Dominant coral-associated Endozoicomonas bacteria species are hypothesized to play a role in the coral sulfur cycle by metabolizing dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) into dimethylsulfide (DMS); ...however, no sequenced genome to date harbors genes for this process. In this study, we assembled high-quality (>95% complete) draft genomes of strains of the recently added species Endozoicomonas acroporae (Acr-14
, Acr-1, and Acr-5) isolated from the coral Acropora sp. and performed a comparative genomic analysis on the genus Endozoicomonas. We identified DMSP CoA-transferase/lyase-a dddD gene homolog in all sequenced genomes of E. acroporae strains-and functionally characterized bacteria capable of metabolizing DMSP into DMS via the DddD cleavage pathway using RT-qPCR and gas chromatography (GC). Furthermore, we demonstrated that E. acroporae strains can use DMSP as a carbon source and have genes arranged in an operon-like manner to link DMSP metabolism to the central carbon cycle. This study confirms the role of Endozoicomonas in the coral sulfur cycle.
The chemical environment and enzymes in the gastrointestinal (GI) membrane limit the oral absorption of some vitamins. The GI epithelium also contributes to the poor permeability of numerous ...antioxidant agents. Thus, lipophilic vitamins do not readily dissolve in the GI tract, and therefore they have low bioavailability. Nanomedicine has the potential to improve the delivery efficiency of oral vitamins. In particular, the use of lipid nanocarriers for certain vitamins that are administered orally can provide improved solubility, chemical stability, epithelium permeability and bioavailability, half-life, nidus targeting, and fewer adverse effects. These lipid nanocarriers include self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDSs), nanoemulsions, microemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). The use of nontoxic excipients and sophisticated material engineering of lipid nanosystems allows for control of the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles and improved GI permeation via mucosal or lymphatic transport. In this review, we highlight recent progress in the development of lipid nanocarriers for vitamin delivery. In addition, the same lipid nanocarriers used for vitamins may also be effective as carriers of vitamin derivatives, and therefore enhance their oral bioavailability. One example is the incorporation of d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) as the emulsifier in lipid nanocarriers to increase the solubility and inhibit P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux. We also survey the concepts and discuss the mechanisms of nanomedical techniques that are used to develop vitamin-loaded nanocarriers.
ABSTRACT
Psoriasis is an inflammatory autoimmune skin disorder possessing a complex etiology related to genetic and environmental triggers. Keratinocytes show a potential role for the origin of ...psoriasis. In this study, we estimated the efficiency of 2 anthranilate derivatives—(E)‐4‐(N‐{2‐1‐(hydroxyimino)ethylphenyl}sulfamoyl)phenyl pivalate (HFP031) and butyl 2‐2‐(2‐fluorophenyl)acetamidobenzoate (HFP034)—on psoriasis amelioration in a mouse model. The results showed that topical treatment with both compounds could attenuate epidermal thickness and scaling in an imiquimod (IMQ)‐induced psoriasis mouse model via decreased expression of cytokines and chemokines C‐X‐C chemokine ligand (CXCL)1 and CXCL2, leading to the reduction of neutrophilic abscess in the skin. The in vivo cutaneous absorption of HFP034 was 7.6‐fold greater than that of HFP031. Both compounds caused negligible irritation on healthy mouse skin. In addition, we examined the effect of the anthranilate derivatives on chemokine expression in IMQ‐treated HaCaT keratinocytes. Our results elucidated a mechanism for anti‐inflammatory activity of HFP034 that involved the elevation of intracellular cAMP concentration, suppression of NF‐κB activity, and attenuation of neutrophil chemoattractant expression. These results suggest that HFP034 could increase the cutaneous concentration of cAMP to suppress neutrophil infiltration into the skin. Topically applied HFP034 may demonstrate a potential for future clinical application as a novel therapy for psoriasis treatment.—Lin, Z.‐C., Hsieh, P.‐W., Hwang, T.‐L., Chen, C.‐Y., Sung, C. T., Fang, J.‐Y. Topical application of anthranilate derivatives ameliorates psoriatic inflammation in a mouse model by inhibiting keratinocyte‐derived chemokine expression and neutrophil infiltration. FASEB J. 32, 6783–6795 (2018). www.fasebj.org
Hydrothermal vent systems are important biodiversity hotspots that host a vast array of unique species and provide information on life's evolutionary adaptations to extreme environments. However, ...these habitats are threatened by both human exploitation and extreme natural events, both of which can rapidly disrupt the delicate balance of the food webs found in these systems. This is particularly true for shallow vent endemic animals due to their limited dietary niche and specialized adaptations to specific biogeochemical conditions.
In this study, we used the shallow hydrothermal vents of Kueishantao off the coast of Taiwan as a natural laboratory to examine the response of a benthic food web to a M5.8 earthquake and a C5 typhoon that led to a two‐year “near shutdown” of the vents. These perturbations drastically altered the local biogeochemical cycle and the dietary availability of chemosynthetic versus photosynthetic food resources.
Our analysis of multiple stable isotopes, including those of sulphur, carbon, and nitrogen (δ34S, δ13C, and δ15N), from different benthic macrofauna reveals that endemic and non‐endemic consumers exhibited different responses to sudden disruption in habitat and biogeochemical cycling.
The endemic vent crab, Xenograpsus testudinatus, continued to partially rely on chemosynthetic sulphur bacteria despite photosynthetic sources being the most dominant food source after the disruption. We posit that X. testudinatus has an obligate nutritional dependence on chemoautotrophic sources because the decrease in chemoautotrophic production was accompanied by a dramatic decrease in the abundance of X. testudinatus. The population decline rate was ~19 individuals per m2 per year before the perturbation, but the decline rate increased to 40 individuals per m2 per year after the perturbation. In contrast, the non‐endemic gastropods exhibited much greater dietary plasticity that tracked the overall abundance of photo‐ and chemo‐synthetic dietary sources.
The catastrophic events in shallow hydrothermal vent ecosystem presented a novel opportunity to examine dietary adaptations among endemic and non‐endemic benthic macrofauna in response to altered biogeochemical cycling. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of benthic specialists to the growing environmental pressures exerted by human activities worldwide.
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概括
热泉生态系统是重要的生物多样性热点区域，其拥有大量独特的物种，并为生物适应极端环境的进化提供了新的见解。然而，热泉系统极易受到人类过度开发和频发的极端自然事件的影响，这两种情况都可能迅速破坏系统中食物网的平衡。失衡的食物网对浅海热泉区的特有动物的影响会尤其突出， 因为这些特有动物的食物位很有限，而且它们只适应于特定的热泉生物地球化学环境。
2016 年夏天，台湾沿海龟山岛发生M5.8级地震和C5级台风，导致了该地区热泉活动几乎停止了两年。这种极端的干扰强烈地改变了当地热泉的生物地球化学循环以及化合与光合食物资源的供应。因此在本研究中，我们以龟山岛浅海热泉喷口为天然实验室，调查了剧烈的生物地球化学扰动对热泉系统底栖食物网以及大型底栖动物的食物来源的影响。
我们使用了包括硫、碳、氮 (δ34S、δ13C 与 δ15N) 在内的多种稳定同位素对不同的大型底栖动物进行分析，分析结果表明了热泉特有与非特有的消费者对突发的生物地球化学干扰表现出不同的反应。
通过同位素的分析，结果表明：尽管灾难性事件后光合作用产物成为龟山岛热泉食物网的主要食物来源，热泉特有的乌龟怪方蟹 (Xenograpsus testudinatus) 依旧以化合硫细菌作为主要的食物。因此我们认为乌龟怪方蟹对化合自营资源有必要性的营养依赖。与此同时，我们发现伴随着化合自营产物的减少,乌龟怪方蟹的族群丰度急剧下降：在极端事件扰动前，乌龟怪方蟹种群下降率大约是每年每平方米19个；在扰动后，其下降率则增长为每年每平方米40个。与之相对地，非热泉特有的腹足动物具有更大的饮食可塑性：它们的食物来源主要随着光合作用产物和化学合成食物资源的相对变化而变化。
浅海热泉生态系统的灾难性事件为我们提供了一个可贵的机会來研究剧烈的生物地球化学扰动对热泉特有与非特有大型底栖动物的饮食适应性反应的影响。我们的研究结果凸显了：面对人类活动所带来的日益增长的环境压力，特有底栖动物在热泉生态系统中的脆弱性。
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Corneal inlays are a relatively new treatment option for presbyopia. Using biological inlays, derived from lenticules extracted from small incision lenticule extraction, may offer advantages over ...commercialized synthetic inlays in the aspect of biocompatibility. We conducted a non-human primate study to evaluate the safety, predictability, efficacy and tissue response after autogeneic, decellularized xenogeneic and xenogeneic lenticule implantation. The lenticule implantation effectively resulted in central corneal steepening (simulated keratometric values increased by 1.8-2.3 diopters), central hyper-prolate changes (asphericity Q values changed by -0.26 to -0.36), corneal anterior surface elevation (7.7-9.3 μm) and reasonable effective zone (1.5-1.8 times of the lenticule physical diameter), with no differences among the three groups. Slit lamp microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, histology and immunohistochemistry analyses confirmed the biocompatibility of the autogeneic and decellularized lenticules, whereas one eye in the xenogeneic group developed corneal stromal rejection during the study period. Our results showed that lenticule implantation has the potential for the management of presbyopia, and provide the basis for future clinical studies. The decellularization process may increase the potential utilization of lenticules without changing the efficacy.
A novel fiber anemometer based on two pairs of fiber gratings is experimentally demonstrated and can simultaneously detect wind speed and wind direction. One pair of gratings, which are separated by ...90° in space, is fixed on a small stainless steel pipe driven by a rotating disc for measuring the wind-direction angle. The other pair is composed of a sensing and a matched grating. The frequency of the spectrum-shifted of the sensing grating to overlap with that of the matched grating is employed for determining the wind speed. The errors in the wind-speed and wind-angle measurements are experimentally demonstrated to be less than 1%. The proposed fiber anemometer with a simple and durable structure can be applied in wind-powered electricity generators.
A hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (a-C:H) with a copper dopant (Cu/a-C:H) was deposited on glass substrates using a combined radio-frequency plasma and magnetron sputtering deposition process under ...various Ar/CH
4 gas mixtures. The effects of the Cu content on the structure and properties of the a-C:H matrix were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nano-indentation. The bacterial activity of a Cu/a-C:H film was evaluated with
Escherichia coli (
E. coli). TEM images and XRD spectra demonstrated that composite films containing copper nanoparticles embedded in the a-C:H were deposited on the glass substrates. The Raman spectra showed the structure of a-C:H film was substantially changed by the incorporation of Cu. The Cu/a-C:H films offered superior antibacterial activity against
E. coli indicating that they could be suitable for surface coatings in cardiovascular applications.
► The antibacterial test of Cu/a-C:H films had been conducted for the first time. ► The microstructure and compositions of Cu/a-C:H films were clearly analyzed. ► The antibacterial property was remarkable enhancement as copper introduced into a-C:H matrix.
► We introduced corrected heat transfer coefficients for solid bodies in fluid. ► Lumped capacitance method can then be applied for bodies with large Biot numbers. ► Corrected heat transfer ...coefficients were obtained for four types of solid bodies. ► Solutions by the corrected lumped capacitance method were compared to analytical results. ► The agreement between the two methods is very good.
In a typical thermal energy storage system, a heat transfer fluid is usually used to deposit/extract heat when it flows through a packed bed of solid thermal storage material. A one-dimensional model of the heat transfer and energy storage/extraction for a packed-bed thermal storage system has been developed previously by the authors. The model treats the transient heat conduction in the thermal storage material by using the lumped capacitance method, which is not valid when the Biot number is large. The current work presents an effective heat transfer coefficient between the solid and fluid for large Biot numbers. With the corrected heat transfer coefficient, the lumped capacitance method can be applied to model the thermal storage in a wide range of Biot numbers. Four typical structures for the solid thermal storage material are considered. Formulas for the effective heat transfer coefficient (and effective Biot number) are presented. To verify the prediction by the lumped capacitance method using the effective heat transfer coefficient, we compare the results to the corresponding analytical solutions. The results are in very good agreement. The effective heat transfer coefficient extended the validity of the lumped capacitance method to large Biot numbers, which is of significance to the analysis of thermal energy storage systems.
Combined microcapsule carrier technology is often used to modify the properties of the bioactive ingredients in recent years. This research used emulsification technology to improve soybean ...isoflavone bioavailability. Low-methoxyl pectin (LMP)-based liquid-core hydrogel beads improved the appearance characteristics and adjusted release of emulsified soybean isoflavones. The particle size of soybean isoflavone emulsion was 40.09 nm, and its carrying content was 1.125 mg/mL. Curing 0.3% LMP with 0.3 M calcium chloride for 60 min improved bead shape and appearance, resulting in a 95.17% emulsion encapsulation efficiency. The egg-box structure improves thermal stability and bead hardness. The simulated gastrointestinal fluid environment showed 1.42%–7.99% release in the stomach compared with 85.03% release in the intestine after 1 h. In the storage test, retention rates were over 64.10% and had no significant difference between 4 °C and 25 °C. The retention rate of soybean isoflavones stored under pH 3 was higher than pH 7.
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•The particle size reaches 40.09 nm of soybean isoflavone emulsion by emulsification.•LMP is a good shell material for microcapsule carrier.•The egg-box structure improves thermal stability and bead hardness.•Hydrogel beads may increase encapsulation efficiency and adjust release.
The retinoblastoma binding protein RBP2 (KDM5A) is a histone demethylase that promotes gastric cancer cell growth and is enriched in drug-resistant lung cancer cells. In tumor-prone mice lacking the ...tumor suppressor gene RB or MEN1, genetic ablation of RBP2 can suppress tumor initiation, but the pathogenic breadth and mechanistic aspects of this effect relative to human tumors have not been defined. Here, we approached this question in the context of lung cancer. RBP2 was overexpressed in human lung cancer tissues where its depletion impaired cell proliferation, motility, migration, invasion, and metastasis. RBP2 oncogenicity relied on its demethylase and DNA-binding activities. RBP2 upregulated expression of cyclins D1 and E1 while suppressing the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 (CDKN1B), each contributing to RBP2-mediated cell proliferation. Expression microarray analyses revealed that RBP2 promoted expression of integrin-β1 (ITGB1), which is implicated in lung cancer metastasis. Mechanistic investigations established that RBP2 bound directly to the p27, cyclin D1, and ITGB1 promoters and that exogenous expression of cyclin D1, cyclin E1, or ITGB1 was sufficient to rescue proliferation or migration/invasion, respectively. Taken together, our results establish an oncogenic role for RBP2 in lung tumorigenesis and progression and uncover novel RBP2 targets mediating this role.
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