Interleukin-2 enhancer binding factor 2 negatively regulates the replication of duck hepatitis A virus type 1 by disrupting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity of 3D polymerase.

The interaction between viral components and cellular proteins plays a crucial role in viral replication. In a previous study, we showed that the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) is an essential element for the replication of duck hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1). However, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. To gain a deeper understanding of this mechanism, we used an RNA pull-down and a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry assay to identify new host factors that interact with the 3'-UTR. We selected interleukin-2 enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2) for further analysis. We showed that ILF2 interacts specifically with both the 3'-UTR and the 3D polymerase (3Dpol) of DHAV-1 through in vitro RNA pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assays, respectively. We showed that ILF2 negatively regulates viral replication in duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs), and that its overexpression in DEFs markedly suppresses DHAV-1 replication. Conversely, ILF2 silencing resulted in a significant increase in viral replication. In addition, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) activity of 3Dpol facilitated viral replication by enhancing viral RNA translation efficiency, whereas ILF2 disrupted the role of RdRP in viral RNA translation efficiency to suppress DHAV-1 replication. At last, DHAV-1 replication markedly suppressed the expression of ILF2 in DEFs, duck embryo hepatocytes, and different tissues of 1 day-old ducklings. A negative correlation was observed between ILF2 expression and the viral load in primary cells and different organs of young ducklings, suggesting that ILF2 may affect the viral load both in vitro and in vivo.

Discrepancies in Sagittal Alignment of the Lower Extremity Among Different Brands of Robotic Total Knee Arthroplasty Systems.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing number of different brands of robotic total knee arthroplasty (TKA) systems. Most robotic TKA systems share the same coronal alignment, while the definitions of sagittal alignment vary. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether these discrepancies impact the sagittal alignment of the lower extremity. METHODS: A total of 72 lower extremity computed tomography scans were included in our study, and 3-dimensional models were obtained using software. A total of 7 brands of robotic TKA systems were included in the study. The lower extremity axes were defined based on the surgical guide for each implant. We also set the intramedullary axis as a reference to evaluate the discrepancies in sagittal alignment of each brand of robotic system. RESULTS: On the femoral side, the axis definition was the same for all 7 robotic TKA systems. The robotic TKA axes showed a 2.41° (1.58°, 3.38°) deviation from the intramedullary axis. On the tibial side, the 7 robots had different axis definitions. The tibial mechanical axis of 6 of the TKA systems was more flexed than that of the intramedullary axis, which means the posterior tibial slope was decreased while the tibial mechanical axis of the remaining system was more extended. CONCLUSIONS: The sagittal alignment of the lower extremity for 7 different brands of robotic TKA systems differed from each other and all deviated from the intramedullary axis. Surgeons should be aware of this discrepancy when using different brands of robotic TKA systems to avoid unexpected sagittal alignment and corresponding adverse clinical outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Therapeutic Study.

RC-SLAM: Road Constrained Stereo Visual SLAM System Based on Graph Optimization.

Intelligent vehicles are constrained by road, resulting in a disparity between the assumed six degrees of freedom (DoF) motion within the Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) system and the approximate planar motion of vehicles in local areas, inevitably causing additional pose estimation errors. To address this problem, a stereo Visual SLAM system with road constraints based on graph optimization is proposed, called RC-SLAM. Addressing the challenge of representing roads parametrically, a novel method is proposed to approximate local roads as discrete planes and extract parameters of local road planes (LRPs) using homography. Unlike conventional methods, constraints between the vehicle and LRPs are established, effectively mitigating errors arising from assumed six DoF motion in the system. Furthermore, to avoid the impact of depth uncertainty in road features, epipolar constraints are employed to estimate rotation by minimizing the distance between road feature points and epipolar lines, robust rotation estimation is achieved despite depth uncertainties. Notably, a distinctive nonlinear optimization model based on graph optimization is presented, jointly optimizing the poses of vehicle trajectories, LPRs, and map points. The experiments on two datasets demonstrate that the proposed system achieved more accurate estimations of vehicle trajectories by introducing constraints between the vehicle and LRPs. The experiments on a real-world dataset further validate the effectiveness of the proposed system.

Efficacy of the newly designed "SkyWalker" robot compared to the MAKO robotic system in primary total knee arthroplasty: a one-year follow-up study.

PURPOSE: Robot-assisted surgical systems for performing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have gained significant attention. This study was designed to compare the surgical outcomes in primary TKA surgery between the recently developed "SkyWalker" robot system and the more commonly used MAKO robot. METHODS: A total of 75 patients undergoing primary TKA surgery by the same surgical team were included in this study, with 30 patients in the "SkyWalker" group and 45 patients in the "MAKO" group. We documented the osteotomy plan for both robotic systems. The lower limb alignment angles were evaluated by postoperative radiographic assessment. The operation time, estimated blood loss, postoperative hospital stays, and changes in laboratory indexes were collected during hospitalization. In addition, a comparative evaluation of knee functional assessments and complications was conducted during six month and one year follow-ups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the accuracy of restoring lower limb alignment, estimated blood loss, or operation time. The knee function assessments at six months and one year postoperatively were similar in both groups. Except for day three after surgery, the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the change in IL-6 (∆IL-6) from preoperative baseline were higher in the "SkyWalker" group than in the MAKO group (median: 20.53 vs. 14.17, P=0.050 and median: 17.30 vs. 10.09, P=0.042, respectively). Additionally, one patient from the MAKO group underwent revision surgery at nine months postoperatively due to ongoing periprosthetic discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed "SkyWalker" robot showed comparable efficacy to the MAKO robot in terms of lower limb alignment accuracy and postoperative six month and one year follow-up of clinically assessed resumption of knee function.

Juvenile hormone regulates the photoperiodic plasticity of elytra coloration in the ladybird Harmonia axyridis.

Many animals, including insects, exhibit plasticity of body colour in response to environmental changes. Varied expression of carotenoids, major cuticle pigments, significantly contributes to body colour flexibility. However, the molecular mechanisms by which environmental cues regulate carotenoid expression remain largely unknown. In this study, we used the ladybird Harmonia axyridis as a model to investigate the photoperiodic-responsive plasticity of elytra coloration and its endocrine regulation. It was found that H. axyridis females under long-day conditions develop elytra that are much redder than those under short-day conditions, resulting from the differential accumulation of carotenoids. Exogenous hormone application and RNAi-mediated gene knockdown indicate that carotenoid deposition was directed through the juvenile hormone (JH) receptor-mediated canonical pathway. Moreover, we characterized an SR-BI/CD36 (SCRB) gene SCRB10 as the carotenoid transporter responding to JH signalling and regulating the elytra coloration plasticity. Taken together, we propose that JH signalling transcriptionally regulates the carotenoid transporter gene for the photoperiodic coloration plasticity of elytra in the beetles, which reveals a novel role of the endocrine system in the regulation of carotenoid-associated animal body coloration under environmental stimuli.

Interleukin-22 facilitates the interferon-λ-mediated production of tripartite motif protein 25 to inhibit replication of duck viral hepatitis A virus type 1.

The innate immune system provides a defense against invading pathogens by inducing various interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs). We recently reported that tripartite motif protein 25 (TRIM25), an important ISG, was highly upregulated in duck embryo hepatocyte cells (DEFs) after infection with duck viral hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1). However, the mechanism of upregulation of TRIM25 remains unknown. Here we reported that interleukin-22 (IL-22), whose expression was highly facilitated in DEFs and various organs of 1-day-old ducklings after DHAV-1 infection, highly enhanced the IFN-λ-induced production of TRIM25. The treatment with IL-22 neutralizing antibody or the overexpression of IL-22 highly suppressed or facilitated TRIM25 expression, respectively. The phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was crucial for the process of IL-22 enhancing IFN-λ-induced TRIM25 production, which was suppressed by WP1066, a novel inhibitor of STAT3 phosphorylation. The overexpression of TRIM25 in DEFs resulted in a high production of IFNs and reduced DHAV-1 replication, whereas the attenuated expression of IFNs and facilitated replication of DHAV-1 were observed in the RNAi group, implying that TRIM25 defended the organism against DHAV-1 propagation by inducing the production of IFNs. In summary, we reported that IL-22 activated the phosphorylation of STAT3 to enhance the IFN-λ-mediated TRIM25 expression and provide a defense against DHAV-1 by inducing IFN production.

Urolithin B suppresses osteoclastogenesis via inhibiting RANKL-induced signalling pathways and attenuating ROS activities.

Osteoporosis (OP) has severely affected human health, which is characterized by abnormal differentiation of osteoclasts. Urolithin B (UB), as a potential natural drug, has been reported to exhibit numerous biological activities including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory but its effects on OP, especially on RANKL-stimulated osteoclast formation and activation, are still understood. In our study, we have demonstrated for the first time that UB inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and explored its potential mechanisms of action. The RAW264.7 cells were cultured and induced with RANKL followed by UB treatment. Then, the effects of UB on mature osteoclast differentiation were evaluated by counting tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinucleated cells and F-actin ring analysis. Moreover, the effects of UB on RANKL-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by 2', 7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining. Further, we explored the potential mechanisms of these downregulation effects by performing Western blotting and quantitative RT-PCR examination. We found that UB represses osteoclastogenesis, F-actin belts formation, osteoclast-specific gene expressions and ROS activity in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Mechanistically, UB attenuates intracellular ROS levels by upregulation of Nrf2 and other ROS scavenging enzymes activation. Furthermore, UB also inhibited RANKL-induced NF-κB, MAPK and Akt signalling pathway and suppressed expression of c-Fos and nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1), which is the master transcription factor of osteoclast differentiation. Taken together, our findings confirm that UB is a polyphenolic compound that can be a potential therapeutic treatment for osteoclast-related bone diseases such as osteoporosis.

Anti-Noise 3D Object Detection of Multimodal Feature Attention Fusion Based on PV-RCNN.

3D object detection methods based on camera and LiDAR fusion are susceptible to environmental noise. Due to the mismatch of physical characteristics of the two sensors, the feature vectors encoded by the feature layer are in different feature spaces. This leads to the problem of feature information deviation, which has an impact on detection performance. To address this problem, a point-guided feature abstract method is presented to fuse the camera and LiDAR at first. The extracted image features and point cloud features are aggregated to keypoints for enhancing information redundancy. Second, the proposed multimodal feature attention (MFA) mechanism is used to achieve adaptive fusion of point cloud features and image features with information from multiple feature spaces. Finally, a projection-based farthest point sampling (P-FPS) is proposed to downsample the raw point cloud, which can project more keypoints onto the close object and improve the sampling rate of the point-guided image features. The 3D bounding boxes of the object is obtained by the region of interest (ROI) pooling layer and the fully connected layer. The proposed 3D object detection algorithm is evaluated on three different datasets, and the proposed algorithm achieved better detection performance and robustness when the image and point cloud data contain rain noise. The test results on a physical test platform further validate the effectiveness of the algorithm.

[Preparation and in vitro evaluation of arsenic trioxide glioma targeting drug delivery system loaded by PAMAM dendrimers co-modified with RGDyC and PEG].

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is an effective component of traditional Chinese medicine arsenic. The existing studies have shown its good inhibition and apoptosis ability on a variety of tumours. However, its toxicity and difficulties in the permeability into the blood brain barrier (BBB) has the limitation in the application of glioma treatment. Polyamide-amine dendrimer (PAMAM) is a synthetic polymer with many advantages, such as a good permeability, stability and biocompatibility. Additionally, the 5th generation of PAMAM is an ideal drug carrier due to its three-dimensional structure. In this study, the 5th generation of PAMAM co-modified with RGDyC and PEG, then confirmed by ¹H-NMR. The average particle size of nanoparticles was about 20 nm according to the nanoparticle size-potential analyser and transmission electron microscopy. in vitro release showed that the nanocarrier not only has the sustained release effect, but also some pH-sensitive properties. The cell results showed that PAMAM co-modified with RGDyC and PEGAM has a lower cytotoxicity than the non-modified group in vitro. Accordingly, the drug delivery system has a better anti-tumour effect across the blood brain barrier (BBB) in vitro, which further proves the tumour targeting of RGDyC.

Factors influencing the photocatalytic activity of rutile TiO2 nanorods with different aspect ratios for dye degradation and Cr(VI) photoreduction.

Shape-controlled rutile TiO2 nanorods (NRs) with large {110} and small {111} exposed facets were prepared by hydrothermal treatment of a peroxo titanic acid (PTA) solution. The aspect ratio of the NRs was controlled by the pH of the PTA solution and the addition of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The spatial separation of reduction and oxidation sites, where {110} facets act as reduction sites and {111} facets as oxidation ones, was revealed by tracking the distribution of Pt and PbO2 deposited on the NR surfaces. The MB degradation activity depended on the aspect ratio of the rutile NRs because of the different separation efficiencies of photo-generated carriers on different facets. Meanwhile, the Cr(VI) reduction activity was governed by the slight shift of the conduction-band potential of the rutile NRs estimated from Mott-Schottky plots, which may be caused by the variation of the content of {110} facets in the rutile NRs. Among the prepared rutile NRs, the sample prepared using a PTA solution at pH 4 containing 10 mg of PVA showed higher activity for photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction than Degussa P25. These results provide a feasible method to design efficient TiO2 photocatalysts with tunable photoreactivity for environmental applications.

[Expression of follistatin, activin A and BMP-4 in rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and significance of follistatin, activin A and bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) in normal brain tissues of rats and the brain tissues with hypoxic and ischemicgin. METHODS: Sixty conception SD rats were divided into normal and model group (with 30 for each). According to the development of fetal rats in each group, they were randomly divided into six subgroups (embryonic stage 8. 5 d, 13 d, 18 d (E8.5,E13,E18), and after the birth 3 d, 7 d and 30 d (P3,P7,P30), five fetal or young rats in each subgroup. Hypoxic-ischemic brain model was established. Expressions and origins of follistatin, activin A and BMP-4 with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage were determined by immunohistochemical and RT-PCR methods. RESULTS: In normal group, follistatin and activin A protein expressed at a very low level and gradually decreased with the period of fetal development when evaluated with immunohistochemical and RT-PCR methods; almost no expression of BMP-4 was detected in embryonic but a little bit of expression at 30 d after the birth. In hypoxic-ischemic brain damage group, the expression of follistatin, activin A and BMP-4 was significantly higher than those in normal group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The expression of Follistatin, activin A and BMP-4 are related to developmental time, the expression of follistatin, activin A and BMP-4 is highly increased after cerebral ischemia and hypoxia injury. This implies that the main function of follistatin is as the inhibitor of activin A instead of the ligland of BMP-4 to regulate neural development.

The role of miR-10a-5p in LPS-induced inhibition of progesterone synthesis in goose granulosa cells by down-regulating CYP11A1.

The poultry ovary is a preferred target for E. coli and Salmonella infection of tissues, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a critical molecule in infecting the organism and interfering with cell function, invading the ovaries through the cloaca and interfering with progesterone (P4) secretion by follicular granulosa cells (GCs), seriously affecting the health of breeding geese. miRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs with a variety of important regulatory roles. To investigate the mechanism of miR-10a-5p mediated LPS inhibition of progesterone synthesis in goose granulosa cells, Yangzhou geese at peak laying period were selected as experimental animals to verify the expression levels of genes and transcription factors related to progesterone synthesis. In this study, bioinformatic predictions identified miR-10a-5p target gene CYP11A1, and genes and transcription factors related to the sex steroid hormone secretion pathway were screened. We detected that LPS inhibited CYP11A1 expression while increasing miR-10a-5p expression in vivo. Progesterone decreased significantly in goose granulosa cells treatment with 1 µg/mL LPS for 24 h, while progesterone-related genes and regulatory factors were also suppressed. We also determined that the downregulation of miR-10a-5p led to CYP11A1 expression. Overexpression of miR-10a-5p suppressed LPS-induced CYP11A1 expression, resulting in decreased progesterone secretion. Our findings indicated that miR-10a-5p was up-regulated by LPS and inhibited progesterone synthesis by down-regulating CYP11A1. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanisms regulating geese reproduction and ovulation.

pH-Dependent Reversible Self-Assembly of ß-Lactoglobulin-Derived Reducing Peptides.

Peptide-based self-assembled nanostructures are emerging vehicles for nutrient delivery and interface engineering. The present study screened eight ß-lactoglobulin (ß-Lg) derived peptides and found that two reducing peptides [EQSLVCQCLV (EV-10) and VCQCLVR (VR-7)] demonstrated pH-dependent reversible fibrilization. EV-10 formed fibrils at pH 2.0 but became unordered aggregates at pH 7.0. VR-7 showed the opposite trend. Both peptides could undergo repetitive transitions between fibrils and unordered aggregates during consecutive pH-cycling. Fibrilization of both peptides was dominated by charges carried by N- and C-terminals. Both fibrils were characterized by a cross-ß sheet structure where the ß-sheet was arranged in an antiparallel manner. Fe3+ was reduced by Cys and EV-10 (pH 5.0 and 7.0) simultaneously upon mixing. In contrast, EV-10 fibrils released Fe3+ reducing capacity progressively, which were beneficial to long-term protection Fe2+. The EV-10 fibrils remained intact after simulated gastric digestion and finally dissociated after intestinal digestion. The results shed light on the mechanisms of fibrilization of ß-Lg derived peptides. This study was beneficial to the rational design of smart pH-responsive materials for drug delivery and antioxidants for nutrients susceptible to oxidation.

MYST family histone acetyltransferases regulate reproductive diapause initiation.

Histone acetylation, a crucial epigenetic mechanism, has been suggested to play a role in diapause regulation, but this has not been confirmed through gene loss-of-function studies. In this work, we investigated the involvement of MYST family genes, which are key writers of histone acetylation, in initiating reproductive diapause using the cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi as a model. We identified C. bowringi orthologs of MYST, including Tip60, KAT6A, KAT7, and KAT8, from previous transcriptomes. Analyses of phylogenetic trees and protein domains indicated that these MYST proteins are structurally conserved across animal species. Expression of these MYST genes was found to be enriched in heads and ovaries of C. bowringi. Under reproductive photoperiod conditions, RNAi targeting MYST genes, especially KAT8, suppressed ovarian growth and yolk deposition, resembling the characteristics of diapausing ovaries. Additionally, KAT8 knockdown led to the upregulation of diapause-related genes, such as heat shock proteins and diapause protein 1, and the emergence of diapause-like guts. Moreover, KAT8 knockdown reduced the expression of a crucial enzyme involved in juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis, likely due to decreased H4K16ac levels. Consequently, our findings suggest that MYST family genes, specifically KAT8, influence the JH signal, thereby regulating the initiation of reproductive diapause.

Polycaprolactone-MXene coating for controlling initial biodegradation of magnesium implant via near-infrared light.

The mechanical strength of magnesium implants undergoes a rapid decline after implantation due to bioabsorption, which can lead to the risk of rupture. To ensure sustained mechanical strength and initiate bioabsorption selectively upon specific external stimuli until the bone regains sufficient support, we developed a biosafe near-infrared light (NIR)-sensitive polymer coating using polycaprolactone (PCL) and Ti3C2 (MXenes). The synthetic MXene powders were characterized using SEM, EDS, and XRD, and the amount of MXenes had a proliferation-promoting effect on MC3T3-E1, as observed through cell assays. The PCL-MXene coating was successfully prepared on the magnesium surface using the casting coating method, and it can protect the magnesium surface for up to 28 days by decreasing the corrosion ratio. However, the coating can be easily degraded after exposure to NIR light for 20 minutes to expose the magnesium substrate, especially in a liquid environment. Meanwhile, the magnesium implant with the PCL-MXene coating has no cytotoxicity toward MC3T3-E1. These findings can provide a new solution for the development of controlled degradation implants.

Downregulation of transcription 1 hinders the replication of Dabie bandavirus by promoting the expression of TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 signaling pathway.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is a bunyavirus that causes SFTS, with a case fatality rate of up to 30 %. The innate immune system plays a crucial role in the defense against SFTSV; however, the impact of viral propagation of STFSV on the innate immune system remains unclear. Although proteomics analysis revealed that the expression of the downregulator of transcription 1 (DR1) increased after SFTSV infection, the specific change trend and the functional role of DR1 during viral infection remain unelucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that DR1 was highly expressed in response to SFTSV infection in HEK 293T cells using qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Furthermore, viral replication significantly increased the expression of various TLRs, especially TLR9. Our data indicated that DR1 positively regulated the expression of TLRs in HEK 293T cells, DR1 overexpression highly increased the expression of numerous TLRs, whereas RNAi-mediated DR1 silencing decreased TLR expression. Additionally, the myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88)-dependent or TIR-domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-ß (TRIF)-dependent signaling pathways were highly up- and downregulated by the overexpression and silencing of DR1, respectively. Finally, we report that DR1 stimulates the expression of TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9, thereby upregulating the TRIF-dependent and MyD88-dependent signaling pathways during the SFTSV infection, attenuating viral replication, and enhancing the production of type I interferon and various inflammatory factors, including IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-8. These results imply that DR1 defends against SFTSV replication by inducing the expression of TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9. Collectively, our findings revealed a novel role and mechanism of DR1 in mediating antiviral responses and innate immunity.

The impact of dietary acid load on super-agers with exceptional cognitive abilities: a propensity score analysis of national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES) 2011-2014.

OBJECTIVES: 'Super-agers,' individuals over 80 with memory abilities comparable to those 20-30 years younger. The relationship between super-agers and dietary acid load (DAL) is an area that warrants further investigation. We aim to examine the link between DAL and super-agers and assess DAL's effects on cognitive functions across different age groups and cognitive domains. DESIGN: Employing a cross-sectional analysis of the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, we utilized propensity score analysis and multivariate-adjusted regression to mitigate confounding factors. SETTING: Older adults aged 60 and above in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Our primary analysis encompassed 985 older adults, supplemented by a sensitivity analysis with 2,522 participants. MEASUREMENTS: DAL was assessed through potential renal acid load (PRAL), estimated net acid excretion (NAEes), and net endogenous acid production (NEAP) indices. RESULTS: Super-agers demonstrate a preference for alkaline diets, shown by their lower DAL indices. After inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), multivariate-adjusted logistic regression reveals that each unit reduction in NAEes and PRAL increases the chances of being a super-ager by 3.9% and 3.0%, respectively. The DAL's impact on cognitive function becomes more pronounced with age. Lower PRAL and NAEes scores are significantly linked to higher situational memory and overall cognitive performance scores in those over 70, with these effects being even more pronounced in participants over 80. CONCLUSION: This research pioneers in demonstrating that super-agers prefer an alkaline diet, highlighting the potential role of alkaline diet in countering cognitive decline associated with aging.

Key roles of insulin receptor InR1 in initiating reproductive diapause in males of the cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

BACKGROUND: Reproductive diapause serves as a valuable strategy enabling insects to survive unfavorable seasonal conditions. However, forcing insects into diapause when the environment is conducive to their well-being can cause them to miss out on seasonal opportunities for reproduction. This outcome not only reduces insect populations but also minimizes crop losses caused by insect feeding. Therefore, altering the timing of diapause initiation presents a potential strategy for managing pests. In this study, we examined the possible role of the Insulin Receptor 1 (InR1) in controlling reproductive diapause entry in the male cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi. RESULTS: Compared to short-day (SD) conditions, long-day (LD) conditions led to reproductive diapause of C. bowringi males, characterized by arrested gonad development, increased Triglyceride (TG) accumulation, and upregulated expression of diapause protein 1 and genes associated with lipogenesis and stress tolerance. Upon employing RNA interference to knock down InR1 under SD conditions, males destined for reproduction were compelled into diapause, evidenced by arrested gonadal development, accumulation of TG, and elevated expression of diapause-related genes. Intriguingly, despite the common association of the absence of juvenile hormone (JH) with reproductive diapause in females, the knockdown of InR1 in males did not significant affect the expression of JH biosynthesis and JH response gene. CONCLUSION: The study highlight InR1 is a key factor involved in regulating male reproductive diapause in C. bowringi. Consequently, targeting insulin signaling could be a viable approach to perturb diapause timing, offering a promising strategy for managing pests with reproductive diapause capabilities. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Activated DBP degradation and relevant signal transduction path via quorum sensing autoinducers in Streptomyces sp. SH5.

Microbe-mediated DBP (dibutyl phthalate) mineralization is acknowledged to be affected by diverse extracellular factors. However, little is known about the regulatory effects from quorum sensing (QS) signals. In this study, extracellularly applied QS signals A-like (hydroxymethyl dihydrofuran) was discovered to significantly enhance DBP degradation efficiency in Streptomyces sp. SH5. Monobutyl phthalate, protocatechuic acid and beta-ketoadipate were discovered as degradation intermediates by HPLC-TOF-MS/MS. Multi-omics analysis revealed the up-regulation of multiple hydrolases, transferases and decarboxylases that potentially contributed to A-like accelerated DBP degradation. Transcription of Orf2708, an orthologue of global transcriptional activator, was significantly induced by A-like. Orf2708 was demonstrated to interact specifically with the promoter of hydrolase orf2879 gene by EMSA, and the overexpression of orf2879 led to an enhanced DBP degradation in SH5. Taken together with the molecular docking studies showing the stability of ligand-receptor complex of A-like and its potential receptor Orf3712, a hierarchical regulatory cascade underlying the QS signal mediated DBP degradation was proposed as A-like/Orf3712 duplex formation, enhanced orf2708 expression and the downstream specific activation of hydrolase Orf2879. Our study presents the first evidence of GBLs-type promoted DBP degradation among bacteria, and the elucidated signal transduction path indicates a universal application potential of this activation strategy.