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The inorganic salt medium with atrazine as the sole carbon and nitrogen source was used to screen a Trichoderma strain with the best growth performance among 10 Trichoderma strains, and the Trichoderma strain HN154 was selected. The degradation test of atrazine demonstrated that this strain had a high ability to degrade atrazine. Strain HN154 was identified as Trichoderma lentiforme based on morphological characteristics and ITS/RPB2 gene sequence analysis. Optimization of atrazine degradation conditions showed that the atrazine degradation rate was as high as 87.79% when cultured in inorganic salt medium with 10 g/L glucose, pH 7, 25 ℃, and 1% inoculum. Response surface optimization further improved degradation to 89.02% under the conditions of 5.24 g/L glucose, pH 7.78, 0.77% inoculum, and 25.5 ℃. This study provides microbial resources and technical support for efficient atrazine degradation, offering insights into degradation of microbial pesticide residues.
In order to screen proteins in cassava (Manihot esculenta) that jointly regulate cassava disease resistance with MeRLK1, 24 candidate interacting proteins of the MeRLK1 protein including heat shock protein (Hsp), ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1), aquaporin transported protein (AQP), etc were selected through screening from the yeast two-hybrid library. Further analysis of the spatiotemporal expression correlation between MeRLK1 and 24 candidate interacting genes revealed that genes including Pentatricopeptide repeat 2 (PPR2) and BR-signaling kinase (BSK) exhibited high correlations (R>0.7) with MeRLK1 expression across diverse tissues and under stress conditions. Based on the screening, the full-length sequence vector of MeBSK, a protein related to the brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway was constructed. Through the yeast two-hybrid experiment, it was found that there might be an interaction between MeRLK1 and MeBSK. Subsequently, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) will be needed to further verify this interaction in vivo.
Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) is one of the important invasive pests infesting melons and vegetables in China. An attempt was made to further explore the adaptive mechanism of L. trifolii to temperature stress. The sequence characteristics, structure and phylogenetic analysis of catalase (CAT) in L. trifolii were analyzed by using bioinformatics, and the expression of LtCAT gene at different developmental stages and under temperature stress was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The CAT gene sequence of L. trifolii was cloned, and its open reading frame length was
A new type of electron accelerator device in Sanya was utilized for the first time to mutagenize rice germinating seeds with seven radiation groups at doses of 80-200 Gy in a gradient of 20 Gy. Statistical analyses were performed on six agronomic traits, namely, germination potential, germination rate, survival rate, plant height, fruiting rate, and 1,000-grain weight of rice seeds of the M1 generation, and phenotypic mutations were screened and analyzed for the M2 generation. The results showed that all the agronomic indexes of the rice materials of the M1 generation irradiated at different doses tended to decrease significantly different with the increase of irradiation dose, except for the thousand grain weight, which did not change significantly, and the plant height, which was gradually restored to the level of the control group. The rice plants with mutation in disease resistance, early maturity, late maturity, plant height, tiller number, awn length, and hull color were selected from the M2 generation, with the mutation rates in the order of hull color (
Exploring the spatial ecological niche delineation between co-distributed proximate species is crucial to understand their coexistence in the community. A survey of two species of pheasants, Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus jabouillei) and Chinese Francolin (Francolinus pintadeanus), were made at 105 and 79 distribution sites in Datian National Nature Reserve, Hainan, from March 2023 to January 2024, respectively, using the line transect method and satellite tracking technology. A maximum entropy model was used to predict the suitable habitats for these two species of pheasants by combining 12 environmental variables, and analyze their overlap. The results showed that there are differences in the distribution patterns of suitable habitats for the two species of pheasants. The suitable habitat for the Red Junglefowl was located in the north-western and central parts of the reserve, which are dominated by deciduous broad-leaved and scrub forests, while the suitable habitat of the Chinese Francolin was located in the northern part of the reserve, and was mainly in the grass area. The potential suitable habitats of the two species of pheasants were 633.18 hm2 and 337.31 hm2, accounting for 48.61% and 25.89% of the area of the reserve, respectively. The ecological overlap indices of the Red Junglefowl and the Chinese Francolin were low, with D and I values being 0.421 and 0.711, respectively, and the overlapping area of suitable habitat was 41.31 hm2, which accounted for 17.64% and 17.22% of the area of the suitable habitats for the Red Junglefowl and the Chinese Francolin, respectively. There were similarities and differences in the selection of environmental factors by the two species. Differences lie in the fact that the variables with the greatest influence on the habitat distribution of the two species of pheasants were the distance from the ranger path and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which are mainly manifested in the fact that the Red Junglefowl preferred deciduous broad-leaved forests and scrubs near the ranger paths, whereas the Chinese Francolin was more influenced by the NDVI; similarities lie in the fact that the variable with the second highest influence on the habitat distribution of the two species of pheasants was the distance from the water source, which was manifested in the fact that the Red Junglefowl and the Chinese Francolin preferred to distribute within 400 m and 500~
In order to investigate the protein function of MeDAWDLE, Cassava SC 124 was used as a variety of cassava to isolate and identify its MeDAWDLE through PCR amplification. The evolutionary tree revealed that MeDAWDLE shares high homology with the DAWDLE protein in apples at a homology rate of 76.3%. Analysis of the physicochemical properties of MeDAWDLE sequence revealed that the molecular weight of MeDAWDLE is 52 kDa and that the theoretical isoelectric point of MeDAWDLE is 5.04. Expression analysis showed that MeDAWDLE is distributed in different tissues and organs of cassava, and the transcript of MeDAWDLE is upregulated under stress conditions. To explore the protein function of MeDAWDLE, the expression vector was constructed and the protein was induced. Further protein function analysis revealed that MeDAWDLE can significantly increase the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and the disease resistance of cassava. All these results indicated that MeDAWDLEmight play an important role in cassava stress response.
Avocado (Persea americana) is a fruit with high nutritional value, and fatty acids are among its key intrinsic nutrients. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) is a crucial enzyme in fatty acid synthesis, essential for oil accumulation and storage. The protein structure, evolutionary relationships, and cis-acting elements of the PaACC gene promoter in avocado were analyzed by employing bioinformatics tools, and the expression levels of the PaACC genes across different avocado organs and developmental stages of the fruit were analyzed by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A total of seven PaACC genes were identified in avocado, encoding three BC subunits, three BCCP subunits, and one α-CT subunit of ACC. The amino acid lengths of these genes range from 251 to 776, with an average molecular weight of 49.95 kDa. All the encoded proteins are hydrophilic and lack of transmembrane domains. Phylogenetic analysis of ACC proteins from various plant species reveals that ACC proteins are categorized into four subfamilies based on subunit composition. The gene structure shows that all the PaACC genes contain at least 5 exons, each member of which contains a certain number of introns. There are 25 different conserved motifs in the PaACC gene family. Specifically, PaACC1, PaACC2, and PaACC3 all have motif 14, while PaACC4, PaACC5, and PaACC6 all have motifs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. In the promoter region of the PaACC genes, several cis-acting elements associated with light response, hormone response, drought stress, and low-temperature stress were identified. These findings suggest that the PaACC genes play a significant role in regulating plant growth and development and may enhance the plant’s tolerance to abiotic stresses. Expression pattern analysis reveals that PaACC4, PaACC5, and PaACC7 exhibit significantly higher expression levels during the S5 stage of fruit development compared to other organs and stages. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further research on the role of the PaACC genes in avocado fatty acid biosynthesis.
For early and rapid detection of Xanthomonas. oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), the cause of bacterial leaf streak in rice, specific recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) primers, and Exo fluorescent and nfo probes were designed and screened, respectively according to the publicly available gene sequence XOCgx_RS03090 of Xoc genome sequence in GenBank. The recombinant plasmid containing Xoc gene was constructed as a positive control. One fluorescent Exo-RPA assay and the other lateral flow strip detection (LFD-RPA) assay were established for rapid detection of Xoc. The sensitivity and specificity of the RPA methods were assessed, and the amplification effects of the RPA methods were explored by optimizing the reaction temperature and reaction time. The results showed that the sensitivity of both the Exo-RPA and LFD-RPA assays for the detection of Xoc were both 4.96 copies·μL−1, and that the optimal temperatures for the reaction were both 39 ℃. Xoc was detected within 12 min by the optimized Exo-RPA method, and within 5 min by the optimized LFD-RPA. The Exo-RPA and LFD-RPA assays developed were highly specific and could specifically and uniquely identify Xoc among plant pathogens in test. Both the RPA methods are highly sensitive, specific and fast, which pose a high potential to the monitoring of the target pathogen and early diagnosis of the disease.
Pine wilt disease, caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has done significant damage to pine forests. The trunk injection method is a new way to prevent and control B. xylophilus. It is urgent to develop new prevention and control agents that can slow down B. xylophilus's resistance to existing insecticides. Plant-derived natural active substances are a promising option as they have a strong toxic effect on B. xylophilus. This study selected five common plants in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region—Mikania micrantha, Lantana camara, Camellia oleifera, Melia azedarach, and Polygonum hydropiper—to obtain their water extracts. The study investigated the toxic effects of these extracts on B. xylophilus using an immersion method and analyzed their impact on B. xylophilus 's activity and reproductive capabilities. The results showed that the water extracts from all five plants had some toxic effect on B. xylophilus. Specifically, Lantana camara achieved a corrected mortality rate of 95.05% after 72 hours of treatment at a concentration of 40 g·L−1. Lantana camara exhibited the strongest inhibition of B. xylophilus's activity, while Melia azedarach showed the strongest inhibition of B. xylophilus 's reproductive capability. This study demonstrates that Lantana camara and Melia azedarach can be used to serve as potential materials for developing green control agents against B. xylophilus.
As an important part of Hainan's agriculture, rice industry in Hainan has unique development advantages, high-quality tropical natural conditions and abundant light and heat resources. The current situation of rice industry in Hainan was analyzed in terms of planting area, production, rice varieties and branding. The analysis showed that there are major problems in rice production in Hainan, such as high cost, low yield and no premium. In order to solve these problems and promote the green and efficient development of Hainan's rice industry, a series of countermeasures are proposed, including promoting intelligent mechanised planting to reduce costs, relying on scientific and technological innovations to improve rice yield, implementing green production modes to improve the quality and efficiency of rice, as well as strengthening brand building and market promotion. The comprehensive application of these countermeasures aims to improve the market competitiveness of Hainan rice, achieve a win-win situation in terms of ecological and economic benefits, and promote the sustainable development of rice industry in Hainan.
An attempt was made to analyze the physiological changes and transcriptome expression differences in Nypa fruticans seedlings under low light levels (CK:100% of natural light intensity; Z1: 30% of natural light intensity; Z2: 20% of natural light intensity) through shading experiments to reveal the physiological responses and differential changes in the transcriptome of N. fruticans seedlings under low light levels, providing a scientific basis for the breeding of N. fruticans. The results indicated that at 40 days under low light conditions, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in N. fruticans seedlings was 57.1% higher in Z1 and 62.1% higher in Z2 as compared to CK. Similarly, peroxidase (POD) activity was 41.2% higher in Z1 and 35.7% higher in Z2 compared to CK. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content was 42.6% lower in Z1 and 32.9% lower in Z2 compared to CK. However, chlorophyll (Chl) content was decreased by 61.1% in Z1 and 70.3% in Z2 compared to CK. Soluble protein (SP) content remained stable with no significant differences observed. The root-shoot ratio was 57.6% lower in Z1 and 48.1% lower in Z2 compared to CK. Under low light levels, N. fruticans seedlings were adapted to reduced light intensity within approximately 10 days by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities, increasing leaf area, and promoting lateral root growth. Even in lower light availability, seedlings were further adapted to the environment by improving light absorption efficiency and regulating hormone levels.
The fitness cost of resistance to dimefluthrin in Aedes albopictus was analyzed by population life table comparison method using the resistant line (RR) of Ae. albopictus for experiment with the susceptible line SS as control. The results showed that the net reproduction rate (R0), mean generation time (T), intrinsic rate of increase (rm), finite rate of increase (λ), and population doubling time (D) were 41.13, 11.77 d, 0.32 d−1, 1.38 d−1, and 2.17 d, respectively, for the susceptible line population, and. 26.48, 14.27 d, 0.23 d−1, 1.26 d−1, and 3.01 d, respectively, for the resistant line. The resistant line of Ae. albopictus was longer in population doubling time than the susceptible line, indicating that its reproductive rate has slowed down. The pupation rate and emergence rate of the susceptible and resistant lines were all 100%, indicating there was no significant difference between them. The average development time from first instar larvae to pupae was (9.66±0.17)d for the susceptible line and (11.31±0.17)d for the resistant line; the average emergence time of pupae for both of the lines was (2.15±0.04)d and (2.90±0.03)d, respectively; the average survival time of female mosquitoes was (30.03±1.60)d and (21.83±1.12)d, respectively, for both of the lines, and there were all significant differences. The development time of larval and pupal stages and the life span of adult mosquitoes were prolonged, indicating that there is a certain fitness cost of resistance to dimefluthrin in Ae. albopictus.
Ascorbate peroxidases (APXs) play a significant role in plant resistance to abiotic stress. An attempt was made to investigate the role of APXs in cassava resistance to cassava common mosaic virus (CsCMV). APX activity and the expression level of MeAPXs during infection of cassava with CsCMV were analyzed. The results showed that APX activity and MeAPX2 transcript level were reduced. Therefore, MeAPX2 was identified as a candidate gene for further analysis. MeAPX2 positively regulated cassava resistance to CsCMV, as determined by the disease index in MeAPX2-silenced plants. Further analysis revealed that MeAPX2 directly interacts with the coat protein (CP) of CsCMV. Moreover, CP was found to inhibit the activity of MeAPX2 both in vivo and in vitro. The results demonstrated that CsCMV suppresses APX activity during infection in cassava. Furthermore, MeAPX2 positively regulates cassava resistance to CsCMV by targeting CP.
Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are one of the most important plant parasitic nematodes worldwide, which seriously threatens agricultural production. Application of nematicides around the root-zone is still the main control method. Tomato plants in pots were foliar sprayed with nematicides to explore the pot control efficacy of the nematicides against root-knot nematodes in tomato and the inhibitory effects of root exudates (RE) and root metabolites (RM) on the second-stage juveniles (J2s) and egg hatching. The results showed that foliar application of fluopyram, fosthiazate, and abamectin had certain pot control efficacy against root-knot nematodes in tomato. On the whole, RE had better inhibitory effect on J2s and egg hatching than RM. RE obtained by foliar application of fosthiazate showed extremely high inhibitory effect on J2s, with a mortality rate of 84.10% on the first day after application. The results preliminarily proved the feasibility of foliar application of nematicides for the control of root-knot nematodes, which might provide an innovative strategy for reducing soil application and "reusing old nematicides" in tropical facility agriculture.
To further understand the role of the TkBZR family genes in the growth, development, and stress resistance of rubber dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz), the TkBZR/BES family genes were identified and analyzed by examining the whole genome sequencing data of T. kok-saghyz. A total of 6 members of the TkBZR family were identified, named from TkBZR1 to TkBZR6, and their distribution on chromosomes, domain characteristics, tissue expression profiles and the spatial-temporal gene expression were analyzed. The results revealed that TkBZR/BES gene family members were distributed on 6 independent scaffolds. Phylogenetic trees indicate that TkBZR/BES gene family members are evolutionarily conserved, with rubber dandelion and lettuce genes clustering in the same subgroup, suggesting a possible close evolutionary relationship between the two. Gene structure and conserved domain analysis show that except for TkBZR5, all the other TkBZR genes contain two exons and one intron, and that all the family members exhibit a highly conserved BES1_N domain. Expression pattern analysis reveals that 5 members are expressed in all five tissues, while one member is almost unexpressed. Additionally, the TkBZR2 gene with the highest expression abundance was successfully cloned, encoding 307 amino acids. Homologous recombination of TkBZR2 was made into prokaryotic expression vector, and the recombinant plasmid was transferred into E. coli BL21(DE3) .The recombinant protein TkBZR2 was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3).
A faunal analysis was made of Heteroptera insects in the main peak region of Jianfengling, Mountans, Hainan Island to elucidate species composition and distribution patterns of Heteroptera insects in this region. This is of great significance for the biodiversity conservation of Jianfengling Mountains. The faunal characteristics of the Heteroptera insects in the main peak area of Jianfengling Mountains, Hainan Island was analyzed through line transect survey, species identification, data collation and analysis. The analysis results show that a total of 100 species of Heteroptera insects were recorded in the main peak area of Jianfengling Mountains, Hainan Island, belonging to 85 genera and 15 families. Among the families identified the Reduviidae and Pentatomidae are dominant. The Reduviidae has the higher number of species, with a total of 34 species, accounting for 34% of the total species; followed by the Pentatomidae, with a total of 25 species, accounting for 25% of the total species. Overall, there is no obvious dominant genus in this region. In terms of the composition of genera, monotypic genera contain the highest number of species, with a total of 74 species, accounting for 74% of the total species; oligotypic genera contain 26 species, accounting for 26% of the total species. The genus with the largest number of species is Physopelta, with a total of 5 species recorded, accounting for 5% of the total species. The Heteroptera insects in the main peak area of Jianfengling Mountains on Hainan Island are mainly composed of Oriental and Palearctic realms in the Zoological fauna of the world at the genus level, with the Oriental realm accounting for the highest proportion, followed by the Palearctic realm. In the zoogeographic fauna of China, the components at genus levels are mainly composed of those in South China region, Southwest District region and Central China region, exhibiting the distribution characteristics of multiple regions. Among them, the components from the South China region account for the highest proportion, followed by those from the Southwest District region and Central China region. Overall, the diversity of insect species in the Jianfengling Mountains area of Hainan Island is relatively complex. All these results provide basic information for the comprehensive investigation and research of insects in the Jianfengling Mountains area of Hainan Island, and at the same time also offer scientific reference for the prevention and control of Heteroptera pests and the protection and utilization of predatory Heteroptera insects.
Auxin is widely present in plants and plays an important role in mediating plant development and disease resistance. The Aux/IAA family are widely involved in the early response of auxin and regulate the entire process of auxin signal transduction. In order to study the characteristics of Aux/IAA and their roles in reponse to stresses, this study cloned and identified the MeIAA19 from cassava, which encodes 244 aa with a typical PB1 conserved domain of Aux/IAA proteins. Additionally, MeIAA19 protein, expressed and purified from DE3 strains, could significantly induced ROS burst and MePR1 and MePR2 expression. Moreover, the expression level of MeIAA19 significantly increased with time under Xam infection. These results will provide a certain theoretical basis for exploring the function and mechanism of action of the MeIAA19 in cassava.
The occurrence of fresh corn pests is serious in Hainan, which seriously threatens the safety of fresh corn production. In order to develop a technical model suitable for the green production of corn in Hainan, a survey was made of the occurrence of the main harmful populations and natural enemies of corn pests from 2019−2023, and the prevention and control experiments and demonstrations were also completed. The results showed that Spodoptera frugiperda infested corn during the whole growth period of corn and accounted for more than 40% of the pest population, which results in an infestation percentage of 25% to 43%. As a secondary pest, Ostrinia furnacalis accounted for more than 25% of the pest population, and the percentage of infestation caused thereby was 5% to 17%. With the invasion of S. frugiperda, the application frequency of chemical pesticides in a single corn growth period increased significantly in 2020, from 4.27−5.47 times in 2019 to 7.73−8.77 times in 2020, which may have a potential negative impact on the environment. Natural enemy insects play an important role in the biological control of corn pests, among which parasitic natural enemies are dominant and account for 75.89% of the population. The parasitism rates of Trichogramma sp. and Telenomus remus were 23.22% and 7.91%, respectively. In 2023, by applying the combined control strategy of natural enemy insects and pathogenic microorganisms, the control effect of S. frugiperda and O. furnacalis reached 81.41% and 78.77%, respectively, which were equivalent to the chemical control effect. The combined control mode of parasitic wasps and Metarhizium sp. has a significant effect on pest control, reduces the use of chemical pesticides, is safe for corn production, and can be applied to the pest control of fresh corn in Hainan.
An attempt was made to analyze the relationship between stomatal and photosynthetic characteristics of different accessions of seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Sw.), and 25 seashore Paspalum germplasm were analyzed in terms of photosynthetic parameters, leaf length, leaf width and stomatal characteristics. The results showed that all traits of the paspalum germplasm were significantly different (P < 0.05), and were significantly (P < 0.05) positively or negatively correlated with each other. The net photosynthetic rate was significantly negatively correlated with the leaf length, stomatal density and stomatal area index (P < 0.01), and significantly negatively correlated with leaf width (P < 0.05). Stomatal conductance was significantly negatively correlated with stomatal density (P < 0.05), and positively with stomatal pore length (P < 0.01), while water utilization was negatively correlated with stomatal size (P < 0.05), but not with other stomatal characteristics (P > 0.05). The principal component analysis showed that the cumulative contribution rate of the four main components (net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, stomatal size and guard cell length) was 75.80%. Twenty-five accessions of the paspalum germplasm were classified into three groups (A, B and C) by using four indexes. Group C includes 14 accessions that have the highest net photosynthetic rate with the largest stomatal size, the widest stomatal pore and low stomatal density. Group C are accessions of seashore Paspalum germplasm with better photosynthetic characteristics, with their photosynthetic capacity regulated through the function of stomatal accessory cells, and the stomatal traits are also key indicators for regulating net photosynthetic rate.
To investigate if the proline aminopeptidase (PIPase) regulate the virulence of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), we first analyzed the putative PIPases in Xcc by bioinformatics; then expressed and purified these proteins, and detected their PIPase activities in vitro; finally studied the roles of these genes in Xcc virulence by analyzing the infective ability, growth rates, motility, and extracellular enzyme activities of the mutants and supplementary strains of these genes. The results indicate that Xcc encodes two PIPases, PipA and PipB. Mutation of either gene led to a decrease in Xcc virulence. Overexpression of pipA or pipB resulted in enhanced motility. In addition, pipA overexpression increased the activities of the extracellular proteases in Xcc, but pipB did not have this activity. Therefore, PipA and PipB may affect Xcc virulence by regulating its motility, and PipA may also regulate extracellular protease activity to affect Xcc infection.
In order to clarify the effect of biochar application on maize (Zea mays) in the tropics, two types of biochar, peanut hull biochar and rice hull biochar, were applied to the maize field at the rates of 10, 20, 40, and 60 t·hm−2), with no biochar as the control (CK), to observe their effects on the growth, development, nutrient accumulation and yield of the maize, and the soil properties in the maize field three years after biochar application. The results showed that the plant height and leaf SPAD values of maize were not significantly different among treatments throughout the reproductive period, while at the silking stage, the leaf SPAD values of maize in the 40 t·hm−2 treatment were significantly higher than those in the 60 t·hm−2 treatment. In addition, with the increase of biochar application rate, the soil pH and the contents of organic carbon, ammonium nitrogen, soil available phosphorus and soil available potassium in the 0~40 cm soil layer at the maturity stage of maize increased gradually. Except for the 40 t·hm−2 treatment, the 60 t·hm−2 treatment significantly increased the soil pH, and the contents of organic carbon, ammonium nitrogen, soil available phosphorus and soil available potassium as against the other treatments. At the same time, there was no significant difference in the contents of soil ammonium nitrogen and soil available phosphorus between the 40 t·hm−2 treatment and CK. The 40 t·hm−2 treatment had the highest accumulation in maize dry matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and was highest in number of grains in ears and yield, which were significantly higher than those of the CK treatment. However, there was no significant difference in utilization efficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium between the 40 t·hm−2 treatment and CK. Correlation analysis found that yield was significantly positively correlated with soil pH, dry matter accumulation, plant N, P and K accumulation and number of grains in ears. Taken together, the 40 t·hm−2 biochar treatment could improve the soil and the growth and nutrient utilization and yield of maize, which could be optimal in the tropics, and rice hull biochar was superior to peanut hull biochar.
The MYB transcription factor family plays an important role in plant response to environmental stress. Capsicum annuum is the most widely cultivated species in the genus Capsicum. The transcriptome data obtained by our group were analyzed, based on which MYB44 transcription factor was selected for bioinformatics analysis of the cis-acting elements of the promoter, protein structure, evolutionary relationship. A preliminary experimental research was then conducted on subcellular localization and low temperature response. The open reading frame (ORF) of CaMYB44 gene is 981 bp in length, encoding an unstable hydrophilic protein with an amino acid of 326 aa. It is predicted that CaMYB44 protein has no signal peptide and transmembrane domain, is a non-secretory protein, and belongs to R2R3 MYB. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that it had high homology with SmMYB73, NtMYB44-like, StMYB44-like and SlMYB44, followed by AtMYB70 and OsMYB77. Cis-acting element analysis showed that the promoter region contained a low temperature response element and multiple abscisic acid and light response elements. Subcellular localization results showed that CaMYB44 was localized in the nucleus. The RT-qPCR showed that the expression of CaMYB44 was down-regulated after 24 h of low temperature stress at 4°C, which was similar to the expression trend of other negative regulatory factors under low temperature stress. This paper provides basic data for further analysis of low temperature tolerance transcription factors in C. annuum.
An attempt was made to investigate the genetic diversity and genetic differentiation of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causative agent of pine wilt disease, which is posing a severe threat to the forest ecosystem and economic development in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Sixty seven strains of B. xylophilus collected from eight different districts/counties within Guangxi were analyzed by using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit Ⅰ (mt COI) gene fragment. The results indicated that there were three polymorphic sites and one parsimony-informative site within a 647 bp region, with genetic diversity indices at extremely low levels. Four haplotypes of B. xylophilus were identified in Guangxi, with an overall haplotype diversity of 0.170, where Hap1 was the predominant haplotype. The B. xylophilus strains in Guangxi were clearly distinct from those found in other regions both domestically and internationally, forming an independent branch. In recent years, the spread of B. xylophilus in Guangxi occurred primarily through natural dispersion. All these findings might provide a theoretical basis for developing targeted prevention and control strategies for B. xylophilus in Guangxi.
Euprojoannisia Brèthes is one of the 35 subgenera of genus Forcipomyia Meigen, known as the third largest subgenus in terms of the number of species just behind subgenus Forcipomyia s.str. and subgenus Lasiohelea Kieffer. The specimens of subgenus Euprojoannisia were collected from the mangrove forests in Hainan Province and identified by morphological characters and DNA barcodes. A new species, F. (E.) quadrata sp. nov., and a new record species of Hainan Province, F. (E.) psilonota Kieffer, 1911, were found and described. Besides, the characteristics of the females of F. (E.) appendicular Liu, Yan and Liu, 1996, were first reported.
To clarify the population dynamics of Bactrocera dorsalis in Hainan region, surveys were conducted on the population of B. dorsalis in the main agricultural production areas of Hainan, and the correlation between the population and meteorological factors was explored. The results showed that B. dorsalis can occur throughout the year in Hainan, with the peak occurrence period from May to August, and the low occurrence period in winter from November to December. The monitoring data of B. dorsalis populations in some areas were positively correlated rwith average temperature, maximum temperature, and minimum temperature, but not significantly with precipitation, relative humidity, and rainy days was. This provides a good referece for formulating control strategies for B. dorsalis in Hainan.
Pathogenic bacterial infections release large amounts of lipopolysaccharides that disrupt the structure of intestinal tight junction proteins, leading to increased intestinal permeability, causing dysfunction of the intestinal epithelial barrier, and inducing severe intestinal inflammation. Sodium butyrate, as a type of short-chain fatty acid, has an important role in relieving intestinal inflammation. However, its properties such as volatility and low utilization rate seriously affect its application. Therefore, the design and development of sodium butyrate drug delivery system is important to improve the utilization and effect of sodium butyrate. In this context the nature of cross-linking of chitosan (CS) and hyaluronic acid in the presence of sodium tripolyphosphate was made full use of to form CS-SB nanoparticles by encapsulating sodium butyrate (SB) in the particles. CS-SB was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and laser particle size analysis, and was found to be irregularly spherical with a particle size of approximately 97.30 ± 4.20 nm. SB was able to release in PBS buffer, reaching a cumulative release of 116.27 ± 7.75 ng over 24 h. A lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal cellular inflammation model was constructed, and it was found that CS-SB could effectively inhibit the expression of cellular pro-inflammatory factors and play a role in alleviating inflammation. The drug delivery system developed using natural products such as chitosan can effectively overcome the shortcomings of sodium butyrate, which is volatile, and provides a new idea for designing new bioactive oral drug delivery systems.
MYC2 is an important transcription factor that regulates the synthesis of terpenoid secondary metabolites in plants. However, little is known about the CdMYC2 transcription factor in C. drupifera. In this study, the related sequence information of CdMYC2 gene was obtained based on the transcriptome annotation data of C. drupifera. A CdMYC2 gene was successfully isolated and cloned from the leaves of C. drupifera for the first time. Its CDS sequence length was
Butterfly is an important indicator organism for environmental monitoring, its community composition and diversity are closely related to habitat type, and its diversity and distribution can well reflect local ecological and environmental quality to a certain extent. In order to explore the relationship between habitats and butterfly diversity, a systematic survey of butterflies in four habitats of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park, Haikou, Hainan Province was conducted from February 2023 to January 2024 by using line transects method, and the distribution of butterflies in different habitats of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park was analyzed. In the survey a total of
Myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) are critical regulators of skeletal muscle growth and development in animals. The full-length cDNA sequences of five MRFs from the giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) were cloned using RT-PCR and RAC, including MyoD1 (1,962 bp), MyoD2 (1,466 bp), MyoG (926 bp), MRF4 (1,052 bp), and Myf5 (1,133 bp), encoding 297, 270, 251, 238, and 242 amino acids, respectively. Amino acid sequence alignment revealed that all five MRFs contain a conserved basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain consisting of 60 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the MRF genes are clustered into two distinct branches: MyoD (MyoD1 and MyoD2) groups with Myf5 in one clade, while MRF4 and MyoG form the other. All genes showed closest evolutionary relationships with Perciformes homologs. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed predominant expression of these MRFs in skeletal muscle, with significantly lower expression levels in the liver, heart, and intestine. These findings provide foundation for elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of MRFs in skeletal muscle development of the giant grouper.
In order to improve the propagation efficiency of Curcuma wenyujin plants, tissue cultured plants of C. wenyujin was cultured on in vitro rooting medium (1/2MS + NAA 0.5 mg·L−1) supplemented with broad spectrum plant growth regulators, choline chloride (CC) and compound sodium nitrophenolate (CSN), at different concentrations and ratios to induce the differentiation of their microrhizomes, and the growth status of the tissue-cultured plants after transplantation was observed. The results showed that the tissue cultured plants cultured on the medium supplemented with a combination of CC at 1.0 mg·L−1 and CSN at 2.0 mg·L−1 were induced to form microrhizomes obviously, with an inducing rate of 62%. In the medium supplemented with a combination of CC at 3.0 mg·L−1 and CSN at 1.0 mg·L−1, the induction rate was 46%, but the swelling and thickening of microrhizomes were the most obvious, with a transverse diameter of about 6.8 mm. There was no significant difference in the length of microrhizomes between the two groups. All the tissue-cultured rooted plants with microrhizomes survived after transplantation, and their survival rate, growth rate, tiller number, number of new leaves, and the weights of tuberous roots and rhizomes increased by 36.4%, 112.5%, 83.0%, 103.9%, and 83.2%, respectively compared with the control tissue-cultured rooted plants.
An attempt was made to establish an in vitro identification system for resistance of rice to bacterial blight. Detached rice leaves of varying lengths were treated with 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BA), Kinetin (KT), and Thidiazuron (TDZ) at different concentrations to select an optimized system for maintaining leaf greenness in vitro, based on which in vitro identification systems for resistance of rice to bacterial blight were established. The results indicated that regardless of the type of hormone used as a greening agent, the efficacy of greening was closely correlated with the length of the detached leaves, with shorter leaves exhibiting better greening effects. Further analysis of the relative chlorophyll content data revealed that the optimal concentration for each hormone that yielded the best greening effects were 0.28 mg·L−1 for TDZ, 4 mg·L−1 for 6-BA, and 4 mg·L−1 for KT, with 0.28 mg·L−1 for TDZ being the most effective concentration for detached rice leaves, and 4 mg·L−1 for 6-BA and 4 mg·L−1 for KT being similarly effective. Using 0.28 mg·L−1 TDZ as the greening agent, the detached leaves from rice plants with five different levels of field disease resistance were inoculated with Xanthomonas oryzae via the "clipping method." The results demonstrated a positive correlation between the lesion lengths of the detached leaves and those from field inoculations after 7 days of inoculation, with the regression equation of y = −0.62 + 1.32x (R2 = 0.98). The findings of this study contribute to the molecular breeding efforts for rice resistance to bacterial blight.
In order to develop insecticides with photoactivation activity, Aedes aegypti was used as the target organism to determine the insecticidal activity of 6 acridine derivatives and explore the activity mechanism of the highly active compound. The results showed that all the tested compounds were photosensitive and had no insecticidal activity under dark conditions. The insecticidal activity of all compounds increased significantly after UV irradiation, among which 9-phenylacridine had the highest activity (LC50 = 0.717 mg/L ). At the concentrations of LC50 and LC75, the 9-phenylacridine could significantly reduce the pupation rate and emergence rate and increase the mortality rate of pupae while inhibit chitinase activity; the ROS level was increased in the tested insects; the activities of SOD and CAT showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing; the activity of POD increased. What’s more the AchE activity was inhibited by 9-phenylacridine with LC75 concentration. It is speculated that 9-phenylacridine can induce the organism to produce ROS and cause oxidative damage to the organism, thus exerting insecticidal activity. It is concluded that 9-phenylacridine has the potential to be developed into photoactivated insecticide.
To address the decreased cut flower yield caused by the bud jumping development phenomenon, where adventitious buds interrupt the normal growth cycle of flower bud differentiation in Oncidium cut flower production, flower buds and vegetative buds of Oncidium hybridum 'Boda NO1' were selected for high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. A total of 127,452,717 high-quality sequences (37.36 Gb) were obtained, and 7,671 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. COG functional classification revealed primary enrichment in signal transduction pathways and carbohydrate transport/metabolism pathways. KEGG analysis showed that DEGs were significantly enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism, phytohormone signaling, and other pathways. Among these, 78 DEGs were identified in the phytohormone signaling pathway, with the most pronounced differences involving auxin, cytokinins, salicylic acid, and gibberellins. Thirteen transcription factors and flowering-related genes, including MADS1, AP2, and FLK, were also screened. These results partially elucidate the effects of auxin, cytokinins, and flowering-related genes on the differentiation of flower buds and vegetative buds in Oncidium. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further research on the mechanism underlying the bud jumping development phenomenon during Oncidium production. Additionally, it supports subsequent improvement in production efficiency, quality enhancement, and optimization of cultivation and management. These findings hold significant practical value for advancing orchid breeding, seedling production, and industry development in China.
In order to understand the distribution of moss resources and species diversity in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, moss plant specimen collections were conducted several times on the main peak of Limu Mountain from 2022 to 2023, and the specimens collected were identified morphologically in combination of literature review. A new record genus of Pilotrichaceae plants for Hainan was confirmed: Actinodontium, along with the species Actinodontium rhaphidostegum (Müll. Hal.) Bosch & Sande Lac. The morphological characteristics of the newly recorded genus and species were described, and illustrated with characteristic plates. The habitat and geographical distribution of the genus and species was also introduced. This new record enriches the diversity of bryophytes in Hainan Island.
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the main pathogen causing anthracnose of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). The common in fungal extracellular membrane (CFEM) domain is a unique motif of fungi, and the proteins containing CFEM and transmembrane domains are defined as Pth11-like CFEM protein, which plays important roles in regulating the development and pathogenicity of pathogenic fungi. In order to study the pathogenesis of C. gloeosporiorides, a gene encoding Pth11-like CFEM protein was screened from the transcriptome of C. gloeospriorides and named as CgCFEM17. The encoding region of the gene CgCFEM17 is 1341bp in length and encodes a peptide with 446 amino acids. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the N-terminus of CgCFEM17 has a signal peptide with 26 amino acids and a conserved CFEM domain, and the C-terminus contained six transmembrane domains. The knockout mutant strain (∆CgCFEM17) and complementary strain (∆CgCFEM17-C) of the gene CgCFEM17 were constructed to analyze the function of CgCFEM17. The results showed that the conidium germination and invasion structure of ∆CgCFEM17 were delayed compared with the wild type and complementary strain, but the colony growth rate, conidiation, appressorium formation rate, and morphogenesis were not changed. These results indicated that the gene CgCFEM17 could affect the pathogenicity of C. gloeosporioides on rubber tree by regulating the germination process of conidia and delaying the formation of infection structure, which lays a theoretical foundation for exploring of the pathogenic mechanism of C. gloeosporioides and establishing of a new control strategy for anthracnose of rubber trees.
Abstracts: Macroalgae, such as Acanthophora muscoides and Gracilaria coronopifolia, widely distributed in the water of Liusha Bay in the Leizhou Peninsula in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province. The basic nutritional components of A. muscoides and G. coronopifolia were analyzed and their nutritional value was assessed in a view to exploring their potential value for development. The results showed that the fresh weight moisture contents of A. muscoides and G. coronopifolia were 93.10% and 88.60%, respectively. Additionally, A. muscoides had crude protein content of 9.4%, crude fat content of 2.89%, ash content of 55.07%, and crude fiber content of 5.7%, while G. coronopifolia contained 7.5% of crude protein, 1.78% of crude fat, 27.38% of ash, and 3.57% of crude fiber. In term of amino acid profile, A. muscoides and G. coronopifolia contained 13 types of amino acids, with a rational composition and high levels of essential and flavor amino acids. The DAA/TAA ratios of the two macroalgae were 56.74% and 48.14%, respectively, meeting the requirements of the FAO/WHO standard pattern. The first limiting amino acid for both species was leucine, while the second limiting amino acids were isoleucine and lysine for A. muscoides and G. coronopifolia, respectively. Moreover, these macroalgae had valuable minerals, such as calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium, and had low content of heavy metals. All these results showed that A. muscoides and G. coronopifolia had diverse and patterned amino acids, and vital minerals, making them highly valuable for nutrition and offering broad prospects for development and application. This study provides some reference for further resource development and utilization of A. muscoides and G.coronopifolia.
Cassava (Manihot esculenta), a crucial staple and bioenergy crop, faces significant yield and quality losses due to oxidative stress induced by environmental factors such as drought and high temperature. Previous studies have demonstrated that MeKIN10, a protein kinases associated with energy sensing in cassava, enhances oxidative stress tolerance by mediating the phosphorylation of MeRAV1/2. While protein-protein interaction is essential for kinase-mediated phosphorylation, the specific interaction regions between MeKIN10 and MeRAV1/2 remain elusive. In this context the interaction regions of MeKIN10 and MeRAV1/2 were identified through protein domain analysis, AlphaFold3 prediction and yeast two-hybrid experiment. The results demonstrate that the STKc-AMPK-alpha kinase domain of MeKIN10 is the key domain in its interaction with MeRAV1/2, which further indicates that the protein interaction between MeKIN10 and MeRAV1/2 is the key in mediating the phosphorylation of MeRAV1/2.
To explore the characteristics of macroalgae species and community structure in the Marine Ranch of Wuzhizhou Island, Sanya, sampling surveys were conducted from April 2023 to June 2023 at 12 different sites within the marine ranch area. A total of 29 species of macroalgae were collected, including 17 species from the Rhodophyta phylum, 9 species from the Chlorophyta phylum, and 3 species from the Phaeophyta phylum. The dominant species were Amphiroa fragilissima and Turbinaria ornata. The average biomass of macroalgae was 2.40±1.89 g·m−2. The average carbon content and nitrogen content of different species of macroalgae were 18.80% and 0.98%, respectively, with an average C/N ratio of 24.04±13.61. The mean values of species diversity index (H′), species richness index (D), and species evenness index (J) of the macroalgae community were 1.28±0.59, 5.60±4.61, and 0.87±0.70, respectively. Cluster and ordination analysis revealed that the 12 sites were grouped into 3 clusters. SIMPER and ANOSIM analyses indicated significant differences in the community structure of macroalgae among these three clusters, with basic separation of community structures. These results suggest that the Marine Ranch of Wuzhizhou Island, Sanya harbors a rich diversity of macroalgae, but significant differences in community structure exist among different clusters due to specific dominant species and habitat variations.
Through field preliminary screening and re-screening experiments, pitaya was treated by spraying after pollination with nine plant growth regulators, including chlorpropham (CPPU), trans-abscisic acid (S-ABA), 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA), ethephon (ETH), gibberellic acid (GA3), brassinolide (BR), diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6), compound sodium nitrophenolate (CSN), and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), to observe the effect of the growth regulators on scales green-retaining and fruit weight improvement of pitaya. The results indicate that appropriate plant growth regulators can promote scales green-retaining and fruit weight improvement in pitaya fruits. Treatments with CPPU diluted at 50 times, 200 times, and 100 times on the 13th and 23rd days after pollination were best in retention of green scales, and their green scale ratios were 74.84%, 74.26%, and 72.41%, respectively, with an increase ratio of 0.55, 0.53, and 0.5 times compared to the control group. The most effective treatments for promoting fruit weight were those of spraying GA3 at a dilution of 500 times on the 13th day after pollination, and spraying GA3 at dilutions of 500 times and 2000 times on the 13th and 23rd days after pollination, and their fruit weights were 411.32 g, 498.32 g, and 484.17 g, respectively, with an increase in weight ratio of 0.39, 0.32, and 0.31 times compared to the control group. The labor cost was considered in actual production in this experiment, and pitaya was thus sprayed with the plant growth regulators for only one round. The results showed that the treatment with GA3 diluted 500-folds on the 13th day after pollination was the best among the treatments in green retention of scales and fruit weight gain. Under this treatment the proportion of green parts of scales was 70.2%, showing a significant increase of 15.8% compared to the control group, and the average fruit weight was 411.3g, significantly higher by 116.2g compared to the control group, meeting the requirements for field production.
The KNOX gene family encodes homeobox proteins that function as transcription factors and are integral to regulating plant growth and development. To investigate the bioinformatic characteristics of the KNOX gene family and its potential roles during viviparous seedling development in water lily (Nymphaea), this study identified 15 KNOX genes from the Nymphaea genome using bioinformatics approaches. These genes were distributed across chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 13. Detailed analyses were performed to assess their physicochemical properties, cis-regulatory elements, and interspecies collinearity. The physicochemical characterization revealed that the KNOX proteins ranged from 249 to
Research on the central nervous system function of pests forms the foundation for developing precise behavior control technologies. Despite the significant role of neuron-labeling techniques based on genetic manipulation in this field, such techniques remain relatively scarce for non-model insects, such as the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. In this context an attempt was made to identify four pan-neuronal expression genes in B. dorsalis with a view to laying the groundwork for constructing a neuron-labeling system for this species. The genomic structures of the pan-neuronal expression genes in B. dorsalis were identified and analyzed by employing bioinformatics and molecular biology to verify their full-length sequences and peripheral expression patterns. The results indicate that, by referring to four pan-neuronal expression genes from Drosophila, four homologous genes were identified in the B. dorsalis, namely BdornSyb, BdorSyt1, Bdorelav, and BdorBrp. The full genomic lengths of these four genes are 19,337 bp (5 exons, 4 introns), 26,884 bp (8 exons, 7 introns), 1,341 bp (1 exon), and 49,692 bp (14 exons, 13 introns), respectively. The domains of BdornSyb, BdorSyt1, and Bdorelav are highly conserved among closely related species. PCR cloning results indicated that the CDS sequence lengths of these four genes are all over 500 bp, consistent with the bioinformatics analysis results. Evolutionary and genomic structure analyses demonstrated that the four genes are highly conserved among Diptera insects. Expression pattern analysis revealed that all the four genes are expressed in the peripheral sensory organs of B. dorsalis, with three genes, BdornSyb, BdorSyt1 and BdorBrp, showing higher expression levels in the primary olfactory organs, the antennae, and the maxillary palp. The four genes identified are candidate pan-neuronal expression genes in B. dorsalis, providing a foundation for constructing a pan-neuronal labeling system for this species in the future.
In order to explore the effect of mineral nutrient elements on fruit quality and screen the main mineral element factors affecting fruit quality, fruit of durian (Durio zibethinus Murr) Jinzhen planted in Hainan Province were selected for correlation and path coefficient analysis of the external morphology and internal quality indexes of the fruit as well as 11 mineral elements. The correlation analysis showed that there was a significantly negative correlation between soluble solids content and sulfur (S) content. The total acid content was significantly positively correlated with calcium (C) and boron (B) contents. There was a significantly positive correlation between vitamin C content and magnesium (Mg) and S contents. There was a significantly negative correlation between sugar-acid ratio and B content. The solid-acid ratio was significantly negatively correlated with Ca and B contents. The path analysis showed that there were some differences in the effects of mineral elements on fruit quality indexes. The main elements influencing soluble solids content were nitrogen (N), Mg, zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). The main factors influencing soluble sugar content were B, Mn, Zn and N, and the main elements affecting the total acid content of the fruit were potassium (K), N, Mg and Zn. The main elements affecting the content of vitamin C were S, iron (Fe), Mg and Zn. The main elements affecting the ratio of sugar to acid are K, Zn, Mn and B, and the main elements influencing solid acid ratio were Mg, Zn, Fe and Mn. In summary, K, N, Ca, Mg, Zn and B are the main elements affecting the quality of the durian fruit, and are the comprehensive results of the synergistic regulation of various mineral elements. Considering the local soil and fruit nutrient content in Hainan, the fruit yield and quality can be improved through application of K, Mg, Zn and B fertilizers at a slightly higher rate and a coordinated ratio.
Solanum lycopersicum is a model plant for research in genetics and molecular biology. Recently selection of tomato internal reference genes has been reported but with less types of exogenous hormones used for treatment. An attempt was hence made to select internal reference genes with stable expression in different tissues of tomato and under treatment with plant hormones. DANJ, EF-1α, ACT, UBI, APT, CAC, TIP41 and RPL8 were used as candidate internal reference genes, and selected under the 8 experimental conditions: exogenous hormone treatment with auxin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, cytokinin, salicylic acid, brassinolide and ethylene and various plant parts. The stability of the candidate reference genes was comprehensively evaluated using algorithms such as geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, Delta CT and RefFinder. The stability of the reference genes was validated using the auxin-responsive gene SlGH3.4. The results showed that APT is the most stable reference gene expressed in auxin, gibberellin, abscisic acid, brassinosteroid treatment and various plant parts, that UBI is the most stable reference gene expressed in all samples under cytokinin and salicylic acid treatment, and that TIP41 is the most stable reference gene expressed under ethylene treatment. Finally, when APT, which has a relatively stable comprehensive ranking, was used as an internal reference gene, it was found that the expression level of SlGH3.4 gene showed a similar trend under IAA treatment conditions, while the less stable RPL8 gene failed to accurately correct the expression level of the target gene. All these results may provide theoretical support for the analysis of gene expression networks and molecular regulatory mechanisms in the response of tomato to exogenous hormone treatment.
To clarify the occurrence and damage of leafminers on vegetables in Ningxia, China, and the species composition of their parasitoid wasps, sampling surveys on leafminers and their parasitoids on vegetables in Ningxia were conducted. The species were identified by morphological methods. From 2016 to 2019, there were five common species of leafminers observed in Ningxia, including Liriomyza sativae, Liriomyza huidobrensis, Phytomyza horticola, Liriomyza bryoniae and Liriomyza chinensis. Among these leafminers, L. huidobrensis was the highest in occurrence and number of host plants, particularly preferring Cucurbitaceae plants. L. bryoniae was only found on Brassica campestris and Lycopersicon esculentum, with low damage. The parasitoid wasp species attacking leafminers were found to have 27 species from 17 genera of 4 families. The dominant parasitoid species, based on population and parasitism rates, were Neochrysocharis formosa (1 129 individuals, 41.81% of the total) and Diglyphus isaea (458 individuals, 16.96% of the total). Leafminers in Ningxia have caused varying degrees of damage to crops, especially Fabaceae crops. It is crucial to strengthen field monitoring, early warning systems, and implement green control measures. Additionally, the region has abundant parasitoid wasp resources, and further efforts should be made to protect these natural enemies. Special attention should be given to exploring the potential biological control capabilities of dominant parasitoids such as N. formosa and D.isaea, in order to achieve sustainable and environmentally friendly pest management.
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) serves as a crucial site for protein processing in eukaryotic cells. Sec62, an essential component of the ER translocation complex, plays a significant role in growth, development, and stress regulation. An attempt was made to examine the transcription levels of the PcSec62 gene at various growth stages and during pathogenic processes. The PcSec62 gene was knocked out by using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to produce knockout mutants (ΔPcsec62) and a complementary strain (ΔPcsec62-C). The results showed that the transcriptional expression of PcSec62 significantly increased during the sporangia and infection stages. The ΔPcsec62 mutants exhibited notably reduced growth and sporulation abilities, alongside stunted hyphal growth. Additionally, the ΔPcsec62 strain showed significantly low tolerance to abiotic stress and reduced pathogenicity. These findings indicate that PcSec62 is involved in regulating the growth, development, abiotic stress responses, and pathogenicity of Phytophthora capsici.
As two tick-borne pathogens that are widely prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, Anaplasma platys (A. platys) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum) are of great zoonotic and public health significance. To date, seroepidemiological investigations and analysis of associated risk factors for A. phagocytophilum and A. platys in companion dogs in Hainan are not documented. In this study, 184 companion dogs in the Haikou area of Hainan Province were tested for antibodies to Anaplasma spp. by using a standard commercialized kit, and the associated risk factors were analyzed with 128 clinical questionnaires. The results showed that the seroprevalence of antibodies of companion dogs to A. phagocytophilum/A. platys in Haikou area was 7.1%. Modeling calculations revealed a significant correlation between tick bites and seropositive antibodies to Anaplasma spp. among all investigated risk factors, further clarifying the important role of ticks as a vector. This study lays the foundation for the Anaplasma spp. epidemiologic study of companion dogs in Hainan province, and provides an important scientific basis for the prevention and control of anaplasmosis.
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) has important economic value. Exploring the key genes of cassava is of great significance for improving cassava quality. To mine disease-resistant genes of cassava, a specific immune receptor-related gene resistant to Xam (MeRXam2) was cloned, and its protein structure was analyzed. The analysis was found that the coding sequence (CDS) region of this gene is
To explore the volatile components and aroma composition of the flowers of longan (Dimocarpus longan), and to investigate the antioxidant activity of their extracts, the flowers of longan were collected from Fujian and extracted with different solvents, and their volatile components and the aroma of the components were analyzed by using the GC-MS technology. Meanwhile, DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging assays were used to detect the antioxidant activity of the longan flower extracts. The results showed that 59 components were identified from the essential oil extracted from the longan flowers, accounting for approximately 82.2% of the total volatile components. In the essential oil 4 key aroma compounds, 3 potential aroma compounds and 1 modified aroma compound were found. The DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging assay showed that different solvent extracts of longan flowers had a certain degree of antioxidant activity. Water extract, methanol extract and ethanol extract had significant antioxidant activity, while n-butyl alcohol extract and ethyl acetate extract had low antioxidant activity. All the results show that longan flowers have a great development potential in the fields of medicine, cosmetics, health products, functional foods and so on, which provides a scientific basis for the development and utilization of longan flowers.
Cassava is an important food crop in tropical regions, but the yield of cassava is affected by salt stress, which endangers food security. JAZ (jasmonate ZIM-domain, JAZ) proteins, as essential components in the jasmonate signaling pathway, are involved in regulating the tolerance to salt stress in a variety of crops. In order to investigate response of JAZ proteins in cassava to salt stress, as well as the underlying regulatory mechanisms two homologous genes MeJAZ2.1 and MeJAZ2.2 were identified from cassava variety SC124 through bioinformatics. The evolutionary tree and conserved domain analysis indicated that they both contain two conserved domains, ZIM and Jas, which belong to the JAZ gene family. Further research discovered that the expression level of MeJAZ2.2 changed more significantly in response to salt stress in cassava. MeJAZ2.2-silenced cassava plants were more susceptibility to salt stress compared to the wild type, indicating that MeJAZ2.2 may positively regulate cassava resistance to salt stress. The pGADT7-MeJAZ2.2 bait vector was constructed and no self-activating activity was found by yeast two-hybrid experiment. Moreover, three candidate interacting proteins of MeJAZ2.2 were screened, including glutamine synthetase (GS), ubiquitin 3 (Ub3), and FRIGIDA-LIKE PROTEIN (FRI-L), which provides a preliminary framework for analyzing the function and molecular mechanism of JAZ proteins to salt stress in cassava.
The bactericidal effects of different antibiotics on Escherichia coli were analyzed by using fluorescence photoelectric microbial detection devices. The results prove that the antimicrobial analysis using fluorescence photoelectric microbial detection devices is equivalent to the K-B disk diffusion method. Compared to the traditional methods, the fluorescence photoelectric microbial detection method can be used to quickly identify microbial resistance in clinical specimens, especially of fastidious bacteria and other slow-growing strains, providing timely reference for the clinical application of antibiotics and drug resistance analysis of pathogens. The detection of the drug resistance of E. coli to 9 antibiotics showed that E. coli had the highest resistance to nalidixic acid, with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 100 μg.mL-1. E. coli had the lowest resistance to cefotaxime, with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 0.2 μg.mL-1. Combination of nalidixic acid with ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, or chloramphenicol indicated that the combination of 0.5 MIC concentration of nalidixic acid with 0.5 MIC concentration of ciprofloxacin had the best bactericidal effect.
Bidens pilosa, an invasive weed commonly found in South China, is considered as a companion weeds in various upland cropping systems and serves as an intermediate host for a range of phytopathogens. This study reports the occurrence of leaf spot lesions in a population of B. pilosa. To investigate the cause, pathogens were isolated from the infected leaves using a tissue isolation method, and pathogenicity was confirmed through detached-leaf inoculation assays. A combination of morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis of concatenated rDNA-ITS and tef1 sequences enabled accurate identification of the pathogen. The pathogen was identified as Lasiodiplodia theobromae, which causes leaf wilt and rot in B. pilosa. Preliminary environmental studies indicated that the isolated strain exhibited optimal colony growth at 28 ℃, pH 6, on Potato Dextrose Agar(PDA) medium supplemented with sucrose and sodium nitrate, which served as the preferred carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively.
In order to select an agricultural Jiaosu that can effectively improve the quality and yield of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), passion fruit seedlings were treated with agricultural Jiaosu formulations prepared from four different substrates, namely passion fruit peel, passion fruit straw, cherry tomato straw and corn straw, and chemical fertilizer as control to observe the effects of the treatments on the quality and yield of passion fruits in pot culture under anti-insect net and field experiments. The results showed that the fruit size, single fruit weight and first-class fruit rate of passion fruit under the passion fruit peel Jiaosu treatment were similar to those of the chemical fertilizer treatment, with the yield being 6.38% higher, and that this Jiaosu treatment was better than other Jiaosu treatments. In terms of quality, the passion fruit peel Jiaosu treatment significantly increased the content of Ca and total sugar in juice, decreased the content of organic acid, and had the highest TSS-TA ratio and sugar-acid ratio, and this treatment was better than the passion fruit straw Jiaosu and corn straw Jiaosu treatments. The cherry tomato straw Jiaosu treatment significantly increased the contents of Fe, Zn, total organic acids, total amino acids and vitamin C in the fruit. However, the fruits in this treatment were low in TSS-TA ratio and sugar-acid ratio due to the high acid content, and hence were poor in comprehensive quality. Based on the data of 2 years of experiments, the passion fruit peel Jiaosu treatment had the best effects on improving the comprehensive quality and yield of passion fruits, and the fruits under this treatment had a higher commercial value, which was suggested to be the best treatment.
In order to screen out bacteriostatic agents and their concentrations suitable for sugarcane open hydroponics, virus-free healthy seedlings of sugarcane cultivar Zhongtang No. 1 were treated with bacteriostatic agents including Diclofenac zinc, carbendazim, sodium hypochlorite, polyols and isothiazolinone at different concentrations and cultured in open hydroponics to observe their contamination rate, proliferation coefficient and rooting rate. The results showed that treatment with 0.14% isothiazolinone had the best effect on proliferation in open hydroponics of sugarcane, with a medium contamination rate of 7.04% and a plant proliferation coefficient of 2.71, whereas the treatment with 0.11% isothiazolinone had maximum effect on rooting in open hydroponics, with the medium contamination rate of 6.58%, and the rooting rate of 94.44%.
In order to investigate the potential functions of the cassava (Manihot esculenta) Ⅶ subfamily of ERF gene family in response to biotic stress, we identified 161 ERF genes in the cassava genome, which were divided into 13 subfamilies. Analyses were performed on the conserved domains, cis-acting elements in promoter regions, interacting proteins, target genes, and expression patterns of the Ⅶ subfamily members. The results showed that all members of this subfamily contained a conserved AP2 domain, and their promoter regions included 13 types of cis-acting elements related to plant growth and development, and environmental stress responses. Expression pattern analysis revealed that the MeERF46, MeERF133, and MeERF92 genes responded actively to Xpm infection among them, the change of MeERF92 expression was the most significant. WGCNA and protein-protein interaction network analysis indicated that MeERF92 might be involved in the process of oxidative stress, while MeERF133 was widely involved in glycometabolism. These findings provide candidate genes for further research into the functions and mechanisms of ERFs in cassava's response to biotic stress.
Polyurethane sponge was used as a biofilm carrier for the enrichment of anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) to investigate the denitrification performance and microbial community changes of the biofilm system under different nitrogen loads of influent water. The results showed that the total nitrogen removal rate increased with the nitrogen load of influent water. The total nitrogen removal rate was as high as 85.79% in the stabilization period, the nitrogen load in effluent was 0.26 kg·N·m−3·d−1, and the total nitrogen removal reached the national standard. Meanwhile, the formation of cauliflower-shaped biofilm on the polyurethane sponge carrier was observed by using the scanning electron microscopy, and the sequencing of the biofilm samples showed that the biofilm system had been used to enrich the anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB). Subsequently, the sequencing showed that the functional microorganisms in the system were Candiadatus brocadia, which accounted for 29.80% of the total number of microorganisms in the stable period. Finally, the changes of cross-feeding interactions between the genera of anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria and other genera of microbiota under high load conditions were summarized, which will provide a comprehensive guideline for the future metabolism research and practical application of the anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacterial flora in the engineering.
An attempt was made to determine the content of total saponins and antioxidant activity in the roots of Callerya speciosa (Champion ex Bentham) Schot at different ages, and provide reference for their rational development and utilization. The roots of C. speciosa were collected and extracted by using an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method, and the extraction process of total saponins from C. speciosa roots were optimized. Furthermore, the content of total saponins from the extracts of the C. speciosa roots at different ages (3-year-old, 6-year-old, 10-year-old and 15-year-old) was determined by using UV photometer.. The antioxidant activity of total saponins from the C. speciosa roots was determined by using the DPPH free radical method and hydroxyl free radical method. The results showed that the best extraction conditions for total saponins of the C. speciosa roots are 80% ethanol, 1∶ 40 solid-liquid ratio, 40 min ultrasound time, and 3 extraction times. Among the four materials, the 6-year-old C. speciosa roots had the highest total saponin content, while the 15-year-old C. speciosa had the lowest. The total saponin content of the C. speciosa roots tended to increase and then decrease with the ages of C. speciosa. The antioxidant activity test found that total saponins of the C. speciosa roots at different ages all possessed a certain level of antioxidant capacity in vitro, which can be developed and utilized as a potential natural antioxidant.
Extreme climate-driven alterations in precipitation patterns lead to frequent heavy rainfall, drought, and dry-wet alternation events, and hence significantly impact plant growth and soil community stability. Cinnamomum camphora, a crucial economic species for greening, is particularly sensitive to these environmental changes. Understanding the influence of altered precipitation patterns on the growth of C. camphora and its associated soil systems holds significant implications for cultivation, management and planting strategies in the context of global extreme climate change. A pot experiment was designed to simulate precipitation patterns to cultivate C. camphora seedlings to determine the soil physicochemical properties (pH, soil organic carbon, and soil total nitrogen) and microbial biomass in the pot soil. The seedlings were treated with stress of flooding, drought, or wet-dry alternation, with no stress as a control. Results indicated that the three stress treatments notably increased soil total nitrogen content (P<0.001 as against the control. Soil total phospholipid fatty acids and bacterial biomass were significantly higher in the stress treatment of flooding or dry-wet alternation compared to the drought stress, whereas fungal biomass remained relatively stable under stress conditions. Additionally, the microbial Simpson index was significantly lower under the drought stress treatment compared to the other treatments. In conclusion under extreme stress events the growth of C. camphora was inhibited, and the soil microorganisms become more constrained by carbon substrates. The drought stress had a more pronounced impact on soil physiochemical properties and microbial communities compared to the stress treatments of flooding and dry-wet alternation. Under the extreme climate events the coupling of microorganisms and plants should be enhanced to improve the ability of plants to adapt to extreme climate, thereby preserving the stability and functionality of the soil ecosystem and benefiting plant recovery.
Four-year-old trees of wax apple 'Nanlu No.1' (Syzygium samarangense (BI.) Merr. et Perry) of similar growth vigor located in Yazhou District, Sanya City, Hainan Province were selected to observe the fruit growth and development and determine their fruit quality to elucidate the fruit growth development and quality formation patterns A comprehensive two-year tracking experiment was conducted from 2022 to 2024, starting from 10 days after flowering to the maturity of the fruit in both summer and winter seasons. Dynamic changes in fruit size and flesh quality indicators were systematically observed and evaluated. Results indicated significant differences in external quality indicators, such as fruit size and shape index from 10 days after flowering to maturity and in internal quality indicators from the fruit expansion stage to maturity. Single fruit weight and the contents of soluble sugar, ascorbic acid and soluble solids all showed a significant increasing trend. In contrast, total acid content and fruit shape index exhibited a less pronounced trend. Notable differences were observed in fruit quality indicators at maturity in different seasons, with the winter fruits scoring higher in principal component analysis compared to the summer fruits. The critical growth and development periods were identified as 30-70 days after flowering for the summer fruits and 20-50 days after flowering for the winter fruits. The critical quality formation periods were 60-80 days and 50-60 days after flowering for the winter and summer fruits, respectively. The optimal harvesting time was approximately 80 days after flowering for the winter fruits and 60 days after flowering for the summer fruits, at which time the overall indicators of the contents of soluble sugars, soluble solids and ascorbic acid, and sugar-acid ratio were the best. The primary factors influencing fruit quality at maturity included ascorbic acid content, transverse and longitudinal diameter, fresh weight, solids-acid ratio, sugar-acid ratio, and fruit shape index, with the winter fruits demonstrating superior overall quality over the summer fruits.
Cotton verticillium wilt is a destructive disease that seriously affects the cotton industry. Verticillium dahliae is the main causing agent of cotton verticillium wilt in Chin. It is difficult to effectively controll this disease through conventional methods, and it hence is of great significance to establish a rapid and efficient detection method for early monitoring, diagnosis, and controlling of this disease. A highly conserved DNA sequence among strains of V. dahliae and a high divergence among different species were discovered by using NCBI BLAST. Based on this DNA segment, six pairs of PCR primers were designed and one set of primers that are highly specific and sensitive were eventually selected for detecting V. dahliae through nested PCR. And the optimal amplification conditions for these primers were determined. A set of nested PCR primers were identified, namely V.d-2 and V.d-5. The amplification conditions are as follows: 95 ℃ for 5 minutes, 95 ℃ for 30 seconds, 58 ℃ for 30 seconds, 72 ℃ for 1 minute, performed 35 cycles. The resulting bands are of sizes 512 bp and 375 bp, respectively. Resulting nested PCR can be used to detect the lowest amount of pathogenic DNA at 1×10−6 ng·μL−1, which is 3 orders of magnitude higher in sensitivity compared to the conventional PCR. The primer specifity was verified by using 15 species of pathogens such as Verticillium longisporum, etc. The lowest number of 10 spores each conton seed bearing pathogen of V. dahliae can be detected by using this method. And hence a rapid molecular detection method for determining the presence of Verticillium wilt pathogen on cotton seeds is developed.
Banana 'Haigong' (Musa. AA) seedlings were treated with magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) at gradient concentrations of 0%, 50%, and 100% of normal levels to observe the effects of magnesium and zinc deficiency on the growth and photosynthesis of the seedlings. The results show that after 120 days of treatment, the combined deficiency of Mg and Zn inhibited the growth and photosynthetic physiology of 'Haigong' seedlings. Under normal treatment, the plant height was 31.5 cm, stem diameter was 8.65 cm, and total root length was 1,051.47 cm; under deficiency treatment, plant height, stem diameter, and total root length were all reduced to varying degrees, with no significant difference in leaf morphology, and the relative growth rate of plant height varied among treatments. In terms of photosynthetic characteristics, there were significant differences in SPAD value, Pn value, Tr value, Ci value, and Gs value between normal and deficiency treatments, and under deficiency treatment the Y(Ⅱ) value and Fv/Fm value decreased, while the NPQ value fluctuated. This study monitored the growth and photosynthetic physiology of banana 'Haigong' seedlings under Mg and Zn deficiency, providing a reference for precise nutrient management.
To investigate the grafting compatibility and healing mechanisms of Bombax ceiba, this study employed Ceiba speciosa as rootstocks and one-year-old B. ceiba branches as scions. Utilizing the cleft grafting technique, graft union tissues were collected at various post-grafting stages for histological observation via hard tissue sectioning to analyze structural changes during healing. Physiological activities of soluble sugars, soluble proteins, peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were quantitatively assessed, while endogenous hormone levels at the graft interface were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The healing process of the graft is divided into four distinct stages: (1) isolation layer formation stage (Day 0–3); (2) callus formation stage (Day 3–10); (3) callus differentiation and connection stage (Day 10–22); and (4) cambial connection and vascular tissue differentiation stage (Day 22–40). The first 22 days post-grafting are critical for determining whether a viable graft union can form, and the first 40 days are crucial for graft survival. The activities of POD, SOD, and CAT initially increased and then decreased during the healing process, with peak activity observed during the callus differentiation and connection stage. The hormones IAA, GA, and CTK promoted cell division and vascular tissue formation. The concentrations of IAA and CTK peaked during the callus differentiation and connection stage, while GA reached its highest concentration during the cambial connection and vascular tissue differentiation stage. ABA levels showed a decreasing trend followed by an increase, with ABA inhibiting the proliferation of callus cells.
To investigate the low-nitrogen tolerance characteristics of Paspalum vaginatum, this study selected 10 Paspalum vaginatum germplasm accessions as experimental materials. A hydroponic method was applied with two nitrogen concentration treatments: full nitrogen (5.0 mmol·L−1) and 1/100 nitrogen (0.05 mmol·L−1), for a duration of 30 days. Eighteen agronomic traits, including chlorophyll content, shoot fresh weight, and turfgrass height, were measured after treatment, and variance analysis was conducted to compare and explore the low-nitrogen tolerance characteristics of the 10 germplasm accessions. A comprehensive evaluation of low-nitrogen tolerance was performed. The results showed that, compared to normal nitrogen treatment, indicators such as shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, total tillers length and tillers number significantly decreased under low nitrogen treatment, while indicators such as fresh weight ratio of root shoot, dry weight ratio of root shoot, shoot dry matter content and root dry matter content significantly increased. Through correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and membership function analysis, two low-nitrogen-tolerant Paspalum vaginatum, 17USA-03 and 17HN-39, were selected.
To explore the evolutionary history of the Bradyrhizobium and its plastic degradation-related gene the hydroxylase gene CYP450, and to understand the mechanisms by which the genus acquires its plastic degradation potential. In this study, 28 fully assembled strains of Bradyrhizobium were collected to investigate the evolution and dissemination of Bradyrhizobium and their hydroxylase genes CYP450 through comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses. The results revealed that, compared to the core genes, the unique and accessory genes of Bradyrhizobium exhibited an increase in functions related to plastic degradation, such as membrane transport, xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism, lipid metabolism, and signal transduction. Bradyrhizobium has an open pan-genome, enabling it to acquire genes from other species, adapt to new environments, and evolve new functions. Analysis of the flow of the hydroxylase gene CYP450 in bacteria and archaea revealed that Bradyrhizobium likely acquired hydroxylase gene CYP450 from the Actinobacteria phylum through horizontal gene transfer, thus gaining the potential for plastic degradation.
Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae is the pathogen that causes bacterial leaf blight in rice, and Type Ⅲ Secretion Effectors (T3SEs) play an important role in the virulence of Xoo. An attempt was made to make a preliminary clear of the function of XopG in the virulence of Xoo and the localization of XopG in plant cells by using informatics analysis, gene knockout, expression regulation analysis, pathogenicity analysis and subcellular localization. The results showed that the xopG promoter sequence contained an atypical plant-induced promoter PIP-box, predicting that xopG expression was regulated by HrpX. The GUS activity test of hrpX deletion mutant showed that the expression level of xopG in hrpX mutant was significantly lower than that in the wild type, indicating that HrpX positively regulates the expression of xopG. Compared to the wild type T7174, the virulence of xopG mutant was significantly reduced, indicating that XopG is a necessary cellular component for Xoo to infect rice. Subcellular localization showed that XopG located in the nucleus, cell membrane and cytoplasm of plant cells. This study laid a foundation for exploring the molecular mechanism of XopG-Xoo interaction.
In order to understand the regulatory role of the BBR-BPC gene family in the growth and development of Dioscorea alata (greater yam), we analyzed the gene structure, phylogenetic evolution, conserved motifs, and physicochemical properties of the BBR-BPC gene family in greater yam. We also predicted the secondary and tertiary structures of BBR-BPC proteins and verified the interaction between the BBR-BPC gene and the DELLA gene. Through HMMsearch and BLAST analyses, we identified six members of the BBR-BPC family in the greater yam genome. These gene proteins exhibited significant differences and alternative splicing events, with a total of 10 splice variants detected. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that all members of the BBR-BPC family in greater yam are located in the nucleus.The yeast two-hybrid interaction results between Da4BBR-BPC2 and DaDELLA2 indicate that there is an interaction between Da4BBR-BPC2 and DaDELLA2, occurring at the N-terminus of the DaDELLA2 gene.
In order to assess the role of the bZIP transcription factor in the biosynthesis of natural rubber in Hevea brasiliensis, HbbZIP74 gene was successfully cloned based on previous work in our laboratory. Bioinformatics analysis and expression pattern analysis were performed. The pET28-HbbZIP74 expression vector was constructed, and the recombinant protein was expressed in the strain E. coli BL21 (DE3) and then purified. The results showed that the open reading frame (ORF) of the gene HbbZIP74 is 486 bp, encoding 161 amino acids, with a bZIP domain, classifying it as a bZIP transcription factor S subgroup. The expression level of HbbZIP74 is higher in latex and leaves, and its expression can be induced by jasmonic acid, abscisic acid, ethylene, and salicylic acid in latex. The optimal condition for the heterologous expression of the HbbZIP74-His recombinant protein was induced at 1 mmol·L−1 IPTG and 37 ℃ for 3 h. The recombinant protein was mainly accumulated in inclusion bodies. The recombinant protein, approximately 22 kDa in size, was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography, which was consistent with expectations. This study lays the foundation for further exploration of the role of HbbZIP74 in the biosynthesis of natural rubber.
Metcalfa pruinosa (Say, 1830) is an invasive pest of the genus Solenopsis that originated in North America, spread rapidly after being accidentally introduced into Europe in the late 1970s, and has been found to invade East Asia in recent years. M. pruinosa is a highly polyphagous insect with low host specificity that colonizes a variety of trees, shrubs, fruit trees and crops in agricultural, forest and urban areas. Although not reported in China, the pest has the potential risk of invasion. A qualitative assessment and a semi-quantitative analysis of this pest were carried out by using the pest risk analysis program and multi-index comprehensive evaluation method according to the international and national standards of pest risk analysis. The semi-quantitative analysis showed that the comprehensive risk R value of this pest was 2.41. It is a highly dangerous pest in China, and it is a potential threat to important fruit trees such as citrus, plum and apple as well as soybean crops in China. It is hence suggested that quarantine departments strengthen the regulation and supervision of the products from the quarantined area, perform early monitoring and warning, and formulate effective quarantine and control methods for this pest in China.
To clarify the effects of aluminum stress on latex yield, physiological parameters and tapping panel dryness (TPD) of mature rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis), rubber trees of clone Reyan7-33-97 tapped for eight-years were treated with AlCl3 solution at different concentrations. Two control solutions with different pH values (T0 was treated with ultrapure water of pH7.0 and T1 was treated with ultrapure water solution of pH adjusted to 4.2 by hydrochloric acid) and four concentrations (i.e. 50, 100, 200 and 400 mmol·L−1) of AlCl3 solutions with pH4.2 were applied just above the tapping cut. The rubber trees were tapped regularly and the latex volume, dry rubber yield, latex physiological parameters, TPD incidence and grade were observed in the early, middle and late stage of the treatment. The results showed that the harvested latex volume and dry rubber yield increased in the early stage of aluminum treatment, decreased to the same level as the control in the middle stage, and was lower than the control in the late stage, while the total latex volume and dry rubber yield of the 10 tappings after Al treatment were not significantly different from those of the control. Aluminum treatment increased dry rubber content, lutoid bursting index of the early latex and thiols content of late latex, indicating that aluminum treatment led to the decrease of latex flow capacity. Meanwhile aluminum treatment decreased latex sucrose content, and Mg2+ content of latex at the middle and late stages, and increased the inorganic phosphor content of latex at the late stage, which indicates that aluminum treatment also led to the decrease of rubber regeneration ability. High concentration aluminum treatment increased the incidence and grade of TPD. In summary, aluminum solution with a high concentration of 50 mmol·L−1 can increase latex yield in the short term and maintain the stability of dry latex production in a certain period of time, but it leads to the decline of the latex flow and regeneration capacity, inducing the occurrence of TPD. High concentration of Al is not conducive to maintaining the long-term latex production stability.
Cost accounting for rural waste treatment is vital for advancing the sustainability of agricultural and rural development. However, there is a severe lack of publicly accessible first-hand data on full-chain technological pathways and economic cost analyses in China’s tropical rural regions, which constrains the evaluation of integrated waste management strategies. This study, conducted in Sandao Town, Baoting Li-Miao Autonomous County, Hainan Province, applies life cycle assessment to quantify waste treatment costs across multiple technological scenarios. Findings reveal centralized municipal solid waste treatment costs of
Wetland plants are important components of wetland ecosystems, which not only can maintain ecological balance, but also can promote the ecological functions of wetlands. In this study, we investigated and analyzed the vascular Plant Resources in five types of wetlands, including rivers, artificial, lakes, offshore and coastal, in Dongfang City as the study area. The results of the study showed that (1) the Plant Resources of wetlands in Dongfang City are relatively rich, with 114 families, 426 genera and 626 species of vascular plants recorded, including 15 ferns, 1 gymnosperm and 610 angiosperms. (2) The flora and geographic distribution of wetlands in Dongfang City can be divided into 12 types and 12 variants. (3) The vegetation types can be categorized into 6 wetland vegetation type groups, 7 vegetation types and 11 clusters, including rainforests, evergreen broad-leaved scrubs, scrub-herbaceous scrubs, aquatic vegetation, fleshy prickly scrubs and mangroves. The vegetation types are mainly tropical. (4) The invasive plants had more Class Ⅰ (malicious invasion) and Class Ⅱ (serious invasion) plants, which posed a threat to the diversity of regional wetland ecosystems. The results of this study initially clarified the status of wetland Plant Resources in Dongfang City, enriched the Plant Resources information of wetlands in the tropical coastal semi-arid zone, and provided scientific basis and basic data for the protection, ecological restoration and rational utilization of wetland vascular plant resources.
In order to explore the suitable period for safe production of rice seeds in spring in Hainan Island under the influence of climate change, daily meteorological data on two-line hybrid rice seed production from 18 cities/counties in Hainan Island from February 1961 to August 2020 were used to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of major meteorological disasters during the key development period for two-line hybrid rice seed production. The results indicate that the south area is the preferred area for two-line hybrid rice seed production in spring in Hainan Island, and that rice varieties with lower threshold temperatures during the sensitive period of fertility should be selected; For the safe time of two-line hybrid seed production in spring in the south area, the sensitive period for fertility should be arranged in early May, the flowering and pollination period should be arranged in May, and the mature harvesting period should be before mid-June.
In order to screen for stable expression of cassava reference genes in cassava leaves infected with Xanthomonas phaseoli pv. manihotis(Xpm), we used Xpm resistant variety ‘G1301’ and susceptible variety ‘SC9’cassava leaves as research materials. Samples were collected from cassava leaves of ‘G1301’ and ‘SC9’ at 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 72 h, and 120 h after Xpm infection, and the stability of the commonly used reference genes Nascent, EF1a, ACT, GTPb, and TUB was determined. The results showed that there were differences in the expression levels of five reference genes after Xpm infection in the leaves of ‘G1301’ and ‘SC9’. Delta CT, GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and RefFinder software were used to rank the stability of these candidate reference genes. We found that the most stable reference gene expressed in Xpm-infected leaves is EF1α. This study identified the stable internal reference genes expressed during Xpm infection in cassava leaves, laying the foundation for studying gene expression in response to Xpm infection and exploring disease resistance genes.
To identify Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) within national parks and allocate limited conservation resources effectively, this study takes the Diaoluo Mountain core protection area of Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park as a case study. A grid-based methodology was employed to conduct plant taxa surveys, and priority plant species within the study area were determined according to the Checklist of Priority Protected Species in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. KBAs were identified based on the number of priority protected species present within the sample plots. The results revealed that a total of 67 priority protected plant species were recorded in the 195 surveyed sample plots, which accounted for 65.05% of all priority protected plant species listed in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. When the number of priority protected species was no less than 4, the proportion of plots identified as KBAs was 57.44%. When the number of priority protected species was no less than 5, the proportion of KBA-identified plots was 40.00%. When the number of priority protected species was no less than 6, the proportion of KBA-identified plots was 25.64%. The Baishui、 Xin'an and Nanxi management jurisdictions have higher conservation value, contributing over 70% to the overall KBAs identification results. This study provides critical insights into plant conservation within Diaoluo Mountain National Park and offers specific guidance for biodiversity conservation actions in national parks. It also delivers vital technical support for systematic KBA identification in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, serving as a model for similar efforts in China's national park system.
Lesion mimic mutants (LMM) are important in plant immunity and growth and development studies. The aim of this study was to perform a preliminary localization of a rice lesion mimic gene by BSA-seq (Bulked Segregant Analysis sequencing) technique. First, we screened a mutant, LMM43, from the population of indica rice cultivar Huang Huazhan (HHZ) mutagenized by EMS for the appearance of lesion-like symptoms, and phenotyped the F2 segregant population obtained by crossing LMM43 with the wild-type parent to determine the mode of inheritance of the lesion-like trait. High-throughput sequencing was performed on mixed samples of DNA from individuals with disease-like spot phenotypes and normal individuals using BSA-seq technology. Through the association analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and Insertion and Deletion (InDel) differences combined with phenotypic analysis, the target genes were preliminarily localized in a segment of rice chromosome 10, which is about 1.37 Mb in length and contains 199 genes. The length of this interval is about 1.37 Mb, which contains 199 genes, and five candidate genes were finally identified. The preliminary localization results laid the foundation for further gene cloning and functional verification, and helped to deeply understand the molecular mechanism of rice-like spot mutants, which is of great theoretical and applied value for the study of rice disease resistance breeding and plant immunity mechanism.
Natural rubber has a vital position, and its safe supply is of great significance to the security of the national economy and even the security of the country. In recent years, the rapid expansion of rubber plantation area and potential ecological problems have attracted more attention. The assessment of the ecosystem service of rubber plantations in Hainan Island is conducive to determine the ecological value of rubber plantations, examine the important position of natural rubber industry from the perspective of ecological economics, and promote the sustainable development of natural rubber industry. In this context, the recognition algorithm of rubber plantations of different ages in Hainan Island was used to calculate the planting area of rubber plantations of different ages in Hainan Island, and the ecological service function value of the rubber plantations in different areas at different ages in Hainan Island was evaluated by substitute cost method and shadow engineering method. The results showed that the total value of ecosystem services in the rubber plantations in Hainan Island was 35.304 billion yuan, and the value of ecosystem services per unit area was 67 478.91 yuan/ha. The value of carbon sequestration and oxygen release was 23.571 billion yuan, the value of water purification and regulation was 3.390 billion yuan, the value of soil fixation and fertilizer conservation was 0.573 billion yuan, the value of air purification was 3.458 billion yuan, the value of farmland protection was 0.400 billion yuan, the value of forest tree nutrient accumulation was 1.543 billion yuan, and the value of biodiversity conservation was 0.314 billion yuan. Among them, the ecosystem service value of rubber plantatons at the ages of 16−20 years in Hainan Island was the highest. The spatial distribution pattern of ecosystem service value of the rubber plantations in Hainan Island is basically in the order of northwest >middle > southwest > southeast > northeast. The results show that rubber plantations have a strong ecosystem service function, which can not only bring economic and social benefits to human beings, but also produce greater ecological benefits.
To further explore the key genes regulating drought resistance in soybean, the peroxidase gene GmPOD123, which is significantly induced under drought stress, was screened based on previous transcriptomic analyses (RNA-Seq) of soybean leaves under drought stress. An expression analysis of the soybean GmPOD123 gene under drought stress was performed to identify whether GmPOD123 is involved in response to drought stress, and the results showed that GmPOD123 was significantly up-regulated after 3 h stress treatment. Moreover, phenotype identification of transgenic Arabidopsis plants of overexpressing GmPOD123 showed that overexpression of GmPOD123 in Arabidopsis could increase the drought tolerance, which was compared to wild type Arabidopsis. To further explore the drought-resistant molecular mechanism of GmPOD123, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (GmFBA2), an interacting protein of GmPOD123, was screened from the soybean cDNA yeast library by Mating, and its interaction with GmPOD123 was identified by yeast two-hybrid system and luciferase complementation assay (LCA). In summary, GmFBA2 may influence ROS levels by interacting with GmPOD123, thereby regulating soybean drought resistance.
Torulaspora delbrueckii is one of non-Saccharomyces yeasts mostly used for research, and is widely used for brewing of various fruit wines. It is co-fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae for improving fruit wine flavors. In this experiment, a wild-type yeast strain was selected from the peel of cantaloupe in Fulo Town, Ledong County, Hainan Province. Through phenotypic observation of the strain and constructing a phylogenetic tree based on 18S rDNA sequencing, the strain was identified as T. delbrueckii. Under the fermentation condition of fruit wine, T. delbrueckii grew normally in the range of alcohol content 4−20%, pH value 2.8−3.6 and sulfur dioxide concentration 100−500 mg·L−1, and the growth rate was the highest under the condition of alcohol content 4%, pH value 3.6 and sulfur dioxide concentration 300 mg·L−1. The results show that T. delbrueckii did not produce hydrogen sulfide, had no killing effect on S. cerevisiae, and improved the flavor of cantaloupe fruit wine, which can be used in the production of cantaloupe fruit wine.
An attempt was made to make full use of the advantages of plant extracts and chemical pesticides to reduce the dosage of chemical pesticides. Syzygium infrarubiginosum was extracted with methanol, and mixed with four chemical fungicides, including ethirimol, pyraclostrobin, thifluzamide and difenoconazole to screen the synergistic ratio of their mixtures against Rhizoctonia solani, the pathogen of rice sheath blight by indoor activity determination of mycelial growth rate of R. solani. The control effects of the synergistic mixtures on rice sheath blight and cowpea powdery mildew were determined by indoor pot experiment. The indoor activity determination showed that the mixtures at 11 ratios were found to have significant synergistic effects in the indoor activity determination of rice sheath blight, including the mixture of 5% (w/w) methanol extract microemulsion with 5% (w/w) pyraclostrobin suspension at the ratios of 4:1 and 5:1 ratio (the synergistic coefficient was 2.349 and 2.987, respectively), with 5% thifluzamide suspension at the respective ratios of 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5 (the synergistic coefficient values were 2.714, 2.455 and 2.167, respectively). The pot experiment showed that the mixtures screened could effectively control the occurrence of rice sheath blight and cowpea powdery mildew.
An attempt was made to investigate the expression of lactate dehydrogenase (ptLDHA), a key enzyme in lactate metabolism, and to explore the acetylation modification sites on ptLDHA and their potential role in the interplay between lactylation and acetylation modifications in Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin. The ptLDHA gene sequence was first cloned from P. tricornutum Bohlin cDNA, and then a prokaryotic expression vector, pMBP-C-LDHA, was constructed. The recombinant plasmid was then transferred into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) for induced expression. Under optimized conditions (16℃, 0.2 mmol·L−1 IPTG for 24 hours), ptLDHA protein was successfully expressed, predominantly in a soluble form. The fusion protein was purified using His-tag affinity chromatography and identified by Western blot with ptLDHA polyclonal antibodies. A single protein band at approximately 78 kDa was observed, confirming that the purified protein was ptLDHA. The expression and purification of ptLDHA in prokaryotic cells was successfully established, laying foundations for subsequent site-directed mutagenesis of acetylation modification sites and for investigation of the effects of modification and demodification on enzyme activity.
In order to fully understand the reasonable nutrients of Yunnan rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) forest, soil ecological restoration of rubber forest provides data support. Using the soil of Yunnan (Jinghong, Hekou, Ruili), the typical samples of 20 m 20 m in different rubber forests, the soil samples were stratified (0−20, 20−40, 40−60, 60−80, 80−100 cm), and the spatial distribution characteristics of the soil of the rubber forest soil with the forest age and the dynamic changes were analyzed. The result show that the soil TC, TN, and TP contents in the rubber plantations generally increased and then decreased with the plantation age and soil depth. Significant differences were observed in the soil TC, TN, and TP contents among different ages of rubber plantations in Ruili and Jinghong, while the differences in Hekou were not significant. In Jinghong, the soil C∶N ratio increased and then decreased with soil depth, reaching its highest value at (40−60 cm). The soil C∶P ratio decreased with increasing soil depth, peaking at the surface layer (0−20 cm). The N∶P ratio initially decreased and then increased with soil depth. The C∶P and N∶P ratios showed a trend of decreasing and then increasing, with the highest values at 40−60 cm. In Ruili, the C∶N and C∶P ratios decreased and then increased with soil depth, also peaking at 40−60 cm, while the N∶P ratio continuously decreased. In Hekou, the C∶P ratio decreased and then increased with soil depth, while both C∶P and N∶P ratios showed a general decreasing trend. The contents of soil nutrients (C, N, P) and their ecological stoichiometric ratios in rubber plantations generally increased and then decreased with plantation age. Significant differences were found in the soil C, N, P contents and their stoichiometric ratios among different ages and soil layers in the rubber plantations (P<0.05), with highly significant differences observed between areas (P<0.01). It is suggested that during the rapid growth stage of rubber plantations, appropriate application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers should be considered, as the soil N and P affect the growth of mature rubber plantations.
To explore the role of jasmonate-induced oxygenases JOX family genes in the growth, development, and stress resistance of cassava (Manihot esculenta), MeJOXs family members were identified in cassava genome by bioinformatics methods, and their gene structure, promoter cis-acting elements, evolutionary relationships and expression patterns were analyzed. The results showed that there were four MeJOXs family genes in cassava genome, and each member had similar gene structure, conserved motifs, and protein domains. Each gene member exhibited at least 68% protein homology, with the highest similarity observed between MeJOX1 and MeJOX4, as well as between MeJOX2 and MeJOX3. Promoter cis-acting elements analysis showed that MeJOXs contained numerous light-responsive elements. Furthermore, each gene member possessed a varying number of hormone-responsive elements. Phylogenetic analysis showed that MeJOXs were more closely related to JOX genes in dicotyledonous plants. Transcriptome analysis revealed that all the genes were differentially expressed in stems, leaves, midveins, and fibrous roots, with the exception of MeJOX2 that was scarcely expressed in various cassava tissues. MeJOXs were induced by MeJA in different cassava germplasm, with MeJOX3 demonstrating the most significant expression by inducing. Upon infection by pathogen Xpm, MeJOX1/3/4 responded promptly, but their response patterns were distinctly different. MeJOX1/3 were upregulated, whereas MeJOX4 exhibited a trend of downregulation, and MeJOX2 exhibited negligible response. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further elucidating the functions of the MeJOXs gene family in cassava.
In order to understand the anti-actinomycetes with biocontrol value isolated and screened from the soil in Hainan Island, actinomycetes were isolated from six soil samples from different regions of Hainan by using a gradient dilution method, and the actinomycete strains were screened by using the confrontation culture method and identified based on their morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics and molecular biology methods. The potential application value of the active strains was determined by fruit soaking method and pot experiment. A total of 285 actinomycete strains were isolated from the soil samples, and the strain Q2-02 had the highest antibacterial activity. Its inhibition rates of Botryodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Rhizoctonia solani were 92.8%, 90.0% and 88.2%, respectively, and the inhibition rates of the other six pathogens were also more than 60.0%. The identification of this strain showed that the strain Q2-02 was Streptomyces lunalinharesii. The pot experiments showed that the control effect of the 10-fold dilution of the fermented supernatant of the strain on mango stemend rot and rice sheath blight was significantly higher than that of the positive control 45% thiophandazim suspension diluted 800 times and 10% validacin aqueous solution diluted
The rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is an important economic crop in tropical areas of China, and its related industries play an important role in the local agricultural economy. The powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe quercicola is the most severe disease infecting H. brasiliensis. The effector proteins secreted by phytopahogenic microbes play important roles in the pathogenesis, but how effector proteins promote the infection by E. quercicola is less documented, which has limited disease resistance breeding programme and disease control strategies. The E. quercicola has 24 highly conserved candidate effector proteins, which has homologous in many other powdery mildews. It is possible that these proteins are required for the pathogenicity of powdery mildew. In order to find the important virulence factor among the 24 CSEPs, two conserved effector proteins were selected for functional analysis and found that only the effector CSEP00565 suppressed hypersensitive responses induced by Phytophthora infestans INF1 when these effectors were expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. The effector CSEP00565 suppressed callose deposition induced by fungal chitin and bacteria flg22 when this effector was expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana, further supporting that CSEP00565 has a function to inhibit plant immunity. When CSEP00565 was further silenced by using spray-induced gene, the pathogenicity of the fungus significantly decreased. And the expression level of CSEP00565 was up-regulated at the haustorium formation stage (24 h) after inoculation with E. quercicola. Further research has discovered that the signal peptide of CSEP00565 possesses the activity of direct protein secretion. All these results indicate that CSEP00565 is a key virulence factor in promoting the infection by E. quercicola, which is conducive to understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying H. brasiliensis-E. quercicola interaction.
Cassava is an important tropical food crop with high light efficiency and drought tolerance. Stomata is the gateway through which water and air exchange between plant leaves and the external environment. Stomata density directly affect the drought resistance of plants. However, the physiological mechanism of stomata in the formation of drought tolerance in cassava is not clear. In order to analyze the physiological regulation mechanism of cassava under drought stress, the stomatal density of 93 cassava cultivars was statistically analyzed, the changes of stomatal density of different cassava cultivars under drought stress were compared, and the physiological and biochemical indexes of their leaves were measured to analyze the relationship between stomatal density and physiological indexes of different cassava cultivars and their drought resistance. The results showed that stomatal density of cassava cultivars under drought stress was not consistent. Overall, there was a weak negative correlation between stomatal density and drought resistance(correlation coefficient was -0.15). The soluble sugar content and transpiration rate decreased significantly in 6 cassava cultivars(3 with low stomatal density and 3 with high stomatal density) under drought stress, but the change was not very consistent in both the high and low stomatal density cultivars. It was hence concluded that drought had a greater impact on cassava growth, and that cassava might respond to drought stress quickly through the synthesis of osmoregulatory substances and antioxidant enzymes, which further affect the differentiation and development of stomata.
In order to analyze the law of starch accumulation in root tubers of cassava cultivars in different harvesting periods, 4 cassava cultivars ‘SC205’, ‘SC8’, ‘SC9’ and ‘SC6068’ were determined in terms of fresh weight and biomass of root tubers and ratio of amylose and amylopectin in starch after 6 to 10 months of planting,and the underlying mechanism was analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences in fresh tuber weight in different cassava harvesting periods. There were significant differences in amylose ratio in different harvesting periods in the same cultivar, and the amylose ratio increased in the later growth period of cassava. The ribulose diphosphate carboxylase(Rubisco) content of high-yielding cultivars SC205 and SC8 was generally lower than that of low-yielding cultivars ‘SC6068’ and ‘SC9’ after 7 to 10 months of planting. At 7 to 10 months after planting, the content of PSⅡ oxygen releasing complex gradually increased in SC8, was relatively stable in SC205, and gradually decreased in SC9 and SC6068 at 9 to 10 months after planting. In October cassava production was the highest, and cultivars ‘SC205’, ‘SC9’ and ‘SC6068’ were the highest in the content of PSⅡoxygen releasing complex. The cultivars ‘SC205’, ‘SC8’,‘SC9’ and ‘SC6068’ showed an increasing trend in the content of sucrose phosphate synthetase(SPS) after October, whereas the activity of β-amylase increased from September to October, and decreased from November to December. The protein content of ascorbate peroxidase(APX) was relatively stable in ‘SC6068’ from September to December. The cultivars ‘SC205’, ‘SC8’ and ‘SC9’ showed an increasing trend in APX content from September to December. In conclusion, there were significant differences in yield and starch composition among different cultivars, the mechanism of which was closely related to leaf photosynthesis, antioxidant activity and root starch synthetase activity.
Polysaccharide(MSP-2) was extracted from Millettia speciosa Champ by hydroalcohol precipitation to analyze its chemical structure. The protein was removed by enzyme digestion and Sevag method, and then further purified by using anion-exchange column chromatography and gel filtration column chromatography to obtain MSP-2 fractions. The structure of the polysaccharide was analyzed in detail by using four analytical methods,including high performance anion exchange chromatography(HPAEC-PAD), gel permeation(GPC-RIDMALLS), Fourier infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance( NMR). The results showed that MSP-2 is a homogeneous neutral polysaccharide composed of glucopyranose with an average molecular weight(Mw) of 12.5 kDa and that its main backbone consists of T-α-D-Glcp,(1,4)-α-D-Glcp and(1,4,6)-α-DGlcp. Toxicity evaluation by MTT assay showed that MSP-2 was not toxic to RAW264.7 cells when its concentration was lower than 400 μg·mL-1.
An attempt was made to analyze the chemical constituents of Liquidambaris Fructus, the infructescenses of Liquidambaris formosa Hance, for better development and utilization of Liquidambaris Fructus.The constituents were isolated from different polar solvent extracts of Liquidambaris Fructus and purified by column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography, and the structures of the compounds purified were identified by employing spectroscopy combined with literature. A total of 17 compounds were isolated from the extracts, including 10 triterpenoids( 1~10 ), 1 sterol compound( 12 ),2 phenolic acids( 11, 13 ), and 3 aromatic esters( 14, 15, 17 ). These compounds were identified as oleanolic acid( 1 ), ursolic acid( 2 ), betulinic acid( 3 ), methyl 3-oxoolean-12-en-28-oate( 4 ), 3-oxo-11,13(18)-oleanadien-28-oic acid( 5 ), 3α-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-ene-28-oic acid( 6 ),3-oxooleanolic acid( 7 ), 3,30-dioxo-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid( 8 ), 3-epimaslinic acid( 9 ), 3, 11-dioxoolean-12-en-28-oic acid( 10 ), gallic acid( 11 ), β-sitosterol( 12 ), 3, 3′-dimethoxy ellagic acid-4′-O-β-D-primeveroside( 13 ), Dipentyl phthalate( 14 ), cinnamyl cinnamate( 15 ), cisdodeca-1,3-diene( 16 ), bis(2-ethyloctyl) phthalate( 17 ). Compounds 4, 8, 10, 13, 14, 16 and 17 were isolated for the first time from the genus Liquidambaris and compounds 4, 8, 13, and 16 were also isolated from the genus Liquidambar for the first time, which provides references for the in-depth development of these compounds.
Embryonic development is a continuous and dynamic process. The division of various stages is conducive to identifying the characteristic developmental states of the embryo at different durations of time, and a detailed description of the developmental status of the melon fly(Zeugodacus cucurbitae) at each stage is beneficial for a more comprehensive understanding of the internal development of the melon fly embryo. This holds significant applied value in insect prediction and genetic prevention and control. In this context an attempt was made to conduct a thorough observation and analysis of the embryonic development process of the melon fly,and the internal states of the melon fly embryo during different developmental stages were demonstrated by employing microscopic photography. Through this experimental operation, the embryos at different developmental stages can be accurately screened. The experimental results revealed that the melon fly embryo undergoes a series of internal activities from the time of laying, starting from the initial cytoplasmic contraction within the egg to the appearance of anterior and posterior poles, followed by nuclear migration and the emergence and migration of polar cells. Subsequently, dorsal folds and the invagination of the mouth and head occur, while the yolk sac begins to undergo constant changes and intestinal coils start to emerge. Around 24 hours, the larva begins vigorous movements within the embryo, and by the 30th hour, the tracheal bundles become filled with air. The larva hatches by tearing the yolk membrane at the micropyle with its mouth hook. Additionally, cell division,differentiation, and tissue formation during the embryonic development of the melon fly are closely related to different stages of mitosis. This study provides an important reference for understanding the molecular mechanisms of melon fly embryonic development and offers new insights for genetic prevention and control research. Currently, most prevention and control methods for the melon fly target the larval and adult stages, but the embryonic stage, due to its low motility and concentration, poses less difficulty in control. Therefore, there is an urgent and necessary need to develop novel targeted control measures based on the characteristics of the melon fly embryos at each stage. This study lays a foundation for genetic prevention and control of the melon fly at the embryonic stage and provides a new direction for future in-depth research on embryonic development and genetic prevention and control of the melon fly.
Previous studies in our laboratory have showed that a new compound N-arylpyridine-4-one class [1-(4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methylpyridin-4(1H)-one,HAINU-19] had better fungicidal activity against Botrytis cinerea.In order to further clarify the control effect of the compound on gray mold of tomato,the toxicity of mixtures of HAINU-19 and azoxystrobin against the multi-resistant strain of B.cinerea was evaluated.The toxicity of the mixtures of HAINU-19 and azoxystrobin to B.cinerea at different ratios was determined by mycelial growth rate method to select the optimal synergistic ratio,and the synergistic mechanism of the mixtures was assessed by using the inhibition rate of spore germination,the morphology of mycelium and dry mycelia mass,as well as soluble protein content,reducing sugar content,malondialdehyde content and antioxidant enzyme activity.The results showed that the EC50 values of HAINU-19 and azoxystrobin against the strain of B.cinerea were7.926 μg·mL-1 and 23.898 μg·mL-1,respectively,with the synergistic coefficient of WHAINU-19:WAzoxystrobin=4:3being 2.034,indicating the mixture at this ratio had the most significant synergies.After treatment with WHAINU-19:WAzoxytrobin=4:3 mixture,spore germination and mycelia growth were inhibited,and the cell membrane permeability was increased.Furthermore,the soluble protein and reducing sugar content were decreased,while the malondialdehyde content and antioxidant enzyme activity increased.This indicated that the synergistic combination mainly improved cell membrane permeability and electrolyte extravasation by increasing the degree of cell membrane damage,which resulted in the damage of mycelial growth.Meanwhile,the protein synthesis and glucose metabolism were inhibited,and the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species was stressed,which inhibited the normal growth of B.cinerea.
An attempt was made to explore the influence of Eucalyptus spp. dieback disease on soil bacteria under Eucalyptus spp. forests and its impact on the ecological mechanism of soil bacteria, providing a theoretical basis for revealing the pathogenesis of Eucalyptus spp. dieback disease and developing ecological prevention and control techniques for this disease. The soil bacterial DNA of Eucalyptus spp. forests affected and unaffected by dieback disease were sequenced using 16S rRNA. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 20.0, Microsoft Excel 2019, and R4.3.2 software, and images were processed using Adobe Illustrator 2021. A total of 2 537bacterial ASVs were detected in the soil of affected forests, and 2 477 ASVs were detected in unaffected soil.There was no significant difference in alpha diversity of bacteria between the two forest soils. The dominant phyla in both affected and unaffected(healthy) forest soils were Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Actinobacteria, and the dominant genera were Acidothermus, norank_f_norank_o_Elsterales, and norank f_Xanthobacteraceae.Significant differences in bacteria between the two forest soils were observed at the phylum level for Bacteroidota and Dependentiae, and at the genus level for norank_f_norank_o_Acidobacteriales, norank_f_norank_o_norank_c_AD3 and norank_f_norank_o_B12-WMSP1. There were more complex connections among microbial communities in the healthy forest soils compared to the affected ones. Eucalyptus spp. dieback disease does not significantly alter the diversity of soil bacteria under forests, and the soil still retains certain ecological regulation capabilities. However, differences between some bacterial communities suggest that Eucalyptus spp. dieback disease may potentially impact soil microbiota under Eucalyptus spp. forests.
An attempt was made to compare and analyze the composition and structure of soil fungal communities under Eucalyptus spp. stands healthy or infected with Calonectria leaf blight based on Illumina high-throughput sequencing so as to reveal the interactions between the pathogen Calonectria and other fungi, which might provide theoretical support for the development of biocontrol agents. A total of 2 817 fungal ASVs(Amplicon Sequence Variants) were annotated from 12 tested samples, classified into 12 phyla, 421 genera, and 614 species.There was no significant difference in alpha diversity of soil fungi between the diseased and healthy Eucalyptus spp. stands, with dominant phyla being consistent. Among the top five most abundant genera, the genera with the highest abundance were unclassified_k_Fungi followed by Saitozyma, while the other three genera differed between the two groups. Differential analysis of fungal abundances and correlation analysis with the pathogen Calonectria showed that Thelephora ranked fifth in abundance in healthy stands and had significantly higher levels in healthy stand soils compared to the diseased stands, suggesting it could be an antagonist of Calonectria leaf blight. Temitomyces and Xyladictyochaeta both had significantly higher abundances in the diseased stands than in the healthy ones(P < 0.05) and could serve as potential biocontrol agents. Calonectria had a negative correlation with Ophiocordyceps, which is commonly used as a biocontrol agent and could also be a candidate for controlling Calonectria leaf blight. The findings revealed that the Calonectria leaf blight pathogen Calonectria comprised a relatively small proportion of the fungal community in Eucalyptus spp. soils but still had the pathogenicity to cause disease in Eucalyptus spp. These results provided theoretical support for the development of biocontrol agents and antagonists against Calonectria leaf blight in Eucalyptus spp.
Chemical spraying is he fast and effective way to control Spodoptera frugiperda infesting maize in the field, but the chemical solutions are hard to spray evenly on the leaves, which reduces the contact of the solutions by the larvae of S. frugiperda and hence the effectiveness of the control of S. frugiperda at the seedling stage in the field. In this context maize seeds were coated with chlorfenapyr to evaluate the effect of chlorfenapyr on the seed germination rate, seed germination potential and seedling emergence rate as well as the control effect of S.frugiperda in maize at the seedling stage. The results showed that there was no significant adverse effect of chlorfenapyr-coated seed treatment on seed germination, germination potential, and seedling emergence in the pot experiment. The mortality of S. frugiperda larvae fed with maize leaves from the seed coating treatment with 1 g·L-1 chlorfenapy for 7 d was 96.67%, significantly better than that of the blank control, but not significantly different from that of the chlorantraniliprole treatment. In the field experiment, the seed coating treatment with 1 g·L-1 chlorfenapyr had a lower infestation rate of maize plants(7.67%) and higher control rate(98.33%) of S.frugiperda at 14 d, which were significantly better than those of the chlorantraniliprole treatment. All these results showed that chlorfenapyr had a good control of S. frugiperda at the seedling stage of maize through seed coating treatment, which provides a new method for the subsequent seed coating treatment to control S. frugiperda.
An attempt was made to investigate the naturally occurring, difficult-to-separate combinations of mycorrhizal fungi and endophytic bacteria found in the mycorrhizae of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. Three groups of artificially cultivable and separable natural combinations of mycorrhizal fungi and endophytic bacteria were isolated,screened, and identified. Through co-cultivation experiments and functional assessments, the symbiotic relationships and mechanisms among these combinations were analyzed. The results showed that G2 and G8 are symbiotic combinations of Bacillus and Fusarium solani, while G17 is a combination of Bacillus and Diaporthe phaseolorum.There is an antagonistic relationship between the G2 and G17 combinations, leading to an increased total growth,whereas the G8 combination exhibits no antagonistic relationship, with mutual promotion between the two. The fungi in the G2 and G17 combinations possess strong cellulolytic abilities, with clear zone diameters of 27.62 mm and 21.52 mm,respectively, while the bacteria exhibit nitrogen-fixing abilities of 1.69 μg·mL-1 and 1.68 μg·mL-1, respectively. The strong cellulolytic and nitrogen-fixing abilities contribute to the antagonistic relationship between the G2 and G17combinations. In the G8 combination, the fungal solution contains the lowest hydrolyzed phosphorus, while the bacteria have the highest phosphorus-solubilizing ability, reaching 39.07 mg·kg-1, indicating a complementary functional relationship. Therefore, natural symbiotic combinations exhibit various forms of symbiotic relationships, including complementarity, promotion, and inhibition, and there is a correlation between function and symbiotic relationship.
During the continuing investigation of the antibacterial metabolites from endophytic Aspergillus sp. HU0206,six compounds were isolated from the fermented culture of this fungus by column chromatography and high-performance liquid preparation. These compounds were elucidated as four methylcyclohexanones: ampelomin A( 1 ), 7-hydroxylampelomin A( 2 ), 7-O-ethylampelomin A( 3 ), 2,3-dihydroxyl-7-O-ethylampelomin A( 4 ) and two methylphenols:2-(methoxymethyl)-1,4-benzenediol( 5 ) and 3-chlorogentisyl alcohol( 6 ) on the basis of NMR and ESI-MS analyses.Compounds 2-4 are new compounds. At the dose of 40 μg, compounds 1, 2 and 6 showed obvious antibacterial effects on Xanthomonas oryzae with inhibition zones of 4.0 mm. Compound 6 also exhibited inhibitory activities against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Pectobacterium atroseptica and Ralstonia solanacearum. However,compounds 3-5 showed no inhibitory activity against X. oryzae and compounds 1-5 were inactive against the other four strains mentioned above. The biosynthesis pathway of the metabolites from Aspergillus sp. HU0206 was also discussed.
Flowering phenology is one of the most important life cycle traits of plants and one of the most sensitive indicators of the impact of climate change on ecosystems. Previous studies on flowering phenology were.focused on temperate regions, with limited research on tropical and subtropical regions. It remains to be studied whether there are different patterns of plant phenology in the transitional zone between subtropical and warm temperate regions. In this context an attempt was made to analyze the effects of plant phylogenetic and climatic factors on the flowering patterns of plants in the Qinling Mountains region. A total of 5 084 flowering data from 1 830 species and local meteorological data from 2000 to 2020 were collected from the Chinese Field Herbarium Museum to determine the impact of these two factors on flowering phenology. The results showed that the peak of plant flowering occurred in July, the flowering pattern being mostly single peak. There are significant differences in flowering phenology among plants of different families, and there is no significant difference in phenology among plants of different genera within the same family, indicating that species with similar genetic relationships have more similar flowering times. The phenological pattern of flowering in the Qinling Mountains is influenced by the coupling mechanism of precipitation and temperature, with precipitation being the main climatic factor driving the flowering of plant communities in the Qinling Mountains. All these results showed that in the transitional zone between subtropical and temperate regions, both plant phylogenetic relationships and climatic factors may affect the phenological patterns of plant flowering.
Soil microorganisms play an important role in agricultural ecosystem functions. However, there is still a limited understanding of the spatial distribution patterns of soil microbial communities in agroforestry systems,especially for abundant and rare taxa. Kapok-rice agroforestry system, a traditional agroforestry system, has long been practiced in tropical areas. In this context an analysis and comparison were made of the spatial distribution patterns of abundant and rare bacterial and fungal communities along distance gradients to Kapok and their relationships with soil factors in such agroforestry system located in Changjiang County, Hainan Province. The results showed that the richness of rare bacteria was significantly higher near Kapok, while the Shannon index of abundant bacteria and fungi were significantly lower near Kapok(P<0.05). Compositions of abundant and rare bacterial and fungal communities varied significantly with distance gradients to Kapok(ANOSIM: P=0.0001).The α-diversity of abundant bacteria was significantly negatively correlated with available potassium, while the α-diversity of rare bacteria was significantly positively correlated with total potassium and soil organic matters. The α-diversity of abundant fungi was not significantly correlated with any soil factor, while the α-diversity of rare fungi was significantly positively correlated with soil available nitrogen and phosphorus and soil organic matters.Soil available nutrients were the dominant driving factors of the variations of abundant bacterial and fungal community structures, while both soil available nutrients and soil organic matter were the driving factors affecting the variations of rare bacterial and fungal community structures. Among these soil factors, the soil available potassium was the most important driver of the distribution patterns of both abundant and rare microorganisms.This study reveals the effect of Kapok on distribution characteristics of different soil microbial taxa in the rice field and their driving factors in the Kapok-rice agroforestry system, which might provide theoretical support for the application of the Kapok-rice agroforestry system in agricultural sustainable development.
Currently, there is a lack of emphasis on the ornamental value evaluation and germplasm collection of Coffea liberica in China, making it difficult to systematically select outstanding C. liberica clones, which also restricts the commercial cultivation and application of superior selections of C. liberica in landscapeing.. In Hainan Island 128 individual seedling trees of C. liberica germplasm were selected for survey and statistical analysis of their ornamental traits Four evaluation criteria such as C1 leaf, C2 fruit, C3 flower and C4 others, and 14 evaluation factors were selected by using the analytic hierarchy process(AHP) to establish an evaluation system for the ornamental traits of C. liberica in Hainan Island. Meanwhile, the ornamental grades of 128 Coffea liberica individual seedling trees were evaluated to provide reference for landscape application and selection of elite ornamental individuals. The results show that in the overall ranking value C2(0.534) fruit has the highest weight, followed by C1(0.240) flower, which indicates that the ornamental traits of flowers and fruits have significant impact on the ornamental evaluation of C. liberica resources. Among the 14 evaluation indicators, P4mature fruit color(28%), P6 fruiting period(17.8%), and P10 number of flower branches(13.8%) are the main indicators affecting the ornamental value of C. liberica. Based on the comprehensive index score, 63 superior C.liberica individual plants were selected, which can be an important resource for landscape application. In conclusion, the AHP method can be effectively used to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of C. liberica germplasm, and select the most suitable individual plants for landscape application in Hainan, laying a foundation for their widespread promotion in gardens.
An attempt was made to analyze the chemical constituents of the volatile oil from the stems and leaves of Piper sarmentosum Roxb. from different habitats in Hainan, which is of guiding significance for screening of germplasm resources and product development. The volatile oil was extracted from the stems and leaves of Piper sarmentosum Roxb. by ultrasonic-assisted solvent extraction. The components of the volatile oil were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS), and the relative contents of its chemical components were determined by peak area normalization method. Ninety six compounds were identified from volatile oil samples from 9 habitats in Hainan. The volatile oil components of the stems and leaves of Piper sarmentosum Roxb. from different habitats in Hainan were comprehensively analyzed through principal component analysis. The results showed that the volatile oil components of the 9 samples from different habitats can be divided into two categories with P1(origin: Chengxi Town, Longhua District, Haikou City, Hainan Province), P2(origin: Baodaoxincun Village, Danzhou City, Hainan Province), P3(origin: Jianfengling, Ledong Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province), P4(origin: Diaoluoshan, Lingshui Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province) and P5(origin: Jiaxi Village, Dongfang City, Hainan Province) being in category one, and P6(origin: Zhongyuan Town, qionghai city,Hainan Province), P7(origin: Team 6 of Zhongjian Farm, Poxin Town, tunchang, Hainan Province), P8(origin:Damao International Aquilaria Valley, Sanya, Hainan Province) and P9(origin: Maogan Township, Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County, Hainan Province) being in category two. To sum up, the GC-MS analysis results of the volatile oil from nine different habitats in Hainan were systematically analyze by innovatively using the principal component analysis and other methods. Combined with the existing reports, it was found that the volatile oil components of the same species were affected by many factors such as provenance differences, geographical conditions, extraction methods and climate environment, which was consistent with the results of this study. Some new volatile components, such as Xanthium sibiricum, 1-ethylbutyl hydroperoxide, 4-methyl-2-pentanol, etc.were also found, which has certain reference value for further supplementing and refining the list of the volatile oil components of P. sarmentosum Roxb.. The results show that there are differences in chemical composition of volatile oil and species from nine different habitats in Hainan. But at the same time, there are some similarities.There are 22 volatile oil components with high content in 9 different producing areas(Table 4). In addition, the volatile oil of P. sarmentosum Roxb. mainly contains aromatics, fatty acids, alkaloids, terpenoids and other compounds, among which the content of aromatic chemical components is high and the content of fatty acids is the lowest. After comprehensive evaluation and screening, compared with the other eight producing areas, the volatile oil from Jianfengling(P3), Ledong Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province is the most abundant in chemical components, and its germplasm resources are superior. This research result is of great significance in the screening of germplasm resources and product development in the future.
Four culture density groups (D1:1.16 kg·m-3;D2:2.32 kg·m-3;D3:3.48 kg·m-3;D4:4.62 kg·m-3) were set up to culture Archocentrus nigrofasciatus var.× Mikrogeophagus ramirezi,and the differences of growth rate,antioxidant enzyme activity and spawning quantity among different groups were compared to reveal the effects of culture density on the growth and reproduction of A.nigrofasciatus var.× M.ramirezi.The results showed that when the culture density did not exceed 2.32 kg·m-3,A.nigrofasciatus var.× M.ramirezi was normal in mortality rate(13.06±4.59)%,number of eggs laid (133±45.00),average initial weight of eggs (0.001 8±0.000 4) g,body mass(3.73±1.22) g,final body length (3.63±0.55) cm,specific growth rate (0.005 7±0.000 6)%,average weight gain rate (1.47±0.12)%and hatching rate (80.23±0.09)%and not high in the activities of malondialdehyde (MDA),alanine aminotransferase (ALT),total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)(P<0.05).The peak concentrations of NH4+-N and NO2--N in aquaculture water increased significantly (P<0.05) with the culture density.All these results show that under the condition of closed recirculating water culture,the culture of A.nigrofasciatus var.× M.ramirezi at a density higher than 2.32 kg·m-3 will lead to an increase in peak concentrations of NH4+-N and NO2--N and antioxidant enzyme activities,which will inhibit the healthy growth and reproduction of A.nigrofasciatus var.×M.ramirezi.The optimum breeding density of A.nigrofasciatus var.× M.ramirezi is 2.32 kg·m-3.
In order to identify the characteristics of plankton community structure and evaluate the water quality of tropical marine ranches in the sea area around Wuzhizhou Island based on the biodiversity index, sampling surveys of phytoplankton and environment factors were carried out in June(summer) and November(autumn)2020, and January(winter), April(spring) and August(summer) 2021. A total of 217 phytoplankton species were identified in 5 phyla with the maximum species richness of diatoms(116 species) and dinoflagellates(97 species).Arthropods(118 species) were main in 187 species of zooplankton in 8 phyla. The annual average abundances of phytoplankton and zooplankton were 2.53×106 cell·m-3 and 1.83×103 ind·m-3, respectively. The Shannon-Wiener index(H’), Margalef index(J) and Pielou index(d) of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities were higher in spring, which indicated the ecosystem was more stable in this season. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that seasonal variations in the compositions of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities were significant but no substantial difference was observed in different marine ranches, indicating artificial reefs started to work in the marine ranches. The frequent tourism in the northern vicinity of the island had to some extent affected the structure of plankton communities and played a latent negative role in water quality. The water quality evaluation based on the biodiversity index showed that the quality was of oligopollution or pollution free. All these results will provide useful data for evaluation of the ecosystem of marine ranching and the construction and development of the marine ranches around Wuzhizhou Island.
Supervisor: Department of education of Hainan Province
Sponsor: Hainan University
ISSN 1674-7054
CN 46-1078/S
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