The bHLH-zip transcription factor SREBP regulates triterpenoid and lipid metabolisms in the medicinal fungus Ganoderma lingzhi.

Ganoderic acids (GAs) are well recognized as important pharmacological components of the medicinal species belonging to the basidiomycete genus Ganoderma. However, transcription factors directly regulating the expression of GA biosynthesis genes remain poorly understood. Here, the genome of Ganoderma lingzhi is de novo sequenced. Using DNA affinity purification sequencing, we identify putative targets of the transcription factor sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP), including the genes of triterpenoid synthesis and lipid metabolism. Interactions between SREBP and the targets are verified by electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay. RNA-seq shows that SREBP targets, mevalonate kinase and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthetase in mevalonate pathway, sterol isomerase and lanosterol 14-demethylase in ergosterol biosynthesis, are significantly upregulated in the SREBP overexpression (OE::SREBP) strain. In addition, 3 targets involved in glycerophospholipid/glycerolipid metabolism are upregulated. Then, the contents of mevalonic acid, lanosterol, ergosterol and 13 different GAs as well as a variety of lipids are significantly increased in this strain. Furthermore, the effects of SREBP overexpression on triterpenoid and lipid metabolisms are recovered when OE::SREBP strain are treated with exogenous fatostatin, a specific inhibitor of SREBP. Taken together, our genome-wide study clarify the role of SREBP in triterpenoid and lipid metabolisms of G. lingzhi.

Differences among the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System proposed by Korean, the American College of Radiology and the European Thyroid Association in the diagnostic performance of thyroid nodules.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS) in the forms proposed by Kwak (K-TIRADS), the American College of Radiology (ACR-TIRADS) and the European Thyroid Association (EU-TIRADS). A total of 846 thyroid nodules were evaluated by K-TIRADS, ACR-TIRADS and EU-TIRADS. All the ultrasound data were analyzed and classified according to the criteria of the three systems. In addition, we calculated the risk of malignancy and plotted receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Moreover, the diagnostic efficacy for malignancy were compared. Of the 846 thyroid nodules, 316 were malignant nodules and 530 were benign nodules. The areas under the ROC curves of K-TIRADS (0.827) and ACR-TIRADS (0.817) were not significantly different (P=0.2425); however, they were greater than that of EU-TIRADS (0.758) (P=0.000). The sensitivity of K-TIRADS (94.94%) was higher than that of ACR-TIRADS (61.08%) or EU-TIRADS (58.86%) (P=0.000), while ACR-TIRADS (89.62%) and EU-TIRADS (83.21%) had higher specificity than K-TIRADS (50.75%) (P=0.000). Although all the K-TIRADS, ACR-TIRADS and EU-TIRADS have values in risk stratification for thyroid nodules, they cannot simultaneously achieve high sensitivity and high specificity. Further research should be performed to develop a TIRADS which is more suitable for the population of China.

Additional Value of Superb Microvascular Imaging for Thyroid Nodule Classification with the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System.

Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) is an innovative vascular imaging technique for ultrasound (US). Compared with conventional color Doppler imaging (CDI) and power Doppler imaging (PDI), SMI can detect more blood flow in thyroid nodules. In this study, a total of 203 thyroid nodules (160 benign nodules, 43 malignant nodules) in 195 patients were assessed with the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) published by the American College of Radiology in 2017) and SMI. With TI-RADS alone, 24 (15.0%), 76 (47.5%), 65 (40.6%) and 39 (24.4%) thyroid nodules were classified as TR2, TR3, TR4 and TR5, respectively. However, with the combination of TI-RADS and SMI, 31 (19.4%), 79 (49.4%), 44 (27.5%) and 49 (30.6%) thyroid nodules were classified as TR2, TR3, TR4 and TR5, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the combination (0.952) was larger than that for TI-RADS alone (0.883) (Z = 3.478, p = 0.001). The efficiency of TI-RADS alone and the TI-RADS + SMI combination in diagnosing thyroid nodules was determined for all except TR2 nodules. Although no significant differences between the methods were observed for TR3 and TR5 thyroid nodules (p > 0.05), the diagnostic efficiency of TI-RADS + SMI for TR4 thyroid nodules was higher than that of TI-RADS alone for TR4 nodules (p < 0.05). This study indicated that the vascularity of thyroid nodules can be well characterized using SMI, and the combined use of gray-scale US and SMI can improve the diagnostic performance of TI-RADS for TR4 thyroid nodules.

The values of shear wave elastography in avoiding repeat fine-needle aspiration for thyroid nodules with nondiagnostic and undetermined cytology.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of shear wave elastography (SWE) in avoiding repeat fine-needle aspiration of thyroid nodules with nondiagnostic and undetermined cytology. METHODS: A total of 232 thyroid nodules with nondiagnostic (n = 132) and undetermined (n = 100) cytology underwent ultrasound (US) and SWE, followed by repeat ultrasound (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The final diagnosis was based on cytological or pathological findings. The US and SWE characteristics of benign and malignant nodules were compared using the χ2 -test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) categories from the US and the EMean and ESD from the SWE were graphed, and the areas under the curves (AUCs) were compared using a Z test. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the benign and malignant nodules in terms of the echogenicity, shape, margin, calcification and TI-RADS categories (all P < 0.05). The differences were significant between the malignant and benign nodules for EMean [(34.57 ± 14.81) kPa vs. (19.18 ± 7.09) kPa] and ESD [(13.68 ± 13.01) kPa vs. (3.97 ± 2.58) kPa] (both P < 0.001). Though the difference in the AUCs of EMean (0.864) and ESD (0.876) was not significant (P = 0.745), they both had higher diagnostic performances in comparison with TI-RADS categories (0.762) (all P < 0.05). Moreover, ESD attained a sensitivity of 100% with a relatively higher specificity of 49.75% when its cut-off value was 3.3 kPa. CONCLUSIONS: Shear wave elastography is a promising imaging method for reducing repeat FNAC for benign thyroid nodules with nondiagnostic and undetermined cytology when using ESD as an index.

[Isolation, Identification and Degradation Characteristics of a 17ß-estradiol Degrading Strain Fusarium sp. KY123915].

A 17ß-estradiol (E2) degrading strain (designated as Wu-SP1) was isolated from the activated sludge collected from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Xi'an. The strain was identified as Fusarium sp. according to 18S rDNA sequence and phylogenetic analysis. The optimal pH and temperature for E2 degradation were 6 and 30℃, respectively. Under these conditions, the E2 biodegradation rate of 2 mg·L-1 E2 amounted to 92.5% within 48 h by this strain. The kinetics of E2 degradation by the strain KY123915 were in good accord with the first-order equation, with the concentration ranged from 10 to 500 mg·L-1. UV spectrum analysis showed the strength of maximum absorption of metabolites became weak compared to E2, indicating that E2 may be degraded via estrone (E1) by Fusarium sp. KY123915.

A novel missense mutation in DSRAD in a family with dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria.

Dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria (DSH) is a rare autosomal dominant cutaneous disorder characterized by a mixture of hyperpigmented and hypopigmented macules of various sizes on the extremities. Pathogenic mutations in the DSRAD gene have been identified. In this report, we identified a Chinese family with a three-generation pedigree of DSH, in which a novel heterozygous nucleotide G-->A transition was found. It is at position 3,125 in exon 12 of the DSRAD gene which induces a R1042H change in the putative deaminase domain of DSRAD. Our study expands the database on the DSRAD gene mutations in DSH.