Article
Plant Sciences
Preston Hurst, James C. Schnable, David R. Holding
Summary: Tandem duplication can lead to copy number variation and functional novelty in genes, as well as diversity between individuals in a species. In maize, the alpha-zein gene family copies show conservation in both gene sequence and gene regulation patterns between different inbreds, even though there may be differences in overall expression levels.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Hongxia Tan, Hongyuan Zhou, Ting Guo, Yuhao Zhang, Liang Ma
Summary: The study revealed that hidden zearalenone in maize and maize-products can be converted into its free form by in vitro digestion, leading to a higher total detectable zearalenone amount. This suggests that the total zearalenone content in maize products might be underestimated due to the presence of zein-bound zearalenone.
Article
Agronomy
Arooj Fatima, Saddam Hussain, Sadam Hussain, Basharat Ali, Umair Ashraf, Usman Zulfiqar, Zubair Aslam, Sami Asir Al-Robai, Fatima Omari Alzahrani, Christophe Hano, Mohamed A. El-Esawi
Summary: Salinity and alkalinity stresses have significant negative impacts on maize growth and yield, with alkalinity stress showing a greater effect than salinity stress. Under stress conditions, hybrid DK-6714 outperforms FH-1231 in terms of seedling growth, antioxidant activities, and biochemical attributes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yang Feng, Yafei Ma, Fan Feng, Xinze Chen, Weiwei Qi, Zeyang Ma, Rentao Song
Summary: This study identified the role of mitochondrial ribosomal protein L10 in the accumulation of nonzein proteins (NZPs) in protein bodies (PBs) in maize endosperm. The interaction between NZP1 and 22 kDa alpha-zein was found to be crucial for the accumulation of NZPs in PBs, providing insights into the mechanisms underlying NZP accumulation. Additionally, comparative proteomic analysis revealed potential applications for foreign protein accumulation in maize PBs.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yuehan Wu, Jinhui Du, Jiahan Zhang, Yanlei Li, Zhiming Gao
Summary: Electrostatic spinning is a simple and convenient technology for fabricating micron-to-nanoscale fibers. The pH of the zein solution affects its rheology and the properties of the electrospun fiber films. The study showed that zein solutions can form stable electrospun fibers at various pH levels, offering new possibilities for enhancing the encapsulation activity of zein films for bioactive materials.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wei Fu, Pengyu Zhu, Mingnan Qu, Wang Zhi, Yongjiang Zhang, Feiwu Li, Shuifang Zhu
Summary: Genetic engineering has the potential to improve maize productivity, but raises concerns about unintended effects and equivalence with non-GM comparators. Targeted analysis may have limitations in detecting unintended effects in genetically modified organisms. Introducing herbicides and insect resistance genes in a popular maize variety in China showed limited changes in gene and metabolite profiles, with growing environments having a greater impact than gene modification itself. Differences in genetic background had greater effects on molecular profiling than gene modification, emphasizing the importance of considering environmental effects.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
M. Bernabeu, S. Aznar, A. Prieto, M. Huttener, A. Juarez
Summary: Gene duplications significantly impact gene repertoires in microorganisms. This study focuses on the irmA gene in pathogenic E. coli strains, investigating its function and expression patterns. Results show that irmA is expressed under specific growth conditions, with different alleles controlling its expression. The presence of multiple functional copies of irmA in certain pathogenic E. coli strains ensures sufficient expression of this virulence factor.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Roman Schefzik, Julian Flesch, Angela Goncalves
Summary: Researchers have developed and implemented a flexible and fast differential distribution testing procedure based on the 2-Wasserstein distance, which can detect any type of distribution difference between conditions. This method can also interpret distributional differences, capturing the relative contribution of changes in mean, variance, and shape under different conditions, and can be applied to a wide range of disciplines beyond scRNA-seq or bioinformatics.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Siqi Gao, Hanwen Zhu, Kangwen Cai, Leiqin Liu, Zhiqiang Zhang, Yi Ding, Yaochen Xu, Xiaoqi Zheng, Jiantao Shi
Summary: DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mechanism that regulates gene expression. However, the conventional machine-learning approach based on mean methylation signals in promoter regions is limited in explaining the relationship between methylation and transcriptional activity. In this study, we developed a deep-learning framework called TRAmaHap which utilizes the characteristics of DNAm haplotypes in promoters and enhancers to predict gene expression. Our model achieved higher accuracy in predicting gene expression variation across tissue types and disease conditions compared to existing methods. We also showed that gene expression can be accurately predicted by DNAm patterns in promoters and long-range enhancers.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Dafne Alves Oliveira, Juliet D. Tang, Marilyn L. Warburton
Summary: This study evaluated the stability of six candidate reference genes for normalizing gene expression levels in maize kernels responding to A. flavus inoculation and wounding. The analysis revealed that ACT1, EFI alpha, and eIF4A2 were the most stable genes for this purpose.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Armando Garces, Bryan Martinez, Roberto de la Garza, Deepa Roy, Kaylie-Anna Vallee, Jerel Adam Fields, David J. Moore, Hansapani Rodrigo, Upal Roy
Summary: The United Nations predicts that by 2050, one in every six people will be over the age of 65. With an increasing elderly population, the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a significant concern. AD is a multifactorial disease that involves neurodegeneration, mild dementia, and cognitive deficits. Additionally, individuals with HIV-1 experience accelerated aging and an increased risk of developing HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). This study focuses on identifying differentially expressed genes in both AD and HAND, and the results highlight the role of interferon pathways in the pathologies of these diseases within the brain, providing insights for future detection.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Sudarat Khadsai, Noppadol Seeja, Metha Rutnakornpituk, Tirayut Vilaivan, Maliwan Nakkuntod, Waroon Suwankitti, Filip Kielar, Boonjira Rutnakornpituk
Summary: In this study, DNA enrichment of the zein gene from maize was achieved using PNA immobilized on a magnetic solid support. The PNA-functionalized MNP showed high binding specificity with complementary DNA, yielding positive results in gel electrophoresis. This system has the potential to be an effective method for DNA enrichment from various samples.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Hongxia Tan, Hongyuan Zhou, Ting Guo, Ying Zhou, Yuhao Zhang, Ruo Yuan, Liang Ma
Summary: The study found that thermal processing decreases the interaction between zein and zearalenone (ZEN), leading to the release of ZEN. This is important for improving the risk assessment of ZEN in maize-based products.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Petr Fajkus, Vratislav Peska, Jiri Fajkus, Eva Sykorova
Summary: This study examined the presence and functional status of TERT variants in allotetraploid Nicotiana species of diverse evolutionary ages, as well as in other diploid and polyploid plant species. Results showed various patterns of retention or loss of parental TERT variants and divergence in their functions, with all identified TERT variants confirmed to be expressed. Synteny analyses revealed the conservation and translocation of TERT genes in representative plant genomes, with translocation becoming fixed in target loci in various diploid and polyploid species.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hui Li, Li Luo, Yayun Wang, Junjie Zhang, Yubi Huang
Summary: In this study, 11 GSK genes were identified in the maize genome, and their protein sequences, conserved motifs, and gene structures were analyzed. The expression profiles and hormone treatments showed that these genes were expressed and regulated in different tissues and under different hormone conditions. Furthermore, a specific clade was found to play an important role in BR signaling through interaction with ZmBZR1.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yin Li, Wenqin Wang, Yaping Feng, Min Tu, Peter E. Wittich, Nicholas J. Bate, Joachim Messing
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dong An, Yong Zhou, Changsheng Li, Qiao Xiao, Tao Wang, Yating Zhang, Yongrui Wu, Yubin Li, Dai-Yin Chao, Joachim Messing, Wenqin Wang
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yang Han, Xinxin Li, Yan Yan, Ming-Hua Duan, Jian-Hong Xu
MOLECULAR GENETICS AND GENOMICS
(2020)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhiyong Zhang, Yiting Deng, Wei Zhang, Yongrui Wu, Joachim Messing
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2020)
Letter
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zhen Liu, Tingzhang Wang, Lin Wang, Han Zhao, Erkui Yue, Yan Yan, Faiza Irshad, Ling Zhou, Ming-Hua Duan, Jian-Hong Xu
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2020)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhen Liu, Miao Fan, Er-Kui Yue, Yu Li, Ruo-Fu Tao, Hai-Ming Xu, Ming-Hua Duan, Jian-Hong Xu
HORTICULTURE RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erkui Yue, Hua Tao, Jianhong Xu
Summary: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play important roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation. One miRNA identified in plants, miR156, targets the SPL transcription factors, which are conserved across species in the grass family. Analysis revealed differential expression patterns of SPLs in different rice tissues and suggested that non-miR156-targeted SPLs may diversify into miR156-targeted genes.
JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY-SCIENCE B
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chao Li, Xue-Jiao Liu, Yan Yan, Mohammad Shah Alam, Zhen Liu, Zhen-Kun Yang, Ruo-Fu Tao, Er-kui Yue, Ming-Hua Duan, Jian-Hong Xu
Summary: Flowering time is crucial for rice reproduction and adaptation, controlled by the circadian clock. Mutations in OsLHY gene cause late flowering only under natural light conditions, affecting circadian clock-related genes expression and flowering regulators. OsLHY promotes rice flowering mainly by regulating Hd1 and Ehd1.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mohammad Shah Alam, Jiarui Kong, Ruofu Tao, Temoor Ahmed, Md. Alamin, Saqer S. Alotaibi, Nader R. Abdelsalam, Jian-Hong Xu
Summary: The study used the CRISPR/Cas9 strategy to investigate the role of OsbHLH024 in rice under salt stress. It was found that OsbHLH024 may play a negative regulatory role in salt stress, helping to better understand the molecular basis of rice production improvement under salt stress.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Faiza Irshad, Chao Li, Hao-Yu Wu, Yan Yan, Jian-Hong Xu
Summary: The endosperm is a crucial nutrient source in cereals for humans. By studying the null mutant of OsROS1a, various changes in seed development were observed, including alterations in shape and size, downregulation of genes involved in starch and glutelin synthesis in the endosperm, as well as differential alternative splicing genes. These findings lay the foundation for a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of OsROS1a in the regulation of rice seed development.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jian-Hong Xu, Faiza Irshad, Yan Yan, Chao Li
Summary: For crop seed production, the development of anthers and male fertility are crucial. A study on rice mutants with edited OsROS1a genes revealed that OsROS1a is a key enzyme involved in active DNA demethylation. The mutants showed reduced anther development, smaller pollen grains, and complete male sterility. The study also found that OsROS1a specifically affects the methylation of certain genes, and the RRMF domain in OsROS1a is important for its function.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mohammad Shah Alam, Zhen-Kun Yang, Chao Li, Yan Yan, Zhen Liu, Muhammad Mudassir Nazir, Jian-Hong Xu
Summary: This study obtained OsbHLH044 gene editing mutants using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology and found that this gene plays a positive regulatory role in salt stress and grain quality.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ioana V. Ardelean, Loredana Balacescu, Oana Sicora, Ovidiu Balacescu, Lia Mladin, Voichita Has, Mihai Miclaus
Summary: This study investigated the gene expression changes in response to heat stress in maize using three different cytoplasmic environments. The results revealed a variety of new differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Furthermore, specific DEGs and GO terms unique to each cytoline were identified, highlighting the intercellular signaling. The findings also showed a correlation between the genetic distances of mitochondrial genomes (but not chloroplast) and the number of DEGs and GO terms.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dana Suteu, Mihai Puscas, Ioan Bacila, Mihai Miclaus, Zoltan Robert Balazs, Philippe Choler
Summary: Microsatellite primers were developed and tested to genotype different populations of Carex curvula and to infer the phylogeographic relationships within the species and between its two subspecies. The results showed that the developed markers were efficient in distinguishing between the subspecies and populations, making them promising tools for evolutionary studies.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jinsong Bao, Jian-Hong Xu
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)