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Abstract Lanternfish not only boast the most abundant biomass among marine fish species but also play a vital role in marine ecosystems. As one of the lanternfish species with the highest global catch, the skinnycheek lanternfish (Benthosema pterotum) is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region, playing a pivotal role in the marine biological pump. This study constructed the first chromosome-level genome of B. pterotum using a combination of short-read sequencing, PacBio, and Hi-C sequencing technologies. The genome size of B. pterotum is 1,272.53 Mb, with a contig N50 of 810 Kb and a scaffold N50 of 54.49 M. More than 99.65% of contigs were successfully anchored onto 24 pseudochromosomes, and 95.7% of BUSCO genes were identified within the genome, demonstrating the high level of completeness in genome assembly. A total of 24,934 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 99.02% were functionally annotated. The successful assembly of a high-quality genome for B. pterotum provides valuable genetic resources for better understanding its biological characteristics and potentially those of all lanternfish species.

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a devastating whole-joint disease affecting a large population worldwide with no cure; its mechanism remains poorly defined. Abnormal mechanical stress is the main pathological factor of OA. Objectives: To investigate the effects of Piezo1 activation on OA development and progression and to explore Piezo1-targeting OA treatment. Methods: The expression levels of Piezo1 were determined in human OA cartilage and experimental OA mice. Mice with genetic Piezo1 deletion in chondrocytes or intra-articular injection of the Piezo1 activator Yoda1 were utilized to determine the effects on DMM-induced OA progression. Effects of artemisinin (ART), a potent antimalarial drug, on Piezo1 activation, chondrocyte metabolism and OA lesions were determined. Results: Piezo1 expression was elevated in articular chondrocytes in human OA and DMM-induced mouse OA cartilage. Piezo1 deletion in chondrocytes largely attenuates DMM-induced OA-like phenotypes. In contrast, intra-articular injection of Yoda1 aggravates the knee joint OA lesions in mice. PIEZO1 activation increases, while PIEZO1 siRNA knockdown decreases, expression of RUNX2 and catabolic enzymes MMP13 and ADAMTS5 in primary human articular chondrocytes in a PI3K-AKT dependent manner. We have provided strong evidence supporting that ART is a novel and potent inhibitor of Piezo1 activation in primary OA-HACs and all cell lines examined, including human endothelial HUVEC cells, ATDC5 chondrocyte-like cells and MLO-Y4 osteocytes-like cells. Results from in vitro experiments confirmed that ART decreases the Yoda1-induced increases in the levels of OA-related genes and p-PI3K and p-AKT proteins in OA-HACs and alleviates DMM-induced OA lesions in mice. Conclusions: We establish a critical role of Piezo1 in promoting OA development and progression and define ART as a potential OA treatment.

Abstract Spinibarbus caldwelli is an important freshwater economic fish in China. Owing to uncontrolled fishing, wild resources of S. caldwelli have decreased rapidly and may be on the verge of extinction. In this study, utilizing single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology and chromatin interaction mapping (Hi-C) technologies, we assembled the first chromosome-scale genome for S. caldwelli about 1.77 Gb in size, with a contig N50 length of 11.83 Mb and scaffold N50 length of 33.91 Mb. In total 1.72 Gb (97.01%) of the contig sequences were anchored onto fifty chromosomes with the longest scaffold being 56.20 Mb. Furthermore, proximately 49.41% of the genome was composed of repetitive elements. In total, 49,377 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 47,724 (96.65%) genes have been functionally annotated. The high-quality chromosome-level reference genome and annotation are vital for supporting basic genetic studies and will be contribute to genetic structure, functional elucidation, evolutionary inquiry, and germplasm conservation for S. caldwelli.

As a cornerstone species in China's nearshore marine fisheries, Larimichthys crocea has experienced severe population declines due to the exploitation of its spawning and overwintering aggregations. In response, the Chinese government authorities have implemented extensive restocking programs over the past three decades, particularly in Fujian waters. However, the direct evidence of population recovery remains limited, and the genetic impact of large-scaled, hatchery-produced juvenile releases on wild stocks is unclear. In this study, we analyzed hatchery-released stocks (HRS), and wild-captured stocks in the semi-closed Sansha Bay (SBS, northern Fujian) and in the open waters of southern Fujian (SFS) over four consecutive years (2020–2023) using microsatellite markers. Our results reveal the significant genetic differentiation and distinct contribution rates between SBS and SFS, highlighting the region-specific impacts of restocking. The high genetic similarity between SBS and HRS suggests that the Bay may provide favorable conditions for the survival of released stocks compared to open waters. Seasonal genetic variation observed in SBS stocks before and after winter, along with interannual differences in contribution rates, underscoring the winter season is a critical survival bottleneck. The findings of this study indicate that HRS face greater challenges than wild stocks in completing overwinter migrations. These insights provide valuable guidance for the conservation and management of L. crocea stocks, and emphasize the importance of integrating ecological and environmental factors into restocking strategies for this and other marine species.

In this study, the behavioral ethogram of Amphiprion clarkii during the growth phase prior to sexual differentiation was summarized based on behavioral observations in three social environments. These behaviors can be classified into four categories: in addition to normal behaviors, the other three categories of behaviors—threatening, agonistic, and appeasing behaviors—represent different intentions in interactions with other individuals. Subsequently, the personalities of each individual were assessed by testing their reactions to intruders. These individuals mainly exhibited two distinct personality types: bold-aggressive and shy-submissive. In pairing experiments, the interactive behaviors of the anemonefish were observed in pairing combinations of different body sizes and personalities. The impact of personality on the establishment of a stable social hierarchy was confirmed by significant differences in the success rates of different pairing combinations, with the frequency of appeasing behaviors being the main factor influencing the success rate. Our results suggested that in natural waters, when juvenile individuals migrate among host anemones, shy-submissive individuals are more likely to be accepted due to their appeasing behaviors towards larger individuals, thus avoiding the risk of being attacked and bitten, and benefiting the survival of the individual. Conversely, bold-aggressive individuals are more likely to be driven away to another host anemone due to their unwillingness to settle for a lower-ranked status, thereby contributing to population dispersal and increasing opportunities for gene exchange between populations.

Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) strain sensors exhibit promising applications in flexible electronics, people’s health monitoring, etc. It remains a big challenge to develop a simple and cost-effective method to prepare CPCs with high conductivity, corrosion resistance, strong interfacial adhesion and high sensitivity. Here, we propose a facile “drop-casting and fluorination” strategy to fabricate superhydrophobic and highly electrically conductive coating by Ag precursor adsorption onto a commercially available elastic tape, subsequent chemical reduction and final fluorination. The Ag nanoparticles could not only construct the electrically conductive network but also greatly enhance the surface roughness. The contact angle and electrical conductivity of the coating can reach as high as 156° and 126 ​S/cm, respectively. When used for strain sensing, the superhydrophobic and conductive coating shows a high gauger factor (up to 7631 with the strain from 44% to 50%) and outstanding recyclability. The strain sensor could monitor different body joint motions with the stable and reliable sensing signals even after long time treatment in a corrosive solution.

In this study, we identified the important contribution of frontal bone remodeling in shaping the ‘sunken head and humpback’ appearance in C. altivelis. Our investigation identified a developmental milestone at a total length of 5–6 cm, making the onset of its morphologic specialization in this species. A comparative analysis with closely related species reveals heightened activity in the frontal osteoblasts of the humpback grouper, potentially providing a physiological basis for its remodeling. Furthermore, our findings highlight that a significant upregulation in the expression levels of Ihhb, Ptch1, and Gli2a genes was seen in C. altivelis within the specified developmental stage, indicating an important involvement of the Ihhb-Ptch1-Gli2a signaling pathway in initiating the morphological specialization. We hypothesized that Ihh signaling could be attributed to shifts in mechanical stress, resulting from muscle traction on the frontal bone due to changes in swimming patterns during development. This study not only offers significant insights into unraveling the molecular mechanisms that govern phenotypic specialization and ecological adaptations in the humpback grouper but also serves as a valuable reference for studies on fishes with a controversial morphology and molecular phylogeny.

Background and AimVascular function is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Whether exercise improves vascular function in such patients remains controversial. This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis on the effect of exercise training on the vascular function of patients with CKD.MethodsEmbase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Medline were searched from inception until November 15, 2021. The terms exercise, CKD, dialysis, kidney transplant, and randomized controlled trial (RCT) were searched alone or in combination. RCTs were included when studies compared exercise with active control, usual care, or no intervention, and the studies reported vascular function on patients with CKD.ResultsThis meta-analysis included 18 RCTs with 817 patients. Exercise training was significantly associated with decreased pulse wave velocity weighted mean difference (WMD), −0.56; 95% confidence interval (CI), −1.02 to −0.09, P = 0.02 and augmentation index (WMD, −3.26; 95% CI, −5.46 to −1.05, P = 0.004). It was also significantly associated with improved peak VO2 (WMD, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.94–3.35, P < 0.00001), general health (WMD, 7.03; 95% CI, 0.65–13.42, P = 0.03), and vitality (WMD, 9.1; 95% CI, 2.50–15.69, P = 0.007).ConclusionsThe meta-analysis suggested that exercise training improved vascular function in patients with CKD. An exercise program should be considered as one of the management strategies for vascular dysfunction in patients with CKD. Further studies are needed to demonstrate that exercise training improves cardiovascular diseases in patients with CKD.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a promising tool for rapid and noninvasive biomonitoring and resource assessment. Broadly, two main PCR-based strategies of biodiversity monitoring can be deployed for eDNA analysis. The first one consists of targeting single species using standard PCR, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), or droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). The second strategy aims to simultaneously detect multiple species relying on High-Throughput Sequencing (i.e. eDNA metabarcoding). The aim of this study was to further explore a convenient and feasible method to correctly assess fishery resources using eDNA technology for large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea). Two eDNA methods (metabarcoding and qPCR) were used to investigate the biomass and distribution of large yellow croaker in the autumn and spring seasons in the central and southern regions of the East China Sea, and these results were compared with the results of a bottom trawling fishery survey. The results suggested that the designed NADH2-specific primers and developed real-time qPCR method were more applicable and reliable. The variation in the eDNA concentration of large yellow croakers coincided well with that of a real capture survey in the East China Sea. The difference in eDNA concentration between the surface and bottom water samples reflected the distribution characteristics in the water layer related to the life history of L. crocea in the two seasons. The developed methods based on eDNA technology and real-time qPCR could not only be used to evaluate the resource distribution but could also contribute to estimating the life history and migration route of large yellow croaker.

IntroductionThe role of natural killer (NK) cells in rheumatoid arthritis remains controversial. We aimed to assess the role of NK cells in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.Materials and MethodsThe percentage of NK cells in the peripheral blood, spleen, lymph nodes and inflamed paws from collagen-induced arthritis mice were examined through the disease progression. Correlation between the proportion of NK cells and subsets with arthritis score, histopathological changes, and bone destruction were evaluated. Adoptive cell transfer was performed to determine the effect of NKp46+NK cells on arthritis development, and the role of receptor NKp46 was explored with NKp46 knockout mice.ResultsThe percentage of NK cells in peripheral blood decreased at the late stage of the disease and negatively correlated with arthritis score. NK cells increased in the inflamed paws during arthritis development and were positively associated with arthritis score, histopathological change, and bone destruction. Adoptive transfer of NKp46+NK cells before disease onset resulted in increased NK cells infiltration in the joints, higher incidence of arthritis, more severe clinical symptoms, and more pronounced joint inflammation and bone damage. NKp46 deficiency had no significant influence on the incidence and severity of arthritis in collagen-induced arthritis mice.ConclusionsNK cell infiltration in the joints positively correlates with arthritis progression, inflammation, and bone destruction. The pathogenic role of NK cells in rheumatoid arthritis may be independent of the receptor NKp46.

The large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea, was once the most abundant and economically important marine fish in China. Thus far, it has also been the most successful mariculture fish species in China. However, its wild stock severely declined in the 1970s because of overexploitation, and therefore hatchery release has been carried out for stock enhancement since 2000. As a migratory fish, large yellow croaker was divided into three geographical stocks according to ambiguous morphological and biological characteristics in early documents. To investigate the identity of wild large yellow croaker populations and assess the influence of hatchery supplementation on wild populations, a total of 2,785 cultured individuals and 591 wild individuals were collected from 91 hatcheries and six wild populations along the coast of mainland China and analyzed using two mitochondrial genes [cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b)] and one nuclear gene (RyR3). The higher haplotype diversity and moderate nucleotide diversity of wild large yellow croaker indicated that overexploitation, which caused a sharp decrease in biomass, did not lead to a loss of genetic diversity. According to phylogenetic construction and network analysis, the absence of a significant population structure pattern revealed a single panmictic population of wild large yellow croaker with exception of a population collected from the Sansha Bay, which showed high genetic relatedness to the cultured population, suggesting significant genetic effects resulting from stock enhancement. Overall, our study suggests no genetic differentiation in the entire wild population of large yellow croaker, which means that we have great flexibility in mixing and matching farmed and wild populations. However, since the result showed that domestication, the relaxation of purifying selection, increased genetic loads, and maladapted farmed fish will be at a selective disadvantage when cultured juveniles are released in the wild, the effectiveness of stock enhancement and the negative impact of hatchery-wild fish hybridization on the wild population must be carefully evaluated in future.

Activated fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is urgent to develop new drugs that can effectively inhibit the abnormal activation of RA-FLS. In our study, the RA-FLS cell line, MH7A, and mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were used to evaluate the effect of paclitaxel (PTX). Based on the results, PTX inhibited the migration of RA-FLS in a dose-dependent manner and significantly reduced the spontaneous expression of IL-6, IL-8, and RANKL mRNA and TNF-α-induced transcription of the IL-1β, IL-8, MMP-8, and MMP-9 genes. However, PTX had no significant effect on apoptosis in RA-FLS. Mechanistic studies revealed that PTX significantly inhibited the TNF-α-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and suppressed the TNF-α-induced activation of AKT, p70S6K, 4EBP1, and HIF-1α in the AKT/mTOR pathway. Moreover, PTX alleviated synovitis and bone destruction in CIA mice. In conclusion, PTX inhibits the migration and inflammatory mediator production of RA-FLS by targeting the MAPK and AKT/mTOR signaling pathways, which provides an experimental basis for the potential application in the treatment of RA.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of homoharringtonine on proliferation and apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells through long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00857/microRNA (miR) -340. U2OS of osteosarcoma cells was treated with harringtonine at a concentration of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 pg/ml. P21 and cysteine-containing aspartic protease 3 (Caspase-3) protein expression in U2OS cells were detected by western blot, thiazole blue (MTT) and plate cloning experiments to determine cell survival and colony formation, flow cytometry to measure apoptosis, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to assay LINC00857 and miR-340 expression. Bioinformatics and dual luciferase reports analyzed the targeting relationship between LINC00857 and miR-340. Cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1-LINC00857 or anti-miR-340, and treated with homoharringtonine to observe their effects on U2OS protein expression, survival, clone formation and apoptosis. We found that different concentrations of homoharringtonine significantly increased the expression of P21, Caspase-3 protein, apoptotic rate, and miR-340 expression in U2OS cells, and obviously decreased the cell survival rate, the number of colony formation, and the expression of LINC00857 (P<0.05). All were dose-dependent. LINC00857 targets and regulates miR-340. Overexpression of LINC00857 or inhibition of miR-340 evidently reduced the expression levels of P21, Caspase-3 and apoptosis in U2OS cells after homoharringtonine treatment, and remarkably improved cell survival rate and colony formation (P<0.05). It is concluded that homoharringtonine can inhibit the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells and induce apoptosis by regulating LINC00857/miR-340. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]