miRNAs are involved in regulating the formation of recovery tissues in virus infected Nicotiana tabacum.

MiRNAs play an important role in regulating plant growth and immune response. Mosaic diseases are recognized as the most important plant diseases in the world, and mosaic symptoms are recovery tissues formed by plants against virus infection. However, the mechanism of the formation of mosaic symptoms remains elusive. In this study, two typical mosaic systems consisting of Nicotiana tabacum-cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and N. tabacum-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) were used to investigate the relevance of miRNAs to the appearance of mosaic symptoms. The results of miRNA-seq showed that there were significant differences in miRNA abundance between dark green tissues and chlorotic tissues in mosaic leaves caused by the infection of CMV or TMV. Compared with healthy tissues, miRNA expression was significantly increased in chlorotic tissues, but slightly increased in dark green tissues. Three miRNAs, namely miR1919, miR390a, and miR6157, were identified to be strongly up-regulated in chlorotic tissues of both mosaic systems. Results of overexpressing or silencing of the three miRNAs proved that they were related to chlorophyll synthesis, auxin response, and small GTPase-mediated immunity pathway, which were corresponding to the phenotype, physiological parameters and susceptibility of the chlorotic tissues in mosaic leaves. Besides, the newly identified novel-miRNA48, novel-miRNA96 and novel-miRNA103 may also be involved in this formation of mosaic symptoms. Taken together, our results demonstrated that miR1919, miR390a and miR6157 are involved in the formation of mosaic symptoms and plant antiviral responses, providing new insight into the role of miRNAs in the formation of recovery tissue and plant immunity.

Annexin A2: The diversity of pathological effects in tumorigenesis and immune response.

Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is widely used as a marker in a variety of tumors. By regulating multiple signal pathways, ANXA2 promotes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which can cause tumorigenesis and accelerate thymus degeneration. The elevated ANXA2 heterotetramer facilitates the production of plasmin, which participates in pathophysiologic processes such as tumor cell invasion and metastasis, bleeding diseases, angiogenesis, inducing the expression of inflammatory factors. In addition, the ANXA2 on the cell membrane mediates immune response via its interaction with surface proteins of pathogens, C1q, toll-like receptor 2, anti-dsDNA antibodies and immunoglobulins. Nuclear ANXA2 plays a role as part of a primer recognition protein complex that enhances DNA synthesis and cells proliferation by acting on the G1-S phase of the cell. ANXA2 reduction leads to the inhibition of invasion and metastasis in multiple tumor cells, bleeding complications in acute promyelocytic leukemia, retinal angiogenesis, autoimmunity response and tumor drug resistance. In this review, we provide an update on the pathological effects of ANXA2 in both tumorigenesis and the immune response. We highlight ANXA2 as a critical protein in numerous malignancies and the immune host response.

The small GTPase NtRHO1 negatively regulates tobacco defense response to tobacco mosaic virus by interacting with NtWRKY50.

Small GTPases play critical roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. However, the mechanism of action of small GTPases in plant response to virus infection remains largely unknown. Here, the gene encoding a Rho-type GTPase, NtRHO1, was identified as one of the genes up-regulated after tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection. Subcellular localization of NtRHO1 showed that it was located in the cytoplasm, plasma membrane, and nucleus. Transient overexpression of NtRHO1 in Nicotiana benthamiana accelerated TMV reproduction and led to the production of reactive oxygen species. By contrast, silencing of NtRHO1 reduced the sensitivity of N. benthamiana to TMV-GFP. Further exploration revealed a direct interaction between NtRHO1 and NtWRKY50, a positive regulator of the N. benthamiana response to virus infection. Yeast one-hybrid and electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that this regulation was related to the capacity of NtWRKY50 to bind to the WK-box of the PR1 promoter, which was weakened by the interaction between NtRHO1 and NtWRKY50. Thus, our results indicate that the small GTPase NtRHO1 plays a negative role in tobacco response to TMV infection by interacting with transcription factor NtWRKY50, resulting in reduced plant immunity.

Variability, stability, and resilience of fecal microbiota in dairy cows fed whole crop corn silage.

The microbiota of whole crop corn silage and feces of silage-fed dairy cows were examined. A total of 18 dairy cow feces were collected from six farms in Japan and China, and high-throughput Illumina sequencing of the V4 hypervariable region of 16S rRNA genes was performed. Lactobacillaceae were dominant in all silages, followed by Acetobacteraceae, Bacillaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae. In feces, the predominant families were Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Rikenellaceae, and Paraprevotellaceae. Therefore, Lactobacillaceae of corn silage appeared to be eliminated in the gastrointestinal tract. Although fecal microbiota composition was similar in most samples, relative abundances of several families, such as Ruminococcaceae, Christensenellaceae, Turicibacteraceae, and Succinivibrionaceae, varied between farms and countries. In addition to the geographical location, differences in feeding management between total mixed ration feeding and separate feeding appeared to be involved in the variations. Moreover, a cow-to-cow variation for concentrate-associated families was demonstrated at the same farm; two cows showed high abundance of Succinivibrionaceae and Prevotellaceae, whereas another had a high abundance of Porphyromonadaceae. There was a negative correlation between forage-associated Ruminococcaceae and concentrate-associated Succinivibrionaceae and Prevotellaceae in 18 feces samples. Succinivibrionaceae, Prevotellaceae, p-2534-18B5, and Spirochaetaceae were regarded as highly variable taxa in this study. These findings help to improve our understanding of variation and similarity of the fecal microbiota of dairy cows with regard to individuals, farms, and countries. Microbiota of naturally fermented corn silage had no influence on the fecal microbiota of dairy cows.

Effects of telmisartan on paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in hypertensive patients.

This study examined the effects and mechanisms of telmisartan in hypertensive patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Hypertensive patients with PAF (n=120) were randomized into test (telmisartan) and control (amlodipine besilate) groups. The pretreatment and post treatment left atrial dimension (LAD), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, heart rate, blood pressure (BP), and recurrence times of atrial fibrillation (AF) were recorded. The pretreatment and post treatment heart rates and BPs did not differ in either group (P>0.05). The post treatment systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) did not differ between the groups (SBP: test, 132±5mmHg; control, 133±6 mmHg; DBP: test, 82±4 mmHg; control, 83±4mmHg). The LAD (test, 36.7±5.1 mm; control, 31.3±4.1mm) and hs-CRP (test, 5.6±2.6mg/L; control, 3.1±1.9mg/L) levels declined significantly (P>0.05) after treatment in the telmisartan group but not in the control group. After treatment, the LAD (test, 31.3±4.1mm; control, 36.2±4.6mm), hs-CRP (test, 3.1±1.9 mg/L; control, 5.2±2.3mg/L) levels, and AF recurrence times were markedly lower in the test group (22) compared with the control group (44). Thus, telmisartan reduced the AF recurrence rates, LAD, and hs-CRP levels.

Silk Biomaterials with Vascularization Capacity.

Functional vascularization is critical for the clinical regeneration of complex tissues such as kidney, liver or bone. The immobilization or delivery of growth factors has been explored to improve vascularization capacity of tissue engineered constructs, however, the use of growth factors has inherent problems such as the loss of signaling capability and the risk of complications such as immunological responses and cancer. Here, a new method of preparing water-insoluble silk protein scaffolds with vascularization capacity using an all aqueous process is reported. Acid was added temporally to tune the self-assembly of silk in lyophilization process, resulting in water insoluble scaffold formation directly. These biomaterials are mainly noncrystalline, offering improved cell proliferation than previously reported silk materials. These systems also have appropriate softer mechanical property that could provide physical cues to promote cell differentiation into endothelial cells, and enhance neovascularization and tissue ingrowth in vivo without the addition of growth factors. Therefore, silk-based degradable scaffolds represent an exciting biomaterial option, with vascularization capacity for soft tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Cranioplasty with Direct Revascularization in Hemorrhagic Moyamoya Disease: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Moyamoya disease is a progressive nonatherosclerotic stenosis of the terminal segments of the arteries of the Circle of Willis. Hemorrhagic presentation is a life-threatening condition, associated with an increased risk of rebleeding and ischemic events.1-7 We present the case of a 65-year-old woman with a right intracerebral hemorrhage who underwent emergency hematoma evacuation without bone flap replacement (Video 1). The investigation confirmed the diagnosis of Moyamoya disease and demonstrated hypoperfusion of the right cerebral hemisphere. Late angiography depicted no transdural collaterals through the bone defect and demonstrated preservation of the superficial temporal artery (STA). Next, it was chosen to perform 1-stage cranioplasty with direct revascularization. We detached the temporal fascia from the muscle and created a window through the fascia to give STA passage in a corridor through the temporal muscle until the brain's surface. Vascular anastomosis was performed with an interrupted suture line employing a 10-0 nylon thread. Flow within the right middle cerebral artery was retrograde, coming from branches of the posterior cerebral artery, and the end-to-side anastomosis was placed to orientate the STA flow in the same direction as in the middle cerebral artery. We used a custom-made titanium plate for the cranioplasty and gave enough room inferiorly for the course of STA. In the end, we sutured the temporal fascia to the titanium plate for a better cosmetic result. To avoid additional unnecessary procedures, the performance of direct revascularization during the cranioplasty is feasible and deserves additional investigation as a tool to prevent new hemorrhagic or ischemic events. Informed consent was obtained from the patient for the procedure and publication of this operative video.

Evaluating the vulnerability of Tetracentron sinense habitats to climate-induced latitudinal shifts.

Exploring the changing process of the geographical distribution pattern of Tetracentron sinense Oliv. and its main influencing factors since the last interglacial period can provide a scientific basis for the effective protection and management of the species. The MaxEnt model was used to construct the potential distribution areas of T. sinense in different periods such as the last interglacial (LIG), the last glacial maximum (LGM), the mid-Holocene (MID), and the current and future (2050s and 2070s). On the premise of discussing the influence of dominant environmental factors on its distribution model, the suitable area changes of T. sinense under different ecological climate situations were quantitatively analyzed. (1) The AUC and TSS values predicted by the optimized model were 0.959 and 0.835, respectively, indicating a good predictive effect by the MaxEnt model; the potential suitable areas for T. sinense in the current period are mainly located in Southwest China, which are wider compared to the actual habitats. (2) Jackknife testing showed that the lowest temperature in the coldest month (Bio6), elevation (Elev), seasonal variation coefficient of temperature (Bio4), and surface calcium carbonate content (T-CACO3) are the dominant environmental factors affecting the distribution of T. sinense. (3) From the last interglacial period to the current period, the total suitable area of T. sinense showed a decreasing trend; the distribution points of T. sinense populations in mid-Holocene period may be the origin of the postglacial population, and Southwest China may be its glacial biological refuge. (4) Compared with the current period, the total suitable area ranges of T. sinense in China in the 2050s and 2070s decreased, and the centroid location of its total fitness area all migrated to the northwest, with the largest migration distance in 2070s under the SSPs 7.0 climate scenario. Temperature was the principal factor influencing the geographical distribution of T. sinense. With global warming, the range of T. sinense suitable areas will show a shrinking trend, with a shift toward higher-latitude regions. Ex situ conservation measures could be taken to preserve its germplasm resources.

The relationship between albumin corrected anion gap levels and mortality in patients with asthma in the ICU.

Although previous studies have suggested that albumin-corrected anion gap (ACAG) may be a predictor of mortality in critically ill patients in intensive care unit (ICU), its utility in the context of asthma has not been definitively established. In this study, baseline data, albumin concentration, anion gap (AG) and 30-d mortality data were retrieved from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database (MIMIC-IV) for patients with asthma in the intensive care unit. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to analyze the predictive ability of ACAG and AG. The risk of 30-day mortality among patients with ACAG and asthma was analyzed using a restricted cubic spline (RCS) plot. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical usefulness of ACAG as a prognostic factor for 30-day mortality. Subsequently, subgroup analysis was conducted to explore potential variations in the relationship between ACAG and 30-day mortality based on factors such as sex, age, whether the asthma was acute, and other co-morbidities. Our study reveals that ACAG is a significant independent predictor of 30-day mortality in asthmatic patients receiving intensive care. The area under the AUC curve for ACAG was found to be 0.703, which is higher than that of AG, indicating that ACAG has a better predictive ability for 30-day mortality in this population. Furthermore, higher levels of ACAG were found to be associated with increased risk of 30-day mortality in asthmatic patients. In addition, decision curve analysis (DCA) demonstrated that the net benefit of ACAG was greater than that of AG. These findings suggest that ACAG may be a valuable prognostic factor for predicting 30-day mortality in asthmatic patients in the ICU. Our study provides evidence that ACAG is associated with an increased risk of 30-d mortality and has better predictive value in patients with combined asthma who are admitted to the ICU than AG.

Integrated analysis of metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling reveals the effect of Buyang Huanwu decoction on Parkinson's disease in mice.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common, complex, and chronic neurodegenerative disorder involved in multi-system. At present, medicine for PD has many limitations. Buyang Huanwu decoction (BHD), a famous traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) formulae, is used in the treatment of PD clinically in China. However, the therapeutic mechanism is still unknown. PURPOSE: We aimed to explore the pharmacological mechanism of BHD alleviating PD through an integrated liver metabolome and brain transcriptome analysis. METHODS: The mice with PD were induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Behavioral tests and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of BHD. The non-targeted metabolomics analysis was conducted to profile differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) in the liver using a UHPLC-Q-Exactive MS/MS method. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the brain were investigated by transcriptomic analysis on an Illumina sequencing platform. The correlations of DAMs and DEGs were investigated using an integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic approach. RESULTS: The results of behavioral tests and immunohistochemistry proved the alleviated effects of BHD on PD symptoms. A total of 14 and 36 DAMs were detected in the groups treated with low- (L group) and high-dose (H group) BHD respectively under the positive ion mode. Compared with the PD model group (M group), three enriched pathways including metabolic pathways, ABC transporters, and biosynthesis of amino acids were common in the L and H group. Transcriptomic analysis proved that BHD could regulate the expression of numerous genes, some of which were targeted by Ben-Ldopa such as Creb5, Gm45623, Ccer2, Cd180, Fosl2, Crip3, and Noxred1. Based on the integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis, 7 metabolite-gene pairs were found in four comparisons, including C vs M, M vs P, M vs L, and M vs H, and 6 enriched pathways containing purine metabolism, glycine/serine/threonine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, thiamine metabolism, and ABC transporters were overlapped. CONCLUSIONS: Though the underlying pharmacological mechanism of BHD is still lacking, we provided evidence that BHD could improve dopaminergic neurons in MPTP-induced PD mice by regulating liver metabolism and brain transcriptome. The correlation between the liver and the brain was preliminarily revealed in this study.

Hazardous risk of antibiotic resistance genes: Host occurrence, distribution, mobility and vertical transmission from different environments to corn silage.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are one of the emerging contaminants posing a great deal of hazardous risk to public health. This study employed metagenomics and deciphered the potential risk of the antibiotic resistome and their vertical transfer to ensiled whole-crop corn silage harvested from six climate zones: 1. Warm temperate-fully humid-hot summer (Cfa), 2. Arid-desert-cold arid (BWk), 3. Snow-desert-cold summer (Dwc), 4. Snow-desert-hot summer (Dwa), 5. Arid-steppe-cold arid (BSk), and 6. Equatorial-desert (Aw) based on the Köppen-Geiger climate classification in China. The findings demonstrate a high diversity of ARGs, which is related to the drug classes of tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, lincosamide, fosfomycin, and beta lactam. Resistome variations are mostly related to variations in microbial composition and fermentation characteristics of the silages from different climate zones, which are indirectly influenced by environmental conditions. The most dominating ARGs in corn silage were tetM, acrA, H-NS, lnuA, emrR, and KpnG, which is primarily hosted by Klebsiella and Lactobacilli. There were 5 high-risk ARGs (tetM, bacA, SHV-1, dfrA17, and QnrS1) in silage from different climate zones, and the tetM was the most prevalent high-risk ARG. However, throughout the ensiling process, the abundance of ARGs, and mobile ARGs were reduced. The resistome contamination in silage from Tibet (Dwc) with high altitude and harsh environment was relatively low due to the low variety and abundance of ARGs, the low abundance of mobile ARGs and high-risk ARGs. In addition, most of the bacteria responsible for the silage fermentation were also found to be the hosts to the ARGs, although their abundance decreased after 90 d of silage fermentation. Hence, we alert the existence of ARGs-related biosafety risk in silages and call for more attention to the silage ARGs, their hosts, and mobile genetic elements in order to curtail their possible risk to public health.

Time-course transcriptome analysis of lungs from mice infected with inhaled aerosolized Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SMA) has emerged as an important pathogen capable of causing an opportunistic and nosocomial infection. We performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of lung tissues from mice with pulmonary SMA infection over time via aerosolized intratracheal inhalation to investigate transcription profile changes in SMA-infected lungs. Methods: A mouse model of acute lethal SMA pneumonia was established in this study using aerosolized intratracheal inhalation, laying the groundwork for future SMA research. RNA-seq was then used to create a transcriptional profile of the lungs of the model mice at 0, 4, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours post-infection (hpi). Mfuzz time clustering, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), and Immune Cell Abundance Identifier for mouse (ImmuCellAI-mouse) were used to analyze RNA-seq data. Results: A gradual change in the lung transcriptional profile was observed, which was consistent with the expected disease progression. At 4 hpi, the expression of genes related to the acute phase inflammatory response increased, as predicted abundance of innate immune cells. At this stage, an increased demand for energy was also observed, including an increase in the expression of genes involved in circulation, muscle function and mitochondrial respiratory chain function. The expression of genes associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and autophagy increased at 24 hpi. Unlike the number of natural killer (NK) cells following most bacterial lung infections, the abundance of NK cells decreased following infection with SMA. The expression levels of Cxcl10, Cd14, Gbp5, Cxcr2, Tnip1, Zc3h12a, Egr1, Sell and Gbp2 were high and previously unreported in SMA pneumonia, and they may be important targets for future studies. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the pulmonary transcriptional response to SMA infection. The findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of SMA pneumonia, which may aid in the development of therapies to reduce the occurrence of SMA pulmonary infection.

[Gamma event-related synchronization analysis: a new method for cortical function mapping].

OBJECTIVE: To localize the sensory motor cortex of human brain by analyzing the power change in Gamma band (> 60 Hz) of electrocorticography (ECoG) data. METHODS: Eight patients with intractable epilepsy underwent temporary placement of subdural electrodes. After surgery, sensory evoked potential (SEP), electrocortical stimulation (CES) and event-related synchronization analysis of Gamma band (Gamma ERS analysis) were performed to reduce the risk of complications. The results of Gamma ERS analysis were compared with those of SEP and CES. RESULTS: The results of Gamma ERS analysis had 80.7% electrodes fitting perfectly those of CES and SEP. And the percentage reached 92.3% if electrodes were superimposed or added adjacently. CONCLUSION: The Gamma ERS analysis is a new sensitive and precise method for cortical function mapping.

Characterizing the landscape of cervical squamous cell carcinoma immune microenvironment by integrating the single-cell transcriptomics and RNA-Seq.

BACKGROUND: Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), caused by the infection of high-risk human papillomavirus, is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide. METHODS: RNA expression data, including those from the Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus, and Genotype-Tissue Expression databases, were used to identify the expression of RNAs in normal and tumor tissue. Correlation analysis was performed to identify the immune-related long noncoding RNAs (IRLs) and hypoxia-related genes (IRHs) that can influence the activity of the immune system. Prognosis models of immune-related RNAs (IRRs) were used to construct a coexpression network of the immune system. We identified the role of IRRs in immunotherapy by correlation analysis with immune checkpoint genes (ICGs). We then validated the expression data by integrating two single-cell sequencing data sets of CSCC to identify the key immune features. RESULTS: In total, six immune-related gene (IRG), four IRL, and five IRH signatures that can significantly influence the characteristics of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) were selected using machine learning methods. The expression level of ICGs was significantly upregulated in GZMB+ CD8+ T-cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in tumor tissues. TGFBI+ TAMs are a kind of blood-derived monocyte-derived M0-like TAM linked to hypoxia and a poor prognosis. IFI30+ M1-like TAMs participate in the process of immune-regulation and showed a role in the promotion of CD8+ T-cells and Type 1 T helper (Th1)/Th2 cells in the coexpression network, together with several IRLs, IRGs, and ICGs. CONCLUSIONS: CD16+ monocyte-derived IFI30+ TAMs participated in our coexpression network to regulate the TIME, showing the potential to be a novel immunotherapy target. The enrichment of M0-like TAMs was associated with a worse prognosis in the high-risk score group with IRH signatures. Remarkably, M0-like TAMs in tumor tissues overexpressed TGFBI and were associated with several well-known tumor-proliferation pathways.

Experimental Research on Seepage Law and Migration Characteristics of Core-Shell Polymeric Nanoparticles Dispersion System in Porous Media.

The nanoparticles dispersion system has complex migration characteristics and percolation law in porous media due to the interaction between the nanoparticles and porous media. In this paper, lab experiments were carried out to characterize the morphology, particle size distributions, and apparent viscosities of SiO2/P(MBAAm-co-AM) polymeric nanoparticle solution, investigate its migration characteristics in porous media, and probe its capability of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in the reservoirs. Quartz microtubule, sand pack, and etched glass micromodels were used as the porous media in the flow and flooding experiments. Gray image-processing technology was applied to achieve oil saturation at different flooding stages in the micromodel for calculating the EOR of the SiO2/P(MBAAm-co-AM) polymeric nanoparticle solution. The results show that The SiO2/P(MBAAm-co-AM) polymeric nanoparticles are spherical with diameters ranging from 260 to 300 nm, and the thicknesses of the polymeric layers are in the range of 30-50 nm. As the swelling time increases from 24 to 120 h, the medium sizes of the SiO2/P(MBAAm-co-AM) polymeric nanoparticles increase from 584.45 to 1142.61 nm. The flow of the SiO2/P(MBAAm-co-AM) polymeric nanoparticles has obvious nonlinear characteristics and a prominent scale effect at a low-pressure gradient, and there should be an optimal matching relationship between its injection mass concentration and the channel size. The flow tests in the sand packs demonstrate that the SiO2/P(MBAAm-co-AM) polymeric nanoparticles can form effective plugging in the main flow channels at different permeability areas and can break through at the throat to fulfill the step-by-step profile control. Moreover, the profile control of the SiO2/P(MBAAm-co-AM) polymeric nanoparticles strengthens with an increase in their swelling time. The microscopic flooding experiment in the etched glass micromodel confirms that the SiO2/P(MBAAm-co-AM) polymeric nanoparticles can block dynamically and alternatively the channels of different sizes with the form of loose or dense networks to adjust the fluid flow diversion, improve the sweep efficiency, and recover more residual oil. The SiO2/P(MBAAm-co-AM) polymeric nanoparticles can achieve an enhanced oil recovery of 20.71% in the micromodel.

NtAGO1 positively regulates the generation and viral resistance of dark green islands in Nicotiana tabacum.

Dark green islands (DGIs) are the outcome of post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in antiviral immunity, but their characteristics related to PTGS remain largely unknown. In this study, the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) was inoculated on Nicotiana tabacum plants to explore the PTGS features of DGIs. Our results showed that higher expressions of PTGS-associated genes, especially NtAGO1, present in DGIs. To investigate the role of NtAGO1 in the generation and the antiviral effect of DGIs, NtAGO1 was then over-expressed or knocked out in N. tabacum plants through agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. The results showed that more DGIs with larger areas appeared on NtAGO1 over-expressed plants, accompanied by less virus accumulation, less reactive oxygen species production, and seldom membrane damage, whereas fewer DGIs appeared on NtAGO1 knockout plants with more damage on infected plants. In addition, the NtAGO1-participated antiviral process could promote the transduction of the salicylic acid-mediated defense pathway. Taken together, our results indicate that DGIs are maintained by a stronger PTGS mechanism, and NtAGO1 positively regulates the generation and viral resistance of DGIs in N. tabacum.

In vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics of gum arabic under concentrate and forage substrate conditions.

Gum arabic (GA) has potential rumen modifier functions. This is the first study to investigate the in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics of GA. Rumen fluid was collected from ruminal fistulated wethers; rolled barley and ryegrass straw were used as substrates for concentrate and forage conditions, respectively. Besides incubating with the substrates alone (control), GA or potato starch (PS) was added at 0.2%, 1.0%, and 2.0% along with substrates. Under the concentrate substrate condition, GA treatments showed higher total gas production in 24-h incubation, but lower methane production in 24- and 48-h incubation compared with PS treatments (p < 0.05). The 1.0% and 2.0% GA and 0.2% and 1.0% PS treatments showed higher dry matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility and lower NH3 -N, and higher short chain fatty acid concentrations compared with the control at 24-h incubation (p < 0.05). The GA treatments also showed a lower acetate/propionate ratio than PS treatments at 48-h incubation (p < 0.01). Under the forage substrate condition, the treatment effects were not significant, except for a higher proportion of propionate with GA than with PS at 24 and 48 h of incubations. We thus concluded that GA supplement may exert potential rumen modifier effects particularly under concentrate feeding condition.

Identification of LecRLK gene family in Cerasus humilis through genomic-transcriptomic data mining and expression analyses.

Lectin receptor-like protein kinases (LecRLKs) have been shown to be involved in plants' responses to various biotic and abiotic stresse factors. Cerasus humilis is an important fruit species widely planted for soil and water conservation in northern China due to its strong tolerance to drought and salinity stresses. In this study, a total of 170 LecRLK family genes (125 G-types, 43 L-types and 2 C-types) were identified in the newly released whole-genome sequences of C. humilis. Furthermore, nine representative LecRLK genes in young plants of C. humilis under varying drought and salinity stresses were selected for qRT-PCR analysis. Our systematic comparative analyses revealed the active participation of these nine LecRLK genes in the salt and drought stress responses of C. humilis. The results from our study have provided a solid foundation for future functional verification of these LecRLK family genes and will likely help facilitate the more rapid and effective development of new stress resistant Cerasus humilis cultivars.

Five candidate biomarkers associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of cervical cancer.

PURPOSE: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most general gynecological malignancies and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. We aimed to select candidate genes related to the diagnosis and prognosis of CC. METHODS: The mRNA expression profile datasets were downloaded. We also downloaded RNA-sequencing gene expression data and related clinical materials from TCGA, which included 307 CC samples and 3 normal samples. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained by R software. GO function analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs were performed in the DAVID dataset. Using machine learning, the optimal diagnostic mRNA biomarkers for CC were identified. We used qRT-PCR and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database to exhibit the differences in gene and protein levels of candidate genes. RESULTS: A total of 313 DEGs were screened from the microarray expression profile datasets. DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), Chromatin Assembly Factor 1, subunit B (CHAF1B), Chromatin Assembly Factor 1, subunit A (CHAF1A), MCM2, CDKN2A were identified as optimal diagnostic mRNA biomarkers for CC. Additionally, the GEPIA database showed that the DNMT1, CHAF1B, CHAF1A, MCM2 and CDKN2A were associated with the poor survival of CC patients. HPA database and qRT-PCR confirmed that these genes were highly expressed in CC tissues. CONCLUSION: The present study identified five DEmRNAs, including DNMT1, CHAF1B, CHAF1A, MCM2 and Kinetochore-related protein 1 (KNTC1), as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of CC.

A novel basic fibroblast growth factor delivery system fabricated with heparin-incorporated fibrin-fibronectin matrices for repairing rat sciatic nerve disruptions.

Autologous nerve grafts are widely used in bridging critical gaps of peripheral nerves, but they remain associated with high morbidity of the donor site and lack of full recovery. As an alternative, we have focused on chitosan nerve conduits filled with a heparin-incorporated fibrin-fibronectin matrix serving as delivery systems for basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The artificial nerve conduits were used for repairing sciatic nerve defects of 10 mm in adult rats. Three months post-operation, the conduction velocity recovery index (CVRI) and the muscle restoration rate (MRR) in animals of the experimental group were 32 +/- 4.1 and 77.4 +/- 7.9%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the PBS control group (17.8 +/- 1.9 and 66.7 +/- 6.5%), and similar to those of the autograft group (38.4 +/- 3.9 and 81.3 +/- 7.8%). These results were also consistent with the densities of regenerated axons in the three groups, which were demonstrated by histomorphological analysis.