Biology subjects

Zhang, F.-L.

Publications and source records attributed to Zhang, F.-L..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Grain filling leads to backflow of surplus water in maize grain via the xylem to the cob and plant

The rapid dehydration rate of maize grain is one of the main characteristics of cultivar selection of mechanical grain harvest, but the dominant driving force and mechanism of grain dehydration before physiological maturity remains disputable and obscure, respectively. This study found that, from grain formation to 5-10 days before physiological maturity of early and middle maturity maize cultivars, the main driving force of grain dehydration is filling and then converts to surface evaporation, by comparing the grain moisture content and dehydration rate between grain coated treatment and control. In the dye movement experiment, xylem-mobile dye movement into grain through pedicel xylem was observed during grain formation period, and declined and gradually not observed after grain formation. Xylem-mobile dye movement out of ear via cob, ear-pedicel and stem xylem was observed after grain formation. In addition, from grain formation to physiological maturity, there was a very significant positive correlation between grain filling rate and dehydration rate. According to these results, it is proposed here that in the grain dehydration phase driven by filling, the surplus water in grain flows back to cob via pedicel xylem, and some of it flows back to plant via cob and ear-pedicel xylem. HighlightThe surplus water in grain driven by grain filling flows back to the cob and plant for recyclingvia the xylem during the development of maize grain.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Dissecting the initiation of female meiosis in the mouse at single-cell resolution

Germ cell meiosis is one of the most finely orchestrated events during gametogenesis with distinct developmental patterns in males and females. However, in mammals, the molecular mechanisms involved in this process remain not well known. Here, we report detailed transcriptome analyses of cell populations present in the mouse female gonadal ridges (E11.5) and the embryonic ovaries from E12.5 to E14.5 using single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA seq). These periods correspond with the initiation and progression of meiosis throughout the first stage of prophase I. We identified 13 transcriptionally distinct cell populations and 7 transcriptionally distinct germ cell subclusters that correspond to mitotic (3 clusters) and meiotic (4 clusters) germ cells. By comparing the signature gene expression pattern of 4 meiotic germ cell clusters, we found that the 4 cell clusters correspond to different cell status en route to meiosis progression, and therefore, our research here characterized detailed transcriptome dynamics during meiotic prophase I. Reconstructing the progression of meiosis along pseudotime, we identified several new genes and molecular pathways with potential critical roles in the mitosis/meiosis transition and early meiotic progression. Last, the heterogeneity within somatic cell populations was also discussed and different cellular states were identified. Our scRNA seq analysis here represents a new important resource for deciphering the molecular pathways driving meiosis initiation and progression in female germ cells and ovarian somatic cells.

developmental biology↗