In the past two decades, members of the SQUAMOSA-PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE （SPL） family of transcription factors, first identified in Antirrhinum majus, have emerged as pivotal regulators of ...diverse biological processes in plants, including the timing of vegetative and reproductive phase change, leaf development, tillering/branching, plastochron, panicle/tassel architecture, fruit ripening, fertility, and response to stresses. Transcripts of a subset of SPLs are targeted for cleavage and/or translational repres- sion by microRNA156s （miR156s）. The levels of miR156s are regulated by both endogenous developmental cues and various external stimuli. Accumulating evidence shows that the regulatory circuit around the miR156/SPL module is highly conserved among phylogenetically distinct plant species, and plays impor- tant roles in regulating plant fitness, biomass, and yield. With the expanding knowledge and a mechanistic understanding of their roles and regulatory relationship, we can now harness the miR156/SPL module as a plethora of tools to genetically manipulate crops for optimal parameters in growth and development, and ultimately to maximize yield by intelligent design of crops.
Phytochromes are red and far-red light photoreceptors that play fundamental roles in controlling many aspects of plant growth and development in response to light. The past two decades have witnessed ...the mechanistic elucidation of the action mode of phytochromes, including their regulation by external and endogenous factors and how they exert their function as transcriptional regulators. More importantly, recent advances have substantially deepened our understanding on the integration of the phytochromemediated signal into other cellular and developmental processes, such as elongation of hypocotyls, shoot branching, circadian clock, and flowering time, which ofteninvolves complex intercellular and interorgan signaling. Based on these advances, this review illustrates a blueprint of our current understanding of phytochrome signaling and its crosstalk with other signaling pathways, and also points out still open questions that need to be addressed in the future.
Rice （Oryza sativa） is not only the staple food for more than half of the world＇s population but also a model species for plant developmental and genetic studies. To meet the challenge of feeding an ...increasing population, breeding for high-yield varieties has always been an ultimate goal for rice breeders.
•FHY3 and FAR1 were initially identified as positive regulators of phyA signaling.•FHY3 and FAR1 are transcription factors derived from Mutator-like transposases.•FHY3 and FAR1 play multifaceted ...roles in regulating light signaling and beyond.
FAR-RED ELONGATED HYPOCOTYLS3 (FHY3) and FAR-RED-IMPAIRED RESPONSE1 (FAR1), initially identified as crucial components of phytochrome A (phyA)-mediated far-red (FR) light signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana, are the founding members of the FAR1-related sequence (FRS) family of transcription factors present in most angiosperms. These proteins share extensive similarity with the Mutator-like transposases, indicative of their evolutionary history of ‘molecular domestication’. Here we review emerging multifaceted roles of FHY3/FAR1 in diverse developmental and physiological processes, including UV-B signaling, circadian clock entrainment, flowering, chloroplast biogenesis, chlorophyll biosynthesis, programmed cell death, reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, and branching. The domestication of FHY3/FAR1 may enable angiosperms to better integrate various endogenous and exogenous signals for coordinated regulation of growth and development, thus enhancing their fitness and adaptation.
Plants have evolved a repertoire of strategies collectively termed the shade-avoidance syndrome to avoid shade from canopy and compete for light with their neighbors. However, the signaling mechanism ...governing the adaptive changes of adult plant architecture to shade is not well understood. Here, we show that in Arabidopsis, compared with the wild type, several PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORS (PIFS) overexpressors all display constitutive shade-avoidance syndrome under normal high red to far-red light ratio conditions but are less sensitive to the simulated shade, whereas the MIR156 overexpressors exhibit an opposite phenotype. The simulated shade induces rapid accumulation of PIF proteins, reduced expression of multiple MIR156 genes, and concomitant elevated expression of the SQUAMOSA-PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) family genes. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro assays indicate that PIFs bind to the promoters of several MIR156 genes directly and repress their expression. Our results establish a direct functional link between the phytochrome-PIFs and miR156-SPL regulatory modules in mediating shade-avoidance syndrome.Plants employ developmental strategies to avoid shade and compete with neighbors for light. Here, Xie et al. show that phytochrome-interacting factors, which are regulated in a light-dependent manner, directly repress MIR156 genes and promote the expression of SPL genes to enhance shade-avoidance responses.
Abstract
Rocky planet compositions regulate planetary evolution by affecting core sizes, mantle properties, and melting behaviors. Yet, quantitative treatments of this aspect of exoplanet studies ...remain generally underexplored. We attempt to constrain the range of potential bulk terrestrial exoplanet compositions in the solar neighborhood (<200 pc). We circumscribe probable rocky exoplanet compositions based on a population analysis of stellar chemical abundances from the Hypatia and GALAH catalogs. We apply a devolatilization model to simulate compositions of hypothetical, terrestrial-type exoplanets in the habitable zones around Sun-like stars, considering elements O, S, Na, Si, Mg, Fe, Ni, Ca, and Al. We further apply core–mantle differentiation by assuming constant oxygen fugacity, and model the consequent mantle mineralogy with a Gibbs energy minimization algorithm. We report statistics on several compositional parameters and propose a reference set of (21) representative planet compositions for use as end-member compositions in imminent modeling and experimental studies. We find a strong correlation between stellar Fe/Mg and metallic-core sizes, which can vary from 18 to 35 wt%. Furthermore, stellar Mg/Si gives a first-order indication of mantle mineralogy, with high-Mg/Si stars leading to weaker, ferropericlase-rich mantles, and low-Mg/Si stars leading to mechanically stronger mantles. The element Na, which modulates crustal buoyancy and mantle clinopyroxene fraction, is affected by devolatilization the most. While we find that planetary mantles mostly consist of Fe/Mg silicates, the core sizes and relative abundances of common minerals can nevertheless vary significantly among exoplanets. These differences likely lead to different evolutionary pathways among rocky exoplanets in the solar neighborhood.
Electrochromic smart windows (ECSWs) are considered as the most promising alternative to traditional dimming devices. However, the electrode technology in ECSWs remains stagnant, wherein inflexible ...indium tin oxide and fluorine‐doped tin oxide are the main materials being used. Although various complicated production methods, such as high‐temperature calcination and sputtering, have been reported, the mass production of flexible and transparent electrodes remains challenging. Here, a nonheated roll‐to‐roll process is developed for the continuous production of flexible, extralarge, and transparent silver nanofiber (AgNF) network electrodes. The optical and mechanical properties, as well as the electrical conductivity of these products (i.e., 12 Ω sq−1 at 95% transmittance) are comparable with those AgNF networks produced via high‐temperature sintering. Moreover, the as‐prepared AgNF network is successfully assembled into an A4‐sized ECSW with short switching time, good coloration efficiency, and flexibility.
Flexible and transparent electrodes are attracting increasing attention with important applications for various fields. However, the mass production of large‐area electrodes has always been a challenge. A roll‐to‐roll process is proposed to assemble flexible, extralarge, and transparent Ag‐nanofiber‐network electrodes with good photoelectric properties (≈12 Ω sq−1 at 95% transmittance) for new‐generation flexible electronics such as electrochromic smart windows.
It is generally agreed that a key parameter to high reactivity in nanothermites is intimate interfacial contact between fuel and oxidizer. Various approaches have been employed to combine fuel and ...oxidizer together in close proximity, including sputter deposition 1, and arrested milling methods 2. In this paper, we demonstrate an electrospray route to assemble Al and CuO nanoparticles into micron composites with a small percentage of energetic binder, which shows higher reactivity than nanothermite made by conventional physical mixing. The electrospray approach offers the ability to generate microscale particles with a narrow size distribution, which incorporates an internal surface area roughly equivalent to the specific surface area of a nanoparticle. The size of the micron scale composites could be easily tuned by changing the nitrocellulose content which is used as the binder. The composites were burned in a confined pressure cell, and on a thin rapidly heated wire to observe burning behavior. The sample of 5wt.% nitrocellulose showed the best response relative to the physical mixing case, with a 3× higher pressure and pressurization rate. The ignition characteristics for these micron particles are essentially equivalent to the nanothermite despite their significantly larger physical size. It appears that electrospray assembly process offers to potential advantages. 1. Enhanced mixing between fuel and oxidizer; 2. Internal gas release from nitrocellulose that separates the particles rapidly to prevent sintering. The later point was shown by comparing the product particle size distribution after combustion.
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common liver malignancy. ICC typically features remarkable cellular heterogeneity and a dense stromal reaction. Therefore, a comprehensive ...understanding of cellular diversity and the interplay between malignant cells and niche cells is essential to elucidate the mechanisms driving ICC progression and to develop therapeutic approaches.
Herein, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis on unselected viable cells from 8 human ICCs and adjacent samples to elucidate the comprehensive transcriptomic landscape and intercellular communication network. Additionally, we applied a negative selection strategy to enrich fibroblast populations in 2 other ICC samples to investigate fibroblast diversity. The results of the analyses were validated using multiplex immunofluorescence staining, bulk transcriptomic datasets, and functional in vitro and in vivo experiments.
We sequenced a total of 56,871 single cells derived from human ICC and adjacent tissues and identified diverse tumor, immune, and stromal cells. Malignant cells displayed a high degree of inter-tumor heterogeneity. Moreover, tumor-infiltrating CD4 regulatory T cells exhibited highly immunosuppressive characteristics. We identified 6 distinct fibroblast subsets, of which the majority were CD146-positive vascular cancer-associated fibroblasts (vCAFs), with highly expressed microvasculature signatures and high levels of interleukin (IL)-6. Functional assays indicated that IL-6 secreted by vCAFs induced significant epigenetic alterations in ICC cells, particularly upregulating enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and thereby enhancing malignancy. Furthermore, ICC cell-derived exosomal miR-9-5p elicited high expression of IL-6 in vCAFs to promote tumor progression.
Our single-cell transcriptomic dataset delineates the inter-tumor heterogeneity of human ICCs, underlining the importance of intercellular crosstalk between ICC cells and vCAFs, and revealing potential therapeutic targets.
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is an aggressive and chemoresistant malignancy. Better understanding the complex transcriptional architecture and intercellular crosstalk of these tumors will help in the development of more effective therapies. Herein, we have identified important interactions between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor stroma, which could have therapeutic implications.
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•Single cell transcriptomic datasets are a valuable resource to dissect cellular diversity and intercellular crosstalk of human ICCs.•Malignant cells displayed remarkable inter-tumor heterogeneity and Tregs revealed highly immunosuppressive characteristics.•Six distinct fibroblast subsets were defined in ICCs and adjacent tissues.•CD146+ vCAFs, comprising most of the fibroblasts, had tight interactions with malignant cells through IL-6/IL-6R axis.•Tumor exosomal miR-9-5p elicited IL-6 expression in vCAFs, contributing to ICC progression via upregulation of EZH2.
•Co-combustion properties of two kinds of biomass samples and coal were studied.•Chemical components and physical structures of biomass and coal blends were tested.•Synergistic effect for combustion ...of biomass and coal blends was observed.•Double parallel reactions nth order rate model was built for co-combustion process.
The thermal decomposition behavior of Shenhua bituminous coal (SB), Rice husk (RH), Pine sawdust (PS) and their blend during combustion were investigated by using the thermal analysis method. The apparent kinetic parameters of combustion process were estimated by fitting the experimental data to the double parallel reactions nth order rate model. The results showed that the combustion characteristics of the two kinds of biomass residues with low degree of order are higher than that of bituminous coal. For blend of bituminous coal with biomass residues, the ignition performance could be improved by increasing content of biomass residues, but the comprehensive combustion characteristics first decreases and then increases, with its lowest value occurring at addition content of 60%. Meanwhile, through comparison between theoretically calculated and experimentally measured data, it is concluded that there’s a synergistic effect during combustion process of biomass and coal blend. Through kinetic analysis, it is found that the combustion processes of coal, biomass and their blends could be well represented by the double parallel reactions nth order rate model, and for the two stages in combustion, with an increase of biomass content both activation energies first decrease and then increase. Both stage activation energies of the RH blend have lowest value when RH ratio of 60% (first stage 140.2kJ/mol, second stage 136.9kJ/mol), but for the SP blend the first stage lowest activation energies was PS ratio of 20% with a value of 143.1kJ/mol and the second stage’s was a PS ratio 40% with a value of 143.9kJ/mol.
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