Genome-wide association study for cashmere traits in Inner Mongolia cashmere goat population reveals new candidate genes and haplotypes.

BACKGROUND: The cashmere goat industry is one of the main pillars of animal husbandry in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and plays an irreplaceable role in local economic development. With the change in feeding methods and environment, the cashmere produced by Inner Mongolia cashmere goats shows a tendency of coarser, and the cashmere yield can not meet the consumption demand of people. However, the genetic basis behind these changes is not fully understood. We measured cashmere traits, including cashmere yield (CY), cashmere diameter (CD), cashmere thickness (CT), and fleece length (FL) traits for four consecutive years, and utilized Genome-wide association study of four cashmere traits in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats was carried out using new genomics tools to infer genomic regions and functional loci associated with cashmere traits and to construct haplotypes that significantly affect cashmere traits. RESULTS: We estimated the genetic parameters of cashmere traits in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats. The heritability of cashmere yield, cashmere diameter, and fleece length traits of Inner Mongolia cashmere goats were 0.229, 0.359, and 0.250, which belonged to the medium heritability traits (0.2 ~ 0.4). The cashmere thickness trait has a low heritability of 0.053. We detected 151 genome-wide significantly associated SNPs with four cashmere traits on different chromosomes, which were very close to the chromosomes of 392 genes (located within the gene or within ± 500 kb). Notch3, BMPR1B, and CCNA2 have direct functional associations with fibroblasts and follicle stem cells, which play important roles in hair follicle growth and development. Based on GO functional annotation and KEGG enrichment analysis, potential candidate genes were associated with pathways of hair follicle genesis and development (Notch, P13K-Akt, TGF-beta, Cell cycle, Wnt, MAPK). We calculated the effective allele number of the Inner Mongolia cashmere goat population to be 1.109-1.998, the dominant genotypes of most SNPs were wild-type, the polymorphic information content of 57 SNPs were low polymorphism (0 < PIC < 0.25), and the polymorphic information content of 79 SNPs were moderate polymorphism (0.25 < PIC < 0.50). We analyzed the association of SNPs with phenotypes and found that the homozygous mutant type of SNP1 and SNP3 was associated with the highest cashmere yield, the heterozygous mutant type of SNP30 was associated with the lowest cashmere thickness, the wild type of SNP76, SNP77, SNP78, SNP80, and SNP81 was associated with the highest cashmere thickness, and the wild type type of SNP137 was associated with the highest fleece length. 21 haplotype blocks and 68 haplotype combinations were constructed. Haplotypes A2A2, B2B2, C2C2, and D4D4 were associated with increased cashmere yield, haplotypes E2E2, F1F1, G5G5, and G1G5 were associated with decreased cashmere fineness, haplotypes H2H2 was associated with increased cashmere thickness, haplotypes I1I1, I1I2, J1J4, L5L3, N3N2, N3N3, O2O1, P2P2, and Q3Q3 were associated with increased cashmere length. We verified the polymorphism of 8 SNPs by KASP, and found that chr7_g.102631194A > G, chr10_g.82715068 T > C, chr1_g.124483769C > T, chr24_g.12811352C > T, chr6_g.114111249A > G, and chr6_g.115606026 T > C were significantly genotyped in verified populations (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the genetic effect of single SNP on phenotypes is small, and SNPs are more inclined to be inherited as a whole. By constructing haplotypes from SNPs that are significantly associated with cashmere traits, it will help to reveal the complex and potential causal variations in cashmere traits of Inner Mongolia cashmere goats. This will be a valuable resource for genomics and breeding of the cashmere goat.

Genetic diversity analysis of Inner Mongolia cashmere goats (Erlangshan subtype) based on whole genome re-sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Inner Mongolia cashmere goat (IMCG), renowned for its superior cashmere quality, is a Chinese indigenous goat breed that has been developed through natural and artificial selection over a long period. However, recently, the genetic resources of IMCGs have been significantly threatened by the introduction of cosmopolitan goat breeds and the absence of adequate breed protection systems. RESULTS: In order to assess the conservation effectiveness of IMCGs and efficiently preserve and utilize the purebred germplasm resources, this study analyzed the genetic diversity, kinship, family structure, and inbreeding of IMCGs utilizing resequencing data from 225 randomly selected individuals analyzed using the Plink (v.1.90), GCTA (v.1.94.1), and R (v.4.2.1) software. A total of 12,700,178 high-quality SNPs were selected through quality control from 34,248,064 SNP sites obtained from 225 individuals. The average minor allele frequency (MAF), polymorphic information content (PIC), and Shannon information index (SHI) were 0.253, 0.284, and 0.530, respectively. The average observed heterozygosity (Ho) and the average expected heterozygosity (He) were 0.355 and 0.351, respectively. The analysis of the identity by state distance matrix and genomic relationship matrix has shown that most individuals' genetic distance and genetic relationship are far away, and the inbreeding coefficient is low. The family structure analysis identified 10 families among the 23 rams. A total of 14,109 runs of homozygosity (ROH) were identified in the 225 individuals, with an average ROH length of 1014.547 kb. The average inbreeding coefficient, calculated from ROH, was 0.026 for the overall population and 0.027 specifically among the 23 rams, indicating a low level of inbreeding within the conserved population. CONCLUSIONS: The IMCGs exhibited moderate polymorphism and a low level of kinship with inbreeding occurring among a limited number of individuals. Simultaneously, it is necessary to prevent the loss of bloodline to guarantee the perpetuation of the IMCGs' germplasm resources.

Revealing Brownish Mycena Diversity in China: New Discoveries and Taxonomic Insights.

Within the genus Mycena, species exhibiting brownish basidiomata present considerable challenges in identification due to similar coloration. This study underscores the significance of pileipellis types and cheilocystidia characteristics as critical in delimiting brownish Mycena species. To clarify the principal taxonomic characters and their utility in distinguishing between brownish Mycena species, a morphological taxonomy and phylogenetic analysis were performed. Five new species from China were introduced and characterized through a comprehensive morphological anatomy and phylogenetic substantiation: M. campanulatihemisphaerica sp. nov., M. digitifurcata sp. nov., M. kunyuensis sp. nov., M. limitis sp. nov., and M. oryzifluens sp. nov. Discussions of these taxa are supplemented with morphological illustrations. The phylogenetic relationships were inferred using Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood methods based on sequences from the internal transcribed spacer and the large subunit regions of nuclear ribosomal RNA. With the addition of these five new species, the worldwide count of brownish Mycena increases to 94, and a key to the 29 known species of brownish Mycena from China is presented.

In vitro generation of trophoblast like stem cells from goat pluripotent stem cells.

Since the first mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) was derived, the in vitro culture of domestic iPSCs functionally and molecularly comparable with mouse iPSCs has been a challenge. Here, we established dairy goat iPSCs (giPSCs) from goat ear fibroblast cells with mouse iPSCs morphology, the expression of pluripotent markers and differentiation ability in vitro delivered by piggyBac transposon with nine Dox-inducible exogenous reprogramming factors. These reprogramming factors were bOMSK (bovine OCT4, CMYC, SOX2, and KLF4), pNhL (porcine NANOG and human LIN28), hRL (human RARG and LRH1), and SV40 Large T. Notably, AF-giPSCs (induced in activin A and bFGF condition) were capable of differentiation in embryoid bodies in vitro and could contribute to interspecies chimerism in mouse E6.5 embryos in vitro, demonstrating that AF-giPSCs have the developmental capability to generate some embryonic cell lineages. Moreover, Wnt/ß-catenin signaling has an important role in driving goat induced trophoblast-like stem cells (giTLSCs) from Dox-independent giPSCs. This study will support further establishment of the stable giPSC lines without any integration of exogenous genes.

Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal five new species of Porotheleaceae (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) from China.

The first occurrence of Marasmiellomycena and Pulverulina in the Chinese mycobiota are reported, M.tomentosa and P.flavoalba, two new species and M.albodescendens, a new combination, revealed by phylogenetic analyses and morphological study. These newly-recorded genera, Marasmiellomycena, which can be distinguished by their agaricoid basidiomata, dark-coloured stipe, sarcodimitic tramal structure, stipitipellis with yellow to yellowish-brown pigments and yellow-pigmented thick-walled caulocystidia and Pulverulina, which differs from other genera of Porotheleaceae by its pruinose stipe, decurrent lamellae, inamyloid basidiospores and absence of hymenial cystidia. We also formally describe three other new species of Porotheleaceae collected from Chinese temperate to subtropical zones of Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces: Clitocybulafuscostriata, Gerronemabrunneosquamulosum and Leucoinocybesubglobispora. Furthermore, we include the results of a phylogenetic analysis of Porotheleaceae, based on a multi-locus (ITS, nrLSU and rpb2) dataset. According to this analysis, Chrysomycena, Clitocybula, Delicatula, Hydropodia, Hydropus, Leucoinocybe, Marasmiellomycena, Megacollybia, Pulverulina, Trogia and Vizzinia are monophyletic. However, Gerronema is identified as polyphyletic and, additionally, Porotheleum does not form a monophyletic group either because Porotheleumparvulum and Porotheleumalbidum are "unassigned" in phylogenetic analysis. The results of our phylogenetic analyses, coupled with morphological observations, confirm recognition of these new taxa. Morphological descriptions, photographs, line drawings and comparisons with closely-related taxa are presented for the new species. A key to the 22 species belonging to nine genera of Porotheleaceae in China is also provided.

Population genetics provides insights into the important agronomic traits of Ganoderma cultivation varieties in China.

This study aimed to investigate the species diversity and genetic differentiation of the genome of the main cultivated strains of Ganoderma in China. Population genomics analysis was conducted based on 150 cultivated strains of Ganoderma collected nationwide. The results indicated that the main species currently cultivated in China were Ganoderma sichuanense and Ganoderma lucidum, with a minor proportion of Ganoderma sessile, Ganoderma weberianum, Ganoderma sinense, Ganoderma gibbosum and Ganoderma australe. A total of 336,506 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci were obtained through population evolution analysis. The Fst values were calculated using a 5-kb sliding window, which ranged from 0.11 to 0.74. This suggests varying degrees of genetic differentiation between populations and genetic exchange among varieties. On this basis, the genes related to the stipe length, cap color and branch phenotypes of Ganoderma were excavated, and the region with the top 1% ZFst value region was used as a candidate region. A total of 137, 270 and 222 candidate genes were identified in the aforementioned 3 phenotypes, respectively. Gene annotation revealed that genes associated with stipe length were mainly related to cell division and differentiation, including proteins such as Nse4 protein and DIM1 protein. The genes related to Ganoderma red color were mainly related to the metabolism of tryptophan and flavonoids. The genes related to the branch were mainly related to cytokinin synthesis, ABC transporter and cytochrome P450. This study provided 150 valuable genome resequencing data in assessing the diversity and genetic differentiation of Ganoderma and laid a foundation for agronomic trait analysis and the development of new varieties of Ganoderma.

Effects of Muscle Type and Aging on Glycolysis and Physicochemical Quality Properties of Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) Meat.

Poor tenderness of camel meat has seriously hampered the development of the camel meat industry. This study investigated the effects of muscle fiber composition and ageing time on meat quality, glycolytic potential, and glycolysis-related enzyme activities. Muscle samples of the longissimus thoracis (LT), psoas major (PM), and semitendinosus (ST) were collected from eight 8-10 year old Sonid Bactrian camels (females). Muscle fiber composition was examined by ATPase staining and immunohistochemistry. Meat quality indexes, glycolytic potential, and activities of major glycolytic enzymes were examined at 4 °C aging for 1, 6, 24, 72, and 120 h. The results showed that LT was mainly composed of type IIb muscle fibers, whereas PM and ST were mainly composed of type I muscle fibers. The PCR results of the myosin heavy chain (MyHC) were consistent with the ATPase staining results. During aging, the shear force of LT muscle was always greater than that of PM and ST, and its glycolysis was the strongest; type IIa, IIb, and IIx muscle fibers were positively correlated with muscle shear force and glycolysis rate, and type I muscle fibers were significantly and negatively correlated with the activities of the key enzymes of glycolysis within 6 h. The results showed that the muscle fibers of LT muscle had the greatest glycolysis capacity. These results suggest that an excessive type IIb muscle fiber number percentage and area in camel meat accelerated the glycolysis process, but seriously affected the sensory profile of the camel meat. The results of this study provide directions for the camel industry when addressing the poor tenderness of camel meat.

The role and mechanism of estrogen receptor in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis by Gushukang / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:The specific mechanism of Gushukang,as a Chinese traditional patent medicine for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis of kidney deficiency and blood stasis,needs further studies. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Gushukang on serum sex hormones,bone microstructure and estrogen receptor in postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS:Firstly,network pharmacological analysis was performed.The active ingredients and action targets of Gushukang and the targets of postmenopausal osteoporosis were obtained respectively.Cytoscape was used to construct the active ingredient-target network.STRING database and Cytoscape were used for protein-protein interaction analysis and screening of core targets.DAVID database was used for Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses of intersection targets.Then the ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the animal experiment.Gushukang was administered by gavage for 3 months.The serum estrogen level was detected by ELISA,the bone microstructure was detected by microCT,and the protein expression of estrogen receptor α and estrogen receptor β in bone tiusse was detected by western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The network pharmacological research results identified 132 active ingredients and 150 targets of Gushukang and 1155 targets of postmenopausal osteoporosis.After intersections with 1155 postmenopausal osteoporosis targets,87 targets of active ingredients of Gushukang against postmenopausal osteoporosis were obtained.By constructing the active ingredient-target network,it was found that the active ingredients at the core were quercetin,kaempferol,luteolin,naringin and isorhamnetin,and the targets at the core were NCOA2,ESR2,AR,F2,ESR1 and PTGS1.The final targets obtained after the protein-protein interaction analysis and screening included MAPK8,ESR1,JUN,R3C1,RELA and FOS,of which ESR1 was the common core target obtained from the two analyses.KEGG enrichment analysis showed estrogen,tumor necrosis factor,apoptosis and other signaling pathways.Therefore,animal experiments focused on the effect of Gushukang on different subtypes of estrogen receptors in the estrogen signaling pathway.The results showed that in the Gushukang group,bone microstructure was significantly improved,serum estrogen level had no significant change,but the protein expression of estrogen receptor α and β in bone tissue was significantly increased.All the findings indicate that the mechanism of Gushukang in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis may be related to its hormone-like effect and the enhancement of estrogen receptor expression.

Derivation and characteristics of induced pluripotent stem cells from a patient with acute myelitis.

The emergence and development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provides an approach to understand the regulatory mechanisms of cell pluripotency and demonstrates the great potential of iPSCs in disease modeling. Acute myelitis defines a group of inflammatory diseases that cause acute nerve damage in the spinal cord; however, its pathophysiology remains to be elusive. In this study, we derived skin fibroblasts from a patient with acute myelitis (P-HAF) and then reprogrammed P-HAF cells to iPSCs using eight exogenous factors (namely, OCT4, SOX2, c-MYC, KLF4, NANOG, LIN28, RARG, and LRH1). We performed transcriptomic analysis of the P-HAF and compared the biological characteristics of the iPSCs derived from the patient (P-iPSCs) with those derived from normal individuals in terms of pluripotency, transcriptomic characteristics, and differentiation ability toward the ectoderm. Compared to the control iPSCs, the P-iPSCs displayed similar features of pluripotency and comparable capability of ectoderm differentiation in the specified culture. However, when tested in the common medium, the P-iPSCs showed attenuated potential for ectoderm differentiation. The transcriptomic analysis revealed that pathways enriched in P-iPSCs included those involved in Wnt signaling. To this end, we treated iPSCs and P-iPSCs with the Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor IWR1 during the differentiation process and found that the expression of the ectoderm marker Sox1 was increased significantly in P-iPSCs. This study provides a novel approach to investigating the pathogenesis of acute myelitis.

Observation of the therapeutic effect of Liuwei Dihuang decoction on thrombocytopenia of liver and kidney yin deficiency in hemodialysis patients / 药物流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the clinical effect of Liuwei Dihuang decoction on thrombocytopenia(HIT)of liver and kidney yin deficiency in hemodialysis patients.Methods 84 hemodialysis patients with liver and kidney yin deficiency HIT were randomly divided into observation group and control group,with 42 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional western medicine,while the observation group was treated with Liuwei Dihuang decoction on the basis of the control group.The scores of liver and kidney yin deficiency syndrome before and after treatment and the curative effect of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome were compared between the two groups,and the platelet count(Plt),P-selectin level,HIT antibody before and after treatment,the platelet recovery time and clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of the two groups were also compared.Results After 1 month of treatment,the scores of liver and kidney yin deficiency syndrome in the two groups were both lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),which in the observation group was lower than that of the control group(P<0.05).The total effective rate of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in the observation group(97.62%)was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).After 14 d of treatment,the Plt of the two groups were both higher than those before treatment,while the levels of P-selectin and the positive rate of HIT antibody of the two groups were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the Plt in the observation group was higher than that of the control group,the levels of P-selectin and the positive rate of HIT antibody in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The platelet recovery time in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group(P<0.05),the total effective rate of clinical treatment in the observation group(95.24%)was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups during treatment(P>0.05).Conclusion On the basis of conventional western medicine treatment,the addition of Liuwei Dihuang decoction to treat HIT of liver and kidney yin deficiency in hemodialysis patients can improve the clinical efficacy,reduce the clinical symptoms of patients,improve the level of Plt,shorten the recovery time of platelet,and reduce the level of P-selectin and the positive rate of HIT antibody,with good safety,which is worthy of clinical promotion.

The Osteoprotective Effect of Gusong Yigu Decoction on Ovariectomized Rats Based on PI3K/Akt Signal Pathway / 中药新药与临床药理

Objective To explore the mechanism of Gusong Yigu Decoction(inchuding Astragali Radix,Codonpsis Radix,Angelicae Sinensis Radix,etc.)in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis(PMOP)based on network pharmacology and animal experiment.Methods The effective ingredients and corresponding targets of Gusong Yigu Decoction were collected by using TCMSP database.GeneCards,TTD,and other databases were used to collect PMOP target proteins.R language was used to obtain the intersection targets and draw Wayne diagram.STRING database was used for the establishment of protein-protein interaction network.At last,GO function enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment were performed on all common targets.The ovariectomized SD rats were used in the animal experiment.Gusong Yigu Decoction was administered by gavage for 12 weeks.The changes of bone histomorphology were detected by HE staining,the mRNA and protein levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)and protein kinase B(Akt)in bone tissue of proximal tibial were tested by qRT-PCR and Western Blot,respectively.Results A total of 91 effective ingredients of Gusong Yigu Decoction in the treatment of PMOP,70 common targets of drugs-diseases were obtained.GO enrichment analysis mainly included DNA-binding transcription activator activity,RNA polymerase II-specific,ubiquitin protein ligase binding.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis included PI3K/Akt signaling pathway,TNF signaling pathway,and apoptosis.The animal experiment showed that bone histomorphology was significantly improved,meanwhile the mRNA and protein expressions of PI3K and Akt were significantly increased in Gusong Yigu Decoction group(P＜0.01).Conclusion Gusong Yigu Decoction may improve bone microstructure through multiple channels and targets.Gusong Yigu Decoction can increase the number and thickness of bone trabeculae and reduce the separation of bone trabeculae by activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway,and thus play an anti-osteoporosis role in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Correlation between Peripheral Blood PLR with Treg, Th17 in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma and Its Influence on Prognosis / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the correlation of peripheral blood platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) with Treg and Th17 and its influence on prognosis in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM).@*METHODS@#One hundred thirty-five newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients admitted to the Department of Hematology of Zhengzhou People's Hospital from June 2015 to October 2022 were selected as MM group. Clinical data included sex, age, immune typing, ISS stage, blood calcium (Ca), albumin (ALB), hemoglobin (Hb), PLR, LDH, β2 microglobulin (β2-MG), Treg and Th17 levels. Sixty healthy volunteers who underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. PLR, Treg and Th17 levels in MM group and control group were compared. Pearson was used to analyze the correlation between PLR and Treg, Th17. The relationship between MM patients with different PLR and clinical features and prognosis was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The PLR and Th17 of MM patients were significantly higher than that of control group, and Treg was significantly lower than that of control group (P<0.05). In MM patients, PLR was negatively correlated with Treg (r=-0.616), and PLR was positively correlated with Th17 (r=0.555). Using mean PLR=132.72 as the boundary, 135 MM patients were divided into high PLR group (n=54) and low PLR group (n=81). In MM patients with high PLR, ISS stage, ALB and Treg were significantly higher than those in low PLR group, while Th17 was significantly lower than those in low PLR group (P<0.05). By univariate and COX regression analysis, PLR was an independent prognostic risk factor for newly diagnosed MM patients (P<0.05). MM patients with high PLR had better PFS and OS, and the difference was statistically significant compared with MM patients with low PLR (P<0.05). 65 patients admitted from June 2015 to December 2018 were used as the training set, and 70 patients admitted from January 2019 to October 2022 were used as the validation set. The OS of MM patients with different PLR were compared respectively. The results showed that the conclusions of the training set and the validation set were consistent. PLR with high expression had higher OS (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#PLR is correlated with Treg and Th17 in newly diagnosed MM patients, and high PLR has better prognosis. PLR can be used to evaluate the prognosis of MM patients.

Detection of Ovine or Bovine Milk Components in Commercial Camel Milk Powder Using a PCR-Based Method.

Food ingredient adulteration, especially the adulteration of milk and dairy products, is one of the important issues of food safety. The large price difference between camel milk powder, ovine, and bovine milk powder may be an incentive for the incorporation of ovine and bovine derived foods in camel milk products. This study evaluated the use of ordinary PCR and real-time PCR for the detection of camel milk powder adulteration based on the presence of ovine and bovine milk components. DNA was extracted from camel, ovine, and bovine milk powder using a deep-processed product column DNA extraction kit. The quality of the extracted DNA was detected by amplifying the target sequence from the mitochondrial Cytb gene, and the extracted DNA was used for the identification of milk powder based on PCR analysis. In addition, PCR-based methods (both ordinary PCR and real-time PCR) were used to detect laboratory adulteration models of milk powder using primers targeting mitochondrial genes. The results show that the ordinary PCR method had better sensitivity and could qualitatively detect ovine and bovine milk components in the range of 1% to 100% in camel milk powder. The commercial camel milk powder was used to verify the practicability of this method. The real-time PCR normalization system has a good exponential correlation (R2 = 0.9822 and 0.9923) between ovine or bovine content and Ct ratio (specific/internal reference gene) and allows for the quantitative determination of ovine or bovine milk contents in adulterated camel milk powder samples. Accuracy was effectively validated using simulated adulterated samples, with recoveries ranging from 80% to 110% with a coefficient of variation of less than 7%, exhibiting sufficient parameters of trueness. The ordinary PCR qualitative detection and real-time PCR quantitative detection method established in this study proved to be a specific, sensitive, and effective technology, which is expected to be used for market detection.

Effects of Age and Muscle Type on the Chemical Composition and Quality Characteristics of Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) Meat.

Camel meat could have health benefits for human consumers due to its nutritional value. The influence of age and muscle type on the chemical composition and quality characteristics of Bactrian camel meat was examined in the present study. Samples of the Longissimus thoracic (LT), Semitendinosus (ST), and Psoas major (PM) muscles were collected from a total of fifteen male camels in three different age groups (3−4 years, 6−7 years, and 9−10 years). The younger camels exhibited higher values of moisture, polyunsaturated fatty acids, ultimate pH, cooking loss, and lightness, but lower fat, shear force, and redness values compared to meat collected from older camels. The LT muscle had higher fat and color parameters (lightness, redness, yellowness) but lower shear force values than the ST and PM muscles (p < 0.05). The ST muscles had a higher content of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids but lower cooking loss values than the LT and PM muscles. These results indicated that younger camels provide better meat quality traits than older camels. The results of the present study will improve the marketing of Bactrian camel meat products and will provide more information about the most suitable muscles and the optimal slaughter age.

Taxonomic studies of bluish Mycena (Mycenaceae, Agaricales) with two new species from northern China.

Bluish Mycena are rare, but constitute a taxonomically complex group. A total of eight bluish species in four sections have previously been reported from North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia. Two species with a blue pileus, collected in China during our taxonomic study of Mycena s.l., are described here as new to science: Mycenacaeruleogrisea sp. nov. and M.caeruleomarginata sp. nov. Detailed descriptions, line drawings and a morphological comparison with closely-related species, especially herbarium specimens of M.subcaerulea from the USA, are provided. The results of Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses of a dataset of 96 nuclear rDNA ITS and 20 nLSU sequences of 43 Mycena species are also presented. The morphological data and the results of the phylogenetic analyses support the introduction of M.caeruleogrisea and M.caeruleomarginata as new species. A taxonomic key to bluish Mycena species of sections Amictae, Cyanocephalae, Sacchariferae and Viscipelles is provided.

Updated taxonomy on Gerronema (Porotheleaceae, Agaricales) with three new taxa and one new record from China.

Only three Gerronema (Porotheleaceae) species have been previously recorded in China. Here, we report collections of a fourth species in China: G.nemorale Har. Takah., which is widely distributed in Chinese temperate to subtropical zones. We also formally describe three new species, collected from Anhui, Fujian, and Zhejiang provinces: G.baishanzuense sp. nov., G.microcarpum sp. nov., and G.zhujian sp. nov. Furthermore, we include the results of a phylogenetic analysis of Porotheleaceae based on a multi-locus (ITS + nLSU) dataset. The results, which indicate that Gerronema is polyphyletic, support the taxonomic recognition of the three new species. Morphological descriptions, photographs, line drawings, and comparisons with closely related taxa are presented for the new and newly recorded species. A key to the seven species of Gerronema in China is also provided.

Four new species of Mycenasect.Calodontes (Agaricales, Mycenaceae) from northeast China.

Species of Mycenasect.Calodontes are representative of the Mycena genus as a whole and are easily recognised by the pinkish, reddish, purplish to brownish pileus and larger basidiomata. Furthermore, the colour of the pileus in the species of sect. Calodontes often has a transition or changes in different stages and the combination of the colour of the pileus with cystidia and basidiospores can be used to recognise taxa within this section. To date, 19 species of Mycenasect.Calodontes have been reported worldwide. Including our recent description of M.yuezhuoi, five species of sect. Calodontes have been recorded in China. During examination of specimens collected in coniferous forests or mixed broadleaf-conifer forests in temperate regions of China, additional taxa assigned to sect. Calodontes were identified. Four new species are recognised, based mostly on characters of the pileus and cystidia. Phylogenetic analysis of sequence data from multiple DNA regions (ITS + rpb1 + tef1) supported the morphological evidence. Here, we propose M.polycystidiata, M.rufobrunnea, M.shengshanensis and M.subulata as new species in Mycenasect.Calodontes. Morphological descriptions, line drawings, habitat photos and comparisons with closely-related taxa are provided. A key to the 23 known species of sect. Calodontes is presented.

Crepidotus yuanchui sp. nov. and C. caspari found in subalpine areas of China.

Only a few Crepidotus species have been previously reported from subalpine areas of China. Members of Crepidotus possessing an orange-yellow pileus are rare in China as well. Here, we describe Crepidotus yuanchui, a new species characterized by an orange-yellow pileus, ovoid basidiospores, and abundant cylindric to narrowly utriform cheilocystidia. This species is widely distributed above 2000 m asl in Yunnan Province. In addition, C. caspari, which is a distinct species based on its combined characteristics of smooth basidiospores and clamp connections, is newly recorded and detailed from subalpine China. The results of phylogenetic analyses of ITS + nLSU sequences based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods support the recognition of these two species. Photographs, descriptions, line drawings, and comparisons of related species are provided.

Effects of Various Processing Methods on the Nutritional Quality and Carcinogenic Substances of Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) Meat.

Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) meat, as a product of national geographical indication, is mainly produced in the northwest regions of China. This study systematically evaluated the edible quality, nutritional quality, and carcinogenic substances of Bactrian camel meat using different heating times in four thermal processing methods (steaming, boiling, frying, and microwaving). Compared with the control group (uncooked), the thermal processing of meat demonstrated lower redness and moisture content; higher shear force values and protein, fat, and ash contents; and sharply increased the levels of amino acids and fatty acids. The moisture content of the fried and microwave-treated meat was significantly lower than that of the steamed and boiled meat (p < 0.05). Steamed meat was higher in protein but had a lower fat content than the other three processing methods (p < 0.05). Compared with frying and microwaving, meat from steaming and boiling showed higher levels of essential amino acids and lower shear force values. However, the smoke generated during frying led to the formation of large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitrites, and the levels of these substances increased with heating time. In addition, with the extension of the heating time, the shear force of the meat also increased gradually (p < 0.05). In summary, steaming and boiling were proven to be suitable processing methods for preserving better nutritional values while delivering less carcinogenic risk. With our results, we have established a nutritional database for Bactrian camel meat, providing a reference for selecting a suitable thermal processing method.

Polydatin improves intestinal barrier injury after traumatic brain injury in rats by reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory response via activating SIRT1-mediated deacetylation of SOD2 and HMGB1 / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the protective effect against intestinal mucosal injury in rats following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and explore the underlying mechanism.@*METHODS@#SD rat models of TBI were established by fluid percussion injury (FPI), and the specimens were collected at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after TBI. Another 15 rats were randomly divided into shamoperated group (n=5), TBI with saline treatment (TBI+NS) group (n=5), and TBI with PD treatment (TBI+PD) group (treated with 30 mg/kg PD after TBI; n=5). Body weight gain and fecal water content of the rats were recorded, and after the treatments, the histopathology of the jejunum was observed, and the levels of D-lactic acid (D-LAC), diamine oxidase (DAO), ZO-1, claudin-5, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected. Lipid peroxide (LPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) 2 content, jejunal pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF- α), Sirt1 activity, SOD2 and HMGB1 acetylation level were also determined after the treatments.@*RESULTS@#The rats showed significantly decreased body weight and fecal water content and progressively increased serum levels of D-LAC and DAO after TBI (P < 0.05) with obvious jejunal injury, significantly decreased expression levels of ZO-1 and claudin-5, lowered SOD2 and Sirt1 activity (P < 0.05), increased expression levels of LPO, ROS, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and enhanced SOD2 and HMGB1 acetylation levels (P < 0.05). Compared with TBI+NS group, the rats in TBI+PD group showed obvious body weight regain, increased fecal water content, reduced jejunal pathologies, decreased D-LAC and DAO levels (P < 0.05), increased ZO-1, claudin-5, SOD2 expression levels and Sirt1 activity, and significantly decreased ROS, LPO, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and acetylation levels of SOD2 and HMGB1 (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#PD alleviates oxidative stress and inflammatory response by activating Sirt1-mediated deacetylation of SOD2 and HMGB1 to improve intestinal mucosal injury in TBI rats.