Search Results (45)

Shrub encroachment in coastal wetlands alters vegetation–soil interactions, yet its impacts on north temperate coastal wetland ecosystems remain poorly quantified. This study investigated the effects of Tamarix chinensis-dominated shrub encroachment in the abandoned Yellow River course wetlands. Encroachment stages (Isolated Tamarix shrub, ITS → Tamarix shrub island, TSI → Tamarix woodland, TWL) were assessed via vegetation surveys and soil sampling (0–60 cm). Encroachment progression significantly increased shrub cover, shrub crown width, and branches per shrub while reducing soil electrical conductivity and soil salt content. Surface soils (0–5 cm) exhibited higher levels of organic carbon (SOC) and elevated total nitrogen (TN) and available nitrogen (AN), while deeper layers (40–60 cm) at the TWL stage exhibited reduced available phosphorus (AP) and total phosphorus (TP). Redundancy analysis (RDA) identified soil bulk density, soil water content, total carbon (TC), and AP as primary drivers of vegetation community restructuring (RDA: 68.68% variance). The average ranges of TC:TN (R_CN), TC:TP (R_CP), and TN:TP (R_NP) were 23.04–92.54, 52.14–92.88, and 0.46–4.29, respectively. T. chinensis encroachment induced nitrogen-limited conditions and reduced deep soil layer phosphorus availability, fundamentally restructuring coastal wetland ecosystems. These findings inform blue carbon ecosystem management in the north temperate zone. Full article

Babesia bovis is a protozoan parasite that causes babesiosis in cattle. It has been hypothesized that in apicomplexan parasites, translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) interferes with the host immune response by inhibiting B cell proliferation. The aim of this study was the characterization of B. bovis TCTP (BboTCTP) and the evaluation of its expression, immunogenicity and role in infection. The tctp gene was identified and sequenced from B. bovis isolates and revealed a high conservation. Expression was confirmed in intraerythrocytic stages by Western blot and confocal microscopy. Synthetic peptides containing predicted B cell epitopes were used to immunize cattle, followed by a challenge with a virulent B. bovis strain. Immunized animals showed milder clinical signs and faster recovery compared to controls. Sera from non-immunized animals exhibited lower total IgG levels after challenge (p < 0.05), while sera from immunized animals induced significant in vitro invasion inhibition (32–33%). These results suggest that BboTCTP is immunogenic and may play a role in modulating the host immune response. The results provide novel insights into B. bovis biology and support BboTCTP as a promising candidate for further evaluation as a vaccine antigen. Future studies should explore its immunomodulatory mechanisms and potential use in combined vaccine formulations. Full article

Herein, we demonstrate that soluble factors extracted from the distinct phases of the development of zebrafish embryos (ZFEs) exhibit a specific miRNA profile. We removed proteins and concentrated miRNAs in different phase-related samples, which we investigated further. We observed that ZFEs modulate miRNA expression in both normal and cancerous breast cells, significantly inhibiting the invasiveness and motility of triple-negative breast cancer cells. Namely, ZFEs reactivate the synthesis of miR-218-5p in cancerous cells, leading to the downregulation of PI3K, which consequently alters the distribution of phosphoinositides (such as PIP2/PIP3). Moreover, the silencing of miR-218-5p abolished the ZFE effects. Restoring a proper PIP2/PIP3 ratio is crucial for promoting the regression of the malignant phenotype. Phenotypic reversion follows the extensive cytoskeleton rearrangement and the re-emergence of E-cadherin/β-catenin complexes. In addition, ZFEs antagonize the Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) by modulating several pathways, including the TCTP-p53 axis. Overall, these results show that embryo extracts enriched with fish miRNAs reactivate endogenous miR-218-5p in cancerous cells, which in turn downregulates critical pathways involved in tumor progression and metastasis. Full article

Drought is a negative agronomic effect that can lead to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Excessive drought can severely alter cell membrane fluidity and permeability, significantly reducing cell viability. The Gibberellic acid-stimulated Arabidopsis (Snakin/GASA) gene family has an important role as antioxidants in inhibiting the accumulation of ROS and improving crop drought resistance. However, the regulatory mechanism of potato StSnakin-2 (StSN2) in response to drought, along with how StSN2 expression is regulated, is not well understood. In this study, we found that StSN2 was induced by drought. Overexpression of StSN2 significantly increased drought tolerance, whereas silencing StSN2 increased sensitivity to drought. Overexpression of StSN2 resulted in higher antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD)) activity, and lowered hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation during drought stress. Also, overexpression of StSN2 increased the relative water content (RWC) of leaves and reduced the water loss in leaves. We screened the upstream regulatory protein translation-controlled tumor protein (StTCTP) of StSN2 through DNA pull-down combined with mass spectrometry. Yeast one-hybrid (YIH), electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and luciferase reporting assay (LUC) indicated that StTCTP binds the StSN2 promoter. Like StSN2, StTCTP was highly expressed in response to drought. Overexpression of StTCTP increased the photosynthetic rate and CAT enzyme activity, and lowered H₂O₂ and MDA accumulation during drought. Meanwhile, overexpression of StTCTP increased leaf RWC and reduced water loss. Our research strongly suggested that StSN2 effectively cleared ROS and significantly boosted the drought resistance of potatoes. Furthermore, as a transcriptional activator of StSN2, StTCTP, much like StSN2, also enhanced the potato’s drought tolerance. The results provided a foundation for the further study of StSN2 regulatory mechanisms under drought stress. Full article

Promoters are powerful tools for breeding new varieties using transgenic technology. However, the low and unstable expression of target genes is still a limiting factor in Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr (Japanese larch) genetic transformation. In this study, we analyzed L. kaempferi transcriptome data, screened out highly expressed genes, cloned their promoters, and constructed plant expression vectors containing the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene driven by these promoters. Recombinant vectors were introduced into the L. kaempferi embryogenic callus by means of the Agrobacterium-mediated transient or stable genetic transformation method, and the promoter activity was then determined by measuring GUS expression and its enzyme activity in the transformed materials. Four highly expressed genes were identified: L. kaempferi Zhang Chen Yi-1 (LaZCY-1), Zhang Chen Yi-2 (LaZCY-2), Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (LaTCTP), and ubiquitin (LaUBQ). The 2000 bp fragments upstream of ATG in these sequences were cloned as promoters and named pLaZCY-1, pLaZCY-2, pLaTCTP, and pLaUBQ. Semi-quantitative and quantitative RT-PCR analyses of transient genetic transformation materials showed that all four promoters could drive GUS expression, indicating that they have promoter activities. Semi-quantitative and quantitative RT-PCR analyses and the histochemical staining of stable genetic transformation materials showed that the pLaUBQ promoter had higher activity than the other three L. kaempferi promoters and the CaMV35S promoter. Thus, the pLaUBQ promoter was suggested to be used in larch genetic transformation. Full article

Studying the altitudinal variation and driving factors of soil acid phosphomonoesterase (ACP) activity in subalpine regions is crucial for understanding nutrient cycling processes within mountainous ecosystems. This study focused on fir (Abies fabri (Mast.) Craib) forests located at three altitudes (2781 m, 3044 m, and 3210 m) on the eastern slope of Mt. Gongga in southwest China. We measured soil ACP activity alongside soil climate, nutrients, and microorganisms at various depths and elevations to investigate how these factors influence ACP activity. The results indicated that in the organic matter horizons (Oe and Oa horizons), ACP activity gradually decreased with elevation. However, the surface mineral horizon (A horizon) did not show a decline in ACP activity with increasing elevation, which could be attributed to significantly lower ACP activity recorded at the 2781 m sample site compared to the 3044 m site. Variance partitioning analysis revealed that among soil climate, nutrients, and microorganisms, soil nutrients had the most substantial impact on ACP activity across all horizons, with a particularly high contribution of 89.4% observed in the A horizon. Random forest model analysis further demonstrated that soil total carbon (TC) played a crucial role in determining ACP activity in the Oe and Oa horizons, with importance values of 8.5% and 7.3%, respectively. Additionally, soil total nitrogen (TN) was identified as the primary factor influencing ACP activity in the A horizon, with an importance value of 12.6%. Furthermore, soil ACP activity was positively regulated by the soil TC:TP and TN:TP ratios, indicating a stoichiometric control of ACP activity in the Abies fabri (Mast.) Craib forests on Mt. Gongga. Full article

No-till and cereal–legume intercropping have been recognized as favorable cropping practices to increase crop yields while maintaining soil quality in arid and semiarid environments, but the biological mechanisms are poorly understood. The present study aimed to determine the response of yields, soil properties, enzyme activities, and microbial community diversity and composition in mono- and inter-cropping under conventional and no-tillage conditions. We initiated a field experiment in Wuwei, a typical arid area of China, in 2014. Soil was sampled in August 2022 and, yields, soil properties, enzyme activities, and the microbial community diversity and composition were determined in the maize and pea strips in inter- and mono-cropping systems. Results revealed that the maize and pea strips in the no-till intercropping significantly increased yields, total and organic carbon stocks, decreased NO₃⁻-N, and obtained the highest total and organic P in the soil. No-tillage significantly enhanced the Shannon index and Pielou evenness of the bacterial community and total microbial community over conventional tillage, with the α-diversity of the bacterial community and total microbial community distinctly higher in the NTIM treatment than in the CTIM treatment. The α-diversity of the total microbial community was significantly related to yield, soil IC and OC, and the α-diversity of the archaea community was significantly related to soil TC, TC/TP, TN/TP, and BX. Meanwhile, the α-diversity of the eukaryote community was significantly related to soil yield, soil TC/TP. Both no-tillage and intercropped maize significantly increased the abundance of archaea phylum Thaumarchaeota and bacterial phylum Nitrospirae, and were significantly positively associated with soil OC and NH₄⁺-N, benefiting nitrogen fixation of intercropped pea from the atmosphere under the no-tillage cereal/legume intercropping. No-till intercropping was conducive to the accumulation of organic carbon, while decreasing the abundance of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia. Limited soil enzyme activities (ACP, ALP, DP, NAG, BG, AG, CB) led to decreases in organic carbon turnover and utilization. Intercropping altered soil microbial community diversity and composition due to changes in soil properties and enzyme activities. These findings suggest that no-tilled cereal–legume intercropping is a sustainable cropping practice for improving soil properties and enhancing microbial (archaea, bacterial, eukaryota) diversity, but the persistence is not conducive to rapid turnover of soil nutrients due to limited enzyme activities. Full article

There have been few studies on the impact of nitrogen deposition on paddy field ecosystem; therefore, we evaluated the effects of different N deposition levels (0, 40, and 120 kg N·ha⁻¹) with the conventional nitrogen rate (180 kg N·ha⁻¹) on rice field ecosystem through two-season experiments. The results showed that 40 and 120 kg·ha⁻¹ nitrogen deposition had no significant effect on rice yield, although the rice grains per panicle and the 1000-grain weight increased. The 40 and 120 kg·ha⁻¹ nitrogen deposition levels had no significant effect on rice and soil total carbon/total nitrogen (TC/TN) in the two-season experiment; however, 40 and 120 kg·ha⁻¹ nitrogen deposition significantly increased TP content of the rice root and soil in a short time, and continuous 120 kg·ha⁻¹ nitrogen deposition significantly decreased TP content of the rice root and significantly increased TP content of the rice stem. In addition, nitrogen deposition significantly reduced total carbon/total phosphorus (TC/TP) and total nitrogen/total phosphorus (TN/TP) in the soil. The activities of soil acid phosphatase (S-ACP), β-glucosidase (S-β-GC), and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosidase (S-NAG) increased under 40 kg·ha⁻¹ nitrogen deposition, while the activities of S-β-GC and S-NAG decreased under 120 kg·ha⁻¹ nitrogen deposition compared with 40 kg·ha⁻¹. The microbial carbon, microbial nitrogen, microbial phosphorus, and fungal microbial biomass reduced under 40 and 120 kg·ha⁻¹ nitrogen deposition. These findings suggest that, under short-term N deposition, rice and soil can adjust the C, N, P, and even the nutrient balance by themselves; however, continuous nitrogen deposition may have adverse reactions to microorganisms, thereby disrupting this balance and ultimately leading to the deterioration of paddy soil environment and a reduction in rice yield in the long term. Full article

Long-distance signaling molecules in plants, including different RNA species, play a crucial role in the development and environmental responses. Among these mobile signals, the Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) mRNA is one of the most abundant. TCTP regulates cell-cycle progression and programmed cell death and is involved in responses to abiotic and biotic stress as well as plant regeneration, among other functions. Considering that the ability to induce plant regeneration is linked to a possible role of TCTP in vegetative propagation and asexual reproduction, we analyzed TCTP overexpression in a solanaceous plant model that can reproduce asexually by regeneration from stolons and tubers. Therefore, in this study, the effect of transient expression of Solanum tuberosum TCTP (StTCTP) on tuber development and vegetative propagation was described. StTCTP mRNA was shown to be transported long-distance. Additionally, transient overexpression of StTCTP resulted in sprouts with a greater diameter compared to control plants. Furthermore, the early stages of tuberization were induced compared to control plants, in which only mature tubers were observed. These results suggest a role of TCTP in vegetative propagation and asexual reproduction. Full article

Lindera megaphylla, a broad-leaved evergreen that is used as a landscape ornamental plant and medicinal plant, is an ecologically important and dominant tree species. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of its growth, development, and metabolism. The selection of suitable reference genes is critical for molecular biological analyses. To date, no research on reference genes as a foundation for gene expression analysis has been undertaken in L. megaphylla. In this study, 14 candidate genes were selected from the transcriptome database of L. megaphylla for RT-qPCR assay under different conditions. Results showed that helicase-15 and UBC28 were most stable in different tissues of seedlings and adult trees. For different leaf developmental stages, the best combination of reference genes was ACT7 and UBC36. UBC36 and TCTP were the best under cold treatment, while PAB2 and CYP20-2 were the best under heat treatment. Finally, a RT-qPCR assay of LmNAC83 and LmERF60 genes were used to further verify the reliability of selected reference genes above. This work is the first to select and evaluate the stability of reference genes for the normalization of gene expression analysis in L. megaphylla and will provide an important foundation for future genetic studies of this species. Full article

Fungal allergy is the third most frequent cause of respiratory pathologies and the most related to a poor prognosis of asthma. The genera Alternaria and Cladosporium are the most frequently associated with allergic respiratory diseases, with Alternaria being the one with the highest prevalence of sensitization. Alternaria alternata is an outdoor fungus whose spores disseminate in warm and dry air, reaching peak levels in temperate summers. Alternaria can also be found in damp and insufficiently ventilated houses, causing what is known as sick building syndrome. Thus, exposure to fungal allergens can occur outdoors and indoors. However, not only spores but also fungal fragments contain detectable amounts of allergens and may function as aeroallergenic sources. Allergenic extracts of Alternaria hyphae and spores are still in use for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases but are variable and insufficiently standardised, as they are often a random mixture of allergenic ingredients and casual impurities. Thus, diagnosis of fungal allergy has been difficult, and knowledge about new fungal allergens is stuck. The number of allergens described in Fungi remains almost constant while new allergens are being found in the Plantae and Animalia kingdoms. Given Alt a 1 is not the unique Alternaria allergen eliciting allergy symptoms, component-resolved diagnosis strategies should be applied to diagnose fungal allergy. To date, twelve A. alternata allergens are accepted in the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee, many of them are enzymes: Alt a 4 (disulfide isomerase), Alt a 6 (enolase), Alt a 8 (mannitol de-hydrogenase), Alt a 10 (aldehyde dehydrogenase), Alt a 13 (glutathione-S-transferase) and Alt a MnSOD (Mn superoxide dismutase), and others have structural and regulatory functions such as Alt a 5 and Alt a 12, Alt a 3, Alt a 7. The function of Alt a 1 and Alt a 9 remains unknown. Other four allergens are included in other medical databases (e.g., Allergome): Alt a NTF2, Alt a TCTP, and Alt a 70 kDa. Despite Alt a 1 being the A. alternata major allergen, other allergens, such as enolase, Alt a 6 or MnSOD, Alt a 14 have been suggested to be included in the diagnosis panel of fungal allergy. Full article

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is a multifunctional protein that plays a wide variety of physiological and pathological roles, including as a cytoplasmic repressor of Na,K-ATPase, an enzyme pivotal in maintaining Na⁺ and K⁺ ion gradients across the plasma membrane, by binding to and inhibiting Na,K-ATPase. Studies with transgenic mice overexpressing TCTP (TCTP-TG) revealed the pathophysiological significance of TCTP in the development of systemic arterial hypertension. Overexpression of TCTP and inhibition of Na,K-ATPase result in the elevation of cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ levels, which increases the vascular contractility in the mice, leading to hypertension. Furthermore, studies using an animal model constructed by multiple mating of TCTP-TG with apolipoprotein E knockout mice (ApoE KO) indicated that TCTP-induced hypertension facilitates the severity of atherosclerotic lesions in vivo. This review attempts to discuss the mechanisms underlying TCTP-induced hypertension and related diseases gleaned from studies using genetically altered animal models and the potential of TCTP as a target in the therapy of hypertension-related pathological conditions. Full article

Scabies is a common parasitic dermatological infection worldwide that is often neglected. Scabies mites stimulate host inflammatory symptoms via secreted and excreted proteins, which induce basophil and mast cell degranulation and host histamine release. However, the mechanism of degranulation and histamine release is unclear. Moreover, the Sarcoptes scabiei translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is predicted as an excreted protein, which may be involved in host inflammatory response regulation. First, we evaluated S. scabiei TCTP gene (SsTCTP) transcription in larvae, nymphs, and adults by qRT-PCR, and SsTCTP transcription was highest in larvae, followed by nymphs. Second, we found that the S. scabiei TCTP recombinant protein (rSsTCTP) promoted mice histamine release in vivo by Evans blue Miles assay. Therefore, to further explore the possible role of S. scabiei TCTP in host inflammatory response regulation, we established a degranulation model of KU812 cells. The results of the degranulation model suggested that rSsTCTP could induce enhanced degranulation of KU812 cells and increase the secretion of histamine and the expression of IL-4, IL-6, and IL-13 in vitro. In conclusion, we speculate that scabies mites could stimulate host histamine release and Th2 response by excreting S. scabiei TCTP. Full article

The use of FDA-approved drugs for new indications represents a faster and more economical way to find novel therapeutic agents for cancer therapy, compared to the development of new drugs. Repurposing drugs is advantageous in a pharmacological context since these drugs already have extensive data related to their pharmacokinetics, facilitating their approval process for different diseases. Several studies have reported the promising anticancer effects of sertraline, both alone and combined, in different types of cancer cell lines. Here, we performed a literature review on the anticancer potential of sertraline against different human cancer cells, more specifically in lung, colorectal, breast, hepatocellular, leukemia, brain, skin, oral, ovarian, and prostate cancer. Taken together, these findings suggest that sertraline decreases cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion, induces apoptosis, and causes cell cycle arrest in different types of cancer cells, besides being an established P-glycoprotein modulator. It was also found that this drug is able to modulate autophagy, cause DNA fragmentation, and induce radical oxygen species (ROS) formation. Moreover, it was found this drug targets important cellular pathways involved in tumorigeneses such as the TNF-MAP4K4-JNK pathway, the antiapoptotic pathway PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and the AMPK/mTOR axis. This drug also interferes with the TCTP/P53 feedback loop and with the cytosolic free Ca²⁺ levels. Together, these results suggest that sertraline may be a promising compound for further evaluation in novel cancer therapies. Full article