Effects of Nanoparticles on Double-Stranded RNA Stability in Moth Hemolymph

RNA interference (RNAi) is an immune response in which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) suppresses a target gene. By designing dsRNA to target genes that are necessary for life, dsRNA can potentially be used as an insecticide. RNAi-based insecticides are badly needed because they are more specific than conventional pesticides and because many insects have developed resistance to pesticides. Unfortunately, some insects produce enzymes that degrade dsRNA and prevent the RNAi response (Cooperet al., 2018). Therefore, RNAi-based insecticides currently cannot be used to control all insects. Here we investigate dsRNA stability when incubated in hemolymph ex vivoto determine if degradation of dsRNA is contributing to the inadequate RNAi response exhibited by lepidopterans, such as the European corn borer (ECB, Ostrinia nubilalis). Our findings indicate that dsRNA is significantly degraded in ECB hemolymph, but encapsulation of dsRNA in chitosan-based nanoparticles (CB-NPs) enhances stability. These findings provide insight into RNAi efficiency limitations in insects, and may provide a method to enhance RNAi efficiency in lepidopterans and other RNAi-refractory pests

Effects of Nanoparticles on Double-Stranded RNA Stability in Corn Soil

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can potentially be used as a pesticide because these molecules trigger an immune response called RNA interference (RNAi). If the expression of essential genes matching the dsRNA sequence are silenced, then the pest dies. New classes of pesticides, including RNAi-based pesticides, are needed to overcome pesticide resistance and reduce the environmental impacts of pesticides. Unfortunately, dsRNA is easily degraded by enzymes in the environment, particularly those produced by microbes in the soil (Dubelmanet al., 2014),severely limiting delivery of dsRNA to cryptic (soil dwelling) species unless transgenic plants are used. Here we investigate dsRNA stability when incubated in corn soil supernatant ex situ to determine if encapsulation of dsRNA in chitosan-basednanoparticles (CB-NPs) enhances stability in corn soil. Interestingly, dsRNA stability was not affected by soil supernatant, possibly due to the time of year when sampling was performed (Icozet al., 2008). Nonetheless, these findings provide insight into dsRNA stability in soil, and in the future may lead to a method for protecting dsRNA from environmental degradation using CB-NPs

Effects of Nanoparticles on Double-Stranded RNA Stability in Corn Soil

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can potentially be used as a pesticide because these molecules trigger an immune response called RNA interference (RNAi). If the expression of essential genes matching the dsRNA sequence are silenced, then the pest dies. New classes of pesticides, including RNAi-based pesticides, are needed to overcome pesticide resistance and reduce the environmental impacts of pesticides. Unfortunately, dsRNA is easily degraded by enzymes in the environment, particularly those produced by microbes in the soil (Dubelmanet al., 2014),severely limiting delivery of dsRNA to cryptic (soil dwelling) species unless transgenic plants are used. Here we investigate dsRNA stability when incubated in corn soil supernatant ex situ to determine if encapsulation of dsRNA in chitosan-basednanoparticles (CB-NPs) enhances stability in corn soil. Interestingly, dsRNA stability was not affected by soil supernatant, possibly due to the time of year when sampling was performed (Icozet al., 2008). Nonetheless, these findings provide insight into dsRNA stability in soil, and in the future may lead to a method for protecting dsRNA from environmental degradation using CB-NPs

Synthesis and biological evaluations of oleanolic acid indole derivatives as hyaluronidase inhibitors with enhanced skin permeability

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a natural cosmeceutical compound with various skin beneficial activities including inhibitory effect on hyaluronidase but the anti-hyaluronidase activity and mechanisms of action of its synthetic analogues remain unclear. Herein, a series of OA derivatives were synthesised and evaluated for their inhibitory effects on hyaluronidase. Compared to OA, an induction of fluorinated (6c) and chlorinated (6g) indole moieties led to enhanced anti-hyaluronidase activity (IC50 = 80.3 vs. 9.97 and 9.57 µg/mL, respectively). Furthermore, spectroscopic and computational studies revealed that 6c and 6g can bind to hyaluronidase protein and alter its secondary structure leading to reduced enzyme activity. In addition, OA indole derivatives showed feasible skin permeability in a slightly acidic environment (pH = 6.5) and 6c exerted skin protective effect by reducing cellular reactive oxygen species in human skin keratinocytes. Findings from the current study support that OA indole derivatives are potential cosmeceuticals with anti-hyaluronidase activity

The Airlines’ Recent Experience Under the Railway Labor Act

Silky-feather has been selected and fixed in some breeds due to its unique appearance. This phenotype is caused by a single recessive gene (hookless, h). Here we map the silky-feather locus to chromosome 3 by linkage analysis and subsequently fine-map it to an 18.9 kb interval using the identical by descent (IBD) method. Further analysis reveals that a C to G transversion located upstream of the prenyl (decaprenyl) diphosphate synthase, subunit 2 (PDSS2) gene is causing silky-feather. All silky-feather birds are homozygous for the G allele. The silky-feather mutation significantly decreases the expression of PDSS2 during feather development in vivo. Consistent with the regulatory effect, the C to G transversion is shown to remarkably reduce PDSS2 promoter activity in vitro. We report a new example of feather structure variation associated with a spontaneous mutation and provide new insight into the PDSS2 function

Phylogenetic analysis of porcine parvoviruses from swine samples in China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Porcine parvovirus (PPV) usually causes reproductive failure in sows. The objective of the present study was to analyze the phylogenetic distribution and perform molecular characterization of PPVs isolated in China, as well as to identify two field strains, LZ and JY. The data used in this study contained the available sequences for NS1 and VP2 from GenBank, as well as the two aforementioned Chinese strains.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Phylogenetic analysis shows that the PPV sequences are divided into four groups. The early Chinese PPV isolates are Group I viruses, and nearly all of the later Chinese PPV isolates are Group II viruses. LZ belongs to group II, whereas the JY strain is a Group III virus. This is the first report on the isolation of a Group III virus in China. The detection of selective pressures on the PPV genome shows that the NS1 and VP2 genes are under purifying selection and positive selection, respectively. Moreover, the amino acids in the VP2 capsid are highly variable because of the positive selection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study provides new molecular data on PPV strains in China, and emphasizes the importance of etiological studies of PPV in pigs.</p

Rapamycin Inhibits Expression of Elongation of Very-long-chain Fatty Acids 1 and Synthesis of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells

Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a central regulator of cell growth and metabolism and is sufficient to induce specific metabolic processes, including de novo lipid biosynthesis. Elongation of very-long-chain fatty acids 1 (ELOVL1) is a ubiquitously expressed gene and the product of which was thought to be associated with elongation of carbon (C) chain in fatty acids. In the present study, we examined the effects of rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of mTORC1, on ELOVL1 expression and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 n-3) synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). We found that rapamycin decreased the relative abundance of ELOVL1 mRNA, ELOVL1 expression and the level of DHA in a time-dependent manner. These data indicate that ELOVL1 expression and DHA synthesis are regulated by mTORC1 in BMECs

Polymorphic genetic characterization of the ORF7 gene of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) exhibits extensive genetic variation. The outbreak of a highly pathogenic PRRS in 2006 led us to investigate the extent of PRRSV genetic diversity in China. To this end, we analyzed the Nsp2 and ORF7 gene sequences of 98 Chinese PRRSV isolates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Preliminary analysis indicated that highly pathogenic PRRSV strains with a 30-amino acid deletion in the Nsp2 protein are the dominant viruses circulating in China. Further analysis based on ORF7 sequences revealed that all Chinese isolates were divided into 5 subgroups, and that the highly pathogenic PRRSVs were distantly related to the MLV or CH-1R vaccine, raising doubts about the efficacy of these vaccines. The ORF7 sequence data also showed no apparent associations between geographic or temporal origin and heterogeneity of PRRSV in China.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings enhance our knowledge of the genetic characteristics of Chinese PRRSV isolates, and may facilitate the development of effective strategies for monitoring and controlling PRRSV in China.</p

Death-associated protein 3 in cancer-discrepant roles of DAP3 in tumours and molecular mechanisms

The article has a word count of 4657 as well as contains an image and a table Abstract: Cancer, ranks as the secondary cause of death, is a group of diseases that are characterized by uncontrolled tumor growth and distant metastasis, leading to increased mortality year-on-year. To date, targeted therapy to intercept the aberrant proliferation and invasion is crucial for clinical anticancer treatment, however, mutant expression of target genes often leads to drug resistance. Therefore, it is essential to identify more molecules that can be targeted to facilitate combined therapy. Previous studies showed that death associated protein 3 (DAP3) exerts a pivotal role in regulating apoptosis signaling of tumors, meanwhile, aberrant DAP3 expression is associated with the tumorigenesis and disease progression of various cancers. This review provides an overview of the molecule structure of DAP3 and the discrepant roles played by DAP3 in various types of tumors.Considering the molecular mechanism of DAP3-regulated cancer development, new potential treatment strategies might be developed in the future