[Structure and Function of Fungal Community in Channel Sediments of Different Sections of Jialing River].

This study aimed to explore the effects of different disturbances on the fungal communities in the sediments of the Jialing River in order to provide scientific basis for the protection of the river ecosystem. The fungal community in the sediments of the main stream of the Jialing River was taken as the research object, and high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics techniques were used to analyze the differences in the composition and function of fungal communities in river sediment of different types of disturbance （project disturbance, tributary disturbance, sand mining disturbance, and reclamation disturbance） and non-disturbance sections. The results showed that： ① The reclamation and project disturbances significantly inhibited the diversity and richness of fungal communities （P<0.05）. The tributary disturbance increased the richness of fungal communities, whereas the impact of sand mining disturbance on sediment fungal communities was not significant. ② The diversity and composition of fungal communities tended to be similar at the different sampling sites in the section with low input of exogenous substances （non-disturbance and sand mining disturbance）, whereas there were obvious differences in the diversity of fungal communities at the different sampling sites of high input of external substances （tributary disturbance, project disturbance, and reclamation disturbance） sections. ③ Ascomycota, Rozellomycota, and Basidiomycota were the main dominant fungal phyla in the sediments of the Jialing River. The relative abundance of Rozellomycota was the highest in the sand mining interference section, and the relative abundance of Basidiomycota was the highest in the tributary interference section. Project disturbance significantly increased the relative abundance of saprotrophs, animal pathogens, plant pathogens, and dung saprotrophs, whereas other disturbances inhibited the relative abundance of fungal parasitic fungi, plant pathogens, and plant saprophytes. In conclusion, human disturbance has caused changes in fungal diversity, community structure, and function in the sediment of the Jialing River, and xenobiotic input was a key factor contributing to this phenomenon. The results can provide a reference for predicting and evaluating the ecological quality of river sediments.

Analysis of cardiac arrest after coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac arrest after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a serious complication with low survival rate. The prognosis of patients with cardiac arrest in the general ward is worse than that in the intensive care unit (ICU) because of the delayed and poor rescue conditions. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who experienced cardiac arrest after CABG surgery between January 2010 and December 2019 at the Fuwai Hospital. Differences in cardiac arrest between the ICU and the general ward were compared. The patients were divided into shockable and non-shockable rhythm groups, and the differences between the two groups were compared. Finally, we proposed a management protocol for cardiac arrest in the general ward. RESULTS: We retrospectively analyzed 41,450 patients who underwent CABG only, of whom 231 (0.56%) experienced cardiac arrest post-surgery in the ICU (185/231) or in the general ward (46/231). The rescue success rate and 30-day survival rate of the patients with cardiac arrest in the general ward were 76.1% (35/46) and 58.7% (27/46), respectively. The incidence of the different arrhythmia types of cardiac arrest in the general ward compared with that in the ICU was different (P = 0.010). The 30-day survival rate of the non-shockable rhythm group was 31.8% (7/22), which was worse than that of the shockable rhythm group (83.3% [20/24]; P = 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the prognosis of the non-shockable group was poor (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of cardiac arrest after CABG was low. The prognosis of patients in the general ward was worse than that of those in the ICU. The proportion of non-shockable rhythm type cardiac arrest was higher in the general ward than in the ICU, and patients in this group had a worse early prognosis.

A comprehensive MRI-based computational model of blood flow in compliant aorta using radial basis function interpolation.

BACKGROUND: Properly understanding the origin and progression of the thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) can help prevent its growth and rupture. For a better understanding of this pathogenesis, the aortic blood flow has to be studied and interpreted in great detail. We can obtain detailed aortic blood flow information using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with a prescribed motion of the aortic wall. METHODS: We performed two different types of simulations-static (rigid wall) and dynamic (moving wall) for healthy control and a patient with a TAA. For the latter, we have developed a novel morphing approach based on the radial basis function (RBF) interpolation of the segmented 4D-flow MRI geometries at different time instants. Additionally, we have applied reconstructed 4D-flow MRI velocity profiles at the inlet with an automatic registration protocol. RESULTS: The simulated RBF-based movement of the aorta matched well with the original 4D-flow MRI geometries. The wall movement was most dominant in the ascending aorta, accompanied by the highest variation of the blood flow patterns. The resulting data indicated significant differences between the dynamic and static simulations, with a relative difference for the patient of 7.47±14.18% in time-averaged wall shear stress and 15.97±43.32% in the oscillatory shear index (for the whole domain). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the RBF-based morphing approach proved to be numerically accurate and computationally efficient in capturing complex kinematics of the aorta, as validated by 4D-flow MRI. We recommend this approach for future use in MRI-based CFD simulations in broad population studies. Performing these would bring a better understanding of the onset and growth of TAA.

Design of PEG-based hydrogels as soft ionic conductors.

Conductive hydrogels have gained interest in biomedical applications and soft electronics. To tackle the challenge of ionic hydrogels falling short of desired mechanical properties in previous studies, our investigation aimed to understand the pivotal structural factors that impact the conductivity and mechanical behavior of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based hydrogels with ionic conductivity. Polyether urethane diacrylamide (PEUDAm), a functionalized long-chain macromer based on PEG, was used to synthesize hydrogels with ionic conductivity conferred by incorporating ions into the liquid phase of hydrogel. The impact of salt concentration, water content, temperature, and gel formation on both mechanical properties and conductivity was characterized to establish parameters for tuning hydrogel properties. To further expand the range of conductivity available in these ionic hydrogels, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) was incorporated as a single copolymer network or double network configuration. As expected, conductivity in these ionic gels was primarily driven by ion diffusivity and charge density, which was dependent on hydrogel network formation and swelling. Copolymer network structure had minimal effect on the conductivity which was primarily driven by counter-ion equilibrium; however, the mechanical properties and equilibrium swelling was strongly dependent on network structure. The structure-property relationships elucidated here enables the rationale design of this new double network hydrogel to achieve target properties for a broad range of applications.

The mutagenic effect of cold plasma on Medicago sativa L.

To explore the feasibility of using cold plasma as a mutagenesis breeding technology for forage crops, in this study we used the Medicago sativa L. cultivar, Zhongcao No. 3, as the experimental material. The effects of plasma treatments on Medicago sativa L. were analyzed through the use of plasma and activated water. Treatments with plasma and activated water inhibited plant height but promoted root growth. By creating a closed environment, adding a dielectric barrier plate, and combining these two treatment methods, the greatest impact can be had on the growth of Medicago sativa L. seeds. After treatment, the plant heights were approximately half those of the control group, and the root lengths were approximately 1.6 times those of the control group. Through emission spectroscopy, it was found that active particles such as O, NO2, and N2* were present and could be considered to have produced plasma-activated water through contact with the water surface, thus affecting the survival and growth of the seeds. Whole-genome resequencing (WGRS) was performed on the wild-type and selected mutants after treatment, with an average sequencing depth of 115.93X, an average genome alignment rate of 91.72%, and an average genome coverage rate of 91.85%. Various types of mutations were detected and annotated. After filtering, 7,822,324 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) sites, 2,161,917 indel sites, 200,544 SV sites, 238 CNV (copy number variation) sites. The SNPs, indels (insertions/deletions) , and SVs (structural variations) were mainly heterozygous, with heterozygosity rates of 87.13%, 92.16%, and 83.49%, respectively. The CNVs were dominated by low copy numbers, accounting for 53.77%. These results indicate that plasma treatment has significant effects on plant growth and genome of Medicago sativa L.

Risk factors and prognosis of postoperative spinal cord injury in type A aortic dissection.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk factors and prognosis of spinal cord injury (SCI) after surgical procedure in type A aortic dissection (AAD). METHODS: Between January 2013 and December 2021, a total of 1647 patients with AAD underwent surgical procedure. Postoperative SCI occurred in 58 patients, including 24 patients with paraplegia and 34 patients with paraparesis. Factors associated with SCI were identified through comparison between patients with and without SCI. RESULTS: The mean age was 48.8 ± 10.8 years for patients with SCI and 50.1 ± 12.1 years for those without SCI (P = 0.43), with a comparable gender distribution. Median numbers of intercostal and lumbar arteries with involvement were significantly higher in the SCI group (both P < 0.001). The highest (P = 0.033) and lowest (P = 0.001) levels of intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) were significantly lower in the SCI group. Multivariable analysis revealed the number of segmental arteries involved (odds ratio = 1.14, 95% CI 1.08-1.20, P = 0.000), and the duration of hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) (odds ratio = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.08, P = 0.042) was positively associated with the occurrence of SCI. Conversely, the lowest level of MAP was negatively associated with SCI (odds ratio = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-0.99, P = 0.031). During the long-term follow-up, 14 patients with paraplegia needed a wheel chair, while only 1 patient with paraparesis needed one (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of postoperative SCI increases when AAD patients experience segmental arteries involved, longer HCA duration and decreased intraoperative MAP during operation.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 52 as a prognostic biomarker correlates with tumor microenvironment and therapy response in colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: As the primary members of the deubiquitinases (DUBs) family, ubiquitin-specific peptidases (USPs) can regulate the efficacy of immunotherapy and mediate immune evasion. However, further research is needed to explore the influence of USP52 on the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC), the tumor immune microenvironment, and therapeutic response. METHODS: The differential expression of USP52 between colorectal cancer and normal tissues was analyzed using multiple public databases. The relationship between USP52 with the prognosis and clinicopathological characteristics of CRC patients was evaluated, and a nomogram was constructed to predict patient survival based on USP52 expression. Subsequently, Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was used to explore the potential biological functions of USP52 in CRC. The impact of USP52 on the tumor microenvironment (TME) was estimated. Moreover, the effect of USP52 on the response to immunotherapy and chemotherapeutic drugs in CRC was investigated. Finally, the correlation between tumor mutation burden (TMB)/microsatellite instability (MSI) status and USP52 was explored. RESULTS: The expression of USP52 was markedly upregulated in CRC, correlating with a poor prognosis in patients. GSVA uncovered a strong association between high USP52 and immune suppression. Furthermore, high USP52 was found to be correlated with a non-inflamed TME, resulting in reduced immune cell infiltration levels. Additionally, it was observed that patients with high USP52 exhibited low sensitivity to both immunotherapy and chemotherapeutic drugs. Lastly, high USP52 was negatively associated with high TMB and MSI. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the significance of USP52 in TME, efficacy of therapy, and clinical prognosis in CRC, offering novel insights for the therapeutic advancements in CRC.

Multifunctional Nanoprobe Au@Gd-SiO2-HA-Lyp-1/DOX with Dual-Targeting Functions Derived from HA and LyP-1: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Potential for Tumor Lymphatic Metastasis.

To address lymphatic metastasis in lung cancer, we developed the Au@Gd-SiO2-HA-LyP-1 nanoprobe, assessing its diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. This nanoprobe integrates a Au core with a Gd-SiO2 shell and dual-targeting HA-LyP-1 molecules. We evaluated its size, shape, and functional properties using various characterization techniques, alongside in vivo and in vitro toxicity tests. The spherical nanoprobes have a 50 nm diameter and contain 1.37% Gd. They specifically target lymphatic metastasis sites and tumor cells, showing enhanced MRI contrast and effective, targeted DOX delivery with reduced normal tissue toxicity. The Au@Gd-SiO2-HA-LyP-1 nanoprobe is a promising tool for diagnosing and treating lung cancer lymphatic metastasis, featuring dual-targeting and superior imaging capabilities.

NSUN6-mediated 5-methylcytosine modification of NDRG1 mRNA promotes radioresistance in cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Radioresistance is the leading cause of death in advanced cervical cancer (CC). Dysregulation of RNA modification has recently emerged as a regulatory mechanism in radiation and drug resistance. We aimed to explore the biological function and clinical significance of 5-methylcytosine (m5C) in cervical cancer radiosensitivity. METHODS: The abundance of RNA modification in radiotherapy-resistant and sensitive CC specimens was quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The essential RNA modification-related genes involved in CC radiosensitivity were screened via RNA sequencing. The effect of NSUN6 on radiosensitivity was verified in CC cell lines, cell-derived xenograft (CDX), and 3D bioprinted patient-derived organoid (PDO). The mechanisms of NSUN6 in regulating CC radiosensitivity were investigated by integrative m5C sequencing, mRNA sequencing, and RNA immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: We found a higher abundance of m5C modification in resistant CC samples, and NSUN6 was the essential m5C-regulating gene concerning radiosensitivity. NSUN6 overexpression was clinically correlated with radioresistance and poor prognosis in cervical cancer. Functionally, higher NSUN6 expression was associated with radioresistance in the 3D PDO model of cervical cancer. Moreover, silencing NSUN6 increased CC radiosensitivity in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, NDRG1 was one of the downstream target genes of NSUN6 identified by integrated m5C-seq, mRNA-seq, and functional validation. NSUN6 promoted the m5C modification of NDRG1 mRNA, and the m5C reader ALYREF bound explicitly to the m5C-labeled NDRG1 mRNA and enhanced NDRG1 mRNA stability. NDRG1 overexpression promoted homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair, which in turn led to radioresistance in cervical cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Aberrant m5C hypermethylation and NSUN6 overexpression drive resistance to radiotherapy in cervical cancer. Elevated NSUN6 expression promotes radioresistance in cervical cancer by activating the NSUN6/ALYREF-m5C-NDRG1 pathway. The low expression of NSUN6 in cervical cancer indicates sensitivity to radiotherapy and a better prognosis.

[Determination of the derivatization reactivity between α/ß-dicarbonyl compounds and standard citrullinated peptides based on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry].

Protein citrullination is an irreversible post-translational modification process regulated by peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) in the presence of Ca2+. This process is closely related to the occurrence and development of autoimmune diseases, cancers, neurological disorders, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and other major diseases. The analysis of protein citrullination by biomass spectrometry confronts great challenges owing to its low abundance, lack of affinity tags, small mass-to-charge ratio change, and susceptibility to isotopic and deamidation interferences. The methods commonly used to study the protein citrullination mainly involve the chemical derivatization of the urea group of the guanine side chain of the peptide to increase the mass-to-charge ratio difference of the citrullinated peptide. Affinity-enriched labels are then introduced to effectively improve the sensitivity and accuracy of protein citrullination by mass spectrometry. 2,3-Butanedione or phenylglyoxal compounds are often used as derivatization reagents to increase the mass-to-charge ratio difference of the citrullinated peptide, and the resulting derivatives have been observed to contain α-dicarbonyl structures. To date, however, no relevant studies on the reactivity of dicarbonyl compounds with citrullinated peptides have been reported. In this study, we determined whether six α-dicarbonyl and two ß-dicarbonyl compounds undergo derivatization reactions with standard citrullinated peptides using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Among the α-dicarbonyl compounds, 2,3-butanedione and glyoxal reacted efficiently with several standard citrullinated peptides, but yielded a series of by-products. Phenylglyoxal, methylglyoxal, 1,2-cyclohexanedione, and 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione also derivated efficiently with standard citrullinated peptides, generating a single derivative. Thus, a new derivatization method that could yield a single derivative was identified. Among the ß-dicarbonyl compounds, 1,3-cyclohexanedione and 2,4-pentanedione successfully reacted with the standard citrullinated peptides, and generated a single derivative. However, their reaction efficiency was very low, indicating that the ß-dicarbonyl compounds are unsuitable for the chemical derivatization of citrullinated peptides. The above results indicate that the α-dicarbonyl structure is necessary for realizing the efficient and specific chemical derivatization of citrullinated peptides. Moreover, the side chains of the α-dicarbonyl structure determine the structure of the derivatives, derivatization efficiency, and generation (or otherwise) of by-products. Therefore, the specific enrichment and precise identification of citrullinated peptides can be achieved by synthesizing α-dicarbonyl structured compounds containing affinity tags. The proposed method enables the identification of citrullinated proteins and their modified sites by MS, thereby providing a better understanding of the distribution of citrullinated proteins in different tissues. The findings will be beneficial for studies on the mechanism of action of citrullinated proteins in a variety of diseases.

The complete genome sequence of the planctomycetotal bacterium Bremerella sp. P1 with abundant genes involved in polysaccharide degradation.

Isolated from intertidal sediment of the Yellow Sea, China, Bremerella sp. P1 putatively represents a novel species within the genus Bremerella of the family Pirellulaceae in the phylum Planctomycetota. The complete genome of strain P1 comprises a single circular chromosome with a size of 6,955,728 bp and a GC content of 55.26%. The genome contains 5772 protein-coding genes, 80 tRNA and 6 rRNA genes. A total of 147 CAZymes and 128 sulfatases have been identified from the genome of strain P1, indicating that the strain has the capability to degrade a wide range of polysaccharides. Moreover, a gene cluster related to bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) formation containing genes encoding the shell proteins and related enzymes to metabolize fucose or rhamnose is also found in the genome of strain P1. The genome of strain P1 represents the second complete one in the genus Bremerella, expanding the understanding of the physiological and metabolic characteristics, interspecies diversity, and ecological functions of the genus.

Diverse Chiral Nanotubes Assembled from Identical DNA Strands.

DNA nanotubes with controllable geometries hold a wide range of interdisciplinary applications. When preparing DNA nanotubes of varying widths or distinct chirality, existing methods require repeatedly designing and synthesizing specific DNA sequences, which can be costly and laborious. Here, we proposed an intercalator-assisted DNA tile assembly method which enables the production of DNA nanotubes of diverse widths and chirality using identical DNA strands. Through adjusting the concentration of intercalators during assembly, the twisting direction and extent of DNA tiles could be modulated, leading to the formation of DNA nanotubes featuring controllable widths and chirality. Moreover, through introducing additional intercalators and secondary annealing, right-handed nanotubes could be reconfigured into distinct left-handed nanotubes. We expect that this method could be universally applied to modulating the self-assembly pathways of various DNA tiles and other chiral materials, advancing the landscape of DNA tile assembly.

The versatile binding landscape of the TAAR1 pocket for LSD and other antipsychotic drug molecules.

Increasing global concerns about psychoactive substance addiction and psychotic disorders highlight the need for comprehensive research into the structure-function relationship governing ligand recognition between these substances and their receptors in the brain. Recent studies indicate the significant involvement of trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) in the signaling regulation of the hallucinogen lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and other antipsychotic drugs. This study presents structures of the TAAR1-Gs protein complex recognizing LSD, which exhibits a polypharmacological profile, and the partial agonist RO5263397, which is a drug candidate for schizophrenia and addiction. Moreover, we elucidate the cross-species recognition and partial activation mechanism for TAAR1, which holds promising implications from a drug discovery perspective. Through mutagenesis, functional studies, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we provide a comprehensive understanding of a versatile TAAR1 pocket in recognizing various ligands as well as in the ligand-free state, underpinning the structural basis of its high adaptability. These findings offer valuable insights for the design of antipsychotic drugs.

Comparative Evaluation of Flavor and Sensory Quality of Coffee Pulp Wines.

Coffee pulp wines were produced through the mixed fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the flavor and sensory characteristics were comparatively evaluated. A total of 87 volatile components were identified from five coffee pulp wines, of which 68 were present in all samples, accounting for over 99% of the total concentration. The sample fermented contained significantly higher levels of volatile metabolites (56.80 mg/g). Alcohols (22 species) and esters (26 species) were the main flavor components, with the contents accounting for 56.45 ± 3.93% and 31.18 ± 4.24%, respectively, of the total. Furthermore, 14 characteristic components were identified as potential odor-active compounds, contributing to sweet and floral apple brandy flavor. Although the characteristic components are similar, the difference in the content makes the overall sensory evaluation of the samples different. The samples formed by fermentation of four strains, which obtained the highest score (86.46 ± 0.36) in sensory evaluation, were further interpreted and demonstrated through the Mantel test. The results of the component analysis were effectively distinguished by OPLS-DA and PCA, and this validation was supported by sensory evaluation. The research results provided a technical reference for the production of coffee pulp wines.

Mushroom poisoning of Panaeolus subbalteatus from Ningxia, northwest China, with species identification and tryptamine detection.

Mushroom poisoning is a significant contributor to foodborne disease outbreaks in China. This study focuses on two Panaeolus subbalteatus poisoning incidents accompanied by epidemiological investigations, species identification, and toxin detection in Ningxia, northwest China. In these two poisoning incidents, some patients exhibited gastrointestinal or neurological symptoms approximately 0.5 h after ingestion of a large amount of wild mushroom. Specifically, in Case 1, one of the three patients experienced nausea, vomiting, and numbness in the throat and limbs; in Case 2, one patient reported dizziness and an abnormal sense of direction. Through morphological and phylogenetic analyses, mushroom specimens were identified as P. subbalteatus. Psilocybin and psilocin were detected in mushroom samples, and only psilocin was detected in biological samples by liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry screening. The average psilocybin and psilocin contents in mushroom samples were 1532.2-1760.7 and 114.5-136.0 mg/kg (n = 3), respectively. Moreover, only psilocin was detected in blood and urine samples, with average concentrations 0.5-1.2 ng/mL (n = 3) and 2.5-3.1 ng/mL (n = 3), respectively. These findings provide technical support for managing similar incidents in the future.

Is the Homologous Recombination Repair Mutation Defined by a 15-Gene Panel Associated with the Prognosis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer?

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus regarding the specific genes included in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene panel for identifying the HRR deficiency (HRD) status and predicting the prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore a 15-gene panel involving the HRR pathway as a predictive prognostic indicator in Chinese patients newly diagnosed with EOC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the previously published reports about different HRR gene panels and prespecified the 15-gene panel. The genetic testing results in a 15-gene panel from 308 EOC patients diagnosed between 2014 and 2022 from six centers were collected. The association of clinicopathologic characteristics, the use of poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) and progression-free survival (PFS) with 15-gene panel HRR mutations (HRRm) status was assessed. RESULTS: 43.2% (133/308) of patients were determined to carry 144 deleterious HRRm, among which 68.1% (98/144) were germline mutations and 32.8% (101/308) were BRCA1/2 gene lethal mutations. The hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval, CI) for PFS (HRRm v HRR wild type, HRRwt) using the 15-gene panel HRRm was 0.42 (0.28-0.64) at all stages and 0.42 (0.27-0.65) at stages IIIC-IV. However, a prognostic difference was observed only between the BRCA mutation group and the HRRwt group, not between the non-BRCA HRRm group and the HRRwt group. For the subgroups of patients not using PARPis, the HR (95% CI) was 0.41 (0.24-0.68) at stages IIIC-IV. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that 15-gene panel HRRm can predict the prognosis of EOC, of these only the BRCA1/2 mutations, not non-BRCA HRRm, contribute to prognosis prediction. Among patients without PARPis, the HRRm group presented a better PFS. This is the first study of this kind in the Chinese population.

Elimination of GGTA1, CMAH, ß4GalNT2 and CIITA genes in pigs compromises human versus pig xenogeneic immune reactions.

BACKGROUND: Pig organ xenotransplantation is a potential solution for the severe organ shortage in clinic, while immunogenic genes need to be eliminated to improve the immune compatibility between humans and pigs. Current knockout strategies are mainly aimed at the genes causing hyperacute immune rejection (HAR) that occurs in the first few hours while adaptive immune reactions orchestrated by CD4 T cell thereafter also cause graft failure, in which process the MHC II molecule plays critical roles. METHODS: Thus, we generate a 4-gene (GGTA1, CMAH, ß4GalNT2, and CIITA) knockout pig by CRISPR/Cas9 and somatic cell nuclear transfer to compromise HAR and CD4 T cell reactions simultaneously. RESULTS: We successfully obtained 4KO piglets with deficiency in all alleles of genes, and at cellular and tissue levels. Additionally, the safety of our animals after gene editing was verified by using whole-genome sequencing and karyotyping. Piglets have survived for more than one year in the barrier, and also survived for more than 3 months in the conventional environment, suggesting that the piglets without MHC II can be raised in the barrier and then gradually mated in the conventional environment. CONCLUSIONS: 4KO piglets have lower immunogenicity, are safe in genomic level, and are easier to breed than the model with both MHC I and II deletion.

Structural Mass Spectrometry Captures Residue-Resolved Comprehensive Conformational Rearrangements of a G Protein-Coupled Receptor.

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) structural studies with in-solution spectroscopic approaches have offered distinctive insights into GPCR activation and signaling that highly complement those yielded from structural snapshots by crystallography or cryo-EM. While most current spectroscopic approaches allow for probing structural changes at selected residues or loop regions, they are not suitable for capturing a holistic view of GPCR conformational rearrangements across multiple domains. Herein, we develop an approach based on limited proteolysis mass spectrometry (LiP-MS) to simultaneously monitor conformational alterations of a large number of residues spanning both flexible loops and structured transmembrane domains for a given GPCR. To benchmark LiP-MS for GPCR conformational profiling, we studied the adenosine 2A receptor (A2AR) in response to different ligand binding (agonist/antagonist/allosteric modulators) and G protein coupling. Systematic and residue-resolved profiling of A2AR conformational rearrangements by LiP-MS precisely captures structural mechanisms in multiple domains underlying ligand engagement, receptor activation, and allostery, and may also reflect local conformational flexibility. Furthermore, these residue-resolution structural fingerprints of the A2AR protein allow us to readily classify ligands of different pharmacology and distinguish the G protein-coupled state. Thus, our study provides a new structural MS approach that would be generalizable to characterizing conformational transition and plasticity for challenging integral membrane proteins.

Oncoprotein LAMTOR5-mediated CHOP silence via DNA hypermethylation and miR-182/miR-769 in promotion of liver cancer growth.

C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) triggers the death of multiple cancers via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of CHOP in liver cancer remain elusive. We have reported that late endosomal/lysosomal adapter, mitogen-activated protein kinase and mTOR activator 5 (LAMTOR5) suppresses apoptosis in various cancers. Here, we show that the transcriptional and posttranscriptional inactivation of CHOP mediated by LAMTOR5 accelerates liver cancer growth. Clinical bioinformatic analysis revealed that the expression of CHOP was low in liver cancer tissues and that its increased expression predicted a good prognosis. Elevated CHOP contributed to destruction of LAMTOR5-induced apoptotic suppression and proliferation. Mechanistically, LAMTOR5-recruited DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) to the CpG3 region (-559/-429) of the CHOP promoter and potentiated its hypermethylation to block its interaction with general transcription factor IIi (TFII-I), resulting in its inactivation. Moreover, LAMTOR5-enhanced miR-182/miR-769 reduced CHOP expression by targeting its 3'UTR. Notably, lenvatinib, a first-line targeted therapy for liver cancer, could target the LAMTOR5/CHOP axis to prevent liver cancer progression. Accordingly, LAMTOR5-mediated silencing of CHOP via the regulation of ER stress-related apoptosis promotes liver cancer growth, providing a theoretical basis for the use of lenvatinib for the treatment of liver cancer.

Fermentation Performance Evaluation of Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains for Sichuan Radish Paocai Production.

Fermented vegetable products play a significant role in various cuisines, and understanding the fermentation dynamics of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains is essential for optimizing their production and quality. Here, we sought to investigate the fermentation performance of five LAB strains isolated from Sichuan paocai as starters for paocai. Sensory evaluation revealed that the inoculation of radish paocai samples with LAB strains effectively improved the overall liking and sensory satisfaction of participants, increasing the scores to varying degrees in terms of taste, flavor, texture, and coloration. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus exhibited a good salt resistance in radish juice and could grow in a medium containing 10% NaCl. Four indicator strains commonly found in contaminated paocai were effectively inhibited by fermented LAB broths, which improved the edibility and safe production of paocai. Compared to spontaneous fermentation (CK), radish paocai inoculated with LAB showed a significantly accelerated acid production rate, shortening the fermentation period by approximately two days. The contents of titratable total acids, organic acids, and free amino acids were higher in the inoculated samples and were enriched in the taste of radish paocai. The content of volatile organic compounds in the inoculated samples was higher than that in CK. Based on OPLS-DA analysis, 31 key indicators of paocai quality were screened and used to rank the fermentation performances of the five strains using the TOPSIS method; here, Lpb. plantarum and Lcb. rhamnosus achieved the highest scores. This study provides a reference for selecting LAB strains as efficient and secure fermentation starters to optimize paocai quality.