Microbial Sulfur and Arsenic Oxidation Facilitate the Establishment of Biocrusts during Reclamation of Degraded Mine Tailings.

Degraded tailings generated by the mining of metal ores are major environmental threats to the surrounding ecosystems. Tailing reclamation, however, is often impeded due to adverse environmental conditions, with depleted key nutrients (i.e., nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) and elevated sulfur and metal(loid) concentrations. Formation of biocrusts may significantly accelerate nutrient accumulation and is therefore an essential stage for tailing reclamation. Although suggested to play an important role, the microbial community composition and key metabolisms in biocrusts remain largely unknown and are therefore investigated in the current study. The results suggested that sulfur and arsenic oxidation are potential energy sources utilized by members of predominant biocrust bacterial families, including Beijerinckiaceae, Burkholderiaceae, Hyphomicrobiaceae, and Rhizobiaceae. Accordingly, the S and As oxidation potentials are elevated in biocrusts compared to those in their adjacent tailings. Biocrust growth, as proxied by chlorophyll concentrations, is enhanced in treatments supplemented with S and As. The elevated biocrust growth might benefit from nutrient acquisition services (i.e., nitrogen fixation and phosphorus solubilization) fueled by microbial sulfur and arsenic oxidation. The current study suggests that sulfur- and arsenic-oxidizing microorganisms may play important ecological roles in promoting biocrust formation and facilitating tailing reclamation.

Global pattern of organic carbon pools in forest soils.

Understanding the mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in forests is vital to ecosystem carbon budgeting and helps gain insight in the functioning and sustainable management of world forests. An explicit knowledge of the mechanisms driving global SOC sequestration in forests is still lacking because of the complex interplays between climate, soil, and forest type in influencing SOC pool size and stability. Based on a synthesis of 1179 observations from 292 studies across global forests, we quantified the relative importance of climate, soil property, and forest type on total SOC content and the specific contents of physical (particulate vs. mineral-associated SOC) and chemical (labile vs. recalcitrant SOC) pools in upper 10 cm mineral soils, as well as SOC stock in the O horizons. The variability in the total SOC content of the mineral soils was better explained by climate (47%-60%) and soil factors (26%-50%) than by NPP (10%-20%). The total SOC content and contents of particulate (POC) and recalcitrant SOC (ROC) of the mineral soils all decreased with increasing mean annual temperature because SOC decomposition overrides the C replenishment under warmer climate. The content of mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) was influenced by temperature, which directly affected microbial activity. Additionally, the presence of clay and iron oxides physically protected SOC by forming MAOC. The SOC stock in the O horizons was larger in the temperate zone and Mediterranean regions than in the boreal and sub/tropical zones. Mixed forests had 64% larger SOC pools than either broadleaf or coniferous forests, because of (i) higher productivity and (ii) litter input from different tree species resulting in diversification of molecular composition of SOC and microbial community. While climate, soil, and forest type jointly determine the formation and stability of SOC, climate predominantly controls the global patterns of SOC pools in forest ecosystems.

Salvianolic acid B enhances tissue repair and regeneration by regulating immune cell migration and Caveolin-1-mediated blastema formation in zebrafish.

INTRODUCTION: Non-healing wounds resulting from trauma, surgery, and chronic diseases annually affect millions of individuals globally, with limited therapeutic strategies available due to the incomplete understanding of the molecular processes governing tissue repair and regeneration. Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) has shown promising bioactivities in promoting angiogenesis and inhibiting inflammation. However, its regulatory mechanisms in tissue regeneration remain unclear. PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the effects of Sal B on wound healing and regeneration processes, along with its underlying molecular mechanisms, by employing zebrafish as a model organism. METHODS: In this study, we employed a multifaceted approach to evaluate the impact of Sal B on zebrafish tail fin regeneration. We utilized whole-fish immunofluorescence, TUNEL staining, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and Acridine Orange (AO) probes to analyze the tissue repair and regenerative under Sal B treatment. Additionally, we utilized transgenic zebrafish strains to investigate the migration of inflammatory cells during different phases of fin regeneration. To validate the importance of Caveolin-1 (Cav1) in tissue regeneration, we delved into its functional role using molecular docking and Morpholino-based gene knockdown techniques. Additionally, we quantified Cav1 expression levels through the application of in situ hybridization. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrated that Sal B expedites zebrafish tail fin regeneration through a multifaceted mechanism involving the promotion of cell proliferation, suppression of apoptosis, and enhancement of MMP. Furthermore, Sal B was found to exert regulatory control over the dynamic aggregation and subsequent regression of immune cells during tissue regenerative processes. Importantly, we observed that the knockdown of Cav1 significantly compromised tissue regeneration, leading to an excessive infiltration of immune cells and increased levels of apoptosis. Moreover, the knockdown of Cav1 also affects blastema formation, a critical process influenced by Cav1 in tissue regeneration. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that Sal B facilitated tissue repair and regeneration through regulating of immune cell migration and Cav1-mediated fibroblast activation, promoting blastema formation and development. This study highlighted the potential pharmacological effects of Sal B in promoting tissue regeneration. These findings contributed to the advancement of regenerative medicine research and the development of novel therapeutic approaches for trauma.

Non-invasive diagnosis of bacterial and non-bacterial inflammations using a dual-enzyme-responsive fluorescent indicator.

Bacterial infections, as the second leading cause of global death, are commonly treated with antibiotics. However, the improper use of antibiotics contributes to the development of bacterial resistance. Therefore, the accurate differentiation between bacterial and non-bacterial inflammations is of utmost importance in the judicious administration of clinical antibiotics and the prevention of bacterial resistance. However, as of now, no fluorescent probes have yet been designed for the relevant assessments. To this end, the present study reports the development of a novel fluorescence probe (CyQ) that exhibits dual-enzyme responsiveness. The designed probe demonstrated excellent sensitivity in detecting NTR and NAD(P)H, which served as critical indicators for bacterial and non-bacterial inflammations. The utilization of CyQ enabled the efficient detection of NTR and NAD(P)H in distinct channels, exhibiting impressive detection limits of 0.26 µg mL-1 for NTR and 5.54 µM for NAD(P)H, respectively. Experimental trials conducted on living cells demonstrated CyQ's ability to differentiate the variations in NTR and NAD(P)H levels between A. baumannii, S. aureus, E. faecium, and P. aeruginosa-infected as well as LPS-stimulated HUVEC cells. Furthermore, in vivo zebrafish experiments demonstrated the efficacy of CyQ in accurately discerning variations in NTR and NAD(P)H levels resulting from bacterial infection or LPS stimulation, thereby facilitating non-invasive detection of both bacterial and non-bacterial inflammations. The outstanding discriminatory ability of CyQ between bacterial and non-bacterial inflammation positions it as a promising clinical diagnostic tool for acute inflammations.

Laboratory evidence of Weibel magnetogenesis driven by temperature gradient using three-dimensional synchronous proton radiography.

The origin of the cosmic magnetic field remains an unsolved mystery, relying not only on specific dynamo processes but also on the seed field to be amplified. Recently, the diffuse radio emission and Faraday rotation observations reveal that there has been a microgauss-level magnetic field in intracluster medium in the early universe, which places strong constraints on the strength of the initial field and implies the underlying kinetic effects; the commonly believed Biermann battery can only provide extremely weak seed of 10-21 G. Here, we present evidence for the spontaneous Weibel-type magnetogenesis in laser-produced weakly collisional plasma with the three-dimensional synchronous proton radiography, where the distribution anisotropy directly arises from the temperature gradient, even without the commonly considered interpenetrating plasmas or shear flows. This field can achieve sufficient strength and is sensitive to Coulomb collision. Our results demonstrate the importance of kinetics in magnetogenesis in weakly collisional astrophysical scenarios.

Long term co-application of biochar and fertilizer could increase soybean yield under continuous cropping: insights from photosynthetic physiology.

BACKGROUND: Photosynthesis is the key to crop yield. The effect of biochar on photosynthetic physiology and soybean yield under continuous cropping is unclear. We conducted a long-term field experiment to investigate the effects of co-application of biochar and fertilizer (BCAF) on these parameters. Five treatments were established: F2 (fertilizer), B1F1 (3 t hm-2 biochar plus fertilizer), B1F2 (3 t hm-2 biochar plus reduced fertilizer), B2F1 (6 t hm-2 biochar plus fertilizer), and B2F2 (6 t hm-2 biochar plus reduced fertilizer). RESULTS: BCAF increased chlorophyll and leaf area, enhancing soybean photosynthesis. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn ), transpiration rate (Tr ), stomatal conductance (Gs ), water use efficiency (WUE) and intercellular carbon dioxide (CO2 ) concentration (Ci ) were enhanced by BCAF. In addition, BCAF improved soybean photosystem II (PSII) photosynthetic performance, driving force, potential photochemical efficiency (Fv /F0 ), and quantum yield of electron transfer (φE0 ). Furthermore, BCAF enhanced the accumulation of photosynthetic products, such as soluble proteins, soluble sugars and sucrose content, resulting in higher leaf dry weight. Consequently, BCAF increased the soybean yield, with the highest increase of 41.54% in B2F1. The correlation analysis revealed positive relationships between soybean yield and chlorophyll, leaf area, maximal quantum yield of PSII (Fv /Fm ), electron transport flux per cross-section at t = 0 (ET0 /CS0 ), trapped energy flux per cross-section at t = 0 (TR0 /CS0 ), composite blade driving force (DFTotal ), and leaf dry weight. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that long-term BCAF enhances soybean photosynthesis under continuous planting, reduces fertilizer use and increases yield. This study reveals a novel way and theory to sustainably increase soybean productivity. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Erchen decoction alleviates the progression of NAFLD by inhibiting lipid accumulation and iron overload through Caveolin-1 signaling.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: A combination of 6 different Chinese herbs known as Erchen decoction (ECD) has been traditionally used to treat digestive tract diseases and found to have a protective effect against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Despite its efficacy in treating NAFLD, the precise molecular mechanism by which Erchen Decoction regulated iron ion metabolism to prevent disease progression remained poorly understood. AIM OF STUDY: Our study attempted to confirm the specific mechanism of ECD in reducing lipid and iron in NAFLD from the perspective of regulating the expression of Caveolin-1 (Cav-1). STUDY DESIGN: In our study, the protective effect of ECD was investigated in Palmitic Acid + Oleic Acid-induced hepatocyte NAFLD model and high-fat diet-induced mice NAFLD model. To investigate the impact of Erchen Decoction (ECD) on lipid metabolism and iron metabolism via mediating Cav-1 in vitro, Cav-1 knockdown cell lines were established using lentivirus-mediated transfection techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We constructed NAFLD model by feeding with high-fat diet for 12 weeks in vivo and Palmitic Acid + Oleic Acid treatment for 24 h in vitro. The regulation of Lipid and iron metabolism results by ECD were detected by serological diagnosis, immunofluorescent and immunohistochemical staining, and western blotting. The binding ability of 6 small molecules of ECD to Cav-1 was analyzed by molecular docking. RESULTS: We demonstrated that ECD alleviated the progression of NAFLD by inhibiting lipid accumulation, nitrogen oxygen stress, and iron accumulation in vivo and in vitro experiments. Furthermore, ECD inhibited lipid and iron accumulation in liver by up-regulating the expression of Cav-1, which indicated that Cav-1 was an important target for ECD to exert its curative effect. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our study demonstrated that ECD alleviated the accumulation of lipid and iron in NAFLD through promoting the expression of Cav-1, and ECD might serve as a novel Cav-1 agonist to treat NAFLD.

Exposure to irregular microplastic shed from baby bottles activates the ROS/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway, causing intestinal inflammation.

Irregularly shaped microplastics (MPs) released from infant feeding bottles (PP-IFBs) may exhibit increased cytotoxicity, in contrast to the commonly studied spherical MPs. This study presents an initial analysis of the thermal-oxidative aging process of plastic shedding from feeding bottles, and investigates the inflammatory response induced by these atypical MPs in human intestinal cells (Caco-2). The PP-IFBs' surface displayed non-uniform white patches and increased roughness, revealing substantial structural alteration and shedding, especially during actions such as shaking, boiling water disinfection, and microwave heating. FT-IR and 2D-COS analyses revealed that oxygen targeted the C-H and C-C bonds of polypropylene molecular chain, producing RO· and ·OH, thereby hastening polypropylene degradation. When human intestinal cells were exposed to MPs from PP-IFBs, oxidative stress was triggered, resulting in lowered glutathione levels, augmented reactive oxygen species (ROS), and heightened lipid peroxidation. Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNFα) signified an active inflammatory process. The inflammatory response was notably more intense when exposed to MPs released through boiling water disinfection and microwave heating treatments, primarily due to the larger quantity of MPs released and their higher proportion of smaller particles. Furthermore, the NLRP3 inflammasome was identified as critical in initiating this inflammatory chain reaction due to the mitochondrial ROS surge caused by MPs exposure. This was further validated by inhibitor studies, emphasizing the role of the ROS/NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1ß signaling pathway in in promoting intestinal inflammation. Therefore, swift actions are recommended to protect infants against the potential health effects of MPs exposure.

Naringin ameliorates liver fibrosis in zebrafish by modulating IDO1-mediated lipid metabolism and inflammatory infiltration.

Liver fibrosis (LF) is an important reparative process in response to acute or chronic hepatic injury, which has the potential to advance towards cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Dietary naringin consumption contributes to protection against LF in animal studies, while the exact protective mechanism of naringin remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind the potential protective effect of naringin against TAA-induced LF in zebrafish. In this study, we utilized zebrafish to create the LF model and investigate the therapeutic mechanism of naringin. Firstly, we evaluated the changes in hepatic fibrosis and lipid accumulation in the liver following naringin treatment with oil red O, Nile red, and Sirius red and immunohistochemistry. In addition, we employed an ROS probe to directly measure oxidative stress and monitor inflammatory cell migration in a zebrafish transgenic line. Morpholino was used in the knockdown of IDO1 in order to verify its vital role in LF. Our findings demonstrated that naringin exhibited anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic action in conjunction with a reversal in lipid accumulation, oxidative stress and suppression of macrophage infiltration and activation of hepatic stellate cells. Furthermore, the results showed that the antifibrotic effect of naringin was removed upon IDO1 knockdown, proving that naringin exerts a protective effect by regulating IDO1. Naringin demonstrates remarkable protective effects against LF, effectively counteracting inflammation and hepatic steatosis in zebrafish liver. These findings suggest that naringin may function as an effective IDO1 inhibitor, holding the potential for clinical translation as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of LF.

The tRNA-GCN2-FBXO22-axis-mediated mTOR ubiquitination senses amino acid insufficiency.

Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) monitors cellular amino acid changes for function, but the molecular mediators of this process remain to be fully defined. Here, we report that depletion of cellular amino acids, either alone or in combination, leads to the ubiquitination of mTOR, which inhibits mTORC1 kinase activity by preventing substrate recruitment. Mechanistically, amino acid depletion causes accumulation of uncharged tRNAs, thereby stimulating GCN2 to phosphorylate FBXO22, which in turn accrues in the cytoplasm and ubiquitinates mTOR at Lys2066 in a K27-linked manner. Accordingly, mutation of mTOR Lys2066 abolished mTOR ubiquitination in response to amino acid depletion, rendering mTOR insensitive to amino acid starvation both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these data reveal a novel mechanism of amino acid sensing by mTORC1 via a previously unknown GCN2-FBXO22-mTOR pathway that is uniquely controlled by uncharged tRNAs.

Effects of oyster shells on maturity and calcium activation in organic solid waste compost.

With the rapid development of aquaculture, the production of oyster shells has surged, posing a potential threat to the environment. While oyster shell powder is widely recognized for its inherent alkalinity and rich calcium carbonate content, making it a superior soil conditioner, its role in organic solid waste composting remains underexplored. To investigate the effects of varying concentrations of oyster shell powder on compost maturation and calcium activation, this study employed thermophilic co-composting with acidic sugar residue and bean pulp, incorporating 0% (control), 10% (T1), 20% (T2), 30% (T3), and 40% (T4) oyster shell powder. Findings revealed that appropriate proportions of oyster shell powder significantly enhance temperature stability during composting and elevate maturation levels, notably reducing ammonia emissions between 62.5% and 76.7%. Intriguingly, the calcium in the oyster shell powder was significantly activated during composting, with the 40% addition group achieving the highest calcium activation rate of 48.5%. In summation, the inclusion of oyster shell powder not only optimizes the composting process but also efficiently activates the calcium, resulting in an alkaline organic-inorganic composite soil conditioner with high exchangeable calcium content. This research holds significant implications for promoting the high-value utilization of oyster shells.

Preparation of γ-phase pigment Red 170 through hydrothermal treatment and kaolin coating modification.

Research on the dynamics of crystal transformation can guide production practices and improve the coloration performance of pigment Red 170. As one of the most important azo dyes, the low hiding power, inferior weather resistance, thermal instability, and low flowability of pigment Red 170 limit its applications. To enhance these properties, it is essential to modify the surface of the pigment. Herein, the crystal transformation and isothermal crystallisation kinetics of colour index (C.I.) pigment Red 170 during a hydrothermal process were studied through X-ray powder diffraction. During isothermal crystallisation, the Avrami indexes (n) were 2.65 and 3.01, and the kinetic rate constants (K) were 6.02 × 10-6 and 8.34 × 10-6 at 140 and 150 °C, respectively. The apparent activation energies (E) are 10.42 and 24.31 kcal mol-1 for the incubation period and total transition, respectively. Pigment Red 170 completely transferred from an α-phase to γ-phase upon hydrothermal treatment at 140 and 150 °C for 180 and 90 min, respectively. The effects of heat treatment temperature and time on the colour hue, tinctorial strength, flowability, particle size and distribution, contact angle, thermal stability, and morphology of pigment Red 170 were investigated. In addition, kaolin was used as an inorganic additive to modify γ-phase pigment Red 170. After hydrothermal treatment and kaolin modification, C.I. pigment Red 170 had a small particle size and exhibited a narrow size distribution and improved hydrophilicity. The γ-phase pigments had a tinctorial strength of 189.5%. The flowability and thermal stability of the kaolin-modified pigment were also enhanced. This study promotes the development of pigments with enhanced colour properties, thermal stability, and processability.

Could continuous rice cropping increase soil fertility and rice productivity by rice straw carbonized utilization in cold areas? - A 6-year field-located trial.

Biochar amendment can benefit rice growth, but the long-term effects of rice straw carbonized utilization (RSCU, biochar, and biochar-based fertilizer) on rice production in cold areas are still unclear. Herein, we conducted a field experiment over 6 years with four treatments: F (conventional fertilization) as the control, RB1 (biochar, 3 t·ha-1), RB2 (biochar, 6 t·ha-1), and RBF (biochar-based fertilizer, 0.75 t·ha-1). We found that rice straw biochar significantly improved soil physical properties by reducing soil bulk density, increasing soil porosity and liquid and gas phases ratio, and enhancing soil aggregate stability. RSCU also increased soil fertility by improving soil organic carbon (SOC), active organic carbon, and soil nutrients (N, P, K) and their availability, as indicated by an increase in soil C:N and a decrease in soil N:P. Moreover, biochar increased soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and enzyme activities. As a result, RSCU increased rice yield, which was positively correlated with soil total porosity, total phosphorus, available potassium, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), easily oxidizable carbon (EOC), labile fraction of organic carbon (LFOC), and urease activity. RB2 had the highest rice yield (5.94% higher than F). Our study suggests that RSCU can synergistically improve the rice straw utilization rate, soil fertility, and rice productivity in cold areas.

Association between endometriosis and metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis has been reported to be associated with metabolism-related diseases, such as hypercholesterolemia and diabetes, while no studies have reported the association between endometriosis and metabolic syndrome. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the association between endometriosis and metabolic syndrome. Also, the association between endometriosis and single metabolic syndrome indicator was explored. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A total of 2389 participants were finally included for analysis, with 2212 in the non-endometriosis group and 177 in the endometriosis group. Association between endometriosis and metabolic syndrome was explored using multivariate logistic regression analysis, with results shown as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Association between endometriosis and single metabolic syndrome indicator was explored using multivariate liner regression analysis. RESULTS: After adjusting age, race, education level, family poverty to income ratio (PIR), smoking, age at menarche, gravidity, menopause, female hormones use, and dyslipidemia drug use, endometriosis was associated with the higher odds of metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.01-2.35). Further adjusting hysterectomy or oophorectomy, we found the similar association despite no statistical significance (OR = 1.47, 95%CI: 0.96-2.25). Moreover, we found endometriosis was associated with the high level of triglyceride (TG) (ß = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.06-0.70). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found the association between endometriosis and metabolic conditions, indicating that metabolic conditions of endometriosis women should be focused, and monitoring the blood lipid levels may be significant in decreasing the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Immunomodulatory contribution of mast cells to the regenerative biomaterial microenvironment.

Bioactive immunomodulatory biomaterials have shown promise for influencing the immune response to promote tissue repair and regeneration. Macrophages and T cells have been associated with this response; however, other immune cell types have been traditionally overlooked. In this study, we investigated the role of mast cells in the regulation of the immune response to decellularized biomaterial scaffolds using a subcutaneous implant model. In mast cell-deficient mice, there was dysregulation of the expected M1 to M2 macrophage transition typically induced by the biomaterial scaffold. Polarization progression deviated in a sex-specific manner with an early transition to an M2 profile in female mice, while the male response was unable to properly transition past a pro-inflammatory M1 state. Both were reversed with adoptive mast cell transfer. Further investigation of the later-stage immune response in male mice determined a greater sustained pro-inflammatory gene expression profile, including the IL-1 cytokine family, IL-6, alarmins, and chemokines. These results highlight mast cells as another important cell type that influences the immune response to pro-regenerative biomaterials.

Enzyme-mediated depletion of methylthioadenosine restores T cell function in MTAP-deficient tumors and reverses immunotherapy resistance.

Chromosomal region 9p21 containing tumor suppressors CDKN2A/B and methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) is one of the most frequent genetic deletions in cancer. 9p21 loss is correlated with reduced tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Previously thought to be caused by CDKN2A/B loss, we now show that it is loss of MTAP that leads to poor outcomes on ICI therapy and reduced TIL density. MTAP loss causes accumulation of methylthioadenosine (MTA) both intracellularly and extracellularly and profoundly impairs T cell function via the inhibition of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) and by adenosine receptor agonism. Administration of MTA-depleting enzymes reverses this immunosuppressive effect, increasing TILs and drastically impairing tumor growth and importantly, synergizes well with ICI therapy. As several studies have shown ICI resistance in 9p21/MTAP null/low patients, we propose that MTA degrading therapeutics may have substantial therapeutic benefit in these patients by enhancing ICI effectiveness.

The osmotic stress-activated receptor-like kinase DPY1 mediates SnRK2 kinase activation and drought tolerance in Setaria.

Plant genomes encode many receptor-like kinases (RLKs) that localize to the cell surface and perceive a wide variety of environmental cues to initiate downstream signaling cascades. Whether these RLKs participate in dehydration stress signaling in plants is largely unknown. DROOPY LEAF1 (DPY1), a leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-RLK, was recently shown to regulate plant architecture by orchestrating early brassinosteroid signaling in foxtail millet (Setaria italica). Here, we show that DPY1 is essential for the acclimation of foxtail millet to drought stress. DPY1 can be phosphorylated and activated in response to osmotic stress and is required for more than half of osmotic stress-induced global phosphorylation events, including the phosphorylation of sucrose nonfermenting kinase 2s (SnRK2s), the central kinases involved in osmotic stress. DPY1 acts upstream of STRESS-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE 6 (SAPK6, a subclass I SnRK2) and is required for full SAPK6 activation, thereby allowing regulation of downstream genes to mount a response against drought stress. These signaling events are largely independent of DPY1-mediated brassinosteroid signaling. The DPY1-SAPK6 module is specific to seed plants and is absent in ancestral nonseed plants. Our findings reveal a dehydration stress-activated RLK that plays an indispensable role in osmotic stress signaling and mediates SnRK2 activation at the cell surface.

Identification of XAF1 as an endogenous AKT inhibitor.

AKT kinase is a key regulator in cell metabolism and survival, and its activation is strictly modulated. Herein, we identify XAF1 (XIAP-associated factor) as a direct interacting protein of AKT1, which strongly binds the N-terminal region of AKT1 to block its K63-linked poly-ubiquitination and subsequent activation. Consistently, Xaf1 knockout causes AKT activation in mouse muscle and fat tissues and reduces body weight gain and insulin resistance induced by high-fat diet. Pathologically, XAF1 expression is low and anti-correlated with the phosphorylated p-T308-AKT signal in prostate cancer samples, and Xaf1 knockout stimulates the p-T308-AKT signal to accelerate spontaneous prostate tumorigenesis in mice with Pten heterozygous loss. And ectopic expression of wild-type XAF1, but not the cancer-derived P277L mutant, inhibits orthotopic tumorigenesis. We further identify Forkhead box O 1 (FOXO1) as a transcriptional regulator of XAF1, thus forming a negative feedback loop between AKT1 and XAF1. These results reveal an important intrinsic regulatory mechanism of AKT signaling.

Regulating effects of phytosterol esters-loaded emulsions stabilized with green tea polysaccharide conjugates and Tween on lipids in KKAy mice.

Phytosterol esters (PSE) have been shown to have cholesterol-lowering effects, but their insolubility in water limits their applications. Green tea polysaccharide conjugates (gTPC) have hypoglycemic and emulsifying effects. To address lipid dysregulation in diabetic patients, we developed PSE-loaded emulsions stabilized with gTPC and Tween-20 (gTPC-PSE emulsions) and evaluated their physicochemical properties. We subsequently investigated the lipid-regulating potential of these emulsions to in KKAy mice. The KKAy mice were randomly assigned to eight groups: the model group, the Lipitor (10 mg·kg-1)-acarbose (30 mg·kg-1) combination group, two gTPC groups, two PSE groups, and two gTPC-PSE groups with a 1:2 mass ratio of gTPC to PSE. The administered doses were 90 and 270 mg kg-1, respectively. Administration of a 270 mg·kg-1 dose of gTPC-PSE emulsions led to the most significant effects including increased levels of liver and serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-CH), reduced serum leptin and insulin, and improved liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA). In general, gTPC and PSE demonstrated a synergistic effect on lipid regulation in mice. Our results indicate that gTPC-PSE emulsions hold potential as a nutritional intervention for diabetes by modulating lipid levels.

Physiological and transcriptomic analysis of OsLHCB3 knockdown lines in rice.

The photosystem II (PSII) outer antenna LHCB3 protein plays critical roles in distributing the excitation energy and modulating the rate of state transition for photosynthesis. Here, OsLHCB3 knockdown mutants were produced using the RNAi system. Phenotypic analyses showed that OsLHCB3 knockdown led to pale green leaves and lower chlorophyll contents at both tillering and heading stages. In addition, mutant lines exhibited decreased non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) capacity and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by downregulating the expression of PSII-related genes. Moreover, RNA-seq experiments were performed at both tillering and heading stages. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) mainly involved in chlorophyll binding response to abscisic acid, photosystem II, response to chitin, and DNA-binding transcription factor. Besides, our transcriptomic and physiological data indicated that OsLHCB3 was essential for binding chlorophyll, but not for the metabolism of chlorophyll in rice. OsLHCB3 RNAi knockdown plants affected the expression of PS II-related genes, but not PS I-related genes. Overall, these results suggest that OsLHCB3 also plays vital roles in regulating photosynthesis and antenna proteins in rice as well as responses to environment stresses. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01387-z.