Low temperature is a major factor limiting rice productivity and geographical distribution. Improved cold tolerance and expanded cultivation to high-altitude or high-latitude regions would help meet ...growing rice demand. Here we explored a QTL for cold tolerance and cloned the gene, CTB4a (cold tolerance at booting stage), encoding a conserved leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase. We show that different CTB4a alleles confer distinct levels of cold tolerance and selection for variation in the CTB4a promoter region has occurred on the basis of environmental temperature. The newly generated cold-tolerant haplotype Tej-Hap-KMXBG was retained by artificial selection during temperate japonica evolution in cold habitats for low-temperature acclimation. Moreover, CTB4a interacts with AtpB, a beta subunit of ATP synthase. Upregulation of CTB4a correlates with increased ATP synthase activity, ATP content, enhanced seed setting and improved yield under cold stress conditions. These findings suggest strategies to improve cold tolerance in crop plants.
Background and Purpose
Pyroptosis is a lytic form of pro‐inflammatory cell death characterised as caspase 1 dependent with canonical NLRP3 inflammasome‐induced gasdermin D (GSDMD) activation. We ...aimed to investigate the role of acinar pyroptotic cell death in pancreatic injury and systemic inflammation in AP.
Experimental Approach
Pancreatic acinar pyroptotic cell death pathway activation upon pancreatic toxin stimulation in vitro and in vivo was investigated. Effects of pharmacological (NLRP3 and caspase‐1 inhibitors), constitutive (Nlrp3−/−, Casp1−/− and Gsdmd−/−) and acinar cell conditional (Pdx1CreNlrp3Δ/Δ and Pdx1CreGsdmdΔ/Δ) genetic inhibition on pyroptotic acinar cell death, pancreatic necrosis and systemic inflammation were assessed using mouse AP models (caerulein, sodium taurocholate and l‐arginine). Effects of Pdx1CreGsdmdΔ/Δ versus myeloid conditional knockout (Lyz2CreGsdmdΔ/Δ) and Gsdmd−/− versus receptor‐interacting protein 3 (RIP3) inhibitor were compared in CER‐AP.
Key Results
There was consistent pyroptotic acinar cell death upon pancreatic toxin stimulation both in vitro and in vivo, which was significantly reduced by pharmacological or genetic pyroptosis inhibition. Pdx1CreGsdmdΔ/Δ but not Lyz2CreGsdmdΔ/Δ mice showed significantly reduced pyroptotic acinar cell death, pancreatic necrosis and systemic inflammation in caerulein‐AP. Co‐application of RIP3 inhibitor on Gsdmd−/− mice further increased protection on caerulein‐AP.
Conclusion and Implications
This work demonstrates a critical role for NLRP3 inflammasome and GSDMD activation‐mediated pyroptosis in acinar cells, linking pancreatic necrosis and systemic inflammation in AP. Targeting pyroptosis signalling pathways holds promise for specific AP therapy.
Organic cathode materials have attracted extensive research interest for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their diverse structures and tunable properties. However, the preparation ...of organic cathode materials with high capacities, long cycling life, and high energy densities still remains a big challenge. To address these issues, we designed and synthesized a novel multinitro-decorated organic small molecule, N 4,N 4′′-bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-5′-(4-((2,4-dinitrophenyl)amino)phenyl)-1,1′:3′,1′′-terphenyl-4,4′′-diamine (TAPB-6NO2), where the unique electronic character of nitro group should enable TAPB-6NO2 to be a promising cathode candidate for LIBs. We found that the introduction of multiple nitro groups could efficiently reduce the solubility of TAPB-6NO2 in organic electrolytes, resulting in a high specific capacity of around 180 mAh g–1 and stable cycling with a capacity retention of 91% after 1100 cycles at 1000 mA g–1. This work suggests that attaching multiple nitro groups on a small molecule is an effective approach to construct high-performance organic cathode materials for stable and sustainable rechargeable LIBs.
Membrane separation technology has been generally preferred for treating high-salinity organic wastewater during the last decades of years. Despite not suitable for ion removal, ultrafiltration (UF) ...is quite appropriate and widely employed for retaining solids, organic matters and macromolecules etc. from high-salinity wastewater. However, limited efforts have been made to investigate the UF fouling characteristics affected by such high saline environment. In this study, sodium chloride (NaCl) with the concentration higher than 10 g/L was employed to examine its impacts on the UF fouling behaviors. The results showed that the involvement of high-concentration NaCl remarkably aggravated HA fouling formation, whereas mitigated BSA fouling development. In the presence of NaCl, HA seemed to form a more homogenous fouling layer, while substantial scattered and large NaCl crystals with different shapes appeared on BSA fouling layer. Further analysis demonstrated that NaCl at high levels induced the agglomeration of BSA foulants, leading to their slower transportation to membrane surface and alleviated the formation of cake layer. Comparatively, the electrostatic attraction and thermodynamic interactions between HA-HA and HA-membrane were substantially increased at high-salinity condition, probably facilitating HA migration to membrane and enhancing fouling layer development. Consequently, the different effects of high salinity on HA and BSA fouling were systematically revealed with their formation mechanisms proposed, which should provide an insightful guidance for membrane fouling control when high-salinity organic wastewater is treated with membrane-based technique.
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•High-salinity environment enhanced HA fouling, while reduced BSA fouling formation.•Substantial NaCl crystals with different shapes appeared on BSA cake layer.•Fouling mechanisms of HA and BSA under the effects of high salinity were proposed.•This study offers new insight into UF fouling when treating high saline wastewater.
Isoform-specific functions of Numb in the development of cancers, especially in the initiation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remains controversial. We study the specific function of ...Numb-PRRL isoform in activated EMT of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PC), which is distinguished from our previous studies that only focused on the total Numb protein. Numb-PRRL isoform was specifically overexpressed and silenced in PC cells combining with TGF-β1 and EGF stimulus. We systematically explored the potential effect of Numb-PRRL in the activated EMT of PC in vitro and in vivo. The total Numb protein was overexpressed in the normal pancreatic duct and well-differentiated PC by IHC. However, Numb-PRRS isoform but not Numb-PRRL showed dominant expression in PC tissues. Numb-PRRL overexpression promoted TGF-β1-induced EMT in PANC-1 and Miapaca-2 cells. TGF-β1-induced EMT-like cell morphology, cell invasion, and migration were enhanced in Numb-PRRL overexpressing groups following the increase of N-cadherin, Vimentin, Smad2/3, Snail1, Snail2, and cleaved-Notch1 and the decrease of E-cadherin. Numb-PRRL overexpression activated TGFβ1-Smad2/3-Snail1 signaling was significantly reversed by the Notch1 inhibitor RO4929097. Conversely, Numb-PRRL silencing inhibited EGF-induced EMT in AsPC-1 and BxPC-3 cells following the activation of EGFR-ERK/MAPK signaling via phosphorylating EGFR at tyrosine 1045. In vivo, Numb-PRRL overexpression or silencing promoted or inhibited subcutaneous tumor size and distant liver metastases via regulating EMT and Snail signaling, respectively. Numb-PRRL promotes TGF-β1- and EGF-induced EMT in PC by regulating TGF-β1-Smad2/3-Snail and EGF-induced EGFR-ERK/MAPK signaling.
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•Modeling of ammonia recovery rate by Aspen was conducted in rotating packed bed.•The model had shown good predictions in the laboratory-scale and the pilot-scale RPB.•The effects of ...high gravity factor (β), G/L, pH and T on the η were conducted.
The processes of ammonia recovery from ammonia nitrogen containing wastewater by air stripping in the laboratory-scale and the pilot-scale rotating packed bed (RPB) were simulated by the Aspen with the module of RADFRAC. For a more accurate description of the model, a variety of correlations for the RPB were introduced into the Aspen by the FORTRAN, such as the gas-liquid mass transfer rate, the liquid holdup, the heat transfer rate and the effective gas-liquid interfacial area, etc. The predicted data of ammonia recovery rate were consistent with the experimental results. To further optimize the operating conditions of ammonia recovery, the research also covered the effects of high gravity factor, gas to liquid ratio, pH and temperature on ammonia recovery rate. The promising results had suggested the established model could serve as a powerful tool to simulate the processes of ammonia recovery from the ammonia nitrogen containing wastewater by air stripping in the laboratory-scale and the pilot-scale RPB.
NLRP3 inflammasome plays a critical spatiotemporal role in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This study reports a mechanistic insight into noncanonical NLRP3 ...inflammasome activation in microglia for the effector stage of EAE. Microglia-specific deficiency of ASC (apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase-activation and recruitment CARD domain) attenuated T cell expansion and neutrophil recruitment during EAE pathogenesis. Mechanistically, TLR stimulation led to IRAKM-caspase-8-ASC complex formation, resulting in the activation of caspase-8 and IL-1β release in microglia. Noncanonical inflammasome-derived IL-1β produced by microglia in the CNS helped to expand the microglia population in an autocrine manner and amplified the production of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. Furthermore, active caspase-8 was markedly increased in the microglia in the brain tissue from patients with multiple sclerosis. Taken together, our study suggests that microglia-derived IL-1β via noncanonical caspase-8-dependent inflammasome is necessary for microglia to exert their pathogenic role during CNS inflammation.
Tanshinones, one group of bioactive diterpenes, were widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. WRKYs play important roles in plant metabolism, but their regulation mechanism in
remains ...elusive. In this study, one
transcription factor
was isolated and functionally characterized from
. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis showed SmWRKY1 shared high homology with other plant WRKYs such as CrWRKY1.
was found predominantly expressed in leaves and stems, and was responsive to salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and nitric oxide (NO) treatment. Subcellular localization analysis found that SmWRKY1 was localized in the nucleus. Over-expression of
significantly elevated the transcripts of genes coding for enzymes in the MEP pathway especially 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (
) and 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (
), resulted in over fivefold increase in tanshinones production in transgenic lines (up to 13.7 mg/g DW) compared with the control lines. A dual-luciferase (Dual-LUC) assay showed that SmWRKY1 can positively regulate
expression by binding to its promoter. Our work revealed that SmWRKY1 participated in the regulation of tanshinones biosynthesis and acted as a positive regulator through activating
in the MEP pathway, thus provided a new insight to further explore the regulation mechanism of tanshinones biosynthesis.
•Tunable free radical polymerization of ionic liquid on MWCNT surfaces.•Discrimination of hydroquinone and catechol at functional electrochemical interface.•Excellent performances in simultaneous ...determination based on cation-π interaction.
Tunable polymerization of ionic liquid on the surfaces of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was achieved by a mild thermal-initiation-free radical reaction of 3-ethy-1-vinylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate in the presence of MWCNTs. Successful modification of polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) on MWCNTs surfaces (PIL-MWCNTs) was demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The resulting PIL-MWCNTs possessed unique features of high dispersity in aqueous solution and tunable thickness of PIL layer, due to positive imidazole groups along PIL chains and controllable ionic liquid polymerization by tuning the ratio of precursor. Based on cation-π interaction between the positive imidazole groups on PIL-MWCNTs surface and hydroquinone (HQ) or catechol (CC), excellent discrimination ability toward HQ and CC and improved simultaneous detection performance were achieved. The linear range for HQ and CC were 1.0×10−6 to 5.0×10−4M and 1.0×10−6 to 4.0×10−4M, respectively. The detection limit for HQ was 4.0×10−7M and for CC 1.7×10−7M (S/N=3), correspondingly.
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