Genome-Wide Identification of MADS-Box Genes in Taraxacum kok-saghyz and Taraxacum mongolicum: Evolutionary Mechanisms, Conserved Functions and New Functions Related to Natural Rubber Yield Formation.

MADS-box transcription regulators play important roles in plant growth and development. However, very few MADS-box genes have been isolated in the genus Taraxacum, which consists of more than 3000 species. To explore their functions in the promising natural rubber (NR)-producing plant Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS), MADS-box genes were identified in the genome of TKS and the related species Taraxacum mongolicum (TM; non-NR-producing) via genome-wide screening. In total, 66 TkMADSs and 59 TmMADSs were identified in the TKS and TM genomes, respectively. From diploid TKS to triploid TM, the total number of MADS-box genes did not increase, but expansion occurred in specific subfamilies. Between the two genomes, a total of 11 duplications, which promoted the expansion of MADS-box genes, were identified in the two species. TkMADS and TmMADS were highly conserved, and showed good collinearity. Furthermore, most TkMADS genes exhibiting tissue-specific expression patterns, especially genes associated with the ABCDE model, were preferentially expressed in the flowers, suggesting their conserved and dominant functions in flower development in TKS. Moreover, by comparing the transcriptomes of different TKS lines, we identified 25 TkMADSs related to biomass formation and 4 TkMADSs related to NR content, which represented new targets for improving the NR yield of TKS.

Effect of accumulated temperature before overwintering on wheat seedling growth status in north winter wheat area of China.

To explore the impacts of global climate change on the suitable sowing date for winter wheat in north winter wheat area of China, we carried out a wheat sowing date experiment during growing seasons of 2019-2021 at the Beijing Experimental Base of the Institute of Crop Sciences, CAAS. Two winter wheat cultivars with different tillering powers were selected as experimental materials. Four different sowing dates were set: September 25th (J), October 5th (S0), October 15th (S1) and October 25th (S2), to examine the responses of population quality, individual characters, and stem and tiller physiology to the accumulated temperature difference before overwintering. The results showed that with the delay of sowing date, the accumulated temperature before winter and their difference between the adjacent sowing dates decreased gradually. The accumulative temperature at the sowing J and S0 both exceeded 550 ℃, which met the basic condition for the formation of strong wheat seedlings before winter. The average accumulated temperature at sowing S1 and S2 was 148.0 and 282.4 ℃ lower than that of S0, which was not conducive to the establishment of strong wheat seedlings before winter. The average accumulated temperature decreased by 204.0, 148.0 and 134.4 ℃, when the sowing date was delayed by 10 days under the four different sowing dates, respectively. The days from sowing to emergence were affected by the average daily temperature. The days from sowing to emergence gradually increased with the delay of sowing date when the daily average temperature was lower than 15 ℃, while the days from sowing to emergence were constant when the daily average temperature was higher than 15 ℃. The total stem number, leaf area index, dry matter weight, nitrogen accumulation and tiller number per plant of wheat also decreased with the decreases of pre-winter accumulated temperature. The soluble sugar content and nitrate reductase activity at the seedling increased first and then decreased with the decreases of accumulated temperature before winter, while the soluble protein content and glutamine synthetase activity to accumulated temperature performed differently among varieties. According to the population quality and individual traits of wheat before winter, among the four different sowing dates, the total stem number and tiller number per plant of wheat before sowing on October 5 were the closest to the standard of strong seedlings before winter in north winter wheat area. The accumulated temperature before winter is conducive to the formation of strong seedlings. When the daily average temperature is 15-17 ℃, it is the best sowing time for winter wheat in Beijing.

Construction of the first high-density SNP genetic map and identification of QTLs for the natural rubber content in Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin.

BACKGROUND: Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin (TKS) is a promising commercial alternative natural rubber (NR) yielding plant. Cultivating TKS with a high NR content is an important breeding target, and developing molecular markers related to NR content can effectively accelerate the breeding process of TKS. RESULTS: To construct a high-density SNP genetic map and uncover genomic regions related to the NR content in TKS, an F1 mapping population of TKS was constructed by crossing two parents (l66 and X51) with significant differences in NR contents. The NR content of the F1 plants ranged from 0.30 to 15.14% and was distributed normally with a coefficient of variation of 47.61%, indicating quantitative trait inheritance. Then, employing whole-genome resequencing (WGR), a TKS genetic linkage map of 12,680 bin markers comprising 322,439 SNPs was generated. Based on the genetic map and NR content of the F1 population, six quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for NR content with LOD > 4.0 were identified on LG01/Chr01 and LG06/Chr06. Of them, the 2.17 Mb genomic region between qHRC-C6-1 and qHRC-C6-2 on ChrA06, with 65.62% PVE in total, was the major QTL region. In addition, the six QTLs have significant additive genetic effects on NR content and could be used to develop markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in TKS with a high NR content. CONCLUSION: This work constructed the first high-density TKS genetic map and identified the QTLs and genomic regions controlling the NR content, which provides useful information for fine mapping, map-based cloning, and MAS in TKS.

A solar-heated antibacterial sodium alginate aerogel for highly efficient cleanup of viscous oil spills.

HYPOTHESIS: Major oil spills highlight the need for environmentally responsible and cost-effective recovery technologies. However, challenges remain for heavy oil spill recovery because of its high viscosity and low fluidity. To achieve this goal, an ecofriendly bio-based aerogel with efficient photothermal conversion ability was developed as a novel absorbent to achieve the fast removal of heavy oil spill by reducing the oil viscosity. EXPERIMENTS: From the renewable and abundant raw material sodium alginate (SA), hydrophobic and antibacterial SA/graphene oxide/ZIF-8 aerogel (SAGZM) was successfully fabricated via freezing-drying and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. A series of characterization and tests, including aerogel structure, selective wettability, photothermal conversion ability, crude oil removal capability, and antibacterial ability, have been investigated in detail. SAGZM aerogels have rich pore structure, high porosity, excellent mechanical properties, and better photothermal conversion efficiency. FINDINGS: Under sunlight illumination, the recovery ability of SAGZM for heavy crude oil was investigated through infrared thermal imaging, oil permeability behavior analysis, and the continuous absorption for crude oil. In addition, these results are well supported by the theoretical liquid absorption coefficient. This study indicates that SAGZM is highly efficient in in situ regulating oil viscosity through its remarkably photothermal conversion capability. Importantly, SAGZM possesses an excellent antibacterial ability that is often neglected in the design of environmentally friendly materials in extending its service life. The findings of this work not only provide an eco-friendly bio-based aerogel material but also demonstrate that the photo-responsive SAGZM is efficient in heavy crude oil absorption. The proposed solar-heated SA-based aerogel provides a sustainable approach and material to solve the recovery problem of viscous crude oil spills.

Impacts of Nitrogen Deficiency on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grain During the Medium Filling Stage: Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Comparisons.

Nitrogen (N) supplementation is essential to the yield and quality of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The impact of N-deficiency on wheat at the seedling stage has been previously reported, but the impact of distinct N regimes applied at the seedling stage with continuous application on filling and maturing wheat grains is lesser known, despite the filling stage being critical for final grain yield and flour quality. Here, we compared phenotype characteristics such as grain yield, grain protein and sugar quality, plant growth, leaf photosynthesis of wheat under N-deficient and N-sufficient conditions imposed prior to sowing (120 kg/hm2) and in the jointing stage (120 kg/hm2), and then evaluated the effects of this continued stress through RNA-seq and GC-MS metabolomics profiling of grain at the mid-filling stage. The results showed that except for an increase in grain size and weight, and in the content of total sugar, starch, and fiber in bran fraction and white flour, the other metrics were all decreased under N-deficiency conditions. A total of 761 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 77 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified. Under N-deficiency, 51 down-regulated DEGs were involved in the process of impeding chlorophyll synthesis, chloroplast development, light harvesting, and electron transfer functions of photosystem, which resulted in the SPAD and Pn value decreased by 32 and 15.2% compared with N-sufficiency, inhibited photosynthesis. Twenty-four DEGs implicated the inhibition of amino acids synthesis and protein transport, in agreement with a 17-42% reduction in ornithine, cysteine, aspartate, and tyrosine from metabolome, and an 18.6% reduction in grain protein content. However, 14 DEGs were implicated in promoting sugar accumulation in the cell wall and another six DEGs also enhanced cell wall synthesis, which significantly increased fiber content in the endosperm and likely contributed to increasing the thousands-grain weight (TGW). Moreover, RNA-seq profiling suggested that wheat grain can improve the capacity of DNA repair, iron uptake, disease and abiotic stress resistance, and oxidative stress scavenging through increasing the content levels of anthocyanin, flavonoid, GABA, galactose, and glucose under N-deficiency condition. This study identified candidate genes and metabolites related to low N adaption and tolerance that may provide new insights into a comprehensive understanding of the genotype-specific differences in performance under N-deficiency conditions.

Construction of a Superhydrophobic Sodium Alginate Aerogel for Efficient Oil Absorption and Emulsion Separation.

Bio-based aerogels serve as potential materials in separation of oil/water mixtures. Nevertheless, there remain some key challenges, including expensive/toxic organic cross-linkers, unpromising reusability, and poor performance in emulsion separation. Hereby, a novel, robust, and superhydrophobic sodium alginate/graphene oxide/silicon oxide aerogel (SA/GO/SiO2-M) was fabricated by simple calcium ion cross-linking self-assembly, freeze-drying, and chemical vapor deposition methods based on the renewable and abundant raw materials. The as-prepared SA-based aerogel possesses high absorbency for varieties of organic solvents and oils. Importantly, it shows high efficiency in the separation of surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions. SA/GO/SiO2-M aerogels display excellent reusability in both absorption and separation because of their good mechanical properties in the air and oil phase, and the mechanism in emulsion separation is discussed. This study shows that SA/GO/SiO2-M aerogels are a promising material in treating oil contaminants from different fields.

Genetic variant in the promoter region of microRNA­137 reduces the warfarin maintenance dose in patients with atrial fibrillation.

A substantial body of research has confirmed that Vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1) plays a role in contributing to the high interpatient variability in the warfarin maintenance dose. The aim of the present study was to examine the impact of SNPs of miR­137 on the warfarin maintenance dose. Computational analysis and luciferase assay were used to search the targets of miR­137, and luciferase assay was also used to confirm the effect of the polymorphisms on the transcription of the promoter. The regulatory relationship between miR­137 and VKORC1 was detected using real­time PCR. We then performed statistical analysis to find the warfarin maintenance dose in the different groups. A total of 155 subjects were enrolled in our research, and the characteristics of the patients were collected. Using computational analysis, we identified that miR­137 binds to the VKORC1 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) and regulates the expression of VKORC1. This hypothesis was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay as miR­137 significantly reduced the VKORC1 3'UTR luciferase activity, while the luciferase activity of mutant VKORC1 3'UTR was similar to the scramble control. According to the result of the luciferase reporter assay, we found that miR­137 SNP with the presence of the A allele apparently reduced the luciferase activity. Using real­time PCR, we revealed that miR­137 negatively regulated the expression of VKORC1 in a concentration­dependent manner in liver cells. Furthermore, no difference was noted regarding the warfarin maintenance dose between the different age or gender groups, and furthermore AC + AA carriers showed a markedly higher warfarin maintenance dose than CC carriers. These findings collectively provide support that VKORC1 is a direct target of miR­137 and the miR­137 rs2660304 polymorphism is associated with warfarin maintenance dose in patients with atrial fibrillation. The rs2660304 polymorphism is a potential biomarker for predicting the clinical efficacy of warfarin in these patients.

The Role of Long Non-coding RNA Prostate Cancer-Associated Transcript 1 in Prostate Cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the role of prostate cancer associated transcript 1 (PCAT1) underlying the molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer. Using GSE29886 data set downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database, we screened the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PCAT1-siRNA interfering (PCAT1-siRNA) LNCaP cells compared with control-siRNA cells. Transcription factor (TF) and tumor-associated genes database were used to obtain oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were used to investigate the function and pathways of DEGs. Subnetwork was further analyzed using BioNet. A total of 93 DEGs were identified. KEGG analysis showed downregulated TF genes (ID1 and ID3) were enriched in transforming growth factor-ß pathway, whereas upregulated genes were involved in pathways associated with immune system, environmental sensing, and metabolism. GO analysis showed that downregulated genes were primarily enriched in cell cycle-related biological functions and upregulated DEGs were related to immune response, exogenous genetic material response, and viral response. Centromere protein F (CENPF) was identified as the central node of the regulatory subnetwork. In the PCAT1 knockdown LNCaP cells, the CENPF, ID1, and ID3 were obviously decreased based on the RT-PCR (quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR) analysis. PCAT1 may be involved in cell cycle and proliferation of prostate cancers by mediating the expression of CENPF, ID1, and ID3.

Low expression of PIK3C2A gene: A potential biomarker to predict the risk of acute myocardial infarction.

AIMS: Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are a family of enzymes that phosphorylate the 3'-OH of inositol ring of phosphatidylinositol (PI) and regulate a broad range of signaling pathways. PIK3C2A is structurally distinct from the other members of this class and is expressed in endothelial cells, vascular endothelium, and smooth muscle. In ischemic cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, pathology is associated with endothelial damage and inflammation, downregulation of the EPC cell population and function, and impaired angiogenesis. This study aims to make an assessment on whether expression of PIK3C2A gene can be used as a biomarker for predicting the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: We collected peripheral blood from 84 subjects with non-coronary heart disease and 70 patients with AMI. The real-time quantitative PCR test was applied to measure levels of PIK3C2A gene expression at mRNA level in peripheral blood. RESULTS: Our results indicated that the level of PIK3C2A gene expression in peripheral blood of AMI patients was significantly lower than one in the non-coronary heart disease subjects. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that low expression of PIK3C2A gene was an independent risk factor of AMI and increased the risk of AMI by 2.231 folds. Moreover, it was found that low expression of PIK3C2A gene was not associated with level of fasting blood glucose, platelet count, Gensini score of coronary artery, and quantity of cardiac troponin. CONCLUSION: The level of PIK3C2A gene expression in patients with AMI is significantly lower than that of healthy people. Low expression of PIK3C2A gene is an independent risk factor of AMI. Low expression of PIK3C2A could serve as a potential biomarker to predict risk of AMI.

Low expression of PRMT5 in peripheral blood may serve as a potential independent risk factor in assessments of the risk of stable CAD and AMI.

BACKGROUND: Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) can catalyse the methylation of arginine and participate in many important cellular reaction processes. The purpose of this research is to determine whether the expression levels of the PRMT5 gene in peripheral blood can be used as a biomarker for predicting the risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI). METHODS: In this research, peripheral blood was collected from 91 patients with AMI and 87 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was performed to measure the expression levels of the PRMT5 gene at the mRNA level, and a western blot analysis was performed to measure the expression levels of the PRMT5 gene at the protein level. RESULTS: The results indicate that at both the RNA and protein levels, the expression levels of the PRMT5 gene in peripheral blood from patients with AMI are significantly lower than those in peripheral blood from patients with stable CAD (Z = - 4.813, P = 0.000). The low expression of the PRMT5 gene is relevant to the Gensini score of the coronary artery (rs = - 0.205, P = 0.015) but is irrelevant to the serum level of blood lipids, level of cardiac troponin (rs = - 0.125, P = 0.413) and time intervals of occurrence (rs = - 0.146, P = 0.211). Patients who have a low PRMT5 expression in the peripheral blood are 5.472 times more likely to suffer from AMI than other patients. CONCLUSION: Compared to stable CAD patients, AMI patients have a lower expression of the PRMT5 gene in their peripheral blood. Patients who have low PRMT5 gene expression in the peripheral blood are more likely to suffer from AMI than those with stable CAD. A low expression of the PRMT5 gene serves as an independent risk factor for the occurrence of AMI.

Myocardial infarction following a blunt chest trauma: A case report.

RATIONALE: Blunt cardiac injury (BCI) is a common complication after blunt chest trauma, which can lead to mild arrhythmia, severe chamber or valvular rupture, or even death. Myocardial infarction following blunt chest trauma is a rare but fatal condition. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 38-year-old, previously healthy, man was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of dyspnea. He had a history of being hit in the chest by a high-speed screw while working in a factory 3 months before he was admitted to the hospital. DIAGNOSIS: After performing coronary angiography and echocardiography, he was finally diagnosed with myocardial infarction. INTERVENTIONS: He received optimized medications, including diuretics, ß-blockers, and cardiac stimulants. OUTCOMES: At the 4-year follow-up, the patient was diagnosed as having chronic heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. LESSONS: Owing to the first doctor's lack of experience and knowledge with this case, the patient was misdiagnosed and treatment was delayed, which subsequently led to heart failure.BCI can lead to myocardial infarction if patients are misdiagnosed and treatment is delayed. Thus, surgeons and physicians should consider cardiac complications in patients with chest trauma to reduce the incidence of its misdiagnosis.

Low CPNE3 expression is associated with risk of acute myocardial infarction: A feasible genetic marker of acute myocardial infarction in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Gene COPINE III may be related to a phosphoprotein with intrinsic kinase activity and belongs to an unconventional kinase family. The CPNE3 gene may be used as a biomarker for assess- ment of occurrence and prognosis of various tumors. METHODS: Peripheral blood was collected from 87 stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and 91 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction test and the western blot method were adopted to measure expression quantity of CPNE3 gene at the mRNA level and the protein level. RESULTS: The expression of the CPNE3 gene in peripheral blood of AMI patients was significantly lower than those in peripheral blood of stable CAD patients. Low expression of CPNE3 gene was found to be unrelated to level of fasting blood glucose and serum blood lipid of patients, quantity of cardiac troponin and time of onset but was found to be correlated to the Gensini score for coronary artery. When the ex- pression of CPNE3 gene at the mRNA level in peripheral blood was used as the criterion for diagnosing AMI, its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 69%, 64.8%, 68.6% and 65.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to stable CAD patients, AMI patients have a lower expression of CPNE3 gene in their peripheral blood. Patients who have low CPNE3 expression in peripheral blood are more likely to suffer from AMI than those with stable CAD. Low expression of CPNE3 gene serves as an potential independent risk factor of AMI.

Identification of Potential Molecular Mechanisms and Candidate Genes Involved in The Acute Phase of Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVE: This study used bioinformatics to determine genetic factors involved in progression of acute myocardial infarction (MI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, gene expression profile GSE59867 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which contained 46 normal samples obtained from stable coronary artery disease patients (n=46) who were without history of MI (control) and 390 samples from patients (n=111) who had evolving ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) as the MI group. These samples were divided into 4 groups based on time points. After identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we conducted hierarchical clustering and functional enrichment analysis. Protein interaction and transcriptional regulation among DEGs were analysed. RESULTS: We observed 8 clusters of DEGs that had a peak or a minimum at the t=1 time point according to gene expression levels. Upregulated DEGs showed significant enrichment in the biological process, single-organism cellular process, response to stimulus and stress, and osteoclast differentiation and lysosome. Downregulated DEGs enriched in the T-cell receptor signalling pathway and natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity. We identified multiple genes, including signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3); LCK proto-oncogene, Src family tyrosine kinase (LCK); and FYN proto-oncogene, Src family tyrosine kinase (FYN) from the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and/or the transcriptional regulatory network. CONCLUSION: Cytokine-mediated inflammation, lysosome and osteoclast differentiation, and metabolism processes, as well as STAT3 may be involved in the acute phase of MI.

High expression of long chain acyl-coenzyme A synthetase 1 in peripheral blood may be a molecular marker for assessing the risk of acute myocardial infarction.

The current study aimed to investigate whether the increased expression of long chain acyl-coenzymeA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) may be a molecular marker for the genetic evaluation of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The mechanism of action of ACSL1 in the pathogenesis of AMI was also investigated. A total of 75 patients with AMI and 70 individuals without coronary heart disease were selected to participate in the present study. The demographic and clinical information of the enrolled subjects was recorded. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were applied to measure the expression of ACSL1 at the mRNA and protein levels. It was demonstrated that the expression of ACSL1 mRNA and protein in PBL was increased in patients with AMI compared with controls. Logistic regression analysis indicated that ACSL1 expression in PBL was an independent risk factor of AMI. There was a significant positive association between the level of ACSL1 expression and the degree of atherosclerosis in the coronary artery. Furthermore, patients with AMI exhibited an increased risk of atherosclerosis due to increased fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride and lipoprotein levels and decreased high-density lipoprotein levels, compared with controls. Therefore, the current study demonstrated that ACSL1 expression was increased in the PBLs of patients with AMI. The elevated expression of ACSL1 acts an independent risk factor of AMI and may act as a potential biomarker when determining the risk of AMI.

Development of a new set of molecular markers for examining Glu-A1 variants in common wheat and ancestral species.

In common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), allelic variations of Glu-A1 locus have important influences on grain end-use quality. Among the three Glu-A1 alleles, Glu-A1a and -A1b encode the high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) 1Ax1 and 1Ax2*, respectively, whereas Glu-A1c does not specify any subunit. Here, we detected a total of 11 Glu-A1 locus haplotypes (H1 to H11) in three wheat species, by developing and using a new set of DNA markers (Xrj5, Xid3, Xrj6, Xid4 and Xrj7). The main haplotypes found in the diploid wheat T. urartu were H1, H4, H5 and H6, with H1 and H4 expressing both 1Ax and 1Ay subunits. The major haplotypes revealed for tetraploid wheat (T. turgidum) were H1, H8 and H9, with the lines expressing both 1Ax and 1Ay belonging to H1, H4 or H7. Four major haplotypes (H1, H9, H10 and H11) were discovered in common wheat, with Glu-A1a associated with H1 and H8, Glu-A1b with H10 or H11, and Glu-A1c with H9. The Glu-A1 locus haplotypes and the new set of DNA markers have potential to be used for more effectively studying and utilizing the molecular variations of Glu-A1 to improve the end-use quality of common wheat are discussed.

New insight into the function of wheat glutenin proteins as investigated with two series of genetic mutants.

Among the three major food crops (rice, wheat and maize), wheat is unique in accumulating gluten proteins in its grains. Of these proteins, the high and low molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs and LMW-GSs) form glutenin macropolymers that are vital for the diverse end-uses of wheat grains. In this work, we developed a new series of deletion mutants lacking one or two of the three Glu-1 loci (Glu-A1, -B1 and -D1) specifying HMW-GSs. Comparative analysis of single and double deletion mutants reinforced the suggestion that Glu-D1 (encoding the HMW-GSs 1Dx2 and 1Dy12) has the largest effects on the parameters related to gluten and dough functionalities and breadmaking quality. Consistent with this suggestion, the deletion mutants lacking Glu-D1 or its combination with Glu-A1 or Glu-B1 generally exhibited strong decreases in functional glutenin macropolymers (FGMPs) and in the incorporation of HMW-GSs and LMW-GSs into FGMPs. Further examination of two knockout mutants missing 1Dx2 or 1Dy12 showed that 1Dx2 was clearly more effective than 1Dy12 in promoting FGMPs by enabling the incorporation of more HMW-GSs and LMW-GSs into FGMPs. The new insight obtained and the mutants developed by us may aid further research on the control of wheat end-use quality by glutenin proteins.

Identification of biomarkers for ischemic cardiomyopathy based on microarray data analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore the biomarkers and potential mechanism underlying ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). METHODS: Using the GSE42955 Affymetrix microarray data accessible from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, the differentially expressed genes between 12 ICM tissue samples and 5 normal controls were identified. To investigate the function changes in the course of disease progression, Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed on the differentially expressed genes, followed by analysis of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and modules. RESULTS: A total of 50 up-regulated and 179 down-regulated genes were identified. The biological processes of immune response, response to virus, and cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) were significantly altered by the differentially expressed genes. The PPI network revealed certain hub nodes such as CXCL10, IRF1, STAT1, IFIT2, and IFIT3. CONCLUSIONS: Candidate biomarker genes such as CXCL10, IRF1, STAT1, IFIT2, and IFIT3 may be suitable therapeutic targets for ICM. Further study of the CAMs pathway and immune response biological processes will be helpful in understanding the pathogenesis of ICM.

NOX2 Antisense Attenuates Hypoxia-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Cardiomyocyte.

Heart ischemia is a hypoxia related disease. NOX2 and HIF-1α proteins were increased in cardiomyocytes after acute myocardial infarction. However, the relationship of the hypoxia-induced HIF-1α. NOX2-derived oxidative stress and apoptosis in cardiomyocyte remains unclear. In the current study, we use NOX2 antisense strategy to investigate the role of NOX2 in hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in rat cardiomyocytes. Here, we show that transduction of ADV-NOX2-AS induces potent silencing of NOX2 in cardiomyocytes, and resulting in attenuation of hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. This study indicates the potential of antisense-based therapies and validates NOX2 as a potent therapeutic candidate for heart ischemia.

Evaluation of multiple-scale 3D characterization for coal physical structure with DCM method and synchrotron X-ray CT.

Multiscale nondestructive characterization of coal microscopic physical structure can provide important information for coal conversion and coal-bed methane extraction. In this study, the physical structure of a coal sample was investigated by synchrotron-based multiple-energy X-ray CT at three beam energies and two different spatial resolutions. A data-constrained modeling (DCM) approach was used to quantitatively characterize the multiscale compositional distributions at the two resolutions. The volume fractions of each voxel for four different composition groups were obtained at the two resolutions. Between the two resolutions, the difference for DCM computed volume fractions of coal matrix and pores is less than 0.3%, and the difference for mineral composition groups is less than 0.17%. This demonstrates that the DCM approach can account for compositions beyond the X-ray CT imaging resolution with adequate accuracy. By using DCM, it is possible to characterize a relatively large coal sample at a relatively low spatial resolution with minimal loss of the effect due to subpixel fine length scale structures.

Efficient isolation of ion beam-induced mutants for homoeologous loci in common wheat and comparison of the contributions of Glu-1 loci to gluten functionality.

KEY MESSAGE: Ion beam mutations can be efficiently isolated and deployed for functional comparison of homoeologous loci in polyploid plants, and Glu - 1 loci differ substantially in their contribution to wheat gluten functionality. To efficiently conduct genetic analysis, it is beneficial to have multiple types of mutants for the genes under investigation. Here, we demonstrate that ion beam-induced deletion mutants can be efficiently isolated for comparing the function of homoeologous loci of common wheat (Triticum aestivum). Through fragment analysis of PCR products from M2 plants, ion beam mutants lacking homoeologous Glu-A1, Glu-B1 or Glu-D1 loci, which encode high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) and affect gluten functionality and end-use quality of common wheat, could be isolated simultaneously. Three deletion lines missing Glu-A1, Glu-B1 or Glu-D1 were developed from the original mutants, with the Glu-1 genomic regions deleted in these lines estimated using newly developed DNA markers. Apart from lacking the target HMW-GSs, the three lines all showed decreased accumulation of low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) and increased amounts of gliadins. Based on the test data of five gluten and glutenin macropolymer (GMP) parameters obtained with grain samples harvested from two environments, we conclude that the genetic effects of Glu-1 loci on gluten functionality can be ranked as Glu-D1 > Glu-B1 > Glu-A1. Furthermore, it is suggested that Glu-1 loci contribute to gluten functionality both directly (by promoting the formation of GMP) and indirectly (through keeping the balance among HMW-GSs, LMW-GSs and gliadins). Finally, the efficient isolation of ion beam mutations for functional comparison of homoeologous loci in polyploid plants and the usefulness of Glu-1 deletion lines for further studying the contribution of Glu-1 loci to gluten functionality are discussed.