Search

How the membrane trafficking system spatially organizes intracellular activities and intercellular signaling networks in plants is not well understood. Transport Protein Particle (TRAPP) complexes play key roles in the selective delivery of membrane vesicles to various subcellular compartments in yeast and animals but remain to be fully characterized in plants. Here, we investigated TRAPP complexes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) using immunoprecipitation followed by quantitative mass spectrometry analysis of AtTRS33, a conserved core component of all TRAPP complexes. We identified 14 AtTRS33-interacting proteins, including homologs of all 13 TRAPP components in mammals and a protein that has homologs only in multicellular photosynthetic organisms and is thus named TRAPP-Interacting Plant Protein (TRIPP). TRIPP specifically associates with the TRAPPII complex through binary interactions with two TRAPPII-specific subunits. TRIPP colocalized with a subset of TRS33 compartments and trans -Golgi network markers in a TRS33-dependent manner. Loss-of-function tripp mutants exhibited dwarfism, sterility, partial photomorphogenesis in the dark, reduced polarity of the auxin transporter PIN2, incomplete cross wall formation, and altered localization of a TRAPPII-specific component. Therefore, TRIPP is a plant-specific component of the TRAPPII complex with important functions in trafficking, plant growth, and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, fractional partial differential equation (FPDE) has been widely applied in options pricing problems, which better explains many important empirical facts of financial markets. However, the vast majority of the literatures focus on pricing the single asset option under the FPDE framework. In this paper, a two-dimensional FPDE governing the valuation of rainbow options is established, where two underlying assets are assumed to follow independent exponential Lévy processes, and its boundary conditions are determined by solving one-dimensional FPDEs. A second-order accurate finite difference scheme is proposed to discretize the two-dimensional FPDE. Given the block Toeplitz with Toeplitz block structure of the coefficient matrix, a fast preconditioned Krylov subspace method is developed for solving the resulting linear system with O (N log N) computational complexity per iteration, where N is the matrix size. The proposed preconditioner accelerates the convergence of the iterative method with theoretical analysis. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of our proposed numerical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although pioneering studies using statistical methods in geographical data analysis were published in the 1930s, it was only in the 1960s that their increasing use in human geography led to a claim that a 'quantitative revolution' had taken place. The widespread use of quantitative methods from then on was associated with changes in both disciplinary philosophy and substantive focus. The first decades of the 'revolution' saw quantitative analyses focused on the search for spatial order of a geometric form within an, often implicit, logical positivist framework. In the first of three reviews of the use of quantitative methods in human geography, this progress report uncovers their origin with regard to the underlying philosophy, the focus on spatial order, and the nature of the methods deployed. Subsequent reports will outline the changes in all three that occurred in later decades and will chart the contemporary situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroatom-doping engineering has been recognized as an effective strategy to improve the activity and stability of electrocatalytic materials. Herein, we fabricated a bimetallic Mo/Mn codoped three-phase nickel sulfide on Ni foam, with Mo/Mn-NixSy/NF successfully synthesized via hydrothermal synthesis and calcination. In order to better explore the codoping effect of Mo/Mn, we also synthesised Ni3S2/NF, NiS@Ni0.96S/NF, Mo-Ni3S2/NF and Mn-NiS@Ni0.96S/NF and their electrocatalytic activities (HER, OER, and overall water splitting) were systematically investigated. As expected, Mo/Mn-NixSy/NF catalysts exhibited excellent catalytic activities and long-term durability. High electrochemical performance of Mo/Mn-NixSy/NF exceeded that of most reported non-precious metal catalysts and also benchmark RuO2, IrO2 and Pt/C. Moreover, in order to better understand the catalytic process, three possible mechanisms were further proposed to rationalize the enhanced electrocatalytic performance. Our work might broaden the avenue to construct efficient non-precious bifunctional catalysts and further develop large-scale electricity-to-hydrogen applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The investigation of earth-abundant, durable, and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting was critical to future renewable energy systems. Herein, flower-like Mn-doped Cu 7.2 S 4 @NiS 2 @NiS was successfully assembled on 3D nickel foam (NF) substrate via a facile two-step hydrothermal‑sulfuration method (denote as flower-like Mn 2 -CNN/NF). Benefited from unique 3D configuration with firm contact between nanoflowers and Ni foam, flower-like Mn 2 -CNN/NF electrode demonstrated a low overpotential of 252 mV to achieve a current density of 50 mA cm−2 and 24 h-long stability toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH. For hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a stable current density of 10 mA cm−2 at only an overpotential of 87 mV and a low Tafel slope of 43.7 mV dec−1 were observed. Furthermore, when assembled as electrolyzers on both cathode and anode for stable water splitting, a low cell voltage of 1.514 V was needed for flower-like Mn 2 -CNN/NF to afford the current density of 10 mA cm−2 and distinguished durability for over 46 h was observed, which presented a wide range of possibilities for the development of earth-abundant and high efficient electrode pairs. Graphical abstract The obtained flower-like Mn-doped Cu 7.2 S 4 @NiS 2 @NiS/NF electrode exhibited superior electrocatalytic performance and extraordinary durability for OER, HER, and overall water splitting. Unlabelled Image Highlights • Flower-like Mn-doped Cu 7.2 S 4 @NiS 2 @NiS/NF hybrids were synthesized. • Flower-like Mn 2 -CNN/NF characterized excellent OER and HER activity. • Flower-like Mn 2 -CNN/NF presented superior overall water splitting activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Symbiotic nitrogen (N2) fixation plays a vital role in sustainable agriculture. Efficient N2 fixation requires various materials, including phosphate (Pi); however, the molecular mechanism underlying the transport of Pi into nodules and bacteroids remains largely unknown.A nodule‐localized Pi transporter, GmPT7, was functionally characterized in soybean (Glycine max) and its role in N2 fixation and yield was investigated via composite and whole transgenic plants.GmPT7 protein was localized to the plasma membrane and showed transport activity for Pi in yeast. Altered expression of GmPT7 changed 33Pi uptake from rhizosphere and translocation to bacteroids. GmPT7 was mainly localized to the outer cortex and fixation zones of the nodules. Overexpression of GmPT7 promoted nodulation, and increased plant biomass, shoot nitrogen and phosphorus content, resulting in improved soybean yield by up to 36%. Double suppression of GmPT5 and GmPT7 led to nearly complete elimination of nodulation and over 50% reduction in plant biomass, shoot nitrogen and phosphorus content, indicating that both GmPT7 and GmPT5 contribute to Pi transport for N2 fixation.Taken together, our results indicate that GmPT7 is a transporter responsible for direct Pi entry to nodules and further to fixation zones, which is required for enhancing symbiotic N2 fixation and grain yield of soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic, progressive lung disease, characterized by excessive matrix formation, destruction of the normal lung architecture, dysfunction and finally death. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a promising pleiotropic regulator in glucolipid metabolism. Recently, we reported that FGF21 attenuates hepatic fibrogenesis. However, the role of FGF21 on PF is unknown. In this study, mice endotracheal instilled with bleomycin (BLM) were used to study the effect of FGF21 on PF. Bleomycin-instilled mice were administered with pirfenidone (PFD) or FGF21 daily for 3 weeks from 7 days after instillation of BLM. Results showed FGF21 and PFD attenuated the dense deposition of collagen, intense infiltration of inflammatory cells and destruction of tissue architecture in lungs caused by BLM, and also alleviated the increased expression of TGF-β, Col I and α-SMA and decreased the expression of E-cadherin. At the same time, FGF21 also markedly reversed the activity of SOD and T-AOC, decreased the enhanced content of MDA and increased the expression of Nrf-2 in the lungs of BLM-treated mice. To further explore the mechanisms of FGF21 attenuate PF by amelioration of oxidative stress, we examined the effect of FGF21 in A549 cells treated with paraquat (PQ). A549 cells were incubated with PQ plus FGF21 or PFD for 48 h. The results showed that FGF21 and PFD reduced the expression of TGF-β, Col I and α-SMA and increased the expression of E-cadherin in PQ-treated A549 cells. FGF21 also suppressed oxidative stress in PQ-treated A549 cells, as evidenced by a decrease of the MDA level, a reversed activity of antioxidant enzymes and an increased expression of Nrf-2. We conclude that FGF21 inhibits pulmonary fibrosis through activating Nrf-2 pathway, subsequently suppressing oxidative stress, inhibiting ECM deposition and pulmonary fibrogenesis, suggesting that FGF21 has potential as therapeutic agent for treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, targeting inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenic process of rheumatoid arthritis is now performed as a feasible biological method in therapy. However, treatments against single cytokine are often difficult to achieve the ideal therapeutic effect. Multi-target drugs permit more effective suppression of inflammation. In this study, we constructed an IgG-like bispecific antibody targeting IL-1β and IL-17A and expressed it in mammalian cells. The therapeutic efficacy was studied in CIA (collagen-induced arthritis) mice, which were administrated with either FL-BsAb1/17 (IgG-like bispecific antibody targeting IL-1β and IL-17A) or monovalent IL-1β Mab or IL-17A Mab (anti-IL-1β/IL-17A monoclonal antibody). We noticed that FL-BsAb1/17 had better effect on alleviating clinical symptom by significantly lowering arthritis score and relieving histological lesion on aspect of less damnification in synovial hyperplasia and cartilage destruction than monovalent Mab alone. In addition, FL-BsAb1/17 was more potent in inhibiting IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-6, TNF-α and anti-CCP antibody in the serum and in down-regulating the expression of IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-3 and RANKL in the spleen, compared to monovalent Mab alone. Further, the anti-inflammatory effect of FL-BsAb1/17 was demonstrated by significantly depressing Th17 cells expansion through decreasing phosphorylated STAT3 in the spleen of the CIA mice. FLS (fibroblast-like synoviocytes) from RA patients were used to examine the therapeutic efficacy of FL-BsAb1/17 in human pathological tissue. FL-BsAb1/17 could significantly decrease the production of IL-6 induced by IL-1β and/or IL-17A in FLS. In conclusion, FL-BsAb1/17 has the possibility to be a promising therapeutic agent for RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary For maintenance of cellular homeostasis, the actions of growth-promoting hormones must be attenuated when nutrient and energy become limiting. The molecular mechanisms that coordinate hormone-dependent growth responses with nutrient availability remain poorly understood in plants [ 1, 2 ]. The target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase is an evolutionarily conserved master regulator that integrates nutrient and energy signaling to regulate growth and homeostasis in both animals and plants [ 3–7 ]. Here, we show that sugar signaling through TOR controls the accumulation of the brassinosteroid (BR)-signaling transcription factor BZR1, which is essential for growth promotion by multiple hormonal and environmental signals [ 8–11 ]. Starvation, caused by shifting of light-grown Arabidopsis seedlings into darkness, as well as inhibition of TOR by inducible RNAi, led to plant growth arrest and reduced expression of BR-responsive genes. The growth arrest caused by TOR inactivation was partially recovered by BR treatment and the gain-of-function mutation bzr1-1D , which causes accumulation of active forms of BZR1 [ 12 ]. Exogenous sugar promoted BZR1 accumulation and seedling growth, but such sugar effects were largely abolished by inactivation of TOR, whereas the effect of TOR inactivation on BZR1 degradation is abolished by inhibition of autophagy and by the bzr1-1D mutation. These results indicate that cellular starvation leads sequentially to TOR inactivation, autophagy, and BZR1 degradation. Such regulation of BZR1 accumulation by glucose-TOR signaling allows carbon availability to control the growth promotion hormonal programs, ensuring supply-demand balance in plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A CDR3 mutant library was constructed from a previously isolated anti-HBV neutralizing Homo sapiens scFv-31 template by random mutant primers PCR. Then the library was displayed on the inner membrane surface in Escherichia coli periplasmic space. Seven scFv clones were isolated from the mutant library through three rounds of screening by flow cytometry. Competition ELISA assay indicates that isolated scFv fragments show more efficient binding ability to HBV PreS1 compared with parental scFv-31. HBV neutralization assay indicated that two clones (scFv-3 and 59) show higher neutralizing activity by blocking the HBV infection to Chang liver cells. Our method provides a new strategy for rapid screening of mutant antibody library for affinity-enhanced scFv clones and the neutralizing scFvs obtained from this study provide a potential alternative of Hepatitis B immune globulin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been demonstrated that circulating FGF21 levels are elevated in the serum and synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study is to investigate efficacy of FGF21 for treatment of RA and the molecular mechanisms of the therapeutic effect on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Mice with CIA were subcutaneously administered with FGF21 (5, 2 or 1 mg·kg − 1 ·d − 1 ), IL-1β antibody (5 mg·kg − 1 ·d − 1 ), IL-17A antibody (5 mg·kg − 1 ·d − 1 ) and dexamethasone (DEX) (1 mg·kg − 1 ·d − 1 ), respectively. The effects of treatment were determined by arthritis severity score, histological damage and cytokine production. The activation of NF-κB was analyzed by Western blotting. We also detected the levels of oxidative stress parameters. Our results showed that FGF21 had beneficial effects on clinical symptom and histological lesion of CIA mice. Similar to antibody and DEX, FGF21 treatment alleviated the severity of arthritis by reducing humoral and cellular immune responses and down-regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. FGF21 treatment also reduced the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ and MMP-3 and increased level of IL-10 in the spleen tissue or the plasma of CIA mice in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, FGF21 inhibited IκBα degradation and NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation and induced significant changes of oxidative stress parameters (MDA, SOD, CAT, GSH-PX and GSH) in the plasma. FGF21 exerts therapeutic efficacy for RA through antioxidant reaction and inhibiting NF-κB inflammatory pathway. This study provides evidence that FGF21 may be a promising therapeutic agent for RA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is associated with a spectrum of clinical outcomes, from long-term latent infection to different manifestations of progressive disease. Pro-inflammatory pathways, such as those controlled by IL-1β, have the contrasting potential both to prevent disease by restricting bacterial replication, and to promote disease by inflicting tissue damage. Thus, the ultimate contribution of individual inflammatory pathways to the outcome of M. tuberculosis infection remains ambiguous. In this study, we identified a naturally-occurring polymorphism in the human IL1B promoter region, which alters the association of the C/EBPβ and PU.1 transcription factors and controls Mtb-induced IL-1β production. The high-IL-1β expressing genotype was associated with the development of active tuberculosis, the severity of pulmonary disease and poor treatment outcome in TB patients. Higher IL-1β expression did not suppress the activity of IFN-γ-producing T cells, but instead correlated with neutrophil accumulation in the lung. These observations support a specific role for IL-1β and granulocytic inflammation as a driver of TB disease progression in humans, and suggest novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) are inducible factors and important cytokines in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the present study, three bispecific and neutralizing antibodies (BsAB-1, BsAB-2 and BsAB-3) against both hIL-1β and hIL-17A were constructed, their therapeutic efficacy was compared on collagen induced arthritis (CIA) model mice. In vitro assays demonstrated that the three antibodies could simultaneously bind to target both hIL-1β and hIL-17A. Mice with CIA were subcutaneously administered with one of three antibodies every two days for 29days, we noticed that, compared with the BsAB-2 and BsAB-3, BsAB-1 antibody therapy resulted in more significant effect on alleviating the severity of arthritis by preventing bone damage and cartilage destruction and substantially decreasing production of CII-specific antibodies. In addition, BsAB-1 antibody was more potent in the inhibition of mRNA expression of IL-2, IL-1β, IL-17A, TNF-α and MMP-3 in the spleen of CIA mice compared to the other two. In summary, BsAB-1 is superior over BsAB-2 and BsAB-3 for the treatment of RA model mice, and may be chosen as an ideal candidate for further development of therapeutic drugs for treatment of RA. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In rice (Oryza sativa), brassinosteroids (BRs) induce cell elongation at the adaxial side of the lamina joint to promote leaf bending. We identified a rice mutant (ili1-D) showing an increased lamina inclination phenotype similar to that caused by BR treatment. The ili1-D mutant overexpresses an HLH protein homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana Paclobutrazol Resistance1 (PRE1) and the human Inhibitor of DNA binding proteins. Overexpression and RNA interference suppression of ILI1 increase and reduce, respectively, rice laminar inclination, confirming a positive role of ILI1 in leaf bending. ILI1 and PRE1 interact with basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein IBH1 (ILI1 binding bHLH), whose overexpression causes erect leaf in rice and dwarfism in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of ILI1 or PRE1 increases cell elongation and suppresses dwarf phenotypes caused by overexpression of IBH1 in Arabidopsis. Thus, ILI1 and PRE1 may inactivate inhibitory bHLH transcription factors through heterodimerization. BR increases the RNA levels of ILI1 and PRE1 but represses IBH1 through the transcription factor BZR1. The spatial and temporal expression patterns support roles of ILI1 in laminar joint bending and PRE1/At IBH1 in the transition from growth of young organs to growth arrest. These results demonstrate a conserved mechanism of BR regulation of plant development through a pair of antagonizing HLH/bHLH transcription factors that act downstream of BZR1 in Arabidopsis and rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroid phytohormones that are known to regulate plant growth and nutrient uptake and distribution. However, how BRs regulate nutrient uptake and balance in legume species is not fully understood. Here, we show that optimal BR levels are required for soybean (Glycine max L.) seedling growth, as treatments with both 24-epicastasterone (24-epiCS) and the BR biosynthesis inhibitor propiconazole (PPZ) inhibit root growth, including primary root elongation and lateral root formation and elongation. Specifically, 24-epiCS and PPZ reduced the total phosphorus and potassium levels in the shoot and affected several minor nutrients, such as magnesium, iron, manganese, and molybdenum. A genome-wide transcriptome analysis identified 3774 and 4273 differentially expressed genes in the root tip after brassinolide and PPZ treatments, respectively. The gene ontology (GO) analysis suggested that genes related to "DNA-replication", "microtubule-based movement", and "plant-type cell wall organization" were highly responsive to the brassinolide and PPZ treatments. Furthermore, consistent with the effects on the nutrient concentrations, corresponding mineral transporters were found to be regulated by BR levels, including the GmPHT1s, GmKTs, GmVIT2, GmZIPs, and GmMOT1 genes. Our study demonstrates that optimal BR levels are important for growth and mineral nutrient homeostasis in soybean seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Huntington''s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by chorea, incoordination, and shortened life-span, and by huntingtin inclusions and neurodegeneration. We previously screened the 1040 FDA-approved compounds from the NINDS compound library and found that a compound, nipecotic acid, significantly reduced mutant huntingtin aggregations and blocked cell toxicity in an inducible cell model of HD. Because nipecotic acid does not cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), we studied its analogue, tiagabine, which is able to cross the BBB, in both N171-82Q and R6/2 transgenic mouse models of HD. Tiagabine was administered intraperitoneally at 2 and 5 mg/kg daily in HD mice. We found that tiagabine extended survival, improved motor performance, and attenuated brain atrophy and neurodegeneration in N171-82Q HD mice. These beneficial effects were further confirmed in R6/2 HD mice. The levels of tiagabine at effective doses in mouse serum are comparable to the levels in human patients treated with tiagabine. These results suggest that tiagabine may have beneficial effects in the treatment of HD. Because tiagabine is an FDA-approved drug, it may be a promising candidate for future clinical trials for the treatment of HD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The pentacyclic triterpenoid quinone methide celastrol (CS) from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F. effectively ameliorates inflammation with potential as therapeutics for inflammatory diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory and inflammation-resolving features of CS are incompletely understood. Here we demonstrate that CS potently inhibits the activity of human 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), the key enzyme in pro-inflammatory leukotriene (LT) formation, in cell-free assays with IC 50 = 0.19–0.49 µM. Employing metabololipidomics using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry in activated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes or M1 macrophages we found that CS (1 µM) potently suppresses 5-LOX-derived products without impairing the formation of lipid mediators (LM) formed by 12-/15-LOXs as well as fatty acid substrate release. Intriguingly, CS induced the generation of 12-/15-LOX-derived LM including the specialized pro-resolving mediator (SPM) resolvin D5 in human M2 macrophages. Finally, intraperitoneal pre-treatment of mice with 10 mg/kg CS strongly impaired zymosan-induced LT formation and simultaneously elevated the levels of SPM and related 12-/15-LOX-derived LM in peritoneal exudates, spleen and plasma in vivo. Conclusively, CS promotes a switch from LT biosynthesis to formation of SPM which may underlie the anti-inflammatory and inflammation-resolving effects of CS, representing an interesting pharmacological strategy for intervention with inflammatory disorders. [Display omitted] • 5-LOX is a high affinity target for celastrol (CS) with IC 50 of 0.19–0.49 µM. • CS blocks 5-LOX-derived leukotriene formation in PMNL and M1 macrophages. • in M2 macrophages CS elicits specialized pro-resolving mediator (SPM) formation. • CS impairs the levels of leukotrienes but elevates SPM in murine peritonitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is a major crop providing important source for protein and oil for human life. Low phosphate (LP) availability is a critical limiting factor affecting soybean production. Soybean plants develop a series of strategies to adapt to phosphate (Pi) limitation condition. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for LP stress response remain largely unknown. Here, we performed a label-free quantification (LFQ) analysis of soybean leaves grown under low and high phosphate conditions. We identified 267 induced and 440 reduced differential proteins from phosphate-starved leaves. Almost a quarter of the LP decreased proteins are involved in translation processes, while the LP increased proteins are accumulated in chlorophyll biosynthetic and carbon metabolic processes. Among these induced proteins, an enolase protein, GmENO2a was found to be mostly induced protein. On the transcriptional level, GmENO2a and GmENO2b, but not GmENO2c or GmENO2d, were dramatically induced by phosphate starvation. Among 14 enolase genes, only GmENO2a and GmENO2b genes contain the P1BS motif in their promoter regions. Furthermore, GmENO2b was specifically induced in the GmPHR31 overexpressing soybean plants. Our findings provide molecular insights into how soybean plants tune basic carbon metabolic pathway to adapt to Pi deprivation through the ENO2 enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auxin and brassinosteroids (BR) are crucial growth regulators and display overlapping functions during plant development. Here, we reveal an alternative phytohormone crosstalk mechanism, revealing that BR signaling controls PIN-LIKES (PILS)-dependent nuclear abundance of auxin. We performed a forward genetic screen for imperial pils (imp) mutants that enhance the overexpression phenotypes of PILS5 putative intracellular auxin transport facilitator. Here, we report that the imp1 mutant is defective in the BR-receptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1). Our set of data reveals that BR signaling transcriptionally and post-translationally represses the accumulation of PILS proteins at the endoplasmic reticulum, thereby increasing nuclear abundance and signaling of auxin. We demonstrate that this alternative phytohormonal crosstalk mechanism integrates BR signaling into auxin-dependent organ growth rates and likely has widespread importance for plant development. • Impaired BR perception enhances PILS5 overexpression phenotypes • BR signaling increases PILS protein turnover • BR signaling defines PILS-dependent nuclear abundance and signaling of auxin • PILS-dependent BR-auxin crosstalk affects organ growth Sun et al. reveal that BR signaling limits the accumulation of PILS proteins at the endoplasmic reticulum, thereby increasing nuclear abundance and signaling of auxin. This alternative phytohormonal crosstalk mechanism integrates BR signaling into auxin-dependent organ growth rates and likely has widespread importance for plant development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four novel morphologies of in-situ grown of MMNS nanostructure arrays (MMNS-NFs1, NFs2, NRs1, and NRs2) were realized and MMNS all behave as an efficient catalyst for electrochemical activities at alkaline condition. The 3D nanorods core-shell nanostructure MMNS-NRs2 exhibits high-efficient electrocatalytic performance towards HER (158 mV @ 10 mA cm−2) and OER (134 mV @ 40 mA cm−2). What's more, when MMNS-NRs2 was served as the bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting in 1.0 M KOH, only a low cell voltage of 1.52 V and 1.60 V were required for MMNS-NRs2//MMNS-NRs2 electrode pairing to reach the current density 20 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2 and strong long-term electrochemical durability. • 3D nanostructure MMNS with four novel morphologies were fabricated. • MMNS-NRs2 exhibits high-efficient HER and OER performance. • MMNS-NRs2//MMNS-NRs2 exhibits superior performance for overall water splitting. • MMNS-NRs2 nanorods present the unique core-shell nanostructure. • The interfaces accelerate electron/ion transfer and favor reaction kinetics. It is highly desired but still a significant challenge to construct preeminent non-noble metal bifunctional electrocatalysts for large-scale electricity-to-hydrogen generation. In the paper, four novel morphologies of MMNS including epiphyllum-like MMNS-NFs1, ice flower-like NFs2, grape-like NRs1, and nanorod NRs2 were successfully achieved via a facile two-step process by adjusting C 2 H 5 NS/CO(NH 2) 2 M ratio and/or H 2 O/ethanol solvent composition. Electrochemical activities of as-prepared four samples were systematically studied, while 3D nanorods core-shell nanostructure MMNS-NRs2 exhibits high-efficient electrocatalytic performance towards HER (158 mV @ 10 mA cm−2) and OER (134 mV @ 40 mA cm−2). What's more, when MMNS-NRs2 was served as the cathode and anode for overall water splitting in 1.0 M KOH, only a low cell voltage of 1.52 V and 1.60 V were required for MMNS-NRs2//MMNS-NRs2 electrode pairing to reach the current density 20 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively. MMNS-NRs2//MMNS-NRs2 also performs an outstanding long-term durability at least 16 h without obvious deactivation. The reason for outstanding electrochemical properties and stability of MMNS-NRs2 was owing to the fact that unique core-shell nanostructure can facilitate electron/ion transfer and mass transport, 3D nanosheets endow more active sites and higher electron transport rate and the synergistic effect of Mo and Mn composition. This work provides a well-designed structure and development for morphology engineering to construct high-performance material for clean energy conversion technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction for 'Controlled synthesis of bifunctional particle-like Mo/Mn-NixSy/NF electrocatalyst for highly efficient overall water splitting' by Yaqiong Gong et al., Dalton Trans., 2019, DOI: 10.1039/c9dt00957d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is a well-known bamboo species of high economic value in the textile industry due to its rapid growth. Phytohormones, which are master regulators of growth and development, serve as important endogenous signals. However, the mechanisms through which phytohormones regulate growth in moso bamboo remain unknown to date. Results: Here, we reported that exogenous gibberellins (GA) applications resulted in a significantly increased internode length and lignin condensation. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that photosynthesis-related genes were enriched in the GA-repressed gene class, which was consistent with the decrease in leaf chlorophyll concentrations and the lower rate of photosynthesis following GA treatment. Exogenous GA applications on seedlings are relatively easy to perform, thus we used 4-week-old whole seedlings of bamboo for GA- treatment followed by high throughput sequencing. In this study, we identified 932 cis-nature antisense transcripts (cis-NATs), and 22,196 alternative splicing (AS) events in total. Among them, 42 cis-nature antisense transcripts (cis-NATs) and 442 AS events were differentially expressed upon exposure to exogenous GA3, suggesting that post-transcriptional regulation might be also involved in the GA3 response. Targets of differential expression of cis-NATs included genes involved in hormone receptor, photosynthesis and cell wall biogenesis. For example, LAC4 and its corresponding cis-NATs were GA3-induced, and may be involved in the accumulation of lignin, thus affecting cell wall composition. Conclusions: This study provides novel insights illustrating how GA alters post-transcriptional regulation and will shed light on the underlying mechanism of growth modulated by GA in moso bamboo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]