A Cu-only superoxide dismutase from stripe rust fungi functions as a virulence factor deployed for counter defense against host-derived oxidative stress

Plants quickly accumulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to resist against pathogen invasion, while pathogens strive to escape host immune surveillance by degrading ROS. However, the nature of the strategies that fungal pathogens adopt to counteract host-derived oxidative stress is manifold and requires deep investigation. In this study, a superoxide dismutase (SOD) from Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) PsSOD2 with a signal peptide (SP) and the glycophosphatidyl inositol (GPI) anchor, strongly induced during infection, was analysed for its biological characteristics and potential role in wheat–Pst interactions. The results showed that PsSOD2 encodes a Cu-only SOD and responded to ROS treatment. Heterologous complementation assays in Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggest that the SP of PsSOD2 is functional for its secretion. Transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves revealed that PsSOD2 is localized to the plasma membrane. In addition, knockdown of PsSOD2 by host-induced gene silencing reduced Pst virulence and resulted in restricted hyphal development and increased ROS accumulation. In contrast, heterologous transient assays of PsSOD2 suppressed flg22-elicited ROS production. Taken together, our data indicate that PsSOD2, as a virulence factor, was induced and localized to the plasma membrane where it may function to scavenge host-derived ROS for promoting fungal infection.     

Sequence analysis of the first B5 subgenogroup strain of enterovirus 71 isolated in Korea

Journal of Microbiology - Enterovirus A71 (EV71), the main etiological agent of handfoot- mouth disease (HFMD), circulates in many areas of the world and has caused large epidemics since 1997,...     

Changes in soil properties and resistance to concentrated flow across a 25‐year passive restoration chronosequence of grasslands on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Revegetation represents an effective measure for preventing soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. However, the effects of revegetation‐induced changes in soil and root properties on soil resistance to concentrated flow erosion (SRC) remain unclear. This study sampled soils and roots across a 25‐year chronosequence from farmland to grasslands of different ages (3, 7, 10, 18, and 25 years) to quantify variations in soil and root properties (soil bulk density, SBD; soil disintegration rate, SDR; saturated hydraulic conductivity, SHC; organic matter content, OMC; water‐stable aggregate, WSA; mean weight diameter, MWD; root mass density, RMD; root length density, RLD; and root surface area density, RSAD) and their effects on SRC. Farmland and grassland SRCs were obtained using a hydraulic flume. Soil properties and root density gradually improved with restoration time. In terms of the comprehensive soil property index calculated via principal component analysis, grassland values were 0.66 to 1.94 times greater than farmland values. Grassland SRCs increased and gradually stabilized (>18 years) over time and were 1.60 to 8.26 times greater than farmland SRC. SRC improvement was significantly related to increases in OMC, SHC, WSA, and MWD and decreases in SBD and SDR over time. SRC was effectively simulated by the Hill curve of RMD, RLD, and RSAD. SDR, SHC, and RMD (0.5–1.0 mm) affected SRC the most. This study scientifically describes how revegetation improves soil quality and soil resistance to flow erosion, and suggests that vegetations rich in 0.5–1.0 mm roots should be preferred during revegetation.     

Reversion mutation of cDNA CA8-204 minigene construct produces a truncated functional peptide that regulates calcium release in vitro and produces profound analgesia in vivo

Mammalian Genome - Intracellular calcium is critical in orchestrating neuronal excitability and analgesia. Carbonic anhydrase-8 (CA8) regulates intracellular calcium signaling through allosteric...     

基于油松树轮重建陕西省镇安县165年以来3—4月平均最高气温

采集木王国家森林公园的油松树轮样芯,建立树轮宽度标准化年表(STD),与镇安气象站的气候因子进行相关分析,利用线性回归分析重建了镇安县1853—2017年(165年)3—4月平均最高气温。结果表明: 树轮序列与3—4月平均最高气温相关性最大(r=0.596,n=60,P<0.01)。3—4月平均最高气温重建方程的方差解释量为33.2%,重建方程稳定可靠,结果可信。重建序列中偏暖年份出现25次,偏冷年份出现29次,偏暖年份较多地伴随着洪涝事件,偏冷年份较多地伴随着干旱事件。重建序列存在明显的冷暖变化,存在2个偏冷时期(1902—1917年、1953—2000年)、4个偏暖时期(1868—1892年、1917—1937年、1941—1953年、2001—2012年)。重建序列有明显的2～7、8～15、18～28、75～96、100～125年周期变化特征,其中准113、88、22年的周期变化分别为时段内的第一、第二及第三主周期,这些周期性变化可能与太阳活动、季风和厄尔尼诺-南方涛动的变化存在一定的关系。     

Antimalarial drugs impact chemical messenger secretion by blood platelets

BackgroundAdvances in antimalarial drug development are important for combating malaria. Among the currently identified antimalarial drugs, it is suggested that some interact directly with the malarial parasites while others interact indirectly with the parasites. While this approach leads to parasite elimination, little is known about how these antimalarial drugs impact immune cells that are also critical in malarial response.MethodsHerein, the effects of two common antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and quinine, on platelets were explored at both the bulk level, using high performance liquid chromatography, and the single cell level, using carbon-fiber microelectrode amperometry, to characterize any changes in chemical messenger secretion.ResultsThe data reveal that both drugs cause platelet activation and reduce the number of platelet exocytosis events as well as delay fusion pore opening and closing.ConclusionsThis work demonstrates how chloroquine and quinine quantitatively and qualitatively impact in vitro platelet function.General significanceOverall, the goal of this work is to promote understanding about how antimalarial drugs impact platelets as this may affect antimalarial drug development as well as therapeutic approaches to treat malarial infection.     

Serum biomarker discovery related to pathogenesis in acute coronary syndrome by proteomic approach

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) results from inadequate supply of blood flow from the coronary arteries to the heart or ischemia. ACS has an extremely high morbidity and mortality. The levels of biomarkers currently used for detection of ACS also increase in response to myocardial necrosis and other diseases and are not elevated immediately after symptoms appear, thus limiting their diagnostic capacity. Therefore, we aimed to discover new ACS diagnostic biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity that are specifically related to ACS pathogenesis. Sera from 50 patients with ACS and healthy controls (discovery cohort) each were analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS) to identify differentially expressed proteins, and protein candidates were evaluated as ACS biomarkers in 120 people in each group (validation cohort). α-1-acid glycoprotein 1 (AGP1), complement C5 (C5), leucine-rich α-2-glycoprotein (LRG), and vitronectin (VN) were identified as biomarkers whose levels increase and gelsolin (GSN) as a biomarker whose levels decrease in patients with ACS. We concluded that these biomarkers are associated with the pathogenesis of ACS and can predict the onset of ACS prior to the appearance of necrotic biomarkers.     

Association of myostatin deficiency with collagen related disease-umbilical hernia and tippy toe standing in pigs

Transgenic Research - Herein, we investigate the high incidence of umbilical hernia and tippy-toe standing and their underlying changes in gene expression and proliferation in myostatin knockout...     

Stable polymer bilayers for protein channel recordings at high guanidinium chloride concentrations

The use of chaotropic reagents is common in biophysical characterization of biomolecules. When the study involves transmembrane protein channels, the stability of the protein channel and supporting bilayer membrane must be considered. In this letter, we show that planar bilayers composed of poly(1,2-butadiene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer are stable and leak-free at high guanidinium chloride concentrations, in contrast to diphytanoyl phosphatidylcholine bilayers, which exhibit deleterious leakage under similar conditions. Furthermore, insertion and functional analysis of channels such as α-hemolysin and MspA are straightforward in these polymer membranes. Finally, we demonstrate that α-hemolysin channels maintain their structural integrity at 2 M guanidinium chloride concentrations using blunt DNA hairpins as molecular reporters.