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Rationale and objectives: Fuzi, the dried root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx, is one of the widely used traditional Chinese medicines. Fuzi polysaccharides are considered the most bioactive compounds with immunomodulatory functions, however, the mechanisms have not been evaluated. This study aims to systematically investigate the effects of Fuzi polysaccharides on the gut microbiota and immune function using a mouse model immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide. Methods: The short-chain fatty acid levels in cecal contents were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The gut microbiota 16S rRNA gene were sequenced by next generation sequencing. The mRNA expression levels of NF-κB, IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS and COX-2 were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The protein expression of occludin and zonula occludens-1 were analyzed by Western blot. The white blood cells were counted using automated hematology analyzer, and CD4+FOXP3+/CD4+ ratio was measured by flow cytometry. Results and Conclusions: Fuzi polysaccharides had the function of elevating the concentration of acetic acid, propionic acid, isobutyric acid, and n-butyric acid in the cecum. Meanwhile, Fuzi polysaccharides could decrease the relative abundance of Helicobacter, Anaerotruncus, Faecalibacterium, Lachnospira, Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-003, Mucispirillum, and Mycoplasma, and increase the relative abundance of Rhodospirillales, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013, Mollicutes_RF39, Ruminococcus_1, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, and Muribaculaceae in the gut. Furthermore, Fuzi polysaccharides exhibited the function of increasing spleen and thymus indices and number of white blood cells and lymphocytes. Fuzi polysaccharides could reverse the decreased mRNA expression of NF-кB, IL-6, and iNOS, differentiation of CD4+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells as well as protein expression of occludin and zonula occludens-1 induced by cyclophosphamide. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression of cytokines were significantly correlated with the abundance of gut microbiota under Fuzi polysaccharides treatment. Collectively, the above results demonstrated that Fuzi polysaccharides could regulate inflammatory cytokines and gut microbiota composition of immunosuppressive mice to improve immunity, thereby shedding light on revealing the molecular mechanism of polysaccharides of traditional Chinese medicines in the future.
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Objective@#To investigate the trends in incidence of viral hepatitis in Yuxi City, Yunnan Province from 2004 to 2022, so as to provide insights into the management of viral hepatitis.@*Methods@#Data of viral hepatitis cases in Yuxi City from 2004 to 2022 were retrieved from the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The temporal, human and spatial distribution of viral hepatitis cases were analyzed using a descriptive epidemiological method, and the trends in incidence of viral hepatitis were evaluated in Yuxi City from 2004 to 2022 using annual percent change (APC) and average APC (AAPC).@*Results@#A total of 37 430 viral hepatitis cases were reported in Yuxi City from 2004 to 2022, with an average annual incidence rate of 91.27/105, and the incidence showed a tendency towards a rise (AAPC=12.686, P<0.05). There were 29 229 cases with hepatitis B, 5 796 cases with hepatitis C, 1 451 cases with hepatitis A, 520 cases with hepatitis E and 434 cases with unclassified hepatitis reported in Yuxi City, with average annual incidence rates of 71.27/105, 14.13/105, 3.54/105, 1.27/105 and 1.06/105, respectively. The average annual incidence rates of viral hepatitis were 98.24/105 and 78.94/105 among men and women, which both appeared a tendency towards a rise (AAPC=12.415% and 12.581%, both P<0.05). The highest average annual incidence of viral hepatitis was seen among residents at age of 25 to 29 years (139.89/105), with the lowest seen among residents at ages of 0 to 4 years (11.38/105), and the average annual incidence of viral hepatitis appeared a tendency towards a rise with age (P<0.05). The highest average annual incidence of viral hepatitis was seen in Huaning County (234.24/105), with the lowest seen in Chengjiang City (26.11/105), and the average annual incidence appeared a tendency towards a rise in Xinping County from 2004 to 2022 (AAPC=21.451%, P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#The reported incidence of viral hepatitis appeared a tendency towards a rise in Yuxi City from 2004 to 2022, with hepatitis B as the main type. High incidence was seen among men and adolescents. The viral hepatitis control strategy requires to be adjusted with adaptations to high-incidence hepatitis subgroups, residents and regions.
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The Yunnan province has one of the most serious outbreaks of the plague epidemic in China. Small mammals and fleas are risk factors for the occurrence of plague in commensal plague foci. Understanding the relationship between fleas and small mammals will help control fleas and prevent the onset of the plague. Four hundred and twenty-one small mammals, belonging to 9 species, were captured. Of these, 170 small mammals (40.4%) were found infested with fleas. A total of 992 parasitic fleas (including 5 species) were collected. The number of Leptopsylla segnis and Xenopsylla cheopis accounted for 91.03% (903/992). The final multiple hurdle negative binomial regression model showed that when compared with Rattus tanezumi, the probability of flea infestation with Mus musculus as well as other host species decreased by 58% and 99%, respectively, while the number of flea infestations of the other host species increased by 4.71 folds. The probability of flea prevalence in adult hosts increased by 74%, while the number of fleas decreased by 76%. The number of flea infestations in small male mammals increased by 62%. The number of fleas in small mammals weighing more than 59 g has been multiplied by about 4. R. tanezumi is the predominant species in households in the west Yunnan province, while L.segnis and X. cheopis were dominant parasitic fleas. There is a strong relationship between the abundance of fleas and the characteristics of small mammals (e.g. Species, age, sex, and body weight).
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Infestaciones por Pulgas/parasitología , Insectos Vectores , Peste/parasitología , Enfermedades de los Roedores/parasitología , Animales , China/epidemiología , Composición Familiar , Infestaciones por Pulgas/epidemiología , Mamíferos , Peste/epidemiología , Prevalencia , Enfermedades de los Roedores/epidemiología , SiphonapteraRESUMEN
Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (UBCs), which catalyse the transfer of ubiquitin to substrate or E3 ligases, are key enzymes in ubiquitination modifications of target proteins. Current knowledge regarding the sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (SbUBC) family remains very limited. We identified 53 UBC-encoding genes in the sorghum genome and divided these into 18 groups according to their phylogenetic relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh., which was further supported by conserved motif and gene structure analyses. Different expression levels under a variety of abiotic stresses suggested that these might participate in distinct signalling pathways and that they underwent functional divergence during evolution. Furthermore, several SbUBC genes responded to single treatments, and individual SbUBC genes responded to multiple treatments, suggesting that sorghum UBCs may mediate crosstalk among different signalling pathways. Overall, the results provide valuable information for better understanding the classification and putative functions of sorghum UBC-encoding genes.
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Arabidopsis , Sorghum , Filogenia , Enzimas Ubiquitina-Conjugadoras , Ubiquitina-Proteína LigasasRESUMEN
The E2 is at the center of a cascade of Ub1 transfers, and it links activation of the Ub1 by E1 to its eventual E3-catalyzed attachment to substrate. Although the genome-wide analysis of this family has been performed in some species, little is known about analysis of E2 genes in banana. In this study, 74 E2 genes of banana were identified and phylogenetically clustered into thirteen subgroups. The predicted banana E2 genes were distributed across all 11 chromosomes at different densities. Additionally, the E2 domain, gene structure and motif compositions were analyzed. The expression of all of the banana E2 genes was analyzed in the root, stem, leaf, flower organs, five stages of fruit development and under abiotic stresses. All of the banana E2 genes, with the exception of few genes in each group, were expressed in at least one of the organs and fruit developments, which indicated that the E2 genes might involve in various aspects of the physiological and developmental processes of the banana. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis identified that 45 E2s under drought and 33 E2s under salt were induced. To the best of our knowledge, this report describes the first genome-wide analysis of the banana E2 gene family, and the results should provide valuable information for understanding the classification, cloning and putative functions of this family.
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Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Regulación de la Expresión Génica de las Plantas , Genoma de Planta , Familia de Multigenes , Musa/genética , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Cromosomas de las Plantas/genética , Exones/genética , Frutas/genética , Frutas/crecimiento & desarrollo , Duplicación de Gen , Regulación del Desarrollo de la Expresión Génica , Genes de Plantas , Intrones/genética , Especificidad de Órganos/genética , Filogenia , Proteínas de Plantas/química , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Dominios Proteicos , Estrés Fisiológico/genéticaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Ubiquitination is a post-translation modification where ubiquitin is attached to a substrate. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) play a major role in the ubiquitin transfer pathway, as well as a variety of functions in plant biological processes. To date, no genome-wide characterization of this gene family has been conducted in maize (Zea mays). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present study, a total of 75 putative ZmUBC genes have been identified and located in the maize genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ZmUBC proteins could be divided into 15 subfamilies, which include 13 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (ZmE2s) and two independent ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme variant (UEV) groups. The predicted ZmUBC genes were distributed across 10 chromosomes at different densities. In addition, analysis of exon-intron junctions and sequence motifs in each candidate gene has revealed high levels of conservation within and between phylogenetic groups. Tissue expression analysis indicated that most ZmUBC genes were expressed in at least one of the tissues, indicating that these are involved in various physiological and developmental processes in maize. Moreover, expression profile analyses of ZmUBC genes under different stress treatments (4°C, 20% PEG6000, and 200 mM NaCl) and various expression patterns indicated that these may play crucial roles in the response of plants to stress. CONCLUSIONS: Genome-wide identification, chromosome organization, gene structure, evolutionary and expression analyses of ZmUBC genes have facilitated in the characterization of this gene family, as well as determined its potential involvement in growth, development, and stress responses. This study provides valuable information for better understanding the classification and putative functions of the UBC-encoding genes of maize.