Chromosome-level genome assembly of Hippophae tibetana provides insights into high-altitude adaptation and flavonoid biosynthesis.

BACKGROUND: As an endemic shrub of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), the distribution of Hippophae tibetana Schlecht. ranges between 2800 and 5200 m above sea level. As the most basal branch of the Hippophae genus, H. tibetana has an extensive evolutionary history. The H. tibetana is a valuable tree for studying the ecological evolution of species under extreme conditions. RESULTS: Here, we generated a high-quality chromosome-level genome of H. tibetana. The total size of the assembly genome is 917 Mb. The phylogenomic analysis of 1064 single-copy genes showed a divergence between 3.4 and 12.8 Mya for H. tibetana. Multiple gene families associated with DNA repair and disease resistance were significantly expanded in H. tibetana. We also identified many genes related to DNA repair with signs of positive selection. These results showed expansion and positive selection likely play important roles in H. tibetana's adaptation to comprehensive extreme environments in the QTP. A comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic analysis identified 49 genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in H. tibetana. We generated transgenic sea buckthorn hairy root producing high levels of flavonoid. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, this H. tibetana high-quality genome provides insights into the plant adaptation mechanisms of plant under extreme environments and lay foundation for the functional genomic research and molecular breeding of H. tibetana.

Combined exposure to lead and microplastics increased risk of glucose metabolism in mice via the Nrf2/NF-κB pathway.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of combined lead (Pb) and two types of microplastic (MP) (polyvinyl chloride [PVC] and polyethylene [PE]) exposure on glucose metabolism and investigate the role of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in mediating these effects in mice. Adult C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, Pb (100 mg/L), MPs (containing 10 mg/L PE and PVC), and Pb + MPs, each of which was treated with drinking water. Treatments were conducted for 6 weeks. Co-exposure to Pb + MPs exhibited increase glycosylated serum protein levels, insulin resistance, and damaged glucose tolerance compared with the control mice. Additionally, treatment with Pb + MPs caused more severe damage to hepatocytes than when exposed to them alone concomitantly, exposed to Pb + MPs exhibited improved the levels of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and malondialdehyde, but reduced superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase assay in livers. Furthermore, they increase the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and phosphorylated p-NF-κB protein levels but reduced the protein levels of heme oxygenase-1 and Nrf2, as well as increased Keap1 mRNA and Nrf2 mRNA. Co-exposure to Pb + MP impacts glucose metabolism via the Nrf2 /NF-κB pathway.

A chromosome-scale genome of Rhus chinensis Mill. provides new insights into plant-insect interaction and gallotannins biosynthesis.

Rhus chinensis Mill., an economically valuable Anacardiaceae species, is parasitized by the galling aphid Schlechtendalia chinensis, resulting in the formation of the Chinese gallnut (CG). Here, we report a chromosomal-level genome assembly of R. chinensis, with a total size of 389.40 Mb and scaffold N50 of 23.02 Mb. Comparative genomic and transcriptome analysis revealed that the enhanced structure of CG and nutritional metabolism contribute to improving the adaptability of R. chinensis to S. chinensis by supporting CG and galling aphid growth. CG was observed to be abundant in hydrolysable tannins (HT), particularly gallotannin and its isomers. Tandem repeat clusters of dehydroquinate dehydratase/shikimate dehydrogenase (DQD/SDH) and serine carboxypeptidase-like (SCPL) and their homologs involved in HT production were determined as specific to HT-rich species. The functional differentiation of DQD/SDH tandem duplicate genes and the significant contraction in the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene family contributed to the accumulation of gallic acid and HT while minimizing the production of shikimic acid, flavonoids, and condensed tannins in CG. Furthermore, we identified one UDP glucosyltransferase (UGT84A), three carboxylesterase (CXE), and six SCPL genes from conserved tandem repeat clusters that are involved in gallotannin biosynthesis and hydrolysis in CG. We then constructed a regulatory network of these genes based on co-expression and transcription factor motif analysis. Our findings provide a genomic resource for the exploration of the underlying mechanisms of plant-galling insect interaction and highlight the importance of the functional divergence of tandem duplicate genes in the accumulation of secondary metabolites.

Effectiveness of toric soft contact lenses for vision correction in patients with different degrees of astigmatism: a real-world study.

AIM: To assess the visual correction of patients with different degrees of astigmatism with toric soft contact lenses (TSC). METHODS: It was a real-world study with prospective and single-arm design. A total of 384 patients with astigmatism who came for TSC fitting and alignment from November 2022 to January 2023 were included. According to the difference in astigmatism, patients were divided into groups A (cylinder degree: -0.75 to -0.50 D), B (cylinder degree: -1.75 to -1.00 D) and C (cylinder degree ≤ -2.00 D), and followed up on the day of wear, 1wk, 1 and 3mo, mainly to observe visual acuity, refraction, lens fit, visual quality and comfort at 1wk after wear. The visual acuity success rate and the overall success rate of the fitting were evaluation indicators (taking into account the four dimensions of visual acuity, fitting, quality of vision and comfort). The visual acuity success rate was calculated by taking "corrected visual acuity with contact lenses is no less than 1 line or better than best spectacle-corrected visual acuity" (i.e. corrected visual acuity with contact lenses is 1 line below, equal to, one line above or more than best spectacle-corrected visual acuity) as the criterion for visual success, and the the overall success rate of the fitting was calculated by using the comprehensive indicators (visual acuity, fit, visual quality, comfort) to meet certain conditions as the judgment criteria for successful fitting. RESULTS: After 1wk of wearing TSC, the visual acuity success rates of patients were 100% (207/207), 98.58% (139/141) and 97.22% (35/36) in the three groups, respectively, with residual cylinder closed to 0. The acceptability of the lens fitting was over 95%; the incidence of adverse visual symptoms was within 10% and the comfort acceptability was over 97%. The overall success rate of fitting for patients with high, medium and low astigmatism was 93.72% (194/207), 90.78% (128/141) and 88.89% (32/36), respectively. CONCLUSION: TSC (model: G&G POP·CT) are effective in correcting astigmatism in patients with different degrees of astigmatism.

Multi-Objective Unsupervised Band Selection Method for Hyperspectral Images Classification.

With the increasing spectral dimension of hyperspectral images (HSI), how correctly choose bands based on band correlation and information has become more significant, but also complicated. Band selection is a combinatorial optimization problem, and intelligent optimization algorithms have been shown to be crucial in solving combinatorial optimization problems. However, major of them only use a single objective as the selection index, while neglecting the overall features of hyperspectral images, which may lead to inaccuracy in object detection. To tackle this, we propose a band selection method based on a multi-objective cuckoo search algorithm (MOCS) when constructing a multi-objective unsupervised band selection model based on the amount of information and correlation of the bands (MOCS-BS). Specifically, an adaptive strategy based on population crowding degree is first proposed to assist Lévy flight in overcoming the influence of the parameter constancy. Then, an information-sharing strategy based on grouping and crossover is designed to balance the search ability between global exploration and local exploitation, which can overcome the shortcomings caused by the lack of information interaction between individuals. Finally, the HSI classification experiments are performed by Random Forest and KNN classifiers based on the subset of bands selected by the proposed MOCS-BS method. The proposed method is compared with state-of-the-art algorithms including neighborhood grouping normalized matched filter (NGNMF) and multi-objective artificial bee colony with band selection (MABC-BS) on four HSI datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that MOCS-BS is more effective and robust than other methods.

Novel insights on genes and pathways involved in Pinus elliottii response to resinosis.

Pinus elliottii, an important coniferous timber species, has recently become one of the most popular sources of resin in China. Resinosis is a common disease that may negatively affect pine tree growth and production. In this study, we used single-molecule real-time sequencing and Illumina RNA sequencing to generate an accurate transcriptome for P. elliottii. The transcriptome included 90,026 transcripts, 5160 long non-coding RNAs and 7710 transcription factors. We then analyzed RNA-sequencing, small RNA-sequencing and degradome data to identify genes, miRNAs and key miRNA-target pairs involved in response to resinosis in P. elliottii. We identified 1305 genes and 1151 miRNAs exhibiting significant differential expression in response to resinosis. According to the degradome sequencing analysis, 318 differentially expressed transcripts were targets of 14 differentially expressed miRNAs. Our study has provided resources for further functional characterization of genes and miRNAs involved in resinosis in P. elliottii, which should aid the future disease-resistance breeding of this species.

Morphology and ultrastructure of the prepharyngeal and pharyngeal glands in the ant Camponotus japonicus.

The prepharyngeal gland (prePG) and pharyngeal gland (PG) make up the largest exocrine structures in the head of the ant Camponotus japonicus. We used microscopy to study the histological and ultrastructural features of both glands in different castes. The number of secretory units in the prePG is considerably higher than in other ant species and shows a complex duct system which is made up by duct cells, secondary ducts and a main duct. These lead the secretions of hundreds to thousands of secretory cells into the prepharynx through a modified sieve plate at each side. The glove-shaped PG shows clear caste differences in tubule number. The ultrastructure of both the prePG and PG shows abundant mitochondria and secretion vesicles. Moreover, the prePG is loaded with rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) which means its main secretions are proteinaceous compounds, while the PG is dominated by smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) which means the main secretions are lipids. The morphological differences like cell number of the prePG and tubule number of the PG indicate different secretory abilities of each caste. We for the first time introduce histology-based relative size to indicate secretory activity. The proportionally high development of the prePG in minor workers supports a role in trophallaxis.

Synthesis of oxymatrine hydrazone and its preventive action against sevoflurane induced neuron damage through ERK pathway up-regulation.

Exposure of patients undergoing multiple surgeries to anesthetic compounds leads to harmful side effects such as memory loss and impaired cognition. The current study was aimed to synthesize and investigate the effect of oxymatrine hydrazone on neuronal toxicity induced by sevoflurane in rats. Incubation with oxymatrine hydrazone was followed by exposure to sevoflurane for 48 h and determination of proliferation by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) assay. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry using Annexin V­FITC and propydium iodide staining. Western blot analysis was used for determination of changes in protein expression. Sevoflurane exposure significantly (P<0.05) reduced proliferation of neurons by activation of cell apoptosis. However, pretreatment of neurons with oxymatrine hydrazone prevented reduction of proliferative potential induced on exposure with sevoflurane. Pre-treatment of neurons with 5.0 µM doses of oxymatrine hydrazone significantly prevented apoptosis induction by sevoflurane. Moreover, oxymatrine hydrazone pretreatment inhibited BCL2 Associated-X (BAX) and cleaved caspase-3 levels induced by sevoflurane exposure in neurons. Phosphorylation of extracellular signal­regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) and expression of BCL-2 in neurons exposed to sevoflurane were markedly promoted on pretreatment with oxymatrine hydrazone. Additionally, U0126 (ERK ½ activation inhibitor) treatment of sevoflurane exposed neurons inhibited promotion of ERK1/2 phosphorylation by oxymatrine hydrazone pre-treatment. In summary, cytotoxicity of sevoflurane in neurons was prevented on pretreatment with oxymatrine hydrazone. Pretreatment of sevoflurane exposed neurons with oxymatrine hydrazone inhibited apoptosis, suppressed BAX/caspase-3 and elevated BCL-2. Moreover, oxymatrine hydrazone pre-treatment promoted ERK1/2 phosphorylation in sevoflurane exposed neurons. Therefore, oxymatrine hydrazone has a great potential for prevention of neurotoxicity induced by sevoflurane.

Transcriptome and DNA methylome provide insights into the molecular regulation of drought stress in sea buckthorn.

Sea buckthorn is a typical drought-resistant tree species. However, there is a general lack of understanding of the pattern of DNA methylation linked with sea buckthorn responses to drought, and its relationship with drought tolerance mechanisms. In this study, we performed whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing and methylome sequencing in response to drought stress to explore differentially expressed mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs in sea buckthorn leaves. Based on predicted DE pairs, we constructed a competitive endogenous RNA network, which revealed potential transcriptional regulatory roles in response to drought stress. The results of methylome sequencing revealed that the DNA methylation level was increased in sea buckthorn leaves under drought stress. We identified 13,405 differentially methylated regions between CK and TR. We found one DMR-associated DEG (Vacuolar-sorting receptor 6) involved in the ABA accumulation pathway. In addition, two DNA methyltransferases (HrMET1 and HrDRM1) were closely associated with drought-induced hypermethylation in sea buckthorn. Together, we firstly conducted a comprehensive transcriptomic and epigenetic analysis of sea buckthorn under drought stress, providing a resource for further study of the potential functions of genes, miRNAs, lncRNAs, circRNAs and DNA methyltransferases.

Genome sequence and population genomics provide insights into chromosomal evolution and phytochemical innovation of Hippophae rhamnoides.

Plants of the Elaeagnaceae family are widely used to treat various health disorders owing to their natural phytochemicals. Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is an economically and ecologically important species within the family with richness of biologically and pharmacologically active substances. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly of seabuckthorn (http://hipp.shengxin.ren/), the first genome sequence of Elaeagnaceae, which has a total length of 849.04 Mb with scaffold N50 of 69.52 Mb and 30 864 annotated genes. Two sequential tetraploidizations with one occurring ~36-41 million years ago (Mya) and the last ~24-27 Mya were inferred, resulting in expansion of genes related to ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, lipid biosynthesis, and fatty acid elongation. Comparative genomic analysis reconstructed the evolutionary trajectories of the seabuckthorn genome with the predicted ancestral genome of 14 proto-chromosomes. Comparative transcriptomic and metabonomic analyses identified some key genes contributing to high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and ascorbic acid (AsA). Additionally, we generated and analysed 55 whole-genome sequences of diverse accessions, and identified 9.80 million genetic variants in the seabuckthorn germplasms. Intriguingly, genes in selective sweep regions identified through population genomic analysis appeared to contribute to the richness of AsA and fatty acid in seabuckthorn fruits, among which GalLDH, GMPase and ACC, TER were the potentially major-effect causative genes controlling AsA and fatty acid content of the fruit, respectively. Our research offers novel insights into the molecular basis underlying phytochemical innovation of seabuckthorn, and provides valuable resources for exploring the evolution of the Elaeagnaceae family and molecular breeding.

Genome-wide DNA N6-adenine methylation in sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) fruit development.

As a new epigenetic mark, DNA N6-adenine (6mA) methylation plays an important role in various biological processes and has been reported in many prokaryotic organisms in recent years. However, the distribution patterns and functions of DNA 6mA modification have been poorly studied in non-model crops. In this study, we observed that the methylation ratio of 6mA was about 0.016% in the sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) genome using mass spectrometry. We first constructed a comprehensive 6mA landscape in sea buckthorn genome using nanopore sequencing at single-base resolution. Distribution analysis suggested that 6mA methylated sites were widely distributed in the sea buckthorn chromosomes, which were similar to those in Arabidopsis and rice. Furthermore, reduced 6mA DNA methylation is associated with different expression of genes related to the fruit-ripening process in sea buckthorn. Our results revealed that 6mA DNA modification could be considered an important epigenomic mark and contributes to the fruit ripening process in plants.

Targeted Metabolome and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal the Pigmentation Mechanism of Hippophae (Sea Buckthorn) Fruit.

The genus Hippophae (sea buckthorn) is widely cultivated and consumed in Asia and Europe. The fruit color is an important appearance and commercial trait for sea buckthorn, which is closely related to the biosynthesis and accumulation of various nutrients and pigments. The fruit colors of sea buckthorn are varied, which appear as yellow, orange, red, and brown. However, the nutrients and pigments forming different the fruit colors of sea buckthorn remain unclear. To investigate the mechanism of pigmentation of sea buckthorn fruit, integrative analyses of the transcriptome and targeted metabolome, including the carotenoids, flavonoids, and chlorophylls, were performed in five sea buckthorn varieties with different fruit colors. A total of 209 flavonoids and 41 carotenoids were identified in five sea buckthorn fruits of different colors. The types and contents of flavonoids and carotenoids in the five sea buckthorn fruits were significantly different. Interestingly, we only found a high content of chlorophyll (772.7 mg/kg) in the sea buckthorn fruit with a brown color. The quantities and relative proportions of the flavonoids, carotenoids, and chlorophyll led to the different colors of the sea buckthorn fruits. Using a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), the key genes related to the carotenoids and chlorophyll metabolism were identified. The high content of chlorophylls in the brown fruit was closely related to the downregulated expression of key genes in the chlorophyll degradation pathway, including SGR, SGRL, PPH, NYC1, and HCAR. Our results provide new insights into the roles of flavonoids, carotenoids, and chlorophylls in the formation of fruit color in sea buckthorn.

Increasing prevalence of myopia and the impact of education in primary-school students in Xi'an, north-western of China.

Purpose: The present study was performed to detect the prevalence of myopia among primary-school students in Xi'an, north-western of China. Methods: The present study was a school-based study with students aged from 6 to 13 years old. All the individuals underwent ophthalmological examination and spherical equivalent (SE) of refractive error were measured with non-cycloplegic refraction. Myopia was defined as a SE of ≤ -0.5 diopters (D), and further divided into three stratified groups based on SE: low myopia (≤ -0.5 to >-3.0 D), moderate myopia (≤ -3.0 to >-6.0 D), and high myopia (≤ -6.0 D). Relative risk factors, including age, sex, grade and ethnicity were investigated using questionnaire. Results: A total of 4,680 individuals were eligible for this survey and 4,654 (99.4% participation rate) were finally included (51.2% boys). The mean age of participants was 8.756 ± 1.727 years. The whole city-level prevalence of total myopia was 57.1% (95% CI: 55.7-58.6%). Additionally, the prevalence of low, moderate, and high myopia was 45.0% (95% CI: 43.5-46.4%), 11.1% (95% CI: 10.2-12.0%), and 1.0% (95% CI: 0.7-1.3%), respectively. Moreover, grade (education level) instead of age, sex and ethnicity was the most essential risk factor for prevalence of overall myopia (OR = 1.844, 95% CI: 1.605-2.119), and an increase of prevalence by 84.4% per grade was seen. Furthermore, similar associations of grade were significant with low myopia (OR = 1.613, 95% CI: 1.385-1.877) and moderate myopia (OR = 2.186, 95% CI: 1.693-2.823), meanwhile, prevalence of low myopia and moderate myopia demonstrated an increase of prevalence by 61.3 and 118.6% per grade, respectively. None of the factors included in the present study was significant risk factor for high myopia. Conclusions: The present study investigated a non-negligible high prevalence of myopia among primary-school students in Xi'an, north-western of China, and a gradual increasing in proportion with education level.

Ultrastructural Observations of Botrytis cinerea and Physical Changes in Resistant and Susceptible Grapevines.

The necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea is a major threat to grapevine cultivation worldwide. Here, a highly resistant Chinese wild grapevine, Vitis amurensis 'Shuangyou' (SY), and the susceptible V. vinifera 'Red Globe' (RG) were selected for study, and their pathogenic infection and biochemical responses to B. cinerea were evaluated. The results revealed more trichomes on and a thicker cuticle for leaves of SY than RG under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Both SEM and TEM also showed that conidial germination, appressorium formation, and hyphal development of B. cinerea were delayed on the leaves of resistant SY. Fewer infected hyphae were also observed in leaves of resistant SY when compared with susceptible RG. The infected leaves of resistant SY harbored higher levels of cellulase and pectinase activity during the early infection stages of B. cinerea at 4 h postinoculation (hpi), and higher glucanase and chitinase activity were maintained in the inoculated leaves of SY from 4 through 18 hpi. Lignin was deposited in the infected leaves of susceptible RG but not in resistant SY. Taken together, these results provide insights into the ultrastructural characterizations and physical changes in resistant and susceptible grapevines.

Complex co-evolutionary relationships between cicadas and their symbionts.

Previous evidence suggests that cicadas lacking Hodgkinia may harbour the yeast-like fungal symbionts (YLS). Here, we reinforce an earlier conclusion that the pathogenic ancestor of YLS independently infected different cicada lineages instead of the common ancestor of Cicadidae. Five independent replacement events in the loss of Hodgkinia/acquisition of YLS and seven other replacement events of YLS (from an Ophiocordyceps fungus to another Ophiocordyceps fungus) are hypothesised to have occurred within the sampled cicada taxa. The divergence time of YLS lineages was later than that of corresponding cicada lineages. The rapid shift of diversification rates of YLS and related cicada-parasitizing Ophiocordyceps began at approximately 32.94 Ma, and the diversification rate reached the highest value at approximately 24.82 Ma, which corresponds to the cooling climate changes at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary and the Oligocene-Miocene transition respectively. Combined with related acquisition/replacement events of YLS occurred during the cooling-climate periods, we hypothesise that the cooling-climate changes impacted the interactions between cicadas and related Ophiocordyceps, which coupled with the unusual life cycle and the differentiation of cicadas may finally led to the diversification of YLS in Cicadidae. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary transition of YLS from entomopathogenic fungi in insects.

Unique features of the m6A methylome and its response to drought stress in sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides Linn.).

In plants, recent studies have revealed that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation of mRNA has potential regulatory functions of this mRNA modification in many biological processes. m6A methyltransferase, m6A demethylase and m6A-binding proteins can cause differential phenotypes, indicating that m6A may have critical roles in the plant. In this study, we depicted the m6A map of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides Linn.) transcriptome. Similar to A. thaliana, m6A sites of sea buckthorn transcriptome is significantly enriched around the stop codon and within 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTR). Gene ontology analysis shows that the m6A modification genes are associated with metabolic biosynthesis. In addition, we identified 13,287 different m6A peaks (DMPs) between leaf under drought (TR) and control (CK) treatment. It reveals that m6A has a high level of conservation and has a positive correlation with mRNA abundance in plants. GO and KEGG enrichment results showed that DMP modification DEGs in TR were particularly associated with ABA biosynthesis. Interestingly, our results showed three m6A demethylase (HrALKBH10B, HrALKBH10C and HrALKBH10D) genes were significantly increased following drought stress, which indicated that it may contributed the decreased m6A levels. This exhaustive m6A map provides a basis and resource for the further functional study of mRNA m6A modification in abiotic stress.

Circ_MUC16 attenuates the effects of Propofol to promote the aggressive behaviors of ovarian cancer by mediating the miR-1182/S100B signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Propofol is commonly used for anesthesia during surgery and has been demonstrated to inhibit cancer development, which is shown to be associated with deregulation of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). The objective of this study was to explore the role of circular RNA mucin 16 (circ_MUC16) in Propofol-mediated inhibition of ovarian cancer. METHODS: The expression of circ_MUC16, microRNA-1182 (miR-1182) and S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) mRNA was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The expression of S100B protein was checked by western blot. Cell proliferation was assessed by 3-(4, 5-di methyl thiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-di phenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and colony formation assay. Glycolysis metabolism was assessed by glucose consumption, lactate production and ATP level. Cell migration and cell invasion were assessed by transwell assay. Cell migration was also assessed by wound healing assay. Animal study was conducted in nude mice to determine the role of circ_MUC16 in vivo. The relationship between miR-1182 and circ_MUC16 or S100B was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. RESULTS: Propofol inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation, glycolysis metabolism, migration and invasion, which were partly recovered by circ_MUC16 overexpression. Circ_MUC16 was downregulated in Propofol-treated ovarian cancer cells. Besides, circ_MUC16 knockdown enhanced the effects of Propofol to further inhibit tumor growth in vivo. MiR-1182 was a target of circ_MUC16, and circ_MUC16 knockdown-inhibited cell proliferation, glycolysis metabolism, migration and invasion were partly restored by miR-1182 inhibition. In addition, S100B was a target of miR-1182, and miR-1182-suppressed cell proliferation, glycolysis metabolism, migration and invasion were partly restored by S100B overexpression. CONCLUSION: Circ_MUC16 overexpression alleviated the effects of Propofol to promote the aggressive behaviors of ovarian cancer by targeting the miR-1182/S100B network.

Structural diversity of symbionts and related cellular mechanisms underlying vertical symbiont transmission in cicadas.

Many insects depend on symbiont(s) for survival. This is particularly the case for sap-feeding hemipteran insects. In this study, we revealed that symbionts harboured in cicadas are diverse and complex, and the yeast-like fungal symbionts (YLS) are present in most cicada species, but Hodgkinia is absent. During vertical transmission, Sulcia became swollen with the outer membrane drastically changed, while Hodgkinia became shrunken and changed from irregular to roughly spherical. Sulcia and/or Hodgkinia were exocytosed from the bacteriocytes to the intercellular space of bacteriomes, where they gathered together and were extruded to haemolymph. YLS and associated facultative symbiont(s) in the fat bodies were released to the haemolymph based on bacteriocyte disintegration. The obligate symbiont(s) were endocytosed and exocytosed successively by the epithelial plug cells of the terminal oocyte, while associated facultative symbiont(s), and possibly also YLS, may take a 'free ride' on the transmission of obligate symbiont(s) to gain entry into the oocyte. Then, the intermixed symbionts formed a characteristic 'symbiont ball' in the oocyte. Our results suggest that YLS in cicadas represent a new example of a relatively early stage of symbiogenesis in insects and contribute to a better understanding of the diversity and transmission mechanisms of symbionts in insects.

Assessment of Choroidal Vascularity and Choriocapillaris Blood Perfusion in Anisomyopic Adults by SS-OCT/OCTA.

Purpose: To explore the association of choroidal vascularity and choriocapillaris blood perfusion with myopic severity in anisomyopes. Methods: Refractive error, axial length (AL), and other biometric parameters were measured in 34 anisomyopic young adults. Macular choroidal thickness (ChT) and choroidal vascularity, including total choroidal area (TCA), luminal area (LA), stromal area (SA), and choroidal vascularity index (CVI), were determined from swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) vertical and horizontal B-scans. The percentage of choriocapillaris flow voids (FV%) was obtained from en face SS-OCT-angiography. Results: The spherical equivalent refraction (SER) was -3.35 ± 1.25 diopters in the more myopic eyes and -1.25 ± 1.17 diopters in the less myopic eyes (P < 0.001). The interocular difference in SER was highly correlated with that in AL (P < 0.001). The macular ChT, TCA, LA, and SA were smaller in the more myopic eyes than in the less myopic eyes in both vertical and horizontal scans (all P < 0.001). Importantly, the CVIs in vertical and horizontal scans were smaller and the FV% was greater in the more myopic eyes (P < 0.05). In vertical scans, the interocular difference in CVIs was correlated with that in the SER, AL, and ChT (all P < 0.05). The interocular difference in FV% was correlated with that in SER, AL, and vertical and horizontal ChTs (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: Choroidal vascularity and choriocapillaris blood perfusion were lower in the more myopic eyes of anisomyopic adults. These changes were correlated with the severity of myopia and choroidal thinning, indicating that choroidal blood flow is disturbed in human myopia.

An ABA-flavonoid relationship contributes to the differences in drought resistance between different sea buckthorn subspecies.

Drought is the most severe abiotic stress and hinders the normal growth and development of plants. Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides Linn.) is a typical drought-resistant tree species. In this study, the leaves of the H. rhamnoides ssp. sinensis ('FN') and H. rhamnoides ssp. mongolica ('XY') were selected during drought-recovery cycles for RNA sequencing, and physiological and biochemical analyses. The results revealed that drought stress significantly decreased leaf water potential, net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance in both sea buckthorn subspecies. Similarly, the contents of flavone, flavonol, isoflavone and flavanone significantly decreased under drought stress in 'XY'. Conversely, in 'FN', the flavone and abscisic acid (ABA) contents were significantly higher under drought stress and recovered after rehydration. Meanwhile, 4618 and 6100 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified under drought stress in 'FN' and 'XY', respectively. In total, 5164 DEGs were observed in the comparison between 'FN' and 'XY' under drought stress. This was more than the 3821 and 3387 DEGs found when comparing the subspecies under control and rehydration conditions, respectively. These DEGs were mainly associated with carotenoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction. Six hub DEGs (ABCG5, ABCG22, ABCG32, ABCG36, ABF2 and PYL4) were identified to respond to drought stress based on weighted gene co-expression network analysis and Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis using DroughtDB. These six DEGs were annotated to play roles in the ABA-dependent signaling pathway. Sixteen RNA sequencing results involving eight genes and similar expression patterns (12/16) were validated using quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of drought responses by ABA and flavonoids in sea buckthorn were clarified. In this study, gene co-expression networks were constructed, and the results suggested that the mutual regulation of ABA and flavonoid signaling contributed to the difference in drought resistance between the different sea buckthorn subspecies.