JQ-1 ameliorates schistosomiasis liver granuloma in mice by suppressing male and female reproductive systems and egg development of Schistosoma japonicum

Schistosomiasis is a serious and widespread parasitic disease caused by infection with Schistosoma. Because the parasite’s eggs are primarily responsible for schistosomiasis dissemination and pathogenesis, inhibiting egg production is a potential approach to control the spread and severity of the disease. The bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins represent promising targets for the development of epigenetic drugs against Schistosoma. JQ-1 is a selective inhibitor of the BET protein family. In the present study, JQ-1 was applied to S. japonicum in vitro. By using laser confocal scanning microscopy and EdU incorporation assays, we showed that application of JQ-1 to worms in vitro affected egg laying and the development of both the male and female reproductive systems. JQ-1 also inhibited the expression of the reproductive-related genes SjPlk1 and SjNanos1 in S. japonicum. Mice infected with S. japonicum were treated with JQ-1 during egg granuloma formation. JQ-1 treatment significantly reduced the size of the liver granulomas and levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase in mice and suppressed both egg laying and the development of male and female S. japonicum reproductive systems in vivo. Moreover, the mRNA expression levels of some proinflammatory cytokines were decreased in the parasites. Our findings suggest that JQ-1 treatment attenuates S. japonicum egg–induced hepatic granuloma due at least in part to suppressing the development of the reproductive system and egg production of S. japonicum. These findings further suggest that JQ-1 or other BET inhibitors warrant additional study as a new approach for the treatment or prevention of schistosomiasis.     

南美蟛蜞菊内参基因Actin的克隆及其分析

看家基因Actin常被用作定量、半定量PCR试验的内参基因.为研究其他基因在南美蟛蜞菊响应环境变化的表达调控机制,根据GenBank上已登录的肌动蛋白基因(Actin)的同源核苷酸保守序列,设计特异性引物,利用RT-PCR的方法克隆获得了南美蟛蜞菊Actin基因的全长序列,并将该序列命名为WtAct.序列分析结果表明W...     

Single-cell transcriptomic atlas of primate cardiopulmonary aging

Aging is a major risk factor for many diseases,especially in highly prevalent cardiopulmonary comorbidities and infectious diseases including Coronavirus Diseas...     

The novel peptide NbPPI1 identified from Nicotiana benthamiana triggers immune responses and enhances resistance against Phytophthora pathogens

In plants, recognition of small secreted peptides, such as damage/danger‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), regulates diverse processes, including stress and immune responses. Here, we identified an SGPS (Ser‐Gly‐Pro‐Ser) motif‐containing peptide, Nicotiana tabacum NtPROPPI, and its two homologs in Nicotiana benthamiana, NbPROPPI1 and NbPROPPI2. Phytophthora parasitica infection and salicylic acid (SA) treatment induced NbPROPPI1/2 expression. Moreover, SignalP predicted that the 89‐amino acid NtPROPPI includes a 24‐amino acid N‐terminal signal peptide and NbPROPPI1/2‐GFP fusion proteins were mainly localized to the periplasm. Transient expression of NbPROPPI1/2 inhibited P. parasitica colonization, and NbPROPPI1/2 knockdown rendered plants more susceptible to P. parasitica. An eight‐amino‐acid segment in the NbPROPPI1 C‐terminus was essential for its immune function and a synthetic 20‐residue peptide, NbPPI1, derived from the C‐terminus of NbPROPPI1 provoked significant immune responses in N. benthamiana. These responses led to enhanced accumulation of reactive oxygen species, activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases, and up‐regulation of the defense genes Flg22‐induced receptor‐like kinase (FRK) and WRKY DNA‐binding protein 33 (WRKY33). The NbPPI1‐induced defense responses require Brassinosteroid insensitive 1‐associated receptor kinase 1 (BAK1). These results suggest that NbPPI1 functions as a DAMP in N. benthamiana; this novel DAMP provides a potentially useful target for improving plant resistance to Pytophthora pathogens.     

Rapid improvement of rice eating and cooking quality through gene editing toward glutelin as target

Rice eating and cooking quality(ECQ) is a major concern of breeders and consumers, determining market competitiveness worldwide. Rice grain protein content(GPC) is negatively related to ECQ,making it possible to improve ECQ by manipulating GPC. However, GPC is genetically complex and sensitive to environmental conditions; therefore, little progress has been made in traditional breeding for ECQ. Here, we report that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of genes encoding the grain storage protein gluteli...     

覆膜对土壤-莴苣体系氮素分布和植物吸收的影响

覆膜种植作为全球广泛采用的农作物栽培方式,能改变土壤的水热生态效应,并影响元素的赋存状态。本文采用野外栽培实验,研究了覆膜对土壤—莴苣体系中氮素分布和植物吸收的规律。相比于不覆膜方式,覆膜对土壤含水率、pH值及脲酶活性的影响不明显,但减少了6.0%的土壤有机质、10.4%的硝态氮和1.3%的全氮含量,增加了6.5%的土壤铵态氮。单因素方差分析表明,土壤有机质及全氮含量的组间差异达到了显著性水平。覆膜方式下,氮素生理群落微生物中反硝化细菌占生理群落总数的77.8%—96.2%,氨化细菌、亚硝化细菌及硝化细菌各占1.8%—16.5%、0.6%—5.1%和0.4%—2.8%。与不覆膜相比,覆膜使氨化细菌平均值减少了28.2%,亚硝化、硝化及反硝化细菌平均值分别增加了119.8%、26.7%和48.7%。莴苣植株中的全氮含量变化规律为叶片>茎部>根部。覆膜使根部全氮含量降低了2.8% ,茎部与叶部则分别增加了10.5%和6.8%。覆膜使莴苣根部全氮的富集系数平均值降低了1.5%,迁移系数TF1（莴苣茎部和根部全氮的比值）和TF2（莴苣叶部和根部全氮的比值）平均值分别提高了12.5%和9.5%,影响较小。相关性分析表明,有机质与土壤全氮呈显著正相关（P < 0.05）,而脲酶、铵态氮及无机氮三者与亚硝化细菌均呈显著负相关（P < 0.05）。     

LGR5 regulates osteogenic differentiation of human thoracic ligamentum flavum cells by Wnt signalling pathway

Thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (TOLF) is ectopic ossification of the spinal ligaments. Histologically, the development of TOLF can be described as the process of endochondral ossification. However, the underlying aetiology has not been completely clarified. In this investigation, the gene expression profile associated with leucine‐rich repeat‐containing G‐protein‐coupled receptors (LGR) and Wnt signalling pathway in the thoracic ligamentum flavum cells (TLFCs) of different ossification stages was analysed via RNA sequencing. We further confirmed the significant differences in the related gene expression profile by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. LGR5 was first identified in primary human TLFCs during osteogenic differentiation. To evaluate the effect of LGR5 on osteogenic differentiation, LGR5 has been knocked down and overexpressed in human TLFCs. We observed that the knockdown of LGR5 inhibited the activity of Wnt signalling and attenuated the potential osteogenic differentiation of TLFCs, while overexpression of LGR5 activated the Wnt signalling pathway and increased osteogenic differentiation. Our results provide important evidence for the potent positive mediatory effects of LGR5 on osteogenesis by enhancing the Wnt signalling pathway in TOLF.