Sex ratio is a fundamental concept in evolutional biology, and theory predicts that parents should invest in sons and daughters according to the fitness returns they expect from them. The fitness ...returns may depend on the timing of breeding and on parental conditions leading to sex ratios that depend on breeding date and/or parental quality. Here, we investigate the offspring sex ratio in a small shorebird, the Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
, in a large breeding population in Eastern China, and test whether the parents adjust their offspring’s sex in response to hatch date, brood age and their own body condition. Using 1264 chicks from 676 broods that were molecularly sexed, we show that hatchling sex ratio was not significantly different from unity. Hatchling sex ratios were not related to hatch date or to the body condition of parents. In addition, we sexed 138 eggs that were confiscated from illegal egg collectors and found that the mortality of female and male embryos was not significantly different. The latter result is important by suggesting that neither primary sex ratio (i.e., at conception) nor secondary sex ratio (i.e., at hatching) is biased. Taken together, the even offspring sex ratio in Chinese Kentish Plovers is consistent with recent analyses of six plover populations that found even sex ratios at hatching. Future works should investigate whether the even sex ratio persists into adulthood, or it may shift toward more males (or females) due to sex-biased mortalities of juveniles and/or adults.
Abstract
A paradox in evolutionary biology is how supergenes can maintain high fitness despite reduced effective population size, the suppression of recombination, and the expected accumulation of ...mutational load. The ruff supergene involves 2 rare inversion haplotypes (satellite and faeder). These are recessive lethals but with dominant effects on male mating strategies, plumage, and body size. Sequence divergence to the wild-type (independent) haplotype indicates that the inversion could be as old as 4 million years. Here, we have constructed a highly contiguous genome assembly of the inversion region for both the independent and satellite haplotypes. Based on the new data, we estimate that the recombination event(s) creating the satellite haplotype occurred only about 70,000 yr ago. Contrary to expectations for supergenes, we find no substantial expansion of repeats and only a modest mutation load on the satellite and faeder haplotypes despite high sequence divergence to the non-inverted haplotype (1.46%). The essential centromere protein N (CENPN) gene is disrupted by the inversion and is as well conserved on the inversion haplotypes as on the noninversion haplotype. These results suggest that the inversion may be much younger than previously thought. The low mutation load, despite recessive lethality, may be explained by the introgression of the inversion from a now extinct lineage.
Since 2020, clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 and H5N1 viruses have swept through continents, posing serious threats to the world. Through comprehensive analyses of ...epidemiological, genetic, and bird migration data, we found that the dominant genotype replacement of the H5N8 viruses in 2020 contributed to the H5N1 outbreak in the 2021/2022 wave. The 2020 outbreak of the H5N8 G1 genotype instead of the G0 genotype produced reassortment opportunities and led to the emergence of a new H5N1 virus with G1's HA and MP genes. Despite extensive reassortments in the 2021/2022 wave, the H5N1 virus retained the HA and MP genes, causing a significant outbreak in Europe and North America. Furtherly, through the wild bird migration flyways investigation, we found that the temporal-spatial coincidence between the outbreak of the H5N8 G1 virus and the bird autumn migration may have expanded the H5 viral spread, which may be one of the main drivers of the emergence of the 2020-2022 H5 panzootic.IMPORTANCESince 2020, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 subtype variants of clade 2.3.4.4b have spread across continents, posing unprecedented threats globally. However, the factors promoting the genesis and spread of H5 HPAI viruses remain unclear. Here, we found that the spatiotemporal genotype replacement of H5N8 HPAI viruses contributed to the emergence of the H5N1 variant that caused the 2021/2022 panzootic, and the viral evolution in poultry of Egypt and surrounding area and autumn bird migration from the Russia-Kazakhstan region to Europe are important drivers of the emergence of the 2020-2022 H5 panzootic. These findings provide important targets for early warning and could help control the current and future HPAI epidemics.
The Bohai Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa bohaii) is a newly discovered subspecies in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Based on satellite tracking of 21 individuals that were tagged in northern ...Bohai Bay, China, from 2016 to 2018, we here describe the annual cycle of this subspecies. All the birds had Thailand as their southernmost 'winter' destination. The spring departure was in late March during northward migration, Bohai Bay was the first stopping site where they spent on average 39 days (± SD = 6 d), followed by Inner Mongolia and Jilin province (stopping for 8 d ± 1 d). The arrival of the breeding grounds in the Russian Far East was centred in late May. Two breeding sites were detected, with average locations 1100 km apart; the eastern site was beyond the known Asian breeding distribution of the Black-tailed Godwit. Southward migration started in late June, with the godwits tending to make longer stops at the same two main stopping sites used in the spring, i.e. Inner Mongolia and Jilin province (32 ± 5 d) and Bohai Bay (44 ± 8 d), with some individuals making a third stop in the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River in southern China (12 ± 4 d). By the end of September, most tracked individuals had arrived in Thailand. Compared with the previously known subspecies, bohaii godwits have strikingly different schedules of migration and moult, this study thus adding to the knowledge about intraspecific diversity of black-tailed godwits in the East Asian-Australian Flyway.
Abstract
Separator plays a key role in the safety and performances of lithium-ion batteries with the needs of good thermal stability and wettability. Compared with the commercial separator mainly ...made by polyolefins in organic solvents, the electrospinning of lignin/polyvinyl alcohol in an aqueous solution has been investigated as a green and economically viable method to produce high-performance separators without any other chemical additives. Lignin/polyvinyl alcohol (mass ratio: 3:7) nanofiber separators outperform commercial polypropylene separators in terms of porosity (71 %), liquid absorption (373 %), and outstanding thermal stability at 200 °C. Additionally, Li-ion battery cells that were constructed using different separators were assessed to demonstrate favorable electrochemical performance. The results showed that fabricated Li-ion battery with Lignin/polyvinyl alcohol (mass ratio: 3:7) nanofiber separators possesses a superior capacitance of 154.1 mA h g
−1
at 0.5 C, and maintained outstanding cycle stability after 50 times of charging and discharging process at 0.5 C with the capacitance retention rate up to 98.7 %. The facile and sustainable synthesis strategy of lignin-based separator materials for Li-ion batteries developed in this work provides new perspectives for related research, especially based on environmentally friendly aqueous systems.
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•458 different forms of metabolites are obtained by LC-MS/1H NMR metabolomics.•A weighted correlation network is established to study schizophrenia relapse.•Dysfunction of lipid and ...energy metabolism may accelerate schizophrenia relapse.•Phenylalanylphenylalanine is the key biomarker related to schizophrenia relapse.•Key biomarker may affect schizophrenia relapse by influencing energy metabolism.
Lack of comprehending key factors of schizophrenia relapse has impeded its effective treatment, indicating that the mechanism clarification and available intervention of schizophrenia relapse required further amelioration.
Based on the integration of LC-MS and 1H NMR metabolomics, a weighted correlation network was established to screen pivotal factors of accelerating schizophrenia relapse. Then, the cluster most correlated with schizophrenia relapse was explored, and the biological function of cluster was investigated. Next, the key biomarker related to schizophrenia relapse was obtained through multiple algorithms. Moreover, the Lilikoi algorithm and correlation analysis were implemented to reveal the association between key biomarker and schizophrenia relapse.
Results showed that 458 different forms of metabolites were identified for structuring the weighted correlation network. The module–trait correlation indicated that the turquoise module was the most highly correlated with schizophrenia relapse. Further, network analysis revealed that, in turquoise module, cluster 1 composed of 139 metabolites (involved in lipid metabolism and energy metabolism) was the most important subnetwork relevant to schizophrenia relapse. Finally, phenylalanylphenylalanine was recommended as the key biomarker related to schizophrenia relapse. Moreover, the correlation analysis indicated that phenylalanylphenylalanine might affect the progression of schizophrenia by intervening in energy metabolism.
In summary, critical factors of schizophrenia relapse have been revealed in our research, expounding the schizophrenia progression more systemically, which could shed some light on improving the intervention of schizophrenia relapse.
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•An integrated metabolomics-transcriptomics approach has been developed.•86/189 diagnostic metabolomic/transcriptomic biomarkers are found.•Pathogenesis of schizophrenia is studied ...based on the biomarkers.•Characteristic metabolomic/transcriptomic spectrums are established.•Metabolomic/transcriptomic diagnostic formulas possess fine predictive abilities.
Lack of clinically specific biomarkers has impeded the precise diagnosis of schizophrenia, meanwhile, limited comprehending of pathogenesis for schizophrenia has restricted the effective treatment.
An integrated multi-omic approach, combining metabolomic platform (LC-MS and 1H NMR) and transcriptomic platform, was established to differentiate healthy subjects from schizophrenia patients. Based on filtered metabolites and genes, characteristic spectrums were further built. Then, representative metabolites and genes were screened out through Boruta algorithm. Moreover, characteristic diagnostic formulas were established via LASSO regression analysis.
As a result, 86 differential metabolites (in line with amino acid metabolism, etc.) and 189 differential expression genes (involving in amino acid metabolic process, etc.) were obtained as potential biomarkers for schizophrenia. The latent interaction between metabolites with genes, such as HMGCLL1 with energy metabolism, etc., was further studied through the analysis of pathway-based integration. Moreover, fine predictive ability was attributed to characteristic metabolomic/transcriptomic diagnostic spectrums/formulas.
The functional relationships of filtered metabolites and genes were studied, which could elaborate the pathological process of schizophrenia more systemically, supplying more precise information on mechanism description and diagnostic evidence of schizophrenia.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(
M. tuberculosis
) can replicate in the macrophage by interfering with many host protein functions. While it is far from known these host proteins for controlling
M. ...tuberculosis
infection. Herein, we infected macrophages including THP-1 and Raw264.7 cells with
M. tuberculosis
and identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the interferon signaling pathway. Among them, 2′-5′ oligoadenylate synthetase-like (OASL) underwent the greatest upregulation in
M. tuberculosis
-infected macrophages. Knockdown of the expression of OASL attenuated
M. tuberculosis
survival in macrophages. Further, bioinformatics analysis revealed the potential interaction axis of OASL-TAB3- Rv0127, which was further validated by the yeast-two-hybrid (Y2H) assay and Co-IP. This interaction axis might regulate the
M. tuberculosis
survival and proliferation in macrophages. The study reveals a possible role of OASL during
M. tuberculosis
infection as a target to control its propagation.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis can invade different cells with distinct persistence fates because cells are equipped with different host restriction factors. However, the underlying mechanisms remain ...elusive. Here, we infected THP1 and Raw264.7 macrophages cell lines, A549 epithelial cell line, and hBMEC and bEnd.3 endothelial cell lines with M. tuberculosis and demonstrated that M. tuberculosis significantly inhibited lysosome acidification in THP1, hBMEC, A549, and Raw264.7 cells, while, in bEnd.3 cells, M. tuberculosis was mainly delivered into acidified phagolysosomes and auto-lysosomes. The systematic gene profile analysis of different cells and intracellular M. tuberculosis showed that the phagosome autophagy-pathway-related genes
and
were highly expressed in bEnd.3 cells. Knockdown of these genes significantly increased the number of viable intracellular M. tuberculosis bacilli by altering phagosomal trafficking in bEnd.3 cells. Treatment with
agonist significantly decreased M. tuberculosis survival
. These findings could facilitate the identification of anti-M. tuberculosis host genes and guide M. tuberculosis-resistant livestock breeding.
As an intracellular pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis could avoid host cell immune clearance using multiple strategies for its long-term survival. Understanding these processes could facilitate the development of new approaches to restrict intracellular M. tuberculosis survival. Here, we characterized the detailed molecular events occurring during intracellular trafficking of M. tuberculosis in macrophage, epithelial, and endothelial cell lines and found that ITGB3 facilitates M. tuberculosis clearance in endothelial cells through altering phagosomal trafficking. Meanwhile, the treatment with ITGB3 agonist could reduce bacterial load
. Our results identified new anti-M. tuberculosis restriction factors and illuminated a new anti-M. tuberculosis defense mechanism.
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