Microbes and nutrient shift in a Closed Aquatic Ecosystem (CAES) during four weeks of operation.

A Closed Aquatic Ecosystem (CAES) housed an aquatic plant Ceratophyllum demersum, zebrafish (Danio rerio), and microbes that were simultaneously obtained with the zebrafish, and it was used to study the operation of the ecosystem. The results indicated that the CAES can operate steadily for about 4 weeks. The dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and conductivity values of the ecosystem regularly oscillated, while the total nitrogen of the water decreased and the total phosphate slightly increased. Additionally, the chemical oxygen demand (COD, a measure of organic compounds) of the water after the experiment increased to 39 times more than that of the water before the experiment. The meta-genomic data showed that the number of genera decreased by 38 % and the top 10 most abundant genera were almost completely different before and after the experiment, which demonstrated a great shift in the microbes during the operation process. These results suggested that although the CAES operated steadily during the 28-day experiment, there were more organic materials and less nitrogen in the water by the end of the experiment, which may have influenced the structure and operation of the ecosystem. Thus, it is necessary to remove superfluous plant biomass from the CAES and supply nitrogen to keep the ecosystem stable.

Kalium channelrhodopsins effectively inhibit neurons.

The analysis of neural circuits has been revolutionized by optogenetic methods. Light-gated chloride-conducting anion channelrhodopsins (ACRs)-recently emerged as powerful neuron inhibitors. For cells or sub-neuronal compartments with high intracellular chloride concentrations, however, a chloride conductance can have instead an activating effect. The recently discovered light-gated, potassium-conducting, kalium channelrhodopsins (KCRs) might serve as an alternative in these situations, with potentially broad application. As yet, KCRs have not been shown to confer potent inhibitory effects in small genetically tractable animals. Here, we evaluated the utility of KCRs to suppress behavior and inhibit neural activity in Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, and zebrafish. In direct comparisons with ACR1, a KCR1 variant with enhanced plasma-membrane trafficking displayed comparable potency, but with improved properties that include reduced toxicity and superior efficacy in putative high-chloride cells. This comparative analysis of behavioral inhibition between chloride- and potassium-selective silencing tools establishes KCRs as next-generation optogenetic inhibitors for in vivo circuit analysis in behaving animals.

Exploring cell aggregation as a defense strategy against perchlorate stress in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii through multi-omics analysis.

Perchlorate (ClO4-) is a type of novel, widely distributed, and persistent inorganic pollutant. However, the impacts of perchlorate on freshwater algae remain unclear. In this study, the response and defense mechanisms of microalgae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) under perchlorate stress were investigated by integrating physiological and biochemical monitoring, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of transcriptome data was used to analyze the relationship between genes and phenotype and screen the key pathways. C. reinhardtii exhibited aggregate behavior when exposed to 100- and 200-mM perchlorate but was restored to its unicellular lifestyle when transferred to fresh medium. WGCNA results found that the "carbohydrate metabolism" and "lipid metabolism" pathways were closely related to cell aggregation phenotype. The differential expression genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) of these pathways were upregulated, indicating that the lipid and carbohydrate metabolisms were enhanced in aggregated cells. Additionally, most genes and metabolites related to phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway were significantly upregulated, indicating their crucial roles in the signal transmission of aggregated cells. Meanwhile, in aggregated cells, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and lipid contents increased, photosynthesis activity decreased, and the antioxidant system was activated. These characteristics contributed to C. reinhardtii's improved resistance to perchlorate stress. Above results demonstrated that cell aggregation behavior was the principal defense strategy of C. reinhardtii against perchlorate. Overall, this study sheds new light on the impact mechanisms of perchlorate to aquatic microalgae and provides multi-omics insights into the research of multicellular-like aggregation as an adaptation strategy to abiotic stress. These results are beneficial for assessing the risk of perchlorate in aquatic environments.

Protection and Damage Repair Mechanisms Contributed To the Survival of Chroococcidiopsis sp. Exposed To a Mars-Like Near Space Environment.

Chroococcidiopsis spp. can withstand extremely harsh environments, including a Mars-like environment. However, studies are lacking on the molecular mechanisms of Chroococcidiopsis sp. surviving in Mars-like environments. In the HH-21-5 mission, the desert cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp. was exposed to a Mars-like environment (near space; 35 km altitude) for 4 h, and a single-factor environment of near space was simulated on the ground. We investigated the survival and endurance mechanisms of Chroococcidiopsis sp. ASB-02 after exposing it to near space by studying its physiological and transcriptional properties. After the exposure, Chroococcidiopsis sp. ASB-02 exhibited high cell viability, although photosystem II activity decreased and the levels of reactive oxygen species increased. The single-factor simulation experiments revealed that for the survival of Chroococcidiopsis sp. ASB-02 in near space, UV radiation was the most important limiting factor, and it was followed by temperature. The near space environment triggered multiple metabolic pathway responses in Chroococcidiopsis sp. ASB-02. The upregulation of extracellular polysaccharides as well as carotenoid and scytonemin biosynthesis genes in response to UV radiation attenuated the extent of radiation reaching the cells. At the same time, genes related to protein synthesis were upregulated in response to the low temperature, overcoming the decrease in metabolic activity that was caused by the low temperature. In near space and after rehydration, the genes involved in various DNA and photosystem II repair pathways were upregulated. This reflected the damage to the DNA and photosystem II protein subunits in cells during the flight and suggested that repair mechanisms play an important role in the recovery of Chroococcidiopsis sp. ASB-02. IMPORTANCE This study reported that the protective and repair mechanisms of Chroococcidiopsis sp. ASB-02 contributed to its endurance ability in a Mars-like near space environment. In Chroococcidiopsis sp. ASB-02, a Mars-like near space environment activated the expression of genes involved in extracellular polysaccharides (EPS), carotenoid, scytonemin, and protein syntheses, which provided additional protection. Additionally, the cell damage repair process enhanced the recovery rate of Chroococcidiopsis sp. ASB-02 after the flight. This study will help to enhance the understanding of the tolerance mechanism of Chroococcidiopsis sp. and to provide important guidance as to the survival requirements for microbial life in a Mars-like environment.

Effect of berberine on copper and zinc levels in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella.

Berberine, a traditional Chinese medicine, was found to exhibit anticoccidial activity. However, its mechanism is unclear. Trace metals such as copper and zinc are extremely low (less than 0.01% of the total weight of the body) but play a vital role in organisms. In the present study, we investigated the effect of berberine on copper and zinc levels in chickens infected with Eimeria tenella. Firstly, our data confirmed that infected chickens with E. tenella exhibited classic impairment on the 8th day of post infection, such as weight loss and increased feed conversion. Further study showed that E. tenella infection decreased the contents of copper and zinc in the liver and serum of chickens. Berberine was similar to amprolium and significantly improved the pathogenic conditions. Berberine could restore copper and zinc imbalance caused by E. tenella in chickens to a large extent. Studies on the development of cecum lesions demonstrated that the protective effect of berberine on the intestinal cecum was similar to that of the Cu/Zn mixture. Additionally, the mRNA expression of several metal transport related genes of the chick small intestine, including zinc transporter 1, copper transporter 1 and divalent metal ion transporter 1, was elevated by the treatment with berberine. Taken together, we speculate that the anticoccidial activity of berberine may be related to the maintenance of certain metals (Cu/Zn) homeostasis by affecting mRNA expression of their transport genes. However, the mode of action of BBR on these vital metals in the chicks infected with E. tenella still needs to be further studied.

Two new bisamides from the leaves of Aglaia perviridis.

Two new bisamides, aglaiamides A (1) and B (2), along with three known ones (3-5), were isolated from the leaves of Aglaia perviridis. Their structures were established on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analyses.