Inhibition of histone acetyltransferase GCN5 by a transcription factor FgPacC controls fungal adaption to host-derived iron stress.

Poaceae plants can locally accumulate iron to suppress pathogen infection. It remains unknown how pathogens overcome host-derived iron stress during their successful infections. Here, we report that Fusarium graminearum (Fg), a destructive fungal pathogen of cereal crops, is challenged by host-derived high-iron stress. Fg infection induces host alkalinization, and the pH-dependent transcription factor FgPacC undergoes a proteolytic cleavage into the functional isoform named FgPacC30 under alkaline host environment. Subsequently FgPacC30 binds to a GCCAR(R = A/G)G element at the promoters of the genes involved in iron uptake and inhibits their expression, leading to adaption of Fg to high-iron stress. Mechanistically, FgPacC30 binds to FgGcn5 protein, a catalytic subunit of Spt-Ada-Gcn5 Acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex, leading to deregulation of histone acetylation at H3K18 and H2BK11, and repression of iron uptake genes. Moreover, we identified a protein kinase FgHal4, which is highly induced by extracellular high-iron stress and protects FgPacC30 against 26S proteasome-dependent degradation by promoting FgPacC30 phosphorylation at Ser2. Collectively, this study uncovers a novel inhibitory mechanism of the SAGA complex by a transcription factor that enables a fungal pathogen to adapt to dynamic microenvironments during infection.

[Low disease activity and remission status of systemic lupus erythematosus in a real-world study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the rates of low disease activity and clinical remission in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a real-world setting, and to analyze the related factors of low disease activity and clinical remission. METHODS: One thousand patients with SLE were enrolled from 11 teaching hospitals. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data, as well as treatment regimes were collec-ted by self-completed questionnaire. The rates of low disease activity and remission were calculated based on the lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) and definitions of remission in SLE (DORIS). Charac-teristics of patients with LLDAS and DORIS were analyzed. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the related factors of LLDAS and DORIS remission. RESULTS: 20.7% of patients met the criteria of LLDAS, while 10.4% of patients achieved remission defined by DORIS. Patients who met LLDAS or DORIS remission had significantly higher proportion of patients with high income and longer disease duration, compared with non-remission group. Moreover, the rates of anemia, creatinine elevation, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hypoalbuminemia was significantly lower in the LLDAS or DORIS group than in the non-remission group. Patients who received hydroxychloroquine for more than 12 months or immunosuppressant therapy for no less than 6 months earned higher rates of LLDAS and DORIS remission. The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that increased ESR, positive anti-dsDNA antibodies, low level of complement (C3 and C4), proteinuria, low household income were negatively related with LLDAS and DORIS remission. However, hydroxychloroquine usage for longer than 12 months were positively related with LLDAS and DORIS remission. CONCLUSION: LLDAS and DORIS remission of SLE patients remain to be improved. Treatment-to-target strategy and standar-dized application of hydroxychloroquine and immunosuppressants in SLE are recommended.

Early onset is an indication of the severity of DADA2 disease.

OBJECTIVE: To find indicators of disease severity and factors of early remission in patients with deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 (DADA2). METHODS: We enrolled six DADA2 patients from six families. Direct sequencing of adenosine deaminase 2 gene (ADA2) was performed by Sanger analysis. A literature review was conducted for articles regarding paediatric DADA2. RESULTS: We found that more organs were involved in early-onset (≤1 year of age) than in late-onset (>1 year of age) DADA2 patients had high level inflammatory responses, such as elevated ESR, SF, serum amyloid A and CRP. Disease severity was not significantly different from missense and frameshift mutation. Early administration of TNF inhibitor might result in better remission and reduce recurrence. In the literature, four articles describing 51 paediatric DADA2 patients were identified. We also found that fever, stroke, peripheral nervous system involvement, hypogammaglobulinaemia and hypertension were more frequent in early onset DADA2 patients. CONCLUSION: Early-onset DADA2 may be more severe. Early administration of TNF inhibitor can effectively reduce recurrence and quickly alleviate the disease.

High killing rate of nematode and promotion of rice growth by synthetic volatiles from Bacillus strains due to enhanced oxidative stress response.

The plant parasitic nematode Aphelenchoides besseyi is a major pest that poses serious threats to different vegetables and crop plants. In the present study, volatiles isolated from Bacillus spp. were utilized as green biocontrol agents to overcome nematodes. In in vitro experiment, Bacillus spp. GBSC56, SYST2, and FZB42 showed the strongest nematicidal activity with killing rates of 80.78%, 75.69%, and 60.45%, respectively, as compared with control. The selected synthetic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), namely albuterol, benzaldehyde (BDH), 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one (1,2-HIT), dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), 2-undecanone (2-UD), and 1,3-propanediole (1,3-PD), exhibited strong nematicidal activity, with A. besseyi killing rate of 85.58%, 82.65%, 81.75%, 80.36%, 84.45%, and 82.36%, respectively, at 400 µg/mL. Microscopic analysis proved that the rapid mortality was due to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Molecular docking attributed this ROS production to the nematicidal effect of synthetic VOCs on NADH DEHYDROGENASE SUBUNIT 2, which is known to play a critical role in the suppression of ROS in nematode models. In a greenhouse experiment, the Bacillus strains GBSC56, SYST2, and FZB42 and their synthetic VOCs significantly improved the physiological parameters in terms of growth promotion traits. In addition, selected genes related to growth promotion and defense genes showed a significant upregulation of their expression in rice seedlings treated with those synthetic VOCs. Overall, these findings revealed that the selected Bacillus strains and their synthetic VOCs possess high potential against A. besseyi. Moreover, this study also sheds new light on the mechanisms by which specific Bacillus nematicidal VOCs influence important genes involved in rice plant growth promotion and could effectively be used to suppress plant parasitic nematodes.

Clinical characteristics of 1020 childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: data from a health centre in China.

OBJECTIVES: Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease characterised and presents partially differently from adults. A large cSLE cohort study is lacking in China. The present study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics in a large population of patients with cSLE, and compare with adult-onset SLE (aSLE) in an SLE cohort of China. METHODS: The retrospective study included patients with cSLE diagnosed at the Beijing Children's hospital between July 2006 and October 2020. All patients met at least 4 of ACR classification criteria for SLE. In addition, data including demographic, clinical and serologic data were collected. Our data were compared with other cSLE cohorts and Chinese aSLE cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 1020 patients were included in this study, comprising 808 female and 212 male patients (female to male ratio, 3.8:1). The mean age at diagnosis of lupus was 11.1 years (range 1.0-17.2). It took on average 6 months (range 0.1-132) from first symptoms to cSLE diagnosis and over 12 months in 12% of patients. The most common primary manifestations at onset were rash (37.2%), fever (33.4%), nephropathy (14.2%) and arthritis (13.6%). The most common clinical manifestations were rash (67.9%) and fever (57.5%). 59.4% of patients had haematological involvement, 46.0% had lupus nephritis, 33.2% had arthritis. cSLE was more active and associated with more inflammation than aSLE patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study is a large single-centre study on cSLE from China and clarifies the clinical phenotype and autoantibody spectrum of cSLE. The clinical manifestations and autoantibody spectrum of cSLE are diverse, with regional and populational differences.

An anatomical study of the tibial nerve branches innervating the posterior tibial artery.

The arteries of the lower limbs are innervated by vascular branches (VBs) originating from the lumbar sympathetic trunk and branches of the spinal nerve. Although lumbar sympathectomy is used to treat nonreconstructive critical lower limb ischemia (CLLI), it has limited long-term effects. In addition, the anatomical structure of tibial nerve (TN) VBs remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to clarify their anatomy and better inform the surgical approach for nonreconstructive CLLI. Thirty-six adult cadavers were dissected under surgical microscopy to observe the patterns and origin points of VBs under direct vision. The calves were anatomically divided into five equal segments, and the number of VB origin points found in each was expressed as a proportion of the total found in the whole calf. Immunofluorescence staining was used to identify the sympathetic nerve fibers of the VBs. Our results showed that the TN gave off 3-4 VBs to innervate the posterior tibial artery (PTA), and the distances between VBs origin points and the medial tibial condyle were: 24.7 ± 16.3 mm, 91.7 ± 66.1 mm, 199.6 ± 52.0 mm, 231.7 ± 38.5 mm, respectively. They were mainly located in the first (40.46%) and fourth (31.68%) calf segments, and immunofluorescence staining showed that they contained tyrosine hydroxylase-positive sympathetic nerve fibers. These findings indicate that the TN gives off VBs to innervate the PTA and that these contain sympathetic nerve fibers. Therefore, these VBs may need to be cut to surgically treat nonreconstructable CLLI.

SAMHD1 associates with inflammation and vasculitis in paediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to explore the expression of the Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) mutant gene SAMHD1 in paediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE), its correlations with clinical and laboratory parameters, and the relationship between its expression and the type 1 interferon (IFN) signalling pathway. METHODS: Peripheral blood from 98 pSLE patients and 44 gender and age-matched healthy individuals were examined. Gene expression levels of SAMDH1 and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs; MxA, IRF3 and IRF7) were evaluated using real-time RT-PCR assays. RESULTS: SAMHD1 levels in pSLE patients were significantly increased compared to those in healthy donors (p<0.001). SAMHD1 was associated with serum ferritin (r=0.221, p=0.042) in pSLE patients. SAMHD1 levels were significantly increased (p<0.05) in pSLE patients with butterfly erythema, alopecia, and photosensitivity. SAMHD1 was positively correlated with MxA, IRF3 and IRF7 levels, indicating that SAMHD1 was associated with the type 1 IFN signalling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: SAMHD1 was significantly increased and correlated with MxA, IRF3 and IRF7 in pSLE patients.

Interleukin 17E associates with haematologic involvement and autoantibody production in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is one of the most prevalent systemic autoimmune diseases characterised by inflammation and tissue damage of exocrine glands, especially salivary or lacrimal gland. IL-17 related immune response is pathogenic with proinflammatory feature in pSS. However, whether IL-17E, an IL-17 family member, is involved in pSS pathogenesis or not, has not been determined. METHODS: Serum levels of IL-17E and IL-17A as comparison in 107 patients with pSS and 42 healthy controls were determined with multiplex cytokine assays. EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI) score was calculated. Laboratory parameters were measured by standard laboratory techniques. The inflammatory infiltration of minor labial gland biopsies was graded based on numbers of lymphocyte and quantified by Focus Score (FS). Expression of IL-17E and IL-17A in the biopsy was evaluated with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Significantly elevated IL-17E in pSS patients associated with ESSDAI, haematologic disorders and autoantibody production, including anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-SSA antibodies were found. Histopathological features showed that expression of IL-17E was found in labial salivary gland and correlated with lymphocytic infiltration. CONCLUSIONS: IL-17E expression in pSS patients was increased and associated with haematologic disorders, autoantibody production and lymphocytic infiltration in salivary gland. This finding indicated that IL-17E is involved in pSS pathogenesis.

Efficacy and safety of low-dose IL-2 in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Open-labelled clinical trials suggested that low-dose IL-2 might be effective in treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A double-blind and placebo-controlled trial is required to formally evaluate the safety and efficacy of low-dose IL-2 therapy. METHODS: A randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial was designed to treat 60 patients with active SLE. These patients received either IL-2 (n=30) or placebo (n=30) with standard treatment for 12 weeks, and were followed up for additional 12 weeks. IL-2 at a dose of 1 million IU or placebo was administered subcutaneously every other day for 2 weeks and followed by a 2-week break as one treatment cycle. The primary endpoint was the SLE Responder Index-4 (SRI-4) at week 12. The secondary endpoints were other clinical responses, safety and dynamics of immune cell subsets. RESULTS: At week 12, the SRI-4 response rates were 55.17% and 30.00% for IL-2 and placebo, respectively (p=0.052). At week 24, the SRI-4 response rate of IL-2 group was 65.52%, compared with 36.67% of the placebo group (p=0.027). The primary endpoint was not met at week 12. Low-dose IL-2 treatment resulted in 53.85% (7/13) complete remission in patients with lupus nephritis, compared with 16.67% (2/12) in the placebo group (p=0.036). No serious infection was observed in the IL-2 group, but two in placebo group. Besides expansion of regulatory T cells, low-dose IL-2 may also sustain cellular immunity with enhanced natural killer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose IL-2 might be effective and tolerated in treatment of SLE. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Registries (NCT02465580 and NCT02932137).

Tea Consumption Is Associated with Decreased Disease Activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis in a Real-World, Large-Scale Study.

INTRODUCTION: The role of tea consumption on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been studied in recent years, but no clear conclusion has been drawn as a result of small sample size of the studies or the fact that only in vitro studies have been performed. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the possible association of tea consumption with RA through a large-scale, real-world study. METHODS: A total of 733 RA patients were investigated from June to December, 2016. The disease activity of RA was assessed according to disease activity score 28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The amount and types of tea consumption were recorded by on-site self-administered questionnaires. Logistic regression models were applied to analyze the correlation between tea consumption and disease activity, adjusting for demographics, clinical and laboratory factors. RESULTS: There was an inverse association between tea consumption and disease activity in RA patients (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46-0.94). Compared with non-tea drinkers, a higher-intake of tea (>750 mL/day) was associated with lower disease activity of RA (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.19-0.79), but not low-intake (≤750 mL/day; OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.42-1.63). A significant dose-response association was found between the amount of tea consumption and disease activity (p for trend <0.01). Further hierarchical regression analysis showed that such inverse associations were mainly present in female patients (p = 0.004), non-smokers (p = 0.01) or elders (≥60 years; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Tea consumption is associated with decreased disease activity of RA, suggesting the potential beneficial effect of tea in the disease.

MapGAN: An Intelligent Generation Model for Network Tile Maps.

In recent years, the generative adversarial network (GAN)-based image translation model has achieved great success in image synthesis, image inpainting, image super-resolution, and other tasks. However, the images generated by these models often have problems such as insufficient details and low quality. Especially for the task of map generation, the generated electronic map cannot achieve effects comparable to industrial production in terms of accuracy and aesthetics. This paper proposes a model called Map Generative Adversarial Networks (MapGAN) for generating multitype electronic maps accurately and quickly based on both remote sensing images and render matrices. MapGAN improves the generator architecture of Pix2pixHD and adds a classifier to enhance the model, enabling it to learn the characteristics and style differences of different types of maps. Using the datasets of Google Maps, Baidu maps, and Map World maps, we compare MapGAN with some recent image translation models in the fields of one-to-one map generation and one-to-many domain map generation. The results show that the quality of the electronic maps generated by MapGAN is optimal in terms of both intuitive vision and classic evaluation indicators.

Whole Genome Sequences of the Tea Leaf Spot Pathogen Didymella segeticola.

The fungal pathogen Didymella segeticola (basionym Phoma segeticola) causes leaf spot on tea (Camellia sinensis), which leads to a loss in tea leaf production in Guizhou Province, China. D. segeticola isolate GZSQ-4 was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq and Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) RS technologies, and then assembled to approximately 33.4 Mbp with a scaffold N50 value of approximately 2.3 Mbp. In total, 10,893 genes were predicted using the Nonredundant, Gene Ontology, Clusters of Orthologous Groups, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and SWISS-PROT databases. The whole-genome sequence of D. segeticola will provide a resource for future research on host-pathogen interactions, determination of trait-specific genes, pathogen evolution, and plant-host adaptation mechanisms.

Treatment of Advanced Non-small-Cell Lung Cancer with Qi-Nourishing Essence-Replenishing Chinese Herbal Medicine Combined with Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effect of qi-nourishing essence-replenishing Chinese herbal medicine combined with chemotherapy in survival of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients with essence and qi deficiency. METHODS: A prospective multi-centered randomized controlled study was conducted, and 266 advanced NSCLC patients were enrolled. 126 patients in control group received Vinorelbine plus cisplatin(NP) chemotherapy combined with symptom-oriented Chinese herbs medication(without qi-nourishing essence-replenishing herbs);140 patients in experimental group received NP chemotherapy combined with qi-nourishing essence-replenishing Chinese herbal medication(Kangliu Zengxiao Decoction and modified Feiyanning Decoction, during and after chemotherapy respectively). RESULTS: One patient in control and 2 in experimental group were excluded for failure to complete two cycles of chemotherapy. During follow-up, 17 and 7 patients in control and experimental group were excluded respectively(4 and 4 for taking Gefetinib after disease progression, 4 and 2 for receiving other chemotherapeutic regimens, 9 and 1 for lost to follow-up). 239 patients were included in the final analysis (131 in experimental group and 108 in control). Median overall survival in experimental group was significantly longer than control group (14.87vs.12.97 months,P = 0.027). In experimental and control group, 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, 7-year, and 9-year survival rates were 57% vs. 53%, 17% vs. 8%, 10% vs. 2%, 6% vs. 0%, and 6% vs. 0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Qi-nourishing essence-replenishing Chinese herbal medicine combined with chemotherapy improves survival of advanced NSCLC patients with essence and qi deficiency.

N 6 -methyl-adenosine level in Nicotiana tabacum is associated with tobacco mosaic virus.

BACKGROUND: N 6 -methyl-adenosine (m6A) is a prevalent RNA modification in many species. Abnormal m6A methylation levels can lead to RNA dysfunction and can cause diseases. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is one of the most devastating viruses for agricultural plants. It has many hosts, particularly including tobacco and other members the family Solanaceae. However, it remains unclear whether the abnormal growth induced by TMV is associated with the m6A level. METHODS: A rapid and accurate analytical method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HR - MS/MS) was developed to analyse the adenosine (A), cytidine (C), guanosine (G), uridine (U), and m6A contents in the tobacco leaf, and the m6A/G ratio was used to evaluate the m6A level. Subsequent protein sequence alignments were used to find the potential methylases and demethylases in Nicotiana tabacum (N. tabacum). Finally, reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to analyse the gene expression levels of the potential methylases and demethylases in the N. tabacum leaf. RESULTS: The results showed that TMV reduced the m6A level. Moreover, protein sequence alignments revealed partial homology among human ALKBH5, Arabidopsis (NP_001031793), and Nicotiana sylvestris (XP_009800010). The gene expression level of the potential demethylase XM_009801708 increased at 14 and 21 days in N. tabacum infected with TMV, whereas all of the potential methylases decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The reversible m6A modification in N. tabacum mRNA might represent a novel epigenetic mechanism involved in TMV.

Investigating the antifungal activity and mechanism of a microbial pesticide Shenqinmycin against Phoma sp.

Tea white scab (TWS) is a major disease affecting tea trees in mid-elevation regions and often occurs during rainy seasons with low temperatures. This disease is caused by the fungal pathogen Phoma sp. TWS can infect young stems, tender leaves, and tender shoots and lead to the production of low-quality tea. Owing to the absence of an effective control, TWS can result in substantial loss in tea production. In this study, we isolated and identified the pathogen from tea leaves infected by TWS and then evaluated in vitro the antifungal activity of Shenqinmycin, polyoxin, azoxystrobin, oligosaccharins, and tebuconazole against Phoma sp. Our results indicated that Shenqinmycin can inhibit the growth of Phoma sp. mycelia, with the EC50 value of 0.74µg/mL. After Phoma sp. being incubated in PDB liquid medium with Shenqinmycin, its mycelia were distorted and distended at 1.56µg/mL of minimum inhibitory concentration for 6h. Crucial genes associated with cell redox homeostasis, proteins synthesis, energy metabolism, and cytoskeleton were studied at mRNA and protein levels through RT-qPCR and Nano-LC-MS/MS. The results showed that the genes of 3-phosphate-glyceraldehyde dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit (NADH-subunit), ribosomal protein, eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-I, ß-tubulin, and α-tubulin were up-regulated. Meanwhile, the genes of formate dehydrogenase (FDH), malate dehydrogenase, mitochondrial heat shock protein, and protein disulfide-isomerase (PDI) were up-regulated at mRNA level but down-regulated at protein level. These results indicated that Shenqinmycin contribute to cell redox homeostasis by up- or down-regulating NADH-subunit, FDH, and PDI.

Label-free quantitative proteomics analysis of Cytosinpeptidemycin responses in southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus-infected rice.

Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV), a genus Fijivirus of the family Reoviridae, could result in the significant crop losses because being short of an effective controlling measures. Cytosinpeptidemycin, a microbial pesticides developed by China, displayed a wide antiviral activity against many plant viruses. However, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, a total of 2321 proteins were identified using label-free proteomics technology. Compared with the treatment of SRBSDV-infected rice, 84 and 207 proteins were detected to be up-regulated and only presented in treatment group of SDBSDV-infected rice pre-treated by Cytosinpeptidemycin, which were partially enriched to stress and defense response, such as pathogenesis-related protein 5 (PR-5), pathogenesis-related protein 10 (PR-10) and heat shock protein (Hsp protein). Meanwhile, the real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) showed that Cytosinpeptidemycin could also up-regulate some resistance genes, and these results indicated a similar trends with the data of the label-free proteomics. Moreover, Cytosinpeptidemycin could enhance the defense enzymatic activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). These data offer a more comprehensive view about the response of SRBSDV-infected rice triggered by Cytosinpeptidemycin in the level of the proteome, mRNA and enzymatic activity.

Characterization and antifungal activity against Pestalotiopsis of a fusaricidin-type compound produced by Paenibacillus polymyxa Y-1.

Dendrobium nobile (D. nobile) is a valuable Chinese herbal medicine. The discovery of microbial resources from has provided a wealth of raw materials. Stalk rot, which is caused by Pestalotiopsis, is one of the most serious diseases of D nobile and has resulted in serious losses in production. However, an effective method for the prevention and control of stalk rot remains lacking. In this study, we aimed to identify a biocontrol strain against Pestalotiopsis. We isolated Paenibacillus polymyxa Y-1, an endophytic bacterium, from the stem of D. nobile. Three pairs of active metabolites isolated from this bacterium were identified as fusaricidin compounds. We then investigated the mechanism of fusaricidin compounds on Pestalotiopsis via proteomics. Proteomics data showed that the compounds mainly inhibit energy generation in the respiratory chain and amino acid biosynthesis of Pestalotiopsis.

Determination of RH-5849 and indoxacarb in rice straw, rice husk, brown rice and soil using liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry following extraction with QuEChERS method.

A fast and simple analytical method was developed for the simultaneous determination of RH-5849 and indoxacarb in soil, rice straw, rice husk and brown rice. QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) method was used for extraction, and liquid chromatography with tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry was used for quantification. The matrix-matched calibration plots were linear in the range between 25 and 5000 µg/L for soil, rice straw, rice husk and brown rice samples. All determination coefficients (R(2) ) were ≥0.9962. The limits of detection and quantification were 1.5 and 5 µg/kg, respectively. Recoveries at three fortification levels ranged between 79.5 and 97.9% with relative standard deviations <11%. The developed method was validated and applied for the analysis of dissipation study samples. For field experiments, the half-lives of RH-5849 and indoxacarb in rice straw were 11.93 and 5.83 days, respectively. The method was demonstrated to be reliable for the routine monitoring of RH-5849 and indoxacarb in rice samples. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Long noncoding nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1_2 is a promising biomarker for childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

Importance: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a diffuse connective tissue disease with complex clinical manifestations and prolonged course. The early diagnosis and condition monitoring of SLE are crucial to disease prognosis. Objective: To assess the diagnostic value of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) in childhood-onset SLE (cSLE). Methods: Fifty-seven children diagnosed with SLE, 40 children diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and 40 healthy children were included. Peripheral blood samples from each patient were collected. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm the expression of lncNEAT1_1 and lncNEAT1_2 in peripheral blood. Associations among parameters were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test or independent sample t-test. Results: The expression of both lncNEAT1_1 and lncNEAT1_2 in patients with cSLE were significantly higher than that of healthy control and patients with JIA. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.633 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.524-0.742; P = 0.024) for lncNEAT1_1. The AUC of lncNEAT1_2 was 0.812 (95% CI, 0.727-0.897; P < 0.0001) to discriminate individuals with cSLE from health control and children with JIA with a sensitivity of 0.622 and a specificity of 0.925. Moreover, lncNEAT1_2 expression was higher in patients with cSLE presenting with fever, lupus nephritis, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, active disease activity, and decreased C3 level, compared with those without these conditions. However, no similar correlation was observed for lncNEAT1_1. Interpretation: The expression of lncNEAT1_2 was significantly elevated in children with SLE, especially those with fever, renal involvement, and low C3 levels. These findings suggest that lncNEAT1_2 may represent a potential biomarker for cSLE.

A type VI secretion system effector TseG of Pantoea ananatis is involved in virulence and antibacterial activity.

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) of many gram-negative bacteria injects toxic effectors into adjacent cells to manipulate host cells during pathogenesis or to kill competing bacteria. However, the identification and function of the T6SS effectors remains only partly known. Pantoea ananatis, a gram-negative bacterium, is commonly found in various plants and natural environments, including water and soil. In the current study, genomic analysis of P. ananatis DZ-12 causing brown stalk rot on maize demonstrated that it carries three T6SS gene clusters, namely, T6SS-1, T6SS-2, and T6SS-3. Interestingly, only T6SS-1 secretion systems are involved in pathogenicity and bacterial competition. The study also investigated the T6SS-1 system in detail and identified an unknown T6SS-1-secreted effector TseG by using the upstream T6SS effector chaperone TecG containing a conserved domain of DUF2169. TseG can directly interact with the chaperone TecG for delivery and with a downstream immunity protein TsiG for protection from its toxicity. TseG, highly conserved in the Pantoea genus, is involved in virulence in maize, potato, and onion. Additionally, P. ananatis uses TseG to target Escherichia coli, gaining a competitive advantage. This study provides the first report on the T6SS-1-secreted effector from P. ananatis, thereby enriching our understanding of the various types and functions of type VI effector proteins.