Transduction Factors Research Articles

Experimentally validated model and power optimization of a magnetoelectric wireless power transfer system in free-free configuration

This article presents a thorough analysis and an equivalent circuit model of a wireless power transfer system utilizing magnetoelectric (ME) effects. Based on two-port theory, explicit analytical solutions of, (i) the ME coefficient (defined by the derivative of the generated electric field with respect to the applied magnetic field), and (ii) the power transferred to a load resistance, are derived and rigorously validated by experiments. The compact closed-forms of the optimal load and its corresponding maximum output power are developed. In our particular experimental system, a power of ∼10 mW is attained at an applied magnetic flux density of 318.9 µT with a laminated composite made by two Galfenol and one PZT layers. While is widely used in the literature as a standard criterion to evaluate the performance of a ME transducer, we reveal that larger does not always ensure higher optimum power delivered to the load. Instead, we quantify the essential influences of each magnetostrictive and piezoelectric phases on the maximum obtainable power. We show that the transduction factor between the magnetic and mechanical domains is often more critical for power optimization than the mechanical-electrical transduction factor as it determines and limits the maximum power available for transfer to a resistive load.

Oxidative Stress and New Pathogenetic Mechanisms in Endothelial Dysfunction: Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart and pathological circulatory conditions, are the world’s leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Endothelial dysfunction involved in CVD pathogenesis is a trigger, or consequence, of oxidative stress and inflammation. Endothelial dysfunction is defined as a diminished production/availability of nitric oxide, with or without an imbalance between endothelium-derived contracting, and relaxing factors associated with a pro-inflammatory and prothrombotic status. Endothelial dysfunction-induced phenotypic changes include up-regulated expression of adhesion molecules and increased chemokine secretion, leukocyte adherence, cell permeability, low-density lipoprotein oxidation, platelet activation, and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration. Inflammation-induced oxidative stress results in an increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mainly derived from mitochondria. Excessive ROS production causes oxidation of macromolecules inducing cell apoptosis mediated by cytochrome-c release. Oxidation of mitochondrial cardiolipin loosens cytochrome-c binding, thus, favoring its cytosolic release and activation of the apoptotic cascade. Oxidative stress increases vascular permeability, promotes leukocyte adhesion, and induces alterations in endothelial signal transduction and redox-regulated transcription factors. Identification of new endothelial dysfunction-related oxidative stress markers represents a research goal for better prevention and therapy of CVD. New-generation therapeutic approaches based on carriers, gene therapy, cardiolipin stabilizer, and enzyme inhibitors have proved useful in clinical practice to counteract endothelial dysfunction. Experimental studies are in continuous development to discover new personalized treatments. Gene regulatory mechanisms, implicated in endothelial dysfunction, represent potential new targets for developing drugs able to prevent and counteract CVD-related endothelial dysfunction. Nevertheless, many challenges remain to overcome before these technologies and personalized therapeutic strategies can be used in CVD management.

Transcriptomic analysis of short-term heat stress response in Pinellia ternata provided novel insights into the improved thermotolerance by spermidine and melatonin

Heat stress has been a major environmental factor limiting the growth and development of Pinellia ternata which is an important Chinese traditional medicine. It has been reported that spermidine (SPD) and melatonin (MLT) play pivotal roles in modulating heat stress response (HSR). However, the roles of SPD and MLT in HSR of P. ternata, and the potential mechanism is still unknown. Here, exogenous SPD and MLT treatments alleviated heat-induced damages in P. ternata, which was supported by the increased chlorophyll content, OJIP curve, and relative water content, and the decreased malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage. Then, RNA sequencing between CK (control) and Heat (1 h of heat treatment) was conducted to analyze how genes were in response to short-term heat stress in P. ternata. A total of 14,243 (7870 up- and 6373 down-regulated) unigenes were differentially expressed after 1 h of heat treatment. Bioinformatics analysis revealed heat-responsive genes mainly included heat shock proteins (HSPs), ribosomal proteins, ROS-scavenging enzymes, genes involved in calcium signaling, hormone signaling transduction, photosynthesis, pathogen resistance, and transcription factors such as heat stress transcription factors (HSFs), NACs, WRKYs, and bZIPs. Among them, PtABI5, PtNAC042, PtZIP17, PtSOD1, PtHSF30, PtHSFB2b, PtERF095, PtWRKY75, PtGST1, PtHSP23.2, PtHSP70, and PtLHC1 were significantly regulated by SPD or MLT treatment with same or different trends under heat stress condition, indicating that exogenous application of MLT and SPD might enhance heat tolerance in P. ternata through regulating these genes but may with different regulatory patterns. These findings contributed to the identification of potential genes involved in short-term HSR and the improved thermotolerance by MLT and SPD in P. ternata, which provided important clues for improving thermotolerance of P. ternata.

Low shear stress regulates vascular endothelial cell pyroptosis through miR-181b-5p/STAT-3 axis.

Low shear stress and pyroptosis both play an important role in the onset and development of atherosclerosis (AS). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a kind of short (18-22) nucleotide sequences that can bind to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of messenger RNA, thereby regulating programmed cell death including pyroptosis. However, the function of miRNAs in cells subjected to shear stress conditions is unknown. Therefore, we conducted the current study to demonstrate the effect of low shear stress on pyroptosis and the underlying mechanism. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated by undisturbed shear stress (5 dynes/cm2 ) were the experimental group while HUVECs without shear stress treatment were the control group in our experiments. We observed that shear stress can suppress mechanosensitive miR-181b-5p expression, accompanying the elevated expression of NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis. Introduction of miR-181b-5p could alleviate NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis. Luciferase assay showed specific binding of miR-181b-5p to the 3'-UTR of signal transduction and transcriptional activation factor 3 (STAT-3) gene. Inhibition of STAT-3 gene expression at the posttranscriptional level results in the alleviation of NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent pyroptosis. Besides, the silencing of STAT-3 reduced anti-miR-181b-5p-mediated HUVEC pyroptosis via regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Given the role of mechanosensitive miR-181b-5p and STAT-3 in the shear stress-induced pyroptosis, regulation of their expression levels may be a promising strategy to control AS.

Identification of differential expressed proteins and establishing a defense proteome of sugarcane in response to Colletotrichum falcatum infection

Defense proteome of sugarcane in response to red rot pathogen Colletotrichum falcatum was established for the first time upon analyzing the differentially expressed proteins of resistant and susceptible cultivars through two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry. The proteomes of red rot resistant (Co 93009) and susceptible varieties (CoC 671) showed significant differences in their protein expression after pathogen inoculation. The resistant variety showed a dynamic activation and regulation of cellular components upon infection from the pathogen, whereas the response was submissive in the susceptible variety. A total of 136 differentially expressed proteins were characterized by MALDI-TOF and the identified proteins were grouped into seven broad categories based on their putative functions. The major portion of the up-regulated proteins belonged to signal transduction, transcription/ transcription factors, metabolism, defense/ stress and retroelements. Among the down-regulated proteins, majority belonged to metabolism, cell growth and development, followed by signal transduction and transcription factors. The important proteins identified by MALDI-TOF analyses were of those involved in various defense/ cellular functions such as cyclic nucleotide gated ion channel protein, callose synthase, R2R3-MYB transcription factor MYB6, WRKY transcription factor, putative p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase, PISTILLATA-like protein, flagellar associated protein, class III HD-Zip protein HDZ34, calcium dependent protein kinase, DNAJ heat shock protein, polyphenoloxidase, cytokinin oxidase 3, NB-ARC domain containing protein, NADH dehydrogenase, UDP glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase, ACC synthase and putative disease resistance protein. The isolation and characterization of differentially expressed proteins would help us to understand the complex host-pathogen interaction at molecular level during the course of disease development/ progression.

A novel insight into nitrogen and auxin signaling in lateral root formation in tea plant [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze

BackgroundTea plant (Camellia sinensis) is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages worldwide. In tea, lateral roots (LRs) are the main organ responsible for the absorption of moisture and mineral nutrients from the soil. Lateral roots formation and development are regulated by the nitrogen and auxin signaling pathways. In order to understand the role of auxin and nitrogen signaling in LRs formation and development, transcriptome analysis was employed to investigate the differentially expressed genes involved in lateral roots of tea plants treated with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA), low and high concentrations of nitrogen.ResultsA total of 296 common differentially expressed genes were identified and annotated to four signaling pathways, including nitrogen metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, glutathione metabolism and transcription factors. RNA-sequencing results revealed that majority of differentially expressed genes play important roles in nitrogen metabolism and hormonal signal transduction. Low nitrogen condition induced the biosynthesis of auxin and accumulation of transcripts, thereby, regulating lateral roots formation. Furthermore, metabolism of cytokinin and ethylene biosynthesis were also involved in lateral roots development. Transcription factors like MYB genes also contributed to lateral roots formation of tea plants through secondary cell wall biosynthesis. Reversed phase ultra performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC) results showed that the auxin concentration increased with the decreased nitrogen level in lateral roots. Thus, tea plant lateral roots formation could be induced by low nitrogen concentration via auxin biosynthesis and accumulation.ConclusionThis study provided insights into the mechanisms associated with nitrogen and auxin signaling pathways in LRs formation and provides information on the efficient utilization of nitrogen in tea plant at the genetic level.

Characterization of cold stress responses in different rapeseed ecotypes based on metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses.

The winter oilseed ecotype is more tolerant to low temperature than the spring ecotype. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses of leaf samples of five spring Brassica napus L. (B. napus) ecotype lines and five winter B. napus ecotype lines treated at 4 °C and 28 °C were performed. A total of 25,460 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the spring oilseed ecotype and 28,512 DEGs of the winter oilseed ecotype were identified after cold stress; there were 41 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in the spring and 47 in the winter oilseed ecotypes. Moreover, more than 46.2% DEGs were commonly detected in both ecotypes, and the extent of the changes were much more pronounced in the winter than spring ecotype. By contrast, only six DEMs were detected in both the spring and winter oilseed ecotypes. Eighty-one DEMs mainly belonged to primary metabolites, including amino acids, organic acids and sugars. The large number of specific genes and metabolites emphasizes the complex regulatory mechanisms involved in the cold stress response in oilseed rape. Furthermore, these data suggest that lipid, ABA, secondary metabolism, signal transduction and transcription factors may play distinct roles in the spring and winter ecotypes in response to cold stress. Differences in gene expression and metabolite levels after cold stress treatment may have contributed to the cold tolerance of the different oilseed ecotypes.

Scaling laws of electromagnetic and piezoelectric seismic vibration energy harvesters built from discrete components

This paper presents a theoretical study on the scaling laws of electromagnetic and piezoelectric seismic vibration energy harvesters, which are assembled from discrete components. The scaling laws are therefore derived for the so called meso-scale range, which is typical of devices built from distinct elements. Isotropic scaling is considered for both harvesters such that the shape of the components and of the whole transducers do not change with scaling. The scaling analyses are restricted to the case of linearly elastic seismic transducers subject to tonal ambient vibrations at their fundamental natural frequency, where the energy harvesting is particularly effective. Both resistive-reactive and resistive optimal electric harvesting loads are considered. The study is based on equivalent formulations for the response and power harvesting of the two transducers, which employ the so called electromagnetic and piezoelectric power transduction factors, Πcm2 and Πpe2. The scaling laws of the transduction coefficients and electrical and mechanical parameters for the two transducers are first provided. A comprehensive comparative scaling analysis is then presented for the harvested power, for the power harvesting efficiency and for the stroke of the two harvesters. Particular attention is dedicated to the scaling laws for the dissipative effects in the two harvesters, that is the Couette air losses and eddy currents losses that develop in the electromagnetic harvester and the material, air and dielectric losses that arise in the piezoelectric harvester. The scaling laws emerged from the study, are thoroughly examined and interpreted with respect to equivalent mechanical effects produced by the harvesting loads.

MicroRNA expression profiles in the esophagus of children with caustic stenosis: A pathway towards esophageal cancer?

BackgroundEighty percent of caustic ingestions occur in children and esophageal neoplasms may develop as a late complication of such injury. The identification of biomarkers is a promising strategy to improve early diagnosis of esophageal cancer or caustic lesions that are at an increased risk of progression. Study design/aimsThis study aimed at identifying global microRNA (miRNA) expression changes in esophageal mucosa from children with caustic stenosis. The study included 27 biopsy samples from 15 patients. Samples were divided into two groups, according to the time elapsed after injury (N = 15 in Group A, with less than five years of follow-up and N = 12 in Group B, with more than five years of follow-up). miRNA expression profiles were determined in each lesion, compared with normal esophageal tissues from control group. We used the TaqMan Human MicroRNA Arrays (Thermo Fisher) platform. Furthermore, bioinformatic algorithms were used to identify miRNA target genes and biological pathways including miRNAs and their target genes potentially associated with esophageal disease. ResultsThirteen miRNAs were significantly deregulated (9 over- and 4 underexpressed) in patients from Group A. In patients from Group B, two miRNAs were over- and two were underexpressed. Of note, miR-374 and miR-574 were deregulated in Group B patients and have been linked to esophageal tumorigenesis. We identified signal transduction and transcription factor networks with genes strongly related to development and progression of esophageal cancer. ConclusionmiRNAs identified here contribute to a better understanding of pathways associated with malignant transformation from caustic stenosis to neoplastic lesions. This study may serve as a basis for validation of miRNAs, including miR-374 and miR-574, as potential biomarkers of early cancer detection.

Phospho-PTM proteomic discovery of novel EPO- modulated kinases and phosphatases, including PTPN18 as a positive regulator of EPOR/JAK2 Signaling

The formation of erythroid progenitor cells depends sharply upon erythropoietin (EPO), its cell surface receptor (erythropoietin receptor, EPOR), and Janus kinase 2 (JAK2). Clinically, recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) additionally is an important anti-anemia agent for chronic kidney disease (CKD), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and chemotherapy, but induces hypertension, and can exert certain pro-tumorigenic effects. Cellular signals transduced by EPOR/JAK2 complexes, and the nature of EPO-modulated signal transduction factors, therefore are of significant interest. By employing phospho-tyrosine post-translational modification (p-Y PTM) proteomics and human EPO- dependent UT7epo cells, we have identified 22 novel kinases and phosphatases as novel EPO targets, together with their specific sites of p-Y modification. New kinases modified due to EPO include membrane palmitoylated protein 1 (MPP1) and guanylate kinase 1 (GUK1) guanylate kinases, together with the cytoskeleton remodeling kinases, pseudopodium enriched atypical kinase 1 (PEAK1) and AP2 associated kinase 1 (AAK1). Novel EPO- modified phosphatases include protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type A (PTPRA), phosphohistidine phosphatase 1 (PHPT1), tensin 2 (TENC1), ubiquitin associated and SH3 domain containing B (UBASH3B) and protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 18 (PTPN18). Based on PTPN18's high expression in hematopoietic progenitors, its novel connection to JAK kinase signaling, and a unique EPO- regulated PTPN18-pY389 motif which is modulated by JAK2 inhibitors, PTPN18's actions in UT7epo cells were investigated. Upon ectopic expression, wt-PTPN18 promoted EPO dose-dependent cell proliferation, and survival. Mechanistically, PTPN18 sustained the EPO- induced activation of not only mitogen-activated protein kinases 1 and 3 (ERK1/2), AKT serine/threonine kinase 1–3 (AKT), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5A and 5B (STAT5), but also JAK2. Each effect further proved to depend upon PTPN18's EPO- modulated (p)Y389 site. In analyses of the EPOR and the associated adaptor protein RHEX (regulator of hemoglobinization and erythroid cell expansion), wt-PTPN18 increased high molecular weight EPOR forms, while sharply inhibiting the EPO-induced phosphorylation of RHEX-pY141. Each effect likewise depended upon PTPN18-Y389. PTPN18 thus promotes signals for EPO-dependent hematopoietic cell growth, and may represent a new druggable target for myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Functional prediction of Tanreqing Injection in brain diseases

The study explores the application of Tanreqing Injection into brain components in brain diseases. The components of Tanreqing Injection and its existing components in rat cerebrospinal fluid were qualitatively analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS). The possible mechanism of action of Tanreqing Injection into brain on brain diseases was predicted by network pharmacological theory. In this study, 17 brain-entry components of Tanreqing Injection were founded, and 222 core targets were obtained from network pharmacological results. The biological processes include 31 items such as negative regulation of apoptotic process, MAPK cascade, Ras protein signal transduction, and 22 items such as PI3 K-Akt signal transduction, MAPK signal transduction and neurotrophic factor signal transduction. Nine brain diseases including stroke, migraine and meningioma were screened out by predicting the effect of Tanreqing Injection on brain components, which provide ideas and directions for further study of a certain encephalopathy and lay a theoretical foundation for further revealing its molecular mechanism.

The signaling mechanisms involved in the dimorphic phenomenon of the Basidiomycota fungus Ustilago maydis.

In the present manuscript, we describe the mechanisms involved in the yeast-to-hypha dimorphic transition of the plant pathogenic Basidiomycota fungus Ustilago maydis. During its life cycle, U. maydis presents two stages: one in the form of haploid saprophytic yeasts that divide by budding and the other that is the product of the mating of sexually compatible yeast cells (sporidia), in the form of mycelial dikaryons that invade the plant host. The occurrence of the involved dimorphic transition is controlled by the two mating loci a and b. In addition, the dimorphic event can be obtained in vitro by different stimuli: change in the pH of the growth medium, use of different carbon sources, and by nitrogen depletion. The presence of other factors and mechanisms may affect this phenomenon; among these, we may cite the PKA and MAPK signal transduction pathways, polyamines, and factors that affect the structure of the nucleosomes. Some of these factors and conditions may affect all these dimorphic events, or they may be specific for only one or more but not all the processes involved. The conclusion reached by these experiments is that U. maydis has constituted a useful model for the analysis of the mechanisms involved in cell differentiation of fungi in general.

Effects of suppressing Smads expression on wound healing in Hyriopsis cumingii

As a specific pearl mussel in China, Hyriopsis cumingii has enormous economic value. However, the organism damage caused by pearl insertion is immeasurable. TGF-β/Smad signal transduction pathways are involved in all phases of wound healing. We have previously reported on two cytoplasmic signal transduction factors, Smad3 and Smad5 in mussel H. cumingii (named HcSmads), suggesting their involvements in wound healing. Here, Smad4 was cloned and described. The full length cDNA of HcSmad4 was 2543 bp encoded 515 amino acids. Deduced HcSmad4 protein possessed conserved MH1 and MH2 domains, nuclear location signals (NLS), nuclear exput signals (NES) and Smad activation domain (SAD). Transcripts of Smad3, 4 and 5 were constitutively expressed in all detected tissues, at highest levels in muscles. Furthermore, HcSmad4 mRNA levels were significantly increased at incision site post wounding, and expression of downstream target genes of Smad4, such as HcMMP1, HcMMP19, HcTIMP1 and HcTIMP2 were upregulated to a certain extent. Whatever knocked down HcSmad3/4 or treated by specific inhibitors of Smad 3 (SIS3), expression levels of these genes displayed a significantly downregulated tendency compared with the wound group. In addition, histological evaluation suggested that Smad3 knockdown or SIS3 treatment was accelerated wound healing, and then Smad4 knockdown delayed the process of wound healing in mussels. These data implicate that Smad3/4 play an important role in tissue repair in mollusks.

Peripheral Maintenance of the Axis SIRT1-SIRT3 at Youth Level May Contribute to Brain Resilience in Middle-Aged Amateur Rugby Players.

Physical exercise performed regularly is known to improve health and to reduce the risk of age-related diseases. Furthermore, there is some evidence of cognitive improvement in physically active middle-aged and older adults. We hypothesized that long-term physically active middle-aged men may have developed brain resilience that can be detected with the analysis of peripheral blood markers. We aimed to analyze the activation of pathways potentially modulated by physical activity in a cohort of healthy amateur rugby players (n = 24) and control subjects with low physical activity (n = 25) aged 45–65 years. We had previously reported neuropsychological improvement in immediate memory responses in the player group compared to the controls. Here, we tested the expression of selected genes of longevity, inflammation, redox homeostasis, and trophic signaling in whole blood mRNA. Analyses were also performed on blood samples of young (aged 15–25 years) control subjects with low physical activity (n = 21). Physical activity and other lifestyle factors were thoroughly recorded with standardized questionnaires. Interestingly, middle-aged control subjects showed lower levels of expression of SIRT1, SIRT3, CAT, and SOD1 than the young controls, although rugby players maintained the expression levels of these genes at a young-like level. Middle-aged players showed lower levels of IL1B than the non-physically active groups. However, there was a tendency towards a decrease in trophic and transduction factors in middle-aged groups as compared to the young controls. A statistical study of Spearman’s correlations supported a positive effect of sporting activity on memory and executive functions, and on peripheral gene expression of SIRT1, SIRT3 and downstream genes, in the middle-aged rugby players. Our results indicate that the SIRT1-SIRT3 axis, and associated neuroprotective signaling, may contribute to the anti-aging resilience of the brain mediated by physical exercise.

Activation of Uterine Smad3 Pathway Is Crucial for Embryo Implantation.

Embryo implantation is a complicated physiological process tightly regulated by multiple biological molecules including growth factors. Transforming growth factor-betas (TGF-βs) and their most specific signal transduction factors, Smads, are expressed in the endometrium during the window of implantation. Recent researches indicated that Smad dependent TGF-β signaling may play an important role in the process of embryo implantation. In this study, we measured the expression of TGF-β1, TGF-β receptor type I (TβRI), Smad3 and p-Smad3 in the endometrium of mice and observed their elevation on day 4, 5 and 6 of pseudopregnancy. Then we administrated a specific Smad3 inhibitor (Sis3) into the uterine cavity of mice on day 3 of pregnancy. The results showed a reduction in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGFBP-1) expression and the decreased number of implanted embryo after the administration. In addition, Sis3 was found to reduce the IGFBP-1 secretion in decidualized endometrial stromal cells. Taken all together, our findings demonstrated that TGF-β/Smad3 signaling is involved in the process of embryo implantation.

Thermomechanical-Noise-Limited Capacitive Transduction of Encapsulated MEM Resonators

The thermomechanical motion imposes the fundamental noise limit in room-temperature resonant sensors and oscillators. Due to the inherently low sensitivity of capacitive transduction in microelectromechanical (MEM) resonators, its effects are often masked by noise in the subsequent amplifier and measurement stages. In this work, we demonstrate a capacitive transduction scheme for measuring kHz-MHz frequency MEM resonators across 1 $\mu \text{m}$ capacitive gaps with 99.8% thermomechanical-noise-limited resolution. We delineate the transimpedance gain and noise of our custom off-chip differential transimpedance amplifier setup. The thermomechanical noise spectrum can provide estimates of the resonant frequency, quality factor, and electromechanical transduction factor comparable to the commonly used driven response, without the downsides of capacitive feedthrough or nonlinearity. [2019-0115]

DNA damage in human skin and the capacities of natural compounds to modulate the bystander signalling.

Human skin is a stratified organ frequently exposed to sun-generated ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which is considered one of the major factors responsible for DNA damage. Such damage can be direct, through interactions of DNA with UV photons, or indirect, mainly through enhanced production of reactive oxygen species that introduce oxidative changes to the DNA. Oxidative stress and DNA damage also associate with profound changes at the cellular and molecular level involving several cell cycle and signal transduction factors responsible for DNA repair or irreversible changes linked to ageing. Crucially, some of these factors constitute part of the signalling known for the induction of biological changes in non-irradiated, neighbouring cells and defined as the bystander effect. Network interactions with a number of natural compounds, based on their known activity towards these biomarkers in the skin, reveal the capacity to inhibit both the bystander signalling and cell cycle/DNA damage molecules while increasing expression of the anti-oxidant enzymes. Based on this information, we discuss the likely polypharmacology applications of the natural compounds and next-generation screening technologies in improving the anti-oxidant and DNA repair capacities of the skin.

Influence of PM2.5 on spermatogenesis dysfunction via the reactive-oxygen-species-mediated Mitogen-activated-protein-kinase signaling pathway

Approximately 15 % of the world‘s couples confront childless, and about 50 % of them are due to male reproductive disorders. Several previous studies demonstrated that PM2.5 particles has been consistently associated with critical human sperm reduction and impairment of human sperm chromatin and DNA from traffic exhaust pollution. Blood-testis barrier (BTB), a critically physical barrier between the seminiferous tubules and the blood vessels prevents sperm antigens from entering the blood circulation and facilitating and initiating an autoimmune response that contributing to spermatogenesis interference. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the redox-sensitive signal transduction factors activation, such as Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), p 38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) that critically influence BTB disruption. After PM2.5 exposure, there are decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression, increased malondialdehyde (MDA) expression, increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) expression, increased expression of the four junctional proteins (β-catenin, Cx43, occludin, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1)), thus improve sperm quality and quantity. PM2.5 particles markedly induce increasing phosphorylation of MAPKs via the ROS-mediated MAPK signaling pathway that causes BTB disruption, but this effect is lesser in the vitamins C and E intervention as well as increasing cleaved caspase-3 expression and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. In conclusion, combined therapeutic administration of vitamins C and E can maintain the BTB integrity, reduce oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, and prevent toxic effects.

GhEIN3, a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) homologue of AtEIN3, is involved in regulation of plant salinity tolerance

Ethylene insensitive 3 (EIN3), a key transcription factor in ethylene signal transduction, play important roles in plant stress signaling pathways. In this study, we isolated and characterized an EIN3-like gene from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), designated as GhEIN3. GhEIN3 is highly expressed in vegetative tissues, and its expression is induced by 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) and NaCl. Ectopic expression of GhEIN3 in Arabidopsis elevated plants’ response to ethylene, which exhibit smaller leaves, more root hairs, shorter roots and hypocotyls. The germination rate, survival rate and root length of GhEIN3 transgenic plants were significantly improved compared to wild type under salt stress. GhEIN3 transgenic plants accumulated less H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA), while higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities were detected under salt stress. In addition, expression of several genes related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway and ABA signaling pathway was increased in the GhEIN3 transgenic plants under salt stress. In contrast, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of GhEIN3 in cotton enhanced the sensitivity of transgenic plants to salt stress, accumulating higher H2O2 and MDA and lower SOD and POD activities compared to control plants. Collectively, our results revealed that GhEIN3 might be involved in the regulation of plant response to salt stress by regulating ABA and ROS pathway during plant growth and development.

Role of STAT3 in Resistance of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

近年来，肿瘤炎症微环境对非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）耐药影响的机制研究刚刚起步，信号传导及转录激活因子3（signal transducers and activators of transcription 3, STAT3）作为连接炎症和肿瘤的关键信号通路分子，其活化可引起肿瘤细胞中诸多基因沉默、表达异常及基因的不稳定等，诱导化疗、靶向药物治疗耐药，有望成为潜在的逆转耐药的新靶点。本综述阐述了STAT3在NSCLC获得性耐药中的研究进展，以探讨其作为逆转耐药新靶点的可能性，为NSCLC获得性耐药的临床治疗新策略提供理论依据。