Two novel entomopathogenic fungal species of Lecanicillium isolated from soil in China.

The genus Lecanicillium was established in 2001 based on the type species Lecanicillium lecani (former, Verticillium lecani), which is an important entomopathogenic fungus. To date, more than thirty species in the genus have been reported, but much more are waiting to discover. In this study, two novel species isolated from soil in east China were identified.

Herbicidal fungal strain isolated from soil in Xinjiang, China.

Unlabelled: Weeds pose a significant threat to agricultural productivity, emphasizing the urgent need for developing innovative biological herbicides. Soil is a rich reservoir of fungi with potential herbicidal properties. The Xinjiang region of China, characterized by unique biodiversity shaped by geographical and climatic factors, is likely to harbor distinctive fungal resources that remain understudied.

sp. nov.: Entomopathogenic Effects on and .

The genus is renowned for its role in biocontrol and biotechnological applications. The identification of new species within this genus is crucial for broadening our understanding of its ecological roles and potential utility in sustainable agriculture. This study aimed to characterize a new species of , isolated from soil in eastern China, and to evaluate its bioactivity against (corn moth) and (greater wax moth).

Geographical patterns and determinants of insect biodiversity in China.

Insects play important roles in the maintenance of ecosystem functioning and the provision of livelihoods for millions of people. However, compared with terrestrial vertebrates and angiosperms, such as the giant panda, crested ibis, and the metasequoia, insect conservation has not attracted enough attention, and a basic understanding of the geographical biodiversity patterns for major components of insects in China is lacking. Herein, we investigated the geographical distribution of insect biodiversity across multiple dimensions (taxonomic, genetic, and phylogenetic diversity) based on the spatial distribution and molecular DNA sequencing data of insects.

Genotoxicity Evaluation of an Urban River on Freshwater Planarian by RAPD Assay.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic potential of an urban river - the Wei River in Xinxiang, China using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay in planarians. The results showed that the total number of polymorphic bands and varied bands in RAPD patterns of treated planarians decreased with the water sample site far away from the sewage outlet of a factory. In addition, the genome template stability of treated groups decreased and the degree of the decline was negatively related to the distance between the sample site and the sewage outlet, suggesting that the Wei River water had genotoxicity effects on planarians and strengthening the management of the Wei River was necessary.

In vivo consequences of deleting EGF repeats 8-12 including the ligand binding domain of mouse Notch1.

Background: Notch signaling is highly conserved in the metazoa and is critical for many cell fate decisions. Notch activation occurs following ligand binding to Notch extracellular domain. In vitro binding assays have identified epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeats 11 and 12 as the ligand binding domain of Drosophila Notch.

Colonic tumorigenesis in BubR1+/-ApcMin/+ compound mutant mice is linked to premature separation of sister chromatids and enhanced genomic instability.

Faithful chromosome segregation is essential for the maintenance of genetic stability during cell division and it is at least partly monitored by the spindle checkpoint, a surveillance mechanism preventing the cell from prematurely entering anaphase. The adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) gene also plays an important role in regulating genomic stability, as mutations of Apc cause aneuploidy. Here we show that whereas Apc(Min)(/+) mice developed many adenomatous polyps, mostly in the small intestine, by 3 mo of age; BubR1(+/-)Apc(Min)(/+) compound mutant mice developed 10 times more colonic tumors than Apc(Min)(/+) mice.

MEK1-induced Golgi dynamics during cell cycle progression is partly mediated by Polo-like kinase-3.

MEK1, a gene product that regulates cell growth and differentiation, also plays an important role in Golgi breakdown during the cell cycle. We have recently shown that polo-like kinase (Plk3) is Golgi localized and involved in Golgi dynamics during the cell cycle. To study the mode of action of Plk3 in the Golgi fragmentation cascade, we examined functional as well as physical interactions between Plk3 and MEK1/ERKs.

Slippage of mitotic arrest and enhanced tumor development in mice with BubR1 haploinsufficiency.

A compromised spindle checkpoint is thought to play a key role in genetic instability that predisposes cells to malignant transformation. Loss of function mutations of BubR1, an important component of the spindle checkpoint, have been detected in human cancers. Here we show that BubR1(+/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts are defective in spindle checkpoint activation, contain a significantly reduced amount of securin and Cdc20, and exhibit a greater level of micronuclei than do wild-type cells.

BUBR1 deficiency results in abnormal megakaryopoiesis.

The physiologic function of BUBR1, a key component of the spindle checkpoint, was examined by generating BUBR1-mutant mice. BUBR1(-/-) embryos failed to survive beyond day 8.5 in utero as a result of extensive apoptosis.

Proteasome-dependent downregulation of p21(Waf1/Cip1) induced by reactive oxygen species.

After hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) treatment, the p21 (p21(Waf1/Cip1)) protein level in GM00637 fibroblast cells was rapidly decreased, reaching its nadir around 3 h. However, it rebounded within 5 hours to a level higher than that before treatment. Fluorescence microscopic analyses revealed that nuclear p21 was downregulated during the initial oxidative stress.

Down-regulation of PLK3 gene expression by types and amount of dietary fat in rat colon tumors.

Epidemiological studies suggest that high intake of dietary fat rich in saturated fatty acids increases the colon cancer risk whereas dietary fish oil high in omega-3 fatty acids reduces the colon cancer risk. Previously, we reported that consumption of omega-6 fatty acid rich diets such as corn oil strongly promotes azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon carcinogenesis in rats as compared to ingestion of a diet with equivalent amount of fat containing fish oil (HFFO) or low-fat diet (LFCO). Expression of PLK3 (Polo-like kinase-3, previously named Prk) is negatively correlated with the development of certain cancers.