Analysis of tall fescue ESTs representing different abiotic stresses, tissue types and developmental stages

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tall fescue (<it>Festuca arundinacea </it>Schreb) is a major cool season forage and turf grass species grown in the temperate regions of the world. In this paper we report the generation of a tall fescue expressed sequence tag (EST) database developed from nine cDNA libraries representing tissues from different plant organs, developmental stages, and abiotic stress factors. The results of inter-library and library-specific <it>in silico </it>expression analyses of these ESTs are also reported.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 41,516 ESTs were generated from nine cDNA libraries of tall fescue representing tissues from different plant organs, developmental stages, and abiotic stress conditions. The <it>Festuca </it>Gene Index (FaGI) has been established. To date, this represents the first publicly available tall fescue EST database. <it>In silico </it>gene expression studies using these ESTs were performed to understand stress responses in tall fescue. A large number of ESTs of known stress response gene were identified from stressed tissue libraries. These ESTs represent gene homologues of heat-shock and oxidative stress proteins, and various transcription factor protein families. Highly expressed ESTs representing genes of unknown functions were also identified in the stressed tissue libraries.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>FaGI provides a useful resource for genomics studies of tall fescue and other closely related forage and turf grass species. Comparative genomic analyses between tall fescue and other grass species, including ryegrasses (<it>Lolium </it>sp.), meadow fescue (<it>F. pratensis</it>) and tetraploid fescue (<it>F. arundinacea var glaucescens</it>) will benefit from this database. These ESTs are an excellent resource for the development of simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) PCR-based molecular markers.</p

Identification and Profiling of MicroRNAs from Skeletal Muscle of the Common Carp

The common carp is one of the most important cultivated species in the world of freshwater aquaculture. The cultivation of this species is particularly productive due to its high skeletal muscle mass; however, the molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle development in the common carp remain unknown. It has been shown that a class of non-coding ∼22 nucleotide RNAs called microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in vertebrate development. They regulate gene expression through sequence-specific interactions with the 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) of target mRNAs and thereby cause translational repression or mRNA destabilization. Intriguingly, the role of miRNAs in the skeletal muscle development of the common carp remains unknown. In this study, a small-RNA cDNA library was constructed from the skeletal muscle of the common carp, and Solexa sequencing technology was used to perform high throughput sequencing of the library. Subsequent bioinformatics analysis identified 188 conserved miRNAs and 7 novel miRNAs in the carp skeletal muscle. The miRNA expression profiling showed that, miR-1, miR-133a-3p, and miR-206 were specifically expressed in muscle-containing organs, and that miR-1, miR-21, miR-26a, miR-27a, miR-133a-3p, miR-206, miR-214 and miR-222 were differentially expressed in the process of skeletal muscle development of the common carp. This study provides a first identification and profiling of miRNAs related to the muscle biology of the common carp. Their identification could provide clues leading towards a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of carp skeletal muscle development

Thermal transition of ribonuclease A observed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance

The thermal transition of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A) was investigated using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Significant resonance overlap in the large native protein limits accurate assignments in the 1 H NMR spectrum. This study proposes extending the investigation of large proteins by dynamic analysis. Comparison of the traditional method and the correlation coefficient method suggests successful application of spectrum image analysis in dynamic protein studies by NMR

Constructing Continuous Proton-Conducting Highways within Sulfonated Poly(Arylene Ether Nitrile) Composite Membrane by Incorporating Amino-Sulfo-Bifunctionalized GO

To obtain a proton exchange membrane (PEM) with high proton conductivity and low methanol permeability, a novel amino-sulfo-bifunctionalized GO (NSGO) was synthesized and explored as a filler for sulfonated poly(arylene ether nitrile) (SPEN). The result indicated that the microstructure of composite membranes was rearranged by NSGO and strong acid&ndash;base interactions were formed between fillers and the SPEN matrix, affording enhanced thermal, mechanical, and dimensional stabilities. Moreover, it was found that NSGO fillers were uniformly dispersed in the SPEN matrix, generating efficient proton-conducting paths along the SPEN/NSGO interface. Meanwhile, the sulfonic and amino groups of NSGO served as additional proton hopping sites to connect the ionic clusters in the SPEN matrix, creating interconnected and long-range ionic pathways. In such a way, proton-conducting highways with low energy barriers are constructed, which enhance the proton conductivity of the composite membranes via the Grotthuss mechanism. Furthermore, the composite membranes also effectively prevent methanol permeation, and therefore high selectivity (the ratio of proton conductivity and methanol permeability) is endowed. Compared to SPEN membrane, a 3.6-fold increase in selectivity is obtained for the optimal composite membrane. This study will provide a new strategy for the preparation of high-performance PEM

NMR study of damage on isolated perfused rat heart exposed to ischemia and hypoxia

Myocardial ischemia is the most common and primary cause of myocardium damage. Numerous conventional techniques and methods have been developed for ischemia and reperfusion studies. However, because of damage to the heart sample, most of these techniques can not be used to continuously monitor the full dynamic course of the myocardial metabolic pathway. The nuclear magnetic resonnance (NMR) surface coil technique, which overcomes the limitations of conventional instrumentation, can be used to quantitatively study every stage of the perfused heart (especially after perfusion stoppage) continuously, dynamically, and without damage under normal or designed physiological conditions at the molecular level. In this paper, 31P -NMR was used to study the effects of ischemia and hypoxia on isolated perfused hearts. The results show that complete hypoxia caused more severe functional damage to the myocardial cells than complete ischemia

Process Evaluation of the Metal-Organic Frameworks for the Application of Personal Protective Equipment with Filtration Function

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been regarded as an ideal material for the development of functional textiles with filtration function. Such functional textiles with filtration function can be further used to develop personal protective equipment, such as protective masks. This paper focuses on the comparisons of different processes when applying MOFs to conventional textiles. Two different processes existing in the literature, namely the electrospinning method and hot-pressing method, are discussed in this paper. Materials loaded with MOFs developed with these two processes are evaluated and compared, regarding the adsorption of dyes in water and the removal of pollutants. Experiment results indicate that the hot-pressing method is more advantageous when applying MOF to textiles, in terms of adsorption and removal efficiency

Aesthetic effect evaluation of the xenogeneic collagen matrix in keratinized mucosa augmentation around dental implants

Objective To evaluate the stability and aesthetic effect of a xenogeneic collagen matrix (mucograft) on achieving an adequate keratinized mucosa width (KMW) around implants and to provide a reference basis for the clinical application of xenogeneic collagen matrix materials. Methods The hospital ethics committee approved the study protocol, and the patients provided informed consent. Twenty patients with a KMW<2 mm at the buccal implant site who were treated in Binzhou Medical University Affiliated Yantai Stomatological Hospital from July 2020 to September 2022 were included, and a total of 36 implants were included. The mean age of the patients was (52.0±10.4) years, of which 18 were females and 2 were males. They were divided into a free gingival graft group (FGG, control group) and a xenogeneic collagen matrix group (test group) according to different graft materials. The incremental effect of the KMW on the buccal side of the implant and the mucosal shrinkage rate was measured at 1 month and 3 months after the operation. The mucosal scar index (MSI) was evaluated after the operation. Results At 3 months postoperatively, the KMW was (3.67 ± 1.06) mm in the control group and (2.96 ± 0.98) mm in the test group, and the difference was statistically significant (t = 2.076, P<0.05). The KMW shrinkage rate was (33.34 ± 16.30) % in the test group and (22.05 ± 15.47) % in the control group at 1 month postoperatively and (51.95 ± 12.60) % in the test group and (37.44 ± 16.30) % in the control group at 3 months postoperatively, with statistically significant differences between the two groups at the same time points (P<0.05). Three months after surgery, the test group showed significantly better outcomes than the control group in terms of the five scar indicators (scar width, scar convexity, scar color, scar trace, and overall appearance), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Xenogeneic collagen matrix can increase the peri-implant KMW and achieve a more natural and coordinated soft tissue aesthetic effect but with a higher shrinkage rate