Ectopic Expression of HbRPW8-a from Hevea brasiliensis Improves Arabidopsis thaliana Resistance to Powdery Mildew Fungi (Erysiphe cichoracearum UCSC1)

The RPW8s (Resistance to Powdery Mildew 8) are atypical broad-spectrum resistance genes that provide resistance to the powdery mildew fungi. Powdery mildew of rubber tree is one of the serious fungal diseases that affect tree growth and latex production. However, the RPW8 homologs in rubber tree and their role of resistance to powdery mildew remain unclear. In this study, four RPW8 genes, HbRPW8-a, b, c, d, were identified in rubber tree, and phylogenetic analysis showed that HbRPW8-a was clustered with AtRPW8.1 and AtRPW8.2 of Arabidopsis. The HbRPW8-a protein was localized on the plasma membrane and its expression in rubber tree was significantly induced upon powdery mildew infection. Transient expression of HbRPW8-a in tobacco leaves induced plant immune responses, including the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and the deposition of callose in plant cells, which was similar to that induced by AtRPW8.2. Consistently, overexpression of HbRPW8-a in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced plant resistance to Erysiphe cichoracearum UCSC1 and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC30000 (PstDC3000). Moreover, such HbRPW8-a mediated resistance to powdery mildew was in a salicylic acid (SA) dependent manner. Taken together, we demonstrated a new RPW8 member in rubber tree, HbRPW8-a, which could potentially contribute the resistance to powdery mildew.     

Inflammatory Mechanism of Brucella Infection in Placental Trophoblast Cells

Brucellosis is a severe zoonotic infectious disease caused by the infection of the Brucella, which is widespread and causes considerable economic losses in underdeveloped areas. Brucella is a facultative intracellular bacteria whose main target cells for infection are macrophages, placental trophoblast cells and dendritic cells. The main clinical signs of Brucella infection in livestock are reproductive disorders and abortion. At present, the pathogenesis of placentitis or abortion caused by Brucella in livestock is not fully understood, and further research on the effect of Brucella on placental development is still necessary. This review will mainly introduce the research progress of Brucella infection of placental trophoblast cells as well as the inflammatory response caused by it, explaining the molecular regulation mechanism of Brucella leading to reproductive system disorders and abortion, and also to provide the scientific basis for revealing the pathogenesis and infection mechanism of Brucella.     

Comparison of the Chemical Components,Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action of Chrysanthemum morifolium Flower and Its Wild Relative Chrysanthemum indicum Flower against Liver-Fire Hyperactivity Syndrome of Hypertension via Integrative Analyses

To clarify the differences in the clinical application scope of Chrysanthemum morifolium flower (CMF) and Chrysanthemum indicum flower (CIF), two herbs of similar origin, an integrated strategy of network pharmacology, molecular pharmacology, and metabolomics was employed, with a view to investigating the commonalities and dissimilarities in chemical components, efficacy and mechanisms of action. Initial HPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis revealed that CMF and CIF had different flavonoid constituents. The biological processes underlying the therapeutic effects of CMF and CIF on liver-fire hyperactivity syndrome of hypertension (LFHSH) were predicted to be related to inflammatory response, fatty acid production, and other pathways based on network pharmacology analysis. ELISA, molecular docking, Western blot, and metabolomics techniques showed similar effects of CMF and CIF in lowering blood pressure, resistance to tissue, organ and functional damage, and dyslipidemia. However, distinct effects were found in the regulation of inflammatory response, PI3K-Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways, lipid anabolism, renin-angiotensin system, and metabolic abnormalities. The comparable efficacies of CMF and CIF, despite having distinct mechanisms of action, may be attributed to the integration and counteraction of their different regulating capabilities on the above anti-LFHSH mechanisms. This study offers a vital platform for assessment of differential and precise applications of herbs of close origin with similar but slightly different medicinal properties, and provides a research strategy for bridging Chinese medicine and modern precision medicine.     

From 2D to 3D Co-Culture Systems: A Review of Co-Culture Models to Study the Neural Cells Interaction

The central nervous system (CNS) controls and regulates the functional activities of the organ systems and maintains the unity between the body and the external environment. The advent of co-culture systems has made it possible to elucidate the interactions between neural cells in vitro and to reproduce complex neural circuits. Here, we classified the co-culture system as a two-dimensional (2D) co-culture system, a cell-based three-dimensional (3D) co-culture system, a tissue slice-based 3D co-culture system, an organoid-based 3D co-culture system, and a microfluidic platform-based 3D co-culture system. We provide an overview of these different co-culture models and their applications in the study of neural cell interaction. The application of co-culture systems in virus-infected CNS disease models is also discussed here. Finally, the direction of the co-culture system in future research is prospected.     

Characterization of Two-Component System CitB Family in Salmonella Pullorum

Salmonella enterica, serovar Gallinarum, biovar Pullorum, is an avian-specific pathogen which has caused considerable economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. Two-component systems (TCSs) play an essential role in obtaining nutrients, detecting the presence of neighboring bacteria and regulating the expression of virulence factors. The genome analysis of S. Pullorum strain S06004 suggesting the carriage of 22 pairs of TCSs, which belong to five families named CitB, OmpR, NarL, Chemotaxis and LuxR. In the CitB family, three pairs of TCSs, namely CitA-CitB, DcuS-DcuR and DpiB-DpiA, remain unaddressed in S. Pullorum. To systematically investigate the function of the CitB family in S. Pullorum, four mutants, ΔcitAB (abbreviated as Δcit), ΔdcuSR (Δdcu), ΔdpiBA (Δdpi) and ΔcitABΔdcuSRΔdpiBA (Δ3), were made using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The results demonstrated that the CitB family did not affect the growth of bacteria, the results of biochemical tests, invasion and proliferation in chicken macrophage HD-11 cells and the expression of fimbrial protein. But the mutants showed thicker biofilm formation, higher resistance to antimicrobial agents, enhanced tolerance to inhibition by egg albumen and increased virulence in chicken embryos. Moreover, the deletion of Dpi TCS was detrimental to survival after exposure to hyperosmotic and oxidative environments, as well as the long-term colonization of the small intestine of chickens. Collectively, we provided new knowledge regarding the possible role of the CitB family involved in the pathogenic processes of S. Pullorum.     

Identification and Functional Analysis of Key Autophosphorylation Residues of Arabidopsis Senescence Associated Receptor-like Kinase

Reversible protein phosphorylation mediated by protein kinases and phosphatases plays important roles in the regulation of leaf senescence. We previously reported that the senescence-associated leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase AtSARK autophosphorylates on both serine/threonine and tyrosine residues and functions as a positive regulator of Arabidopsis leaf senescence; the senescence-suppressed protein phosphatase SSPP interacts with and dephosphorylates the cytoplasmic domain of AtSARK, thereby negatively regulating leaf senescence. Here, 27 autophosphorylation residues of AtSARK were revealed by mass spectrometry analysis, and six of them, including two Ser, two Thr, and two Tyr residues, were further found to be important for the biological functions of AtSARK. All site-directed mutations of these six residues that resulted in decreased autophosphorylation level of AtSARK could significantly inhibit AtSARK-induced leaf senescence. In addition, mutations mimicking the dephosphorylation form of Ser384 (S384A) or the phosphorylation form of Tyr413 (Y413E) substantially reduced the interaction between AtSARK and SSPP. All results suggest that autophosphorylation of AtSARK is essential for its functions in promoting leaf senescence. The possible roles of S384 and Y413 residues in fine-tuning the interaction between AtSARK and SSPP are discussed herein.     

乌镇古镇滨水建筑外部空间研究

外部空间元素通过一定的组织手法有规律地形成了乌镇古镇的外部空间结构。使用建筑设计中的平面关系图和剖立面图来解析外部空间结构,从而清晰、明确体现这种外部空间结构,并总结出乌镇古镇外部空间的平面关系和剖立面关系的特点以及与西塘、南浔古镇的异同。