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- Liu, Hui, et al.
(author)
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Centromere-Specific Retrotransposons and Very-Long-Chain Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in the Genome of Yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium, Sapindaceae), an Oil-Producing Tree With Significant Drought Resistance
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Plant Science. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-462X. ; 12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In-depth genome characterization is still lacking for most of biofuel crops, especially for centromeres, which play a fundamental role during nuclear division and in the maintenance of genome stability. This study applied long-read sequencing technologies to assemble a highly contiguous genome for yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium), an oil-producing tree, and conducted extensive comparative analyses to understand centromere structure and evolution, and fatty acid biosynthesis. We produced a reference-level genome of yellowhorn, ∼470 Mb in length with ∼95% of contigs anchored onto 15 chromosomes. Genome annotation identified 22,049 protein-coding genes and 65.7% of the genome sequence as repetitive elements. Long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) account for ∼30% of the yellowhorn genome, which is maintained by a moderate birth rate and a low removal rate. We identified the centromeric regions on each chromosome and found enrichment of centromere-specific retrotransposons of LINE1 and Gypsy in these regions, which have evolved recently (∼0.7 MYA). We compared the genomes of three cultivars and found frequent inversions. We analyzed the transcriptomes from different tissues and identified the candidate genes involved in very-long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis and their expression profiles. Collinear block analysis showed that yellowhorn shared the gamma (γ) hexaploidy event with Vitis vinifera but did not undergo any further whole-genome duplication. This study provides excellent genomic resources for understanding centromere structure and evolution and for functional studies in this important oil-producing plant.
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| 2. |
- Zhang, Qing, et al.
(author)
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Andersson-Magnéli Phases TinO2n-1 : Recent Progress Inspired by Swedish Scientists
- 2021
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In: Zeitschrift für Anorganische und Allgemeines Chemie. - : Wiley. - 0044-2313 .- 1521-3749. ; 647:2-3, s. 126-133
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Among homologous series of metal oxides, Andersson-Magneli phases TinO2n-1 (n=4-10) have attracted renewed scientific attention because of their behaviour in electrical conductivity and chemical/thermal stability. Various applications have also been reported for the phases with different values of n, or slightly reduced rutile (TiO2). The characteristic properties of these materials depend strongly on the compositional deviation from TiO2 and the way in which the structure accommodates the deviation. Thus, an urgent requirement is to overcome difficulties in characterizing such materials at atomic resolution. Here, we trace the discovery of the Andersson-Magneli phases, and report the application of recent developments in electron microscopy to reveal the relation, at the local level, between structural characteristics and electronic states, specifically for the materials TinO2n-1 with n=4-8. The electrical conductivity of Ti4O7 has been reported previously to show three clearly distinct states on decreasing temperature from 300 K. For this reason, we focus on Ti4O7 as a representative example of the TinO2n-1 phases and report structural characteristics at temperatures corresponding to each of the three different phases, focusing on the distribution of Ti3+ and Ti4+ cations from analysis of single-crystal XRD data. Electron diffraction experiments and electrical conductivity measurements are also reported.
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