Dietary resveratrol improves the flesh quality of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) by enhancing myofiber growth, nutrient accumulation and antioxidant capacity

BACKGROUND

In aquaculture, sturgeons are generally maintained in the confined spaces, which not only hinders sturgeon movement, but also threatens their flesh quality that seriously concerned by aquaculture industry. As a typical antioxidant, resveratrol can improve the flesh quality of livestock and poultry. However, the mechanism of resveratrol's effect on the muscle of Siberian sturgeon is still unclear.

RESULTS

In this study, the dietary resveratrol increased the myofiber diameter, the content of the amino acids, antioxidant capacity markers (CAT, LDH and SOD) levels and the expression levels of mTORC1 and MYH9 in muscle of Siberian sturgeon. Further transcriptome analysis displayed that ROS production-related pathways ("Oxidative phosphorylation" and "Chemical carcinogenes-reactive oxygen species") were enriched in KEGG analysis, and the expression levels of genes related to the production of ROS (COX4, COX6A, ATPeF1A, etc.) in mitochondria were significantly down-regulated, while the expression levels of genes related to scavenging ROS (SOD1) were up-regulated.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, this study reveals that resveratrol may promote the flesh quality of Siberian sturgeon probably by enhancing myofiber growth, nutritional value and the antioxidant capacity of muscle, which has certain reference significance for the development of a new type of feed for Siberian sturgeon.

Clinical, imaging, and pathological characteristics of congenital infiltrating lipomatosis of the face

Congenital infiltrating lipomatosis of the face (CILF) is a rare congenital disease of the head and neck region. In this study, the cases of 20 patients diagnosed with CILF were reviewed retrospectively to analyse the characteristics of the disease. The symptoms, signs, and clinical progression were investigated. Radiological changes were analysed according to the distribution of the trigeminal nerve. The pathological features of the fatty facial lesions, jaw hyperplasia, and lingual lesions were further identified. All 20 patients demonstrated hemifacial hypertrophy at birth. None had a family history of the disease. Significant radiological features of CILF (prevalence ≥90%) included thickened buccal subcutaneous fat, palatal submucosal fat, and temporal subcutaneous fat, maxillary tuberosity heteroplasia, and fatty infiltration of the masseteric intermuscular space. With regard to the trigeminal nerve, the frontal branch region (CNV1) was rarely affected, while the maxillary (CNV2) and mandibular (CNV3) branch regions showed considerable changes. Pathologically, CILF was observed to be characterized by the infiltration of mature adipose tissue into the adjacent buccal soft tissue, osteal remodelling surrounded by sheets of mature lipocytes and supporting fibrovascular stroma, and lingual hamartoma. In summary, CILF exhibits distinct characteristics that are related to the regions controlled by the maxillary and mandibular branches of the trigeminal nerve, suggesting that CILF may be associated with early neural development.

Gill structure and respiratory ability of Euchiloglanis kishinouyei (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes: Sisoridae)

Glyptosternoid fishes are distributed in the torrent environment of alpine canyons, where they often leave the water to climb rocky cliffs. As one of the most primitive species of glyptosternoid fishes, Euchiloglanis kishinouyei was examined in the current study to analyse its gill microstructure and respiratory ability. We first found that the oxygen consumption rate was relatively high and negatively correlated with body mass and that the average oxygen consumption at night was higher than during the day. The asphyxiation point of E. kishinouyei (5.05 ± 0.22 g) was c. 1.93 mg/L. Subsequently, the surface morphology, gross gill tissue structure, and ultra-microstructure of gill lamellae were investigated using optical microscopy and SEM. The gills showed an overall trend of regression, with five pairs of gill arches in each gill cavity. The adjacent gill filaments had large gaps, and the gill lamellae were thick. The gill filaments were closely arranged on the gill arches, their folded respiratory surface was highly vascularized with no tiny crest, and there were obvious tiny crests, grooves, pits, and pores on the nonrespiratory surface. The gill lamellae were closely embedded on both sides of gill filaments, which were composed of flat epithelial cells, basement membrane, pillar cells, and mucous cells. The gill total respiratory area correlated positively with body mass and length, whereas the gill relative respiratory area correlated negatively with body mass. We comprehensively analysed the gill microstructure and respiratory capacity of E. kishinouyei to provide fundamental data for the adaptive evolution of the gill structures of bimodally respiring fishes and offer insights into further study on the accessory air-breathing function of skin.

Phylogenetics and biomineralization of a novel magnetotactic Gammaproteobacterium from a freshwater lake in Beijing, China

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) have the remarkable capability of producing intracellularly membrane-enveloped magnetic nanocrystals (i.e. magnetosomes) and swimming along geomagnetic field lines. Despite more than 50 years of research, bacterial diversity and magnetosome biomineralization within MTB are relatively less known in the Gammaproteobacteria class than other groups. This is incompatible with the status of Gammaproteobacteria as the most diverse class of gram-negative bacteria with a number of ecologically important bacteria. Here, we identify a novel MTB strain YYHR-1 affiliated with the Gammaproteobacteria class of the Pseudomonadota phylum from a freshwater lake. In YYHR-1, most magnetosome crystals are organized into a long chain aligned along the cell long axis; unusually, a few small superparamagnetic crystals are located at the side of the chain, off the main chain axis. Micromagnetic simulations indicate that magnetostatic interactions among adjacent crystals within a chain reduce the Gibbs energy to enhance chain stability. Genomic analysis suggests that duplication of magnetosome gene clusters may result in off-chain magnetosomes formation. By integrating available genomic data from Gammaproteobacteria, the phylogenetic position of MTB in this class is reassigned here. Our new findings expand knowledge about MTB diversity and magnetosome biomineralization, and deepen understanding of the phylogenetics of the Gammaproteobacteria.

Structural comparison and expression function analysis of BF/C2 in Ctenopharyngodon idella and Squaliobarbus curriculus

Ctenopharyngodon idella and Squaliobarbus curriculus, members of the Cyprinidae family and Yaroideae subfamily, have shown different levels of resistance to grass carp reo virus (GCRV), with S. curriculus exhibiting higher resilience. In the pursuit to explore the distinctions in the structural and expression traits of BF/C2 (A,B) between the two species, we conducted an analysis involving the cloning and examination of various coding sequences (CDS). We successfully cloned the CDS of ci-BF/C2A and ci-BF/C2B from C. idella, which spanned 2259 bp and 2514 bp respectively, encoding 752 and 837 amino acids. Similarly, the CDS of sc-BF/C2A and sc-BF/C2B from S. curriculus were cloned, featuring lengths of 1353 bp and 2517 bp and encoding 450 and 838 amino acids, respectively. A chromosome collinearity assessment revealed that ci-BF/C2A demonstrated collinearity with sc-BF/C2A, a finding not replicated with ci-BF/C2B and sc-BF/C2B. Delving into gene structure, we discerned that ci-BF/C2A harbored a greater number of Tryp_SPc domains compared to sc-BF/C2A. Following this, we engineered and purified six prokaryotic recombinant proteins: CI-BF/C2A, CI-BF/C2A1 (a variant resulting from the deletion of the Tryp_SPc domain of CI-BF/C2A), CI-BF/C2A2 (representing the Tryp_SPc domain of CI-BF/C2A), CI-BF/C2B, SC-BF/C2A, and SC-BF/C2B. Through serum co-incubation tests with these recombinant proteins, we established the activation of the complement marker C3 in each case. Utilizing fluorescence quantitative expression analysis, we observed ubiquitous expression of ci-BF/C2A and ci-BF/C2B across all grass carp tissues, predominantly in the liver. This pattern mirrored in S. curriculus, where sc-BF/C2A was highly expressed in the gills, and sc-BF/C2B manifested notably in the liver. Kidney cell infection experiments on both species revealed enhanced resistance to GCRV post-incubation with the recombinant proteins. Notably, cells treated with SC-BF/C2 (A, B) exhibited pronounced resilience compared to those treated with CI-BF/C2 (A, B, A1, A2). However, cells incubated with CI-BF/C2A1 and CI-BF/C2A2 showed strengthen resistance relative to cells treated with CI-BF/C2A and CI-BF/C2B. In GCRV infection trials on grass carp, ci-BF/C2A and ci-BF/C2B expressions reached a zenith on the seventh day post-infection, highlighting a distinctive functional mode in immune defense against GCRV infection orchestrated by BF/C2. The empirical data underscores the pivotal role of the Tryp_SPc domain in immune responses to GCRV infection, pinpointing its influence on ci-BF/C2A expression. Conclusively, this investigation provides a foundational understanding of the unique immune function characteristics of BF/C2 in grass carp, paving the way for further scholarly exploration in this realm.

Genomic features of recombinant CHO clones arising from transposon-based and randomized integration

The use of transposase in cell line development (CLD) programs has experienced increased popularity over the past decade. However, few studies have described the mechanism of action and the genomic and phenotypic characteristics of clones derived from transposase. Additionally, how these traits impact long-term bioproduction is unknown. Here, we use chromosome painting, deep sequencing, and ddPCR to characterize the unique fingerprints associated with transposase-derived clones. Transposase reduces the cellular pool of transient vector as early as three days post transfection following transfection and expedites stable pool establishment by up to two weeks. Furthermore, recombinant DNA expression is significantly improved up to ∼3 fold along with a greater balance of antibody heavy and light chain transcripts, resulting in higher titers in transposase generated pools. Transposase derived pools contained an often innumerable number of integration sites, representing a vast increase in integration site diversity over randomly generated pools, which were bottlenecked at 1-3 integration sites per pool. These transposase mediated integrations typically occurred in clean singlets, free of genomic scars such as deletions, inversions, and other modifications associated with legacy transfection methods which exhibited higher copy numbers per integration site. Relative declines in gene expression occur with copy number increase in the randomly generated, but not the transposase derived clones. Furthermore, transposase-derived clones were more likely to exhibit enhanced a long term stability profile, including product quality attributes such as mannose-5. This improved stability may result from circumventing mechanisms associated with the silencing of tandem repeats. Thus, transposase-mediated approaches can provide multifaceted molecular and phenotypic advantages in cell line development when compared to legacy random-integration methods.

Autophagy-mediated ferroptosis involved in nickel-induced nephrotoxicity in the mice

Nickel, as a widely polluted metal, has been shown nephrotoxicity. Ferroptosis is a new type of cell death driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Our study found that nickel chloride (NiCl₂) induced ferroptosis in mouse kidney and TCMK-1 cells. The iron content was significantly increased in the kidney and TCMK-1 cells after NiCl₂ treatment. Lipid peroxidation and MDA content were significantly increased, and GSH content and T-SOD activity were significantly decreased after exposure to NiCl₂. Moreover, NiCl₂ increased COX-2 protein levels, decreased SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein levels, and elevated Ptgs2 mRNA levels. Next, the mechanism of Ni-induced ferroptosis was investigated. The results showed that NiCl₂ induced autophagy in TCMK-1 cells, which promoted ferroptosis induced by NiCl₂. Furthermore, the data of autophagy activation or inhibition experiment showed that autophagy facilitated ferroptosis through the degradation of the iron regulation protein NCOA4 and FTH1. Otherwise, iron chelator DFOM treatment inhibited ferroptosis induced by NiCl₂. Finally, ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 treatment significantly alleviated cytotoxicity induced by NiCl₂. To sum up, our above results showed that ferroptosis is involved in NiCl₂-induced nephrotoxicity, and NiCl₂ induces autophagy-dependent ferritin degradation, releases iron ions, leads to iron overload, and induces ferroptosis. This study supplies a new theoretical foundation for the study of nickel and renal toxicity.

Nickel induces hepatotoxicity by mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitophagy dysfunction

Nickel (Ni) is an important and widely hazardous chemical industrial waste. Excessive Ni exposure could cause multi-organs toxicity in human and animals. Liver is the major target organ of Ni accumulation and toxicity, however, the precise mechanism is still unclear. In this study, nickel chloride (NiCl₂ )-treatment induced hepatic histopathological changes in the mice, and, transmission electron microscopy results showed mitochondrial swollen and deformed of hepatocyte. Next, the mitochondrial damages including mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitophagy were measured after NiCl₂ administration. The results showed that NiCl₂ suppressed mitochondrial biogenesis by decreasing PGC-1α, TFAM, and NRF1 protein and mRNA expression levels. Meanwhile, the proteins involved in mitochondrial fusion were reduced by NiCl₂ , such as Mfn1 and Mfn2, however, mitochondrial fission proteins Drip1 and Fis1 were significantly increased. The up-regulation of mitochondrial p62 and LC3II expression indicated that NiCl₂ increased mitophagy in the liver. Moreover, the receptor-mediated mitophagy and ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent mitophagy were detected. NiCl₂ promoted PINK1 accumulation and Parkin recruitment on mitochondria. And, the receptor proteins of mitophagy Bnip3 and FUNDC1 were increased in the NiCl₂ -treated mice liver. Overall, these results show that NiCl₂ could induce mitochondria damage in the liver of mice, and, dysfunction of mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy involved in the molecular mechanism of NiCl₂ -induced hepatotoxicity.

Baicalin alleviates silica-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting TLR4/NF-?B pathway in rats

Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. The disease is characterized by early lung inflammation and late irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Here we report the effect of Baicalin, a main flavonoid compound from the roots of Chinese herbal medicine Huang Qin on silicosis in a rat model. Results showed Baicalin (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) can mitigate the silica-induced lung inflammation and reduce the harm of alveolar structure and the blue region of collagen fibers in rat lung at 28 days after administration. At the same time, Baicalin also diminished the level of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in lung tissues. The protein expression of collagen I (Col-1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and vimentin were down-regulated while E-cadherin (E-cad) was increased in Baicalin-treated rats. In addition, the Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)/ nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway was enabled at 28 days after silica infusion, and the treatment of Baicalin diminished the expression of TLR4 and NF-?B in the lungs of rat with silicosis. These results suggested that Baicalin inhibited the pulmonary inflammatory and fibrosis in a rat model of silicosis, which could be attributed to inhibition of the TLR4/NF-kappaB pathway.

Baicalin alleviates silica-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis by inhibiting TLR4/NF-?B pathway in rats

Silicosis is an occupational lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust. The disease is characterized by early lung inflammation and late irreversible pulmonary fibrosis. Here we report the effect of Baicalin, a main flavonoid compound from the roots of Chinese herbal medicine Huang Qin on silicosis in a rat model. Results showed Baicalin (50 or 100 mg/kg/day) can mitigate the silica-induced lung inflammation and reduce the harm of alveolar structure and the blue region of collagen fibers in rat lung at 28 days after administration. At the same time, Baicalin also diminished the level of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in lung tissues. The protein expression of collagen I (Col-1), alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and vimentin were down-regulated while E-cadherin (E-cad) was increased in Baicalin-treated rats. In addition, the Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)/ nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathway was enabled at 28 days after silica infusion, and the treatment of Baicalin diminished the expression of TLR4 and NF-?B in the lungs of rat with silicosis. These results suggested that Baicalin inhibited the pulmonary inflammatory and fibrosis in a rat model of silicosis, which could be attributed to inhibition of the TLR4/NF-kappaB pathway.

Study on the Hyperglycemic Effect of GLP-1 in Spinibarbus denticulatus by Oral Administration and Intraperitoneal Injection Methods

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), one of the expression products of the proglucagon (pg) gene, is an incretin mainly secreted by the gastrointestinal system. In mammals, GLP-1 has hypoglycemic and food-inhibiting effects; while in some fish species, it has been confirmed to increase blood glucose by promoting gluconeogenesis and stimulating glycogenolysis. In order to more deeply understand the role of GLP-1 in the process of glycometabolism in herbivorous fish, the pg gene was cloned from Spinibarbus denticulatus to obtain its sequence characteristics, and the changes in blood glucose level and pg gene expression in S. denticulatus were further explored by feeding with three kinds of carbohydrates and intraperitoneal injection of GLP-1. Basal and temporal blood glucose levels and pg gene expression of S. denticulatus (91.68 ± 10.79 g) were measured at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 12 h after oral administration (n = 4). Then, the changes of blood glucose levels and pg and glucokinase (gk) gene expressions of S. denticulatus (94.29 ± 10.82 g) were determined at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after intraperitoneal injection (n = 4). It was shown that polysaccharides could induce the upregulation of pg gene expression faster than monosaccharides and stimulate the secretion of GLP-1 in the intestine. Intraperitoneal injection of GLP-1 peptide rapidly raised blood glucose levels, and pg gene expression in the anterior intestine, whole brain, and hepatopancreas decreased continuously after 30 minutes. These results showed that S. denticulatus might inhibit the excessive accumulation of blood glucose by reducing the expression of the pg gene and increasing the expression of gk gene in a short time. It was speculated that GLP-1 of S. denticulatus might have a "gut-brain-liver" pathway similar to mammals in glycemia regulation. Therefore, this study provided a novel perspective for explaining the functional differences of GLP-1 in herbivorous fish and mammals.

Research on Ecological Land Expansion: A Case Study of Haixing County of China

As China’s natural resource governance has turned to high-quality management, establishing reasonable and ecological land-use patterns is an effective means of promoting natural resource utilization and improving the quality of the ecological environment. Therefore, this study used ecological land as the expansion source to construct an ecological land-use pattern with the minimum cumulative resistance model in Haixing County, China, based on regional food security, ecological security, and construction land expansion patterns. This work also involved designing ecological corridors, radiation channels, strategic nodes, and other ecological components. The results demonstrate that (1) the ecological land source is 7976.93 hm2, accounting for 9.19% of the total area. It is mainly distributed in the southeast of the county, mainly in the river system and woodland; (2) the food security situation of Haixing County can be divided into four zones, most of which are agricultural adjustment areas, indicating that the ecological security of cultivated land in this area needs to be improved; (3) the ecological security level of Haixing County is divided into four areas, and the ideal safety zone accounts for the smallest area, indicating that the regional ecological situation is very unstable; (4) construction land expansion zone is divided into four parts. A suitable construction zone occupies the largest area and is mainly distributed around the current construction land; (5) the expansion of the ecological land-use pattern of Haixing County includes four zones, 15 ecological corridors, 12 radiation channels, and 35 strategic nodes, which is conducive to optimal land allocation from an ecological security perspective. This paper puts forward some suggestions for ecological protection and intensive urban development.

Metabolic response provides insights into the mechanism of adaption to hypoxia in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) under intermittent hypoxic conditions

In metabolism, molecular oxygen is a necessary substrate. Oxygen imbalances are linked to a variety of circumstances in the organism's homeostasis. Recently, the positive effects of hypoxia treatment in improving exercise ability and hypoxia tolerance have become a research focus. We explored the effects of intermittent hypoxia exposure (IHE, for one hour or three hours per day) on the hypoxia tolerance of largemouth bass in this study. The results showed that (1) IHE significantly reduced the LOEcrit (the critical O₂ tension for loss of equilibrium) value of largemouth bass, indicating that its hypoxia tolerance was enhanced. (2) The level of oxidative stress in the liver decreased in the HH3 group (exposed to a hypoxic condition for 3 h per day) compared to HH1 group (exposed to a hypoxic condition for 1 h per day). (3) IHE reduced the content of lactic acid and enhanced the process of gluconeogenesis in the liver. (4) Importantly, lipid mobilization and fatty acid oxidation in the liver of largemouth bass were significantly enhanced during IHE. In short, the results of this study indicate that IHE can improve hypoxia tolerance by regulating the energy metabolism of largemouth bass.

Effect of Adding L-carnitine to High-Fat/Low-Protein Diets of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) and the Mechanism of Regulation of Fat and Protein Metabolism

L-carnitine is a low molecular weight amino acid that plays an essential role in the oxidation of long-chain fatty acids. The regulatory effects and molecular mechanisms of L-carnitine on fat and protein metabolism in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were investigated in this study. Common carp (n = 270) were randomly divided into three groups and fed either (1) common carp diet, (2) high-fat/low-protein diet, or (3) L-carnitine-high-fat/low-protein diet. Growth performance, plasma biochemistry, muscle composition, and ammonia excretion rate were all examined after 8 weeks. Additionally, each group's hepatopancreas was subjected to transcriptome analysis. The results showed that decreasing the feed protein/fat ratio resulted in a considerable increase in feed conversion ratio and a significant decrease in common carp-specific growth rate to 1.19 ± 0.02 (P < 0.05). Similarly, total plasma cholesterol sharply increased to 10.15 ± 2.07, while plasma urea nitrogen, muscle protein, and ammonia excretion levels dropped (P < 0.05). After adding L-carnitine to the high-fat/low-protein diet, it was found that the specific growth rate and protein content of the dorsal muscle increased significantly (P < 0.05). In contrast, the plasma total cholesterol and ammonia excretion rate decreased considerably at most time points after feeding (P < 0.05). The expression of genes in the hepatopancreas differed substantially between the different groups. Through GO analysis, it was demonstrated that L-carnitine increased the ability of fat decomposition by up-regulating the expression of cpt1 in the hepatopancreas and decreased the expression of fasn and elovl6 to reduce the production and extension of lipids. Simultaneously, mtor was more abundant in the hepatopancreas, implying that L-carnitine can increase protein synthesis. According to the findings, adding L-carnitine to high-fat/low-protein diets can stimulate growth by enhancing lipolysis and protein synthesis.

Comparative transcriptome and adaptive evolution analysis on the main liver and attaching liver of Pareuchiloglanis macrotrema

Pareuchiloglanis macrotrema is a glyptosternoid fish belonging to the Siluriform family and is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau tributaries. P. macrotrema is an ideal model for studying the adaptive evolution of fish at high altitudes. P. macrotrema has two attaching livers connected to the main liver, a common feature in most Sisoridae fishes but is a special phenomenon relative to other vertebrates. Using RNA-Seq, 42 differentially expressed genes were found between the main liver and attaching liver, of which 31 were upregulated and 11 were downregulated in the main liver. The major differentially expressed genes between the main liver and attaching liver of P. macrotrema are related to metabolism, immunity, and digestive processes. Meanwhile, a comparative transcriptome analysis was carried out on P. macrotrema fish and six non-plateau Siluriformes fishes. We found 268 positively selected genes in P. macrotrema that are related to energy metabolism, immunity, and hypoxic responses. The findings of this study highlight the gene expression differences between the main liver and attaching livers of Sisoridae fishes and provide greater insight into the evolution of Tibetan fishes.

The Distribution, Seasonal Abundance, and Environmental Factors Contributing to the Presence of the Asian Longhorned Tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis, Acari: Ixodidae) in Central Appalachian Virginia

Over the past decade, Haemaphysalis longicornis, the Asian longhorned tick, has undergone a geographic range expansion in the United States, from its historical range in east Asia. This tick has been characterized by its frequent parasitism of livestock, an ability to reproduce through parthenogenesis, and its ability to transmit a variety of vector-borne pathogens to livestock, wildlife, and human hosts in its native geographic range. Thus far in the United States, 17 states have reported H. longicornis populations, including 38 counties in Virginia. These numbers come from presence-absence reports provided to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but little has been reported about this ticks' seasonality in Virginia or its habitat preferences. Our current study detected H. longicornis populations in seven of the nine surveyed counties in Virginia. Haemaphysalis longicornis were observed in multiple habitat types including mixed hardwood forests and pastures, with abundant H. longicornis populations detected at one particular pasture site in Wythe County. This study also attempted to investigate environmental conditions that may be of importance in predicting tick presence likelihood. While sample size limited the scope of these efforts, habitat type and climatic metrics were found to be important indicators of H. longicornis collection success and abundance for both the nymphal and larval life stages. This current study reports useful surveillance data for monitoring these tick populations as they become established in the western half of Virginia and provides insight into their current distribution and maintenance over a large study region.

Dynamic Transcriptomic Profiling During Liver Development in Schizothorax Prenanti

Liver is an important organ for glucose and lipid metabolism, immunity, and detoxification in fish. However, the gene regulatory network of postnatal liver development still remains unknown in teleost fish. In this study, we performed transcriptome analysis on the liver of S. prenanti at three stages. A total of 1692 differentially expressed genes (DGEs) were identified across three liver developmental stages. The oil red O staining and PAS staining revealed that the lipid content of liver was increased and the glycogen content of liver was decreased during liver development. The fatty acids biosynthesis related genes were upregulated in adult and young stages compared with juvenile stage, while lipid degradation related genes were downregulated. The genes related to glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis were upregulated in juvenile or young stages compared with adult stage. Further pathway analysis indicated that the CYP450 pathway, cell cycle and amino acid metabolic pathway were induced in the process of liver maturation. Our study presents the gene expression pattern in different liver development stages of S. prenanti and may guide future studies on metabolism of S. prenanti liver.

Heat Stress Weakens the Skin Barrier Function in Sturgeon by Decreasing Mucus Secretion and Disrupting the Mucosal Microbiota

Heat stress induced by global warming has damaged the well-being of aquatic animals. The skin tissue plays a crucial role as a defense barrier to protect organism, however, little is known about the effect of heat stress on fish skin, particularly in cold-water fish species. Here, we investigated the effects of mild heat stress (24°C, MS) and high heat stress (28°C, HS) on Siberian sturgeon skin using RNA-seq, histological observation, and microbial diversity analysis. In RNA-seq, 8,819 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in MS vs. C group and 12,814 DEGs in HS vs. C group were acquired, of which the MS vs. C and HS vs. C groups shared 3,903 DEGs, but only 1,652 DEGs were successfully annotated. The shared DEGs were significantly enriched in pathways associating with mucins synthesis. Histological observation showed that the heat stresses significantly reduced the number of skin mucous cells and induced the damages of epidermis. The microbial diversity analysis elicited that heat stress markedly disrupted the diversity and abundance of skin microbiota by increasing of potential pathogens (Vibrionimonas, Mesorhizobium, and Phyllobacterium) and decreasing of probiotics (Bradyrhizobium and Methylovirgula). In conclusion, this study reveals that heat stress causes adverse effects on sturgeon skin, reflecting in decreasing the mucus secretion and disordering the mucosal microbiota, which may contribute to develop the preventive strategy for heat stress caused by global warming.

Molecular and functional characterization of the retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) in hepatocytes of Schizothorax prenanti in response to palmitic acid

Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) protein is a kind of adipokines synthesized and secreted by the liver, which has been verified to play important roles in liver metabolism and energy homeostasis. However, the effects of RBP4 on hepatic lipid accumulation are still elusive in fish. In the present study, we cloned and characterized the RBP4 gene in Schizothorax prenanti (S. prenanti). RBP4 gene was specifically expressed in the liver and abdominal adipose tissue. Palmitic acid (PA; 400 μM) can significantly increase lipid deposition in primary hepatocytes after 12 h of treatment. Furthermore, RBP4 knockdown can relieve the excessive lipid deposition and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the hepatocytes caused by PA. The inhibition of RBP4 abolished the ability of PA to induce the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and endoplasmic reticulum stress. These results demonstrate that RBP4 inhibition attenuated PA-induced lipid deposition and endoplasmic reticulum stress in hepatocytes of S. prenanti. This study could contribute to improve the understanding of RBP4 functions in the PA-induced lipid deposition in hepatocytes of fish.

Heat Stress Decreases Intestinal Physiological Function and Facilitates the Proliferation of Harmful Intestinal Microbiota in Sturgeons

Heat is a common source of stress in aquatic environments and can alter the physiological and metabolic functions of aquatic animals, especially their intestinal function. Here, the effects of heat stress on the structure and function of the intestine and the characteristics of the intestinal microbiota were studied in sturgeon (Acipenser baerii ♀ × Acipenser schrenckii ♂ hybrid F1). Sturgeons were exposed to sub-extreme (24°C) and extreme (28°C) high water temperatures for 12 days. The heat stress caused systemic damage to the intestine of sturgeons, which displayed severe enteritis in the valve intestine. The microbial diversity analysis showed that heat stress led to the disorder in intestinal microbiota, manifesting as an explosive increase in the abundance of thermophilic intestinal pathogens such as Plesiomonas, Cetobacterium, and Aeromonas and causing physiological dysfunction in the sturgeons. The disorder was followed by significant inhibition of intestinal digestion with reduced chymotrypsin, α-amylase, and lipase activities in the valve intestine and of antioxidant function with reduced peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities. Simultaneously, heat stress reduced the thermal tolerance of sturgeons by reducing Grp75 expression and damaged the valve intestine’s repair ability with increased Tgf-β expression. The results confirmed that heat stress damaged the sturgeon intestines obviously and disturbed the intestinal microbiota, resulting in serious physiological dysfunction. The present study investigated the mechanism of the effect of heat stress on the sturgeon intestine and will help develop strategies to improve the resistance to thermal stress for wild and cultured sturgeons.

Oceanospirillum sediminis sp. nov., Isolated From Coastal Sediment in the Yellow Sea

A novel Gram-negative, motile, aerobic, spiral-shaped bacterium designated D5^T, was isolated from a coastal sediment collected in the Yellow Sea. Optimal growth occurred at 30 °C, pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 1-3% (w/v) NaCl. Strain D5^T contained ubiquinone 8 (Q-8) as the predominant respiratory quinone. The major fatty acids (> 10%) were C_16:0, C_16:1 ω7c/C_16:1 ω6c and C_18:1w7c/C_18:1w6c. The main polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The draft genome is 5.6 Mb in length, and DNA G + C content is 47.2 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain D5^T is most closely related to Oceanospirillum beijerinckii NBRC 15445^T (97.8%, sequence similarity). However, the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value and average nucleotide identity (ANI) between strain D5^T and O. beijerinckii is only 27.8% and 77.1%. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and whole genomes all indicated that strain D5^T formed a separate branch in the genus Oceanospirillum. Combined results of the polyphasic analyses suggested that strain D5^T represents a novel species in the genus Oceanospirillum, for which the name Oceanospirillum sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is D5^T (= MCCC 1K06061^T = KCTC 62987^T).

Salinity Gradient Controls Microbial Community Structure and Assembly in Coastal Solar Salterns

Salinity acts as a critical environmental filter on microbial communities in natural systems, negatively affecting microbial diversity. However, how salinity affects microbial community assembly remains unclear. This study used Wendeng multi-pond saltern as a model to evaluate the prokaryotic community composition and diversity and quantify the relative importance of ecological processes across salinity gradients. The results showed that low-saline salterns (45–80 g/L) exhibited higher bacterial diversity than high-saline salterns (175–265 g/L). The relative abundance of taxa assigned to Halomicrobiaceae, Rhodobacteraceae, Saprospiraceae, and Thiotrichaceae exhibited a hump-shaped dependence on increasing salinity. Salinity and pH were the primary environmental factors that directly or indirectly determined the composition and diversity of prokaryotic communities. Microbial co-occurrence network dynamics were more complex in the sediment than in the water of salterns. An infer Community Assembly Mechanisms by Phylogenetic-bin-based null model analysis (iCAMP) showed that microbial community assembly in sediment and water differed. Our findings provide more information about microbial community structure and the importance of various ecological processes in controlling microbial community diversity and succession along salinity gradients in water and sediment.

Potential Risks for Seahorse Stock Enhancement: Insight From the Declivity of Genetic Levels With Hatchery Management

Stock enhancement is one of the potential management strategies for the fishery. To better understand the impaction of stock enhancement, we simulated an experiment for lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) and evaluated the genetic structure after stock enhancement. In this study, we found the numbers of alleles (N_A) and heterozygosity (H_O) of stock enhancement strains were lower than those of the wild collections, while the inbreeding coefficient (F_IS) and relatedness index were higher. Within the 3 generations of stock enhancement strain, the N_A, H_O and polymorphism information content (PIC) didn’t change significantly. In addition, the F_ST value indicated that the genetic differentiation between the stock enhancement strains and the first wild collection reached an intermediate level, which could lead to substructuring in wild populations. Overall, these findings revealed a potential genetic risk associated with the release of hatchery strains into wild populations.

D-Galactose-Induced Accelerated Aging Model on Auditory Cortical Neurons by Regulating Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Vitro

OBJECTIVES

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is much more prevalent with age, affecting not only peripheral but central auditory system. We have previously established an aging model of peripheral auditory system in vitro using cultured cochlear basilar membrane. However, there is no ideal accelerated aging model on central auditory system in vitro. To establish the aging model, auditory cortical neurons (ACNs) were primary cultured and treated with either vehicle or different doses of D-galactose (D-gal). We studied the effect of D-gal on ACNs by evaluating the hallmarks of aging, including cell proliferation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, and neuronal apoptosis. Compared with the control group, cell viability was significantly inhibited in the D-gal-treated group in a dose-dependent manner. The production of reactive oxygen species was strongly increased in the D-gal-treated group. Meanwhile, the level of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, which is a biomarker of DNA oxidative damage, was even higher in the D-gal-treated group than that in the control group. Conversely, the levels of ATP and mitochondrial membrane potential were notably decreased in the D-gal-treated group contrast to that in the control group. Furthermore, the number of neuronal apoptosis in the D-gal-treated group, compared with that in the control group, was dramatically increased in a dose-dependent approach. Together, our results demonstrate that ACNs treated with D-gal in vitro display senescence characteristics by regulating oxidative stress and apoptosis, indicating accelerated aging model on ACNs are successfully established. And the model provides a promising approach for exploring underlying mechanisms of the ARHL.

Mitochondria damage and ferroptosis involved in Ni-induced hepatotoxicity in mice

Nickel (Ni) is an environmental toxicant that can cause toxic damage to humans and animals. Although the hepatotoxicity of Ni has been confirmed, its precise mechanism is still unclear. In this study, the results showed that nickel chloride (NiCl₂)-treatment could induce mice hepatotoxicity including hepatic histopathological alterations and up-regulation of serum AST and ALT. According to the results, NiCl₂ increased malondialdehyde (MDA) production while reducing total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity and glutathione (GSH) content. Additionally, NiCl₂ induced mitochondrial damage which was featured by increase in mitochondrial ROS (mt-ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) depolarization. The mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I-IV and ATP content were decreased in the liver of NiCl₂-treated mice. Meanwhile, NiCl₂ caused hepatic ferroptosis accompanied by increased iron content in the liver and up-regulation of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein and mRNA expression levels, down-regulation of glutathione eroxidase 4 (GPX4), ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) and nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) protein and mRNA expression levels. Altogether, the above mentioned results indicate that NiCl₂ treatment may induce hepatic damage through mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis.

High carbohydrate diet induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress, promoted inflammation and apoptosis, impaired intestinal barrier of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

This study assessed the effects of feed carbohydrate content on intestinal physical barrier and immunity in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Triplicate groups of juvenile fish (4.1 ± 0.2 g) were fed low (LCD, 7%), medium (MCD, 12%) and high (HCD, 17%) carbohydrate diets for eight weeks. Gut histology revealed the slight infiltration of inflammatory cells and moderate loss of mucous membrane layer in HCD group. Expression of ZO1, occluding, and claudin7 genes and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene were significantly decreased in HCD group indicating the impairment of tight junction and epithelial cell regeneration. The results showed the significant (P < 0.05) reduction of antioxidant capacity in HCD group compared to LCD. Furthermore, expression of intestinal ERS-related genes such as IRE1, Eif2α, GRP78, CHOPα and CHOPβ in HCD group was significantly higher than the LCD group. In addition, HCD induced the up-regulated expression of inflammatory (IL-8, IL-1β, TNFα and COX2) and apoptosis (TRAF2, bax, casepase3, caspase8 and casepase9) related genes in fish intestine. The data generated in this study clearly demonstrated that HCD induced ERS and oxidative stress, which promoted intestinal inflammation and apoptosis in juvenile largemouth bass.

Two new Polyangium species, P. aurulentum sp. nov. and P. jinanense sp. nov., isolated from a soil sample

Polyangium belongs to Polyangiaceae family of Myxococcales, a taxonomic group well-known for their extraordinary social lifestyle and diverse novel gene clusters of secondary metabolites. A yellow-golden strain, designated SDU3-1^T, and two rose pink strains, designated SDU13 and SDU14^T, were isolated from a soil sample. These three strains were aerobic, mesophilic, not salt-tolerant and were able to prey on living microorganisms. SDU13 and SDU14^T formed solitary sporangioles under starvation conditions, while SDU3-1^T had no fruiting body structures. They showed 95.9-97.0% (SDU3-1^T) or 98.7-98.9% (SDU13 and SDU14^T) 16S rRNA gene similarity with the type strains of Polyangium, but were phylogenetically separate from them based on the 16S rRNA gene and genome sequences. Their genomes were 12.3 Mbp (SDU3-1^T), 13.9 Mbp (SDU13) and 13.8 Mbp (SDU14^T) with the G + C content range of 68.3-69.4 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and DNA-DNA hybridization analyses of genomes further indicated that these three strains belonged to two new species in Polyangium. Their major fatty acids were C_18:1ω9c, C_16:0 and C_18:0. The polyphasic taxonomic characterization suggest that the three strains represent two novel species in the genus Polyangium, for which the names Polyangium aurulentum sp. nov. and Polyangium jinanense sp. nov. are proposed, and the type strains are SDU3-1^T (=CGMCC 1.16875^T = KCTC 72136^T) and SDU14^T (=CCTCC AB 2021123^T = KCTC 82625^T), respectively.

Oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis and autophagy involved in Ni-induced nephrotoxicity in the mice

As an extensively environmental pollution, Nickel (Ni) represents a serious hazard to human health. The present study focused on exploring the mechanism of Ni-mediated nephrotoxicity, such as apoptosis, autophagy and oxidative stress. In the current work, NiCl2 treatment could induce kidney damage. Meanwhile, NiCl2 treatment elevated ROS production and MDA content and suppressed the antioxidant activity, which was characterized by reducing T-AOC, CAT, SOD activity and GSH content. For investigating the role of oxidative stress on NiCl2-mediated nephrotoxicity, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC, effective antioxidant and free radical scavenger) was co-treated with NiCl2. The results showed that NAC significantly suppressed the NiCl2-mediated oxidative stress and mitigated NiCl2-induced the kidney damage. Then, whether oxidative stress-induced autophagy and apoptosis were involved in NiCl2-induced nephrotoxicity was explored. The findings demonstrated that NAC relieved NiCl2-induced autophagy and reversed the activation of Akt/AMPK/mTOR pathway. Concurrently, the results indicated that NAC attenuated NiCl2-induced apoptosis, as evidenced by reduction of apoptotic cells and cleaved-caspase-3/- 8/- 9 together with cleaved-PARP protein levels. To sum up, our findings suggested that NiCl2-mediated renal injury was associated with oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and autophagy. This study provides new theoretical basis for excess Ni exposure nephrotoxic researches.

Predictive value of GRACE score combined with BNP and glycosylated hemoglobin for in-hospital cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention

Purpose

To investigate the value of Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score combined with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in predicting in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

A total of consecutive 675 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) admitted to our hospital from June 2019 to June 2020, and finally, 319 patients treated with the percutaneous coronary intervenion (PCI) were enrolled. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during hospitalization included cardiac death, cardiogenic shock, congestive heart failure, recurrent ischemic chest pain and malignant arrhythmia. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the predictive value of MACE during hospitalization.

Results

Among 319 patients, during hospitalization, 26 patients (8.15%) experienced the MACE. Compared to that of non-MACE group, there were more patients with previous history of heart failure (P&lt;0.001), lower in-admission systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P all&lt;0.05), and higher heart rate, GRACE score, BNP, and HbA1c levels in the MACE group (P all&lt;0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that history of heart failure (OR: 1.498, 95% CI: 1.144–2.249), GRACE score (OR: 1.040, 95% CI: 1.017–1.063), BNP (OR: 1.019, 95% CI: 1.012–1.026) and HbA1C (OR: 1.199, 95% CI: 1.043–1.378) were independent risk factors for MACE in patients with ACS after PCI (P all&lt;0.05). The AUC of GRACE score for predicting MACE in ACS patients after PCI was 0.758, while the AUC of BNP and HbA1C was 0.838 and 0.788, respectively. When GRACE score combined with BNP and HbA1c, the AUC was increased to 0.876, which was significantly higher than the GRACE score alone (Z=4.142, P&lt;0.001).

Conclusion

In this study, we reported for the first time, GRACE score combined with BNP and HbA1c significantly improved the predictive value of in-hospital MACE in ACS patients after PCI compared with traditional GRACE score, which can help clinicians identify high risk patients to improve their prognosis in the clinical practice.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public hospital(s). Main funding source(s): Young and middle-aged talents in the XPCC Science and Technology Project (2020CB012); Key Science and Technology Project of Shihezi (2019ZH09) ROC Curve

Constraints on Cosmic Strings Using Data from the Third Advanced LIGO-Virgo Observing Run

We search for gravitational-wave signals produced by cosmic strings in the Advanced LIGO and Virgo full O3 dataset. Search results are presented for gravitational waves produced by cosmic string loop features such as cusps, kinks, and, for the first time, kink-kink collisions. A template-based search for short-duration transient signals does not yield a detection. We also use the stochastic gravitational-wave background energy density upper limits derived from the O3 data to constrain the cosmic string tension Gμ as a function of the number of kinks, or the number of cusps, for two cosmic string loop distribution models. Additionally, we develop and test a third model that interpolates between these two models. Our results improve upon the previous LIGO-Virgo constraints on Gμ by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude depending on the model that is tested. In particular, for the one-loop distribution model, we set the most competitive constraints to date: Gμ≲4×10^{-15}. In the case of cosmic strings formed at the end of inflation in the context of grand unified theories, these results challenge simple inflationary models.

Constraints on Cosmic Strings Using Data from the Third Advanced LIGO-Virgo Observing Run

We search for gravitational-wave signals produced by cosmic strings in the Advanced LIGO and Virgo full O3 dataset. Search results are presented for gravitational waves produced by cosmic string loop features such as cusps, kinks, and, for the first time, kink-kink collisions. A template-based search for short-duration transient signals does not yield a detection. We also use the stochastic gravitational-wave background energy density upper limits derived from the O3 data to constrain the cosmic string tension Gμ as a function of the number of kinks, or the number of cusps, for two cosmic string loop distribution models. Additionally, we develop and test a third model that interpolates between these two models. Our results improve upon the previous LIGO-Virgo constraints on Gμ by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude depending on the model that is tested. In particular, for the one-loop distribution model, we set the most competitive constraints to date: Gμ≲4×10^{-15}. In the case of cosmic strings formed at the end of inflation in the context of grand unified theories, these results challenge simple inflationary models.

The use of PacBio SMRT technology to explore the microbial network and fermentation characteristics of woody silage prepared with exogenous carbohydrate additives

AIMS

To effectively use woody plant resources to prepare silage for ruminants, Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing was applied to study the microbial network and fermentation characteristics of paper mulberry (PM) silage prepared with corn meal (CM) and rice bran (RB) as exogenous additives.

METHODS AND RESULTS

PM is rich in nutrients and contains more than 26% crude protein in dry matter. After ensiling, the microbial diversity and abundance in PM, CM and RB decreased due to the anaerobic environment and acidic conditions. The CM-treated PM silage accelerated the conversion of the dominant microbial community from harmful bacteria to lactic acid bacteria and promoted lactic acid fermentation. When RB was used to treat PM silage, Enterobacter and Clostridium species became the main bacterial community during ensiling, leading to butyric acid fermentation and protein decomposition. Compared with RB, CM increased the amount of fermentation substrates, changed the microbial community structure and affected metabolic pathways (global metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism), which improved the flavour and quality of the PM silage.

CONCLUSIONS

The CM addition of improved the fermentation quality of PM silage, with PM + CM being the ideal combination. The SMRT sequencing technology could accurately obtain specific details of the microbial networks and fermentation characteristics. Our results indicate that PM can be used as a potential high-protein silage in animal production.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

In tropics, the effective use of abundant natural biomass resources such as woody plants to prepare silage for feed preservation can solve the problem of restricting livestock production due to the shortage of feed in the dry season. SMRT sequencing technology was used to accurately analyze the microbial network and fermentation characteristics of woody silage prepared with CM as an exogenous additive to improve the fermentation quality of silage.

Role of the active cycle of breathing technique combined with phonophoresis for the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): study protocol for a preliminary randomized controlled trial

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by coughing, the production of excess sputum, and dyspnea. Patients with excessively thick sputum may have frequent attacks or develop more serious disease. The guidelines recommend airway clearance for patients with excessive sputum who are hospitalized with COPD. The active cycle of breathing technique is the most common non-pharmacological airway clearance technique used by physiotherapists. However, the effectiveness of the technique is not always guaranteed. Active cycle of breathing techniques require the initial dilution of the sputum, usually by inhalation drugs, which may have limited effects. Recent studies have found that phonophoresis decreases inflammation, suggesting the potential of the combined usage of active cycle of breathing techniques and phonophoresis. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness and safety of combining active cycle of breathing technique and phonophoresis in treating COPD patients.

Methods and analysis

We propose a single-blind randomized controlled trial using 75 hospitalized patients diagnosed with COPD with excessive sputum production. The patients will be divided into three groups. The intervention group will receive active cycle of breathing techniques combined with phonophoresis. The two comparison groups will be treated with active cycle of breathing techniques and phonophoresis, respectively. The program will be implemented daily for 1 week. The primary outcomes will be changes in sputum viscosity and production, lung function, and pulse oximetry. Secondary outcomes include the assessment of COPD and anxiety, measured by the COPD Assessment Test scale and the Anxiety Inventory for Respiratory Disease, respectively; self-satisfaction; the degree of cooperation; and the length of hospital stay. All outcome measures, with the exception of sputum production and additional secondary outcomes, will be assessed at the commencement of the study and after 1 week’s intervention. Analysis of variance will be used to investigate differences between the groups, and a p-value of less than 0.05 (two-tailed) will be considered statistically significant.

Discussion

This study introduces a combination of active cycle of breathing techniques and phonophoresis to explore the impact of these interventions on patients hospitalized with COPD. If this combined intervention is shown to be effective, it may prove to be a better treatment for patients with COPD.

Trial registration

The trial was registered prospectively on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 24 December 2019.ClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR1900028506. Registered on December 2019.

Comprehensive analysis of full-length transcriptomes of Schizothorax prenanti by single-molecule long-read sequencing

Schizothorax prenanti (S. prenanti) is one of the most important aquaculture species in the southwest of China. However, information of the full-length transcripts in S. prenanti remains unknown. In this study, single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing was performed to generate full-length transcriptomes of S.prenanti. In total, 23.26 Gb of clean reads were generated. A total of 312,587 circular consensus sequences (CCS) were obtained with average lengths of 2634 bp and 84.16% (270,662) of CCS were full-length non-chimeric reads. After being corrected with Illumina library sequencing, 18,005 contigs were obtained, with 17,797 (98.81%) successfully annotated in eight public databases, including 15,839 complete open reading frames (ORFs) with an average length of 1330 bp. Furthermore, a total of 4152 alternative splicing (AS) events and 250 long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcripts were detected. Additionally, a total of 1129 putative transcription factors (TFs) members from 56 TF families and 11,660 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified. This study provided a valuable resource of full-length transcripts for further research on S. prenanti.

Increasement of Cd adsorption capacity of rice stubble from being alive until death in a modified rice-fish system

Soil heavy metal contamination is an increasingly urgent problem throughout the world. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and ecologically friendly in situ method for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils. Rice has the potential for use in soil remediation due to its high biomass production, however, risks related to food safety and low accumulation potential exist. Therefore, in the current study, rice stubble was used as the adsorbent in a modified rice-fish system (MRFS) to assess its accumulation capacity in a model paddy field dosed with 0-40.0 mg kg^-1 Cd. The weighted mean concentration (WMC) of Cd in rice stubble increased from 0.498 to 36.365 mg kg^-1 to 1.038-71.180 mg kg^-1 from 0 to 60 days post-harvest (dph), and the corresponding increment rate was 107.68%, 117.42%, 157.77% and 95.73%, respectively. Sixty-days post-harvest, removal rate of Cd from contaminated soils was 1.11-1.40%, which was greater than that of the Cd-hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens. The WMC of the heavy metals Cd, Zn, Pb, Cr and Cu in rice stubble increased 51.11-97.50%, and removal rate was 1.93-2.66%. Overall, rice stubble had a high capacity of heavy metal accumulation, mainly benefiting from the synthesis effects of MRFS and the changes of accumulation mechanism within the plant from being alive until death. Notably, this study also provides a new idea for in situ, herbage-based phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils.

Vibrio marinisediminis sp. nov., Isolated from Marine Sediment

A novel Gram-stain-negative, facultative anaerobic, motile bacterium, designated as 404^T, was isolated from a marine sediment sample in the Bohai Gulf, China. Growth was observed at 10-35 °C (optimum, 20-25 °C) and in the presence of 1.0-6.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0-3.0%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain 404^T belonged to the genus Vibrio, showing the highest sequence similarity to Vibrio renipiscarius KCTC 42287^T (97.6%). The draft genome is 4.5 Mb in length, containing 4278 protein-coding genes, 60 tRNA genes and 9 rRNA genes, and DNA G+C content is 44.1 mol%. Strain 404^T contains phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, and phospholipid as the main polar lipids, and the predominant quinone is ubiquinone Q-8. The major cellular fatty acids (>8.0%) are C_16 : 1ω6c and/or C_16 : 1ω7c, C_16 : 0, C_18 : 1ω6c and/or C_18 : 1ω7c. Strain 404^T shows some typical characteristics among the members of genus Vibrio, while it can be clearly distinguished from the closely related type strains through genome analysis (average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values), fatty acid composition and a series of physiological and biochemical characteristics. On the basis of the polyphasic analysis, strain 404^T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Vibrio, for which the name Vibrio marinisediminis sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is 404^T (= MCCC 1H00367^T = KCTC 62958^T).

Cell-surface engineering of yeasts for whole-cell biocatalysts

Due to the unique advantages comparing with traditional free enzymes and chemical catalysis, whole-cell biocatalysts have been widely used to catalyze reactions effectively, simply and environment friendly. Cell-surface display technology provides a novel and effective approach for improved whole-cell biocatalysts expressing heterologous enzymes on the cell surface. They can overcome the substrate transport limitation of the intracellular expression and provide the enzymes with enhanced properties. Among all the host surface-displaying microorganisms, yeast is ideally suitable for constructing whole cell-surface-displaying biocatalyst, because of the large cell size, the generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status, and the perfect post-translational processing of secreted proteins. Yeast cell-surface display system has been a promising and powerful method for development of novel and improved engineered biocatalysts. In this review, the characterization and principles of yeast cell-surface display and the applications of yeast cell-surface display in engineered whole-cell biocatalysts as well as the improvement of the enzyme efficiency are summarized and discussed.

Characterization of Myostain (MSTN) and Myogenic Differentiation Antigen (MyoD) and the Effect of Dexamethasone on Their Expression in Large-Scale Loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus

Myostatin (MSTN) and myogenic differentiation antigen (MyoD) play an essential role in specification and differentiation of skeletal muscle. However, the role of stress in the regulation of MyoD and MSTN has not been fully revealed and more evidence should be provided. Here, we reported the cloning and expressional analyses of MSTN and MyoD in Large-scale Loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus (hereafter PdMSTN and PdMyoD). Injecting individuals with 0, 60, 600, and 1,200 μg/kg dexamethasone (DXM) for five consecutive days resulted in a dose-dependent change of PdMSTN and PdMyoD expression. The expression of PdMSTN was upregulated with increasing DXM concentrations, while PdMyoD expression was downregulated. The changes in the expression of these genes at different time points for 10 consecutive days were studied after individuals were treated with 600 μg/kg DXM. Compared with the control group, PdMSTN expression decreased and PdMyoD expression increased before 12 h, and both PdMSTN and PdMyoD expression levels increased at 24 h, which was significantly higher than those in control group. At a prolonged treatment of 5-10 d, expression levels of PdMSTN and PdMyoD had significantly reduced. The results indicate that both PdMyoD and PdMSTN are involved in DXM-induced stress in Large-scale Loach.

Effects of cadmium pollution on the safety of rice and fish in a rice-fish coculture system

The rice-fish coculture system (RFS) is one of the most important and environmentally friendly agricultural systems in the world. With the increasing amounts of heavy metal contamination in the soil and water, the safe production of RFS has been greatly threatened. However, there are no reports on heavy metal uptake by rice and fish in a RFS. In this study, a model of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated RFS with the addition of 0-40.00 mg kg^-1Cd was simulated in the field. The accumulation of Cd in the rice and fish increased as the level of Cd contamination increased. Regardless of the level of contamination, the order of Cd accumulation in the rice was root > stem ≈ leaf > rice grain > brown grain and in the fish was liver ≈ gut > kidney > gill > muscle. The dissolved oxygen (DO) and the transparency of water were significantly reduced after the fish were added. The tendency of the Cd to accumulate in the fish correlated with the change of the concentration of Cd in the water (P < 0.05). According to the maximum level of Cd in the brown grains (0.40 mg kg^-1) and in the fish muscle (0.10 mg kg^-1) of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), the safety threshold of soil Cd for the rice and the fish was calculated to be 5.86 mg kg^-1 and 31.47 mg kg^-1, respectively, indicating that the safety risk to the rice was much greater in a Cd-contaminated RFS.

GW190521: A Binary Black Hole Merger with a Total Mass of 150 M_{⊙}

On May 21, 2019 at 03:02:29 UTC Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo observed a short duration gravitational-wave signal, GW190521, with a three-detector network signal-to-noise ratio of 14.7, and an estimated false-alarm rate of 1 in 4900 yr using a search sensitive to generic transients. If GW190521 is from a quasicircular binary inspiral, then the detected signal is consistent with the merger of two black holes with masses of 85_{-14}^{+21}  M_{⊙} and 66_{-18}^{+17}  M_{⊙} (90% credible intervals). We infer that the primary black hole mass lies within the gap produced by (pulsational) pair-instability supernova processes, with only a 0.32% probability of being below 65  M_{⊙}. We calculate the mass of the remnant to be 142_{-16}^{+28}  M_{⊙}, which can be considered an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH). The luminosity distance of the source is 5.3_{-2.6}^{+2.4}  Gpc, corresponding to a redshift of 0.82_{-0.34}^{+0.28}. The inferred rate of mergers similar to GW190521 is 0.13_{-0.11}^{+0.30}  Gpc^{-3} yr^{-1}.

Eggerthella lenta bloodstream infections: two cases and review of the literature

Eggerthella lenta is an emerging and uncommon human pathogen that has been under recognized due to the limitations of phenotypic identification. Here we describe two cases of bacteremia caused by E. lenta and summarize the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing according to some previous literatures, which illustrate the importance of identification and treatment of unusual organisms. The most reliable antibiotic treatment options to E. lenta appear to be metronidazole, amoxicillin-clavulanate, carbapenems, vancomycin, cefoxitin, chloramphenicol and clindamycin.

Halomonas marinisediminis sp. nov., A Moderately Halophilic Bacterium Isolated from the Bohai Gulf

A novel Gram-stain-negative, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated strain 204^T, was isolated from a marine sediment sample in the Bohai Gulf, Yellow Sea, China. Cells of strain 204^T are aerobic, motile, cocci or short rods with two lateral flagella. Growth was observed at 15-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, 7.0-7.5) and in the presence of 1.0-18.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.0-8.0%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 204^T belonged to the genus Halomonas, showing highest sequence similarity to Halomonas alimentaria YKJ-16^T (98.08%), followed by Halomonas sediminicola (97.47%), Halomonas fontilapidosi (97.14%), Halomonas halodenitrificans (96.98%), Halomonas ventosae (96.92%), and Halomonas shengliensis (96.85%). The draft genome is 3.8 Mb in length, containing 3673 protein-coding genes, 62 tRNA genes and 10 rRNA genes, and DNA G+C content is 62.7 mol%. Strain 204^T contains phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and diphosphatidylglycerol as the main polar lipids, and the predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-9. The major cellular fatty acids (> 5%) are C_18:1ω7c, C_16:1ω7c and/or C_16:1ω6c, C_16:0 and C_12:03-OH. Strain 204^T was clearly distinguished from the closely related type strains through phylogenetic analysis, dDNA-DNA hybridization, fatty acid composition data and a range of physiological and biochemical characteristics comparisons. On the basis of the polyphasic analysis, strain 204^T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Halomonas, for which the name Halomonas marinisediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 204^T (= MCCC 1H00366^T = KCTC 62957^T).

SSREnricher: a computational approach for large-scale identification of polymorphic microsatellites based on comparative transcriptome analysis

Microsatellite (SSR) markers are the most popular markers for genetic analyses and molecular selective breeding in plants and animals. However, the currently available methods to develop SSRs are relatively time-consuming and expensive. One of the most factors is low frequency of polymorphic SSRs. In this study, we developed a software, SSREnricher, which composes of six core analysis procedures, including SSR mining, sequence clustering, sequence modification, enrichment containing polymorphic SSR sequences, false-positive removal and results output and multiple sequence alignment. After running of transcriptome sequences on this software, a mass of polymorphic SSRs can be identified. The validation experiments showed almost all markers (>90%) that were identified by the SSREnricher as putative polymorphic markers were indeed polymorphic. The frequency of polymorphic SSRs identified by SSREnricher was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of traditional and HTS approaches. The software package is publicly accessible on GitHub (https://github.com/byemaxx/SSREnricher).

FRI0593 CORRELATION BETWEEN DISEASE ACTIVITY AND MENTAL HEALTH OF AS PATIENTS: A CROSS-SECTION STUDY WITH SELF-ASSESSMENTS BASED ON SMART SYSTEM OF DISEASE MANAGEMENT (SSDM) MOBILE TOOLS

Background:

WHO survey showed that the prevalence of anxiety and depression in Chinese population and Chinese patients with chronic diseases were between 3.1% - 4.2% and 3.1% - 7.3%, respectively. Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) are commonly used to evaluate AS patients’ disease activity and mental health. All those assessments were mainly performed by health professionals (HCPs) with paper questionnaire previously. SSDM is a novel smart disease management tool that allows patients to do self-assessments on ASDAS and HADS by mobile terminals.

Objectives:

To estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in Chinese patients with AS and to analyze the potential association between disease activity and mental health.

Methods:

Under the guidance and training by HCPs, AS patients downloaded SSDM and performed self-assessments bundle of ASDAS and HADS with SSDM. ASDAS<=1.3, 1.3-2.1, 2.1-3.5 and >3.5 are defined as inactive (IDA), moderate (MDA), high (HDA) and very high (VHDA) disease activity, respectively. ASDAS score <=1.3 represents inactive disease status and achievement of T2T. HADS score >=8 can be diagnosed with anxiety or depression.

Results:

From June 2016 to Jan 2020, 1,931 AS patients (1,118 male, 813 female) with a mean age of 34.09 ± 11.86 (12-82) years and the median disease duration of 2.61 years from 207 hospitals performed bundle self-assessments for 2,477 times in total. According to the HADS and ASDAS assessment results, the prevalence of anxiety and depression in all patients was 36.7% and 39.3% respectively, which was significantly higher than that in the WHO survey in Chinese population and chronic disease patients. The proportion of patients achieved and failed on T2T was 29% and 71%, respectively. The prevalence of anxiety (A) and depression (D) was 25% and 23% among T2T achievers; and 37% and 32% among T2T failures, respectively (pA<0.05, pD<0.05).

According to ASDAS, in IDA, MDA, HDA and VHDA subgroups, the prevalence of anxiety and depression was 27%, 36%, 41%, 52% and 29%, 38%, 45%, 56%, respectively. The correlation coefficients of anxiety (A) and depression (D) with ASDAS were rA=0.9908 and rD=0.9964. It suggested that with the increase of disease activity, the proportion of AS patients with anxiety and depression increased significantly. (Figure 1)

Figure 1.

The prevalence of anxiety and depression according to ASDAS.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of anxiety and depression in AS patients was significantly higher than that in the WHO survey in Chinese population and chronic disease patients. Higher prevalence of anxiety and depression were associated with higher levels of disease activity. SSDM is an effective mobile interface to monitor and study entanglement of disease activity and mental health in AS patients, which build a foundation for proactive interventions in future.

Acknowledgments:

Smart system of disease management (SSDM) was developed by Shanghai Gothic Internet Technology Co., Ltd.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Full-length transcriptome analysis of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

Faithful analysis of transcripts represents a critical component of the gene discovery, genomic characterization and annotation process in species without a reference genome. The present study generated 28,001 full-length transcripts of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus using the Pacific Bioscience (PacBio) single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing system. A total of 77,346 consensus isoforms were identified, and 18,991 complete open reading frames (ORFs) detected. In total, 1345 lncRNAs were identified with high-confidence, with additional identification of a number of well-known transcription factors. The present study may facilitate additional exploration of the genomic signatures of M. anguillicaudatus.