Identification of circRNA and mRNA expression profiles and functional networks of vascular tissue in lipopolysaccharide‐induced sepsis

Sepsis is the most common cause of death in intensive care units. This study investigated the circular RNA (circRNA) and mRNA expression profiles and functional networks of the aortic tissue in sepsis. We established a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced rat sepsis model. High‐throughput sequencing was performed on the aorta tissue to identify differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs and mRNAs, which were validated by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR). Bioinformatic analysis was carried out and coding and non‐coding co‐expression (CNC) and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks were constructed to investigate the mechanisms. In total, 373 up‐regulated and 428 down‐regulated circRNAs and 2063 up‐regulated and 2903 down‐regulated mRNAs were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of mRNAs showed that the down‐regulated genes were mainly enriched in the process of energy generation. CNC and ceRNA regulatory networks were constructed with seven DE circRNAs. The results of functional enrichment analysis of CNC target genes revealed the important role of circRNAs in inflammatory response. The ceRNA network also highlighted the significant enrichment in calcium signalling pathway. Significant alterations in circRNAs and mRNAs were observed in the aortic tissue of septic rats. In addition, CNC and ceRNA networks were established.     

Caesalpanins A–C,Three Dimeric Cassane Diterpenoids from the Seeds of Caesalpinia sappan L.

Three dimeric cassane diterpenoids, caesalpanins A–C, were isolated from the seeds of Caesalpinia sappan L., as well as three known compounds. Their structures were determined via analysis of 1D‐, 2D‐NMR, and HR‐ESI‐MS data. Caesalpanins A and B were the second and third compounds that presented a nitrogen‐containing cassane diterpenoid dimer linked through one ether bond between C‐19 and C‐20′. Caesalpanin B exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity against MCF‐7 cell lines with IC₅₀ value of 29.98 μm . Caesalpanins A and B had weak inhibitory effects against LPS‐induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages at 50 μm with inhibitory rate of 36.01 % and 32.93 %, respectively.     

Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals: Room Temperature Syntheses toward Commercial Viability

In this progress report, recent improvements to the room temperaturesyntheses of lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (APbX₃, X = Cl, Br, I) are assessed, focusing on various aspects which influence the commercial viability of the technology. Perovskite nanocrystals can be prepared easily from low‐cost precursors under ambient conditions, yet they have displayed near‐unity photoluminescence quantum yield with narrow, highly tunable emission peaks. In addition to their impressive ambipolar charge carrier mobilities, these properties make lead halide perovskite nanocrystals very attractive for light‐emitting diode (LED) applications. However, there are still many practical hurdles preventing commercialization. Recent developments in room temperature synthesis and purification protocols are reviewed, closely evaluating the suitability of particular techniques for industry. This is followed by an assessment of the wide range of ligands deployed on perovskite nanocrystal surfaces, analyzing their impact on colloidal stability, as well as LED efficiency. Based on these observations, a perspective on important future research directions that can expedite the industrial adoption of perovskite nanocrystals is provided.     

Human Monoclonal Antibodies: On the Menu of Targeted Therapeutics Against COVID-19

Virologica Sinica - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), reminiscent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, has been a tragic disaster to people all over the world. As...     

Phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of the unique Saxifraga sect. Irregulares (Saxifragaceae) from eastern Asia

Saxifraga L. is the largest genus in Saxifragaceae and a characteristic component of the herbaceous flora of the temperate and alpine mountains in the Northern Hemisphere. Section Irregulares is a small group of 15–20 species, representing one of the early‐diverged lineages in the genus characterized with unique zygomorphic flowers. We used both nuclear internal transcribed spacer and chloroplast DNA regions (psbA‐trnH, trnL‐F, and matK) to reconstruct its species relationships, estimate divergence times, and infer its historical biogeography. Our phylogenetic results corroborate the monophyly of sect. Irregulares and its sister relationship to sect. Heterisia from North America. The section was well resolved into two lineages corresponding to their morphological features and biogeographic distributions. One represents ser. Stoloniferae including S. stolonifera Curtis and S. nipponica Makino with long‐creeping stolons/rhizomes and small petals with spots and the other comprises the remaining taxa (ser. Rufescentes) which lack long‐creeping rhizomes. Spots on leaves (abaxially spotted vs. abaxially without spots) and spots on petals (without spots vs. with spots) are inferred to be phylogenetically informative within ser. Rufescentes. Divergence time estimates and ancestral area analysis suggested a western North American origin of sect. Irregulares with migration into East Asia by way of the Bering land bridge in the Middle Oligocene. The development of drying and desertification belt in the late Miocene could have played an important role in the subsequent restriction and separation of the north and south lineages within eastern Asia.     

Examining differences in phylogenetic composition enhances understanding of the phylogenetic structure of the shrub community in the northeastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Periodic climatic oscillations and species dispersal during the postglacial period are two important causes of plant assemblage and distribution on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP). To improve our understanding of the bio‐geological histories of shrub communities on the QTP, we tested two hypotheses. First, the intensity of climatic oscillations played a filtering role during community structuring. Second, species dispersal during the postglacial period contributed to the recovery of species and phylogenetic diversity and the emergence of phylogenetic overdispersion. To test these hypotheses, we investigated and compared the shrub communities in the alpine and desert habitats of the northeastern QTP. Notably, we observed higher levels of species and phylogenetic diversity in the alpine habitat than in the desert habitat, leading to phylogenetic overdispersion in the alpine shrub communities versus phylogenetic clustering in the desert shrub communities. This phylogenetic overdispersion increased with greater climate anomalies. These results suggest that (a) although climate anomalies strongly affect shrub communities, these phenomena do not act as a filter for shrub community structuring, and (b) species dispersal increases phylogenetic diversity and overdispersion in a community. Moreover, our investigation of the phylogenetic community composition revealed a larger number of plant clades in the alpine shrub communities than in the desert shrub communities, which provided insights into plant clade‐level differences in the phylogenetic structures of alpine and desert shrub communities in the northeastern QTP.     

Interplay between formation of photosynthetic complexes and expression of genes for iron–sulfur cluster assembly in Rhodobacter sphaeroides?

Photosynthesis Research - Formation of photosynthetic complexes leads to a higher demand for Fe–S clusters. We hypothesized that in the facultative phototrophic alpha-proteobacterium...