ABSTRACT

Serum samples from 317 patients with patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) were tested for the nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-associated coronavirus, with sensitivities of 94% and 78% for the first 5 days and 6–10 days after onset, respectively. The specificity was 99.9%. N protein can be used as an early diagnostic maker for SARS.

Highlights d WTp53-PUMA pathway drives cancer metabolic switch d PUMA suppresses mitochondrial pyruvate uptake by inactivating MPC d IKKb-mediated phosphorylation of PUMA is important for PUMA-MPC interaction d High levels of PUMA in HCC are correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients

Summary• Auxin has an important role in maintaining optimal root system architecture (RSA) that can cope with growth reductions of crops caused by water or nutrient shortages. However, the mechanism of controlling RSA remains largely unclear. Here, we found a limiting factor of RSA -OsARF12 -an auxin response factor whose knockout led to decreased primary root length in rice (Oryza sativa).• OsARF12 as a transcription activator can facilitate the expression of the auxin response element DR5::GFP, and OsARF12 was inhibited by osa-miRNA167d by transient expression in tobacco and rice callus.• The root elongation zones of osarf12 and osarf12 ⁄ 25, which had lower auxin concentrations, were distinctly shorter than for the wild-type, possibly as a result of decreased expression of auxin synthesis genes OsYUCCAs and auxin efflux carriers OsPINs and OsPGPs. The knockout of OsARF12 also altered the abundance of mitochondrial iron-regulated (OsMIR), iron (Fe)-regulated transporter1 (OsIRT1) and short postembryonic root1 (OsSPR1) in roots of rice, and resulted in lower Fe content.• The data provide evidence for the biological function of OsARF12, which is implicated in regulating root elongation. Our investigation contributes a novel insight for uncovering regulation of RSA and the relationship between auxin response and Fe acquisition.

Plant responses to auxin and phosphate (Pi) starvation are closely linked. However, the underlying mechanisms connecting auxin to phosphate starvation (-Pi) responses are largely unclear. Here, we show that OsARF16, an auxin response factor, functions in both auxin and -Pi responses in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The knockout of OsARF16 led to primary roots (PR), lateral roots (LR) and root hair losing sensitivity to auxin and -Pi response. OsARF16 expression and OsARF16::GUS staining in PR and LR of rice Nipponbare (NIP) were induced by indole acetic acid and -Pi treatments. In -Pi conditions, the shoot biomass of osarf16 was slightly reduced, and neither root growth nor iron content was induced, indicating that the knockout of OsARF16 led to loss of response to Pi deficiency in rice. Six phosphate starvation-induced genes (PSIs) were less induced by -Pi in osarf16 and these trends were similar to a knockdown mutant of OsPHR2 or AtPHR1, which was a key regulator under -Pi. These data first reveal the biological function of OsARF16, provide novel evidence of a linkage between auxin and -Pi responses and facilitate the development of new strategies for the efficient utilization of Pi in rice.

This paper assesses the impact of climate change on irrigated rice yield using B2 climate change scenario from the Regional Climate Model (RCM) and CERES-rice model during 2071-2090. Eight typical rice stations ranging in latitude, longitude, and elevation that are located in the main rice ecological zones of China are selected for impact assessment. First, Crop Estimation through Resource and Environment Synthesis (CERES)-rice model is validated using farm experiment data in selected stations. The simulated results represent satisfactorily the trend of flowering duration and yields. The deviation of simulation within ±10% of observed flowering duration and ±15% of observed yield. Second, the errors of the outputs of RCM due to the difference of topography between station point and grid point is corrected. The corrected output of the RCM used for simulating rice flowering duration and yield is more reliable than the not corrected. Without CO 2 direct effect on crop, the results from the assessment explore that B2 climate change scenario would have a negative impact on rice yield at most rice stations and have little impacts at Fuzhou and Kunming. To find the change of inter-annual rice yield, a preliminary assessment is made based on comparative cumulative probability at low and high yield and the coefficient variable of yield between the B2 scenario and baseline. Without the CO 2 direct effect on rice yield, the result indicates that frequency for low yield would increase and it reverses for high yield, and the variance for rice yield would increase. It is concluded that high frequency at low yield and high variances Springer 396 Climatic Change (2007) 80: [395][396][397][398][399][400][401][402][403][404][405][406][407][408][409] of rice yield could pose a threat to rice yield at most selected stations in the main rice areas of China. With the CO 2 direct effect on rice yield, rice yield increase in all selected stations.

No abstract

SummaryPhosphorus (P) is crucial nutrient element for crop growth and development. However, the network pathway regulating homeostasis of phosphate (Pi) in crops has many molecular breeding unknowns. Here, we report that an auxin response factor, OsARF12, functions in Pi homeostasis.Measurement of element content, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis and acid phosphatases (APases) activity assay showed that the osarf12 mutant and osarf12/25 double mutant with P-intoxicated phenotypes had higher P concentrations, up-regulation of the Pi transporter encoding genes and increased APase activity under Pi-sufficient/-deficient (+Pi/ÀPi, 0.32/0 mM NaH 2 PO 4 ) conditions.Transcript analysis revealed that Pi-responsive genes -Phosphate starvation (OsIPS)1 and OsIPS2, SYG1/Pho81/XPR1(OsSPX1), Sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol 2 (OsSQD2), R2R3 MYB transcription factor (OsMYB2P-1) and Transport Inhibitor Response1 (OsTIR1) -were more abundant in the osarf12 and osarf12/25 mutants under +Pi/ÀPi conditions. Knockout of OsARF12 also influenced the transcript abundances of the OsPHR2 gene and its downstream components, such as OsMiR399j, OsPHO2, OsMiR827, OsSPX-MFS1 and OsSPX-MFS2. Results from -Pi/1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) treatments, and auxin reporter DR5::GUS staining suggest that root system alteration and Pi-induced auxin response were at least partially controlled by OsARF12.These findings enrich our understanding of the biological functions of OsARF12, which also acts in regulating Pi homeostasis.