Background: Many data suggest that the sucrose non-fermenting 1-related kinases 2 (SnRK2s) are very important to abiotic stress for plants. In rice, these kinases are known as osmotic stress/ABA–activated protein kinases (SAPKs). Osmotic stress/ABA–activated protein kinase 3 (OsSAPK3) is a member of SnRK2II in rice, but its function is still unclear. Results: The expression of OsSAPK3 was up regulated by drought, NaCl, PEG and ABA. OsSAPK3 mutated seedings (sapk3-1 and sapk3-2) showed reduced hypersensitivity to exogenous ABA. In addition, under drought conditions, sapk3-1 and sapk3-2 showed more intolerance to drought, including decreased survival rate, increased water loss rate, increased stomatal conductance and significantly decreased expression levels of SLAC1 and SLAC7. Physiological and metabolic analyses showed that OsSAPK3 might play an important role in drought stress signaling pathway by affecting osmotic adjustment and osmolytes, ROS detoxification and expression of ABA dependent and independent dehydration-responsive genes. All gronomic traits analyses demonstrated that OsSAPK3 could improve rice yield by affecting the regulation of tiller numbers and grain size. Conclusion: OsSAPK3 plays an important role in both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent drought stress responses. More interestingly, OsSAPK3 could improve rice yield by indirectly regulating tiller number and grain size. These findings provide new insight for the development of drought-resistant rice.

The present study aims to optimize the ethanol-reflux extraction conditions for extracting saponins from steamed Panax notoginseng (SPN). Four variables including the extraction time (0.5–2.5 h), ethanol concentration (50–90%), water to solid ratio (W/S, 8–16), and times of extraction (1–5) were investigated by using the Box-Behnken design response surface methodology (BBD-RSM). For each response, a second-order polynomial model with high R² values (>0.9690) was developed using multiple linear regression analysis and the optimum conditions to maximize the yield (31.96%), content (70.49 mg/g), and antioxidant activity (EC₅₀ value of 0.0421 mg/mL) for saponins extracted from SPN were obtained with a extraction time of 1.51 h, ethanol concentration of 60%, extraction done 3 times, and a W/S of 10. The experimental values were in good consistency with the predicted ones. In addition, the extracted SPN saponins could significantly increase the levels of blood routine parameters compared with the model group (p < 0.01) and there was no significant difference in the hematopoiesis effect between the SPN group and the SPN saponins group, of which the dose was 15 times lower than the former one. It is suggested that the SPN saponins extracted by the optimized method had similar functions of “blood tonifying” at a much lower dose.

Background: The sucrose non-fermenting 1-related kinases 2 (SnRK2s) play important roles in osmotic stress responses inA. thalianaand rice (Oryza sativaL.). Osmotic stress/ABA–activated protein kinase 2 (SAPK2) is a member of SnRK2s subclass II in rice, but its function in rice yield under drought stress is unclear.Results: Compared with wild-type (Oryza.Sativa L.spp.japonica, WT) plants, thesapk2rice mutant lines were shorter and produced fewer grains per panicle, smaller grains and lower grain yield under reproductive stage drought stress (RDS). Subsequent analysis suggested that SAPK2 considerably influences the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents of rice grains. The examination of rice seedling growth and development under nutrient-deprived conditions (−N, −K, and − P) proved that SAPK2 can significantly affect rice seedling growth and root development in hydroponic cultures lacking N and K. Moreover, the NO₃⁻influx rate and nitrate concentration analysis indicated that SAPK2 promotes nitrate uptake and assimilation by regulating nitrate-related transporters.Conclusion: These results suggest thatSAPK2could enhance grain production by regulating nitrogen utilization efficiency under RDS. Our work provided insights to breeding drought tolerant rice with high nutrient uptake.

Dendrite morphogenesis is essential for a neuron to establish its receptive field and is, thus, the anatomical basis for the proper functioning of the nervous system. The molecular mechanisms governing dendrite branching are not fully understood. Using the multi-dendritic PVD neuron in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we identify CATP-8/P5A ATPase as a key regulator of dendrite branching that controls the translocation of the DMA-1 receptor to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The specific signal peptide of DMA-1 and the ATPase activity of CATP-8 are essential for this process. Our results reveal that P5A ATPase may regulate protein translocation in the ER.

：研究酱头对乙醇诱导的人胃上皮细胞（GES-1）的保护作用及其抗大鼠胃溃疡的作用和机制。 ：将细胞分为正常对照组、模型对照组、酱头95%醇提物组、酱头50%醇提物组、酱头水煎提取物组，采用1%乙醇建模，MTT法检测GES-1细胞增殖情况。60只SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组、模型对照组、雷尼替丁组，酱头95%醇提物小、中、大剂量组（150、300、600 mg/kg），连续灌胃14 d。采用无水乙醇建模，比较各组大鼠胃溃疡面积及溃疡抑制率；扫描电镜观察胃黏膜损伤程度；酶联免疫吸附测定法检测血清中肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）-α、白介素（IL）-6、IL-1β水平，胃组织中丙二醛（MDA）含量，超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、谷胱甘肽（GSH）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）活性。 三种酱头提取物中，酱头95%醇提物对于GES-1细胞的保护作用最强。动物实验中，与正常对照组比较，模型对照组胃黏膜上出现大量溃疡，而酱头95%醇提物各剂量组及雷尼替丁组溃疡面积较模型对照组明显减小（均 P<0.05）。与模型对照组比较，酱头95%醇提物各剂量组及雷尼替丁组均可明显降低大鼠血清中TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-6水平及胃组织中MDA含量，提高胃组织中SOD、CAT、GSH活性（均 P<0.05）。 ：酱头95%醇提物可通过降低血清中TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-6水平及胃组织中MDA含量，提高胃组织中SOD、CAT、GSH活性，起到治疗乙醇诱导胃溃疡的作用。

Panax notoginseng flowers have the highest content of saponins compared to the other parts of Panax notoginseng, but minor ginsenosides have higher pharmacological activity than the main natural ginsenosides. Therefore, this study focused on the transformation of the main ginsenosides in Panax notoginseng flowers to minor ginsenosides using the fungus of Cladosporium xylophilum isolated from soil. The main ginsenosides Rb₁, Rb₂, Rb₃, and Rc and the notoginsenoside Fa in Panax notoginseng flowers were transformed into the ginsenosides F₂ and Rd₂, the notoginsenosides Fd and Fe, and the ginsenoside R₇; the conversion rates were 100, 100, 100, 88.5, and 100%, respectively. The transformation products were studied by TLC, HPLC, and MS analyses, and the biotransformation pathways of the major ginsenosides were proposed. In addition, the purified enzyme of the fungus was prepared with the molecular weight of 66.4 kDa. The transformation of the monomer ginsenosides by the crude enzyme is consistent with that by the fungus. Additionally, three saponins were isolated from the transformation products and identified as the ginsenoside Rd₂ and the notoginsenosides Fe and Fd by NMR and MS analyses. This study provided a unique and powerful microbial strain for efficiently transformating major ginsenosides in P. notoginseng flowers to minor ginsenosides, which will help raise the functional and economic value of the P. notoginseng flower.