Human lifespan is determined by genetic and environmental factors. Potential longevity genes are neither specific nor reproducible, and longevity-related genes are constantly confused with age-related genes. To distinguish specific age- and longevity-related genes, we analyzed a Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset established by the Leiden Longevity Study. The individuals were classified into longevity (mean age, 93.4 ± 3.0 years), longevity offspring (60.8 ± 6.1) and control (61.9 ± 6.9) groups. The series matrix files were downloaded, and average expression values were calculated. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between longevity and control groups and those between longevity and their offspring were identified by GEO2R online. A total of 507 longevity- and 755 age-related DEGs were visualized using a Venn diagram. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed on the longevity- and age-related DEGs. Age-related color modules and genes were identified. However, no longevity-related modules or genes were found. The green module, with 46 age-related DEGs, was the most biologically significant to age and aging. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and protein–protein interaction pathway analyses were conducted on these 46 DEGs, which are mainly enriched in B cell activation and receptor signaling pathways. CR2, VPREB3, MS4A1 and CCR6 were considered the most crucial candidate genes for aging.

Heat shock transcription factor σ³² of Escherichia coli plays a major role in protein homeostasis and requires membrane localization for regulation. We here report that a strongly deregulated I54N-σ³² mutant defective in association with the membrane can be phenotypically suppressed by Tn5 insertion into the mcrC or ydbA2 gene, encoding a restriction enzyme subunit or part of a putative autotransporter, respectively. The suppression is specific for mutant I54N-σ³² and reduces its activity but not its abundance or stability. Moreover, the deregulated phenotype of I54N-σ³² is effectively suppressed by a plasmid carrying the same mcrC::Tn5 mutation. In contrast, deletion of the mcrC or ydbA2 gene hardly affects I54N-σ³² activity. These results, taken together, suggest that the truncated form of McrC (and presumably also of YdbA2) protein produced by the Tn5 insertion interacts specifically with I54N-σ³² to reduce its activity without substantially affecting its amount or stability.

In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and population structure of the core collection of hexaploid wheat accessions in the Japanese wheat gene bank NBRP-Wheat. The core collection, consisting of 188 accessions of Triticum aestivum, T. spelta, T. compactum, T. sphaerococcum, T. macha and T. vavilovii, was intensively genotyped by DArTseq markers and consisted of 20,186 SNPs and 60,077 present and absent variations (PAVs). Polymorphic markers were distributed in all chromosomes, with a tendency for smaller numbers on the D-genome chromosomes. We examined the population structure by Bayesian clustering and principal component analysis with a general linear model. Overall, the core collection was divided into seven clusters. Non-admixture accessions in each cluster indicated that the clusters reflect the geographic distribution of the accessions. Both structure analyses strongly suggested that the cluster consisting of T. spelta and T. macha is out-grouped from other hexaploid wheat accessions. We performed genome-wide association analysis pilot studies for nine quantitative and seven qualitative traits and found marker-trait associations for all traits but one, indicating that the current core collection will be useful for detecting uncharacterized QTLs associated with phenotypes of interest.

The Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica) is widely distributed in mainland Asia, but its introduction into Japan and subsequent expansion have affected the Japanese weasel (M. itatsi). To provide a useful tool for population genetic studies and control of M. sibirica, we developed 10 polymorphic microsatellite markers. Among 40 individuals of M. sibirica collected in Hubei Province, China, the number of alleles per locus varied from 2 to 19, with the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.050 to 1.000 and the expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.049 to 0.920. None of the loci deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. These markers will be useful in further studies investigating the population structure and natural history of M. sibirica, and may thus provide new insights for the efficient management of this species.

Epigenetic modification can change the pattern of gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence, which may be adaptive in clonal plant species. In this study, we used MSAP (methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism) to examine epigenetic variation in Alternanthera philoxeroides, a clonal invasive species, in response to salinity stress. We found that salinity stress could significantly increase the level of epigenetic diversity within a population. This effect increased with increasing stress duration and was specific to particular genotypes. In addition, the epigenetic modification of young plants seems less sensitive to salinity than that of mature plants. This elevated epigenetic diversity in response to environmental stress may compensate for genetic impoverishment and contribute to evolutionary potential in clonal species.