ATP-Binding Cassette G Transporters and Their Multiple Roles Especially for Male Fertility in Arabidopsis, Rice and Maize.

ATP-binding cassette subfamily G (ABCG) transporters are extensive in plants and play essential roles in various processes influencing plant fitness, but the research progress varies greatly among Arabidopsis, rice and maize. In this review, we present a consolidated nomenclature and characterization of the whole 51 ABCG transporters in maize, perform a phylogenetic analysis and classification of the ABCG subfamily members in maize, and summarize the latest research advances in ABCG transporters for these three plant species. ABCG transporters are involved in diverse processes in Arabidopsis and rice, such as anther and pollen development, vegetative and female organ development, abiotic and biotic stress response, and phytohormone transport, which provide useful clues for the functional investigation of ABCG transporters in maize. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future perspectives for the identification and mechanism analysis of substrates for plant ABCG transporters. This review provides a basic framework for functional research and the potential application of ABCG transporters in multiple plants, including maize.

Association of remnant cholesterol with chronic kidney disease in middle-aged and elderly Chinese: a population-based study.

AIMS: Limited data regarding the association between remnant cholesterol (RC) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), largely based on an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (low eGFR), have yielded inconsistent results, and no report has demonstrated the relationship of RC with CKD [defined as low eGFR and/or albuminuria (defined as urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) ≥ 30 mg/g)] in Chinese general middle-aged and elderly population. Hence, we aimed to investigate the association between RC and CKD in such population. METHODS: In total, 7356 Chinese participants aged ≥ 40 years were recruited from five regional communities in Luzhou city between May 2011 and December 2011. Fasting RC was calculated from the lipid profile measured by standard laboratory procedures. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the possible association between RC and CKD. RESULTS: Participants in the highest quartile of RC had higher body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), fasting and 2-h postload blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin A1C, prevalence of prediabetes, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, CKD, albuminuria, low eGFR, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and eGFR compared with those in the lowest quartile (all P for trend < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the risk of CKD gradually increased across RC quartiles (P for trend < 0.01), and participants in the highest quartile of RC were at a significantly increased risk of prevalent CKD compared to those in the lowest quartile in total subjects (odds rate: 1.344, 95% confidence intervals 1.097-1.648, P < 0.01). In subgroup analysis, significant relation between RC level and increased risk of prevalent CKD was detected in women, subjects with overweight/obesity, non-prediabetes, hypertension, normal HDL-C, appropriate and high LDL-C, and without cardiovascular disease (CVD) events after multiple adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: Higher RC is independently associated with increased risk of prevalent CKD, and RC might serve as a new risk biomarker for CKD in a general middle-aged and elderly Chinese population, especially in women, subjects with overweight/obesity, non-prediabetes, hypertension, normal HDL-C, appropriate and high LDL-C, and without CVD events.

Preparation and evaluation of poly(alkyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolithic columns for separating polar small molecules by capillary liquid chromatography.

In this study, methacrylic acid (MAA) was incorporated with alkyl methacrylates to increase the hydrophilicity of the synthesized ethylene dimethacrylate-based (EDMA-based) monoliths for separating polar small molecules by capillary LC analysis. Different alkyl methacrylate-MAA ratios were investigated to prepare a series of 30% alkyl methacrylate-MAA-EDMA monoliths in fused-silica capillaries (250-µm i.d.). The porosity, permeability, and column efficiency of the synthesized MAA-incorporated monolithic columns were characterized. A mixture of phenol derivatives is employed to evaluate the applicability of using the prepared monolithic columns for separating small molecules. Fast separation of six phenol derivatives was achieved in 5 min with gradient elution using the selected poly(lauryl methacrylate-co-MAA-co-EDMA) monolithic column. In addition, the effect of acetonitrile content in mobile phase on retention factor and plate height as well as the plate height-flow velocity curves were also investigated to further examine the performance of the selected poly(lauryl methacrylate-co-MAA-co-EDMA) monolithic column. Moreover, the applicability of prepared polymer-based monolithic column for potential food safety applications was also demonstrated by analyzing five aflatoxins and three phenicol antibiotics using the selected poly(lauryl methacrylate-co-MAA-co-EDMA) monolithic column.