Construction and characterization of a bacterial artificial chromosome library for Gossypium mustelinum

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

GWAS Analysis and QTL Identification of Fiber Quality Traits and Yield Components in Upland Cotton Using Enriched High-Density SNP Markers

It is of great importance to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling fiber quality traits and yield components for future marker-assisted selection (MAS) and candidate gene function identifications. In this study, two kinds of traits in 231 F6:8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from an intraspecific cross between Xinluzao24, a cultivar with elite fiber quality, and Lumianyan28, a cultivar with wide adaptability and high yield potential, were measured in nine environments. This RIL population was genotyped by 122 SSR and 4729 SNP markers, which were also used to construct the genetic map. The map covered 2477.99 cM of hirsutum genome, with an average marker interval of 0.51 cM between adjacent markers. As a result, a total of 134 QTLs for fiber quality traits and 122 QTLs for yield components were detected, with 2.18–24.45 and 1.68–28.27% proportions of the phenotypic variance explained by each QTL, respectively. Among these QTLs, 57 were detected in at least two environments, named stable QTLs. A total of 209 and 139 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were associated with fiber quality traits and yield components by four multilocus genome-wide association studies methods, respectively. Among these QTNs, 74 were detected by at least two algorithms or in two environments. The candidate genes harbored by 57 stable QTLs were compared with the ones associated with QTN, and 35 common candidate genes were found. Among these common candidate genes, four were possibly “pleiotropic.” This study provided important information for MAS and candidate gene functional studies

Analysis of Atmospheric CO2 and CO at Akedala Atmospheric Background Observation Station, a Regional Station in Northwestern China

Air samples were collected by flasks and analyzed via a Picarro G2401 gas analyzer for carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) at the Akedala Atmospheric Background Station in Xinjiang, China, from September 2009 to December 2019, to analyze the changes in the characteristics of atmospheric CO2 and CO and determine the sources. The results show that the annual average CO2 concentration showed an increasing trend (growth rate: 1.90 ppm year−1), ranging from 389.80 to 410.43 ppm, and the annual average CO concentration also showed an increasing trend (growth rate: 1.78 ppb year−1), ranging from 136.30 to 189.82 ppb. The CO2 concentration and growth rate were the highest in winter, followed by autumn, spring, and summer. The CO concentration and growth rate were also the highest in winter due to anthropogenic emissions, ecosystem effects, and diffusion conditions. The main trajectories of CO2 and CO determined by the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model were parallel to the Irtysh River valley and then passed through the Old Wind Pass. Furthermore, the main source regions of CO2 and CO at the Akedala Station were eastern Kazakhstan, southern Russia, western Mongolia, and the Xinjiang Tianshan North Slope Economic Zone of China. This study reflects the characteristics of long-term changes in CO2 and CO concentrations at the Akedala station and provides fundamental data for the studies on environmental changes and climate change in Central Asia

Performance of silicon oxide-based ceramic cores made by rapid prototyping for single crystal turbine blades

The shortcomings of long period, high cost and slow response in making ceramic core by using investment casting method were overcome by using stereolithography and gel casting, which is of great significance for the rapid manufacturing of the single crystal blades with complex structure. The evolution rule of high temperature strength and shrinkage of silica based ceramic core was studied. The addition amount of nano zirconia power and aluminum powder and sintering time were explored. The micro morphology of the sample was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope, and the high temperature strength of the sample was measured by three-point bending method. The results show that: when the mass fraction of nano zirconia power is 2.16%, the mass fraction of aluminum powder is 9.8% and the sintering time is 3.9 h, the maximum high temperature strength value of silicon oxide-based ceramic core reaches 14.3 MPa. The value of high temperature strength meets the needs of directional solidification casting of single crystal blade. There are no obvious cracks on the surface of the prepared ceramic core, the structure is complete and the molding quality is good

Abstract 723: Agonist of Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Enhances Angiogenic Therapy by Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represents a promising strategy for treating cardiovascular disease. However, the efficiency of such therapy is limited by poor cell survival and engraftment. Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) regulates growth and development through pleiotropic actions on multiple target cell and tissue types. Here we studied the effect of the GHRH agonist, JI-34, on MSC survival and angiogenic therapy in a mouse model of critical limb ischemia. Treatment of MSCs with JI-34 improved MSC viability and mobility and markedly enhanced endothelial tube formation in vitro. These effects were paralleled by increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3. In vivo, JI-34 pre-treatment enhanced the engraftment of MSCs into ischemic hindlimb muscles and augmented reperfusion and limb salvage compared with untreated MSCs. Significantly more vasculature and proliferating CD31+ and CD34+ cells were detected in ischemic muscles that received MSCs treated with JI-34. Our studies demonstrate a novel role for JI-34 to markedly improve therapeutic angiogenesis in hindlimb ischemia by increasing the viability and mobility of MSCs. These findings support additional studies to explore the full potential of GHRH agonists to augment cell therapy in the management of ischemia

Genome-wide characterization of trichome birefringence-like genes provides insights into fiber yield improvement

Cotton is an important fiber crop. The cotton fiber is an extremely long trichome that develops from the epidermis of an ovule. The trichome is a general and multi-function plant organ, and trichome birefringence-like (TBL) genes are related to trichome development. At the genome-wide scale, we identified TBLs in four cotton species, comprising two cultivated tetraploids (Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense) and two ancestral diploids (G. arboreum and G. raimondii). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the TBL genes clustered into six groups. We focused on GH_D02G1759 in group IV because it was located in a lint percentage-related quantitative trait locus. In addition, we used transcriptome profiling to characterize the role of TBLs in group IV in fiber development. The overexpression of GH_D02G1759 in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in more trichomes on the stems, thereby confirming its function in fiber development. Moreover, the potential interaction network was constructed based on the co-expression network, and it was found that GH_D02G1759 may interact with several genes to regulate fiber development. These findings expand our knowledge of TBL family members and provide new insights for cotton molecular breeding