(E)-1-[4-(Dimethyl­amino)benzyl­idene]thio­semicarbazide

In the title mol­ecule, C10H14N4S, the thio­rea plane and benzene ring form a dihedral angle of 16.0 (3) Å. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular N—H⋯S hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into ribbons extended in the [100] direction; these incorporate inversion dimers

2-Hydr­oxy-N′-[(E)-(3-hydr­oxy-2-naphth­yl)methyl­ene]benzohydrazide. Corrigendum

Corrigendum to Acta Cryst. (2009), E65, o262

Orientational behaviors of silk fibroin hydrogels

In this study, a novel shear-induced silk fibroin hydrogel with three-dimensional (3D) anisotropic and oriented gel skeleton/network morphology is presented. Amphipathic anionic and nontoxic sodium surfactin is blended with the silk fibroin to decrease its gelation time during the mechanical shearing process. The fibroin/surfactin blended solutions undergo a facial shearing process to accomplish a solâ gel transition within one hour. The dynamic solâ gel transition kinetic analysis, gel skeleton/network morphology, and mechanical property measurements are determined in order to visualize the fibroin/surfactin solâ gel transition during the shearing process and its resulting hydrogel. The results demonstrate that there is significant b-sheet assembly from random coil conformations in the fibroin/surfactin blended system during the facile shearing process. The silk fibroin b-sheets further transform into a fibrous large-scale aggregation with orientational and parallel arrangements to the shearing direction. The shear-induced fibroin/ surfactin hydrogel exhibits notable anisotropic and oriented 3D skeleton/network morphology and a significant mechanical compressive strength in proportion to the shearing stress, compared with the control fibroin/surfactin hydrogel undergoing no shearing process. Due to its oriented gel skeleton/network structure and significantly enhanced mechanical properties, the shear-induced fibroin/ surfactin gel may be suitable as a biomaterial in 3D oriented tissue regeneration, including for nerves, the cultivation of bone cells, and the repair of defects in muscle and ligament tissues.The work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51373114), PAPD and College Nature Science Research Project of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. 15KJA540001). S. C. Kundu holds ERA Chair Full Professor of European Commission Programme (RoReCaST) at 3Bs Research Group, University of Minho, Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

{4′-[4-(4,4′-Bipyridin-1-ylmeth­yl)phen­yl]-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine}chloridoplatinum(II) bis­(perchlorate) acetonitrile disolvate sesquihydrate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [PtCl(C32H24N5)](ClO4)2·2CH3CN·1.5H2O, comprises two unique PtII complex cations, four perchlorate anions, four acetonitrile solvent mol­ecules and three water mol­ecules. The Pt atom is four-coordinated by a tridentate chelating 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine ligand and a chloride ion in a square-planar geometry with modest distortion imposed by the constraint of the terpyridyl ligand. The r.m.s. deviations from the plane comprising the four ligand donor atoms and the Pt atom are 0.0381 and 0.0472 Å in the two complex cations

Time trend analysis of thyroid cancer surgery in China: single institutional database analysis of 15,000 patients

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Sculpting the maturation, softening and ethylene pathway: The influences of microRNAs on tomato fruits

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a ubiquitous class of short RNAs, play vital roles in physiological and biochemical processes in plants by mediating gene silencing at post-transcriptional (PTGS) level. Tomato is a model system to study molecular basis of fleshy fruit ripening and senescence, ethylene biosynthesis and signal transduction owing to its genetic and molecular tractability. To study the functions of miRNAs in tomato fruit ripening and senescence, and their possible roles in ethylene response, the next generation sequencing method was employed to identify miRNAs in tomato fruit. Bioinformatics and molecular biology approaches were combined to profile the miRNAs expression patterns at three different fruit ripening stages and by exogenous ethylene treatment.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In addition to 7 novel miRNA families, 103 conserved miRNAs belonging to 24 families and 10 non-conserved miRNAs matching 9 families were identified in our libraries. The targets of many these miRNAs were predicted to be transcriptional factors. Other targets are known to play roles in the regulation of metabolic processes. Interestingly, some targets were predicted to be involved in fruit ripening and softening, such as Pectate Lyase, beta-galactosidase, while a few others were predicted to be involved in ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathway, such as ACS, EIN2 and CTR1. The expression patterns of a number of such miRNAs at three ripening stages were confirmed by stem-loop RT-PCR, which showed a strong negative correlation with that of their targets. The regulation of exogenous ethylene on miRNAs expression profiles were analyzed simultaneously, and 3 down-regulated, 5 up-regulated miRNAs were found in this study.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A combination of high throughput sequencing and molecular biology approaches was used to explore the involvement of miRNAs during fruit ripening. Several miRNAs showed differential expression profiles during fruit ripening, and a number of miRNAs were influenced by ethylene treatment. The results suggest the importance of miRNAs in fruit ripening and ethylene response.</p

The Roles of BLH Transcription Factors in Plant Development and Environmental Response

Despite recent advancements in plant molecular biology and biotechnology, providing enough, and safe, food for an increasing world population remains a challenge. The research into plant development and environmental adaptability has attracted more and more attention from various countries. The transcription of some genes, regulated by transcript factors (TFs), and their response to biological and abiotic stresses, are activated or inhibited during plant development; examples include, rooting, flowering, fruit ripening, drought, flooding, high temperature, pathogen infection, etc. Therefore, the screening and characterization of transcription factors have increasingly become a hot topic in the field of plant research. BLH/BELL (BEL1-like homeodomain) transcription factors belong to a subfamily of the TALE (three-amino-acid-loop-extension) superfamily and its members are involved in the regulation of many vital biological processes, during plant development and environmental response. This review focuses on the advances in our understanding of the function of BLH/BELL TFs in different plants and their involvement in the development of meristems, flower, fruit, plant morphogenesis, plant cell wall structure, the response to the environment, including light and plant resistance to stress, biosynthesis and signaling of ABA (Abscisic acid), IAA (Indoleacetic acid), GA (Gibberellic Acid) and JA (Jasmonic Acid). We discuss the theoretical basis and potential regulatory models for BLH/BELL TFs’ action and provide a comprehensive view of their multiple roles in modulating different aspects of plant development and response to environmental stress and phytohormones. We also present the value of BLHs in the molecular breeding of improved crop varieties and the future research direction of the BLH gene family

Virus-Induced Gene Silencing of the Eggplant Chalcone Synthase Gene during Fruit Ripening Modifies Epidermal Cells and Gravitropism

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) fruits accumulate flavonoids in their cuticle and epidermal cells during ripening. Although many mutants available in model plant species, such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula, are enabling the intricacies of flavonoid-related physiology to be deduced, the mechanisms whereby flavonoids influence eggplant fruit physiology are unknown. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a reliable tool for the study of flavonoid function in fruit, and in this study, we successfully applied this technique to downregulate S. melongena chalcone synthase gene (<i>SmCHS</i>) expression during eggplant fruit ripening. In addition to the expected change in fruit color attributable to a lack of anthocyanins, several other modifications, including differences in epidermal cell size and shape, were observed in the different sectors. We also found that silencing of <i>CHS</i> gene expression was associated with a negative gravitropic response in eggplant fruits. These observations indicate that epidermal cell expansion during ripening is dependent upon <i>CHS</i> expression and that there may be a relationship between <i>CHS</i> expression and gravitropism during eggplant fruit ripening

Integrated Analysis of Widely Targeted Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Reveals the Effects of Transcription Factor NOR-like1 on Alkaloids, Phenolic Acids, and Flavonoids in Tomato at Different Ripening Stages

Tomato is abundant in alkaloids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids; however, the effect of transcription factor NOR-like1 on these metabolites in tomato is unclear. We used a combination of widely targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics to analyze wild-type tomatoes and CR-NOR-like1 tomatoes. A total of 83 alkaloids, 85 phenolic acids, and 96 flavonoids were detected with significant changes. Combined with a KEGG enrichment analysis, we revealed 16 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in alkaloid-related arginine and proline metabolism, 60 DEGs were identified in the phenolic acid-related phenylpropane biosynthesis, and 30 DEGs were identified in the flavonoid-related biosynthesis pathway. In addition, some highly correlated differential-expression genes with differential metabolites were further identified by correlation analysis. The present research provides a preliminary view of the effects of NOR-like1 transcription factor on alkaloid, phenolic acid, and flavonoid accumulation in tomatoes at different ripening stages based on widely targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics in plants, laying the foundation for extending fruit longevity and shelf life as well as cultivating stress-resistant plants

Integrated Analysis of Widely Targeted Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Reveals the Effects of Transcription Factor NOR-like1 on Alkaloids, Phenolic Acids, and Flavonoids in Tomato at Different Ripening Stages

Tomato is abundant in alkaloids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids; however, the effect of transcription factor NOR-like1 on these metabolites in tomato is unclear. We used a combination of widely targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics to analyze wild-type tomatoes and CR-NOR-like1 tomatoes. A total of 83 alkaloids, 85 phenolic acids, and 96 flavonoids were detected with significant changes. Combined with a KEGG enrichment analysis, we revealed 16 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in alkaloid-related arginine and proline metabolism, 60 DEGs were identified in the phenolic acid-related phenylpropane biosynthesis, and 30 DEGs were identified in the flavonoid-related biosynthesis pathway. In addition, some highly correlated differential-expression genes with differential metabolites were further identified by correlation analysis. The present research provides a preliminary view of the effects of NOR-like1 transcription factor on alkaloid, phenolic acid, and flavonoid accumulation in tomatoes at different ripening stages based on widely targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics in plants, laying the foundation for extending fruit longevity and shelf life as well as cultivating stress-resistant plants