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The food industry has incurred substantial losses from contamination by Pseudomonas fluorescens, emphasizing the critical importance of implementing effective control strategies. Phages are potential sterilizers due to their specific killing abilities and the difficulty bacteria face in developing resistance. However, a significant barrier to their development is the lack of diversity among phage types. In this study, we characterized a novel lytic P. fluorescens phage, named vB_PF_Y1-MI. Phage vB_PF_Y1-MI displayed a latent period of nearly 10 min and a high burst size of 1493 PFU/cell. This phage showed good activity over a wide range of temperature (up to 70 °C) and pH (3–12). The genome of phage vB_PF_Y1-MI spans 93,233 bp with a GC content of 45%. It encompasses 174 open-reading frames and 19 tRNA genes, while no lysogeny or virulence-associated genes were detected. Phylogenetic analysis positions it as a novel unassigned evolutionary lineage within the Caudoviricetes class among related dsDNA phages. Our study provides foundational insights into vB_PF_Y1-MI and emphasizes its potential as an effective biological control agent against P. fluorescens. This research offers crucial theoretical groundwork and technical support for subsequent efforts in preventing and controlling P. fluorescens contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: The exploration and dissection of a set of QTLs and candidate genes for gray leaf spot disease resistance using two fully assembled parental genomes may help expedite maize resistance breeding. The fungal disease of maize known as gray leaf spot (GLS), caused by Cercospora zeae-maydis and Cercospora zeina, is a significant concern in China, Southern Africa, and the USA. Resistance to GLS is governed by multiple genes with an additive effect and is influenced by both genotype and environment. The most effective way to reduce the cost of production is to develop resistant hybrids. In this study, we utilized the IBM Syn 10 Doubled Haploid (IBM Syn10 DH) population to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with resistance to gray leaf spot (GLS) in multiple locations. Analysis of seven distinct environments revealed a total of 58 QTLs, 49 of which formed 12 discrete clusters distributed across chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 10. By comparing these findings with published research, we identified colocalized QTLs or GWAS loci within eleven clustering intervals. By integrating transcriptome data with genomic structural variations between parental individuals, we identified a total of 110 genes that exhibit both robust disparities in gene expression and structural alterations. Further analysis revealed 19 potential candidate genes encoding conserved resistance gene domains, including putative leucine-rich repeat receptors, NLP transcription factors, fucosyltransferases, and putative xyloglucan galactosyltransferases. Our results provide a valuable resource and linked loci for GLS marker resistance selection breeding in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide residues significantly affect food safety and harm human health. In this work, a series of near-infrared fluorescent probes were designed and developed by acylating the hydroxyl group of the hemicyanine skeleton with a quenching moiety for monitoring the presence of organophosphorus pesticides in food and live cells. The carboxylic ester bond on the probe was hydrolyzed catalytically in the presence of carboxylesterase and thereby the fluorophore was released with near-infrared emission. Notably, the proposed probe 1 exhibited excellent sensitivity against organophosphorus based on the carboxylesterase inhibition mechanism and the detection limit for isocarbophos achieved 0.1734 μg/L in the fresh vegetable sample. More importantly, probe 1 allowed for situ visualization of organophosphorus in live cells and bacteria, meaning great potential for tracking the organophosphorus in biological systems. Consequently, this study presents a promising strategy for tracking pesticide residues in food and biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity is one of the most severe environmental threats inhibiting crop growth and productivity. Strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of Cd stress on plants are under scrutiny. Nano silicon dioxide (nSiO2) is an emerging material and could protect plants against abiotic stress. Can nSiO2 alleviate Cd toxicity in barley, and the possible mechanisms are poorly understood. A hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the mitigation effects of nSiO2 on Cd toxicity in barley seedlings. The results showed that the application of nSiO2 (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L) increased barley plant growth and chlorophyll and protein content, improving photosynthesis, compared with Cd-treated alone. Specifically, 5–40 mg/L nSiO2 addition increased net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 17.1, 38.0, 30.3, and − 9.7%, respectively, relative to the Cd treatment alone. Furthermore, exogenous nSiO2 reduced Cd concentration and balanced mineral nutrient uptake. The application of 5–40 mg/L nSiO2 decreased Cd concentration in barley leaves by 17.5, 25.4, 16.7, and 5.8%, respectively, relative to the Cd treatment alone. Moreover, exogenous nSiO2 lowered malondialdehyde (MDA) content by 13.6–35.0% in roots, and by 13.5–27.2% in leaves, respectively, compared with Cd-treated alone. Besides, nSiO2 altered antioxidant enzyme activities and alleviated detrimental effects on Cd-treated plants, attaining maximal values at 10 mg/L nSiO2. These findings revealed that exogenous nSiO2 application may be a viable option for addressing Cd toxicity of barley plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel lytic Serratia liquefaciens phage, named vB_SlqM_MQ-4, was isolated from sewage. BLASTn analysis showed that the genome sequence of phage vB_SlqM_MQ-4 shared only 15% query coverage with that of Escherichia phage vB_EcoM-ep3, with 80.52% identity. Genomic analysis demonstrated that phage vB_SlqM_MQ-4 has a 43,534-bp dsDNA genome with 56% GC content and might be a member of a new genus in the order Caudoviricetes. Moreover, vB_SlqM_MQ-4 exhibited strong lytic performance with a short latent period (10 min) and a high burst size (267 PFU per cell) as well as a wide range of thermal (below 70 ℃) and pH tolerance (pH 4–12). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important food crop in the world, with significant acreage and production across the globe. However, it is affected by low temperatures throughout its growth process, especially during germination. Therefore, it is important to identify more QTLs or genes associated with germination under low-temperature conditions. For the QTL analysis of traits related to low-temperature germination, we used a high-res genetic map of 213 lines of the intermated B73 × Mo17 (IBM) Syn10 doubled haploid (DH) population, which had 6618 bin markers. We detected 28 QTLs of eight phenotypic characteristics associated with low-temperature germination, while they explained the phenotypic contribution rate of 5.4 ~ 13.34%. Additionally, 14 overlapping QTLs produced six QTL clusters on every chromosome, except for 8 and 10. RNA-Seq found six genes related to low-temperature tolerance in these QTLs, while qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the expression trends of the Zm00001d045568 gene in the LT_BvsLT_M group and the CK_BvsCK_M group were highly significantly different at all four-time points (P < 0.01), and encoded the RING zinc finger protein. It was located on qRTL9-2 and qRSVI9-1 and is related to the total length and simple vitality index. These results provided potential candidate genes for further gene cloning and improving the low-temperature tolerance of maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Enzyme-targeted near-infrared fluorescent probe for organophosphorus pesticide residue detection" published in Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry. The correction states that there was a mistake in the original article regarding the order of author's affiliations. The authors have agreed to rearrange the order of affiliations, and the original article has been corrected. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral in terms of jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. The authors of the article are Shan Luo, Ruichen Peng, Ying Wang, Xianjun Liu, Jiali Ren, Wang Li, Ying Xiong, Sili Yi, and Qian Wen. [Extracted from the article]

Rechargeable hybrid zinc battery has a higher working voltage and a higher energy density than the conventional zinc-air battery and is considered as one of the potential candidates for the next generation of secondary batteries. Herein, we demonstrate a novel rechargeable hybrid zinc battery using Co3O4 nanowire arrays grown directly on nickel foam current collector as electro-catalysts of a cathode, coupled with a steel-foil anode current collector in 6 M KOH aqueous solution electrolyte with adding ZnO. The synthesized Co3O4 nanowire arrays with a unique open 3D structure ensure the effective utilization of the catalytic sites and rapid diffusion of oxygen, thus providing excellent electrochemical performances. The resultant battery can deliver electrochemical energy through the redox reactions of cobalt oxides in the Zn-Co3O4 battery and ORR/OER in the Zn-air battery. The hybrid zinc battery cycled steadily up to 2200 cycles (over 977 h) with the highest Coulombic efficiency of 92.8%. Almost every cycle exhibits a single flat discharge voltage plateau at around 1.65 V. These results provide critical advances in developing a robust rechargeable hybrid zinc battery for large-scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylene blue (MB) adsorption capacity in water matrices depends highly on the properties of each component of the adsorption systems. The most important one of these is the physicochemical properties of the adsorbent. A composite gel bead was prepared from graphene oxide (GO) and sodium alginate (SA) through a combination of freeze-drying and cross-linking with calcium chloride. Fundamental adsorption behavior of the gel beads for removal of MB from aqueous solutions has been investigated. The pH had mild influence on the adsorption, while adsorption increased as the adsorbent dosage, initial concentration, and contact time increased. The kinetic adsorption fitted the pseudo second-order and intraparticle diffusion models. The isotherm data followed the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The maximum adsorption capacity from the Langmuir isotherm equation reached 357.14 mg/g. The results of the thermodynamic investigations indicated that the adsorption reactions were spontaneous (ΔG<0, −13.79 kJ/mol), exothermic (ΔH<0, −46.7 kJ/mol). In addition, the adsorption capacity of the regenerated gel beads has little loss until four cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prediction accuracy and prediction time are key elements that determine the landing safety of the carrier-based aircraft when ship motions in six-degree freedom are difficult to restrain. The classical prediction methods, such as auto-regressive and moving average model (ARMA) and radical basis function neural network (RBF-NN), always suffer from the drawbacks of short prediction time and low accuracy caused by the nonlinearity and randomness of deck-motion. Aiming to lengthen prediction time and improve prediction accuracy, an online prediction method based on Least Square Support Vector Machine (LSSVM) is proposed with the comprehensive consideration of the characters of deck-motion and inertial navigation system (INS)—an instrument to measure motions including deck-motion. For the sequentiality and timeliness of deck-motion, the proposed online LSSVM prediction method is divided into two stages—information accumulation stage and information window stage. To acquire optimal parameters for LSSVM—the number of samples, the length of sample, the parameter for kernel function and the penalty factor, genetic algorithm (GA) is adopted; in addition, the fitness function for GA is designed according to the periodicity of deck-motion. The prediction tests are conducted with data from deck-motion models and sea trail, respectively, and the results indicate that the proposed method can provide a preferable result compared with those methods based on ARMA, RBF-NN and Particle Swarm Optimization and Kernel Extreme Learning Machine (PSO-KELM) when the data mapping relations are nonlinear and changeable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Ni-La/γ-AlO catalysts were prepared by adopting the methods of isometric impregnation and microwave impregnation. The catalysts were characterized with XRD, BET, and SEM, respectively. Inspecting the effects of adding La and the methods of impregnation on the hydrogenation activity of catalysts. The results show that adding a moderate amount of La promotes the dispersing of Ni on the carrier, the methods of microwave impregnation weaks the interaction between Ni and the carrier further, inhibits the formation of NiAlO, and the activity of catalyst prepared by the methods of microwave impregnation was significantly higher than that prepared by the methods of isometric impregnation. The hydrogenation activity of the Ni-La/γ-AlO (WB) dipped with n(Ni): n(La) = 4: 1, microwave irradiation time 30 min with power 600W as well as calcined at 400°C exhibited the best performance. The conversion rate is 91.21% with reaction conditions: T = 160°C, p = 0.8 MPa, air speed 5 h, n(H): n(benzene) = 2: 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head smut is a disease caused severely yield losses both in commercial maize and seed production in the spring maize growing region in northeastern China. In previous study, we located the major QTL qHS2.09 between SNP PZE-102187486 and PZE-102188421 by combined linkage and association mapping within an interval of ≈1.00 Mb. In this study, we report the development of six derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) markers based on discovered single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) closely linked to the major QTL qHS2.09. There was consistent allele pattern produced by SNPs and dCAPS for the same base mutation. The dCAPS marker for head smut resistance trait could be assayed by PAGE gel electrophoresis and be efficient in identification of maize inbred line Mo17, Qi319 and their derivatives. New markers were validated in fine mapping and evaluated the efficiency in 56 maize inbred lines. These dCAPS markers will facilitate as marker-assisted selection for maize breeding program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arabidopsis Transparent Testa Glabra 1 ( TTG1) genes were cloned from three diploid Brassica species ( B. rapa, B. nigra and B. oleracea) and two amphidiploids species ( B. juncea and B. carinata) by homology cloning. TTG1 homologues identified in all the accessions of the investigated species had a coding sequence of 1,014 bp. One copy was obtained from each diploid species and two copies from each amphidiploid species. Combined analysis of the TTG1 sequences cloned in this study with those obtained from public databases demonstrated that three, forty-five and seven nucleotides were specific variations in TTG1 genes from genomes A, B and C, respectively. Primers designed with genome-specific nucleotide variations were able to distinguish among TTG1 genes originating from genomes A, B and C in Brassica. Therefore, the TTG1 gene could serve as a candidate marker gene to detect the pollen flow of Brassica and provide an alternative method for the detection of pollen drift and risk assessment of gene flow in Brassica species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain moisture in maize at harvest depends on the grain drying rate (GDR) after physiological maturity. The maize plants with high GDR can reduce grain moisture rapidly, which will shorten the drying time after harvest and prevent the grain to be mildew and enhance maize quality. In this study, A total of 280 recombinant inbred lines that were derived from a cross between Ji846 (high drying rate, 1.18 % day) and Ye3189 (slow drying rate, 0.39 % day) were used to construct genetic linkage map and identify QTL underlying GDR in different environments. A genetic linkage map was constructed containing 97 SSR and 49 AFLP markers, which covered 2356.8 cM of the maize genome, with an average distance of 16.1 cM. Composite interval mapping identified 14 QTL for GDR after physiological maturity located on chromosomes 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8. The additive effects of QTL were all from Ji846. The range of phenotypic variation explained by the QTL was 5.05-16.28 %. But only two QTL (qKdr-2-1, qKdr-3-6) were identified across both locations. qKdr-2-1 positioned between the markers phi090-umc1560 on chromosome 2 explained 15.59 % of the phenotypic variance, and the other qKdr-3-6 positioned between the markers phi046-bnlg1754 on chromosome 3 explained 10.28 % of the phenotypic variance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MAPK kinase 1 interacting protein 1 (MAP2K1ip1) is an important scaffold proteins of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway that form an active signaling module and enhance the specificity and spatiality of MAPK signaling. In the present study, we identified and characterized a MAP2K1ip1 cDNA from tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon (designated as PmMAP2K1ip1). The open reading frame of PmMAP2K1ip1 is 372 bp encoding 123 amino-acid residues with a MAPK interaction domain. The predicted PmMAP2Kip1 protein is 13.6 KDa with the theoretical isoelectric point of 6.3. PmMAP2K1ip1 shared the highest amino acid with Nasonia vitripennis and Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, at 48% and 47.5%, respectively. Phylogenic analysis shows PmMAP2Kip1 is clustering with SpMAP2Kip1, and close to the group of MAP2Kip1s from insect. Furthermore, semiquantitative RT-PCR revealed PmMAP2Kip1 is widely distributed in most examined tissues except nerve, and high expressed in ovary, hemocyte, intestines and hepatopancreas. Meanwhile, PmMAP2k1ip1 is expressed ubiquitously during larval and sex gland development, and keep a high level at the initial development stage. Quantitative real time RT-PCR revealed PmMAP2K1ip1 were up-regulated by lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan (PGN) in haemocyte. These data reveal MAP2K1ip1 is a multifunction protein that involved development and immune response. It is benefit to characterize other MAPK signal genes and elucidate the molecular regulation mechanism of MAPK signaling in tiger shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) is a key enzyme of the proanthocyanidin biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis. In this study, we report cloning and characterization of an ANS homolog, BjANS, from Brassica juncea. The BjANS cDNA sequence is 1,377 bp long and has a 1,077-bp open reading frame encoding a deduced polypeptide of 358 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 40,862 Da and an estimated isoelectric point of 5.18. The putative BjANS protein shows 91-99% amino acid sequence identity with Arabidopsis thaliana, Matthiola incana, B. rapa and B. oleracea ANS proteins. The expression of BjANS was analyzed in yellow- and black-seeded B. juncea accessions to determine its physiological function. RT-PCR analysis showed that BjANS expressed in the seed coats of the black-seeded lines and in embryos of the all lines, but not in the yellow-seeded seed coats. Proanthocyanidins were also detected by histochemical analysis in the seed coat of black-seeded accessions and in embryos of all the lines, but not the yellow-seeded seed coat. Both transcriptional and histochemical analyses confirmed that BjANS was involved in the biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins and in seed coat color formation of B. juncea. Lack of BjANS expression blocked biosynthesis of proanthocyanidins in the yellow seed coat, and therefore seeds appeared yellow because of transparent testa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prokaryotic tRNA guanine transglycosylase (TGT) catalyzes replacement of guanine (G) by 7-aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine (PreQ1) at the wobble position of four specific tRNAs. Addition of 9-deazaguanine (9dzG) to a reaction mixture of Zymomonas mobilis TGT and an RNA substrate allowed us to trap, purify and crystallize a chemically competent covalent intermediate of the TGT-catalyzed reaction. The crystal structure of the TGT-RNA-9dzG ternary complex at a resolution of 2.9 Å reveals, unexpectedly, that RNA is tethered to TGT through the side chain of Asp280. Thus, Asp280, instead of the previously proposed Asp102, acts as the nucleophile for the reaction. The RNA substrate adopts an unusual conformation, with four out of seven nucleotides in the loop region flipped out. Interactions between TGT and RNA revealed by the structure provide the molecular basis of the RNA substrate requirements by TGT. Furthermore, reaction of PreQ1 with the crystallized covalent intermediate provides insight into the necessary structural changes required for the TGT-catalyzed reaction to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although are spraying is not a new technique, recent development of arc spraying device systems, spray wires, research on the coating mechanism, and the dynamic behavior of spraying make it a most active thermal spray process. In China, the arc spraying technique is the most efficient way for long life corrosion protection of steel structures. In addition, the arc spraying process is widely used for renovation and surface modification of machine components, mold making for plastic products, high-temperature corrosion resistance for waterwalls of boilers, antisliding coatings, self-lubricating coatings, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propionate has been reported to exert antidepressant effects, but high-dose propionate may induce autism-like symptoms in experimental animals through induction of dysbiosis of neurotransmitters. The bi-directional effects of propionate seem to be dose-dependent. However, due to the pathological discrepancies between depression and autism, conclusions drawn from autism may not be simply transferable to depression. The effect and underlying action mechanisms of high-dose propionate on depression remains undetermined. To investigate the effects of propionate on depression, propionate dose gradients were intravenously administrated to rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 1 week. Results of these behavioral tests demonstrate that low-dose propionate (2 mg/kg body weight/day) induces antidepressant effect through bodyweight recovery, elevated reward-seeking behaviors, and reduced depression-like behaviors, while high-dose propionate (200 mg/kg body weight/day) induces prodepressant effects opposite of those of low-dose propionate. A comprehensive profiling of neurotransmitters in the hippocampus demonstrated that CUMS induces reduction of NE (Norepinephrine), DA (Dopamine). GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) was recovered by low-dose propionate, while high-dose propionate exerted more complicated effects on neurotransmitters, including reduction of NE, DA, 5-Hydroxytryptamine and Tryptophan, and increase of GABA, Kynurenine, Homovanillic acid, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 3-methoxytyramine. The neurotransmitters disturbed by high-dose propionate suggest metabolic disorders in the hippocampus, which were confirmed by the clear group separation in PCA of metabolomic profiling. The results of this study demonstrate the double-edged dose-dependent effects of propionate on depression and suggest potential cumulative toxicity of propionate as a food additive to mood disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been suspected to contribute to several autoimmune diseases, including Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), although the exact mechanism is unknown. The 2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS1) is one of the most important components of the immune system and has significant antiviral functions. We studied a polymorphism rs10774671 of OAS1 gene in Han Chinese descent. The minor allele G was significantly associated with a decreased risk for SS, anti-SSA-positive SS, and anti-SSA-positive SS complicated with HBV infection, which have not been seen in anti-SSA-negative SS and HBcAb-negative SS patients. Gene expression analysis showed that the risk-conferring A allele was correlated with lower expression of p46 and increased expression of p42, p48, and p44. A functional study of enzymatic activities revealed that the p42, p44, and p48 isoforms display a reduced capacity to inhibit HBV replication in HepG2 cells compared to the normal p46 isoform. Our data demonstrated that the functional variant, rs10774671, is associated with HBV infection and anti-SSA antibody-positive SS. The SAS variant switches the primary p46 isoform to three alternatives with decreased capacities to inhibit HBV replication. These data indicated that individuals harboring the risk allele might be susceptible to hepatitis B infection and SS development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a correction to the article "Chemical Trapping and Crystal Structure of a Catalytic tRNA Guanine Transglycosylase Covalent Intermediate," that was previously published in a 2003 issue of "Nature Structural & Molecular Biology."