Antagonistic effects of Talaromyces muroii TM28 against Fusarium crown rot of wheat caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum is a serious threat to wheat production worldwide. This study aimed to assess the effects of Talaromyces muroii strain TM28 isolated from root of Panax quinquefolius against F. pseudograminearum. The strain of TM28 inhibited mycelial growth of F. pseudograminearum by 87.8% at 72 h, its cell free fermentation filtrate had a strong antagonistic effect on mycelial growth and conidial germination of F. pseudograminearum by destroying the integrity of the cell membrane. In the greenhouse, TM28 significantly increased wheat fresh weight and height in the presence of pathogen Fp, it enhanced the antioxidant defense activity and ameliorated the negative effects of F. pseudograminearum, including disease severity and pathogen abundance in the rhizosphere soil, root and stem base of wheat. RNA-seq of F. pseudograminearum under TM28 antagonistic revealed 2,823 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Most DEGs related to cell wall and cell membrane synthesis were significantly downregulated, the culture filtrate of TM28 affected the pathways of fatty acid synthesis, steroid synthesis, glycolysis, and the citrate acid cycle. T. muroii TM28 appears to have significant potential in controlling wheat Fusarium crown rot caused by F. pseudograminearum

New Insights into the Organization, Recombination, Expression and Functional Mechanism of Low Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunit Genes in Bread Wheat

The bread-making quality of wheat is strongly influenced by multiple low molecular weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) proteins expressed in the seeds. However, the organization, recombination and expression of LMW-GS genes and their functional mechanism in bread-making are not well understood. Here we report a systematic molecular analysis of LMW-GS genes located at the orthologous Glu-3 loci (Glu-A3, B3 and D3) of bread wheat using complementary approaches (genome wide characterization of gene members, expression profiling, proteomic analysis). Fourteen unique LMW-GS genes were identified for Xiaoyan 54 (with superior bread-making quality). Molecular mapping and recombination analyses revealed that the three Glu-3 loci of Xiaoyan 54 harbored dissimilar numbers of LMW-GS genes and covered different genetic distances. The number of expressed LMW-GS in the seeds was higher in Xiaoyan 54 than in Jing 411 (with relatively poor bread-making quality). This correlated with the finding of higher numbers of active LMW-GS genes at the A3 and D3 loci in Xiaoyan 54. Association analysis using recombinant inbred lines suggested that positive interactions, conferred by genetic combinations of the Glu-3 locus alleles with more numerous active LMW-GS genes, were generally important for the recombinant progenies to attain high Zeleny sedimentation value (ZSV), an important indicator of bread-making quality. A higher number of active LMW-GS genes tended to lead to a more elevated ZSV, although this tendency was influenced by genetic background. This work provides substantial new insights into the genomic organization and expression of LMW-GS genes, and molecular genetic evidence suggesting that these genes contribute quantitatively to bread-making quality in hexaploid wheat. Our analysis also indicates that selection for high numbers of active LMW-GS genes can be used for improvement of bread-making quality in wheat breeding

How does government support promote firms' intellectual capital? An empirical analysis of micro-mechanisms

Purpose – In transitional economies, government support (GS) is considered to influence the development of the economy and industries and, consequentially, firms’ intellectual capital (IC). However, empirical research has yet to explore the micro-mechanisms through which GS operates. Hence, the purpose of this study is to conduct an empirical inquiry into the specific role of GS on IC, considering the mediating effect of firm operational performance (OP). Design/methodology/approach – Combining the institution-based theory, the resource orchestration paradigm and a dynamic perspective on IC, a new framework is constructed to evaluate the direct and indirect relationships existing among GS policies, firms’ operational performance and IC. These processes and their outcomes are evaluated using mediating models with three steps and a panel regression based on panel data from 3,211 high-tech companies operating in China from 2008 to 2015. Findings – Empirical findings confirm the existence of a significant direct relation between GS and IC and also suggest a mediating effect through operational performance. Originality/value – (1) GS can be considered an institutional signal that boosts the attractiveness of a firm, thus enabling it to hire talent (human capital), build a wide network of relationships in the ecosystem (structural capital) and enhance its current relationships with financial service institutions and other stakeholders (relational capital). (2) This study, which considers GS an external resource, is one of the first attempts to explore how external resources influence firms’ IC development through institutional pressures and mechanisms. The study confirms that multiple strategies exist through which government authorities and policymakers can influence firms’ IC and in particular a combination of institutional factors and firm’s resources and capabilities

Threshold Effects, Technology Purchasing, and Firm Outcomes: An Absorptive Capacity Perspective

External technology purchasing is frequently adopted as a strategy to facilitate technology innovation and to enhance firm performance. However, research shows that there is considerable heterogeneity across firms with respect to innovation output and firm performance after technology purchasing. This study uses an absorptive capacity perspective in proposing the existence of an R&D employees threshold and a technology purchasing scale threshold. Using a sample of 1460 high-tech companies in China, we find support for both thresholds. We also find that the two variables are complementary with each other, jointly promoting innovation when both thresholds are crossed

Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals the Pathogenesis of Growth-Disordered Raccoon Dog

Microorganisms of the genus Eperythrozoon are a zoonotic chronic infectious disease with wide distribution. We found that raccoons infected with Eperythrozoon showed obvious stunting, which seriously affected the economic benefits of raccoon dogs. To investigate the pathogenesis of the raccoon dog, we used transcriptome and proteome sequencing to analyze the changes in mRNA, miRNA, and protein expression in raccoon dogs infected with Eperythrozoon and normal raccoons. The results showed that the expression levels of genes related to immunity, metabolism, and enzyme activity were significantly changed. Among these, ERLIN1, IGF1R, CREB3L1, TNS1, TENC1, and mTOR play key roles. Additionally, the miR-1268, miR-125b, miR-10-5p, and miR-10 as central miRNAs regulate the expression of these genes. Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed consistent trends in mRNA and protein changes in MYH9, FKBP1A, PRKCA, and CYP11B2. These results suggest that Eperythrozoon may contribute to the slow development of raccoons by affecting the expression of mRNAs and miRNAs, reducing their immunity and causing metabolic abnormalities

Sgh1, an SR-like Protein, Is Involved in Fungal Development, Plant Infection, and Pre-mRNA Processing in <i>Fusarium graminearum</i>

Serine/arginine (SR) proteins are essential pre-mRNA splicing factors in eukaryotic organisms. Our previous studies have shownthat the unique SR-specific protein kinase Srk1 is important for RNA splicing and gene transcription in Fusarium graminearum, and interacts with two SR proteins, FgSrp1 and FgSrp2. In this study, we have identified an SR-like protein called Sgh1 in F. graminearum, which is orthologous to budding yeast paralogous Gbp2 and Hrb1. Our data have shownthat the Sgh1 is involved in vegetative growth, conidiation, sexual reproduction, DON synthesis, and plant infection. Moreover, the Sgh1 is mainly localized to the nucleus. RNA-seq analysis has shownthat the expression of over 1100 genes and the splicing efficiency in over 300 introns were affected in the Δsgh1 mutant. Although the RS domain and all three of the RRM domains are important for the Sgh1 functions, only the RS domain is responsible for its nuclear localization. Finally, we verified that the Sgh1 interacts with the unique SR-specific kinase Srk1 in F. graminearum by the yeast-two hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. Taken together, our results have revealed that the Sgh1 regulates the fungal development, plant infection, and the pre-mRNA processing, and the RS domain regulates the function of the Sgh1 by modulating its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling

An Intronless beta-amyrin Synthase Gene is More Efficient in Oleanolic Acid Accumulation than its Paralog in Gentiana straminea

Paralogous members of the oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) family encode a diversity of enzymes that are important in triterpenoid biosynthesis. This report describes the isolation of the Gentiana straminea gene GsAS2 that encodes a beta-amyrin synthase (beta AS) enzyme. Unlike its previously isolated paralog GsAS1, GsAS2 lacks introns. Its predicted protein product was is a 759 residue polypeptide that shares high homology with other known beta-amyrin synthases (beta ASs). Heterologously expressed GsAS2 generates more beta-amyrin in yeast than does GsAS1. Constitutive over-expression of GsAS2 resulted in a 5.7 fold increase in oleanolic acid accumulation, while over-expression of GsAS1 led to a 3 fold increase. Additionally, RNAi-directed suppression of GsAS2 and GsAS1 in G. straminea decreased oleonolic acid levels by 65.9% and 21% respectively, indicating that GsAS2 plays a more important role than GsAS1 in oleanolic acid biosynthesis in G. straminea. We uses a docking model to explore the catalytic mechanism of GsAS1/2 and predicted that GsAS2, with its Y560, have higher efficiency than GsAS1 and mutated versions of GsAS2 in beta-amyrin produce. When the key residue in GsAS2 was mutagenized, it produced about 41.29% and 71.15% less beta-amyrin than native, while the key residue in GsAS1 was mutagenized to that in GsAS2, the mutant produced 38.02% more beta-amyrin than native GsAS1

Reference interval of serum immunoglobulin G subclass in the Chinese children.

<p>Reference interval of serum immunoglobulin G subclass in the Chinese children.</p