Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process to catabolize cytoplasmic proteins and organelles1, 2. During starvation, the target of rapamycin (TOR), a nutrient-responsive kinase, is inhibited, thereby inducing autophagy. In autophagy, double-membrane autophagosomes envelop and sequester intracellular components and then fuse with lysosomes to form autolysosomes which degrade their contents to regenerate nutrients. Current models of autophagy terminate with the degradation of autophagosome cargo in autolysosomes3-5, but the regulation of autophagy in response to nutrients and the subsequent fate of the autolysosome are poorly defined. Here we show that mTOR signaling is inhibited during autophagy initiation, but reactivated with prolonged starvation. mTOR reactivation is autophagy-dependent, and requires the degradation of autolysosomal products. Increased mTOR activity attenuates autophagy and generates proto-lysosomal tubules and vesicles that extrude from autolysosomes and ultimately mature into functional lysosomes, thereby restoring the full complement of lysosomes in the cell – a process we identify in multiple animal species. Thus, an evolutionarily-conserved cycle in autophagy governs nutrient sensing and lysosome homeostasis during starvation.

The Beclin 1 gene is a haplo-insufficient tumor suppressor and plays an essential role in autophagy. However, the molecular mechanism by which Beclin 1 functions remains largely unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of the evolutionarily conserved domain (ECD) of Beclin 1 at 1.6 Å resolution. Beclin 1 ECD exhibits a previously unreported fold, with three structural repeats arranged symmetrically around a central axis. Beclin 1 ECD defines a novel class of membrane-binding domain, with a strong preference for lipid membrane enriched with cardiolipin. The tip of a surface loop in Beclin 1 ECD, comprising three aromatic amino acids, acts as a hydrophobic finger to associate with lipid membrane, consequently resulting in the deformation of membrane and liposomes. Mutation of these aromatic residues rendered Beclin 1 unable to stably associate with lipid membrane in vitro and unable to fully rescue autophagy in Beclin 1-knockdown cells in vivo. These observations form an important framework for deciphering the biological functions of Beclin 1.

Mitochondria form networks. Formation of mitochondrial networks is important for maintaining mitochondrial DNA integrity and interchanging mitochondrial material, whereas disruption of the mitochondrial network affects mitochondrial functions. According to the current view, mitochondrial networks are formed by fusion of individual mitochondria. Here, we report a new mechanism for formation of mitochondrial networks through KIF5B-mediated dynamic tubulation of mitochondria. We found that KIF5B pulls thin, highly dynamic tubules out of mitochondria. Fusion of these dynamic tubules, which is mediated by mitofusins, gives rise to the mitochondrial network. We further demonstrated that dynamic tubulation and fusion is sufficient for mitochondrial network formation, by reconstituting mitochondrial networks in vitro using purified fusion-competent mitochondria, recombinant KIF5B, and polymerized microtubules. Interestingly, KIF5B only controls network formation in the peripheral zone of the cell, indicating that the mitochondrial network is divided into subzones, which may be constructed by different mechanisms. Our data not only uncover an essential mechanism for mitochondrial network formation, but also reveal that different parts of the mitochondrial network are formed by different mechanisms.

Soils with pedogenic carbonate cover about 30% (3.44 Â 10 6 km 2 ) of China, mainly across its arid and semiarid regions in the Northwest. Based on the second national soil survey (1979)(1980)(1981)(1982)(1983)(1984)(1985)(1986)(1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992), total soil inorganic carbon (SIC) storage in China was estimated to be 53.3 AE 6.3 PgC (1 Pg 5 10 15 g) to the depth investigated to 2 m. Soil inorganic carbon storages were 4.6, 10.6, 11.1, and 20.8 Pg for the depth ranges of 0-0.1, 0.1-0.3, 0.3-0.5, and 0.5-1 m, respectively. Stocks for 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 1 m of depth accounted for 8.7%, 28.7%, 49.6%, and 88.9% of total SIC, respectively. In contrast with soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, which is highest under 500-800 mm yr À1 of mean precipitation, SIC storage peaks where mean precipitation is o400 mm yr À1 . The amount and vertical distribution of SIC was related to climate and land cover type. Content of SIC in each incremental horizon was positively related with mean annual temperature and negatively related with mean annual precipitation, with the magnitude of SIC content across land cover types showing the following order: desert, grassland 4shrubland, cropland 4marsh, forest, meadow. Densities of SIC increased generally with depth in all ecosystem types with the exception of deserts and marshes where it peaked in intermediate layers (0.1-0.3 m for first and 0.3-0.5 m for latter). Being an abundant component of soil carbon stocks in China, SIC dynamics and the process involved in its accumulation or loss from soils require a better understanding.

A fundamental question regarding autophagosome formation is how the shape of the double-membrane autophagosomal vesicle is generated. Here we show that in mammalian cells assembly of an actin scaffold inside the isolation membrane (the autophagosomal precursor) is essential for autophagosomal membrane shaping. Actin filaments are depolymerized shortly after starvation and actin is assembled into a network within the isolation membrane. When formation of actin puncta is disrupted by an actin polymerization inhibitor or by knocking down the actin-capping protein CapZβ, isolation membranes and omegasomes collapse into mixed-membrane bundles. Formation of actin puncta is PtdIns(3)P dependent, and inhibition of PtdIns(3)P formation by treating cells with the PI(3)K inhibitor 3-MA, or by knocking down Beclin-1, abolishes the formation of actin puncta. Binding of CapZ to PtdIns(3)P, which is enriched in omegasomes, stimulates actin polymerization. Our findings illuminate the mechanism underlying autophagosomal membrane shaping and provide key insights into how autophagosomes are formed.

Racemic phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids tylophorine, antofine, and deoxytylophorinine, and optically pure alkaloids S-(+)-tylophorine and R-(-)-tylophorine were synthesized and evaluated for their antiviral activities against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Further salinization modifications based on tylophorine increased stability and water solubility and improved the antiviral activity in application. The bioassay results showed that most of these synthesized compounds showed higher antiviral activity against TMV in vitro and in vivo than commercial Ningnanmycin. Especially, tylophorine salt derivatives 10, 11, 13, 17, and 22 emerged as potential inhibitors of plant virus. These findings demonstrate that these phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids and their salt derivatives represent a new template for antiviral studies and could be considered for novel therapy against plant virus infection.

Heterocyclic compounds play an important role as the main sources of lead molecules of agrochemicals. Synthesis and biological activity of thiadiazole-containing 1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]-thiadiazoles were seldom reported. To find novel lead compounds with various biological activities, a series of 6-substituted-3-(4-methyl-1,2,3-thiadiazolyl)[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadizoles were rationally designed and synthesized according to the principle of combinations of bioactive substructures by the condensation of 3-(4-methyl-1,2,3-thiadiazolyl)-4-amino-1,2,4-triazole-5-thione with various carboxylic acids and phosphorus oxychloride. All newly synthesized compounds were identified by proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR), infrared spectroscopy (IR), electroionization mass spectrometry (EI/MS), and elementary analysis. The crystal structure of 3-(4-methyl-1,2,3-thiadiazolyl)-6-(4-methylphenyl)[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadizole was determined by X-ray diffraction crystallography. In this crystal, two intermolecular hydrogen bonds (N2...H-C12 and N3...H-C13), a weak intermolecular interaction (S...S), and the weak ppi-ppi intermolecular interaction were observed. Fungicide screening indicated that all of the target compounds showed certain extent of growth inhibition against fungi tested. 3-(4-Methyl-1,2,3-thiadiazolyl)-6-n-propyl[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadizole and 3-(4-methyl-1,2,3-thiadiazolyl)-6-trichloromethyl[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadizole were found to have potential wide spectrum of fungicide activity. The median effective concentrations (EC(50)) detected for 3-(4-methyl-1,2,3-thiadiazolyl)-6-trichloromethyl[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadizole to six fungi were from 7.28 micromol/L against Pellicularia sasakii (Shirai) to 42.49 micromol/L against Alternaria solani . The results indicated that thiadiazole-containing 1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]-thiadiazoles were potential fungicide lead compounds.

Elicitors provide a broad spectrum of systemic acquired resistance by altering the physical and physiological status of the host plants and, therefore, are among the most successful directions in modern pesticide development for plant protection. To develop a novel elicitor with highly systemic acquired resistance, two series of thiazole- and oxadiazole-containing thiadiazole derivatives were rationally designed and synthesized according to the principle of combination of bioactive substructures in this work. Their structures were characterized by (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), or elemental analysis. Their potential systemic acquired resistance as an elicitor was also evaluated; bioassay results indicated that, among the 23 compounds synthesized, three compounds, 10a, 10d, and 12b, displayed better systemic acquired resistance than the positive control, tiadinil, a commercialized 1,2,3-thiadiazole-based elicitor. In addition, three other compounds, 10f, 12c, and 12j, exhibited a certain degree of fungus growth inhibition in vitro or in vivo. Our results demonstrated that, in combination of bioactive substructures is an interesting exploration for novel pesticide development, thiazole- and oxadiazole-containing thiadiazole derivatives are potential elicitors with good systemic acquired resistance.