Search

As an important anthropometric characteristic， human height not only contributes to the recognition of other anthropological characteristics and genetic risk factors， but also is an important part of forensic DNA phenotyping studies. Accurate estimation of height can provide more complete information about the phenotype of suspects and provide help to solve cases. In recent years， having benefited from the rapid development of molecular biological techniques and bioinformatics， height-related genetics research has made some progress. This paper describes the research progress of human height estimation from the genetic variation and the epigenetic inheritance perspectives and looks into the future research direction.

Counter-flow engines are often used for aircraft slowing or separating. In order to study the interaction between the counter-flow jets and free stream at high altitudes, the rarefied flow driven by two counter-flow jets and hypersonic free stream was constructed. By the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method, it is found that a large area of mutual interference will be formed under the condition of rarefied free stream, and there are serious unsteady flow phenomena in the interference area. According to preliminary analysis, the range and unsteady evolution of the interference area are closely related to the kinetic energy of free stream and the flow rate of counter-flow jets.

Abstract Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) shed new light on triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), but only a minority of patients demonstrate response. Therefore, adaptive immune resistance (AIR) needs to be further defined to guide the development of ICI regimens. Methods Databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Ontology Resource, University of California Santa Cruz Genome Browser, and Pubmed, were used to screen epigenetic modulators, regulators for CD8+ T cells, and transcriptional regulators of programmed cell death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1). Human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (Hu‐PBMC) reconstruction mice were adopted for xenograft transplantation. Tumor specimens from a TNBC cohort and the clinical trial CTR20191353 were retrospectively analyzed. RNA‐sequencing, Western blotting, qPCR and immunohistochemistry were used to assess gene expression. Coculture assays were performed to evaluate the regulation of TNBC cells on T cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and transposase‐accessible chromatin sequencing were used to determine chromatin‐binding and accessibility. Results The epigenetic modulator AT‐rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A) gene demonstrated the highest expression association with AIR relative to other epigenetic modulators in TNBC patients. Low ARID1A expression in TNBC, causing an immunosuppressive microenvironment, promoted AIR and inhibited CD8+ T cell infiltration and activity through upregulating PD‐L1. However, ARID1A did not directly regulate PD‐L1 expression. We found that ARID1A directly bound the promoter of nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) and that low ARID1A expression increased NPM1 chromatin accessibility as well as gene expression, further activating PD‐L1 transcription. In Hu‐PBMC mice, atezolizumab demonstrated the potential to reverse ARID1A deficiency‐induced AIR in TNBC by reducing tumor malignancy and activating anti‐tumor immunity. In CTR20191353, ARID1A‐low patients derived more benefit from pucotenlimab compared to ARID1A‐high patients. Conclusions In AIR epigenetics, low ARID1A expression in TNBC contributed to AIR via the ARID1A/NPM1/PD‐L1 axis, leading to poor outcome but sensitivity to ICI treatment.

Abstract The increasing demand for high‐quality horticultural produces in global markets has driven the growing crop production under protected cropping, which are usually more efficient in fertilizer use compared to field cultivation. As one of the key macronutrients, available potassium (K+) resources have decreased due to the expansion of intensive agriculture and excessive use of K fertilizers. Currently, limited strategies have been adopted to improve crop quality in protected cropping with sustainable use of K+ fertigation and its comprehensive understanding at physiological and molecular levels. Therefore, we highlight the importance of optimal use of K+ in fertigation in protected cultivation that may also enhance crop quality characteristics. We review different K+ channels and transporters from various protein families responsible for K+ absorption and distribution across different plant tissues. An analysis of the literature on transcriptome, ionome, proteome and metabolome profiles of crops suggests the crucial roles of K+ in maintaining ion homoeostasis and modulating stress responses. It reveals that optimal K+ fertigation levels in protected cropping not only aids in maintaining the overall crop growth and production but also participates in maintaining the fruit quality. This review can potentially guide crop production and resource use efficiency in protected cropping, contributing to global food security and a better sustainable agricultural and environmental future.

Calcium (Ca2+) plays an important role in determining plant growth and development because it maintains cell wall and membrane integrity. Therefore, understanding the role of Ca2+ in carbon and lipid metabolism could provide insights into the dynamic changes in cell membranes and cell walls during the rapid elongation of cotton fibers. In the present study, we found that the lack of Ca2+ promoted fiber elongation and rapid ovule expansion, but it also caused tissue browning in the ovule culture system. RNA-sequencing revealed that Ca2+ deficiency induced cells to be highly oxidized, and the expression of genes related to carbon metabolism and lipid metabolism was activated significantly. All gene members of nine key enzymes involved in glycolysis were up-regulated, and glucose was significantly reduced in Ca2+ deficiency-treated tissues. Ca2+ deficiency adjusted the flowing of glycolysis metabolic. However, low K+ recovered the expression levels of glycolysis genes and glucose content caused by Ca2+ deficiency. Electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry technology was applied to uncover the dynamic profile of lipidome under Ca2+ and K+ interacted conditions. Ca2+ deficiency led to the decrease of fatty acid (FA), diacylglycerol (DAG), glycolipid and the significant increase of triacylglycerol (TAG), phospholipid phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and PC (phosphatidylcholine). Low K+ restored the contents of FA, phospholipids, and glycolipids, effectively relieved the symptoms caused by Ca2+ deficiency, and recovered the development of fiber cells. This study revealed dynamic changes in transcript and metabolic levels and uncovered the signaling interaction of Ca2+ deficiency and low K+ in glycolysis and lipid metabolism during fiber development.

Magnetic reconnection and current disruption are two key processes in driving energy conversion and dissipation in planetary magnetospheres. At the Earth, the two processes usually occur at different locations: the current disruption process occurs more frequently in the near-Earth magnetotail ∼10 R _E , while the magnetotail reconnection process is expected to take place in the more distant region where the current sheet is thinner. Occasionally, under very intense solar wind perturbations, reconnection could be located closer to the Earth where current disruption processes usually operate. But it is unclear what the situation is at giant planets, in which the plasma environment is very different from the Earth. In this study, we investigate a middle-Jupiter reconnection event at ∼43 R _J . During the event, the inferred integrated cross-field currents were substantially reduced, which we argue is a signature of current disruption. In this case, we suggest that magnetic reconnection could be colocated with a current disruption process in the Jovian magnetosphere, which is roughly analogous to the situation in the extremely perturbed Earth’s magnetosphere.

High energy costs are a barrier to producing high-quality produce at protected cropping facilities. A potential solution to mitigate high energy costs is film technology, which blocks heat-producing radiation; however, the alteration of the light environment by these films may impact crop yield and quality. Previous studies have assessed the impact of ULR 80 [i.e., light-blocking film (LBF)] on crop yield and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR); however, an assessment of the spectral environment over different seasons is important to understand potential crop impacts through different developmental phases. In this study, two varieties (red and orange) of Capsicum annuum were grown across two crop cycles: one cycle with primary crop growth in the autumn (i.e., autumn experiment [AE]) and the other with primary crop growth in the summer (i.e., summer experiment [SE]). LBF reduced PAR (roof level: 26%–30%, plant canopy level: 8%–25%) and net radiation (36%–66%). LBF also reduced total diffuse PAR (AE: 8%, SE: 15%), but the diffuse fraction of PAR increased by 7% and 9% for AE and SE, respectively, potentially resulting in differential light penetration throughout the canopy across treatments. LBF reduced near-infrared radiation (700 nm–2,500 nm), including far-red (700 nm–780 nm) at mid- and lower-canopy levels. LBF significantly altered light quantity and quality, which determined the amount of time that the crop grew under light-limited (

Handling a large number of geometric constraints brings a big challenge to the surrogate-based aerodynamic shape optimization (ASO) driven by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It is not feasible to calculate the geometric constraint functions directly during the sub-optimization of a surrogate-based optimization, as the geometric constraint functions are to be evaluated thousands of times for each updating cycle and the total cost of a number of cycles can be prohibitive. This article proposes an efficient method of handling geometric constraints within the framework of a surrogate-based optimization to address this problem. The core idea is to use the Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser (KS) method to aggregate all geometric constraints into one that can be approximated by a cheap surrogate model, in order to avoid the large computational cost associated with tremendous calculation of geometric constraint values. The proposed method is verified by an analytical test case. Then, the proposed method is demonstrated and compared with the methods of building surrogate models of all geometric constraints and calculating all geometric constraints directly during each sub-optimization by drag minimizations of NACA0012 air foil and ONERA M6 wing in transonic flows. To investigate the ability of the proposed method for handling various geometric constraints, drag minimization of CRM wing in viscous transonic flow driven by CFD is performed. Results show that the proposed method can dramatically improve the optimization efficiency of ASO with the number of geometric constraints ranging from 15 to 1429 and the number of types of geometric constraints up to 3, which offers great potential for handling a larger number and more types of geometric constraints.

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Hence, early detection of cardiac changes by imaging is crucial to reducing cardiovascular complications.PurposeEarly detection of cardiac changes is crucial to reducing cardiovascular complications. The study aimed to detect the dynamic change in cardiac morphology, function, and diffuse myocardial fibrosis(DMF) associated with T1DM and T2DM mice models.Materials and methods4-week-old C57Bl/6J male mice were randomly divided into control (n=30), T1DM (n=30), and T2DM (n=30) groups. A longitudinal study was conducted every 4 weeks using serial 7.0T CMR and echocardiography imaging. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF), tissue tracking parameters, and DMF were measured by cine CMR and extracellular volume fraction (ECV). Global peak circumferential strain (GCPS), peak systolic strain rate (GCPSSR) values were acquired by CMR feature tracking. LV diastolic function parameter (E/E’) was acquired by echocardiography. The correlations between the ECV and cardiac function parameters were assessed by Pearson’s test.ResultsA total of 6 mice were included every 4 weeks in control, T1DM, and T2DM groups for analysis. Compared to control group, an increase was detected in the LV mass and E/E’ ratio, while the values of GCPS, GCPSSR decreased mildly in DM. Compared to T2DM group, GCPS and GCPSSR decreased earlier in T1DM(GCPS 12W,P=0.004; GCPSSR 12W,P=0.04). ECV values showed a significant correlation with GCPS and GCPSSR in DM groups. Moreover, ECV values showed a strong positive correlation with E/E’(T1DM,r=0.757,P

Light-blocking films (LBFs) can contribute to significant energy savings for protected cropping via altering light transmitting, such as UVA, photosynthetically active radiation, blue and red spectra affecting photosynthesis, and capsicum yield. Here, we investigated the effects of LBF on orange color capsicum (O06614, Capsicum annuum L.) fruit transcriptome at 35 (mature green) and 65 (mature ripe) days after pollination (DAP) relative to untreated control in a high-technology glasshouse. The results of targeted metabolites showed that LBF significantly promotes the percentage of lutein but decreased the percentage of zeaxanthin and neoxanthin only at 35 DAP. At 35 DAP, fruits were less impacted by LBF treatment (versus control) with a total of 1,192 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared with that at 65 DAP with 2,654 DEGs. Response to stress and response to light stimulus in biological process of Gene Ontology were found in 65-DAP fruits under LBF vs. control, and clustering analysis revealed a predominant role of light receptors and phytohormone signaling transduction as well as starch and sucrose metabolism in LBF adaptation. The light-signaling DEGs, UV light receptor UVR8, transcription factors phytochrome-interacting factor 4 (PIF4), and an E3 ubiquitin ligase (COP1) were significantly downregulated at 65 DAP. Moreover, key DEGs in starch and sucrose metabolism (SUS, SUC, and INV), carotenoid synthesis (PSY2 and BCH1), ascorbic acid biosynthesis (VTC2, AAO, and GME), abscisic acid (ABA) signaling (NCED3, ABA2, AO4, and PYL2/4), and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (PAL and DFR) are important for the adaptation of 65-DAP fruits to LBF. Our results provide new candidate genes for improving quality traits of low-light adaptation of capsicum in protected cropping.

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal and readily accumulates in tobacco, which imperils public health via Cd exposure from smoking. Beneficial microbes have a pivotal role in promoting plant growth, especially under environmental stresses such as heavy metal stresses. In this study, we introduced a novel fungal strain Trichoderma nigricans T32781, and investigated its capacity to alleviate Cd-induced stress in tobacco plants through comprehensive physiological and omics analyses. Our findings revealed that T32781 inoculation in soil leads to a substantial reduction in Cd-induced growth inhibition. This was evidenced by increased plant height, enhanced biomass accumulation, and improved photosynthesis, as indicated by higher values of key photosynthetic parameters, including the maximum quantum yield of photosystem Ⅱ (Fv/Fm), stomatal conductance (Gs), photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr). Furthermore, element analysis demonstrated that T. nigricans T32781 inoculation resulted in a remarkable reduction of Cd uptake by 62.2% and a 37.8% decrease in available soil Cd compared to Cd-stressed plants without inoculation. The protective role of T32781 extended to mitigating Cd-induced oxidative stress by improving antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Metabolic profiling of tobacco roots identified 43 key metabolites, with notable contributions from compounds like nicotinic acid, succinic acid, and fumaric acid in reducing Cd toxicity in T32781-inoculated plants. Additionally, rhizosphere microbiome analysis highlighted the promotion of beneficial microbes, including Gemmatimonas and Sphingomonas, by T32781 inoculation, which potentially contributed to the restoration of plant growth under Cd exposure. In summary, our study demonstrated that T. nigricans T32781 effectively alleviated Cd stress in tobacco plants by reducing Cd uptake, alleviating Cd-induced oxidative stress, influencing plant metabolite and modulating the microbial composition in the rhizosphere. These findings offer a novel perspective and a promising candidate strain for enhancing Cd tolerance and prohibiting its accumulation in plants to reduce health risks associated with exposure to Cd-contaminated plants.

Abstract Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is an aggressive mesenchymal neoplasm associated with a poor prognosis. Systemic chemotherapy is the standard therapy for patients with uLMS. However, it is unclear which treatment regimen results in the most favorable clinical outcome. We performed a meta‐analysis and meta‐regression analysis to assess the efficiency of different treatments received by patients with advanced, metastatic, and relapsing uLMS by evaluating the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) as primary endpoints. The frequentist random effects meta‐analysis model was used to compare the outcomes of different treatment regimens for advanced uLMS. A meta‐regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between the study‐specific hazard ratios and specific demographic variables. A meta‐analysis of 51 reports including 1664 patients was conducted. Among patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy (916 patients; 55%), gemcitabine and docetaxel were the most frequently used drugs. First‐line monotherapy with alkylating agents (pooled ORR = 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44–0.52) and second‐line monotherapy with protein kinase inhibitors (pooled ORR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.39–0.52) resulted in favorable prognoses. The combinations of anthracycline plus alkylating therapy (pooled DCR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.67–0.79) and of gemcitabine plus docetaxel (pooled DCR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.63–0.75) showed the greatest benefits when used as first‐line and second‐line chemotherapies, respectively. Subgroup meta‐analysis results revealed that dual‐regimen therapies comprising anthracycline plus alkylating therapy and gemcitabine plus docetaxel are practical therapeutic choices for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages III–IVb with distant metastases when assessed by computed tomography (p = 0.001). Furthermore, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and local radiotherapy resulted in favorable outcomes for patients with earlier stages of distant relapsed uLMS (p

Introduction: Frequent climate change-induced drought events are detrimental environmental stresses affecting global crop production and ecosystem health. Several efforts have facilitated crop breeding for resilient varieties to counteract stress. However, progress is hampered due to the complexity of drought tolerance; a greater variety of novel genes are required across varying environments. Tibetan annual wild barley is a unique and precious germplasm that is well adapted to abiotic stress and can provide elite genes for crop improvement in drought tolerance. Objectives: To identify the genetic basis and unique mechanisms for drought tolerance in Tibetan wild barley. Methods: Whole genome resequencing and comparative RNA-seq approaches were performed to identify candidate genes associated with drought tolerance via investigating the genetic diversity and transcriptional variation between cultivated and Tibetan wild barley. Bioinformatics, population genetics, and gene silencing were conducted to obtain insights into ecological adaptation in barley and functions of key genes. Results: Over 20 million genetic variants and a total of 15,361 significantly affected genes were identified in our dataset. Combined genomic, transcriptomic, evolutionary, and experimental analyses revealed 26 water deficit resilience-associated genes in the drought-tolerant wild barley XZ5 with unique genetic variants and expression patterns. Functional prediction revealed Tibetan wild barley employs effective regulators to activate various responsive pathways with novel genes, such as Zinc-Induced Facilitator-Like 2 (HvZIFL2) and Peroxidase 11 (HvPOD11), to adapt to water deficit conditions. Gene silencing and drought tolerance evaluation in a natural barley population demonstrated that HvZIFL2 and HvPOD11 positively regulate drought tolerance in barley. Conclusion: Our findings reveal functional genes that have been selected across barley’s complex history of domestication to thrive in water deficit environments. This will be useful for molecular breeding and provide new insights into drought-tolerance mechanisms in wild relatives of major cereal crops.

Abstract Background Globally, despite prostate cancer (PCa) representing second most prevalent malignancy in male, the precise molecular mechanisms implicated in its pathogenesis remain unclear. Consequently, elucidating the key molecular regulators that govern disease progression could substantially contribute to the establishment of novel therapeutic strategies, ultimately advancing the management of PCa. Methods A total of 49 PCa tissues and 43 adjacent normal tissues were collected from January 2017 to December 2021 at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University. The advanced transcriptomic methodologies were employed to identify differentially expressed mRNAs in PCa. The expression of aspartoacylase (ASPA) in PCa was thoroughly evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting techniques. To elucidate the inhibitory role of ASPA in PCa cell proliferation and metastasis, a comprehensive set of in vitro and in vivo assays were conducted, including orthotopic and tumor-bearing mouse models (n = 8 for each group). A combination of experimental approaches, such as Western blotting, luciferase assays, immunoprecipitation assays, mass spectrometry, glutathione S-transferase pull-down experiments, and rescue studies, were employed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of ASPA’s action in PCa. The Student’s t-test was employed to assess the statistical significance between two distinct groups, while one-way analysis of variance was utilized for comparisons involving more than two groups. A two-sided P value of less than 0.05 was deemed to indicate statistical significance. Results ASPA was identified as a novel inhibitor of PCa progression. The expression of ASPA was found to be significantly down-regulated in PCa tissue samples, and its decreased expression was independently associated with patients’ prognosis (HR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.40–0.92, P = 0.018). Our experiments demonstrated that modulation of ASPA activity, either through gain- or loss-of-function, led to the suppression or enhancement of PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, respectively. The inhibitory role of ASPA in PCa was further confirmed using orthotopic and tumor-bearing mouse models. Mechanistically, ASPA was shown to directly interact with the LYN and inhibit the phosphorylation of LYN as well as its downstream targets, JNK1/2 and C-Jun, in both PCa cells and mouse models, in an enzyme-independent manner. Importantly, the inhibition of LYN activation by bafetinib abrogated the promoting effect of ASPA knockdown on PCa progression in both in vitro and in vivo models. Moreover, we observed an inverse relationship between ASPA expression and LYN activity in clinical PCa samples, suggesting a potential regulatory role of ASPA in modulating LYN signaling. Conclusion Our findings provide novel insights into the tumor-suppressive function of ASPA in PCa and highlight its potential as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for the management of this malignancy.

Glasshouse films can be used to reduce energy costs by limiting non-productive heat-generating radiation, but the impact on yield of greenhouse horticultural crops remains unknown. The effects of energy-saving film ULR-80 (ultra-low-reflectivity film with 80 % light transmission referred to as Smart Glass; SG) designed to block long wavelength light that generates heat also reduced photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) consequently affecting crop morphology, photosynthesis, leaf pigments, and yield of two hydroponically grown capsicum (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivars (Red and Orange). The crops were grown in four high-tech glasshouse bays over two seasons of similar daily light integrals (DLI) during ascending [Autumn Experiment (AE)] and descending [Summer Experiment (SE)] photoperiods. The Red cultivar exhibited higher photosynthetic rates (light saturated - Asat) and yield than the Orange cultivar in control glass but displayed stronger reductions in modelled photosynthetic rates at growth light and yield in SG without changes in photosynthetic capacity. Foliar pigment ratios of chlorophyll a/b and carotenoid:chlorophyll remained unaffected by the SG during both seasons indicating that chloroplast homeostasis was similar between SG and control. The seasonal differences in photosynthetic pigments and xanthophyll de-epoxidation state (DPS) revealed that cultivars were able to sense the SG-altered light environment during the AE, but not SE. The SE correlated with a lower daily light level and a substantial yield reduction of 29 % and 13 % in Red and Orange cultivars, respectively. Thus, SG-induced higher reductions in yield during the SE indicate that SG may be more beneficial for capsicum crops planted during AE.

At present, casein can be isolated from skim milk by membrane filtration technology, and micellar casein concentrate could be obtained by concentration, sterilization, drying. In this paper, the factors affecting the composition of micellar casein concentrate and its application in cheese production were reviewed. It was found that pH value, temperature and diafiltrant during membrane filtration all affected the composition of micellar casein concentrate, resulting in different concentrations of casein, whey protein, lactose and calcium. It is also possible to standardize raw milk by micellar casein concentrate to produce cheese with the same composition and quality. It is also possible to obtain different raw milk compositions by micellar casein concentrate having different components to produce cheese with desired quality and function. In conclusion, the addition of micellar casein concentrate could affect the composition, texture and flavor of cheese during cheese production, but these problems could be solved by adjusting the process parameters of membrane filtration and cheesemaking. Further research will be still required to find an economic way to preserve micellar casein concentrate and give it extended shelf life, good rennet properties to ensure cheese quality and yield.

Coilia nasus is a typical anadromous migratory fish found in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Every year, C. nasus clusters offshore and swims upstream along the Yangtze River into the tributaries and lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to breed. In this study, female C. nasus were collected as study subjects from the Chongming section of Shanghai, the Taizhou section of Jiangsu, and the Anqing section of Anhui. Their ovaries were used to examine tissue sections and investigate gene expression, including the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (fshr), the luteinizing hormone receptor (lhr), kisspeptin-1 (kiss1), and forkhead box l2 (foxl2), which are related to reproductive development, while the serum levels of estrogen (including estradiol, E2) and progestins (including 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregenen-3-one, 17α,20β-DHP) were also analyzed. Our results showed that, first, the growth period of the oocytes was small in stage II of ovarian development, in which both E2 and 17α,20β-DHP levels and gene expression were low. Then, in stage III, the growth period of the oocytes became large, and the yolk granules and oil droplets began to appear. Simultaneously, E2 and the expression of kiss1 and foxl2 were significantly elevated. Finally, stage IV was the period of a large amount of accumulation of nutrients in the oocytes, and 17α,20β-DHP levels and the expression of fshr and lhr were significantly elevated. These results enrich the theoretical study of ovarian development in the natural population of C. nasus, supplementing the biological basis of C. nasus reproduction and scientifically supporting the study of C. nasus population ecology and resource conservation.

Background Clinical treatment of target organ damage in hypertension is mainly based on systemic hypotension supplemented by topical medication, but the treatment is unsatisfactory due to different or even mutually exclusive responses of tissues to the drugs. The relationship between calcium-sensing receptors (CaSR) and hypertension has been investigated, however, studies on their role and mechanisms in hypertensive retinal disease are still lacking. Objective To investigate the expression level of CaSR in hypertensive retina and its relationship with myocardial remodeling and retinal vascular changes in hypertension. Methods Ten 8-week-old healthy wistar-kyoto rats (WKY) were selected as the WKY group, and 20 homologous spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) of the same age were randomly divided into SHR group and inhibitor (SHR+NPS2143) group from May to December 2021. During a 16-week intervention, the SHR+NPS2143 group received intraperitoneal injection of CaSR inhibitor NPS2143, while WKY and SHR groups were intraperitoneally injected with the equal volume of normal saline. At baseline and the end of intervention, blood pressure was measured by non-invasive blood pressure monitor in all rats, and from each group, five rats were selected and executed, and myocardial and retinal tissues were taken out for testing. Masson's Trichrome staining was used to measure the collagen deposition in the myocardium. H & E staining was used to detect the pathological changes in retinal tissues. The distribution and expression of CaSR and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in retinal tissues were detected using immunohistochemical staining and qRT-PCR. Results SHR group had significantly higher levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP) , diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) than WKY group either at baseline or the end of intervention (P

Introduction: Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most detrimental heavy metal pollutants, seriously affecting crop production and human health. Nucleobase-ascorbic acid transporters (NAT) are widely present in many living organisms including plants, animals and microbes; however, the role of NAT in plant Cd tolerance remains unknown. Objectives: To identify Cd-induced miRNAs that target HvNAT2 and to determine the role of this gene and its product in Cd tolerance. Methods: High-throughput-sequencing was used to identify the miRNA expression profile of barley roots in response to Cd stress. Overexpression (OX) and RNAi lines were then constructed for HvNAT2 and comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed to determine the function of this transporter examining its effects on traits such as Cd uptake/flux and translocation, morphology and antioxidant capacity in relation to Cd tolerance. In addition, phylogenetic analysis was performed to obtain insights into the evolution of HvNAT2. Results: Cd stress-induced genome-wide expression profiles of miRNAs identified a Cd-induced miRNA, miR156g-3p_3, that had HvNAT2 as its target. HvNAT2 was negatively regulated in the high-Cd-accumulating and Cd-tolerant genotype Zhenong8. Evolutionary analysis indicated that orthologues of the plasma membrane localized, HvNAT2, can be traced back to the sister group of land plants, the streptophyte algae. Overexpression of HvNAT2 increases Cd tolerance with higher tissue Cd accumulation but less oxidative damage in transgenic barley plants. RNAi of HvNAT2 leads to a significant reduction of Cd tolerance. The higher Cd accumulation in roots of the OX3 line was also demonstrated by confocal microscopy and electrophysiology. Transcriptome analysis showed that the enhancement of antioxidant capacity by HvNAT2 was related to stress signaling pathways. Furthermore, oxidative stress tolerance in HvNAT2-OX plants was regulated by the synthesis of phytochelatins and the glutathione metabolism cycle. Conclusion: Our study reveals a key molecular mechanism of NAT in Cd tolerance in plants that is useful for sustainable agricultural production and management of hazardous this heavy metal for better environment management and ecosystem function.

In situ mRNA hybridization (ISH) is a powerful tool for examining the spatiotemporal expression of genes in shoot apical meristems and flower buds of cucumber. The most common ISH protocol uses paraffin wax; however, embedding tissue in paraffin wax can take a long time and might result in RNA degradation and decreased signals. Here, we developed an optimized protocol to simplify the process and improve RNA sensitivity. We combined embedding tissue in low melting-point Steedman's wax with processing tissue sections in solution, as in the whole-mount ISH method in the optimized protocol. Using the optimized protocol, we examined the expression patterns of the CLAVATA3 (CLV3) and WUSCHEL (WUS) genes in shoot apical meristems and floral meristems of Cucumis sativus (cucumber) and Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis). The optimized protocol saved 4–5 days of experimental period compared with the standard ISH protocol using paraffin wax. Moreover, the optimized protocol achieved high signal sensitivity. The optimized protocol was successful for both cucumber and Arabidopsis, which indicates it might have general applicability to most plants.