Reproductive Mechanisms Research Articles

Dysregulated genes in undifferentiated spermatogonia and Sertoli cells are associated with the spermatogenic arrest in cattleyak.

Hybrid male sterility (HMS) is a reproductive isolation mechanism limiting the formation of fertile offspring through interspecific fertilization. Cattleyak is the interspecific hybrid presenting significant heterosis in several economic traits, but HMS restricted its wide reproduction in cettleyak breeding. In this study, we detected the specifically expressed genes of a variety of cells (undifferentiated spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes, haploid spermatids, sperm, Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, and macrophages) in the testis of yak and cattleyak, and found that the spermatogenesis of cattleyak might be blocked at meiosis I, and the expression of niche factors (NR5A1, GATA4, STAR, CYP11A1, CD68, TNF, and CX3CR1) in undifferentiated spermatogonia niche was abnormal. Then we isolated the undifferentiated spermatogonia and Sertoli cells from yak and cattleyak by enzyme digestion, and detected the specific genes in the two bovid testicular cells as well as the proliferation capacity of the undifferentiated spermatogonia. These results indicated that weak proliferation ability and scarce number of undifferentiated spermatogonia and abnormal gene expressions in Sertoli cells may contribute to male sterility of cattleyak.

Oogenesis and expression of PCNA and vitellogenin in Geophagus native to the Amazon basin in pre- and post-hydroelectric dam periods

Oogenesis in fish is a process that involves cell proliferation, growth and maturation. In rivers blocked by hydroelectric dams, these factors can be altered and affect the reproduction mechanism of the species. Regarding this scenario, the present study aimed to describe oogenesis in two cichlids native to the Amazon basin, Geophagus argyrostictus and G. altifrons, during pre- and post-dam periods of the Xingu River. Females of both Geophagus species were captured and biometric measurements were taken. Afterwards, the fish were euthanized, and the gonads were removed and subjected to histological processing for light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and immunoperoxidase staining. Oocyte diameter and zona radiata thickness were also measured. The ovaries appeared in pairs, where according to their shape, size, vascularization and cell organization, five stages were described for both species. In the post-dam period, there was a reduction in the mean diameter of the oocytes, especially type IV, and a decrease in the thickness of the zona radiata, mainly, in G. argyrostictus. In both species, there was a greater presence of oocyte atresia in the post-dam period. PCNA immunoreactivity was more intense in type I and II oocytes, while vitellogenin immunoreactivity occurred in the cytoplasm and follicular cells of oocytes III and IV. These data suggest that because of changes in the level/flow of the river, the gonads of these two species adjust to the new environment, with a decrease in mean diameter and zona radiata thickness of the oocytes, which can interfere with the reproduction of the animals.

Aspects of the ecological and economic mechanism of balanced development of horticulture in the context of environmental safety

The article examines the aspects of improving the ecological and economic mechanism of balancing the development of horticulture in the context of environmental safety. It is substantiated that the functioning of the ecological-economic mechanism of management of nature-use processes is caused by the need to create conditions for the establishment and development of an ecologically oriented way of conducting economic activity of subjects of the national economy. It was determined that the influence of state authorities (subjects of the mechanism) on certain interests of economic subjects of the national economy (objects of the mechanism) is carried out by applying a certain set of management methods and tools. It has been proven that the strategic priorities of the development of horticulture in Ukraine are: increasing the quality parameters of production; bringing quantitative indicators to the level of ensuring domestic needs and increasing the share of fruit and berry exports; expansion of fruit and berry products sales markets; rational use of investment and material and technical resources; implementation of innovative and intensive technologies for growing perennial plantations; compliance with environmental requirements in the production process; deepening of territorial specialization; application of the model of regional organization of cluster-type relationships; structural restructuring of the organizational and economic mechanism of reproduction in the industry on an innovative basis.

An insight into bisphenol A, food exposure and its adverse effects on health: A review.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical widely employed to synthesize epoxy resins, polymer materials, and polycarbonate plastics. BPA is abundant in the environment, i.e., in food containers, water bottles, thermal papers, toys, medical devices, etc., and is incorporated into soil/water through leaching. Being a potent endocrine disrupter, and has the potential to alter several body mechanisms. Studies confirmed its anti-androgen action and estrogen-like effects, which impart many negative health impacts, especially on the immune system, neuroendocrine process, and reproductive mechanism. Moreover, it can also induce mutagenesis and carcinogenesis, as per recent scientific research. This review focuses on BPA's presence and concentrations in different environments, food sources and the basic mechanisms of BPA-induced toxicity and health disruptions. It is a unique review of its type because it focuses on the association of cancer, hormonal disruption, immunosuppression, and infertility with BPA. These issues are widespread today, and BPA significantly contributes to their incidence because of its wide usage in daily life utensils and other accessories. The review also discusses researched-based measures to cope with the toxic chemical.

Induction of high triploid rate blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) by hydrostatic pressure and analysis of gonadal sterility mechanism

At present, only cold shock method was used to induce the triploid of M. amblycephala, and because the triploid rate is not high enough, the triploid fish has not been applied in aquaculture on a large scale. This study aimed to obtain the best induction conditions of triploid by hydrostatic pressure, reveal the reproductive characteristics and mechanism of gonadal sterility of triploid M. amblycephala, provide an insights into the meiotic patterns of triploid fish. We successfully induced triploid in M. amblycephala using the hydrostatic pressure method. The highest triploid rate reached 85.92% at 55 MPa for 3 min after 3 min of fertilization. The relative DNA content of the triploid fish was 1.5 times of that of the diploid fish, and their chromosome karyotype was 3n = 72 = 27 m + 39sm + 6st. Both female and male triploids had dysplastic gonads, the testis of triploid males was able to produce 1.5n sperm without fertility because all the hybrid embryos of 2n♀ × 3n♂ died; however, the ovaries of triploid females belonged to complete sterility. The verification of gene expression patterns and interaction suggested that the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis process was disturbed and unsynapsed chromosome (UC) axis was blocked may jointly caused the complete sterility without egg production of female triploids. However, triploid males belonged to uncompletely sterility, which can produce a small number of sperm and complete fertilization, but the offspring cannot survive, may caused by the not completely blocked UC axis with low expression of hormad1 and iho1.

PSIII-3 Late-Breaking: Diisobutyl Phthalate (DIBP) at Low Doses Alters Gene Expression of Epigenetic Regulators in Bovine Granulosa Cells

Abstract Phthalates are ubiquitous environmental contaminants and impact reproduction and epigenetic mechanisms. The use of diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) has increased in the last decade. However, studies about DIBP's effects on female reproductive physiology are limited. Methylation of DNA and RNA are epigenetic processes that regulate gene expression, cell biology, and reproductive functions. How DIBP exposure regulates these epigenetic mechanisms in ovarian follicular cells remains to be unveiled. We hypothesize that DIBP at low doses alters the expression of RNA and DNA methylation regulators in bovine granulosa cells (GC). Bovine GC was isolated from small antral follicles (1-5 mm on surface diameter) from ovaries obtained at a slaughterhouse. Cells were cultured in vitro until reaching an average 70% confluence and treated with DIBP at levels detected in human blood (0 ng/mL, 1 ng/mL, 10 ng/mL, 100 ng/mL) combined with hormones that regulate ovarian folliculogenesis: FSH or FSH+IGF1. Cells were cultured for 24h for total RNA isolation (n = 5 pools) or for 48h for cell counting (n=5 pools). Relative mRNA abundance of RNA N6 methyladenine (m6A) methylation machinery (m6A writers: METTL3, METTL14; m6A erasers: ALKBH5, FTO), RNA 5-methylcytosine (m5C) methylation regulators (NSUN2, TRDMT1), and DNA methylation players (DNA methyltransferases: DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B; DNA demethylases: TET1, TET2, TET3) was determined via qPCR using 18S as housekeeping gene and expressed as 2-ΔΔCt. Cell proliferation was analyzed by cell counting using a MUSE cell analyzer. Data were analyzed via one-way ANOVA with GLM procedures of SAS for Windows. Normality was tested using Shapiro-Wilk test procedures and data considered not normal were transformed to log2 (Y + 0.6). Data sets that showed non-gaussian distribution after log-transformation was analyzed via the Kruskal-Wallis test using GraphPad Prism 9.2.0. Cell proliferation was not affected by DIBP treatments in combination with FSH or with FSH+IGF1. In GC treated with FSH in combination with DIBP, there was no significant effect on relative mRNA abundance of RNA or DNA methylation players. In combination with FSH+IGF1, GC treated with DIBP had lower (P < 0.05) METTL14 relative mRNA abundance at 1 ng/mL and 10 ng/mL than at 0 ng/mL and 100 ng/mL. TRDMT1 relative mRNA abundance was lower (P < 0.05) in the DIBP group at 10 ng/mL in comparison to groups 0 ng/mL and 1 ng/mL, but no 100 ng/mL. In addition, there was no significant effect on the relative mRNA abundance of DNA methylation regulators. In summary, GC treated with FSH+IGF1 and DIBP at low doses alters the gene expression of RNA methylation players in m6A and m5C RNA modifications in a non-monotonic dose-response, but does not alter mRNA abundance of DNA methylation regulators.

Comparative proteomic profiles of Schistosoma japonicum male worms derived from single-sex and bisexual infections

Schistosomiasis, which is caused by parasitic schistosomes, remains the second most prevalent parasitic disease of mammals worldwide. To successfully maintain fecundity, schistosomes have evolved a lifecycle that involves the cooperation of morphologically distinct male and female forms. Eggs produced by worm pairs are vital to the lifecycle of the parasite and are responsible for pathogenesis. Understanding the reproductive mechanism of schistosomes will help to control infection. In this study, the proteomic profiles of single-sex infected male (SM) worms and bisexual infected mated male (MM) worms of Schistosoma japonicum at 18, 21, 23, and 25 days p.i. were identified through data-independent acquisition. In total, 674 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified for the SM and MM worms at all four timepoints. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that most of the DEPs were involved in biosynthetic processes including locomotion, cell growth and death, cell motility, and metabolic processes such as protein metabolism and glucose metabolism. Schistosoma japonicum glycosyltransferase (SjGT) and S. japonicum nicastrin protein (SjNCSTN) were selected for quantitative real‑time PCR analysis and long-term interference with small interfering RNA (siRNA) to further explore the functions of the DEPs. Sjgt mRNA expression was mainly enriched in male worms, while Sjncstn was enriched in both sexes. siRNA against SjGT and SjNCSTN resulted in minor morphological changes in the testes of male worms and significant decreased vitality and fertility. The present study provides comprehensive proteomic profiles of S. japonicum SM and MM worms at 18, 21, 23, and 25 days p.i. and offers insights into the mechanisms underlying the growth and maturation of schistosomes.

The Roles of Androgens in Humans: Biology, Metabolic Regulation and Health.

Androgens are an important and diverse group of steroid hormone molecular species. They play varied functional roles, such as the control of metabolic energy fate and partition, the maintenance of skeletal and body protein and integrity and the development of brain capabilities and behavioral setup (including those factors defining maleness). In addition, androgens are the precursors of estrogens, with which they share an extensive control of the reproductive mechanisms (in both sexes). In this review, the types of androgens, their functions and signaling are tabulated and described, including some less-known functions. The close interrelationship between corticosteroids and androgens is also analyzed, centered in the adrenal cortex, together with the main feedback control systems of the hypothalamic–hypophysis–gonads axis, and its modulation by the metabolic environment, sex, age and health. Testosterone (T) is singled out because of its high synthesis rate and turnover, but also because age-related hypogonadism is a key signal for the biologically planned early obsolescence of men, and the delayed onset of a faster rate of functional losses in women after menopause. The close collaboration of T with estradiol (E2) active in the maintenance of body metabolic systems is also presented Their parallel insufficiency has been directly related to the ravages of senescence and the metabolic syndrome constellation of disorders. The clinical use of T to correct hypoandrogenism helps maintain the functionality of core metabolism, limiting excess fat deposition, sarcopenia and cognoscitive frailty (part of these effects are due to the E2 generated from T). The effectiveness of using lipophilic T esters for T replacement treatments is analyzed in depth, and the main problems derived from their application are discussed.

Directions for Improving Business Models of Industrial Enterprises in the Republic of Belarus in the Context of Digitalization

Directions for improving the business models of industrial enterprises in the Republic of Belarus in the context of digitalization have been developed. Studies of the theoretical foundations of business models transformation have been carried out in the industry. To achieve this goal, tasks such as identifying the specifics of the digital transformation of an industrial enterprise, studying the prerequisites for the transformation of business models of industrial enterprises in the Republic of Belarus in the context of digitalization, developing and essentially characterizing areas for improving the business models of industrial enterprises in the Republic of Belarus in the context of digitalization. The materials used are the works of domestic and foreign scientists-economists, data from research reports performed by the authors, and national statistical data. The systematic and institutional approaches, analysis and synthesis have been applied. A methodological approach has been developed to transform the business model under the influence of digitalization as to the process of irreversible qualitative changes in the mechanism of reproduction of the use value of the economic system, due to the introduction of digital technologies and tools in production and business processes, in systems of interaction with other participants in the value chain and consumers, as well as in the goods or services themselves. This made it possible to explore the possibilities of transforming business models under the influence of digitalization of the interaction of an enterprise with other participants in the value chain (network) and the state; interaction between the enterprise and the consumer; improvement of internal production and business processes, including creation of digital services. Technical-technological and organizational-economic relations at an industrial enterprise are considered as factors in the digitalization of its business model. As prerequisites for the transformation of business models of industrial enterprises in the Republic of Belarus in the context of digitalization, the following were identified: an increase in the access of industrial enterprises to computing power, high-speed data transfer, and cloud technologies; a positive dynamics of indicators of digitalization of the Belarusian economy and society, digitalization of the sphere of public administration and interactions “state-business” and “state-population”. All this, as a result of the study, made it possible to develop directions for improving the business models of industrial enterprises in the Republic of Belarus in the context of digitalization.

Old habits die hard? School guidance interventions and the persistence of inequalities

Social disparities in track choices are a well-known mechanism for the intergenerational reproduction of inequality. School guidance may help reducing such disparities by narrowing information gaps and by reducing the family influence on students’ decision making. We investigate the potential equalizing role of guidance programmes by analysing an intervention carried out in Italy, where students are tracked at age 14 and teacher recommendations are non-binding. The intervention took place in 2018 in the city of Turin and involved 40% of all eighth-grade students, shortly before their transition from comprehensive to tracked education. The students attended four two-hour sessions designed to provide them with information about the educational system and related job market opportunities, and to raise their awareness of their aptitudes and inclinations. We expected the programme to be of particular benefit to low socio-economic status (SES) and migrant students and thus to reduce social gaps in track choices. We adopted a mixed-method research design: with quantitative analyses based on a combination of propensity-score and differences-in-differences techniques, we compared the outcomes of comparable students from the 2017 and 2018 cohorts who were or were not exposed to the intervention in order to assess its impact on inequality; additionally, we use qualitative non-participatory observation to unveil the actual content and implementation of the programme and the behaviour of the key actors. We find that while the programme contributed to reducing indecision, it did not have any major effect on social inequalities in either intentions or choices. Results from the qualitative analysis help us shed light on the mechanisms at play behind this lack of effect. In particular, the heavy emphasis placed on current achievement records, dropout risks, and (short-term) labour-market outcomes may counteract the equalizing potential of the programme, by diverting low-SES kids away from academic tracks.

The RNA ligase RNA terminal phosphate cyclase B regulates mRNA alternative splicing and is required for mouse oocyte development and maintenance.

Recent large-scale mRNA sequencing has shown that introns are retained in 5-10% of mRNA, and these events are named intron retention (IR). IR has been recognized as a key mechanism in the regulation of gene expression. However, the role of this mechanism in female reproduction in mammals remains unclear. RNA terminal phosphate cyclase B (RTCB) is a RNA ligase; we found that RTCB conditional knockout mice have premature ovarian failure and that RTCB plays a crucial role in follicular development. RTCB regulated the splicing of transcripts related to DNA methylation and DNA damage repair. In addition, it regulated the resumption of oocyte meiosis by affecting CDK1 activation. Moreover, the loss of RTCB suppressed zygotic genome activation (ZGA) and decreased translation at the global level. In addition, Rtcb deletion resulted in the accumulation of maternal mRNAs containing unspliced introns and in a decline in the overall level of transcripts. As a result, the Rtcb-/- females were sterile. Our study highlights the important role of RTCB-regulated noncanonical alternative splicing in female reproduction.

Space Reproduction in Urban China: Toward a Theoretical Framework of Urban Regeneration

As China’s urbanization enters the middle and late stages, urban regeneration has risen to the strategic level of building a new national development pattern and promoting high-quality urban development. Due to the wide range of disciplines and content involved in urban regeneration, there remains a lack of systematic and comprehensive theories and frameworks to lay a theoretical foundation for academic research and provide guidance for renewal practice. Therefore, this paper aims to construct a systematic and comprehensive theoretical framework of urban regeneration from the perspective of space reproduction, by employing the theory of the production of space as the basis of interdisciplinary research, and integrating related theories and research. The current paper proposes a theoretical framework that includes four core elements, namely the government, the market, society and space reproduction. Subsequently, the paper summarizes the subject, power, capital and interest of the three types of stakeholders (government, market, and society), their different emphases in the reproduction mechanism, and their various cooperative modes in practices. Meanwhile, under the concept of sustainable development and “people-oriented” approach, this paper emphasizes the importance of social factors and the suitability of the multi-stakeholder co-governance model of government, market and society.

Identification of Circular RNAs in the Ovaries of Hu Sheep and Local Fat-tailed Sheep during the Luteal Phase

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed loop structures, play important role in mammalian growth and development by regulating gene expression and participating in various biological processes. The aim of this study was to identify the expression profiles of circRNAs in the ovaries of Hu sheep and local Fat-tailed sheep during the luteal phase to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of circRNAs on reproduction and follicular development in sheep. Methods: To identify the differentially expressed circRNAs expressed in luteal phase conditions in Hu sheep and fat-tailed sheep, ovarian samples collected during the luteal phase were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and subsequent transcriptomic approaches and bioinformatics analysis. Result: A total of 2,875 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified by high-through sequencing. Gene Ontology terminology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that the host genes were mainly involved in the secretion and metabolism of the various pathway. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to validate the results of expression profiling. These results contributed to an improved understanding of circRNA and the biological mechanisms of ovarian reproduction in sheep.

Pollination ecology and breeding system of the tropical tree Guaiacum sanctum on two Caribbean islands with contrasting pollinator assemblages

Insular pollination systems are more extinction-prone and vulnerable to invasive species than mainland ones. They often have plants with reproductive mechanisms allowing for self-compatibility and low species-rich communities of pollinators. Here, we document different reproductive traits of the tropical tree Guaiacum sanctum on two insular populations with contrasting pollinator assemblages: Guánica in Puerto Rico with alien honeybees and Mona Island where honeybees do not occur. Using field observations and pollination experiments, we evaluated pollinator species richness, visitation rates, breeding system, and the fitness of selfed- vs. crossed-progenies. We found that flowers are pollinated by insects on both islands, but while the species richness of pollinators was higher on Mona, the visitation rates were considerably higher in Guánica where trees are almost exclusively visited by the introduced Apis mellifera. Flowers are not apomictic, and autogamy is negligible indicating that pollinators are required to set fruits. Outcrossing yielded nearly twice the number of fruits and seeds than selfing and these differences were consistent between populations, which might reflect early acting inbreeding depression, partial self-incompatibility, or differences in resource allocation between selfed and outcrossed fruits. Our combined results suggest that the substantial reduction in pollinator visitors in areas dominated by A. mellifera may add an additional level of vulnerability to these threatened populations. Although reproductive fitness is higher in Guánica, mostly due to the pollination services provided by A. mellifera, this population may be more susceptible to environmental changes and large-scale disturbances affecting pollinator abundance given the reduced diversity of flower visitors.

The Reproduction Performance in Domestic Animals Controlled by Genetic Mechanism: A Review

Reproduction in domestic animal is a very complex process. The process starts from gamete formation, release, gamete transport, fertilization, embryo and fetal development until delivery of the offspring by the dam. Reproduction holds the most important role in determining the success of livestock farming, profit or loss. The genetic selection of the reproductive traits became an important program to find out the merit candidate dam and bulls. At early time, the selection for reproduction traits was based on the visually phenotypic performance, and this is maintained for long time until present time. In the next phase, the values of heritability for reproduction traits was chosen as a basis of selection. The molecular aspect used for reproductive mechanism and expression was noted beginning in the 2000s using Polymerase Chain Reaction – Restricted Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP). The newest technique is to explore not only the role of DNA in the programming the reproductive mechanism, but the the expression of gen (nucleic DNA) at the Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) at the outside level of the cell nucleus.
 Keywords: genetic factor, genetic material, SNP, reproduction process

Enforcement of Postzygotic Species Boundaries in the Fungal Kingdom.

Understanding the molecular basis of speciation is a primary goal in evolutionary biology. The formation of the postzygotic reproductive isolation that causes hybrid dysfunction, thereby reducing gene flow between diverging populations, is crucial for speciation. Using various advanced approaches, including chromosome replacement, hybrid introgression and transcriptomics, population genomics, and experimental evolution, scientists have revealed multiple mechanisms involved in postzygotic barriers in the fungal kingdom. These results illuminate both unique and general features of fungal speciation. Our review summarizes experiments on fungi exploring how Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibility, killer meiotic drive, chromosome rearrangements, and antirecombination contribute to postzygotic reproductive isolation. We also discuss possible evolutionary forces underlying different reproductive isolation mechanisms and the potential roles of the evolutionary arms race under the Red Queen hypothesis and epigenetic divergence in speciation.

Epigenetic Dynamics and Regulation of Plant Male Reproduction.

Flowering plant male germlines develop within anthers and undergo epigenetic reprogramming with dynamic changes in DNA methylation, chromatin modifications, and small RNAs. Profiling the epigenetic status using different technologies has substantially accumulated information on specific types of cells at different stages of male reproduction. Many epigenetically related genes involved in plant gametophyte development have been identified, and the mutation of these genes often leads to male sterility. Here, we review the recent progress on dynamic epigenetic changes during pollen mother cell differentiation, microsporogenesis, microgametogenesis, and tapetal cell development. The reported epigenetic variations between male fertile and sterile lines are summarized. We also summarize the epigenetic regulation-associated male sterility genes and discuss how epigenetic mechanisms in plant male reproduction can be further revealed.

Annual changes in ovarian development stages of farmed female red‐spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara, and inducing sexual maturity using photoperiod manipulation

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the correlation between melatonin and the reproductive mechanism of farmed female red‐spotted groupers, Epinephelus akaara. Through the reproductive cycle experiment, the sexual maturity period was determined to be from June to July, following which the spawning season occurred in August. In addition, kiss1, kiss2, and GPR54 mRNA expression levels peaked in January, whereas that of sbGnRH mRNA remained at high levels from January to May and decreased during the sexual maturity and spawning seasons. During the day–night cycle, a nocturnal rhythm of AANAT2 mRNA expression was observed in the brain, and AANAT2 mRNA expression showed a seasonal pattern with increased expression during summer compared with that in winter. A correlation between melatonin and reproduction‐related genes could not be observed via melatonin administration, and sexual maturity was observed to be more induced under long photoperiod conditions compared with short photoperiod conditions. These results indicate that the reproductive mechanism of the farmed female red‐spotted grouper is related to changes in photoperiod and melatonin, and further research is needed to clarify the reproductive mechanism. Our findings provide basic information for identifying the reproductive mechanisms of farmed E. akaara.

Historic and charming <italic>Monascus</italic> spp.

<p indent="0mm"><italic>Monascus</italic> species are well-known as fermentation strains in food and pharmaceutical industries in China. <italic>Monascus</italic> spp. have a long application history for more than <sc>2000 years.</sc> Red mold rice (RMR), also known as anka and Hongqu in China, is the fermented product of steamed rice inoculated with certain <italic>Monascus</italic> strains. Nowadays, RMR and its related products have been extensively applied in food and medicine industries. In these RMR products, <italic>Monascus</italic> strains produce two kinds of the most well-known secondary metabolites (SMs) <italic>Monascus</italic> pigments (MPs) and monacolin K (MK). MPs have been employed as natural food colorant in Southeast Asia over one thousand years. MK (also known as lovastatin), an anticholesterol compound, has been developed to be a hypolipidemic drug and food supplements. Today, RMR and its relative products mainly yielded in China are not only applied in Southeast Asia, but also exported to Europe and America. It is estimated that more than one billion people, around the world, eat RMR and other relative products in their daily life. Therefore, <italic>Monascus</italic> species are considered as one of the historic and charming fermentation strains in China. Theoretical researches and product development of <italic>Monascus</italic> strains have attracted wide attention and made fruitful scientific achievements, especially in recent <sc>30 years.</sc> In-depth studies regarding RMR have revealed that <italic>Monascus</italic> spp. not only produce beneficial SMs, MPs and MK, but also a mycotoxin citrinin (CIT). A substantial amount of researches has been successfully made to elucidate the biosynthetic pathways of these SMs and their regulation mechanism. These achievements not only serve as models of fungal SMs biosynthesis, but also provide a roadmap for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology towards the selective production of the more valuable components. Furthermore, <italic>Monascus</italic> spp. also are unique objects for researching fungal reproduction regulation and magnetic and/or light responses because <italic>Monascus</italic> spp. are found to be significantly different from the known filamentous fungi in these two fields. The progress on reproduction regulation of <italic>Monascus</italic> spp. revealed that the well-established conidiation central regulation in <italic>Aspergillus</italic> species is not applicable in their <italic>Monascus</italic> relatives. On the other hand, <italic>M</italic>.<italic> ruber</italic> M7 genome contains one red-light and two green-light receptors, but not any blue-light receptor ortholog is present in<italic> M</italic>.<italic> ruber </italic>M7 and other <italic>Monascus</italic> species, indicating a biologically significant difference between <italic>Monascus</italic> species and other filamentous fungi. Because of the unique reproduction mechanism, light and magnetic response and abundant SMs biosynthesis of <italic>Monascus</italic> spp., it is expected to enrich the theoretical understanding of filamentous fungi and even the biological world through further research on <italic>Monascus</italic> spp. Therefore, it demonstrates a great potential for developing <italic>Monascus</italic> spp. into a model microorganism. The key discussions and future prospects are also proposed from the aspects of faced challenge on <italic>Monascus</italic> spp. investigation and their products development.

Resonant Actualization of Cultural Codes as a Determinant of Mental and Social Transformations (Part 1)

The unification of cultural codes forms the basic set of code symbols (image+sense), which are the basis for recognition, orientation, social cooperation, and response to external appeals. The result of unification is a stable system of deterministic goal-setting and behavioral equivalents. Cultural codes, as a derivative of upbringing, education, and cultural landscape, are the result of spatiotemporal transformation (from fields of reception to displacement from consciousness and compression) of organized information constructs - "dominants" encoded in the form of electro/magnetic patterns. "Dominant" in this message is a generalized definition of organized, hierarchical constructs (packages) of information carriers, forced out of the conscious levels of the psyche and continuing to circulate in closed, reverberant neural circuits. The "dominants" forced out of consciousness circulate through recurrent neural circuits, the activity of which is reduced to several stable states, performing the functions of information retention. The electrical and magnetic parameters of the repressed "dominants" are the basic potential of frequency resonance upon presentation of a perceptual/cognitive construct that is close in frequency parameters - a "code key" at the entrance to the psyche system. The basic principle of information exchange is the formation of the initial resonance potential: the arsenal of "dominants," the concentration of information in frequency electro-magnetic patterns. The interaction of the "information universe" with the arsenal of "dominants" is a resonant process of frequency coincidence of the patterns of the "code key" and the "dominant" displaced from consciousness, which results in actualization, the appearance of an object of resonance in the field of voluntary attention, in consciousness. The updated "dominant," as a "resonant operator," determines the dynamics of the system as a whole for the period of relevance. The phase transition in the socio/cultural environment is the result of changes in the hidden meanings of social frames. The dynamics of the perception of the transformation of frames under changing (appearing new) hidden meanings ["habituation"&gt;"acceptability"&gt;"acceptability”] determines the growth of the frustration potential associated with acquired needs. The transformation of basic cultural codes rebuilds the mechanism of reproduction of the ethnocultural matrix and congruent social structures.