Gene expression program analysis of cancer-testis genes

Objective·To identify the gene expression program (GEP) of cancer-testis genes (CTGs) during spermatogenesis based on single-cell transcriptome data from the testis and investigate their association with the prognosis of cancer patients.Methods·Expression profiles of normal and tumor tissues were obtained from the GTEx and TCGA databases to screen CTGs. The GEP of CTGs during spermatogenesis was identified by applying the leiden clustering algorithm to testicular single-cell transcriptome data. DecoupleR was used to evaluate the activity levels of GEP and determine the cell types and stages of spermatogenesis where each GEP was active. Subsequently, DecoupleR was used to evaluate the activity levels of GEP in tumor tissues and analyze the correlation between GEP and cancer patient survival.Results·Based on the expression profiles of normal and tumor tissues from the GTEx and TCGA databases, 917 CTGs were identified. By using the expression patterns of CTGs in the testicular single-cell transcriptome data, seven GEPs were identified through the clustering algorithm. Activity level analysis revealed that GEP5 was active in the early stages of spermatogenesis, including spermatogonia stem cells, differentiating spermatogonia, and early primary spermatocytes. The distribution of GEP5-associated genes was predominantly found on the X chromosome. Additionally, survival analysis demonstrated a statistically significant negative correlation between GEP5 activity levels and patient survival in various tumors.Conclusion·During spermatogenesis, GEP5 is active in early stages, and its associated genes are primarily located on the X chromosome. In multiple tumor types, the activity level of GEP5 is closely related to patient prognosis

Ameliorating Effects of Soil Aggregate Promoter on the Physicochemical Properties of Solonetzes in the Songnen Plain of Northeast China

Freeze–thaw cycles cause serious soil erosion, which makes the prevention, control and management of solonetzic lands in the Songnen Plain challenging. The use of soil-aggregate-promoter (SAP) is highly favoured because of its energy-saving and efficient characteristics; however, SAP is rarely used in the improvement of solonetzic soil in cold regions. To fill this gap, we studied the effects of different experimental conditions on the physicochemical properties of solonetzes; the investigated conditions included the number of laboratory-based freeze–thaw cycles (with 0, 1, 3, and 5 cycles), initial moisture content (0%, 18%, 24%, and 30%) and SAP application amount (0 g/m2, 0.75 g/m2, 1.125 g/m2, and 1.5 g/m2). The results showed the following: (1) The soil pH value decreased significantly as the SAP application rate increased, and the effect of the initial moisture content and number of freeze–thaw cycles on soil pH was not significant. (2) SAP effectively reduced the soil electrical conductivity (EC), but a certain threshold was apparent, and the factors studied had significant effects on EC. (3) SAP effectively optimised the soil macroaggregates content and inhibited the damage posed by freeze–thaw cycles to the soil structure. These results provide an important theoretical basis for the effective prevention and control of solonetzes in the Songnen Plain of Northeast China