The Relationship Between Nitrogen Content in Soybean Leaves and Infestation Severity of Aphis glycines Mutsumura

Changes in nitrogen content of leaves in different soybean species during the infestation by Aphis glycines Mutsumura was determined. A correlation between the nitrogen content of soybean leaves and infestation severity of Aphis glycines Mutsumura was found. Therefore, the nitrogen content of soybean leaves could be regarded as one of the ecological factors used in prediction of infestation severity of Aphis glycines Mutsumura.Originating text in Chinese.Citation: Hu, Qi, Zhang, Weiqun, Yao, Yuxia, Yan, Shuqin. (1992). The Relationship Between Nitrogen Content in Soybean Leaves and Infestation Severity of Aphis glycines Mutsumura. Journal of Jilin Agricultural University, 14(4), 103-104

Preparation of Antheraea pernyi

The goal of this study was to fabricate Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (ASF) microparticles using electrospinning under mild processing conditions. To improve processability of the ASF solution, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was used to regulate viscosity of ASF solution for electrospinning. It was found that the blend of ASF with PEO could form a bead-on-string structure with well spherical particles. Furthermore, aqueous ethanol and ultrasonic treatments could disrupt the nanofibrillar string structure between particles and ultimately produced water-insoluble ASF particles with submicron scale. Cell viability studies indicated that the ASF microparticles were nontoxic to EA926 cells. Moreover, fluorescent images based on FITC labeling showed that the ASF microparticles were easily uptaken by the cells. Aqueous-based electrospinning provides a potentially useful option for the fabrication of ASF microparticles based on this unique fibrous protein

Susceptibility of cervical cancer to dihydroartemisinin-induced ferritinophagy-dependent ferroptosis

The clinical therapeutics of cervical cancer is limited due to the drug resistance and metastasis of tumor. As a novel target for antitumor therapy, ferroptosis is deemed to be more susceptible for those cancer cells with resistance to apoptosis and chemotherapy. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), the primary active metabolites of artemisinin and its derivatives, has exhibited a variety of anticancer properties with low toxicity. However, the role of DHA and ferroptosis in cervical cancer remained unclear. Here, we showed that DHA could time-dependently and dose-dependently inhibit the proliferation of cervical cancer cells, which could be alleviated by the inhibitors of ferroptosis rather than apoptosis. Further investigation confirmed that DHA treatment initiated ferroptosis, as evidenced by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and liquid peroxidation (LPO) levels and simultaneously depletion of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and glutathione (GSH). Moreover, nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4)-mediated ferritinophagy was also induced by DHA leading to subsequent increases of intracellular labile iron pool (LIP), exacerbated the Fenton reaction resulting in excessive ROS production, and enhanced cervical cancer ferroptosis. Among them, we unexpectedly found that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) played an antioxidant role in DHA-induced cell death. In addition, the results of synergy analysis showed that the combination of DHA and doxorubicin (DOX) emerged a highly synergistic lethal effect for cervical cancer cells, which was related also to ferroptosis. Overall, our data revealed the molecular mechanisms that DHA triggered ferritinophagy-dependent ferroptosis and sensitized to DOX in cervical cancer, which may provide novel avenues for future therapy development

Poor Binding of a HER-2/neu Epitope (GP2) to HLA-A2.1 Is due to a Lack of Interactions with the Center of the Peptide

Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules bind short peptides derived from proteins synthesized within the cell. These complexes of peptide and class I MHC (pMHC) are transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cell surface. If a clonotypic T cell receptor expressed on a circulating T cell binds to the pMHC complex, the cell presenting the pMHC is killed. In this manner, some tumor cells expressing aberrant proteins are recognized and removed by the immune system. However, not all tumors are recognized efficiently. One reason hypothesized for poor T cell recognition of tumor-associated peptides is poor binding of those peptides to class I MHC molecules. Many peptides, derived from the proto-oncogene HER-2/neu have been shown to be recognized by cytotoxic T cells derived from HLA-A2(+) patients with breast cancer and other adenocarcinomas. Seven of these peptides were found to bind with intermediate to poor affinity. In particular, GP2 (HER-2/neu residues 654-662) binds very poorly even though it is predicted to bind well based upon the presence of the correct HLA-A2.1 peptide-binding motif. Altering the anchor residues to those most favored by HLA-A2.1 did not significantly improve binding affinity. The crystallographic structure shows that unlike other class I-peptide structures, the center of the peptide does not assume one specific conformation and does not make stabilizing contacts with the peptide-binding cleft

Impaired Sensorimotor Integration in Restless Legs Syndrome

Objective: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a complicated sensorimotor syndrome that may be linked to changes in sensorimotor integration. The mechanism of such changes is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate sensorimotor integration in patients with RLS through transcranial magnetic stimulation-motor evoked potentials (TMS-MEPs) preceded by peripheral electric stimulation.Methods: Fourteen RLS patients and 12 healthy, age-matched controls were investigated. The clinical severity of RLS was evaluated based on the International Criteria of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) severity scores. The tibial and median H-reflexes and the resting motor threshold (RMT) of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) were tested in all 26 subjects. The RMT of the tibialis anterior (TA) was tested in 8 patients and 7 controls. All 26 subjects underwent measurement of unconditioned MEPs of the APB. Electric pulses were applied to the right median nerve, followed by TMS pulses over the left motor cortex at interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of 20, 25, 30, 50, 100, 150, and 200 ms. Unconditioned MEPs of the TA were measured in 8 patients and 7 controls. Electric pulses were applied to the right peroneal nerve, followed by TMS pulses over the left motor cortex at ISIs of 30, 35, 45, 60, 100, and 200 ms. The degree of modulation of MEPs by electric stimulation was expressed as the ratio of the conditioned MEP amplitude to the unconditioned MEP amplitude. Ratios <1 indicated inhibition, and ratios >1 indicated facilitation.Results: No significant differences in RMT or H-reflex latencies or amplitudes were found between RLS patients and controls. A significant increase in unconditioned MEP amplitudes of the TA was observed in patients compared to controls (p = 0.03). Long-latency afferent inhibition (LAI) of the median nerve in RLS patients was decreased significantly at ISIs of 150 (p = 0.000) and 200 ms (p = 0.004). Upon peroneal nerve stimulation, no significant difference was observed between the two groups at any ISI.Conclusions: Our results suggest increased motor cortical excitability of the legs and disturbed sensorimotor integration in RLS patients; this disturbance might originate at the cortical level

China’s pig relocation in balance

In 2015, the Chinese government banned livestock production in some regions (called non-livestock production regions, NLPRs) to control surface water pollution near vulnerable water bodies. In total, 90,000 NLPRs had been established by 2017, covering a land area of 0.82 million km2 and shutting down 0.26 million pig farms1. As a consequence, the number of slaughtered pigs decreased by 46 million head yr–1 between 2014 and 2017. The NLPRs policy is globally unprecedented in terms of the geographical area and number of farms affected, as well as its implementation speed. The NLPRs policy has reduced pork self-sufficiency in some provinces by up to 40% (ref. 2). However, it is unclear which farms and regions may take over the market share

The Effect of Insomnia on Cortical Excitability in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder

The high rate of comorbidity between insomnia and anxiety disorders have been confirmed by previous studies. However, the underlying neurobiological correlates of the relationship between insomnia and anxiety disorders are largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of insomnia on cortical excitability in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) by examining the recovery functions of median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in patients with GAD without insomnia and patients with GAD comorbid with insomnia. We studied the recovery functions of median nerve SEPs in 12 medication-naive patients with GAD without insomnia, 15 medication-naive patients with GAD comorbid with insomnia, and 15 age and sex matched healthy controls. SEPs in response to single stimulus and paired stimuli at interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of 20, 60, 100, and 150 ms were recorded. The recovery function of the P25 component showed significantly reduced suppression in patients with GAD without insomnia as compared to patients with GAD comorbid with insomnia and healthy controls. There were no significant differences in the recovery functions of median nerve SEPs between patients with GAD comorbid with insomnia and healthy controls. The present study suggested that the cortical excitability of right parietal cortex increased in patients with GAD without insomnia, and cortical excitability in patients with GAD comorbid with insomnia was modulated by insomnia. Our findings provide new insights into the underlying neurobiological correlates of the effects of insomnia on GAD, which could ultimately be used to inform clinical intervention

Class I Major Histocompatibility Complex Anchor Substitutions Alter the Conformation of T Cell Receptor Contacts

An immunogenic peptide (GP2) derived from HER-2/neu binds to HLA-A2.1 very poorly. Some altered-peptide ligands (APL) of GP2 have increased binding affinity and generate improved cytotoxic T lymphocyte recognition of GP2-presenting tumor cells, but most do not. Increases in binding affinity of single-substitution APL are not additive in double-substitution APL. A common first assumption about peptide binding to class I major histocompatibility complex is that each residue binds independently. In addition, immunologists interested in immunotherapy frequently assume that anchor substitutions do not affect T cell receptor contact residues. However, the crystal structures of two GP2 APL show that the central residues change position depending on the identity of the anchor residue(s). Thus, it is clear that subtle changes in the identity of anchor residues may have significant effects on the positions of the T cell receptor contact residues

Powdery Mildews Are Characterized by Contracted Carbohydrate Metabolism and Diverse Effectors to Adapt to Obligate Biotrophic Lifestyle

Powdery mildew is a widespread plant disease caused by obligate biotrophic fungal pathogens involving species-specific interactions between host and parasite. To gain genomic insights into the underlying obligate biotrophic mechanisms, we analyzed 15 microbial genomes covering powdery and downy mildews and rusts. We observed a genome-wide, massive contraction of multiple gene families in powdery mildews, such as enzymes in the carbohydrate metabolism pathway, when compared with ascomycete phytopathogens, while the fatty acid metabolism pathway maintained its integrity. We also observed significant differences in candidate secreted effector protein (CSEP) families between monocot and dicot powdery mildews, perhaps due to different selection forces. While CSEPs in monocot mildews are likely subject to positive selection causing rapid expansion, CSEP families in dicot mildews are shrinking under strong purifying selection. Our results not only illustrate obligate biotrophic mechanisms of powdery mildews driven by gene family evolution in nutrient metabolism, but also demonstrate how the divergence of CSEPs between monocot and dicot lineages might contribute to species-specific adaption