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High-throughput RNA sequencing offers broad opportunities to explore the Earth RNA virome. Mining 5,150 diverse metatranscriptomes uncovered >2.5 million RNA virus contigs. Analysis of >330,000 RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRPs) shows that this expansion corresponds to a 5-fold increase of the known RNA virus diversity. Gene content analysis revealed multiple protein domains previously not found in RNA viruses and implicated in virus-host interactions. Extended RdRP phylogeny supports the monophyly of the five established phyla and reveals two putative additional bacteriophage phyla and numerous putative additional classes and orders. The dramatically expanded phylum Lenarviricota, consisting of bacterial and related eukaryotic viruses, now accounts for a third of the RNA virome. Identification of CRISPR spacer matches and bacteriolytic proteins suggests that subsets of picobirnaviruses and partitiviruses, previously associated with eukaryotes, infect prokaryotic hosts.

The interaction between cancer and its microenvironment is crucial for survival and development of cancerous cells. Tumor microenvironment is usually under hypoxia, which promotes tumor aggressiveness like growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. How cancer cells respond to hypoxia and the resultant impact on tumorigenesis are not yet fully explored. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been attracting more and more attention since their functions in regulating gene expression at chromatic, transcriptional, and posttranscriptional levels were found. lncRNAs are dysregulated in cancer and act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Moreover, emerging evidence has been provided that the expression of lncRNAs changes with the stimulus of hypoxia and they in turn produce a significant influence on the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), the most common transcription regulator in response to hypoxia. In this review, we discuss the recent findings of hypoxia-responsive lncRNAs and summarize their interaction with hypoxia to further understand their roles in cancer growth, metabolism, angiogenesis, and metastasis and their potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a typical air pollutant and has adverse health effects across the world, especially in the rapidly developing China due to significant air pollution. The PM2.5 pollution varies with time and space, and is dominated by the locations owing to the differences in geographical conditions including topography and meteorology, the land use and the characteristics of urbanization and industrialization, all of which control the pollution formation by influencing the various sources and transport of PM2.5. To characterize these parameters and mechanisms, the 5-year PM2.5 pollution patterns of Jiangsu province in eastern China with high-resolution was investigated. The Kriging interpolation method of geostatistical analysis (GIS) and the HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model were conducted to study the spatial and temporal distribution of air pollution at 110 sites from national air quality monitoring network covering 13 cities. The PM2.5 pollution of the studied region was obvious, although the annual average concentration decreased from previous 72 to recent 50 μg m−3. Evident temporal variations showed high PM2.5 level in winter and low in summer. Spatially, PM2.5 level was higher in northern (inland, heavy industry) than that in eastern (costal, plain) regions. Industrial sources contributed highest to the air pollution. Backward trajectory clustering and potential source contribution factor (PSCF) analysis indicated that the typical monsoon climate played an important role in the aerosol transport. In summer, the air mass in Jiangsu was mainly affected by the updraft from near region, which accounted for about 60% of the total number of trajectories, while in winter, the long-distance transport from the northwest had a significant impact on air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wide spread of nanoparticles (NPs) has caused tremendous concerns on agricultural ecosystem. Some metallic NPs, such as zinc oxide (ZnO), can be utilized as a nano-fertilizer when used at optimal doses. However, little is known about the responses of plant development and concomitant soil bacteria community to ZnO NPs. The present pot experiment studied the impacts of different doses of ZnO NPs and bulk ZnO (0, 1, 10, 100 mg ZnO/kg), on the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and the associated rhizospheric soil bacterial community. Results showed that at a dose of 10 mg/kg, ZnO NPs and bulk ZnO, enhanced the lettuce biomass and the net photosynthetic rate; whereas, the Zn content in plant tissue was higher in NPs treatment than in their bulk counterpart at 10 mg/kg dose or higher. For the underground observations, 10 mg/kg treatment doses (NPs or bulk) significantly changed the soil bacterial community structure, despite the non-significant variations in alpha diversity. Taxonomic distribution revealed that some lineages within Cyanobacteria and other phyla individually demonstrated similar or different responses to ZnO NPs and bulk ZnO. Moreover, some lineages associated with plant growth promotion were also influenced to different extents by ZnO NPs and bulk ZnO, suggesting the distinct microbial processes occurring in soil. Collectively, this study expanded our understanding of the influence of ZnO NPs on plant performance and the associated soil microorganisms.

The interaction between cancer and its microenvironment is crucial for survival and development of cancerous cells. Tumor microenvironment is usually under hypoxia, which promotes tumor aggressiveness like growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. How cancer cells respond to hypoxia and the resultant impact on tumorigenesis are not yet fully explored. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been attracting more and more attention since their functions in regulating gene expression at chromatic, transcriptional, and posttranscriptional levels were found. lncRNAs are dysregulated in cancer and act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Moreover, emerging evidence has been provided that the expression of lncRNAs changes with the stimulus of hypoxia and they in turn produce a significant influence on the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), the most common transcription regulator in response to hypoxia. In this review, we discuss the recent findings of hypoxia-responsive lncRNAs and summarize their interaction with hypoxia to further understand their roles in cancer growth, metabolism, angiogenesis, and metastasis and their potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment.