miR-377-3p regulates adipogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by regulating LIFR.

MicroRNAs are members of the family of non-coding small RNAs that regulate gene expression either by inhibiting mRNA translation or by promoting mRNA degradation at the post-transcriptional level. They play an important role in the differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) into adipocytes. However, the role of microRNAs in this process remains to be poorly understood. Here, we observed that miR-377-3p expression was markedly decreased during adipogenic differentiation of hMSCs. Overexpression of miR-377-3p decreased adipocyte differentiation and downregulated the expression of adipogenic markers. Meanwhile, bioinformatics-based studies suggested that LIFR is a target of miR-377-3p. Further analysis confirmed that expression of LIFR present markedly increased during adipogenic differentiation of hMSCs. In addition, downregulation expression of LIFR significantly inhibited the process of adipocyte differentiation. To confirm the relation between miR-377-3p and LIFR, luciferase reporter assays were carried out. The results indicated that miR-377-3p bound directly to the 3'-untranslated region of LIFR. These data indicate that miR-377-3p suppressed adipogenesis of hMSCs by targeting LIFR, which provides novel insights into the molecular mechanism of miRNA-mediated cellular differentiation.

General self-efficacy modifies the effect of stress on burnout in nurses with different personality types.

BACKGROUND: Burnout is a health problem in nurses. Individuals with a certain personality are more susceptible to job-related burnout. General self-efficacy (GSE) is an important predictor of job-related burnout. The relationships between general self-efficacy, job-related burnout and different personality types are still not clear. This study aims to analyze the relationships of job-related burnout, stress, general self-efficacy and personality types, as well as their interactions in job-related burnout. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of 860 nurses was conducted between June and July 2015 in China. We measured their job-related burnout using the scale of the Maslach Occupational Burnout Scale, and personality, stress, and GSE. Machine learning of generalized linear model were performed. RESULTS: Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) professional efficacy was significantly associated with gender, marital status, age, job title and length of service. A machine learning algorithm showed that stress was the most important factor in job-related burnout, followed by GSE, personality type (introvert unstable), and job title. Individuals with low GSE and either introversion or unstable (high neuroticism) personality seemed to have stronger burnout when they faced stress (regardless of stress intensity) compared to others. CONCLUSION: Stress, GSE and introvert unstable personality are the top three factors of job-related burnout. GSE moderates the effect of stress on burnout in nurses with extroversion or neuroticism personality. Reducing stress, increasing GSE, and more social support may alleviate job-related burnout in nurses. Nurses with introvert unstable personality should be given more social support in reducing stress and enhancing their GSE.

The draft genome of Tibetan hulless barley reveals adaptive patterns to the high stressful Tibetan Plateau.

The Tibetan hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum), also called "Qingke" in Chinese and "Ne" in Tibetan, is the staple food for Tibetans and an important livestock feed in the Tibetan Plateau. The diploid nature and adaptation to diverse environments of the highland give it unique resources for genetic research and crop improvement. Here we produced a 3.89-Gb draft assembly of Tibetan hulless barley with 36,151 predicted protein-coding genes. Comparative analyses revealed the divergence times and synteny between barley and other representative Poaceae genomes. The expansion of the gene family related to stress responses was found in Tibetan hulless barley. Resequencing of 10 barley accessions uncovered high levels of genetic variation in Tibetan wild barley and genetic divergence between Tibetan and non-Tibetan barley genomes. Selective sweep analyses demonstrate adaptive correlations of genes under selection with extensive environmental variables. Our results not only construct a genomic framework for crop improvement but also provide evolutionary insights of highland adaptation of Tibetan hulless barley.

A cationic conjugated polymer coupled with exonuclease I: application to the fluorometric determination of protein and cell imaging.

A strategy is described for the detection of protein by using a cationic fluorescent conjugated polymer coupled with exonuclease I (Exo I). Taking streptavidin (SA) as model protein, it is observed that Exo I can digest single-stranded DNA conjugated with biotin and carboxyfluorescein (P1) if SA is absent. This leads to the formation of small nucleotide fragments and to weak fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the polymer to P1. If, however, SA is present, the high affinity of SA and biotin prevents the digestion of P1 by Exo I. This results in the sorption of P1 on the surface of the polymer through strong electrostatic interaction. Hence, efficient FRET occurs from the fluorescent polymer to the fluorescent label of P1. Fluorescence is measured at an excitation wavelength of 370 nm, and emission is measured at two wavelengths (530 and 425 nm). The ratio of the two intensities (I530/I425) is directly related to the concentration of SA. Under the optimal conditions, the assay has a detection limit of 1.3 ng·mL-1. The method was also applied to image the folate receptor in HeLa cells, thus demonstrating the versatility of this strategy. Graphical abstract A fluorometric strategy is described for protein detection and cell imaging based on a cationic conjugated polymer (PFP) coupled with exonuclease I (Exo I) trigged fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET).

Cdk5 is required for the neuroprotective effect of transforming growth factor-ß1 against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion.

Transforming Growth Factor ß1 (TGF-ß1), a well-known neuroprotective and neurotrophic factor in the central nervous system, is also involved in the repair process responses after ischemia-reperfusion injury. Herein, we found that TGF-ß1 enhanced Cdk5 expression while decreased Tunel-positive cells compared with the ischemia group, and roscovitine(Cdk5 inhibitor) treatment could blunt these effects. In vitro study, TGF-ß1 facilitated Cdk5/p35 complex, the proliferation, neurite growth and differentiation of PC12 cells, effects of which could be blunted by roscovitine and Cdk5 silencing. Moreover, ERK1/2 inhibitor SCH772984 abrogated the effects of TGF- ß1 on Cdk5 and Bax levels. Taken together, we conclude that Cdk5 contributes to the neuroprotective function of TGF- ß1 via ERK1/2 signaling.

Polaribacter marinaquae sp. nov., isolated from seawater.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, non-flagellated, strictly aerobic strain, designated RZW3-2T, was isolated from seawater from near the Yellow Sea coast of PR China (35.475° N 119.613° E). The organism grew optimally between 24 and 28 °C, at pH 6.0-7.0 and in the presence of 2-3 % (w/v) NaCl. The strain requires seawater or artificial seawater for growth and NaCl alone does not support growth. RZW3-2T contained iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c and anteiso-C15 : 0 as the dominant fatty acids. The respiratory quinone detected in RZW3-2T was menaquinone 6 (MK6). The polar lipids of RZW3-2T comprised phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), four unidentified phospholipids (PL), two unidentified aminolipids (AL) and one unknown lipid (L). The DNA G+C content of RZW3-2T was 30.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the novel strain was related most closely to Polaribacter reichenbachii KCTC 23969T, Polaribacter dokdonensis KCTC 12392T and Polaribacter irgensii CIP 106478T with 98.0, 97.8 and 97.0 % sequence similarities, respectively. The DNA-DNA hybridization values between RZW3-2T and its closest phylogenetic relatives, P. reichenbachii KCTC 23969T and P. dokdonensis KCTC 12392T, were 52.0±0.6 % and 49.8±1.21 % respectively. On the basis of polyphasic analyses, RZW3-2T represents a novel species of the genus Polaribacter, for which the name Polaribacter marinaquae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RZW3-2T (=JCM 30825T=KCTC 42664T=MCCC 1K00696T).

Excessive retinoic acid impaired proliferation and differentiation of human fetal palatal chondrocytes (hFPCs).

Chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation is a fundamental process during hard palatogenesis. Excessive retinoic acid (RA), the biologically most active metabolite of vitamin A, has been reported to adversely affect chondrogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying RA-induced chondrocyte differentiation by using human fetal palatal chondrocytes (hFPCs) aging about 9 weeks of amenorrhea. RA treatment inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in hFPCs. Alkaline phosphatase activity assay, quantitative alcian blue staining, and real-time PCR analysis revealed that RA treatment stimulated hFPCs to undergo maturation and terminal differentiation, as demonstrated by decreased chondrogenic markers and increased osteogenic markers. Further studies demonstrated that RA treatment increased Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, as demonstrated by Wnt/ß-catenin target gene expression analysis and a luciferase-based ß-catenin-activated reporter assay. To address the role of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, we treated hFPCs with Dickkopf-related protein 1, an extracellular inhibitor of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, and the observed all-trans retinoic acid-mediated increases in nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin, alkaline phosphatase activity, and type I collagen mRNA were attenuated, suggesting that RA modulated Wnt signaling at ligand-receptor level. In summary, excessive all-trans retinoic acid inhibited proliferation and promoted ossification of hFPCs by upregulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

Negative interplay of retinoic acid and TGF-ß signaling mediated by TG-interacting factor to modulate mouse embryonic palate mesenchymal-cell proliferation.

Mesenchymal-cell proliferation is the main process in shelf outgrowth. Both all-trans-retinoic acid (atRA) and transforming growth factor-ß3 (TGF-ß3) play an important role in mouse embryonic palate mesenchymal (MEPM) cell proliferation. In the present study, we investigated the crosstalk between RA and TGF-ß signaling in MEPM-cell proliferation. We found that atRA inhibited MEPM-cell proliferation by downregulating TGF-ß/Smad signaling and that TGF-ß3 treatment was able to antagonize RA signaling. Transforming growth-interacting factor (TGIF) is a transcriptional repressor that suppresses both TGF-ß- and retinoid-driven gene transcription. Furthermore, we investigated the role of TGIF in the interaction between both TGF-ß and RA signaling in MEPM-cell proliferation. The results showed that both atRA and TGF-ß3 significantly increased the expression level of TGIF, and TGIF mediated the negative interaction between TGF-ß and RA signaling pathways, which depended on TGIF binding to Smad2 or RARß (RA receptor beta). Moreover, after deletion of TGIF, both the effects of atRA on TGF-ß-dependent protein expression and the effects of TGF-ß on RA-dependent protein expression were lost. So we conclude that there is a negative functional interplay of RA and TGF-ß signaling mediated by TGIF to modulate MEPM-cell proliferation.

Small Nucleolar RNAs as Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers in Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) form clusters within the genome, representing a mysterious category of small non-coding RNAs. Research has demonstrated that aberrant snoRNAs can contribute to the development of various types of cancers. Recent studies have identified snoRNAs as potentially valuable biomarkers for the diagnosis or/and prognosis of cancers. However, there has been a lack of comprehensive reviews on prognostic and diagnostic snoRNAs across different types of cancers. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of various databases including Google Scholar, Medline, Cochrane, Scopus, PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, Ovid-Medline, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, and SinoMed with a time frame reception to December 30, 2022. A total of 49 relevant articles were included in our analysis, consisting of 21 articles focusing on diagnostic aspects and 41 articles focusing on prognostic aspects. Pooled odds ratio, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and hazard ratio (HR) were utilized to evaluate clinical parameters and overall survival (OS), respectively. RESULT: The findings indicated that area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.85, 75%, and 80% in cancer, respectively. There was a possibility that snoRNAs had a positive impact on the diagnosis (risk ratio, RR = 2.95, 95% CI: 2.75-3.16, P = 0.000) and OS (HR = 1) in cancer. Additionally, abnormally expressed snoRNAs were associated with a positive impact on OS time for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (HR: 0.88, 95%Cl: 0.69-1.11, P < 0.00001), colon adenocarcinoma (HR: 0.97, 95%Cl: 0.91-1.03, P < 0.0001), and ovarian cancer (HR: 0.98, 95%Cl: 0.98-0.99, P < 0.00001). However, dysregulated snoRNAs of colon cancer and colorectal cancer had a negative impact on OS time (HR = 3.01 and 1.01 respectively, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The results strongly suggested that snoRNAs could serve as potential novel indicators for prognosis and diagnosis in cancers. This systematic review followed the guidelines of the Transparent Reporting of Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PROSPERO register: CRD42020209096).

Advancing Li-ion capacitors through dual wet chemical prelithiation.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) are widely used in commercial energy storage systems, but each has inherent limitations. To overcome these limitations, the lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) has emerged as a hybrid energy storage device, combining the benefits of LIBs and EDLCs. However, the introduction of active lithium into LICs poses challenges due to lithium's reactivity and instability. In this study, we propose a dual wet chemical prelithiation strategy to enhance LIC performance. By wet chemically prelithiating both the activated carbon cathodes and hard carbon anodes, significant improvements are achieved compared to traditional prelithiation methods. The dual prelithiation approach outperforms electrochemical prelithiation in terms of energy storage performance, cycle life, and process simplification. LICs with dual wet chemically prelithiated electrodes demonstrate the highest energy density and retain a substantial portion of reversible capacity even at high discharge rates. The strategy exhibits fast kinetics and wide operational stability. In contrast, LICs with metallic lithium anodes or electrochemically prelithiated hard carbon anodes exhibit inferior performance and limited cycle life. The dual wet chemical prelithiation strategy represents a breakthrough in LIC technology, offering superior performance, cycle stability, and scalability. It holds promise for alkali-ion energy storage systems and drives advancements in electrochemical energy storage technology.

A Multienzyme Logic H+ and Na+ Biotransducer.

Sodium ions and protons regulate various fundamental processes at the cell and tissue levels across all biological kingdoms. It is therefore pivotal for bioelectronic devices, such as biosensors and biotransducers, to control the transport of these ions through biological membranes. Our study explores the regulation of proton and sodium concentrations by integrating an Na+-type ATP synthase, a glucose dehydrogenase (GDH), and a urease into a multienzyme logic system. This system is designed to operate using various chemical control input signals, while the output current corresponds to the local change in proton or sodium concentrations. Therein, a H+ and Na+ biotransducer was integrated to fulfill the roles of signal transducers for the monitoring and simultaneous control of Na+ and H+ levels, respectively. To increase the proton concentration at the output, we utilized GDH driven by the inputs of glucose and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), while recorded the signal change from the biotransducer, together acting as an AND enzyme logic gate. On the contrary, we introduced urease enzyme which hydrolyzed urea to control the decrease in proton concentration, serving as a NOT gate and reset. By integrating these two enzyme logic gates we formed a simple multienzyme logic system for the control of proton concentrations. Furthermore, we also demonstrate a more complex, Na+-type ATP synthase-urease multienzyme logic system, controlled by the two different inputs of ADP and urea. By monitoring the voltage of the peak current as the output signal, this logic system acts as an AND enzyme logic gate. This study explores how multienzyme logic systems can modulate biologically important ion concentrations, opening the door toward advanced biological on-demand control of a variety of bioelectronic enzyme-based devices, such as biosensors and biotransducers.

Proton Logic Gate Based on a Gramicidin-ATP Synthase Integrated Biotransducer.

Ion channels are membrane proteins that allow ionic signals to pass through channel pores for biofunctional modulations. However, biodevices that integrate bidirectional biological signal transmission between a device and biological converter through supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) while simultaneously controlling the process are lacking. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to develop a hybrid biotransducer composed of ATP synthase and proton channel gramicidin A (gA), controlled by a sulfonated polyaniline (SPA) conducting polymer layer deposited on a microelectrode, and to simulate a model circuit for this system. We controlled proton transport across the gA channel using both electrical and chemical input signals by applying voltage to the SPA or introducing calcium ions (inhibitor) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid molecules (inhibitor remover). The insertion of gA and ATP synthase into SLBs on microelectrodes resulted in an integrated biotransducer, in which the proton current was controlled by the flux of adenosine diphosphate molecules and calcium ions. Lastly, we created an XOR logic gate as an enzymatic logic system where the output proton current was controlled by Input A (ATP synthase) and Input B (calcium ions), making use of the unidirectional and bidirectional transmission of protons in ATP synthase and gA, respectively. We combined gA, ATP synthase, and SPA as a hybrid bioiontronics system to control bidirectional or unidirectional ion transport across SLBs in biotransducers. Thus, our findings are potentially relevant for a range of advanced biological and medical applications.

Identification and characterization of differentially expressed circRNA in 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced cleft palate.

Various circular RNAs (circRNAs) are novel class of non-coding RNAs, which are pervasively transcribed in the genome. CircRNAs play important roles in human, animals and plants. Up to now, there was no report regarding circRNAs of cleft palate by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-pdioxin (TCDD) induce. The present study screened identification and characterization of differential expressed-circRNAs in TCDD-induced cleft palate. 6903 circRNAs candidates came from cleft palates. Among them, 3525 circRNAs are up-regulation, and 3378 circRNAs are down-regulation by TCDD induce. The cluster and GO analysis found that circRNAs involved in biological process, cellular component, and molecular function. Through the analysis of KEGG Pathway, circRNAs made functions via classical signaling pathway in cleft palate, such as TGF-beta signaling pathway, BMP signal pathway, MAPK signaling pathway. In addition, we found down-regulated circRNA224, circRNA3302 and up-regulated circRNA5021 targeted tgfbr3, but up-regulated circRNA4451 targeted tgfbr2. circRNA4451 may make functions through TGF-beta signaling pathway. These results suggested that many different circRNAs may make important role in TCDD-induced cleft palate, which provided a theoretical basis for further research.

Genome diversity and highland-adaptative variation in Tibet barley landrace population of China.

Barley landraces accumulated variation in adapting to extreme highland environments during long-term domestication in Tibet, but little is known about their population structure and genomic selection traces. In this study, tGBS (tunable genotyping by sequencing) sequencing, molecular marker and phenotypic analyses were conducted on 1,308 highland and 58 inland barley landraces in China. The accessions were divided into six sub-populations and clearly distinguished most six-rowed, naked barley accessions (Qingke in Tibet) from inland barley. Genome-wide differentiation was observed in all five sub-populations of Qingke and inland barley accessions. High genetic differentiation in the pericentric regions of chromosomes 2H and 3H contributed to formation of five types of Qingke. Ten haplotypes of the pericentric regions of 2H, 3H, 6H and 7H were further identified as associated with ecological diversification of these sub-populations. There was genetic exchange between eastern and western Qingke but they shared the same progenitor. The identification of 20 inland barley types indicated multiple origins of Qingke in Tibet. The distribution of the five types of Qingke corresponded to specific environments. Two predominant highland-adaptative variations were identified for low temperature tolerance and grain color. Our results provide new insights into the origin, genome differentiation, population structure and highland adaptation in highland barley which will benefit both germplasm enhancement and breeding of naked barley.

A Systematic Review of tRNA-Derived Small non-Coding RNAs as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers in Cancer.

Objectives: tRNA-derived small non-coding RNAs (tsncRNAs) are one of mysterious small non-coding RNAs. Dysregulated tsncRNAs can led to all kinds of cancers. Recently, tsncRNAs were postulated to be potentially useful biomarkers for tumor diagnosis and prognosis. However, there were no systematic reviews of prognostic and diagnostic tsncRNAs in neoplasms. The study aimed to decipher the relationships between tsncRNAs expression, diagnostic and prognostic outcome in tumors. Methods: This study systematically searched Google Scholar, MEDLINE, Scopus, PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, Ovid-Medline, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang and SinoMed databases for relevant articles published before September 21, 2020. Results: The study is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020213863). Fourteen relevant studies were included in the meta-analysis: 12 on diagnosis and 5 on prognosis. The pooled add ratio, 95% confidence intervals (Cl) and hazard ratios (HR) of the studies were used to investigate the clinical parameters and overall survival (OS) of cancer patients. The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity was 0.79, 72%, and 73% in tumors, respectively. Though abnormally expressed tsncRNAs were associated with poor and unfavorable impacts on the OS time of cancer patients, the oncogenic tsncRNA may be a favorable impact on overall survival (OS: HR = 0.67, 95% Cl: 0.48-0.94, P = 0.02), and tumor-suppressor tsncRNA might have an unfavorable impact on overall survival (OS: HR = 1.41, 95% Cl: 0.84-2.37, P = 0.19). Conclusion: These results strongly suggested that tsncRNAs were potential novel prognostic and diagnostic indicators in tumors.

Identification of a apoptosis-related LncRNA signature to improve prognosis prediction and immunotherapy response in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Apoptosis is closely associated with the development of various cancers, including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the prognostic value of apoptosis-related lncRNAs (ApoRLs) in LUAD has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we screened 2, 960 ApoRLs by constructing a co-expression network of mRNAs-lncRNAs associated with apoptosis, and identified 421 ApoRLs that were differentially expressed between LUAD samples and normal lung samples. Sixteen differentially expressed apoptosis-related lncRNAs (DE-ApoRLs) with prognostic relevance to LUAD patients were screened using univariate Cox regression analysis. An apoptosis-related lncRNA signature (ApoRLSig ) containing 10 ApoRLs was constructed by applying the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) Cox regression method, and all LUAD patients in the TCGA cohort were divided into high or low risk groups. Moreover, patients in the high-risk group had a worse prognosis (p < 0.05). When analyzed in conjunction with clinical features, we found ApoRLSig to be an independent predictor of LUAD patients and established a prognostic nomogram combining ApoRLSig and clinical features. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that ApoRLSig is involved in many malignancy-associated immunomodulatory pathways. In addition, there were significant differences in the immune microenvironment and immune cells between the high-risk and low-risk groups. Further analysis revealed that the expression levels of most immune checkpoint genes (ICGs) were higher in the high-risk group, which suggested that the immunotherapy effect was better in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. And we found that the high-risk group was also better than the low-risk group in terms of chemotherapy effect. In conclusion, we successfully constructed an ApoRLSig which could predict the prognosis of LUAD patients and provide a novel strategy for the antitumor treatment of LUAD patients.

IFN-γ induces IFN-α and IFN-ß expressions in cultured rat intestinal mucosa microvascular endothelial cells.

Although researchers have recently begun to pay more attention to the immunological characteristics of microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs), there are no reports on whether activation of MVECs by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) exerts any influence on the expressions of IFN-α/ß. In the present study, we examined the influence of IFN-γ on the expressions of IFN-α/ß in rat intestinal mucous MVECs (RIMMVECs). Different concentrations of IFN-γ were used to stimulate cultured RIMMVECs in vitro, and the cells and cell supernatants were collected at different time intervals. The influence of IFN-γ on the expressions of IFN-α/ß in the RIMMVECs was examined at the mRNA and protein levels by real-time quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The results indicated that IFN-γ was able to activate RIMMVECs, thereby leading to upregulated expressions of IFN-α/ß. The real-time quantitative PCR analyses indicated that the IFN-α/ß mRNA expression levels in RIMMVECs achieved their peak values after stimulation with IFN-γ at 20 ng/mL for 6 h and were increased by 14.88- and 3.82-fold, respectively, when compared with the levels in negative control cells. The ELISA analyses revealed that the IFN-α/ß protein expression levels achieved their peak values after stimulation with IFN-γ at 40 ng/mL. The expression of IFN-α protein achieved its peak value at 12 h, while the expression of IFN-ß protein achieved its peak value after 6 h. The present results suggest that the expression and secretion of IFNs may participate in the immunologic barrier function of MVECs.

Characterization of Genetic Diversity and Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Three Agronomic Traits in Qingke Barley (Hordeum Vulgare L.) in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the most important cereal crops worldwide. In the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, six-rowed hulless (or naked) barley, called "qingke" in Chinese or "nas" in Tibetan, is produced mainly in Tibet. The complexity of the environment in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has provided unique opportunities for research on the breeding and adaptability of qingke barley. However, the genetic architecture of many important agronomic traits for qingke barley remains elusive. Heading date (HD), plant height (PH), and spike length (SL) are three prominent agronomic traits in barley. Here, we used genome-wide association (GWAS) mapping and GWAS with eigenvector decomposition (EigenGWAS) to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) and selective signatures for HD, PH, and SL in a collection of 308 qingke barley accessions. The accessions were genotyped using a newly-developed, proprietary genotyping-by-sequencing (tGBS) technology, that yielded 14,970 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We found that the number of SNPs was higher in the varieties than in the landraces, which suggested that Tibetan varieties and varieties in the Tibetan area may have originated from different landraces in different areas. We have identified 62 QTLs associated with three important traits, and the observed phenotypic variation is well-explained by the identified QTLs. We mapped 114 known genes that include, but are not limited to, vernalization, and photoperiod genes. We found that 83.87% of the identified QTLs are located in the non-coding regulatory regions of annotated barley genes. Forty-eight of the QTLs are first reported here, 28 QTLs have pleotropic effects, and three QTL are located in the regions of the well-characterized genes HvVRN1, HvVRN3, and PpD-H2. EigenGWAS analysis revealed that multiple heading-date-related loci bear signatures of selection. Our results confirm that the barley panel used in this study is highly diverse, and showed a great promise for identifying the genetic basis of adaptive traits. This study should increase our understanding of complex traits in qingke barley, and should facilitate genome-assisted breeding for qingke barley improvement.

Complete plastome of a subtropical tree Eriobotrya malipoensis (Rosaceae) in Yunnan.

Eriobotrya malipoensis Kuan is an important wild woody evergreen tree within the genus Eriobotrya Lindl belonging the family Rosaceae. To better determine its phylogenetic location with respect to the other Eriobotrya species, the complete plastome of E. malipoensis was sequenced. The whole plastome is 159,313 bp in length, consisting of a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,344 bp, one large single-copy (LSC) region of 87,270 bp, and one small single-copy (SSC) region of 19,355 bp. The overall G + C content of the whole plastome is 36.7%. Further, maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyse (TVM + F+R2 model) was conducted using 14 complete plastome of the Rosaceae. Our phylogeny supports the relationships: sisterhood of the E. malipoensis and E. fragrans Champ, flowed E. japonica Lindl.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and TGFß3-Mediated Mouse Embryonic Palatal Mesenchymal Cells.

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a well-known environmental teratogenic effector for cleft palate. Transforming growth factor 3 (TGF-ß3) is an essential growth factor for palatogenesis. The objective of this study is to clarify the effects of TCDD and TGF-ß3 in mouse embryonic palatal mesenchymal (MEPM) cells. The effects of 10 nM TCDD, 10 ng/mL TGF-ß3, or a combination of 10 nM TCDD and 10 ng/mL TGF-ß3 on MEPM cells were revealed by cell and biological methods. With the increase in TCDD (0.5-10 nM), the expression of TGF-ß3 increased, but at TCDD concentrations greater than 10 nM, the expression of TGF-ß3 reduced. The viabilities of MEPM cells decreased in the 10 nM TCDD-treated group. But the viabilities increased in the 10 ng/mL TGF-ß3-treated group, and the viabilities were intermediate in the group treated with a combination of 10 nM TCDD and 10 ng/mL TGF-ß3. This phenomenon was the same as that of the motilities. In addition, we found that the expression of p-Smad2, p-Smad3,and Smad7 were increased by TCDD, TGF-ß3, combination of TCDD and TGF-ß3, but the expression of Smad4 were decreased by TCDD, TGF-ß3, combination of TCDD and TGF-ß3. These data revealed that TCDD and TGF-ß3 interacted and affected MEPM cells.