<Emphasis Type="Italic">OsLAP6/OsPKS1</Emphasis>, an orthologue of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis PKSA/LAP6</Emphasis>, is critical for proper pollen exine formation

Background

Male fertility is crucial for rice yield, and the improvement of rice yield requires hybrid production that depends on male sterile lines. Although recent studies have revealed several important genes in male reproductive development, our understanding of the mechanisms of rice pollen development remains unclear.

Results

We identified a rice mutant oslap6 with complete male sterile phenotype caused by defects in pollen exine formation. By using the MutMap method, we found that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation located in the second exon of OsLAP6/OsPKS1 was responsible for the mutant phenotype. OsLAP6/OsPKS1 is an orthologous gene of Arabidopsis PKSA/LAP6, which functions in sporopollenin metabolism. Several other loss-of-function mutants of OsLAP6/OsPKS1 generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 genomic editing tool also exhibited the same phenotype of male sterility. Our cellular analysis suggested that OsLAP6/OsPKS1 might regulate pollen exine formation by affecting bacula elongation. Expression examination indicated that OsLAP6/OsPKS1 is specifically expressed in tapetum, and its product is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Protein sequence analysis indicated that OsLAP6/OsPKS1 is conserved in land plants.

Conclusions

OsLAP6/OsPKS1 is a critical molecular switch for rice male fertility by participating in a conserved sporopollenin precursor biosynthetic pathway in land plants. Manipulation of OsLAP6/OsPKS1 has potential for application in hybrid rice breeding.

     

Replacement of Fishmeal by a Mixture of Soybean Meal and Chlorella Meal in Practical Diets for Juvenile Crucian Carp,Carassius auratus

A growth trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a mixture of soybean meal and Chlorella meal (SCM) as a dietary fishmeal (FM) substitute on growth performance, apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs), digestive enzymatic activities, and histology of juvenile crucian carp, Carassius auratus. Five isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated to replace 0 (SCM0), 25 (SCM25), 50 (SCM50), 75 (SCM75), and 100% (SCM100) of protein from FM with SCM, respectively. The diets were fed to triplicate groups of juvenile crucian carp for 6 wk. Weight gain, specific growth rate, feed intake, protein efficiency ratio, and intestinal digestive enzymatic activities (amylase, trypsin, and lipase) tended to decline with increasing FM replacement levels (P > 0.05). Dietary SCM substitution significantly influenced dry matter content in muscle, and crude protein and lipid contents in liver (P < 0.05). ADCs for dry matter, protein, lipid, energy, and most amino acids showed no significant differences between the control and SCM25 group, but tended to decline with replacement levels over 25%. Higher SCM substitution (50–100%) caused karyopyknosis and necrosis in liver, but intestinal histology did not show noticeable pathological changes. The present study indicated that FM could be replaced by 25% of SCM, without significant adverse growth performance, feed utilization, and histology of crucian carp.     

夸克芝士风味发酵乳的制备

以全脂牛乳、白砂糖和夸克芝士为主要配方,酸度和感官评价为检测指标,通过单因素试验并用响应面试验优化,确定夸克风味发酵乳的最佳配方工艺条件。结果表明,在白砂糖添加量为8.0%,夸克芝士添加量为6.0%,发酵剂接种量为1.0%,发酵温度43 ℃,发酵时间5.5 h时,夸克风味发酵乳口感最佳。在此优化条件下,成品感官评分为90.21 分,酸度为78.2 °T,产品组织状态细腻,质构均匀,酸甜适中,口感嫩滑,且具有夸克芝士特有的风味。     

麻地膜对设施樱桃番茄(Solanum lycopersivon)生长及产量的影响

为了明确麻地膜覆盖在设施大棚内对樱桃番茄生长及产量的影响,本研究采用‘浙樱粉1号’为实验材料,设置3个处理:麻地膜覆盖、塑料地膜覆盖及对照(不覆盖),比较了不同覆盖措施对‘浙樱粉1号’株高、茎粗、单株鲜重、结果数量及樱桃番茄鲜果重的影响。结果表明,在设施大棚内采用麻地膜覆盖增加了‘浙樱粉1号’株高、茎粗、结果数量及樱桃番茄鲜果重。麻地膜覆盖对设施大棚内种植的樱桃番茄有增产作用,麻地膜的推广应用可以减少塑料地膜对环境污染,利于农业的可持续发展。     

The mechanical roles of the clasping leaf sheath in cereals: Two case studies from oat and wheat plants

Stem lodging is a common problem in cereal crop production and a main constraint for grain yield improvement. The leaf sheath that surrounds and protects the hollow internodes of stem could provide the plants with a great physical support. However, this biomechanical function has been ignored for several decades in cereal crops. This study aimed to examine the biomechanical properties of basal stem internodes and lodging susceptibility of the whole plants with or without the clasping leaf sheath in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) among different genotypes and agronomic practices (including planting densities and nitrogen application rates). The main objective was to quantify the mechanical role of the leaf sheath in oat and wheat crops by a “safety factor” method. On average, the leaf sheath contributed 40%, 68% and 38% of the overall stem bending strength, flexural rigidity and safety factor, in oat, while it accounted for 11%, 24% and 10%, respectively, in wheat plants. The significant contribution of the leaf sheath is due to its vital role in enlarging the peripheral position (i.e., second moment of area) and stiffness (i.e., Young's modulus). The contribution ratios (%) were found to be higher in oat than in wheat plants, due to the greater mass density of leaf sheath and more proficient/prevailing stay-green capability in oat genotypes. This study emphasizes the important mechanical role of clasping leaf sheath on stem internodes of cereals and indicates that the stay-green trait of the leaf sheath can be exploited to design appropriate varieties with improved lodging resistance and great yield potential.     

免耕和稻草还田对稻田土壤肥力和水稻产量的影响

为了明确稻草还田和免耕等保护性耕作措施对土壤肥力和水稻产量的影响,自2008年于广西大学农学院科研基地进行长期定位试验,设置免耕（NT）、免耕+稻草覆盖还田（NT-SMR）、常规耕作+稻草覆盖还田（CT-SMR）、常规耕作（CT）和常规耕作+稻草翻压还田（CT-SR）5个处理,于2018年水稻成熟期测定产量,水稻收获后分层（0~5、5~10和10~20cm）测定土壤肥力。结果表明,稻田不同土层肥力指标均存在显著性差异,总体上表现为0~5、5~10和10~20cm土层的有机碳、全氮、碱解氮、有效磷和速效钾含量依次下降。NT-SMR处理显著提高了0~5cm土层的有机碳、全氮、碱解氮和有效磷含量,但降低了土壤速效钾含量。在5~10和10~20cm土层,稻草还田处理的有机碳、全氮、碱解氮、有效磷和速效钾含量均优于无稻草还田处理。水稻产量与土壤肥力呈显著正相关。2016年CT-SR处理水稻产量在早季分别比NT和CT处理显著提高了8.52%和7.99%,在晚季分别显著提高了12.12%和7.55%;2018年NT-SMR处理的水稻产量在早季分别比NT和CT处理显著提高了17.78%和10.30%,在晚季分别显著提高了13.88%和19.39%。因此,免耕和稻草还田能明显提高稻田耕作层土壤肥力,增加稻谷产量。     

3种遥感产品检测黄土高原森林变化及差异比较

基于Landsat Vegetation Continuous Fields（LVCF）、MODIS Vegetation Continuous Fields（MVCF）和MODIS Land Cover（MODLC）等遥感产品和森林清查数据（NFI）检测2000-2015年黄土高原森林分布及变化。结果表明:1）2000-2015年黄土高原森林覆盖度升高，基于LVCF和MVCF的全区森林覆盖度均值分别由2000年的7.8%和9.6%增加到2015年的9.7%和13.2%。2）遥感产品估算的森林分布空间格局和面积差异较大，基于LVCF、MVCF和MODLC估算的黄土高原森林面积在2000年分别为726.6×10⁴、604.7×10⁴ hm²和325.1×10⁴ hm²，2015年分别为926.2×10⁴、998.3×10⁴ hm²和400.1×10⁴ hm²。3）遥感产品估算的省级尺度上森林面积与NFI的不一致性因省份和年份而异，LVCF与NFI一致性整体略优于MVCF，MODLC与NFI差异最大且估算的森林面积远低于LVCF、MVCF和NFI。4）遥感产品检测的陕西和山西2省的森林面积增加值与NFI一致性高于宁夏；基于遥感产品估算的宁夏森林面积及增加幅度均远低于NFI。     

Dietary supplementation with Moringa oleifera and mulberry leaf affects pork quality from finishing pigs

Moringa oleifera and Morus alba leaves are nutritious non-traditional feed ingredients containing bioactive substances. This study was to evaluate the potential application of dietary Moringa and Morus leaf powder on the growth traits, carcass characteristics and meat quality of finishing pigs. Moringa did not alter growth performance or carcass characteristics, but it decreased meat b* value, increased MyHCIIa and decreased MyHCIIx mRNA levels, and increased CP and concentrations of Ala, Thr, Ile, Lys and Pro in longissimus thoracis. Morus increased final BW, ADFI and ADG, decreased F/G ratio, improved slaughter weight, carcass weight, carcass yield and meat a* value, and decreased shear force, drip loss, MyHCIIx and MyHCIIb mRNA levels, and increased MyHCI and MyHCIIa mRNA levels. Morus also increased CP, Glu, Gly, Ala, Arg, Ile, Phe, Pro, Ser, Tyr and Asp, and C16:1, C18:1n9c, C20:4n6, C18:3n3, C20:3n3, C22:1n9 and n-3 PUFA, but decreased C12:0 and C16:0. In summary, Morus improved the parameters and held great potential as an unconventional feed crop.     

Effects of late planting on fiber quality and within-boll yield components as mediated by sucrose metabolism in cotton bolls

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of late planting on sucrose metabolism in cotton bolls and the relationship to fiber properties and within-boll yield components. Two cotton lines A201 and A705 were employed in a sowing date experiment where two temperature regimes during boll maturation period were created at mean daily temperature of 26.8°C, 28.3°C for early planting and 25.2°C, 23.1°C for late planting in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Boll size, seed mass per boll, seed index and fiber length were increased, and lint percentage was decreased by late planting. Greater cell wall invertase activity and the resultant hexose concentration in fibers were observed in late planting, and thus led to decreased osmotic potential accounting for the enhanced fiber length. Similarly, late planting increased the maximum of vacuolar invertase activity in ovules occurring at 5 days post anthesis (DPA) and hexose concentrations in embryos from 10 DPA afterwards which may favor embryo cell division, and thus increase final seed size. Our data indicate that acid invertase and hexose are implicated in the formation of within-boll yield components and fiber properties as affected by the lower temperature regime due to late planting.     

Role of PERK pathway in morphine-induced myocardial protection of H9c2 cells

AIM: To explore whether morphine protects oxidative stress-damaged myocardial cells by inhibiting the PERK pathway to reduce endoplasmic reticulum stress and prevent mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening. METHODS: Rat myocardial H9c2 cells were cultured to establish an oxidative stress model, and then randomly divided into control group, H₂O₂ group, H₂O₂+morphine group, H₂O₂+morphine+PERK pathway inhibitor GSK2656157 group, morphine group and GSK2656157 group. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the effects of morphine on expression of glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 78 and GRP94 induced by oxidative stress. The protein levels of PERK signaling pathway-related molecules were determined by Western blot. Confocal microscopy was used to observe the effects of morphine on mPTP opening and endoplasmic reticulum induced by oxidative stress. Cellular toxicity was detected by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) kit and cell viability was measured by MTT assay. RESULTS: Compared with control group, GRP78 and GRP94 proteins in H₂O₂ group were strongly expressed, and the brown-yellow particles were significantly increased, but morphine significantly inhibited this process. Compared with control group, the phosphorylation of PERK was significantly reduced with GSK2656157 treatment at different concentrations, among which 2 μmol/L had the most significant effect (P < 0.05). Oxidative stress significantly increased the protein levels of GRP78, GRP94, p-PERK and CHOP, but significantly decreased p-GSK-3β level. These changes were inhibited by morphine, and the effects of morphine were further enhanced by GSK2656157 (P < 0.05). Compared with control group, oxidative stress significantly reduced the fluorescence intensity of mitochondrial TMRE and ER-Tracker Red. Morphine significantly inhibited this effect even when mitochondrial membrane potential was reduced, mPTP was open, and endoplasmic reticulum was damaged, while GSK2656157 further enhanced the effect of morphine (P < 0.05). Compared with control group, H₂O₂ significantly increased cellular toxicity and decreased the cell viability. Morphine inhibited this effect and GSK2656157 significantly enhanced the effect of morphine (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Morphine protects cardiac H9c2 cells under oxidative condition by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress through PERK pathway and preventing the mPTP opening via GSK-3β inactivation.