Differential Photoaging Effects on Colored Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Physicochemical Properties and Aggregation Kinetics.

Nanoplastics (NPs) have different colors, which could affect their photoaging processes in aquatic environments. This study investigated the effects of irradiation on physicochemical properties and aggregation kinetics of five colored NPs. Photodegradation rates and photooxidation degrees ranked white ≈ yellow > red > blue ≈ black NPs, indicating that NPs with longer color wavelengths photoaged faster. The discoloration process followed color fading (2-14 days, except for white NPs), yellowing (10-16 days), yellow fading (18 days), and turning transparent (20-22 days). White NPs exhibited a different photoaging sequence (C-H → C-OH → C═O → O-C═O) from others. Photodegradation was mainly controlled by singlet oxygen, producing 13 chemicals that were mostly organic acids. The overall colloidal stability of pristine NPs ranked blue > yellow > red > black > white. Irradiation for 16 days retarded aggregation of white and other NPs in NaCl solution, raising the critical coagulation concentration (CCC) by 82.14 and 0.85-7.90%, respectively. Contrarily, irradiation promoted aggregation in CaCl2 solution by reducing the CCC of white (67.37%) and other (33.33-37.58%) NPs. The findings demonstrate that colored NPs underwent photoaging processes different from white/transparent NPs, which were focused by previous work, highlighting the important role of color in their environmental fate and transport.

The optimum particle size of anaerobic ammonia oxidation granular sludge under different substrate concentrations.

The nitrogen removal performance of anaerobic ammonia oxidation granular sludge (AnGS) varies widely among particle sizes. In this paper, the nitrogen removal performance, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secretion level and microbial community of AnGS with different particle sizes were investigated to select the optimal particle size for different substrate concentrations. The results showed that the optimal particle size migrated from 0.6-1.6 mm to 1.6-2.5 mm and then to 2.5-3.2 mm as the substrate concentration increased. When the influent concentration of NH4+-N was 110 mg/L, granular sludge with particle size of 1.6-2.5 mm showed excellent nitrogen removal performance with the highest EPS secretion, while the highest EPS secretion gradually migrated to smaller particles as the substrate concentration decreased. The nitrogen removal performance of AnGS with different particle sizes depends on different proportions of anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria (Candidates_Jettenia, Candidates_Kuenenia, Candidatus_Brocadia), heterotrophic nitrification aerobic denitrifying bacteria (Acinetobacter) and denitrifying bacteria (Denitratisoma). The optimum particle size range for AnGS has been clarified for different influent nitrogen concentrations, which can provide some new understanding for the application of anammox reactors.

Role of NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 inflammasome in the activation of pancreatic stellate cells.

NLRP3 inflammasome activation plays an important role in the development of pancreatic fibrosis. However, it is unclear whether the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is directly involved in the activation of Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). The aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the activation of PSCs. In vivo, a rat model of chronic pancreatitis (CP) was induced by intravenous injection of dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC). In vitro, rat primary PSCs were isolated from pancreatic tissues and incubated with the NLRP3 inflammasome activator LPS, the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950, or NLRP3 siRNA. The results showed that the expression of NLRP3, pro-Caspase-1, Caspase-1 and IL-18 was increased in the rat model of CP and during PSCs activation. LPS increased the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18 accompanied by the upregulation of α-SMA, Col I and FN expression. Moreover, MCC950 or NLPR3 siRNA decreased the expression of α-SMA, Col I, FN, TGF-ß1 and p-Smad3. Furthermore, MCC950 reversed the LPS-induced upregulation of α-SMA, FN and Col Ⅰ expression in PSCs. This study revealed that the NLRP3 inflammasome is directly involved in the activation of PSCs in vivo and in vitro. Inhibiting NLRP3 suppresses the activation of PSCs through the TGF-ß1/Smad3 pathway.

FTY720 induces neutrophil extracellular traps via a NADPH oxidase-independent pathway.

FTY720 is an immunosuppressive agent which has been approved to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). The main object of the present study is to investigate whether FTY720 has the potential to induce the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in vitro. Using Sytox Green assay and fluorescence microscopy, our results showed that FTY720 trigged the NET formation. In contrast to classic NET formation induced by Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), FTY720-induced NETs were detected earlier and independent of NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity. Pharmacological inhibitor experiments indicated that autophagy was also required for the NET formation induced by FTY720. Moreover, p38 and AKT inhibitor significantly suppressed the NET formation by FTY720, whereas ERK inhibitor had no effect, suggesting that FTY720-induced NETs depended on the activation of p38 and AKT. We further found that citrullination of histone H3 and peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) did not mediated FTY720-induced NET formation. Interestingly, necroptosis signaling activation was involved in the vital NET formation by FTY720, however, plasma membrane rupture resulting from necroptosis was not a major component of NET formation described here. Collectively, these findings indicated that FTY720 could be a potential antibacterial drug to protect host against pathogen infection.

Effects of matrix modification and bacteria amendment on the treatment efficiency of municipal tailwater pollutants by modified vertical flow constructed wetland.

Although vertical flow constructed wetland (VFCW) has great potentials for degradation of water contaminants, traditional VFCW has limited removal efficiencies for pollutants. This study constructed three sets of modified VFCW systems, including VFCW-A with matrix-modification using mixture of biochar and activated carbon, VFCW-B with microbial amendment using denitrifying bacteria, and VFCW-C with combined treatments of both. Their removal efficiencies for various pollutants in synthetic municipal tailwater were investigated. Results showed that the removal efficiencies for NH4-N, NO3-N, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by VFCW-C were higher than VFCW-B throughout the experimental period, indicating that matrix-modification could improve the VFCW performance. The higher removal efficiencies for TN, TP, and COD by VFCW-C than VFCW-A also suggested the effectiveness of microbial amendment in VFCW. However, the improved removal for NO3-N by VFCW-C over VFCW-A became less obvious at later operation stage due to insufficient carbon source. All three VFCWs achieved their best removal efficiency when carbon source was supplemented at CH3COO-/TN ratio of 0.5. Our study suggested that the combined treatment of matrix-modification using biochar/activated carbon mixture and microbial amendment using denitrifying bacteria could effectively enhance the treatment efficiency of VFCW systems for tailwater pollutants from sewage plant.

Efficient removal of Pb(II) through recycled biochar-mineral composite from the coagulation sludge of swine wastewater.

Zeolite-Mg/Fe chloride dual enhanced coagulation is a cost-effective method for advanced treatment of swine wastewater, but the sludge generated after the enhanced coagulation remains to be a problem. In this study, the precipitate from a swine wastewater coagulation unit was regenerated by pyrolysis treatment in an O2-limited environment to develop a high efficient adsorbent (biochar-mineral composite, BMC) for the removal of Pb(II) from wastewater. SEM images indicate that complex Mg/Fe oxides and sludge biochar gathered around zeolite particles. Effects of different influencing factors such as Pb(II) initial concentration, pH, adsorption time and ion concentration on the adsorption performance were investigated. The results show that the Langmuir isotherm model can better express the adsorption of Pb(II) on BMC than Freundlich model and Temkin model. BMC pyrolyzed at 500 °C showed the maximum adsorption capacity of 450.58 mg/g under experimental condition of 25 °C, 100 mg/L Pb(II) initial concentration and the initial pH of 5.6. The adsorption mechanisms on BMC mainly include ion exchange, electrostatic interaction. Therefore, it is a cost-effective and environmental-friendly strategy to obtain biochar-mineral composite from recycled sludge, which can efficiently remove Pb(II) from wastewater.

Overexpression of UBR5 promotes tumor growth in gallbladder cancer via PTEN/PI3K/Akt signal pathway.

As a key regulator of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, ubiquitin protein ligase E3 component N-recognin 5 (UBR5) plays an important role in various cancers. In this study, our results showed for the first time that UBR5 was overexpressed in gallbladder cancer (GBC) tumor tissues. UBR5 overexpression was significantly associated with tumor size, histological and tumor differentiation. UBR5 overexpression was also associated with poor prognosis in patients with GBC. The knockdown of UBR5 remarkably inhibited the cell proliferation and colony formation of GBC-Shandong (SD) cells in vitro and in vivo. UBR5 potentially increases the level of protein kinase B phosphorylation via the degradation of phosphatase and tensin homolog, which contributes to tumor growth in GBC. UBR5 may be an important biomarker for predicting the prognosis of patients with GBC.

Laparoscopic Surgery in the treatment of children with Choledochal Cyst.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of children with choledochal cyst. METHODS: Seventy-six children with congenital choledochal cyst who were admitted to our hospital between February 2016 and April 2017 were selected as research subjects. They were evenly divided into an observation group and a control group using random number table, 38 each group. Patients in the observation group underwent laparoscopic surgery, while patients in the control group underwent the traditional laparotomy. Surgery related indicators and prognosis were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The incision size and intraoperative bleeding volume of the observation group were significantly smaller than those of the control group (P<0.05). The time of passage of flatus and time to take food of the observation group were easier than those of the control group, and the duration of hospitalization and parenteral nutrition of the former was significantly shorter than those of the latter, and the difference had statistical significance (P<0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the observation group was 2.6%, significantly lower than that in the control group (10.5%) (P<0.05). There was no recurrence in the observation group during the follow-up period, but there were 5 cases of recurrence (13.1%) in the control group; the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with the traditional laparotomy, laparoscopic surgery conforms more to the concept of modern medical minimally invasive treatment and has a significant clinical effect in the treatment of congenital choledochal cyst in children. It can effectively promote the disappearance of clinical symptoms and signs, reduce the incidence of postoperative complications and disease recurrence, and improve the surgical efficacy, suggesting high clinical significance and application values.

Optimization of operating parameters of hybrid vertical down-flow constructed wetland systems for domestic sewerage treatment.

In this work, three hybrid vertical down-flow constructed wetland (HVDF-CW) systems with different compound substrates were fed with domestic sewage and their pollutants removal performance under different hydraulic loading and step-feeding ratio was investigated. The results showed that the hydraulic loading and step-feeding ratio were two crucial factors determining the removal efficiency of most pollutants, while substrate types only significantly affected the removal of COD and NH4(+)-N. Generally, the lower the hydraulic loading, the better removal efficiency of all contaminants, except for TN. By contrast, the increase of step-feeding ratio would slightly reduce the removal rate of ammonium and TP but obviously promoted the TN removal. Therefore, the optimal operation of this CWs could be achieved with low hydraulic loading combined with 50% of step-feeding ratio when TN removal is the priority, whereas medium or low hydraulic loading without step-feeding would be suitable when TN removal is not taken into consideration. The obtained results in this study can provide us with a guideline for design and optimization of hybrid vertical flow constructed wetland systems to improve the pollutants removal from domestic sewage.

Histone demethylase KDM2A promotes tumor cell growth and migration in gastric cancer.

Histone demethylase KDM2A has been reported to be dysregulated in lung cancer. However, its function in gastric cancer remains poorly understood. Here, it was found that the expression level of KDM2A was increased in gastric cancer tissues. Moreover, forced expression of KDM2A in gastric cancer cells promoted cell growth and migration, while the knockdown expression of KDM2A inhibited the tumorigenicity of gastric cancer cells. Mechanistically, KDM2A regulated the growth and motility of gastric cancer cells through downregulating the expression of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4), a known tumor suppressor in the progression of gastric cancer. Taken together, our study suggested that upregulation of KDM2A was very important in the progression of gastric cancer, and KDM2A might be a promising therapeutic target.

Self-assembly polymorphism of 2,7-bis-nonyloxy-9-fluorenone: solvent induced the diversity of intermolecular dipole-dipole interactions.

In this present work, a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operated under ambient conditions was utilized to probe the self-assembly behavior of 2,7-bis-nonyloxy-9-fluorenone (F-OC9) at the liquid-solid (l/s) interface. On the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface, two-dimensional (2D) polymorphism with diversity of intermolecular dipole interactions induced by solvent was found. Solvents ranged from hydrophilic solvating properties with high polarity, such as viscous alkylated acids, to nonpolar alkylated aromatics and alkanes. 1-Octanol and dichloromethane were used to detect the assembly of F-OC9 at the gas-solid (g/s) interface. The opto-electronic properties of F-OC9 were determined by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy in solution. Our results showed that there were tremendous solvent-dependent self-assemblies in 2D ordering for the surface-confined target molecules. When a homologous series of alkanoic acids ranging from heptanoic to nonanoic acid were employed as solvents, the self-assembled monolayer evolved from low-density coadsorbed linear lamellae to a semi-circle-like pattern at relatively high concentrations, which was proven to be the thermodynamic state as it was the sole phase observed at the g/s interface after the evaporation of solvent. Moreover, by increasing the chain length of the alkylated acids, the weight of the carboxylic group, also being the group responsible for the dielectric properties, diminished from heptanoic to nonanoic acid, which could make the easier/earlier appearance of a linear coadsorption effect. However, this was not the case for nonpolar 1-phenyloctane and n-tetradecane: no concentration effect was detected. It showed a strong tendency to aggregate to generate coexistence of separate domains of different phases due to the fast nucleation sites. Furthermore, thermodynamic calculations indicated that the stable structural coexistence of the fluorenone derivative was attributed to synergistic intermolecular dipole-dipole and van der Waals (vdWs) forces at l/s interface. It is believed that the results are of significance to the fields of solvent induced polymorphism assembly and surface science.

Removal of nutrients from septic tank effluent with baffle subsurface-flow constructed wetlands.

Three new baffle flow constructed wetlands (CWs), namely the baffle horizontal flow CW (Z1), baffle vertical flow CW (Z2) and baffle hybrid flow CW (Z3), along with one traditional horizontal subsurface flow CW (Z4) were designed to test the removal efficiency of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the septic tank effluent under varying hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Results showed that the optimal HRT was two days for maximal removal of N and P from the septic tank effluent among the four CWs. At this HRT, the Z1, Z2, Z3 and Z4 CWs removed, respectively, 49.93, 58.50, 46.01 and 44.44% of TN as well as 87.82, 93.23, 95.97 and 91.30% of TP. Our study further revealed that the Z3 CW was the best design for overall removal of N and P from the septic tank effluent due to its hybrid flow directions with better oxygen supply inside the CW system.

Differential expression of caveolin-1 in human myometrial and uterine leiomyoma smooth muscle.

OBJECTIVE: Uterine leiomyomas, the most common neoplasms of the female genital tract, are benign tumors of the uterus arising from the smooth muscle cells (SMCs) of the myometrium with an involvement of estrogen. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1), a major protein component in caveolae membrane lipid rafts, is down-regulated in several estrogen-related cancer cells, and overexpression of Cav-1 inhibits proliferation of cancer cells and vascular SMCs as well. Therefore, we hypothesize that Cav-1 is down-regulated in human uterine leiomyoma. RESULTS: Western blot using tissues from clinical patients showed that Cav-1 expression was significantly lower or undetectable in uterine leiomyoma compared with their matched myometrium (P < .001). This finding was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. The cav-1 mRNA level in uterine leiomyomas was also significantly lower as detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis (P = .001). To further study the underlying mechanism, we performed primary cell culture, and found that the expression of Cav-1 remained low in cultured leiomyoma SMCs (P = .009). Serum withdrawal did not change Cav-1 expression in leiomyoma SMCs, but increased expression in myometrial SMCs (P = .006). 17-ß estradiol inhibited the expression of Cav-1 protein (P = .047) and mRNA (P = .007) in leiomyoma SMCs, whereas it stimulated expression in myometrial SMCs (P = .043). 17-ß estradiol, although activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in both SMCs, did not stimulate their proliferation. CONCLUSION: We conclude that human uterine leiomyomas in vitro express low levels of Cav-1, which may result from estrogen inhibition. This effect of estrogen may contribute to the pathogenesis of uterine leiomyoma. Further studies in vivo are needed to verify these results.

Steric matching and the concentration induced self-assembled structural variety of 2,7-bis(n-alkoxy)-9-fluorenone at the aliphatic solvent/graphite interface.

Controlling and unraveling structural polymorphism has received special attention in 2D self-assembled monolayers. In this work, we investigated the steric matching and solution concentration controlled structural variety in the self-assembly of 2,7-bis(n-alkoxy)-9-fluorenone (F-OCn) at the n-tetradecane and n-tridecane/graphite interface under different concentrations, respectively. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) revealed that the coadsorbed adlayers of F-OCn and solvents (n = 12 to 16) were formed and exhibited concentration dependent 2D phases due to the steric matching. The self-assembled monolayer of F-OCn (n = 12 to 16) evolved from a low-density coadsorbed linear lamellar packing, which was formed at low concentrations, to higher-density patterns at relatively high concentrations. F-OC14 exhibited a complex structural variety, in which a systematic trend of decrease in the molecular density per unit cell with decreasing concentration was obtained. Except for F-OCn (n = 13, 15, 17), the zigzag structure showing the linear lamella with dimers was observed. Systematic experiments revealed that the self-assembly of F-OCn was chain-length dependent. The results provide insight into the structural variety exhibited by a series of organic molecules and furnish important guidelines to control the morphology by changing the solution concentration.

Estimating impacts of land use on groundwater quality using trilinear analysis.

Groundwater is connected to the landscape above and is thus affected by the overlaying land uses. This study evaluated the impacts of land uses upon groundwater quality using trilinear analysis. Trilinear analysis is a display of experimental data in a triangular graph. Groundwater quality data collected from agricultural, septic tank, forest, and wastewater land uses for a 6-year period were used for the analysis. Results showed that among the three nitrogen species (i.e., nitrate and nitrite (NO(x)), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), and total organic nitrogen (TON)), NO(x) had a high percentage and was a dominant species in the groundwater beneath the septic tank lands, whereas TON was a major species in groundwater beneath the forest lands. Among the three phosphorus species, namely the particulate phosphorus (PP), dissolved ortho phosphorus (PO4(3-)) and dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), there was a high percentage of PP in the groundwater beneath the septic tank, forest, and agricultural lands. In general, Ca was a dominant cation in the groundwater beneath the septic tank lands, whereas Na was a dominant cation in the groundwater beneath the forest lands. For the three major anions (i.e., F(-), Cl(-), and SO4(2-)), F(-) accounted for <1% of the total anions in the groundwater beneath the forest, wastewater, and agricultural lands. Impacts of land uses on groundwater Cd and Cr distributions were not profound. This study suggests that trilinear analysis is a useful technique to characterize the relationship between land use and groundwater quality.

PIEZO1 acts as a cancer suppressor by regulating the ROS/Wnt/ß-catenin axis.

BACKGROUND: PIEZO1 works differently in different cancers and at different stages of development. The objective of the current study was to explore the function and underlying mechanism of PIEZO1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells. METHODS: Different LUAD cell lines were treated with PIEZO1 inhibitor (GsMTx4) and agonist (Yoda1), and the expression of PIEZO1 in LUAD cells was detected using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. The effects of PIEZO1 on invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers protein expression of LUAD cells were detected using the MTT assay, flow cytometry, transwell assay, wound-healing assay, and western blotting. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) agonists (BAY 87-2243) and inhibitors (NAC) and Wnt/ß-catenin pathway inhibitors (iCRT3) were selected to treat A549 cells to investigate the mechanism of PIEZO1 on ROS production and Wnt/ß-catenin expression in A549 cells. RESULTS: In A549, NCI-H1395, and NCI-H1975 cells, GsMTx4 promoted cell proliferation, invasion, migration, upregulated EMT-related marker protein expression, and inhibited cell apoptosis, while Yoda1 exerted effects opposite to those of GsMTx4. In A549 cells, GsMTx4 can reduce ROS production, it also inhibited ROS production, apoptosis, and downregulated proapoptotic markers induced by BAY 87-2243. Importantly, BAY 87-2243 blocked the effect of GSMTX4-induced Wnt/ß-catenin overexpression. Similarly, Yoda1 can reduce the effect of NAC. In addition, iCRT3 can block the upregulation of EMT-related marker proteins by GsMTx4, and increase apoptosis and decrease cell invasion and migration. CONCLUSION: In summary, PIEZO1 acts as a cancer suppressor by regulating the ROS/Wnt/ß-catenin axis, providing a new perspective on the role of mechanosensitive channel proteins in cancer.

Global, regional, and national burden of cancers attributable to occupational risks from 1990 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: Based on data from the Global Burden of Disease study, the burden of cancer attributable to occupational risks between 1990 and 2019 was explored. METHODS: The estimated burden in different regions was compared in terms of the age-standardized death rates (ASDRs), age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates, and corresponding estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs). The comparative risk assessment (CRA) framework was used to estimate the risk of death and DALYs attributable to occupational risk factors. RESULTS: Globally from 1990 to 2019, ASDRs decreased (EAPC = -0.69, 95% confidence intervals (CIs): -0.76 to -0.61), and age-standardized DALY rates decreased (EAPC = -0.99, -1.05 to -0.94). In terms of the global age-distribution of cancer attributable to occupational risk factors, the death rate and DALY rates increased with age. In addition, from 1990 to 2019, the number of deaths, DALYs, ASDRs, and age-standardized DALY rates in men were higher than those in women, and the cancer burden grew fastest in Georgia (EAPC = 5.04), Croatia (EAPC = 4.01), and Honduras (EAPC = 3.54). Moreover, as the socio-demographic index (SDI) value of a country or region increased, its burden of cancer attributable to occupational risk factors rapidly increased. CONCLUSIONS: The global cancer burden attributable to occupational risk factors declined from 1990 to 2019, was higher in men than in women, and concentrated in middle-aged and older adults. The baseline cancer burdens of regions or countries increased as their SDI values increased, and were especially high in high-SDI regions or countries.

Environmentally relevant concentrations of naphthenic acids initiate intestinal injury and gut microbiota dysbiosis in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma).

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are important pollutants in marine crude oils and have obvious toxic effects on marine organisms. However, the effects of NAs on the intestine are largely unknown. Thus, we evaluated the effects of NAs exposure in the intestines of marine medaka. Fish were experimentally exposed to NAs (0.5 mg/L, 5 mg/L, and 10 mg/L) for 96 h and monitored for changes in intestinal histology, markers of oxidative stress, and intestinal microbiome responses. Significant mucosal damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress were observed in the intestines of marine medaka after exposure to NAs. In addition, significant changes in the gut microbiota were observed. Specifically, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria decreased, while that of Verrucomicrobiota increased in the high-concentration exposure group. In addition, nutrient synthesis and metabolism in the gut were affected. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the ecological risk of different concentrations of NAs to marine organisms. CAPSULE ABSTRACT: Changes in the gut microbial community of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) caused by naphthenic acids in the marine environment were investigated through the assessment of gut inflammatory factors and comprehensive analysis using 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. The results indicated the induction of intestinal inflammation and changes in the structural composition of the intestinal flora.

Driving mechanisms for the adaptation and degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by native microbiota from seas prone to oil spills.

Offshore waters have a high incidence of oil pollution, which poses an elevated risk of ecological damage. The microbial community composition and metabolic mechanisms influenced by petroleum hydrocarbons vary across different marine regions. However, research on metabolic strategies for in-situ petroleum degradation and pollution adaptation remains in its nascent stages. This study combines metagenomic techniques with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The data show that the genera Pseudoalteromonas, Hellea, Lentisphaera, and Polaribacter exhibit significant oil-degradation capacity, and that the exertion of their degradation capacity is correlated with nutrient and oil pollution stimuli. Furthermore, tmoA, badA, phdF, nahAc, and fadA were found to be the key genes involved in the degradation of benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and their intermediates. Key genes (INSR, SLC2A1, and ORC1) regulate microbial adaptation to oil-contaminated seawater, activating oil degradation processes. This process enhances the biological activity of microbial communities and accounts for the geographical variation in their compositional structure. Our results enrich the gene pool for oil pollution adaptation and degradation and provide an application basis for optimizing bioremediation intervention strategies.

Exogenous 24-Epibrassinolide Enhanced Drought Tolerance and Promoted BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE2 Expression of Quinoa.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are involved in the regulation of biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. The molecular mechanisms of BRs that alleviate the drought stress in quinoa have rarely been reported. Here, quinoa seedlings were treated with 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) and we transiently transferred CqBIN2 to the quinoa seedlings' leaves using VIGS technology to analyze the molecular mechanism of the BR mitigation drought stress. The results showed that EBR treatment significantly increased the root growth parameters, the antioxidant enzyme activities, and the osmolyte content, resulting in a decrease in the H2O2, O2∙-, and malondialdehyde content in quinoa. A transcriptome analysis identified 8124, 2761, and 5448 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among CK and Drought, CK and EBR + Drought, and Drought and EBR + Drought groups. WGCNA divided these DEGs into 19 modules in which these characterized genes collectively contributed significantly to drought stress. In addition, the EBR application also up-regulated the transcript levels of CqBIN2 and proline biosynthesis genes. Silenced CqBIN2 by VIGS could reduce the drought tolerance, survival rate, and proline content in quinoa seedlings. These findings not only revealed that exogenous BRs enhance drought tolerance, but also provided insight into the novel functions of CqBIN2 involved in regulating drought tolerance in plants.