Explore the vast range of titles available.

Broomcorn millet ( Panicum miliaceum L.) has strong tolerance to abiotic stresses, and is probably one of the oldest crops, with its earliest cultivation that dated back to ca . ~10,000 years. We report here its genome assembly through a combination of PacBio sequencing, BioNano, and Hi-C (in vivo) mapping. The 18 super scaffolds cover ~95.6% of the estimated genome (~887.8 Mb). There are 63,671 protein-coding genes annotated in this tetraploid genome. About ~86.2% of the syntenic genes in foxtail millet have two homologous copies in broomcorn millet, indicating rare gene loss after tetraploidization in broomcorn millet. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that broomcorn millet and foxtail millet diverged around ~13.1 Million years ago (Mya), while the lineage specific tetraploidization of broomcorn millet may be happened within ~5.91 million years. The genome is not only beneficial for the genome assisted breeding of broomcorn millet, but also an important resource for other Panicum species. Broomcorn millet is one of the oldest crops cultivated by human that has strong abiotic stress tolerance. To facilitate genome assisted breeding of this and related species, the authors report its genome assembly and conduct comparative genome structure and evolution analyses with foxtail millet.

Buckwheat is an important minor crop with pharmaceutical functions due to rutin enrichment in the seed. Seeds of common buckwheat cultivars (Fagopyrum esculentum, Fes) usually have much lower rutin content than tartary buckwheat (F. tartaricum, Ft). We previously found a wild species of common buckwheat (F. esculentum ssp. ancestrale, Fea), with seeds that are high in rutin, similar to Ft. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism by which rutin production varies among different buckwheat cultivars, Fea, a Ft variety (Xide) and a Fes variety (No.2 Pingqiao) using RNA sequencing of filling stage seeds. Sequencing data generated approximately 43.78-Gb of clean bases, all these data were pooled together and assembled 180,568 transcripts, and 109,952 unigenes. We established seed gene expression profiles of each buckwheat sample and assessed genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, storage proteins production, CYP450 family, starch and sucrose metabolism, and transcription factors. Differentially expressed genes between Fea and Fes were further analyzed due to their close relationship than with Ft. Expression levels of flavonoid biosynthesis gene FLS1 (Flavonol synthase 1) were similar in Fea and Ft, and much higher than in Fes, which was validated by qRT-PCR. This suggests that FLS1 transcript levels may be associated with rutin accumulation in filling stage seeds of buckwheat species. Further, we explored transcription factors by iTAK, and multiple gene families were identified as being involved in the coordinate regulation of metabolism and development. Our extensive transcriptomic data sets provide a complete description of metabolically related genes that are differentially expressed in filling stage buckwheat seeds and suggests that FLS1 is a key controller of rutin synthesis in buckwheat species. FLS1 can effectively convert dihydroflavonoids into flavonol products. These findings provide a basis for further studies of flavonoid biosynthesis in buckwheat breeding to help accelerate flavonoid metabolic engineering that would increase rutin content in cultivars of common buckwheat.

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) continuously challenge the poultry industry and human health. Elucidation of the host factors that modulate the IAV lifecycle is vital for developing antiviral drugs and vaccines. In this study, we infected A549 cells with IAVs and found that host protein contactin-1 (CNTN1), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, enhanced viral replication. Bioinformatic prediction and experimental validation indicated that the expression of CNTN1 was reduced by microRNA-200c (miR-200c) through directly targeting. We further showed that CNTN1-modulated viral replication in A549 cells is dependent on type I interferon signaling. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that CNTN1 specifically interacts with MAVS and promotes its proteasomal degradation by removing its K63-linked ubiquitination. Moreover, we discovered that the deubiquitinase USP25 is recruited by CNTN1 to catalyze the deubiquitination of K63-linked MAVS. Consequently, the CNTN1-induced degradation cascade of MAVS blocked RIG-I-MAVS-mediated interferon signaling, leading to enhanced viral replication. Taken together, our data reveal novel roles of CNTN1 in the type I interferon pathway and regulatory mechanism of IAV replication.

The abuse of antibiotics, such as the cephalosporins in livestock and aquaculture productions, usually causes the widespread antibiotic resistance due to their growth-promoting effects. In this study, cephalexin was chosen as the hapten molecule to prepare a broad-spectrum rabbit polyclonal antibody for cephalosporin antibiotics. The obtained antibody exhibited broad cross-reactivity ranging from 0.05% to 100% with 10 cephalosporins. Based on this antibody, we developed a broad-specific indirect competitive ELISA (ic-ELISA) for cefalexin, cefradine, cefadroxil and cefazolin with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranging from 0.72 to 2.99 ng/mL in working buffer. For animal-derived food samples with spiked cephalosporins, the ic-ELISA exhibited an excellent recovery ranging from 72.3% to 95.6%. To verify the accuracy of this proposed ic-ELISA, its detection performance was evaluated utilizing the high-performance liquid chromatography with satisfactory results. This study confirmed that: firstly, the prepared antibody can be used as a class-specific recognition element to develop immunoassays for cephalosporin antibiotics; and secondly, the developed ic-ELISA provided a new tool for broad-spectrum detection of first-generation cephalosporins in animal-derived foods.

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a globally distributed zoonotic pathogen and causes a highly infectious respiratory disease with high morbidity and mortality in humans and animals. IAV has evolved various strategies to counteract the innate immune response, using different viral proteins. However, the mechanisms are not fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that the nonstructural protein 2 (NS2) of H1N1 IAV negatively regulate the induction of type-I interferon. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that NS2 specifically interacts with interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7). NS2 blocks the nuclear translocation of IRF7 by inhibiting the formation of IRF7 dimers, thereby prevents the activation of IRF7 and inhibits the production of interferon-beta. Taken together, these findings revealed a novel mechanism by which the NS2 of H1N1 IAV inhibits IRF7-mediated type-I interferon production.

Background: Influenza A virus (IAV) is the major pathogen responsible for influenza pandemics and can cause seasonal influenza outbreaks. In general, viral infection of host cells increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, a process that triggers cell death, lung injury (LI), and other damage mechanisms. Methods: In our previous study, we revealed that selenoproteins may inhibit IAV replication at the cellular level. In this study, we determined the effect of selenoprotein M (SelM) on Nanoluc-IAV-PR8 replication through Nanoluc analysis. The mechanism through which selenoprotein inhibits the replication of the influenza virus was investigated using the SelM knockout cell line, nano-luciferase reporter assays, RNAi, qPCR, Western blot, and confocal microscopy. Results: Our experimental results show that SelM can effectively inhibit the replication of influenza A viruses and could potentially be used as a broad-spectrum inhibitor for IAV therapy in future clinical treatments. The increase in ROS levels induced by IAV infection was found to be inhibited by SelM, which possesses an important Sec functional site, thus weakening the ability of IAV to replicate in cells. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight SelM as a selenoprotein that can effectively inhibit IAV replication.

In the original publication [...]

Broomcorn millet ( Panicum miliaceum L.) is the oldest crop originating in China. The routes of transmission have been the focus of broomcorn millet research. This study evaluated genetic diversity and relationship of 430 broomcorn millet accessions (369 domestic accessions from nine regions and 61 foreign accessions from twenty-four counties) based on the chloroplast DNA trn T- trn L spacer sequence and nuclear DNA GBSSI sequence to explore the domestication of broomcorn millet. The trn T- trn L sequence was highly conserved, while the diversity of GBSSI sequence was significantly higher. Results of this study suggest that broomcorn millet may have originated from the core area (including Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Gansu) and then spread westward to Xinjiang and into Eurasia, or eastward from Shanxi to Hebei, Inner Mongolia and northeast China. Xinjiang is crucial for broomcorn millet to spread westward. This study revealed the genetic diversity of broomcorn millet accessions from different geographical sources, laying a theoretical foundation for further analysis of the evolutionary origin of this taxon.

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), one of the first domesticated crops, has been grown in Northern China for at least 10,000 years. The species is presently a minor crop, and evaluation of its genetic diversity has been very limited. In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity of 88 accessions of broomcorn millet collected from various provinces of China. Amplification with 67 simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers revealed moderate levels of diversity in the investigated accessions. A total of 179 alleles were detected, with an average of 2.7 alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.043 to 0.729 (mean = 0.376) and 0.045 to 0.771 (mean = 0.445), respectively. Cluster analysis based on the unweighted pair group method of mathematical averages separated the 88 accessions into four groups at a genetic similarity level of 0.633. A genetic structure assay indicated a close correlation between geographical regions and genetic diversity. The uncovered information will be valuable for defining gene pools and developing breeding programs for broomcorn millet. Furthermore, the millet-specific SSR markers developed in this study should serve as useful tools for assessment of genetic diversity and elucidation of population structure in broomcorn millet.

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), one of the most toxic mycotoxins, is a feed and food contaminant of global concern. To isolate the ssDNA aptamer of AFM1, synthesized magnetic graphene oxide nanomaterials, 12 rounds of subtractive systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) selection were carried out. As a result, 24 candidate aptamers were selected, and their sequence similarity exceeded 97%. Their binding affinity and specificity were further examined by fluorescence and biofilm interferometry (BLI) methods. One aptamer (Apt-5) against AFM1 with a high affinity and specificity was isolated and demonstrated to be the optimal aptamer, whose dissociation constant reached the nanomolar level, Kd = 8.12 ± 1.51 nM. Additionally, molecular docking studies were used to predict the possible binding sites and mechanisms of the two. Based on Apt-5, an unlabeled aptamer-AuNPs colorimetric method was established to detect AFM1 in milk with a linear range of 0.078–10 ng/mL, and the actual detection limit was 0.078 ng/mL. These results demonstrated that this detection technique could be useful for the quantitative determination of AFM1 in milk and dairy products.