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Background: Environmental pollution may give rise to the incidence and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common cause for chronic severe liver lesions. Although knowledge of NAFLD pathogenesis is particularly important for the development of effective prevention, the relationship between NAFLD occurrence and exposure to emerging pollutants, such as microplastics (MPs) and antibiotic residues, awaits assessment. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of MPs and antibiotic residues related to NAFLD occurrence using the zebrafish model species. Methods: Taking common polystyrene MPs and oxytetracycline (OTC) as representatives, typical NAFLD symptoms, including lipid accumulation, liver inflammation, and hepatic oxidative stress, were screened after 28-d exposure to environmentally realistic concentrations of MPs (0.69 mg/L) and antibiotic residue (3.00 lg/L). The impacts of MPs and OTC on gut health, the gut-liver axis, and hepatic lipid metabolism were also investigated to reveal potential affecting mechanisms underpinning the NAFLD symptoms observed. Results: Compared with the control fish, zebrafish exposed to MPs and OTC exhibited significantly higher levels of lipid accumulation, triglycerides, and cholesterol contents, as well as inflammation, in conjunction with oxidative stress in their livers. In addition, a markedly smaller proportion of Proteobacteria and higher ratios of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes were detected by microbiome analysis of gut contents in treated samples. After the exposures, the zebrafish also experienced intestinal oxidative injury and yielded significantly fewer numbers of goblet cells. Markedly higher levels of the intestinal bacteria-sourced endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were also detected in serum. Animals treated with MPs and OTC exhibited higher expression levels of LPS binding receptor (LBP) and downstream inflammation-related genes while also exhibiting lower activity and gene expression of lipase. Furthermore, MP-OTC coexposure generally exerted more severe effects compared with single MP or OTC exposure. Discussion: Our results suggested that exposure to MPs and OTC may disrupt the gut-liver axis and be associated with NAFLD occurrence. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11600, Introduction Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by excessive fat accumulation in hepatocytes, was suggested to be the most common cause of chronic liver lesions. (1) Recent surveys have demonstrated [...]

Abyssal (3501–6500 m) and hadal (>6500 m) fauna evolve under harsh abiotic stresses, characterized by high hydrostatic pressure, darkness and food shortage, providing unique opportunities to investigate mechanisms underlying environmental adaptation. Genomes of several hadal species have recently been reported. However, the genetic adaptation of deep sea species across a broad spectrum of ocean depths has yet to be thoroughly investigated, due to the challenges imposed by collecting the deep sea species. To elucidate the correlation between genetic innovation and vertical distribution, we generated a chromosome‐level genome assembly of the macrourids Coryphaenoides yaquinae, which is widely distributed in the abyssal/hadal zone ranging from 3655 to 7259 m in depth. Genomic comparisons among shallow, abyssal and hadal‐living species identified idiosyncratic and convergent genetic alterations underlying the extraordinary adaptations of deep‐sea species including light perception, circadian regulation, hydrostatic pressure and hunger tolerance. The deep‐sea fishes (Coryphaenoides Sp. and Pseudoliparis swirei) venturing into various ocean depths independently have undergone convergent amino acid substitutions in multiple proteins such as rhodopsin 1, pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 and melanocortin 4 receptor which are known or verified in zebrafish to be related with vision adaptation and energy expenditure. Convergent evolution events were also identified in heat shock protein 90 beta family member 1 and valosin‐containing protein genes known to be related to hydrostatic pressure adaptation specifically in fishes found around the hadal range. The uncovering of the molecular convergence among the deep‐sea species shed new light on the common genetic innovations required for deep‐sea adaptation by the fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the following nonlinear Schrödinger equation:

China leads the world in freshwater pearl production, an industry in which the triangle sail mussel (Sinohyriopsis cumingii) plays a pivotal role. In this paper, we report a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of S. cumingii with a size of 2.90 Gb—the largest yet reported among bivalves—and 89.92% anchorage onto 19 linkage groups. The assembled genome has 37,696 protein-coding genes and 50.86% repeat elements. A comparative genomic analysis revealed expansions of 752 gene families, mostly associated with biomineralization, and 237 genes under strong positive selection. Notably, the fibrillin gene family exhibited gene family expansion and positive selection simultaneously, and it also exhibited multiple high expressions after mantle implantation by transcriptome analysis. Furthermore, RNA silencing and an in vitro calcium carbonate crystallization assay highlighted the pivotal role played by one fibrillin gene in calcium carbonate deposition and aragonite transformation. This study provides a valuable genomic resource and offers new insights into the mechanism of pearl biomineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new SARS animal model was established by inoculating SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) into rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) through the nasal cavity. Pathological pulmonary changes were successively detected on days 5-60 after virus inoculation. All eight animals showed a transient fever 2-3 days after inoculation. Immunological, molecular biological, and pathological studies support the establishment of this SARS animal model. Firstly, SARS-CoV-specific IgGs were detected in the sera of macaques from 11 to 60 days after inoculation. Secondly, SARS-CoV RNA could be detected in pharyngeal swab samples using nested RT-PCR in all infected animals from 5 days after virus inoculation. Finally, histopathological changes of interstitial pneumonia were found in the lungs during the 60 days after viral inoculation: these changes were less marked at later time points, indicating that an active healing process together with resolution of an acute inflammatory response was taking place in these animals. This animal model should provide insight into the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-related pulmonary disease and greatly facilitate the development of vaccines and therapeutics against SARS.