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Umami taste receptor type 1 member 1/3 (T1R1/T1R3) heterodimer has multiple ligand-binding sites, most of which are located in T1R1

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a highly aggressive disease, and its progression involves a complex gene regulation network. Transcription factor SOX2 is amplified in various cancers including EC. A pathway involving SOX2 regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their target genes has been previously revealed. This study aims to delineate the ability of SOX2 to influence the EC progression, with the involvement of miR-30e/USP4/SMAD4/CK2 axis. SOX2 expression was first examined in the clinical tissue samples from 30 EC patients. Effects of SOX2 on proliferation, migration, and invasion alongside tumorigenicity of transfected cells were examined by means of gain- and loss-of-function experiments. EC tissues and cells exhibited high expression of SOX2, miR-30e, and CK2 and poor expression of USP4 and SMAD4. Mechanistically, SOX2 was positively correlated with miR-30e and upregulated the expression of miR-30e. miR-30e specifically targeted USP4, which induced deubiquitination of SMAD4 and promoted its expression. Meanwhile, SMAD4 was enriched in the CK2 promoter region and thus inhibited its expression. SOX2 stimulated EC cell proliferative, invasive, and migratory capacities in vitro and tumor growth in vivo by regulating the miR-30e/USP4/SMAD4/CK2 axis. Collectively, our work reveals a novel SOX2-mediated regulatory network in EC that may be a viable target for EC treatment., Graphical Abstract, SOX2-upregulated miR-30e targets USP4 and decreases its expression, thus reducing SMAD4 expression to activate CK2, which ultimately leads to esophageal cancer (EC) cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. This study reveals a novel SOX2-mediated regulatory network in EC that may be a viable target for EC treatment.

Recent studies have suggested that microRNA let-7i is a tumor suppressor in human cancers, including esophageal cancer, but its underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. We investigated the role and mechanisms of let-7i in the progression of esophageal cancer. We first showed that let-7i was downregulated in esophageal cancer tissues and cells and then linked its low expression to cancer progression. Bioinformatic analysis predicted KDM5B as a target gene of let-7i, which was confirmed by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Loss- and gain-of function approaches were adopted to examine the interactions of let-7i, KDM5B, SOX17, and GREB1 in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of let-7i suppressed esophageal cancer cell proliferation and invasion and promoted apoptosis. Mechanistic investigation showed that let-7i targeted and inhibited KDM5B expression, whereas KDM5B enhanced H3K4me3 at the SOX17 promoter region. Overexpression of let-7i suppressed the expression of GREB1 in esophageal cancer cells by regulating the KDM5B/SOX17 axis in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, our findings reveal the tumor-suppressive properties of let-7i in esophageal cancer in association with an apparent KDM5B-dependent SOX17/GREB1 axis. This study offers a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for esophageal cancer., Graphical Abstract, Mechanistic investigation suggests a KDM5B-dependent SOX17/GREB1 axis is responsible for the tumor-suppressive role of let-7i in esophageal cancer, which contributes to the development of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

The bioelectronic tongues based on taste receptors have been emerging with human-like taste perception. However, the practical applications of the receptor-based biosensors were restricted by their narrow and low dynamic ranges. Here, a novel immobilization strategy based on AuNPs@ZIF-8/Ti

Introduction Lung cancer (LC) is among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, with extremely high morbidity and mortality rates. Mounting evidence has suggested that the abnormally expressed long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in lung cancer tissues may play vital roles in tumor progression. In the present research, we aimed to examine the functions and underlying mechanism of linc01833 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods qRT-PCR was employed to determine transfection efficiency. CCK-8, transwell invasion assay, Western blotting analysis and qRT-PCR were used to detect proliferation as well as migration of different LUAD cell lines, and were also applied to determine the changes during epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). Afterwards, bioinformatics and dual-luciferase reporter assay were utilized to explore and to identify the potential corresponding targets of linc01833 and miR-519e-3p. Results Linc01833 OE can significantly improve proliferation as well as invasion ability of LC cells and promote the EMT process. Dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that linc01833 could directly bind to miR-519e-3p, thereby inhibiting its expression. Further experiments showed that S100A4 was a direct target of miR-519e-3p. Rescue assay demonstrated that linc01833 acted on the miR-519e-3p/S100A4 axis. Conclusion We verified the mechanism of linc01833 in promoting infiltration and metastasis in LUAD. To be specific, linc01833 can function as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to adsorb miR-519e-3p through a sponge and regulate S100A4 in lung cancer, thereby being involved in LUAD progression. Collectively, our research provides new insights towards the in-depth understanding of LC progression mechanisms.

The aim of the present study was to examine the frequency, characteristics, and risk factors of level IIb lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma.We reviewed and collected clinical and pathological records for 954 papillary thyroid carcinoma patients with clinically positive lateral neck node metastasis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to detect risk factors for level IIb lymph node metastasis; a predictive model was built based on multivariate analysis and tested in a validation group.Level IIb lymph node metastasis was observed in 137 of 954 patients (14.4%). Univariate and multivariate analyses using the training group indicated that gross extrathyroidal extension of the primary tumor, tumor location in the upper pole, and preoperative distant metastasis were 3 independent risk factors for level IIb lymph node metastasis. This model was built and tested in a validation group, and the area under the curve was 0.840 (P.001). The cutoff of the IIb score was 12, which was tested in the validation group; the sensitivity was 82.1% and the specificity was 95.6%.Level IIb dissection should be performed in select patients with IIb scores ≥12.

Background To identify an immune-related prognostic signature and find potential therapeutic targets for uveal melanoma. Methods The RNA-sequencing data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The prognostic six-immune-gene signature was constructed through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and multi-variate Cox regression analyses. Functional enrichment analysis and single sample GSEA were carried out. In addition, a nomogram model established by integrating clinical variables and this signature risk score was also constructed and evaluated. Results We obtained 130 prognostic immune genes, and six of them were selected to construct a prognostic signature in the TCGA uveal melanoma dataset. Patients were classified into high-risk and low-risk groups according to a median risk score of this signature. High-risk group patients had poorer overall survival in comparison to the patients in the low-risk group (p Conclusion Our newly identified six-immune-gene signature and a nomogram model could be used as meaningful prognostic biomarkers, which might provide uveal melanoma patients with individualized clinical prognosis prediction and potential novel treatment targets.

Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) act pivotal roles in the progression of multiple malignancies. However, the underlying mechanisms by which hsa_circ_0007031 (circTUBGCP3) contributes to lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) remain largely unknown. Methods The association of circTUBGCP3 expression with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in patients with LAC was determined by RT-qPCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization. The in vitro functional experiments as well as a subcutaneous tumorigenesis model were executed to estimate the role of circTUBGCP3 in LAC cells. The interaction between circTUBGCP3 and miR-885-3p was confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation, luciferase gene report and RT-qPCR assays. The effects of circTUBGCP3 on miR-885-3p-mediated Wnt10b/β-catenin signaling were evaluated by Western blot. Results The upregulation of circTUBGCP3 or downregulation of miR-885-3p was associated with the pathological stage and poor survival in patients with LAC. Restored expression of circTUBGCP3 facilitated the growth and invasion of LAC cells, but knockdown of circTUBGCP3 harbored the opposite effects. In mechanism, circTUBGCP3 could act as a sponge of miR-885-3p, which suppressed the cell proliferation and colony formation and attenuated the tumor-promoting effects of circTUBGCP3. Wnt10b as a target of miR-885-3p could be upregulated be circTUBGCP3 and indicate poor survival in patient with LAC. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that circTUBGCP3 promoted LAC progression by sponging miR-885-3p, and might represent a prognostic factor for LAC.

Over the past decades, due to the desire for artificial umami flavors, apparatuses for detecting the umami taste have constantly been developed. Nevertheless, most information on umami is still acquired through human sensory assessment, which makes it difficult to establish an umami standard or quantify the umami flavor. In this study, the ligand binding domain called venus flytrap (VFT) domain of the umami taste receptor protein T1R1 was used as a recognition element, and an electrochemical biosensor based on a double-signal amplification strategy was constructed using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and Prussian blue (PB). Moreover, the umami taste of four representative umami substances, inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP), monosodium L-glutamate (MSG), beefy meaty peptide (BMP), and sodium succinate (WSA), were successfully quantitatively measured using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at an electrochemical workstation. Based on an equation (S/N = 3), the low detection limits (LODs) of IMP, MSG, BMP, and WSA were 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, and 0.01 pM, respectively. Meanwhile, a normalized signal intensity of more than 90% was kept for 4 days. The results showed that the biosensor could be used to detect umami substances with high sensitivity and selectivity, and was shown to have human-like performance. To develop the T1R1-VFT biosensor using the above-mentioned method, we utilized the ligand binding domain of the human umami receptor, rather than the entire umami receptor protein, which had a complex structure, having the following advantages: volume reduction, simplicity, and stability. This method has great potential for the detection of umami tastes, instead of using sensory evaluation, and for the development of new artificial flavorings.

With the large-scale use of pesticides, food safety issues caused by their residues have been drawn increasing concern. In this study, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with a Au@Ag nanoparticle (NP)-graphene oxide (GO) composite substrate which was synthesized by a simple self-assembly method was applied for the rapid determination of thiram residues in fruit juice. To obtain high SERS activity, the loading and the aggregation of Au@Ag NP on the graphene oxide sheets were adjusted by controlling the size of Au@Ag nanoparticle and the concentration of graphene oxide in solution. Using the optimal conditions, the limit of detection for thiram standard solution was 6.3 ng/mL, while the limits of detection for thiram in apple juice and grape juice without any pretreatment were 36.7 and 134.4 ng/mL, respectively. The entire analytical process required less than 20 min. The results indicated that SERS technology coupled with Au@Ag nanoparticle graphene oxide composite substrate was a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for the determination of pesticide residues in fruit juice.

Malachite green (MG) is a banned fish drug, but is often found in various aquatic food products. In this study, Au nanoparticles (NPs) were incorporated with graphene oxide (GO) to fabricate Au NPs-GO hybrid films as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for MG detection. The enhancement effect of the hybrid substrate for SERS signal of MG as influenced by GO concentration, size of Au NPs and pretreatment method for quartz sheets were evaluated. The optimal Au NPs-GO substrate was used to detect MG in fish muscle with SERS technology. The lowest detectable concentration for MG standard solution was 0.01 ng/mL, and the concentration of 0.25 ng/g could be detected in the muscle extracts of two different fish. SERS combined with Au NPs-GO hybrid substrate shows great potential for detection of trace amounts of MG in aquatic products.

An HPLC method coupled with pre-column derivatization was used to analyze the concentrations of six biogenic amines (BAs) including putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, spermidine, tyramine and spermine in Gonatopsis borealis (a species of squid) during different storage conditions (0 °C and 4 °C, 0–12 d; 25 °C, 0–24 h). Results showed that histamine (21.03–32.26 mg/kg) was the dominant BA in squid muscle stored at refrigerator temperature, followed by spermine (10.84–7.94 mg/kg) and spermidine (3.67–11.20 mg/kg). The levels of six BAs in the squid muscle increased with storage time, and their formations during storage were zero-order reactions (0 °C, R2 = 0.834–0.979, k = 0.0003–0.0006 mg/kg min−1; 4 °C, R2 = 0.705–0.994, k = 0.0004–0.0006 mg/kg min−1; 25 °C, R2 = 0.454–0.931, k = 0.0003–0.0512 mg/kg min−1), which meant that the contents of BAs in squid muscle did not affect their formation rates. In addition, the concentrations of BAs were correlated with total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) values (R2 = 0.604–0.966). The results of multivariate linear regression analysis show that the use of six BAs could predict the TVB-N value in squid muscle very well (R2 = 0.944–1.000). This study revealed the changes and formation kinetics of six BAs in Gonatopsis borealis stored at refrigerator and ambient temperature conditions, which could contribute to improving the safety and quality of shellfish products.

In this study, nitrogen- and sulfur-codoped porous carbon (NSPC) was prepared via the direct carbonization of an electrostatically cross-linked complex of hydrophobic poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC). Our results demonstrate that an intact carbon membrane featured with substantial micropores can be achieved facilely through the newly developed technique. NSPCs are characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. NSPC pyrolyzed at 1000 °C (NSPC-1000) offers a specific surface area as high as 1520 m2 g−1. Importantly, the electrode fabricated with NSPC-1000 can provide a specific capacity as high as 633 F g−1 at the current density of 0.1 A g−1 in 1.0 M H2SO4 and excellent cycle stability without obvious capacity loss after 10,000 cycles. Our studies thus propose a novel strategy to fabricate porous carbon membrane with high electrochemical performance using PIL and biomacromolecules.

MicroRNA-497 (miR-497) has been reported to be a tumor-suppressive miRNA in thyroid cancer (TC), yet the mechanism is not clearly defined. In this study, we aim to determine the mechanism by which miR-497-3p affects the progression of TC. After characterization of low miR-497-3p expression pattern in TC and normal tissues, we assessed the correlation between miR-497-3p expression and clinicopathological features of TC patients. Its low expression shared associations with advanced tumor stage and lymph node metastasis. ChIP and methylation-specific PCR provided data showing that downregulation of miR-497-3p in TC tissues was induced by DNA methyltransferase-mediated hypermethylation. By performing dual-luciferase reporter assay, we identified that miR-497-3p targeted PAK1 while PAK1 could inhibit β-catenin expression. Through this mechanism, miR-497-3p exerted the anti-proliferative, anti-invasive, pro-apoptotic, and anti-tumorigenic effects on TC cells on the strength of the results from gain-of-function and rescue experiments. This study suggested that hypermethylation of miR-497-3p resulted in upregulation of β-catenin dependent on PAK1 and contributed to cancer progression in TC, which highlighted one of miR-mediated tumorigenic mechanism.

Papillary thyroidal carcinoma (PTC) is a common endocrine cancer that plagues people across the world. The potential roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in PTC have gained increasing attention. In this study, we aimed to explore whether lncRNA ROR affects the progression of PTC, with the involvement of tescalcin (TESC)/aldehyde dehydrogenase isoform 1A1 (ALDH1A1)/βIII-tubulin (TUBB3)/tensin homolog (PTEN) axis. PTC tumor and adjacent tissues were obtained, followed by measurement of lncRNA ROR and TESC, ALDH1A1, and TUBB3 expression. Interactions among lncRNA ROR, TESC, ALDH1A1, TUBB3, and PTEN were evaluated by ChIP assay, RT-qPCR, or western blot analysis. After ectopic expression and depletion experiments in PTC cells, MTT and colony formation assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry were performed to detect cell viability and colony formation, cell migration and invasion, and apoptosis, respectively. In addition, xenograft in nude mice was performed to test the effects of lncRNA ROR and PTEN on tumor growth in PTC in vivo. LncRNA ROR, TESC, ALDH1A1, and TUBB3 were highly expressed in PTC tissues and cells. Overexpression of lncRNA ROR activated TESC by inhibiting the G9a recruitment on the promoter of TESC and histone H3-lysine 9me methylation. Moreover, TESC upregulated ALDH1A1 expression to increase TUBB3 expression, which then reduced PTEN expression. Overexpression of lncRNA ROR, TESC, ALDH1A1 or TUBB3 and silencing of PTEN promoted PTC cell viability, colony formation, migration, and invasion while suppressing apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of lncRNA ROR increased tumor growth by inhibiting PTEN in vivo. Taken together, the current study demonstrated that lncRNA ROR mediated TESC/ALDH1A1/TUBB3/PTEN axis, thereby facilitating the development of PTC.

Takifugu obscurus (T. obscurus) is known for its umami taste. Two taste-active peptides, Pro-Val-Ala-Arg-Met-Cys-Arg (PR-7) and Tyr-Gly-Gly-Thr-Pro-Pro-Phe-Val (YV-8), were proved as key compounds that contributed to the typical taste of T. obscurus. However, whether these peptides have the potential as umami supplements is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the taste characteristics of PR-7 and YV-8, as well as stability at different pH values by sensory evaluation, instrumental analysis and quantum chemical calculation. The results indicated that PR-7 and YV-8 presented umami taste at near neutral pH (6.5–8.0) and had umami-enhancing effects. PR-7 also exhibited significant kokumi activity. Additionally, two peptides showed remarkable stability after different pH treatments, especially YV-8; this may be related to its stable structural property. All the results suggest that both peptides have great potential to be applied in complex foods to provide desirable taste, and act as a feasible alternative to monosodium l -glutamate.

Introduction Lung cancer (LC) is among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, with extremely high morbidity and mortality rates. Mounting evidence has suggested that the abnormally expressed long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in lung cancer tissues may play vital roles in tumor progression. In the present research, we aimed to examine the functions and underlying mechanism of linc01833 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods qRT-PCR was employed to determine transfection efficiency. CCK-8, transwell invasion assay, Western blotting analysis and qRT-PCR were used to detect proliferation as well as migration of different LUAD cell lines, and were also applied to determine the changes during epithelial–mesenchymal transformation (EMT). Afterwards, bioinformatics and dual-luciferase reporter assay were utilized to explore and to identify the potential corresponding targets of linc01833 and miR-519e-3p. Results Linc01833 OE can significantly improve proliferation as well as invasion ability of LC cells and promote the EMT process. Dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that linc01833 could directly bind to miR-519e-3p, thereby inhibiting its expression. Further experiments showed that S100A4 was a direct target of miR-519e-3p. Rescue assay demonstrated that linc01833 acted on the miR-519e-3p/S100A4 axis. Conclusion We verified the mechanism of linc01833 in promoting infiltration and metastasis in LUAD. To be specific, linc01833 can function as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to adsorb miR-519e-3p through a sponge and regulate S100A4 in lung cancer, thereby being involved in LUAD progression. Collectively, our research provides new insights towards the in-depth understanding of LC progression mechanisms.

Background: Yersinia enterocolitica is a human-animal-fish-associated infectious diarrhea pathogen that has caused widespread international attention in recent years. Many strains of Yersinia enterocolitica were identified from different animal species, but there is no information reported Yersinia enterocolitica in Gymnocypris przewalskii. The Gymnocypris przewalskii is a very important species in the Qinghai Lake. They were listed in the China' s second-class protected animal species. Preliminary research on the distribution of Yersinia enterocolitica and the drug sensitive fauna test on Gymnocypris przewalskii was a urgent solving problem for which maintain the original ecological symbiotic system and restore Gymnocypris przewalskii resource. In order to solve these issues, we performed this research.Methods: Pathogen of Yersinia enterocolitica of 75 death Gymnocypris przewalskii was isolated by routine isolation culture and identification technique in fishing bank of Xining. At the same time, the drug sensitive fauna test had been detected. At the meantime, 16S rRNA gene of Yersinia enterocolitica was cloned and sequences identified.Results: The results showed that 5 strains Yersinia enterocolitica were obtained, positive ratio was 6.67% (5/75). 1 strains bacteria had lethal effect to mice by pathogenic test. The average drug-resistant of 5 strain Yersinia enterocolitica was 54.29% (38/70) to 14 kinds of antibiotic. The result of 16S rRNA gene of Yersinia enterocolitica identified showed that one piece of 1419 bp specific braid was obtained. The homologies of nucleotide of 16S rRNA were 91%-95% between 15 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica from GenBank by measuring sequence.Conclusion: Yersinia enterocolitica can infect Gymnocypris przewalskii. Some strains cause lethal effect to mice and have drug-resistant effect. The 16S rRNA gene matches 91%-95% with other strains nucleotides download from GenBank and forms a unique branch separated from them.Trial registration: During this research, we didn’t need to apply for trail and have no trial registration number.

The effects of different concentrations of black pepper (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%, wt/wt) and frying time (4, 8, and 12 min) on the contents of six heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) were investigated in fried tilapia fillets. The level of total HAAs increased analogously with the increase in frying time, the total content of HAAs in fried tilapia fillets with or without black pepper ranged from 6.4 to 24.72 ng/g, and 10.43 to 33.19 ng/g, respectively. The inhibition rates of 1.0% of black pepper on 2‐amino‐1‐methyl‐6‐phenylimidazo[4,5‐f] pyridine (PhIP) and 2‐amino‐3,8‐dimethylimidazo[4,5‐f] quinoxaline (MeIQx) levels were found to be 100% when the samples fried for 8 min, which were same as the samples fried for 12 min. The study demonstrated that 2‐amino‐3,4‐dimethylimidazo[4,5‐f] quinoline (MeIQ) and 9H‐pyrido[3,4‐b]‐indole (Norharman) were positively correlated with the degree of protein oxidation and that black pepper can greatly reduce the content of total HAAs. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Black pepper is often added for improving flavor in foods. Moreover, due to its antioxidant properties, it can be considered as one of safe and natural additives to inhibit HAAs formation. This is the first study about the inhibition of HAAs by adding black pepper in tilapia fillets before frying. The experimental results showed that black pepper was highly effective in inhibiting HAAs, and the addition of 1.0% of black pepper led to the greatest inhibition of total HAAs in fried fish fillets. A useful approach was provided through this study to control the formation of hazardous HAAs in fried fish products, which eventually help improve the safety and quality of fried aquatic products.

Background: Both SOX2 and microRNA-30e (miR-30e) were reported to be involved in esophageal cancer (EC) progression. However, whether there is correlation between SOX2 and miR-30e in EC cells remains undiscovered. Herein, this study was intended to explore the correlation between SOX2 and miR-30e in EC and the effect of this correlation on EC cell invasion. Methods: Following collection of EC tissues and cells, miR-30e, SOX2, miR-30e, USP4, SMAD4, and CK2 expression was determined by RT-qPCR, western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Gain- and loss-of-function approaches were conducted in screened cell lines, followed by determination of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes. The relationship among miR-30e, USP4, SMAD4 and CK2 was assessed by dual-luciferase reporter assay, in vitro protein purification, immunoprecipitation, and ubiquitination experiments, and ChIP assay. The role of SOX2 and CK2 in EC in vivo was evaluated by tumor xenograft in nude mice. Results: EC tissues and cells contained high expression of SOX2, miR-30e, and CK2 as well as low expression of USP4 and SMAD4. miR-30e was upregulated by SOX2, and specifically targeted USP4. Additionally, USP4 induced the deubiquitination of SMAD4 to upregulate SMAD4. SMAD4 was enriched in CK2 promoter region and inhibited CK2 expression. Silencing of SMAD4 or USP4 or upregulation of SOX2, miR-30e or CK2 triggered enhancement in EC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT in vitro, and promotion of tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Conclusion: Taken together, our work reveals a novel SOX2-mediated regulatory axis that plays critical roles in the invasiveness of EC cells. Funding Statement: This work was supported by Youth Foundation of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81702971), Key Scientific Research Projects of Colleges and Universities of Henan Province (No. 18A320054), Science and Technology Research Projects of Henan Province (No. 182102310116) and Youth Talent Lifting Projects of Henan Province (No. 2020HYTP050) Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University provided Ethical Approval for the experiments involved human beings in this study which were guided by the intentions of the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical agreements were obtained from the donors or their relatives by written informed consent. The experiments involved animals were implemented in accordance with the principles embodied in the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory. Efforts were made to avoid all unnecessary distress to the animals.

Taste signals are uniformly encoded and transmitted to the brain's taste center by taste buds, and the process has not been systematically studied for several decades. The aim of this work was to investigate the distribution of umami receptors on the tongue and its signal coding logic based on the taste bud biosensors. Taste bud biosensors were constructed by immobilizing the taste bud tissues from different tongue regions of the rabbit to the glassy carbon electrode surface; The Shennong information equations were used to analysis the pattern of umami receptors to encode ligands information; The signal amplification capabilities of two types umami receptors (T1R1/T1R3 and mGluRs) were analyzed for the two ligands (L-monosodium glutamate (MSG) and disodium 5′-inosinate (IMP)). The results showed that each taste bud biosensor could sense MSG and IMP with different response currents based on enzyme-substrate kinetics. There was only a small fraction of a great quantity of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) could be activated to encode MSG signal. Importantly, T1R1 was more expressed in the rostral tongue cells whose sensitivity to MSG was nearly 100 times stronger than that of caudal tongue cells. The method we proposed made it possible to reveal the distribution and signals coding logic of umami receptors for ligands, which showed great potential to explain the interaction mechanism of umami substances with their receptors more accurately and to develop of artificial intelligent taste sensory.

BACKGROUND Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid malignancy which is generally accompanied by lymph node metastasis. OBJECTIVE Our study evaluated whether carbon nanoparticle lymph node tracer can improve the outcomes of surgical treatment in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). METHODS Ninety-two patients were selected and underwent total thyroidectomy and lymph node resection. Our study placed 45 individuals into the treatment group (carbon nanoparticle group) and 47 cohorts in the control group (no carbon nanoparticle group). RESULTS Carbon nanoparticle application remarkably improved lymph nodes detection rate in patients (4.7 ± 3.0; P< 0.05) compared to those in control groups (3.5 ± 2.3). The rate of parathyroid accidental resection in the carbon nanoparticle group significantly decreased (6.67%) compared to the control group (21.28%). Incidents of hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcaemia significantly decreased among the carbon nanoparticle cohorts. CONCLUSIONS Our study definitively showed that carbon nanoparticles can be used to effectively treat lymphatic carcinoma. Our study presented clinical evidences for potential application of carbon nanoparticle in improving the management of PTC patients.

The effects of cold storage (0 °C, 0–8 days) and salts (NaCl, 0.5–5%; NaNO2, 50–150 mg/kg) on the formation of protein-bound Nɛ-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and Nɛ-(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL) in raw and subsequently commercially sterilized (121 °C, 10 min) pork were investigated. Based upon two-factor analysis of variance (α = 0.05), there was no significant interaction effect between salts and storage time on the levels of CML and CEL in raw or sterile pork; salts and storage time did not significantly affect the amounts of CML and CEL in raw pork. However, in sterile pork, 1.5–5% NaCl treatments led to an average of 7.5–52.6% increase in CML, while NaNO2 resulted in 25.4–37.1% and 21.4–23.4% reduction in CML and CEL, respectively; raw pork stored for 8 days led to 82.5% increase of CML and 32.6% increase of CEL in the sterile products (n = 30), as compared to those without cold storage.

Background: LncRNA PTCSC3 is a tumor suppressor in thyroid cancer, and its role in drug resistance of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) to chemotherapy drug doxorubicin was investigated in this study. Methods: Expression of RNA and protein was analyzed by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the expression rate of CD133(+) cells. The endogenous expression of related genes was modulated by recombinant plasmids and cell transfection. Combination condition and interaction between PTCSC3 and STAT3 were determined by RIP and RNA pull-down assay, respectively. MTT assay was performed to detect cytotoxicity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was conducted to identify interactions between STAT3 and DNA promoter of INO80. Results: LncRNA PTCSC3 was low-expressed in ATC tissues and cells. Over-expressed PTCSC3 inhibited the drug resistance of ATC to doxorubicin. PTCSC3 negatively regulated STAT3, and STAT3 promoted expression of INO80. PTCSC3 regulated INO80 through STAT3. PTCSC3 suppressed stem cells properties and drug resistance of ATC to doxorubicin. Conclusion: LncRNA PTCSC3 inhibits INO80 expression by negatively regulating STAT3, and thereby attenuating drug resistance of ATC to chemotherapy drug doxorubicin.

Background Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid malignancy. Besides, increasing evidence has demonstrated that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOTTIP played a crucial role in cancer pathogenesis. MiR-637-mediated Akt1 was involved in cell growth, invasion and migration in various malignancies. This study was aimed to investigate the potential biological effect and regulatory mechanism of HOTTIP on cell proliferation, invasion and migration in PTC. Methods Expression of HOTTIP, miR-637 and Akt1 were determined by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting in PTC tissues, normal tissues, PTC cells (TPC-1 and HTH83) or non-tumor thyroid cells (Nthy-ori 3-1). Cell proliferation, invasion and migration following HOTTIP knockdown were investigated in PTC cells. The target of HOTTIP was validated by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and pull-down assay. Moreover, a xenograft model was performed. Results HOTTIP was upregulated in human PTC tissues and PTC cell lines. In addition, HOTTIP knockdown inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro together with in vivo tumorigenesis of PTC cells. Additionally, HOTTIP knockdown downregulated Akt1 expression and suppressed cell proliferation, invasion and migration in PTC cells by regulating miR-637. In contrast, miR-637 inhibitor reversed above-mentioned tendencies caused by HOTTIP knockdown. Conclusion HOTTIP is a potential oncogene in PTC and may serve as a therapeutic target for malignancies.

Paraquat, a highly efficient herbicide, is widely used in agricultural practices throughout the world. However, paraquat residues in food pose a threat to human health. In order to develop a rapid and sensitive method, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with gold nanoparticles was applied to analysis of paraquat in apple juice.; Results: Natural organic compounds (sugars and organic acids) in apple juice interfered with SERS measurement. Sample preparation was needed. Paraquat could be detected at concentrations as low as 0.02 and 0.1 µg mL- 1 with the weak cation-exchange solid-phase extraction (WCX-SPE) method and dilution method for sample preparation, respectively. For quantitative analysis, the R2 cv of the partial least-squares regression model with the dilution method (0.939) was not as good as with the WCX-SPE method (0.984), but the dilution method is much less costly, simpler and time saving. Satisfactory recovery values were obtained ranging from 94.73% to 114.81%, with the exception of 56.55% for the lowest concentration.; Conclusion: This work showed that SERS combined with gold nanoparticles could determine paraquat in apple juice. As a simple, rapid and ultrasensitive method, it has great practical potential for detection of other contaminants in a variety of foods. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synthetic colorants in food can be a potential threat to human health. In this study, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with gold nanorods as substrates is proposed to analyze allura red and sunset yellow in beverages. The gold nanorods with different aspect ratios were synthesized, and their long-term stability, SERS activity, and the effect of the different salts on the SERS signal were investigated. The results demonstrate that gold nanorods have a satisfactory stability (stored up to 28 days). SERS coupled with gold nanorods exhibit stronger sensitivity. MgSO4 was chosen to improve the SERS signal of sunset yellow, and no salts could enhance the SERS signal of allura red. The lowest concentration was 0.10 mg/L for both colorant standard solutions. The successful prediction results using SERS were much closer to those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography for the sample in beverages. SERS combined with gold nanorods shows potential for analyzing food colorants and other fo...

The potential of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics methods was studied to rapidly detect intramuscular fat (IMF) content in pork. Near infrared diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded both with an FT-NIR and a USB4000 spectrometer. The data analysis was compared on different sample preparation, spectral range and spectra pretreatment. According to calibration statistics, best calibration for IMF showed R2cal of 0.94, R2val of 0.92, RMSEC of 0.233, RMSEP of 0.462 and RPD of 2.29. The prediction of IMF content for minced samples was more accurate than that for intact samples. The spectra obtained using FT-NIR contained much information correlating to the IMF content than the Vis-NIR spectra of USB4000. The results showed that NIR spectroscopy technique can be used to determine the IMF content in pork as a rapid, convenient, and feasible analysis tool.

There is a growing interest in the value utilization of fish by-products. In this study, an advisable method of Takifugu obscurus by-products hydrolysates (F0) developed into flavor seasoning was investigated. The F0 were separated into two peptide fractions, >3000 Da (F1) and 300–3000 Da (F2), and performed Maillard reaction, then flavor characteristics of the Maillard reaction products were comprehensively analyzed. The results showed that the Maillard reaction largely improved flavor profiles of the hydrolysates i.e., enhancing umami taste, volatile aroma, and overall acceptance, while reducing bitterness and fishy smell. Compared with F0 and F1, F2 as the suitable resource of flavor precursors, had the optimal flavor attributes after Maillard reaction. This paper provides a new idea of comprehensive utilization of by-products of pufferfish and guides the preparation of Maillard peptide-based seasoning from fish by-products.