Recently, DNA methylation was proposed to regulate fleshy fruit ripening. Fleshy fruits can be distinguished by their ripening process as climacteric fruits, such as tomatoes, or non-climacteric ...fruits, such as strawberries. Tomatoes undergo a global decrease in DNA methylation during ripening, due to increased expression of a DNA demethylase gene. The dynamics and biological relevance of DNA methylation during the ripening of non-climacteric fruits are unknown.
Here, we generate single-base resolution maps of the DNA methylome in immature and ripe strawberry. We observe an overall loss of DNA methylation during strawberry fruit ripening. Thus, ripening-induced DNA hypomethylation occurs not only in climacteric fruit, but also in non-climacteric fruit. Application of a DNA methylation inhibitor causes an early ripening phenotype, suggesting that DNA hypomethylation is important for strawberry fruit ripening. The mechanisms underlying DNA hypomethylation during the ripening of tomato and strawberry are distinct. Unlike in tomatoes, DNA demethylase genes are not upregulated during the ripening of strawberries. Instead, genes involved in RNA-directed DNA methylation are downregulated during strawberry ripening. Further, ripening-induced DNA hypomethylation is associated with decreased siRNA levels, consistent with reduced RdDM activity. Therefore, we propose that a downregulation of RdDM contributes to DNA hypomethylation during strawberry ripening.
Our findings provide new insight into the DNA methylation dynamics during the ripening of non-climacteric fruit and suggest a novel function of RdDM in regulating an important process in plant development.
Digital rotor spinning involves spinning fibers that have been dope-dyed together with one of several different hues in a manner that enables the color tuning of the resultant yarn. A small inventory ...of colored fibers provides access to a wide gamut of shades and production of textiles in a variety of colorways. To overcome the issues with the current intelligent color matching system for digital rotor spinning viscose melange yarn, in this study, a digital rotor spinning frame was used to spin selected red, yellow, and blue dope-dyed viscose staple fibers into 66 types of melange yarns at a ratio gradient of 10%. The corresponding yarns were knitted as fabric samples, and then a Datacolor650 spectrophotometer was used to perform color testing and record the experimental data. The parameter
σ
of the Friele model was assigned within 0,1. The optimal value of
σ
was 0.134 when the average color difference of the bi-component melange sample was minimal, which was used for the construction of a color matching system based on the Friele model. In addition, this study verifies the obtained optimal value of
σ
using the full-spectrum color matching method. The average error between the predicted ratio and actual ratio of the three-component melange sample was 10.21%, while the predicted average color difference was 0.4561. This indicates that the empirical parameters of the Friele model obtained in this study yield a good prediction accuracy of digital rotor spinning viscose melange products.
Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a highly infectious viral disease, which can affect chickens and many other kinds of birds. The main virulence factor of NDV, the fusion (F) protein, is located on ...the viral envelope and plays a major role in the virus' ability to penetrate cells and cause host cell fusion during infection. Multiple highly conserved tyrosine and di-leucine (LL) motifs in the cytoplasmic tail (CT) of the virus may contribute to F protein functionality in the viral life cycle.
To examine the contribution of the LL motif in the biosynthesis, transport, and function of the F protein, we constructed and rescued a NDV mutant strain, rSG10*-F/L537A, with an L537A mutation using a reverse genetic system. Subsequently, we compared the differences in the syncytium formation ability, pathogenicity, and replication levels of wild-type rSG10* and the mutated strain.
Compared with rSG10*, rSG10*-F/L537A had attenuated syncytial formation and pathogenicity, caused by a viral budding defect. Further studies showed that the LL-motif mutation did not affect the replication, transcription, or translation of the virus genome but affected the expression of the F protein at the cell surface.
We concluded that the LL motif in the NDV F CT affected the regulation of F protein expression at the cell surface, thus modulating the viral fusion ability and pathogenic phenotype.
In view of the excessive heavy metals in soil will affect the quality of crops and the personal safety of local residents, in order to analyze and evaluate the migration characteristics and potential ...ecological risks of heavy metals in soil in the study area, the heavy metal content, pH, regional distribution, correlation, migration characteristics, enrichment state and potential risk in 0–1 m soil depth were tested and analyzed. The results show that the distribution of most metal elements is closely related to pH in the soil. The contents of elements As, Cr and Hg in the soil of the study area change in an “L” shape along with the buried depth, that is, the contents of As, Cr and Hg increase generally along with the buried depth of the soil, and the contents of elements Cd and Pb decrease along with the buried depth. By analyzing the enrichment degree of heavy metals and evaluating the ecological risk degree, it can be concluded that only element Hg is moderately enriched in the soil layer of 0–0.4 m and Cd is the main ecological risk factor, and the potential ecological risk degree of Yuyao is between slight and moderate ecological risks.
Maternal overweight/obesity and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) are frequently reported to be risk factors for obesity and other metabolic disorders in offspring. Cord blood metabolites ...provide information on fetal nutritional and metabolic health and could provide an early window of detection of potential health issues among newborns. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of maternal prepregnancy overweight/obesity and excessive GWG on cord blood metabolic profiles.
A case control study including 33 pairs of mothers with prepregnancy overweight/obesity and their neonates, 30 pairs of mothers with excessive GWG and their neonates, and 32 control mother-neonate pairs. Untargeted metabolomic profiling of umbilical cord blood samples were performed using UHPLC‒MS/MS.
Forty-six metabolites exhibited a significant increase and 60 metabolites exhibited a significant reduction in umbilical cord blood from overweight and obese mothers compared with mothers with normal body weight. Steroid hormone biosynthesis and neuroactive ligand‒receptor interactions were the two top-ranking pathways enriched with these metabolites (P = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Compared with mothers with normal GWG, in mothers with excessive GWG, the levels of 63 metabolites were increased and those of 46 metabolites were decreased in umbilical cord blood. Biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids was the most altered pathway enriched with these metabolites (P < 0.01).
Prepregnancy overweight and obesity affected the fetal steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway, while excessive GWG affected fetal fatty acid metabolism. This emphasizes the importance of preconception weight loss and maintaining an appropriate GWG, which are beneficial for the long-term metabolic health of offspring.
Accidental marine oil discharge causes severe environmental pollution and thus remediation is essential. However, the removal and recycling of the spilled oil using economical and highly efficient ...methods are still major challenges. In this work, an oil absorbent of corn straw fibers (CSF) were prepared via a one-step direct modification with hydrophobic octyltrimethoxylsilane (OTS). With the surface modification, the CSF exhibited both superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity, and the contact angles of water and oil on the as-prepared samples were 156 1° and 0°, respectively. Owing to the oleophilicity and hydrophobicity features of the CSF, it could be used to selectively absorb oil in water. The adsorption capacity of the as-prepared absorbents for diesel oil, the recyclability, and the reaction mechanism between OTS and the CSF were investigated in detail. The oil absorbent could still remain superhydrophobic even after eleven successive cycles of oil-water separation. With the characteristics of easy biodegradability, durability, and recyclability, as well as the facile procedures involved, oil absorbent of CSF prepared by direct OTS-modification is expected to be used for oil spill cleanup and recovery.
Abstract
Background
Recently, CaMKIV has been identified as a potential regulator of skeletal muscle glucose metabolism, it can also affect insulin gene expression in pancreas. However, its effects ...on adipose insulin resistance have yet to be explored. Autophagy has been shown as a potential therapeutic target for ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress and insulin resistance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of CaMKIV on ER stress, autophagic function and insulin signaling in tunicamycin-treated adipocytes.
Methods
In this study, mature 3 T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with tunicamycin to induce ER stress. Tunicamycin-treated 3 T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with recombinant CaMKIV in the presence or absence of targeted-siRNA mediated down-regulation of CREB and mTOR. The ER stress markers, autophagy activation, mTOR/CREB signaling and insulin sensitivity were analyzed by western blotting or electron microscopy.
Results
Treatment with CaMKIV significantly reversed tunicamycin-induced expression of p-PERK, cleaved-ATF6, Atg7 and LC3II. It also reduced p62 expression. In addition, levels of p-Akt and p-IRS-1 were increased. Moreover, CaMKIV inhibited activated ER stress and insulin resistance in Atg7 siRNA transfected adipocytes. However, the protective effects of CaMKIV on ER stress, insulin signaling, and autophagy function were nullified by suppression of mTOR or CREB in tunicamycin-treated adipocytes.
Conclusion
This study proves recombinant CaMKIV inhibits tunicamycin-induced ER stress and insulin resistance by regulating autophagy. The protective effect of CaMKIV in adipocytes is affected at least partly through mTOR/CREB signaling. Our finding may offer novel opportunities for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
To identify the gestational weight gain (GWG) patterns in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and evaluate their association with offspring weight status from birth to 40 months.
This ...study included 2,723 GDM-mother-child pairs from the Beijing Birth Cohort Study. The association between GWG trajectories identified by the latent class model and offspring weight outcomes from birth to 40 months were evaluated, after adjustment for maternal age, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, maternal height, and blood glucose levels.
Three GWG rate groups, including the non-excessive GWG group (1,994/2,732), excessive GWG group (598 /2,732), and excessive early GWG group (140/2,732), were identified in women with GDM, respectively. Compared to the non-excessive GWG group, the adjusted OR (aOR) and 95% CI were 1.83 (1.35-2.47) and 1.79 (1.06-3.01) for macrosomia, 1.33 (1.07-1.66) and 1.48 (1.01-2.17) for large for gestational age (LGA) in the excessive GWG group and excessive early GWG group. Excessive GWG was also associated with an increased risk of BMI-for-age at 40 months (aOR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.14-2.42).
Both excessive GWG and excessive early GWG increased the risk of macrosomia and LGA in women with GDM, but only the excessive GWG was associated with childhood overweight/obesity. The results suggest the long-term impact of GWG on offspring weight status in women with GDM and the potential benefits of GWG restriction after GDM diagnosis.
We performed this study to clarify the dynamic changes in maternal manganese (Mn) concentration during pregnancy and its association with spontaneous preterm birth (SPB). A nested case-control study ...was conducted based on the Beijing Birth Cohort Study (BBCS) from 2018 to 2020. Singleton pregnancy women aged 18-44 (
= 488) were involved in the study, including 244 cases of SPB and 244 controls. All of the participants provided blood samples twice (in their first and third trimesters). Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for the laboratory analysis, and unconditional logistic regression was used for the statistical analysis. We found that the maternal Mn levels were significantly higher in the third trimester than those in the first trimester (median: 1.23 vs. 0.81 ng/mL). The SPB risk was increased to 1.65 (95% CI: 1.04-2.62,
= 0.035) in the highest Mn level (third tertile) in the third trimester, especially in normal-weight women (OR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.18-3.61,
= 0.011) or non-premature rupture of membrane (PROM) women (OR: 3.93, 95% CI: 2.00-7.74,
< 0.001). Moreover, a dose-dependent relationship exists between the SPB risk and maternal Mn concentration in non-PROM women (P trend < 0.001). In conclusion, dynamic monitoring of maternal Mn level during pregnancy would be helpful for SPB prevention, especially in normal-weight and non-PROM women.
and
genes are currently proven to be closely related to high lifetime risks of breast cancer. To date, the closely related genes to
mutations in breast cancer remains to be fully elucidated. This ...study aims to identify the gene expression profiles and interaction networks influenced by
mutations, so as to reflect underlying disease mechanisms and provide new biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis or prognosis.
Gene expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were downloaded and combined with cBioPortal website to identify exact breast cancer patients with
mutations. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to analyze some enriched pathways and biological processes associated
mutations. For
-mutant breast cancer, wild-type breast cancer and corresponding normal tissues, three independent differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis were performed to validate potential hub genes with each other. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, survival analysis and diagnostic value assessment helped identify key genes associated with
mutations.
The regulation process of cell cycle was significantly enriched in mutant group compared with wild-type group. A total of 294 genes were identified after analysis of DEGs between mutant patients and wild-type patients. Interestingly, by the other two comparisons, we identified 43 overlapping genes that not only significantly expressed in wild-type breast cancer patients relative to normal tissues, but more significantly expressed in
-mutant breast patients. Based on the STRING database and cytoscape software, we constructed a PPI network using 294 DEGs. Through topological analysis scores of the PPI network and 43 overlapping genes, we sought to select some genes, thereby using survival analysis and diagnostic value assessment to identify key genes pertaining to
-mutant breast cancer.
,
,
,
and
displayed good prognostic/diagnostic value for breast cancer and
-mutant breast cancer.
Our research provides comprehensive and new insights for the identification of biomarkers connected with
mutations, availing diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and
-mutant breast cancer patients.
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