Study on Solid Fermentation and Antioxidant Function of Natto

[Objectives]To study the optimum conditions of solid fermentation of natto with antioxidant function as an index.[Methods]Single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment were designed to study the effects of temperature,time,initial pH and inoculum amount on the antioxidant activity of natto solid fermentation.The optimum conditions of natto solid fermentation were determined and the antioxidant ac-tivity of natto extract was compared.[Results]The optimal fermentation conditions were as follows:temperature 32℃,initial pH 7.0,inocu-lation amount 8%,fermentation time 32 h.The hydroxyl radical scavenging rate of natto solid fermentation crude extract was the highest,which was 82.7%.The optimized nato fermentation extract showed stronger scavenging ability for-OH and O,:,and showed obvious dose-effect relationship.ICso was 3.63 and 4.24 mg/mL,respectively,and the scavenging efficiency was 1.3 and 1.9 times higher than that of the unoptimized fermentation extract,respectively.[Conclusions]Natto is rich in nattokinase and other functional factors,and its antioxidant ac-tivity can be improved by optimizing fermentation technology,so that natto products can be widely used,including cosmetic raw materials,nat-to skin care soap,health food and medicine,etc.,and have a broader development prospect.

Corrigendum to“Migration pattern of a population of Barn Swallows(Hirundo rustica)breeding in East Asian tropical region”[Avian Res.15(2024)100192]

The authors regret that the caption of Fig.4 should be replaced as below.

Migration pattern of a population of Barn Swallows(Hirundo rustica)breeding in East Asian tropical region

Birds exhibit a high degree of migratory diversity,which is influenced by various ecological factors and life history strategies.Conducting studies on tropical bird migration,of which research is scarce,and comparing it with temperate birds can enhance our understanding of bird migration behaviour and its underlying mecha-nisms.In this study,we explored the migration behaviour of a breeding population of the Barn Swallow(Hirundo rustica)in Zhanjiang,southern China,a region located in the northern tropics,using light-level geolocators.From 2021 to 2023,we deployed geolocators on 92 breeding swallows and retrieved geolocators successfully from 23 individuals.These swallows all exhibited migratory behaviour,and wintering on various islands in Southeast Asia.They displayed sex differences in their wintering locations.All males concentrated in Borneo,while females primarily chose Borneo but also dispersed to the Philippines,South China Sea,and Vietnam for wintering.The studied swallow population adopted a seasonal migration pattern of“indirect in autumn,direct in spring”,bypassing the ecological barrier of the South China Sea in autumn and tending to directly cross it in spring migration.Moreover,the distance and duration of autumn migration was significantly longer than those of the spring migration.Compared to temperate Barn Swallows,the Barn Swallow population breeding in Zhanjiang adopts a pattern of“intra-tropical migration”and initiates autumn migration earlier.The formation of their migration pattern may be limited by ecological and physiological factors.

Study on Antibacterial Effects of Extracts from Pinus massoniana Lamb.Needles

[Objectives]To study the antibacterial effects of extracts from Pinus massoniana Lamb.needles.[Methods]In this experiment,the components from Pinus massoniana Lamb.needles were extracted by systematic solvent extraction method,and the antibacterial activity against four common bacteria,Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus,Bacillus subtilis,Aspergillus flavus and the antibacterial active component were examined for by punch method.[Results]Different solvent extraction rate was different,the rates of petroleum ether,chloroform,ethyl acetate,n-butanol,water extracts were 4.2%,16.7%,17.4%,21.1%,40.6%.All extracts showed inhibitory effect against test bacteria.It was observed that the inhibition of G+was stronger than G-,and the extracts had the best antibacterial activity to Staphylococcus aureus while the weakest to Aspergillus flavus.The antibacterial activity of the components decreased in the order:ethyl acetate extract>n-butanol extract>chloroform extract>petroleum ether extract>aqueous phase.The extracts were stable under ultraviolet radiation(UV)light and long term storage.The antibacterial activity of the extracts was weaker with the increase of pH value when the pH value≤8.[Conclusions]It is inferred that the antibacterial components in the extract of Pinus massoniana needles are widely distributed,and the components with medium polarity or above are the main antibacterial components.

Main nutritional contents of 30 Dalian coastal microalgae species

This paper reports results of study on the contents of proteins, amino acids, polysaccharose and uronic acids in 30 species of macroalgae from Shicao, Heishijiao, Shimiao, and Xiaofujiazhuang in the vicinity of Dalian City, N.E.China. The results showed that the protein contents of the 30 algae from highest (112.55μg/ml) to the lowest (0.24 靏/ml) was in the descending order of Dictyopteris ndalata, Gelidium vagum, Gymnogongrus japonican, Ectocarpus confervoides, Tinocladia crassa, Sargassum thunberii. In general, the protein content in red algae was higher than that in brown algae. The content of free amino acids showed no significent differences from 7.44 靏/ml-4.96 靏/ ml in all these algae, in the descending order of Gymnogongrus japonican, Sargassum confusum, Undoria pinnatifida, Laminaria japonica and Ectocarpus confervoides. The content of polysaccharose varied from 168.2 靏/ml-22.15 靏/ml in the descending order of Symphyocladia latiuscula, Scytosiphon lomentarius, Desmarestia viridis., Tinocladia crassa, Gracilaria asiatica and Porphyra yezoensis. The content of uronic acids is from 196.24 靏/ml-20.77 靏/ml in the descending order of Ulva lactuca, Symphyoclaldia latiuscula, Scytosiphon lomentarius, Ceramimum kondoi, Gracilaria vemucosa and Porphyra yezoensis. The fatty acids in 30 species of algae belong to Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta and Phaeophyta. Most phaeophytes have many (4-12) types of fatty acids.

Genome-wide characterization of the tomato GASA family identifies SlGASA1 as a repressor of fruit ripening

Gibberellins(GAs)play crucial roles in a wide range of developmental processes and stress responses in plants.However,the roles of GA-responsive genes in tomato(Solanum lycopersicum)fruit development remain largely unknown.Here,we identify 17 GASA(Gibberellic Acid-Stimulated Arabidopsis)family genes in tomato.These genes encode proteins with a cleavable signal peptide at their N terminus and a conserved GASA domain at their C terminus.The expression levels of all tomato GASA family genes were responsive to exogenous GA treatment,but adding ethylene eliminated this effect.Comprehensive expression profiling of SlGASA family genes showed that SlGASA1 follows a ripening-associated expression pattern,with low expression levels during fruit ripening,suggesting it plays a negative role in regulating ripening.Overexpressing SlGASA1 using a ripening-specific promoter delayed the onset of fruit ripening,whereas SlGASA1-knockdown fruits displayed accelerated ripening.Consistent with their delayed ripening,SlGASA1-overexpressing fruits showed significantly reduced ethylene production and carotenoid contents compared to the wild type.Moreover,ripening-related genes were downregulated in SlGASA1-overexpressing fruits but upregulated in SlGASA1-knockdown fruits compared to the wild type.Yeast two-hybrid,co-immunoprecipitation,transactivation,and DNA pull-down assays indicated that SlGASA1 interacts with the key ripening regulator FRUITFULL1 and represses its activation of the ethylene biosynthesis genes ACS2 and ACO1.Our findings shed new light on the role and mode of action of a GA-responsive gene in tomato fruit ripening.

Morphologies of Eumelanins from the Ink of Six Cephalopods Species Measured by Atomic Force Microscopy

The morphologies of eumelanin, isolated from the six cephalopods species Sepia esculenta, Sepia lycidas, Sepia pharaonis, Sepiella japonica, Euprymna berryi, and Uroteuthis(Photololigo) edulis, were investigated using atomic force microscopy(AFM). The results showed that the hierarchical aggregate structures of irregular spherical particles with different diameters are the common characteristics of these eumelanins. Furthermore, the diameters of these spherical particles present an uneven distribution in a wide range and mainly concentrate in the range of about 20-150 nm. In addition, the eumelanin from different cephalopods species show obvious differences in the morphologies, which is illustrated by different assembly forms of diverse aggregate units and the quantitative features of eumelanin particles derived from the images.

Seedling Production from Seeds of a Wild Ecotype of Vetiver Grass (<i>Vetiveria zizanioides</i>L.) in Southern China

Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides L.) is widely used for soil and water conservation, and land management. In practice, all vetiver seedlings are propagated via ramets or tillers, which cannot meet the market demand and would also destroy the original habitat. Most vetiver genotypes flower but do not produce seeds. A wild ecotype of vetiver grass originated in southern China is fertile, but the rate of seed germination is very low. This study aimed to develop a novel method to improve its seed germination and seedling establishment. In the field, the inflorescences of wild vetiver were wrapped using a transparent plastic bag with a pot containing wet soils. The effects of inflorescence bagging and Tween 80 application on seed germination and seedling growth were examined. The results showed that seed development was characterized by low seed setting rate (19.2%), uneven maturity time, easy shedding (more than 95% of spikelets shed off 20 days after flowering), therefore difficult harvest of viable seeds. Bagging the inflorescence with moist soils in pot ensured the mature seeds falling onto the nursery soil surface and absorbing water for germination while the immature seeds continued to grow on the inflorescence. Bigging not only improved seed development and maturity, saved the procedure of seed collection and storage, but also provided a humid micro-environment for seed germination and seedling growth. Tween 80 as a surfactant promoted seed water absorption, germination and seedling growth. This simple and novel method has integrated the procedures of seed collection, storage, germination and seedling establishment, and enables the production of a large number of healthy seedlings. The possible reasons for the degeneration and disappearance of the original population were also discussed from the perspective of the disadvantages of vetiver propagation.

Enhancement of Spatial Learning-Memory in Developing Rats via Mozart Music

This paper studies the effect of musical stimulations on the capability of the spatial learningmemory in developing rats by behavioral and electrophysiological techniques. Rats, which are exposed to Mozart＇s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, complete learning tasks of the Moriss water maze with significantly shorter latencies, and the power spectrum of alpha band of electrohippocampogram （EHG） significantly increase, compared with the control rats and rats exposed to the horror music. The results indicate that if given the stimulation of Mozart music in the developmental period of the auditory cortex, the capability of the spatial learning-memory can be significantly changed. The enhancement of alpha band of EHG may be related to the change of this function mainly.

Analysis of Diversity of CO I Gene and System Generation of Nine Species of Chitons

Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 （CO I ） genes from 9 chiton species in China＇s coast area were sequenced. A phylogeny tree about these gene sequences were reconstructed together with other 4 CO I gene sequences of chitons from Genbank. The affin- ity genetic relationship and the taxonomic status of molecular evolution for these 13 chiton species were analyzed. The results show that Liolophura japonica and Onithochiton hirasei belong to Chitonidae, .4canthochiton rubrolineatus and Acanthochiton dis- similis belong to Acanthochitonidae, and Placiphorella japonica and Mopalia retifera belong to the same family Mopliidae. How- ever, Lepidozona coreanica, Ischnochiton comptus, and lschno- chiton hakodadensis are not supposed to be referred to Ischnochi- tonidae according to the genetic distance analysis （L. coreanica, 1. comptus, and 1. hakodadensis are usually classed as Ischnochi- tonidae according to their morphological character）. Furthermore, 1. hakodadensis could not been classed as lschnochiton, and it is more likely to be treated as a close relative of Lepidozona.

Assessment of carbon sink potential and methane reduction scenarios of marine macroalgae(Gracilaria)cultivation

Marine macroalgae cultivation is an important part of the effort to address climate change through carbon sinks.Gracilaria,especially Gracilaria lemaneiformis and Gracilaria lichenoides are the major macroalgae cultivated in China.This study proposes a method to assess the net carbon sink of marine macroalgae(Gracilaria)cultivation.First,the net carbon sink of Gracilaria cultivation in China is calculated based on the yield of annual cultivated Gracilaria recorded in China Fishery Statistical Yearbook from 2011 to 2020.Next,we predict the net carbon sink trend of Gracilaria cultivation from 2021 to 2030 using the autoregressive integrated moving average model(ARIMA).Finally,the potential carbon sink increase and methane reduction related to Gracilaria cultivation in China is explored through a scenario analysis.We find that the net carbon sink of Gracilaria cultivation in China was about 32.1-92.4 kilotons per year from 2011 to 2020,and shows a great annual growth trend.Moreover,the predicted net carbon sink of Gracilaria cultivation would increase to 77.8-191.4 kilotons per year from 2021 to2030,thereby could contribute considerably in the achievement of China's carbon peak goal.Under a scenario of producing ruminant green feed with additional Gracilaria cultivation,each ton of macroalgae is predicted to reduce carbon emission(i.e.,methane)by 0.33-0.68 tons.Thus,marine macroalgae cultivation might form a synergistic chain of"carbon sink increase-water purification-economy-methane reduction".This study proposes a synergistic new model that operates through marine macroalgae cultivation,economic aquaculture,and green feed production.

A transcriptional cascade mediated by two APETALA2 family members orchestrates carotenoid biosynthesis in tomato

Carotenoids are important nutrients for human health that must be obtained from plants since they cannot be biosynthesized by the human body.Dissecting the regulatory mechanism of carotenoid metabolism in plants represents the first step toward manipulating carotenoid contents in plants by molecular design breeding.In this study,we determined that SlAP2c,an APETALA2(AP2)family member,acts as a transcriptional repressor to regulate carotenoid biosynthesis in tomato(Solanum lycopersicum).Knockout of SlAP2c in both the“Micro Tom”and“Ailsa Craig”backgrounds resulted in greater lycopene accumulation,whereas overexpression of this gene led to orange-ripe fruit with significantly lower lycopene contents than the wild type.We established that SlAP2c represses the expression of genes involved in lycopene biosynthesis by directly binding to the cis-elements in their promoters.Moreover,SlAP2c relies on its EAR motif to recruit the co-repressors TOPLESS(TPL)2/4 and forms a complex with histone deacetylase(had)1/3,thereby reducing the histone acetylation levels of lycopene biosynthesis genes.Furthermore,SlAP2a,a homolog of SlAP2c,acts upstream of SlAP2c and alleviates the SlAP2c-induced repression of lycopene biosynthesis genes by inhibiting SlAP2c transcription during fruit ripening.Therefore,we identified a transcriptional cascade mediated by AP2 family members that regulates lycopene biosynthesis during fruit ripening in tomato,laying the foundation for the manipulation of carotenoid metabolism in plants.

Advanced strategies for combinational immunotherapy of cancer based on polymeric nanomedicines

Although immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer therapy by providing efficient tumor growth suppression,long-term protection from recurrence as well as minimized side effects,the low response rate significantly limits the clinical application of immunotherapy in board types of solid tumors.In order to improve the therapeutic efficacy,conventional therapies including radiotherapy,chemotherapy,phototherapy and chemodynamic therapy are employed to combine with immunotherapy to elicit stronger antitumor immune responses.Polymer nanomedicines are frequently utilized in synergistic immunotherapy and other therapies owing to their tunable physiochemical properties,high drug loading capacity,ease of modification and low toxicity.With elaborate design and tailored properties,polymer nanomedicines can significantly enhance antitumor efficacy by enhancing tumor specificity,priming immune cells and amplifying immune responses in tumors.However,until now,there is no review solely dedicated to the comprehensive development of polymer-based platforms for combinational immunotherapy of cancers.Herein,this paper summarizes latest advances in the design,fabrication and application of polymer nanomedicines in combinational immunotherapy and traditional antitumor strategies including radiotherapy,chemotherapy,photothermal therapy,photodynamic therapy and other therapies.An outlook on the trajectory and potential challenges of polymer nanomedicines in bridging the gap between immunotherapy and conventional therapies is also discussed.

Effect of water-driven changes in rice rhizosphere on Cd lability in three soils with different pH

Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of water management,namely continuous flooding(CF),intermittent flooding(IF)and non-flooding(NF),on Cd phytoavailaility in three paddy soils that differed in p H and in Cd concentrations.Diffusive gradients in thin films(DGT)technique was employed to monitor soil labile Cd and Fe concentrations simultaneously at three growth stages(tillering,heading and mature stage)of rice.The Cd phytoavailability were generally in the order of NF>IF>CF,and higher rice Cd(over permitted level,0.2 mg/kg)were only found in neutral and acidic soils under NF conditions.DGT measured soil labile Cd rather than total Cd was the most reliable predictor for Cd accumulation in rice.CF enhanced the formation of root plaques,which related to oxidation of large quantities of available Fe on root surfaces due to the O2 secretion of rice root.The Cd concentration in root plaques shared the same trend with DGT-Cd.Generally,root plaques would inhibit Cd uptake by rice under CF conditions,while under IF and NF conditions,root plaques act as a temporarily store of Cd,and soil labile Cd is the key factor that controls the transfer of Cd from soil to rice.The results of principle component analysis revealed that water management had the greatest effect on soil Cd lability and rice Cd in acidic soil.Thus,it is important to consider the availability of Cd and soil p H when assessing current agricultural practices of contaminated soil in China.

Targeting TM4SF1 exhibits therapeutic potential via inhibition of cancer stem cells

Dear Editor,Cancer stem cells(CSCs)are thought to be responsible for cancer initiation,growth,recurrence,metastasis,and drug resistance.1 Therefore,targeting CSCs is an effective therapeutic approach for cancer.2 However,there are few CSC-specific targets with functional extracellular domains for the development of antibody drugs.3 Our published paper demonstrated that transmembrane 4 L six family member 1(TM4SF1)coupled discoidin domain receptor tyrosine kinase 1(DDR1)under collagen I stimulation activated JAK2-STAT3 signaling.This noncanonical DDR1 signaling sustained the manifestation of CSC traits by inducing SOX2 and NANOG expression and drove multiorgan metastases.