Current Issues in Molecular Biology最新文献

Landraces are a critical genetic resource for resilience breeding, offering solutions to prepare agriculture for the challenges posed by climate change. Their efficient utilisation depends on understanding their history and genetic relationships. The current study investigates the phylogenetic relationships of barley landraces from Algeria, varieties from the Near and Middle East, traditional landraces, and modern cultivars from Europe. Using a core set of 33 varieties, including the wild ancestor Hordeum spontaneum from Armenia, genetic diversity was analysed with Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers spanning all barley chromosomes. Based on the SSR-based phylogeny, the Algerian varieties are well clustered with those from the Near East, while distinct from the European varieties. The findings from RAPD markers partially support these results. Using exclusively traditional landraces, where a region of origin can be defined, the SSR markers are analysed separately for each chromosome individually, and the resulting clades are represented by the respective region of origin. This strategy resolves qualitative differences in geographic resolution, depending on the chromosome. While marker HvB23D (chromosome 4) separated the wild H. spontaneum from all domesticated genotypes, markers Bmag19 and Hv13GIII (chromosome 3) reveal four distinct geographic clusters (Maghreb, Near and Middle East, West Europe, Central Europe). These biogeographic patterns suggest a model, where divergence of domesticated barley due to human activity interacted with introgression of individual chromosomes from wild barley, yielding adaptive diversity. These biogeographic patterns suggest a model in which the divergence of domesticated barley, driven by human activity, interacts with the introgression of chromosomes from wild barley, resulting in the creation of adaptive genetic diversity. Our research advances our knowledge of barley landraces' functional genomics and highlights their potential in molecular breeding, particularly for developing resilient varieties suited to diverse environmental conditions.

Canine mammary carcinomas (CMCs) represent the most prevalent form of cancer in female dogs, characterized by a high incidence and mortality rate. C6 ceramide is recognized for its multifaceted anti-cancer properties, yet its specific influence on CMCs remains to be elucidated. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), now recognized as functional "dark matter" in precision oncology, are particularly intriguing, with 44% of canine lncRNAs exhibiting tissue-specific expression. In this study, we performed a thorough analysis of lncRNA expression profiles to uncover the mechanisms behind C6 ceramide's anti-cancer activity in CHMp cells. Our findings reveal that C6 ceramide notably inhibits the proliferation of CHMp cells. RNA sequencing identified 4522 lncRNAs with expression changes following C6 ceramide treatment, of which 2936 were upregulated and 1586 were downregulated. Further investigation into Lnc_025370 showed that it is predominantly nuclear-localized and is significantly downregulated by C6 ceramide treatment. Functional studies discovered that overexpression of Lnc_025370 enhances the growth and metastatic capabilities of CHMp cells, which is associated with an increase in NRG1, and concurrently diminishes the anti-cancer effectiveness of C6 ceramide in vitro. Mouse xenograft models also showed that Lnc_025370 overexpression promotes tumor growth and Ki67 expression. Together, our results suggest that Lnc_025370 acts as a pivotal target mediator of C6 ceramide's anti-cancer effects, facilitating the malignant progression of CHMp cells.

As a globally significant economic crop, the seed size of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is jointly regulated by internal genetic factors and external environmental signals. This study discovered that the GLN family proteins in soybean are similar to the KIX-PPD-MYC transcriptional repressor complex in Arabidopsis, potentially influencing seed size by regulating the expression of the downstream gene GIF1. Additionally, β-1,3-glucanase (βGlu) plays a crucial role in antifungal activity, cell composition, flower development, pollen development, abiotic resistance, seed germination, and maturation in soybean. Through a detailed analysis of the structure, chromosomal localization, phylogenetic relationships, and expression situations in different tissues at different stages of the soybean GLN gene family members, this research certifies a theoretical foundation for subsequent research on the biological functions of GLN genes in soybean. This research incorporated a comprehensive genomic identification and expression analysis of the GLN gene family in soybean. The results indicate that the 109 soybean GLN genes are unevenly distributed across soybean chromosomes and exhibit diverse expression patterns in different tissues, suggesting they may have distinct functions in soybean morphogenesis. GO enrichment analysis shows that the GLN gene family may participate in a variety of biological activities, cellular components, and molecular biological processes, particularly in catalytic activity, cellular components, and metabolic processes. These findings provide important information for comprehending the role of the GLN gene family in soybean and offer potential targets for molecular breeding of soybean.

Although pesticides have been a constant concern for decades, in the last ten years, public discussions and scientific research have emphasized their impact on human health and the environment, drawing increased attention to the problems associated with their use. The association of environmental stressors such as pesticides with a sugar-rich diet can contribute to the growing global metabolic disease epidemic through overlapping mechanisms of insulin resistance, inflammation, and metabolic dysregulation. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the behavioral effects of the exposure of Silver crucian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio) to a commercial insecticide formulation containing fipronil, pyriproxyfen, and other additives, as well as sucrose and their mixtures. The behavioral responses in the T-test showed significant abnormalities in the exploratory activity evocative of memory deficits and an increased degree of anxiety in the groups of fish treated with the insecticide formulation and the mixture of the insecticide with sucrose. Aggression, quantified in the mirror-biting test, as biting and the frequency of approaches to the mirror contact zone, was significantly decreased only in the insecticide and sucrose group. All three groups showed behavioral changes reflective of toxicity, but only the combination of the two stress factors, environmental (insecticide) and metabolic (sucrose intake), resulted in pronounced memory alterations.

Studies suggest that vitamin D (VitD) may reduce oxidative stress (OS) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This study aimed to compare the effects of various VitD doses on OS in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). A 6-month supplementation was introduced using two doses of VitD: 2000 IU/day in the high-dose group (HD, n = 23) and 15,960 IU/month in the low-dose group (LD, n = 29). Significant differences in body weight, height, and age were found between groups. A significant increase in the level of VitD (25(OH)D) was noted in both groups (p < 0.01). A significant increase was observed in the levels of LF and MDA (p < 0.01) and a significant decrease in the concentrations of PSH (p < 0.01), CuZnSOD (p = 0.02), and TOS (p < 0.01). A significant positive correlation was observed between serum VitD and SOD (R = 0.38, p < 0.01) and MnSOD (R = 0.31, p < 0.05), as well as a significant negative correlation between serum VitD and MDA (R = -0.31, p = 0.05) at the beginning of the study. At the end of the study, a significant positive correlation was observed between serum VitD and SOD (R = 0.34, p < 0.05) and CuZnSOD (R = 0.51, p < 0.01). In RRMS patients, the VitD doses are probably insufficient to induce a beneficial effect on the pro- and antioxidant balance.

In recent years, novel antimicrobials have been developed to counter the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and provide effective therapeutic options against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). Cefiderocol, a siderophore cephalosporin, represents a novel valuable antimicrobial drug for the treatment of infections caused by MDR-GNB. The mechanism of cefiderocol to penetrate through the outer membrane of bacterial cells, termed "Trojan horse", makes this antimicrobial drug unique and immune to the various resistance strategies adopted by GNB. Its broad spectrum of action, potent antibacterial activity, pharmacokinetics properties, safety, and tolerability make cefiderocol a key drug for the treatment of infections due to MDR strains. Although this novel antimicrobial molecule contributed to revolutionizing the therapeutic armamentarium against MDR-GNB, the recent emergence of cefiderocol-resistant strains has redefined its role in clinical practice and required new strategies to preserve its antibacterial activity. In this review, we provide an updated discussion regarding the mechanism of action, emerging mechanisms of resistance, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) properties, and efficacy data of cefiderocol against the major Gram-negative bacteria and future prospects.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major health burdens worldwide. Its course depends on the virus itself and the host's immune responses. The latter are conditioned by immunogenetic factors, in particular human leukocyte antigens (HLAs), whose role in determining the outcome of infection varies according to populations and ethnic groups. The current study attempted to investigate the possible relationship between HLA-A and HLA-B allele polymorphism and its impacts on the clinical outcome of HCV for a better understanding of disease susceptibility and clearance. A cross-sectional and comparative study was carried out on 40 patients with hepatitis C and 100 ethnically matched healthy control subjects originating from southern Morocco. HLA class I alleles were typed using the high-resolution PCR-SSO method. The prevalence of certain HLA class I alleles differed significantly between HCV-infected individuals and healthy controls. In particular, HLA-A*02:01 was less prevalent in chronic HCV infection (p = 0.002), indicating a potential protective effect, while the higher prevalence of HLA-A*68:02, A*66:01 B*15:03, B*41:02, B*44:03, and B*50:01 in patients could indicate a predisposing factor. These findings support the association of these immunogenetic markers with HCV infection, indicating their possible role in determining clinical and genotype forms as well as the outcome of HCV infection. Thus, an in-depth analysis of these alleles could lead to a better understanding of HCV pathogenesis and potential targeted interventions.

The Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) is a multifunctional protein with a wide range of roles in cell biology. It plays a crucial role in immune modulation, senescence, and disease progression. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the specific functions and mechanisms of YBX1 in these areas. Initially, YBX1 is shown to be closely associated with cellular senescence and impacts significant biological processes, including cell proliferation, damage repair, and metabolism. This suggests potential applications in the prevention and treatment of senescence-related diseases. Additionally, YBX1 regulates the immune response by controlling the function of immune cells and the expression of immune molecules. It is essential in maintaining immune system homeostasis and impacts the pathological process of various diseases, including tumors. Lastly, the diverse functions of the YBX1 protein make it a promising candidate for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for diseases. Comprehensive research on its mechanisms could provide novel insights and approaches for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of related diseases.

Based on the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers developed by whole genome resequencing (WGRS), the relationship and population genetic structure of 53 common apricot (P. armeniaca) varieties were analyzed to provide a theoretical basis for revealing the phylogenetic relationship and classification of the common apricot. WGRS was performed on 53 common apricot varieties, and high-quality SNP sites were obtained after alignment with the "Yinxiangbai" apricot genome as a reference. Phylogenetic analysis, G matrix analysis, principal component analysis, and population structure analysis were performed using Genome-wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA), FastTree, Admixture, and other software. The average comparison ratio between the sequencing results and the reference genome was 97.66%. After strict screening, 88,332,238 high-quality SNP sites were finally obtained. Based on the statistical SNP variation type, it was found that LNLJX had the largest number of variations (3,951,322) and the lowest base transition/base transversion ratio (ts/tv = 1.77), indicating that its gene exchange events occurred less frequently. Based on the SNP point estimation of the relationship and genetic distance between samples, the relationship between species was 1.41-0.01, among which PLDJX and BK1 had the closest relationship of 1.41, and YZH and LGWSX had the farthest relationship of 0.01. The genetic distance between species was 0.00367-0.264344, the genetic distance between HMX and JM was the closest, and the genetic distance between WYX and YX was the farthest, which was the largest. Phylogenetic tree, PCA, and genetic structure analysis results all divided 53 common apricot varieties into four groups, and the classification results were consistent. The SNP markers mined using WGRS technology are useful not only to analyze the variation of common apricots, but also to effectively identify their kinship and genetic structure, which plays a critical role in the classification and utilization of common apricot germplasm resources.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized primarily by the synovial infiltration of inflammatory cells. Macrophage infiltration in the joint synovium is one of the early hallmarks of RA disease activity. Cortex periplocae, which has been widely employed in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to alleviate RA, harbors a bioactive compound known as Periploca sepium periplosides (PePs). In this study, collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) was established in mice through the administration of collagen antibodies and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), followed by treatment with PePs. The therapeutic effects of PePs were evaluated by measuring paw thickness, clinical arthritis scores, and histological changes in joint tissues. Flow cytometry and qRT-PCR were used to assess macrophage polarization in vivo and in vitro. The findings indicate that PePs effectively attenuated CAIA by suppressing the polarization of RAW264.7 cells towards the M1 phenotype while promoting their polarization towards the M2 phenotype. These results provide valuable insights into the scientific significance of PePs as a potential therapeutic agent for RA.