Class IIa HDAC4 and HDAC7 cooperatively regulate gene transcription in Th17 cell differentiation

Class II histone deacetylases (HDACs) are important in regulation of gene transcription during T cell development. However, our understanding of their cell-specific functions is limited. In this study, we reveal that class IIa Hdac4 and Hdac7 (Hdac4/7) are selectively induced in transcription, guiding the lineage-specific differentiation of mouse T-helper 17 (Th17) cells from naive CD4+ T cells. Importantly, Hdac4/7 are functionally dispensable in other Th subtypes. Mechanistically, Hdac4 interacts with the transcription factor (TF) JunB, facilitating the transcriptional activation of Th17 signature genes such as Il17a/f. Conversely, Hdac7 collaborates with the TF Aiolos and Smrt/Ncor1-Hdac3 corepressors to repress transcription of Th17 negative regulators, including Il2, in Th17 cell differentiation. Inhibiting Hdac4/7 through pharmacological or genetic methods effectively mitigates Th17 cell-mediated intestinal inflammation in a colitis mouse model. Our study uncovers molecular mechanisms where HDAC4 and HDAC7 function distinctively yet cooperatively in regulating ordered gene transcription during Th17 cell differentiation. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic strategy of targeting HDAC4/7 for treating Th17-related inflammatory diseases, such as ulcerative colitis.

Molecular Characteristics of JAK2 and Its Effect on the Milk Fat and Casein Synthesis of Ovine Mammary Epithelial Cells

In addition to its association with milk protein synthesis via the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway, JAK2 also affects milk fat synthesis. However, to date, there have been no reports on the effect of JAK2 on ovine mammary epithelial cells (OMECs), which directly determine milk yield and milk contents. In this study, the coding sequence (CDS) region of ovine JAK2 was cloned and identified and its tissue expression and localization in ovine mammary glands, as well as its effects on the viability, proliferation, and milk fat and casein levels of OMECs, were also investigated. The CDS region of ovine JAK2, 3399 bp in length, was cloned and its authenticity was validated by analyzing its sequence similarity with JAK2 sequences from other animal species using a phylogenetic tree. JAK2 was found to be expressed in six ovine tissues, with the highest expression being in the mammary gland. Over-expressed JAK2 and three groups of JAK2 interference sequences were successfully transfected into OMECs identified by immunofluorescence staining. When compared with the negative control (NC) group, the viability of OMECs was increased by 90.1% in the pcDNA3.1-JAK2 group. The over-expression of JAK2 also increased the number and ratio of EdU-labeled positive OMECs, as well as the expression levels of three cell proliferation marker genes. These findings show that JAK2 promotes the viability and proliferation of OMECs. Meanwhile, the triglyceride content in the over-expressed JAK2 group was 2.9-fold higher than the controls and the expression levels of four milk fat synthesis marker genes were also increased. These results indicate that JAK2 promotes milk fat synthesis. Over-expressed JAK2 significantly up-regulated the expression levels of casein alpha s2 (CSN1S2), casein beta (CSN2), and casein kappa (CSN3) but down-regulated casein alpha s1 (CSN1S1) expression. In contrast, small interfered JAK2 had the opposite effect to JAK2 over-expression on the viability, proliferation, and milk fat and milk protein synthesis of OMECs. In summary, these results demonstrate that JAK2 promotes the viability, proliferation, and milk fat synthesis of OMECs in addition to regulating casein expression in these cells. This study contributes to a better comprehension of the role of JAK2 in the lactation performance of sheep.

Screening and identification of lncRNAs in preadipocyte differentiation in sheep

Studies of preadipocyte differentiation and fat deposition in sheep have mainly focused on functional genes, and with no emphasis placed on the role that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may have on the activity of those genes. Here, the expression profile of lncRNAs in ovine preadipocyte differentiation was investigated and the differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened on day 0 (D0), day 2(D2) and day 8(D8) of ovine preadipocyte differentiation, with their target genes being predicted. The competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network was constructed by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis for functional annotation, and some differentially expressed lncRNAs were randomly selected to verify the RNA-Seq results by RT-qPCR. In the study, a total of 2517 novel lncRNAs and 3943 known lncRNAs were identified from ovine preadipocytes at the three stages of differentiation, with the highest proportion being intergenic lncRNAs. A total of 3455 lncRNAs were expressed at all three stages of preadipocyte differentiation, while 214, 226 and 228 lncRNAs were uniquely expressed at day 0, day 2 and day 8, respectively. By comparing the expression of the lncRNAs between the three stages of differentiation stages, a total of 405, 272 and 359 differentially expressed lncRNAs were found in D0-vs-D2, D0-vs-D8, and D2-vs-D8, respectively. Functional analysis revealed that the differentially expressed lncRNAs were enriched in signaling pathways related to ovine preadipocyte differentiation, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) pathway, and the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) pathway. In summary, lncRNAs from preadipocytes at different stages of differentiation in sheep were identified and screened using RNA-Seq technology, and the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in preadipocyte differentiation and lipid deposition were explored. This study provides a theoretical reference for revealing the roles of lncRNAs in ovine preadipocyte differentiation and also offers a theoretical basis for further understanding the regulatory mechanisms of ovine preadipocyte differentiation.

Identification and screening of circular RNAs during adipogenic differentiation of ovine preadipocyte by RNA-seq

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that play important roles in preadipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis. However, little is known about genome-wide identification, expression profile, and function of circRNAs in sheep. To investigate the role of circRNAs during ovine adipogenic differentiation, the subcutaneous adipose tissue of Tibetan rams was collected in June 2022. Subsequently, the preadipocytes were immediately isolated from collected adipose tissue and then induced to begin differentiation. The adipocytes samples cultured on days 0, 2, and 8 of preadipocytes differentiation were used to perform RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis to construct the expression profiles of circRNAs. Subsequently, the function of differentially expressed circRNAs was investigated by performing the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of their parent genes. Finally, a circRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs network involved in adipogenic differentiation was been analyzed. As a result, a total of 6,449 candidate circRNAs were identified in ovine preadipocytes. Of these circRNAs identified, 63 candidate circRNAs were differentially expressed among the three differentiation stages and their parent genes were mainly enriched in acetyl-CoA metabolic process, positive regulation of lipid biosynthetic process, positive regulation of steroid biosynthetic process, and focal adhesion pathway (P < 0.05). Based on a circRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs regulatory network constructed, circ_004977, circ_006132 and circ_003788 were found to function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to regulate ovine preadipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism. The results provide an improved understanding of functions and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs underlying ovine adipogenesis in sheep.

Histone H3 lysine 27 crotonylation mediates gene transcriptional repression in chromatin

Histone lysine acylation, including acetylation and crotonylation, plays a pivotal role in gene transcription in health and diseases. However, our understanding of histone lysine acylation has been limited to gene transcriptional activation. Here, we report that histone H3 lysine 27 crotonylation (H3K27cr) directs gene transcriptional repression rather than activation. Specifically, H3K27cr in chromatin is selectively recognized by the YEATS domain of GAS41 in complex with SIN3A-HDAC1 co-repressors. Proto-oncogenic transcription factor MYC recruits GAS41/SIN3A-HDAC1 complex to repress genes in chromatin, including cell-cycle inhibitor p21. GAS41 knockout or H3K27cr-binding depletion results in p21 de-repression, cell-cycle arrest, and tumor growth inhibition in mice, explaining a causal relationship between GAS41 and MYC gene amplification and p21 downregulation in colorectal cancer. Our study suggests that H3K27 crotonylation signifies a previously unrecognized, distinct chromatin state for gene transcriptional repression in contrast to H3K27 trimethylation for transcriptional silencing and H3K27 acetylation for transcriptional activation.

CRISPRimmunity: an interactive web server for CRISPR-associated Important Molecular events and Modulators Used in geNome edIting Tool identifYing

The CRISPR-Cas system is a highly adaptive and RNA-guided immune system found in bacteria and archaea, which has applications as a genome editing tool and is a valuable system for studying the co-evolutionary dynamics of bacteriophage interactions. Here introduces CRISPRimmunity, a new web server designed for Acr prediction, identification of novel class 2 CRISPR-Cas loci, and dissection of key CRISPR-associated molecular events. CRISPRimmunity is built on a suite of CRISPR-oriented databases providing a comprehensive co-evolutionary perspective of the CRISPR-Cas and anti-CRISPR systems. The platform achieved a high prediction accuracy of 0.997 for Acr prediction when tested on a dataset of 99 experimentally validated Acrs and 676 non-Acrs, outperforming other existing prediction tools. Some of the newly identified class 2 CRISPR-Cas loci using CRISPRimmunity have been experimentally validated for cleavage activity in vitro. CRISPRimmunity offers the catalogues of pre-identified CRISPR systems to browse and query, the collected resources or databases to download, a well-designed graphical interface, a detailed tutorial, multi-faceted information, and exportable results in machine-readable formats, making it easy to use and facilitating future experimental design and further data mining. The platform is available at http://www.microbiome-bigdata.com/CRISPRimmunity. Moreover, the source code for batch analysis are published on Github (https://github.com/HIT-ImmunologyLab/CRISPRimmunity).

First Report of Tomato mottle mosaic virus infecting Chinese snake gourd (Trichosanthes kirilowii) in China

Tomato mottled mosaic virus (ToMMV) was first identified in tomato in Mexico (Li et al. 2013). It belongs to the genus Tobamovirus and family Virgaviridae, and is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus. The viral genome contains about 6400 nucleotides, encoding four proteins, including the 126 K protein, 183 K protein, movement protein (MP) and coat protein (CP) (Tu et al. 2021). ToMMV mainly poses a serious risk to solanaceous crops. The virus-infected plants appear stunted growth and top necrosis, and the disease leaves show mottled, shrinkage and necrosis symptoms, resulting in a significant decline in tomato fruit yield and quality (Li et al. 2017; Tu et al. 2021). Chinese snake gourd (Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim) is a perennial climbing herb in the family Cucurbitaceae, and the fruit, seed, peel and root can all be used as traditional Chinese medicine. In May of 2021, twenty-seven symptomless seedlings (developed from tissue culture plantlets) were randomly collected from nursery in Fengyang, Anhui Province. Total RNA of each sample was extracted, and RT-PCR was performed using degenerate tobamovirus primers Tob-Uni1 (5'-ATTTAAGTGGASGGAAAAVCACT-3') and Tob-Uni2 (5'-GTYGTT GATGAGTTCRTGGA-3') (Letschert et al. 2002). Amplicons with expected size were obtained from 6 of 27 samples and sequenced. Alignment results showed that the nucleotide sequence identities ranged from 98.7 to 100% with all ToMMV isolates deposited in NCBI GenBank. Then, ToMMV coat protein (CP) gene was amplified using specific primers CP-F (5'-ATGTCTTACGCTATTACTT CTCCG-3') and CP-R (5'-TTAGGACGCTGGCGCAGAAG-3'). The CP fragment was obtained and sequenced. Sequence alignment indicated that CP sequence of isolate FY (GenBank accession no. ON924176) exhibited a 100% identity with ToMMV isolate LN (MN853592.1). The anti-ToMMV polyclonal antibody (PAb) was prepared by the author (S.L.) by immunizing rabbit with purified virus from Nicotiana benthamiana, and serological tests (dot-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, Dot-ELISA) of RNA-positive T. kirilowii leaf samples using anti-ToMMV PAb were also positive. To fulfill a Koch's postulate, a pure culture of ToMMV was obtained from N. benthamiana using infectious cDNA clone of ToMMV (Tu et al. 2021), and then healthy T. kirilowii plants were mechanically inoculated with a prepared inoculum from ToMMV-infected N. benthamiana, as described previously (Sui et al. 2017). T. kirilowii seedlings showed chlorosis and leaf tip necrosis symptoms at 10 and 20 day post-inoculation respectively, and ToMMV infection on symptomatic plants was also verified by RT-PCR detection using primers CP-F and CP-R. These results demonstrated that T. kirilowii is a host of ToMMV under natural conditions, which might threaten the production of this medicinal plant. The seedlings from nursery appeared to be asymptomatic, but the plants showed chlorosis and necrosis symptoms after indoor inoculation. In qRT-PCR analysis, viral accumulation level in greenhouse-inoculated plants was a 25.6-fold of that in field-collected samples, which may be the reason of different symptom expression between field samples and inoculated samples. ToMMV has now been detected from the solanaceous (tomato, pepper and eggplant) and leguminous (pea) crops in the field (Li et al. 2014; Ambrós et al. 2017; Zhang et al. 2022). To our knowledge, this is the first report of natural infection of ToMMV in T. kirilowii as well as its natural infection on Cucurbitaceae plants.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of SlRR genes in response to abiotic stress in tomato

The cytokinin two-component signal transduction system (TCS) is involved in many biological processes, including hormone signal transduction and plant growth regulation. Although cytokinin TCS has been well characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana, its role in tomato remains elusive. In this study, we characterized the diversity and function of response regulator (RR) genes, a critical component of TCS, in tomato. In total, we identified 31 RR genes in the tomato genome. These SlRR genes were classified into three subgroups (type-A, type-B and type-C). Various stress-responsive cis-elements were present in the tomato RR gene promoters. Their expression responses under pesticide treatment were evaluated by transcriptome analysis. Their expression under heat, cold, ABA, salinity and NaHCO₃ treatments was further investigated by qRT-PCR and complemented with the available transcription data under these treatments. Specifically, SlRR13 expression was significantly upregulated under salinity, drought, cold and pesticide stress and was downregulated under ABA treatment. SlRR23 expression was induced under salt treatment, while the transcription level of SlRR1 was increased under cold and decreased under salt stress. We also found that GATA transcription factors played a significant role in the regulation of SlRR genes. Based on our results, tomato SlRR genes are involved in responses to abiotic stress in tomato and could be implemented in molecular breeding approaches to increase resistance of tomato to environmental stresses.

PhageTailFinder: A tool for phage tail module detection and annotation

Decades of overconsumption of antimicrobials in the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections have resulted in the increasing emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, which poses a significant challenge to public health, driving the urgent need to find alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Bacteriophages are viruses infecting specific bacterial hosts, often destroying the infected bacterial hosts. Phages attach to and enter their potential hosts using their tail proteins, with the composition of the tail determining the range of potentially infected bacteria. To aid the exploitation of bacteriophages for therapeutic purposes, we developed the PhageTailFinder algorithm to predict tail-related proteins and identify the putative tail module in previously uncharacterized phages. The PhageTailFinder relies on a two-state hidden Markov model (HMM) to predict the probability of a given protein being tail-related. The process takes into account the natural modularity of phage tail-related proteins, rather than simply considering amino acid properties or secondary structures for each protein in isolation. The PhageTailFinder exhibited robust predictive power for phage tail proteins in novel phages due to this sequence-independent operation. The performance of the prediction model was evaluated in 13 extensively studied phages and a sample of 992 complete phages from the NCBI database. The algorithm achieved a high true-positive prediction rate (>80%) in over half (571) of the studied phages, and the ROC value was 0.877 using general models and 0.968 using corresponding morphologic models. It is notable that the median ROC value of 992 complete phages is more than 0.75 even for novel phages, indicating the high accuracy and specificity of the PhageTailFinder. When applied to a dataset containing 189,680 viral genomes derived from 11,810 bulk metagenomic human stool samples, the ROC value was 0.895. In addition, tail protein clusters could be identified for further studies by density-based spatial clustering of applications with the noise algorithm (DBSCAN). The developed PhageTailFinder tool can be accessed either as a web server (http://www.microbiome-bigdata.com/PHISDetector/index/tools/PhageTailFinder) or as a stand-alone program on a standard desktop computer (https://github.com/HIT-ImmunologyLab/PhageTailFinder).

Predicting hot electron generation in inertial confinement fusion with particle-in-cell simulations

A series of two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations with speckled laser drivers was carried out to study hot electron generation in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion on OMEGA. Scaling laws were obtained for hot electron fraction and temperature as functions of laser/plasma conditions in the quarter-critical region. Using these scalings and conditions from hydro simulations, the temporal history of hot electron generation can be predicted. The scalings can be further improved to predict hard x-rays for a collection of OMEGA warm target implosions within experimental error bars. These scalings can be readily implemented into inertial confinement fusion design codes.

Silencing of LncRNA SNHG6 protects trophoblast cells through regulating miR-101-3p/OTUD3 axis in unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a gestational disease with complex pathogenesis, and trophoblast cells are closely involved in the pathogenesis of RSA. This study aimed to explore the regulatory effects and mechanisms of SNHG6 on trophoblast cells. The expression of SNHG6, miR-101-3p, and OTUD3 were detected in villous tissues from patients with unexplained RSA and normal pregnant women with induced abortion by qRT-PCR. The target relationships between miR-101-3p and SNHG6/OTUD3 were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The viability, migration, and apoptosis of trophoblast cells were measured by MTT, wound healing, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression of OTUD3, Ki-67, Bax, and Bcl-2. The results showed that SNHG6 and OTUD3 were up-regulated, and miR-101-3p was down-regulated in RSA patients. MiR-101-3p was a target of SNHG6, and OTUD3 was a target of miR-101-3p. There were negative correlations between the expression of miR-101-3p and OTUD3/SNHG6 in RSA patients. In addition, both SNHG6 silencing and miR-101-3p overexpression could increase cell viability and migration, decrease cell apoptosis, up-regulate Ki-67 and Bcl-2, and down-regulate Bax in HTR-8/SVneo cells. The effects of SNHG6 silencing on HTR-8/SVneo cells were reversed by miR-101-3p silencing or OTUD3 overexpression. To sum up, silencing of SNHG6 enhanced the viability and migration, and inhibited the apoptosis of trophoblast cells through regulating miR-101-3p/OTUD3. SNHG6/miR-101-3p/OTUD3 may be potential targets for the prevention of unexplained RSA.

[Correlation analysis of clock genes and MEN2 medullary thyroid carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between CLOCK and BMAL1 genes and MEN2 medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Methods: Thirteen cases with MEN2 MTC and thirteen cases with non-MEN2 MTC were selected who were treated in the Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital between January 2013 and September 2021. Clinical indicators such as blood calcitonin level, tumor diameter and metastatic lymph node of patients were collected. The expression differences of CLOCK and BMAL1 between MEN2 MTC and para-carcinoma tissue as well as between MEN2 MTC and non-MEN2 MTC were detected by immunohistochemistry and qPCR. The correlation between lymph node metastasis and CLOCK or BMAL1 expression was analyzed. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis combined with qPCR and correlation analysis was used to explore the expression regulation relationship between RET and circadian clock genes. The rhythm disorder of MEN2 cells was verified by lipopolysaccharide cell stimulation experiment after dexamethasone rhythm synchronization. Results: MEN2 MTC exhibited typical RET gene mutation. The mean blood calcitonin level, the tumor diameter and the number of metastatic lymph nodes of patients with MEN2 MTC were higher than those of patients with non-MEN2 MTC (t value was 2.76, 2.53, 2.26, all P<0.05). Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression levels of CLOCK and BMAL1 in MEN2 MTC were higher than those in non-MEN2 MTC, while negatively expressed in para-cancerous thyroid follicle. qPCR displayed that the expression of CLOCK gene in cancer tissues was higher than that in non-MEN2 MTC and para-cancerous tissues (t value was 2.68 and 2.86, all P<0.05); the expression of BMAL1 gene in MEN2 MTC was higher than that in non-MEN2 MTC and para-cancerous tissues (t value was 2.21 and 2.35, all P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the expression levels of CLOCK and BMAL1 genes were positively correlated with the number of lymph node metastases in patients with MEN2 MTC (r=0.65, P<0.001; r=0.52, P=0.005). PPI network analysis indicated that the expression of CLOCK gene was positively correlated with the abnormal expression of RET gene (r=0.96, P<0.001). With lipopolysaccharide to stimulate cultured cells in vitro after dexamethasone rhythm synchronization, the expressions of CLOCK and BMAL1 in MEN2 MTC cells (0.47±0.22 and 2.60±1.48) at 12 hours of synchronization were significantly lower than those in para-cancerous tissues (1.70±1.62 and 8.23±2.52), the difference was statistically significant(t=5.04, P=0.007; t=3.34, P=0.029). Conclusion: CLOCK and BMAL1 are correlated with the occurrence and development of MEN2 MTC, and may be potential targets for the development of new therapeutic strategies for MEN2 MTC.

PHISDetector: A Tool to Detect Diverse In Silico Phage-host Interaction Signals for Virome Studies

Phage-microbe interactions are appealing systems to study coevolution, and have also been increasingly emphasized due to their roles in human health, disease, and the development of novel therapeutics. Phage-microbe interactions leave diverse signals in bacterial and phage genomic sequences, defined as phage-host interaction signals (PHISs), which include clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) targeting, prophage, and protein-protein interaction signals. In the present study, we developed a novel tool phage-host interaction signal detector (PHISDetector) to predict phage-host interactions by detecting and integrating diverse in silico PHISs, and scoring the probability of phage-host interactions using machine learning models based on PHIS features. We evaluated the performance of PHISDetector on multiple benchmark datasets and application cases. When tested on a dataset of 758 annotated phage-host pairs, PHISDetector yields the prediction accuracies of 0.51 and 0.73 at the species and genus levels, respectively, outperforming other phage-host prediction tools. When applied to on 125,842 metagenomic viral contigs (mVCs) derived from 3042 geographically diverse samples, a detection rate of 54.54% could be achieved. Furthermore, PHISDetector could predict infecting phages for 85.6% of 368 multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria and 30% of 454 human gut bacteria obtained from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Human Microbiome Project (HMP). The PHISDetector can be run either as a web server (http://www.microbiome-bigdata.com/PHISDetector/) for general users to study individual inputs or as a stand-alone version (https://github.com/HIT-ImmunologyLab/PHISDetector) to process massive phage contigs from virome studies.

DBSCAN-SWA: An Integrated Tool for Rapid Prophage Detection and Annotation

As an intracellular form of a bacteriophage in the bacterial host genome, a prophage usually integrates into bacterial DNA with high specificity and contributes to horizontal gene transfer (HGT). With the exponentially increasing number of microbial sequences uncovered in genomic or metagenomics studies, there is a massive demand for a tool that is capable of fast and accurate identification of prophages. Here, we introduce DBSCAN-SWA, a command line software tool developed to predict prophage regions in bacterial genomes. DBSCAN-SWA runs faster than any previous tools. Importantly, it has great detection power based on analysis using 184 manually curated prophages, with a recall of 85% compared with Phage_Finder (63%), VirSorter (74%), and PHASTER (82%) for (Multi-) FASTA sequences. Moreover, DBSCAN-SWA outperforms the existing standalone prophage prediction tools for high-throughput sequencing data based on the analysis of 19,989 contigs of 400 bacterial genomes collected from Human Microbiome Project (HMP) project. DBSCAN-SWA also provides user-friendly result visualizations including a circular prophage viewer and interactive DataTables. DBSCAN-SWA is implemented in Python3 and is available under an open source GPLv2 license from https://github.com/HIT-ImmunologyLab/DBSCAN-SWA/.

Downregulation of Circ-CEP128 Enhances the Paclitaxel Sensitivity of Cervical Cancer Through Regulating miR-432-5p/MCL1

Chemoresistance is a common problem in cancer treatment, and circular RNA (circRNA) has been found to be associated with the progression of chemoresistance in cancer. However, the role and mechanism of circRNA centrosomal protein 128 (circ-CEP128) in the chemoresistance of cervical cancer (CC) are still unclear. The expression of circ-CEP128, microRNA (miR)-432-5p, and myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1) was measured by quantitative real-time PCR. The paclitaxel resistance of cells was assessed using MTT assay. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were determined using MTT assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and transwell assay. The protein levels of metastasis markers and MCL1 were examined using western blot analysis. Mice xenograft models were constructed to assess the effect of circ-CEP128 silencing on CC tumor growth and paclitaxel sensitivity. The interaction between miR-432-5p and circ-CEP128 or MCL1 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay. Circ-CEP128 had highly expression in CC tumor tissues and cells. Silencing of circ-CEP128 could enhance the paclitaxel sensitivity of CC cells by decreasing cell growth, migration, and invasion. Also, knockdown of circ-CEP123 reduced CC tumor growth and promoted the paclitaxel sensitivity of CC tumors. MiR-432-5p was found to be sponged by circ-CEP128, and its inhibitor could reverse the promoting function of circ-CEP128 silencing on the paclitaxel sensitivity of CC cells. Additionally, MCL1 was a target of miR-432-5p, and circ-CEP128 could sponge miR-432-5p to regulate MCL1. Besides, overexpressed MCL1 also could reverse the enhancing effect of miR-432-5p on the paclitaxel sensitivity of CC cells. In conclusion, the present study showed that circ-CEP128 silencing could increase the paclitaxel sensitivity of CC by regulating the miR-432-5p/MCL1 axis.

HIPK2 directs cell type-specific regulation of STAT3 transcriptional activity in Th17 cell differentiation

SignificanceSTAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) is a master transcription factor that organizes cellular responses to cytokines and growth factors and is implicated in inflammatory disorders. STAT3 is a well-recognized therapeutic target for human cancer and inflammatory disorders, but how its function is regulated in a cell type-specific manner has been a major outstanding question. We discovered that Stat3 imposes self-directed regulation through controlling transcription of its own regulator homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (Hipk2) in a T helper 17 (Th17) cell-specific manner. Our validation of the functional importance of the Stat3-Hipk2 axis in Th17 cell development in the pathogenesis of T cell-induced colitis in mice suggests an approach to therapeutically treat inflammatory bowel diseases that currently lack a safe and effective therapy.

Variability of right ventricular linear measurements of size and function using a standardized echocardiographic protocol

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Background

Right ventricular size and function have a prognostic value not only in right heart conditions (pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease), but also in left ventricular (LV) disease states. The right ventricle (RV) has a unique shape, for which a simple geometrical model is not achievable as is the case for the LV. In clinical practice simple measurements are used for the RV, since these are considered to be most reliable  and reproducible: linear cavity dimensions, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and tissue Doppler systolic velocity s’ at the tricuspid annulus. The latest RV quantitation guidelines made important modifications to RV measurements, in particular, by shifting from the apical 4-chamber view to the RV focused apical view. Very scarce data exist on the variability of these measurements.

Purpose

In this study we aim to analyze the intra and inter-observer variability of the linear measurements of RV size and function using a standardized methodology.

Methods

A mixed cohort, randomly selected from the echocardiographic database, comprising 50 patients, was retrospectively analyzed. We measured linear diameters (basal = 1, longitudinal = 2, mid = 3) in apical RV-focused view, TAPSE and s’. Based on computer simulations, we propose a step-by-step approach: tracing the longitudinal diameter as perpendicular to the mid of the basal and generally parallel with the interventricular septum, and the mid as perpendicular to the middle of the longitudinal (Figure). Two observers measured independently the same images at baseline, three (inter-observer) and six months (intra-observer).

Results

The longitudinal diameter had the lowest relative bias (3% inter and 4% intra-observer), followed by the basal (7% and 2%), and mid (6% and 6%). The limits of agreement (LOA) were small for s’ (-3 to 1 intra and -1 to 1mm inter-observer), TAPSE (-6 to 5 and -3 to 3mm), and larger for diameters (1=-5 to 10 and -8 to 6; 2=-13 to 17 and -11 to 6; 3=-11 to 7 and -9 to 4mm). ICCs for individual measurements were very good (1= 0.94 intra and 0.94 inter; 2 = 0.78 and 0.94; 3: 0.72 and 0.56; TAPSE: 0.86 and 0.94; s’=0.94 and 0.98), p &lt; 0.001 for all (Table).

Conclusion

A systematic approach to linear RV-focused apical view measurements may lead to reproducible results. It is essential that size measurements be performed in the RV focused view. Our study shows best consistency and reproducibility for the basal diameter and the linear functional parameters.  Echocardiographic laboratories may benefit from implementing a consistent analysis protocol and assessing its reproducibility. Abstract Figure: linear RV measurements  Abstract Table: variability results

[Screening of drugs that selectively inhibit uveal melanoma cells with SF3B1 mutations]

OBJECTIVE

To screen compounds that can selectively inhibit uveal melanoma cells with splicing factor 3B subunit 1 (SF3B1) mutations in comparison with isogenic SF3B1 wild-type counterparts in a cell model of SF3B1 mutant allele knockout.

METHODS

Principal component analysis was used to analyze transcriptome alternative splicing in TCGA cohorts of uveal melanoma with wild-type SF3B1 and SF3B1 mutations, and abnormal alternative splicing events derived from SF3B1 mutations were identified. The SF3B1 mutant allele in Mel202 cells was knocked out using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, and Sanger sequencing was used to verify the edited sequence. MTT and colony formation assays were used to assess the proliferation of Mel202 and Mut-KO cells. RT-PCR agarose electrophoresis combined with Sanger sequencing was used to determine alternative splicing events in Mel202 and Mut-KO cells. MTT assay was performed to screen the compounds that showed selective inhibitory effect against Mel202 cells with SF3B1 mutation.

RESULTS

Specific knockout of SF3B1 mutant allele in Mel202 cells obviously promoted the cell proliferation and caused changes in alternative splicing of ZDHHC16 and DYNLL1 transcripts. The screening data showed that 13 compounds had selective inhibitory activity against Mel202 cells with SF3B1 mutation (Fold change≥2), and among them, tetrandrine and lapatinib showed good dose-effect curves.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a cell screening model for identification of potential individualized treatment drugs for patients with uveal melanoma with SF3B1 mutation.

Whole-lesion histogram analysis of mono-exponential and bi-exponential diffusion-weighted imaging in differentiating lung cancer from benign pulmonary lesions using 3 T MRI

AIM

To investigate whether whole-lesion histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values derived from mono-exponential and bi-exponential diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can differentiate lung cancer from benign pulmonary lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-two patients with lung cancer and 17 patients with benign pulmonary lesions were included retrospectively. All patients underwent DWI before surgery or biopsy. ADC histogram parameters, including mean, percentile values (10^th and 90^th), kurtosis, and skewness, were calculated independently by two radiologists. The histogram parameters were compared between patients with lung cancer and benign lesions. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic performance.

RESULTS

The ADC_Mean, ADC_10th, D_Mean, D_10th were significantly lower in lung cancer (1.187 ± 0.144 × 10^-3; 0.440 ± 0.062 × 10^-3; 1.068 ± 0.108 × 10^-3; and 0.422 ± 0.049 × 10^-3 mm/s) compared to benign lesions (1.418 ± 0.274 × 10^-3; 0.555 ± 0.113 × 10^-3; 1.216 ± 0.149 × 10^-3; and 0.490 ± 0.044 × 10^-3 mm/s; p<0.05). The ADC_Skewness and D_Skewness were significantly different between lung cancer (2.35 ± 0.72; 2.58 ± 1.14) and benign lesions (1.85 ± 0.54; 1.59 ± 1.47; p<0.05). D_10th was robust in differentiating lung cancer from benign lesions. Using 0.453 × 10^-3 mm/s as the optimal threshold, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of D_10th were 78.12%, 82.35%, and 79.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Whole-lesion histogram analysis of ADC values derived by mono-exponential and bi-exponential DWI using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging helps distinguish lung cancer from benign pulmonary lesions.

Pump-depletion dynamics and saturation of stimulated Brillouin scattering in shock ignition relevant experiments

As an alternative inertial confinement fusion scheme, shock ignition requires a strong converging shock driven by a high-intensity laser pulse to ignite a precompressed fusion capsule. Understanding nonlinear laser-plasma instabilities is crucial to assess and improve the laser-shock energy coupling. Recent experiments conducted on the OMEGA EP laser facility have demonstrated that such instabilities can ∼100% deplete the first 0.5 ns of the high-intensity laser. Analyses of the observed laser-generated blast wave suggest that this pump-depletion starts at ∼0.02 critical density and progresses to 0.1-0.2 critical density, which is also confirmed by the time-resolved stimulated Raman backscattering spectra. The pump-depletion dynamics can be explained by the breaking of ion-acoustic waves in stimulated Brillouin scattering. Such pump depletion would inhibit the collisional laser energy absorption but may benefit the generation of hot electrons with moderate temperatures for electron shock ignition [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 195001 (2017)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.119.195001].

Dissecting ELANE neutropenia pathogenicity by human HSC gene editing

Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) is a life-threatening disorder most often caused by dominant mutations of ELANE that interfere with neutrophil maturation. We conducted a pooled CRISPR screen in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) that correlated ELANE mutations with neutrophil maturation potential. Highly efficient gene editing of early exons elicited nonsense-mediated decay (NMD), overcame neutrophil maturation arrest in HSPCs from ELANE-mutant SCN patients, and produced normal hematopoietic engraftment function. Conversely, terminal exon frameshift alleles that mimic SCN-associated mutations escaped NMD, recapitulated neutrophil maturation arrest, and established an animal model of ELANE-mutant SCN. Surprisingly, only -1 frame insertions or deletions (indels) impeded neutrophil maturation, whereas -2 frame late exon indels repressed translation and supported neutrophil maturation. Gene editing of primary HSPCs allowed faithful identification of variant pathogenicity to clarify molecular mechanisms of disease and encourage a universal therapeutic approach to ELANE-mutant neutropenia, returning normal neutrophil production and preserving HSPC function.

Whole-genome sequencing association analysis of quantitative red blood cell phenotypes: The NHLBI TOPMed program

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS), a powerful tool for detecting novel coding and non-coding disease-causing variants, has largely been applied to clinical diagnosis of inherited disorders. Here we leveraged WGS data in up to 62,653 ethnically diverse participants from the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program and assessed statistical association of variants with seven red blood cell (RBC) quantitative traits. We discovered 14 single variant-RBC trait associations at 12 genomic loci, which have not been reported previously. Several of the RBC trait-variant associations (RPN1, ELL2, MIDN, HBB, HBA1, PIEZO1, and G6PD) were replicated in independent GWAS datasets imputed to the TOPMed reference panel. Most of these discovered variants are rare/low frequency, and several are observed disproportionately among non-European Ancestry (African, Hispanic/Latino, or East Asian) populations. We identified a 3 bp indel p.Lys2169del (g.88717175_88717177TCT[4]) (common only in the Ashkenazi Jewish population) of PIEZO1, a gene responsible for the Mendelian red cell disorder hereditary xerocytosis (MIM: 194380), associated with higher mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). In stepwise conditional analysis and in gene-based rare variant aggregated association analysis, we identified several of the variants in HBB, HBA1, TMPRSS6, and G6PD that represent the carrier state for known coding, promoter, or splice site loss-of-function variants that cause inherited RBC disorders. Finally, we applied base and nuclease editing to demonstrate that the sentinel variant rs112097551 (nearest gene RPN1) acts through a cis-regulatory element that exerts long-range control of the gene RUVBL1 which is essential for hematopoiesis. Together, these results demonstrate the utility of WGS in ethnically diverse population-based samples and gene editing for expanding knowledge of the genetic architecture of quantitative hematologic traits and suggest a continuum between complex trait and Mendelian red cell disorders.

Functional annotation of genetic associations by transcriptome-wide association analysis provides insights into neutrophil development regulation

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple genomic loci linked to blood cell traits, however understanding the biological relevance of these genetic loci has proven to be challenging. Here, we performed a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) integrating gene expression and splice junction usage in neutrophils (N = 196) with a neutrophil count GWAS (N = 173,480 individuals). We identified a total of 174 TWAS-significant genes enriched in target genes of master transcription factors governing neutrophil specification. Knockout of a TWAS candidate at chromosome 5q13.2, TAF9, in CD34⁺ hematopoietic and progenitor cells (HSPCs) using CRISPR/Cas9 technology showed a significant effect on neutrophil production in vitro. In addition, we identified 89 unique genes significant only for splice junction usage, thus emphasizing the importance of alternative splicing beyond gene expression underlying granulopoiesis. Our results highlight the advantages of TWAS, followed by gene editing, to determine the functions of GWAS loci implicated in hematopoiesis.

Focus on autonomic dysfunctions in anti-NMDAR encephalitis: a case report

OBJECTIVE

We hope it will provide a reference for early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment of atypical Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis with non-typical autonomic dysfunctions as the first symptom.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We present a 15-year-old girl with the repetition of conscious disturbance at different levels, but no abnormal movements. Initially, there were no positive findings on routine electroencephalography (EEG) and dynamic video-electroencephalography (V-EEG), but the head-up tilt test (HTT) suggested neurocardiogenic syncope (vascular rejection type), which seemed to be the final diagnosis. However, the patient later experienced several episodes of disturbance of consciousness with unexplained abdominal pain. Abnormalities were discovered on EEG, which indicated the possibility of "epileptic seizures with autonomic-gastrointestinal features". Based on these findings, we finally tested the autoimmune encephalitis-related antibodies for the patient after the literature search and review.

RESULTS

The patient was finally diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Her symptoms were fully controlled after glucocorticoid and gamma globulin treatment, and she left the hospital with complete recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

Although autonomic nervous dysfunction occurred in our patient, her prognosis was good because she did not have respiratory or (and) circulatory failure. Exclusive diagnosis and early treatment are important in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Abdominal pain with positive HTT may be a manifestation of autonomic dysfunction in this disease.

Performance of Streptomyces pactum-assisted phytoextraction of Cd and Pb: in view of soil properties, element bioavailability, and phytoextraction indices

Microbe-assisted phytoremediation provides an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to reclaim Cd- and Pb-contaminated soils. In this work, incubation and pot experiments were established to investigate the effect of Streptomyces pactum (Act12) combined with compost on soil physicochemical properties, enzymatic activities, and thereby acted on phytoextraction of Cd and Pb by using potherb mustard (Brassica juncea Coss.). The addition of Act12 and compost increased EC (7.2%), available phosphorus (P) (14.9%), available potassium (K) (17.0 folds), DOC (37.7%), OM (2.8 folds), urease (49.8%), dehydrogenase (2.2 folds), and alkaline phosphatase (23.0 folds) of soil, while reduced pH (7.7%) compared with control. Significant decrease of available Cd and Pb uptake was observed after adding compost and Act12 by 29.1% and 32.2%. Presence of compost and Act12 enhanced the biomass by 3.98 folds and 1.83 folds in shoots and roots of plant. Results showed the assimilation of Cd and Pb in shoots was increased by 103.8% and 48.7% due to the increased of biomass. Meanwhile, the rhizosphere effect of soil microorganisms increased the uptake of Cd (60.4%) and Pb (19.2%) in roots. These findings suggested that Act12 joined with compost-strengthened potherb mustard phytoremediation of Cd- and Pb-polluted soils, which may provide new insights into the clean-up of mining-contaminated soils in field practice.

Performance of the emerging biochar on the stabilization of potentially toxic metals in smelter- and mining-contaminated soils

Soil potentially toxic metals (PTMs) pollution caused by anthropogenic activities has become serious concern with respect to the crop safety production. In this study, an emerging biochar derived from kiwi pruning branches waste was employed as amendment aiming to evaluate its remediation potential on smelter- and mining-contaminated soils. The effect of biochar on the soil physicochemical properties, leachability, and chemical fractions acted on stabilization practice of PTMs in soil was investigated. The results showed that the addition of biochar increased the soil pH, cation exchange capacity, organic matter, and enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, urease, and sucrase) but reduced the extraction toxicity of PTMs in both smelter (Fengxian, FX) and mining (Tongguan, TG) soils. The fraction analysis showed that the maximum reduction of exchangeable fraction of Cd, Zn, and Pb in the 4% biochar amended soils decreased by 11.1, 13.3, and 24.7% in FX soil and 7.67, 22.8, and 7.89% in TG soil, respectively, in comparison with to control (no biochar added). Additionally, the residual fraction of Cd, Zn, and Pb increased by 55.9, 7.14, and 11.0% in FX soil and 23.7, 5.86, and 10.0% in TG soil, respectively. The further greenhouse experiment showed that the Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) production increased with the increasing application dosages of biochar, while the PTMs uptakes in plant notably decreased after amendments. Conversion of kiwi pruning branches waste into emerging biochar benefits the agricultural waste recycling utilization and enhances PTMs-contaminated soil remediation in practice. Graphical abstract.

[Correlation between alcohol drinking and high risk sexual behaviors in HIV negative clients of female sex workers]

Objective: To explore the correlation between alcohol drinking and high-risk sexual behaviors in HIV negative clients of female sex workers and provide scientific evidence for prevention of HIV sexual transmission. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in HIV negative clients in Ji'nan and Haikou from December 2018 to May 2019. The estimated sample size was 337, the information about their demographic characteristics, AIDS knowledge awareness, sexual behaviors and alcohol drinking habit were collected through convenience sampling. The data were analyzed by using SPSS 24.0 software. Results: A total of 381 clients were included in this study. Most of them were less than 40 years old, accounting for 89.2% (340/381); 85.3% of them (325/381) reported an education level of high school and above; the clients who were married, had cohabitation with females or had girl friends accounted for 53.2% (202/380). The overall awareness rate of AIDS knowledge was 83.7% (318/380). Of all participants, 80.8% (308/381) had commercial sex in the past year, 79.8% (304/381) had non-commercial sex partners, 62.7% (239/381) had high-risk sexual behaviors. The results of logistic regression showed that compared with those with alcohol drinking frequency ≤2 times per month in last year, the clients with alcohol drinking frequency more than once a week (aOR=3.22, 95%CI: 1.25-8.27) were more likely to have high risk sexual behaviors after adjustment for age, living area, location type of residence, time of local residence, education level, monthly income level, occupation, marital status, knowledge awareness of AIDS and HIV related services, the number of commercial or non-commercial sexual partners in the past year, cost of commercial sex and HIV test frequency. Conclusions: Alcohol drinking is related to high risk sexual behaviors in HIV negative clients, and will increase the risk of HIV transmission. To control AIDS, the intervention of alcohol drinking should be combined with other preventions to improve the correct use of condoms.

A phytoextraction trial strengthened by Streptomyces pactum and plant nutrients: In view of plant bioindicators and phytoextraction indices

The present work was done to explore the joint effect of Streptomyces pactum (Act12) and plant nutrients on phytoremediation of smelter-contaminated soils. The physiological indicators and phytoextraction indices of potherb mustard (Brassica juncea, Coss) grown in Act12 inoculated soil with or without Hoagland's solution (H), humic acid (HA) and peat (PS) were evaluated. The results indicated that H, HA and PS acted synergistically with Act12, notably increasing chlorophyll and soluble protein contents and thereby promoting plant growth. Soil nutrient treatments reduced the antioxidant activities (PPO, CAT and POD) by 28.2-41.4%, 22.3-90.1% and 15.2-59.4% compared to control, respectively. Act12 and H treatments markedly facilitated plant to accumulate more cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn), but it was observed decreases when applied with HA and PS. Metal uptake (MU) values further indicated the differences in phytoextraction efficiency, i.e., H > PS > Control > HA. Taken together, Act12 combined with plant nutrients contributed to alleviating metal toxicity symptoms of plant. Hoagland's solution and peat were highlighted in the present phytoextraction trial, and recommended as soil additives.

[Influence of Xuebijing injection and its component paeoniflorin on immune function and survival rate of septic rats]

Objective: To explore the influence of Xuebijing injection (hereinafter referred to as Xuebijing) and its component paeoniflorin on immune function of regulatory T cells (Tregs) of spleen and survival rate of septic rats. Methods: (1) CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs and CD4(+) T cells were isolated and purified from spleens of three 9 to 12 weeks old Sprague-Dawley male rats (the same age, breed, and gender below) by immunomagnetic beads. According to the random number table (the same grouping method below), CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs were divided into blank control group, simple CD3/CD28 group, simple endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group, LPS+ Xuebijing group, and LPS+ paeoniflorin group, with 6 wells in each group. The cells in simple CD3/CD28 group, simple LPS group, LPS+ Xuebijing group, and LPS+ paeoniflorin group were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium containing fetal bovine serum in volume fraction of 10%, 1.25 μg CD3, and 2.5 μg CD28 for 24 hours. Then 1 μg/mL LPS in the volume of 1 μL was added to the cells in simple LPS group, LPS+ Xuebijing group, and LPS+ paeoniflorin group. Moreover, 5 mg/mL Xuebijing in the volume of 1 μL and 80 μmol/L paeoniflorin in the volume of 1 μL were added to the cells in LPS+ Xuebijing group and LPS+ paeoniflorin group, respectively, which were cultured for another 72 hours. Cells in blank control group were routinely cultured in RPMI 1640 medium containing fetal bovine serum in volume fraction of 10% for 96 hours. The expressions of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and forkhead wing-link transcription factor 3 (Foxp3) and apoptosis of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs were measured by flow cytometry. The interleukin-10 (IL-10) level from culture supernatant of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). CD4(+) T cells were divided into blank control' group, simple CD3/CD28' group, simple LPS' group, LPS+ Xuebijing' group, and LPS+ paeoniflorin' group, with 6 wells in each group. After being cocultured with the corresponding CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs treated as before for 72 hours, the proliferative activity of CD4(+) T cells was measured by flow cytometry, and IL-4 level from culture supernatant of CD4(+) T cells was determined by ELISA. (2) One hundred and twenty rats were divided into sham surgery group, simple sepsis group, sepsis+ Xuebijing group, and sepsis+ paeoniflorin group, with 30 rats in each group. The septic rat model was reproduced by cecal ligation and puncture surgery in simple sepsis group, sepsis+ Xuebijing group, and sepsis+ paeoniflorin group. In sham surgery group, the rats were only performed with laparotomy to simulate surgery. In sepsis+ Xuebijing group, the rats were given post-surgical injection of 4 mL/kg Xuebijing through tail vein, twice a day. In sepsis+ paeoniflorin group, the rats received 978 μg paeoniflorin via tail vein, twice a day. The survival rates of rats in the four groups on post surgery day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were observed and recorded. The surviving cure of Kaplan-Meier was drawn. Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance, least significant difference t test. The surviving curve was analyzed by Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test. Results: (1) Compared with those in blank control group, the expressions of CTLA-4 and Foxp3 of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs (t=27.19, 17.00, P<0.01) and IL-10 level from culture supernatant (t=40.76, P<0.01) were significantly increased in rats in simple LPS group. Compared with those in simple LPS group, the expressions of CTLA-4 and Foxp3 of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs (t(LPS+ Xuebijing group)=31.03, 11.27, t(LPS+ paeoniflorin group)=5.79, 5.64, P<0.01) and IL-10 level from culture supernatant (t=15.49, 4.20, P<0.01) was significantly decreased in LPS+ Xuebijing group and LPS+ paeoniflorin group. Compared with that in blank control group, the apoptosis rate of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs in simple LPS group was significantly declined (t=6.02, P<0.01). Compared with the rate in simple LPS group, the apoptosis rates of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs in LPS+ Xuebijing group and LPS+ paeoniflorin group were significantly increased (t=20.32, 8.60, P<0.01). (2) Compared with those in simple CD3/CD28' group, the proliferative rate of CD4(+) T cells was significantly decreased in simple LPS' group (t=22.47, P<0.01), while IL-4 level from culture supernatant was significantly elevated (t=3.51, P<0.01). Compared with those in simple LPS' group, the proliferative rates of CD4(+) T cells in LPS+ Xuebijing' group and LPS+ paeoniflorin' group were significantly increased (t=16.31, 11.48, P<0.01), while IL-4 level from culture supernatant showed no obvious change. (3) The post-operative 7-day survival rates of rats in sham surgery group, simple sepsis group, sepsis+ Xuebijing group, sepsis+ paeoniflorin group were 100% (30/30), 30% (9/30), 57% (17/30), and 47% (14/30), respectively. Compared with that in simple sepsis group, the survival rate within post-operative 7-day of rats in sepsis+ Xuebijing group was significantly higher (χ(2)=4.34, P<0.05), while the survival rate within post-operative 7-day of rats in sepsis+ paeoniflorin group showed no obvious change. Conclusions: Both Xuebijing and its component paeoniflorin are capable of reversing sepsis-induced inhibitory immune function and apoptotic resistant of Tregs in rats, and further improving the proliferative activity of T cells. In addition, the effect of paeoniflorin on improvement of survival rate of rats with sepsis is weaker than Xuebijing.

Cogeneration of hot electrons from multiple laser-plasma instabilities

Interactions of two-plasmon decay (TPD) and side-stimulated Raman scattering (SSRS) were studied using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations under inertial-confinement-fusion-relevant conditions for linearly and circularly polarized lasers. In the linear stage, SSRS took place under n_{e}=0.235n_{c} and TPD dominated near the quarter-critical density surface and their growth rates agreed with theory. In the nonlinear stage, SSRS reduced TPD through pump depletion. Hot electrons were found to be first accelerated by SSRS plasma waves and then by TPD plasma waves through a cogeneration mechanism. Compared to the linearly polarized case with the same laser intensity, both SSRS and TPD were reduced due to the lower laser amplitude in the circularly polarized case. As a result, a 30% decrease in hot electron flux was observed.

miR-27a is an important adipogenesis regulator associated with differential lipid accumulation between intramuscular and subcutaneous adipose tissues of sheep

Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are crucial regulators for various biological processes. Despite important function in the proliferation and differentiation of preadipocytes, miRNA studies are limited in regional differences in adipogenesis. Here, we show that miR-27a plays an important role in regulating differential lipid accumulation between intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC) adipose tissues in sheep. Invivo, we observed that miR-27a expression in IM adipose tissue is more abundant than in SC adipose tissue. However, the expression of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARG) and retinoid X receptor alpha (RXR alpha) in IM adipose tissue was significantly lower than that in SC adipose tissue. In the ovine preadipocyte differentiation model, we found that the expression of miR-27a was significantly decreased in differentiated ovine adipocytes. Overexpression of miR-27a significantly downregulated the expression of PPARG and RXR alpha and suppressed the accumulation of triglyceride but promoted the proliferation of ovine preadipocytes. Whereas, inhibition of miR-27a suppressed preadipocyte proliferation but enhanced PPARG and RXR alpha expression and lipid droplet formation. In addition, dual-luciferase activity assays showed that RXR alpha was a direct target of miR-27a. Thus, miR-27a enhances ovine preadipocytes proliferation and inhibits ovine preadipocytes differentiation through regulating the expression of target RXR alpha. Collectively, our study demonstrates the functional importance of miR-27a in ovine adipogenesis and provides novel insights into exploring regional differences in adipogenesis.

Fli-1 Activation through Targeted Promoter Activity Regulation Using a Novel 3', 5'-diprenylated Chalcone Inhibits Growth and Metastasis of Prostate Cancer Cells

The friend leukemia integration 1 (Fli-1) gene is involved in the expression control of key genes in multiple pathogenic/physiological processes, including cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis; this implies that Fli-1 is a strong candidate for drug development. In our previous study, a 3′,5′-diprenylated chalcone, (E)-1-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-3,5-diprenyl) phenyl-3-(3-pyridinyl)-propene-1-one (C10), was identified as a novel anti-prostate cancer (PCa) agent. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer effects of C10 on the growth, metastasis, and invasion of PC3 cells in vitro. Our results show that C10 exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on proliferation and metastasis of PC3 cells via several cellular and flow cytometric analyses. Further mechanism studies revealed that C10 likely serves as an Fli-1 agonist for regulating the expression of Fli-1 target genes including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (P110), murine double minute2 (MDM2), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Src homology-2 domain-containing inositol 5-phosphatase 1 (SHIP-1), and globin transcription factor-1 (Gata-1) as well as the phosphorylation of extracellular-regulated protein kinases 1 (ERK1). Further, we confirmed that C10 can regulate the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor 1 (VEGF-1), transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), p53, and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) genes associated with tumor apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Thus, C10 exhibits stronger anticancer activity with novel molecular targets and regulatory molecular mechanisms, indicating its great potency for development as a novel targeted anticancer drug.

Therapeutic base editing of human hematopoietic stem cells

Base editing by nucleotide deaminases linked to programmable DNA-binding proteins represents a promising approach to permanently remedy blood disorders, although its application in engrafting hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) remains unexplored. In this study, we purified A3A (N57Q)-BE3 base editor for ribonucleoprotein (RNP) electroporation of human-peripheral-blood-mobilized CD34⁺ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). We observed frequent on-target cytosine base edits at the BCL11A erythroid enhancer at +58 with few indels. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) induction in erythroid progeny after base editing or nuclease editing was similar. A single therapeutic base edit of the BCL11A enhancer prevented sickling and ameliorated globin chain imbalance in erythroid progeny from sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia patient-derived HSPCs, respectively. Moreover, efficient multiplex editing could be achieved with combined disruption of the BCL11A erythroid enhancer and correction of the HBB -28A>G promoter mutation. Finally, base edits could be produced in multilineage-repopulating self-renewing human HSCs with high frequency as assayed in primary and secondary recipient animals resulting in potent HbF induction in vivo. Together, these results demonstrate the potential of RNP base editing of human HSPCs as a feasible alternative to nuclease editing for HSC-targeted therapeutic genome modification.

Pump depletion and hot-electron generation in long-density-scale-length plasma with shock-ignition high-intensity laser

Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations for laser plasma interaction with laser intensity of 10^{16}W/cm^{2}, plasma density range of 0.01-0.28n_{c}, and scale length of 230-330μm showed significant pump depletion of the laser energy due to stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in the low-density region (n_{e}=0.01-0.2n_{c}). The simulations identified hot electrons generated by SRS in the low-density region with moderate energy and by two-plasmon-decay near n_{e}=0.25n_{c} with higher energy. The overall hot electron temperature (46 keV) and conversion efficiency (3%) were consistent with the experiment's measurements. The simulations also showed artificially reducing SBS would lead to stronger SRS and a softer hot-electron spectrum.

[Effects of ticagrelor on cardiorespiratory fitness in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention]

Objective: To investigate the effects of ticagrelor on cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 1 073 patients, who were diagnosed as coronary heart disease and underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) within 1 year after PCI, were enrolled from September 2017 to September 2019 in Peking University Third Hospital, including 309 patients in ticagrelor group and 764 patients in clopidogrel group. Clinical information, blood test results, echocardiographic parameters, cardiorespiratory fitness related parameters (including peak oxygen uptake (VO(2)), anaerobic threshold VO(2), peak oxygen pulse (VO(2)/HR) and carbon dioxide ventilation equivalent (VE/VCO(2)) slope), coronary lesions and intervention information were obtained. Cardiopulmonary fitness related indexes were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between ticagrelor use and cardiopulmonary fitness related indexes was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Patients who underwent CPET within 1 month after PCI were included in the subgroup analysis. Results: In ticagrelor group, the age was (60.3±10.3) years, and 253(81.9%) cases were male. The age of clopidogrel group was (60.6±10.0) years, and there were 608(79.6%) males. No significant differences were observed in peak VO(2), anaerobic threshold VO(2), and peak VO(2)/HR between the two groups (all P>0.05), but the VE/VCO(2) slope was significantly higher in the ticagrelor group than in the clopidogrel group (30.075 (27.207, 33.603) vs. 28.853 (25.970, 32.336), P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis suggested that the peak VO(2), anaerobic threshold VO(2) and peak VO(2)/HR were not significantly correlated with the ticagrelor use (all P>0.05), while the VE/VCO(2) slope was independently correlated with ticagrelor use (OR=1.098, 95%CI 1.032-1.168, P=0.003). Subgroup analysis of patients who underwent CPET within 1 month after PCI also indicated that no significant difference were observed in peak VO(2), anaerobic threshold VO(2), peak VO(2)/HR and VE/VCO(2) slope between the two groups (all P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis suggested that the peak VO(2), anaerobic threshold VO(2) and peak VO(2)/HR were not significantly correlated with ticagrelor use (all P>0.05), while the VE/VCO(2) slope was significantly correlated with ticagrelor use (OR=1.132, 95%CI 1.030-1.244, P=0.010). Conclusion: Among coronary heart disease patients after PCI, treatment with clopidogrel does not result in significant decrease in exercise endurance as compared with patients treated with ticagrelor.

Silver-decorated, light-activatable polymeric antimicrobials for combined chemo-photodynamic therapy of drug-resistant bacterial infection

In this article, we describe a silver-decorated, light-activatable polymeric antimicrobial with strong synergistic chemo-photodynamic effect to combat bacterial infections.

Serum sclerostin as a potential novel biomarker for heart valve calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease

OBJECTIVE

To explore the correlation between change in sclerostin level and heart valve calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in stages 3-5, as well as the possible underlying mechanism, which could provide a clinical reference for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

110 patients were divided into a healthy control group and three groups of patients with CKD stages 3, 4, and 5 according to CKD staging guidelines. Scr, BUN, AKP, TC, TG, HDL, LDL, Ca, Pi, and CRP were measured, and calcium-phosphate product (Ca×Pi) calculated. ELISA was used to measure the sclerostin level, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated by MDRD. Heart valve calcification was measured by a physician in the Cardiac Department of our hospital. The correlations between sclerostin-level change and heart valve calcification, as well as each index in CKD patients in stages 3-5, were analyzed.

RESULTS

Compared with the healthy control group, the serum Ca in CKD stage-3, stage-4, and stage-5 groups (p < 0.05) was reduced, and PTH was increased (p < 0.05). Blood Pi and Ca×Pi in the stage-4 and stage-5 groups were increased (p < 0.05). The serum sclerostin level increased with renal hypofunction in stage-3 CKD patients, and was significantly increased compared with that of the control group, reaching the highest level in the terminal stage (p < 0.01). Pearson correlation analysis indicated that serum sclerostin was negatively correlated with eGFR (r = -0.91, p < 0.001) and blood Ca (r= -0.271, p < 0.001), and positively correlated with SCr (r = 0.608, p < 0.001), blood Pi level (r = 0.295, p < 0.001), PTH (r = 0.334, p < 0.001), and Ca×Pi (r = 0.275, p < 0.001). The rate of heart valve calcification in the CKD patients in stage 5 was relatively high (11/30, 36.67%), and significantly higher than that in healthy controls (1/20, 5%; p < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis of heart valve calcification indicated that sclerostin was a risk factor for heart valve calcification in CKD patients in stages 3-5.

CONCLUSIONS

The sclerostin level gradually increased with renal hypofunction in CKD patients in stages 3-5, and the increase in serum sclerostin level in the CKD patients occurred earlier than the change in Pi and Ca×Pi. The risk of heart valve calcification in stage-5 CKD patients was significantly increased. Sclerostin is an independent risk factor for heart valve calcification in CKD patients.

Three-dimensional particle-in-cell modeling of parametric instabilities near the quarter-critical density in plasmas

The nonlinear regime of laser-plasma interactions including both two-plasmon decay (TPD) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) instabilities has been studied in three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations with parameters relevant to the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. SRS and TPD develop in the same region in plasmas, and the generation of fast electrons can be described accurately with only the full model including both SRS and TPD. The growth of instabilities in the linear stage is found to be in good agreement with analytical theories. In the saturation stage the low-frequency density perturbations driven by the daughter waves of the SRS side scattering can saturate the TPD and consequently inhibit the fast-electron generation. The fast-electron flux in 3D modeling is up to an order of magnitude smaller than previously reported in 2D TPD simulations, bringing it close to the results of ICF experiments.

Diazoxide induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-related neuroprotection mediated by p38 MAPK against Aβ25-35 insults

OBJECTIVE

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) -resident caspase-12 was identified as a mediator of Aβ neurotoxicity. Recent evidence indicates that mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel openers mediate their neuroprotective role by adjusting ER stress pathways, but the molecular details remain largely unknown and have been investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the protein expression levels of calreticulin (CRT) and caspase-12 activation and phosphorylated p38 MAPK were observed by immunoblotting in cultured PC12 cells from different groups: treatment with Aβ25-35 (group Aβ25-35), treatment with diazoxide (group diazoxide), pretreatment with diazoxide and then exposure to Aβ25-35 (group diazoxide + Aβ25-35), pretreatment with p38 MAPK inhibitor SB 203580 and then exposure to diazoxide and Aβ25-35 (group SB 203580 + diazoxide + Aβ25-35), and the control (group control).

RESULTS

In response to the treatment with Aβ25-35 (10 µM) for 24 h, the protein expression levels of CRT and caspase-12 activation were increased and phosphorylated p38 MAPK was decreased significantly. Diazoxide reduced CRT overexpression and caspase-12 activation and increased the up-regulation of phosphorylated p38 MAPK. When SB 203580 was presented before exposure to diazoxide and Aβ25-35, CRT expression was markedly suppressed, and the inhibition effect of diazoxide on caspase-12 activation was almost eliminated.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that diazoxide induced ERS-related neuroprotection mediated by p38 MAPK against Aβ25-35 insults. From the clinical point of view, these results are of considerable importance for the understanding of AD pathogenesis. However, further studies are required to explore more detailed mechanisms of the observed effects.

Streptomyces pactum combined with manure compost alters soil fertility and enzymatic activities, enhancing phytoextraction of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in a smelter-contaminated soil

The effect of manure compost alone and combined with Streptomyces pactum (Act12) applied in the smelter-contaminated soil was investigated. The soil fertility, enzymatic activities, potentially toxic metals (PTMs) solubility, and phytoremediation efficiency of potherb mustard (Brassica juncea, Coss.) were assessed. Results showed that the application of compost reduced the soil pH, while significantly increased the soil electrical conductivity (EC) (7.0 folds), available phosphorus (AP) (10.8 folds), available potassium (AK) (2.81 folds), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (5.22 folds), organic matter (OM) (4.93 folds), together with soil enzymatic activities viz. urease (UR) (4.39 folds), dehydrogenase (DEH) (45.0 folds) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (123.9 folds) in comparison with control. The inoculation of Act12 increased AP, AK, DOC, OM and UR values, but reduced EC, DEH and ALP values compared to corresponding lone compost amendment. Additionally, Act12 solubilized PTMs (Cd and Zn) in the soil, and accordingly enhanced the PTMs uptake in the plant. The phytoextraction indices viz. biological concentration factor (BCF), translocation factor (TF) and metal extraction amount (MEA) indicated that compost and Act12 had a synergistic role in enhancing the phytoremediation efficiency, among which MEA values of Cd and Zn maximally increased by 9.64 and 11.4 folds, respectively, compared to control. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that phytoextraction indices correlated well with soil parameters. Our results suggested that manure compost associated with Act12 is a potential strengthening strategy in phytoremediation of PTMs contaminated soil.