A comparative transcriptome analysis of a wild purple potato and its red mutant provides insight into the mechanism of anthocyanin transformation

Transcriptome, Plant Hormone, and Metabolome Analysis Reveals the Mechanism of Purple Pericarp Formation in 'Zihui' Papaya (Carica papaya L.)

The color of the pericarp is a crucial characteristic that influences the marketability of papaya fruit. Prior to ripening, normal papaya exhibits a green pericarp, whereas the cultivar 'Zihui' displays purple ring spots on the fruit tip, which significantly affects the fruit's visual appeal. To understand the mechanism behind the formation of purple pericarp, this study performed a thorough examination of the transcriptome, plant hormone, and metabolome. Based on the UPLC-ESI-MS/MS system, a total of 35 anthocyanins and 11 plant hormones were identified, with 27 anthocyanins and two plant hormones exhibiting higher levels of abundance in the purple pericarp. In the purple pericarp, 14 anthocyanin synthesis genes were up-regulated, including CHS, CHI, F3H, F3'5'H, F3'H, ANS, OMT, and CYP73A. Additionally, through co-expression network analysis, three MYBs were identified as potential key regulators of anthocyanin synthesis by controlling genes encoding anthocyanin biosynthesis. As a result, we have identified numerous key genes involved in anthocyanin synthesis and developed new insights into how the purple pericarp of papaya is formed.

A comparative analysis of small RNA sequencing data in tubers of purple potato and its red mutant reveals small RNA regulation in anthocyanin biosynthesis

Anthocyanins are a group of natural pigments acting as stress protectants induced by biotic/abiotic stress in plants. Although the metabolic pathway of anthocyanin has been studied in potato, the roles of miRNAs on the metabolic pathway remain unclear. In this study, a purple tetraploid potato of SD92 and its red mutant of SD140 were selected to explore the regulation mechanism of miRNA in anthocyanin biosynthesis. A comparative analysis of small RNAs between SD92 and SD140 revealed that there were 179 differentially expressed miRNAs, including 65 up- and 114 down-regulated miRNAs. Furthermore, 31 differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted to potentially regulate 305 target genes. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis for these target genes showed that plant hormone signal transduction pathway and plant-pathogen interaction pathway were significantly enriched. The correlation analysis of miRNA sequencing data and transcriptome data showed that there were 140 negative regulatory miRNA-mRNA pairs. The miRNAs included miR171 family, miR172 family, miR530b_4 and novel_mir170. The mRNAs encoded transcription factors, hormone response factors and protein kinases. All these results indicated that miRNAs might regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis through transcription factors, hormone response factors and protein kinase.

Fine mapping and characterisation of a PV-PUR mediating anthocyanin synthesis in snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Anthocyanin makes snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) pods purple, which helps seed dispersal and protects against environmental stress. In this study, we characterised the snap bean purple mutant pv-pur, which has purple cotyledon, hypocotyl, stem, leaf vein, flower and pod tissues. Total anthocyanin, delphinidin and malvidin levels in mutant pods were significantly higher than in wild-type plants. We constructed two populations for fine mapping of the PV-PUR purple mutation gene, located in the 243.9-kb region of chromosome 06. We identified Phvul.006g018800.3, encoding F3'5'H, as a candidate gene for PV-PUR. Six single-base mutations occurred in the coding region of this gene, altering protein structure. PV-PUR and pv-pur genes were transferred into Arabidopsis, respectively. Compared with the wild-type, the leaf base and internode of T-PV-PUR plant were purple, and the phenotype of T-pv-pur plant remained unchanged, which verified the function of the mutant gene. The results demonstrated that PV-PUR is a crucial gene for anthocyanin biosynthesis in snap bean, resulting in purple colouration. The findings lay a foundation for future breeding and improvement of snap bean.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01362-8.

Phenotypic and molecular analyses in diploid and tetraploid genotypes of Solanum tuberosum L. reveal promising genotypes and candidate genes associated with phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid contents, and antioxidant activity

Potato tubers contain biochemical compounds with antioxidant properties that benefit human health. However, the genomic basis of the production of antioxidant compounds in potatoes has largely remained unexplored. Therefore, we report the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on 4488 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and the phenotypic evaluation of Total Phenols Content (TPC), Ascorbic Acid Content (AAC), and Antioxidant Activity (AA) traits in 404 diverse potato genotypes (84 diploids and 320 tetraploids) conserved at the Colombian germplasm bank that administers AGROSAVIA. The concentration of antioxidant compounds correlated to the skin tuber color and ploidy level. Especially, purple-blackish tetraploid tubers had the highest TPC (2062.41 ± 547.37 mg GAE), while diploid pink-red tubers presented the highest AA (DDPH: 14967.1 ± 4687.79 μmol TE; FRAP: 2208.63 ± 797.35 mg AAE) and AAC (4.52 mg ± 0.68 AA). The index selection allowed us to choose 20 promising genotypes with the highest values for the antioxidant compounds. Genome Association mapping identified 58 SNP-Trait Associations (STAs) with single-locus models and 28 Quantitative Trait Nucleotide (QTNs) with multi-locus models associated with the evaluated traits. Among models, eight STAs/QTNs related to TPC, AAC, and AA were detected in common, flanking seven candidate genes, from which four were pleiotropic. The combination in one population of diploid and tetraploid genotypes enabled the identification of more genetic associations. However, the GWAS analysis implemented independently in populations detected some regions in common between diploids and tetraploids not detected in the mixed population. Candidate genes have molecular functions involved in phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid biosynthesis, and antioxidant responses concerning plant abiotic stress. All candidate genes identified in this study can be used for further expression analysis validation and future implementation in marker-assisted selection pre-breeding platforms targeting fortified materials. Our study further revealed the importance of potato germplasm conserved in national genebanks, such as AGROSAVIA's, as a valuable genetic resource to improve existing potato varieties.

Genome-wide identification, evolutionary and functional analyses of KFB family members in potato

BACKGROUND

Kelch repeat F-box (KFB) proteins play vital roles in the regulation of multitudinous biochemical and physiological processes in plants, including growth and development, stress response and secondary metabolism. Multiple KFBs have been characterized in various plant species, but the family members and functions have not been systematically identified and analyzed in potato.

RESULTS

Genome and transcriptome analyses of StKFB gene family were conducted to dissect the structure, evolution and function of the StKFBs in Solanum tuberosum L. Totally, 44 StKFB members were identified and were classified into 5 groups. The chromosomal localization analysis showed that the 44 StKFB genes were located on 12 chromosomes of potato. Among these genes, two pairs of genes (StKFB15/16 and StKFB40/41) were predicted to be tandemly duplicated genes, and one pair of genes (StKFB15/29) was segmentally duplicated genes. The syntenic analysis showed that the KFBs in potato were closely related to the KFBs in tomato and pepper. Expression profiles of the StKFBs in 13 different tissues and in potato plants with different treatments uncovered distinct spatial expression patterns of these genes and their potential roles in response to various stresses, respectively. Multiple StKFB genes were differentially expressed in yellow- (cultivar 'Jin-16'), red- (cultivar 'Red rose-2') and purple-fleshed (cultivar 'Xisen-8') potato tubers, suggesting that they may play important roles in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in potato.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reports the structure, evolution and expression characteristics of the KFB family in potato. These findings pave the way for further investigation of functional mechanisms of StKFBs, and also provide candidate genes for potato genetic improvement.

Functional R2R3-MYB transcription factor NsMYB1, regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis, was relative to the fruit color differentiation in Nitraria sibirica Pall

BACKGROUND

Nitraria sibirica Pall. is an economic plant with two kinds of fruit color, widely spreads in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. The chemical analysis and pharmacological evaluation had been carried out for several tens of years, the mechanism behind the fruit color differentiation is still unclear.

RESULTS

In this manuscript, the chemical analysis of the extractions showed that the chemical composition of fruit color was anthocyanin, and two kind of Nitraria sibirica Pall. were caused by the content differentiation with the same anthocyanin kinds. Cyanidin-3-[2"-(6'"-coumaroyl)-glucosyl]-glucoside (C3G) was the major anthocyanin. Transcriptome analysis and the qRT-PCR revealed that the structural genes relative to anthocyanin biosynthesis except CHS, F3'5'H and ANS were up-regulated in the peels of BF (Black fruit) compared with the peels of RF (Red fruit), which indicated that transcript factor should be the reason for the expression difference of the structure genes. In the unigenes of the transcript factor MYB and bHLH, relative to anthocyanin, only NsMYB1 (Cluster 8422.10600), was high-expression and up-expression in the peels of BF. NsMYB1 encoded the same length protein with four amino acid differences in the RF and BF, and both contained the intact DNA, HTH-MYB and SANT domains. NsMYB1 was close to the AtMYB114, AtMYB113 and AtPAP1, regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis, in phylogenetic relationship. Both NsMYB1r and NsMYB1b could promote the transcript of the structural genes, and induced the anthocyanin accumulation in all tissues of transgenic tobacco. The insertion of 'TATA' in the promoter of NsMYB1r gave one more promoter region, and was the reason for higher transcripts in black fruit possibly.

CONCLUSIONS

Cyanidin-3-[2''-(6'"-coumaroyl)-glucosyl]-glucoside was the major anthocyanin in black fruit of Nitraria sibirica Pall.. NsMYB1 was a functional R2R3-MYB transcription factor, regulated the anthocyanin biosynthesis, and led to the fruit color differentiation in Nitraria sibirica Pall.

High-density genetic map and genome-wide association studies of aesthetic traits in Phalaenopsis orchids

Phalaenopsis spp. represent the most popular orchids worldwide. Both P. equestris and P. aphrodite are the two important breeding parents with the whole genome sequence available. However, marker–trait association is rarely used for floral traits in Phalaenopsis breeding. Here, we analyzed markers associated with aesthetic traits of Phalaenopsis orchids by using genome-wide association study (GWAS) with the F1 population P. Intermedia of 117 progenies derived from the cross between P. aphrodite and P. equestris. A total of 113,517 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in P. Intermedia by using genotyping-by-sequencing with the combination of two different restriction enzyme pairs, Hinp1 I/Hae III and Apek I/Hae III. The size-related traits from flowers were negatively related to the color-related traits. The 1191 SNPs from Hinp1 I/ Hae III and 23 simple sequence repeats were used to establish a high-density genetic map of 19 homolog groups for P. equestris. In addition, 10 quantitative trait loci were highly associated with four color-related traits on chromosomes 2, 5 and 9. According to the sequence within the linkage disequilibrium regions, 35 candidate genes were identified and related to anthocyanin biosynthesis. In conclusion, we performed marker-assisted gene identification of aesthetic traits with GWAS in Phalaenopsis orchids.

A poplar B-box protein PtrBBX23 modulates the accumulation of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins in response to high light

Flavonoids, which modulate plant resistance to various stresses, can be induced by high light. B-box (BBX) transcription factors (TFs) play crucial roles in the transcriptional regulation of flavonoids biosynthesis, but limited information is available on the association of BBX proteins with high light. We present a detailed overview of 45 Populus trichocarpa BBX TFs. Phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, tissue-specific expression patterns and expression profiles were determined under 10 stress or phytohormone treatments to screen candidate BBX proteins associated with the flavonoid pathway. Sixteen candidate genes were identified, of which five were expressed predominantly in young leaves and roots, and BBX23 showed the most distinct response to high light. Overexpression of BBX23 in poplar activated expression of MYB TFs and structural genes in the flavonoid pathway, thereby promoting the accumulation of proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins. CRISPR/Cas9-generated knockout of BBX23 resulted in the opposite trend. Furthermore, the phenotype induced by BBX23 overexpression was enhanced under exposure to high light. BBX23 was capable of binding directly to the promoters of proanthocyanidin- and anthocyanin-specific genes, and its interaction with HY5 enhanced activation activity. We identified novel regulators of flavonoid biosynthesis in poplar, thereby enhancing our general understanding of the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms involved.

The Expression of IbMYB1 Is Essential to Maintain the Purple Color of Leaf and Storage Root in Sweet Potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam]

IbMYB1 was one of the major anthocyanin biosynthesis regulatory genes that has been identified and utilized in purple-fleshed sweet potato breeding. At least three members of this gene, namely, IbMYB1-1, -2a, and -2b, have been reported. We found that IbMYB1-2a and -2b are not necessary for anthocyanin accumulation in a variety of cultivated species (hexaploid) with purple shoots or purplish rings/spots of flesh. Transcriptomic and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses revealed that persistent and vigorous expression of IbMYB1 is essential to maintain the purple color of leaves and storage roots in this type of cultivated species, which did not contain IbMYB1-2 gene members. Compared with IbbHLH2, IbMYB1 is an early response gene of anthocyanin biosynthesis in sweet potato. It cannot exclude the possibility that other MYBs participate in this gene regulation networks. Twenty-two MYB-like genes were identified from 156 MYBs to be highly positively or negatively correlated with the anthocyanin content in leaves or flesh. Even so, the IbMYB1 was most coordinately expressed with anthocyanin biosynthesis genes. Differences in flanking and coding sequences confirm that IbMYB2s, the highest similarity genes of IbMYB1, are not the members of IbMYB1. This phenomenon indicates that there may be more members of IbMYB1 in sweet potato, and the genetic complementation of these members is involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis. The 3' flanking sequence of IbMYB1-1 is homologous to the retrotransposon sequence of TNT1-94. Transposon movement is involved in the formation of multiple members of IbMYB1. This study provides critical insights into the expression patterns of IbMYB1, which are involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in the leaf and storage root. Notably, our study also emphasized the presence of a multiple member of IbMYB1 for genetic improvement.

Novel module and hub genes of distinctive breast cancer associated fibroblasts identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis

BACKGROUND

As abundant and heterogeneous stromal cells in tumor microenvironment, carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are critically involved in cancer progression.

METHODS

To identify co-expression module and hub genes of distinctive breast CAFs, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted based on the expression array results of CAFs from seven chemo-sensitive breast cancer (BC) patients and seven chemo-resistant ones before neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS

A total of 4916 genes were included in WGCNA, and 12 modules were determined. Module-trait assay showed that the blue module (cor = 0.97, P < 0.001) was associated with CAF-related chemo-resistance, which was enriched mainly as "inflammatory response", "interferon-gamma-mediated signaling" and "NIK/NF-kappaB signaling" pathways. Moreover, CXCL8, CXCL10, CXCL11, PLSCR1, RIPK2 and USP18 were found to be potentially associated with chemo-resistance related to CAFs and prognosis of BC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our current data offered valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of distinctive breast CAFs, which was beneficial for revealing how chemo-resistance of BC was initiated.

Environmental pollutants damage airway epithelial cell cilia: Implications for the prevention of obstructive lung diseases

Mucociliary epithelium lining the upper and lower respiratory tract constitutes the first line of defense of the airway and lungs against inhaled pollutants and pathogens. The concerted beating of multiciliated cells drives mucociliary clearance. Abnormalities in both the structure and function of airway cilia have been implicated in obstructive lung diseases. Emerging evidence reveals a close correlation between lung diseases and environmental stimuli such as sulfur dioxide and tobacco particles. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be described. In this review, we emphasize the importance of airway cilia in mucociliary clearance and discuss how environmental pollutants affect the structure and function of airway cilia, thus shedding light on the function of airway cilia in preventing obstructive lung diseases and revealing the negative effects of environmental pollutants on human health.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of anthocyanin synthesis in black and pink peanut

In recent years, black testa peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) has been favored because of its nutritional value and health function. To explore the genetic basis of peanut testa color, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to sequence the transcriptome of black testa peanut 'ZH9' and pink testa peanut 'ZH8.' Over 18 million high-quality reads were assembled into 49,404-52,578 genes for these two cultivars using a combined assembly strategy. Totally, 4,122 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between ZH8 and ZH9, among which 1317 (32%) were up-regulated and 2805 (68%) were down-regulated. KEGG analysis showed that the pathways of anthocyanin biosynthesis, isoflavonoid biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were in the top 20 differentially expressed genes enriched pathways. Further analysis showed that the formation of the black color of ZH9 testa was mainly due to the reduction of lignin biosynthesis and isoflavonoid biosynthesis, and as a result, more substrate flow to anthocyanin biosynthesis. The up-regulation of all genes associated with DFR, a key enzyme determining flavonoid synthesis or anthocyanin synthesis in the flavonoid metabolic pathway, is also a strategy for increasing dihydroflavonol, a substrate for anthocyanin and flavonol biosynthesis. In addition, we identified three up-regulated R2R3MYB transcription factors associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis in ZH9. Finally, we verified the expressions of 15 genes that encode key enzymes and transcription factors using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).

Environmental pollutants damage airway epithelial cell cilia: Implications for the prevention of obstructive lung diseases

Mucociliary epithelium lining the upper and lower respiratory tract constitutes the first line of defense of the airway and lungs against inhaled pollutants and pathogens. The concerted beating of multiciliated cells drives mucociliary clearance. Abnormalities in both the structure and function of airway cilia have been implicated in obstructive lung diseases. Emerging evidence reveals a close correlation between lung diseases and environmental stimuli such as sulfur dioxide and tobacco particles. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be described. In this review, we emphasize the importance of airway cilia in mucociliary clearance and discuss how environmental pollutants affect the structure and function of airway cilia, thus shedding light on the function of airway cilia in preventing obstructive lung diseases and revealing the negative effects of environmental pollutants on human health.

Genetic mechanisms of salt stress responses in halophytes

Abiotic stress is a major threat to plant growth and development, resulting in extensive crop loss worldwide. Plants react to abiotic stresses through physiological, biochemical, molecular, and genetic adaptations that promote survival. Exploring the molecular mechanisms involved in abiotic stress responses across various plant species is essential for improving crop yields in unfavorable environments. Halophytes are characterized as plants that survive to reproduce in soils containing high salt concentrations, and thus act as an ideal model to comprehend complicated genetic and physiological mechanisms of salinity stress tolerance. Plant ecologists classify halophytes into three main groups: euhalophytes, recretohalophytes, and pseudo-halophytes. Recent genetic and molecular research has showed complicated regulatory networks by which halophytes coordinate stress adaptation and tolerance. Furthermore, investigation of natural variations in these stress responses has supplied new perspectives on the evolution of mechanisms that regulate tolerance and adaptation. This review discusses the current understanding of the genetic mechanisms that contribute to salt-stress tolerance among different classes of halophytes.

Identification of modules and hub genes associated with platinum-based chemotherapy resistance and treatment response in ovarian cancer by weighted gene co-expression network analysis

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most prevalent and malignant ovarian tumor.To identify co-expression modules and hub genes correlated with platinum-based chemotherapy resistant and sensitive HGSOC, we performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) on microarray data of HGSOC with 12 resistant samples and 16 sensitive samples of GSE51373 dataset.A total of 5122 genes were included in WGCNA, and 16 modules were identified. Module-trait analysis identified that the module salmon (cor = 0.50), magenta (cor = 0.49), and black (cor = 0.45) were discovered associated with chemotherapy resistant, and the significance for these platinum-resistant modules were validated in the GSE63885 dataset. Given that the black module was validated to be the most related one, hub genes of this module, alcohol dehydrogenase 1B, cadherin 11, and vestigial like family member 3were revealed to be expressional related with platinum resistance, and could serve as prognostic markers for ovarian cancer.Our analysis might provide insight for molecular mechanisms of platinum-based chemotherapy resistance and treatment response in ovarian cancer.

A SNP Mutation of SiCRC Regulates Seed Number Per Capsule and Capsule Length of cs1 Mutant in Sesame

Seed number per capsule (SNC) is a major factor influencing seed yield and is an important trait with complex gene interaction effects. We first performed genetic analysis, gene cloning, and molecular mechanism study for an EMS-induced sesame mutant cs1 with fewer SNC and shorter capsule length (CL). The mutant traits were due to the pleiotropism of a regressive gene (Sics1). Capsule hormone determination showed that five out of 12 hormones, including auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), had significantly different levels between wild type (WT) and mutant type (MT). KEGG pathway analysis showed that plant hormone signal transduction, especially the auxin signal transduction pathway, was the most abundant differentially expressed signaling pathway. After the cross-population association and regional genome screening, we found that three homozygous loci were retained in cs1. Further analysis of these three loci resulted in the identification of SiCRC as the candidate gene for cs1. SiCRC consists of seven exons and six introns encoding 163 amino acids. The SiCRC in cs1 showed a point mutation at intron 5 and exon 6 junction, resulting in the splice site being frame-shifted eight nucleotides further downstream, causing incorrect splicing. Taken together, we assumed the SNP mutation in SiCRC disrupted the function of the transcription factor, which might act downstream of the CRC-auxin signal transduction pathway, resulting in a shorter CL and less SNC mutation of cs1 in sesame. Our results highlight the molecular framework underlying the transcription factor CRC-mediated role of auxin transduction in SNC and CL development.

Phylostratigraphic analysis of gene co-expression network reveals the evolution of functional modules for ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OV) is an extremely lethal disease. However, the evolutionary machineries of OV are still largely unknown. Here, we used a method that combines phylostratigraphy information with gene co-expression networks to extensively study the evolutionary compositions of OV. The present co-expression network construction yielded 18,549 nodes and 114,985 edges based on 307 OV expression samples obtained from the Genome Data Analysis Centers database. A total of 20 modules were identified as OV related clusters. The human genome sequences were divided into 19 phylostrata (PS), the majority (67.45%) of OV genes was already present in the eukaryotic ancestor. There were two strong peaks of the emergence of OV genes screened by hypergeometric test: the evolution of the multicellular metazoan organisms (PS5 and PS6, P value = 0.002) and the emergence of bony fish (PS11 and PS12, P value = 0.009). Hence, the origin of OV is far earlier than its emergence. The integrated analysis of the topology of OV modules and the phylogenetic data revealed an evolutionary pattern of OV in human, namely, OV modules have arisen step by step during the evolution of the respective lineages. New genes have evolved and become locked into a pathway, where more and more biological pathways are fixed into OV modules by recruiting new genes during human evolution.

Abiotic Stresses: General Defenses of Land Plants and Chances for Engineering Multistress Tolerance

Abiotic stresses, such as low or high temperature, deficient or excessive water, high salinity, heavy metals, and ultraviolet radiation, are hostile to plant growth and development, leading to great crop yield penalty worldwide. It is getting imperative to equip crops with multistress tolerance to relieve the pressure of environmental changes and to meet the demand of population growth, as different abiotic stresses usually arise together in the field. The feasibility is raised as land plants actually have established more generalized defenses against abiotic stresses, including the cuticle outside plants, together with unsaturated fatty acids, reactive species scavengers, molecular chaperones, and compatible solutes inside cells. In stress response, they are orchestrated by a complex regulatory network involving upstream signaling molecules including stress hormones, reactive oxygen species, gasotransmitters, polyamines, phytochromes, and calcium, as well as downstream gene regulation factors, particularly transcription factors. In this review, we aimed at presenting an overview of these defensive systems and the regulatory network, with an eye to their practical potential via genetic engineering and/or exogenous application.

Applications of SERS in the Detection of Stress-Related Substances

A wide variety of biotic and abiotic stresses continually attack plants and animals, which adversely affect their growth, development, reproduction, and yield realization. To survive under stress conditions, highly sophisticated and efficient tolerance mechanisms have been evolved to adapt to stresses, which consist of the variation of effector molecules playing vital roles in physiological regulation. The development of a sensitive, facile, and rapid analytical methods for stress factors and effector molecules detection is significant for gaining deeper insight into the tolerance mechanisms. As a nondestructive analysis technique, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has unique advantages regarding its biosensing applications. It not only provides specific fingerprint spectra of the target molecules, conformation, and structure, but also has universal capacity for simultaneous detection and imaging of targets owing to the narrow width of the Raman vibrational bands. Herein, recent progress on biotic and abiotic stresses, tolerance mechanisms and effector molecules is summarized. Moreover, the development and promising future trends of SERS detection for stress-related substances combined with nanomaterials as substrates and SERS tags are discussed. This comprehensive and critical review might shed light on a new perspective for SERS applications.

Analysis of Biomolecules Based on the Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Analyzing biomolecules is essential for disease diagnostics, food safety inspection, environmental monitoring and pharmaceutical development. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful tool for detecting biomolecules due to its high sensitivity, rapidness and specificity in identifying molecular structures. This review focuses on the SERS analysis of biomolecules originated from humans, animals, plants and microorganisms, combined with nanomaterials as SERS substrates and nanotags. Recent advances in SERS detection of target molecules were summarized with different detection strategies including label-free and label-mediated types. This comprehensive and critical summary of SERS analysis of biomolecules might help researchers from different scientific backgrounds spark new ideas and proposals.

Non-canonical functions of the mitotic kinesin Eg5

Kinesins are widely expressed, microtubule-dependent motors that play vital roles in microtubule-associated cellular activities, such as cell division and intracellular transport. Eg5, also known as kinesin-5 or kinesin spindle protein, is a member of the kinesin family that contributes to the formation and maintenance of the bipolar mitotic spindle during cell division. Small-molecule compounds that inhibit Eg5 activity have been shown to impair spindle assembly, block mitotic progression, and possess anti-cancer activity. Recent studies focusing on the localization and functions of Eg5 in plants have demonstrated that in addition to spindle organization, this motor protein has non-canonical functions, such as chromosome segregation and cytokinesis, that have not been observed in animals. In this review, we discuss the structure, function, and localization of Eg5 in various organisms, highlighting the specific role of this protein in plants. We also propose directions for the future studies of novel Eg5 functions based on the lessons learned from plants.