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The alternative oxidase (AOX), a common terminal oxidase in the electron transfer chain (ETC) of plants, plays a crucial role in stress resilience and plant growth and development. Oat (Avena sativa), an important crop with high nutritional value, has not been comprehensively studied regarding the AsAOX gene family. Therefore, this study explored the responses and potential functions of the AsAOX gene family to various abiotic stresses and their potential evolutionary pathways. Additionally, we conducted a genome-wide analysis to explore the evolutionary conservation and divergence of AOX gene families among three Avena species (Avena sativa, Avena insularis, Avena longiglumis) and four Poaceae species (Avena sativa, Oryza sativa, Triticum aestivum, and Brachypodium distachyon). We identified 12 AsAOX, 9 AiAOX, and 4 AlAOX gene family members. Phylogenetic, motif, domain, gene structure, and selective pressure analyses revealed that most AsAOXs, AiAOXs, and AlAOXs are evolutionarily conserved. We also identified 16 AsAOX segmental duplication pairs, suggesting that segmental duplication may have contributed to the expansion of the AsAOX gene family, potentially preserving these genes through subfunctionalization. Chromosome polyploidization, gene structural variations, and gene fragment recombination likely contributed to the evolution and expansion of the AsAOX gene family as well. Additionally, we hypothesize that AsAOX2 may have potential function in resisting wounding and heat stresses, while AsAOX4 could be specifically involved in mitigating wounding stress. AsAOX11 might contribute to resistance against chromium and waterlogging stresses. AsAOX8 may have potential fuction in mitigating ABA-mediated stress. AsAOX12 and AsAOX5 are most likely to have potential function in mitigating salt and drought stresses, respectively. This study elucidates the potential evolutionary pathways of the AsAOXs gene family, explores their responses and potential functions to various abiotic stresses, identifies potential candidate genes for future functional studies, and facilitates molecular breeding applications in A. sativa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objectives Genetic analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains circulating in India during 2020-2022 was carried out to understand the evolution of potentially expanding and divergent clades. Methods SARS-CoV-2 sequences (n=612) randomly selected from among the sequences of samples collected through a nationwide network of Virus Research Diagnostic Laboratories during 2020 (n=1532) and Indian sequences available in Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data during March 2020-March 2022 (n=53077), were analyzed using the phylo-geo haplotype network approach with reference to the Wuhan prototype sequence. Results On haplotype analysis, 420 haplotypes were revealed from 643 segregating sites among the sequences. Haplotype sharing was noted among the strains from different geographical regions. Nevertheless, the genetic distance among the viral haplotypes from different clades could differentiate the strains into distinct haplo groups regarding variant emergence. Interpretation & conclusions The haplotype analysis revealed that the G and GR clades were co-evolved and an epicentrefor the evolution of the GH, GK and GRA clades. GH was more frequently identified in northern parts of India than in other parts, whereas GK was detected less in north India than in other parts. Thus, the network analysis facilitated a detailed illustration of the pathways of evolution and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the transition from nonplanar to planar clusters is crucial for the controllable synthesis of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayers. Using PtSe 2 as a model, we investigate how the chemical environment influences the nucleation and growth stages of monolayer PtSe 2 through structure searching and first-principles calculations. We established a comprehensive database of platinum selenide clusters (Pt x Se y , x = 1-10), analyzing 2095 unique clusters and identifying 191 stable isomers and 63 structures with the lowest formation energy on the convex hull. Our findings reveal a chemical environment-dependent phase transition from 3D structures to the planar T-phase of Pt x Se y clusters, representing an evolutionary route for PtSe 2 growth. Clusters such as PtSe 6 , Pt 2 Se 9 , Pt 3 Se 10 , and Pt 7 Se 10 in Pt-rich environments, as well as Pt 2 Se 15 and Pt 10 Se 32 in Se-rich environments, have been found to exhibit high stability. Additionally, the impact of varying chemical potentials of Pt and Se on the stability of these clusters is explored. PtSe 4 and PtSe 6 are found to be highly stable under most experimentally achievable chemical potential conditions and may serve as dominant precursors during PtSe 2 growth. This work advances our understanding of the nucleation processes of PtSe 2 and other T-phase TMDC materials.

In the context of carbon-neutral, countries are urging a social-wide transition to decarbonization. However, the efficiency of this transition has not been as expected due to the game of benefits among relevant players. Here, we develop a quadrilateral evolutionary game model that highlights the complex interactions at a multi-player level, including producers, regulators, third-party certifiers, and consumers, in order to analyze evolutionary pathways and stable strategies. Our results suggest that: (1) there are significant correlations among the quadrilateral game players, and the benign interactions among them will effectively drive the social-wide low-carbon transition; (2) if consumers have higher low-carbon preferences, producers will be attracted to actively choose the low-carbon transition strategy, which may form a stable portfolio strategy; (3) proper interventions, such as reducing transition costs, increasing reputation loss, and raising consumers' whistle-blowing abilities, can help promote the systematic evolution to the low-carbon state; and (4) rent-seeking behavior between producers and third-party certifiers should be strongly monitored by regulators, and higher penalties can prevent their duty dereliction. These findings provide significant implications for policy-makers to make better-informed decisions about the social-wide low-carbon transition in the context of carbon-neutral. • The evolutionary game model on low-carbon transition is constructed. • Consumers' low-carbon preference is the priority factor of transition willingness. • Strong regulation can urge producers to transit into low-carbon production. • Higher penalties to avoid collusion, higher validity of low-carbon certificates. • Whistle-blowing behavior actively affects the evolutionary system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]