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In the species-specific and obligate mutualism between the fig ( Moraceae: Ficus spp.) and its pollinator ( Hymenoptera: Agaonidae), the continuity of lifecycle of both partners completely depends on the female pollinator's ability to detect receptive figs. To better understand the chemical location mechanism, we examined the antennae and their sensilla of the female fig pollinator Eupristina sp. using scanning electron microscopy ( SEM) and transmission electron microscopy ( TEM). The antennae of female Eupristina sp. are geniculated, and in total, there were seven types of sensilla found on the antennae: two types of multiporous placoid sensilla (type 1 is sausage-like and type 2 is rounded), sensilla trichodea ( ST), basiconic sensilla ( BS), chaetica sensilla ( Ch S), coeloconic sensilla ( Co S), and one specialized sensillum classified as sensillum obscurum ( SO). We described external morphology, abundance, distribution, ultrastructure and discussed putative functions. We inferred from their ultrastructures as chemoreceptors that two types of multiporous placoid sensilla, BS and Co S, were innervated by sensory neurons. The aporous type ST, Ch S, and SO were not innervated by dendrites which may function as mechanoreceptor/proprioceptor. These results were also discussed in relation to the interaction between Eupristina sp. and its host fig. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf and fig phenology (including leafing, flowering, and fruiting) and syconium growth of Ficus racemosa were studied in Xishuangbanna, China. Leaffall and flushing of F. racemosa occurred twice yearly: in mid-dry season (December to March) and mid-rainy season (July to September). The adult leaf stage of the first leaf production was remarkably longer than that of the second. F. racemosa bears syconia throughout the year, producing 4.76 crops annually. Asynchronous fig production was observed at a population level. Fig production was independent of leafing. Fig production peaks were not evident, but fluctuation was clear. Diameter growth rates of syconium were normally higher in early developmental stages than in later stages, and reached a peak coinciding with the female flower phase. The mean ± SD of syconium diameter of the female flower phase was 2.19 ± 0.36 cm, and reached 3.67 ± 0.73 cm of the male flower phase. Syconium diameter and receptacle cavity quickly enlarged at the female and male flower phases. Monthly diameter increment of the syconium was primarily affected by average monthly temperature, rather than rainfall or relative humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collection of caterpillar fungus accounts for 50-70% of the household income of thousands of Himalayan communities and has an estimated market value of $5-11 billion across Asia. However, Himalayan collectors are at multiple economic disadvantages compared with collectors on the Tibetan Plateau because their product is not legally recognized. Using a customized hybrid-enrichment probe set and market-grade caterpillar fungus (with samples up to 30 years old) from 94 production zones across Asia, we uncovered clear geography-based signatures of historical dispersal and significant isolation-by-distance among caterpillar fungus hosts. This high-throughput approach can readily distinguish samples from major production zones with definitive geographical resolution, especially for samples from the Himalayan region that form monophyletic clades in our analysis. Based on these results, we propose a two-step procedure to help local communities authenticate their produce and improve this multi-national trade-route without creating opportunities for illegal exports and other forms of economic exploitation. We argue that policymakers and conservation practitioners must encourage the fair trade of caterpillar fungus in addition to sustainable harvesting to support a trans-boundary conservation effort that is much needed for this natural commodity in the Himalayan region.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-like cells have been isolated from various types of tumor. It has previously been reported that MSCs are involved in tumorigenesis and its prognosis. The aim of the present study was to isolate and compare MSC-like cells from human gastric cancer (GC) and its metastatic deposits in ovarian tissue. MSC-like cells were isolated from human gastric cancer (hGC-MSCs) and the corresponding ovarian metastatic tissues (hGCOM-MSCs) from 40 patients. The characteristics of hGC-MSCs and hGCOM-MSCs, including their morphology, surface antigens, specific gene expression and differentiation potential, were similar to those of MSCs derived from human bone marrow (hBM-MSCs) but different from GC cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that MSC-like cells could be isolated from GC tissue and its ovarian metastatic tissues. The existence of MSC-like cells in GC tissues and its ovarian metastatic tissues suggests that they may be a potential target for cancer therapy, and provides an experimental foundation for investigating their role in the initiation and progression of ovarian metastasis of GC.

Unlabelled: High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein is a highly conserved nuclear protein involved in multiple human diseases, including infectious diseases, immune disorders, metabolic disorders, and cancer. HMGB1 is comprised of two tandem HMG boxes (the A box and the B box) containing DNA-binding domains and an acidic C-terminal peptide. It has been reported that HMGB1 enhances viral replication by binding to viral proteins. However, its role in hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication is unknown. Here, we show that HMGB1 promoted HCV replication but had no effect on HCV translation. RNA immunoprecipitation experiments indicated that the positive strand, not the negative strand, of HCV RNA interacted with HMGB1. HCV infection triggered HMGB1 protein translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, in which it interacted with the HCV genome. Moreover, the A box of HMGB1 is the pivotal domain to interact with stem-loop 4 (SL4) of the HCV 5' untranslated region. Deletion of the HMGB1 A box abrogated the enhancement of HCV replication by HMGB1. Our data suggested that HMGB1 serves as a proviral factor of HCV to facilitate viral replication in hepatocytes by interaction with the HCV genome., Importance: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major global health threat, affecting more than 170 million people infection worldwide. These patients are at high risk of developing severe liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently, no vaccine is available. Many host factors may be implicated in the pathogenesis of HCV-related diseases. In this study, we found a novel HCV RNA-binding protein, HMGB1, that promotes HCV RNA replication. Moreover, SL4 in the 5' untranslated region of the HCV genome is the key region for HMGB1 binding, and the A box of HMGB1 protein is the functional domain to interact with HCV RNA and enhance viral replication. HMGB1 appears to play an important role in HCV-related diseases, and further investigation is warranted to elucidate the specific actions of HMGB1 in HCV pathogenesis., (Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) has recently been recognized to harbor therapeutic potential in prevention and treatment of HCC. IFN-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is an ubiquitin-like molecule that is strongly upregulated by type I interferons as a primary response to diverse microbial and cellular stress stimuli. Several studies have shown that the overexpression of ISG15 is correlated with multiply tumor types. However, the role of ISG15 in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC remains undetermined. ISG15 expression was found to be obviously higher in HBV-related HCC tissues than that in non-tumor tissues. ISG15 is a novel prognostic marker for predicting 5-year overall survival of HBV-related HCC patients. Overexpression of ISG15 was associated with clinicopathological characteristics and poor patient outcomes. ISG15 may serve as a novel prognostic marker for HBV-related HCC. Therefore, ISG15 may represent a novel HCC marker with prognostic significance and may be helpful in selecting patients for and predicting response to the treatment of HBV-related HCC.

The population distribution patterns of fig wasps associated with Ficus racemosa in Xishuangbanna were studied by using several indexes. The results indicated that the distribution patterns of 6 fig wasp species were all clump. The aggregative intensity of pollinating wasp (Ceratosolen fusciceps) population at primeval rain forest was nearly equal to that at seriously disturbed site, whereas they were both much higher than that at moderately disturbed site. In the meanwhile, the population aggregative intensity for the same wasp species was higher in rainy season than in dry-hot season, and the lowest was occurred in foggy-cool season. Non-pollinating wasp (Platyneura testacea, Platyneura mayri, Platyneura agraensis, Apocrypta westwoodi, Apocrypta sp.) population and each of their sex group were varied significantly in aggregative intensity, responding to the habitat change and seasonal alteration. The protection of original habitat should be focused on the protection of the mutualism of Ficus racemosa and fig wasps.

Ficus racemosa is a keystone plant in tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. The structure, dynamic and biodiversity of insect community on its syconia fruits were investigated in different plots located in Menglun nature reserve, ravine rainforest in the botanical garden, and secondary forest by Luosuo River. The results showed that the total number of collected insects were 184 264, belonging to 5 order, 19 families, 36 genera, and 51 species. Hymenoptera was the most dominant group, accounted for 37.3% of the total collected species. The pollinator of Ceratosolen fusciceps had huge individual quantities among Hymenoptera, and its successful pollination influenced the stability and development of F. racemosa population. In addition, the proportion of Lepidopter inspects was 31.4%, and the other 31.3% species belonged to Coleoptera, Homopter and Diptera. Through calculating diversity index, evenness index and richness of three plots, it showed that these three indexes were the highest in Menglun nature reserve, secondary in ravine rainforest, and low species diversity and richness in secondary forest by Luosuo River. The experimental results reported here showed that the insect species decreased, the individual number of common species increased, and special species reduced.

The species diversity of the plant plays an important role in the ecological environment conservation. In the tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna the biological diversity is extremely rich, and which is a key region used to biological diversity research. And the fig is a key plant species in the tropical rainforest. The research results about the relationship between the variation of the figs population and environment of the region were following: 1. There were 69 species, variants and subspecies Ficus plant that was known in the tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna, thereinto there were 23 species and subspecies owned to the Urostigma, and the Pharmacosyea had four species; the Sycomorrus two species and subspecies; while the Ficus owned 41 species, subspecies and variants, then Xishuangbanna borne the most richness and diversity of fig species and numbers in China. 2. The distribution of the figs had intimate connection with the environment, and the species and the quantities showed the most richness in the tropical primary rainforest that was protected well and almost intact, where the figs were mainly to be arbors and giant arbors; and in the devastated stand and secondary forest dwarf arbors, shrubs, bushes and ligneous liana possessed the most in the fig species; while in such regions of tropical rainforest environment that have been destroyed seriously one proportion of the pioneer species of the figs were the main members. 3. Only the key colony of Ficus can be conserved in the tropical rainforest, can the whole ecological environment of the tropical rainforest be protected and rehabilitated, which was one of the important measures to realize it.