The Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is an economically important tropical tree species that produces natural rubber, an essential industrial raw material. Here we present a high-quality genome assembly of this species (1.37 Gb, scaffold N50 = 1.28 Mb) that covers 93.8% of the genome (1.47 Gb) and harbours 43,792 predicted protein-coding genes. A striking expansion of the REF/SRPP (rubber elongation factor/small rubber particle protein) gene family and its divergence into several laticifer-specific isoforms seem crucial for rubber biosynthesis. The REF/SRPP family has isoforms with sizes similar to or larger than SRPP1 (204 amino acids) in 17 other plants examined, but no isoforms with similar sizes to REF1 (138 amino acids), the predominant molecular variant. A pivotal point in Hevea evolution was the emergence of REF1, which is located on the surface of large rubber particles that account for 93% of rubber in the latex (despite constituting only 6% of total rubber particles, large and small). The stringent control of ethylene synthesis under active ethylene signalling and response in laticifers resolves a longstanding mystery of ethylene stimulation in rubber production. Our study, which includes the re-sequencing of five other Hevea cultivars and extensive RNA-seq data, provides a valuable resource for functional genomics and tools for breeding elite Hevea cultivars.

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Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a cultivated woody plant species with agricultural and economic importance. Here we report a genome assembly for an elite variety (Khalas), which is 605.4 Mb in size and covers >90% of the genome (~671 Mb) and >96% of its genes (~41,660 genes). Genomic sequence analysis demonstrates that P. dactylifera experienced a clear genome-wide duplication after either ancient whole genome duplications or massive segmental duplications. Genetic diversity analysis indicates that its stress resistance and sugar metabolism-related genes tend to be enriched in the chromosomal regions where the density of single-nucleotide polymorphisms is relatively low. Using transcriptomic data, we also illustrate the date palm’s unique sugar metabolism that underlies fruit development and ripening. Our large-scale genomic and transcriptomic data pave the way for further genomic studies not only on P. dactylifera but also other Arecaceae plants.

BackgroundGut microbiota can affect human behavior and mood in many ways. Several studies have shown that patients with depression were also accompanied with gut microbiota disorder, in which Firmicutes are related to the protective function of intestinal barrier. In this study, we explore the changes and effects of Firmicutes in the patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).MethodWe recruited 54 subjects, including 27 patients with MDD. Fecal samples were collected for identification by 16S rRNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis.ResultsThe study shows that the alpha diversity indices of MDD patients are lower than those of the healthy controls. Firmicutes is the most significantly decreased phylum in the MDD samples. There are totally 13 taxonomic biomarkers with P-value <0.01 from Firmicutes. There are differences in 17 KEGG pathways between the two groups.ConclusionThis study found that there is a significant disorder of gut microbiota in the patients with depression, in which the Firmicutes decreased significantly. Defects of the Firmicutes may lead to the depression in short-chain fatty acids, which could account for the physiological basis of low-level inflammation of depression.LimitationsThis is a cross-sectional study and the sample size is comparatively small. Though several diet-related factors were controlled in the study, there is no quantified assessment of it.

Billions of dollars are invested into the monoclonal antibody market every year to meet the increasing demand in clinical diagnosis and therapy. However, natural antibodies still suffer from poor stability and high cost, as well as ethical issues in animal experiments. Thus, developing antibody substitutes or mimics is a long‐term goal for scientists. The molecular imprinting technique presents one of the most promising strategies for antibody mimicking. The molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are also called “molecularly imprinted synthetic antibodies” (MISAs). The breakthroughs of key technologies and innovations in chemistry and material science in the last decades have led to the rapid development of MISAs, and their molecular affinity has become comparable to that of natural antibodies. Currently, MISAs are undergoing a revolutionary transformation of their applications, from initial adsorption and separation to the rising fields of biomedicine. Herein, the fundamental chemical design of MISAs is examined, and then current progress in biomedical applications is the focus. Meanwhile, the potential of MISAs as qualified substitutes or even to transcend the performance of natural antibodies is discussed from the perspective of frontier needs in biomedicines, to facilitate the rapid development of synthetic artificial antibodies.

Efficientand rapid detection of physiologically important species has drawn much attention in medical theranostics. [1] For example, precise determination of the physiological levels of dopamine (DA), an important neurotransmitter for the function of the central nervous systems, is of great clinical importance in the diagnoses, prevention, and treatment of neurological disorders such as Schizophrenia, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease. [1,2] To date, a large number of analytical strategies, based on electrochemical techniques, spectrophotometric methods, and chromatography, have been developed for DA determination. [3] Despite the increasing sensitivity of these methods, the complexity of biofluids still presents a great challenge to these methods to provide technically simple, timely, and in particular point of care DA detection directly in the biofluid samples.Compared to traditional detection methods, paper-based analytical test strips can provide fast and convenient procedures for on-site and visual analysis without using costly instruments or devices. [4] Moreover, a test strip commonly requires only tiny amount of sample (5-20 µL), [5] which is an important merit for continuous DA detection during long-term disease monitoring. In this context, we present here a facile test strip, based on dual-emission fluorescent [6] molecularly imprinted polymers (DE-MIPs), [7] for colorimetric visualization of DA direct in a typical biofluid, i.e., serum samples (Scheme 1). The DE-MIPs were designed with specific DA affinity and ratiometric fluorescence property [8] by combining two types of quantum dots (QDs) with different color emission (i.e., red and blue) through a molecular imprinting process. [9] Specifically, the blue QDs were embedded in silica nanocores to maintain constant fluorescence intensity; while the red QDs were mixed into the imprinted polymer shell, thus enabling to interact with DA molecules to induce fluorescence quenching during DA recognition (Scheme 1a). In this way, DA binding could be colorimetrically visualized by the DE-MIPs, owing to the DA-induced quenching of the red-light emission and subsequently changes of the hybrid fluorescence color (red and blue). To simplify DA detection procedure and reduce sample consumption, the DE-MIPs were then coated on a filter paper to obtain a DA test strip Paper-based assays for detection of physiologically important species are needed in medical theranostics owning to their superiorities in point of care testing, daily monitoring, and even visual readout by using chromogenic materials. In this work, a facile test strip is developed for visual detection of a neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) based on dual-emission fluorescent molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (DE-MIPs). The DE-MIPs, featured with tailor-made DA affinity and good anti-interference, exhibit DA concentration-dependent fluorescent colors, due to the variable ratios of dual-emission fluorescence caused by DA binding and quenching. By facile coating DE-MIPs on a filter ...

The photoelectron transfer between semiconductors and cells is the rate-determining step that controls the solar H2 production of whole-cell inorganic-biohybrid systems (IBSs). Herein, we constructed an IBS by using reduced graphene oxide (RGO) to integrate Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (SW) cells and Cu2O, which exhibited a 11–38-fold enhancement of photocatalytic H2 production compared with RGO-free IBSs (Cu2O/SW and Cu2O/organic electron mediator/SW). Further analysis revealed that RGO provided multifunctional contributions to H2 production from IBS, that is, sufficient area for IBS supporting, efficient photoelectron collection from Cu2O, and effective electron distribution into the cells. This study offers opportunities for rationally designing electron transfer pathways to achieve high-performance IBSs.