Impact of Iron Oxide on Anaerobic Digestion of Frass in Biogas and Methanogenic Archaeal Communities' Analysis.

With the increasing prominence of the global energy problem, socioeconomic activities have been seriously affected. Biofuels, as a renewable source of energy, are of great significance in promoting sustainable development. In this study, batch anaerobic digestion (AD) of frass (swine manure after bioconversion by black soldier fly larvae) and co-digestion with corn straw after the addition of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles is investigated, as well as the start-up period without inoculation. The biochemical methane potential of pure frass was obtained using blank 1 group and after the addition of various sizes of Fe3O4 nanoparticles for 30 days period, and similarly, the digestion of frass with straw (blank 2) and after the addition of various sizes of Fe3O4 nanoparticles for 61 days period. The results showed that the average gas production was 209.43 mL/gVS, 197.68 mL/gVS, 151.85 mL/gVS, and 238.15 mL/gVS for the blank, ~176 nm, ~164 nm, and ~184 nm, respectively. The average gas production of frass with straw (blank 2) was 261.64 mL/gVS, 259.62 mL/gVS, 241.51 mL/gVS, and 285.98 mL/gVS for blank 2, ~176 nm, ~164 nm, and ~184 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, the accumulated methane production of the ~184 nm group was 2312.98 mL and 10,952.96 mL, respectively, which significantly increased the biogas production compared to the other groups. The methanogenic results of the frass (30 days) indicated that Methanocorpusculum, Methanosarcina, and Methanomassiliicoccus are the important methanogenic species in the AD reactor, while the microbial diversity of the ~184 nm group was optimal, which may be the reason for the high gas production of ~184 nm.

Exosomal circ_CCDC7/gga-miR-6568-3p/Pax7 axis accelerates the differentiation of chicken embryonic stem cells infected with subgroup J avian leukosis virus.

Exosome-mediated horizontal and vertical transmission of subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) in poultry flocks can lead to growth inhibition and severe immunosuppression. However, there are few reports on the early infection of chicken embryonic stem cells (cESCs) with ALV-J. In this study, we confirmed that early infection with ALV-J can accelerate the differentiation of cESCs and promote the secretion of exosomes. To investigate the modulation strategy of ALV-J in cESCs, circRNA sequencing was performed for further analysis. A total of 305 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) were obtained, including 71 upregulated DECs. Circ-CCDC7 was found to be the most upregulated DEC and was assessed by qRT-PCR, with the result consistent with the result of circRNA-seq. Based on qRT-PCR, gga-miR-6568-3p was found to be the target of the top 3 DECs, including circ-CCDC7, and the stem cell marker gene Pax7 was identified as the target gene of gga-miR-6568-3p. This study demonstrated that exosomal circ-CCDC7/gga-miR-6568-3p/Pax7 accelerates the differentiation of cESCs after early infection with ALV-J.

Extraction of Proteins from Soil.

Soil metaproteomics could explore the proteins involved in life activities and their abundance in the soils to overcome the difficulty in pure cultures of soil microorganisms and the limitations of proteomics of pure cultures. However, the complexity and heterogeneity of soil composition, the low abundance of soil proteins, and the presence of massive interfering substances (including humic compounds) generally lead to an extremely low extraction efficiency of soil proteins. Therefore, the efficient extraction of soil proteins is a prerequisite and bottleneck problem in soil metaproteomics. In this chapter, a soil protein extraction method suitable for most types of soils with low cost and enabling simple operation (about 150 µg protein can be extracted from 5.0 g soil) is described. The quantity and purity of the extracted soil proteins could meet the requirements for further analysis using routine mass spectrometry-based proteomics.

Yu Linzhu alleviates primary ovarian insufficiency in a rat model by improving proliferation and energy metabolism of granulosa cells through hif1α/cx43 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Yu Linzhu (YLZ) is a classical Chinese traditional formula, which has been used for more than 600 years to regulate menstruation to help pregnancy. However, the mechanism of modern scientific action of YLZ needs to be further studied. METHODS: Thirty SD female rats were divided into three groups to prepare the blank serum and drug-containing serum, and then using UHPLC-QE-MS to identify the ingredients of YLZ and its drug-containing serum. Twenty-four SD female rats were divided into four groups, except the control group, 4-vinylcyclohexene dicycloxide (VCD) was intraperitoneally injected to establish a primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) model of all groups. Using vaginal smear to show that the estrous cycle of rats was disturbed after modeling, indicates that the POI model was successfully established. The ELISA test was used to measure the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels in the serum of rats. HE stain was used to assess the morphology of ovarian tissue. The localization and relative expression levels of CX43 protein were detected by tissue immunofluorescence. Primary ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) were identified by cellular immunofluorescence. CCK8 was used to screen time and concentration of drug-containing serum and evaluate the proliferation effect of YLZ on VCD-induced GCs. ATP kit and Seahorse XFe24 were used to detect energy production and real-time glycolytic metabolism rate of GCs. mRNA and protein expression levels of HIF1α, CX43, PEK, LDH, HK1 were detected by RT-PCR and WB. RESULTS: UHPLC-QE-MS found 1702 ingredients of YLZ and 80 constituents migrating to blood. YLZ reduced the FSH while increasing the AMH and E2 levels. In ovarian tissues, YLZ improved ovarian morphology, follicle development, and the relative expression of CX43. In vitro studies, we found that YLZ increased the proliferative activity of GCs, ATP levels, glycolytic metabolic rate, HIF1α, CX43, PEK, HK1, LDH mRNA, and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that YLZ increased the proliferation and glycolytic energy metabolism of GCs to improve follicular development further alleviating ovarian function.

Epoxy-Acrylic Polymer In-Situ Filling Cell Lumen and Bonding Cell Wall for Wood Reinforcement and Stabilization.

Under a global carbon-neutralizing environment, renewable wood is a viable alternative to non-renewable resources due to its abundance and high specific strength. However, fast-growing wood is hard to be applied extensively due to low mechanical strength and poor dimensional stability and durability. In this study, epoxy-acrylic resin-modified wood was prepared by forming a functional monomer system with three monomers [glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), maleic anhydride (MAN), and polyethylene glycol-200-dimethylacrylic acid (PEGDMA)] and filling into the wood cell cavity. The results showed that in the case of an optimal monomer system of nGMA:nPEGDMA = 20:1 and an optimal MAN dosage of 6%, the conversion rate of monomers reached 98.01%, the cell cavity was evenly filled by the polymer, with the cell wall chemically bonded. Thus, a bonding strength of as high as 1.13 MPa, a bending strength of 112.6 MPa and an impact toughness of 74.85 KJ/m2 were applied to the modified wood, which presented excellent dimensional stability (720 h water absorption: 26%, and volume expansion ratio: 5.04%) and rot resistance (loss rates from white rot and brown rot: 3.05% and 0.67%). Additionally, polymer-modified wood also exhibited excellent wear resistance and heat stability. This study reports a novel approach for building new environmentally friendly wood with high strength and toughness and good structural stability and durability.

Plasma cell-free DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and whole-genome sequencing signatures for early detection of esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer is a highly incidence and deadly disease with a poor prognosis, especially in developing countries. Owing to the lack of specific symptoms and early diagnostic biomarkers, most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease, leading to a 5-year survival rate of less than 15%. Early (n = 50) and middle-advanced (n = 50) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients, as well as 71 healthy individuals, underwent 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) sequencing on their plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA). A Northern Chinese cohort of cfDNA 5hmC dataset of 150 ESCC patients and 183 healthy individuals were downloaded for validation. A diagnostic model was developed using cfDNA 5hmC signatures and then improved by low-pass whole genome sequencing (WGS) features of cfDNA. Conserved cfDNA 5hmC modification motifs were observed in the two independent ESCC cohorts. The diagnostic model with 5hmC features achieved an AUC of 0.810 and 0.862 in the Southern and Northern cohorts, respectively, with sensitivities of 69.3-74.3% and specificities of 82.4-90.7%. The performance was well maintained in Stage I to Stage IV, with accuracy of 70-100%, but low in Stage 0, 33.3%. Low-pass WGS of cfDNA improved the AUC to 0.934 with a sensitivity of 82.4%, a specificity of 88.2%, and an accuracy of 84.3%, particularly significantly in Stage 0, with an accuracy up to 80%. 5hmC and WGS could efficiently differentiate very early ESCC from healthy individuals. These findings imply a non-invasive and convenient method for ESCC detection when clinical treatments are available and may eventually prolong survival.

Non-SMC condensin I complex subunit D2 (NCAPD2) reveals its prognostic and immunologic features in human cancers.

Non-SMC condensin I complex subunit D2 (NCAPD2) is overexpressed in some malignant tumors. However, there are few studies on the function of NCAPD2 in pan-cancer. We used the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), and UALCAN to analyze NCAPD2 expression and promoter methylation levels in 33 tumors and normal samples. We performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) on liver cancer and corresponding normal tissues to examine NCAPD2 protein expression in LIHC. Kaplan-Meier survival and univariate regression analyses were performed to explore the pan-cancer clinical significance of NCAPD2. Moreover, correlative analysis between NCAPD2 expression and clinical characteristics, immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, immune regulators, tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), ribonucleic acid (RNA) methylation regulators, and drug sensitivity was conducted using data from TCGA. We also investigated the effects of NCAPD2 expression on immunotherapy efficacy and prognosis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted using NCAPD2. Bioinformatic analysis showed that NCAPD2 was overexpressed in most tumors and correlated with the clinical characteristics of some cancers. IHC results demonstrated that NCAPD2 protein expression was higher in LIHC than in normal liver. NCAPD2 expression was linked with T stage, clinical stage, and histologic grade in LIHC. Overexpression of NCAPD2 resulted in poor overall survival, and disease-specific survival in adrenocortical carcinoma, kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma, brain lower grade glioma, liver hepatocellular carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, mesothelioma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, skin cutaneous melanoma, and uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. NCAPD2 was considered an independent biomarker by Cox regression in LIHC. The time ROC curve demonstrated that the survival rate of 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS and DSS in LIHC was above 0.6. The expression of NCAPD2 was significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, TMB, MSI, and RNA methylation regulators in several tumors. NCAPD2 had a high predictive value for immunotherapy efficiency in certain tumors. In our study, drugs sensitive to NCAPD2 protein were screened by sensitivity analysis. GSEA analysis showed that NCAPD2 mainly participated in the G2M checkpoint, mitotic spindle, and KRAS-signaling. NCAPD2 may act as a prognostic molecular marker in most cancers.

Label-Free Quantitative Proteomics in Plant.

Label-free quantitation (LFQ) proteomics, mainly based on the extraction of the peptide (precursor) intensity at the MS1 (mass spectrum 1) level, enables to quantify the relative amount of the proteins among samples. In an LFQ proteomics study, all samples are scanned individually on an advanced mass spectrometer and the chromatographic features of each run are extracted to generate consensus patterns among various runs in the experiment. Here, we describe the LFQ proteomics experimental protocol adapted for plant research, such as plant iron homeostasis.

Yeast enrichment facilitated lipid removal and bioconversion by black soldier fly larvae in the food waste treatment.

Food waste can be converted into insectile fatty acids (FAs) by the larvae of black soldier fly (BSFL), Hermetia illucens, for use in the feed sector or as a source of biodiesel. However, waste oil was less decomposed than carbohydrate or protein in frass due to the limitation of larval lipid metabolism. In this study, 10 yeast strains were screened, corresponding to six species, to examine their capacity of improving lipid transformation performance by BSFL. The species of Candida lipolytica was superior to the other five species, which exhibited significantly higher lipid reduction rate (95.0-97.1 %) than the control (88.7 %), and the larval FA yields achieved 82.3-115.5 % of the food waste FA matters, suggesting that BSFL not only transformed waste oil but also biosynthesized FAs from waste carbohydrate and other substances. Further, the CL2 strain of Candida lipolytica was examined for treating food waste containing high lipid content (16-32 %). The lipid removal rate was found improved from 21.4 to 42.3 % (control) to 80.5-93.3% in the waste containing 20-32 % lipid. The upper limit of lipid content that could be endured by BSFL was ≈16 %, and the CL2-enrichment elevated the upper limit to ≈24 %. Fungal community analysis indicated that Candida spp. accounted for the lipid removal improvement. The Candida spp. CL2 strain may facilitate the lipid reduction and transformation by BSFL through microbial catabolizing and assimilation of waste FAs. Altogether, this study suggests that yeast enrichment is feasible in improving lipid transformation by BSFL especially for food waste exhibiting high lipid content.

Acacetin attenuates the pancreatic and hepatorenal dysfunction in type 2 diabetic rats induced by high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin.

Acacetin is a natural flavonoid compound with multiple therapeutic potential in oxidative stress, inflammation, cancers, cardiovascular disease and infections. The present study aimed to detect the effect of acacetin on pancreatic and hepatorenal dysfunction in type 2 diabetic rats. The diabetic rats were induced by high-fat diet (HFD) followed by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at a dose of 45 mg/kg. Different doses of acacetin were orally administrated once a day for 8 weeks after the diabetic model was successfully established. The experimental results revealed that acacetin and acarbose displayed obvious attenuation in the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and lipids compared to the untreated diabetic rats. In addition, the physiological function of liver and kidney was impaired in the persistent environment of hyperglycemia, while acacetin improved the damage of liver and kidney. Furthermore, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining indicated that acacetin alleviated the pathological alterations of the pancreas, liver and kidney tissues. Besides, the increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8 and malondialdehyde (MDA) were recused by acacetin treatment, while the reduction of superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were suppressed by acacetin treatment. In conclusion, the experimental results demonstrated that acacetin improved the lipids and glucose levels, and hepatorenal antioxidant capacity, as well as ameliorated hepatorenal dysfunction in type 2 diabetic rats, and the potential mechanism might be associated with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Chronological and Carbohydrate-Dependent Transformation of Fatty Acids in the Larvae of Black Soldier Fly Following Food Waste Treatment.

Although black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) can convert food waste into insectile fatty acids (FAs), the chronological and diet-dependent transformation of larval FAs has yet to be determined. This study focused on the dynamics of larval FA profiles following food waste treatment and characterized factors that may drive FA composition and bioaccumulation. Larval FA matters peaked on Day 11 as 7.7 ± 0.7% of food waste dry matter, maintained stably from Day 11-19, and decreased slightly from Day 19-21. The BSFL primarily utilized waste carbohydrates for FA bioconversion (Day 0-11) and shifted to waste FAs (Day 7-17) when the carbohydrates were close to depletion. The optimal time window for larvae harvest was Days 17-19, which fulfilled both targets of waste oil removal and larval FA transformation. Larval FAs were dominated by C12:0, followed by C18:2, C18:1, and C16:0. The waste-reducing carbohydrate primarily accounted for larval FA bioaccumulation (r = -0.947, p < 0.001). The increase in diet carbohydrate ratio resulted in the elevation of larval C12:0 yield, which indicated that larval C12:0-FA was primarily biosynthesized from carbohydrates and further transformed from ≥C16 FAs. This study elucidates the bioaccumulation process of larval FAs for food waste treatment and highlights the importance of waste carbohydrates for both the composition and transformation of larval FAs.

Improvement of Mechanical Properties and Solvent Resistance of Polyurethane Coating by Chemical Grafting of Graphene Oxide.

Waterborne polyurethane coatings (WPU) are widely used in various types of coatings due to their environmental friendliness, rich gloss, and strong adhesion. However, their inferior mechanical properties and solvent resistance limit their application on the surface of wood products. In this study, graphene oxide (GO) with nanoscale size, large surface area, and abundant functional groups was incorporated into WPU by chemical grafting to improve the dispersion of GO in WPU, resulting in excellent mechanical properties and solvent resistance of WPU coatings. GO with abundant oxygen-containing functional groups and nanoscale size was prepared, and maintained good compatibility with WPU. When the GO concentration was 0.7 wt%, the tensile strength of GO-modified WPU coating film increased by 64.89%, and the abrasion resistance and pendulum hardness increased by 28.19% and 15.87%, respectively. In addition, GO also improved the solvent resistance of WPU coatings. The chemical grafting strategy employed in this study provides a feasible way to improve the dispersion of GO in WPU and provides a useful reference for the modification of waterborne wood coatings.

Efficacy of vitamin and antioxidant supplements for treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

ABSTRACTThe results of treatment effect of vitamin or antioxidant intake on diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) was inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to examine whether these supplements are effective in DPN treatment. We searched seven databases from inception to October 2021. All RCTs of DPN treatments with vitamin and antioxidant supplements were included. We performed sensitivity and subgroup analysis, and also tested for publication bias by the funnel plot and Egger's test. A total of 14 studies with 1384 patients were included in this systematic review. Three high-quality trials showed that vitamin and antioxidant supplements significantly increased sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) of the sural nerve (MD = 2.66, 95%CI (0.60, 4.72), P < 0.05, I2 = 0%). Seven studies (758 participants) suggested that these supplements might have improvement on motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) of the peroneal nerve in DPN patients with the random-effect model (MD = 0.60, 95%CI (0.28, 0.92), P < 0.05, I2 = 65%). In four studies, these supplements could have improved on MNCV of the median nerve with the fixed-effect model (MD = 4.22, 95%CI (2.86, 5.57), P < 0.05, I2 = 0%). However, ten studies (841 participants) have suggested that vitamin and antioxidant supplements have not decreased glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Vitamin and antioxidant supplements may improve the conduction velocity of nerves, including median, sural and peroneal nerves of patients with DPN. But these supplements have not decreased HbA1c in DPN patients. Several trials with a large sample size are needed to provide evidence support for clinical practice in the future.

Strong and Durable Wood Designed by Cell Wall Bulking Combined with Cell Lumen Filling.

Traditional wood-polymer composite (WPC) based on the in situ polymerization of ethylene unsaturated monomers in the cellular cavity of wood is significant for the high-value-added utilization of low-quality wood. However, this type of WPC has the problems of volatile monomers, low conversion rates, odor residue, and poor compatibility between the polymer and wood interface, which hinder its promotion and application. In this study, a two-step process of cell wall bulking in combination with cell lumen filling was prepared to modify wood using Maleic anhydride (MAN) as the bulking agent and GMA-EGDMA (molar ratio 2:1) as the active monomer system. The results indicate that the modulus of rupture (MOR) (125.19 ± 8.41 MPa), compressive strength (116.38 ± 7.69 MPa), impact toughness (55.4 ± 2.95 KJ m-2), and hardness (6187 ± 273 N) of the bulking-filling wood composite materials were improved by 54%, 56%, 36%, and 66%, respectively, compared with those of poplar wood. These properties were superior to those of the traditional styrene (PSt)-WPC and even exceeded the performance of Xylosma congesta (Lour.) Merr, a high-quality wood from northeast China. Meanwhile, the mass loss of wood composite materials with bulking-filling treatment was only 2.35 ± 0.05%, and the internal structure remained intact, presenting excellent decay resistance. Additionally, the treatment also significantly improved the thermal and dimensional stability of the wood composites. This study provides a theoretical basis and guidance for realizing the high-value-added application of low-quality wood and the preparation of highly durable wood-based composites.

Acrylic Resin Filling Cell Lumen Enabled Laminated Poplar Veneer Lumber as Structural Building Material.

Wood is a viable alternative to traditional steel, cement, and concrete as a structural material for building applications, utilizing renewable resources and addressing the challenges of high energy consumption and environmental pollution in the construction industry. However, the vast supply of fast-growing poplar wood has bottlenecks in terms of low strength and dimensional stability, making it difficult to use as a structural material. An environmentally friendly acrylic resin system was designed and cured in this study to fill the poplar cell cavities, resulting in a new type of poplar laminated veneer lumber with improved mechanical strength and dimensional stability. The optimized acrylic resin system had a solid content of 25% and a curing agent content of 10% of the resin solid content. The cured filled poplar veneer gained 81.36% of its weight and had a density of 0.69 g/cm3. The static flexural strength and modulus of elasticity of the further prepared laminated veneer lumber were 123.12 MPa and 12,944.76 MPa, respectively, exceeding the highest flexural strength required for wood structural timber for construction (modulus of elasticity 12,500 MPa and static flexural strength 35 MPa). Its tensile strength, impact toughness, hardness, attrition value, water absorption, water absorption thickness expansion, and water absorption width expansion were 58.81%, 19.50%, 419.18%, 76.83%, 44.38%, 13.90%, and 37.60% higher than untreated laminated veneer lumber, demonstrating improved mechanical strength and dimensional stability, significantly. This method provides a novel approach to encouraging the use of low-value-added poplar wood in high-value-added structural building material applications.

Enhancing the Mechanical Properties of Waterborne Polyurethane Paint by Graphene Oxide for Wood Products.

Water-based polyurethane paint is widely used for wood furniture by virtue of the eco-friendliness, rich gloss, and flexible tailorability of its mechanical properties. However, its low solution (water or alcohol) resistance and poor hardness and wear resistance limit its application. The emerging graphene oxide has a high specific surface area and abundant functional groups with excellent mechanical properties, endowing it with great potential to modify waterborne polyurethane as a nanofiller. In this study, graphene oxide prepared by Hummers' method is introduced in the chemosynthetic waterborne polyurethane through physical blending. The testing results demonstrate that the appropriate usage of graphene oxide at 0.1 wt% could obviously improve water absorption resistance and alcohol resistance, significantly enhancing the mechanical properties of waterborne polyurethane paint. The corresponding tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and pendulum hardness of the graphene oxide-modified paint film increase by 62.23%, 14.76%, and 12.7%, respectively, compared with the pristine paint film. Meanwhile, the composite paint film containing graphene oxide possesses superiority, including gloss, abrasion resistance, pendulum hardness, and tensile strength in contrast with the commercial paint. The use of graphene oxide to enhance the waterborne polyurethane possesses strong operability and practical value, and could provide useful reference for the modification of waterborne wood paint.

Comparison on the effectiveness of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FT-IR) in characterizing plastics biodegradation by insect larvae.

The discovery that insect larvae can feed on foam plastics provided new exploration ideas and potential for plastic wastes biodegradation. In previous studies, both attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR) and conventional FT-IR have been used but no comparison has been done to evaluate the difference of effectiveness for the characterization of oxidization and biodegradation of plastics by insect larvae. To address this, foam plastics of polystyrene, polyurethane and polyethylene, as well as the frass of plastics-fed superworms Zophobas atratus were characterized using both FT-IR and ATR-FT-IR, and the differences were compared. For FT-IR, spectra were found to vary due to the difference in shape and thickness of the samples, as well as the moisture absorption of KBr. For ATR-FT-IR, although tests could be performed directly without pretreatment, the reflection with short wavelength could not deeply penetrate into the frass samples. Since the composition of plastics-fed larval frass is more complex than the original plastics, the spectra of FT-IR and ATR-FT-IR were observed significantly different. Therefore, the ATR-FT-IR was more effective in monitoring functional groups of original plastics, and be recommended to employ in combination with FT-IR for a more comprehensive characterization of plastics-fed larval frass in future studies.

C/N-Dependent Element Bioconversion Efficiency and Antimicrobial Protein Expression in Food Waste Treatment by Black Soldier Fly Larvae.

The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, has emerged as a promising species for waste bioconversion and source of antimicrobial proteins (AMPs). However, there is a scarcity of research on the element transformation efficiency and molecular characterization of AMPs derived from waste management. Here, food waste treatment was performed using BSF larvae (BSFL) in a C/N ratio of 21:1−10:1, with a focus on the C/N-dependent element bioconversion, AMP antimicrobial activity, and transcriptome profiling. The C-larvae transformation rates were found to be similar among C/Ns (27.0−35.5%, p = 0.109), while the N-larvae rates were different (p = 0.001), with C/N 21:1−16:1 (63.5−75.0%) being higher than C/N 14:1−10:1 (35.0−45.7%). The C/N ratio did not alter the antimicrobial spectrum of AMPs, but did affect the activities, with C/N 21:1 being significantly lower than C/N 18:1−10:1. The lysozyme genes were found to be significantly more highly expressed than the cecropin, defensin, and attacin genes in the AMP gene family. Out of 51 lysozyme genes, C/N 18:1 and C/N 16:1 up-regulated (p < 0.05) 14 and 12 genes compared with C/N 21:1, respectively, corresponding to the higher activity of AMPs. Overall, the element bioconversion efficiency and AMP expression can be enhanced through C/N ratio manipulation, and the C/N-dependent transcriptome regulation is the driving force of the AMP difference.

High-throughput membrane-anchored proteome screening reveals PIEZO1 as a promising antibody-drug target for human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal carcinoma is one of the most fatal cancers worldwide. In China, over 90% of esophageal cancer patients are diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Currently, the survival and prognosis of ESCC patients are not satisfying because of insufficient early screening and lack of efficacious medication. Accumulating studies have suggested that antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) represent a promising antitumor strategy. METHOD: Here, we carried out a specific membrane proteome screening with ESCC patients' samples using a high-throughput antibody microarray to uncover potential targets for ADC development. Candidates were validated with expression and cytotoxicity evaluation both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Our data have shown that the Piezo-Type Mechanosensitive Ion Channel Component 1 (PIEZO1) is particularly overexpressed in human ESCC tumors and can be efficiently internalized when bound with its monoclonal antibody. Furthermore, the PIEZO1 antibody combined with monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) can specifically kill PIEZO1 high-expressed ESCC tumor cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. More importantly, the Anti-PIEZO1-MMAE can significantly suppress tumor progression in ESCC xenograft tumor models without any obvious side effects. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our work demonstrates that PIEZO1 is a promising target to develop ADCs for human ESCC treatment, providing a new strategy for ESCC patients' personalized therapy.