CRIP1 supports the growth and migration of AML-M5 subtype cells by activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clinically and molecularly heterogeneous hematopoietic disorder. To effectively eradicate AML, it is urgent to develop new therapeutic approaches and identify novel molecular targets. In silico analysis indicated that the expression of cysteine-rich intestinal protein 1 (CRIP1) was significantly elevated in AML cells and correlated with worse overall survival of the AML patients. However, its specific roles in AML remain elusive. Here we demonstrated that CRIP1 acted as a key oncogene to support AML cell survival and migration. Using a loss-of-function analysis, we found that CRIP1 silencing in U937 and THP1 cells by lentivirus-mediated shRNAs resulted in a decrease in cell growth, migration and colony formation, and an increase in chemosensitivity to Ara-C. CRIP1 silencing induced cell apoptosis and G1/S transition arrest. Mechanically, CRIP1 silencing caused inactivation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway through upregulating axin1 protein. The Wnt/ß-catenin agonist SKL2001 markedly rescued the cell growth and migration defect induced by CRIP1 silencing. Our findings reveals that CRIP1 may contribute to AML-M5 pathogenesis and represent a novel target for AML-M5 treatment.

Belowground Root Competition Alters the Grass Seedling Establishment Response to Light by a Nitrogen Addition and Mowing Experiment in a Temperate Steppe.

Predicting species responses to climate change and land use practices requires understanding both the direct effects of environmental factors as well as the indirect effects mediated by changes in belowground and aboveground competition. Belowground root competition from surrounding vegetation and aboveground light competition are two important factors affecting seedling establishment. However, few studies have jointly examined the effect of belowground root and light competition on seedling establishment, especially under long-term nitrogen addition and mowing. Here, we examined how belowground root competition from surrounding vegetation and aboveground light competition affect seedling establishment within a long-term nitrogen addition and mowing experiment. Seedlings of two grasses (Stipa krylovii and Cleistogenes squarrosa) were grown with and without belowground root competition under control, nitrogen addition, and mowing treatments, and their growth characteristics were monitored. The seedlings of the two grasses achieved higher total biomass, height, mean shoot and root mass, but a lower root/shoot ratio in the absence than in the presence of belowground root competition. Nitrogen addition significantly decreased shoot biomass, root biomass, and the survival of the two grasses. Regression analyses revealed that the biomass of the two grass was strongly negatively correlated with net primary productivity under belowground root competition, but with the intercept photosynthetic active radiation in the absence of belowground root competition. This experiment demonstrates that belowground root competition can alter the grass seedling establishment response to light in a long-term nitrogen addition and mowing experiment.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide inhibits the proliferation of leukemic cells through apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cytotoxic effect of polysaccharides derived from Ganoderma lucidum on T lymphocyte leukemia cells. METHODS: Water-soluble polysaccharides were extracted from the fruit bodies of G. lucidum, purified, and characterized using HPGPC-MALLS and NMR. The cytotoxicity of G. lucidum polysaccharide fraction 5 (GLP5) to T lymphocyte leukemia cell line Jurkat and human immortalized epidermal cell line HaCat was assessed using MTT assay. Apoptosis was assessed using flow cytometry. Expressions of apoptosis-related genes in the cells after being exposed to GLP5 were detected using Western blot assay. RESULTS: GLP5 was a ß-(1→3) and ß-(1→6) linked glucan. It inhibited the proliferation of Jurkat cells in a concentration-dependent manner and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 34.5 mg/L but did not suppress the growth of HaCat cells. Apoptotic cells in Jurkat cells were detected to increase with increasing GLP5 concentrations. The expression levels of cleaved caspase-3 were significantly higher after the cells were exposed to 25 and 50 mg/L GLP5 when compared to non-exposed cells (Control). In addition, the expression levels of BAX and Bcl2 were significantly up- and down-regulated after treatment with GLP5 at 25 and 50 mg/L when compared with control (P<0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: GLP5 has antiproliferative activity against Jurkat cells and the activity is likely mediated through the activation of apoptosis pathways.

Assessment of Ecosystem Health and Its Key Determinants in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration, China.

Urban agglomerations have gradually formed in different Chinese cities, exerting great pressure on the ecological environment. Ecosystem health is an important index for the evaluation of the sustainable development of cities, but it has rarely been used for urban agglomerations. In this study, the ecosystem health in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration was assessed using the ecosystem vigor, organization, resilience, and services framework at the county scale. A GeoDetector was used to determine the effects of seven factors on ecosystem health. The results show that: (1) The spatial distribution of ecosystem health differs significantly. The ecosystem health in the centers of Wuhan Metropolis, Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan City Group, and Poyang Lake City Group is significantly lower than in surrounding areas. (2) Temporally, well-level research units improve gradually; research units with relatively weak levels remain relatively stable. (3) The land use degree is the main factor affecting ecosystem health, with interactions between the different factors. The effects of these factors on ecosystem health are enhanced or nonlinear; (4) The effect of the proportion of construction land on ecosystem health increases over time. The layout used in urban land use planning significantly affects ecosystem health.

Spatiotemporal Variation of Osmanthus fragrans Phenology in China in Response to Climate Change From 1973 to 1996.

Climate change greatly affects spring and autumn plant phenology around the world consequently, and significantly impacts ecosystem function and the social economy. However, autumn plant phenology, especially autumn flowering phenology, has not been studied so far. In this study, we examined the spatiotemporal pattern of Osmanthus fragrans phenology, including both leaf phenology (the date of bud-bust, BBD; first leaf unfolding, FLD; and 50% of leaf unfolding, 50 LD) and flowering phenology (the date of first flowering, FFD; peak of flowering, PFD; and end of flowering, EFD). Stepwise multiple linear regressions were employed to analyze the relationships between phenophases and climatic factors in the long term phenological data collected by the Chinese Phenological Observation Network from 1973 to 1996. The results showed that spring leaf phenophases and autumn flowering phenophases were strongly affected by latitude. BBD, FLD, and 50LD of O. fragrans were delayed by 3.98, 3.93, and 4.40 days as per degree of latitude increased, while FFD, PFD and EFD in O. fragrans advanced 3.11, 3.26, and 2.99 days, respectively. During the entire study period, BBD was significantly delayed across the region, whereas no significant trends were observed either in FLD or 50LD. Notably, all flowering phenophases of O. fragrans were delayed. Both leaf and flowering phenophases negatively correlated with growing degree-days (GDD) and cold degree-days (CDD), respectively. BBD and FLD were negatively correlated with total annual precipitation. In addition to the effects of climate on autumn flowering phenology, we found that earlier spring leaf phenophases led to delayed autumn flowering phenophases. Our results suggest that future climate change and global warming might delay the phenological sequence of O. fragrans. Our findings also advanced the flowering mechanism study of autumn flowering plants, and facilitated the accurate prediction of future phenology and climate change.

Asymmetric responses of plant community structure and composition to precipitation variabilities in a semi-arid steppe.

Changing precipitation regimes can profoundly affect plant growth in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. However, how changing precipitation, especially extreme precipitation events, alters plant diversity and community composition is still poorly understood. A 3-year field manipulative experiment with seven precipitation treatments, including - 60%, - 40%, - 20%, 0% (as a control), + 20%, + 40%, and + 60% of ambient growing-season precipitation, was conducted in a semi-arid steppe in the Mongolian Plateau. Results showed total plant community cover and forb cover were enhanced with increased precipitation and reduced under decreased precipitation, whereas grass cover was suppressed under the - 60% treatment only. Plant community and grass species richness were reduced by the - 60% treatment only. Moreover, our results demonstrated that total plant community cover was more sensitive to decreased than increased precipitation under normal and extreme precipitation change, and species richness was more sensitive to decreased than increased precipitation under extreme precipitation change. The community composition and low field water holding capacity may drive this asymmetric response. Accumulated changes in community cover may eventually lead to changes in species richness. However, compared to control, Shannon-Weiner index (H) did not respond to any precipitation treatment, and Pielou's evenness index (E) was reduced under the + 60% treatment across the 3 year, but not in each year. Thus, the findings suggest that plant biodiversity in the semi-arid steppe may have a strong resistance to precipitation pattern changes through adjusting its composition in a short term.

Nitrogen addition decreases seed germination in a temperate steppe.

Seed germination and seedling establishment play an important role in driving the responses of plant community structure and function to global change. Nitrogen (N) deposition is one of the driving factors of global change, which often leads to a loss in species richness in grassland ecosystems. However, how seed germination responds to N addition remains unclear. A pot incubation test was conducted in a semi-arid grassland in the Mongolian Plateau, Northern China, to investigate the effect of N addition (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 g N/m2) on seed germination from May to October 2016. Twenty species germinated under all treatments; however, the responses of the 20 species to N addition were different. The densities of Stipa krylovii, Leymus chinensis, and Artemisia frigida, which are the dominant species in this temperate steppe, decreased significantly as the amount of N addition. Moreover, N addition significantly suppressed seedling densities of the community, perennial forbs, perennial grasses, and annuals and biennials. Furthermore, species richness of the community, perennial forbs, and annuals and biennials decreased sharply with increasing N addition level, but perennial grass species richness did not change. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index also decreased as the amount of N addition increased. Our results suggest that N enrichment plays an important role in the seed germination stage and decreases supplements of seedlings to adult plants. These findings may help explain the causes of species loss by atmospheric N deposition in grassland ecosystems.

Elevated CO2 does not stimulate carbon sink in a semi-arid grassland.

Elevated CO2 is widely accepted to enhance terrestrial carbon sink, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. However, great uncertainties exist for the CO2 fertilisation effects, particularly when its interactions with other global change factors are considered. A four-factor (CO2 , temperature, precipitation and nitrogen) experiment revealed that elevated CO2 did not affect either gross ecosystem productivity or ecosystem respiration, and consequently resulted in no changes of net ecosystem productivity in a semi-arid grassland despite whether temperature, precipitation and nitrogen were elevated or not. The observations could be primarily attributable to the offset of ecosystem carbon uptake by enhanced soil carbon release under CO2 enrichment. Our findings indicate that arid and semi-arid ecosystems may not be sensitive to CO2 enrichment as previously expected and highlight the urgent need to incorporate this mechanism into most IPCC carbon-cycle models for convincing projection of terrestrial carbon sink and its feedback to climate change.

Long-term antagonistic effect of increased precipitation and nitrogen addition on soil respiration in a semiarid steppe.

Changes in water and nitrogen (N) availability due to climate change and atmospheric N deposition could have significant effects on soil respiration, a major pathway of carbon (C) loss from terrestrial ecosystems. A manipulative experiment simulating increased precipitation and atmospheric N deposition has been conducted for 9 years (2005-2013) in a semiarid grassland in Mongolian Plateau, China. Increased precipitation and N addition interactively affect soil respiration through the 9 years. The interactions demonstrated that N addition weakened the precipitation-induced stimulation of soil respiration, whereas increased precipitation exacerbated the negative impacts of N addition. The main effects of increased precipitation and N addition treatment on soil respiration were 15.8% stimulated and 14.2% suppressed, respectively. Moreover, a declining pattern and 2-year oscillation were observed for soil respiration response to N addition under increased precipitation. The dependence of soil respiration upon gross primary productivity and soil moisture, but not soil temperature, suggests that resources C substrate supply and water availability are more important than temperature in regulating interannual variations of soil C release in semiarid grassland ecosystems. The findings indicate that atmospheric N deposition may have the potential to mitigate soil C loss induced by increased precipitation, and highlight that long-term and multi-factor global change studies are critical for predicting the general patterns of terrestrial C cycling in response to global change in the future.

Association of IL-10-1082 G/G genotype with lower mortality of acute respiratory distress syndrome in a Chinese population.

We aimed to investigate whether interleukin-10 (IL-10) -1082 G/G genotype is associated with lower mortality of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a Chinese population. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in 314 cases of ARDS and 210 controls who were admitted to an intensive care unit with sepsis, trauma, aspiration or massive transfusions. Cases were followed for 30-day mortality. The -1082G/G genotype was associated with lower development of ARDS (OR=0.51; 95% CI 0.34-0.76; P=0.001). Among patients with ARDS, the -1082G/G genotype was associated with lower 30-day mortality (OR=0.44; 95% CI 0.25-0.76; P=0.003). In conclusion, IL-10-1082 G/G genotype is associated with lower development and mortality of ARDS in a Chinese population.

Association of interleukin-10-1082 G/G genotype with lower mortality of acute respiratory distress syndrome in a Chinese population.

We investigate whether interleukin-10 (IL-10)-1082 G/G genotype is associated with the mortality rate of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in a hospital-based case-control study in China conducted on 314 patients with ARDS and 210 controls admitted to an intensive care unit for sepsis, trauma, aspiration, or massive transfusions. IL-10-1082 promoter polymorphisms were analyzed with polymerase chain reaction amplification followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism. Mortality was recorded if it occurred within 30 days from admission. The -1082G/G genotype was associated with lower frequency of ARDS (odds ratios=0.51; 95% confidence intervals: 0.34-0.76; p=0.001), and in patients with ARDS, it was associated with lower mortality within 30 days (odds ratios=0.44; 95% confidence intervals: 0.25-0.76; p=0.003) than in controls. We conclude that IL-10-1082 G/G genotype is associated with a decreased rate development of ARDS and mortality in this Chinese population.