Overexpressing the Sedum alfredii Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase Increased Resistance to Oxidative Stress in Transgenic Arabidopsis

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a very important reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzyme. In this study, the functions of a Cu/Zn SOD gene (SaCu/Zn SOD), from Sedum alfredii, a cadmium (Cd)/zinc/lead co-hyperaccumulator of the Crassulaceae, was characterized. The expression of SaCu/Zn SOD was induced by Cd stress. Compared with wild-type (WT) plants, overexpression of SaCu/Zn SOD gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants enhanced the antioxidative defense capacity, including SOD and peroxidase activities. Additionally, it reduced the damage associated with the overproduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide radicals (O2•-). The influence of Cd stress on ion flux across the root surface showed that overexpressing SaCu/Zn SOD in transgenic Arabidopsis plants has greater Cd uptake capacity existed in roots. A co-expression network based on microarray data showed possible oxidative regulation in Arabidopsis after Cd-induced oxidative stress, suggesting that SaCu/Zn SOD may participate in this network and enhance ROS-scavenging capability under Cd stress. Taken together, these results suggest that overexpressing SaCu/Zn SOD increased oxidative stress resistance in transgenic Arabidopsis and provide useful information for understanding the role of SaCu/Zn SOD in response to abiotic stress

Construction of a cross-species cell landscape at single-cell level.

Individual cells are basic units of life. Despite extensive efforts to characterize the cellular heterogeneity of different organisms, cross-species comparisons of landscape dynamics have not been achieved. Here, we applied single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to map organism-level cell landscapes at multiple life stages for mice, zebrafish and Drosophila. By integrating the comprehensive dataset of > 2.6 million single cells, we constructed a cross-species cell landscape and identified signatures and common pathways that changed throughout the life span. We identified structural inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction as the most common hallmarks of organism aging, and found that pharmacological activation of mitochondrial metabolism alleviated aging phenotypes in mice. The cross-species cell landscape with other published datasets were stored in an integrated online portal-Cell Landscape. Our work provides a valuable resource for studying lineage development, maturation and aging

Plant biosystems design research roadmap 1.0

Human life intimately depends on plants for food, biomaterials, health, energy, and a sustainable environment. Various plants have been genetically improved mostly through breeding, along with limited modification via genetic engineering, yet they are still not able to meet the ever-increasing needs, in terms of both quantity and quality, resulting from the rapid increase in world population and expected standards of living. A step change that may address these challenges would be to expand the potential of plants using biosystems design approaches. This represents a shift in plant science research from relatively simple trial-and-error approaches to innovative strategies based on predictive models of biological systems. Plant biosystems design seeks to accelerate plant genetic improvement using genome editing and genetic circuit engineering or create novel plant systems through de novo synthesis of plant genomes. From this perspective, we present a comprehensive roadmap of plant biosystems design covering theories, principles, and technical methods, along with potential applications in basic and applied plant biology research. We highlight current challenges, future opportunities, and research priorities, along with a framework for international collaboration, towards rapid advancement of this emerging interdisciplinary area of research. Finally, we discuss the importance of social responsibility in utilizing plant biosystems design and suggest strategies for improving public perception, trust, and acceptance

More on the Rainbow Disconnection in Graphs

Let G be a nontrivial edge-colored connected graph. An edge-cut R of G is called a rainbow-cut if no two of its edges are colored the same. An edge-colored graph G is rainbow disconnected if for every two vertices u and v of G, there exists a u-v-rainbow-cut separating them. For a connected graph G, the rainbow disconnection number of G, denoted by rd(G), is defined as the smallest number of colors that are needed in order to make G rainbow disconnected. In this paper, we first determine the maximum size of a connected graph G of order n with rd(G) = k for any given integers k and n with 1 ≤ k ≤ n − 1, which solves a conjecture posed only for n odd in [G. Chartrand, S. Devereaux, T.W. Haynes, S.T. Hedetniemi and P. Zhang, Rainbow disconnection in graphs, Discuss. Math. Graph Theory 38 (2018) 1007–1021]. From this result and a result in their paper, we obtain Erdős-Gallai type results for rd(G). Secondly, we discuss bounds on rd(G) for complete multipartite graphs, critical graphs with respect to the chromatic number, minimal graphs with respect to the chromatic index, and regular graphs, and we also give the values of rd(G) for several special graphs. Thirdly, we get Nordhaus-Gaddum type bounds for rd(G), and examples are given to show that the upper and lower bounds are sharp. Finally, we show that for a connected graph G, to compute rd(G) is NP-hard. In particular, we show that it is already NP-complete to decide if rd(G) = 3 for a connected cubic graph. Moreover, we show that for a given edge-colored (with an unbounded number of colors) connected graph G it is NP-complete to decide whether G is rainbow disconnected

Effects of Dissolved Organic Matter on Uptake and Translocation of Lead in Brassica chinensis and Potential Health Risk of Pb

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) can affect the bioavailability of heavy metals in soil, especially in soils used for vegetable production, where intensive organic fertilization is applied. The present study examined the effects of DOM derived from commercial organic fertilizers (COF), cow manure (COM) and chicken manure (CHM), on uptake and translocation of lead (Pb) in Brassica chinensis in a pot experiment. The results indicate that DOM derived from CHM (DOMCHM) significantly increased Pb concentrations in roots of B. chinensis (p < 0.05). By contrast, there was no significant increase in shoot Pb concentration for all the DOM treatments except the high DOMCHM treatment in the soil with 800 mg·kg−1 Pb. Consistent with the Pb concentrations in shoots, translocation factor of Pb from soil to shoot and specific lead uptake (SLU) by B. chinensis were significantly increased for the high DOMCHM treatment in the high Pb soil, but not for other DOM treatments. Based on the results of this study, the application of DOM to the soil with 800 mg·kg−1 Pb could result in an increase in total Pb annually ingested by the inhabitants of Nanjing City in the range of 2018–9640 kg, with the highest estimates resulting from the high DOMCHM treatment. This study suggests the risk may rise under some conditions as indicated in the high DOMCHM treatment and high Pb pollution level

Paternal body mass index before conception associated with offspring’s birth weight in Chinese population: a prospective study

Whether paternal epigenetic changes resulting from nutrition might be inherited by their offspring remains unknown. This study evaluated the relationship between preconception paternal body weight and their offspring’s birth weight in 1,810 Chinese mother-father-baby trios. Information on paternal and maternal preconception body weight and height was collected via a self-reported questionnaire. Birth weight was collected from medical records. Paternal preconception body weight was associated with offspring’s birth weight (p trend = .02) after multivariate adjustment. Each standard deviation increment of paternal body mass index was associated with an additional 29.6 g increase of birth weight (95% confident interval: 5.7 g, 53.5 g). The association was more pronounced in male neonates, and neonates with overweight mothers, and with mothers who gained excessive gestational weight, compared to their counterparts (all p interaction < .05). Sensitivity analyses showed similar pattern to that of the main analysis. Paternal preconception body weight was associated with birth weight of their offspring.Impact statement What is already known on this subject? More efforts have previously been put on the maternal contribution to birth weight, however, it is uncertain whether paternal pre-conceptional body weight, an indicator for epigenetic information, might be inherited by their offspring. What do the results of this study add? In the current study that included 1,810 Chinese mother-father-baby trios, a small but significant association was observed between paternal preconception body weight and offspring’s birth weight (p trend =.02). What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Paternal epigenetic information of nutrition could be inherited by their offspring

Phenotypic and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Different Ploidy Plants in Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro

Elucidating the differences in gene expression profiles of plants with different ploidy levels and how they affect phenotypic traits is vital to allow genetic improvement of plants such as Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro). We previously obtained triploid (2n = 3X = 36), hexaploid (2n = 6X = 72), and dodecaploid (2n = 12X = 144) Ma bamboo plants from embryogenic callus by anther culturing. Phenotypic differences between these plants appeared to be correlated with differences in ploidy. Here, we performed transcriptome profiling and sequencing of anther-regenerated plants and F1 seedlings of different ploidy levels using RNA-Seq technology. Pair-wise comparisons of the four resulting libraries revealed 8,396 differentially expressed genes. These differentially expressed genes were annotated, functionally classified, and partially validated. We found that the chromosome doubling led to substantially up- or down-regulation of genes that were involved in cell growth and differentiation; the polyploidy levels altered the anatomical, physiological and growth characteristics, such as leaf thickness, fusoid cell and stomatal size, shoot number, photosynthesis and respiration rate and so on. Additionally, two candidate genes, EXPB3 and TCP with potenitial regulatory roles in cell division and differentiation, were identified through gene coexpresseion network analysis. These results highlight the significance of potential applications of polyploidy, and provide valuable information for the genetic breeding of bamboo species

Study on Adhesion Reliability and Particle Inhibition of Epoxy Resin Coating in DC GIL after Thermal Ageing Experiment

The movement of metal particles is effectively inhibited when a DC GIL&rsquo;s (gas-insulated transmission line) electrode is coated. This article aims to study the problem of coating falling off during GIL operation and the change in the particle-inhibitory effect after coating ageing. A closed constant temperature heating platform and a particle motion observation platform in an SF6 atmosphere were built. The epoxy resin coating was aged for 1200 h in an SF6 atmosphere at 160 &deg;C. Pull-off and particle-lifting experiments were carried out for the samples. The experimental results show that the adhesion of the coating changes from rapid decline to slow decline, decreasing by 35.5%. The lifting voltage of particle startup gradually decreased, and the inhibition effect on particle activity decreased from 45.89% to 35.7%. The coating mass loss rate and surface morphology were tested to explain adhesion decline. Then, the dielectric constant, electrical conductivity and adhesion work between the coating and the particles, which are the key factors affecting the lifting of the particles, were measured. Compared with the adhesion work, the dielectric constant of the coating has a greater impact on the starting voltage. The dielectric constant of the coating decreases by 24.07%, and the conductivity increases, which weakens its inhibition of particles. After ageing, due to the decrease in the dielectric constant and the increase in the conductivity of the coating, the inhibition of coating on particles is weakened. This paper reveals the changes in coating adhesion reliability and particle inhibition in DC GIL, providing guidance for using and improving the performance of coatings in practical engineering

Trap Parameters Optimization Based on Metal Particle Dynamic Simulation Method

Insulation failure usually occurs in AC gas-insulated transmission (AC GIL) in field operation, in which the primary cause is the charged motion of metal particles in the electric filed. At present, the particle inhibition method applied is to design particle traps on the inner wall of the GIL shell. However, due to the large randomness of the charged motion for metallic particles and the limitations of field test methods, a particle trap has not yet been designed from the perspective of particle trapping effectiveness. In this paper, firstly, referring to the size of a running 252 kV AC GIL, a 1:1 scaled 3-D similarity simulation model is established to obtain the dynamic characteristics of particles with different sizes under the operating voltage level. This model can form symmetry between the real equipment, and its simulated simulation trajectory can achieve symmetry with the actual one. Secondly, an experimental platform that can easily capture the motion of the particles is set up to experimentally verify the symmetry between the field operating equipment and the simulation model. Finally, the particle traps are set on both sides of the concave and convex surface of the basin insulator, and an optimization scheme for the design of the particle trap is proposed from three aspects: the electric field regulation of the trap, the captured probability of particles, and the trap location. The proposed research shows that, with respect to the motion characteristics of the particles, this paper selects circular hole-shaped trap and its thickness, slot spacing, and slot width are 10 mm, 6 mm, and 8 mm, respectively. When the traps are arranged, one at the bottom of the shell at 70 mm and 80 mm from each side of the concave and convex insulator, the capture probability of the traps on both sides can be as high as 78% and 70%, respectively. Therefore, the analysis and optimization method in this paper has important reference value according to similarity concepts for optimizing particle traps in AC GIL at a certain voltage level