Development of monoclonal antibodies against Mfa1 and their protective capacity in an experimental periodontitis model.

Unlabelled: (), a gram-negative, black-pigmented anaerobe, is a major etiological agent and a leading cause of periodontitis. Fimbriae protein Mfa1 is a key virulence factor of and plays a crucial role in bacterial adhesion, colonization, biofilm formation, and persistent inflammation, making it a promising therapeutic target. However, the role of anti-Mfa1 antibodies and the underlying protective mechanisms remain largely unexplored.

BmNPV Bm60 is a key target gene used by a resistant strain of Bombyx mori to inhibit BmNPV proliferation.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a pathogen that causes significant losses to the silkworm industry. Numerous antiviral genes and proteins have been identified by studying silkworm resistance to BmNPV. However, the molecular mechanism of silkworm resistance to BmNPV is unclear.

Impact of COVID-19 convalescence on pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing IVF/ICSI during fresh ART cycles: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The aim was to study the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescence on female fertility and laboratory and clinical outcomes in fresh assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed data from 294 patients who had recovered from COVID-19 and who underwent fresh ART cycles between January and March 2023 (COVID-19 group). This group was compared with 631 patients who underwent similar ART cycles in the same period in 2022 but without having been infected with COVID-19 (non-COVID-19 group).

Physiological and pathological roles of Ang II and Ang- (1-7) in the female reproductive system.

The local Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) has been demonstrated to exist in a wide range of tissues and organs, In the female reproductive system, it is mainly found in the ovary, uterus and placenta. The RAS system is made up of a series of active substances and enzymes, in addition to the circulating endocrine renin-angiotensin system. The active peptides Angiotensin II (Ang II) and Angiotensin (1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), in particular, appear to have distinct activities in the local RAS system, which also controls blood pressure and electrolytes.

Effects of follicular output rate on cumulative clinical pregnancy rate and cumulative live birth rate in PCOS patients with different characteristics.

Objective: We aim to explore the effects of follicular output rate (FORT) on cumulative clinical pregnancy rate (CCPR) and cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients with different characteristics undergoing fertilization (IVF) treatment.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 454 patients with PCOS undergoing their first IVF cycle at our center from January 2016 to December 2020. FORT was calculated as pre-ovulatory follicle count (PFC) × 100/antral follicle count (AFC).

PPM1G promotes the progression of lung adenocarcinoma by inhibiting p38 activation via dephosphorylation of MEK6.

The p38 MAP kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is a key signal transduction cascade that cancer cells employ to sense and adapt to a plethora of environmental stimuli and has attracted much attention as a promising target for cancer therapy. Although the kinases that phosphorylate p38 have been extensively studied, the negative regulation of p38 phosphorylation remains to be elucidated. Here, we found that PPM1G was highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) compared to normal tissues, and higher levels of PPM1G were observed in adverse staged LUAD.

Mouse Ocilrp2/Clec2i negatively regulates LPS-mediated IL-6 production by blocking Dap12-Syk interaction in macrophage.

C-type lectin Ocilrp2/Clec2i is widely expressed in dendritic cells, lymphokine-activated killer cells and activated T cells. Previous studies have shown that Ocilrp2 is an important regulator in the activation of T cells and NK cells. However, the role of Ocilrp2 in the inflammatory responses by activated macrophages is currently unknown.

Future Fertility of Patients With No Embryo Transfer in Their First IVF Cycle Attempts.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the future outcomes of patients undergoing their first IVF ( fertilization) attempt with no oocyte retrieved, no normal zygotes formed, or no embryos available for transfer and to identify factors affecting the live birth rate.

Methods: Patients who underwent no transplantable embryo in their first IVF cycles but carried out several consecutive cycles between January 2012 to December 2020 were retrospectively enrolled and divided into three groups:group A (no egg retrieval), group B (no normal zygotes formed), and group C (no embryos available to transfer). The patients were also divided into the live birth group and non-live birth group according to whether they got a live baby or not.

The Optimal Number of Oocytes Retrieved From PCOS Patients Receiving IVF to Obtain Associated With Maximum Cumulative Live Birth Rate and Live Birth After Fresh Embryo Transfer.

Aims: This study aims to determine the optimal number of oocytes retrieved so that patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) receiving fertilization (IVF) can obtain the best cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) and live birth after fresh embryo transfer.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 1,419 patients with PCOS who underwent their first IVF cycle at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2014 to December 2021. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to adjust for factors known to independently affect cumulative live birth aspiration.

Progress of Adipokines in the Female Reproductive System: A Focus on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Adipose tissue, one type of loose connective tissue in the human body, maintains the primary task of energy storage. Adipose tissue is not only an energy reservoir but also plays a vital role as the largest endocrine organ of the whole body releasing a variety of adipokines, which participate in many pathophysiological processes, such as energy metabolism regulation, glucose and lipid metabolism, and inflammation. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder that mainly involves the female reproductive system, affecting women of childbearing age particularly.

Construction and characterization of a synthetic Baculovirus-inducible 39K promoter.

Background: Silkworm genetic engineering is widely used in gene function, silk engineering and disease-resistant engineering in most of Asia. Some of the earliest promoter elements are used to control the development of silkworm transgenic expression and gene therapy. However, the low expression and specificity of natural promoters limit the applications of genetic engineering.

Establishment of a baculovirus-inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system for antiviral research in transgenic silkworms.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful genetic engineering technique that has been widely used in gene therapy, as well as in the development of novel antimicrobials and transgenic insects. However, several challenges, including the lack of effective host target genes and the off-target effects, limit the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in insects. To mitigate these difficulties, we established a highly efficient virus-inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system in transgenic silkworms.

Screening and optimization of an efficient Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus inducible promoter.

Pathogen-inducible promoters have been studied extensively and widely used in resistance breeding and gene therapy. However, few reports have been published that explore the efficacy of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV)-inducible promoters in antiviral research in the Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera). Here, we screened BmNPV promoters (VP1054, P33, Bm21, Bm122, 39K, P143, and P6.

Establishment of a highly efficient virus-inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system in insect cells.

Although current antiviral strategies can inhibit baculovirus infection and decrease viral DNA replication to a certain extent, novel tools are required for specific and accurate elimination of baculovirus genomes from infected insects. Using the newly developed clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/associated protein 9 nuclease (CRISPR/Cas9) technology, we disrupted a viral genome in infected insect cells in vitro as a defense against viral infection. We optimized the CRISPR/Cas9 system to edit foreign and viral genome in insect cells.

Oligomerization of Baculovirus LEF-11 Is Involved in Viral DNA Replication.

We have previously reported that baculovirus Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) late expression factor 11 (lef-11) is associated with viral DNA replication and have demonstrated that it potentially interacts with itself; however, whether LEF-11 forms oligomers and the impact of LEF-11 oligomerization on viral function have not been substantiated. In this study, we first demonstrated that LEF-11 is capable of forming oligomers. Additionally, a series of analyses using BmNPV LEF-11 truncation mutants indicated that two distinct domains control LEF-11 oligomerization (aa 42-61 and aa 72-101).

Differential susceptibilities to BmNPV infection of two cell lines derived from the same silkworm ovarian tissues.

We previously established and characterized two insect cell lines (BmN-SWU1 and BmN-SWU2) from Bombyx mori ovaries. Here, we examined their differential susceptibilities to Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) despite having originated from the same tissue source. BmN-SWU1 cells were susceptible and supported high titers of BmNPV replication, while BmN-SWU2 cells were resistant to BmNPV infection.

Identification of a novel nuclear localization signal of baculovirus late expression factor 11.

The baculovirus late expression factor 11 (LEF-11) has been reported to be involved in viral DNA replication and late/very late gene activation. In this study, serial N- and C-terminal truncations of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) LEF-11 protein were fused with DsRed to investigate the nuclear localization signal by which LEF-11 enters the nucleus. Results show that 72-101 residues at the C-terminus are essential for BmNPV LEF-11 nuclear localization.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus ORF79 is a per os infectivity factor associated with the PIF complex.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) ORF79 (Bm79) encodes an occlusion-derived virus (ODV)-specific envelope protein, which is a homologue of the per os infectivity factor 4 (PIF4) of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV). To investigate the role of ORF79 in the BmNPV life cycle, a Bm79 knockout virus (vBm(Bm79KO)) was constructed through homologous recombination in Escherichia coli. Viral DNA replication, budded virus (BV) production and polyhedra formation were unaffected by the absence of BM79.

Inhibition of BmNPV replication in silkworm cells using inducible and regulated artificial microRNA precursors targeting the essential viral gene lef-11.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is a major silkworm pathogen, causing substantial economic losses to the sericulture industry annually. We demonstrate a novel anti-BmNPV system expressing mature artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs) targeting the viral lef-11 gene. The mature amiRNAs inhibited the lef-11 gene in silkworm BmN-SWU1 cells.