Identification of Ethylene Response Factors in Wheat Reveals That Contributes to Salt Tolerance.

Soil salinization is a major abiotic stressor that significantly reduces wheat yield. Identifying novel salt-tolerance genes and integrating them into wheat breeding programs can enhance wheat productivity in saline soils. Ethylene response factor (ERF) plays an important role in plant response to salt stress, and thus far, four wheat genes have been identified to be involved in salt stress response.

Aerobic exercise-induced HIF-1α upregulation in heart failure: exploring potential impacts on MCT1 and MPC1 regulation.

Background: The terminal stage of ischemic heart disease develops into heart failure (HF), which is characterized by hypoxia and metabolic disturbances in cardiomyocytes. The hypoxic failing heart triggers hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) actions in the cells sensitized to hypoxia and induces metabolic adaptation by accumulating HIF-1α. Furthermore, soluble monocarboxylic acid transporter protein 1 (MCT1) and mitochondrial pyruvate carrier 1 (MPC1), as key nodes of metabolic adaptation, affect metabolic homeostasis in the failing rat heart.

Genome-wide investigation of UDP-Glycosyltransferase family in Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum).

Background: Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) belongs to Polygonaceae family and has attracted increasing attention owing to its high nutritional value. UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) glycosylate a variety of plant secondary metabolites to control many metabolic processes during plant growth and development. However, there have been no systematic reports of UGT superfamily in F.

The role of NaHS pretreatment in improving salt stress resistance in foxtail millet seedlings: physiological and molecular mechanisms.

Salt stress is a prevailing abiotic stress in nature, with soil salinization becoming a pressing issue worldwide. High soil salinity severely hampers plant growth and leads to reduced crop yields. Hydrogen sulfide (HS), a gas signal molecule, is known to be synthesized in plants exposed to abiotic stress, contributing to enhanced plant stress resistance.

d-Glucosamine induces circadian phase delay by promoting BMAL1 degradation through AMPK/mTOR pathway.

Circadian rhythms are closely linked to the metabolic network through circadian feedback regulation. The hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) is a branch of glucose metabolism that affects circadian rhythms through the O-linked N-acetylglucosamine modification (O-GlcNAcylation) of clock proteins. Here, we found out that, among the downstream metabolites regulated by d-glucosamine (GlcN) in HBP salvage pathway, only GlcN is able to induce circadian phase delay both in vitro and in vivo.

Synthesis of hierarchical Cd-Ni-MOF micro/nanostructures and derived Cd-Ni-MOF/CdS/NiS hybrid photocatalysts for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Hierarchical micro/nanostructures assembled from nanorods and nanosheets have become promising candidates for photocatalysis. In this work, a series of hierarchical Cd-Ni-MOF micro/nanostructures, assembled from nanosheets and nanorods, were fabricated a two-step solvothermal process involving the partial replacement of Ni with Cd in the Ni-MOF-74 structure. Different morphologies were obtained by considering different volume ratios of DMF and ethanol as the solvent during synthesis.

Treadmill exercise promotes E3 ubiquitin ligase to remove amyloid β and P-tau and improve cognitive ability in APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

Background: Moderate physical exercise is conducive to the brains of healthy humans and AD patients. Previous reports have suggested that treadmill exercise plays an anti-AD role and improves cognitive ability by promoting amyloid clearance, inhibiting neuronal apoptosis, reducing oxidative stress level, alleviating brain inflammation, and promoting autophagy-lysosome pathway in AD mice. However, few studies have explored the relationships between the ubiquitin-proteasome system and proper exercise in AD.

Irisin, an Effective Treatment for Cardiovascular Diseases?

Irisin, as one of the myokines induced by exercise, has attracted much attention due to its important physiological functions such as white fat browning, the improvement in metabolism, and the alleviation of inflammation. Despite the positive role that irisin has been proven to play in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, whether it can become a biomarker and potential target for predicting and treating cardiovascular diseases remains controversial, given the unreliability of its detection methods, the uncertainty of its receptors, and the species differences between animals and humans. This paper was intended to review the role of irisin in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the potential molecular mechanism, and the urgent problems to be solved in hopes of advancing our understanding of irisin as well as providing data for the development of new and promising intervention strategies by discussing the causes of contradictory results.

State-dependent modulation of thalamocortical oscillations by gamma light flicker with different frequencies, intensities, and duty cycles.

Rhythmic light flickers have emerged as useful tools to modulate cognition and rescue pathological oscillations related to neurological disorders by entrainment. However, a mechanistic understanding of the entrainment for different brain oscillatory states and light flicker parameters is lacking. To address this issue, we proposed a biophysical neural network model for thalamocortical oscillations (TCOs) and explored the stimulation effects depending on the thalamocortical oscillatory states and stimulation parameters (frequency, intensity, and duty cycle) using the proposed model and electrophysiology experiments.

Synthesis of hierarchical and flower-like TiO nanowire microspheres as biocompatible cell carriers.

Fibrous materials are of great interest in the development of tissue regenerative matrix. However, synthesis of inorganic fibrous microspheres as cell carriers is a great challenge. In this study, we for the first time report on the synthesis of novel hierarchical and flower-like TiO nanowire (NW) microspheres as biocompatible cell carriers.

Triptolide and atorvastatin synergistically promote hepatotoxicity in cultured hepatocytes and female Sprague-Dawley rats by inhibiting pregnane X receptor-mediated transcriptional activation of CYP3A4.

Triptolide (TP), an active component of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F, has been widely used in China for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and has also been validated by modern science and developed as a candidate anti-cancer treatment. However, liver toxicity of TP has seriously hindered its use and development, the clinical features and primary toxicological mechanism have been unclear.

Facile synthesis, microstructure, formation mechanism, in vitro biocompatibility, and drug delivery property of novel dendritic TiO nanofibers with ultrahigh surface area.

In this study, novel dendritic TiO nanofibers (D-Ti NFs) with ultrahigh surface area were for the first time synthesized through in situ hydrothermal treatment of the electrospun TiO nanofibers (E-Ti NFs) and their microstructure, formation mechanism, in vitro biocompatibility and drug delivery property were investigated. SEM observations showed that D-Ti NFs had dendritic and fibrous morphology with the controllable diameter of 899 ± 26 nm to 1955 ± 64 nm. TEM observations showed the individual D-Ti NF was assembled by numerous primary nanowires with the diameter of 7 ± 1 nm.

CM082, a novel angiogenesis inhibitor, enhances the antitumor activity of gefitinib on epidermal growth factor receptor mutant non-small cell lung cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Background: CM082 is a novel angiogenesis inhibitor targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR). The purpose of this research was to evaluate the antitumor activity of CM082 combined with gefitinib on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: The effect of CM082 on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was assessed.

The iron chelator desferrioxamine synergizes with chemotherapy for cancer treatment.

Background: Cisplatin (CDDP) resistance remains a major obstacle for treatment of ovarian cancer. Iron contributes to the growth and reproduction of malignant cells, thus iron chalators can inhibit the growth of tumor cells by depleting the intracellular iron pool. The iron chelator, desferrioxamine (DFO), has performed anticancer in previous study.

WX20120108, a novel IAP antagonist, induces tumor cell autophagy via activating ROS-FOXO pathway.

Recently, inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) and some IAP antagonists were found to regulate autophagy, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. WX20120108 is an analogue of GDC-0152 (a known IAP antagonist) and displays more potent anti-tumor and autophagy-regulating activity in tumor cells, we investigated the regulatory mechanisms underlying WX20120108-induced autophagy. Using molecular docking and fluorescence polarization anisotropy (FPA) competitive assay, we first demonstrated that WX20120108, acting as an IAP antagonist, bound to the XIAP-BIR3, XIAP BIR2-BIR3, cIAP1 BIR3, and cIAP2 BIR3 domains with high affinities.

An Important Factor Affecting the Supercapacitive Properties of Hydrogenated TiO Nanotube Arrays: Crystal Structure.

Employing a suitable crystal structure can significantly modify the electrochemical performances of materials. Herein, hydrogenated TiO nanotube arrays with <001> orientation and different rutile/anatase ratio were fabricated via anodisation, high-temperature annealing and electrochemical hydrogenation. The crystal structure was determined by TEM and X-ray diffraction pattern refinement of whole powder pattern fitting.

High-content analysis boosts identification of the initial cause of triptolide-induced hepatotoxicity.

Triptolide (TP) has been widely used in China for more than 40 years as an immunosuppressive agent. Recently, serious concerns have been raised over TP-induced liver injury, though the real hepatotoxic mechanism is still unclear, particularly in terms of the initial cause. To our knowledge, this study is the first to screen systematically the mechanism of TP-induced toxicity through a global cytotoxicity profile high-content analysis using three independent cytotoxic assay panels with multiple endpoints of cytotoxicity, including cell loss, mitochondrial membrane potential, nuclear membrane permeability, manganese superoxide dismutase, phosphorylated gamma-H2AX, light chain 3B, lysosome, reactive oxygen species and glutathione.

Response of gas-exchange characteristics and chlorophyll fluorescence to acute sulfur dioxide exposure in landscape plants.

To explore the toxicity and action mechanism of acute sulfur dioxide (SO) on urban landscape plants, a simulated SO stress environment by using fumigation chamber involving increasing SO concentration (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 mg m) was carried out among three species. After 72 h of exposure, SO-induced oxidative damage indicated by electrolyte leakage increased with higher dose of SO. Meanwhile, SO decreased the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid and increased the contents of sulfur.

Procaspase-3-activating compound 1 stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and induces DNA damage by sequestering ferrous iron.

Procaspase-3-activating compound 1 (PAC-1) induces procaspase-3 activation via zinc chelation. However, whether PAC-1 employs other mechanisms remains unknown. Here we systematically screened for potent PAC-1 targets using 29 enhanced green fluorescent protein-labeled reporter cell lines and identified hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) and RAD51 pathways as PAC-1 targets.

Involvement of NO and ROS in sulfur dioxide induced guard cells apoptosis in Tagetes erecta.

Both nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are very important signal molecules, but the roles they play in signal transduction of sulfur dioxide (SO2) induced toxicities on ornamental plants is not clear. In this study, the functions of NO and ROS in SO2-induced death of lower epidermal guard cells in ornamental plant Tagetes erecta were investigated. The results showed that SO2 derivatives (0.

The defense potential of glutathione-ascorbate dependent detoxification pathway to sulfur dioxide exposure in Tagetes erecta.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) exposure is associated with increased risk of various damages to plants. However, little is known about the defense response in ornamental plants. In this study, an artificial fumigation protocol was carried out to study the defense potential of the glutathione (GSH)-ascorbate (AsA) dependent detoxification pathway to SO2 exposure in Tagetes erecta.

One-Dimensional Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposite Synthesized with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Templates.

This study reports on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) as templates for the preparation of 1D porous organic-inorganic hybrid composites. The deposited SWCNT were sputter coated with Sn metal and thermally oxidized in air to form a SnO₂/SWCNT nanowire framework on SiO₂/Si substrate. Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was coated onto this scaffold through UV light-induced radical polymerization, which resulted in the final formation of hybrid composites.

Signal regulation involved in sulfur dioxide-induced guard cell apoptosis in Hemerocallis fulva.

Chronic and acute exposure to SO₂ is associated with increased risks of various damages to plants. In the present study, epidermal strip experiment was employed to investigate SO₂-induced guard cells apoptosis and the signal regulation in Hemerocallis fulva. The results showed that with the increase of treatment concentrate of SO₂ derivates (a mixture of sodium sulfite and sodium bisulfite, 3:1, mmol L⁻¹/mmol L⁻¹, 1.