Enhanced production of (+)-terrein by Aspergillus terreus strain PF26 with epigenetic modifier suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid

New strategies for improving the fermentation yield of (+)-terrein which is a fungal metabolite with multiple bioactivities are very urgent. In this study, the effect of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, one kind of epigenetic modifier, on the biosynthesis of (+)-terrein by Aspergillus terreus strain PF26 isolated from the marine sponge Phakellia fusca was investigated. It was found that suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid exhibited a positive impact on (+)-terrein production, resulting from promoting the biosynthesis of 6-hydroxymellein, the precursor of (+)-terrein. Through optimization of feeding concentration and time of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, 5.58 g/L (+)-terrein could be obtained in shake flask cultivation, 29.5% higher than the control. Correspondingly, the fermentation of A. terreus strain PF26 in 7.5-L stirred bioreactor with feeding suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (900 μM, day 4) yielded 9.07 g/L (+)-terrein, 77.1% higher than the control. These results showed that the epigenetic modifier-suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid could be utilized to enhance the production of (+)-terrein, which laid the foundation of massive production of (+)-terrein by fermentation.     

A pilot study of autologous CD34-depleted bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation via the hepatic artery in five patients with liver failure

Background aimsMany rodent experiments and human studies on stem cell therapy have shown promising therapeutic approaches to liver diseases. We investigated the clinical outcomes of five patients with liver failure of various causes who received autologous CD34-depleted bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell (BM-MNC) transplantation, including mesenchymal stromal cells, through the hepatic artery.MethodsCD34-depleted BM-MNCs were obtained from five patients waiting for liver transplantation by bone marrow aspiration and using the CliniMACS CD34 Reagent System (Miltenyi Biotech, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany), and autologous hepatic artery infusion was performed. The causes of hepatic decompensation were hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), propylthiouracil-induced toxic hepatitis and Wilson disease.ResultsSerum albumin levels improved 1 week after transplantation from 2.8 g/dL, 2.4 g/dL, 2.7 g/dL and 1.9 g/dL to 3.3 g/dL, 3.1 g/dL, 2.8 g/dL and 2.6 g/dL. Transient liver elastography data showed some change from 65 kPa, 33 kPa, 34.8 kPa and undetectable to 46.4 kPa, 19.8 kPa, 29.1 kPa and 67.8 kPa at 4 weeks after transplantation in a patient with Wilson disease, a patient with HCV, and two patients with HBV. Ascites decreased in two patients. One of the patients with HBV underwent liver transplantation 4 months after the infusion, and the hepatic progenitor markers (cytokeratin [CD]-7, CD-8, CD-9, CD-18, CD-19, c-Kit and epithelial cell adhesion molecule [EpCAM]) were highly expressed in the explanted liver.ConclusionsSerum albumin levels, liver stiffness, liver volume, subjective healthiness and quality of life improved in the study patients. Although these findings were observed in a small population, the results may suggest a promising future for autologous CD34-depleted BM-MNC transplantation as a bridge to liver transplantation in patients with liver failure.     

表面展示新城疫病毒部分F蛋白的重组干酪乳杆菌的构建及其免疫原性

本研究旨在构建重组干酪乳杆菌pLA-Newcastlediseasevirus (NDV)-F/Lactobacillus casei,获得表达产物,并探讨其免疫效果。利用PCR扩增携带部分主要抗原表位的NDV F基因,与穿梭质粒pLA连接转化至大肠杆菌BL21 (DE3)中,筛选阳性重组质粒,将其电转化至干酪乳杆菌中,构建重组干酪乳杆菌pLA-NDV-F/L. casei,应用PCR鉴定阳性菌株,Western blotting鉴定重组菌反应原性,间接免疫荧光、流式细胞术和激光共聚焦检测蛋白表达情况。试验选用14日龄雏鸡,各组免疫方式为口服+滴鼻。设立pLA-NDV-F/L. casei两次免疫组和三次免疫组、弱毒疫苗组、 pLA/L.casei、未攻毒PBS组和攻毒PBS组。间接ELISA方法检测雏鸡血清IgG、肠道、鼻腔、肺脏中sIgA抗体效价,评价试验组雏鸡攻毒保护率。结果表明,有94.10%的重组菌表达了F蛋白,且高效表达在干酪乳杆菌细胞表面,蛋白大小为62kDa,并能与抗NDV阳性血清特异性结合。各免疫组anti-F IgG和s Ig A抗体水平显著高于对照组,p LA-NDV-F/L. casei三次免疫组抗体持续时间比两次免疫组延长28 d,抗体峰值没有显著差异。免疫pLA-NDV-F/L. casei三次、两次、弱毒疫苗、pLA/L. casei和PBS的攻击保护率分别为80%、80%、90%、0%和0%。因此,利用干酪乳杆菌表达体系成功表达了携带部分抗原表位的NDVF基因,具备良好的反应原性和免疫原性,可诱导机体产生保护性免疫应答。     

Constructing High‐Performance All‐Small‐Molecule Ternary Solar Cells with the Same Third Component but Different Mechanisms for Fullerene and Non‐fullerene Systems

Two types of all‐small‐molecule ternary solar cells consisting of two small‐molecule donors and one acceptor (fullerene/non‐fullerene) are developed. Interestingly, both these devices have a common component: a carefully designed medium bandgap small molecule, which possesses appropriate energy levels and displays good compatibility with the host donor. In the fullerene system, the charge‐relaying role of the additive donor is confirmed by the improved charge transportation and suppressed charge recombination. While in the non‐fullerene system, the mixed face‐on and edge‐on orientation of the ternary film induced by the additive donor dominates the promotion of charge transportation. Accordingly, both ternary devices deliver higher short‐circuit current density, fill factor, and power conversion efficiencies of over 10% compared to binary ones. This work offers a promising guideline on the construction of high‐performance all‐small‐molecule ternary solar cells by incorporating a miscible small‐molecule donor.     

Valuing urban green spaces in mitigating climate change: A city‐wide estimate of aboveground carbon stored in urban green spaces of China's Capital

Urban green spaces provide manifold environmental benefits and promote human well‐being. Unfortunately, these services are largely undervalued, and the potential of urban areas themselves to mitigate future climate change has received little attention. In this study, we quantified and mapped city‐wide aboveground carbon storage of urban green spaces in China's capital, Beijing, using field survey data of diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height from 326 field survey plots, combined with satellite‐derived vegetation index at a fine resolution of 6 m. We estimated the total amount of carbon stored in the urban green spaces to be 956.3 Gg (1 Gg = 10⁹ g) in 2014. There existed great spatial heterogeneity in vegetation carbon density varying from 0 to 68.1 Mg C ha^‐1, with an average density of 7.8 Mg C ha^?1. As expected, carbon density tended to decrease with urban development intensity (UDI). Likely being affected by vegetation cover proportion and configuration of green space patches, large differences were presented between the 95th and 5th quantile carbon density for each UDI bin, showing great potential for carbon sequestration. However, the interquartile range of carbon density narrowed drastically when UDI reached 60%, signifying a threshold for greatly reduced carbon sequestration potentials for higher UDI. These findings suggested that urban green spaces have great potential to make contribution to mitigating against future climate change if we plan and design urban green spaces following the trajectory of high carbon density, but we should be aware that such potential will be very limited when the urban development reaches certain intensity threshold.     

Hydroxytyrosol prevents dermal papilla cells inflammation under oxidative stress by inducing autophagy

Hydroxytyrosol (HT), a primary phenolic antioxidant in olive oil, can afford protection from oxidative stress (OS) in different cells, including skin cells. In particular, it regulates several inflammation‐associated processes as well as in improving the antioxidant defense system. However, there is no information about HT used in the treatment of hair loss. This work aimed at exploring the potential protective actions of HT against OS in rat dermal papilla cells. After treatment, the related expression of protein and messenger RNA were detected using morphological and molecular analyses. The results showed that HT significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species level, apoptotic markers and inflammation induced by OS and enhanced cell survival by regulating autophagy. Furthermore, HT enhanced the secretion of hair growth factors in the anti‐inflammation process. These results suggest that HT has a significant protective ability against OS and encourage the use of this biological ingredient as a possible tool to prevent alopecia.     

Extracellular ATP inhibits root gravitropism at concentrations that inhibit polar auxin transport

Raising the level of extracellular ATP to mM concentrations similar to those found inside cells can block gravitropism of Arabidopsis roots. When plants are grown in Murashige and Skoog medium supplied with 1 mM ATP, their roots grow horizontally instead of growing straight down. Medium with 2 mM ATP induces root curling, and 3 mM ATP stimulates lateral root growth. When plants are transferred to medium containing exogenous ATP, the gravity response is reduced or in some cases completely blocked by ATP. Equivalent concentrations of ADP or inorganic phosphate have slight but usually statistically insignificant effects, suggesting the specificity of ATP in these responses. The ATP effects may be attributable to the disturbance of auxin distribution in roots by exogenously applied ATP, because extracellular ATP can alter the pattern of auxin-induced gene expression in DR5-beta-glucuronidase transgenic plants and increase the response sensitivity of plant roots to exogenously added auxin. The presence of extracellular ATP also decreases basipetal auxin transport in a dose-dependent fashion in both maize (Zea mays) and Arabidopsis roots and increases the retention of [(3)H]indole-3-acetic acid in root tips of maize. Taken together, these results suggest that the inhibitory effects of extracellular ATP on auxin distribution may happen at the level of auxin export. The potential role of the trans-plasma membrane ATP gradient in auxin export and plant root gravitropism is discussed.     

Curcumin Inhibits Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-Like Inflammation by Inhibiting IL-1beta and IL-6 Production in Mice

Curcumin, a selective phosphorylase kinase inhibitor, is a naturally occurring phytochemical present in turmeric. Curcumin has been confirmed to have anti-inflammatory properties in addition to the ability to decrease the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in keratinocytes. The interleukin-23 (IL-23)/IL-17A cytokine axis plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Here, we report that topical use of a curcumin gel formulation strongly inhibited imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like inflammation, the development of which was based on the IL-23/IL-17A axis. IMQ-induced epidermal hyperplasia and inflammation in BALB/c mouse ear was significantly inhibited following curcumin treatment. Real-time PCR showed that mRNA levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α cytokines were decreased significantly by curcumin in ear skin, an effect similar to that of clobetasol. In addition, we found that curcumin may enhance the proliferation of epidermis γδ T cells but inhibit dermal γδ T cell proliferation. We inferred that curcumin was capable of impacting the IL-23/IL-17A axis by inhibiting IL-1β/IL-6 and then indirectly down-regulating IL-17A/IL-22 production. In conclusion, curcumin can relieve the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like inflammation in a mouse model, similar to the effects of clobetasol. Therefore, we have every reason to expect that curcumin will be used in the treatment of psoriasis in the future.