Influencing factors of micropores in the graptolite shale of Ordovician Pingliang Formation in Ordos Basin, NW China

Multiple tests were conducted on graptolite shale samples from Middle Ordovician Pingliang Formation in three typical areas in Ordos Basin to investigate the relationship between micro-nano pore structure, graptolite content, rock composition, TOC, maturity, main and trace elements and gas content. The graptolite of Pingliang Formation concentrates in the black shale at the lower section of this layer. Pores in the shale are diverse in types, including pores made by extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), in bio-graptolite body, as inter-granular void of clay minerals, intra-granular, interstitial space between mineral crystals, micro-fractures, and intra-granular dissolution structures etc. Tests show that graptolite affected the sedimentary environment and shale gas accumulation; graptolites content is positively correlated to TOC, in a certain range, specific surface area is positively correlated to TOC and maturity, etc., as overall a lithologic inorganic and organic ratios. The rare earth elements (REE) patterns of the three areas are similar, indicating the same provenance. REE, Fe, Al and Ti content are negatively correlated to TOC, indicating the high REE content is not caused by organic matter enrichment, but related to the absorption of minerals particles. Gas content is positively correlated to specific surface area, TOC and maturity. The above factors contribute to space and size distribution of micro-nano pores in shale. Key words: graptolite shale, pore type, geochemical parameters, Ordovician Pingliang Formation, Ordos Basi

A deleterious Sar1c variant in rice inhibits export of seed storage proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum

Key message: We identified a dosage-dependent dominant negative form of Sar1c, which confirms the essential role of COPII system in mediating ER export of storage proteins in rice endosperm. Abstract: Higher plants accumlate large amounts of seed storage proteins (SSPs). However, mechanisms underlying SSP trafficking are largely unknown, especially the ER-Golgi anterograde process. Here, we showed that a rice glutelin precursor accumulation13 (gpa13) mutant exhibited floury endosperm and overaccumulated glutelin precursors, which phenocopied the reported RNAi-Sar1abc line. Molecular cloning revealed that the gpa13 allele encodes a mutated Sar1c (mSar1c) with a deletion of two conserved amino acids Pro134 and Try135. Knockdown or knockout of Sar1c alone caused no obvious phenotype, while overexpression of mSar1c resulted in seedling lethality similar to the gpa13 mutant. Transient expression experiment in tobacco combined with subcellular fractionation experiment in gpa13 demonstrated that the expression of mSar1c affects the subcellular distribution of all Sar1 isoforms and Sec23c. In addition, mSar1c failed to interact with COPII component Sec23. Conversely, mSar1c competed with Sar1a/b/d to interact with guanine nucleotide exchange factor Sec12. Together, we identified a dosage-dependent dominant negative form of Sar1c, which confirms the essential role of COPII system in mediating ER export of storage proteins in rice endosperm