LncRNA S100PBP promotes proliferation and steroid hormone synthesis of granulosa cells by sponging MiR-2285bc-BMPR2 in bovine†.

In bovine follicular development, the proliferation of bovine granulosa cells affects follicular selection, atresia, and cystic follicle formation. When cystic follicles appear on the ovaries, granulosa cells stop proliferating, resulting in the reduction of granulosa cells layer. In our previous study, the whole transcriptome sequencing revealed that Bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) was differentially expressed between cystic and normal follicular granulosa cells. We speculated that long noncoding RNA may act as competing endogenous RNA targeting microRNAs and then regulating the expression of BMPR2 and the function of granulosa cells, thereby affecting follicular development and cyst formation. In this study, the results elucidated that long noncoding RNA S100PBP (NONBTAT011846.2) directly bound miR-2285bc, which targeted in the BMPR2 3'-UTR. miR-2285bc suppresses granulosa cells proliferation by downregulating BMPR2 expression. Furthermore, long noncoding RNA S100PBP was silenced by small interfering RNA, and long noncoding RNA S100PBP regulated BMPR2 expression by sponging miR-2285bc investigated through cross-verification. When small interfering RNA of long noncoding RNA S100PBP was transfected into granulosa cells, the results revealed similar molecular changes as those transfected with miR-2285bc mimics. Silencing long noncoding RNA S100PBP or overexpressing miR-2285bc altered the expressions of some follicular development-related genes, which could be related to follicular cyst occurrence. In conclusion, our findings support that long noncoding RNA S100PBP regulates the expression of BMPR2 through sponge miR-2285bc, promotes the proliferation of granulosa cells, inhibits their apoptosis, and increases the synthesis and secretion of follicular steroid hormones, thus promoting the development of bovine follicles.

N6-methyladenosine modification of RNA controls dopamine synthesis to influence labour division in ants.

The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of RNA has been reported to remodel gene expression in response to environmental conditions; however, the biological role of m6A in social insects remains largely unknown. In this study, we explored the role of m6A in the division of labour by worker ants (Solenopsis invicta). We first determined the presence of m6A in RNAs from the brains of worker ants and found that m6A methylation dynamics differed between foragers and nurses. Depletion of m6A methyltransferase or chemical suppression of m6A methylation in foragers resulted in a shift to 'nurse-like' behaviours. Specifically, mRNAs of dopamine receptor 1 (Dop1) and dopamine transporter (DAT) were modified by m6A, and their expression increased dopamine levels to promote the behavioural transition from foragers to nurses. The abundance of Dop1 and DAT mRNAs and their stability were reduced by the inhibition of m6A modification caused by the silencing of Mettl3, suggesting that m6A modification in worker ants modulates dopamine synthesis, which regulates labour division. Collectively, our results provide the first example of the epitranscriptomic regulation of labour division in social insects and implicate m6A regulatory mechanism as a potential novel target for controlling red imported fire ants.

Lightweight, Elastic, and Superhydrophobic Multifunctional Organic-Inorganic Fibrous Aerogels for Efficient Oily Wastewater Purification and Electromagnetic Microwave Absorption.

Lightweight and robust aerogels with multifunctionality are highly desirable to meet the technological demands of current society. Herein, we designed lightweight, elastic, and superhydrophobic multifunctional organic-inorganic fibrous hybrid aerogels which were assembled with organic aramid nanofibers and inorganic hierarchical porous carbon fibers. Thanks to the organic-inorganic fiber hybridization strategy, the optimal aerogels possessed remarkable compressibility and elasticity. Benefiting from the microscopic hierarchical porous structure of carbon fibers and the macroscopic macroporous lamellar structure of aerogels, the optimal aerogels exhibited superb lightweight property, conspicuous electromagnetic microwave absorption ability, and outstanding oily wastewater purification capacity. As for electromagnetic microwave absorption, it achieved a strong reflection loss of -41.8 dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth reached 6.86 GHz. Besides, the oil adsorption capacity for trichloromethane reached as high as 93.167 g g-1 with a capacity retention of 95.6% after 5 cycles. Meanwhile, it could act as a gravity-driven separation membrane to continuously separate trichloromethane from a trichloromethane-water mixture with a high flux of 7867.37 L·m-2·h-1, even for surfactant-stabilized water-in-n-heptane emulsions of 3794.94 L·m-2·h-1. Such a strategy might shed some light on the construction of multifunctional aerogels toward broader applications.

Architectural Design of a Multichannel Porous Carbon Fiber for Efficient Electromagnetic Microwave Absorption.

An ingenious microstructure of electromagnetic microwave absorption materials is crucial to achieve strong absorption and a broad bandwidth. Herein, one-dimensional (1D) carbon fibers with implantation of zero-dimensional (0D) ZIF-8-derived carbon frameworks and construction of a three-dimensional (3D) microcosmic multichannel porous structure are fabricated by electro-blown spinning, solvent-thermal reaction, and high-temperature pyrolysis techniques. The 1D carbon fiber skeleton with a multichannel structure provides a direct axial conductive pathway for charge transport, which plays an important role in dielectric loss. The 0D surface carbon frameworks offer plenty of heterogeneous interfaces to trigger intensive interfacial polarization loss and act as dihedral angles for microwave scattering. The 3D microcosmic multichannel pores can not only generate multiple reflections as much as possible to dissipate electromagnetic microwave energy but also supply huge interior cavities to improve impedance matching. Thanks to the synergistic effect of a strong electrically conductive pathway for enhancing the conductive loss, a plenteous heterogeneous interface for triggering intensive interfacial polarization loss, microcosmic multichannel pores for generating multiple reflections and improving impedance matching, and N and O atom doping for inducing dipole polarization, the optimal sample with an ingenious microstructure delivers an excellent absorption performance of a minimum reflection loss of -35.5 dB at a thickness of 5.0 mm and an effective absorption bandwidth of 6.72 GHz (10.96-17.68 GHz) at a thickness of 2.0 mm. Such a well-designed multichannel porous carbon fiber may pave the way for the exploitation of high-performance microwave absorbing materials.

Effects of BAMBI on luteinized follicular granulosa cell proliferation and steroid hormone production in sheep.

Bone morphogenetic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI) regulates mammalian ovarian follicle growth and maturation; however, its effect on luteinized granulosa cells (LGCs) in sheep ovarian follicles remains unknown. Here we explored the regulatory role of LGC functions and steroid hormone synthesis by BAMBI. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that the sheep BAMBI gene sequence was relatively conserved. Sheep LGCs were strongly positive for BAMBI. LGC proliferation increased when BAMBI was silenced and decreased when BAMBI was overexpressed. After BAMBI overexpression, the expression of CASP3, CASP8, CASP9, and BAX significantly increased, whereas that of BCL2 and the ratio of BCL2/BAX expression decreased. The opposite was observed after BAMBI silencing. CDKN1A, CCND1, and CCND2 were downregulated with BAMBI overexpression and upregulated with BAMBI silencing. Expression of steroid hormone-related genes (CYP11A1, STAR, and 3BHSD), except CYP19A1, significantly increased after BAMBI overexpression. Moreover, estrogen and progesterone secretion increased after BAMBI overexpression and decreased after BAMBI interference. The effect of the exogenous addition of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) on GCs was similar to that of BAMBI overexpression. In conclusion, BAMBI can regulate the proliferation and steroid hormone synthesis of sheep LGCs, and BMP2 can affect LGCs as an activator of BAMBI. These findings provide a basis for further research on the physiological role of BAMBI.

Construction and Application of Fluorescent Probes with Imine Protective Groups for Hypochlorite Detection.

Several fluorescent probes have been designed to detect ClO- in biological systems based on the isomerization mechanism of C = N bonds. Particularly, fluorescein has emerged as an important fluorophore for detecting ClO- because of its unique properties. Previously, we introduced the fluorescein analog F-1 with an active aldehyde group. In this study, two ClO- fluorescent sensors (F-2 and F-3) with imine groups were designed and synthesized using diaminomaleonitrile and 2-hydrazylbenzothiazole as amines. The electron cloud distribution of F-2 and F-3 in ground and excited states was explored via Gaussian calculations, reasonably explaining their photophysical properties. The fluorescence detection of ClO- in solution using the two probes (F-2 and F-3) was realized based on the mechanism of imine deprotection with ClO-. NaClO concentration titration demonstrated that the colorimetric detection of ClO- with the naked eye could be achieved using both F-2 and F-3. However, after adding ClO-, the fluorescence intensity of probe F-2 increased, whereas that of probe F-3 first decreased and then increased. Probes F-2 and F-3 exhibited good selectivity, anti-interference capability, and sensitivity, with the detection limits of 169.95 and 37.30 µM, respectively. Owing to their low cell toxicity, probes F-2 and F-3 can be applied to detect ClO- in vivo. The design approach adopted in this study will further advance the future development of ClO- chemical probes through the removal of C = N bond isomerization.

Hsa_circ_0003945 promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by mediating miR-34c-5p/LGR4/ß-catenin axis activity.

Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play essential roles in regulating cancer progression, but many circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. Dysregulated circRNAs in HCC were identified through bioinformatics analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus data sets. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Sanger sequencing, RNase R digestion and actinomycin D treatment were conducted to confirm the characterization of circRNAs. CCK-8, wound-healing and Transwell assays were performed to assess the functional roles of Hsa_circ_0003945 (Circ_0003945) in HCC cell lines. Subcellular fractionation and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were performed to locate Circ_0003945 in HCC cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was executed to verify the binding of Circ_0003945 to microRNAs (miRNAs) or the miRNAs to their target genes. In this study, we found that Circ_0003945 was upregulated in HCC tissue, and higher Circ_0003945 expression was positively correlated with tumour size and tumour stage. Furthermore, high plasma levels of circulating Circ_0003945 were confirmed in HCC patients compared with those in non-HCC groups. The functional experiments revealed that overexpression or knockdown of Circ_0003945 promoted or attenuated tumour growth and migration, respectively. Mechanistically, Circ_0003945 might exert as a miR-34c-5p sponge to upregulate the expression of leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 4 (LGR4), activating the ß-catenin pathway, and finally facilitating HCC progression. Additionally, a ß-catenin activator could reverse the effect of Circ_0003945 knockdown. In conclusion, Circ_0003945 exerts a tumour-promoting role in HCC cells by regulating the miR-34c-5p/LGR4/ß-catenin axis, which may be a potential target for HCC therapy.

Neddylation inactivation affects cell cycle and apoptosis in sheep follicular granulosa cells.

Protein neddylation inactivation is a novel topic in cancer research. However, there are few studies on the mechanism of neddylation underlying the development of sheep follicular granulosa cells (GCs). In this study, the development of follicular GCs in sheep was inactivated by MLN4924, a neddylation-specific inhibitor, which significantly attenuated the proliferation and cell index of sheep follicular GCs. Further, the inactivation of neddylation by MLN4924 caused the accumulation of the cullin ring ligase (CRLs) substrates Wee1 and c-Myc, which could upregulate NOXA protein expression. Meanwhile, the B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 (BCL2) family members Bcl-2 and MCL-1 were downregulated, subsequently inducing apoptosis in follicular GCs of sheep. Increasing Wee1 levels caused G2/M-phase arrest. The effects of neddylation inactivation on Akt, the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, and Forkhead box class O(FOXO) family members were evaluated. Neddylation inactivation by MLN4924 increased the levels of phospho-Akt, JAK2, phospho-STAT3, and FOXO1 (p < 0.05) and decreased the levels of phospho-FOXO3a and STAT3 (p < 0.05). In addition, MLN4924 could alter the mitochondrial morphology of GCs, increase cellular glucose utilization and lactate production, increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and promote sheep follicular GCs glycolysis, thus causing changes in mitochondrial functions. Together, these findings point to an unrecognized role of neddylation in regulating follicular GCs proliferation in sheep.

The effect of combined maxillary pad movable appliance and FR-III functional appliance in the treatment of skeletal Class III malocclusion of deciduous teeth.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of maxillary pad movable appliance combined with FR-III functional appliance in treating skeletal Class III malocclusion of deciduous teeth and provide a reference for optimizing clinical treatment methods. METHODS: A total of 30 pediatric patients were randomly selected between April 2012 and April 2019. They were in stage IIA osseous skeletal Class III malocclusion, treated with maxillary pad movable appliance to relieve the reverse, combined with FR-III functional appliance to maintain a median relationship to stage IIIA. A self-control study of children before and after treatment was used, and paired t-test was used to evaluate the changes in the measurement indexes of the IIA and IIIA stage X-rays and changes in the bone and soft tissue profiles. RESULTS: After 3 years of treatment, SNA, ANB, and NA-PA in the sagittal osteofacial index of the jawbones increased, SNB decreased, and the Y-axis angle in the vertical index of the jawbones increased. U1-SN, U1-NA, U1-NA distance, L1-MP, L1-NB, and L1-NB distance in the index of labial inclination of upper and lower central incisors increased, while U1-L1 decreased. The sagittal anomalies of the jawbones were improved, and there were significant differences before and after treatment (P < 0.05). FCA, ULP, and UL-EP increased, soft-tissue facial prominence and facial height increased, and the relationship between the upper lip and the aesthetic plane was harmonious. None of the 30 children with skeletal Class III malocclusion in the deciduous stage experienced recurrence in stage IIIA. CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment with the maxillary pad movable appliance and the FR-III functional appliance is suitable for children with skeletal Class III malocclusion in the deciduous stage.

Redox regulation by SOD2 modulates colorectal cancer tumorigenesis through AMPK-mediated energy metabolism.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy. Many reports have implicated aberrant mitochondrial activity in the progression of CRC, with particular emphasis on the dysregulation of redox signaling and oxidative stress. In this study, we focused on manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD/SOD2), a key antioxidant enzyme, which maintains intracellular redox homeostasis. Current literature presents conflicting mechanisms for how SOD2 influences tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Here, we explored the role of SOD2 in CRC specifically. We found high levels of SOD2 expression in CRC tissues. We carried out a series of experiments to determine whether knockdown of SOD2 expression in CRC cell lines would reverse features of tumorigenesis. We found that reduced SOD2 expression decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion activity in CRC cells. Results from an additional series of experiments on mitochondrial function implicated a dual role for SOD2 in promoting CRC progression. First, proper level of SOD2 helped CRC cells maintain mitochondrial function by disposal of superoxide (O2.- ). Second, over-expression of SOD2 induced H2 O2 -mediated tumorigenesis by upregulating AMPK and glycolysis. Our results indicate that SOD2 may promote the occurrence and development of CRC by regulating the energy metabolism mediated by AMPK signaling pathways.

Unraveling proteome changes and potential regulatory proteins of bovine follicular Granulosa cells by mass spectrometry and multi-omics analysis.

BACKGROUND: In previous study, we performed next-gene sequencing to investigate the differentially expressed transcripts of bovine follicular granulosa cells (GCs) at dominant follicle (DF) and subordinate follicle (SF) stages during first follicular wave. Present study is designed to further identify the key regulatory proteins and signaling pathways associated with follicular development using label-free liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and multi-omics data analysis approach. METHODS: DF and SF from three cattle were collected by daily ultrasonography. The GCs were isolated from each follicle, total proteins were digested by trypsin, and then proteomic analyzed via LC-MS/MS, respectively. Proteins identified were retrieved from Uniprot-COW fasta database, and differentially expressed proteins were used to functional enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis. Proteome data and transcriptome data obtained from previous studies were integrated. RESULTS: Total 3409 proteins were identified from 30,321 peptides (FDR ≤0.01) obtained from LC-MS/MS analysis and 259 of them were found to be differentially expressed at different stage of follicular development (fold Change > 2, P < 0.05). KEGG pathway analysis of proteome data revealed important signaling pathways associated with follicular development, multi-omics data analysis results showed 13 proteins were identified as being differentially expressed in DF versus SF. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the first investigation of transcriptome and proteome of bovine follicles and offers essential information for future investigation of DF and SF in cattle. It also will enrich the theory of animal follicular development.

Proteomic characterization of bovine granulosa cells in dominant and subordinate follicles.

BACKGROUND: Characterization of molecular factors regulating ovarian follicular development is critical to understanding its functional mechanism of controlling the estrous cycle, determining oocyte competency, and regulating ovulation. In previous studies, we performed next-gene sequencing to investigate the differentially expressed transcripts of bovine follicular granulosa cells (GCs) at the dominant follicle (DF) and subordinate follicle (SF) stages during the first follicular wave. This study aims to investigate the proteomic characterization of GCs of DF and SF in the bovine estrous cycle. RESULTS: In total, 3409 proteins were identified from 30,321 peptides obtained from liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer analysis. Two hundred fifty-nine of these proteins were found to be expressed differently in DF and SF. Out of 259, a total of 26 proteins were upregulated (fold change≥2) and 233 proteins were downregulated (fold change≤0.5) in DF. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of proteome data revealed the biological process, cellular component and molecular function of expressed proteins in DF and SF, while the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed important signaling pathways associated with follicular development such as the PI3K-Akt, estrogen, and insulin signaling pathways. Immunoblotting results of OGN, ROR2, and HSPB1 confirmed the accuracy of the data. Bioinformatics analysis showed that 13 proteins may be linked to follicular development. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study will provide useful information for exploring follicular development and function.

Study on the relationship between expression patterns of cocaine-and amphetamine regulated transcript and hormones secretion in porcine ovarian follicles.

BACKGROUND: Cocaine-and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) is an endogenous neuropeptide, which is widespread in animals, plays a key role in regulation of follicular atresia in cattle and sheep. Among animal ovaries, CART mRNA was firstly found in the cattle ovaries. CART was localized in the antral follicles oocytes, granulosa and cumulus cells by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Further research found that secretion of E2 was inhibited in granulosa cells with a certain dose of CART, the effect depends on the stage of cell differentiation, suggesting that CART could play a crucial role in regulating follicle atresia. The objective of this study was to characterize the CART expression model and hormones secretion in vivo and vitro in pig follicle granulosa cells, preliminarily studied whether CART have an effect on granulosa cells proliferation and hormones secretion in multiparous animals such as pigs. METHODS: The expression levels of CART mRNA in granulosa cells of different follicles were analyzed using qRT-PCR technology. Immunohistochemistry technology was used to localize CART peptide. Granulosa cells were cultured in medium supplemented with different concentrations of CART and FSH for 168 h using Long-term culture system, and observed using a microscope. The concentration of Estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) in follicular fluids of different test groups were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Results showed that expression level of CART mRNA was highest in medium follicles, and significantly higher than that in large and small follicles (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical results showed that CART were expressed both in granulosa cells and theca cells of large follicles, while CART were detected only in theca cells of medium and small follicles. After the granulosa cells were cultured for 168 h, and found that concentrations of E2 increase with concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) increase when the CART concentration was 0 µM. And the concentration of FSH reached 25 ng/mL, the concentration of E2 is greatest. It shows that the production of E2 needs induction of FSH in granulosa cells of pig ovarian follicles. With the increasing of CART concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1 µM), E2 concentration has a declining trend, when the FSH concentrations were 25 and 50 ng/mL in the medium, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that CART plays a role to inhibit granulosa cells proliferation and E2 production, which induced by FSH in porcine ovarian follicular granulosa cells in vitro, but the inhibition effect is not significant. So we hypothesis CART maybe not a main local negative regulatory factor during porcine follicular development, which is different from the single fetal animals.

Expression of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) in hen ovary.

BACKGROUND: Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), discovered initially by via differential display RT-PCR analysis of brains of rats administered cocaine, is expressed mainly in central nervous system or neuronal origin cells, and is involved in a wide range of behaviors, such as regulation of food intake, energy homeostasis, and reproduction. The hens egg-laying rate mainly depends on the developmental status of follicles, expression of CART have not been identified from hen follicles, the regulatory mechanisms of CART biological activities are still unknown. The objective of this study was to characterize the mRNA expression of CART in hen follicular granulosa cells and determine CART peptide localization and regulatory role during follicular development. METHODS: Small white follicles (1-2 mm in diameter) were treated for RNA isolation; Small white follicles (1-2 mm in diameter) and large white follicles (4-6 mm in diameter) were treated for immunohistochemical localization and large white follicles (4-6 mm in diameter), small yellow follicles (6-8 mm in diameter), large yellow follicles (9-12 mm in diameter), mature follicles (F5, F4, F3, F2, F1, >12 mm in diameter) were treated for RNA isolation and Real time PCR. RESULTS: The results showed that full length of the CDS of hen CART was 336 bp encoding a 111 amino acid polypeptide. In the hen ovary, CART peptide was primarily localized to the theca layer, but not all, the oocyte and granulosa layer, with diffused, weaker staining than relative to the theca cell layer. Further, amount of CART mRNA was more (P < 0.05) in granulosa cells of 6-8 mm follicles compared with that in granulosa cells of other follicles. However, CART mRNA amount was greater in theca cells of 4-6 mm follicles relative to follicles of other sizes (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that CART could play a potential role in developmental regulation of chicken follicles.

Three-dimension model of root canal morphology of primary maxillary incisors by micro-computed tomography study.

The success of root canal treatment for deciduous teeth depends upon the shape of the root canal, among other factors. Despite this, there are limited reports on the use of high-resolution micro-CT to describe the root canal morphology of primary maxillary incisors. In this study, we aimed to create a three-dimensional (3D) digital model of the root canal morphology of primary maxillary incisors using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). To provide a reference for the development of restorative posts for the primary maxillary incisors. Primary maxillary central and lateral incisors (n = 10 each) were analysed. Micro-computed tomography was used to conduct 3D analyses of the root canal system of the primary maxillary incisors. The canal volume and surface area of the primary maxillary central incisors were larger than those of the primary maxillary lateral incisors. The structural model index value was significantly lower in central incisors. At the cervical level and the interface between the cervical and middle one-third cross-sectional levels, the root canals of the primary maxillary lateral incisors were significantly rounder. The labio-palatal dimension and the diameters of the central incisors at the four different levels were significantly smaller than the diameter of the mesio-distal dimension. The taper of the central and lateral incisors gradually increased from the apical one-third to the cervical one-third in the labio-palatal dimension. The data obtained from the 3D analysis of maxillary incisors in this study will contribute to the design of root canal posts.

The temporal-spatial expression and functional analysis of three gustatory receptor genes in Solenopsis invicta using sweet and bitter compounds.

The insect gustatory system participates in identifying potential food sources and avoiding toxic compounds. During this process, gustatory receptors (GRs) recognize feeding stimulant and deterrent compounds. However, the GRs involved in recognizing stimulant and deterrent compounds in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, remain unknown. Therefore, we conducted a study on the genes SinvGR1, SinvGR32b, and SinvGR28a to investigate the roles of GRs in detecting feeding stimulant and deterrent compounds. In this current study, we found that sucrose and fructose are feeding stimulants and the bitter compound quinine is a feeding deterrent. The fire ant workers showed significant behavior changes to avoid the bitter taste in feeding stimulant compounds. Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results from developmental stages showed that the SinvGR1, SinvGR32b, and SinvGR28a genes were highly expressed in fire ant workers. Tissue-specific expression profiles indicated that SinvGR1, SinvGR32b, and SinvGR28a were specifically expressed in the antennae and foreleg tarsi of workers, whereas SinvGR32b gene transcripts were also highly accumulated in the male antennae. Furthermore, the silencing of SinvGR1 or SinvGR32b alone and the co-silencing of both genes disrupted worker stimulation and feeding on sucrose and fructose. The results also showed that SinvGR28a is required for avoiding quinine, as workers with knockdown of the SinvGR28a gene failed to avoid and fed on quinine. This study first identified stimulant and deterrent compounds of fire ant workers and then the GRs involved in the taste recognition of these compounds. This study could provide potential target gustatory genes for the control of the fire ant.

Notch2 Regulates the Function of Bovine Follicular Granulosa Cells via the Wnt2/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway.

Ovarian follicular GCs are strongly implicated in the growth, development, and atresia of ovarian follicles. The Wnt/ß-catenin and Notch signaling pathways participate in GC proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and steroid hormone production during follicular development. However, the crosstalk between Wnt and Notch signaling in GCs remains unclear. This study investigated this crosstalk and the roles of these pathways in apoptosis, cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, and steroid hormone secretion in bovine follicular GCs. The interaction between ß-catenin and Notch2 in GCs was assessed by overexpressing CTNNB1, which encodes ß-catenin. The results showed that inhibiting the Notch pathway by Notch2 silencing in GCs arrested the cell cycle, promoted apoptosis, reduced progesterone (P4) production, and inhibited the Wnt2-mediated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway in GCs. IWR-1 inhibited Wnt2/ß-catenin and Notch signaling, reduced GC proliferation, stimulated apoptosis, induced G1 cell cycle arrest, and reduced P4 production. CTNNB1 overexpression had the opposite effect and increased 17ß-estradiol (E2) production and Notch2 protein expression. Co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that Notch2 interacted with ß-catenin. These results elucidate the crosstalk between the Wnt/ß-catenin and Notch pathways and the role of these pathways in bovine follicular GC development.

Juvenile hormone induces reproduction via miR-1175-3p in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta.

Juvenile hormone (JH) acts in the regulation of caste differentiation between queens and workers (i.e., with or without reproductive capacity) during vitellin synthesis and oogenesis in social insects. However, the regulatory mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Here, we identified a highly expressed microRNA (miRNA), miR-1175-3p, in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. We found that miR-1175-3p is prominently present in the fat bodies and ovaries of workers. Furthermore, miR-1175-3p interacts with its target gene, broad-complex core (Br-C), in the fat bodies. By utilizing miR-1175-3p agomir, we successfully suppressed the expression of the Br-C protein in queens, resulting in reduced vitellogenin expression, fewer eggs, and poorly developed ovaries. Conversely, decreasing miR-1175-3p levels led to the increased expression of Br-C and vitellogenin in workers, triggering the "re-development" of the ovaries. Moreover, when queens were fed with JH, the expression of miR-1175-3p decreased, whereas the expression of vitellogenin-2 and vitellogenin-3 increased. Notably, the suppression of fertility in queens caused by treatment with agomir miR-1175-3p was completely rescued by the increased vitellogenin expression induced by being fed with JH. These results suggest the critical role of miR-1175-3p in JH-regulated reproduction, shedding light on the molecular mechanism underlying miRNA-mediated fecundity in social insects and providing a novel strategy for managing S. invicta.

MNQ derivative D21 protects against LPS-induced inflammatory damage in bovine ovarian follicular GCs in vitro via the steroid biosynthesis signaling pathway.

Bacterial infections of the reproductive system of dairy cows lead to inflammation, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria is the main pathogenic component of inflammation. LPS inhibits follicular growth and development and alters the expression of follicular granulosa cells (GCs) genes in the ovary, leading to their functional disorders. Naphthoquinones have anti-inflammatory effects. In this experiment, 2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (MNQ), an extract of Impatiens balsamina L, and its derivative D21 were used to eliminate the inflammatory response of GCs exposed to LPS in vitro and to restore functional disorders in GCs. The anti-inflammatory effects of the two compounds were compared and their mechanism of action was investigated. The cytotoxicity of MNQ and its derivative D21 on follicular GCs was determined by MTT method. The relative expression of inflammatory factors and steroid synthesis-related genes were determined by qRT-PCR. The protective effects of MNQ and D21 on cellular inflammatory damage were observed by TEM. ELISA were performed to detect the levels of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) in the culture supernatant. The expression of differential genes was analyzed by RNA-seq, and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of differential genes were performed to investigate the mechanism of anti-inflammatory effect of D21. The results showed that the maximum no-cytotoxic concentrations of MNQ and D21 acting on GCs for 12 h were 4 µM and 64 µM, respectively. LPS concentration of 10 µg/mL had little effect on the survival of follicular GCs, but the relative expressions of IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α were significantly higher (P < 0.05). The results of qRT-PCR, ELISA and TEM observations showed that the anti-inflammatory effect of D21 was stronger than that of MNQ. RNA-seq analysis revealed a total of 341 differential genes between the LPS vs CK group (Control group) and the D21+L vs LPS group, which were mainly enriched in signaling pathways such as steroid biosynthesis. Nine genes in this signaling pathway were analyzed, and the RNA-seq and qRT-PCR results were found to be basically consistent. In this study, we confirmed that derivative D21 has stronger in vitro anti-inflammatory effects and better efficacy in protecting bovine follicular GCs from inflammatory damage than MNQ and acts through the steroid biosynthesis signaling pathway.

Interfacial Modification and Bending Performance of 3D Orthogonal Woven Composites with Basalt Filament Yarns.

To improve their interfacial properties, 3D orthogonal woven fabrics with basalt filament yarns were modified with functionalized carboxylated carbon nanotubes (KH570-MWCNTs) and polydopamine (PDA). Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) testing were used. It was demonstrated that both methods could successfully modify basalt fiber (BF) 3D woven fabrics. The 3D orthogonal woven composites (3DOWC) were produced with epoxy resin and 3D orthogonal woven fabrics as raw material by the VARTM molding process. The bending properties of the 3DOWC were tested and analyzed by experimental and finite element analysis methods. The results showed that the bending properties of the 3DOWC modified by KH570-MWCNTs and PDA were significantly improved, and the maximum bending loads were increased by 31.5% and 31.0%. The findings of the finite element simulation and the experiment results were in good agreement, and the simulation error value was 3.37%. The correctness of the finite element simulation results and the model's validity further reveal the material's damage situation and damage mechanism in the bending process.