NEDDylation of PB2 Reduces Its Stability and Blocks the Replication of Influenza A Virus.

Post-translational modifications of viral proteins play important roles in regulating viral replication. Here we demonstrated that the PB2 of influenza A virus (IAV) can be modified by NEDD8. We revealed that E3 ligase HDM2 can promote PB2 NEDDylation.

Regional environmental change and human activity over the past hundred years recorded in the sedimentary record of Lake Qinghai, China.

Environmental change and human activity can be recorded in sediment cores in aquatic systems such as lakes. Information from such records may be useful for environmental governance in the future. Six sediment cores were collected from Lake Qinghai, China and its sublakes during 2012 and 2013.

Recent progress on single-molecule nanocatalysis based on single-molecule fluorescence microscopy.

Understanding the heterogeneous catalytic properties of nanoparticles is of great significance for the development of high efficient nanocatalysts, but the intrinsic heterogeneities of nanocatalysts were always covered in traditional ensemble studies. This issue can be overcome if one can follow the catalysis of individual nanoparticles in real time. This paper mainly summarizes recent developments in single-molecule nanocatalysis at single particle level in Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Enantioselective Reactions of 2-Sulfonylalkyl Phenols with Allenic Esters: Dynamic Kinetic Resolution and [4+2] Cycloaddition Involving ortho-Quinone Methide Intermediates.

We report herein a dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) involving ortho-quinone methide (o-QM) intermediates. In the presence of Et N and the cinchonine-derived nucleophilic catalyst D, the DKR of 2-sulfonylalkyl phenols with allenic esters afforded chiral benzylic sulfones in 57-79 % yield with good to excellent enantioselectivity (85-95 % ee). Furthermore, with 2-(tosylmethyl)sesamols or 2-(tosylmethyl)naphthols, from which stable o-QM substrates can be generated, a formal [4+2] cycloaddition delivered 4-aryl- or alkyl-substituted chromans with excellent enantioselectivity (88-97 % ee).

Effects of dietary supplementation of Acanthopanax senticosus on gastrointestinal tract development in calves.

Twenty-four newborn Holstein dairy male calves (with initial body weight of 38 ± 3.0 kg) were used in a randomized block design experiment to determine effects of dietary supplementation of Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) on gastrointestinal tract development. Calves were fed milk (10%/body weight) three times at 06.

Different responses of transgenic Bt rice and conventional rice to elevated ozone concentration.

To assess the different sensitivity to ozone (O) between transgenic Bt Shanyou63 (Bt-SY63) and its nontransgenic counterpart Shanyou63 (SY63), the leaf gas exchange, yield, grain elements, and antioxidant enzymes were investigated by performing a pot experiment under ambient O concentration (A-O) and elevated O concentration (1.5 × A-O, E-O). Under A-O, the chlorophyll content and yield of Bt-SY63 were significantly lower than those of SY63, whereas the stomatal conductance (Gs), cellular CO concentration (Ci), and Fe, Zn concentration showed the opposite trends.

The PRC2-binding long non-coding RNAs in human and mouse genomes are associated with predictive sequence features.

Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as an important class of molecules involved in many cellular processes. One of their primary functions is to shape epigenetic landscape through interactions with chromatin modifying proteins. However, mechanisms contributing to the specificity of such interactions remain poorly understood.

Amelioration of Salt Stress on Bermudagrass by the Fungus Aspergillus aculeatus.

There is considerable evidence that plant abiotic-stress tolerance can be evoked by the exploitation of a globally abundant microbe. A. aculeatus, which was initially isolated from the rhizosphere of bermudagrass, has been shown to increase heavy metal tolerance in turfgrasses.

A SUMO Ligase AtMMS21 Regulates the Stability of the Chromatin Remodeler BRAHMA in Root Development.

Chromatin remodeling is essential for gene expression regulation in plant development and response to stresses. Brahma (BRM) is a conserved ATPase in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex and is involved in various biological processes in plant cells, but the regulation mechanism on BRM protein remains unclear. Here, we report that BRM interacts with AtMMS21, a SUMO ligase in Arabidopsis ().

Reduced representation genome sequencing reveals patterns of genetic diversity and selection in apple.

Identifying DNA sequence variations is a fundamental step towards deciphering the genetic basis of traits of interest. Here, a total of 20 cultivated and 10 wild apples were genotyped using specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing, and 39,635 single nucleotide polymorphisms with no missing genotypes and evenly distributed along the genome were selected to investigate patterns of genome-wide genetic variations between cultivated and wild apples. Overall, wild apples displayed higher levels of genetic diversity than cultivated apples.

Vegetation Changes in the Permafrost Regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau from 1982-2012: Different Responses Related to Geographical Locations and Vegetation Types in High-Altitude Areas.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) contains the largest permafrost area in a high-altitude region in the world, and the unique hydrothermal environments of the active layers in this region have an important impact on vegetation growth. Geographical locations present different climatic conditions, and in combination with the permafrost environments, these conditions comprehensively affect the local vegetation activity. Therefore, the responses of vegetation to climate change in the permafrost region of the QTP may be varied differently by geographical location and vegetation condition.

BMP restricts stemness of intestinal Lgr5 stem cells by directly suppressing their signature genes.

The intestinal epithelium possesses a remarkable self-renewal ability, which is mediated by actively proliferating Lgr5 stem cells. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling represents one major counterforce that limits the hyperproliferation of intestinal epithelium, but the exact mechanism remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that epithelial BMP signalling plays an indispensable role in restricting Lgr5 stem cell expansion to maintain intestinal homeostasis and prevent premalignant hyperproliferation on damage.

Performance and microbial communities of completely autotrophic denitrification in a bioelectrochemically-assisted constructed wetland system for nitrate removal.

A bioelectrochemically-assisted constructed wetland (BECW) system was used to treat nitrate-contaminated wastewater without organic carbon source. The denitrification performance and microbial community composition of a BECW in closed-circuit mode (BECW-C) was compared to a BECW in open-circuit mode (BECW-O). The highest denitrification efficiency (78.

Using repeated measures to correct correlated measurement errors through orthogonal decomposition.

In a physical activity study, the 7-day physical activity log viewed as an alloyed gold standard was used to correct the measurement error in the physical activity questionnaire. Due to correlations between the errors in the two measurements, the usual regression calibration may result to a biased estimate of the calibration factor. We propose a method of removing the correlation through orthogonal decomposition of the errors, then the usual regression calibration can be applied.

Achieving the Trade-Off between Selectivity and Activity in Semihydrogenation of Alkynes by Fabrication of (Asymmetrical Pd@Ag Core)@(CeO Shell) Nanocatalysts via Autoredox Reaction.

(Asymmetrical Pd@Ag core)@(CeO shell) nanostructures are successfully fabricated via a clean and facile modified autoredox reaction by the preaddition of Pd seeds in the growth solution. In a subsequent catalytic test, it is found that the as-obtained bimetallic core@shell nanoparticles exhibit excellent catalytic performance in semihydrogenation of alkynes. The trade-off between selectivity and activity is well realized.

Changes in flowering functional group affect responses of community phenological sequences to temperature change.

Our ability to predict how temperature modifies phenology at the community scale is limited by our lack of understanding of responses by functional groups of flowering plants. These responses differ among species with different life histories. We performed a reciprocal transplant experiment along four elevation gradients (e.

Adsorption of phosphate in water using one-step synthesized zirconium-loaded reduced graphene oxide.

In this account, a one-step green hydrothermal method for zirconium-loaded reduced graphene oxide (RGO-Zr) adsorbent was developed in pure water. It is based on the formation of initially strong-coupling RGO-Zr nanocomposites followed by in situ reduction of GO to RGO during the hydrothermal treatment. The phosphate adsorption performance of the as-prepared nanocomposites was investigated in aqueous environment under various conditions.

Nitrogen removal in Myriophyllum aquaticum wetland microcosms for swine wastewater treatment: N-labelled nitrogen mass balance analysis.

Background: Ecological treatments are effective for treating agricultural wastewater. In this study, wetland microcosms vegetated with Myriophyllum aquaticum were designed for nitrogen (N) removal from two strengths of swine wastewater, and N-labelled ammonium (NH -N) was added to evaluate the dominant NH -N removal pathway.

Results: The results showed that 98.

Confinement Alters the Structure and Function of Calmodulin.

Many cellular reactions involving proteins, including their biosynthesis, misfolding, and transport, occur in confined compartments. Despite its importance, a structural basis of understanding of how confined environments alter protein function is still lacking. Herein, we explore structure-function correlations of calmodulin (CaM), a multidomain protein involved in many calcium-mediated signaling pathways, in reverse micelles.

Characterizations of atmospheric particulate-bound mercury in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, South Asia.

The Kathmandu Valley, located in the Himalayan foothills in Nepal, is heavily polluted. In order to investigate ambient particulate-bound mercury (Hg) in the Kathmandu Valley, a total 64 total suspended particulates (TSP) samples were collected from a sub-urban site in the Kathmandu Valley, the capital region of Nepal during a sampling period of an entire year (April 2013-April 2014). They were analyzed for ambient particulate-bound Hg (PBM) using thermal desorption combined with cold vapor atomic spectroscopy.

ortho-Heterofluorene perylenediimides: synthesis, photophysical, and exciton dynamic properties.

Previous studies suggest the perylenediimide (PDI) triplet excited state (T) have been accessible only through bimolecular sensitization, the internal heavy-atom effect or a sophisticated cascade of nonradiative processes. Here, we designed heavy-atom-free PDIs to prompt the T ← S intersystem crossing (ISC) by introducing electron donating heterofluorene groups at the head positions of the electron-deficient PDI core. We obtained relatively high ISC efficiency up to 92% yield.

Super-resolution microscopy reveals the insulin-resistance-regulated reorganization of GLUT4 on plasma membranes.

GLUT4 (also known as SLC2A4) is essential for glucose uptake in skeletal muscles and adipocytes, which play central roles in whole-body glucose metabolism. Here, using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) to investigate the characteristics of plasma-membrane-fused GLUT4 at the single-molecule level, we have demonstrated that insulin and insulin resistance regulate the spatial organization of GLUT4 in adipocytes. Stimulation with insulin shifted the balance of GLUT4 on the plasma membrane toward a more dispersed configuration.

Role of zebrafish NLRC5 in antiviral response and transcriptional regulation of MHC related genes.

Intracellular NOD-like receptors (NLRs) are emerging as critical regulators of innate and adaptive immune responses. Although the NLR family member NLRC5 is functionally defined, the role of NLRC5 in regulating innate immune signaling has been controversial in mammals, and is poorly understood in teleost fish. In the present study, we report the functional characterization of zebrafish NLRC5.

A three-season field study on the in-situ remediation of Cd-contaminated paddy soil using lime, two industrial by-products, and a low-Cd-accumulation rice cultivar.

To mitigate the serious problem of Cd-contaminated paddy soil, we investigated the remediation potential of combining in-situ immobilization with a low-Cd-accumulation rice cultivar. A three-season field experiment compared the soil pH, available Cd and absorption of Cd by three rice cultivars with different Cd accumulation abilities grown in Cd-contaminated paddy soil amended with lime (L), slag (S), and bagasse (B) alone or in combination. The three amendments applied alone and in combination significantly increased soil pH, reduced available Cd and absorption of Cd by rice with no effect on grain yield.