The family Urticaceae consists of approximately 54 genera with more than 2000 species, and is widely distributed in tropical regions but less common in temperate regions, with by far the largest concentration of genera and species in tropical Asia. Historically, most of the diagnostic morphological characters used in classifications of Urticaceae are of such small size that microscopic work is ...
Stem xylem structure of a tree is strongly related to hydraulic efficiency, mechanical strength and resistance to embolism. It is hypothesized that there is a “trade-off triangle” among those three traits of xylem. Meanwhile, both water availability and air temperature can affect the development of xylem structure, which in turn influences the water supply and photosynthetic gas exchange in t...
Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in embryonic development, cell proliferation, differentiation as well as stem cells maintenance and self-renewal. Abnormal activation of Wnt signaling led to tumorigenesis of colon cancer, and many other malignancies, highlighting it as an important therapeutic target in cancer drug study. Isodon plants have been used in folk medicin...
Climate change is affecting the phenology of plants and animals throughout the world, but few studies have evaluated the climatic response of fruit trees in East Asia. Specifically, the response of fruit tree phenology to warming during different parts of the year has not been explored. XU Jianchu’s group, from Kunming Institute of Botany, evaluated long-term records (1963-2008) of chestnut fi...
Senescence is the last phase of the plant life cycle and has an important role in plant development. The senescence process takes place in a highly regulated manner and the cell constituents are dismantled in an ordered progression. Degradation of membrane lipids is an essential process during leaf senescence. Nonetheless, little is known about the role of lipolytic enzymes in mediating specifi...
The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has resulted in a profound reduction in morbidity and mortality from AIDS. However, the emergence of drug-resistant HIV-1 strains and drug side effects, such as long-term toxicities, drug-drug interactions, and individual intolerance for chronic antiretroviral agents, creates a pressing need for novel anti-HIV-1 agents with unexpl...
Cyananthus (Campanulaceae) is a small genus consistingof ca. 20 species endemic to the Sino-Himalayan region, and it was proposed as one of the most primitive genera of Campanulaceae. Three sections within Cyananthus based on habit, corolla lobes, and types of trichomes on the calyx are recognized: sect. Cyananthus, sect. Stenolobi Franch. and sect. Annui (Lian) Hong et Ma. SUN Hang’s group, f...
The uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), caused by the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate, was one of the most important geological events during the Cenozoic. This event deeply affected the climate and environment of the QTP and its adjacent regions, which had a profound impact on the evolutionary dynamics of many organisms in this area. Climatic oscillations during ...
BEP clade of the grass family (Poaceae) is composed of three subfamilies, i.e. Bambusoideae, Ehrhartoideae, and Pooideae. Controversies on the phylogenetic relationships among three subfamilies still persist in spite of great efforts. However, previous evidence was mainly provided from plastid genes with only a few nuclear genes utilized. Given different evolutionary histories recorded by plast...
