Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are increasingly and widely used as substitutes for brominated flame retardants in daily life. The chemical structure of OPFRs is very similar to that of ...organophosphorus pesticides, leading to concerns about their neurotoxicity. A few epidemiological studies have been published with inconsistent results on this topic, and a systematic scoping review is needed to provide an overview or map of the current evidence on the relationship of OPFRs with neurodevelopmental toxicity. Therefore, MEDLINE (accessed through PubMed), Web of Science, and CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure) were systematically searched for articles published in the last two decades. Nine eligible articles were included in the present systematic scoping review for adherence to the predefined PECOS (population, exposure, comparison, outcome, study design) statement. Six studies were conducted in the USA, and the remaining three studies were conducted in Austria, Norway and China. A total of 2 581 children (1 203 females and 1 378 males) were included. Half of the included studies focused on the adverse effects of OPFR exposure on cognition in children, while others primarily focused on the behaviors of children. In summary, the current evidence suggests inverse associations between early-life exposure to OPFRs and the childhood intelligence quotient and internalizing behavior and positive relationships of OPFR exposure with externalizing behavior. However, some differences in the timing of sample collection for exposure measurements, in the individual OPFR metabolites available, in the neurodevelopmental scales for outcome measurement, and in the statistical methods used to analyze the data are noted. In addition, further studies are warranted to evaluate some important issues, such as sex differences in the association, exposure-sensitive periods, and cumulative exposure risk assessment.
•Human studies on neurotoxicity of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) were rare.•The first systematic review was conducted for OPFRs linked with child neurotoxicity.•It indicated an inverse association of OPFR with child IQ and internalizing behavior.•It suggested a positive relationship between OPFR and child externalizing behavior.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Orange (OR) is a DnaJ-like zinc finger protein with both nuclear and plastidial localizations. OR, and its orthologs, are highly conserved in flowering plants, sharing a characteristic C-terminal ...tandem 4× repeats of the CxxCxxxG signature. It was reported to trigger chromoplast biogenesis, promote carotenoid accumulation in plastids of non-pigmented tissues, and repress chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast biogenesis in the nucleus of de-etiolating cotyledons cells. Its ectopic overexpression was found to enhance plant resistance to abiotic stresses. Here, we report that the expression of OR in
was upregulated by drought treatment, and seedlings of the OR-overexpressing (OE) lines showed improved growth performance and survival rate under drought stress. Compared with the wild-type (WT) and OR-silencing (or) lines, drought-stressed OE seedlings possessed lower contents of reactive oxygen species (such as H
O
and O
), higher activities of both superoxide dismutase and catalase, and a higher level of proline content. Our enzymatic assay revealed a relatively higher activity of Δ
-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (P5CS), a rate-limiting enzyme for proline biosynthesis, in drought-stressed OE seedlings, compared with the WT and or lines. We further demonstrated that the P5CS activity could be enhanced by supplementing exogenous OR in our in vitro assays. Taken together, our results indicated a novel contribution of OR to drought tolerance, through its impact on proline biosynthesis.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a significant pregnancy‐related condition, which showed effect on the development of fetal. Anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant therapy commonly used ...for the treatment of GDM. Nimbolide already confirmed their anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidant effect against various animal disease model. Our objective in this research is to investigate the protective effect of nimbolide against STZ induced GDM and elucidate the mechanism.
Methods
In this experimental study, pregnant female Wistar rats were used and STZ (40 mg/kg) was used to induce the GDM. Blood glucose level (BGL), body weight and plasma insulin were assessed at regular time (gestational day 0, 9, and 18). Water intake, food intake, fecal and urine output were also estimated. In the female rats, hemoglobin (Hb), glycalated hemoglobin (HbA1c), hepatic glycogen, fructosamine, adiponectin, leptin, lipid, antioxidant and inflammatory cytokines parameters were estimated. In the fetuses, the fetues weight, implementation loss, and fetal weight were estimated. At the completion of the protocol, biochemical parameters were calculated. Gut microbiota was estimated in end of the study.
Results
Nimbolide treatment significantly (p < .001) improved the fetuses level and suppressed the fetal weight and implantation loss. Nimbolide treatment significantly (p < .001) suppressed the BGL and enhanced the body weight, insulin level. Nimbolide treatment suppressed the water intake, food intake, urinary and fecal output. Nimbolide significantly (p < .001) suppressed the fructosamine, leptin and enhanced the adiponectin level. Nimbolide treatment significantly (p < .001) decreased the malonaldehyde (MDA) level and boosted the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S‐transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT); suppressed the level of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and boosted the level of IL‐10. Furthermore, nimbolide treatment reversed the gut microbiota alteration induced via STZ in female rats. At the phylum level, the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes relative abundance was altered via nimbolide treatment. The ratio of F/B boosted in GDM group and nimbolide treatment significantly (p < .001) suppressed. Nimbolide considerably suppressed the firmicutes and enhanced the Bacteroidetes, CAG‐352, Lacnospirace.
Conclusion
Based on the findings, we may conclude that nimbolide protects the pregnant rats from GDM via alteration of inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The conversion of etioplasts into chloroplasts in germinating cotyledons is a crucial transition for higher plants, enabling photoautotrophic growth upon illumination. Tight coordination of ...chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthetic complex assembly is critical for this process. ORANGE (OR), a DnaJ-like zinc finger domain-containing protein, was reported to trigger the biogenesis of carotenoid-accumulating plastids by promoting carotenoid biosynthesis and sequestration. Both nuclear and plastidic localizations of OR have been observed. Here, we show that Arabidopsis (
) OR physically interacts with the transcription factor TCP14 in the nucleus and represses its transactivation activity. Through this interaction, the nucleus-localized OR negatively regulates expression of
(
), reduces chlorophyll biosynthesis, and delays development of thylakoid membranes in the plastids of germinating cotyledons. Nuclear abundance of OR decreased upon illumination. Together with an accumulation of TCP14 in the nucleus, this derepresses chloroplast biogenesis during de-etiolation.
is epistatic to
and expression of
is directly regulated by the binding of TCP14 to
elements in the
promoter regions. Our results demonstrate that the interaction between OR and TCP14 in the nucleus leads to repression of chloroplast biogenesis in etiolated seedlings and provide new insights into the regulation of early chloroplast development.plantcell;31/12/2996/FX1F1fx1.
Phthalates are well-known obesogens, but a few studies have explored their impacts on the childhood fat mass index (FMI), body shape index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI). Information from 2950 ...participants recruited in the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort was analyzed. The relationships between six maternal phthalate metabolites and their mixture and childhood FMI, ABSI and BRI were investigated. FMI, ABSI and BRI in children aged 3.5 y, 4.0 y, 4.5 y, 5.0 y, 5.5 y and 6.0 y were calculated. The latent class trajectory modeling categorized the FMI trajectories into “rapidly increasing FMI” (4.71%) and “stable FMI” (95.29%) groups; ABSI trajectories were categorized as “decreasing ABSI” (32.74%), “stable ABSI” (46.55%), “slowly increasing ABSI” (13.26%), “moderately increasing ABSI” (5.27%) and “rapidly increasing ABSI” (2.18%) groups; BRI trajectories were categorized as “increasing BRI” (2.82%), “stable BRI” (19.85%), and “decreasing BRI” (77.34%) groups. Prenatal MEP exposure was associated with repeated measurements of FMI (β = 0.111, 95% CI = 0.002–0.221), ABSI (β = 0.145, 95% CI = 0.023–0.268) and BRI (β = 0.046, 95% CI = −0.005–0.097). Compared with each stable trajectory group, prenatal MEP (OR = 0.650, 95% CI = 0.502–0.844) and MBP (OR = 0.717, 95% CI = 0.984–1.015) were linked to a decreased risk of “decreasing BRI” in children; there was a negative relationship between MBP and the “decreasing ABSI” group (OR = 0.667, 95% CI = 0.487–0.914), and MEP increased the risks of “slowly increasing ABSI” (OR = 1.668, 95% CI = 1.210–2.299) and “rapidly increasing ABSI” (OR = 2.522, 95% CI = 1.266–5.024) in children. Phthalate mixture during pregnancy showed significant relationships with all anthropometric indicator trajectories, with MEP and MBP always being of the largest importance. In conclusion, this study suggested that prenatal phthalate coexposure increased the childhood probability of being in higher ABSI and BRI trajectory groups. That is, children were more likely to be obese when they were exposed to higher levels of some phthalate metabolites and their mixture. The low-molecular weight phthalates, including MEP and MBP, contributed the greatest weights.
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•The 1st study shows relations of prenatal PAEs with child ABSI and BRI trajectories.•Prenatal MEP exposure is associated with repeated measurements of FMI, ABSI and BRI.•PAE mixture increases the probability of being in higher ABSI and BRI trajectories.•MEP and MBP show largest weights for PAE mixture related to the adiposity trajectory.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genetic diversity and pre-treatment drug resistance (PDR) are major barriers to successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). In China, sexual intercourse is ...the most frequent route of HIV-1 transmission. However, few studies have analyzed PDR and transmission networks in detail among individuals in China with acute HIV-1 infection and their sexual contacts.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Baoding City, Hebei Province, China from 2019-2020. CD4 T cell counts and viral loads were assessed and a HIV-1 genotypic PDR assay was developed in-house. Transmission networks were visualized using Cytoscape with a threshold genetic distance of 0.015 among HIV-1 subtypes.
From 139 newly diagnosed and drug-naïve individuals with HIV-1, 132 pol gene sequences were obtained and revealed eight HIV-1 subtypes. Circulating recombinant form (CRF)01_AE was the most frequent subtype (53.0%, 70/132) followed by CRF07_BC (26.5%, 35/132), B (13.6%, 18/132), unique recombinant forms (2.3%, 3/132), CRF55_01B (1.5%, 2/132), CRF103_01B (1.5%, 2/132), CRF65_cpx (0.8%, 1/132), and C (0.8%, 1/132). A total of 47 pol gene sequences were used to generate 10 molecular transmission networks. The overall prevalence of PDR was 7.6% and that of PDR to non-nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors was 6.1%. Of three transmission networks for PDR, two were closely associated with Beijing and Tianjin, while another was restricted to sequences determined in this study.
These results demonstrate that during acute HIV-1 infection, PDR is transmitted in dynamic networks. This suggests that early detection, diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment are critical to effectively control HIV-1 spread.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Bandgap engineering of lead halide perovskite materials is critical to achieve highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells and color tunable stable perovskite light-emitting diodes. Herein, we ...propose the use of machine learning as a tool to predict the bandgap of the perovskite materials from their compositions. By learning from the experimental results, machine learning algorithms present reliable performance in predicting the bandgap of the lead halide perovskites. The linear regression model can be used to manually predict the bandgap of the perovskite with the formula of Cs
a
FA
b
MA
(1−
a
−
b
)
Pb(Cl
x
Br
y
I
(1−
x
−
y
)
)
3
(FA = formamidinium, MA = methylammonium). The neural network (NN) algorithm, which takes the interplay of cations and halide ions into account in predicting the bandgap, presents higher accuracy (with a RMSE of 0.05 eV and a Pearson coefficient larger than 0.99). Furthermore, the compositions of the mixed halide perovskites with desirable bandgaps and high iodide ratio for suppressing halide segregation are predicted by NN algorithm. These results highlight the power of machine learning in predicting the bandgap of the perovskites from their compositions and provide bandgap tuning directions for experiments.
Bandgap engineering of lead halide perovskite materials is critical to achieve highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells and color tunable stable perovskite light-emitting diodes.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK
The DnaJ-like zinc finger domain-containing proteins are involved in different aspects of plastid function and development. Some of these proteins were recently reported to have dual subcellular ...localization in the nucleus and plastids. One member of this family, PSA2 (AT2G34860), was found to localize to the thylakoid lumen and regulate the assembly of photosystem I (PSI). However, PSA2 was also annotated as Embryo sac Development Arrest 3 (EDA3) from the observation that its embryo sac development was arrested at the two-nuclear stage. In this study, we characterized the
mutant, and demonstrated that, as compared with the wild-type (WT) plants, the mutant has shorter siliques, fewer siliques per plant, and fewer seeds per silique. Both aborted and undeveloped ovules were observed in siliques of the mutant. By immunoblot analysis, we found that, different from the chloroplast localization in mature leaves, EDA3 localizes in the nucleus in seeds. A nuclear localization signal was identified from the deduced amino acid sequence of EDA3, and also proved to be sufficient for directing its fusion peptide into the nucleus.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are the most frequent infection route of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Baoding, China, creating chances for the occurrence of unique recombinant forms ...(URFs) of the virus, i.e., recombination of different subtypes caused by co-circulation of multiple subtypes. In this report, two near-identical URFs (BDD002A and BDD069A) isolated from MSM in Baoding were identified. Phylogenetic tree analysis based on nearly full-length genomes (NFLGs) revealed that the two URFs formed a distinct monophyletic cluster with a bootstrap value of 100%. Recombinant breakpoints analysis identified that the NFLGs of BDD002A and BDD069A were both composed of CRF01_AE and subtype B, with six subtype B mosaic segments inserted into the CRF01_AE backbone. The CRF01_AE segments of the URFs clustered closely with the CRF01_AE reference sequences, and the B subregions clustered with the B reference sequences. The recombinant breakpoints of the two URFs were almost identical. These results suggest that effective interventions are urgently needed to prevent the formation of complex HIV-1 recombinant forms in Baoding, China.
Chloroplasts are semi-autonomous organelles, with more than 95% of their proteins encoded by the nuclear genome. The chloroplast-to-nucleus retrograde signals are critical for the nucleus to ...coordinate its gene expression for optimizing or repairing chloroplast functions in response to changing environments. In chloroplasts, the pentatricopeptide-repeat protein GENOMES UNCOUPLED 1 (GUN1) is a master switch that senses aberrant physiological states, such as the photooxidative stress induced by norflurazon (NF) treatment, and represses the expression of photosynthesis-associated nuclear genes (PhANGs). However, it is largely unknown how the retrograde signal is transmitted beyond GUN1. In this study, a protein GUN1-INTERACTING PROTEIN 1 (GIP1), encoded by
At3g53630
, was identified to interact with GUN1 by different approaches. We demonstrated that GIP1 has both cytosol and chloroplast localizations, and its abundance in chloroplasts is enhanced by NF treatment with the presence of GUN1. Our results suggest that GIP1 and GUN1 may function antagonistically in the retrograde signaling pathway.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, VSZLJ, ZAGLJ
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