Integrated analyses reveal the response of peanut to phosphorus deficiency on phenotype, transcriptome and metabolome.

BACKGROUND: Phosphorus (P) is one of the most essential macronutrients for crops. The growth and yield of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) are always limited by P deficiency. However, the transcriptional and metabolic regulatory mechanisms were less studied. In this study, valuable phenotype, transcriptome and metabolome data were analyzed to illustrate the regulatory mechanisms of peanut under P deficiency stress. RESULT: In present study, two treatments of P level in deficiency with no P application (-P) and in sufficiency with 0.6 mM P application (+ P) were used to investigate the response of peanut on morphology, physiology, transcriptome, microRNAs (miRNAs), and metabolome characterizations. The growth and development of plants were significantly inhibited under -P treatment. A total of 6088 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified including several transcription factor family genes, phosphate transporter genes, hormone metabolism related genes and antioxidant enzyme related genes that highly related to P deficiency stress. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses indicated that 117 genes were annotated in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway under P deficiency stress. A total of 6 miRNAs have been identified significantly differential expression between + P and -P group by high-throughput sequencing of miRNAs, including two up-regulated miRNAs (ahy-miR160-5p and ahy-miR3518) and four down-regulated miRNAs (ahy-miR408-5p, ahy-miR408-3p, ahy-miR398, and ahy-miR3515). Further, the predicted 22 target genes for 6 miRNAs and cis-elements in 2000 bp promoter region of miRNA genes were analyzed. A total of 439 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) showed obviously differences in two experimental conditions. CONCLUSIONS: According to the result of transcripome and metabolome analyses, we can draw a conclusion that by increasing the content of lignin, amino acids, and levan combining with decreasing the content of LPC, cell reduced permeability, maintained stability, raised the antioxidant capacity, and increased the P uptake in struggling for survival under P deficiency stress.

Renewable Castor-Oil-based Waterborne Polyurethane Networks: Simultaneously Showing High Strength, Self-Healing, Processability and Tunable Multishape Memory.

Materials with multifunctionality or multiresponsiveness, especially polymers derived from green, renewable precursors, have recently attracted significant attention resulting from their technological impact. Nowadays, vegetable-oil-based waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) are widely used in various fields, while strategies for simultaneous realization of their self-healing, reprocessing, shape memory as well as high mechanical properties are still highly anticipated. We report development of a multifunctional castor-oil-based waterborne polyurethane with high strength using controlled amounts of dithiodiphenylamine. The polymer networks possessed high tensile strength up to 38 MPa as well as excellent self-healing efficiency. Moreover, the WPU film exhibited a maximum recovery of 100 % of the original mechanical properties after reprocessing four times. The broad glass-transition temperature of the samples endowed the films with a versatile shape-memory effect, including a dual-to-quadruple shape-memory effect.

Dual-Mode Antibacterial Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy.

In this work, dual-mode antibacterial conjugated polymer nanoparticles (DMCPNs) combined with photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are designed and explored for efficient killing of ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli (Ampr E. coli). The DMCPNs are self-assembled into nanoparticles with a size of 50.4 ± 0.6 nm by co-precipitation method using the photothermal agent poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole-thienothiophene) (PDPPTT) and the photosensitizer poly[2-methoxy-5-((2-ethylhexyl)oxy)-p-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) in the presence of poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) which makes nanoparticles disperse well in water via hydrophobic interactions. Thus, DMCPNs simultaneously possess photothermal effect and the ability of sensitizing oxygen in the surrounding to generate reactive oxygen species upon the illumination of light, which could easily damage resistant bacteria. Under combined irradiation of near-infrared light (550 mW cm-2 , 5 min) and white light (65 mW cm-2 , 5 min), DMCPNs with a concentration of 9.6 × 10-4 µm could reach a 93% inhibition rate against Ampr E. coli, which is higher than the efficiency treated by PTT or PDT alone. The dual-mode nanoparticles provide potential for treating pathogenic infections induced by resistant microorganisms in clinic.

Modulation of oxygen vacancy in tungsten oxide nanosheets for Vis-NIR light-enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen production and anticancer photothermal therapy.

Oxygen vacancy (OV) tuning was introduced into oxygen-deficient WO3 nanosheets to optimize the chemical and electronic properties. Enhanced electronic conduction, extended light absorption, enhanced HER reaction kinetics and benign photothermal performance were verified by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental studies. Vis-NIR light-enhanced electrocatalytic HER was accomplished with a small overpotential of 52 mV (at 10 mA cm-2) and a low Tafel slope of 37 mV dec-1 and performed much more efficiently than that in darkness, comparable to the noble-metal catalysts (Pt, Pt/C). Moreover, the resultant WO3-OVs possess good photothermal conversion efficiency. The promising potential of the WO3-OVs for anticancer photothermal therapy has been demonstrated with a high photothermal conversion efficiency (∼41.6%) upon single wavelength near-infrared irradiation and an efficient tumor inhibition rate (∼96.8%). This design of photoelectronic/thermal materials paves an exciting new avenue for the conversion of well-developed metal oxides to be high-performance and multifunctional materials for energy and oncology applications.

Hydroxyl-PEG-Phosphonic Acid-Stabilized Superparamagnetic Manganese Oxide-Doped Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with Synergistic Effects for Dual-Mode MR Imaging.

The T1-T2 dual-mode contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can generate self-complementary confirmed T2 and T1 images, hence greatly improving the reliability. Facilely synthesizing nanoparticles with the ultrasensitive contrast property remains extremely challenging in nanoscience. Moreover, uncovering the mechanism correlating the signal enhancements and chemical constituents is vital for designing novel efficient synergistically enhanced T1-T2 dual-mode MRI nanoprobes. Herein, we report a one-pot facile method to synthesize the superparamagnetic manganese oxide-doped iron oxide (Fe3O4/MnO) nanoparticles for T1-T2 dual-mode MR imaging. Under external magnetic field, the local magnetic field intensities of MnO and Fe3O4 could be simultaneously enhanced through embedding MnO into Fe3O4 nanoparticles and hence can cause synergistic T1 and T2 contrast enhancements. Moreover, a novel and facile cost-effective method for large-scale synthesis of hydroxyl-polyethylene glycol-phosphonic acid-stabilizing ligands is designed. The facile synthetic method and surface coating strategy of superparamagnetic Fe3O4/MnO nanoparticles offer an idea for the chemical design and preparation of superparamagnetic nanoparticles with ultrasensitive MRI contrast abilities for disease evaluation and treatment.

Metastatic cancer cells compensate for low energy supplies in hostile microenvironments with bioenergetic adaptation and metabolic reprogramming.

Metastasis accounts for the majority of cancer-related mortalities, and the complex processes of metastasis remain the least understood aspect of cancer biology. Metabolic reprogramming is associated with cancer cell survival and metastasis in a hostile envi-ronment with a limited nutrient supply, such as solid tumors. Little is known regarding the differences of bioenergetic adaptation between primary tumor cells and metastatic tumor cells in unfavorable microenvironments; to clarify these differences, the present study aimed to compare metabolic reprogramming of primary tumor cells and metastatic tumor cells. SW620 metastatic tumor cells exhibited stronger bioenergetic adaptation in unfavorable conditions compared with SW480 primary tumor-derived cells, as determined by the sustained elevation of glycolysis and regulation of the cell cycle. This remarkable glycolytic ability of SW620 cells was associated with high expression levels of hexokinase (HK)1, HK2, glucose transporter type 1 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α. Compared with SW480 cells, the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins was effectively inhibited in SW620 cells to sustain cell survival when there was a lack of energy. Furthermore, SW620 cells exhibited a stronger mesenchymal phenotype and stem cell characteristics compared with SW480 cells; CD133 and CD166 were highly expressed in SW620 cells, whereas expression was not detected in SW480 cells. These data may explain why metastatic cancer cells exhibit greater microenvironmental adaptability and survivability; specifically, this may be achieved by upregulating glycolysis, optimizing the cell cycle and reprogramming cell metabolism. The present study may provide a target metabolic pathway for cancer metastasis therapy.

[Sling suspension: a new technique of treating uterine prolapse].

OBJECTIVE: To report a novel surgical technique of laparoscopic extraperitoneal sling suspension for uterine prolapse and evaluate its efficacy. METHODS: A total of 21 consecutive patients of symptomatic uterovaginal prolapse with POP-Q (pelvic organ prolapse quantification system) stage ≥ 2 and aged 59 (42-76) years were enrolled for this procedure between September 2011 and December 2012. In brief, uterus was suspended to anterior abdominal wall fascia using an inelastic nonabsorable mesh extraperitoneally under laparoscopic guidance. The outcomes of interest included total operative duration, estimated blood loss, surgical length of stay POP-Q score change and quality of life questionnaire in pelvic floor distress inventor [PFDI-20] and pelvic floor impact questionnaire [PFIQ-7]. Follow-ups were scheduled at 1, 6 and 12 months and then annually. Comparisons were made between at preoperation and 6 and 12 months. The surgical success was defined as both subjective cure and significant improvement of POP-Q. RESULTS: This procedure was performed successfully in all patients. The estimated blood loss 10 (10-40) ml, operative duration 30 (25-90) minutes and postoperative hospital stay 1 (1-5) day. There were no major intraoperative or postoperative complications. The median follow-up was 20 (12-26) months. There were significant improvements in POP-Q measurements of Ba and C (P < 0.01) and quality-of-life scores (P < 0.01) at 6 and 12 months. The subjective cure rate was 100% and surgical success rate at 12 months 100%. CONCLUSION: This new sling suspension technique for uterine prolapse is safe, well-tolerated and effective so that it offers a simple alternative of laparoscopic uterine suspension.

Genotypes and drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in Shihezi, Xinjiang Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health problem. To investigate the genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and the distribution of Beijing family strains, molecular epidemiology technologies have been used widely. METHODS: From June 2010 to June 2011, 55 M. tuberculosis isolates from patients with pulmonary TB were studied by Beijing family-specific PCR (detection of the deletion of region of difference 105 [RD105]), and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) analysis. Twenty-four MIRU-VNTR loci defined the genotypes and clustering characteristics of the local strains. All strains were subjected to a drug susceptibility test (DST) by the proportion method on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) culture media. RESULTS: Fifty-five clinical isolates of MTB were collected. Beijing family strains represented 85.5% of the isolates studied. Using 24 loci MIRU-VNTR typing categorized the strains into eight gene groups, 46 genotypes, and seven clusters. 83.6% (46/55) of the isolates belonged to the largest gene group. Thirty-six isolates (65.5%) were susceptible, nineteen (34.5%) were resistant to at least one drug, seven (12.8%) were Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB), and two (3.6%) were extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). CONCLUSION: The results showed there were obvious polymorphisms of VNTRs of MTB clinical strains. Beijing family strains of MTB were predominant in the Shihezi region of Xinjiang province. There was no correlation between the drug-resistance and Beijing family strains of MTB. It is necessary to strengthen the monitoring, treatment, and management of drug-resistance TB in Shihezi region, Xinjiang.