Sulfur doping-induced morphological and electronic structure modification of polyoxometalate FeWO4 for enhanced removal of organic pollutants from water.

Wolframite (FeWO4), a typical polyoxometalate, serves as an auspicious candidate for heterogeneous catalysts, courtesy of its high chemical stability and electronic properties. However, the electron-deficient surface-active Fe species in FeWO4 are insufficient to cleave H2O2 via Fe redox-mediated Fenton-like catalytic reaction. Herein, we doped Sulfur (S) atom into FeWO4 catalysts to refine the electronic structure of FeWO4 for H2O2 activation and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation. Furthermore, spin-state reconstruction on S-doped FeWO4 was found to effectively refine the electronic structure of Fe in the d orbital, thereby enhancing H2O2 activation. S doping also accelerated electron transfer during the conversion of sulfur species, promoting the cycling of Fe(III) to Fe(II). Consequently, S-doped FeWO4 bolstered the Fenton-like reaction by nearly two orders of magnitude compared to FeWO4. Significantly, the developed S-doped FeWO4 exhibited a remarkable removal efficiency of approximately 100% for SMX within 40 min in real water samples. This underscores its extensive pH adaptability, robust catalytic stability, and leaching resistance. The matrix effects of water constituents on the performance of S-doped FeWO4 were also investigated, and the results showed that a certain amount of Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, HCO3- and PO43- exhibited negligible effects on the degradation of SMX. Theoretical calculations corroborate that the distinctive spin-state reconstruction of Fe center in S-doped FeWO4 is advantageous for H2O2 decomposition. This discovery offers novel mechanistic insight into the enhanced catalytic activity of S doping in Fenton-like reactions and paves the way for expanding the application of FeWO4 in wastewater treatment.

Interfacial Engineering of MoS2@CoS2 Heterostructure Electrocatalysts for Effective pH-Universal Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The practical utilization of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) necessitates the creation of electrocatalysts that are both efficient and abundant in earth elements, capable of operating effectively within a wide pH range. However, this objective continues to present itself as an arduous obstacle. In this research, we propose the incorporation of sulfur vacancies in a novel heterojunction formed by MoS2@CoS2, designed to exhibit remarkable catalytic performances. This efficacy is attributed to the advantageous combination of the low work function and space charge zone at the interface between MoS2 and CoS2 in the heterojunction. The MoS2@CoS2 heterojunction manifests outstanding hydrogen evolution activity over an extensive pH range. Remarkably, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in aqueous solutions 1.0 M KOH, 0.5 M H2SO4, and 1.0 M phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), respectively, requires only an overpotential of 48, 62, and 164 mV. The Tafel slopes for each case are 43, 32, and 62 mV dec-1, respectively. In this study, the synergistic effect of MoS2 and CoS2 is conducive to electron transfer, making the MoS2@CoS2 heterojunction show excellent electrocatalytic performance. The synergistic effects arising from the heterojunction and sulfur vacancy not only contribute to the observed catalytic prowess but also provide a valuable model and reference for the exploration of other efficient electrocatalysts. This research marks a significant stride toward overcoming the challenges associated with developing electrocatalysts for practical hydrogen evolution applications.

The histologic features, molecular features, detection and management of serrated polyps: a review.

The serrated pathway to colorectal cancers (CRCs) is a significant pathway encompassing five distinct types of lesions, namely hyperplastic polyps (HPs), sessile serrated lesions (SSLs), sessile serrated lesions with dysplasia (SSL-Ds), traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs), and serrated adenoma unclassified. In contrast to the conventional adenoma-carcinoma pathway, the serrated pathway primarily involves two mechanisms: BRAF/KRAS mutations and CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). HPs are the most prevalent non-malignant lesions, while SSLs play a crucial role as precursors to CRCs, On the other hand, traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs) are the least frequently encountered subtype, also serving as precursors to CRCs. It is crucial to differentiate these lesions based on their unique morphological characteristics observed in histology and colonoscopy, as the identification and management of these serrated lesions significantly impact colorectal cancer screening programs. The management of these lesions necessitates the crucial steps of removing premalignant lesions and implementing regular surveillance. This article provides a comprehensive summary of the epidemiology, histologic features, molecular features, and detection methods for various serrated polyps, along with recommendations for their management and surveillance.

Rice kinase OsMRLK63 contributes to drought tolerance by regulating reactive oxygen species production.

Drought is a major adverse environmental factor that plants face in nature but the molecular mechanism by which plants transduce stress signals and further endow themselves with tolerance remains unclear. Malectin/malectin-like domains containing receptor-like kinases (MRLKs) have been proposed to act as receptors in multiple biological signaling pathways, but limited studies show their roles in drought-stress signaling and tolerance. In this study, we demonstrate OsMRLK63 in rice (Oryza sativa L.) functions in drought tolerance by acting as the receptor of 2 rapid alkalization factors, OsRALF45 and OsRALF46. We show OsMRLK63 is a typical receptor-like kinase that positively regulates drought tolerance and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. OsMRLK63 interacts with and phosphorylates several nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases with the primarily phosphorylated site at Ser26 in the N-terminal of RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGUE A (OsRbohA). The application of the 2 small signal peptides (OsRALF45/46) on rice can greatly alleviate the dehydration of plants induced by mimic drought. This function depends on the existence of OsMRLK63 and the NADPH oxidase-dependent ROS production. The 2 RALFs interact with OsMRLK63 by binding to its extracellular domain, suggesting they may act as drought/dehydration signal sensors for the OsMRLK63-mediated process. Our study reveals a OsRALF45/46-OsMRLK63-OsRbohs module which contributes to drought-stress signaling and tolerance in rice.

Causal relationship between linoleic acid and type 2 diabetes and glycemic traits: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Objective: To investigate the causal relationships between linoleic acid and type 2 diabetes, and between linoleic acid and glycemic traits in European populations. Methods: This study employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach to infer causality between linoleic acid and type 2 diabetes, as well as between linoleic acid and glycemic traits, leveraging genetic variations. Data were sourced from genome-wide association study summary datasets. Random-effects inverse-variance weighted, weighted median, and MR-Egger methods were used for the two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses. Results were presented as odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval. Multiple sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess result robustness. Results: MR findings indicated a correlation between linoleic acid levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes, fasting blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), but not with fasting insulin. Specifically: type 2 diabetes (OR: 0.811, 95% CI: 0.688-0.956, P=0.013<0.05),fasting blood glucose (ß_IVW): -0.056, 95% CI: (-0.091,-0.021), P=0.002< 0.0125), glycated hemoglobin (ß_IVW: -0.032, 95% CI: (-0.048,-0.015), P=0.0002< 0.0125) and Fasting insulin (ß_IVW: -0.024, 95% CI: (-0.056,-0.008), P=0.136 >0.05).Reverse MR analyses showed a correlation between type 2 diabetes and reduced levels of linoleic acid (ß_IVW: -0.033, 95% CI: (-0.059,-0.006), P=0.014<0.05). Multiple sensitivity analyses also detected study heterogeneity but found no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy. Conclusion: High levels linoleic acid can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, fasting blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin, but has no significant relation with fasting insulin. Type 2 diabetes can lower linoleic acid levels; however, no significant causal relationship was observed between the three glycemic traits and reduced levels of linoleic acid.

Brevilin A ameliorates sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammation.

Background: Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory disease, and Brevilin A (BA) has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. However, whether BA has a similar effect on septic cardiomyopathy remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of BA in septic cardiomyopathy. Methods: First, a model of septic cardiomyopathy was constructed in vitro and in vivo. The expression of the cardiac injury markers, NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammation factors and its upstream modulator NF-κB was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Cardiac function was measured using echocardiography, cell viability was detected using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. To further investigate the effects of BA on septic cardiomyopathy, different concentrations of BA were used. The experiment was divided into control group, LPS induced- group, LPS+2.5, 5.0, 10.0 µM BA treatment group of the vitro model, and the Sham, CLP, CLP+10, 20, 30 mg/kg BA treatment groups of the rat vivo model. Lastly, cardiac injury, NLRP3 inflammation, and cardiac function were assessed in each group. Results: The mRNA and protein expression of cardiac inflammation and injury genes were significantly increased in the in vitro and in vivo sepsis cardiomyopathy models. When different concentrations of BA were used in sepsis cardiomyopathy in vivo and in vitro, the above-mentioned myocardial inflammation and injury factors were suppressed to varying degrees, cell viability increased, cardiac function improved, and the survival rate of rats also increased. Conclusion: BA ameliorated sepsis cardiomyopathy by inhibiting NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammation activation.

Prediction of treatment response to antipsychotic drugs for precision medicine approach to schizophrenia: randomized trials and multiomics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Choosing the appropriate antipsychotic drug (APD) treatment for patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) can be challenging, as the treatment response to APD is highly variable and difficult to predict due to the lack of effective biomarkers. Previous studies have indicated the association between treatment response and genetic and epigenetic factors, but no effective biomarkers have been identified. Hence, further research is imperative to enhance precision medicine in SCZ treatment. METHODS: Participants with SCZ were recruited from two randomized trials. The discovery cohort was recruited from the CAPOC trial (n = 2307) involved 6 weeks of treatment and equally randomized the participants to the Olanzapine, Risperidone, Quetiapine, Aripiprazole, Ziprasidone, and Haloperidol/Perphenazine (subsequently equally assigned to one or the other) groups. The external validation cohort was recruited from the CAPEC trial (n = 1379), which involved 8 weeks of treatment and equally randomized the participants to the Olanzapine, Risperidone, and Aripiprazole groups. Additionally, healthy controls (n = 275) from the local community were utilized as a genetic/epigenetic reference. The genetic and epigenetic (DNA methylation) risks of SCZ were assessed using the polygenic risk score (PRS) and polymethylation score, respectively. The study also examined the genetic-epigenetic interactions with treatment response through differential methylation analysis, methylation quantitative trait loci, colocalization, and promoter-anchored chromatin interaction. Machine learning was used to develop a prediction model for treatment response, which was evaluated for accuracy and clinical benefit using the area under curve (AUC) for classification, R2 for regression, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Six risk genes for SCZ (LINC01795, DDHD2, SBNO1, KCNG2, SEMA7A, and RUFY1) involved in cortical morphology were identified as having a genetic-epigenetic interaction associated with treatment response. The developed and externally validated prediction model, which incorporated clinical information, PRS, genetic risk score (GRS), and proxy methylation level (proxyDNAm), demonstrated positive benefits for a wide range of patients receiving different APDs, regardless of sex [discovery cohort: AUC = 0.874 (95% CI 0.867-0.881), R2 = 0.478; external validation cohort: AUC = 0.851 (95% CI 0.841-0.861), R2 = 0.507]. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a promising precision medicine approach to evaluate treatment response, which has the potential to aid clinicians in making informed decisions about APD treatment for patients with SCZ. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( https://www.chictr.org.cn/ ), 18. Aug 2009 retrospectively registered: CAPOC-ChiCTR-RNC-09000521 ( https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=9014 ), CAPEC-ChiCTR-RNC-09000522 ( https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=9013 ).

Rheology of graphene oxide stabilized Pickering emulsions.

Pickering emulgels stabilized by graphene oxide (GO) with didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) as an auxiliary surfactant and liquid paraffin as the oil phase have proved to be an excellent 3D printable ink. This paper elucidates the structure of such emulgels by a combination of microscopy before and after intensive shear as well as broadband dielectric spectroscopy and rheology in the linear and nonlinear regime. An increase of the DDAB surfactant and GO-contents leads to a systematic increase of modulus and viscosity, a reduction of the limits of the nonlinear regime and a more complicated variation of the normal forces, with negative normal forces at high shear rate  for low GO-contents and positive normal forces at high GO-contents. The interfacial jamming behavior studied by morphology, rheology and dielectric spectroscopy is explained based on droplet deformation, jamming and recovery phenomena.

OsBBX19-OsBTB97/OsBBX11 module regulates spikelet development and yield production in rice.

Spikelet and floral-related organs are important agronomic traits for rice grain yield. BTB (broad-complex, tram track, and bric-abrac) proteins control various developmental functions in plants; however, the molecular mechanism of BTB proteins underlying grain development and yield production is still unknown. Here, we evaluated the molecular mechanism of a previously unrecognized functional gene, namely OsBTB97 that regulates the floral and spikelet-related organs which greatly affect the final grain yield. We found that the knockdown of the OsBTB97 gene had significant impacts on the development of spikelet-related organs and grain size, resulting in a decrease in yield, by altering the transcript levels of various spikelet- and grain-related genes. Furthermore, we found that the knockout mutants of two BBX genes, OsBBX11 and OsBBX19, which interact with the OsBTB97 protein at translation and transcriptional level, respectively, displayed lower OsBTB97 expression, suggesting the genetic relationship between the BTB protein and the BBX transcription factors in rice. Taken together, our study dissects the function of the novel OsBTB97 by interacting with two BBX proteins and an OsBBX19-OsBTB97/OsBBX11 module might function in the spikelet development and seed production in rice. The outcome of the present study provides promising knowledge about BTB proteins in the improvement of crop production in plants.

Tuning Fe3O4 for sustainable cathodic heterogeneous electro-Fenton catalysis by acetylated chitosan.

Peroxidase-like catalysts are safe and low-cost candidates to tackle the dilemma in constructing sustainable cathodic heterogeneous electro-Fenton (CHEF) catalysts for water purification, but the elusive structure-property relationship of enzyme-like catalysts constitutes a pressing challenge for the advancement of CHEF processes in practically relevant water and wastewater treatment. Herein, we probe the origins of catalytic efficiency in the CHEF process by artificially tailoring the peroxidase-like activity of Fe3O4 through a series of acetylated chitosan-based hydrogels, which serve as ecofriendly alternatives to traditional carbon shells. The optimized acetylated chitosan wrapping Fe3O4 hydrogel on the cathode shows an impressive activity and stability in CHEF process, overcoming the complicated and environmentally unfavored procedures in the electro-Fenton-related processes. Structural characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that the amide group in chitosan can modulate the intrinsic redox capacity of surficial Fe sites on Fe3O4 toward CHEF catalysis via the neutral hydrogen bond. This work provides a sustainable path and molecule-level insight for the rational design of high-efficiency CHEF catalysts and beyond.

Associations between morphokinetic parameters of temporary-arrest embryos and the clinical prognosis in FET cycles.

Infertility is a major health concern worldwide. This retrospective study aimed to assess the predictive value of the morphokinetic parameters of temporary-arrest embryos for the pregnancy outcomes of women undergoing frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles. In this study, we evaluated 244 FET cycles with 431 day-4 temporary-arrest embryos. They were categorized into two groups (pregnancy and non-pregnancy) according to the pregnancy outcomes of the women after embryo transfer on day 5, and their fundamental characteristics were compared. The morphokinetic parameters from the time-lapse monitoring system were assessed according to different pregnancy outcomes. The mean number of embryo blastomeres thawed on day 3 in the pregnancy group was 7.47, which was significantly higher than the number in the non-pregnancy group (p < 0.01). Besides, embryos in the non-pregnancy group contained more embryo fragments and lower grades than those in the pregnancy group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, morphokinetic parameters: tPNa, t2, t5, and t5_tPNf showed a statistical difference between the pregnancy and non-pregnancy groups (p < 0.05). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis revealed that the time from pronuclear fading to the 5-cell stage (t5_PNF) predicted the clinical prognosis outcomes (area under the curve = 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.70; p < 0.001). The morphokinetic parameter t5_PNF could be regarded as a potential implantation predictor in our study.

Influence of Cellulose Nanofibers on the Behavior of Pickering Emulsions. Part 1. Microscopy and Startup Flow Test.

The dispersibility of flexible polymer chains present at the emulsion's interface between the dispersed and continuous phase has obvious effects on rheology and dielectric properties of the whole emulsion. Cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-based Pickering emulsions are good systems to research these properties with respect to their microscopic phase structure, dielectric, and rheological properties by using CNF as a water-dispersible Pickering emulsifier, liquid paraffin as an oil phase, and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) as a cationic auxiliary surfactant. The CNF and DDAB contents were systematically varied while the water-to-paraffin oil ratio was kept constant to discern the influence of the Pickering emulsifiers. Polarized optical microscopic images reveal that the droplets tend to shrink at higher CNF content but grow bigger when increasing the DDAB content, which is proved by fluorescence analysis of the CNF dispersibility with varying DDAB content. The dielectric damping exhibits a minimum, whose value decreases with increasing DDAB and CNF content. Increasing the DDAB content promotes the solubilization of CNF in the aqueous phase, which will increase the overall viscosity and yield points. Similarly, a higher CNF content leads to a higher viscosity and yield point, but at high DDAB contents, the viscosity function exhibits an S-shape at intermediate CNF contents. To evaluate the results further, they were compared with CNF dispersions (without oil phase), which showed a surfactant effect slightly on maximum stress but strongly on yield stress τy, indicating that DDAB can promote the formation of a CNF network rather than the viscosity of the whole system. This paper provides information on how a systematical variation of the composition influences morphology and physico-chemical interactions as detected by broadband dielectric spectroscopy and rheological behavior.

Effects of penehyclidine hydrochloride on myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats by inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway via miR-199a-3p.

This study was to probe the role of penehyclidine hydrochloride (PHC) mediating the impact of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signalling pathway on myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury (MI/RI) in rats through miR-199a-3p. The rat MI/RI model was established through ligating left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. PHC was injected preoperatively into the model rats, and injected with miR-199a-3p lentiviral vector or TLR4 antagonist (TAK-242). Next, cardiac function of rats was examined by echocardiography, and rat serum indicators, oxidative stress levels and inflammatory factors were detected. HE staining was applied to detect pathological tissue structure, TUNEL staining to detect apoptosis rate, qRCR and western blot to detect miR-199a-3p and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB expressions in rat myocardial tissues. Dual luciferase reporter experiment was conducted to confirm the relationship between miR-199a-3p and TLR4. In conclusion, PHC suppresses TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signalling pathway through miR-199a-3p, thereby improving MI/RI in rats.

Peracetic acid activation by mechanochemically sulfidated zero valent iron for micropollutants degradation: Enhancement mechanism and strategy for extending applicability.

In this study, mechanically sulfidated microscale zero valent iron (S-ZVI) was found to effectively activate the peracetic acid (PAA) with a result of almost complete degradation of six micropollutants within 10 min under neutral conditions, and > 95% sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal after six cycles. Reactive oxidized species (ROS) including HO•, carbon-centered radicals, and Fe(IV) were generated in the S-ZVI/PAA system, while HO• was the main contributor towards micropollutants degradation. This study clearly revealed that enhancement of the electron donating ability of ZVI by the formed conductive iron sulfides was crucial for promoted Fe(II) generation and subsequent PAA activation over several cycles, rather than the ability of sulfides to reduce Fe(III) for Fe(II) regeneration as reported previously. Interestingly, it's discovered that co-existence of Fe(III) would dramatically improve the contaminants removal efficiency of the S-ZVI/PAA system; transform the surfaced Fe(II) dominated ROS generation process to aqueous Fe(II) one; enhance the tolerance of the proposed system to water matrix. The promoting effect of predosed Fe(III) on PAA activation by S-ZVI should be mainly associated with: the greater ability of Fe(III) than H2O to accept electron from Fe0 for obtaining more active sites; slower Fe0 consumption and solid sulfur species release for elevated electron utilization efficiency and PAA activation. Considering the convenient and cost-effective access of Fe(III), the decrease of acute toxicity of treated SMX, excellent stability and good removal of various micropollutants fully demonstrate the superiority of S-ZVI/PAA system for practical application.

Carbon nanotubes mediated chemical and biological decolorization of azo dye: Understanding the structure-activity relationship.

Chemical structure of azo dyes molecules showed significant influence on their decolorization rate, while the structure-activity relationship between chemical structure and their reduction decolorization rate is not fully understand. In this study, we found that azo dye molecule with closer position for electron-withdrawing substituent to azo bond resulted in faster chemical and biotic reduction rate with or without presence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), while electron-repulsive substituent closer to azo bond leading to slower azo dye chemical and biotic reduction rate no matter with or without presence of CNTs. Additionally, galvanic cell experiments implied that electron transfer process may play important roles for both chemical and biological reduction decolorization of azo dyes, and CV results indicated that the higher (azo bond breakage) reduction wave potential corresponding to a faster azo dye chemical decolorization reaction. Finally, the results of Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) energy established that lower LUMO energy for azo dye corresponding to a faster chemical decolorization reaction. This study not only offer systematized relationships between structure property of azo dye and their decolorization rate, but also provide a universal and propagable reduction rules.

Three new categories of hypoglycaemic agents and various cardiovascular diseases: A meta-analysis.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: New hypoglycaemic agents consist of dipeptidyl peptidase four inhibitors (DPP4is), glucagon-like peptide one receptor agonists (GLP1RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter two inhibitors (SGLT2is). We aimed to define the association between each category of these new hypoglycaemic drugs and various cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: Large randomized trials comparing DPP4is, GLP1RAs or SGLT2is with placebo were included. Outcomes of interest were 95 kinds of cardiovascular diseases. Meta-analysis was conducted to generate pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Twenty-one large randomized trials were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with placebo, SGLT2is were associated with the lower risks of hypertension (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.93), atrial fibrillation (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.67-0.91), bradycardia (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.40-0.89) and heart failure (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.68-0.80); GLP1RAs were associated with the lower risk of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.97) and with the higher risk of deep vein thrombosis (RR 2.12, 95% CI 1.32-3.4), while DPP4is were associated with the lower risk of peripheral ischaemia (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37-0.89). WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis revealed that SGLT2is were associated with the lower risks of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, bradycardia and heart failure; GLP1RAs were associated with the lower risk of peripheral arterial occlusive disease and with the higher risk of deep vein thrombosis, while DPP4is were associated with the lower risk of peripheral ischaemia. These findings propose that each category of these new hypoglycaemic agents should be avoided or preferred in patients at high risks of specific cardiovascular diseases.

Rice Carbohydrate-Binding Malectin-Like Protein, OsCBM1, Contributes to Drought-Stress Tolerance by Participating in NADPH Oxidase-Mediated ROS Production.

Carbohydrate-binding malectin/malectin-like domain-containing proteins (CBMs) are a recently identified protein subfamily of lectins that participates various functional bioprocesses in the animal, bacterial, and plant kingdoms. However, little is known the roles of CBMs in rice development and stress response. In this study, OsCBM1, which encodes a protein containing only one malectin-like domain, was cloned and characterized. OsCBM1 is localized in both the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane. Its transcripts are dominantly expressed in leaves and could be significantly stimulated by a number of phytohormone applications and abiotic stress treatments. Overexpression of OsCBM1 increased drought tolerance and reactive oxygen species production in rice, whereas the knockdown of the gene decreased them. OsCBM1 physically interacts with OsRbohA, a NADPH oxidase, and the expression of OsCBM1 in osrbohA, an OsRbohA-knockout mutant, is significantly downregulated under both normal growth and drought stress conditions. Meanwhile, OsCBM1 can also physically interacts with OsRacGEF1, a specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the Rop/Rac GTPase OsRac1, and transient coexpression of OsCBM1 with OaRacGEF1 significantly enhanced ROS production. Further transcriptome analysis showed that multiple signaling regulatory mechanisms are involved in the OsCBM1-mediated processes. All these results suggest that OsCBM1 participates in NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS production by interacting with OsRbohA and OsRacGEF1, contributing to drought stress tolerance of rice. Multiple signaling pathways are likely involved in the OsCBM1-mediated stress tolerance in rice.

The highly interactive BTB domain targeting other functional domains to diversify the function of BTB proteins in rice growth and development.

The BTB (broad-complex, tram track, and bric-abrac) proteins are involved in developmental processes, biotic, and abiotic stress responses in various plants, but the molecular basis of protein interactions is yet to be investiagted in rice. In this study, the identified BTB proteins were divided into BTB-TAZ, MATH-BTB, BTB-NPH, BTB-ANK, BTB-Skp, BTB-DUF, and BTB-TPR subfamilies based on the additional functional domains found together with the BTB domain at N- and C-terminal as well. This suggesting that the extension region at both terminal sites could play a vital role in the BTB gene family expansion in plants. The yeast two-hybrid system, firefly luciferase complementation imaging (LCI) assay and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay further confirmed that BTB proteins interact with several other proteins to perform a certain developmental process in plants. The overexpression of BTB genes of each subfamily in Arabidopsis revealed that BTB genes including OsBTB4, OsBTB8, OsBTB64, OsBTB62, OsBTB138, and OsBTB147, containing certain additional functional domains, could play a potential role in the early flowering, branching, leaf, and silique development. Thus we concluded that the presence of other functional domains such as TAZ, SKP, DUF, ANK, NPH, BACK, PQQ, and MATH could be the factor driving the diverse functions of BTB proteins in plant biology.

Halloysites modified polyethylene glycol diacrylate/thiolated chitosan double network hydrogel combined with BMP-2 for rat skull regeneration.

Hydrogel serve as bone tissue engineering have lately received great attention for their good biocompatibility and structures similar to natural extracellular matrices. However, a single component polymer hydrogel is generally detrimental to cell adhesion due to the weaker mechanical properties, which limits their application considerably. In an effort to overcome this disadvantage, we adopt an unconventional dual network hydrogels consisting of the polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) covalent network, a thiolated chitosan (TCS) ion crosslinking network and thiolated halloysites (T-HNTs) as reinforcing filler. In addition, bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) was loaded into the prepared dual network (DN) hydrogel to improve the bone regeneration function of the DN hydrogel. The resulting PEGDA/TCS/T-HNTs hydrogels showed favourable mechanical property, higher crosslinking density, the lower swelling degree, excellent biocompatibility and cell adhesion ability. The histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses revealed the excellent bone regeneration ability for composite hydrogel after implant into rat skull defect. Thus, our results indicated that composite scaffold can be applied as a new bone regeneration biomaterial to be applied as a local drug delivery system with good bone induction performance.