Untargeted metabolomics in Anectocillus roxburghii with habitat heterogeneity and the key abiotic factors affecting its active ingredients

IntroductionAnoectochilus roxburghii is a rare, endangered herb with diverse pharmacological properties. Understanding the main metabolite types and characteristics of wild A. roxburghii is important for efficiently utilizing resources and examining quality according to origin.MethodsSamples were collected from the main production areas across five regions in Fujian Province, China. An untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed on the entire plants to explore their metabolic profiles. We utilized UPLC-MS/MS to specifically quantify eight targeted flavonoids in these samples. Subsequently, correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the relationships between the flavonoids content and both the biological characteristics and geographical features.ResultsA comprehensive analysis identified a total of 3,170 differential metabolites, with terpenoids and flavonoids being the most prevalent classes. A region-specific metabolite analysis revealed that the Yongchun (YC) region showed the highest diversity of unique metabolites, including tangeretin and oleanolic acid. Conversely, the Youxi (YX) region was found to have the smallest number of unique metabolites, with only one distinct compound identified. Further investigation through KEGG pathway enrichment analysis highlighted a significant enrichment in pathways related to flavonoid biosynthesis. Further examination of the flavonoid category showed that flavonols were the most differentially abundant. We quantified eight specific flavonoids, finding that, on average, the YX region exhibited higher levels of these compounds. Correlation analysis highlighted a significant association between flavonoids and habitat, especially temperature and humidity.DiscussionUntargeted metabolomics via LC-MS was suitable for identifying region-specific metabolites and their influence via habitat heterogeneity. The results of this study serve as a new theoretical reference for unique markers exclusively present in a specific sample group

Development of Flow Cytometric Assay for Detecting Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Related hsa-miR-146b-5p through Toehold-Mediated Strand Displacement Reaction on Magnetic Beads

In this work, a simple enzyme-free flow cytometric assay (termed as TSDR-based flow cytometric assay) has been developed for the detection of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC)-related microRNA (miRNA), hsa-miR-146b-5p with high performance through the toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction (TSDR) on magnetic beads (MBs). The complementary single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe of hsa-miR-146b-5p was first immobilized on the surface of MB, which can partly hybridize with the carboxy-fluorescein (FAM)-modified ssDNA, resulting in strong fluorescence emission. In the presence of hsa-miR-146b-5p, the TSDR is trigged, and the FAM-modified ssDNA is released form the MB surface due to the formation of DNA/RNA heteroduplexes on the MB surface. The fluorescence emission change of MBs can be easily read by flow cytometry and is strongly dependent on the concentration of hsa-miR-146b-5p. Under optimal conditions, the TSDR-based flow cytometric assay exhibits good specificity, a wide linear range from 5 to 5000 pM and a relatively low detection limit (LOD, 3σ) of 4.21 pM. Moreover, the practicability of the assay was demonstrated by the analysis of hsa-miR-146b-5p amounts in different PTC cells and clinical PTC tissues

Scientific visualization for advanced deep-sea exploration equipment and underwater automatic manipulation

Scientific visualization is important in modern technological activities and engineering exploration. Due to the dark and high-pressure characteristics of deep sea, it is difficult to visualize the entire operation of deep-sea equipment. Thus, it is of great necessity to use virtual simulation technology to help people understand the operation process of some deep-sea exploration equipment on the sea floor. In this paper, science, art, and new media are combined through artistic rendering, visual processing, and the technology of virtual reality (VR) and holography, which makes the exploration of the latest deep-sea lander and intelligent submersible named “Luling” look more intuitive and smart and have more visual impact and expression. Apart from that, automatic manipulation videos of the rover robot in the deep sea captured by the Luling are effectively nested to realize the goal of virtual and real presentation. The designed scientific visualization of deep-sea equipment can not only adapt to the display output of VR, mobile phones, TV, 360° showcase, and other platforms, but also achieve immersive experience and virtual simulation learning through HTC Vive VR equipment. The technology and design way of scientific visualization in this paper is universal and suitable to the same kind of engineering simulation

Publisher Correction: Nucleation-controlled growth of superior lead-free perovskite Cs3Bi2I9 single-crystals for high-performance X-ray detection

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper

CircTCF4 Suppresses Proliferation and Differentiation of Goat Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells Independent from AGO2 Binding

The proliferation and differentiation of mammalian skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) are highly complicated. Apart from the regulatory signaling cascade driven by the protein-coding genes, non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs (miRNA) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) play essential roles in this biological process. However, circRNA functions in MuSCs proliferation and differentiation remain largely to be elucidated. Here, we screened for an exonic circTCF4 based on our previous RNA-Seq data, specifically expressed during the development of the longest dorsal muscle in goats. Subsequently, the circular structure and whole sequence of circTCF4 were verified using Sanger sequencing. Besides, circTCF4 was spatiotemporally expressed in multiple tissues from goats but strikingly enriched in muscles. Furthermore, circTCF4 suppressed MuSCs proliferation and differentiation, independent of AGO2 binding. Finally, we conducted Poly(A) RNA-Seq using cells treated with small interfering RNA targeting circTCF4 and found that circTCF4 would affect multiple signaling pathways, including the insulin signaling pathway and AMPK signaling pathway related to muscle differentiation. Our results provide additional solid evidence for circRNA regulating skeletal muscle formation

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Profile of Long Non-Coding RNAs during Myogenic Differentiation in Goats

The long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as essential regulators of the growth and development of skeletal muscles. However, little is known about the expression profiles of lncRNAs during the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) in goats. In this study, we investigate potential regulatory lncRNAs that govern muscle development by performing lncRNA expression profiling analysis during the proliferation (cultured in the growth medium, GM) and differentiation (cultured in the differentiation medium, DM1/DM5) of MuSCs. In total, 1001 lncRNAs were identified in MuSC samples, and 314 differentially expressed (DE) (FDR 1) lncRNAs were screened by pairwise comparisons from three comparison groups (GM-vs-DM1, GM-vs-DM5, DM1-vs-DM5). Moreover, we identified the cis-, trans-, and antisense-regulatory target genes of DE lncRNAs. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses showed that these target genes were significantly enriched in muscle development-related GO terms and KEGG pathways. In addition, the network of interactions between DE lncRNAs and their target genes was identified, which included well-known myogenesis regulators such as Myogenic differentiation 1 (MyoD), Myogenin (MyoG), and Myosin heavy chain (MyHC). Meanwhile, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analysis showed that 237 DE lncRNAs could bind to 329 microRNAs (miRNAs), while miRNAs could target 564 mRNAs. Together, our results provide a genome-wide resource of lncRNAs that may contribute to myogenic differentiation in goats and lay the groundwork for future investigation into their functions during skeletal muscle development

METTL3 Promotes the Differentiation of Goat Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells by Regulating MEF2C mRNA Stability in a m⁶A-Dependent Manner

The development of mammalian skeletal muscle is a highly complex process involving multiple molecular interactions. As a prevalent RNA modification, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulates the expression of target genes to affect mammalian development. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how m6A participates in the development of goat muscle. In this study, methyltransferase 3 (METTL3) was significantly enriched in goat longissimus dorsi (LD) tissue. In addition, the global m6A modification level and differentiation of skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) were regulated by METTL3. By performing mRNA-seq analysis, 8050 candidate genes exhibited significant changes in expression level after the knockdown of METTL3 in MuSCs. Additionally, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) illustrated that myocyte enhancer factor 2c (MEF2C) mRNA contained m6A modification. Further experiments demonstrated that METTL3 enhanced the differentiation of MuSCs by upregulating m6A levels and expression of MEF2C. Moreover, the m6A reader YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein C1 (YTHDC1) was bound and stabilized to MEF2C mRNA. The present study reveals that METTL3 enhances myogenic differentiation in MuSCs by regulating MEF2C and provides evidence of a post-transcriptional mechanism in the development of goat skeletal muscle

Ferritin-nanocaged aggregation-induced emission nanoaggregates for NIR-II fluorescence-guided noninvasive, controllable male contraception

Controllable contraception in male animals was demonstrated through the utilization of gold nanorods' photothermal effect to accomplish mild testicular hyperthermia. However, the challenges arising from testicular administration and the non-biodegradability of nanoparticles hinder further clinical implementation. Therefore, a straightforward, non-invasive, and enhanced contraception approach is required. This study explores the utilization of human heavy chain ferritin (HFn) nanocarriers loaded with aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) for noninvasive, controllable male contraception guided by Near-Infrared-II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging. The HFn-caged AIEgens (HFn@BBT) are delivered via intravenous injection and activated by near-infrared irradiation. Lower hyperthermia treatment induces partial damage to the testes and seminiferous tubules, reducing fertility indices by approximately 100% on the 7th day, which gradually recovers to 80% on the 60th day. Conversely, implementation of elevated hyperthermia therapy causes total destruction of both testes and seminiferous tubules, leading to a complete loss of fertility on the 60th day. Additionally, the use of AIEgens in NIR-II imaging offers improved fluorescence efficiency and penetration depth. The findings of this study hold significant promise for the advancement of safe and effective male contraceptive methods, addressing the need for noninvasive and controllable approaches to reproductive health and population control

CircRNA—Protein Interactions in Muscle Development and Diseases

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a kind of novel endogenous noncoding RNA formed through back-splicing of mRNA precursor. The biogenesis, degradation, nucleus–cytoplasm transport, location, and even translation of circRNA are controlled by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Therefore, circRNAs and the chaperoned RBPs play critical roles in biological functions that significantly contribute to normal animal development and disease. In this review, we systematically characterize the possible molecular mechanism of circRNA–protein interactions, summarize the latest research on circRNA–protein interactions in muscle development and myocardial disease, and discuss the future application of circRNA in treating muscle diseases. Finally, we provide several valid prediction methods and experimental verification approaches. Our review reveals the significance of circRNAs and their protein chaperones and provides a reference for further study in this field