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BMC Plant Biology Jun 2024Salt is an important factor that affects crop productivity. Plant hexokinases (HXKs) are key enzymes in the glycolytic pathway and sugar signaling transduction pathways...
BACKGROUND
Salt is an important factor that affects crop productivity. Plant hexokinases (HXKs) are key enzymes in the glycolytic pathway and sugar signaling transduction pathways of plants. In previous studies, we identified and confirmed the roles of GmHXK2 in salt tolerance.
RESULTS
In this study, we analyzed the tissue-specific expression of GmHXK2 at different growth stages throughout the plant's life cycle. The results showed that GmHXK2 was expressed significantly in all tissues at vegetative stages, including germination and seedling. However, no expression was detected in the pods, and there was little expression in flowers during the later mature period. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the GmHXK2 (OE) had more lateral roots. The OE seedlings also produced higher levels of auxin and ascorbic acid (AsA). Additionally, the expression levels of genes PMM, YUC4/YUC6/YUC8, and PIN/LAX1,LAX3, which are involved respectively in the synthesis of AsA and auxin, as well as polar auxin transport, were upregulated in OE plants. This upregulation occurred specifically under exogenous glucose treatment. AtHKT1, AtSOS1, and AtNHX1 were up-regulated in OE plants under salt stress, suggesting that GmHXK2 may modulate salt tolerance by maintaining ion balance within the cells and alleviating damage caused by salt stress. Additionally, we further confirmed the interaction between GmHXK2 and the protein GmPMM through yeast two-hybridization and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The expression of GmHXK2 gene in plants is organ-specific and developmental stage specific. GmHXK2 not only regulates the synthesis of AsA and the synthesis and distribution of auxin, but also promotes root elongation and induces lateral root formation, potentially enhancing soil water absorption. This study reveals the crosstalk between sugar signaling and hormone signaling in plants, where GmHXK2 acts as a glucose sensor through its interaction with GmPMM, and sheds light on the molecular mechanism by which GmHXK2 gene is involved in salt tolerance in plants.
Topics: Seedlings; Indoleacetic Acids; Salt Tolerance; Glycine max; Ascorbic Acid; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Proteins; Arabidopsis; Plants, Genetically Modified
PubMed: 38937682
DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05301-3 -
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science Jun 2024At the interface between an ion-exchange membrane and a multi-electrolyte solution, charged species redistribute themselves to minimize the free energy of the system. In...
At the interface between an ion-exchange membrane and a multi-electrolyte solution, charged species redistribute themselves to minimize the free energy of the system. In this paper, we explore the Donnan equilibrium of membranes with quaternary electrolyte (Na/Mg/K/Ca/Cl) solutions, experimentally. The data was used to calculate the ion activity coefficients for six commercial cation-exchange membranes (CEMs). After setting one of the activity coefficients to an arbitrary value, we used the remaining (N-1) activity coefficients as fitting parameters to describe the equilibrium concentrations of (N) ionic species with a mean relative error of 3 %. At increasing solution ionic strengths, the equivalent ion fractions of monovalent counter-ions inside the membrane increased at the expense of the multivalent ones in alignment with the Donnan equilibrium theory. The fitted activity coefficients were employed in a transport model that simulated a Donnan dialysis experiment involving all four cations simultaneously. The arbitrary value assigned to one activity coefficient affects the calculated Donnan potential at the membrane interface. Nevertheless, this arbitrary value does not affect the prediction of the ion concentrations inside the membrane and consequently does not affect the modeled ion fluxes.
PubMed: 38935981
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.025 -
Gut Microbes 2024The microbiota significantly impacts digestive epithelium functionality, especially in nutrient processing. Given the importance of iron for both the host and the...
The microbiota significantly impacts digestive epithelium functionality, especially in nutrient processing. Given the importance of iron for both the host and the microbiota, we hypothesized that host-microbiota interactions fluctuate with dietary iron levels. We compared germ-free (GF) and conventional mice (SPF) fed iron-containing (65 mg/Kg) or iron-depleted (<6 mg/Kg) diets. The efficacy of iron privation was validated by iron blood parameters. Ferritin and Dmt1, which represent cellular iron storage and transport respectively, were studied in tissues where they are abundant: the duodenum, liver and lung. When the mice were fed an iron-rich diet, the microbiota increased blood hemoglobin and hepcidin and the intestinal ferritin levels, suggesting that the microbiota helps iron storage. When iron was limiting, the microbiota inhibited the expression of the intestinal Dmt1 transporter, likely via the pathway triggered by Hif-2α. The microbiota assists the host in storing intestinal iron when it is abundant and competes with the host by inhibiting Dmt1 in conditions of iron scarcity. Comparison between duodenum, liver and lung indicates organ-specific responses to microbiota and iron availability. Iron depletion induced temporal changes in microbiota composition and activity, reduced α-diversity of microbiota, and led to becoming particularly more abundant after 60 days of privation. By inoculating GF mice with a simplified bacterial mixture, we show that the iron-depleted host favors the gut fitness of .
Topics: Animals; Mice; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Iron, Dietary; Cation Transport Proteins; Liver; Duodenum; Hepcidins; Ferritins; Germ-Free Life; Host Microbial Interactions; Lung; Iron; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors; Bacteria; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Hemoglobins; Male
PubMed: 38935764
DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2361660 -
Polymers Jun 2024Solid polymer electrolytes have been considered as promising candidates for solid-state batteries (SSBs), owing to their excellent interfacial compatibility and high...
Solid polymer electrolytes have been considered as promising candidates for solid-state batteries (SSBs), owing to their excellent interfacial compatibility and high mechanical toughness; however, they suffer from intrinsic low ionic conductivity (lower than 10 S/cm) and large thickness (usually surpassed over 100 μm or even 500 μm), which has a negative influence on the interface resistance and ionic migration. In this work, ceria quantum dot (CQD)-modified composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) membranes with a thickness of 20 μm were successfully manufactured via 3D printing technology. The CQD fillers can reduce the crystallinity of the polymer, and the oxygen vacancies on CQDs can facilitate the dissociation of ion pairs in the NaTFSI salt to release more free Na, improving the ionic conductivity. Meanwhile, tailoring the thickness of the CPE-CQDs membrane via 3D printing can further promote the migration and transport of Na. Furthermore, the printed NNM//CPE-CQDs//Na SSB exhibited outstanding rate capability and cycling stability. The combination of CQD modification and thickness tailoring through 3D printing paves a new avenue for achieving high performance solid electrolyte membranes for practical application in Na SSBs.
PubMed: 38932056
DOI: 10.3390/polym16121707 -
Nutrients Jun 2024Iron deficiency remains a public health challenge globally. Prebiotics have the potential to improve iron bioavailability by modulating intestinal bacterial population,...
Iron deficiency remains a public health challenge globally. Prebiotics have the potential to improve iron bioavailability by modulating intestinal bacterial population, increasing SCFA production, and stimulating expression of brush border membrane (BBM) iron transport proteins among iron-deficient populations. This study intended to investigate the potential effects of soluble extracts from the cotyledon and seed coat of three pea () varieties (CDC Striker, CDC Dakota, and CDC Meadow) on the expression of BBM iron-related proteins (DCYTB and DMT1) and populations of beneficial intestinal bacteria in vivo using the model by oral gavage (one day old chicks) with 1 mL of 50 mg/mL pea soluble extract solutions. The seed coat treatment groups increased the relative abundance of compared to the cotyledon treatment groups, with CDC Dakota seed coat (dark brown pigmented) recording the highest relative abundance of . In contrast, CDC Striker Cotyledon (dark-green-pigmented) significantly increased the relative abundance of ( < 0.05). Subsequently, the two dark-pigmented treatment groups (CDC Striker Cotyledon and CDC Dakota seed coats) recorded the highest expression of DCYTB. Our study suggests that soluble extracts from the pea seed coat and dark-pigmented pea cotyledon may improve iron bioavailability by affecting intestinal bacterial populations.
Topics: Animals; Pisum sativum; Chickens; Prebiotics; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Iron; Plant Extracts; Intestines; Seeds; Bifidobacterium; Cotyledon; Lactobacillus; Cation Transport Proteins
PubMed: 38931211
DOI: 10.3390/nu16121856 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the potential to directly convert the chemical energy in organic matter into electrical energy, making them a promising technology for...
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have the potential to directly convert the chemical energy in organic matter into electrical energy, making them a promising technology for achieving sustainable energy production alongside wastewater treatment. However, the low extracellular electron transfer (EET) rates and limited bacteria loading capacity of MFCs anode materials present challenges in achieving high power output. In this study, three-dimensionally heteroatom-doped carbonized grape (CG) monoliths with a macroporous structure were successfully fabricated using a facile and low-cost route and employed as independent anodes in MFCs for treating brewery wastewater. The CG obtained at 900 °C (CG-900) exhibited excellent biocompatibility. When integrated into MFCs, these units initiated electricity generation a mere 1.8 days after inoculation and swiftly reached a peak output voltage of 658 mV, demonstrating an exceptional areal power density of 3.71 W m. The porous structure of the CG-900 anode facilitated efficient ion transport and microbial community succession, ensuring sustained operational excellence. Remarkably, even when nutrition was interrupted for 30 days, the voltage swiftly returned to its original level. Moreover, the CG-900 anode exhibited a superior capacity for accommodating electricigens, boasting a notably higher abundance of spp. (87.1%) compared to carbon cloth (CC, 63.0%). Most notably, when treating brewery wastewater, the CG-900 anode achieved a maximum power density of 3.52 W m, accompanied by remarkable treatment efficiency, with a COD removal rate of 85.5%. This study provides a facile and low-cost synthesis technique for fabricating high-performance MFC anodes for use in microbial energy harvesting.
Topics: Bioelectric Energy Sources; Wastewater; Electrodes; Vitis; Water Purification; Porosity; Electricity
PubMed: 38931000
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122936 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as promising renewable electrode materials for LIBs and gained significant attention, but their capacity has been limited...
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as promising renewable electrode materials for LIBs and gained significant attention, but their capacity has been limited by the densely packed 2D layer structures, low active site availability, and poor electronic conductivity. Combining COFs with high-conductivity MXenes is an effective strategy to enhance their electrochemical performance. Nevertheless, simply gluing them without conformal growth and covalent linkage restricts the number of redox-active sites and the structural stability of the composite. Therefore, in this study, a covalently assembled 3D COF on TiC MXenes (TiC@COF) is synthesized and serves as an ultralong cycling electrode material for LIBs. Due to the covalent bonding between the COF and TiC, the TiC@COF composite exhibits excellent stability, good conductivity, and a unique 3D cavity structure that enables stable Li storage and rapid ion transport. As a result, the TiC-supported 3D COF nanosheets deliver a high specific capacity of 490 mAh g at 0.1 A g, along with an ultralong cyclability of 10,000 cycles at 1 A g. This work may inspire a wide range of 3D COF designs for high-performance electrode materials.
PubMed: 38930966
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29122899 -
Micromachines May 2024Recently, various kinds of micro- and nanofluidic functional devices have been proposed, where a large surface-to-volume ratio often plays an important role in nanoscale...
Recently, various kinds of micro- and nanofluidic functional devices have been proposed, where a large surface-to-volume ratio often plays an important role in nanoscale ion transport phenomena. Ionic current analysis methods for ions, molecules, nanoparticles, and biological cells have attracted significant attention. In this study, focusing on ionic current rectification (ICR) caused by the separation of cation and anion transport in nanochannels, we successfully induce electrodiffusioosmosis with concentration differences between protons separated by nanochannels. The proton concentration in sample solutions is quantitatively evaluated in the range from pH 1.68 to 10.01 with a slope of 243 mV/pH at a galvanostatic current of 3 nA. Herein, three types of micro- and nanochannels are proposed to improve the stability and measurement accuracy of the current-voltage characteristics, and the ICR effects on pH analysis are evaluated. It is found that a nanochannel filled with polyethylene glycol exhibits increased impedance and an improved ICR ratio. The present principle is expected to be applicable to various types of ions.
PubMed: 38930669
DOI: 10.3390/mi15060698 -
Microorganisms Jun 2024Malaria parasites increase their host erythrocyte's permeability to obtain essential nutrients from plasma and facilitate intracellular growth. In the human pathogen,...
Malaria parasites increase their host erythrocyte's permeability to obtain essential nutrients from plasma and facilitate intracellular growth. In the human pathogen, this increase is mediated by the plasmodial surface anion channel (PSAC) and has been linked to CLAG3, a protein integral to the host erythrocyte membrane and encoded by a member of the conserved multigene family. Whether paralogs encoded by other genes also insert at the host membrane is unknown; their contributions to PSAC formation and other roles served are also unexplored. Here, we generated transfectant lines carrying epitope-tagged versions of each CLAG. Each paralog is colocalized with CLAG3, with concordant trafficking via merozoite rhoptries to the host erythrocyte membrane of newly invaded erythrocytes. Each also exists within infected cells in at least two forms: an alkaline-extractable soluble form and a form integral to the host membrane. Like CLAG3, CLAG2 has a variant region cleaved by extracellular proteases, but CLAG8 and CLAG9 are protease resistant. Paralog knockout lines, generated through CRISPR/Cas9 transfection, exhibited uncompromised growth in PGIM, a modified medium with higher physiological nutrient levels; this finding is in marked contrast to a recently reported CLAG3 knockout parasite. CLAG2 and CLAG8 knockout lines exhibited compensatory increases in the transcription of the remaining and associated genes, yielding increased PSAC-mediated uptake for specific solutes. We also report on the distinct transport properties of these knockout lines. Similar membrane topologies at the host membrane are consistent with each CLAG paralog contributing to PSAC, but other roles require further examination.
PubMed: 38930554
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061172 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Phytochemicals and tryptophan (Trp) metabolites have been found to modulate gut function and health. However, whether these metabolites modulate gut ion transport and...
Phytochemicals and tryptophan (Trp) metabolites have been found to modulate gut function and health. However, whether these metabolites modulate gut ion transport and serotonin (5-HT) metabolism and signaling requires further investigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of selected phytochemicals and Trp metabolites on the ion transport and 5-HT metabolism and signaling in the ileum of mice in vitro using the Ussing chamber technique. During the in vitro incubation, vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) reduced ( < 0.05) the short-circuit current, and 100 μM chlorogenic acid (CGA) ( = 0.12) and perillic acid (PA) ( = 0.14) had a tendency to reduce the short-circuit current of the ileum. Compared with the control, PA and -acetylserotonin treatment upregulated the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (), while 100 μM cinnamic acid, indolelactic acid (ILA), and 10 μM CGA or indoleacetaldehyde (IAld) treatments downregulated ( < 0.05) the mRNA levels of . In addition, 10 μM IAld or 100 μM ILA upregulated ( < 0.05) the expression of monoamine oxidase A (). However, 10 μM CGA or 100 μM PA downregulated ( < 0.05) expression. All selected phytochemicals and Trp metabolites upregulated ( < 0.05) the expression of and compared to that of the control group. VMA and CGA reduced ( < 0.05) the ratios of / and /. These findings may help to elucidate the effects of phytochemicals and Trp metabolites on the regulation of gut ion transport and 5-HT signaling-related gut homeostasis in health and disease.
Topics: Animals; Serotonin; Mice; Ileum; Tryptophan; Signal Transduction; Cinnamates; Ion Transport; Male; Tryptophan Hydroxylase; Chlorogenic Acid
PubMed: 38928404
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126694