Pollinator sharing and hybridization in a pair of dioecious figs sheds light on the pathways to speciation.

The dynamics and processes underlying the codiversification of plant-pollinator interactions are of great interest to researchers of biodiversity and evolution. Cospeciation is generally considered a key process driving the diversity of figs and their pollinating wasps. Groups of closely related figs pollinated by separate wasps occur frequently and represent excellent opportunities to study ongoing diversification in this textbook mutualism. We study two closely related sympatric dioecious figs (Ficus heterostyla and Ficus squamosa) in Xishuangbanna, southwest China, and aim to document what is likely to be the final stages of speciation between these species using a combination of trait data and experimental manipulation. Volatile profiles at the receptive phase, crucial for attracting pollinators, were analyzed. In total, 37 and 29 volatile compounds were identified from receptive F. heterostyla and F. squamosa figs, respectively. Despite significant interspecific dissimilarity, 25 compounds were shared. Ovipositor lengths lie well within range required for access to heterospecific ovules, facilitating hybridization. Cross introduction of wasps into figs was conducted and hybrid seeds were generated for all donor/recipient combinations. F. heterostyla wasps produce adult offspring in F. squamosa figs. While F. squamosa wasps induce gall development in F. heterostyla figs and their offspring fail to mature in synchrony with their novel host. We record limited geographic barriers, minimal volatile dissimilarity, compatible morphology, complementary reproductive phenologies, and the production of hybrid seeds and wasp offspring. These findings suggest ongoing wasp specialization and reproductive isolation, potentially applicable to other related fig species.

Two new species of Ismarus Haliday (Hymenoptera, Ismaridae) from Yunnan, China.

The genus Ismarus Haliday are rarely collected parasitoids in the small family Ismaridae. In this study, two new species are described from China's Yunnan Province: Ismarusrobustus Chen & Yan, sp. nov. and Ismarusunisulcus Chen & Yan, sp. nov. An updated key to the Chinese species of the genus is provided.

Echoes of ancient introgression punctuate stable genomic lineages in the evolution of figs.

Studies investigating the evolution of flowering plants have long focused on isolating mechanisms such as pollinator specificity. Some recent studies have proposed a role for introgressive hybridization between species, recognizing that isolating processes such as pollinator specialization may not be complete barriers to hybridization. Occasional hybridization may therefore lead to distinct yet reproductively connected lineages. We investigate the balance between introgression and reproductive isolation in a diverse clade using a densely sampled phylogenomic study of fig trees (Ficus, Moraceae). Codiversification with specialized pollinating wasps (Agaonidae) is recognized as a major engine of fig diversity, leading to about 850 species. Nevertheless, some studies have focused on the importance of hybridization in Ficus, highlighting the consequences of pollinator sharing. Here, we employ dense taxon sampling (520 species) throughout Moraceae and 1,751 loci to investigate phylogenetic relationships and the prevalence of introgression among species throughout the history of Ficus. We present a well-resolved phylogenomic backbone for Ficus, providing a solid foundation for an updated classification. Our results paint a picture of phylogenetically stable evolution within lineages punctuated by occasional local introgression events likely mediated by local pollinator sharing, illustrated by clear cases of cytoplasmic introgression that have been nearly drowned out of the nuclear genome through subsequent lineage fidelity. The phylogenetic history of figs thus highlights that while hybridization is an important process in plant evolution, the mere ability of species to hybridize locally does not necessarily translate into ongoing introgression between distant lineages, particularly in the presence of obligate plant-pollinator relationships.

Correction: Current and promising applications of Hf(IV)-based MOFs in cancer therapy.

Correction for 'Current and promising applications of Hf(IV)-based MOFs in cancer therapy' by Xuelin Chen et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, 2023, 11, 5693-5714, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3TB00267E.

Fluorescence detection platform of metal-organic frameworks for biomarkers.

Sensitive and selective detection of biomarkers is crucial in the study and early diagnosis of diseases. With the continuous development of biosensing technologies, fluorescent biosensors based on metal-organic frameworks have attracted increasing attention in the field of biomarker detection due to the combination of the advantages of MOFs, such as high specific surface area, large porosity, and structure with tunable functionality and the technical simplicity, sensitivity and efficiency and good applicability of fluorescent detection techniques. Therefore, researchers must understand the fluorescence response mechanism of such fluorescent biosensors and their specific applications in this field. Of all biomarkers applicable to such sensors, the chemical essence of nucleic acids, proteins, amino acids, dopamine, and other small molecules account for about a quarter of the total number of studies. This review systematically elaborates on four fluorescence response mechanisms: metal-centered emission (MC), ligand-centered emission (LC), charge transfer (CT), and guest-induced luminescence change (GI), presenting their applications in the detection of nucleic acids, proteins, amino acids, dopamine, and other small molecule biomarkers. In addition, the current challenges of MOFs-based fluorescent biosensors are also discussed, and their further development prospects are concerned.

East‒West genetic differentiation across the Indo-Burma hotspot: evidence from two closely related dioecious figs.

BACKGROUND: Understanding biodiversity patterns and their underlying mechanisms is of interest to ecologists, biogeographers and conservationists and is critically important for conservation efforts. The Indo-Burma hotspot features high species diversity and endemism, yet it also faces significant threats and biodiversity losses; however, few studies have explored the genetic structure and underlying mechanisms of Indo-Burmese species. Here, we conducted a comparative phylogeographic analysis of two closely related dioecious Ficus species, F. hispida and F. heterostyla, based on wide and intensive population sampling across Indo-Burma ranges, using chloroplast (psbA-trnH, trnS-trnG) and nuclear microsatellite (nSSR) markers, as well as ecological niche modeling. RESULTS: The results indicated large numbers of population-specific cpDNA haplotypes and nSSR alleles in the two species. F. hispida showed slightly higher chloroplast diversity but lower nuclear diversity than F. heterostyla. Low-altitude mountainous areas of northern Indo-Burma were revealed to have high genetic diversity and high habitat suitability, suggesting potential climate refugia and conservation priority areas. Strong phylogeographic structure and a marked east‒west differentiation pattern were observed in both species, due to the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors. Interspecific dissimilarities at fine-scale genetic structure and asynchronized historical dynamics of east‒west differentiation between species were also detected, which were attributed to different species-specific traits. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm hypothesized predictions that interactions between biotic and abiotic factors largely determine the patterns of genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of Indo-Burmese plants. The east‒west genetic differentiation pattern observed in two targeted figs can be generalized to some other Indo-Burmese plants. The results and findings of this work will contribute to the conservation of Indo-Burmese biodiversity and facilitate targeted conservation efforts for different species.

Construction of Fe-doped ZIF-8/DOX nanocomposites for ferroptosis strategy in the treatment of breast cancer.

Breast cancer has become one of the top five commonest causes of cancer death. The use of ferroptosis to induce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells presents a promising and potential strategy for cancer treatment. Herein, a series of facile bimetallic nanoparticles (x% Fe-doped ZIF-8) were synthesized and tested, and doxorubicin (DOX), a classic drug for breast cancer therapy, was encapsulated. After comparing the ratios of Fe2+/(Fe2+ + Zn2+), 7% Fe-doped ZIF-8 (7FZ) was found to be the most suitable particle for medical application. The drug loading efficiency of DOX@7FZ was 58.01 ± 0.02%. The pH-sensitive DOX@7FZ was degraded and DOX was released in lysosomes once internalized. Both the intracellular content of iron and ROS increased significantly. Meanwhile, the cell viability declined to 13.98% in 24 h at a concentration of 60 µg mL-1 and the IC50 was 42.68 µg mL-1. Moreover, the expression of Bcl-2 and GPX-4 proteins decreased in a time-dependent manner, indicating that DOX@7FZ was able to enhance the ROS level in cancer cells via a synergistic effect between apoptosis and ferroptosis. The mechanism of action of DOX@7FZ was further verified using hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining of Bcl-2 and GPX-4. These remarkable characteristics of DOX@7FZ may inspire further advancements in the treatment of breast cancer.

Current and promising applications of Hf(IV)-based MOFs in clinical cancer therapy.

Cancer is one of the greatest challenges in medical science today as it poses a serious threat to human life. In view of this, myriad of therapeutic strategies are being developed for the treatment of cancer. Despite the use of various therapeutic approaches, they are still insufficient for the treatment of cancer. The rapid advancement of nanotechnology currently offers exciting possibilities for the creation of novel cancer therapy approaches. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging multifunctional nanomaterials that find prospective applications in the biomedical field owing to their porosity, large specific surface area, and diversified structures. Amongst varied categories of MOFs, Hf(IV)-based MOFs that have been developed since 2012 and currently have been finding new applications and hence this class of MOFs are gaining immense attention amongst the material and biomaterial chemists. Most importantly, Hf(IV)-MOFs comprising high Z-Hf metal content may be capable of offering new therapeutic options for cancer therapy, nonlinear optics, as fluorescent sensors, and photoresponsive devices. In this review, the progress in Hf(IV)-based MOFs for the treatment of cancer using radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, phototherapeutic techniques, or a combination of two or more of these techniques have been explored. This review also provides insight regarding the current limitations and future prospects of Hf(IV)-MOFs for cancer therapy.

Host insect specificity and interspecific competition drive parasitoid diversification in a plant-insect community.

Ecological interactions among plants, insect herbivores, and parasitoids are pervasive in nature and play important roles in community assembling, but the codiversification of tri-trophic interactions has received less attention. Here we compare pairwise codiversification patterns between a set of 22 fig species, their herbivorous pollinating and galling wasps, and their parasitoids. The parasitoid phylogeny showed significant congruence and more cospeciation events with host insects phylogeny than with host plants. These results suggest that parasitoid phylogeny and speciation is more closely related to their host insects than to their host plants. The pollinating wasps hosted more parasitoid species than gallers and indicated a more intense interspecific competition among parasitoids associated with pollinators. Closer matching and fewer evolutionary host shifts were found between parasitoids and galler hosts than between parasitoids and pollinator hosts. These results suggest that interspecific competition among parasitoids, rather than resource availability of host wasps, is the main driver of the codiversification pattern in this community. Therefore, our study highlights the important role of interspecific competition among high trophic level insects in plant-insect tri-trophic community assembling.

A new species of the genus Wushenia Zettel, 1990 from China (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Cheloninae).

Wushenia Zettel, 1990 is a rare genus (with the type species Wushenia nana Zettel) first collected in Wushe (Taiwan) in 1983. Here we describe a second species, Wushenia yekunzengi Yao & Luo sp. nov., from Gaoligong Mountain Nature Reserve, Yunnan and Emei Mountain, Sichuan, China. A key to species of the genus Wushenia is presented. In addition, Wushenia australiensis Kittel & Austin, 2013 is excluded from the genus Wushenia Zettel.

The genus Eurymeros Bhat (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Alysiinae) newly recorded from China.

Background: Alysiinae Leach is a species-rich subfamily in Braconidae, of which several species play an important role in biological control. The monotypic genus Eurymerostumespiraculum Bhat, 1980 was discovered in Tibet and Yunnan provinces for the first time, representing the first record of the genus Eurymeros Bhat, 1980 (Braconidae, Alysiinae) in China. New information: The rare genus Eurymeros Bhat, 1980 (Braconidae, Alysiinae) and its only known species, E.tumespiraculum Bhat, 1980, are newly recorded from China. The morphological variation of the Chinese specimens is described and illustrated.

Diversity and metabolic potentials of microbial communities associated with pollinator and cheater fig wasps in fig-fig wasp mutualism system.

Microbial symbionts can influence a myriad of insect behavioral and physiological traits. However, how microbial communities may shape or be shaped by insect interactions with plants and neighboring species remains underexplored. The fig-fig wasp mutualism system offers a unique model to study the roles of microbiome in the interactions between the plants and co-habiting insects because a confined fig environment is shared by two fig wasp species, the pollinator wasp (Eupristina altissima and Eupristina verticillata) and the cheater wasp (Eupristina sp1 and Eupristina sp2). Here, we performed whole genome resequencing (WGS) on 48 individual fig wasps (Eupristina spp.) from Yunnan, China, to reveal the phylogenetic relationship and genetic divergence between pollinator and congeneric cheater wasps associated with the Ficus trees. We then extracted metagenomic sequences to explore the compositions, network structures, and functional capabilities of microbial communities associated with these wasps. We found that the cheaters and pollinators from the same fig species are sister species, which are highly genetically divergent. Fig wasps harbor diverse but stable microbial communities. Fig species dominate over the fig wasp genotype in shaping the bacterial and fungal communities. Variation in microbial communities may be partially explained by the filtering effect from fig and phylogeny of fig wasps. It is worth noting that cheaters have similar microbial communities to their sister pollinators, which may allow cheaters to coexist and gain resources from the same fig species. In terms of metabolic capabilities, some bacteria such as Desulfovibrio and Lachnospiraceae are candidates involved in the nutritional uptake of fig wasps. Our results provide novel insights into how microbiome community and metabolic functions may couple with the fig-wasp mutualistic systems.

Comparative chloroplast genome analysis of Ficus (Moraceae): Insight into adaptive evolution and mutational hotspot regions.

As the largest genus in Moraceae, Ficus is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions and exhibits a high degree of adaptability to different environments. At present, however, the phylogenetic relationships of this genus are not well resolved, and chloroplast evolution in Ficus remains poorly understood. Here, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the chloroplast genomes of 10 species of Ficus, downloaded and assembled 13 additional species based on next-generation sequencing data, and compared them to 46 previously published chloroplast genomes. We found a highly conserved genomic structure across the genus, with plastid genome sizes ranging from 159,929 bp (Ficus langkokensis) to 160,657 bp (Ficus religiosa). Most chloroplasts encoded 113 unique genes, including a set of 78 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, four ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and one pseudogene (infA). The number of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) ranged from 67 (Ficus sagittata) to 89 (Ficus microdictya) and generally increased linearly with plastid size. Among the plastomes, comparative analysis revealed eight intergenic spacers that were hotspot regions for divergence. Additionally, the clpP, rbcL, and ccsA genes showed evidence of positive selection. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that none of the six traditionally recognized subgenera of Ficus were monophyletic. Divergence time analysis based on the complete chloroplast genome sequences showed that Ficus species diverged rapidly during the early to middle Miocene. This research provides basic resources for further evolutionary studies of Ficus.

Updating the taxonomy of the ant genus Myrmecina (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in China with descriptions of three new species.

In this study, we present a taxonomic update for the ant genus Myrmecina in China that includes 14 species in total. A recent survey of the leaf litter ant fauna in Chinas Hengduan Mountains collected three unknown Myrmecina species, which we describe here as Myrmecina eowilsoni sp. nov., M. gaoligongensis sp. nov., and Myrmecina pierceae sp. nov. These new species are clearly distinguishable from all the other species in the genus. We provide an update to the identification key of Chinese Myrmecina, as well as a diagnostic discussion and high-quality specimen images. In addition, Myrmecina raviwonghei Jaitrong, Samung, Waengsothorn Okido 2019 is reported for the first time from China.

Recent advances in Ti-based MOFs in biomedical applications.

Currently, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), basically inorganic-organic hybrid materials, have gained tremendous attention due to their vast applications. MOFs have shown enormous applications in almost every research field. However, the area of designing MOF materials for their biological applications is still an emerging field that needs attention. Titanium-based metal-organic framework (Ti-MOF) materials are used in many research areas due to their structural advantages, such as small particle size and large effective surface area. On the other hand, they have also shown unique advantages such as good biocompatibility, excellent catalytic oxidation and photocatalytic properties and ease of functionalization. This study reviews the recent research progress on Ti-MOFs in therapeutic areas such as antibacterial, oncology, anti-inflammation, and bone injury, which will provide new directions for further research in this biomedical field. Therefore, this article will help scientists working in the particular field to enhance their understanding of Ti-based MOFs for functional biomedical applications.

Application of VIP Care in Patients with Advanced Tumors in the Western Region of China.

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the application of a very important person (VIP) intervention mode in patients with advanced tumors in the western region of China. Methods: One hundred and sixty-three patients were randomly divided into a control and experimental groups. The control group received routine care, and the experimental group received VIP future care. The willingness to end-of-life treatment, decision-making certainty, and quality of life were compared between the two groups before intervention (T0), after intervention (T1), and 1 month after intervention (T2). Results: There were no significant differences in the basic data of the two groups. Unlike the control group, the experimental group preferred palliative care at the end of T1 (P < 0.05), and the acceptance rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and mechanical treatment decreased significantly. After the VIP intervention, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) (P < 0.05). After 1 month of intervention (T2), the results showed that the overall quality of life, physical discomfort, negative emotions, care and support, survival predicament, and lifetime value of the patients were significantly higher than those before the intervention (all P < 0.05). Decision certainty results showed that the differences between the T0, T1, and T2 time points and the interaction between groups and time were statistically significant, and the interaction was more significant at T2 (P < 0.05). Conclusion: VIP future care can change patients' wishes for end-of-life care, improve patients' and quality of life, and increase patient decision-making certainty.

Recent advances of the core-shell MOFs in tumour therapy.

Coordination chemistry has always been vital to explore the material prominence of metal-organic systems. The metal-organic chemistry plays a fundamental role in decisive structural features, which are accountable for tuning the properties of materials. Tumour therapy has become an important research field of medical treatment in the world. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted extensive interest in medical science research due to their large effective surface area, clear pore network, and critical catalytic performance. Compared with traditional MOF materials, MOF materials with core-shell structures have a higher loading rate and better stability, which can overcome a single function. They have been successfully used in tumour medical research and have excellent prospects for diagnosing and treating various tumours. The current review article thoroughly describes the various synthetic approaches for engineering core-shell MOF materials, the structural types, and the potential functional applications. We also discussed core-shell MOF materials for the various treatment of tumours, such as tumour chemotherapy, tumour phototherapy and tumour microenvironment anti-hypoxia therapy. In this paper, the synthesized procedures of core-shell MOFs and their applications for tumour treatment have been discussed, and their future research has prospected. The current improved strategies, challenges, and prospects are also presented because of the metal-organic chemistry governing the structural modification of core-shell MOFs for tumour therapy applications. Therefore, the present review article opens a new door for medicinal chemists to tune the structural features of the core-shell MOF materials to modulate tumour therapy with simple, low-cost materials for better human lives.

Overlaps in olfactive signalling coupled with geographic variation may result in localised pollinator sharing between closely related Ficus species.

BACKGROUND: In brood site pollination mutualisms, pollinators are attracted by odours emitted at anthesis. In Ficus, odours of receptive figs differ among species and the specific pollinators generally only enter figs of their host species ensuring a pre-zygotic barrier to plant interspecific hybridisation. However, field observations recorded that, in Guangdong province in China, Valisia javana hilli, the local pollinator of F. hirta, entered and reproduced successfully in the figs of the closely related F. triloba on a regular basis. We propose that closely related Ficus species produce similar receptive fig odours. Under particular contexts of odours locally present, the receptive fig odours of non-host figs of a Ficus species may become attractive to pollinators of closely related Ficus species. We used the headspace technique to collect in situ receptive fig odours of F. triloba in a series of locations in China. Under controlled conditions, we tested the attraction of fig pollinating wasps from F. hirta and F. triloba to host figs and non-host figs in Y tube experiments. RESULTS: Receptive fig odours of F. triloba though different from those of F. hirta, were mainly composed of a same set of volatile organic compounds. When given the choice between receptive fig odours and air, the pollinating wasps were only attracted by their host's odours. However, when given a choice between host and non-host figs the pollinators of F. hirta were equally attracted by the two odours while the pollinators of F. triloba tended to be more attracted by their host's fig odours. CONCLUSIONS: Receptive fig odours vary geographically within species and the differentiation of receptive fig odours between closely related Ficus species is often incomplete. This allows localised or occasional pollinator sharing following different modalities. Cross stimulation when wasps are exposed simultaneously to odours of host and non-host species may be important. While occasional pollinator sharing may play a marginal role when wasp populations are robust, it may ensure the provisioning of new pollinators from the closest relative of a Ficus species if its pollinators go extinct.

Current status and prospects of metal-organic frameworks for bone therapy and bone repair.

With the development of society, traumatic bone defects caused by accidents, diseases and surgeries have become common, eventually resulting in an increase in bone defects. The treatment of bone defects is characterized by a long period of treatment, high cost and uncontrollable outcomes. Also, it results in complications such as infection and bone discontinuity. Hence, due to this situation, the physical, mental and financial aspects of the patient are severely affected. What's more, such outcomes pose a challenge to orthopaedic surgeons. As a result, bone therapy and bone repair have become a hot topic of interest. In repairing bone defects, materials other than autogenous bone are still unable to provide good biocompatibility, osteogenesis, osteoconductivity and osteoinduction properties at the same time. In addition, the scarcity of autologous bone sources has forced the search for new autologous bone replacement materials. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new class of developed functional materials that have been widely used in the biomedical field during the recent years due to their porous nature, large specific surface area and diverse structures. With the progress in the investigation into bone treatment and repair, more and more investigators are using MOFs in bone therapy and bone repair. With these viewpoints, in the present perspective, the use of MOFs in bone therapy and bone repair has been summarized, and an insight into the future of MOFs in bone therapy and bone repair has been provided.

Changes in temperature alter competitive interactions and overall structure of fig wasp communities.

Organisms exist within ecological networks, connected through interactions such as parasitism, predation and mutualism which can modify their abundance and distribution within habitat patches. Differential species responses make it hard to predict the influence of climate change at the community scale. Understanding the interplay between climate and biotic interactions can improve our predictions of how ecosystems will respond to current global warming. We aim to understand how climate affects the multitrophic biotic interactions as well as the community structure using the enclosed communities of wasps associated with figs as study system. To examine the presence and strength of multitrophic species interactions, we first characterized the multitrophic community of fig wasps associated with Ficus racemosa and then applied hierarchical joint species distribution models, fitted to community monitoring data. We further evaluated the effect of climate on individual species trends as well as interspecific interactions. We found that the competitive balance shifted to favour non-pollinating galling wasps and disadvantage the dominant pollinator in suboptimal conditions. Furthermore, suboptimal conditions for galling wasps facilitated the occurrence of their specialized parasitoid, as changes cascaded across trophic levels and led to alternative community structures. Our results highlight the role of how species interactions can be modified across multiple trophic levels in a fig wasp community according to climate.