Search

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are key factors affecting diabetic wound healing. However, the FGF family's expression patterns in skin and wounds influenced by both diabetes and sex are still unknown.In this study, normal and Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic C57BL/6J male and female mice were used to study the FGF family's expression in non-wound skin and wounds. We found that the expression patterns of Fgfs were affected by sex in both normal and diabetic animals during wound healing. In normal control mice, sex difference had a limited effect on basal skin Fgf expressions. However, it significantly influenced Fgf expressions in wounds. Type 1 diabetes reduced basal and wound-induced skin Fgf expressions. Female mice had far lower wound-induced skin Fgf expressions in diabetic mice. In addition, sex differently influenced Fibroblast growth factors receptor (Fgfr) expression patterns of non-wound skin and wounds in both normal and diabetic mice. Moreover, female mice had a lower relative level of Fibronectin leucine-rich repeat transmembrane protein 2 (FLRT2) - a FGFR activation marker gene - in wound and blood plasma. Correspondingly, the wound areas of female animals were larger than that of male animals in the early stage of wound healing (less than 3-day injury).Our research shows that the FGF family have different expression patterns in normal and diabetic wound healing in mice of different sex. Additionally, we also provide the signatures of individual FGFs in diabetic wound healing, which deserve further investigation.

To investigate the roles of DDR2 and IFITM1 in breast cancer (BC).The expression of DDR2 and IFITM1 in BC tissues and cell lines was measured. DDR2 and/or IFITM1 were knocked down in BT20 and MDA-MB-231 cells, after which the viability, mobility and apoptosis of the cells were tested. Xenograft mouse models were established through subcutaneous tumor transplantation.DDR2 and IFITM1 were highly expressed in invasive BC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of DDR2 and/or IFITM1 was associated with poorer clinical outcomes and patient survival. Knockdown of DDR2 or IFITM1 suppressed the viability and invasiveness of BT20 and MDA-MB-231 cells and restrained the growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice. Simultaneous knockdown of IFITM1 and DDR2 surpassed knockdown of IFITM1 alone in suppressing BC development.DDR2 and IFITM1 are co-expressed to facilitate the malignant behaviors of BC cells and promote the development of tumors.

Background Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a curative therapy for hematologic malignancies and non-malignant disorders, such as aplastic anemia, fanconi anemia, and certain immune deficiencies. Post-transplantation kidney injury is a common complication and involves a wide spectrum of structural abnormalities, including glomerular (MSPGN, mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis; FSGS, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis; MPGN, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis; MCD, minimal change disease), vascular (TMA, thrombotic microangiopathy), and/or tubulointerstitial (TIN, tubulointerstitial nephritis; ATI, acute tubular injury). Renal biopsy is the gold-standard examination for defining multiple etiologies of kidney impairment. Although kidney injury following HSCT has been studied, little is known about the effects of allo-HSCT on renal pathology in pediatric patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed renal biopsy specimens from children with kidney injury after allo-HSCT and correlated results with clinical data in the last 10 years. Results Among 25 children (18 males and 7 females), three patients had proteinuria indicating nephrotic syndrome (24-hour urinary total protein/weight > 50 mg/kg/d), nine patients had severely reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR 2) and four patients received kidney replacement therapy (KRT). The main pathologies identified from kidney biopsies were MSPGN (n = 12), FSGS (n = 12), MPGN (n = 5), TMA (n = 4), MCD (n = 3), diffuse glomerular fibrosis (DGF, n = 2), ATI and TIN, in isolation or combined with other pathologies. The median follow-up time was 16.5 (0.5 ~ 68.0) months. Three patients died of recurrent malignancy and/or severe infection, one child developed to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), six patients (24%) had elevated serum creatinine (SCr > 100µmol/l) and nine patients (36%) still had proteinuria. Conclusions This study evaluates histomorphologic findings from kidney biopsies of pediatric recipients following allo-HSCT. Detailed evaluation of renal biopsy samples is helpful to elucidate the nature of renal insult, and may potentially identify treatable disease processes.

The Bemisia tabaci Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species has been rapidly invading most parts of the world owing to its strong ecological adaptability, particularly its strong resistance to temperature stress. Epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in mediating ecological plasticity. In particular, DNA methylation has been the focus of attempts to understand the mechanism of phenotypic plasticity. The relationship between temperature and DNA methylation and how it affects the adaptability of invasive insects remain unknown. To investigate the temperature resistance role of DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) in MED, we cloned and sequenced BtDnmt1 homology and identified its functions under various temperature conditions. The full-length cDNA of MED BtDnmt1 homology was 5,958 bp and has a 4,287 bp open reading frame that encodes a 1,428-amino-acid protein. BtDnmt1 mRNA expression levels were significantly down-regulated after feeding with dsRNA. Furthermore, after feeding with dsBtDnmt1, the MED adults exhibited significantly higher mortality under temperature stress conditions than the controls, suggesting that MED BtDnmt1 homology plays an essential role in the temperature tolerance capacity of MED. Our data improve our understanding of the temperature resistance and temperature adaptability mechanisms that have allowed the successful invasion and colonization of various environments by this alien species.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in plant cell are thought to be important inducible factors of cell apoptosis if excessively accumulated in cells. To elucidate the metabolic mechanism of MDA production and scavenging in the cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) rice, CMS line and maintainer were employed for studying the relationship at different developmental stages by marking upmost pulvinus interval method of experiment. The results showed that the panicles and leaves of the CMS line had a noticeable higher MDA content than those of maintainer line at all five stages that had been investigated (p < 0.05). MDA content in the CMS line in the flag leaves of auricle in the distance 0 mm stage (the meiosis stage) was the highest of the five stages. The increase of MDA contents in sterile panicles and leaves had inducible effects on the enzymic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). However, at the abortion peak stage, MDA was excessively accumulated and antioxidant enzymic activity reduced significantly, resulting in the generation and scavenging of MDA out of balance.

LYR motif-containing 1 (LYRM1) was recently discovered to be involved in adipose tissue homeostasis and obesity-associated insulin resistance. We previously demonstrated that LYRM1 overexpression might contribute to insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, knockdown of LYRM1 enhanced insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. We investigated whether knockdown of LYRM1 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes could rescue insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by the cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl-hydrazone (FCCP), a mitochondrion uncoupler, to further ascertain the mechanism by which LYRM1 is involved in obesity-associated insulin resistance. Incubation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with 1 µM FCCP for 12 h decreased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, reduced intracellular ATP synthesis, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, impaired insulin-stimulated Glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) translocation, and diminished insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and serine phosphorylation of Protein Kinase B (Akt). Knockdown of LYRM1 restored insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, rescued intracellular ATP synthesis, reduced intracellular ROS production, restored insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation, and rescued insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 and serine phosphorylation of Akt in FCCP-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This study indicates that FCCP-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance are ameliorated by knockdown of LYRM1.

The use of immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica (Novozym(®) 435) to catalyze acetylation of trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene was investigated in this study. Response surface methodology and 5-level-4-factor central composite rotatable design were adopted to evaluate the effects of synthesis variables, including reaction time (24-72 h), temperature (25-65 °C), substrate molar ratio (1:15-1:75), and enzyme amount (600-3,000 PLU) on the percentage molar conversion of trans-4'-O-acetyl-3,5-dihydroxystilbene. The results showed that reaction temperature and enzyme amount were the most important parameters on percentage molar conversion. Based on ridge max analysis, the optimum conditions for synthesis were: reaction time 60 h, reaction temperature 64 °C, substrate molar ratio 1:56 and enzyme amount 2,293 PLU. The molar conversion of actual experimental values was 95% under optimal conditions. The synthesis product was analyzed using HPLC, mass and NMR. The results revealed that the major product was trans-4'-O-acetyl-3,5-dihydroxystilbene. The reaction kinetics was found to follow the Ping-Pong mechanism; substrate inhibition was not found at high vinyl acetate concentration.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have potential for the biocontrol of soil-borne diseases. The objectives of this study were to quantify the interactions between AM fungi [Glomus versiforme (Karsten) Berch and Glomus mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerdemann & Trappe] and PGPR [Bacillus polymyxa (Prazmowski) Mace and Bacillus sp.] during colonization of roots and rhizosphere of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) plants (cultivar Jinguan), and to determine their combined effects on the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, and on tomato growth. Three greenhouse experiments were conducted. PGPR increased colonization of roots by AM fungi, and AM fungi increased numbers of PGPR in the rhizosphere. Dual inoculations of AM fungi plus PGPR provided greater control of M. incognita and greater promotion of plant growth than single inoculations, and the best combination was G. mosseae plus Bacillus sp. The results indicate that specific AM fungi and PGPR can stimulate each other and that specific combinations of AM fungi and PGPR can interact to suppress M. incognita and disease development.

The ‘Da Jiao’ cultivar of banana (Musa paradisiacal ABB Linn.) is an ideal germplasm to produce new banana varieties resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (FOC) race 4, for this cultivar is not only a popular dessert banana in south China, but also bears high resistance to FOC race 4. In this study, we established a homogeneous embryogenic cell suspension (ECS) of ‘Da Jiao’ and obtained regenerated plants from ECS-derived protoplasts via somatic embryogenesis. The ECS was initiated from yellow friable callus induced from immature male inflorescence on M1 medium. A pre-culture was used to select ECS in M2 medium without 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid for 10 d. Addition of 1.0 mg L−1 abscisic acid to M3 medium could enhance the frequency of somatic embryogenesis by about 2.6-fold. Protoplasts, with a yield range of 5–6 × 106 per milliliter, were isolated from the ECS. About 0.35% of the protoplasts formed microcallus, which contained about 100 cells, after 1 mo of feeder layer culture with ECS of Musa acuminate cv. Mas (AA) as nurse cells. Healthy plantlets (0.14%) were regenerated from the microcallus through somatic embryogenesis.

A banana somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinase (SERK) gene, designated as MaSERK1, was isolated from Musa acuminata cv. Mas (AA). It encoded a protein of 628 amino acids with above 82% identities to reported SERKs of coconut, rice, maize, Arabidopsis, carrot, and Medicago truncatula. MaSERK1 was expressed weakly in male flower clusters, but not in male flower-derived nonembryogenic calli, but it was highly expressed in male flower-derived embryogenic calli and embryogenic cell suspensions (ECS). During subculture of ECS, MaSERK1 expression and frequency of somatic embryogenesis were influenced by the duration of subculture, wherein expression decreased within 0 to 6 days of subculture, increased to highest levels at 12 days following subculture, and dropped thereafter. The frequency of somatic embryogenesis of ECS positively correlated with MaSERK1 transcript levels. Moreover, MaSERK1 expression in leaves of Musa paradisiaca L. cv. Dongguan Dajiao (ABB), known to be resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4 (FOC race 4), was induced by exogenous salicylic acid (SA) or inoculation with FOC race 4. However, MaSERK1 expression levels in leaves of Mucus spp. cv. Pisang awak (ABB), known to be susceptible to FOC race 4, did not change following either treatment. These results suggested that MaSERK1 not only could serve as a molecular marker for banana somatic embryogenesis, but also played a role in disease resistance response in banana.

To attempt to introduce genetic information of disease resistance from Musa acuminata cv. Mas (AA) to Musa silk cv. Guoshanxiang (AAB) and obtain somatic hybrids, we developed an asymmetric protoplast fusion with 20% (w/v) polyethylene glycol (PEG). The protoplasts derived from embryogenic suspension cultural cells of cv. Guoshanxiang (AAB) and cv. Mas (AA) were, respectively treated with 1.5 mM iodoacetamide (IOA) and with ultraviolet light (UV) at an intensity of 50 W/m2 for 120 s. A total of 47 regenerated green plants were obtained and eight of which were survived in greenhouse. Six of the survived plants were identified as hybrids by RAPD analysis and only three hybrids were retained vigorously in field. The hybrid nature of the three plants was further confirmed according to their ISSR (inter-simple sequence repeat) patterns and the results indicated that they were true somatic hybrids. Chromosome analysis revealed that the three hybrids possessed an aneuploid chromosome number (2n = 34).

In this paper, honokiol nanoparticles were prepared by emulsion solvent evaporation method. The prepared honokiol nanoparticles were characterized by particle size distribution, morphology, zeta potential and crystallography. Results showed that the obtained honokiol nanoparticles at size of 33 nm might be amorphous, and could be well dispersed in water. Due to the great dispersibility in water, the obtained honokiol nanoparticles might have great potential in medical field.

A protocol for plant regeneration from protoplasts of Musa acuminata cv. Mas (AA) via somatic embryogenesis was developed. Viable protoplasts were isolated from embryogenic cell suspensions at a yield of 1.2 × 107 protoplasts/ml packed cell volume (PCV). Liquid and feeder layer culture systems with medium-A and medium-B were used for protoplast culture. In liquid culture system, medium-B was more efficient for inducing cell division (17.5% at 14 days) and colony formation (6.7% at 28 days) than medium-A. However, all protoplast-derived cell colonies (PDCC) obtained from liquid culture system could not develop further. In feeder layer culture system, there was no significant difference between medium-A and medium-B on cell division and colony formation of the cultured protoplasts, and the cell division frequency at 14 days and colony formation frequency at 28 days were 24.5% and 11.2%, respectively, in medium-B. Comparative study on the effects of BAP (2.2 μM, 4.4 μM, 8.8 μM), zeatin (0.4 μM, 0.8 μM, 1.2 μM) and TDZ (0.2 μM, 0.4 μM, 0.6 μM) on embryo formation of PDCC from feeder-layer culture indicated that TDZ was best. TDZ at 0.4 μM induced 7906 mature embryos per ml PCV PDCC, which was 4-fold the frequency as with BAP at 4.4 μM, 7.5-fold as with zeatin at 0.8 μM and 150-fold as control medium (no mentioned cytokinins) after 45 days on M3 medium. About 44% of the mature embryos were converted into plantlets with poor root system after subculture on M4 medium. Root further development of regenerated plantlets was promoted by addition of activated charcoal (AC) to MS basal medium.

The X-ray crystal structures of 1,1-di(p-methylphenyl)-2,2-dinitroethylene (2), 1,1-di(p-methoxylphenyl)-2,2-dinitroethylene (3), 1,1-di(p-fluorophenyl)-2,2- dinitroethylene (4), 1,1-di(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dinitroethylene (5), and 1-phenyl-1- (p-nitrophenyl)-2,2-dinitroethylene (6) are reported and compared with that of 1,1-diphenyl-2,2-dinitroethylene (1). Owing to steric repulsion between the aryl rings, the single bond lengths between C(1) and the two ring carbons atoms are longer than the normal sp2–sp2 bond distance of 1.46 A. For 4–6 in which the aryl rings contain electron-withdrawing substituents (F, Cl, NO2), the double bonds between C(1) and C(2) are shorter than those in 2 and 3, whose aryl rings containing electron-donating substituents. Furthermore, the steric repulsion between the aryl rings and C\(---\)NO2 fragments results in an appreciable twist about the central double bond. The two aryl rings of compounds 1–6 make dihedral angles of 77.7, 66.6, 62.8, 80.9, 82.0, and 71.2°, and the two C\(---\)NO2 fragments make dihedral angles of 68.5, 67.8, 65.9, 76.9, 73.0, and 71.9°, respectively.