Circular RNA SLTM as a miR-421-competing endogenous RNA to mediate HMGB2 expression stimulates apoptosis and inflammation in arthritic chondrocytes

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common age-related joint disease characterized by chronic inflammation, progressive articular cartilage destruction, and subchondral sclerosis. Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play key roles in OA, but the function of circSLTM in OA remains greatly unknown. Therefore, this study focused on interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-treated primary human chondrocytes as well as a rat model to investigate the expression pattern and functional role of circSLTM in OA in vitro and in vivo. CircSLTM and high mobility group protein B2 (HMGB2) were upregulated in IL-1β-induced chondrocytes, whereas miR-421 was downregulated. Knockdown of circSLTM or overexpression of miR-421 ameliorated IL-1β-induced chondrocyte apoptosis and inflammation. The regulatory relationship between circSLTM and miR-421, as well as that between miR-421 and HMGB2, was predicted by bioinformatics and then verified by the RNA immunoprecipitation experiment and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Furthermore, silencing of circSLTM increased cartilage destruction and decreased cartilage tissue apoptosis rate and inflammation in a rat model of OA. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the fundamental role of circSLTM in OA progression and provide a potential molecular target for OA therapy.     

Temporal dynamics of soil bacterial network regulate soil resistomes

Soil bacteria are diverse and form complicated ecological networks through various microbial interactions, which play important roles in soil multi-functionality. However, the seasonal effects on the bacterial network, especially the relationship between bacterial network topological features and soil resistomes remains underexplored, which impedes our ability to unveil the mechanisms of the temporal-dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Here, a field investigation was conducted across four seasons at the watershed scale. We observed significant seasonal variation in bacterial networks, with lower complexity and stability in autumn, and a wider bacterial community niche in summer. Similar to bacterial communities, the co-occurrence networks among ARGs also shift with seasonal change, particularly with respect to the topological features of the node degree, which on average was higher in summer than in the other seasons. Furthermore, the nodes with higher betweenness, stress, degree, and closeness centrality in the bacterial network showed strong relationships with the 10 major classes of ARGs. These findings highlighted the changes in the topological properties of bacterial networks that could further alter antibiotic resistance in soil. Together, our results reveal the temporal dynamics of bacterial ecological networks at the watershed scale, and provide new insights into antibiotic resistance management under environmental changes.     

Subcellular Distribution and Chemical Forms of Cadmium in the Medicine Food Homology Plant <i>Platycodon grandiflorum</i> (Jacq.) A.DC.

Although Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A.DC. is a renowned medicine food homology plant, reports of excessive cadmium (Cd) levels are common, which affects its safety for clinical use and food consumption. To enable its Cd levels to be regulated or reduced, it is necessary to first elucidate the mechanism of Cd uptake and accumulation in the plant, in addition to its detoxification mechanisms. This present study used inductively couple plasma-mass-spectrometry to analyze the subcellular distribution and chemical forms of Cd in different tissues of P. grandiflorum. The experimental results showed that Cd was mainly accumulated in the roots [predominantly in the cell wall (50.96%–61.42%)], and it was found primarily in hypomobile and hypotoxic forms. The proportion of Cd in the soluble fraction increased after Cd exposure, and the proportion of insoluble phosphate Cd and oxalate Cd increased in roots and leaves, with a higher increase in oxalate Cd. Therefore, it is likely that root retention mechanisms, cell wall deposition, vacuole sequestration, and the formation of low mobility and low toxicity forms are tolerance strategies for Cd detoxification used by P. grandiflorum. The results of this study provide a theoretical grounding for the study of Cd accumulation and detoxification mechanisms in P. grandiflorum, and they can be used as a reference for developing Cd limits and standards for other medicine food homology plants.     

烟草品种、育苗方式和烟蚜来源对烟蚜茧蜂寄生能力的影响

【目的】本研究旨在筛选出适合烟蚜茧蜂Aphidius gifuensis寄生烟蚜Myzus persicae的烟草品种、育苗方式和烟蚜来源,为烟蚜茧蜂人工繁殖和复壮提供科学参考。【方法】采用盆栽法,调查了不同烟草品种(云烟87、K326、翠碧1号和红花大金元)繁殖烟蚜若蚜、不同来源烟蚜(来自烟区、来自非烟区和室内繁殖种群)若蚜和烟草不同育苗方式(土壤育苗和湿润育苗)繁殖烟蚜若蚜时,烟蚜茧蜂成蜂对烟蚜若蚜的寄生率以及成蜂羽化率、寿命、体型大小和雌蜂比。【结果】结果表明,不同烟草品种繁殖烟蚜若蚜对烟蚜茧蜂成蜂寄生率存在显著影响。其中,在红花大金元和翠碧1号繁殖烟蚜上的烟蚜茧蜂成蜂寄生率分别比在K326繁殖烟蚜上的烟蚜茧蜂成蜂寄生率高19.00%和14.00%,但对烟蚜茧蜂的其他指标没有显著影响;不同烟蚜来源对烟蚜茧蜂寄生率也存在显著影响,其中,烟蚜茧蜂成蜂对非烟区烟蚜若蚜和烟区烟蚜若蚜的寄生率比对室内繁殖种群烟蚜若蚜的寄生率分别高20.25%和16.75%,但对烟蚜茧蜂成蜂的羽化率、寿命、体型大小和雌蜂比没有显著影响;烟草不同育苗方式对烟蚜茧蜂成蜂的寄生率无显著影响。【结论】烟蚜茧蜂对烟蚜...     

卡特拉鱼形态,食性和生长的研究

观测卡特拉鱼的形态特征和1—3龄鱼主要可量性状及其比例的变动。1—3龄鱼除主食商品饲料外,同时也食较大比例的浮游生物。着重对浮游生物的种类和比例进行了分析。肠长与体长呈直线相关。Y=6.38X-89.95。1—4龄鱼体长和体重相对生长率和生长指标都随年龄增加而逐渐下降。体长与体重呈曲线相关。W=0.00002261L~(3.0569)。采用 Von.Bertalanffy 生长方程分析其生长特性。方程参数 L_∞=821.2mm,W_∞=19616.6g,t_0=0.6年,K=0.3。体长生长不具拐点,生长速度随年龄增加而递减;体重生长具拐点,其值4.3年。此时体重生长速度达最大值。4、3龄前是生长旺盛期,此后进入生长缓慢期。     

汉族ABO血型的皮纹特征分析

作者对芜湖地区３８２例（男２２０人;女１６２人）汉族ＡＢＯ血型的皮纹特征进行了分析,其中Ｏ型１３０人,Ａ型１１３人,Ｂ型１０１人,ＡＢ型３８人。分析比较了指纹类型、指纹组合格局、指嵴纹计数、掌嵴纹计数、ａｔｄ角,掌部真实花纹,掌褶纹和拇趾球纹等项参数,结果表明,ＡＢＯ各血型的皮纹参数间有若干统计学差异。     

贵州核桃种质资源表型性状多样性研究

该研究以贵州省内的3个山脉(乌蒙山、苗岭山和武陵山)、19个核桃和泡核桃实生居群、245棵实生单株为研究材料,对坚果表型性状29个指标的多样性、相关性、聚类及变异进行分析,以揭示贵州核桃资源的表型遗传多样性水平,为贵州核桃资源的保存与利用及核心种质构建提供依据。结果显示：(1)核桃和泡核桃实生居群245份种质资源的18个表型质量性状Simpson指数为0.26～0.82,Shannon-Wiener指数为0.12～1.79;核桃小叶形状多样,易发生顶叶退化,坚果核壳表面特征、坚果形状及核仁皮色多样性丰富。(2)坚果表型变异系数为3.32%～47.67%,平均为21.28%且差异显著(P<0.05),居群间变异系数为9.42%～31.61%且差异显著(P<0.05);居群内和居群间变异均是核桃表型多样性的来源,但坚果性状在居群间差异显著性均高于居群内,说明居群间变异是该区域坚果表型变异的主要来源。(3)3个山脉区域核桃表型均有不同程度变异,其中,苗岭山核桃表型变异程度低,乌蒙山核桃表型变异程度高;UPGMA聚类结果显示,19个核桃实生居群依据贵州山脉区域划分为三类,表明贵州核...     

栽培稻杂种不育性的遗传研究——Ⅲ.不同类型品种F_1花粉不育性的等位基因分化

以台中65等基因F_1不育系为遗传测验种,测定了栽培稻(O.sativa)45个品种在3个F_1不育基因座的基因型和等位基因的分化度。在S-E3基因座上,除Dular带有S_i/S_i基因型外,其余被测品种均带有S_i/S_i基因型。在S-E2和S-E5基因座上,籼型品种带有高频率的S_i基因,而粳型品种带有高频率的S_i基因。S_i和S_i均具有不同的分化度。籼型品种携带的S_i基因和粳型品种携带的S_i基因具有较高的分化度。中间型品种和广亲和品种的等位基因分化在S-E2基因座上与粳型品种相似,而在S-E5基因座上与籼型品种相似。此外,分析了各类型品种相互杂交F_1杂种在S-E2和S-E5基因座的杂合率、杂合度和杂合性。与籼/粳杂种相比,中间型品种(包括广亲和品种)与籼型和粳型品种杂交,F_1杂种均具有较低的平均杂合性,从而表现出较高的亲和性。因此,无论是杂种不育性还是杂种亲和性均由花粉不育基因控制。花粉不育基因也称为特异亲和基因。