Table_2_Optimization of the cry1Ah1 Sequence Enhances the Hyper-Resistance of Transgenic Poplars to Hyphantria cunea.docx

Increased expression of the insect control protein genes of Bacillus thuringiensis in Populus has been critical to the development of genetically improved plants with agronomically acceptable levels of insect resistance. Bacillus thuringiensis (Cry1Ah1) proteins with highly specific toxicity against Hyphantria cunea were screened using an indoor bioactivity assay to obtain hyper-resistant transgenic poplars. Then, the Cry1Ah1 sequence was optimized and transformed according to the optimal codon in poplar using software of our own design (http://120.79.60.226:8080/u/chen/w/codonpoplar). A vector was constructed to transform poplar NL895. The Cry1Ah1 gene was transformed to poplar NL895 and six transgenic lines were obtained. The expression and insecticidal effect of the Cry1Ah1 gene in transgenic poplar were evaluated by PCR and ELISA, and the specific indoor activity and field insecticidal activity against H. cunea were compared with a control. We concluded that the insecticidal activity of the transgenic NL895 was significantly better against lower instar larvae of H. cunea than against higher instar larvae. The mortality and pupation rates clearly differed among the various instar larvae and between transgenic and non-transgenic poplar. We obtained poplar seedlings with hyper-resistance to H. cunea by screening Bt genes and optimizing their genetic sequence.</p

Table_1_Optimization of the cry1Ah1 Sequence Enhances the Hyper-Resistance of Transgenic Poplars to Hyphantria cunea.docx

Increased expression of the insect control protein genes of Bacillus thuringiensis in Populus has been critical to the development of genetically improved plants with agronomically acceptable levels of insect resistance. Bacillus thuringiensis (Cry1Ah1) proteins with highly specific toxicity against Hyphantria cunea were screened using an indoor bioactivity assay to obtain hyper-resistant transgenic poplars. Then, the Cry1Ah1 sequence was optimized and transformed according to the optimal codon in poplar using software of our own design (http://120.79.60.226:8080/u/chen/w/codonpoplar). A vector was constructed to transform poplar NL895. The Cry1Ah1 gene was transformed to poplar NL895 and six transgenic lines were obtained. The expression and insecticidal effect of the Cry1Ah1 gene in transgenic poplar were evaluated by PCR and ELISA, and the specific indoor activity and field insecticidal activity against H. cunea were compared with a control. We concluded that the insecticidal activity of the transgenic NL895 was significantly better against lower instar larvae of H. cunea than against higher instar larvae. The mortality and pupation rates clearly differed among the various instar larvae and between transgenic and non-transgenic poplar. We obtained poplar seedlings with hyper-resistance to H. cunea by screening Bt genes and optimizing their genetic sequence.</p

Image_1_Optimization of the cry1Ah1 Sequence Enhances the Hyper-Resistance of Transgenic Poplars to Hyphantria cunea.PNG

Increased expression of the insect control protein genes of Bacillus thuringiensis in Populus has been critical to the development of genetically improved plants with agronomically acceptable levels of insect resistance. Bacillus thuringiensis (Cry1Ah1) proteins with highly specific toxicity against Hyphantria cunea were screened using an indoor bioactivity assay to obtain hyper-resistant transgenic poplars. Then, the Cry1Ah1 sequence was optimized and transformed according to the optimal codon in poplar using software of our own design (http://120.79.60.226:8080/u/chen/w/codonpoplar). A vector was constructed to transform poplar NL895. The Cry1Ah1 gene was transformed to poplar NL895 and six transgenic lines were obtained. The expression and insecticidal effect of the Cry1Ah1 gene in transgenic poplar were evaluated by PCR and ELISA, and the specific indoor activity and field insecticidal activity against H. cunea were compared with a control. We concluded that the insecticidal activity of the transgenic NL895 was significantly better against lower instar larvae of H. cunea than against higher instar larvae. The mortality and pupation rates clearly differed among the various instar larvae and between transgenic and non-transgenic poplar. We obtained poplar seedlings with hyper-resistance to H. cunea by screening Bt genes and optimizing their genetic sequence.</p

Image_2_Optimization of the cry1Ah1 Sequence Enhances the Hyper-Resistance of Transgenic Poplars to Hyphantria cunea.PNG

Increased expression of the insect control protein genes of Bacillus thuringiensis in Populus has been critical to the development of genetically improved plants with agronomically acceptable levels of insect resistance. Bacillus thuringiensis (Cry1Ah1) proteins with highly specific toxicity against Hyphantria cunea were screened using an indoor bioactivity assay to obtain hyper-resistant transgenic poplars. Then, the Cry1Ah1 sequence was optimized and transformed according to the optimal codon in poplar using software of our own design (http://120.79.60.226:8080/u/chen/w/codonpoplar). A vector was constructed to transform poplar NL895. The Cry1Ah1 gene was transformed to poplar NL895 and six transgenic lines were obtained. The expression and insecticidal effect of the Cry1Ah1 gene in transgenic poplar were evaluated by PCR and ELISA, and the specific indoor activity and field insecticidal activity against H. cunea were compared with a control. We concluded that the insecticidal activity of the transgenic NL895 was significantly better against lower instar larvae of H. cunea than against higher instar larvae. The mortality and pupation rates clearly differed among the various instar larvae and between transgenic and non-transgenic poplar. We obtained poplar seedlings with hyper-resistance to H. cunea by screening Bt genes and optimizing their genetic sequence.</p

Investigation of Influencing Factors and Mechanism of Antimony and Arsenic Removal by Electrocoagulation Using Fe–Al Electrodes

Exposure to antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) through contaminated surface water poses a great threat to human health. In this work, Sb and As were removed simultaneously by electrocoagulation (EC) using Fe–Al electrodes. The effects of current density, pH, initial concentration, aeration intensity, and anions were investigated. A higher current density achieved better removal performance. The optimum pH range was 5.0–7.0. Sb and As removals were slower at higher initial concentrations. Preoxidation was beneficial to As removal, whereas anoxic conditions were more favorable for Sb removal. Nitrate and sulfate had little influence on the performance of the EC process, but significant inhibition was observed in phosphate-rich solutions. Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis demonstrated that adsorption onto iron and aluminum hydroxides/oxyhydroxides was the predominant mechanism involved in Sb and As removal. Finally, over 99% of Sb and As were removed from a practical wastewater sample, indicating that EC using Fe–Al electrodes provides an alternative method for Sb and As removal

Additional file 1 of Targeting of G-protein coupled receptor 40 alleviates airway hyperresponsiveness through RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway in obese asthmatic mice

Additional file 1: Fig. S1. Effects of GPR40 inhibition on airway inflammation in asthmatic mice. (A) The number of total inflammatory cells in BALFs were calculated, and a minimum of 200 cells were employed to classify eosinophils (A), Neutrophils (B), macrophages (C) macrophages (D) and lymphocytes (E) after the last OVA challenge. BALFs were harvested to measure IL-4 (F), IL-13 (G) and IL-8 (H) release by ELISA. The data are expressed as the mean ± S.E.M (n=6). *P<0.05, **P<0.01 and ***P<0.001 compared with the control group, #P<0.05, ##P<0.01 and ###P<0.001 compared with the OVA group. Fig. S2. Mouse lung tissues were collected for the extraction of protein. The expression of GPR40 was measured by western blot. The data are expressed as the mean ± S.E.M (n=4). **P<0.01 compared with the control group, ##P<0.01 compared with the OVA model group

Sodium Caseinate–Enzyme Conjugates as Biocatalysts for Recyclable Pickering Interfacial Biocatalysis

Stimuli-responsive Pickering interfacial biocatalysis is a prominent topic in biphasic biocatalysis for its high efficiency and flexible tunability. Herein, we designed CO2/N2-responsive sodium caseinate (NaCas)–enzyme conjugates that acted as both catalytic sites and stabilizers to construct a responsive Pickering interfacial biocatalytic system. The conjugates were prepared by a one-step strategy in which amino groups reacted with carboxyl groups between NaCas and enzymes. In the meantime, NaCas, with a disordered structure, could act as a buffer in the microenvironment to improve enzyme stability in harsh environments. The emulsion system stabilized by horseradish peroxidase (HRP)–NaCas displayed a higher catalytic efficiency and conversion rate compared with the conventional two-phase system, and HRP–NaCas could be easily recycled at least five times by bubbling CO2 and N2. Furthermore, the coupled NaCas system was implemented in Candida antarctica lipase B (CaLB), which extended the excellent interfacial characteristics and application field of NaCas

Confining the Growth of AgNPs onto Epigallocatechin Gallate-Decorated Zein Nanoparticles for Constructing Potent Protein-Based Antibacterial Nanocomposites

Sliver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted tremendous interest as an alternative to commercially available antibiotics due to their low microbial resistance and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. However, AgNPs are highly reactive and unstable and are susceptible to fast oxidation. Synthesizing stable and efficient AgNPs using green chemistry principles remains a major challenge. To address this issue, we establish a facile route to form AgNP-doped zein nanoparticle core–satellite superstructures with ultralow minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). In brief, polyphenol surface-functionalization of zein nanoparticles was performed, and the epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) layer on zein nanoparticles served as a reducing-cum-stabilizing agent. We used EGCG-decorated zein nanoparticles (ZE) as a template to direct the nucleation and growth of AgNPs to develop metallized hybrid nanoparticles (ZE-Ag). The highly monodispersed core–satellite nanoparticles (∼150 nm) decorated with ∼4.9 nm AgNPs were synthesized successfully. The spatial restriction of EGCG by zein nanoparticles confined the nucleation and growth of AgNPs only on the surface of the particles, which prevented the formation of entangled clusters of polyphenols and AgNPs and concomitantly inhibited the coalescence and oxidation of AgNPs. Thus, this strategy improved the effective specific surface area of AgNPs, and as a result, ZE-Ag efficiently killed the indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) after 20 min of incubation, with MBCs of 2 and 4 μg/mL, respectively. This situation indicated that as-prepared core–satellite nanoparticles possessed potent short-term sterilization capability. Moreover, the simulated wound infection model also confirmed the promising application of ZE-Ag as an efficient antimicrobial composite. This work provides new insights into the synthesis and emerging application of AgNPs in food preservation, packaging, biomedicine, and catalysis