The complete mitochondrial genome of Cladobotryum mycophilum (Hypocreales: Sordariomycetes)

Cladobotryum mycophilum is the causal agent of cobweb disease in many important mushroom crops. In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of C. mycophilum for the first time. The genome is 78,729 bp long and comprises 52 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA), and 26 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The nucleotide composition of C. mycophilum mitochondrial genome is as follows: A (38.06%), T (34.68%), C (12.19%), and G (15.07%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that C. mycophilum had a close relationship with Cladobotryum varium from Hypocreaceae. This study provided a basis for studies of the mitochondrial evolution of Hypocreaceae

Diversity Analysis of the Rice False Smut Pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens in Southwest China

Rice false smut caused by Ustilaginoidea virens is a destructive disease in rice cropping areas of the world. The present study is focused on the morphology, pathogenicity, mating-type loci distribution, and genetic characterization of different isolates of U. virens. A total of 221 strains of U. virens were collected from 13 rice-growing regions in southwest China. The morphological features of these strains exhibited high diversity, and the pathogenicity of the smut fungus showed significant differentiation. There was no correlation between pathogenicity and sporulation. Mating-type locus (MAT) analysis revealed that all 221 isolates comprised heterothallic and homothallic forms, wherein 204 (92.31%) and 17 (7.69%) isolates belonged to heterothallic and homothallic mating types, respectively. Among 204 strains of heterothallic mating types, 62 (28.05%) contained MAT1-1-1 idiomorphs, and 142 isolates (64.25%) had the MAT1-2-1 idiomorph. Interestingly, strains isolated from the same fungus ball had different mating types. The genetic structure of the isolates was analyzed using simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). All isolates were clustered into five genetic groups. The values of Nei’s gene diversity (H) and Shannon’s information index (I) indicated that all strains as a group had higher genetic diversity than strains from a single geographical population. The pairwise population fixation index (FST) values also indicated significant genetic differentiation among all compared geographical populations. The analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) indicated greater genetic variation within individual populations and less genetic variation among populations. The results showed that most of the strains were not clustered according to their geographical origin, showing the rich genetic diversity and the complex and diverse genetic background of U. virens in southwest China. These results should help to better understand the biological and genetic diversity of U. virens in southwest China and provide a theoretical basis for building effective management strategies

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Corynespora cassiicola (Pleosporales: Dothideomycetes), with its phylogenetic analysis

Corynespora cassiicola is a well-known plant pathogen with a broad host range and diverse lifestyles. In this study, we presented the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of C. cassiicola for the first time. It has a total length of 40,752 bp, which encodes 17 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA), and 27 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The nucleotide composition of the mitogenome is: A (36.24%), T (34.62%), G (15.74%), and C (13.39%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that C. cassiicola has a close relationship with Didymella pinodes from Didymellaceae

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Different Expression of <i>MYOZ2</i> and <i>MYOZ3</i> in Tianfu Goat

<div><p>The myozenin family of proteins binds calcineurin, which is involved in myocyte differentiation of skeletal muscle. Moreover, gene expression of myozenin is closely related to meat quality. To further understand the functions and effects of myozenin2 (<i>MYOZ2</i>) and myozenin3 (<i>MYOZ3</i>) genes in goat, we cloned them from Tianfu goat longissimus dorsi muscle. Sequence analyses revealed that full-length coding sequence of <i>MYOZ2</i> consisted of 795 bp and encoded 264 amino acids, and full-length coding sequence of <i>MYOZ3</i> consisted of 735 bp and encoded 244 amino acids. RT-qPCR analyses revealed that mRNA expressions of <i>MYOZ2</i> and <i>MYOZ3</i> were detected in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, leg muscle, abdominal muscle, and longissimus dorsi muscle. Particularly high expression levels of <i>MYOZ2</i> were seen in abdominal muscle and heart (<i>P</i><0.01), low expression levels were seen in leg muscle (<i>P</i><0.01), longissimus dorsi muscle (<i>P</i>>0.05) and very little expression were detected in liver, spleen, lung and kidney (<i>P</i>>0.05). In addition, high expression levels of <i>MYOZ3</i> were seen in abdominal muscle, leg muscle, lungs and kidney (<i>P</i><0.01), low expression levels were found in longissimus dorsi muscle and spleen (<i>P</i><0.01) and very little expression were detected in heart and liver (<i>P</i>>0.05). Temporal mRNA expression results showed that <i>MYOZ2</i> and <i>MYOZ3</i> gene expression varied across four muscle tissues with different ages of the goats. Western blotting further revealed that MYOZ2 and MYOZ3 proteins were only expressed in goat muscle, with notable temporal expression differences in specialized muscle tissues from five development age stages. This work provides the first evidence that <i>MYOZ2</i> and <i>MYOZ3</i> genes are expressed abundantly in Tianfu goat muscle tissues from different development age stages, and lay a foundation for understanding the functions of <i>MYOZ2</i> and <i>MYOZ3</i> genes in muscle fiber differentiation.</p></div

An insect sclerotization-inspired antifouling armor on biomedical devices combats thrombosis and embedding

Thrombus formation and tissue embedding significantly impair the clinical efficacy and retrievability of temporary interventional medical devices. Herein, we report an insect sclerotization-inspired antifouling armor for tailoring temporary interventional devices with durable resistance to protein adsorption and the following protein-mediated complications. By mimicking the phenol-polyamine chemistry assisted by phenol oxidases during sclerotization, we develop a facile one-step method to crosslink bovine serum albumin (BSA) with oxidized hydrocaffeic acid (HCA), resulting in a stable and universal BSA@HCA armor. Furthermore, the surface of the BSA@HCA armor, enriched with carboxyl groups, supports the secondary grafting of polyethylene glycol (PEG), further enhancing both its antifouling performance and durability. The synergy of robustly immobilized BSA and covalently grafted PEG provide potent resistance to the adhesion of proteins, platelets, and vascular cells in vitro. In ex vivo blood circulation experiment, the armored surface reduces thrombus formation by 95 %. Moreover, the antifouling armor retained over 60 % of its fouling resistance after 28 days of immersion in PBS. Overall, our armor engineering strategy presents a promising solution for enhancing the antifouling properties and clinical performance of temporary interventional medical devices

Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds Using Microfabricated Resonator Array Functionalized with Supramolecular Monolayers

This paper describes the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using an e-nose type integrated microfabricated sensor array, in which each resonator is coated with different supramolecular monolayers: <i>p</i>-<i>tert</i>-butyl calix[8]­arene (Calix[8]­arene), 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethyl-21H,23H-porphine (Porphyrin), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), and cucurbit[8]­uril (CB[8]). Supramolecular monolayers fabricated by Langmuir–Blodgett techniques work as specific sensing interface for different VOCs recognition which increase the sensor selectivity. Microfabricated ultrahigh working frequency film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) transducers (4.4 GHz) enable their high sensitivity toward monolayer gas sensing which facilitate the analyses of VOCs adsorption isotherms and kinetics. Two affinity constants (<i>K</i>₁, <i>K</i>₂) are obtained for each VOC, which indicate the gas molecule adsorption happen inside and outside of the supramolecular cavities. Additional kinetic information on adsorption and desorption rate constants (<i>k</i>_a, <i>k</i>_d) are obtained as well from exponential fitting results. The five parameters, one from the conventional frequency shift signals of mass transducers and the other four from the indirect analyses of monolayer adsorption behaviors, thus enrich the sensing matrix (Δ<i>f</i>, <i>K</i>₁, <i>K</i>₂, <i>k</i>_a, <i>k</i>_d) which can be used as multiparameter fingerprint patterns for highly selective detection and discrimination of VOCs