Value of long non-coding RNA HAS2-AS1 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker of glioma

BACKGROUND

Glioma presents high incidence and poor prognosis, and therefore more effective treatments are needed. Studies have confirmed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) basically regulate various human diseases including glioma. It has been theorized that HAS2-AS1 serves as an lncRNA to exert an oncogenic role in varying cancers. This study aimed to assess the value of lncRNA HAS2-AS1 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for glioma.

METHODS

The miRNA expression data and clinical data of glioma were downloaded from the TCGA database for differential analysis and survival analysis. In addition, pathological specimens and specimens of adjacent normal tissue from 80 patients with glioma were used to observe the expression of HAS2-AS1. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic ability and prognostic value of HAS2-AS1 in glioma. Meanwhile, a Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted to evaluate the survival of glioma patients with different HAS2-AS1 expression levels.

RESULTS

HAS2-AS1 was significantly upregulated in glioma tissues compared with normal tissue. The survival curves showed that overexpression of HAS2-AS1 was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Several clinicopathological factors of glioma patients, including tumor size and WHO grade, were significantly correlated with HAS2-AS1 expression in tissues. The ROC curve showed an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.863, indicating that HAS2-AS1 had good diagnostic value. The ROC curve for the predicted OS showed an AUC of 0.906, while the ROC curve for predicted PFS showed an AUC of 0.88. Both suggested that overexpression of HAS2-AS1 was associated with poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Normal tissues could be clearly distinguished from glioma tissues based on HAS2-AS1 expression. Moreover, overexpression of HAS2-AS1 indicated poor prognosis in glioma patients. Therefore, HAS2-AS1 could be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for glioma.

Strictureplasty may lead to increased preference in the surgical management of Crohn's disease: a case-matched study

BACKGROUND

Resection and strictureplasty are the two surgical modalities used in the management of Crohn's disease (CD). The objective of this study was to compare morbidity and clinical recurrence between patients who underwent strictureplasty and patients who underwent resection.

METHODS

Patients with CD who underwent strictureplasty between January 2012 and December 2022 were enrolled. The patients were well matched with patients who underwent resection without strictureplasty. Patient- and disease-specific characteristics, postoperative morbidity, and clinical recurrence were also analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 118 patients who underwent a total of 192 strictureplasties were well matched to 118 patients who underwent resection. The strictureplasty group exhibited significantly less blood loss (30 ml versus 50 ml, p < 0.001) and stoma creation (2.5% versus 16.9%, p < 0.001). No significant difference was found regarding postoperative complications or length of postoperative stay. At the end of the follow-up, the overall rate of clinical recurrence was 39.4%, and no difference was observed between the two groups. Postoperative prophylactic use of biologics (odds ratio = 0.2, p < 0.001) was the only protective factor against recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Strictureplasty does not increase the risk of complications or recurrence compared with resection. It represents a viable alternative to resection in selected patients, and as such, it should have a broader scope of indications and greater acceptance among surgeons.

Distinguishment between high-grade gliomas and solitary brain metastases in peritumoural oedema: quantitative analysis using synthetic MRI at 3 T

AIM

To investigate the efficacy of synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in distinguishing high-grade gliomas (HGGs) from solitary brain metastases (SBMs) in peritumoural oedema.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-five patients with HGGs and 25 patients with SBMs were recruited and scanned using synthetic MRI using a 3 T scanner. Two radiologists measured synthetic MRI-derived relaxation values independently (T1, T2, proton density [PD]) in the peritumoural oedema, which was used to generate quantitative metrics before (T1native, T2native, and PDnative) and after (T1post, T2post, and PDpost) contrast agent injection. Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney U-test was performed to detect statistically significant differences in the aforementioned metrics in peritumoural oedema between HGGs and SBMs. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the efficacy of each metric in distinguishing the two groups, and the areas under the curves (AUCs) were compared pairwise by performing the Delong test.

RESULTS

The mean T1native, T2native, and T1post values in the peritumoural oedema of HGGs were significantly lower compared with SBMs (all p<0.05). The T1post value had a higher AUC (0.843) in differentiating HGGs and SBMs than all other individual metrics (all p<0.05). The combined T1native, T2native, and T1post model had the best distinguishing performance with an AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.987, 94.3%, and 100%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Synthetic MRI may be a potential supplement to the preoperative diagnosis of HGGs and SBMs in clinical practice, as the synthetic MRI-derived tri-parametric model in the peritumoural oedema showed significantly improved diagnostic performance in distinguishing HGGs from SBMs.

Identification of the Major Facilitator Superfamily Efflux Pump KpsrMFS in Klebsiella pneumoniae That Is Down-Regulated in the Presence of Multi-Stress Factors

Efflux pumps play important roles in bacterial detoxification and some of them are stress-response elements that are up-regulated when the host is treated with antibiotics. However, efflux pumps that are down-regulated by stimulations are rarely discovered. Herein, we analyzed multiple transcriptome data and discovered a special (Major Facilitator Superfamily) MFS efflux pump, KpsrMFS, from Klebsiella pneumoniae, which was down-regulated when treated with antibiotics or extra carbon sources. Interestingly, overexpression of kpsrmfs resulted in halted cell growth in normal conditions, while the viable cells were rarely affected. The function of KpsrMFS was further analyzed and this efflux pump was determined to be a proton-driven transporter that can reduce the intracellular tetracycline concentration. In normal conditions, the expression of kpsrmfs was at a low level, while artificial overexpression of it led to increased endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Moreover, by comparing the functions of adjacent genes of kpsrmfs, we further discovered another four genes that can confer similar phenotypes, indicating a special regulon that regulates cell growth. Our work provides new insights into the roles of efflux pumps and suggests a possible regulon that may regulate cell growth and endogenous ROS levels.

[Application of synthetic MRI in predicting isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 genotypes in gliomas]

This study analyzed the clinical and imaging data of 81 glioma patients who underwent brain synthetic MRI and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) examination in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from August 2020 to September 2021 to explore the value of synthetic MRI relaxation quantitative value in predicting the genotype of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) in gliomas. There were 44 males and 37 females, those patients with an aged 50.0 (36.5, 59.0) years. The tumor pre-T1, pre-T2, pre-PD, post-T1 and ADC values were obtained by outlining the region of interest (ROI). Univariate analysis was used to compare the differences of parameter values between groups, and the receiver operating characteristic was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of each parameter value in predicting glioma IDH1 genotype. The results showed that the pre-T1 and pre-PD values [M (Q1, Q3)] of IDH1m glioma were lower than those of IDH1w glioma [1 462.75 (1 306.41, 1 567.75) ms vs 1 532.83 (1 434.67, 1 617.67) ms, 84.18 (82.28, 86.41) pu vs 85.85 (84.65, 86.90) pu] (all P<0.05). The post-T1 and ADC values of IDH1m glioma were higher than those of IDH1w glioma [1 054.50 (631.92, 1 262.63) ms vs 669.67 (535.17, 823.33) ms, 1.20 (0.86, 1.35) ×10-3 mm2/s vs 0.80 (0.76, 0.93) ×10-3 mm2/s] (all P<0.05). The AUC of the combined model (pre-T1+pre-PD+post-T1+ADC+Age) is 0.828 (95%CI:0.729-0.903). Synthetic MRI relaxation quantitative values are helpful to distinguish IDH1 genotypes in glioma. The diagnostic efficacy of the multi-parameter combined model based on pre-T1, pre-PD, post-T1, ADC, and age is better than that of the single parameter, and it can be used as an effective strategy to improve the differential diagnosis ability of gliomas molecular markers.

[Single-cell RNA sequencing deciphers transcriptional profiles of hepatocytes in mouse with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the cell composition and the transcriptional characteristics in microenvironments of hepatic tissues in mice at late stage of Echinococcus multilocularis infection at a single-cell level.

METHODS

Peri-lesion and paired distal hepatic specimens were collected from two BALB/c mice (6 to 8 weeks old) infected with E. multilocularis for single-cell RNA sequencing. The Seurat package in the R software was employed for quality control of data, multi-sample integration and correction of batch effects, and uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) algorithm was used for cell clustering. Cell types were annotated using classical marker genes. Differentially expressed genes were screened in each cell type through differential gene expression analysis, and the biological roles of cells were predicted using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 43 710 cells from peri-lesion and distal hepatic tissues of E. multilocularis-infected mice were analyzed, and were classified into 11 cell types, including neutrophils, T cells, macrophages, granulocyte-monocyte progenitor cells, B cells, plasma cells, basophils, hepatic stellate cells, endothelial cells, hepatocytes, and platelets. T cells were the largest population of immune cells in the microenvironment of hepatic tissues, including five CD4⁺ T cell subsets, two CD8⁺ T cell subsets and phosphoantigen-reactive γδT cells. The proportions of CD4⁺ helper T cells and cytotoxic CD4⁺ T cells decreased and the proportion of T helper 2 (Th2) cells increased in peri-lesion tissues relative to distal hepatic tissues. In addition, the differentially expressed genes in Th2 cells were associated with negative regulation of the immune system, and the highly expressed genes in cytotoxic CD4⁺ T cells correlated with activation of the immune system.

CONCLUSIONS

Single-cell RNA sequencing deciphers the cell composition and distribution in microenvironments of hepatic tissues from mice infected with E. multilocularis, and the increased proportion of Th2 cells in peri-lesion hepatic tissues may be associated with formation of immunosuppressive microenvironments.

Role of Berberine as a Potential Efflux Pump Inhibitor against MdfA from Escherichia coli: In Vitro and In Silico Studies

Infections by Gram-negative pathogens are usually difficult to manage due to the drug export by efflux pumps. With the evolution and horizontal transfer of efflux pumps, there is an urgent need to discover safe and effective efflux pump inhibitors. Here, we found that the natural compound berberine (BBR), a traditional medicine for intestinal infection, is an inhibitor against the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) efflux pump MdfA in Escherichia coli. The impact of BBR on MdfA was evaluated in a recombinant E. coli reporter strain. We demonstrated that low levels of BBR significantly increased intracellular ciprofloxacin concentrations and restored antibiotic susceptibility of the reporter strain. At the same time, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the mechanisms of BBR's effect on MdfA. Our data indicated that BBR can aggregate to the periplasmic and cytoplasmic sides of MdfA in both of its inward and outward conformations. Protein rigidities were affected to different degrees. More importantly, two major driving forces for the conformational transition, salt bridges and hydrophilic interactions with water, were changed by BBR's aggregation to MdfA, which affected its conformational transition. In summary, our data provide evidence for the extended application of BBR as an efflux pump inhibitor at a clinically meaningful level. We also reveal the mechanisms and provide insights into BBR's effect on the reciprocal motion of MdfA. IMPORTANCE In this work, we evaluated the role of berberine (BBR) as an inhibitor of the MFS efflux pump MdfA from E. coli. We demonstrated that low levels of BBR significantly increased intracellular ciprofloxacin concentrations and restored antibiotic susceptibility of the reporter strain. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed the effect of BBR on the conformational transition of MdfA. Our data suggested that driving forces for MdfA's conformational transition were affected by BBR and provided evidence for BBR's extended application as an effective inhibitor of MdfA.

Molecular Dynamics Investigation of MFS Efflux Pump MdfA Reveals an Intermediate State between Its Inward and Outward Conformations

Multidrug resistance poses a major challenge to antibiotic therapy. A principal cause of antibiotic resistance is through active export by efflux pumps embedded in the bacterial membrane. Major facilitator superfamily (MFS) efflux pumps constitute a major group of transporters, which are often related to quinolone resistance in clinical settings. Although a rocker-switch model is proposed for description of their conformational transitions, detailed changes in this process remain poorly understood. Here we used MdfA from E. coli as a representative MFS efflux pump to investigate factors that can affect its conformational transition in silico. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of MdfA's inward and outward conformations revealed an intermediate state between these two conformations. By comparison of the subtle differences between the intermediate state and the average state, we indicated that conformational transition from outward to inward was initiated by protonation of the periplasmic side. Subsequently, hydrophilic interaction of the periplasmic side with water was promoted and the regional structure of helix 1 was altered to favor this process. As the hydrophobic interaction between MdfA and membrane was also increased, energy was concentrated and stored for the opposite transition. In parallel, salt bridges at the cytoplasmic side were altered to lower probabilities to facilitate the entrance of substrate. In summary, we described the total and local changes during MdfA's conformational transition, providing insights for the development of potential inhibitors.

Enhanced internal ionic interaction of MFS efflux pump MdfA contributes to its elevated antibiotic export

Infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens are difficult to manage due to their antibiotic resistance. Efflux pumps, which transport intracellular toxins out of the cytoplasm, play an important role in the detoxification of bacteria when treated with antibiotics. The major facilitator superfamily (MFS) is a kind of widely distributed efflux pumps and can actively export clinically important antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, while the role of internal ionic interactions in regulating drug export remains poorly understood. Herein we used a representative MFS efflux pump MdfA to investigate the impact of internal ionic interactions on the antibiotic resistance of E. coli. First, we identified the internal salt bridges of MdfA and searched their natural variants across all the sequenced E. coli isolates. By constructing these variants, we discovered that extending the salt bridge on the cytoplasmic side (E136D) conferred an elevated antibiotic resistance level of E. coli, and the level was further enhanced by combining it with an artificial mutation K346R. By analyzing the trajectories of MdfA's variants in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we revealed that ionic interaction strengths on the two sides were proportionally enhanced, while the protein flexibility was not affected. Moreover, enhanced interactions resulted in a larger surface for MdfA's protonation, suggesting a higher possibility for its activation. Collectively, our data revealed the importance of internal interactions on the drug export of MdfA, offering insights for the development of novel inhibitors against MFS efflux pumps.

Functional network properties derived from wide-field calcium imaging differ with wakefulness and across cell type

To improve 'bench-to-bedside' translation, it is integral that knowledge flows bidirectionally-from animal models to humans, and vice versa. This requires common analytical frameworks, as well as open software and data sharing practices. We share a new pipeline (and test dataset) for the preprocessing of wide-field optical fluorescence imaging data-an emerging mode applicable in animal models-as well as results from a functional connectivity and graph theory analysis inspired by recent work in the human neuroimaging field. The approach is demonstrated using a dataset comprised of two test-cases: (1) data from animals imaged during awake and anesthetized conditions with excitatory neurons labeled, and (2) data from awake animals with different genetically encoded fluorescent labels that target either excitatory neurons or inhibitory interneuron subtypes. Both seed-based connectivity and graph theory measures (global efficiency, transitivity, modularity, and characteristic path-length) are shown to be useful in quantifying differences between wakefulness states and cell populations. Wakefulness state and cell type show widespread effects on canonical network connectivity with variable frequency band dependence. Differences between excitatory neurons and inhibitory interneurons are observed, with somatostatin expressing inhibitory interneurons emerging as notably dissimilar from parvalbumin and vasoactive polypeptide expressing cells. In sum, we demonstrate that our pipeline can be used to examine brain state and cell-type differences in mesoscale imaging data, aiding translational neuroscience efforts. In line with open science practices, we freely release the pipeline and data to encourage other efforts in the community.

Test of a multi-gigawatt, 800 ns high power microwave driver based on Marx generator and metal-oxide varistors

High power microwave (HPM) sources usually require a well-defined rectangular pulse waveform, which is especially true for the case of long pulse (>100 ns), stable, and high efficiency operation. Most long pulse HPM drivers are realized with pulse forming networks. This paper presents a long pulse driver composed of a conventional Marx generator and metal-oxide varistors (MOVs), utilizing the MOV's nonlinear V-I characteristic. This method is easy to implement, and it has an additional benefit that the voltage can be stabilized even if the load's impedance changes slightly. A low inductance zig-zag folding structure of the MOV is designed to decrease its size and self-inductance. An LC filter is used to reduce the energy loss in the MOV. In the experiment, a 400 kV, 800 ns long pulse is achieved at a foil-less electron diode, and longer than 300 ns HPM generation is obtained.

RNA sequencing and iTRAQ proteomic data from an experiment examining the influence of conceptus presence and preovulatory estradiol on endometrial gene transcripts and proteins around maternal recognition of pregnancy in beef cattle

RNA sequencing reads and isobaric tags for a relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-Based Proteomic Data were used to determine the impact of conceptus presence and preovulatory estradiol concentration on function of the d16 uterus in beef cattle. Conceptuses and endometrial biopsies were collected from the uterine horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum. Total cellular RNA was extracted from endometrium for RNA sequencing across two lanes of a NovaSeq S2, 2 × 50-bp run. Two independent uterine luminal fluid pools (ULF) were made for each group: highE2/conceptus, highE2/noconceptus, lowE2/conceptus, and lowE2/noconceptus. Peptides were labeled with iTRAQ reagents and analyzed using 2-dimensional liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Transcript abundances were determined using DESeq2 (FDR <0.05, FC>2). Scaffold Q+ was used to quantitate peptide and protein identifications in ULF. Datasets include uterine transcript and protein abundances among highE2/conceptus vs highE2/noconceptus and lowE2/conceptus vs lowE2/noconceptus groups. This information can be useful for further investigating the role of specific transcripts and proteins in the maintenance of early pregnancy in beef cattle. This dataset is related to the article ‘Influence of conceptus presence and preovulatory estradiol exposure on uterine gene transcripts and proteins around maternal recognition of pregnancy in beef cattle’ by E.J. Northrop-Albrecht, J.J.J. Rich, R.A. Cushman, R. Yao, X. Ge, G.A. Perry. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology.

Opposite motion of the Central Helices of efflux pump KmrA is important for its export efficiency

Efflux pump of Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) is widely distributed in bacteria, while its role in regulating antibiotic resistance of nosocomial pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae remains unclear. Herein we analyzed the effect of amino acid substitution of MFS efflux pump KmrA on its export efficiency via molecular biology and molecular dynamics (MD). After searching across the 804 sequenced K. pneumoniae isolates, we identified four major variants of KmrA, while one of them KmrA-A was demonstrated an inactive one in MIC and ethidium bromide efflux assays. Subsequently, MD simulations of KmrA and its variants were conducted and the opposite motion of the central helices were observed for the active variants, while it was not found for KmrA-A. To further identify the importance of the opposite motion to the conformational transition, we calculated their differences in volume of binding pocket, salt bridge and hydrophilic interaction with water based on the rocker-switch model. Our results indicated that the opposite motion of KmrA conferred a larger binding pocket and stronger hydrogen bond with water at inward-facing conformation. An unusual substitution S374A of KmrA-A disrupted the normal motion of central helices by enhancing hydrophobic interactions between them, resulting into the altered positions and strengths of salt bridge, which was deduced to affect the conformational transition. Overall our data provided detailed information on the regular of KmrA's moving trajectory, demonstrating the importance of opposite motion of central helices to KmrA's export efficiency.

Saprophytic Bacillus Accelerates the Release of Effective Components in Agarwood by Degrading Cellulose

The value of Agarwood increases with time due to the gradual release of its major components, but the mechanism behind this remains unclear. Herein we reveal that the potential driving force of this process is the degradation of cellulose in Agarwood by its saprophytic Bacillus subtilis. We selected 10-year-old Agarwood from different places and then isolated the saprophytic bacteria. We confirmed these bacteria from different sources are all Bacillus and confirmed they can degrade cellulose, and the highest cellulase activity reached 0.22 U/mL. By co-cultivation of the bacterium and Agarwood powder, we found that three of the strains could release the effective components of Agarwood, while they had little effect in increasing the same components in living Aquilaria sinensis. Finally, we demonstrated that these saprophytic Bacillus subtilis have similar effects on Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim and Dalbergiaod orifera T. Chen, but not on Illicium verum Hook. f, Cinnamomum cassia Presl and Phellodendron chinense Schneid. In conclusion, our experiment revealed that the saprophytic Bacillus release the effective components of Agarwood by degrading cellulose, and we provide a promising way to accelerate this process by using this bacterial agent.

Molecular Basis of the Reinforced Effect of Berberine against Cutinase from Colletotrichum capsisi by Supplying Sodium Stearate as Dispersant

Berberine (BBR) is a promising botanical pesticide that can reduce the enzyme activity of secreted cutinase from fungal pathogens. However, only less than 15% of total activity was prohibited. Herein we researched BBR's self-aggregation in water via molecular dynamics simulations, and further investigated the effect of dispersant on blocking the aggregation together with the impact on cutinase. Strong hydrophobic interactions were found between adjacent BBR molecules, and these molecules formed clustered conformations at different BBR concentrations. Interestingly, one of the tested dispersants, sodium stearate (ST), is able to insert into BBR clusters and form stable interaction until the end of simulation, resulting in decreased hydrophobic strength in the BBR-ST cluster. More importantly, supply of ST with BBR resulted in BBR's reinforced hydrophobic interactions between BBR and the catalytic center of cutinase, which led to the inactivated mode of cutinase. Finally, wet experiments demonstrated that combined application of BBR and ST indeed resulted in a synergy-like effect on reducing the activity of cutinase. Overall, our findings revealed the mechanism of the reinforced effect of BBR against cutinase when supplying ST as dispersant, suggesting an undiscovered role of ST in enhancing the efficiency of this botanical pesticide.

[A case of communicating oncocytic carcinoma of the naso-orbit]

A patient with a left eyelid mass for more than 1 year was admitted. One year ago, the patient underwent left sinus mass resection in another hospital, and the postoperative histopathology showed oncocytic carcinoma. Imaging examination in our hospital revealed lesions in the left eyelid and inner canthus, involving the canalis nasolacrimalis and orbit. The orbital mass was removed under general anesthesia. The histopathological diagnosis was oncocytic carcinoma.

Hormesis Effect of Berberine against Klebsiella pneumoniae Is Mediated by Up-Regulation of the Efflux Pump KmrA

Berberine (BBR) is an effective drug for human intestinal inflammation by preventing intestinal adhesion of bacterial pathogens, while its antibacterial activity is ineffective. Although the antimicrobial mechanisms of BBR are intensively studied at high concentrations, the response of pathogens to its low concentrations remains poorly understood. Here we demonstrated that low concentrations of BBR (3 and 6 μg/mL) conferred by hormesis accelerated cell growth of an important Gram-negative pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae, in vitro, while higher concentrations (25 and 50 μg/mL) resulted in the opposite. Transcriptome analysis of K. pneumoniae revealed the up-regulated expression of the KmrA efflux pump and further confirmed it was hypersensitive to BBR stress. Strikingly, when cultivated in tetracycline, the growth-promoting effect of BBR became more significant, while this effect was reversed in the presence of the efflux pump inhibitor cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone. The hormesis was also found in Enterobacter cloacae and Acinetobacter baumannii. More importantly, the presence of BBR at low concentrations resulted in higher minimal inhibitory concentrations of efflux-related antibiotics such as rifampicin and azithromycin. Overall, our data demonstrated the hormesis of BBR and revealed the potential risk of its applications against Gram-negative pathogens at low concentrations.

EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor Almonertinib induces apoptosis and autophagy mediated by reactive oxygen species in non-small cell lung cancer cells

Almonertinib, a new third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is highly selective to EGFR T790M-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there is no available information on the form and molecular mechanism of Almonertinib-induced death in NSCLC cells. Herein, CCK-8 and colony formation assays, flow cytometry, electron microscopy, and western blots assay showed that Almonertinib inhibited NSCLC cells growth and proliferation by inducing apoptosis and autophagy which can be inhibited by a broad spectrum of caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk or autophagy inhibitor chloroquine. Importantly, Almonertinib-induced autophagy was cytoprotective in NSCLC cells, and the blockade of autophagy improved cell apoptosis. In addition, Almonertinib increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and clearance of ROS through pretreatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) inhibited the decrease of cell viability, apoptosis and increase of LC3-II induced by Almonertinib. The results of Western blot showed that both EGFR activity and downstream signaling pathways were inhibited by Almonertinib. Taken together, these findings indicated that Almonertinib induced apoptosis and autophagy by promoting ROS production in NSCLC cells.

POS0788 CIRCULATING EXOSOMES PROMOTE LUPUS NEPHRITIS IN MRL-LPR MICE

Background:

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypic autoimmune disease that characterized by the loss of self-tolerance and the production of autoantibodies (autoAbs) [1, 2]. Lupus nephritis (LN), the severe organ-threatening manifestations of SLE, could cause massive damage to patients[3, 4]. Currently, some exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are considered as potential biomarkers in SLE. However, the role of exosomal miRNAs in Lupus Nephritis (LN) remains unclear.

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to investigate molecular mechanism of plasma exosomal miRNAs in the development of Lupus Nephritis.

Methods:

Circulating exosomes were isolated from plasma of patients with LN, SLE without LN (NLN). Plasma exosomes were authenticated by Western Blot, Nanosight Tracking Analysis (NTA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Fluorescence microscopy of co-cultured plasma exosomes and podocytes demonstrated that exosomes were uptaken into podocytes. Moreover, cell apoptosis and the inflammation factors was assessed using Western Blot. We analyzed the expression profiles of miRNAs in LN and NLN exosomes and the expression profiles of mRNAs of podocytes stimulated with LN and NLN exosomes with the help of next generation sequencing (NGS).

Results:

We demonstrate that exosomes derived from LN plasma could be taken by neighboring podocytes and promote the apoptosis of podocytes and the expression of inflammation factors. In addition, the sequencing found that miRNAs were differentially expressed in LN and NLN exosomes and mRNAs were differentially expressed in podocytes stimulated with LN and NLN exosomes.

Conclusion:

LN plasma exosomes have a potency to stimulate the apoptosis of podocytes and the expression of inflammation factors. Moreover, differentially expressed miRNAs in exosomes play a potential role in the development of LN.

References:

[1]T. Colasanti, A. Maselli, F. Conti, M. Sanchez, C. Alessandri, C. Barbati, D. Vacirca, A. Tinari, F. Chiarotti, A. Giovannetti, F. Franconi, G. Valesini, W. Malorni, M. Pierdominici, E. Ortona, Autoantibodies to estrogen receptor α interfere with T lymphocyte homeostasis and are associated with disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus, Arthritis and rheumatism, 64 (2012) 778-787.

[2]H.A. Al-Shobaili, A.A. Al Robaee, A.A. Alzolibani, Z. Rasheed, Antibodies against 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal modified epitopes recognized chromatin and its oxidized forms: role of chromatin, oxidized forms of chromatin and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal modified epitopes in the etiopathogenesis of SLE, Disease markers, 33 (2012) 19-34.

[3]A. Kaul, C. Gordon, M.K. Crow, Z. Touma, M.B. Urowitz, R. van Vollenhoven, G. Ruiz-Irastorza, G. Hughes, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Nat Rev Dis Primers, 2 (2016) 16039.

[4]M.G. Tektonidou, A. Dasgupta, M.M. Ward, Risk of End-Stage Renal Disease in Patients With Lupus Nephritis, 1971-2015: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta-Analysis, Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 68 (2016) 1432-1441.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0401 THE APPLICATION OF MTX-LOADING DNA TETRAHEDRON IN TREATING COLLAGEN-INDUCED ARTHRITIS MICE VIA REGULATING MACROPHAGE

Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease which mainly affect joints. [1]. Macrophages often infiltrate in the inflammatory joints. Activated macrophages release TNF-α, IL-1β to accelerate tissue damage, is one of the most important targets for RA intervention. The traditional drugs currently used commonly have some disadvantages cannot be bypassed[2], while DNA nanostructure is a new type of drugs have precise design, and likewise takes biological effect together[3]. We synthesized a DNA tetrahedron loaded with MTX and conjugated with HA which targeted to macrophage.

Objectives:

To verify whether MTX-loading DNA tetrahedron can regulate the apoptosis and polarization of macrophage and finally improve the condition of CIA model mice by while decrease the side effect of MTX.

Methods:

DNA TET was synthesized by mixing signal strand DNA in TM buffer and heated to 95 °C for 10 min, then cooling to 4 °C. Electrophoresis was applied to confirm the formation of TET. The absorbance of MTX solution was detected by microplate reader to analyze the loading efficiency of MTX into TET. Fluorescence microscope was used to observe the intake of TET into cells. CCK8 experiment was applied to measure the vitality of cells. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis and polarization. CIA model was established based on DBA/1 mice. Mice were randomly divided into five groups: normal group injected with NS; after established CIA model, CIA group injected with NS, MTX group injected with MTX solution, MTX-TET group injected with MTX-TET NP.

Results:

We synthesized DNA tetrahedron(A) and used 8% PAGE electrophoresis to confirmed the successfully synthesis(B). Then We found that when TET concentration fixed, the loading MTX concentration gradually increased and saturated at 190μM(C). While completely loading needed at least 4 hours(D). Fluorescence showed that single DNA strand cannot be taken by RAW, while TET can be easily taken by RAW(E). CCK8 showed that empty TET had no obvious effect on cells, while MTX and MTX-TET with equivalent concentration can obviously suppress the vitality(F). Similarly, the apoptosis trial showed that TET can slightly decrease the apoptosis of RAW, MTX and MTX-TET can significantly promote the apoptosis(G). Flow cytometry showed that the MTX-TET can decrease the expression of M1 marker CD80 (H).

At last, we treat mice with NS, TET, MTX and MTX-TET once a week after CIA model established, and found that TET have no significantly effect on mice, while MTX and MTX-TET can alleviate the inflammation symptom of paws(I).

Conclusion:

Conclusions: We synthesized MTX-loading DNA tetrahedron conjugated with HA, and found that the MTX-TET NP have the excellent ability of promote RAW apoptosis and relieve proinflammatory M1 polarization. while also can alleviate the symptom of CIA mice.

References:

[1]Aletaha D, Smolen JS: Diagnosis and Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Review. JAMA 2018, 320(13):1360-1372.

[2]Smolen JS, Aletaha D, McInnes IB: Rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet 2016, 388(10055):2023-2038.

[3]Hu Q, Li H, Wang L, Gu H, Fan C: DNA Nanotechnology-Enabled Drug Delivery Systems. Chem Rev 2019, 119(10):6459-6506.

Figure 1.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

OP0016 IDENTIFICATION OF FUNCTIONAL VARIANTS IN THE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS ASSOCIATED JAZF1 LOCUS IN SYNOVIAL FIBROBLASTS

Background:

Over the past decade, genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified the JAZF1 locus as a risk locus for several autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA)1. However, the exact causal variants in the JAZF1 locus and their underlying regulatory events contributing to RA are still not known. Here, we focus on the effect of these variants on gene expression in synovial fibroblasts (SF).

Objectives:

To characterize the functional consequences of RA-causal variants in the JAZF1 locus in SF.

Methods:

Genetic fine-mapping of RA loci was conducted by computing sets of credible variants driving GWAS signals. These credible variant sets were integrated with DNA architecture (ChIP-seq), 3D chromatin interactions (3C, HiC and capture HiC), DNA accessibility (ATAC-seq) and gene expression (RNA-seq and CAGE-seq) datasets to select putative RA-causal variants in SF. Selected variants in the JAZF1 locus were tested for regulatory function by luciferase reporter assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) in the fibrosarcoma cell line HT1080. The JASPAR2020 database was used to identify putative transcription factors (TF) binding to the selected variants. The expression of HOTTIP was measured by quantitative PCR in hand SF (n=23). Genotyping was done by pyrosequencing.

Results:

Genetic fine mapping revealed 47 variants in the JAZF1 locus. Integration of these variants with the chromatin datasets prioritized rs2158624, rs57585717 and rs186735625 as the top candidates (posterior probability of causality >0.1) in the JAZF1 locus. We found that rs2158624 and rs186735625 are located in the vicinity of enhancer elements in SF as determined by ATAC-seq. In addition, the region of rs2158624 exhibited strong chromatin interactions with the genomic region of HOTTIP and HOXA13. Both these transcripts were previously shown to be specifically expressed in SF isolated from hands and feet2. Based on this, we selected rs2158624 as the most promising candidate in the JAZF1 locus. We found that the rs2158624-C allele (risk) is associated with lower expression of HOTTIP, but not HOXA13, in hand SF compared to the rs2158624-T allele (non-risk) (p=0.02). Luciferase assays in HT1080 cells demonstrated enhancer activity with both the rs2158624-C allele (p=0.006) and T allele (p=0.04), with no significant difference in enhancer activity between the rs2158624-C and T allele. EMSAs identified stronger specific binding of HT1080-cell nuclear extract for the rs2158624-T allele than for the C allele (risk). Based on the JASPAR2020 database, we identified NFAT5 as a potential TF that can bind to rs2158624 and may regulate the expression of HOTTIP.

Conclusion:

We were able to substantially narrow down the potential functional variants in the JAZF1 locus using our data integration approach and functional assays. We suggest that the risk allele of rs2158624 influences the binding of TFs controlling the expression of the long non-coding RNA HOTTIP in SF, which might confer specific risk to develop RA in hands.

References:

[1]Okada Y et al. Genetic of rheumatoid arthritis contributes to biology and drug discovery. Nature 2014;506:376.

[2]Frank-Bertoncelj M et al. Epigenetically-driven anatomical diversity of synovial fibroblasts guides joint-specific fibroblast functions. Nat Commun 2017;8:14852.

Disclosure of Interests:

Miranda Houtman: None declared, Xiangyu Ge: None declared, Amanda McGovern: None declared, Kerstin Klein: None declared, Gisela Orozco: None declared, Mojca Frank Bertoncelj: None declared, Miriam Marks: None declared, Oliver Distler Speakers bureau: Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, iQone, Medscape, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer and Roche, Consultant of: Abbvie, Acceleron Pharma, Amgen, AnaMar, Arxx Therapeutics, Bayer, Baecon Discovery, Boehringer, CSL Behring, ChemomAb, Corbus Pharmaceuticals, Galapagos NV, GSK, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Horizon Pharmaceuticals, Inventiva, Italfarmaco, iQvia, Kymera, Lilly, Medac, Medscape, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, MSD, Pfizer, Roche, Roivant Sciences, Sanofi and UCB, Grant/research support from: Kymera Therapeutics and Mitsubishi Tanabe, Paul Martin: None declared, Stephen Eyre: None declared, Caroline Ospelt: None declared

[Pathway design and key enzyme analysis of diosgenin biosynthesis]

As a naturally occurring steroid sapogenin, diosgenin acts as the precursor of hundreds of steroid medicines, and thereby has important medicinal value. Currently, industrial production of diosgenin relies primarily on chemical extraction from plant materials. Clearly, this strategy shows drawbacks of excessive reliance on plant materials and farmland as well as environment pollution. Due to development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, bio-production of diosgenin has garnered plenty of attention. Although the biosynthetic pathways of diosgenin have not been completely identified, in this review, we outline the identified biosynthetic pathways and key enzymes. In particular, we suggest heterologous biosynthesis of diosgenin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Overall, this review aims to provide valuable insights for future complete biosynthesis of diosgenin.

[Chaihu Guizhi decoction produces antidepressant-like effects via sirt1-p53 signaling pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the mechanism of the antidepressant-like effects of Chaihu Guizhi decoction (CGD).

OBJECTIVE

Chaihu Guizhi decoction at the daily dose of 17 g/kg and solvent vehicle were administered by gavage in 12 and 14 male C57BL/6J mice for 7 consecutive days, respectively. Forced swimming test (FST), elevated plus maze (EPM) test, open field test (OFT) and novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSF) were performed to assess the depression- and anxiety-like behaviors and motor ability of the mice. We further used chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) and social interaction test to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of CGD in comparison with the solvent vehicle. Western blotting and RT-qPCR were performed to detect the expressions of sirt1, p53, acetylated p53, and the neuron plasticity-related genes including synapsin I (Syn1), Rab4B, SNAP25 and tubulin beta4b in the hippocampus of the mice.

OBJECTIVE

In FST, the immobility time of CGDtreated mice was decreased significantly (P < 0.05); no significant differences were found in the performances in EPM, NSF and OFT tests between the two groups. In social interaction test, the mouse models of CSDS treated with CGD showed significantly increased time in the interaction zone (P < 0.05). Compared with those in the vehicle group, the CGD-treated mouse models exhibited significantly increased protein level of SIRT1 and decreased p53 acetylation (P < 0.05) with up-regulated synapsin I mRNA expression in the hippocampus (P < 0.05); no significant difference were found in Rab (P=0.813), SNAP (P=0.820), or Tubb mRNA expressions (P=0.864) between the two groups.

OBJECTIVE

CGD produces antidepressant-like effects in mice possibly through the sirt1-p53 signaling pathway and synaptic plasticity.

Enhanced removal of Congo red dye from aqueous solution by surface modified activated carbon with bacteria

AIMS

The adsorption behaviour and mechanisms of the surface modified activated carbon with bacteria was evaluated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

16S rRNA was employed to identify the hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria. The bacteria was characterized by TEM and electron microscope. The surface modified activated carbon with bacteria was characterized by SEM. The adsorption behaviour was tested by static adsorption and dynamic adsorption.

CONCLUSION

The adsorption efficiency of the modified activated carbon was high when pH was weak acidic, and the adsorption capacity increased with the increase of temperature ranging from 20 to 35°C. The adsorption capacity peaked at 234·6 mg g^-1 at 25°C, which was sixfold higher than that of activated carbon. The pseudo-first-order kinetic can more accurately assess Congo red adsorption on the two adsorbents. The adsorption of Congo red by bacteria surface modified activated carbon fitted well with the Langmuir's model. The adsorption process was endothermic, and the biological floccules were formed during the adsorption. The physical adsorption is the main driving force.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The results indicate that the bacteria surface-modified activated carbon can be used effectively as an adsorbent to eliminate Congo red from aqueous solutions.

Molecular dynamics investigation of the interaction between Colletotrichum capsici cutinase and berberine suggested a mechanism for reduced enzyme activity

Berberine is a promising botanical pesticide against fungal plant pathogens. However, whether berberine inhibits the invasion of fungal pathogen across plant surface remains unclear. Here we demonstrated that the enzyme activities of purified cutinase from fungal pathogen Colletotrichum capsici were partially inhibited in presence of berberine toward different substrates. Molecular dynamics simulation results suggested the rigidity of cutinase was decreased with berberine added into the system. Interestingly, aggregations of berberine to the catalytic center of cutinase were observed, and stronger hydrophobic interactions were detected between key residue His 208 and berberine with concentrations of berberine increased. More importantly, this hydrophobic interaction conferred conformational change of the imidazole ring of His 208, which swung out of the catalytic center to an inactive mode. In summary, we provided the molecular mechanism of the effect of berberine on cutinase from C. capsici.

A comparison between raltitrexed plus cisplatin and docetaxel plus cisplatin in concurrent chemoradiation for non-surgical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is considered as a standard treatment for unresectable and inoperable esophageal cancer (EC) patients. However, no consensus has been reached regarding the optimal synchronous chemotherapy regimen and the best combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of raltitrexed plus cisplatin and docetaxel plus cisplatin to find a safe and effective concurrent chemotherapy schedule.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Our retrospective study included 151 EC patients treated with raltitrexed and cisplatin (RP) (n=90) or docetaxel and cisplatin (DP) (n=61) from 2011 till 2018. Survival outcomes and treatment related toxicity were analyzed between the two groups.

RESULTS

PFS and OS were 18 and 34 months in the RP group, while 13 and 20 months in the DP group (P=0.118 and P=0.270). The 1-, 2-, 3-year survival rates of the RP group were 71.1, 55.4 and 46.4%. For the DP group, these were 63.9, 44.3 and 37.6%, respectively. Compared with DP group, RP group received a superior CR rate (68.9% versus 52.5%, P=0.041). There was a trend that the total number of toxic reactions in RP group was lower than that in DP group (P=0.058).

CONCLUSIONS

Even RP and DP groups have the similar survival outcomes and toxicity, raltitrexed/cisplatin get a higher complete response rate. Our study suggests that raltitrexed combined with cisplatin is a safe and effective concurrent chemotherapy regimen and it might be used as an alternative for cisplatin/5-FU and cisplatin/docetaxel in CCRT for EC patients.

Plasminogen improves lung lesions and hypoxemia in patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND

Lungs from patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have shown typical signs of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), formation of hyaline membrane mainly composed of fibrin and 'ground-glass' opacity. Previously, we showed plasminogen itself is a key regulator in fibrin degradation, wound healing and infection.

AIM

We aimed to investigate whether plasminogen can improve lung lesions and hypoxemia of COVID-19.

DESIGN

Thirteen clinically moderate, severe or critical COVID-19 patients were treated with atomization inhalation of freeze-dried plasminogen.

METHODS

Levels of their lung lesions, oxygen saturation and heart rates were compared before and after treatment by computed tomography scanning images and patient monitor.

RESULTS

After plasminogen inhalation, conditions of lung lesions in five clinically moderate patients have quickly improved, shown as the decreased range and density of 'ground glass' opacity. Improvements of oxygen saturation were observed in six clinically severe patients. In the two patients with critical conditions, the oxygen levels have significantly increased from 79-82% to 91% just about 1 h after the first inhalation. In 8 of 13 patients, the heart rates had slowed down. For the five clinically moderate patients, the difference is even statistically significant. Furthermore, a general relief of chest tightness was observed.

CONCLUSION

Whereas it is reported that plasminogen is dramatically increased in adults with ARDS, this study suggests that additional plasminogen may be effective and efficient in treating lung lesions and hypoxemia during COVID-19 infections. Although further studies are needed, this study highlights a possible hope of efficiently combating this rapid epidemic emergency.

Overview of Alternaria alternata Membrane Proteins

Alternaria species are mainly saprophytic fungi, but some pathotypes of Alternaria alternata infect economically important plants including cereal crops, vegetables and fruits. Specially, A. alternata generates toxins which contaminate food and feed. To date, management of A. alternata relies primarily on fungicides. However, the control efficacy in most cases is below expectation due to ubiquity of A. alternata and resistance to fungicides. To mitigate resistance and develop long-lasting fungicides, uncovering multiple rather than single target is a prerequisite. Membrane proteins are potential targets of fungicides owing to wide participation in myriad biochemical events especially material transport, signal transduction and pathogenicity. However, so far, little is known about the distribution and molecular structure of A. alternata membrane proteins (AAMPs). Herein we summarize AAMPs by data mining and subsequent structure prediction. We also outline the state-of-the-art research advances of AAMPs especially those closely related to pathogenicity. Overall, this review aims to portray a picture of AAMPs and provide valuable insights for future development of highly efficient fungicides towards A. alternata or beyond.

Effect of reference region size on strain measurements using geometrical phase analysis

Geometrical phase analysis (GPA) is typically a powerful tool to investigate the deformation in high resolution transmission electron microscopy images and has been used in various fields. During GPA, strain components are calculated relative to an undistorted reference region. In the present work, the effect of reference region size on strain measurements has been investigated. Experimental measurements on a locally distorted gold nanoparticle exhibited that a small reference region below the GPA spatial resolution can introduce an inaccuracy in the measured displacement field, which appears as a significant increase in measured strains and severe fluctuation in phase images. The inaccuracy may be ascribed to an error of insufficient sampling. Our results suggest that a small reference region below the GPA spatial resolution should be avoided during GPA. This prerequisite should be paid more attention to during strain measurement on nanoparticles.

Integrated impedance bridge for absolute capacitance measurements at cryogenic temperatures and finite magnetic fields

We developed an impedance bridge that operates at cryogenic temperatures (down to 60 mK) and in perpendicular magnetic fields up to at least 12 T. This is achieved by mounting a GaAs HEMT amplifier perpendicular to a printed circuit board containing the device under test and thereby parallel to the magnetic field. The measured amplitude and phase of the output signal allows for the separation of the total impedance into an absolute capacitance and a resistance. Through a detailed noise characterization, we find that the best resolution is obtained when operating the HEMT amplifier at the highest gain. We obtained a resolution in the absolute capacitance of 6.4 aF/Hz at 77 K on a comb-drive actuator while maintaining a small excitation amplitude of 15 k_BT/e. We show the magnetic field functionality of our impedance bridge by measuring the quantum Hall plateaus of a top-gated hBN/graphene/hBN heterostructure at 60 mK with a probe signal of 12.8 k_BT/e.

Association of Fractional Flow on 3D-TOF-MRA with Cerebral Perfusion in Patients with MCA Stenosis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Fractional flow measured on 3D-TOF-MRA was proposed to quantify cerebral hemodynamic changes in patients with artery stenosis. We investigated the association between fractional flow and cerebral perfusion changes in patients with symptomatic MCA stenosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and all participants provided written informed consent. From June 2015 to May 2018, four hundred twenty-nine patients with symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis were consecutively recruited and underwent conventional brain MR imaging, 3D-TOF-MRA, and brain CTP. A total of 91 patients with unilateral M1 segment stenosis of the MCA and a stenosis degree of 50%∼99% were included in the analysis. Fractional flow was measured by comparing distal and proximal signal intensity changes across the stenosis on 3D-TOF-MRA. The cutoff value for fractional flow for discriminating between normal perfusion and hypoperfusion was obtained from the receiver operating characteristic curve. Associations between fractional flow and hypoperfusion were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The receiver operating characteristic curve showed a significant fractional flow threshold value at 0.90 (sensitivity, 70.1%; 95% CI, 55.9%-81.2%; specificity, 69.6%; 95% CI, 47.6%-84.1%). Participants with a fractional flow of ≤0.90 were independently associated with cerebral hypoperfusion downstream from the stenosis site (adjusted OR, 3.68; 95% CI, 1.63-11.62; P = .027).

CONCLUSIONS

Fractional flow measured on 3D-TOF-MRA may serve as a noninvasive and practical tool for determining the cerebral hypoperfusion in patents with symptomatic MCA stenosis.

Co-production of 1,3-Propanediol and 2,3-Butanediol from Waste Lard by Co-cultivation of Pseudomonas alcaligenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae

The platform chemicals 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) and 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD) are important raw materials for polyesters and biofuels. However, the biosynthesis of the compounds relies on massive consumption of glucose or glycerol, leading to the uneconomical production in industrial scale. In this work, we developed a new method for co-production of 1,3-PD and 2,3-BD from waste lard to reduce the cost in carbon source supply. A waste lard utilizing Pseudomonas alcaligenes PA-3 and a 1,3-PD producing Klebsiella pneumoniae AA405 were co-cultivated by using waste lard as the sole carbon source. In a shake flask, 1.05 g/L 1,3-PD and 0.35 g/L 2,3-BD were produced from waste lard within 24 h. The addition of nitrogen source significantly increased the relative ratio of K. pneumoniae AA405 in the medium, which further favored to the higher titers of the two products. In bioreactor, the co-cultivation system produced 5.98 g/L 1,3-PD and 4.29 g/L 2,3-BD from 100 g/L waste lard within 72 h, and the conversion rate of 1,3-PD and 2,3-BD from waste lard were 62.95% and 0.75%, respectively. In all, this is the first work on 1,3-PD and 2,3-BD production from waste triglyceride, which will favor the utilization of low-cost carbon source in industrial production of chemicals.

The KASH-containing isoform of Nesprin1 giant associates with ciliary rootlets of ependymal cells

Biallelic nonsense mutations of SYNE1 underlie a variable array of cerebellar and non-cerebellar pathologies of unknown molecular etiology. SYNE1 encodes multiple isoforms of Nesprin1 that associate with the nuclear envelope, with large cerebellar synapses and with ciliary rootlets of photoreceptors. Using two novel mouse models, we determined the expression pattern of Nesprin1 isoforms in the cerebellum whose integrity and functions are invariably affected by SYNE1 mutations. We further show that a giant isoform of Nesprin1 associates with the ciliary rootlets of ependymal cells that line brain ventricles and establish that this giant ciliary isoform of Nesprin1 harbors a KASH domain. Whereas cerebellar phenotypes are not recapitulated in Nes1g^STOP/STOP mice, these mice display a significant increase of ventricular volume. Together, these data fuel novel hypotheses about the molecular pathogenesis of SYNE1 mutations and support that KASH proteins may localize beyond the nuclear envelope in vivo.

The impact of isolated maternal hypothyroxinaemia on the incidence of large-for-gestational-age infants: the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether isolated maternal hypothyroxinaemia (IMH) is associated with risks of small/large-for-gestational-age (SGA/LGA) infants.

DESIGN

Population-based prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Ma'anshan Maternal and Child Health (MCH) clinics, China.

POPULATION

Pregnant women with singleton births (n = 3178).

METHODS

Descriptive statistics were calculated for the demographic characteristics of the mothers and their newborns. Linear regression was applied to estimate the association between thyroid hormone levels and birthweight. Logistic regression was performed to calculate the association between IMH and SGA/LGA.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Outcomes included SGA/LGA.

RESULTS

The prevalence of IMH, defined as a free thyroxine value (FT4) lower than the 2.5th percentile with normal thyroid stimulating hormone, was 2.5% (78/3080) and 2.5% (74/2999) in the first and second trimesters, respectively. Additionally, 306 (9.6%) and 524 (16.5%) infants were defined as SGA and LGA, respectively. No evidence supported the notion that IMH is associated with an increased risk for SGA in either the first [odds ratio (OR): 1.762, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.759-4.089] or the second (OR: 0.763, 95% CI: 0.231-2.516) trimester. However, an increased risk of LGA was observed among IMH women in the second trimester (OR: 2.088, 95% CI: 1.193-3.654). Maternal TPO-Ab positivity in the second trimester increased the risk of SGA (OR: 2.094, 95% CI: 1.333-3.290).

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence that IMH is associated with LGA.

FUNDING

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81330068).

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Isolated maternal hypothyroxinaemia may increase the risk of large-for-gestational-age infants.

Isolation and characterization of a novel bacteriumPseudomonas aeruginosafor biofertilizer production from kitchen waste oil

Kitchen waste oil is composed of long chain triglycerides (LCTs) that has high energy density. However, it is hard to be degraded by microbes, thereby leading to increasing levels of environmental pollution due to landfill disposition. In this study, we isolated and characterized a novel bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA-3 that could convert kitchen waste oil into biofertilizer. PA-3 could survive on trilaurin or kitchen waste oil as the sole carbon source, and 10 g L⁻¹ trilaurin or kitchen waste oil was completely consumed within 7 days. Interestingly, the degradation products of kitchen waste oil can be used as biofertilizer in promoting cabbage growth. The plant height, leaf area and stem diameter of cabbage plants were all increased with the addition of kitchen waste oil cultivation products into the soil. Kitchen waste oil degradation products were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and short chain alcohols or fatty acids were observed to be the main products. To unravel the mechanism underlying the accelerated cabbage growth, bacterial diversity of the soil was investigated after using this biofertilizer. Results showed that agricultural probiotics accumulated with the addition of kitchen waste oil cultivation products. Finally, the whole genome of PA-3 was sequenced and analyzed, which showed the existence of a complete β-oxidation pathway in the genome of PA-3. To our knowledge, this is the first study on kitchen waste oil degradation and re-utilization by bacteria, which provides a new method for waste source re-utilization.

Kitchen waste oil is composed of long chain triglycerides (LCTs) that has high energy density.