Maize(Zea mays L.),a globally significant cereal crop,is produced in vast quantities worldwide.However,its growth is severely constrained by low temperatures,particularly during seed germination,which significantly im...Maize(Zea mays L.),a globally significant cereal crop,is produced in vast quantities worldwide.However,its growth is severely constrained by low temperatures,particularly during seed germination,which significantly impairs seedling emergence.In this study,genetic diversity across six germination-associated phenotypic traits(RGR,RSL,RTL,RRSA,RRV,and RSVI)of 304 inbred lines was analyzed,to evaluate the capacity of these lines for low-temperature tolerance.Genome-wide association study(GWAS)was carried out by combining six germination-associated phenotypic traits and genotypic data from 30-fold resequencing.The gene ZmBARK1 was identified through integrated GWAS and RNA-seq analyses,and its association with low-temperature tolerance during maize germination was validated by quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR).ZmBARK1,encoding BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-associated receptor kinase 1,was located on the bin 4.09 region of maize chromosome 4.Amino acid comparison and subcellular localization analyses revealed that ZmBARK1 is highly homologous to AtBAK1 and is localized to the plasma membrane of the cell,which may be involved in regulating brassinosteroid(BR)signaling.In addition,we revealed the role of ZmBARK1 in low-temperature tolerance during maize germination.Compared with wild-type(WT),the ethyl methanesulfonate(EMS)mutant zmbark1 was characterized by substantially enhanced low-temperature tolerance.Overall,these findings provide promising candidate genes,improve low-temperature tolerance in maize,and advance the understanding of regulatory mechanisms underlying maize's response to low-temperature stress.展开更多
Planting density is a major limiting factor for maize yield,and breeding for density tolerance has become an urgent issue.The leaf structure of the maize ear leaf is the main factor that restricts planting density and...Planting density is a major limiting factor for maize yield,and breeding for density tolerance has become an urgent issue.The leaf structure of the maize ear leaf is the main factor that restricts planting density and yield components.In this study,a natural population of 201 maize inbred lines was used for genome-wide association analysis,which identified nine SNPs on chromosomes 2,5,8,9,and 10 that were significantly associated with ear leaf type structure.Further verification through qRT-PCR confirmed the association of five candidate genes with these SNPs,with the Zm00001d008651 gene showing significant differential expression in the compact and flat maize inbred lines.Enrichment analysis using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)and Gene Ontology(GO)databasessuggested that this gene is involved in the glycolysis process.An analysis of the basic properties of this gene revealed that it encodes a stable,basic protein consisting of 593 amino acids with some hydrophobic properties.The promoter region contains stress and hormone(abscisic acid(ABA))related elements.The mutant of this gene increased the first ear leaf angle(eLA)and leaf angle of the first leaf below the first ear(bLA)by 4.96 and 0.97°,respectively,compared with normal inbred lines.Overall,this research sheds light on the regulatory mechanism of ear and leaf structures that influence density tolerance and provides solid foundational work for the development of new varieties.展开更多
This study was designed to explore the safety and feasibility of robotic-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy with vein thrombectomy (RAL-NVT) for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC)with venous tumor thrombus (VT...This study was designed to explore the safety and feasibility of robotic-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy with vein thrombectomy (RAL-NVT) for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC)with venous tumor thrombus (VTT).Clinical data of 6 patients treated with RAL-NVT between July 2016 and November 2017 in our hospital were retrospectively collected and analyzed.There were 5 males and 1 female with their age ranging from 48 years to 68 years.Five renal tumors were right-sided and one left-sided. Three cases fell in level 0 VTT,one in level I and two in level Ⅱ.preoperative imaging revealed lymph node involvement in 1 case and distant metastasis in 2 cases.For RCC with level 0 VTT,the renal vein of the affected side was adequately and carefully dissected around the thrombus to the proximity of inferior vena cava (IVC)and was ligated with Hem-o-loks without cross-clamping the IVC.For level Ⅰ and Ⅱ VTT,the IVC was cross-clamped cephalically and caudally around the tumor thrombus and all tributaries were sequentially blocked to ensure the safe retrieval of VTT.All operations were successfully completed without conversion to open operation.The mean operative time was 150(115-230)min.Cross-clamping of the IVC happened in 3 cases,and the blocking time was 14, 19 and 20min,respectively.The mean estimated blood loss during the operation was 400 (200-580)mL.The peritoneal drainage tube was removed 5 to 9 days after the operation, and all patients were postoperatively discharged at 6 to 11 days.Postoperative pathological analysis confirmed that the RCCs were comprised of 4 clear cell RCCs,1 papillary cell RCC,and 1 medullary cell RCC;2 cases were Fuhrman grade Ⅱ,3 cases grade Ⅲ,and 1 case undefined grade.No recurrence or progression was observed during the follow-up of 4.2(3-6)months.We concluded that RAL-NVT is highly challenging but safe and feasible for the treatment of RCC with VTT.展开更多
Transcription factor forkhead box P3(Foxp3)+regulatory T(Treg)cells are receiving increasing attention because this unique subset of T cells is characterized by exerting negative regulatory function of cellular immune...Transcription factor forkhead box P3(Foxp3)+regulatory T(Treg)cells are receiving increasing attention because this unique subset of T cells is characterized by exerting negative regulatory function of cellular immune responses.The resultant suppression of anti-tumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment(TME)is regarded as a major obstacle to immunotherapies in a plethora of cancers.Thus,an integrated understanding of the intrinsic correlation between tumors and Treg cell biology is urgently required.This review focuses on the peculiar biochemical effects of tumor metabolic environments on Tregs and how Tregs orchestrate internal metabolic switches and altered metabolic pathways and molecules to survive and function after the remodeling of homeostasis and specialization,providing new directions for immunotherapies.展开更多
Maize(Zea mays)endosperm filling is coordinated with cell expansion to enlarge the grain size,but the mechanism coupling the two processes is poorly understood.Starchy endosperm cells basically contain no visible vacu...Maize(Zea mays)endosperm filling is coordinated with cell expansion to enlarge the grain size,but the mechanism coupling the two processes is poorly understood.Starchy endosperm cells basically contain no visible vacuoles for cell expansion.During grain filling,efficient synthesis of storage compounds leads to reduced cytoplasm and thus lowered cell turgor pressure.Although bioactive gibberellins(GAs)are essential for cell expansion,they accumulate at a low level at this stage.In this study,we identified an endosperm-specific GRAS domain-containing protein(ZmGRAS11)that lacks the DELLA domain and promotes cell expansion in the filling endosperm.The zmgras11 loss-of-function mutants showed normal grain filling but delayed cell expansion,thereby resulting in reduced kernel size and weight.Overexpression of ZmGRAS11 led to larger endosperm cells and therefore increased kernel size and weight.Consistent with this,ZmGRAS11 positively regulates the expression of ZmEXPB12,which is essential for cell expansion,at the endosperm filling stage.Moreover,we found that Opaque2(O2),a central transcription factor that regulates endosperm filling,could directly bind to the promoter of ZmGRAS11 and activate its expression.Taken together,these results suggest that endosperm cell expansion is coupled with endosperm filling,which is orchestrated by the O2-ZmGRAS11-centered transcriptional regulatory network.Our findings also provide potential targets for maize yield improvement by increasing the storage capacity of endosperm cells.展开更多
基金supported by the Key Research and Development Project of Heilongjiang Province(2022ZX02B01)the Natural Science Foundation Project of Heilongjiang Province(YQ2022C009)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(K22LB56)。
文摘Maize(Zea mays L.),a globally significant cereal crop,is produced in vast quantities worldwide.However,its growth is severely constrained by low temperatures,particularly during seed germination,which significantly impairs seedling emergence.In this study,genetic diversity across six germination-associated phenotypic traits(RGR,RSL,RTL,RRSA,RRV,and RSVI)of 304 inbred lines was analyzed,to evaluate the capacity of these lines for low-temperature tolerance.Genome-wide association study(GWAS)was carried out by combining six germination-associated phenotypic traits and genotypic data from 30-fold resequencing.The gene ZmBARK1 was identified through integrated GWAS and RNA-seq analyses,and its association with low-temperature tolerance during maize germination was validated by quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR).ZmBARK1,encoding BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-associated receptor kinase 1,was located on the bin 4.09 region of maize chromosome 4.Amino acid comparison and subcellular localization analyses revealed that ZmBARK1 is highly homologous to AtBAK1 and is localized to the plasma membrane of the cell,which may be involved in regulating brassinosteroid(BR)signaling.In addition,we revealed the role of ZmBARK1 in low-temperature tolerance during maize germination.Compared with wild-type(WT),the ethyl methanesulfonate(EMS)mutant zmbark1 was characterized by substantially enhanced low-temperature tolerance.Overall,these findings provide promising candidate genes,improve low-temperature tolerance in maize,and advance the understanding of regulatory mechanisms underlying maize's response to low-temperature stress.
基金supported by the Key Research and Development Project of Heilongjiang Province,China(2022ZX02B01)。
文摘Planting density is a major limiting factor for maize yield,and breeding for density tolerance has become an urgent issue.The leaf structure of the maize ear leaf is the main factor that restricts planting density and yield components.In this study,a natural population of 201 maize inbred lines was used for genome-wide association analysis,which identified nine SNPs on chromosomes 2,5,8,9,and 10 that were significantly associated with ear leaf type structure.Further verification through qRT-PCR confirmed the association of five candidate genes with these SNPs,with the Zm00001d008651 gene showing significant differential expression in the compact and flat maize inbred lines.Enrichment analysis using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)and Gene Ontology(GO)databasessuggested that this gene is involved in the glycolysis process.An analysis of the basic properties of this gene revealed that it encodes a stable,basic protein consisting of 593 amino acids with some hydrophobic properties.The promoter region contains stress and hormone(abscisic acid(ABA))related elements.The mutant of this gene increased the first ear leaf angle(eLA)and leaf angle of the first leaf below the first ear(bLA)by 4.96 and 0.97°,respectively,compared with normal inbred lines.Overall,this research sheds light on the regulatory mechanism of ear and leaf structures that influence density tolerance and provides solid foundational work for the development of new varieties.
文摘This study was designed to explore the safety and feasibility of robotic-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy with vein thrombectomy (RAL-NVT) for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC)with venous tumor thrombus (VTT).Clinical data of 6 patients treated with RAL-NVT between July 2016 and November 2017 in our hospital were retrospectively collected and analyzed.There were 5 males and 1 female with their age ranging from 48 years to 68 years.Five renal tumors were right-sided and one left-sided. Three cases fell in level 0 VTT,one in level I and two in level Ⅱ.preoperative imaging revealed lymph node involvement in 1 case and distant metastasis in 2 cases.For RCC with level 0 VTT,the renal vein of the affected side was adequately and carefully dissected around the thrombus to the proximity of inferior vena cava (IVC)and was ligated with Hem-o-loks without cross-clamping the IVC.For level Ⅰ and Ⅱ VTT,the IVC was cross-clamped cephalically and caudally around the tumor thrombus and all tributaries were sequentially blocked to ensure the safe retrieval of VTT.All operations were successfully completed without conversion to open operation.The mean operative time was 150(115-230)min.Cross-clamping of the IVC happened in 3 cases,and the blocking time was 14, 19 and 20min,respectively.The mean estimated blood loss during the operation was 400 (200-580)mL.The peritoneal drainage tube was removed 5 to 9 days after the operation, and all patients were postoperatively discharged at 6 to 11 days.Postoperative pathological analysis confirmed that the RCCs were comprised of 4 clear cell RCCs,1 papillary cell RCC,and 1 medullary cell RCC;2 cases were Fuhrman grade Ⅱ,3 cases grade Ⅲ,and 1 case undefined grade.No recurrence or progression was observed during the follow-up of 4.2(3-6)months.We concluded that RAL-NVT is highly challenging but safe and feasible for the treatment of RCC with VTT.
文摘Transcription factor forkhead box P3(Foxp3)+regulatory T(Treg)cells are receiving increasing attention because this unique subset of T cells is characterized by exerting negative regulatory function of cellular immune responses.The resultant suppression of anti-tumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment(TME)is regarded as a major obstacle to immunotherapies in a plethora of cancers.Thus,an integrated understanding of the intrinsic correlation between tumors and Treg cell biology is urgently required.This review focuses on the peculiar biochemical effects of tumor metabolic environments on Tregs and how Tregs orchestrate internal metabolic switches and altered metabolic pathways and molecules to survive and function after the remodeling of homeostasis and specialization,providing new directions for immunotherapies.
基金This research was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB27010201 to Y.W.)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(91935305,31830063,and 31925030 to Y.W.,and 31871626 to J.C.).
文摘Maize(Zea mays)endosperm filling is coordinated with cell expansion to enlarge the grain size,but the mechanism coupling the two processes is poorly understood.Starchy endosperm cells basically contain no visible vacuoles for cell expansion.During grain filling,efficient synthesis of storage compounds leads to reduced cytoplasm and thus lowered cell turgor pressure.Although bioactive gibberellins(GAs)are essential for cell expansion,they accumulate at a low level at this stage.In this study,we identified an endosperm-specific GRAS domain-containing protein(ZmGRAS11)that lacks the DELLA domain and promotes cell expansion in the filling endosperm.The zmgras11 loss-of-function mutants showed normal grain filling but delayed cell expansion,thereby resulting in reduced kernel size and weight.Overexpression of ZmGRAS11 led to larger endosperm cells and therefore increased kernel size and weight.Consistent with this,ZmGRAS11 positively regulates the expression of ZmEXPB12,which is essential for cell expansion,at the endosperm filling stage.Moreover,we found that Opaque2(O2),a central transcription factor that regulates endosperm filling,could directly bind to the promoter of ZmGRAS11 and activate its expression.Taken together,these results suggest that endosperm cell expansion is coupled with endosperm filling,which is orchestrated by the O2-ZmGRAS11-centered transcriptional regulatory network.Our findings also provide potential targets for maize yield improvement by increasing the storage capacity of endosperm cells.
