Function and mechanism exploring of icariin in schizophrenia through network pharmacology.

This study aims to explore the therapeutic effect and possible mechanisms of icariin in schizophrenia. SD rats were divided into five groups, a control group, a MK801-induced schizophrenia model group, and three icariin treatment groups, with twelve rats in each group. Morris water maze and open field were used to observe the spatial learning and memory ability of rats. Compared with the control group, rats in the MK801-induced model group showed an increase in stereotypic behavior score, distance of spontaneous activities, escape latency, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α expression, but a decrease in platform crossing times and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (P < 0.05). Furthermore, all the above changes of the model group were reversed after icariin treatment in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Network pharmacology found that icariin can exert anti-schizophrenic effects through some signaling pathways, such as relaxin, estrogen, and TNF signaling pathways. MAPK1, MAPK3, FOS, RELA, TNF, and JUN were the key targets of icariin on schizophrenia, and their expression was detected in animal models, which was consistent with the predicted results of network pharmacology. Icariin treatment may improve the spatial learning and memory ability of schizophrenic rats through TNF signaling pathway.

Multi-substituted trifluoromethyl alkene construction via gold-catalyzed fluoroarylation of gem-difluoroallenes.

An unprecedented fluoroarylation of 1,1-difluoroallenes with a cost-effective nucleophilic fluoride reagent and aryldiazonium salts is reported. This visible light promoted gold-catalyzed reaction allows a stereo- and regioselective incorporation of both the fluorine atom and aryl group, enabling a straightforward construction of multi-substituted trifluoromethyl alkenes. Under the mild reaction conditions, a nice tolerance of diverse functional groups is achieved. The high regioselectivity for fluorine-incorporation is rationalized by considering the thermodynamic driving force of trifluoromethyl group formation, whereas the counterintuitive stereoselectivity that aryl is installed on the side of the bulkier γ-substituent is interpreted by alleviating the increasing 1,3-allylic interaction in the gold-coordinated allene intermediate en route to the product.

Achieving Strong Circularly Polarized Luminescence through Cascade Cationic Insertion in Lead-free Hybrid Metal Halides.

Generating circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with simultaneous high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and dissymmetry factor (glum) is difficult due to usually unmatched electric transition dipole moment (µ) and magnetic transition dipole moment (m) of materials. Herein we tackle this issue by playing a "cascade cationic insertion" trick to achieve strong CPL (with PLQY of ~100 %) in lead-free metal halides with high glum values reaching -2.3×10-2 without using any chiral inducers. Achiral solvents of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) infiltrate the crystal lattice via asymmetric hydrogen bonding, distorting the perovskite structure to induce the "intrinsic" chirality. Surprisingly, additional insertion of Cs+ cation to substitute partial (CH3)2NH2 + transforms the chiral space group to achiral but the crystal maintains chiroptical activity. Further doping of Sb3+ stimulates strong photoluminescence as a result of self-trapped excitons (STEs) formation without disturbing the crystal framework. The chiral perovskites of indium-antimony chlorides embedded on LEDs chips demonstrate promising potential as CPL emitters. Our work presents rare cases of chiroptical activity of highly luminescent perovskites from only achiral building blocks via spontaneous resolution as a result of symmetry breaking.

3D-Printed Magnesium Peroxide-Incorporated Scaffolds with Sustained Oxygen Release and Enhanced Photothermal Performance for Osteosarcoma Multimodal Treatments.

The hypoxic microenvironment in osteosarcoma inevitably compromises the antitumor effect and local bone defect repair, suggesting an urgent need for sustained oxygenation in the tumor. The currently reported oxygen-releasing materials have short oxygen-releasing cycles, harmful products, and limited antitumor effects simply by improving hypoxia. Therefore, the PCL/nHA/MgO2/PDA-integrated oxygen-releasing scaffold with a good photothermal therapy effect was innovatively constructed in this work to achieve tumor cell killing and bone regeneration functions simultaneously. The material distributes MgO2 powder evenly on the scaffold material through 3D printing technology and achieves the effect of continuous oxygen release (more than 3 weeks) through its slow reaction with water. The in vitro and in vivo results also indicate that the scaffold has good biocompatibility and sustained-release oxygen properties, which can effectively induce the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells, achieving excellent bone defect repair. At the same time, in vitro cell experiments and subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiments also confirmed that local oxygen supply can promote osteosarcoma cell apoptosis, inhibit proliferation, and reduce the expression of heat shock protein 60, thereby enhancing the photothermal therapy effect of polydopamine and efficiently eliminating osteosarcoma. Taken together, this integrated functional scaffold provides a unique and efficient approach for antitumor and tumor-based bone defect repair for osteosarcoma treatment.

Mechanisms on salt tolerant of Paenibacillus polymyxa SC2 and its growth-promoting effects on maize seedlings under saline conditions.

Soil salinity negatively affects microbial communities, soil fertility, and agricultural productivity and has become a major agricultural problem worldwide. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) with salt tolerance can benefit plant growth under saline conditions and diminish the negative effects of salt stress on plants. In this study, we aimed to understand the salt-tolerance mechanism of Paenibacillus polymyxa at the genetic and metabolic levels and elucidate the mechanism of strain SC2 in promoting maize growth under saline conditions. Under salt stress, we found that strain SC2 promoted maize seedling growth, which was accompanied by a significant upregulation of genes encoding for the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan, polysaccharide, and fatty acid, the metabolism of purine and pyrimidine, and the transport of osmoprotectants such as trehalose, glycine betaine, and K+ in strain SC2. To further enhance the salt resistance of strain SC2, three mutants (SC2-11, SC2-13, and SC2-14) with higher capacities for salt resistance and exopolysaccharide synthesis were obtained via atmospheric and room-temperature plasma mutagenesis. In saline-alkaline soil, the mutants showed better promoting effect on maize seedlings than wild-type SC2. The fresh weight of maize seedlings was increased by 68.10% after treatment with SC2-11 compared with that of the control group. The transcriptome analysis of maize roots demonstrated that SC2 and SC2-11 could induce the upregulation of genes related to the plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, reactive oxygen species scavenging, and auxin and ethylene signaling under saline-alkaline stress. In addition, various transcription factors, such as zinc finger proteins, ethylene-responsive-element-binding protein, WRKY, myeloblastosis proteins, basic helix-loop-helix proteins, and NAC proteins, were up-regulated in response to abiotic stress. Moreover, the microbial community composition of maize rhizosphere soil after inoculating with strain SC2 was varied from the one after inoculating with mutant SC2-11. Our results provide new insights into the various genes involved in the salt resistance of strain SC2 and a theoretical basis for utilizing P. polymyxa in saline-alkaline environments.

Selenium nanoparticles/carboxymethyl chitosan/alginate antioxidant hydrogel for treating steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH). Although several antioxidant strategies have been investigated for treating SONFH, their antioxidant efficiencies and therapeutic effects remain unsatisfactory. Here, we developed a selenium nanoparticles/carboxymethyl chitosan/alginate (SeNPs/CMC/Alg) antioxidant hydrogel and evaluated its ability to treat SONFH. In vitro assays indicated that the SeNPs/CMC/Alg hydrogel exhibited excellent properties, such as low cytotoxicity, sustained SeNPs release, and favorable antioxidant activity. Under oxidative stress, the SeNPs/CMC/Alg hydrogel promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) elimination and enhanced the osteogenic and proangiogenic abilities of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). After establishing a rabbit model of SONFH, the SeNPs/CMC/Alg hydrogel was transplanted into the femoral head after core decompression (CD) surgery. Radiographic and histological analyses revealed that the hydrogel treatment alleviated SONFH by eliminating ROS and promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis compared to those in the CD and CMC/Alg groups. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway was activated by the SeNPs/CMC/Alg hydrogel in both hydrogen peroxide-conditioned BMSCs and necrotic femoral heads. These findings indicate that local transplantation of the SeNPs/CMC/Alg hydrogel is beneficial for treating SONFH, as it promotes ROS elimination and activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Response of Paenibacillus polymyxa SC2 to the stress of polymyxin B and a key ABC transporter YwjA involved.

Polymyxins are cationic peptide antibiotics and regarded as the "final line of defense" against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Meanwhile, some polymyxin-resistant strains and the corresponding resistance mechanisms have also been reported. However, the response of the polymyxin-producing strain Paenibacillus polymyxa to polymyxin stress remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress response of gram-positive P. polymyxa SC2 to polymyxin B and to identify functional genes involved in the stress response process. Polymyxin B treatment upregulated the expression of genes related to basal metabolism, transcriptional regulation, transport, and flagella formation and increased intracellular ROS levels, flagellar motility, and biofilm formation in P. polymyxa SC2. Adding magnesium, calcium, and iron alleviated the stress of polymyxin B on P. polymyxa SC2, furthermore, magnesium and calcium could improve the resistance of P. polymyxa SC2 to polymyxin B by promoting biofilm formation. Meanwhile, functional identification of differentially expressed genes indicated that an ABC superfamily transporter YwjA was involved in the stress response to polymyxin B of P. polymyxa SC2. This study provides an important reference for improving the resistance of P. polymyxa to polymyxins and increasing the yield of polymyxins. KEY POINTS: • Phenotypic responses of P. polymyxa to polymyxin B was performed and indicated by RNA-seq • Forming biofilm was a key strategy of P. polymyxa to alleviate polymyxin stress • ABC transporter YwjA was involved in the stress resistance of P. polymyxa to polymyxin B.

Almost Surely Exponential Convergence Analysis of Time Delayed Uncertain Cellular Neural Networks Driven by Liu Process via Lyapunov-Krasovskii Functional Approach.

As with probability theory, uncertainty theory has been developed, in recent years, to portray indeterminacy phenomena in various application scenarios. We are concerned, in this paper, with the convergence property of state trajectories to equilibrium states (or fixed points) of time delayed uncertain cellular neural networks driven by the Liu process. By applying the classical Banach's fixed-point theorem, we prove, under certain conditions, that the delayed uncertain cellular neural networks, concerned in this paper, have unique equilibrium states (or fixed points). By carefully designing a certain Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, we provide a convergence criterion, for state trajectories of our concerned uncertain cellular neural networks, based on our developed Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional. We demonstrate under our proposed convergence criterion that the existing equilibrium states (or fixed points) are exponentially stable almost surely, or equivalently that state trajectories converge exponentially to equilibrium states (or fixed points) almost surely. We also provide an example to illustrate graphically and numerically that our theoretical results are all valid. There seem to be rare results concerning the stability of equilibrium states (or fixed points) of neural networks driven by uncertain processes, and our study in this paper would provide some new research clues in this direction. The conservatism of the main criterion obtained in this paper is reduced by introducing quite general positive definite matrices in our designed Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional.

Programmable synthesis of difluorinated hydrocarbons from alkenes through a photocatalytic linchpin strategy.

The introduction of difluoromethylene moieties into organic molecules has garnered significant attention due to their profound influence on the physicochemical and biological properties of compounds. Nonetheless, the existing approaches for accessing difluoroalkanes from readily available feedstock chemicals remain limited. In this study, we present an efficient and modular protocol for the synthesis of difluorinated compounds from alkenes, employing the readily accessible reagent, ClCF2SO2Na, as a versatile "difluoromethylene" linchpin. By means of an organophotoredox-catalysed hydrochlorodifluoromethylation of alkenes, followed by a ligated boryl radical-facilitated halogen atom transfer (XAT) process, we have successfully obtained various difluorinated compounds, including gem-difluoroalkanes, gem-difluoroalkenes, difluoromethyl alkanes, and difluoromethyl alkenes, with satisfactory yields. The practical utility of this linchpin strategy has been demonstrated through the successful preparation of CF2-linked derivatives of complex drugs and natural products. This method opens up new avenues for the synthesis of structurally diverse difluorinated hydrocarbons and highlights the utility of ligated boryl radicals in organofluorine chemistry.

Pramipexole has a neuroprotective effect in spinal cord injury and upregulates D2 receptor expression in the injured spinal cord tissue in rats.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has emerged as a prevalent condition with limited effective treatment options. The neuroprotective role of pramipexole (PPX) in inhibiting nerve cell apoptosis in central nervous system injuries is well established. Therefore, we investigated the effects of PPX in SCI. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (sham, SCI, PPX-0.25, and PPX-2.0 groups) according to the PPX therapy (n = 24). Then, SCI was induced using the modified Allen method, and PPX was intravenously administered into the tail at dosages of 0.25 or 2.0 mg/kg following the injury. Motor function was evaluated using the Rivlin-modified inclined plate apparatus and the Basso Beattie Bresnahan (BBB) workout scale. Western blotting assay was used to measure protein expression levels of DRD2, NeuN, Bax/Bcl-2, and caspase-3. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry assessed the effect of PPX on the quantity of NeuN-positive cells in the spinal cord tissue after SCI. Our findings revealed that the BBB and slanting board test scores of the PPX-treated model groups were considerably higher for the SCI group and significantly lower for the sham operation group (P < 0.001). Moreover, the PPX-2.0 group exhibited significantly higher NeuN expression levels than the SCI group (P < 0.01). Our findings indicate that PPX exerts a neuroprotective effect in secondary neuronal injury following SCI, facilitating the recovery of hind limb function by downregulating Bax/Bcl-2, caspase-3, and IL-1ß.

Highly defective copper-based metal-organic frameworks for the efficient adsorption and detection of organophosphorus pesticides: An experimental and computational investigation.

Organophosphorus pesticide (OP) residues pose a serious threat to human health, motivating the search for novel adsorbents and detection methods. Herein, defective copper-based metal organic frameworks (Cu-MOFs) were synthesized by the reaction of Cu2+ ions and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate linkers in the presence of acetic acid. As the amount of acetic acid increased, the crystallization kinetics and morphology of the Cu-MOFs changed, leading to mesoporous Cu-MOFs with many large surface pores (defects). Adsorption studies of OPs revealed the defective Cu-MOFs showed faster pesticide adsorption kinetics and higher pesticide adsorption capacities. Density functional theory calculations showed that pesticide adsorption in the Cu-MOFs was mainly electrostatic. A dispersive solid phase extraction method was developed based on a defective Cu-MOF-6 for rapidly extracting pesticides from food samples. The method allowed pesticide detection over a wide linear concentration range, low limits of detection (0.0067-0.0164 µg L-1) and good recoveries in pesticide-spiked samples (81.03-109.55%).

Multi-omics analysis reveals BDE47 induces depression-like behaviors in mice by interfering with the 2-arachidonoyl glycerol-associated microbiota-gut-brain axis.

2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE47) is a foodborne environmental risk factor for depression, but the pathogenic mechanism has yet to be fully characterized. In this study, we clarified the effect of BDE47 on depression in mice. The abnormal regulation of the microbiome-gut-brain axis is evidenced closely associated with the development of depression. Using RNA sequencing, metabolomics, and 16s rDNA amplicon sequencing, the role of the microbiome-gut-brain axis in depression was also explored. The results showed that BDE47 exposure increased depression-like behaviors in mice but inhibited the learning memory ability of mice. The RNA sequencing analysis showed that BDE47 exposure disrupted dopamine transmission in the brain of mice. Meanwhile, BDE47 exposure reduced protein levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT), activated astrocytes and microglia cells, and increased protein levels of NLRP3, IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α in the brain of mice. The 16 s rDNA sequencing analysis showed that BDE47 exposure disrupted microbiota communities in the intestinal contents of mice, and faecalibaculum was the most increased genus. Moreover, BDE47 exposure increased the levels of IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α in the colon and serum of mice but decreased the levels of tight junction protein ZO-1 and Occludin in the colon and brain of mice. In addition, the metabolomic analysis revealed that BDE47 exposure induced metabolic disorders of arachidonic acid and neurotransmitter 2-Arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) was one of the most decreased metabolites. Correlation analysis further revealed gut microbial dysbiosis, particularly faecalibaculum, is associated with altered gut metabolites and serum cytokines in response to BDE47 exposure. Our results suggest that BDE47 might induce depression-like behavior in mice through gut microbial dysbiosis. The mechanism might be associated with the inhibited 2-AG signaling and increased inflammatory signaling in the gut-brain axis.

Postoperative effect of sufentanil preemptive analgesia combined with psychological intervention on breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the postoperative effects of sufentanil preemptive analgesia combined with psychological intervention on breast cancer patients undergoing radical surgery. METHODS: 112 female breast cancer patients aged 18-80 years old who underwent radical surgery by the same surgeon were randomly divided into 4 groups, and there were 28 patients in each group. Patients in group A were given 10 µg sufentanil preemptive analgesia combined with perioperative psychological support therapy (PPST), group B had only 10 µg sufentanil preemptive analgesia, group C had only PPST, and group D were under general anesthesia with conventional intubation. Visual analogue scoring (VAS) was used for analgesic evaluation at 2, 12 and 24 h after surgery and compared among the four groups by ANOVA method. RESULTS: The awakening time of patients in group A or B was significantly shorter than that in group C or D, and the awakening time in group C was significantly shorter than that in group D. Moreover, patients in group A had the shortest extubation time, while the group D had the longest extubation time. The VAS scores at different time points showed significant difference, and the VAS scores at 12 and 24 h were significantly lower than those at 2 h (P < 0.05). The VAS scores and the changing trend of VAS scores were varied among the four groups (P < 0.05). In addition, we also found that patients in group A had the longest time to use the first pain medication after surgery, while patients in group D had the shortest time. But the adverse reactions among the four groups showed no difference. CONCLUSIONS: Sufentanil preemptive analgesia combined with psychological intervention can effectively relieve the postoperative pain of breast cancer patients.

The effect of allyl isothiocyanate on chondrocyte phenotype is matrix stiffness-dependent: Possible involvement of TRPA1 activation.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease with increasing prevalence. Chondrocytes (CHs) are highly differentiated end-stage cells with a secretory phenotype that keeps the extracellular matrix (ECM) balanced and the cartilage environment stable. Osteoarthritis dedifferentiation causes cartilage matrix breakdown, accounting for one of the key pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Recently, the activation of transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) was claimed to be a risk factor in osteoarthritis by causing inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation. However, the underlying mechanism is still unknown. Due to its mechanosensitive property, we speculated that the role of TRPA1 activation during osteoarthritis is matrix stiffness-dependent. In this study, we cultured the chondrocytes from patients with osteoarthritis on stiff vs. soft substrates, treated them with allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 agonist, and compared the chondrogenic phenotype, containing cell shape, F-actin cytoskeleton, vinculin, synthesized collagen profiles and their transcriptional regulatory factor, and inflammation-related interleukins. The data suggest that allyl isothiocyanate treatment activates transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 and results in both positive and harmful effects on chondrocytes. In addition, a softer matrix could help enhance the positive effects and alleviate the harmful ones. Thus, the effect of allyl isothiocyanate on chondrocytes is conditionally controllable, which could be associated with transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 activation, and is a promising strategy for osteoarthritis treatment.

Clearance of bacteria from lymph nodes in sheep immunized with Brucella suis S2 vaccine is associated with M1 macrophage activation.

Ovine brucellosis is a global zoonotic disease of sheep caused by Brucella melitensis, which inflicts a significant burden on human and animal health. Brucella suis strain S2 (B. suis S2) is a smooth live attenuated vaccine for the prevention of ovine brucellosis in China. However, no previous studies have assessed the immunogenicity of B. suis S2 vaccine after oral immunization in sheep. Here, we attempted to evaluate the ovine immune response over the course of B. suis S2 immunization and to identify in vivo predictors for vaccine development. Body temperature, serum Brucella antibodies, serum cytokines (IL-12p70 and interferon [IFN]-γ), and bacterial load in the mandibular lymph nodes (LN), superficial cervical LN, superficial inguinal LN, and spleen were investigated to determine the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. The abnormal body temperature of sheep occurred within 8 days post-infection (dpi). Brucella suis S2 persisted for a short time (< 21 dpi) in the mandibular LN. The highest level of IL-12p70 was observed at 9 dpi, whereas serum IFN-γ levels peaked at 12 dpi. Transcriptome analysis and quantitative reverse transcription PCR were performed to determine gene expression profiles in the mandibular LN of sheep. Antigen processing and presentation pathway was the dominant pathway related to the dataset. Our studies suggest that the immune response in ovine LN resembled type 1 immunity with the secretion of IL-12p70 and IFN-γ after B.suis S2 immunization and the vaccine may eliminate Brucella via stimulation of M1 macrophages through the course of Th cells.

Global Existence and Fixed-Time Synchronization of a Hyperchaotic Financial System Governed by Semi-Linear Parabolic Partial Differential Equations Equipped with the Homogeneous Neumann Boundary Condition.

Chaotic nonlinear dynamical systems, in which the generated time series exhibit high entropy values, have been extensively used and play essential roles in tracking accurately the complex fluctuations of the real-world financial markets. We are concerned with a system of semi-linear parabolic partial differential equations supplemented by the homogeneous Neumann boundary condition, which governs a financial system comprising the labor force, the stock, the money, and the production sub-blocks distributed in a certain line segment or planar region. The system derived by removing the terms involved with partial derivatives with respect to space variables from our concerned system was demonstrated to be hyperchaotic. We firstly prove, via Galerkin's method and establishing a priori inequalities, that the initial-boundary value problem for the concerned partial differential equations is globally well posed in Hadamard's sense. Secondly, we design controls for the response system to our concerned financial system, prove under some additional conditions that our concerned system and its controlled response system achieve drive-response fixed-time synchronization, and provide an estimate on the settling time. Several modified energy functionals (i.e., Lyapunov functionals) are constructed to demonstrate the global well-posedness and the fixed-time synchronizability. Finally, we perform several numerical simulations to validate our synchronization theoretical results.

Analyses of regulatory network and discovery of potential biomarkers for Korean rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) in responses to starvation stress through transcriptome and metabolome.

Whether in aquaculture or in nature, starvation stress limits the growth of fish. The purpose of the study was to clarify the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying starvation stress in Korean rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) through liver transcriptome and metabolome analysis. Transcriptome results showed that liver genes associated with cell cycle and fatty acid synthesis were down-regulated, whereas those related to fatty acid decomposition were up-regulated in the experimental group (EG; starved for 72 days) compared to the control group (CG; feeding). Metabolomic results showed that there were significant differences in the levels of metabolites related to nucleotide metabolism and energy metabolism, such as purine metabolism, histidine metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Five fatty acids (C22:6n-3; C22:5n-3; C20:5n-3; C20:4n-3; C18:3n-6) were selected as possible biomarkers of starvation stress from the differential metabolites of metabolome. Subsequently, correlation between these differential genes of lipid metabolism and cell cycle and differential metabolites were analyzed, and observed that these five fatty acids were significantly correlated with the differential genes. These results provide new clues for understanding the role of fatty acid metabolism and cell cycle in fish under starvation stress. It also provides a reference for promoting the biomarker identification of starvation stress and stress tolerance breeding research.

Prenatal exposure to phthalates and polybrominated diphenyl ethers on neonatal health: A birth cohort study in Guangxi, China.

Few epidemiological studies have focused on prenatal phthalates (PAEs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) exposure to neonatal health in China. This study aimed to assess the associations between prenatal PAEs and PBDEs exposure and neonatal health in Guangxi, a Zhuang autonomous region of China. Concentrations of 4 PAEs metabolites (mPAEs) and 5 PBDEs congeners were measured in the serum of 267 healthy pregnant women. Birth outcomes and clinical data of neonates were collected after delivery. Mono-(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) (81.52%) and BDE47 (35.21%) were the mPAEs and PBDEs congeners with the highest detection rate in serum. Prenatal exposures to mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), MEHP, and ΣmPAEs were negatively associated with birth weight (BW), birth length (BL), and gestational age (GA). Higher exposures to MBP, MEHP, and ΣmPAEs were associated with an increased odds ratio (OR) for low birth weight (LBW), but exposure to BDE28 exhibited the opposite effect. Moreover, higher exposures to MBP, MEHP, ΣmPAEs, BDE99, and ΣPBDEswere associated with an increased OR for premature birth (PTB) (P < 0.05). In contrast to MBP exposure, BDE28 exposure was associated with a higher OR for neonatal jaundice (NNJ) (P < 0.05). The interaction analysis showed a positive interaction between monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and BDE28 on the risk of NNJ and positive interaction between ΣmPAEs and BDE47 on the risk of NNJ. In addition, there are ethnicity-specific associations of prenatal PBDEs exposure with neonatal health in individuals of Zhuang and Han nationalities, and boy neonates were more sensitive to prenatal PBDEs exposure than girl neonates. The results revealed that prenatal exposure to mPAEs and PBDEs might have adverse effects on neonatal development, and the effects might be ethnicity- and sex-specific.

Volatile organic compounds from Lysinibacillus macroides regulating the seedling growth of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have the characteristics of long distance propagation, low concentration, perception, and indirect contact between organisms. In this experiment, Lysinibacillus macroides Xi9 was isolated from cassava residue, and the VOCs produced by this strain were analyzed by the SPME-GC-MS method, mainly including alcohols, esters, and alkanes. By inoculation of L. macroides Xi9, VOCs can promote the growth and change the root-system architecture of Arabidopsis seedlings. The results showed that the number of lateral roots, root density, and fresh weight of Arabidopsis seedlings were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.01), and the number of roots hair was also increased after exposure to strain Xi9. Compared with the control group, the transcriptome analysis of Arabidopsis seedlings treated with strain Xi9 for 5 days revealed a total of 508 genes differentially expressed (p < 0.05). After Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, it was found that genes encoding nitrate transport and assimilation, and the lateral root-related gene ANR1 were up-regulated. The content of NO3 - and amino acid in Arabidopsis seedlings were significantly higher from control group (p ≤ 0.01). Plant cell wall-related EXPA family genes and pectin lyase gene were up-regulated, resulting cell elongation of leaf. SAUR41 and up-regulation of its subfamily members, as well as the down-regulation of auxin efflux carrier protein PILS5 and auxin response factor 20 (ARF20) led to the accumulation of auxin. These results indicated that VOCs of strain Xi9 promote Arabidopsis seedlings growth and development by promoting nitrogen uptake, regulating auxin synthesis, and improving cell wall modification. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01268-3.

MsmR1, a global transcription factor, regulates polymyxin synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism in Paenibacillus polymyxa SC2.

The multiple-sugar metabolism regulator (MsmR), a transcription factor belonging to the AraC/XylS family, participates in polysaccharide metabolism and virulence. However, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of MsmR1 in Paenibacillus polymyxa remain unclear. In this study, knocking out msmR1 was found to reduce polymyxin synthesis by the SC2-M1 strain. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay with sequencing (ChIP-seq) revealed that most enriched pathway was that of carbohydrate metabolism. Additionally, electromobility shift assays (EMSA) confirmed the direct interaction between MsmR1 and the promoter regions of oppC3, sucA, sdr3, pepF, yycN, PPSC2_23180, pppL, and ydfp. MsmR1 stimulates polymyxin biosynthesis by directly binding to the promoter regions of oppC3 and sdr3, while also directly regulating sucA and influencing the citrate cycle (TCA cycle). In addition, MsmR1 directly activates pepF and was beneficial for spore and biofilm formation. These results indicated that MsmR1 could regulate carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, and indirectly affect biological processes such as polymyxin synthesis, biofilm formation, and motility. Moreover, MsmR1 could be autoregulated. Hence, this study expand the current knowledge of MsmR1 and will be beneficial for the application of P. polymyxa SC2 in the biological control against the certain pathogens in pepper.