages. A total of 11,399 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 902 transcription factors (TFs), were identified. Certain important genes involved in grain filling were discovered through a function annotation and temporal expression patterns analysis. These genes included genes associated with starch biosynthesis, cell-wall invertases, hormone signal transduction, and polyamine metabolism pathways. The expression levels of seven randomly selected DEGs were validated by a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). This study provides the first insight into the changes in the gene expression of grain filling at different developmental stages in foxtail millet. These results could help understand the complex molecular mechanisms of the panicle formation in foxtail millet and other cereal crops.

Sulfite oxidase (SO) plays a pivotal role in sulfite metabolism. In our previous study, sulfite-oxidizing function of the SO from Zea mays (ZmSO) was characterized. To date, the knowledge of ZmSO’s involvement in abiotic stress response is scarce. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of ZmSO in drought stress. The transcript levels of ZmSO were relatively high in leaves and immature embryos of maize plants, and were up-regulated markedly by PEG-induced water stress. Overexpression of ZmSO improved drought tolerance in tobacco. ZmSO-overexpressing transgenic plants showed higher sulfate and glutathione (GSH) levels but lower hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents under drought stress, indicating that ZmSO confers drought tolerance by enhancing GSH-dependent antioxidant system that scavenged ROS and reduced membrane injury. In addition, the transgenic plants exhibited more increased stomatal response than the wild-type (WT) to water deficit. Interestingly, application of exogenous GSH effectively alleviated growth inhibition in both WT and transgenic plants under drought conditions. qPCR analysis revealed that the expression of several sulfur metabolism-related genes was significantly elevated in the ZmSO-overexpressing lines. Taken together, these results imply that ZmSO confers enhanced drought tolerance in transgenic tobacco plants possibly through affecting stomatal regulation, GSH-dependent antioxidant system, and sulfur metabolism-related gene expression. ZmSO could be exploited for developing drought-tolerant maize varieties in molecular breeding.

A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library for G. mustelinum Miers ex G. Watt (AD4) was constructed. Intact nuclei from G. mustelinum (AD4) were used to isolate high molecular weight DNA, which was partially cleaved with Hind III and cloned into pSMART BAC (Hind III) vectors. The BAC library consisted of 208,182 clones arrayed in 542 384-microtiter plates, with an average insert size of 121.72 kb ranging from 100 to 150 kb. About 2% of the clones did not contain inserts. Based on an estimated genome size of 2372 Mb for G. mustelinum, the BAC library was estimated to have a total coverage of 10.50 × genome equivalents. The high capacity library of G. mustelinum will serve as a giant gene resource for map-based cloning of quantitative trait loci or genes associated with important agronomic traits or resistance to Verticillium wilt, physical mapping and comparative genome analysis.

Cotton is a pioneer of saline land crop, while salt stress still causes its growth inhibition and fiber production decrease. Phenotype identification showed better salt tolerance of a wild diploid cotton species Gossypium klotzschianum. To elucidate the salt-tolerant mechanisms in G. klotzschianum, we firstly detected the changes in hormones, H2O2 and glutathione (GSSH and GSH), then investigated the gene expression pattern of roots and leaves treated with 300 mM NaCl for 0, 3, 12, 48 h, and each time control by RNA-seq on the Illumina-Solexa platform. Physiological determination proved that the significant increase in hormone ABA at 48 h, while that in H2O2 was at 12 h, likewise, the GSH content decrease at 48 h and the GSSH content increase at 48 h, under salt stress. In total, 37,278 unigenes were identified from the transcriptome data, 8,312 and 6,732 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered to be involved in salt stress tolerance in roots and leaves, respectively. Gene function annotation and expression analysis elucidated hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and salt overly sensitive (SOS) signal transduction related genes revealed the important roles of them in signal transmission, oxidation balance and ion homeostasis in response to salinity stress. This is a report which focuses on primary response to highly salty stress (upto 300 mM NaCl) in cotton using a wild diploid Gossypium species, broadening our understanding of the salt tolerance mechanism in cotton and laying a solid foundation of salt resistant for the genetic improvement of upland cotton with the resistance to salt stress.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important molecules in the plant, which are involved in many biological processes, including fiber development and adaptation to abiotic stress in cotton. We carried out transcription analysis to determine the evolution of the ROS genes and analyzed their expression levels in various tissues of cotton plant under abiotic stress conditions. There were 515, 260, and 261 genes of ROS network that were identified in Gossypium hirsutum (AD1 genome), G. arboreum (A genome), and G. raimondii (D genome), respectively. The ROS network genes were found to be distributed in all the cotton chromosomes, but with a tendency of aggregating on either the lower or upper arms of the chromosomes. Moreover, all the cotton ROS network genes were grouped into 17 families as per the phylogenetic tress analysis. A total of 243 gene pairs were orthologous in G. arboreum and G. raimondii. There were 240 gene pairs that were orthologous in G. arboreum, G. raimondii, and G. hirsutum. The synonymous substitution value (Ks) peaks of orthologous gene pairs between the At subgenome and the A progenitor genome (G. arboreum), D subgenome and D progenitor genome (G. raimondii) were 0.004 and 0.015, respectively. The Ks peaks of ROS network orthologous gene pairs between the two progenitor genomes (A and D genomes) and two subgenomes (At and Dt subgenome) were 0.045. The majority of Ka/Ks value of orthologous gene pairs between the A, D genomes and two subgenomes of TM-1 were lower than 1.0. RNA seq. analysis and RT-qPCR validation, showed that, CSD1,2,3,5,6; FSD1,2; MSD1,2; APX3,11; FRO5.6; and RBOH6 played a major role in fiber development while CSD1, APX1, APX2, MDAR1, GPX4-6-7, FER2, RBOH6, RBOH11, and FRO5 were integral for enhancing salt stress in cotton. ROS network-mediated signal pathway enhances the mechanism of fiber development and regulation of abiotic stress in Gossypium. This study will enhance the understanding of ROS network and form the basic foundation in exploring the mechanism of ROS network-involving the fiber development and regulation of abiotic stress in cotton.

A novel hybrid bearing with the introduction of piezoelectric controller and tilting pads to control vibration actively is proposed in this paper, and the feasibility of this scheme is verified by theoretical calculation and experimental data. This scheme can control the vibration of bearing actively by using the electromechanical characteristics of piezoelectric ceramic transducer (PZT) components. The static internal character of PZT and static external characteristic of piezoelectric control component are analyzed, and the calculation equations of preload coefficient and driving force of the new bearing are given. The simulation setup of the new bearing is designed and developed. The data representing the relationship of displacement of pad pivot, driving force, voltage, and the simulation stiffness of liquid film are obtained in the test, and the feature parameters of piezoelectric control component are amended to analyze the relationship between preload coefficient of the bearing and driving voltage. The proposed new bearing has the function of controlling preload actively. The theoretical and experimental research results provide essential guidance for the detail design of this new bearing and also provide a new idea for the vibration control of high speed rotor systems.

Plants have developed a number of survival strategies which are significant for enhancing their adaptation to various biotic and abiotic stress factors. At the transcriptome level, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are of great significance, enabling the plants to detect a wide range of endogenous and exogenous signals which are employed by the plants in regulating various responses in development and adaptation. In this research work, we carried out genome-wide analysis of target of Myb1 (TOM1), a member of the GPCR gene family. The functional role of TOM1 in salt stress tolerance was studied using a transgenic Arabidopsis plants over-expressing the gene. By the use of the functional domain PF06454, we obtained 16 TOM genes members in Gossypium hirsutum, 9 in Gossypium arboreum, and 11 in Gossypium raimondii. The genes had varying physiochemical properties, and it is significant to note that all the grand average of hydropathy (GRAVY) values were less than one, indicating that all are hydrophobic in nature. In all the genes analysed here, both the exonic and intronic regions were found. The expression level of Gh_A07G0747 (GhTOM) was significantly high in the transgenic lines as compared to the wild type; a similar trend in expression was observed in all the salt-related genes tested in this study. The study in epidermal cells confirmed the localization of the protein coded by the gene TOM1 in the plasma membrane. Analysis of anti-oxidant enzymes showed higher concentrations of antioxidants in transgenic lines and relatively lower levels of oxidant substances such as H2O2. The low malondialdehyde (MDA) level in transgenic lines indicated that the transgenic lines had relatively low level of oxidative damage compared to the wild types. The results obtained indicate that Gh_A07G0747 (GhTOM) can be a putative target gene for enhancing salt stress tolerance in plants and could be exploited in the future for the development of salt stress-tolerant cotton cultivars.

ATPase associated with various cellular activities (AAA) proteins are important regulators involved in diverse cellular functions. To date, the molecular mechanisms of AAA proteins involved in response to salt and drought stresses in plants are largely unknown. In this study, a putative SKD1 (suppressor of K(+) transport growth defect 1) ortholog from Zea mays (ZmSKD1), which encodes a putative AAA protein, was isolated. The transcript levels of ZmSKD1 were higher in aerial tissues and were markedly up-regulated by salt or drought stress. Over-expression of ZmSKD1 in tobacco plants enhanced their tolerances not only to salt but to drought. Moreover, reactive oxygen species accumulations in ZmSKD1 transgenic lines were relative less than those in wild-type plants during salt or PEG-induced water stress. The interaction between ZmSKD1 and NtLIP5 (Lyst-Interacting Protein 5 homolog from Nicotiana tabacum) was confirmed by both yeast two-hybrid and immuno-precipitation assays; moreover, the α-helix-rich domain in the C-terminus of ZmSKD1 was identified to be required for its interaction with NtLIP5 using truncation mutations. Collectively, these data demonstrate that ZmSKD1could be involved in salt and drought stress responses and its over-expression enhances salt or drought stress tolerance possibly through interacting with LIP5 in tobacco. This study may facilitate our understandings of the biological roles of SKD1-mediated ESCRT pathway under stress conditions in higher plants and accelerate genetic improvement of crop plants tolerant to environmental stresses.