Climacocystaceae fam. nov. and Gloeoporellaceae fam. nov., two new families of Polyporales (Basidiomycota).

Polyporales is a diverse group of Agaricomycetes including more than 2,500 species belonging to 255 genera and 18 families. Recently, many studies focused on the classification of Polyporales, but the familial placements of some taxa remain uncertain. In this study, two new families, Climacocystaceae and Gloeoporellaceae of Polyporales, are proposed based on morphological characters and molecular data. Phylogenetic analyses of the two new families are inferred from the DNA sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II gene (RPB1), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II gene (RPB2), and the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1). Furthermore, the divergence time of Polyporales was estimated as an additional taxonomic criterion based on the conserved regions of five DNA fragments (5.8S, nLSU, RPB1, RPB2, and TEF1). Bayesian evolutionary analysis revealed that the ancestor of Polyporales splits with a mean stem age of 136.53 Mya with a 95% highest posterior density (HPD) of 118.08-158.06 Mya. The mean stem ages of the families within Polyporales originated between 66.02 and 119.22 Mya, of which Climacocystaceae occurred in a mean stem age of 77.49 Mya with a 95% HPD of 61.45-93.16 Mya, and Gloeoporellaceae occurred in a mean stem age of 88.06 Mya with a 95% HPD of 67.15-107.76 Mya.

Gonadal Atresia, Estrogen-Responsive, and Apoptosis-Specific mRNA Expression in Marine Mussels from the East China Coast: A Preliminary Study.

This preliminary survey analysed mussel atresia incidences, estrogen-responsive and apoptotic-specific molecular end points, and aqueous and gonadal levels of selected estrogens from the East China coast. Estrogen levels were low (e.g. < LOD-28.36 ng/L, < LOD-3.88 ng/g wet weight of tissue for BPA) relative to worldwide freshwater environments, but high oocyte follicle atresia incidences (up to 26.6%) occurred at selected sites. Expression of estrogen-responsive ER2 was significantly increased in males relative to females at sites with high atresia incidences in females. A second estrogen-responsive gene, V9, was significantly increased at two sites in April in females relative to males; the opposite was true for the remaining two sites. Apoptosis-specific genes (Bcl-2, fas) showed elevated expression in males relative to females at the site with the highest atresia incidence. These results provide coastal estrogen levels and the utility of several estrogen-specific molecular-level markers for marine mussels.

A Cationic Amphiphilic AIE Polymer for Mitochondrial Targeting and Imaging.

Mitochondria are important organelles that play key roles in generating the energy needed for life and in pathways such as apoptosis. Direct targeting of antitumor drugs, such as doxorubicin (DOX), to mitochondria into cells is an effective approach for cancer therapy and inducing cancer cell death. To achieve targeted and effective delivery of antitumor drugs to tumor cells, to enhance the therapeutic effect, and to reduce the side effects during the treatment, we prepared a cationic amphiphilic polymer with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristic. The polymer could be localized to mitochondria with excellent organelle targeting, and it showed good mitochondrial targeting with low toxicity. The polymer could also self-assemble into doxorubicin-loaded micelles in phosphate buffer, with a particle size of about 4.3 nm, an encapsulation rate of 11.03%, and micelle drug loading that reached 0.49%. The results of in vitro cytotoxicity experiments showed that the optimal dosage was 2.0 µg/mL, which had better inhibitory effect on tumor cells and less biological toxicity on heathy cells. Therefore, the cationic amphiphilic polymer can partially replace expensive commercial mitochondrial targeting reagents, and it can be also used as a drug loading tool to directly target mitochondria in cells for corresponding therapeutic research.

Comprehensive Analysis of Acetylation-Related lncRNAs and Identified AC099850.3 as Prognostic Biomarker in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

The present study aimed to analyze the effects of acetylation-related lncRNAs in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 399 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) have been identified between 497 NSCLC tissues and 54 normal tissues in the TCGA database, and 105 of which were correlated with acetylation regulators. By using univariate cox regression analysis and combining it with clinical prognosis information, 12 prognostic-related lncRNAs were selected for the subsequent analysis. The NSCLC patients were divided into two subgroups (cluster 1 and cluster 2) by clustering software, and immunocyte infiltration analysis, microenvironmental analysis, and clinical relevance analysis were performed between the two subgroups. A risk model was also built to further assess the prognosis value of prognostic-related lncRNAs in NSCLC patients. We found that AC099850.3 was significantly higher in both cluster 1 and high-risk subgroups, which may serve as a potential biomarker for the prognosis of NSCLC patients. Then, based on ceRNA competition mechanisms, the pathway enrichment of 105 acetylation-related lncRNAs was conducted by GO and KEGG analyses. We found the acetylation-related lncRNAs were primarily enriched in MAPK and EGFR signaling pathways, which were closely associated with NSCLC development. Finally, we validated the expression levels of AC099850.3 in NSCLC tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues and confirmed that AC099850.3 was significantly highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cells. These results may provide clues for our understanding of the role of acetylation-related lncRNAs and valuable information for future clinical diagnosis and prognosis in NSCLC patients.

Biogenesis, Functions, and Role of CircRNAs in Lung Cancer.

CircRNAs, a class of endogenous non-coding RNAs with closed-loop structures, have attracted increasing attention because of their good stability, high specificity of tissue expression, long half-life, and highly conserved sequence. CircRNAs have multiple biological functions, including miRNA sponge, transcription regulator, protein translation, interaction with protein, RNA maturation, and so on. These functions indicate the important role of circRNAs in tumorigenesis and malignant progression and their potential as potent diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic molecules. In recent years, an increasing body of evidence suggests that circRNAs play a crucial role in proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of lung cancer cells. Therefore, circRNAs have gradually become a research focus in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer patients. This review summarizes the classification, biogenesis, and function of circRNAs, and discusses the role of circRNAs in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of lung cancer patients.

The Important Role of N6-methyladenosine RNA Modification in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most prevalent epigenetic modifications of eukaryotic RNA. The m6A modification is a dynamic and reversible process, regulated by three kinds of regulator, including m6A methyltransferases, demethylases and m6A-binding proteins, and this modification plays a vital role in many diseases, especially in cancers. Accumulated evidence has proven that this modification has a significant effect on cellular biological functions and cancer progression; however, little is known about the effects of the m6A modification in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this review, we summarized how various m6A regulators modulate m6A RNA metabolism and demonstrated the effect of m6A modification on the progression and cellular biological functions of NSCLC. We also discussed how m6A modification affects the treatment, drug resistance, diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLC patients.

Discovery of a Monoiodo Aza-BODIPY Near-Infrared Photosensitizer: in vitro and in vivo Evaluation for Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a rising platform of the cancer treatment method is receiving increased attention. Through systematic evaluation of halogen substitution on aza-4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacenes (BODIPY), we have found that monoiodo-derived aza-BODIPYs provided greater efficacy than other halogenated aza-BODIPY PSs. 4 and 15 as monoiodinated aza-BODIPY dyes containing p-methoxyphenyl moiety were identified to be potent NIR aza-BODIPY-type PSs with IC50 values against HeLa cells at a light dose of 54 J/cm2 as low as 76 and 81 nM, respectively. 4 possessed superior phototoxicity, low dark toxicity, and good thermal/photostability and distributed majorly in mitochondria in cells. Apoptosis was verified to be the main cell death pathway, and in vitro reactive oxygen species generation was demonstrated. In vivo whole-body fluorescence imaging and ex vivo organ distribution studies suggested that 4 afforded an excellent PDT effect with a low drug dose under single-time light irradiation and revealed advantages over known PSs of ADPM06 and Ce6.

Fluorescent probe for sensitive discrimination of Hcy and Cys/GSH in living cells via dual-emission.

Abnormal levels of Cys, Hcy and GSH are associated with various diseases, thus monitoring biothiols is of great significance. In this work, a dual-emission responsive near-infrared fluorescent probe NIR-NBD for detecting Hcy and Cys/GSH was developed based on the conjugation of a dicyanoisophorone based fluorophore (NIR-OH) and 7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD). To our surprise, the addition of Hcy induced significant fluorescence enhancement at both 549 and 697 nm; while Cys/GSH resulted in major fluorescence emission at 697 nm. The detection limit was determined to be 33.2 nM for Cys, 33.5 nM for Hcy, and 34.4 nM for GSH. Therefore, the probe can be used for discriminative detection of Hcy and Cys/GSH. Moreover, fluorescence imaging of HeLa cells indicated that the probe was cell membrane permeable and could be used for visualizing Hcy and Cys/GSH in living cells.

Visualizing Nitric oxide in mitochondria and lysosomes of living cells with N-Nitrosation of BODIPY-based fluorescent probes.

Nitric oxide (NO), a ubiquitous gasotransmitter which plays critical roles in cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems related diseases, is closely related in the physiological and pathological processes of mitochondria and lysosomes. Thus, monitoring NO in mitochondria or lysosomes is very meaningful for NO related chemical biology. Herein, we rationally designed four NO probes, BDP-NO, Mito-NO-T, Mito-NO and Lyso-NO, based on BODIPY dye substituted at meso position with 5-amino-2-methoxy-phenyl scaffold. These four probes all showed fast fluorescence off-on response toward NO with excellent selectivity and high sensitivity with the detection limit of BDP-NO to reach 5.7 nM. We introduced triphenylphosphonium and morpholine moieties onto BODIPY scaffold respectively to enable organelle-targetability. MTT and flow cytometry assay demonstrated that the probes exhibited low cytotoxicity, which was beneficial to the biological application in living cells. Confocal fluorescence microscopy experiments confirmed excellent mitochondria targeting for Mito-NO and lysosome-targeting with Lyso-NO for the detection of NO in living cells.

Instantaneous fluorescent probe for the specific detection of H2S.

Novel cyanine-based fluorescent probes for the detection of H2S were developed. The probes developed are stable under physiological conditions. The water soluble fluorescent probe 2 displayed ultrafast and specific response to H2S displaying NIR fluorescence of 115-fold turn-on with the detection limit of 11 nM without assistance of organic solvent or surfactant. Cell imaging experiments indicated that probe 2 was cell-permeable and was able to detect H2S sensitively in lysosomes. Moreover, our probe was able to detect H2S intrinsically produced H2S through enzymatic/non-enzymatic biosynthetic pathway from Cys/GSH. Moreover, we applied probe 2 to detect H2S in living mice and demonstrated the fast metabolism of H2S. Thus, probe 2 shows great promise as a reporter for H2S.

Removal of Antibiotic Florfenicol by Sulfide-Modified Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron.

Florfenicol (FF, C12H14Cl2FNO4S), an emerging halogenated organic contaminant of concern was effectively degraded in water by sulfidized nanoscale zerovalent iron (S-nZVI). Sulfidized nZVI (62.5 m2 g-1) that was prepared using a one-step method resulted in small Fe0/Fe-sulfide particles that were more stable against aggregation than unsulfidized nZVI (10.2 m2 g-1). No obvious removal of FF was observed by unsulfidized nZVI. S-nZVI degraded FF, having a surface area normalized reaction rate constant of 3.1 × 10-4 L m-2 min-1. The effects of the S/Fe molar ratio, initial FF concentration, initial pH, temperature, and water composition on the removal of FF by S-nZVI, and on the formation of reaction products, were systematically investigated. Both dechlorination and defluorination were observed, resulting in four degradation products (C12H15ClFNO4S, C12H16FNO4S, C12H17NO4S, and C12H17NO5S). High removal efficiencies of FF by S-nZVI were achieved in groundwater, river water, seawater, and wastewater. The reactivity of S-nZVI was relatively unaffected by the presence of both dissolved ions and organic matter in the waters tested.

Phylogeny and taxonomy of Favolus (Basidiomycota).

Favolus is a natural genus that is closely related to Polyporus. A taxonomic study of Favolus was carried out based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) and 18S and 28S genes of the nuc rDNA, translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1-α), the mt 16S rDNA gene (mt rrnS), ß-tubulin gene (TBB1), and the RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB1) and second largest subunit (RPB2) genes. Fourteen specimens collected from subtropical to tropical regions in China were shown to be different from existing Favolus species. They are described and illustrated here as four new species, namely, Favolus niveus, F. septatus, F. pseudoemerici, and F. subtropicus.

Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Polyporus Group Melanopus (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) from China.

Melanopus is a morphological group of Polyporus which contains species with a black cuticle on the stipe. In this article, taxonomic and phylogenetic studies on Melanopus group were carried out on the basis of morphological characters and phylogenetic evidence of DNA sequences of multiple loci including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU), the small subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nSSU), the small subunit mitochondrial rRNA gene sequences (mtSSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (EF1-α), the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB1), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), and ß-tubulin gene sequences (ß-tubulin). The phylogenetic result confirmed that the previously so-called Melanopus group is not a monophyletic assemblage, and species in this group distribute into two distinct clades: the Picipes clade and the Squamosus clade. Four new species of Picipes are described, and nine new combinations are proposed. A key to species of Picipes is provided.

Two new species of Fomitiporia (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) from Tibet, southwest China.

Two new species of Fomitiporia growing on Hippophae trees, F. norbulingka and F. subhippophaëicola, are described from southwest China based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis. Fomitiporia norbulingka is characterized by pileate basidiomata, mostly angular pores (6-9 per mm), slightly thick-walled generative hyphae, subglobose to globose basidiospores (6.5-7 × 5.5-7 µm), and absence of cystidioles. Fomitiporia subhippophaëicola is diagnostic by effused-reflexed to pileate basidiomata, angular pores (8-10 per mm), thick-walled generative hyphae, subglobose to obovoid basidiospores (6-8 × 5.5-7 µm), and presence of ventricose to fusoid cystidioles. Phylogenetic analysis inferred from combined sequences including the nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8-ITS2 region, 28S rDNA D1-D2 domains, partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1-α, and RNA polymerase II second largest subunits genes indicated that F. norbulingka and F. subhippophaëicola represent two new lineages which group together with F. hippophaëicola.

A mitochondria-targeted turn-on fluorescent probe for the detection of glutathione in living cells.

A novel turn-on red fluorescent BODIPY-based probe (Probe 1) for the detection of glutathione was developed. Such a probe carries a para-dinitrophenoxy benzyl pyridinium moiety at the meso position of a BODIPY dye as self-immolative linker. Probe 1 responds selectively to glutathione with the detection limit of 109nM over other amino acids, common metal ions, reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, and reactive sulfur species. A novel electrostatic interaction to modulate the SNAr attack of glutathione was believed to play significant role for the observed selective response to glutathione. The cleavage of dinitrophenyl ether by glutathione leads to the production of para-hydroxybenzyl moiety which is able to self-immolate through an intramolecular 1,4-elimination reaction to release the fluorescent BODIPY dye. The low toxic probe has been successfully used to detect mitochondrial glutathione in living cells.

New species of Cystolepiota from China.

In this paper, a new species, Cystolepiota pseudofumosifolia, is introduced. C. pseudofumosifolia is characterized by granulose or powdery pileus with an anatomic structure that is loosely globose, as well as ellipsoid cells in chains in the pileus covering the cheilocystidia. This new species is compared to the related and similar Cystolepiota species in morphology and molecular phylogeny based on Internal transcribed spacer sequences. Both types of data support our specimens as a new species in the genus Cystolepiota.

The Efficacy and Underlying Mechanism of Sulfone Derivatives Containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole on Citrus Canker.

The objectives of the current study were to isolate and identify the pathogen responsible for citrus canker and investigate the efficacy of sulfone derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety on controlling citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) under in vitro and field conditions. In an in vitro study, we tested eight sulfone derivatives against Xcc and the results demonstrated that compound 3 exhibited the best antibacterial activity against Xcc, with a half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 1.23 µg/mL, which was even better than those of commercial bactericides Kocide 3000 (58.21 µg/mL) and Thiodiazole copper (77.04 µg/mL), respectively. Meanwhile, under field experiments, compound 3 treatments demonstrated the highest ability to reduce the disease of citrus canker in leaves and fruits in two different places relative to an untreated control as well as the commercial bactericides Kocide 3000 and Thiodiazole copper. Meanwhile, compound 3 could stimulate the increase in peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activities in the navel orange leaves, causing marked enhancement of plant resistance against citrus canker. Moreover, compound 3 could damage the cell membranes, destruct the biofilm formation, inhibit the production of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS), and affect the cell membrane permeability to restrain the growth of the bacteria.

Occurrence, distribution and risk assessment of estrogens in surface water, suspended particulate matter, and sediments of the Yangtze Estuary.

The occurrence and distribution of six selected estrogen compounds were investigated in samples of surface water, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and sediment in the Yangtze Estuary and its coastal areas over four seasons. With the exception of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), all estrogens were detected at least once in all three phases with bisphenol A (BPA) and estriol (E3) as the dominant estrogens in all phases. EE2 was not detected in any surface water samples. In addition, the highest total estrogen concentrations were found in January in all phases, which could be due to the low flow conditions and temperature during this season. A significant positive correlation was found between total estrogen concentrations and organic carbon (OC) contents, both in the water phase and solid phase (i.e. SPM and sediment), indicating the vital role played by OC. Based on a yeast estrogen screen (YES) bioassay, the higher estrogenic risk was found in the SPM and sediment phase when compared to the water phase. These results were confirmed by a risk assessment which revealed that the Yangtze Estuary was displayed a low to high risk over the seasons for all selected estrogens.

[Concentration and distribution characteristics of estrogen in aquatic organism from Chongming Island].

Five typical estrogens, including estrone (E1), 17ß-estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), 17α-ethynyl estradiol (EE2) and bisphenol A (BPA), were simultaneously determined in typical aquatic organisms from Chongming Island by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography equipped with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS2). The distribution pattern of estrogens was studied and preliminary heath risk assessment was discussed. The results showed that the total dry weight concentrations of estrogens were from 1.1 ng x g(-1) to 7.38 ng x g(-1) with a mean of 4.25 ng x g(-1). The lipid content-standardized estrogens concentrations were in the range of 5.01- 83.41 ng x g(-1) with a mean of 40.75 ng x g(-1), showing a descending order of fish > shrimp > crab. Fish and crab, fish and shrimp showed a significant difference in lipid content-standardized estrogen concentrations, whereas no significant difference was found between crab and shrimp. Compared to BPA, the dry weight concentrations of steroids (E1, E2, E3 and EE2) were found at lower levels (0.17-0.69 ng x g(-1)) with lower detection frequency (< 66.67%) in aquatic organisms from Chongming Island. In contrast, the detection rate of BPA reached 100%, and the average dry weight concentration detected was 2.60 ng x g(-1). The results of health risk assessment showed the concentration of estrogens in aquatic products from Chongming Island could not cause any adverse population-level effects.

Palliative gastrectomy and chemotherapy for stage IV gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the value of palliative gastrectomy and chemotherapy in a large series of patients with stage IV gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of 389 patients were identified in survival analysis. Among which, 183 cases received palliative gastrectomy (PG) and 206 cases received unresectable operation, 184 cases received palliative chemotherapy (PC) and 205 cases did not receive chemotherapy. The survival advantages of patients, based on treatments modality, were also analyzed in patients with liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination and lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: The 1-year, 3-year, 5-year survival rate of those patients who were treated with PG + PC were 85.7% (96/112), 32.1% (36/112), and 8.9% (10/112), which were far better than those who were not. For those patients with liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, and/or N3 lymph node metastasis, survival advantages were also present if treated with this multimodality approach. CONCLUSION: The survival time and palliative duration were significantly longer in patients after PG than after non-resection operations. Postoperative chemotherapy prolonged the survival time of patients after palliative surgery. PG combined with adjuvant chemotherapy may improve survival in patients with stage IV gastric cancer, even with liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, and lymph node metastasis.