Cloning and characterization of the histone variant gene H2A.Z in Bombyx mori.

H2A.Z, the most evolutionarily conserved variant of histone H2A, plays a pivotal role in chromatin remodeling and contributes significantly to gene transcription and genome stability. However, the role of H2A.Z in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) remains unclear. In this study, we cloned the BmH2A.Z from B. mori. The open reading frame of BmH2A.Z is 390 bp, encoding 129 amino acids, with a confirmed molecular weight of 13.4 kDa through prokaryotic expression analysis. Sequence analysis revealed that BmH2A.Z has a conserved H2A.Z domain and is closely related to the systemic evolution of other known H2A.Zs. The expression profile of BmH2A.Z at various developmental stages of the B. mori exhibited the highest expression level in the 1st instar, followed by the grain stage and the 2nd instar, and the lowest expression level in the moth. The highest transcript level of BmH2A.Z was observed in the head, with relatively lower levels detected in the blood than in the other tissues under consideration. In addition, the upregulation of BmH2A.Z resulted in the amplified expression of B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) genes, thus facilitating the proliferation of BmNPV. This study establishes a foundation for investigating the role of BmH2A.Z in B. mori and its participation in virus-host interactions.

GhmiR858 Inhibits the Accumulation of Proanthocyanidins by Targeting GhTT2L in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are predominantly regulated at the transcriptional level by sophisticated regulatory networks. In cotton, the role of miRNAs as key regulatory factors at the post-transcriptional level is still unclear. Here, we demonstrated that GhmiR858 negatively regulates PA accumulation in cotton leaves and calli by targeting GhTT2L. Excessive expression of GhmiR858 restrained the expression of GhTT2L, resulting in a significant decrease in PA abundance. Conversely, a reduction in GhmiR858 activity upregulated GhTT2L, which increased PA accumulation. Additionally, GhTT2L was found to positively regulate PA accumulation in both cotton and Arabidopsis. Further analyses showed that GhTT2L interacted with transcription factor GhTTG1, which directly binds to the GhANR promoter, to facilitate its transcription. This study provides new information to guide future studies of the PA regulatory mechanisms affected by miRNAs as well as the breeding of novel varieties of colored cotton with rich PAs.

Genome-Wide Identification of the NAC Transcription Factors in Gossypium hirsutum and Analysis of Their Responses to Verticillium wilt.

The NAC transcription factors (NACs) are among the largest plant-specific gene regulators and play essential roles in the transcriptional regulation of both biotic and abiotic stress responses. Verticillium wilt of cotton caused by Verticillium dahliae (V. dahliae) is a destructive soil-borne disease that severely decreases cotton yield and quality. Although NACs constitute a large family in upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.), there is little systematic investigation of the NACs' responsive to V. dahliae that has been reported. To further explore the key NACs in response to V. dahliae resistance and obtain a better comprehension of the molecular basis of the V. dahliae stress response in cotton, a genome-wide survey was performed in this study. To investigate the roles of GhNACs under V. dahliae induction in upland cotton, mRNA libraries were constructed from mocked and infected roots of upland cotton cultivars with the V. dahliae-sensitive cultivar "Jimian 11" (J11) and V. dahliae-tolerant cultivar "Zhongzhimian 2" (Z2). A total of 271 GhNACs were identified. Genome analysis showed GhNACs phylogenetically classified into 12 subfamilies and distributed across 26 chromosomes and 20 scaffolds. A comparative transcriptome analysis revealed 54 GhNACs were differentially expressed under V. dahliae stress, suggesting a potential role of these GhNACs in disease response. Additionally, one NAC090 homolog, GhNAC204, could be a positive regulator of cotton resistance to V. dahliae infection. These results give insight into the GhNAC gene family, identify GhNACs' responsiveness to V. dahliae infection, and provide potential molecular targets for future studies for improving V. dahliae resistance in cotton.

Pd nanoparticles on a porous ionic copolymer: a highly active and recyclable catalyst for Suzuki-Miyaura reaction under air in water.

A porous copolymer of an IL with divinylbenzene was prepared and applied as a support for Pd nanoparticles. The supported Pd nanocatalyst was found to be extremely active for Suzuki-Miyaura reaction of aryl bromides and chlorides with phenylboronic acid even with 10 ppm Pd loading under air in water.

The minimum local anesthetic concentration of ropivacaine for caudal analgesia in children.

UNLABELLED: Ropivacaine is a new long-acting amino-amide local anesthetic. The concentrations of ropivacaine used in caudal analgesia range from 0.1% to 0.5%. The purpose of this study was to determine the minimum local analgesic concentration of ropivacaine to provide caudal analgesia in children. In a prospective, randomized, double-blinded clinical study, we studied 26 ASA grade I patients aged 1 to 5 yr who were scheduled for hypospadias operation under general anesthesia with caudal ropivacaine analgesia. General anesthesia was maintained with an end-tidal enflurane concentration of 0.8% in 100% oxygen (0.5 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration [MAC]). Each child received 1 mL/kg of ropivacaine solution through a caudal catheter. The first child received ropivacaine 0.2%, and subsequent concentrations were determined by the analgesic response of the previous patient to the initial skin incision by use of Dixon's up-and-down sequential allocation. The testing interval was set at 0.025%. The minimum local analgesic concentration of ropivacaine for caudal analgesia under general anesthesia with 0.5 MAC enflurane was 0.11% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09%-0.12%), and the 95% effective concentration was 0.13% (95% CI, 0.12%-0.21%). In conclusion, the minimum local analgesic concentration of ropivacaine to provide effective caudal analgesia in children under general anesthesia with 0.5 MAC enflurane was found to be 0.11% (95% CI, 0.09%-0.12%). IMPLICATIONS: Ropivacaine is a new long-acting amino-amide local anesthetic. The concentrations of ropivacaine used in caudal analgesia ranged from 0.1% to 0.5%. This study determined the minimum local analgesic concentration of ropivacaine to establish effective caudal analgesia under general anesthesia with 0.5 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration enflurane in children.

Caudal anesthesia reduces the minimum alveolar concentration of enflurane for laryngeal mask airway removal in boys.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of caudal analgesia on the minimal alveolar concentration of enflurane for laryngeal mask airway (LMA) smooth extubation (MACex). METHODS: We studied 50 nonpremedicated children, aged three to ten years, ASA physical status I, undergoing surgery for hypospadias repair. After a sevoflurane inhalation induction, children were randomized to receive LMA insertion with or without ropivacaine caudal analgesia. At the end of surgery, a predetermined end-tidal enflurane concentration was achieved, and the LMA was removed by an anesthesiologist blinded to group allocation. Each concentration at which LMA extubation was attempted was predetermined by the up-and-down method (with 0.1% as the step size). When LMA removal was accomplished without coughing, clenching teeth or gross purposeful muscular movements during or within one minute after removal, it was considered successful. RESULTS: MACex of enflurane for LMA removal in the group without caudal anesthesia was 1.04% (95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.10) and the LMA MACex of enflurane in the group with caudal anesthesia was 0.74% (95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.81). Caudal analgesia significantly reduced enflurane requirements by 29% (95% confidence interval, 22-36%). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, caudal analgesia significantly reduced the LMA MACex of enflurane by approximately 29%. Possible mechanisms may be related to the analgesic effect of caudal blockade or to the sedative properties of neuraxial anesthesia.