A chromosome-level genome assembly of Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus) uncovers a sex-determining region.

BACKGROUND: Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus) is an ecologically and economically important species that is widely distributed in freshwater regions of southern China. Hong Kong catfish has significant sexual growth dimorphism. The genome assembly of the Hong Kong catfish would facilitate study of the sex determination and evolution mechanism of the species. RESULTS: The first high-quality chromosome-level genome of the Hong Kong catfish was constructed. The total genome was 933.4 Mb, with 416 contigs and a contig N50 length of 8.52 Mb. Using high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data, the genome assembly was divided into 28 chromosomes with a scaffold N50 length of 36.68 Mb. A total of 23,345 protein-coding genes were predicted in the genome, and 94.28% of the genes were functionally annotated in public databases. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. fuscus and Clarias magur diverged approximately 63.7 million years ago. The comparative genome results showed that a total of 60 unique, 353 expanded and 851 contracted gene families were identified in Hong Kong catfish. A sex-linked quantitative trait locus identified in a previous study was located in a sex-determining region of 30.26 Mb (0.02 to 30.28 Mb) on chromosome 13 (Chr13), the predicted Y chromosome. This QTL region contained 785 genes, of which 18 were identified as sex-related genes. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to report the chromosome-level genome assembly of Hong Kong catfish. The study provides an excellent genetic resource that will facilitate future studies of sex determination mechanisms and evolution in fish.

[Clinical characteristics and prognosis of 12 cases of lupus nephritis complicated with thrombotic microangiopathy]. / 12ä¾‹ç‹¼ç–®æ€§è‚¾ç‚Žåˆå¹¶è¡€æ “æ€§å¾®è¡€ç®¡ç— å˜ä¸´åºŠç‰¹ç‚¹åŠé¢„åŽåˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics, pathological features, treatment regimen, and prognosis of children with lupus nephritis (LN) and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), as well as the treatment outcome of these children and the clinical and pathological differences between LN children with TMA and those without TMA. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 12 children with LN and TMA (TMA group) who were admitted to the Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from December 2010 to December 2021. Twenty-four LN children without TMA who underwent renal biopsy during the same period were included as the non-TMA group. The two groups were compared in terms of clinical manifestations, laboratory examination results, and pathological results. RESULTS: Among the 12 children with TMA, 8 (67%) had hypertension and 3 (25%) progressed to stage 5 chronic kidney disease. Compared with the non-TMA group, the TMA group had more severe tubulointerstitial damage, a higher Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score at onset, and higher cholesterol levels (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the percentage of crescent bodies and the levels of hemoglobin and platelets (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a higher proportion of individuals with hypertension among the children with LN and TMA, as well as more severe tubulointerstitial damage. These children have a higher SLEDAI score and a higher cholesterol level.

The reproductive regulation of LPXRFa and its receptor in the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis of the spotted scat (Scatophagus argus).

Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) plays a critical role in regulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), gonadotropin hormone (GtH), and steroidogenesis. The Lpxrfa (the piscine ortholog of GnIH) system has been found to regulate fish reproduction. To gain insight into the role of Lpxrfa in the regulation of spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) reproduction, spotted scat Lpxrfa (ssLpxrfa), and its receptor (ssLpxrfa-r) were cloned and analyzed. Tissue distribution and expression patterns at the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis) of sslpxrfa and sslpxrfa-r mRNA were also investigated during gonadal development of spotted scat. The open reading frame (ORF) of the sslpxrfa was 606 bp encoding 201 amino acids and includes a putative signal peptide and two mature ssLpxrfa peptides with LPXRFamide motif at their C-terminus. The sslpxrfa-r ORF was 1449 bp encoding 482 amino acids and contracted a seven-hydrophobic transmembrane (TM) domain structure. The tissue distribution showe d that the sslpxrfa was highly expressed in hypothalami, gill, and the gonads. In addition, sslpxrfa-r was highly expressed in hypothalami, pituitaries, and the gonads. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) revealed that sslpxrfa had the highest expression in the hypothalami and pituitaries, and the lowest expression in the gonads in stage V. During gonadal development, the expression of sslpxrfa-r was gradually increased in the hypothalami but reduced in the gonads. However, no obvious trend was observed in the pituitaries. The expression of sslpxrfa and sslpxrfa-r decreased significantly after injection with 17ß-estradiol (E2). However, the expression of both sslpxrfa and sslpxrfa-r was not changed after injection with 17α-methyltestosterone(17α-MT) in the hypothalami. In addition, no changes were observed in the expression of fshß and lhß in the pituitaries after injecting ssLpxrfa-1. However, ssLpxrfa-2 could downregulate the expression of sbgnrh and fshß in the hypothalami and pituitaries, respectively. Taken together, these findings suggested that ssLpxrfa may participate in E2 feedback in reproduction and regulate the reproductive axis of spotted scat.

PPARγ Activation-Mediated Egr-1 Inhibition Benefits Against Brain Injury in an Experimental Ischaemic Stroke Model.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory response is a critical contributor to cerebral ischaemia injuries and blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction. Early growth response-1 (Egr-1), an oxygen-sensing transcription factor which is rapidly and markedly triggered in ischaemic events, acts as a master switch coordinating the upregulation of multiple target proinflammatory genes. Here, we explored whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) activation by telmisartan can modulate Egr-1 expression and the subsequent inflammatory responses in a rat model of cerebral ischaemia. METHODS: Cerebral ischaemia was induced in rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Brain injury was evaluated by brain water content, infarct volume, and Evans blue dye extravasation. Egr-1 and claudin-5 levels were assessed by western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: MCAO-provoked Egr-1 expression was time dependent, peaking at 24 h and continuing to 72 h. The elevation in Egr-1 was coupled with a reduction in claudin-5. Telmisartan treatment significantly corrected the alterations of Egr-1 and claudin-5, alleviated the neurological deficits, and reduced brain water content, infarct volume, and Evans blue dye extravasation 24 h after MCAO. However, all the benefits of telmisartan were reversed by antagonising PPARγ with GW9662. CONCLUSION: Egr-1, a proinflammatory factor, is positively associated with post-ischaemic inflammation and the associated BBB dysfunction. PPARγ serves as an upstream transcription factor of the Egr-1 cascade. Targeting Egr-1 may emerge as a potential strategy to suppress inflammatory responses following ischaemic stroke.

Identification, functional characterization, and estrogen regulation on gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the spotted scat, Scatophagus argus.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a key neuropeptide of the reproductive system. However, little is known about the role of GnRH in the spotted scat (Scatophagus argus). Here, three GnRH subtypes (cGnRH-II, sGnRH, and sbGnRH) were identified in the spotted scat. cGnRH-II and sGnRH were only expressed in the brains and gonads of both male and female fish, exhibiting a tissue-specific expression pattern, while sbGnRH was expressed at different transcription levels in all examined tissues. During ovarian maturation, hypothalamus-associated sbGnRH was upregulated, while the expression of sGnRH was variable and cGnRH-II first increased and then decreased. In vivo experiments showed that sbGnRH significantly promoted the expression of fsh and lh genes in a dose-dependent manner and exhibited a desensitization effect on lh expression at high concentrations. For sGnRH and cGnRH-II, only high concentrations could induce fsh and lh expression. Furthermore, treatment with highly concentrated sbGnRH peptide also induced fsh and lh expression, whereas the sGnRH and cGnRH-II peptides only induced fsh expression in vitro. 17ß-Estradiol (E2) significantly inhibited the expression of sbGnRH mRNA in a dose-dependent manner and did not impact sGnRH and cGnRH-II mRNA levels in vivo or in vitro. The inhibitory effect of E2 on sbGnRH expression was attenuated by the estrogen receptor (ER) broad-spectrum antagonist (fulvestrant) and the ERα-specific antagonist (methyl-piperidinopyrazole), respectively, implying that the feedback regulation on sbGnRH is mediated via ERα. This study provides a theoretical basis for the reproductive endocrinology of the spotted scat by studying GnRH.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of male and female gonads reveals sex-biased genes in spotted scat (Scatophagus argus).

Scatophagus argus is a new emerging aquaculture fish in East and Southeast Asia. To date, research on reproductive development and regulation in S. argus is lacking. Additionally, genetic and genomic information about reproduction, such as gonadal transcriptome data, is also lacking. Herein, we report the first gonadal transcriptomes of S. argus and identify genes potentially involved in reproduction and gonadal development. A total of 136,561 unigenes were obtained by sequencing of testes (n = 3) and ovaries (n = 3) at stage III. Genes upregulated in males and females known to be involved in gonadal development and gametogenesis were identified, including male-biased dmrt1, amh, gsdf, wt1a, sox9b, and nanos2, and female-biased foxl2, gdf9, bmp15, sox3, zar1, and figla. Serum estradiol-17ß and 11-ketotestosterone levels were biased in female and male fish, respectively. Sexual dimorphism of serum steroid hormone levels were interpreted after expression analysis of 20 steroidogenesis-related genes, including cyp19a1a and cyp11b2. This gonadal transcript dataset will help investigate functional genes related to reproduction in S. argus.

Accumulation and Depuration of Nonylphenol and Its Effect on the Expressions of Vitellogenin and Vitellogenin Receptor in Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Accumulation of nonylphenol (NP) in hepatopancreas, gonad, eyestalk, and muscle of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii following 72 h exposure to 100 µg/L NP, and depuration of NP in these tissues at 0.5-192 h post exposure were examined. We also examined the expressions of vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) of prawn following 0-20 days exposure to 0, 1, 10, and 100 µg/L NP. NP accumulation in hepatopancreas and gonad with high concentration, and low concentration in muscle, but depurated faster in eyestalk and muscle. The expressions of vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) increased directly with dose and time. In conclusion, NP accumulated significantly in gonad together with high Vg and VgR expressions, and depurated slow in hepatopancreas and gonad when prawns were removed back to control water. The induction of Vg and VgR under NP exposure might be a stress response in M. rosenbergii.

Differential expression of microRNAs in hemocytes from white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei under copper stress.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate diverse cellular processes, including organismal stress response, through posttranscriptional repression of gene transcripts. They are known to have antiviral functions in aquatic crustacean species, but little is known about the role of miRNAs against environmental stress caused by Cu, a common chemical contaminant in aquatic environment. We performed small RNA sequencing to characterize the differentially expressed microRNAs in Cu exposed shrimp. A total of 4524 known miRNAs and 73 novel miRNAs were significantly (P < .05) differentially expressed after Cu exposure. The peak size of miRNAs was 22 nt. Among them, 218 miRNAs were conserved across 115 species. The validation of 12 miRNAs by stem-loop quantitative RT-PCR were found to be coherent with the expression profile of deep sequencing data as evaluated with Pearson's correlation coefficient (r = 0.707). Target genes of these differentially expressed miRNAs related to immune defense, apoptosis, and xenobiotics metabolism also showed significant changes in expression under Cu stress. The present study provides the first characterization of L. vannamei miRNAs and some target genes expression in response to Cu stress, and the findings support the hypothesis that certain miRNAs along with their target genes might be essential in the intricate adaptive response regulation networks. Our current study will provide valuable information to take an insight into molecular mechanism of L. vannamei against environmental stress.

Molecular cloning, characterization and expression analysis of spexin in spotted scat (Scatophagus argus).

Spexin (Spx), a novel neuropeptide, composed of 14 amino acid residues, is evolutionally conserved from fish to mammals. It has been suggested that Spx has pleiotropic functions in mammals. However, reports about Spx are very limited. To clarify the roles of Spx in the regulation of reproduction and food-intake in the spotted scat, the spx (ssspx) gene was cloned and analyzed. Analysis of the tissue distribution by RT-PCR showed that ssspx expression was widespread. During ovary development, expression of ssspx was found to be highest in phase II, moderate in phase III, and at its lowest level in phase IV. Ssspx expression was significantly down-regulated in the hypothalamus after treatment with E2 both in vitro and in vivo. A significant increase of ssspx was observed after 2 and 7 days of food deprivation. However, the ssspx transcript levels in the 7 day fasting group decreased significantly after refeeding 3 h after the scheduled feeding time. This suggests that ssSpx may be involved in the regulation of reproduction and food-intake in the spotted scat.

Cloning, expression and functional characterization on vitellogenesis of estrogen receptors in Scatophagus argus.

Estrogen receptors (Er) play a critical role in vitellogenesis. Three ers (erα, erß1 and erß2) and vitellogenins (vtg-A, vtg-B and vtg-C) subtypes were isolated in various fish species, while the contribution of each Er to the regulation of vtgs expression was not analyzed in detail. Here, erα, erß1 and erß2 were cloned and all were found to be expressed in female liver in Scatophagus argus. During proteic vitellogenesis stage, erα was simultaneously up-regulated, while erß1 and erß2 were not, with three vtgs in female liver. The effects of 17ß-estradiol (E2) alone or combined with Er antagonists on ers, vtgs mRNA expressions and Vtg protein content in incubated male liver were examined by real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The expressions of erα, erß1, vtgs mRNA and Vtg protein increased significantly after 24h incubation with E2 (0.1, 1 and 10µM), while Er nonselective antagonist ICI 182 780 (0.01, 0.1 and 1µM) significantly attenuated the up-regulation effects of E2 on ers, vtgs mRNA and Vtg protein in a dose-dependent manner. Erα selective antagonist Methyl-piperidinopyrazole (MPP) (0.01, 0.1 and 1µM) significantly attenuated the up-regulation effects of E2 on erα, vtg-B, vtg-C mRNA and Vtg protein, while promoted the expression of erß1 and vtg-A. Erß selective antagonist Cyclofenil (0.01, 0.1 and 1µM) attenuated the up-regulation effects of E2 on erß1, erß2, vtg-A, vtg-C mRNA and Vtg protein while promoted the expression of erα and vtg-B. Our results suggest that the regulation of Ers on different vtgs was divergent in S. argus.

Molecular cloning, tissue distribution, and pharmacological characterization of melanocortin-4 receptor in spotted scat, Scatophagus argus.

Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) plays an important role in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure in mammals. The functions of the MC4R in fish have not been investigated extensively. We herein reported on the cloning, tissue distribution, and pharmacological characterization of spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) MC4R (SAMC4R). It consisted of a 984bp open reading frame predicted to encode a protein of 327 amino acids. Sequence analysis revealed that SAMC4R was highly homologous (>80%) at amino acid levels to several teleost MC4Rs. Phylogenetic analyses showed that SAMC4R was closely related to piscine MC4R. Using RT-PCR, we showed that in addition to brain, pituitary, and gonads, mc4r mRNA was also widely expressed in peripheral tissues of spotted scat in sexually divergent pattern. With human MC4R (hMC4R) as a control, several agonists including α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), [Nle(4), D-Phe(7)]-α-MSH (NDP-MSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and THIQ (N-[(3R)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolinium3-ylcarbonyl]-(1R)-1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-2-[4-cyclohexyl-4-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmethyl)piperidin-1-yl]-2-oxoethylamine), were used to investigate the binding and signaling properties of SAMC4R. The results showed that SAMC4R bound NDP-MSH with the highest affinity followed by ACTH (1-24) and α-MSH. Similar ranking was also found for hMC4R, although SAMC4R had two to five-fold higher affinities for these ligands. THIQ did not displace NDP-MSH from SAMC4R, different from hMC4R. α-MSH, NDP-MSH, and ACTH (1-24) were identified as potent agonists to stimulate cAMP generation followed by THIQ in SAMC4R. The availability of SAMC4R and its pharmacological characteristics will facilitate the investigation of its function in regulating diverse physiological processes in spotted scat.

Photothermal poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/Fe3O4 nanocomposite hydrogel as a movable position heating source under remote control.

Multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogel: swelling-shrink transition of the magnetic sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/Fe3O4 (PNIPAM/Fe3O4) nanocomposite hydrogel can be controlled via near-infrared (NIR) laser exposure or non-exposure, which shows potential as a movable position heating source manipulated by combination of an external magnet and near-infrared laser irradiation.

Tamarind Xyloglucan Oligosaccharides Attenuate Metabolic Disorders via the Gut-Liver Axis in Mice with High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obesity.

Functional oligosaccharides exert obesity-reducing effects by acting at various pathological sites responsible for the development of obesity. In this study, tamarind xyloglucan oligosaccharides (TXOS) were used to attenuate metabolic disorders via the gut-liver axis in mice with high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity, as determined through LC/MS-MS and 16S rRNA sequencing technology. A TXOS dose equivalent to 0.39 g/kg/day in humans restored the gut microbiota in obese mice, which was in part supported by the key microflora, particularly Bifidobacterium pseudolongum. Moreover, TXOS reduced the abundance of opportunistic pathogen species, such as Klebsiella variicola and Romboutsia ilealis. The bodyweight and weight gain of TXOS-treated (4.8 g/kg per day) mice began to decrease at the 14th week, decreasing by 12.8% and 23.3%, respectively. Sixteen fatty acids were identified as potential biomarkers in the liver, and B. pseudolongum and caprylic acid were found to tightly regulate each other. This was associated with reduced inflammation in the liver, circulation, and adipose tissue and protection from metabolic disorders. The findings of this study indicate that TXOS can significantly increase the gut microbiota diversity of obese mice and restore the HFD-induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota.

Risk factors for renal outcomes in children with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis: a nationwide retrospective study in China.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a life-threatening systemic vasculitis featured by liability to renal involvement. However, there are few studies on the risk factors and predictive models for renal outcomes of AAV in children. METHODS: Data from 179 AAV children in multiple centers between January 2012 and March 2020 were collected retrospectively. The risk factors and predictive model of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in AAV were explored. RESULTS: Renal involvement was the most typical manifestation (95.5%), and the crescent was the predominant pathological lesion (84.9%). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was evaluated in 114 patients, of whom 59.6% developed ESRD, and the median time to ESRD was 3.20 months. The eGFR [P = 0.006, odds ratio (OR) = 0.955, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.924-0.987] and the percentages of global glomerulosclerosis (pGGS; P = 0.018, OR = 1.060, 95% CI = 1.010-1.112) were independent risk factors for ESRD of renal biopsy. Based on the pGGS and eGFR at renal biopsy, we developed three risk grades of ESRD and one predictive model. The Kaplan‒Meier curve indicated that renal outcomes were significantly different in different risk grades (P < 0.001). Compared with serum creatinine at baseline, the predictive model had higher accuracy (0.86 versus 0.58, P < 0.001) and a lower coefficient of variation (0.07 versus 0.92) in external validation. CONCLUSIONS: Renal involvement is the most common manifestation of pediatric AAV in China, of which more than half deteriorates into ESRD. The predictive model based on eGFR at renal biopsy and the pGGS may be stable and accurate in speculating the risk of ESRD in AAV children. Supplementary file 2 (MP4 18937 KB).

In situ controlled synthesis of thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/Au nanocomposite hydrogels by gamma radiation for catalytic application.

Thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)/Au nanoparticle (NP) nanocomposite hydrogels are synthesized by in situ γ-radiation-assisted polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide monomer aqueous solution in the presence of HAuCl4·4H2O. In this reaction, the PNIPAM hydrogels and the Au NPs are formed simultaneously, thus demonstrating an easy and straightforward synthetic strategy for the preparation of a uniform nanocomposite. The results suggest that increasing the monomer content during the preparation of nanocomposite materials can increase the sizes of Au NPs. The effects of irradiation dose and concentration of HAuCl4·4H2O on the optical and thermal properties of the hydrogel are also investigated. The PNIPAM/Au nanocomposite hydrogels act as an excellent catalyst for the conversion of o-nitroaniline to 1,2-benzenediamine, and the catalytic activity of the composite hydrogel can be tuned by the volume transition of PNIPAM. The in situ polymerization of monomer and reduction of metal ions initiated by a "clean" and "green" γ-radiation technique can be extended to the efficient synthesis of other nanocomposite materials.

Expression and regulation of 42Sp50 in spotted scat (Scatophagus argus).

42Sp50 is an isoform of the eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 A (eEF1A) and is vital for fish ovarian development. Spotted scat (Scatophagus argus) is a popular marine cultured fish species in Southern Asia and China, and its artificial reproduction is complicated, with a relatively low success ratio in practice. In this study, the 42Sp50 gene was cloned from spotted scat. Tissue distribution analysis showed that 42Sp50 was mainly expressed in the ovary. qRT-PCR showed that 42Sp50 expression levels gradually decreased insignificantly in the ovaries from phase II to IV. Western blot analysis showed that 42Sp50 was highly expressed in the ovary, while it was almost undetectable in the testis. Immunohistochemistry analysis stained 42Sp50 mainly in the cytoplasm of the previtellogenic oocytes in ovaries of normal XX-female and sex-reversed XY-female. Aside from fish and amphibians, 42Sp50 was also identified in some reptile species using genomic database searching. Analyses of the transcriptome data from four different fish species (Hainan medaka (Oryzias curvinotus), silver sillago (Sillago sihama), Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus)) revealed ovaries biased expression of 42Sp50 in all, similar to spotted scat. While the neighbor genes of 42Sp50 did not show ovary biased expression in the fish species analyzed. Bisulfite Sequencing PCR (BSP) results showed that the DNA methylation level of 42Sp50 promoter was low in ovaries, testes, and muscles. The luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that Dmrt4 activated 42Sp50 expression in the presence of Sf1 or Foxh1. These results suggest that 42Sp50 may be involved in regulating the early phase oocytes development of spotted scat.

Granaticins and their biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces vietnamensis: evidence of horizontal gene transfer.

Streptomyces vietnamensis, a recently designated species isolated from tropical forest soil, was found to be a new granaticin producer. The granaticin biosynthetic gene cluster (gra) and flanking genes from S. vietnamensis were cloned and sequenced by a sequential cloning strategy. All biosynthetic genes were found as expected. The high overall homology of the gra cluster from S. vietnamensis to that of Streptomyces violaceoruber Tü22 indicated a recent common ancestor of the two clusters. However, a flanking gene orf35 was missing from the gra cluster of S. vietnamensis, and high frequency of insertions and deletions of short fragment (shorter than 63 bp) were observed throughout the sequenced region compared to that of S. violaceoruber Tü22. These revealed a rapid evolution of the gra cluster and suggested that small insertions and deletions might be one of the basic evolution mechanisms for streptomycete genomes. The phylogenetic incongruence between 16S rDNA and the gra cluster and the scattered distribution of the granaticin producers within Streptomyces implicated horizontal gene transfer (HGT) being involved in the gra cluster dispersion. The remnants of orf35 found in S. vietnamensis present a scenario on how the antibiotic gene clusters evolved after HGT. The contemporary gra cluster residing in S. vietnamensis could be interpreted as a combination of HGT and highly variable vertical transmission.

Levobupivacaine Induces Ferroptosis by miR-489-3p/SLC7A11 Signaling in Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer is one of the most the prevalent malignancies and the therapeutic strategies for patients with gastric cancer remains limited. Local anesthetic levobupivacaine has demonstrated potential anti-cancer property, but its correlation with gastric cancer and ferroptosis is poor understood. Here, we identified the novel function of levobupivacaine in regulating ferroptosis of gastric cancer cells. The treatment of levobupivacaine suppressed gastric cancer cell viabilities and Edu-positive cell proportions. The gastric cancer cell growth was reduced by levobupivacaine in vivo. Moreover, the treatment of levobupivacaine enhanced erastin-induced inhibitory impact on gastric cancer cell viabilities. The levels of Fe2+/iron and lipid ROS were induced by levobupivacaine in erastin and RSL3-stimulated gastric cancer cells. levobupivacaine-upregulated miR-489-3p enhanced ferroptosis of gastric cancer cells by targeting SLC7A11. MiR-489-3p was involved in levobupivacaine-induced ferroptosis of gastric cancer cells. Levobupivacaine/miR-489-3p/SLC7A11 axis attenuates gastric cancer cell proliferation in vitro. Therefore, we concluded that the local anesthetic levobupivacaine induced ferroptosis of gastric cancer cells to repress gastric cancer cell growth by miR-489-3p/SLC7A11 axis.

High level expression of a xyloglucanase from Rhizomucor miehei in Pichia pastoris for production of xyloglucan oligosaccharides and its application in yoghurt.

The xyloglucanase gene (RmXEG12A) from Rhizomucor miehei CAU432 was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris. The highest xyloglucanase activity of 25,700 U mL-1 was secreted using high cell density fermentation. RmXEG12A was optimally active at pH 7.0 and 65 °C, respectively. The xyloglucanase exhibited the highest specific activity towards xyloglucan (7915.5 U mg-1). RmXEG12A was subjected to hydrolyze tamarind powder to produce xyloglucan oligosaccharides with the degree of polymerization (DP) 7-9. The hydrolysis ratio of xyloglucan in tamarind powder was 89.8%. Moreover, xyloglucan oligosaccharides (2.0%, w/w) improved the water holding capacity (WHC) of yoghurt by 1.1-fold and promoted the growth of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophiles by 2.3 and 1.6-fold, respectively. Therefore, a suitable xyloglucanase for tamarind powder hydrolysis was expressed in P. pastoris at high level and xyloglucan oligosaccharides improved the quality of yoghurt.

[Clinical and pathological features of Alport syndrome in children].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical and pathological features of Alport syndrome in children. METHODS: The clinical and histopathological data of 10 hospitalized children with Alport syndrome from February 2007 to February 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: There were 7 males and 3 females, with the age ranging from 2 years to 6 years and 7 months (mean 3 years and 2 months). Five of 10 cases had positive family history. X-linked dominant inheritance Alport syndrome was diagnosed in 8 cases, and autosomal recessive inheritance Alport syndrome in 2 cases. Recurrent gross hematuria was found in 5 cases, hematuria and proteinuria in 3 cases, massive proteinuria in 1 case, and nephritic syndrome in 1 case. Under the light microscope, 8 cases presented with mesangial proliferation glomerulonephritis, and 2 cases with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Immunofluorescence assay showed that all cases had IgM deposition in glomerulus. Only 1 case showed typical glomerular basement membrane (GBM) pathological changes. All cases showed abnormal alpha-chain distribution in renal collagen IV. CONCLUSIONS: The children with Alport syndrome have diverse clinical manifestations. Characteristic histopathological presentations could not be found under a light microscope, mesangial proliferation glomerulonephritis is the dominant pathological change, and IgM deposition in glomerulus is common. The GBM pathological change in children is not common. Immunofluorescence assay of alpha-chain in collagen IV is needed for the diagnosis of Alport syndrome.