[The impact of modified T3 sub-staging on the prognosis of gallbladder cancer patients]

Objective: To explore the value of a new modified T3 sub-staging for the prognosis evaluation in gallbladder cancer patients. Methods: This is a retrospective case-series study. The clinical data of patients with pathologically confirmed stage T3 gallbladder cancer who were admitted to the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery,the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2011 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 190 patients were enrolled in this study, 67 males and 123 females, with an age (M(IQR)) of 63(14) years (range:17 to 88 years). The stage T3 was divided into four sub-stages according to the site of tumor invasion: (1) T3a:tumor perforates the serosa,but not invading the liver and one other adjacent structure; (2) T3b:tumor perforates the serosa and invades one other adjacent structure,but not the liver; (3) T3c:tumor perforates the serosa and invades the liver,but not one other adjacent structure; (4) T3d:tumor perforates the serosa,invades the liver and one other adjacent structure. To evaluate the application value of this modified sub-staging,the Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve,univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were done using the Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model respectively. Results: According to the modified T3 sub-staging method,34 patients (17.9%) were in stage T3a,24 cases(12.6%) were in stage T3b, 97 cases (51.1%) were in stage T3c, and 35 cases (18.4%) were in stage T3d. The median survival time of patients in stages T3a,T3b,T3c and T3d after radical resection was 72.0 months, 32.0 months, 12.0 months and 10.0 months, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of patients in stage T3a, T3b, T3c and T3d were 79.4%, 53.3%, and 53.3%; 79.2%, 44.6%, and 26.0%;49.5%,27.5%,and 18.1%;42.9%,15.9%, and 15.9% (χ2=18.349,P<0.01),respectively. Univariate analysis showed that gallbladder stones,pathological differentiation,perineural invasion, N stage,postoperative adjuvant therapy and modified T3 substage were factors affecting patient prognosis(all P<0.05). Cox multivariate analysis showed that modified sub-stages with T3c (HR=2.043, 95%CI:1.176 to 3.549) and T3d(HR=2.419, 95%CI:1.284 to 4.555), accompanied by gallbladder stones (HR=1.661,95%CI:1.150 to 2.398),pathological differentiation with poorly differentiated(HR=1.709,95%CI:1.198 to 2.438), and the N stage with N1 and N2(HR=1.602, 95%CI:1.090 to 2.355, 2.714, 95%CI: 1.621 to 4.544) were independent prognostic risk factors for patients in stage T3,while postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy(HR=0.351) was a protective factor for prognosis. There was no statistically significant difference in survival between patients with stage T3a and T3b who underwent hepatic wedge resection and liver segment or major resection (P=0.402). For patients with stage T3c and T3d with liver invasion,the survival difference after hepatic wedge resection and segmental or major resection was statistically significant (P=0.008). Conclusion: The modified T3 sub-staging system based on the depth and direction of tumor invasion maybe helpful to further stratify the prognosis of patients with gallbladder cancer.

Dysfunction of duplicated pair rice histone acetyltransferases causes segregation distortion and an interspecific reproductive barrier

Postzygotic reproductive isolation, which results in the irreversible divergence of species, is commonly accompanied by hybrid sterility, necrosis/weakness, or lethality in the F1 or other offspring generations. Here we show that the loss of function of HWS1 and HWS2, a couple of duplicated paralogs, together confer complete interspecific incompatibility between Asian and African rice. Both of these non-Mendelian determinants encode the putative Esa1-associated factor 6 (EAF6) protein, which functions as a characteristic subunit of the histone H4 acetyltransferase complex regulating transcriptional activation via genome-wide histone modification. The proliferating tapetum and inappropriate polar nuclei arrangement cause defective pollen and seeds in F2 hybrid offspring due to the recombinant HWS1/2-mediated misregulation of vitamin (biotin and thiamine) metabolism and lipid synthesis. Evolutionary analysis of HWS1/2 suggests that this gene pair has undergone incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and multiple gene duplication events during speciation. Our findings have not only uncovered a pair of speciation genes that control hybrid breakdown but also illustrate a passive mechanism that could be scaled up and used in the guidance and optimization of hybrid breeding applications for distant hybridization.

Optimization of rice panicle architecture by specifically suppressing ligand-receptor pairs

Rice panicle architecture determines the grain number per panicle and therefore impacts grain yield. The OsER1-OsMKKK10-OsMKK4-OsMPK6 pathway shapes panicle architecture by regulating cytokinin metabolism. However, the specific upstream ligands perceived by the OsER1 receptor are unknown. Here, we report that the EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR (EPF)/EPF-LIKE (EPFL) small secreted peptide family members OsEPFL6, OsEPFL7, OsEPFL8, and OsEPFL9 synergistically contribute to rice panicle morphogenesis by recognizing the OsER1 receptor and activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. Notably, OsEPFL6, OsEPFL7, OsEPFL8, and OsEPFL9 negatively regulate spikelet number per panicle, but OsEPFL8 also controls rice spikelet fertility. A osepfl6 osepfl7 osepfl9 triple mutant had significantly enhanced grain yield without affecting spikelet fertility, suggesting that specifically suppressing the OsEPFL6-OsER1, OsEPFL7-OsER1, and OsEPFL9-OsER1 ligand-receptor pairs can optimize rice panicle architecture. These findings provide a framework for fundamental understanding of the role of ligand-receptor signaling in rice panicle development and demonstrate a potential method to overcome the trade-off between spikelet number and fertility.

[Analysis of perineural invasion with clinicopathological factors and prognosis for curatively resected gallbladder carcinoma]

Objective: To examine the correlation between perineural invasion and clinicopathological factors and the role of perineural invasion on the prognosis of patients with curatively resected gallbladder carcinoma. Methods: The clinicopathological and follow-up data of 548 patients with gallbladder carcinoma who underwent radical surgery from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2013 to December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 173 males and 375 females,with age(M(IQR)) of 62(14)years(range:30 to 88 years). The correlations between perineural invasion and the clinicopathological features were analyzed. The relationship between prognosis and clinicopathological factors were further analyzed. The survival curve was drawn using the Kaplan-Meier method. The univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were done using the Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model respectively. Results: Radical resection was performed in 548 cases,including 59 cases(10.8%) with perineural invasion. The results of univariate analysis showed that perineural invasion was related to serum bilirubin level,serum carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) level,CA19-9 level,T stage,lymph node metastasis,liver invasion,vessel invasion and tumor location(all P<0.05).The results of multivariate analysis showed that jaundice,high-level serum CA19-9,high-level serum CEA,T4 stage,vessel invasion and tumor located in the neck or cystic duct of the gallbladder were independent risk factors of perineural invasion in gallbladder carcinoma. Survival of 367 patients in T3-T4 stages were analyzed. The prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma patients with perineural invasion was significantly worse than that of patients without perineural invasion(median survival time:12.0 months vs. 34.7 months,P<0.01). Univariate analysis showed that perineural invasion,gallbladder stones,gallbladder polyps,CA125,CEA,CA19-9,serum bilirubin level,tumor location,N stage,liver invasion and pathological differentiation were independent risk factors affecting prognosis of patients with gallbladder carcinoma(all P<0.05). The results of Cox proportional hazard model showed that perineural invasion,N stage,liver invasion,gallbladder stones,pathological differentiation were independent risk factors affecting prognosis of patients with gallbladder carcinoma(all P<0.05). Conclusions: Jaundice,high-level serum CA19-9,high-level serum CEA,T4 stage,vessel invasion and tumor located in the neck or cystic duct of the gallbladder are independent risk factors for perineural invasion of gallbladder carcinoma. Perineural invasion is one of the independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of T3-T4 stage gallbladder carcinoma.

A genetic module at one locus in rice protects chloroplasts to enhance thermotolerance

How the plasma membrane senses external heat-stress signals to communicate with chloroplasts to orchestrate thermotolerance remains elusive. We identified a quantitative trait locus, Thermo-tolerance 3 (TT3), consisting of two genes, TT3.1 and TT3.2, that interact together to enhance rice thermotolerance and reduce grain-yield losses caused by heat stress. Upon heat stress, plasma membrane-localized E3 ligase TT3.1 translocates to the endosomes, on which TT3.1 ubiquitinates chloroplast precursor protein TT3.2 for vacuolar degradation, implying that TT3.1 might serve as a potential thermosensor. Lesser accumulated, mature TT3.2 proteins in chloroplasts are essential for protecting thylakoids from heat stress. Our findings not only reveal a TT3.1-TT3.2 genetic module at one locus that transduces heat signals from plasma membrane to chloroplasts but also provide the strategy for breeding highly thermotolerant crops.

Primary assessment of a T. spiralis putative serine protease for early serological detection of experimental trichinellosis

A putative serine protease of T. spiralis (TsSP) was expressed in Escherichia coli and its potential as a diagnostic antigen was primarily assessed in this study. Anti-Trichinella IgG in serum samples from T. spiralis different animal hosts (mice, rats, pigs and rabbits) were detected on Western blot analysis with rTsSP. Anti-Trichinella antibodies were detected in 100% (30/30) of experimentally infected mice by rTsSP-ELISA. Cross-reactions of rTsSPELISA were not found with sera from mice infected with other parasites (S. erinaceieuropaei, S. japonicum, C. sinensis, A. cantonensis and T. gondii) and sera from normal mice. There was no statistical difference in antibody detection rate among mice infected with the encapsulated Trichinella species (T. spiralis, T. nativa, T. britovi, and T. nelsoni) (P>0.05). The results of rTsSP-ELISA showed that serum specific antibody IgG in mice infected with 100 or 500 T. spiralis muscle larvae (ML) were detectable early at 7-8 dpi, but not detected by ML ES antigen-ELISA prior to 10-12 dpi. Specific anti-Trichinella IgG was detected in 100% (18/18) of infected pigs by rTsSP-ELISA and ES-ELISA, but no specific antibodies was not detected in 20 conventionally raised normal pigs by two antigens. The results showed the rTsSP had the potential for early serodiagnosis of animal Trichinella infection, however it requires to be assayed with early infection sera of swine infected with Trichinella and other parasites.

Shift in speed selectivity of visual cortical neurons: a neural basis of perceived motion contrast

The perceived speed of motion in one part of the visual field is influenced by the speed of motion in its surrounding fields. Little is known about the cellular mechanisms causing this phenomenon. Recordings from mammalian visual cortex revealed that speed preference of the cortical cells could be changed by displaying a contrast speed in the field surrounding the cell's classical receptive field. The neuron's selectivity shifted to prefer faster speed if the contextual surround motion was set at a relatively lower speed, and vice versa. These specific center-surround interactions may underlie the perceptual enhancement of speed contrast between adjacent fields.