microRNAs: Key Regulators in Plant Responses to Abiotic and Biotic Stresses via Endogenous and Cross-Kingdom Mechanisms.

Dramatic shifts in global climate have intensified abiotic and biotic stress faced by plants. Plant microRNAs (miRNAs)-20-24 nucleotide non-coding RNA molecules-form a key regulatory system of plant gene expression; playing crucial roles in plant growth; development; and defense against abiotic and biotic stress. Moreover, they participate in cross-kingdom communication. This communication encompasses interactions with other plants, microorganisms, and insect species, collectively exerting a profound influence on the agronomic traits of crops. This article comprehensively reviews the biosynthesis of plant miRNAs and explores their impact on plant growth, development, and stress resistance through endogenous, non-transboundary mechanisms. Furthermore, this review delves into the cross-kingdom regulatory effects of plant miRNAs on plants, microorganisms, and pests. It proceeds to specifically discuss the design and modification strategies for artificial miRNAs (amiRNAs), as well as the protection and transport of miRNAs by exosome-like nanovesicles (ELNVs), expanding the potential applications of plant miRNAs in crop breeding. Finally, the current limitations associated with harnessing plant miRNAs are addressed, and the utilization of synthetic biology is proposed to facilitate the heterologous expression and large-scale production of miRNAs. This novel approach suggests a plant-based solution to address future biosafety concerns in agriculture.

The association of dietary inflammatory potential with sarcopenia in Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: Dietary-induced inflammation is potentially associated with sarcopenia. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the structure of the inflammatory diet and its correlation with muscle function and performance in both the upper and lower limbs. This study was performed to explore the association of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) with sarcopenia and its diagnostic parameters. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey on a sample of 515 Chinese community-dwelling older adults selected through multistage cluster sampling from three districts in Shanghai. DII scores were calculated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Sarcopenia and its diagnostic parameters were determined based on the definition set by the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia (AWGS). RESULTS: The mean age of study participants was 71.31 ± 4.71 years. The prevalence of sarcopenia in the cohort was 12.4%. Older adults in the highest DII quartile had a 3.339 times increased risk of sarcopenia compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR Quartile4vs1:3.339, 95%CI: 1.232, 9.052, p-trend: 0.004) after adjusting for confounding factors. Additionally, a more pro-inflammatory diet was associated with lower appendicular skeletal muscle index (ASMI) (OR Quartile4vs1: 3.005, 95%CI: 1.275, 7.318, p-trend: 0.005), a higher 5-times sit-stand test time score (OR Quartile4vs1: 4.942, 95%CI: 1.745, 13.993, p-trend: 0.005), and lower gait speed (OR Quartile4vs1: 2.392, 95%CI: 1.104, 5.185, p-trend: 0.041) after adjusting for confounding factors. However, there was no significant association between DII, handgrip strength, and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score in either the unadjusted or adjusted model. CONCLUSION: This study found that the association between consuming a more pro-inflammatory diet and sarcopenia in Chinese community-dwelling older adults was mainly due to underlying low intakes of dietary energy, protein, and anti-inflammatory foods, and not due to the high intake of pro-inflammatory foods. Meanwhile, DII was more highly correlated with lower limb muscle strength and performance compared to upper limb muscle strength.

HDAC3 Knockdown Dysregulates Juvenile Hormone and Apoptosis-Related Genes in Helicoverpa armigera.

Insect development requires genes to be expressed in strict spatiotemporal order. The dynamic regulation of genes involved in insect development is partly orchestrated by the histone acetylation-deacetylation via histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). Although histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) is required for mice during early embryonic development, its functions in Helicoverpa armigera (H. armigera) and its potential to be used as a target of insecticides remain unclear. We treated H. armigera with HDAC3 siRNA and RGFP966, a specific inhibitor, examining how the HDAC3 loss-of-function affects growth and development. HDAC3 siRNA and RGFP966 treatment increased mortality at each growth stage and altered metamorphosis, hampering pupation and causing abnormal wing development, reduced egg production, and reduced hatching rate. We believe that the misregulation of key hormone-related genes leads to abnormal pupa development in HDAC3 knockout insects. RNA-seq analysis identified 2788 differentially expressed genes (≥two-fold change; p ≤ 0.05) between siHDAC3- and siNC-treated larvae. Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1), was differentially expressed in HDAC3 knockdown larvae. Pathway-enrichment analysis revealed the significant enrichment of genes involved in the Hippo, MAPK, and Wnt signaling pathways following HDAC3 knockdown. Histone H3K9 acetylation was increased in H. armigera after siHDAC3 treatment. In conclusion, HDAC3 knockdown dysregulated juvenile hormone (JH)-related and apoptosis-related genes in H. armigera. The results showed that the HDAC3 gene is a potential target for fighting H. armigera.

Plant-derived strategies to fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an unprecedented crisis, which has been exacerbated because specific drugs and treatments have not yet been developed. In the post-pandemic era, humans and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) will remain in equilibrium for a long time. Therefore, we still need to be vigilant against mutated SARS-CoV-2 variants and other emerging human viruses. Plant-derived products are increasingly important in the fight against the pandemic, but a comprehensive review is lacking. This review describes plant-based strategies centered on key biological processes, such as SARS-CoV-2 transmission, entry, replication, and immune interference. We highlight the mechanisms and effects of these plant-derived products and their feasibility and limitations for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. The development of emerging technologies is driving plants to become production platforms for various antiviral products, improving their medicinal potential. We believe that plant-based strategies will be an important part of the solutions for future pandemics.

Meta-analysis of the association between dietary inflammatory index and cognitive health.

Background: Some studies have shown that a pro-inflammatory diet may be associated with cognitive function, but their conclusions have varied considerably. We here present a meta-analysis of the current published literature on DII score and its association with cognitive health. Methods: In this meta-analysis, the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched in September 2022. The reported indexes, specifically OR, RR, and ß, were extracted and analyzed using R version 3.1.0. Results: A total of 636 studies in databases were identified, and 12 were included in the meta-analysis. Higher DII was associated with an increased risk of AD and MCI (OR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.21-1.49). Meanwhile, it may also cause global function impairment (categorical: OR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.36-1.96) and verbal fluency impairment (continuous: OR = 0.18; 95% IC = 0.08-0.42). But there was no significant association between DII and executive function (categorical: OR = 1.12; 95% IC = 0.84-1.49; continuous: OR = 0.48; 95% IC = 0.19-1.21) or episodic memory (continuous: OR = 0.56; 95% IC = 0.30-1.03). Conclusion: A pro-inflammatory diet is related to AD, MCI, and the functions of some cognitive domains (specifically global function and verbal fluency). However, the current evidence on the role of diet-induced inflammation in different cognitive domains should be supported by further studies in the future.

Cotton flower metabolites inhibit SARS-CoV-2 main protease.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading globally for over 2 years, causing serious contagious disease and incalculable damage. The introduction of vaccines has slowed the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to some extent, but there remains a need for specific and effective treatment. The high chemical diversity and safety profiles of natural products make them a potential source of effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Cotton plant is one of the most important economic and medical crops and is the source of a large number of antiviral phytochemicals. In this work, we used SARS-CoV-2 main protein (Mpro ) as the target to identify potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 natural products in cotton. An in vitro assay showed that of all cotton tissues examined, cotton flower extracts (CFs) exhibited optimal inhibitory effects against Mpro . We proceeded to use the CF metabolite database to screen natural Mpro inhibitors by combining virtual screening and biochemical assays. We identified that several CF natural products, including astragalin, myricitrin, and astilbin, significantly inhibited Mpro with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of 0.13, 10.73, and 7.92 µm, respectively. These findings may serve as a basis for further studies into the suitability of cotton as a source of potential therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2.

Gossypol Broadly Inhibits Coronaviruses by Targeting RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases.

Outbreaks of coronaviruses (CoVs), especially severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have posed serious threats to humans and animals, which urgently calls for effective broad-spectrum antivirals. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) plays an essential role in viral RNA synthesis and is an ideal pan-coronaviral therapeutic target. Herein, based on cryo-electron microscopy and biochemical approaches, gossypol (GOS) is identified from 881 natural products to directly block SARS-CoV-2 RdRp, thus inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 replication in both cellular and mouse infection models. GOS also acts as a potent inhibitor against the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) and exerts same inhibitory effects toward mutated RdRps of VOCs as the RdRp of the original SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, that the RdRp inhibitor GOS has broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus activity against alphacoronaviruses (porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus), betacoronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2), gammacoronaviruses (avian infectious bronchitis virus), and deltacoronaviruses (porcine deltacoronavirus) is showed. The findings demonstrate that GOS may serve as a promising lead compound for combating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and other coronavirus outbreaks.