Toxicity of cadmium and its competition with mineral nutrients for uptake by plants:A review

Cadmium(Cd)is a toxic heavy metal occurring in the environment naturally and is also generated through various anthropogenic sources and acts as a pollutant.Human health is affected by Cd pollution in farmland soils because food is the main source of Cd intake in the non-smoking population.For crops,Cd toxicity may result from a disturbance in uptake and translocation of mineral nutrients and disturbance in plant metabolism,inhibiting plant growth and development.However,plants have Cd tolerance mechanisms,including restricted Cd uptake,decreased Cd root-to-shoot translocation,enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities,and increased production of phytochelatins.Furthermore,optimal supply of mineral nutrients is one of the strategies to alleviate the damaging effects of Cd on plants and to avoid its entry into the food chain.The emerging molecular knowledge contributes to understanding Cd uptake,translocation,and remobilization in plants.In this review,Cd toxicity and tolerance mechanisms,agricultural practices to minimize Cd accumulation,Cd competition with essential elements(calcium,copper,iron,zinc,and manganese),and genes associated with Cd uptake are discussed in detail,especially regarding how these mineral nutrients and genes play a role in decreasing Cd uptake and accumulation in crop plants.     

Effect of forsythiaside A on immune function in rats with ulcerative colitis

AIM To investigate the effect of forsythiaside A (FA) on immune function in rats with ulcerative colitis and its related mechanism. METHODS Healthy SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: control group (no treatment, normal feeding), model group (establishment of rat ulcerative colitis model), and low, medium and high doses of FA groups (treatment of the model rats with FA at 5 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg, respectively). The malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in rat colon tissues were measured by colorimetry, and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4 were detected by ELISA. The spleen index and thymus index, the percentages of CD3⁺, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMC）, the serum IgA and IgG levels, and the serum complement C3 and C4 levels were also determined. RESULTS The colon tissues of the rats in model group showed obvious inflammation and ulceration, indicating that the animal model was successfully established. Compared with model group, the colonic inflammation and ulceration were significantly attenuated in FA groups, among which the high dose had the best effect. Compared with control group, the spleen index and thymus index of the rars in model group were decreased (P<0.05), MDA content in colon tissues was increased (P<0.05), and SOD activity in colon tissues was decreased (P<0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes in PBMC, and the serum levels of C3, C4 and IL-4 were decreased (P<0.05), while the serum levels of IgA, IgG, TNF-α, and IL-2 were increased in model group as compared with control group. Furthermore, the spleen index and thymus index of the rats in FA groups were increased (P<0.05), the MDA content in the colon tissues was decreased (P<0.05), and the SOD activity in the colon tissues was increased (P<0.05). The levels of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes in PBMC, and the serum levels of C3, C4 and IL-4 were increased (P<0.05), while serum IgA, IgG, TNF-α and IL-2 levels were decreased in FA groups as compared with model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Forsythiaside A effectively attenuates the colonic lesions in rats with ulcerative colitis, and its mechanism may be related to reinforcement of oxygen free radical scavenging power, alleviation of inflammatory response, and enhancement of immune function.     

Quantitative trait loci mapping for yield-related traits under low and high planting densities in maize (Zea mays)

Average maize yield per hectare has increased significantly because of the improvement in high-density tolerance, but little attention has been paid to the genetic mechanism of grain yield response to high planting density. Here, we used a population of 301 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross YE478 × 08–641 to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for 16 yield-related traits under two planting densities (57,000 and 114,000 plants per ha) across four environments. These yield-related traits responded differently to high-density stress. A total of 110 QTLs were observed for these traits: 33 QTLs only under low planting density, 50 QTLs under high planting density and 27 QTLs across both densities. Only two major QTLs, qCD6 and qWKEL2-2, were identified across low- and high-density treatments. Seven environmentally stable QTLs were also observed containing qED6, qWKEL3, qRN3-3, qRN7-2, qRN9-2 and qRN10 across both densities, as well as qRN9-1 under low density. In addition, 16 and eight pairs of loci with epistasis interaction (EPI) were detected under low and high planting densities, respectively. Additionally, nine and 17 loci showed QTL × environment interaction (QEI) under low- and high-density conditions, respectively. These interactions are of lesser importance than the main QTL effects. We also observed 26 pleiotropic QTL clusters, and the hotspot region 3.08 concentrated nine QTLs, suggesting its great importance for maize yield. These findings suggested that multiple minor QTLs, loci with EPI and QEI, pleiotropy and the complex network of “crosstalk” among them for yield-related traits were greatly influenced by plant density, which increases our understanding of the genetic mechanism of yield-related traits for high-density tolerance.     

How does water and salt stress affect the germination and initial growth of Brazilian soya bean cultivars?

The effects of water and salt stress on rate of germination and seedling growth were investigated under laboratory conditions in 46 soya bean genotypes from Central-West region of Brazil to verify how these stresses may limit crop establishment during the initial growth stage and also to identify the most tolerant genotypes to drought and salinity. Mild water and salt stresses were imposed by seed exposure to –0.20 MPa iso-osmotic solutions with polyethylene glycol—PEG 6000 (119.57 g/L) or NaCl (2.357 g/L) for 12 days at 25°C. The germination percentage, seedling length and seedling dry matter were measured, and then, salt or drought tolerance indexes were calculated. The “NS 5909 RG,” “NS 7000 IPRO,” “NS 7338IPRO,” “FPS Solimões RR,” “NS 5151 IPRO,” “SYN 13610 IPRO,” “LG 60177 IPRO,” “NS 6909 IPRO” and “BMX Desafio RR” were identified as the most drought-tolerant genotypes, whereas under salinity conditions, the genotypes “5D 615 RR,” “BMX Desafio RR,” “5D 6215 IPRO” and “BMX Ponta IPRO” were identified as tolerant. The “BMX Desafio RR” is the genotype most adapted to both stress conditions and, therefore, should be used under conditions of water shortage and excess salt in the soil at sowing time.     

Rapid mapping of candidate genes for cold tolerance in Oryza rufipogon Griff. by QTL-seq of seedlings

Cold stress is a major problem in rice production. To rapidly identify genes for cold tolerance in Dongxiang wild rice(DWR, Oryza rufipogon Griff.), sequencing-based bulked segregant analysis of QTL-seq method was used to resequence the extremely resistant(R) and susceptible(S) bulks of a backcross inbred lines(BILs) population(derived from Oryza sativa×O. rufipogon) and their parents. Single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP)-index graphs and corresponding Δ(SNPindex) graphs(at 99 and 95% confidence levels) for R-and S-bulks detected a total of 2 609 candidate SNPs, including 58 candidate cold-tolerance genes. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that 5 out of the 58 candidate genes had significant differences in expression between O. sativa and O. rufipogon. Structural variation and functional annotations of the 5 candidate genes were also analyzed, and allowed us to identify 2 insertion-deletion(InDel) markers(12-7 and 12-16) that were linked with candidate genes on chromosome 12 in DWR. These results are helpful for cloning and using cold tolerance genes from common wild rice in cultivated rice.     

Selection of soybean elite cultivars based on phenotypic and genomic characters related to lodging tolerance

Soybean lodging can result in serious yield reduction. Detecting the quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with lodging tolerance for their further application in marker‐assisted selection (MAS) has the potential to enhance soybean breeding efficiency. In this study, a genome‐wide association analysis (GWAS) was performed to identify soybean accessions that could potentially be used to produce lodging‐tolerant varieties, based on the comprehensive evaluation of lodging scores (LS) obtained for the parental cultivar “Tokachi nagaha” and its 137 derived cultivars. Results showed that genotype, environment and genotype × environment interaction significantly influenced LS. Of the 31 significant SNPs identified, 22 were consistently detected in two or more environments and 27 SNPs were located in or close to agronomically important QTL mapped by linkage analysis. Best linear unbiased predictors (BLUPs) of LS tend to decrease with the elite alleles contained by accessions increasing. Some excellent accessions, with lower BLUPs and D_i (stability coefficients) values and more elite alleles, were selected. This study contributed to understand the genetic mechanism of lodging, providing genetic and phenotypic information for MAS.     

Dysbiotic gut microbiome: A key element of Crohn's disease

Since the first publication on “regional ileitis”, the relevance of this chronic inflammatory disease condition termed finally as Crohn's disease is continuously increasing. Although we are beginning to comprehend certain aspects of its pathogenesis, many facets remain unexplored. Host's gut microbiota is involved in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes including immune system development, and pathogen regulation. Further, the microbiome is thought to play a key role in Crohn's disease. The presence of Crohn's-associated variants of NOD2 and ATG16L genes appears to be associated not only with alterations of mucosal barrier functions, and bacterial killing, but the gut microbiota, as well, reflecting a potential relationship between the host's genotype and intestinal dysbiosis, involved in disease etiology. This review aims to characterize some exciting new aspect of Crohn's disease pathology, focusing mainly on the role of intestinal microbes, and their interplay with the immune system of the host.     

益生菌大肠杆菌Nissle 1917抗逆性能、猪肠上皮细胞黏附率及抑菌效果研究

本试验旨在研究益生菌大肠杆菌Nissle 1917(Ec N)抗逆性能、猪肠上皮细胞黏附率及抑菌效果。采用体外法对Ec N进行生长曲线绘制和耐酸、耐胆盐、耐热性能的测定;以猪肠上皮细胞IPEC-J2细胞为体外细胞模型,考察了Ec N对该细胞的黏附率以及对致病菌大肠杆菌K88的黏附抑制率;同时通过蛋白质印迹法检测了Ec N对IPEC-J2细胞β-防御素-2和Toll样受体4的水平的影响。结果表明:1)Ec N对高酸、高胆盐和高温环境具有一定耐受能力。2)Ec N对IPEC-J2细胞的黏附作用以对数期最佳,黏附率达33.96%,显著高于迟缓期、稳定期和衰亡期(P0.05)。3)Ec N对致病菌大肠杆菌K88具有良好的抑制效果,黏附抑制率达87.84%。4)Ec N还能上调IPEC-J2细胞β-防御素-2和Toll样受体4水平。结果提示,益生菌Ec N具有较好的抗逆性能,能够良好地黏附猪肠上皮细胞,对致病菌大肠杆菌K88具有良好的抑制作用。     

解析基本偏差系列图的妙用

为了使机械产品在激烈竞争的市场上立稳脚跟并得到迅猛发展,需要进行高度专业化协作性生产,这就要求组成机械产品的零或部件具有互换性.所以无论是在读的机械大类的学生,还是从事机械行业的技术工人、工程师,巧用基本偏差系列图,不仅妙趣横生,有时还会事半功倍.     

Differences in Ion Accumulation and Salt Tolerance among Glycine Accessions

Salinity reduces crop yield by limiting water uptake and causing ion‐specific stress. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is sensitive to soil salinity. However, there is variability among soybean genotypes and wild relatives for salt tolerance, suggesting that genetic improvement may be possible. The objective of this study was to identify differences in salt tolerance based on ion accumulation in leaves, stems and roots among accessions of four Glycine species. Four NaCl treatments, 0, 50, 75 and 100 mm , were imposed on G. max, G. soja, G. tomentella and G. argyrea accessions with different levels of salinity tolerance. Tolerant genotypes had less leaf scorch and a greater capacity to prevent Na⁺ and Cl^? transport from soil solution to stems and leaves than sensitive genotypes. Magnitude of leaf injury per unit increase in leaf Na⁺ or Cl^? concentrations was lower in tolerant than in susceptible accessions. Also, plant injury was associated more with Na⁺ rather than with Cl^? concentration in leaves. Salt‐tolerant accessions had greater leaf chlorophyll‐meter readings than sensitive genotypes at all NaCl concentrations. Glycine argyrea and G. tomentella accessions possessed higher salt tolerance than G. soja and G. max genotypes.