Integrative analysis revealed a correlation of PIAS family genes expression with prognosis, immunomodulation and chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Protein inhibitor of activated STATs (PIAS) has pleiotropic biological effects, such as protein post-translational modification, transcriptional coregulation and gene editing. It is reported that PIAS family genes are also correlated with immune cells infiltration in cancers that highlights their unnoticed biological role in tumor progression. However, the relationship of their expression with prognosis, immune cell infiltration, tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy in pan-cancer has been rarely reported. METHODS: The multi-omics data were used to investigate the expression level of PIAS family members in pan-cancer, and the prognostic value of their expression in different tumors was analyzed by univariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship of PIAS gene expression with tumor microenvironment, immune infiltrating subtypes, stemness score and drug sensitivity. In addition, we also used wound healing and transwell assays to verify the biological effects of PIAS family gene expression on invasion and metastasis of HCC cells. RESULTS: We found that PIAS family genes expression is significantly heterogeneous in tumors by multi-genomic analysis, and associated with poor prognosis in patients with multiple types of cancer. Furthermore, we also found that genetic alterations of PIAS family genes were not only common in different types of human tumors, but were also significantly associated with disease-free survival (DFS) across pan-cancer. Single-cell analysis revealed that PIAS family genes were mainly distributed in monocytes/macrophages. Additionally, we also found that their expression was associated with tumor microenvironment (including stromal cells and immune cells) and stemness score (DNAss and RNAss). Drug sensitivity analysis showed that PIAS family genes were able to predict the response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. PIAS family genes expression is closely related to tumor metastasis, especially PIAS3. High PIAS3 expression significantly promotes the migration and invasion of liver cancer cell lines (HCC-LM3 and MHCC97-H). CONCLUSIONS: Taking together, these findings contribute to determine whether the PIAS family genes are a potential oncogenic target gene, which have important contribution for the development of cancer immunotherapy.

Efficacy and safety of the modified Zhiwang decoction combined with methotrexate in early rheumatoid arthritis: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive inflammatory autoimmune disease characterised by chronic systemic inflammation, which can cause swelling, stiffening and destruction of articular cartilage and bone. Early diagnosis and treatment of RA can improve outcomes and slow the progression of joint damage. Preliminary exploratory research had hinted an expected effect of modified Zhiwang decoction (MZWD) in treating early RA. However, few randomised clinical trials have evaluated the effectiveness of MZWD in early RA. Therefore, a parallel-group randomised controlled trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MZWD combined with methotrexate (MTX) on early RA. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a prospective, parallel-group, single-centre randomised controlled clinical study. A total of 150 patients will be randomly assigned to either the treatment (n=75) or control group (n=75). The treatment group will receive MZWD and MTX, and the control group will receive MTX for 12 weeks. The primary outcome of this study is Disease Activity Score-28, and the secondary outcomes are Fatigue Scale-14, Visual Analogue Scale pain scores and traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores. Safety outcomes, including adverse events and results of ECG and laboratory tests, will be monitored. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital (no. 2022-KY-124) on 8 July 2022. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT05508815).

Isocaloric diets with varying protein levels affected energy metabolism in young adult Sprague-Dawley rats via modifying the gut microbes: A lipid imbalance was brought on by a diet with a particularly high protein content.

Protein is the most important macro-nutrient when it comes to maximizing health, body composition, muscle growth, and recovery of body tissue. In recent years, it has been found that protein also plays an important role in metabolism and gut microbiota. This study was performed to investigate the effects of an isocaloric diet with different crude protein contents on the energy metabolism of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Results revealed that compared with the 20% crude protein (CP; control) diet, the 38% CP diet improved serum parameters that are associated with dyslipidemia and glucose metabolic disorders in SD rats, whereas the 50% CP diet increased liver injury indicators and fatty acid synthesis-related genes and protein expression in the liver. Compared with the control diet, the 14% CP diet increased the abundance of colonic short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria (Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Ruminiclostridium_9) and promoted colonic microbial cysteine and methionine metabolism, the 38% CP diet up-regulated colonic microbial lysine biosynthesis and degradation pathways, and the 50% CP diet down-regulated colonic mucosal cholesterol metabolism. Furthermore, the increase of multiple colonic enteropathogenic bacteria in the 50% CP group was associated with higher palmitic acid and stearic acid concentrations in the colonic microbes and lower cholesterol and arachidonic acid concentrations in the colonic mucosa. These findings revealed that the 14% CP and 38% CP diets improved rats' energy metabolism, while the 50% CP diet was accompanied by lipid metabolism imbalances and an increase in the abundance of multiple enteropathogenic bacteria.

Effect of Low Protein Diets Supplemented with Sodium Butyrate, Medium-Chain Fatty Acids, or n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the Growth Performance, Immune Function, and Microbiome of Weaned Piglets.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of low-protein (LP) diets supplemented with sodium butyrate (SB), medium-chain fatty acids (MCT), or n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) on the growth performance, immune function, and the microbiome of weaned piglets. A total of 120 healthy weaned piglets ((Landrace × Large White × Duroc); 7.93 ± 0.7 kg initial body weight), were randomly divided into five groups. Each group consisted of six replications with four piglets per replication. Dietary treatments included control diet (CON); LP diet (LP); LP + 0.2% SB diet (LP + SB); LP + 0.2% MCT diet (LP + MCT); and LP + PUFA diet (LP + PUFA). The experimental period lasted for 4 weeks. Compared with the CON diet, LP, LP + SB, LP + MCT, and LP + PUFA diets decreased the final weight and average daily gain (ADG) of piglets (p < 0.05). There were lower (p < 0.05) concentrations of IL-8 and higher (p < 0.05) Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the plasma of piglets fed with LP + SB, LP + MCT, and LP + PUFA diets than those fed with the LP diet. The piglets in the LP + SB and LP + PUFA groups had lower IKK-alpha (IKKa) mRNA expression in the colonic mucosa compared with those in the CON and LP groups (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of TLR4 in the colonic mucosa of piglets in the LP + SB, LP + MCT, and LP + PUFA groups was decreased when compared with the CON and LP groups (p < 0.05). The LP + MCT diets increased the gene expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the colonic mucosa of piglets compared with CON, LP, and LP + SB diets (p < 0.05). The abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae in the colonic microbiome of piglets in the LP group was higher than that in the other four groups (p < 0.05). Collectively, this study showed that LP diets supplemented with SB, MCT, or n-3 PUFA reduced plasma inflammatory factor levels, increased plasma GSH-Px activity, and declined mRNA expression of TLR4 and IKKa in the colonic epithelium, whereas it reduced the abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae in the colon of piglets.

Eosinophilic fasciitis difficult to differentiate from scleroderma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic fasciitis (EF) is a rare connective tissue disease that can cause swelling and sclerosis of the extremities, and special attention is needed to differentiate EF from systemic sclerosis. Misdiagnosis or omission markedly delays treatment of EF, and severe skin sclerosis in advanced stages can cause joint contracture and tendon retraction, worsening the patient's prognosis and quality of life. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of EF in a young woman diagnosed by tissue biopsy, confirming the difficulty of differential diagnosis with scleroderma. CONCLUSION: Focusing on skin manifestations, completing tissue biopsy and radiography can help diagnose EF effectively. Clinicians should enhance their understanding of the differences between EF and scleroderma, and early diagnosis and standardized treatment can improve the prognosis of patients with EF.

Role and mechanism of fibroblast-activated protein-α expression on the surface of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis.

Fibroblast-activated protein-α (FAP) is a type II integrated serine protease expressed by activated fibroblasts during fibrosis or inflammation. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial sites abundantly and stably overexpress FAP and play important roles in regulating the cellular immune, inflammatory, invasion, migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis responses in the synovial region. Overexpression of FAP is regulated by the initial inflammatory microenvironment of the disease and epigenetic signaling, which promotes RA development by regulating FLSs or affecting the signaling cross-linking FLSs with other cells at the local synovium and inflammatory stimulation. At present, several treatment options targeting FAP are in the process of development. This review discusses the basic features of FAP expressed on the surface of FLSs and its role in RA pathophysiology and advances in targeted therapies.

Wangbi granule as a combination therapy to achieve clinical deep remission in rheumatoid arthritis: protocol for a multicenter, triple-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that may lead to bone erosion and disability. Although there are many biological therapies in RA treatment nowadays, such as etanercept and tofacitinib, there are still a considerable number of patients who cannot achieve clinical deep remission, which makes patients feel pain and stiffness of joints. As a traditional Chinese medicine preparation, Wangbi granule showed a synergistic role with methotrexate in the treatment of RA patients with "kidney deficiency and dampness" or "stasis blocking channels". Therefore, it is a promising therapeutic strategy for the clinical deep remission of RA. In this study, Wangbi granule will be used as the test drug. The investigators conduct this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Wangbi granule in the treatment of patients who have not achieved deep remission despite the use of methotrexate and tofacitinib. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Two parallel randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trials will be conducted. In six study centers, 340 eligible RA patients will be recruited and randomly allocated to either the intervention group or the control group (in a 1:1 ratio). They will receive Wangbi granule or Wangbi placebo 12.0 g each time, three times a day for 12 weeks. The primary outcome is the disease activity score derivative for 28 joints (DAS28). Secondary outcomes are patient-reported outcomes, American College of Rheumatology 50% response criteria (ACR50), fatigue scale-14 (FS-14), visual analogue scale for pain (VAS), health assessment questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI) and biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). EXPECTED OUTCOMES: The success of this study will provide strong evidence to confirm the efficacy and safety of Wangbi granule in the treatment of RA. Trial registration The trial has been registered in the ClinicalTrials Registry (NCT05540938, Date: 09/15/2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05540938 ).

Epimedii Herba: An ancient Chinese herbal medicine in the prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory and systemic autoimmune disease resulting in severe joint destruction, lifelong suffering and considerable disability. Diverse prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) containing Epimedii Herba (EH) achieve greatly curative effects against RA. The present review aims to systemically summarize the therapeutic effect, pharmacological mechanism, bioavailability and safety assessment of EH to provide a novel insight for subsequent studies. The search terms included were "Epimedii Herba", "yinyanghuo", "arthritis, rheumatoid" and "Rheumatoid Arthritis", and relevant literatures were collected on the database such as Google Scholar, Pubmed, Web of Science and CNKI. In this review, 15 compounds from EH for the treatment of RA were summarized from the aspects of anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, cartilage and bone protective, antiangiogenic and antioxidant activities. Although EH has been frequently used to treat RA in clinical practice, studies on mechanisms of these activities are still scarce. Various compounds of EH have the multifunctional traits in the treatment of RA, so EH may be a great complementary medicine option and it is necessary to pay more attention to further research and development.

Predictive value of the TyG index and rheumatoid factor for cardiovascular disease risk in a rheumatoid arthritis population: data from a survey of 418 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and rheumatoid factor levels and the existence of cardiovascular disease in patients in the rheumatoid arthritis population and to analyze their potential value in predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of Rheumatism of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital from 2019-01 to 2021-12 were included in this retrospective study. Regression analysis was performed with multifactor-corrected multimodal logistic models to observe the correlation between the TyG index and rheumatoid factor and cardiovascular disease risk, construct predictive models and assess the potential predictive value of the variables on cardiovascular disease risk with receiver operating characteristic curves. The results were further corrected by sensitivity analysis and trend tests. RESULTS: A total of 418 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were included in the study. In the rheumatoid arthritis population, high rheumatoid factor (OR = 1.002, 95% CI = 1.001-1.002, P < 0.001), high TyG index (OR = 1.057, 95% CI = 1.008-1.109, P = 0.022), advanced age (OR = 1.080, 95% CI = 1.050-1.112, P < 0.001), and low physical activity (OR = 2.848, 95% CI = 1.195-6.785, P = 0.018) were independent risk factors for the existence of cardiovascular disease in patients. The combined coefficient calculated on the basis of the TyG index and rheumatoid factor was used to plot the receiver operating characteristic curve with an area under the curve of 0.791, which can be used to predict the potential risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Further sensitivity analysis found that the marker of focus remained associated with cardiovascular disease risk in a high-physical activity population with rheumatoid arthritis. The final trend test found a linear trend between the TyG index, rheumatoid factor levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: In the rheumatoid arthritis population, the TyG index and rheumatoid factor have some potential predictive value in determining the risk of cardiovascular disease, and the predictive efficacy is better when the two tests are combined.

Tens of hertz ultra-narrow linewidth fiber ring laser based on external weak distributed feedback.

We suggest and demonstrate a single-frequency fiber ring laser with an ultra-narrow linewidth based on an external weak distributed feedback. A π phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PSFBG) is used to improve mode selection and enable single-longitudinal mode (SLM) laser operation. The linewidth is then further strongly compressed using a signal generated by a weak distributed feedback structure (WDFS) and injected into the main laser cavity to suppress spontaneous emission. The resulting ultra-narrow linewidth fiber ring laser achieves a side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of ∼72 dB, and low white frequency noise of ∼10.3 Hz2/Hz, which correspond to an instantaneous linewidth of ∼32.3 Hz in the normal operating condition of the laser. Our linewidth compression mechanism not only solves the problems associated with deep linewidth compression in long-cavity fiber laser, but also fosters the development of practical and reliable all-fiber structures. Our laser source is characterized by low cost, high coherence, and low noise, which are highly desirable features in coherent optical detection, high-resolution spectrometers, microwave photonics, and optical sensing.

Ultra-narrow linewidth vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser based on external-cavity weak distributed feedback.

We demonstrate an ultra-narrow linewidth vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) based on external-cavity weak distributed feedback from Rayleigh backscattering (RBS). A single longitudinal mode VCSEL with the linewidth as narrow as 435 Hz and a contrast of 55 dB are experimentally achieved by RBS fiber with a feedback level of RBS signal of -27.6 dB. By adjusting the thermal resistance of the VCSEL from 4.5 kΩ to 7.0 kΩ, the laser wavelength can be tuned from 1543.324 nm to 1542.06 nm with a linear tuning slope of -0.506 nm/kΩ. In the tuning process, the linewidth fluctuates in the range of 553-419 Hz.

Effect of Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine Therapy on Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Heart Failure: A Real-World Study Including 394 Patients.

Objective: To explore the effect of integrative Chinese and Western medicine therapy on the clinical outcomes of patients with heart failure. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study in the real world. Patients were divided into "conventional therapy" and "integrative therapy" groups according to treatment modality. The occurrence of cardiovascular events (CVE) was determined during follow-up. Survival curves were plotted, and survival analysis was performed using Cox regression to report survival in both groups. Further subgroup tests were performed as sensitivity analyses. A Markov model was constructed to predict patients with distant heart failure conditions based on real follow-up data. Results: Based on diagnostic criteria, 394 patients with heart failure were included. The integrative therapy group had (N = 181) older patients (P=0.005), higher proportion of renal insufficiency (P < 0.001), higher creatinine (P=0.040), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (P=0.007), N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (P=0.019) levels, more patients in cardiac function class IV (P=0.004), and longer hospital days (P=0.003) than the conventional therapy group (N = 213). Survival was better in the integrative therapy group than in the conventional therapy group (log-rank P < 0.001). Multifactorial Cox regression identified "conventional therapy" or "integrative therapy" as an independent factor affecting the risk of CVE in patients with heart failure, with the risk of CVE being lower in the integrative therapy group (HR = 0.322, 95% CI = 0.185-0.561). A subgroup analysis found no significant association between therapy modality and risk of CVE in older patients (age ≥65 years, P=0.210) and those who had renal insufficiency (P=0.062). The Markov model predicted better cardiac function in the integrative therapy group than in the conventional therapy group at all time points (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: In patients with heart failure, integrative therapy of Chinese and Western medicine had better long-term outcomes than conventional therapy. However, patients with advanced age and renal insufficiency had no significant advantage. Trials Registration. This trial is registered with China Clinical Trials Registry, ChiCTR2100050927, registered 8 September 2021, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=133451.

Ultra-narrow-linewidth DFB laser array based on dual-cavity feedback.

Herein, we propose a structure to simultaneously compress the distributed feedback (DFB) laser array's linewidth. The proposed structure is meticulously designed to ensure single longitudinal mode operation via the interference phenomenon between the laser's primary cavity and the dual-cavity feedback. Given the weak feedback effect for each wavelength in the laser array, the proposed structure could realize the intense compression of the laser linewidths. The study results show that the side-mode suppression ratios of each DFB laser are over 40 dB, and the linewidths have been compressed from 3 MHz to ∼800 Hz. Thus, we believe the idea of an overall compression linewidth scheme in the present study can be adopted for integrated laser arrays.

Control of polarization switching in a VCSEL via resonant feedback from a whispering-gallery-mode cavity.

We report a method for flexibly switching the dominant polarization of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) by introducing polarization-resolved resonant optical feedback from a whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) cavity to the lasing cavity. Switching between the originally dominant mode and a side mode is experimentally demonstrated under different bias currents once one of them is locked to the resonance mode of the WGM cavity. In addition to a controllable polarization state, the reported VCSEL also demonstrates a linewidth as narrow as tens of kilohertz, which is highly desirable for many applications, including high-speed data communication, light detection and ranging (lidar), and absorption spectroscopy.

Simultaneous self-injection locking of two VCSELs to a single whispering-gallery-mode microcavity.

Simultaneous self-injection locking of two vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) to a single whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microcavity is experimentally demonstrated. The linewidths of the two VCSELs are compressed from 3.5 MHz and 5 MHz to 20.9 kHz and 24.1 kHz, which is on the same order of magnitude as that of locking each VCSEL to the microcavity separately. Moreover, the frequency noises of the two simultaneously locked VCSELs are suppressed by more than 60 dB below the offset frequency of 100 kHz compared to that of the free-running VCSELs. The method demonstrated here might be used in the multi-wavelength laser array with low phase and frequency noises, especially the VCSELs with the unique architecture of a two-dimensional array.

Narrow linewidth VCSEL based on resonant optical feedback from an on-chip microring add-drop filter.

We demonstrate a narrow linewidth vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) by injecting resonant optical feedback into the lasing cavity. A single longitudinal mode VCSEL with a Lorentzian linewidth of 32.6 kHz and a purified optical spectrum is experimentally achieved by an on-chip microring add-drop filter with a quality factor of 1.36 million, where the feedback level is ${-}{47.77}\;{\rm{dB}}$. The frequency noise spectrum of the VCSEL demonstrates that the thermo-optic effect in the microring resonator can also stabilize the lasing frequency. A VCSEL with narrow linewidth and stable frequency provides a high-performance light source for a single VCSEL or VCSEL array-based application.

A four-CRD C-type lectin from razor clam Sinonovacula constricta mediates agglutination and phagocytosis.

C-type lectins are a superfamily of Ca2+-dependent carbohydrate-binding proteins that play crucial roles in invertebrate immunity. In this study, a novel C-type lectin gene (ScCTL-1) was identified in razor clam Sinonovacula constricta. The ScCTL-1 gene, consisting of four C-type carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs) with an N-terminal signal peptide and a C-terminal transmembrane region. The gene is widely expressed in almost all tissues, with the highest expression in the hepatopancreas. To explore the functional characteristics of this structurally novel gene, tests of binding specificity, agglutinating activity, and phagocytic promoting activity were included in this study. Bacterial stimulation up-regulated ScCTL-1 expression in hemocytes. The binding activity of rScCTL-1 to bacteria was tested in vitro, and bacterial agglutination was observed under the same conditions. Ca2+ was essential for carbohydrate binding. Additionally, rScCTL-1 promoted the phagocytic activity of hemocytes to varying degrees against different bacteria, unlike the classical opsonin. These results suggest ScCTL-1 is a classical immune-related C-type lectin possessing unique immune-related properties.

Tolerance, Growth, and Physiological Responses of the Juvenile Razor Clam (Sinonovacula constricta) to Environmental Ca2+ and Mg2+ Concentrations.

To facilitate transplanting razor clam (Sinonovacula constricta) populations to inland saline-alkaline waters (ISWs), we evaluated the tolerance of juvenile S. constricta (JSC) to Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations, and determined the effects of these ions on JSC growth and physiological parameters. After 30 days stress, the tolerable ranges of JSC to Ca2+ and Mg2+ were determined to be 0.19 mmol⋅L-1-19.46 mmol⋅L-1 and 0 mmol⋅L-1-29.54 mmol⋅L-1, respectively. The concentrations of Ca2+ (less than 0.65 mmol⋅L-1 or more than 3.24 mmol⋅L-1) and Mg2+ (less than 0.37 mmol⋅L-1 or more than 14.17 mmol⋅L-1) significantly inhibit JSC growth. Physiological enzyme activity no significant response when the concentrations range of Ca2+ and Mg2+ are 0.93 mmol⋅L-1-6.49 mmol⋅L-1 and 0.37 mmol⋅L-1-14.77 mmol⋅L-1, respectively. For transplantation practice, these data indicate that only high concentrations of Ca2+ (3.24-6.825 mmol⋅L-1) and Mg2+ (14.77-33.69 mmol⋅L-1) in target inland saline-alkaline water had significantly impact on growth and physiological response. In addition, present study suggests that the increase in Ca2+ and Mg2+ ion concentrations caused by ocean acidification will not affect the survival, growth and physiology of S. constricta. Current research suggests that S. constricta can adapt to extreme changes in the marine environment (Ca2+ and Mg2+) and may be an excellent candidate for inland saline-alkaline water transplantation practice.

Nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots as a fluorescent probe for mercury(II) ions.

A highly selective fluorescent probe for Hg2+ is reported. It consists of nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) that are nearly spherical in shape, have an average diameter of 2.7 nm and excitation-independent emission. The blue fluorescence of the NGQDs (with maximum excitation/emission at 378/447 nm) is quenched by Hg2+ due to both dynamic and static quenching. The probe has a wide detection range (2.5 µM - 800 µM) and a limit of detection of 2.5 µM. The dynamic and static quenching constants are 417 M-1 and 63500 M-1, respectively. The probe was used to quantfy Hg2+ in spiked real water samples with satisfactory results. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Identification of a novel C1q complement component in razor clam Sinonovacula constricta and its role in antibacterial activity.

The serum complement component C1q mediates a variety of immune regulatory functions. Herein, we identified a globular head C1q (ghC1q) gene in razor clam Sinonovacula constricta. The complete Sc-ghC1q gene was 872 bp long included an 81 bp 5'-untranslated region (UTR), a 95 bp 3'-UTR with a poly(A) tail, and an open reading frame (ORF) of 696 bp. The mRNA expression of Sc-ghC1q was upregulated in hepatopancreas and hemocytes. After Staphylococcus aureus or Vibrio anguillarum challenge, Sc-ghC1q mRNA transcript abundance was significantly upregulated in hemolymph. Recombinant Sc-ghC1q protein could bind lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA), and it could agglutinate both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, flow cytometry revealed that Sc-ghC1q strongly promoted phagocytosis in hemocytes. Together, these results demonstrated that Sc-ghC1q played an important role in innate immunity in S. constricta.