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Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death that was discovered recently. For beneficial microbes to establish mutualistic relationships with hosts, precisely controlled cell death in plant cells is necessary. However, whether ferroptosis is involved in the endophyte‒plant system is poorly understood. Here, we reported that endophytic Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2, which established a sophisticated and beneficial interaction with host rice plants, caused ferroptotic cell death in rice characterized by ferroptosis- and immune-related markers. Treatments with ferroptosis inhibitors and inducers, different doses of OsiSh-2, and the siderophore synthesis-deficient mutant ΔcchH revealed that only moderate ferroptosis induced by endophytes is essential for the establishment of an optimal symbiont to enhance plant growth. Additionally, ferroptosis involved in a defence-primed state in rice, which contributed to improved resistance against rice blast disease. Overall, our study provides new insights into the mechanisms of endophyte‒plant interactions mediated by ferroptosis and suggests new directions for crop yield promotion. Ferroptosis is of great importance in plant immunity including microbe-plant interactions. Here, the authors unveil that a regulated ferroptosis process is involved in the mutualistic symbiosis and disease resistance of endophyte OsiSh-2 and host rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There are no clear conclusions as to whether inflammatory proteins and plasma metabolites influence erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim In this research, we used Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to discover a causal relationship between inflammatory proteins, plasma metabolites, and ED. Methods Raw data with ED, inflammatory proteins, and plasma metabolites were obtained from the MRC IEU OpenGWAS and FinnGen database. After a series of screenings, the remaining single nucleotide polymorphisms were selected as instrumental variables or MR analysis to assess the relationship between genetically predicted inflammatory proteins or plasma metabolites and the pathogenesis of ED. Outcomes The relationship between inflammatory factors and ED was fully analyzed and elaborated. Results In the inverse variance–weighted method, there exists a significant causal relationship between 4 types of genetically predicted inflammatory proteins and 50 types of plasma metabolites with the incidence of ED. The primary discovery is that 3 inflammatory proteins, fibroblast growth factor 5, interleukin-22 receptor subunit alpha-1, and protein S100-A12, can impact the risk of ED through plasma metabolites. Clinical Implications ED metabolites and inflammatory proteins are also closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, warranting further exploration. Strengths and Limitations Our analysis is based on a European population, limiting its generalizability, the genome-wide association study dataset for ED has a relatively small number of cases, and we hope for larger genome-wide association study datasets for future validation. Conclusion This study has identified that inflammatory proteins can influence ED through plasma metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate tissue volume at the lower pole of the breast following tumor excision can compromise aesthetic outcomes when employing the conventional inverted-T reconstruction technique. With the aim of reducing postoperative deformities, we have refined this technique. A total of 104 patients underwent the T technique, while 32 underwent the modified T technique and 72 underwent the traditional T technique. In this study, we present the surgical outcomes of the modified T technique group and compare both surgical and oncological outcomes with those of the traditional T technique group. In the modified T technique group, the average tumor size was 23.34 mm, and the mean operation duration was 107.75 min, which was significantly shorter than that of the traditional T technique ( p = 0.039). Additionally, the average blood loss was 95.93 mL, which was significantly lower than that of the traditional T technique ( p = 0.011). Although complication rates did not differ significantly between the two groups ( p = 0.839), the modified T technique yielded superior aesthetic outcomes compared to the traditional T technique ( p = 0.019). Survival analysis indicated no significant difference in 5-year recurrence-free survival between the two groups, both before and after propensity score matching ( p = 0.381 vs. p = 0.277). As part of our series of oncoplastic techniques for the lower breast quadrant, the modified inverted-T technique utilizes a cost-effective flap to address lower pole defects, mitigating deformities and restoring the breast's natural shape., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Shi, Li, Wang, Shi, Li, Torres-de La Roche, Xu and Zhuo.)