The TabHLH094-TaMYC8 complex mediates the cadmium response in wheat.

In wheat, TaMYC8 is a negative regulator of cadmium (Cd)-responsive ethylene signaling. In this study, we functionally characterized TabHLH094, a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor (TF) that inhibits the transcriptional activity of TaMYC8. The TabHLH094 protein was found in the nucleus of tobacco epidermal cells and exhibited transcriptional activation activity. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) indicated that TabHLH094 exhibited root-specific, Cd-responsive expression in wheat seedlings. Overexpression of TabHLH094 enhanced the tolerance of wheat seedlings to Cd exposure. The protein-protein interaction between TabHLH094 and TaMYC8 was verified by glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown, coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP), yeast two-hybrid (Y2H), and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analyses. TabHLH094 was found to reduce the ability of TaMYC8 to bind to the TaERF6 promoter. Furthermore, TabHLH094 could also reduce aminocyclopropanecarboxylate oxidase (ACO) and ACC synthase (ACS) activities, both of which are necessary for ethylene biosynthesis. Taken together, these results indicate that TabHLH094 mediates Cd tolerance by regulating the transcriptional activity of TaMYC8 and decreasing ethylene production. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01404-1.

Neobaicalein Inhibits Th17 Cell Differentiation Resulting in Recovery of Th17/Treg Ratio through Blocking STAT3 Signaling Activation.

Huangqin is the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which has been widely utilized for heat-clearing (Qingre) and dewetting (Zaoshi), heat-killed (Xiehuo) and detoxifying (Jiedu) in the concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is used for treating inflammation and cancer in clinical formulas. Neobaicalein (NEO) is of flavonoid isolated from Huangqin and has been reported to possess prominent anti-inflammatory effects in published work. Th17/Treg balance shift to Th17 cells is an essential reason for autoimmune inflammatory diseases. However, the role NEO plays in Th17 and Treg and the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated yet. Network pharmacology-based study revealed that NEO predominantly regulated IL-17 signaling pathway. Moreover, our result shown that NEO (3-30 µmol/L) down-regulated Th17 differentiation and cellular supernatant and intracellular IL-17A level and tumor necrosis factor α production in a concentration-dependent manner. The further mechanism research revealed that NEO also specifically inhibited phosphorylation of STAT3(Tyr725) and STAT4 (Y693) without influence on activation of STAT5 and STAT6 in splenocytes. Immunofluorescence results illuminated that NEO effectively blocked STAT3 translocated into nucleus. Interestingly, NEO at appreciated dose could only inhibit Th17 cell differentiation and have no effect on Treg differentiation. The present study revealed that NEO effectively inhibited Th17 cell differentiation through specifically blocking the activation of STAT3 signaling without inactivation of STAT5 and STAT6. Additional inhibitory effect on activation of STAT4 by NEO also suggested the potential for antagonism against Th1 differentiation. All work suggested that NEO may be a potential candidate for immunoregulation and treating autoimmune inflammatory diseases through inhibiting immune cell viability and T cell differentiation.

Household environmental microbiota influences early-life eczema development.

Exposure to a diverse microbial environment during pregnancy and early postnatal period is important in determining predisposition towards allergy. However, the effect of environmental microbiota exposure during preconception, pregnancy and postnatal life on development of allergy in the child has not been investigated so far. In the S-PRESTO (Singapore PREconception Study of long Term maternal and child Outcomes) cohort, we collected house dust during all three critical window periods and analysed microbial composition using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. At 6 and 18 months, the child was assessed for eczema by clinicians. In the eczema group, household environmental microbiota was characterized by presence of human-associated bacteria Actinomyces, Anaerococcus, Finegoldia, Micrococcus, Prevotella and Propionibacterium at all time points, suggesting their possible contributions to regulating host immunity and increasing the susceptibility to eczema. In the home environment of the control group, putative protective effect of an environmental microbe Planomicrobium (Planococcaceae family) was observed to be significantly higher than that in the eczema group. Network correlation analysis demonstrated inverse relationships between beneficial Planomicrobium and human-associated bacteria (Actinomyces, Anaerococcus, Finegoldia, Micrococcus, Prevotella and Propionibacterium). Exposure to natural environmental microbiota may be beneficial to modulate shed human-associated microbiota in an indoor environment.

Chemical characteristics of normal, woolly apple aphid-damaged, and mechanically damaged twigs of six apple cultivars, measured in autumn wood.

Chemical characteristics of normal, woolly apple aphid-damaged, and mechanically damaged twigs of six apple cultivars: Red Fuji, Golden Delicious, Qinguan, Zhaojin 108, Starkrimson, and Red General, were examined in autumn wood to provide abetter understanding of factors related to cultivar resistance to the woolly apple aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann). Chemical measures examined included soluble sugars, soluble proteins and amino acids, total phenolics, and polyphenol oxidase (that enhances the resistance of plants to insects) and superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase (that degrade waste products in plants). Soluble sugar, protein, and amino acid contents in normal (undamaged) twigs of Red Fuji, aphid-susceptible cultivar, were higher than in mechanically damaged and aphid-damaged twigs. Total phenolic compounds, an important group of defensive compounds against aphids, increased by 30.5 and 6.0% in mechanically damaged twigs of Qinguan and Zhaojin 108, respectively, and decreased by 21.7 and 16.1% in aphid-damaged twigs of Red Fuji and Red General, respectively. Compared with normal twigs, in aphid-damaged twigs, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and polyphenol activity all decreased in Red Fuji. The resistance of some apple cultivars to woolly apple aphid during the growth of autumn shoots was related to several of the physiological indices we monitored. The thin epidermis of callus tissue over healed wounds showed increased susceptibility to the attack by woolly apple aphid. Apple cultivar Qinguan with the highest level of resistance to woolly apple aphid in autumn had increased in amino acid, total phenolic compound levels, and enzyme activity after aphid feeding.

Biological control of Magnaporthe oryzae using natively isolated Bacillus subtilis G5 from Oryza officinalis roots.

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is a major threat to global rice production causing significant crop losses and impacting grain quality. The annual loss of rice production due to this disease ranges from 10% to 30%. The use of biologically controlled strains, instead of chemical pesticides, to control plant diseases has become a research hotspot. In this study, an antagonistic endophytic bacterial strain was isolated from the roots of Oryza officinalis using the traditional isolation and culture methods. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S RNA and whole-genome sequencing identified isolate G5 as a strain of Bacillus subtilis. This isolate displayed strong antagonistic effects against different physiological strains of M. oryzae. After co-culture in LB medium for 7 days, the inhibition rates of the mycelial growth of four strains of M. oryzae, ZB15, WH97, Guy11, and T-39800E were 98.07 ± 0.0034%, 98.59 ± 0.0051%, 99.16 ± 0.0012%, and 98.69 ± 0.0065%, respectively. Isolate G5 significantly inhibited the formation of conidia of M. oryzae, with an inhibition rate of 97% at an OD600 of 2. Isolate G5 was able to provide 66.81% protection against rice blast under potted conditions. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that the genome size of isolate G5 was 4,065,878 bp, including 4,182 coding genes. Using the anti-SMASH software, 14 secondary metabolite synthesis gene clusters were predicted to encode antifungal substances, such as fengycin, surfactin, and bacilysin. The G5 isolate also contained genes related to plant growth promotion. These findings provide a theoretical basis for expounding the biocontrol mechanisms of this strain and suggest further development of biogenic agents that could effectively inhibit rice blast pathogen growth and reduce crop damage, while being environmentally friendly, conducive to ecological development, and a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides. This study also enriches the relevant research on endophytes of wild rice, which proves that wild rice is a valuable microbial resource bank.

Keeping Pace with Adolescent Asthma: A Practical Approach to Optimizing Care.

Known for their pre-occupation with body image, self-identity creation, peer acceptance, and risk-taking behaviors, adolescents with asthma face unique challenges. Asthma is a heterogeneous disease and accurate diagnosis requires assessment through detailed clinical history, examination, and objective tests. Diagnostic challenges exist as many adolescents can present with asthma-like symptoms but do not respond to asthma treatment and risk being mis-diagnosed. Under-recognition of asthma symptoms and denial of disease severity must also be addressed. The over-reliance on short-acting beta-agonists in the absence of anti-inflammatory therapy for asthma is now deemed unsafe. Adolescents with mild asthma benefit from symptom-driven treatment with combination inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) on an as-required basis. For those with moderate-to-persistent asthma requiring daily controller therapy, maintenance and reliever therapy using the same ICS-LABA controller simplifies treatment regimes, while serving to reduce exacerbation risk. A developmentally staged approach based on factors affecting asthma control in early, middle, and late adolescence enables better understanding of the individual's therapeutic needs. Biological, psychological, and social factors help formulate a risk assessment profile in adolescents with difficult-to-treat and severe asthma. Smoking increases risks of developing asthma symptoms, lung function deterioration, and asthma exacerbations. Morbidity associated with e-cigarettes or vaping calls for robust efforts towards smoking and vaping cessation and abstinence. As adolescents progress from child-centered to adult-oriented care, coordination and planning are required to improve their self-efficacy to ready them for transition. Frequent flare-ups of asthma can delay academic attainment and adversely affect social and physical development. In tandem with healthcare providers, community and schools can link up to help shoulder this burden, optimizing care for adolescents with asthma.

Assessing the accuracy of artificial intelligence enabled acoustic analytic technology on breath sounds in children.

Interpretation of breath sounds by auscultation has high inter-observer variability, even when performed by trained healthcare professionals. This can be mitigated by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) acoustic analysis. We aimed to develop and validate a novel breath sounds analysis system using AI-enabled algorithms to accurately interpret breath sounds in children. Subjects from the respiratory clinics and wards were auscultated by two independent respiratory paediatricians blinded to their clinical diagnosis. A novel device consisting of a stethoscope head connected to a smart phone recorded the breath sounds. The audio files were categorised into single label (normal, wheeze and crackles) or multi-label sounds. Together with commercially available breath sounds, an AI classifier was trained using machine learning. Unique features were identified to distinguish the breath sounds. Single label breath sound samples were used to validate the finalised Support Vector Machine classifier. Breath sound samples (73 single label, 20 multi-label) were collected from 93 children (mean age [SD] = 5.40 [4.07] years). Inter-rater concordance was observed in 81 (87.1%) samples. Performance of the classifier on the 73 single label breath sounds demonstrated 91% sensitivity and 95% specificity. The AI classifier developed could identify normal breath sounds, crackles and wheeze in children with high accuracy.

Individual and joint effects of borderline ankle-brachial index and high plasma total homocysteine on all-cause death in hypertensive adults.

BACKGROUND: The cardiovascular hazards of total homocysteine (tHcy) are long known. In addition, despite the acknowledgment on the importance of low ankle-brachial index (ABI) (< 0.9), borderline ABI (0.91-0.99) was once commonly overlooked. This study aims to explore the independent and joint effect of tHcy level and borderline ABI on all-cause death in hypertensive population. METHODS: This study included 10,538 participants from China H-type Hypertension Registry Study. ABI was described into two groups: normal ABI (1.00-1.40) and borderline ABI. tHcy level was also divided into two groups: < 15.02 and ≥ 15.02 µmo/L. Four groups were analyzed, using COX proportional hazard regression model, separately and pairwise to observe the independent and joint effect on all-cause death. RESULTS: A total of 126 (1.2%) deaths were observed in the 1.7 years follow-up time. Borderline ABI has a higher predicted risk of death than normal ABI (HR = 1.87, 95%CI: 1.17-3.00) after adjusting for potential covariates. Compare with tHcy level < 15.02 µmo/L (low tHcy), those with tHcy ≥ 15.02 µmo/L (high tHcy) had higher risk to event outcome (HR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.30-3.05). According to the cumulative hazard curve, group with borderline ABI and high tHcy level has significantly higher altitude and larger increasing rate over follow-up period compare to other groups. Among those with borderline ABI, participants with high tHcy had higher death risk than those with low tHcy, nevertheless, no significant different between borderline and normal ABI among those with low tHcy levels. CONCLUSIONS: Borderline ABI and tHcy level both have independent predictive value on all-cause death. The combined group of borderline ABI and high tHcy has highest risk factor of outcomes, which suggested the mutual additive value of borderline ABI and tHcy. More attention should be given to the importance of borderline ABI in hypertensive population, especially with elevated tHcy level.

Analysis of genome expression in the response of Oryza granulata to Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae.

In order to understand the mechanism of the strong resistance of Oryza granulata to Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae (Xoo), cDNA microarrays containing 2,436 cDNA clones of Oryza granulata derived from Suppression subtractive library and cDNA library were constructed and genome expression patterns after inoculating Xoo were investigated. Three hundred and 83 clones were up-regulated, 836 clones were down-regulated after pathogen infection. Approximately 800 clones were sequenced and BLAST search were carried out. There are no homologous sequences for 35 clones of them. The functions of the homologous sequences for most clones are unknown. The known functions of the homologous sequences involved in photosynthesis, respiration, material transport, signal transduction, pathogenesis-related proteins, transcription factors, the active oxygen scavenging system and so on. The putative functions of them in responding to Xoo were discussed.

Predictive equation for optimal continuous positive airway pressure in children with obstructive sleep apnoea.

AIM: A subgroup of children with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) requires treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). This study's aims were: 1) to determine if the optimal CPAP for the treatment of OSA in children correlates with body mass index (BMI); 2) to determine the correlation between polysomnographic variables and optimal CPAP in children with OSA; and 3) to develop a CPAP predictive equation for children with OSA. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of children with OSA who underwent CPAP titration studies. Patients with craniofacial abnormalities (except Down syndrome) and neuromuscular diseases were excluded. Polysomnograms were done using Sandman Elite. Correlations between optimal CPAP, clinical and polysomnographic variables were analysed. A multivariable linear regression model for optimal CPAP was developed. RESULTS: 198 children (mean±sd age 13.1±3.6 years) were studied. Optimal CPAP had a significant positive correlation with age (rho=0.216, p=0.002), obstructive apnoea-hypopnoea index (rho=0.421, p<0.001), 3% oxygen desaturation index (rho=0.417, p<0.001), rapid eye movement respiratory disturbance index (rho=0.378, p<0.001) and BMI z-score (rho=0.160, p=0.024); and a significant negative correlation with arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry nadir (rho= -0.333, p<0.001). The predictive equation derived was:Optimal CPAP (cmH2O)=6.486+0.273·age (years)-0.664·adenotonsillectomy(no=1, yes=0)+2.120·Down syndrome (yes=1, no=0)+0.280·BMI z-score. CONCLUSION: The equation developed may help to predict optimal CPAP in children with OSA. Further studies are required to validate this equation and to determine its applicability in different populations.

[Cloning and analyzing of rice blast resistance gene Pi-ta+ allele from Jinghong erect type of common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff) in Yunnan].

A 4,672 bp DNA sequence including the whole coding region and partial non-coding region of rice blast resistance gene Pi-ta+ has been cloned from Jinghong erect type of common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff) in Yunnan by polymerase chain reaction method. The coding region shares 99.86% and 98.78% identity with the corresponding regions of the reported cultivated rice Yashiro-mochi and Yuanjiang type of common wild rice respectively. There are 4 nucleotides difference in the coding region and 6 in intron of the cloned Pi-ta+ gene,compared with Pi-ta from Yashiro-mochi. Pi-ta+ gene in Jinghong erect type of common wild rice has been proved to be a rare existing Pi-ta+ allele, because there was a alanine rather than a serine at the position 918 within the predicted amino acid sequence of PITA. Pi-ta+ allele can cause disease resistance response to rice blast pathogens in plant cells. Differences in DNA sequence, deduced amino acid sequence and antibacterial spectrum may make the Pi-ta+ allele new resistant characteristics. Finding and cloning of Pi-ta+ allele from Jinghong erect type of common wild rice in Yunnan provides a basement for further utilization of the wild rice resources.

[Construction and analysis of cDNA library of Yunnan Yuanjiang O. rifupogon leaf].

The cDNA library of Yuanjiang Oryza rifupongon leaf was constructed by using SMART technology. The titers of the non-amplified library and the amplified library were 1.1 x 106 pfu/mL and 3.98 x 107 pfu/mL, respectively. The recombination rate was more than 91%. The DNA sequence length of the most cDNAs in the library was between 500-2 000 bp. Some cDNAs chosen by random were sequenced. After BLAST analysis of some cDNAs, their possible function were predicted. It is found that these cDNAs show 98% similarity to Oryza sativa japonica in the NCBI database. These provided a base for further study on the structure and function of these cDNAs and evolutionary process of Yuanjiang Oryza rifupongon.

A rice blast-resistance genetic resource from wild rice in Yunnan, China.

Compared to Pi-ta(-) alleles, Pi-ta(+) alleles can cause blast resistance response. In this work, Pi-ta gene in multiple rice materials, including local rice cultivars, different types of O. rufipogon and O. longistaminata was detected by molecular cloning and sequence analysis. Results indicated that Pi-ta(+) alleles were rare alleles, because in all the tested materials, only the 'Erect' type of O. rufipogon (ETOR) from Jinghong county in Yunnan province contains a Pi-ta(+) allele. Another rice blast resistance gene, Pib, confers resistance to the Japanese strain of M. grisea, was also confirmed to be functional in this type of O. rufipogon. The results of pathogen inoculation test show that ETOR is more strongly resistant to the tested blast pathogen races than other types of O. rufipogon. The resistance of ETOR may at least partially depend upon the functioning of Pi-ta and Pib gene. As O. rufipogon has the same type of genome with the cultivated rice (O. sativa), Pi-ta(+) and Pib gene in Erect type of O. rufipogon can be used to improve the tolerance of cultivated rice to blast, either by traditional hybridization or by genetic engineering.

[Progress in rice genes mapping and gene distribution in chromosomes].

Mapping a target gene is useful to isolate the gene or get molecular marker for molecular marker-assisted selection. This paper summarized the recent studies of gene mapping in rice, including 194 genes. These genes are involved in disease resistance, cold tolerance, drought resistance, sterility, and fertility restoration of rice. The molecular markers that link with these genes were also summarized. Among these genes 14 have been cloned and sequenced. According to the results this paper also analyzed genes distribution rule in chromosomes.

Knockdown of Long Noncoding RNA PCAT6 Inhibits Proliferation and Invasion in Lung Cancer Cells.

As a newly identified oncogenic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), prostate cancer-associated transcript 6 (PCAT6) promoted cellular proliferation and colony formation of prostate cancer. However, the biological function of PCAT6 in lung cancer is still largely unknown. In this study, we found that PCAT6 is significantly increased in cancer tissues compared to normal tissues and positively correlates with metastasis of lung cancer in patients. We then examined PCAT6 expression in lung cancer cell lines and identified that PCAT6 expression was significantly elevated in lung cancer cells compared to normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells, especially in CL1-5 and H446 cells. PCAT6 knockdown significantly inhibited cellular proliferation and metastasis, as well as induced early apoptosis of lung cancer cells. Molecular analysis revealed that PCAT6 regulated the expression of two pivotal cancer-related proteins, c-Myc and p53, in lung cancer cells. However, PCAT6 was not directly combined with c-Myc and p53 as confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation. Finally, a retrospective study further revealed that PCAT6 negatively correlates with overall survival of lung cancer patients. In conclusion, these results suggest that PCAT6 could play an oncogenic role in lung cancer progression and may serve as a biomarker for prognosis of lung cancer patients.

Circular RNA-ITCH Suppresses Lung Cancer Proliferation via Inhibiting the Wnt/ß-Catenin Pathway.

As a special form of noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs) played important roles in regulating cancer progression mainly by functioning as miRNA sponge. While the function of circular RNA-ITCH (cir-ITCH) in lung cancer is still less reported, in this study, we firstly detected the expression of cir-ITCH in tumor tissues and paired adjacent noncancer tissues of 78 patients with lung cancer using a TaqMan-based quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The results showed that the expression of cir-ITCH was significantly decreased in lung cancer tissues. In cellular studies, cir-ITCH was also enhanced in different lung cancer cell lines, A549 and NIC-H460. Ectopic expression of cir-ITCH markedly elevated its parental cancer-suppressive gene, ITCH, expression and inhibited proliferation of lung cancer cells. Molecular analysis further revealed that cir-ITCH acted as sponge of oncogenic miR-7 and miR-214 to enhance ITCH expression and thus suppressed the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. Altogether, our results suggested that cir-ITCH may play an inhibitory role in lung cancer progression by enhancing its parental gene, ITCH, expression.

Transcriptome analysis confers a complex disease resistance network in wild rice Oryza meyeriana against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

Rice bacterial blight (BB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is one of the devastating diseases of rice. It is well established that the wild rice Oryza meyeriana is immune to BB. In this study, the transcriptomic analysis was carried out by RNA sequencing of O. meyeriana leaves, inoculated with Xoo to understand the transcriptional responses and interaction between the host and pathogen. Totally, 57,313 unitranscripts were de novo assembled from 58.7 Gb clean reads and 14,143 unitranscripts were identified after Xoo inoculation. The significant metabolic pathways related to the disease resistance enriched by KEGG, were revealed to plant-pathogen interaction, phytohormone signaling, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Further, many disease resistance genes were also identified to be differentially expressed in response to Xoo infection. Conclusively, the present study indicated that the induced innate immunity comprise the basal defence frontier of O. meyeriana against Xoo infection. And then, the resistance genes are activated. Simultaneously, the other signaling transduction pathways like phytohormones and ubiquitin mediated proteolysis may contribute to the disease defence through modulation of the disease-related genes or pathways. This could be an useful information for further investigating the molecular mechanism associated with disease resistance in O. meyeriana.

[Isolation and Sequence Analysis of the Xa21 Gene Wxon II Homologus from Different Species of Wild Rice in Yunnan.].

The Xa21 gene previously cloned from the wild rice species Oryzae longistaminata confers broad-spectrum resistance to rice leaf blight caused by different strains of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. Here we attempted to determine the existence of Xa21 homologs in other wild rice species and rice cultivars and the sequence differences between the homologs. We synthesized specific primers based on the reported Xa21 sequence to amplify homologs of the gene exon II from several rice cultivars and three wild rice species in Yunnan Province, China. The fragments cloned from various types of O. rufipogon Griff from Jinghong and Yuanjiang, Yunnan Province, were highly homologous to the reported Xa21 gene exon II. However, the fragment was not found in O. officinalis Wall. and O. meyeriana Baill. Sequence analysis suggested that differences in nucleotides were located randomly in the fragments we cloned.