Genome-wide identification analysis of the 4-Coumarate: CoA ligase (4CL) gene family expression profiles in Juglans regia and its wild relatives J. Mandshurica resistance and salt stress

Persian walnut (Juglans regia) and Manchurian walnut (Juglans mandshurica) belong to Juglandaceae, which are vulnerable, temperate deciduous perennial trees with high economical, ecological, and industrial values. 4-Coumarate: CoA ligase (4CL) plays an essential function in plant development, growth, and stress. Walnut production is challenged by diverse stresses, such as salinity, drought, and diseases. However, the characteristics and expression levels of 4CL gene family in Juglans species resistance and under salt stress are unknown. Here, we identified 36 Jr4CL genes and 31 Jm4CL genes, respectively. Based on phylogenetic relationship analysis, all 4CL genes were divided into three branches. WGD was the major duplication mode for 4CLs in two Juglans species. The phylogenic and collinearity analyses showed that the 4CLs were relatively conserved during evolution, but the gene structures varied widely. 4CLs promoter region contained multiply cis-acting elements related to phytohormones and stress responses. We found that Jr4CLs may be participated in the regulation of resistance to anthracnose. The expression level and some physiological of 4CLs were changed significantly after salt treatment. According to qRT-PCR results, positive regulation was found to be the main mode of regulation of 4CL genes after salt stress. Overall, J. mandshurica outperformed J. regia. Therefore, J. mandshurica can be used as a walnut rootstock to improve salt tolerance. Our results provide new understanding the potential functions of 4CL genes in stress tolerance, offer the theoretical genetic basis of walnut varieties adapted to salt stress, and provide an important reference for breeding cultivated walnuts for stress tolerance.

[The mechanism of OC-STAMP overexpression induced actin cytoskeleton remodeling in promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial cell]

Objective: To explore the mechanism of osteoclast stimulatory transmembrane protein (OC-STAMP) overexpression on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) . Methods: In April 2021, mice alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial cells MLE-12 were divided into five groups: overexpression control group (NC group), Ocstamp overexpression group (over-Ocstamp group), Fasudil intervention group (over-Ocstamp+Fasudil group), silence control group (si-NC group), Ocstamp silence group (si-Ocstamp group). The protein expressions of OC-STAMP, epithelial marker protein-E-cadherin (E-cad), interstitial marker protein-α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA), Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor α (Rho GDIα), Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), phosphate myosin phosphatase (p-MYPT) were examined by Western blotting and Immunocytochemical staining. The filamentous actin (F-actin) was detected by Phalloidin method. t test was used to compare the relative expression of each protein between the two groups. Results: Western blotting and Immunocytochemical staining showed that compared with the NC group, the expression level of E-cad was down-regulated, while the expression levels of α-SMA, Rho GDIα, RhoA, ROCK, p-MYPT were increased, and F-actin expression was enhanced in the over-Ocstamp group. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in E-cad and α-SMA protein expression in si-Ocstamp group compared with si-NC group (P>0.05). Compared with over-Ocstamp group, the expression level of E-cad protein in over-Ocstamp+Fasudil group was up-regulated, the expression levels of α-SMA, Rho GDIα, RhoA, ROCK and p-MYPT protein were decreased, and F-actin expression was weakened, with statistical significance (P<0.05) . Conclusion: OC-STAMP overexpression in alveolar type Ⅱ epithelial cells may induce actin cytoskeleton remodeling through activation of Rho GDIα/RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway, thus promoting EMT.

Gender equity of authorship in pulmonary medicine over the past decade

BACKGROUND

Gender disparity in authorship broadly persists in medical literature, little is known about female authorship within pulmonary medicine.

METHODS

A bibliometric analysis of publications from 2012 to 2021 in 12 journals with the highest impact in pulmonary medicine was conducted. Only original research and review articles were included. Names of the first and last authors were extracted and their genders were identified using the Gender-API web. Female authorship was described by overall distribution and distribution by country/region/continent and journal. We compared the article citations by gender combinations, evaluated the trend in female authorship, and forecasted when parity for first and last authorship would be reached. We also conducted a systematic review of female authorship in clinical medicine.

RESULTS

14,875 articles were included, and the overall percentage of female first authors was higher than last authors (37.0% vs 22.2%, p<0.001). Asia had the lowest percentage of female first (27.6%) and last (15.2%) authors. The percentages of female first and last authors increased slightly over time, except for a rapid increase in the COVID-19 pandemic periods. Parity was predicted in 2046 for the first authors and 2059 for the last authors. Articles with male authors were cited more than articles with female authors. However, male-male collaborations significantly decreased, whereas female-female collaborations significantly increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the slow improvement in female authorship over the past decade, there is still a substantial gender disparity in female first and last authorship in high-impact medical journals in pulmonary medicine.

Rapid Magnetic 3D Printing of Cellular Structures with MCF-7 Cell Inks

A contactless label-free method using a diamagnetophoretic ink to rapidly print three-dimensional (3D) scaffold-free multicellular structures is described. The inks consist of MCF-7 cells that are suspended in a culture medium to which a paramagnetic salt, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid gadolinium (III) dihydrogen salt hydrate (Gd-DTPA), is added. When a magnetic field is applied, the host fluid containing the paramagnetic salt is attracted towards regions of high magnetic field gradient, displacing the ink towards regions with a low gradient. Using this method, 3D structures are printed on ultra-low attachment (ULA) surfaces. On a tissue culture treated (TCT) surface, a 3D printed spheroid coexists with a two-dimensional (2D) cell monolayer, where the composite is termed as a 2.5D structure. The 3D structures can be magnetically printed within 6 hours in a medium containing 25 mM Gd-DTPA. The influence of the paramagnetic salt on MCF-7 cell viability, cell morphology, and ability of cells to adhere to each other to stabilize the printed structures on both ULA and TCT surfaces is investigated. Gene expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) allow comparison of the relative stresses for the printed 3D and 2.5D cell geometries with those for 3D spheroids formed without magnetic assistance. This magnetic printing method can be potentially scaled to a higher throughput to rapidly print cells into 3D heterogeneous cell structures with variable geometries with repeatable dimensions for applications such as tissue engineering and tumour formation for drug discovery.

MUC1- and Survivin-based DNA Vaccine Combining Immunoadjuvants CpG and interleukin-2 in a Bicistronic Expression Plasmid Generates Specific Immune Responses and Antitumour Effects in a Murine Colorectal Carcinoma Model

DNA vaccination is a promising cancer treatment due to its safety, but poor immunogenicity limits its application. However, immunoadjuvants, heterogeneous prime-boost strategies and combination with conventional treatments can be used to improve the antitumour immune effects. A CpG motif and interleukin-2 (IL-2) cytokine are often used as adjuvants. In this study, a DNA vaccine containing a CpG motif was constructed to evaluate its adjuvant effect. The results show that the cytotoxicity of the DNA vaccine was increased fivefold, and survival lifetime was prolonged twofold by the CpG motif adjuvant. To simplify the industrial production process, a bicistronic plasmid was constructed to carry the fusion genes of survivin/MUC1 (MS) and IL-2 and with a CpG motif in its backbone. The results showed that the antitumour effect of the bicistronic vaccine was the same as that of the two vaccine co-injected regime. Furthermore, the vaccine could suppress metastatic tumour foci by 69.1% in colorectal carcinoma-bearing mice. Moreover, the vaccine induced survivin- and MUC1-specific immune responses in splenocytes and induced the immune promoting factor CCL-19 and GM-CSF upregulated, while metastatic-associated factor MMP-9 and immunosuppressing factor PD-L1 downregulated in tumour tissue. When combining the vaccine with the chemotherapy drug oxaliplatin, the survival was prolonged by about 2.5-fold. In conclusion, the DNA vaccine containing a CpG motif in bicistronic form showed good effects on colorectal cancer by inhibiting both tumour growth and metastasis, and combination with oxaliplatin could improve its antitumour effects.

The nature of anhedonia and avolition in patients with first-episode schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Patients with schizophrenia have intact ability to experience emotion, but empirical evidence suggests that they fail to translate emotional salience into effortful behaviour. Previous research in patients with chronic schizophrenia suggests that working memory is important in integrating emotion and behaviour. This study aimed to examine avolition and anhedonia in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and clarify the role of working memory in emotion-behaviour coupling.

METHOD

We recruited 72 participants with first-episode schizophrenia and 61 healthy controls, and used a validated emotion-inducing behavioural paradigm to measure participants' affective experiences and how experienced emotion coupled with behaviour. Participants were given the opportunity to expend effort to increase or decrease their exposure to emotion-inducing photographs. Participants with schizophrenia having poor working memory were compared with those with intact working memory in their liking and emotion-behaviour coupling.

RESULTS

Patients with first-episode schizophrenia experienced intact 'in-the-moment' emotion, but their emotion was less predictive of the effort expended, compared with controls. The emotion-behaviour coupling was significantly weaker in patients with schizophrenia with poor working memory than in those with intact working memory. However, compared with controls, patients with intact working also showed substantial emotion-behaviour decoupling.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide strong evidence for emotion-behaviour decoupling in first-episode schizophrenia. Although working memory deficits contribute to defective translation of liking into effortful behaviour, schizophrenia alone affects emotion-behaviour coupling.

The preparation, cytocompatibility, and in vitro biodegradation study of pure beta-TCP on magnesium

Biodegradable and bioactive beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) coatings were prepared on magnesium (Mg) in order to improve its biocompatibility by a chemical method. The tensile bonding strength of beta-TCP coating and Mg substrate was measured by the standard adhesion test (ISO 13779-4). And the cytocompatibility of beta-TCP coated Mg was studied by using human osteoblast-like MG63 cells. It was found that the MG63 cells could grow well on the surface of beta-TCP coated Mg and the cell viability on beta-TCP coated Mg was above 80% during the cocultivation of MG63 cells and beta-TCP coated Mg for 10 days, indicating no cytotoxicity. It was concluded that the beta-TCP coated Mg had good cytocompatibility. The degradation of Mg substrate with beta-TCP coating in vitro was studied in detail by XRD, EDX, SEM, and ICP. The results showed that a bone-like apatite continually formed on the surface of the sample with the degradation of both Mg substrate and beta-TCP coating in Hank's solution (a simulated body fluid). The biodegradation mechanism was preliminarily analyzed in the paper.

Transcriptional control and the ubiquitin-proteasome system

Regulation of transcription is a critically important process that controls development, differentiation, and the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Cells have evolved numerous mechanisms to keep gene transcription tightly in check, some of which involve the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In this chapter, we review evidence supporting the concept that ubiquitin and the proteasome not only control transcription, but provide the biochemical means to drive key steps in the transcription process forward.

Essential roles of Snf5p in Snf-Swi chromatin remodeling in vivo

Snf-Swi, the prototypical ATP-dependent nucleosome-remodeling complex, regulates transcription of a subset of yeast genes. With the exception of Snf2p, the ATPase subunit, the functions of the other components are unknown. We have investigated the role of the conserved Snf-Swi core subunit Snf5p through characterization of two conditional snf5 mutants. The mutants contain single amino acid alterations of invariant or conserved residues that abolish Snf-Swi-dependent transcription by distinct mechanisms. One mutation impairs Snf-Swi assembly and, consequently, its stable association with a target promoter. The other blocks a postrecruitment catalytic remodeling step. These findings suggest that Snf5p coordinates the assembly and nucleosome-remodeling activities of Snf-Swi.

Methyllithium-promoted Wittig rearrangements of alpha-alkoxysilanes

[formula: see text] The Wittig rearrangements of alpha-alkoxysilanes, promoted by the action of methyllithium were studied. Depending on both the substrate and reaction conditions employed, [2,3]-, [1,2]-, or [1,4]-Wittig rearrangements can be realized. These rearrangements were shown to be initiated by either Si/Li exchange or deprotonation alpha to the silane. Furthermore the sigmatropic shifts can often be followed by other synthetically useful in situ chemical events.

Synthesis and fluoride-promoted wittig rearrangements of alpha-alkoxysilanes

[formula: see text] Lewis acid-catalyzed reaction of allyl and benzyl trichloroacetimidates with alpha-silyl alcohols was found to be a general method for the synthesis of alpha-alkoxysilanes. Upon exposure to CsF, these alpha-alkoxysilanes could be made to undergo [2,3]-Wittig rearrangement with an efficiency similar to that realized by the analogous but inherently more toxic alpha-alkoxystannanes.

Folding of SNase R begins early during synthesis: the conformational feature of two short N-terminal fragments of staphylococcal nuclease R

To further understand the folding of nascent peptide during the early course of peptide synthesis, two short N-terminal fragments of staphylococcal nuclease R (SNase R), SNR52 and SNR79, were made by deleting 97 and 70 amino acid residues from the C-terminus. The conformations of SNR52 and SNR79 were studied by FTIR and far-ultraviolet CD. The results demonstrate that even the short N-terminal fragments of SNase R still have a certain amount of residual ordered secondary structure in the physiological condition. The ordered secondary structures were mainly assigned as beta-strands and turns, which corresponds well to the structures of the N-terminal part in the native protein. The conformational changes during unfolding and refolding in different concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl), monitored by far-ultraviolet CD and intrinsic fluorescence, show that the interaction between amino acid residues, which governs the formation of their conformation are not random. Considered together with earlier studies (Jing et al., Biochim Biophys Acta 1995;1250:189-196; Zhou et al., J Biochem 1996:120: 881-888), the results suggest that the folding of nascent peptide chains begins early in the synthesis process and that the amount of ordered structure increases with increasing peptide chain length until the conformation of the biologically active protein is generated.