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Research question : What is the expression pattern of inflammatory mRNA profiles of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) plus high-fat diet (HFD)-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) mouse model? Design : In this study, RNA sequencing was performed to investigate the mRNA expression profiles in the ovarian tissues of a DHEA plus HFD-induced PCOS mouse model. Six samples were divided into two groups (control and PCOS), with three biological replicates in each group. This was followed by hierarchical clustering, gene ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The relative expression levels of nine inflammatory genes were validated via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results : A total of 436 genes were differentially expressed between the control and PCOS mice. Out of these, 137 genes were up-regulated while 299 genes were down-regulated. Gene ontology analysis indicated that differentially expressed mRNAs were associated with T cell-mediated cytotoxicity and homocysteine metabolic processes. Pathway analysis further showed that these abnormally expressed mRNAs were associated with signaling pathways, such as NF-kB signaling, tyrosine metabolism, and phenylalanine metabolism. All these pathways are involved in chronic inflammation and PCOS. Conclusion : The differentially expressed genes are potentially involved in the inflammation that is evident in PCOS, and so could serve as therapeutic options against the disease. Nevertheless, prospective studies are needed to test this hypothesis.

In general, modified starches provided a desirable feature so that they can be used in the food industry like food additive products. The awareness of eating healthy has become very evident. The food industry is willing to produce foods and food ingredients that not only maintain nutrition but also promote health and safety. Tartary buckwheat starch has been isolated to assess the effect of HMT on its digestibility, morphological structure, pasting, thermal and textural properties and compared with common buckwheat, sorghum, and broomcorn millet. HMT changed significantly the granular structure of native starches. The complete starch granular structure increased the size and changed into an irregular shape, with a rough surface. The modified starches exhibited higher onset and peak temperatures, while their amylose content, solubility, swelling power, gel hardness, and enthalpy of gelatinization were significantly reduced. In pasting properties, tartary buckwheat and sorghum modified starch had the highest thermal treatment stability with lower setback and breakdown viscosity. Moreover, after three hours of starch hydrolysis; Resistant (RS) starch was higher in tartary buckwheat followed by broomcorn millet and lastly sorghum. In this study, we reported that tartary buckwheat modified starch is more useful in the preparation of food with thermal stability combined with a high amount of resistant starch.

SNARE (soluble-N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor accessory-protein receptor) proteins are important for plant growth and development. Based on their role in membrane fusion, SNARE proteins are involved in abiotic stress resistance. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is a widely cultivated crop in Asia with high tolerance to drought stress. The investigation focuses on drought stress-related genes like SNARE will help to reveal the mechanism of foxtail millet drought tolerance. In this study, we identified 52 SiSNARE genes in foxtail millet. Phylogenetic analysis, prediction of conserved motif, and gene structure analysis classified these genes into different groups, including 15 Qa-SiSNARE genes, 10 Qb-SiSNARE genes, 9 Qc-SiSNARE genes, 3 Qb + c-SiSNARE genes, and 15 R-SiSNARE genes. In silico transcript level analysis showed some SiSNAREs were tissue or development stage-specific expressed. Two cultivars of foxtail millet, “Jingu21” and “Longgu16”, showed different phenotypes under drought stress. We detected the expression of 52 SiSNARE genes in these two cultivars under drought stress. There were 15 SiSNARE genes up-regulated and 3 genes down-regulated after drought stress in both two cultivars. We also found 6 SiSNARE genes were specifically altered under stress in cultivar “Jingu21”, which showed better drought tolerance. Our results provide genomic information for SiSNARE genes in foxtail millet. Analysis of stress-related gene expression in cultivars with different phenotypes suggests some SiSNARE genes' role in drought stress response. These findings laid a foundation for further SNARE related drought stress research in foxtail millet.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain is a pivotal event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its clearance from the brain is impaired in sporadic AD. Previous studies suggest that approximately half of the Aβ produced in the brain is cleared by transport into the periphery. However, the mechanism and pathophysiological significance of peripheral Aβ clearance remain largely unknown. The kidney is thought to be responsible for Aβ clearance, but direct evidence is lacking. In this study, we investigated the impact of unilateral nephrectomy on the dynamic changes in Aβ in the blood and brain in both humans and animals and on behavioural deficits and AD pathologies in animals. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects of the diuretic furosemide on Aβ clearance via the kidney were assessed. We detected Aβ in the kidneys and urine of both humans and animals and found that the Aβ level in the blood of the renal artery was higher than that in the blood of the renal vein. Unilateral nephrectomy increased brain Aβ deposition; aggravated AD pathologies, including Tau hyperphosphorylation, glial activation, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss; and aggravated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice. In addition, chronic furosemide treatment reduced blood and brain Aβ levels and attenuated AD pathologies and cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Our findings demonstrate that the kidney physiologically clears Aβ from the blood, suggesting that facilitation of Aβ clearance via the kidney represents a novel potential therapeutic approach for AD.

Deficits in the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The roles of blood monocytes in the development of AD remain unclear. In this study, we sought to investigate the alterations in the Aβ phagocytosis function of peripheral monocytes during ageing and in AD patients. A total of 104 cognitively normal participants aged 22–89 years, 24 AD patients, 25 age- and sex-matched cognitively normal (CN) subjects, 15 Parkinson’s disease patients (PD), and 15 age- and sex-matched CN subjects were recruited. The Aβ uptake by blood monocytes was measured and its alteration during ageing and in AD patients were investigated. Aβ1-42 uptake by monocytes decreased during ageing and further decreased in AD but not in PD patients. Aβ1-42 uptake by monocytes was associated with Aβ1-42 levels in the blood. Among the Aβ uptake-related receptors and enzymes, the expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) was reduced in monocytes from AD patients. Our findings suggest that monocytes regulate the blood levels of Aβ and might be involved in the development of AD. The recovery of the Aβ uptake function by blood monocytes represents a potential therapeutic strategy for AD.

Identification of specific biomarkers for ischemic stroke is necessary due to their abilities to improve treatment outcomes. Many studies have demonstrated the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the pathogenesis and complications of ischemic stroke and patient outcomes. We found that the expression of miR-874-3p was downregulated in clinical samples of ischemic stroke. Thus the present study explored the potential role of miR-874-3p in ischemic stroke and related mechanisms. A mouse model of ischemic stroke was constructed by middle cerebral artery occlusion. The relationship among miR-874-3p, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was explored by dual luciferase reporter assay and Western blot analysis. Angiogenesis and brain tissue apoptosis were evaluated by immunofluorescence staining and TUNEL staining, respectively. ELISA was introduced to measure levels of inflammatory factors, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 in brain tissues. Primary hippocampal neuronal cells were isolated from the mouse model of ischemic stroke and incubated with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) for HUVEC tube formation. High expression of CXCL12 and low expression of miR-874-3p were confirmed in ischemic stroke. In addition, miR-874-3p was found to target and downregulate CXCL12, thus reducing TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8 levels, but enhancing IL-10 level. Collectively, upregulating miR-874-3p inhibits CXCL12 expression to promote angiogenesis and inhibit inflammation in ischemic stroke mice by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which may provide a new direction of ischemic stroke treatment.

To elucidate the mechanism by which intercropping proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) with mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) increases proso millet yield and to determine how this higher yield results from maximization of resources use efficiency, we designed and conducted four strip intercropping row arrangements, including two rows of proso millet alternating with two rows of mung bean (2P2M), four rows of proso millet alternating with two rows of mung bean (4P2M), four rows of proso millet alternating with four rows of mung bean (4P4M), two rows of proso millet alternating with four rows of mung bean (2P4M), sole proso millet (SP, control) and sole mung bean (SM, control) in Yulin, Shaanxi, China. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the canopy, radiation use efficiency (RUE), leaf photosynthetic characteristics, dry matter accumulation and allocation, and yield of proso millet were investigated. The results showed that the intercropping systems had higher PAR than the monoculture. Mean PAR intensities were increased by respectively 2.2%–23.4%, 19.8%–59.7%, and 61.2%–133.3% in the proso millet upper, middle and lower canopies compared with SP. The increase in PAR directly increased RUE, a result attributed mainly to the increase in photosynthetic capacity, including net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content. These responses resulted in increased dry matter allocation to plant organs. Yield of intercropped proso millet was 6.8%–37.3% higher than that under monoculture and the land equivalent ratios for the different intercropping patterns were all greater than unity (> 1). In general, yield followed a positive linear function of PAR in the intercropping system. The results indicated that intercropping can boost proso millet yield, evidently by altering light distribution within its canopy and consequently increasing RUE, thereby increasing leaf photosynthetic capacity, dry matter accumulation, and allocation to the grain. The optimum combination for improving the growth and yield of proso millet on the Loess Plateau of China was 2P4M. Keywords: Canopy light distribution, Dry matter accumulation, Intercropping, Proso millet, Yield

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) with high drought resistance, is grown widely in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, and it is a new model plant for genetic and molecular studies. To uncover the molecular mechanisms of stress-tolerance in different genotypes of foxtail millet, physiological analyses combined with transcriptional profiling were conducted using a time-course analysis on two foxtail millet genotypes Damaomao (DM) and Hongnian (HN). The genotype DM performed better than HN under water deficiency, with more moderate relative water content (RWC) and chlorophyll decline. Further physiological and RNA-seq investigations revealed that the two genotypes possessed high conservatism in some vital biological pathways which respond to drought stress, involving hormone synthesis, proline, and soluble sugar synthesis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism. However, some genes related to these pathways showed different expression profiles. Likewise, the lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content in HN than DM may be explained by the observation that HN contained more activated genes in the ascorbate-glutathione cycle using KEGG pathway analysis. Overall, abscisic acid (ABA) response genes, ROS scavengers which were probably involved in signaling responses, a set of enzymes involved in proline and soluble sugar synthesis, channel protein genes, and transcription factors, encompassed the early strategy of foxtail millet response to drought. These findings provide a comprehensive molecular view of how different foxtail millet genotypes respond to short-term osmotic stress.

Potassium (K+) is one of the essential nutrients for plant, which is involved in plant growth and development and abiotic stress tolerance. The absorption and transport of K+ depends on Shaker K+ channels. Foxtail millet is a Poaceae crop with strong drought stress-tolerant. In this study, we identified ten Shaker K+ channel genes in foxtail millet. Phylogenetic analysis, prediction of conserved motif, and gene structure analysis classified these genes into five groups. The transcription level of these genes under different abiotic stress treatments (cold, heat, NaCl, PEG) and ABA treatment were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Each gene displayed its own regulation pattern under different treatments, suggests these channels play important role in plant adaptation to different environment conditions.

A case of Sluder's syndrome in a female patient, aged 56 years old, suffered from intermittent headache for over 20 years. The therapeutic methods include acupuncture with filiform needle mainly applied to the acupoints on governor vessel, foot-shaoyang meridian and foot-yangming meridian, the external application of Wuzhūyu (吴茱萸 Fructus Evodiae) on Yŏngquan (涌泉 KI1), as well as the pricking and bleeding method with the three-edge needle on Touwei (头维 ST8). The alliance of these three therapies co-act on promoting the circulation of shaoyang and yangming meridians and governor vessel and have obtained an satisfactory clinical effect. After treated for 5 weeks, the symptoms all disappeared completely, such as headache, vertigo and discomfort on eyes and they were not recurred in 1-year follow-up.

Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most popular neurodegenerative disease affecting cognitive functions of the elderly population. Neuronal apoptosis is an important pathological process during the development of AD. The Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death (Bim) mediates Amyloid-beta (Aβ)-induced neuronal apoptosis. Naturally occurring antibodies against Bim (NAbs-Bim) exist in human blood, with their levels and functions unknown in AD. Methods This study investigated the clinical relevance of plasma NAbs-Bim to AD in 55 AD patients, 28 patients with non-AD dementia, and 70 cognitively normal subjects. Furthermore, the pathophysiological functions of NAbs-Bim were explored in APP/PS1 mice and SY5Y cell lines overexpressing human amyloid precursor protein (APP). Results We found that plasma levels of NAbs-Bim were lower in AD patients in comparison with patients with non-AD dementia and cognitively normal controls. Plasma levels of NAbs-Bim were negatively associated with brain amyloid burdens and positively associated with cognitive functions. NAbs-Bim purified from intravenous immunoglobulin rescued behavioral deficits of APP/PS1 mice. NAbs-Bim ameliorated Aβ deposition, Tau hyperphosphorylation, microgliosis and neuronal apoptosis in APP/PS1 mice. In vitro investigations demonstrated that NAbs-Bim exerted neuroprotective effects against AD through neutralizing Bim-directed neuronal apoptosis and amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein. Conclusions The decrease of NAbs-Bim might contribute to the pathogenesis of AD and immunotherapies targeting Bim may hold promise for the treatment of AD.

Platelet adhesion and activation through the interaction of von Willebrand factor (VWF) with platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ibα are the early key events in hemostasis and thrombosis especially under high blood shear stress. P-selectin translocation from α granule to the cell surface is a typical platelet function phenotype, which makes the platelet-induced inflammatory response of flowing leukocytes possible and can be induced by either chemical agonists (thrombin, ADP, etc.) or high blood shear stress, but regulations of VWF mutation and blood shear stress on VWF-induced P-selectin translocation remain unclear. With flow cytometry, parallel plate flow chamber, and immunofluorescence staining techniques, we examined the P-selectin translocation of platelets on immobilized wild-type (WT) VWF-A1 domain and its two mutants, the gain-of-function (GOF) mutant R1308L and the loss-of-function (LOF) mutant G1324S, respectively. The results showed that the VWF-A1-induced platelet P-selectin translocation was triggered, accelerated, and enhanced by fluid shear stress and could be correlated with shear stress accumulation (SSA, the product of fluid shear stress and mechanical stimulus time), and the PI3K/Akt axis was involved in the platelet P-selectin translocation. The force-triggered P-selectin translocation occurred quickly on partial platelet surface first and then extended gradually to the whole platelet surface as SSA increased. The P-selectin translocation process would be promoted by the GOF mutation (R1308L) but slowed down by the LOF mutation (G1324S). These findings demonstrated a force-enhanced regulation mechanism for the VWF-induced platelet P-selectin translocation through the PI3K/Akt pathway and provided a novel insight into the mechano-chemical regulation mechanism for the key events, such as platelet activation and functional phenotype change in hemostasis and thrombosis.

At present, there are still ambiguous reports about the perinatal infection of infants born to mothers infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The dynamic characteristics of infantile serum antibodies born to mother with SARS-CoV-2 has not been well described. In this study, we analyzed the seroconversion of 27 newborns born to 26 pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG positive rate of parturient was 80.8%, and half of their infants obtained maternal IgG. IgG transfer rates were 18.8% and 81.8% in those infants whose mother infected less and more than 2 weeks before delivery. In the first two months of life, the IgG level of infants dropped sharply to one tenth of that at birth. These results suggest that maternal SARS-CoV-2 IgG provides limited protection for infants.

Starch, one of the most important components of coarse grains, has received widespread attention because of its prominent potential health benefits. In the present study, we isolated starches from the grains of sorghum, tartary buckwheat, common buckwheat, mungbean, and pea and studied their structural and physicochemical properties. These five starches all showed the distinctive “Maltese cross” effect (birefringence) but significantly differed in morphology, size, and complexity of granules. Sorghum starch exhibited the lowest amylose content and highest weight-average molar mass. Mungbean contained more short amylopectin [degree of polymerization (DP) 6–12 = 23.4%]. Pea starch exhibited the highest amylose content, highest amylopectin average chain length, and lowest weight-average molar mass. The starches of sorghum, tartary buckwheat, and common buckwheat showed A-type crystallinity, whereas those of mungbean and pea showed C-type crystallinity. Our results provide useful information for the application of coarse grain starches in diverse industries.

Field experiments involving proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) cultivar under four nitrogen (N) levels (N0, N60, N105 and N150) were conducted in 2015 and 2016 to explore the decrease in grain yie...

A novel graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterial, which was rapidly and simply synthesised and conjugated with low-molecular-weight chitosan (CS), was used to develop a simple, sensitive GO biosensor system for glucose detection by fluorescence resonance energy transfer. The GO-CS was used to detect low concentrations of glucose based on competitive binding with maltose-binding protein (MBP). The α-subunit of recombinant phycocyanin (rPC), which emits far-red fluorescence, was used to label MBP (MBP-rPC). The rPC emission was quenched by binding between GO-CS and MBP. However, in the presence of glucose, GO-CS was out-competed for binding to MBP, leading to rPC fluorescence. Glucose was sensitively and selectively detected with this biosensor, with a linear detection range of 0.1-1 mg glucose/ml. The limit of detection for glucose was ~0.05 mg/ml.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a globally prevalent infectious disease. The mechanisms of latent TB infection (LTBI) remain to be fully elucidated and may provide novel approaches for diagnosis. As therapeutic targets and molecular diagnostic markers, microRNAs (miRs) have been studied and utilized in various diseases. In the present study, the differentially expressed miRs (DEMs) in LTBI were screened and analyzed to determine the underlying mechanisms and identify potential biomarkers, thereby contributing to the diagnosis of LTBI. The {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE25435","term_id":"25435"}}GSE25435 and {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE29190","term_id":"29190"}}GSE29190 datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus were selected for analysis. The 2 datasets were analyzed individually using the Bioconductor package to screen the DEMs with specific cut-off criteria [P

The Chinese white wax scale insect, Ericerus pela, is an important resource insect in China. The rapid response of E. pela to decreasing temperatures plays key roles in the population distribution. In this study, we analyzed the gene expression of E. pela treated with low temperature using transcriptome analyses and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). The results showed that the cold resistance of E. pela involved changes in the expression of many genes. The genes were mainly involved in alcohol formation activity, lipid metabolism, membrane and structure, and oxidoreductase activity. According to the WGCNA results, some pathways related to cold resistance were found in the genes in the modules, such as cytoskeleton proteins, cytoskeleton protein pathway, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, glycerophospholipid metabolism, ether lipid metabolism, and thermogenesis. Some of the hub genes were nonspecific lipid-transfer proteins, DnaJ homolog subfamily C member 13, paramyosin, tropomodulin, and tubulin beta chain. In particular, the hub genes of the tan module included the heat shock protein (hsp) 10, hsp 60, hsp 70, and hsp 90 genes. Thirty-five antifreeze protein (afp) genes were identified according to the annotation results. Three afp genes were further identified among the hub genes. Six of these genes were selected for heterogeneous protein expression. One of them was expressed successfully. The thermal hysteresis activity (THA) analyses showed that the THA was 1.73°C. These results showed that the cytoskeleton, lipid metabolism, thermogenesis, HSPs and AFPs may play important roles in the cold resistance of E. pela.

Recent studies show that fibrinogen plays a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which may be crucial to neurovascular damage and cognitive impairment. However, there are few clinical studies on the relationship between fibrinogen and AD. 59 11C-PiB-PET diagnosed AD patients and 76 age- and gender-matched cognitively normal controls were included to analyze the correlation between plasma β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau levels with fibrinogen levels. 35 AD patients and 76 controls with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were included to further analyze the correlation between CSF Aβ and tau levels with fibrinogen levels. In AD patients, plasma fibrinogen levels were positively correlated with plasma Aβ40 and Aβ42 levels, and negatively correlated with CSF Aβ42 levels. Besides, fibrinogen levels were positively correlated with CSF total tau (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau-181 (p-tau) levels and positively correlated with the indicators of Aβ deposition in the brain, such as t-tau/Aβ42, p-tau/Aβ42 levels. In normal people, fibrinogen levels lack correlation with Aβ and tau levels in plasma and CSF. This study suggests that plasma fibrinogen levels are positively correlated with Aβ levels in the plasma and brain in AD patients. Fibrinogen may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD.

The cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway is involved in the regulation of melatonin during important physiological activities in mammals. However, the regulation of circadian clock genes in ovarian granulosa cells remains unclear. Herein, we determined the relationship between melatonin and biological clock genes using cultured Bactrian camel ovarian granulosa cells. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays showed that the cAMP content was reduced when melatonin receptor (MT) genes or cryptochrome (Cry) genes were overexpressed; the quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses revealed that the expression levels of all circadian clock genes (GNB2, PKA, CREB, Per1/2/3, and Clock) except Cry1/2 decreased significantly at 24 h. Cellular immunolocalization analysis showed that melatonin receptors were localized in the cell membrane and cytoplasm; the CRY protein was mainly localized in the nucleus. Overall, our findings indicated that the rhythmic regulation of ovarian granulosa cells was consistent with the regulatory action of the central circadian clock.

SENP3, a sentrin/SUMO2/3-specific protease, is recognized as a transcriptional factor that accumulates under cellular oxidative stress and plays a significant role in the removal of SUMO2/3 modification. In our study, we examined a TCGA dataset and found that the transcripts per million (TPM) value of SENP3 is high in sarcoma, including osteosarcoma (OS). We found that SENP3 was highly expressed in OS cancer tissues when compared with osteofibrous dysplasia tissues. The survival data of SENP3 in TCGA showed that the sarcoma patients with higher SENP3 expression levels showed poor prognosis. In vitro, SENP3 knockdown in OS cancer cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced apoptosis. In contrast, SENP3 overexpression reversed these effects. Next, we found that SENP3 inhibited the expression of E-cadherin (E-Cad) by increasing methylation of the E-Cad promoter. Finally, E-Cad expression was increased in the OS cell line MG63 following methylation, and the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity were decreased. In summary, SENP3 played a significant role in OS carcinogenesis and may act as a potential biomarker in the diagnosis and treatment of OS.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Ophiopogonis Radix, the commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in clinic for treating cardiovascular diseases, is returned to the stomach, lung and heart meridian. It is reported to nourish yin, moisten lung and is used to treat heart yin deficiency syndromes and asthenia of heart and lung, which indicated that Ophiopogonis Radix may have a protective effect on heart disorders. Atherosclerosisis is an important process in the development of cardiovascular diseases and abnormal lipid deposition induced macrophage foam cells is its crucial foundation. Our previous study showed the extract of Ophiopogonis Radix (EOR) ameliorates atherosclerosis in vitro. However, it may protect against cardiovascular diseases through inhibiting macrophage foam cell formation and its potential effective components and mechanisms are still unclear. Aim of the study Our study aimed to investigate the effect of Ophiopogonis Radix on macrophage foam cell formation and its potential active constituents and mechanisms. Materials and methods Ox-LDL induced macrophage cells were employed to evaluate the effect of Ophiopogonis Radix on macrophage foam cell formation. Then the potential active constituents inhibited formation of macrophage foam cells were screened by biospecific cell extraction and its underlying mechanisms were also explored by Western blot. Results The extract of Ophiopogonis Radix was found to significantly inhibit macrophage foam cell formation, evidenced by the decrease of TG and TC and Oil Red O staining analysis in macrophage cells, which indicated that EOR reduced the formation of macrophage foam cells. At the same time, EOR was showed to increase antioxidant capacity in macrophage cells. After treatment with EOR, two potential active components interacted with macrophage foam cells specifically were identified to inhibit macrophage foam cell formation including methylophiopogonanone A and methylophiopogonanone B. Methylophiopogonanone A was then proved to decrease the expression of CD36, Lox-1 and SREBP2, increase the expression of ABCA1 obviously, while the expression of ABCG1 and SREBP1 had no changes. Conclusions In our study, Ophiopogonis Radix was found to protect against atherosclerosis through suppressing ox-LDL induced macrophage foam cell formation and two potential compounds were identified by biospecific cell extraction including methylophiopogonanone A and methylophiopogonanone B. Moreover, methylophiopogonanone A was proved to inhibit foam cells through reducing uptake, synthesis and increasing efflux, which may provide guidance and reference for application of Ophiopogonis Radix and investigation of the effective components of TCMs.

BackgroundDeficits in the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The roles of blood monocytes, the counterpartsof microglia in the periphery, in the development of AD remain unclear. In this study, we sought to investigate the alterations in the Aβ phagocytosis function of peripheral monocytes during ageing and in AD patients. Methods:A total of104 cognitively normal participants aged 22 to 89 years old, 22 AD patients, 22 age- and sex-matched cognitively normal (CN) subjects, 15 Parkinson’s disease patients (PD) and 15 age- and sex-matched CN subjects were recruited. The Aβ uptake by blood monocytes were measured and its alteration during ageing and in AD were investigated. ResultsAβ1-42 uptake by monocytes was associated with Aβ1-42 levels in the blood. Aβ1-42 uptake by monocytes decreased during ageing, and further decreased in AD but not in PD patients. Among the Aβ uptake-related receptors and enzymes, the expression of Toll‑like receptor 2 (TLR2) was reduced in monocytes from AD patients.ConclusionOur findings suggest that monocytes regulate the blood levels of Aβ and might be involved in the development of AD. The recovery of the Aβ clearance function by blood monocytes represents a potential therapeutic strategy for AD.

Background The protective effects of polyamines on cardiovascular disease have been demonstrated in many studies. However, the roles of spermidine, a natural polyamine, in abdominal aortic aneurysm ( AAA ) disease have not been studied. In this study, we investigated the influence and potential mechanisms of spermidine treatment on experimental AAA disease. Methods and Results Experimental AAA s were induced in 8‐ to 10‐week‐old male C57 BL /6J mice by transient intra‐aortic infusion of porcine pancreatic elastase. Spermidine was administered via drinking water at a concentration of 3 mmol/L. Spermidine treatment prevented experimental AAA formation with preservation of medial elastin and smooth muscle cells. In immunostaining, macrophages, T cells, neutrophils, and neovessels were significantly reduced in aorta of spermidine‐treated, as compared with vehicle‐treated elastase‐infused mice. Additionally, flow cytometric analysis showed that spermidine treatment reduced aortic leukocyte infiltration and circulating inflammatory cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that spermidine treatment promoted autophagy‐related proteins in experimental AAA s using Western blot analysis, immunostaining, and transmission electron microscopic examination. Autophagic function was evaluated for human abdominal aneurysmal and nonaneurysmal adjacent aortae from AAA patients using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Dysregulated autophagic function, as evidenced by increased SQSTM 1/p62 protein and phosphorylated mTOR , was found in aneurysmal, as compared with nonaneurysmal, aortic segments. Conclusions Our results suggest that spermidine supplementation limits experimental AAA formation associated with preserved aortic structural integrity, attenuated aortic inflammatory infiltration, reduced circulating inflammatory monocytes, and increased autophagy‐related proteins. These findings suggest that spermidine may be a promising treatment for AAA disease.

As one of the main indicators of nutritional values of foxtail millet, grain protein contents (GPCs) of seeds can be affected by soil water conditions. Studies in this report indicated that intensified drought in filling stage increased the GPCs. To gain better insight into the interaction mechanism between the GPCs and soil water deficits, the proteomic profiles of mature seeds under three drought stress levels (moderate drought-W2; combined drought-W1; severe drought-W0) were conducted on two varieties, Longgu6 (LG6) and Huangjinmiao (HJM) by two-dimensional electrophoresis, with acidic (pH 4–7) gels. There were 83 protein spots in total identified successfully in two comparison groups (W1 vs W2 and W0 vs W2), associated with four major biochemical and metabolic pathways, including storage protein, amino acid and protein metabolisms, energy metabolism, response to stress and defense, and chaperones. Further analysis revealed that the increase of GPCs in LG6 under both W0 and W1 may be owing to the up-regulated storage proteins and the up-regulated protein response to drought stress. The levels of DEPs related to protein and amino acid biosynthesis and starch metabolism increased greatly in LG6 under W1, and this may also result in the high GPC level of seeds in LG6 under W1. Protein biosynthesis was up-regulated and drought stress-related pathways were enhanced in HJM under W1, thereby resulting in the increase of GPC in HJM under W1. These results will contribute to the existing knowledge on the complexity of protein changes leading to the GPC changes in response to drought.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.), as a major source of plant protein, is becoming one of the major cultivated crop species worldwide. In pea, the pericarp is an important determinant of the morphological characteristics and seed yield. To investigate the molecular mechanism of pericarp elongation as well as sucrose and starch accumulation in the pods of different pea cultivars, we performed transcriptomic analysis of the pericarp of two types of pea cultivar (vegetable pea and grain pea) using RNA-seq. A total of 239.44 Gb of clean sequence data were generated, and were aligned to the reference genome of Pisum sativum L. In the two samples, 1935 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Among these DEGs, three antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected to have higher expression levels in the grain pea pericarps at the pod-elongating stages. Otherwise, five peroxidase (POD)-encoding genes were detected to have lower expression levels in the vegetative pericarps at the development stage of pea pod growth. Furthermore, genes related to starch and sucrose metabolism in the pea pod, such as SUS, INV, FBA, TPI, ADPase, SBE, SSS, and GBSS, were found to be differentially expressed. The RNA-seq data were validated through real-time quantitative RT-PCR of 13 randomly selected genes. Our findings provide the gene expression profile of, as well as differential expression information on, the two pea cultivars, which will lay the foundation for further studies on pod development and nutrition accumulation in the pea and provide valuable information for pea cultivar improvement.

The movement of bacterial cells along with fungal hyphae in soil (the mycosphere) has been reported in several previous studies. However, how local soil conditions affect bacterial migration direction in the mycosphere has not been extensively studied. Here, we investigated the influence of two soil parameters, pH and soil moisture content, on the migration, and survival, of Paraburkholderia terrae BS001 in the mycosphere of Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten in microcosms containing a loamy sand soil. The data showed that bacterial movement along the hyphal networks took place in both the “forward” and the “backward” directions. Low soil pH strongly restricted bacterial survival, as well as dispersal in both directions, in the mycosphere. The backward movement was weakly correlated with the amount of fungal tissue formed in the old mycelial network. The initial soil moisture content, set at 12 versus 17% (corresponding to 42 and 60% of the soil water holding capacity), also significantly affected the bacterial dispersal along the fungal hyphae. Overall, the presence of fungal hyphae was found to increase the soil pH (under conditions of acidity), which possibly exerted protective effects on the bacterial cells. Finally, we provide a refined model that describes the bacterial migration patterns with fungal hyphae based on the new findings in this study. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00248-017-1137-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The quality characteristics of waxy and non-waxy proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) are different because of their varying amylose content. Physical appearance, pasting properties, cooking and edibility were investigated in five waxy and five non-waxy proso millet varieties. The results showed that the amylose content of proso millet flour was positively correlated with peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown viscosity, final viscosity, setback viscosity, peak time, and pasting temperature. The porridge made with non-waxy proso millet was thicker as compared with that of made with waxy proso millet. Cooked non-waxy proso millet was hard whereas waxy proso millet was sticky. The non-waxy proso millet contained higher resistant starch and lower rapidly digestible starch than waxy proso millet. From this study, we can conclude that quality characteristics of waxy and non-waxy proso millet are different, and this may provide an insight in food processing and commercial production of proso millet.

To unravel the linkages between ecological ratios (C:N:P) and the microbial community in rhizosphere soil in response to fertilizer management, soil samples were collected from a proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) field under different fertilizer management systems, including nitrogen fertilizer (NF), phosphorus fertilizer (PF), combined N and P (NP) fertilizer, and organic fertilizer (OF); no fertilizer (CK) was used as a control. Furthermore, 16S rRNA and ITS gene sequencing were applied to represent the bacterial and fungal diversity in the soil. Moreover, the elemental properties, including the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents, in the microbial biomass and rhizosphere soil were evaluated. The results showed that the C, N, and P contents and microbial biomass (MBC, MBN and MBP, respectively) in the rhizosphere soil were augmented following fertilizer management. Increases in the alpha diversity indices (Shannon and Chao 1) of soil bacteria and fungi were observed in response to the fertilizers, and the responses were more closely related to the soil C:N and N:P ratios than to the C:P ratio. Additionally, with high relative abundances (>1%) across all soil samples, the composition of soil microbial phyla levels revealed different trends following fertilizer management. The abundances of Actinobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes increased, while the abundances of Acidobacteria and Nitrospirae decreased (P

Background Golden snub-nosed monkeys ( Rhinopithecus roxellana ) are an endangered species in China.In the present study, the blood transcriptomes of nine monkeys were characterized by using RNA-Seq technology.Results 57.31 Gb high-quality sequencing data was obtained. The clean data of each sample was >5 Gb, and 86.17% to 94.48% of the reads of each sample could be compared to reference genome of snub-nosed monkey. After assembly, we obtained 24,992 genes, including 3,917 new genes. Many genes were up-regulated or down-regulated with age. In adult group of R. roxellana roxellana, there were 76 differential genes, including 68 up-regulated and 8 down-regulated genes, compared with the young group. While, compared with the adult group, in the old group there were 58 differential genes, including 25 up-regulated genes and 23 down-regulated genes. In R. roxellana qinlingensis , compared with the young group, 117 differential genes were obtained, including 34 up-regulated and 83 down-regulated genes. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the up-regulated genes were mainly related to innate immune response and T-cell activity, while the down-regulated genes were mainly involved in B-cell activity, suggesting that immune competence of adult group increased gradually compared to young group. However, the adaptive immune function declined gradually in the old group.Conclusions Our findings will contribute to understand on the molecular mechanisms of age-related changes in immune system, which will provide a foundation for future study in snub-nosed monkey.

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) affected by smut (caused by the pathogen Sporisorium destruens) has reduced production yields and quality. Determining the tolerance of broomcorn millet varieties is essential for smut control. This study focuses on the differences in the phenotypes, physiological characteristics, and transcriptomes of resistant and susceptible broomcorn millet varieties under Sporisorium destruens stress. In diseased broomcorn millet, the plant height and stem diameter were reduced, while the number of nodes increased. After infection, the activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase decreased, and malondialdehyde and relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) decreased. Transcriptome analysis showed 514 and 5452 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the resistant and susceptible varieties, respectively. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of DEGs showed that pathways related to plant disease resistance, such as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant–pathogen interaction, and plant hormone signal transduction, were significantly enriched. In addition, the transcriptome changes of cluster leaves and normal leaves in diseased broomcorn millet were analysed. Gene ontology and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that photosynthesis played an important role in both varieties. These findings lay a foundation for future research on the molecular mechanism of the interaction between broomcorn millet and Sporisorium destruens.

Ethnopharmacological relevance In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and modern pharmacodynamics, dried Rehmannia Radix (DRR) possesses prominent anti-thrombotic activity that decreases after processing by nine steaming and drying cycles to develop processed Rehmannia Radix (PRR). Due to the complexity of the DRR components, the chemical mechanism leading to efficacy changes of DRR caused by processing is still unclear. Aim of study This study aimed to trace the anti-thrombotic active compounds of DRR and different degrees of processed RR (PRR) and to evaluate the synergistic effects among different active components. Materials and methods The anti-thrombotic active chemical fraction of DRR extracts was evaluated. Targeted fractions of the processed products of RR were prepared at different processing stages. The changes in monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and secondary metabolites during processing were characterized by multidimensional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The anti-thrombotic effects of targeted fractions of different RR samples were evaluated by analyzing the length of tail thrombus (LT) and serum biochemical indicators in carrageenan-induced tail-thrombus mice. The spectrum-effect relationships were investigated by partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis and gray correlation analysis (GRA). Finally, the active compounds were screened by spectrum-effect relationship analysis and validated in vivo, and their synergistic effects were determined by Webb's fraction multiplication method. Results Six ingredients highly associated with anti-thrombotic activities were screened out by the spectrum-effect relationship analysis, of which oligosaccharides (stachyose, sucrose and raffinose) and iridoid glycosides (catalpol, leonuride and melitoside) possessed a synergistic effect on tumor necrosis factors (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1)/tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) ratio in vivo with synergistic coefficient (SC) > 1. Conclusion The main material basis of the anti-thrombotic activities of DRR is oligosaccharide components of stachyose, raffinose and sucrose, iridoid glycosides components of catalpol, leonuride and melittoside. The two kinds of components exert synergistic anti-thrombotic effects by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factors and regulating the balance of the fibrinolysis system.

// Shouyi Wang 1 , Pin Liu 1 , Pu Yang 1 , Junwen Zheng 1 and Dongchi Zhao 1 1 Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Digital Health and Data Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China Correspondence to: Dongchi Zhao, email: // Keywords : respiratory syncytial virus, peripheral blood, miRNA, infants, inflammatory response, Immunology and Microbiology Section, Immune response, Immunity Received : July 10, 2016 Accepted : June 27, 2017 Published : July 18, 2017 Abstract MicroRNAs respond to the inflammatory responses induced by RNA virus infection. In this study, we investigated the specific microRNA profile in the peripheral blood of infants infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Blood specimens were analyzed using microRNA microarrays, followed by quantitative RT-PCR. A specific microRNA profile in the peripheral blood of RSV-infected infants was identified for the first time. MiR-106b-5p, miR-20b-5p, and miR-342-3p were upregulated, while miR-320e, miR-320d, miR-877-5p, miR-122-5p, and miR-92b-5p were downregulated. Pathway analysis indicated that the dysregulated microRNAs were involved in inflammatory and immune responses, including Wnt, TGF-β, insulin, and T and B cell receptor signaling. These results demonstrate that RSV infection associates with a distinct microRNA fingerprint and suggest that RSV induces inflammatory responses in infants.

The type three secretion system (T3SS) is known to play a critical role in several bacterial-eukaryotic cell interactions. Recent indirect evidence has also pointed to a role of this system in bacterial-fungal interactions in soil. In the current study, we examine if the T3SS of the fungal-interactive Burkholderia terrae strain BS001 can aid in the interaction of this bacterium with two soil fungi, i.e., Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten and Trichoderma asperellum 302. We first analyzed the T3SS of strain BS001 and then constructed a knockout mutant of the essential sctD gene. The selected sctD mutant strain did not show any differences to the wild-type strain with respect to its growth and nutrient utilization behavior, excluding polar effects of the mutation. Then, the migration ability of the sctD mutant strain along with the hyphae of Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten growing through presterilized soil was tested, revealing hampered comigration as compared to the wild-type strain. The effect was also observed with T. asperellum 302. However, the migration impairment was only noticed in mixed-inoculation experiments, whereas it remained unnoticed when the two strains were inoculated in separate. These data demonstrate that the T3SS assists B. terrae BS001 in its interaction with two soil fungi, without being essential for these interactions. As far as we know, this is the first time that the role of a T3SS in the comigration of bacteria along with soil-exploring fungi is verified directly.

Background Drought stress is a major abiotic stress that causes huge losses in agricultural production. Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) can efficiently adapt to drought stress and provides important information and gene resources to improve drought tolerance. However, its complex drought-responsive mechanisms remain unclear. Results Among 37 core Chinese proso millet cultivars, Jinshu 6 (JS6) was selected as the drought-sensitive test material, whereas Neimi 5 (NM5) was selected as the drought-tolerant test material under PEG-induced water stress. After sequencing, 1695 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in JS6 and NM5 without PEG-induced water stress (JS6CK and NM5CK). A total of 833 and 2166 DEGs were found in the two cultivars under simulated drought by using 20% PEG-6000 for 6 (JS6T6 and NM5T6) and 24 h (JS6T24 and NM5T24), respectively. The DEGs in JS6T6 and JS6T24 treatments were approximately 0.298- and 0.754-fold higher than those in NM5T6 and NM5T24, respectively. Compared with the respective controls, more DEGs were found in T6 treatments than in T24 treatments. A delay in the transcriptional responses of the ROS scavenging system to simulated drought treatment and relatively easy recovery of the expression of photosynthesis-associated genes were observed in NM5. Compared with JS6, different regulation strategies were observed in the jasmonic acid (JA) signal transduction pathway of NM5. Conclusion Under PEG-induced water stress, NM5 maintained highly stable gene expression levels. Compared with drought-sensitive cultivars, the different regulation strategies in the JA signal transduction pathway in drought-tolerant cultivars may be one of the driving forces underlying drought stress tolerance.

BackgroundThe Chinese white wax scale insect, Ericerus pela, is best known for producing wax, which has been widely used in candle production, casting, Chinese medicine, and wax printing products for thousands of years. The secretion of wax, and other unusual features of scale insects, is thought to be an adaptation to their change from an ancestral ground-dwelling lifestyle to a sedentary lifestyle on the higher parts of plants. As well as helping to improve its economic value, studies of E. pela might also help to explain the adaptation of scale insects. However, no genomic data are currently available for E. pela.FindingsTo assemble the E. pela genome, 303.92 Gb of data were generated using Illumina and Pacific Biosciences sequencing, producing 277.22 Gb of clean data for assembly. The assembled genome size was 0.66 Gb, with 1,979 scaffolds and a scaffold N50 of 735 kb. The guanine + cytosine content was 33.80%. A total of 12,022 protein-coding genes were predicted, with a mean coding sequence length of 1,370 bp. Twenty-six fatty acyl-CoA reductase genes and 35 acyltransferase genes were identified. Evolutionary analysis revealed that E. pela and aphids formed a sister group and split ∼241.1 million years ago. There were 214 expanded gene families and 2,219 contracted gene families in E. pela.ConclusionWe present the first genome sequence from the Coccidae family. These results will help to increase our understanding of the evolution of unique features in scale insects, and provide important genetic information for further research.

Recent recognition that TGF-β signaling disruption is involved in the development of aortic aneurysms has led to renewed investigations into the role of TGF-β biology in the aortic wall. We previously found that the type I receptor of TGF-β (TGFBR2) receptor contributes to formation of ascending aortic aneurysms and dissections (AADs) induced by smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific, postnatal deletion of Tgfbr1 (Tgfbr1(iko)). Here, we aimed to decipher the mechanistic signaling pathway underlying the pathogenic effects of TGFBR2 in this context. Gene expression profiling demonstrated that Tgfbr1(iko) triggers an acute inflammatory response in developing AADs, and Tgfbr1(iko) SMCs express an inflammatory phenotype in culture. Comparative proteomics profiling and mass spectrometry revealed that Tgfbr1(iko) SMCs respond to TGF-β1 stimulation via robust up-regulation of cyclophilin A (CypA). This up-regulation is abrogated by inhibition of TGFBR2 kinase activity, small interfering RNA silencing of Tgfbr2 expression, or inhibition of SMAD3 activation. In mice, Tgfbr1(iko) rapidly promotes CypA production in SMCs of developing AADs, whereas treatment with a CypA inhibitor attenuates aortic dilation by 56% (P = 0.003) and ameliorates aneurysmal degeneration (P = 0.016). These protective effects are associated with reduced aneurysm-promoting inflammation. Collectively, these results suggest a novel mechanism, wherein loss of type I receptor of TGF-β triggers promiscuous, proinflammatory TGFBR2 signaling in SMCs, thereby promoting AAD formation.—Zhou, G., Liao, M., Wang, F., Qi, X., Yang, P., Berceli, S. A., Sharma, A. K., Upchurch, G. R., Jr., Jiang, Z. Cyclophilin A contributes to aortopathy induced by postnatal loss of smooth muscle TGFBR1.

New findings What is the central question of this study? The aim was to identify abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)-associated microRNAs and their target genes in AAA using microarray analysis. What is the main finding and its importance? The main finding was that miR-145 and miR-30c-2* were found to be downregulated microRNAs in AAA, which could exert suppressive effects on AAA progression, and that miR-145 might target RAC2, whereas miR-30c-2* might target PIK3CD, IL1B and RAC2. The findings obtained from the study provide an enhanced understanding of microRNA as a therapeutic target to limit AAA. Abstract The aim of the study was to identify abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA)-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes potentially contributing to AAA. Differential analysis was performed to screen out differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and miRNAs in expression datasets of AAA-related miRNAs [GSE51226 (mouse)] and genes [GSE51227 (mouse) and GSE7084 (human)]. Then, gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of DEGs was compared with aneurysm-related GO to screen out DEGs related to the disease. The target genes of differential miRNAs were predicted and used to construct a miRNA-DEG regulatory network, followed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of target genes. Moreover, the protein-protein interaction network of target genes of miRNAs in the core position (hub-miRNA) with AAA-related genes was constructed to screen out hub genes. Finally, the target relationship between hub-miRNAs and their target genes was verified. There were 20 upregulated miRNAs and 20 downregulated miRNAs in AAA screened from the GSE51226 dataset (mouse). In addition, there were 1154 upregulated genes and 821 downregulated genes in the GSE51227 dataset (mouse), of which 246 DEGs were enriched in aneurysm-related GO entries in AAA. miR-145 and miR-30c-2* were the key miRNAs of AAA, both of which were downregulated in AAA and influenced pathways so as to affect AAA by regulating their respective target genes. The disease-related gene ACTA2 was downregulated, whereas DEGs including PIK3CD, IL1B, RAC2 and SELL were upregulated in AAA. Finally, it was proved that miR-145 targeted RAC2 and SELL, whereas miR-30c-2* targeted PIK3CD, IL1B and RAC2. Taken together, miR-145 and miR-30c-2*, downregulated in AAA, could potentially affect AAA, and miR-145 might target RAC2, whereas miR-30c-2* might target PIK3CD, IL1B and RAC2.

Hog deer (Axis porcinus) is a small deer species in family Cervidae and has been undergoing a serious and global decline during the past decades. Chengdu Zoo currently holds a captive population of hog deer with sufficient genetic diversity in China. We sequenced and de novo assembled its genome sequence in the present study. A total of six different insert-size libraries were sequenced and generated 395 Gb of clean data in total. With aid of the linked reads of 10X Genomics, genome sequence was assembled to 2.72 Gb in length (contig N50, 66.04 Kb; scaffold N50, 20.55 Mb), in which 94.5% of expected genes were detected. We comprehensively annotated 22,473 protein-coding genes, 37,019 tRNAs, and 1,058 Mb repeated sequences. The newly generated reference genome is expected to significantly contribute to comparative analysis of genome biology and evolution within family Cervidae. Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data (ISA-Tab format)

Premise of the study Maca (Lepidium meyenii; Brassicaceae) has been cultivated by Andeans for thousands of years as a food source and has been used for medicinal purposes. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying material accumulation during plant growth. Methods RNA-Seq technology was used to compare the transcriptome of black maca root at three developmental stages. Gene Ontology term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were applied for the identification of pathways in which differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched. Results Trinity was used to de novo assemble the reads, and 120,664 unigenes were assembled. Of these, 71.53% of the unigenes were annotated based on BLAST. A total of 18,321 differentially expressed genes were observed. Gene Ontology term enrichment analysis found that the most highly represented pathway among the differentially expressed genes was for genes involved in starch and sucrose metabolism. We also found that genes involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis, such as glucosinolate biosynthesis, were significantly enriched. Discussion The genes that were differentially expressed between developmental time points likely reflect both developmental pathways and responses to changes in the environment. As such, the transcriptome data in this study serve as a reference for subsequent mining of genes that are involved in the synthesis of important bioactive components in maca.

The scale insect, Ericerus pela Chavannes, shows a typical sexual dimorphism. Males and females are different not only in morphology, but also in their ability to secrete wax and ecological adaptability. Here we report the morphological and structural characteristics of wax glands on E. pela females and males. The differences in wax glands and wax secretion between females and males reflect their different needs for living habitats and different ecological strategies. Sciophilous male nymphs are with five types of wax glands, and the wax glands on the dorsum secrete a layer of wax filaments plausibly for protection against direct light irradiation. On the other hand, five types of wax glands were found on the abdomen of females. Heliophilous female nymphs hardly secrete any wax, but the wax glands located along the spiracle on the abdomen may help this insect to breathe. Female adults secrete wax filaments on eggs to protect them from predators and prevent themselves from sticking to each other. In summary, males appear to secreted wax for creating a shaded niche that fits their sciophilous life style, whereas females are likely to adopt an ecological strategy with thickened epidermis for heliophilous acclimatization and overwintering.

Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disease mainly caused by homozygous deletion of SMN1. The 2-copy SMN1 allele may present in the families of SMA patients with homozygous deletion of SMN1, one of whose parents has two SMN1 copies. In such families, individuals having two SMN1 copies still have a chance to be "2 + 0" carriers. In this study, the risks for the parents, fetuses and other siblings having two SMN1 copies to be "2 + 0" carriers were estimated based on Chinese meta-analysis data and turned out to be rather striking. Our findings would help to optimize genetic counseling regarding spinal muscular atrophy.

The horned gall aphid, Schlechtendalia chinensis Bell, is the most economically valuable galling aphid. It accounts for approximately 75% of Chinese gallnut production, which is important for medical and chemical purposes. The horned gall aphid feeds on the Chinese sumac tree, Rhus chinensis, during the summer, induces galls, and overwinters on the moss Plagiomnium spp. However, the sequence information of S. chinensis is limited, and the functional gene expression changes during host alternation remain obscure. In this study, the transcriptome of the horned gall aphid was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing technology. Approximately 49 million reads were obtained and were assembled into 99 366 transcripts and 47 400 unigenes. Annotation was performed using a BLAST search against primary databases such as NCBI nr and Swiss-Prot, as well as enrichment analysis by GO, KOG and KEGG. Differentially expressed genes between spring and autumn migrant aphids were compared, and the expression levels of many genes related to detoxification, digestion and other functional genes were found to have changed, reflecting the adaptation ability of horned gall aphids in different seasons and hosts. Functional genes in wax biosynthesis were upregulated in spring migrant aphids. This study analyzed the expression profile difference between spring and autumn migrant aphids to approach the real functional genes change during host alternation. The transcriptome provides a basis to understanding the functional genes during gall aphid host alternation and the related physiological and molecular characteristics.

The Chinese white wax scale insect, Ericerus pela, can survive at extremely low temperatures, and some overwintering individuals exhibit supercooling at temperatures below -30°C. To investigate the deep supercooling ability of E. pela, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were performed to delineate the major gene and protein families responsible for the deep supercooling ability of overwintering females. Gene Ontology (GO) classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that genes involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase, calcium, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways and pathways associated with the biosynthesis of soluble sugars, sugar alcohols and free amino acids were dominant. Proteins responsible for low-temperature stress, such as cold acclimation proteins, glycerol biosynthesis-related enzymes and heat shock proteins (HSPs) were identified. However, no antifreeze proteins (AFPs) were identified through sequence similarity search methods. A random forest approach identified 388 putative AFPs in the proteome. The AFP gene ep-afp was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the expressed protein exhibited a thermal hysteresis activity of 0.97°C, suggesting its potential role in the deep supercooling ability of E. pela.

Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare condition with multiple congenital anomalies and mental retardation. Exonic deletions, disrupting the lysine (K)-specific demethylase 6A (KDM6A) gene have been demonstrated as rare cause of KS. Here, we report a de novo 227-kb deletion in chromosome Xp11.3 of a 7-year-old Chinese girl with KS. Besides the symptoms of KS, the patient also presented with skin allergic manifestations, which were considered to be a new, rare feature of the phenotypic spectrum. The deletion includes the upstream region and exons 1-2 of KDM6A and potentially causes haploinsuffiency of the gene. We also discuss the mutation spectrum of KDM6A and clinical variability of patients with KDM6A deletion through a literature review. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Background and purpose TMEM16A, also known as anoctamin 1 channel, is a member of the Ca(2+)-activated chloride channels family and serves as a heat sensor in the primary nociceptors. Eact is a recently discovered small molecule activator of the TMEM16A channel. Here, we asked if Eact produces pain- and itch-related responses in vivo and investigated the cellular and molecular basis of Eact-elicited responses in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. Experimental approach We employed behavioural testing combined with pharmacological inhibition and genetic ablation approaches to identify transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) as the prominent mediator for Eact-evoked itch- or pain-related responses. We investigated the effects of Eact on TRPV1 and TMEM16A channels expressed in HEK293T cells and in DRG neurons isolated from wild type and Trpv1(-/-) mice using Ca(2+) imaging and patch-clamp recordings. We also used site-directed mutagenesis to determine the molecular basis of Eact activation of TRPV1. Key results Administration of Eact elicited both itch- and pain-related behaviours. Unexpectedly, the Eact-elicited behavioural responses were dependent on the function of TRPV1, as shown by pharmacological inhibition and genetic ablation studies. Eact activated membrane currents and increased intracellular free Ca(2+) in both TRPV1-expressing HEK293T cells and isolated DRG neurons in a TRPV1-dependent manner. Eact activation of the TRPV1 channel was severely attenuated by mutations disrupting the capsaicin-binding sites. Conclusions and implications Our results suggest that Eact activates primary sensory nociceptors and produces both pain and itch responses mainly through direct activation of TRPV1 channels.

The objective of this study was to investigate the expression, proliferation, and apoptosis function of long-chain non-coding RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) and antisense non-coding RNA at the INK4 locus (ANRIL) in gallbladder cancer (GBC) tissues. GBC tissues and adjacent normal samples were collected from 84 patients from January 2008 to June 2010. Empty vector, pcDNA-MEG3, and pcDNA-ANRIL vectors were transfected into GBC-SD and QBC939 cells. An MTT assay, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), flow cytometry, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were applied. The effects of MEG3 and ANRIL were also verified in mice. Compared with normal tissues, the expression of MEG3 was significantly lower in GBC tissues, whereas the expression of ANRIL was significantly higher (both P

Minor grain crops are widely cultivated in northwest China and played important roles in local economic. Soil microbes play a central role in ecological function and biological stability and related to soil quality. In order to uncover the soil microbial composition differences and the factors under 5-year continuous monocropping of three minor crops (Proso millet, Common bean and Common buckwheat) in Guan-Zhong Plain, six soil nutrimental parameters, soil pH, soil moisture content, and four soil enzyme activities were analyzed and soil microbial composition were sequenced. The results showed that after 5-years of continuous monocropping, different cover crops influenced most of soil physicochemical properties, expect soil moisture content (P < 0.05), the available nutrients were significant higher in proso millet soil, and the pH was significantly higher in common buckwheat soil. soil ALP, catalase and urease activities were significantly different between soils (P< 0.01), in which soil catalase activities were significantly lower and soil ALP and urease activities were significantly higher than that of proso millet and common buckwheat. A total of 171439 sequences, 9468 OTUs and 29 phylum for bacteria, 128920 sequences, 544 OTUs and 27 phylum for fungi were obtained. In addition, no significantly difference obtained in diversity and richness between soils (P < 0.05). According to relative abundance, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes and Acidobacteria were the dominant bacterial phylum in all samples, moreover, the relative abundance of Caldiserica was significantly different between soils (P < 0.05). Ascomycota (79.04%-90.21%) was dominant phylum in fungal community and phylum Phragmoplastophyta (P < 0.01) and Glomeromycota (P < 0.05) were significantly different between soils. Redundancy analysis indicated that available nutrients Nitrogen and Potassium are the strongest predictors in both bacterial and fungal community. In conclusion, different cover crops influenced soil nutrient properties, soil pH and soil microbial composition, and continuous monocropping decreased soil fertility condition. Moreover, Common bean and Common buckwheat were more sensitive to monocropping treatment.