Plant lipid phosphate phosphatases: current advances and future outlooks.

Lipids are widely distributed in various tissues of an organism, mainly in plant storage organs (e.g., fruits, seeds, etc.). Lipids are vital biological substances that are involved in: signal transduction, membrane biogenesis, energy storage, and the formation of transmembrane fat-soluble substances. Some lipids and related lipid derivatives could be changed in their: content, location, or physiological activity by the external environment, such as biotic or abiotic stresses. Lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPPs) play important roles in regulating intermediary lipid metabolism and cellular signal response. LPPs can dephosphorylate lipid phosphates containing phosphate monolipid bonds such as: phosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), and diacylglycerol pyrophosphate, etc. These processes can change the contents of some important lipid signal mediation such as diacylglycerol and LPA, affecting lipid signal transmission. Here, we summarize the research progress of LPPs in plants, emphasizing the structural and biochemical characteristics of LPPs and their role in spatio-temporal regulation. In the future, more in-depth studies are required to boost our understanding of the key role of plant LPPs and lipid metabolism in: signal regulation, stress tolerance pathway, and plant growth and development.

[Electroencephalogram Features of Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis and Their Value for Clinical Assessment].

Objective: To analyze the electroencephalogram (EEG) features of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (anti-NMDARE) and to study the clinical assessment value of the degree of EEG background slowing and the presence of δ brush. Methods: We enrolled 52 patients with anti-NMDARE and collected their clinical data, including age, sex, form of disease onset, status of tumor comorbidity, auxiliary examination findings (cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] anti-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibody titers, magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] reports, and EEG results), treatment status, and follow-up after discharge. The degree of EEG background abnormality and the presence of δ brush in the EEG of patients with different clinical features were analyzed. Results: Among the 52 patients, 7 (14%) had normal EEG, and 45 (87%), abnormal EEG, including 25 (48%) with mild abnormalities, 11 (21%) with moderate abnormalities, and 9 (17%) with severe abnormalities. δ brush was seen in 6 (12%) patients. At the time of EEG, 32 (62%) patients were in the mild condition group and 20 (38%) patients were in the severe condition group. After 1 year of follow-up, there were 45 (86%) patients in the good prognosis group and 7 (14%) patients in the poor prognosis group. The exacerbation of EEG background abnormalities and the presence of δ brush were indications for an increase in the proportion of patients who were in severe condition, who needed ICU admission, and who had poor prognosis ( P<0.01). The worse the EEG background abnormalities, the higher the proportion of CSF antibody titers>1∶10 ( P=0.035), and the higher the proportion of patients initiating second-line immunotherapy ( P=0.008). The δ brush was seen a higher proportion in patients with comorbid tumors ( P=0.012). The probability of δ brush presence was higher in the first-time diagnosis cases than that in recurrent cases ( P=0.023). Conclusions: The degree of EEG slowing and the presence of δ brush have shown consistent performance in assessing patients' condition and predicting prognosis. The slower the EEG, the more severe the disease, and the worse the prognosis. The presence of δ brush indicates severe disease and poor prognosis. EEG slowing is correlated with the immune status of patients with anti-NMDARE. The slower the EEG, the more severe the immune abnormalities. In clinical practice, patient EEG should be under dynamic monitoring in order to evaluate the effect of immunotherapy. If EEG slowing is not improved, enhanced immunotherapy should be considered as early as possible. The δ brush is seen at a higher proportion in patients with comorbid tumors. Therefore, active efforts should be made to screen for tumors when δ brush is present.

Investigation of retinal microvasculature and choriocapillaris in adolescent myopic patients with astigmatism undergoing orthokeratology.

BACKGROUND: To observe alterations of fundus microcirculation and retinal thickness in adolescent myopic patients with astigmatism after toric and spherical orthokeratology using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), to explore the effects of orthokeratology on the retinal thickness and choroidal blood flow. METHODS: A total of 48 patients were enrolled and divided into two group (toric orthokeratology (T) group and spherical orthokeratology (S) group) according to the type of lens design. OCTA was used to measure the superficial and deep retinal vessel densities at the macular region, radial peripapillary capillary (RPC) density, foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, and choriocapillaris (ChC) perfusion area before and after orthokeratology for 3 months. The data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 19.0 software. RESULTS: Compared with before orthokeratology, the superficial vessel density in the fovea and parafovea in the T group significantly increased, and the deep vessel density in the whole area and fovea were significantly elevated after 3 months (P < 0.05). The superficial vessel density was significantly higher only in the parafovea in the S group after 3 months than that before orthokeratology (P < 0.05), deep vessel density in the whole area and parafovea after 3 months was significantly higher than that before orthokeratology (P < 0.05). RPC density in the two groups increased after 3 months of orthokeratology in the whole area and inside the disc area (P < 0.05). Three months after toric orthokeratology, FAZ area in the T group was significantly reduced by 0.05 (- 0.41 to + 0.08) mm2, while ChC perfusion area was enlarged by 0.06 ± 0.12 mm2. FAZ area in the S group significantly decreased by 0.01 (- 0.19 to + 0.01) mm2, whereas ChC perfusion area increased by 0.06 (- 0.07 to + 0.50) mm2. Retinal thickness in the two groups increased after 3 months of orthokeratology in the whole area and parafoveal area (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Orthokeratology improved retinal blood flow in macular area and RPC while controlling myopia. The changes in FAZ and ChC perfusion areas did not significantly differ between toric and spherical orthokeratology.

Genome-wide analysis and expression patterns of lipid phospholipid phospholipase gene family in Brassica napus L.

BACKGROUND: Lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPP) are critical for regulating the production and degradation of phosphatidic acid (PA), an essential signaling molecule under stress conditions. Thus far, the LPP family genes have not been reported in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). RESULTS: In this study, a genome-wide analysis was carried out to identify LPP family genes in rapeseed that respond to different stress conditions. Eleven BnLPPs genes were identified in the rapeseed genome. Based on phylogenetic and synteny analysis, BnLPPs were classified into four groups (Group I-Group IV). Gene structure and conserved motif analysis showed that similar intron/exon and motifs patterns occur in the same group. By evaluating cis-elements in the promoters, we recognized six hormone- and seven stress-responsive elements. Further, six putative miRNAs were identified targeting three BnLPP genes. Gene ontology analysis disclosed that BnLPP genes were closely associated with phosphatase/hydrolase activity, membrane parts, phosphorus metabolic process, and dephosphorylation. The qRT-PCR based expression profiles of BnLPP genes varied in different tissues/organs. Likewise, several gene expression were significantly up-regulated under NaCl, PEG, cold, ABA, GA, IAA, and KT treatments. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report to describe the comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the rapeseed LPP gene family. We identified different phytohormones and abiotic stress-associated genes that could help in enlightening the plant tolerance against phytohormones and abiotic stresses. The findings unlocked new gaps for the functional verification of the BnLPP gene family during stresses, leading to rapeseed improvement.

A Meta-Analysis of Alterations in the Retina and Choroid in High Myopia Assessed by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.

BACKGROUND: High myopia (HM) is a risk factor for several pathological structural changes in retinal and choroidal thickness or vessel. To date, changes in retinal and choroidal microvasculature circulations in HM have yielded inconsistent results. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this article was to evaluate alterations in retinal and choroidal thickness, and capillary microvasculature using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in HM. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant published studies. Primary outcomes were foveal avascular zone, vessel density, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, foveal thickness, sub-foveal choroidal thickness, and chorio-capillary density. Alterations in outcomes were evaluated by standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Eleven eligible articles were included for the meta-analysis. The whole superficial and deep vessel densities of macular and parapapillary superficial vessel density were lower in HM than in control eyes. The thickness of parafoveal RNFL, parapapillary RNFL, and sub-foveal choroid was significantly lower in HM eyes. Also, chorio-capillary density was shown to be lower in HM eyes. CONCLUSIONS: The retinal and choroidal vessel network change may be related to the axial elongation in the progression of myopia. Furthermore, OCTA is an effective and noninvasive technology for monitoring the progress of myopia eyes.

Identification and functional characterization of a novel selenocysteine methyltransferase from Brassica juncea L.

Organic selenium (Se), specifically Se-methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys), has demonstrated potential effects in human disease prevention including cancer and the emerging ameliorating effect on Alzheimer's disease. In plants, selenocysteine methyltransferase (SMT) is the key enzyme responsible for MeSeCys formation. In this study, we first isolated a novel SMT gene, designated as BjSMT, from the genome of a known Se accumulator, Brassica juncea L. BjSMT shows high sequence (amino acid) similarity with its orthologues from Brassica napus and Brassica oleracea var. oleracea, which can use homocysteine (HoCys) and selenocysteine (SeCys) as substrates. Similar to its closest homologues, BjSMT also possesses a conserved Thr187 which is involved in transferring a methyl group to HoCys by donating a hydrogen bond, suggesting that BjSMT can methylate both HoCys and SeCys substrates. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) technology and BjSMT-transformed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants, we observed how BjSMT responds to selenite [Se(IV)] and selenate [Se(VI)] stress in B. juncea, and how the phenotypes of BjSMT-overexpressing tobacco cultured under selenite stress are affected. BjSMT expression was nearly undetectable in the B. juncea plant without Se exposure, but in the plant leaves it can be rapidly and significantly up-regulated upon a low level of selenite stress, and enormously up-regulated upon selenate treatment. Overexpression of BjSMT in tobacco substantially enhanced tolerance to selenite stress manifested as significantly higher fresh weight, plant height, and chlorophyll content than control plants. In addition, transgenic plants exhibited low glutathione peroxidase activity in response to a lower dose of selenite stress (with a higher dose of selenite stress resulting in a high activity response) compared with the controls. Importantly, the BjSMT-transformed tobacco plants accumulated a high level of Se upon selenite stress, and the plants also had significantly increased MeSeCys production potential in their leaves. This first study of B. juncea SMT demonstrates its potential applications in crop MeSeCys biofortification and phytoremediation of Se pollution.

Melatonin-Induced Transcriptome Variation of Rapeseed Seedlings under Salt Stress.

Salt stress inhibits the production of all crop species, including rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), the second most widely planted oil crop species. Although melatonin was confirmed to alleviate salt stress in rapeseed seedlings recently, the mechanism governing the expression levels remains unknown. Therefore, the melatonin-induced transcriptome variation of salt-stressed seedlings was explored. In this study, the transcriptomes of leaves and roots under control (CK), salt (125 mM NaCl, ST) and melatonin (125 mM NaCl plus 50 µM melatonin, MS) treatments were evaluated by using next-generation sequencing techniques. After conducting comparisons of gene expression in the roots and leaves between MS and ST, the differentially expressed gene (DEG) pools were screened. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses highlighted the significant pathways, which were mainly related to plant hormone synthesis and signal transduction, lignin and fatty acid metabolism. The functional genes in the objective KEGG pathways were identified. Furthermore, members of several transcription factor (TF) families participated in the response process. Combined with the hormone (campesterol (CS), jasmonic acid (JA), and gibberellic acid 3 (GA3)) contents measured in the seedlings, it could be concluded that melatonin induced changes in the intrinsic hormone metabolic network, which promoted seedling growth. Thus, this study identified new candidate genes and pathways active during the interactions between melatonin and salt stress, which provide clues for disclosing melatonin's function in resistance to salt injury. Our results contribute to developing a practical method for sustainable agriculture on saline lands.

Expression of REST4 in human gliomas in vivo and influence of pioglitazone on REST in vitro.

The repressor element-1 (RE1) silencing transcription factor/neuron-restrictive silencer factor (REST/NRSF) has an irreplaceable role during the differentiation of neurons. REST has multiple splice variants which link to various types of cancer. Previous work had highlighted the role of REST in glioma, where the expression of REST is enhanced. But whether alternative splicing of REST is expressed in glioma has not been described. Here, we show that a specific isoform REST4 is expressed in glioma specimens, and will influence the mRNA level of REST in vivo. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) agonists have a role of antineoplastic in various tumor cells, which including glioma cells. Moreover, study indicated that PPARγ agonist pioglitazone can promote alternative splicing of REST pre-mRNA. In this study, we selected pioglitazone as a tool drug to explore whether the role of pioglitazone in anti-glioma is mediated by regulating REST expression or promoting alternative splicing of REST in glioma cells. Results show that pioglitazone can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of glioma cell in vitro, which may be mediated by down-regulating REST mRNA level but not by inducing alternative splicing of REST pre-mRNA. Our study firstly reports the expression of REST4 in glioma tissue samples. And we recommend that pioglitazone, which can reduce the expression level of REST, represents a promising drug for therapy of glioma.

Idiopathic hypertrophic spinal pachymeningitis: a case report and review of literature.

PURPOSE: To report an unusual case of idiopathic hypertrophic spinal pachymeningitis (IHSP) with a review of relevant literature and to discuss the etiology, clinical features, imaging, treatment and prognosis of IHSP. METHODS: The case of a 44-year-old woman is reported. MEDLINE was used to search relevant literatures written in English since 2004. RESULTS: The patient suffered from progressive mild thoracic backache followed by truncal and lower extremity weakness, numbness and urinary retention. The diagnosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and histopathologic examination. Although she received corticosteroid therapy and decompressive surgery, the patient suffered a rapid relapse probably because of the withdrawal of postoperative steroid therapy. CONCLUSIONS: IHSP is a rare disease characterized by inflammatory hypertrophy of the dura mater without identifiable cause and featured clinical progress of radiculalgia to myelopathy. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. In our view, surgical decompression with postoperative steroid therapy may be optimal. Furthermore,we speculated that increased levels of protein and cell count in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) might be positively related to the disease progression. High inflammatory signs or CSF protein and cell levels before surgery or postoperative residual lesions are possible reasons of poor prognosis in patients with IHSP.

Mesenchymal stem cells for repairing glaucomatous optic nerve.

Glaucoma is a common and complex neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and axons. Currently, there is no effective method to address the cause of RGCs degeneration. However, studies on neuroprotective strategies for optic neuropathy have increased in recent years. Cell replacement and neuroprotection are major strategies for treating glaucoma and optic neuropathy. Regenerative medicine research into the repair of optic nerve damage using stem cells has received considerable attention. Stem cells possess the potential for multidirectional differentiation abilities and are capable of producing RGC-friendly microenvironments through paracrine effects. This article reviews a thorough researches of recent advances and approaches in stem cell repair of optic nerve injury, raising the controversies and unresolved issues surrounding the future of stem cells.

The Golgi Apparatus: Panel Point of Cytosolic Ca(2+) Regulation.

The Golgi apparatus (GA), an intermediate organelle of the cell inner membrane system, plays a key role in protein glycosylation and secretion. In recent years, this organelle has been found to act as a vital intracellular Ca(2+) store because different Ca (2+) regulators, such as the inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate receptor, sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) -ATPase and secretory pathway Ca 2+ -ATPase, were demonstrated to localize on their membrane. The mechanisms involved in Ca(2+) release and uptake in the GA have now been established.Here, based on careful backward looking on compartments and patterns in GA Ca (2+) regulation, we review neurological diseases related to GA calcium remodeling and propose a modified cytosolic Ca(2+) adjustment model, in which GA acts as part of the panel point.

The Transcriptome of Brassica napus L. Roots under Waterlogging at the Seedling Stage.

Although rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is known to be affected by waterlogging, the genetic basis of waterlogging tolerance by rapeseed is largely unknown. In this study, the transcriptome under 0 h and 12 h of waterlogging was assayed in the roots of ZS9, a tolerant variety, using digital gene expression (DGE). A total of 4432 differentially expressed genes were identified, indicating that the response to waterlogging in rapeseed is complicated. The assignments of the annotated genes based on GO (Gene Ontology) revealed there were more genes induced under waterlogging in "oxidation reduction", "secondary metabolism", "transcription regulation", and "translation regulation"; suggesting these four pathways are enhanced under waterlogging. Analysis of the 200 most highly expressed genes illustrated that 144 under normal conditions were down-regulated by waterlogging, while up to 191 under waterlogging were those induced in response to stress. The expression of genes involved under waterlogging is mediated by multiple levels of transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulation, including phosphorylation and protein degradation; in particular, protein degradation might be involved in the negative regulation in response to this stress. Our results provide new insight into the response to waterlogging and will help to identify important candidate genes.

Clinical significance of episcleral venous fluid wave in gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical significance of checking episcleral venous fluid wave (EVFW) during gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) in patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG). METHODS: This retrospective case series study comprised 30 patients (45 eyes) with OAG underwent GATT. The location and extent of EVFW were examined and graded after intraoperative compression flushing of the anterior chamber angle during the operation. Patients were followed up for 1y. A complete success for surgery is defined as a postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) <18 mm Hg without any anti-glaucoma medication. IOP<18 mm Hg with less than two anti-glaucoma medications is defined as qualified success, while the control of IOP requiring three anti-glaucoma medications is considered as unsuccess. RESULTS: The mean IOP was 35.38±7.16 mm Hg before surgery and 15.52±4.22 mm Hg 1y after surgery (P<0.01). The average number of anti-glaucoma medication was 2.8±1.2 (2-4) preoperation and 0.6±1.3 (0-3) 1y postoperation (P<0.01). The success rate of the operation was 93.33%. Complete success rate was 66.67%, qualified success rate was 26.67%, and 6.66% of unsuccessful cases required reoperation. EVFW of all cases was grade 2-4, and the percentages of grade 2, 3 and 4 were 33.33%, 40.0% and 26.67%, respectively. The distribution and percentage of EVFW were inferior (36%), nasal (28%), superior (20%), and temporal (16%). The EVFW grade of complete success patients was 3.4±0.6 (3-4), and that of qualified success patients was 2.6±1.0 (2-4). The larger the range of EVFW, the lower the IOP, and the better the IOP reduction effect. CONCLUSION: During GATT surgery, pressurized irrigation of anterior chamber to check EVFW can reduce the outflow resistance of aqueous humor and increase the effect of postoperative IOP. The range of EVFW is negatively correlated with postoperative IOP. Therefore, EVFW may be a valuable prognostic indicator for the success of GATT surgery.

Inositol Improves Cold Tolerance Through Inhibiting CBL1 and Increasing Ca2+ Influx in Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.).

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is an important oilseed crop worldwide. However, its productivity is significantly affected by various abiotic stresses, including cold stress. Among various stresses, cold stress is an important abiotic factor affecting plant growth, yield, and quality. The calcium channels are regarded as key pathways affecting cold tolerance in plants. Thus, improvement in cold tolerance is of great significance for crop improvement. The current study was designed to examine the beneficial role of exogenous inositol in improving cold stress tolerance in rapeseed. From the RNA-seq results, we identified 35 differently expressed genes encoding different inositol enzymes. The results show that inositol (a cyclic polyol) positively regulated cold tolerance by increasing calcium ion (Ca2+) influx in rapeseed. Furthermore, we found that the expression of calcineurin B-like (CBL1) gene was inhibited by inositol. On the other hand, overexpressed plant mediated the Ca2+ flux under cold stress suggesting the key role of inositol-Ca2+ pathway in cold tolerance. Moreover, the overexpression of BnCBL1-2 in Arabidopsis represented that transgenic plants mediated the Ca2+ flux highlighting the vital role of the inositol-Ca2+ pathway in conferring cold stress. Our study provides new insights into rapeseed cold tolerance mechanism and introduces a feasible method to improve the cold tolerance of rapeseed quickly.

Genome-wide transcriptome profiling revealed biological macromolecules respond to low temperature stress in Brassica napus L.

Brassica napus L. (B. napus) is a vital oilseed crop cultivated worldwide; low temperature (LT) is one of the major stress factors that limit its growth, development, distribution, and production. Even though processes have been developed to characterize LT-responsive genes, only limited studies have exploited the molecular response mechanisms in B. napus. Here the transcriptome data of an elite B. napus variety with LT adaptability was acquired and applied to investigate the gene expression profiles of B. napus in response to LT stress. The bioinformatics study revealed a total of 79,061 unigenes, of which 3,703 genes were differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 2,129 upregulated and 1,574 downregulated. The Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis pinpointed that the DEGs were enriched in LT-stress-responsive biological functions and metabolic pathways, which included sugar metabolism, antioxidant defense system, plant hormone signal transduction, and photosynthesis. Moreover, a group of LT-stress-responsive transcription factors with divergent expression patterns under LT was summarized. A combined protein interaction suggested that a complex interconnected regulatory network existed in all detected pathways. RNA-seq data was verified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Based on these findings, we presented a hypothesis model illustrating valuable information for understanding the LT response mechanisms in B. napus.

Effectiveness of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of coenzyme Q10 for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Data from randomized controlled trials were obtained to assess the effects of coenzyme Q10 versus placebo or western medicine on patients with T2DM. The study's registration number is CRD42018088474. The primary outcomes included glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, and fasting insulin. RESULT: Thirteen trials involving 765 patients were included. Compared with the control group, coenzyme Q10 may decrease the HbA1c (WMD -0.29; 95% CI -0.54, -0.03; P = 0.03) and the fasting blood glucose (WMD -11.21; 95% CI -18.99, -3.43; P = 0.005). For fasting insulin, there is also not strong evidence that confirms which one is better because there was no statistical difference (WMD -0.48; 95% CI -2.54, 1.57; P = 0.65). CONCLUSION: Based on current evidence, coenzyme Q10 may assist glycemic control, decrease TG, and improve HDL-C in patients with T2DM.

Proteomic Analysis of Rapeseed Root Response to Waterlogging Stress.

The overall health of a plant is constantly affected by the changing and hostile environment. Due to climate change and the farming pattern of rice (Oryza sativa) and rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), stress from waterlogging poses a serious threat to productivity assurance and the yield of rapeseed in China's Yangtze River basin. In order to improve our understanding of the complex mechanisms behind waterlogging stress and identify waterlogging-responsive proteins, we firstly conducted iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification)-based quantitative proteomic analysis of rapeseed roots under waterlogging treatments, for both a tolerant cultivar ZS9 and sensitive cultivar GH01. A total of 7736 proteins were identified by iTRAQ, of which several hundred showed different expression levels, including 233, 365, and 326 after waterlogging stress for 4H, 8H, and 12H in ZS9, respectively, and 143, 175, and 374 after waterlogging stress for 4H, 8H, and 12H in GH01, respectively. For proteins repeatedly identified at different time points, gene ontology (GO) cluster analysis suggested that the responsive proteins of the two cultivars were both enriched in the biological process of DNA-dependent transcription and the oxidation⁻reduction process, and response to various stress and hormone stimulus, while different distribution frequencies in the two cultivars was investigated. Moreover, overlap proteins with similar or opposite tendencies of fold change between ZS9 and GH01 were observed and clustered based on the different expression ratios, suggesting the two genotype cultivars exhibited diversiform molecular mechanisms or regulation pathways in their waterlogging stress response. The following qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) results verified the candidate proteins at transcription levels, which were prepared for further research. In conclusion, proteins detected in this study might perform different functions in waterlogging responses and would provide information conducive to better understanding adaptive mechanisms under environmental stresses.

Effect of AMP-activated protein kinase subunit alpha 2 (PRKAA2) genetic polymorphisms on susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: It is well known that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key factor affecting the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2746342 in the AMPK alpha 2 subunit gene (PRKAA2) has been found to be associated with susceptibility to T2DM in the Chinese Han population. The present study further investigates the association of PRKAA2 genotypes with susceptibility to T2DM and its complication, diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: The PRKAA2 genotypes of 406 T2DM patients and 214 controls from the Chinese Han population were determined with regard to SNPs rs10789038, rs2796498 and rs2746342. The association between these SNPs and susceptibility to T2DM and diabetic nephropathy was evaluated. The clinical characteristics differed significantly between T2DM patients and controls. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex and body mass index, there was an obvious relationship between T2DM and both rs10789038 (odds ratio [OR] 1.634; P = 0.015) and rs2796498 (OR 0.656; P = 0.030), but not rs2746342. There was haplotype association of PRKAA2 rs10789038-rs2796498-rs2746342 with T2DM susceptibility. In addition, rs2796498 was found to be related to the susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy. CONCLUSIONS: Polymorphisms in rs10789038 and rs2796498 are associated with the susceptibility to T2DM, and rs2796498 may be related to diabetic nephropathy.