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Potassium (K+) is required by plants for growth and development, and also contributes to immunity against pathogens. However, it has not been established whether pathogens modulate host K+ signaling pathways to enhance virulence and subvert host immunity. Here, we show that the effector protein AvrPiz-t from the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae targets a K+ channel to subvert plant immunity. AvrPiz-t interacts with the rice plasma-membrane-localized K+ channel protein OsAKT1 and specifically suppresses the OsAKT1-mediated K+ currents. Genetic and phenotypic analyses show that loss of OsAKT1 leads to decreased K+ content and reduced resistance against M. oryzae. Strikingly, AvrPiz-t interferes with the association of OsAKT1 with its upstream regulator, the cytoplasmic kinase OsCIPK23, which also plays a positive role in K+ absorption and resistance to M. oryzae. Furthermore, we show a direct correlation between blast disease resistance and external K+ status in rice plants. Together, our data present a novel mechanism by which a pathogen suppresses plant host immunity by modulating a host K+ channel.

Background Ubiquitination is essential for many cellular processes in eukaryotes, including 26S proteasome-dependent protein degradation, cell cycle progression, transcriptional regulation, and signal transduction. Although numerous ubiquitinated proteins have been empirically identified, their cognate ubiquitin E3 ligases remain largely unknown. Results Here, we generate a complete ubiquitin E3 ligase-encoding open reading frames (UbE3-ORFeome) library containing 98.94% of the 1515 E3 ligase genes in the rice ( Oryza sativa L . ) genome. In the test screens with four known ubiquitinated proteins, we identify both known and new E3s. The interaction and degradation between several E3s and their substrates are confirmed in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we identify the F-box E3 ligase OsFBK16 as a hub-interacting protein of the phenylalanine ammonia lyase family OsPAL1–OsPAL7. We demonstrate that OsFBK16 promotes the degradation of OsPAL1, OsPAL5, and OsPAL6. Remarkably, we find that overexpression of OsPAL1 or OsPAL6 as well as loss-of-function of OsFBK16 in rice displayed enhanced blast resistance, indicating that OsFBK16 degrades OsPALs to negatively regulate rice immunity. Conclusions The rice UbE3-ORFeome is the first complete E3 ligase library in plants and represents a powerful proteomic resource for rapid identification of the cognate E3 ligases of ubiquitinated proteins and establishment of functional E3–substrate interactome in plants.

Summary Plants have evolved a multi‐layered immune system to fight off pathogens. However, immune activation is costly and is often associated with growth and development penalty. In crops, yield is the main breeding target and is usually affected by high disease resistance. Therefore, proper balance between growth and defence is critical for achieving efficient crop improvement. This review highlights recent advances in attempts designed to alleviate the trade‐offs between growth and disease resistance in crops mediated by resistance (R) genes, susceptibility (S) genes and pleiotropic genes. We also provide an update on strategies for optimizing the growth–defence trade‐offs to breed future crops with desirable disease resistance and high yield.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease. Increasing evidence suggests a close association between ribosome biogenesis (RiboSis) and the pathogenesis of psoriasis. However, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. We first obtained bulk transcriptome and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets from the GEO database. Subsequently, differential expression analysis (DEG) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed, preliminarily identifying 11 candidate biomarkers. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis revealed that these biomarkers are primarily involved in protein synthesis, regulation of gene expression, and control of the cell cycle and growth. Consensus clustering analysis combined with immune infiltration analysis revealed that the candidate biomarkers were strongly associated with innate immune cells, such as NK cells, mast cells, and monocytes, and were more closely linked to signaling pathways related to cell proliferation, cell cycle, inflammation, and glycolysis. From the 11 candidate biomarkers, we selected MPHOSPH6 and ISG20 (exhibiting the highest fold-changes) for external dataset validation, scRNA-seq analysis, and in vivo expression verification. Subsequently, potential therapeutic compounds targeting these biomarkers were predicted and validated via molecular docking. Collectively, our findings not only substantiate the critical role of RiboSis in psoriasis pathogenesis but also provide a framework for developing targeted therapeutic strategies.

The development of a simple and sensitive electrochemical sensing platform for levofloxacin (LVF) analysis is of great significance to human health. In this work, a covalent organic framework (TP-COF) was in situ grown on the surface of Sn-MoC nanospheres with nanoflower-like morphology through a one-pot method to obtain the TP-COF@Sn-MoC composite. The prepared composite was used to modify a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to realize the sensitive detection of levofloxacin. TP-COF was formed by polycondensation of 2,4,6-tris(4-aminophenyl)-1,3,5-triazine (TAPT) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), in which C = O and C = N groups served as double active centers for the recognition and electrocatalytic oxidation of the target molecule. Meanwhile, the introduction of Sn-MoC improved the conductivity of the electrode. The TP-COF@Sn-MoC composite produced a strong synergistic effect and showed a high electrocatalytic ability toward levofloxacin oxidation. The linear range of LVF was 0.6–1000 μM and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.029 μM ( S / N  = 3). In addition, the sensor has been successfully applied for the analysis of LVF in human urine and blood serum samples with acceptable recovery rates, demonstrating that the sensor was promising in practical applications. Graphical Abstract

Fluroxypyr (4-amino-3,5-dichloro-6-fluoro-2-pyridyloxyacetic acid) is a widely used herbicide sprayed on crops worldwide. The effects of fluroxypyr on maize growth and the soil microbial community structure have not been reported. In this study, the impacts of fluroxypyr on maize growth and the bacterial community structure in endophytes and rhizospheric/non-rhizospheric soils were evaluated. We found that the community structures of the non-rhizospheric and rhizospheric soils were similar. The alpha diversity showed that the richness of the endophytic communities in the mature maize roots was reduced after herbicide application. No statistically significant differences were observed between the fluroxypyr-treated and control soils in either the non-rhizospheric or rhizospheric soils. However, the composition of the endophytic bacterial community structure suggested that fluroxypyr led to a 59.1% reduction in the abundance of Acinetobacter and a 75.6% reduction in Agrobacterium, both of which are considered growth-promoting bacteria. In addition, we observed a negative effect of fluroxypyr on maize growth, including a decreased ear length and root size and a reduction in the 100-grain weight. In summary, our study suggests that fluroxypyr may negatively impact the mature growth of maize by reducing the abundance of Bacillus kineticus and Agrobacterium tumefaciens in the endophytic community of the mature root system.

With the development of mechatronic systems, different kinds of subsystems within them are highly correlated to each other due to the demand for the special function. To assess the robustness in the mechatronic system under various disturbances, we build an interdependent mechatronic system as an interdependent machine-electricity-communication network (IMECN) and adopt the improved cascading failure model where the occurrence of the failure propagation is decided by a proportion threshold δ. In order to fully explore the robustness under different disturbances, we develop attack strategies concerning nodes, edges, and interdependent links by considering measures for a node. Then, we also define the robustness metric to quantify the performance of IMECN during the entire attack process. The mass transit vehicle is taken as an example to investigate the impact of attack strategies on the robustness at different δ in a real-world mechatronic system. It is found that each subnetwork in this IMECN has a scale-free property. Based on simulation results, we obtain the most efficient attack strategies to remove nodes, edges, and interdependent links for different possibilities of triggering the failure propagation. In addition, we find that the attacks on nodes and interdependent links make IMECN more vulnerable compared with the ones on edges. This work provides theoretical insights into the comprehensive analysis of the robustness in interdependent mechatronic systems.

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by microorganisms play an important role in biotolerance and reducing heavy metal (HM) contamination by limiting the migration of HMs into plants. However, research on the application of EPS-producing marine bacteria for soil heavy metal remediation remains limited, particularly regarding their mechanisms of HM immobilization in soil and impact on plant growth. In this study, the EPS-producing marine bacterium Micrococcus antarcticus HZ was investigated for its ability to immobilize Pb and produce EPSs in soil filtrate. The effects on the growth quality and biomass of pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.), as well as bacterial communities in inter-root soil contaminated with Pb, were also investigated. The results indicated that HZ could reduce the Pb concentration in the soil filtrate, achieving a removal rate of 43.25–63.5%. The EPS content and pH levels increased in the presence of Pb. Pot experiments showed that adding HZ significantly increased the biomass of pakchoi (9.45–14.69%), vitamin C (Vc) (9.69–12.92%), and soluble protein content (22.58–49.7%). HZ reduced the Pb content in the roots (17.52–47.48%) and leaves (edible tissues) (43.82–52.83%) of pakchoi. HZ increased soil enzyme activities (alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and urease), and the contents of ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. Additionally, HZ also increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (e.g., Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Chlorobacteria) in the inter-root soil, which have prophylactic and heavy-metal fixation functions. In summary, HZ reduces effective Pb content in edible tissues, roots, and inter-root soil by regulating inter-root soil microbial community structure, increasing soil pH, nitrogen content, and soil enzyme activity, and altering dominant phylum abundance.

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a precancerous intraepidermal lesion characterized by atypical keratinocyte proliferation. In recent years, research on AK has made continuous progress, but there has been no bibliometric study on it. This study aims to use bibliometric methods to analyze the research and treatment hotspots of AK in recent years, in order to further understand the development direction and frontiers of this field. Core literature related to AK was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were employed to conduct a detailed analysis based on publication output, countries/regions, research institutions, journals, authors, and keywords. A total of 2,796 documents were included in this study. The United States, Germany, and Italy emerged as the leading contributors to AK research, with the University of Copenhagen identified as the most prolific research institution. Among authors, Pellacani G has published the highest number of articles, while the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology ranks as the most influential journal in this field. The main research hotspots and frontiers in the field of AK are as follows: (1) Molecular mechanisms of malignant transformation to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), particularly involving genomic instability (eg, TP53 mutations); (2) Personalized therapies optimized through immune profiling, genetic biomarkers, and lesion morphology; (3) Emerging frontiers include non-invasive diagnostic technologies and treatment monitoring, which are receiving significant attention. This study summarizes the current research status and key areas of focus in AK, providing a foundation for clinical decision-making and guiding future research directions.