Small RNAs are non-coding RNA molecules with 20-30 nucleotides （nt） in length that mainly play regulatory roles in gene expression at the post-transcription level by directly cutting target mRNA or inhibiting its tr...Small RNAs are non-coding RNA molecules with 20-30 nucleotides （nt） in length that mainly play regulatory roles in gene expression at the post-transcription level by directly cutting target mRNA or inhibiting its translation. Small RNAs play regulatory roles in the growth and development process of plants at the core of gene regulatory networks, which has been widely studied and confirmed in sporophyte generation of plants. However, few researches have been conducted on small RNAs and gametophyte generation. It is reported that small RNAs play important roles in floral organ development, gametogenesis, fertilization, and early zygotic development of plants. In addition, various small RNAs also play roles in controlling genetic integrity, cell differentiation and functions during the sexual reproduction process of plants. However, most of the specific functions of small RNAs in the sexual reproduction process are unknown yet. This study mainly aimed to introduce small RNAs in plants, summarize the latest advances in researches of small RNAs and plant sexual reproduction, and make prospect on its future.展开更多
Sexual reproduction adversely affects the population growth of cyclic parthenogenetic animals. The density-dependent sexual reproduction of a superior competitor could mediate the coexistence. However, the cost of sex...Sexual reproduction adversely affects the population growth of cyclic parthenogenetic animals. The density-dependent sexual reproduction of a superior competitor could mediate the coexistence. However, the cost of sex may make the inferior competitor more vulnerable. To investigate the effect of sexual reproduction on the inferior competitor, we experimentally paired the competition of one Brachionus angularis clone against three Brachionus ealyciflorus clones. One of the B. calyciflorus clones showed a low propensity for sexual reproduction, while the other two showed high propensities. The results show that all B. calyciflorus clones were excluded in the competition for resources at low food level. The increased food level promoted the competition persistence, but the clones did not show a clear pattern. Both the cumulative population density and resting egg production increased with the food level. The cumulative population density decreased with the mixis investment, while the resting egg production increased with the mixis investment. A trade-off between the population growth and sexual reproduction was observed in this research. The results indicate that although higher mixis investment resulted in a lower population density, it would not determinately accelerate the exclusion process of the inferior competitor. On the contrary, higher mixis investment promoted resting egg production before being excluded and thus promised a long- term benefit. In conclusion, our results suggest that mixis investment, to some extent, favored the excluded inferior competitor under fierce competition or some other adverse conditions.展开更多
Large numbers of rotifer eggs from sediment resting egg banks may hatch simultaneously under appropriate conditions; therefore, natural populations are likely to be multiclonal in a growing season. A recent field inve...Large numbers of rotifer eggs from sediment resting egg banks may hatch simultaneously under appropriate conditions; therefore, natural populations are likely to be multiclonal in a growing season. A recent field investigation showed that subordinate and ephemeral clones were able to establish populations in an environment with several strongly dominant clone populations. However, it was not clear how the subordinate populations maintained their growth under these conditions where the crowding signal would induce high levels of sexual reproduction in the dominant clone populations. In the present study, we conducted a continuous passage to 60 generations for new populations at three different temperatures （15~C, 25~C, and 35~C）. These populations emerged from resting eggs produced by a clone population. At the first, 30th, and 60th generations, the populations were sampled and fitness was assayed using the life-table method. We found a significant short-term fitness advantage for populations newly emerged from resting eggs produced by a clone population of the rotifer Brachionus calycifiorus, followed by a significant decrease in relative fitness with long-term continuous passage. Our results suggested that the early short- term fitness advantage was important for later-hatched and subordinate clone populations in an environment with multiple sympatric clones. The early short-term fitness might also promote the coexistence of sympatric clones because it could help to offset the cost of early sexual reproduction.展开更多
We collected centric diatom Stephanopyxis palmeriana samples in coastal waters of Xiamen for charac- teristic red light/far red light (R/FR) phytochrome reactions to identify its photoreceptor in the course of sexual ...We collected centric diatom Stephanopyxis palmeriana samples in coastal waters of Xiamen for charac- teristic red light/far red light (R/FR) phytochrome reactions to identify its photoreceptor in the course of sexual repro- duction. The result showed that pre-illumination of 2-3h red light before darkness could induce sexualization of S. palmeriana, while the follow-up illumination of far red light could reverse the effect of red light, which is a featured reaction of phytochrome. The Southern Dot Blot was carried out to identify the type of phytochrome that induces the sexualization. The result also showed high homogeneity of DNA fragment of S. palmeriana with phyB, but phyA. This means the photoreceptor in the process of sexual reproduction of S. palmeriana is phytochrome B (phyB).展开更多
Polyploids in vertebrates are generally associated with unisexual reproduction,but the direct consequences of polyploidy on sex determination system and reproduction mode remain unknown.Here,we synthesized a group of ...Polyploids in vertebrates are generally associated with unisexual reproduction,but the direct consequences of polyploidy on sex determination system and reproduction mode remain unknown.Here,we synthesized a group of artificial octoploids between unisexual gynogenetic hexaploid Carassius gibelio and sexual tetraploid Carassius auratus.The synthetic octoploids were revealed to have more than 200 chromosomes,in which 50 chromosomes including the X/Y sex determination system were identified to transfer from sexual tetraploid C.auratus into the unisexual gynogenetic hexaploid C.gibelio.Significantly,a few synthetic octoploid males were found to be fertile,and one octoploid male was confirmed to regain sexual reproduction ability,which exhibits characteristics that are the same to sexual reproduction tetraploid males,such as 1:1 sex ratio occurrence,meiosis completion and euploid sperm formation in spermatogenesis,as well as normal embryo development and gene expression pattern during embryogenesis.Therefore,the current finding provides a unique case to explore the effect of sex determination system incorporation on reproduction mode transition from unisexual gynogenesis to sexual reproduction along with genome synthesis of recurrent polyploidy in vertebrates.展开更多
The sexual and asexual reproductive features of the graminoid species Arundinella hirta growing at riversides of the Jialing River were analyzed.It was found that the total seed mass,seed number per plant,and sexual r...The sexual and asexual reproductive features of the graminoid species Arundinella hirta growing at riversides of the Jialing River were analyzed.It was found that the total seed mass,seed number per plant,and sexual reproductive allocation of A.hirta decreased with decreasing bank elevation,and plants growing at the lowest elevations of banks subjected to intense flooding did not show sexual reproduction.The total plant biomass and the number of ramifications per plant increased with flooding intensity,which implies that,contrary to sexual reproduction,asexual reproduction of A.hirta was enhanced by flooding.展开更多
The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii(hereafter Chlamydomonas)possesses both plant and animal attributes,and it is an ideal model organism for studying fundamental processes such as photosynthesis,sexua...The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii(hereafter Chlamydomonas)possesses both plant and animal attributes,and it is an ideal model organism for studying fundamental processes such as photosynthesis,sexual reproduction,and life cycle.N^(6)-methyladenosine(m^(6)A)is the most prevalent mRNA modification,and it plays important roles during sexual reproduction in animals and plants.However,the pattern and function of m^(6)A modification during the sexual reproduction of Chlamydomonas remain unknown.Here,we performed transcriptome and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing(MeRIP-seq)analyses on six samples from different stages during sexual reproduction of the Chlamydomonas life cycle.The results show that m^(6)A modification frequently occurs at the main motif of DRAC(D=G/A/U,R=A/G)in Chlamydomonas mRNAs.Moreover,m^(6)A peaks in Chlamydomonas mRNAs are mainly enriched in the 30 untranslated regions(30 UTRs)and negatively correlated with the abundance of transcripts at each stage.In particular,there is a significant negative correlation between the expression levels and the m^(6)A levels of genes involved in the microtubule-associated pathway,indicating that m^(6)A modification influences the sexual reproduction and the life cycle of Chlamydomonas by regulating microtubule-based movement.In summary,our findings are the first to demonstrate the distribution and the functions of m^(6)A modification in Chlamydomonas mRNAs and provide new evolutionary insights into m^(6)A modification in the process of sexual reproduction in other plant organisms.展开更多
The fungal disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most devastating diseases that endanger many crops worldwide.Evidence shows that sexual reproduction can be advantageous for fungal diseases as hybridizati...The fungal disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most devastating diseases that endanger many crops worldwide.Evidence shows that sexual reproduction can be advantageous for fungal diseases as hybridization facilitates host-jumping.However,the pervasive clonal lineages of M.oryzae observed in natural fields contradict this expectation.A better understanding of the roles of recombination and the fungi-specific repeat-induced point mutation(RIP)in shaping its evolutionary trajectory is essential to bridge this knowledge gap.Here we systematically investigate the RIP and recombination landscapes in M.oryzae using a whole genome sequencing data from 252 population samples and 92 cross progenies.Our data reveal that the RIP can robustly capture the population history of M.oryzae,and we provide accurate estimations of the recombination and RIP rates across different M.oryzae clades.Significantly,our results highlight a parent-of-origin bias in both recombination and RIP rates,tightly associating with their sexual potential and variations of effector proteins.This bias suggests a critical trade-off between generating novel allelic combinations in the sexual cycle to facilitate host-jumping and stimulating transposon-associated diversification of effectors in the asexual cycle to facilitate host coevolution.These findings provide unique insights into understanding the evolution of blast fungus.展开更多
To promote behavioral change among adolescents in Zambia, the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council, in collaboration with UNICEF, developed the Zambia U-Report platform. This platform provides young people with improved a...To promote behavioral change among adolescents in Zambia, the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council, in collaboration with UNICEF, developed the Zambia U-Report platform. This platform provides young people with improved access to information on various Sexual Reproductive Health topics through Short Messaging Service (SMS) messages. Over the years, the platform has accumulated millions of incoming and outgoing messages, which need to be categorized into key thematic areas for better tracking of sexual reproductive health knowledge gaps among young people. The current manual categorization process of these text messages is inefficient and time-consuming and this study aims to automate the process for improved analysis using text-mining techniques. Firstly, the study investigates the current text message categorization process and identifies a list of categories adopted by counselors over time which are then used to build and train a categorization model. Secondly, the study presents a proof of concept tool that automates the categorization of U-report messages into key thematic areas using the developed categorization model. Finally, it compares the performance and effectiveness of the developed proof of concept tool against the manual system. The study used a dataset comprising 206,625 text messages. The current process would take roughly 2.82 years to categorise this dataset whereas the trained SVM model would require only 6.4 minutes while achieving an accuracy of 70.4% demonstrating that the automated method is significantly faster, more scalable, and consistent when compared to the current manual categorization. These advantages make the SVM model a more efficient and effective tool for categorizing large unstructured text datasets. These results and the proof-of-concept tool developed demonstrate the potential for enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of message categorization on the Zambia U-report platform and other similar text messages-based platforms.展开更多
Introduction: Obesity is an increasingly common problem, and general practitioners need to be involved in its management. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of general practitioners in Ou...Introduction: Obesity is an increasingly common problem, and general practitioners need to be involved in its management. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of general practitioners in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Methodology: The cross-sectional survey was carried out between September 16 and October 15, 2024, involving general practitioners registered with the Medical Council. A structured questionnaire, previously tested, was sent by email and re-sent to maximize participation. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Of 424 physicians contacted, 121 participated. The vast majority (97.5%) of doctors recognized the influence of obesity on women’s sexual and reproductive health, with 89.3% identifying potential disorders. However, only 28.1% actively sought to detect these disorders in their patients. Surprisingly, 96.6% of doctors referred their patients to specialists for sexual problems, mainly gynecologists. What’s more, only 30.6% broach the subject of contraception. Reasons for this reluctance include the taboo nature of the subject and the lack of comfort in discussing it. Conclusion: The study reveals a good knowledge of the impact of obesity on sexual health, but there is a reluctance on the part of GPs to broach these subjects in consultation. Targeted training is essential to improve communication between doctors and obese patients.展开更多
In May 2025,the Fuding White Tea Culture System in southeast China’s Fujian Province was officially recognized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System(GIAH...In May 2025,the Fuding White Tea Culture System in southeast China’s Fujian Province was officially recognized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System(GIAHS).It mainly includes national-level superior varieties-Fuding Dabai Tea,Fuding Dahao Tea,and Fuding Cai Tea(group variety)which retains tradition and uses tea seeds for sexual reproduction-providing abundant germplasm resources for cultivating new tea varieties.展开更多
Documenting the sex and sexual reproduction of the microalgae is very difficult, as most of the results are based on the microscopic observation that can be heavily influenced by genetic, physiological and environment...Documenting the sex and sexual reproduction of the microalgae is very difficult, as most of the results are based on the microscopic observation that can be heavily influenced by genetic, physiological and environmental conditions. Understanding the reproduction strategy of some microalgae is required to breed them in large scale culture industry. Instead of direct observation of sex and sexual reproduction under microscope, the whole set or the majority of core meiosis genes may evidence the sex and sexual reproduction in the unicellular algae, as the meiosis is necessary for maintaining the genomic stability and the advantages of genetic recombination. So far, the available genome sequences and bioinformatic tools （in this study, homolog searching and phylogenetic analysis） allow us to propose that at least 20 core meiosis genes （among them 〉6 must be meiosis specific） are enough for an alga to maintain its sexual reproduction. According to this assumption and the genome sequences, it is possible that sexual reproduction was carried out by Micromonas pusilla and Cyanidiosehyzon merolae, while asexual reproduction was adopted by Bigelowiella natans, Guillardia theta, Nannochloropsis gaditana, N. oeeanica, Chlorella variablis, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseu- donana. This understanding will facilitate the breeding trials of some economic microalgae （e.g., N. gaditana, N. oceanica, C. vari- ablis and P. tricornutum）. However, the reproduction strategies of these microalgae need to be proved by further biological experiments.展开更多
Most fungi display a mixed mating system with both asexual and sexual reproduction.The timing of the two modes of reproduction must be carefully coordinated through signal perception and coordination in the cell along...Most fungi display a mixed mating system with both asexual and sexual reproduction.The timing of the two modes of reproduction must be carefully coordinated through signal perception and coordination in the cell along with chromatin modification.Here,we investigated coordination of reproductive output by investigating the function of the histone chaper-one anti-silencing factor 1(ASF1)in a fungal species amenable to characterization of both asexual and sexual reproduction.We used knockout approach to show that SeASF1 influenced asexual and sexual reproduction in Stemphylium eturmiunum.SeASF1-deleted strains failed to produce pseudothecia,but produce abnormal conidia and showed an irregular distribution of nuclei in mycelium.Transcriptome sequencing was then used to identify genes with altered expression in the SeASF1-deleted strains.The transcriptional expression of the identified SeDJ-1 was strongly regulated by SeASF1.The interaction of SeDJ-1 and SeASF1 was confirmed using Y2H,Co-IP,and pull-down.Due to some components of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/AKT)signaling pathway were known to interact with DJ-1 in mammals,we verified SePI3K,an element of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in S.eturmiunum,was directly linked to SeDJ-1 and then these two proteins were defined as a coordinator of reproduction.However,knockout of SeDJ-1 or SePI3K altered the asexual and sexual repro-duction,but SePI3K recovered the asexual and sexual development of∆Sedj-1.The SeDJ-1-M6 segment of SeDJ-1 was essential for its interaction with SePI3K and played a critical role in restoring sexual reproduction in the∆Sepi3k,providing a deep understanding of the regulatory mechanism of SeDJ-1 in S.eturmiunum development.Summarily,SeASF1 is able to trigger SeDJ-1 and SeDJ-1can also activate SePI3K,which is orchestrally involved in asexual and sexual reproduction in S.eturmiunum.All these results reveal that SeASF1 manipulates asexual and sexual reproduction in S.eturmiunum by SeDJ-1 perception of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.These data highlight the deep similarities in coordinating asexual and sexual processes in both fungi and eukaryotes in general.展开更多
Stylonema alsidii(Zandardini)Drew f.ramosum Zheng et Li is a common species in the genus Stylonema,but there are limited reports on morphological taxonomy and a lack of studies on life history and the regulation of ea...Stylonema alsidii(Zandardini)Drew f.ramosum Zheng et Li is a common species in the genus Stylonema,but there are limited reports on morphological taxonomy and a lack of studies on life history and the regulation of early development.The early development,discoid formation,and erect thallus growth of Stylonema alsidii f.ramosum were observed under laboratory conditions.In addition,the influence of main environmental factors such as temperature and light intensity on its development was briefly studied,and various stages of its life history were observed.The result shows:(1)there are two reproductive modes:asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction;(2)the morphology of this species varies in different degrees under laboratory culture conditions;(3)sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction can coexist under suitable conditions.Five pathways of life history were inferred from experimental phenomena.Mature sporophytes form mature gametophytes by producing initially isolated or initially attached monospore,and mature gametophytes form mature sporophytes by fertilization of eggs and sperms.The sexual and asexual reproduction processes of Stylonema alsidii f.ramosum were reported for the first time,and this is also the first report on sexual reproduction in the genus Stylonema.展开更多
Background: India being the country with largest adolescent population in the world, needs a special focus on the health services as the status of an adolescent determines the health status in his/her adulthood. Some ...Background: India being the country with largest adolescent population in the world, needs a special focus on the health services as the status of an adolescent determines the health status in his/her adulthood. Some of the major issues faced by the adolescents include: mental health problems, early pregnancy and childbirth, (HIV/STI) and other infectious diseases, violence, injuries and malnutrition. The present study aims to understand the effectiveness of peer-led intervention on knowledge, attitude and practices related to sexual reproductive and mental health issues in adolescents among participants and non-participants. The study was carried out to improve the health-seeking behaviour of adolescents on sexual reproductive and mental health issues in low resource setting across four states in India. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey which was conducted on 400 adolescents from each of the four districts namely Bangalore, Khagaria-Bihar, Khed-Pune and Sahinganj-Jharkhand. A comparative analysis was conducted between the participants and the non-participants of the intervention to understand the effectiveness of the intervention on the KAP related to sexual reproductive and mental health of adolescents. Results: The study shows that the participants from Karnataka and Maharashtra had better knowledge in emergency contraception, HIV awareness, use of contraceptives and consumption of IFA’s than the non-participants;both the participants and the non-participants showed a positive behaviour in help-seeking in case of psychological challenges. Conclusion: The peer-led approach was found to be an effective strategy for learning, sharing and monitoring adolescent sexual reproductive and mental health.展开更多
Adolescent/youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services(SRHS)play a vital role in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with adolescent SRH.This review examined studies carried out on adolescent/youth-...Adolescent/youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services(SRHS)play a vital role in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with adolescent SRH.This review examined studies carried out on adolescent/youth-friendly SRHS with focus on availability,accessibility,utilization as well as perception of health care providers,and adolescents about the services.The study design was systematic review of empirical studies using a well-defined strategy.Online journal was searched comprehensively using Web of Science,Google Scholars databases,PubMed,Medline,and EMBASE.Other sources were identified through the scanning of references of selected sources.The articles selected were between 2016 and 2022 and had qualitative/quantitative and mixed methods.The articles that met the selection criteria were also screened using PRISMA-P guidelines and SPIDER framework for systematic review was further used for inclusion criteria based on the following concepts:sample,phenomenon of interest,design,evaluation and research type.A total number of 32 studies were included in the study and findings were reported based on the five emerging themes.The review showed that majority of the adolescents were not aware of adolescent/youth-friendly SRHS,some health care providers were not also in support of the services which accounted for low utilization of the services among adolescents.The review further showed poor accessibility and nonavailability of AYFSRHS as the only available SRHS were meant for married adults.Therefore,these findings serve as evidence for policy-makers at all the levels of healthcare delivery system to considered all the factors observed in this review and develop strategies that will make adolescent/youth-friendly SRHS available and accessible to adolescents.More so,other stakeholders,especially health care providers must improve their attitude toward provision of adolescent/youth-friendly SRHS.展开更多
Objective To analyze and evaluate the impact of adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health education on students’ sexual knowledge,attitude and behavior.Methods A short term intervention was conducted among high sc...Objective To analyze and evaluate the impact of adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health education on students’ sexual knowledge,attitude and behavior.Methods A short term intervention was conducted among high school students in two schools in Xixiang county,Shaanxi Province.The intervention was carried out in the forms of manual,video,discussion,consultation,and so on .The contents of intervention consisted of the knowledge about adolescent physiology,care,conception,STD/HIV, and so on. Results The results showed that students’ knowledge increased significantly(11.92±4.61 before intervention vs 19.81±4.8 after intervention, P =0.000).The sexual attitude and behavior changed insignificantly,especially the change of behavior.Conclusion The intervention is significantly effective in increasing knowledge,but less effective in the change of attitude and almost ineffective in the behavior change.展开更多
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(30971986)Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China(20110182110013)Doctoral Fund of Southwestern University(SWU111016)~~
文摘Small RNAs are non-coding RNA molecules with 20-30 nucleotides （nt） in length that mainly play regulatory roles in gene expression at the post-transcription level by directly cutting target mRNA or inhibiting its translation. Small RNAs play regulatory roles in the growth and development process of plants at the core of gene regulatory networks, which has been widely studied and confirmed in sporophyte generation of plants. However, few researches have been conducted on small RNAs and gametophyte generation. It is reported that small RNAs play important roles in floral organ development, gametogenesis, fertilization, and early zygotic development of plants. In addition, various small RNAs also play roles in controlling genetic integrity, cell differentiation and functions during the sexual reproduction process of plants. However, most of the specific functions of small RNAs in the sexual reproduction process are unknown yet. This study mainly aimed to introduce small RNAs in plants, summarize the latest advances in researches of small RNAs and plant sexual reproduction, and make prospect on its future.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30970349)
文摘Sexual reproduction adversely affects the population growth of cyclic parthenogenetic animals. The density-dependent sexual reproduction of a superior competitor could mediate the coexistence. However, the cost of sex may make the inferior competitor more vulnerable. To investigate the effect of sexual reproduction on the inferior competitor, we experimentally paired the competition of one Brachionus angularis clone against three Brachionus ealyciflorus clones. One of the B. calyciflorus clones showed a low propensity for sexual reproduction, while the other two showed high propensities. The results show that all B. calyciflorus clones were excluded in the competition for resources at low food level. The increased food level promoted the competition persistence, but the clones did not show a clear pattern. Both the cumulative population density and resting egg production increased with the food level. The cumulative population density decreased with the mixis investment, while the resting egg production increased with the mixis investment. A trade-off between the population growth and sexual reproduction was observed in this research. The results indicate that although higher mixis investment resulted in a lower population density, it would not determinately accelerate the exclusion process of the inferior competitor. On the contrary, higher mixis investment promoted resting egg production before being excluded and thus promised a long- term benefit. In conclusion, our results suggest that mixis investment, to some extent, favored the excluded inferior competitor under fierce competition or some other adverse conditions.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.30970349,41206110)
文摘Large numbers of rotifer eggs from sediment resting egg banks may hatch simultaneously under appropriate conditions; therefore, natural populations are likely to be multiclonal in a growing season. A recent field investigation showed that subordinate and ephemeral clones were able to establish populations in an environment with several strongly dominant clone populations. However, it was not clear how the subordinate populations maintained their growth under these conditions where the crowding signal would induce high levels of sexual reproduction in the dominant clone populations. In the present study, we conducted a continuous passage to 60 generations for new populations at three different temperatures （15~C, 25~C, and 35~C）. These populations emerged from resting eggs produced by a clone population. At the first, 30th, and 60th generations, the populations were sampled and fitness was assayed using the life-table method. We found a significant short-term fitness advantage for populations newly emerged from resting eggs produced by a clone population of the rotifer Brachionus calycifiorus, followed by a significant decrease in relative fitness with long-term continuous passage. Our results suggested that the early short- term fitness advantage was important for later-hatched and subordinate clone populations in an environment with multiple sympatric clones. The early short-term fitness might also promote the coexistence of sympatric clones because it could help to offset the cost of early sexual reproduction.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 39670076)
文摘We collected centric diatom Stephanopyxis palmeriana samples in coastal waters of Xiamen for charac- teristic red light/far red light (R/FR) phytochrome reactions to identify its photoreceptor in the course of sexual repro- duction. The result showed that pre-illumination of 2-3h red light before darkness could induce sexualization of S. palmeriana, while the follow-up illumination of far red light could reverse the effect of red light, which is a featured reaction of phytochrome. The Southern Dot Blot was carried out to identify the type of phytochrome that induces the sexualization. The result also showed high homogeneity of DNA fragment of S. palmeriana with phyB, but phyA. This means the photoreceptor in the process of sexual reproduction of S. palmeriana is phytochrome B (phyB).
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31930111 and 31873036)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA24030104)+4 种基金the National Key Research and Development Project(2018YFD0900204)the Key Program of Frontier Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(QYZDY-SSW-SMC025)the China Agriculture Research System(CARS-45-07)the Autonomous Project of the State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology(2019FBZ04)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS。
文摘Polyploids in vertebrates are generally associated with unisexual reproduction,but the direct consequences of polyploidy on sex determination system and reproduction mode remain unknown.Here,we synthesized a group of artificial octoploids between unisexual gynogenetic hexaploid Carassius gibelio and sexual tetraploid Carassius auratus.The synthetic octoploids were revealed to have more than 200 chromosomes,in which 50 chromosomes including the X/Y sex determination system were identified to transfer from sexual tetraploid C.auratus into the unisexual gynogenetic hexaploid C.gibelio.Significantly,a few synthetic octoploid males were found to be fertile,and one octoploid male was confirmed to regain sexual reproduction ability,which exhibits characteristics that are the same to sexual reproduction tetraploid males,such as 1:1 sex ratio occurrence,meiosis completion and euploid sperm formation in spermatogenesis,as well as normal embryo development and gene expression pattern during embryogenesis.Therefore,the current finding provides a unique case to explore the effect of sex determination system incorporation on reproduction mode transition from unisexual gynogenesis to sexual reproduction along with genome synthesis of recurrent polyploidy in vertebrates.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.30440035 and 30500041).
文摘The sexual and asexual reproductive features of the graminoid species Arundinella hirta growing at riversides of the Jialing River were analyzed.It was found that the total seed mass,seed number per plant,and sexual reproductive allocation of A.hirta decreased with decreasing bank elevation,and plants growing at the lowest elevations of banks subjected to intense flooding did not show sexual reproduction.The total plant biomass and the number of ramifications per plant increased with flooding intensity,which implies that,contrary to sexual reproduction,asexual reproduction of A.hirta was enhanced by flooding.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant Nos.2019YFA0904600,2018YFA0801200,and 2021YFA0910800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.31870217 and 91940304).
文摘The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii(hereafter Chlamydomonas)possesses both plant and animal attributes,and it is an ideal model organism for studying fundamental processes such as photosynthesis,sexual reproduction,and life cycle.N^(6)-methyladenosine(m^(6)A)is the most prevalent mRNA modification,and it plays important roles during sexual reproduction in animals and plants.However,the pattern and function of m^(6)A modification during the sexual reproduction of Chlamydomonas remain unknown.Here,we performed transcriptome and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing(MeRIP-seq)analyses on six samples from different stages during sexual reproduction of the Chlamydomonas life cycle.The results show that m^(6)A modification frequently occurs at the main motif of DRAC(D=G/A/U,R=A/G)in Chlamydomonas mRNAs.Moreover,m^(6)A peaks in Chlamydomonas mRNAs are mainly enriched in the 30 untranslated regions(30 UTRs)and negatively correlated with the abundance of transcripts at each stage.In particular,there is a significant negative correlation between the expression levels and the m^(6)A levels of genes involved in the microtubule-associated pathway,indicating that m^(6)A modification influences the sexual reproduction and the life cycle of Chlamydomonas by regulating microtubule-based movement.In summary,our findings are the first to demonstrate the distribution and the functions of m^(6)A modification in Chlamydomonas mRNAs and provide new evolutionary insights into m^(6)A modification in the process of sexual reproduction in other plant organisms.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32270664 and 32170327)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2023YFD2200102 and 2023YFD2200104)Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production。
文摘The fungal disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most devastating diseases that endanger many crops worldwide.Evidence shows that sexual reproduction can be advantageous for fungal diseases as hybridization facilitates host-jumping.However,the pervasive clonal lineages of M.oryzae observed in natural fields contradict this expectation.A better understanding of the roles of recombination and the fungi-specific repeat-induced point mutation(RIP)in shaping its evolutionary trajectory is essential to bridge this knowledge gap.Here we systematically investigate the RIP and recombination landscapes in M.oryzae using a whole genome sequencing data from 252 population samples and 92 cross progenies.Our data reveal that the RIP can robustly capture the population history of M.oryzae,and we provide accurate estimations of the recombination and RIP rates across different M.oryzae clades.Significantly,our results highlight a parent-of-origin bias in both recombination and RIP rates,tightly associating with their sexual potential and variations of effector proteins.This bias suggests a critical trade-off between generating novel allelic combinations in the sexual cycle to facilitate host-jumping and stimulating transposon-associated diversification of effectors in the asexual cycle to facilitate host coevolution.These findings provide unique insights into understanding the evolution of blast fungus.
文摘To promote behavioral change among adolescents in Zambia, the National HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Council, in collaboration with UNICEF, developed the Zambia U-Report platform. This platform provides young people with improved access to information on various Sexual Reproductive Health topics through Short Messaging Service (SMS) messages. Over the years, the platform has accumulated millions of incoming and outgoing messages, which need to be categorized into key thematic areas for better tracking of sexual reproductive health knowledge gaps among young people. The current manual categorization process of these text messages is inefficient and time-consuming and this study aims to automate the process for improved analysis using text-mining techniques. Firstly, the study investigates the current text message categorization process and identifies a list of categories adopted by counselors over time which are then used to build and train a categorization model. Secondly, the study presents a proof of concept tool that automates the categorization of U-report messages into key thematic areas using the developed categorization model. Finally, it compares the performance and effectiveness of the developed proof of concept tool against the manual system. The study used a dataset comprising 206,625 text messages. The current process would take roughly 2.82 years to categorise this dataset whereas the trained SVM model would require only 6.4 minutes while achieving an accuracy of 70.4% demonstrating that the automated method is significantly faster, more scalable, and consistent when compared to the current manual categorization. These advantages make the SVM model a more efficient and effective tool for categorizing large unstructured text datasets. These results and the proof-of-concept tool developed demonstrate the potential for enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of message categorization on the Zambia U-report platform and other similar text messages-based platforms.
文摘Introduction: Obesity is an increasingly common problem, and general practitioners need to be involved in its management. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of general practitioners in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Methodology: The cross-sectional survey was carried out between September 16 and October 15, 2024, involving general practitioners registered with the Medical Council. A structured questionnaire, previously tested, was sent by email and re-sent to maximize participation. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: Of 424 physicians contacted, 121 participated. The vast majority (97.5%) of doctors recognized the influence of obesity on women’s sexual and reproductive health, with 89.3% identifying potential disorders. However, only 28.1% actively sought to detect these disorders in their patients. Surprisingly, 96.6% of doctors referred their patients to specialists for sexual problems, mainly gynecologists. What’s more, only 30.6% broach the subject of contraception. Reasons for this reluctance include the taboo nature of the subject and the lack of comfort in discussing it. Conclusion: The study reveals a good knowledge of the impact of obesity on sexual health, but there is a reluctance on the part of GPs to broach these subjects in consultation. Targeted training is essential to improve communication between doctors and obese patients.
文摘In May 2025,the Fuding White Tea Culture System in southeast China’s Fujian Province was officially recognized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System(GIAHS).It mainly includes national-level superior varieties-Fuding Dabai Tea,Fuding Dahao Tea,and Fuding Cai Tea(group variety)which retains tradition and uses tea seeds for sexual reproduction-providing abundant germplasm resources for cultivating new tea varieties.
基金financially supported by National Science and Technology Supporting Program of China (2011BAD14B01)National Natural Science Foundation of China (31270408)Key Laborotary of Marine Bioactive Substance of State Oceanic Administration of China, The First Institute of Oceanography
文摘Documenting the sex and sexual reproduction of the microalgae is very difficult, as most of the results are based on the microscopic observation that can be heavily influenced by genetic, physiological and environmental conditions. Understanding the reproduction strategy of some microalgae is required to breed them in large scale culture industry. Instead of direct observation of sex and sexual reproduction under microscope, the whole set or the majority of core meiosis genes may evidence the sex and sexual reproduction in the unicellular algae, as the meiosis is necessary for maintaining the genomic stability and the advantages of genetic recombination. So far, the available genome sequences and bioinformatic tools （in this study, homolog searching and phylogenetic analysis） allow us to propose that at least 20 core meiosis genes （among them 〉6 must be meiosis specific） are enough for an alga to maintain its sexual reproduction. According to this assumption and the genome sequences, it is possible that sexual reproduction was carried out by Micromonas pusilla and Cyanidiosehyzon merolae, while asexual reproduction was adopted by Bigelowiella natans, Guillardia theta, Nannochloropsis gaditana, N. oeeanica, Chlorella variablis, Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Thalassiosira pseu- donana. This understanding will facilitate the breeding trials of some economic microalgae （e.g., N. gaditana, N. oceanica, C. vari- ablis and P. tricornutum）. However, the reproduction strategies of these microalgae need to be proved by further biological experiments.
基金Funding was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant nos.31230001,U200220015).
文摘Most fungi display a mixed mating system with both asexual and sexual reproduction.The timing of the two modes of reproduction must be carefully coordinated through signal perception and coordination in the cell along with chromatin modification.Here,we investigated coordination of reproductive output by investigating the function of the histone chaper-one anti-silencing factor 1(ASF1)in a fungal species amenable to characterization of both asexual and sexual reproduction.We used knockout approach to show that SeASF1 influenced asexual and sexual reproduction in Stemphylium eturmiunum.SeASF1-deleted strains failed to produce pseudothecia,but produce abnormal conidia and showed an irregular distribution of nuclei in mycelium.Transcriptome sequencing was then used to identify genes with altered expression in the SeASF1-deleted strains.The transcriptional expression of the identified SeDJ-1 was strongly regulated by SeASF1.The interaction of SeDJ-1 and SeASF1 was confirmed using Y2H,Co-IP,and pull-down.Due to some components of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/AKT)signaling pathway were known to interact with DJ-1 in mammals,we verified SePI3K,an element of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in S.eturmiunum,was directly linked to SeDJ-1 and then these two proteins were defined as a coordinator of reproduction.However,knockout of SeDJ-1 or SePI3K altered the asexual and sexual repro-duction,but SePI3K recovered the asexual and sexual development of∆Sedj-1.The SeDJ-1-M6 segment of SeDJ-1 was essential for its interaction with SePI3K and played a critical role in restoring sexual reproduction in the∆Sepi3k,providing a deep understanding of the regulatory mechanism of SeDJ-1 in S.eturmiunum development.Summarily,SeASF1 is able to trigger SeDJ-1 and SeDJ-1can also activate SePI3K,which is orchestrally involved in asexual and sexual reproduction in S.eturmiunum.All these results reveal that SeASF1 manipulates asexual and sexual reproduction in S.eturmiunum by SeDJ-1 perception of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.These data highlight the deep similarities in coordinating asexual and sexual processes in both fungi and eukaryotes in general.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.31970216,32270219)。
文摘Stylonema alsidii(Zandardini)Drew f.ramosum Zheng et Li is a common species in the genus Stylonema,but there are limited reports on morphological taxonomy and a lack of studies on life history and the regulation of early development.The early development,discoid formation,and erect thallus growth of Stylonema alsidii f.ramosum were observed under laboratory conditions.In addition,the influence of main environmental factors such as temperature and light intensity on its development was briefly studied,and various stages of its life history were observed.The result shows:(1)there are two reproductive modes:asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction;(2)the morphology of this species varies in different degrees under laboratory culture conditions;(3)sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction can coexist under suitable conditions.Five pathways of life history were inferred from experimental phenomena.Mature sporophytes form mature gametophytes by producing initially isolated or initially attached monospore,and mature gametophytes form mature sporophytes by fertilization of eggs and sperms.The sexual and asexual reproduction processes of Stylonema alsidii f.ramosum were reported for the first time,and this is also the first report on sexual reproduction in the genus Stylonema.
文摘Background: India being the country with largest adolescent population in the world, needs a special focus on the health services as the status of an adolescent determines the health status in his/her adulthood. Some of the major issues faced by the adolescents include: mental health problems, early pregnancy and childbirth, (HIV/STI) and other infectious diseases, violence, injuries and malnutrition. The present study aims to understand the effectiveness of peer-led intervention on knowledge, attitude and practices related to sexual reproductive and mental health issues in adolescents among participants and non-participants. The study was carried out to improve the health-seeking behaviour of adolescents on sexual reproductive and mental health issues in low resource setting across four states in India. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey which was conducted on 400 adolescents from each of the four districts namely Bangalore, Khagaria-Bihar, Khed-Pune and Sahinganj-Jharkhand. A comparative analysis was conducted between the participants and the non-participants of the intervention to understand the effectiveness of the intervention on the KAP related to sexual reproductive and mental health of adolescents. Results: The study shows that the participants from Karnataka and Maharashtra had better knowledge in emergency contraception, HIV awareness, use of contraceptives and consumption of IFA’s than the non-participants;both the participants and the non-participants showed a positive behaviour in help-seeking in case of psychological challenges. Conclusion: The peer-led approach was found to be an effective strategy for learning, sharing and monitoring adolescent sexual reproductive and mental health.
文摘Adolescent/youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services(SRHS)play a vital role in reducing morbidity and mortality associated with adolescent SRH.This review examined studies carried out on adolescent/youth-friendly SRHS with focus on availability,accessibility,utilization as well as perception of health care providers,and adolescents about the services.The study design was systematic review of empirical studies using a well-defined strategy.Online journal was searched comprehensively using Web of Science,Google Scholars databases,PubMed,Medline,and EMBASE.Other sources were identified through the scanning of references of selected sources.The articles selected were between 2016 and 2022 and had qualitative/quantitative and mixed methods.The articles that met the selection criteria were also screened using PRISMA-P guidelines and SPIDER framework for systematic review was further used for inclusion criteria based on the following concepts:sample,phenomenon of interest,design,evaluation and research type.A total number of 32 studies were included in the study and findings were reported based on the five emerging themes.The review showed that majority of the adolescents were not aware of adolescent/youth-friendly SRHS,some health care providers were not also in support of the services which accounted for low utilization of the services among adolescents.The review further showed poor accessibility and nonavailability of AYFSRHS as the only available SRHS were meant for married adults.Therefore,these findings serve as evidence for policy-makers at all the levels of healthcare delivery system to considered all the factors observed in this review and develop strategies that will make adolescent/youth-friendly SRHS available and accessible to adolescents.More so,other stakeholders,especially health care providers must improve their attitude toward provision of adolescent/youth-friendly SRHS.
基金theMinistryofChinesePublicHealthandUNFPA(No .99 z 0 7)
文摘Objective To analyze and evaluate the impact of adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health education on students’ sexual knowledge,attitude and behavior.Methods A short term intervention was conducted among high school students in two schools in Xixiang county,Shaanxi Province.The intervention was carried out in the forms of manual,video,discussion,consultation,and so on .The contents of intervention consisted of the knowledge about adolescent physiology,care,conception,STD/HIV, and so on. Results The results showed that students’ knowledge increased significantly(11.92±4.61 before intervention vs 19.81±4.8 after intervention, P =0.000).The sexual attitude and behavior changed insignificantly,especially the change of behavior.Conclusion The intervention is significantly effective in increasing knowledge,but less effective in the change of attitude and almost ineffective in the behavior change.
