Morinda citrifolia (noni) polysaccharides: Extraction methods, molecular structures, and biological activities.

Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni) has been traditionally consumed as both food and medicine, with its polysaccharides (NPs) increasingly recognized for their diverse bioactivities and potential applications in functional foods and therapeutics. This review provides a comprehensive and critical synthesis of recent advances in the extraction, purification, structural characterization, and biological functions of NPs.

Regulation of filamentous phage Pf4 activation by oxidative stress in .

The filamentous prophage Pf4 is activated to produce phage virions during biofilm formation, a process crucial for maintaining biofilm architecture and enhancing pathogenicity. However, the environmental cues triggering Pf4 activation have been inadequately explored. In this study, we discovered that oxidative stress, a significant stressor encountered by pathogens in biofilms or within eukaryotic hosts, triggers the production of the filamentous phage Pf4 in MPAO1 through OxyR.

Synthetic Biology-Based Engineering Living Therapeutics for Antimicrobial Application.

There is currently a pressing issue of antimicrobial resistance, with numerous pathogenic superbugs continually emerging, posing significant threats to both human health and the economy. However, the development of new antibiotics has not kept up in pace with the development of microbial resistance, necessitating the exploration of more effective approaches to combat microbes. Synthetic biology offers a novel paradigm by employing selective screening and assembling diverse biological components to redesign biological systems that can specifically target and eliminate microbes.

Eukaryotic Centromere Remodeling: Plasticity, Dynamics, and Holocentromere Formation.

Eukaryotic centromeres highlight the remarkable plasticity of eukaryotic chromosomes through their conserved functionality and sequence divergence. Holocentric chromosomes, where centromere activity is distributed along the entire chromosome length, offer a unique model for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution between centromeres and chromosomes. In this review, we summarise and speculate on the multiple changes and prerequisites potentially involved in the evolution of holocentromeres.

Review of Recent Advances in Microbial Production and Applications of Nerolidol.

Nerolidol, an oxygenated sesquiterpene (CHO) that occurs in plants, exhibits significant bioactivities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective activities. It is a U.S.

Salmonella: Infection mechanism and control strategies.

Salmonella is a foodborne pathogen that predominantly resides in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. Infections caused by Salmonella can lead to various illnesses, including gastroenteritis, bacteremia, septicemia, and focal infections, with severe cases potentially resulting in host mortality. The mechanisms by which Salmonella invades host cells and disseminates throughout the body are partly understood, but there are still many scientific questions to be solved.

CRISPR-Cas13: Pioneering RNA Editing for Nucleic Acid Therapeutics.

The CRISPR-Cas13 system has emerged as a revolutionary tool for RNA editing, offering new opportunities for the development of nucleic acid therapeutics. Unlike DNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas9, Cas13 targets and cleaves RNA, enabling gene silencing and preventing genomic instability. Its applications include suppressing disease-causing genes, correcting splicing errors, and modulating immune responses.

Heterologous Biosynthesis of Kauralexin A1 in through Metabolic and Enzyme Engineering.

Kauralexin A1 (KA1) is a key intermediate of the kauralexin A series metabolites of maize phytoalexins. However, their application is severely limited by their low abundance in maize. In this study, an efficient biosynthetic pathway was constructed to produce KA1 in .

Enzyme and Metabolic Engineering Strategies for Biosynthesis of α-Farnesene in .

α-Farnesene, a type of acyclic sesquiterpene, is an important raw material in agriculture, aircraft fuel, and the chemical industry. In this study, we constructed an efficient α-farnesene-producing yeast cell factory by combining enzyme and metabolic engineering strategies. First, we screened different plants for α-farnesene synthase (AFS) with the best activity and found that AFS from (CsAFS) exhibited the most efficient α-farnesene production in 4741.

Transcriptome Analysis and Identification of Sesquiterpene Synthases in Liverwort .

The liverwort is one of the oldest terrestrial plants and rich in structurally specific sesquiterpenes. There are several sesquiterpene synthases (STSs) with non-classical conserved motifs that have been discovered in recent studies on liverworts; these motifs are rich in aspartate and bind with cofactors. However, more detailed sequence information is needed to clarify the biochemical diversity of these atypical STSs.

High auxin stimulates callus through SDG8-mediated histone H3K36 methylation in Arabidopsis.

Callus induction, which results in fate transition in plant cells, is considered as the first and key step for plant regeneration. This process can be stimulated in different tissues by a callus-inducing medium (CIM), which contains a high concentration of phytohormone auxin. Although a few key regulators for callus induction have been identified, the multiple aspects of the regulatory mechanism driven by high levels of auxin still need further investigation.

Achievements and perspectives of synthetic biology in botanical insecticides.

Botanical insecticides are the origin of all insecticidal compounds. They have been widely used to control pests in crops for a long time. Currently, the commercial production of botanical insecticides extracted from plants is limited because of insufficient raw material supply.

Exogenous artificial DNA forms chromatin structure with active transcription in yeast.

Yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) are important tools for sequencing, gene cloning, and transferring large quantities of genetic information. However, the structure and activity of YAC chromatin, as well as the unintended impacts of introducing foreign DNA sequences on DNA-associated biochemical events, have not been widely explored. Here, we showed that abundant genetic elements like TATA box and transcription factor-binding motifs occurred unintentionally in a previously reported data-carrying chromosome (dChr).

TMK1-based auxin signaling regulates abscisic acid responses via phosphorylating ABI1/2 in .

Differential concentrations of phytohormone trigger distinct outputs, which provides a mechanism for the plasticity of plant development and an adaptation strategy among plants to changing environments. However, the underlying mechanisms of the differential responses remain unclear. Here we report that a high concentration of auxin, distinct from the effect of low auxin concentration, enhances abscisic acid (ABA) responses in , which partially relies on TRANS-MEMBERANE KINASE 1 (TMK1), a key regulator in auxin signaling.

[Analysis of proposals received and funded in discipline of microbiology of the National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2016].

We summarized proposals submitted and funded in the discipline of microbiology of the Department of Life Sciences of National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2016. The traits and concerns in different sub-disciplines as well as distinctive funding programs were addressed, and the prior funding fields were prospected. The information may provide references for researchers who apply funding at the discipline of microbiology.

[Analysis of proposals received and funded in discipline of microbiology of the National Natural Science Foundation of China from 2011 to 2015].

Based on a wrap-up of the research proposals received and awards made during 2011 through 2015 in the discipline of microbiology of the Department of Life Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, this article presents a statistic analysis of award recipient institutions and main research trends, and attempts a prospective prioritization of the funding areas from the points of encouraging interdisciplinary research, optimizing funding instruments and strengthening talent training, with a view to providing reference for scientists and researchers in the field of microbiology.

[Funding for Division of Microbiology in 2014 by National Natural Science Foundation of China].

In this paper, we provided an overview of proposals submitted and projects funded in 2014 at the Division of Microbiology, Department of Life Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China. The traits and problems in different sub-disciplines were analyzed, the background, results and analysis of internet voting before panel meetings in Microbiology discipline were also introduced. The information will provide references for Chinese researchers to apply funding in microbiology discipline in the future.

[Funding for division of microbiology by National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2013].

We provide an overview of proposals applied and projects funded by the division of microbiology, department of life sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2013,. The traits and problems in different sub-disciplines were also analyzed, which provides reference for Chinese researchers to apply funding in microbiology next year.

[Funding in 2012 for Division of Microbiology by National Natural Science Foundation of China].

We provide here an overview of proposals applied and projects funded by the division of microbiology, department of life sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2012. We analyzed the traits and problems in different sub-disciplines, and illustrated the stimulating policy for future funding. This overview provides reference for Chinese researchers to apply relevant funding for projects in microbiology.

Cytokinin signaling regulates pavement cell morphogenesis in Arabidopsis.

The puzzle piece-shaped Arabidopsis leaf pavement cells (PCs) with interdigitated lobes and indents is a good model system to investigate the mechanisms that coordinate cell polarity and shape formation within a tissue. Auxin has been shown to coordinate the interdigitation by activating ROP GTPase-dependent signaling pathways. To identify additional components or mechanisms, we screened for mutants with abnormal PC morphogenesis and found that cytokinin signaling regulates the PC interdigitation pattern.

[Analysis and prospect of projects funded in discipline of microbiology (NSFC) from 2006 to 2010].

The overview of projects funded by general programs,key programs and national science fund for distinguished young scholars in discipline of microbiology, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) from 2006 to 2010 was recommended. Some important characters such as the distribution of projects in different subjects, organizations, regions and research fields were analyzed. Some important research fields which should be supported in "The Twelfth Five-Year Plan" was also put forward.

Cell surface- and rho GTPase-based auxin signaling controls cellular interdigitation in Arabidopsis.

Auxin is a multifunctional hormone essential for plant development and pattern formation. A nuclear auxin-signaling system controlling auxin-induced gene expression is well established, but cytoplasmic auxin signaling, as in its coordination of cell polarization, is unexplored. We found a cytoplasmic auxin-signaling mechanism that modulates the interdigitated growth of Arabidopsis leaf epidermal pavement cells (PCs), which develop interdigitated lobes and indentations to form a puzzle-piece shape in a two-dimensional plane.