Endophytic Colletotrichum (Sordariomycetes, Glomerellaceae) species associated with Citrusgrandis cv. "Tomentosa" in China.

Colletotrichum species are well-known plant pathogens, saprobes, endophytes, human pathogens and entomopathogens. However, little is known about Colletotrichum as endophytes of plants and cultivars including Citrusgrandis cv. "Tomentosa". In the present study, 12 endophytic Colletotrichum isolates were obtained from this host in Huazhou, Guangdong Province (China) in 2019. Based on morphology and combined multigene phylogeny [nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh), chitin synthase 1 (chs-1), histone H3 (his3) actin (act), beta-tubulin (ß-tubulin) and glutamine synthetase (gs)], six Colletotrichum species were identified, including two new species, namely Colletotrichumguangdongense and C.tomentosae. Colletotrichumasianum, C.plurivorum, C.siamense and C.tainanense are identified as being the first reports on C.grandis cv. "Tomentosa" worldwide. This study is the first comprehensive study on endophytic Colletotrichum species on C.grandis cv. "Tomentosa" in China.

Carbon Arc Lamp Therapy Enhances the Repair Potential of Chronic Soft Tissue Injury in Rats Compared with the Ability of Photobiomodulation Therapy.

Objective: The effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and carbon arc lamp therapy (CALT) on the repair of chronic soft tissue injury were compared. Background data: PBMT improves soft tissue repair of chronic injury. However, there has been no research on the effect of CALT. Methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were irradiated using PBMT and CALT at 2 J/cm2 to observe their effects on cell proliferation and migration. The effects of PBMT and CALT on soft tissue injury repair were assessed using a chronic gastrocnemius injury model of the posterior limb in rats. The malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were examined by biochemical analyses. The degree of tissue damage repair was evaluated by the immunohistochemical method [CD45, CD34, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and actin] and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. Results: Treatment by PBMT and CALT significantly accelerated the proliferation and migration of HUVECs. Moreover, significant decreases in the contents of MDA and PGE2 were observed in the PBMT and CALT groups, while SOD activity was increased. The histological assessment shows that the content of inflammatory cells and apoptotic cells significantly decreased in the CALT group. However, the microvascular density, VEGF content, and actin content were increased in the CALT group. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that CALT has a stronger effect on promoting chronic soft tissue injury repair in comparison with PBMT.

Potential Targets of Actein Identified by Systems Chemical Biology Methods.

Actein is the main active ingredient of medicinal plant Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt, which has been reported to have various pharmacological effects, but the mechanism of actein remains undetermined. In this study, systems chemical biology methods were used to predict the targets and elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms of actein. First, 54 gene co-expression modules were obtained by biclustering. Then, the top 1 % agents with the highest regulatory similarity were screened out to be highly functionally similar to actein. Finally, the results of molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation showed that actein has a stronger interaction with eight targets than original ligands. It suggests that the antipsychotic effect of actein probably occurs by targeting the key residues of the eight receptors, which are compatible with previously reported information. This study not only provides predicted targets of actein, but also a new method for exploring the mechanisms of other natural products in drug discovery.

Effects of Carbon Arc Lamp Irradiation on Wound Healing in a Rat Cutaneous Full-Thickness Wound Model.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to investigate the application of a carbon arc lamp on wound healing in a rat cutaneous full-thickness wound model. Background data: In clinical practice, wound healing has been promoted by irradiation with a carbon arc lamp. However, the corresponding mechanism has not been clearly defined. Methods: A cutaneous full-thickness wound on the back of rats was irradiated using a carbon arc lamp at a wavelength peak range of 620-740 nm with 54 J/cm2. Injured sham-irradiated control rats were used as the control. The rats were euthanized after 7, 14, and 21 days, while wound reepithelialization and healing quality were examined by histological analyses with comparison between groups. Cell proliferation was observed by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemical staining. Results: Irradiation by the carbon arc lamp significantly accelerated wound healing. The wound-healing rate in the treated group at day 21 was 98.42% ± 0.56%, compared with 93.58% ± 1.26% in the control group (p < 0.05). Significant increases in the length of epithelial edges, collagen content, and microvessel density were observed in the wound sites in the treated group at days 7, 14, and 21 (p < 0.05). Moreover, the number of BrdU-labeled cells increased in the wound edge at days 7 and 14 due to irradiation (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results demonstrated that the carbon arc lamp can promote wound healing together with improvement in its quality by stimulating cell proliferation.

[Microbial Population Dynamics During Domestication and Cultivation of Biofilm to Remove and Enrich Phosphate].

The purpose of this study was to develop a method to remove and recover high concentration phosphate solutions from wastewater. An experiment was carried out to cultivate and enrich phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) in the biofilm with nylon as the biological carrier using artificial water distribution. Microflora morphology, species diversity, and the genetic relationship of biofilm during the process of biofilm domestication were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. In addition, the feasibility of recycling a high concentration of phosphate in the conventional biofilm within a short time was validated. The membrane was hung in the biological carrier when the reactor was operated for 10 d. After the hanging of the film succeeded, the effluent COD was below 50 mg·L-1, the effluent phosphorus was close to zero, and the removal efficiency of phosphorus reached to above 95%. The operation was stable at this level for 40 d. The results from the SEM indicated that the microbial morphology in the biofilm was uniform with full oval-shaped spheres with a clear profile. MiSeq high-throughput sequencing indicated that the dominant phylum in the reactor included Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Ignavibacteriae, and Nitrospirae. Proteobacteria, as the dominant genera, increased from 47% to 58%. Rhodocyclaceae, as the dominant phosphorus accumulating bacteria, increased from 17.9% to 28.9%. During the recovery period, the concentration of the phosphorus solution increased from 40mg·L-1 to 82 mg·L-1 by increasing the influent phosphate concentration and the COD concentration in the anaerobic phase, meeting the requirement of phosphorus recovery with the struvite method.

Preconditioning With Low-Level Laser Irradiation Enhances the Therapeutic Potential of Human Adipose-derived Stem Cells in a Mouse Model of Photoaged Skin.

This study was conducted to explore the therapeutic potential of human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) irradiated with a low-level laser (LLL). Cultured ADSCs were treated with 650-nm GaAlAs laser irradiation at 2, 4 and 8 J cm-2 . Cell proliferation was quantified by MTT assays, cytokine secretion was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and adipogenic differentiation was examined by oil red O staining. Additionally, the expression profiles of putative ADSC surface markers were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, a mouse photoaged skin model was established by UVB irradiation. Effects of GaAlAs laser-treated ADSCs on the thicknesses of the epidermis and dermis were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The results showed that GaAlAs laser treatment of cells at a radiant exposure of 4 J cm-2 enhanced ADSC proliferation and adipogenic differentiation and increased secretion of growth factors. Furthermore, GaAlAs laser irradiation upregulated the expression of putative ADSC surface markers. In the mouse model of photoaged skin, ADSCs treated with GaAlAs laser irradiation had markedly decreased the epidermal thickness and increased the dermal thickness of photoaged mouse skin. Our data indicate that LLL irradiation is an effective biostimulator of ADSCs and might enhance the therapeutic potential of ADSCs for clinical use.

[Process of Enrichment and Culture of PAOs on a Novel Biofilm Process of Dephosphorization].

Using the hanging nylon as a biological carrier,a novel biofilm reactor was adopted to treat synthetic wastewater,and the feasibility of cultivating and enriching a high concentration of PAOs on this conventional biofilm within a short time was investigated,which was proved from the aspects of reactor's operational efficiency,the rate of phosphorus removal and the condition of PAOs enrichment.After 10d of operation,the rate of orthophosphate removal was higher than 95% in aerobic phase and the concentration of effluent COD was 50 mg·L-1 or less in the reactor,which was operated steadily for 50 d at this treatment level;after 48 d of operation,the reactor's phosphorus uptake rate and release rate were increased from 3.4 mg·(L·h)-1 and 3.4 mg·(L·h)-1to 8 mg·(L·h)-1 and 6 mg·(L·h)-1,respectively,and the aerobic and anaerobic cycles were shortened from equally 6 h to 2 h and 3 h,respectively.The fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) test found that the PAOs' abundance was increased from the original 48.96% to 70% on the 50th day,meanwhile the PAOs showed reunite chunk state in hybrid figure,the thickness of biofilm measured by direct microscopic process was about 28.9 µm,which all proved that the PAOs in biofilm were at the end of the growth kinetics and the biofilm was mature.By hardening culture for 50d,a high concentration of 70% in full organisms of PAOs could be enriched in the conventional nylon filler,enabling the reactor to show a high efficiency in removal of phosphorus and organic matter from sewage.

Helium-neon laser irradiation promotes the proliferation and migration of human epidermal stem cells in vitro: proposed mechanism for enhanced wound re-epithelialization.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of helium-neon (He-Ne) laser irradiation on the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of cultured human epidermal stem cells (ESCs). BACKGROUND DATA: A He-Ne laser with a wavelength of 632.8 nm is known to have photobiological effects, and is widely used for accelerating wound healing; however, the cellular mechanisms involved have not been completely understood. METHODS: The ESCs were prepared from human foreskin, and irradiated by using He-Ne laser at 632.8 nm with 2 J/cm(2). The ESC proliferation, migration, and differentiation were examined by using XTT assay, scratch assay, and flow cytometry technology, respectively. The phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) was analyzed by using Western blotting. RESULTS: He-Ne laser irradiation markedly promoted cell proliferation and migration accompanied by an increase in the phosphorylation of ERK, but did not significantly influence cell differentiation. CONCLUSION: Our data indicated that photostimulation with a He-Ne laser resulted in a significant increase in human ESC proliferation and migration in vitro, which might contribute, at least partially, to accelerated wound re-epithelialization by low-level laser therapy.