Plant-specific small peptide AtZSP1 interacts with ROCK1 to regulate organ size in Arabidopsis.

Organ size is an important agronomic trait. Small peptides function in various stages of plant growth, but their regulatory mechanisms in organ growth remain poorly understood. Here, we characterize a novel small peptide, AtZSP1, which positively regulates organ size in Arabidopsis. Loss-of-function mutant atzsp1-1 exhibited small organs, whereas AtZSP1 overexpression plants (p35S:AtZSP1#1) produced larger organs. Differentially expressed genes in the shoots of atzsp1-1 and p35S:AtZSP1#1 were enriched in the cytokinin pathway. Further analysis on shoots of atzsp1-1 showed that endogenous cytokinin levels were significantly reduced, consistent with reduced expression of the cytokinin response genes ARR5/6/7 and a decrease in pARR5:GUS activity. By contrast, cytokinin levels were elevated in p35S:AtZSP1#1. These results indicate that AtZSP1 affects shoot size via changes in cytokinin levels. AtZSP1 is ubiquitously expressed and encodes a 57-amino acid endomembrane-associated protein that is highly conserved among plant species. AtZSP1 interacts with ROCK1 at the endomembrane. Genetic analysis confirmed that the small organs and low cytokinin levels in atzsp1-1 shoots are partially suppressed by the rock1-4 mutation, suggesting that AtZSP1 may function in a common pathway with ROCK1 to antagonistically regulate organ growth. Our study identified an unknown small peptide, AtZSP1, and defined its function in regulating organ size in Arabidopsis.

Comparison of Pain in Male Drug Rehabilitees with and without Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Yunnan Province, China.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to compare pain symptoms in drug rehabilitees with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Yunnan Province, China. MATERIAL AND METHODS This was a retrospective single-center cohort study. A total of 120 male substance users, including 65 with HIV, were enrolled after admission to the Fifth Drug Rehabilitation Center in Yunnan Province. Individuals who were >18 years of age and who had illicit drugs detected in their urine, despite not having used drugs for at least 2 months, were included. The patients evaluated their average pain intensity for the previous 4 weeks using a visual analog scale. PainDETECT questionnaire scores were used to classify pain into nociceptive and mixed component subgroups. Sleep quality was also evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale. RESULTS The prevalence and intensity of the pain symptoms were higher for the drug rehabilitees with HIV than for those without HIV. Moreover, the rehabilitees with HIV were more likely to experience neuropathic and nociceptive pain, whereas those without HIV reported only nociceptive pain. The sleep quality of the rehabilitees with HIV was also lower, regardless of the pain symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that the drug rehabilitees with HIV in Yunnan Province, China, experienced more frequent and stronger pain (both nociceptive and neuropathic) than those without HIV. They also experienced poorer sleep quality, although it was unrelated to pain. Our results provide data to support clinical diagnosis and treatment.

C-S Coupling of DNA-Conjugated Aryl Iodides for DNA-Encoded Chemical Library Synthesis.

Thioethers have been widely found in biologically active compounds, including pharmaceuticals. In this report, a highly efficient approach to on-DNA construction of thioethers via Cu-promoted Ullmann cross-coupling between DNA-conjugated aryl iodides and thiols is developed. This methodology was demonstrated with medium to high yields, without obvious DNA damage. This reported reaction has strong potential for application in DNA-encoded chemical library synthesis.

Role of common ERCC1 polymorphisms in cisplatin-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer patients: A study in Chinese cohort.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) contributes the majority of death cases among various ovarian malignancies. Although a standard method of treatment is the surgical removal of malignant tissue followed by platinum-based chemotherapy, a group of patients does not respond appropriately to cisplatin. An appropriate response to cisplatin has been linked with the nucleotide excision repair mechanism. The present study aims to investigate the role of polymorphisms in DNA repair genes, excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) with susceptibility to EOC development and tumour response to platinum-based chemotherapy in Chinese EOC patients. Patients (n = 559) reporting to the Department of Oncology and general surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, were enrolled in the study. Three hundred twenty-three healthy controls hailing from similar geographical areas without a history of cancer enrolled as healthy controls. Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 polymorphisms (rs11615, rs3212986, rs735482, rs2336219, rs3212980, rs3212964, rs3212961 and rs2298881) were genotyped by appropriate methods. Distribution of genotypes and allele for ERCC1 polymorphisms (rs11615, rs3212986, rs735482, rs2336219, rs3212980, rs3212964, rs3212961 and rs2298881) were comparable among healthy controls and EOC patients. Interestingly, homozygous mutant and the minor allele for rs11615 and rs3212986 polymorphisms were significantly higher in nonresponder EOC patients when compared to those with a proper response to cisplatin treatment. The prevalence of other SNPs was comparable among the two treated clinical categories. Furthermore, combined genotype revealed significant association of rs11615: TT/ rs3212986: AA genotype combination with cisplatin nonresponder. Variants of rs11615, rs3212986 polymorphisms are associated with cisplatin resistance in Chinese EOC patients. Combined rs11615 and rs3212986 genotypes can be used as a predictive biomarker for platinum-based chemotherapy outcomes.

Methamphetamine Induces Intestinal Inflammatory Injury via Nod-Like Receptor 3 Protein (NLRP3) Inflammasome Overexpression In Vitro and In Vivo.

BACKGROUND Methamphetamine (METH), a confirmed neurotoxic drug, has also reportedly caused several intestinal inflammatory injury cases. The NLRP3 (Nod-like receptor 3 protein) inflammasome can induce several inflammatory injuries by activating IL-1ß and IL-18 when overexpressed. We designed experiments to determine whether METH can cause intestinal inflammatory injury via NLRP3 inflammasome overexpression. MATERIAL AND METHODS IEC-6 cells were classified as control, METH (0.5 mM), and METH (0.5 mM)+MCC950 (100 µM) groups. C57BL/6 mice were separated into control, NS, METH (5 mg/kg), and METH (5 mg/kg)+MCC950 (10 mg/kg) groups (n=10). We detected apoptosis, transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), and proinflammatory factors (IL-6, INF-γ, TNF-alpha, and NF-kappaB) in the METH cell model. We also assessed proinflammatory factors (IL-6, INF-γ, TNF-alpha, and NF-kappaB) and observed intestinal tissues stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) in the METH animal model to explore intestinal inflammatory injury due to METH. After adding MCC950 (an NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor), we additionally detected NLRP3 inflammasome components (NLRP3, Caspase-1, and ASC), IL-1ß, and IL-18 to estimate the relationship of the NLRP3 inflammasome with intestinal inflammatory injury due to METH. RESULTS METH can lead apoptosis, increase proinflammatory factors (e.g., IL-6, INF-γ, TNF-alpha, and NF-kappaB), and decrease TEER in the METH cell model. In the METH animal model, METH can cause obvious injury and increase proinflammatory factors (e.g., IL-6, INF-γ, TNF-alpha, and NF-kappaB). All the intestinal inflammatory changes due to METH depended on overexpression of the NLRP3 inflammasome and could be ameliorated by MCC950, except for ASC and NF-kappaB. CONCLUSIONS METH, in addition to being a confirmed neurotoxic drug, can also cause severe intestinal inflammatory injury via NLRP3 inflammasome overexpression. NF-kappaB may be an activator of the NLRP3 inflammasome in METH intestinal inflammatory injury.

Comprehensive dental treatment for "meth mouth": a case report and literature review.

Methamphetamine-induced caries (MIC) is the rampant caries often found in methamphetamine (MA) users and is often called "meth mouth". It leads to devastating effects on dentition and is the major reason that brings patients to professional help. Dental management of these patients is challenging and the most important factor is cessation of MA use. Dentists must be aware of the signs and medical risks associated with this serious condition. If duly attended to, the dental team can help patients on many levels. Treatment plans can be simplified, so that each visit does not last too long. Finally, more attention should be paid topostoperative care. This case report presents a 40-year-old man with rampant caries caused by MA abuse with poor oral hygiene and smoking habits. He was advised to stop the drug abuse and the affected teeth underwent endodontic, restorative and prosthetic rehabilitation. One year later, the patient had some secondary caries but had stopped all drug abuse.

The impact of environmental protection tax on corporate performance: A new insight from multi angles analysis.

This study investigates the practical effects of adopting the environmental protection tax (EPT) policy on corporate performance in China. The analysis uses the Difference in Differences (DID) approach based on a quasi-natural experiment scenario. The findings indicate there is a negative impact of implementing the EPT policy on the financial performance of corporations, and the conclusion remains unchanged despite exhaustive robustness testing. The negative impact can be partly attributed to corporate technology innovation inputs. Meanwhile, enterprise property rights, pollution, and technical levels also substantially influence the implementation effect of the legislation. However, implementing this policy has improved corporations' environmental performance and established its efficacy in enhancing their sustainable capabilities. This study comprehensively explores the impact of environmental control legislation on business performance, spanning financial, environmental, and social dimensions. Corresponding findings offer valuable insights into how firms react to environmental legislation and adjust to the external environment. Meanwhile, it also provides an objective reference for the comprehensive green transformation.

Nanobody Mediated Atrazine Resistance in Plants.

In planta expression of recombinant antibodies has been proposed as a strategy for herbicide resistance but is not well advanced yet. Here, an atrazine nanobody gene fused with a green fluorescent protein tag was transformed to Arabidopsis thaliana, which was confirmed with PCR, ELISA, and immunoblotting. High levels of nanobody accumulation were observed in the nucleus, cytoderm, and cytosol. The nanobody expressed in the plant had similar affinity, sensitivity, and selectivity as that expressed in Escherichia coli. The T3 homozygous line showed resistance in a dose-dependent manner up to 380 g ai/ha of atrazine, which is approximately one-third of the recommended field application rate. This is the first report of utilizing a nanobody in plants against herbicides. The results suggest that utilizing a high-affinity herbicide nanobody gene rather than increasing the expression of nanobodies in plants may be a technically viable approach to acquire commercial herbicide-resistant crops and could be a useful tool to study plant physiology.

The transcript NR 134251.1 of lncRNA APTR with an opposite function to all transcripts inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis by regulating proliferation and apoptosis-related genes.

Arsenic (As) exposure has been a global public health concern for hundreds of millions worldwide. LncRNA APTR (Alu-mediated p21 transcriptional regulator) plays an essential role in tumor growth and development. However, its function in arsenic-induced toxicological responses is still unknown. In this study, we found that the expressions of all transcripts and the transcript NR 134251.1 of APTR were increased in a dose-dependent manner in 16HBE cells treated with sodium arsenite (NaAsO2). Silencing the transcript NR 134251.1 of APTR inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. However, silencing all transcripts of APTR had the opposite function to the transcript NR 134251.1. Then we examined the protein level of the proliferation and apoptosis-related genes after silencing the transcript NR 134251.1 of APTR. The results showed that silencing the transcript NR 134251.1 of APTR up-regulated the expression of transcription factor E2F1 and regulated its downstream genes involved in proliferation and apoptosis, including p53, phospho-p53-S392, phospho-p53-T55, p21, Cyclin D1, PUMA, Fas, Bim, BIK, Caspase-3, Caspase-7, and Cyt-c. In conclusion, arsenic induced APTR expression and the transcript NR 134251.1 of APTR have an opposite function to all transcripts, providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of arsenic exposure.

Methamphetamine-induced alterations in intestinal mucosal barrier function occur via the microRNA-181c/ TNF-α/tight junction axis.

An enterogenic infection occurs when intestinal mucosal disruption is followed by the invasion of intestinal bacteria into the blood and distant organs, which can result in severe diseases or even death. Our previous study using Rhesus monkeys as an in vivo model revealed that methamphetamine (MA) induced intestinal mucosal barrier damage, which poses a high risk of enterogenic infection. However, how methamphetamine causes intestinal mucosal barrier damage remains largely unknown. In this study, we employed an in vitro model, and found that MA treatment could inhibit the expression of miR-181c, which directly targets and regulates TNF-α, and ultimately induces apoptosis and damages the intestinal barrier. Moreover, we measured TNF-α serum levels as well as the intestinal mucosal barrier damage indicators (diamine oxidase, d-lactic acid, and exotoxin) and found that their levels were significantly higher in MA-dependents than in healthy controls (P < 0.001). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report evidencing that miR-181c is involved in MA-induced intestinal barrier injury via TNF-α regulation, which introduces novel potential therapeutic targets for MA-dependent intestinal diseases.

Stress distribution in a mandibular premolar after separated nickel-titanium instrument removal and root canal preparation: a three-dimensional finite element analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study used finite element analysis (FEA) to assess the von Mises stresses of a mandibular first premolar after removing a separated instrument with an ultrasonic technique. METHODS: FEA models of the original and treated mandibular first premolar were reconstructed, and three models (the original canal, size 30/taper 0.04 canal, and separated instrument removal canal) were created. Two-direction (vertical and lateral) loading patterns were simulated with a 175-N force. The maximum von Mises stresses of the models within the roots from the apex to the cervical region were collected and summarized. RESULTS: Under vertical and lateral loads, all maximal values in the three models were localized in the straight-line access region. Compared with the original model (model 1), the treated models (models 2 and 3) had greater maximum stress values from the apex to the cervical region. Greater differences in the maximum von Mises stresses between models 2 and 3 were present in the straight-line access region. CONCLUSIONS: Separated instrument removal caused changes in stress distribution and increases in stress concentration in the straight-line access region of roots.

FHIT overexpression in HepG2 hepatoma cells affects growth and cyclin D1 expression in vitro.

The aim of this study was to investigate the methylation status of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) and the effects of FHIT on cell growth and cyclin D1 expression in hepatoma cells. The total proteins from the human hepatoma cell lines HepG2, Hep3B and Huh7 were collected and the expression levels of FHIT were analyzed. The methylation status in the promoter region of FHIT in the hepatoma cells was measured using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The HepG2, Hep3B and Huh7 cells were subsequently treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azadc) and the restoration of FHIT expression was then examined. A p-hemagglutinin (HA)-FHIT plasmid was constructed and used to transfect the HepG2 cells, and the inhibitory effects of the transfection on cell growth were then assessed. In addition, HepG2 cells were cotransfected with the pHA-FHIT plasmid and a cyclin D1 luciferase reporter plasmid, and the effects of FHIT on the activity of cyclin D1 transcription factor were analyzed using a luciferase assay. FHIT was observed to be expressed at a low level in Hep3B and HepG2 cells; however, it was expressed at a relatively high level in Huh7 cells. The promoter region of FHIT in the Hep3B and HepG2 cells was partially methylated, and 5-azadc treatment induced an increased expression of FHIT. The increased expression of FHIT inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells. Cotransfection with the pHA-FHIT plasmid significantly inhibited the transcriptional activity of the cyclin D1 promoter and decreased the expression of cyclin D1 in HepG2 cells. In conclusion, FHIT was partially methylated in the HepG2 and Hep3B hepatoma cells. The overexpression of FHIT inhibited cell growth and decreased the expression of cyclin D1 in HepG2 cells.