Background: Salinity is one of the most significant environmental factors limiting the productivity of cotton. However, the key genetic components responsible for the reduction in cotton yield in saline-alkali soils are still unclear. Results: Here, we evaluated three main components of lint yield, single boll weight (SBW), lint percentage (LP) and boll number per plant (BNPP), across 316 G. hirsutum accessions under four salt conditions over two years. Phenotypic analysis indicated that LP was unchanged under different salt conditions, however BNPP decreased significantly and SBW increased slightly under high salt conditions. Based on 57,413 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis, a total of 42, 91 and 25 stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified for SBW, LP and BNPP, respectively. Phenotypic and QTL analysis suggested that there was little correlation among the three traits. For LP, 8 stable QTLs were detected simultaneously in four different salt conditions, while fewer repeated QTLs for SBW or BNPP were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that their regulatory mechanisms were also quite different. Via transcriptome profile data, we detected that 10 genes from the 8 stable LP QTLs were predominantly expressed during fiber development. Further, haplotype analyses found that a MYB gene (GhMYB103), with the two SNP variations in cis-regulatory and coding regions, was significantly correlated with lint percentage, implying a crucial role in lint yield. We also identified that 40 candidate genes from BNPP QTLs were salt-inducible. Genes related to carbohydrate metabolism and cell structure maintenance were rich in plants grown in high salt conditions, while genes related to ion transport were active in plants grown in low salt conditions, implying different regulatory mechanisms for BNPP at high and low salt conditions. Conclusions: This study provides a foundation for elucidating cotton salt tolerance mechanisms and contributes gene resources for developing upland cotton varieties with high yields and salt stress tolerance.

Fenclorim (Fen) is a safener developed for pretilachlor (Pre) that can protect rice from injury caused by Pre but does not lower the weed control effects of Pre. Unfortunately, the mechanism of selective action of Fen between rice and weeds, such as Echinochloa crusgalli (barnyard grass), has not been clarified. In this study, the differences in physiology, biochemistry, and gene transcription between rice and E. crusgalli response to Fen were compared. Comparing the protection effects of Fen on plant growth, it was found that Fen significantly protected rice from Pre, but did not protect E. crusgalli. The detection of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and activities of antioxidant enzymes showed that Pre induced significant oxidative damage both in rice and E. crusgalli; however, Fen reduced oxidative damage in rice but not in E. crusgalli. Transcriptome analysis revealed that Fen induced more genes related to herbicide metabolism in rice than in E. crusgalli, especially the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) genes, with six upregulated in rice but no genes upregulated in E. crusgalli. Accordingly, the GST activity analysis showed that Fen increased the activity of rice instead of E. crusgalli. These results indicate that the elevation of detoxifying enzyme activities and antioxidative defense may be the mechanism of selective action of Fen in rice but not in E. crusgalli.

Previous studies have shown that intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IH) preconditioning protected neurons survival from brain ischemia. However, the mechanism remains to be elucidated. The present study explored the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the process by measuring the expression of NO synthase (NOS) and NO levels. Male Wistar rats (100) were randomly assigned into four groups: sham group, IH + sham group, ischemia group and IH + ischemia group. Rats for IH preconditioning were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia mimicking 5000 m high-altitude (P = 404 mmHg, PO = 84 mmHg) 6 h/day, once daily for 28 days. Global brain ischemia was established by four-vessel occlusion that has been created by Pulsinelli. Rats were sacrificed at 7th day after the ischemia for neuropathological evaluation by thionin stain. In addition, the expression of neuronal NOS (nNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS), and NO content in the hippocampal CA1 subfield were measured at 2nd day and 7th day after the ischemia. Results revealed that global brain ischemia engendered delayed neuronal death (DND), both nNOS and iNOS expression up-regulated, and NO content increased in the hippocampal CA1 subfield. IH preconditioning reduced neuronal injury induced by the ischemia, and prevented the up-regulation of NOS expression and NO production. In addition, L-NAME + ischemia group was designed to detect whether depressing NO production could alleviate the DND. Pre-administration of L-NAME alleviated DND induced by the ischemia. These results suggest that IH preconditioning plays a protective role by inhibiting the over expression of NOS and NO content after brain ischemia.

Background: Salinity is one of the most significant environmental factors limiting the productivity of cotton. However, the key genetic components responsible for the reduction in cotton yield in saline-alkali soils are still unclear. Results: Here, we evaluated three main components of lint yield, single boll weight (SBW), lint percentage (LP) and boll number per plant (BNPP), across 316 G. hirsutum accessions under four salt conditions over two years. Phenotypic analysis indicated that LP was unchanged under different salt conditions, however BNPP decreased significantly and SBW increased slightly under high salt conditions. Based on 57,413 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis, a total of 42, 91 and 25 stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified for SBW, LP and BNPP, respectively. Phenotypic and QTL analysis suggested that there was little correlation among the three traits. For LP, 8 stable QTLs were detected simultaneously in four different salt conditions, while fewer repeated QTLs for SBW or BNPP were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that their regulatory mechanisms were also quite different. Via transcriptome profile data, we detected that 10 genes from the 8 stable LP QTLs were predominantly expressed during fiber development. Further, haplotype analyses found that a MYB gene (GhMYB103), with the two SNP variations in cis-regulatory and coding regions, was significantly correlated with lint percentage, implying a crucial role in lint yield. We also identified that 40 candidate genes from BNPP QTLs were salt-inducible. Genes related to carbohydrate metabolism and cell structure maintenance were rich in plants grown in high salt conditions, while genes related to ion transport were active in plants grown in low salt conditions, implying different regulatory mechanisms for BNPP at high and low salt conditions. Conclusions: This study provides a foundation for elucidating cotton salt tolerance mechanisms and contributes gene resources for developing Upland cotton varieties with high yields and salt stress tolerance.

Diagnosis of numerous cancers has been closely linked to the expression of certain long non-coding RNAs. This study aimed to evaluate levels of plasma FEZ family zinc finger 1 antisense RNA 1 (FEZF1-AS1) relative to non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) diagnosis. The level of FEZF1-AS1 in the blood plasma of 126 NSCLC patients and 62 healthy controls was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Plasma FEZF1-AS1 of the NSCLC group was increased compared with that in the control group (P < .0001). Plasma FEZF1-AS1 could distinguish patients with NSCLC from healthy individuals via the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.855 (95% CI = 0.800–0.909; P = .000). FEZF1-AS1 combined with neuron-specific enolase increased the area under the (ROC) curve to 0.932 (95% CI = 0.897–0.968; P = .018). A high expression level of plasma FEZF1-AS1 was associated with some clinical features of NSCLC. Increased expression of FEZF1-AS1 greatly improved the risk of NSCLC (adjusted OR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.23–4.76). A significant concentration–dependent relationship was noted between risk of NSCLC and higher FEZF1-AS1 expression (P for trend <.001). Plasma FEZF1-AS1 could potentially be used as a biomarker for NSCLC diagnosis.