Harnessing the power of microbes: Enhancing soybean growth in an acidic soil through AMF inoculation rather than P-fertilization.

The low phosphorus (P) availability of acidic soils severely limits leguminous plant growth and productivity. Improving the soil P nutritional status can be achieved by increasing the P-content through P-fertilization or stimulating the mineralization of organic P via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) application; however, their corresponding impacts on plant and soil microbiome still remain to be explored. Here, we examined the effects of AMF-inoculation and P-fertilization on the growth of soybean with different P-efficiencies, as well as the composition of rhizo-microbiome in an acidic soil. The growth of recipient soybean NY-1001, which has a lower P-efficiency, was not significantly enhanced by AMF-inoculation or P-fertilization. However, the plant biomass of higher P-efficiency transgenic soybean PT6 was significantly increased by 46.74%-65.22% through AMF-inoculation. Although there was no discernible difference in plant biomass between PT6 and NY-1001 in the absence of AMF-inoculation and P-fertilization, PT6 had approximately 1.9-2.5 times the plant biomass of NY-1001 after AMF-inoculation. Therefore, the growth advantage of higher P-efficiency soybean was achieved through the assistance of AMF rather than P-fertilization in available P-deficient acidic soil. Most nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria and some functional genes related to N-fixation were abundant in endospheric layer, as were the P-solubilizing Pseudomonas plecoglossicida, and annotated P-metabolism genes. These N-fixing and P-solubilizing bacteria were positive correlated with each other. Lastly, the two most abundant phytopathogenic fungi species accumulated in endospheric layer, they exhibited positive correlations with N-fixing bacteria, but displayed negative interactions with the majority of the other dominant non-pathogenic genera with potential antagonistic activity.

SbMYC2 mediates jasmonic acid signaling to improve drought tolerance via directly activating SbGR1 in sorghum.

KEY MESSAGE: SbMYC2 functions as a key regulator under JA signaling in enhancing drought tolerance of sorghum through direct activating SbGR1. Drought stress is one of the major threats to crop yield. In response to drought stress, functions of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) have been reported in Arabidopsis and rice, but little is known for sorghum. Here, we characterized the function of SbMYC2, a bHLH TF in sorghum, and found that SbMYC2 responded most significantly to PEG-simulated drought stress and JA treatments. Overexpression of SbMYC2 significantly enhanced drought tolerance in Arabidopsis, rice and sorghum. In addition, it reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and increased chlorophyll content in sorghum leaves. While silencing SbMYC2 by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) resulted in compromised drought tolerance of sorghum seedlings. Moreover, SbMYC2 can directly activate the expression of GLUTATHIONE-DISULFIDE REDUCTASE gene SbGR1. SbGR1 silencing led to significantly weakened drought tolerance of sorghum, and higher ROS accumulation and lower chlorophyll content in sorghum leaves were detected. In addition, SbMYC2 can interact with SbJAZs, suppressors of JA signaling, and thus can mediate JA signaling to activate SbGR1, thereby regulating sorghum's tolerance to drought stress. Overall, our findings demonstrate that bHLH TF SbMYC2 plays an important role in sorghum's response to drought stress, thus providing one theoretical basis for genetic enhancement of sorghum and even rice.

CEAC (oral semustine, etoposide, cytarabine and cyclophosphamide) vs BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan) conditioning regimen of autologous stem cell transplantation for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a post-hoc, propensity score-matched, cohort study in Chinese patients.

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a salvage therapy for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We have developed a novel conditioning regimen called CEAC (oral semustine 250 mg/m2 d-6, etoposide 300 mg/m2 d-5 ~ d-2, cytarabine 500 mg/m2 d-5 ~ d-2, and cyclophosphamide 1200 mg/m2 d-5 ~ d-2) In lymphoma patients in China. Here, we conducted a study to compare the conventional BEAM regimen with the CEAC regimen in 110 DLBCL patients. Propensity-score matching was performed in a 1:4 ratio (22 patients received BEAM and 88 received CEAC). Our results showed no significant difference in the overall response rate (95% vs 97%, P = 1.000) and complete response rate (66% vs 73%, P = 0.580) between the two cohorts. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS), 5-year overall survival (OS), and 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) for all patients were 72% (95% CI 62%-82%), 92% (95% CI 86%-97%), and 29% (95% CI 17%-38%), respectively. There was no significant difference in the 5-year PFS (80% vs 70%, P = 0.637), 5-year OS (95% vs 91%, P = 0.496), and 5-year CIR (20% vs 30%, P = 0.733) between cohorts. In terms of safety, the CEAC cohort had a lower incidence rate of grade 1-2 gastrointestinal hemorrhage (P = 0.023) and severe nausea (P = 0.007) compared with the BEAM cohort. In conclusion, the CEAC regimen seems to be a suitable alternative to the BEAM regimen for ASCT in DLBCL patients.

Plasma Fibronectin as a Novel Predictor of Coronary Heart Disease: A Retrospective Study.

Although fibronectin has been associated with the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, little is currently known about the relationship between plasma fibronectin and coronary heart disease (CHD). This retrospective study aimed to determine the predictive value of plasma fibronectin for CHD and its severity. A total of 1644 consecutive patients who underwent selective coronary angiography were recruited into the present study. The characteristics and results of the clinical examination of all patients were collected. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the predictive value of plasma fibronectin for the presence and severity of CHD. Compared with non-CHD patients, the CHD patients showed significantly higher plasma levels of troponin I and creatine kinase isoenzyme, along with lower plasma levels of fibronectin. However, no significant differences were detected in plasma fibronectin among patients with different grades of CHD. The logistic regression model showed that plasma fibronectin remained an independent predictor of CHD after adjustment with a 1.39-fold increased risk for every 1 SD decrease in plasma fibronectin. Nevertheless, plasma fibronectin could not predict the severity of CHD determined by the number of stenosed vessels and the modified Gensini score. This study demonstrated that lower plasma fibronectin might be an independent predictor of CHD, but it may be of no value in predicting the severity of CHD.

Triple-transgenic soybean in conjunction with glyphosate drive patterns in the rhizosphere microbial community assembly.

Plant roots continuously influence the rhizosphere, which also serves as a recruitment site for microorganisms with desirable functions. The development of genetically engineered (GE) crop varieties has offered unparalleled yield advantages. However, in-depth research on the effects of GE crops on the rhizosphere microbiome is currently insufficient. We used a triple-transgenic soybean cultivar (JD606) that is resistant to insects, glyphosate, and drought, along with its control, ZP661, and JD606 treated with glyphosate (JD606G). Using 16S and ITS rDNA sequencing, their effects on the taxonomy and function of the bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere, surrounding, and bulk soil compartment niches were determined. Alpha diversity demonstrated a strong influence of JD606 and JD606G on bacterial Shannon diversity. Both treatments significantly altered the soil's pH and nitrogen content. Beta diversity identified the soil compartment niche as a key factor with a significant probability of influencing the bacterial and fungal communities associated with soybeans. Further analysis showed that the rhizosphere effect had a considerable impact on bacterial communities in JD606 and JD606G soils but not on fungal communities. Microbacterium, Bradyrhizobium, and Chryseobacterium were found as key rhizobacterial nodes. In addition, the LEfSe analysis identified biomarker taxa with plant-beneficial attributes, demonstrating rhizosphere-driven microbial recruitment. FUNGuild, Bugbase, and FAPROTAX functional predictions showed that ZP661 soils had more plant pathogen-associated microbes, while JD606 and JD606G soils had more stress-tolerance, nitrogen, and carbon cycle-related microbes. Bacterial rhizosphere networks had more intricate topologies than fungal networks. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed that the bacteria and fungi with higher abundances exhibited varying degrees of positive and negative correlations. Our findings shed new light on the niche partitioning of bacterial and fungal communities in soil. It also indicates that following triple-transgenic soybean cultivation and glyphosate application, plant roots recruit microbes with beneficial taxonomic and functional traits in the rhizosphere.

Genome-Wide Comparison and Functional Characterization of HMGR Gene Family Associated with Shikonin Biosynthesis in Lithospermum erythrorhizon.

3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR), as the rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, is essential for the biosynthesis of shikonin in Lithospermum erythrorhizon. However, in the absence of sufficient data, the principles of a genome-wide in-depth evolutionary exploration of HMGR family members in plants, as well as key members related to shikonin biosynthesis, remain unidentified. In this study, 124 HMGRs were identified and characterized from 36 representative plants, including L. erythrorhizon. Vascular plants were found to have more HMGR family genes than nonvascular plants. The phylogenetic tree revealed that during lineage and species diversification, the HMGRs evolved independently and intronless LerHMGRs emerged from multi-intron HMGR in land plants. Among them, Pinus tabuliformis and L. erythrorhizon had the most HMGR gene duplications, with 11 LerHMGRs most likely expanded through WGD/segmental and tandem duplications. In seedling roots and M9 cultured cells/hairy roots, where shikonin biosynthesis occurs, LerHMGR1 and LerHMGR2 were expressed significantly more than other genes. The enzymatic activities of LerHMGR1 and LerHMGR2 further supported their roles in catalyzing the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate. Our findings provide insight into the molecular evolutionary properties and function of the HMGR family in plants and a basis for the genetic improvement of efficiently produced secondary metabolites in L. erythrorhizon.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel modified dual-target shikonin derivatives for colorectal cancer treatment.

Warburg effect provides energy and material essential for tumor proliferation, the reverse of Warburg effect provides insights into the development of a novel anti-cancer strategy. Pyruvate kinase 2 (PKM2) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) are two key enzymes in tumor glucose metabolism pathway that not only contribute to the Warburg effect through accelerating aerobic glycolysis, but also serve as druggable target for colorectal cancer (CRC). Considering that targeting PKM2 or PDK1 alone does not seem to be sufficient to remodel abnormal glucose metabolism and achieve significant antitumor activity, a series of novel benzenesulfonyl shikonin derivatives were designed to regulate PKM2 and PDK1 simultaneously. By means of molecular docking and antiproliferative screen, we found that compound Z10 could act as the combination of PKM2 activator and PDK1 inhibitor, thereby significantly inhibited glycolysis that reshaping tumor metabolism. Moreover, Z10 could inhibit proliferation, migration and induce apoptosis in CRC cell HCT-8. Finally, the in vivo anti-tumor activity of Z10 was evaluated in a colorectal cancer cell xenograft model in nude mice and the results demonstrated that Z10 induced tumor cell apoptosis and inhibited tumor cell proliferation with lower toxicity than shikonin. Our findings indicated that it is feasible to alter tumor energy metabolism through multi-target synergies, and the dual-target benzenesulfonyl shikonin derivative Z10 could be a potential anti-CRC agent.

Mycorrhizae Enhance Soybean Plant Growth and Aluminum Stress Tolerance by Shaping the Microbiome Assembly in an Acidic Soil.

Strongly acidic soils are characterized by high aluminum (Al) toxicity and low phosphorus (P) availability, which suppress legume plant growth and nodule development. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) stimulate rhizobia and enhance plant P uptake. However, it is unclear how this symbiotic soybean-AMF-rhizobial trio promotes soybean growth in acidic soils. We examined the effects of AMF and rhizobium addition on the growth of two soybean genotypes, namely, Al-tolerant and Al-sensitive soybeans as well as their associated bacterial and fungal communities in an acidic soil. With and without rhizobial addition, AMF significantly increased the fresh shoot and root biomass of Al-tolerant soybean by 47%/87% and 37%/24%, respectively. This increase in plant biomass corresponded to the enrichment of four plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the rhizospheric soil, namely, Chitinophagaceae bacterium 4GSH07, Paraburkholderia soli, Sinomonas atrocyanea, and Aquincola tertiaricarbonis. For Al-sensitive soybean, AMF addition increased the fresh shoot and root biomass by 112%/64% and 30%/217%, respectively, with/without rhizobial addition. Interestingly, this significant increase coincided with a decrease in the pathogenic fungus Nigrospora oryzae as well as an increase in S. atrocyanea, A. tertiaricarbonis, and Talaromyces verruculosus (a P-solubilizing fungus) in the rhizospheric soil. Lastly, the compartment niche along the soil-plant continuum shaped microbiome assembly, with pathogenic/saprotrophic microbes accumulating in the rhizospheric soil and PGPR related to nitrogen fixation or stress resistance (e.g., Rhizobium leguminosarum and Sphingomonas azotifigens) accumulating in the endospheric layer. IMPORTANCE Taken together, this study examined the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobial combinations on the growth of Al-tolerant and Al-sensitive soybeans as well as their associated microbial communities in acidic soils and concluded that AMF enhances soybean growth and Al stress tolerance by recruiting PGPR and altering the root-associated microbiome assembly in a host-dependent manner. In the future, these findings will help us better understand the impacts of AMF on rhizosphere microbiome assembly and will contribute to the development of soybean breeding techniques for the comprehensive use of PGPR in sustainable agriculture.

SbNAC9 Improves Drought Tolerance by Enhancing Scavenging Ability of Reactive Oxygen Species and Activating Stress-Responsive Genes of Sorghum.

Drought stress severely threatens the yield of cereal crops. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanism of drought stress response of plants is crucial for developing drought-tolerant cultivars. NAC transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in abiotic stress of plants, but the functions of NAC TFs in sorghum are largely unknown. Here, we characterized a sorghum NAC gene, SbNAC9, and found that SbNAC9 can be highly induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG)-simulated dehydration treatments. We therefore investigated the function of SbNAC9 in drought stress response. Sorghum seedlings overexpressing SbNAC9 showed enhanced drought-stress tolerance with higher chlorophyll content and photochemical efficiency of PSII, stronger root systems, and higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capability than wild-type. In contrast, sorghum seedlings with silenced SbNAC9 by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) showed weakened drought stress tolerance. Furthermore, SbNAC9 can directly activate a putative peroxidase gene SbC5YQ75 and a putative ABA biosynthesis gene SbNCED3. Silencing SbC5YQ75 and SbNCED3 led to compromised drought tolerance and reduced ABA content of sorghum seedlings, respectively. Therefore, our findings revealed the important role of SbNAC9 in response to drought stress in sorghum and may shed light on genetic improvement of other crop species under drought-stress conditions.

PKM2/PDK1 dual-targeted shikonin derivatives restore the sensitivity of EGFR-mutated NSCLC cells to gefitinib by remodeling glucose metabolism.

Pyruvate kinase 2 (PKM2) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) are two key enzymes in tumor glucose metabolism pathway that not only promote tumor growth and proliferation through accelerating aerobic glycolysis, but also contribute to drug resistance of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Considering that targeting PKM2 or PDK1 alone seems insufficient to remodel abnormal glucose metabolism to achieve significant antitumor activity, we proposed a "two-step approach" that regulates PKM2 and PDK1 synchronously. Firstly, we found that the combination of ML265 (PKM2 activator) and AZD7545 (PDK1 inhibitor) could synergistically inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in H1299 cells. Base on this, we designed a series of novel shikonin (SK) thioether derivatives as PKM2/PDK1 dual-target agents, among which the most potent compound E5 featuring a 2-methyl substitution on the benzene ring exerted significantly increased inhibitory activity toward EGFR mutant NSCLC cell H1975 (IC50 = 1.51 µmol/L), which was 3 and 17-fold more active than the lead compound SK (IC50 = 4.56 µmol/L) and the positive control gefitinib (IC50 = 25.56 µmol/L), respectively. Additionally, E5 also showed good anti-tumor activity in xenografted mouse models, with significantly lower toxicity side effects than SK. Moreover, E5 also inhibited the entry of PKM2 into nucleus to regulate the transcriptional activation of oncogenes, thus restoring the sensitivity of H1975 cell to gefitinib. Collectively, these data demonstrate that E5, a dual inhibitor of PKM2/PDK1, may be a promising adjunct to gefitinib in the treatment of EGFR-TKIs resistant NSCLC, deserving further investigation.

Discrepancies in rhizobacterial assembly caused by glyphosate application and herbicide-tolerant soybean Co-expressing GAT and EPSPS.

There are concerns that the innovation of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) plants, as well as the application of herbicide to such GMHT plants, could have an impact on ecological interactions and unintentionally harm non-targeted organisms. Consequently, we intend to use full-length 16 S rDNA amplicon sequencing to examine changes in the bacterial community in the rhizosphere of GMHT soybean (Z106) harboring 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase and Glyphosate N-acetyltransferase genes and GMHT soybean treated with glyphosate (Z106G). Glyphosate application significantly impacted bacterial alpha diversity (species richness, and Shannon diversity). Permutational multivariate analysis of variance of beta diversity demonstrated that soil compartments and growth stages had a substantial impact on soybean rhizobacterial communities (soil compartments, growth stages, P = 0.001). Community composition revealed that Z106G soils were abundant in Taibaiella and Arthrobacter pascens at maturity, while Chryseobacterium joostei and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia predominated in Z106 soils during flowering. Nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing microbes were found in higher proportions in the rhizosphere than in bulk soil, with Sinorhizobium being more abundant in Z106 and Bacillus and Stenotrophomonas being more prevalent in Z106G rhizosphere soils. Collectively, our findings suggest glyphosate application and glyphosate-tolerant soybean as potential regulators of soybean rhizobacterial composition.

Re-induction therapy in patients with acute myeloid leukemia not in complete remission after the first course of treatment.

A standard salvage regimen for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are not in complete remission (CR) after initial induction therapy does not exist. We retrospectively investigated re-induction therapy for 151 patients with AML who did not achieve CR after the initial course between January 2014 and March 2021. The re-induction regimen did not correlate with the CR rate after the second course, whereas patients had similar 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) based on different re-induction regimens. Multivariable analysis revealed that International European Leukaemia Net (ELN) risk stratification independently predicted both OS and EFS among patients not in CR after the first course, although the re-induction regimen did not predict prognosis. Urgent salvage alloHSCT may improve the prognosis of patients with refractory AML. In summary, our study showed that the re-induction regimen did not significantly predict the prognosis of patients with AML not in CR after the first course of treatment. The development and selection of an efficient treatment algorithm for the treatment of AML remains a pressing research challenge.

Ethylene-responsive SbWRKY50 suppresses leaf senescence by inhibition of chlorophyll degradation in sorghum.

The onset of leaf de-greening and senescence is governed by a complex regulatory network including environmental cues and internal factors such as transcription factors (TFs) and phytohormones, in which ethylene (ET) is one key inducer. However, the detailed mechanism of ET signalling for senescence regulation is still largely unknown. Here, we found that the WRKY TF SbWRKY50 from Sorghum bicolor L., a direct target of the key component ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3 in ET signalling, functioned for leaf senescence repression. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein9-edited SbWRKY50 mutant (SbWRKY5O-KO) of sorghum displayed precocious senescent phenotypes, while SbWRKY50 overexpression delayed age-dependent and dark-induced senescence in sorghum. SbWRKY50 negatively regulated chlorophyll degradation through direct binding to the promoters of several chlorophyll catabolic genes. In addition, SbWRKY50 recruited the Polycomb repressive complex 1 through direct interaction with SbBMI1A, to induce histone 2A mono-ubiquitination accumulation on the chlorophyll catabolic genes for epigenetic silencing and thus delayed leaf senescence. Especially, SbWRKY50 can suppress early steps of chlorophyll catabolic pathway via directly repressing SbNYC1 (NON-YELLOW COLORING 1). Other senescence-related hormones could also influence leaf senescence through repression of SbWRKY50. Hence, our work shows that SbWRKY50 is an essential regulator downstream of ET and SbWRKY50 also responds to other phytohormones for senescence regulation in sorghum.

Phosphorylation of CaMK and CREB-Mediated Cardiac Aldosterone Synthesis Induced by Arginine Vasopressin in Rats with Myocardial Infarction.

Both aldosterone and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are produced in the heart and may participate in cardiac fibrosis. However, their relationship remains unknown. This study aims to demonstrate the regulation and role of AVP in aldosterone synthesis in the heart. Rats were subjected to a sham operation or myocardial infarction (MI) by ligating the coronary artery. Cardiac function and fibrosis were assessed using echocardiography and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. In addition, the effects of AVP stimulation on cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) were studied using ELISA, real-time PCR, and Western blotting. Compared with the rats having undergone a sham operation, the MI rats had an increased LVMI, type I collagen composition, and concentrations of aldosterone and AVP in the heart but decreased cardiac function. As the MI rats aged, the LVMI, type I collagen, aldosterone, and AVP increased, while the LVMI decreased. Furthermore, AVP time-dependently induced aldosterone secretion and CYP11B2 mRNA expression in CMECs. The p-CREB levels were significantly increased by AVP. Nevertheless, these effects were completely blocked by SR49059 or partially inhibited by KN93. This study demonstrated that AVP could induce the secretion of local cardiac aldosterone, which may involve CaMK and CREB phosphorylation and CYP11B2 upregulation through V1 receptor activation.

Root-associated fungal microbiota of the perennial sweet sorghum cultivar under field growth.

Root-associated fungal microbiota, which inhabit the rhizosphere, rhizoplane and endosphere, have a profound impact on plant growth and development. Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, also called broomcorn or sweet sorghum, is a multipurpose crop. The comparison between annual and perennial sweet sorghum cultivars in terms of plant growth, as well as their interactions with belowground fungal microbiota, is still poorly understood, although there has been growing interest in the mutualism between annual sweet sorghum and soil bacteria or bacterial endophytes. In this study, the perennial sweet sorghum cultivar N778 (N778 simply) and its control lines TP213 and TP60 were designed to grow under natural field conditions. Bulk soil, rhizosphere soil and sorghum roots were collected at the blooming and maturity stages, and then the fungal microbiota of those samples were characterized by high-throughput sequencing of the fungal ITS1 amplicon. Our results revealed that the alpha diversity of the fungal microbiota in rhizosphere soil and root samples was significantly different between N778 and the two control lines TP213 and TP60 at the blooming or maturity stage. Moreover, beta diversity in rhizosphere soil of N778 was distinct from those of TP213 and TP60, while beta diversity in root samples of N778 was distinct from those of TP213 but not TP60 by PCoA based on Bray-Curtis and WUF distance metrics. Furthermore, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and multiple group comparisons revealed that OTU4372, a completely unclassified taxon but with symbiotroph mode, was enriched in sorghum roots, especially in N778 aerial roots at the blooming stage. Our results indicate that Cladosporium and Alternaria, two fungal genera in the rhizosphere soil, may also be dominant indicators of sorghum yield and protein content in addition to Fusarium at the maturity stage and imply that the perennial sweet sorghum N778 can primarily recruit dominant psychrotolerant bacterial taxa but not dominant cold-tolerant fungal taxa into its rhizosphere to support its survival below the freezing point.

The host niches of soybean rather than genetic modification or glyphosate application drive the assembly of root-associated microbial communities.

Plant roots significantly influence soil microbial diversity, and soil microorganisms play significant roles in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. Although the genetically modified (GM) crops with enhanced insect and herbicide resistance are thought to have unmatched yield and stress resistance advantages, thorough and in-depth case studies still need to be carried out in a real-world setting due to the potential effects of GM plants on soil microbial communities. In this study, three treatments were used: a recipient soybean variety Jack, a triple transgenic soybean line JD321, and the glyphosate-treated JD321 (JD321G). Three sampling stages (flowering, seed filling and maturing), as well as three host niches of soybean rhizosphere [intact roots (RT), rhizospheric soil (RS) and surrounding soil (SS)] were established. In comparison to Jack, the rhizospheric soil of JD321G had higher urease activity and lower nitrite reductase at the flowering stage. Different treatments and different sampling stages existed no significant effects on the compositions of microbial communities at different taxonomic levels. However, at the genus level, the relative abundance of three plant growth-promoting fungal genera (i.e. Mortierella, Chaetomium and Pseudombrophila) increased while endophytic bacteria Chryseobacterium and pathogenic bacteria Streptomyces decreased from the inside to the outside of the roots (i.e. RT → RS → SS). Moreover, two bacterial genera, Bradyrhizobium and Ensifer were more abundant in RT than in RS and SS, as well as three species, Agrobacterium radiobacter, Ensifer fredii and Ensifer meliloti, which are closely related to nitrogen-fixation. Furthermore, five clusters of orthologous groups (COGs) associated to nitrogen-fixation genes were higher in RT than in RS, whereas only one COG annotated as dinitrogenase iron-molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis protein was lower. Overall, the results imply that the rhizosphere host niches throughout the soil-plant continuum largely control the composition and function of the root-associated microbiome of triple transgenic soybean.

Novel shikonin derivatives suppress cell proliferation, migration and induce apoptosis in human triple-negative breast cancer cells via regulating PDK1/PDHC axis.

AIMS: PDK1 is one of the key enzymes in the glucose metabolism pathway, which is abnormally high expressed in breast cancer tissues and can promote tumor proliferation and metastasis. PDK1 and the PDHC/PDK axis are important targets for regulating glucose metabolism and anti-tumor activity. In this study, we evaluated the anti-tumor activities of a series of semi-synthesized shikonin (SK) derivatives against human breast cancer cells. MAIN METHODS: The anti-proliferation activity of SK derivatives against human breast cancer cell lines was tested by CCK-8 and EdU assay. Flow cytometry was utilized to evaluate cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species and cell cycle distribution. Cell migration ability was determined by wound healing and trans-well assay. PDK1 targeting effect was confirmed by western bolting, molecular docking, bio-layer interferometry and PDK1 enzyme activity assay. Nude-mouse transplanted tumor model was used to evaluate their anti-tumor effect in vivo. KEY FINDINGS: Findings revealed that SK derivatives had good anti-proliferation ability against MDA-MB-231 cell. They induced cell apoptosis by regulating the mitochondrial apoptosis and death receptor pathway. They also inhibited cell migration by suppressing EMT progression. Molecular docking, PDK1 affinity and enzyme activity demonstrated their PDK1 targeting. In vivo antitumor experiment showed that E2 could significantly inhibit tumor growth with lower side-effect on mice than SK. SIGNIFICANCE: In conclusion, the novel SK derivatives E2 and E5 inhibited tumor glycolysis by targeting PDK1 and ultimately induced apoptosis. Our data demonstrated that E2 would be a good lead compound for the treatment of human TNBC as a novel PDK1 inhibitor.

Differential assembly of root-associated bacterial and fungal communities of a dual transgenic insect-resistant maize line at different host niches and different growth stages.

Transgenic technology has been widely applied to crop development, with genetically modified (GM) maize being the world's second-largest GM crop. Despite the fact that rhizosphere bacterial and fungal populations are critical regulators of plant performance, few studies have evaluated the influence of GM maize on these communities. Plant materials used in this study included the control maize line B73 and the mcry1Ab and mcry2Ab dual transgenic insect-resistant maize line 2A-7. The plants and soils samples were sampled at three growth stages (jointing, flowering, and maturing stages), and the sampling compartments from the outside to the inside of the root are surrounding soil (SS), rhizospheric soil (RS), and intact root (RT), respectively. In this study, the results of alpha diversity revealed that from the outside to the inside of the root, the community richness and diversity declined while community coverage increased. Morever, the different host niches of maize rhizosphere and maize development stages influenced beta diversity according to statistical analysis. The GM maize line 2A-7 had no significant influence on the composition of microbial communities when compared to B73. Compared to RS and SS, the host niche RT tended to deplete Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes and Mortierellomycota at phylum level. Nitrogen-fixation bacteria Pseudomonas, Herbaspirillum huttiense, Rhizobium leguminosarum, and Sphingomonas azotifigens were found to be enriched in the niche RT in comparison to RS and SS, whilst Bacillus was found to be increased and Stenotrophomonas was found to be decreased at the maturing stage as compared to jointing and flowering stages. The nitrogen fixation protein FixH (clusters of orthologous groups, COG5456), was found to be abundant in RT. Furthermore, the pathogen fungus that causes maize stalk rot, Gaeumannomyces radicicola, was found to be abundant in RT, while the beneficial fungus Mortierella hyalina was found to be depleted in RT. Lastly, the abundance of G. radicicola gradually increased during the development of maize. In conclusion, the host niches throughout the soil-plant continuum rather than the Bt insect-resistant gene or Bt protein secretion were primarily responsible for the differential assembly of root-associated microbial communities in GM maize, which provides the theoretical basis for ecological agriculture.

Natural shikonin and acetyl-shikonin improve intestinal microbial and protein composition to alleviate colitis-associated colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are the most common diseases of human digestive system. Nowadays, the influence of the inflammatory microenvironment on tumorigenesis has become a new direction, and the exploration of relative molecular mechanism will facilitate the discovery and identification of novel potential anti-cancer molecules. METHODS: Natural shikonin (SK) and acetyl-shikonin (acetyl-SK) was administered to azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) mice model by gavage to investigate their therapeutic effects. Moreover, fresh feces and colon tissues were collected for determining the function of SK and acetyl-SK on the gut microbes and protein expression, respectively. RESULTS: Both SK and acetyl-SK decreased AOM/DSS-induced CAC, and regulated the intestinal flora structure in CAC mouse model. They, especially SK, improved species richness, evenness and diversity of intestinal flora, recovered the upregulated ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidota (F/B ratio) which symbolizes gut microbiota dysbiosis. SK and its derivative increased the beneficial bacteria g__norank_f__Muribaculaceae, Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_Group, and reduced those harmful ones including Ileibacterium and Coriobacteriaceae UCG-002. Notably, AOM/DSS caused significant increase in the abundance of Ileibaterium valens and g__norank_f__norank_o__Clostridia_UCG-014, which were not previously reported in studies of colonic inflammation or cancer, and the disorder was reversed by 20 mg/kg of SK. In our current study, the action of SK and acetyl-SK is dose-dependent, and 20 mg/kg SK exhibited the most effective functions, even better than the positive drug mesalazine. Moreover, differential proteomics and ELISA results showed that SK could recover the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines (including IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α), the upregulation of pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2 (PKM2) and some other proteins (mainly concentrated in transcriptional mis-regulation in cancer and IL-17 signaling pathways), and the downregulation of Aldh1b1-Acc3-Maoa and Μgt2b34-Aldh1a1-Aldh1a7 involved in Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our study identified SK and acetyl-SK, especially SK, as potential preventive agents for CAC through regulating both gut microbes and pathways involved in inflammation and cancer such as Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Effect of Transdermal Fentanyl Patch Combined with Enhanced Recovery after Surgery on the Curative Effect and Analgesic Effect of Liver Cancer.

Its goal was to see how a transdermal fentanyl patch combined with accelerated recovery after surgery (ERAS) affected the treatment efficacy and analgesic effect of liver cancer, as well as to help patients with liver cancer choose the right analgesic treatment and nursing mode. 150 patients with liver cancer were divided into group A (transdermal fentanyl patch), group B (ERAS), and group C (transdermal fentanyl patch combined with ERAS). Patients in the three groups were compared in terms of pain, survival, psychological status, adverse responses, postoperative recovery, and patient satisfaction. The results showed that under different treatment and nursing methods, the number of patients with mild cancer pain in the three groups was increased, especially the number of patients with mild cancer pain in group C (P < 0.05). Besides, the quality of life score of patients in each group was decreased. Patients who received the combination analgesia had a significantly higher quality of life than those who received simply a transdermal fentanyl patch or ERAS (P < 0.05). The scores of both the Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) of patients with the combined analgesia were decreased signally (P < 0.05). There were few patients with combined analgesia who had adverse reactions (P < 0.05). After surgery, the time of the first anal exhaust, first defecation, and first ambulation in group C were shorter than those in the other two groups (P < 0.05). To summarize, combining the two techniques aided in the recovery of gastrointestinal function as well as the physical recovery of patients following surgery. Furthermore, combining the two approaches produced a clear analgesic impact, which could improve patients' quality of life while also having a favorable clinical adoption effect.