Presentation_1_Maize-soybean intercropping facilitates chemical and microbial transformations of phosphorus fractions in a calcareous soil.PDF

Intercropping often substantially increases phosphorus (P) availability to plants compared with monocropping, which could be an effective strategy for soil legacy P recovery and agricultural production. However, the biogeochemical interactions among plants, microbes, and soil that mobilize P remain largely unknown in intercropping systems. Pot experiments with maize-soybean intercropping in a calcareous soil were conducted to investigate the potential chemical and biological transformation mechanisms of inorganic P (Pi) and organic P (Po) using sequential extraction and Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Compared to monocropping of each crop, maize-soybean intercropping significantly enhanced total P uptake of the two crops by mobilizing Ca2-Pi [extracted by bicarbonate (NaHCO3)], Al-Pi/Po [extracted by ammonium fluoride (NH4F)] and Fe-Pi [extracted by sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate (NaOH-Na2CO3)] fractions. Furthermore, there were significant increases in the organic carbon content and alkaline phosphomonoesterase (ALP) and phosphodiesterase (PDE) activities as well as the abundances of Microvirga, Lysobacter, Microlunatus and Sphingomonas under maize-soybean intercropping relative to monocropping. In contrast, compared to monocroppping, no significant change in the soil pH was observed under maize-soybean intercropping. Therefore, the enhanced P uptake of the maize-soybean intercropping probably resulted from a synergistic effect of rhizosphere organic carbon deposit, increased activities of ALP and PDE, together with the bacteria (Microvirga, Lysobacter, Microlunatus and Sphingomonas) which showed correlation with soil P forms, while the generally recognized rhizosphere acidification was excluded in this investigated calcareous soil. Moreover, the selected bacterial genera exhibited a closer network in the rhizosphere of soybean compared to maize, suggesting enhanced interactions among bacteria in the soybean rhizosphere. These results provide theoretical bases for the recovery of soil legacy P by maize-soybean intercropping.</p

CD146 Deletion in the Nervous System Impairs Appetite, Locomotor Activity and Spatial Learning in Mice

<div><p>Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are crucial effectors for the development and maintenance of the nervous system. Mutations in human CAM genes are linked to brain disorders and psychological diseases, and CAM knockout mice always exhibit similar behavioral abnormalities. CD146 is a CAM of the immunoglobulin superfamily that interacts with Neurite Outgrowth Factor and involved in neurite extension <i>in vitro</i>. However, little is known about its <i>in vivo</i> function in the nervous system. In this study, we used a murine CD146 nervous system knockout (CD146^ns-ko) model. We found that the brains of some CD146^ns-ko mice were malformed with small olfactory bulbs. CD146^ns-ko mice exhibited lower body weights and smaller food intake when compared with wild type littermates. Importantly, behavior tests revealed that CD146^ns-ko mice exhibited significant decreased locomotor activity and impaired capacity for spatial learning and memory. Our results demonstrate that CD146 is important for mammalian nervous system development and proper behavior patterns.</p></div

Knockout of CD146 in the nervous system impaired spatial learning and memory in mice.

<p>(A) WT and CD146^ns-ko mice at the age of 1 month were subjected to the Morris water maze test. During the 7-day training period, time spent in finding the target of each mouse was recorded and analyzed with a repeated measures ANOVA. At the last day of probe test, distance swam (B) and time spent in each quadrant by the mice (C) were recorded and analyzed with Student’s t test. The brains of 1-month-old WT and CD146^ns-ko mice were sagittally sectioned. The hippocampal area (D) and neuron density of CA1, CA3 and DG (E) were measured after Nissl staining. Data is presented as means ± SEM.</p

Knockout of CD146 in the nervous system resulted in decreased body weight and food intake in mice.

<p>Body weight of male (A) and female (B) mice at the ages of 1 month, 3 months and 6 months were measured and analyzed with a two-way ANOVA. Daily food intake of male (C) and female (D) mice at the age of 1 month was measured once a week for 4 weeks. Data is presented as means ± SEM and analyzed by a repeated measures ANOVA.</p

Knockout of CD146 in the nervous system resulted in decreased locomotor activity in mice.

<p>(A) Mice at the ages of 1 month and 3 months were subjected to the Rotarod test. Falling latency was recorded with a 30 seconds cut-off time. Mice at the ages of 1 month, 3 months and 6 months were subjected to the open field test. Representative running tracks of mice at the age of 3 months were shown (B). B: begin-point. E: end-point. During the 5-min free running, distance travelled (C), maximum speed (D) and rest time (E) of WT and CD146^ns-ko mice were recorded and analyzed with a two-way ANOVA. Data is presented as means ± SEM.</p

CD146^ns-ko mice show stochastic reduction in the size of olfactory bulbs.

<p>(A) Representative images of WT brain, CD146^ns-ko normal brain and CD146^ns-ko abnormal brain. (B) A Chi-square test was performed to compare the incidence of abnormal olfactory bulbs in WT and CD146^ns-ko groups.</p

Generation and identification of CD146^ns-ko mice.

<p>(A) Schematic strategy for constructing CD146^{floxed/floxed} mice. Two loxP sites were inserted into the promoter and 1^st intron of the CD146 gene by targeting vector. (B–E) Sections of brains and spinal cords of WT and CD146^ns-ko mice were immunostained with anti-CD146 mAb AA4. Expression of CD146 was observed on cortical neurons (B), cerebellar Purkinje cells (C), hippocampal neurons (D) in brain and neurons in spinal cord (E). Scale bar represents 200 µm. (F) Expression of CD146 in whole brain, cerebral cortex alone and spinal cord of WT and CD146^ns-ko mice was analyzed in cDNA RT-PCR assay. Data is presented as ratio of CD146 expression level normalized with WT group (means ± SEM).</p

Fenobody: A Ferritin-Displayed Nanobody with High Apparent Affinity and Half-Life Extension

Nanobodies consist of a single domain variable fragment of a camelid heavy-chain antibody. Nanobodies have potential applications in biomedical fields because of their simple production procedures and low cost. Occasionally, nanobody clones of interest exhibit low affinities for their target antigens, which, together with their short half-life limit bioanalytical or therapeutic applications. Here, we developed a novel platform we named fenobody, in which a nanobody developed against H5N1 virus is displayed on the surface of ferritin in the form of a 24mer. We constructed a fenobody by substituting the fifth helix of ferritin with the nanobody. TEM analysis showed that nanobodies were displayed on the surface of ferritin in the form of 6 × 4 bundles, and that these clustered nanobodies are flexible for antigen binding in spatial structure. Comparing fenobodies with conventional nanobodies currently used revealed that the antigen binding apparent affinity of anti-H5N1 fenobody was dramatically increased (∼360-fold). Crucially, their half-life extension in a murine model was 10-fold longer than anti-H5N1 nanobody. In addition, we found that our fenobodies are highly expressed in Escherichia coli, and are both soluble and thermo-stable nanocages that self-assemble as 24-polymers. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that fenobodies have unique advantages over currently available systems for apparent affinity enhancement and half-life extension of nanobodies. Our fenobody system presents a suitable platform for various large-scale biotechnological processes and should greatly facilitate the application of nanobody technology in these areas

Scalable Bio-Skin-Inspired Radiative Cooling Metafabric for Breaking Trade-Off between Optical Properties and Application Requirements

Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) provides a zero-energy cooling technology to reduce the global fossil energy consumption and has already attracted tremendous interest. However, breaking the trade-off between the pursuit of ultrahigh dual-band (solar and atmospheric window) optical properties and the compatibility of multiple functional requirements by application is still a big challenge for PDRC. By introducing the photon slab-porous effect with strong sunlight backward scattering and inspired by human skin (epidermis and dermis) with recorded medical infrared emittance and multi-functions, we proposed an efficient dual-band optical property design strategy for PDRC. Through a simple and scalable dip dyeing process, the fabricated bio-skin-inspired PDRC metafabric exhibited superior dual-band optical properties, while both the solar reflectance and atmospheric window emittance can reach 97%. Outdoor tests demonstrated that the bio-PDRC metafabric achieved a maximum sub-ambient temperature drop of 12.6 °C in daytime. A human wearing a hat made of bio-PDRC metafabric can be 16.6 °C cooler than the one wearing a common hat. The bio-PDRC metafabric also exhibited superior performance of breathability, waterproofness, flexibility, strength, and durability to fulfill the multiple demands of personal thermal management, vents, and car covers

Scalable Bio-Skin-Inspired Radiative Cooling Metafabric for Breaking Trade-Off between Optical Properties and Application Requirements

Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) provides a zero-energy cooling technology to reduce the global fossil energy consumption and has already attracted tremendous interest. However, breaking the trade-off between the pursuit of ultrahigh dual-band (solar and atmospheric window) optical properties and the compatibility of multiple functional requirements by application is still a big challenge for PDRC. By introducing the photon slab-porous effect with strong sunlight backward scattering and inspired by human skin (epidermis and dermis) with recorded medical infrared emittance and multi-functions, we proposed an efficient dual-band optical property design strategy for PDRC. Through a simple and scalable dip dyeing process, the fabricated bio-skin-inspired PDRC metafabric exhibited superior dual-band optical properties, while both the solar reflectance and atmospheric window emittance can reach 97%. Outdoor tests demonstrated that the bio-PDRC metafabric achieved a maximum sub-ambient temperature drop of 12.6 °C in daytime. A human wearing a hat made of bio-PDRC metafabric can be 16.6 °C cooler than the one wearing a common hat. The bio-PDRC metafabric also exhibited superior performance of breathability, waterproofness, flexibility, strength, and durability to fulfill the multiple demands of personal thermal management, vents, and car covers