MdERF114 enhances the resistance of apple roots to Fusarium solani by regulating the transcription of MdPRX63.

As the main fungal etiologic agent of apple (Malus domestica) replant disease (ARD), Fusarium solani seriously damages apple roots. Ethylene response factors (ERFs) play an important role in plant resistance to biotic stress. Here, we show that MdERF114 is expressed during F. solani infections and positively regulates the resistance of apple roots to F. solani. Yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase, electrophoretic mobility shift assays and determinations of lignin content indicated that MdERF114 directly binds the GCC-box of the MdPEROXIDASE63 (MdPRX63) promoter and activates its expression, resulting in lignin deposition in apple roots and increased resistance to F. solani. We identified a WRKY family transcription factor, MdWRKY75, that binds to the W-box of the MdERF114 promoter. Overexpression of MdWRKY75 enhanced resistance of apple roots to F. solani. MdMYB8 interacted with MdERF114 to enhance resistance to F. solani by promoting the binding of MdERF114 to the MdPRX63 promoter. In summary, our findings reveal that the MdWRKY75-MdERF114-MdMYB8-MdPRX63 module is required for apple resistance to F. solani and the application of this mechanism by Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated root transformation provides a promising strategy to prevent ARD.

In vitro cytocompatibility of triclosan coated Polyglactin910 sutures.

Bioabsorbable sutures can improve the medical functions of existing non-absorbable sutures, and may produce new medical effects, and are expected to become a new generation of medical degradable materials. In this study, the cytocompatibility of triclosan coated polyglactin910 sutures (CTS-PLGA910) was analyzed and different concentrations of sutures were prepared. The effects of sutures on the cytotoxicity and cell proliferation of HUVEC were studied by CCK-8 assay. The hemolysis, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity and nitric oxide (NO) content were investigated to improve the blood compatibility of sutures. The results showed that the hemolysis rate of CTS-PLGA910 was less than 5%. After treatment on HUVEC cells for 48 and 72 h, there was no significant change in NO content in CTS-PLGA910 groups compared with the control group, while T-AOC activity and antioxidant capacity were significantly increased in medium and high dose groups. In summary, the blood compatibility and cell compatibility were significantly improved, which provided a basis for the clinical application of sutures in the future.

Functionalized PLGA Microsphere Loaded with Fusion Peptide for Therapy of Bone Defects.

The challenges in the treatment of extensive bone defects are infection control and bone regeneration. Bone tissue engineering is currently one of the most promising strategies. In this study, a short biopeptide with specific osteogenic ability is designed by fusion peptide technology and encapsulated with chitosan-modified poly(lactic acid-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres. The fusion peptide (FP) mainly consists of an osteogenic functional sequence (P-15) and a bone-specific binding sequence (Asp-6), which can regulate bone formation accurately and efficiently. Chitosan-modified PLGA with antimicrobial and pro-healing effects is used to achieve the sustained release of fusion peptides. In the early stage, the antimicrobial and soft tissue healing effects can stop the wound infection as soon as possible, which is relevant for the subsequent bone regeneration process. Our data show that CS-PLGA@FP microspheres have antibacterial and pro-cell migration effects in vitro and excellent pro-wound-healing effects in vivo. In addition, CS-PLGA@FP microspheres promote the expression of osteogenic-related factors and show excellent bone regeneration in a rat defect model. Therefore, CS-PLGA@FP microspheres are an efficient biomaterial that can accelerate the recovery of bone defects.

An advanced treatment process for 3-high wastewater discharged from crude oil storage tanks.

The wastewater discharged from crude oil storage tanks (WCOST) contains high concentrations of salt and metal iron ions, and high chemical oxygen demand (COD). It belongs to "3-high" wastewater, which is difficult for purification. In this study, WCOST treatments were comparatively investigated via an advanced pretreatment and the traditional coagulation-microfiltration (CMF) processes. After WCOST was purified through the conventional CMF process, fouling occurred in the microfiltration (MF) membrane, which is rather harmful to the following reverse osmosis (RO) membrane unit, and the effluent featured high COD and UV254 values. The analysis confirmed that the MF fouling was due to the oxidation of ferrous ions, and the high COD and UV254 values were mainly attributable to the organic compounds with small molecular sizes, including aromatic-like and fulvic-like compounds. After the pretreatment of the advanced process consisting of aeration, manganese sand filtration, and activated carbon adsorption in combination with CMF process, the removal efficiencies of organic matter and total iron ions reached 97.3% and 99.8%, respectively. All the water indexes of the effluent, after treatment by the advanced multi-unit process, meet well the corresponding standard. The advanced pretreatment process reported herein displayed a great potential for alleviating the MF membrane fouling and enhanced the lifetime of the RO membrane system in the 3-high WCOST treatment.

Chimeric Peptides Quickly Modify the Surface of Personalized 3D Printing Titanium Implants to Promote Osseointegration.

Titanium (Ti) and titanium alloys have been widely used in the field of biomedicine. However, the unmatched biomechanics and poor bioactivities of conventional Ti implants usually lead to insufficient osseointegration. To tackle these challenges, it is critical to develop a novel Ti implant that meets the bioadaptive requirements for load-bearing critical bone defects. Notably, three-dimensional (3D)-printed Ti implants mimic the microstructure and mechanical properties of natural bones. Additionally, eco-friendly techniques based on inorganic-binding peptides have been applied to modify Ti surfaces. Herein, in our study, Ti surfaces were modified to reinforce osseointegration using chimeric peptides constructed by connecting W9, RP1P, and minTBP-1 directly or via (GP)4, respectively. PR1P is derived from the extracellular VEGF-binding domain of prominin-1, which increases the expression of VEGF and promotes the binding of VEGF to endothelial cells, thereby accelerating angiogenesis. W9 induces osteoblast differentiation in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and human mesenchymal stem cells to promote bone formation. Overall, chimeric peptides promote osseointegration by promoting angiogenesis and osteogenesis. Additionally, chimeric peptides with P3&4 were more effective than those with P1&2 in improving osseointegration, which might be ascribed to the capacity of P3&4 to provide a greater range for chimeric peptides to express their activity. This work successfully used chimeric peptides to modify 3D-Ti implant surfaces to improve osseointegration on the implant-bone surface.

Acceleration of Bone Regeneration in Critical-Size Defect Using BMP-9-Loaded nHA/ColI/MWCNTs Scaffolds Seeded with Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Biocompatible scaffolding materials play an important role in bone tissue engineering. This study sought to develop and characterize a nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA)/collagen I (ColI)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite scaffold loaded with recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-9 (BMP-9) for bone tissue engineering by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The composite nHA/ColI/MWCNT scaffolds were fabricated at various concentrations of MWCNTs (0.5, 1, and 1.5% wt) by blending and freeze drying. The porosity, swelling rate, water absorption rate, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of scaffolds were measured. After loading with BMP-9, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) were seeded to evaluate their characteristics in vitro and in a critical sized defect in Sprague-Dawley rats in vivo. It was shown that the 1% MWCNT group was the most suitable for bone tissue engineering. Our results demonstrated that scaffolds loaded with BMP-9 promoted differentiation of BMMSCs into osteoblasts in vitro and induced more bone formation in vivo. To conclude, nHA/ColI/MWCNT scaffolds loaded with BMP-9 possess high biocompatibility and osteogenesis and are a good candidate for use in bone tissue engineering.

Biodegradability and ecological impacts of polyethylene-based mulching film at agricultural environment.

Discarded Polyethylene (PE) mulches have posed a persistent pollution in the agricultural field. Although PE degraded by microbes has been reported, the effect on in situ soil environment is not completely understood. To determine the biodegradability and ecological impacts of PE-based mulches, we tested the biodegradation related properties of screened strains and analyzed change in soil quality and microbial community after covering with different mulches. Strain Bacillus aryabhattai 5-3 showed 3.85 ±â€¯0.50% gravimetric weight loss after a 30 days incubation with PE-based mulch as the sole carbon source; Considerable pits and vast cavities were found on the surface using AFM and SEM. The hydrophobicity of mulch sheet was decreased to 68.9 ±â€¯0.8°, FTIR identified that new oxidized groups were formed on the surfaces of incubated mulch. Additionally, the fluctuations of microbial communities indicate that synthetic mulch could replace the current commercial product to minimise agricultural pollution.