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Abstract Background Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is a widely distributed viral disease that threatens many vegetables and horticultural species. Using the resistance gene N which induces a hypersensitivity reaction, is a common strategy for controlling this disease in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). However, N gene-mediated resistance has its limitations, consequently, identifying resistance genes from resistant germplasms and developing resistant cultivars is an ideal strategy for controlling the damage caused by TMV. Results Here, we identified highly TMV-resistant tobacco germplasm, JT88, with markedly reduced viral accumulation following TMV infection. We mapped and cloned two tobamovirus multiplication protein 2A (TOM2A) homeologs responsible for TMV replication using an F2 population derived from a cross between the TMV-susceptible cultivar K326 and the TMV-resistant cultivar JT88. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9)-mediated loss-of-function mutations of two NtTOM2A homeologs almost completely suppressed TMV replication; however, the single gene mutants showed symptoms similar to those of the wild type. Moreover, NtTOM2A natural mutations were rarely detected in 577 tobacco germplasms, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated variation of NtTOM2A led to shortened plant height, these results indicating that the natural variations in NtTOM2A were rarely applied in tobacco breeding and the NtTOM2A maybe has an impact on growth and development. Conclusions The two NtTOM2A homeologs are functionally redundant and negatively regulate TMV resistance. These results deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying TMV resistance in tobacco and provide important information for the potential application of NtTOM2A in TMV resistance breeding.

Microbes play a crucial role in maintaining health by aiding in digestion, regulating the immune system, producing essential vitamins, and preventing the colonization of harmful bacteria. The stability of the microbiota is, therefore, necessary for overall well-being. However, several environmental factors can negatively affect the microbiota, including exposure to industrial waste, i.e., chemicals, heavy metals, and other pollutants. Over the past few decades, industries have grown significantly, but the wastewater from those industries has seriously harmed the environment and the health of living beings both locally and globally. The current study investigated the effects of salt-contaminated water exposure on gut microbiota in chickens. According to our findings, amplicon sequencing showed 453 OTUs across control and salt-contaminated water exposure groups. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteriota were the most dominant phyla in the chickens regardless of treatment. However, exposure to salt-contaminated water resulted in a remarkable decline in gut microbial diversity. While, the beta diversity revealed substantial differences in major gut microbiota components. Moroever, microbial taxonomic investigation indicated that the proportions of one bacterial phylum and nineteen bacterial genera significantly decreased. Also, the levels of one bacterial phylum and thirty three bacterial genera markedly increased under salt-contaminated water exposure, which indicates a disruption in gut microbial homeostasis. Hence the current study provides a basis to explore the effects of salt-contaminated water exposure on the health of vertebrate species.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between caregiver burden and anticipatory grief among caregivers of elderly cancer patients, and to examine the chain mediation effects of family functioning and resilience. A total of 624 valid questionnaires were collected. The Structural Equation Model was established to test the mediating effects of family functioning and resilience. Results showed that caregiver burden has a direct positive effect on anticipatory grief, both family functioning and resilience have negative effects on caregiver burden and anticipatory grief, and that resilience moderates the mediating effect of family functioning. Our findings suggest that reducing the caregiver burden among caregivers of elderly cancer patients, improving family functioning, and enhancing resilience have important effects in alleviating the anticipatory grief of caregivers. Our findings provide some references for further research. Medical staff should better understand the grief experience of caregivers and implement interventions to enable caregivers to better cope with anticipatory grief and psychological stress, so as to promote the quality of care for elderly cancer patients.

A component of licorice polysaccharide (GPS-1) was extracted from licorice, its primary structure was identified and characterized for the first time, and its immunomodulatory activity was studied. Crude licorice polysaccharide was isolated and purified by DEAE sepharose FF ion-exchange column chromatography and Chromdex 200 PG gel filtration column chromatography to obtain a purified Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide named GPS-1. NMR and methylation analysis revealed that GPS-1 is composed of homogalacturonan (HG)-type pectin with 4)-D-GalpA-(1 as the backbone. This study of GPS-1 also examined its significant role in regulating immune activity in vitro and in vivo. As a result, GPS-1 promoted the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-4 in mice and increased the proportion of CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes in their spleens. Dendritic cells (DCs) treated with GPS-1 showed promotion of DC maturation, antigen presentation, and phagocytic capacity. The results suggest that GPS-1 is a potential immunomodulator that stimulates the immune system by regulating multiple signaling pathways. Combined with our characterization of the primary structure of GPS-1, the present investigation provides the basis for future study of the form-function relationship of polysaccharides.

The overuse of antibiotics in poultry farming causes the accumulation of drug residue in animals' bodies and the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which not only compromise animals' health but ultimately endanger human health. Thus, there is an urgent need for a novel poultry feed additive to substitute for excessive antibiotics. Glycyrrhiza polysaccharides (GPS) derived from Chinese licorice have shown promising immunomodulatory effects in previous studies. The present study investigated the pharmacological effects of GPS on poultry intestines to assess whether it can be used as a feed additive. The results show that GPS can increase production of sIgA, promote the secretion activity of goblet cells, alter the gut microbial composition and lead to changes in short-chain fatty acids. GPS also elevated both Th1 and Th2 immune responses by facilitating the expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-1β, and IFN-γ while increasing the proportion of both CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the intestine. Moreover, the results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that GPS could significantly change intestinal microbiota composition in the intestine, evidenced by the increased proportion of Bacteroides, Butyricicoccus and Eisenbergiella, as well as a decreased portion of Erysipelatoclostridium, leading to a healthier intestinal microbiota composition for the host. Taken together, it can be concluded that GPS is safe to use as a novel feed additive that can be used as an alternative to prophylactic antibiotics in poultry feeding.

The transition from the closed to open state greatly alters the intra- and inter-subunit interactions of the P2X receptor (P2XR). The interactions that occur in the transmembrane domain of the P2X2R remain unclear. We used substituted cysteine mutagenesis disulfide mapping to identify pairs of residues that are in close proximity within the transmembrane domain of rP2X2R and compared our results to the predicted positions of these amino acids obtained from a rat P2X2R homology model of the available open and closed zebrafish P2X4R structures. Alternations in channel function were measured as a change in the ATP-gated current before and after exposure to dithiothreitol. Thirty-six pairs of double mutants of rP2X2R expressed in HEK293 cells produced normal functioning channels. Thirty-five pairs of these mutants did not exhibit a functionally detectable disulfide bond. The double mutant H33C/S345C formed redox-dependent cross-links in the absence of ATP. Dithiothreitol ruptured the disulfide bond of H33C/S345C and induced a 2 to 3-fold increase in current. The EC50 for H33C/S345C before dithiothreitol treatment was ~2-fold higher than that after dithiothreitol treatment. Dithiothreitol reduced the EC50 to wild-type levels. Furthermore, expression of trimeric concatamer receptors with Cys mutations at some but not all six positions showed that the more disulfide bond formation sites within the concatamer, the greater current potentiation after dithiothreitol incubation. Immunoblot analysis of H33C/S345C revealed one monomer band under nonreducing conditions strongly suggesting that disulfide bonds are formed within single subunits (intra-subunit) and not between two subunits (inter-subunit). Taken together, these data indicate that His33 and Ser345 are proximal to each other across an intra-subunit interface. The relative movement between the first transmembrane and the second transmembrane in the intra-subunit is likely important for transmitting the action of ATP binding to the opening of the channel.

Objective: The aim of this network meta-analysis was to compare the improvement effects of various exercise interventions and mindfulness-based interventions to determine the best interventions for the improvement of cognitive impairment. Design: Seven databases were searched to screen randomized controlled trials of exercise interventions and mindfulness-based interventions to improve cognitive impairment. The network meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.3, R 4.2.1 and ADDIS 1.16.8 software. Results: Thirty-four randomized controlled trials involving 14 interventions were included in the study. In terms of cognitive function, except for mindfulness-based stress reduction, all interventions showed significantly greater improvement in cognitive function compared with conventional therapy. Physical activity and Qigong showed better effect in improving executive function. In terms of improving verbal memory, compensatory cognitive training, neurofeedback training, Qigong, and sham Qigong were more effective than other interventions.On performing surface under the cumulative ranking curve analysis, acceptance and commitment therapy, neurofeedback training, Qigong, and mediation had the best effects on cognitive function, quality of life, executive function, and processing speed, respectively. Conclusions:Mindfulness-based interventions were found to bemore effective than exercise interventions for alleviating cognitive impairment. More robust randomized controlled trials focusing on acceptance and commitment therapy for cognitive impairment are required to support the current evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhinoplasty is a complex surgical procedure that requires critical analysis and precise design before surgery, making it a challenging operation for both the surgical team and medical educators. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of 3D design involvement on learning curves and to establish a more effective method for rhinoplasty education. Methods: Surgeons who participated in an educational program were divided into two groups. The experimental group was involved in the 3D design before the operation, and the control group was asked to review the rhinoplasty atlas. A self-assessment questionnaire was used to evaluate the learning curve of the eight rhinoplasty procedures for each surgeon, and the overall satisfaction rate data were also collected. Results: The self-assessment scores in both groups showed an increasing trend from the first to the eighth operation. The mean scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group at the fifth operation (P=0.01). The satisfaction rate of the experimental group (91.7%) was higher than that of the control group (54.5%). Conclusion: The 3D imaging system can improve the learning curve and satisfaction rate of rhinoplasty education, proving that it is an easy and effective tool for medical education.

To discover novel and efficient compounds against Aphis gossypii Glover, a series of novel terpene ester derivatives containing the structure of bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane were designed and synthesized using tschimganin as the lead compound. Bioactivity assays showed that most tschimganin analogs exhibited moderate to outstanding insecticidal activity against A. gossypii. In particular, compound 56 (LC50 = 0.28 μg mL−1), identified as (1S,2S,4R)-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl nicotinate, exhibited the best activity, which was significantly superior to that of imidacloprid (LC50 = 0.54 μg mL−1) and sulfoxaflor (LC50 = 0.70 μg mL−1). The precise and dependable 3D-QSAR model suggests a promising direction for further design of more active tschimganin-based insecticides. Metabolomics showed that compound 56 disrupted detoxification, amino acid biosynthesis, and energy metabolism and may affect the central nervous system of A. gossypii. The results of this study indicated that tschimganin analogs are a potential new class of green insecticides that can be used for the integrated management of A. gossypii.

Over the years, thrips have transitioned from a minor nuisance to a major problem, significantly impacting the yield and quality of cotton. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for plant protection have emerged as an effective alternative to traditional pesticide spraying equipment. UAVs offer advantages such as avoiding crop damage and enhancing pesticide deposition on the plants and have become the primary choice for pesticide application in cotton fields. In this study, a 2-year field experiment found that the thrips population in a cotton field in Xinjiang, China, exhibited gradual growth during the early flowering phase, peaking in late July. The thrips population gradually shifted from the lower canopy to the upper canopy as the cotton flowers opened layer by layer. From 09:00 to 11:00 (GMT+8) and 19:00 to 21:00 (GMT+8), thrips mainly flew outside the flowers, while from 17:00 to 19:00 (GMT+8), they mostly inhabited the inner whorls of flowers. The insecticides 10% cyantraniliprole oil dispersion and 10% spinetoram suspension concentrate, sprayed by UAV, had the best control effect on thrips, with 80.51% and 79.22% control effect after 7 days of spraying, respectively. The optimal spraying time for 10% cyantraniliprole oil dispersion was 19:00 (GMT+8), and the control effect on thrips reached 91.16% at 7 days of spraying. During the cotton flowering period, thrips inhabited flowers in the evening and flew outside during the day. The best control effect on thrips was achieved with UAV-sprayed 10% cyantraniliprole oil dispersion at 19:00 (GMT+8).

ABSTRACTGenetically modified (GM) soybeans provide a huge amount of food for human consumption and animal feed. However, the possibility of unexpected effects of transgenesis has increased food safety concerns. High-throughput sequencing profiling provides a potential approach to directly evaluate unintended effects caused by foreign genes. In this study, we performed transcriptomic analyses to evaluate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in individual soybean tissues, including cotyledon (C), germ (G), hypocotyl (H), and radicle (R), instead of using the whole seed, from four GM and three non-GM soybean lines. A total of 3,351 DEGs were identified among the three non-GM soybean lines. When the GM lines were compared with their non-GM parents, 1,836 to 4,551 DEGs were identified. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the DEGs showed more abundant categories of GO items (199) among non-GM lines than between GM lines and the non-GM natural varieties (166). Results of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that most KEGG pathways were the same for the two types of comparisons. The study successfully employed RNA sequencing to assess the differences in gene expression among four tissues of seven soybean varieties, and the results suggest that transgenes do not induce massive transcriptomic alterations in transgenic soybeans compared with those that exist among natural varieties. This work offers empirical evidence to investigate the genomic-level disparities induced by genetic modification in soybeans, specifically focusing on seed tissues.

Abstract Hair conditions, such as hair loss and graying, are prevalent human conditions. But they are often poorly controlled due to our insufficient understanding of human scalp hair follicle (hsHF) in health and disease. Here we describe a comprehensive single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) analysis on highly purified black and early-stage graying hsHFs. Based on these, a concise single-cell atlas for hsHF and its early graying changes is generated and verified using samples from multiple independent individuals. These data reveal the lineage trajectory of hsHF in unprecedented detail and uncover its multiple unexpected features not found in mouse HFs, including the presence of an innerbulge like compartment in the growing phase, lack of a discrete companion layer, and enrichment of EMT features in HF stem cells (HFSCs). Moreover, we demonstrate that besides melanocyte depletion, early-stage human hair graying is also associated with specific depletion of matrix hair progenitors but not HFSCs. The hair progenitors’ depletion is accompanied by their P53 pathway activation whose pharmaceutical blockade can ameliorate hair graying in mice, enlightening a promising therapeutic avenue for this prevalent hair condition.

Abstract Background Drought has become the major abiotic stress that causes losses in rice yields and consequently is one of the main environmental factors threatening food security. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is known to play an important role in plant response to drought stress, while the mechanisms of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in drought resistance in upland rice have been rarely reported. Results In our study, a total of 191 lncRNAs, 2115 mRNAs and 32 miRNAs (microRNAs) were found by strand-specific sequencing and small RNA sequencing to be differentially expressed in drought-stressed rice. Functional analysis of results indicate that they play important roles in hormone signal transduction, chlorophyll synthesis, protein synthesis and other pathways. Construction of a ceRNA network revealed that MSTRG.28732.3 may interact with miR171 in the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway and affect the ability of plants to withstand drought stress by regulating Os02g0662700, Os02g0663100 and Os06g0105350. The accuracy of the regulatory network was verified by qRT-PCR. Conclusion Our results provide a theoretical basis for future studies on the potential function of lncRNA in plant drought resistance, and they provide new genetic resources for drought-resistant rice breeding.

Modern literature mainly refers to the new literature which under the conditions of historical changes within the national society and the widely acceptance of the foreign literature. It not only expresses some modern ideas in modern language, but also innovates modern literature in an art form and expression, with the establishment of new literary genre and the creation of new literary content. Literature mainly reflects a certain spiritual world based on the reflection of society. With the development of society, its content and form are also changing. Taking Chinese and Romanian modern literature as an example, it has undergone a long development and has formed a unique modern literary system. In this paper, I will introduce Chinese and Romanian history, society, economy in the interwar period. Based on these background information, I will present The Transformation of Chinese literature and the golden age of Romanian literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background LEA proteins are widely distributed in the plant and animal kingdoms, as well as in micro-organisms. LEA genes make up a large family and function in plant protection against a variety of adverse conditions. Results Bioinformatics approaches were adopted to identify LEA genes in the flax genome. In total, we found 50 LEA genes in the genome. We also conducted analyses of the physicochemical parameters and subcellular location of the genes and generated a phylogenetic tree. LuLEA genes were unevenly mapped among 15 flax chromosomes and 90% of the genes had less than two introns. Expression profiles of LuLEA showed that most LuLEA genes were expressed at a late stage of seed development. Functionally, the LuLEA1 gene reduced seed size and fatty acid contents in LuLEA1-overexpressed transgenic Arabidopsis lines. Conclusion Our study adds valuable knowledge about LEA genes in flax which can be used to improve related genes of seed development.

According to the previous research of our group, we found compound ZQ-8 ((1S,2R,4S)-1,3,3-trimethylbicyclo [2.2.1]heptan-2-yl-4-(tert-butyl)benzoate). This compound showed a strong growth inhibitory effect on Helicoverpa armigera by inhibiting chitinase 2 and endochitinase. To further understand the mechanism of ZQ-8 interfering with the growth and development of H. armigera, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) was utilized to analyze the metabolomics of the epidermis and viscera of H. armigera after ZQ-8 stress. The results revealed that the content of most metabolites was down-regulated after ZQ-8 treatment. Through the analysis of metabolic pathways, it was found that ZQ -8 mainly interfered with energy metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis pathways, which may be one of the important factors in which ZQ-8 caused the death of H. armigera larvae. Furthermore, ZQ-8 not only inhibits chitin degradation but also inhibits chitin synthesis in vivo. These findings provide new insights into a better understanding of the mechanism of action of ZQ-8.

ABSTRACT: Background: Phalloplasty is still a challenging operation because of the high urethral complication rate. Several options regarding different flaps can be chosen, but there is still no perfect solution for phalloplasty in female-to-male (FTM) transgender patients. Our group tried to use prefabricated anterolateral thigh (ALT) flaps for phalloplasty to overcome the urethral complications. Methods: A total of 21 transgender patients were included from 2010 to 2019. A two-stage operation was performed to reconstruct the phallus. The vaginal mucosa was prefabricated as neourethra at the first stage, and the shaft of the phallus was reconstructed at the second stage. Results: All reconstructed phallus survived completely in our study, and the satisfaction rate was 76.2%. The total complication rate was 57.1%. The occurrence of fistula and strictures after the operation was 52.4% and 5.8%, respectively Conclusion: Prefabricated ALT flaps with vaginal mucosa have a lower stricture rate. This technique provides a simple, effective surgical option in FTM transsexuals.

Tissue expansion is a commonly performed therapy to grow extra skin invivo for reconstruction. While mechanical stretch-induced epidermal changes have been extensively studied in rodents and cell culture, little is known about the mechanobiology of the human epidermis in vivo. Here, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to interrogate the changes in the human epidermis during long-term tissue expansion therapy in clinical settings. We also verified the main findings at the protein level by immunofluorescence analysis of independent clinical samples. Our data show that the expanding human skin epidermis maintained a cellular composition and lineage trajectory that are similar to its non-expanding neighbor, suggesting the cellular heterogeneity of long-term expanded samples differs from the early response to the expansion. Also, a decrease in proliferative cells due to the decayed regenerative competency was detected. On the other hand, profound transcriptional changes are detected for epidermal stem cells in the expanding skin versus their non-expanding peers. These include significantly enriched signatures of C-FOS, EMT, and mTOR pathways and upregulation of AREG and SERPINB2 genes. CellChat associated ligand-receptor pairs and signaling pathways were revealed. Together, our data present a single-cell atlas of human epidermal changes in long-term tissue expansion therapy, suggesting that transcriptional change in epidermal stem cells is the major mechanism underlying long-term human skin expansion therapy. We also identified novel therapeutic targets to promote human skin expansion efficiency in the future.

Chronic pain with comorbid emotional disorders is a prevalent neurological disease in patients under various pathological conditions, yet patients show considerable difference in their vulnerability to developing chronic pain. Understanding the neurobiological basis underlying this pain vulnerability is essential to develop targeted therapies of higher efficiency in pain treatment of precision medicine. However, this pain vulnerability has not been addressed in preclinical pain research in animals to date. In this study, we investigated individual variance in both sensory and affective/emotional dimensions of pain behaviors in response to chronic neuropathic pain condition in a mouse model of chronic pain. We found that mice displayed considerably diverse sensitivities in the chronic pain-induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors of affective pain. Importantly, the mouse group that was more vulnerable to developing anxiety was also more vulnerable to developing depressive behavior under the chronic pain condition. In contrast, there was relatively much less variance in individual responses in the sensory dimension of pain sensitization. Molecular analysis revealed that those mice vulnerable to developing the emotional disorders showed a significant reduction in the protein level of DNA methyltransferase 3a in the emotion-processing central nucleus of the amygdala. In addition, social stress also revealed significant individual variance in anxiety behavior in mice. These findings suggest that individual pain vulnerability may be inherent mostly in the emotional/affective component of chronic pain and remain consistent in different aspects of negative emotion, in which adaptive changes in the function of DNA methyltransferase 3a for DNA methylation in central amygdala may play an important role. This may open a new avenue of basic research into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying pain vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Microsurgical replantation has become the most favorable treatment option for scalp avulsion. However, the accurate prediction of postoperative replant viability remains challenging. Case presentation In this article, we showed that (indocyanine green angiography, ICGA) can provide a much more precise prediction of replant necrosis than conventional clinical assessment in a rare case of complete scalp avulsion with prolonged ischemia time. Conclusion Clinical assessment of replant survival may be misleading in cases of complex tissue injuries and prolonged ischemic stress. This case provides insight into the promising utility of ICGA as an important adjuvant tool to better assess tissue perfusion and viability in scalp avulsion and possibly other types of replantation.

Shanlan upland rice is a kind of upland rice and is suitable for planting in the mountains and in hilly terrain. It is mainly found in China’s Hainan province. To discover the drought-resistant genes in Shanlan upland rice, two representative varieties—Baishanuo (BSN) and Dongfang Manpoxiang (MPX)—were selected for transcriptome sequencing, after which gene expression analysis was used to confirm their gene expression patterns. The results demonstrated that 2791 and 829 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified for each variety, including 184 and 58 transcriptional factors, respectively. Expression analysis demonstrated that some genes with unknown functions, such as Os10g0505900, were highly expressed under drought stress treatment. The transcriptomic data and digital gene expression profiling data obtained in this study provide a basis for studying the drought-resistant mechanism in Shanlan upland rice.

The withdrawal of synaptic inputs from the somata and proximal dendrites of spinal motoneurons following peripheral nerve injury could contribute to poor functional recovery. Decreased availability of neurotrophins to afferent terminals on axotomized motoneurons has been implicated as one cause of the withdrawal. No reduction in contacts made by synaptic inputs immunoreactive to the vesicular glutamate transporter 1 and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 is noted on axotomized motoneurons if modest treadmill exercise, which stimulates the production of neurotrophins by spinal motoneurons, is applied after nerve injury. In conditional, neuron-specific brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) knockout mice, a reduction in synaptic contacts onto motoneurons was noted in intact animals which was similar in magnitude to that observed after nerve transection in wild-type controls. No further reduction in coverage was found if nerves were cut in knockout mice. Two weeks of moderate daily treadmill exercise following nerve injury in these BDNF knockout mice did not affect synaptic inputs onto motoneurons. Treadmill exercise has a profound effect on synaptic inputs to motoneurons after peripheral nerve injury which requires BDNF production by those postsynaptic cells.

Following peripheral nerve injury, synapses are withdrawn from axotomized motoneurons. Moderate daily treadmill exercise, which promotes axon regeneration of cut peripheral nerves, also influences this synaptic stripping. Different exercise protocols are required to promote axon regeneration in male and female animals, but the sex requirements for an effect of exercise on synaptic stripping are unknown. In male and female C57BL/6 mice, the sciatic nerve was transected in the mid-thigh. Mice were then exercised five days per week for two weeks, beginning on the third post-transection day. Half of the exercised mice were trained by walking slowly (10 M/min) on a level treadmill for one hour per day (continuous training). Other mice were interval trained; four short (two min) sprints at 20 M/min separated by five minute rest periods. A third group was untrained. The extent of synaptic contacts made by structures immunoreactive to vesicular glutamate transporter 1 and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 onto axotomized motoneurons was studied in confocal images of retrogradely labeled cells. Both types of presumed synaptic contacts were reduced markedly in unexercised mice following nerve transection, relative to intact mice. No significant reduction was found in continuous trained males or interval trained females. Reductions in these contacts in interval trained males and continuous trained females were identical to that observed in untrained mice. Treatments with the anti-androgen, flutamide, blocked the effect of sex-appropriate exercise on synaptic contacts in both males and females. Moderate daily exercise has a potent effect on synaptic inputs to axotomized motoneurons. Successful effects of exercise have different requirements in males and females, but require androgen receptor signaling in both sexes.