Octamer-binding transcription factor 4-positive circulating tumor cell predicts worse treatment response and survival in advanced cholangiocarcinoma patients who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors treatment.

BACKGROUND: Octamer-binding transcription factor 4-positive circulating tumor cell (OCT4+CTC) exhibits high stemness and invasive potential, which may influence the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). This study aimed to assess the prognostic role of OCT4+CTC in advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients who received ICI treatment. METHODS: In total, 40 advanced CCA patients who received ICI treatment were included, and CTC and OCT4 counts were detected via a Canpatrol system and an RNA in situ hybridization method before ICI treatment. Patients were subsequently divided into none CTC, OCT4-CTC, and OCT4+CTC groups. Patients were followed up for a median of 10.4 months. RESULTS: The percentages of patients in none CTC, OCT4-CTC, and OCT4+CTC groups were 25.0%, 30.0%, and 45.0%, respectively. The proportion of patients with lymph node metastasis was highest in OCT4+CTC group, followed by none CTC group, and lowest in OCT4-CTC group (P = 0.025). The objective response rate (ORR) was lowest in OCT4+CTC group, moderate in OCT4-CTC group, and highest in none CTC group (P = 0.009), while disease control rate was not different among three groups (P = 0.293). In addition, progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0.001) were shorter in the OCT4+CTC group than in none CTC & OCT4-CTC group. Moreover, OCT4+CTC (versus none CTC) was independently linked with poorer PFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 6.752, P = 0.001] and OS (HR = 6.674, P = 0.003) in advanced CCA patients. CONCLUSION: OCT4+CTC relates to lymph node metastasis and shows a good predictive value for poor treatment response and survival in advanced CCA patients who receive ICI treatment.

Apoptosis and pyroptosis in the nasal mucosa of Syrian hamster during SARS-CoV-2 infection and reinfection.

In SARS-CoV-2 infection, it has been observed that viral replication lasts longer in the nasal mucosa than in the lungs, despite the presence of a high viral load at both sites. In hamsters, we found that the nasal mucosa exhibited a mild inflammatory response and minimal pathological injuries, whereas the lungs displayed a significant inflammatory response and severe injuries. The underlying cellular events may be induced by viral infection in three types of cell death: apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis. Our findings indicate that apoptosis was consistently activated during infection in the nasal mucosa, and the levels of apoptosis were consistent with the viral load. On the other hand, pyroptosis and a few instances of necroptosis were observed only on 7 dpi in the nasal mucosa. In the lungs, however, both pyroptosis and apoptosis were prominently activated on 3 dpi, with lower levels of apoptosis compared to the nasal mucosa. Interestingly, in reinfection, obvious viral load and apoptosis in the nasal mucosa were detected on 3 dpi, while no other forms of cell death were detected. We noted that the inflammatory reactions and pathological injuries in the nasal mucosa were milder, indicating that apoptosis may play a role in promoting lower inflammatory reactions and milder pathological injuries and contribute to the generation of long-term viral replication in the nasal mucosa. Our study provides valuable insights into the differences in cellular mechanisms during SARS-CoV-2 infection and highlights the potential significance of apoptosis regulation in the respiratory mucosa for controlling viral replication.

The Abundant Distribution and Duplication of SARS-CoV-2 in the Cerebrum and Lungs Promote a High Mortality Rate in Transgenic hACE2-C57 Mice.

Patients with COVID-19 have been reported to experience neurological complications, although the main cause of death in these patients was determined to be lung damage. Notably, SARS-CoV-2-induced pathological injuries in brains with a viral presence were also found in all fatal animal cases. Thus, an appropriate animal model that mimics severe infections in the lungs and brain needs to be developed. In this paper, we compared SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics and pathological injuries between C57BL/6Smoc-Ace2em3(hACE2-flag-Wpre-pA)Smoc transgenic hACE2-C57 mice and Syrian hamsters. Importantly, the greatest viral distribution in mice occurred in the cerebral cortex neuron area, where pathological injuries and cell death were observed. In contrast, in hamsters, viral replication and distribution occurred mainly in the lungs but not in the cerebrum, although obvious ACE2 expression was validated in the cerebrum. Consistent with the spread of the virus, significant increases in IL-1ß and IFN-γ were observed in the lungs of both animals. However, in hACE2-C57 mice, the cerebrum showed noticeable increases in IL-1ß but only mild increases in IFN-γ. Notably, our findings revealed that both the cerebrum and the lungs were prominent infection sites in hACE2 mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 with obvious pathological damage. Furthermore, hamsters exhibited severe interstitial pneumonia from 3 dpi to 5 dpi, followed by gradual recovery. Conversely, all the hACE2-C57 mice experienced severe pathological injuries in the cerebrum and lungs, leading to mortality before 5 dpi. According to these results, transgenic hACE2-C57 mice may be valuable for studying SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and clearance in the cerebrum. Additionally, a hamster model could serve as a crucial resource for exploring the mechanisms of recovery from infection at different dosage levels.

Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies a Plant-Height-Associated Gene OsPG3 in a Population of Commercial Rice Varieties.

Plant height is one of the most crucial components of plant structure. However, due to its complexity, the genetic architecture of rice plant height has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to determine rice plant height using 178 commercial rice varieties and identified 37 loci associated with rice plant height (LAPH). Among these loci, in LAPH2, we identified a polygalacturonase gene, OsPG3, which was genetically and functionally associated with rice plant height. The rice plant exhibits a super dwarf phenotype when the knockout of the OsPG3 gene occurs via CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology. RNA-Seq analysis indicated that OsPG3 modulates the expression of genes involved in phytohormone metabolism and cell-wall-biosynthesis pathways. Our findings suggest that OsPG3 plays a vital role in controlling rice plant height by regulating cell wall biosynthesis. Given that rice architecture is one of the most critical phenotypes in rice breeding, OsPG3 has potential in rice's molecular design breeding toward an ideal plant height.

Identification of two novel rice S genes through combination of association and transcription analyses with gene-editing technology.

Traditional rice blast resistance breeding largely depends on utilizing typical resistance (R) genes. However, the lack of durable R genes has prompted rice breeders to find new resistance resources. Susceptibility (S) genes are potential new targets for resistance genetic engineering using genome-editing technologies, but identifying them is still challenging. Here, through the integration of genome-wide association study (GWAS) and transcriptional analysis, we identified two genes, RNG1 and RNG3, whose polymorphisms in 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTR) affected their expression variations. These polymorphisms could serve as molecular markers to identify rice blast-resistant accessions. Editing the 3'-UTRs using CRISPR/Cas9 technology affected the expression levels of two genes, which were positively associated with rice blast susceptibility. Knocking out either RNG1 or RNG3 in rice enhanced the rice blast and bacterial blight resistance, without impacting critical agronomic traits. RNG1 and RNG3 have two major genotypes in diverse rice germplasms. The frequency of the resistance genotype of these two genes significantly increased from landrace rice to modern cultivars. The obvious selective sweep flanking RNG3 suggested it has been artificially selected in modern rice breeding. These results provide new targets for S gene identification and open avenues for developing novel rice blast-resistant materials.

First Report of Valsa nivea (Hoffm.) Fr. Causing Valsa Canker on Korla Pear (Pyrus sinkiangensis Yü) in the World.

Korla pear (Pyrus sinkiangensis Yü) is an important commercial fruit tree that originated in China (Zhou et al. 2020). In April 2020, a survey was conducted in Aksu region, Xinjiang (40°55'37"N, 80°28'42"E), China. Some Korla pear trees (>15 years old) exhibited symptoms of branch dieback and branch cankers. Cankers observed on the trunk and branches of the tree were sunken, dark ulcerative lesions sometimes exhibiting signs of stromata erumpent through the bark and exuding yellow to reddish-orange spore tendrils. Of the 180 plants surveyed, 80% were symptomatic. Thirty samples of symptomatic tissues of infected branches were taken to the laboratory. Bark and cortical wood samples containing necrotic and healthy tissue were excised with flame-sterilized scalpels, surface disinfected with 75% ethanol and 1% NaClO, placed on PDA plates, and incubated at 25°C. A total of 30 fungal isolates were obtained. Among them, 28 isolates were identified as Valsa mali var. pyri (Lu. 1992) based on morphological and molecular identification, and two isolates (ALE6T-GP21 and ALE7T-GP23) were identified as Valsa nivea (Hoffm.) Fr. Valsa nivea isolates had a fine villi form mycelium that was initially white, turned grayish-green over time and grew close to the medium surface. Cultures also contained black ostiolate pycnidia in a stroma that consisted of multiple irregular locules. Conidiophores were hyaline, occasionally branched at the bases and (15.50-)16.48-17.94(-18.50)×(1.00-)1.13-1.37(-1.50) µm (n=20). Conidiogenous cells were phialidic and subcylindrical that taper towards the apex. Conidia were hyaline, banana-like and (5.47-)6.13-6.97(-7.64)×(1.02-)1.06-1.20(-1.23) µm (n=10). The molecular characteristics are consistent with the previous description of V. nivea (Adams et al. 2006). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), transcription elongation factor (tef-1α) and ß-tubulin (Tub2) gene were sequenced using ITS1/ITS4, EF1-728F/EF1-986R and Bt2a/Bt2b primers, respectively (Zhang et al. 2014). BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) searches against the NCBI database revealed that the ITS sequence had 99.83% homology (ON843984.1 and ON843987.1), tef-1α gene had 99.22% homology (MH015266.1 and MH015267.1), and the Tub2 sequence had 99.57% and 100% homologies (KT934364.1 and KT934364.1) with V. nivea sequences. The amplified sequences of ITS region (OK442665 and OK442666), tef-1α (OK510871 and OK510872) and Tub2 (OK510869 and OK510870) were deposited in the GenBank. A phylogenetic analysis was performed using MEGA7 that shows 100% bootstrap support that ALE6T-GP21 and ALE7T-GP23 were V. nivea. A pathogenicity trial was conducted with isolate ALE6T-GP21 inoculated onto 1-year-old shoots of 15-year-old Korla pear trees in Alar city, Xinjiang, China. Five shoots were inoculated by making 5-mm deep wounds using a sterile scalpel then inoculating with a 50 µL conidia suspension (1×106 mL-1). Additionally, five shoots served as the negative control and were inoculated in the same way using 50 µL ddH2O. The trees were kept under ambient conditions. Inoculated branches developed symptoms 18 days post inoculation, whereas the control branches showed no symptoms. V. nivea was re-isolated from the symptomatic areas and the isolate confirmed as ALE6T-GP21 by sequence analysis. Currently, the proven hosts of V. nivea are Populus, Elaeagnus, Juglans, Malus and Salix (Adams et al. 2006; Wang et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of pathogenic V. nivea occurring on P. sinkiangensis in the world. It will provide a basis for research into the occurrence, distribution of V. nivea on Korla Pear.

Aquaporin-4 in glymphatic system, and its implication for central nervous system disorders.

The clearance function is essential for maintaining brain tissue homeostasis, and the glymphatic system is the main pathway for removing brain interstitial solutes. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is the most abundantly expressed aquaporin in the central nervous system (CNS) and is an integral component of the glymphatic system. In recent years, many studies have shown that AQP4 affects the morbidity and recovery process of CNS disorders through the glymphatic system, and AQP4 shows notable variability in CNS disorders and is part of the pathogenesis of these diseases. Therefore, there has been considerable interest in AQP4 as a potential and promising target for regulating and improving neurological impairment. This review aims to summarize the pathophysiological role that AQP4 plays in several CNS disorders by affecting the clearance function of the glymphatic system. The findings can contribute to a better understanding of the self-regulatory functions in CNS disorders that AQP4 were involved in and provide new therapeutic alternatives for incurable debilitating neurodegenerative disorders of CNS in the future.

Identification of a Rice Leaf Width Gene Narrow Leaf 22 (NAL22) through Genome-Wide Association Study and Gene Editing Technology.

Rice leaf width (RLW) is a crucial determinant of photosynthetic area. Despite the discovery of several genes controlling RLW, the underlying genetic architecture remains unclear. In order to better understand RLW, this study conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 351 accessions from the rice diversity population II (RDP-II). The results revealed 12 loci associated with leaf width (LALW). In LALW4, we identified one gene, Narrow Leaf 22 (NAL22), whose polymorphisms and expression levels were associated with RLW variation. Knocking out this gene in Zhonghua11, using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, resulted in a short and narrow leaf phenotype. However, seed width remained unchanged. Additionally, we discovered that the vein width and expression levels of genes associated with cell division were suppressed in nal22 mutants. Gibberellin (GA) was also found to negatively regulate NAL22 expression and impact RLW. In summary, we dissected the genetic architecture of RLW and identified a gene, NAL22, which provides new loci for further RLW studies and a target gene for leaf shape design in modern rice breeding.

Preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and prognosis of patients with solitary large hepatocellular carcinomas (≥5 cm): Multicenter retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Large hepatocellular carcinoma (LHCC) is prone to short-term recurrence and poor long-term survival after hepatectomy, and there is still a lack of effective neoadjuvant treatments to improve recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in solitary LHCC (≥5 cm). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicenter medical database was used to analyze preoperative TACE's effects on RFS, OS, and perioperative complications in patients with solitary LHCC who received surgical treatment from January 2005 to December 2015. The patients were divided into Group A (5.0-9.9 cm) and Group B (≥10 cm), with 10 cm as the critical value, and the effect of preoperative TACE on RFS, OS and perioperative complications was assessed in each subgroup. RESULTS: In the overall population, patients with preoperative TACE had better RFS and OS than those without preoperative TACE. However, after stratifying the patients into the two HCC groups, preoperative TACE only improved the survival outcomes of patients with Group B (≥10 cm). Multivariate Cox-regression analysis showed that lack of preoperative TACE was an independent risk factor for RFS and OS in the overall population and in Group B but not in Group A. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative TACE is beneficial for patients with solitary HCC (≥10 cm).

Association Mapping and Functional Analysis of Rice Cold Tolerance QTLs at the Bud Burst Stage.

Cold tolerance at the bud burst stage (CTB) is a key trait for direct-seeded rice. Although quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting CTB in rice have been mapped using traditional linkage mapping and genome-wide association study (GWAS) methods, the underlying genes remain unknown. In this study, we evaluated the CTB phenotype of 339 cultivars in the Rice Diversity Panel II (RDP II) collection. GWAS identified four QTLs associated with CTB (qCTBs), distributed on chromosomes 1-3. Among them, qCTB-1-1 overlaps with Osa-miR319b, a known cold tolerance micro RNA gene. The other three qCTBs have not been reported. In addition, we characterised the candidate gene OsRab11C1 for qCTB-1-2 that encodes a Rab protein belonging to the small GTP-binding protein family. Overexpression of OsRab11C1 significantly reduced CTB, while gene knockout elevated CTB as well as cold tolerance at the seedling stage, suggesting that OsRab11C1 negatively regulates rice cold tolerance. Molecular analysis revealed that OsRab11C1 modulates cold tolerance by suppressing the abscisic acid signalling pathway and proline biosynthesis. Using RDP II and GWAS, we identified four qCTBs that are involved in CTB and determined the function of the candidate gene OsRab11C1 in cold tolerance. Our results demonstrate that OsRab11C1 is a negative regulator of cold tolerance and knocking out of the gene by genome-editing may provide enhanced cold tolerance in rice.

Identification and validation of a robust autophagy-related molecular model for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

Despite a relatively low mortality rate, high recurrence rates represent a significant problem for breast cancer (BC) patients. Autophagy affects the development, progression, and prognosis of various cancers, including BC. The aim of the present study was to identify candidate autophagy-related genes (ARGs) and construct a molecular-clinicopathological signature to predict recurrence risk in BC. A 10-ARG-based signature was established in a training cohort (GEO-BC dataset GSE25066) with LASSO Cox regression and assessed in an independent validation cohort (GEO-BC GSE22219). Significant differences in recurrence-free survival were observed for high- and low-risk patients segregated based on their signature-based risk score. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (tdROC) analysis of signature performance demonstrated satisfactory accuracy and predictive power in both the training and validation cohorts. Moreover, we developed a nomogram to predict 3- and 5-year recurrence-free survival by combining the autophagy-related risk score and clinicopathological data. Both the tdROC and calibration curves indicated high discriminating ability for the nomogram. This study indicates that our ARG-based signature is an independent prognostic classifier for recurrence-free survival in BC. In addition, individualized survival risk assessment and treatment decisions might be effectively improved by implementing the proposed nomogram.

Magnetic response of Arsenic pollution in a slag covered soil profile close to an abandoned tungsten mine, southern China.

Previous studies indicated serious soil arsenic (As) pollution of large spatial extent related to tungsten mining. We performed systematic analyses of magnetic parameters and As contents of a slag covered soil profile close to the abandoned tungsten mine in southern China, in order to discuss the feasibility of using sensitive, non-destructive, and cost-effective magnetic methods for monitoring the soil arsenic content in such arsenic pollution areas. The results indicate that arsenic sulfide entered from slags into the underlying soil and changed to iron arsenate and moveable arsenic ion. The arsenic ions were transported from the upper to the lower part of the soil profile, leading to more serious arsenic pollution at lower levels of the section. Pedogenesis and oxidation of the entered iron and arsenic sulfide resulted in coexistence of magnetite/maghemite and hematite, with different contributions at depths of 125-195 cm, 60-125 cm, and 0-60 cm. The arsenic content is significant positively correlated with the hematite concentration given by the magnetic parameter HIRM and negatively correlated with the S-300 ratio that measures the relative contributions of magnetite(+maghemite) and hematite. The S-300 ratio is effective for semi-quantification of soil arsenic content, and may be also used for soil arsenic pollution assessment and monitoring in similar settings of tungsten mining.

The Spermatozoal Ultrastructure of the Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis).

BACKGROUND: The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is an economically important aquatic species in China. The artificial breeding crabs are also increasing in number day by day. However, knowledge about spermatozoal organization of the crab is still very limited. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: In the present study, the spermatozoal ultrastructure of the E. sinensis is illustrated for improving artificial breeding technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The spermatozoa are observed by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Spermatozoa are located in the lumen of seminiferous tubules. The spermatocytes and spermatids are observed in the wall of seminiferous tubules. The spermatophores are both present in the lumen of vas deferens and seminal vesicles. A mature spermatozoon consists of a central electron dense acrosome and a peripheral electron lucent nucleus within structures-organelles complex. The acrosome is divided into three zones, including inner acrosome zone, outer acrosome zone and zonal texture. The centre of acrosome is the perforatorium within parallel arranged perforatorial tubules along vertical axis. The highest electron dense operculum surrounds the head side of perforatorium. CONCLUSION: The ultrastructure of spermatozoa of E. sinensis is illustrated. In particular, the outermost part of the acrosome appears as concentric circles and is described as zonal texture.

Genome-Wide Identification of a Novel Autophagy-Related Signature for Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Plenty of evidence has suggested that autophagy plays a crucial role in the biological processes of cancers. This study aimed to screen autophagy-related genes (ARGs) and establish a novel a scoring system for colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Autophagy-related genes sequencing data and the corresponding clinical data of CRC in The Cancer Genome Atlas were used as training data set. The GSE39582 data set from the Gene Expression Omnibus was used as validation set. An autophagy-related signature was developed in training set using univariate Cox analysis followed by stepwise multivariate Cox analysis and assessed in the validation set. Then we analyzed the function and pathways of ARGs using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Finally, a prognostic nomogram combining the autophagy-related risk score and clinicopathological characteristics was developed according to multivariate Cox analysis. RESULTS: After univariate and multivariate analysis, 3 ARGs were used to construct autophagy-related signature. The KEGG pathway analyses showed several significantly enriched oncological signatures, such as p53 signaling pathway, apoptosis, human cytomegalovirus infection, platinum drug resistance, necroptosis, and ErbB signaling pathway. Patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups, and patients with high risk had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than low-risk patients in both training set and validation set. Furthermore, the nomogram for predicting 3- and 5-year OS was established based on autophagy-based risk score and clinicopathologic factors. The area under the curve and calibration curves indicated that the nomogram showed well accuracy of prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Our proposed autophagy-based signature has important prognostic value and may provide a promising tool for the development of personalized therapy.

Genome-wide association mapping of resistance against rice blast strains in South China and identification of a new Pik allele.

BACKGROUND: Effective management of rice blast, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, requires an understanding of the genetic architecture of the resistance to the disease in rice. Rice resistance varies with M. oryzae strains, and many quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting rice blast resistance have been mapped using different strains of M. oryzae from different areas. However, little is known about the genetic architecture of rice resistance against the M. oryzae population in Hunan Province, which is a main rice production area in South China. RESULTS: In this study, we used three isolates from Hunan Province and the rice diversity panel 1 to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of blast resistance in rice. A total of 56 QTLs were identified. One of the QTLs is localized with the resistance gene Pik locus which confers resistance to all three isolates. Genomic sequence analysis of the resistant cultivars led to the identification of a new Pik allele, which we named Pikx. Yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays between AvrPiks and Pikx confirmed that Pikx is a new allele at the Pik locus. CONCLUSIONS: Our GWAS has identified many new blast resistance QTLs. The identified new Pik allele Pikx will be useful for breeding cultivars with high resistance to blast in Hunan and other South China provinces. Further research on the relationship between AvrPiks and Pikx will provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of rice resistance to M. oryzae.

Telocytes in pancreas of the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus).

Telocytes (TCs), novel interstitial cells, have been identified in various organs of many mammals. However, information about TCs of lower animals remains rare. Herein, pancreatic TCs of the Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus) were identified by CD34 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The IHC micrographs revealed CD34+ TCs with long telopodes (Tps) that were located in the interstitium of the pancreas. CD34+ TCs/Tps were frequently observed between exocrine acinar cells and were close to blood vessels. The TEM micrographs also showed the existence of TCs in the interstitium of the pancreas. TCs had distinctive ultrastructural features, such as one to three very long and thin Tps with podoms and podomers, caveolae, dichotomous branching, neighbouring exosomes and vesicles. The Tps and exosomes were found in close proximity to exocrine acinar cells and α cells. It is suggested that TCs may play a role in the regeneration of acinar cells and α cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrated the presence of TCs in the pancreas of the Chinese giant salamander. This finding will assist us in a better understanding of TCs functions in the amphibian pancreas.

Telocytes in gastric lamina propria of the Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus.

In this study, we attempt to identify gastric telocytes (TCs) of the Chinese giant salamander Andrias davidianus, by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods. Toluidine blue staining showed TCs with one to two very thin and long telopodes (Tps) that were located in gastric lamina propria. Tps had characteristic structures, including podoms, podomers and dichotomous branching. Immunohistochemistry showed the existence of CD34(+)/PDGFRα(+) TCs with moniliform Tps in stroma and were close to gastric glands and blood vessels. TEM micrographs also demonstrated the presence of TCs in interstitium between gastric glands. TCs/Tps were located in close proximity to gastric glands, blood vessels, endocrine cells and stem cells. In particular, Tps frequently surrounded stem cells. TCs and Tps, Tps and stem cells established close contacts. Moreover, the exosomes were also found near TCs/Tps. Our data confirmed the presence of TCs in gastric lamina propria of the amphibian, and suggested that TCs cooperate with resident stem cells to regulate endocrine cells and gastric glands regeneration and homeostasis.

Telocytes in ileum of the Chinese giant salamander: ultrastructural evidence.

Telocytes (TCs) and their telopodes (Tps) have been found in various organs of many mammals, including in lower animals. However, knowledge of TCs in lower animals is still very limited. This study identified TCs and their Tps in the ileum of the Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus (Amphibia: Caudata), by transmission electron microscopy. The TCs/Tps were found near epithelial cells, glandular cells and unmyelinated nerve fibres. Moreover, exosomes were also found to be present in between TCs/Tps and these cells.

Dissection of the genetic architecture of rice resistance to the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

Resistance in rice cultivars to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is complex and is controlled by both major genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs). We undertook a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the rice diversity panel 1 (RDP1) that was genotyped using a high-density (700 000 single nucleotide polymorphisms) array and inoculated with five diverse M. oryzae isolates. We identified 97 loci associated with blast resistance (LABRs). Among them, 82 were new regions and 15 co-localized with known blast resistance loci. The top 72 LABRs explained up to 98% of the phenotypic variation. The candidate genes in the LABRs encode nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) resistance proteins, receptor-like protein kinases, transcription factors and defence-related proteins. Among them, LABR_64 was strongly associated with resistance to all five isolates. We analysed the function of candidate genes underlying LABR_64 using RNA interference (RNAi) technology and identified two new resistance alleles at the Pi5 locus. We demonstrate an efficient strategy for rapid allele discovery using the power of GWAS, coupled with RNAi technology, for the dissection of complex blast resistance in rice.

[Association of D2 dopamine receptor gene -141C Ins/Del polymorphisms with heroin dependence in Chinese Han population: a meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between D2 dopamine receptor gene -141C Ins/Del polymorphism and heroin dependence in Chinese Han population. METHODS: Chinese and foreign databases were searched for relevant articles published from the establishment of database to March 2014. Case-control studies on D2 dopamine receptor gene -141C Ins/Del polymorphism with heroin dependence in Chinese Han population were gathered with Meta-analysis by Stata 12.0 software after data abstraction. RESULTS: Seven case-control studies on association between D2 dopamine receptor gene -141C Ins/ Del polymorphism and heroin dependence were included, which covered 3 211 heroin dependence patients and 1 979 controls. Meta-analysis results showed that the pooled odds ratio (OR), the 95% confidence interval (CI) and P value after combining genotypes were as follows: Ins/Ins vs Del/Del: OR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.27-0.96, P=0.017; Ins/Ins vs Ins/Del+Del/Del: OR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.72-0.94, P=0.448; Ins/Ins+ Ins/Del vs Del/Del: OR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.28-0.98, P=0.019; Ins/Del vs Del/Del: OR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.32-1.07, P=0.045; Ins vs Del: OR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.71-0.89, P=0.101). CONCLUSION: D2 dopamine receptor gene -141C Ins/Del polymorphism is associated with heroin dependence in Chinese Han population, and Chinese Han population with Ins allele gene deletion are at lower risk of heroin dependence.