Description and genomic characterization of Cohnella caldifontis sp. nov., isolated from hot springs in Yunnan province, south-west China.

A bacterial strain, Gram staining positive, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped, motile bacterium with flagellum and endospore-forming, designated strain YIM B05605T, was isolated from soil sampled in Hamazui hot springs, Tengchong City, Yunnan province, China. Optimum growth for the strain occurred at pH 7.0 and 45 °C. MK-7 was the main menaquinone in the strain YIM B05605T. The diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid. Diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine (PME), unidentified glycolipid (GL), three unknown aminophospholipids (APLs) and unidentified polarlipid (PL) were part of the polar lipid profile. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0. The DNA G + C content of the type strain was 58.76%. Genome-based phylogenetic analysis confirmed that strain YIM B05605T formed a distinct phylogenetic cluster within the genus Cohnella. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of strain YIM B05605T with the most related species C. fontinalis YT-1101T were 73.42% and 15.7%. Functional analysis by NR, Swiss-prot, Pfam, eggNOG, GO, KEGG databases revealed that strain YIM B05605T has 13 genes related to the sulfur cycle, 2 genes related to the nitrogen cycle. Based on phylogenomic and phylogenetic analyses coupled with phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characterizations, strain YIM B05605T could be classified as a novel species of the genus Cohnella, for which the name Cohnella caldifontis sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is YIM B05605T (= CGMCC 1.60052T = KCTC 43462T = NBRC 115921T).

A nomogram model for predicting ocular GVHD following allo-HSCT based on risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a nomogram model for predicting chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease (coGVHD) in patients after allogenic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). METHODS: This study included 61 patients who survived at least 100 days after allo-HSCT. Risk factors for coGVHD were screened using LASSO regression, then the variables selected were subjected to logistic regression. Nomogram was established to further confirm the risk factors for coGVHD. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the performance of the predictive model with the training and test sets. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated by using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 61 patients, 38 were diagnosed with coGVHD. We selected five texture features: lymphocytes (LYM) (OR = 2.26), plasma thromboplastin antecedent (PTA) (OR = 1.19), CD3 + CD25 + cells (OR = 1.38), CD3 + HLA-DR + cells (OR = 0.95), and the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) (OR = 1.44). The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) of the nomogram with the training and test sets were 0.979 (95% CI, 0.895-1.000) and 0.969 (95% CI, 0.846-1.000), respectively.And the Hosmer-Lemeshow test was nonsignificant with the training (p = 0.9949) and test sets (p = 0.9691). CONCLUSION: We constructed a nomogram that can assess the risk of coGVHD in patients after allo-HSCT and help minimize the irreversible loss of vision caused by the disease in high-risk populations.

Paenibacillus hamazuiensis sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from Hamazui hot spring in Yunnan province, south-west China.

A bacterial strain, Gram-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, motile, designated YIM B00624T which was isolated from a Hamazui hot spring in Tengchong, Yunnan province, south-west China. The strain grew well on International Streptomyces Project (ISP) 2 medium and colonies were creamy yellow, flat and circular. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity analysis showed that strain YIM B00624T was closely related to the type strain of Paenibacillus filicis S4T (95.9%). The main menaquinone of strain YIM B00624T was menaquinone-7 (MK-7) and major fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and C16:0. The isolate contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine and four unidentified glycolipids. The DNA G+C content of strain YIM B00624T was 53.4 mol%. Based on physiological, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, strain YIM B00624T belongs to a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus hamazuiensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM B00624T (= CGMCC 1.19245T = KCTC 43365T).

A Pooled Analysis of the PCR for the Detection of Candida Auris.

BACKGROUND: Candida auris is an opportunistic pathogen with multiple drug resistance. Therefore, researchers conducted a meta-analysis to review PCR's ability to diagnose Candida auris to promote the development of accurate Candida auris diagnosis. METHODS: Researchers systematically retrieved relevant articles from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science. Then, researchers extracted the key data required for the study from the selected articles. Meta-DiSc 1.4 was used for the statistical analysis. RevMan 5.3 was employed to assess the quality of the included literature. A funnel plot can appraise whether the included articles have publication bias. RESULTS: Five articles were included in the study. The results suggest that the pooled sensitivity and pooled specificity were 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92 - 0.95) and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.99 - 0.99), respectively. The positive and negative likelyhood ratios were 100.94 (95% CI: 47.51 - 214.47) and 0.07 (95% CI: 0.05 - 0.10), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio was 1,814.70 (95% CI: 717.30 - 4,591.04), and the area under the SROC curve was 0.9935. Deek's funnel plot indicated that there was no publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the analysis indicate that PCR can become a valuable technique for the clinical diagnosis of Candida auris due to its excellent performance.

MMP2 and MMP9 contribute to lung ischemia-reperfusion injury via promoting pyroptosis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI) is a cause of poor prognosis in several lung diseases and after lung transplantation. In LIRI, matrix metalloproteinases and pyroptosis indicators change in parallel, both of them involvement of inflammatory modulation, but it is unclear whether they are related to each other. METHODS: We analyzed the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) changes from RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data of human transplantation and rat ischemia-reperfusion lung tissues in the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) database. Then established the mouse LIRI model to validate the changes. Further, the severity of lung injury was measured after intervening the matrix metalloproteinases changes with their selective inhibitor during Lung ischemia-reperfusion. Meanwhile, lung, pyroptosis was assessed by assaying the activity of Caspase-1 and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) before and after intervening the matrix metalloproteinases changes. RESULTS: The RNA-Seq data revealed that matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) mRNA expression was elevated both in human lung transplantation and rat lung ischemia-reperfusion tissues, consistent with the change in our mouse model. At the same time, the activity of Caspase-1 and IL-1ß were increased after LIRI. While, the lung injury was attenuated for the use of MMP2 and MMP9 selective inhibitor SB-3CT. Likewise, lung pyroptosis alleviated when treatment the mice with SB-3CT in LIRI. CONCLUSION: We conclude that MMP2 and MMP9 are involved in the process of LIRI, the mechanism of which is related to the promotion of lung pyroptosis.

Identification of Key Pathways and Genes in SARS-CoV-2 Infecting Human Intestines by Bioinformatics Analysis.

COVID-19 is a serious infectious disease that has recently swept the world, and research on its causative virus, SARS-CoV-2, remains insufficient. Therefore, this study uses bioinformatics analysis techniques to explore the human digestive tract diseases that may be caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. The gene expression profile data set, numbered GSE149312, is from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and is divided into a 24-h group and a 60-h group. R software is used to analyze and screen out differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and then gene ontology (GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses are performed. In KEGG, the pathway of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease exists in both the 24-h group and 60-h group. STRING is used to establish a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Cytoscape is then used to visualize the PPI and define the top 12 genes of the node as the hub genes. Through verification, nine statistically significant hub genes are identified: AKT1, TIMP1, NOTCH, CCNA2, RRM2, TTK, BUB1B, KIF20A, and PLK1. In conclusion, the results of this study can provide a certain direction and basis for follow-up studies of SARS-CoV-2 infection of the human digestive tract and provide new insights for the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Myrothins A-F from Endophytic Fungus Myrothecium sp. BS-31 Harbored in Panax notoginseng.

Endophytic fungi play important roles for host's stress tolerance including invasion by pathogenic microbes. Small molecules are common weapons in the microbe-microbe interactions. Panax notoginseng is a widely used traditional Chinese medicinal plant and harbors many endophytes, some exert functions against pathogens. Here, we report six new compounds named myrothins A-F (1-6) produced by Myrothecium sp. BS-31, an endophyte isolated from P. notoginseng, and their antifungal activities against pathogenic fungi causing host root-rot disease. Their structures were elucidated with analysis of spectroscopic data including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS. Myrothins B (2) and E (5) showed the weak activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Phoma herbarum, and myrothins F (6) showed weak activity against F. oxysporum.

Nocardia panacis sp. nov., a novel actinomycete with antiphytopathogen activity isolated from the rhizosphere of Panax notoginseng.

Strain YIM PH21724T was isolated from the rhizosphere of Panax notoginseng. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strain exhibits close phylogenetic relatedness to Nocardia kroppenstedtii N1286T (97.70%), Nocardia farcinica NCTC 11134T (97.67%) and Nocardia puris DSM 44599T (97.40%). The menaquinones were identified as MK-9 (H4), MK-8 (H4, ω-cyclo) and MK-8 (H4), and the major fatty acids (> 10%) were identified as C16:0, C18:1 ω9c and C18:0 10-methyl. The polar lipids were found to be composed of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannosides and an unidentified lipid. The G + C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 67.01 mol%. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and genomic results clearly show strain YIM PH21724T should be classified in the genus Nocardia and represents a novel species, for which the name Nocardia panacis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM PH21724T (= DSM 105904T = KCTC 49030T = CCTCC AA 2017043T).

Amycolatopsis panacis sp. nov., isolated from Panax notoginseng rhizospheric soil.

A novel Gram-positive bacterium, designated strain YIM PH21725T, was isolated from a sample of rhizospheric soil of Panaxnotoginseng cultivated in Anning, Yunnan. The strain contained meso-diaminopimelic acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. The main fatty acids identified were C17 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and C16 : 0. The main menaquinone was MK-9 (H4). The polar lipids included phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, phosphatidylinositol, phospholipids and phospholipids of an unidentified structure containing glucosamine. The G+C content of genomic DNA was 69.43 mol%. On the basis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain YIM PH21725T should belong to the genus Amycolatopsis, and was closely related to Amycolatopsis sulphurea DSM 46092T (98.57 %), Amycolatopsis jejuensis JCM13280T (97.27 %), Amycolatopsis jiangsuensis KCTC 19885T (96.88 %) and Amycolatopsis ultiminotia JCM 16989T (96.8 %). The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and digital DNA-DNA hybridization results clearly indicated that strain YIM PH21725T represents a novel species of the genus Amycolatopsis, for which the name Amycolatopsispanacis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM PH21725T (=CCTCC AA 2017044T=KCTC 49031T=DSM 105902T).

Common genetic risk factors for venous thrombosis in the Chinese population.

Venous thrombosis is a major medical disorder caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Little is known about the genetic background of venous thrombosis in the Chinese population. A total of 1,304 individuals diagnosed with a first venous thrombosis and 1,334 age- and sex-matched healthy participants were enrolled in this study. Resequencing of THBD (encoding thrombomodulin) in 60 individuals with venous thrombosis and 60 controls and a functional assay showed that a common variant, c.-151G>T (rs16984852), in the 5' UTR significantly reduced the gene expression and could cause a predisposition to venous thrombosis. Therefore, this variant was genotyped in a case-control study, and results indicated that heterozygotes had a 2.80-fold (95% confidence interval = 1.88-4.29) increased risk of venous thrombosis. The THBD c.-151G>T variant was further investigated in a family analysis involving 176 first-degree relatives from 38 index families. First-degree relatives with this variant had a 3.42-fold increased risk of venous thrombosis, and their probability of remaining thrombosis-free was significantly lower than that of relatives without the variant. In addition, five rare mutations that might be deleterious were also identified in thrombophilic individuals by sequencing. This study is the largest genetic investigation of venous thrombosis in the Chinese population. Further study on genetics of thrombosis should focus on resequencing of THBD and other hemostasis genes in different populations.

Dibasic Ammonium Phosphate Application Enhances Aromatic Compound Concentration in Bog Bilberry Syrup Wine.

A nitrogen deficiency always causes bog bilberry syrup wine to have a poor sensory feature. This study investigated the effect of nitrogen source addition on volatile compounds during bog bilberry syrup wine fermentation. The syrup was supplemented with 60, 90, 120 or 150 mg/L dibasic ammonium phosphate (DAP) before fermentation. Results showed that an increase of DAP amounts accelerated fermentation rate, increased alcohol content, and decreased sugar level. Total phenol and total flavonoid content were also enhanced with the increase of DAP amounts. A total of 91 volatile compounds were detected in the wine and their concentrations were significantly enhanced with the increase of DAP. Ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, phenethyl acetate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, levo-2,3-butanediol, 2-phenylethanol, meso-2,3-butanediol, isobutyric acid, hexanoic acid, and octanoic acid exhibited a significant increase of their odor activity value (OAV) with the increase of DAP amounts. Bog bilberry syrup wine possessed fruity, fatty, and caramel flavors as its major aroma, whereas a balsamic note was the least present. The increase of DAP amounts significantly improved the global aroma attributes, thereby indicating that DAP supplementation could promote wine fermentation performance and enhance the sensory quality of bog bilberry syrup wine.

Two new butenolides produced by an Actinomycete Streptomyces sp.

Two new butenolides, (4S)-4,10-dihydroxydodec-2-en-1,4-olide (1) and (4S)-4,8,10-trihydroxy-10-methyldodec-2-en-1,4-olide (2), together with three known compounds, MKN-003B (3), MKN-003C (4), and cyclo(Ala-Leu) (5), were isolated from the culture broth of a bacterium of the genus Streptomyces derived from soil environment. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. The inhibitory activities of the butenolides against eight pathogenic fungi were evaluated. All of the butenolides showed moderate-or-weak antifungal activities in a broth microdilution assay.

Carbohydrate antigens as potential biomarkers for the malignancy in patients with idiopathic deep venous thrombosis: a retrospective cohort study.

A variety of biomarkers have been identified in recent prospective and retrospective reports as being potentially predictive of venous thromboembolis (VTE), particularly idiopathic deep venous thrombosis (IDVT). This study identified a serum tumor biomarker for early screening of IDVT. A total of 128 IDVT patients (54 females and 74 males; average age: 50.9±17.4 years) were included. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), ferritin, ß2-microglobulin, cancer antigen (CA) 125, CA 15-3, CA 19-9, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), prostate specific antigen (PSA), free PSA (f-PSA), and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-HCG) in patients with IDVT were detected. Malignancies were histo- or cytopathologically confirmed. Of the 128 IDVT patients, 16 (12.5%) were found to have malignancies. Serum CEA, CA 125, CA 15-3, and CA 19-9 were found to be helpful for detecting malignancies in IDVT patients. Our study revealed a positive association between these markers and tumors in IDVT patients. On the other hand, SCC and AFP were not sensitive enough to be markers for detecting tumors in patients with IDVT. No significant differences were found in positive rates of ferritin and ß2-microglobulin between tumor and non-tumor groups, and no significant difference exists in serum levels of ferritin and ß2-microglobulin between the two groups. Carbohydrate antigens, CA 15-3 in particular, may be useful for differential diagnosis and prediction of malignancies in patients with IDVT.

Upregulation of rate-limiting enzymes in cholesterol metabolism by PKCδ mediates endothelial apoptosis in diabetic wound healing.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a prevalent complication of diabetes that poses significant challenges in terms of treatment and management. It is characterized by heightened endothelial apoptosis and impaired angiogenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) in regulating endothelial apoptosis in diabetic wounds by promoting cholesterol biosynthesis. The expression of PKCδ was increased in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultivated in high glucose medium and skin tissue isolated from diabetic mice. High glucose-induced HUVECs apoptosis was reduced by PKCδ inhibition with siRNA or rottlerin. RNA-seq identified two enzymes, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 1 (HMGCS1) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), as the downstream of PKCδ. PKCδ knockdown or inhibition suppressed the expression of HMGCS1 and HMGCR and lowered free cholesterol (FC) levels. Cholesterol restored high glucose-induced apoptosis in siRNA- or rottlerin-treated HUVECs. In vivo use of rosuvastatin calcium, an inhibitor of HMGCR, downregulated free cholesterol levels and accelerated the wound healing process. In conclusion, PKCδ expression in endothelial cells was activated by high glucose, which subsequently upregulates the expression of two enzymes catalyzing cholesterol biosynthesis, HMGCS1 and HMGCR. Enhanced cholesterol biosynthesis raises free cholesterol levels, promotes endothelial apoptosis, and finally delays wound healing.

Association Between Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and the Risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment in a Chinese Urban Area: A Case-Control Study.

Background: As a prodromal stage of dementia, significant emphasis has been placed on the identification of modifiable risks of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Research has indicated a correlation between exposure to air pollution and cognitive function in older adults. However, few studies have examined such an association among the MCI population inChina. Objective: We aimed to explore the association between air pollution exposure and MCI risk from the Hubei Memory and Aging Cohort Study. Methods: We measured four pollutants from 2015 to 2018, 3 years before the cognitive assessment of the participants. Logistic regression models were employed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) to assess the relationship between air pollutants and MCI risk. Results: Among 4,205 older participants, the adjusted ORs of MCI risk for the highest quartile of PM2.5, PM10, O3, and SO2 were 1.90 (1.39, 2.62), 1.77 (1.28, 2.47), 0.56 (0.42, 0.75), and 1.18 (0.87, 1.61) respectively, compared with the lowest quartile. Stratified analyses indicated that such associations were found in both males and females, but were more significant in older participants. Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with the growing evidence suggesting that air pollution increases the risk of mild cognitive decline, which has considerable guiding significance for early intervention of dementia in the older population. Further studies in other populations and broader geographical areas are warranted to validate these findings.

Structure elucidation of four prenylindole derivatives from Streptomyces sp. isolated from Ailuropoda melanoleuca feces.

Four new prenylindole derivatives, (R)-6-(2,3-dihydroxy-3-methylbutyl)indole (1), (R)-6-(2,3-dihydroxy-3-methylbutyl)indolin-2-one (2), and an unseparated mixture of (Z)-6-(4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)indolin-2-one (3a) and (E)-6-(4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)indolin-2-one (3b) with a ratio of 3 : 2, were isolated from the culture broth of a streptomycete isolated from Ailuropoda melanoleuca feces. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by Mosher's method.

Ocular manifestations and quality of life in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

AIM: To explore the relationship between ocular and systemic conditions and the impact of ocular complications on the quality of life (QOL) in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ALLO-HSCT). METHODS: Forty-four patients with severe hematopoietic disease were enrolled after ALLO-HSCT at our center from July 2018 to October 2020. They completed two questionnaires: the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the quality-of-life scale for Chinese patients with visual impairment (SQOL-DV1). Ocular conditions and systemic conditions were also assessed. RESULTS: Eye damage was correlated with total bilirubin (P=0.005), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (P=0.021). There was no significant correlation between the overall QOL score and OSDI (P=0.8226) or SQOL-DV1 (P=0.9526) scores. The OSDI and the overall QOL score were not correlated with ocular conditions, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, Schirmer tear test II, sodium fluorescein staining, tear film breakup time, and tear meniscus height. SQOL-DV1 was correlated with BCVA (P=0.0007), sodium fluorescein staining (P=0.007), and tear film breakup time (P=0.0146). CONCLUSION: In some patients, early ocular symptoms are not evident after ALLO-HSCT, while ocular surface complications can be observed after a comprehensive ophthalmological examination. Especially for those with elevated total bilirubin or GGT, regular ophthalmic follow-up visits are essential to diagnose and treat ocular graft versus host disease (oGVHD), especially for patients with elevated total bilirubin or GGT.

Safety and Efficacy of Endovascular Aortic Repair for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms with a Hostile Neck Anatomy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) for the treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with a hostile neck anatomy (HNA). METHODS: From January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019, a total of 259 patients diagnosed with an AAA who underwent EVAR were recruited into this study. Based on the morphological characteristics of the proximal neck anatomy, the patients were divided into the HNA group and the friendly neck anatomy (FNA) group. The patients were followed up for up to 4 years. RESULTS: The average follow-up time was 1056.1±535.5 days. Type I endoleak occurred in 4 patients in the HNA group, and 2 patients in the FNA group. Neither death nor intraoperative switch to open repair occurred in either group. The time of the operation was significantly longer in the HNA group (FNA vs. HNA, 99.2±51.1 min vs. 117.5±63.8 min, P=0.011). There were no significant differences in short-term clinical success rate (P=0.228) or midterm clinical success rate (P=0.889) between the two groups. The overall mortality rate was 10.4%, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that the two groups had similar cumulative survival rates at the end of the follow-up period (P=0.889). CONCLUSION: EVAR was feasible and safe in patients with an AAA with a proximal HNA. The early and midterm results were promising; however, further studies are needed to verify the long-term effectiveness of EVAR.

Fodinibius salinus gen. nov., sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a salt mine.

A novel, moderately halophilic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain YIM D17(T), was isolated from a sample of sediment from a salt mine in Yunnan, south-western China. The taxonomy of strain YIM D17(T) was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Strain YIM D17(T) was Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic and non-motile and formed pink colonies on marine agar. Optimal growth occurred at 37 °C, pH 7.5-8.0 and in the presence of 10-15 % (w/v) NaCl. The major menaquinone was MK-7. The polar lipid profile was composed predominantly of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, one phospholipid, one glycolipid and one aminolipid. Minor amounts of other lipids were also detectable. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C(17 : 1)ω9c/10-methyl-C(16 : 0) (24.0 %), iso-C(15 : 0) (23.6 %) and C(16 : 1)ω7c/C(16 : 1)ω6c (13.8 %). The DNA G+C content was 43.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons showed that the isolate formed a distinct clade with the genera Gracilimonas and Balneola (both in the phylum Bacteroidetes) and was related to the species Gracilimonas tropica, Balneola vulgaris and Balneola alkaliphila, with sequence similarities of 85.6 %, 83.0 % and 82.8 % to the respective type strains. On the basis of its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic features, strain YIM D17(T) represents a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Fodinibius salinus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM D17(T) ( = ACCC 10716(T) = DSM 21935(T)).

Pro370Leu myocilin mutation in a Chinese pedigree with juvenile-onset open angle glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the genotype and phenotype of juvenile-onset open angle glaucoma (JOAG) in a Chinese family (PN pedigree). METHODS: Each family member was comprehensively examined by an experienced ophthalmologist. The clinical characteristics of the family patients with JOAG were documented. Blood samples were obtained from 22 available participants from the PN pedigree. Linkage analysis was performed to identify the possible chromosome loci. The presence of gene mutation was ascertained by polymerase chain reaction amplification and subsequent direct sequencing. RESULTS: The affected members in the PN pedigree are characterized by early age of onset (mean age at diagnosis is 17 years old), severe clinical presentations, high intraocular pressure (mean IOP of 34.18±2.97 mmHg), and poor response to pharmacological treatment (87.5% of the patients required filtering surgery). The region on chromosome 1 between D1S3464 and D1S1619 was identified in this pedigree by linkage analysis. A Pro370Leu myocilin mutation resulting from a heterozygous C→T transition at the 1,109th nucleotide in exon 3 was detected by gene sequencing. The Pro370Leu mutation co-segregated among all affected individuals of PN pedigree. CONCLUSIONS: The GLC1A Pro370Leu mutation is firmly correlated with a severe POAG phenotype. These data provide clues for the severe disease-causing nature of the Pro370Leu allele. Gene screening may be a useful method for pre-symptom diagnosis and a forewarning to detect the at-risk individuals in familial open-angle glaucoma patients, especially in pedigrees of early-onset.