水稻的花器官特征主要由A、B、C、E四类基因决定，它们大多编码MADS-box转录因子。然而，在花发育过程中，对于这些基因的表达如何被调控的研究很少。本研究报道了一个名为SUPER WOMAN 2（SPW2）的基因，该基因在水稻的小穗/小花发育过程中通过调控雌蕊特征基因OsMADS3、OsMADS13、OsMADS58和DL的表达发挥重要作用。SPW2突变导致小穗内的护颖、外稃、内稃、浆片和雄蕊中出现异位的柱头/子房状组织。通过图位克隆，我们揭示了SPW2编码一个植物特有的类EMF1蛋白，该蛋白是PRC2复合物的重要组成部分，并介导H3K27me3修饰。表达分析显示，SPW2突变导致OsMADS3、OsMADS13、OsMADS58和DL在小穗的非雌蕊器官中异位表达。此外，ChIP-qPCR结果显示这些基因在染色质上的H3K27me3修饰水平显著降低。因此，我们的研究结果表明SPW2通过参与H3K27me3介导的雌蕊特征基因表观遗传沉默，进而调控它们在水稻小穗的非雌蕊器官中的表达。这项研究拓宽了我们对于SPW2通过表观遗传调控花器官特征基因的分子机制的认识。

近几十年来，保护性农业（conservation agriculture，CA）因其有利于农业可持续性发展而获得广泛推广，但其对田间生物多样性和作物生产力的综合影响尚不清楚。本研究通过调查传统耕作（conventional tillage，CT），免耕（no tillage，NT）和少耕（reduced tillage，RT）三种耕作方式下稻田生物多样性和病、虫、草害等指标发现，降低耕作强度能显著降低稻田虫害、病害和杂草的发生，同时增加田间捕食性天敌数量，进而提高水稻产量。连续两年的调查结果显示，在CT模式下稻田主要害虫如稻飞虱和福寿螺发生量分别为74.78和9.91 m^-2，而在RT模式分别为14.69和5.16 m^-2，发生量显著降低，并且在RT模式下病害发生率和杂草密度也均有明显下降。同时，实施RT的稻田水稻产量（7477.01 kg ha^-1）相比于CT（6489.19 kg ha^-1）增加15.22%。此外，在CT模式下稻田害虫捕食性天敌的平均密度为11.22 m^-2，而RT和NT模式下分别为19.73和20.48，虫口数显著增加，同时丰富度也显著增加，说明CA对促进农业生态系统生物多样性有重要作用。综上所述，实施RT有利于水稻病虫草害防治，提高水稻产量和农业生态系统可持续性。

随着我国Bt作物种植面积的增加，绿盲蝽和其他盲蝽逐渐成为重要农业害虫因为它们对作物中的Bt蛋白不敏感。此外，Bt作物种植后杀虫剂使用量的减少也增加了盲蝽爆发的严重程度。红颈常室茧蜂是一种盲蝽若虫的寄生蜂，但它对Bt蛋白的敏感性尚不清楚。在当前研究中，我们利用添加Bt蛋白（400 µg g^-1）或不添加Bt蛋白的10%蜂蜜水，发展了一种评价Bt蛋白（Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1F, Cry2Aa和Cry2Ab）对红颈常室茧蜂成虫影响的直接暴露试验体系。结果显示，红颈常室茧蜂成虫的存活和繁殖情况能够被半胱氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂E-64（阳性对照）显著抑制，但不受供试5种Bt蛋白影响。此外，寄生蜂体内的消化酶、解毒酶和保护酶活性也不受供试Bt蛋白影响，但取食含E-64的饲料后，它们受到显著影响。然后我们建立了一种三级营养试验，来测定供试5种Bt蛋白对红颈常室茧蜂幼虫和蛹的影响，在这个试验中，以取食含有Cry蛋白饲料的盲蝽若虫作为红颈常室茧蜂的寄主昆虫。三级营养试验的结果显示，即使被寄主的绿盲蝽体内含有大量Bt蛋白，以它们为寄主的红颈常室茧蜂寄生蜂化蛹率和羽化率也没有受到显著影响。上述结果整体表明，研究中发展的这2个生物试验可以用来评价杀虫物质对红颈常室茧蜂的毒性，供试的Cry蛋白对红颈常室茧蜂无毒性。

玉米在驯化和遗传改良过程中改变了形态及生理特性从而提高了产量和对胁迫的抗性，在这一过程中根际微生物的多样性可能也随之发生变化。了解玉米种质资源的进化如何影响其生长期的根际细菌结构，对于揭示植物-微生物之间的协同关系，进而提高驯化种质的产量具有重要意义。本研究在田间展开，选择9个具有代表性的驯化和遗传改良种质材料，分别在幼苗期、盛花期和成熟期对大雏草、地方种和自交系植物DNA和根际细菌DNA进行测序。检测并分析不同处理下土壤化学性质与细菌群落结构变化的关系。结果表明，玉米的驯化和遗传改良增加了根际细菌的多样性，改变了根际细菌的群落组成。根际中的核心微生物组在不同种质之间存在显著差异。共现网络分析表明，自交系的细菌网络模块性高于大雏草和地方品种。本研究最终表明：随着玉米的驯化和遗传改良，根际群落多样性随之增加，从而可以增强玉米对生物胁迫适应能力，提高对土壤养分的利用效率。

MicroRNA对卵巢颗粒细胞的增殖、分化和分泌具有重要的调控作用，但miR-99a-5p在山羊卵巢颗粒细胞（GCs）中的作用尚不清楚。为探究miR-99a-5p在山羊GCs中的功能作用，我们从屠宰场收集了新鲜的山羊卵巢组织进行后续的荧光原位杂交和免疫组化试验；利用网站预测miR-99a-5p靶基因，通过双荧光素酶报告基因试验验证靶向关系；在分离培养的原代山羊卵巢颗粒细胞中过表达或敲低miR-99a-5p与其靶基因后，使用ELISA试剂盒检测细胞培养液中类固醇激素的含量。荧光原位杂交试验结果显示，miR-99a-5p在山羊卵巢颗粒细胞中表达，免疫组化结果显示其预测的靶基因FZD5也在颗粒细胞中表达；进一步的双荧光素酶报告基因试验表明FZD5是miR-99a-5p的一个靶基因（P<0.001），同时荧光定量和免疫印迹试验结果显示，过表达miR-99a-5p后，GCs中FZD5的mRNA和蛋白的表达量均会显著降低（P<0.05），反之亦然；利用过表达或敲低FZD5的慢病毒感染GCs后，可以显著改变细胞中FZD5的mRNA和蛋白的表达量，同时ELISA结果显示，过表达FZD5可显著提高细胞培养液中雌二醇和孕酮含量；过表达山羊卵巢GCs的miR-99a-5p后，细胞培养液中雌二醇和孕酮含量显著下降（P<0.05）。综上所述，miR-99a-5p抑制GCs中靶基因FZD5的表达以及雌二醇和孕酮的合成。因此，我们证实了山羊的FZD5是miR-99a-5p的一个靶基因；miR-99a-5p在体外抑制GCs雌二醇和孕酮的分泌，靶基因FZD5促进其分泌。本研究为山羊和其他动物卵泡发育的调控机制提供了重要的数据和新的见解。

马铃薯孢囊线虫Globodera rostochiensis是国际公认的重要检疫性有害线虫，严重危害马铃薯。2018-2020年，在全国农业技术推广服务中心组织的全国马铃薯检疫性线虫调查中，从云南省昭通市鲁甸县和四川省越西县和昭觉县马铃薯根系发现金色孢囊线虫，经形态学观察鉴定、分子生物学rDNA-ITS及28S的D2-D3区域特征分析比对及种特异性引物ITS5和PITSr3检测确定为马铃薯金线虫Globodera rostochiensis（Wollenweber）Skarbilovich, 1959. 在隔离温室内采用盆栽人工接种的致病性研究结果表明，该三个金线虫种群都能侵染马铃薯（品种青薯9号）并繁殖，接种12周后，马铃薯上形成成熟雌虫，完成生活史。这是马铃薯金线虫在我国云南和四川省首次记录。

骨骼肌约占哺乳动物体重的40％，其发育是一个动态、复杂且精确调节的过程。转录组在调节山羊骨骼肌的发育中起着不可或缺的作用，但是在从胎儿到羔羊的多个骨骼肌发育阶段中，转录组表达谱和作用变化尚不清晰。对山羊胎儿到羔羊骨骼肌发育转录组进行细致的探讨及分析，探究转录组山羊骨骼肌早期发育过程中的角色转变，以完善了骨骼肌生长发育的调控网络。本研究使用石蜡切片和RNA-seq探究了从胎儿到出生后七个阶段（胎龄45d（F45），65d（F65），90d（F90），120d（F120）和135d（F135）的胎儿及以及出生1（B1）天和90（B90）天的孩子）的安徽白山羊背最长肌组织学和转录组表达谱。并通过WGCNA结合STEM分析，全面分析了差异表达基因（DEG）的时序表达情况，再利用GO和KEGG探究了差异mRNA的在不同时序中的功能转变。石蜡切片显示在F45时肌细胞较少，此时多为结缔组织。在F65在结缔组织间已出现大量肌细胞，且F65和F90具有初级肌纤维，而到F120及之后阶段初级肌纤维消失，完全为次级肌纤维。骨骼肌直径结果显示除F65和F90、F135和B1外，所有比较组均有显著差异（P <0.05）。所有阶段中共鉴定出4793个DEG，聚类结果显示它们在F45到F90、F135和B1之间相互聚类，而F120和B90单独聚类。石蜡切片结合RNA-seq将七个阶段划分为四个状态：F90之前，F120，F135和B1、B90。DEGs的WGCNA分析也验证了该结果。WGCNA结合STEM分析表明，F90之前的阶段与山羊骨骼肌的增殖密切相关。F120相关的DEGs通过调节tRNA参与骨骼肌结构的调节和骨骼肌的发育。F135和B1的DEGs参与调节脂肪酸的生物过程，以维持肌肉细胞的正常发育。B90的DEG通过调节肌动蛋白丝和原肌球蛋白来提供骨骼肌力量。这些结果验证了转录组在不同阶段扮演着不同角色，阐明了转录组在不同阶段对肌肉生长发育过程的潜在作用，进一步揭示了山羊骨骼肌发育中阶段特异性核心遗传网络的发展顺序。

Flagellar biosynthesis and motility are subject to a four-tiered transcriptional regulatory circuit in Pseudomonas, and the master regulator FleQ appears to be the highest-level regulator in this hierarchical regulatory cascade. Pseudomonas stutzeri A1501 is motile by a polar flagellum; however, the motility and regulatory mechanisms involved in this process are unknown. Here, we searched the A1501 genome for flagella and motility genes and found that approximately 50 genes, which were distributed in three non-contiguous chromosomal regions, contribute to the formation, regulation and function of the flagella. The non-polar mutation of fleQ impaired flagellar biosynthesis, motility and root colonization but enhanced biofilm formation. FleQ positively regulates the expression of flagellar class II–IV genes, suggesting a regulatory cascade that is coordinated similar to that of the well-known P. aeruginosa. Based on our results, we propose that flagellar genes in P. stutzeri A1501 are regulated in a cascade regulated by FleQ and that flagellum-driven motility properties may be necessary for competitive rhizosphere colonization.

Grain size is one of the most important agronomic components of grain yield. Grain length, width and thickness are controlled by multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs). To understand genetic basis of large grain shape and explore the beneficial alleles for grain size improvement, we perform QTL analysis using an F2 population derived from a cross between the japonica variety Beilu 129 (BL129, wide and thick grain) and the elite indica variety Huazhan (HZ, narrow and long grain). A total number of eight major QTLs are detected on three different chromosomes. QTLs for grain width (qGW), grain thickness (qGT), brown grain width (qBGW), and brown grain thickness (qBGT) explained 77.67, 36.24, 89.63, and 39.41% of total phenotypic variation, respectively. The large grain rice variety BL129 possesses the beneficial alleles of GW2 and qSW5/ GW5, which have been known to control grain width and weight, indicating that the accumulation of the beneficial alleles causes large grain shape in BL129. Further results reveal that the rare gw2 allele from BL129 increases grain width, thickness and weight of the elite indica variety Huazhan, which is used as a parental line in hybrid rice breeding. Thus, our findings will help breeders to carry out molecular design breeding on rice grain size and shape.

    The nuclear-encoded light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins (LHCPs) are specifically translocated from the stroma into the thylakoid membrane through the chloroplast signal recognition particle (cpSRP) pathway. The cpSRP is composed of a cpSRP43 protein and a cpSRP54 protein, and it forms a soluble transit complex with LHCP in the chloroplast stroma. Here, we identified the YGL9 gene that is predicted to encode the probable rice cpSRP43 protein from a rice yellow-green leaf mutant. A phylogenetic tree showed that an important conserved protein family, cpSRP43, is present in almost all green photosynthetic organisms such as higher plants and green algae. Sequence analysis showed that YGL9 comprises a chloroplast transit peptide, three chromodomains and four ankyrin repeats, and the chromodomains and ankyrin repeats are probably involved in protein-protein interactions. Subcellular localization showed that YGL9 is localized in the chloroplast. Expression pattern analysis indicated that YGL9 is mainly expressed in green leaf sheaths and leaves. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of genes associated with pigment metabolism, chloroplast development and photosynthesis were distinctly affected in the ygl9 mutant. These results indicated that YGL9 is possibly involved in pigment metabolism, chloroplast development and photosynthesis in rice.

Cytosine methylation/demethylation plays pivotal roles in regulating gene expression at a genome-wide level. However, limited reports are available to reveal correlating changes of cytosine methylation and proteomic expression in Brassica napus so far. Therefore, in the present study, global cytosine methylation and proteome were analysed in B. napus after cold treatment by methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) and two-dimensional protein electrophoresis technology (2-DE). The results showed that the lowered genome-wide DNA methylation status was revealed after cold treatment, and about 0.88% of discrepancy in DNA methylation was detected between the non-flowering and flowering plants after cold treatment. Moreover, the 52 significantly up-regulated proteins emerged in comparison with the 36 down-regulated proteins, as well as the 14 proteins exclusively detected in the flowering plants. Intriguingly the 8 specifically expressed proteins in the non-flowering plants disappeared in the flowering plants with cold treatment. Therefore, these present data proved that the correlating changes of cytosine methylation and proteomic expression were evidenced under cold treatment in B. napus.

Pod shatter resistance of rapeseed is of great importance for modern farming practice. In order to determine the combining ability of elite inbred lines and the breeding potential of rapeseed hybrids in terms of pod shatter resistance, analysis of a 6×6 incomplete diallel cross was conducted at two locations. Results showed that a significant variation existed among breeding lines and their F1 hybrids for pod shatter resistant index (SRI), pod length and width. Pod shatter resistance was significantly positively correlated with pod length. The general combining ability (GCA) effects (GCA=1.58) played a more important role than specific combining ability (SCA) effects (SCA=0.20) for pod shatter trait. The elite lines R1, 1019B and 1055B displayed significant positive GCA effects for pod shatter resistance. Four crosses (1019B×R1, 1015B×R1, 6098B×R1, and 8908B×R1) with high mean performance and positive SCA effects were recommended for developing new hybrids for mechanical harvest in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

The reuse of treated wastewater in agricultural systems could partially help alleviate water resource shortages in developing countries. Treated wastewater differs from fresh water in that it has higher concentrations of salts, Escherichia coli and presence of dissolved organic matter, and inorganic N after secondary treatment, among others. Its application could thus cause environmental consequences such as soil salinization, ammonia volatilization, and greenhouse gas emissions. In an incubation experiment, we evaluated the characteristics and effects of water-filled pore space (WFPS) and N input on the emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from silt loam soil receiving treated wastewater. Irrigation with treated wastewater (vs. distilled water) significantly increased cumulative N2O emission in soil (117.97 μg N kg-1). Cumulative N2O emissions showed an exponentially increase with the increasing WFPS in unamended soil, but the maximum occurred in the added urea soil incubated at 60% WFPS. N2O emissions caused by irrigation with treated wastewater combined with urea-N fertilization did not simply add linearly, but significant interaction (P<0.05) caused lower emissions than the production of N2O from the cumulative effects of treated wastewater and fertilizer N. Moreover, a significant impact on cumulative CO2 emission was measured in soil irrigated with treated wastewater. When treated wastewater was applied, there was significant interaction between WFPS and N input on N2O emission. Hence, our results indicated that irrigation with treated wastewater should cause great concern for increasing global warming potential due to enhanced emission of N2O and CO2.

In this study, a rice spikelet mutant, multi-floret spikelet 1 (mfs1), which was derived from ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS)- treated Jinhui 10 (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) exhibited pleiotropic defects in spikelet development. The mfs1 spikelet displayed degenerated the empty glume, elongated the rachilla, the extra lemma-like organ and degraded the palea. Additionally, mfs1 flowers produced varied numbers of inner floral organs. The genetic analysis revealed that the mutational trait was controlled by a single recessive gene. With 401 recessive individuals from the F2 segregation population, the MFS1 gene was finally mapped on chromosome 5, an approximate 350 kb region. The present study will be useful for cloning and functional analysis of MFS1, which would facilitate understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in spikelet development in rice.