No abstract

Summary Control of organ size and shape by cell proliferation and cell expansion is a fundamental developmental process, but the mechanisms that set the size and shape of determinate organs are largely unknown in plants. Molecular, genetic, cytological and biochemical approaches were used to characterize the roles of the Arabidopsis thaliana G protein γ subunit (AGG3) gene in organ growth. Here, we describe A. thaliana AGG3, which promotes petal growth by increasing the period of cell proliferation. Both the N‐terminal region and the C‐terminal domains of AGG3 are necessary for the function of AGG3. By contrast, analysis of a series of AGG3 derivatives with deletions in specific domains showed that the deletion of any of these domains cannot completely abolish the function of AGG3. The GFP‐AGG3 fusion protein is localized to the plasma membrane. The predicted transmembrane domain plays an important role in the plasma membrane localization of AGG3. Genetic analyses revealed that AGG3 action requires a functional G protein α subunit (GPA1) and G protein β subunit (AGB1). Our findings demonstrate that AGG3, GPA1 and AGB1 act in the same genetic pathway to influence organ size and shape in A. thaliana.

CuInS 2 based quantum dots are emerging as low toxic materials for new generation white lighting technology due to their broad and color-tunable emissions as well as large Stokes shifts. Here, we developed a simple and in situ ligand exchange strategy for the fabrication of hydroxylterminated CuInS 2 based quantum dots capped with 6mercaptohexanol. During the ligand exchange, long-chain methyl-terminated oleylamine on the quantum dots' surface can be effectively and efficiently replaced by the short-chain hydroxyl-terminated 6-mercaptohexanol, enabling their solubility in polar organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, and dimethylformamide. Moreover, the resulting hydroxyl-terminated quantum dots exhibit well-preserved photoluminescence properties with quantum yields of ∼70%. Using these hydroxyl-terminated CuInS 2 based quantum dots as an emitting layer, we fabricated efficient and bright light emitting diodes by adopting an inverted device structure. The optimized devices show a maximum luminance of 8,735 cd/m 2 and an external quantum efficiency of 3.22%. Furthermore, the performance enhancement can be explained by considering the decreased energy barriers between the electron transport layer and the emitting layer. The combination of high efficiency and enhanced brightness as well as the potential all-solution processability using green solvents makes hydroxyl-terminated quantum dots capped with 6-mercaptohexanol a new generation of materials for light emitting applications.

Although the control of organ size is a fundamental question in developmental biology, little is known about the genetic and molecular mechanisms that determine the final size of seeds in plants. We previously demonstrated that the ubiquitin receptor DA1 acts synergistically with the E3 ubiquitin ligases DA2 and ENHANCER1 OF DA1 (EOD1)/BIG BROTHER to restrict seed growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we describe UBIQUITIN-SPECIFIC PROTEASE15 (UBP15), encoded by SUPPRESSOR2 OF DA1 (SOD2), which acts maternally to regulate seed size by promoting cell proliferation in the integuments of ovules and developing seeds. The sod2/ubp15 mutants form small seeds, while overexpression of UBP15 increases seed size of wild-type plants. Genetic analyses indicate that UBP15 functions antagonistically in a common pathway with DA1 to influence seed size, but does so independently of DA2 and EOD1. Further results reveal that DA1 physically associates with UBP15 in vitro and in vivo and modulates the stability of UBP15. Therefore, our findings establish a genetic and molecular framework for the regulation of seed size by four ubiquitin-related proteins DA1, DA2, EOD1, and UBP15 and suggest that they are promising targets for increasing seed size in crops.

We report the room temperature template synthesis of CuInS 2 nanocrystals through incorporation of Cu + cations into In 2 S 3 nanoplates whose chemical composition has been controlled by varying the amount of copper ions in the reaction mixture. As a result, bandgaps of the resultant CuInS 2 nanoplates can be tuned from 1.45 to 1.19 eV with [Cu]/[In] molar ratios increasing from 0.7 to 2.9, which was demonstrated by the cyclic voltammetry. We explored the use of CuInS 2 nanocrystals as potential counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells and a power conversion efficiency of 6.83 % was achieved without selenization and ligand exchange. The value is comparable with the performance of control device using a Pt as counter electrode (power conversion efficiency: 7.08 %) under the same device architecture. IntroductionTernary and quaternary semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) (e.g., CuInS 2 , CuInSe 2 , CuInGaS 2 , CuZnSnS 4 ) with advantages of tunable bandgaps and more environmentally friendly constituents have been receiving great attentions for solar-harvesting and light-emitting applications, in particular for solution-processed devices. 1-17 For example, CuInS 2 NCs are regarded as promising candidates as light absorber or counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), due to the advantage of low cost and simple fabrication process. 18-23 Because the electronic structure of these materials strongly correlate with the [Cu]/[In] ratios, there is a great need to precisely control their size, shape, surface and compositions. 3,19,24,25 Although great success has been made in synthesis of ternary and quaternary NCs, providing several routes including thermal decomposition of single precursors, 26-30 solvothermal synthesis approach, 31-33 hot-injection 4,5,34-36 and non-injection methods, 7, 37-41 the different reactivity of metallic cation precursors often leads to a poor stoichiometric control and the formation of intermediate products such as biphasic nanomaterials and heterostructures. [42][43][44][45] To overcome such drawbacks of the composition control,

Organ growth involves the coordination of cell proliferation and cell growth with differentiation. Endoreduplication is correlated with the onset of cell differentiation and with cell and organ size, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms linking cell and organ growth with endoreduplication. We have previously demonstrated that the ubiquitin receptor DA1 influences organ growth by restricting cell proliferation. Here, we show that DA1 and its close family members DAR1 and DAR2 are redundantly required for endoreduplication during leaf development. DA1, DAR1, and DAR2 physically interact with the transcription factors TCP14 and TCP15, which repress endoreduplication by directly regulating the expression of cell-cycle genes. We also show that DA1, DAR1, and DAR2 modulate the stability of TCP14 and TCP15 proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetic analyses demonstrate that DA1, DAR1, and DAR2 function in a common pathway with TCP14/15 to regulate endoreduplication. Thus, our findings define an important genetic and molecular mechanism involving the ubiquitin receptors DA1, DAR1, and DAR2 and the transcription factors TCP14 and TCP15 that links endoreduplication with cell and organ growth.

Power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs) higher than 19% have been realized from single-junction organic photovoltaics. [4][5][6][7][8] Moreover, ongoing studies on morphology control, energy loss, photophysical analysis, and photon utilization improve our understanding of the photoelectric conversion processes and motivate the development of OSCs. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] Fundamental intermolecular interactions are widely known, important, and ubiquitous; however, their complicated impact on organic photovoltaics have not been comprehensively researched.Intermolecular interactions, including those between like and unlike molecules, are prevalent in OSCs. Apart from interactions between different layers, [19] intermolecular interactions play complicated roles in heterojunction active layers, owing to multiple-component mixed systems involving thermodynamics and kinetics procedures. [20] Brédas et al. illustrated the detailed relationship between donor/acceptor (D/A) interactions and polarizability, the charge-transfer state, and charge-separated state in fullerene solar cells, thereby highlighting the significance of interactions from the perspective of theoretical simulations. [21] Hou et al. controlled D/A interactions using halogenated end-caps of acceptors and Research on organic solar cells (OSCs) has progressed through material innovation and device engineering. However, well-known and ubiquitous intermolecular interactions, and particularly their synergistic effects, have received little attention. Herein, the complicated relationship between photovoltaic conversion and multidimensional intermolecular interactions in the active layers is investigated. These interactions are dually regulated by side-chain isomerization and end-cap engineering of the acceptors. The phenylalkyl featured acceptors (LA-series) exhibit stronger crystallinity with preferential face-on interactions relative to the alkylphenyl attached isomers (ITIC-series). In addition, the PM6 and LA-series acceptors exhibit moderate donor/acceptor interactions compared to those of the strongly interacting PM6/ITIC-series pairs, which helps to enhance phase separation and charge transport. Consequently, the output efficiencies of all LA series acceptors are over 14%. Moreover, LA-series acceptors show appropriate compatibility, host/guest interactions, and crystallinity relationships with BTP-eC9, thereby leading to uniform and well-organized "alloy-like" mixed phases. In particular, the highly crystalline LA23 further optimizes multiple interactions and ternary microstructures, which results in a high efficiency of 19.12%. Thus, these results highlight the importance of multidimensional intermolecular interactions in the photovoltaic performance of OSCs.The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202208986.

The characteristic shapes and sizes of organs are established by cell proliferation patterns and final cell sizes, but the underlying molecular mechanisms coordinating these are poorly understood. Here we characterize a ubiquitinactivated peptidase called DA1 that limits the duration of cell proliferation during organ growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. The peptidase is activated by two RING E3 ligases, Big Brother (BB) and DA2, which are subsequently cleaved by the activated peptidase and destabilized. In the case of BB, cleavage leads to destabilization by the RING E3 ligase PROTEOLYSIS 1 (PRT1) of the N-end rule pathway. DA1 peptidase activity also cleaves the deubiquitylase UBP15, which promotes cell proliferation, and the transcription factors TEOSINTE BRANCED 1/CYCLOIDEA/ PCF 15 (TCP15) and TCP22, which promote cell proliferation and repress endoreduplication. We propose that DA1 peptidase activity regulates the duration of cell proliferation and the transition to endoreduplication and differentiation during organ formation in plants by coordinating the destabilization of regulatory proteins.