Zoogeography of Intertidal Communities in the West Indian Ocean as Determined by Ocean Circulation Systems: Patterns from the Tetraclita Barnacles

The Indian Ocean is the least known ocean in the world with the biogeography of marine species in the West Indian Ocean (WIO) understudied. The hydrography of WIO is characterized by four distinct oceanographic systems and there were few glacial refugia formations in the WIO during the Pleistocene. We used the widely distributed intertidal barnacle Tetraclita to test the hypothesis that the distribution and connectivity of intertidal animals in the WIO are determined by the major oceanographic regime but less influenced by historical events such as Pleistocene glaciations. Tetraclita were studied from 32 locations in the WIO. The diversity and distribution of Tetraclita species in the Indian Ocean were examined based on morphological examination and sequence divergence of two mitochondrial genes (12S rDNA and COI) and one nuclear gene (histone 3, H3). Divergence in DNA sequences revealed the presence of seven evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) of Tetraclita in WIO, with most of them recognized as valid species. The distribution of these ESUs is closely tied to the major oceanographic circulation systems. T. rufotincta is distributed in the Monsoonal Gyre. T. ehsani is present in the Gulf of Oman and NW India. Tetraclita sp. nov. is associated with the Hydrochemical Front at 10°S latitude. T. reni is confined to southern Madagascan and Mauritian waters, influenced by the West Wind Drift. The endemic T. achituvi is restricted to the Red Sea. Tetraclita serrata consists of two ESUs (based on mtDNA analysis) along the east to west coast of South Africa. The two ESUs could not be distinguished from morphological analysis and nuclear H3 sequences. Our results support that intertidal species in the West Indian Ocean are associated with each of the major oceanographic circulation systems which determine gene flow. Geographical distribution is, however, less influenced by the geological history of the region.     

Identification of novel susceptibility loci for non‐syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate

Although several genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) of non‐syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) have been reported, more novel association signals are remained to be exploited. Here, we performed an in‐depth analysis of our previously published Chinese GWAS cohort study with replication in an extra dbGaP case‐parent trios and another in‐house Nanjing cohort, and finally identified five novel significant association signals (rs11119445: 3’ of SERTAD4, P = 6.44 × 10⁻¹⁴; rs227227 and rs12561877: intron of SYT14, P = 5.02 × 10⁻¹³ and 2.80 × 10⁻¹¹, respectively; rs643118: intron of TRAF3IP3, P = 4.45 × 10⁻⁶; rs2095293: intron of NR6A1, P = 2.98 × 10⁻⁵). The mean (standard deviation) of the weighted genetic risk score (wGRS) from these SNPs was 1.83 (0.65) for NSCL/P cases and 1.58 (0.68) for controls, respectively (P = 2.67 × 10⁻¹⁶). Rs643118 was identified as a shared susceptible factor of NSCL/P among Asians and Europeans, while rs227227 may contribute to the risk of NSCL/P as well as NSCPO. In addition, sertad4 knockdown zebrafish models resulted in down‐regulation of sox2 and caused oedema around the heart and mandibular deficiency, compared with control embryos. Taken together, this study has improved our understanding of the genetic susceptibility to NSCL/P and provided further clues to its aetiology in the Chinese population.     

Melatonin against acute ischaemic stroke dependently via suppressing both inflammatory and oxidative stress downstream signallings

This study tested the hypothesis that melatonin (Mel) therapy preserved the brain architectural and functional integrity against ischaemic stroke (IS) dependently through suppressing the inflammatory/oxidative stress downstream signalling pathways. Adult male B6 (n = 6 per each B6 group) and TLR4 knockout (ie TLR4^?/?) (n = 6 per each TLR4^?/? group) mice were categorized into sham control (SC^B6), SC^TLR4?/?, IS^B6, IS^TLR4?/?, IS^B6 + Mel (i.p. daily administration) and IS^TLR4?/? + Mel (i.p. daily administration). By day 28 after IS, the protein expressions of inflammatory (HMBG1/TLR2/TLR4/MAL/MyD88/RAM TRIF/TRAF6/IKK‐α/p‐NF‐κB/nuclear‐NF‐κB/nuclear‐IRF‐3&7/IL‐1β/IL‐6/TNF‐α/IFN‐γ) and oxidative stress (NOX‐1/NOX‐2/ASK1/p‐MKK4&7/p‐JNK/p‐c‐JUN) downstream pathways as well as mitochondrial‐damaged markers (cytosolic cytochrome C/cyclophilin D/SRP1/autophagy) were highest in group IS^B6, lowest in groups SC^B6 and SC^TLR4?/?, lower in group IS^TLR4?/? + Mel than in groups IS^TLR4?/? and IS^B6 + Mel and lower in group IS^B6 + Mel than in group IS^TLR4?/? (all P < .0001). The brain infarct volume, brain infarct area and the number of inflammatory cells in brain (CD14/F4‐88) and in circulation (MPO+//Ly6C+/CD11b+//Ly6G+/CD11b+) exhibited an identical pattern, whereas the neurological function displayed an opposite pattern of inflammatory protein expression among the six groups (all P < .0001). In conclusion, TLR inflammatory and oxidative stress signallings played crucial roles for brain damage and impaired neurological function after IS that were significantly reversed by Mel therapy.     

Quorum sensing regulation confronts the development of a viable but non-culturable state in Vibrio cholerae

Vibrio cholerae can enter a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state when it encounters unfavourable environments; VBNC cells serve as important reservoirs and still pose threats to public health. The genetic regulation of V. cholerae entering its VBNC state is not well understood. Here, we show a confrontation strategy adapted by V. cholerae O1 in which it utilizes a quorum sensing (QS) system to prevent transition into a VBNC state under low nutrition and temperature conditions. The upregulation of hapR resulted in a prolonged culturable state of V. cholerae in artificial sea water at 4°C, whereas the mutation of hapR led to fast entry into the VBNC state. We also observed that different V. cholerae O1 natural isolates with distinct QS functions present a variety of abilities to maintain culturability during the transition to a VBNC state. The strain groups with higher or constitutive expression of QS genes exhibit a greater tendency to maintain the culturable state during VBNC induction than those lacking QS functional groups. In summary, HapR-mediated QS regulation is associated with the transition to the VBNC state in V. cholerae. HapR expression causes V. cholerae to resist VBNC induction and become dominant over competitors in changing environments.     

A chromosome‐scale genome assembly of Antheraea pernyi (Saturniidae,Lepidoptera)

Antheraea pernyi is a semi‐domesticated lepidopteran insect species valuable to the silk industry, human health, and ecological tourism. Owing to its economic influence and developmental properties, it serves as an ideal model for investigating divergence of the Bombycoidea super family. However, studies on the karyotype evolution and functional genomics of A. pernyi are limited by scarce genomic resource. Here, we applied PacBio sequencing and chromosome structure capture technique to assemble the first high‐quality A. pernyi genome from a single male individual. The genome is 720.67 Mb long with 49 chromosomes and a 13.77‐Mb scaffold N50. Approximately 441.75 Mb, accounting for 60.74% of the genome, was identified as repeats. The genome comprises 21,431 protein‐coding genes, 85.22% of which were functionally annotated. Comparative genomics analysis suggested that A. pernyi diverged from its common ancestor with A. yamamai ~30.3 million years ago, and that chromosome fission contributed to the increased chromosome number. The genome assembled in this work will not only facilitate future research on A. pernyi and related species but also help to progress comparative genomics analyses in Lepidoptera.     

钙结合蛋白S100A16对胰岛素抵抗的作用研究

目的探究钙结合蛋白S100A16在胰岛素抵抗中的作用。方法用S100A16抗体进行免疫沉淀,然后用蛋白质谱分析寻找与S100A16相互作用的蛋白。实验1转染Vector质粒的HepG2细胞作为对照,用转染shRNA质粒、S100A16过表达质粒干预作为处理组。实验2以慢性胰岛素刺激细胞构建胰岛素抵抗模型,采用转染shRNA质粒的细胞作为对照,用未转染和转染Vector质粒干预作为处理组。实验3以不做任何处理的细胞作为对照,在胰岛素抵抗模型中用吡格列酮干预作为处理组。Western blot检测相关蛋白的表达水平。组间比较采用成组t检验。结果与转染Vector质粒比较,转染S100A16过表达质粒中胎球蛋白A表达(1.39±0.54比2.85±0.25)水平上调(P<0.05);与转染Vector质粒比较,转染shRNA质粒胎球蛋白A蛋白表达(0.36±0.03比0.20±0.03)水平降低(P<0.01)。在胰岛素抵抗条件下,与转染shRNA质粒的细胞比较,未转染和转染Vector质粒的IRS-2蛋白表达(0.11±0.04比1.65±0.48)水平上调(P<0.01);与不做任何处理的细胞比较,用吡格列酮处理的细胞IRS-2表达(0.26±0.11比0.52±0.05)水平上升(P<0.01)。结论S100A16在HepG2细胞中通过胎球蛋白A促进胰岛素抵抗。     

Epidemiological Characteristics of Influenza A and B in Macau, 2010–2018

Virologica Sinica - Influenza is one of the major respiratory diseases in humans. Macau is a tourist city with high density of population and special population mobility. The study on the...     

Protective Effect of Nigella sativa and Nigella damascena Fixed Oils Against Aflatoxin Induced Mutagenicity in the Classical and Modified Ames Test

The antioxidant and mutagenic/antimutagenic activities of the fixed oils from Nigella sativa (NSO) and Nigella damascena (NDO) seeds, obtained by cold press-extraction from the cultivar samples, were comparatively investigated for the first time. The antimutagenicity test was carried out using classical and modified Ames tests. The fatty acid composition of the fixed oils was characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) while the quantification of thymoquinone in the fixed oils was determined by UPC². The main components of the NSO and NDO were found to be linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. The results of the Ames test confirmed the safety of NSO and NDO from the viewpoint of mutagenicity. The results of the three antioxidant test methods were correlated with each other, indicating NDO as having a superior antioxidant activity, when compared to the NSO. Both NSO and NDO exhibited a significant protective effect against the mutagenicity induced by aflatoxin B1 in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains. When microsomal metabolism was terminated after metabolic activation of the mycotoxin, a significant increase in antimutagenic activity was observed, suggesting that the degradation of aflatoxin B1 epoxides by these oils may be a possible antimutagenic mechanism. It is worthy to note that this is the first study to assess the mutagenicity of NSO and NDO according to the OECD 471 guideline and to investigate antimutagenicity of NDO in comparison to NSO against aflatoxin.     

Botrytis cinerea mutants deficient in d‐galacturonic acid catabolism have a perturbed virulence on Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis,but not on tomato

d ‐Galacturonic acid is the most abundant monosaccharide component of pectic polysaccharides that comprise a significant part of most plant cell walls. Therefore, it is potentially an important nutritional factor for Botrytis cinerea when it grows in and through plant cell walls. The d ‐galacturonic acid catabolic pathway in B. cinerea consists of three catalytic steps converting d ‐galacturonic acid to pyruvate and l ‐glyceraldehyde, involving two nonhomologous galacturonate reductase genes (Bcgar1 and Bcgar2), a galactonate dehydratase gene (Bclgd1) and a 2‐keto‐3‐deoxy‐l ‐galactonate aldolase gene (Bclga1). Knockout mutants in each step of the pathway (ΔBcgar1/ΔBcgar2, ΔBclgd1 and ΔBclga1) showed reduced virulence on Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, but not on Solanum lycopersicum leaves. The cell walls of N. benthamiana and A. thaliana leaves were shown to have a higher d ‐galacturonic acid content relative to those of S. lycopersicum. The observation that mutants displayed a reduction in virulence, especially on plants with a high d ‐galacturonic acid content in the cell walls, suggests that, in these hosts, d ‐galacturonic acid has an important role as a carbon nutrient for B. cinerea. However, additional in vitro growth assays with the knockout mutants revealed that B. cinerea growth is reduced when d ‐galacturonic acid catabolic intermediates cannot proceed through the entire pathway, even when fructose is present as the major, alternative carbon source. These data suggest that the reduced virulence of d ‐galacturonic acid catabolism‐deficient mutants on N. benthamiana and A. thaliana is not only a result of the inability of the mutants to utilize an abundant carbon source as nutrient, but also a result of the growth inhibition by catabolic intermediates.