Energy stress promotes P-bodies formation via lysine-63-linked polyubiquitination of HAX1.

Energy stress, characterized by the reduction of intracellular ATP, has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer. Here, we show that energy stress promotes the formation of P-bodies in a ubiquitin-dependent manner. Upon ATP depletion, the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM23 catalyzes lysine-63 (K63)-linked polyubiquitination of HCLS1-associated protein X-1 (HAX1). HAX1 ubiquitination triggers its liquid‒liquid phase separation (LLPS) and contributes to P-bodies assembly induced by energy stress. Ubiquitinated HAX1 also interacts with the essential P-body proteins, DDX6 and LSM14A, promoting their condensation. Moreover, we find that this TRIM23/HAX1 pathway is critical for the inhibition of global protein synthesis under energy stress conditions. Furthermore, high HAX1 ubiquitination, and increased cytoplasmic localization of TRIM23 along with elevated HAX1 levels, promotes colorectal cancer (CRC)-cell proliferation and correlates with poor prognosis in CRC patients. Our data not only elucidate a ubiquitination-dependent LLPS mechanism in RNP granules induced by energy stress but also propose a promising target for CRC therapy.

Strengthened Interficial Adhesive Fracture Energy by Young's Modulus Matching Degree Strategy in Carbon-Based HTM Free MAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cell with Enhanced Mechanical Compatibility.

Carbon-based hole transport layer-free perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3 ) have become one of the research focus due to low cost, easy preparation, and good optoelectronic properties. However, instability of perovskite under vacancy defects and stress-strain makes it difficult to achieve high-efficiency and stable power output. Here, a soft-structured long-chain 2D pentanamine iodide (abbreviated as "PI") is used to improve perovskite quality and interfacial mechanical compatibility. PI containing CH3 (CH2 )4 NH3 + and I- ions not only passivate defects at grain boundaries, but also effectively alleviate residual stress during high temperature annealing via decreasing Young's modulus of perovskite film. Most importantly, PI effectively increases matching degree of Young's modulus between MAPbI3 (47.1 GPa) and carbon (6.7 GPa), and strengthens adhesive fracture energy (Gc ) between perovskite and carbon, which is helpful for outward release of nascent interfacial stress generated under service conditions. Consequently, photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of optimal device is enhanced from 10.85% to 13.76% and operational stability is also significantly improved. 83.1% output is maintained after aging for 720 h at room temperature and 25-60% relative humidity (RH). This strategy of regulation from chemistry and physics provides a strategy for efficient and stable carbon-based PSCs.

Molecular characterization on the fractionation of organic phosphorus induced by iron oxide adsorption using ESI-FT-ICR MS.

The interaction between organic phosphorus (OP) and iron oxide significantly influences the phosphorus cycle in the natural environment. In shallow lakes, intense oxidation-reduction fluctuations constantly alter the existing form of iron oxides, but little is known about their impact on the adsorption and fractionation of OP molecules. In this study, electrospray ionization coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR MS) was used to investigate the fractionation of OP from alkali-extracted sediment induced by crystalline goethite and amorphous ferrihydrite adsorption at a molecular scale. The results showed that ferrihydrite and goethite both exhibited high OP adsorption, and the adsorption amount decreased as the pH increased. The adsorption kinetics matched the pseudo-second-order equation. The ESI-FT-ICR MS analysis showed that 91 P-containing formulas were detected in the alkaline-extracted sediment solution. Ferrihydrite and goethite adsorbed 51 and 24 P-containing formulas, respectively, with adsorption rates of 56.0 % and 26.4 %. Ferrihydrite could adsorb more OP compounds than goethite, but no obvious molecular species selectivity was observed during the adsorption. The P-containing compounds, including unsaturated hydrocarbons-, lignin/carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecule (CRAM)-, tannin-, and carbohydrate-like molecular compounds, were more suitable for iron oxide adsorption. The double bond equivalence (DBE) is a valuable parameter that indicates OP fractionation during adsorption, and P-containing compounds with lower DBE values such as lipid- and protein-like molecular were prone to remain in the solution after adsorption. These research results provide insights into the biogeochemical cycling process of P in the natural environment.

Photodegradation of glyphosate in water and stimulation of by-products on algae growth.

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in global agricultural cultivation. However, little is known about the environmental risks associated with its migration and transformation. We conducted light irradiation experiments to study the dynamics and mechanism of photodegradation of glyphosate in ditches, ponds and lakes, and evaluated the effect of glyphosate photodegradation on algae growth through algae culture experiments. Our results showed that glyphosate in ditches, ponds and lakes could undergo photochemical degradation under sunlight irradiation with the production of phosphate, and the photodegradation rate of glyphosate in ditches could reach 86% after 96 h under sunlight irradiation. Hydroxyl radicals (•OH) was the main reactive oxygen species (ROS) for glyphosate photodegradation, and its steady-state concentrations in ditches, ponds and lakes were 6.22 × 10-17, 4.73 × 10-17, and 4.90 × 10-17 M. The fluorescence emission-excitation matrix (EEM) and other technologies further indicated that the humus components in dissolved organic matter (DOM) and nitrite were the main photosensitive substances producing •OH. In addition, the phosphate generated by glyphosate photodegradation could greatly promote the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa, thereby increasing the risk of eutrophication. Thus, glyphosate should be scientifically and reasonably applied to avoid environmental risks.

SSThe coexistence and diversity of Candidatus methylomirabilis oxyfera-like and anammox bacteria in sediments of an urban eutrophic lake.

Tangxun Lake is the largest urban lake in China, which is polluted by multiple wastewaters, and now is severely eutrophic. We detected diversity, abundance, and the coexistence of Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera-like and anammox bacteria in different horizontal and vertical directions of the lake sediments through qPCR and clone library. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the Ca. Methylomirabilis oxyfera-like and anammox bacteria exhibited high diversity, and they belonged to group B-E and Ca. Brocadia genus, respectively. These two bacteria displayed higher diversity in polluted area than in other areas. Furthermore, they had great spatial variation of abundance both horizontally and vertically. The abundance of anammox bacteria was significantly higher than that of Ca. Methylomirabilis oxyfera-like bacteria. The stronger the human interference were, the higher abundances these two bacteria exhibited horizontally, whereas both their abundances and the ratio of anammox to Ca. Methylomirabilis oxyfera-like bacteria decreased with the increasing depth. Redundancy analysis indicated that nitrate was the most influential environmental factor to the abundance of these two bacteria. Ammonia, nitrite, total nitrogen, and organic matters were in positive correlation with the abundance of these two bacteria. Nitrate was slightly negatively correlated with the abundance of Ca. Methylomirabilis oxyfera-like bacteria, while it was positively correlated with that of anammox bacteria. Our results provided an insight into the effects of environmental factors such as ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate on the diversity and abundances of these two bacteria and theoretical basis for restoration of water.

Influence of glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid on aquatic plants in different ecological niches.

Glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) draw great concern due to their potential threat to aquatic ecosystems. The individual and combined effects of glyphosate and AMPA on aquatic plants in different ecological niches need to be explored. This study aimed to investigate the ecotoxicity of glyphosate and AMPA on the emergent macrophyte Acorus calamus, phytoplankton Chlorella vulgaris, and submerged macrophyte Vallisneria natans after their exposure to glyphosate and AMPA alone and to their mixture. Medium and low concentrations of glyphosate (≤ 0.5 mg L-1) significantly inhibited the growth of V. natans and promoted the growth of C. vulgaris (P < 0.05) but had no significant effect on the growth of A. calamus (P > 0.05). AMPA (≤ 5.0 mg L-1) did not significantly influence the relative growth rate (except C. vulgaris) or malonaldehyde levels but significantly altered the expression levels of chlorophyll-related genes and superoxide dismutase [Cu-Zn] genes in the aquatic plants examined. AMPA mainly affected the oxidative phosphorylation pathway in V. natans and not those in other two plants, indicating that V. natans was more sensitive to AMPA-induced oxidative damage. Moreover, antagonistic effects on plant growth were observed when plants were exposed to low concentrations of glyphosate + AMPA (≤ 0.1 + 0.1 mg L-1). When the concentration of glyphosate + AMPA reached 0.5 + 0.5 and 5.0 + 5.0 mg L-1, the growth of the submerged macrophyte was additively or synergistically inhibited, but the growth of the emergent macrophyte and phytoplankton was antagonistically inhibited. Our results indicated that both the individual and combined effects of glyphosate and AMPA might alter the vertical structure of shallow lakes and accelerate the conversion of shallow lakes from grass-based to algal-based lakes.

Novel ecological ditch system for nutrient removal from farmland drainage in plain area: Performance and mechanism.

The loading of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from agricultural drainage as the non-point sources is a worldwide environmental issue for aquatic ecosystem. However, how to remove these nutrients effectively from agricultural drainage remains a big challenge with increasing cemented ditches for better management. Here, we designed a novel ecological ditch system which integrated an earth ditch and a cemented ditch with iron-loaded biochar in the Chengdu Plain to reduce the loss of N and P from farmland. After a two-year monitoring, the removal efficiency of total N and total P reached 24.9% and 36.1% by the earth ditch and 30.7% and 57.8% by the integrated ditch system, respectively. The water quality was evidently improved after passing through the ditch system with the marked decrease in the concentrations of N and P. Dissolved organic N, nitrate, and particulate P became the dominant fractions of N and P loss. Rainfall soon after fertilization increased the concentrations of N and P in the ditch system and markedly affected their removal efficiency. The iron-loaded biochar effectively removed N and P from the drainage, especially at the high concentrations, which was mainly attributed to its high adsorption of the dissolved N and P fractions and the interception of the particulate nutrients. Our results indicate that the designed ecological ditch system has a high potential for alleviating agricultural non-point source pollution in the plain area and can be extended to other lowland agricultural ecosystems.

Spatial optimization of ecological ditches for non-point source pollutants under urban growth scenarios.

Non-point source (NPS) pollution is regarded as the major threat to water quality worldwide, and ecological ditches (EDs) are considered an important and widely used method to collect and move NPS pollutants from fields to downstream water bodies. However, few studies have been conducted to optimize the spatial locations of EDs, particularly when the watershed experiences urbanization and rapid land-use changes. As land-use patterns change the spatial distribution of NPS loads, this study used a cellular automata-Markov method to simulate future land-use changes in a typical agricultural watershed. Three scenarios are included as follows: historical trend, rapid urbanization, and ecological protection scenarios. The spatial distributions of particulate phosphorus loads were simulated using the revised universal soil loss equation and sediment transport distribution model. The results suggested that the total particulate phosphorus (TP) load in the Zhuxi watershed decreased by 10,555.2 kg from 2000 to 2020, primarily because the quality and quantity of forests in Zhuxi County improved over the last 20 years. The TP load in Zhuxi watershed would be 2588.49, 2639.15, and 2553.32 kg in 2040 in historical trend, rapid urbanization, and ecological protection scenarios, respectively, compared with 2308.1 kg in 2020. This indicated that urban expansion increases the TP load, and the faster the expansion rate, the more the TP load. Consequently, the optimal locations of EDs were determined based on the intercepted loads and the period during which they existed during land-use changes. The results suggested that rapid urbanization would consequently reduce the space available for building EDs and also increase the cost of building EDs to control the NPS pollution in the watershed.

Transcriptomic profiling of atrazine phytotoxicity and comparative study of atrazine uptake, movement, and metabolism in Potamogeton crispus and Myriophyllum spicatum.

The accumulation of atrazine in sediments raises wide concern due to its potential negative effects on aquatic environments. Here we collected sediments and different submerged macrophytes to simulate natural shallow lakes and to measure atrazine levels and submerged macrophyte biomass. We determined gene expressions in submerged macrophytes treated with or without atrazine. We also examined atrazine concentrations and its metabolite structures in submerged macrophytes. When the initial concentration of atrazine in sediments ranged from 0.1 to 2.0 mg kg-1 dry weight (DW), atrazine levels in the pore water of the sediments ranged from 0.003 to 0.05 mg L-1 in 90 days. Atrazine did not show obvious long-term effects on the biomass of Potamogeton crispus and Myriophyllum spicatum (P > 0.05). On day 90, gene expressions related to cell wall in P. crispus were changed by atrazine phytotoxicity. Moreover, the decrease in the number genes controlling light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins verified the toxic effects of atrazine on the photosynthesis of M. spicatum. Compared with unexposed plants on day 90, ribosome pathway was significantly enriched with differentially expressed genes after submerged macrophytes were exposed to 2.0 mg kg-1 DW atrazine (P < 0.05). In addition, shoots and roots of P. crispus and M. spicatum could absorb the equal amount of atrazine (P > 0.05). Once absorbed by submerged macrophytes, atrazine was degraded into 1-hydroxyisopropylatrazine, hydroxyatrazine, deethylatrazine, didealkylatrazine, cyanuric acid, and biuret, and some of its metabolites could conjugate with organic acids, cysteinyl ß-alanine, and glucose. This study establishes a foundation for aquatic ecological risk assessments and the phytoremediation of atrazine in sediments.

Removal of inorganic and organic phosphorus compounds from aqueous solution by ferrihydrite decoration onto graphene.

Existing research on phosphorus removal from wastewater mostly focused on inorganic phosphorus while ignoring organic phosphorus, which has potential bioavailability. This study aims to provide an innovation for the development of advanced treatment material for both inorganic and organic phosphorus removal in water. In this study, ferrihydrite loaded on the graphene oxide (FeOOH-GO) composite adsorbent was synthesized by surface precipitation method, and its ability to remove both phosphate and diazinon as forms of inorganic and organic phosphorous from water was investigated. Characterization of the loaded composite using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated that FeOOH was successfully loaded onto graphene. The results of batch adsorption experiments showed that the adsorbent could remove both inorganic and organic phosphorus compounds simultaneously from water. When FeOOH content is 40%, the equilibrium adsorption amount of FeOOH-GO composite adsorbent for phosphate and diazinon was 5.81 and 23.20 mg g-1, respectively. Environmental parameters such as pH and initial concentration have important influence on phosphorus removal by FeOOH-GO composite adsorbent and the removal efficiency of the inorganic and organic phosphorus from water decreases by increasing the initial concentration of phosphate and diazinon and the pH. It was concluded that the FeOOH-GO composite adsorbent has great potential to remove both inorganic and organic phosphate simultaneously from contaminated water.

Microbial community of nitrogen cycle-related genes in aquatic plant rhizospheres of Lake Liangzi in winter.

This study investigated the community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria /archaea (AOB and AOA), as well as the effects of four aquatic plants (namely Ceratophyllum demersum, Hydrilla verticillata, Potamogeton crispus, and Nymphaea tetragona) rhizospheres on the abundance of AOB amoA, AOA amoA, anammox 16S rRNA, nirK, and nirS in Lake Liangzi, China. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most AOB groups were Nitrosospira and Nitrosomonas, in which Nitrosospira was dominant. The AOA amoA were affiliated with two branches of classical sequences which belonging to Thaumarchaeota: water/sediments branch and soil/sediments branch. The abundance of AOA amoA in the rhizospheres of aquatic plants were higher than in the non-rhizosphere (p < 0.05), indicating that aquatic plants may promote the growth of AOA. However, the anammox 16S rRNA showed the opposite trend relative to AOA amoA (p < 0.05). Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that the differences in abundance of AOB, AOA, anammox bacteria, and denitrifying bacteria are very likely related to the different contents of ammonia nitrogen (NH4 + -N), pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) and thus to the rhizosphere states of aquatic plants.

Photo-induced phosphate released from organic phosphorus degradation in deionized and natural water.

The photodegradation of organic phosphorus is one of the most important processes of the phosphorus cycle by which phosphate is regenerated in the water environment. In this study, the influence of direct photolysis or indirect photolysis of organic phosphorus using natural photosensitizers on the released phosphate was examined in deionized and natural water under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation using diazinon as the organic phosphorus model. Phosphate was released when diazinon was exposed to UV light, and the solution pH also exhibited distinct influences on the phosphate that was released from diazinon photodegradation. When the natural photosensitizers were added, the amount of phosphate released increased significantly because of the diazinon indirect photodegradation by reactive species, such as the hydroxyl radical generated by NO3- and Fe3+. However, humic acid and HCO3- inhibited the phosphate released by a radical scavenging effect. When natural water was spiked with diazinon, the phosphate that was released in natural water was higher than that of the control or deionized water, and the phosphate that was released was inhibited when isopropanol was added to the reaction. In addition, the formation of hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) in the natural water systems was identified from the photoluminescence spectra using coumarin as the trapping molecule, and the steady-state concentration of ˙OH in natural water was 3.07 ± 0.57 × 10-16 M under UV irradiation. All of these results indicated that direct and indirect photolysis degradation of organic phosphorus significantly impacts the release of phosphate in surface waters.

Phylogenomic analyses reveal subclass Scuticociliatia as the sister group of subclass Hymenostomatia within class Oligohymenophorea.

Scuticociliates and hymenostomes are two groups of the ciliate class Oligohymenophorea, a diverse clade that includes two model genera, Tetrahymena and Paramecium, which have been intensively studied due to their ease of culture and their amenability to a wide range of biochemical and genetic investigations. However, phylogenetic relationships among the subclasses of the Oligohymenophorea, and especially between the Scuticociliatia and Hymenostomatia, are not clearly resolved. Here, we investigate the phylogenetic relationship between the subclasses Scuticociliatia and Hymenostomatia based on omics data. The transcriptomes of five species, comprising four oligohymenophoreans and one colpodean, were sequenced. A supermatrix was constructed for phylogenomic analyses based on 113 genes encoding 43,528 amino acid residues from 26 taxa, including ten representatives of the class Oligohymenophorea. Our phylogenomic analyses revealed that the monophyletic Scuticociliatia is sister to the monophyletic Hymenostomatia, which together form the terminal branch within the monophyletic class Oligohymenophorea. Competing hypotheses for this relationship were rejected by topological tests. Our results provide corroborative evidence for the close relationship between the subclasses Scuticociliatia and Hymenostomatia, justifying the possible use of the model hymenostome T. thermophila as an effective experimental system to study the molecular and cellular biology of the scuticociliates.

Cd-metallothioneins in three additional tetrahymena species: intragenic repeat patterns and induction by metal ions.

Ciliate metallothioneins (MTs) possess many unique features compared to the "classic" MTs in other organisms, but they have only been studied in a small number of species. In this study, we investigated cDNAs encoding subfamily 7a metallothioneins (CdMTs) in three Tetrahymena species (T. hegewischi, T. malaccensis, and T. mobilis). Four CdMT genes (ThegMT1, ThegMT2, TmalMT1, and TmobMT1) were cloned and characterized. They share high sequence similarity to previously identified subfamily 7a MT members. Tetrahymena CdMTs exhibit a remarkably regular intragenic repeat homology. The CdMT sequences were divided into two main types of modules, which had been previously described, and which we name "A" and "B". ThegMT2 was identified as the first MT isoform solely composed of module "B". A phylogenetic analysis of individual modules of every characterized Tetrahymena CdMT rigorously documents the conclusion that modules are important units of CdMT evolution, which have undergone frequent and rapid gain/loss and shuffling. The transcriptional activity of the four newly identified genes was measured under different heavy metal exposure (Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb) using real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that these genes were differentially induced after short (1 h) or long (24 h) metal exposure. The evolutionary diversity of Tetrahymena CdMTs is further discussed with regard to their induction by metal ions.

Giant cell angiofibroma misdiagnosed as a vascular malformation and treated with absolute alcohol for one year: a case report and review of the literature.

PURPOSE: To present the clinical, imaging, pathological and immunohistochemical features of giant cell angiofibroma (GCA). CASE PRESENTATION: In this paper we report an atypical case of a GCA extending from the parotid to the parapharyngeal space. The lesion was being treated as a vascular malformation for one year prior to surgical removal. We summarize the clinical manifestations, imaging, pathological and molecular features of this rare disease.After complete surgical removal of the tumor, immunohistochemical analysis revealed strong positivity for the mesenchymal markers vimentin, CD34, CD31 and CD99 in neoplastic cells. Tumor proliferation antigen marker Ki67 was partly positive (<5% of cells). Tumor cells were negative for muscle-specific actin, epithelial membrane antigen, smooth muscle actin, cytokeratin pan, S100, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, myogenin, MyoD1 and F8. The morphological and immunohistochemical profile was consistent with the diagnosis of GCA. CONCLUSION: GCA is a rare soft tissue tumor that can easily be misdiagnosed in the clinical preoperative setting. In view of the clinical, pathological and molecular features of the tumor, complete surgical removal is the current optimal treatment option, providing accurate diagnosis and low to minimal recurrence rate.

Organic acids released by submerged macrophytes with damaged leaves alter the denitrification microbial community in rhizosphere.

Submerged macrophytes have important impacts on the denitrification and anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing (anammox) processes. Leaf damage in these plants probably changes the rhizosphere environment, affecting organic acid release and denitrifying bacteria. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the specific changes. This study investigated these changes in the rhizosphere of Potamogeton crispus with four degrees of leaf excision. When 0 %, 30 %, 50 % and 70 % of leaves were excised, the concentrations of total organic acid were 31.45, 32.67, 38.26, and 35.16 mg/L, respectively. The abundances of nirS-type denitrifying bacteria were 2.10 × 1010, 1.59 × 1010, 2.54 × 1010, and 4.67 × 1010 copies/g dry sediment, respectively. The abundances of anammox bacteria were 7.58 × 109, 4.59 × 109, 3.81 × 109, and 3.90 × 109 copies/g dry sediment, respectively. The concentration of total organic acids and the abundance of two denitrification microorganisms in the rhizosphere zone were higher than those in the root zone and non-rhizosphere zone. With increasing leaf damage, the number of OTUs in the Pseudomonas genus of nirS-type denitrifying bacteria first increased and then decreased, while that of the Thauera genus was relatively stable. The overall increase in the OTU number of anammox bacteria indicated that leaf damage promotes root exudates release, thereby leading to an increase in their diversity. The co-occurrence network revealed that the two denitrification microorganisms had about 60.52 % positive connections in rhizosphere while 64.73 % negative connections in non-rhizosphere. The abundance and community composition of both denitrification microorganisms were positively correlated with the concentrations of various substances such as oxalic acid, succinic acid, total organic acids and NO2--N. These findings demonstrate that submerged plant damage has significantly impacts on the structure of denitrification microbial community in the rhizosphere, which may alter the nitrogen cycling process in the deposit sediment. SYNOPSIS: This study reveals leaf damage of macrophyte changed the rhizosphere denitrification microbial community, which is helpful to further understand the process of nitrogen cycle in water.

Fate of glyphosate in lakes with varying trophic levels and its modification by root exudates of submerged macrophytes.

Accelerated eutrophication in lakes reduces the number of submerged macrophytes and alters the residues of glyphosate and its degradation products. However, the effects of submerged macrophytes on the fate of glyphosate remain unclear. We investigated eight lakes with varying trophic levels along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, of which five lakes contained either glyphosate or aminomethylphosphate (AMPA). Glyphosate and AMPA residues were significantly positively correlated with the trophic levels of lakes (P < 0.01). In lakes, glyphosate is degraded through the AMPA and sarcosine pathways. Eight shared glyphosate-degrading enzymes and genes were observed in different lake sediments, corresponding to 44 degrading microorganisms. Glyphosate concentrations in sediments were significantly higher in lakes with lower abundances of soxA (sarcosine oxidase) and soxB (sarcosine oxidase) (P < 0.05). In the presence of submerged macrophytes, oxalic and malonic acids secreted by the roots of submerged macrophytes increased the abundance of glyphosate-degrading microorganisms containing soxA or soxB (P < 0.05). These results revealed that a decrease in the number of submerged macrophytes in eutrophic lakes may inhibit glyphosate degradation via the sarcosine pathway, leading to a decrease in glyphosate degradation and an increase in glyphosate residues.

Novel Fe/Ca oxide co-embedded coconut shell biochar for phosphorus recovery from agricultural return flows.

Efficient elimination and recovery of phosphorus from agricultural return flows are crucial for effective eutrophication management and phosphorus reuse. In this study, a neutral Fe/Ca oxide co-embedded biochar (FCBC) was synthesized using calcium peroxide and ferrous chloride as precursors for phosphate recovery from agricultural return flows. FCBC possesses a highly intricate pore structure and an abundance of surface-active groups. Fe/Ca oxides were loaded onto the biochar in the form of Ca2Fe2O5, Fe2O3, and CaCO3. FCBC demonstrated a broad pH tolerance range (pH = 6-12) in the aquatic environment. The maximum saturation adsorption capacity was 53.31 mg g-1. Phosphorus removal is influenced by Ca3(PO4)2 generation, intra-particle diffusion, and electrostatic attraction. The produced FCBC showed exceptional phosphorus removal efficiency in the presence of various anions, except for wastewater with high concentrations of SO4 2-, CO3 2-, HCO3 -, and F- (>500 mg L-1). FCBC can effectively remove phosphorus from agricultural return flows and reduce the risk of the water environment. Returning it to the field can also mitigate the depletion of phosphorus resources, effectively reduce carbon emissions from farmland, improve soil fertility, and realize multiple benefits.

Interferon-γ in the tumor microenvironment promotes the expression of B7H4 in colorectal cancer cells, thereby inhibiting cytotoxic T cells.

The bioactivity of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is not well understood in the current immunotherapy era. We found that IFN-γ has an immunosuppressive effect on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. The tumor volume in immunocompetent mice was significantly increased after subcutaneous implantation of murine CRC cells followed by IFN-γ stimulation, and RNA sequencing showed high expression of B7 homologous protein 4 (B7H4) in these tumors. B7H4 promotes CRC cell growth by inhibiting the release of granzyme B (GzmB) from CD8+ T cells and accelerating apoptosis in CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), which binds to the B7H4 promoter, is positively associated with IFN-γ stimulation-induced expression of B7H4. The clinical outcome of patients with CRC was negatively related to the high expression of B7H4 in cancer cells or low expression of CD8 in the microenvironment. Therefore, B7H4 is a biomarker of poor prognosis in CRC patients, and interference with the IFN-γ/IRF1/B7H4 axis might be a novel immunotherapeutic method to restore the cytotoxic killing of CRC cells.

Local TSH/TSHR signaling promotes CD8+ T cell exhaustion and immune evasion in colorectal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunction of CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) contributes to tumor immune escape and immunotherapy tolerance. The effects of hormones such as leptin, steroid hormones, and glucocorticoids on T cell function have been reported previously. However, the mechanism underlying thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)/thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) signaling in CD8+ T cell exhaustion and tumor immune evasion remain poorly understood. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of TSH/TSHR signaling on the function of CD8+ T cells and immune evasion in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: TSHR expression levels in CD8+ T cells were assessed with immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Functional investigations involved manipulation of TSHR expression in cellular and mouse models to study its role in CD8+ T cells. Mechanistic insights were mainly gained through RNA-sequencing, Western blotting, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase activity assay. Immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and Western blotting were used to investigate the source of TSH and TSHR in CRC tissues. RESULTS: TSHR was highly expressed in cancer cells and CD8+ T cells in CRC tissues. TSH/TSHR signaling was identified as the intrinsic pathway promoting CD8+ T cell exhaustion. Conditional deletion of TSHR in CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) improved effector differentiation and suppressed the expression of immune checkpoint receptors such as programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and hepatitis A virus cellular receptor 2 (HAVCR2 or TIM3) through the protein kinase A (PKA)/cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway. CRC cells secreted TSHR via exosomes to increase the TSHR level in CD8+ T cells, resulting in immunosuppression in the TME. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) was the main source of TSH within the TME. Low expression of TSHR in CRC was a predictor of immunotherapy response. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings highlighted the role of endogenous TSH/TSHR signaling in CD8+ T cell exhaustion and immune evasion in CRC. TSHR may be suitable as a predictive and therapeutic biomarker in CRC immunotherapy.