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Liu Z, Michalet R, Wang C, Wang Y, Chen J, Cui H, Song H, Wang J, Yang Z, An L, Xiao S, Chen S. Contrasting effects of two phenotypes of an alpine cushion plant on understory species drive community assembly. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160154. [PMID: 36375548 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In alpine systems, cushion plants act as foundation species by ameliorating local environmental conditions. Empirical studies indicate that contrasting phenotypes of alpine cushion species have different effects on understory plant species, either facilitative or competitive. Furthermore, dependent species within each community type might also exhibit different responses to each cushion phenotype, which can be clustered into several "response groups". Additionally, these species-groups specific responses to alpine cushion species phenotypes could alter community assembly. However, very few studies have assessed responses of dependent communities at species-group levels, in particular for both above- and below-ground communities. Here, we selected a loose and a tight phenotype of the alpine cushion species Thylacospermum caespitosum in two sites of northwest China, and use the relative intensity of interactions index to quantify cushion plant effects on subordinate communities of plants and soil fungi and bacteria. We assessed variations in responses of both above- and below-ground organisms to cushion plant effects at species-group level. Species-group level analyses showed that the effects of the phenotype varied among groups of each of the three community types, and different species-groups were composed by unique taxa. Additionally, we found that loose cushions enhanced stochastic processes in community assembly, for plants and soil fungi but not for soil bacteria. These variations of phenotypic effects on different species-group induced contrasting taxonomic composition between groups, and alter community assembly thereby. Our study highlights the occurrence of contrasting effects of two phenotypes of a foundation cushion plant on understory plants, soil fungi and bacteria community composition, but not necessarily on their richness. We also showed that assessing responses of understory species at the species-group level allows a more realistic and mechanistic understanding of biotic interactions both for above- and below-ground communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Richard Michalet
- Environnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Chenyue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yajun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Hanwen Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongxian Song
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Lizhe An
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Sa Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuyan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui Road 222, Lanzhou, Gansu, People's Republic of China.
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Chen J, Shi Z, Liu S, Zhang M, Cao X, Chen M, Xu G, Xing H, Li F, Feng Q. Altitudinal Variation Influences Soil Fungal Community Composition and Diversity in Alpine-Gorge Region on the Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:807. [PMID: 36012795 PMCID: PMC9410234 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil fungi play an integral and essential role in maintaining soil ecosystem functions. The understanding of altitude variations and their drivers of soil fungal community composition and diversity remains relatively unclear. Mountains provide an open, natural platform for studying how the soil fungal community responds to climatic variability at a short altitude distance. Using the Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technique, we examined soil fungal community composition and diversity among seven vegetation types (dry valley shrub, valley-mountain ecotone broadleaved mixed forest, subalpine broadleaved mixed forest, subalpine coniferous-broadleaved mixed forest, subalpine coniferous forest, alpine shrub meadow, alpine meadow) along a 2582 m altitude gradient in the alpine-gorge region on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Ascomycota (47.72%), Basidiomycota (36.58%), and Mortierellomycota (12.14%) were the top three soil fungal dominant phyla in all samples. Soil fungal community composition differed significantly among the seven vegetation types along altitude gradients. The α-diversity of soil total fungi and symbiotic fungi had a distinct hollow pattern, while saprophytic fungi and pathogenic fungi showed no obvious pattern along altitude gradients. The β-diversity of soil total fungi, symbiotic fungi, saprophytic fungi, and pathogenic fungi was derived mainly from species turnover processes and exhibited a significant altitude distance-decay pattern. Soil properties explained 31.27-34.91% of variation in soil fungal (total and trophic modes) community composition along altitude gradients, and the effects of soil nutrients on fungal community composition varied by trophic modes. Soil pH was the main factor affecting α-diversity of soil fungi along altitude gradients. The β-diversity and turnover components of soil total fungi and saprophytic fungi were affected by soil properties and geographic distance, while those of symbiotic fungi and pathogenic fungi were affected only by soil properties. This study deepens our knowledge regarding altitude variations and their drivers of soil fungal community composition and diversity, and confirms that the effects of soil properties on soil fungal community composition and diversity vary by trophic modes along altitude gradients in the alpine-gorge region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (J.C.); (S.L.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (M.C.); (G.X.); (H.X.); (F.L.)
- Miyaluo Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Lixian County 623100, China
| | - Zuomin Shi
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (J.C.); (S.L.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (M.C.); (G.X.); (H.X.); (F.L.)
- Miyaluo Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Lixian County 623100, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Shun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (J.C.); (S.L.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (M.C.); (G.X.); (H.X.); (F.L.)
- Miyaluo Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Lixian County 623100, China
| | - Miaomiao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (J.C.); (S.L.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (M.C.); (G.X.); (H.X.); (F.L.)
- Miyaluo Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Lixian County 623100, China
| | - Xiangwen Cao
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (J.C.); (S.L.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (M.C.); (G.X.); (H.X.); (F.L.)
- Miyaluo Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Lixian County 623100, China
| | - Miao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (J.C.); (S.L.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (M.C.); (G.X.); (H.X.); (F.L.)
- Miyaluo Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Lixian County 623100, China
| | - Gexi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (J.C.); (S.L.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (M.C.); (G.X.); (H.X.); (F.L.)
- Miyaluo Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Lixian County 623100, China
| | - Hongshuang Xing
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (J.C.); (S.L.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (M.C.); (G.X.); (H.X.); (F.L.)
- Miyaluo Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Lixian County 623100, China
| | - Feifan Li
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; (J.C.); (S.L.); (M.Z.); (X.C.); (M.C.); (G.X.); (H.X.); (F.L.)
- Miyaluo Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Lixian County 623100, China
| | - Qiuhong Feng
- Ecological Restoration and Conservation on Forest and Wetland Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Forestry, Chengdu 610081, China;
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Marian M, Licciardello G, Vicelli B, Pertot I, Perazzolli M. Ecology and potential functions of plant-associated microbial communities in cold environments. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:fiab161. [PMID: 34910139 PMCID: PMC8769928 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex microbial communities are associated with plants and can improve their resilience under harsh environmental conditions. In particular, plants and their associated communities have developed complex adaptation strategies against cold stress. Although changes in plant-associated microbial community structure have been analysed in different cold regions, scarce information is available on possible common taxonomic and functional features of microbial communities across cold environments. In this review, we discuss recent advances in taxonomic and functional characterization of plant-associated microbial communities in three main cold regions, such as alpine, Arctic and Antarctica environments. Culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches are analysed, in order to highlight the main factors affecting the taxonomic structure of plant-associated communities in cold environments. Moreover, biotechnological applications of plant-associated microorganisms from cold environments are proposed for agriculture, industry and medicine, according to biological functions and cold adaptation strategies of bacteria and fungi. Although further functional studies may improve our knowledge, the existing literature suggest that plants growing in cold environments harbor complex, host-specific and cold-adapted microbial communities, which may play key functional roles in plant growth and survival under cold conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malek Marian
- Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Giorgio Licciardello
- Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Bianca Vicelli
- Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Ilaria Pertot
- Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Michele Perazzolli
- Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
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Azorella Cushion Plants and Aridity are Important Drivers of Soil Microbial Communities in Andean Ecosystems. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00603-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Habiyaremye JDD, Herrmann S, Reitz T, Buscot F, Goldmann K. Balance between geographic, soil, and host tree parameters to shape soil microbiomes associated to clonal oak varies across soil zones along a European North-South transect. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:2274-2292. [PMID: 33587815 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Tree root-associated microbiomes are shaped by geographic, soil physico-chemical, and host tree parameters. However, their respective impacts on microbiome variations in soils across larger spatial scales remain weakly studied. We out-planted saplings of oak clone DF159 (Quercus robur L.) as phytometer in four grassland field sites along a European North-South transect. After four years, we first compared the soil microbiomes of the tree root zone (RZ) and the tree root-free zone (RFZ). Then, we separately considered the total microbiomes of both zones, besides the microbiome with significant affinity to the RZ and compared their variability along the transect. Variations within the microbiome of the tree RFZ were shaped by geographic and soil physico-chemical changes, whereby bacteria responded more than fungi. Variations within both microbiomes of the tree RZ depended on the host tree and abiotic parameters. Based on perMANOVA and Mantel correlation tests, impacts of site specificities and geographic distance strongly decreased for the tree RZ affine microbiome. This pattern was more pronounced for fungi than bacteria. Shaping the microbiome of the soil zones in root proximity might be a mechanism mediating the acclimation of oaks to a wide range of environmental conditions across geographic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean de Dieu Habiyaremye
- Department Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Mathematics, Science and Physical Education, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Sylvie Herrmann
- Department Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Reitz
- Department Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - François Buscot
- Department Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kezia Goldmann
- Department Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Halle, Germany
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Wang C, Michalet R, Liu Z, Jiang X, Wang X, Zhang G, An L, Chen S, Xiao S. Disentangling Large- and Small-Scale Abiotic and Biotic Factors Shaping Soil Microbial Communities in an Alpine Cushion Plant System. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:925. [PMID: 32528430 PMCID: PMC7262953 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms play a crucial role in biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem processes, but the key factors driving microbial community structure are poorly understood, particularly in alpine environments. In this study, we aim to disentangle the relative contribution of abiotic and biotic factors shaping bacterial and fungal community structure at large and small spatial and integration scales in an alpine system dominated by a stress-tolerant cushion species Thylacospermum ceaspitosum. These effects were assessed in two mountain ranges of northwest China and for two contrasting phenotypes of the cushion species inhabiting two different microtopographic positions. The large- and small-scale abiotic effects include the site and microhabitat effects, respectively, while the large- and small-scale biotic effects include the effects of cushion presence and cushion phenotype, respectively. Soil microbial communities were characterized by Illumina Miseq sequencing. Uni- and multivariate statistics were used to test the effects of abiotic and biotic factors at both scales. Results indicated that the site effect representing the soil pH and abiotic hydrothermal conditions mainly affected bacterial community structure, whereas fungal community structure was mainly affected by biotic factors with an equal contribution of cushion presence and cushion phenotype effects. Future studies should analyze the direct factors contributing to shaping microbial community structure in particular of the cushion phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyue Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Richard Michalet
- Environnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Ziyang Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xingpei Jiang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiangtai Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Gaosen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Microbial Resources and Engineering, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lizhe An
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shuyan Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Sa Xiao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Zhao RM, Zhang H, An LZ. Spatial patterns and interspecific relationships of two dominant cushion plants at three elevations on the Kunlun Mountain, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:17339-17349. [PMID: 32157543 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-08324-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
One of the most important ecological processes is the formation of interspecific relationships in relation to spatial patterns among alpine cushion plants in extreme environmental habitats. However, such relationships remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the spatial patterns of alpine cushion plants along an altitudinal gradient of environmental severity and the interspecific relationship between two cushion species (Thylacospermum caespitosum and Androsace tangulashanensis) on the eastern Kunlun Mountain of China. Our results showed that the two species were highly aggregated within a distance of 2.5-5 m at the mid (S2) altitude, whereas they were randomly distributed at the low (S1) and high (S3) altitudes. A positive spatial interaction between the two species was observed over shorter distances at the mid (S2) altitude, and the spatial patterns were related to the size of individuals of the two species. Moreover, the impact of A. tangulashanensis on T. caespitosum (RIIT. caespitosum) was negative in all the study plots, and a positive impact of T. caespitosum on A. tangulashanensis (RIIA. tangulashanensis) was only observed at the mid (S2) altitude. Together, these results demonstrated that the spatial patterns of these two cushions varied with environmental severity, since the outcome of the interactions were different, to some extent, at the three altitudes. Plant size is the main factor affecting the spatial correlation and interspecific relationship between two cushions. Therefore, its potential influence should be considered when discussing interspecific relationships among cushions and their community construction at small scales in alpine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Ming Zhao
- College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, No. 1 Yingmen Village, Anning District, Lanzhou, 730070, Gansu, China.
| | - Hua Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui South Road 222, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Li-Zhe An
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Tianshui South Road 222, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.
- Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Tsinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China.
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