Curving out a new path: CD28/B7 cis interactions.

Important signaling events at the immunological synapse have increasingly been linked to cis interactions between receptors on T cells. In this issue of Immunity, Zhao et al.1 implicate cis CD28/B7 interactions facilitated by curved membrane invaginations in boosting tumor immunity.

CARD9S12N facilitates the production of IL-5 by alveolar macrophages for the induction of type 2 immune responses.

The adaptor CARD9 functions downstream of C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) for the sensing of microbial infection, which leads to responses by the TH1 and TH17 subsets of helper T cells. The single-nucleotide polymorphism rs4077515 at CARD9 in the human genome, which results in the substitution S12N (CARD9S12N), is associated with several autoimmune diseases. However, the function of CARD9S12N has remained unknown. Here we generated CARD9S12N knock-in mice and found that CARD9S12N facilitated the induction of type 2 immune responses after engagement of CLRs. Mechanistically, CARD9S12N mediated CLR-induced activation of the non-canonical transcription factor NF-κB subunit RelB, which initiated production of the cytokine IL-5 in alveolar macrophages for the recruitment of eosinophils to drive TH2 cell-mediated allergic responses. We identified the homozygous CARD9 mutation encoding S12N in patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and revealed activation of RelB and production of IL-5 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from these patients. Our study provides genetic and functional evidence demonstrating that CARD9S12N can turn alveolar macrophages into IL-5-producing cells and facilitates TH2 cell-mediated pathologic responses.

Tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 mediates C-type lectin receptor-induced activation of the kinase Syk and anti-fungal TH17 responses.

Fungal infection stimulates the canonical C-type lectin receptor (CLR) signaling pathway via activation of the tyrosine kinase Syk. Here we identify a crucial role for the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 in mediating CLR-induced activation of Syk. Ablation of the gene encoding SHP-2 (Ptpn11; called 'Shp-2' here) in dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages impaired Syk-mediated signaling and abrogated the expression of genes encoding pro-inflammatory molecules following fungal stimulation. Mechanistically, SHP-2 operated as a scaffold, facilitating the recruitment of Syk to the CLR dectin-1 or the adaptor FcRγ, through its N-SH2 domain and a previously unrecognized carboxy-terminal immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM). We found that DC-derived SHP-2 was crucial for the induction of interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6 and IL-23 and anti-fungal responses of the TH17 subset of helper T cells in controlling infection with Candida albicans. Together our data reveal a mechanism by which SHP-2 mediates the activation of Syk in response to fungal infection.

ATP-elicited Cation Fluxes Promote Volume-regulated Anion Channel LRRC8/VRAC Transport cGAMP for Antitumor Immunity.

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of IFN genes (STING) pathway is instrumental to antitumor immunity, yet the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms are complex and still unfolding. A new paradigm suggests that cancer cells' cGAS-synthesized cGAMP can be transferred to tumor-infiltrating immune cells, eliciting STING-dependent IFN-ß response for antitumor immunity. Nevertheless, how the tumor microenvironment may shape this process remains unclear. In this study, we found that extracellular ATP, an immune regulatory molecule widely present in the tumor microenvironment, can potentiate cGAMP transfer, thereby boosting the STING signaling and IFN-ß response in murine macrophages and fibroblasts. Notably, genetic ablation or chemical inhibition of murine volume-regulation anion channel LRRC8/volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC), a recently identified cGAMP transporter, abolished ATP-potentiated cGAMP transfer and STING-dependent IFN-ß response, revealing a crucial role of LRRC8/VRAC in the cross-talk of extracellular ATP and cGAMP. Mechanistically, ATP activation of the P2X family receptors triggered Ca2+ influx and K+ efflux, promoting reactive oxygen species production. Moreover, ATP-evoked K+ efflux alleviated the phosphorylation of VRAC's obligate subunit LRRC8A/SWELL1 on S174. Mutagenesis studies indicated that the phosphorylation of S174 on LRRC8A could act as a checkpoint for VRAC in the steady state and a rheostat of ATP responsiveness. In an MC38-transplanted tumor model, systemically blocking CD39 and ENPP1, hydroxylases of extracellular ATP and cGAMP, respectively, elevated antitumor NK, NKT, and CD8+ T cell responses and restrained tumor growth in mice. Altogether, this study establishes a crucial role of ATP in facilitating LRRC8/VRAC transport cGAMP in the tumor microenvironment and provides new insight into harnessing cGAMP transfer for antitumor immunity.

Increased gene dosage of RFWD2 causes autistic-like behaviors and aberrant synaptic formation and function in mice.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions, communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. A study of autistic human subjects has identified RFWD2 as a susceptibility gene for autism, and autistic patients have 3 copies of the RFWD2 gene. The role of RFWD2 as an E3 ligase in neuronal functions, and its contribution to the pathophysiology of ASD, remain unknown. We generated RFWD2 knockin mice to model the human autistic condition of high gene dosage of RFWD2. We found that heterozygous knockin (Rfwd2+/-) male mice exhibited the core symptoms of autism. Rfwd2+/- male mice showed deficits in social interaction and communication, increased repetitive and anxiety-like behavior, and spatial memory deficits, whereas Rfwd2+/- female mice showed subtle deficits in social communication and spatial memory but were normal in anxiety-like, repetitive, and social behaviors. These autistic-like behaviors in males were accompanied by a reduction in dendritic spine density and abnormal synaptic function on layer II/III pyramidal neurons in the prelimbic area of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), as well as decreased expression of synaptic proteins. Impaired social behaviors in Rfwd2+/- male mice were rescued by the expression of ETV5, one of the major substrates of RFWD2, in the mPFC. These findings indicate an important role of RFWD2 in the pathogenesis of autism.

Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that auxin and cell wall biosynthesis play important roles in the formation of hollow hearts in cucumber.

BACKGROUND: Hollow heart is a kind of physiological defect that seriously affects the yield, quality, and economic value of cucumber. However, the formation of hollow hearts may relate to multiple factors in cucumber, and it is necessary to conduct analysis. RESULTS: In this study, hollow and non-hollow fruits of cucumber K07 were used for comparative transcriptome sequencing and analysis. 253 differentially expressed genes and 139 transcription factors were identified as being associated with the formation of hollow hearts. Hormone (auxin) signaling and cell wall biosynthesis were mainly enriched in GO and KEGG pathways. Expression levels of key genes involved in indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis in carpel were lower in the hollow fruits than non-hollow fruits, while there was no difference in the flesh. The concentration of indole-3-acetic also showed lower in the carpel than flesh. The biosynthetic pathway and content analysis of the main components of the cell wall found that lignin biosynthesis had obvious regularity with hollow heart, followed by hemicellulose and cellulose. Correlation analysis showed that there may be an interaction between auxin and cell wall biosynthesis, and they collectively participate in the formation of hollow hearts in cucumber. Among the differentially expressed transcription factors, MYB members were the most abundant, followed by NAC, ERF, and bHLH. CONCLUSIONS: The results and analyses showed that the low content of auxin in the carpel affected the activity of enzymes related to cell wall biosynthesis at the early stage of fruit development, resulting in incomplete development of carpel cells, thus forming a hollow heart in cucumber. Some transcription factors may play regulatory roles in this progress. The results may enrich the theory of the formation of hollow hearts and provide a basis for future research.

Th2-skewed peripheral T-helper cells drive B-cells in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) suffer from repeated exacerbations. The involvement of T-cell subsets remains unclear. METHODS: We enrolled ABPA patients, asthma patients and healthy controls. T-helper type 1 (Th1), 2 (Th2) and 17 (Th17) cells, regulatory T-cells (Treg) and interleukin (IL)-21+CD4+T-cells in total or sorted subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and ABPA bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analysed using flow cytometry. RNA sequencing of subsets of CD4+T-cells was done in exacerbated ABPA patients and healthy controls. Antibodies of T-/B-cell co-cultures in vitro were measured. RESULTS: ABPA patients had increased Th2 cells, similar numbers of Treg cells and decreased circulating Th1 and Th17 cells. IL-5+IL-13+IL-21+CD4+T-cells were rarely detected in healthy controls, but significantly elevated in the blood of ABPA patients, especially the exacerbated ones. We found that IL-5+IL-13+IL-21+CD4+T-cells were mainly peripheral T-helper (Tph) cells (PD-1+CXCR5-), which also presented in the BALF of ABPA patients. The proportions of circulating Tph cells were similar among ABPA patients, asthma patients and healthy controls, while IL-5+IL-13+IL-21+ Tph cells significantly increased in ABPA patients. Transcriptome data showed that Tph cells of ABPA patients were Th2-skewed and exhibited signatures of follicular T-helper cells. When co-cultured in vitro, Tph cells of ABPA patients induced the differentiation of autologous B-cells into plasmablasts and significantly enhanced the production of IgE. CONCLUSION: We identified a distinctly elevated population of circulating Th2-skewed Tph cells that induced the production of IgE in ABPA patients. It may be a biomarker and therapeutic target for ABPA.

Perfusion of hepatocellular carcinomas measured by diffusion-derived vessel density biomarker: Higher hepatocellular carcinoma perfusion than earlier intravoxel incoherent motion reports.

Diffusion-derived vessel density (DVDD) is a physiological surrogate of the area of microvessels per unit tissue area. DDVD is calculated according to DDVD(b0b2) = Sb0/ROIarea0 - Sb2/ROIarea2, where Sb0 and Sb2 refer to the liver signal when b is 0 or 2 s/mm2. Pathohistological studies and contrast-enhanced CT/MRI data showed higher blood volume in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) relative to native liver tissue. With intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging, most authors paradoxically reported a decreased perfusion fraction of HCC relative to the adjacent liver. This study applied DDVD to assess the perfusion of HCC. MRI was performed with a 3.0-T magnet. Diffusion-weighted images with b-values of 0 and 2 s/mm2 were acquired in 72 HCC patients. Thirty-two patients had microvascular invasion (MVI(+)) and 40 patients did not have microvascular invasion (MVI(-)). Fifty-eight patients had Edmondson-Steiner grade I or II HCC, and 14 patients had Edmondson-Steiner grade III or IV HCC. DDVD measurement was conducted on the axial slice that showed the largest HCC size. DDVD(b0b2) T/L = HCC DDVD(b0b2)/liver DDVD(b0b2). DDVD(b0b2) T/L median (95% confidence interval) of all HCCs was 2.942 (2.419-3.522), of MVI(-) HCCs was 2.699 (2.030-3.522), of MVI(+) HCCs was 2.988 (2.423-3.990), of Edmondson-Steiner grade I/II HCCs was 2.873 (2.277-3.465), and of Edmondson-Steiner grade III/IV HCCs was 3.403 (2.008-4.485). DDVD(b0b2) T/L approximately agrees with contrast agent dynamically enhanced CT/MRI literature data, whereas it differs from earlier IVIM study results, where HCC perfusion fraction was paradoxically lower relative to native liver tissue. A weak trend was noted with MIV(+) HCCs had a higher DDVD(b0b2) T/L than that of MVI(-) HCCs, and a weak trend was noted with the poorly differentiated group of HCCs (Edmondson-Steiner grade III and IV) had a higher DDVD(b0b2) T/L than that of the better differentiated group of HCCs (Edmondson-Steiner grade I and II).

Repeatability and reproducibility comparisons of liver IVIM imaging with free-breathing or respiratory-triggered sequences.

For liver intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) data acquisition, respiratory-triggering (RT) MRI is commonly used, and there are strong motivations to shorten the scan duration. For the same scan duration, more b values or higher numbers of excitations can be allowed for free-breathing (FB) imaging than for RT. We studied whether FB can be used to replace RT when careful IVIM image acquisition and image processing are conducted. MRI data of 22 healthy participants were acquired using a 3.0 T scanner. Diffusion imaging was based on a single-shot spin-echo-type echo-planar sequence and 16 b values of 0, 2, 4, 7, 10, 15, 20, 30, 46, 60, 72, 100, 150, 200, 400, and 600 s/mm2 . Each subject attended two scan sessions with an interval of 10-20 days. For each scan session, a subject was scanned twice, first with RT and then with FB. The mean image acquisition time was 5.4 min for FB and 10.8 min for RT. IVIM parameters were calculated with bi-exponential model segmented fitting with a threshold b value of 60 s/mm2 , and fitting started from b = 2 s/mm2 . There was no statistically significant difference between IVIM parameters measured with FB imaging or RT imaging. Perfusion fraction ICC (intraclass correlation coefficient) for FB imaging and RT imaging in the same scan session was 0.824. For perfusion fraction, wSD (within-subject standard deviation), BA (Bland-Altman) difference, BA 95% limit, and ICC were 0.022, 0.0001, -0.0635~0.0637, and 0.687 for FB and 0.031, 0.0122, -0.0723~0.0967, and 0.611 for RT. For Dslow (×10-3  s/mm2 ), wSD, BA difference, BA 95% limit, and ICC were 0.057, 0.0268, -0.1258~0.1793, and 0.471 for FB and 0.073, -0.0078, -0.2170-0.2014, and <0.4 for RT. The Dfast coefficient of variation was 0.20 for FB imaging and 0.28 for RT imaging. All reproducibility indicators slightly favored FB imaging.

Serum 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine Is a Potential Indicator for the Severity and Prognosis in Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Previous studies have demonstrated that 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) exerted key roles in various pulmonary diseases, but the evidence for its role in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was lacking. The goal of this research was to evaluate the correlations of serum 8-OHdG with the severity and prognosis among patients with CAP through a prospective cohort study. A total of 239 patients with CAP and 239 healthy participants were enrolled. Fasting blood samples were collected. 8-OHdG and inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA. On admission, serum 8-OHdG was significantly increased in patients with CAP compared with control subjects. Besides, serum 8-OHdG was incrementally increased in line with CAP severity scores. Pearson correlative analysis found that serum 8-OHdG was correlated with clinical characteristics and inflammatory cytokines in patients with CAP. Linear and logistic regression analysis showed that serum 8-OHdG was positively associated with CAP severity scores. Furthermore, the prognostic outcomes were tracked. Higher serum 8-OHdG on admission increased the risks for intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, vasoactive agent usage, death, and longer hospital stay among patients with CAP. Serum 8-OHdG combination with confusion, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age ≥65 y or pneumonia severity index had stronger predictive powers for death than single 8-OHdG, CAP severity scores, or several inflammatory cytokines in patients with CAP. These results indicated that serum 8-OHdG is positively associated with the severity and poor prognosis in patients with CAP, demonstrating that 8-OHdG may be involved in the pathophysiology process of CAP.

Lathyrane and premyrsinane Euphorbia diterpenes against Alzheimer's disease: Bioinspired synthesis, anti-cholinesterase and neuroprotection bioactivity.

The first systematic acylated diversification of naturally scarce premyrsinane diterpenes, together with their biosynthetic precursors lathyrane diterpene were carried out. Two new series of premyrsinane derivates (1a-32a) and lathyrane derivates (1-32) were synthesized from the naturally abundant lathyrane diterpene Euphorbia factor L3 through a bioinspired approach. The cholinesterase inhibitory and neuroprotective activities of these diterpenes were investigated to explore potential anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) bioactive lead compounds. In general, the lathyrane diterpenes showed the better acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity than that of premyrsinanes. The lathyrane derivative 17 bearing a 3-dimethylaminobenzoyl moiety showed the best AChE inhibition effect with the IC50 value of 7.1 µM. Molecular docking demonstrated that 17 could bond with AChE well (-8 kal/mol). On the other hand, premyrsinanes showed a better neuroprotection profile against H2O2-induced injury in SH-SY5Y cells. Among them, the premyrsinane diterpene 16a had significant neuroprotective effect with the cell viability rate of 113.5 % at 12.5 µM (the model group with 51.2 %). The immunofluorescence, western blot and reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis were conducted to demonstrate the mechanism of 16a. Furthermore, a preliminary SAR analysis of the two categories of diterpenes was performed to provide the insights for anti-AD drug development.

Magnetoencephalogram-based brain-computer interface for hand-gesture decoding using deep learning.

Advancements in deep learning algorithms over the past decade have led to extensive developments in brain-computer interfaces (BCI). A promising imaging modality for BCI is magnetoencephalography (MEG), which is a non-invasive functional imaging technique. The present study developed a MEG sensor-based BCI neural network to decode Rock-Paper-scissors gestures (MEG-RPSnet). Unique preprocessing pipelines in tandem with convolutional neural network deep-learning models accurately classified gestures. On a single-trial basis, we found an average of 85.56% classification accuracy in 12 subjects. Our MEG-RPSnet model outperformed two state-of-the-art neural network architectures for electroencephalogram-based BCI as well as a traditional machine learning method, and demonstrated equivalent and/or better performance than machine learning methods that have employed invasive, electrocorticography-based BCI using the same task. In addition, MEG-RPSnet classification performance using an intra-subject approach outperformed a model that used a cross-subject approach. Remarkably, we also found that when using only central-parietal-occipital regional sensors or occipitotemporal regional sensors, the deep learning model achieved classification performances that were similar to the whole-brain sensor model. The MEG-RSPnet model also distinguished neuronal features of individual hand gestures with very good accuracy. Altogether, these results show that noninvasive MEG-based BCI applications hold promise for future BCI developments in hand-gesture decoding.

Increased serum extrachromosomal circular DNA SORBS1circle level is associated with insulin resistance in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Extrachromosomal circular DNAs (eccDNAs) exist in human blood and somatic cells, and are essential for oncogene plasticity and drug resistance. However, the presence and impact of eccDNAs in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains inadequately understood. METHODS: We purified and sequenced the serum eccDNAs obtained from newly diagnosed T2DM patients and normal control (NC) subjects using Circle-sequencing. We validated the level of a novel circulating eccDNA named sorbin and SH3-domain- containing-1circle97206791-97208025 (SORBS1circle) in 106 newly diagnosed T2DM patients. The relationship between eccDNA SORBS1circle and clinical data was analyzed. Furthermore, we explored the source and expression level of eccDNA SORBS1circle in the high glucose and palmitate (HG/PA)-induced hepatocyte (HepG2 cell) insulin resistance model. RESULTS: A total of 22,543 and 19,195 eccDNAs were found in serum samples obtained from newly diagnosed T2DM patients and NC subjects, respectively. The T2DM patients had a greater distribution of eccDNA on chromosomes 1, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and X. Additionally, 598 serum eccDNAs were found to be upregulated, while 856 eccDNAs were downregulated in T2DM patients compared with NC subjects. KEGG analysis demonstrated that the genes carried by eccDNAs were mainly associated with insulin resistance. Moreover, it was validated that the eccDNA SORBS1circle was significantly increased in serum of newly diagnosed T2DM patients (106 T2DM patients vs. 40 NC subjects). The serum eccDNA SORBS1circle content was positively correlated with the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in T2DM patients. Intracellular eccDNA SORBS1circle expression was significantly enhanced in the high glucose and palmitate (HG/PA)-induced hepatocyte (HepG2 cell) insulin resistance model. Moreover, the upregulation of eccDNA SORBS1circle in the HG/PA-treated HepG2 cells was dependent on generation of apoptotic DNA fragmentation. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide a preliminary understanding of the circulating eccDNA patterns at the early stage of T2DM and suggest that eccDNA SORBS1circle may be involved in the development of insulin resistance.

Acupuncture and Doxylamine-Pyridoxine for Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy : A Randomized, Controlled, 2 × 2 Factorial Trial.

BACKGROUND: An effective and safe treatment for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture, doxylamine-pyridoxine, and a combination of both in women with moderate to severe NVP. DESIGN: Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04401384). SETTING: 13 tertiary hospitals in mainland China from 21 June 2020 to 2 February 2022. PARTICIPANTS: 352 women in early pregnancy with moderate to severe NVP. INTERVENTION: Participants received daily active or sham acupuncture for 30 minutes and doxylamine-pyridoxine or placebo for 14 days. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was the reduction in Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE) score at the end of the intervention at day 15 relative to baseline. Secondary outcomes included quality of life, adverse events, and maternal and perinatal complications. RESULTS: No significant interaction was detected between the interventions (P = 0.69). Participants receiving acupuncture (mean difference [MD], -0.7 [95% CI, -1.3 to -0.1]), doxylamine-pyridoxine (MD, -1.0 [CI, -1.6 to -0.4]), and the combination of both (MD, -1.6 [CI, -2.2 to -0.9]) had a larger reduction in PUQE score over the treatment course than their respective control groups (sham acupuncture, placebo, and sham acupuncture plus placebo). Compared with placebo, a higher risk for births with children who were small for gestational age was observed with doxylamine-pyridoxine (odds ratio, 3.8 [CI, 1.0 to 14.1]). LIMITATION: The placebo effects of the interventions and natural regression of the disease were not evaluated. CONCLUSION: Both acupuncture and doxylamine-pyridoxine alone are efficacious for moderate and severe NVP. However, the clinical importance of this effect is uncertain because of its modest magnitude. The combination of acupuncture and doxylamine-pyridoxine may yield a potentially larger benefit than each treatment alone. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: The National Key R&D Program of China and the Project of Heilongjiang Province "TouYan" Innovation Team.

New Indole Alkaloids from the Fungus Talaromyces assiutensis JTY2.

Three new indole alkaloids, named talatensindoids A-C (1-3), together with two known biogenetically related indole alkaloids tryptamine (4) and L-tryptophan (5) were isolated from the Talaromyces assiutensis JTY2 based on the guidance of OSMAC approach. The structures of these indole alkaloids were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configuration of 3 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compound 1 represent the rare example of a chlorine-substituted indole alkaloid from natural products. The inhibitory activity of compounds 1-5 against two phytopathogenic fungi and three phytopathogenic bacteria was evaluated. Compound 1 exhibited broad spectrum antibacterial activities.

Bioactive 5/5/5/6 Four-Ring System Iridoids from Plumeria alba L.

Two rare 5/5/5/6 four-ring system iridoids, allamancins A and B (1 and 2) together with one known biogenetically related iridoid derivative, 3-O-methyallamancin (3) were isolated from the flowers of Plumeria alba L. The structures of these iridoid derivatives were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configuration of 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The inhibitory activities of compounds 1-3 against nitric oxide (NO) production induced and three cancer cell lines were evaluated in vitro. Compounds 1 and 3 showed inhibitory activities on NO production with IC50 values of 18.3±0.12 and 22.1±0.14 µM, respectively. Compounds 1-3 showed moderate inhibitory activities against cancer cell lines of A549, Hela and MCF-7.

A comprehensive sampling of mitogenomes shows the utility to infer phylogeny of termites (Blattodea: Termitoidae).

The mitogenome sequence data have been widely used in inferring the phylogeny of insects. In this study, we determined the complete mitogenome for Macrotermes sp. (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) using next-generation sequencing. Macrotermes sp. possesses a typical insect mitogenome, displaying an identical gene order and gene content to other existing termite mitogenomes. We present the first prediction of the secondary structure of ribosomal RNA genes in termites. The rRNA secondary structures of Macrotermes sp. exhibit similarities to closely related insects and also feature distinctive characteristics in their helical structures. Together with 321 published mitogenomes of termites as ingroups and 8 cockroach mitogenomes as outgroups, we compiled the most comprehensive mitogenome sequence matrix for Termitoidae to date. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using datasets employing different data coding strategies and various inference methods. Robust relationships were recovered at the family or subfamily level, demonstrating the utility of comprehensive mitogenome sampling in resolving termite phylogenies. The results supported the monophyly of Termitoidae, and consistent relationships within this group were observed across different analyses. Mastotermitidae was consistently recovered as the sister group to all other termite families. The families Hodotermitidae, Stolotermitidae, and Archotermopsidae formed the second diverging clade, followed by the Kalotermitidae. The Neoisoptera was consistently supported with strong node support, with Stylotermitidae being sister to the remaining families. Rhinotermitidae was found to be non-monophyletic, and Serritermitidae nested within the basal clades of Rhinotermitidae and was sister to Psammotermitinae. Overall, our phylogenetic results are largely consistent with earlier mitogenome studies.

One-Step Construction of 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles with Anticancer Activity from Tertiary Amines via a Sequential Copper(I)-Catalyzed Oxidative Ugi/aza-Wittig Reaction.

An unparalleled copper(I)-catalyzed synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles from tertiary amines in one step has been described. The one-pot reactions involving (N-isocyanimine)triphenylphosphorane, tertiary amines, and carboxylic acids resulted in the formation of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles in moderate to good yields through a consecutive oxidative Ugi/aza-Wittig reaction, enabling the direct functionalization of sp3 C-H bonds adjacent to the nitrogen atom. This method offered several notable advantages, including ligands-free, exceptional productivity and a high functional group tolerance. The preliminary biological evaluation demonstrated that compound 4f inhibited hepatoma cells efficiently, suggesting potentially broad applications of the approach for synthesis and medicinal chemistry.

OsPEX1, an extensin-like protein, negatively regulates root growth in a gibberellin-mediated manner in rice.

Leucine-rich repeat extensins (LRXs) are required for plant growth and development through affecting cell growth and cell wall formation. LRX gene family can be classified into two categories: predominantly vegetative-expressed LRX and reproductive-expressed PEX. In contrast to the tissue specificity of Arabidopsis PEX genes in reproductive organs, rice OsPEX1 is also highly expressed in roots in addition to reproductive tissue. However, whether and how OsPEX1 affects root growth is unclear. Here, we found that overexpression of OsPEX1 retarded root growth by reducing cell elongation likely caused by an increase of lignin deposition, whereas knockdown of OsPEX1 had an opposite effect on root growth, indicating that OsPEX1 negatively regulated root growth in rice. Further investigation uncovered the existence of a feedback loop between OsPEX1 expression level and GA biosynthesis for proper root growth. This was supported by the facts that exogenous GA3 application downregulated transcript levels of OsPEX1 and lignin-related genes and rescued the root developmental defects of the OsPEX1 overexpression mutant, whereas OsPEX1 overexpression reduced GA level and the expression of GA biosynthesis genes. Moreover, OsPEX1 and GA showed antagonistic action on the lignin biosynthesis in root. OsPEX1 overexpression upregulated transcript levels of lignin-related genes, whereas exogenous GA3 application downregulated their expression. Taken together, this study reveals a possible molecular pathway of OsPEX1mediated regulation of root growth through coordinate modulation of lignin deposition via a negative feedback regulation between OsPEX1 expression and GA biosynthesis.

LncRNA HEM2ATM improves obesity-associated adipose tissues meta-inflammation and insulin resistance by interacting with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U.

Obesity is a complicated metabolic disease characterized by meta-inflammation in adipose tissues. In this study, we explored the roles of a new long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), HEM2ATM, which is highly expressed in adipose tissue M2 macrophages, in modulating obesity-associated meta-inflammation and insulin resistance. HEM2ATM expression decreased significantly in adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) obtained from epididymal adipose tissues of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Overexpression of macrophage HEM2ATM improved meta-inflammation and insulin resistance in the adipose tissues of HFD-fed mice. Functionally, HEM2ATM negatively regulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in macrophages. Mechanistically, HEM2ATM bound to heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNP U), suppressed hnRNP U translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, hindered the function of cytoplasmic hnRNP U on TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA stabilization, and decreased the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6. Collectively, HEM2ATM is a novel suppressor of obesity-associated meta-inflammation and insulin resistance.