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Trichoderma species have been reported as masters in producing cellulolytic enzymes for the biodegradation of lignocellulolytic biomass and biocontrol agents against plant pathogens and pests. In our previous study, a novel Trichoderma strain LZ117, which shows potent capability in cellulase production, was isolated. Herein, we conducted multilocus phylogenetic analyses based on DNA barcodes and performed time-scaled phylogenomic analyses using the whole genome sequences of the strain, annotated by integrating transcriptome data. Our results suggest that this strain represents a new species closely related to T. atrobrunneum (Harzianum clade). Genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), transporters, and secondary metabolites were annotated and predicted secretome in Trichoderma sp. LZ117 was also presented. Furthermore, genetic manipulation of this strain was successfully achieved using PEG-mediated protoplast transformation. A putative transporter gene encoding maltose permease (Mal1) was overexpressed, which proved that this transporter does not affect cellulase production. Moreover, overexpressing the native Cre1 homolog in LZ117 demonstrated a more pronounced impact of glucose-caused carbon catabolite repression (CCR), suggesting the importance of Cre1-mediated CCR in cellulase production of Trichoderma sp. LZ117. The results of this study will benefit further exploration of the strain LZ117 and related species for their applications in bioproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze the frailty of patients with long-term maintenance dialysis (MD) and its influencing factors, and to explore the correlation of different dialysis modalities with the re-infection of novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and frailty syndrome. Methods Patients with regular dialysis in Nephrology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from February to June 2023 were selected. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect clinical data of the patients, including dialysis modality (i. e. maintenance hemodialysis, abbreviated as hemodialysis, and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, abbreviated as peritoneal dialysis), and whether with re-infection of COVID-19. Patients were divided into 3 groups using Fried' s frailty phenotype (FP) : non-frailty group, pre-or-intermediate frailty group, and frailty syndrome group. The clinical characteristics of the FP were compared among the three groups. The correlation of frailty with clinical data, dialysis modality, re-infection of COVID-19 in each group was compared. Multifactorial logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing the development of frailty syndrome in patients. Results A total of 246 dialysis patients were included in this study, with 77 (31.3%) in the non-frailty group, 83 (33.7%) in the pre-frailty group and 86 (35.0%) in the frailty syndrome group. The frailty syndrome group showed characteristics of advanced age, high pre-dialysis creatinine level, low serum albumin level and combined pleural effusion ( all P < 0.05 ) .There was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of frailty between the hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis group (P = 0.960).COVID-19 re-positive patients had higher frailty score than non-re-positive patients. Multifactor logistic regression showed that age, COVID-19 re-infection of COVID-19, serum albumin, pre-dialysis creatinine, and pleural effusion were factors influencing the development of frailty syndrome in dialysis patients (P < 0.05). Conclusion There is high incidence of frailty syndrome in dialysis patients, and there is no correlation of frailty with dialysis modality. High serum albumin level is a protective factor for the development of frailty syndrome in patients, whereas re-infection of COVID-19, advanced age, high pre-dialysis blood creatinine level and pleural effusion are risk factors for the development of frailty syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disruption of gamma‐amino butyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs) synaptic clustering and a decrease in the number of GABAARs in the plasma membrane are thought to contribute to alteration of the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, which promotes seizure induction and propagation. The multipass transmembrane protein cleft lip and palate transmembrane protein 1 (Clptm1) controls the forward trafficking of GABAAR, thus decaying miniature inhibitory postsynaptic current (mIPSC) of inhibitory synapses. In this study, using a pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)‐induced epilepsy rat model, we found that Clptm1 regulates epileptic seizures by modulating GABAAR‐mediated inhibitory synaptic transmission. First, we showed that Clptm1 expression was elevated in the PTZ‐induced epileptic rats. Subsequently, we found that downregulation of Clptm1 expression protected against PTZ‐induced seizures, which was attributed to an increase in the number of GABAARγ2s in the plasma membrane and the amplitude of mIPSC. Taken together, our findings identify a new anti‐seizure target that provides a theoretical basis for the development of novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of Eucommia ulmoides leaf extract (ELE) on the common occurrence of liver steatosis, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, disturbance of gut microbiota, and disease susceptibility in high-fat diet-fed channel catfish. Channel catfish fed three diets, including a high-fat diet (11% crude fat) and ELE-supplemented diets containing 1‰ or 2‰ ELE for 4 weeks. The results showed the contents of liver triacylglycerol of 1‰ and 2‰ ELE groups were reduced, and ELE treatments decreased the expression of lipogenesis related genes (srebp-1c, pparγ, and acc-1), and increased the expression of lipolysis related genes (pparα). In addition, the supplementation of ELE improved the inflammatory response of the liver and intestine. ELE could improve the destruction of intestinal morphology structure and increase the expression level of hif-1a and tight junction proteins (Occludin, Claudin2, Claudin15). 2‰ ELE significantly enhanced the antioxidant capacity of intestine by increasing the activity of SOD enzyme. Moreover, the supplement of ELE significantly increased the abundance of Cetobacterium and Romboutsia (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of immune factor nf-κb had a significant decrease, and il-1β showed a tendency to decrease in the ELE supplement groups after pathogenic bacteria challenge. In conclusion, the ELE alleviated fatty liver disease and inflammation response, improved the oxidative capacity and physiological structure of intestine, and improved the structure of intestinal microbiota and disease resistance in HFD-fed channel catfish. • Dietary ELE supplementation alleviated liver steatosis induced by high-fat diet. • Dietary ELE supplementation improved liver and gut health of channel catfish. • Dietary ELE supplementation improved the intestinal microbiota structure of channel catfish. • Dietary ELE supplementation enhanced disease resistance of channel catfish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxidasin plays a unique role in the formation and stability of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the animal kingdom; however, it was only characterized in Diptera, not in other insect orders. In this study peroxidasin (CsPxd) was first identified and characterized from Chilo suppressalis, a lepidopteran pest. CsPxd complementary DNA with a 4080 bp open reading frame encodes a peptide of 1359 amino acids; the derived amino acid sequence of CsPxd harbors the typical structural characteristics of peroxidasin family in heme‐peroxidase superfamily, including the signal peptide at N‐terminal, leucine‐rich repeat domain, Ig‐loop motifs and peroxidase domain, signifying the extracellular location of protein and the involvement in ECM formation. Eukaryotic expression reveals CsPxd protein displays peroxidase activity on H2O2, justifying the membership of peroxidase. Phyletic analysis shows the monophyletic evolution pattern of peroxidasin in insect phyle, and moreover only one peroxidasin is present in each species of insects, suggesting its evolutionary conservation on function. Peroxidasin messenger RNA is mainly expressed in egg and the final instar larvae stage. Injection of peroxidasin double‐stranded RNA into the final instar larvae impacts the cuticle sclerotization during the metamorphosis from larvae to pupa, and eventually lead to lethality of larvae and pupa. These results suggest the presence of collagen crosslink in chorion and cuticle of insects, and indicate peroxidasin plays a role in the development of chorion and cuticle; furthermore peroxidasin might be the one of potential target genes for pest control using RNA interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]