Comparative analysis of differential gene expression in two species of crucian carps in response to Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) infection

We assessed the expressions of MHCI, LYZC, keratin8, MPO, DUSP1, IκBα, Rab21, and Rac2 between two species of carps (Erqisi river crucian carp and allogynogenetic crucian carp) after Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) infection. The relative expressions of MHCI, LYZC, and keratin8 in the virus-challenged groups were significantly higher than control groups. Moreover, the expression of IκBα in the virus-challenged groups was significantly lower than in the control groups. Compared with the virus-challenged ERO group, the expression of IκBα in the virus-challenged ZHO group decreased. The expression of Rab21 in the virus-challenged groups gradually increased and was significantly higher than in the control groups, and then its expression began to decrease after 24 h. At 72 h, the expression of IκBα in both virus-challenged groups was significantly lower than in the control groups. In addition, the expression of Rab21 in the virus-challenged ZHO group was significantly higher than the virus-challenged ERO group at all time points except for 72 h. Before 24 h, the expression of Rac2 remained unchanged in these four groups, and its expression in the virus-challenged ZHO group was significantly higher than in the other three groups. Nevertheless, its expression began to decrease after 24 h but was still slightly higher than the control group at 72 h. MPO showed a similar expression pattern as Rac2. The expression of DUSP1 in the four groups was the same at 0 h. However, its expression in the virus-challenged ZHO group was significantly higher than in the other three groups at other time points

Multimodal Contrast Agents for Optoacoustic Brain Imaging in Small Animals

Optoacoustic (photoacoustic) imaging has demonstrated versatile applications in biomedical research, visualizing the disease pathophysiology and monitoring the treatment effect in an animal model, as well as toward applications in the clinical setting. Given the complex disease mechanism, multimodal imaging provides important etiological insights with different molecular, structural, and functional readouts in vivo. Various multimodal optoacoustic molecular imaging approaches have been applied in preclinical brain imaging studies, including optoacoustic/fluorescence imaging, optoacoustic imaging/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), optoacoustic imaging/MRI/Raman, optoacoustic imaging/positron emission tomography, and optoacoustic/computed tomography. There is a rapid development in molecular imaging contrast agents employing a multimodal imaging strategy for pathological targets involved in brain diseases. Many chemical dyes for optoacoustic imaging have fluorescence properties and have been applied in hybrid optoacoustic/fluorescence imaging. Nanoparticles are widely used as hybrid contrast agents for their capability to incorporate different imaging components, tunable spectrum, and photostability. In this review, we summarize contrast agents including chemical dyes and nanoparticles applied in multimodal optoacoustic brain imaging integrated with other modalities in small animals, and provide outlook for further research

Suppressors of amyloid-β toxicity improve recombinant protein production in yeast by reducing oxidative stress and tuning cellular metabolism

High-level production of recombinant proteins in industrial microorganisms is often limited by the formation of misfolded proteins or protein aggregates, which consequently induce cellular stress responses. We hypothesized that in a yeast Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) model overexpression of amyloid-β peptides (Aβ42), one of the main peptides relevant for AD pathologies, induces similar phenotypes of cellular stress. Using this humanized AD model, we previously identified suppressors of Aβ42 cytotoxicity. Here we hypothesize that these suppressors could be used as metabolic engineering targets to alleviate cellular stress and improve recombinant protein production in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Forty-six candidate genes were individually deleted and twenty were individually overexpressed. The positive targets that increased recombinant α-amylase production were further combined leading to an 18.7-fold increased recombinant protein production. These target genes are involved in multiple cellular networks including RNA processing, transcription, ER-mitochondrial complex, and protein unfolding. By using transcriptomics and proteomics analyses, combined with reverse metabolic engineering, we showed that reduced oxidative stress, increased membrane lipid biosynthesis and repressed arginine and sulfur amino acid biosynthesis are significant pathways for increased recombinant protein production. Our findings provide new insights towards developing synthetic yeast cell factories for biosynthesis of valuable proteins

Dataset for suppressors of amyloid-beta toxicity and their functions in recombinant protein production in yeast

The production of recombinant proteins at high levels often induces stress-related phenotypes by protein misfolding or aggregation. These are similar to those of the yeast Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) model in which amyloid-beta peptides (A beta 42) were accumulated [1,2] . We have previously identified suppressors of A beta 42 cytotoxicity via the genome-wide synthetic genetic array (SGA) [3] and here we use them as metabolic engineering targets to evaluate their potentiality on recombinant protein production in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In order to investigate the mechanisms linking the genetic modifications to the improved recombinant protein production, we perform systems biology approaches (transcriptomics and proteomics) on the resulting strain and intermediate strains. The RNAseq data are preprocessed by the nf-core/RNAseq pipeline and analyzed using the Platform for Integrative Analysis of Omics (PIANO) package [4] . The quantitative proteome is analyzed on an Orbitrap Fusion Lumos mass spectrometer interfaced with an Easy-nLC1200 liquid chromatography (LC) system. LC-MS data files are processed by Proteome Discoverer version 2.4 with Mascot 2.5.1 as a database search engine. The original data presented in this work can be found in the research paper titled "Suppressors of Amyloid-beta Toxicity Improve Recombinant Protein Produc-tion in yeast by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Tuning Cellu-lar Metabolism", by Chen et al. [5]

Enhancement of hydrogen physisorption on single-walled carbon nanotubes resulting from defects created by carbon bombardment

The defect effect on hydrogen adsorption on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has been studied by using extensive molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It indicates that the defects created on the exterior wall of the SWNTs by bombarding the tube wall with carbon atoms and C-2 dimers at a collision energy of 20 eV can enhance the hydrogen adsorption potential of the SWNTs substantially. The average adsorption energy for a H-2 molecule adsorbed on the exterior wall of a defected (10,10) SWNT is similar to 150 meV, while that for a H-2 molecule adsorbed on the exterior wall of a perfect (10,10) SWNT is similar to 104 meV. The H-2 sticking coefficient is very sensitive to temperature, and has a maximum value around 70 to 90 K. The electron density contours, the local density of states, and the electron transfers obtained from the DFT calculations clearly indicate that the H-2 molecules are all physisorbed on the SWNTs. At temperatures above 200 K, most of the H-2 molecules adsorbed on the perfect SWNT are soon desorbed, but the H-2 molecules can still remain on the defected SWNTs at 300 K. The detailed processes of H-2 molecules adsorbing on and desorbing from the (10,10) SWNTs are demonstrated

Relationship matters: a qualitative study of medical students' experiences in a learner-driven research program in South Korea

Background Although research experience is important for medical students, it is difficult to develop research skills only through a formal curriculum. To develop research programs that address the authentic needs of students and align with the entirety of the medical school curriculum, a learner-centered approach may be more effective than an instructor-centered approach. This study investigates medical student perspectives on factors that help them develop research competency. Methods Hanyang University College of Medicine in South Korea operates the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) as a supplement to its formal curriculum. Semi-structured interviews were held with 18 students (20 cases) in the program, and qualitative content analysis was performed using the software tool MAXQDA20. Results The findings are discussed in relation to three domains: learner engagement, instructional design, and program development. The students were more engaged when they perceived the program as a new experience, had prior research experience, wanted to make a good impression, and felt a sense of contribution. In terms of instructional design, they positively participated in research when their supervisors respected them, set clear tasks, provided constructive feedback, and invited them into the research community. In particular, the students highly valued relationships with their professors, and these relationships served not only as a main motivating factor in their research participation but also affected their college lives and careers. Conclusions The longitudinal relationship between students and professors has newly emerged in the Korean context as a factor that strengthens student engagement in research and the complementary relationship between formal curriculum and MSTP was highlighted to encourage student engagement in research