Correction of Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction with Adipose Derived Stem Cells Modified with the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene in a Rodent Diabetic Model

The aim of this study was to determine whether adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) expressing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene can improve endothelial function, recover the impaired VEGF signaling pathway and enhance smooth muscle contents in a rat diabetic erectile dysfunction (DED) model. DED rats were induced via intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg), and then screened by apomorphine (100 µg/kg). Five groups were used (n = 12/group)–Group 1 (G1): intracavernous injection of lentivirus-VEGF; G2: ADSCs injection; G3: VEGF-expressing ADSCs injection; G4: Phosphate buffered saline injection; G1–G4 were DED rats; G5: normal rats. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and intracavernosal pressure (ICP) were measured at days 7 and 28 after the injections. The components of the VEGF system, endothelial, smooth muscle, pericytes markers in cavernoursal tissue were assessed. On day 28 after injection, the group with intracavernosum injection of ADSCs expressing VEGF displayed more efficiently and significantly raised ICP and ICP/MAP (p<0.01) than those with ADSCs or lentivirus-VEGF injection. Western blot and immunofluorescent analysis demonstrated that improved erectile function by ADSCs-VEGF was associated with increased expression of endothelial markers (VEGF, VEGF R1, VEGF R2, eNOS, CD31 and vWF), smooth muscle markers (a-actin and smoothelin), and pericyte markers (CD146 and NG2). ADSCs expressing VEGF produced a therapeutic effect and restored erectile function in diabetic rats by enhancing VEGF-stimulated endothelial function and increasing the contents of smooth muscle and pericytes.     

The Arabidopsis UDP-glycosyltransferase75B1, conjugates abscisic acid and affects plant response to abiotic stresses

Plant Molecular Biology - This study revealed that the Arabidopsis UGT75B1 plays an important role in modulating ABA activity by glycosylation when confronting stress environments. The cellular ABA...     

Oreonectes guilinensis (Teleostei,Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae), a new loach species from Guangxi,China

A new loach Oreonectes guilinensis sp. nov. is described from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. It is the second surface-dwelling fish identified in the genus Oreonectes after the type species Oreonectes platycephalus. This new species can be distinguished from other species within the genus by the combination of the following features: a round caudal fin, 13–14 branched rays, an incomplete lateral line with 4–6 pores, a short pelvic fin located some distance from the anus, a scale-covered body, a stout build (body width 14.0%–16.7% of standard length), a posterior chamber of well-developed airbladder and a yellowish-brown body with a lateral dark brown strip. The maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on cytb gene recovered this new species in a well-supported clade with the type species O. platycephalus, sister to the Lefua clade. Morphological comparisons as well as our phylogenetic tree support Oreonectes shuilongensis, Oreonectes daqikongensis, Oreonectes jiarongensis as species of Troglonectes. Based on our results there are 6 valid species in the genus Oreonectes.     

Analysis of the Relationship between Blast Resistance Genes and Disease Resistance of Rice Germplasm via Functional Molecular Markers

Rice blast disease is one of the most devastating diseases of rice (Oryza sativa L.) caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae), and neck blast is the most destructive phase of this illness. The underlying molecular mechanisms of rice blast resistance are not well known. Thus, we collected 150 rice varieties from different ecotypes in China and assessed the rice blast resistances under the natural conditions that favoured disease development in Jining, Shandong Province, China in 2017. Results showed that 92 (61.3%) and 58 (38.7%) rice varieties were resistant and susceptible to M. oryzae, respectively. Among the 150 rice varieties screened for the presence of 13 major blast resistance (R) genes against M. oryzae by using functional markers, 147 contained one to eight R genes. The relationship between R genes and disease response was discussed by analysing the phenotype and genotype of functional markers. The results showed that the rice blast resistance gene Pita was significantly correlated with rice blast resistance. Our results provided a basis for the further understanding of the distribution of 13 major R genes of rice blast in the germplasm resources of the tested rice varieties, and were meaningful for rice disease resistance breeding.     

Genome-wide analysis of the Chinese sturgeon sox gene family: identification,characterisation and expression profiles of different tissues

The sox family is assumed to be responsible for a number of developmental systems. Genome sequencing technology makes it possible to scan sox genes and conduct characteristic analyses of different species. In fish, full characterisation of sox genes at the genome-wide level has been reported for pufferfish Takifugu rubripes, medaka Oryzias latipes, tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. However, no systematic investigation of the sox family in sturgeons (Acipenseridae) has been reported to date. This study conducted genome-wide identification of the sox genes in the Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis and profiled their tissue distribution between male and female individuals. In total, 19 sox genes were identified, including soxb1, b2, c, d, e, f and h, in the Chinese sturgeon. Genomic structure analysis indicated relatively conserved exon–intron structures in each sox group and phylogenetic analysis supported the previous classification of the sox family. Most of the sox genes showed a tissue-specific expression pattern, indicating the possible involvement of Chinese sturgeon sox genes at different developmental processes such as cardiac and gonadal development. This study provides a comprehensive resource of Chinese sturgeon sox genes and enables a better understanding of the evolution and function of the sox family.     

GsSnRK1 interplays with transcription factor GsERF7 from wild soybean to regulate soybean stress resistance

Although the function and regulation of SnRK1 have been studied in various plants, its molecular mechanisms in response to abiotic stresses are still elusive. In this work, we identified an AP2/ERF domain-containing protein (designated GsERF7) interacting with GsSnRK1 from a wild soybean cDNA library. GsERF7 gene expressed dominantly in wild soybean roots and was responsive to ethylene, salt, and alkaline. GsERF7 bound GCC cis-acting element and could be phosphorylated on S36 by GsSnRK1. GsERF7 phosphorylation facilitated its translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus and enhanced its transactivation activity. When coexpressed in the hairy roots of soybean seedlings, GsSnRK1(wt) and GsERF7(wt) promoted plants to generate higher tolerance to salt and alkaline stresses than their mutated species, suggesting that GsSnRK1 may function as a biochemical and genetic upstream kinase of GsERF7 to regulate plant adaptation to environmental stresses. Furthermore, the altered expression patterns of representative abiotic stress-responsive and hormone-synthetic genes were determined in transgenic soybean hairy roots after stress treatments. These results will aid our understanding of molecular mechanism of how SnRK1 kinase plays a cardinal role in regulating plant stress resistances through activating the biological functions of downstream factors.     

Overexpression of the mango MiCO gene delayed flowering time in transgenic Arabidopsis

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - CONSTANS (CO)/CONSTANS-like (COL) genes play an important role in the photoperiodic flowering pathway. However, the functional roles of the CO/COL...     

Retracted: Kinesin family member 2C aggravates the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and interacts with competing endogenous RNA

Kinesin family member 2C (KIF2C), a substantial mitotic regulator, has been verified to exert a malignant function in several cancers. However, its function in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. In this study, the expression profile of KIF2C in HCC was characterized through the dataset from the TCGA and clinical tissue microarrays containing 220 pairs of resected HCC tissues and adjacent nontumor tissues in our hospital. The results indicated that KIF2C was substantially higher expression in tumor tissues than adjacent nontumor tissues. High expression of KIF2C significantly correlated with large tumor (>5.0 cm) (P = .001) and implied a dismal postoperative overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.729; P = .002) in our cohort of patients. Gain and loss of function assays displayed that KIF2C promoted HCC cell proliferation, accelerated cell cycle progression, and impeded apoptosis. By bioinformatic tools and mechanistic investigation, we found that KIF2C interacted with various cell-cycle-related proteins and was significantly involved in growth-promoting pathways. KIF2C upregulated PCNA and CDC20 expression. Subsequently, we investigated the regulation of KIF2C by competing endogenous RNA and elucidated that has-miR-6715a-3p was directly bond to the 3′-untranslated region of KIF2C through dual luciferase assays, thereby inhibiting KIF2C expression. Furthermore, the long noncoding RNA GS1-358P8.4 was found to be a candidate of KIF2C for has-miR-6715a-3p binding. HCC patients with high lncRNA-GS1-358P8.4 expression had shorter OS and relapse-free survival compared to those with low expression, which was accordance with the KIF2C. Taken together, KIC2C aggravated HCC progression, it could serve as a prognostic indicator and confer a novel target for clinical treatment.