520 research outputs found

    Unsupervised and Supervised Fuzzy Neural Network Architecture, with Applications in Machine Vision Fuzzy Object Recognition and Inspection

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    P3/P3N-PIPO of PVY interacting with BI-1 inhibits the degradation of NIb by ATG6 to facilitate virus replication in N. benthamiana

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    IntroductionAutophagy not only plays an antiviral role but also can be utilized by viruses to facilitate virus infection. However, the underlying mechanism of potato virus Y (PVY) infection against plant autophagy remains unclear. BI-1, localizing to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), is a multifunctional protein and may affect the virus infection.MethodsIn this study, Y2H, BiFC, qRT-PCR, RNA-Seq, WB and so on were used for research.ResultsP3 and P3N-PIPO of PVY can interact with the Bax inhibitor 1 (BI-1) of N. benthamiana. However, BI-1 knockout mutant showed better growth and development ability. In addition, when the BI-1 gene was knocked out or knocked down in N. benthamiana, the PVY-infected mutant showed milder symptoms and lower virus accumulation. Analysis of transcriptome data showed that the deletion of NbBI-1 weakened the gene expression regulation induced by PVY infection and NbBI-1 may reduce the mRNA level of NbATG6 by regulated IRE1-dependent decay (RIDD) in PVY-infected N. benthamiana. The expression level of the ATG6 gene of PVY-infected WT was significantly down-regulated, relative to the PVY-infected mutant. Further results showed that ATG6 of N. benthamiana can degrade NIb, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of PVY. NbATG6 has a higher mRNA level in PVY-infected BI-1 knockout mutants than in PVY-infected WT.ConclussionThe interaction of P3 and/or P3N-PIPO of PVY with BI-1 decrease the expression of the ATG6 gene might be mediated by RIDD, which inhibits the degradation of viral NIb and enhances viral replication

    Large‐scale changes in macrobenthic biodiversity driven by mangrove afforestation

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    1. Large- scale anthropogenic mangroves have been constructed in coastal regions worldwide but our understanding of their ecological effects is limited. In particu-lar, the question of whether and how anthropogenic mangroves influence biodi-versity patterns remains elusive.2. Here, we investigated the influence of large-scale anthropogenic mangroves on biodiversity patterns of mangrove macrobenthos. Specifically, we measure and seek to explain differences in species richness, abundance, assemblage composi-tion and distance-decay effect before and after the construction of anthropo-genic mangroves.3. We surveyed assemblages of gastropod, bivalve and crab species over a wide latitudinal extent (24–28°N) in subtropical China. For each, we calculated species richness, abundance, assemblage composition and distance-decay relationship before and after the construction of anthropogenic mangroves.4. After the large-scale anthropogenic mangroves, we found species richness of gas-tropods, bivalves and crabs increased by 23.81%, 100% and 20%, respectively. The distance-decay effects of gastropods and bivalves decreased by 25% and 91.43%, while that of crabs remained virtually unchanged, which mediated by in-creased dispersal rate of macrobenthos. With mangrove plantation, compositional similarity of crab and bivalve assemblages increased by 28.57% and 38.46%, sug-gesting that large-scale monospecific planting exacerbate biotic homogenization. Altogether, these results indicate that large-scale anthropogenic habitats increase the diversity of mangrove macrobenthos and change taxonomic compositions by reducing distance-decay effects and increasing dispersal rate of macrobenthos.5. Synthesis and applications. We emphasize that afforestation of coastal wetlands can drive major changes in benthonic communities. Monitoring and assessing the ecological effects of the anthropogenic habitats for the presence of functional faunas will be important in determining the future coastal restoration and main-taining economic aquaculture. Quantifying those effects in terms of regional bio-diversity composition will contribute to the management of coastal restoration to be based upon macroevidence rather than a one-sided local perspective.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Calcification of the Planktonic Foraminiferaglobigerinabulloidesand Carbonate Ion Concentration Resultsfrom the Santa Barbara Basin

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    Planktonic foraminiferal calcification intensity, reflected by shell wall thickness, has been hypothesized to covary with the carbonate chemistry of seawater. Here we use both sediment trap and box core samples from the Santa Barbara Basin to evaluate the relationship between the calcification intensity of the planktonic foraminifera species Globigerina bulloides, measured by area density (”g/”m2), and the carbonate ion concentration of seawater ([CO32−]). We also evaluate the influence of both temperature and nutrient concentration ([PO43−]) on foraminiferal calcification and growth. The presence of two G. bulloides morphospecies with systematically different calcification properties and offset stable isotopic compositions was identified within sampling populations using distinguishing morphometric characteristics. The calcification temperature and by extension calcification depth of the more abundant “normal” G. bulloides morphospecies was determined using ÎŽ18O temperature estimates. Calcification depths vary seasonally with upwelling and were used to select the appropriate [CO32−], temperature, and [PO43−] depth measurements for comparison with area density. Seasonal upwelling in the study region also results in collinearity between independent variables complicating a straightforward statistical analysis. To address this issue, we use additional statistical diagnostics and a down core record to disentangle the respective roles of each parameter on G. bulloides calcification. Our results indicate that [CO32−] is the primary variable controlling calcification intensity while temperature influences shell size. We report a modern calibration for the normal G. bulloides morphospecies that can be used in down core studies of well‐preserved sediments to estimate past [CO32−]

    The Farnesyltransferase ÎČ-Subunit Ram1 Regulates Sporisorium scitamineum Mating, Pathogenicity and Cell Wall Integrity

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    The basidiomycetous fungus Sporisorium scitamineum causes a serious sugarcane smut disease in major sugarcane growing areas. Sexual mating is essential for infection to the host; however, its underlying molecular mechanism has not been fully studied. In this study, we identified a conserved farnesyltransferase (FTase) ÎČ subunit Ram1 in S. scitamineum. The ram1Δ mutant displayed significantly reduced mating/filamentation, thus of weak pathogenicity to the host cane. The ram1Δ mutant sporidia showed more tolerant toward cell wall stressor Congo red compared to that of the wild-type. Transcriptional profiling showed that Congo red treatment resulted in notable up-regulation of the core genes involving in cell wall integrity pathway in ram1Δ sporidia compared with that of WT, indicating that Ram1 may be involved in cell wall integrity regulation. In yeast the heterodimeric FTase is responsible for post-translational modification of Ras (small G protein) and a-factor (pheromone). We also identified and characterized two conserved Ras proteins, Ras1 and Ras2, respectively, and a MAT-1 pheromone precursor Mfa1. The ras1Δ, ras2Δ and mfa1Δ mutants all displayed reduced mating/filamentation similar as the ram1Δ mutant. However, both ras1Δ and ras2Δ mutants were hypersensitive to Congo red while the mfa1Δ mutant was the same as wild-type. Overall our study displayed that RAM1 plays an essential role in S. scitamineum mating/filamentation, pathogenicity, and cell wall stability

    A Cysteine Zipper Stabilizes a Pre-Fusion F Glycoprotein Vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus

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    Recombinant subunit vaccines should contain minimal non-pathogen motifs to reduce potential off-target reactivity. We recently developed a vaccine antigen against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which comprised the fusion (F) glycoprotein stabilized in its pre-fusion trimeric conformation by “DS-Cav1” mutations and by an appended C-terminal trimerization motif or “foldon” from T4-bacteriophage fibritin. Here we investigate the creation of a cyste- ine zipper to allow for the removal of the phage foldon, while maintaining the immunogenic- ity of the parent DS-Cav1+foldon antigen. Constructs without foldon yielded RSV F monomers, and enzymatic removal of the phage foldon from pre-fusion F trimers resulted in their dissociation into monomers. Because the native C terminus of the pre-fusion RSV F ectodomain encompasses a viral trimeric coiled-coil, we explored whether introduction of cysteine residues capable of forming inter-protomer disulfides might allow for stable trimers. Structural modeling indicated the introduced cysteines to form disulfide “rings”, with each ring comprising a different set of inward facing residues of the coiled-coil. Three sets of rings could be placed within the native RSV F coiled-coil, and additional rings could be added by duplicating portions of the coiled-coil. High levels of neutralizing activity in mice, equivalent to that of the parent DS-Cav1+foldon antigen, were elicited by a 4-ring stabilized RSV F trimer with no foldon. Structure-based alteration of a viral coiled-coil to create a cys- teine zipper thus allows a phage trimerization motif to be removed from a candidate vaccine antigen
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