Nanotopography modulates intracellular excitable systems through cytoskeleton actuation.

Cellular sensing of most environmental cues involves receptors that affect a signal-transduction excitable network (STEN), which is coupled to a cytoskeletal excitable network (CEN). We show that the mechanism of sensing of nanoridges is fundamentally different. CEN activity occurs preferentially on nanoridges, whereas STEN activity is constrained between nanoridges. In the absence of STEN, waves disappear, but long-lasting F-actin puncta persist along the ridges. When CEN is suppressed, wave propagation is no longer constrained by nanoridges. A computational model reproduces these experimental observations. Our findings indicate that nanotopography is sensed directly by CEN, whereas STEN is only indirectly affected due to a CEN-STEN feedback loop. These results explain why texture sensing is robust and acts cooperatively with multiple other guidance cues in complex, in vivo microenvironments.

Insights into cryptochrome modulation of ABA signaling to mediate dormancy regulation in Marchantia polymorpha.

The acquisition of dormancy capabilities has enabled plants to survive in adverse terrestrial environmental conditions. Dormancy accumulation and release is coupled with light signaling, which is well studied in Arabidopsis, but it is unclear in the distant nonvascular relative. We study the characteristics and function on dormancy regulation of a blue light receptor cryptochrome in Marchantia polymorpha (MpCRY). Here, we identified MpCRY via bioinformatics and mutant complement analysis. The biochemical characteristics were assessed by multiple protein-binding assays. The function of MpCRY in gemma dormancy was clarified by overexpression and mutation of MpCRY, and its mechanism was analyzed via RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR analyses associated with hormone treatment. We found that the unique MpCRY protein in M. polymorpha undergoes both blue light-promoted interaction with itself (self-interaction) and blue light-dependent phosphorylation. MpCRY has the specific characteristics of blue light-induced nuclear localization and degradation. We further demonstrated that MpCRY transcriptionally represses abscisic acid (ABA) signaling-related gene expression to suppress gemma dormancy, which is dependent on blue light signaling. Our findings indicate that MpCRY possesses specific biochemical and molecular characteristics, and modulates ABA signaling under blue light conditions to regulate gemma dormancy in M. polymorpha.

Time-course transcriptome analysis reveals regulation of Arabidopsis seed dormancy by the transcription factors WOX11/12.

The induction of seed dormancy and its release involve a finely regulated genetic program controlled by various environmental and developmental cues that are critical for plant survival and population expansion. Light plays a key role in seed dormancy and germination, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the control of dormancy are unclear. In the present study, high-resolution temporal RNA-seq in Arabidopsis identified WOX11 as encoding a hub transcription factor during the seed dormancy induction and release stages. This gene might have evolved from gymnosperms and expanded in angiosperms with highly conserved expression patterns in seeds. WOX11 and its homolog WOX12 were highly expressed from 2 d after pollination, and mRNA abundance was greatly increased during the seed dormancy induction and release stages. Further, we found that WOX11 plays a role in the regulation of seed dormancy downstream of phytochrome B (PHYB)-mediated red-light signaling during the induction stage, indicating that WOX11/12 are newly identified components of red-light signaling transduction. Taken together, our results suggest that WOX11/12-mediated PHYB signaling regulates seed dormancy in Arabidopsis, and provide insights into the developmental regulation and evolutionary adaptation of plants to changes in the light environment.

Hsa-miR-1290 is associated with stemness and invasiveness in prostate cancer cell lines by targeting RORA.

This work examined microRNA-1290 (miR-1290)'s effect on regulating the malignant phenotype of prostate cancer (PC) cells. We detected miR-1290 expression within PC based on open-sourced datasets as well as in cancer cells and tissues. Loss-of-function experiments by miR-1290 knockdown in PC cell lines were performed. We performed CCK-8, clone forming, Transwell, and sphere formation assays for examining PC cells' malignant phenotypes following miR-1290 knockdown. We estimated miR-1290's target genes using online resources including miRDB, miRbase, miRTarBase and TargetScan. We also performed in vivo studies for validating how miR-1290 affected tumour formation within the mouse model. According to findings in this work, miR-1290 showed overexpression within PC cells and tissues. miR-1290 was indispensable for PC cell growth, stemness and invasion as well as mesenchymal status. Further, we identified RORA (retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor A) as miR-1290's target gene for mediating miR-1290 within PC cells. To sum up, this work suggests that miR-1290 up-regulation enhances PC cell growth and invasion by regulating RORA expression.

The social shape of sperm: using an integrative machine-learning approach to examine sperm ultrastructure and collective motility.

Sperm is one of the most morphologically diverse cell types in nature, yet they also exhibit remarkable behavioural variation, including the formation of collective groups of cells that swim together for motility or transport through the female reproductive tract. Here, we take advantage of natural variation in sperm traits observed across Peromyscus mice to test the hypothesis that the morphology of the sperm head influences their sperm aggregation behaviour. Using both manual and automated morphometric approaches to quantify their complex shapes, and then statistical modelling and machine learning to analyse their features, we show that the aspect ratio of the sperm head is the most distinguishing morphological trait and statistically associates with collective sperm movements obtained from in vitro observations. We then successfully use neural network analysis to predict the size of sperm aggregates from sperm head morphology and show that species with relatively wider sperm heads form larger aggregates, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction that an adhesive region around the equatorial region of the sperm head mediates these unique gametic interactions. Together these findings advance our understanding of how even subtle variation in sperm design can drive differences in sperm function and performance.

Rce1 expression in renal cell carcinoma and its regulatory effect on 786-O cell apoptosis through endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Ras and a-factor-converting enzyme 1 (Rce1) is located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is thought to be responsible for endoproteolytic processing of the vast majority of CAAX proteins. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) plays an important role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC); however, the expression and role of Rce1 in RCC have not been extensively studied. We aimed to investigate the expression of Rce1 in RCC tissues and its molecular mechanism in ERS-induced apoptosis in RCC 786-O cells. We first used western blotting, quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry to detect the Rce1 expression in renal carcinoma tissues and paracancerous tissues. It was found that Rce1 expression was upregulated in RCC tissues, and its positive expression level was strongly associated with clinicopathologic features. Next, we detected the expression of Rce1 in human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293 and human renal carcinoma cell lines 786-O, ACHN, and A498. Higher expression of Rce1 was found in human renal carcinoma cell lines, especially in 786-O cells. Knockdown of Rce1 in 786-O cells increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation (P < 0.05). Moreover, downregulation of Rce1 upregulated the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax, but downregulated the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Further studies showed that downregulation of Rce1 also affected the expression of ERS factors. In conclusion, our results indicated that Rce1 plays a key role in RCC. Low expression of Rce1 might indirectly increase apoptosis and inhibit proliferation of renal carcinoma cells through ERS.

Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide alleviates ulcerative colitis by modulating gut microbiota and SCFA/GPR/NLRP3 pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. (CP) is a Chinese herb commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat ulcerative colitis (UC). C. pilosula polysaccharide (CPPS) is an important bioactive compound in CP. Polysaccharides are degraded by and interact with the gut microbiota, exerting therapeutic effects. However, the mechanism of action of CPPS in treating UC by regulating gut microbiota is unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic efficacy of CPPS on UC mice and its mechanism of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Size-exclusion chromatography with multi-angle laser-light scattering and refractive index analysis was employed to ascertain the molecular weight of CPPS, while its monosaccharide composition was determined using ion chromatography. An experimental colitis mouse model was induced by administering 3% (dextran sulfate sodium) DSS in drinking water for five consecutive days. Three doses of CPPS were administered to evaluate their therapeutic effects on UC. CPPS was administered for seven days, and salicylazosulfapyridine was used as a positive control. Inflammatory cytokine secretion in the colon tissue was measured, and histopathological evaluation was performed on colon sections. Alterations in the abundance of the intestinal microbiota species were also analyzed. We then quantified short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecal content and verified the G protein-coupled receptor (GPR)/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) pathways using Western blot. Furthermore, the ameliorative effect of gut microbiota on DSS-induced UC symptoms was verified using the fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiment. RESULTS: CPPS comprised of rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, and galacturonic acid. CPPS significantly alleviated DSS-induced UC. Compared to the DSS group, CPPS treatment significantly increased the ratio of the Firmicutes to the Bacteroidetes and upregulated the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as g__Ligilactobacillus, g_Akkermansia, g_Faecalibaculum, g_Odoribacter. The release of acetic acid and butyric acid were further promoted. CPPS can inhibit NLRP3 activation by binding SCFAs to GPR proteins, thereby reducing intestinal inflammation. FMT confirmed that the gut microbiota in the CPPS-trans group sufficiently mitigated DSS-induced UC symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: CPPS ameliorates the symptoms of DSS-induced UC primarily through the gut microbiota modulation and SCFA/GPR/NLRP3 pathways, making it a promising candidate for UC treatment.

Decoction derived from Allium ascalonicum L. bulbs and Sojae Semen Praeparatum alleviates wind-cold-type common cold via Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and modulation of Lactobacillus murinus level.

Background: Cong-Chi decoction (CCD) is made using Allium ascalonicum L. (shallot) bulbs and Sojae Semen Praeparatum (SSP). Shallot bulbs and SSP are both used regularly in traditional Chinese medicine; however, there are no recent pharmacological studies on their synergistic effects. Despite their roles in the treatment of the common cold for thousands of years, their pharmacological mechanisms of action against wind-cold-type common cold are yet to be explored comprehensively. Methods: A mouse model was standardized using wind-cold modeling equipment to study the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects of CCD. Then, 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to analyze the association between Lactobacillus murinus and changes in body temperature. Additionally, the antipyretic effects of L. murinus were validated via animal experiments. Results: The results indicate that CCD improves the symptoms of wind-cold by reducing fever, levels of pro-inflammatory factors, and cellular apoptosis, as well as increasing the blood leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, thereby alleviating lung tissue damage. The effects of CCD are mediated by upregulation of pulmonary Nrf2 and HO-1 expressions, thereby reducing oxidative damage in the lungs, in addition to other anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Furthermore, CCD increases the abundance of L. murinus in the intestinal tract. The animal experiments confirm that L. murinus ameliorates fever in mice. Conclusion: CCD exhibits remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for effectively treating wind-cold-type common cold. Furthermore, its regulatory effects on L. murinus represent a novel mechanism for product development.

Efficient inference of synaptic plasticity rule with Gaussian process regression.

Finding the form of synaptic plasticity is critical to understanding its functions underlying learning and memory. We investigated an efficient method to infer synaptic plasticity rules in various experimental settings. We considered biologically plausible models fitting a wide range of in-vitro studies and examined the recovery of their firing-rate dependence from sparse and noisy data. Among the methods assuming low-rankness or smoothness of plasticity rules, Gaussian process regression (GPR), a nonparametric Bayesian approach, performs the best. Under the conditions measuring changes in synaptic weights directly or measuring changes in neural activities as indirect observables of synaptic plasticity, which leads to different inference problems, GPR performs well. Also, GPR could simultaneously recover multiple plasticity rules and robustly perform under various plasticity rules and noise levels. Such flexibility and efficiency, particularly at the low sampling regime, make GPR suitable for recent experimental developments and inferring a broader class of plasticity models.

Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia Caused by Junctophilin-2 Expression Silencing Is Selectively Sensitive to Ryanodine Receptor Blockade.

Junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) is a potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmia. Hcn4:shJph2 mice serve as a model of nodal arrhythmias driven by ryanodine type 2 receptor (RyR2)-mediated Ca2+ leak. EL20 is a small molecule that blocks RyR2 Ca2+ leak. In a novel in vivo model of JET, Hcn4:shJph2 mice demonstrated rapid conversion of JET to sinus rhythm with infusion of EL20. Primary atrioventricular nodal cells demonstrated increased Ca2+ transient oscillation frequency and increased RyR2-mediated stored Ca2+ leak which was normalized by EL20. EL20 was found to be rapidly degraded in mouse and human plasma, making it a potential novel therapy for JET.

Reduction in Junctophilin 2 Expression in Cardiac Nodal Tissue Results in Intracellular Calcium-Driven Increase in Nodal Cell Automaticity.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneously depolarizing nodal cells comprise the pacemaker of the heart. Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) plays a critical role in mediating nodal cell automaticity and understanding this so-called Ca2+ clock is critical to understanding nodal arrhythmias. We previously demonstrated a role for Jph2 (junctophilin 2) in regulating Ca2+-signaling through inhibition of RyR2 (ryanodine receptor 2) Ca2+ leak in cardiac myocytes; however, its role in pacemaker function and nodal arrhythmias remains unknown. We sought to determine whether nodal Jph2 expression silencing causes increased sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodal cell automaticity due to aberrant RyR2 Ca2+ leak. METHODS: A tamoxifen-inducible, nodal tissue-specific, knockdown mouse of Jph2 was achieved using a Cre-recombinase-triggered short RNA hairpin directed against Jph2 (Hcn4:shJph2). In vivo cardiac rhythm was monitored by surface ECG, implantable cardiac telemetry, and intracardiac electrophysiology studies. Intracellular Ca2+ imaging was performed using confocal-based line scans of isolated nodal cells loaded with fluorescent Ca2+ reporter Cal-520. Whole cell patch clamp was conducted on isolated nodal cells to determine action potential kinetics and sodium-calcium exchanger function. RESULTS: Hcn4:shJph2 mice demonstrated a 40% reduction in nodal Jph2 expression, resting sinus tachycardia, and impaired heart rate response to pharmacologic stress. In vivo intracardiac electrophysiology studies and ex vivo optical mapping demonstrated accelerated junctional rhythm originating from the atrioventricular node. Hcn4:shJph2 nodal cells demonstrated increased and irregular Ca2+ transient generation with increased Ca2+ spark frequency and Ca2+ leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This was associated with increased nodal cell AP firing rate, faster diastolic repolarization rate, and reduced sodium-calcium exchanger activity during repolarized states compared to control. Phenome-wide association studies of the JPH2 locus identified an association with sinoatrial nodal disease and atrioventricular nodal block. CONCLUSIONS: Nodal-specific Jph2 knockdown causes increased nodal automaticity through increased Ca2+ leak from intracellular stores. Dysregulated intracellular Ca2+ underlies nodal arrhythmogenesis in this mouse model.

The antifibrotic effect of pheretima protein is mediated by the TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 pathway and attenuates inflammation in bleomycin-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pheretima is a traditional Chinese medicine that could treat various lung diseases such as asthma, pneumonia, and lung cancer effectively; however, limited studies on the use of Pheretima protein in the treatment of lung diseases have been conducted to date. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to explain the antipulmonary fibrosis mechanism of the Pheretima protein and elucidate its possible cell signaling pathways. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fresh pheretima was freeze-dried to obtain the Pheretima protein. Divide C57BL/6 mice into control and bleomycin (BLM)-induced models, pirfenidone, and Pheretima protein-treatment groups. Three weeks later, they were treated with H&E and Masson's trichrome staining to assess lung injury and fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis was assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC), realtime-PCR (RT-PCR), and western blotting. Inflammation was assessed using the alveolar lavage fluid. RESULTS: Pheretima protein inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and reduced inflammation. It also reduced the levels of Smad2/3, pSmad2/3, and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1). Thus, our results indicate that Pheretima protein can alleviate BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model. CONCLUSION: Pheretima protein inhibits ECM, EMT, and antiinflammatory markers, which in turn ameliorates BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that Pheretima protein can exert its biological activity by downregulating the TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 pathway.

Effect of ultrasonic-fed time on combustion and emissions performance in a single-cylinder engine.

In this study, a numerical simulation method for multi-field coupling is proposed in which the ultrasonic is physically fed in the combustion chamber of a gasoline engine. The fine-tuning regulation of activity and reaction paths of gas-liquid two-phase (GLP) fuel is studied by using ultrasonic under in-cylinder complex conditions. The three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the original engine is calibrated, based on the bench test data. The multi-field coupling model of the sound field and combustion field is established by embedding the feature of the sound source surface in the combustion chamber. The ultrasonic with 20 kHz frequency and 100 µm amplitude is fed into the combustion chamber by using the dynamic grid technology. By comparing the simulation results of four ultrasonic-fed schemes (S1∼S4) and ultrasonic-free scheme (No), it is concluded that compared with the No scheme, the average turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) of the schemes S1, S2, and S3 are all increased by 23.2% at the top dead center (TDC), the peak pressure of the schemes S1 and S2 are both increased by 0.58 MPa. The CO and soot formations of scheme S1 are the lowest at 6.5% and 6.1%, respectively, compared with the No scheme. The reasonable use of ultrasonic can promote the fuel oxidation and combustion process, and accelerate the formation of the OH radicals. The ultrasonic-fed has a significantly quantitative control effect on fuel activity and oxidation reaction paths within 10 ms, under the in-cylinder transient and complex combustion condition of the gasoline engine.

Actin Dynamics as a Multiscale Integrator of Cellular Guidance Cues.

Migrating cells must integrate multiple, competing external guidance cues. However, it is not well understood how cells prioritize among these cues. We investigate external cue integration by monitoring the response of wave-like, actin-polymerization dynamics, the driver of cell motility, to combinations of nanotopographies and electric fields in neutrophil-like cells. The electric fields provide a global guidance cue, and approximate conditions at wound sites in vivo. The nanotopographies have dimensions similar to those of collagen fibers, and act as a local esotactic guidance cue. We find that cells prioritize guidance cues, with electric fields dominating long-term motility by introducing a unidirectional bias in the locations at which actin waves nucleate. That bias competes successfully with the wave guidance provided by the bidirectional nanotopographies.

Determining the Likelihood of Disease Pathogenicity Among Incidentally Identified Genetic Variants in Rare Dilated Cardiomyopathy-Associated Genes.

Background As utilization of clinical exome sequencing (ES) has expanded, criteria for evaluating the diagnostic weight of incidentally identified variants are critical to guide clinicians and researchers. This is particularly important in genes associated with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which can cause heart failure and sudden death. We sought to compare the frequency and distribution of incidentally identified variants in DCM-associated genes between a clinical referral cohort with those in control and known case cohorts to determine the likelihood of pathogenicity among those undergoing genetic testing for non-DCM indications. Methods and Results A total of 39 rare, non-TTN DCM-associated genes were identified and evaluated from a clinical ES testing referral cohort (n=14 005, Baylor Genetic Laboratories) and compared with a DCM case cohort (n=9442) as well as a control cohort of population variants (n=141 456) derived from the gnomAD database. Variant frequencies in each cohort were compared. Signal-to-noise ratios were calculated comparing the DCM and ES cohort with the gnomAD cohort. The likely pathogenic/pathogenic variant yield in the DCM cohort (8.2%) was significantly higher than in the ES cohort (1.9%). Based on signal-to-noise and correlation analysis, incidental variants found in FLNC, RBM20, MYH6, DSP, ABCC9, JPH2, and NEXN had the greatest chance of being DCM-associated. Conclusions The distribution of pathogenic variants between the ES cohort and the DCM case cohort was gene specific, and variants found in the ES cohort were similar to variants found in the control cohort. Incidentally identified variants in specific genes are more associated with DCM than others.

The multicomponent synergistic effect of a hierarchical Li0.485La0.505TiO3 solid-state electrolyte for dendrite-free lithium-metal batteries.

Development of a composite electrolyte with high ionic conductivity, excellent electrochemical stability and preeminent mechanical strength is beneficial for suppressing Li-dendrite penetration and unstable interfacial reactions in solid-state Li-metal batteries. Herein, a novel composite electrolyte material comprising perovskite Li0.485La0.505TiO3 (LLTO), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and a barium titanate (BTO)-polyimide (PI) composite matrix has been successfully fabricated. Benefiting from the well-defined ion channels, the resulting BTO-PI@LLTO-PEO-FEC-LiTFSI (BP@LPFL) exhibits excellent cycling stability, low interfacial resistance, enhanced mechanical strength, and high ionic conductivity. Particularly, BP@LPFL possesses an excellent ionic conductivity of 3.0 × 10-4 S cm-1 at room temperature and achieves a wide electrochemical window of 5.2 V (vs. Li+/Li). For Li-LiFePO4 batteries, such an ingenious structure yields a discharge capacity of 124 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C after 200 cycles at room temperature and delivers a discharge capacity of 165 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C after 110 cycles at 60 °C. Additionally, the symmetric Li cell remains stable after 700 h at a current density of 0.5 mA cm-2. Furthermore, ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ex situ scanning electron microscopy were used to verify the interface evolution. Besides, a flexible full battery is fabricated, which exhibits impressive performance. These properties presented here provide support for BP@LPFL as a feasible candidate electrolyte for solid-state lithium batteries.

Cortical waves mediate the cellular response to electric fields.

Electrotaxis, the directional migration of cells in a constant electric field, is important in regeneration, development, and wound healing. Electrotaxis has a slower response and a smaller dynamic range than guidance by other cues, suggesting that the mechanism of electrotaxis shares both similarities and differences with chemical-gradient-sensing pathways. We examine a mechanism centered on the excitable system consisting of cortical waves of biochemical signals coupled to cytoskeletal reorganization, which has been implicated in random cell motility. We use electro-fused giant Dictyostelium discoideum cells to decouple waves from cell motion and employ nanotopographic surfaces to limit wave dimensions and lifetimes. We demonstrate that wave propagation in these cells is guided by electric fields. The wave area and lifetime gradually increase in the first 10 min after an electric field is turned on, leading to more abundant and wider protrusions in the cell region nearest the cathode. The wave directions display 'U-turn' behavior upon field reversal, and this switch occurs more quickly on nanotopography. Our results suggest that electric fields guide cells by controlling waves of signal transduction and cytoskeletal activity, which underlie cellular protrusions. Whereas surface receptor occupancy triggers both rapid activation and slower polarization of signaling pathways, electric fields appear to act primarily on polarization, explaining why cells respond to electric fields more slowly than to other guidance cues.

Genome-Wide Identification and Co-Expression Analysis of ARF and IAA Family Genes in Euscaphis konishii: Potential Regulators of Triterpenoids and Anthocyanin Biosynthesis.

Euscaphis konishii is an evergreen plant that is widely planted as an industrial crop in Southern China. It produces red fruits with abundant secondary metabolites, giving E. konishii high medicinal and ornamental value. Auxin signaling mediated by members of the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) and auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) protein families plays important roles during plant growth and development. Aux/IAA and ARF genes have been described in many plants but have not yet been described in E. konishii. In this study, we identified 34 EkIAA and 29 EkARF proteins encoded by the E. konishii genome through database searching using HMMER. We also performed a bioinformatic characterization of EkIAA and EkARF genes, including their phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, chromosomal distribution, and cis-element analysis, as well as conserved motifs in the proteins. Our results suggest that EkIAA and EkARF genes have been relatively conserved over evolutionary history. Furthermore, we conducted expression and co-expression analyses of EkIAA and EkARF genes in leaves, branches, and fruits, which identified a subset of seven EkARF genes as potential regulators of triterpenoids and anthocyanin biosynthesis. RT-qPCR, yeast one-hybrid, and transient expression analyses showed that EkARF5.1 can directly interact with auxin response elements and regulate downstream gene expression. Our results may pave the way to elucidating the function of EkIAA and EkARF gene families in E. konishii, laying a foundation for further research on high-yielding industrial products and E. konishii breeding.

Incidence and risk factors of kidney impairment on patients with COVID-19: A meta-analysis of 10180 patients.

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus is pandemic around the world. Several researchers have given the evidence of impacts of COVID-19 on the respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal system. Studies still have debated on kidney injury of COVID-19 patients. The purpose of the meta-analysis was to evaluate the association of kidney impairment with the development of COVID-19. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase and MedRxiv databases were searched until May 1, 2020. We extracted data from eligible studies to summarize the clinical manifestations and laboratory indexes of kidney injury on COVID-19 infection patients and further compared the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and the mean differences of three biomarkers between in ICU/severe and non-ICU/non-severe cases. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 method. RESULTS: In the sum of 24 studies with 10180 patients were included in this analysis. The pooled prevalence of AKI, increased serum creatinine (Scr), increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN), increased D-dimer, proteinuria and hematuria in patients with COVID-19 were 16.2%, 8.3%, 6.2%, 49.8%, 50.1% and 30.3% respectively. Moreover, the means of Scr, BUN and D-dimer were shown 6.4-folds, 1.8-folds and 0.67-folds, respectively, higher in ICU/severe cases than in corresponding non-ICU/non-severe patients. The prevalence of AKI was about 30 folds higher in ICU/severe patients compared with the non-ICU/non-severe cases. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we assessed the incidences of the clinic and laboratory features of kidney injury in COVID-19 patients. And kidney dysfunction may be a risk factor for COVID-19 patients developing into the severe condition. In reverse, COVID-19 can also cause damage to the kidney.

High expression of citron kinase predicts poor prognosis of prostate cancer.

Citron kinase (CIT) is a Rho-effector protein kinase that is associated with several types of cancer. However, the role of CIT in prostate cancer (PCa) is unclear. The current study utilized microarray data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas, which was analyzed via Biometric Research Program array tools. Additionally, reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR was performed to compare the mRNA expression of CIT in PCa tissue and in benign prostatic hyperplasia. The protein expression of CIT was detected in a consecutive cohort via immunochemistry and CIT was screened as a potential oncogene in PCa. The results of RT-qPCR demonstrated that the mRNA expression of CIT was increased in PCa tissues. Furthermore, immunochemistry revealed that CIT protein expression was positively associated with age at diagnosis, Gleason grade, serum PSA, clinical T stage, risk group, lymph node invasion and metastasis. When compared with the low expression group, patients with a high CIT expression exhibited shorter survival rates, cancer specific mortalities (CSM) and biochemical recurrence (BCR). In addition, multivariate analysis revealed that CIT was a potential predictor of CSM and BCR. The results revealed that CIT is overexpressed during the malignant progression of PCa and may be a predictor of a poor patient prognosis.