Wiley最新文献

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) features a unique inflorescence organ known as the spikelet, comprising floret, lemma/palea, sterile lemmas, and rudimentary glumes, of which the molecular regulation underlying sterile lemma identity remains elusive. Here, we isolated the G1 locus for sterile lemma specification using an F₂ population developed by crossing between Nipponbare and LG7, a variety with a lemma-like-sterile lemma (lsl). An SNP (+323 G/A) in G1 alleles causes a serine to asparagine (S108N) substitution, leading to the lsl phenotype. Mechanistically, we found that G1 transactivates the expressions of both OsMADS34 and TGW2, two genes known to regulate sterile lemma identity and grain size, through binding to the YACTGTW and CArG-box motifs within their promoters, respectively. Subsequently, we reveal that the transactivation activity of G1^NIP (allele from Nipponbare) is further enhanced through interactions with either OsMADS34 or TGW2. Furthermore, we demonstrated that G1 specifies sterile lemma identity via OsMADS34 and controls grain size through TGW2. Our results reveal two transcriptional circuits (G1-OsMADS34 and G1-TGW2) that are crucial for determining sterile lemma identity and grain size of rice, providing insights into genetic improvement for breeding programs.

Background and aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver disease globally, but its prevalence and severity remain poorly characterized in the general population. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of MASLD and the risk of advanced fibrosis in a large Swedish general population cohort.

Methods: From the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) cohort, we analyzed 27,763 participants aged 50-64 years who underwent extensive clinical characterization. MASLD was defined as <48 HU on non-contrast liver computed tomography (CT) imaging. The risk for advanced fibrosis was assessed using the dynamic aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine transaminase (ALT) ratio.

Results: MASLD was present in 18.1% of participants and was more common in men than women (25.5% vs. 11.2%). Prevalence increased with cardiometabolic burden: from 7.0% among those without obesity, hypertension, or Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to 70.2% among those with all three conditions. MASLD risk was elevated in individuals with obesity alone (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.56; 95% CI = 4.89-6.31), T2DM alone (aOR = 2.66; 95% CI = 2.13-3.33), or hypertension alone (aOR = 1.78; 95% CI = 1.59-1.99). The combination of all three conferred the highest risk (aOR = 17.1; 95% CI = 14.0-20.9). Among persons with MASLD, 24.8% were classified as at risk for advanced fibrosis. Fibrosis risk was independently associated with hypertension (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.24-1.66), T2DM (aOR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.06-1.46), male sex (aOR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.02-1.42), and alcohol consumption (aOR per gram/day = 1.02; 95% CI = 1.01-1.03).

Conclusions: In Sweden, almost one in five middle-aged adults is affected by MASLD, with a quarter of cases at risk of advanced fibrosis. Male sex, obesity, T2DM, and hypertension are important predictors of the prevalence and severity of MASLD.

Background and aims: People who use drugs are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. We aimed to provide a broad synthesis of the epidemiology, harms and interventions related to drug use and drug use disorders among incarcerated adults worldwide, and highlight gaps in evidence and practice.

Methods: In this structured review, we searched PubMed and Web of Science for articles published between 2015 and August 2025. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and large primary studies with unselected samples were given preference for inclusion.

Results: Four in ten adults who enter prison meet diagnostic criteria for a drug use disorder, a treatable psychiatric condition often underlying the offences that led to their incarceration. Drug use disorders are approximately ten times more prevalent among people in prison compared with the general population, with a higher excess in women. Comorbid mental disorders are common. Around a third of incarcerated individuals report using drugs during imprisonment, which poses a health and safety risk for people both living and working in prisons. Injecting drug use in prison contributes to blood-borne virus transmission. In addition to its strong link with recidivism, drug use is associated with a markedly increased risk of premature mortality after release from prison, particularly from drug-related causes within the first two weeks post-release. Despite robust evidence supporting the effectiveness of prison-based pharmacological (e.g. opioid agonist treatment) and psychosocial (e.g. therapeutic communities) interventions in reducing drug-related harms, there remains a significant treatment gap within prison settings worldwide. Further research is needed to assess the health benefits of harm reduction services in prisons, including needle and syringe programmes. Strategies to facilitate linkage to and retention in post-release services are key to ensure continuity of care and achieve sustainable treatment outcomes.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of drug use and its multiple adverse outcomes among people in prison underscore the need for provision of evidence-based interventions. Expanding and integrating prison-based and post-release interventions to address drug use has the potential to yield both public health and criminal justice benefits.

Most Proteaceae and some Fabaceae species produce specialised cluster roots (CRs), and are abundant in severely phosphorus (P)-impoverished soils in southwest Australia. Two types of CRs, compound and simple, have been identified. However, the difference in their P-mining strategies remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted glasshouse and field experiments to compare the P-acquisition strategies among 18 CR-producing species in Proteaceae and Fabaceae. Proteaceae produced a significantly larger mass of CRs than Fabaceae. Particularly, Banksia species produced the largest mass of compound CRs and exhibited the greatest net plant-absorbed P in pots and consistently higher mature leaf manganese concentration in the field. In contrast, Hakea and Grevillea species produced less mass of simple CRs but three times as much soil adhered to their CRs per CR dry weight, resulting in greater absorbed P per CR weight. All plants depleted similar P compounds from soil and accessed c. 52% of P that was not extracted by a NaOH-EDTA solution, suggesting that both CRs shared a common physiological function for mining scarcely available P. This study highlights two divergent P-acquisition strategies: greater biomass investment in compound CRs versus greater P-acquisition efficiency in simple CRs.

Protoplast-based systems provide a powerful and versatile platform for exploring how plants sense and respond to their environment. By enabling the direct delivery of proteins, DNA, and RNA into plant cells after cell wall removal, this approach facilitates precise molecular dissection of signaling, stress adaptation, and gene regulation across both model species and economically important crops. In this review, we analyzed 1050 published articles and categorizing them by delivery methods, research focus, plant species, and tissue types. We further highlight recent advances, including the application of single-cell transcriptomics, which provides unprecedented resolution for dissecting cellular responses and offers deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying stress resilience. Importantly, protoplast regeneration is gaining renewed attention not only as a model system for studying cellular reprogramming but also as a practical platform for crop improvement. Applications of protoplast regeneration include protoplast fusion, which integrates nuclear and organellar DNA/genomes from divergent parents to accelerate breeding and enhance tolerance to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Another important application is CRISPR/Cas ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-based editing targeting stress-resilience-related genes. In asexually propagated or highly heterozygous perennial crops with limited sexual reproduction, protoplast-based RNP delivery offers a viable and regulation-compliant strategy. This approach may help address public concerns over transgenic technologies while enabling the rapid development of stress-tolerant cultivars.