Effect of Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotide of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C on Lymphangiogenesis and Angiogenesis of Pancreatic Cancer

In order to investigate the effect of antisense oligonucleotide （ASODN） of vascular endothelial growth factor C （VEGF-C） on lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis of pancreatic cancer, antisense and scamble-sense oligonucleotide of VEGF-C were constructed, and the model of nude mice with orthotopically xenografied human pancreatic cancer cells （Panc-1） was established. Thirty nude mice were randomly divided into 3 groups： PBS control group （group A）, scramble-sense control group （group B） and antisense group （group C）. All nude mice were treated once every 2 days as 3 times per week, for 3 weeks （oligonucleotide 10 mg/kg every time）. After treatments were completed, ELISA method was used to examine the concentration of VEGF-C in plasma and immunohistochemical method to examine microvessel density （MVD）, lymphtic vessel density （LVD） of pancreatic cancer. The results showed that the expression of VEGF-C was inhibited significantly in group C. The concentrations were 237.5±41.5, 221.5±52.3 and 108.6±14.9 pg/mL in groups A, B and C respectively （P〈0.01）. LVD in groups A, B and C was 13.8±2.1, 12.4±1.9 and 4.2±1.6 respectively （P〈0.01）. MVD in groups A, B and C was 27.5±8.7, 25.9±4.2 and 19.4±5.6 respectively with no significant difference among the groups （P〉0.05）. It was suggested that VEGF-C ASODN decreased the expression levels of VEGF-C in nude mice with orthotopically xenografted human pancreatic cancer, and it could inhibit lymphangiogenesis, but had no significant effect on angiogenesis.

Expression of an Antisense BcMF3 Affects Microsporogenesis and Pollen Tube Growth in Arabidopsis

In an effort to provide some information relevant to the molecular mechanism of genic male sterility in plants, BcMF3 gene that encodes a pectin methylesterase was isolated from the fertile B line of Chinese cabbage-pak-choi （Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis, syn. B. campestris ssp. chinensis）. In the present paper, a 455-bp antisense cDNA fragment of BcMF3 was introduced to binary vector pB1121, and then was mobilized into Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404. The A. tumefaciens harboring the BcMF3 antisense fragment was transformed to Arabidopsis thaliana by floral dip. Scanning electronic microscopy examination demonstrated that 47.8% of BcMF3 antisense pollen grains exhibited abnormal shape, which might lead to decreased germination of pollens, suggesting that the product of BcMF3 gene plays an important role during microsporogenesis. The evidence on burst of 45.7% of BcMF3 antisense pollen tubes in vitro and a majority of BcMF3 antisense pollens restricted within the stigmatic tissue revealed that BcMF3 is involved in aiding the growth of pollen tubes. The results suggest that BcMF3 acts at both stages of microsporogensis and pollen tube growth.

Suppression of intracranial glioma tumorigenesis with vascular endothelial growth factor antisense oligonucleotide in rats

Objective: To observe the inhibition of intracranial glioma tumorigenesis by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) in rats. Methods: Totally 20 μ1 Hank's liquid containing 1×106 C6 glioma cells was seeded into rat right caudate putaraen in high-flow microinfusion with stereotactic technique. VEGF antisense ODN was simultaneously used with glioma cell. Each rat of the treated group Ⅰ and the treated group Ⅱ was treated with 1 000 μmol/L VEGF antisense ODN. Each rat of the treated group Ⅲ and the treated group Ⅳ was treated with 2 000 μmol/L VEGF antisense ODN. The experimental periods of the treated group Ⅰ , the treated group Ⅲ and the control group Ⅰ were 2 weeks, those of the treated group Ⅱ , the treated group Ⅳ and the control group Ⅱ were 3 weeks. Before sacrifice, MRI was performed on each rat. Tumor magnitude and pathologic examination were detected after samples were dissected. Results: The survival state of all treated rats was better, and that of the control rats was in severe danger. The tumor volumes of the treated group Ⅰ and the treated group Ⅱ were remarkably lessened. Tumor tissue could not be found macroscopically in the brain samples of the treated group Ⅲ and the treated group Ⅳ, but tumor nest could be found with microscopy. Tumors of the treated group I and the treated group Ⅱ had weak expressions of VEGF mRNA and VEGF, while normal brains and the samples of the treated group Ⅲ and the treated group Ⅳ had negative expressions, but tumors of the control groups had strong expressions. Conclusion: VEGF antisense ODN used early in situ can suppress angiogenesis and growth of rat intracranial glioma to retard tumorigenesis.

Heparanase antisense oligodeoxynucleotide inhibits angiogenesis and metastasis of human mammary carcinoma cell xenografts in nude mice

Objective： To evaluate the inhibitory effect of heparanase antisense oligodeoxynucleotide （AS-ODN） on the angiogenesis and metastasis of human mammary carcinoma cell xenografts in nude mice. Methods： The AS-ODN complementary to the start codon region of heparanase mRNA and its control, scrambled nonsense oligodeoxynucleotide （NS-ODN） were designed and synthesized. A subcutaneous growth model and an acute hematogenous metastasis model of human mammary carcinoma were established in nude mice and were treated with ODNs. The heparanase expression in tumor was evaluated by RT-PCR and Western blot. The microvessel density （MVD） was measured by immunohistochemistry for factor VS. The tumor volume was calculated and lung metastatic nodules were counted. Results ： The heparanase expression, MVD, tumor volume and lung metastatic nodules in AS-ODN treated group were significantly decreased compared with that in NS-ODN treated group and that in PBS group （P〈0.01）. Conclusion ： Heparanase AS-ODN has significant inhibitory effect on the angiogenesis and metastasis of human mammary carcinoma cell xenografts in nude mice.

An efficient and rapid method to detect and verify natural antisense transcripts of animal genes

High-throughput sequencing has identified a large number of sense-antisense transcriptional pairs, which indicates that these genes were transcribed from both directions. Recent reports have demonstrated that many antisense RNAs, especially lnc RNA（long non-coding RNA）, can interact with the sense RNA by forming an RNA duplex. Many methods, such as RNA-sequencing, Northern blotting, RNase protection assays and strand-specific PCR, can be used to detect the antisense transcript and gene transcriptional orientation. However, the applications of these methods have been constrained, to some extent, because of the high cost, difficult operation or inaccuracy, especially regarding the analysis of substantial amounts of data. Thus, we developed an easy method to detect and validate these complicated RNAs. We primarily took advantage of the strand specificity of RT-PCR and the single-strand specificity of S1 endonuclease to analyze sense and antisense transcripts. Four known genes, including mouse β-actin and Tsix（Xist antisense RNA）, chicken LXN（latexin） and GFM1（Gelongation factor, mitochondrial 1）, were used to establish the method. These four genes were well studied and transcribed from positive strand, negative strand or both strands of DNA, respectively, which represented all possible cases. The results indicated that the method can easily distinguish sense, antisense and sense-antisense transcriptional pairs. In addition, it can be used to verify the results of high-throughput sequencing, as well as to analyze the regulatory mechanisms between RNAs. This method can improve the accuracy of detection and can be mainly used in analyzing single gene and was low cost.

Characteristics of transgenic tomatoes antisensed for the ethylene receptor genes LeERT1 and LeERT2

Two stable transformed lines containing antisense LeERT1 or LeERT2 sequences and their hybridized line were investigated to determine the effect of LeERT1 and LeERT2 specificity in the ethylene receptor family in tomato （Lycopersicon esculenturn Mill.） on ethylene signaling. The transgenic line alel containing antisense LeER T1 displayed shorter length of seedling grown in the dark and adult plant in the light, severe epinastic petiole, and accelerated abscission of petiole explant and senescence of flower explant, compared with its wild type B 1. The transgenic line ale2 containing antisense LeERT2 also exhibited shorter hypocotyls and slightly accelerated abscission. The phenotypes of cross line dale of LeERT1 and LeERT2 were close to alel in many aspects. These results suggested that LeERT1 probably plays a relatively important role in ethylene signaling of tomato growth and development.

Comprehensive analysis of the potential pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection and liver cancer

BACKGROUND A growing number of clinical examples suggest that coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)appears to have an impact on the treatment of patients with liver cancer compared to the normal population,and the prevalence of COVID-19 is significantly higher in patients with liver cancer.However,this mechanism of action has not been clarified.Gene sets for COVID-19(GSE180226)and liver cancer(GSE87630)were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database.After identifying the common differentially expressed genes(DEGs)of COVID-19 and liver cancer,functional enrichment analysis,protein-protein interaction network construction and scree-ning and analysis of hub genes were performed.Subsequently,the validation of the differential expression of hub genes in the disease was performed and the regulatory network of transcription factors and hub genes was constructed.RESULTS Of 518 common DEGs were obtained by screening for functional analysis.Fifteen hub genes including aurora kinase B,cyclin B2,cell division cycle 20,cell division cycle associated 8,nucleolar and spindle associated protein 1,etc.,were further identified from DEGs using the“cytoHubba”plugin.Functional enrichment analysis of hub genes showed that these hub genes are associated with P53 signalling pathway regulation,cell cycle and other functions,and they may serve as potential molecular markers for COVID-19 and liver cancer.Finally,we selected 10 of the hub genes for in vitro expression validation in liver cancer cells.CONCLUSION Our study reveals a common pathogenesis of liver cancer and COVID-19.These common pathways and key genes may provide new ideas for further mechanistic studies.

Identification of hub genes associated with Helicobacter pylori infection and type 2 diabetes mellitus:A pilot bioinformatics study

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection is related to various extragastric diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).However,the possible mechanisms connecting H.pylori infection and T2DM remain unknown.AIM To explore potential molecular connections between H.pylori infection and T2DM.METHODS We extracted gene expression arrays from three online datasets(GSE60427,GSE27411 and GSE115601).Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)commonly present in patients with H.pylori infection and T2DM were identified.Hub genes were validated using human gastric biopsy samples.Correlations between hub genes and immune cell infiltration,miRNAs,and transcription factors(TFs)were further analyzed.RESULTS A total of 67 DEGs were commonly presented in patients with H.pylori infection and T2DM.Five significantly upregulated hub genes,including TLR4,ITGAM,C5AR1,FCER1G,and FCGR2A,were finally identified,all of which are closely related to immune cell infiltration.The gene-miRNA analysis detected 13 miRNAs with at least two gene cross-links.TF-gene interaction networks showed that TLR4 was coregulated by 26 TFs,the largest number of TFs among the 5 hub genes.CONCLUSION We identified five hub genes that may have molecular connections between H.pylori infection and T2DM.This study provides new insights into the pathogenesis of H.pylori-induced onset of T2DM.

Key genes and regulatory networks for diabetic retinopathy based on hypoxia-related genes:a bioinformatics analysis

AIM:To prevent neovascularization in diabetic retinopathy(DR)patients and partially control disease progression.METHODS:Hypoxia-related differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified from the GSE60436 and GSE102485 datasets,followed by gene ontology(GO)functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis.Potential candidate drugs were screened using the CMap database.Subsequently,a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed to identify hypoxia-related hub genes.A nomogram was generated using the rms R package,and the correlation of hub genes was analyzed using the Hmisc R package.The clinical significance of hub genes was validated by comparing their expression levels between disease and normal groups and constructing receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)curves.Finally,a hypoxia-related miRNA-transcription factor(TF)-Hub gene network was constructed using the NetworkAnalyst online tool.RESULTS:Totally 48 hypoxia-related DEGs and screened 10 potential candidate drugs with interaction relationships to upregulated hypoxia-related genes were identified,such as ruxolitinib,meprylcaine,and deferiprone.In addition,8 hub genes were also identified:glycogen phosphorylase muscle associated(PYGM),glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase spermatogenic(GAPDHS),enolase 3(ENO3),aldolase fructose-bisphosphate C(ALDOC),phosphoglucomutase 2(PGM2),enolase 2(ENO2),phosphoglycerate mutase 2(PGAM2),and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3(PFKFB3).Based on hub gene predictions,the miRNA-TF-Hub gene network revealed complex interactions between 163 miRNAs,77 TFs,and hub genes.The results of ROC showed that the except for GAPDHS,the area under curve(AUC)values of the other 7 hub genes were greater than 0.758,indicating their favorable diagnostic performance.CONCLUSION:PYGM,GAPDHS,ENO3,ALDOC,PGM2,ENO2,PGAM2,and PFKFB3 are hub genes in DR,and hypoxia-related hub genes exhibited favorable diagnostic performance.

Identification and Validation of Vascular-Associated Biomarkers for the Prognosis and Potential Pathogenesis of Hypertension Using Comprehensive Bioinformatics Methods

Background: Hypertension, also known as increased blood pressure, is a phenomenon in which blood flows in blood vessels and causes persistently higher-than-normal pressure on the vessel wall. The identification of novel prognostic and pathogenesis biomarkers plays a key role in the management of hypertension. Methods: The GSE7483 and GSE75815 datasets from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database were used to identify the genes associated with hypertension that were differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The functional role of the DEGs was elucidated by gene body (GO) enrichment analysis. In addition, we performed an immune infiltration assay and GSEA on the DEGs of hypertensive patients and verified the expression of novel DEGs in the blood of hypertensive patients by RT-qPCR. Results: A total of 267 DEGs were identified from the GEO database. GO analysis revealed that these genes were associated mainly with biological processes such as fibroblast proliferation, cell structural organization, extracellular matrix organization, vasculature development regulation, and angiogenesis. We identified five possible biomarkers, Ecm1, Sparc, Sphk1, Thbsl, and Mecp2, which correlate with vascular development and angiogenesis characteristic of hypertension by bioinformatics, and explored the clinical expression levels of these genes by RT-qPCR, and found that Sparc, Sphk1, and Thbs1 showed significant up-regulation, in agreement with the results of the bioinformatics analysis. Conclusion: Our study suggested that Sparc, Sphk1 and Thbs1 may be potential novel biomarkers for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of hypertension and that they are involved in the regulation of vascular development and angiogenesis in hypertension.

Antisense oligonucleotide targeting midkine suppresses in vivo angiogenesis

AIM: To evaluate the effect of antisense oligonucleotide targeting midkine (MK-AS) on angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and in situ human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: An in situ human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model and CAM assay were used in this experiment. The effect of MK-AS on angiogenesis was evaluated by cell proliferation assay and hematoxylin- eosin (HE) staining. RESULTS: MK-AS significantly inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and in situ human HCC growth. At the same time, MK-AS suppressed the angiogenesis both in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HEPG2)-induced CAM and in situ human HCC tissues. CONCLUSION: MK-AS is an effective antiangiogenesis agent in vivo.

Antisense angiopoietin-1 inhibits tumorigenesis and angiogenesis of gastric cancer

AIM： To investigate the effect of angiopoietin-1 （Ang-1） on biological behaviors in vitro and tumorigenesis and angiogenesis in vitro of human gastric cancer cells. METHODS： Human full-length Ang-1 gene was cloned from human placental tissues by RT-PCR method. Recombinant human Ang-1 antisense eukaryotic expression vector was constructed by directional cloning, and transfected by lipofectin method into human gastric cancer line SGC7901 with high Ang-1 expression level. Inhibition efficiency was confirmed by semi- quantitive PCR and Western blot method. Cell growth curve and cell cycle were observed with MTT assays and flow cytometry, respectively. Nude mice tumorigenicity test was employed to compare in vitro tumorigenesis of cells with Ang-1 suppression. Microvessel density （MVD） of implanted tumor tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry for factor VIII staining. RESULTS： Full-length Ang-1 gene was successfully cloned and stable transfectants were established, namely 7Ang1- for antisense, and 7901P for empty vector transfected. 7Ang1- cells showed down-regulated Ang-1 expression, while its in vitro proliferation and cell cycle distribution were not significantly changed. In contrast, xenograft of 7Ang1- cells in nude mice had lower volume and weight than those of 7901P after 30 days＇ implantation （P〈 0.01, 293.00：1±95.54 mg vs. 624.00±77.78 mg） accompanied with less vessel formation with MVD 6.00±1.73 compared to 7901P group 8.44±1.33 （P〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： Ang-1 may play an important role in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis of gastric cancer, and targeting its expression may be beneficial for the therapy of gastric cancer.

Mining elite loci and candidate genes for root morphology-related traits at the seedling stage by genome-wide association studies in upland cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Root system architecture plays an essential role in water and nutrient acquisition in plants,and it is significantly involved in plant adaptations to various environmental stresses.In this study,a panel of 242 cotton accessions was collected to investigate six root morphological traits at the seedling stage,including main root length(MRL),root fresh weight(RFW),total root length(TRL),root surface area(RSA),root volume(RV),and root average diameter(AvgD).The correlation analysis of the six root morphological traits revealed strong positive correlations of TRL with RSA,as well as RV with RSA and AvgD,whereas a significant negative correlation was found between TRL and AvgD.Subsequently,a genome-wide association study(GWAS)was performed using the root phenotypic and genotypic data reported previously for the 242 accessions using 56,010 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)from the CottonSNP80K array.A total of 41 quantitative trait loci(QTLs)were identified,including nine for MRL,six for RFW,nine for TRL,12 for RSA,12 for RV and two for AvgD.Among them,eight QTLs were repeatedly detected in two or more traits.Integrating these results with a transcriptome analysis,we identified 17 candidate genes with high transcript values of transcripts per million(TPM)≥30 in the roots.Furthermore,we functionally verified the candidate gene GH_D05G2106,which encodes a WPP domain protein 2in root development.A virus-induced gene silencing(VIGS)assay showed that knocking down GH_D05G2106significantly inhibited root development in cotton,indicating its positive role in root system architecture formation.Collectively,these results provide a theoretical basis and candidate genes for future studies on cotton root developmental biology and root-related cotton breeding.

PbrARF4 contributes to calyx shedding of fruitlets in ‘Dangshan Suli’ pear by partly regulating the expression of abscission genes

Fruitlet calyx shedding in pear plants is apparently regulated via numerous pathways that involve both environmental triggers and phytohormones cues such as auxin. In this study, we found at 10 days after full bloom (DAFB) higher levels of indoleacetic acid (IAA) and tryptophan (Trp) in calyx persistence fruitlet (CPF) than calyx shedding fruitlet (CSF) ofDanshan Suli’ pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rhed.). Consisting with this, the activity of indolealdehyde oxidase (IAAIdO), which promotes IAA synthesis, was remarkably increased, and that of peroxidase(POD), which degrades IAA, dropped markedly in CPF but not in CSF. Further, qRT-PCR results revealed that most of 31 PbrARFs (encoding auxin response factors) in Pyrus bretschneideri were highly expressed in CPF, whereas PbrARF4, PbrARF24 and PbrARF26 were significantly downregulated in CPF vis-a-vis CSF. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 6 PbrARFs clustered in the group III, where PbrARF4 showed the closest affinity with AtARF1 that promotes organ abscission, indicating a putative role of PbrARF4 in mediating the process of calyx shedding in pear. In fact, the ectopic overexpression of PbrARF4 in Solanum lycopersicum resulted in an earlier-formed and deeper abscission layer (AL) in the transgenic plants, whose calyxes were more prone to wilt at the mature red stage (MR) compared with the control plants (wild-type). More importantly, expression levels of the abscission genes SILS and Sl Cel2 in transgenic plants overexpressing PbrARF4 were significantly upregulated in comparation with the WT, whereas those of Sl BI and Sl TAPG2 were considerably inhibited. Further, PbrJOINTLESS and PbrIDA,the two genes related to calyx shedding in pear, were up-regulated more in CSF than CPF. The findings contribute to a better understanding of PbrARFs involved in fruitlet calyx shedding of pear, which could prove beneficial to improving the quality of pear fruit.

Fate and Behavior of Tetracycline Resistance Genes in Activated Carbon Adsorption

The accessibility of tetracycline resistance gene (tetG) into the pores of activated carbon (AC), as well as the impact of the pore size distribution (PSD) of AC on the uptake capacity of tetG, were investigated using eight types of AC (four coal-based and four wood-based). AC showed the capability to admit tetG and the average reduction of tetG for coal-based and wood-based ACs at the AC dose of 1 g·L-1 was 3.12 log and 3.65 log, respectively. The uptake kinetic analysis showed that the uptake of the gene followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics reaction, and the uptake rate constant for the coal-based and wood-based ACs was in the range of 5.97 × 10-12 - 4.64 × 10-9 and 7.02 × 10-11 - 1.59 × 10-8 copies·mg-1·min-1, respectively. The uptake capacity analysis by fitting the obtained experiment data with the Freundlich isotherm model indicated that the uptake constant (KF) values were 1.71 × 103 - 8.00 × 109 (copies·g-1)1-1/n for coal-based ACs and 7.00 × 108 - 3.00 × 1010 (copies·g-1)1-1/n for wood-based ones. In addition, the correlation analysis between KF values and pore volume as well as pore surface at different pore size regions of ACs showed that relatively higher positive correlation was found for pores of 50 - 100 Å, suggesting ACs with more pores in this size region can uptake more tetG. The findings of this study are valuable as reference for optimizing the adsorption process regarding antibiotic resistance-related concerns in drinking water treatment.

The Application of Nicotiana benthamiana as a Transient Expression Host to Clone the Coding Sequences of Plant Genes

Coding sequences (CDS) are commonly used for transient gene expression, in yeast two-hybrid screening, to verify protein interactions and in prokaryotic gene expression studies. CDS are most commonly obtained using complementary DNA (cDNA) derived from messenger RNA (mRNA) extracted from plant tissues and generated by reverse transcription. However, some CDS are difficult to acquire through this process as they are expressed at extremely low levels or have specific spatial and/or temporal expression patterns in vivo. These challenges require the development of alternative CDS cloning technologies. In this study, we found that the genomic intron-containing gene coding sequences (gDNA) from Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Brassica napus, and Glycine max can be correctly transcribed and spliced into mRNA in Nicotiana benthamiana. In contrast, gDNAs from Triticum aestivum and Sorghum bicolor did not function correctly. In transient expression experiments, the target DNA sequence is driven by a constitutive promoter. Theoretically, a sufficient amount of mRNA can be extracted from the N. benthamiana leaves, making it conducive to the cloning of CDS target genes. Our data demonstrate that N. benthamiana can be used as an effective host for the cloning CDS of plant genes.

Dissemination of Resistance Integrons and Genes Coding for Blse and Cabapenemases in the Urban Drainage Network in Cote d’Ivoire

Antibiotic resistance has become a major threat to human health worldwide. Environment, particularly the water environment, has long been overlooked as a player in the antibiotic resistance cycle, although its role remains unclear. These can provide an ideal setting for the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance, as they are frequently affected by anthropogenic activities. The objective of this study was to establish a diffusion map of resistance integrons used as genetic markers of resistance associated with antibiotic resistance conferring genes (ARGs). Total DNA extracts from non-cultivable bacterial communities were used for the analyses. These communities were obtained from wastewater samples from 14 sites upstream and downstream of drainage channels or effluents in the cities of Abidjan, Bouaké, and Yamoussoukro. The results obtained correspond to the number of positives among the treated samples (n = 39). Among the genetic markers of dissemination, class 1 integrons were the most evident in 94.8% of samples in Abidjan (93.3%), Bouaké (100%) and Yamoussoukro (91.6%). Class 2 integrons and class 3 integrons were found respectively in 41% and 51% of all samples. Genes coding for β-lactamases and blaTEM was identified in almost all samples at a rate of 97.4%. A co-presence of the three genes blaTEM, blaSHV and blaCTX-M is also remarkable in the sites of the city of Yamoussoukro. Among the genes coding for carbapenemases, only blaKPC 17.94%, blaNDM 30.76% and blaOXA48 38.46% were detected in the samples.

J-family genes redundantly regulate flowering time and increase yield in soybean

Soybean(Glycine max)is a short-day crop whose flowering time is regulated by photoperiod.The longjuvenile trait extends its vegetative phase and increases yield under short-day conditions.Natural variation in J,the major locus controlling this trait,modulates flowering time.We report that the three J-family genes influence soybean flowering time,with the triple mutant Guangzhou Mammoth-2 flowering late under short days by inhibiting transcription of E1-family genes.J-family genes offer promising allelic combinations for breeding.

Functional investigation and two-sample Mendelian randomization study of primary biliary cholangitis hub genes

BACKGROUND The identification of specific gene expression patterns is crucial for understanding the mechanisms underlying primary biliary cholangitis(PBC)and finding relevant biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation.AIM To determine PBC-associated hub genes and assess their clinical utility for disease prediction.METHODS PBC expression data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database.Overlapping genes from differential expression analysis and weighted gene coexpression network analysis(WGCNA)were identified as key genes for PBC.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology analyses were performed to explore the potential roles of key genes.Hub genes were identified in protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks using the Degree algorithm in Cytoscape software.The relationship between hub genes and immune cells was investigated.Finally,a Mendelian randomization study was conducted to determine the causal effects of hub genes on PBC.RESULTS We identified 71 overlapping key genes using differential expression analysis and WGCNA.These genes were primarily enriched in pathways related to cytokinecytokine receptor interaction,and Th1,Th2,and Th17 cell differentiation.We utilized Cytoscape software and identified five hub genes(CD247,IL10,CCL5,CCL3,and STAT3)in PPI networks.These hub genes showed a strong correlation with immune cell infiltration in PBC.However,inverse variance weighting analysis did not indicate the causal effects of hub genes on PBC risk.CONCLUSION Hub genes can potentially serve as valuable biomarkers for PBC prediction and treatment,thereby offering significant clinical utility.

Direct somatic embryogenesis and related gene expression networks in leaf explants of Hippeastrum ‘Bangkok Rose’

Hippeastrum, a highly diverse genus in the Amaryllidaceae family, is a valuable ornamental bulbous flowering plant. Somatic embryogenesis(SE) is an efficient method for mass production of Hippeastrum plantlets. Previous studies have been devoted to the in vitro propagation of Hippeastrum, but the SE and its regulatory networks are rarely reported. In this study, we established a direct SE method of Hippeastrum Bangkok Rose' using leaf bases as explants. MS supplemented with 1.00 mg·L^(-1)NAA +1.00 mg·L^(-1)KT + 0.25 mg·L^(-1)TDZ was the optimal medium for SE. Histological observations showed that the bipolar somatic embryo originated from the epidermal cell layer and underwent initiation,globular, scutellar and coleoptile stages. During SE, endogenous hormones of IAA, CTK, ABA, and SA were highly accumulated. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the genes encoding auxin biosynthesis/metabolic enzymes and efflux carriers were induced, while the auxin receptor of TIR1 and ARF transcriptional repressor of Aux/IAA were down-regulated and up-regulated, respectively, leading to suppression of auxin signaling. In contrast, cytokine signaling was promoted at the early stage of SE, as biosynthesis, transport, and signaling components were up-regulated.Various stress-related genes were up-regulated at the early or late stages of SE. Chromatin remodeling could also be dynamically regulated via distinct expression enzymes that control histone methylation and acetylation during SE. Moreover, key SE regulators, including WOXs and SERKs were highly expressed along with SE. Overall, the present study provides insights into the SE regulatory mechanisms of the Hippeastrum.