Expression Of Development-related Genes Research Articles

Polystyrene nanoplastics decrease nutrient accumulation, disturb sex hormones, and inhibit reproductive development in juvenile Macrobrachium nipponense

The biological effects of nanoplastics has grown exponentially over the past few years. However, little is known about the effects of nanoplastic exposure on gonadal development in crustaceans. Thus, juvenile oriental river prawns (Macrobrachium nipponense) were exposed to different concentrations of 75-nm polystyrene nanoplastics (0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L) for 28 days to study the effects of exposure to nanoplastics on gonadal development. The genes encoding extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) were selected and the nutrient composition, sex hormone level, and gonad development-related gene expression were determined. Crude lipid and crude protein decreased with exposure to higher concentrations of nanoplastics, whereas there were no significant differences in levels of ash or moisture (P > 0.05). Full-length Mn-ERK and Mn-MEK cDNAs were cloned from M. nipponense and homologous comparisons showed that the genes had conserved functional sequences and had evolved consistently in invertebrates. With nanoplastics concentration increased, the serum sex hormone (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone) levels of juvenile shrimp first increased and then decreased. In addition, the expression of gonad development-related genes (Vitellogenin, Vitellogenin receptor, Cyclin B, Gametocyte Specific Factor 1, Vasa, and PL10), MEK and ERK initially increased and then decreased with increasing nanoplastic concentration. This suggests that polystyrene nanoplastics reduce the accumulation of nutrients and lead to suppression of gonadal development in juvenile M. nipponense and, thus, provides basic information on the toxic effects of nanoplastics that could extend to other crustaceans.

The ATP Synthase γ Subunit ATPC1 Regulates RNA Editing in Chloroplasts.

RNA editing is the process of modifying RNA molecules by inserting, deleting, or substituting nucleotides. In flowering plants, RNA editing occurs predominantly in RNAs encoded by the organellar genomes of mitochondria and chloroplasts, and the main type of editing involves the substitution of cytidine with uridine at specific sites. Abnormal RNA editing in plants can affect gene expression, organelle function, plant growth, and reproduction. In this study, we report that ATPC1, the gamma subunit of ATP synthase in Arabidopsis chloroplasts, has an unexpected role in the regulation of editing at multiple sites of plastid RNAs. The loss of function of ATPC1 severely arrests chloroplast development, causing a pale-green phenotype and early seedling lethality. Disruption of ATPC1 increases the editing of matK-640, rps12-i-58, atpH-3'UTR-13210, and ycf2-as-91535 sites while decreasing the editing of rpl23-89, rpoA-200, rpoC1-488, and ndhD-2 sites. We further show that ATPC1 participates in RNA editing by interacting with known multiple-site chloroplast RNA editing factors, including MORFs, ORRM1, and OZ1. The transcriptome in the atpc1 mutant is profoundly affected, with a pattern of defective expression of chloroplast development-related genes. These results reveal that the ATP synthase γ subunit ATPC1 is involved in multiple-site RNA editing in Arabidopsis chloroplasts.

Interaction between Dietary Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K3 in Gilthead Seabream Larvae (Sparus aurata) in Relation to Growth and Expression of Bone Development-Related Genes.

Vitamins D and K are essential fat-soluble nutrients that intervene in bone development processes among other biological functions. The present study is aimed at investigating the potential combined effect of dietary supplementation with vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin K3 (menadione) in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) larvae. For that purpose, seabream diets were supplemented with different combinations of vitamin D3/vitamin K3 (mg/kg diet) as follows: 0.00/0, 0.06/70, 0.06/170, 0.13/70, 0.13/170, 0.40/70, and 0.40/170. Feeding gilthead seabream larvae (22 days post hatch) for 21 days with the diets supplemented with 0.06-0.13 mg/kg vitamin D3 and 70 mg/kg vitamin K3 (diets 0.06/70 and 0.13/70) led to the highest larval growth and survival and the highest expression of important biomarkers of both bone development and health, such as bmp2, osx, and mgp, and calcium homeostasis, such as pthrp and casr. However, the increased supplementation with both vitamins at 0.40 mg/kg vitamin D3 and 170 mg/kg vitamin K3 (diet 0.40/170) reduced larval growth and survival, downregulated bmp2 and pthrp expressions, and upregulated osx and mgp, causing an unbalance in the relative expression of these genes. The results of the present study have shown the interaction between vitamin D3 supplementation and vitamin K3 supplementation in larval performance and gene expression related to bone development and calcium homeostasis, denoting the significance of a correct balance between both vitamins in larval diets.

Regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α by optimal oxygen concentration enhances oocyte maturation and early embryonic development in buffalo

Despite significant progress in vitro maturation (IVM) and in vitro culture (IVC) of oocytes and embryos, their developmental competence remains low. To address this issue, we used buffalo oocytes as a model system to investigate the effects and mechanisms of oxygen concentration on IVM and IVC. Our findings demonstrated that culturing buffalo oocytes with 5% oxygen significantly enhanced the efficiency of IVM and developmental competence of early embryos. Immunofluorescence results suggested that HIF1α played a critical role in these progresses. RT-qPCR results showed that maintaining a stable expression of HIF1α in cumulus cells with 5% oxygen concentration enhanced glycolysis, expansion, and proliferation abilities, up-regulated the expression of development-related genes, and suppressed apoptosis level. Consequently, it improved the maturation efficiency and quality of oocytes, leading to improve developmental capacity of buffalo early embryos. Similar outcomes were also observed when embryos were cultured with 5% oxygen. Collectively, our study provided insights into the role of oxygen regulation during oocytes maturation and early embryo development, and could potentially improve the efficiency of human assisted-reproduction technology.

Effect of α-tocopherol in the vitrification medium on the viability, lipid peroxidation, expression of key developmental, apoptotic and stress-related genes in ovine secondary follicles.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of α-tocopherol on viability, lipid peroxidation and the expression of apoptosis, stress and development-related genes in the vitrified sheep secondary follicles. Ovarian secondary follicles (200-300 μm) were isolated and distributed separately to the vitrification treatment and supplemented with 5 mM, 10 mM, 20 mM and 30 mM of α-tocopherol (while the control fresh group was without vitrification and supplementation of α-tocopherol). After a week, the follicles were thawed and evaluated for follicular viability by trypan blue dye exclusion method, lipid peroxidation and gene expression studies. The results showed that the vitrification with 10 and 20 mM of α-tocopherol positively affected (p < .05) the viability of vitrified follicles in comparison with vitrified ones without α-tocopherol but the higher concentration of α-tocopherol, i.e., 30 mM negatively affected the viability (p < .05) in comparison with the 10 and 20 mM of α-tocopherol groups. The malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly (p < .05) higher in the vitrified without α-tocopherol group in comparison to the vitrified with 20 mM of α-tocopherol group. The expression of apoptotic-related gene, BCL2L1 was significantly higher in 10 mM α-tocopherol group compared to the control fresh and CASPASE 3, 9 expressions were significantly higher in the vitrified group when compared to the vitrified with 10 mM α-tocopherol group. Expressions of BAX, BAD, BAK, BMP-15 and GDF-9 showed no significant difference among the groups. The mRNA expression of SOD1 was significantly higher in the vitrified without α-tocopherol group when compared to other groups. We conclude that the supplementation of 10 and 20 mM α-tocopherol in vitrification solution was the efficient vitrification procedure for the vitrification of ovine secondary follicles.

BOS1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor involved in regulating panicle development in rice.

Panicle development is crucial to increase the grain yield of rice (Oryza sativa). The molecular mechanisms of the control of panicle development in rice remain unclear. In this study, we identified a mutant with abnormal panicles, termed branch one seed 1-1 (bos1-1). The bos1-1 mutant showed pleiotropic defects in panicle development, such as the abortion of lateral spikelets and the decreased number of primary panicle branches and secondary panicle branches. A combined map-based cloning and MutMap approach was used to clone BOS1 gene. The bos1-1 mutation was located in chromosome 1.A T-to-A mutation in BOS1 was identified, which changed the codon from TAC to AAC, resulting in the amino acid change from tyrosine to asparagine. BOS1 gene encoded a grass-specific basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, which is a novel allele of the previously cloned LAX PANICLE 1 (LAX1) gene. Spatial and temporal expression profile analyses showed that BOS1 was expressed in young panicles and was induced by phytohormones. BOS1 protein was mainly localized in the nucleus. The expression of panicle development-related genes, such as OsPIN2, OsPIN3, APO1, and FZP, was changed by bos1-1 mutation, suggesting that the genes may be the direct or indirect targets of BOS1 to regulate panicle development. The analysis of BOS1 genomic variation, haplotype, and haplotype network showed that BOS1 gene had several genomic variations and haplotypes. These results laid the foundation for us to further dissect the functions of BOS1.

Molecular and phenotypic effects of early exposure to an environmentally relevant pesticide mixture in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas.

Early life stages are crucial for organism development, especially for those displaying external fertilization, whose gametes and early stages face environmental stressors such as xenobiotics. The pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is considered a model species in ecotoxicology because of its ecological characteristics (benthic, sessile, filter feeding). So far studies have investigated the impact of xenobiotics at embryotoxic, genotoxic and physiological endpoints, sometimes at the multigenerational scale, highlighting the role of epigenetic mechanisms in transmitting alterations induced by exposure to single xenobiotics. However, to date, little is known about the impact of environmentally-mimicking contaminants cocktails. Thus, we examined the impact of an early exposure to environmentally relevant mixture on the Pacific oyster life history. We studied transcriptomic, epigenetic and physiological alterations induced in oysters exposed to 18 pesticides and metals at environmental concentration (nominal sum concentration: 2.85 μg.L−1, measured sum concentration: 3.74 ± 0.013 μg.L−1) during embryo-larval stage (0–48 h post fertilization, hpf). No significant differences in embryo-larval abnormalities at 24 hpf were observed during larval and spat rearing; the swimming behaviour of exposed individuals was disturbed, while they were longer and heavier at specific time points, and exhibited a lower epinephrine-induced metamorphosis rate as well as a higher survival rate in the field. In addition, RNA-seq analyses of gastrula embryos revealed the differential expression of development-related genes (e.g. Hox orthologues and cell cycle regulators) between control and exposed oysters. Whole-genome DNA methylation analyses demonstrated a significant modification of DNA methylation in exposed larvae marked by a demethylation trend. Those findings suggest that early exposure to an environmentally relevant pesticide mixture induces multi-scale latent effects possibly affecting life history traits in the Pacific oyster.

Treatments of Porcine Nuclear Recipient Oocytes and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer-Generated Embryos with Various Reactive Oxygen Species Scavengers Lead to Improvements of Their Quality Parameters and Developmental Competences by Mitigating Oxidative Stress-Related Impacts.

This study investigated the antioxidant effects of β-cryptoxanthin (BCX), hesperetin (HES), and icariin (ICA), and their effects on in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes and subsequent embryonic development of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Treatment with 1 μM BCX (BCX-1) increased the developmental rate of porcine oocytes more than treatment with 100 μM HES (HES-100) or 5 μM ICA (ICA-5). The glutathione level and mRNA expression of antioxidant genes (NFE2L2, SOD1, and SOD2) were more increased in the BCX-1 group than in the HES-100 and ICA-5 groups, while the reactive oxygen species level was more decreased. Moreover, BCX improved the developmental capacity and quality of SCNT embryos. The total cell number, apoptotic cell rate, and development-related gene expression were modulated in the BCX-1 group to enhance embryonic development of SCNT. These results show that the antioxidant effects of BCX enhance in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes and subsequent embryonic development of SCNT.

Salt Stress Inhibits Photosynthesis and Destroys Chloroplast Structure by Downregulating Chloroplast Development-Related Genes in Robinia pseudoacacia Seedlings.

Soil salinization is an important factor limiting food security and ecological stability. As a commonly used greening tree species, Robinia pseudoacacia often suffers from salt stress that can manifest as leaf yellowing, decreased photosynthesis, disintegrated chloroplasts, growth stagnation, and even death. To elucidate how salt stress decreases photosynthesis and damages photosynthetic structures, we treated R. pseudoacacia seedlings with different concentrations of NaCl (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM) for 2 weeks and then measured their biomass, ion content, organic soluble substance content, reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, antioxidant enzyme activity, photosynthetic parameters, chloroplast ultrastructure, and chloroplast development-related gene expression. NaCl treatment significantly decreased biomass and photosynthetic parameters, but increased ion content, organic soluble substances, and ROS content. High NaCl concentrations (100-200 mM) also led to distorted chloroplasts, scattered and deformed grana lamellae, disintegrated thylakoid structures, irregularly swollen starch granules, and larger, more numerous lipid spheres. Compared to control (0 mM NaCl), the 50 mM NaCl treatment significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activity while upregulating the expression of the ion transport-related genes Na+/H+ exchanger 1(NHX 1) and salt overly sensitive 1 (SOS 1) and the chloroplast development-related genes psaA, psbA, psaB, psbD, psaC, psbC, ndhH, ndhE, rps7, and ropA. Additionally, high concentrations of NaCl (100-200 mM) decreased antioxidant enzyme activity and downregulated the expression of ion transport- and chloroplast development-related genes. These results showed that although R. pseudoacacia can tolerate low concentrations of NaCl, high concentrations (100-200 mM) can damage chloroplast structure and disturb metabolic processes by downregulating gene expression.

Dermal PapillaCell-Derived Exosomes Regulate Hair Follicle Stem Cell Proliferation via LEF1.

Hair follicle (HF) growth and development are controlled by various cell types, including hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and dermal papilla cells (DPCs). Exosomes are nanostructures that participate in many biological processes. Accumulating evidence indicates that DPC-derived exosomes (DPC-Exos) mediate HFSC proliferation and differentiation during the cyclical growth of hair follicles. In this study, we found that DPC-Exos increase ki67 expression and CCK8 cell viability readouts in HFSCs but reduce annexin staining of apoptotic cells. RNA sequencing of DPC-Exos-treated HFSCs identified 3702 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including BMP4, LEF1, IGF1R, TGFβ3, TGFα, and KRT17. These DEGs were enriched in HF growth- and development-related pathways. We further verified the function of LEF1 and showed that overexpression of LEF1 increased the expression of HF development-related genes and proteins, enhanced HFSC proliferation, and reduced HFSC apoptosis, while knockdown of LEF1 reversed these effects. DPC-Exos could also rescue the siRNA-LEF1 effect in HFSCs. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that DPC-Exos mediated cell-to-cell communication can regulate HFSCs proliferation by stimulating LEF1 and provide novel insights into HF growth and development regulatory mechanisms.

Combined exposure to titanium dioxide and tetracycline induces neurotoxicity in zebrafish

In aquatic environment, engineered materials may inevitably interact with the coexisted organic pollutants, which affect their bioavailability and toxicity. In this contribution, the combined impacts of tetracycline (TC) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) on the neurodevelopment of zebrafish larvae were investigated, and the underlying mechanisms were further elucidated. Firstly, it was confirmed that the co-existence of TC would increase the size and decrease the zeta potential of TiO2 NPs. Following, developmental indicators and motor behaviors were investigated. Our results indicated that co-exposure to TC and TiO2 NPs exhibited enhanced embryonic malformation rates and abnormal nervous system development in zebrafish embryos. Meanwhile, the locomotor behavior was increased upon treatment of TC and TiO2 NP. Further, pathway enrichment analyses of transcriptomic sequencing provided detailed information that either lipid metabolism or PPAR signaling pathway were significantly affected in the co-exposure group. Also, TC + TiO2 NP exposure significantly changed the mRNA expression of neural development-related genes and up-regulated the expression levels of neurotransmitters like 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine, acetylcholinesterase, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Taken together, our results demonstrated that the co-exposure of TC and TiO2 NPs had the potential to cause neurotoxicity in zebrafish embryos.

Isorhamnetin improves in vitro maturation of oxidative stress-exposed porcine oocytes and subsequent embryo development.

This study investigated the effect of the flavonoid-based compound isorhamnetin (ISO) on maturation and developmental competence in oxidative stress-exposed porcine oocytes in vitro. Treatment with 2 μM ISO (2 ISO) increases the developmental rate of oxidative stress-exposed porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation (IVM). The glutathione level and mRNA expression of antioxidant-related genes (NFE2L2 and SOD2) were increased in the 2 ISO-treated group, whereas the reactive oxygen species level was decreased. Treatment with 2 ISO increased mRNA expression of a cumulus cell expansion-related gene (SHAS2) and improved chromosomal alignment. mRNA expression of maternal genes (CCNB1, MOS, BMP15 and GDF9) and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity were increased in the 2 ISO-treated group. The total cell number per blastocyst and percentage of apoptotic cells were increased and decreased in the 2 ISO-treated group, respectively. Treatment with 2 ISO increased mRNA expression of development-related genes (SOX2, NANOG, and POU5F1) and anti-apoptotic genes (BCL2L1 and BIRC5) and decreased that of pro-apoptotic genes (CASP3 and FAS). These results demonstrate that 2 ISO improves the quality of porcine oocytes by protecting them against oxidative stress during IVM and enhances subsequent embryo development in vitro. Therefore, we propose that ISO is a useful supplement for IVM of porcine oocytes.

Effects of short photoperiod on cashmere growth, hormone concentrations and hair follicle development-related gene expression in cashmere goats

ABSTRACT Shanbei White Cashmere goat is a typical goat species, the growth of cashmere is affected by photoperiod. To further investigate the effects of short photoperiod treatment on cashmere growth, hormone concentrations and hair follicle development-related gene expression in cashmere goats, twenty Shannbei white cashmere goats were selected and randomly divided into long-day photoperiod treatment group and short-day photoperiod treatment group. The results revealed the cashmere on short-day photoperiod treatment began to develop earlier, and its length and growth rate increased dramatically (P < 0.05). The short-day photoperiod treatment increased the concentration of serum Melatonin, reduced the concentration of serum prolactin, decreased the expression of estrogen receptor alpha and raised the expression of hair follicle development-related genes [catenin beta-1, Bone morphogenetic protein 2, Fibroblast growth factor 5 and platelet-derived growth factor subunit A] (P < 0.05), thereby accelerating the reconstruction of the secondary follicle, increasing the density of the secondary follicle (P < 0.05) and triggering the growth of cashmere goats. The present study provides new insights into the dynamic changes in cashmere growth, hormone concentrations and hair follicle development-related gene expression in cashmere goats under short photoperiod, and is expected to be useful for future studies on intensive feeding research.

Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss/CHD4-related syndrome: A new case report.

Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss/CHD4-related syndrome: A new case report.

Effects of feeding restriction on skeletal muscle development and functional analysis of TNNI1 in New Zealand white rabbits

While restricting nutrition can improve diseases related to the digestive tract, excessive restriction of food intake can also lead to malnutrition and delayed physical growth. Therefore, this brings the demand to study the effect and potential mechanism of restricted feeding on skeletal muscle development in rabbits. This study utilized hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining to detect muscle fiber area which depicted significant reduction in skeletal muscle fiber upon 30% feed restriction (p < 0.05). The control group and 30% feed restricted group showed 615 deferentially expressed genes (DEGs). Through the GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis demonstrated 28 DEGs related to muscle development. KEGG analysis showed enrichment of pathways including PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and Hedgehog signaling pathway. Further, the full length of troponin I1, slow skeletal type (TNNI1) was cloned. We studied the expression of skeletal muscle differentiation-related genes such as MyoD, Myf5 gene and Desmin. Specifically, the TNNI1 gene overexpression and knockdown studies were conducted. The over-expression of TNNI1 significantly enhanced the expression of the skeletal muscle development-related genes. Contrastingly, the silencing of TNNI1 gene reduced the expression significantly. These findings showed that TNNI1 may be a regulator for regulating the expression of muscle development-related genes.

Particle size-dependent effects of silver nanoparticles on swim bladder damage in zebrafish larvae

Particle size-dependent biological effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are of great interest; however, the mechanism of action of silver ions (Ag+) released from AgNPs concerning AgNP particle size remains unclear. Thus, we evaluated the influence of particle size (20, 40, 60, and 80 nm) on the acute 96-h bioaccumulation and toxicity (swim bladder damage) of AgNPs in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae, with a focus on the mechanism of action of Ag+ released from differently sized AgNPs. The 40- and 60-nm AgNPs were more toxic than the 20- and 80-nm versions in terms of inflammation and oxidative damage to the swim bladder, as indicated by inhibition of type 2 iodothyroxine deiodinase enzyme activity, mitochondrial injury, and reduced 30–50% adenosine triphosphate content. Furthermore, up-regulation and down-regulation of swim bladder development-related gene expression was not observed for pbx1a and anxa5, but up-regulation expression of shha and ihha was observed with no statistical significance. That 20-nm AgNPs were less toxic was attributed to their rapid elimination from larvae in comparison with the elimination of 40-, 60-, and 80-nm AgNPs; thus, less Ag+ was released in 20-nm AgNP-exposed larvae. Failed inflation of swim bladders was affected by released Ag+ rather than AgNPs themselves. Overall, we reveal the toxicity contribution of Ag+ underlying the observed size-dependent effects of AgNPs and provide a scientific basis for comprehensively assessing the ecological risk and biosafety of AgNPs.

Benomyl-induced development and cardiac toxicity in zebrafish embryos.

Benomyl is a highly effective broad-spectrum fungicide widely used worldwide to control vegetable, fruit, and oil crop diseases. However, the mechanism of its toxicity to aquatic organisms and humans remains unknown. In this study, zebrafish were used to determine the toxicity of benomyl. It was found to be highly toxic, with a 72-h post-fertilization (hpf) lethal concentration 50 (LC50) of 1.454mg/L. Benomyl induced severe developmental toxicity, including shorter body length, slower heart rate, and a reduced yolk absorption rate. Benomyl also increased oxidative stress in zebrafish, especially in the heart and head, as well as increasing malondialdehyde (MDA) content and decreasing catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. This indicates that benomyl induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell membrane peroxidation in vivo. Acridine orange (AO) staining and apoptosis factor detection further indicated that benomyl induced apoptosis in zebrafish. Overall, these findings demonstrate that benomyl disrupts cellular homeostasis by activating oxidative stress in zebrafish, resulting in an imbalance of cardiac development-related gene expression and apoptosis, which causes severe developmental toxicity and cardiac dysfunction. This study evaluated the in vivo toxicity of benomyl, which is a potential threat to aquatic organisms and humans. Possible toxicity mechanisms are explored, providing a valuable reference for the safe use of benomyl.

Protodioscin protects porcine oocytes against H2O2-induced oxidative stress during in vitro maturation.

The present study investigated whether protodioscin (PD), a steroidal saponin mainly found in rhizome of Dioscorea species, alleviates oxidative stress-induced damage of porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation. Oocytes were treated with different concentrations of PD (0, 1, 10, 100, and 200 μM) in the presence of 200 μM H2O2 during in vitro maturation. Following maturation, spindle morphology and mitogen-activated protein kinase activity was assessed along with reactive oxygen species level, GSH activity, and mRNA expression of endogenous antioxidant genes at the MII stage. On the day 7 after parthenogenetic activation, blastocyst formation rate was calculated and the quality of embryo and mRNA expression of development-related genes was evaluated. Developmental competence was significantly poorer in the 0 μM PD-treated (control) group than in the non-treated (normal) and 10 μM PD-treated (10PD) groups. Although the reactive oxygen species level did not significantly differ between these three groups, the glutathione level and mRNA expression of antioxidant genes (superoxide dismutase 1 [SOD1], SOD2, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 [Nrf2], and hemo oxygenase-1 [HO-1]) were significantly higher in the normal and 10PD groups than in the control group. In addition, the percentage of oocytes with defective spindle and abnormal chromosomal alignment was significantly lower and the ratio of phosphorylated p44/42 to total p44/42 was significantly higher in the normal and 10PD groups than in the control group. The total cell number per blastocyst was significantly higher in the 10PD group than in the control group. The percentage of apoptotic cells in blastocysts was highest in the control group; however, the difference was not significant. mRNA expression of development-related genes (POU domain, class 5, transcription factor 1 [POU5F1], caudal type homeobox 2 [CDX2], Nanog homeobox [NANOG]) was consistently increased by addition of PD. The PD effectively improves the developmental competence and quality of blastocysts by protecting porcine oocytes against oxidative stress.

Maternal organic selenium supplementation during gestation enhances muscle fiber area and muscle fiber maturation of offspring in porcine model

BackgroundOrganic selenium supplementation during gestation improves the antioxidant status and reproductive performance of sows and increases the antioxidative capacity of the intestines of their offspring. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of maternal basel diet (control) supplemented with an organic Se, 2-hydroxy-4-methylselenobutanoic acid (HMSeBA), or inorganic sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) during gestation on the antioxidant status and development of muscle in newborn and weaned piglets. Newborn piglets before colostrum intake and weaned piglets were selected for longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle collection and analysis.ResultsThe results showed that maternal HMSeBA supplementation increased the muscle area and content of Se in the LD muscle of newborn piglets, improved gene expression of selenoproteins, and decreased oxidative status in the LD muscle of both newborn and weaned piglets compared with the control. The expression of muscle development-related genes of newborn piglets in the HMSeBA group was lower than in the control group, whereas the expression of MRF4 in weaned piglets was higher in the HMSeBA group than in the control and Na2SeO3 groups. In addition, HMSeBA supplementation decreased the mRNA expressions of myosin heavy chains (MyHC) IIx and MyHC IIb and the percentage of MyHC IIb; increased the expression of PGC-1α in the LD muscle of newborn piglets; increased the gene expression of MyHC IIa; and decreased the protein expression of slow MyHC and the activity of malate dehydrogenase in the LD muscle of weaned piglets compared with the control group.ConclusionsMaternal HMSeBA supplementation during gestation can improve the antioxidative capacity of the muscle of their offspring and promote the maturity of muscle fibres in weaned offspring.

OsWHY1 Interacts with OsTRX z and is Essential for Early Chloroplast Development in Rice

WHIRLY (WHY) family proteins, a small family of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding proteins, are widely found in plants and have multiple functions to regulate plant growth and development. However, WHY in rice has received less attention. In this study, we continued our previous study on OsTRX z that is important for chloroplast development. OsTRX z was discovered to interact with OsWHY1, which was confirmed using yeast two-hybrid, pull-down, and BiFC assays. Subsequently, the oswhy1 mutants were obtained by CRISPR/Cas9, which exhibited an albino phenotype and died after the three-leaf stage. Consistent with this albino phenotype, low amounts of Chl a, Chl b, and Car were detected in the oswhy1-1 mutant. Moreover, the oswhy1-1 mutant had chloroplasts with disrupted architecture and no stacked grana and thylakoid membranes. Subcellular localization showed that the OsWHY1-GFP fusion protein was targeted to the chloroplast. What’s more, OsWHY1 was found to be preferentially expressed in young leaves and was involved in chloroplast RNA editing and splicing. Mutation of OsWHY1 significantly affected the expression of chloroplast and ribosome development-related and chlorophyll synthesis-related genes. In conclusion, OsWHY1 contributes to early chloroplast development and normal seedling survival in rice. These results will further elucidate the molecular mechanism of chloroplast development and expand our understanding of WHY1 functions.