Minocycline in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Difficulty in obtaining tetracycline, increased adverse reactions, and relatively complicated medication methods have limited the clinical application of the classic bismuth quadruple therapy. Therefore, the search for new alternative drugs has become one of the research hotspots. In recent years, minocycline, as a semisynthetic tetracycline, has demonstrated good potential for eradicating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, but the systematic evaluation of its role remains lacking. AIM: To explore the efficacy, safety, and compliance of minocycline in eradicating H. pylori infection. METHODS: We comprehensively retrieved the electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed, and Wanfang database as of October 30, 2023, and finally included 22 research reports on H. pylori eradication with minocycline-containing regimens as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The eradication rates of H. pylori were calculated using a fixed or a random effect model, and the heterogeneity and publication bias of the studies were measured. RESULTS: The single-arm meta-analysis revealed that the minocycline-containing regimens achieved good overall H. pylori eradication rates, reaching 82.3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 79.7%-85.1%] in the intention-to-treat analysis and 90.0% (95%CI: 87.7%-92.4%) in the per-protocol analysis. The overall safety and compliance of the minocycline-containing regimens were good, demonstrating an overall incidence of adverse reactions of 36.5% (95%CI: 31.5%-42.2%). Further by traditional meta-analysis, the results showed that the minocycline-containing regimens were not statistically different from other commonly used eradication regimens in eradication rate and incidence of adverse effects. Most of the adverse reactions were mild to moderate and well-tolerated, and dizziness was relatively prominent in the minocycline-containing regimens (16%). CONCLUSION: The minocycline-containing regimens demonstrated good efficacy, safety, and compliance in H. pylori eradication. Minocycline has good potential to replace tetracycline for eradicating H. pylori infection.

GDF15 Interference Regulates Proliferation, Inflammation, and Autophagy of Lipopolysaccharide-induced Mesangial Cells by Inhibiting PI3K/ AKT/mTOR Signaling.

BACKGROUND: Chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) is a primary glomerular disease. As a circulating protein, growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) participates in a variety of biological processes. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the role of GDF15 in CGN. METHODS: HBZY-1 cells were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell viability was detected using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, and a western blot was applied for the detection of GDF15 protein expression. After GDF15 silencing, cell proliferation was evaluated by CCK-8 assay and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EDU) staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to detect the levels of inflammatory cytokines. Autophagy was assessed by GFP-LC3B assay. Besides, the expression of NF-κB signaling-, autophagy- (LC3II/I, Beclin l and p62) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling-related proteins were measured by western blot. Afterwards, PI3K agonist 740Y-P was used to clarify whether GDF15 affected LPS-induced HBZY-1 cells via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. RESULTS: LPS induction increased cell viability and elevated GDF15 expression in HBZY-1 cells. After GDF15 expression depletion, the increased proliferation of LPS-induced HBZY-1 cells was decreased. Additionally, GDF15 knockdown suppressed the release of inflammatory factors in LPS-induced HBZY-1 cells and activated autophagy. Moreover, the PI3K/AKT/ mTOR signal was evidenced to be activated by GDF15 deficiency. The further addition of 740Y-P reversed the impacts of GDF15 deficiency on the proliferation, inflammation, and autophagy of LPS-induced HBZY-1 Conclusion: Collectively, GDF15 downregulation could protect against CGN via blocking PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling.

Bismuth, esomeprazole, metronidazole, and minocycline or tetracycline as a first-line regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Given the general unavailability, common adverse effects, and complicated administration of tetracycline, the clinical application of classic bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) is greatly limited. Whether minocycline can replace tetracycline for Helicobacter pylori ( H . pylori ) eradication is unknown. We aimed to compare the eradication rate, safety, and compliance between minocycline- and tetracycline-containing BQT as first-line regimens. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 434 naïve patients with H . pylori infection. The participants were randomly assigned to 14-day minocycline-containing BQT group (bismuth potassium citrate 110 mg q.i.d., esomeprazole 20 mg b.i.d., metronidazole 400 mg q.i.d., and minocycline 100 mg b.i.d.) and tetracycline-containing BQT group (bismuth potassium citrate/esomeprazole/metronidazole with doses same as above and tetracycline 500 mg q.i.d.). Safety and compliance were assessed within 3 days after eradication. Urea breath test was performed at 4-8 weeks after eradication to evaluate outcome. We used a noninferiority test to compare the eradication rates of the two groups. The intergroup differences were evaluated using Pearson chi-squared or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Student's t -test for continuous variables. RESULTS: As for the eradication rates of minocycline- and tetracycline-containing BQT, the results of both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses showed that the difference rate of lower limit of 95% confidence interval (CI) was >-10.0% (ITT analysis: 181/217 [83.4%] vs . 180/217 [82.9%], with a rate difference of 0.5% [-6.9% to 7.9%]; PP analysis: 177/193 [91.7%] vs . 176/191 [92.1%], with a rate difference of -0.4% [-5.6% to 6.4%]). Except for dizziness more common (35/215 [16.3%] vs . 13/214 [6.1%], P = 0.001) in minocycline-containing therapy groups, the incidences of adverse events (75/215 [34.9%] vs . 88/214 [41.1%]) and compliance (195/215 [90.7%] vs . 192/214 [89.7%]) were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The eradication efficacy of minocycline-containing BQT was noninferior to tetracycline-containing BQT as first-line regimen for H . pylori eradication with similar safety and compliance. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ChiCTR 1900023646.

Sophorolipid-toluidine blue conjugates for improved antibacterial photodynamic therapy through high accumulation.

Anti-bacterial photodynamic therapy is the most promising treatment protocol for bacterial infection, but low accumulation of photosensitizers has seriously hindered their development in clinical application. Here, with inherent outstanding affinity to bacterial cell envelope, sophorolipid produced from Candida bombicola has been conjugated to toluidine blue (SL-TB) through amidation reaction. The structure of SL-TB conjugates was identified by 1H-NMR, FT-IR and ESI-HRMS. The interfacial assembly and photophysical properties of SL-TB conjugates have been disclosed through surface tension, micro-polarity, electronic and fluorescence spectra. After light irradiation, the log10 (reduced CFU) of free toluidine blue to P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were 4.5 and 7.9, respectively. In contrast, SL-TB conjugates showed a higher bactericidal activity, with a reduction of 6.3 and 9.7 log10 units of CFU against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, respectively. The fluorescence quantitative results showed that SL-TB could accumulate 2850 nmol/1011 cells and 4360 nmol/1011 cells by P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, which was much higher than the accumulation of 462 nmol/1011 cells and 827 nmol/1011 cells of free toluidine blue. Through the cooperation of triple factors, including sophorose affinity to bacterial cells, hydrophobic association with plasma membrane, and electrostatic attraction, higher SL-TB accumulation was acquired, which has enhanced antibacterial photodynamic efficiencies.

Individualized diagnosis and eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection based on gene detection of clarithromycin resistance in stool specimens: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Empiric therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection results in significantly increased antibiotic resistance and decreased eradication efficacy. The genotypic testing of clarithromycin resistance from stool specimens is a promising method for individualized diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to determine the status of research and application on this method through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and WAN FANG database were searched for relevant literature. The quality of included diagnostic articles was evaluated using the quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. A bivariate random-effect model was conducted to calculate the diagnostic accuracy of genotypic testing of clarithromycin resistance. RESULTS: A total of 16 diagnostic-related were included and analyzed after exclusions. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic meta-analysis were 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90-0.96) and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.93-1.00), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of the summary receiver operating characteristic was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95-0.98). The genotypic testing in stool samples had heterogeneous sensitivity (Q = 37.82, p < .01, I2  = 37.82) and specificity (Q = 60.34, p < .01, I2  = 93.72) in detecting clarithromycin resistance. Purification method, stool sample weight, real-time PCR, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing as reference accounted for the heterogeneity of pooled sensitivity, while patient age, purification method, stool sample weight, and real-time PCR for the heterogeneity of pooled specificity. CONCLUSION: The genotypic testing of clarithromycin resistance from stool specimens is an accurate, convenient, noninvasive, and rapid detection technology, providing a definitive diagnosis of clarithromycin resistance and guiding the rational antibiotic selection.

New regimens as first-line eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection in patients allergic to penicillin: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori eradication in penicillin-allergic patients is challenging. The effective regimen is lacking in areas with high antibiotic resistance and tetracycline unavailable. Minocycline, cefuroxime, and full-dose metronidazole are promising drugs. AIMS: To compare the eradication rate, safety, and compliance among three new bismuth quadruple therapies for first-line H. pylori eradication in penicillin-allergic patients. METHODS: This randomized trial was conducted on 450 naive patients with H. pylori infection and penicillin allergy. The 14-day minocycline-metronidazole-containing (minocycline 100 mg twice daily and metronidazole 400 mg four times/day), minocycline-cefuroxime-containing (minocycline 100 mg twice daily and cefuroxime 500 mg twice daily), and cefuroxime-metronidazole-containing (cefuroxime 500 mg twice daily and metronidazole 400 mg four times/day) bismuth quadruple therapies were randomly assigned to the participants. Safety and compliance were assessed within 3 days after eradication. Urea breath test was performed 4-8 weeks after eradication to evaluate outcome. RESULTS: The differences of eradication rates in either intention-to-treat (84.0%, 82.7%, and 23 82.0%, p = .896) or per-protocol (91.7%, 90.9%, and 88.2%, p = .599) analysis among minocycline-metronidazole, minocycline-cefuroxime, and cefuroxime-metronidazole-containing bismuth quadruple therapies were statistically insignificant. The incidence of adverse events (35.1%, 22.6%, and 28.9%) and compliance (90.5%, 91.8%, and 91.9%) were similar. Taste distortion, nausea, and anorexia were more common in metronidazole-containing regimens, and dizziness was more common in minocycline-containing regimens. The allergy was rare (~3%). CONCLUSIONS: The efficacies of three bismuth quadruple therapies containing minocycline, cefuroxime, and full-dose metronidazole (pairwise) for first-line H. pylori eradication in penicillin-allergic patients were similarly satisfactory with relatively good safety and compliance. The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trials Registration (ChiCTR1900023702).

Bismuth, esomeprazole, metronidazole and amoxicillin or tetracycline as a first-line regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Due to general unavailability and common side effects of tetracycline, the clinical application of bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) is greatly limited. Whether amoxicillin can replace tetracycline in BQT remains unknown. This study aimed to compare the eradication rate, safety and compliance between amoxicillin-containing and tetracycline-containing BQT as a first-line regimen for Helicobacter pylori eradication. METHODS: This randomized trial was conducted on 404 naïve patients for H. pylori eradication. The participants were randomly assigned to 14-day amoxicillin-containing (bismuth potassium citrate 110 mg four times/day, esomeprazole 20 mg twice daily, metronidazole 400 mg four times/day and amoxicillin 500 mg four times/day) and tetracycline-containing (tetracycline 500 mg four times/day and the other three drugs used as above) BQT. Safety and compliance were assessed within 3 days after eradication. Urea breath test was performed 4-8 weeks after eradication to evaluate outcome. RESULTS: As for the eradication rates of amoxicillin-containing and tetracycline-containing BQT, the results of both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses showed that the difference rate of the lower limit of 95% confidence interval was above -10.0% (intention-to-treat analysis: 81.7% vs. 83.2%, with a rate difference of -1.5% [-6.3% to 9.3%]; per-protocol analysis: 89.0% vs. 91.6%, -2.6% [-4.1% to 9.3%]). The incidence of adverse events in amoxicillin-containing BQT was significantly lower than tetracycline-containing BQT (29.5% vs. 39.7%). Both groups achieved relatively good compliance (92.0% vs. 89.9%). CONCLUSION: The eradication efficacy of amoxicillin-containing BQT was non-inferior to tetracycline-containing BQT as a first-line regimen for H. pylori eradication with better safety and similar compliance.

ompX contribute to biofilm formation, osmotic response and swimming motility in Citrobacter werkmanii.

Citrobacter werkmanii, an aerobe and mesophilic Proteobacterium, is universal in industrial putrefaction, coastal water, and human blood. Our previous studies have discovered that outer membrane protein X (OmpX) of C. werkmanii is involved in calcium response, but the underlying mechanisms and its molecular characteristics remain elusive. To that end, the ompX gene was deleted from the genome of C. werkmanii and its phenotypic variations were thoroughly investigated in conjunction with the wild type (WT) and complementary strains using biochemical and molecular techniques such as RNA-Seq, respectively. The results demonstrated that deleting ompX reduces biofilm formation on polystyrene and glass surfaces. Meanwhile, ΔompX's swimming ability but not for its twitching or swarming abilities, was also reduced on semi-solid plates compared with WT, which was caused by inhibition of flagellar assembly genes, such as flgC, flhB, and fliE, etc. Furthermore, ompX inactivation altered susceptibility to various bactericide classes, as well as responses to Ca2+ and Mg2+ stress. In addition, when compared to WT, ΔompX captures a total of 1,357 deferentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 465 were up-regulated and 892 were down-regulated, which can be enriched into various GO ontology and KEGG pathway terms. Furthermore, ompX, as well as ompD and ompW, can be modulated at the transcriptional levels by rbsR and tdcA. Overall, the ompX gene contributed to a variety of biological functions in C. werkmanii and could be served as a targeted site for controlling biofilm formation and developing new bactericides.

Outer membrane protein of OmpF contributes to swimming motility, biofilm formation, osmotic response as well as the transcription of maltose metabolic genes in Citrobacter werkmanii.

Bacterial outer membrane proteins (Omps) are essential for environmental sensing, stress responses, and substance transport. Our previous study discovered that OmpA contributes to planktonic growth, biocide resistance, biofilm formation, and swimming motility in Citrobacter werkmanii, whereas the molecular functions of OmpF in this strain are largely unknown. Thus, in this study, the ompF gene was firstly knocked out from the genome of C. werkmanii using a homologous recombination method, and its phenotypical alternations of ∆ompF were then thoroughly characterized using biochemical and molecular approaches with the parental wild type (WT) and complementary (∆ompF-com) strains. The results demonstrated that the swimming ability of ∆ompF on semi-solid plates was reduced compared to WT due to the down-regulation of flgC, flgH, fliK, and fliF. Meanwhile, ompF deletion reduces biofilm formation on both glass and polystyrene surfaces due to decreased cell aggregation. Furthermore, ompF inactivation induced different osmotic stress (carbon sources and metal ions) responses in its biofilms when compared to WT and ∆ompF-com. Finally, a total of 6 maltose metabolic genes of lamB, malE, malK, malG, malM, and malF were all up-regulated in ∆ompF. The gene knockout and HPLC results revealed that the MalEFGK2 cluster was primarily responsible for maltose transport in C. werkmanii. Furthermore, we discovered for the first time that the upstream promoter of OmpF and its transcription can be combined with and negatively regulated by MalT. Overall, OmpF plays a role in a variety of biochemical processes and molecular functions in C. werkmanii, and it may even act as a targeted site to inhibit biofilm formation.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Periphyllus diacerivorus Zhang, 1982 (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Chaitophorinae).

We assembled and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of Periphyllus diacerivorus, which is the first complete mitogenome in subfamily Chaitophorinae. The circular mitogenome of P. diacerivorus is 16,148 bp long with an A + T content of 84.1%. It contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), a large control region, and a special repeat region. All PCGs initiate with ATN and terminate with TAA or TAG except for cox1 and nad4, which are terminated with an incomplete stop codon T--. All tRNAs display the typical clover-leaf secondary structure except for trnS (AGN). The repeat region between trnE and trnF is 970 bp long, including 2.18 repeat units. In the phylogenetic analysis tree, P. diacerivorus clusters with Mindarus keteleerifoliae.

CD147 deficiency is associated with impairedsperm motility/acrosome reaction and offersa therapeutic target for asthenozoospermia.

Patients with asthenozoospermia often present multiple defects in sperm functions apart from a decrease in sperm motility. However, the etiological factors underlying these multifaceted defects remain mostly unexplored, which may lead to unnecessary treatment and unsatisfactory assisted reproductive technologies (ART) outcome. Here, we show that the protein levels of CD147 were lowered in sperm obtained from asthenozoospermic infertile patients exhibiting defects in both sperm motility and the acrosome reaction. Whereas CD147 maintained sperm motility before capacitation, female tract-derived soluble CD147 interacted with sperm-bound CD147 to induce an acrosome reaction in capacitated sperm. Soluble CD147 treatment restored the acrosome reaction and improved the fertility of sperm from patients with asthenozoospermia. Mechanistically, CD147 promotes sperm motility and acrosome reaction (AR) by eliciting Ca2+ influx through soluble CD147 binding to sperm-bound CD147. Notably, the level of soluble CD147 in seminal plasma was positively correlated with the fertilization rate and pregnancy outcome in infertile couples undergoing in vitro fertilization. Our study has identified a marker for the diagnosis and a therapeutic target for the defective AR capability in asthenozoospermia and a candidate for the prediction of in vitro fertilization outcomes for male infertile patients that facilitates the development of precision medicine in ART.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Schizoneuraphis gallarum van der Goot, 1917 (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Hormaphidinae).

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Schizoneuraphis gallarum was sequenced and annotated. The mitogenome is 14,990 bp in length with an A + T content of 82.6%, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and a control region. This is the shortest aphid mitogenome reported so far. All the protein-coding genes are initiated with ATN codon and terminated with TAA codon except cox1 and nad4 which are terminated with T. All the transfer RNA genes can form the typical clover-leaf secondary structure except trnS (AGN). The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree based on mitogenome sequences of 25 aphid species shows that S. gallarum is sister to Hormaphis betulae.

PPI-amoxicillin dual therapy four times daily is superior to guidelines recommended regimens in the Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy within Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews suggested that the eradication efficacy of PPI-amoxicillin dual therapy is similar to that of other commonly used regimens. However, it might be affected by the medication frequency. Basic and clinical studies have shown that dual therapy administered four-times daily has a reliable pathophysiological basis and could achieve satisfactory efficacy. Therefore, a systematic review of RCTs of dual therapy and other regimens was conducted to clarify whether dual therapy is superior to guidelines recommended regimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The RCTs comparing dual therapy with other regimens were subjected to meta-analysis to evaluate the eradication rate, adverse reactions, and compliance using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Dual therapy administered four-times daily had a higher eradication rate than other regimens (intention-to-treat analysis: 89.7% vs 84.6%, OR: 1.52, 95%CI 1.08-2.14, p = 0.02; per-protocol analysis: 92.6% vs 88.2%, OR: 1.54, 95%CI 1.01-2.34, p = 0.04). In first-line therapy, according to intention-to-treat analysis, the eradication rate of dual therapy was higher than other regimens (89.8% vs 84.2%, OR: 1.63, 95%CI 1.02-2.61, p = 0.04). In per-protocol analysis, dual therapy showed better efficacy than others (92.9% vs 88.3%, OR: 1.68, 95% CI 0.98-2.89, p = 0.06), but not significantly. In salvage treatment, no significant difference was detected. The safety of dual therapy was significantly better than other regimens (19.6% vs 36.7%, p < 0.01), but no difference was observed in compliance (p = 0.58). CONCLUSION: PPI-amoxicillin dual therapy administered four-times daily has better efficacy and safety in H. pylori eradication than current guidelines recommended regimens, especially in first-line therapy, and mainly in Asia.

A series of carboxymethyl cellulose-based antimicrobial peptide mimics were synthesized for antimicrobial applications.

Inspired by antimicrobial peptides (AMP) which could alleviate drug resistance pressure, antimicrobial peptide mimics (AMPMs) were designed timely. Here, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) -based AMPMs were constructed by introducing different diamines on CMC effectively. Firstly, CMC was degraded to be oligomers with different molecular weights, followed by amination reactions with different diamines respectively. After protonation, a series of AMPMs with different structures were synthesized successfully. Their antibacterial effect has been evaluated by dynamic growth curves and microdilution method. The images snapped by the confocal laser scanning microscope and transmission electron microscope have fully proved its great lethality. And the antibacterial mechanism measured by flow cytometry analysis and zeta potential detection demonstrated that the destruction of membrane potential leads to bacteria death. The excellent blood compatibility and negligible drug resistance has also been confirmed. In addition, the synthesis method is simple and environmental-friendly.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Mollitrichosiphum tenuicorpus (Okajima, 1908) (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Greenideinae).

Here we report the complete mitochondrial genome of the aphid species Mollitrichosiphum tenuicorpus. The M. tenuicorpus mitogenome is 15,727 bp in length and comprising 37 genes typically present in insect mitogenomes, a control region, and a unique repeat region. All protein-coding genes (PCGs) terminate with TAA or TAG except for cox1, which is terminated with T-. The secondary structure of trnS (AGN) loses the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm, but all the other transfer RNAs show the typical clover-leaf secondary structure. The repeat region between trnE and trnF is 458 bp, with a 217-bp repeat unit repeating 2.11 times. Phylogenetic analysis of the M. tenuicorpus mitogenome using the maximum-likelihood optimality criterion places it in a strongly supported sister position to Eutrichosiphum pasaniae. These data show that mitogenome sequences could be useful in resolving phylogenetic relationships of the Greenideinae.

Enhanced photodynamic inactivation for Gram-negative bacteria by branched polyethylenimine-containing nanoparticles under visible light irradiation.

Antibiotic pollution has been a serious global public health concern in recent years, photodynamic inactivation is one of the most promising and innovative methods for antibacterial applications that avoids antibiotic abuse and minimizes risks of antibiotic resistance. However, limited by the weak interaction between the photosensitizers and Gram-negative bacteria, the effect of photodynamic inactivation cannot be fully exerted. Herein, photosensitizer chlorin e6-loaded polyethyleneimine-based micelle was constructed. The synergy of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the nanoparticles and the bacterial surface promoted the anchoring of nanoparticles onto the bacteria, resulting in enhanced photoinactivation activities on Gram-negative bacteria. As expected, an eminent antibacterial effect was also observed on the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. The cellular uptake results showed that photosensitizer was firmly anchored to the bacterial cell surface of Escherichia coli or Staphylococcus aureus by the introduction of branched polyethylenimine-containing nanoparticles. The light-triggered generation of reactive oxygen species, mainly singlet oxygen, from the membrane-bound nanoparticles caused irreversible damage to the bacterial outer membrane, achieving enhanced bactericidal efficiency than free photosensitizer. The study would provide an efficient and promising antimicrobial alternative to prevent overuse of antibiotics and have enormous potential for human healthcare and the environment remediation.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Eutrichosiphum pasaniae (Okajima, 1908) (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Greenideinae).

In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of Eutrichosiphum pasaniae through Illumina platform. The circular mitogenome is 16,500 bp in length and composed of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), a large control region and a special repeat region. The nucleotide composition of whole mitogenome is strongly AT-biased (85.5%). All PCGs start with ATN and end with TAA except for cox1 which terminates with an incomplete stop codon T. All tRNAs have a typical clover-leaf secondary structure except for trnS (AGN). The lengths of rrnL, rrnS and control region are 1276, 774 and 996 bp, respectively. The repeat region with a length of 909 bp is located between trnE and trnF and consists of 4.1 repeat units. The phylogenetic tree supports the sister relationship of Eutrichosiphum pasaniae and Greenidea psidii.

[Change of extreme chilling and its impact on winter planting in Guangdong Province, China]. / å¹¿ä¸œçœå¯’å®³æžå€¼å˜åŒ–åŠå ¶å¯¹å†¬ç§ç”Ÿäº§çš„å½±å“.

Based on daily temperature data of 86 weather stations during winter producing season from 1961 to 2017 in Guangdong Province, the temporal and spatial distribution of extreme chilling was analyzed. The return periods of extreme chilling at county level were calculated with the theory of generalized extreme value distribution to provide technical support for extreme chilling risk assessment and early warning together with real-time meteorological disaster prevention and mitigation in winter planting areas. Results showed that there was a general downward trend of the extreme values of chilling accumulation in main winter planting zones. Zhanjiang and Meizhou had declined significantly since the mid-1980s, while Maoming, Shaoguan and Guangzhou had declined significantly since the 21st century. The extreme minimum temperature followed a curve trending generally downward first and upward later on, with a significant rising in Shaoguan from later 1980s while a descending in Guangzhou in the last five years. The order of the number of extreme value stations of chilling accumulation was 1970s ＞ the 21st century ＞ 1990s ＞ 1960s ＞ 1980s. The order of the number of stations of extreme minimum temperature was 1960s ＞ 1990s ＞ the 21st century ＞ 1970s ＞ 1980s. The theoretical forecast values of cold disaster of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 year return period showed obvious zonal distribution characteristics. The chilling accumulation diminished from the north to the south and the extreme minimum temperature was higher in the south and lower in the north, which was consistent with the distribution trend in the actual occurrence of cold damage. Typical cases showed more extended chilling return periods in the south than in the north. In Zhanjiang and Maoming, the main producing areas of winter crops in Guangdong Province, the return period of cold damage was long, the probability of extreme cold damage was small but the damage was heavy, and the area of winter crops was in the front rank, which should be paid attention. Our results could provide scientific reference for local government and relevant departments in Guangdong Province to guide winter planting and develop countermeasures against climate change.

Biological functions of nirS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 under aerobic conditions.

Through our previous study, we found an up-regulation in the expression of nitrite reductase (nirS) in the isothiazolone-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, the definitive molecular role of nirS in ascribing the resistance remained elusive. In the present study, the nirS gene was deleted from the chromosome of P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 and the resulting phenotypic changes of ΔnirS were studied alongside the wild-type (WT) strain under aerobic conditions. The results demonstrated a decline in the formations of biofilms but not planktonic growth by ΔnirS as compared to WT, especially in the presence of benzisothiazolinone (BIT). Meanwhile, the deletion of nirS impaired swimming motility of P. aeruginosa under the stress of BIT. To assess the influence of nirS on the transcriptome of P. aeruginosa, RNA-seq experiments comparing the ΔnirS with WT were also performed. A total of 694 genes were found to be differentially expressed in ΔnirS, of which 192 were up-regulated, while 502 were down-regulated. In addition, these differently expressed genes were noted to significantly enrich the carbon metabolism along with glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolisms. Meanwhile, results from RT-PCR suggested the contribution of mexEF-oprN to the development of BIT resistance by ΔnirS. Further, c-di-GMP was less in ΔnirS than in WT, as revealed by HPLC. Taken together, our results confirm that nirS of P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 plays a role in BIT resistance along with biofilm formation and further affects several metabolic patterns under aerobic conditions.

MicroRNA-130a inhibits spermatogenesis by directly targeting androgen receptor in mouse Sertoli cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play a key role in spermatogenesis. However, whether the miRNAs influence androgen/androgen receptor (AR) signaling during spermatogenesis remains unclear. Using a bioinformatic approach, a potential miRNA, miR-130a, which could bind to Ar-3'untranslated region directly was identified. The expression pattern of miR-130a was further characterized by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. It was found that miR-130a was abundant in testis and its expression level was negatively correlated with age. Overexpression of miR-130a could inhibit AR expression both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the mice with an intratesticular injection of miR-130a showed defects in spermatogenesis and increased germ cell apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-130a could negatively regulate AR expression in mouse Sertoli cell, which further cause defects in spermatogenesis.