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The NF/NiCo2O4/Co3S4 exhibits surprising electrocatalytic activity.

The Ni3N/Co4N nanosheet heterojunction exhibits higher HER activity in alkaline fresh water and simulated seawater.

O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), an important post-translational modification of proteins, plays an essential role in maintaining normal biological activities of organisms. Studies have shown that the disruption of O-GlcNAc homeostasis is closely associated with various human diseases. Therefore, large-scale enrichment and identification of O-GlcNAc proteins is important for exploring diagnostic biomarkers of clinical diseases. O-GlcNAcylation is substoichiometric, and its glycosidic bond is unstable; hence, the enrichment and identification of O-GlcNAc proteins remains a challenge. Recently, metabolic labeling technology with per-O-acetylated unnatural monosaccharides has been introduced to enrich O-GlcNAc proteins or peptides in cells. However, azidosugars can also react with the thiol group of cysteine to form cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification as a byproduct in cell metabolism, which interferes with the identification of O-GlcNAc proteins or peptides. Therefore, the development of a methodology for the specific and complete removal of cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification is necessary. O-Mesitylenesulfonylhydroxylamine (MSH) is an oxidizing and aminating reagent with great potential to oxidatively eliminate the cysteine thiol modification to dehydroalanine. Hence, it is worthwhile to probe whether MSH can eliminate cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification. Two cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modifications were synthesized successfully by incubating thiol standard peptides with tetraacetylated N-azidoacetylgalactosamine (Ac4GalNAz) in sodium carbonate buffer (200 mmol/L, pH 10) at 37 ℃ for 90 min. Then, the reaction conditions for MSH oxidative elimination were optimized to completely remove cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification. Sodium phosphate buffer (50 mmol/L, pH 8.0) was selected to protect the O-GlcNAc modification due to its mild nature. After extensive investigation, the optimized reaction conditions were established as 95 ℃ (reaction temperature) and 30 min (reaction time). Both cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modifications could be removed completely under these conditions. Furthermore, two azide-labeled O-GlcNAc (N3-O-GlcNAc) peptides were used to assess whether MSH destroyed the O-GlcNAc modification at the same time. The results showed that the two N3-O-GlcNAc peptides were stable after treatment with MSH at 95 ℃ for 30 min. In short, with excess MSH, the N3-O-GlcNAc peptides were stable, but the cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification was exhausted in sodium phosphate buffer (50 mmol/L, pH 8.0) at 95 ℃ for 30 min. Moreover, both O-GlcNAc modification and cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification exist in cell metabolism. This method can not only remove cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification but also ensure the stability of O-GlcNAc modification. There is growing evidence that O-GlcNAcylation mainly occurs in proteins in the cytoplasm and nucleus, and that most O-GlcNAc proteins are involved in important biological signaling pathways. The nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins incubated with Ac4GalNAz in HeLa cells were selected as a model system. After the nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins were digested into peptides, MSH was applied to remove cysteine thiol-azidosugar modification. In addition, 51 peptides for the elimination of the cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification were identified, indicating that MSH can remove the interference of cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification in cell metabolism. Biotin probe and streptavidin dynabeads were subsequently used to label and enrich N3-O-GlcNAz peptides in cell metabolism. Finally, 157 O-GlcNAc peptides attributed to 130 proteins were identified. To better understand the functional roles of O-GlcNAc proteins, gene ontology analysis was performed. Cell component analysis showed that the identified O-GlcNAc proteins were mainly distributed inpostsynaptic density, cytoplasm, and condensed nuclear chromosome. The proteins were mostly involved in biological processes, including cell division, excitatory postsynaptic potential, and microtubule-based movement. The proteins responsible for transferase activity, transferring acyl groups, histone acetyltransferase activity, and microtubule binding were highly enriched, indicating that O-GlcNAc proteins play important roles in cells. In summary, this work developed an approach to enrich O-GlcNAc peptides precisely in metabolic labeling by removing cysteine thiol-azidosugar artificial modification with MSH. This methodology provides a new strategy for the application of metabolic labeling technology with unnatural monosaccharides in glycoproteomics analysis.

Plants demonstrate dynamic changes in molecular structures under fluctuating light conditions. Accumulating evidence suggests that light plays a vital role in plant growth and morphogenesis. In particular, light has a role in the absorption and utilization of nutrients in plants. Despite significant progress in understanding the mechanism of nutrient acquisition and assimilation, how light affects and regulates ion uptake remains a question. Studies in model plants, Arabidopsis thaliana, suggest that light affects the nutrient utilization in roots through a complex regulatory network; nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying the various effects of light on these processes in crop plants remain fragmentary. In this review, we discuss the light effects (light quality, light intensity, and photoperiod) on nutrient uptake and utilization in horticultural crops for optimizing crop productivity and increasing fertilizer use efficiency.

The development of catalysts which can substitute expensive metals to efficiently split water is currently a hot research topic. Here, a multi-layered NF/NiCo

Stacks of crystalline lamellae all having a uniquely oriented hexagonal shape, referred to as “3D (three-dimensional) single crystals”, were obtained via isothermal crystallization of isotactic polystyrene at a temperature close to the melting point. The height of the stacks of lamellae reached several micrometers corresponding to hundreds of superposed lamellar crystals. We propose that the mechanism of self-induced nucleation allowed propagating the orientation of the basal lamellar crystal to all other lamellae in the stack. The unique orientation of all lamellae was reflected by the preference of cracks to form along the diagonals of the hexagonal stack. Cracks were caused by a mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion of the substrate and “3D single crystals” during quenching from the crystallization temperature to room temperature. We believe that the presented growth mechanisms leading to “3D single crystals” can be observed for all crystallizable polymers including block copolymers with a noncrystallizable block.

The widely available crop oil is an effective alternative to the increasingly scarce marine fish oil. However, simple alternative strategies have led to declining growth and the edible value of farmed fish. It is worthwhile to explore the effects of micro supplements in diets to improve the tolerance of fish to different dietary lipid sources, which finally optimizes the feeding strategies. This study aimed to investigate the regulation of L-carnitine and dietary oil conditions on nutrient composition, lipid metabolism, and glucose regulation of Rhynchocypris lagowskii. Four diets were prepared according to fish oil, fish oil supplemented with L-carnitine, corn oil, and corn oil supplemented with L-carnitine, and FO, LCFO, CO, and LCCO were labeled, respectively. R. lagowskii was fed experimental diets for 8 weeks, and the glucose tolerance test was performed. The CO diet significantly resulted in higher crude lipid content in muscle but a lower level of serum lipid parameters of R. lagowskii than the FO diet. However, dietary L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced the crude lipid content in the hepatopancreas and muscle of the fish fed with the CO diet yet increased the serum lipid parameters. Additionally, the crude lipid content of muscle was reduced in the fish fed with an FO diet supplemented with L-carnitine. Compared with the FO diet, the CO diet significantly reduced the ratio of n3/n6 polyunsaturated fatty acid in the hepatopancreas and muscle of R.lagowskii. Dietary L-carnitine supplementation significantly reduced the contents of total saturated fatty acids and total monounsaturated fatty acids in hepatopancreas under both dietary lipid sources. The CO diet significantly up-regulated the expression of genes related to lipid uptake and adipogenesis in hepatopancreas, including lipoprotein lipase (lpl), acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase alpha (accα), and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (srebp1), compared with the FO diet. While dietary L-carnitine supplementation significantly down-regulated the expressions of lpl, accα, srebp1, and fatty acid synthase in hepatopancreas and muscle of fish under both dietary lipid sources, along with up-regulated expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 in hepatopancreas. Moreover, the fish fed with a CO diet significantly increased the expression of glucose uptake and clearance and significantly down-regulated the expressions of glucose regulation-related genes, including glucose transporter 1, glycogen synthase 1, and phosphofructokinase in hepatopancreas and muscle, resulting in slower glucose uptake and clearance than fish fed with FO diet. Nevertheless, dietary L-carnitine supplementation up-regulated the expression of gluconeogenesis-related genes, including glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in the hepatopancreas of R. lagowskii under both dietary lipid sources. In conclusion, a higher dietary n6 PUFA resulted in lipid deposition, decreased serum lipid parameters, and limited serum glucose utilization of R. lagowskii. While the regulatory effect of L-carnitine on lipid metabolism and glucose utilization of R. lagowskii varies with dietary lipid sources and tissues.

To gain insights into the roles of beneficial PGPR in controlling soil-borne disease, we adopted a metabolomics approach to investigate the beneficial impacts of

Background Pyroptosis is a recently identified pathway of caspase-mediated cell death in response to microbes, lipopolysaccharide, or chemotherapy in certain types of cells. However, the mechanism of how pyroptosis is regulated is not well-established. Methods Herein, the intracellular bacteria were detected by staining and laser confocal microscopy and TEM. Live/dead cell imaging assay was used to examine macrophage death. Western blot and immunohistochemical staining were used to examine the protein changes. IFA was used to identify typical budding vesicles of pyroptosis and the STAT3 nuclear localization. SEM was used to observe the morphological characteristics of pyroptosis. ELISA was used to detect the level of inflammatory cytokines. Pyroptosis was filmed in macrophages by LSCM. Results S. aureus was internalized by human macrophages. Intracellular S. aureus induced macrophage death. S. aureus invasion increased the expression of NLRP3, Caspase1 (Casp-1 p20) and the accumulation of GSDMD-NT, GSDMD-NT pore structures, and the release of IL-1β and IL-18 in macrophages. Macrophages pyroptosis induced by S. aureus can be abrogated by blockage of S. aureus phagocytosis. The pyroptosic effect by S. aureus infection was promoted by either rapamycin or Stattic, a specific inhibitor for mTORC1 or STAT3. Inhibition of mTORC1 or STAT3 induced pyroptosis. mTORC1 regulated the pyroptosic gene expression through governing the nuclear localization of STAT3. mTORC1/STAT3 axis may play a regulatory role in pyroptosis within macrophages. Conclusions S. aureus infection induces human macrophage pyroptosis, inhibition of mTORC1/STAT3 axis facilitates S. aureus-induced pyroptosis. mTORC1 and STAT3 are associated with pyroptosis. Our findings demonstrate a regulatory function of the mTORC1/STAT3 axis in macrophage pyroptosis, constituting a novel mechanism by which pyroptosis is regulated in macrophages.

The Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) plays a central role in cell protection against a wide variety of environmental stressors through the Nrf2-Keap1 (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1) pathway, but its involvement in modulation of antioxidant system of fish cell is still largely unexplored. The present study focused on the molecular cloning and silencing of the Nrf2 in the fathead minnow muscle cell line (FHM) in response to the oxidative stress induced by H2O2. A full-length cDNA of coding Nrf2 was cloned from FHM cells by RT-PCR and RACE approaches. The obtained cDNA covered 2578 bp with an open reading frame (1770 bp) of encoding 589 amino acids. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed a high degree of conservation (51–86%) among 16 fishes. Based on the cloned Nrf2 sequence, the siRNA-242 of targeting Nrf2 with the best knocking down efficiency was designed and detected. Then, the mRNA levels of Keap1, Nrf2, Maf (musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene), and HO-1 (haemoxygenase-1); the activities of T-SOD (total superoxide dismutase), CAT (catalase), and GSH-PX (glutathione peroxidase); the levels of GSH (glutathione) and MDA (malonaldehyde); and the cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed to investigate the molecular responses after H2O2 exposure. These results showed a coordinated transcriptional regulation of Keap1, Maf, and HO-1 and antioxidants (T-SOD, GSH, CAT, and GSH-PX) and MDA levels after H2O2 exposure, leading to oxidative damage and apoptosis. These findings provided an insight to understand the mechanisms of Nrf2 against oxidative stress in fish.

A new technique has been developed for in situ study of the form II to I phase conversion of isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPBu) in real space. It can distinguish the nucleation and crystal growth proc...

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (HiCM) transplantation is a potential next generation cell therapy to repair the injured myocardium. However, a systemic study is yet to be conducted to evaluate the efficacy, distribution, and safety of HiCM transplantation. Here using a Rhesus monkey model of myocardial infarction, we studied the efficacy of HiCM in repairing cardiac function and found HiCM significantly restored the ejection fraction (EF%) and fractional shortening (FS%) at 4 weeks after transplantation and the benefit lasted through 12 weeks. Furthermore, by using PET/CT tracking, we first demonstrated real-time biodistribution of radiolabeled hiPSC-CMs (89Zr-HiCM) in non-human primates, and found the majority of transplanted HiCM cells retained in heart after 504 hours. No tumor or ventricular arrhythmia was detected up to 32 weeks of observation. These results provide strong evidence to support HiCM as a potential reparative cure for cardiac damage.

Diseases of fish caused by pathogenic bacteria are an important constraint on aquaculture production. Antibiotics have been widely used to control infectious diseases, but this has led to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and affected human health. In this context, probiotics are used as an alternative to antibiotics for the prevention and control of diseases in aquaculture. The aim of this study was to obtain probiotic candidate strains of Bacillus spp. from the gut of Rhynchocypris Lagowskii. Strains were screened by enzyme-producing ability, antagonism assay and antibiotic susceptibility. The safety of the strains to host fish has also been established. The isolated Bacillus licheniformis (LSG1-1) and Bacillus subtilis (LSG2-1) were characterized and performed well in tolerance experiments. In addition, LSG1-1 and LSG2-1 were detected to have higher self-aggregation ability and surface hydrophobicity. In the in vitro adhesion model, LSG1-1 and LSG2-1 showed good adhesion ability and had obvious adhesion inhibitory effect on three pathogens of Aeromonas. Based on the characteristics observed so far, Bacillus licheniformis LSG1-1 and Bacillus subtilis LSG2-1 could form potential probiotic candidates in the digestive tract of R. lagowskii to help combat diseases in aquaculture.

Excessive nitrogen (N) application may induce powdery mildew (PM) in perennial grasses, but the resistance mechanisms to PM remain unclear. This study evaluated the physiological and molecular mechanisms of PM resistance affected by N supplies in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). Cultivar ‘Bluemoon’ (N tolerant) and ‘Balin’ (N sensitive) were treated with low N (0.5 mM), normal N (15 mM), and high N (30 mM) for 21 d in a greenhouse. With increasing N levels, the disease growth was more severe in ‘Balin’ than in ‘Bluemoon’. RNA-seq and weighted gene coexpression network analysis revealed that the PpGS1.1 gene encoding glutamine synthetase was a potential hub gene for PM resistance after comparisons across cultivars and N treatments. The N metabolism pathway was connected with the plant–pathogen interaction pathway via PpGS1.1. The expression of PpGS1.1 in rice protoplasts indicated that the protein was located in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Overexpression of PpGS1.1 in wild-type Kentucky bluegrass increased carbon and N contents, and the transgenic plants became more susceptible to PM with a lower wax density. The most differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for N metabolism were upregulated and DEGs for fatty acid metabolism pathway were downregulated in the overexpression lines. The results elucidated mechanisms of PM resistance in relation to N metabolism in Kentucky bluegrass.

Soil salinity severely limits crop yield and quality. Grafting onto tolerant rootstocks is known as an effective means to alleviate salt stress. The present study was planned to find out the potential roles, mechanisms and applications of luffa rootstock to improve salt tolerance of grafted cucumber plants. Here, we screened a highly salt-tolerant luffa rootstock by evaluating the growth, photosynthetic performance, antioxidant defense and the accumulation of Na

Background: Obtaining superior performance of SupraNova and Lark C3 turfgrasses under shade conditions is a challenging task. Both durability and performance of turfgrass are significantly affected by shade. In particular, morphological and physiological adaptation to low light is critical for maintaining quality and overall performance in turfgrass plants. Results: The purpose of this study was to study the response of SupraNova and Lark turfgrass morphology and photo-physiological potential to shading. The plants of 'SupraNova' and 'Lark' were collected from the lawn plots of the Horticulture Research Center of Northeast Agricultural University of China for 2 years and treated with gradient shading 35.62% after 2 months of culture, normal light intensity 70.79 % and 93.45% with full sun as the contrast represented by CK for comparison. Lark showed TQ and TCI in shady stage compared with SupraNova. Lark showed strong resistance to MDA, H2O2, O2-, SOD, POD, CAT and AsA, indicating that the antioxidant system of C3 turfgrass at 35.6% shade level. Under 70.79% shade treatment, MDA, H2O2, O2-, SOD, POD, CAT and AsA of the two cultivars decreased the most, and the longer the shading time, the average daily growth of the two turfgrasses increased first and then decreased. Lark outperformed SupraNova throughout the shading treatment, with 70.79% and 93.45%, respectively. Lark showed increased Chl A and Chl (A/B) in response to different shading levels, while SupraNova had the highest concentrations of Chl B and total Chl. Chlorophyll fluorescence qP, ETR, and Fv/Fm decreased significantly when shaded at 93.45%;Conclusion: The results of this study proved that decrease was more significant in SupraNova than Lark, and shading caused more severe changes in leaf morphology and anatomical structure than Lark turfgrass has the highest negative tolerance than SupraNova turfgrass, which is due to the better photosynthetic product transport capacity of Lark plants. In its anatomical structure, and" vascular bundle sheath structure, which enables it to have higher photosynthetic efficiency to adapt to negative stress. SupraNova and Lark first increased and then decreased with the increase of shade degree

Finding an effective way to greatly tune spin Hall angle in a low power manner is of fundamental importance for tunable and energy-efficient spintronic devices. Recently, topological insulator of Bi

Rapid rise in temperature in summer causes severe injury to cool-season turfgrass of both native species and introduced ones in Heilongjiang of Northeast China. The objectives of this study were to compare physiological responses to seasonal heat stresses and turf performances between native and introduced commercial Poa accessions. Three Chinese native Poa species (i.e., P. pratensis, P. sibirica and P. sphondylodes) and three USA Kentucky bluegrass cultivars (ie. ‘Midnight’, ‘Moonlight’ and ‘BlueChip’) were evaluated under field conditions in 2017 and 2018. All accessions showed unique characteristics and considerable seasonal differences in response to temperatures. However, performances over all accessions were largely similar in early spring and autumn. In summer, native P. pratensis performed similar to ‘Midnight’, ‘Moonlight’ or ‘BlueChip’, with respect to such traits or parameters as quality, coverage, color intensity, growth rate, osmolytes, ROS and anti-oxidant production. Native P. pratensis could be used as a new turf resource for further improvement and application under the specific climatic conditions in Heilongjiang; native P. sphondylodes may be used in repairing damaged environments or for alternative seasonal greenness.

The crystallization behavior of isotactic poly(1-butene) (iPBu) from melt on the surface of melt-drawn oriented isotactic polypropylene (iPP) thin films and in the melt-drawn oriented iPBu/iPP blen...

Thin films of isotactic polybutene-1 (iPBu) with large lathlike flat-on form II crystals were prepared by isothermal crystallization from melt at 105 °C. The II–I phase transition of this kind of t...

Plant glutamate receptor-like (GLR) genes play important roles in plant development and immune response. However, the functions of GLRs in abiotic stress response remain unclear. Here we show that cold acclimation at 12°C induced the transcripts of GLR3.3 and GLR3.5 with increased tolerance against a subsequent chilling at 4 °C. Silencing of GLR3.3 or/and GLR3.5 or application of the antagonist of ionotropic glutamate receptor 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), all compromised the acclimation-induced increases in the transcripts of respiratory burst oxidase homolog1 (RBOH1), activity of NADPH oxidase, the accumulation of apoplastic H2 O2 and the ratio of reduced glutathione (GSH) to oxidized glutathione (GSSG), resulting in an attenuated chilling tolerance; the effect, however, was rescued by foliar application of H2 O2 or GSH. Both RBOH1-silenced and glutathione biosynthesis genes, γ- glutamylcysteine synthetase (GSH1)- and glutathione synthetase (GSH2)-cosilenced plants had decreased chilling tolerance with reduced GSH/GSSG ratio. Moreover, application of DNQX had little effects on the GSH/GSSG ratio and the tolerance in RBOH1-silenced plants and GSH1- and GSH2-cosilenced plants. These findings unmasked the functional hierarchy of GLR-H2 O2 -glutathione cascade and shed new light on cold response pathway in tomato plants.

Background and Objective: This study investigated whether rapamycin has a protective effect on the testis of diabetic rats by regulating autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and oxidative stress. Methods: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, diabetic, and diabetic treated with rapamycin, which received gavage of rapamycin (2mg.kg-1.d-1) after induction of diabetes. Diabetic rats were induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 65mg.Kg-1). All rats were sacrificed at the termination after 8 weeks of rapamycin treatment. The testicular pathological changes were determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The protein or mRNA expression of autophagy-related proteins (Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), p62), ER stress marked proteins (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP), caspase-12), oxidative stress-related proteins (p22phox, nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)) and apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)) were assayed by western blot or real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results: There were significant pathological changes in the testes of diabetic rats. The expression of Beclin1, LC3, Nrf2, Bcl-2 were significantly decreased and p62, CHOP, caspase12, p22phox, and Bax were notably increased in the testis of diabetic rats (P Conclusion: Rapamycin appears to produce a protective effect on the testes of diabetic rats by inducing the expression of autophagy and inhibiting the expression of ER-stress, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

4EBP1 is a chief downstream factor of mTORC1, and PPARγ is a key lipogenesis-related transcription factor. mTORC1 and PPARγ are associated with lipid metabolism. However, it is unknown which effector protein connects mTORC1 and PPARγ. This study investigated the interaction between 4EBP1 with PPARγ as part of the underlying mechanism by which insulin-induced lipid synthesis and secretion are regulated by mTORC1 in primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (pBMECs). Rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of mTORC1, downregulated 4EBP1 phosphorylation and the expression of PPARγ and the following lipogenic genes: lipin 1, DGAT1, ACC, and FAS. Rapamycin also decreased the levels of intracellular triacylglycerol (TAG); 10 types of fatty acid; and the accumulation of TAG, palmitic acid (PA), and stearic acid (SA) in the cell culture medium. Inactivation of mTORC1 by shRaptor or shRheb attenuated the synthesis and secretion of TAG and PA. In contrast, activation of mTORC1 by Rheb overexpression promoted 4EBP1 phosphorylation and PPARγ expression and upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of lipin 1, DGAT1, ACC, and FAS, whereas the levels of intracellular and extracellular TAG, PA, and SA also rose. Further, 4EBP1 interacted directly with PPARγ. Inactivation of mTORC1 by shRaptor prevented the nuclear location of PPARγ. These results demonstrate that mTORC1 regulates lipid synthesis and secretion by inducing the expression of lipin 1, DGAT1, ACC, and FAS, which is likely mediated by the 4EBP1/PPARγ axis. This finding constitutes a novel mechanism by which lipid synthesis and secretion are regulated in pBMECs.

l‐carnitine (LC) is required for transporting long‐chain fatty acids into the mitochondria, where β‐oxidation takes place, and it works as an antioxidant molecule against reactive oxygen species. This study evaluated the effects of LC on the growth and antioxidant function of Amur minnow (Phoxinus lagowskii Dybowskii). Five isonitrogenous (380.4 g/kg) and isoenergetic (17.63 MJ/kg) diets were supplemented with five LC levels: control level (0 mg/kg) and treatment levels (50, 400, 750, or 1,100 mg/kg) were fed to fish (18.19 ± 0.56 g) for 120 days. The results showed that the growth performance of fish fed a diet containing 400 mg/kg of LC was significantly higher than that of the control and those fed other LC level treatments. Similarly, the 400 mg/kg treatment had the best feed efficiency. Further, the levels of total antioxidant capacity and total glutathione in the serum and hepatopancreas of fish fed a diet containing 750 mg/kg of LC were significantly increased; however, malondialdehyde levels were significantly reduced compared to those of the control group. The activities of antioxidant enzymes of 750 mg/kg treatments in the serum and hepatopancreas were significantly higher than those of the control group, including total superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and gamma‐glutamyl‐cysteine synthetase. Finally, 750 mg/kg treatment significantly upregulated the mRNA relative expression of antioxidant enzymes and nuclear factor erythroid‐2‐related factor 2 and inhibited the mRNA level of kelch‐like ECH‐associated protein 1 in the hepatopancreas. In conclusion, the dietary LC level of 400–750 mg/kg could improve the growth performance, feed utilization and antioxidant defense system of Amur minnow under the culture conditions.

Rice false smut (RFS), caused by Villosiclava virens, is an emerging devastating disease of rice panicles worldwide and produces yield loss and mycotoxin residues in rice. In this study, 18 plant essential oils (PEOs) were selected to evaluate antifungal activity via fumigation and contact methods against the mycelial growth and conidial germination of V. virens. The primary compositions of PEOs with stronger fungistatic activity were analyzed using gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS), and the changes in the mycelial morphology were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Antifungal tests showed that cinnamon bark oil and cinnamon oil had stronger fumigation and contact effects on V. virens than the other oils tested. The primary active composition in both cinnamon bark oil and cinnamon oil was trans-cinnamaldehyde, which exhibited contact activities with EC50 values of 2.13 and 35.9 μg/mL against mycelial growth and conidial germination, respectively. The hyphae surface morphological alterations caused by cinnamon bark oil, cinnamon oil and trans-cinnamaldehyde included shriveling, vacuolation and exfoliation. In conclusion, cinnamon bark oil and cinnamon oil have the potential to prevent and control RFS, and trans-cinnamaldehyde is a promising natural lead compound for new fungicide discoveries to control RFS contamination and mycotoxin residues in rice.

This study investigated the comparison of the growth performance and nutritional qualities of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) with different stocking densities (D02: 0.2 inds/m2; D03: 0.3 inds/m2; D04: 0.4 inds/m2; D05: 0.5 inds/m2; D06: 0.6 inds/m2) in rice-crab culture systems. The result showed the D04 group crabs had higher gonadsomatic index (GSI), meat yield (MY), total edible yield (TEY), crude lipid levels of hepatopancreas and the crude protein levels of gonads than those of other groups crabs. The muscle and gonads of D04 group crabs had better essential amino acid (EAA) levels. The levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the hepatopancreas and gonads were significantly increased in the D04 group crabs compared with other groups crabs. The stocking density of D04 group has a more obvious promotion effect on the relative expression of molting and growth related genes compared with other groups. Taken together, it can generally be concluded that the male crabs raised by 0.4 inds/m2 have the highest nutritional quality even though they are not the largest crabs.

Iron (Fe) deficiency affects global crop productivity and human health. However, the role of light signaling in plant Fe uptake remains uncharacterized. Here, we find that light-induced Fe uptake in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is largely dependent on phytochrome B (phyB). Light induces the phyB-dependent accumulation of ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) protein both in the leaves and roots. HY5 movement from shoots to roots activates the expression of FER transcription factor, leading to the accumulation of transcripts involved in Fe uptake. Mutation in FER abolishes the light quality-induced changes in Fe uptake. The low Fe uptake observed in phyB, hy5, and fer mutants is accompanied by lower photosynthetic electron transport rates. Exposure to red light at night increases Fe accumulation in wild-type fruit but has little effects on fruit of phyB mutants. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Fe uptake is systemically regulated by light in a phyB-HY5-FER-dependent manner. These findings provide new insights how the manipulation of light quality could be used to improve Fe uptake and hence the nutritional quality of crops.