The molecular mechanism and evolutionary divergence of caspase 3/7-regulated gasdermin E activation.

Caspase (CASP) is a family of proteases involved in cleavage and activation of gasdermin, the executor of pyroptosis. In humans, CASP3 and CASP7 recognize the same consensus motif DxxD, which is present in gasdermin E (GSDME). However, human GSDME is cleaved by CASP3 but not by CASP7.

Nutrient characteristics driven by multiple factors in large estuaries during summer: A case study of the Yangtze River Estuary.

Nutrients directly control the level of primary productivity and are crucial for the stability of marine ecosystems. Focusing on the survey results in August 2020 of the Yangtze River Estuary, this study elucidated the distribution characteristics and controlling factors of three nutrients: NO-N, PO-P, SiO-Si. The results showed that the concentrations of NO-N, PO-P, SiO-Si in the study area were generally higher near the shore than far shore, with average concentrations of 11.

Antibacterial insights into alternariol and its derivative alternariol monomethyl ether produced by a marine fungus.

FB1 is a marine fungus identified as a candidate for plastic degradation in our previous study. This fungus has been recently shown to produce secondary metabolites with significant antimicrobial activity against various pathogens, including methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and the notorious aquaculture pathogen . The antibacterial compounds were purified and identified as alternariol (AOH) and its derivative, alternariol monomethyl ether (AME).

Improvement of the selectivity of a molecularly imprinted polymer-based potentiometric sensor by using a specific functional monomer.

Potentiometric sensors based on the molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as the receptors have been successfully developed for determination of various organic and biological species. However, these MIP receptors may suffer from problems of low selectivity. Especially, it would be difficult to distinguish the target analyte from its structurally similar interferents.

Bacillus cereus cereolysin O induces pyroptosis in an undecapeptide-dependent manner.

Bacillus cereus is a clinically significant foodborne pathogen that causes severe gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal disease. Cereolysin O (CLO) is a putative virulence factor of B. cereus, and its function remains to be investigated.

Pseudallenes A and B, new sulfur-containing ovalicin sesquiterpenoid derivatives with antimicrobial activity from the deep-sea cold seep sediment-derived fungus CS-793.

Pseudallenes A and B ( and ), the new and rare examples of sulfur-containing ovalicin derivatives, along with three known analogues -, were isolated and identified from the culture extract of CS-793, a fungus obtained from the deep-sea cold seep sediments. Their structures were established by detailed interpretation of NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric data. X-ray crystallographic analysis confirmed and established the structures and absolute configurations of compounds -, thus providing the first characterized crystal structure of an ovalicin-type sesquiterpenoid.

Rapid antibiotic screening based on E. coli apoptosis using a potentiometric sensor array.

Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing enables reliable antibiotic screening but requires multiple strategies to identify each phenotypic change induced by different bactericidal mechanisms. Bacteria apoptosis with typical phenotypic features has never been explored for antibiotic screening. Herein, we developed an antibiotic screening method based on the measurement of antibiotic-induced phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure of apoptotic bacteria.

Fucoidan from the cell wall of Silvetia siliquosa with immunomodulatory effect on RAW 264.7 cells.

Silvetia siliquosa, the only species of the family Fucaceae in China, is used as a medicine food homology. Fucoidan from S. siliquosa was extracted by hot water twice thoroughly (13 % of total yield), and a purified fucoidan SSF with a molecular weight of 93 kD was obtained.

Organic carbon in wet deposition of an urbanized coastal bay, North China: Flux, sources and biogeochemical implications.

The process of atmospheric organic carbon (OC) entering the ocean through wet deposition plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. To gain insights into the biogeochemical dynamics of OC at the land-sea margin, we conducted an extensive four-year investigation on precipitation OC in Jiaozhou Bay (JZB). The results showed that the volume-weighted mean concentration of particulate OC (POC) and dissolved OC (DOC) in precipitation were 0.

Extensive intragenomic variations of the 18S rDNA V4 region in the toxigenic diatom species Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata revealed through high-throughput sequencing.

Metabarcoding analysis is an effective technique for monitoring the domoic acid-producing Pseudo-nitzschia species in marine environments, uncovering high-levels of molecular diversity. However, such efforts may result in the overinterpretation of Pseudo-nitzschia species diversity, as molecular diversity not only encompasses interspecies and intraspecies diversities but also exhibits extensive intragenomic variations (IGVs). In this study, we analyzed the V4 region of the 18S rDNA of 30 strains of Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata collected from the coasts of China.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in Sebastes schlegelii: Genome-wide identification and ThermoTRP expression analysis under high-temperature.

Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels, essential for sensing environmental stimuli, are widely distributed. Among them, thermosensory TRP channels play a crucial role in temperature sensing and regulation. Sebastes schlegelii, a significant aquatic economic species, exhibits sensitivity to temperature across multiple aspects.

Low molecular weight fucoidan LF2 improves the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and enhances the anti-pancreatic cancer activity of oxaliplatin.

Chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of pancreatic cancer treatment. However, the dense interstitial and immunosuppressive microenvironment frequently render the ineffective anti-tumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents. Macrophages play a key role in the tumor immunomodulation.

Unveiling the evolution of phytoplankton communities: Decades-long insights into the southern Yellow Sea, China (1959-2023).

We obtained historical and observational data on phytoplankton communities from 1959 to 2023 to explore the responses of the phytoplankton community structure to long-term environmental changes in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS), China. The results revealed a decrease in the proportions of diatom cell abundance within the phytoplankton community by 8 %, accompanied by a corresponding increase in that of dinoflagellates. Dominant phytoplankton species were mainly chain-forming diatoms before 2000, and large dinoflagellate species from the genera Tripos and Noctiluca increased their dominance after 2000.

The diversification and potential function of microbiome in sediment-water interface of methane seeps in South China Sea.

The sediment-water interfaces of cold seeps play important roles in nutrient transportation between seafloor and deep-water column. Microorganisms are the key actors of biogeochemical processes in this interface. However, the knowledge of the microbiome in this interface are limited.

Cryptochrome PtCPF1 regulates high temperature acclimation of marine diatoms through coordination of iron and phosphorus uptake.

Increasing ocean temperatures threaten the productivity and species composition of marine diatoms. High temperature response and regulation are important for the acclimation of marine diatoms to such environments. However, the molecular mechanisms behind their acclimation to high temperature are still largely unknown.

Enhanced nitrogen removal performance of nitrogen-rich saline wastewater by marine anammox bacteria: Based on different influent loading strengths.

In an anaerobic sequential batch reactor (SBR), marine anammox bacteria (MAB) were able to enhance microbial activity in nitrogen-rich saline wastewater and it was significantly affected by influent substrate composition and loading strength. This study therefore enhanced nitrogen removal efficiency by adjusting the influent nitrogen loading strength of MAB-inoculated anaerobic SBRs and assessed the correlation with the bacterial community. The results displayed that the system obtained optimal nitrogen removal efficiency (TN = 83.

Synthesis and Characterization of Slow-Release Chitosan Oligosaccharide Pyridine Schiff Base Copper Complexes with Antifungal Activity.

Herein, a series of chitosan oligosaccharide copper complexes modified with pyridine groups (CPSx-Cu complexes) were successfully prepared via the Schiff base reaction and ion complexation reaction for slow-release fungicide. The structures of the synthesized derivatives were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and H and C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the unit configuration of the complexes was calculated using Gaussian software. The slow-release performance experiment demonstrated that the cumulative copper ion release rate of CPSx-Cu complexes was dependent on the type of substituents on the pyridine ring.

The impact of alloying element Cu on corrosion and biofilms of 316L stainless steel exposed to seawater.

Copper-containing stainless steel (SS) has been reported to mitigate biofilms in industrial and clinical environments. However, the impact of copper released from copper-containing SS in natural seawater on biofilms and corrosion is still unclear. In this study, three kinds of 316L SS were immersed in natural seawater for 6 months, and the pitting depth decreased in the order: 316L-Cu SS (annealed) > 316L SS > 316L-Cu SS (aged).

In vivo immunological activity of chitosan-derived nanoparticles.

Chitosan has been studied as an immunomodulator, but few studies have used chitosan derivatives as adjuvants alone. After a preliminary study, we found that nanoparticles prepared from chitosan derivatives had better cellular immune activity when used as an adjuvant. Therefore, animal experiments were conducted to further investigate the performance and mechanism of these nanoparticles as immune adjuvants.

DNA and RNA Stability of Marine Microalgae in Cold-Stored Sediments and Its Implications in Metabarcoding Analyses.

The ever-increasing applications of metabarcoding analyses for environmental samples demand a well-designed assessment of the stability of DNA and RNA contained in cells that are deposited or buried in marine sediments. We thus conducted a qPCR quantification of the DNA and RNA in the vegetative cells of three microalgae entrapped in facsimile marine sediments and found that >90% of DNA and up to 99% of RNA for all microalgal species were degraded within 60 days at 4 °C. A further examination of the potential interference of the relic DNA of the vegetative cells with resting cyst detection in sediments was performed via a metabarcoding analysis in artificial marine sediments spiked with the vegetative cells of two Kareniaceae dinoflagellates and the resting cysts of another three dinoflagellates.

Structure and function analyses of the SRC gene in Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei.

SRC gene encodes scavenger receptor class C, a member of the scavenger receptor family, and has only been identified and investigated in invertebrates. Our previous studies have revealed that SRC is a novel candidate gene associated with body weight in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). In order to comprehend the underlying mechanism by which LvSRC affects shrimp growth, we analyzed the structure, phylogeny, expression profiles and RNA interference (RNAi) of this gene in L.

The high molecular diversity in Noctiluca scintillans is dominated by intra-genomic variations revealed by single cell high-throughput sequencing of 18S rDNA V4.

The application of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies has revolutionized research on phytoplankton biodiversity by generating an unprecedented amount of molecular data in marine ecosystem surveys. However, high-level of molecular diversity uncovered in HTS-based metabarcoding analyses may lead to overinterpretation of phytoplankton diversity due to excessive intra-genomic variations (IGVs). The aims in this study are to explore the nature of phytoplankton molecular diversity and to test the hypothesis.

Uncovering nutrient regeneration, transformation pattern, and its contribution to harmful algal blooms in mariculture waters.

The prevalence of harmful algal blooms (HABs), especially in mariculture waters, has become a concern for environmental and human health worldwide. Notably, the frequent occurrence of HABs relies upon a substantial supply of available nutrients, which are influenced by nutrient recycling. However, nutrient regeneration, transformation pattern, and their contribution to HABs in mariculture waters remain largely unknown.

Polymeric membrane potentiometric antibiotic sensors using computer-aided screening of supramolecular macrocyclic carriers.

Carrier-based polymeric membrane potentiometric sensors are an ideal tool for detecting ionic species. However, in the fabrication of these sensors, the screening of carriers still relies on empirical trial- and error-based optimization, which requires tedious and time-consuming experimental verification. In this work, computer-aided screening of carriers is applied in the preparation of polymeric membrane potentiometric sensors.