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The population of Caragana tibetica, situated on the edge of the typical grassland-to-desert transition in the Mu Us Sandy Land, plays a vital ecological role in maintaining stability within the regional fragile ecosystem. Despite the consistent growth of C. tibetica following animal grazing, the biological mechanisms underlying its compensatory growth in response to livestock consumption remain unclear. Analyzing 48 metabolomic profiles from C. tibetica, our study reveals that the grazing process induces significant changes in the metabolic pathways of C. tibetica branches. Differential metabolites show correlations with soluble protein content, catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, and proline levels. Moreover, machine learning models built on these differential metabolites accurately predict the intensity of C. tibetica grazing (with an accuracy of 83.3%). The content of various metabolites, indicative of plant stress responses, including Enterolactone, Narceine, and Folcepri, exhibits significant variations in response to varying grazing intensities (P<0.05). Our investigation reveals that elevated grazing intensity intensifies the stress response in C. tibetica, triggering heightened antioxidative defenses and stress-induced biochemical activities. Distinctive metabolites play a pivotal role in responding to stress, facilitating the plant's adaptation to environmental challenges and fostering regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The biosynthesis of the secondary cell wall (SCW) is orchestrated by an intricate hierarchical transcriptional regulatory network. This network is initiated by first-layer master switches, SCW-NAC transcription factors, which in turn activate the second-layer master switches MYBs. These switches play a crucial role in regulating xylem specification and differentiation during SCW formation. However, the roles of most MYBs in woody plants are yet to be fully understood. Methods: In this study, we identified and isolated the R2R3-MYB transcription factor, PtoMYB031, from Populus tomentosa. We explored its expression, mainly in xylem tissues, and its role as a transcriptional repressor in the nucleus. We used overexpression and RNA interference techniques in poplar, along with Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays, to analyze the regulatory effects of PtoMYB031. Results: Overexpression of PtoMYB031 in poplar significantly reduced lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose content, and inhibited vascular development in stems, resulting in decreased SCW thickness in xylem tissues. Gene expression analysis showed that structural genes involved in SCW biosynthesis were downregulated in PtoMYB031-OE lines. Conversely, RNA interference of PtoMYB031 increased these compounds. Additionally, PtoMYB031 was found to recruit the repressor PtoZAT11, forming a transcriptional inhibition complex. Discussion: Our findings provide new insights into how PtoMYB031, through its interaction with PtoZAT11, forms a complex that can suppress the expression of key regulatory genes, PtoWND1A and PtoWND2B, in SCW biosynthesis. This study enhances our understanding of the transcriptional regulation involved in SCW formation in poplar, highlighting the significant role of PtoMYB031. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives] To explore the pharmacodynamic material basis of Sijicao granules for the treatment of eczema through chemical com- position-network pharmacology. [Methods] First of all, the chemical constituents of Polygonum capitatum and Plantago asiatica from Sijicao granules were collected, and the relevant target information of the constituents was collected by TCMSP, PubChem, DisGeNET, GeneCards and STRING databases. Furthermore, Cytoscape 3.8.2 software was used to construct the chemical compounds-target network map of Sijicao granules. Finally, STRING database was used for PPI protein network analysis, GO functional enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrich- ment analysis of core targets, and molecular docking between core constituents and protein targets was also performed. [Results] 30 constitu- ents, including quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, ellagic acid and gallic acid, were discovered to be the key effective compounds of Sijicao gran- ules in the treatment of eczema. And its core action protein targets were PTGS2, NOS2, AKTI, TP53, IL6, HMOX1. What's more, through GO functional enrichment analysis of biological process (BP), cell component (CC), molecular function (MF) analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, the main pathways of action of Sijicao granules for the treatment of eczema including IL-17 signaling pathway, T cell re- ceptor signaling pathway, cancer signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway and Relaxin signaling pathway. In addition, molecular docking re- sults displayed that the primary active constituents quercetin, kaempferol and luteolin were well combined with the core protein targets AKTI and IL6. [Conclusions] Sijicao granules could play an important role for the treatment of eczema through multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway and their interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pleosporales comprise a diverse group of fungi with a global distribution and significant ecological importance. A survey on Pleosporales (in Didymosphaeriaceae, Roussoellaceae and Nigrogranaceae) in Guizhou Province, China, was conducted. Specimens were identified, based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses using a dataset composed of ITS, LSU, SSU, tef1 and rpb2 loci. Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian analyses were performed. As a result, three new species (Neokalmusia karka, Nigrograna schinifolium and N. trachycarpus) have been discovered, along with two new records for China (Roussoella neopustulans and R. doimaesalongensis) and a known species (Roussoella pseudohysterioides). Morphologically similar species and phylogenetically close taxa are compared and discussed. This study provides detailed information and descriptions of all newly-identified taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the systematic evaluation of pharmacognostic identification of Polygonum capitatum. [Methods] 10 batches of P. capitatum cultivated in Guizhou were chosen for plant samples. Macroscopical identification was conducted on plant roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits. The P. capitatum powder was processed for physical and chemical distinction by FeCl3 chromogenic reaction, hydrochloric acid magnesium powder reaction, A1C13 color development reaction and thin-layer chromatography. Microscope identification was carried out on the powder. Plant genome DNeasy Plant Kit was adopted for DNA molecular marker identification. [Results] The results showed that the stem of P. capitatum was tufted, the leaves were oval, 2 to 5 cm long, and 1 to 2 cm wide; the leaf apex was acute and cuneate at the base, the inflorescence was capitate, paired or solitary; the raceme was erect and nearly spherical, and the perianth was light red. Furthermore, for the chromogenic reaction of FeCl3 ethanol extract of P. capitatum, appeared blue and turned to dark blue after long time storing at room temperature. For the reaction of hydrochloric acid magnesium powder, the alcohol extract of P. capitatum, exhibited deep red. In the color reaction of A1C1, the alcohol extract revealed yellow fluorescence under 360 nm UV lamp. Microscope identification of the powder displayed pollen grains, crystal sheath fibers, cellulose, vessels, starch grains, cork cells, and other characteristic fragments. In addition, DNA barcoding electrophoresis results showed that P. capitatum showed a clear and bright single band near 500 bp, and further sequencing results showed that the sequence differences were mainly concentrated in 1TS1 and 1TS2 region. [Conclusions] Systematic evaluation for the identification of P. capitatum is established, which combines with macroscopic identification, physicochemical identification, powder microscope identification, and DNA molecular identification. Finally, the original medicinal material is identified as P. capitatum Buch. -Ham. ex D. Don. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, wearable, self-powered, active human motion sensors have attracted a great deal of attention for biomechanics, physiology, kinesiology, and entertainment. Although some progress has been achieved, new types of stretchable and wearable devices are urgently required to promote the practical application. In this article, targeted at self-powered active human motion sensing, a stretchable, flexible, and wearable triboelectric nanogenerator based on kinesio tapes (KT-TENG) haven been designed and investigated systematically. The device can effectively work during stretching or bending. Both the short-circuit transferred charge and open-circuit voltage exhibit an excellent linear relationship with the stretched displacements and bending angles, enabling its application as a wearable self-powered sensor for real-time human motion monitoring, like knee joint bending and human gestures. Moreover, the KT-TENG shows good stability and durability for long-term operation. Compared with the previous works, the KT-TENG without a macro-scale air gap inside, or stretchable triboelectric layers, possesses various advantages, such as simple fabrication, compact structure, superior flexibility and stability, excellent conformable contact with skin, and wide-range selection of triboelectric materials. This work provides a new prospect for a wearable, self-powered, active human motion sensor and has numerous potential applications in the fields of healthcare monitoring, human-machine interfacing, and prosthesis developing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rho GTPases Cdc42, Rac1, and Rac2 coordinate receptor signaling to cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Deletion of Rac1 and Rac2 early during B cell development leads to failure in B cell entry into the splenic white pulp. Here, we sought to understand the role of Rac1 and Rac2 in B cell functionality and during the humoral antibody response. To circumvent the migratory deficiency of B cells lacking both Rac1 and Rac2, we took the approach to inducibly delete Rac1 in Rac2-/- B cells in the spleen (Rac1BRac2-/- B cells). Rac1BRac2-/- mice had normal differentiation of splenic B cell populations, except for a reduction in marginal zone B cells. Rac1BRac2-/- B cells showed normal spreading response on antibody-coated layers, while both Rac2-/- and Rac1BRac2-/- B cells had reduced homotypic adhesion and decreased proliferative response when compared to wild-type B cells. Upon challenge with the T-cell-independent antigen TNP-conjugated lipopolysaccharide, Rac1BRac2-/- mice showed reduced antibody response. In contrast, in response to the T-cell-dependent antigen sheep red blood cells, Rac1BRac2-/- mice had increased serum titers of IgG1 and IgG2b. During in vitro Ig class switching, Rac1BRac2-/- B cells had elevated germline γ2b transcripts leading to increased Ig class switching to IgG2b. Our data suggest that Rac1 and Rac2 serve an important role in regulation of the B cell humoral immune response and in suppressing Ig class switching to IgG2b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] The aim was to determine the optimum process for the extraction of volatile oil from Alpinia zerumbet fruit. [Methods] Steam distiilation was used to extract volatile oil from A. zerumbet fruit. Based on the single factor tests, an orthogonal test was designed to explore the effects of solid-liquid ratio, soaking time, extraction time and grinding degree of material on the extraction rate. The composition of volatile oil from A. zerumbet fruit was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the relative mass fraction of each component was determined by peak area normalization. [Results] With volatile oil yield as the index, the optimum extraction process was determined: solid to liquid ratio of 1:10, soaking time of 0.5 h, grinding degree of passing through 24-mesh sieve and extraction time of 5 h. A total of 29 compounds were isolated. Among them, the contents of a-terpinene (24. 894%), 1, 8-terpadiene (15.527%) and α-pinene (6. 982%) were relatively high. [Conclusions] The optimized extraction process for volatile oil from A. zerumbet fruit is stable and reasonable. Under the optimum extraction process, the extraction effect of volatile oil from A. zerumbet fruit was the best. The chemical components of volatile oil from A. zerumbet fruit were determined by GC-MS as α-terpinene (24. 894%), 1, 8-terpadiene (15.527%) and α-pinene (6.982%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is widely used as a bioengineering platform for producing industrial and biopharmaceutical proteins, studying protein expression and secretion mechanisms, and analyzing metabolite synthesis and peroxisome biogenesis. With the development of DNA microarray and mRNA sequence technology, the P. pastoris transcriptome has become a research hotspot due to its powerful capability to identify the transcript structures and gain insights into the transcriptional regulation model of cells under protein production conditions. The study of the P. pastoris transcriptome helps to annotate the P. pastoris transcript structures and provide useful information for further improvement of the production of recombinant proteins. Results: We used a massively parallel mRNA sequencing platform (RNA-Seq), based on next-generation sequencing technology, to map and quantify the dynamic transcriptome of P. pastoris at the genome scale under growth conditions with glycerol and methanol as substrates. The results describe the transcription landscape at the whole-genome level and provide annotated transcript structures, including untranslated regions (UTRs), alternative splicing (AS) events, novel transcripts, new exons, alternative upstream initiation codons (uATGs), and upstream open reading frames (uORFs). Internal ribosome entry sites (IRESes) were first identified within the UTRs of genes from P. pastoris, encoding kinases and the proteins involved in the control of growth. We also provide a transcriptional regulation model for P. pastoris grown on different carbon sources. Conclusions: We suggest that the IRES-dependent translation initiation mechanism also exists in P. pastoris. Retained introns (RIs) are determined as the main AS event and are produced predominantly by an intron definition (ID) mechanism. Our results describe the metabolic characteristics of P. pastoris with heterologous protein production under methanol induction and provide rich information for further in-depth studies of P. pastoris protein expression and secretion mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the most common type of bladder cancer. Here we sequenced the exomes of nine individuals with TCC and screened all the somatically mutated genes in a prevalence set of 88 additional individuals with TCC with different tumor stages and grades. In our study, we discovered a variety of genes previously unknown to be mutated in TCC. Notably, we identified genetic aberrations of the chromatin remodeling genes (UTX, MLL-MLL3, CREBBP-EP300, NCOR1, ARID1A and CHD6) in 59% of our 97 subjects with TCC. Of these genes, we showed UTX to be altered substantially more frequently in tumors of low stages and grades, highlighting its potential role in the classification and diagnosis of bladder cancer. Our results provide an overview of the genetic basis of TCC and suggest that aberration of chromatin regulation might be a hallmark of bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report on a flexible thermoelectric nanogenerator (NG) based on the MoS2/graphene nanocomposite. The nanocomposite thermoelectric nanogenerator shows enhanced thermoelectric performance, compared with that based solely on MoS2 nanomaterials, which may be due to the enhanced electrical conductivity resulting from the graphene acting as a charge transfer channel in the composites. The NG can be further applied as a self-powered sensor for temperature measurement. This work indicates that the MoS2/graphene nanocomposite is a promising thermoelectric material for harvesting environmental thermal energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]