High-Level Extracellular Production of a Trisaccharide-Producing Alginate Lyase AlyC7 in Escherichia coli and Its Agricultural Application.

Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), products of alginate degradation by endotype alginate lyases, possess favorable biological activities and have broad applications. Although many have been reported, alginate lyases with homogeneous AOS products and secretory production by an engineered host are scarce. Herein, the alginate lyase AlyC7 from Vibrio sp. C42 was characterized as a trisaccharide-producing lyase exhibiting high activity and broad substrate specificity. With PelB as the signal peptide and 500 mM glycine as the additive, the extracellular production of AlyC7 in Escherichia coli reached 1122.8 U/mL after 27 h cultivation in Luria-Bertani medium. The yield of trisaccharides from sodium alginate degradation by the produced AlyC7 reached 758.6 mg/g, with a purity of 85.1%. The prepared AOS at 20 µg/mL increased the root length of lettuce, tomato, wheat, and maize by 27.5%, 25.7%, 9.7%, and 11.1%, respectively. This study establishes a robust foundation for the industrial and agricultural applications of AlyC7.

Transcriptome Sequencing and Mass Spectrometry Reveal Genes Involved in the Non-mendelian Inheritance-Mediated Feather Growth Rate in Chicken.

The feather growth rate in chickens included early and late feathering. We attempted to characterize the genes and pathways associated with the feather growth rate in chickens that are not in agreement with Mendelian inheritance. Gene expression profiles in the hair follicle tissues of late-feathering cocks (LC), early-feathering cocks (EC), late-feathering hens (LH), and early-feathering hens (EH) were acquired using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), mass spectrometry (MS), and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT­PCR). A total of 188 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were ascertained in EC vs. LC and 538 DEGs were identified in EH vs. LH. We observed that 14 up-regulated genes and 9 down-regulated genes were screened both in EC vs. LC and EH vs. LH. MS revealed that 41 and 138 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were screened out in EC vs. LC and EH vs. LH, respectively. Moreover, these DEGs and DEPs were enriched in multiple feather-related pathways, including JAK-STAT, MAPK, WNT, TGF-ß, and calcium signaling pathways. qRT-PCR assay showed that the expression of WNT8A was decreased in LC compared with EC, while ALK and GRM4 expression were significantly up-regulated in EH relative to LH. This study helps to elucidate the potential mechanism of the feather growth rate in chickens that do not conform to genetic law.

Diagnostic Utility of Surrounding Tissue Hardness in Breast Masses: A Quantitative Analysis Using Shear Wave Elastography to Distinguish Malignancy Across Various Mass Sizes.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the utility of shear wave elastography (SWE) in quantitatively assessing the surrounding tissue hardness of breast masses and its diagnostic significance in distinguishing between benign and malignant masses of varying sizes. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 60 patients with breast masses diagnosed at our hospital between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022. All patients underwent standard breast ultrasound examination and SWE assessment. Masses were categorized based on diameter (≤20mm and >20mm) for comparative analysis. SWE parameters, including maximum shear wave velocity (Max SWV), mean shear wave velocity (Mean SWV), and elasticity ratio (Eratio) of surrounding tissue, were recorded. Histopathological results determined mass nature. SWE parameters were correlated with pathological diagnoses for discrimination analysis. Results: Of all patients, 37 had benign masses, and 23 had malignant masses. Malignant masses exhibited significantly higher Max SWV, Mean SWV, and Eratio in surrounding tissue compared to benign masses (P < .05). Statistically significant differences in SWE parameters were observed between different-sized masses; smaller masses (≤20mm) showed higher SWE parameters in malignant masses compared to benign masses (P < .05). In masses larger than 20mm, though SWE parameters still differed between benign and malignant masses, the significance was less pronounced (P < .05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy of SWE parameters in discriminating malignancy in smaller breast masses. Conclusions: SWE parameters effectively quantify surrounding tissue hardness in breast masses and have diagnostic value in distinguishing between benign and malignant masses of varying sizes, particularly in masses ≤20mm. SWE offers crucial quantitative parameters for the clinical discrimination of breast masses, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity. Future studies should expand sample sizes and optimize diagnostic models to enhance SWE's utility further in discriminating breast mass malignancy.

Investigating the long-term response of plateau vegetation productivity to extreme climate: insights from a case study in Qinghai Province, China.

Over the past three decades, there has been a significant global climate change characterized by an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme climate events. The vegetation status in Qinghai Province has undergone substantial changes, which are more pronounced than other regions in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. However, a clear understanding of the response characteristics of plateau vegetation to extreme climate events is currently lacking. In this study, we investigated the response of net primary productivity (NPP) to different forms of extreme climate events across regions characterized by varying levels of aridity and elevation gradients. Specifically, we observed a significant increase in NPP in relatively arid regions. Our findings indicate that, in relatively arid regions, single episodes of high-intensity precipitation have a pronounced positive effect (higher correlation) on NPP. Furthermore, in high-elevation regions (4000-6000 m), both the intensity and frequency of precipitation events are crucial factors for the increase in regional NPP. However, continuous precipitation can have significant negative impacts on certain areas within relatively wet regions. Regarding temperature, a reduction in the number of frost days within a year has been shown to lead to a significant increase in NPP in arid regions. This reduction allows vegetation growth rate to increase in regions where it was limited by low temperatures. Vegetation conditions in drought-poor regions are expected to continue to improve as extreme precipitation intensifies and extreme low-temperature events decrease.

Dynamics of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and its response to meteorological drought in the Yellow River Basin.

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) has been used since its discovery to characterize vegetation photosynthesis and is an effective tool for monitoring vegetation dynamics. Its response to meteorological drought enhances our comprehension of the ecological consequences and adaptive mechanisms of plants facing water scarcity, informing more efficient resource management and efforts in mitigating climate change. This study investigates the spatial and temporal patterns of SIF and examines how vegetation SIF in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) responds to meteorological drought. The findings reveal a gradual southeast-to-northwest decline in SIF across the Yellow River Basin, with an overall increase-from 0.1083 W m-2µm-1sr-1 in 2001 to 0.1468 W m-2µm-1sr-1 in 2019. Approximately 96% of the YRB manifests an upward SIF trend, with 75% of these areas reaching statistical significance. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at a time scale of 4 months (The SPEI-4), based on the Liang-Kleeman information flow method, is identified as the most suitable drought index, adeptly characterizing the causal relationship influencing SIF variations. As drought intensified, the SPEI-4 index markedly deviated from the baseline, resulting in a decrease in SIF values to their lowest value; subsequently, as drought lessened, it gravitated towards the baseline, and SIF values began to gradually increase, eventually recovering to near their annual maximum. The key finding is that the variability of SIF with SPEI is relatively pronounced in the early growing season, with forests demonstrating superior resilience compared to grasslands and croplands. The responsiveness of vegetation SIF to SPEI can facilitate the establishment of effective drought early warning systems and promote the rational planning of water resources, thereby mitigating the impacts of climate change.

Causal relationship between affect disorders and endometrial cancer: a Mendelian randomisation study.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to assess the causal relationship between depression and anxiety disorders and endometrial cancer. METHOD: We performed two-sample Mendelian randomisation analysis using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies to assess associations of major depressive disorder, anxiety and stress-related disorders with endometrial cancer. The genome-wide association studies(GWASs) data were derived from participants of predominantly European ancestry included in the Genome-wide Association Research Collaboration. Inverse variance-weighted, MR-Egger and weighted median MR analyses were performed, together with a range of sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Mendelian randomisation analysis showed no statistically significant genetic responsibility effect of anxiety and stress-related disorders on any pathological type of endometrial cancer. Only the effect of major depressive disorder under the inverse variance weighting method increasing the risk of endometrial endometrial cancer (effect 0.004 p = 0.047) and the effect of major depressive disorder under the MR-Egger method decreasing endometrial cancer of all pathology types (effect -0.691 p = 0.015) were statistically significant. Other Mendelian randomisation analyses did not show a statistically significant effect. CONCLUSION: Major depressive disorder(MDD), anxiety and stress-related disorders(ASRD) are not genetically responsible for endometrial cancer. We consider that emotional disorders may affect endometrial cancer indirectly by affecting body mass index. This study provides us with new insights to better understand the aetiology of endometrial cancer and inform prevention strategies.

This study used public genomic data to analyse association between affective disorders, including depression and anxiety, and endometrial cancer. Genes treated as instrumental variables help us understand the causal link between affective disorders and endometrial cancer through bioinformatics. In addition to this, we added type 2 diabetes, body mass index, polycystic ovary syndrome, and age at menopause for multivariate Mendelian randomisation analyses with the aim of reducing confounding bias. Because we consider these factors may potentially influence the relationship between affective disorders and endometrial cancer. Ultimately we believe that the association between depression and endometrial cancer is not as strong as that of obesity, due to the genetic correlation between depression and obesity.

[Genetic analysis of a fetus with Meckel syndrome due to variants of TMEM67 gene].

OBJECTIVE: To carry out prenatal diagnosis for a fetus with Meckel syndrome (MKS) and explore its genetic basis. METHODS: A pregnant woman presented at Suzhou Municipal Hospital in February 2018 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data was collected. Muscle tissue sample from the abortus and peripheral blood samples from the couple were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted and subjected to chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and whole exome sequencing. Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The fetus was found to have microcephaly, oligohydramnios, polycystic kidneys and banana-shaped cerebellum at 18 weeks of gestation. After induction of labor, it was found to have encephalocele, renal cysts and polydactyly. CMA has found no abnormality. Whole exome sequencing revealed novel compound heterozygous variants c.296delA (p.Lys99SerfsTer6) and c.1243G>A (p.Val415Met) in the TMEM67 gene. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the c.296delA variant was predicted to be pathogenic (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PP4), whilst the c.1243G>A variant was predicted to be likely pathogenic (PM2_Supporting+PM3+PP3_Moderate+PP4). CONCLUSION: The c.296delA and c.1243G>A compound heterozygous variants of the TMEM67 gene probably underlay the MKS in this fetus.

Fine particle trace elements at a mountain site in southern China: Source identification, transport, and health risks.

Trace elements in atmospheric particulate matter play a significant role in air quality, human health, and biogeochemical cycles. In this study, the trace elements (Ca, Al, K, Fe, Na, Mg, Zn, Pb, Mn, Ti, Cu, Cr, Sr, Ni) in PM2.5 samples collected at the summit of Mt. Lushan were analyzed to quantify their abundance, source, transport, and health risks. During the whole sampling period, the major trace elements was Ca, Al, and K. While the trace metals with the lowest concentrations were Sr, Ni, Rb, and Cd. The trace elements were influenced by air mass transport routes, exhibiting an increasing trend of crustal elements in the northwesterly airmass and anthropogenic elements (Zn, Mn, Cu, and Ni) in the easterly air masses. Construction dust, coal + biomass burning, vehicle emission, urban nitrate-rich + urban waste incineration emissions, and soil dust + industry emissions were common sources of PM2.5 on Mt. Lushan. Different air mass transport routes had various source contribution patterns. These results indicate that trace elements at Mt. Lushan are influenced by regional anthropogenic emissions and monsoon-dominated trace element transport. The total resulting cancer risk value that these elements posed were below the acceptable risk value of 1 × 10-6, while the non-carcinogenic risk value (1.72) was higher than the safety level, suggesting that non-carcinogenic effects due to these trace elements inhalation were likely to occur. Vehicle emission and coal + biomass burning were the common dominant sources of non-cancer risks posed by trace elements at Mt. Lushan.

New insights into the origin of buckwheat cultivation in southwestern China from pollen data.

Buckwheat is an important crop which originated in China and spread widely across Eurasia. However, exactly where in China domestication took place remains controversial. Archaeological and palynological records suggest a longer cultivation history of buckwheat in northern China than in southwestern China, but this conflicts with phylogenetic evidence implicating southwestern China as the centre of origin and diversity of buckwheat. We investigate alternative methodologies for inferring the occurrence of buckwheat cultivation and suggest that relative abundance could provide a reliable measure for distinguishing between wild and cultivated buckwheat in both present-day and fossil samples. Approximately 12 800-yr palaeoecological record shows that Fagopyrum pollen occurred only infrequently before the early Holocene. As southwestern China entered the early agricultural period, c. 8000-7000 yr ago, a slight increase in abundance of Fagopyrum pollen was observed. Approximately 4000 yr ago, concurrent with the Pu minority beginning to develop dry-land agriculture, the abundance of Fagopyrum pollen increased significantly, suggesting the cultivation of this crop. Fagopyrum pollen rose to a maximum value c. 1270 yr ago, suggesting an intensification of agricultural activity. These findings fill a gap in the Fagopyrum pollen record in southwestern China and provide new indications that early cultivation may have occurred in this region.

Spartinivicinus marinus sp. nov., isolated from intertidal sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, flagellated, and long rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain SM1973T, was isolated from an intertidal sediment sample collected from the coast of Qingdao, PR China. Strain SM1973T grew at 15-37 °C and with 0-5.5 % NaCl. It reduced nitrate to nitrite and hydrolysed aesculin but did not hydrolyse casein and gelatin. The strain showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (98.2 %) to the type strain of Spartinivicinus ruber. The phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA genes and single-copy orthologous clusters showed that strain SM1973T clustered with S. ruber, forming a separate lineage within the family Zooshikellaceae. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7с and/or C16 : 1 ω6с) and C16 : 0. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The main respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-9. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SM1973T was 40.4 mol%. Based on the polyphasic evidence presented in this paper, strain SM1973T is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Spartinivicinus, for which the name Spartinivicinus marinus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SM1973T (=MCCC 1K04833T=KCTC 72846T).

Characteristics of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy at high altitude and early results of therapeutic hypothermia.

BACKGROUND: Altitude hypoxia and limited socioeconomic conditions may result in distinctive features of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has not been used at altitude. We examined characteristics of HIE and early outcomes of TH in 3 centers at two high altitudes, 2 at 2,261 m and 1 at 3,650 m. METHODS: The incidence of HIE at NICUs was noted. TH was conducted when personnel and devices were available in 2019~2020. Standard inclusion criteria were used, with the addition of admission age >6 hours and mild HIE. Demographic and clinical data included gestational age, gender, weight, Apgar score, ethnics, age on admission, age at TH and clinical degree of HIE. EEG was monitored for 96 hours during hypothermia and rewarming. MRI was performed before discharge. RESULTS: There was significant difference in ethnics, HIE degree, age at TH across 3 centers. The overall NICU incidence of HIE was 4.0%. Among 566 HIE patients, 114 (20.1%) received TH. 63 (55.3%) patients had moderate/severe HIE. Age at TH >6 hours occurred in 34 (29.8%) patients. EEG discharges showed seizures in 7~11% of patients, whereas spikes/sharp waves in 94~100%, delta brushes in 50~100%. After TH, MRI showed moderate to severe brain injury in 77% of patients, and correlated with center, demographic and clinical variables (Ps≤0.0003). Mortality was 5% during hospitalization and 11% after discharge until 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: At altitude, the incidence of HIE was high and brain injury was severe. TH was limited and often late >6 hours. EEG showed distinct patterns attributable to altitude hypoxia. TH was relatively safe. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on February 23, 2019 in Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR1900021481).

Whole transcriptome analysis reveals the key genes and noncoding RNAs related to follicular atresia in broilers.

Broodiness, a maternal behavior, is accompanied by the atresia of follicles and the serious degradation of poultry reproductive performance. The comparison of follicles between brooding and laying hens is usually an ideal model for exploring the regulation mechanism of follicle atresia. In this study, we selected three brooding hens and three laying hens to collect their follicles for whole transcriptome sequencing. The results demonstrated different expression patterns between the follicles of brooding hens and laying hens. In the top 10 differentially expressed genes with the highest expression, MMP10 was relatively low expressed in the follicles of brooding hens, but other nine genes were relatively highly expressed, including LRR1, RACK1, SPECC1L, ABHD2, COL6A3, RPS17, ATRN, BIRC6, PGAM1 and SPECC1L. While miR-21-3p, miR-146a-5p, miR-142-5p and miR-1b-3p were highly expressed in the follicles of brooding hen, miR-106-5p, miR-451, miR-183, miR-7, miR-2188-5p and miR-182-5p were lowly expressed in brooding hen. In addition, we identified 124 lncRNAs specifically expressed in the follicles of brooding hens and 147 lncRNAs specifically expressed in the follicles of laying hens. Our results may provide a theoretical basis for further exploration of the molecular mechanism of broodiness in broilers.

Alteromonas oceanisediminis sp. nov., isolated from deep-sea sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain SM 2104T, was isolated from a deep-sea sediment sample collected from the Southwest Indian Ocean. Strain SM 2104T grew at 10-37 °C (optimum at 25 °C), and with 1.0-9.0% (w/v, optimum with 2-4%) NaCl. It hydrolyzed starch, tween 80 and gelatin but did not reduced nitrate to nitrite. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain SM 2104T was affiliated with the genus Alteromonas, sharing the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with type strains of Alteromonas flava (97.5%) and Alteromonas facilis (97.4%) and forming a distinct clade together with the two Alteromonas species. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strain SM 2104 T and type strains of Alteromonas flava and Alteromonas facilis were below 14.5%, and 71.0%, respectively. The major fatty acids of strain SM 2104T were summed feature 3 (C16:1ω6c/C16:1ω7c), C16:0 and summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c/C18:1ω6c). The major polar lipids of strain SM 2104T were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol and the only respiratory quinone of strain SM 2104T was ubiquinone-8. The genomic DNA G + C content of strain SM 2104T was 48.0%. On the basis of the phylogenetic, phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genomic analyses presented in this study, strain SM 2104T is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Alteromonas, for which the name Alteromonas oceansediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SM 2104T (= CCTCC AB 2021121T = KCTC 82867T).

Arsukibacterium indicum sp. nov., isolated from deep-sea sediment, and transfer of Rheinheimera tuosuensis and Rheinheimera perlucida to the genus Arsukibacterium as Arsukibacterium tuosuense comb. nov. and Arsukibacterium perlucidum comb. nov.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, flagellated and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain SM2107T, was isolated from a deep-sea sediment sample collected from the Southwest Indian Ocean. Strain SM2107T grew at 4-40 °C and with 0-10.0 % (w/v) NaCl. It reduced nitrate to nitrite and hydrolysed casein, gelatin, chitin and DNA. The phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA genes and single-copy orthologous clusters showed that strain SM2107T, together with Rheinheimera tuosuensis, Rheinheimera perlucida and Arsukibacterium ikkense, formed a separate clade, having the highest similarity to the type strain of Rheinheimera tuosuensis (98.3%). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol and the major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c), C16 : 0, C17 : 1 ω8с and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c). The only respiratory quinone was Q-8. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SM2107T was 48.8 %. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain SM2107T and type strains of Rheinheimera tuosuensis, Rheinheimera perlucida and Arsukibacterium ikkense were 41.16, 37.70 and 31.80 %, while the average amino acid identity values between them were 87.59, 86.76 and 83.64 %, respectively. Based on the polyphasic evidence presented in this study, strain SM2107T was considered to represent a novel species within the genus Arsukibacterium, for which the name Arsukibacterium indicum was proposed. The type strain is SM2107T (=MCCC M24986T=KCTC 82921T). Moreover, the transfer of Rheinheimera tuosuensis and Rheinheimera perlucida to the genus Arsukibacterium as Arsukibacterium tuosuense comb. nov. (type strain TS-T4T=CGMCC 1.12461T=JCM 19264T) and Arsukibacterium perlucidum comb. nov. (type strain BA131T=LMG 23581T=CIP 109200T) is also proposed.

Diagnostic yield of whole exome data in fetuses aborted for conotruncal malformations.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated a custom congenital heart disease (CHD) geneset to assess the diagnostic value of whole-exome sequencing (WES) in karyotype- and copy number variation (CNV)-negative aborted fetuses with conotruncal defects (CTDs), and to explore the impact of postnatal phenotyping on genetic diagnosis. METHODS: We sequentially analyzed CNV-seq and WES data from 47 CTD fetuses detected by prenatal ultrasonography. Fetuses with either a confirmed aneuploidy or pathogenic CNV were excluded from the WES analyses, which were performed following the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics recommendations and a custom CHD-geneset. Imaging and autopsy were applied to obtain postnatal phenotypic information about aborted fetuses. RESULTS: CNV-seq identified aneuploidy in 7/47 cases while 13/47 fetuses were CNV-positive. Eighty-five rare deleterious variants in 61 genes (from custom geneset) were identified by WES in the remaining 27 fetuses. Of these, five pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (PV/LPV) were identified in five fetuses, revealing a 10.6% (5/47) incremental diagnostic yield. Furthermore, RERE:c.2461_2472delGGGATGTGGCGA was reclassified as LPV based on postnatal phenotypic data. CONCLUSION: We have developed and defined a CHD gene panel that can be utilized in a subset of fetuses with CTDs. We demonstrate the utility of incorporating both prenatal and postnatal phenotypic information may facilitate WES diagnostics.

The Association of Pulmonary Flow Characteristics With Cardiac Function in Tricuspid Valve Malformation Fetuses: Study With Two-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between cardiac function and pulmonary flow characteristics in tricuspid valve malformation (TVM) fetuses by conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography. METHODS: Eighty-eight TVM fetuses were retrospectively included and compared with 80 normal controls. TVM fetuses in each trimester were divided into two subgroups according to pulmonary flow characteristics: those with normal pulmonary flow (TVM-N) and those with reduced or absent pulmonary flow (TVM-R/A). Cardiac measurements, Celermajer index, and Simpson-Andrews-Sharland (SAS) score were obtained. Speckle tracking echocardiography was used to compute ventricular deformation parameters. RESULTS: TVM fetuses demonstrated significantly lower global longitudinal strain (GLS) and strain rate for both ventricles than controls (all P < .05). When compared with TVM-N, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, LV fractional area change, right ventricular (RV) fractional area change, LVGLS, and RVGLS were significantly reduced (all P < .05), while the RV diameter Z-score, RV/LV diameter, SAS score, and Celermajer index were obviously increased in TVM-R/A in both trimesters (all P < .05). Both LVGLS and RVGLS correlated with cardiothoracic circumference ratio, RV diameter Z-score, RV/LV diameter, Celermajer index, and SAS score (all P < .01). There was a slow decline for LVGLS and RVGLS in TVM-N fetuses throughout the gestation. Conversely, these two parameters worsened rapidly in TVM-R/A group. CONCLUSIONS: TVM fetuses present biventricular dysfunction by deformation analysis in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. TVM fetuses with reduced or absent pulmonary flow exhibit significantly greater impairment and more rapid deterioration of cardiac function, which may contribute to poor outcomes.

Whole-genome resequencing reveals aberrant autosomal SNPs affect chicken feathering rate.

Previous studies have shown that the feather growth rate of chicks is determined by two alleles located on the sex chromosome Z; however, in chicken production, feathering is usually not consistently controlled by the sex chromosome. To identify whether the feathering rate is related to autosomal inheritance, whole-genome resequencing was performed in eight chickens with slow- and fast-feathering rate. A total of 54,984 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, including 393 and 376 exonic SNPs in slow-feathering and fast-feathering chickens, respectively. Mutated genes were mainly involved in response to stimuli and growth and reproduction processes. Mutated genes related to slow-feathering rate were mainly involved in wingless-type MMTV integration site signaling pathway and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, whereas mutated genes associated with fast-feathering rate were primarily enriched in autophagy, calcium signaling pathway, extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, and Focal adhesion processes. Importantly, two SNPs, involved in feather development, were found in the exonic regions of Wnt signaling genes. These results shed new light on the relationship between genetic mutation and feather growth rate from the perspective of autosomal inheritance and may have economic significance in chicken breeding.

Effects of selenium application concentration, period and method on the selenium content and grain yield of Tartary buckwheat of different varieties.

BACKGROUND: As a potential selenium-enriched crop, it is of great significance to study the selenium application of Tartary buckwheat. Therefore, to study the effects of selenium application concentration, variety, selenium application period and method on the grain selenium content and yield of Tartary buckwheat, an orthogonal experimental design was used to carry out field experiments in the Jinzhong and Northwest Shanxi ecological regions at the same time. Heifeng 1 and Jinqiao 2 were applied at the branching stage and flowering stage in the Jinzhong, and Heifeng 1 and Jinqiao 6 were applied at the early flowering stage and peak flowering stage in the Northwest Shanxi with different concentrations of sodium selenite (0, 1.37, 2.74, 5.48, 8.22, 12.33, 18.495, 27.7425 g hm-2 ) by foliar spraying and soil application. RESULTS: The results showed that the selenium content in Tartary buckwheat grains was positively correlated with the selenium application concentration and increased with increasing selenium application concentration, while the yield of Tartary buckwheat first increased and then decreased with the selenium application concentration. The grain selenium content and yield of Tartary buckwheat were affected by the selenium application concentration, variety and application method. CONCLUSION: The most effective selenium biofortification program was spraying 2.32 g hm-2 sodium selenite on the leaves of Heifeng 1 at the early flowering stage in the Jinzhong. In the Northwest Shanxi, spraying 11.01 g hm-2 sodium selenite on the leaves of Jinqiao 6 at the flowering stage was the most effective selenium biofortification program. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on growth traits, slaughter performance, serum markers and intestinal bacterial community of Daheng broilers.

Probiotics are expected to be an ideal alternative for antibiotics in the poultry industry. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum on growth traits, slaughter performance, serum markers and intestinal bacterial community of Daheng broilers. A total of 2400 healthy one-day-old Daheng broilers were randomly divided into 5 groups with 6 replicates per group and 40 individuals per replicate. Birds in control group were fed a basal diet, and others were fed basal diets supplemented with 105 , 106 , 107 and 108  CFU/kg Lactobacillus plantarum, respectively. It turned out that adding Lactobacillus plantarum to diet could significantly improve the serum immune performance of broilers (p < 0.05), enhance the antioxidant capacity to a certain extent (p > 0.05), but had no significant effect on growth traits and slaughter performance. Moreover, Lactobacillus plantarum could improve the diversity of intestinal bacterial community, but with the increase of addition concentration, the diversity would gradually decrease. In conclusion, Lactobacillus plantarum can be used as feed additive in broiler production, but whether it is more effective than antibiotics needs further investigation.

Lack of N-Terminal Segment of the Flagellin Protein Results in the Production of a Shortened Polar Flagellum in the Deep-Sea Sedimentary Bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. Strain SM9913.

Bacterial polar flagella, comprised of flagellin, are essential for bacterial motility. Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain SM9913 is a bacterium isolated from deep-sea sediments. Unlike other Pseudoalteromonas strains that have a long polar flagellum, strain SM9913 has an abnormally short polar flagellum. Here, we investigated the underlying reason for the short flagellum and found that a single-base mutation was responsible for the altered flagellar assembly. This mutation leads to the fragmentation of the flagellin gene into two genes, PSM_A2281, encoding the core segment and the C-terminal segment, and PSM_A2282, encoding the N-terminal segment, and only gene PSM_A2281 is involved in the production of the short polar flagellum. When a chimeric gene of PSM_A2281 and PSM_A2282 encoding an intact flagellin, A2281::82, was expressed, a long polar flagellum was produced, indicating that the N-terminal segment of flagellin contributes to the production of a polar flagellum of a normal length. Analyses of the simulated structures of A2281 and A2281::82 and that of the flagellar filament assembled with A2281::82 indicate that due to the lack of two α-helices, the core of the flagellar filament assembled with A2281 is incomplete and is likely too weak to support the stability and movement of a long flagellum. This mutation in strain SM9913 had little effect on its growth and only a small effect on its swimming motility, implying that strain SM9913 can live well with this mutation in natural sedimentary environments. This study provides a better understanding of the assembly and production of bacterial flagella. IMPORTANCE Polar flagella, which are essential organelles for bacterial motility, are comprised of multiple flagellin subunits. A flagellin molecule contains an N-terminal segment, a core segment, and a C-terminal segment. The results of this investigation of the deep-sea sedimentary bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain SM9913 demonstrate that a single-base mutation in the flagellin gene leads to the production of an incomplete flagellin without the N-terminal segment and that the loss of the N-terminal segment of the flagellin protein results in the production of a shortened polar flagellar filament. Our results shed light on the important function of the N-terminal segment of flagellin in the assembly and stability of bacterial flagellar filament.