Nitrogen addition alleviated sexual differences in responses to cadmium toxicity by regulating the antioxidant system and root characteristics, and inhibiting Cd translocation in mulberry seedlings

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity and nitrogen (N) deposition are two major environmental stresses which can affect plant growth. It's less clear that how the combined Cd accumulation and N deposition affect the male and female plants of dioecious species. The aim of the present study was to detect sex-specific responses to Cd stress and simulated N deposition in one-year-old male, female and hermaphrodite seedlings of Morus alba. Changes in morphology, physiology, root architecture and biomass of the three sex types of mulberry seedlings were determined. The results showed that Cd toxicity caused limited growth, impaired photosynthetic apparatus and decreased gas exchange rates with significant sex-specific differences. Mulberry was found to deploy detoxification mechanisms to avoid or tolerate toxic Cd effects through the activation of the antioxidant system, increasing proline and non-protein thiol contents, translocating Cd into different plant parts and decreasing biomass. Females displayed a low tolerance to high Cd and were more sensitive to Cd stress. Simulated N deposition alleviated the negative effects of Cd on leaves and decreased sex-specific differences in the three kinds of mulberry seedlings, but N fertilizer did not affect the total biomass. The N-stimulated increasing in proline and non-protein thiol contents might play a crucial role in resisting the damage caused by Cd stress, and the three kinds of mulberry seedlings had slightly different ways of improving Cd tolerance by N deposition. Sexual differences in Cd accumulation are correlated with root architecture. This study provides evidence for the utilization of mulberry to treat Cd-contaminated soils under N deposition.Peer reviewe

Mucosal and Systemic Immune Responses to Influenza H7N9 Antigen HA1–2 Co-Delivered Intranasally with Flagellin or Polyethyleneimine in Mice and Chickens

Consecutive cases of human infection with H7N9 influenza viruses since 2013 in China have prompted efforts to develop an effective treatment. Subunit vaccines introduced by intranasal administration can block an infection at its primary site; flagellin (fliC) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) have been shown to be potent adjuvants. We previously generated the hemagglutinin (HA)1–2-fliC fusion protein consisting of the globular head domain (HA1–2; amino acids 62–284) of HA fused with Salmonella typhimurium fliC. In the present study, we investigated its effectiveness of both flagellin and PEI as mucosal adjuvants for the H7N9 influenza subunit vaccine. Mice immunized intranasally with HA1–2-fliC and HA1–2-PEI showed higher HA1–2-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA titers in serum, nasal wash, and bronchial alveolar lavage fluid. Moreover, splenocyte activation and proliferation and the number of HA1–2-specific interferon (IFN)-γ- and interleukin (IL)-4-producing splenocytes were markedly increased in the fliC and PEI groups; in the latter, there were more cells secreting IL-4 than IFN-γ, suggesting that fliC induced T helper type (Th)1 and Th2 immune responses, and PEI induced Th2-biased responses, consistent with the serum antibody isotype pattern (IgG1/IgG2a ratio). Furthermore, virus challenge was performed in a chicken model. The results showed that chickens receiving fliC and PEI adjuvant vaccine exhibited robust immune responses leading to a significant reduction in viral loads of throat and cloaca compared to chickens receiving only HA1–2. These findings provide a basis for the development of H7N9 influenza HA1–2 mucosal subunit vaccines

Projected Images of Major Chinese Outbound Destinations

This study aimed to explore the projected images of major outbound destinations based on popular travel magazines in China. Travel articles on Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan from 2006 to 2008 were content analyzed. Japan was reported on most, and the projected images of the six destinations are dominated by leisure and recreation, and culture, history and art. Correspondence analysis was used to examine relationships between destinations and popular image attributes. The results showed that South Korea and Macau had distinct projected images, whereas Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam shared many similar image attributes. Practical implications for destination marketing organizations are provided

CD13 Inhibition Enhances Cytotoxic Effect of Chemotherapy Agents

Multidrug resistance (MDR) of hepatocellular carcinoma is a serious problem. Although CD13 is a biomarker in human liver cancer stem cells, the relationship between CD13 and MDR remains uncertain. This study uses liver cancer cell model to understand the role of CD13 in enhancing the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy agents. Cytotoxic agents can induce CD13 expression. CD13 inhibitor, bestatin, enhances the antitumor effect of cytotoxic agents. Meanwhile, CD13-targeting siRNA and neutralizing antibody can enhance the cytotoxic effect of 5-fluorouracil (5FU). CD13 overexpression increases cell survival upon cytotoxic agents treatment, while the knockdown of CD13 causes hypersensitivity of cells to cytotoxic agents treatment. Mechanistically, the inhibition of CD13 leads to the increase of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). BC-02 is a novel mutual prodrug (hybrid drug) of bestatin and 5FU. Notably, BC-02 can inhibit cellular activity in both parental and drug-resistant cells, accompanied with significantly increased ROS level. Moreover, the survival time of Kunming mice bearing H22 cells under BC-02 treatment is comparable to the capecitabine treatment at maximum dosage. These data implicate a therapeutic method to reverse MDR by targeting CD13, and indicate that BC-02 is a potent antitumor compound

Quantitative Proteomics Identifies the Myb-Binding Protein p160 as a Novel Target of the von Hippel-Lindau Tumor Suppressor

Background: The von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene encodes a component of a ubiquitin ligase complex, which is best understood as a negative regulator of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). VHL ubiquitinates and degrades the a subunits of HIF, and this is proposed to suppress tumorigenesis and tumor angiogenesis. However, several lines of evidence suggest that there are unidentified substrates or targets for VHL that play important roles in tumor suppression. Methodology/Principal Findings: Employing quantitative proteomics, we developed an approach to systematically identify the substrates of ubiquitin ligases and using this method, we identified the Myb-binding protein p160 as a novel substrate of VHL. Conclusions/Significance: A major barrier to understanding the functions of ubiquitin ligases has been the difficulty in pinpointing their ubiquitination substrates. The quantitative proteomics approach we devised for the identification of VHL substrates will be widely applicable to other ubiquitin ligases

Nitric Oxide Enhances Desiccation Tolerance of Recalcitrant Antiaris toxicaria Seeds via Protein S-Nitrosylation and Carbonylation

The viability of recalcitrant seeds is lost following stress from either drying or freezing. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting from uncontrolled metabolic activity are likely responsible for seed sensitivity to drying. Nitric oxide (NO) and the ascorbate-glutathione cycle can be used for the detoxification of ROS, but their roles in the seed response to desiccation remain poorly understood. Here, we report that desiccation induces rapid accumulation of H2O2, which blocks recalcitrant Antiaris toxicaria seed germination; however, pretreatment with NO increases the activity of antioxidant ascorbate-glutathione pathway enzymes and metabolites, diminishes H2O2 production and assuages the inhibitory effects of desiccation on seed germination. Desiccation increases the protein carbonylation levels and reduces protein S-nitrosylation of these antioxidant enzymes; these effects can be reversed with NO treatment. Antioxidant protein S-nitrosylation levels can be further increased by the application of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase inhibitors, which further enhances NO-induced seed germination rates after desiccation and reduces desiccation-induced H2O2 accumulation. These findings suggest that NO reinforces recalcitrant seed desiccation tolerance by regulating antioxidant enzyme activities to stabilize H2O2 accumulation at an appropriate concentration. During this process, protein carbonylation and S-nitrosylation patterns are used as a specific molecular switch to control antioxidant enzyme activities

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Images of Tibetan identity emerging from contemporary Tibetan literature in English translation by the Anglophone world: narrative examination of selection, paratext and reviews

Contributing to the trend of connecting translation studies, imagology and reception, the present research examines how Tibetan identity was represented in the English translation of contemporary Tibetan literature (CTL) in the Anglophone world at the levels of selection, paratext and reviews. Using datasets containing 15 full-length volumes of CTL available in English translation and the paratext and reviews scoped for the study, the focus is on both the representations of Tibetan identity and the mechanism through which certain “images” were constructed in relation to the underlying institutionality involved at each level, drawing on narrative theory and certain concept from complexity theory like ‘constraint’, and adopting the methods of content analysis, framing analysis and narrative analysis. Taken examination at the three levels together, two consistent modes of representations of Tibetan identity were observed. On the one hand, Tibet and Tibetan people were represented as being remote and victimised, Tibetan writers as resisters and their works implicated with political commitments. On the other hand, Tibetan literature was depicted as being dynamic demonstrating an image of Tibetan society and people of their own complexity. The former was more related to participants from Tibetan Studies community whereas the latter to those from Chinese literary studies circle or Tibetan Studies circle but specialising more in literature. The participants at the three levels seemed to be greatly influenced by the West-centric master narratives around the Tibet question and those of Communism. However, the image of Tibetan identity shown in some packaging and reviews suggested a mode of circulation and reading which would allow for opener reception context for Tibetan literature in the Anglophone world. The study’s major contribution is providing a comprehensive picture of how Tibetan identity was represented at the three processual levels of the English translation of CTL in the Anglophone world. It not only demonstrates how Western stereotyping of Tibet and China finds its way into the representations of CTL in English but also indicates from a world literature view the implications and possible venues for CTL to reach more global audience in the world