An interferon regulatory factor-like binding element restricts Xmyf-5 expression in the posterior somites during Xenopus myogenesis

AbstractThe expression of myf-5, a key component of myogenic regulatory genes, declines progressively in mature somitic cells during vertebrate myogenesis. Little is known about how this down-regulation takes place. Here we provide evidence that an interferon regulatory factor binding element (IRF element) within the Xenopus myf-5 promoter is responsible for the elimination of myf-5 transcription in mature somitic mesoderm of Xenopus embryos. We show that this IRF element mediates the down-regulation of Xmyf-5 transcription in gastrula embryos, and can specifically interact with nuclear proteins of early neurula. Moreover, deletion of this IRF element results in the anterior expansion of reporter gene transcripts within somitic mesoderm in transgenic embryos. Our results, therefore, provide insight into how the negative control of Xmyf-5 expression takes place

Regulation of nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling and function of Family with sequence similarity 13, member A (Fam13a), by B56-containing PP2As and Akt

Recent genome-wide association studies reveal that the FAM13A gene is associated with human lung function and a variety of lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lung cancer, and pulmonary fibrosis. The biological functions of Fam13a, however, have not been studied. In an effort to identify novel substrates of B56-containing PP2As, we found that B56-containing PP2As and Akt act antagonistically to control reversible phosphorylation of Fam13a on Ser-322. We show that Ser-322 phosphorylation acts as a molecular switch to control the subcellular distribution of Fam13a. Fam13a shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm. When Ser-322 is phosphorylated by Akt, the binding between Fam13a and 14-3-3 is enhanced, leading to cytoplasmic sequestration of Fam13a. B56-containing PP2As dephosphorylate phospho-Ser-322 and promote nuclear localization of Fam13a. We generated Fam13a-knockout mice. Fam13a-mutant mice are viable and healthy, indicating that Fam13a is dispensable for embryonic development and physiological functions in adult animals. Intriguingly, Fam13a has the ability to activate the Wnt pathway. Although Wnt signaling remains largely normal in Fam13a-knockout lungs, depletion of Fam13a in human lung cancer cells causes an obvious reduction in Wnt signaling activity. Our work provides important clues to elucidating the mechanism by which Fam13a may contribute to human lung diseases

PP2A:B56ε is required for eye induction and eye field separation

AbstractEye induction and eye field separation are the earliest events during vertebrate eye development. Both of these processes occur much earlier than the formation of optic vesicles. The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) pathway appears to be essential for eye induction, yet it remains unclear how IGF downstream pathways are involved in eye induction. As a consequence of eye induction, a single eye anlage is specified in the anterior neural plate. Subsequently, this single eye anlage is divided into two symmetric eye fields in response to Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) secreted from the prechordal mesoderm. Here, we report that B56ε regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is involved in Xenopus eye induction and subsequent eye field separation. We provide evidence that B56ε is required for the IGF/PI3K/Akt pathway and that interfering with the PI3K/Akt pathway inhibits eye induction. In addition, we show that B56ε regulates the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway during eye field separation. Thus, B56ε is involved in multiple signaling pathways and plays critical roles during early development

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Hao9 exerts antidiabetic effects by regulating gut microbiome, glucagon metabolism, and insulin levels in type 2 diabetic mice

IntroductionType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disease that has led to a significant global public health burden.MethodsIn this work, we investigated the effects of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Hao9 on T2DM in mice with high-fat diet- and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes (diabetic mice) and explored the underlying mechanisms.ResultsWe found that 109 colony forming units (CFUs) of Hao9 per day significantly reduced fasting blood glucose and insulin levels (p < 0.001) in diabetic mice. Moreover, Hao9 enhanced liver antioxidant capacity and significantly decreased glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase expression in the livers of diabetic mice (p < 0.001). Hao9 also reduced the serum concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-1β (IL1β), and IL6 (p < 0.05) and improved intestinal barrier function in diabetic mice. The composition of the gut microbiome was modulated by Hao9, with an increased abundance of Roseburia, Eubacterium, and Lacticaseibacillus, and decreased abundance of Escherichia/Shigella. Notably, Lacticaseibacillus was detected at both weeks 5 and 12 post-treatment, suggesting sustained colonization of the gut by Hao9.DiscussionThe supplementation of Hao9 improved gut microbiota, glucose metabolism, and insulin levels significantly in T2DM mice. That means Hao9 contributes to improving T2DM symptoms with its potential beneficial effects. Therefore, Hao9 is a promising dietary supplement for the treatment of T2DM

Quantifying the effects of plant density on soybean lodging resistance and growth dynamics in maize-soybean strip intercropping

Shading-induced soybean stem lodging is a prevalent concern in the maize (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) strip intercropping system, leading to a substantial decline in yield. Nevertheless, the associations between soybean growth, stem lodging, and yield formation in this scenario remain unclear. To investigate this, the logistic and beta growth models were utilized to analyze the growth process of soybean organs (stems, leaves, branches, and pods) and the accumulation of carbohydrates (lignin, cellulose, and sucrose) at three planting densities (8.5, 10, and 12.5 plants m−2) in both strip intercropping and skip strip monoculture systems. The results indicate that shading stress caused by maize in the intercropping system reduced lignin and cellulose accumulation in soybean stems, thus decelerating soybean organ growth compared to monoculture. Furthermore, intercropped soybean at higher planting density (PD3) exhibited a 28% reduction in the maximum dry matter growth rate (cm) and a 11% decrease in the time taken to reach the maximum dry matter growth rate (te) compared to the lower planting density (PD1). Additionally, a 29% decrease in the maximum accumulation rate (cmax) of sucrose, lignin, and cellulose was observed, along with a 13% decrease in the continuous accumulation time (tc) of these carbohydrates in intercropped soybean at PD3. Interspecific and intraspecific shading stress led to a preferential allocation of assimilates into soybean stems, enhancing plant height during the initial stage, while at later stages, a greater proportion of sucrose was allocated to leaves. Consequently, this hindered the conversion of sucrose into lignin and cellulose within the stems, ultimately resulting in a reduction in the lodging resistance index (LRI). Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the effects of shading stress on soybean growth and yield. It also emphasizes how optimizing planting density in intercropping systems can effectively alleviate shading stress and enhance crop productivity

Regulation of RNA localization during oocyte maturation by dynamic RNA-ER association and remodeling of the ER

Asymmetric localization of mRNAs is crucial for cell polarity and cell fate determination. By performing fractionation RNA-seq, we report here that a large number of maternal RNAs are associated with the ER in Xenopus oocytes but are released into the cytosol after oocyte maturation. We provide evidence that the majority of ER-associated RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) remain associated with the ER after oocyte maturation. However, all ER-associated RBPs analyzed exhibit reduced binding to some of their target RNAs after oocyte maturation. Our results further show that the ER is remodeled massively during oocyte maturation, leading to the formation of a widespread tubular ER network in the animal hemisphere that is required for the asymmetric localization of mRNAs in mature eggs. Thus, our findings demonstrate that dynamic regulation of RNA-ER association and remodeling of the ER are important for the asymmetric localization of RNAs during development

Development of LoRaWAN-based IoT system for water quality monitoring in rural areas

This article delineates the design and deployment of an innovative real-time water quality monitoring system tailored for rural regions, focusing on monitoring the water resource quality parameters. We propose a solar-powered, waterproof, portable, and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled solution that leverages Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) technology. Central to this system is a sophisticated LoRa node outfitted with an array of sensors for capturing key water parameters, such as pH, total dissolved solids, turbidity and temperature. A conjunction of an Arduino microcontroller-based board and a LoRa shield facilitates real-time data capture and transmission to a LoRaWAN gateway. The acquired data is transmitted to The Things Network server, which is seamlessly integrated with a ThingSpeak web-based IoT server and ThingView mobile applications. We incorporate a solar cell with a solar shield to ensure sustainable energy provision for powering the entire system through a rechargeable battery. This allows users to access vital water quality information online simultaneously and continuously in real-time. As a testament to its robustness, the system was empirically tested at Gambang Lake to demonstrate its effectiveness, functionality, buoyancy, and waterproof capabilities. We further validated the results by comparing them with laboratory sample analysis findings. Experimental evaluations confirmed the system's reliability, as evidenced by the strong agreement between the water conditions measured using our solution and those obtained from laboratory instruments. Moreover, our system efficiently and remotely updated data across multiple IoT platforms using the LoRa radio interface over the LoRaWAN gateway

Ultra-broadband and tunable infrared absorber based on VO2 hybrid multi-layer nanostructure

We propose an ultra-broadband near- to mid-infrared (NMIR) tunable absorber based on VO2 hybrid multi-layer nanostructure by hybrid integration of the upper and the lower parts. The upper part is composed of VO2 nanocylinder arrays prepared on the front illuminated surface of quartz substrate, and VO2 square films and VO2/SiO2/VO2 square nanopillar arrays prepared on the back surface. The lower part is an array of SiO2/Ti/VO2 nanopillars on Ti substrate. The effects of different structural parameters and temperature on the absorption spectra were analyzed by the finite-difference time-domain method. An average absorption rate of up to 94.7% and an ultra-wide bandwidth of 6.5 μm were achieved in NMIR 1.5–8 μm. Neither vertical incident light with different polarization angles nor large inclination incident light has a significant effect on the absorption performance of the absorber. The ultra-broadband high absorption performance of this absorber will be widely used in NMIR photodetectors and other new optoelectronic devices

Development of LoRaWAN-based IoT system for water quality monitoring in rural areas

This article delineates the design and deployment of an innovative real-time water quality monitoring system tailored for rural regions, focusing on monitoring the water resource quality parameters. We propose a solar-powered, waterproof, portable, and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled solution that leverages Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) technology. Central to this system is a sophisticated LoRa node outfitted with an array of sensors for capturing key water parameters, such as pH, total dissolved solids, turbidity and temperature. A conjunction of an Arduino microcontroller-based board and a LoRa shield facilitates real-time data capture and transmission to a LoRaWAN gateway. The acquired data is transmitted to The Things Network server, which is seamlessly integrated with a ThingSpeak web-based IoT server and ThingView mobile applications. We incorporate a solar cell with a solar shield to ensure sustainable energy provision for powering the entire system through a rechargeable battery. This allows users to access vital water quality information online simultaneously and continuously in real-time. As a testament to its robustness, the system was empirically tested at Gambang Lake to demonstrate its effectiveness, functionality, buoyancy, and waterproof capabilities. We further validated the results by comparing them with laboratory sample analysis findings. Experimental evaluations confirmed the system's reliability, as evidenced by the strong agreement between the water conditions measured using our solution and those obtained from laboratory instruments. Moreover, our system efficiently and remotely updated data across multiple IoT platforms using the LoRa radio interface over the LoRaWAN gateway

Identification of E1-E4 allele combinations and ecological adaptability of soybean varieties from different geographical origins in China

The duration of soybean growth and development is regulated by E1-E4 allele genes, which form the basis for ecological adaptation related to biomass accumulation, flowering and pod formation, maturation, and yield. To elucidate the effects of different combinations of E1-E4 allele genes on soybean ecological adaptation, this study conducted competitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) analysis and photoperiod gene typing on 101 main soybean cultivars from different latitudes in China. The ecological adaptation of these cultivars in Sichuan was also investigated. The results showed that within a certain range (60-95 days), soybean varieties with a genotype combination of E1/e2-ns/E3/E4 exhibited a longer growth period and demonstrated higher biomass and yield, displaying overall better performance. These varieties showed strong ecological adaptation in the Chengdu Plain region and are suitable for introduction in similar low to mid-latitude areas like the Chengdu Plain (30°N~32°N). Conversely, soybean varieties carrying a higher number of recessive alleles of E1-E4 are not suitable for introduction in this region