Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator 2 as a prognostic biomarker and immunotherapeutic indicator for clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Background:In many cancer types,aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator 2(ARNT2)has been found to be associated with tumor cell proliferation and prognosis.However,the role of ARNT2 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC)has not been completely elucidated.In this study,the potential role of ARNT2 in ccRCC development was characterized.Methods:A pan-cancer dataset(TCGA-TARGET-GTEx)was accessed from UCSC Xena Data Browser.ARNT2 expression in normal and tumor samples was compared.Univariate Cox regression was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of ARNT2.Single sample gene set enrichment analysis(ssGSEA)was used to estimate the enrichment of functional pathways and gene signatures.CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE methods evaluated the immune infiltration.The ARNT2 expression was determined in ccRCC tissue and cell lines using RT-qPCR and Western blot.Results:ARNT2 expression was significantly dysregulated in 23 out of 30 cancer types.Pan-cancer data revealed a strong correlation between ARNT2 expression and immune modulators,immune cell infiltration,and genomic alternations.In ccRCC patients,the low-ARNT2 expression group had higher immune infiltration,CD8 T cells,and programmed cell death ligand 1 expression,as well as higher enrichment score of immunotherapeutic predictors than those in the high-ARNT2 expression group.Low-ARNT2 expression group was more responsive to immunotherapy.Moreover,low ARNT2 expression was observed in ccRCC tissue and cell lines.Conclusions:Dysregulated ARNT2 expression is involved in cancer development and the modulation of the immune microenvironment.ARNT2 can be potentially used as a prognostic indicator and an immunotherapeutic indicator for ccRCC.

Adaptive strategies of high and low nucleic acid prokaryotes in response to declining resource availability and selective grazing by protozoa

Prokaryotes play a fundamental role in global ocean biogeochemical cycles.However,how the abundance and metabolic activity of ecologically distinct subgroups(i.e.,high nucleic acid(HNA)and low nucleic acid(LNA)cells),and their regulating factors,change in response to changing marine environmental conditions remains poorly understood.Here,we delved into the time-evolving dynamic responses of the HNA and LNA prokaryotic subgroups to declining resource availability and selective grazing by protozoa by conducting a 73-day incubation experiment in a large-volume(117,000 L)macrocosm that facilitates community-level exploration.We found that the metabolic activity of the HNA subgroup was higher than that of the LNA subgroup when the macrocosm was resource replete but that the HNA subgroup declined more rapidly than the LNA subgroup as the resources became increasingly scarce,leading to a steadily increasing contribution of LNA cells to prokaryotic activity.Meanwhile,as resources in the macrocosm became limited,protozoan grazing preference shifted from the HNA to the LNA subgroup and the contributions of the LNA subgroup to the carbon flow within the macrocosm increased.The findings highlight the resilience of LNA cells in resource-limited environments,illuminate the critical role of selective grazing by protozoa in balancing distinct prokaryotic subgroups under changing resource conditions,and demonstrate the complex and adaptive interactions between protozoa and prokaryotes across diverse environmental contexts.

Molecular engineering of self-assembled monolayers for highly utilized Zn anodes

Stabilizing the Zn anode under high utilization rates is highly applauded yet very challenging in aqueous Zn batteries.Here,we rationally design a zincophilic short-chain aromatic molecule,4-mercaptopyridine(4Mpy),to construct self-assembled monolayers(SAMs)on a copper substrate to achieve highly utilized Zn anodes.We reveal that 4Mpy could be firmly bound on the Cu substrate via Cu–S bond to form compact and uniform SAMs,which could effectively isolate the water on the electrode surface and thus eliminate the water-related side reactions.In addition,the short-chain aromatic ring structure of 4Mpy could not only ensure the ordered arrangement of zincophilic pyridine N but also facilitate charge transfer,thus enabling uniform and rapid Zn deposition.Consequently,the Zn/4Mpy/Cu electrode not only enables the symmetric cell to stably cycle for over 180 h at 10 mA cm^(-2) under a high depth-of-discharge of 90%,but also allows the MnO_(2)-paired pouch cell to survive for 100 cycles under a high Zn utilization rate of 78.8%.An anode-free 4Mpy/Cu||graphite cell also operates for 150 cycles without obvious capacity fading at 0.1 A g^(-1).This control of interfacial chemistry via SAMs to achieve high utilization rates of metal anodes provides a new paradigm for developing high-energy metal-based batteries.

海洋异养细菌利用溶解有机碳的定量评估

【目的】惰性溶解有机碳(refractory dissolved organic carbon,RDOC)是海洋总有机碳的主体组分,RDOC在深海中可保存数千年,构成了巨大的碳储库,在调节气候变化中有重要作用。但RDOC的定量评估尚未有统一的标准方法。通过测定环境中能被异养细菌利用的溶解有机碳(biodegradable DOC,BDOC)可以反过来评估RDOC的量。本文对BDOC测定中一些关键步骤进行验证,为制定海洋RDOC评估标准奠定基础。【方法】本文评估了3种过滤方式及5种滤膜对DOC测定的影响,并评估了瓶子效应和稀释效应对细菌生长和DOC利用的影响。【结果】研究发现,(1)GF/F滤膜、GF-75滤膜、聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)滤膜(孔径0.2μm)、聚碳酸酯(PC)滤膜(孔径0.2μm)和聚四氟乙烯材质针孔过滤器(HA)(孔径0.2μm)5种滤膜不会引入DOC污染;抽滤过滤和重力过滤方式过滤效果稳定、无污染,而在线过滤效果不稳定,易污染;(2)不同大小培养体系(30–480 mL;表面积/体积比为:1.64–0.67 cm^–1)之间的细菌生长速率和DOC利用量没有显著性差异;(3)培养体系稀释度越高,细菌生长速率越高,对数生长期细菌丰度及DOC利用量越低。【结论】综合考虑,建议BDOC和RDOC测定实验中采用抽滤过滤的方式及不进行稀释的培养体系;常用的滤膜和培养体积对BDOC评估无显著影响。结合研究结果,我们提出了评估海洋RDOC的方法。

Excessive greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment plants by using the chemical oxygen demand standard

Chemical oxygen demand(COD)is widely used as an organic pollution indicator in wastewater treatment plants.Large amounts of organic matter are removed during treatment processes to meet environmental standards,and consequently,substantial greenhouse gases(GHGs)such as methane(CH_(4))are released.However,the COD indicator covers a great amount of refractory organic matter that is not a pollutant and could be a potential carbon sink.Here,we collected and analysed COD data from 86 worldwide municipal wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs)and applied a model published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to estimate the emission of CH_(4) due to recalcitrant organic compound processing in China’s municipal wastewater treatment systems.Our results showed that the average contribution of refractory COD to total COD removal was55%in 86 WWTPs.The amount of CH_(4) released from the treatment of recalcitrant organic matter in 2018 could have been as high as 38.22 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent,which amounts to the annual carbon sequestered by China’s wetlands.This suggests that the use of COD as an indicator for organic pollution is undue and needs to be revised to reduce the emission of GHG.In fact,leaving nontoxic recalcitrant organic matter in the wastewater may create a significant carbon sink and will save energy during the treatment process,aiming at carbon neutrality in the wastewater treatment industry.

Prochlorococcus viruses—From biodiversity to biogeochemical cycles

As the dominant primary producer in oligotrophic oceans, the unicellular picocyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the smallest and most abundant photosynthetic phytoplankton in the world and plays an important role in marine carbon cycling.Cyanophages that infect Prochlorococcus influence the growth, carbon fixation, diversity, evolution, and environmental adaptation of their hosts. Here, we review studies on the isolation, genomics, and phylogenetic diversity of Prochlorococcus viruses and their interactions with Prochlorococcus. We also review the potential effects of Prochlorococcus viruses on biogeochemical cycling in the ocean.