The Nephroprotective Effect of TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6 (TRAF6) Blockade on LPS-Induced Acute Renal Injury Through the Inhibition if Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Emerging Role of Neuropilin-1 and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2 in Renal Carcinoma-Associated COVID-19 Pathogenesis

Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) is a recently identified glycoprotein that is an important host factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection. On the other hand, angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) acts as a receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, both NRP1 and ACE2 express in the kidney and are associated with various renal diseases, including renal carcinoma. Therefore, the expression profiles of NRP1 and ACE2 in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) patients from the various cancer databases were investigated along with their impact on patients’ survivability. In addition, coexpression analysis of genes involved in COVID-19, KIRC, and KIRP concerning NRP1 and ACE2 was performed. The results demonstrated that both t NRP1 and ACE2 expressions are upregulated in KIRC and KIRP compared to healthy conditions and are significantly correlated with the survivability rate of KIRC patients. A total of 128 COVID-19-associated genes are coexpressed, which are positively associated with NRP1 and ACE2 both in KIRC and KIRP. Therefore, it might be suggested that, along with the ACE2, high expression of the newly identified host factor NRP1 in renal carcinomas may play a vital role in the increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and survivability of COVID-19 patients suffering from kidney cancers. The findings of this investigation will be helpful for further molecular studies and prevention and/or treatment strategies for COVID-19 patients associated with renal carcinomas.

Genome-Wide Association Analysis Reveals the Genetic Architecture of Parasite (Cryptocaryon irritans) Resistance in Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

Large yellow croaker is an important marine culture species in China. Recently, the large yellow croaker industry is threatened by various disease problems, especially for the white spot disease, which is caused by parasite Cryptocaryon irritans. In the current study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for C. irritans resistance in two large yellow croaker populations (n = 264 and n = 480, respectively). We identified 15 QTL with explained genetic variance ranging from 1 to 8% in the two populations. One QTL on chromosome 23 was shared by the two populations, and three QTL had been reported in the previous study. We identified a lot of biological pathways associated with C. irritans resistance, such as hormone transport, response to bacterium, apoptotic process, acute inflammatory response to antigenic stimulus, and NF-kappa B signaling pathway. The genes casp8 and traf6 involved in regulatory network for apoptosis and inflammation were identified to be candidate genes for C. irritans resistance. Our results showed the complex polygenic architecture of resistance of large yellow croaker against C. irritans. These results would be helpful for the researches of the molecular mechanism of C. irritans resistance and genome-assisted breeding of large yellow croaker.