An oxidative stress biomarkers predict prognosis in gastric cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor

ObjectiveThe development and advance of gastric cancer are inextricably linked to oxidative and antioxidant imbalance. Although immunotherapy has been shown to be clinically effective, the link between oxidative stress and gastric cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICIs) remains unknown. This study aims at looking into the prognostic value of oxidative stress scores in gastric cancer patients treated with ICIs.MethodsBy taking the propagation to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) we got the best cut-off values, and divided 265 patients receiving ICIs and chemotherapy into high and low GC-Integrated Oxidative Stress Score (GIOSS) groups. We also used Kaplan-Meier and COX regression models to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress biomarkers and prognosis.ResultsThrough both univariate and multivariate analyses, it’s shown that GIOSS severs as an independent prognostic factor for progression-free survival (PFS) and Overall survival (OS). Based on GIOSS cutoff values, patients with high GIOSS levels, compared to those with low levels exhibited shorter PFS and OS, both in the high GIOSS group, which performed poorly in the ICIs subgroup and other subgroup analyses.ConclusionGIOSS is a biomarker that responds to systemic oxidative stress in the body and can predict prognosis in patients with gastric cancer who are taking ICIs. Additionally, it might come to medical professionals’ aid in making more effective or more suitable treatment plans for gastric cancer

Evaluation of resistance of banana genotypes with AAB genome to Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4 in China

Banana cultivars with the AAB genome group comprise diverse subgroups, such as Plantain, Silk, Iholena, and Pisang Raja, among others, which play an important role in food security in many developing countries. Some of these cultivars are susceptible to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), the most destructive pathogen threatening banana production worldwide, and some of them are still largely unknown. We evaluated the resistance of 37 banana genotypes, including Plantain, Silk, Iholena, Maia Maoli/Popoulu, Pisang Raja, Pome, and Mysore, to Foc TR4 under both greenhouse and field conditions. Genotypes from the Silk and Iholena subgroups were highly susceptible to Foc TR4. Pome and Mysore showed resistance and intermediate resistance, respectively. However, Pisang Raja ranged from susceptible to intermediate resistance. One cultivar from the Maia Maoli/Popoulu subgroup was highly susceptible, while the other displayed significant resistance. Most Plantain cultivars exhibited high resistance to Foc TR4, except two French types of cultivar, 'Uganda Plantain' and 'Njombe N°2', which were susceptible. The susceptibility to Foc TR4 of some of the AAB genotypes evaluated, especially Plantain and other cooking bananas, indicates that growers dependent on these varieties need to be included as part of the prevention and integrated Foc TR4 management strategies, as these genotypes play a crucial role in food security and livelihoods

CgGCS, Encoding a Glucosylceramide Synthase, Is Required for Growth, Conidiation and Pathogenicity in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Fungal glucosylceramide plays important role in cell division, hyphal formation and growth, spore germination and the modulation of virulence and has recently been considered as target for small molecule inhibitors. In this study, we characterized CgGCS, a protein encoding a glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Disruption of CgGCS resulted in a severe reduction of mycelial growth and defects in conidiogenesis. Sphingolipid profile analysis revealed large decreases in glucosylceramide production in the mutant strains. Pathogenicity assays indicated that the ability of the ΔCgGCS mutants to invade both tomato and mango hosts was almost lost. In addition, the expression levels of many genes, especially those related to metabolism, were shown to be affected by the mutation of CgGCS via transcriptome analysis. Overall, our results demonstrate that C. gloeosporioides glucosylceramide is an important regulatory factor in fungal growth, conidiation, and pathogenesis in hosts

Fusaric acid instigates the invasion of banana by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense TR4

CITATION: Liu, S. et al. 2020. Fusaric acid instigates the invasion of banana by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense TR4. New Phytologist, 225:913–929, doi:10.1111/nph.16193.The original publication is available at https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.comFusaric acid (FSA) is a phytotoxin produced by several Fusarium species and has been associated with plant disease development, although its role is still not well understood. Mutation of key genes in the FSA biosynthetic gene (FUB) cluster in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4) reduced the FSA production, and resulted in decreased disease symptoms and reduced fungal biomass in the host banana plants. When pretreated with FSA, both banana leaves and pseudostems exhibited increased sensitivity to Foc TR4 invasion. Banana embryogenic cell suspensions (ECSs) treated with FSA exhibited a lower rate of O2 uptake, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and greater nuclear condensation and cell death. Consistently, transcriptomic analysis of FSA-treated ECSs showed that FSA may induce plant cell death through regulating the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial functions. The results herein demonstrated that the FSA from Foc TR4 functions as a positive virulence factor and acts at the early stage of the disease development before the appearance of the fungal hyphae in the infected tissues.https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.16193Publisher's versio

The Musa Marker Database: A Comprehensive Genomic Resource for the Improvement of the Musaceae Family

Molecular markers, including Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR), Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), and Intron Length Polymorphism (ILP), are widely utilized in crop improvement and population genetics studies. However, these marker resources remain insufficient for Musa species. In this study, we developed genome-wide SSR, SNP, and ILP markers from Musa and its sister species, creating a comprehensive molecular marker repository for the improvement of Musa species. This database contains 2,115,474 SSR, 63,588 SNP, and 91,547 ILP markers developed from thirteen Musa species and two of its relative species. We found that 77% of the SSR loci are suitable for marker development; 38% of SNP markers originated from the genic region, and transition mutations (C↔T; A↔G) were more frequent than transversion. The database is freely accessible and follows a ‘three-tier architecture,’ organizing marker information in MySQL tables. It has a user-friendly interface, written in JavaScript, PHP, and HTML code. Users can employ flexible search parameters, including marker location in the chromosome, transferability, polymorphism, and functional annotation, among others. These distinctive features distinguish the Musa Marker Database (MMdb) from existing marker databases by offering a novel approach that is tailored to the precise needs of the Musa research community. Despite being an in silico method, searching for markers based on various attributes holds promise for Musa research. These markers serve various purposes, including germplasm characterization, gene discovery, population structure analysis, and QTL mapping

Preparation of Hierarchical Porous Carbon Aerogels by Microwave Assisted Sol-Gel Process for Supercapacitors

Low-cost resorcinol formaldehyde (RF) organic aerogels were prepared by using resorcinol and formaldehyde as precursors, and sodium hydroxide as a catalyst through a single-mode microwave radiation-assisted sol-gel method and ambient temperature drying. Because of the ring focusing and power-max technology, the fabrication procedure of carbon aerogels (CAs) are much easier, faster, and cheaper than traditional methods. The RF aerogels were then pyrolysized at 900 °C, and the KOH activation process was used to further dredge micropores in the carbon aerogels. The CAs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption, and a series of electrochemical tests. The KOH activated carbon aerogels with 3D-nano-network structure exhibited a high specific surface area of 2230 m2 g−1 with appropriate pore volumes of micro-, meso-, and macropores. The specific capacitance of CAs activated by KOH measured in a two-electrode cell was 170 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 with excellent rate capability and cycle stability in 6 M KOH electrolyte

A Comprehensive Plant microRNA Simple Sequence Repeat Marker Database to Accelerate Genetic Improvements in Crops

Microsatellites, or simple sequences repeat (SSRs), are distributed in genes, intergenic regions and transposable elements in the genome. SSRs were identified for developing markers from draft genome assemblies, transcriptome sequences and genome survey sequences in plant and animals. The identification, distribution, and density of microsatellites in pre-microRNAs (miRNAs) are not well documented in plants. In this study, SSRs were identified in 16,892 pre-miRNA sequences from 292 plant species in six taxonomic groups (algae to dicots). Fifty-one percent of pre-miRNA sequences contained SSRs. Mononucleotide repeats were the most abundant, followed by di- and trinucleotide repeats. Tetra-, penta-, and hexarepeats were rare. A total of 9,498 (57.46%) microsatellite loci had potential as pre-miRNA SSR markers. Of the markers, 3,573 (37.62%) were non-redundant, and 2,341 (65.51%) primer pairs could be transferred to at least one of the plant taxonomic groups. All data and primer pairs were deposited in a user-friendly, freely accessible plant miRNA SSR marker database. The data presented in this study, accelerate the understanding of pre-miRNA evolution and serve as valuable genomic treasure for genetic improvements in a wide range of crops, including legumes, cereals, and cruciferous crops

Supplementation with NAD+ and its precursors: A rescue of female reproductive diseases

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an essential coenzyme involved in many pathophysiological processes. Supplementation with NAD+ and its precursors has been demonstrated as an emerging therapeutic strategy for the diseases. NAD+ also plays an important role in the reproductive system. Here, we summarize the function of NAD+ in various reproductive diseases and review the application of NAD+ and its precursors in the preservation of reproductive capacity and the prevention of embryonic malformations. It is shown that NAD+ shows good promise as a therapeutic approach for saving reproductive capacity

Research Progress of Banana Nutritional Quality and Functional Properties

Banana is a kind of high-potassium and low-sodium fruit with extremely high nutritional value, which is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. Banana is an important fruit and food crop, and it is the fruit with the largest production, trade volume and trade value among fresh fruits in the world. China plays an important role in banana production in the world and is the second largest banana producer in the world. According to the statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in 2020, the banana production was 11.8726 million tons, accounting for about 9.01% of the world. Banana germplasm resources are abundant, and there are thousands of banana cultivars in the world. The types and contents of nutrients of banana in different varieties, regions, development and post ripening stages in bananas vary greatly. The main nutritional components in bananas such as mineral elements, resistant starch and dietary fiber were introduced, and phenolic compounds, carotenoids, fatty acids, phytosterols, amines, antioxidants and other active ingredients were summarized. The functional properties of bananas were reviewed, including preventing cardiovascular diseases, relaxing bowel, reducing weight, lowering blood sugar, anti-depression and so on. Its main processed products like banana drink and banana powder were summarized. The intensive processing of banana can improve the resource utilization rate and the product added value, and promote the sustainable development of banana industry and world food security