Ruixingdingia sedimenti gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel taxon within the family Paracoccaceae isolated from sediment of Qiantang River.

A Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated LG-4T, was isolated from sediment of Qiantang River in Zhejiang Province, PR China. Cells were strictly aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-motile and short-rod-shaped (1.0-1.2 µm long and 0.7-0.8 µm wide). Growth occurred at 15-42 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 5.0-9.0 (pH 7.0) and at 0-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0.5 % NaCl). Strain LG-4T showed 95.75-96.90 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to various type strains of the genera Tabrizicola, Pseudotabrizicola, Phaeovulum, Rhodobacter and Wagnerdoeblera of the family Paracoccaceae, and the most closely related strain was Tabrizicola soli ZQBWT (96.90 % similarity). The phylogenomic tree showed that strain LG-4T clustered in the family Paracoccaceae and was positioned outside of the clade composed of the genera Wagnerdoeblera and Falsigemmobacter. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain LG-4T and the related type strains were in the range of 74.19-77.56 % and 16.70-25.80 %, respectively. The average amino acid identity (AAI) values between strain LG-4T and related type strains of the family Paracoccaceae were 60.94-69.73 %, which are below the genus boundary (70 %). The evolutionary distance (ED) values between LG-4T and the related genera of the family Paracoccaceae were 0.21-0.34, which are within the recommended standard (≥0.21-0.23) for defining a novel genus in the family Paracoccaceae. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C18 : 1 ω7c, C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c, C18 : 0 and C16 : 0, the isoprenoid quinone was Q-10, and the major polar lipids were phospholipid, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, aminolipid and two unknown polar lipids. The genome size was 4.7 Mb with 68.6 mol% G+C content. On the basis of distinct phylogenetic relationships, low AAI values and high ED values, and differential phenotypic, physiological and biochemical characteristics, strain LG-4T represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Paracoccaceae, for which the name Ruixingdingia sedimenti gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LG-4T (=MCCC 1K08849T=KCTC 8136T).

Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Hordein-Whey Protein Isolate Complex: Delivery System of Quercetin.

As a lipophilic flavonol, quercetin has low bioavailability, which limits its application in foods. This work aimed to prepare a hordein-based system to deliver quercetin. We constructed hordein-whey isolate protein fibril (WPIF) complexes (H-Ws) by anti-solvent precipitation method at pH 2.5. The TEM results of the complexes showed that spherical-like hordein particles were wrapped in WPIF clusters to form an interconnected network structure. FTIR spectra revealed that hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were the main driving forces for the complex formation. H-W1 (the mass ratio of hordein to WPIF was 1:1) with a three-phase contact angle of 70.2° was chosen to stabilize Pickering emulsions with oil volume fractions (φ) of 40-70%. CLSM images confirmed that the oil droplets were gradually embedded in the three-dimensional network structure of H-W1 with the increase in oil volume fraction. The emulsion with φ = 70% showed a tight gel structure. Furthermore, this emulsion exhibited high encapsulation efficiency (97.8%) and a loading capacity of 0.2%, demonstrating the potential to deliver hydrophobic bioactive substances. Compared with free quercetin, the bioaccessibility of the encapsulated quercetin (35%) was significantly improved. This study effectively promoted the application of hordein-based delivery systems in the food industry.

[Influence and Driving of Environmental Heterogeneity on the Epilithic Diatom Community in Xiangxi River, a Tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area].

Environmental heterogeneity can not only increase species diversity to some extent but also affect the stability of terrestrial communities. However, how environmental heterogeneity affects species diversity of epilithic diatom communities in aquatic ecosystems is rarely reported. In this study, therefore, epilithic diatoms and their roles in driving species diversity were explored by quantifying and comparing the environmental heterogeneity in Xiangxi River, a tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGR), on a time scale. The results showed that environmental heterogeneity, taxonomic ß-diversity, and functional ß-diversity in non-impoundment periods were significantly higher than those in impoundment periods. Moreover, the turnover components in the two hydrological periods showed the highest contribution to ß-diversity. However, the taxonomic α-diversity in impoundment periods was significantly higher than that in non-impoundment periods. In addition, functional richness in functional α-diversity was significantly higher in non-impoundment periods than that in impoundment periods, whereas there was no significant difference in other functional α-diversity, i.e., functional dispersion and functional evenness, found between the two periods. Multiple regression on (dis)similarity matrices (MRM) analysis indicated that ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and silicate (SiO32--Si) were the key environmental heterogeneous factors affecting the epilithic diatom community in Xiangxi River during the non-impoundment periods, whereas the key heterogeneous factors were ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), silicate (SiO32--Si), and total phosphorus (TP) during the impoundment periods. These results suggested that the environmental heterogeneity during different hydrological periods in TGR can significantly affect the community structure of epilithic diatoms, resulting in the differentiation of species within the community and even affecting the stability of aquatic ecosystems.

[Impounding Impacts of the Three Gorges Reservoir on Phytoplankton Function Groups and Its Relationship with Resource Use Efficiency].

In order to investigate the relationship between phytoplankton community functional group compositions and resource use efficiency in important tributaries of the Three Gorges Reservoir, phytoplankton and environment parameters were sampled from five tributaries, the Xiangxi River, Daning River, Meixi River, Pengxi River, and Huangjin River, in August and November, 2020. There were 119 species (variants) belonging to 62 genera and 7 phyla identified in summer, whereas 118 species (variants) belonging to 7 divisions of 58 genera were found in winter. According to Padisak's theory, all phytoplankton were divided into 25 functional groups, of which there were six important functional groups in both summer and winter:L0, H1, D, Y, MP, and P in summer and L0, H1, A, M, MP, and Y in winter. The α-diversity of the phytoplankton functional group in summer was higher than that in winter. Moreover, a higher α-diversity was also found in downstream samples relative to that in upstream samples, indicating that the community structure was more complex, and the community stability was relatively better in downstream regions of the rivers. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that the environment factors, i.e., ν, pH, permanganate index, WT, and RUETN, significantly affected phytoplankton functional groups (P<0.05). Variance partitioning analysis (VPA) indicated that environmental factors had a higher explanatory degree for the change in functional group composition in summer (45.23%); on the contrary, resource use efficiency had a higher explanatory degree in winter (42.33%). The linear fitted model showed that functional groups L0, H1, D, and Y showed a significant positive correlation relationship with RUETN and RUETP in summer, whereas only four functional groups (M, MP, Y, and A) had a linear relationship with RUETP, and all function groups had a good linear relationship with RUETN in winter. These results indicated that the functional groups belonging to cyanobacteria, dinoflagellates, and cryptophyta were more efficient at using limited resources in summer, whereas the diatoms had a good linear relationship with resource use efficiency and formed a dominant group in the low temperature environment of winter. These results suggest that the impounding of the Three Gorges Reservoir area can significantly change the resource use efficiency of phytoplankton, resulting in changes in the phytoplankton functional group composition and community structure.

[Succession Pattern and Consequences of the Dominant Species During Cyanobacterial Bloom and Its Influencing Factors].

The succession of dominant species always occurs during cyanobacterial blooms because there are certain conditions for cyanobacterial blooms formed by different cyanobacteria; this results in more uncertain and complex effects in cyanobacterial blooms. However, the succession pattern and consequences of dominant species and its driving factors have not received enough attention during cyanobacteria blooms. In this study, the phytoplankton community characteristics and water environment factors of Nanpeng Reservoir, a drinking water source in Chongqing, were monitored and analyzed from April to September 2018. The results showed that:① a total of 108 species of phytoplankton belonging to 59 genera and 8 phyla were identified in Nanpeng Reservoir. Of this, 13 species of 4 phyla were identified as dominant species, among which the dominance index of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii was the highest, followed by that of Pseudoanabaena sp. ② The most dominant cyanobacteria were Pseudoanabaena and Cylindrospermopsis in May and July, respectively, in which cyanobacteria density peaked, whereas the Shannon-Weiner diversity and Pielou evenness were significantly lower than those in the other months. ③ NMDS results showed that the correlation between Cylindrospermopsis or Pseudoanabaena and the ambient phytoplankton community was 0.58 and 0.48, respectively. Moreover, the VPA results showed that 47.51% of the community variation could be explained by environmental factors, and only 12.04% and 12.74% of variation in community composition could be explained by Cylindrospermopsis and Pseudoanabaena, respectively. ④ The abundance of Cylindrospermopsis was significantly positively affected by WT, pH, and RUEN and negatively affected by SD and RUEP. However, the abundance of Pseudoanabaena was significantly positively affected by permanganate index and negatively affected by EC and DO. These results suggested that both dominating cyanobacteria had significant effects on the surrounding phytoplankton community. Relative to that of Pseudoanabaena, however, Cylindrospermopsis had a more obvious impact on the aquatic ecosystem. Moreover, the synergistic effect of N limitation and warming of the water column may have caused the replacement of Pseudoanabaena with Cylindrospermopsis to form a dominant population.

Temporal heterogeneity of bacterial communities and their responses to Raphidiopsis raciborskii blooms.

To elucidate the interspecies connectivity between cyanobacteria and other bacteria (noncyanobacteria), microbial diversity and composition were investigated through high-throughput sequencing (HTS) in a drinking water reservoir in Chongqing city, Southwest China, during Raphidiopsis raciborskii blooms. Significant temporal changes were observed in microbial community composition during the sampling period, primarily reflected by variations in relative bacterial abundance. The modularity analysis of the network demonstrated that the bacterial community forms co-occurrence/exclusion patterns in response to variations in environmental factors. Moreover, five modules involved in the dynamic phases of the R. raciborskii bloom were categorized into the Pre-Bloom, Bloom, Post-Bloom, and Non-Bloom Groups. The reservoir was eutrophic (i.e., the average concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were 2.32 and 0.07 mg L-1, respectively) during the investigation; however, Pearson's correlation coefficient showed that R. raciborskii was not significantly correlated with nitrogen and phosphorus. However, other environmental factors, such as water temperature, pH, and the permanganate index, were positively correlated with R. raciborskii. Importantly, Proteobacteria (α-, γ-Proteobacteria), Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Firmicutes were preferentially associated with increased R. raciborskii blooms. These results suggested that the transition of R. raciborskii bloom-related microbial modules and their keystone species could be crucial in the development and collapse of R. raciborskii blooms and could provide a fundamental basis for understanding the linkage between the structure and function of the microbial community during bloom dynamics.

Transcriptomic responses to phosphorus in an invasive cyanobacterium, Raphidiopsis raciborskii: Implications for nutrient management.

Phosphorus (P) is a vital macronutrient associated with the growth and proliferation of Raphidiopsis raciborskii, an invasive and notorious bloom-forming cyanobacterium. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in P acclimation remain largely unexplored for Raphidiopsis raciborskii. Here, transcriptome sequencing of Raphidiopsis raciborskii was conducted to reveal multifaceted mechanisms involved in mimicking dipotassium phosphate (DIP), ß-glycerol phosphate (Gly), 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid (AEP), and P-free conditions (NP). Chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters showed significant differences in the NP and AEP groups compared with the DIP and Gly-groups. Expression levels of genes related to phosphate transportation and uptake, organic P utilization, nitrogen metabolism, urea cycling, carbon fixation, amino acid metabolism, environmental information, the ATP-synthesis process in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the pentose phosphate pathway were remarkably upregulated, while those related to photosynthesis, phycobiliproteins, respiration, oxidative phosphorylation, sulfur metabolism, and genetic information were markedly downregulated in the NP group relative to the DIP group. However, the expression of genes involved in organic P utilization, the urea cycle, and genetic information in the Gly-group, and carbon-phosphorus lyase, genetic information and environmental information in the AEP group were significantly increased compared to the DIP group. Together, these results indicate that Raphidiopsis raciborskii exhibits the evolution of coordination of multiple metabolic pathways and certain key genes to adapt to ambient P changes, which implies that if P is reduced to control Raphidiopsis raciborskii bloom, there is a risk that external nutrients (such as nitrogen, amino acids, and urea) will stimulate the growth or metabolism of Raphidiopsis.

A 3-Gene-Based Diagnostic Signature in Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. In this study, potential diagnostic biomarkers were identified for AD. METHODS: All AD samples and healthy samples were collected from 2 datasets in the GEO database, in which differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by using the limma package of R language. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment was conducted basing on the DEGs via the clusterProfiler package of R. And, the PPI network construction and gene prediction were performed using the STRING database and Cytoscape. Then, a logistic regression model was constructed to predict the sample type. RESULTS: Bioinformatic analysis of GEO datasets revealed 2,063 and 108 DEGs in GSE5281 and GSE4226 datasets, separately, and 15 overlapping DEGs were found. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed terms associated with neurodevelopment. Then, we built a logistic regression model based on the hub genes from the PPI network and optimized the model to 3 genes (ALDOA, ENC1, and NFKBIA). The values of area under the curve of the training set GSE5281 and testing set GSE4226 were 0.9647 and 0.7857, respectively, which implied the efficacy of this model. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of gene expression in AD patients and the effective logistic regression model built in our study may provide promising research value for diagnostic methods of AD.

[Analysis of Phytoplankton Community Stability and Influencing Factors in a Tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir].

Changes in the community stability of freshwater phytoplankton not only induce a series of ecological environment problems but also influence freshwater ecosystem service functions. To understand the changes in community stability and its driving factors, phytoplankton and environmental parameters were analyzed at 11 sample sites in Huaxi River, a tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir, in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Moreover, the resource use efficiency (RUEPP), phytoplankton richness (S), phytoplankton evenness (J), and community turnover (BC) were also determined. Results showed that a total of 8 phyla, including 103 genera and 380 species, were identified in Huaxi River throughout the year. Among them, 264 species were collected in spring, 181 in summer, 197 in autumn, and 183 in winter. The number of Chlorophyta was the largest, followed by Bacillariophyta, Euglenophyta, and Cyanophyta. The number of species and cell density in S0 site were the smallest, while those in S2 site were the largest. The RUEPP was fluctuated in four seasons, with the maximum in summer and the minimum in autumn. BC was significantly negatively correlated with RUEPP, phytoplankton richness, total phosphorus (TP), orthophosphate (PO43--P), total nitrogen (TN), nitrate (NO3--N), permanganate index, and conductivity (Spc); however, it was significantly positively correlated with phytoplankton evenness and dissolved oxygen (DO). These results suggest that water level regulation in the Three Gorges Reservoir has a significant impact on the structure of phytoplankton community in Huaxi River, which leads to the instability of phytoplankton community and easy replacement, and the degree of community turnover is affected by the combined effect of biological and abiotic factors.

α-Lipoic acid alleviates ferroptosis in the MPP+ -induced PC12 cells via activating the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a typical neurodegenerative disease. α-Lipoic acid (α-LA) can reduce the incidence of neuropathy. The present study explored the role and mechanism of α-LA in 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+ )-induced cell model of PD. The PD model was induced via treating PC12 cells with MPP+  at different concentrations. MPP+  and α-LA effects on PC12 cells were assessed from cell viability and ferroptosis. Cell viability was detected using the cell counting kit-8 assay. Malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), iron, reactive xygen species (ROS), and glutathione (GSH) concentrations, and ferroptosis-related protein SLC7A11 and GPx4 expressions were used for ferroptosis evaluation. p-PI3K, p-Akt, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein levels were detected. The PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway inhibitors were applied to verify the role of the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway in α-LA protection against MPP+ -induced decreased cell viability and ferroptosis. MPP+ -reduced cell viability and induced ferroptosis as presented by increased MDA, 4-HNE, iron, and ROS concentrations, and reduced levels of GSH and ferroptosis marker proteins (SLC7A11 and GPx4). α-LA attenuated MPP+ -induced cell viability decline and ferroptosis. The PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway was activated after α-LA treatment. Inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway weakened the protection of α-LA against MPP+  treatment. We highlighted that α-LA alleviated MPP+ -induced cell viability decrease and ferroptosis in PC12 cells via activating the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway.

[Changes in Epilithic Algae Community and Its Relationship with Environmental Factors in the Meixi River, a Tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir].

To explore the relationship between the community of epilithic algae and environmental factors in tributaries of the Three Gorges Reservoir region, the epilithic algae and related environment factors were investigated from 26 sampling sites in Meixi River, a tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir region, during flood period (August 2016), drought period (November 2016), and normal water period (March 2017). Results showed that 106 species (including varieties) belonging to 47 genera and 5 families were identified from 26 sampling sites during the three periods. Among these, 73 species belonged to 38 genera and 5 families in the flood period, 67 species belonged to 36 genera and 4 families in the drought period, and 63 species belonged to 33 genera and 4 families in the normal water period. Nineteen, 17, and 18 dominant species were identified during the flood period, drought period, and normal water period, respectively. The main dominant species were Achnanthes sp., Aphanizomenon sp., and Phormidium sp. in the flood period; Achnanthes sp., Gomphonema sp., and Microcystis sp. in the drought period; and Gomphonema sp., Nitzschia sp., and Chroococcus sp. in the normal water period. Moreover, species such as Cocconeis placentula, Achnanthes sp., Gomphonema subclavatum, G. parvulum, Navicula parva, and G. constrictum were determined to be the common dominant species during the three periods. Redundancy analysis revealed that the changes in the relative abundance of dominant species in the backwater sections were significantly related to the electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen, and the relative abundance of dominant species in the natural sections was mainly related to the electrical conductivity, pH, total phosphorus, temperature, and velocity. Moreover, a different relationship with the environmental factors was determined among the three periods. However, a negative correlation between total phosphorus and the relative abundances in G. parvulum, G. constrictum, and Achnanthes sp. and a positive correlation between pH and the relative abundances in G. parvulum, G. constrictum, and Achnanthes sp. were found during the three periods. These results indicated that the differences in the hydrological regime and environmental factors in the Three Gorges Reservoir played an important role on the composition of epilithic algae community and led to a significant change in the community structure of epilithic algae.

Recommended turbulent energy dissipation rate for biomass and lipid production of Scenedesmus obliquus in an aerated photosynthetic culture system.

Effects of turbulent energy dissipation rate (increased from 1.28 × 10-6 to 1.67 × 10-5 m2 s-3) on Scenedesmus obliquus biomass and lipid accumulation at different aeration rates (0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, and 1.5 L min-1) were investigated. The turbulent energy dissipation rate was calculated by CFD model simulation. When the turbulent energy dissipation rate increased to 7.30 × 10-6 m2 s-3, the biomass and lipid productivity increased gradually, and finally reached their maximum values of 1.11 × 107 cells mL-1 and 16.0 mg L-1 day-1, respectively. When it exceeded 7.30 × 10-6 m2 s-3, the biomass and lipid productivity showed a decreasing trend. Therefore, the most favorable turbulent energy dissipation rate for S. obliquus growth and lipid accumulation was 7.30 × 10-6 m2 s-3.

Interspecific competition between Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Microcystis aeruginosa on different phosphorus substrates.

Phosphorus (P) is responsible for algal growth and the structural changes in algal communities. Therefore, it is essential to know whether the different phosphorus availability to different algae can change the community structure. In this study, the interspecific competition was investigated at two bloom-forming cyanobacterium, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Microcystis aeruginosa, when both were treated with five different phosphate compounds, including K2HPO4, ß-glycerol phosphate, (2-aminoethyl)-phosphinic acid, glyphosate, and P-free. The results of mono-culture experiments showed that the two species could utilize the dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) and K2HPO4 (DIP) as the sole P resource. Moreover, the specific growth rates and the endogenous alkaline phosphatase activity in M. aeruginosa cells were much lower than those in C. raciborskii under DOP and DIP treatments. In the co-cultured experiments, however, a significant biomass increase in C. raciborskii was observed in all experimental P treatments, except for glyphosate, regardless of its initial cell density proportion. A 31.8-63.4% increase in cell number of C. raciborskii was found after incubated into K2HPO4, while the highest biomass of mixed samples, 17.72 × 106 cell mL-1, was observed in the (2-aminoethyl)-phosphinic acid treatment (50C50M). Additionally, higher specific growth rate was also found in C. raciborskii when compared with M. aeruginosa under P-free; the increasing proportion of C. raciborskii were 29.1% (50C50M), 16.4% (75C25M), and 36.7% (25C75M), respectively. When the mixed samples were co-cultivated under glyphosate, C. raciborskii cells appeared to be depressed, whereas the cell density of M. aeruginosa increased rapidly. The findings indicated that an excellent P competition might give some advantages for C. raciborskii dominance in natural waters with DIP limitation or DOP abundance.

The effect of pyrogallic acid on growth, oxidative stress, and gene expression in Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Cyanobacteria).

In order to investigate the effect of the allelopathic compound pyrogallic acid on Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii F2, the impact on growth, oxidative stress and expression of the psbA, grpE, fabZ, recA, cmpA, ftsZ and cyrJ genes were studied. The results indicated significant decreases in Chl a and cell number following a 24-h incubation with 4 mg L(-1) pyrogallic acid. Additionally, malodialdehyde content, superoxide dismutase activity and catalase activity were enhanced following treatment with 2 and 4 mg L(-1) pyrogallic acid. Expressions of the genes psbA, grpE, fabZ, recA and cyrJ were significantly up-regulated following exposure to 4 mg L(-1) pyrogallic acid, while no changes were observed with concentrations of 1 or 2 mg L(-1). Expression of cmpA was significantly down-regulated following treatment with the lowest tested concentration of pyrogallic acid (1 mg L(-1)), while ftsZ was only significantly down-regulated with concentrations of 2 and 4 mg L(-1). These results suggest that photosynthesis inhibition and oxidative damage are important modes of action for the allelopathic effect of pyrogallic acid on C. raciborskii.