The Dynamics of Long Terminal Repeat Retrotransposon Proliferation and Decay Drive the Evolution of Genome Size Variation in Capsicum.

(pepper) is an economically vital genus in the family, with most species possessing about 3 Gb genomes. However, the recently sequenced (~1.7 Gb) represents the first reported case of an extremely compact genome in , providing a unique and ideal model for studying genome size evolution.

Identification and Expression Analysis of Gene in Bitter Gourd ().

Background: Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are key enzymes in the unsaturated fatty acid oxidation reaction pathway and play an important regulatory role in the synthesis of fruit aroma volatiles.

Methods: gene family members were identified in the whole genome database of bitter gourd and analyzed bioinformatically. An RT-qPCR was used to analyze the expression differences in different tissues.

Improved CSW-YOLO Model for Bitter Melon Phenotype Detection.

As a crop with significant medicinal value and nutritional components, the market demand for bitter melon continues to grow. The diversity of bitter melon shapes has a direct impact on its market acceptance and consumer preferences, making precise identification of bitter melon germplasm resources crucial for breeding work. To address the limitations of time-consuming and less accurate traditional manual identification methods, there is a need to enhance the automation and intelligence of bitter melon phenotype detection.

Effects of Different LED Spectra on the Antioxidant Capacity and Nitrogen Metabolism of Chinese Cabbage ( L. ssp. ).

Light quality optimization is a cost-effective method for increasing leafy vegetable quality in plant factories. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that enable the precise modulation of light quality were used in this study to examine the effects of red-blue (RB), red-blue-green (RBG), red-blue-purple (RBP), and red-blue-far-red (RBF) lights on the growth, antioxidant capacity, and nitrogen metabolism of Chinese cabbage leaves, while white light served as the control (CK). Results showed that the chlorophyll, carotenoid, vitamin C, amino acid, total flavonoid, and antioxidant levels of Chinese cabbage were all significantly increased under RBP combined light treatment.

ErbB4 deficiency exacerbates olfactory dysfunction in an early-stage Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Olfactory dysfunction is increasingly recognized as an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aberrations in GABAergic function and the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance within the olfactory bulb (OB) have been implicated in olfactory impairment during the initial stages of AD. While the neuregulin 1 (NRG1)/ErbB4 signaling pathway is known to regulate GABAergic transmission in the brain and is associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders, its specific role in early AD-related olfactory impairment remains incompletely understood.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin Enhance, Whereas Oxidation, Fructosylation, and Low pH Damage High-Density Lipoprotein Biological Functionality.

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are key regulators of cellular cholesterol homeostasis but are functionally altered in many chronic diseases. The factors that cause HDL functional loss in chronic disease are not fully understood. It is also unknown what roles antioxidant carotenoids play in protecting HDL against functional loss.

HDL Function across the Lifespan: From Childhood, to Pregnancy, to Old Age.

The function of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles has emerged as a promising therapeutic target and the measurement of HDL function is a promising diagnostic across several disease states. The vast majority of research on HDL functional biology has focused on adult participants with underlying chronic diseases, whereas limited research has investigated the role of HDL in childhood, pregnancy, and old age. Yet, it is apparent that functional HDL is essential at all life stages for maintaining health.

High-Density Lipoprotein Changes in Alzheimer's Disease Are Genotype-Specific.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) play a critical role in cholesterol homeostasis. Apolipoprotein E (, particularly the allele, is a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease but is also a key HDL-associated protein involved in lipid transport in both the periphery and central nervous systems. The objective was to determine the influence of the genotype on HDL function and size in the context of Alzheimer's disease.

Integrated proteomic and metabolomic analyses reveal significant changes in chloroplasts and mitochondria of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) during Sclerotium rolfsii infection.

Infection by Sclerotium rolfsii will cause serious disease and lead to significant economic losses in chili pepper. In this study, the response of pepper during S. rolfsii infection was explored by electron microscopy, physiological determination and integrated proteome and metabolome analyses.

CARD11 is a prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in uveal melanoma.

Uveal melanoma (UVM), the most common primary intraocular malignancy, has a high mortality because of a high propensity to metastasize. Our study analyzed prognostic value and immune-related characteristics of CARD11 in UVM, hoping to provide a potential management and research direction. The RNA-sequence data of 80 UVM patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and divided them into high- and low-expression groups.

Nematode-Encoded RALF Peptide Mimics Facilitate Parasitism of Plants through the FERONIA Receptor Kinase.

The molecular mechanism by which plants defend against plant root-knot nematodes (RKNs) is largely unknown. The plant receptor kinase FERONIA and its peptide ligands, rapid alkalinization factors (RALFs), regulate plant immune responses and cell expansion, which are two important factors for successful RKN parasitism. In this study, we found that mutation of FERONIA in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in plants showing low susceptibility to the RKN Meloidogyne incognita.

A novel single-base mutation in CaBRI1 confers dwarf phenotype and brassinosteroid accumulation in pepper.

Dwarfing is the development trend of pepper breeding. It is of great practical and scientific value to generate new dwarf germplasms, and identify new genes or alleles conferring dwarf traits in pepper. In our previous study, a weakly BR-insensitive dwarf mutant, E29, was obtained by EMS mutagenesis of the pepper inbred line 6421.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Targeting Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Carboxylesterase 2 Detection in Drug-Induced Acute Liver Injury.

Carboxylesterase 2 (CES2), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) located phase I enzyme, plays a vital role in the metabolism of various endogenous and exogenous substances, and is regarded as an important target for the design of prodrugs. Unfortunately, superior highly selective ER targeting fluorescent probes for monitoring of CES2 are not currently available. Herein, we report an ER targeting CES2 selective and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe based on the ER localizing group -toluenesulfonamide.

Identification, expression, alternative splicing and functional analysis of pepper WRKY gene family in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.

WRKY proteins are a large group of plant transcription factors that are involved in various biological processes, including biotic and abiotic stress responses, hormone response, plant development, and metabolism. WRKY proteins have been identified in several plants, but only a few have been identified in Capsicum annuum. Here, we identified a total of 62 WRKY genes in the latest pepper genome.

Selective Proteolysis of α-Lactalbumin by Endogenous Enzymes of Human Milk at Acidic pH.

Scope: The use of human milk products is increasing for high-risk infants. Human milk contains endogenous enzymes that comprise a dynamic proteolytic system, yet biological properties of these enzymes and their activities in response to variations including pH within infants are unclear. Human milk has a neutral pH around 7, while infant gastric pH varies from 2 to 6 depending on individual conditions.

Transcriptome profiling using Illumina- and SMRT-based RNA-seq of hot pepper for in-depth understanding of genes involved in CMV infection.

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is becoming an increasingly important vegetable crop in the world. Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is a destructive virus that can cause leaf distortion and fruit lesions, affecting pepper production.