Polystyrene microplastics alter the trophic transfer and biotoxicity of fluoxetine in an aquatic food chain.

Microplastics (MPs) and fluoxetine are ubiquitous emerging pollutants in aquatic environments that may interact with each other due to the carrier effects of MPs, posing unpredictable risks to non-target organisms. However, limited studies have focused on the carrier effects of MPs in the aquatic food chain. This study evaluated the influences of polystyrene MPs on the trophic transfer and biotoxicity of fluoxetine in a simple food chain composed of brine shrimp (Artemia nauplii) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). The finding reveals that carrier effects of MPs enhanced the accumulation of waterborne fluoxetine in brine shrimp, but suppressed that in zebrafish due to the distinct retention times. The accumulated fluoxetine in shrimp was further transferred to fish through the food chain, which was alleviated by MPs due to their cleaning effects. In addition, the specific neurotransmission biotoxicity in fish induced by fluoxetine was mitigated by MPs, whilst the oxidative damage, apoptosis, and immune responses in zebrafish were reversely enhanced by MPs due to the stimulating effect. These findings highlight the alleviating effects of MPs on the trophic transfer and specific biotoxicity of fluoxetine in the food chain, providing new insights into the carrier effects of MPs in aquatic environments in the context of increasing global MP pollution.

Non-coding RNAs and colitis-associated cancer: Mechanisms and clinical applications.

BACKGROUND: Colitis-associated cancer (CAC) is one of the most severe complications of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which has caused a worse survival rate in IBD patients. Although the exact aetiology and pathogenesis of CAC are not completely elucidated, evidence indicates that non-coding RNAs are closely involved and play a key role. METHODS: This review aims to summarise the major findings of non-coding RNAs in the development of CAC and present the potential mechanistic links between non-coding RNAs and CAC pathogenesis. The results show that non-coding RNAs can hinder DNA mismatch repair proteins and obstruct chromosome passenger complexes to increase microsatellite instability and accumulate chromosomal instability, respectively. The data also suggest that DNA promoter methylation or RNA methylation modifications of non-coding RNA are the main mechanisms to regulate oncogene or tumour suppressor expression during the CAC progression. Other factors, including gut microbiota perturbations, immune dysregulation and barrier dysfunction, are also regulated and influenced by non-coding RNAs. Besides, non-coding RNAs as molecular managers are associated with multiple critical signalling pathways governing the initiation, progression and metastasis of CAC, including the janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), Wnt/ß-catenin and phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Protein Kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathways. In addition, non-coding RNAs can be detected in colon tissues or blood, and their aberrant expressions and diagnostic and prognostic roles are also discussed and confirmed in CAC patients. CONCLUSIONS: It is believed that a deepening understanding of non-coding RNAs in CAC pathogenesis may prevent the progression to carcinogenesis, and will offer new effective therapies for CAC patients.

An RNA G-Quadruplex Structure within the ADAR 5'UTR Interacts with DHX36 Helicase to Regulate Translation.

RNA G-quadruplex (rG4) structures in the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) play crucial roles in fundamental cellular processes. ADAR is an important enzyme that binds to double-strand RNA and accounts for the conversion of Adenosine to Inosine in RNA editing. However, so far there is no report on the formation and regulatory role of rG4 on ADAR expression. Here, we identify and characterize a thermostable rG4 structure within the 5'UTR of the ADAR1 mRNA and demonstrate its formation and inhibitory role on translation in reporter gene and native gene constructs. We reveal rG4-specific helicase DHX36 interacts with this rG4 in vitro and in cells under knockdown and knockout conditions by GTFH (G-quadruplex-triggered fluorogenic hybridization) probes and modulates translation in an rG4-dependent manner. Our results further substantiate the rG4 structure-DHX36 protein interaction in cells and highlight rG4 to be a key player in controlling ADAR1 translation.

[Community Structure and Microbial Function Responses of Biofilms Colonizing on Microplastics with Vertical Distribution in Urban Water].

Microplastics have received increasing attention worldwide due to their carrier effects. In the aquatic environment, microplastics always show a vertical distribution, which thereby may change the structure and function of the attached microbial communities. However, few studies have focused on this alteration. In this study, the structural changes and functional expression responses of the attached bacterial communities to microplastics under vertical distribution were investigated in the field combined with high-throughput sequencing technology. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were selected as the target microplastics, which were frequently detected in the aqueous environment. The results showed that the α-diversity of bacterial communities attached to PET microplastics was much higher than that of those attached to PVC microplastics. The abundance and diversity of the bacterial communities attached to PET and PVC both increased with the increase in water depth. The α-diversity index of bacteria attached to the two typical microplastics was significantly higher in deep water (90 cm) than that in water 30 cm and 60 cm deep. The Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Verrucomicrobia were the dominant phyla in the attached bacterial communities. In addition, the deep water distinctly altered the bacteria community attached to different microplastics. The results of functional prediction showed that the functional expression of pyrimidine metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis were positively correlated with water depth. In addition, the functional responses of the bacterial communities attached to microplastics were also increased, especially in deep water. Further, the bacterial functions of those attached to PET were significantly higher than that of those attached to PVC. This suggests that both the microplastic polymer and the water depth could affect the structure and function of the attached bacterial communities and that the water depth was more important, which may be related to the difference in the vertical distribution of light and turbidity. The results of this study provide a new insight into the microbial response to and environmental risk of microplastic pollution.

Novel L-RNA Aptamer Controls APP Gene Expression in Cells by Targeting RNA G-Quadruplex Structure.

Guanine quadruplex (G4) structure is a four-stranded nucleic acid secondary structure motif with unique chemical properties and important biological roles. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is an Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related gene, and recently, we reported the formation of RNA G4 (rG4) at the 3'UTR of APP mRNA and demonstrated its repressive role in translation. Herein, we apply rG4-SELEX to develop a novel L-RNA aptamer, L-Apt.8f, which binds to APP 3'UTR D-rG4 strongly with subnanomolar affinity. We structurally characterize the aptamer and find that it contains a thermostable and parallel G4 motif, and mutagenesis analysis identifies the key nucleotides that are involved in the target recognition. We also reveal that the L-Apt.8f-APP D-rG4 interaction is enantiomeric-, magnesium ion-, and potassium ion-dependent. Notably, L-Apt.8f preferentially recognizes APP rG4 over other structural motifs, and it can control the APP reporter gene and native transcript translation in cells. Our work introduces a novel strategy and reports a new L-aptamer candidate to target APP 3'UTR rG4 structure, which laid the foundation for further applying L-RNA as an important class of biomolecule for practical L-aptamer-based targeting and controlling of gene expression in cells.

Long non-coding RNA H19X promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis of colorectal cancer through regulating the miR-503-5p/KANK1 axis.

BACKGROUND: It has been well established that the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) plays a critical role in tumor progression. However, the function of these transcripts and mechanisms responsible for their deregulation in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain to be investigated. OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential effect and regulation mechanism of lncRNA H19X in colorectal cancer. METHODS: We predicted and validated long non-coding RNA H19X from microarray data of colorectal cancer tissues. In addition, the biological behaviors of H19X and miR-503-5p on CRC were examined in vitro and in vivo, including MTT, colony formation assay, Hoechst33342 and transwell assay. The mRNA and protein levels of KN Motif and Ankyrin Repeat Domains 1 (KANK1) were analyzed by Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blotting (WB) assay. Moreover, bioinformatics tools and dual-luciferase reporter assay were applied to demonstrate the relationship between KANK1 and miR-503-5p. RESULTS: H19X was remarkably up-regulated in CRC tissues. Its expression related to tumor size (p = 0.041), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.037), distal metastasis (p = 0.028), advanced TNM stage (p = 0.034) and poor survival in CRC. H19X acted as an oncogenic lncRNA that induced CRC cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Through a number of functional studies, we found that H19X silencing inhibited the malignance phenotype of cancer cells through loss of miR-503-5p. Further studies demonstrated that miR-503-5p was involved in the progression of CRC by directly regulating the downstream target KANK1. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the findings of the present study indicate H19X/miR-503-5p/KANK1 axis has critical role in the progression of colorectal cancer, providing an effective prognostic indicator and promising target in treatment of colorectal cancer.

Revealing the mechanisms of mercury adsorption on metal-doped kaolinite(001) surfaces by first principles.

Natural kaolinite exhibit high affinity for heavy metals while the interaction mechanisms in the presence of heteroatoms remain largely elusive, which are tackled by first principles. In this paper, three common dopants (Mg, Ca, Fe) were employed to construct metal-doped kaolinite(001) (K(001)) surfaces. We found that Mg-doped K(001) was the most stable surface in terms of thermal stability and structural analysis, consistent with the pervasive isomorphic substitution in kaolinite minerals. The interaction of mercury with Mg-doped K(001) surface was investigated in the form of predominant top-site and bridge-site models. The effects of chloride on the interaction were also studied. The results demonstrated that the strongest adsorption occured in the present of dopants and the absence of chloride. The electronic properties revealed a significant charge transfer (up to 1.28 electrons) and chemisorption character at the interfaces when dopants were introduced, which could be ascribed to the overlapping of Hg-5d and Os-2p (surface O) orbitals in the range of -7.5 eV to +0.5 eV. Additionally, the chloride had a profoundly adverse influence on mercury adsorption due to the upward shift of Hg-6s and Hg-6p orbitals. The studies are beneficial to understand the interaction mechanisms of natural minerals toward environmental pollutants in actual applications.

Theoretical insights into the adsorption mechanism of Cd(II) on the basal surfaces of kaolinite.

Retardation of Cd(II) migration is an ongoing concern for environmental remediation, but a prevalent obstacle of the procedure originates from the lack of an atomic-scale description of the inherent mechanism for Cd(II) adsorption at mineral-water interfaces. Herein, we performed first-principles calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations to explore the adsorption mechanism of Cd(II) on the basal surfaces of kaolinite. Representative monodentate and bidentate Cd(II) complexes were constructed on the Kln-Al(001) and Kln-Si(001̅) surfaces. The results showed that bidentate coordination of Cd(II) on the Kln-Al(001) surface was superior to all other studied models due to the favorable formation energy and better agreement with EXAFS data. The calculated electron density difference revealed the charge transfer from surface oxygen (Os) to Cd(II) upon adsorption. In particular, partial density of states (PDOS) analysis indicated that the Cd-Os bond exhibited covalent characteristics, attributed to the overlaps of Cd-5p and Os-2p orbitals in the valence band. Furthermore, radial distribution functions supported by AIMD simulations were employed to confirm the structural features of Cd(II) coordination shell at kaolinite-water interfaces. This theoretical study provides insightful guidance for future Cd(II) research to improve current assessments of contaminant remediation.

Circular L-RNA aptamer promotes target recognition and controls gene activity.

Rational design of aptamers to incorporate unnatural nucleotides and special chemical moieties can expand their functional complexity and diversity. Spiegelmer (L-RNA aptamer) is a unique class of aptamer that is composed of unnatural L-RNA nucleotides, and so far there are limited L-RNA aptamer candidates and applications being reported. Moreover, the target binding properties of current L-RNA aptamers require significant improvement. Here, using L-Apt.4-1c as an example, we develop a simple and robust strategy to generate the first circular L-RNA aptamer, cycL-Apt.4-1c, quantitatively, demonstrate substantial enhancement in binding affinity and selectivity toward its target, and notably report novel applications of circular L-RNA aptamer in controlling RNA-protein interaction, and gene activity including telomerase activity and gene expression. Our approach and findings will be applicable to any L-RNA aptamers and open up a new avenue for diverse applications.

Functional Expression, Purification and Identification of Interaction Partners of PACRG.

PACRG (Parkin co-regulated gene) shares a bi-directional promoter with the Parkinson's disease-associated gene Parkin, but the physiological roles of PACRG have not yet been fully elucidated. Recombinant expression methods are indispensable for protein structural and functional studies. In this study, the coding region of PACRG was cloned to a conventional vector pQE80L, as well as two cold-shock vectors pCold II and pCold-GST, respectively. The constructs were transformed into Escherichia coli (DE3), and the target proteins were overexpressed. The results showed that the cold-shock vectors are more suitable for PACRG expression. The soluble recombinant proteins were purified with Ni2+ chelating column, glutathione S-transferase (GST) affinity chromatography and gel filtration. His6 pull down assay and LC-MS/MS were carried out for identification of PACRG-binding proteins in HEK293T cell lysates, and a total number of 74 proteins were identified as potential interaction partners of PACRG. GO (Gene ontology) enrichment analysis (FunRich) of the 74 proteins revealed multiple molecular functions and biological processes. The highest proportion of the 74 proteins functioned as transcription regulator and transcription factor activity, suggesting that PACRG may play important roles in regulation of gene transcription.

VP39 of Spodoptera litura multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus cannot efficiently rescue the nucleocapsid assembly of vp39-null Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus.

BACKGROUND: Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) vp39 is conserved in all sequenced baculovirus genomes. In previous studies, VP39 has been identified as the major capsid structure protein of baculoviruses and found to be essential for nucleocapsid assembly. The nucleocapsid composition and structure of Group I and II NPVs of the Alphabaculovirus genus are very similar. It is not clear whether the major capsid structure protein VP39 of Group I NPVs is functionally identical to or substitutable with the Group II NPV VP39. In this study, the function of Group II Spodoptera litura MNPV (SpltMNPV) VP39 in Group I AcMNPV was characterized. METHODS: Sequence alignment of AcMNPV VP39 and SpltMNPV VP39 was performed using Clustal X and edited with GeneDoc. To determine whether VP39 of Group I NPVs can be functionally substituted by Group II NPV VP39, a vp39-null AcMNPV (vAcvp39KO) and a vp39-pseudotyped AcMNPV (vAcSpltvp39:FLAG), in which the Group I AcMNPV vp39 coding sequence was replaced with that of SpltMNPV from Group II NPVs, were constructed via homologous recombination in Escherichia coli. Using an anti-FLAG monoclonal antibody, immunoblot analysis was performed to examine SpltMNPV VP39 expression. Fluorescence and light microscopy were used to monitor viral replication and infection. Viral growth curve analysis was performed using a fifty percent tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) endpoint dilution assay. Viral morphogenesis was detected using an electron microscope. RESULTS: Sequence alignment indicated that the N-termini of AcMNPV VP39 and SpltMNPV VP39 are relatively conserved, whereas the C-terminus of SpltMNPV VP39 lacks the domain of amino acid residues 306-334 homologous to AcMNPV VP39. Immunoblot analysis showed that SpltMNPV VP39 was expressed in vAcSpltvp39:FLAG. Fluorescence and light microscopy showed that vAcSpltvp39:FLAG did not spread by infection. Viral growth curve analysis confirmed a defect in infectious budded virion production. Electron microscopy revealed that although masses of abnormally elongated empty capsid structures existed inside the nuclei of Sf9 cells transfected with vAcSpltvp39:FLAG, no nucleocapsids were observed. CONCLUSION: Altogether, our results demonstrated that VP39 from SpltMNPV cannot efficiently substitute AcMNPV VP39 during nucleocapsid assembly in AcMNPV.

Engineered Recombinant Escherichia coli Probiotic Strains Integrated with F4 and F18 Fimbriae Cluster Genes in the Chromosome and Their Assessment of Immunogenic Efficacy in Vivo.

F4 (K88) and F18 fimbriaed enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are the predominant causes of porcine postweaning diarrhea (PWD), and vaccines are considered the most effective preventive approach against PWD. Since heterologous DNA integrated into bacterial chromosomes could be effectively expressed with stable inheritance, we chose probiotic EcNc (E. coli Nissle 1917 prototype cured of cryptic plasmids) as a delivery vector to express the heterologous F4 or both F4 and F18 fimbriae and sequentially assessed their immune efficacy of anti-F4 and F18 fimbriae in both murine and piglet models. Employing the CRISPR-cas9 technology, yjcS, pcadA, lacZ, yieN/trkD, maeB, and nth/tppB sites in the chromosome of an EcNc strain were targeted as integration sites to integrate F4 or F18 fimbriae cluster genes under the Ptet promotor to construct two recombinant integration probiotic strains (RIPSs), i.e., nth integration strain (EcNcΔnth/tppB::PtetF4) and multiple integration strain (EcNc::PtetF18x4::PtetF4x2). Expression of F4, both F4 and F18 fimbriae on the surfaces of two RIPSs, was verified with combined methods of agglutination assay, Western blot, and immunofluorescence microscopy. The recombinant strains have improved adherence to porcine intestinal epithelial cell lines. Mice and piglets immunized with the nth integration strain and multiple integration strain through gavage developed anti-F4 and both anti-F4 and anti-F18 IgG immune responses. Moreover, the serum antibodies from the immunized mice and piglets significantly inhibited the adherence of F4+ or both F4+ and F18+ ETEC wild-type strains to porcine intestinal cell lines in vitro, indicating the potential of RIPSs as promising probiotic strains plus vaccine candidates against F4+/F18+ ETEC infection.

Two new lipid analogues from the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis.

Soft corals of the genus Sinularia are widely distributed in the South China Sea. Two new lipid analogues (Z)-N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)-3-methyldo-dec-2-enamide (1) and (E)-1-(2,5-dihydroxy-4-methylphenyl)-6-acetoxy-2,3,7-trihydroxy-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadeca-11,14-dien (2), together with three known compounds (3-5) were isolated from the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including one and two-dimensional NMR, MS, IR, UV, as well as by comparison with published data.

Disruption of Autographa Californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus ac111 Results in Reduced per os Infectivity in a Host-Dependent Manner.

The Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) ac111 gene is highly conserved in lepidopteran-specific baculoviruses, and its function in the AcMNPV life cycle is still unknown. To investigate the function of ac111, an ac111-knockout AcMNPV (vAc111KO) was constructed through homologous recombination in Escherichia coli. Viral growth curve analysis and plaque assays showed that the deletion of ac111 had no effect on infectious budded virion production. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed that viral DNA replication was unaffected in the absence of ac111. Electron microscopy revealed that the ac111 deletion did not affect nucleocapsid assembly, occlusion-derived virion formation, or the embedding of occlusion-derived virions into the occlusion bodies. However, in vivo bioassays showed that although the deletion of ac111 did not affect the per os infectivity of AcMNPV in Spodoptera exigua larvae, it led to an approximately five-fold reduction in infectivity of AcMNPV in Trichoplusia ni larvae, and vAc111KO took approximately 21 h longer to kill Trichoplusia ni larvae than the wild-type viruses. Taken together, our results demonstrated that although ac111 is not essential for virus replication in vitro, it plays an important role in the per os infectivity of AcMNPV in a host-dependent manner.

Posttranslational Modifications of Baculovirus Protamine-Like Protein P6.9 and the Significance of Its Hyperphosphorylation for Viral Very Late Gene Hyperexpression.

UNLABELLED: Many viruses utilize viral or cellular chromatin machinery for efficient infection. Baculoviruses encode a conserved protamine-like protein, P6.9. This protein plays essential roles in various viral physiological processes during infection. However, the mechanism by which P6.9 regulates transcription remains unknown. In this study, 7 phosphorylated species of P6.9 were resolved in Sf9 cells infected with the baculovirus type species Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). Mass spectrometry identified 22 phosphorylation and 10 methylation sites but no acetylation sites in P6.9. Immunofluorescence demonstrated that the P6.9 and virus-encoded serine/threonine kinase PK1 exhibited similar distribution patterns in infected cells, and coimmunoprecipitation confirmed the interaction between them. Upon pk1 deletion, nucleocapsid assembly and polyhedron formation were interrupted and the transcription of viral very late genes was downregulated. Interestingly, we found that the 3 most phosphorylated P6.9 species vanished from Sf9 cells transfected with the pk1 deletion mutant, suggesting that PK1 is involved in the hyperphosphorylation of P6.9. Mass spectrometry suggested that the phosphorylation of the 7 Ser/Thr and 5 Arg residues in P6.9 was PK1 dependent. Replacement of the 7 Ser/Thr residues with Ala resulted in a P6.9 phosphorylation pattern similar to that of the pk1 deletion mutant. Importantly, the decreases in the transcription level of viral very late genes and viral infectivity were consistent. Our findings reveal that P6.9 hyperphosphorylation is a precondition for the maximal hyperexpression of baculovirus very late genes and provide the first experimental insights into the function of the baculovirus protamine-like protein and the related protein kinase in epigenetics. IMPORTANCE: Diverse posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of histones constitute a code that creates binding platforms that recruit transcription factors to regulate gene expression. Many viruses also utilize host- or virus-induced chromatin machinery to promote efficient infections. Baculoviruses encode a protamine-like protein, P6.9, which is required for a variety of processes in the infection cycle. Currently, P6.9's PTM sites and its regulating factors remain unknown. Here, we found that P6.9 could be categorized as unphosphorylated, hypophosphorylated, and hyperphosphorylated species and that a virus-encoded serine/threonine kinase, PK1, was essential for P6.9 hyperphosphorylation. Abundant PTM sites on P6.9 were identified, among which 7 Ser/Thr phosphorylated sites were PK1 dependent. Mutation of these Ser/Thr sites reduced very late viral gene transcription and viral infectivity, indicating that the PK1-mediated P6.9 hyperphosphorylation contributes to viral proliferation. These data suggest that a code exists in the sophisticated PTM of viral protamine-like proteins and participates in viral gene transcription.

Contamination by metals and pharmaceuticals in northern Taihu Lake (China) and its relation to integrated biomarker response in fish.

Taihu Lake is the largest shallow freshwater lake in eastern China and is suffering not only from an increasingly serious threat of eutrophication but also potential ecological risk due to the input of emerging contaminants. Active biomonitoring was conducted in Taihu Lake using transplanted goldfish (Carassius auratus) to determine the contamination by pharmaceuticals and metals and to assess the potential ecological risk. A suite of biomarkers including acetylcholinesterase, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities in fish after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of exposure in situ, as well as pharmaceuticals and metals in water, were determined during the field exposure period. The results indicate that pharmaceuticals exist mainly in Zhushan Bay and Meiliang Bay, while metals are present mainly in Gong Bay. An integrated biomarker response (IBR) was calculated and used to evaluate the ecological risk of the polluted area of Taihu Lake. It was found that Zhushan Bay might present higher risk to fish, followed by Meiliang Bay. IBR values were in good agreement with copper and caffeine concentrations.

Distribution and phosphorylation of the basic protein P6.9 of Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus.

A protamine-like protein named P6.9 is thought to play a role in the condensation of genomes of the baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) during an infection. Previous studies have shown that P6.9 is phosphorylated immediately upon synthesis and dephosphorylated upon the entry of the P6.9-DNA complex into the capsid. Here, we investigate the dynamic distribution of P6.9 in AcMNPV-infected Spodoptera frugiperda cells using an influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged P6.9. Although a portion of P6.9-HA localized to the virogenic stroma, which is the center of viral DNA replication, transcription, and nucleocapsid assembly, the majority of P6.9-HA was distributed near the inner nuclear membrane throughout the course of infection. Antiserum against P6.9 detected specific phosphorylated forms of P6.9 at the edge of, but not within, the electron-dense matte regions of the virogenic stroma. Further analysis using immunoblotting revealed that at least 11 different phosphorylated forms of P6.9, as well as dephosphorylated P6.9, were present in association with occlusion-derived virions, although only dephosphorylated P6.9 was associated with budded virions.

[Effects of glycinebetaine on ultraweak luminescence and anti-oxidative capability of Malus hupehensis under drought stress].

In a pot experiment with 4-year-old apple root stock (Malus hupehensis), this paper studied the effects of foliar-spraying exogenous glycinebetaine (GB) on the leaf ultraweak luminescence (UWL), contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), endogenous GB and proline (Pro), and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) under drought stress. The results showed that UWL intensity increased under slight- and mid drought stress, but decreased with increasing drought stress till lower than the control. Under slight- and mid drought stress, foliar-spraying GB improved the UWL intensity by 35.27% and 43.95%, respectively, decreased H2O2 and MDA contents, increased SOD and POD activities, and promoted the accumulation of GB and Pro. The exogenous GB and its induced Pro accumulation could increase the anti-oxidative capability of M. hupehensis leaves, and protect the leaf cells from oxidative damage under drought stress.