The use of experimental data and the application of a kinetic model to determine the subcellular distribution of Zn/Cd/Ni/Cu over time in Indian mustard

National Natural Science Foundation of China [21077056, 41071212, 41071302, 41171193]; Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University [NCET-12-0326]; Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province [BE2011780]; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China [KYZ201109]; Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation [122045]The precise subcellular distribution of metallic elements in plants may have a significant impact on metal detoxification and bioaccumulation processes. In this study, we report the subcellular distribution of metallic elements in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) and the application of a kinetic model to confirm the experimental data by aqua-culture experiment. The metals in Indian mustard were determined on the 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 14th day. The results showed that concentrations of Zn, Cd, and Ni in root samples increased with exposure time, reaching maximum values of 13 161, 9602, and 864 mg kg(-1) (DW), respectively, at the 9th day, while concentrations of Cu in root samples reached a maximum value of 17 566 mg kg(-1) (DW) on the 14th day. A decrease in the concentration of Cu/Zn/Cd/Ni from roots to stem/leaf was observed, however, the difference in metal concentration between the roots and stem/leaf was much greater for Cu than for the other three metals. The majority of these metals were present in the cell walls, organelles, and the soluble fraction, with only minor amounts present in the cell membranes. The Zn, Cd, Ni and Cu existed mainly in the cell walls of the root on the 14th day, reaching maximum values of 424, 483, 23 and 839 mg kg(-1) (fresh samples), respectively. Nearly all (90%) of the Cu existed in the cell water-soluble fraction of stems and leaves on the 3rd day, however, 44%-52% of Cu was present in the cell water-soluble fraction on the 14th day. There were also 25%-35% of Zn, 53%-60% of Cd and 70%-73% of Ni in the cell water-soluble fraction of stems and leaves. The kinetic model adequately described the experimental data for accumulation by roots, stems, and leaves. The majority of the data for the subcellular fractions of roots and stems fit the equations well. The accumulation rate constant k and the maximum accumulation capacity y(max) of plant and subcellular fractions were calculated. Our results provide insight into the accumulation and subsequent subcellular distribution of metals in plants in hydroponics culture and will be valuable for further studies of phytoremediation

Experimental study of the adsorption of 2-Chloroacetophenone at the air-environmental water interface

The widespread surface of the air-water interface plays a crucial role in the partitioning processes between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere. As one of the prime CWAs (Chemical Warfare Agents) abandoned by Japanese, the unfound 2-Chloroacetophenone posed a severe threat to the Chinese people. In this study, the interface partition constant of 2-Chloroacetophenone was obtained by measuring the mass uptake vapor on different environmental water films with various thicknesses. The surface tension, dissolved organic matter, and salinity of the environmental samples were analyzed. The partition constant of 2-Chloroacetophenone in pure water, river water and sea water samples at 288 K were 1182.2 ± 49.9, 1606.6 ± 101.3 and 408.9 ± 18.3, respectively. Surface adsorption is the predominant mechanism. The results also indicate that the adsorption partitioning ability of 2-Chloroacetophenone at the air/water interface was negatively correlated with surface tension. 2-Chloroacetophenone is more likely to adsorb at the gas/water interface with lower surface tension

Bazhu Decoction, a Traditional Chinese Medical Formula, Ameliorates Cognitive Deficits in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder associated with aging. There are currently no effective treatments for AD. Bazhu decoction (BZD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been employed clinically to alleviate AD. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. Here we found that middle- and high-doses of BZD ameliorated the behavioral aspects of 5xFAD transgenic mice in elevated plus maze, Y maze and Morris water maze tests. Moreover, BZD reduced the protein levels of BACE1 and PS1, resulting in a reduction of Aβ plaques. We also identified a beneficial effect of BZD on oxidative stress by attenuating MDA levels and SOD activity in the brains of 5xFAD mice. Together, these results indicate that BZD produces a dose-dependent positive effect on 5xFAD transgenic mouse model by decreasing APP processing and Aβ plaques, and by ameliorating oxidative damage. BZD may play a protective role in the cognitive and anxiety impairments and may be a complementary therapeutic option for AD

Structural variation and introgression from wild populations in East Asian cattle genomes confer adaptation to local environment

BACKGROUND: Structural variations (SVs) in individual genomes are major determinants of complex traits, including adaptability to environmental variables. The Mongolian and Hainan cattle breeds in East Asia are of taurine and indicine origins that have evolved to adapt to cold and hot environments, respectively. However, few studies have investigated SVs in East Asian cattle genomes and their roles in environmental adaptation, and little is known about adaptively introgressed SVs in East Asian cattle. RESULTS: In this study, we examine the roles of SVs in the climate adaptation of these two cattle lineages by generating highly contiguous chromosome-scale genome assemblies. Comparison of the two assemblies along with 18 Mongolian and Hainan cattle genomes obtained by long-read sequencing data provides a catalog of 123,898 nonredundant SVs. Several SVs detected from long reads are in exons of genes associated with epidermal differentiation, skin barrier, and bovine tuberculosis resistance. Functional investigations show that a 108-bp exonic insertion in SPN may affect the uptake of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by macrophages, which might contribute to the low susceptibility of Hainan cattle to bovine tuberculosis. Genotyping of 373 whole genomes from 39 breeds identifies 2610 SVs that are differentiated along a "north-south" gradient in China and overlap with 862 related genes that are enriched in pathways related to environmental adaptation. We identify 1457 Chinese indicine-stratified SVs that possibly originate from banteng and are frequent in Chinese indicine cattle. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the unique contribution of SVs in East Asian cattle to environmental adaptation and disease resistance

A sheep pangenome reveals the spectrum of structural variations and their effects on tail phenotypes

Structural variations (SVs) are a major contributor to genetic diversity and phenotypic variations, but their prevalence and functions in domestic animals are largely unexplored. Here we generated high-quality genome assemblies for 15 individuals from genetically diverse sheep breeds using Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) high-fidelity sequencing, discovering 130.3 Mb nonreference sequences, from which 588 genes were annotated. A total of 149,158 biallelic insertions/deletions, 6531 divergent alleles, and 14,707 multiallelic variations with precise breakpoints were discovered. The SV spectrum is characterized by an excess of derived insertions compared to deletions (94,422 vs. 33,571), suggesting recent active LINE expansions in sheep. Nearly half of the SVs display low to moderate linkage disequilibrium with surrounding single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and most SVs cannot be tagged by SNP probes from the widely used ovine 50K SNP chip. We identified 865 population-stratified SVs including 122 SVs possibly derived in the domestication process among 690 individuals from sheep breeds worldwide. A novel 168-bp insertion in the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) of HOXB13 is found at high frequency in long-tailed sheep. Further genome-wide association study and gene expression analyses suggest that this mutation is causative for the long-tail trait. In summary, we have developed a panel of high-quality de novo assemblies and present a catalog of structural variations in sheep. Our data capture abundant candidate functional variations that were previously unexplored and provide a fundamental resource for understanding trait biology in sheep