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Botrytis cinerea infection can be very devastating for tomato production, as it can result in a large-scale reduction in tomato fruit production and fruit quality after harvest. Thus, it negatively affects tomato yield and quality. In this study, a biocontrol bacteria CQ-4 was isolated and screened from the rhizosphere soil of tomato plants. Morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed that it belongs to the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which has a strong antagonistic effect against Botrytis cinerea. In addition, the bacterium’s antibacterial spectrum is relatively extensive, and antagonistic tests have shown that it also has varying degrees of inhibition on other 12 plant diseases. The growth promotion test showed that the strain has a clear promotion effect on tomato seed germination and seedling growth. The growth-promoting effect on plant height, stem thickness, dry and fresh weight and main root length of tomato seedlings was significantly improved after the seeds were soaked in a bacterial solution of 2.5 × 108 cfu mL−1 concentration. This did not only maintain the nutritional quality of tomato fruits, but also prevents them from rotting. In vitro and pot experiments showed that the strain CQ-4 can effectively control tomato gray mold, and the control effects on tomato leaves and fruits reached 74.4% and 66.0%, respectively. Strain CQ-4 induce plants to up-regulate the activities of four disease-resistant defense enzymes. The peak enzymatic activities of Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) were increased by 35.6%, 37.6%, 46.1%, and 38.4%, respectively, as compared with the control group. This study found that the strain can solubilize phosphorus, fix nitrogen, and produce cellulase, protease, ferrophilin, and other antibacterial metabolites, but it does not produce chitinase, glucanase, and HCN (hydrocyanic acid). This research screened out an excellent Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain that can stably and effectively control tomato gray mold, and it provided theoretical basis for further development and the application of biological agents.

The Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) threatens global public health and economy. Therapeutic options such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 are in urgent need. We have identified potent monoclonal antibodies binding to SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein from COVID-19 convalescent patients and one of these antibodies, P4A1, interacts directly and covers the majority of the Receptor Binding Motif (RBM) of Spike receptor-binding domain (RBD), shown by high-resolution complex structure analysis. We further demonstrated P4A1 binding and neutralizing activities against wild type and mutant spike proteins. P4A1 was subsequently engineered to reduce the potential risk for antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of infection and to extend its half-life. The engineered mAb exhibits optimized pharmacokinetic and safety profile, and results in complete viral clearance in a rhesus monkey model of COVID-19 following a single injection.

Summary Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) play critical roles in the nuclear export, splicing, and sensing of RNA. However, the role of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A/B (hnRNPAB) is poorly understood. In this study, we report that hnRNPAB cooperates with nucleoprotein (NP) to restrict viral mRNA nuclear export via inhibiting viral mRNA binding to ALY and NXF1. HnRNPAB restricts mRNA transfer from ALY to NXF1, inhibiting the mRNA nuclear export. Moreover, when cells are invaded by influenza A virus, NP interacts with hnRNPAB and interrupts the ALY-UAP56 interaction, leading to repression of ALY-viral mRNA binding, and then inhibits the viral mRNA binding to NXF1, leading to nuclear stimulation of viral mRNA. Collectively, these observations provide a new role of hnRNPAB to act as an mRNA nuclear retention factor, which is also effective for viral mRNA of influenza A virus, and NP cooperates with hnRNPAB to further restrict the viral mRNA nuclear export., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • HnRNPAB inhibits influenza A virus replication by repressing viral mRNA nuclear export • HnRNPAB interrupts viral mRNA transferring from ALY to NXF1 • NP cooperates with hnRNPAB to further restrict viral mRNA nuclear export • The ALY-viral mRNA binding is restricted by NP-hnRNPAB complex, Molecular Biology; Virology

Although some studies have been conducted on the effects of foreign protein expression on rice, the results vary with foreign gene types and protein expression. This study reveals the effects of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) expression on mature rice seeds in various aspects. Results revealed that the grain weight of the transgene rice was lower than that of non-transgenic wild-type. The sucrose content and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) activity in transgenic FGF21 rice were higher than that in non-transgenic wild-type rice, while changes in the starch content, starch branching enzyme (SBE), sucrose synthase (SuS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activity were lower in transgenic FGF21 rice compared to non-transgenic wild-type. The scanning electron microscope results revealed that mature seeds of the transgenic FGF21 rice contained fewer vascular bundles with irregular arrangement compared to the wild-type. The mature seeds of CK and T1 rice lines were collected for proteome analysis, and 167 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were found. In addition, the most enriched pathways in both rice lines were determined to be amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism and starch and sucrose metabolism, etc. This study laid the foundation for revealing the effects of exogenous protein expression on rice bioreactors.

M2 protein, a highly conserved protein of influenza A virus (IAV), plays an important role in virus particle uncoating, assembly, and budding. In the present study, eight monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the M2 protein of the H3N2 IAV strain were generated with recombinant truncated M2 protein or BSA-coupled M2 peptides as immunogens. The linear epitopes recognized by the mAbs were defined by IFA and peptide ELISA. The results showed that mAb 10F4 recognized an epitope located in the N-terminal 6-12 amino acids of the M2 peptide, and the mAbs 10D9, 1E2, 4B5, and 5G10 recognized the epitopes located in the C-terminal 62-77 amino acids of the M2 peptide. Importantly, mAb 10D9 recognized the M2 protein of H1-H13 IAV subtypes, which stained M2 protein located on the membrane of host cells and could be applied in immunoprecipitation and immunohistochemistry assays. The mAb 10D9 which recognizes the universal M2 epitope of IAVs will be a useful tool for studies on the function of IAV M2 protein and for the development of vaccines or detection methods for IAV infection.

Monoclonal antibodies targeting immune checkpoints have demonstrated clinical success in a range of tumor types; however sustained responses are achieved in a fraction of patients due to primary or secondary resistance to treatment. Recent evidence has implicated the pleiotropic immunosuppressive modulator Galactoside-binding lectin Galectin 9 (Gal-9) as a key factor in the tumor microenvironment that renders tumors resistant to current chemo and immunotherapies. High Gal-9 expression has been reported in different types of cancer, including hematological malignancies such as AML and ALL, and multiple solid tumors. Previously, we have described the characterization of an anti-human Gal-9 antibody, HFB9-2, with sub-nanomolar affinity for human, murine and cynomolgous Gal-9. HFB9-2 blocks the interaction of Gal-9 with its receptors TIM3 and CD44, leading to inhibition of Gal-9 mediated Th1 cell apoptosis and regulatory T cell expansion. HFB9-2 demonstrated significant anti-tumor efficacy and increased survival in a WEHI-164 syngeneic model as a single agent and in combination with anti-PD1 antibody. HFB9-2 is well tolerated in cynomolgous monkeys after administered by intravenous infusion as a single dose of 10, 50, 200 mg/kg, with no adverse effects and a NOAEL of 200 mg/kg. HFB9-2 developability profile assessment does not anticipate any stability and manufacturing issues. We hypothesize that targeting Gal-9 represents a valuable strategy to reduce immunosuppression and improve clinical response in selected cancer patients, in particular AML. Gal-9 has been reported to play a dual role in AML as both a self-renewal factor for leukemic stem cells and a suppressor of anti-cancer immunity. Analysis of AML patient serum samples demonstrated that Gal-9 expression was significantly higher than in healthy controls and that dropped at complete remission. Higher levels of Gal-9 were found in French-America-British (FAB) type M4 and M5 AML samples, and the lowest levels were observed in M3. To better understand the role for Gal-9 in the development of AML, we implanted primary human AML cells from different donors in M-NSG mice (NOD-Prkdcscid Il2rgem1). We demonstrate that the engraftment of primary human AML cells in these mice resulted in high levels of human Gal-9 in their serum that were detectable 2 weeks after intravenous implantation. The serum levels of Gal-9 increased over time following the increase of hCD45+ AML cells. Further analysis to evaluate the effect of Gal-9 neutralization in AML progression after primary and secondary engraftment with HFB9-2 are currently ongoing. The data presented here provide evidence that neutralization of Gal-9 with HFB9-2 blocks key immunosuppressive mechanisms known to favor cancer progression and to limit the efficacy of current immunotherapies, and together with the data obtained in AML patient samples position Gal-9 neutralization as a promising anticancer approach. Citation Format: Germain Margall, Muriel David, Julie Prigent, Dean Lee, Wenhua Xu, Joyce Pi, Xing Cai, He Zhou, Andreas Raue, Nicola Beltraminelli, Mingjie Chen, Jia Wu, Mingfang Feng, Angelo Paci, Julia Delahousse, Véronique Saada, Stéphane de Botton, Pierre Busson, Stephanie Beq, Francisco Adrian, Liang Schweizer, Yun-Yueh Lu. HFB9-2, a novel Galectin 9 neutralizing antibody for the treatment of AML and other cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1884.

ObjectivesTo develop a model of in-hospital mortality using medical record front page (MRFP) data and assess its validity in case-mix standardisation by comparison with a model developed using the complete medical record data.DesignA nationally representative retrospective study.SettingRepresentative hospitals in China, covering 161 hospitals in modelling cohort and 156 hospitals in validation cohort.ParticipantsRepresentative patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction. 8370 patients in modelling cohort and 9704 patients in validation cohort.Primary outcome measuresIn-hospital mortality, which was defined explicitly as death that occurred during hospitalisation, and the hospital-level risk standardised mortality rate (RSMR).ResultsA total of 14 variables were included in the model predicting in-hospital mortality based on MRFP data, with the area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.78 among modelling cohort and 0.79 among validation cohort. The median of absolute difference between the hospital RSMR predicted by hierarchical generalised linear models established based on MRFP data and complete medical record data, which was built as ‘reference model’, was 0.08% (10th and 90th percentiles: −1.8% and 1.6%). In the regression model comparing the RSMR between two models, the slope and intercept of the regression equation is 0.90 and 0.007 in modelling cohort, while 0.85 and 0.010 in validation cohort, which indicated that the evaluation capability from two models were very similar.ConclusionsThe models based on MRFP data showed good discrimination and calibration capability, as well as similar risk prediction effect in comparison with the model based on complete medical record data, which proved that MRFP data could be suitable for risk adjustment in hospital performance measurement.

Agonistic antibodies against the co-stimulatory receptor OX-40 have shown promising activity in preclinical models, but clinical activity has only been observed in isolated cases. While co-stimulation of T cells is described as the primary pharmacological mechanism of these antibodies, high expression of OX-40 on tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells has also been observed and discussed as a potentially confounding factor in a clinical setting. We present HFB10-1E1, a novel OX-40 agonistic antibody with an optimized pharmacological profile. HFB10-1E1 binds specifically to a unique epitope on human OX-40 and cross-reacts with cynomolgus monkey OX-40. Upon cross-linking, HFB10-1E1 induces NFκB signaling in a reporter cell line and leads to co-stimulation of T cells in vitro. The agonistic activity of HFB10-1E1 is further enhanced in the presence of the endogenous ligand OX-40L. In contrast to other anti-OX-40 antibodies, treatment with HFB10-1E1 does not result in reduced expression of OX-40 on T cells, which will ease the prediction of clinical dose-schedule and potentially lead to better activity. HFB10-1E1 demonstrates more potent in vivo anti-tumor activity in human OX-40 knock-in mice bearing MC-38 syngeneic tumors as compared to a previously published anti-OX-40 antibody. HFB10-1E1 has a favorable developability profile, and stable cell lines with high production yield have been obtained. Further, we present a novel concept for identifying potential responding patients to HFB10-1E1 using HiFiBiO's proprietary Drug Intelligent Science (DIS™) platform. The DIS approach for discovery of predictive response biomarkers combines high-throughput single-cell profiling of a patient's T cell repertoire with functional read-outs to characterize tumor-specific T cell clones responsive to HFB10-1E1. Our results provide the foundation for the implementation of the DIS™ platform to guide the clinical development of HFB10-1E1 for selected patients that are most likely to benefit from the treatment. HFB10-1E1 is being developed as a potential novel treatment option for cancer coupled with a patient stratification biomarker. Citation Format: Andreas Raue, Yun-Yueh Lu, Ouyang Li, Minmin Lu, Joyce Pi, Jia Wu, Mingfang Feng, Qian Zhang, Surendar Arumugam, Ruina Jin, Yuan Wang, Ross Fulton, Matthieu Delince, Juliana Crivello, Zachary Duda, Alexandra Staskus, Charina Ortega, Pascaline Mary, Hongkai Zhang, Nicola Beltraminelli, Francisco Adrian, Liang Schweizer. HFB10-1E1, a novel OX-40 agonistic antibody with a unique pharmacological profile and biomarker strategy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2285.

Figure S1. Distributions of coverage depth on chromosomes of the sequencing samples. X-axe indicates the 12 chromosomes of rice. Y-axe indicates the log2 value of coverage depth corresponding to chromosome location. (DOC 1130 kb)

The aim of this research essay attempt to reveal the nature of information form the perspective of Marxist Philosophy. The nature of Information is the first question that philosophy of information science and technology research must be answered, thus the problem is still debated. According to Marxist dialectical materialism method to the essence of information has made the analysis and argumentation, points out the essence of information between what is and its internal contact things, and this contact information is presented. Due to the connection between the protean and endless things, thus produce the endless, full of beautiful things in eyes, each are not identical information. To grasp the nature of information, must pay attention to and the specific form of information and information processing, the reorganization, transmission, storage, use and so on.