Identification, diversity, and evolution analysis of Commd gene family in Haliotis discus hannai and immune response to biotic and abiotic stresses.

The Commd (Copper Metabolism gene MURR1 Domain) family genes play crucial roles in various biological processes, including copper and sodium transport regulation, NF-κB activity, and cell cycle progression. Their function in Haliotis discus hannai, however, remains unclear. This study focused on identifying and analyzing the Commd genes in H. discus hannai, including their gene structure, phylogenetic relationships, expression profiles, sequence diversity, and alternative splicing. The results revealed significant homology between H. discus hannai's Commd genes and those of other mollusks. Both transcriptome quantitative analysis and qRT-PCR demonstrated the responsiveness of these genes to heat stress and Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. Notably, alternative splicing analysis revealed that COMMD2, COMMD4, COMMD5, and COMMD7 produce multiple alternative splice variants. Furthermore, sequence diversity analysis uncovered numerous missense mutations, specifically 9 in COMMD5 and 14 in COMMD10. These findings contribute to expanding knowledge on the function and evolution of the Commd gene family and underscore the potential role of COMMD in the innate immune response of H. discus hannai. This research, therefore, offers a novel perspective on the molecular mechanisms underpinning the involvement of Commd genes in innate immunity, paving the way for further explorations in this field.

Purity control of simulated moving bed based on advanced fuzzy controller.

Simulated moving bed (SMB) technology is considered one of the most successful techniques in chromatographic separation. However, due to the nonlinearity caused by discrete events and sensitivity to numerous separation performance parameters, purity control in SMB systems has been a challenging issue. Fuzzy controllers are increasingly popular in industrial environments due to their simplicity and effectiveness in handling nonlinearity. However, traditional fuzzy controllers used in industry often overlook considerations of error acceleration, resulting in slight deviations from target values under steady-state conditions and oscillatory behavior when system parameters change. This study proposes an advanced fuzzy controller, where in a series of experiments, the purity control targets for component B are set at 94% and 96%, and for component A are set at 96% and 96%, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the advanced fuzzy controller achieves higher precision, with an average deviation of around 0.1%, for both components B and A. Importantly, under variations in adsorbent parameter(from 0.01 to 0.03), feed concentration(from 4.5 to 5.2), and switching time(from 178 to 182), the experimental results demonstrate smoother control with the advanced controller, particularly when oscillations occur with conventional fuzzy controllers due to switching time variations, indicating robust control with the advanced fuzzy controller.

Bibenzyl-Phenylpropane Hybrids with Immunosuppressive Activities from Dendrobium Nobile Lindl.

Fifteen bibenyls and four fluorenones, including five new bibenzyl-phenylpropane hybrids, were isolated from the aerial part of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods. Bioassay on the LPS-induced proliferations of mouse splenic B lymphocytes, and Con A-induced T lymphocytes showed that compounds 1, 2, and 14 showed excellent immunosuppressive activities with IC50 values of 1.23, 1.01, and 3.87 µM, respectively, while compounds 3-4, 7, 10, 13, and 15 exhibited moderate immunosuppressive activities with IC50 values ranging from 6.89 to 14.2 µM.

Anillin contributes to prostate cancer progression through the regulation of IGF2BP1 to promote c-Myc and MAPK signaling.

Prostate cancer (PCa), especially castration-resistant PCa, is a common and fatal disease. Anillin (ANLN) is an actin-binding protein that is involved in various malignancies, including PCa. However, the regulatory mechanism of ANLN in PCa remains unclear. Exploring the role of ANLN in PCa development and discovering novel therapeutic targets are crucial for PCa therapy. In the current work, we discovered that ANLN expression was considerably elevated in PCa tissues and cell lines when compared to nearby noncancerous prostate tissues and normal prostate epithelial cells. ANLN was associated with more advanced T stage, N stage, higher Gleason score, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. In addition, we discovered that overexpression of ANLN promoted PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we performed RNA-seq to identify the regulatory influence of ANLN on the MAPK signal pathway. Furthermore, a favorable association between ANLN expression and IGF2BP1 expression was identified. The tumor-suppressive impact of ANLN downregulation on PCa cell growth was partially reversed by overexpressing IGF2BP1. Meanwhile, we discovered that ANLN can stabilize the proto-oncogene c-Myc and activate the MAPK signaling pathway through IGF2BP1. These findings indicate that ANLN could be a potential therapeutic target in PCa.

Photooxidation triggered ultralong afterglow in carbon nanodots.

It remains a challenge to obtain biocompatible afterglow materials with long emission wavelengths, durable lifetimes, and good water solubility. Herein we develop a photooxidation strategy to construct near-infrared afterglow carbon nanodots with an extra-long lifetime of up to 5.9 h, comparable to that of the well-known rare-earth or organic long-persistent luminescent materials. Intriguingly, size-dependent afterglow lifetime evolution from 3.4 to 5.9 h has been observed from the carbon nanodots systems in aqueous solution. With structural/ultrafast dynamics analysis and density functional theory simulations, we reveal that the persistent luminescence in carbon nanodots is activated by a photooxidation-induced dioxetane intermediate, which can slowly release and convert energy into luminous emission via the steric hindrance effect of nanoparticles. With the persistent near-infrared luminescence, tissue penetration depth of 20 mm can be achieved. Thanks to the high signal-to-background ratio, biological safety and cancer-specific targeting ability of carbon nanodots, ultralong-afterglow guided surgery has been successfully performed on mice model to remove tumor tissues accurately, demonstrating potential clinical applications. These results may facilitate the development of long-lasting luminescent materials for precision tumor resection.

The P4' Peptide-Carrying Bacillus subtilis in Cottonseed Meal Improves the Chinese Mitten Crab Eriocheir sinensis Innate Immunity, Redox Defense, and Growth Performance.

This study developed a recombinant Bacillus subtilis to carry the LGSPDVIVIR peptide (cmP4) isolated from the hydrolyzed products of cottonseed meal with excellent antioxidant and immune-enhancing properties in vitro. It was carried as a tandem of five cmP4 peptides (cmP4') to be stably expressed on a large scale. Then, its effectiveness was evaluated in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) based on growth performance, redox defense, and innate immunity. A total of 280 crabs (mean body weight: 41.40 ± 0.14) were randomly assigned to seven diets including a control one (without B. subtilis) and six experimental ones with different doses (107,108, and 109 CFU/kg) of unmodified and recombinant B. subtilis, respectively, for 12 weeks. Each diet was tested in four tanks of crabs (10/tank). In terms of bacterial dosages, the final weight (FW), weight gain (WG), hemolymph and hepatopancreatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), lysosome (LZM), acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and hepatopancreatic transcriptions of cat, mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (mtmnsod), thioredoxin-1 (trx1), and prophenoloxidase (propo) all increased significantly with increasing B. subtilis dosages, while hemolymph and hepatopancreatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the transcriptions of toll like receptors (tlrs), NF-κB-like transcription factor (relish), and lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α factor (litaf) all decreased remarkably. In terms of bacterial species, the recombinant B. subtilis group obtained significantly high values of FW, WG, hemolymph, and hepatopancreatic activities of SOD, CAT, LZM, ACP, and AKP, and the transcriptions of mtmnsod, peroxiredoxin 6 (prx6), and propo compared with the unmodified B. subtilis, while opposite results were noted in hemolymph and hepatopancreatic MDA content and the transcriptions of tlrs, relish, and litaf. These results indicated that dietary supplementation with 109 CFU/kg of recombinant B. subtilis can improve the growth performance, redox defense, and nonspecific immunity of E. sinensis.

CircUBE3A(2,3,4,5) promotes adenylate-uridylate-rich binding factor 1 nuclear translocation to suppress prostate cancer metastasis.

Metastatic progression is the primary cause of mortality in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Although circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in cancer progression and metastasis, our current understanding of their role in PCa metastasis remains limited. In this study, we identified that circUBE3A(2,3,4,5), which originated from exons 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the human ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) gene, was specifically downregulated in PCa tissues and correlated with the Gleason score, bone metastasis, and D'Amico risk classification. Through the in vitro and in vivo experiments, we demonstrated that overexpression of circUBE3A(2,3,4,5) inhibited PCa cell migration, invasion, metastasis, and proliferation. Mechanistically, circUBE3A(2,3,4,5) was found to bind to adenylate-uridylate-rich binding factor 1 (AUF1), promoting the translocation of AUF1 into the nucleus. This led to decreased AUF1 in the cytoplasm, resulting in methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) mRNA instability and a subsequent reduction at the protein level. The downregulation of MTHFD2 further inhibited vimentin expression, thereby suppressing PCa cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Additionally, two pairs of the short-inverted repeats (TSIRs) in flanking introns were identified to synergistically facilitate the generation of circUBE3A(2,3,4,5) and other circRNAs. In summary, TSIRs-induced circUBE3A(2,3,4,5) acts as a suppressor of PCa metastasis by enhancing AUF1 nuclear translocation, reducing MTHFD2, and subsequently inhibiting vimentin expression. This study characterizes circUBE3A(2,3,4,5) as a functional circRNA and proposes it as a highly promising target for preventing PCa metastasis.

The unique salt bridge network in GlacPETase: a key to its stability.

The extensive accumulation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has become a critical environmental issue. PET hydrolases can break down PET into its building blocks. Recently, we identified a glacial PET hydrolase GlacPETase sharing less than 31% amino acid identity with any known PET hydrolases. In this study, the crystal structure of GlacPETase was determined at 1.8 Å resolution, revealing unique structural features including a distinctive N-terminal disulfide bond and a specific salt bridge network. Site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated that the disruption of the N-terminal disulfide bond did not reduce GlacPETase's thermostability or its catalytic activity on PET. However, mutations in the salt bridges resulted in changes in melting temperature ranging from -8°C to +2°C and the activity on PET ranging from 17.5% to 145.5% compared to the wild type. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that these salt bridges stabilized the GlacPETase's structure by maintaining their surrounding structure. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that GlacPETase represented a distinct branch within PET hydrolases-like proteins, with the salt bridges and disulfide bonds in this branch being relatively conserved. This research contributed to the improvement of our comprehension of the structural mechanisms that dictate the thermostability of PET hydrolases, highlighting the diverse characteristics and adaptability observed within PET hydrolases.IMPORTANCEThe pervasive problem of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pollution in various terrestrial and marine environments is widely acknowledged and continues to escalate. PET hydrolases, such as GlacPETase in this study, offered a solution for breaking down PET. Its unique origin and less than 31% identity with any known PET hydrolases have driven us to resolve its structure. Here, we report the correlation between its unique structure and biochemical properties, focusing on an N-terminal disulfide bond and specific salt bridges. Through site-directed mutagenesis experiments and molecular dynamics simulations, the roles of the N-terminal disulfide bond and salt bridges were elucidated in GlacPETase. This research enhanced our understanding of the role of salt bridges in the thermostability of PET hydrolases, providing a valuable reference for the future engineering of PET hydrolases.

AlmA involved in the long-chain n-alkane degradation pathway in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 is a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase.

Many Acinetobacter species can grow on n-alkanes of varying lengths (≤C40). AlmA, a unique flavoprotein in these Acinetobacter strains, is the only enzyme proven to be required for the degradation of long-chain (LC) n-alkanes, including C32 and C36 alkanes. Although it is commonly presumed to be a terminal hydroxylase, its role in n-alkane degradation remains elusive. In this study, we conducted physiological, biochemical, and bioinformatics analyses of AlmA to determine its role in n-alkane degradation by Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1. Consistent with previous reports, gene deletion analysis showed that almA was vital for the degradation of LC n-alkanes (C26-C36). Additionally, enzymatic analysis revealed that AlmA catalyzed the conversion of aliphatic 2-ketones (C10-C16) to their corresponding esters, but it did not conduct n-alkane hydroxylation under the same conditions, thus suggesting that AlmA in strain ADP1 possesses Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase (BVMO) activity. These results were further confirmed by bioinformatics analysis, which revealed that AlmA was closer to functionally identified BVMOs than to hydroxylases. Altogether, the results of our study suggest that LC n-alkane degradation by strain ADP1 possibly follows a novel subterminal oxidation pathway that is distinct from the terminal oxidation pathway followed for short-chain n-alkane degradation. Furthermore, our findings suggest that AlmA catalyzes the third reaction in the LC n-alkane degradation pathway.IMPORTANCEMany microbial studies on n-alkane degradation are focused on the genes involved in short-chain n-alkane (≤C16) degradation; however, reports on the genes involved in long-chain (LC) n-alkane (>C20) degradation are limited. Thus far, only AlmA has been reported to be involved in LC n-alkane degradation by Acinetobacter spp.; however, its role in the n-alkane degradation pathway remains elusive. In this study, we conducted a detailed characterization of AlmA in A. baylyi ADP1 and found that AlmA exhibits Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase activity, thus indicating the presence of a novel LC n-alkane biodegradation mechanism in strain ADP1.

Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids with their antitumor activity from the aerial parts of Corydalis impatiens (pall.) Fisch.

Phytochemical investigation on the aerial parts of Corydalis impatiens (pall.) Fisch (Papaveraceae) resulted in the identification of four previous undescribed benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, impatienines A-D (1-4), together with 14 known analogues (5-18). The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis (IR, HR-ESIMS, 1D- and 2D-NMR) as well as ECD calculations. All the compounds obtained were investigated for their inhibitory effect on the growth of A549, H1299 and HepG2 cancer cells. Compounds 7 and 15 exhibited pronounced inhibition against the A549 cancer cells with IC50 values of 6.81 µM and 3.17 µM, while the positive control cisplatin was 1.83 µM. Compounds 1-3 showed moderate inhibitory on the H1299 cancer cells. Compounds 4, 10-12, and 16 showed signiffcant activity against HepG2 cancer cells with IC50 values range of 4.41-8.75 µM.

Nitrogenous chemical constituents and their antitumor activities evaluation in vitro from the aerial parts of Corydalis impatiens (pall.) Fisch.

Four new compounds, impatienines E-H (1-4), together with 18 known ones (R)-N-methylcoclaurine (5), impatienine I (6), thalifoline (7), iseluxine (8), pisoquinoline (9), corydaldine (10), northalifoline (11), noroxyhydrastinine (12), 6,7-methylenedioxy-1(2H)-isoquinolinone (13), N-methylcorydaldine (14), oxyhydrastinine (15), corypalline (16), N-trans-feruloylmethoxytyramine (17), N-trans-feruloyldopamine (18), N-trans-feruloyltyramine (19), N-trans-sinapoyltyramine (20), N-cis-feruloyltyramine (21), N-cis-sinapoyltyramine (22) were obtained from the aerial parts of Corydalis impatiens (pall.) Fisch. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis (1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-ESIMS, IR, UV) and/or comparison with reported literature. The inhibitory effects of these isolates were also evaluated against the growth of cancer cells (A549, H1299 and HepG2). Compounds 2 and 4 showed significant inhibitory effect on HepG2 cancer cells with IC50 values of 8.62, 8.32 µM, respectively (positive control cisplatin: IC50, 6.32 µM). Compounds 22 and 4 exhibited moderate inhibitory effects against A549 cancer cells, and the IC50 values were 7.78 and 12.54 µM, respectively (positive control cisplatin: IC50, 1.83 µM).

Multi-F-Structured MOF Materials Enhance Nanogenerator Output Performance for Corrosion Protection of Metallic Materials.

MOF (metal organic framework) materials have been used as functional materials in a number of fields due to their diverse spatial tunability, which produces rich porous structures with stable and continuous pores and a high specific surface area. A triboelectric nanogenerator can convert trace mechanical energy into electrical energy, and the application of MOF materials to triboelectric nanogenerators has been intensively studied. In this work, we report on two MOFs with similar spatial structures, and the modulation of the end microstructures was achieved using the difference in F content. The output performance of friction power generation increases with the increase in F content, and the obtained polyacidic ligand materials can be used to construct self-powered corrosion protection systems, which can effectively protect metallic materials from corrosion.

Cistadesertosides B-E, Four New Diastereomeric Lignan Glycosides from the Stems of Cultural Cistanche deserticola in Tarim Desert.

Four previously undescribed diastereomeric lignan glycosides, namely cistadesertosides B-E (1-4) were isolated from the stems of cultural Cistanche deserticola in Tarim desert. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses, including IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, circular dichroism (CD) data and chemical degradation. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the isolates was also investigated. It showed that compounds 3 and 4 exhibited potential effects with IC50 values of 21.17 µM and 26.97 µM, respectively (positive control quercetin, IC50 , 10.01 µM).

[Preparation of Iron-improved Blue Algae Biochar and Its Co-adsorption Mechanism for Phosphorus in Surface Water].

To alleviate the problems of eutrophication and blue algae accumulation in water, biochar was prepared from blue algae dehydrated using polymerized ferrous sulfate(PFS) to absorb phosphate in water, and the biochar was activated using steam to adjust the pore structure. The preparation conditions of blue algae biochar were optimized using the response surface method. The optimal results were as follows:the dosage of PFS was 458 mg·L-1, the carbonization temperature was 433℃, and the mass ratio of biochar precursor to steam was 1:11. Biochar without PFS(F0H11-433) and biochar with PFS(F458H11-433) were characterized using X-ray diffraction(XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), zeta potential, and Raman spectra(Raman) were used to study whether blue algae biochar and PFS had a synergic effect on phosphate removal. The results showed that:compared with F0H11-433, iron oxide appeared on the surface, the zero point of charge(pHpzc) increased from 4.41 to 6.19, and the disorder and defect degree of biochar was increased in F458H11-433. The pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model were suitable for describing the adsorption process of F458H11-433, and the saturated adsorption capacity was 31.97 mg·g-1. F458H11-433 had excellent phosphorus removal efficiency in actual lake water, and the residual phosphate content of effluent was less than 0.025 mg·L-1. In the presence of several common anions, it still showed excellent selective adsorption. After five cycles, the phosphate removal of F458H11-433 still reached 75.78%, indicating that F458H11-433 had the characteristic of being renewable. Combined with the material characterization results before and after adsorption, the phosphorus removal mechanism of F458H11-433 mainly involved electrostatic attraction and ligand exchange.

Glacier as a source of novel polyethylene terephthalate hydrolases.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a major component of microplastic contamination globally, which is now detected in pristine environments including Polar and mountain glaciers. As a carbon-rich molecule, PET could be a carbon source for microorganisms dwelling in glacier habitats. Thus, glacial microorganisms may be potential PET degraders with novel PET hydrolases. Here, we obtained 414 putative PET hydrolase sequences by searching a global glacier metagenome dataset. Metagenomes from the Alps and Tibetan glaciers exhibited a higher relative abundance of putative PET hydrolases than those from the Arctic and Antarctic. Twelve putative PET hydrolase sequences were cloned and expressed, with one sequence (designated as GlacPETase) proven to degrade amorphous PET film with a similar performance as IsPETase, but with a higher thermostability. GlacPETase exhibited only 30% sequence identity to known active PET hydrolases with a novel disulphide bridge location and, therefore may represent a novel PET hydrolases class. The present work suggests that extreme carbon-poor environments may harbour a diverse range of known and novel PET hydrolases for carbon acquisition as an environmental adaptation mechanism.

Mevalonate pathway and male reproductive aging.

Male fertility declines with age. The mevalonate pathway, through which cholesterol and nonsteroidal isoprenoids are synthesized, plays key role in metabolic processes and is an essential pathway for cholesterol production and protein prenylation. Male reproductive aging is accompanied by dramatic changes in the metabolic microenvironment of the testis. Since the mevalonate pathway has an important role in spermatogenesis, we attempted to explore the association between male reproductive aging and the mevalonate pathway to explain the mechanism of male reproductive aging. Alterations in the mevalonate pathway may affect male reproductive aging by decreasing cholesterol synthesis and altering testis protein prenylation. Decreased cholesterol levels affect cholesterol modification, testosterone production, and remodeling of germ cell membranes. Aging-related metabolic disorders also affect the metabolic coupling between somatic cells and spermatogenic cells, leading to male fertility decline. Therefore, we hypothesized that alterations in the mevalonate pathway represent one of the metabolic causes of reproductive aging.

Potential Controllable Redox Couple for Mild and Efficient Lithium Recovery from Spent Batteries.

The prosperity of the lithium-ion battery market is dialectically accompanied by the depletion of corresponding resources and the accumulation of spent batteries. It is an urgent priority to develop green and efficient battery recycling strategies for helping ease resources and environmental pressures at the current stage. Here, we propose a mild and efficient lithium extracting strategy based on potential controllable redox couples. Active lithium in the spent battery without discharging is extracted using a series of tailored aprotic solutions comprised of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ethers. This ensures a safe yet efficient recycling process with nearly ≈100 % lithium recovery. We further investigate the Li+ -electron concerted redox reactions and the effect of solvation structure on kinetics during the extraction, and broaden the applicability of the Li-PAHs solution. This work can stimulate new inspiration for designing novel solutions to meet efficient and sustainable demands in recycling batteries.

Maternal and embryonic signals cause functional differentiation of luminal epithelial cells and receptivity establishment.

Embryo implantation requires temporospatial maternal-embryonic dialog. Using single-cell RNA sequencing for the uterus from 2.5 to 4.5 days post-coitum (DPC) and bulk sequencing for the corresponding embryos of 3.5 and 4.0 DPC pregnant mice, we found that estrogen-responsive luminal epithelial cells (EECs) functionally differentiated into adhesive epithelial cells (AECs) and supporting epithelial cells (SECs), promoted by progesterone. Along with maternal signals, embryonic Pdgfa and Efna3/4 signaling activated AECs and SECs, respectively, enhancing the attachment of embryos to the endometrium and furthering embryo development. This differentiation process was largely conserved between humans and mice. Notably, the developmental defects of SOX9-positive human endometrial epithelial cells (similar to mouse EEC) were related to thin endometrium, whereas functional defects of SEC-similar unciliated epithelial cells were related to recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Our findings provide insights into endometrial luminal epithelial cell development directed by maternal and embryonic signaling, which is crucial for endometrial receptivity.

Cottonseed Meal Protein Hydrolysate Improves the Growth Performance of Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) by Promoting the Muscle Growth and Molting Performance.

Growth retardation and prolonged marketing cycle have been noticed in the practical aquaculture of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) fed with artificial feed. Plant protein hydrolysates contain a large number of small peptides and free amino acids, which can improve the growth performance of aquatic animals. However, the potential mechanisms are still not well elucidated. In this research, the influences of cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate (CPH) on the growth, feed utilization, muscle growth, and molting performance were investigated in E. sinensis. A total of 240 crabs (mean body weight 37.32 ± 0.38 g) were individually randomly distributed to six diets supplemented with 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.6%, and 3.2% of CPH for 12 weeks. These findings indicated that the addition of CPH at 0.4% significantly increased the survival rate, body protein gain, apparent protein utilization, trypsin and pepsin activities, and the methyl farnesoate content. When the dose reached 0.8%, the weight growth ratio, meat yield, ecdysone concentration, and the transcription of the ecdysteroid receptor all significantly increased, while the transcriptions of both myostatin and molt-inhibiting hormone significantly decreased. When CPH was added at 1.6%-3.2%, the feed conversion ratio, body crude protein content, Na+/K+-ATPase activity, and the molting ratio were all significantly improved, while the opposite was true for the transcription of the transforming growth factor-ß type I receptor. The investigation results indicated that when added above 0.4%, CPH could stimulate the growth performance of E. sinensis and promote the muscle growth and molting performance.

Biodegradation of additive-free polypropylene by bacterial consortia enriched from the ocean and from the gut of Tenebrio molitor larvae.

Accumulation of highly recalcitrant PP wastes has caused a serious environmental pollution. We evaluated the biodegradation of two types of additive-free PP polymers by microbial degraders from different environments. Two bacterial consortia, designated as PP1M and PP2G, were enriched from the ocean and from the guts of Tenebrio molitor larvae. Both consortia were able to utilize each of two different additive-free PP plastics with relatively low molecular weights (low molecular weight PP powder and amorphous PP pellets) as the sole carbon source for growth. After a 30-day incubation, several plastic characterization methods, including high-temperature gel permeation chromatography, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry, were used to characterize the PP samples. The bio-treated PP powder was covered with tight biofilms and extracellular secretions with significantly increased hydroxyl and carbonyl groups and slightly decreased methyl groups. This suggested that degradation and oxidation had occurred. The altered molecular weights and the increased melting enthalpy and average crystallinity of the bio-treated PP samples all suggested that both consortia preferred to depolymerize and degrade the fractions with molecular weights of ≤34 kDa and the amorphous phase fractions of the two types of PP. Furthermore, low molecular weight PP powder was more susceptible to bacterial degradation compared to amorphous PP pellets. This study provides a unique example of different types of additive-free PP degradation by different culturable bacteria from the ocean and insect guts as well as a feasibility of PP waste removal in different environments.