Post-translational control of beige fat biogenesis by PRDM16 stabilization.

Compelling evidence shows that brown and beige adipose tissue are protective against metabolic diseases1,2. PR domain-containing 16 (PRDM16) is a dominant activator of the biogenesis of beige adipocytes by forming a complex with transcriptional and epigenetic factors and is therefore an attractive target for improving metabolic health3-8. However, a lack of knowledge surrounding the regulation of PRDM16 protein expression hampered us from selectively targeting this transcriptional pathway. Here we identify CUL2-APPBP2 as the ubiquitin E3 ligase that determines PRDM16 protein stability by catalysing its polyubiquitination. Inhibition of CUL2-APPBP2 sufficiently extended the half-life of PRDM16 protein and promoted beige adipocyte biogenesis. By contrast, elevated CUL2-APPBP2 expression was found in aged adipose tissues and repressed adipocyte thermogenesis by degrading PRDM16 protein. Importantly, extended PRDM16 protein stability by adipocyte-specific deletion of CUL2-APPBP2 counteracted diet-induced obesity, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia in mice. These results offer a cell-autonomous route to selectively activate the PRDM16 pathway in adipose tissues.

BCAA catabolism in brown fat controls energy homeostasis through SLC25A44.

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA; valine, leucine and isoleucine) supplementation is often beneficial to energy expenditure; however, increased circulating levels of BCAA are linked to obesity and diabetes. The mechanisms of this paradox remain unclear. Here we report that, on cold exposure, brown adipose tissue (BAT) actively utilizes BCAA in the mitochondria for thermogenesis and promotes systemic BCAA clearance in mice and humans. In turn, a BAT-specific defect in BCAA catabolism attenuates systemic BCAA clearance, BAT fuel oxidation and thermogenesis, leading to diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance. Mechanistically, active BCAA catabolism in BAT is mediated by SLC25A44, which transports BCAAs into mitochondria. Our results suggest that BAT serves as a key metabolic filter that controls BCAA clearance via SLC25A44, thereby contributing to the improvement of metabolic health.

SIRT1 maintains bone homeostasis by regulating osteoblast glycolysis through GOT1.

The silent information regulator T1 (SIRT1) is linked to longevity and is a crucial mediator of osteoblast function. We investigated the direct role of Sirt1 during bone modeling and remodeling stages in vivo using Tamoxifen-inducible osteoblast-specific Sirt1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice. cKO mice exhibited lower trabecular and cortical bone mass in the distal femur. These phenotypes were coupled with lower bone formation and bone resorption. Metabolomics analysis revealed that the metabolites involved in glycolysis were significantly decreased in cKO mice. Further analysis of the quantitative acetylome revealed 11 proteins with upregulated acetylation levels in both the femur and calvaria of cKO mice. Cross-analysis identified four proteins with the same upregulated lysine acetylation site in both the femur and calvaria of cKO mice. A combined analysis of the metabolome and acetylome, as well as immunoprecipitation, gene knockout, and site-mutation experiments, revealed that Sirt1 deletion inhibited glycolysis by directly binding to and increasing the acetylation level of Glutamine oxaloacetic transaminase 1 (GOT1). In conclusion, our study suggested that Sirt1 played a crucial role in regulating osteoblast metabolism to maintain bone homeostasis through its deacetylase activity on GOT1. These findings provided a novel insight into the potential targeting of osteoblast metabolism for the treatment of bone-related diseases.

Genome-wide association study reveals genetic loci for ten trace elements in foxtail millet (Setaria italica).

KEY MESSAGE: One hundred and fifty-five QTL for trace element concentrations in foxtail millet were identified using a genome-wide association study, and a candidate gene associated with Ni-Co-Cr concentrations was detected. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is an important regional crop known for its rich mineral nutrient content, which has beneficial effects on human health. We assessed the concentrations of ten trace elements (Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) in the grain of 408 foxtail millet accessions. Significant differences in the concentrations of five elements (Ba, Co, Ni, Sr, and Zn) were observed between two subpopulations of spring- and summer-sown foxtail millet varieties. Moreover, 84.4% of the element pairs exhibited significant correlations. To identify the genetic factors influencing trace element accumulation, a comprehensive genome-wide association study was conducted, identifying 155 quantitative trait locus (QTL) for the ten trace elements across three different environments. Among them, ten QTL were consistently detected in multiple environments, including qZn2.1, qZn4.4, qCr4.1, qFe6.3, qFe6.5, qCo6.1, qPb7.3, qPb7.5, qBa9.1, and qNi9.1. Thirteen QTL clusters were detected for multiple elements, which partially explained the correlations between elements. Additionally, the different concentrations of five elements between foxtail millet subpopulations were caused by the different frequencies of high-concentration alleles associated with important marker-trait associations. Haplotype analysis identified a candidate gene SETIT_036676mg associated with Ni accumulation, with the GG haplotype significantly increasing Ni-Co-Cr concentrations in foxtail millet. A cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence marker (cNi6676) based on the two haplotypes of SETIT_036676mg was developed and validated. Results of this study provide valuable reference information for the genetic research and improvement of trace element content in foxtail millet.

Investigating the shared genetic architecture between schizophrenia and body mass index.

Evidence for reciprocal comorbidity of schizophrenia (SCZ) and body mass index (BMI) has grown in recent years. However, little is known regarding the shared genetic architecture or causality underlying the phenotypic association between SCZ and BMI. Leveraging summary statistics from the hitherto largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) on each trait, we investigated the genetic overlap and causal associations of SCZ with BMI. Our study demonstrated a genetic correlation between SCZ and BMI, and the correlation was more evident in local genomic regions. The cross-trait meta-analysis identified 27 significant SNPs shared between SCZ and BMI, most of which had the same direction of influence on both diseases. Mendelian randomization analysis showed the causal association of SCZ with BMI, but not vice versa. Combining the gene expression information, we found that the genetic correlation between SCZ and BMI is enriched in six regions of brain, led by the brain frontal cortex. Additionally, 34 functional genes and 18 specific cell types were found to have an impact on both SCZ and BMI within these regions. Taken together, our comprehensive genome-wide cross-trait analysis suggests a shared genetic basis including pleiotropic loci, tissue enrichment, and shared function genes between SCZ and BMI. This work provides novel insights into the intrinsic genetic overlap of SCZ and BMI, and highlights new opportunities and avenues for future investigation.

Pseudorabies virus UL38 attenuates the cGAS-STING signaling pathway by recruiting Tollip to promote STING for autophagy degradation.

Natural immunity is the first defense line of the host immune system, which plays a significant role in combating foreign pathogenic microorganisms. The IFN-ß (interferon-beta) signaling pathway, being a typical example of innate immunity, plays a vital function. This study aimed to elucidate the function of pseudorabies virus (PRV) UL38 protein (unique long region 38) in suppressing the activation of the IFN-ß signaling pathway. The findings from our study indicate that the PRV UL38 protein effectively hampers the activation of IFN-ß by poly (dA: dT) (poly(deoxyadenylic-deoxythymidylic)) and 2'3'-cGAMP (2'-3'-cyclic GMP-AMP). Furthermore, UL38 exhibits spatial co-localization with STING (stimulator of interferon genes) and effectively hinders STING dimerization. Subsequently, STING was downgraded to suppress the production of IFN-ß and ISGs (interferon stimulated genes). Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that the interaction between UL38 and STING, which subsequently initiated the degradation of STING via selective autophagy mediated by TOLLIP (toll interacting protein). To summarize, this research elucidates the function of UL38 in counteracting the cGAS (cGAMP synthase)-STING-induced IFN-ß pathway. The PRV UL38 protein may attenuate the activation of IFN-ß as a means of regulating the virus's persistence in the host.

MdERDL6-mediated glucose efflux to the cytosol promotes sugar accumulation in the vacuole through up-regulating TSTs in apple and tomato.

Sugar transport across tonoplasts is essential for maintaining cellular sugar homeostasis and metabolic balance in plant cells. It remains unclear, however, how this process is regulated among different classes of sugar transporters. Here, we identified a tonoplast H+/glucose symporter, MdERDL6-1, from apples, which was highly expressed in fruits and exhibited expression patterns similar to those of the tonoplast H+/sugar antiporters MdTST1 and MdTST2. Overexpression of MdERDL6-1 unexpectedly increased not only glucose (Glc) concentration but also that of fructose (Fru) and sucrose (Suc) in transgenic apple and tomato leaves and fruits. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and expression analyses showed an up-regulation of TST1 and TST2 in the transgenic apple and tomato lines overexpressing MdERDL6-1 Further studies established that the increased sugar concentration in the transgenic lines correlated with up-regulation of TST1 and TST2 expression. Suppression or knockout of SlTST1 and SlTST2 in the MdERDL6-1-overexpressed tomato background reduced or abolished the positive effect of MdERDL6-1 on sugar accumulation, respectively. The findings demonstrate a regulation of TST1 and TST2 by MdERDL6-1, in which Glc exported by MdERDL6-1 from vacuole up-regulates TST1 and TST2 to import sugars from cytosol to vacuole for accumulation to high concentrations. The results provide insight into the regulatory mechanism of sugar accumulation in vacuoles mediated by the coordinated action of two classes of tonoplast sugar transporters.

Integrative transcriptome and metabolome analysis of fluoride exposure induced developmental neurotoxicity in mouse brain.

Fluoride could cause developmental neurotoxicity and significantly affect the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children. However, the systematic mechanism of neuronal damage caused by excessive fluoride administration in offspring is largely unknown. Here, we present a comprehensive integrative transcriptome and metabolome analysis to study the mechanism of developmental neurotoxicity caused by chronic fluoride exposure. Comparing the different doses of fluoride treatments in two generations revealed the exclusive signature of metabolism pathways and gene expression profiles. In particular, neuronal development and synaptic ion transport are significantly altered at the gene expression and metabolite accumulation levels for both generations, which could act as messengers and enhancers of fluoride-induced systemic neuronal injury. Choline and arachidonic acid metabolism, which highlighted in the integrative analysis, exhibited different regulatory patterns between the two generations, particularly for synaptic vesicle formation and inflammatory factor transport. It may suggest that choline and arachidonic acid metabolism play important roles in developmental neurotoxic responses for offspring mice. Our study provides comprehensive insights into the metabolomic and transcriptomic regulation of fluoride stress responses in the mechanistic explanation of fluoride-induced developmental neurotoxicity.

N-Acetylcysteine assists muscle development in offspring of mice subjected to maternal heat stress during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Heat stress (HS) has been shown to affect reproductive performance and muscle development negatively in animals. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) plays a pivotal role in enhancing the antioxidant performance in animals as a recognized antioxidant. The present study assesses the potential of NAC to modulate the reproductive performance and antioxidant function in pregnant mice exposed to HS. The role of NAC in muscle development of offspring mice was also explored. RESULTS: The results showed that NAC supplementation from day 12 to day 18 of gestation increased the number of litters and enhanced the antioxidant function in pregnant mice under HS exposure. It improved the weight and body condition significantly in the offspring mice (P < 0.05). The alleviation of HS-induced muscle impairment with NAC was consistent with the alleviation of apoptosis, the enrichment of the proliferation and differentiation in the offspring mice muscle. N-Acetylcysteine also reversed HS-induced reduction in the cross-sectional area of the leg muscle and increased the proportion of myosin heavy chain IIx (MYHCIIx) in the muscle fiber. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study support the use of NAC at a dose of 100 mg kg-1 body weight as supplement for protecting the offspring derived from pregnant mice exposed to HS from muscle impairment by accelerating proliferation and differentiation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Meta-analysis comparing different ultrasound detection methods to accurately assess wound healing and scar formation after caesarean section.

The accurate assessment of wound healing post-caesarean section, especially in twin pregnancies, remains a pivotal concern in obstetrics, given its implications for maternal health and recovery. Traditional methods, including conventional abdominal ultrasonography (CU), have been challenged by the advent of transvaginal ultrasonography (TU), offering potentially enhanced sensitivity and specificity. This meta-analysis directly compares the efficacy of TU and CU in evaluating wound healing and scar formation, crucial for optimizing postoperative care. Results indicate that TU is associated with significantly better outcomes in wound healing, demonstrated by lower REEDA scores (SMD = -20.56, 95% CI: [-27.34.20, -13.77], p < 0.01), and in scar formation reduction, evidenced by lower Manchester Scar Scale scores (SMD = -25.18, 95% CI: [-29.98, -20.39], p < 0.01). These findings underscore the potential of integrating TU into routine post-caesarean evaluation protocols to enhance care quality and patient recovery.

F-box protein MdAMR1L1 regulates ascorbate biosynthesis in apple by modulating GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase.

Ascorbate (Asc) is an important antioxidant in plants and humans that plays key roles in various physiological processes. Understanding the regulation of Asc content in fruit plants is important for improving plant resiliency and optimizing Asc in food. Here, we found that both the transcript level and protein abundance of Asc Mannose pathway Regulator 1 Like 1 (MdAMR1L1) was negatively associated with Asc levels during the development of apple (Malus × domestica) fruit. The overexpression or silencing of MdAMR1L1 in apple indicated that MdAMR1L1 negatively regulated Asc levels. However, in the leaves of MdAMR1L1-overexpressing apple lines, the transcript levels of the Asc synthesis gene Guanosine diphosphate-mannose pyrophosphorylase MdGMP1 were increased, while its protein levels and enzyme activity were reduced. This occurred because the MdAMR1L1 protein interacted with MdGMP1 and promoted its degradation via the ubiquitination pathway to inhibit Asc synthesis at the post-translational level. MdERF98, an apple ethylene response factor, whose transcription was modulated by Asc level, is directly bound to the promoter of MdGMP1 to promote the transcription of MdGMP1. These findings provide insights into the regulatory mechanism of Asc biosynthesis in apples and revealed potential opportunities to improve fruit Asc levels.

The identification of a novel CCNQ gene tail extension variant contributing to syndactyly, telecanthus and anogenital and renal malformations syndrome.

The "toe syndactyly, telecanthus and anogenital and renal malformations" (STAR) syndrome is a rare X-linked dominant inherited kidney ciliopathy caused by CCNQ gene mutations. Here, we investigated the genotype and phenotype in the first two twin sisters with a novel tail extension CCNQ variant in Asia. Genetic variants of the pedigree were screened using whole-exome sequence analysis and validated by direct Sanger sequencing. The genetic function was investigated through cultured cells and zebrafish embryos transfected with mutant. The proband is suffered from end-stage renal disease, telecanthus, scoliosis, anal atresia, bilateral hydronephrosis pyeloureter dilation and hearing loss, while her twin sister had milder phenotypes. A novel heterozygous variant c.502_518delinsA (p.Val168SerfsTer173) in CCNQ gene was identified in the twins and their asymptomatic mosaic mother. The concurrent deletion of 17 bases and insertion of one base variant led to the loss of 5 amino acids, subsequently caused a 96 more amino acids tail extension delaying the appearance of stop codon. The loss-of-function variant of CCNQ not only led to the impaired expression of cyclin M but also increased the binding affinity of CDK10-cyclin M complex, which is different from the previous study. The research expanded the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of STAR syndrome.

Caged Luciferase Inhibitor-Based Bioluminescence Switching Strategy Enables Efficient Detection of Serum APN Activity and the Identification of Its Roles in Metastasis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Bioluminogenic probes emerged as powerful tools for imaging and analysis of various bioanalyses, but traditional approaches would be limited to the low sensitivity during determine the low activity of protease in clinical specimens. Herein, we proposed a caged luciferase inhibitor-based bioluminescence-switching strategy (CLIBS) by using a cleavable luciferase inhibitor to modulate the activity of luciferase reporter to amplify the detective signals, which led to the enhancement of detection sensitivity, and enabled the determination of circulating Aminopeptidase N (APN) activity in thousands of times diluted serum. By applying the CLIBS to serum samples in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients from two clinical cohorts, we revealed that, for the first time, higher circulating APN activities but not its concentration, were associated with more NSCLC metastasis or higher metastasis stages by subsequent clinical analysis, and can serve as an independent factor for forecasting NSCLC patients' risk of metastasis.

Changes in the salivary metabolome in patients with chronic erosive gastritis.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic erosive gastritis (CEG) is closely related to gastric cancer, which requires early diagnosis and intervention. The invasiveness and discomfort of electronic gastroscope have limited its application in the large-scale screening of CEG. Therefore, a simple and noninvasive screening method is needed in the clinic. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to screen potential biomarkers that can identify diseases from the saliva samples of CEG patients using metabolomics. METHODS: Saliva samples from 64 CEG patients and 30 healthy volunteers were collected, and metabolomic analysis was performed using UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS in the positive and negative ion modes. Statistical analysis was performed using both univariate (Student's t-test) and multivariate (orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis) tests. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to determine significant predictors in the saliva of CEG patients. RESULTS: By comparing the saliva samples from CEG patients and healthy volunteers, 45 differentially expressed metabolites were identified, of which 37 were up-regulated and 8 were down-regulated. These differential metabolites were related to amino acid, lipid, phenylalanine metabolism, protein digestion and absorption, and mTOR signaling pathway. In the ROC analysis, the AUC values of 7 metabolites were greater than 0.8, among which the AUC values of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycoro-3-phosphodylcholine and 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycoro-3-phospholine (SOPC) were greater than 0.9. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, a total of 45 metabolites were identified in the saliva of CEG patients. Among them, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycoro-3-phosphorylcholine and 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycoro-3-phosphorine (SOPC) might have potential clinical application value.

High prevalence of metabolic diseases, liver steatosis and fibrosis among Chinese psychiatric patients.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the differences of metabolic disorders between the general population and psychiatric patients, with an emphasis on the prevalence and influencing factors of liver fibrosis in psychiatric patients. METHODS: A total of 734 psychiatric patients and 734 general population matched for age, sex, and BMI were enrolled from Shanghai, China. All participants underwent blood pressure, glucose, lipid profile measurements, and anthropometric parameters including body weight, height and waist circumference. FibroScan examinations were also performed on psychiatric patients. Liver steatosis and fibrosis were diagnosed by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by professional staff. RESULTS: Compared with the general population, psychiatric patients revealed significantly higher burden of metabolic disorders. The overall prevalence of liver steatosis (CAP ≥ 233 dB/m) and fibrosis (LSM ≥ 7.0 kPa) was 48.7% and 15.5% in psychiatric patients. Psychiatric patients with liver steatosis or fibrosis showed worse metabolic profile. Meanwhile, the prevalence of liver fibrosis was also significantly higher in patients with overweight, central obesity, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and liver steatosis. In logistic regression analyses, age, BMI and visceral adiposity index were independent risk factors for liver fibrosis in psychiatric patients. Additionally, antipsychotic medication was suggested to be associated with an increased risk of liver fibrosis in psychiatric patients with liver steatosis. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of liver steatosis and fibrosis is high in Chinese psychiatric patients. Those with antipsychotic polypharmacy and obesity are at high risk, and may benefit from early liver assessment in preventing fibrosis progression.

T Cell Subsets are Associated with Clinical Activity and Efficacy of 4.5g Intravenous Glucocorticoid for Moderate-To-Severe Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous glucocorticoid (IVGC) remains the main treatment for moderate-to-severe and active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). However, a substantial number (20-30%) of active moderate-to-severe TAO patients may not respond to IVGC. Some patients may have disease progression despite IVGC treatment or relapse after steroid withdrawal. OBJECTIVES: To analyze risk factors for clinical activity and predictive factors for clinical outcomes of 4.5 g IVGC therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe TAO. DESIGN AND METHODS: Our study was performed in two steps: step 1 involved 110 moderate-to-severe TAO patients and analyzed risk factors for TAO activity; step 2 involved 53 active moderate-to-severe TAO patients from step 1 who were treated with 4.5 g IVGC therapy and analyzed predictive factors for clinical outcomes of IVGC therapy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors and establish the predictive model. RESULTS: Abnormal TRAb (OR = 4.717; P = 0.019) and the percentage of CD3+CD4+ T cell (OR = 1.092; P = 0.028) were independently associated with the activity of moderate-to-severe TAO patients. The pretreatment CAS-max in both eyes (OR = 7.221; P = 0.013) and the percentage of pretreatment CD3+T cell (OR = 0.718; P = 0.037) were independently associated with therapeutic efficacy. The pretreatment CAS-max in both eyes (OR = 156.53; P = 0.028) and the percentage of post-treatment CD3+T cell (OR = 0.554; P = 0.043) were independently associated with therapeutic efficacy. Besides, multivariable prediction models were established, which were better in the forecasting aspect than single-variable prediction models. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this study, we should monitor the peripheral blood T cell subsets for TAO, which could be helpful to timely judge the condition of clinical manifestation and effect of treatment for TAO patients. Multivariable prediction models have been established, which have great significance for clinical work.

Stability and bifurcation analysis of Alzheimer's disease model with diffusion and three delays.

A reaction-diffusion Alzheimer's disease model with three delays, which describes the interaction of ß-amyloid deposition, pathologic tau, and neurodegeneration biomarkers, is investigated. The existence of delays promotes the model to display rich dynamics. Specifically, the conditions for stability of equilibrium and periodic oscillation behaviors generated by Hopf bifurcations can be deduced when delay σ (σ=σ1+σ2) or σ3 is selected as a bifurcation parameter. In addition, when delay σ and σ3 are selected as bifurcation parameters, the stability switching curves and the stable region are obtained by using an algebraic method, and the conditions for the existence of Hopf bifurcations can also be derived. The effects of time delays, diffusion, and treatment on biomarkers are discussed via numerical simulations. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis at multiple time points is drawn, indicating that different targeted therapies should be taken at different stages of development, which has certain guiding significance for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

First Report of the Root-Lesion Nematode (Pratylenchus thornei Sher and Allen, 1953) Parasitizing Oats in Gansu Province, China.

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a vital cereal crop and serves as food, feed, and industrial material for many commercial growers. The presence of root-lesion nematodes (RLN; Pratylenchus spp.) in oat-cultivated areas of China is alarming because RLNs display an endo-migratory life cycle and rank third among the most damaging nematode pests (Jones et al. 2013). Their penetration and feeding cause necrotic lesions on the roots, which further dispose plants to other soilborne pathogens resulting in extensive root rots (LaMondia, 2003). In China, it has been reported that P. thornei harmed sugarcane and wheat. (Fang et al 1994; Fan et al. 2020), However, there are no reports on the damage of P. thornei to oat. In June 2021, a survey of one oat field, exhibiting poorly developed plants reduced till number and distinct lesions on roots was conducted in Dingxi city, Gansu province, China (N 35°56', E 104°60'). Thirteen soil and root samples were collected from symptomatic plants (cultivar: Jizhangyan No.5). Nematodes were extracted from root and soil samples using the modified Baermann funnel method (Hooper, 1986). Twelve samples tested positive for the presence of RLN with population densities ranging from 3 to 25 juveniles and females/100 g of soil and 2 to 32/g of root. No males were detected. Twenty females from the twelve positive samples were selected at random and examined morphologically for species-level identification (Figure 1A-J). The female bodies were slender, almost straight or ventrally curved after heat relaxation (Figure 1A), labial region continuous with the rest of the body and bears three faint lip annuli. The stylets were short and stout with well-developed basal knobs (Figure 1C, G). The pharyngeal and reproductive components were typical of pratylenchid nematodes (Figure 1B). Tail region cylindrical, straight or curved ventrally, having variable terminus viz., broad, bluntly rounded or truncate, with no striations around terminus (Figure 1H-J). The diagnostic morphometrics of adult females were as follows: body length 591.4 ± 20.1 µm (466.6 to 742.7 µm), body width 22.5 ± 0.5 µm (20.1 to 26.2 µm), distance from anterior end to excretory pore 88.4 ± 3.5 µm (75.7 to 99.7 µm), stylet length 16.8 ± 0.2 µm (15.2 to 18.7 µm), and tail length 33.7 ± 1.3 µm (25.5 to 43.2 µm). De man's morphometric parameters were a: 26.3 ± 0.8 (19.8 to 31.1), b: 5.7 ± 0.2 (4.7 to 7.0), c: 17.9 ± 0.8 (12.9 to 23.7), c': 2.3 ± 0.1 (1.7 to 2.8) and V value was 77.8 % ± 1.2 (67.3 to 86.6 %). The morphological and morphometric characteristics of our detected population is consistent with Loof's 1960 description of P. thornei Sher and Allen, 1953 (Table 1). For molecular analysis, five females from the twelve positive samples were selected at random for molecular analysis. DNA was extracted from single females according to the method of Wang et al. (2011). The ITS region was amplified by primer pair 18S/26S (Vrain et al., 1992) and the D2/D3 expansion region of the 28S rDNA was amplified by primer pair D2A/D3B (Castillo et al., 2003). High quality PCR products of accurate fragment length were sent to the Tsingke Biological Technology (Xian, China) for sequencing. The ITS sequences (813 bp-817 bp, GenBank OP902282, OP902284, OP902287, OP902288 and OP902289) of Gansu population showed 99.26%-100% sequence identity with P. thornei reported from Italy (FR692299, FR692303 and FR692304) (Figure 2). The 28S sequences (738 bp-764 bp, GenBank OM278343, OP217988, OP218403, OP218404 and OP218567) showed 100% identity with P. thornei populations reported from Belgium (KY828302), the USA (OK490327) and Iran (JX261960) (Figure 3). Morphological and molecular data of the Gansu population obtained in this study supported its identification as P. thornei. The endo-migratory association of the host-nematode relationship was confirmed by observing nematodes inside the roots using acid fuchsin root staining (Wu et al. 2014) (Figure 4). Oat (cultivar: Jizhangyan No.5) seeds were sown in pots containing 500 g of naturally infested soil (an average of 12 P. thornei /100g of soil); autoclaved soil was used as a control. Fifty seeds were directly sown in pots (20 × 16 cm), with three replicates. Plants were maintained in an incubator at 28 ± 1°C (12 h/12 h light/dark). Results indicated that plants inoculated obviously grew poorly with some lesions on roots and P. thornei numbers in them increased 16 times both in soil (50.7 ± 9.6 nematodes/100g) and roots (708.0 ± 8.7 nematodes in the entire root system). No P. thornei was found in the control soil and roots (Figure 5). Morphological and molecular characteristics of specimens isolated from oat symptomatic roots (n = 10) were identical to P. thornei. The losses caused by P. thornei are still unknown, and considering Pratylenchus spp. are commercially important nematode, the more investigations on oats should be made in the future. As of yet, RLNs were not reported from any oat-cultivated areas of China. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. thornei parasitizing oats in the Gansu province of China.

SiMYBS3, Encoding a Setaria italica Heterosis-Related MYB Transcription Factor, Confers Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Drought is a major limiting factor affecting grain production. Drought-tolerant crop varieties are required to ensure future grain production. Here, 5597 DEGs were identified using transcriptome data before and after drought stress in foxtail millet (Setaria italica) hybrid Zhangza 19 and its parents. A total of 607 drought-tolerant genes were screened through WGCNA, and 286 heterotic genes were screened according to the expression level. Among them, 18 genes overlapped. One gene, Seita.9G321800, encoded MYBS3 transcription factor and showed upregulated expression after drought stress. It is highly homologous with MYBS3 in maize, rice, and sorghum and was named SiMYBS3. Subcellular localization analysis showed that the SiMYBS3 protein was located in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and transactivation assay showed SiMYBS3 had transcriptional activation activity in yeast cells. Overexpression of SiMYBS3 in Arabidopsis thaliana conferred drought tolerance, insensitivity to ABA, and earlier flowering. Our results demonstrate that SiMYBS3 is a drought-related heterotic gene and it can be used for enhancing drought resistance in agricultural crop breeding.

[Association between infant and young child feeding indicators and the nutritional status of children aged 6-23 months in rural areas of Hunan Province in 2019].

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the status of complementary feeding among infants and young children aged 6-23 months in rural areas of Hunan Province. The association between infant and young child feeding indicators and child undernutrition were assessed. METHODS: A total of 1220 infants and young children aged 6-23 months from 24 investigated places of 6 cities in Hunan Province were selected by multi-stage stratified sampling for physical measurement, hemoglobin(Hb) test and caregiver interview. Complementary diet was analyzed according to the World Health Organization's definition of infant and young child feeding indicators. Z-scores were used to elevate nutrition status. Logistic regression models were used to explore the influencing factors of the nutritional status. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of underweight, stunting, wasting, overweight, obesity and anemia were 3.6%, 4.8%, 2.7%, 10.5%, 2.0% and 16.3%. The percentage of infants and young children aged 6-23 months in rural areas of Hunan Province who get minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency, and minimum acceptable diet was 43.3%, 68.5% and 28.1%. None of the individual infant and young child feeding indicators showed significant association with undernutrition, except minimum meal frequency for obesity and anemia. CONCLUSION: The nutritional status of infants and young children in rural areas of Hunan Province has improved, but the anemia problem is still serious. Complementary feeding frequency is closely associated with anemia for infants and young children.