The expression profile of 79 genes from 107 viruses revealed new insights into disease susceptibility in rats, mice, and muskrats

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread over the world, resulting in a global severe pneumonia pandemic. Both the cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the breakdown of S protein by transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) are required by SARS-CoV-2 to enter the host cells. Similarly, the expression level of viral receptor genes in various organs determines the likelihood of viral infection. Several animal species have been found to be infected by the SARS-CoV-2, such as minks, posing an enormous threat to humans. Because the mice and rats were closely related to human and the fact that rats and mice have a risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2 with specific variants, we investigated the expression patterns of 79 receptor genes from 107 viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, in 14 organs of the rat and mouse, and 5 organs of the muskrat, to find the most likely host organs to become infected with certain viruses. The findings of this study are anticipated to aid in prevention of zoonotic infections spread by rats, mice, muskrats, and other rodents.

Effect of muscone on anti-apoptotic ability of muskrat prostate primary cells

Muskrat is a small fur animal with a pair of scent glands that can secrete muskrat musk during breeding season. The consensus is muskrat musk functions as a pheromone, but we hypothesized it has a broader role. In previous research, we found the presence of muscone in muskrat musk. To study whether the muscone can affect the apoptosis of muskrat prostate, we carried out the following investigations. Primary muskrat prostate cells were cultured and treated with muscone. Then we drew cell proliferation curves by applying the CCK-8 and used TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) to detect apoptosis. Levels of mRNA transcription and protein expression of Bcl-2 as well as Bax were detected by qRT-PCR and the Western blot. Meanwhile, we collected tissue samples of muskrat prostates and froze sections to analyze the fluorescence signal intensity of BCL-2 and BAX via immunofluorescence. Under the treatment of 30 μmol/L muscone, the proliferation rate of the experimental group exceeded that of the control group, and the proportion of cells undergoing apoptosis was lower in the experimental group. The qRT-PCR and Western blot result showed that, in the experimental group, the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax mRNA transcription levels increased by 2.85 times and their corresponding protein expression ratio increased by 2.37 times (P < 0.05). Immunofluorescence results were consistent with the cell experiment's results. The fluorescence signal intensity of BCL-2 was higher in the breeding season than nonbreeding season but vice versa for BAX. Based on these results, we speculate that the muscone could regulates prostate development by inhibiting apoptosis.

Gout-like hands

A 65-year-old man presented to our hospital with a 1-year history of multiple nodules on his arms and hands without itching or pain.

Emergency management of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for the dermatology department

Since cases first emerged in December 2019, COVID‐19 (a type of coronavirus) has rapidly become pandemic. This fast‐tracked paper (published quickly) from China on COVID‐19 is written by dermatologists at the epicentre of the outbreak in Wuhan.

Dermatology clinic staff may be at risk because protective equipment is not routinely available, and skin lesions might possibly transmit the virus indirectly. These authors suggest preventive measures based on experience in this and previous coronavirus outbreaks.

Online consultation for non‐urgent patients reduces the numbers of patients attending clinics. Nurse‐led triage, to identify patients with possible COVID‐19, at the entrances of hospital and skin clinics directs patients with a cough or fever to a specific COVID‐19 area and a dermatologist is consulted if the fever might be related to skin disease.

Clinic staff wear N95 masks and observe hand hygiene during consultations. Patients are admitted to a ward only if routine blood tests and chest CT scans exclude COVID‐19. Triage will not detect patients who are showing no symptoms but who are developing the disease, so the hospital should provide an on‐call expert team to discuss inpatients suspected or diagnosed with COVID‐19 and refer them to radiology, respiratory or intensive care colleagues as required.

Confirmed cases are managed following local policies. Skin disorders in COVID‐19 inpatients can usually be managed remotely using photographs, email and teleconferencing. If necessary a multidisciplinary team (a team of medical staff from different specialties) can meet in the clean area of the isolation ward. If the dermatologist must see the patient, all records should be provided in advance to minimise exposure time.

With these precautions, as of 20th February 2020 no infected patients were detected in the Wuhan Dermatology Department.

This is a summary of the study: Emergency management for preventing and controlling nosocomial infection of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for the dermatology department

Linked Article: Tao et al. Br J Dermatol 2020; 182:1477–1478

Cdc13 is predominant over Stn1 and Ten1 in preventing chromosome end fusions

Telomeres define the natural ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and are crucial for chromosomal stability. The budding yeast Cdc13, Stn1 and Ten1 proteins form a heterotrimeric complex, and the inactivation of any of its subunits leads to a uniformly lethal phenotype due to telomere deprotection. Although Cdc13, Stn1 and Ten1 seem to belong to an epistasis group, it remains unclear whether they function differently in telomere protection. Here, we employed the single-linear-chromosome yeast SY14, and surprisingly found that the deletion of CDC13 leads to telomere erosion and intrachromosome end-to-end fusion, which depends on Rad52 but not Yku. Interestingly, the emergence frequency of survivors in the SY14 cdc13Δ mutant was ~29 fold higher than that in either the stn1Δ or ten1Δ mutant, demonstrating a predominant role of Cdc13 in inhibiting telomere fusion. Chromosomal fusion readily occurred in the telomerase-null SY14 strain, further verifying the default role of intact telomeres in inhibiting chromosome fusion.

Emergency management for preventing and controlling nosocomial infection of the 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for the dermatology department

Plain language summary available online

A mannose receptor is involved in the anti-Vibrio defense of red swamp crayfish

Mannose receptor (MR), a member of pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), is the first MR family member to be discovered that plays a critical role in immunity. The function of MRs has been reported in mammals and teleosts while none in invertebrates. In the present study, we identified a MR-like gene (designated as PcMR) from red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. The PcMR cDNA is 6848 bp long with a 6288 bp open reading frame that encodes a polypeptide with 2095 amino acid residues. PcMR transcripts were mainly detected in hepatopancreas and hemocytes, and upregulated by Vibrio anguillarum challenge. The PcMR protein contained 14 C-type lectin domains (CTLDs) and they were divided into four fragments (CTLD 1-3, CTLD 4-6, CTLD 7-10, CTLD 11-14). The four recombinant proteins encoded by the four fragments were all expressed and purified. Microorganism-binding and sugar-binding assay showed that CTLD 1-3, CTLD 4-6, CTLD 7-10, CTLD 11-14 could bind to a variety of bacteria, as well as glycoconjugates on the bacterial surface. Moreover, they agglutinated bacteria in a calcium-dependent manner. Bacteria clearance experiment manifested that the mixed proteins facilitated the clearance of injected bacteria in crayfish. PcMR silencing by siRNA interference impaired the bacterial clearance ability. These results suggest PcMR is involved in the antibacterial defense of crayfish, and this study will help us better understand the functions of invertebrate MRs.

Effect of a LECT2 on the immune response of peritoneal lecukocytes against Vibrio anguillarum in roughskin sculpin

Leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) is a multi-functional protein that is mainly synthesized by the liver. However, its role in roughskin scalping is less known. Here, we cloned a leukocyte cell-derived chemotaxin 2 (TfLECT2) genes in the liver of roughskin scalping, Trachidermus fasciatus, and studied its possible role involved in the immune response against Vibrio anguillarum (V. anguillarum) of peritoneal lecukocytes under in vivo conditions. The cDNA sequence of TfLECT2 is 566 bp in size. Its deduced amino acid (aa) sequence comprises 151 residues, of which the first 16 residues form a putative signal peptide and 101 residues compose a typical peptidase M23 domain in the C-terminal region. The domain structure is conserved in all LECT2 proteins, which suggests a close phylogenetic relationship between TfLECT2 and LECT2 in other fish species. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that TfLECT2 gene expression was dramatically increased in liver after V. anguillarum stimulation. Subsequently, TfLECT2 was prokaryotic expressed and purified to prepare anti-TfLECT2 antibody. After V. anguillarum challenge, leukocytes recruitment and LECT2 levels in peritoneal exudates were increased, and positively correlated with each other. Moreover, recombinant TfLECT2 administration significantly improved immune responses after infection, principally in stimulating the recruitment, phagocytosis and respiratory burst of leukocytes at the site of infection; however, anti-TfLECT2 treatment neutralized these abilities. Therefore, TfLECT2 may trigger the early immune events of peritoneal leukocytes and it will be useful to induce innate immune response of fish.

Characterization of a double WAP domain-containing protein from the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii

Crustaceans express multiple whey acidic protein (WAP) domain containing proteins which are components of host immunity. In the present study, a new double WAP domain containing protein was identified from red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, designated Pc-DWD. The ORF is 387 bp, encoding 128 amino acids consisting of signal peptide of 18 residues, and two tandem WAP domains of 38 and 44 residues. Multiple alignment indicates the presence of conserved motifs in both WAP domains, and phylogenetic analysis shows that Pc-DWD is a new member of the type-IV crustin family. Pc-DWD transcripts were found most abundantly in hemocytes, gills, intestine and heart, and induced by Vibrio anguillarum, Staphylococcus aureus and white spot syndrome virus challenge. RNAi knockdown of Pc-DWD expression led to increased expression of white spot syndrome virus genes and increased crayfish mortality after virus infection. Recombinant Pc-DWD exhibited strong protease inhibitory activity towards commercial subtilicin A and protease K. Pc-DWD inhibited the crude proteases from V. anguillarum and S. aureus cultures and from the crayfish tissue extracts. We infer that Pc-DWD acts in crayfish bacterial and viral immunity.

HcToll3 was involved in anti-Vibrio defense in freshwater pearl mussel, Hyriopsis cumingii

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in the activation of innate immune response but their functions in bivalves remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified a TLR from the freshwater pearl mussel Hyriopsis cumingii (HcToll3) and investigated its functions in immunity. The full-length cDNA of HcToll3 is 3852 bp and includes an open reading frame (ORF) of 3228 bp that encodes a polypeptide of 1075 amino acids. The predicted HcToll3 protein shares similar structural characteristics with other known Toll family proteins. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that HcToll3 mRNA is broadly expressed in all of the examined tissues; its transcript level was significantly up-regulated by challenge with gram-negative bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus or lipopolysaccharide, but not gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus or peptidoglycan. RNA interference by siRNA results showed that HcToll3 regulated expression of whey acidic protein (HcWAP) and lysozymes (HcLyso1 and HcLyso2) in vivo and knockdown of HcToll3 suppressed the elimination of V. parahaemolyticus. These findings suggest that HcToll3 might be involved in anti-Vibrio defense in H. cumingii.

Global trends of municipal solid waste research from 1997 to 2014 using bibliometric analysis

This study uses a bibliometric approach to identify global trends related to the municipal solid waste (MSW). It applies related literature in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science (CPCI-S) and Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Social Science & Humanities (CPCI-SSH), retrieved from the ISI Web of Science. The data used covers the period from 1997 to 2014. Analyzed aspects included document type, and publication output as well as distribution of journals, subject category, countries, institutions, title-words, author keywords, and keywords plus. An evaluating indicator, citation score, was applied to characterize the MSW publications. The research outputs of MSW had steadily increased in the field of energy fuels, engineering chemical and biotechnology applied microbiology, especially environmental sciences and engineering environmental. The predominance of Chinese institutions in terms of article count and a predominance of industrialized countries' institutions in terms of citation score were compared. Finally, author keywords, words in title, and keywords plus were analyzed to provide research emphasis, with the developing trends and recent hotspots provided.

IMPLICATIONS

A systematic overview of scientific literature dealing with municipal solid waste (MSW) is provided by a bibliometric analysis. The analysis of author keywords helps in drawing the research trends in a special perspective. Research studies on food waste, life cycle assessment (LCA), and renewable energy tend to be a new research focus in the area of MSW. The conclusions could provide a reference to the decision making and policy of MSW management for the government to some extent.

Downregulation of 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ in lesions of psoriasis vulgaris

BACKGROUND

The 14-3-3 proteins are a family of conserved regulatory molecules expressed in all eukaryotic cells, which play essential roles in a wide range of vital regulatory processes, including differentiation, proliferation and transformation. In mammalian cells, seven 14-3-3 isoforms (β, γ, ε, η, θ/τ, σ and ζ) have been identified, and each of these seems to have distinct tissue localizations and isoform-specific functions. 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ are two important members of the 14-3-3 family.

AIM

To explore the role of 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ in normal skin and psoriasis vulgaris (PV) skin.

METHODS

Using immunohistochemistry and western blotting, we measured expression of 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ in 30 PV lesions and 15 normal skin samples. The average optical density (OD) of immunostaining and the relative grey scale of immunoblotting for 4-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ were analysed by the t-test.

RESULTS

The average OD of immunostaining for 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ was 0.17 ± 0.00 and 0.24 ± 0.01, respectively, in psoriatic lesions, which was significantly lower than in normal controls (0.22 ± 0.01 and 0.37 ± 0.02, respectively; P < 0.01 for both). There was also a significant difference in the relative grey scale of 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ (0.52 ± 0.03 and 1.44 ± 0.06, respectively) in psoriatic lesions compared with normal control tissue (3.32 ± 0.15 and 2.76 ± 0.11, respectively; P < 0.01 for both).

CONCLUSIONS

Expression of 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ were lower in psoriatic lesions than in normal human skin tissue. We speculate that 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ may be involved in the regulation of normal skin function, thus decreased expression of 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ might precipitate the disturbance in proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes seen in psoriasis.

Dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome in China: a population-based endoscopy study of prevalence and impact

BACKGROUND

Dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common in Western populations.

AIM

To determine the epidemiology of dyspepsia and IBS in China.

METHODS

A representative sample of 18 000 adults from five regions of China were asked to complete the modified Rome II questionnaire; 20% were asked to complete the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Participants from Shanghai were invited to provide blood samples and undergo oesophago-gastroduodenoscopy. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined using a multivariate logistic regression model.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 16 091 individuals (response rate: 89.4%). Overall, 387 participants (2.4%) had dyspepsia and 735 (4.6%) had IBS. All SF-36 dimension scores were at least five points lower in individuals with than without dyspepsia or IBS (P < or = 0.001). In Shanghai, 1030 (32.7%) of the 3153 respondents agreed to endoscopy; neither dyspepsia nor IBS was found to be associated with reflux oesophagitis, peptic ulcer disease or Helicobacter pylori infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence estimates for dyspepsia and IBS in China are lower than in Western populations. In China, dyspepsia or IBS symptoms are generally not associated with underlying organic disease.

[Research on fibrotic effect of Ni-Ti and 317L alloys in esophagus]

This study was conducted to examiune the fibrotic effect of Ni-Ti and 317L alloys in esophagus. The extract fluid from Ni-Ti, 317L alloys was made according to the ASTM standards of U.S.A. The Fb of esophageal scar was cultured primarily, then incubated with alloy abstract fluid. The proliferating activity of Fb was measured by MTT at 4, 24, 48, 72 hours in the course of culturing. The esophagus embedding test of Ni-Ti, 317L alloys was made according to ASTM standards of U.S.A. The tissue around the alloys was taken at weeks 2 and 12, and the pathologic changes were analysed. The results showed that Ni-Ti, 317L extract could depress the proliferating function of Fb gently, and the depressing action increased gradually with the culturing time. The result of embedding test was in accord with the ASTM standards of U.S.A. completely; the fibrotic membrane around the NiTi, 317L alloys became thinner with embedding time. These findings suggested that the scattering composition of Ni-Ti, 317L in body fluid might not activate the proliferating and secreting function of Fb, and the two alloys could not lead to fibrosis of esophagus aroun them.