Combined ATAC-seq,RNA-seq,and GWAS analysis reveals glycogen metabolism regulatory network in Jinjiang oyster(Crassostrea ariakensis)

Glycogen serves as the principal energy reserve for metabolic processes in aquatic shellfish and substantially contributes to the flavor and quality of oysters.The Jinjiang oyster(Crassostrea ariakensis)is an economically and ecologically important species in China.In the present study,RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing(ATAC-seq)were performed to investigate gene expression and chromatin accessibility variations in oysters with different glycogen contents.Analysis identified 9483 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)and 7215 genes with significantly differential chromatin accessibility(DCAGs)were obtained,with an overlap of 2600 genes between them.Notably,a significant proportion of these genes were enriched in pathways related to glycogen metabolism,including“Glycogen metabolic process”and“Starch and sucrose metabolism”.In addition,genome-wide association study(GWAS)identified 526 single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)loci associated with glycogen content.These loci corresponded to 241 genes,63 of which were categorized as both DEGs and DCAGs.This study enriches basic research data and provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of glycogen metabolism in C.ariakensis.

Development of small pixel HgCdTe infrared detectors

After approximately half a century of development, HgCdTe infrared detectors have become the first choice for high performance infrared detectors, which are widely used in various industry sectors, including military tracking, military reconnaissance, infrared guidance, infrared warning, weather forecasting, and resource detection. Further development in infrared applications requires future HgCdTe infrared detectors to exhibit features such as larger focal plane array format and thus higher imaging resolution. An effective approach to develop HgCdTe infrared detectors with a larger array format size is to develop the small pixel technology. In this article, we present a review on the developmental history and current status of small pixel technology for HgCdTe infrared detectors, as well as the main challenges and potential solutions in developing this technology. It is predicted that the pixel size of long-wave HgCdTe infrared detectors can be reduced to5 μm, while that of mid-wave HgCdTe infrared detectors can be reduced to 3 μm. Although significant progress has been made in this area, the development of small pixel technology for HgCdTe infrared detectors still faces significant challenges such as flip-chip bonding, interconnection, and charge processing capacity of readout circuits. Various approaches have been proposed to address these challenges, including three-dimensional stacking integration and readout circuits based on microelectromechanical systems.

Reduced expression of circulating microRNA-218 in gastric cancer and correlation with tumor invasion and prognosis

AIM:To investigate the expression of microRNA-218(miR-218)in serum from gastric cancer patients and its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics.METHODS:A total of 68 patients with pathologically diagnosed gastric cancer and 56 healthy individuals were recruited to this study.The expression of miR-218was detected in the serum of gastric cancer patients and healthy individuals by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.The clinical data were collectedand analyzed by statistical software.RESULTS:miR-218 was reduced significantly in the serum of gastric cancer patients compared to healthy individuals(1.15±0.08 vs 0.37±0.023;P=0.026).In the gastric cancer group,serum expression of miR-218was lower in patients with metastasis and poorly differentiated cancer compared with non-metastatic and well-differentiated cancer(0.19±0.011 vs 0.45±0.021,P=0.031 and 0.21±0.019 vs 0.49±0.021,P=0.025).Serum miR-218 was found to be significantly associated with gastric cancer metastasis(P=0.003),tumor T stage(P=0.018)and tumor grade(P=0.012).Low serum expression of miR-218 was related to an increase in the stage of gastric cancer.The expression level of miR-218 in the serum was correlated with the3-year survival.Ninety-seven percent of patients with a high level of miR-218 expression survived for 3 years,while only 54%of those with low miR-218 expression survived.CONCLUSION:miR-218 is deregulated in gastric cancer patients and is strongly correlated with tumor stage,grade and metastasis.Serum expression of miR-218 may be a prognostic marker.

Downregulation of rho-associated protein kinase 1 by mi R-124 in colorectal cancer

AIM: To investigate the roles and interactions of rhoassociatedprotein kinase (ROCK)1 and miR-124 inhuman colorectal cancer (CRC).METHODS: Expression of ROCK1 protein wasexamined by Western blotting, and quantitativereverse transcriptase PCR was performed to measureexpression of ROCK1 mRNA and miR-124. Two cancercell lines were transfected with pre-miR-124 (mimic)and anti-miR-124 (inhibitor) and the effects onROCK1 protein and mRNA expression were observed.In addition, cell proliferation was assessed via a5-ethynyl-2′ deoxyuridine assay. Soft agar formationassay, and cell migration and invasion assays wereused to determine the effect of survivin on thetransformation and invasion activity of CRC cells.RESULTS: miR-124 was significantly downregulated inCRC compared to normal specimens (0.603 ± 0.092 vs1.147 ± 0.286, P = 0.016) and in metastatic comparedto nonmetastatic CRC specimens (0.416 ± 0.047 vs0.696 ± 0.089, P = 0.020). Expression of miR-124 wassignificantly associated with CRC metastasis, tumor Tand N stages, and tumor grade (all P < 0.05). ROCK1protein was significantly increased in CRC comparedto normal tissues (1.896 ± 0.258 vs 0.866 ± 0.136,P = 0.026), whereas ROCK1 mRNA expression wasunaltered (2.613 ± 0.251 vs 2.325 ± 0.246). miR-124and ROCK1 were inversely expressed in CRC tissuesand cell lines. ROCK1 mRNA was unaltered in cellstransfected with miR-124 mimic and miR-124 inhibitor,compared to normal controls. There was a significantreduction in ROCK1 protein in cells transfected withmiR-124 mimic and a significant increase in cells transfected with miR-124 inhibitor (P s < 0.05).Transformation and invasion of cells transfectedwith miR-124 inhibitor were significantly increasedcompared to those in normal controls (P < 0.05). Cellstransfected with miR-124 inhibitor showed increasedcell proliferation.CONCLUSION: miR-124 promotes hyperplasia andcontributes to invasion of CRC cells, but downregulatesROCK1. ROCK1 and miR-124 may play important rolesin CRC.