Monocytes-to-lymphocytes ratio increases the prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in non-small cell lung cancer: a prospective study.

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has shown important prognostic value in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the present low sensitivity of CTC capture technology restricts their clinical application. This study aims to explore the feasibility of combining the peripheral blood cell (PBC)-derived inflammation-based score with CTCs to increase the prognostic value of CTCs in NSCLC. Methods: Sixty volunteers diagnosed with NSCLC were recruited. CTC count and six inflammation-based scores were examined and the association with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was explored. The changes in the CTC counts before and after the immunotherapy were observed. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that CTCs >7 [hazard ratio (HR) =9.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.68-22.37, P<0.001] and monocytes-to-lymphocytes ratio (MLR) > 0.2 (HR =3.07; 95% CI: 1.21-7.84; P=0.01) were associated with shorter OS and PFS in patients with NSCLC. Patients with CTCs >7 and MLR >0.2 had 12.30 times increased risk of death (P<0.001) and 6.10 times increased risk of disease progression (P=0.002) compared with those with CTCs ≤7 and MLR ≤0.2. Decreased CTC counts after immunotherapy were closely related to disease control (r=0.535, P=0.01). Conclusions: CTCs and MLR are both independent risk factors for prognosis in patients with NSCLC. The combination of CTCs with MLR significantly increased the prognostic value of CTCs, which would contribute to stratification of NSCLC patients and providing precise treatment. Dynamic monitoring of CTCs efficiently shows the immunotherapy response in NSCLC.

Efficient control of root-knot nematode by expressing Bt nematicidal protein in root leucoplast.

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are plant pest that infect the roots of host plants. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) nematicidal proteins showed toxicity to nematodes. However, the application of nematicidal proteins in plant protection is hampered by the lack of effective delivery system in transgenic plants. In this study, we discovered the accumulation of leucoplasts (root plastids) in galls and RKN-induced giant cells. RKN infection caused the degradation of leucoplasts into small vesicle-like structures, and are responsible for delivering proteins to RKNs, as seen through confocal microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy. We further showed that different sized proteins from leucoplasts could be taken up by female of Meloidogyne incognita by western blot analysis. To further explore the potential applications of leucoplasts, we introduced the Bt crystal protein Cry5Ba2 into tobacco and tomato leucoplasts by fusing it with a transit peptide. The resulting transgenic plants showed significant resistance to RKNs. Intriguingly, RKN females preferentially uptake Cry5Ba2 protein when it was delivered through plastids rather than the cytosol. The decrease in progeny production was positively correlated with the delivery efficiency of the nematicidal protein. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the feeding behavior of RKNs and their ability to ingest leucoplast proteins. Furthermore, it demonstrates the potential use of leucoplasts as an efficient delivery system for nematicidal proteins, offering a promising approach for controlling nematodes.

Identification of autophagy-related signatures in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and correlation with non-parenchymal cells of the liver.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic hepatic disease. The incidence and prevalence of NAFLD have increased greatly in recent years, and there is still a lack of effective drugs. Autophagy plays an important role in promoting liver metabolism and maintaining liver homeostasis, and defects in autophagy levels are considered to be related to the development of NAFLD. However, the molecular mechanisms of autophagy in NAFLD still remain unknown. In this study, we identified 6 autophagy-associated hub genes using gene expression profiles obtained from the GSE48452 and GSE89632 datasets. Biomarkers were screened according to gene significance (GS) and module membership (MM) using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and the immune infiltration landscape of the liver in NAFLD patients was explored using the CIBERSORT algorithm. Subsequently, we analyzed the relationship between liver non-parenchymal cells and autophagy-related hub genes using scRNA-seq data (GSE129516). Finally, we separated the NAFLD patients into two groups based on 6 hub genes by consensus clustering and screened 10 potential autophagy-related small molecules based on the cMAP database.

Generation of a control induced pluripotent stem cell line (SDUCHi001-A) from a healthy male donor.

An induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line (SDUCHi001-A) was established using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a healthy 6 years old boy. Reprogramming of the PBMCs was achieved through non-integrating delivery of OCT4, SOX2, KFL4, BCL-XL, and c-MYC. The iPSC line expressed pluripotency markers, had a normal karyotype and trilineage differentiation potential.

Theoretical Prediction and Experimental Synthesis of Zr3AC2 (A = Cd, Sb) Phases.

MAX phases have great research value and application prospects, but it is challenging to synthesize the MAX phases containing Cd and Sb for the time being. In this paper, we confirmed the existence of the 312 MAX phases of Zr3CdC2 and Zr3SbC2, both from theoretical calculations and experimental synthesis. The Zr3AC2 (A = Cd, Sb) phase was predicted by the first-principles calculations, and the two MAX phases were confirmed to meet the requests of thermal, thermodynamic, and mechanical stabilities using formation energy, phonon dispersion, and the Born-Huang criteria. Their theoretical mechanical properties were also systematically investigated. It was found that the elastic moduli of Zr3CdC2 and Zr3SbC2 were 162.8 GPa and 164.3 GPa, respectively. Then, differences in the mechanical properties of Zr3AC2 (A = Cd, In, Sn, and Sb) were explained using bond layouts and charge transfers. The low theoretical Vickers hardness of the Zr3CdC2 (5.4 GPa) and Zr3SbC2 (4.3 GPa) phases exhibited excellent machinability. Subsequently, through spark plasma sintering, composites containing Zr3CdC2 and Zr3SbC2 phases were successfully synthesized at the temperatures of 850 °C and 1300 °C, respectively. The optimal molar ratio of Zr:Cd/Sb:C was determined as 3:1.5:1.5. SEM and the EDS results analysis confirmed the typical layered microstructure of Zr3CdC2 and Zr3SbC2 grains.

Evaluation of cardiac index and right ventricular hypertrophy index in rats under a chronic hypoxic environment at high altitude.

High-altitude areas are characterized by low pressure and hypoxia, which have a significant impact on various body systems. This study aimed to investigate the alterations in cardiac index and right ventricular hypertrophy index(RVHI) in rats at different altitudes.Twenty-one male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats aged 4 weeks were randomly divided into three groups based on altitude. The rats were raised for 28 weeks and then transferred to Qinghai University Plateau Medicine Laboratory. Body weight was measured, heart organs were isolated and weighed, and cardiac index and right ventricular hypertrophy index were determined. Statistical analysis was performed on the data from the three groups. Compared with the plain group, the body weight of the middle-altitude group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and cardiac index, RVHI-1, RVHI-2 increased significantly ((P < 0.05). The body weight, whole heart mass, right ventricular mass were significantly decreased in high-altitude group (P < 0.05), RVHI-1 and RVHI-2 were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with the middle-altitude group, the body weight, whole heart mass and right ventricular mass of the high-altitude group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and RVHI-1 and RVHI-2 were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Increasing altitude led to a decrease in body weight, whole heart mass, and right ventricular mass in rats, indicating structural changes in the right heart. Additionally, the proportion of right heart to body weight and whole heart increased with altitude.

Resistance to both aphids and nematodes in tobacco plants expressing a Bacillus thuringiensis crystal protein.

BACKGROUND: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and its crystal toxin or δ-endotoxins (Cry) offer great potential for the efficient control of crop pests. A vast number of pests can potentially infect the same host plant, either simultaneously or sequentially. However, no effective Bt-Cry protein has been reported to control both aphids and plant parasitic nematodes due to its highly specific activity. RESULTS: Our study indicated that the Cry5Ba2 protein was toxic to the green peach aphid Myzus persicae, which had a median lethal concentration (LC50) of 9.7 ng µL-1 and fiducial limits of 3.1-34.6 ng µL-1. Immunohistochemical localization of Cry5Ba2 revealed that it could bind to the apical tip of microvilli in midgut regions. Moreover, transgenic tobacco plants expressing Cry5Ba2 exhibited significant resistance to Myzus persicae, as evidenced by reduced insect survival and impaired fecundity, and also intoxicated the Meloidogyne incognita as indicated by a decrease in galls and progeny reproduction. CONCLUSION: In sum, we identified a new aphicidal Bt toxin resource that could simultaneously control both aboveground and belowground pests, thus extending the application range of Bt-based strategy for crop protection. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Auto-suppression of Tet dioxygenases protects the mouse oocyte genome from oxidative demethylation.

DNA cytosine methylation plays a vital role in repressing retrotransposons, and such derepression is linked with developmental failure, tumorigenesis and aging. DNA methylation patterns are formed by precisely regulated actions of DNA methylation writers (DNA methyltransferases) and erasers (TET, ten-eleven translocation dioxygenases). However, the mechanisms underlying target-specific oxidation of 5mC by TET dioxygenases remain largely unexplored. Here we show that a large low-complexity domain (LCD), located in the catalytic part of Tet enzymes, negatively regulates the dioxygenase activity. Recombinant Tet3 lacking LCD is shown to be hyperactive in converting 5mC into oxidized species in vitro. Endogenous expression of the hyperactive Tet3 mutant in mouse oocytes results in genome-wide 5mC oxidation. Notably, the occurrence of aberrant 5mC oxidation correlates with a consequent loss of the repressive histone mark H3K9me3 at ERVK retrotransposons. The erosion of both 5mC and H3K9me3 causes ERVK derepression along with upregulation of their neighboring genes, potentially leading to the impairment of oocyte development. These findings suggest that Tet dioxygenases use an intrinsic auto-regulatory mechanism to tightly regulate their enzymatic activity, thus achieving spatiotemporal specificity of methylome reprogramming, and highlight the importance of methylome integrity for development.

A biomimetic cuproptosis amplifier for targeted NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging-guided synergistic NIR-II photothermal immunotherapy.

The therapeutic efficacy of cuproptosis combined with phototheranostics is still hindered by easy copper efflux, nonspecific accumulation and limited light penetration depth. Here, a high-performance NIR-II semiconductor polymer was first synthesized through dual-donor engineering. Then a biomimetic cuproptosis amplifier (PCD@CM) was prepared by Cu(II)-mediated coordinative self-assembly of NIR-II ultrasmall polymer dots and the chemotherapeutic drug DOX, followed by camouflaging of tumor cell membranes. After homologous targeting delivery to tumor cells, overexpressed GSH in the tumor microenvironment (TME) triggers the disassembly of the amplifier and the release of therapeutic components through the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I), which enable NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging-guided NIR-II photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy. The released Cu(I) induces the aggregation of lipoylated mitochondrial proteins accompanied by the loss of iron-sulfur proteins, leading to severe proteotoxic stress and eventually cuproptosis. NIR-II PTT and GSH depletion render tumor cells more sensitive to cuproptosis. The amplified cuproptosis sensitization provokes significant immune surveillance, triggering the immunogenic cell death (ICD) to promote cytotoxic T lymphocyte infiltration together with aPD-L1-mediated immune checkpoint blockade. This work proposes a new strategy to develop cuproptosis sensitization systems enhanced by NIR-II phototheranostics with homologous targeting and anti-tumor immune response capabilities.

Genomic insight into the insecticidal potential of a new Pseudomonas chlororaphis isolate.

Pseudomonas fluorescens group, such as Pseudomonas protegens and Pseudomonas chlororaphis, can be utilized as insect-killing agents. Most insecticidal Pseudomonas described so far have high toxicity for insects of the order Lepidoptera. In this study, Pseudomonas strain PcR3-3 was isolated from the willow root. It showed a high mortality for the coleopteran species Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), but not for the lepidopteran Helicoverpa armigera. Strain PcR3-3 displayed high colonization ability in the P. versicolora compared with P. chlororaphis PCL1391, indicating that the insecticidal activities correlated with the colonization ability of Pseudomonas strain in the host. Phylogenetic analysis of the genome revealed that PcR3-3 belonged to P. chlororaphis subsp. aureofaciens. Numerous insecticidal protein-encoding genes, typical biosynthetic gene clusters for some insecticidal metabolite and type VI secretion system, known to be involved in insect pathogenicity, were present in the P. chlororaphis PcR3-3 genome. However, the insecticidal toxin Fit-encoding gene which commonly presents in P. chlororaphis, was not found in the P. chlororaphis PcR3-3 genome. Furthermore, there are some divergent insecticidal genes between P. chlororaphis PcR3-3 and P. chlororaphis PCL1391. This finding implies that P. chlororaphis PcR3-3 is a promising biocontrol agent for pest management applications. The P. chlororaphis-P. versicolora association can be used as a model system to study the interaction between Pseudomonas and coleopteran insects.

Rapid Detection of Total Viable Count in Intact Beef Dishes Based on NIR Hyperspectral Hybrid Model.

The total viable count (TVC) of bacteria is an important index to evaluate the freshness and safety of dishes. To improve the accuracy and robustness of spectroscopic detection of total viable bacteria count in a complex system, a new method based on a near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral hybrid model and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms was developed to directly determine the total viable count in intact beef dish samples in this study. Diffuse reflectance data of intact and crushed samples were tested by NIR hyperspectral and processed using Multiplicative Scattering Correction (MSC) and Competitive Adaptive Reweighted Sampling (CARS). Kennard-Stone (KS) and Samples Set Partitioning Based on Joint X-Y Distance (SPXY) algorithms were used to select the optimal number of standard samples transferred by the model combined with root mean square error. The crushed samples were transferred into the complete samples prediction model through the Direct Standardization (DS) algorithm. The spectral hybrid model of crushed samples and full samples was established. The results showed that the Determination Coefficient of Calibration (RP2) value of the total samples prediction set increased from 0.5088 to 0.8068, and the value of the Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP) decreased from 0.2454 to 0.1691 log10 CFU/g. After establishing the hybrid model, the RMSEP value decreased by 9.23% more than before, and the values of Relative Percent Deviation (RPD) and Reaction Error Relation (RER) increased by 12.12% and 10.09, respectively. The results of this study showed that TVC instewed beef samples can be non-destructively determined based on the DS model transfer method combined with the hybrid model strategy. This study provided a reference for solving the problem of poor accuracy and reliability of prediction models in heterogeneous samples.

Development and validation of a model to predict mortality risk among extremely preterm infants during the early postnatal period: a multicentre prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Recently, with the rapid development of the perinatal medical system and related life-saving techniques, both the short-term and long-term prognoses of extremely preterm infants (EPIs) have improved significantly. In rapidly industrialising countries like China, the survival rates of EPIs have notably increased due to the swift socioeconomic development. However, there is still a reasonably lower positive response towards the treatment of EPIs than we expected, and the current situation of withdrawing care is an urgent task for perinatal medical practitioners. OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a model that is practicable for EPIs as soon as possible after birth by regression analysis, to assess the risk of mortality and chance of survival. METHODS: This multicentre prospective cohort study used datasets from the Sino-Northern Neonatal Network, including 46 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Risk factors including maternal and neonatal variables were collected within 1 hour post-childbirth. The training set consisted of data from 41 NICUs located within the Shandong Province of China, while the validation set included data from 5 NICUs outside Shandong Province. A total of 1363 neonates were included in the study. RESULTS: Gestational age, birth weight, pH and lactic acid in blood gas analysis within the first hour of birth, moderate-to-severe hypothermia on admission and adequate antenatal corticosteroids were influencing factors for EPIs' mortality with important predictive ability. The area under the curve values for internal validation of our prediction model and Clinical Risk Index for Babies-II scores were 0.81 and 0.76, and for external validation, 0.80 and 0.51, respectively. Moreover, the Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed that our model has a constant degree of calibration. CONCLUSIONS: There was good predictive accuracy for mortality of EPIs based on influencing factors prenatally and within 1 hour after delivery. Predicting the risk of mortality of EPIs as soon as possible after birth can effectively guide parents to be proactive in treating more EPIs with life-saving value. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR1900025234.

Evaluation of Myocardial Microcirculation in Rats under a High-Altitude Hypoxic Environment by Computed Tomography Myocardial Perfusion Imaging.

This study aims to examine the changes in myocardial microcirculation in rats in a high-altitude hypoxic environment via computed tomography (CT) myocardial perfusion imaging technology. Rats in two groups were raised in different environments from 4 weeks of age for a period of 24 weeks. At 28 weeks of age, both groups underwent CT myocardial perfusion scanning, and the following myocardial perfusion parameters were measured: time to peak (TTP), mean transit time (MTT), blood flow (BF), and blood volume (BV). Following the scan, the rats were sacrificed, the cardiac index and right ventricular hypertrophy index were obtained, and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was utilized to observe the pathological changes in the myocardium. In the group of rats that are subject to a high-altitude hypoxic environment for 24 weeks (the high-altitude group), the TTP and MTT values were increased (P < 0.05), the BF and BV values were lower (P < 0.05), the right heart mass was higher (P < 0.05) than that in the low-altitude group. As shown by the pathological results of HE staining, the gap between cardiomyocytes in the high-altitude group was widened, the arrangement of cardiomyocytes was irregular, and the cells were filled with a few fat vacuoles. The myocardial microcirculation is altered in a high-altitude hypoxic environment. In particular, the myocardium is in a state of inadequate perfusion, the BF in the myocardium slows down, and the right heart displays compensatory hypertrophy.

Silver/copper bimetallic nanoclusters integrating with cryonase-assisted target recycling amplification detection of Salmonella typhimurium.

An unsophisticated fluorescence-enabled strategy is brought forward to process the highly sensitive fluorescence detection of Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) which based on polyethyleneimine (PEI)-templated silver/copper nanoclusters (Ag/CuNCs) (λ excitation = 334 nm and λ emission = 466 nm) with cryonase-assisted target recycling amplification. The Ag/CuNCs nanoclusters are synthesized as fluorescent materials due to their strong and stable fluorescence characteristics and are modified with S. typhimurium aptamers to form aptamer-Ag/CuNCs probes. The probes can be adsorbed on the surface of quenching agents-polydopamine nanospheres (PDANSs), thereby inducing fluorescence quenching of the probes. Once the aptamers are bound to the target, the aptamers/targets complexes are separated from the PDANSs surface, and the Ag/CuNCs recover the fluorescence signal. The released complexes will immediately be transformed into a substrate digested by cryonase (an enzyme that can digest all types of nucleic acids), and the released targets are bound to another aptamers to initiate the next round of cleavage. This reaction will be repeated continuously until all relevant aptamers are consumed and all Ag/CuNCs are released, resulting in a significant amplification of the fluorescence signal and improved sensitivity. Using Ag/CuNCs as fluorescent probes combined with cryonase-assisted amplification strategy, the fluorescence aptasensor is constructed with detection limits as low as 3.8 CFU mL-1, which is tenfold better than without the cryonase assistance. The method developed has been applied to milk, orange juice, chicken, and egg white samples with excellent selectivity and accuracy providing an approach for the early and rapid detection of S. typhimurium in food.

Cas13a-based multiplex RNA targeting for potato virus Y.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The Cas13a-based multiplex RNA targeting system can be engineered to confer resistance to RNA viruses, whereas the number and expression levels of gRNAs have no significant effect on viral interference. The CRISPR-Cas systems provide adaptive immunity to bacterial and archaeal species against invading phages and foreign plasmids. The class 2 type VI CRISPR/Cas effector Cas13a has been harnessed to confer the protection against RNA viruses in diverse eukaryotic species. However, whether the number and expression levels of guide RNAs (gRNAs) have effects on the efficiency of RNA virus inhibition is unknown. Here, we repurpose CRISPR/Cas13a in combination with an endogenous tRNA-processing system (polycistronic tRNA-gRNA) to target four genes of potato virus Y (PVY) with varying expression levels. We expressed Cas13a and four different gRNAs in potato lines, and the transgenic plants expressing multiple gRNAs displayed similar suppression of PVY accumulation and reduced disease symptoms as those expressing a single gRNA. Moreover, PTG/Cas13a-transformed plants with different expression levels of multiple gRNAs displayed similar resistance to PVY strains. Collectively, this study suggests that the Cas13a-based multiplex RNA targeting system can be utilized to engineer resistance to RNA viruses in plants, whereas the number and expression levels of gRNAs have no significant effect on CRISPR/Cas13a-mediated viral interference in plants.

Cas13d-mediated multiplex RNA targeting confers a broad-spectrum resistance against RNA viruses in potato.

CRISPR-Cas systems endow the bacterial and archaeal species with adaptive immune mechanisms to fend off invading phages and foreign plasmids. The class 2 type VI CRISPR/Cas effector Cas13d has been harnessed to confer the protection against RNA viruses in diverse eukaryotic species. However a vast number of different viruses can potentially infect the same host plant resulting in mixed infection, thus necessitating the generation of crops with broad-spectrum resistance to multiple viruses. Here we report the repurposing of CRISPR/Cas13d coupled with an endogenous tRNA-processing system (polycistronic tRNA-gRNA, PTG) to target the multiple potato RNA viruses. Expression of Cas13d and four different gRNAs were observed in transgenic potato lines expressing the Cas13d/PTG construct. We show that the Cas13d/PTG transgenic plants exhibit resistance to either PVY, PVS, PVX or PLRV alone or two/three viruses simultaneously by reducing viral accumulation in plant cells. In sum, our findings provide an efficient strategy for engineering crops that can simultaneously resist infection by multiple RNA viruses.

Distinct gut bacterial composition in Anoplophora glabripennis reared on two host plants.

Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) is an invasive wood borer pest that has caused considerable damage to forests. Gut bacteria are of great importance in the biology and ecology of herbivores, especially in growth and adaptation; however, change in the gut bacterial community of this pest feeding on different hosts is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the gut bacterial communities of A. glabripennis larvae fed on different preferred hosts, Salix matsudana and Ulmus pumila, using 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing technology. A total of 15 phyla, 25 classes, 65 orders, 114 families, 188 genera, and 170 species were annotated in the gut of A. glabripennis larvae fed on S. matsudana or U. pumila using a 97% similarity cutoff level. The dominant phyla were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and the core dominant genera were Enterococcus, Gibbsiella, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella. There was significantly higher alpha diversity in the U. pumila group than in the S. matsudana group, and principal co-ordinate analysis showed significant differences in gut bacterial communities between the two groups. The genera with significant abundance differences between the two groups were Gibbsiella, Enterobacter, Leuconostoc, Rhodobacter, TM7a, norank, Rhodobacter, and Aurantisolimonas, indicating that the abundance of larval gut bacteria was affected by feeding on different hosts. Further network diagrams showed that the complexity of the network structure and the modularity were higher in the U. pumila group than in the S. matsudana group, suggesting more diverse gut bacteria in the U. pumila group. The dominant role of most gut microbiota was related to fermentation and chemoheterotrophy, and specific OTUs positively correlated with different functions were reported. Our study provides an essential resource for the gut bacteria functional study of A. glabripennis associated with host diet.

The PIWI-specific insertion module helps load longer piRNAs for translational activation essential for male fertility.

PIWI-clade proteins harness piRNAs of 24-33 nt in length. Of great puzzles are how PIWI-clade proteins incorporate piRNAs of different sizes and whether the size matters to PIWI/piRNA function. Here we report that a PIWI-Ins module unique in PIWI-clade proteins helps define the length of piRNAs. Deletion of PIWI-Ins in Miwi shifts MIWI to load with shorter piRNAs and causes spermiogenic failure in mice, demonstrating the functional importance of this regulatory module. Mechanistically, we show that longer piRNAs provide additional complementarity to target mRNAs, thereby enhancing the assembly of the MIWI/eIF3f/HuR super-complex for translational activation. Importantly, we identify a c.1108C>T (p.R370W) mutation of HIWI (human PIWIL1) in infertile men and demonstrate in Miwi knock-in mice that this genetic mutation impairs male fertility by altering the property of PIWI-Ins in selecting longer piRNAs. These findings reveal a critical role of PIWI-Ins-ensured longer piRNAs in fine-tuning MIWI/piRNA targeting capacity, proven essential for spermatid development and male fertility.

Identification of Potential Diagnostic Genes of HIV-Infected Immunological Non-Responders on Bioinformatics Analysis.

Purpose: HIV-infected immunological non-responders (INRs) failed to achieve the normalization of CD4+ T cell counts despite their undetectable viral load. INRs have an increased risk of clinical progressions of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and non-AIDS events, accompanied by higher mortality rates than immunological responders (IRs). This study aimed to discover the genes, which help to distinguish INRs from IRs and explore the possible mechanism of INRs. Methods: Screening DEGs between INRs and IRs using GEO microarray dataset GSE143742. DEG biological functions were investigated using GO and KEGG analysis. DEGs and WGCNA linked modules were intersected to find common genes. Key genes were identified using SVM-RFE and LASSO regression models. ROC analysis was done to evaluate key gene diagnostic effectiveness using GEO database dataset GSE106792. Cytoscape created a miRNA-mRNA-TF network for diagnostic genes. CIBERSORT and flow cytometry examined the INRs and IRs immune microenvironments. In 10 INR and 10 IR clinical samples, diagnostic gene expression was verified by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Results: We obtained 190 DEGs between the INR group and IR group. Functional enrichment analysis found a significant enrichment in mitochondria and apoptosis-related pathways. CD69 and ZNF207 were identified as potential diagnostic genes. CD69 and ZNF207 shared a transcription factor, NCOR1, in the miRNA-mRNA-TF network. Immune microenvironment analysis by CIBERSORT showed that IRs had a higher level of resting memory CD4+ T cells, lower level of activated memory CD4+ T cells and resting dendritic cells than INRs, as confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. In addition, CD69 and ZNF207 were correlated with immune cells. Experiments confirmed the expression of the diagnostic genes in INRs and IRs. Conclusion: CD69 and ZNF207 were identified as potential diagnostic genes to discriminate INRs from IRs. Our findings offered new clues to diagnostic and therapeutic targets for INRs.

Label-free colorimetric apta-assay for detection of Escherichia coli based on gold nanoparticles with peroxidase-like amplification.

In this work, aptamers against E. coli with better performance were obtained via cell systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (cell-SELEX) and dissociation constants (Kd) of aptamers were estimated to range from 133.87 to 199.44 nM. Furthermore, the selected aptamer was employed for label-free colorimetric detection of E. coli using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with peroxidase-like activity to catalyze the oxidation of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to produce color development. This colorimetric apta-assay started with an aptamer-bacteria binding step, and the concentration of residual aptamers after binding depended on the amount of target bacteria. Then, the amount of separated residual aptamers determined the degree of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-inhibited catalytic activity of AuNPs, which resulted in a color change from dark blue to light blue. Owing to the excellent peroxidase activity of AuNPs, they could emit strong visible color intensity in less than 1 minute to improve visual detection sensitivity. Under optimized conditions, the sensitivity of detection was 5 × 103 CFU mL-1 visually and 75 CFU mL-1 using the UV-vis spectrum with a linear range from 5 × 102 to 1 × 106 CFU mL-1. And it had shown a good recovery rate in real samples of water, juice and milk compared with classical counting methods.