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Abstract Background Fruit expansion stage is crucial to fruit yield and quality formation, and auxin plays a significant role by mediating multi-hormone signals during fruit expansion. However, till now, it is still unclear of the molecular regulatory network during auxin-mediated peach fruit expansion. Results Here, exogenous NAA application markedly increased IAA content and drastically decreased ABA content at the fruit expansion stage. Correspondingly, NAA mainly induced the auxin biosynthesis gene (1 PpYUCCA) and early auxin-responsive genes (7PpIAA, 3 PpGH3, and 14 PpSAUR); while NAA down-regulated ABA biosynthesis genes (2 PpNCED, 1 PpABA3, and 1 PpAAO3). In addition, many DEGs involved in other plant hormone biosynthesis and signal transduction were significantly enriched after NAA treatment, including 7 JA, 7 CTK, 6 ETH, and 3 GA. Furthermore, we also found that NAA treatment down-regulated most of genes involved in the growth and development of peach fruit, including the cell wall metabolism-related genes (PpEG), sucrose metabolism-related genes (PpSPS), phenylalanine metabolism-related genes (PpPAL, Pp4CL, and PpHCT), and transcription factors (PpNAC, PpMADS-box, PpDof, PpSBP, and PpHB). Conclusion Overall, NAA treatment at the fruit expansion stage could inhibit some metabolism processes involved in the related genes in the growth and development of peach fruit by regulating multiple-hormone signaling networks. These results help reveal the short-term regulatory mechanism of auxin at the fruit expansion stage and provide new insights into the multi-hormone cascade regulatory network of fruit growth and development.

The extensive use of robots has led to the rapid development of related technologies, such as automatic guidance and the use of drones in various applications. The challenge in path planning for robots involves finding collision-free paths that satisfy physical and kinematic constraints. The A* algorithm is commonly used for path planning in mobile robot, but its efficiency is reduced in large 3D environments due to high computational demands. This study introduces an improved version of the A* algorithm, called the Adaptive Bidirectional A* algorithm, specifically designed for path planning in 3D environments. The algorithm adapts to 3D environment variables and utilizes bidirectional search to find the optimal path. Compared to the original A* algorithm, the new algorithm significantly reduces planning time, up to 91.2%. The algorithm is applied to quadcopter path planning, and the simulation results demonstrate its superior performance. Furthermore, theoretical analysis validates the efficiency of the algorithm. Overall, the proposed ABA* algorithm shows great potential for real-world applications that require proposed path planning in 3D environments with limited computational resources.

The gel prepared using Nemipterus virgatus (N. virgatus) surimi alone still has some defects in texture and taste. Complexing with polysaccharides is an efficient strategy to enhance its gel properties. The main objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the gel quality and molecular interaction of N. virgatus surimi gel after complexing with tapioca starch. The results make clear that the gel strength, hardness, and chewiness of surimi gel were increased by molecular interaction with tapioca starch. At the appropriate addition amount (12%, w/w), the surimi gel had an excellent gel strength (17.48 N), water-holding capacity (WHC) (89.01%), lower cooking loss rate (CLR) (0.95%), and shortened T2 relaxation time. Microstructure analysis indicated that the addition of tapioca starch facilitated even distribution in the gel network structure, resulting in a significant reduction in cavity diameter, with the minimum diameter reduced to 20.33 μm. In addition, tapioca starch enhanced the hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction in the gel system and promoted the transformation of α-helix to β-sheet (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the increased physicochemical properties of surimi gel were closely related to the enhanced noncovalent interactions. In conclusion, noncovalent complexation with tapioca starch is an efficient strategy to enhance the quality of surimi gel.

Aimed at exploring the impact of fatty acid side chains on the anthocyanins, n-valeric acid, n-decanoic acid and myristic acid were used to grafting onto the blueberry anthocyanins, and the acylating degree value of the of n-valeric acid acylated anthocyanins (Va-An), n-decanoic acid acylated anthocyanins (De-An) and myristic acid acylated anthocyanins (My-An) reached 6.43 %, 7.56% and 8.38 %, respectively. After acylation modification, the octanol–water partition coefficient of the anthocyanins increased from −0.20 (native anthocyanins, Na-An) to 0.65 (Va-An), 0.66 (De-An) and 0.72 (My-An), respectively, indicating the increasement of the lipid solubility. Besides, although the DPPH clearance of acylated anthocyanins was lower than that of native anthocyanins, the inhibition ratio of β-carotene bleaching and malonaldehyde reduction effect of the acylated blueberry anthocyanins in Caenorhabditis elegans were both stronger than that of native anthocyanins, which might be caused by the improvement of lipid solubility of the anthocyanins.

The plant-specific module of calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) and CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) play a crucial role in plant adaptation to different biotic and abiotic stresses in various plant species. Despite the importance of the CBL-CIPK module in regulating plant salt tolerance, few halophyte CIPK orthologs have been studied. We identified NbCIPK25 in the halophyte Nitraria billardieri as a salt-responsive gene that may improve salt tolerance in glycophytes. Sequence analyses indicated that NbCIPK25 is a typical CIPK family member with a conserved NAF motif, which contains the amino acids: asparagine, alanine, and phenylalanine. NbCIPK25 overexpression in salt-stressed transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings resulted in enhanced tolerance to salinity, a higher survival rate, longer newly grown roots, more root meristem cells, and less damaged root cells in comparison to wild-type (WT) plants. H2O2 accumulation and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were both deceased in NbCIPK25-transgenic plants under salt treatment. Furthermore, their proline content, an important factor for scavenging reactive oxygen species, accumulated at a significantly higher level. In concordance, the transcription of genes related to proline accumulation was positively regulated in transgenic plants under salt condition. Finally, we observed a stronger auxin response in salt-treated transgenic roots. These results provide evidence for NbCIPK25 improving salt tolerance by mediating scavenging of reactive oxygen species, thereby protecting cells from oxidation and maintaining plant development under salt stress. These findings suggest the potential application of salt-responsive NbCIPK25 for cultivating glycophytes with a higher salt tolerance through genetic engineering.

Abstract Background The CIPKs are a group of plant-specific Ser/Thr protein kinases acting in response to calcium signaling, which plays an important role in the physiological and developmental adaptation of plants to adverse environments. However, the functions of halophyte-derived CIPKs are still poorly understood, that limits a potential application of CIPKs from halophytes for improving the tolerance of glycophytes to abiotic stresses. Results In this study, we characterized the NtCIPK11 gene from the halophyte Nitraria tangutorum and subsequently analyzed its role in salt and drought stress tolerance, using Arabidopsis as a transgenic model system. NtCIPK11 expression was upregulated in N. tangutorum root, stem and blade tissues after salt or drought treatment. Overexpressing NtCIPK11 in Arabidopsis improved seed germination on medium containing different levels of NaCl. Moreover, the transgenic plants grew more vigorously under salt stress and developed longer roots under salt or drought conditions than the WT plants. Furthermore, NtCIPK11 overexpression altered the transcription of genes encoding key enzymes involved in proline metabolism in Arabidopsis exposed to salinity, however, which genes showed a relatively weak expression in the transgenic Arabidopsis undergoing mannitol treatment, a situation that mimics drought stress. Besides, the proline significantly accumulated in NtCIPK11-overexpressing plants compared with WT under NaCl treatment, but that was not observed in the transgenic plants under drought stress caused by mannitol application. Conclusions We conclude that NtCIPK11 promotes plant growth and mitigates damage associated with salt stress by regulating the expression of genes controlling proline accumulation. These results extend our understanding on the function of halophyte-derived CIPK genes and suggest that NtCIPK11 can serve as a candidate gene for improving the salt and drought tolerance of glycophytes through genetic engineering.

The first complete chloroplast genome of Morella cerifera was obtained by illumina platform sequencing technology in this study. The size of genome is 158,943 base pairs, consist of a pair of IRs 26,043 bp in length, the LSC region of 88,167 bp and SSC region of 18,690 bp. The genome has 112 unique genes, among which 79 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNAs, and 4 rRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that M. cerifera clustered with M. rubra within Myricaceae.

Calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) play essential roles in plant abiotic stress response. In order to better understand salt tolerance, we cloned and analyzed the NtCIPK9 gene from the halophyte Nitraria tangutorum. Phylogenetic analysis shows that NtCIPK9 belongs to a sister clade with the Arabidopsis AtCIPK9 gene and is thought to localize to the plasma membrane. NtCIPK9 shows the highest expression level in the Nitraria tangutorum root under normal growth conditions, whereas after NaCl treatment, the highest expression was found in the blade. NtCIPK9-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants have a higher seed germination rate, longer root length, and displayed higher salt tolerance than wild type seedlings under salt stress conditions. Furthermore, NtCIPK9 overexpression might enhance the expression of genes related to K+ transportation after NaCl treatment. Thus, we conclude that NtCIPK9 increases transgenic plant salt tolerance and reduces damage associated with salt stress by promoting the expression of genes controlling ion homeostasis. Our results suggest that NtCIPK9 could serve as an ideal candidate gene to genetically engineer salt-tolerant plants.

Liriodendron is a genus of the magnolia family comprised of two flowering tree species that produce hardwoods of great ecological and economic value. However, only a limited amount of genetic research has been performed on the Liriodendron genus partly because transient or stable transgenic trees have been difficult to produce. In general, transient expression systems are indispensable for rapid, high-throughput screening and systematic characterization of gene functions at a low cost; therefore, development of such a system for Liriodendron would provide a necessary step forward for research on Magnoliaceae and other woody trees. Herein, we describe an efficient and rapid protocol for preparing protoplasts from the leaf mesophyll tissue of a Liriodendron hybrid and an optimized system for polyethylene glycol-mediated transient transfection of the protoplasts. Because the leaves of the Liriodendron hybrid are waxy, we formulated an enzyme mix containing 1.5% (w/v) Cellulase R-10, 0.5% (w/v) Macerozyme R-10, and 0.1% (w/v) Pectolyase Y-23 to efficiently isolate protoplasts from the Liriodendron hybrid leaf mesophyll tissue in 3 h. We optimized Liriodendron protoplast transfection efficiency by including 20 μg plasmid DNA per 104 protoplasts, a transformation time of 20 min, and inclusion of 20% (w/v) polyethylene glycol 4000. After integrating the Liriodendron WOX1 gene into pJIT166-GFP to produce a WOX1-GFP fusion product and transfecting it into isolated protoplasts, LhWOX1-GFP was found to localize to the nucleus according to its green fluorescence.

The APETALA2 (AP2) genes represent the AP2 group within a large group of DNA-binding proteins called AP2/EREBP. The AP2 gene is functional and necessary for flower development, stem cell maintenance, and seed development, whereas the other members of AP2 group redundantly affect flowering time. Here we study the phylogeny of AP2 group genes in spermatophytes. Spermatophyte AP2 group genes can be classified into AP2 and TOE types, six clades, and we found that the AP2 group homologs in gymnosperms belong to the AP2 type, whereas TOE types are absent, which indicates the AP2 type gene are more ancient and TOE type was split out of AP2 type and losing the major function. In Brassicaceae, the expansion of AP2 and TOE type lead to the gene number of AP2 group were up to six. Purifying selection appears to have been the primary driving force of spermatophyte AP2 group evolution, although positive selection occurred in the AP2 clade. The transition from exon to intron of AtAP2 in Arabidopsis mutant leads to the loss of gene function and the same situation was found in AtTOE2. Combining this evolutionary analysis and published research, the results suggest that typical AP2 group genes may first appear in gymnosperms and diverged in angiosperms, following expansion of group members and functional differentiation. In angiosperms, AP2 genes (AP2 clade) inherited key functions from ancestors and other genes of AP2 group lost most function but just remained flowering time controlling in gene formation. In this study, the phylogenies of AP2 group genes in spermatophytes was analyzed, which supported the evidence for the research of gene functional evolution of AP2 group.

The energy use analysis of coal-fired power plant units is of significance for energy conservation and consumption reduction. One of the most serious problems attributed to Chinese coal-fired power plants is coal waste. Several units in one plant may experience a practical rated output situation at the same time, which may increase the coal consumption of the power plant. Here, we propose a new hybrid methodology for plant-level load optimization to minimize coal consumption for coal-fired power plants. The proposed methodology includes two parts. One part determines the reference value of the controllable operating parameters of net coal consumption under typical load conditions, based on an improved K-means algorithm and the Hadoop platform. The other part utilizes a support vector machine to determine the sensitivity coefficients of various operating parameters for the net coal consumption under different load conditions. Additionally, the fuzzy rough set attribute reduction method was employed to obtain the minimalist properties reduction method parameters to reduce the complexity of the dataset. This work is based on continuously-measured information system data from a 600 MW coal-fired power plant in China. The results show that the proposed strategy achieves high energy conservation performance. Taking the 600 MW load optimization value as an example, the optimized power supply coal consumption is 307.95 g/(kW·h) compared to the actual operating value of 313.45 g/(kW·h). It is important for coal-fired power plants to reduce their coal consumption.

PIN-FORMED 1 (PIN1) is an important secondary transporter and determines the direction of intercellular auxin flow. As PIN1 performs the conserved function of auxin transport, it is expected that the sequence and structure of PIN1 is conserved. Therefore, we hypothesized that PIN1 evolve under pervasive purifying selection in the protein-coding sequences in angiosperm. To test this hypothesis, we performed detailed evolutionary analyses of 67 PIN1 sequences from 35 angiosperm species. We found that the PIN1 sequences are highly conserved within their transmembrane regions, part of their hydrophilic regions. We also found that there are two or more PIN1 copies in some of these angiosperm species. PIN1 sequences from Poaceae and Brassicaceae are representative of the modern clade. We identified 12 highly conserved motifs and a significant number of family-specific sites within these motifs. One family-specific site within Motif 11 shows a different residue between monocots and dicots, and is functionally critical for the polarity of PIN1. Likewise, the function of PIN1 appears to be different between monocots and dicots since the phenotype associated with PIN1 overexpression is opposite between Arabidopsis and rice. The evolution of angiosperm PIN1 protein-coding sequences appears to have been primarily driven by purifying selection, but traces of positive selection associated with sequences from certain families also seem to be present. We verified this observation by calculating the numbers of non-synonymous and synonymous changes on each branch of a phylogenetic tree. Our results indicate that the evolution of angiosperm PIN1 sequences involve strong purifying selection. In addition, our results suggest that the conserved sequences of PIN1 derive from a combination of the family-specific site variations and conserved motifs during their unique evolutionary processes, which is critical for the functional integrity and stability of these auxin transporters, especially in new species. Finally, functional difference of PIN1 is likely to be present in angiosperm because the positive selection is occurred in one branch of Poaceae.

BACKGROUND: The molecular mechanisms that govern cambial activity in angiosperms are well established, but little is known about these molecular mechanisms in gymnosperms. Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook), a diploid (2n = 2x = 22) gymnosperm, is one of the most important industrial and commercial timber species in China. Here, we performed transcriptome sequencing to identify the repertoire of genes expressed in cambium tissue of Chinese fir. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Based on previous studies, the four stage-specific cambial tissues of Chinese fir were defined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In total, 20 million sequencing reads (3.6 Gb) were obtained using Illumina sequencing from Chinese fir cambium tissue collected at active growth stage, with a mean length of 131 bp and a N50 of 90 bp. SOAPdenovo software was used to assemble 62,895 unigenes. These unigenes were further functionally annotated by comparing their sequences to public protein databases. Expression analysis revealed that the altered expression of six homologous genes (ClWOX1, ClWOX4, ClCLV1-like, ClCLV-like, ClCLE12, and ClPIN1-like) correlated positively with changes in cambial activities; moreover, these six genes might be directly involved in cambial function in Chinese fir. Further, the full-length cDNAs and DNAs for ClWOX1 and ClWOX4 were cloned and analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a large number of tissue/stage-specific unigene sequences were generated from the active growth stage of Chinese fir cambium. Transcriptome sequencing of Chinese fir not only provides extensive genetic resources for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cambial activities in Chinese fir, but also is expected to be an important foundation for future genetic studies of Chinese fir. This study indicates that ClWOX1 and ClWOX4 could be possible reverse genetic target genes for revealing the molecular mechanisms of cambial activities in Chinese fir.

BackgroundTo date, several studies have indicated a major role for microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating plant development, but miRNA-mediated regulation of the developing somatic embryo is poorly understood, especially during early stages of somatic embryogenesis in hardwood plants. In this study, Solexa sequencing and miRNA microfluidic chips were used to discover conserved and species-specific miRNAs during somatic embryogenesis of hybrid yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera×L. chinense).Methodology/principal findingsA total of 17,214,153 reads representing 7,421,623 distinct sequences were obtained from a short RNA library generated from small RNAs extracted from all stages of somatic embryos. Through a combination of deep sequencing and bioinformatic analyses, we discovered 83 sequences with perfect matches to known miRNAs from 33 conserved miRNA families and 273 species-specific candidate miRNAs. MicroRNA microarray results demonstrated that many conserved and species-specific miRNAs were expressed in hybrid yellow poplar embryos. In addition, the microarray also detected another 149 potential miRNAs, belonging to 29 conserved families, which were not discovered by deep sequencing analysis. The biological processes and molecular functions of the targets of these miRNAs were predicted by carrying out BLAST search against Arabidopsis thaliana GenBank sequences and then analyzing the results with Gene Ontology.ConclusionsSolexa sequencing and microarray hybridization were used to discover 232 candidate conserved miRNAs from 61 miRNA families and 273 candidate species-specific miRNAs in hybrid yellow poplar. In these predicted miRNAs, 64 conserved miRNAs and 177 species-specific miRNAs were detected by both sequencing and microarray hybridization. Our results suggest that miRNAs have wide-ranging characteristics and important roles during all stages of somatic embryogenesis in this economically important species.