Decreased lymphocyte count before conditioning is associated with BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (BKV-HC) is a serious complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). It can cause morbidity and may increase treatment-related mortality. Previous studies showed that the occurrence of BKV-HC was related to various factors. However, there are still many controversial factors. It is not clear whether BKV-HC will affect the long-term prognosis of patients. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify risk factors for BKV-HC after allo-HSCT and evaluate the effect of BKV-HC on overall survival (OS) and progression- free survival (PFS) of patients. STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 93 patients who underwent allo-HSCT. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify risk factors for BKV-HC. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate OS and PFS. A difference was considered statistically significant if P < 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients developed BKV-HC. The median occurrence time of BKV-HC was 30 (range:8-89) days after transplantation, and the median duration was 25.5 (range:6-50) days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that peripheral blood lymphocyte count <1 × 109/L before conditioning (OR = 4.705, P = 0.007) and haploidentical transplantation (OR = 13.161, P = 0.018) were independent risk factors for BKV-HC. The 3-year OS rate was 85.9% (95%CI:62.1%-95.2%) in the BKV-HC group and 73.1% (95%CI: 58.2%-88.0%) in the non-BKV-HC group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.516). The 3-year PFS rate was 76.3% (95%CI: 57.9%-94.7%) in the BKV-HC group and 58.1% (95%CI: 39.5%-76.7%) in the non-BKV-HC group. There was no significant difference in the two groups (P = 0.459). The severity of BKV-HC was not related to the OS and PFS of the patients (P value was 0.816 and 0.501, respectively). CONCLUSION: Haploidentical transplantation and decreased peripheral blood lymphocyte count before conditioning increased the risk of BKV-HC after allo-HSCT. The occurrence of BKV-HC after allo-HSCT and the severity of which did not affect OS and PFS of the patients.

Combination regimens containing daratumumab for initial diagnosed acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare and life-threatening thrombotic microangiopathy characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, severe thrombocytopenia, and organ ischemia associated with disseminated microvascular platelet-rich thrombus. Before the introduction of plasma therapy, acute TTP was almost universally fatal, which improved survival from < 10 to 80-90%. However, patients who survived an acute attack were at high risk for recurrence and long-term morbidity. It was reported that daratumumab can eradicate persistent ADAMTS13-inhibiting autoantibodies and restore ADAMTS13 activity in two patients with relapsed immune-mediated TTP without associated adverse drug reactions. Here we report a case series of patients with initial diagnosed acquired TTP treated with combination regimens containing daratumumab. All the patients achieved clinical response after the initial treatment. Three patients achieved clinical remission, one patient relapsed and one patient suffered an exacerbation during follow-up. The two patients were retreated with glucocorticoids, plasma exchange combined with daratumumab, and clinical remission was achieved again. Combination of daratumumab in the treatment of initial diagnosed acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura can rapidly restore ADAMST13 activity and turn negative for ADAMST13 inhibitors, resulting in long-term remission in patients.

Phytoremediation of isoproturon-contaminated sites by transgenic soybean.

The widespread application of isoproturon (IPU) can cause serious pollution to the environment and threaten ecological functions. In this study, the IPU bacterial N-demethylase gene pdmAB was transferred and expressed in the chloroplast of soybean (Glycine max L. 'Zhonghuang13'). The transgenic soybeans exhibited significant tolerance to IPU and demethylated IPU to a less phytotoxic metabolite 3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-1-methylurea (MDIPU) in vivo. The transgenic soybeans removed 98% and 84% IPU from water and soil within 5 and 14 days, respectively, while accumulating less IPU in plant tissues compared with the wild-type (WT). Under IPU stress, transgenic soybeans showed a higher symbiotic nitrogen fixation performance (with higher total nodule biomass and nitrogenase activity) and a more stable rhizosphere bacterial community than the WT. This study developed a transgenic (TS) soybean capable of efficiently removing IPU from its growing environment and recovering a high-symbiotic nitrogen fixation capacity under IPU stress, and provides new insights into the interactions between rhizosphere microorganisms and TS legumes under herbicide stress.

Phytoremediation of acetochlor residue by transgenic Arabidopsis expressing the acetochlor N-dealkylase from Sphingomonas wittichii DC-6.

Transgenic engineering is an effective way for plants to obtain strong degradation or detoxification abilities to target pollutants. Acetochlor is an important and widely used herbicide, however, its residue is persistent in soil and is toxic to humans and rotation crops. In this study, the degradation ability and tolerance to acetochlor of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana synthesizing the oxygenase component, CndA, of the bacterial acetochlor N-dealkylase system, CndABC, were investigated. Two transgenic plants, including a cytoplasm transformant, in which the CndA was located in the cytoplasm, and a chloroplast transformant, in which the CndA was located in the chloroplast, were constructed. The cytoplasm transformant acquired only weak acetochlor degradation activity and displayed little acetochlor tolerance. In contrast, the chloroplast transformant exhibited high degradation efficiency and strong tolerance to acetochlor; it could transform 94.3% of 20 µM acetochlor in water within 48 h and eliminate 80.2% of 5 mg/kg acetochlor in soil within 30 d. The metabolite of acetochlor N-dealkylation catalyzed by CndA, 2-chloro-N-(2-methyl-6-ethylphenyl)acetamide (CMEPA), could be released outside the cells by chloroplast transformant and further degraded by indigenous microorganisms in the soil. This study provides an effective strategy for the phytoremediation of acetochlor residue in water and soil.

Coexpression of Methyltransferase Gene dmt50 and Methylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Increases Arabidopsis thaliana Dicamba Resistance.

Dicamba, a broad-spectrum and highly efficient herbicide, is an excellent target herbicide for the engineering of herbicide-resistant crops. In this study, a new tetrahydrofolate (THF)-dependent dicamba methyltransferase gene, dmt50, was cloned from the dicamba-degrading strain Rhizorhabdus dicambivorans Ndbn-20. Dmt50 catalyzed the methyl transfer from dicamba to THF, generating the herbicidally inactive product 3,6-dichlorosalicylic acid (3,6-DCSA) and 5-methyl-THF. A dmt50 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana clearly showed dicamba resistance (560 g/ha, the normal field application rate). However, Dmt50 demethylation activity was inhibited by the product 5-methyl-THF. Mthfr66, encoded by the 5,10-methylene-THF reductase gene mthfr66 could relieve the inhibition by removing 5-methyl-THF in vitro. Compared with expression of dmt50 alone, simultaneous expression of dmt50 and mthfr66 further improved the dicamba resistance (1120 g/ha) of transgenic A. thaliana. This study provides new genes for dicamba detoxification and a strategy for the engineering of dicamba-resistant crops.

Enhanced and Complete Removal of Phenylurea Herbicides by Combinational Transgenic Plant-Microbe Remediation.

The synergistic relationships between plants and their rhizospheric microbes can be used to develop a combinational bioremediation method, overcoming the constraints of individual phytoremediation or a bioaugmentation method. Here, we provide a combinational transgenic plant-microbe remediation system for a more efficient removal of phenylurea herbicides (PHs) from contaminated sites. The transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plant synthesizing the bacterial N-demethylase PdmAB in the chloroplast was developed. The constructed transgenic Arabidopsis plant exhibited significant tolerance to isoproturon (IPU), a typical PH, and it took up the IPU through the roots and transported it to leaves, where the majority of the IPU was demethylated to 3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-1-methylurea (MDIPU). The produced intermediate was released outside the roots and further metabolized by the combinationally inoculated MDIPU-mineralizing bacterium Sphingobium sp. strain 1017-1 in the rhizosphere, resulting in an enhanced and complete removal of IPU from soil. Mutual benefits were built for both the transgenic Arabidopsis plant and strain 1017-1. The transgenic Arabidopsis plant offered strain 1017-1 a suitable accommodation, and in return, strain 1017-1 protected the plant from the phytotoxicity of MDIPU. The biomass of the transgenic Arabidopsis plant and the residence of the inoculated degrading microbes in the combinational treatment increased significantly compared to those in their respective individual transgenic plant treatment or bioaugmentation treatment. The influence of the structure of bacterial community by combinational treatment was between that of the two individual treatments. Overall, the combination of two approaches, phytoremediation by transgenic plants and bioaugmentation with intermediate-mineralizing microbes in the rhizosphere, represents an innovative strategy for the enhanced and complete remediation of pollutant-contaminated sites.IMPORTANCE Phytoremediation of organic pollutant-contaminated sites using transgenic plants expressing bacterial enzyme has been well described. The major constraint of transgenic plants transferred with a single catabolic gene is that they can also accumulate/release intermediates, still causing phytotoxicity or additional environmental problems. On the other hand, bioaugmentation with degrading strains also has its drawbacks, including the instability of the inoculated strains and low bioavailability of pollutants. In this study, the synergistic relationship between a transgenic Arabidopsis plant expressing the bacterial N-demethylase PdmAB in the chloroplast and the inoculated intermediate-mineralizing bacterium Sphingobium sp. strain 1017-1 in the rhizosphere is used to develop an intriguing bioremediation method. The combinational transgenic plant-microbe remediation system shows a more efficient and complete removal of phenylurea herbicides from contaminated sites and can overcome the constraints of individual phytoremediation or bioaugmentation methods.

A Tetrahydrofolate-Dependent Methyltransferase Catalyzing the Demethylation of Dicamba in Sphingomonas sp. Strain Ndbn-20.

UNLABELLED: Sphingomonas sp. strain Ndbn-20 degrades and utilizes the herbicide dicamba as its sole carbon and energy source. In the present study, a tetrahydrofolate (THF)-dependent dicamba methyltransferase gene, dmt, was cloned from the strain, and three other genes, metF, dhc, and purU, which are involved in THF metabolism, were found to be located downstream of dmt A transcriptional study revealed that the four genes constituted one transcriptional unit that was constitutively transcribed. Lysates of cells grown with glucose or dicamba exhibited almost the same activities, which further suggested that the dmt gene is constitutively expressed in the strain. Dmt shared 46% and 45% identities with the methyltransferases DesA and LigM from Sphingomonas paucimobilis SYK-6, respectively. The purified Dmt catalyzed the transfer of methyl from dicamba to THF to form the herbicidally inactive metabolite 3,6-dichlorosalicylic acid (DCSA) and 5-methyl-THF. The activity of Dmt was inhibited by 5-methyl-THF but not by DCSA. The introduction of a codon-optimized dmt gene into Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced resistance against dicamba. In conclusion, this study identified a THF-dependent dicamba methyltransferase, Dmt, with potential applications for the genetic engineering of dicamba-resistant crops. IMPORTANCE: Dicamba is a very important herbicide that is widely used to control more than 200 types of broadleaf weeds and is a suitable target herbicide for the engineering of herbicide-resistant transgenic crops. A study of the mechanism of dicamba metabolism by soil microorganisms will benefit studies of its dissipation, transformation, and migration in the environment. This study identified a THF-dependent methyltransferase, Dmt, capable of catalyzing dicamba demethylation in Sphingomonas sp. Ndbn-20, and a preliminary study of its enzymatic characteristics was performed. Introduction of a codon-optimized dmt gene into Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced resistance against dicamba, suggesting that the dmt gene has potential applications for the genetic engineering of herbicide-resistant crops.

SulE, a sulfonylurea herbicide de-esterification esterase from Hansschlegelia zhihuaiae S113.

De-esterification is an important degradation or detoxification mechanism of sulfonylurea herbicide in microbes and plants. However, the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of sulfonylurea herbicide de-esterification are still unknown. In this study, a novel esterase gene, sulE, responsible for sulfonylurea herbicide de-esterification, was cloned from Hansschlegelia zhihuaiae S113. The gene contained an open reading frame of 1,194 bp, and a putative signal peptide at the N terminal was identified with a predicted cleavage site between Ala37 and Glu38, resulting in a 361-residue mature protein. SulE minus the signal peptide was synthesized in Escherichia coli BL21 and purified to homogeneity. SulE catalyzed the de-esterification of a variety of sulfonylurea herbicides that gave rise to the corresponding herbicidally inactive parent acid and exhibited the highest catalytic efficiency toward thifensulfuron-methyl. SulE was a dimer without the requirement of a cofactor. The activity of the enzyme was completely inhibited by Ag(+), Cd(2+), Zn(2+), methamidophos, and sodium dodecyl sulfate. A sulE-disrupted mutant strain, ΔsulE, was constructed by insertion mutation. ΔsulE lost the de-esterification ability and was more sensitive to the herbicides than the wild type of strain S113, suggesting that sulE played a vital role in the sulfonylurea herbicide resistance of the strain. The transfer of sulE into Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741 conferred on it the ability to de-esterify sulfonylurea herbicides and increased its resistance to the herbicides. This study has provided an excellent candidate for the mechanistic study of sulfonylurea herbicide metabolism and detoxification through de-esterification, construction of sulfonylurea herbicide-resistant transgenic crops, and bioremediation of sulfonylurea herbicide-contaminated environments.

Degradation of cyhalofop-butyl (CyB) by Pseudomonas azotoformans strain QDZ-1 and cloning of a novel gene encoding CyB-hydrolyzing esterase.

Cyhalofop-butyl (CyB) is a widely used aryloxyphenoxy propanoate (AOPP) herbicide for control of grasses in rice fields. Five CyB-degrading strains were isolated from rice field soil and identified as Agromyces sp., Stenotrophomonas sp., Aquamicrobium sp., Microbacterium sp., and Pseudomonas azotoformans; the results revealed high biodiversity of CyB-degrading bacteria in rice soil. One strain, P. azotoformans QDZ-1, degraded 84.5% of 100 mg L(-1) CyB in 5 days of incubation in a flask and utilized CyB as carbon source for growth. Strain QDZ-1 could also degrade a wide range of other AOPP herbicides. An esterase gene, chbH, which hydrolyzes CyB to cyhalofop acid (CyA), was cloned from strain QDZ-1 and functionally expressed. A chbH-disrupted mutant dchbH was constructed by insertion mutation. Mutant dchbH could not degrade and utilize CyB, suggesting that chbH was the only esterase gene responsible for CyB degradation in strain QDZ-1. ChbH hydrolyzed all AOPP herbicides tested as well as permethrin. The catalytic efficiency of ChbH toward different AOPP herbicides followed the order quizalofop-P-ethyl ≈ fenoxaprop-P-ethyl > CyB ≈ fluazifop-P-butyl > diclofop-methyl ≈ haloxyfop-P-methyl; the results indicated that the chain length of the alcohol moiety strongly affected the biodegradability of the AOPP herbicides, whereas the substitutions in the aromatic ring had only a slight influence.