Ca²⁺离子在维持细胞壁以及细胞膜的完整性中具有重要作用，是植物生长和发育中必不可少的矿质营养元素之一。解析Ca²⁺离子在糖代谢和脂代谢中的作用能够为理解棉花纤维快速伸长阶段细胞膜和细胞壁的动态变化提供有意义的参考。本研究利用胚珠培养系统发现缺Ca²⁺会促进纤维和胚珠细胞的膨大，但同时也会诱导组织的褐化。RNA-seq差异表达基因分析发现缺Ca²⁺使细胞处于一个较高的氧化态，并且激活与糖代谢和脂代谢相关的基因的表达。尤其以糖酵解途径变化最为显著，其代谢途径中的9个酶相关的基因上调表达，缺Ca²⁺处理细胞中的葡萄糖含量显著下降，改变了糖酵解途径的流动。低K⁺能够恢复缺Ca²⁺诱导糖酵解途径相关基因的表达以及葡萄糖的含量。采用电喷雾电离串联质谱技术检测了不同Ca²⁺、K⁺离子处理条件下细胞中脂质组成分的动态变化。缺Ca²⁺处理细胞中自由脂肪酸（FA）、二酰甘油（DAG）和糖脂含量降低，三酰甘油（DAG）磷脂酰乙醇胺（PE）、磷脂酰甘油（PG）、磷脂酰胆碱（PC）含量增加。低K⁺与缺Ca²⁺的互作信号能够恢复FA、磷脂、糖脂含量至正常水平，有效缓解缺Ca²⁺效应。本研究通过在转录和代谢水平的比较分析，揭示了Ca²⁺和K⁺信号互作在维持纤维快速伸长过程中糖酵解和脂代谢中发挥着重要作用。

水稻穗型和籽粒大小不仅对产量形成有显著效应，对稻米品质尤其是外观品质也有重要影响。直立穗性状一般由qpe9-1/dep1等位基因控制，已广泛应用于高产粳稻育种，但其稻米的外观品质往往不够理想。GS9是水稻粒形的重要调控因子，该基因突变后可使稻谷适当变细长，从而改良稻米的外观品质。然而，GS9和qPE9-1/DEP1基因都位于第9染色体，两位点紧密连锁，且两者间的互作关系还不明确，这就制约了它们在现代水稻育种中的应用。蛋白和mRNA表达水平的比较分析显示GS9和qPE9-1独立发挥功能。以含有GS9和qpe9-1等位基因的高产粳稻品种2661(GS9/qpe9-1)为背景，创建了3个近等基因系（NIL），分别携带不同等位基因组合，包括NIL(gs9/qpe9-1)、NIL(GS9/qPE9-1)和NIL(gs9/qPE9-1)。结果显示，GS9和qPE9-1对籽粒大小的调控具有加性效应，在含有qpe9-1等位基因的直立穗粳稻品种中导入功能缺失型gs9等位基因，可在不影响株型和穗型的前提下，降低籽粒垩白，改良籽粒外观。此外，在另一推广的高产粳稻品种武育粳27（WYJ27）背景中，导入gs9等位基因，也表现出相同的效应，进一步证实利用gs9等位基因改良高产粳稻品种籽粒外观的可行性。本研究为直立穗粳稻及相关品种稻米外观品质改良提供了有效策略。

植物促生真菌具有产生生物活性物质、促进植物生长以及增强植物免疫抗性的能力，其作为有应用价值的有益微生物在作物栽培中受到越来越多关注。本研究从健康番茄植株根际土壤中分离筛选到一株木霉菌株TM2-4，将其鉴定为非洲哈茨木霉（Trichoderma afroharzianum）。菌株TM2-4发酵滤液中含有多种生物活性物质且对番茄种子发芽具有明显促进作用，发酵滤液100倍稀释液处理，番茄胚轴、胚根长度，种子活力指数分别增加28.7%、19.4% 和 62.1%。为了评价菌株TM2-4的促生作用及其相关机制，通过盆栽试验和转录组测序分析了非洲哈茨木霉菌制剂TM2-4处理对番茄植株生物学指标和基因表达型的影响。结果表明，非洲哈茨木霉TM2-4能够通过在植株根际土壤和根系有效定殖，显著提高番茄株高、干重、单株叶片数及根系活力等生物学指标。转录组分析发现，木霉菌制剂处理番茄根系较对照共获得984个差异表达基因，主要集中在激素平衡、抗氧化活性以及苯丙烷类生物合成和谷胱甘肽代谢等生物学过程。相关研究结果为阐明菌株TM2-4对番茄的促生作用机制提供有效信息，并为非洲哈茨木霉微生物菌剂在蔬菜作物生产中的进一步开发应用奠定理论基础。

Luteolin is an active ingredient found early from Folium perillae and Flos lonicerae, and has a specific inhibition on phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) activity in vitro. Researches show luteolin has pharmacological effects of anti-inflammation, anti-anaphylaxis, antitumor, antioxidant, protection of nervous system and so on, and has mainly been used for the treatment of respiratory inflammatory diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disease in clinic. PDE4, specific to hydrolyze cyclic AMP (cAMP), is considered to be a new anti-inflammatory target due to the decisive role on cAMP signal in inflammatory cells such as neutrophils. In order to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism, we further studied the effects of luteolin on the activity and expression of PDE4, the expression of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and macrophage-1 (MAC-1) in neutrophils, and the adhesion of neutrophils and endothelial cells. The results showed that luteolin had a dose-dependent inhibition on both bare PDE4 activity and PDE4 in cultured neutrophils, and had an obviously promotive effect on gene expressions of PDE4A, 4B and 4D in later period. Luteolin had a significant inhibitory effect on neutrophils adhesion and LFA-1 expression in early stage, and had no obvious effect on MAC-1 expression. Therefore, luteolin can inhibit LFA-1 expression of neutrophils, then inhibit the adhesion of neutrophils and endothelial cells, and the mechanism is at least related with the inhibition of PDE4 activity.

Pulsatilla decoction is a famous traditional Chinese herbal formula for clearing heat and treating dysentery of animals or human. To elucidate its mechanism, many active components have been studied, however, the roles of its polysaccharides still remain unclear. This study aimed to explore effects of polysaccharides from Pulsatilla decoction (PPD) on the microvascular endothelial glycocalyx (eGC). The polysaccharides were extracted from PPD by water extraction and alcohol precipitation method. Mice were administered with PPD for 4 wk, and were then anesthetized with ether inhalation and were fixed by cardiac perfusion with gradient concentration alcian blue solution. The jejunum was sampled and jejunal mucosa was prepared for ultrathin sections by routine method and was analyzed by transmission electron microscope. The results indicated that the eGC was observed as a strong electron-dense smooth linear margin or nonuniform conglomerates coating cell membranes, and PPD significantly increased its thickness from (21.85±1.87) to (28.71±3.61) nm and improved its integrity. This study suggested that PPD may express their biological activities and protect against pathogenic factor damages by influencing the eGC.

We studied the effect of baicalin, an extract from Radix Scutellariae (a traditional Chinese medicine) in inducing mouse pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (MPMVECs) to produce interferons (IFNs). MPMVECs were cultured in vitro in the presence of different concentrations of baicalin (10, 20, and 30 μg mL-1), and the cells and the culture media were harvested at various time intervals. The proteins and mRNA levels (relative to β-actin) of IFN-α/β and IFN-γ were analyzed by RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It was observed that baicalin substantially up-regulated the expression of IFN-α/β and IFN-γ. In all baicalin-treated groups, the relative levels of IFN-α/β and IFN-γ mRNAs peaked after 12 h of culturing, and IFN-α/β and IFN-γ proteins peaked after 24 h of culturing. These results suggest that baicalin can effectively induce the expression of IFNs in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, and thus potentially act as an antiviral compound. This study may provide background information for developing new antiviral drugs based on baicalin.

As one member of the Ras super family, Rheb is an upstream regulator of mTOR signaling pathway, which regulates the process of cell-growth, proliferation and differentiation. In order to study the relationship between Rheb and mTOR in Inner Mongolian Cashmere goat (Capra hircus) cells, Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb) gene cDNA was amplified by RT-PCR. It is 555 bp in length and includes the complete ORF encoding 184 amino acids (GenBank accession no. HM569224). The full cDNA nucleotide sequence has a 99% identity with that of sheep, 98% with cattle and 93% with human while their amino acids sequence shares identity with 98, 97 and 97% of them, correspondingly. The bioinformatics analysis showed that Rheb has a Ras family domain, two casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, two ATP/GTP-binding sites motif A (P-loop), a prenyl group binding site (CAAX box). Tissue-specific expression analysis performed by semiquantitative RT-PCR. The Rheb gene was expressed in all the tested tissues and the highest level of mRNA accumulation was detected in brain, suggesting that Rheb played an important role in goat cells.

A field experiment with rice-rice rotation was conducted since 2002 in southeast China for investigating the response of soil microbial properties to intensive nitrogen fertilizer application. The tested soil was a subtropical paddy soil derived from Quaternary red clay. Differences between treatments existed in different application rates of urea when the experiment was designed. Urea was applied in five rates, i.e., 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 U, equivalent to 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 times the local average amount of urea application (900 kg urea ha-1 yr-1, equivalent to 414 kg N ha-1 yr-1). In 2007, soil total nitrogen, available nitrogen, and soil organic carbon contents were increased by 10.2-27.9, 8.0-16.0, and 10.2-30.6%, respectively, in treatments with urea application rates of 0.5 to 2 U compared to control (0 U). Microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were also increased by 3.1-30.8 and 1.3-13.9%, respectively, in treatments with urea application. Basal respiration in treatments with urea input were 9.4-29.1% higher than that in control. However, changes of bacterial functional diversity had different trends. Urea fertilization enhanced bacterial functional diversity until treatment of 1 U, but re-decreased it from treatment of 1.5 U. Principal components analysis indicated that there were intimate relationships among soil organic matter, nitrogen nutrient, microbial biomass, and respiration. Nevertheless, microbial diversity was related to soil moisture contents after urea application. We conclude here that the application of N fertilizer improved soil microbial biomass and respiratory activity. But, microbial diversity was reduced when excessive urea was applied in the tested paddy soil.

Drought stress is one of the major constraints to rice (Oryza sativa L.) production and yield stability especially in rainfed ecosystems and is getting worse as the climate changes worldwide. Dongxiang wild rice (DXWR) Oryza rufipogon Griff., contains drought resistant gene. Improving drought resistance of cultivars is crucial to increase and stabilize rice grain yield via transferring resistant gene from species related to rice. In this paper, four upland rice, sixty backcross inbred lines (BILs) derived from BC1F5 of R974//DXWR/R974, and their parents were employed to evaluate drought-resistance at seedling stage in the greenhouse. Nine traits were recorded for assessment of drought resistance, including maximum root length (MRL), number of roots (NR), shoot length (SL), dry root weight (DRW), fresh root weight (FRW), root relative water content (RRWC), leaf relative water content (LRWC), level for rolling leaf (LRL), and seedling survivability under repeat drought (SSRD). Using more than 88% of accumulative contribution resulted from the principal component analysis (PCA), the nine traits were classified into five independent principal components and the line 1949 showed the highest resistance. Analysis on the stepwise regression equation and correlation demonstrated that MRL, RN, FRW, and RRWC significantly influenced the drought resistance, thus could be used as comprehensive index for drought resistance at the seedling stage. Using the major gene plus polygene mixed inheritance model of quantitative traits, the inheritance of drought-resistance of BIL population at seedling stage was mostly controlled by two independent genes plus polygene. As a result, the DXWR could be precious resources for genetic improvement of drought resistance in cultivated rice.