Taxonomy and phylogeny of Ceriporia (Polyporales,Basidiomycota) with an emphasis of Chinese collections

Ceriporia accommodates a kind of wood-inhabiting polypores producing resupinate basidiocarps and causing a white rot. More than 30 species of this genus have been described; however, only a few species were referred to molecular phylogeny. In this study, a total of 203 specimens of Ceriporia were studied morphologically, and the ITS and/or nLSU regions from 42 samples, representing 18 species, were sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. Based on both morphological and phylogenetic analyses, three new species of Ceriporia, C. bubalinomarginata, C. pseudocystidiata and C. variegata, are described and illustrated. An annotated identification key is provided for all 20 species of this genus thus far known in China. Our phylogeny shows that (1) Ceriporia is not monophyletic, (2) C. spissa and C. viridans as morphologically circumscribed are polyphyletic, (3) C. inflata is retained for both C. inflata and C. jiangxiensis, and (4) presence or absence of hymenial cystidia is not a useful character in delimiting species relationships in Ceriporia.     

Overexpression of FNTB and the activation of Ras induce hypertrophy and promote apoptosis and autophagic cell death in cardiomyocytes

Farnesyltransferase (FTase) is an important enzyme that catalyses the modification of protein isoprene downstream of the mevalonate pathway. Previous studies have shown that the tissue of the heart in the suprarenal abdominal aortic coarctation (AAC) group showed overexpression of FTaseβ (FNTB) and the activation of the downstream protein Ras was enhanced. FTase inhibitor (FTI) can alleviate myocardial fibrosis and partly improve cardiac remodelling in spontaneously hypertensive rats. However, the exact role and mechanism of FTase in myocardial hypertrophy and remodelling are not fully understood. Here, we used recombinant adenovirus to transfect neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes to study the effect of FNTB overexpression on myocardial remodelling and explore potential mechanisms. The results showed that overexpression of FNTB induces neonatal rat ventricular myocyte hypertrophy and reduces the survival rate of cardiomyocytes. FNTB overexpression induced a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and increased apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. FNTB overexpression also promotes autophagosome formation and the accumulation of autophagy substrate protein, LC3II. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and mCherry‐GFP tandem fluorescent‐tagged LC3 (tfLC3) showed that FNTB overexpression can activate autophagy flux by enhancing autophagosome conversion to autophagolysosome. Overactivated autophagy flux can be blocked by bafilomycin A1. In addition, salirasib (a Ras farnesylcysteine mimetic) can alleviate the hypertrophic phenotype of cardiomyocytes and inhibit the up‐regulation of apoptosis and autophagy flux induced by FNTB overexpression. These results suggest that FTase may have a potential role in future treatment strategies to limit the adverse consequences of cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac dysfunction and heart failure.     

Mechanism of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase inhibiting cardiac allograft rejection in mice

Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO)-mediated regulation of tryptophan metabolism plays an important role in immune tolerance in transplantation, but it has not been elucidated which mechanism specifically induces the occurrence of immune tolerance. Our study revealed that IDO exerts immunosuppressive effects through two pathways in mouse heart transplantation, ‘tryptophan depletion’ and ‘tryptophan metabolite accumulation’. The synergism between IDO⁺DC and TC (tryptophan catabolic products) has stronger inhibitory effects on T lymphocyte proliferation and mouse heart transplant rejection than the two intervention factors alone, and significantly prolong the survival time of donor-derived transplanted skin. This work demonstrates that the combination of IDO⁺DC and TC can induce immune tolerance to a greater extent, and reduce the rejection of transplanted organs.     

Ellagic acid protects dopamine neurons from rotenone‐induced neurotoxicity via activation of Nrf2 signalling

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent central nervous system (CNS) degenerative disease. Oxidative stress is one of key contributors to PD. Nuclear factor erythroid‐2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) is considered to be a master regulator of many genes involved in anti‐oxidant stress to attenuate cell death. Therefore, activation of Nrf2 signalling provides an effective avenue to treat PD. Ellagic acid (EA), a natural polyphenolic contained in fruits and nuts, possesses amounts of pharmacological activities, such as anti‐oxidant stress and anti‐inflammation. Recent studies have confirmed EA could be used as a neuroprotective agent in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, mice subcutaneous injection of rotenone (ROT)‐induced DA neuronal damage was performed to investigate EA‐mediated neuroprotection. In addition, adult Nrf2 knockout mice and different cell cultures including MN9D‐enciched, MN9D‐BV‐2 and MN9D‐C6 cell co‐cultures were applied to explore the underlying mechanisms. Results demonstrated EA conferred neuroprotection against ROT‐induced DA neurotoxicity. Activation of Nrf2 signalling was involved in EA‐mediated DA neuroprotection, as evidenced by the following observations. First, EA activated Nrf2 signalling in ROT‐induced DA neuronal damage. Second, EA generated neuroprotection with the presence of astroglia and silence of Nrf2 in astroglia abolished EA‐mediated neuroprotection. Third, EA failed to produce DA neuroprotection in Nrf2 knockout mice. In conclusion, this study identified EA protected against DA neuronal loss via an Nrf2‐dependent manner.     

In Vitro Effects of Ginseng and the Seed of Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa on Gut Microbiota of Rats with Spleen Deficiency

Ginseng and the seed of Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa, which are traditional Chinese medicinal materials, were often used in ancient Chinese recipes as a pair of medicines. They can replenish the primordial qi and tonify the spleen. This study investigated the effects of ginseng and the seed of Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa (GS) extract on gut microbiota diversity in rats with spleen deficiency syndrome (SDS). A total of 52 compounds (including 16 flavonoids, 35 saponins, and 1 alkaloid) were identified and analyzed from the GS extract by UPLC‐Q‐Orbitrap‐MS/MS. The GS extract significantly increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in rats with SDS but decreased that of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. At the genus level, the GS extract significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in rats with SDS but decreased that of Streptococcus, Escherichia‐Shigella, Veillonella, and Enterococcus. In addition, the GS extract influenced glucose and amino acid metabolism. In summary, the results showed that the GS extract changed the structure and diversity of gut microbiota in rats with SDS and balanced the metabolic process.     

The Rise of Textured Perovskite Morphology: Revolutionizing the Pathway toward High‐Performance Optoelectronic Devices

Halide perovskite materials have achieved overwhelming success in various optoelectronic applications, especially perovskite solar cells and perovskite‐based light‐emitting diodes (P‐LEDs), owing to their outstanding optical and electric properties. It is widely believed that flat and mirror‐like perovskite films are imperative for achieving high device performance, while the potential of other perovskite morphologies, such as the emerging textured perovskite, is overlooked, which leaves plenty of room for further breakthroughs. Compared to flat and mirror‐like perovskites, textured perovskites with unique structures, e.g., coral‐like, maze‐like, column‐like or quasi‐core@shell assemblies, are more efficient at light harvesting and charge extraction, thus revolutionizing the pathways toward ultrahigh performance in perovskite‐based optoelectronic devices. Employing a textured perovskite morphology, the record of external quantum efficiency for P‐LEDs is demonstrated as 21.6%. In this research news, recent progress in the utilization of textured perovskite is summarized, with the emphasis on the preparation strategies and prominent optoelectronic properties. The impact of the textured morphology on light harvesting, carrier dynamic management, and device performance is highlighted. Finally, the challenges and great potential of employing these innovative morphologies in fabricating more efficient optoelectronic devices, or creating a new energy harvesting and conversion regime are also provided.