GhKNL1 controls fiber elongation and secondary cell wall synthesis by repressing its downstream genes in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

Cotton which produces natural fiber materials for the textile industry is one of the most important crops in the world. Class II KNOX proteins are often considered as transcription factors in regulating plant secondary cell wall (SCW) formation. However, the molecular mechanism of the KNOX transcription factor-regulated SCW synthesis in plants (especially in cotton) remains unclear in details so far. In this study, we show a cotton class II KNOX protein (GhKNL1) as a transcription repressor functioning in fiber development. The GhKNL1-silenced transgenic cotton produced longer fibers with thicker SCWs, whereas GhKNL1 dominant repression transgenic lines displayed the opposite fiber phenotype, compared with controls. Further experiments revealed that GhKNL1 could directly bind to promoters of GhCesA4-2/4-4/8-2 and GhMYB46 for modulating cellulose synthesis during fiber SCW development in cotton. On the other hand, GhKNL1 could also suppress expressions of GhEXPA2D/4A-1/4D-1/13A through binding to their promoters for regulating fiber elongation of cotton. Taken together, these data revealed GhKNL1 functions in fiber elongation and SCW formation by directly repressing expressions of its target genes related to cell elongation and cellulose synthesis. Thus, our data provide an effective clue for potentially improving fiber quality by genetic manipulation of GhKNL1 in cotton breeding.

Interleukin-1 blockade treatment decreasing cardiovascular risk.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-1 (IL-1) played a role in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events. However, the association between IL-1 blockage treatment and reducing of cardiovascular risk remains poorly defined. HYPOTHESIS: IL-1 blockage treatment reduce the risk and incidence rate of overall major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), all-cause death, acute myocardial infarction(MI), unstable angina and heart failure. METHODS: We performed a search of published reports by using MEDLINE database (January 1, 2005 to April 1, 2018). The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported sample size and occurrence numbers in test group and placebo group for the associations of interest were included. RESULTS: Eight RCT studies involving 15 647 participants were identified. Compared with those who took no IL-1 blockage, patients taking IL-1 blockage experienced a decreased risk of overall MACE (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82-0.94), unstable angina (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66-0.98), and breakthrough or recurrence of heart failure (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.22-0.87). No association was found between IL-1 blockage treatment and death from all cause (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83-1.00) as well as acute MI (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.71-1.01). The RRs associated with overall MACE, death from all cause, acute MI, and unstable angina for anakinra were 1.05, 1.16, 2.97, and 0.56, respectively, and for canakinumab were 1.05, 0.91, 0.80, and 0.80, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of IL-1 blockage was associated with decrease risks of overall MACE, unstable angina, and breakthrough or recurrence of heart failure, but not with death from all cause as well as acute MI.

Long-Term Cardiovascular Risk After Radiotherapy in Women With Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy for breast cancer often involves some incidental exposure of the heart to ionizing radiation. The effect of this exposure on the subsequent risk of heart disease is uncertain. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the link between radiotherapy and long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with breast cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a literature search using MEDLINE (January 1966 to January 2015) and EMBASE (January 1980 to January 2015) with no restrictions. Studies that reported relative risk (RR) estimates with 95%CIs for the associations of interest were included. Pooled effect estimates were obtained by using random-effects meta-analysis. Thirty-nine studies involving 1 191 371 participants were identified. Patients who received left-sided radiotherapy, as compared with those receiving right-sided radiotherapy, experienced increased risks of developing coronary heart disease (RR 1.29, 95%CI 1.13-1.48), cardiac death (RR 1.22, 95%CI 1.08-1.37) and death from any cause (RR 1.05, 95%CI 1.01-1.10). In a comparison of patients with radiotherapy and without radiotherapy, the RRs were 1.30 (95%CI 1.13-1.49) for coronary heart disease and 1.38 (95%CI 1.18-1.62) for cardiac mortality. Radiotherapy for breast cancer was associated with an absolute risk increase of 76.4 (95%CI 36.8-130.5) cases of coronary heart disease and 125.5 (95%CI 98.8-157.9) cases of cardiac death per 100 000 person-years. The risk started to increase within the first decade for coronary heart disease and from the second decade for cardiac mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure of the heart to ionizing radiation during radiotherapy for breast cancer increases the subsequent risk of coronary heart disease and cardiac mortality.

Phosphorylation of serine residue modulates cotton Di19-1 and Di19-2 activities for responding to high salinity stress and abscisic acid signaling.

Di19 (drought-induced protein 19) family is a novel type of Cys2/His2 zinc-finger proteins. In this study, we demonstrated that cotton Di19-1 and Di19-2 (GhDi19-1/-2) proteins could be phosphorylated in vitro by the calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK). Mutation of Ser to Ala in N-terminus of GhDi19-1/-2 led to the altered subcellular localization of the two proteins, but the constitutively activated form (Ser was mutated to Asp) of GhDi19-1/-2 still showed the nuclear localization. GhDi19-1/-2 overexpression transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings displayed the hypersensitivity to high salinity and abscisic acid (ABA). However, Ser site-mutated GhDi19-1(S116A) and GhDi19-2(S114A), and Ser and Thr double sites-mutated GhDi19-1(S/T-A/A) and GhDi19-2(S/T-A/A) transgenic Arabidopsis did not show the salt- and ABA-hypersensitive phenotypes. In contrast, overexpression of Thr site-mutated GhDi19-1(T114A) and GhDi19-2(T112A) in Arabidopsis still resulted in salt- and ABA-hypersensitivity phenotypes, like GhDi19-1/-2 transgenic lines. Overexpression of GhDi19-1/-2 and their constitutively activated forms in Atcpk11 background could recover the salt- and ABA-insensitive phenotype of the mutant. Thus, our results demonstrated that Ser phosphorylation (not Thr phosphorylation) is crucial for functionally activating GhDi19-1/-2 in response to salt stress and ABA signaling during early plant development, and GhDi19-1/-2 proteins may be downstream targets of CDPKs in ABA signal pathway.

The Role of Macrolide Antibiotics in Increasing Cardiovascular Risk.

BACKGROUND: Large cohort studies provide conflicting evidence regarding the potential for oral macrolide antibiotics to increase the risk of serious cardiac events. OBJECTIVES: This study performed a meta-analysis to examine the link between macrolides and risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTA), cardiovascular death, and death from any cause. METHODS: We performed a search of published reports by using MEDLINE (January 1, 1966, to April 30, 2015) and EMBASE (January 1, 1980, to April 30, 2015) with no restrictions. Studies that reported relative risk (RR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of interest were included. RESULTS: Thirty-three studies involving 20,779,963 participants were identified. Patients taking macrolides, compared with those who took no macrolides, experienced an increased risk of developing SCD or VTA (RR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.61 to 3.63), SCD (RR: 2.52; 95% CI: 1.91 to 3.31), and cardiovascular death (RR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.62). No association was found between macrolides use and all-cause death or any cardiovascular events. The RRs associated with SCD or VTA were 3.40 for azithromycin, 2.16 for clarithromycin, and 3.61 for erythromycin, respectively. RRs for cardiovascular death were 1.54 for azithromycin and 1.48 for clarithromycin. No association was noted between roxithromycin and adverse cardiac outcomes. Treatment with macrolides is associated with an absolute risk increase of 118.1 additional SCDs or VTA, and 38.2 additional cardiovascular deaths per 1 million treatment courses. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of macrolide antibiotics is associated with increased risk for SCD or VTA and cardiovascular death but not increased all-cause mortality.

Cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein for predicting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease: a meta-analysis.

Elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein are associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the relationship between these two biomarker levels and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the association of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein levels with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Relevant studies were identified by searching the MEDLINE database through November 2013. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they reported the long-term all-cause or cardiovascular mortality of chronic kidney disease patients with abnormally elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin or C-reactive protein. Summary estimates of association were obtained using a random-effects model. Thirty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. From the pooled analysis, cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein were significantly associated with all-cause (HR 2.93, 95% CI 1.97-4.33 and HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.14-1.29, respectively) and cardiovascular (HR 3.27, 95% CI 1.67-6.41 and HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.10-1.28, respectively) mortality. In the subgroup analysis of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein, significant heterogeneities were found among the subgroups of population for renal replacement therapy and for the proportion of smokers and the C-reactive protein analysis method. Elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein are significant associated with higher risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Further studies are warranted to explore the risk stratification in chronic kidney disease patients.

Cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein for predicting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease: A meta-analysis

Elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein are associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the relationship between these two biomarker levels and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the association of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein levels with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Relevant studies were identified by searching the MEDLINE database through November 2013. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they reported the long-term all-cause or cardiovascular mortality of chronic kidney disease patients with abnormally elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin or C-reactive protein. Summary estimates of association were obtained using a random-effects model. Thirty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. From the pooled analysis, cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein were significantly associated with all-cause (HR 2.93, 95% CI 1.97-4.33 and HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.14-1.29, respectively) and cardiovascular (HR 3.27, 95% CI 1.67-6.41 and HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.10-1.28, respectively) mortality. In the subgroup analysis of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein, significant heterogeneities were found among the subgroups of population for renal replacement therapy and for the proportion of smokers and the C-reactive protein analysis method. Elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein are significant associated with higher risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Further studies are warranted to explore the risk stratification in chronic kidney disease patients.

A R2R3-MYB transcription factor that is specifically expressed in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fibers affects secondary cell wall biosynthesis and deposition in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Secondary cell wall (SCW) is an important industrial raw material for pulping, papermaking, construction, lumbering, textiles and potentially for biofuel production. The process of SCW thickening of cotton fibers lays down the cellulose that will constitute the bulk (up to 96%) of the fiber at maturity. In this study, a gene encoding a MYB-domain protein was identified in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and designated as GhMYBL1. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed that GhMYBL1 was specifically expressed in cotton fibers at the stage of secondary wall deposition. Further analysis indicated that this protein is a R2R3-MYB transcription factor, and is targeted to the cell nucleus. Overexpression of GhMYBL1 in Arabidopsis affected the formation of SCW in the stem xylem of the transgenic plants. The enhanced SCW thickening also occurred in the interfascicular fibers, xylary fibers and vessels of the GhMYBL1-overexpression transgenic plants. The expression of secondary wall-associated genes, such as CesA4, CesA7, CesA8, PAL1, F5H and 4CL1, were upregulated, and consequently, cellulose and lignin biosynthesis were enhanced in the GhMYBL1 transgenic plants. These data suggested that GhMYBL1 may participate in modulating the process of secondary wall biosynthesis and deposition of cotton fibers.

[Ecological and economic harmony evaluation and spatial evolution of the Hexi corridor, northwest China].

The relationship between economic development and environment and the evolution characteristics of spatial pattern in Hexi Corridor of Northwest China were analyzed based on Landsat images in 1985, 1995, 2000 and 2011 with twenty counties in Hexi Corridor chosen as the basic research units. The ecological economic harmony during 1985-2011 was estimated according to ESV (ecosystem services value) and EEH (ecological and economic harmony) index with the ecosystem services value estimation methods. The results showed that the land type of the study area dramatically changed during the study period, the grassland decreased badly, and the construction land and cultivated land increased quickly. The ESV showed an overall downward trend, especially in the Shiyang River basin and the middle of Heihe River. The ESV in the Shule River basin in this period. After 2000, the economic growth speeded up visibly in the study area. The economic development concentrated in the resource-based cities and regional central cities, and declined from the center of corridor to the both sides. The ecological-economic relation in Hexi Corridor experienced a transformation of "preliminary deterioration--further deterioration--low grade coordination". The EEH had large changes in the Shiyang River basin and the middle of Heihe River, which experienced a transformation of "conflict--more conflicts--less conflicts", however, there was little change in Shule River basin. The development mode and the comprehensive reclamation of Shiyang River basin and Heihe River basin had a significant influence on the regional ecological and economic harmony.