Cation vacancy modulated Cu3P-CoP heterostructure electrocatalyst for boosting hydrogen evolution at high current densities and coupling Zn-H2O battery.

Exploiting highly efficient, cost-effective and stable electrocatalysts is key to decreasing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics energy barrier. Herein, the alkaline HER kinetics energy barrier can greatly reduce by the joint strategies of the cation vacancy and heterostructure engineering, which is seldom explored and remains ambiguous. In this study, an efficient and stable copper foam-supported Cu3P-CoP heterostructure electrocatalyst with cation vacancy defects (defined as Cu3P-CoP-VAl/CF) was designed for HER via the successive coprecipitation, electrodeposition, alkali etching and phosphorization treatments. As anticipated, the as-obtained Cu3P-CoP-VAl/CF electrocatalyst reveals a remarkable catalytic activity for HER with a low overpotential of 205 mV at a current density of 100 mA·cm-2, a high turnover frequency value of 1.05 s-1 at an overpotential of 200 mV and a small apparent activation energy (Ea) of 9 kJ·mol-1, while shows superior long-term stability at large current densities of 100 and 240 mA·cm-2. Systematic experiment and characterization data demonstrate that the formed cation vacancy could optimize the Ea, leading to the decrease of the kinetic barriers of Cu3P-CoP/CF heterostructure, as well as the established heterogeneous interface induced a synergistic effect between biphasic components on boosting the kinetics toward HER. The results of density functional theory disclose that the synergistic effect of Cu3P-CoP heterostructure could decrease the energy barrier and optimize Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption, resulting in the enhancement of intrinsic catalytic activity of Cu3P-CoP-VAl/CF. More significantly, the alkali-cell assembled by Cu3P-CoP-VAl/CF (cathode) and RuO2/CF (anode) behaves outstanding water splitting performance, delivering a current density of 10 mA·cm-2 at a relatively small applied voltage of 1.58 V, along with encouraging long-term durability. In addition, the alkaline Zn-H2O battery with Cu3P-CoP-VAl/CF as the cathode has been fabricated for the simultaneous generation of electricity and hydrogen, which displays a large power density of up to 4.1 mW·cm-2. The work demonstrates that rational strategy for the design of competent electrocatalysts can effectively accelerate the kinetics of HER, which supplies valuable insights for practical applications in overall water splitting.

Ultrasensitive detection of zearalenone based on electrochemiluminescent immunoassay with Zr-MOF nanoplates and Au@MoS2 nanoflowers.

In this work, an effective competitive-type electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor was constructed for zearalenone determination by using Zr-MOF nanoplates as the ECL luminophore and Au@MoS2 nanoflowers as the substrate material. Zr-MOF have an ultra-thin sheet-like structure that accelerates the transfer of electrons, ions and co-reactant intermediates, which exhibited strong and stable anodic luminescence. The three-dimensional Au@MoS2 nanoflowers would form a thin film modification layer on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). And its good electrical conductivity and higher specific surface area utilization further improving the sensitivity of the ECL immunosensor. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed immunosensor exhibited satisfactory stability, sensitivity and accuracy, and its ECL signal was proportional to the logarithm of ZEN concentration (0.0001-100 ng/mL) and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.034 pg/mL. In addition, the results of recovery experiment acquired for wheat flour and pig urine samples further proved the feasibility of the immunosensor for the detection of real samples, indicating its potential for ultrasensitive detection of ZEN.

Study on Modeling and Evaluating Alfalfa Yield and Optimal Water Use Efficiency in the Agro-Pastoral Ecotone of Northern China.

The agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China is the main production area of agriculture and animal husbandry, in which agricultural development relies entirely on groundwater. Due to the increasing water consumption of groundwater year by year, groundwater resources are becoming increasingly scarce. The substantial water demand and low germination rate in the first year are the main characteristics of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) yield in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China. Due to unscientific irrigation, water resources are seriously wasted, which restricts the development of local agriculture and animal husbandry. The study constructed the Dssat-Forages-Alfalfa model and used soil water content, leaf area index, and yield data collected with in situ observation experiments in 2022 and 2023 to calibrate and validate the parameters. The study found ARE < 10%, ENRMS < 15%, and R2 ≥ 0.85. The model simulation accuracy was acceptable. The study revealed that the water consumption at the surface soil layer (0-20 cm) was more than 6~12% and 13~31% than that at the 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm soil layers, respectively. The study showed when the irrigation quota was 30 mm, the annual yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) (7435 kg/ha) was consistent with that of the irrigation quota of 33 mm, and increased by 3.99% to 5.34% and 6.86% to 10.67% compared with that of irrigation quotas of 27 mm and 24 mm, respectively. To ensure the germination rate of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), it is recommended to control the initial soil water content at 0.8 θfc~1.0 θfc, with an irrigation quota of 30 mm, which was the best scheme for water-use efficiency and economic yield. The study aimed to provide technological support for the rational utilization of groundwater and the scientific improvement of alfalfa yield in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China.

Comparative analysis of alternative splicing events in skeletal muscle of different sheep.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between genes with alternative splicing (AS) events and breed-specific differences in muscle development in two breeds of sheep. RNA-seq was utilized to identify genes with AS between Small-tailed Han sheep and Dorset sheep. The gene lists of differentially spliced genes were identified, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were conducted on these genes. In this study, 299 genes with 356 AS indicated significant differences between two diffrerent breeds. There are differences in 31 genes with 35 AS. Cassette, alt5' and alt3' exhibited the highest levels of enrichment across various significant levels. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between Wnt, TGF-beta, Notch and MAPK signaling pathways and the development of muscle in sheep. These findings indicate that genes with AS are linked to variations in muscle development in sheep. These results offer significant scientific and practical implications for improving the quality of sheep meat.

Functional analysis of differentially expressed circular RNAs in sheep subcutaneous fat.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), as important non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), are involved in many biological activities. However, the exact chemical mechanism behind fat accumulation is unknown. In this paper, we obtained the expression profiles of circRNAs using high-throughput sequencing and investigated their differential expression in subcutaneous fat tissue of Duolang and Small Tail Han sheep. RESULTS: From the transcriptomic analysis, 141 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified, comprising 61 up-regulated circRNAs and 80 down-regulated circRNAs. These host genes were primarily enriched in the MAPK and AMPK signaling pathways which is closely associated with fat deposition regulation. We identified circRNA812, circRNA91, and circRNA388 as vital genes in fat deposition by miRNA-circRNA target gene prediction. The functional annotation results of target genes of key circRNAs showed that the signaling pathways mainly included PI3K-Akt and AMPK. We constructed the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network to study the role of circRNAs in sheep lipid deposition, and circRNA812, circRNA91, and circRNA388 can adsorb more miRNAs. NC_040253.1_5757, as the source of miRNA response element (MRE) among the three, may play an important role during the process of sheep fat deposition. CONCLUSIONS: Our study gives a systematic examination of the circRNA profiles expressed in sheep subcutaneous fat. These results from this study provide some new basis for understanding circRNA function and sheep fat metabolism.

Genome wide identification and characterization of fertility associated novel CircRNAs as ceRNA reveal their regulatory roles in sheep fecundity.

Reproductive traits play a vital role in determining the production efficiency of sheep. Maximizing the production is of paramount importance for breeders worldwide due to the growing population. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) act as miRNA sponges by absorbing miRNA activity through miRNA response elements (MREs) and participate in ceRNA regulatory networks (ceRNETs) to regulate mRNA expression. Despite of extensive research on role of circRNAs as miRNA sponges in various species, their specific regulatory roles and mechanism in sheep ovarian tissue are still not well understood. In this study, we performed whole genome sequencing of circRNAs, miRNA and mRNA employing bioinformatic techniques on ovine tissues of two contrasting sheep breeds "Small tail Han (X_LC) and Dolang sheep (D_LC)", which results into identification of 9,878 circRNAs with a total length of 23,522,667 nt and an average length of 2,381.32 nt. Among them, 44 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) were identified. Moreover, correlation between miRNA-mRNA and lncRNA-miRNA provided us with to prediction of miRNA binding sites on nine differentially expressed circRNAs and 165 differentially expressed mRNAs using miRanda. miRNA-mRNA and lncRNA-miRNA pairs with negative correlation were selected to determine the ceRNA score along with positively correlated pairs from lncRNA and mRNA network. Integration of ceRNA score and positively correlated pairs exhibit a significant ternary relationship among circRNAs-miRNA-mRNA demonestrated by ceRNA, comprising of 50 regulatory pairs sharring common nodes and predicted potential differentially expressed circRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs regulatory axis. Based on functional enrichment analysis shortlisted key ceRNA regulatory pairs associated with reproduction including circRNA_3257-novel579_mature-EPHA3, circRNA_8396-novel130_mature-LOC101102473, circRNA_4140- novel34_mature > novel661_mature-KCNK9, and circRNA_8312-novel339_mature-LOC101110545. Furthermore, expression profiling, functional enrichments and qRT-PCR analysis of key target genes infer their implication in reproduction and metabolism. ceRNA target mRNAs evolutionary trajectories, expression profiling, functional enrichments, subcellular localizations following genomic organizations will provide new insights underlying molecular mechanisms of reproduction, and establish a solid foundation for future research. Graphical abstract summarizing the scheme of study.

Comparison of alternative splicing (AS) events in adipose tissue of polled dorset versus small tail han sheep.

Background: During the alternative splicing (AS), the exons of primary transcripts are spliced in various arrangements, resulting in structurally and functionally distinct mRNAs and proteins. This study aimed to examine genes with AS events from Small Tail Han sheep and Dorset sheep to explore the mechanism of adipose developments. Methods: This study identified the genes with AS events in adipose tissues of two different sheep with next-generation sequencing. In this paper, genes with significantly different AS events were performed gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Results: 364 genes with 411 A S events showed significant differences in adipose tissues between the two breeds; 108 genes with 120 A S events were extremely significant differences between the two breeds. We identified several novel genes that are related with adipose growth and development. The results of KEGG and GO analysis indicated that oocyte meiosis, mitogen-activated protein kinase (Wnt), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, etc. Were closely related to the adipose tissue developments. Conclusions: This paper revealed that the genes with AS events are important for adipose tissues in sheep, exploring the mechanisms of AS events associated with adipose tissue developments in sheep of different breeds.

Charge and energy transfer dynamics in single colloidal quantum dots/monolayer MoS2 heterostructures.

The charge and energy transfer dynamics in colloidal CdSeTe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs)/monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) heterostructures have been investigated by time-resolved single-dot photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. A time-gated method is used to separate the PL photons of single QDs from the PL photons of monolayer MoS2, which are impossible to be separated by the spectral filter due to their spectral overlap. It is found that the energy transfer from MoS2 to single QDs increases the exciton generation of the QDs by 37.5% and the energy transfer from single QDs to MoS2 decreases the PL quantum yield of the QDs by 66.9%. In addition, it is found that MoS2 increases the discharging rate of single QDs by 59%, while the charging rate remains unchanged. This investigation not only provides valuable insight into the exciton generation and recombination at the single-dot level across such hybrid 0D-2D interfaces but also promotes the application of the hybrid system in various optoelectronic devices.

Impact of FecB Mutation on Ovarian DNA Methylome in Small-Tail Han Sheep.

Booroola fecundity (FecB) gene, a mutant of bone morphogenetic protein 1B (BMPR-1B) that was discovered in Booroola Merino, was the first prolificacy gene identified in sheep related to increased ovulation rate and litter size. The mechanism of FecB impact on reproduction is unclear. METHODS: In this study, adult Han ewes with homozygous FecB(B)/FecB(B) mutations (Han BB group) and ewes with FecB(+)/FecB(+) wildtype (Han ++ group) were selected. Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing (MeDIP-seq) was used to identify differences in methylated genes in ovary tissue. RESULTS: We examined differences in DNA methylation patterns between HanBB and Han ++ sheep. In both sheep, methylated reads were mainly distributed at the gene body regions, CpG islands and introns. The differentially methylated genes were enriched in neurotrophy in signaling pathway, Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, oocyte meiosis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway, etc. Differentially-methylated genes were co-analyzed with differentially-expressed mRNAs. Several genes which could be associated with female reproduction were identified, such as FOXP3 (forkhead box P3), TMEFF2 (Transmembrane Protein with EGF Like and Two Follistatin Like Domains 2) and ADAT2 (Adenosine Deaminase TRNA Specific 2). CONCLUSIONS: We constructed a MeDIP-seq based methylomic study to investigate the ovarian DNA methylation differences between Small-Tail Han sheep with homozygous FecB mutant and wildtype, and successfully identified FecB gene-associated differentially-methylated genes. This study has provided information with which to understand the mechanisms of FecB gene-induced hyperprolificacy in sheep.

Heart rate variability status at rest in adult depressed patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purposes: A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the differences in heart rate variability (HRV) between depressed patients and healthy individuals, with the purpose of providing a theoretical basis for the diagnosis of depression and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: To search China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library databases to collect case-control studies on HRV in depressed patients, the retrieval date is from the establishment of the database to December 2022. Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) scale was used to evaluate literature quality, and Stata14.0 software was used for meta-analysis. Results: This study comprised of 43 papers, 22 written in Chinese and 21 in English, that included 2,359 subjects in the depression group and 3,547 in the healthy control group. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with the healthy control group, patients with depression had lower SDNN [Hedges' g = -0.87, 95% CI (-1.14, -0.60), Z = -6.254, p < 0.01], RMSSD [Hedges' g = -0.51, 95% CI (-0.69,-0.33), Z = -5.525, p < 0.01], PNN50 [Hedges' g = -0.43, 95% CI (-0.59, -0.27), Z = -5.245, p < 0.01], LF [Hedges' g = -0.34, 95% CI (-0.55, - 0.13), Z = -3.104, p < 0.01], and HF [Hedges' g = -0.51, 95% CI (-0.69, -0.33), Z = -5.669 p < 0.01], and LF/HF [Hedges' g = -0.05, 95% CI (-0.27, 0.18), Z = -0.410, p = 0.682] showed no significant difference. Conclusion: This research revealed that HRV measures of depressed individuals were lower than those of the healthy population, except for LF/HF, suggesting that people with depression may be more at risk of cardiovascular diseases than the healthy population.

Photon-Energy-Dependent Reversible Charge Transfer Dynamics of Double Perovskite Nanocrystal-Polymer Nanocomposites.

Combining steady-state photoluminescence and transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy, we have investigated the photoinduced charge transfer dynamics between lead-free Mn-doped Cs2NaIn0.75Bi0.25Cl6 double perovskite (DP) nanocrystals (NCs) and conjugated poly[2-methoxy-5-(3',7'-dimethyloctyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MDMO-PPV). Upon ultraviolet-A excitation, the photoinduced absorption feature of DP NCs/MDMO-PPV nanocomposites disappeared, and the stimulated emission weakened in the TA spectrum. This was due to charge transfer from the MDMO-PPV polymers to DP NCs. Upon a higher photon-energy ultraviolet-C excitation, stimulated emission and photoinduced absorption features vanished, indicating there existed a reversible charge transfer from DP NCs to MDMO-PPV polymers. Reversible charge transfer of Mn-doped DP NCs/MDMO-PPV nanocomposites was tuned by varying the excitation photon-energy. The manipulation of reversible charge transfer dynamics in the perovskite-polymer nanocomposites opens a new avenue for optical and optoelectronic applications.

The comprehensive detection of miRNA and circRNA in the regulation of intramuscular and subcutaneous adipose tissue of Laiwu pig.

circRNAs, as miRNA sponges, participate in many important biological processes. However, it remains unclear whether circRNAs can regulate lipid metabolism. This study aimed to explore the competing endogenouse RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network that affects the difference between intramuscular fat (IMF) and subcutaneous fat (SCF) deposition, and to screen key circRNAs and their regulatory genes. In this experiment, we identified 265 differentially expressed circRNAs, of which 187 up-regulated circRNA and 78 down-regulated circRNA in IMF. Subsequently, we annotated the function of DEcircRNA's host genes, and found that DEcircRNA's host genes were mainly involved in GO terms (including cellular response to fatty acids, lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase activity, R-SMAD binding, etc.) and signaling pathways (fatty acid biosynthesis, Citrate cycle, TGF- ß Signal pathway) related to adipogenesis, differentiation and lipid metabolism. By constructing a circRNA-miRNA network, we screened out DEcircRNA that can competitively bind to more miRNAs as key circRNAs (circRNA_06424 and circRNA_08840). Through the functional annotation of indirect target genes and protein network analysis, we found that circRNA_06424 affects the expression of PPARD, MMP9, UBA7 and other indirect target genes by competitively binding to miRNAs such as ssc-miR-339-5p, ssc-miR-744 and ssc-miR-328, and participates in PPAR signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, unsaturated fatty acid and other signaling pathways, resulting in the difference of fat deposition between IMF and SCF. This study provide a theoretical basis for further research investigating the differences of lipid metabolism in different adipose tissues, providing potential therapeutic targets for ectopic fat deposition and lipid metabolism diseases.

Genome-Wide Expression Profiling and Networking Reveals an Imperative Role of IMF-Associated Novel CircRNAs as ceRNA in Pigs.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition is a biological process that has a strong impact on the nutritional and sensorial properties of meat, with relevant consequences on human health. Pork loins determine the effects of marbling on the sensory attributes and meat quality properties, which differ among various pig breeds. This study explores the crosstalk of non-coding RNAs with mRNAs and analyzes the potential pathogenic role of IMF-associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in IMF tissues, which offer a framework for the functional validation of key/potential genes. A high-throughput whole-genome transcriptome analysis of IMF tissues from longissimus dorsi muscles of Large White (D_JN) and Laiwu (L_JN) pigs resulted in the identification of 283 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs), including two key circRNAs (circRNA-23437, circRNA-08840) with potential binding sites for multiple miRNAs regulating the whole network. The potential ceRNA mechanism identified the DEC target miRNAs-mRNAs involved in lipid metabolism, fat deposition, meat quality, and metabolic syndrome via the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network, concluding that ssc-mir-370 is the most important target miRNA shared by both key circRNAs. TGM2, SLC5A6, ECI1, FASN, PER1, SLC25A34, SOD1, and COL5A3 were identified as hub genes through an intensive protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of target genes acquired from the ceRNA regulatory network. Functional enrichments, pathway examinations, and qRT-PCR analyses infer their implications in fat/cholesterol metabolism, insulin secretion, and fatty acid biosynthesis. Here, circRNAs and miRNA sequencing accompanied by computational techniques were performed to analyze their expressions in IMF tissues from the longissimus dorsi muscles of two pig breeds. Their target gene evolutionary trajectories, expression profiling, functional enrichments, subcellular localizations, and structural advances with high-throughput protein modeling, following genomic organizations, will provide new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms of adipocyte differentiation and IMF deposition and a much-needed qualitative framework for future research to improve meat quality and its role as a biomarker to treat lipid metabolic syndromes.

Identification of potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory network and the key miRNAs in intramuscular and subcutaneous adipose.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) is an important indicator for evaluating meat quality. Breeds with high IMF content are often accompanied by high subcutaneous fat (SCF), severely affecting the meat rate of pigs. Studying the mechanisms of miRNAs related to lipogenesis and lipid metabolism has important implications for pig breeding. We constructed two small RNA libraries from intramuscular and subcutaneous fat to evaluate the patterns of lipogenesis in Laiwu pig, a Chinese breed. A total of 286 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), including 193 known miRNA and 93 novel miRNAs, were identified from two types of adipose. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis for DEmiRNAs showed that their target genes involved in many adipogenesis and lipid metabolism biological processes and signaling pathways, such as Wnt signaling pathway,MAPK signaling pathway, Hippo signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Melanogenesis, Signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells and so on. Then, we constructed a miRNA-mRNA interaction network to find out which miRNAs were the key miRNAs of regulation in Wnt signaling pathway. In this pathway, miR-331-3p, miR-339-5p, miR-874 and novel346_mature target PPARD, WNT10B, RSPO3, WNT2B. This study provides a theoretical basis for further understanding the post-transcriptional regulation mechanism of meat quality formation and predicting and treating diseases caused by ectopic fat.

Genome-Wide Analysis of microRNAs Identifies the Lipid Metabolism Pathway to Be a Defining Factor in Adipose Tissue From Different Sheep.

microRNAs are a class of important non-coding RNAs, which can participate in the regulation of biological processes. In recent years, miRNA has been widely studied not only in humans and mice, but also in animal husbandry. However, compared with other livestock and poultry breeds, the study of miRNA in subcutaneous adipose tissue of sheep is not comprehensive. Transcriptome analysis of miRNAs in subcutaneous adipose tissue of Duolang sheep, and Small Tail Han sheep was performed using RNA-Seq technology. Differentially expressed miRNAs were screened between different breeds. Target genes were predicted, and then the joint analysis of candidate genes were conducted based on Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment. Finally, the RNA-Seq data were verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Herein, we identified 38 differentially expressed miRNAs (9 novel miRNAs and 29 known miRNAs). In addition, a total of 854 target genes were predicted by miRanda software. GO and KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated that regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes plays a key role in the deposition of subcutaneous adipose tissue in Duolang sheep and Small Tail Han sheep. The miRNAs might regulate fat deposits by regulating genes involved in regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes. Specifically, NC_ 040278.1_ 37602, oar-mir-493-3p, NC_ 040278.1_ 37521 and NC_ 040255.1_ 11627 might target PTGS2, AKT2, AKT3, and PIK3CA, respectively, and then play critical regulatory role. In conclusion, all the results provide a good idea for further revealing the mechanism of subcutaneous adipose tissue deposition and improving the meat production performance of sheep, and lay a foundation for promoting the development of animal husbandry.

Differential regulation of mRNAs and lncRNAs related to lipid metabolism in Duolang and Small Tail Han sheep.

The function of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) can be achieved through the regulation of target genes, and the deposition of fat is regulated by lncRNA. Fat has an important effect on meat quality. However, there are relatively few studies on lncRNAs in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of Duolang sheep and Small Tail Han sheep. In this study, RNA-Seq technology and bioinformatics methods were used to identify and analyze the lncRNA and mRNA in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of the two breeds of sheep. The results showed that 107 lnRNAs and 1329 mRNAs were differentially expressed. The differentially expressed genes and lncRNA target genes were significantly enriched in the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids signaling pathway, fatty acid metabolism, adipocyte differentiation and other processes related to fat deposition. Among them, LOC105616076, LOC114118103, LOC105607837, LOC101116622, and LOC105603235 target FADS1, SCD, ELOVL6, HSD17B12 and HACD2, respectively. They play a key regulatory role in the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. This study lays a foundation for the study of the molecular mechanism of lncRNA on fat development, and has reference value for studying the differences in fat deposition between Duolang sheep and Small Tail Han sheep.

Prussian Blue Nanoparticle Supported MoS2 Nanocomposites as a Peroxidase-Like Nanozyme for Colorimetric Sensing of Dopamine.

An abnormal level of dopamine (DA) is usually related to neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease. Herein, cubic-shaped, Prussian blue nanoparticle-supported MoS2 nanocomposites (MoS2-CPBNPs) were prepared as peroxidase-like nanozymes for the label-free, colorimetric detection of DA. As expected, the as-prepared MoS2-CPBNPs nanozymes have outstanding peroxidase-like mimicking activity, which can catalyze 3,3',5,5'-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to generate blue, oxidized TMB in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). DA can inhibit the oxidation of TMB, which causes blue solutions to fade and become colorless. According to this phenomenon, the developed colorimetric sensor can qualitatively and quantitatively analyze DA ranging from 0 to 300 µM with a detection limit of 0.09 µM. In addition, the high recovery and low relative standard deviation for practical DA determination suggested that this colorimetric sensor has potential for application in biological biosensing and diagnostic fields.

Integrative Analysis of miRNAs Involved in Fat Deposition in Different Pig Breeds.

BACKGROUND: miRNAs are a set of small, noncoding RNAs that bind to partially complementary sequences on target mRNAs. This leads to the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Many studies have shown that microRNAs play critical roles in adipose cell differentiation and fat metabolism. The aim of this study was to explore the regulatory functions of miRNAs in fat deposition for the prevention and therapy of lipid metabolism-related diseases. METHODS: The significant differences in the fat deposition of Laiwu (LW) pigs and Large White (LY) pigs were studied. To investigate the genetic relationships of miRNAs that regulate fat deposition, we performed a genome-wide analysis of miRNAs derived from subcutaneous adipose tissue of LW and LY pigs using RNA-seq. RESULTS: There were 39 known miRNAs and 56 novel miRNAs significantly differential expressed between the two breeds of pigs. In the analysis of the Gene Ontology and KEGG pathways, predicted targets of these differentially expressed miRNAs were involved in several fat-associated pathways, such as the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and Wnt signaling pathways. In addition, ssc-miR-133a-3p, ssc-miR-486 and ssc-miR-1 each had a great impact on the development of porcine subcutaneous fat through the PPAR signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: We explored the role of differentially expressed miRNAs and studied the mechanisms of adipogenesis and fat deposition between two different pig breeds. In addition, these results also contribute to research relevant to human obesity.

Identification and analysis of lncRNA, miRNA and mRNA related to subcutaneous and intramuscular fat in Laiwu pigs.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate adipocyte differentiation and metabolism, However, their function on subcutaneous and intramuscular adipose tissues in pigs is unclear. Intramuscular fat (IMF) is an important indicator for evaluating meat quality. Breeds with high IMF content are often accompanied by high subcutaneous fat (SCF), which severely affects the meat rate of pigs. It is of great significance for porcine breeding to study the mechanism of lncRNA related to adipogenesis and lipid metabolism. Methods: We identified differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs in subcutaneous and intramuscular adipose tissues in three female Laiwu pigs by deep RNA-sequencing(|log2foldchange|≥1, P_value ≤ 0.05). The gene expression profiles of IMF and SCF in Laiwu pigs were comparatively analyzed by Bioinformatics methods to identify key lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs associated with lipid metabolism and adipogenesis. Results: A total of 1209 lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), 286 miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and 1597 mRNAs (DEgenes) were differentially expressed between two types of adipose. Among them, 17 DElncRNAs and 103 target genes play a role in the co-expression network, as well as 59 DElncRNAs, 44 DEmiRNAs, and 88 DEgenes involved in ceRNA network. In GO(Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis of DElncRNAs their target genes involved in many adipogenesis and lipid metabolism biological processes and signaling pathways, such as PPAR signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusions: By constructing co-expression and ceRNAs network we found that Wnt signaling pathway play a critical regulatory role in intramuscular adipogenesis and lipid accumulation in Laiwu pigs. TCONS_00006525, TCONS_00046551 and TCONS_00000528 may target WNT5A, WNT10B and FDZ3 in co-expression network, TCONS_00026517 and other lncRNAs regulate the expression of PPARG, RXRG and SCD in ceRNA network, and were involved in Wnt signaling pathway. This study provides a theoretical basis for further understanding the post-transcriptional regulation mechanism of meat quality formation, predicting and treating diseases caused by ectopic fat.

Antifouling lipid membrane coupled with silver nanoparticles for electrochemical detection of nucleic acids in biological fluids.

Electrochemical method capable of detecting specific nucleic acids in complex fluid will undoubtedly advance the diagnosis of many kinds of diseases. Herein, by coupling lipid membrane with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), we develop a new electrochemical method for sensitive and reliable detection of nucleic acids in biological fluids. The advantages of lipid membrane especially its excellent antifouling ability is employed to enhance the applicability of the method in complex environment; while the significant solid-state Ag/AgCl response of AgNPs is used to ensure the detection sensitivity of the method. The core of this method's workflow is the target-induced Y-shape structure formation, which results in the recruitment of AgNPs to the electrode surface, producing considerable electrochemical responses used for target nucleic acid detection. Taking highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC), a liver cancer-related long non-coding RNA as a model target, the method exhibits high sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility with a detection limit of 0.42 fM. Moreover, the method displays desirable usability in biological fluids such as serum, which will be of great potential in clinical diagnosis.