Search

Woody oil plants are important economic trees which are widely cultivated and distributed throughout China. Surveys conducted during 2020 and 2021 on several woody oil plantations from five regions of Sichuan Province, China, revealed a high diversity of Botryosphaerialean fungi. The identification of 50 botryosphaeriaceous isolates was carried out based on both morphology and multi-gene phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (tef1) and β-tubulin gene (tub2). This allowed the identification of twelve previously known Botryosphaeriales species: Aplosporella prunicola, A. ginkgonis, Barriopsis tectonae, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Bo. fabicerciana, Diplodia mutila, Di. seriata, Dothiorella sarmentorum, Neofusicoccum parvum, Sardiniella guizhouensis, Sphaeropsis citrigena, and Sp. guizhouensis, and four novel species belonging to the genera Diplodia and Dothiorella, viz. Di. acerigena, Di. pistaciicola, Do. camelliae and Do. zanthoxyli. The dominant species isolated across the surveyed regions were Botryosphaeria dothidea, Sardiniella guizhouensis and Diplodia mutila, representing 20%, 14% and 12% of the total isolates, respectively. In addition, most isolates were obtained from Pistacia chinensis (14 isolates), followed by Camellia oleifera (10 isolates). The present study enhances the understanding of Botryosphaeriales species diversity on woody oil plants in Sichuan Province, China.

Xylariomycetidae comprises extremely diverse taxa that are widespread on decaying wood worldwide. An investigation of the diversity of microfungi on oil tree plantations in Sichuan Province was conducted during 2020–2021. Twelve saprobic taxa representing five species were identified as members of Amphisphaeriales and Xylariales through morphological comparisons. Phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, LSU, rpb2, tub2 and tef1 sequence data indicated a distinct clade formed by three strains within Xylariomycetidae, unrelated to any currently recognized families. Thus, a novel anthostomella-like genus, Bicellulospora, is proposed and treated as Xylariales genera incertae sedis. Bicellulospora is characterized by dark brown to black, immersed, subglobose ascomata with a clypeus, cylindrical asci, and hyaline to yellowish brown, inequilaterally ellipsoidal ascospores with a large upper cell and a dwarf lower cell. Two new species of Amphisphaeria, namely A. oleae and A. verniciae, are introduced based on multi-gene phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, rpb2 and tub2) coupled with morphological characteristics. Amphisphaeria micheliae and Endocalyx ptychospermatis are reported as new host records.

Pestalotiod fungi are associated with a wide variety of plants worldwide and occur as endophytes, pathogens, and saprobes. The present study provides an updated phylogeny for genera Neopestalotiopsis, Pestalotiopsis, and Seiridium using fresh collections from woody oil plants (Camellia oleifera, Olea europaea, Paeonia suffruticosa, Sapium sebiferum, and Vernicia fordii) in Sichuan Province, China. We coupled morphology and combined sequence data analyses of ITS, tub2, and tef1-α for Neopestalotiopsis and Pestalotiopsis, with ITS, LSU, tub2, tef1-α, and rpb2 for Seiridium. Three novel species of Neopestalotiopsis (N. mianyangensis, N. paeonia-suffruticosa, N. terricola) and three of Seiridium (S. guangyuanum, S. vernicola, S. oleae), were found. Three other species, Pestalotiopsis kenyana, Seiridium ceratosporum, and S. rosarum were identified and reported as new records. All isolated species are fully described and illustrated. Additionally, the sexual morph of Pestalotiopsis kenyana is described for the first time. Pathogenicity tests revealed that Neopestalotiopsis mianyangensis, N. paeonia-suffruticosa, N. terricola, Pestalotiopsis kenyana, Seiridium guangyuanum, S. vernicola, and S. oleae are pathogenic on detached olive leaves.

Abstract Background Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play immunosuppressive roles in cancers and some infectious diseases; however, their role in dengue fever (DF) remains unknown. This study evaluated the clinical significance of MDSCs in DF patients. Methods This study comprised 178 non-severe DF patients, 20 non-dengue fever (NDF) controls, and 30 healthy donors. The DF patients were divided into the following five groups based on the fever duration from its onset to the day of sample collection: fever duration of 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, and > 9 days. Among these DF patients, 14 were monitored for eight days, and their peripheral blood samples were collected every two days. The mononuclear cells were isolated and analyzed using flow cytometry. The correlation between the MDSCs and clinical and immunological indicators of the DF patients was evaluated using Spearman analysis. Results The count of the peripheral blood MDSCs, especially monocytic MDSCs, of the 178 DF patients were dramatically higher than those of the NDF and healthy controls, and remarkably decreased with the fever duration. Moreover, the MDSC count correlated with some indicators, including the dengue viral load (rho = 0.367, p

BackgroundDermatomyositis (DM) associated rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) has high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) plays multiple functions in immune regulation. We investigated Gal-9 expression in DM patients and its association with DM-ILD.MethodsA total of 154 idiopathic inflammatory myopathy patients and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were used to analyze the association between serum Gal-9 levels and clinical features. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and qRT-PCR were used to examine Gal-9 expression in the sera and isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from DM patients. Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze the expression of Gal-9 and its ligand (T-cell immunoglobulin mucin (Tim)-3 and CD44) in lung tissues from anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5)-positive patients. The effect of Gal-9 on human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) was investigated in vitro.ResultsSerum Gal-9 levels were significantly higher in DM patients than in immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy patients and healthy controls (all p < 0.001). Higher serum Gal-9 levels were observed in anti-MDA5-positive DM patients than in anti-MDA5-negative DM patients [33.8 (21.9–44.7) vs. 16.2 (10.0–26.9) ng/mL, p < 0.001]. Among the anti-MDA5-positive DM patients, serum Gal-9 levels were associated with RP-ILD severity. Serum Gal-9 levels were significantly correlated with disease activity in anti-MDA5-positive DM patients in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. PBMCs isolated from anti-MDA5-positive DM patients (3.7 ± 2.3 ng/mL) produced higher levels of Gal-9 than those from immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy patients (1.1 ± 0.3 ng/mL, p = 0.022) and healthy controls (1.4 ± 1.2 ng/mL, p = 0.045). The mRNA levels of Gal-9 were positively correlated with the levels of type-I interferon-inducible genes MX1 (r = 0.659, p = 0.020) and IFIH1 (r = 0.787, p = 0.002) in PBMCs from anti-MDA5-positive DM patients. Immunohistochemistry revealed increased Gal-9 and Tim-3 expression in the lung tissues of patients with DM and RP-ILD. In vitro stimulation with Gal-9 protein increased CCL2 mRNA expression in MRC-5 fibroblasts.ConclusionsAmong anti-MDA5-positive DM patients, Gal-9 could be a promising biomarker for monitoring disease activity, particularly for RP-ILD severity. Aberrant expression of the Gal-9/Tim-3 axis may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of DM-ILD.

To obtain an accurate picture of microbial processes is essential for in-depth understanding of the dynamics of microbial communities and metabolic potentials. In this study, an apparatus for automatic multiple in situ nucleic acid collections (MISNAC) loaded and controlled by a lander was designed and applied for in situ microbial filtration, cell lysis and nucleic acid collection at different time points during three cruises in the South China Sea. The MISNAC apparatus completed 390 L in situ water filtration and collected a total of 1,176 ng DNA with six working units in four deployments at ∼1,000 m depth. Microbial community structures in water samples obtained by the MISNAC and in situ microbial filtration and fixation (ISMIFF) apparatus, respectively, were compared by analyzing sequences of 16S rRNA amplicons. The result showed that these communities were largely consistent, regardless of the differences in the communities in the samples from different cruises and time points. In addition, the transcriptomes of the samples collected by the MISANC and a Niskin bottle dramatically differed in abundance and diversity of 16S rRNA gene reads, indicating that more in situ RNA molecules were preserved by the MISNAC, compared to the Niskin. The application of the MISNAC apparatus paved the way to time-series changes of deep-sea microorganisms and their response to various environmental factors.

Pleurotremataceae species are saprobes on decaying wood in terrestrial, mangrove, and freshwater habitats. The generic boundary of the family has traditionally been based on morphology. All genera of Pleurotremataceae have a high degree of morphological overlap, of which the generic circumscription of Melomastia and Dyfrolomyces has not been well resolved. Thus, the delimitation of genera has always been challenging. Melomastia traditionally differs from Dyfrolomyces in having 2-septate, oblong, with obtuse-ends ascospores. These main characteristics have been used to distinguish Melomastia from Dyfrolomyces for a long time. However, the above characteristics sometimes overlap among Dyfrolomyces and Melomastia species. Based on the morphology and multigene phylogeny with newly obtained data, we synonymized Dyfrolomyces under Melomastia following up-to-date results. Four novel species (i.e., Melomastia fusispora, M. oleae, M. sichuanensis and M. winteri) collected from the dead branches of Olea europaea L. in Chengdu Olive Base, Sichuan Province in China are introduced based on detailed morphological characterization and phylogenetic analyses of sequences based on nuclear ribosomal (LSU and SSU) and protein-coding gene (tef1-α). The 11 new combinations proposed are Melomastia aquatica (=Dyfrolomyces aquaticus), M. chromolaenae (=D. chromolaenae), M. distoseptata (=D. distoseptatus), M. mangrovei (=D. mangrovei), M. marinospora (=D. marinosporus), M. neothailandica (=D. neothailandicus), M. phetchaburiensis (=D. phetchaburiensis), M. sinensis (=D. sinensis), M. thailandica (=D. thailandica), M. thamplaensis (=D. thamplaensis) and M. tiomanensis (=D. tiomanensis).

MicroRNAs are important regulators during human growth and development. Emerging evidence indicates that microRNAs play important roles in colorectal cancer. The aim of this study is to reveal the biological function and direct target gene of miR-483 in colorectal cancer. The biological function of miR-483 on the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells was then examined by Edu assay and transwell assay, respectively. Our findings revealed that miR-483 mimic could significantly inhibit cell proliferation and migration. The target gene of miR-483 was predicted by target scan software and identified by a dual fluorescence reporter system which showed that TRAF1 was a direct target gene of miR-483 in SW480 cell line. These data suggest that miR-483 is a colorectal cancer suppressor which could inhibit cell proliferation and migration, possibly via targeting TRAF1. The miR-483 could be a potential treatment target for colorectal cancer. Keywords: miR-483, Colon cancer cells, Proliferation, Migration, TRAF1

Distoseptispora is one of the sporidesmium-like taxa with great variation in asexual morphology and delineation of species. Phylogenetic analyses of four gene regions LSU, ITS, TEF1α, and RPB2 revealed the placement of several sporidesmium-like species in Distoseptispora (Distoseptisporaceae, Distoseptisporales, Sordariomycetes), collected on submerged decaying twigs from streams in China and Thailand. Based on morphological examination and molecular DNA data, six new species, Distoseptispora amniculi, D. atroviridis, D. effusa, D. fusiformis, D. hyalina, and D. verrucosa, are proposed. Among them, D. hyalina is the first sexual morph confirmed in the genus. A new geographical record is reported for D. lignicola in China. Conidial length proved to be of less taxonomic significance for some Distoseptispora species, whereas the type of conidial septa is informative at species level.

In insects, trehalose accumulation is associated with the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signalling (IIS) pathway. However, whether insulin-like peptide is involved in the regulation of the trehalose metabolism during diapause termination remains largely unknown. This study assessed whether insulin-like peptide (ApILP) enhances the trehalose catabolism in the pupae of Antheraeapernyi during their diapause termination process. Injection of 10 μg of bovine insulin triggered diapause termination and synchronous adult eclosion in diapausing pupae. Moreover, treatment with bovine insulin increased the expression of trehalase 1A (ApTre-1A) and trehalase 2 (ApTre-2), as well as the activity of soluble and membrane-bound trehalase, resulting in a decline in trehalose levels in the haemolymph. Silencing ApILP via RNA interference significantly suppressed the expression of ApTre-1A and ApTre-2, thus leading to an increase in the trehalose concentration during diapause termination. However, neither injection with bovine insulin nor ApILP knockdown directly affected trehalase 1B (ApTre-1B) expression. Moreover, overexpression of the transcription factor forkhead box O (ApFoxO) induced an increase in trehalose levels during diapause termination; however, depletion of ApFoxO accelerated the breakdown of trehalose in diapausing pupae by increasing the expression of ApTre-1A and ApTre-2. The results of this study help to understand the contributions of ApILP and ApFoxO to the trehalose metabolism during diapause termination.

Objective:: To investigate the potential role of human cytomegalovirus lower matrix phosphoprotein 65 (HCMV-pp65) in murine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods:: The prokaryotic plasmid pET-28b-pp65 was constructed to express the HCMV-pp65 protein. BXSB mice and C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with pp65 eukaryotic plasmid pcDNA3.0-pp65 intramuscularly 5 times at 2-week intervals, and then the blood of the mice was subsequently collected via the retro-orbital vein. Indirect ELISAs were used to evaluate the concentration of anti-pp65 immunoglobulin G, anti-double-stranded DNA and antinuclear antibodies. Interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α were also determined by competitive ELISA. At the same time, 3 major SLE-related circulating microRNAs were examined by quantitative RT-PCR. Results:: The early production of autoantibodies was observed in pp65-immunized male BXSB as well as C57BL/6 mice. Overexpression of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α were detected in pp65-immunized male BXSB mice. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses showed that three SLE related microRNAs (microRNA-126, microRNA-125a, and microRNA-146a) were down-regulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of pp65-immunized mice. Conclusions:: Our findings indicate that HCMV-pp65 immunization strongly triggers the development and progression of SLE-like disease in both BXSB and C57BL/6 mice, which indicates that the immune responses induced by HCMV-pp65 may be involved in the development of SLE.

AIM:To investigate the formation of rats' choroidal neovascularization(CNV)induced by acrolein. METHODS:Twelve Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Acrolein 200μL(2.5 mg/kg/d)was poured into the rats' stomach for 4wk as acrolein 4wk and for 8wk as acrolein 8wk group. The same volume of fresh water was also done to the rats as the control group. Remove all eye balls and embed into paraffin with HE staining.RESLUTS:The RPE-Bruch membrane was intact with no obvious abnormality in the control group and acrolein 4wk group. Lost in the continuity of RPE and the movement of choroidal neovascularization were found in the acrolein 8wk. CONCLUSION:The long time use of acrolein can induce the formation of choroial neovascularization in rats.

Organic photoresponsive materials have gained broad research interest in materials science and have made significant progress in the past two decades. Developing multifunctional photoresponsive materials with high emission efficiency and fast response to fulfill the demand for practical applications remains desired but challenging. Herein, three novel photoresponsive compounds featuring aggregation-induced emission properties were synthesized, and their photoresponsive activities were regulated via optimizing electron-donating capacity. All compounds undergo Z/E isomerization under both white light irradiation and UV irradiation. Equipped with strong electron-donating ability, compound PBYN exhibits the fastest isomerization reaction with a photoconversion rate of 50% after continuous irradiation for 0.5 hours in comparison with DOPBYN and OPBYN. Meanwhile, only DOPBYN shows photodimerization in the solid state with a short center-to-center distance of 3.46 Å. Crystal packing analysis indicates that compounds OPBYN and PBYN possess relatively loosely packed modes because of their twisted structure, which dramatically hinders the photodimerization reaction. These results indicated that the optimization of electron-donating ability and molecular packing by oxidizing phenothiazine units is a promising strategy for constructing multifunctional photoresponsive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photocatalytic reaction is regarded as an efficient and sustainable strategy to convert solar energy into chemical energy. In the work, a novel metal–organic framework Zn5(TPyP)(BCTC)2(H2O)3 (denoted as CCNU-16, H2TPyP = 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine, H4BCTC = [9,9′-bicarbazole]-3,3′,6,6′-tetracarboxylic acid) was successfully synthesized from porphyrin- and carbazole-based organic linkers, which exhibits excellent visible-light-responsive characteristic. CCNU-16 was further applied toward photo-induced aerobic oxidation of amines and sulfides in air under visible light illumination and ambient conditions. Outstandingly, the turnover frequency (TOF) of the photocatalytic oxidative coupling of benzylamine over CCNU-16 is at the high end among MOF-based photocatalysts, so far, even under green and mild conditions. The excellent photocatalytic activity is attributed to superoxide radical anion (O2˙−) and singlet oxygen (1O2) generated by the synergistic charge transfer (CT) and energy transfer (ET) processes, which provide a reasonable and efficient method for the photocatalytic oxidation of organic transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) achieving high electroluminescence (EL) performance and tiny efficiency roll-off concurrently have been highly desired for practical application. Orange-red luminescence is well-known as an important component of WOLEDs, however, the development of such materials with high efficiency is still challenging due to the relatively poor emission caused by the energy-gap law and the concentration quenching phenomenon. Herein, two orange-red emitting iridium(III) complexes Ir(pq)2pbi and Ir(piq)2pbi with isomeric cyclometalated ligands, i.e. 2-phenylquinoline and 1-phenylisoquinoline, are designed and synthesized. The structural modulation adjusts not only the conjugation degree but also the molecular packing of both complexes, resulting in distinctly different photophysical and EL performance. The utility of Ir(pq)2pbi in a monochromic device shows a current efficiency (ηc) of 36.7 cd A−1, a power efficiency (ηp) of 22.6 lm W−1, and an external quantum efficiency (ηext) as high as 16.0% along with negligible efficiency roll-off, which are much better than those of Ir(piq)2pbi. Two-color complementary WOLEDs based on Ir(pq)2pbi as a dopant realize an ηc of 39.8 cd A−1, an ηp of 31.3 lm W−1, and an ηext of 17.3% with a low ηext roll-off ratio of 2.3%, respectively. Such excellent electroluminescence performance for monochromic and WOLEDs suggests the potential of Ir(pq)2pbi for further display application and will guide further molecular design in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]