NADPH oxidase-dependent H2O2 production mediates salicylic acid-induced salt tolerance in mangrove plant Kandelia obovata by regulating Na+/K+ and redox homeostasis.

Salicylic acid (SA) is known to enhance salt tolerance in plants. However, the mechanism of SA-mediated response to high salinity in halophyte remains unclear. Using electrophysiological and molecular biological methods, we investigated the role of SA in response to high salinity in mangrove species, Kandelia obovata, a typical halophyte. Exposure of K. obovata roots to high salinity resulted in a rapid increase in endogenous SA produced by phenylalanine ammonia lyase pathway. The application of exogenous SA improved the salt tolerance of K. obovata, which depended on the NADPH oxidase-mediated H2O2. Exogenous SA and H2O2 increased Na+ efflux and reduced K+ loss by regulating the transcription levels of Na+ and K+ transport-related genes, thus reducing the Na+/K+ ratio in the salt-treated K. obovata roots. In addition, exogenous SA-enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and its transcripts, and the expressions of four genes related to AsA-GSH cycle as well, then alleviated oxidative damages in the salt-treated K. obovata roots. However, the above effects of SA could be reversed by diphenyleneiodonium chloride (the NADPH oxidase inhibitor) and paclobutrazol (a SA biosynthesis inhibitor). Collectively, our results demonstrated that SA-induced salt tolerance of K. obovata depends on NADPH oxidase-generated H2O2 that affects Na+/K+ and redox homeostasis in response to high salinity.

Trehalose along with ABA promotes the salt tolerance of Avicennia marina by regulating Na+ transport.

Mangroves grow in tropical/subtropical intertidal habitats with extremely high salt tolerance. Trehalose and trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) have an alleviating function against abiotic stress. However, the roles of trehalose in the salt tolerance of salt-secreting mangrove Avicennia marina is not documented. Here, we found that trehalose was significantly accumulated in A. marina under salt treatment. Furthermore, exogenous trehalose can enhance salt tolerance by promoting the Na+ efflux from leaf salt gland and root to reduce the Na+ content in root and leaf. Subsequently, eighteen trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (AmTPS) and 11 trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (AmTPP) genes were identified from A. marina genome. Abscisic acid (ABA) responsive elements were predicted in AmTPS and AmTPP promoters by cis-acting elements analysis. We further identified AmTPS9A, as an important positive regulator, that increased the salt tolerance of AmTPS9A-overexpressing Arabidopsis thaliana by altering the expressions of ion transport genes and mediating Na+ efflux from the roots of transgenic A. thaliana under NaCl treatments. In addition, we also found that ABA could promote the accumulation of trehalose, and the application of exogenous trehalose significantly promoted the biosynthesis of ABA in both roots and leaves of A. marina. Ultimately, we confirmed that AmABF2 directly binds to the AmTPS9A promoter in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, we speculated that there was a positive feedback loop between trehalose and ABA in regulating the salt tolerance of A. marina. These findings provide new understanding to the salt tolerance of A. marina in adapting to high saline environment at trehalose and ABA aspects.

Oxylipin signaling in salt-stressed soybean is modulated by ligand-dependent interaction of Class II acyl-CoA-binding proteins with lipoxygenase.

Plant lipoxygenases (LOXs) oxygenate linoleic and linolenic acids, creating hydroperoxy derivatives, and from these, jasmonates and other oxylipins are derived. Despite the importance of oxylipin signaling, its activation mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we show that soybean ACYL-COA-BINDING PROTEIN3 (ACBP3) and ACBP4, two Class II acyl-CoA-binding proteins, suppressed activity of the vegetative LOX homolog VLXB by sequestering it at the endoplasmic reticulum. The ACBP4-VLXB interaction was facilitated by linoleoyl-CoA and linolenoyl-CoA, which competed with phosphatidic acid (PA) for ACBP4 binding. In salt-stressed roots, alternative splicing produced ACBP variants incapable of VLXB interaction. Overexpression of the variants enhanced LOX activity and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis and soybean hairy roots, whereas overexpressors of the native forms exhibited reciprocal phenotypes. Consistently, the differential alternative splicing pattern in two soybean genotypes coincided with their difference in salt-induced lipid peroxidation. Salt-treated soybean roots were enriched in C32:0-PA species that showed high affinity to Class II ACBPs. We conclude that PA signaling and alternative splicing suppress ligand-dependent interaction of Class II ACBPs with VLXB, thereby triggering lipid peroxidation during salt stress. Hence, our findings unveil a dual mechanism that initiates the onset of oxylipin signaling in the salinity response.

A promoter polymorphism defines distinct roles in anther development for Col-0 and Ler-0 alleles of Arabidopsis ACYL-COA BINDING PROTEIN3.

Acyl-CoA-Binding Proteins (ACBPs) bind acyl-CoA esters and function in lipid metabolism. Although acbp3-1, the ACBP3 mutant in Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Col-0, displays normal floral development, the acbp3-2 mutant from ecotype Ler-0 characterized herein exhibits defective adaxial anther lobes and improper sporocyte formation. To understand these differences and identify the role of ERECTA in ACBP3 function, the acbp3 mutants and acbp3-erecta (er) lines were analyzed by microscopy for anther morphology and high-performance liquid chromatography for lipid composition. Defects in Landsberg anther development were related to the ERECTA-mediated pathway because the progenies of acbp3-2 × La-0 and acbp3-1 × er-1 in Col-0 showed normal anthers, contrasting to that of acbp3-2 in Ler-0. Polymorphism in the regulatory region of ACBP3 enabled its function in anther development in Ler-0 but not Col-0 which harbored an AT-repeat insertion. ACBP3 expression and anther development in acbp3-2 were restored using ACBP3pro (Ler)::ACBP3 not ACBP3pro (Col)::ACBP3. SPOROCYTELESS (SPL), a sporocyte formation regulator activated ACBP3 transcription in Ler-0 but not Col-0. For anther development, the ERECTA-related role of ACBP3 is required in Ler-0, but not Col-0. The disrupted promoter regulatory region for SPL binding in Col-0 eliminates the role of ACBP3 in anther development.

PlantC2U: deep learning of cross-species sequence landscapes predicts plastid C-to-U RNA editing in plants.

In plants, C-to-U RNA editing mainly occurs in plastid and mitochondrial transcripts, which contributes to a complex transcriptional regulatory network. More evidence reveals that RNA editing plays critical roles in plant growth and development. However, accurate detection of RNA editing sites using transcriptome sequencing data alone is still challenging. In the present study, we develop PlantC2U, which is a convolutional neural network, to predict plastid C-to-U RNA editing based on the genomic sequence. PlantC2U achieves >95% sensitivity and 99% specificity, which outperforms the PREPACT tool, random forests, and support vector machines. PlantC2U not only further checks RNA editing sites from transcriptome data to reduce possible false positives, but also assesses the effect of different mutations on C-to-U RNA editing based on the flanking sequences. Moreover, we found the patterns of tissue-specific RNA editing in the mangrove plant Kandelia obovata, and observed reduced C-to-U RNA editing rates in the cold stress response of K. obovata, suggesting their potential regulatory roles in plant stress adaptation. In addition, we present RNAeditDB, available online at https://jasonxu.shinyapps.io/RNAeditDB/. Together, PlantC2U and RNAeditDB will help researchers explore the RNA editing events in plants and thus will be of broad utility for the plant research community.

The Osmolality and Hemolysis of High-Concentration Monoclonal Antibody Formulations.

PURPOSES: Highly concentrated monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulations for subcutaneous administration are becoming increasingly preferred within the biopharmaceutical industry for ease of use and improved patient compliance. A common phenomenon observed in the industry is that osmolality detected via freezing-point depression (FPD) in high-concentration mAb formulations is much higher than the theoretical concentrations, yet the occurrence of this phenomenon and its possible safety issues have been rarely reported. METHODS: The current study summarized theoretical osmolality of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved high-concentration mAb formulations and evaluated effects of high osmolality on safety using hemolysis experiments for the first time. Two mAbs formulated at 150 mg/mL were used as models and configured into two isotonic solutions: a, a theoretically calculated molarity in the isotonic range (H) and b, an osmolality value measured via the FPD in the isotonic range (I). The H and I formulations of each mAb were individually subjected to hemolysis experiments, and the hemolysis rates of the two formulations of the same mAb were compared. Besides, the effect of mAb concentration on osmolality detected by FPD was explored as well. RESULTS: The results indicated that the hemolysis rates were similar between the H and I formulations of mAbs at the same sample addition volume, and the osmolality values increased approximately linearly with the increase in mAb concentration. CONCLUSIONS: High osmolality for high-concentration mAb formulations would not affect product safety and the excipients could be added at relatively high levels to maintain product stability, especially for labile products.

(+)- and (-)-Tedanine, a pair of new enantiomeric indolone alkaloids from the marine sponge Tedania sp.

(+)- and (-)-Tedanine [(+)-1 and (-)-1], a pair of new enantiomeric indolone alkaloids, along with nine compounds (2-10) were isolated from the marine sponge Tedania sp. The structures of (+)-1 and (-)-1 including absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic analysis and quantum chemical calculation. Compounds (+)-1 and (-)-1 were the first examples of indolone alkaloids isolated from this genus. In addition, the cytotoxic and antibacterial activities of these compounds were also evaluated.

Interstitial pneumonitis associated with combined regimen of immunotherapy and conventional therapies-pharmacovigilance database analysis with real-world data validation.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy combined with conventional therapies is being broadly applied in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, the risk of interstitial pneumonitis (IP) following a combined regimen is incompletely characterized. METHODS: A total of 46,127 NSCLC patients were extracted for disproportionality analyses of IP from the Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. A total of 1108 NSCLC patients who received ICI treatment at Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University were collected and utilized for real-world validation. RESULTS: Of the 46,127 patients with NSCLC, 3830 cases (8.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.05-8.56) developed IP. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that the adjusted ROR of ICI combined with radiation (RT) was the highest (121.69; 95% CI, 83.60-184.96; P < 0.0001) among all therapies, while that of ICI combined with chemotherapy (CHEMO) or targeted therapy (TARGET) was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.78-1.04; P = 0.160) and 1.49 (95% CI, 0.95-2.23; P = 0.065), respectively, using ICI monotherapy as reference. Furthermore, analyses from our validation cohort of 1108 cases showed that the adjusted odds ratio of ICI combined with RT was the highest (12.25; 95% CI, 3.34-50.22; P < 0.01) among all the therapies, while that of ICI combined with CHEMO or TARGET was 2.32 (95% CI, 0.89-7.92; P = 0.12) and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.03-4.55; P = 0.71), respectively, using ICI monotherapy as reference. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with ICI monotherapy, ICI combined with RT, rather than with CHEMO or TARGET, is associated with a higher risk of IP in NSCLC patients. Hence, patients receiving these treatments should be carefully monitored for IP.

Hydrogen sulfide upregulates the alternative respiratory pathway in mangrove plant Avicennia marina to attenuate waterlogging-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in a calcium-dependent manner.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) is considered to mediate plant growth and development. However, whether H2 S regulates the adaptation of mangrove plant to intertidal flooding habitats is not well understood. In this study, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) was used as an H2 S donor to investigate the effect of H2 S on the responses of mangrove plant Avicennia marina to waterlogging. The results showed that 24-h waterlogging increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death in roots. Excessive mitochondrial ROS accumulation is highly oxidative and leads to mitochondrial structural and functional damage. However, the application of NaHS counteracted the oxidative damage caused by waterlogging. The mitochondrial ROS production was reduced by H2 S through increasing the expressions of the alternative oxidase genes and increasing the proportion of alternative respiratory pathway in the total mitochondrial respiration. Secondly, H2 S enhanced the capacity of the antioxidant system. Meanwhile, H2 S induced Ca2+ influx and activated the expression of intracellular Ca2+ -sensing-related genes. In addition, the alleviating effect of H2 S on waterlogging can be reversed by Ca2+ chelator and Ca2+ channel blockers. In conclusion, this study provides the first evidence to explain the role of H2 S in waterlogging adaptation in mangrove plants from the mitochondrial aspect.

Abnormal expression of miR-3653-3p, caspase 1, IL-1ß in peripheral blood of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic, highly relapsing, severe mental disorder with an unclear etiology. Cytokine-mediated neuroimmune abnormalities have been repeatedly revealed. IL-1ß was reported to play a vital role in expanding the inflammatory response. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we found that miR-3653-3p with the NLRP3 binding site in Targetscan was differentially expressed in miRNA high-throughput sequencing in schizophrenia (SCZ), and indeed, its downregulation in SCZ peripheral blood was also verified by RT-qPCR (P-value = 0.015). Furthermore, we found that the mRNAs of caspase 1 and IL-1ß are elevated in people who suffer from SCZ (P = 0.044 and P = 0.001, respectively). Moreover, the interaction of NLRP3, Caspase1, and IL-1ß was found in the peripheral blood of patients with SCZ. The expression level of miR-3653-3p was negatively correlated with NLRP3 and IL-1ß mRNA contents (r = 0.487, P = 0.04 and r = 0.508, P = 0.037, respectively). NLRP3 mRNA was positively correlated with caspase1 mRNA. Meanwhile, the expression of miR-3653-3p was also negatively correlated with negative symptom subscores of PANSS (r = 0.450, P = 0.046). IL-1ß mRNA is positively correlated with the total scores of PANSS (r = 0.690, P = 0.002) and the sub-scores of general psychopathology of PANSS (r = 0.583, P = 0.014). Additionally, a significant positive relationship exists between IL-1ß and the total duration (r = 0.638, P = 0.006). We found that the combination of miR-3653-3p, caspase 1, and IL-1ß have better diagnostic values. The results indicate that miR-3653-3p, caspase 1, and IL-1ß can potentially be biomarkers of SCZ, identifying negative symptoms or a chronic course. A further understanding of the involvement of IL-1ß in SCZ may be a crucial molecular effector for the chronic course to intervene.

Integration of eQTL and GWAS analysis uncovers a genetic regulation of natural ionomic variation in Arabidopsis.

KEY MESSAGE: This study provided important insights into the genetic architecture of variations in A. thaliana leaf ionome in a cell-type-specific manner. The functional interpretation of traits associated variants by expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis is usually performed in bulk tissue samples. While the regulation of gene expression is context-dependent, such as cell-type-specific manner. In this study, we estimated cell-type abundances from 728 bulk tissue samples using single-cell RNA-sequencing dataset, and performed cis-eQTL mapping to identify cell-type-interaction eQTL (cis-eQTLs(ci)) in A. thaliana. Also, we performed Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analyses for 999 accessions to identify the genetic basis of variations in A. thaliana leaf ionome. As a result, a total of 5,664 unique eQTL genes and 15,038 unique cis-eQTLs(ci) were significant. The majority (62.83%) of cis-eQTLs(ci) were cell-type-specific eQTLs. Using colocalization, we uncovered one interested gene AT2G25590 in Phloem cell, encoding a kind of plant Tudor-like protein with possible chromatin-associated functions, which colocalized with the most significant cis-eQTL(ci) of a Mo-related locus (Chr2:10,908,806:A:C; P = 3.27 × 10-27). Furthermore, we prioritized eight target genes associated with AT2G25590, which were previously reported in regulating the concentration of Mo element in A. thaliana. This study revealed the genetic regulation of ionomic variations and provided a foundation for further studies on molecular mechanisms of genetic variants controlling the A. thaliana ionome.

Organ-specific metastatic landscape dissects PD-(L)1 blockade efficacy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: applicability from clinical trials to real-world practice.

BACKGROUND: Organ-specific metastatic context has not been incorporated into the clinical practice of guiding programmed death-(ligand) 1 [PD-(L)1] blockade, due to a lack of understanding of its predictive versus prognostic value. We aim at delineating and then incorporating both the predictive and prognostic effects of the metastatic-organ landscape to dissect PD-(L)1 blockade efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A total of 2062 NSCLC patients from a double-arm randomized trial (OAK), two immunotherapy trials (FIR, BIRCH), and a real-world cohort (NFyy) were included. The metastatic organs were stratified into two categories based on their treatment-dependent predictive significance versus treatment-independent prognosis. A metastasis-based scoring system (METscore) was developed and validated for guiding PD-(L)1 blockade in clinical trials and real-world practice. RESULTS: Patients harboring various organ-specific metastases presented significantly different responses to immunotherapy, and those with brain and adrenal gland metastases survived longer than others [overall survival (OS), p = 0.0105; progression-free survival (PFS), p = 0.0167]. In contrast, survival outcomes were similar in chemotherapy-treated patients regardless of metastatic sites (OS, p = 0.3742; PFS, p = 0.8242). Intriguingly, the immunotherapeutic predictive significance of the metastatic-organ landscape was specifically presented in PD-L1-positive populations (PD-L1 > 1%). Among them, a paradoxical coexistence of a favorable predictive effect coupled with an unfavorable prognostic effect was observed in metastases to adrenal glands, brain, and liver (category I organs), whereas metastases to bone, pleura, pleural effusion, and mediastinum yielded consistent unfavorable predictive and prognostic effects (category II organs). METscore was capable of integrating both predictive and prognostic effects of the entire landscape and dissected OS outcome of NSCLC patients received PD-(L)1 blockade (p < 0.0001) but not chemotherapy (p = 0.0805) in the OAK training cohort. Meanwhile, general performance of METscore was first validated in FIR (p = 0.0350) and BIRCH (p < 0.0001), and then in the real-world NFyy cohort (p = 0.0181). Notably, METscore was also applicable to patients received PD-(L)1 blockade as first-line treatment both in the clinical trials (OS, p = 0.0087; PFS, p = 0.0290) and in the real-world practice (OS, p = 0.0182; PFS, p = 0.0045). CONCLUSIONS: Organ-specific metastatic landscape served as a potential predictor of immunotherapy, and METscore might enable noninvasive forecast of PD-(L)1 blockade efficacy using baseline radiologic assessments in advanced NSCLC.

Roles of acyl-CoA-binding proteins in plant reproduction.

Acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs) constitute a well-conserved family of proteins in eukaryotes that are important in stress responses and development. Past studies have shown that ACBPs are involved in maintaining, transporting and protecting acyl-CoA esters during lipid biosynthesis in plants, mammals, and yeast. ACBPs show differential expression and various binding affinities for acyl-CoA esters. Hence, ACBPs can play a crucial part in maintaining lipid homeostasis. This review summarizes the functions of ACBPs during the stages of reproduction in plants and other organisms. A comprehensive understanding on the roles of ACBPs during plant reproduction may lead to opportunities in crop improvement in agriculture.

SF6 High-Voltage Circuit Breaker Contact Status Detection at Different Currents.

Currently, the online non-destructive testing (NDT) methods to measure the contact states of high-voltage circuit breakers (HVCBs) with SF6 gas as a quenching medium are lacking. This paper aims to put forward a novel method to detect the contact state of an HVCB based on the vibrational signal. First, for a 40.5-kV SF6 HVCB prototype, a mechanical vibration detection system along with a high-current generator to provide the test current is designed. Given this, vibration test experiments are carried out, and the vibration signal data under various currents and corresponding contact states are obtained. Afterward, a feature extraction method based on the frequency is designed. The state of the HVCB contacts is then determined using optimized deep neural networks (DNNs) along with the method of adaptive moment estimation (Adam) on the obtained experimental data. Finally, the hyperparameters for the DNNs are tuned using the Bayesian optimization (BO) technique, and a global HVCB contact state recognition model at various currents is proposed. The obtained results clearly depict that the proposed recognition model can accurately identify five various contact states of HVCBs for the currents between 1000 A and 3500 A, and the recognition accuracy rate is above 96%. The designed experimental and theoretical analysis in our study will provide the references for future monitoring and diagnosis of faults in HVCBs.

The first report of diagnosing of keratoacanthoma in Chinese Han patients using dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy.

BACKGROUND: Keratoacanthoma (KA) is a special kind of tumor, which is regarded as a variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in some academic disciplines. But differentiating KA from SCC remains a diagnostic challenge. The noninvasive techniques dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) can provide new insights for diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To observe the characteristics of KA under dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), in order to gain experience and reference for clinicians to facilitate earlier diagnosis. METHODS: We collected two cases of KA, which were confirmed by clinical and histopathological examination. The two cases were examined by dermoscopy and RCM, respectively. Then, we collected the microscopic characteristics of KA lesions. RESULTS: The dermoscopy features of KA are concentric circles of central crater, keratin mass, keratin scale, and polymorphic vascular pattern. The RCM features are described as refractile crust, atypical honeycomb pattern, dark center cells, large round nucleated cells, dendritic cells, and linear or round vessels traversing dermal papillae in the dermis. CONCLUSION: KA has some specific dermoscopy and RCM features, which can provide a basis for doctors to diagnose and intervene earlier.

The overexpression of rice ACYL-CoA-BINDING PROTEIN2 increases grain size and bran oil content in transgenic rice.

As Oryza sativa (rice) seeds represent food for over three billion people worldwide, the identification of genes that enhance grain size and composition is much desired. Past reports have indicated that Arabidopsis thaliana acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs) are important in seed development but did not affect seed size. Herein, rice OsACBP2 was demonstrated not only to play a role in seed development and germination, but also to influence grain size. OsACBP2 mRNA accumulated in embryos and endosperm of germinating seeds in qRT-PCR analysis, while ß-glucuronidase (GUS) assays on OsACBP2pro::GUS rice transformants showed GUS expression in embryos, as well as the scutellum and aleurone layer of germinating seeds. Deletion analysis of the OsACBP2 5'-flanking region revealed five copies of the seed cis-element, Skn-I-like motif (-1486/-1482, -956/-952, -939/-935, -826/-822, and -766/-762), and the removal of any adversely affected expression in seeds, thereby providing a molecular basis for OsACBP2 expression in seeds. When OsACBP2 function was investigated using osacbp2 mutants and transgenic rice overexpressing OsACBP2 (OsACBP2-OE), osacbp2 was retarded in germination, while OsACBP2-OEs performed better than the wild-type and vector-transformed controls, in germination, seedling growth, grain size and grain weight. Transmission electron microscopy of OsACBP2-OE mature seeds revealed an accumulation of oil bodies in the scutellum cells, while confocal laser scanning microscopy indicated oil accumulation in OsACBP2-OE aleurone tissues. Correspondingly, OsACBP2-OE seeds showed gain in triacylglycerols and long-chain fatty acids over the vector-transformed control. As dietary rice bran contains beneficial bioactive components, OsACBP2 appears to be a promising candidate for enriching seed nutritional value.

MiRNA-27a decreases ultraviolet B irradiation-induced cell damage.

MiRNAs were involved in the various biological process through mediating the posttranscriptional gene silencing. The abnormal expression of miRNAs is also involved in various disorders. Our previous study showed that miRNA-27a (miR-27a) was upregulated after ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation. However, the function of miR-27a in UVB-induced cell damage is still unclear. In this study, we used the miR-27a overexpression and knockdown lentivirus to transfect UVB irradiated HaCaT cell line and observed the influence of miR-27a on UVB irradiated damages in cells. We found that miR-27a removed cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and decreased the cell apoptosis after UVB radiation. Further studies showed that miR-27a directly decreased the expression and luciferase activity of target genes transactive response DNA-binding protein (TARDBP) and apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (APAF-1). In conclusion, miR-27a can inhibit CPDs, reduce the cell apoptosis and down-regulate its target genes TARDBP and APAF-1 induced by UVB irradiation in HaCaT cells. It is indicated that miR-27a may serve as a target for UVB irradiation protection.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of long non-coding RNAs during differentiation of visceral preadipocytes in rabbit.

Emerging evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical regulators of diverse biological processes, including adipogenesis. Despite being considered an ideal animal model for studying adipogenesis, little is known about the roles of lncRNAs in the regulation of rabbit preadipocyte differentiation. In the present study, visceral preadipocytes isolated from newborn rabbits were cultured in vitro and induced for differentiation, and global lncRNA expression profiles of adipocytes collected at days 0, 3, and 9 of differentiation were analyzed by RNA-seq. A total of 2066 lncRNAs were identified from nine RNA-seq libraries. Compared to protein-coding transcripts, lncRNA transcripts exhibited characteristics of a longer length and lower expression level. Furthermore, 486 and 357 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs were identified when comparing day 3 vs. day 0 and day 9 vs. day 3, respectively. Target genes of DE lncRNAs were predicted by the cis-regulating approach. Prediction of functions revealed that DE lncRNAs when comparing day 3 vs. day 0 were involved in gene ontology (GO) terms of developmental growth, growth, developmental cell growth, and stem cell proliferation, and involved in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, fatty acid biosynthesis, and the insulin signaling pathway. The DE lncRNAs when comparing day 9 vs. day 3 were involved in GO terms that associated with epigenetic modification and were involved in the KEGG pathway of cAMP signaling pathway. This study provides further insight into the regulatory function of lncRNAs in rabbit visceral adipose and facilitates a better understanding of different stages of preadipocyte differentiation.

Alkaline aided thermophiles pretreatment of waste activated sludge to increase short chain fatty acids production: Microbial community evolution by alkaline on hydrolysis and fermentation.

Adding alkaline into an anaerobic waste activated sludge (WAS) fermentation with thermophilic bacteria pretreatment could efficiently improve short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) accumulation to 3550 ± 120 mg COD/L. The acidification rate in combined test was 21.2%, while that was 15.6% and 10.7% in sole thermophilic bacteria pretreatment and control tests respectively. Four distinct groups of microbes could be identified with noticeable shifts using the combined pretreatments, and tremendous effects were analyzed on organic content especially of the soluble proteins and SCFAs concentrations. Particularly, alkaline addition would significantly change the functional microbial structures, including the decrease of Caloramator with the function of thermophilic proteolytic and the increase of Acidobacteria TM7 and Petrimonas sp. The results above suggested that alkaline addition could decrease the hydrolytic substances consume by thermotolerance bacteria and final improve SCFAs accumulation in fermentation process.

Recent (2000-2015) developments in the analysis of minor unknown natural products based on characteristic fragment information using LC-MS.

Liquid chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) has been widely used in natural product analysis. Global detection and identification of nontargeted components are desirable in natural product research, for example, in quality control of Chinese herbal medicine. Nontargeted components analysis continues to expand to exciting life science application domains such as metabonomics. With this background, the present review summarizes recent developments in the analysis of minor unknown natural products using LC-MS and mainly focuses on the determination of the molecular formulae, selection of precursor ions, and characteristic fragmentation patterns of the known compounds. This review consists of three parts. Firstly, the methods used to determine unique molecular formula of unknown compounds such as accurate mass measurements, MSn spectra, or relative isotopic abundance information, are introduced. Secondly, the methods improving signal-to-noise ratio of MS/MS spectra by manual-MS/MS or workflow targeting-only signals were elucidated; pure precursor ions can be selected by changing the precursor ion isolated window. Lastly, characteristic fragmentation patterns such as Retro-Diels-Alder (RDA), McLafferty rearrangements, "internal residue loss," and so on, occurring in the molecular ions of natural products are summarized. Classical application of characteristic fragmentation patterns in identifying unknown compounds in extracts and relevant fragmentation mechanisms are presented (RDA reactions occurring readily in the molecular ions of flavanones or isoflavanones, McLafferty-type fragmentation reactions of some natural products such as epipolythiodioxopiperazines; fragmentation by "internal residue loss" possibly involving ion-neutral complex intermediates). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 37:202-216, 2018.