Long noncoding RNA CDKN2B-AS1 interacts with transcription factor BCL11A to regulate progression of cerebral infarction through mediating MAP4K1 transcription.

The effective therapeutic approach of cerebral infarction is limited because of its underlying complexity. Recently, multiple long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction. Here, the current study aims to explore the interaction among lncRNA cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor-2B-antisense RNA 1 (CDKN2B-AS1), transcription factor B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A (BCL11A), and MAPKK kinase kinase 1 (MAP4K1) and further investigate whether they affect cerebral infarction progression. The expression of CDKN2B-AS1, BCL11A, and MAP4K1 was altered in lymphocytes extracted from patients with cerebral infarction. In order to identify their roles in regulatory T (Treg) cells, the proliferation and apoptosis of the CD4+CD25+ Treg cells were examined, and levels of IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-ß were determined. Also, the RNA crosstalk among CDKN2B-AS1, BCL11A, and MAP4K1 was validated. Finally, we established a rat model of middle cerebral arterial occlusion to evaluate the neurologic impairment and cerebral infarction volume. The results revealed that lymphocytes in patients with cerebral infarction presented with the up-regulated expression of CDKN2B-AS1. Moreover, BCL11A could specifically bind to CDKN2B-AS1 and MAP4K1 promoter so as to inhibit MAP4K1. Moreover, it was observed that down-regulated CDKN2B-AS1 inhibited CD4+CD25+ Treg-cell proliferation, reduced levels of IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-ß and cerebral infarction volume, and elevated MAP4K1 expression. Collectively, our study provides evidence that CDKN2B-AS1 silencing could increase MAP4K1 expression to inhibit the CD4+CD25+ Treg-cell proliferation by reducing enrichment of transcription factor BCL11A, thereby protecting against cerebral infarction progression, highlighting a promising therapeutic strategy for treating cerebral infarction.-Lei, J.-J., Li, H.-Q., Mo, Z.-H., Liu, K.-J., Zhu, L.-J., Li, C.-Y., Chen, W.-L., Zhang, L. Long noncoding RNA CDKN2B-AS1 interacts with transcription factor BCL11A to regulate progression of cerebral infarction through mediating MAP4K1 transcription.

[Response of grain-filling properties and quality of winter wheat to drip irrigation in Xinjiang, China]. / 新疆冬小麦籽粒灌浆和品质性状对滴灌用水量的响应.

To provide theoretical basis for the water-saving, high-yield and good quality cultivation techniques of drip-irrigated winter wheat, the wheat cultivar 'Xindong 22' was adopted as the test material, and five irrigation amounts including 3150 (W1), 3900 (W2), 4650 (W3), 5400 (W4) and 0 (CK) m3·hm-2 were adopted to investigate effects of drip irrigation amount on grain filling dynamics and quality traits in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 wheat growing seasons in Xinjiang. Results indicated that the grain-filling dynamics of drip-irrigated winter wheat in different treatments presented the "S" shape curve, and accorded with the Logistic model with high fitting degree. The fast increase period of wheat grain-filling was measured at 12-20 days after anthesis. The maximum filling rate (Vm) increased at first and decreased later with the increase of drip irrigation amount, and was obtained in the treatment W3 in the two seasons, which was 2.16 g·d -1and 2.59 g·d -1, respectively. With the increase in drip irrigation amount, the bulk mass, protein content, flour extraction rate, wet gluten content, dough stability time, degree of softening, dough extension resis-tance and draw ratio of the drip-irrigated wheat firstly increased and decreased later, and the maxima of these indexes were measured in W3. However, the water absorption rate and extensibility of dough initially decreased and then increased, and the minimum was obtained in the treatment of W3. The sedimentation value increased gradually and the dough development time decreased progressively. Treatment W3 had the highest grain yield of 8913 kg·hm-2 in 2013 and 8602 kg·hm-2 in 2014, which was 25.0%, 14.8%, 4.4%, 35.6% and 12.4%, 2.8%, 1.1%, 33.0% higher than the treatments of W1, W2, W4 and CK in 2013 and 2014, respectively. In conclusion, drip irrigation of 4650 m3·hm-2 during the whole growing season of winter wheat could realize the target of high-yield and good quality in local natural condition.