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The leaf morphology is an important agronomic trait in crop production. Our study identified a maple leaf type (mlt) cucumber mutant and located the regulatory gene for leaf shape changes through BSA results. Hybrid F1 and F2 populations were generated by F1 self-crossing, and the candidate mlt genes were identified within the 2.8 Mb region of chromosome 2 using map cloning. Through the sequencing and expression analysis of genes within the bulk segregant analysis (BSA) region, we identified the target gene for leaf shape regulation as CsWOX4 (CsaV3_2G026510). The change from base C to T in the original sequence led to frameshift mutations and the premature termination of translation, resulting in shortened encoded proteins and conserved WUSCHEL (WUS) box sequence loss. The specific expression analysis of the CsWOX4/Cswox4 genes in the roots, stems, leaves and other tissue types of wild-type (WT) and mutant plants revealed that CsWOX4 was higher in the root, but Cswox4 (mutant gene) was significantly higher in the leaf. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that CsWOX4 was localized in the nucleus. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the mitochondrial cell cycle phase transition, nucleosome and microtubule binding pathways. Simultaneously, the quantitative analysis of the expression trends of 25 typical genes regulating the leaf types revealed the significant upregulation of CsPIN3. In our study, we found that the conserved domain of CsWOX4 was missing in the mutant, and the transcriptome data revealed that the expression of some genes, such as CsPIN3, changed simultaneously, thereby jointly regulating changes in the cucumber leaf type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization severely limits the quality and productivity of economic crops, threatening global food security. Recent advancements have improved our understanding of how plants perceive, signal, and respond to salt stress. The discovery of the Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway has been crucial in revealing the molecular mechanisms behind plant salinity tolerance. Additionally, extensive research into various plant hormones, transcription factors, and signaling molecules has greatly enhanced our knowledge of plants' salinity tolerance mechanisms. Cucurbitaceae plants, cherished for their economic value as fruits and vegetables, display sensitivity to salt stress. Despite garnering some attention, research on the salinity tolerance of these plants remains somewhat scattered and disorganized. Consequently, this article offers a review centered on three aspects: the salt response of Cucurbitaceae under stress; physiological and biochemical responses to salt stress; and the current research status of their molecular mechanisms in economically significant crops, like cucumbers, watermelons, melon, and loofahs. Additionally, some measures to improve the salt tolerance of Cucurbitaceae crops are summarized. It aims to provide insights for the in-depth exploration of Cucurbitaceae's salt response mechanisms, uncovering the roles of salt-resistant genes and fostering the cultivation of novel varieties through molecular biology in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haze pollution has become a global environmental problem, subsequently affecting air quality, climate, economy and human health. Notably, PM 2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) significantly accounts for a variety of adverse health effects, in particular pulmonary diseases such as asthma and lung cancer. Clinical diagnosis and medical treatment of the lung damage caused by PM 2.5 still remain significant challenges due to the lack of specific biomarkers and pathways. Here, we established a rat model of nonsurgical intratracheal instillation to investigate PM 2.5 exposure and employed iTRAQ based analytical technique and bioinformatics tools to identify putative biomarkers and pathways. We identified 163 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Among these proteins, we screened six DEPs (HMOX1, MP2K5, XRCC1 E9PTZ7, KNT2 and A1AG) as the putative biomarkers, with significant differentially expressed levels (percentage increment > 140%). Pathway analysis indicated that calcium signaling, MAPK and PI3K/AKT might be involved in the process of PM 2.5 -induced lung damage. Western-blotting was used to verify DEPs in the AEC-II cell model for early diagnosis. In summary, our data can serve as fundamental research clues for further studies of PM 2.5 -induced toxicity in the lungs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The antitumor and antioxidative activities of a rapeseed protein hydrolysate (RSCH) obtained from rapeseed meal were evaluated by using an in vivo S180 tumor-bearing Kunming mice model. Tumor-bearing female mice were given RSCH for 10 at doses of 0, 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg/d by gastric perfusion. RSCH significantly decreased the tumor weight by 44% and 53% in the 100 and 150 mg/kg/d groups, respectively, without causing mortality or growth retardation. The thymus and spleen indices (organ weight relative to body weight) were increased significantly in the 150 mg/kg/d group. The phagocytic capability of coeliac macrophages and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) were significantly increased in tumor-bearing mice treated with RSCH at 150 mg/kg/d. RSCH administration also enhanced the superoxide dismutase activity and reduced the serum level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Our results show that an oral RSCH administration had an antitumor protective effect and may improve immune function by reducing free radical formation and oxidative stress in a murine model.