Transcriptome analysis highlights the influence of temperature on hydrolase and traps in nematode-trapping fungi

Pine wilt disease caused by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus poses a serious threat to the economic and ecological value of forestry. Nematode trapping fungi trap and kill nematodes using specialized trapping devices, which are highly efficient and non-toxic to the environment, and are very promising for use as biological control agents. In this study, we isolated several nematode-trapping fungi from various regions and screened three for their high nematocidal efficiency. However, the effectiveness of these fungi as nematicides is notably influenced by temperature and exhibits different morphologies in response to temperature fluctuations, which are categorized as “NA,” “thin,” “dense,” and “sparse.” The trend of trap formation with temperature was consistent with the trend of nematocidal efficiency with temperature. Both of which initially increased and then decreased with increasing temperature. Among them, Arthrobotrys cladodes exhibited the highest level of nematocidal activity and trap formation among the tested species. Transcriptome data were collected from A. cladodes with various trap morphologies. Hydrolase activity was significantly enriched according to GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Eight genes related to hydrolases were found to be consistent with the trend of trap morphology with temperature. Weighted gene co-expression analysis and the Cytoscape network revealed that these 8 genes are associated with either mitosis or autophagy. This suggests that they contribute to the formation of “dense” structures in nematode-trapping fungi. One of these genes is the serine protein hydrolase gene involved in autophagy. This study reveals a potentially critical role for hydrolases in trap formation and nematocidal efficiency. And presents a model where temperature affects trap formation and nematocidal efficiency by influencing the serine protease prb1 involved in the autophagy process

Identifying Reservoir-Induced Hydrological Alterations in the Upper Yangtze River Basin through Statistical and Modeling Approaches

Elucidating the impact of reservoir operation on hydrological signatures is crucial for the effective management of large rivers under the changing climate. This study first revised the reservoir operation scheme in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to improve its description of actual operation laws of reservoirs in the upper Yangtze River basin (UYRB). Then, we identified the reservoir-induced hydrological alteration through a hydrological index method driven by observed and simulated daily streamflow from 1960 to 2017. The results revealed the superiority of the revised reservoir algorithm in the SWAT model in simulating streamflow and floods at Cuntan and Yichang stations with the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) coefficient and the Kling-Gupta efficiency (KGE) coefficient improved from 0.01 to 0.08 and 0.01 to 0.05, respectively. Relative to the baseline period (1960–2002), the hydrological signatures in the impact period (2003–2017) changed substantially after 2003. Reservoirs induced a remarkable increase of 27.76% and 55.97% in streamflow from January to March, accompanied by a notable decrease of 6.95% and 20.92% in streamflow from September to October after 2003 at Cuntan and Yichang stations, respectively. Meanwhile, the annual streamflow range contracted, and the flow became more stable with a reduced variation in daily streamflow, extremely low flow spell duration, and extremely high flow spell duration. Consequently, our results improved the quantitative understanding of reservoir-induced alteration and informed the management and planning of reservoir construction in the UYRB under climate change

PICALM rs3851179 Variants Modulate Left Postcentral Cortex Thickness, CSF Amyloid β42, and Phosphorylated Tau in the Elderly

PICALM rs3851179, one of the genes most frequently linked to susceptibility of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD), plays a crucial role in regulating amyloid precursor protein, and amyloid β (Aβ) transcytosis. To explore the effects of PICALM and AD continuum stage on cortex thickness, CSF Aβ, and tau, 188 cognitively normal controls, 261 MCI patients, and 140 early LOAD patients were recruited, and each group was divided into rs3851179 A-carriers and GG-carriers. A full factorial ANCOVA was used to analyze the main effects and interactive effects of AD continuum stage, and PICALM. The interactive effects of AD continuum stage and PICALM on cortex thickness and CSF biomarkers were not significant. The main effect of PICALM was significant on the left postcentral cortex thickness, and the cortex thickness of A-carriers was less than that of GG-carriers. The rs3851179 A-carriers displayed higher Aβ42 levels and Aβ42/40 ratios, and lower P/T–tau ratios, compared with GG-carriers. A higher MMSE score was found in A-carriers among the LOAD patients. In conclusion, the main effects of PICALM were independent of AD continuum stage, and PICLAM rs3851179 genotypes may modulate left postcentral cortex thickness, Aβ42 level, and P/T–tau ratio. The rs3851179 A-allele may protect the cognitive function of LOAD patients

Analgesic diterpenoids with diverse carbon skeletons from the leaves of Rhododendron auriculatum

Sun, Na, Feng, Yuanyuan, Zhang, Qihua, Liu, Junjun, Zhou, Haofeng, Zhang, Hanqi, Zheng, Guijuan, Zhou, Junfei, Yao, Guangmin (2019): Analgesic diterpenoids with diverse carbon skeletons from the leaves of Rhododendron auriculatum. Phytochemistry 168: 1-11, DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2019.112113, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2019.11211

Selective Synthesis of Alkynylated Isoquinolines and Biisoquinolines via Rh^III Catalyzed C–H Activation/1,3-Diyne Strategy

Described herein is a convenient and highly selective synthesis of alkynylated isoquinolines and biisoquinolines from various aryl ketone <i>O</i>-pivaloyloxime derivatives and 1,3-diynes via rhodium-catalyzed C–H bond activation. In this transformations, alkynylated isoquinolines, 3,4′- and 3,3′-biisoquinolines could be obtained respectively through changing the reaction conditions. Mechanistic investigation revealed that the C–H activation of aryl ketone <i>O</i>-pivaloyloxime was the key step to this reaction

IL-10-Producing B Cells Are Induced Early in HIV-1 Infection and Suppress HIV-1-Specific T Cell Responses

<div><p>A rare subset of IL-10-producing B cells, named regulatory B cells (Bregs), suppresses adaptive immune responses and inflammation in mice. In this study, we examined the role of IL-10-producing B cells in HIV-1 infection. Compared to uninfected controls, IL-10-producing B cell frequencies were elevated in both blood and sigmoid colon during the early and chronic phase of untreated HIV-1 infection. <i>Ex vivo</i> IL-10-producing B cell frequency in early HIV-1 infection directly correlated with viral load. IL-10-producing B cells from HIV-1 infected individuals were enriched in CD19⁺TIM-1⁺ B cells and were enriched for specificity to trimeric HIV-1 envelope protein. Anti-retroviral therapy was associated with reduced IL-10-producing B cell frequencies. Treatment of B cells from healthy donors with microbial metabolites and Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists could induce an IL-10 producing phenotype, suggesting that the elevated bacterial translocation characteristic of HIV-1 infection may promote IL-10-producing B cell development. Similar to regulatory B cells found in mice, IL-10-producing B cells from HIV-1-infected individuals suppressed HIV-1-specific T cell responses <i>in vitro</i>, and this suppression is IL-10-dependent. Also, <i>ex vivo</i> IL-10-producing B cell frequency inversely correlated with contemporaneous <i>ex vivo</i> HIV-1-specific T cell responses. Our findings show that IL-10-producing B cells are induced early in HIV-1 infection, can be HIV-1 specific, and are able to inhibit effective anti-HIV-1 T cell responses. HIV-1 may dysregulate B cells toward Bregs as an immune evasion strategy.</p></div

IL-10-producing B cell frequency is elevated in PBMC of untreated HIV-1 infection.

<p>(A) Gating strategy for identification of <i>ex vivo</i> IL-10-producing B cells in PBMC. (B) Flow cytometry dot plots of IL-10-producing B cells in unstimulated PBMC and PMA/ionomycin-stimulated PBMC from representative HIV-1 infected individuals and a healthy donor. (C) Summary data of IL-10-producing B cell frequencies in unstimulated PBMC from a cohort of HIV-1 infected individuals at different stages, healthy donors, and HCV mono-infected individuals. Each circle represents one individual. (D) IL-10 production from purified B cells of healthy donors and untreated HIV-1 infected individuals. B cells were purified from PBMC and cultured in unstimulated medium for 12 h and then IL-10 in the supernatant was measured by a Luminex assay. (E) Summary data showing IL-10-producing B cell frequency in PBMC stimulated 5 h with PMA/ionomycin from healthy donors and HIV-1 infected individuals. HIV-1 neg: healthy donors. CI: untreated chronic HIV-1 infection. TCI: treated chronic HIV-1 infection. EI: untreated early HIV-1 infection. LTNP: long-term non-progressors. HCV: HCV mono-infection. Isotype: representative IL-10 antibody isotype control from the same EI patient shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0089236#pone-0089236-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1B</a>. *: <i>P</i><0.05. **: <i>P</i><0.01. ***: <i>P</i><0.001. N.S.: non-significant (Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA and Dunn’s test). For flow cytometry analysis, >1.5 million events in the lymphocyte gate were collected.</p