Prevention and Potential Treatment Strategies for Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant viral pathogen that causes respiratory infections in infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. RSV-related illnesses impose a substantial economic burden worldwide annually. The molecular structure, function, and in vivo interaction mechanisms of RSV have received more comprehensive attention in recent times, and significant progress has been made in developing inhibitors targeting various stages of the RSV replication cycle. These include fusion inhibitors, RSV polymerase inhibitors, and nucleoprotein inhibitors, as well as FDA-approved RSV prophylactic drugs palivizumab and nirsevimab. The research community is hopeful that these developments might provide easier access to knowledge and might spark new ideas for research programs.

Field test of quantum key distribution over aerial fiber based on simple and stable modulation.

We have developed a simple time-bin phase encoding quantum key distribution system, using the optical injection locking technique. This setup incorporates both the merits of simplicity and stability in encoding, and immunity to channel disturbance. We have demonstrated the field implementation of quantum key distribution over long-distance deployed aerial fiber automatically. During the 70-day field test, we achieved approximately a 1.0 kbps secure key rate with stable performance. Our work takes an important step toward widespread implementation of QKD systems in diverse and complex real-life scenarios.

Time-bin phase-encoding quantum key distribution using Sagnac-based optics and compatible electronics.

In this work, we present a new time-bin phase-encoding quantum key distribution (QKD), where the transmitter utilizes an inherently stable Sagnac-type interferometer, and has comparable electrical requirements to existing polarization or phase encoding schemes. This approach does not require intensity calibration and is insensitive to environmental disturbances, making it both flexible and high-performing. We conducted experiments with a compact QKD system to demonstrate the stability and secure key rate performance of the presented scheme. The results show a typical secure key rate of 6.2 kbps@20 dB and 0.4 kbps@30 dB with channel loss emulated by variable optical attenuators. A continuous test of 120-km fiber spool shows a stable quantum bit error rate of the time-bin basis within 0.4%∼0.6% over a consecutive 9-day period without any adjustment. This intrinsically stable and compatible scheme of time-bin phase encoding is extensively applicable in various QKD experiments, including BB84 and measurement-device-independent QKD.

Fusarium pernambucanum Causing Leaf Yellow Spot on Melon (Cucumis melo L.), a New Disease in China.

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, and is an important economic and horticultural crop. In March 2022, melon plants in greenhouses exhibited severe leaf yellow spot symptoms in Changjiang County (109°13'N, 19°28'E), Hainan Province. The incidence of the disease was about 30-50%. Lesions initially appeared as yellow dots on leaves and expanded irregularly. Gradually, brown spots appeared, and finally the whole leaves turned yellow and resulted in blighting and death of foliage (Figure 1.). A total of four symptomatic plants were sampled from about 0.2 ha of an area. Symptomatic leaves were excised, surface disinfected with 2% (w/v) NaOCl, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) followed by incubation at 25°C in the dark for 5 days. The pure cultures were obtained by the hyphal-tip method. A total of eight fungal isolates with similar colony characteristics were recovered from the four symptomatic plants. Three DNA fragments (ITS, TEF1, and RPB2) of the eight isolates showed 100% sequence identity based on the molecular identification methods described below. Therefore, one of the isolates, M2JP-3, was chosen for identification and test of the pathogenicity. The colony of M2JP-3 on PDA at 25°C for 5 days was white with yellow-brown pigmentation in the center (Figure 2A-B). From 10-day-old cultures grown on CLA (Fisher et al. 1982), macroconidia (n = 50) were falcate, slender, curved dorsiventrally, tapering towards both ends, 3 to 7 septate, and measured 24.5 to 52.1 x 3.7 to 4.7 µm. The microconidia (n = 50) were straight or slightly curved, septate 0 to 2, and measured 9.9 to 16.3 x 2.5 to 3.7 µm (Figure 2C-E). For molecular identification, genomic DNA was extracted using the method previously described (Khan et al. 2021),the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1) and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase subunit II (RPB2) were amplified, respectively, using primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1/ EF2 (O'Donnell et al. 1998), and 5F2/7cR (Reeb et al. 2004). The 529 bp (ITS), 723 bp (TEF1), and 965bp (RPB2) sequences were deposited in GenBank with acce. nos. OP303211, OP312675 and OP312674, respectively. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the concatenated three gene sequences of M2JP-3 and that of the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) (Xia et al. 2019) based on Maximum Likelihood (Figure 3). M2JP-3 was grouped together with the F. pernambucanum strain NRRL 32864 (accession no. GQ505702 for ITS, GQ505613 for TEF1and GQ505791 for RPB2), and shared 100% concatenated sequence identity. For pathogenicity tests of M2JP-3, seeds of melon cultivar Jinmeiren were surface disinfected and sowed in soil in three replicated pots in a greenhouse at 26 °C under natural light. Healthy leaves of the melon plants were wounded with needles and inoculated with mycelial plugs of M2JP-3 or PDA plugs as control. . Symptoms similar to the original greenhouse symptoms were observed at 7 days after inoculation (Figure 4). The control leaves were asymptomatic. The same fungus was reisolated from the inoculated leaves, as identified based on morphology and molecular evidence, which confirmed the Kochs' postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first time Fusarium pernambucanum has been recorded causing leaf yellow spot disease on melon. Further, findings of the present study will help to develop effective disease management strategies against Fusarium pernambucanum Leaf Yellow Spot on melon in China.

The effects of music therapy on peripherally inserted central catheter in hospitalized children with leukemia.

To explore the effect of music therapy on children with leukemia who have peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC).In this study, we divided 107 patients undergoing PICC into music group (47 cases) and control group (60 cases). The music group received music therapy during PICC, while the control group was given no complementary treatment. The total length of catheterization, the use of sedatives and the changes of pain level and emotion level before and after PICC placement were compared between two groups.Compared with the control group, the total PICC placement time of the music group was significantly shorter (35(30-40) vs. 60(60-60); Z = -8.307; p < 0.001), and the use of sedative medications was also significantly reduced (4.35% (n = 2) vs. 91.84% (n = 45); p < 0.001). Moreover, the pain of catheterization was significantly alleviated. The median difference of pain scores of the music group was significantly less (2(1-3) vs. 5(5-5); p < 0.001). The mood of patients was also improved. The median difference of emotional scores of the music group was significantly more (5(4.75-6) vs. 3(3-3); p < 0.001) than the control group.Music therapy is effective to use in PICC. It can shorten the treatment time, reduce the use of sedative medications, and improve the children's emotion and pain response significantly, which is worth clinical application.

A novel dibenzofuran from endophytic fungus Mycosphaerella nawae preferentially inhibits CD4+ T cell activation and proliferation.

AIM: To obtain promising immunosuppressants from endophytic fungus. METHODS AND RESULTS: The endophytic fungus Mycosphaerella nawae (ZJLQ129) was isolated from the plant Smilax china L. and its secondary metabolites extracted and fractionated through column chromatography. The metabolites were further modified by a derivatization reaction with ammonium hydroxide. After isolation and derivatization, a new dibenzofuran named as (+)isomycousnine enamine (iME) was obtained. The structures of the derivatives were determined based on chemical evidences and extensive spectroscopic methods including 2D-NMR, DEPT and HRESI-MS spectra. The immune activities of iME were first evaluated on the proliferation and cytokines (IL-2 and IFN-γ) production of T and B cells by using MTT and ELISA methods respectively. Then, its effects on the proliferation of T-cell subsets (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells), as well as CD25 and CD69 expressions were also determined by flow cytometry. Finally, by using Cytometric Bead Array (CBA), the impacts of iME on the secretion of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines from purified CD4+ T cells were assayed. The results showed that iME not only selectively suppressed the immune responses of T cells, but also preferentially inhibited the activation and proliferation of CD4+ T cells. CONCLUSION: A novel dibenzofuran derived from endophytic fungus Mycosphaerella nawae preferentially inhibits CD4+ T-cell activation and proliferation. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This work obtained iME, a new dibenzofuran derived from endophytic fungus. iME has the capacity to inhibit CD4+ T-cell activation and therefore is a novel potential immunosuppressant for development in the future.

Arthrobacter wenxiniae sp. nov., a novel plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria species harbouring a carotenoids biosynthetic gene cluster.

A bacterial strain, designated AETb3-4T was isolated from the rhizosphere of lily. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the sequence from strain AETb3-4T exhibits high sequence similarity with those of Arthrobacter silviterrae KIS14-16T (97.9%), Arthrobacter livingstonensis LI2T (97.2%) and Arthrobacter stackebrandtii CCM 2783T (97.0%). Whole genome average nucleotide identity (ANI) and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain AETb3-4T and the reference strains A. silviterrae DSM 27180T, A. livingstonensis L12T and A. stackebrandtii DSM 16005T were below 83.6% and 27.7%, respectively, values which are considerably below the proposed thresholds for the species delineation, consistent with the proposal that strain AETb3-4T represents a novel species. The genome size of strain AETb3-4T is 4.33 Mb and the genomic DNA G + C content is 67.3%. The main polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycero, phosphatidylinositol and an unidentified glycolipid. The major fatty acids (> 10%) were identified as anteiso-C15: 0 and anteiso-C17: 0. The predominant menaquinone was found to be menaquinone 9 (MK-9) (H2) (82.2%). Phenotypic tests allowed the strain to be differentiated from its close phylogenetic neighbors. Based on the results obtained, it is proposed that the strain AETb3-4T (= CFCC 16390T = LMG 31708T) represents a novel species in the genus Arthrobacter, for which the names Arthrobacter wenxiniae sp. nov. is proposed. In addition, the novel strain AETb3-4T has multiple plant growth-promoting characters including ACC-deaminase activity and production of IAA. Furthermore, the genome contains secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters, including a carotenoid biosynthetic gene cluster, suggesting potential capacities for secondary metabolite synthesis. These data suggest that strain AETb3-4T may have potential applications both in medicine and sustainable agriculture.

Novel hydroxyl carboximates derived from ß-elemene: design, synthesis and anti-tumour activities evaluation.

A series of novel N-alkyl-N-hydroxyl carboximates derived from ß-elemene were fortuitously discovered. Most of them showed more potent anti-proliferative activities than their lead compound ß-elemene (1). Notably, compound 11i exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation of three lung cell lines (H1975, A549 and H460) and several other tumour cell lines (H1299, U87MG, MV4-11, and SU-DHL-2). Preliminary mechanistic studies revealed that compound 11i could significantly induce cell apoptosis. Further in vivo study in the H460 xenograft mouse model validated the anti-tumour activities of 11i with a greater tumour growth inhibition (TGI, 68.3%) than ß-elemene and SAHA (50.1% and 55.9% respectively) at 60 mg/kg ip dosing, without obvious body weight loss and toxicity. Thus, such N-alkyl-N-hydroxyl carboximate class of compounds exemplified as 11i demonstrated potent anticancer activities both in vitro and in vivo, and should warrant further investigation for potential anticancer therapy.

Recent Advances in Synergistic Antitumor Effects Exploited from the Inhibition of Ataxia Telangiectasia and RAD3-Related Protein Kinase (ATR).

As one of the key phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases (PIKKs) family members, ataxia telangiectasia and RAD3-related protein kinase (ATR) is crucial in maintaining mammalian cell genomic integrity in DNA damage response (DDR) and repair pathways. Dysregulation of ATR has been found across different cancer types. In recent years, the inhibition of ATR has been proven to be effective in cancer therapy in preclinical and clinical studies. Importantly, tumor-specific alterations such as ATM loss and Cyclin E1 (CCNE1) amplification are more sensitive to ATR inhibition and are being exploited in synthetic lethality (SL) strategy. Besides SL, synergistic anticancer effects involving ATRi have been reported in an increasing number in recent years. This review focuses on the recent advances in different forms of synergistic antitumor effects, summarizes the pharmacological benefits and ongoing clinical trials behind the biological mechanism, and provides perspectives for future challenges and opportunities. The hope is to draw awareness to the community that targeting ATR should have great potential in developing effective anticancer medicines.

Clinical observation of magnesium aluminum carbonate combined with rabeprazole-based triple therapy in the treatment of helicobacter pylori-positive gastric ulcer associated with hemorrhage.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical effect of magnesium aluminum carbonate combined with rabeprazole-based triple therapy in the treatment of patients with Helicobacter pylori-positive gastric ulcer associated with hemorrhage. Methods: A total of 80 patients with Helicobacter pylori-positive gastric ulcer associated with hemorrhage admitted to the Baoding First Central Hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected and randomly divided into two groups, with 40 cases in each group. The control group were given rabeprazole-based triple therapy, while the experimental group were treated with magnesium aluminum carbonate on the basis of the control group. The changes of symptoms and signs such as abdominal pain, abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting and hematochezia were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Serological changes of the gastric mucosal microenvironment, such as the serum levels of extracellular regulatory protein kinase (ERK), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), were compared between the two groups. Moreover, the differences in the results of gastroscopy between the two groups before and after treatment were compared and analyzed. Results: The scores of gastrointestinal symptoms in the experimental group after treatment were significantly improved compared with the control group (p=0.00). The levels of ERK and EGFR in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (ERK, p=0.01; EGRF, p=0.00), while the level of SOD was significantly increased (p=0.02). After treatment, the total effective rate of ulcer healing in the experimental group was 82.5%, which was significantly better than 60% in the control group (p=0.03). After treatment, moderate to severe gastric mucosal inflammation in the experimental group decreased to 10%, significantly better than that in the control group (decreased to 30%) (p=0.03). Conclusion: Magnesium aluminum carbonate combined with rabeprazole-based triple therapy is preferred for the treatment of patients with Helicobacter pylori-positive gastric ulcer associated with hemorrhage. With such a highly effective treatment regimen, the internal environment and blood supply of gastric mucosal cells can be significantly improved, gastric mucosal inflammation and gastrointestinal symptoms can be ameliorated, and the healing of ulcer surfaces can be accelerated.

Caulobacter endophyticus sp. nov., an endophytic bacterium harboring three lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters and producing indoleacetic acid isolated from maize root.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium with a single polar flagellum or a stalk at the end of the cell, was isolated from maize roots in the Fangshan District of Beijing, People's Republic of China. The new strain designated 774T produced indole acetic acid (IAA). The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain 774T belongs to the genus Caulobacter and is closely related to Caulobacter flavus RHGG3T, Caulobacter zeae 410Tand Caulobacter radices 695T, all with sequence similarities of 99.9%. The genome size of strain774T was 5.4 Mb, comprising 5042 predicted genes with a DNA G+C content of 68.7%.Three striking lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters and two IAA synthesis genes belonging to the TPM pathway were also found in the genome of strain 774T. The average nucleotide identity values and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of the strain774T with its closely phylogenetic neighbours were less than 91.5% and 45.0%, respectively, indicating a new Caulobacter species. The major fatty acids of strain774T were identified as C16: 0 (27.7%), summed feature 3 (C16: 1ω6c and/or C16: 1ω7c) (12.6%) and summed feature 8 (C18: 1ω7c and/or C18: 1ω6c) (42.9%).The major polar lipids consisted of phosphatidyl-glycerol and glycolipids. The predominant ubiquinone was identified as Quinone 10. Based on the polyphasic characterization, strain 774T represents a novel species of the genus Caulobacter, for which the name Caulobacter endophyticus sp. nov. is proposed with 774T (= CGMCC 1.16558T = DSM 106777T) as the type strain.

Interaction between antibiotic use and MS4A2 gene polymorphism on childhood eczema: a prospective birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Eczema is usually the first allergic manifestation to appear in life attributed to gene-environment interactions. IL13, IL4, MS4A2 and ILR4A are four key inflammatory genes associated with atopy. This study aimed to explore gene-environment interactions on eczema in early life among the above four genes and environmental factors in Chinese Han children. METHODS: Five hundred ninety-seven children from a birth cohort who completed two-year follow-up were enrolled and their cord blood was collected. Subjects were genotyped for six polymorphisms in the aforementioned four genes. The children were followed at 6, 12 and 24 months, with epidemiologic information and medical history of eczema collected by questionnaire and eczema assessed by dermatologists. RESULTS: Among the 597 children, 168 were diagnosed with eczema and the others were not after 2 years of follow-up. MS4A2 rs569108 GG genotype (P = 1.68E-02, odds ratio (OR) = 4.66) and antibiotic use (P = 3.75E-4, OR = 2.02) were found independently associated with development of childhood eczema. Children with both antibiotic use and MS4A2 rs569108 GG genotype were more likely to develop eczema than those with only antibiotic use or GG homozygote (OR = 6.24 VS. 2.04 or 4.68). CONCLUSIONS: MS4A2 rs569108 polymorphism and antibiotic use were solely associated with eczema, and they interacted with each other to increase the risk of developing the disease in Chinese Han toddlers. Long-term follow-up along with functional and replication studies are still needed.

Loss of Setd2 promotes Kras-induced acinar-to-ductal metaplasia and epithelia-mesenchymal transition during pancreatic carcinogenesis.

OBJECTIVE: SETD2, the sole histone H3K36 trimethyltransferase, is frequently mutated or deleted in human cancer, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, whether SETD2/H3K36me3 alteration results in PDAC remains largely unknown. DESIGN: TCGA(PAAD) public database and PDAC tissue array with SETD2/H3K36me3 staining were used to investigate the clinical relevance of SETD2 in PDAC. Furthermore, to define the role of SETD2 in the carcinogenesis of PDAC, we crossed conditional Setd2 knockout mice (PdxcreSetd2flox/flox) together with KrasG12D mice. Moreover, to examine the role of SETD2 after ductal metaplasia, Crisp/cas9 was used to deplete Setd2 in PDAC cells. RNA-seq and H3K36me3 ChIP-seq were performed to uncover the mechanism. RESULTS: SETD2 mutant/low expression was correlated with poor prognosis in patients with PDAC. Next, we found that Setd2 acted as a putative tumour suppressor in Kras-driven pancreatic carcinogenesis. Mechanistically, Setd2 loss in acinar cells facilitated Kras-induced acinar-to-ductal reprogramming, mainly through epigenetic dysregulation of Fbxw7. Moreover, Setd2 ablation in pancreatic cancer cells enhanced epithelia-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through impaired epigenetic regulation of Ctnna1. In addition, Setd2 deficiency led to sustained Akt activation via inherent extracellular matrix (ECM) production, which would favour their metastasis. CONCLUSION: Together, our findings highlight the function of SETD2 during pancreatic carcinogenesis, which would advance our understanding of epigenetic dysregulation in PDAC. Moreover, it may also pave the way for development of targeted, patients-tailored therapies for PDAC patients with SETD2 deficiency.

Paenibacillus apii sp. nov., a novel nifH gene-harbouring species isolated from the rhizospheres of vegetable plants grown in different regions of northern China.

Two nifH gene-harbouring bacterial strains were isolated from rhizospheres of different vegetable plants grown in different regions of northern PR China. The two strains possessed almost identical 16S rRNA gene sequences. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between the two strains were 99.21 and 93.6% respectively, suggesting they belong to one species. Based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, the two strains were clustered together with Paenibacillus rhizophilus 7197T, Paenibacillus sabinae T27T and Paenibacillus forsythiae T98T, but on a separate branch. Novelty of the species was confirmed by ANI and dDDH comparisons between the type strain 7124T and its closest relatives, since the obtained values were considerably below the proposed thresholds for the species delineation. The genome size of strain 7124T was 5.40 Mb, comprising 5050 predicted genes with a DNA G+C content of 52.3 mol%. The polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and three unidentified lipids. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15  :  0 (52.9%) and C16  :  0 (23.4 %). Menaquinone-7 was reported as the major respiratory quinone. The diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was found to be meso-diaminopimelic acid. Based on phylogenetic, genomic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, the two isolates are considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus apii sp. nov. is proposed, with 7124T (=DSM 103172T=CGMCC 1.15689T) as type strain.

Rhizobium rhizophilum sp. nov., an indole acetic acid-producing bacterium isolated from rape (Brassica napus L.) rhizosphere soil.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped and indole acetic acid-producing strain, designated 7209-2T, was isolated from rhizosphere of rape (Brassica napus L.) grown in the Yakeshi City, Inner Mongolia, PR China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain 7209-2T belongs to the genus Rhizobium and is closely related to Rhizobium rosettiformans W3T, Rhizobium ipomoeae shin9-1T and Rhizobium wuzhouense W44T with sequence similarities of 98.2, 98.1 and 97.9 %, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated housekeeping recA and atpD gene sequences showed that strain 7209-2T formed a group together with R. wuzhouense W44T and R. rosettiformans W3T, with sequences similarities of 92.6 and 91.1 %, respectively. The genome size of strain 7209-2T was 5.25 Mb, comprising 5027 predicted genes with a DNA G+C content of 61.2 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization comparisons among 7209-2T and reference strains for the most closely related species showed values below the accepted threshold for species discrimination. The major fatty acids of strain 7209-2T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c) and summed feature 2 (C12 : 0 aldehyde and/or unknown 10.953) . The major polar lipids were found to consist of phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and an unidentified aminophospholipid. The predominant ubiquinone was identified as quinone 10. Based on all the above results, strain 7209-2T represents a novel species of the genus Rhizobium, for which the name Rhizobium rhizophilum sp. nov. is proposed with 7209-2T (=CGMCC 1.15691T=DSM 103161T) as the type strain.

Mesorhizobium rhizophilum sp. nov., a 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase producing bacterium isolated from rhizosphere of maize in Northeast China.

A novel 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase producing bacterium, Gram- stain-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped strain designated YM1C-6-2T was isolated from rhizosphere of maize grown in Northeast China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain YM1C-6-2T belongs to the genus Mesorhizobium and is closely related to Mesorhizobium alhagi CCNWXJ12-2T and M. camelthorni CCNWXJ40-4T with sequence similarities of 98.4% and 97.9%, respectively. Multilocus sequence analysis of other housekeeping genes revealed that the new isolates YM1C-6-2T forms a phylogenetically group with some species in the genus Mesorhizobium. The genome size of strain YM1C-6-2T was 5.51 Mb, comprising 5378 predicted genes with a DNA G+C content of 64.5%. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization comparisons between YM1C-6-2T and the most related type strains showed values below the accepted threshold for species discrimination. The major fatty acids of strain YM1C-6-2T were C19:0 cyclo ω8c (47.5%), summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c) (19.5%) and C16:0 (15.1%), which differed from the closely related reference strains in their relative abundance. The major polar lipids consist of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and an unidentified aminophospholipid. The predominant ubiquinone was identified as Quinone 10. Phenotypic and biochemical analysis results indicated that strain YM1C-6-2T can be distinguished from closely related type strains. Based on the above results, strain YM1C-6-2T represents a novel species of the genus Mesorhizobium, for which the name Mesorhizobium rhizophilum sp. nov. is proposed with YM1C-6-2T (= CGMCC 1.15487T = DSM 101712T) as the type strain.

[Expression Level of Protein Kinase D in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Diverse Differentiation].

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the expression level of protein kinase D (PKD) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its relationship with differentiation of OSCC. METHODS: Sample was collected from 10 healthy control subjects and 40 OSCC confirmed by histopathological diagnosis, and the immunohistochemical staining was adopted to detect the expression of PKDs in OSCC tissues. The proportion of stained cell and staining intensity were evaluated to get a score, which used to analyze the difference among PKD1, PKD2 and PKD3 in various differentiation OSCC tissues. The correlations between the staining score of PKDs and differentiation of OSCC were further analyzed. RESULTS: PKD1 and PKD3 were high expression in OSCC tissues. There were statistical significance among the staining score of PKD1, PKD2 and PKD3 in various differentiation OSCC tissues ( P<0.001). In addition, there was a significantly negative correlation between the staining score of PKD1 and PKD2 with the differentiation of OSCC ( r=-0.574, -0.341, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In OSCC tissues with different degree of differentiation, there might be some differences among PKDs which play a major role. The expression of PKD1 and PKD2 was correlated with the differentiation of OSCC, the poor differentiation of OSCC, the higher expression of PKD1 and PKD2.

Field implementation of long-distance quantum key distribution over aerial fiber with fast polarization feedback.

Quantum key distribution with polarized qubits has not yet been realized over the aerial fiber, due to rapid polarization changes. Here, we report our recent work towards quantum communication through an aerial fiber channel. We designed a fast polarization feedback module featuring high efficiency, fast speed, and good stability. With this module, we implemented long-distance quantum key distribution over different types of aerial fiber links based on polarization encoding. Our work takes a significant step towards the application of quantum communications in complex environments.

NaCl stress induces CsSAMs gene expression in Cucumis sativus by mediating the binding of CsGT-3b to the GT-1 element within the CsSAMs promoter.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The CsSAMs promoter is a salt-stress-inducible promoter containing three GT-1 elements that are sufficient for the salt-stress response. The transcription factor CsGT-3b was found to bind to the GT-1 element. The S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthase (SAMs) gene is among the functional genes induced during environmental stress. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism and upstream regulators of this salt-inducible gene in cucumber plants. Thus, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of the SAMs gene by analyzing its promoter and transcription factors. In this study, we isolated and functionally analyzed a 1743-bp flanking fragment of the CsSAMs gene from Cucumis sativus. To examine promoter activity, the full-length promoter, as well as different promoter fragments, were fused to the ß-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene and introduced into the tobacco genome. The full-length promoter displayed maximal promoter activity, whereas the P4 promoter, containing 321 bp of upstream sequence, showed no basal promoter activity. In addition, the CsSAMs promoter exhibited stress-inducible regulation rather than tissue-specific activity in transgenic tobacco. Histochemical analysis revealed strong GUS staining in leaves, stems, and roots, especially in the veins of leaves, the vascular bundle of stems, and root tip zones following NaCl stress. A transient expression assay confirmed that the 242-bp region (-1743 to -1500) was sufficient for the NaCl-stress response. Yeast one-hybrid assays further revealed interaction between the NaCl-response protein CsGT-3b and the GT-1 (GAAAAA) element within the 242-bp region. Taken together, we revealed the presence of four salt-stress-responsive elements (GT-1 cis-elements) in the CsSAMs promoter and identified a transcription factor, CsGT-3b, that specifically binds to this sequence. These results might help us better understand the intricate regulatory network of the cucumber SAMs gene.