Coordination-Driven Self-Assembly of Complexes Constructed from Two Helical Ligands: Synthesis, Structures, and Selective Gas Adsorption Properties.

Two helical ligands (L1 and L2) were designed and synthesized by a Schiff base condensation reaction. Eight complexes, {[Zn(L1)I2]·H2O}n (1), [Cd2(L1)2I4(CH3OH)2] (2), [Hg2(L1)2I4] (3), [Ag(L1)NO3]n (4), [Ag2(L1)2(NO3)2DMSO]·H2O (5), {[Zn2(L2)2Cl4]·2CHCl3}n (6), {[Ag(L2)]·NO3}n (7), and {[Ag(L2)NO3]·CH3OH}n (8), were synthesized and characterized based on these two ligands. The crystal structures show that both Schiff base compounds exist as racemic ligands with equal amounts of P- and M-helicity, and the assembly of these racemic ligands with metal ions can lead to homochiral or heterochiral complexes via a chiral self-recognition or self-discrimination process. Complexes 2, 3, and 5 exist as heterochiral metallomacrocycles with a figure-eight conformation. Complexes 1, 6, and 8 exist as one-dimensional (1D) homochiral helical chain coordination polymers, while complexes 4 and 7 exist as 1D heterochiral helical chain coordination polymers. Furthermore, gas and vapor adsorption measurements show that all of the synthesized complexes exhibit good selective adsorption capacities toward methanol and ethanol vapor over N2, H2, and O2.

Derivation of Porcine Extra-Embryonic Endoderm Cell Lines Reveals Distinct Signaling Pathway and Multipotency States.

The inner cell mass of the pre-implantation blastocyst consists of the epiblast and hypoblast from which embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and extra-embryonic endoderm (XEN) stem cells, respectively, can be derived. Importantly, each stem cell type retains the defining properties and lineage restriction of its in vivo tissue origin. We have developed a novel approach for deriving porcine XEN (pXEN) cells via culturing the blastocysts with a chemical cocktail culture system. The pXEN cells were positive for XEN markers, including Gata4, Gata6, Sox17, and Sall4, but not for pluripotent markers Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog. The pXEN cells also retained the ability to undergo visceral endoderm (VE) and parietal endoderm (PE) differentiation in vitro. The maintenance of pXEN required FGF/MEK+TGFß signaling pathways. The pXEN cells showed a stable phenotype through more than 50 passages in culture and could be established repeatedly from blastocysts or converted from the naïve-like ESCs established in our lab. These cells provide a new tool for exploring the pathways of porcine embryo development and differentiation and providing further reference to the establishment of porcine ESCs with potency of germline chimerism and gamete development.

Integrated analysis of circular RNA-associated ceRNA network in cervical cancer: Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have displayed dysregulated expression in several types of cancer. Nevertheless, their function and underlying mechanisms in cervical cancer remains largely unknown. This study aimed to describe the regulatory mechanisms in cervical cancer. METHODS: We downloaded the circRNAs expression profiles from Gene Expression Omnibus database, and RNAs expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. We established a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA and circRNA-miRNA-hubgene network. The interactions between proteins were analyzed using the STRING database and hubgenes were identified using MCODE plugin. Then, we conducted a circRNA-miRNA-hubgenes regulatory module. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were conducted using R packages "Clusterprofile". RESULTS: Six circRNAs, 15 miRNAs, and 158 mRNAs were identified to construct the ceRNA network of cervical cancer. PPI (protein-protein interaction) network and module analysis identified 7 hubgenes. Then, a circRNA-miRNA-hubgene subnetwork was constructed based on the 1 DEcircRNAs, 3 DEmiRNAs, and 3 DEmRNAs. The KEGG pathway analysis indicated DEmRNAs are involved in progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, cell cycle, and oocyte meiosis. CONCLUSION: These ceRNAs are critical in the pathogenesis of cervical and may serve as future therapeutic biomarkers.

Prognostic value of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio in ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Prognostic biomarkers are highly needed to properly manage patients with cancer and improve their clinical courses. The relationship between lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) at diagnosis and ovarian cancer prognosis has been extensively studied, but little consensus has been reached regarding its utility as a biomarker of poor outcome. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential prognostic value of pretreatment LMR in such patients to shed light on this issue. METHODS: We searched the scientific databases of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and WangFang for relevant studies about the inflammatory prognostic factor LMR in ovarian cancer, based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The following parameters were analyzed among others: LMR values and respective cut-offs, patient's overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and clinicopathological features. RESULTS: Eight studies, including 2259 patients, were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis. We found that low LMR was associated with both poor OS [Hazard ratio (HR): 1.92; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.58-2.34; p < 0.001] and PFS (HR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.54-1.88; p < 0.001). Moreover, our findings revealed that low LMR was correlated with high G2/G3 histological grade (OR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.26-2.20; p < 0.001) and late III-IV FIGO stage tumors (OR: 3.55; 95% CI: 2.68-4.70; p < 0.001), high serum CA-125 level (OR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.71-2.77; p < 0.001), and presence of malignant ascites (OR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.11-3.14; p = 0.02) and lymph node metastases (OR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.13-2.54; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Pretreatment LMR is a potential prognostic marker of poor outcome in ovarian cancer patients and may thus be important in clinical care and disease control.

Generation of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene knockout pigs by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene targeting.

Unbalanced brain serotonin (5-HT) levels have implications in various behavioral abnormalities and neuropsychiatric disorders. The biosynthesis of neuronal 5-HT is regulated by the rate-limiting enzyme, tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2). In the present study, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) system was used to target theTph2 gene in Bama mini pig fetal fibroblasts. It was found that CRISPR/Cas9 targeting efficiency could be as high as 61.5%, and the biallelic mutation efficiency reached at 38.5%. The biallelic modified colonies were used as donors for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and 10Tph2 targeted piglets were successfully generated. These Tph2 KO piglets were viable and appeared normal at the birth. However, their central 5-HT levels were dramatically reduced, and their survival and growth rates were impaired before weaning. TheseTph2 KO pigs are valuable large-animal models for studies of 5-HT deficiency induced behavior abnomality.

Derivation of Porcine Embryonic Stem-Like Cells from In Vitro-Produced Blastocyst-Stage Embryos.

Efficient isolation of embryonic stem (ES) cells from pre-implantation porcine embryos has remained a challenge. Here, we describe the derivation of porcine embryonic stem-like cells (pESLCs) by seeding the isolated inner cell mass (ICM) from in vitro-produced porcine blastocyst into α-MEM with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The pESL cells kept the normal karyotype and displayed flatten clones, similar in phenotype to human embryonic stem cells (hES cells) and rodent epiblast stem cells. These cells exhibited alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity and expressed pluripotency markers such as OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, SSEA-4, TRA-1-60, and TRA-1-81 as determined by both immunofluorescence and RT-PCR. Additionally, these cells formed embryoid body (EB), teratomas and also differentiated into 3 germ layers in vitro and in vivo. Microarray analysis showed the expression of the pluripotency markers, PODXL, REX1, SOX2, KLF5 and NR6A1, was significantly higher compared with porcine embryonic fibroblasts (PEF), but expression of OCT4, TBX3, REX1, LIN28A and DPPA5, was lower compared to the whole blastocysts or ICM of blastocyst. Our results showed that porcine embryonic stem-like cells can be established from in vitro-produced blastocyst-stage embryos, which promote porcine naive ES cells to be established.

Description of Salilacibacter albus gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from a dried salt lake, and reclassification of Paraglycomyces xinjiangensis Luo et al. 2015 as a later heterotypic synonym of Salininema proteolyticum Nikou et al. 2015 with emended descriptions of the genus Salininema and Salininema proteolyticum.

A novel halophilic actinomycete, designated strain J11Y309T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from a dried salt lake in China. This isolate grew optimally at 28‒37 °C, with 3‒5 % (w/v) NaCl and at pH 7.0‒7.5. It contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and glucose, ribose and xylose were present in the whole-cell hydrolysates. MK-10(H4) was detected as the predominant menaquinone. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. Polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, phosphoglycolipids, glycolipids, an unidentified phospholipid and additional unidentified lipids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 63.0 mol%. The novel strain shared highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Salininema proteolyticum Miq-4T (95.80 %), Paraglycomyces xinjiangensis TRM 49201T (95.77 %) and Haloglycomyces albus YIM 92370T (94.84 %). Phylogenetic trees showed that it could not be clearly assigned to any known genus within the family Glycomycetaceae and formed a distinct phylogenetic line in the clade comprising members of the genera Salininema, Paraglycomyces and Haloglycomyces. Based on data from the present polyphasic taxonomic study, strain J11Y309T represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Glycomycetaceae, for which the name Salilacibacter albus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed with Salilacibacter albus sp. nov. as the type species. The type strain of Salilacibacter albus is J11Y309T (=DSM 46875T=CGMCC 4.7242T=LMG 29297T). Reclassification of Paraglycomyces xinjiangensis Luo et al. 2015 as a later heterotypic synonym of Salininema roteolyticum Nikou et al. 2015 is also discussed in this study.

Phycicoccus endophyticus sp. nov., an endophytic actinobacterium isolated from Bruguiera gymnorhiza.

A novel endophytic actinobacterium, designated strain IP6SC6T, was isolated from surface-sterilized bark of Bruguiera gymnorhiza collected from Zhanjiang Mangrove Forest National Nature Reserve in Guangdong, China. Cells of strain IP6SC6T were Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-motile rods. Strain IP6SC6T grew at 20-42 °C (optimum, 37 °C), at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-8 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0-2 %). Chemotaxonomic analyses showed that the isolate possessed meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diamino acid of the peptidoglycan, galactose and glucose as whole-cell sugars, and MK-8(H4) as the predominant menaquinone. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and an unknown lipid. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 72.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain IP6SC6T belonged to the genus Phycicoccus and shared the highest sequence similarity with Phycicoccus jejuensis NRRL B-24460T (96.97 %). On the basis of phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain IP6SC6T represents a novel species of the genus Phycicoccus, for which the name Phycicoccus endophyticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is IP6SC6T ( = DSM 100020T = CGMCC 4.7300T).

Prauserella endophytica sp. nov., an endophytic actinobacterium isolated from Tamarix taklamakanensis.

A novel endophytic actinobacterium, designated strain SP28S-3(T), was isolated from a surface-sterilized stem of Tamarix taklamakanensis collected from the southern edge of Taklamakan desert, Xinjiang, China. Strain SP28S-3(T) was found to show chemotaxonomic and morphological properties consistent with its classification in the genus Prauserella. The polar lipids were found to consist of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphoglycolipid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, a glycolipid, an aminolipid and unidentified phospholipids. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were identified as iso-C16:0 and C16:0. The genomic DNA G+C content was determined to be 69.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis of strain SP28S-3(T) clearly showed that the strain had the highest similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequence with Prauserella coralliicola SCSIO 11529(T) (99.9 %), followed by Prauserella marina DSM 45268(T) (97.0 %) and is affiliated with the genus Prauserella. The low level (47.8 ± 5.5 %) of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain SP28S-3(T) and P. coralliicola SCSIO 11529(T) combined with other polyphasic taxonomic evidence clearly support the conclusion that strain SP28S-3(T) represents a novel Prauserella species, for which the name Prauserella endophytica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SP28S-3(T) (=DSM 46655(T) = CGMCC 4.7182 (T)).

Timing of first embryonic cleavage is a positive indicator of the in vitro developmental potential of porcine embryos derived from in vitro fertilization, somatic cell nuclear transfer and parthenogenesis.

Evidence in many species has suggested that those embryos that cleave earliest after fertilization are more developmentally competent than those that cleave relatively later after fertilization. Herein we document this phenomenon in porcine in vitro-fertilized (IVF), somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), and parthenogenetic (PA) embryos. In vitro-matured pig oocytes were used to generate IVF, SCNT, and PA embryos. At 24 hr post-activation (or insemination; hpa/hpi), embryos were visually assessed, and cleaved embryos were moved into a new culture well. This process was repeated at 30 and 48 hpa/hpi. All embryos were allowed to develop 7 days in culture. For IVF embryos, 39.9%, 24.6%, and 10.5% of fast-, intermediate-, or slow-cleaving embryos, respectively, developed into blastocysts by day 7. For SCNT embryos, 31.8% of fast-, 5.7% of intermediate-, and 2.9% of late-cleaving embryos achieved the blastocyst stage of development. For PA embryos, the percentages of those cleaved embryos that developed to blastocyst were 59.3%, 36.7%, and 7.5% for early-, intermediate-, and late-cleaving embryos, respectively. Using RNA collected from early-, intermediate-, and late-cleaving embryos, real-time PCR was performed to assess the transcript levels of 14 different genes of widely varied function. The qPCR results suggest that maternal mRNA degradation may not proceed in an appropriate pattern in slow-cleaving embryos. These findings (1) confirm that, as observed in other species, earlier-cleaving porcine embryos are more successful at developing in culture than are slower-cleaving embryos, and (2) implicate mechanisms of maternal transcript destruction as potential determinants of oocyte/embryo quality.

Response and tolerance of root border cells to aluminum toxicity in soybean seedlings.

Root border cells (RBCs) and their secreted mucilage are suggested to participate in the resistance against toxic metal cations, including aluminum (Al), in the rhizosphere. However, the mechanisms by which the individual cell populations respond to Al and their role in Al resistance still remain unclear. In this research, the response and tolerance of RBCs to Al toxicity were investigated in the root tips of two soybean cultivars [Zhechun No. 2 (Al-tolerant cultivar) and Huachun No. 18 (Al-sensitive cultivar)]. Al inhibited root elongation and increased pectin methylesterase (PME) activity in the root tip. Removal of RBCs from the root tips resulted in a more severe inhibition of root elongation, especially in Huachun No. 18. Increasing Al levels and treatment time decreased the relative percent viability of RBCs in situ and in vitro in both soybean cultivars. Al application significantly increased mucilage layer thickness around the detached RBCs of both cultivars. Additionally, a significantly higher relative percent cell viability of attached and detached RBCs and thicker mucilage layers were observed in Zhechun No. 2. The higher viability of attached and detached RBCs, as well as the thickening of the mucilage layer in separated RBCs, suggest that RBCs play an important role in protecting root apices from Al toxicity.