Crassaminicella thermophila sp. nov., a moderately thermophilic bacterium isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney and emended description of the genus Crassaminicella.

A novel moderately thermophilic, anaerobic, heterotrophic bacterium (strain SY095T) was isolated from a hydrothermal vent chimney located on the Southwest Indian Ridge at a depth of 2730 m. Cells were Gram-stain-positive, motile, straight to slightly curved rods forming terminal endospores. SY095T was grown at 45-60 °C (optimum 50-55 °C), pH 6.0-7.5 (optimum 7.0), and in a salinity of 1-4.5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 2.5 %). Substrates utilized by SY095T included fructose, glucose, maltose, N-acetyl glucosamine and tryptone. Casamino acid and amino acids (glutamate, glutamine, lysine, methionine, serine and histidine) were also utilized. The main end products from glucose fermentation were acetate, H2 and CO2. Elemental sulphur, sulphate, thiosulphate, sulphite, fumarate, nitrate, nitrite and Fe(III) were not used as terminal electron acceptors. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C14 : 0 (60.5%) and C16 : 0 (7.6 %). The main polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, five unidentified phospholipids and two unidentified aminophospholipids. No respiratory quinones were detected. The chromosomal DNA G+C content was 30.8 mol%. The results of phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that SY095T was closely related to Crassaminicella profunda Ra1766HT (95.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence identity). SY095T exhibited 78.1 % average nucleotide identity (ANI) to C. profunda Ra1766HT. The in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) value indicated that SY095T shared 22.7 % DNA relatedness with C. profunda Ra1766HT. On the basis of its phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, SY095T is suggested to represent a novel species of the genus Crassaminicella, for which the name Crassaminicella thermophila sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SY095T (=JCM 34213=MCCC 1K04191). An emended description of the genus Crassaminicella is also proposed.

Autophagy inhibitors reduce avian-reovirus-mediated apoptosis in cultured cells and in chicken embryos.

Avian reovirus (ARV)-induced apoptosis contributes to the pathogenesis of reovirus in infected chickens. However, methods for effectively reducing ARV-triggered apoptosis remain to be explored. Here, we show that pretreatment with chloroquine (CQ) or E64d plus pepstatin A decreases ARV-mediated apoptosis in chicken DF-1 cells. By acting as autophagy inhibitors, CQ and E64d plus pepstatin A increase microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3II) accumulation in ARV-infected cells, which results in decreased ARV protein synthesis and virus yield and thereby contributes to the reduction of apoptosis. Furthermore, ARV-mediated apoptosis in the bursa, heart and intestines of chicken embryos is attenuated by CQ and E64d plus pepstatin A treatment. Importantly, treatment with these autophagy inhibitors increases the survival of infected chicken embryos. Together, our data suggest that pharmacological inhibition of autophagy might represent a novel strategy for reducing ARV-mediated apoptosis.

Pharmacological modulation of autophagy enhances Newcastle disease virus-mediated oncolysis in drug-resistant lung cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Oncolytic viruses represent a promising therapy against cancers with acquired drug resistance. However, low efficacy limits its clinical application. The objective of this study is to investigate whether pharmacologically modulating autophagy could enhance oncolytic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strain NDV/FMW virotherapy of drug-resistant lung cancer cells. METHODS: The effect of NDV/FMW infection on autophagy machinery in A549 lung cancer cell lines resistant to cisplatin (A549/DDP) or paclitaxel (A549/PTX) was investigated by detection of GFP-microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (GFP-LC3) puncta, formation of double-membrane vesicles and conversion of the nonlipidated form of LC3 (LC3-I) to the phosphatidylethanolamine-conjugated form (LC3-II). The effects of autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) and autophagy inducer rapamycin on NDV/FMW-mediated antitumor activity were evaluated both in culture cells and in mice bearing drug-resistant lung cancer cells. RESULTS: We show that NDV/FMW triggers autophagy in A549/PTX cells via dampening the class I PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway, which inhibits autophagy. On the contrary, NDV/FMW infection attenuates the autophagic process in A549/DDP cells through the activation of the negative regulatory pathway. Furthermore, combination with CQ or knockdown of ATG5 significantly enhances NDV/FMW-mediated antitumor effects on A549/DDP cells, while the oncolytic efficacy of NDV/FMW in A549/PTX cells is significantly improved by rapamycin. Interestingly, autophagy modulation does not increase virus progeny in these drug resistant cells. Importantly, CQ or rapamycin significantly potentiates NDV/FMW oncolytic activity in mice bearing A549/DDP or A549/PTX cells respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that combination treatment with autophagy modulators is an effective strategy to augment the therapeutic activity of NDV/FMW against drug-resistant lung cancers.

The levels of IL1RN is a factor influencing the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

With the improvement of global dietary conditions, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has gradually become prevalent. As the number of NAFLD patients increases, the coexistence of diseases associated with it has come into focus. In this study, based on immune phenotypes, intercellular communication activities, and clinical manifestations of NAFLD patients, IL1RN was identified as a central pro-inflammatory factor. Subsequently, potential downstream biological pathways of IL1RN in liver tissues and various cell types were enriched to describe its functions. Transcription factors Nfkb1, Jun, and Sp1, significantly associated with these functions, were also enriched. Functional studies of IL1RN suggest its potential to trigger autoimmune diseases. Given this, Mendelian randomization analysis was used to explore the causal relationship between NAFLD and various autoimmune diseases, with IL1RN considered as an intermediary introduced into Mendelian randomization studies. The results indicate that IL1RN and its partially related proteins play a certain mediating role in the process of NAFLD inducing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Finally, additional research results suggest that intrahepatic ALT levels may influence IL1RN levels, possibly through amino acid metabolism.

Lanosterol synthase loss of function decreases the malignant phenotypes of HepG2 cells by deactivating the Src/MAPK signaling pathway.

Cholesterol is critical for tumor cells to maintain their membrane components, cell morphology and activity functions. The inhibition of the cholesterol pathway may be an efficient strategy with which to limit tumor growth and the metastatic process. In the present study, lanosterol synthase (LSS) was knocked down by transfecting LSS short hairpin RNA into HepG2 cells, and cell growth, apoptosis and migratory potential were then detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 cell proliferation assay, flow cytometric analysis and wound healing assay, respectively. In addition, proteins associated with the regulation of the aforementioned cell biological behaviors were analyzed by western blot analysis. The activity of the Src/MAPK signaling pathway was measured by western blotting to elucidate the possible signal transduction mechanisms. LSS knockdown in the HepG2 liver cancer cell line inhibited cell proliferation, with cell cycle arrest at the S phase; it also decreased cell migratory ability and increased apoptosis. The expression proteins involved in the regulation of cell cycle, cell apoptosis and migration was altered by LSS knockdown in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, a decreased Src/MAPK activity was observed in the HepG2 cells subjected to LSS knockdown. LSS loss of function decreased the malignant phenotypes of HepG2 cells by deactivating the Src/MAPK signaling pathway and regulating expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation, cell apoptosis and migration.

Tumor inhibition via magneto-mechanical oscillation by magnetotactic bacteria under a swing MF.

Since magnetic micro/nano-materials can serve as multifunctional transducers for remote control of cell functions by applying diverse magnetic fields, magnetic cell manipulation provides a highly promising tool in biomedical research encompassing neuromodulation, tissue regeneration engineering and tumor cell destruction. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), which contain natural magnetic materials, can sensitively respond to external magnetic fields via their endogenous magnetosome chains. Here, we developed a technique for magnetotactic bacteria-based cell modulation and tumor suppression combined with a swing magnetic field. We enabled MTB cells to recognize and bind to mammalian tumor cells via functional modification with RGD peptides onto the surfaces of MTB cells, and RGD-modified MTB bacteria could interact with the targeted tumor cells effectively. The magnetic torque, which was due to the interaction of the long magnetosome chain inside the MTB bacterial cell and the applied swing magnetic field, could result in obvious swing magnetic behaviors of the modified MTB bacteria bound to tumor cell surfaces and thus subsequently exert a sustained magnetomechanical oscillation on the tumor cell surfaces, which could induce a significant activation of Ca2+ ion influx in vitro and tumor growth inhibition in vivo. These findings suggest that MTB cells mediated magnetomechanical stimulation, which is remotely controlled by dynamic magnetic fields, as an effective way to regulate cell signaling and treat tumor growth, which will shed the light on further biomedical applications utilizing whole magnetotactic bacteria.

Bioartificial liver system based on choanoid fluidized bed bioreactor improve the survival time of fulminant hepatic failure pigs.

Bioartificial liver (BAL) support system has been proposed as potential treatment method for end-stage liver diseases. We described an improved BAL system based on a choanoid fluidized bed bioreactor containing alginate-chitosan encapsulated primary porcine hepatocytes. The feasibility, safety, and efficiency of this device were estimated using an allogeneic fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) model. FHF was induced with intravenous administration of D-galactosamine. Thirty FHF pigs were divided into three groups: (1) an FHF group which was only given intensive care; (2) a sham BAL group which was treated with the BAL system with empty encapsulation, and (3) a BAL group which was treated with the BAL system containing encapsulated freshly isolated primary porcine hepatocytes. The survival times and biochemical parameters of these animals were measured, and properties of the encapsulations and hepatocytes before and after perfusion were also evaluated. Compared to the two control groups, the BAL-treated group had prolonged the survival time and decreased the blood lactate levels, blood glucose, and amino acids remained stable. No obvious ruptured beads or statistical decline in viability or function of encapsulated hepatocytes were observed. This new fluidized bed BAL system is safe and efficient. It may represent a feasible alternative in the treatment of liver failure.

Development of Pd/C-catalyzed cyanation of aryl halides.

A practical method for palladium-catalyzed cyanation of aryl halides using Pd/C is described. The new method can be applied to a variety of aryl bromide and active aryl chloride substrates to effect efficient conversions. The process features many advantages over existing cyanation conditions and the practical utility of the process has been demonstrated on scale.

MOF-derived nitrogen-doped nanoporous carbon for electroreduction of CO2 to CO: the calcining temperature effect and the mechanism.

Nitrogen-doped carbon materials are promising electrocatalysts for electroreduction of CO2. However, the low current density and moderate faradaic efficiency of these materials limit their practical application. Here, we report the MOF-derived nitrogen-doped nanoporous carbon (NC) as a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst for the conversion of CO2 to CO. The NC catalysts were prepared by calcining ZIF-8 at different temperatures in argon (Ar). The catalytic performances show that the higher pyrolysis temperature result in a better CO2 electroreduction activity of the catalysts. The NC catalyst with the best performance achieves high selectivity with 95.4% CO faradaic efficiency (FE) at -0.5 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The catalyst also maintains long-term stability of 20 h operation, after which the FE of CO is still greater than 90%. The experiments show that higher pyrolysis temperature reduces the total nitrogen (N) but changes the nature and density of N defects. Density functional theory calculations reveal that higher pyrolysis temperature leads to enhanced activity by promoting the formation of low multiple pyridinic N, which provides more efficient active sites.

Genome-wide association study and a post replication analysis revealed a promising genomic region and candidate genes for chicken eggshell blueness.

The eggshell blueness is an interesting object for chicken genetic studies and blue-shelled chicken industry, especially after the discovery of the causative mutation of chicken blue eggshell. In the present study, genome wide association study (GWAS) was conducted in Chinese Dongxiang blue-shelled chicken underlying four traits of blue eggshell pigments: quantity of biliverdin (QB), quantity of protoporphyrin (QP), quantity of total pigment (QT), and color density trait (CD). A total of 139 individuals were randomly collected for GWAS. We detected two SNPs in genome-wise significance and 35 in suggestive significance, 24 out of the 37 SNP were located either within intron/exon or near 15 genes in a range of ~1.17 Mb on GGA21. For further confirmation of the identified SNP loci by GWAS, the follow-up replication studies were performed in two populations. A total of 146 individuals of the second generation derived from the former GWAS population, as well as 280 individuals from an alternative independent population were employed for genotyping by MALDI-TOF MS in a genotype-phenotype association study. Eighteen SNPs evenly distributed on the GGA21 significant region were successfully genotyped in the two populations, of which 4 and 6 SNP loci were shown significantly associated with QB, QT and QP in the two repeat populations, respectively. Further, the SNPs were narrowed down to a region of ~ 653.819 Kb on GGA21 that harbors five candidate genes: AJAP1, TNFRSF9, C1ORF174, CAMTA1, and CEP104. Shell gland of chickens laying dark and light blue eggshell was chosen for detection of mRNA expression of the five candidate genes. The results showed differential expression levels of these genes in the two groups. The specific function of these genes has not yet been defined clearly in chickens and further in-depth studies are needed to explore the new functional role in chicken eggshell blueness.

PCR detection of virulence factor genes in Escherichia coli isolates from weaned piglets with edema disease and/or diarrhea in China.

Fimbriae, toxins and pathogenicity islands (PAIs) are main virulence factors of the pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. To investigate into their prevalence in clinical E. coli isolates associated with porcine postweaning diarrhea (PWD) and/or pig edema disease (ED), 240 isolates were obtained from diseased piglets (140 from PWD, 76 from ED and 24 from ED/PWD) and submitted to PCR detection for genes coding for fimbriae, enterotoxins, shiga toxins, intimin and high-molecular-weight protein 2 (HMWP2). Among the 240 isolates detected, detection rates of the genes for F18, F4, intimin, HMWP2, Stx2e, LTa, STa and STb were 26.25%, 3.75%, 28.33%, 16.67%, 35%, 10.83%, 14.58% and 9.17%, respectively, and 67.92% of the isolates could be assigned into 20 different virulence factor patterns. Further more, F18ab+ STEC are the prevalent pathogens of ED, and F18+ and/or intimin+ STEC/ETEC are the dominant pathogens of ED/PWD, while F18ab+, F4+ and/or intimin+ ETEC and HPI+ and/or LEE+ E. coli are more frequently associated with PWD.

[Prevalence of LEE and HPI pathogenicity islands of Escherichia coli isolates from weaned piglets in China].

To investigate the distribution of LEE pathogenicity island and HPI of Yersinia entercolitica in Escherichia coli isolates from weaned piglets, PCR based on intimin gene (eaeA) of LEE pathogenicity island and high molecular weight protein 2 (HMWP1) gene (irp2) of HPI was developed. A total of 240 isolates from 140 diarrheic, 76 edematous and 24 edematous/diarrheic weaned piglets from different farms were tested for the presence of the two genes. Sequence analysis of randomly selected PCR products showed that eaeA gene of 5 isolates was 100%, irp2 gene of 7 isolates was 98.2%, fyuA gene of 5 isolates was 98.3% and Asn-tRNA-intB of 5 isolates was 95.8% identical to the published sequences. Isolates with LEE + HPI gene were more frequently detected in diarrheic swine than in edematous swine and edematous/diarrheic swine, and isolates with LEE gene were more frequently detected in edematous/diarrheic piglets than in edematous and diarrheic piglets. Furthermore, isolates with LEE or HPI or LEE + HPI were more frequently detected in diarrheic swine. 72.5% of HPI + isolates were fyuA positive and linked to asn-tRNA.

Prevalence of fimbial colonization factors F18ab and F18ac in Escherichia coli isolates from weaned piglets with edema and/or diarrhea in China.

F18ab and F18ac are important fimbrial colonization factors of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and/or enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) in weaned piglets with edema disease and/or diarrhea. To further investigate their prevalence and correlation to pathogenic E. coli, a duplex PCR, using three primers derived from the nucleotide sequence of the F18 major fimbrial subunit gene (fedA), and a direct agglutination test, using a monoclonal antibody specific for the antigenic factor 'a' of F18, were performed. Among 60VTEC, 24VTEC/ETEC and 24 ETEC isolates tested from weaned piglets with edema disease and/or diarrhea in different pig farms in the Jiangsu Province of China, 52 isolates (48.15%) were positive in the direct agglutination test and 63 isolates (58.33%) were positive in the duplex PCR. Among 63 PCR-positive isolates, 53 isolates (49.07%) were F18ab-positive and 10 isolates (9.26%) were F18ac-positive. In addition, the F18ab gene was more frequently detected in VTEC (61.67%) or VTEC/ETEC (62.50%) than in ETEC (4.17% only), while the F18ac gene was more frequently detected in VTEC/ETEC (33.33%) than in ETEC (8.33%) or VTEC (0%). Furthermore, F18ab was more frequently associated with Shiga toxin 2e (Stx2e), whereas F18ac was more frequently associated with enterotoxin ST I. These results suggest that the duplex PCR performed in this experiment is a more reliable method for identification of F18+E. coli, and that F18 is a more important virulence factor of VTEC and VTEC/ETEC.

Targeting autophagy to enhance oncolytic virus-based cancer therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process crucial in maintaining cellular homeostasis. On infection, oncolytic viruses (OVs) perturb the cellular autophagy machinery in infected tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Currently, pharmacological modulation of autophagy in OV-infected tumor cells has been shown to augment OV-mediated antitumor effects in preclinical studies. Combination of OVs with autophagy modulators can, therefore, have many potential applications in the future research on targeting autophagy and novel anticancer therapies. AREAS COVERED: This review provides a detailed description of known interactions between OVs and autophagy and summarizes the roles of autophagy in OV replication and cell lysis. The recent literature on targeting autophagy with either the autophagy inducers, such as rapamycin, or autophagy inhibitors, such as chloroquine, to increase OV-induced cytotoxicity is reviewed to help researchers in further investigations. The major challenge for investigators is to understand the molecular mechanism underlying the interplay between OV and the autophagy machinery and its effect on oncolysis. EXPERT OPINION: Targeting the cellular autophagy machinery could be explored as a new therapeutic strategy to enhance OV-mediated antitumor effects in the future.

Effects of salidroside on exhaustive exercise­induced oxidative stress in rats.

Intense exercise increases oxygen consumption and may produce an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, inducing oxidative stress as a result of increased ROS production. Exogenous antioxidants may prevent oxidative damages since they are able to detoxify certain peroxides by scavenging the ROS produced during exercise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of salidroside on exhaustive exercise-induced oxidative stress in rats. A total of 40 animals were randomly divided into four groups of ten rats each: control (C), low-dose salidroside­treated (LT), middle-dose salidroside-treated (MT) and high-dose salidroside-treated (HT) groups. The rats in the treated groups received salidroside (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively) intragastrically (ig) and the rats in the control group received drinking water ig for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, the rats performed an exhaustive swimming exercise and exhaustive swimming times were recorded. The malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glycogen levels in the liver tissues of the rats were measured. The data revealed that salidroside was able to elevate the exercise tolerance and increase the liver glycogen levels of the rats following exhaustive exercise. Salidroside was also able to reduce MDA levels and enhance the activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD and GSH-Px) in the liver tissues of the rats. The results from this study indicate that salidroside is effective in the prevention of oxidative stress following exhaustive exercise.