H2S is synthesized via CBS/CSE pathway and triggered by cold conditions during Agaricus bisporus storage

BACKGROUND: H2S is proved to be functioning as a signaling molecule in an array of physiological processes in the plant and animal kingdom. However, the H2S synthesis pathway and the responses to cold conditions remain unclear in postharvest mushroom. RESULTS: The biosynthesis of H2S in the Agaricus bisporus mushroom tissues exhibited an increasing tendency during postharvest storage and was significantly triggered by cold treatment. The cystathionine clyase (AbCSE) and cystathionine b-synthase (AbCBS) genes were cloned and proved responsible for H2S biosynthesis. Furthermore, transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of AbCSE and AbCBS were crucial for the enzyme activities and subsequent H2S levels. However, the AbMST was not involved in this process. Moreover, the AbCSE and AbCBS genes displayed low identity to the characterized genes, but typical catalytic domains, activity sites, subunit interface sites, and cofactor binding sites were conserved in the respective protein sequences, as revealed by molecular modeling and docking study. The potential transcription factors responsible for the H2S biosynthesis in cold conditions were also provided. CONCLUSIONS: The H2S biosynthetic pathway in postharvest mushroom was unique and distinct to that of other horticultural products.

Transcriptome profiling and digital gene expression analysis of genes associated with salinity resistance in peanut

Background: Soil salinity can significantly reduce crop production, but the molecular mechanism of salinity tolerance in peanut is poorly understood. A mutant (S1) with higher salinity resistance than its mutagenic parent HY22 (S3) was obtained. Transcriptome sequencing and digital gene expression (DGE) analysis were performed with leaves of S1 and S3 before and after plants were irrigated with 250 mM NaCl. Results: A total of 107,725 comprehensive transcripts were assembled into 67,738 unigenes using TIGR Gene Indices clustering tools (TGICL). All unigenes were searched against the euKaryotic Ortholog Groups (KOG), gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, and these unigenes were assigned to 26 functional KOG categories, 56 GO terms, 32 KEGG groups, respectively. In total 112 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between S1 and S3 after salinity stress were screened, among them, 86 were responsive to salinity stress in S1 and/or S3. These 86 DEGs included genes that encoded the following kinds of proteins that are known to be involved in resistance to salinity stress: late embryogenesis abundant proteins (LEAs), major intrinsic proteins (MIPs) or aquaporins, metallothioneins (MTs), lipid transfer protein (LTP), calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs), 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) and oleosins, etc. Of these 86 DEGs, 18 could not be matched with known proteins. Conclusion: The results from this study will be useful for further research on the mechanism of salinity resistance and will provide a useful gene resource for the variety breeding of salinity resistance in peanut.

Developmental mechanism for calcific aortic valve disease / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Calcific aortic valve disease has been the most common heart valve disorder in western world, accompanying with the increase of morbidity in our country year by year. Several molecules and mechanisms are involved in the progression of aortic valve calcification, which intensify the complexity of this pathological process. It is known that inflammation, a key factor in many diseases, has its own role in the development of aortic valve calcification. It has been demonstrated that inflammation, one of the most important participants in this disorder, which may accelerate the local lesions in aortic valve via promoting the expression of osteogenic differentiation of associated factors or decreasing the level of protective molecules. Dyslipidemia is a traditional risk factor of cardiovascular events. However, it may induce or enhance the inflammatory response whereby facilitates the calcific lesions in aortic valve. Recently, several researches have illustrated that non-coding RNAs, a stimulative factor in the progression of malignant tumor, might play a role in the development of aortic valve calcification. MiRNA and lncRNA, the non-coding RNAs which regulate the expression of genes involved in inflammatory and osteogenic differentiation, are undeniable regulators of aortic valve calcification.

Comprehensive treatment of cardiac surgical patients with chronic left ventricular dysfunction / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore the use of comprehensive treatment including drugs, devices and electrophysiology for heart failure patients with surgical indications. Methods    We collected the clinical data of 65 consecutive cardiac surgical patients with chronic left ventricular dysfunction in our department between March 2014 and May 2016. There were 49 males and 16 females with an average age of 61.3±11.4 years ranging from 37 to 80 years. Their left ventricular ejection fraction was less than 40%. Patients with ventricular dysfunction caused by acute myocardial infarction were excluded. A comprehensive treatment strategy was performed according to patients’ individual disease. Results    Fourty patients underwent cardiopulmonary bypass with asisting time of 55-400 (148.1±69.8) min; 35 patients needed cross-clamping with time of 44-203 (95.7±39.6) min. Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) was assisted in 3 patients. Two patients died in hospital. During the follow-up of 13.4 months, the patients’ cardiac function significantly improved and the heart size reduced. Two patients died and two were readmitted for heart failure. Four patients underwent cardiac pacemaker implantation. Other patients with unstable symptoms were stabilized after medical dose adjustment. Conclusion    Under the concept of neuroendocrine inhibition, the comprehensive treatment for heart failure can effectively reduce surgical mortality and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Intraocular soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 correlates with subretinal fluid height of diabetic macular edema.

Objective: To investigate the correlations between aqueous concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Materials and Methods: VEGF, MCP-1 and sICAM-1 concentrations in aqueous humor samples of 22 patients with DME and 23 patients with cataract of a control group were measured with solid-phase chemiluminescence immunoassay. Results: Aqueous VEGF (89.2 ± 58.5 pg/ml versus 48.5 ± 27.8 pg/ml, P = 0.006), MCP-1 (684.2 ± 423.4 pg/ml versus 432.4 ± 230.4 pg/ml, P = 0.019) and sICAM-1 (3213.8 ± 2581.6 pg/ml versus 260.2 ± 212.2 pg/ml, P < 0.001) all vary significantly between DME group and control group. Maximum height of submacular fluid measured by Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was significantly associated with aqueous sICAM-1 (r = -0.45, P = 0.034). The maximum height of macular thickness measured by OCT was not significantly associated with either VEGF (P = 0.300), MCP-1 (P = 0.320) or sICAM-1 (P = 0.285). Conclusions: Our results suggest that sICAM-1 may majorly contribute to the formation of subretinal fluid in DME patients and imply that MCP-1 and sICAM-1 may be the potential therapy targets, besides VEGF.

Screening and Identification of a Novel Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Binding Peptide by Using a Phage Display Library / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The purpose of this study was to screen peptides that can specifically bind to human hepatocellular carcinoma (hHCC) cells using phage display of random peptide library in order to develope a peptide-based carrier for the diagnosis or therapy of hHCC. A peptide 12-mer phage display library was employed and 4 rounds of subtractive panning were performed using the hHCC cell line HepG2 as the target. After panning, the phages that specifically bound to and internalized in hHCC cells were selected. The selected phages demonstrated highly specific affinity to HepG2 cells analyzed by ELISA and immunofluorescence analysis. 57.3% of the selected phage clones displayed repeated sequence FLLEPHLMDTSM, and 4 amino acid residues, FLEP were extremely conservative. Based on the sequencing results, a 16-mer peptide (WH-16) was synthesized. The competitive ELISA showed that the binding of the phage clones displayed sequence FLLEPHLMDTSM to HepG2 cells was efficiently inhibited by WH-16. Our findings indicate that cellular binding of phage is mediated via its displayed peptide and the synthesized 16-mer peptide may have the potential to be a delivery Carrier in target diagnosis or therapy for hHCC.