Exposure to volatile organic compounds and growth indicators in adolescents: Unveiling the association and potential intervention strategies.

Environmental pollutant is considered to be one of the important factors affecting adolescent growth. However, the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure on adolescent growth have not been assessed. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2018 was used to examine the associations between VOCs exposure and adolescent growth indicators through three statistical models. The mediating effect of bone mineral density (BMD) on these associations was examined. The potential pathways and key targets were identified by the network pharmacology analysis methods. This study included 746 adolescents. Three statistical methods consistently showed a negative correlation between VOCs exposure and adolescent growth indicators. Furthermore, BMD mediated the relationship between VOCs exposure and adolescent growth indicators, with mediated proportion ranging from 4.3 % to 53.4 %. Network pharmacology analysis found a significant enrichment in IL-17 signaling pathway. Moreover, the adverse effects of VOCs exposure on adolescent growth were observed to significantly attenuate in adolescents with high serum vitamin D levels. Our results suggested that VOCs exposure was an adverse factor affecting adolescent growth, with BMD playing a significant regulatory role, and IL-17 signaling pathway was the underlying mechanism. Vitamin D supplementation may be a viable strategy to prevent VOCs exposure from affecting adolescent growth.

In Vivo Exposure Pathways of Ambient Magnetite Nanoparticles Revealed by Machine Learning-Aided Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry.

Nanosized ultrafine particles (UFPs) from natural and anthropogenic sources are widespread and pose serious health risks when inhaled by humans. However, tracing the inhaled UFPs in vivo is extremely difficult, and the distribution, translocation, and metabolism of UFPs remain unclear. Here, we report a label-free, machine learning-aided single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (spICP-MS) approach for tracing the exposure pathways of airborne magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs), including external emission sources, and distribution and translocation in vivo using a mouse model. Our results provide quantitative analysis of different metabolic pathways in mice exposed to MNPs, revealing that the spleen serves as the primary site for MNP metabolism (84.4%), followed by the liver (11.4%). The translocation of inhaled UFPs across different organs alters their particle size. This work provides novel insights into the in vivo fate of UFPs as well as a versatile and powerful platform for nanotoxicology and risk assessment.

Dose-Dependent Effect on Plant Growth of Exposure to Metal-Organic Framework MIL-101(Cr).

With the increasing use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), they will inevitably enter the environment intentionally or unintentionally. However, the effects of MOFs on plant growth are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of exposure of the rhizosphere to MOFs on plant growth. MIL-101(Cr) was selected as a research model due to its commercial availability and wide use. Soybean plants at the two-leaf stage were subjected to various durations (1-7 days) and concentrations (0-1000 mg/L) of exposure in hydroculture with a control group treated with ultrapure water. We found that MIL-101(Cr) had a positive effect on soybean growth at a lower dose (i.e., 200 mg/L); however, at higher doses (i.e., 500 and 1000 mg/L), it exhibited significant toxicity to plant growth, which is evidenced by leaf damage. To investigate the mechanism of this effect, we used Cr as an indicator to quantify, track, and image MIL-101(Cr) in the plant with laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Results indicated that MIL-101(Cr) primarily accumulated in the cortex of roots (up to 40 times higher than that in stems), with limited translocation to stems and negligible presence in leaves and cotyledons. In addition, metabolomic analysis of soybeans indicated that low-dose MIL-101(Cr) could increase the sucrose content of soybean roots to promote plant growth, while a high dose could induce lipid oxidation in roots. This study provides valuable insights into the ecological toxicology of MOFs and underscores the importance of assessing their environmental impact for sustainable agricultural practices.

Research on the toxicological prognostic significance of age-related genes in endometrial cancer unveiling key factors in patient prognosis.

This study investigates the influence of aging-related genes on endometrial cancer, a prominent gynecological malignancy with rising incidence and mortality. By analyzing gene expression differences between cancerous and normal endometrial tissues, 42 aging-related genes were identified as differentially expressed. Utilizing the TCGA-UCEC sample, consensus clustering divided the samples into two molecular subgroups, Aging low and Aging high, based on their expression profiles. These subgroups showed distinct prognoses and survival rates, with the Aging high group associated with DNA repair and cell cycle pathways, and the Aging low group showing suppressed metabolic pathways and increased immune cell infiltration, suggesting a potential for better immunotherapy outcomes. Mutation analysis did not find significant differences in mutation frequencies between the groups, but a high Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB) correlated with better prognosis. A risk score model was also developed, showcasing significant prognostic power. Further analysis of the SIX1 gene revealed its overexpression in cancer cells. Drug sensitivity tests indicated that the low-risk group might respond better to chemotherapy. This research underscores the significance of aging-related genes in endometrial cancer, offering insights into their prognostic value and therapeutic potential, which could lead to personalized treatment approaches and enhanced patient management.

Astaxanthin alleviates fine particulate matter (PM2.5)-induced lung injury in rats by suppressing ferroptosis and apoptosis.

Objectives: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a small molecule particulate pollutant, can reach the lungs via respiration and cause lung damage. Currently, effective strategies and measures are lacking to prevent and treat the pulmonary toxicity of PM2.5. Astaxanthin (ASX), a natural xanthophyll carotenoid, has attracted attention due to its unique biological activity. Our research aims to probe into the prevention and treatment of ASX on PM2.5-induced lung injury and clarify its potential mechanism. Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given olive oil and different concentrations of ASX orally daily for 21 days. PM2.5 suspension was instilled into the trachea of rats every two days for one week to successfully develop the PM2.5 exposure model in the PM2.5-exposed and ASX-treated groups of rats. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected, and the content of lung injury-related markers was detected. Histomorphological changes and expression of markers associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, iron death, and apoptosis were detected in lung tissue. Results: PM2.5 exposure can cause changes in lung histochemistry and increase the expression levels of TP, AKP, ALB, and LDH in the BALF. Simultaneously, inflammatory responses and oxidative stress were promoted in rat lung tissue after exposure to particulate matter. Additionally, ASX preconditioning can alleviate histomorphological changes, oxidative stress, and inflammation caused by PM2.5 and reduce PM2.5-related ferroptosis and apoptosis. Conclusion: ASX preconditioning can alleviate lung injury after PM2.5 exposure by inhibiting ferroptosis and apoptosis.

Deep Neural Network-Based Electron Microscopy Image Recognition for Source Distinguishing of Anthropogenic and Natural Magnetic Particles.

Deep learning models excel at image recognition of macroscopic objects, but their applications to nanoscale particles are limited. Here, we explored their potential for source-distinguishing environmental particles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images can reveal distinguishable features in particle morphology from various sources, but cluttered foreground objects and scale variations pose challenges to visual recognition models. In this proof-of-concept work, we proposed a novel instance segmentation model named CoMask to tackle these issues with atmospheric magnetic particles, a key species of PM2.5. CoMask features a densely connected feature extraction module to excavate multiscale spatial cues at the single-particle level and enlarges the receptive field size for improved representation capability. We also employed a collaborative learning strategy to further improve performance. Compared with other state-of-the-art models, CoMask was competitive on benchmark and TEM data sets. The application of CoMask not only enables the source-distinguishing of magnetic particles but also opens up a new vista for machine learning applications.

Appearance of retinal arterial macroaneurysms in patients using swept-source optical coherence tomographic angiography.

BACKGROUND: Retinal arterial macroaneurysm (RAM) is a common clinical disease leading to vision loss in elderly individuals. The appropriate interpretation of swept-source optical coherence tomographic angiography (SS-OCTA), a noninvasive examination, is easy and convenient for detecting the status of RAMs and guiding treatment. METHODS: The objectives of this study were to describe the morphologic characteristics of RAMs using SS-OCTA and to observe whether there are differences in the morphologies of RAMs between SS-OCTA and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), before and after treatment. We retrospectively evaluated twenty-two eyes of 22 patients who were diagnosed with RAMs. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, including a review of medical records, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus photography, FFA and SS-OCTA. RAMs were recorded by SS-OCTA before any treatment or observation decisions were made. The morphologic findings of the RAMs on SS-OCTA were investigated. RESULTS: On SS-OCTA, RAMs can show local dilatation or an irregular linear blood flow signal, and the dilated cystic lumen may show thrombosis with a low reflection signal. After treatment, the shape of the RAMs will show reactive changes. The findings on SS-OCTA are not very consistent with those on FFA. CONCLUSIONS: The same RAM may have different manifestations on OCTA and FFA, and OCTA can more conveniently reflect the changes in blood flow signals and treatment response of RAMs.

Glycosyltransferase-Related Protein GtrA Is Essential for Localization of Type IX Secretion System Cargo Protein Cellulase Cel9A and Affects Cellulose Degradation in Cytophaga hutchinsonii.

The Gram-negative bacterium Cytophaga hutchinsonii digests cellulose through a novel cellulose degradation mechanism. It possesses the lately characterized type IX secretion system (T9SS). We recently discovered that N-glycosylation of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of a hypothetical T9SS substrate protein in the periplasmic space of C. hutchinsonii affects protein secretion and localization. In this study, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-CTDCel9A recombinant protein was found with increased molecular weight in the periplasm of C. hutchinsonii. Site-directed mutagenesis studies on the CTD of cellulase Cel9A demonstrated that asparagine residue 900 in the D-X-N-X-S motif is important for the processing of the recombinant protein. We found that the glycosyltransferase-related protein GtrA (CHU_0012) located in the cytoplasm of C. hutchinsonii is essential for outer membrane localization of the recombinant protein. The deletion of gtrA decreased the abundance of the outer membrane proteins and affected cellulose degradation by C. hutchinsonii. This study provided a link between the glycosylation system and cellulose degradation in C. hutchinsonii. IMPORTANCE N-Glycosylation systems are generally limited to some pathogenic bacteria in prokaryotes. The disruption of the N-glycosylation pathway is related to adherence, invasion, colonization, and other phenotypic characteristics. We recently found that the cellulolytic bacterium Cytophaga hutchinsonii also has an N-glycosylation system. The cellulose degradation mechanism of C. hutchinsonii is novel and mysterious; cellulases and other proteins on the cell surface are involved in utilizing cellulose. In this study, we identified an asparagine residue in the C-terminal domain of cellulase Cel9A that is necessary for the processing of the T9SS cargo protein. Moreover, the glycosyltransferase-related protein GtrA is essential for the localization of the GFP-CTDCel9A recombinant protein. Deletion of gtrA affected cellulose degradation and the abundance of outer membrane proteins. This study enriched the understanding of the N-glycosylation system in C. hutchinsonii and provided a link between N-glycosylation and cellulose degradation, which also expanded the role of the N-glycosylation system in bacteria.

A pandemic-induced environmental dilemma of disposable masks: solutions from the perspective of the life cycle.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has swept the world and still afflicts humans. As an effective means of protection, wearing masks has been widely adopted by the general public. The massive use of disposable masks has raised some emerging environmental and bio-safety concerns: improper handling of used masks may transfer the attached pathogens to environmental media; disposable masks mainly consist of polypropylene (PP) fibers which may aggravate the global plastic pollution; and the risks of long-term wearing of masks are elusive. To maximize the utilization and minimize the risks, efforts have been made to improve the performance of masks (e.g., antivirus properties and filtration efficiency), extend their functions (e.g., respiration monitoring and acting as a sampling device), develop new disinfection methods, and recycle masks. Despite that, from the perspective of the life cycle (from production, usage, and discard to disposal), comprehensive solutions are urgently needed to solve the environmental dilemma of disposable masks in both technologies (e.g., efficient use of raw materials, prolonging the service life, and enabling biodegradation) and policies (e.g., stricter industry criteria and garbage sorting).

Some novel features of strong promoters discovered in Cytophaga hutchinsonii.

Cytophaga hutchinsonii is an important Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the Bacteroides phylum that can efficiently degrade cellulose. But the promoter that mediates the initiation of gene transcription has been unknown for a long time. In this study, we determined the transcription start site (TSS) of C. hutchinsonii by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5'RACE). The promoter structure was first identified as TAAT and TATTG which are located -5 and -31 bp upstream of TSS, respectively. The function of -5 and -31 regions and the spacer length of the promoter Pchu_1284 were explored by site directed ligase-independent mutagenesis (SLIM). The results showed that the promoter activities were sharply decreased when the TTG motif was mutated into guanine (G) or cytosine (C). Interestingly, we found that the strong promoter was accompanied with many TTTG motifs which could enhance the promoter activities within certain copies. These characteristics were different from other promoters of Bacteriodes species. Furthermore, we carried out genome scanning analysis for C. hutchinsonii and another Bacteroides species by Perl6.0. The results indicated that the promoter structure of C. hutchinsonii possessed more unique features than other species. Also, the screened inducible promoter Pchu_2268 was used to overexpress protein CHU_2196 with a molecular weight of 120 kDa in C. hutchinsonii. The present study enriched the promoter structure of Bacteroidetes species and also provided a novel method for the highly expressed large protein (cellulase) in vivo, which was helpful to elucidate the unique cellulose degradation mechanism of C. hutchinsonii.Key points• The conserved structure of strong promoter of C. hutchinsonii was elucidated.• Two novel regulation motifs of TTTG and AATTATG in the promoter were discovered.• A new method for induced expression of cellulase in vivo was established.• Helpful for explained the unique cellulose degradation mechanism of C. hutchinsonii.

Internal Exposure and Distribution of Airborne Fine Particles in the Human Body: Methodology, Current Understandings, and Research Needs.

Exposure to airborne fine particles (PM2.5, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm) severely threatens global human health. Understanding the distribution and processes of inhaled PM2.5 in the human body is crucial to clarify the causal links between PM2.5 pollution and diseases. In contrast to extensive research on the emission and formation of PM2.5 in the ambient environment, reports about the occurrence and fate of PM2.5 in humans are still limited, although many studies have focused on the exposure and adverse effects of PM2.5 with animal models. It has been shown that PM2.5, especially ultrafine particles (UFPs), have the potential to go across different biological barriers and translocate into different human organs (i.e., blood circulation, brain, heart, pleural cavity, and placenta). In this Perspective, we summarize the factors affecting the internal exposure of PM2.5 and the relevant analytical methodology and review current knowledge about the exposure pathways and distribution of PM2.5 in humans. We also discuss the research challenges and call for more studies on the identification and characterization of key toxic species of PM2.5, quantification of internal exposure doses in the general population, and further clarification of translocation, metabolism, and clearance pathways of PM2.5 in the human body. In this way, it is possible to develop toxicity-based air quality standards instead of the currently used mass-based standards.

Development of a powerful synthetic hybrid promoter to improve the cellulase system of Trichoderma reesei for efficient saccharification of corncob residues.

BACKGROUND: The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei is a widely used workhorse for cellulase production in industry due to its prominent secretion capacity of extracellular cellulolytic enzymes. However, some key components are not always sufficient in this cellulase cocktail, making the conversion of cellulose-based biomass costly on the industrial scale. Development of strong and efficient promoters would enable cellulase cocktail to be optimized for bioconversion of biomass. RESULTS: In this study, a synthetic hybrid promoter was constructed and applied to optimize the cellulolytic system of T. reesei for efficient saccharification towards corncob residues. Firstly, a series of 5' truncated promoters in different lengths were established based on the strong constitutive promoter Pcdna1. The strongest promoter amongst them was Pcdna1-3 (- 640 to - 1 bp upstream of the translation initiation codon ATG), exhibiting a 1.4-fold higher activity than that of the native cdna1 promoter. Meanwhile, the activation region (- 821 to - 622 bp upstream of the translation initiation codon ATG and devoid of the Cre1-binding sites) of the strong inducible promoter Pcbh1 was cloned and identified to be an amplifier in initiating gene expression. Finally, this activation region was fused to the strongest promoter Pcdna1-3, generating the novel synthetic hybrid promoter Pcc. This engineered promoter Pcc drove strong gene expression by displaying 1.6- and 1.8-fold stronger fluorescence intensity than Pcbh1 and Pcdna1 under the inducible condition using egfp as the reporter gene, respectively. Furthermore, Pcc was applied to overexpress the Aspergillus niger ß-glucosidase BGLA coding gene bglA and the native endoglucanase EG2 coding gene eg2, achieving 43.5-fold BGL activity and 1.2-fold EG activity increase, respectively. Ultimately, to overcome the defects of the native cellulase system in T. reesei, the bglA and eg2 were co-overexpressed under the control of Pcc promoter. The bglA-eg2 double expression strain QPEB70 exhibited a 178% increase in total cellulase activity, whose cellulase system displayed 2.3- and 2.4-fold higher saccharification efficiency towards acid-pretreated and delignified corncob residues than the parental strain, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The synthetic hybrid promoter Pcc was generated and employed to improve the cellulase system of T. reesei by expressing specific components. Therefore, construction of synthetic hybrid promoters would allow particular cellulase genes to be expressed at desired levels, which is a viable strategy to optimize the cellulolytic enzyme system for efficient biomass bioconversion.

Cytophaga hutchinsonii chu_2177, encoding the O-antigen ligase, is essential for cellulose degradation.

Cytophaga hutchinsonii can efficiently degrade crystalline cellulose, in which the cell surface cellulases secreted by the type IX secretion system (T9SS) play important roles, but the degradation mechanism remains unclear, and the anchor mechanism of cellulases on the outer membrane in C. hutchinsonii has not been studied. Here, chu_2177 was identified by transposon mutagenesis and was proved to be indispensable for cellulose utilization in C. hutchinsonii. Disruption of chu_2177 resulted in O-antigen deficiency and chu_177 could confer O-antigen ligase activity upon an Escherichia coli waal mutant, indicating that chu_2177 encoded the O-ntigen ligase. Moreover, deletion of chu_2177 caused defects in cellulose utilization, cell motility, biofilm formation, and stress resistance. Further study showed that the endoglucanase activity was markedly decreased in the outer membrane but was increased in the culture fluid without chu_2177. Western blot proved that endoglucanase CHU_1336 was not located on the outer membrane but was released in the culture fluid of the Δ2177 mutant. Further proteomics analysis showed that many cargo proteins of T9SS were missing in the outer membrane of the Δ2177 mutant. Our study revealed that the deletion of chu_2177 affected the localization of many T9SS cargo proteins including cellulases on the outer membrane of C. hutchinsonii.

N-Glycosylation of a Cargo Protein C-Terminal Domain Recognized by the Type IX Secretion System in Cytophaga hutchinsonii Affects Protein Secretion and Localization.

Cytophaga hutchinsonii is a Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes. It digests crystalline cellulose with an unknown mechanism and possesses a type IX secretion system (T9SS) that can recognize the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the cargo protein as a signal. In this study, the functions of the CTD in the secretion and localization of T9SS substrates in C. hutchinsonii were studied by fusing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) with the CTD from CHU_2708. The CTD is necessary for the secretion of GFP by C. hutchinsonii T9SS. The GFP-CTDCHU_2708 fusion protein was found to be glycosylated in the periplasm, with a molecular mass about 5 kDa higher than that predicted from its sequence. The glycosylated protein was sensitive to peptide-N-glycosidase F, which can hydrolyze N-linked oligosaccharides. Analyses of mutants obtained by site-directed mutagenesis of asparagine residues in the N-X-S/T motif of CTDCHU_2708 suggested that N-glycosylation occurred on the CTD. CTD N-glycosylation is important for the secretion and localization of GFP-CTD recombinant proteins in C. hutchinsonii. Glycosyltransferase-encoding gene chu_3842, a homologous gene of Campylobacter jejuni pglA, was found to participate in the N-glycosylation of C. hutchinsonii. Deletion of chu_3842 affected cell motility, cellulose degradation, and cell resistance to some chemicals. Our study provided evidence that the CTD as the signal of T9SS was N-glycosylated in the periplasm of C. hutchinsonii. IMPORTANCE The bacterial N-glycosylation system has previously been found only in several species of Proteobacteria and Campylobacterota, and the role of N-linked glycans in bacteria is still not fully understood. C. hutchinsonii has a unique cell contact cellulose degradation mechanism, and many cell surface proteins, including cellulases, are secreted by the T9SS. In this study, we found that C. hutchinsonii, a member of the phylum Bacteroidetes, has an N-glycosylation system. Glycosyltransferase CHU_3842 was found to participate in the N-glycosylation of C. hutchinsonii proteins and had effects on cell resistance to some chemicals, cell motility, and cellulose degradation. Moreover, N-glycosylation occurs on the CTD translocation signal of T9SS. The glycosylation of the CTD appears to play an important role in affecting T9SS substrate transportation and localization. This study enriched our understanding of the widespread existence and multiple biological roles of N-glycosylation in bacteria.

A Type IX Secretion System Substrate Involved in Crystalline Cellulose Degradation by Affecting Crucial Cellulose Binding Proteins in Cytophaga hutchinsonii.

Cytophaga hutchinsonii is an abundant soil cellulolytic bacterium that uses a unique cellulose degradation mechanism different from those that involve free cellulases or cellulosomes. Though several proteins have been identified as important for cellulose degradation, the mechanism used by C. hutchinsonii to digest crystalline cellulose remains a mystery. In this study, chu_0922 was identified by insertional mutation and gene deletion as an important gene locus indispensable for crystalline cellulose utilization. Deletion of chu_0922 resulted in defects in crystalline cellulose utilization. The Δ0922 mutant completely lost the ability to grow on crystalline cellulose, even with extended incubation, and selectively utilized the amorphous region of cellulose, leading to increased crystallinity. As a protein secreted by the type IX secretion system (T9SS), CHU_0922 was found to be located on the outer membrane, and the outer membrane localization of CHU_0922 relied on the T9SS. Comparative analysis of the outer membrane proteins revealed that the abundance of several cellulose-binding proteins, including CHU_1276, CHU_1277, and CHU_1279, was reduced in the Δ0922 mutant. Further study showed that CHU_0922 is crucial for the full expression of the gene cluster containing chu_1276, chu_1277, chu_1278, chu_1279, and chu_1280 (cel9C), which is essential for cellulose utilization. Moreover, CHU_0922 is required for the cell surface localization of CHU_3220, a cellulose-binding protein that is essential for crystalline cellulose utilization. Our study provides insights into the complex system that C. hutchinsonii uses to degrade crystalline cellulose. IMPORTANCE The widespread aerobic cellulolytic bacterium Cytophaga hutchinsonii, belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes, utilizes a novel mechanism to degrade crystalline cellulose. No genes encoding proteins specialized in loosening or disruption the crystalline structure of cellulose were identified in the genome of C. hutchinsonii, except for chu_3220 and chu_1557. The crystalline cellulose degradation mechanism remains enigmatic. This study identified a new gene locus, chu_0922, encoding a typical T9SS substrate that is essential for crystalline cellulose degradation. Notably, CHU_0922 is crucial for the normal transcription of chu_1276, chu_1277, chu_1278, chu_1279, and chu_1280 (cel9C), which play important roles in the degradation of cellulose. Moreover, CHU_0922 participates in the cell surface localization of CHU_3220. These results demonstrated that CHU_0922 plays a key role in the crystalline cellulose degradation network. Our study will promote the uncovering of the novel cellulose utilization mechanism of C. hutchinsonii.

Identification of the Type IX Secretion System Component, PorV (CHU_3238), Involved in Secretion and Localization of Proteins in Cytophaga hutchinsonii.

Cytophaga hutchinsonii can efficiently degrade cellulose and rapidly glide over surfaces, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The type IX secretion system (T9SS) is involved in protein secretion and gliding motility, which is unique to the phylum Bacteroidetes. In this study, we deleted a homologous gene of PorV (chu_3238), a shuttle protein in the T9SS. The Δ3238 mutant caused cellulolytic and gliding defects, while the porV deletion mutants in other Bacteroidetes could glide normally. Adding Ca2+ and K+ improved growth in the PY6 medium, suggesting a potential role of chu_3238 in ion uptake. A proteomic analysis showed an increase in the number of extracellular proteins in the Δ3238 mutant and a decrease in the outer membrane proteins compared to the wild type (WT). Endoglucanase activity in the Δ3238 intact cells was reduced by approximately 70% compared to that of the WT. These results indicate that the secreted proteins could not attach to the cell surface but were released into the extracellular space in the Δ3238 mutant. However, the cargo proteins accumulated in the periplasm of other reported porV deletion mutants. In addition, the homologs of the translocon SprA and a Plug protein were pulled down by co-immunoprecipitation in the 3238-FLAG strain, which are involved in protein transport in the T9SS of Flavobacterium johnsoniae. The integrity of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was also affected in the Δ3238 mutant, which may be the reason for the sensitivity of the cell to toxic reagents. The functional diversity of CHU_3238 suggests its important role in the T9SS of C. hutchinsonii and highlights the functional differences of PorV in the T9SS among the Bacteroidetes.

Cytophaga hutchinsonii SprA and SprT Are Essential Components of the Type IX Secretion System Required for Ca2+ Acquisition, Cellulose Degradation, and Cell Motility.

The type IX secretion system (T9SS) is a novel protein secretion system, which is found in and confined to the phylum Bacteroidetes. T9SS is involved in the secretion of virulence factors, cell surface adhesins, and complex biopolymer degrading enzymes to the cell surface or extracellular medium. Cytophaga hutchinsonii is a widely distributed bacterium, which is able to efficiently digest cellulose and rapidly glide along the solid surfaces. C. hutchinsonii has a full set of orthologs of T9SS components. However, the functions of most homologous proteins have not been verified. In C. hutchinsonii, CHU_0029 and CHU_2709 are similar in sequence to Flavobacterium johnsoniae T9SS components SprA and SprT, respectively. In this study, the single deletion mutants of chu_0029 (sprA) and chu_2709 (sprT) were obtained using a complex medium with the addition of Ca2+ and Mg2+. Single deletion of sprA or sprT resulted in defects in cellulose utilization and gliding motility. Moreover, the ΔsprA and ΔsprT mutants showed growth defects in Ca2+- and Mg2+-deficient media. The results of ICP-MS test showed that both the whole cell and intracellular concentrations of Ca2+ were dramatically reduced in the ΔsprA and ΔsprT mutants, indicating that SprA and SprT are both important for the assimilation of trace amount of Ca2+. While the assimilation of Mg2+ was not obviously influenced in the ΔsprA and ΔsprT mutants. Through proteomics analysis of the cell surface proteins of the wild type and mutants, we found that the ΔsprA and ΔsprT mutants were defective in secretion of the majority of T9SS substrates. Together, these results indicate that SprA and SprT are both essential components of C. hutchinsonii T9SS, which is required for protein secretion, Ca2+ acquisition, cellulose degradation, and gliding motility in C. hutchinsonii. Our study shed more light on the functions of SprA and SprT in T9SS, and further proved the link between the T9SS and Ca2+ uptake system.

Continuous production of fructooligosaccharides by recycling of the thermal-stable ß-fructofuranosidase produced by Aspergillus niger.

OBJECTIVE: To achieve continuous production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) by recycling of the mycelial cells containing the thermal-stable ß-fructofuranosidase in Aspergillus niger without immobilization. RESULTS: The thermal-stable ß-fructofuranosidase FopA-V1 was successfully expressed in A. niger ATCC 20611 under the control of the constitutive promoter PgpdA. The engineered A. niger strain FV1-11 produced the ß-fructofuranosidase with improved thermostability, which remained 91.2% of initial activity at 50 °C for 30 h. Then its mycelial ß-fructofuranosidase was recycled for the synthesis of FOS. It was found that the enzyme still had 79.3% of initial activity after being reused for six consecutive cycles, whereas only 62.3% ß-fructofuranosidase activity was detected in the parental strain ATCC 20611. Meanwhile, the FOS yield of FV1-11 after six consecutive cycles reached 57.1% (w/w), but only 51.0% FOS yield was detected in ATCC 20611. CONCLUSIONS: The thermal-stable ß-fructofuranosidase produced by A. niger can be recycled to achieve continuous synthesis of FOS with high efficiency, providing a powerful and economical strategy for the industrial production of FOS.

Extracellular protease production regulated by nitrogen and carbon sources in Trichoderma reesei.

The filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei is an important producer of industrial enzymes, and possesses abundant extracellular protease genes based on the genome sequence data. However, the production of extracellular proteases remains poorly understood. Here, protease production was extensively investigated on different carbon (glucose and lactose) and nitrogen sources ((NH4 )2 SO4 , NaNO3 , peptone, and corn steep liquor). It was found that protease production was dominantly regulated by nitrogen sources. Organic nitrogen sources were beneficial for protease production, while the preferred nitrogen source (NH4 )2 SO4 inhibited the expression of proteases. As for carbon sources, lactose was a more effective inducer than glucose for protease production. The protease activity was further examined by protease inhibitors, which suggested that protease activity was predominantly inhibited by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and slightly suppressed by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Moreover, proteomic analysis revealed a total of 29 extracellular proteases, including 13 serine proteases, 6 aspartic proteases, and 10 metalloproteases. In addition, seven proteases were found to be present among all conditions. These results showed the regulatory profile of extracellular protease production in Trichoderma reesei grown on various carbon and nitrogen sources, which will facilitate the development of T. reesei to be an effective workhorse for enzyme or high-value protein production in industry.

FOXM1 modulates docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer by regulating KIF20A.

BACKGROUND: Docetaxel resistance affects prognosis in advanced prostate cancer (PCa). The precise mechanisms remain unclear. Transcription factor Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1), which participates in cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, has been reported to affect the sensitivity of chemotherapy. This study explores the role of FOXM1 in PCa docetaxel resistance and its association with kinesin family member 20 A (KIF20A), which is known to promote therapeutic resistance in some cancers. METHODS: We monitored cell growth using MTT and colony formation assays, and cell apoptosis and cell cycle progression using flow cytometry. Wound-healing and transwell assays were used to detect cell invasion and migration. mRNA and protein expression were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. We monitored FOXM1 binding to the KIF20A promoter using a ChIP assay. Tumorigenicity in nude mice was used to assess in vivo tumorigenicity. RESULTS: FOXM1 knockdown induced cell apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest, suppressing cell migration and invasion in docetaxel-resistant PCa cell lines (DU145-DR and VCaP-DR). Exogenous FOXM1 overexpression was found in their parental cells. Specific FOXM1 inhibitor thiostrepton significantly weakened docetaxel resistance in vitro and in vivo. We also found that FOXM1 and KIF20A exhibited consistent and highly correlated overexpression in PCa cells and tissues. FOXM1 also regulated KIF20A expression at the transcriptional level by acting directly on a Forkhead response element (FHRE) in its promoter. KIF20A overexpression could partially reverse the effect on cell proliferation, cell cycle proteins (cyclinA2, cyclinD1 and cyclinE1) and apoptosis protein (bcl-2 and PARP) of FOXM1 depletion. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that highly expressed FOXM1 may help promote docetaxel resistance by inducing KIF20A expression, providing insight into novel chemotherapeutic strategies for combatting PCa docetaxel resistance.