Resolving Cell Fate Decisions during Somatic Cell Reprogramming by Single-Cell RNA-Seq

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Zearalenone can relieve dextran sulfate sodium‐induced inflammatory reaction

In this study, we investigated the influence of zearalenone (ZEA) on the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis model both in vitro and in vivo. Our results show that the mRNA levels of IL‐1β, IL‐18, NLRP3, ASC, and caspase‐1 in the DSS+ZEA‐treated group are lower than those in either the DSS or ZEA group, and the protein expression trends are similar. Furthermore, colitis, which is characterized by body weight loss, stool consistency, and the presence of bloody feces, was significantly alleviated in the DSS+ZEA group when compared with that in the DSS group. In addition, histological analysis showed that inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue damage of the colon in the DSS+ZEA group were recovered compared with that in the DSS‐treated group. These results suggest that, instead of aggravating DSS‐induced colitis, ZEA relieves the inflammatory reaction in colon tissue, which may be related to its estrogenic activity.     

Microbial production of O-methylated flavanones from methylated phenylpropanoic acids in engineered Escherichia coli

Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology - Methylated flavonoids possess improved bioactivities compared to their unmethylated counterparts. In this study, for the efficient...     

The influential factor of narcolepsy on quality of life: compared to obstructive sleep apnea with somnolence or insomnia

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - Narcoleptics tend to have a low quality of life (QoL). Few studies have compared QoL in narcolepsy against other sleep disorders. The purpose of this study was to...     

The Verticillium dahliae Sho1-MAPK pathway regulates melanin biosynthesis and is required for cotton infection

Verticillium dahliae is a soil-borne fungus that causes vascular wilt on numerous plants worldwide. The fungus survives in the soil for up to 14 years by producing melanized microsclerotia. The protective function of melanin in abiotic stresses is well documented. Here, we found that the V. dahliae tetraspan transmembrane protein VdSho1, a homolog of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sho1, acts as an osmosensor, and is required for plant penetration and melanin biosynthesis. The deletion mutant ΔSho1 was incubated on a cellophane membrane substrate that mimics the plant epidermis, revealing that the penetration of ΔSho1 strain was reduced compared to the wild-type strain. Furthermore, VdSho1 regulates melanin biosynthesis by a signalling mechanism requiring a kinase-kinase signalling module of Vst50-Vst11-Vst7. Strains, ΔVst50, ΔVst7 and ΔVst11 also displayed defective penetration and melanin production like the ΔSho1 strain. Defects in penetration and melanin production in ΔSho1 were restored by overexpression of Vst50, suggesting that Vst50 lies downstream of VdSho1 in the regulatory pathway governing penetration and melanin biosynthesis. Data analyses revealed that the transmembrane portion of VdSho1 was essential for both membrane penetration and melanin production. This study demonstrates that Vst50-Vst11-Vst7 module regulates VdSho1-mediated plant penetration and melanin production in V. dahliae, contributing to virulence.     

Reactive oxygen species‐mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress response induces apoptosis of Mycobacterium avium‐infected macrophages by activating regulated IRE1‐dependent decay pathway

Mycobacterium avium, a slow‐growing nontuberculous mycobacterium, causes fever, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, and weight loss in immunocompromised people. We have proposed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‐mediated apoptosis plays a critical role in removing intracellular mycobacteria. In the present study, we investigated the role of the regulated IRE1‐dependent decay (RIDD) pathway in macrophages during M. avium infection based on its role in the regulation of gene expression. The inositol‐requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1)/apoptosis signal‐regulating kinase 1 (ASK1)/c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) signalling pathway was activated in macrophages after infection with M. avium. The expression of RIDD‐associated genes, such as Bloc1s1 and St3gal5, was decreased in M. avium‐infected macrophages. Interestingly, M. avium‐induced apoptosis was significantly suppressed by pretreatment with irestatin (inhibitor of IRE1α) and 4μ8c (RIDD blocker). Macrophages pretreated with N‐acetyl cysteine (NAC) showed decreased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), IRE1α, and apoptosis after M. avium infection. The expression of Bloc1s1 and St3gal5 was increased in NAC‐pretreated macrophages following infection with M. avium. Growth of M. avium was significantly increased in irestatin‐, 4μ8c‐, and NAC‐treated macrophages compared with the control. The data indicate that the ROS‐mediated ER stress response induces apoptosis of M. avium‐infected macrophages by activating IRE1α‐RIDD. Thus, activation of IRE1α suppresses the intracellular survival of M. avium in macrophages.     

The Gossypium hirsutum TIR-NBS-LRR gene GhDSC1 mediates resistance against Verticillium wilt

Improving genetic resistance is a preferred method to manage Verticillium wilt of cotton and other hosts. Identifying host resistance is difficult because of the dearth of resistance genes against this pathogen. Previously, a novel candidate gene involved in Verticillium wilt resistance was identified by a genome-wide association study using a panel of Gossypium hirsutum accessions. In this study, we cloned the candidate resistance gene from cotton that encodes a protein sharing homology with the TIR-NBS-LRR receptor-like defence protein DSC1 in Arabidopsis thaliana (hereafter named GhDSC1). GhDSC1 expressed at higher levels in response to Verticillium wilt and jasmonic acid (JA) treatment in resistant cotton cultivars as compared to susceptible cultivars and its product was localized to nucleus. The transfer of GhDSC1 to Arabidopsis conferred Verticillium resistance in an A. thaliana dsc1 mutant. This resistance response was associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and increased expression of JA-signalling-related genes. Furthermore, the expression of GhDSC1 in response to Verticillium wilt and JA signalling in A. thaliana displayed expression patterns similar to GhCAMTA3 in cotton under identical conditions, suggesting a coordinated DSC1 and CAMTA3 response in A. thaliana to Verticillium wilt. Analyses of GhDSC1 sequence polymorphism revealed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) difference between resistant and susceptible cotton accessions, within the P-loop motif encoded by GhDSC1. This SNP difference causes ineffective activation of defence response in susceptible cultivars. These results demonstrated that GhDSC1 confers Verticillium resistance in the model plant system of A. thaliana, and therefore represents a suitable candidate for the genetic engineering of Verticillium wilt resistance in cotton.     

A barley stripe mosaic virus-based guide RNA delivery system for targeted mutagenesis in wheat and maize

Plant RNA virus-based guide RNA (gRNA) delivery has substantial advantages compared to that of the conventional constitutive promoter-driven expression due to the rapid and robust amplification of gRNAs during virus replication and movement. To date, virus-induced genome editing tools have not been developed for wheat and maize. In this study, we engineered a barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV)-based gRNA delivery system for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9-mediated targeted mutagenesis in wheat and maize. BSMV-based delivery of single gRNAs for targeted mutagenesis was first validated in Nicotiana benthamiana. To extend this work, we transformed wheat and maize with the Cas9 nuclease gene and selected the wheat TaGASR7 and maize ZmTMS5 genes as targets to assess the feasibility and efficiency of BSMV-mediated mutagenesis. Positive targeted mutagenesis of the TaGASR7 and ZmTMS5 genes was achieved for wheat and maize with efficiencies of up to 78% and 48%. Our results provide a useful tool for fast and efficient delivery of gRNAs into economically important crops.     

油菜秸秆还田对水稻根系、分蘖和产量的影响

采用田间试验与栽培模拟试验相结合的方法,分析了油菜秸秆还田对水稻根系、分蘖和产量的影响.结果表明: 水稻移栽后0～36 d,与秸秆不还田处理相比,油菜秸秆还田处理下水稻分蘖减少1～2个,根系单株伤流量降低1.0～8.6 mg,根系谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)、谷丙转氨酶(GPT)和谷草转氨酶(GOT) 活性分别降低0.10～6.11、0.06～0.31和0.52～0.84 μmol·g^-1·h^-1. 水稻移栽后56 d,与秸秆不还田处理相比,油菜秸秆翻埋还田处理下水稻根系单株伤流量增加3.4～11.7 mg,根系GS、GPT和GOT活性分别增加0.34～0.78、0.13～0.45和0.18～0.20 μmol·g^-1·h^-1;油菜秸秆覆盖还田处理下水稻根系单株伤流量降低19～25 mg,根系GS、GPT和GOT活性分别增加0.16～0.34、0.08～0.21和0.06～0.32 μmol·g^-1·h^-1.油菜秸秆还田处理中,全量还田处理下的水稻产量最高,其中,与全量覆盖还田相比,全量翻埋还田处理下的水稻产量增加0.13～0.48 t·hm^-2.可见,油菜秸秆还田会导致水稻生长前期根系活力下降、氮代谢酶活性降低,从而使水稻根系生长缓慢、返青延迟,但在中后期,随着根系活力和氮代谢酶活性的增强,秸秆还田会促进水稻根系生长;油菜秸秆还田对水稻产量的影响是多因素综合作用的结果,全量翻埋还田更适宜于四川油稻两熟轮作系统.     

掺混氮肥配施抑制剂对土壤氮库的调控作用

采用冬小麦盆栽试验,探讨掺混氮肥(缓释肥N∶普通尿素N=1∶1)配施氮肥抑制剂NAM对冬小麦土壤铵态氮、硝态氮、微生物生物量氮和固定态铵含量及小麦产量、氮肥利用率的影响,分析不同处理土壤矿质氮库、微生物生物量氮库和固定态铵库的动态变化特征.试验共设6个处理,不施氮肥(CK)、普通尿素(U)、掺混氮肥(MU)、MU+2.5‰NAM(MUN₁)、MU+5‰NAM(MUN₂)和MU+7.5‰NAM(MUN₃).结果表明:与MU处理相比,MUN₂和MUN₃处理推迟了NH₄⁺-N峰值出现的时间;小麦整个生长季,添加NAM处理的土壤矿质氮平均含量比MU处理下降了5.3%～11.7%;分蘖期至抽穗期,MU处理的微生物生物量氮矿化量和矿化率分别为38.96 mg·kg^-1和91.5%,均高于U处理,而MUN₁、MUN₂和MUN₃处理分别为58.73 mg·kg^-1和83.3%、94.20 mg·kg^-1和94.6%、104.46 mg·kg^-1和96.3%,添加NAM处理固定态铵的释放量比MU处理提高了2.83~9.19 mg·kg^-1.通径分析结果显示,与MU处理相比,添加NAM减弱了土壤NH₄⁺-N库对NO₃^--N库的直接影响,增强了固定态铵库通过影响NH₄⁺-N库对NO₃^--N库的间接作用.同时,MUN₁、MUN₂和MUN₃处理的小麦籽粒产量较MU处理分别提高了31.6%、21.5%和22.9%,氮肥利用率分别提高了8.1%、13.5%和3.1%.综上,配施NAM通过对氮素释放及在土壤中转化的双重调控,延迟土壤NH₄⁺-N峰值出现的时间及后续向NO₃^--N的转化,提高微生物生物量氮和固定态铵的供氮作用,从而提高了作物产量和氮肥利用率.