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Exposure to PM2.5, a harmful type of air pollution, has been associated with compromised male reproductive health; however, it remains unclear whether such exposure can elicit transgenerational effects on male fertility. Here, we aim to examine the effect of paternal exposure to real-world PM2.5 on the reproductive health of male offspring. We have observed that paternal exposure to real-world PM2.5 can lead to transgenerational primary hypogonadism in a sex-selective manner, and we have also confirmed this phenotype by using an external model. Mechanically, we have identified small RNAs (sRNAs) that play a critical role in mediating these transgenerational effects. Specifically, miR6240 and piR016061, which are present in F0 PM sperm, regulate intergenerational transmission by targeting Lhcgr and Nsd1, respectively. We have also uncovered that piR033435 and piR006695 indirectly regulate F1 PM sperm methylation by binding to the 3′-untranslated region of Tet1 mRNA. The reduced expression of Tet1 resulted in hypermethylation of several testosterone synthesis genes, including Lhcgr and Gnas, impaired Leydig cell function and ultimately led to transgenerational primary hypogonadism. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the transgenerational effects of paternal PM2.5 exposure on reproductive health, highlighting the crucial role played by sRNAs in mediating these effects. The findings underscore the significance of paternal pre-conception interventions in alleviating the adverse effects of environmental pollutants on reproductive health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of new lead skeleton against melanoma are urgently needed due to its highly malignant and mortality. Herein, a new molecular entity (EU-5) derived from eudistomin U was synthesized with total yield of 46%, which displayed potent activity against malignant melanoma A375 cells (IC50 = 4.4 µM), no hemolytic toxicity and good physicochemical properties in silico. Colony formation and cell cycle arrest assays revealed that EU-5 suppressed cell proliferation by causing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. Wound healing and transwell assays suggested that EU-5 could effectively inhibit migration of A375 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Calcein-AM/PI staining, Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), transcriptomics, quantitative real‑time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‑PCR), spectrometric titration and molecular docking assays indicated that EU-5 could activate p53 signaling pathway and trigger mitochondria-mediated cell apoptosis. Taken together, this study provided a promising lead structure for the design of a new generation of anti-melanoma drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyploidization is a major driver of genome diversification and environmental adaptation. However, the merger of different genomes may result in genomic conflicts, raising a major question regarding how genetic diversity is interpreted and regulated to enable environmental plasticity. By analyzing the genome-wide binding of 191 trans-factors in allopolyploid wheat, we identified like heterochromatin protein 1 (LHP1) as a master regulator of subgenome-diversified genes. Transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses of LHP1 mutants reveal its role in buffering the expression of subgenome-diversified defense genes by controlling H3K27me3 homeostasis. Stripe rust infection releases latent subgenomic variations by eliminating H3K27me3-related repression. The simultaneous inactivation of LHP1 homoeologs by CRISPR–Cas9 confers robust stripe rust resistance in wheat seedlings. The conditional repression of subgenome-diversified defenses ensures developmental plasticity to external changes, while also promoting neutral-to-non-neutral selection transitions and adaptive evolution. These findings establish an LHP1-mediated buffering system at the intersection of genotypes, environments, and phenotypes in polyploid wheat. Manipulating the epigenetic buffering capacity offers a tool to harness cryptic subgenomic variations for crop improvement. The regulation of genetic diversity resulting from polyploidization and its impact on environmental adaptability remain unclear. Here, the authors show that LHP1-mediated epigenetic buffering of subgenome diversity and defense responses confers genome plasticity and adaptability in allopolyploid wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrode materials play a crucial role in the efficient treatment of organic wastewater through electrocatalytic oxidation. Semi-coke after activation has recently been found as a potential and reliable electrode material, and TiO2-coated electrodes have been developed for a range of applications owing to their superior electro-catalytic performance. Therefore, this study focused on Rhodamine B (RhB) removal via electro-catalysis using a TiO2/activated semi-coke (TiO2/ASC) composite, and the synthesized composite was characterized by SEM, XRD, FT-IR, and UV-DRS analysis. The results showed that TiO2 particles were evenly distributed on the ASC surface, and TiO2 could reduce the value of the band gap and facilitate electron transport in electrocatalysis. The influencing factors during RhB removal with the TiO2/ASC composite were also investigated, with an initial pH value of 2, a bias voltage of 16 V, an initial concentration of 3 mg/L, and a 50 mg dosage of the TiO2/ASC composite, indicating that RhB could be completely removed after 45 min. A second-order quadratic model was established to describe the relationship between the RhB removal rate and three significant factors: dosage, reaction time, and initial pH. Response surface methodology was used to describe the interactive effects of three variables, which was effective for understanding the behavior of electro-catalysis on the TiO2/ASC composite. The kinetics study demonstrated that RhB removal during the electro-catalysis process confirmed pseudo-first-order kinetics. Highlights: It provides a new pathway for the utilization of affordable semi-coke. TiO2 loaded on activated semi-coke reduce band gap and promote electron transport. It establishes the relationship between the RhB removal rate and three main factors. It describes the interactive effects of three variables in electro-catalysis process. RhB removal during the electro-catalysis confirms pseudo-first-order kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we revisit the kinematical state of our Universe via the cosmographic approach by using Gaussian process, where the minimum assumption is the cosmological principle, i.e. the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker metric. A obviously distinguished feature is that these cosmography parameters are free of any gravity theories and cosmological models. And Gaussian process is independent of any specific parameterized forms of function. Thus by transformations these generic cosmography parameters can be used to constrain a cosmological model and dark energy model directly at the kinematics level of our Universe. As a result, a series of cosmography parameters up to the fifth oder, i.e. the Hubble parameter H(z), the deceleration parameter q(z), the jerk parameter j(z), the snap parameter s(z) and the lerk parameter l(z), evolve with respect to the redshift z are reconstructed from the cosmic observations which include the recently released Pantheon+ SN Ia samples and the observational Hubble data H(z), also dubbed as cosmic chronometers. The result shows the transition redshift from a decelerated expansion to an accelerated expansion z t = 0. 652 - 0.043 + 0.054 which is consistent with the previous results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focus on hetero cyclic ferrocene-based furan and triazole (FT-Fcs) organometallic compounds with their burning rate catalytic and anti-migration application for rocket propellant system. FT-Fcs (Fc-FAM, Fc-AMT, and Fc-FAO) were successfully prepared by the coupling reaction from the corresponding unit monomers. The structures of the targeted FT-Fcs were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR, XPS and ESI-MS. Reversible or quasi-reversible redox waves were observed in the current work using CV analysis of FT-Fcs and electrochemical behaviors were discussed. From the TGA data it was observed that with the addition of 5 wt% of Fc-AMT thermal decomposition temperature of pure AP was significantly decreased to 353.58 °C from 426.15 °C and proposed decomposition mechanism were discussed. Because of the presence of electronegative elements in the hetero cyclic ring, which are responsible for the establishment of interaction with AP and binding agent, FT-Fcs had better anti-migration performance than Fc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the box girder was poured, the cement hydration generated heat and produced a large temperature difference in the girder, which may lead to the cracking. In order to study the hydration heat distribution and cracking risk of three-cell girder after pouring, the scale model of box girder was poured, 258 temperature sensors, solar radiation sensors and wind speed sensor were embedded in the model. Data receiving frequency was once every 30 min, and wireless acquisition module for data collection was used. After 96 h' observation of temperature, the temperature field distribution of hydration heat of three-cell concrete girder was obtained. The finite element model of temperature field considering solar radiation and atmospheric convection was established. The maximum temperature change due to solar radiation was 29.8% of temperature change of hydration heat. The space and time model of vertical temperature difference during heat of hydration of concrete three-cell box girder was proposed for the first time. Based on response surface model and finite element model, the maximum vertical temperature difference of different web was proposed and was verified at the Wangjiahe Bridge. The predicted values of the Wangjiahe Bridge were in approximately agreement with the measured values. Compared to the initial concrete temperature of 35 °C without geotextile cover, the initial concrete temperature of 15 °C with 8 mm geotextile reduced the vertical temperature difference to 24.7% at most. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The TMEM196 protein, which comprises four membrane-spanning domains, belongs to the TMEM protein family. TMEM196 was identified as a candidate tumor suppressor gene in lung cancer. However, its role and mechanism in lung cancer metastasis remain unclear. Here, we study the role of TMEM196 in tumor metastasis to further verify the function in lung cancer. Methods: In this study, we used qRT-PCR, western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry to examine the expression levels of TMEM196 and related proteins in lung cancer tissues and tumor cells. We utilized Transwell assays, xenograft nude mouse models, and TMEM196−/− mouse models to evaluate the effects of TMEM196 on tumor invasion and metastasis. Finally, we used bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays to explore the molecular mechanism of TMEM196 as a tumor suppressor. Results: We found that TMEM196 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly decreased in lung cancer tissues and cells. Low expression of TMEM196 in clinical patients was associated with poor prognosis. TMEM196 strongly inhibited tumor metastasis and progression in vitro and in vivo. The primary lung tumors induced by tail vein-inoculated B16 cells in TMEM196−/− mice were significantly larger than those in TMEM196+/+ mice. Mechanistically, TMEM196 inhibited the Wnt signaling pathway and repressed β-catenin promoter transcription. TMEM196 silencing in lung cancer cells and mice resulted in significant upregulation of the expression of β-catenin and Wnt signaling pathway downstream target genes (MMP2 and MMP7). Decreasing β-catenin expression in TMEM196-silenced cancer cells attenuated the antimetastatic effect of TMEM196. Conclusions: Our results revealed that TMEM196 acts as a novel lung cancer metastasis suppressor via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of common wheat as a global staple crop was largely attributed to its genomic diversity and redundancy due to the merge of different genomes, giving rise to the major question how subgenome-divergent and -convergent transcription is mediated and harmonized in a single cell. Here, we create a catalog of genome-wide transcription factor-binding sites (TFBSs) to assemble a common wheat regulatory network on an unprecedented scale. A significant proportion of subgenome-divergent TFBSs are derived from differential expansions of particular transposable elements (TEs) in diploid progenitors, which contribute to subgenome-divergent transcription. Whereas subgenome-convergent transcription is associated with balanced TF binding at loci derived from TE expansions before diploid divergence. These TFBSs have retained in parallel during evolution of each diploid, despite extensive unbalanced turnover of the flanking TEs. Thus, the differential evolutionary selection of paleo- and neo-TEs contribute to subgenome-convergent and -divergent regulation in common wheat, highlighting the influence of TE repertory plasticity on transcriptional plasticity in polyploid.How subgenome-divergent and -convergent transcription is mediated and harmonized in hexaploid common wheat genome remains unclear. Here, via characterizing the cistrome maps, the authors reveal that transposon elements with transcription factor binding ability have the potential to make the contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an integrated system of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and methane steam reforming for hydrogen production is proposed. The mathematical model of the coupled integrated system is studied by COMSOL and Aspen software, and the energy analysis of the integrated system is carried out. The system recovers and reuses the waste heat of the SOFC stack through the heat exchanger, which can realize the cascade efficient use of energy. By adjusting the different reforming temperatures, steam-to-carbon ratio and SOFC operating temperature of methane steam reforming to produce hydrogen, the parameters that have a greater impact on the system are studied. The research results show that as the steam-to-carbon ratio and reformer operating temperature increase, the net output power and efficiency of the system increase. When the fuel cell operating temperature is 800°C, the output power and efficiency of the system reach the maximum values of 899.93 W and 52.52%, respectively. Increasing the operating temperature of SOFC helps to improve the efficiency of fuel cells, but the efficiency of the integrated system of methane steam reforming hydrogen production and SOFC first increases and then decreases. This system can realize the direct coupling between the SOFC reactor subsystem and the methane steam reforming hydrogen production system under optimized conditions, which has reference significance for the actual operating conditions of the coupled system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AliCPT-1 is the first Chinese cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiment aiming for the high-precision measurement of CMB B-mode polarization. The telescope, currently under deployment in Tibet, will observe in two frequency bands centered at 90 and 150 GHz. We forecast the CMB lensing reconstruction, lensing-galaxy, and lensing-cosmic infrared background (CIB) cross-correlation signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for AliCPT-1. We consider two stages with different integrated observation times, namely "4 module*yr" (first stage) and "48 module*yr" (final stage). For lensing reconstruction, we use three different quadratic estimators, namely temperature-only, polarization-only and minimum-variance (MV) estimators, using curved sky geometry. We take into account the impacts of inhomogeneous hit counts and mean-field bias due to incomplete sky coverage. In the first stage, our results show that the 150 GHz channel can measure the lensing signals at 15cr significance with the MV estimator. In the final stage, the measurement significance will increase to 31σ. We also combine the two frequency data in the harmonic domain to optimize the SNR. Our results show that the coadding procedure can significantly reduce the reconstruction bias in the high multiple range. Owning to the high quality of the polarization data in the final stage of AliCPT-1, the EB estimator will dominate the lensing reconstruction in this stage. We also estimate the SNR of cross-correlations between AliCPT-1 CMB lensing and other tracers of the large scale structure of the universe. For its cross-correlation with Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) galaxies/quasars, we report the cross-correlation SNR = 10–20 for the four redshift bins at 0.05 < z < 2.1. In the first stage, the total SNR is approximately 32. In the final stage, the lensing-galaxy cross-correlation can reach SNR = 52. For lensing-CTB cross-correlation, in the first stage, the cross-correlations between AliCPT-1 lensing and Planck CIB 353, 545 and 857 GHz channels are approximately SNR =18,19, and 23, respectively. In the final stage, the cross-correlations can reach SNR = 25,33 and 42. Due to the strong correlations between frequency bands, the total lensing-CIB cross-correlations by combining the three frequencies in Planck CIBs are SNR = 23 and 43 for the AliCPT-1 first and final stages, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the anisotropic factors present in the gravitational wave signal, such as the peculiar velocity of the observer and the inhomogeneous distribution of matter in the universe. We model the gravitational wave source as a standard siren, extract the anisotropic part of its luminosity distance d L , and obtain the Hubble parameter H(z) by direct calculation instead of integration. Finally, we derive the equation of state w DE (z) for the dark energy by both model-dependent and model-independent methods, and further investigate the cosmological significance of the simulated H(z) measurements. The advantage of this approach is that it makes full use of the anisotropic part of the d L data, which directly gives the value of H(z) at certain redshifts. This approach is sensitive to the local features of H(z) and does not depend on the cosmological model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The metal organic frameworks derived microwave absorption materials (MOF derived MAMs) were systematically reviewed. The design principles, preparation methods and effect of microstructures and composites of MOF derived MAMs were discussed. The challenges and further research directions of MOF derived MAMs were presentedMicrowave has been widely used in many fields, including communication, medical treatment and military industry; however, the corresponding generated radiations have been novel hazardous sources of pollution threating human’s daily life. Therefore, designing high-performance microwave absorption materials (MAMs) has become an indispensable requirement. Recently, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been considered as one of the most ideal precursor candidates of MAMs because of their tunable structure, high porosity and large specific surface area. Usually, MOF-derived MAMs exhibit excellent electrical conductivity, good magnetism and sufficient defects and interfaces, providing obvious merits in both impedance matching and microwave loss. In this review, the recent research progresses on MOF-derived MAMs were profoundly reviewed, including the categories of MOFs and MOF composites precursors, design principles, preparation methods and the relationship between mechanisms of microwave absorption and microstructures of MAMs. Finally, the current challenges and prospects for future opportunities of MOF-derived MAMs are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The (6E,7E)-N1,N4-bis((pyridin-2-yl)methylene)benzene-1,4-diamine ligand L-0 was prepared in order to synthesize the corresponding pyridine imine metal (iron, cobalt and nickel) complexes Fe-1, Co-2 and Ni-3. The structures of the ligand and its corresponding metal complexes were characterized by element analysis, NMR, IR, UV–Vis and ESI–MS. Upon activation with cocatalyst, the metal complexes Fe-1, Co-2 and Ni-3 exhibited moderate catalytic activity, and the oligomer products were mainly 1-butene. The influence of reaction parameters, such as solvent type, Al/M (M = Fe, Co, Ni) molar ratio, reaction temperature, reaction pressure and cocatalyst type, on catalytic properties was investigated in detail. Ethylene oligomerization data suggested that metal center had an important impact on catalytic performance. In most cases, attributed to electron effects, Fe-1 had better catalytic activity than Co-2 and Ni-3 at the same reaction conditions, and Ni-3 had better catalytic selectivity toward high-carbon olefins (≥ 1-decene). The density functional theory calculations were utilized to optimize the geometry structure for exploring the relationship between structure and catalytic properties, which provides a possibility of predicting the catalytic selectivity in ethylene oligomerization. Moreover, the catalytic mechanism was further studied for better understanding of ethylene oligomerization process catalyzed by Fe-1, Co-2 and Ni-3. The para-phenylene-linked pyridine imine metal (iron, cobalt and nickel) complexes have the ability of catalyzing ethylene oligomerization. Attributed to electron effects, their catalytic properties including activity and selectivity are different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: We genome-wide identified 28 JmjC domain-containing genes, further spatio-temporal expression profiling and genetic analysis defined them as epigenetic regulators in flowering initiation of Rosa chinensis. The JmjC domain-containing histone demethylases play critical roles in maintaining homeostasis of histone methylations, thus are vital for plant growth and development. Genome-wide identification of the JmjC domain-containing genes have been reported in several species, however, no systematic study has been performed in rose plants. In this paper, we identified 28 JmjC domain-containing genes from the newly published genome database of Rosa chinensis. The JmjC domain-containing proteins in R. chinensis were divided into seven groups, KDM3 was the largest group with 13 members, and JmjC domain-only A and KDM5B were the smallest clades both with only one member. Although all the JmjC domain proteins having a conserved JmjC domain, the gene and protein structure experienced differentiation and specification during the evolution, especially in KDM3 clade, one gene (RcJMJ40) was found carrying site deletions for cofactors Fe (II) and α-KG binding which were crucial for demethylase activities, three genes (RcJMJ41, RcJMJ43 and RcJMJ44) had no intron while two of them had tandem JmjC domains. Spatial expression pattern analysis of these JmjC domain-containing genes in different tissues showed most of them were highly expressed in reproductive tissues such as floral meristem and closed flowers than vegetative tissues, demonstrating their important functions in developmental switch from vegetative to reproductive growth of roses. Temporal expression profiling indicated majority of JmjC domain-containing genes from R. chinensis fluctuated along with floral bud differentiation and development, further proving their essential roles in flower organogenesis. VIGS induced silencing of RcJMJ12 led to delayed flowering time, and decreased the expression levels of flowering integrator such as RcFT, RcSOC1, RcFUL, RcLFY and RcAP1, therefore providing the genetic evidence of RcJMJ12 in flowering initiation. Collectively, spatio-temporal expression profiling and genetic analysis defined the JmjC domain-containing genes as important epigenetic regulators in flower development of R. chinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of bispyridylamine ligands and chromium complexes designed for ethylene oligomerization have been synthesized, which was made up of both neutral organic ligand and inorganic anion. The compositions of these complexes have been fully characterized by spectroscopic and analytical methods. Catalysts (Cr1–Cr4) were evaluated in detail with methylaluminoxane (MAO) as an activator in the ethylene oligomerization. As a result, Cr1 achieved a higher catalytic activity of 2.93 × 105g/(mol(Cr) h) and a higher selectivity of 55.34% toward the valuable C8 compound using toluene as the solvent. The total selectivity to LAOs was 71.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Overexpression of grapevine VvABF2 gene could enhance osmotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana but fully required for ABA signaling. The abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent AREB/ABF-SnRK2 pathway has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in response to osmotic stress in model plants. However, its function in other specific species, for example grapevine, has not been fully characterized. In this study, grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) ABSCISIC ACID RESPONSE ELEMENT-BINDING FACTOR2 (VvABF2), a homologous gene of AREB/ABFs form Arabidopsis, was isolated and constitutively expressed in Arabidopsis under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. The VvABF2 transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed to be more sensitive to exogenous ABA compared to wild type plants and exhibited significant osmotic tolerance, like polyethylene glycol (PEG) and drought but fully required ABA for signaling. This fact was further confirmed by its downstream gene expression assays. In addition, the determination of ROS antioxidant enzymes (including SOD, POD and CAT) and the MDA of transgenic lines indicated that overexpression of VvABF2 in Arabidopsis significantly increased ROS scavenging ability and thereby reduced the cell membrane damage, which might be ABA-independent. Our results provide evidence that VvABF2 has a similar function to the Arabidopsis homolog in response to osmotic stresses, and that there is a similar ancestral function of this gene in ABA-dependent response to stresses in grapevine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly, and mitochondrial defects underlie the pathogenesis of PD. Impairment of mitochondrial homeostasis results in reactive oxygen species formation, which in turn can potentiate the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, forming a vicious cycle in the neuron. Mitochondrial fission/fusion and biogenesis play important roles in maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis. It has been reported that PGC-1α is a powerful transcription factor that is widely involved in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative stress, and other processes. Therefore, we explored mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial fission/fusion, and especially PGC-1α as the key point in the signaling mechanism of their interaction in rotenone-induced dopamine neurotoxicity. The results showed that mitochondrial number and mass were reduced significantly, accompanied by alterations in proteins known to regulate mitochondrial fission/fusion (MFN2, OPA1, Drp1, and Fis1) and mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC-1α and mtTFA). Further experiments proved that inhibition of mitochondrial fission or promotion of mitochondrial fusion has protective effects in rotenone-induced neurotoxicity and also promotes mitochondrial biogenesis. By establishing cell models of PGC-1α overexpression and reduced expression, we found that PGC-1α can regulate MFN2 and Drp1 protein expression and phosphorylation to influence mitochondrial fission/fusion. In summary, it can be concluded that PGC-1α-mediated cross talk between mitochondrial biogenesis and fission/fusion contributes to rotenone-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The HTML has been updated to include a corrected version of Supplementary Data 2; the original incorrect version of Supplementary Data 2 can be found as Supplementary Information associated with this Correction. Correction to: I Nature Communications i https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34290-w, published online 14 November 2022 The original version of the Supplementary Information associated with this Article included a truncated Supplementary Data 2 file, in which the data after row 65,537 were not included. [Extracted from the article]

The aim of this study was to investigate the space mutagenesis of genetically engineered bacteria expressing recombinant human interferon α1b. The genetically engineered bacteria expressing the recombinant interferon α1b were sent into outer space on the Chinese Shenzhou VIII spacecraft. After the 17 day space flight, mutant strains that highly expressed the target gene were identified. After a series of screening of spaceflight-treated bacteria and the quantitative comparison of the mutant strains and original strain, we found five strains that showed a significantly higher production of target proteins, compared with the original strain. Our results support the notion that the outer space environment has unique effects on the mutation breeding of microorganisms, including genetically engineered strains. Mutant strains that highly express the target protein could be obtained through spaceflight-induced mutagenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) has been reported to regulate over 100 gene expressions in response to hypoxia and other stress conditions. In the present study, we found that arsenite could induce HIF-1α protein accumulation in both mouse epidermal Cl41 cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Knockout of p85α, a regulatory subunit of PI-3K, in MEFs (p85α) dramatically decreased the arsenite-induced HIF-1α accumulation, indicating that p85α is crucial for arsenite effects on the stabilization of HIF-1α protein. Our further studies suggest that arsenite could induce inducible Hsp70 expression, and transfection of inducible Hsp70 into p85α MEFs could restore HIF-1α protein accumulation. Moreover, the results using EMSA and Supershift assays indicate that p85α is crucial for arsenite-induced activation of the heat-shock transcription factor 1 (HSF-1), which is responsible for transcription of inducible Hsp70. Taken together, p85α-mediated HIF-1α stabilization upon arsenite exposure is specifically through HSF-1 activation and subsequent up-regulation of the inducible Hsp70 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most hotly debated and frontal issues in paleoanthropology focuses on the origins of modern humans. Recently, an incomplete hominin mandible with a distinctly weaker mental protuberance than modern human and a great variety of coexisting fossil mammals were unearthed from the Homo sapiens Cave of Mulan Mountain, Chongzuo, Guangxi. The mammalian fauna from the Homo sapiens Cave characterized by the combination of Elephas kiangnanensis, first occurring Elephas maixmus, and Megatapirus augustus, and strikingly different from the Early Pleistocene Gigantopithecus fauna and the Middle Pleistocene Ailuropoda-Stogodon fauna of South China could be regarded as an early representive of the typical Asian elephant fauna. Faunal analysis, biostratigraphic correlation, and, most importantly, U-series dating all consistently support an estimate of ca. 110 ka for the age of the fossil Homo sapiens and coexisting mammalian fauna, that is, the early Late Pleistocene. The fauna is mainly made up of tropical-subtropical elements, but grassland elements have a much greater variety than forest elements, which probably indicates a drier climate at that time. This discovery of early Homo sapiens at the Mulan Mountain will play a significant role in the study of the origin and its environmental background of modern humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the most important faunas in the Late Cenozoic, the Gigantopithecus faunas have received a good deal of attention. The Gigantopithecus fauna recently discovered in Sanhe Cave consists of more than 80 mammal species, including Cf. Hominidae, Pongo sp., Hylobates sp., Sinomastodon yangziensis, Stegodon preorientalis, Cervavitus fenqii, Dicoryphochoerus ultimus and Sus xiaozhu. It is the southernmost Gigantopithecus fauna found so far in China. Its geological age is estimated to be Early Pleistocene based on the fauna and stratigraphic correlation. The significant increase in the estimated body sizes of Ailuropoda, Gigantopithecus and Tapirus shows that the Sanhe fauna is middle Early Pleistocene, later than those from Wushan and Liucheng (early Early Pleistocene). Paleomagnetic dating of the fossil-bearing strata in Sanhe Cave gives an age of approximately 1.2 Ma. The fauna is characterized by tropical-subtropical forest types, including Pongo sp., Tupala sp., Ia sp., Typhiomys intermedius, etc., and it lacks Palaearctic types. It is a typical tropical forest fauna, suggesting an environment with a lush forest and a warm and humid climate. The discovery of the Sanhe Gigantopithecus fauna is significant for establishing the chronological stages of the Gigantopithecus faunas in China, and for discussing their origin, evolution and dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the fossil remains of Early Pleistocene tapir from Anhui, China. Description of the materials of the fossil; Usefulness of the materials in understanding the evolutionary level of the animal; Evidence to distinguish the Early Pleistocene tapirs and the living form Tapirus Indicus.

The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is the only extant species of the genus Crocuta, which once occupied a much wider range during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. However, its origin and evolutionary history is somewhat contentious due to discordances between morphological, nuclear, and mitochondrial data. Due to the limited molecular data from east Asian Crocuta, also known as cave hyena, and the difficulty of extracting ancient DNA from this area, here we present proteomic analysis of cave hyenas from three locations in northern China. This marks the first proteomic data generated from cave hyenas, adding new molecular data to the east Asian populations. Phylogenetic analysis based on these protein sequences reveals two different groups of cave hyenas in east Asia, one of which could not be distinguished from modern spotted hyenas from northern Africa, tentatively the result of previously suggested gene flow between these lineages. With developments of instrumentation and analytical methods, proteomics holds promising potential for molecular phylogenetic reconstructions of ancient fauna previously thought to be unreachable using ancient DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our previous study, we had identified SOX30 as a novel tumor suppressor that acts through direct regulation of p53 transcription in human lung cancer. Here, we sought to determine the clinical relevance of SOX30 expression in a series of surgically-resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Analysis of SOX30 expression and clinico-pathologic features reveal a significant correlation of SOX30 expression with histological type (n = 220, P = 0.008) and clinical stage (n = 220, P = 0.024). Kaplan-Meier analysis indicates an association of high SOX30 expression with better prognosis in NSCLC patients (n = 220, P = 0.007). Via multivariate Cox-regression analysis, SOX30 expression is revealed to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients (n = 220, P = 0.014, hazard ratio (HR) = 0.816). In particular, SOX30 is a favorable and independent prognostic factor in one main subtype of NSCLC, lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) patients (n = 150, P = 0.000, HR = 0.405), but not in another main subtype of NSCLC, squamous cell carcinoma patients. Furthermore, high expression of SOX30 represents a favorable and independent factor for the prognosis of ADC patients at clinical stage II (P = 0.013), with positive lymph node (P = 0.003), at histological grade 2 (P = 0.000) or grade 3 (P = 0.025). In summary, SOX30 expression represents an important prognostic factor for survival time in ADC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]