Caffeine alleviate lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation and depression through regulating p-AKT and NF-κB.

Caffeine, a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist, is the major component of coffee and the most consumed psychostimulant at nontoxic doses in the world. It has been identified that caffeine consumption reduces the risk of several neurological diseases. However, the mechanisms by which it impacts the pathophysiology of neurological diseases remain to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated whether caffeine exerts anti-inflammatory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and depression in vivo and explored the potential mechanism of caffeine through LPS-induced brain injury. Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were intraperitoneal injected with various concentrations of LPS to induce the neuroinflammation and depressive-like behavior. Then SD rats were treated with caffeine in the presence or absence of LPS. Open-filed and closed-field tests were applied to detect the behaviors of SD rats, while western blot was performed to measure the phosphorylation level of protein kinase B (p-AKT) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in the cortex after caffeine was orally administered. Our findings indicated that caffeine markedly improved the neuroinflammation and depressive-like behavior of LPS-treated SD rats. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that caffeine down-regulated the expression of p-AKT and NF-κB in LPS-induced SD rats cortex. Taken together, these results indicated that caffeine, a potential agent for preventing inflammatory diseases, may suppress LPS-induced inflammatory and depressive responses by regulating AKT phosphorylation and NF-κB.

A Three-Dimensional Deformation Monitoring Method: Combining Optical Deformation Monitoring Based on Regression Models and GB-SAR Interferometry.

This paper introduces a method for quantifying the three-dimensional deformation of ground targets and outlines the associated process. Initially, ground-based synthetic aperture radar was employed to monitor the radial deformation of targets, and optical equipment monitored pixel-level deformation in the vertical plane of the line of sight. Subsequently, a regression model was established to transform pixel-level deformation into two-dimensional deformation based on a fundamental length unit, and the radar deformation monitoring data were merged with the optical deformation monitoring data. Finally, the fused data underwent deformation, resulting in a comprehensive three-dimensional deformation profile of the target. Through physical data acquisition experiments, the comprehensive three-dimensional deformation of targets was obtained and compared with the actual deformations. The experimental results show that the method has a relative error of less than 10%, and monitoring accuracy is achieved at the millimeter level.

A prospective, multicentre, registry study of RECO in the endovascular treatment of acute ischaemic stroke.

The RECO is a novel endovascular treatment (EVT) device that adjusts the distance between two mesh segments to axially hold the thrombus. We organized this postmarket study to assess the safety and performance of RECO in acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO). This was a single-arm prospective multicentre study that enrolled patients as first-line patients treated with RECO at 9 stroke centres. The primary outcome measures included functional independence at 90 days (mRS 0-2), symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH), time from puncture to recanalization and time from symptom onset to recanalization. The secondary outcome measures were a modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) score of 2b or 3 after the first attempt and at the end of the procedure and the all-cause mortality rate within 90 days. From May 22, 2020, to July 30, 2022, a total of 268 consecutive patients were enrolled in the registry. The median puncture-to-recanalization time was 64 (IQR, 45-92), and the symptom onset-to-recanalization time was 328 min (IQR, 228-469). RECO achieved successful reperfusion (mTICI 2b-3) after the first pass in 133 of 268 patients (49.6%). At the end of the operation, 96.6% of the patients reached mTICI 2b-3, and 97.4% of the patients ultimately achieved successful reperfusion. Sixteen (7.2%) patients had sICH. A total of 132 (49.3%) patients achieved functional independence at 90 days, and the all-cause mortality rate within 90 days was 17.5%. In this clinical experience, the RECO device achieved a high rate of complete recanalization with a good safety profile and favourable 90-day clinical outcomes.Clinical trial registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ ; Unique identifier: NCT04840719.

Natural variation of GmFATA1B regulates seed oil content and composition in soybean.

Soybean (Glycine max) produces seeds that are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is an important oilseed crop worldwide. Seed oil content and composition largely determine the economic value of soybean. Due to natural genetic variation, seed oil content varies substantially across soybean cultivars. Although much progress has been made in elucidating the genetic trajectory underlying fatty acid metabolism and oil biosynthesis in plants, the causal genes for many quantitative trait loci (QTLs) regulating seed oil content in soybean remain to be revealed. In this study, we identified GmFATA1B as the gene underlying a QTL that regulates seed oil content and composition, as well as seed size in soybean. Nine extra amino acids in the conserved region of GmFATA1B impair its function as a fatty acyl-acyl carrier protein thioesterase, thereby affecting seed oil content and composition. Heterogeneously overexpressing the functional GmFATA1B allele in Arabidopsis thaliana increased both the total oil content and the oleic acid and linoleic acid contents of seeds. Our findings uncover a previously unknown locus underlying variation in seed oil content in soybean and lay the foundation for improving seed oil content and composition in soybean.

Microbiome-Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Beneficial Effects of Dietary Kelp Resistant Starch on Intestinal Functions of Hybrid Snakeheads (Channa maculata ♀ × Channa argus ♂).

The benefits of resistant starch on hypoglycemia, obesity prevention, antioxidant status and the alleviation of metabolic syndrome have received considerable attention. In this study, we explored how dietary kelp resistant starch (KRS) enhances intestinal morphology and function through a microbiome-metabolomic analysis. Hybrid snakeheads (initial weight: 11.4 ± 0.15 g) were fed experimental diets for 60 days. Fish were fed a basic wheat starch diet and the KRS diet. Dietary KRS improved intestinal morphology and enhanced intestinal antioxidant and digestive capabilities, as evidenced by decreased intestinal damage and upregulated intestinal biochemical markers. The microbiome analysis showed that KRS administration elevated the proportion of butyrate-producing bacteria and the abundance of beneficial bacteria that increases insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, significant alterations in metabolic profiles were observed to mainly associate with the amino acid metabolism (particularly arginine production), the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, fat metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and the biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites. Additionally, alterations in intestinal microbiota composition were significantly associated with metabolites. Collectively, changes in intestinal microbiota and metabolite profiles produced by the replacement of common starch with dietary KRS appears to play an important role in the development of intestinal metabolism, thus leading to improved intestinal function and homeostasis.

Evaluate of Wheat Gluten as a Protein Alternative for Fish Meal and Soy Protein Concentrate in Red Spotted Grouper Epinephelus akaara.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of wheat gluten as a substitute for fish meal (FM) and soy protein concentrate (SPC) in the low-fishmeal-based extruded diet in red spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara. Eight isonitrogenous (441-456 g kg-1) and isocaloric (21.5-22.0 MJ kg-1) diets were produced, including the control diet (R0), three diets with 33.3, 66.7, and 100% FM being replaced by a mixture of wheat gluten, wheat, and taurine (GWT) (RF1, RF2, RF3), three diets with 33.3, 66.7, and 100% SPC replaced by GWT (RS2, RS2, RS3) and one diet with 50% FM and 50% SPC replaced by GWT (RFS). Results showed that feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), protein retention efficiency, and liver superoxide dismutase activity increased linearly, while feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased linearly with the decrease of dietary FM. Additionally, FI, WG, and FCR significantly increased with decreasing dietary SPC. Overall, 100% FM or 61.2% SPC can be safely replaced by wheat gluten in the red-spotted grouper diet containing 20.0% FM and 21.4% SPC.

The pathogenesis of common Gjb2 mutations associated with human hereditary deafness in mice.

Mutations in GJB2 (Gap junction protein beta 2) are the most common genetic cause of non-syndromic hereditary deafness in humans, especially the 35delG and 235delC mutations. Owing to the homozygous lethality of Gjb2 mutations in mice, there are currently no perfect mouse models carrying Gjb2 mutations derived from patients for mimicking human hereditary deafness and for unveiling the pathogenesis of the disease. Here, we successfully constructed heterozygous Gjb2+/35delG and Gjb2+/235delC mutant mice through advanced androgenic haploid embryonic stem cell (AG-haESC)-mediated semi-cloning technology, and these mice showed normal hearing at postnatal day (P) 28. A homozygous mutant mouse model, Gjb235delG/35delG, was then generated using enhanced tetraploid embryo complementation, demonstrating that GJB2 plays an indispensable role in mouse placenta development. These mice exhibited profound hearing loss similar to human patients at P14, i.e., soon after the onset of hearing. Mechanistic analyses showed that Gjb2 35delG disrupts the function and formation of intercellular gap junction channels of the cochlea rather than affecting the survival and function of hair cells. Collectively, our study provides ideal mouse models for understanding the pathogenic mechanism of DFNB1A-related hereditary deafness and opens up a new avenue for investigating the treatment of this disease.

Elevated NT-proBNP predicts unfavorable outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke after thrombolytic therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies correlated n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with early neurological deterioration (END) and prognosis of acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients with rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis. Therefore this study aimed to investigate the relationship between NT-proBNP and END, and prognosis after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with AIS. METHODS: A total of 325 patients with AIS were enrolled. We performed the natural logarithm transformation on the NT-proBNP [ln(NT-proBNP)]. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between ln(NT-proBNP) and END, and prognosis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to show the sensitivity and specificity of NT-proBNP. RESULTS: After thrombolysis, among 325 patients with AIS, 43 patients (13.2%) developed END. In addition, three months follow-up showed a poor prognosis in 98 cases (30.2%) and a good prognosis in 227 cases (69.8%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that ln(NT-proBNP) was an independent risk factor for END (OR = 1.450,95%CI:1.072 ~ 1.963, P = 0.016) and poor prognosis at three months follow-up (OR = 1.767, 95%CI: 1.347 ~ 2.317, P < 0.001) respectively. According to ROC curve analysis, ln(NT-proBNP) (AUC 0.735, 95%CI: 0.674 ~0.796, P < 0.001) had a good predictive value for poor prognosis, with a predictive value of 5.12 and sensitivity and specificity of 79.59% and 60.35% respectively. When combined with NIHSS to predict END(AUC 0.718, 95%CI: 0.631 ~ 0.805, P < 0.001) and poor prognosis(AUC 0.780, 95%CI: 0.724 ~ 0.836, P < 0.001), the predictive value of the model is further improved. CONCLUSION: NT-proBNP is independently associated with END and poor prognosis in patients with AIS following intravenous thrombolysis and has a particular predictive value for END and poor prognosis.

Base editing-mediated one-step inactivation of the Dnmt gene family reveals critical roles of DNA methylation during mouse gastrulation.

During embryo development, DNA methylation is established by DNMT3A/3B and subsequently maintained by DNMT1. While much research has been done in this field, the functional significance of DNA methylation in embryogenesis remains unknown. Here, we establish a system of simultaneous inactivation of multiple endogenous genes in zygotes through screening for base editors that can efficiently introduce a stop codon. Embryos with mutations in Dnmts and/or Tets can be generated in one step with IMGZ. Dnmt-null embryos display gastrulation failure at E7.5. Interestingly, although DNA methylation is absent, gastrulation-related pathways are down-regulated in Dnmt-null embryos. Moreover, DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B are critical for gastrulation, and their functions are independent of TET proteins. Hypermethylation can be sustained by either DNMT1 or DNMT3A/3B at some promoters, which are related to the suppression of miRNAs. The introduction of a single mutant allele of six miRNAs and paternal IG-DMR partially restores primitive streak elongation in Dnmt-null embryos. Thus, our results unveil an epigenetic correlation between promoter methylation and suppression of miRNA expression for gastrulation and demonstrate that IMGZ can accelerate deciphering the functions of multiple genes in vivo.

GmABR1 encoding an ERF transcription factor enhances the tolerance to aluminum stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The ethylene response factor (ERF) transcription factors, which is one of the largest transcription factor families in plants, are involved in biological and abiotic stress response and play an important role in plant growth and development. In this study, the GmABR1 gene from the soybean inbred line Zhonghuang24 (ZH24)×Huaxia 3 (HX3) was investigated its aluminum (Al) tolerance. GmABR1 protein has a conserved domain AP2, which is located in the nucleus and has transcriptional activation ability. The results of real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that the GmABR1 gene presented a constitutive expression pattern rich in the root tip, stem and leaf tissues of HX3. After Al stress, the GmABR1 transcript was significantly increased in the roots. The transcripts of GmABR1 in the roots of HX3 treated with 50 µM AlCl3 was 51 times than that of the control. The GmABR1 was spatiotemporally specific with the highest expression levels when Al concentration was 50 µM, which was about 36 times than that of the control. The results of hematoxylin staining showed that the root tips of GmABR1-overexpression lines were stained the lightest, followed by the control, and the root tips of GmABR1 RNAi lines were stained the darkest. The concentrations of Al3+ in root tips were 207.40 µg/g, 147.74 µg/g and 330.65 µg/g in wild type (WT), overexpressed lines and RNAi lines, respectively. When AlCl3 (pH4.5) concentration was 100 µM, all the roots of Arabidopsis were significantly inhibited. The taproot elongation of WT, GmABR1 transgenic lines was 69.6%, 85.6%, respectively. When treated with Al, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in leaves of WT increased to 3.03 µg/g, while that of transgenic Arabidopsis increased from 1.66-2.21 µg/g, which was lower than that of WT. Under the Al stress, the Al stress responsive genes such as AtALMT1 and AtMATE, and the genes related to ABA pathway such as AtABI1, AtRD22 and AtRD29A were up-regulated. The results indicated that GmABR1 may jointly regulate plant resistance to Al stress through genes related to Al stress response and ABA response pathways.

MOTHER-OF-FT-AND-TFL1 regulates the seed oil and protein content in soybean.

Soybean is a major crop that produces valuable seed oil and protein for global consumption. Seed oil and protein are regulated by complex quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and have undergone intensive selections during the domestication of soybean. It is essential to identify the major genetic components and understand their mechanism behind seed oil and protein in soybean. We report that MOTHER-OF-FT-AND-TFL1 (GmMFT) is the gene of a classical QTL that has been reported to regulate seed oil and protein content in many studies. Mutation of MFT decreased seeds oil content and weight in both Arabidopsis and soybean, whereas increased expression of GmMFT enhanced seeds oil content and weight. Haplotype analysis showed that GmMFT has undergone selection, which resulted in the extended haplotype homozygosity in the cultivated soybean and the enriching of the oil-favorable allele in modern soybean cultivars. This work unraveled the GmMFT-mediated mechanism regulating seed oil and protein content and seed weight, and revealed a previously unknown function of MFT that provides new insights into targeted soybean improvement and breeding.

Identification and Mapping of QTLs for Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids in Soybean (Glycine max L.).

Soybean is a major source of high-quality protein for humans and animals. The content of sulfur-containing amino acids (SAA) in soybean is insufficient, which has become the main factor limiting soybean nutrition. In this study, we used the high-density genetic maps derived from Guizao 1 and Brazil 13 to evaluate the quantitative trait loci of cysteine (Cys), methionine (Met), SAA, glycinin (7S), ß-conglycinin (11S), ratio of glycinin to ß-conglycinin (RGC), and protein content (PC). In genetic map linkage analysis, the major and stable 44 QTLs were detected, which shared nine bin intervals. Among them, the bin interval (bin157-bin160) on chromosome 5 was detected in multiple environments as a stable QTL, which was linked to 11S, 7S, RGC, and SSA. Based on the analysis of bioinformatics and RNA-sequencing data, 16 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within these QTLs were selected as candidate genes. These results will help to elucidate the genetic mechanism of soybean SAA-related traits and provide the basis for the gene mining of sulfur-containing amino acids.

The Effect of Gefitinib on Treatment Necessity and Prognosis of NSCLC Patients with Early EGFR Mutations.

Objective: To investigate the need for and prognostic impact of gefitinib on the treatment of patients with early-stage epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Clinical data of patients with stage IB-IIA non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer admitted to our thoracic surgery department from January 2020 to January 2022 were collected, and a total of 94 cases were included, divided into 44 cases in the control group (EGFR mutation-negative) and 50 cases in the experimental group (EGFR mutation-positive (including those on medication (19 cases) and those not on medication (31 cases)) according to the outcome of EGFR mutation. To evaluate the necessity and prognostic effect of gefitinib in the treatment of NSCLC patients with early EGFR mutations. Results: The lung cancer recurrence rate in the experimental group (66.00%) was higher than that in the control group (40.91%), and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 5.937, P=0.015); in the subgroup analysis of the experimental group samples, the pharmacological intervention of gefitinib had a significant effect on lung cancer recurrence (χ 2 = 7.797, P=0.005), and the proportion of lung cancer recurrence in patients not taking the drug (80.65%) was significantly higher than in the drug-taking group (42.11%); the median survival time was 53.6 months using EGFR mutation type as the study factor, with a statistically significant difference in change in 5-year survival rate for EGFR mutation type (χ 2 = 6.095, P=0.047) and the lowest 5-year survival rate for subjects with EGFR mutation type Exon 20 T790M. Conclusion: Patients with early gene drive positive lung adenocarcinoma are significantly more likely to recur and metastasise and have shorter survival times in the absence of pharmacological intervention.

Gastric mucosal precancerous lesions in Helicobacter pylori-infected pediatric patients in central China: A single-center, retrospective investigation.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infects about 50% of the world population and is the major cause of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. Chronic H. pylori infection induces gastric mucosal precancerous lesions mostly in adulthood, and it is debatable whether these pathological conditions can occur in childhood and adolescents as well. Since this is a critical issue to determine if intervention should be offered for this population group, we investigated the gastric mucosal precancerous lesions in pediatric patients in an area in central China with a high prevalence of H. pylori and gastric cancer. AIM: To investigate the relationship of H. pylori infection and gastric mucosal precancerous lesions in children and adolescents in central China. METHODS: We screened 4258 ward-admitted children and adolescent patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms, and finally enrolled 1015 pediatric patients with H. pylori infection and endoscopic and histological data. H. pylori infection status was determined by rapid urease test and histopathological examination. Both clinical and pathological data were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Occurrence of gastric mucosal precancerous lesions, inflammatory activity and degree of inflammatory cell infiltration between H. pylori-positive and -negative groups were compared. RESULTS: Among the 1015 eligible children and adolescents, the overall H. pylori infection rate was 84.14% (854/1015). The infection rate increased with age. The incidence of gastric mucosal precancerous lesions in H. pylori-infected children was 4.33% (37/854), which included atrophic gastritis (17 cases), intestinal metaplasia (11 cases) and dysplasia (9 cases). In H. pylori-negative patients, only 1 atrophic gastritis case [0.62%, (1/161)] was found (P < 0.05). Active inflammation in H. pylori-infected patients was significantly higher than that in non-infected patients, and the H. pylori-infected group showed more severe lymphocyte and neutrophil granulocyte infiltration (P < 0.001). In addition, endoscopy revealed that the most common findings in H. pylori-positive patients were antral nodularity, but in H. pylori-negative patients only superficial gastritis was observed. CONCLUSION: In children and adolescents, gastric mucosal precancerous lesions occurred in 4.33% of H. pylori-infected patients in central China. These cases included atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia. The data revealed an obvious critical issue requiring future investigation and intervention for this population group.

GmWRKY21, a Soybean WRKY Transcription Factor Gene, Enhances the Tolerance to Aluminum Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are one of the largest families of TFs in plants and play multiple roles in plant growth and development and stress response. In this study, GmWRKY21 encoding a WRKY transcription factor was functionally characterized in Arabidopsis and soybean. The GmWRKY21 protein containing a highly conserved WRKY domain and a C2H2 zinc-finger structure is located in the nucleus and has the characteristics of transcriptional activation ability. The GmWRKY21 gene presented a constitutive expression pattern rich in the roots, leaves, and flowers of soybean with over 6-fold of relative expression levels and could be substantially induced by aluminum stress. As compared to the control, overexpression of GmWRKY21 in Arabidopsis increased the root growth of seedlings in transgenic lines under the AlCl3 concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 µM with higher proline and lower MDA accumulation. The results of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that the marker genes relative to aluminum stress including ALMT, ALS3, MATE, and STOP1 were induced in GmWRKY21 transgenic plants under AlCl3 treatment. The stress-related genes, such as KIN1, COR15A, COR15B, COR47, GLOS3, and RD29A, were also upregulated in GmWRKY21 transgenic Arabidopsis under aluminum stress. Similarly, stress-related genes, such as GmCOR47, GmDREB2A, GmMYB84, GmKIN1, GmGST1, and GmLEA, were upregulated in hair roots of GmWRKY21 transgenic plants. In summary, these results suggested that the GmWRKY21 transcription factor may promote the tolerance to aluminum stress mediated by the pathways regulating the expression of the acidic aluminum stress-responsive genes and abiotic stress-responsive genes.

Silicon-enhanced tolerance to cadmium toxicity in soybean by enhancing antioxidant defense capacity and changing cadmium distribution and transport.

Cadmium (Cd) is a widely distributed heavy metal that is toxic to plants and humans. Although silicon (Si) has been reported to reduce Cd accumulation and toxicity in plants, evidence on the functions of Si and its mechanisms in the possible alleviation of soybean are limited. Therefore, a controlled experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts and mechanisms of Si on Cd retention in soybean. Here, we determined the growth index, Cd distribution, and antioxidant activity systems of Si, as well as expression levels of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Si under Cd stress, and conducted RNA-seq analysis. We not only found that Si can significantly promote soybean plant growth, increase plant antioxidant activities, and reduce the Cd translocation factor, but also revealed that a total of 636 DEGs were shared between CK and Cd, CK and Cd + Si, and Cd and Cd + Si. Moreover, several genes were significantly enriched in antioxidant systems and Cd distribution and transport systems. Therefore, the expression status of Si-mediated Cd stress response genes is likely involved in improving oxidative stress and changing Cd uptake and transport, as well as improving plant growth that contributes to Si alleviating Cd toxicity in plants. Moreover, numerous potential target genes were identified for the engineering of Cd-tolerant cultivars in soybean breeding programs.

GmWRKY81 Encoding a WRKY Transcription Factor Enhances Aluminum Tolerance in Soybean.

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is an essential factor that adversely limits soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) growth in acid soils. WRKY transcription factors play important roles in soybean responses to abiotic stresses. Here, GmWRKY81 was screened from genes that were differentially expressed under Al treatment in Al-tolerant soybean Baxi10 and Al-sensitive soybean Bendi2. We found that GmWRKY81 was significantly induced by 20 µM AlCl3 and upregulated by AlCl3 treatment for 2 h. In different tissues, the expression of GmWRKY81 was differentially induced. In 0-1 cm root tips, the expression of GmWRKY81 was induced to the highest level. The overexpression of GmWRKY81 in soybean resulted in higher relative root elongation, root weight, depth, root length, volume, number of root tips and peroxidase activity but lower root average diameter, malonaldehyde and H2O2 contents, indicating enhanced Al tolerance. Moreover, RNA-seq identified 205 upregulated and 108 downregulated genes in GmWRKY81 transgenic lines. Fifteen of these genes that were differentially expressed in both AlCl3-treated and GmWRKY81-overexpressing soybean had the W-box element, which can bind to the upstream-conserved WRKY domain. Overall, the combined functional analysis indicates that GmWRKY81 may improve soybean Al tolerance by regulating downstream genes participating in Al3+ transport, organic acid secretion and antioxidant reactions.

Probiotic Consortia and Their Metabolites Ameliorate the Symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in a Colitis Mouse Model.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become a global public health problem. Although the pathogenesis of the disease is unknown, a potential association between the gut microbiota and inflammatory signatures has been established. Probiotics, especially Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, are orally taken as food supplements or microbial drugs by patients with IBD or gastrointestinal disorders due to their safety, efficacy, and power to restore the gut microenvironment. In the current study, we investigated the comprehensive effects of probiotic bacterial consortia consisting of Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus acidophilus (Lactobacillus spp.), and Bifidobacterium lactis (Bifidobacterium spp.) or their metabolites in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Our data demonstrate that probiotic consortia not only ameliorate the disease phenotype but also restore the composition and structure of the gut microbiota. Moreover, the effect of probiotic consortia is better than that of any single probiotic strain. The results also demonstrate that mixed fermentation metabolites are capable of ameliorating the symptoms of gut inflammation. However, the administration of metabolites is not as effective as probiotic consortia with respect to phenotypic characteristics, such as body weight, disease activity index (DAI), and histological score. In addition, mixed metabolites led only to changes in intestinal flora composition. In summary, probiotic consortia and metabolites could exert protective roles in the DSS-induced colitis mouse model by reducing inflammation and regulating microbial dysbiosis. These findings from the current study provide support for the development of probiotic-based microbial products as an alternative therapeutic strategy for IBD. IMPORTANCE IBD is a chronic nonspecific inflammatory disease. IBD is characterized by a wide range of lesions, often involving the entire colon, and is characterized mainly by ulcers and erosions of the colonic mucosa. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of probiotics on the recovery of gut inflammation and the restoration of gut microecology. We demonstrate that probiotic consortia have a superior effect in inhibiting inflammation and accelerating recovery compared with the effects observed in the control group or groups administered with a single strain. These results support the utilization of probiotic consortia as an alternative therapeutic approach to treat IBD.

GsERF1 enhances Arabidopsis thaliana aluminum tolerance through an ethylene-mediated pathway.

Ethylene response factor (ERF) transcription factors constitute a subfamily of the AP2/ERF superfamily in plants and play multiple roles in plant growth and development as well as in stress responses. In this study, the GsERF1 gene from the wild soybean BW69 line (an Al-resistant Glycine soja line) was rapidly induced in response to aluminum stress. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that the GsERF1 gene maintained a constitutive expression pattern and was induced in soybean in response to aluminum stress, with increased amounts of transcripts detected in the roots. The putative GsERF1 protein, which contains an AP2 domain, was located in the nucleus and maintained transactivation activity. In addition, under AlCl3 treatment, GsERF1 overexpression increased the relative growth rate of the roots of Arabidopsis and weakened the hematoxylin staining of hairy roots. Ethylene synthesis-related genes such as ACS4, ACS5 and ACS6 were upregulated in GsERF1 transgenic lines compared with the wild type under AlCl3 treatment. Furthermore, the expression levels of stress/ABA-responsive marker genes, including ABI1, ABI2, ABI4, ABI5 and RD29B, in the GsERF1 transgenic lines were affected by AlCl3 treatment, unlike those in the wild type. Taken together, the results indicated that overexpression of GsERF1 may enhance aluminum tolerance of Arabidopsis through an ethylene-mediated pathway and/or ABA signaling pathway, the findings of which lay a foundation for breeding soybean plants tolerant to aluminum stress.