Controlling diurnal flower-opening time by manipulating the jasmonate pathway accelerates development of indica-japonica hybrid rice breeding.

Inter-subspecific indica-japonica hybrid rice (Oryza sativa) has the potential for increased yields over traditional indica intra-subspecies hybrid rice, but limited yield of F1 hybrid seed production (FHSP) hinders the development of indica-japonica hybrid rice breeding. Diurnal flower-opening time (DFOT) divergence between indica and japonica rice has been a major contributing factor to this issue, but few DFOT genes have been cloned. Here, we found that manipulating the expression of jasmonate (JA) pathway genes can effectively modulate DFOT to improve the yield of FHSP in rice. Treating japonica cultivar Zhonghua 11 (ZH11) with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) substantially advanced DFOT. Furthermore, overexpressing the JA biosynthesis gene OPDA REDUCTASE 7 (OsOPR7) and knocking out the JA inactivation gene CHILLING TOLERANCE 1 (OsHAN1) in ZH11 advanced DFOT by 1- and 2-h respectively; and knockout of the JA signal suppressor genes JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN PROTEIN 7 (OsJAZ7) and OsJAZ9 resulted in 50-min and 1.5-h earlier DFOT respectively. The yields of FHSP using japonica male-sterile lines GAZS with manipulated JA pathway genes were significantly higher than that of GAZS wildtype. Transcriptome analysis, cytological observations, measurements of elastic modulus and determination of cell wall components indicated that the JA pathway could affect the loosening of the lodicule cell walls by regulating their composition through controlling sugar metabolism, which in turn influences DFOT. This research has vital implications for breeding japonica rice cultivars with early DFOT to facilitate indica-japonica hybrid rice breeding.

Association of carotid atherosclerotic plaque and intima-media thickness with the monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio among low-income residents of rural China: a population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The monocytes to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) has been identified as a potential biomarker for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In this population-based cross-sectional study, we explored the relationships among carotid artery disease (CAD), including the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), the MHR, and related parameter changes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study, Conducted from April to June 2019 in a rural area of Tianjin, involved middle-aged and elderly participants. Based on carotid ultrasound examinations, participants were divided into CAP and non-CAP groups. Logistic regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were utilized to assess MHR's predictive value for CAP. Gender-specific analyses were also performed to examine predictive variations. The relationship between CIMT and MHR was evaluated using linear regression. RESULTS: Of the 2109 participants meeting the inclusion criteria, 51.6% were identified with CAP. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between MHR and CAP prevalence, (OR, 9.670; 95% CI, 2.359-39.631; P = 0.002), particularly in females (OR, 5.921; 95% CI, 1.823-19.231; P = 0.003), after adjusting for covariates. However, no significant correlation was found between CIMT and MHR when adjusted for other factors. The ROC analysis showed the area under the curve for MHR and CAP to be 0.569 (95% CI: 0.544-0.593; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that it is crucial to enhance early screening and intervention for CAD, specifically focusing on the prevention and progression of CAP, to address the unique health challenges faced by low-income groups in rural settings. Emphasizing these preventive measures could significantly contribute to improving cardiovascular health outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Comparative analysis of bile metabolic profile in patients with biliary obstruction complicated by Clonorchis sinensis infection.

Background: Clonorchiasis is an important foodborne parasitic disease. However, eggs of Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis) cannot be detected in feces during biliary obstruction. Moreover, many diseases can cause biliary obstruction, such as gallstones, adenocarcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and Ascaris lumbricoides infection. Therefore, it is of great significance to distinguish between patients of biliary obstruction and biliary obstruction with C. sinensis infection. Methods: A total of 48 biliary obstruction patients were enrolled, including 23 infected with C. sinensis (C. sinensis) (OB+C.s) and 25 non-infected subjects (OB). The bile samples were collected by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS). Additionally, multivariate statistical analysis methods were employed to identify differential metabolites. Next, bile amino acid levels were determined by targeted metabolomics analysis. Result: A total of 146 and 132 significant metabolites were identified in electrospray ionization (ESI)+ and ESI- modes, respectively. The levels of amino acids (asparagine, glutamate, ornithine) and polyamines (spermidine and spermine) were significantly changed. Targeted analysis showed that the levels of amino acids (such as L-arginine, L-glutamine, L-lysine, L-propionic, and L-tyrosine) were lower in OB+C.s patients compared to those in OB patients. Marked metabolic pathways were involved in "Glutathione metabolism", "Caffeine metabolism", "Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism", "Arginine and proline metabolism", "Purine metabolism", "Beta-Alanine metabolism", and "D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism". Conclusion: These results show that there were significant differences between OB+C.s and OB patients, especially in amino acids. The metabolic signature and perturbations in metabolic pathways may help to better distinguish OB+C.s and OB patients.

Determinants of arterial elastic function in middle-aged and elderly people: A population-based cross-sectional study from a low-income population in China.

Background: Arterial stiffness is closely associated with the occurrence of many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, the risk factors and mechanisms related to arterial stiffness development have only been partially elucidated. We aimed to describe arterial elastic function and its influencing factors in middle-aged and elderly people in rural China. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among residents, aged ≥45 years, of Tianjin, China, between April and July 2015. Data regarding participant demographics, medical history, lifestyle, and physical examination results were collected and assessed the association with arterial elastic function using linear regression. Results: Of the 3,519 participants, 1,457 were male (41.4%). Brachial artery distensibility (BAD) decreased by 0.5%/mmHg with every 10-year increment in age. The mean BAD value was 0.864%/mmHg lower in women than in men. With each unit increase in mean arterial pressure, the BAD decreased by 0.042%/mmHg. In patients with hypertension or diabetes, the BAD decreased by 0.726 and 0.183%/mmHg, respectively, compared with those without hypertension or diabetes. For each unit increase in triglyceride (TG) level, the mean BAD increased by 0.043%/mmHg. With each increase in body mass index (BMI) category, the BAD increased by 0.113%/mmHg. Brachial artery compliance (BAC) decreased by 0.007 ml/mmHg with each 10-year increase in age, and brachial artery resistance (BAR) increased by 30.237 dyn s-1 cm-5. The mean BAC in women was 0.036 ml/mmHg lower and the mean BAR was 155.231 dyn s-1 cm-5 higher in women than in men. In individuals with hypertension, the mean BAC decreased by 0.009 ml/mmHg and the mean BAR increased by 26.169 dyn s-1 cm-5. With each increase in BMI category, the mean BAC increased by 0.005 ml/mmHg and the mean BAR decreased by 31.345 dyn s-1 cm-5. For each unit increase in TG level, the mean BAC increased by 0.001 ml/mmHg. Conclusion: These findings indicate that age, sex, mean arterial pressure, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, and TG level are independently associated with the components of peripheral arterial elasticity. Understanding the factors influencing arterial stiffness is important for developing interventions to minimize arterial aging and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases caused by arterial aging.

Profiles of biliary microbiota in biliary obstruction patients with Clonorchis sinensis infection.

Background: Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis) is a epidemiologically significant food-borne parasite, causing several hepatobiliary diseases. Biliary microbiota community structure might be influenced by infection with pathogens. However, the biliary microbiome of biliary obstruction patients infected with C. sinensis is still an unexplored aspect. Methods: A total of 50 biliary obstruction patients were enrolled, including 24 infected with C. sinensis and 26 non-infected subjects. The bile samples were collected by Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancretography. Biliary microbiota alteration was analyzed through high-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. Results: Our findings revealed that there was significant increase in both richness and diversity, as well as changes in the taxonomic composition of the biliary microbiota of C. sinensis infected patients. At the phylum level, C. sinensis infection induced Proteobacteria increased and Firmicutes reduced. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus increased significantly, while Enterococcus decreased prominently in infected groups (P < 0.05). The PICRUSt analysis further showed remarkably different metabolic pathways between the two groups. Conclusion: C. sinensis infection could modify the biliary microbiota, increasing the abundance and changing the phylogenetic composition of bacterial in biliary obstruction patients. This study may help deepen the understanding of the host-biliary microbiota interplay with C. sinensis infection on the background of biliary obstruction and provide new insights into understanding the pathogenesis of clonorchiasis.

Expression Profile of Inflammation Response Genes and Potential Regulatory Mechanisms in Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The inflammatory response is important in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, the expression of inflammatory response genes (IRGs) and regulatory mechanisms in DCM has not been well characterized. Methods: We analyzed 27,665 cells of single-cell RNA sequencing dataset of four DCM samples and two healthy controls (HC). IRGs among differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of active cell clusters were screened from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB). The bulk sequencing dataset of 166 DCM patients and 166 HC was analyzed to explore the common IRGs. The biological functions of the IRGs were analyzed according to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. IRG-related transcription factors (TFs) were determined using the TRRUST database. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database. Then, we established the noncoding RNA (ncRNA) regulatory network based on the StarBase database. Finally, the potential drugs that target IRGs were explored using the Drug Gene Interaction Database (DGIdb). Results: The proportions of dendritic cells (DCs), B cells, NK cells, and T cells were increased in DCM patients, whereas monocytes were decreased. DCs expressed more IRGs in DCM. The GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the functional characteristics of active cells mainly focused on the immune response. Thirty-nine IRGs were commonly expressed among active cell cluster DEGs, bulk RNA DEGs, and inflammatory response-related genes. ETS1 plays an important role in regulation of IRG expression. The competing endogenous RNA regulatory network showed the relationship between ncRNA and IRGs. Sankey diagram showed that arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5) played a major role in regulation between TFs and potential drugs. Conclusion: DCs infiltrate into the myocardium and contribute to the immune response in DCM. The transcription factor ETS1 plays an important role in regulation of IRGs. Moreover, ALOX5 may be a potential therapeutic target for DCM.

Differences in the secretory exosomes of Clonorchis sinensis adults at different incubation times.

Exosomes are small membrane vesicles of endocytic origin and widely involved in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. Exosome-like vesicles (ELVs) have been identified to mediate the parasite-host interactions and communication. Thus, increased knowledge of C. sinensis ELVs could provide insights into parasite-host interactions. In this experiment, ELVs was purified by ultracentrifugation from the culture medium of C. sinensis adults in vitro incubated for 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) confirmed that the purified vesicles which ranged from 30 to 150 nm in size were present in the culture medium. Small RNA high-throughput sequencing analysis identified 51 miRNAs, including 37 known C. sinensis miRNAs, 3 novel C. sinensis miRNAs and 11 rat miRNAs. The sequencing data were validated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The biological function of targets of known C. sinensis miRNAs were proved to associated with signal transduction, infectious diseases and the immune system. Further, 15 miRNAs were classified as differentially expressed in the 24h-ELVs compared to the 48h-ELVs. We found that the numbers and expression levels of most miRNAs from 24h-ELVs were more and higer than 48h-ELVs'. Our work provides important data for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of C. sinensis adults ELVs.

Serum metabolic profiling of rats infected with Clonorchis sinensis using LC-MS/MS method.

Background: Clonorchiasis is an important foodborne parasitic disease. The omics-based-techniques could illuminate parasite biology and further make innovations in the research for parasitic diseases. However, knowledge about the serum metabolic profiles and related metabolic pathways in clonorchiasis is very limited. Methods: A untargeted ultra-high performance liquid tandem chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) was used to profile the serum metabolites of rats at both 4 and 8 weeks post infection (wpi) with Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis). Additionally, multivariate statistical analysis methods were employed to identify differential metabolites. Next, serum amino acids and phosphatidylcholines (PCs) levels were determined by targeted metabolomics analysis. Result: A total of 10530 and 6560 ions were identified in ESI+ and ESI- modes. The levels of phosphatidylcholines, glycerophosphocholine and choline were significantly changed, with the shift in lipid metabolism. Significant changes were also observed in amino acids (isoleucine, valine, leucine, threonine, glutamate and glutamine). Targeted analysis showed that BCAAs (isoleucine, valine, leucine) levels significantly increased at 4 wpi and decreased at 8 wpi; threonine was increased at 8 wpi, whereas glutamate and glutamine showed a decreasing trend at 8 wpi. Additionally, the level of 17 PCs were significantly changed in infected rats. Marked metabolic pathways were involved in clonorchiasis, including glycerophospholipid metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, histidine metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism. Conclusion: These results show that C. sinensis infection can cause significant changes in the rat serum metabolism, especially in amino acids and lipids. The metabolic signature together with perturbations in metabolic pathways could provide more in depth understanding of clonorchiasis and further make potential therapeutic interventions.

Long Non-Coding RNA and mRNA Expression Analysis in Liver of Mice With Clonorchis sinensis Infection.

Clonorchiasis is recognized as an important zoonotic parasitic disease worldwide. However, the roles of host long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in the response to Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis) infection remain unknown. Here we compared the expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs in the liver tissue of mice infected with C. sinensis, in order to further understand the molecular mechanisms of clonorchiasis. A total of 388 lncRNAs and 1,172 mRNAs were found to be differentially expressed with absolute value of fold change (FC) ≥ 2.0 and p < 0.05 by microarray. Compared with controls, Gm6135 and 4930581F22Rik were the most over- and under-expressed lncRNAs; flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (Fmo3) and deleted in malignant brain tumors 1 (Dmbt1) were the most over- and under-expressed mRNAs. Moreover, functional annotation showed that the significantly different mRNAs were related with "FOXO signaling pathway", "Wnt signaling pathway", and "AMPK signaling pathway". Remarkably, lncRNA Gm8801 were significantly correlated with mRNA glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase mitochondrial (Gpam), insulin receptor substrate 2 (Irs2), and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 19 (Tnfrsf19) in ceRNA networks. These results showed that the expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs in the liver changed after C. sinensis infection. Our results provided valuable insights into the lncRNAs and mRNAs involved in clonorchiasis pathogenesis, which may be useful for future control strategies.

Perturbations of Metabolomic Profiling of Spleen From Rats Infected With Clonorchis sinensis Determined by LC-MS/MS Method.

Clonorchiasis is an important zoonotic parasitic disease worldwide. In view of the fact that parasite infection affects host metabolism, and there is an intricate relationship between metabolism and immunity. Metabolic analysis of the spleen could be helpful for understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms in clonorchiasis. A non-targeted ultra high performance liquid tandem chromatography quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS) approach was employed to investigate the metabolic profiles of spleen in rats at 4 and 8 weeks post infection with Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis). Then a targeted ultra-high performance liquid chromatography multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MRM-MS/MS) approach was used to further quantify amino acid metabolism. Multivariate data analysis methods, such as principal components analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, were used to identify differential metabolites. Finally, a total of 396 and 242 significant differential metabolites were identified in ESI+ and ESI- modes, respectively. These metabolites included amino acids, nucleotides, carboxylic acids, lipids and carbohydrates. There were 38 significantly different metabolites shared in the two infected groups compared with the control group through the Venn diagram. The metabolic pathways analysis revealed that pyrimidine metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, purine metabolism and phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis were significantly enriched in differential metabolites, which was speculated to be related to the disease progression of clonorchiasis. Furthermore, 15 amino acids screened using untargeted profiling can be accurately quantified and identifed by targeted metabolomics during clonrochiasis. These results preliminarily revealed the perturbations of spleen metabolism in clonorchiasis. Meanwhile, this present study supplied new insights into the molecular mechanisms of host-parasite interactions.

Carotid artery blood velocity decreases in patients with coronary slow flow: A manifestation of systemic arteriosclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: Coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP) could be a manifestation of systemic arteriosclerosis, as coronary and carotid arteries have similar intimal thickening. However, as an initial cause of arteriosclerosis, hemodynamic changes in carotid arteries have rarely been studied. METHODS: Twenty patients with angiography-proven CSFP and 39 patients with normal coronary flow (NCF) were enrolled. TIMI frame counts (CTFC) were investigated. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end-diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured by ultrasonography, and shear rate (SR) and resistance index (RI) were calculated. RESULTS: The results showed that PSV, EDV, SR, and RI were significantly lower in patients with CSFP (p＜0.01), but CIMT was significantly increased (P ï¼œ 0.01). PSV, EDV, SR, and RI were negatively correlated with CTFC, while CIMT was positively correlated with CTFC. Logistic regression analysis revealed that PSV (OR = 0.95, P < 0.01) could be an independent protective factor against CSFP, but CIMT (OR = 1.10, P ï¼œ 0.05) and male gender (OR = 9.89, P ï¼œ 0.01) could be risk factors for CSFP. CONCLUSIONS: The slow flow phenomenon was observed in both coronary and carotid arteries, which could be a characteristic manifestation of systemic arteriosclerosis in CSFP; the lower wall shear stress may be the underlying mechanism. Carotid ultrasound could be applied in the noninvasive diagnosis of CSFP in the future.

Agent-patient similarity affects sentence structure in language production: evidence from subject omissions in Mandarin.

Interference effects from semantically similar items are well-known in studies of single word production, where the presence of semantically similar distractor words slows picture naming. This article examines the consequences of this interference in sentence production and tests the hypothesis that in situations of high similarity-based interference, producers are more likely to omit one of the interfering elements than when there is low semantic similarity and thus low interference. This work investigated language production in Mandarin, which allows subject noun phrases to be omitted in discourse contexts in which the subject entity has been previously mentioned in the discourse. We hypothesize that Mandarin speakers omit the subject more often when the subject and the object entities are conceptually similar. A corpus analysis of simple transitive sentences found higher rates of subject omission when both the subject and object were animate (potentially yielding similarity-based interference) than when the subject was animate and object was inanimate. A second study manipulated subject-object animacy in a picture description task and replicated this result: participants omitted the animate subject more often when the object was also animate than when it was inanimate. These results suggest that similarity-based interference affects sentence forms, particularly when the agent of the action is mentioned in the sentence. Alternatives and mechanisms for this effect are discussed.