Genome cloning and genetic diversity of Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus

514-519Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV) with a wide distribution and variability is great threat to apple yield and quality. The systematic research on the occurrence, genetic structure and evolutionary mechanism is important for the prevention of ACLSV. In this study, 360 apple leaf samples were collected from Shanxi province and tested by RT-PCR, and the result showed that the incidence of ACLSV in Shanxi was ranged from 43.59% in Linfen to 68.18% in Wanrong. One new ACLSV isolate (shanxi14-MK368727) was collected from the positive samples, of which the genome (including the 5' and 3' ends) was 7507 bp and encoded 2536 amino acids. Compared with online database, the highest nd identity was between shanxi14 and KJ522693.1, and the lowest was shanxi14 and M58152.1. Phylogenetic analyzed based on genome showed that 25 isolated of ACLSV were divided two groups (Group I and II), which showed that was no significant correlation with geographic location. The selection pressures of POL, MP and CP were tested, the result proved the three genes were under negative selection pressure. The knowledge presented in this study will be useful in for the design of long-term, sustainable management strategies for controlling these viruses

Investigating the Hypolipidemic Mechanism of Anthocyanins Combined with Allicin in Rats Using Network Pharmacology

Objectives: Using network pharmacology methods, investigate the potential lipid-lowering mechanism of the combination of anthocyanins and allicin in hyperlipidemic rats. Methods: Apply databases such as Pubchem, SwissTargetPrediction, TCMSP, DrugBank and BATMAN-TCM to predict potential targets for anthocyanins and allicin. Additionally, targets connected to hyperlipidemia were found in multiple databases (GeneCards, OMIM, Drugbank, and TTD). Upload the discovered drug-disease intersection targets into the database of STRING in order to construct a common target protein-protein interactions network (PPI). To find important targets, a PPI network analysis was built using Cytoscape 3.9.1. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enriched and analyzed these common drug-disease targets. In order to further confirm the key targets of anthocyanins combined with allicin in hyperlipidemia, animal experiments were conducted. Results: There are 63 potential targets for the combined effect of anthocyanins and allicin on hyperlipidemia. The PPI topology analysis results found that TNF, IL-6, AKT1, PTGS2, GSK3B, EGFR, etc. are the main key targets. The main pathways included PI3K-Akt, JAK-STAT, Fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, HIF-1and MAPK signaling pathway. The animal experiments results revealed that anthocyanins combined with allicin can improve blood lipid levels in hyperlipidemic rats and decrease the serum levels of inflammatory factors. Conclusion: Anthocyanins combined with allicin can intervene in hyperlipidemia through a variety of targets and pathways. This research offers a theoretical reference for the investigation of the pathogenesis of hyperlipidemia and the production of functional foods

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy due to GMPPB mutations: A case report and comprehensive literature review

Mutations in the guanosine diphosphate mannose (GDP-mannose) pyrophosphorylase B (GMPPB) gene are rare. To date, 72 cases with GMPPB gene mutations have been reported. Herein, we reported a case of a 29-year-old Chinese male presenting with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) who was found to have two heterozygous GMPPB mutations. The patient had a progressive limb weakness for 19 years. His parents and elder brother were normal. On examination he had a waddling gait, and absent tendon reflexes in all four limbs. Electromyography showed myogenic damage. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed fatty degeneration in the bilateral medial thigh muscles. High throughput gene panel sequencing revealed that the patient carried compound heterozygous mutations in the GMPPB gene, c.553C>T (p.R185C, maternal inheritance) and c.346C>T (p.P116S, paternal inheritance). This case provides additional information regarding the phenotypic spectrum of GMPPB mutations in the Chinese population

A Hyperthermophilic Argonaute From Ferroglobus placidus With Specificity on Guide Binding Pattern

Argonaute proteins (Agos) from thermophilic archaea are involved in several important processes, such as host defense and DNA replication. The catalytic mechanism of Ago from different microbes with great diversity and genome editing potential is attracting increasing attention. Here, we describe an Argonaute from hyperthermophilic Ferroglobus placidus (FpAgo), with a typical DNA-guided DNA endonuclease activity but adopted with only a short guide 15–20 nt length rather than a broad guide selectivity for reported Agos. FpAgo performed the precise cleavage of phosphodiester bonds between 10 and 11 nt on the target strand (counting from the guide strand) guided strictly by 5′-phosphorylated DNA at temperatures ranging from 75 to 99°C. The cleavage activity was regulated by the divalent cations Mn2+, Mg2+, Co2+, and Ni2+. In addition, FpAgo possesses guide/target mismatch tolerance in the seed region but is sensitive to mismatches in the 3′-guide region. Notably, the EMSA assay revealed that the FpAgo-guide-target ternary complex exhibited a stronger binding affinity for short 15 and 16 nt guide DNAs than longer guides. Moreover, we performed structural modeling analyses that implied the unique PAZ domain of FpAgo for 3′-guide recognition and binding to affect guide length specificity. This study broadens our understanding of thermophilic Agos and paves the way for their use in DNA manipulation

Exogenous treatment with melatonin enhances waterlogging tolerance of kiwifruit plants

Waterlogging stress has an enormous negative impact on the kiwifruit yield and quality. The protective role of exogenous melatonin on water stress has been widely studied, especially in drought stress. However, the research on melatonin-induced waterlogging tolerance is scarce. Here, we found that treatment with exogenous melatonin could effectively alleviate the damage on kiwifruit plants in response to waterlogging treatment. This was accompanied by higher antioxidant activity and lower ROS accumulation in kiwifruit roots during stress period. The detection of changes in amino acid levels of kiwifruit roots during waterlogging stress showed a possible interaction between melatonin and amino acid metabolism, which promoted the tolerance of kiwifruit plants to waterlogging. The higher levels of GABA and Pro in the roots of melatonin-treated kiwifruit plants partly contributed to their improved waterlogging tolerance. In addition, some plant hormones were also involved in the melatonin-mediated waterlogging tolerance, such as the enhancement of ACC accumulation. This study discussed the melatonin-mediated water stress tolerance of plants from the perspective of amino acid metabolism for the first time

Overexpression of MdATG18a in apple improves resistance to Diplocarpon mali infection by enhancing antioxidant activity and salicylic acid levels

Improving resistance to apple blotch disease Apple plants that express high levels of a gene involved in the destruction of damaged and redundant cell components demonstrate improved resistance to a serious fungal infection. Fengwang Ma and colleagues of China’s Northwest A&F University in Shaanxi examined the effect of overexpressing the gene MdATG18a on Diplocarpon mali fungal infection in apple plants. This gene was previously found to promote drought tolerance in apple plants and is known for its involvement in autophagy, an immune response to infection that removes damaged cell organelles. The researchers found that plants overexpressing MdATG18a were more resistant to developing Marssonina apple blotch disease compared to wild apple plants, most likely due to improvements in autophagy activity. The team concludes that strategies designed to induce autophagy could improve apple resistance to fungal infection

Exogenous γ-aminobutyric acid enhances heat tolerance of kiwifruit plants by protecting photosynthetic system and promoting heat shock proteins expression

Kiwifruit plants are highly susceptible to increased atmospheric temperature, and the extreme high temperature often causes the loss of production and quality of the fruit. The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been widely proved to play important roles in plants in response to abiotic stresses, showing an important potential for application in agricultural industry to overcome environmental challenges. However, application of GABA in kiwifruit plants to resist external stresses has not been reported yet. This study found that pre-irrigation of kiwifruit plants with 0.5 mM GABA was effective in alleviating the heat damage on them. GABA treatment led to better antioxidant capacity and reduced ROS production in kiwifruit plants under high temperature. Moreover, exogenous GABA protected the photosynthetic system of kiwifruit plants when exposed to high temperature. Particularly, we found that endogenous ABA, Glu, Pro metabolisms were participated in the GABA-mediated heat resistance of kiwifruit plants. Furthermore, GABA treatment induced higher expression of AdHsps in kiwifruit plants, being partly responsible for their better performance under heat stress. In summary, this research first demonstrated that exogenous GABA treatment plays a positive role in kiwifruit plants to response to extreme heat stress

Development of an exploratory creativity assessment scale

Exploratory creativity (E-creativity) can be achieved by searching an area of conceptual space governed by specific rules. Existing studies on E-creativity mainly focus on how to use aspects of E-creativity to develop computational creativity tools, but E-creativity assessment scales have not been fully studied. To fill in the gap, this study developed an E-creativity assessment scale based on metrics and experimental determination studies. Eight indexes are promoted through literature investigation, which are related to E-creativity attributes, pre-requirement for the existence of E-creativity, relations between exploratory process and creativity, and results of E-creativity. Then, an empirical case study is applied to investigate the differences between nonprofessionals and professionals when using the developed scale. From the whole research, the results reveal that E-creativity is not simply related to the exploratory process and its concept space; instead, it is also related to the relations between the novelty of the exploratory process and the concept space of E-creativity. The results reflect the role of E-creativity in a creative process. This research provides a further understanding of E-creativity, which can contribute to further develop the definition of E-creativity. The E-creativity assessment scales can be used as a cue to further evaluate machine generated E-creativity.</p