OPEN STOMATA 1 phosphorylates CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE-GATED CHANNELs to trigger Ca2+ signaling for abscisic acid-induced stomatal closure in Arabidopsis.

Multiple cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) are abscisic acid (ABA)-activated Ca2+ channels in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) guard cells. In particular, CNGC5, CNGC6, CNGC9, and CNGC12 are essential for ABA-specific cytosolic Ca2+ signaling and stomatal movements. However, the mechanisms underlying ABA-mediated regulation of CNGCs and Ca2+ signaling are still unknown. In this study, we identified the Ca2+-independent protein kinase OPEN STOMATA 1 (OST1) as a CNGC activator in Arabidopsis. OST1-targeted phosphorylation sites were identified in CNGC5, CNGC6, CNGC9, and CNGC12. These CNGCs were strongly inhibited by Ser-to-Ala mutations and fully activated by Ser-to-Asp mutations at the OST1-targeted sites. The overexpression of individual inactive CNGCs (iCNGCs) under the UBIQUITIN10 promoter in wild-type Arabidopsis conferred a strong dominant-negative-like ABA-insensitive stomatal closure phenotype. In contrast, expressing active CNGCs (aCNGCs) under their respective native promoters in the cngc5-1 cngc6-2 cngc9-1 cngc12-1 quadruple mutant fully restored ABA-activated cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations and Ca2+ currents in guard cells, and rescued the ABA-insensitive stomatal movement mutant phenotypes. Thus, we uncovered that ABA elicits cytosolic Ca2+ signaling via an OST1-CNGC module, in which OST1 functions as a convergence point of the Ca2+-dependent and -independent pathways in Arabidopsis guard cells.

ZFHX3 variants cause childhood partial epilepsy and infantile spasms with favourable outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The ZFHX3 gene plays vital roles in embryonic development, cell proliferation, neuronal differentiation and neuronal death. This study aims to explore the relationship between ZFHX3 variants and epilepsy. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing was performed in a cohort of 378 patients with partial (focal) epilepsy. A Drosophila Zfh2 knockdown model was used to validate the association between ZFHX3 and epilepsy. RESULTS: Compound heterozygous ZFHX3 variants were identified in eight unrelated cases. The burden of ZFHX3 variants was significantly higher in the case cohort, shown by multiple/specific statistical analyses. In Zfh2 knockdown flies, the incidence and duration of seizure-like behaviour were significantly greater than those in the controls. The Zfh2 knockdown flies exhibited more firing in excitatory neurons. All patients presented partial seizures. The five patients with variants in the C-terminus/N-terminus presented mild partial epilepsy. The other three patients included one who experienced frequent non-convulsive status epilepticus and two who had early spasms. These three patients had also neurodevelopmental abnormalities and were diagnosed as developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), but achieved seizure-free after antiepileptic-drug treatment without adrenocorticotropic-hormone/steroids. The analyses of temporal expression (genetic dependent stages) indicated that ZFHX3 orthologous were highly expressed in the embryonic stage and decreased dramatically after birth. CONCLUSION: ZFHX3 is a novel causative gene of childhood partial epilepsy and DEE. The patients of infantile spasms achieved seizure-free after treatment without adrenocorticotropic-hormone/steroids implies a significance of genetic diagnosis in precise treatment. The genetic dependent stage provided an insight into the underlying mechanism of the evolutional course of illness.

Utility analyses of AVITI sequencing chemistry.

BACKGROUND: DNA sequencing is a critical tool in modern biology. Over the last two decades, it has been revolutionized by the advent of massively parallel sequencing, leading to significant advances in the genome and transcriptome sequencing of various organisms. Nevertheless, challenges with accuracy, lack of competitive options and prohibitive costs associated with high throughput parallel short-read sequencing persist. RESULTS: Here, we conduct a comparative analysis using matched DNA and RNA short-reads assays between Element Biosciences' AVITI and Illumina's NextSeq 550 chemistries. Similar comparisons were evaluated for synthetic long-read sequencing for RNA and targeted single-cell transcripts between the AVITI and Illumina's NovaSeq 6000. For both DNA and RNA short-read applications, the study found that the AVITI produced significantly higher per sequence quality scores. For PCR-free DNA libraries, we observed an average 89.7% lower experimentally determined error rate when using the AVITI chemistry, compared to the NextSeq 550. For short-read RNA quantification, AVITI platform had an average of 32.5% lower error rate than that for NextSeq 550. With regards to synthetic long-read mRNA and targeted synthetic long read single cell mRNA sequencing, both platforms' respective chemistries performed comparably in quantification of genes and isoforms. The AVITI displayed a marginally lower error rate for long reads, with fewer chemistry-specific errors and a higher mutation detection rate. CONCLUSION: These results point to the potential of the AVITI platform as a competitive candidate in high-throughput short read sequencing analyses when juxtaposed with the Illumina NextSeq 550.

K33 only mutant ubiquitin augments bone marrow-derived dendritic cell-mediated CTL priming via PI3K-Akt pathway.

To explore the effect of K33 only mutant ubiquitin (K33O) on bone marrow-derived dendritic cells' (BMDCs') maturity, antigen uptake capability, surface molecule expressions and BMDC-mediated CTL priming, and further investigate the role of PI3K-Akt engaged in K33O-increased BMDC maturation, antigen uptake and presentation, surface molecule expressions and BMDC-based CTL priming. BMDCs were conferred K33O and other ubiquitin mutants (K33R, K48R, K63R-mutant ubiquitin) incubation or LY294002 and wortmannin pretreatment. PI3K-Akt phosphorylation, antigen uptake, antigenic presentation and CD86/MHC class I expression in BMDC were determined by western blot or flow cytometry. BMDC-based CTL proliferation and priming were determined by in vitro mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), ex vivo enzyme-linked immunospot assay (Elispot) and flow cytometry with intracellular staining, respectively. The treatment with K33O effectively augmented PI3K-Akt phosphorylation, BMDCs' antigen uptake, antigenic presentation, CD86/MHC class I and CD11c expressions. MLR, Elispot and flow cytometry revealed that K33O treatment obviously enhanced CTL proliferation, CTL priming and perforin/granzyme B expression. The pretreatment with PI3K-Akt inhibitors efficiently abrogated K33O's effects on BMDC. The replenishment of K33 only mutant ubiquitin augments BMDC-mediated CTL priming in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells via PI3K-Akt signalling.

Organoid forming potential as complementary parameter for accurate evaluation of breast cancer neoadjuvant therapeutic efficacy.

BACKGROUND: 13-15% of breast cancer/BC patients diagnosed as pathological complete response/pCR after neoadjuvant systemic therapy/NST suffer from recurrence. This study aims to estimate the rationality of organoid forming potential/OFP for more accurate evaluation of NST efficacy. METHODS: OFPs of post-NST residual disease/RD were checked and compared with clinical approaches to estimate the recurrence risk. The phenotypes of organoids were classified via HE staining and ER, PR, HER2, Ki67 and CD133 immuno-labeling. The active growing organoids were subjected to drug sensitivity tests. RESULTS: Of 62 post-NST BC specimens, 24 were classified as OFP-I with long-term active organoid growth, 19 as OFP-II with stable organoid growth within 3 weeks, and 19 as OFP-III without organoid formation. Residual tumors were overall correlated with OFP grades (P < 0.001), while 3 of the 18 patients (16.67%) pathologically diagnosed as tumor-free (ypT0N0M0) showed tumor derived-organoid formation. The disease-free survival/DFS of OFP-I cases was worse than other two groups (Log-rank P < 0.05). Organoids of OFP-I/-II groups well maintained the biological features of their parental tumors and were resistant to the drugs used in NST. CONCLUSIONS: The OFP would be a complementary parameter to improve the evaluation accuracy of NST efficacy of breast cancers.

Plasmid-mediated azithromycin resistance in non-typhoidal Salmonella recovered from human infections.

OBJECTIVES: Mechanisms of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) resistance to azithromycin have rarely been reported. Here we investigate the epidemiology and genetic features of 10 azithromycin-resistant NTS isolates. METHODS: A total of 457 NTS isolates were collected from a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou. We performed antimicrobial susceptibility tests, conjugation experiments, efflux pump expression tests, whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis to conduct the study. RESULTS: The results showed that 10 NTS isolates (2.8%) were resistant to azithromycin with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 128 to 512 mg/L and exhibited multidrug resistance. The phylogenetic tree revealed that 5 S. London isolates (AR1-AR5) recognized at different times and departments were closely related [3-74 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)] and 2 S. Typhimurium isolates (AR7 and AR8) were clones (<3 SNPs) at 3-month intervals. The azithromycin resistance was conferred by mph(A) gene found on different plasmids, including IncFIB, IncHI2, InFII, IncC and IncI plasmids. Among them, IncFIB, InFII and IncHI2 plasmids carried different IS26-class 1 integron (intI1) arrangement patterns that mediated multidrug resistance transmission. Conjugative IncC plasmid encoded resistance to ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone and azithromycin. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that mph(A)-positive plasmids closely related to 10 plasmids in this study were mainly discovered from NTS, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and Enterobacter hormaechei. The genetic environment of mph(A) in 10 NTS isolates was IS26-mph(A)-mrx(A)-mphR(A)-IS6100/IS26 that co-arranged with intI1 harbour multidrug-resistant (MDR) gene cassettes on diverse plasmids. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlighted that the dissemination of these plasmids carrying mph(A) and various intI1 MDR gene cassettes would seriously restrict the availability of essential antimicrobial agents for treating NTS infections.

TIM22 and TIM29 inhibit HBV replication by up-regulating SRSF1 expression.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious global health problem. After the viruses infect the human body, the host can respond to the virus infection by coordinating various cellular responses, in which mitochondria play an important role. Evidence has shown that mitochondrial proteins are involved in host antiviral responses. In this study, we found that the overexpression of TIM22 and TIM29, the members of the inner membrane translocase TIM22 complex, significantly reduced the level of intracellular HBV DNA and RNA and secreted HBV surface antigens and E antigen. The effects of TIM22 and TIM29 on HBV replication and transcription is attributed to the reduction of core promoter activity mediated by the increased expression of SRSF1 which acts as a suppressor of HBV replication. This study provides new evidence for the critical role of mitochondria in the resistance of HBV infection and new targets for the development of treatment against HBV infection.

Transcription factors KNAT3 and KNAT4 are essential for integument and ovule formation in Arabidopsis.

Integuments form important protective cell layers surrounding the developing ovules in gymno- and angiosperms. Although several genes have been shown to influence the development of integuments, the transcriptional regulatory mechanism is still poorly understood. In this work, we report that the Class II KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEOBOX (KNOX II) transcription factors KNOTTED1-LIKE HOMEBOX GENE 3 (KNAT3) and KNAT4 regulate integument development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). KNAT3 and KNAT4 were co-expressed in inflorescences and especially in young developing ovules. The loss-of-function double mutant knat3 knat4 showed an infertility phenotype, in which both inner and outer integuments of the ovule are arrested at an early stage and form an amorphous structure as in the bell1 (bel1) mutant. The expression of chimeric KNAT3- and KNAT4-EAR motif repression domain (SRDX repressors) resulted in severe seed abortion. Protein-protein interaction assays demonstrated that KNAT3 and KNAT4 interact with each other and also with INNER NO OUTER (INO), a key transcription factor required for the outer integument formation. Transcriptome analysis showed that the expression of genes related with integument development is influenced in the knat3 knat4 mutant. The knat3 knat4 mutant also had a lower indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) content, and some auxin signaling pathway genes were downregulated. Moreover, transactivation analysis indicated that KNAT3/4 and INO activate the auxin signaling gene IAA INDUCIBLE 14 (IAA14). Taken together, our study identified KNAT3 and KNAT4 as key factors in integument development in Arabidopsis.

Enhancing the performance of mode-pairing quantum key distribution by wavelength division multiplexing.

Mode-pairing quantum key distribution (MP-QKD) holds great promise for the practical implementation of QKD in the near future. It combines the security advantages of measurement device independence while still being capable of breaking the Pirandola-Laurenza-Ottaviani-Banchi bound without the need for highly demanding phase-locking and phase-tracking technologies for deployment. In this work, we explore optimization strategies for MP-QKD in a wavelength-division multiplexing scenario. The simulation results reveal that incorporation of multiple wavelengths not only leads to a direct increase in key rate but also enhances the pairing efficiency by employing our novel pairing strategies among different wavelengths. As a result, our work provides a new avenue for the future application and development of MP-QKD.

Synthesis of C-Alkyl Glycosides from Alkyl Bromides and Glycosyl Carboxylic Acids via Ni/Photoredox Dual Catalysis.

C-Alkyl glycosides, an important class of C-glycosides, are widely found in various drugs and natural products. The synthesis of C-alkyl glycosides has attracted considerable attention. Herein, we developed a Ni/photoredox catalyzed decarboxylative C(sp3)-C(sp3) coupling reaction of stable glycosylcarboxylic acids with simple aliphatic bromides to generate C-alkyl glycosides. The method successfully linked several functional molecular fragments (natural products or drugs) to a sugar moiety, showing the extensive application prospects of this transformation. Controlled experiments and DFT calculations demonstrated that the reaction pathway contains a free radical process, and a possible mechanism is proposed.

Ts2O Promoted Deoxygenative C-H Dithiocarbonation of Quinoline N-Oxides with Potassium O-Alkyl Xanthates.

A simple, efficient, and practical method for the synthesis of S-quinolyl xanthates was developed via Ts2O-promoted deoxygenative C-H dithiocarbonation of quinoline N-oxides with various potassium O-alkyl xanthates. The reaction performed well under transition-metal-free, base-free, and room-temperature conditions with wide substrate tolerance. Employing potassium O-tert-butyl xanthate (tBuOCS2K) as a nucleophile, some valuable quinoline-2-thiones were unexpectedly obtained in a one-pot reaction without any additional base.

Total Synthesis of (±)-Simonsol C.

Total synthesis of simonsol C has been achieved, focusing on the postdearomatization transformations. Our methodology integrates an efficient combination of dearomatization and Zn/AcOH reduction to introduce an allyl group, followed by oxo-Michael addition, to construct the 6/5/6 benzofuran skeleton. It offers a novel method for synthesizing allyl-containing quaternary carbon atoms in a straightforward manner.

Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Intramolecular Tandem Double Cyclization of γ-Hydroxy Acetylenic Ketones with Alkynes into Naphtho[1,2-b]furan-3-ones.

A metal-free and atom-economic route for the synthesis of naphtho[1,2-b]furan-3-ones has been realized via p-TsOH·H2O-catalyzed intramolecular tandem double cyclization of γ-hydroxy acetylenic ketones with alkynes in formic acid. The benzene-linked furanonyl-ynes are the key intermediates obtained by the scission/recombination of C-O double bonds. Further, the structural modifications of the representative product were implemented by reduction, demethylation, substitution, and [5 + 2]-cycloaddition.

Effects of dietary chitosan oligosaccharide on the growth, intestinal microbiota and immunity of juvenile red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus).

This study aimed to evaluate the potential benefits of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) on red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) and explore its underlying mechanisms. The crayfish were randomly divided into six groups, and the diets were supplemented with COS at levels of 0 (C0), 0.2 (C1), 0.4 (C2), 0.6 (C3), 0.8 (C4), and 1 (C5) g kg-1. Treatment with COS significantly improved the growth performance of the crayfish with a higher weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) in the C2 group compared to the C0 group. Additionally, the content of crude protein in the crayfish muscles in the C1 group was significantly higher than that of the C0 group. Regarding non-specific immunity, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and the levels of expression of the genes related to immunity (SOD; anti-lipopolysaccharide factor [ALF]; thioredoxin1 [Trx1]; C-type lysozyme, [C-LZM]; and GSH-Px) in the hepatopancreas and hemolymph increased significantly (P < 0.05) after supplementation with 0.4 g kg-1 of COS, while the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased (P < 0.05). The survival rate of C. quadricarinatus increased (P < 0.05) in the C2, C3, C4, and C5 groups after the challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila. This study found that COS has the potential to modulate the composition of the intestinal microbiota and significantly reduce the abundance of species of the phylum Proteobacteria and the genera Aeromonas and Vibrio in the gut of C. quadricarinatus, while the abundance of bacteria in the phylum Firmicutes and the genus Candidatus_Hepatoplasma improved significantly. This study suggests that the inclusion of COS in the diet of C. quadricarinatus can enhance growth, boost immunity, and increase resistance to infection with A. hydrophila, especially when supplemented at 0.4-0.8 g kg-1.

Effects of dietary astaxanthin on growth performance, muscle composition, non-specific immunity, gene expression, and ammonia resistance of juvenile ivory shell (Babylonia areolate).

Astaxanthin is one of the important immunopotentators in aquaculture. However, little is known about the physiological changes and stress resistance effects of astaxanthin in marine gastropods. In this study, the effects of different astaxanthin concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg) on the growth, muscle composition, immune function, and resistance to ammonia stress in Babylonia areolata were investigated after three months of rearing. With the increase in astaxanthin content, the weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), and survival rate (SR) of B. areolata showed an increasing trend. The 75-100 mg/kg group was significantly higher than the control group (0 mg/kg). There was no significant difference in the flesh shell ratio (FSR), viscerosomatic index (VSI), and soft tissue index (STI) of the experimental groups. Astaxanthin (75 mg/kg) significantly increased muscle crude protein content and increased hepatopancreas alkaline phosphatase (AKP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activity. Astaxanthin (75-100 mg/kg) significantly increased the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and acid phosphatase (ACP) of the hepatopancreas and decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of B. areolata. Astaxanthin significantly induced the expression levels of functional genes, such as SOD, Cu/ZnSOD, ferritin, ACP, and CYC in hepatopancreas and increased the survival rate of B. areolata under ammonia stress. The addition of 75-100 mg/kg astaxanthin to the feed improved the growth performance, muscle composition, immune function, and resistance to ammonia stress of B. areolata.

Effects of antimicrobial peptides from dietary Hermetia illucens larvae on the growth, immunity, gene expression, intestinal microbiota and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila of juvenile red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus).

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are widely present in animals and plants, have a broad distribution, strong broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, low likelihood of developing drug resistance, high thermal stability and antiviral properties. The present study investigated the effects of adding AMPs from Hermetia illucens larvae on the growth performance, muscle composition, antioxidant capacity, immune response, gene expression, antibacterial ability and intestinal microbiota of Cherax quadricarinatus (red claw crayfish). Five experimental diets were prepared by adding 50 (M1), 100 (M2), 150 (M3) and 200 (M4) mg/kg of crude AMP extract from H. illucens larvae to the basal diet feed, which was also used as the control (M0). After an eight-week feeding experiment, it was discovered that the addition of 100-150 mg/kg of H. illucens larvae AMPs to the feed significantly improved the weight gain rate and specific growth rate of C. quadricarinatus. Furthermore, the addition of H. illucens larvae AMPs to the feed had no significant effect on the moisture content, crude protein, crude fat and ash content of the C. quadricarinatus muscle. The addition of 100-150 mg/kg of H. illucens larvae AMPs in the feed also increased the antioxidant capacity, nonspecific immune enzyme activity and related gene expression levels in C. quadricarinatus, thereby enhancing their antioxidant capacity and immune function. The H. illucens larvae AMPs improved the structure and composition of the intestinal microbiota of C. quadricarinatus, increasing the microbial community diversity of the crayfish gut. Finally, the addition of 100-150 mg/kg of H. illucens larvae AMPs in the feed enhanced the resistance of C. quadricarinatus against Aeromonas hydrophila, improving the survival rate of the crayfish. Based on the aforementioned findings, it is recommended that H. illucens larvae AMPs be incorporated into the C. quadricarinatus feed at a concentration of 100-150 mg/kg.

MAL, a potential immunotherapy target, is associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients.

The MAL gene encodes Myelin and Lymphocyte Protein, mainly expressed in T cells with immunomodulatory effects, showing the potential as a target for immunotherapy. However, the mechanism of MAL in the regulation of immune infiltration and its association with the prognosis in pan-cancer patients remain elusive. We used the TCGA, TIMER2.0, GTEx, UCSC, and TISCH databases and the R programming tool to explore the role of MAL in cancers. MAL was differently expressed in the majority of malignancies relative to the matched healthy controls. Patients with low MAL levels had adverse survival outcomes in the BRCA and LUAD cohorts. In all cancer types, MAL showed a significant correlation to specific immune-subpopulation abundance in particular T cells as well as B cells. MAL was also implicated in immunological pathways in BRCA and LUAD, suggesting the important role of MAL in cancer immune regulation. In conclusion, the pan-cancer study indicates that MAL with excellent prognostic value is a potential immunotherapy target in multiple cancers.

Study of the magnetism of C-doped MgO based on first-principles calculations and the Ising model.

The electronic and magnetic properties of d0 dilute magnetic semiconductors formed by rock-salt structured magnesium oxide (MgO) doped with C are systematically studied based on first-principles calculations and the Ising model. It is shown that the electronic holes of p states are generated due to the impurity carbon replacing oxygen in MgO, and the magnetic moment of 2µB is introduced by each C impurity. The polarization energy and formation energy of C-doped MgO are calculated, and the magnetization energy of C-doped MgO is also calculated which is used to obtain the exchange constant between C impurities. By means of the Ising model, we simulated the magnetization and the susceptibility of the doped system with increasing temperature and obtained the Curie temperature of C-doped MgO.

ErbB4 deficiency exacerbates olfactory dysfunction in an early-stage Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Olfactory dysfunction is increasingly recognized as an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aberrations in GABAergic function and the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance within the olfactory bulb (OB) have been implicated in olfactory impairment during the initial stages of AD. While the neuregulin 1 (NRG1)/ErbB4 signaling pathway is known to regulate GABAergic transmission in the brain and is associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders, its specific role in early AD-related olfactory impairment remains incompletely understood. This study demonstrated that olfactory dysfunction preceded cognitive decline in young adult APP/PS1 mice and was characterized by reduced levels of NRG1 and ErbB4 in the OB. Further investigation revealed that deletion of ErbB4 in parvalbumin interneurons reduced GABAergic transmission and increased hyperexcitability in mitral and tufted cells (M/Ts) in the OB, thereby accelerating olfactory dysfunction in young adult APP/PS1 mice. Additionally, ErbB4 deficiency was associated with increased accumulation of Aß and BACE1-mediated cleavage of APP, along with enhanced CDK5 signaling in the OB. NRG1 infusion into the OB was found to enhance GABAergic transmission in M/Ts and alleviate olfactory dysfunction in young adult APP/PS1 mice. These findings underscore the critical role of NRG1/ErbB4 signaling in regulating GABAergic transmission and E/I balance within the OB, contributing to olfactory impairment in young adult APP/PS1 mice, and provide novel insights for early intervention strategies in AD. This work has shown that ErbB4 deficiency increased the burden of Aß, impaired GABAergic transmission, and disrupted the E/I balance of mitral and tufted cells (M/Ts) in the OB, ultimately resulting in olfactory dysfunction in young adult APP/PS1 mice. NRG1 could enhance GABAergic transmission, rescue E/I imbalance in M/Ts, and alleviate olfactory dysfunction in young adult APP/PS1 mice. OB: olfactory bulb, E/I: excitation/inhibition, Pr: probability of release, PV: parvalbumin interneurons, Aß: ß-amyloid, GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid.

A New Species of the Blind Cave Loach Genus Protocobitis (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae), Protocobitis longicostatus sp. nov., from Guangxi, China.

Protocobitis species are typical cave-dwelling fish, exhibiting distinctive morphological adaptations such as colorless body, lack of eyes, and reduced scales and ribs in response to their extreme cave habitats. Distinct from the recorded species, P. anteroventris, P. polylepis, and P. typhlops, a new species, Protocobitis longicostatus sp. nov., is described from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Protocobitis longicostatus sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from all known congeners by the following characteristics: whole body covered by scales except head, 12 branched caudal fin rays, and long ribs. These species face threats from habitat degradation, hydrological changes, and environmental pollution. Thus, the conservation of cavefish in China has become an urgent issue.