Publications by authors named "Hongmei Cai"

The plants inevitably absorb toxic arsenate [As(V)] through phosphate (Pi) transporters (PTs) in As-contaminated soils due to the structural similarity between phosphate and arsenate As(V). Plants suppress PT's expression to reduce As(V) uptake when As accumulates in the cytosol. However, how plants maintain efficient Pi uptake under As(V) stress conditions remains unknown.

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Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. Under phosphate (Pi) starvation conditions, plants activate a series of adaptive responses, among which reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in root tissues represents a notable yet poorly characterized phenomenon. This study investigated the regulatory role of hydrogen peroxide (HO) in rice adaptation to Pi deficiency through pharmacological intervention using potassium iodide (KI), a specific HO scavenger.

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Background: Straw incorporation is an effective agronomic practice for improving soil fertility and crop yield. In this study, we investigated the effects of the different straw incorporation modes on soil organic carbon components, enzyme activities, and microbial community in the Vertisols of the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain based on a 15-year field experiment. In detail, four straw incorporation modes were carried out, control without straw incorporation (CK), crushed wheat straw mulching in summer maize season (T1), crushed wheat straw mulching in summer maize season and crushed maize straw was buried in winter wheat season (T2), crushed maize straw was buried in winter wheat season (T3).

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Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient required for rice flowering and seed setting. Here, we identified that Cu-induced R2R3-MYB transcription factor, OsMYB67, acts as a negative regulator that controls rice heading and yield production by affecting Cu distribution in panicles. OsMYB67 was constitutively expressed, with the highest expression in the roots.

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Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for the growth and yield of crops. However, there is limited understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of phosphate (Pi) homeostasis, and its impact on growth, development, and yield-related traits in Brassica napus. Here, we identified four NITROGEN LIMITATION ADAPTATION1 (BnaNLA1) genes in B.

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Article Synopsis
  • * BnaPAP17s play a crucial role in utilizing organic phosphorus by converting it to inorganic phosphorus, which is essential for plant growth in nutrient-deficient soils.
  • * Experimental evidence shows that overexpressing BnaPAP17s boosts APase activity, leading to higher phosphorus uptake when ATP is the only phosphorus source, indicating their importance for increasing nutrient efficiency in plants.
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The low-temperature stress (LTS) in spring results in tremendous yield loss in wheat production, and the application of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KHPO) can alleviate stress-induced damage. However, the underlying effect of spraying KHPO on the physiological characteristics of wheat flag leaves under spring LTS remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of spraying KHPO on flag leaf physiological traits and yield under spring LTS, including treatments at 15 °C and spraying HO (CK), treatment at -4 °C and spraying HO (LT1), and treatment at -4 °C and spraying KHPO (LT2).

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Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, but environmental Cu pollution has become increasingly severe, adversely affecting both ecosystems and crop productivity. In this study, we identified the AtNAC002 gene as a positive regulator of Cu toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that AtNAC002 expression was induced by Cu excess, and the atnac002 mutant was Cu-sensitive, accumulating more Cu than the wild-type.

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Objectives: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, and early detection is crucial for improving patient survival rates. We aimed to identify immune infiltrating cell-related biomarkers in early gastric cancer (EGC) progression.

Methods: The GSE55696 and GSE130823 datasets with low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN), and EGC samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to perform an observational study.

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Boron (B) is an essential microelement in plant growth and development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying B uptake and translocation in Brassica napus are poorly understood. Herein, we identified a low-B (LB)-inducible gene, namely BnaC4.

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Article Synopsis
  • Overexpression of BnaC02.TPS8 in Arabidopsis enhances anthocyanin levels, essential for protecting photosynthetic tissues from stress caused by low nitrogen and high sucrose.
  • The study shows that BnaC02.TPS8 impacts carbon and nitrogen metabolism, resulting in increased T6P levels, improved carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, and enhanced storage of starch and sucrose.
  • Additionally, BnaC02.TPS8 interacts with other TPS proteins, influencing gene expression related to flavonoid biosynthesis and increasing the overall accumulation of metabolites under conditions of low nitrogen.
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  • Efficient copper (Cu) uptake and distribution are essential for rice flowering and yield, but the regulatory mechanisms are unclear.
  • Researchers identified the OsWRKY37 gene, which increases Cu uptake and transport in rice roots, especially during Cu deficiency.
  • OsWRKY37 enhances the expression of copper transporter genes, impacting pollen development and grain yield, suggesting a genetic strategy for improving rice productivity in low-Cu conditions.
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  • Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is a major oil crop that struggles with low phosphorus availability, which is often found in organic forms in the soil.
  • The study examines the relationship between root-secreted acid phosphatases (APase) and root traits to understand how different B. napus genotypes acquire phosphorus under low availability.
  • Key findings indicate that while seed yield correlates with total root-secreted APase activity, trade-offs exist in root traits influencing phosphorus acquisition strategies among different genotypes.
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Article Synopsis
  • Boron is essential for plant growth but can be toxic in excess, especially in arid regions, creating agricultural challenges.
  • Research has identified four homologous genes (BnaBOR4.1, BnaBOR4.2, BnaBOR4.3, and BnaBOR4.4) related to boron efflux in Brassica napus, an important oil crop, with three of them showing consistent expression.
  • The study reveals that BnaBOR4.1 and BnaBOR4.2 are crucial for boron transport, and highlights the significance of specific amino acids in these genes that influence their function, suggesting their potential use in improving B. napus resilience to high boron stress.
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Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) functions as a vital proxy for assessing carbohydrate status in plants. While class II T6P synthases (TPS) do not exhibit TPS activity, they are believed to play pivotal regulatory roles in trehalose metabolism. However, their precise functions in carbon metabolism and crop yield have remained largely unknown.

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Article Synopsis
  • Optimal phosphorus management improves crop yield while maintaining long-term soil phosphorus supply.
  • The study involved rapeseed-rice rotation experiments to assess the impact of five effective phosphorus fertilizer methods, significantly enhancing seed yield and phosphorus recovery efficiency, particularly in low phosphorus soils.
  • The findings indicate that using optimal phosphorus management can stabilize crop yields and enhance phosphorus use efficiency, with the ranking of methods from most to least effective being rooting agents, phosphate solubilizing bacteria, calcium and magnesium phosphate, starter P, and foliar fertilizer.
  • Overall, yields were markedly higher in high phosphorus fertility soils compared to low phosphorus soils, indicating the effectiveness of these management strategies across different soil types.
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Unlabelled: Oilseed rape ( L.; ) is an important oil crop worldwide. However, the genetic mechanisms of adaptations to low phosphate (P) stress are largely unknown.

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Nitrogen (N) is a critical factor for crop growth and yield. Improving N use efficiency (NUE) in agricultural systems is crucial for sustainable food production. However, the underlying regulation of N uptake and utilization in crops is not well known.

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The composition and diversity of microbial communities are of considerable significance to the quality development of (Fuzhuan tea). In this study, we examined differences in the bacterial community structures of loose, lightly-pressed, hand-made, and machine-pressed Fuzhuan teas and raw dark tea. We observed notable differences in the bacterial communities of the five groups, where there were only 51 consensus sequences.

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This study investigated fibers' stabilization and reinforcement effect on a bitumen binder. The fibers' microstructures were primarily observed using scanning electron microscopy, and laboratory tests, including the oven heating and mesh-basket draindown, were designed and carried out on three different fiber-bitumen binders (lignin, mineral, and carbon fiber) in this paper to evaluate the bitumen adsorption and thermal stability, respectively. Then, the cone sink experiment was performed to check the rheological properties of these fiber-bitumen binders.

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The open-graded friction courses (OGFCs) have a large number of interconnected voids, which may cause serious water damage to the pavement. Hence, the road performance needs to be investigated. In this study, the mechanical properties of OGFCs containing two different fibers (lignin and mineral fiber) were investigated.

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Interactions among nutrients have been widely recognized in plants and play important roles in crop growth and yield formation. However, the interplay of Cu and N in rice plants is not yet clear. In this study, rice plants were grown with different combinations of Cu and N supply.

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Due to global industrialization in recent decades, large areas have been threatened by heavy metal contamination. Research about the impact of excessive Zn on N and P transformation in farmland has received little attention, and its mechanism is still not completely known. In this study, we planted rice in soils with toxic levels of Zn, and analyzed the plant growth and nutrient uptake, the N and P transformation, enzyme activities and microbial communities in rhizosphere soil to reveal the underlying mechanism.

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Many proteins secreted from plant cells into the surrounding extracellular space help maintain cell structure and regulate stress responses in the external environment. In this study, under Pi-replete and depleted conditions, 652 high-confidence secreted proteins were quantified from wild-type (WT) and PHOSPHATE RESPONSE 2 (OsPHR2)-overexpressing suspension-cultured cells (SCCs). These proteins were functionally grouped as phosphatases, signal transduction proteins, pathogen-related (PR) proteins, cell wall-remodeling proteins, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism proteins.

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In this paper, the preparation of a porous friction course (PFC) with styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS)-modified asphalt and fibers instead of a high-viscosity-modified asphalt was investigated. The aggregate gradation B was chosen to prepare the PFC, and the optimal asphalt content in the PFC containing lignin or basalt fibers was determined to be 4.5% by the Cantabro abrasion experiment and Schellenberg draindown experiment.

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