Lack of Trehalose Accelerates H2O2-Induced Candida albicans Apoptosis through Regulating Ca2+ Signaling Pathway and Caspase Activity

Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide and can be accumulated in response to heat or oxidative stresses in Candida albicans. Here we showed that a C. albicans tps1Δ mutant, which is deficient in trehalose synthesis, exhibited increased apoptosis rate upon H2O2 treatment together with an increase of intracellular Ca2+ level and caspase activity. When the intracellular Ca2+ level was stimulated by adding CaCl2 or A23187, both the apoptosis rate and caspase activity were increased. In contrast, the presence of two calcium chelators, EGTA and BAPTA, could attenuate these effects. Moreover, we investigated the role of Ca2+ pathway in C. albicans apoptosis and found that both calcineurin and the calcineurin-dependent transcription factor, Crz1p, mutants showed decreased apoptosis and caspase activity upon H2O2 treatment compared to the wild-type cells. Expression of CaMCA1, the only gene found encoding a C. albicans metacaspase, in calcineurin-deleted or Crz1p-deleted cells restored the cell sensitivity to H2O2. Our results suggest that Ca2+ and its downstream calcineurin/Crz1p/CaMCA1 pathway are involved in H2O2 -induced C. albicans apoptosis. Inhibition of this pathway might be the mechanism for the protective role of trehalose in C. albicans

Impacts of changed litter inputs on soil CO2 efflux in three forest types in central south China

We have defined Neutrosophic Over-/Under-/Off-Set and Logic for the first time in 1995 and published in 2007. During 1995-2016 we presented them to various national and international conferences and seminars. These new notions are totally different from other sets/logics/probabilities. We extended the neutrosophic set respectively to Neutrosophic Overset {when some neutrosophic component is > 1}, to Neutrosophic Underset {when some neutrosophic component is < 0}, and to Neutrosophic Offset {when some neutrosophic components are off the interval [0, 1], i.e. some neutrosophic component > 1 and other neutrosophic component < 0}. This is no surprise since our real-world has numerous examples and applications of over-/under-/off-neutrosophic components

High-density marker profiling confirms ancestral genomes of Avena species and identifies D-genome chromosomes of hexaploid oat

We investigated genomic relationships among 27 species of the genus Avena using high-density genetic markers revealed by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Two methods of GBS analysis were used: one based on tag-level haplotypes that were previously mapped in cultivated hexaploid oat (A. sativa), and one intended to sample and enumerate tag-level haplotypes originating from all species under investigation. Qualitatively, both methods gave similar predictions regarding the clustering of species and shared ancestral genomes. Furthermore, results were consistent with previous phylogenies of the genus obtained with conventional approaches, supporting the robustness of whole genome GBS analysis. Evidence is presented to justify the final and definitive classification of the tetraploids A. insularis, A. maroccana (=A. magna), and A. murphyi as containing D-plus-C genomes, and not A-plus-C genomes, as is most often specified in past literature. Through electronic painting of the 21 chromosome representations in the hexaploid oat consensus map, we show how the relative frequency of matches between mapped hexaploid-derived haplotypes and AC (DC)-genome tetraploids vs. A- and C-genome diploids can accurately reveal the genome origin of all hexaploid chromosomes, including the approximate positions of inter-genome translocations. Evidence is provided that supports the continued classification of a diverged B genome in AB tetraploids, and it is confirmed that no extant A-genome diploids, including A. canariensis, are similar enough to the D genome of tetraploid and hexaploid oat to warrant consideration as a D-genome diploid.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Genomic relationships among sixteen Avena species based on (ACT)6 trinucleotide repeat FISH

Knowledge of the locations of repeat elements could be very important in the assembly of genome sequences and assignment to physical chromosomes. Genomic and species relationships among sixteen species were investigated using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with the Am1 and (ACT)6 probes. The Am1 oligonucleotide probe was particularly enriched in the C genomes, whereas the (ACT)6 trinucleotide repeat probe showed a diverse distribution of hybridization patterns in the A, AB, C, AC, and ACD genomes but might not be present in the B and D genomes. The hybridization pattern of A. sativa was very similar to that of A. insularis, indicating that this species most likely originated from A. insularis as a tetraploid ancestor. Although the two FISH probes failed to identify relationships of more species, this proof-of-concept approach opens the way to the use of FISH probes in assigning other signature elements from genomic sequence to physical chromosomes.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

New evidence confirming the CD genomic constitutions of the tetraploid Avena species in the section Pachycarpa Baum.

The tetraploid Avena species in the section Pachycarpa Baum, including A. insularis, A. maroccana, and A. murphyi, are thought to be involved in the evolution of hexaploid oats; however, their genome designations are still being debated. Repetitive DNA sequences play an important role in genome structuring and evolution, so understanding the chromosomal organization and distribution of these sequences in Avena species could provide valuable information concerning genome evolution in this genus. In this study, the chromosomal organizations and distributions of six repetitive DNA sequences (including three SSR motifs (TTC, AAC, CAG), one 5S rRNA gene fragment, and two oat A and C genome specific repeats) were investigated using non-denaturing fluorescence in situ hybridization (ND-FISH) in the three tetraploid species mentioned above and in two hexaploid oat species. Preferential distribution of the SSRs in centromeric regions was seen in the A and D genomes, whereas few signals were detected in the C genomes. Some intergenomic translocations were observed in the tetraploids; such translocations were also detected between the C and D genomes in the hexaploids. These results provide robust evidence for the presence of the D genome in all three tetraploids, strongly suggesting that the genomic constitution of these species is DC and not AC, as had been thought previously

Emerging Role of Nuclear Receptors for the Treatment of NAFLD and NASH

Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) over the past years has become a metabolic pandemic linked to a collection of metabolic diseases. The nuclear receptors ERRs, REV-ERBs, RORs, FXR, PPARs, and LXR are master regulators of metabolism and liver physiology. The characterization of these nuclear receptors and their biology has promoted the development of synthetic ligands. The possibility of targeting these receptors to treat NAFLD is promising, as several compounds including Cilofexor, thiazolidinediones, and Saroglitazar are currently undergoing clinical trials. This review focuses on the latest development of the pharmacology of these metabolic nuclear receptors and how they may be utilized to treat NAFLD and subsequent comorbidities