Transcriptome-Based Identification of the SaR2R3-MYB Gene Family in Sophora alopecuroides and Function Analysis of SaR2R3-MYB15 in Salt Stress Tolerance.

As one of the most prominent gene families, R2R3-MYB transcription factors significantly regulate biochemical and physiological processes under salt stress. However, in Sophora alopecuroides, a perennial herb known for its exceptional saline alkali resistance, the comprehensive identification and characterization of SaR2R3-MYB genes and their potential functions in response to salt stress have yet to be determined. We investigated the expression profiles and biological functions of SaR2R3-MYB transcription factors in response to salt stress, utilizing a transcriptome-wide mining method. Our analysis identified 28 SaR2R3-MYB transcription factors, all sharing a highly conserved R2R3 domain, which were further divided into 28 subgroups through phylogenetic analysis. Some SaR2R3-MYB transcription factors showed induction under salt stress, with SaR2R3-MYB15 emerging as a potential regulator based on analysis of the protein-protein interaction network. Validation revealed the transcriptional activity and nuclear localization of SaR2R3-MYB15. Remarkably, overexpression of SaR2R3-MYB15 in transgenic plants could increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the accumulation of proline but decrease the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), compared with wild-type plants. Moreover, several salt stress-related genes showed higher expression levels in transgenic plants, implying their potential to enhance salt tolerance. Our findings shed light on the role of SaR2R3-MYB genes in salt tolerance in S. alopecuroides.

Self-assembly of Copper Nanoclusters Using DNA Nanoribbon Templates for Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of H2O2 in Live Cells.

The excessive secretion of H2O2 within cells is closely associated with cellular dysfunction. Therefore, high sensitivity in situ detection of H2O2 released from living cells was valuable in clinical diagnosis. In the present work, a novel electrochemical cells sensing platform by synthesizing copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) at room temperature based on DNA nanoribbon (DNR) as a template (DNR-CuNCs). The tight and ordered arrangement of nanostructured assemblies of DNR-CuNCs conferred the sensor with superior stability (45 days) and electrochemical performance. The MUC1 aptamer extending from the DNR template enabled the direct capture MCF-7 cells on electrode surface, this facilitated real-time monitoring of H2O2 release from stimulated MCF-7 cells. While the captured MCF-7 cells on the electrode surface significantly amplified the current signal of H2O2 release compared with the traditional electrochemical detection H2O2 released signal by MCF-7 cells in PBS solution. The approach provides an effective strategy for the design of versatile sensors and achieving monitored cell release of H2O2 in long time horizon (10 h). Thereby expanding the possibilities for detecting biomolecules from live cells in clinical diagnosis and biomedical applications.

Sensitive sensing platform based on Co, Mo doped electrospun nanofibers for simultaneous electrochemical detection of dopamine and uric acid.

Abnormal levels of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA) in the human body are valuable indicators for monitoring human health, as they are associated with certain diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to develop sensitive and simultaneous analytical techniques for DA and UA in diagnosing the related diseases. Herein, the Co- and Mo- doped carbon nanofibers (Co, Mo@CNFs) electrochemical biosensor was developed successfully for the sensitive and accurate simultaneous detection of DA and UA. A straightforward electrospinning technique followed by a carbonization process was employed for the synthesis of Co, Mo@CNFs, and the encapsulation of Co and Mo within CNFs served to not only prevent nanoparticle agglomeration, thus providing more active sites, but also to facilitate rapid electron transfer. By incorporating Co and Mo into CNFs, the electrocatalytic activity of the modified electrode was greatly improved due to the beneficial conductivity and synergistic effects of transition metals. This enhancement effectively addressed issues such as the overlapping anodic peaks that occur when DA and UA are oxidized concurrently. Due to the mentioned synergistic contributions, the modified Co, Mo@CNFs electrode (Co, Mo@CNFs/GCE) achieved remarkable sensitivity for the simultaneous detection of DA and UA, while also exhibiting strong anti-interference ability. The detection limits for DA and UA were 2.35 nmol L-1 and 0.16 µmol L-1, respectively. We applied the developed Co, Mo@CNFs/GCE electrochemical biosensor to detect DA and UA in 50-fold diluted serum and urine samples. The results affirm the biosensor's reliability and precision. Moreover, the developed Co, Mo@CNFs/GCE biosensor demonstrated excellent performance in simultaneously detecting DA and UA, providing an efficient and dependable detection approach for clinical diagnosis and bioanalysis.

Anaerobic granular sludge performance in an expanded granular sludge bed reactor treating calcium-rich wastewater by adjusting CaCO3 crystallization: Effect of upflow velocity and Ca2+ concentration.

The role of upflow velocity and Ca2+ concentration in controlling the type and rate of CaCO3 crystallization and their impacts on the anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) formation and performance in an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor were studied. The results showed that an improved upflow velocity could promote metastable CaCO3 crystals and achieve the optimized portion of vaterite with a value of 84 % at 10 m/h with a small amount of aragonite, thus limiting the scaling in the reactor. The removal efficiency of Ca2+ was to some extent positively correlated to the influent Ca2+ concentration, but declined when Ca2+ exceeded a specific threshold. Vaterite was dominant with the increase of Ca2+ concentrations of the influent. Compared with granules in R1 (Ca2+ 10 mg/L) and R2 (Ca2+ 100 mg/L), granules cultivated in R3 (Ca2+ 800 mg/L) revealed maximum amount of biomass with biggest particle size distribution and fastest average settling rate, with relative stable COD removal efficiency and the fast optimized reactor capacity at OLR of 16 kgCOD/m3d. A low upflow velocity and a higher Ca2+ concentration promoted nucleus formation and granules growth at the initial cultivation stage of the EGSB reactor. The Ca2+ concentration had a significant impact on the bacterial community and favoured the growth of Tolumonas and Anaeromousa Anaeroarcus. Archaea, rather than bacteria, was strengthened to contribute more to methane production at a relatively high Ca2+ concentration.

Intracellular pools of FcalphaR (CD89) in human neutrophils are localized in tertiary granules and secretory vesicles, and two FcalphaR isoforms are found in tertiary granules.

The human FcalphaRIota (CD89) is expressed on cells of myeloid lineage and plays an important role in host defense. Neutrophils make up the majority of FcalphaRIota-positive cells. Previous reports suggested that FcalphaR was stored in neutrophil intracellular pools, and it could be mobilized quickly once neutrophils were activated. However, the subcellular localization of FcalphaR in neutrophils has not been defined yet. In this study, we identified that FcalphaR was stored in secretory vesicles and tertiary granules of neutrophils by flow cytometry analysis, ELISA, confocal microscopy, and Western blotting. The molecular mass of FcalphaR in secretory vesicles was different from that in tertiary granules. FcalphaR stored in tertiary granules had a molecular mass of 50-70 kDa, whereas FcalphaR in secretory vesicles and membranes had a molecular mass of 55-75 kDa. After treatment by peptide-N-glycosidase F, an enzyme that removes N-glycosylation, FcalphaR from secretory vesicles and tertiary granules revealed a core protein of 32 kDa, which was the same as the backbone of full length of FcalphaR. A smaller FcalphaR variant with a core protein of 29-30 kDa was found in tertiary granules but not in secretory vesicles. The nature of the small variant is not clear at present and remains to be investigated further.