Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (ZZUCSBi001-A) from skin fibroblasts of a healthy donor.

Fibroblasts were extracted from the scalp of a healthy 55-year-old male and subsequently transformed into pluripotent stem cells by introducing episomal plasmids harboring essential reprogramming factors. These induced pluripotent stem cells exhibited a normal karyotype and demonstrated the capacity to differentiate into all three germ layers, as confirmed through teratoma assays. This specific cell line serves as a valuable reference for comparative investigations alongside other induced pluripotent stem cell lines generated from somatic cells of patients afflicted by genetic neurodegenerative disorders.

Beta-catenin knockdown impairs the viability of ovarian cancer cells by modulating YAP-dependent glycolysis.

OBJECTIVES: Ovarian cancer (OC) ranks fifth among the main causes of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. PCLAF/KIAA0101 and Yes-associated protein (YAP) have been linked to several human malignant cancers, including OC. However, the roles of KIAA0101 and YAP in glycolysis-dependent OC cell proliferation remain unknown. METHODS: qRT-PCR and western blot were performed to analyze the KIAA0101 expression. Short hairpin RNA transfection was performed to silence KIAA0101 expression in cells. Cell viability and apoptosis were assayed by colony formation and flow cytometry, respectively. Glucose uptake, lactate production, and glycolytic enzyme expression were assessed to determine the level of cellular glycolysis. Phosphorylation and the nuclear localization of YAP were assessed to determine YAP activation. RESULTS: OC tissue and cell lines exhibited higher KIAA0101 expression than the non-cancerous tissues and cells. KIAA0101 silencing reduced the proliferation and increased the apoptosis of both A2780 and ES-2 OC cell lines. Furthermore, KIAA0101 depletion suppressed glycolysis and YAP activation, as evidenced by increased YAP phosphorylation and decreased nuclear localization. Reactivation of YAP was performed by administration of mitochonic acid 5 in both OC cell lines with KIAA0101 knockdown. Glucose uptake, lactate production, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase beta, pyruvate kinase M2, triosephosphate isomerase 1, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, enolase 1, and lactate dehydrogenase expression levels in cells recovered after the reactivation of YAP. Additionally, YAP reactivation increased cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that KIAA0101 could promote glycolysis during nasopharyngeal carcinoma development through YAP signaling activation, suggesting that KIAA0101 could serve as a target for OC treatment.

Progress in pH-Sensitive sensors: essential tools for organelle pH detection, spotlighting mitochondrion and diverse applications.

pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins have revolutionized the field of cellular imaging and physiology, offering insight into the dynamic pH changes that underlie fundamental cellular processes. This comprehensive review explores the diverse applications and recent advances in the use of pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins. These remarkable tools enable researchers to visualize and monitor pH variations within subcellular compartments, especially mitochondria, shedding light on organelle-specific pH regulation. They play pivotal roles in visualizing exocytosis and endocytosis events in synaptic transmission, monitoring cell death and apoptosis, and understanding drug effects and disease progression. Recent advancements have led to improved photostability, pH specificity, and subcellular targeting, enhancing their utility. Techniques for multiplexed imaging, three-dimensional visualization, and super-resolution microscopy are expanding the horizon of pH-sensitive protein applications. The future holds promise for their integration into optogenetics and drug discovery. With their ever-evolving capabilities, pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins remain indispensable tools for unravelling cellular dynamics and driving breakthroughs in biological research. This review serves as a comprehensive resource for researchers seeking to harness the potential of pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins.

Key Roles of De-Domestication and Novel Mutation in Origin and Diversification of Global Weedy Rice.

Agricultural weeds pose great challenges to sustainable crop production, owing to their complex origins and abundant genetic diversity. Weedy rice (WD) infests rice fields worldwide causing tremendous losses of rice yield/quality. To explore WD origins and evolution, we analyzed DNA sequence polymorphisms of the seed shattering genes (sh4 and qsh1) in weedy, wild, and cultivated rice from a worldwide distribution. We also used microsatellite and insertion/deletion molecular fingerprinting to determine their genetic relationship and structure. Results indicate multiple origins of WD with most samples having evolved from their cultivated progenitors and a few samples from wild rice. WD that evolved from de-domestication showed distinct genetic structures associated with indica and japonica rice differentiation. In addition, the weed-unique haplotypes that were only identified in the WD samples suggest their novel mutations. Findings in this study demonstrate the key role of de-domestication in WD origins, in which indica and japonica cultivars stimulated further evolution and divergence of WD in various agroecosystems. Furthermore, novel mutations promote continued evolution and genetic diversity of WD adapting to different environments. Knowledge generated from this study provides deep insights into the origin and evolution of conspecific weeds, in addition to the design of effective measures to control these weeds.

[Pollution Characteristics and Source Analysis of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soils in the Taige Canal Valley].

To determine the distribution characteristics of heavy metal pollution in farmland soils and related influencing factors in the Taige canal valley, and guarantee soil environmental quality and safety of agricultural products, 118 topsoil samples were collected from the Taige canal valley's farmland soils, and contents of chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) were measured. A single factor index and comprehensive index were used to assess soil heavy metal contamination with the soil background value of the Taihu Lake basin as the evaluation standard. The multivariate statistical analysis and the geostatistical analysis were combined to identify and apportion the pollution sources of soil heavy metals. The results showed that:The average concentrations of Cr, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, and Cd in soils were 63.25, 0.25, 7.83, 35.24, 77.25, 31.48, 38.37, and 0.16 mg·kg-1, respectively, all of which except for Cr and As were higher than the local soil background values. The content of each heavy metal in most soil samples were lower than the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land. The comprehensive index showed that the degree of pollution of soil heavy metals were at a slightly polluted level in 87.29%, moderately polluted level in 5.93%, and severely polluted level in 6.78% of the sampling. Hg, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd in the watershed soil were affected by agricultural activities and atmospheric deposition. Cr and Ni were affected by the parent material and industrial production activities. As was mainly derived from the parent material.

[Life cycle assessment on oxygen biofuels].

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used to compare energy consumption and pollutant emissions of two oxygen biofuels, ethanol and methyl ester, which were mixed with gasoline and diesel oil at levels of 10% and 30% of the biofuel. The future of oxygen-containing biofuels was analyzed and forecasted. The results show that the mixture of biofuels and petroleum products can reduce crude oil consumption, but only methyl ester alternative fuel can reduce fossil fuel consumption. Use of methyl ester mixtures would reduce NOx by 50% compared to gasoline or diesel on a life cycle basis; however, NOx would increase using ethanol. Each alternative fuel mixture reduced PM10 emissions from the vehicle and methyl ester decreased VOCs. The SO2 emissions from the fuel production processes, which account for about 80% of SO2 life cycle emissions, must be strictly controlled.

An ATP-binding cassette transporter GhWBC1 from elongating cotton fibers.

We have isolated a cDNA (GhWBC1) from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) that encodes an ATP-binding cassette transporter of the WBC (white/brown complex) subfamily. Members of this subfamily are half-sized transporters and are reported to mediate lipid and drug excretion in human (Homo sapiens). GhWBC1 is highly expressed in developing fiber cells, but transcripts were also detectable in other tissues except roots. The transcript level peaked in rapidly expanding fibers from 5 to 9 DPA and then decreased. The GhWBC1 expression was weak in fiber cells of an li (ligon-lintless) mutant, which is defective in fiber cell elongation. These data indicate that GhWBC1 gene expression correlates with cotton fiber elongation. Transient expression of enhanced green fluorescence protein-GhWBC1 fusion protein in onion (Allium cepa) epidermal cells revealed plasma membrane localization. The GhWBC1 cDNA driven by a constitutive 35S promoter was introduced into Arabidopsis. About 13% of the transformants produced short siliques (SSs), whereas others had normal siliques (long siliques [LSs]). In siliques of SS lines, most embryos were severely shriveled, and only several seeds per silique could be found at maturity. The transgene expression level was higher in SS lines than in LS lines. Expression of AtWBC11, the closest homolog of GhWBC1 in Arabidopsis, was not altered in either SS or LS transgenic plants examined. These data suggest that GhWBC1 interferes with substance translocation that is required for Arabidopsis seed and silique development. Characterization of Arabidopsis WBC members, particularly AtWBC11, will help to dissect the role of GhWBC1 in cotton fiber development and elongation.