Since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in 2019, the Chinese horseshoe bats were considered as a potential original host of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, cats, tigers, lions, mints, and ferrets were naturally or ...experimentally infected with SARS-CoV-2. For the surveillance and control of this highly infectious disease, it is critical to trace susceptible animals and predict the consequence of potential mutations at the binding region of viral spike protein and host ACE2 protein. This study proposed a novel bioinformatics framework to systematically trace susceptible animals to SARS-CoV-2 and predict the binding affinity between susceptible animals' mutated/un-mutated ACE2 receptors. As a result, we identified a few animals posing a potential risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 using the docking analysis of ACE2 protein and viral spike protein. The binding affinity of some of these species is weaker than that of humans but more potent than that of Chinese horseshoe bats. We also found that a few point mutations in human ACE2 protein or viral spike protein could significantly enhance their binding affinity, posing an enormous potential threat to public health. The ancestors of the Omicron may evolve rapidly through the accumulation of mutations in infecting the host and jumped into human beings. These findings indicate that if the epidemic expands, there may be a human-animal-human transmission route, which will increase the difficulty of disease prevention and control.
Abstract
Rice bean (
Vigna umbellata
) is an underexploited domesticated legume crop consumed for dietary protein in Asia, yet little is known about the genetic diversity of this species. Here, we ...present a high-quality reference genome for a rice bean landrace (FF25) built using PacBio long-read data and a Hi-C chromatin interaction map, and assess the phylogenetic position and speciation time of rice bean within the
Vigna
genus. We sequence 440 landraces (two core collections), and GWAS based on data for growth sites at three widely divergent latitudes reveal loci associated with flowering and yield. Loci harboring orthologs of
FUL
(
FRUITFULL
),
FT
(
FLOWERING LOCUS T
), and
PRR3
(
PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR 3
) contribute to the adaptation of rice bean from its low latitude center of origin towards higher latitudes, and the landraces which pyramid early-flowering alleles for these loci display maximally short flowering times. We also demonstrate that copy-number-variation for
VumCYP78A6
can regulate seed-yield traits. Intriguingly, 32 landraces collected from a mountainous region in South-Central China harbor a recently acquired InDel in
TFL1
(
TERMINAL FLOWER1
) affecting stem determinacy; these materials also have exceptionally high values for multiple human-desired traits and could therefore substantially advance breeding efforts to improve rice bean.
In this work, varying amount of graphene nanosheets (GNSs) were introduced as reinforcements into Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder to get composite solders. Then, the formation and growth kinetics of the ...intermetallic compounds (IMC) were investigated during the liquid-solid reactions and solid-state aging. Experimental results demonstrated that the morphologies of the interfacial IMC were transformed from scalloped to platelike after liquid-solid reactions and solid-state aging. The IMC thickness of composite solder joints was thinner than that of the unreinforced solder joints. The calculations revealed that the growth rate constant of composite solder was lower than that of bulk SAC solder. It's worth to mention that the composite solder joints exhibited lower diffusion coefficients (ranging from 0.6 x 10 super(-12) m super(2)/s to 1.07 x 10 super(-12) m super(2)/s) than that of the SAC solder joints (1.81 x 10 super(-12) m super(2)/s) after liquid-solid reactions and the composite solder joints also exhibited lower diffusion coefficients (ranging from 1.42 x 10 super(-12) m super(2)/s to 1.78 x 10 super(-12) m super(2)/s), as compared to that of the monolithic SAC solder joint (2.46 x 10 super(-12) m super(2)/s) after aging studies. It indicates that the addition of GNSs can effectively suppress the growth of the overall IMC layers, which can also hinder the IMC's growth and enhance solder joints' reliability.
Fbxo45, a conserved F-box protein, comprises of an atypical SKP1, CUL1, F-box protein (SCF) ubiquitin ligase complex that promotes tumorigenesis and development. However, the biological function and ...molecular mechanisms of Fbxo45 involved in pancreatic carcinogenesis are ambiguous. We conducted several approaches, including transfection, coIP, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, ubiquitin assays, and animal studies, to explore the role of Fbxo45 in pancreatic cancer. Here, we report that USP49 stability is governed by Fbxo45-mediated ubiquitination and is enhanced by the absence of Fbxo45. Moreover, Fbxo45 binds to a short consensus sequence of USP49 through its SPRY domain. Furthermore, Fbxo45-mediated USP49 ubiquitination and degradation are enhanced by NEK6 kinase. Functionally, Fbxo45 increases cell viability and motility capacity by targeting USP49 in pancreatic cancer cells. Xenograft mouse experiments demonstrated that ectopic expression of Fbxo45 enhanced tumor growth in mice and that USP49 overexpression inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Notably, Fbxo45 expression was negatively associated with USP49 expression in pancreatic cancer tissues. Fbxo45 serves as an oncoprotein to facilitate pancreatic oncogenesis by regulating the stability of the tumor suppressor USP49 in pancreatic cancer.
Carbon (C): nitrogen (N): phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in terrestrial ecosystems largely determines nutrient cycling in plant-soil-microorganism systems. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the ...effects of warming on plant-soil-enzyme C-N-P stoichiometry has not been well documented. Here, a global meta-analysis of 603 pairwise observations was conducted to reveal the impacts of experimental warming on C:N:P stoichiometry in plant-soil-microorganism systems across different warming duration (0–5, 5–10, and >10 years), magnitudes (<2 and ≥2 °C), and ecosystem types (cropland, grassland, shrub, and forest). Overall, results show that warming increased soil N:P and vector angle (reflecting the P limitations of soil microbes) by 4.2 % and 2.0 %, but decreased plant shoot N:P and enzyme N:P by 15.1 % and 2.1 %, respectively. The percentage changes of soil N:P and enzymes N:P increased but the vector angle and length (reflecting the C limitations of soil microbes) decreased with warming duration. The soil N:P, vector angle, and length increased but plant shoot N:P decreased with warming magnitudes. Warming increased microbial P limitation but decreased the microbial C limitation in the forest. MAP negatively affected the shoot N:P in areas with a range of 400–800 mm. In conclusion, our results indicated that both plants and microorganisms are more likely to be limited by P than by N under warming. These effects were influenced by warming duration, magnitudes, ecosystem type, and soil depths. The results deepened our understanding of C, N, and P cycling processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Simultaneously, warming duration, magnitudes, ecosystem type, and soil depths should be incorporated into the C and N cycle model under global warming.
•Warming duration relieved microbial C and P limitation.•Warming magnitudes aggravated microbial C and P limitation.•Warming decreased microbial C limitation but increased microbial P limitation in forests.•The microbial C and P limitation overall increased with soil depths.•Warming duration reduced the plant N use efficiency.
Abstract
The mainstream type of intergenerational inheritance of family firms in China is typically based on the “son inheriting his father’s business” model. However, the current research on the ...intergenerational inheritance of family businesses mainly focuses on the impact of the personal capabilities of the successor, rather than the successor’s interpersonal relationships such as marriage. This paper uses literature analysis and case studies to study the impact of the successor’s marriage on the family business by refining the indicators of what constitutes a well-matched marriage. The findings show that the marriage of the second generation has a significant impact on the intergenerational inheritance of the family business, as such marriage helps to expand the social capital of the second generation of the family and improve the performance of the business.
Cd (cadmium) is a highly toxic heavy metal pollutant often present in soil and detrimentally impacting the production and quality of horticultural crops. Cd affects various physiological and ...biochemical processes in plants, including chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis, mineral uptake and accumulation, and hormonal imbalance, leading to cell death. The MYB family of transcription factors plays a significant role in plant response to environmental influences. However, the role of MYB116 in abiotic stress tolerance remains unclear. In this study, we reported that Chinese cabbage transcription factor BrMYB116 enhanced Cd stress tolerance in yeast. The expression level of BrMYB116 was increased by Cd stress in Chinese cabbage. Additionally, yeast cells overexpressing BrMYB116 showed improved Cd stress tolerance and reduced Cd accumulation. Moreover, we found that BrMYB116 interacted with facilitator of iron transport (FIT3) to enhance Cd stress tolerance. ChIP-qPCR results showed that ScFIT3 was activated through specific binding to its promoter. Additionally, the overexpression of ScFIT3 induced Cd stress tolerance and reduced Cd accumulation in yeast and Chinese cabbage. These results suggest new avenues for plant genomic modification to mitigate Cd toxicity and enhance the safety of vegetable production.
N‐Arylation in water! A simple and highly efficient protocol for the N‐arylation of imidazoles with aryl halides in water catalyzed by a sulfonato–Cu(salen) complex (see scheme) has been developed. ...This novel strategy requires only mild reaction conditions and has excellent functional‐group tolerance. The water‐soluble catalyst can be recovered easily and reused at least three times without obvious detriment to the catalytic abilities.
Zombi pea
Vigna vexillata
(L.) A. Rich is a legume crop found in Africa. Wild zombi pea is widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions, whereas domesticated zombi pea is ...rarely cultivated. Plant domestication is an evolutionary process in which the phenotypes of wild species, including seed dormancy, pod shattering, organ size, and architectural and phenological characteristics, undergo changes. The molecular mechanism underlying the domestication of zombi pea is relatively unknown. In this study, the genetic basis of the following 13 domestication-related traits was investigated in an F
2
population comprising 198 individuals derived from a cross between cultivated (var.
macrosperma
) and wild (var.
vexillata
) zombi pea accessions: seed dormancy, pod shattering, days-to-flowering, days-to-maturity, stem thickness, stem length, number of branches, leaf area, pod length, 100-seed weight, seed width, seed length, and seeds per pod. A genetic map containing 6,529 single nucleotide polymorphisms constructed for the F
2
population was used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for these traits. A total of 62 QTLs were identified for the 13 traits, with 1–11 QTLs per trait. The major QTLs for days-to-flowering, stem length, number of branches, pod length, 100-seed weight, seed length, and seeds per pod were clustered in linkage group 5. In contrast, the major QTLs for seed dormancy and pod shattering belonged to linkage groups 3 and 11, respectively. A comparative genomic analysis with the cowpea
Vigna unguiculata
(L.) Walp. genome used as the reference sequence (i.e., the genome of the legume species most closely related to zombi pea) enabled the identification of candidate genes for the major QTLs. Thus, we revealed the genomic regions associated with domestication-related traits and the candidate genes controlling these traits in zombi pea. The data presented herein may be useful for breeding new varieties of zombi pea and other
Vigna
species.
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive human malignancies worldwide and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a polyphenol derived from ...the Curcuma longa plant. Certain studies have demonstrated that curcumin exerts its anti-tumor function in a variety of human cancers including PC, via targeting multiple therapeutically important cancer signaling pathways. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Two transcriptional co-activators, YAP (Yes-associated protein) and its close paralog TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif) exert oncogenic activities in various cancers. Therefore, in this study we aimed to determine the molecular basis of curcumin-induced cell proliferation inhibition in PC cells. First, we detected the anti-tumor effects of curcumin on PC cell lines using CTG assay, Flow cytometry, clonogenic assay, wound healing assay and Transwell invasion assay. We found that curcumin significantly suppressed cell growth, weakened clonogenic potential, inhibited migration and invasion, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in PC cells. We further measured that overexpression of YAP enhanced cell proliferation and abrogated the cytotoxic effects of curcumin on PC cells. Moreover, we found that curcumin markedly down-regulated YAP and TAZ expression and subsequently suppressed Notch-1 expression. Collectively, these findings suggest that pharmacological inhibition of YAP and TAZ activity may be a promising anticancer strategy for the treatment of PC patients.
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