rDNA Gene Analysis Research Articles

The distribution and presence of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi in the roots and rhizosphere soils of Cucurbitaceae plants grown at Ho Chi Minh City

The study aims to determine the presence of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) in roots and rhizosphere soils of Cucurbitaceae plants (Luffa cylindrica, Lagenaria siceraria, Benincasa hispida, Cucumis sativus, Momordica charantia) grown at Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City. Identification of the AMF was made by observation of spore morphology, AMF structures in root tissues and confirmed by sequencing of SSU rDNA. The colonization ratio was 5.1%, and the spore density of AMF in the rhizosphere soil was an average of 63.6 spores/50 g soils and the root symbiotic ratio was 5.1%. The morphological identification of AMF has determined spores of five genera: Glomus, Acaulospora, Gigaspora, Scutellospora and Sclerocystis, demonstrating a morphological variety of AMF spores in rhizosphere soil of Cucurbitaceae plants. Three species were identified based on the sequence analysis of the SSU rDNA gene amplified by the AML1/AML2 primer: Acaulospora cavernata, Acaulospora spinosa, and Rhizophagus intraradices. Cucumis sativus had the highest spore density and root ratio, followed by Lagenaria siceraria and Momordica charantia in the greenhouse trial of AMF re-infection in three plants: Cucumis sativus, Lagenaria siceraria, and Momordica charantia. The AMF identification result revealed five genera: Glomus, Acaulospora, Gigaspora, Scutellospora, and Sclerocystis in the rhizosphere soil, as well as symbiosis in the roots of 3 genera: Glomus, Acaulospora, and Scutellospora.

Isolation of heavy metal-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis strain TWSL_22 and evaluation of heavy metal bioremediation potential of recombinant E. coli cloned with isolated cadD.

A heavy metal-resistant bacterial strain, TWSL_22 was isolated from an industrial effluent sample and tested for heavy metal tolerance and resistance. The strain was molecularly characterized as Staphylococcus epidermidis based on 16S rDNA gene analysis and the sequence was deposited in the NCBI repository (accession number KT184893.1). Metal removal activity (P<.001) of TWSL_22 was 99.99±0.001%, 74.43±2.51%, and 51.16±4.17% for Cd, Pb, and Cu, respectively. Highest MIC was observed for Cd. Antibiotic susceptibility assays revealed the strain TWSL_22 to be resistant to several antibiotics. The strain was screened for possible heavy metal-resistant genes and presence of cadA, copA, and cadD was confirmed by PCR. A DNA fragment containing complete sequence of cadD (618bp) was isolated and cloned into pET 21a(+), transformed into E. coli BL21 and designated as E. coli/cadDET. E. coli/cadDET showed high metal tolerance capacity and could remove over 82% of heavy metals (Zn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, and Cr3+) in the industrial effluent.

Effects of Spermidine on Gut Microbiota Modulation in Experimental Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Mice.

Accumulating evidence in recent years has demonstrated the important role of gut microbiota in maintaining cardiovascular function. However, their functions in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are largely unexplored. In this study, we established a porcine pancreatic elastase-infused experimental AAA mouse model and explored gut microbiota modulation using 16S rDNA sequencing. Here, we found that a significant alteration to gut microbiota composition and function occurred in AAA. The functional change in the gut microbiome revealed dysregulated biosynthesis metabolism and transport of spermidine in AAA. Furthermore, exogenous spermidine was administrated via drinking water and attenuated the progression of experimental AAA disease, which supports our recent study that spermidine alleviates systemic inflammation and AAA. These effects were associated with remitted gut microbiota dysbiosis and metabolism in AAA progression as demonstrated by 16S rDNA gene analysis. In addition, several bacterial florae, such as Bacteroides, Parabacteroides and Prevotella, were identified to be associated with the progression of AAA. Our results uncovered altered gut microbial profiles in AAA and highlighted the potential therapeutic use of spermidine in the treatment of gut microbiota dysbiosis and AAA.

Heterophyllin B an Active Cyclopeptide Alleviates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-Induced Colitis by Modulating Gut Microbiota and Repairing Intestinal Mucosal Barrier via AMPK Activation.

Advances in pathology broaden the perception of the intimate interaction between gut microbiota dysbiosis and the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC), but the potential modulating roles remain to be elucidated. DSS-induced colitis is used to investigate the effect of Heterophyllin B (HB), a typical active cyclopeptide extracted from Pseudostellaria heterophylla, on colitis and gut microbiota. Administration of HB substantially mitigates the symptoms of UC as evidenced by increasing body weight and colon length, as well as decreased macrophages infiltration in the colon. Meanwhile, HB significantly alleviates intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction by reducing the production of inflammatory cytokines, while all the mentioned beneficial effects are significantly eliminated by co-treatment with compound C, a selective AMPK inhibitor. In addition, 16S rDNA gene analyses and fecal microbiota transplantation also reveal that HB dramatically prevents against UC by reshaping intestinal dysbiosis, especially elevates the relative abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila. These findings illustrate that HB prominently improves intestinal epithelial homeostasis via activating AMPK and ameliorates the colonic inflammation in a gut microbiota-dependent manner, which provide evidence for microbial contribution to UC pathogenesis and suggesting a novel approach for colitis prevention.

Effects of Xiao-Ban-Xia-Tang on cisplatin and 1-PBG induced pica and gut microbiota in rats

The effects of Xiao-Ban-Xia-Tang (XBXT) formula on cisplatin and 1-PBG induced emesis and gut microbiota were studied in this experiment. Cisplatin and 1-PBG induced pica rat models were established, the amount of kaolin intake was observed, and the effects of XBXT and ondansetron on the gut microbiota were studied by 16S rDNA gene analysis. The results showed that XBXT and ondansetron could ameliorate the acute and delayed pica induced by cisplatin and 1-PBG. XBXT decreased Firmicutes in the cisplatin treated rats. Ondansetron decreased the alpha diversity of the gut microbiota, and it decreased Firmicutes and increased Bacteroidetes in the cisplatin and 1-PBG treated rats. XBXT was as effective as ondansetron in the treatment of pica, while ondansetron was more likely to cause gut microbiota dysbiosis than XBXT. Our study provided new avenues for the roles and mechanisms of XBXT on the prevention and treatment of CINV.

Utilization of Agroresidues for the Production of Xylanase by Bacillus safensis XPS7 and Optimization of Production Parameters

The main objective of this study was to investigate the utilization of various agro-industrial wastes such as wheat bran, wheat husk, wheat straw, peanut powder, pomace, corn cobs, rice straw, sawdust and sugarcane bagasse for the cost-effective production of xylanase by Bacillus safensis XPS7 using the one-variable-at-a-time approach. A number of bacterial strains were isolated from different locations in the cold desert region of Himachal Pradesh, India. Among these, the hyperproducing strain designated as XPS7 was selected for optimized production of xylanase and identified as B. safensis based on 16S rDNA gene analysis. B. safensis XPS7 produced the maximum xylanase (141.28 U/mL) at 45 °C, pH 9, 24 h incubation time, 2% (w/v) wheat straw and wheat bran mixture as carbon source and 1.5% (w/v) ammonium nitrate as the nitrogen source in modified Riviere’s medium. The results showed that the combination of wheat straw and wheat bran proved to be a cheap and abundant source for the hyper production of xylanase and can be used as an inexpensive base (carbon source) for large scale industrial production of enzymes. In addition, the use of waste for the economic production of enzymes will also help to minimize the environmental problems associated with the disposal of agro-industrial waste.

Molecular and morphological description of Myxidium parvum (Cnidaria) from Salaria pavo (Blenniidae) in the Black Sea.

Members of the predominantly coelozioc genus Myxidum Bütschli, 1882 with more than 232 species have been reported from a wide variety of marine and freshwater fish species worldwide. In this study, 25 specimens of peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, were collected from Sinop on the Turkish Black Sea coast. The gills, fins, skin, urinary bladder, gal bladder, kidney, liver, gonads and smooth muscle tissue of the collected samples were investigated for myxosporean parasites. Myxidium parvum Yurakhno, 1991 was the only myxosporean found in the gall bladder of host fishes. Based on spore morphology, M. parvum had mostly overlapping measurement data of original description in spore length and width, polar capsule length but differed slightly in width; however, they were within the ranges previously reported from other blenniid host fish species in the Black Sea. Moreover, in this study, molecular analysis of the 18S rDNA gene of M. parvum isolates from S. pavo was done for the first time and our M. parvum genotypes appeared as sister to Myxidium incurvatum within the "Lineage II" of the marine Myxidium clade.

Role of Lysinibacillus sphaericus on aviation kerosene degradation and corrosion of 7B04 aluminum alloy

Microbial activity leads to degradation of kerosene, corrosion of pipeline and deterioration of stored products. This paper describes the use of the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), turbidimetry, pH measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), polarization curves and surface analysis to study the degradation of kerosene by Lysinibacillus sphaericus and its effect on the corrosion behavior of 7B04 aluminum alloy. A model strain was isolated from the contaminated kerosene and identified as L. sphaericus based on cloning of the 16 S rDNA gene and sequence analysis. FT-IR results showed that aliphatic protons in kerosene were degraded in the presence of L. sphaericus. SEM and EDS analysis showed that L. sphaericus colonized on the surface of aluminum alloy, formed biofilm and produced organic acids in physiological activities. Thus, the drop of pH resulted in the decrease of the cathodic depolarization, indicating the acceleration of corrosion. In addition, electrochemical measurements showed that the corrosion resistance of aluminum alloy was reduced, and the corrosion current density increased after immersion in the L. sphaericus system compared to the value in the sterile system, revealing the L. sphaericus promoted the corrosion of aluminum alloy.

Symbiotic treatment of ammonia-nitrogen wastewater by algae and activated sludge: effects of algae and sludge inoculation rates

ABSTRACT A symbiotic microalgal-bacterial system may be an optional technology for wastewater treatment. It was composed of microalgae and activated sludge and established in the SBR to explore the effect of different dosing ratios of algae and sludge on the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from simulated wastewater containing ammonium. It can be seen from the result that varied algae–sludge dosing ratios had a higher removal effect on COD removal, but the difference was not significant. The algal-bacterial symbiosis system had a 100% removal rate for ammonium removal on the 8th day. Relatively speaking, the removal of nutrients and related mechanisms vary with environmental conditions (inoculation rate). In general, when the additive ratio was 5:1 (algae: AS), the removal rate of TN and TP was the highest, reaching 53.85% and 85.13% in the shortest time (14 days), among them, the removal rate of ammonium and COD was 100%, and the reduction rates of Nitrite nitrogen and Nitrate nitrogen were 362.99% and 73.42%, respectively. In addition, 16S rDNA gene analysis results demonstrated that the microbial community in the reactor with algal sludge inoculation ratio of 5:1 had differences in three stages of the initial reaction, the middle reaction and the end of the reaction. Comamonadaceae, Flavobacterium, Paenarthrobacter, Mesorhizobium, Nitrobacter were enriched during the reaction operation.

Characterization of Microorganisms from Protaetia brevitarsis Larva Frass.

Decomposers play an important role in the biogeochemical cycle. Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (PBLs) can transform wastes into frass rich in humic acid (HA) and microorganisms, which may increase the disease resistance of plants and promote plant growth. Beyond HA, the microorganisms may also contribute to the biostimulant activity. To address this hypothesis, we investigated the potential microbial community in the PBL frass samples and elucidated their functions of disease resistance and plant growth promotion. High-throughput sequencing analysis of four PBL-relevant samples showed that their frass can influence the microbial community of the surrounding environment. Further analysis showed that there were many microorganisms beneficial to agriculture, such as Bacillus. Therefore, culturable Bacillus microbes were isolated from frass, and 16S rDNA gene analysis showed that Bacillus subtilis was the dominant species. In addition, some Bacillus microorganisms isolated from the PBL frass had antibacterial activities against pathogenic fungi. The plant growth promotion pot experiment also proved that some strains promote plant growth. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the microorganisms in the PBL frass are conducive to colonizing the surrounding organic matrix, which will help beneficial microbes to increase the disease resistance of plants and promote plant growth.

First report of Ceratomyxa scorpaeni (Cnidaria: Myxozoa) from Scorpaena porcus in the Black Sea.

Members of the class Myxosporea Btschli, 1881 have a cosmopolitan distribution in a wide variety of fish species worldwide. In the present study, the black scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus collected from the Sinop coasts of the Black Sea was investigated for myxosporean parasites using both conventional and molecular methods in the period between September 2015 and August 2019. Using morphological and morphometric data, the myxosporean parasite Ceratomyxa scorpaeni Garbouj, Rangel, Castro, Hmissi, Santos, Bahri, 2016 was identified in the gall bladder of host fish. Molecular analysis of the 18S rDNA gene confirmed the identity of this parasite as C. scorpaeni. This is the first report of its occurrence in the Black Sea.

Morphological updates, host-specificity, molecular data and phylogenetic analysis of Acanthobothrium coronatum (Cestoda: Onchoproteocephalidea), a neglected parasite of the nursehound Scyliorhinus stellaris.

Acanthobothrium is the most speciose genus of onchoproteocephalidean cestodes, whose adults parasitize the intestine of elasmobranch fishes. Acanthobothrium coronatum, the type species of the genus described from Mediterranean elasmobranchs, remains a little known parasite, with the most recent reports dating back to the fifties. We hereby investigate host-specificity and redescribe A. coronatum from the same locality of its original description by using light and scanning electron microscopy approaches. Moreover, molecular and phylogenetic data inferred from the analysis of the 28S rDNA gene are reported for the first time. Out of the nine elasmobranch species examined from Gulf of Naples, we only detected A. coronatum in the intestine of Scyliorhinus stellaris, with infection patterns that supports evident host-specificity for this shark species. The genetic characterization of 28S rDNA showed 99.8-100% similarity with larvae previously found in Octopus vulgaris from the same area investigated here. Conspecificity between the present material and the larvae found in the octopus was also confirmed by the tree topology. The host-parasite phylogeny is discussed, even if additional molecular data are needed to clarify potential host-parasite patterns. Notwithstanding this limitation, this is the first molecular study revealing conspecificity between an adult Acanthobothrium species from a shark and the larvae found in an intermediate/paratenic host, shedding light on the transmission pathway of A. coronatum in S. stellaris. Finally, the taxonomic, molecular, and phylogenetic data presented here allow a better characterization of a neglected parasite.

Bioethanol-Producing Yeast Isolated from Fermented Cocoa

Corn and sugarcane-base bioethanol dominantly contributes to the 25 billion gallons of bioethanol worldwide. Recent researches focused on the potential microbes and biomasses for optimum production. This study is, therefore, aimed to screen the bioethanol generating yeast strains of Biotechnology Culture Collection (BTCC), isolated from chocolate fermentation in several medium containing various carbon sources. A total of 72 yeast strains were grown in the media containing sugarcane juice, sorghum juice, and molasses, which served as carbon sources. Based on 26S rDNA gene analysis, these species were included in 9 genera, encompassing Saccharomyces (63.9%), Hanseniaspora (9.7%), Candida (0.7%), Torulaspora (0.4%), Pichia (0.8%), Issatchenkia (0.1%), Wickerhamomyces (0.3%), Metschnikowia (0.1%), and Rhodotorula (0.1%). Therefore, spectrophotometer UV-Vis was used to analyze cell growth, while the fermentation products (sugars and ethanol) were evaluated using the HPLC, and about 70 strains produced bioethanol. The highest yields were obtained during fermentation, using sugarcane juice, molasses, molasses waste, and sorghum juice, at concentrations of 43, 50, and 7 g/L, respectively. Furthermore, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain were the most significant producers, as the genus was able to generate various concentrations from several carbon sources. However, the only genus without the ability to yield any related products during fermentation was Pichia (0.8%). Based on these results, it is necessary to further develop the yeast strains from chocolate fermentation, due to the potential for bioethanol production from biomasses.

Lipid accumulation by Coelastrella multistriata (Scenedesmaceae, Sphaeropleales) during nitrogen and phosphorus starvation

A novel freshwater strain of Coelastrella multistriata MZ–Ch23 was discovered in Tula region, Russia. The identification is based on morphological features, phylogenetic analysis of SSU rDNA gene and ITS1–5.8S rDNA–ITS2 region and predicted secondary structure of the ITS2. Phylogenetic analysis places the novel strain in the “core” Coelastrella clade within the Chlorophyceae. This is the first record of Coelastrella multistriata in the algal flora of Russia. Cultivation experiments were carried out to evaluate growth dynamics of the newly identified strain and the impact of nitrogen and/or phosphorus depletion on the fatty acid profiles and lipid productivity. On the fully supplemented Bold’s basal medium and under phosphorus-depleted conditions as well, the fatty acid profiles were dominated by α-linolenic acid (29.4–38.1% of total fatty acids). Depletion of either nitrogen or both nitrogen and phosphorus was associated with increased content of oleic acid (32.9–33.7%) and linoleic acid (11.9%). Prolongation of the growth to two months (instead of 25 days) resulted in increased content and diversity of very long-chain fatty acids including saturated species. The total very long-chain fatty acid content of 9.99% achieved in these experiments was 1.9–12.3-fold higher than in stress experiments. The highest variation was observed for oleic acid (3.4–33.7%). The novel strain showed the ability to accumulate lipids in amounts up to 639.8 mg L−1 under nitrogen and phosphorus starvation, which exceeds the previously obtained values for most Coelastrella strains. Thus, the newly identified MZ–Ch23 strain can be considered as a potential producer of omega-3 fatty acids on fully supplemented Bold’s basal medium or as a source of biomass with high content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids after nitrogen and phosphorus starvation.

Production of the biosurfactant serrawettin W1 by Serratia marcescens S-1 improves hydrocarbon degradation.

With the frequent occurrence of oil spills, the bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons pollution has attracted more and more attention. In this study, we investigated the biodegradation of crude oil by the biosurfactant-producing strain S-1. The strain was isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil and identified as Serratia marcescens according to partial 16S rDNA gene analysis. It was able to effectively degrade hydrocarbons with the concomitant production of biosurfactants at 20-30°C, while there was no biosurfactant production and the degradation rate was lower at 37°C. The biosurfactant was identified as serrawettin W1 by UPLC-ESI-MS, and was found to reduce the surface tension of water to 30mN/m, with stable surface activity and emulsion activity at temperatures from 20 to 100°C, pH of 2-10 and NaCl concentrations of 0-50g/L. Serrawettin W1 significantly increased the cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) and enhanced the bioavailability of hydrocarbon pollutants, which was conducive to the degradation of crude oil, including long-chain alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons. Serratia marcescens S-1 has potential applications in bioremediation at low temperature.

Isolation and Toxigenic Characteristics of a Tetrodotoxin Producing Bacteria

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a kind of neurotoxin with great scientific research and medicinal value. Studies have confirmed that microorganism is one of the important sources of TTX. However, the specific biosynthetic and regulatory pathway of TTX production by microorganisms are still unclear. In this paper, out of twelve symbiotic bacteria screened from the wild puffer fish (Fugu rubripes) collected from coastal sea area of Ningbo (Zhejiang, China), a strain named He-1 isolated from the liver of puffer fish was found can produce TTX. It was identified as Bacillus cereus based on physiological, biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA gene analysis. However, the strain He-2, which is the subculture strain of He-1, cannot produce TTX under the normal culture condition. Further study showed that by adding the metabolite of the He-1, the ability of TTX producing of He-2 could be restored. A peptide compound was obtained by separating and purifying of the metabolites from strain He-1, which could induce the TTX production of strain He-2. This work will provide a new way for further revealing the anabolic pathway of TTX.

The effects of aerobic exercise on the intestinal tumors and flora of the ApcMin/+ mouse.

Intestinal tumor is one of the most common tumors that seriously threaten the health of residents all over the world. Studies suggest that the imbalance of intestinal flora is associated with tumorgenesis; meanwhile, long-term regular aerobic exercise can improve the occurrence and development of tumors. However, moderate aerobic exercise affecting the development of intestinal tumors and their related flora has not been explored. Thus, the purpose of our study is to explore the effects of aerobic exercise on intestinal tumor growth and flora changes in ApcMin/+ mice, and try to answer whether there is a correlation between them after exercise intervention. In this study, 18 required ApcMin/+ mice were randomly divided into Model group (n = 6), Exercise group (n = 6), and Aspirin group (positive control, n = 6), while C57BL/6J wild-type mice were used as the blank control group. Each group is given corresponding intervention. Weight monitoring, tumor counts, hematoxylin-eosin staining, TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) fluorescence assay, immunohistochemistry (IHC), fecal sampling and grouping, and bacterial 16S rDNA gene analysis were completed after 12weeks' intervention for each group of mice. As a result, we were able to show significant improvements in mice' body weight changing rates (Exercise group 8.6% higher than Model control group), tumor numbers (Exercise group 4.33 ± 0.94 vs. Model control group 7.33 ± 2.49, Then put the slides into xylenewith tumor inhibition rate 40.93%), tumor pathological staging (Exercise group mainly low-grade tumorous adenomas vs. Model group mainly high-grade adenomas), and TUNEL staining (Exercise group 8.59% higher positive rate of apoptotic cells in tumors than Model group). The 16s rRNA sequencing analysis results showed that aerobic exercise could regulate the abundance of some genus (16/149, P < 0.01), and the number of intestinal tumors correlates with changes in the abundance of some bacteria in the intestinal flora (positive correlation with probiotics abundance and negative correlation with conditioned pathogens). Changes in flora abundance may be one of the reasons for aerobic exercise to reduce the number of intestinal tumors, probably mediated by cell apoptosis. Future studies should focus on the potential mechanism of aerobic exercise in preventing intestinal tumorgenesis, especially the molecular mechanism through intestinal flora. Aerobic exercise has a preventive effect on intestinal tumors in ApcMin/+ mice, and can regulate the abundance of intestinal flora.

Morphological and Phylogenetic Features of Ceratomyxa macapaensis n. sp. (Myxozoa: Ceratomyxidae) in Mesonauta festivus Heckel, 1840 (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from the Eastern Amazon Region.

The class Myxozoa consists of microscopic spores that typically present uniform morphological simplifications, containing one or two sporoplasms surrounded by valve cells. The present study analysed the morphological and phylogenetic characteristics of what proved to be a new species of Ceratomyxa found in the gallbladder of Mesonauta festivus Heckel, 1840 captured on the Piririm River in the municipality of Macapá, in Amapá state, Brazil. The fish were collected in gillnets, and were transported alive to Amapá State University in Macapá for the analysis of the organs. Crescent- or arch-shaped free spores were observed under light microscopy, containing two polar capsules and a suture line, which is typical of the morphology of the genus Ceratomyxa, contained within plasmodia that had snake-like movements. The gallbladder was conserved in 80% alcohol for the analysis of the 18S rDNA gene, and in Davidson solution for standardhistology. Ceratomyxa spores (n = 20) were observed in 11 of the 50 samplesanalysed, and thus had a prevalence of 22%, and had a mean length of 4.2 ± 0.5µm, mean thickness of 22.75 ± 0.3µm, and two polar capsules, 1.86 ± 0.3µm long and 1.63 ± 0.1µm thick. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the new species forms a cluster with other freshwater Amazonian Ceratomyxa species, described previously. The new species represents the first description of a taxon of the genus Ceratomyxain fish from the Brazilian state of Amapá.

High dose lithium chloride causes colitis through activating F4/80 positive macrophages and inhibiting expression of Pigr and Claudin-15 in the colon of mice

ObjectiveLithium chloride (LiCl) was a mood stabilizer for bipolar affective disorders and it could activate Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway both in vivo and in vitro. Colon is one of a very susceptible tissues to Wnt signaling pathway, and so it would be very essential to explore the toxic effect of a high dose of LiCl on colon. MethodsC57BL/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with 200 mg/kg LiCl one dose a day for 5 days to activate Wnt signal pathway in intestines. H&E staining was used to assess the colonic tissues of mice treated with high dose of LiCl. The expression of inflammation-associated genes and tight junction-associated genes in colons was measured using qPCR, Western blot and immunostaining methods. The gut microbiome was tested through 16S rDNA gene analysis. ResultsThe differentiation of enteroendocrine cells in colon was inhibited by treatment of 200 mg/kg LiCl. The F4/80 positive macrophages in colon were activated by high dose of LiCl, and migrated from the submucosa to the lamina propria. The expression of pro-inflammatory genes TNFα and IL-1β was increased in the colon of high dose of LiCl treated mice. Clostridium_sp_k4410MGS_306 and Prevotellaceae_UCG_001 were specific and predominant for the high dose of LiCl treated mice. The expression of IgA coding genes, Pigr and Claudin-15 was significantly decreased in the colon tissues of the high dose of LiCl treated mice. Conclusion200 mg/kg LiCl might cause the inflammation in colon of mice through activating F4/80 positive macrophages and inhibiting the expression of IgA coding genes in plasma cells and the expression of Pigr and Claudin-15 in colonic epithelial cells, providing evidences for the toxic effects of high dose of LiCl on colon.

&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pluteus hubregtseorum&lt;/em&gt; (Pluteaceae), a new species from Australia and New Zealand&lt;/strong&gt;

A new species and its new form, Pluteus hubregtseorum and Pluteus hubregtseorum f. horakianus, are described and illustrated based on material from Australia and New Zealand. Pluteus hubregtseorum is characterized by a squamulose to finely granulose pileus, velutinous at centre and translucently striate at the margin, a pruinose stipe, pileipellis a cutis with transition to a trichoderm, predominantly fusiform to lageniform pleurocystidia and cylindrical to clavate caulocystidia in tufts. Pluteus hubregtseorum f. hubregtseorum has a yellow pileus and a whitish to yellow stipe with distinct floccules, whereas P. hubregtseorum f. horakianus has a brown pileus sometimes darker and radially wrinkled; and a white to cream stipe which becomes tinged yellow-tan or grey-tan near the base with age. The pileipellis structure indicates its placement in the section Hispidoderma, Pluteus plautus group. Multigene phylogenetic analyses of ITS rDNA and EF1-α genes showed Pluteus hubregtseorum is related to P. semibulbosus. Differences of Pluteus hubregtseorum with similar species are also discussed. In addition, Pluteus minor is discussed in detail and as it is not possible to establish a taxon to which it should be unambiguously referred, we reject this dubious name.