A general inhibition kinetics model for ethanol production using a novel carbon source: sodium gluconate.

In this study, sodium gluconate was applied as a novel carbon source for the fuel ethanol production using an engineered Escherichia coli strain KO11 in batch fermentations. Ethanol and acetic acid were produced as two major products as well as small amount of lactic acid during the fermentation. Compared to the conventional carbon source glucose, the bioconversion of sodium gluconate possessed two distinct advantages: faster utilization rate of sodium gluconate (1.

Ca2+-dependent protein kinase11 and 24 modulate the activity of the inward rectifying K+ channels in Arabidopsis pollen tubes.

Potassium (K(+)) influx into pollen tubes via K(+) transporters is essential for pollen tube growth; however, the mechanism by which K(+) transporters are regulated in pollen tubes remains unknown. Here, we report that Arabidopsis thaliana Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase11 (CPK11) and CPK24 are involved in Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of the inward K(+) (K(+)in) channels in pollen tubes. Using patch-clamp analysis, we demonstrated that K(+)in currents of pollen tube protoplasts were inhibited by elevated [Ca(2+)]cyt.

Renal protective effects of early continuous venovenous hemofiltration in rhabdomyolysis: improved renal mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibited apoptosis.

Rhabdomyolysis (RM) and subsequent myoglobin (Mb) deposition can lead to acute kidney injury. Continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) can remove Mb, but direct renal protection is unclear. We hypothesized that CVVH can improve renal mitochondrial dysfunction in its early stage.

Direct cellobiose production from cellulose using sextuple beta-glucosidase gene deletion Neurospora crassa mutants.

Direct cellobiose production from cellulose by a genetically modified fungus-Neurospora crassa, was explored in this study. A library of N. crassa sextuple beta-glucosidase (bgl) gene deletion strains was constructed.

Arabidopsis Di19 functions as a transcription factor and modulates PR1, PR2, and PR5 expression in response to drought stress.

The Arabidopsis Di19 (Drought-induced) gene family encodes seven Cys2/His2-type zinc-finger proteins, most with unknown functions. Here, we report that Di19 functioned as a transcriptional regulator and was involved in Arabidopsis responses to drought stress through up-regulation of pathogenesis-related PR1, PR2, and PR5 gene expressions. The Di19 T-DNA insertion mutant di19 was much more sensitive to drought stress, whereas the Di19-overexpressing lines were much more tolerant to drought stress compared with wild-type plants.

Calcineurin B-like protein CBL10 directly interacts with AKT1 and modulates K+ homeostasis in Arabidopsis.

Potassium transporters and channels play crucial roles in K+ uptake and translocation in plant cells. These roles are essential for plant growth and development. AKT1 is an important K+ channel in Arabidopsis roots that is involved in K+ uptake.

Potassium transport and signaling in higher plants.

As one of the most important mineral nutrient elements, potassium (K(+)) participates in many plant physiological processes and determines the yield and quality of crop production. In this review, we summarize K(+) signaling processes and K(+) transport regulation in higher plants, especially in plant responses to K(+)-deficiency stress. Plants perceive external K(+) fluctuations and generate the initial K(+) signal in root cells.

Metabolic changes in cancer: beyond the Warburg effect.

Altered metabolism is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. The best-known metabolic abnormality in cancer cells is the Warburg effect, which demonstrates an increased glycolysis even in the presence of oxygen. However, tumor-related metabolic abnormalities are not limited to altered balance between glucose fermentation and oxidative phosphorylation.

Effects of the glucose-lowering rate on cTnI and hs-CRP serum levels in type 2 diabetics.

Objectives: The current objective is to evaluate the effect of intensive glycemic control on serum levels of both Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Hence, we are trying to find a reasonable glucose-lowering rate associated with type 2 diabetics with and without coronary heart disease.

Methods: A total of 132 type 2 diabetes mellitus without coronary heart disease (T2DM) cases and 135 type 2 diabetes mellitus with coronary heart disease (T2DM+CHD) cases received intensive glycemic control.

Severe mitral regurgitation caused by perivalvular abnormal communication of the mitral valve due to blunt chest trauma.

Perivalvular leaks are usually caused by suture interruption in prosthetic valves or infective endocarditis. Traumatic mitral annular dehiscence is a very uncommon event. We present a rare case of severe mitral regurgitation secondary to perivalvular abnormal communication in a 35-year-old man with a history of blunt chest trauma.

NMDA receptor signaling: death or survival?

Glutamate-induced neuronal damage is mainly caused by overactivation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Conversely, normal physiological brain function and neuronal survival require adequate activation of NMDA receptors. Studies have revealed that NMDA receptor-induced neuronal death or survival is mediated through distinct subset of NMDA receptors triggering different intracellular signaling pathways.

A protein kinase, calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein Kinase9, interacts with calcium sensor calcineurin B-like Protein3 and regulates potassium homeostasis under low-potassium stress in Arabidopsis.

Potassium (K⁺) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. Previous studies have demonstrated that Calcineurin B-Like Protein1 (CBL1) or CBL9 and CBL-Interacting Protein Kinase23 (CIPK23) regulate K⁺ uptake in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) roots by modulating K⁺ channel Arabidopsis K⁺ Transporter1. In this study, we show that the protein kinase CIPK9 interacts with the calcium sensor CBL3 and plays crucial roles in K⁺ homeostasis under low-K⁺ stress in Arabidopsis.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromatin remodeler Fun30 regulates DNA end resection and checkpoint deactivation.

Fun30 is a Swi2/Snf2 homolog in budding yeast that has been shown to remodel chromatin both in vitro and in vivo. We report that Fun30 plays a key role in homologous recombination, by facilitating 5'-to-3' resection of double-strand break (DSB) ends, apparently by facilitating exonuclease digestion of nucleosome-bound DNA adjacent to the DSB. Fun30 is recruited to an HO endonuclease-induced DSB and acts in both the Exo1-dependent and Sgs1-dependent resection pathways.

Inhibitory effect of selaginellin on high glucose-induced apoptosis in differentiated PC12 cells: role of NADPH oxidase and LOX-1.

Hyperglycemia clearly plays a key role in the development and progression of diabetic neuropathy. Hyperglycemia induces oxidative stress to generate reactive oxygen species in diabetic neurons resulting in neuronal damage and dysfunction. Apoptosis has been proposed as a possible mechanism for high glucose-induced neural dysfunction and neuronal cell injury.

Transcriptome analysis of rice root responses to potassium deficiency.

Background: Potassium (K+) is an important nutrient ion in plant cells and plays crucial roles in many plant physiological and developmental processes. In the natural environment, K+ deficiency is a common abiotic stress that inhibits plant growth and reduces crop productivity. Several microarray studies have been conducted on genome-wide gene expression profiles of rice during its responses to various stresses.

Biochemical assay for histone H2A.Z replacement by the yeast SWR1 chromatin remodeling complex.

The evolutionarily conserved histone variant H2A.Z has an important role in the regulation of gene expression and the establishment of a buffer to the spread of silent heterochromatin. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Swr1, a Swi2/Snf2-related ATPase, is the catalytic core of a multisubunit chromatin remodeling enzyme, called the SWR1 complex, that efficiently replaces conventional histone H2A in nucleosomes with histone H2A.

Influence of the glucose-lowering rate on left ventricular function in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Background: The optimal methods for glucose control and reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease are controversial. Findings from recent clinical trials have shown different viewpoints on the advantages and disadvantages of intensive lowering of glucose. We used echocardiography to explore the influence of the glucose-lowering rate on left ventricular function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Application of hybrid blood purification treatment for severe acute arsine poisoning.

Objective: Severe acute arsine poisoning (SAAP) complicated by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome is a critical clinical illness. The limited efficacy of conventional drug therapy prompted us to investigate the application of hybrid blood purification treatment (HBPT) to improve the prognosis in critically ill patients. The present manuscript describes a series of cases treated with HBPT.

A novel biochemical route for fuels and chemicals production from cellulosic biomass.

The conventional biochemical platform featuring enzymatic hydrolysis involves five key steps: pretreatment, cellulase production, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, and product recovery. Sugars are produced as reactive intermediates for subsequent fermentation to fuels and chemicals. Herein, an alternative biochemical route is proposed.

Effect of mitofusin 2 overexpression on the proliferation and apoptosis of high-glucose-induced rat glomerular mesangial cells.

Background: Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) regulates mitochondrial morphology and associated signaling pathways. However, the role of Mfn2 in kidney disease is not fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Mfn2 overexpression on high-glucose-induced cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Inhibitory effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide on hypoxia-induced rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells proliferation: role of ERK1/2 and p27.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibits angiotensin II-induced proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cells via inactivation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). ERK1/2 is necessary for the degradation or down-regulation of the cell cycle inhibitor p27, and is also crucial in mediating proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Whether ERK1/2/p27 signal pathway is involved in CGRP-mediated pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension and vascular remodeling remains unknown.

Mir-373 affects human lung cancer cells' growth and its E-cadherin expression.

The aims of this study was to elucidate whether the expression of E-cadherin can be affected by the recombinant has-mir-373 eukaryotic expression plasmid vector through tests in vitro, and to analyze the relationship between the expression of E-cadherin and tumor growth. According to the has-mir-373 sequence in miRBase database, two template DNA sequences were designed. The has-mir-373 sequence and a control sequence were synthesized and cloned into pGenesil-1 eukaryotic expression plasmid vector.

Gene cloning, expression, and localization of antigen 5 in the life cycle of Echinococcus granulosus.

Antigen 5 (Ag5) has been identified as a dominant component of cyst fluid of Echinococcus granulosus and is considered as a member of serine proteases family, which in other helminth, plays an important role in the egg hatch and larva invasion. However, whether Ag5 is expressed and secreted in all life stages is unknown. In this study, according to the sequence in GenBank, we cloned and sequenced the open reading frame (ORF) of Ag5 gene from the protoscolices of E.

[Priority areas for biodiversity conservation in Hainan Island: evaluation and systematic conservation planning].

A total of 140 endangered species in Hainan Island were selected as indicator species, and their spatial distribution patterns were analyzed by using mechanism habitat model. Based on the iterative operation with systematic conservation planning tool MARXAN, the priority areas of these species were identified and evaluated. The priority areas had an area of 5383.

[The study on the beclin1 expression and change in diabetic rats].

Objective: To study the expression of beclin1 in renal tissue of diabetic rats, and its role in diabetic nephropathy (DN).

Methods: Diabetic rat model was produced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg), it was considered to be diabetic nephropathy that 72 h blood glucose after modeling was higher than 16 mmol/L. The positive urine protein was detected by paper method at the end of 1 week.