The BTB (broad-complex, tramtrack, and bric-à-brac) domain is a highly conserved protein interaction motif in eukaryotes. They are widely involved in transcriptional regulation, protein degradation and other processes. Recently, an increasing number of studies have shown that these genes play important roles in plant growth and development, biotic and abiotic stress processes. Here, we summarize the advances of these proteins ubiquitination-mediated development and abiotic stress responses in plants based on the protein structure, which may facilitate the study of this type of gene in plants.
Eukaryota ; Plant Development/genetics* ; Proteolysis ; Ubiquitination

The chloroplast genome encodes many key proteins involved in photosynthesis and other metabolic processes, and metabolites synthesized in chloroplasts are essential for normal plant growth and development. Root-UVB (ultraviolet radiation B)-sensitive (RUS) family proteins composed of highly conserved DUF647 domain belong to chloroplast proteins. They play an important role in the regulation of various life activities such as plant morphogenesis, material transport and energy metabolism. This article summarizes the recent advances of the RUS family proteins in the growth and development of plants such as embryonic development, photomorphological construction, VB6 homeostasis, auxin transport and anther development, with the aim to facilitate further study of its molecular regulation mechanism in plant growth and development.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Biological Transport ; Chloroplasts/genetics* ; Embryonic Development ; Plant Development/genetics*

Photosynthesis in plants directly affects the synthesis and accumulation of organic matter, which directly influences crop yield. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are involved in the regulation of a variety of physiological functions in plants, while the functions of RBPs in photosynthesis have not been clearly elucidated. To investigate the effect of a glycine-rich RNA-binding protein (SlRBP1) in tomato on plant photosynthesis, a stably inherited SlRBP1 silenced plant in Alisa Craig was obtained by plant tissue culture using artificial small RNA interference. It turns out that the size of the tomato fruit was reduced and leaves significantly turned yellow. Chlorophyll(Chl) content measurement, Chl fluorescence imaging and chloroplast transmission electron microscopy revealed that the chloroplast morphology and structure of the leaves of tomato amiR-SlRBP1 silenced plants were disrupted, and the chlorophyll content was significantly reduced. Measurement of photosynthesis rate of wild-type and amiR-SlRBP1 silenced plants in the same period demonstrated that the photosynthetic rate of these plants was significantly reduced, and analysis of RNA-seq data indicated that silencing of SlRBP1 significantly reduced the expression of photosynthesis-related genes, such as PsaE, PsaL, and PsbY, and affected the yield of tomato fruits through photosynthesis.
RNA ; Solanum lycopersicum/genetics* ; Photosynthesis/genetics* ; Chlorophyll ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*

The WRKYs are a group of plant-specific transcription factors that play important roles in defense responses. In this study, we silenced 2 GmWRKY33B homologous genes using a bean pod mosaic virus (BPMV) vector carrying a single fragment from the conserved region of the GmWRKY33B genes. Silencing GmWRKY33B did not result in morphological changes. However, significantly reduced resistances to Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea (Psg) and soybean mosaic virus (SMV) were observed in the GmWRKY33B-silenced plants, indicating a positive role of the GmWRKY33B genes in disease resistance. Kinase assay showed that silencing the GmWRKY33B genes significantly reduced the activation of GmMPK6, but not GmMPK3, in response to flg22 treatment. Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) analysis of the genes encoding prenyltransferases (PTs), which are the key enzymes in the biosynthesis of glyceollin, showed that the Psg-induced expression of these genes was significantly reduced in the GmWRKY33B-silenced plants compared with the BPMV-0 empty vector plants, which correlated with the presence of the W-boxes in the promoter regions of these genes. Taken together, our results suggest that GmWRKY33Bs are involved in soybean immunity through regulating the activation of the kinase activity of GmMPK6 as well as through regulating the expression of the key genes encoding the biosynthesis of glyceollins.
Glycine max/genetics* ; Disease Resistance/genetics* ; Biological Assay ; Dimethylallyltranstransferase ; Gene Silencing

The use of light energy to drive carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction for production of chemicals is of great significance for relieving environmental pressure and solving energy crisis. Photocapture, photoelectricity conversion and CO₂ fixation are the key factors affecting the efficiency of photosynthesis, and thus also affect the efficiency of CO₂ utilization. To solve the above problems, this review systematically summarizes the construction, optimization and application of light-driven hybrid system from the perspective of combining biochemistry and metabolic engineering. We introduce the latest research progress of light-driven CO₂ reduction for biosynthesis of chemicals from three aspects: enzyme hybrid system, biological hybrid system and application of these hybrid system. In the aspect of enzyme hybrid system, many strategies were adopted such as improving enzyme catalytic activity and enhancing enzyme stability. In the aspect of biological hybrid system, many methods were used including enhancing biological light harvesting capacity, optimizing reducing power supply and improving energy regeneration. In terms of the applications, hybrid systems have been used in the production of one-carbon compounds, biofuels and biofoods. Finally, the future development direction of artificial photosynthetic system is prospected from the aspects of nanomaterials (including organic and inorganic materials) and biocatalysts (including enzymes and microorganisms).
Carbon Dioxide/metabolism* ; Photosynthesis ; Metabolic Engineering

Color is an important indicator for evaluating the ornamental traits of horticultural plants, and plant pigments is a key factor affecting the color phenotype of plants. Plant pigments and their metabolites play important roles in color formation of ornamental organs, regulation of plant growth and development, and response to adversity stress. It has therefore became a hot topic in the field of plant research. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a vital genomics tool that specifically reduces host endogenous gene expression utilizing plant homology-dependent defense mechanisms. In addition, VIGS enables characterization of gene function by rapidly inducing the gene-silencing phenotypes in plants. It provides an efficient and feasible alternative for verifying gene function in plant species lacking genetic transformation systems. This paper reviews the current status of the application of VIGS technology in the biosynthesis, degradation and regulatory mechanisms of plant pigments. Moreover, this review discusses the potential and future prospects of VIGS technology in exploring the regulatory mechanisms of plant pigments, with the aim to further our understandings of the metabolic processes and regulatory mechanisms of different plant pigments as well as improving plant color traits.
Plant Viruses/genetics* ; Plants/genetics* ; Gene Silencing ; Plant Development ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genetic Vectors

Multiple myeloma(MM)is a systemic malignancy of plasma cells.Nowadays,the basic research on MM is flourishing with the continuous optimization and innovation of mouse models of MM.Heterologous mouse models of MM established with human-derived cells and immunodeficient mice have been applied in assessing drug efficacy,exploring drug resistance mechanisms,and observing tumor-bone marrow microenvironment interactions.In the last decades,the homologous mouse models of MM established with murine-derived cells or gene-editing technologies have been widely used in the research on the pathogenesis and drug development.Additionally,the stable modeling of targeted organ injury will be a key problem to be tackled in this field.This review summarizes the characteristics and application progress of mouse models of MM.
Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; Multiple Myeloma/pathology* ; Bone Marrow/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Resistance ; Tumor Microenvironment

To solve the serious problem of stem and leaf shading in the middle and late stage of traditional flat planting of Codonopsis pilosula, this study analyzed the effects of different stereoscopic traction heights on the photosynthetic characteristics and growth of C. pilosula and explored the optimal traction height to improve the yield and quality of C. pilosula. The experiment designed three stereo-scopic traction heights [H1(60 cm), H2(90 cm), and H3(120 cm)] with natural growth without traction as the control(CK). The results showed that the increase in stereoscopic traction heights broadened the growth space of stems and leaves of C. pilosula, enhanced the ventilation effect, significantly increased the average daily net photosynthetic rate of C. pilosula, promoted the absorption of intercellular CO_2, decreased the transpiration rate, and reduced the evaporation of water. Moreover, it effectively avoided the problem of weakened photosynthesis, maintained the carbon balance of individual plants, and promoted the growth and development of the C. pilosula roots. In terms of the seed yield of C. pilosula, it was ranked as H2>H1>H3>CK. To be specific, H1 increased by 213.41% compared with CK, H2 increased by 282.43% compared with CK, and H3 increased by 133.95% compared with CK. The yield and quality of C. pilosula were the highest in the H3 treatment group, with the fresh yield of 6 858.33 kg·hm~(-2), 50.59% higher than CK, dry yield of 2 398.33 kg·hm~(-2), 76.54% higher than CK, and lobetyolin content of 0.56 mg·g~(-1), 45.22% higher than CK. Therefore, the stereoscopic traction height has a great influence on the photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and quality of C. pilosula. Particularly, the yield and quality of C. pilosula can be optimized and improved in the traction height treatment of H3(120 cm). This planting method is worth popularizing and applying in the cultivated management of C. pilosula.
Codonopsis ; Traction ; Photosynthesis ; Plant Leaves ; Plant Roots

Objective To study the effect and mechanism of blueberry on regulating the mitochondrial inner membrane protein mitofilin/Mic60 in an in vitro model of metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MAFLD). Methods L02 human hepatocytes were induced by free fatty acids (FFA) to establish MAFLD cell model. A normal group, a model group, an 80 μg/mL blueberry treatment group, a Mic60 short hairpin RNA (Mic60 shRNA) transfection group, and Mic60 knockdown combined with an 80 μg/mL blueberry treatment group were established. The intracellular lipid deposition was observed by oil red O staining, and the effect of different concentrations of blueberry pulp on the survival rate of L02 cells treated with FFA was measured by MTT assay. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were measured by visible spectrophotometry. The expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hepatocytes was observed by fluorescence microscopy, and the mRNA and protein expression of Mic60 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Results After 24 hours of FFA stimulation, a large number of red lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of L02 cells was observed, and the survival rate of L02 cells treated with 80 μg/mL blueberry was higher. The results of ALT, AST, TG, TC, MDA and the fluorescence intensity of ROS in blueberry treated group were lower than those in model group, while the levels of SOD, GSH, Mic60 mRNA and protein in blueberry treated group were higher than those in model group. Conclusion Blueberry promotes the expression of Mic60, increases the levels of SOD and GSH in hepatocytes, and reduces the production of ROS, thus alleviating the injury of MAFLD hepatocytes and regulating the disorder of lipid metabolism.
Humans ; Blueberry Plants/chemistry* ; Hepatocytes/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Liver Diseases/metabolism* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism* ; Superoxides/metabolism* ; Mitochondrial Membranes/metabolism* ; Mitochondrial Proteins/metabolism* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology*

The syndrome of dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency (DSSD) is relatively common globally. Although the pathogenesis of DSSD remains unclear, evidence has suggested that the gut microbiota might play a significant role. Radix Astragali, used as both medicine and food, exerts the effects of tonifying spleen and qi. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) comprises a macromolecule substance extracted from the dried root of Radix Astragali, which has many pharmacological functions. However, whether APS mitigates the immune disorders underlying the DSSD syndrome via regulating gut microbiota and the relevant mechanism remains unknown. Here, we used DSSD rats induced by high-fat and low-protein (HFLP) diet plus exhaustive swimming, and found that APS of moderate molecular weight increased the body weight gain and immune organ indexes, decreased the levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and endotoxin, and suppressed the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-‍κB (TLR4/NF-‍κB) pathway. Moreover, a total of 27 critical genera were significantly enriched according to the linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe). APS increased the diversity of the gut microbiota and changed its composition, such as reducing the relative abundance of Pseudoflavonifractor and Paraprevotella, and increasing that of Parasutterella, Parabacteroides, Clostridium XIVb, Oscillibacter, Butyricicoccus, and Dorea. APS also elevated the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Furthermore, the correlation analysis indicated that 12 critical bacteria were related to the body weight gain and immune organ indexes. In general, our study demonstrated that APS ameliorated the immune disorders in DSSD rats via modulating their gut microbiota, especially for some bacteria involving immune and inflammatory response and SCFA production, as well as the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. This study provides an insight into the function of APS as a unique potential prebiotic through exerting systemic activities in treating DSSD.
Rats ; Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Spleen ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Astragalus Plant/metabolism* ; Immune System Diseases/drug therapy* ; Body Weight