Isolation of a degrading strain of Fusarium verticillioides and bioremediation of glyphosate residue.

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum and nonselective organophosphorus herbicide that inhibits 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), an enzyme in the shikimate pathway in plants. A glyphosate-resistant fungus identified as Fusarium verticillioides was screened from soil subjected to long-term glyphosate application, and this fungus could grow in inorganic salt medium containing 90 mmol/L glyphosate. The optimum culture conditions identified via the response surface curve method were 28 °C and pH 7.0. The target gene epsps was cloned in this study, and the open reading frame contained 1170 nucleotides and putatively encoded 389 amino acid residues. Phylogenetic analysis showed that this gene belonged to class I, genes naturally sensitive to glyphosate. q-PCR confirmed that the relative expression level of the epsps gene was low, and no significant difference in expression was observed among different glyphosate concentrations at 12 h or 48 h. On day 28, the degradation by Fusarium verticillioides C-2 of sterilized soil and unsterilized soil supplemented with 60 mg/kg glyphosate reached 72.17% and 89.07%, respectively, and a significant difference was observed between the treatments with and without the glyphosate-degrading strain. The recovery of soil dehydrogenase activity after the addition of Fusarium verticillioides was significantly higher than that in the absence of the degrading fungus on the 28th day. The results showed that C-2 is a highly effective glyphosate-degrading strain with bioremediation potential for glyphosate-contaminated soil.

Amplified Fluorescence by Hollow-Porous Plasmonic Assembly: A New Observation and Its Application in Multiwavelength Simultaneous Detection.

Surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE) is a new analytical technique that provides increased and directional radiation based on the near-field interaction between fluorophores and surface plasmons but suffers from the limitation of insufficient sensitivity. The assembly of hollow-porous plasmonic nanoparticles could be the qualified candidate. After the introduction of gold nanocages (AuNCs), fluorescence signal enhancement was realized by factors over 150 and 600 compared with the normal SPCE and free space emission, respectively, with a fluorophore layer thickness of approximately 10 nm; hence, the unique enhancement of SPCE by the AuNCs effectively overcomes the signal quenching induced by resonance energy transfer (in normal SPCE). This enhancement was proven to be triggered by the superior wavelength match, the enhanced electromagnetic field, and new radiation channel and process induced by the AuNC assembly, which provides an opportunity to increase the detection sensitivity and establish an optimal plasmonic enhancement system. The amplified SPCE system was employed for multiwavelength simultaneous enhancement detection through the assembly of mixed hollow nanoparticles (AuNCs and gold nanoshells), which could broaden the application of SPCE in simultaneous sensing and imaging for multianalytes.

Comparison of prevalence and risk factors of somatization between Chinese health care workers and non-health care workers during COVID-19 outbreak.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare prevalence and risk factors of somatization (SOM) between health care workers and non-health care workers during COVID-19 outbreak in China. METHODS: From 14 February to 29 March 2020, an online survey was performed in both 605 health care workers and 1151 non-health care workers. Based on the somatization dimension score of the Symptom Checklist-90, participants were divided into non-SOM group and SOM group. RESULTS: Health care workers had higher prevalence rate of SOM (p < 0.001) than non-health care workers, with an OR of 1.70 (95% CI, 1.22-2.36, p = 0.002). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that in non-health care workers, the risk factors of SOM included other ethnicities, insomnia, and suicide, while in health care workers, the risk factors included working 6-8 h per day, and working ≥10 h per day during COVID-19 outbreak. CONCLUSIONS: Our research suggests that both non-health care workers and health care workers have a relatively high prevalence of somatization. However, the related factors for somatization in both groups are significantly different, showing that medical service-related factors are associated with somatization in health care workers, while demographic and clinical factors are associated with somatization in non-health care workers.

Transcriptome analysis and identification of candidate genes involved in glyphosate resistance in the fungus Fusarium verticillioides.

Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that has been widely used for nonselective weed control in soybean fields. In the present study, RNA-seq of an Fusarium verticillioides isolate exhibiting resistance to 120 mM glyphosate revealed gene expression occurring in the presence of glyphosate and led to the identification and screening of candidate genes. A transcriptome analysis revealed 5,548 and 5,361 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the glyphosate resistant (GR) Fusarium verticillioides isolate treated with 45 and 90 mM glyphosate, respectively. The gene ontology (GO) pathways associated with these differentially expressed genes primarily included metabolic process, amine metabolic process, cellular aromatic compound metabolism and stress response. The primary Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathways included biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, carbon metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and nitrogen metabolism. The glyphosate degradation-related gene fv04, which belongs to the 3-isopropylalate dehydratase of the aconitase superfamily, was cloned to generate the prokaryotic expression vector pET-29b-fv04, which could be stably expressed in E. coli and promote the degradation of 52.3% of 500 mg/L glyphosate in 72 h. The results of the present study provide new ideas and insights for the acquisition of glyphosate resistance resources.

Lysobacter profundi sp. nov., isolated from freshwater sediment and reclassification of Lysobacter panaciterrae as Luteimonas panaciterrae comb. nov.

A polyphasic taxonomic study was carried out on strains CHu50b-3-2T and CHu40b-3-1 isolated from a 67 cm-long sediment core collected from the Daechung Reservoir at a water depth of 17 m, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. The cells of the strains were Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, non-motile and rod-shaped. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence studies showed a clear affiliation of two strains with γ-Proteobacteria, which showed the highest pairwise sequence similarities to Lysobacter hankyongensis KTce-2T (96.5 %), Lysobacter pocheonensis Gsoil193T (96.3 %), Lysobacter ginsengisoli Gsoil 357T (96.1 %), Lysobacter solanacearum T20R-70T (96.1 %), Lysobacter brunescens KCTC 12130T (95.4 %) and Lysobacter capsici YC5194T (95.3 %). The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strains formed a clear phylogenetic lineage with the genus Lysobacter. The major fatty acids were identified as summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1 ω9c and/or C18 : 1 10-methyl), iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0. The respiratory quinone was identified as ubiquinone Q-8. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified phospholipid. The genomic DNA G+C content was determined to be 66.8 mol% (genome) for strain CHu50b-3-2T and 66.4 mol% (HPLC) for strain CHu40b-3-1. Based on the combined genotypic and phenotypic data, we propose that strains CHu50b-3-2T and CHu40b-3-1 represent a novel species of the genus Lysobacter, for which the name Lysobacter profundi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CHu50b-3-2T (=KCTC 72973T=CCTCC AB 2019129T). Besides Lysobacter panaciterrae Gsoil 068T formed a phylogenetic group together with strain Luteimonas aquatica RIB1-20T (EF626688) that is clearly separated from all other known Lysobacter strains. Based on the phylogenetic relationships together with fatty acid compositions, Lysobacter panaciterrae Gsoil 068T should be reclassified as a member of the genus Luteimonas: Luteimonas aquatica comb. nov. (type strain Gsoil 068T=KCTC 12601T=DSM 17927T).

Prevalence and correlates of suicide attempts in young patients with first-episode and drug-naïve major depressive disorder: A large cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies in China have reported factors influencing suicide attempt in young first-episode drug-free (FEDN) MDD patients. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and potential relevant factors of suicide attempt among young Chinese patients with FEDN MDD to prevent suicidal behavior in this population. METHODS: We recruited 1076 FEDN MDD outpatients aged 18-45 years. Patients' mental states were measured by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) positive subscale, and Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale (CGIS). Fasting blood glucose, lipid levels, and thyroid function parameters were also measured. RESULTS: The prevalence of suicide attempt for FEDN MDD patients was 18.31 %. Compared to patients without suicide attempt, patients with suicide attempt had an older age of onset, higher HAMA, HAMD, PANSS-positive subscale and CGI-S scores, higher blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, thyroid peroxidases antibody (A-TPO), anti-thyroglobulin (A-TG), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and total cholesterol (TC), but lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that duration of illness, hypertension, PANSS-positive subscale, HAMA and CGI-S scores, and A-TPO, LDL-C, TC, and HDL-C were associated with suicide attempt in patients with MDD. LIMITATIONS: The main limitations are cross-sectional design and inability to control selection bias. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that young patients with FEDN MDD have a high rate of suicide attempts. Several clinical and metabolic indicators related to lipids and thyroid function may be involved in suicide attempts in FEDN MDD patients.

Smoking Affects the Predictive Roles of Antioxidant Enzymes in the Clinical Response to Risperidone in Schizophrenia: A Large-scale Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: There is overwhelming evidence of the relationship between smoking and schizophrenia (SZ). Tobacco smoke is considered to ameliorate the symptoms and reduce the side effects of antipsychotics in SZ patients. However, the underlying biological mechanism by which tobacco smoke improves symptoms in SZ remains unclear. This study was designed to examine the effects of tobacco smoke on antioxidant enzyme activities and psychiatric symptoms after receiving 12-week risperidone monotherapy. METHODS: Two hundred and fifteen antipsychotic-naïve first-episode (ANFE) patients were recruited and treated with risperidone for 3 months. The severity of the patient's symptoms was assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at baseline and at post-treatment. Plasma SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT activities were determined at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: Relative to nonsmoking patients with ANFE SZ, patients who smoked had higher baseline CAT activity. In addition, among non-smokers with SZ, baseline GSH-Px was associated with clinical symptom improvement, while baseline CAT was associated with positive symptom improvement in smokers with SZ. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that smoking affects the predictive role of baseline SOD, GSHPx, and CAT activities on clinical symptom improvement in patients with SZ.

Fluorescence enhancement of surface plasmon coupled emission by Au nanobipyramids and its modulation effect on multi-wavelength radiation.

Surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE), a novel surface-enhanced fluorescence technique, can generate directional and amplified radiation by the intense interaction between fluorophores and surface plasmons (SPs) of metallic nanofilms. For plasmon-based optical systems, the strong interaction between localized and propagating SPs and "hot spot" structures show great potential to significantly improve the electromagnetic (EM) field and modulate optical properties. Au nanobipyramids (NBPs) with two sharp apexes to enhance and restrict the EM field were introduced through electrostatic adsorption to achieve a mediated fluorescence system, and the emission signal enhancement was realized by factors over 60 compared with the normal SPCE. It has been demonstrated that the intense EM field produced by the NBPs assembly is what triggered the unique enhancement of SPCE by Au NBPs, which effectively overcomes the inherent signal quenching of SPCE for ultrathin sample detection. This remarkable enhanced strategy offers the chance to improve the detection sensitivity for plasmon-based biosensing and detection systems, and expand the range of applications for SPCE in bioimaging with more comprehensive and detailed information acquisition. The enhancement efficiency for various emission wavelengths was investigated in light of the wavelength resolution of SPCE, and it was discovered that enhanced emission for multi-wavelength could be successfully detected through the different emission angles due to the angular displacement caused by wavelength change. Benefit from this, the Au NBP modulated SPCE system was employed for multi-wavelength simultaneous enhancement detection under a single collection angle, which could broaden the application of SPCE in simultaneous sensing and imaging for multi-analytes, and expected to be used for high throughput detection of multi-component analysis.

Dopey2 and Pcdh7 orchestrate the development of embryonic neural stem cells/ progenitors in zebrafish.

DOPEY2 has been shown to be associated with Down syndrome and PCDH7 might be involved in Rett syndrome and MECP2 duplication syndrome. The mechanism how both proteins play roles in these syndromes are largely unknown. Here, we show that Dopey2 and Pcdh7 balance the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells and progenitors during embryonic neurogenesis to generate proper size and architecture of zebrafish brains. Dopey2 and Pcdh7 mutually restricted expression of each other in zebrafish embryos. Dopey2 was responsible for the proliferation of neural stem cells/progenitors, whereas Pcdh7 was responsible for the differentiation of neural stem cells/progenitors. Both proteins were shown to orchestrate the proper development and arrangement of neural cells in zebrafish embryonic brains. The results provide an insight into mechanisms to understand how the embryonic brain is constituted and how developmental defects occur in the brains of patients with Down syndrome, Rett syndrome, or MECP2 duplication syndrome.

De novo LAMP2 insertion mutation causes cardiac-only Danon disease: A case report.

Danon disease is a rare disease caused by glycogen storage lysosomal disorder. It is related to the pathogenic mutation of the LAMP2 gene. In this case report, we present a patient with a novel pathogenic mutation (c.764_765insGA) with cardiac-only symptoms. Her family members do not carry the same mutation she does, suggesting this is a de novo mutation. Further tests revealed vacuoles and glycogen disposition in the patient's heart tissue and a significant decrease in LAMP2 protein expression. Protein structure remodeling of LAMP2 predicted that the mutant protein has conformational change lacking an important transmembrane domain, subsequently causing protein destabilization.

Autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type II resulting from a de novo mutation in the CLCN7 gene: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Osteopetrosis is a family of extremely rare diseases caused by failure of osteoclasts and impaired bone resorption. Among them, autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type II (ADO II), related to the chloride channel 7 (CLCN7) gene, is the most frequent form of osteopetrosis. In this study, we report a de novo mutation of CLCN7 in a patient without the family history of ADO II. CASE SUMMARY: A 5-year-old Chinese boy with ADO II was found to have a de novo mutation in the CLCN7 gene [c.746C>T (p.P249L)]. Typical clinical manifestations, including thickening of the cortex of spinal bones and long bones, non-traumatic fracture of the femoral neck, and femoral head necrosis, were found in this patient. The patient is the first reported case of ADO II with the missense mutation c.746C>T (p.P249L) of the CLCN7 gene reported in China. We also review the available literature on ADO II-related CLCN7 mutations, including baseline patient clinical features, special clinical significance, and common mutations. CONCLUSION: Our report will enrich the understanding of mutations in ADO II patients. The possibility of a de novo mutation should be considered in individuals who have no family history of osteopetrosis.

Characteristics of Soil Fungal Communities in Soybean Rotations.

Soybean continuous cropping (SC) leads to continuous cropping obstacles, and soil-borne fungal diseases occur frequently. Rotation can alleviate continuous cropping obstacles. However, the long-term effects of continuous cropping and rotation on the structure and function of the fungal community in soil are not clear. In this study, five cropping systems, SC, fallow (CK), fallow-soybean (FS), corn-soybean (CS), and wheat-soybean (WS), were implemented in the long-term continuous cropping area of soybean. After 13 years of planting, high-throughput sequencing was used to evaluate the structure and diversity of soil fungal communities and to study the relationship between fungal communities and soil environmental factors. The results showed that the abundance and diversity of fungal flora in SC soil were the highest. There were significant differences in the formation of soil fungal communities between soybean continuous cropping and the other treatments. There were 355 species of endemic fungi in SC soil. There were 231 and 120 endemic species in WS and CS, respectively. The relative abundance of the potential pathogens Lectera, Gibberella, and Fusarium in the SC treatment soil was significantly high, and the abundance of all potential pathogens in CK was significantly the lowest. The abundance of Lectera and Fusarium in CS was significantly the lowest. There was a positive correlation between potential pathogens in the soil. The relative abundance of potential pathogens in the soil was significantly positively correlated with the relative abundance of Ascomycetes and negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Basidiomycetes. Potential pathogenic genera had a significant negative correlation with soil OM, available Mn, K and soil pH and a significant positive correlation with the contents of soil available Cu, Fe, and Zn. In general, the fungal communities of SC, FS, WS, and CS were divided into one group, which was significantly different from CK. WS and CS were more similar in fungal community structure. The CK and CS treatments reduced the relative abundance of soil fungi and potential pathogens. Our study shows that SC and FS lead to selective stress on fungi and pathogenic fungi and lead to the development of fungal community abundance and diversity, while CK and CS can reduce this development, which is conducive to plant health.

Case Report: A New Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Mutation Causes Familial Partial Lipodystrophy Type 3 in a Chinese Patient.

Purpose: Familial partial lipodystrophy type 3 (FPLD3) is an autosomal dominant disease. Patients typically present with loss of adipose tissue and metabolic complications. Here, we reported a Chinese FPLD3 patient with a novel PPARG gene mutation. Methods: A 16-year-old female patient and her relatives were assessed by detailed clinical and biochemical examinations. Sequencing was performed by using the extracted DNA. Moreover, we identified FPLD3 patients from previous studies, and according to the protein region affected by the gene mutation. We divided the patients into the DNA-binding domain (DBD) group or the ligand-binding domain (LBD) group, and compared the clinical features between the two groups. Results: We identified a novel gene mutation affecting the LBD of PPARγ c.929T > C (p.F310S). This mutation leads to the substitution of a phenylalanine by a serine. In our case, subcutaneous fat was significantly diminished in her face, hips and limbs. The patient was also presented with insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia, fatty liver, liver dysfunction, albuminuria and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. After literature review, a total of 58 FPLD3 patients were identified and we found no difference in clinical features between the DBD group and LBD group (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: A Chinese FPLD3 patient with a novel PPARG gene mutation is described. Our case emphasized the importance of physical examination and genetic testing in young patients with severe metabolic syndromes.

Mechanism underlying the response of fungi and their Fusarium symbiotic networks to the rotations of soybean and corn.

Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani are the main soybean root rot pathogens in northern China. We investigated the distribution and driving factors of Fusarium under different cropping systems to evaluate and regulate soil health. The factors affecting Fusarium in soybean cropping systems were assessed using high-throughput sequencing of ITS1 to identify soil microbial population diversity, and then the soil physicochemical properties were assessed to determine the levels of various elements present in the environment. According to the results, the abundance of Fusarium was obviously reduced in the corn-soybean rotation and uncultivated soil systems. The relative abundance of Fusarium in the soil and the abundance and diversity of fungal communities were significantly positively associated with the abundance of Ascomycota. Additionally, the relative abundance of Fusarium was significantly positively correlated with the zinc (Zn) content. When the Zn content was high, the abundance of Fusarium increased, and the correlations with Chaetomium, Cryptococcus, Penicillium and Trichoderma significantly decreased. Soybean yield was significantly negatively correlated with fungal community abundance and diversity. Based on our results, the uncultivated soil and corn-soybean rotation cropping systems improved the organizational structure of the soil fungal community and were conducive to the health and production of soybean.

FBN1 Splice-Altering Mutations in Marfan Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a life-threatening autosomal dominant genetic disorder of connective tissue caused by the pathogenic mutation of FBN1. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed to identify the pathogenic mutation. The transcriptional consequence of the splice-altering mutation was analyzed via minigene assays and reverse-transcription PCR. We identified a novel pathogenic mutation (c.8051+1G>C) in the splice site of exon 64 of the FBN1 gene in an MFS-pedigree. This mutation was confirmed to cause two different truncated transcripts (entire exon 64 skipping; partial exon 64 exclusion). We also systematically summarized previously reported transcriptional studies of pathogenic splice-altering mutations in the FBN1 gene to investigate the clinical and transcriptional consequences. In conclusion, we reported for the first time that a splice-altering mutation in the FBN1 gene leads to two abnormal transcripts simultaneously.

RNA-sequencing analysis of the Diquat-degrading yeast strain Meyerozyma guilliermondii Wyslmt and the discovery of Diquat degrading genes.

Diquat is used in agricultural contexts to control the growth of broadleaf and grassy weeds in both terrestrial and aquatic areas. Diquat can be readily absorbed by the soil and can remain therein for extended periods of time, altering the local microenvironment. In this study, the Meyerozyma guilliermondii Wyslmt yeast strain, which has the capacity to degrade Diquat, was isolated from soil exposed to long-term Diquat treatment. Over a 7-day incubation period, this strain was able to remove 42.51% of available Diquat (100 mg/L). RNA-Seq was performed to assess changes in gene expression in this yeast strain over the course of Diquat degradation, revealing 63 and 151 upregulated and downregulated genes, respectively. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed these genes to be most highly enriched in the carbohydrate metabolism pathway. Through functional annotation and gene expression analyses, we identified seven genes were predicted to be involved in Diquat biodegradation. Results of qRT-PCR assays indicated that the relative mRNA expression levels of these seven genes were significantly higher relative to the control group. Together these analyses led to the identification of DN676 as a candidate Diquat-degrading gene. When a pET-DN676 vector was expressed in E. coli BL21, this strain was able to remove 12.49% of provided Diquat (100 mg/L) over the course of a 7-day incubation. These results thus confirmed that the DN676 gene can promote Diquat degradation, with these studies having yielded an engineered BL21-pET-DN676 bacterial strain capable of degrading Diquat.

Genetic Profile and Clinical Characteristics of Brugada Syndrome in the Chinese Population.

BACKGROUND: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inheritable arrhythmia syndrome that can lead to sudden cardiac death in patients while the heart structure is normal. However, the genetic background of more than 65% of BrS probands remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to report the variant spectrum in a Chinese cohort with suspected BrS and to analyze their distinct clinical and electrocardiographic features. METHODS: Patients with suspected BrS from Tongji Hospital between 2008 and 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 79 probands were included in this study. Patients with type 1 BrS electrocardiogram (ECG) had a prolonged QRS duration compared to patients with type 2/3 BrS ECG. Of them, 59 probands underwent genetic testing. Twenty-five patients (42.37%) showed abnormal genetic testing results, and eight of them (13.56%) carried pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) mutations. Mutation carriers presented much more prominent depolarization and repolarization abnormalities than non-carriers, including a prolonged P-wave duration, QRS duration, QTc interval, decreased QRS amplitude, and deviation of the electrocardiographic axes (T-wave axis and R-wave axis). Furthermore, our study identified four novel P/LP mutations: Q3508X in TTN, A990G in KCNH2, G1220E, and D372H (in a representative pedigree) in SCN5A. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed the variant spectrum of a suspected Chinese BrS cohort, and we identified four novel P/LP mutations in TTN, KCNH2, and SCN5A.