Background: The Catharanthus roseus receptor-like kinase 1-like (CrRLK1L) subfamily, a specialized group within receptor-like kinases (RLKs), was initially identified in C. roseus cell cultures. CrRLK1L plays an important role in the growth, development and stress response of plants. Although CrRLK1L genes have been characterized across multiple plant species, their biological and genetic functions in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) remains poorly elucidated. Methods: a genome-wide investigation, phylogenetic analysis, chromosome localization, exon–intron structure, conserved motifs, stress-responsive cis-elements, tissue-specific expression patterns, and their effects on pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were analyzed. Results: A total of 29 CrRLK1L genes were identified in the S. tuberosum genome, unevenly distributed across 10 chromosomes and divided into three groups. Tissue-specific expression analysis revealed seven genes highly expressed in all tissues, while CrRLK1L13 was specific to stamens and flowers. Under stress conditions (mannitol, salt, hormone, and heat), StCrRLK1L genes exhibited diverse expression patterns. Functional characterization in Nicotiana benthamiana identified seven ROS suppressors and four ROS enhancers, implicating their roles in PAMP-triggered immunity. Conclusions: This study provides valuable insights into the StCrRLK1L gene family, enhancing our understanding of its functions, particularly in plant innate immunity.

In this study, we aimed to determine the optimal process parameters for extracting quercetin, luteolin and apigenin from the male inflorescences of Populus alba × berolinensis via the ultrasound-assisted cellulase hydrolysis and ethanol extraction (UACHEE) method and investigated the mechanism of cellulase action during the extraction process. The Box-Behnken design (BBD) was subsequently used to optimize the operating parameters. The optimal extraction parameters of ultrasound-assisted cellulase hydrolysis were as follows: ethanol volume fraction of 70 %, 40 mg/g of dose of cellulase, 50 °C of incubation temperature, 148 min of incubation time, pH of 5, mL/g of liquid‒solid ratio, duty cycle of 16.67 %, 200 W of ultrasound irradiation power in the incubation process, 200 W of ultrasound irradiation power in the extraction process, and 15 min of ultrasound irradiation time in the extraction process. Compared with other extraction methods, UACHEE presented an advantage in maintaining higher yields of quercetin, luteolin and apigenin (428.68, 549.65, 1136.20 μg/g). In addition, we used different characterization methods to clarify the extraction mechanism of this method to better improve the extraction yield and efficiency of the target components. This study will lay a theoretical foundation for the potential practical application of the male inflorescences of P. alba × berolinensis extracts in fields such as medicine, functional foods, cosmetics, environment and agriculture.

The ultrasound-assisted antisolvent precipitation method was used to prepare lignin nanoparticles from Thlaspi arvense L. rhizomes. The influence of each experimental variable on the average particle size (APS) of the lignin nanoparticles was determined via single-factor experiments. The optimal conditions for the preparation of the lignin nanoparticles were investigated in detail, and the APS of the lignin nanoparticles was 118 ± 3 nm. Compared with those of untreated lignin, the lignin nanoparticles prepared via this method were spherical and evenly distributed, and the structure was not damaged. Ultrasound generated local extreme physical conditions through its cavitation effect to promote nucleation, triggered high-speed turbulence to refine the particle size and improve uniformity, and applied mechanical disturbance to inhibit particle agglomeration, which promoted the preparation of lignin nanoparticles with a small size and good dispersion. A solubility test revealed that the lignin nanoparticles had greater solubility, which was improved 9-fold. The determination of antioxidant capacity revealed that the lignin nanoparticles had high free radical scavenging activity, which provided a broader space for the multifaceted utilization of a kind of grass lignin with the structural characteristics of T. arvense lignin (p-hydroxyphenyl lignin).

Aeromicrobium sp. JP4, an efficient degrader of polyurethane plastic, was isolated from a plastic waste dumpsite of Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China. We report the complete genome sequence of strain JP4, which consists of a circular chromosome of 3,493,617 bp.

In this investigation, pinocembrin and galangin were efficiently extracted from the male inflorescence of Populus alba L. × berolinensis K. Koch through an enzymatic pretreatment–ultrasonic-assisted strategy (EP-UAS), and the feasibility of their pilot-scale application was validated. The optimal parameters (ethanol volume fraction, cellulase dosage, incubation temperature, incubation time, pH, liquid‒solid ratio, ultrasonic irradiation power during incubation, duty cycle, ultrasonic irradiation power and time during extraction) affecting pinocembrin and galangin yields were systematically explored. The Box–Behnken design (BBD) results provided optimal parameters for the EP-UAS process. Under the optimal conditions, the actual yields of pinocembrin and galangin were 2158.33 ± 0.13 μg/g and 1257.96 ± 0.06 μg/g, respectively. Stability, recovery and reproducibility were determined under the above optimized conditions to evaluate the proposed EP-UAS method. Moreover, laboratory-scale experimental results revealed that the conditions selected via single-factor and response surface experiments were also applicable to pilot-scale production, facilitating industrialization.