miR-744-5p inhibits cellular proliferation and invasion via targeting ARF1 in epithelial ovarian cancer.

miR-744-5p has been demonstrated to play an important role in cancer progression. However, the functions of miR-744-5p in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are not well clarified. In this study, our aim was to investigate the role of miR-744-5p and its underlying molecular mechanism in cell progression of EOC. EOC clinical tissues and matched adjacent ovarian epithelial tissues were collected from 18 patients. Tissues and cell lines were analyzed by qPCR or Western blot to investigate the expression of miR-744-5p and ARF1 in EOC. Cell proliferative capacity was assessed by CCK8 and colony formation assays. Wound healing and transwell assays were performed to evaluate cell migration and invasion. The potential binding relation between miR-744-5p and IRF1 was demonstrated by dual luciferase report assay. The results showed that expression of miR-744-5p was low in EOC clinical tissues and cells. Overexpression of miR-744-5p inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of EOC cells. Further mechanistic study identified that ARF1 is a target of miR-744-5p, which is negatively correlated with the expression of miR-744-5p, and overexpression of ARF1 could reverse the inhibition of miR-744-5p on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of EOC cells. Taken together, our results indicated that miR-744-5p attenuated EOC progression via targeting IRF1, providing potential guidance for the clinical treatment of ovarian cancer.

Quantitative assessment of the effect of pre-gestational diabetes and risk of adverse maternal, perinatal and neonatal outcomes.

Pregnancies complicated by pre-gestational diabetes (PGD) are associated with a higher rate of adverse outcomes, including an increased rage of preterm delivery, pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia, caesarean section, perinatal mortality, stillbirth, shoulder dystocia, macrosomia, small for gestational age, large for gestational age, low birth weight, neonatal hypoglycemia, neonatal death, low Apgar score, NICU admission, jaundice and respiratory distress. In the past two decades, numerous reports have been published regarding associations between PGD and risk of adverse outcomes. However, study results are inconsistent. To provide a synopsis of the current understanding of PGD for risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, a random-effects meta-analysis over 40 million subjects from 100 studies was performed to calculate the pooled ORs. Potential sources of heterogeneity were systematically explored by multiple strata analyses and meta-regression. Overall, PGD were significantly associated with increased risk of preterm delivery (OR=3.48), LGA (OR=3.90), perinatal mortality (OR=3.39), stillbirth (OR=3.52), pre-eclampsia (OR=3.48), caesarean section (OR=3.52), NICU admission (OR=3.92), and neonatal hypoglycemia (OR=26.62). Significant results were also observed for 7 adverse outcomes with OR range from 1.54 to 2.82, while no association was found for SGA and respiratory distress after Bonferroni correction. We found that women with T1DM had higher risks for most of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with women with T2DM. When stratified by study design, sample size, type of diabetes, geographic region, and study quality, significant associations remains. Our findings demonstrated that PGD is a strong risk-conferring factor for adverse maternal, perinatal and neonatal outcomes.

Xenophilus arseniciresistens sp. nov., an arsenite-resistant bacterium isolated from soil.

A Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped, arsenite [As(III)]-resistant bacterium, designated strain YW8(T), was isolated from agricultural soil. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed over 97% sequence similarity to strains of the environmental species Xenophilus azovorans, Xenophilus aerolatus, Simplicispira metamorpha, Variovorax soli, and Xylophilus ampelinus. However, the phylogenetic tree indicated that strain YW8(T) formed a separate clade from Xenophilus azovorans. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments showed that the DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain YW8(T) and its closest phylogenetic neighbours were below 24.2-35.5%, which clearly separated the strain from these closely related species. The major cellular fatty acids of strain YW8(T) were C(16 : 0), C(17 : 0) cyclo, C(18 : 1)ω7c, and summed feature 3(C(16 : 1)ω6c and/or C(16 : 1)ω7c). The genomic DNA G+C content was 69.3 mol%, and the major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8. The predominant polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, three unknown phospholipids, an unknown polar lipid and phosphatidylserine. The major polyamines were 2-hydroxyputrescine and putrescine. On the basis of morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics, phylogenetic position, DNA-DNA hybridization and chemotaxonomic data, strain YW8(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Xenophilus, for which the name Xenophilus arseniciresistens sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is YW8(T) ( = CCTCC AB2012103(T) = KACC 16853(T)).

Olivibacter jilunii sp. nov., isolated from DDT-contaminated soil.

Bacterial strain 14-2A(T), isolated from a long-term DDT-contaminated soil in China, was characterized by using a polyphasic approach to clarify its taxonomic position. Strain 14-2A(T) was found to be Gram-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-motile, non-flagellated and rod-shaped. The new isolate was able to grow at 4-42 °C, pH 6.0-9.0 and with 0-5 % NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate belongs to the family Sphingobacteriaceae. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain 14-2A(T) showed the highest similarity with Olivibacter oleidegradans TBF2/20.2(T) (99.4 %), followed by Pseudosphingobacterium domesticum DC-186(T) (93.8 %), Olivibacter ginsengisoli Gsoil 060(T) (93.6 %), Olivibacter terrae Jip13(T) (93.1 %), Olivibacter soli Gsoil 034(T) (92.8 %) and Olivibacter sitiensis AW-6(T) (89.6 %). The DNA-DNA hybridization value between strains 14-2A(T) and O. oleidegradans TBF2/20.2(T) was 34.45±2.11 %. Strain 14-2A(T) contained phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, aminophospholipid and phosphatidylinositol mannoside as the major polar lipids. The DNA G+C content was 41.2 mol%. MK-7 is the major isoprenoid quinone. Summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH are the major fatty acids. The phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data confirmed the affiliation of strain 14-2A(T) to the genus Olivibacter. On the basis of the phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, and chemotaxonomic data, strain 14-2A(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Olivibacter, for which the name Olivibacter jilunii sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is 14-2A(T) ( = KCTC 23098(T) = CCTCC AB 2010105(T)).

Comamonas jiangduensis sp. nov., a biosurfactant-producing bacterium isolated from agricultural soil.

A novel biosurfactant-producing strain, designated YW1(T), was isolated from agricultural soil. Its taxonomic position was investigated using a polyphasic approach. The cells were short rods, Gram-negative, non-sporulating and motile. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain YW1(T) was a member of the genus Comamonas, and showed highest sequence similarities to Comamonas aquatica LMG 2370(T) (98.5%), Comamonas kerstersii LMG 3475(T) (97.7%) and Comamonas terrigena LMG 1253(T) (97.7%). Furthermore, DNA-DNA hybridization experiments against these three strains gave results that were clearly lower than 70% DNA-DNA similarity, and consequently confirmed that this new strain does not belong to a previously described species of the genus Comamonas. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8. The major fatty acids (>5%) were C16:0 (30.1%), summed feature 3 (C16:1ω6c and/or C16:1ω7c; 25.4%), summed feature 8 (C18:1ω6c and/or C18:1ω7c; 15.3%), C17:0 cyclo (7.4%) and C14:0 (5.8%). The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, unknown phospholipids and unknown lipids. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization, whole-cell fatty acid composition as well as biochemical characteristics, strain YW1(T) was clearly distinguishable from all species of the genus Comamonas with validly published names and should be classified as a representative of a novel species of the genus Comamonas, for which the name Comamonas jiangduensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YW1(T) (=CCTCC AB 2012033(T)=KACC 16697(T)).

Microbial degradation of fomesafen by a newly isolated strain Pseudomonas zeshuii BY-1 and the biochemical degradation pathway.

Fomesafen is a diphenyl ether herbicide used to control the growth of broadleaf weeds in bean fields. Although the degradation of fomesafen in soils was thought to occur primarily by microbial activity, little was known about the kinetic and metabolic behaviors of this herbicide. This paper reported the capability of the newly isolated strain Pseudomonas zeshuii BY-1 to use fomesafen as the sole source of carbon in pure culture for its growth. Up to 88.7% of 50 mg of L(-1) fomesafen was degraded by this bacterium in mineral medium within 3 days. Strain BY-1 could also degrade other diphenyl ethers, including lactofen, acifluorfen, and fluoroglycofen. During the fomesafen degradation, five metabolites were detected and identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry. The primary degradation pathway of fomesafen might be the reduction of the nitro group to an amino group, followed by the acetylation of the amino derivative, dechlorination, and cleavage of the S-N bond. The addition of the BY-1 stain into soils treated with fomesafen resulted in a higher degradation rate than that observed in uninoculated soils, and the bacteria community in contaminated soil recovered after inoculation of the BY-1 stain. On the basis of these results, strain P. zeshuii BY-1 has the potential to be used in the bioremediation of fomesafen-contaminated soils.