The coordination of floral developmental stages with the environment is important for reproductive success and optimization of crop yields.The timing of different developmental stages contributes to final yield potent...The coordination of floral developmental stages with the environment is important for reproductive success and optimization of crop yields.The timing of different developmental stages contributes to final yield potential,with optimal adaptation enabling development to proceed without being impacted by seasonal weather events,including frosts or end-of-season drought.Here,we characterize the role of FLOWERING LOCUS T 3(FT3)in hexaploid bread wheat(Triticum aestivum)during the early stages of floral development.By assaying the genetic diversity of landraces and modern wheat varieties,we identified a distribution of alleles for FT3 that indicated selection in modern varieties.We generated transgenic overexpression lines and found that FT3 is as powerful a florigen as FT1,which suggested that FT3 is under tight regulation.To investigate this possibility,we measured FT3 expression under variable environmental conditions and identified a role for both temperature and photoperiod in FT3 regulation.Gene expression analysis showed that FT3 transcription is partly coordinated by a temperature-sensitive pathway consisting of a TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1–CYCLOIDEA–PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR(TCP)transcription factor and a warm-temperature-responsive microRNA.We show that this regulation is important for the timing of floral development under short days combined with lower ambient temperatures and that there has been strong selection on FT3 during cultivation.Deploying this understanding to enable targeted combinations of alleles involved in adaptation will further our ability to develop climate-change-robust cultivars.展开更多
Aims Biomass allocation to different organs is a fundamental plant ecophysiological process to better respond to changing environments;yet,it remains poorly understood how patterns of biomass allocation respond to nit...Aims Biomass allocation to different organs is a fundamental plant ecophysiological process to better respond to changing environments;yet,it remains poorly understood how patterns of biomass allocation respond to nitrogen(N)additions across terrestrial ecosystems worldwide.Methods We conducted a meta-analysis using 5474 pairwise observations from 333 articles to assess how N addition affected plant biomass and biomass allocation among different organs.We also tested the'ratio-based optimal partitioning'vs.the'isometric allocation,hypotheses to explain potential N addition effects on biomass allocation.Important Findings We found that(i)N addition significantly increased whole plant biomass and the biomass of different organs,but decreased rootrshoot ratio(RS)and root mass fraction(RMF)while no effects of N addition on leaf mass fraction and stem mass fraction at the global scale;(ii)the effects of N addition on ratio-based biomass allocation were mediated by individual or interactive effects of moderator variables such as experimental conditions,plant functional types,latitudes and rates of N addition and(iii)N addition did not affect allometric relationships among different organs,suggesting that decreases in RS and RMF may result from isometric allocation patterns following increases in whole plant biomass.Despite alteration of ratio-based biomass allocation between root and shoot by N addition,the unaffected allometric scaling relationships among different organs(including root vs.shoot)suggest that plant biomass allocation patterns are more appropriately explained by the isometric allocation hypothesis rather than the optimal partitioning hypothesis.Our findings contribute to better understand N-induced effects on allometric relationships of terrestrial plants,and suggest that these ecophysiological responses should be incorporated into models that aim to predict how terrestrial ecosystems may respond to enhanced N deposition under future global change scenarios.展开更多
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List,41%of the world’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction,making them more threatened than any other vertebrate group nowadays.Given t...According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List,41%of the world’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction,making them more threatened than any other vertebrate group nowadays.Given the global amphibian crisis,comprehensive understanding of demographics and population trends of declining and threatened species is essential for effective management and conservation strategies.Counting egg spawns is widely used to assess population abundance in pond breeding anurans.However,it is unknown how such counts translate into robust population size estimations.We monitored the breeding activity of the Natterjack toad(Epidalea calamita),combining egg string counts and individual photo-identification with Capture-Mark-Recapture population size and operational sex ratio estimation.Male Natterjack toads were identified by the pattern of natural markings with repeated ID of the same individual confirmed for 10%of the samples using genetic fingerprinting.We identified 647 unique individuals within a closed study population at Caherdaniel,Co Kerry.Population estimates derived from egg string counts estimated a breeding population of 368 females(95%CI 353–384)and Capture-Mark-Recapture estimated a breeding population of 1698 males(95%CI 1000–2397).The female:male sex ratio was conservatively estimated at 1:5(95%CI 1:3–1:6)where 62%±6%of females were assumed to spawn.These substantially departed from any priori assumption of 1:1 which could have underestimated the breeding population by up to 72%.Where amphibian absolute population size estimation is necessary,methods should include empirical survey data on operational sex ratios and not rely on assumptions or those derived from the literature which may be highly population and/or context-dependent.展开更多
Antibiotic resistance presents a significant challenge to clinical,veterinary,and plant health and is now recognized by the World Health Organization(WHO)as a major emerging problem of global significance.As yet,there...Antibiotic resistance presents a significant challenge to clinical,veterinary,and plant health and is now recognized by the World Health Organization(WHO)as a major emerging problem of global significance.As yet,there have been no successful discoveries of classes of novel antibiotics since 1987.There is an antibiotic discovery void,and it is now widely acknowledged that there is an urgent need for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.For economic reasons,many of the largest pharmaceutical companies have abandoned the antibiotic field,and research conducted by academia was scaled back due to funding cuts following the economic crisis.A post-antibiotic era-in which common infections and minor injuries can kill-far from being an apocalyptic fantasy,is indeed a very real possibility for the 21st century.展开更多
基金supported through funding to L.D.via a UKRI FLF MR/S031677/1,Rank Prize Funds New Lecturer Award,and start-up funds from the University of LeedsA Molecules to Landscapes grant from BBSRC supported H.T.S.G.+2 种基金supported by BBSRC ISP“BBSRC Strategic Programme in Designing Future Wheat(DFW)”(BB/P016855/1)supported by BBSRC ISP“BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme:Delivering Sustainable Wheat(DSW)”(BB/X011003/1)supported by the the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2023YFF1000100 and 2023YFA0914600).
文摘The coordination of floral developmental stages with the environment is important for reproductive success and optimization of crop yields.The timing of different developmental stages contributes to final yield potential,with optimal adaptation enabling development to proceed without being impacted by seasonal weather events,including frosts or end-of-season drought.Here,we characterize the role of FLOWERING LOCUS T 3(FT3)in hexaploid bread wheat(Triticum aestivum)during the early stages of floral development.By assaying the genetic diversity of landraces and modern wheat varieties,we identified a distribution of alleles for FT3 that indicated selection in modern varieties.We generated transgenic overexpression lines and found that FT3 is as powerful a florigen as FT1,which suggested that FT3 is under tight regulation.To investigate this possibility,we measured FT3 expression under variable environmental conditions and identified a role for both temperature and photoperiod in FT3 regulation.Gene expression analysis showed that FT3 transcription is partly coordinated by a temperature-sensitive pathway consisting of a TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1–CYCLOIDEA–PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR(TCP)transcription factor and a warm-temperature-responsive microRNA.We show that this regulation is important for the timing of floral development under short days combined with lower ambient temperatures and that there has been strong selection on FT3 during cultivation.Deploying this understanding to enable targeted combinations of alleles involved in adaptation will further our ability to develop climate-change-robust cultivars.
基金This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31922052,31800373,32022056 and 31800521).
文摘Aims Biomass allocation to different organs is a fundamental plant ecophysiological process to better respond to changing environments;yet,it remains poorly understood how patterns of biomass allocation respond to nitrogen(N)additions across terrestrial ecosystems worldwide.Methods We conducted a meta-analysis using 5474 pairwise observations from 333 articles to assess how N addition affected plant biomass and biomass allocation among different organs.We also tested the'ratio-based optimal partitioning'vs.the'isometric allocation,hypotheses to explain potential N addition effects on biomass allocation.Important Findings We found that(i)N addition significantly increased whole plant biomass and the biomass of different organs,but decreased rootrshoot ratio(RS)and root mass fraction(RMF)while no effects of N addition on leaf mass fraction and stem mass fraction at the global scale;(ii)the effects of N addition on ratio-based biomass allocation were mediated by individual or interactive effects of moderator variables such as experimental conditions,plant functional types,latitudes and rates of N addition and(iii)N addition did not affect allometric relationships among different organs,suggesting that decreases in RS and RMF may result from isometric allocation patterns following increases in whole plant biomass.Despite alteration of ratio-based biomass allocation between root and shoot by N addition,the unaffected allometric scaling relationships among different organs(including root vs.shoot)suggest that plant biomass allocation patterns are more appropriately explained by the isometric allocation hypothesis rather than the optimal partitioning hypothesis.Our findings contribute to better understand N-induced effects on allometric relationships of terrestrial plants,and suggest that these ecophysiological responses should be incorporated into models that aim to predict how terrestrial ecosystems may respond to enhanced N deposition under future global change scenarios.
基金This study was part of a larger monitoring and surveillance project commissioned and funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service(NPWS)Department of Culture,Heritage and the Gaeltacht(CHG)Republic of Ireland.Natterjack toads were collected under Government license(No.C098/2016).
文摘According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List,41%of the world’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction,making them more threatened than any other vertebrate group nowadays.Given the global amphibian crisis,comprehensive understanding of demographics and population trends of declining and threatened species is essential for effective management and conservation strategies.Counting egg spawns is widely used to assess population abundance in pond breeding anurans.However,it is unknown how such counts translate into robust population size estimations.We monitored the breeding activity of the Natterjack toad(Epidalea calamita),combining egg string counts and individual photo-identification with Capture-Mark-Recapture population size and operational sex ratio estimation.Male Natterjack toads were identified by the pattern of natural markings with repeated ID of the same individual confirmed for 10%of the samples using genetic fingerprinting.We identified 647 unique individuals within a closed study population at Caherdaniel,Co Kerry.Population estimates derived from egg string counts estimated a breeding population of 368 females(95%CI 353–384)and Capture-Mark-Recapture estimated a breeding population of 1698 males(95%CI 1000–2397).The female:male sex ratio was conservatively estimated at 1:5(95%CI 1:3–1:6)where 62%±6%of females were assumed to spawn.These substantially departed from any priori assumption of 1:1 which could have underestimated the breeding population by up to 72%.Where amphibian absolute population size estimation is necessary,methods should include empirical survey data on operational sex ratios and not rely on assumptions or those derived from the literature which may be highly population and/or context-dependent.
基金DWN thanks Professors James Dooley and Ibrahim Banat at Ulster University for critical comments.The Department of Agriculture,Environment and Rural Affairs(DAERA)is gratefully acknowledged for facilitating this literature review process through an Evidence and Innovation project 16/3/11(activity 48125).
文摘Antibiotic resistance presents a significant challenge to clinical,veterinary,and plant health and is now recognized by the World Health Organization(WHO)as a major emerging problem of global significance.As yet,there have been no successful discoveries of classes of novel antibiotics since 1987.There is an antibiotic discovery void,and it is now widely acknowledged that there is an urgent need for the development of novel antimicrobial agents.For economic reasons,many of the largest pharmaceutical companies have abandoned the antibiotic field,and research conducted by academia was scaled back due to funding cuts following the economic crisis.A post-antibiotic era-in which common infections and minor injuries can kill-far from being an apocalyptic fantasy,is indeed a very real possibility for the 21st century.
