肠道真菌研究进展

真菌菌群是肠道菌群的重要组成部分,在肠道微生态稳态的维持和宿主的免疫调节中发挥重要作用。肠道真菌失调通常和肠道疾病甚至肠道外疾病有关。本文就肠道真菌的定殖与组成、真菌菌群对肠道微生态的调控、菌群失调促进疾病的发展机制、基于肠道真菌的治疗策略和肠道真菌的鉴定分析方法等方面的进展进行了综述和展望,旨在系统认识肠道真菌调节宿主健康和促进疾病发生的机制,为相关疾病的诊断和治疗提供重要参考。     

Research progress on the synthesis and pharmacology of 1,3,4-oxadiazole and 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives: a mini review

Oxadiazole is a five-membered heterocyclic compound containing two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The 1,3,4-oxadiazole and 1,2,4-oxadiazole have favourable physical, chemical, and pharmacokinetic properties, which significantly increase their pharmacological activity via hydrogen bond interactions with biomacromolecules. In recent years, oxadiazole has been demonstrated to be the biologically active unit in a number of compounds. Oxadiazole derivatives exhibit antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tuberculous, anti-fungal, anti-diabetic and anticancer activities. In this paper, we report a series of compounds containing oxadiazole rings that have been published in the last three years only (2020–2022) as there was no report or their activities described in any article in 2019, which will be useful to scientists in research fields of organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology.     

Characterization and acceleration of genome shuffling and ploidy reduction in synthetic allopolyploids by genome sequencing and editing

Polyploidy and the subsequent ploidy reduction and genome shuffling are the major driving forces of genome evolution. Here, we revealed short-term allopolyploid genome evolution by sequencing a synthetic intergeneric hybrid (Raphanobrassica, RRCC). In this allotetraploid, the genome deletion was quick, while rearrangement was slow. The core and high-frequency genes tended to be retained while the specific and low-frequency genes tended to be deleted in the hybrid. The large-fragment deletions were enriched in the heterochromatin region and probably derived from chromosome breaks. The intergeneric translocations were primarily of short fragments dependent on homoeology, indicating a gene conversion origin. To accelerate genome shuffling, we developed an efficient genome editing platform for Raphanobrassica. By editing Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group M (FANCM) genes, homoeologous recombination, chromosome deletion and secondary meiosis with additional ploidy reduction were accelerated. FANCM was shown to be a checkpoint of meiosis and controller of ploidy stability. By simultaneously editing FLIP genes, gene conversion was precisely introduced, and mosaic genes were produced around the target site. This intergeneric hybrid and genome editing platform not only provides models that facilitate experimental evolution research by speeding up genome shuffling and conversion but also accelerates plant breeding by enhancing intergeneric genetic exchange and creating new genes.     

Intra‐amniotic mesenchymal stem cell therapy improves the amniotic fluid microenvironment in rat spina bifida aperta fetuses

ObjectivesSpina bifida aperta (SBA) is one of the most common neural tube defects. Neural injury in SBA occurs in two stages involving failed neural tube closure and progressive degeneration through contact with the amniotic fluid. We previously suggested that intra‐amniotic bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) therapy for fetal rat SBA could achieve beneficial functional recovery through lesion‐specific differentiation. The aim of this study is to examine whether the amniotic fluid microenvironment can be improved by intra‐amniotic BMSC transplantation.MethodsThe intra‐amniotic BMSC injection was performed using in vivo rat fetal SBA models. The various cytokine expressions in rat amniotic fluid were screened by protein microassays. Intervention experiments were used to study the function of differentially expressed cytokines.ResultsA total of 32 cytokines showed significant upregulated expression in the BMSC‐injected amniotic fluid. We focused on Activin A, NGF, BDNF, CNTF, and CXCR4. Intervention experiments showed that the upregulated Activin A, NGF, BDNF, and CNTF could inhibit apoptosis and promote synaptic development in fetal spinal cords. Inhibiting the activity of these factors weakened the anti‐apoptotic and pro‐differentiation effects of transplanted BMSCs. Inhibition of CXCR4 activity reduced the engraftment rate of BMSCs in SBA fetuses.ConclusionBMSC transplantation can improve the amniotic fluid environment, and this is beneficial for SBA repair.

In utero intra‐amniotic BMSC or PBS microinjection in the E15 fetuses was performed in E15 rat fetuses with spina bifida aperta, and amniotic fluid was collected at E21 for protein array detection. Venn diagram shows the relationship of three biological processes (GO: 0030335, 0048699, and 0043524) and the attribution of differentially expressed proteins. Comparative analysis of five proteins with the largest fold changes in the process of generation of neurons.     

Neuropeptide Y protects kidney from acute kidney injury by inactivating M1 macrophages via the Y1R-NF-κB-Mincle-dependent mechanism

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is produced by the nerve system and may contribute to the progression of CKD. The present study found the new protective role for NPY in AKI in both patients and animal models. Interestingly, NPY was constitutively expressed in blood and resident kidney macrophages by co-expressing NPY and CD68+ markers, which was lost in patients and mice with AKI-induced by cisplatin. Unexpectedly, NPY was renoprotective in AKI as mice lacking NPY developed worse renal necroinflammation and renal dysfunction in cisplatin and ischemic-induced AKI. Importantly, NPY was also a therapeutic agent for AKI because treatment with exogenous NPY dose-dependently inhibited cisplatin-induced AKI. Mechanistically, NPY protected kidney from AKI by inactivating M1 macrophages via the Y1R-NF-κB-Mincle-dependent mechanism as deleting or silencing NPY decreased Y1R but increased NF-κB-Mincle-mediated M1macrophage activation and renal necroinflammation, which were reversed by addition of NPY or by silencing Mincle but promoted by blocking Y1R with BIBP 3226. Thus, NPY is renoprotective and may be a novel therapeutic agent for AKI. NPY may act via Y1R to protect kidney from AKI by blocking NF-κB-Mincle-mediated M1 macrophage activation and renal necroinflammation.     

Heterogeneous impact of cytomegalovirus reactivation on nonrelapse mortality in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

This study aims to retrospectively analyze the efficacy of penciclovir in the prevention of viral infection after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Ninety-six patients with allo-HSCT were enrolled, who were treated at the Medical Center of Hematology of Xinqiao Hospital from June 2020 to September 2021. The experimental and control groups were treated with penciclovir and acyclovir, respectively, to prevent viral infection. By February 2022, the infection rates of cytomegalovirus, BK virus, JC virus, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the experimental group and the control group were 18.8% and 39.06% (P<0.05), 28.1% and 25% (P>0.05), 6.2% and 7.81% (P>0.05), 21.8% and 23.43% (P>0.05), respectively. The infection-related urinary system symptoms of the experimental group and the control group occurred in 4 and 9 patients, respectively, of which 3 and 9 patients died, respectively. Penciclovir can significantly reduce the cytomegalovirus infection rate after allo-HSCT and has better preventive effects than acyclovir without obvious side effects. The effectiveness and safety of penciclovir will be further verified in the future.     

FERONIA is involved in phototropin 1-mediated blue light phototropic growth in Arabidopsis

Plant shoot phototropism is triggered by the formation of a light-driven auxin gradient leading to bending growth. The blue light receptor phototropin 1(phot1) senses light direction, but how this leads to auxin gradient formation and growth regulation remains poorly understood. Previous studies have suggested phot1’s role for regulated apoplastic acidification, but its relation to phototropin and hypocotyl phototropism is unclear. Herein, we show that blue light can cause phot1 to interact with...     

转Bt基因棉花对烟粉虱天敌昆虫龟纹瓢虫的影响

在实验室控制条件下,以转Bt基因棉花GK12、33B、SGK321上的烟粉虱为食料饲养龟纹瓢虫,研究转Bt基因棉花上的烟粉虱对龟纹瓢虫生长发育及捕食的影响,同时利用Y型嗅觉仪,观察龟纹瓢虫对来自不同类型棉花的棉叶及其烟粉虱的嗅觉反应和视觉反应。结果表明,转Bt基因棉花和对应的常规棉亲本上的烟粉虱对龟纹瓢虫的发育历期和存活率没有明显的影响。龟纹瓢虫对棉花叶片、烟粉虱若虫、蜜露、蜕等4种物质的视觉反应之间没有明显的差异。对4种嗅源物质的嗅觉选择性的大小依次为：烟粉虱若虫＞蜕＞棉花＞蜜露;在两类不同的棉花之间,转基因棉花和常规棉,龟纹瓢虫对GK12、33B、SGK321等三种转基因棉花上的烟粉虱若虫的嗅觉选择性明显较对应的常规棉亲本SM3、33、SY321上的烟粉虱若虫小;对烟粉虱若虫的蜕,两种转单价基因棉花GK12、33B较对应的常规棉亲本上的小,而转双价基因的棉花SGK321上与对应的常规棉之间没有明显的差异。烟粉虱密度大于200头.皿_-1时,龟纹瓢虫捕食转基因棉花上烟粉虱的数量大于对应的常规棉花亲本,但烟粉虱密度小于200头.皿_-1时,龟纹瓢虫捕食转基因棉花上烟粉虱的数量小于对应的常规棉花亲本。龟纹瓢虫对烟粉虱的捕食符合HollingⅡ型反应。龟纹瓢虫取食转基因棉花上的烟粉虱的理论极限值、瞬间攻击率均大于常规棉花。     

SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein causes acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like pathological damages and constitutes an antiviral target

Cytokine storm and multi-organ failure are the main causes of SARS-CoV-2-related death. However, the origin of excessive damages caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains largely unknown. Here we show that the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (2-E) protein alone is able to cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-like damages in vitro and in vivo. 2-E proteins were found to form a type of pH-sensitive cation channels in bilayer lipid membranes. As observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, heterologous expression of 2-E channels induced rapid cell death in various susceptible cell types and robust secretion of cytokines and chemokines in macrophages. Intravenous administration of purified 2-E protein into mice caused ARDS-like pathological damages in lung and spleen. A dominant negative mutation lowering 2-E channel activity attenuated cell death and SARS-CoV-2 production. Newly identified channel inhibitors exhibited potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity and excellent cell protective activity in vitro and these activities were positively correlated with inhibition of 2-E channel. Importantly, prophylactic and therapeutic administration of the channel inhibitor effectively reduced both the viral load and secretion of inflammation cytokines in lungs of SARS-CoV-2-infected transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE-2). Our study supports that 2-E is a promising drug target against SARS-CoV-2.Subject terms: Cell death, Molecular biology