The term long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) refers to a group of RNAs with length more than 200 nucleotides, limited protein-coding potential, and having widespread biological functions, including regulation of transcriptional patterns and protein activity, formation of endogenous small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and natural microRNA (miRNA) sponges. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) and osteoarthritis (OA) are the most common chronic, prevalent and age-related degenerative musculoskeletal disorders. Numbers of lncRNAs are differentially expressed in human degenerative nucleus pulposus tissue and OA cartilage. Moreover, some lncRNAs have been shown to be involved in multiple pathological processes during OA, including extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, inflammatory responses, apoptosis and angiogenesis. In this review, we summarize current knowledge concerning lncRNAs, from their biogenesis, classification and biological functions to molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential in IDD and OA. are the most common chronic, prevalent and age-related degenerative musculoskeletal disorders, leading to an enormous socioeconomic burden worldwide. IDD and OA are two major causes of disability and chronic pain, and their incidence has been increasing not only among older persons but also within younger adults in the past decades. It is estimated that approximately 80% adults will suffer chronic low back pain caused by IDD during their lifetime.1 Over 50% of patients with symptomatic OA are younger than 65 years old.

A better understanding of the extent of convergent selection among crops could greatly improve breeding programs. We found that the quantitative trait locus KRN2 in maize and its rice ortholog, OsKRN2 , experienced convergent selection. These orthologs encode WD40 proteins and interact with a gene of unknown function, DUF1644, to negatively regulate grain number in both crops. Knockout of KRN2 in maize or OsKRN2 in rice increased grain yield by ~10% and ~8%, respectively, with no apparent trade-offs in other agronomic traits. Furthermore, genome-wide scans identified 490 pairs of orthologous genes that underwent convergent selection during maize and rice evolution, and these were enriched for two shared molecular pathways. KRN2 , together with other convergently selected genes, provides an excellent target for future crop improvement.

[1] Seismicity at a gas reservoir located in the relatively stable Sichuan Basin, China, mirrors the injection pressure of unwanted water, suggesting that the seismicity is injection induced. Injection under high pressure on a routine basis began on 9 January 2009 and continued to July 2011. During the injection period, over 120,000 m 3 of water was pumped under a wellhead pressure of up to 6.2 MPa into the limestone formation of Permian 2.45 to 2.55 km beneath the surface. The injection induced more than 7000 surface-recorded earthquakes, including 2 M4+ (the largest one was M L 4.4), 20 M3+, and more than 100 M2+ events. Data observed by a nearby local seismic network and five temporal stations provide a detailed view of the spatiotemporal distribution of the induced earthquakes. Most events were limited to depths ranging from 2.5 to 4 km, which is consistent with the limestone formation of Permian. In a map view, hypocenters are concentrated in a NNW extended ellipsoidal zone approximately 6 km long and approximately 2 km wide centered approximately at the injection well. Multisources of evidence such as the shear mechanism, pattern of hypocenter distribution, and small elevated pore pressure as compared with the least principal stress in the region show that the induced earthquakes occurred as a result of lowering of the effective normal stress on known or unknown preexisting blind faults which are critically loaded under the regional stress field. Epidemic-type aftershock sequence modeling results indicate that injection inducing and earthquake triggering are both important during earlier periods of injection, while later periods are dominated by forced (injection-induced) seismicity.

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Summary Starch is the most abundant storage carbohydrate in maize kernels and provides calories for humans and other animals as well as raw materials for various industrial applications. Decoding the genetic basis of natural variation in kernel starch content is needed to manipulate starch quantity and quality via molecular breeding to meet future needs. Here, we identified 50 unique single quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for starch content with 18 novel QTLs via single linkage mapping, joint linkage mapping and a genome‐wide association study in a multi‐parent population containing six recombinant inbred line populations. Only five QTLs explained over 10% of phenotypic variation in single populations. In addition to a few large‐effect and many small‐effect additive QTLs, limited pairs of epistatic QTLs also contributed to the genetic basis of the variation in kernel starch content. A regional association study identified five non‐starch‐pathway genes that were the causal candidate genes underlying the identified QTLs for starch content. The pathway‐driven analysis identified ZmTPS9, which encodes a trehalose‐6‐phosphate synthase in the trehalose pathway, as the causal gene for the QTL qSTA4−2, which was detected by all three statistical analyses. Knockout of ZmTPS9 increased kernel starch content and, in turn, kernel weight in maize, suggesting potential applications for ZmTPS9 in maize starch and yield improvement. These findings extend our knowledge about the genetic basis of starch content in maize kernels and provide valuable information for maize genetic improvement of starch quantity and quality.