Identification of quantitative trait loci associated with shoot sodium accumulation under low potassium conditions in rice plants

Sodium (Na) application has marked beneficial effects on plant growth when the potassium (K) supply is low. Under low K supply, three japonica rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars, Koshihikari, Nipponbare, and Sasanishiki, accumulated more Na than three indica cultivars, IR36, IR64, and Kasalath, and the effect of Na application on growth was greater in japonica Koshihikari plants than in indica IR64 plants. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis using a population of backcross inbred lines derived from japonica Koshihikari and indica Kasalath identified two significant loci associated with shoot Na concentration on chromosomes 3 and 6. The quantitative trait locus for shoot Na accumulation on chromosome 6 was confirmed in a population of chromosome segment substitution lines. The major QTL detected in this study could be useful for increasing crop productivity under low K input

Questionnaire for diagnosing asthma-COPD overlap in COPD: Development of ACO screening questionnaire (ACO-Q)

Background: The considerable prevalence and worse outcomes of asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) in COPD have been reported, and optimal introduction of ICS is essential for ACO. However, diagnostic criteria for ACO consist of multiple laboratory tests, which is challenging during this COVID-19 era. The purpose of this study was to create a simple questionnaire to diagnose ACO in patients with COPD. Methods: Among 100 COPD patients, 53 were diagnosed with ACO based on the Japanese Respiratory Society Guidelines for ACO. Firstly, 10 candidate questionnaire items were generated and further selected by a logistic regression model. An integer-based scoring system was generated based on the scaled estimates of items. Results: Five items, namely a history of asthma, wheezing, dyspnea at rest, nocturnal awakening, and weather- or season-dependent symptoms, contributed significantly to the diagnosis of ACO in COPD. History of asthma was related to FeNO >35 ppb. Two points were assigned to history of asthma and 1 point to other items in the ACO screening questionnaire (ACO-Q), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.883 (95% CI: 0.806–0.933). The best cutoff point was 1 point, and the positive predictive value was 100% at a cutoff of 3 points or higher. The result was reproducible in the validation cohort of 53 patients with COPD. Conclusions: A simple questionnaire, ACO-Q, was developed. Patients with scores ≥3 could be reasonably recommended to be treated as ACO, and additional laboratory testing would be recommended for patients with 1 and 2 points

TSPAN2 Is Involved in Cell Invasion and Motility during Lung Cancer Progression

Summary: In lung cancer progression, p53 mutations are more often observed in invasive tumors than in noninvasive tumors, suggesting that p53 is involved in tumor invasion and metastasis. To understand the nature of p53 function as a tumor suppressor, it is crucial to elucidate the detailed mechanism of the alteration in epithelial cells that follow oncogenic KRAS activation and p53 inactivation. Here, we report that KRAS activation induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and that p53 inactivation is required for cell motility and invasiveness. Furthermore, TSPAN2, a transmembrane protein, is responsible for cell motility and invasiveness elicited by p53 inactivation. TSPAN2 is highly expressed in p53-mutated lung cancer cells, and high expression of TSPAN2 is associated with the poor prognosis of lung adenocarinomas. TSPAN2 knockdown suppresses metastasis to the lungs and liver, enabling prolonged survival. TSPAN2 enhances cell motility and invasiveness by assisting CD44 in scavenging intracellular reactive oxygen species. : Enari and colleagues investigate the detailed mechanism of epithelial cell alteration during lung cancer progression. They show that KRAS activation induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and that p53 inactivation is required for cell motility and invasiveness. They find that TSPAN2 is responsible for the cell motility and invasiveness elicited by p53 inactivation and that TSPAN2 scavenges intracellular reactive oxygen species in collaboration with CD44. These data suggest that TSPAN2 may be a potential target for lung cancer therapy

Potent neutralizing broad-spectrum antibody against SARS-CoV-2 generated from dual-antigen-specific B cells from convalescents

Summary: Several antibody therapeutics have been developed against SARS-CoV-2; however, they have attenuated neutralizing ability against variants. In this study, we generated multiple broadly neutralizing antibodies from B cells of convalescents, by using two types of receptor-binding domains, Wuhan strain and the Gamma variant as bait. From 172 antibodies generated, six antibodies neutralized all strains prior to the Omicron variant, and the five antibodies were able to neutralize some of the Omicron sub-strains. Structural analysis showed that these antibodies have a variety of characteristic binding modes, such as ACE2 mimicry. We subjected a representative antibody to the hamster infection model after introduction of the N297A modification, and observed a dose-dependent reduction of the lung viral titer, even at a dose of 2 mg/kg. These results demonstrated that our antibodies have certain antiviral activity as therapeutics, and highlighted the importance of initial cell-screening strategy for the efficient development of therapeutic antibodies