Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit b is a novel oncogenic factor in prostate cancer

Mammalian Genome - Prostate cancer, the second most common cancer among male adults, affects millions globally. We sought to investigate the expression and contribution of Eukaryotic translation...     

Rapid anti‐depressant‐like effects of ketamine and other candidates: Molecular and cellular mechanisms

Major depressive disorder takes at least 3 weeks for clinical anti‐depressants, such as serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors, to take effect, and only one‐third of patients remit. Ketamine, a kind of anaesthetic, can alleviate symptoms of major depressive disorder patients in a short time and is reported to be effective to treatment‐resistant depression patients. The rapid and strong anti‐depressant‐like effects of ketamine cause wide concern. In addition to ketamine, caloric restriction and sleep deprivation also elicit similar rapid anti‐depressant‐like effects. However, mechanisms about the rapid anti‐depressant‐like effects remain unclear. Elucidating the mechanisms of rapid anti‐depressant effects is the key to finding new therapeutic targets and developing therapeutic patterns. Therefore, in this review we summarize potential molecular and cellular mechanisms of rapid anti‐depressant‐like effects based on the pre‐clinical and clinical evidence, trying to provide new insight into future therapy.     

Structural and biochemical characterization of SADS‐CoV papain‐like protease 2

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS‐CoV) is a novel coronavirus that is involved in severe diarrhea disease in piglets, causing considerable agricultural and economic loss in China. The emergence of this new coronavirus increases the importance of understanding SADS‐CoV as well as antivirals. Coronaviral proteases, including main proteases and papain‐like proteases (PLP), are attractive antiviral targets because of their essential roles in polyprotein processing and thus viral maturation. Here, we describe the biochemical and structural identification of recombinant SADS papain‐like protease 2 (PLP2) domain of nsp3. The SADS‐CoV PLP2 was shown to cleave nsp1 proteins and also peptides mimicking the nsp2|nsp3 cleavage site and also had deubiquitinating and deISGynating activity by in vitro assays. The crystal structure adopts an architecture resembling that of PLPs from other coronaviruses. We characterize both conserved and unique structural features likely directing the interaction of PLP2 with the substrates, including the tentative mapping of active site and other essential residues. These results provide a foundation for understanding the molecular basis of coronaviral PLPs' catalytic mechanism and for the screening and design of therapeutics to combat infection by SADS coronavirus.     

退化高寒草甸狼毒发生区土壤真菌多样性的空间变异

狼毒是青藏高原危害最严重的毒草种类之一,其快速蔓延对高寒草甸生态系统的影响日益严重。选取祁连山中段退化高寒草甸为研究区,综合采用高通量测序技术、地统计学和GIS空间分析方法,分析狼毒发生区土壤真菌多样性的空间变异特征,研究狼毒群落与土壤真菌多样性的空间相关性。结果表明: 与非发生区相比,狼毒发生区土壤真菌群落物种丰富度下降而优势度显著增加,α多样性降低;土壤真菌群落物种构成差异增强,β多样性明显升高。狼毒入侵对土壤真菌多样性的空间格局有一定扰动,发生区各多样性指数的斑块破碎化程度增加,土壤真菌群落物种构成的空间异质性明显增强,α和β多样性的空间稳定性降低。狼毒盖度与土壤真菌α和β多样性指数呈现显著正相关及显著负相关的区域交错镶嵌分布,空间相关性规律不明显,表明狼毒入侵草甸土壤真菌多样性的空间变异可能受地上植被和土壤环境的共同作用。     

Meeting report on the 2019 international symposium of molecular design breeding in animals (Yangling,China) with the consensus on genome-editing agricultural animals and their regulation

Transgenic Research -     

Scale‐dependent effects of neighborhood biodiversity on individual tree productivity in a coniferous and broad‐leaved mixed forest in China

The relationship between biodiversity and productivity has stimulated an increasing body of research over the past decades, and this topic still occupies a central place in ecology. While most studies have focused on biomass production in quadrats or plots, few have investigated the scale‐dependent relationship from an individual plant perspective. We present an analysis of the effects of biodiversity (species diversity and functional diversity) on individual tree growth with a data set of 16,060 growth records from a 30‐ha temperate forest plot using spatially explicit individual tree‐based methods. A significant relationship between species diversity and tree growth was found at the individual tree level in our study. The magnitude and direction of biodiversity effects varies with the spatial scale. We found positive effects of species diversity on tree growth at scales exceeding 9 m. Individual tree growth rates increased when there was a greater diversity of species in the neighborhood of the focal tree, which provides evidence of a niche complementarity effect. At small scales (3–5 m), species diversity had negative effects on tree growth, suggesting that competition is more prevalent than complementarity or facilitation in these close neighborhoods. The results also revealed many confounding factors which influence tree growth, such as elevation and available sun light. We conclude that the use of individual tree‐based methods may lead to a better understanding of the biodiversity‐productivity relationship in forest communities.     

Anti-IL-23 exerted protective effects on cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury through JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway

Molecular Biology Reports - Ischemia–reperfusion frequently occurs in ischemic cerebral vascular disease, during which the inflammatory signaling plays essential roles. The aim of this study...