Convergent domestication of bitter apples and pears by selecting mutations of MYB transcription factors to reduce proanthocyanidin levels.

Fruit domestication has long aimed to reduce bitterness, yet the molecular mechanisms behind this trait remain only partially understood. Wild apples and pears naturally accumulate high levels of bitter proanthocyanidins (PAs), also known as condensed tannins. In this study, a convergent domestication process was identified in both fruits, involving the selection of weak alleles of MYB transcription factors that regulate PA biosynthesis.

Ultrasound-Mediated Non-Specific Splenic Immunopotentiation to Elicit Broad-Spectrum Anti-Neoplastic Effects.

Background: Splenic immunomodulation triggered by ultrasound shows a significant anti-inflammatory effect against various inflammatory diseases, whose mechanism is mainly attributable to the activation of cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP). However, the potential role and underlying mechanism of splenic ultrasound stimulation in cancer management have been rarely reported and superficially defined.

Methods: Following optimization of ultrasonic parameters, this study evaluated the anti-tumor efficacy of splenic sonication across multiple tumor models (eg, orthotopic H22 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), orthotopic Hepa1-6 HCC, and subcutaneous 4T1 breast cancer), and applied flow cytometry to quantify dynamic alterations in immune cell populations.

Vinburnine potentiates anti-PD1 immunotherapy in melanoma through IL-24 secretion via P38/MAPK/ATF3 signaling.

Background: Melanoma, a highly aggressive and immunogenic skin cancer, often develops resistance to immunotherapy due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Although PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have significantly improved treatment outcomes, 30%-40% of patients exhibit no response or develop resistance. Mechanisms such as T-cell exhaustion within the TME limit therapeutic efficacy, necessitating the exploration of novel strategies to enhance immune responses.

STN1 facilitates metastasis by promoting transcription of EMT-activator ZEB1 in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) poses a serious clinical challenge, demanding further exploration of its pathogenesis and therapeutic targets for metastasis, the main cause of mortality. Here, we identify STN1, a CST complex member crucial for maintaining telomere lengths and genome stability, as a key factor in promoting PDAC metastasis. Elevated STN1 levels correlate with poor patient survival, with oncogenic protein HOXB7 as an upstream transcription factor regulating STN1.

Silencing microRNA172 delays fruit ripening in apple (Malus domestica) through an AP2-ERF transcriptional regulation mechanism.

MicroRNA172 (miR172) regulates many processes of plant development, including flowering and fruit growth, yet its function in fruit ripening remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that silencing miR172 in apple (Malus domestica) delays fruit ripening, which correlates with a postponed onset of climacteric ethylene production. At harvest, miR172-silenced fruit displayed lower respiration rates than wild-type (WT) fruit, although these rates re-aligned with WT after 12 weeks of cool storage.

Metabolic cross-feeding of a dietary antioxidant enhances anaerobic energy metabolism by human gut bacteria.

The degradation of complex carbohydrates and other macromolecules by human gut bacteria generates metabolites that are used by neighboring microbes for anaerobic respiration. However, it is largely unknown whether cross-feeding of other dietary compounds can drive energy-yielding redox reactions in the gut. We show that gut bacteria from different phyla cross-feed a common dietary antioxidant to produce energy under anaerobic conditions.

Multi-omics prediction of axillary treatment response and tumour microenvironment alterations in lymph node-positive luminal breast cancer.

Luminal breast cancer (BC) with axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis is typically treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Theoretically, patients who achieve pathological lymph node complete response after NAC can be exempted from ALN dissection and even have the possibility of being spared axillary surgery. However, there is no effective way to preoperatively assess whether a metastatic ALN achieved pathological lymph node complete response (pLCR) after NAC.

Association of serum proinflammatory factors with clinical response to ranibizumab for diabetic macular edema.

The present study aimed to investigate the role of circulating plasma inflammatory factors as predictors for the clinical response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). An observational clinical study was conducted with 58 participants confirmed to have DME involving the foveal center. Participants with a central retinal thickness (CRT) of 320 µm or greater were treated with intravitreal Ranibizumab.

Retrospective Review of Children Hospitalized for Epstein-Barr Virus-Related Infectious Mononucleosis.

Objectives: Our objective was to investigate the clinical characteristics, complications, and treatment outcomes of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related infectious mononucleosis (IM) in children and to identify risk factors associated with prolonged fever and abnormal liver function.

Methods: This retrospective study included 3006 children admitted to Shenzhen Children's Hospital from May 2009 to April 2024 with suspected EBV-related IM. After excluding cases without etiological evidence and those with underlying diseases, 2660 cases were analyzed.

Kaempferol Alleviates Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Mice by Regulating Intestinal Short-Chain Fatty Acids.

Liver fibrosis remains a critical health concern with limited therapeutic options. Kaempferol (Kae) is a natural flavonoid widely present in natural plants, yet its role in modulating gut-liver axis interactions during fibrosis is unexplored. This study investigates the hepatoprotective effects of Kae on alleviating carbon tetrachloride (CCl)-induced liver fibrosis, and its underlying mechanisms, focusing on oxidative stress, gut microbiota, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), are revealed.

Crizotinib: A Novel Strategy to Reverse Immunosuppression in Melanoma by Targeting Lactate Transport.

Lactate is a vital metabolite in cancer, significantly impacting tumor progression, metastasis, and overall survival. The CD147-monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) complex, a major lactate transporter, has emerged as a promising therapeutic target. However, no effective protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors targeting the CD147-MCT1 complex have been identified.

The clinical outcomes of ultra-low-dose radiotherapy for primary conjunctival mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Purpose: To assess the treatment efficacy, long-term outcomes and ocular toxicity of ultra-low-dose radiotherapy (4 Gy) in managing conjunctival mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma.

Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 15 patients with conjunctival MALT lymphoma between 2020 and 2022, who received 4 Gy radiotherapy (RT) delivered in consecutive 2-Gy fractions. The long-term outcomes included response rate, response time, recurrences or progression, and RT-related toxic effects.

Ubiquitination in cancer: mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities.

Ubiquitination, a key post-translational modification, plays an essential role in tumor biology by regulating fundamental cellular processes, such as metabolism and cell death. Additionally, it interacts with other post-translational modifications, which are closely linked to tumorigenesis, tumor progression, the tumor microenvironment, and the response to therapeutic interventions. Recent advancements in understanding the ubiquitination mechanisms have led to significant breakthroughs, offering novel perspectives and strategies for diagnosing and treating tumors.

Integrated Volatile Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Analyses Revealed the Regulatory Mechanism of Aroma Compound Synthesis Induced by Microenvironmental Changes in Purple Tea Leaves.

Tea plants with distinct leaf colours, such as purple, have attracted attention for their potential economic and flavour-related benefits. To investigate how purple mutations influence aroma composition, we analyzed 64 tea germplasms (Camellia sinensis) with varying degrees of purple pigmentation, integrating microenvironmental data, volatile metabolomics and transcriptomics. Purple tea exhibited reduced accumulation of volatile phenylpropanoids/benzenoids (VPBs), higher surface temperatures and enrichment of stress-responsive genes, leading to increased levels of fatty acid-derived volatiles (FADVs) and volatile terpenoids (VTs).

Next-generation sequencing-based tools or nanopore-based tools: which is more suitable for short tandem repeats genotyping of nanopore sequencing?

Motivation: Short tandem repeats (STRs) are widely recognized as critical genetic markers for individual identification. Nanopore sequencing technology holds promise as an effective tool for onsite STR detection owing to its portability. Initially, low sequencing quality led to the development of various genotyping tools specifically tailored for nanopore data.

Bidirectional Phosphorescent Neuroplasticity for All-Optical Neurovision.

All-optical neuromorphics that can capture, process, and output photonic signals are in prospect to advance optical computing and imaging. Bidirectional neuroplasticity is essential for executing training and inference in optical neural networks, but most of the all-optical hardware only exhibits unidirectional weight modulation. Here, we explore bidirectional neuroplasticity in carbon dot phosphorescence (CDP) with potentiation and depression synaptic behaviors capable of neuroregulation for photonic intensity.

Association of proBNPage with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among US adults: an analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objective: Biological age assessed by the Klemera and Doubal method (KDM) and phenotypic age (PhenoAge) was considered as a marker for ageing-related outcomes because it reflects different aspects of biological ageing and health, which are associated with increased risk of death. proBNPage based on N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a novel index for biological age estimation. However, the independence of its relationship with clinical outcomes from established risk factors, KDM or PhenoAge remains uncertain.

Mild and ultrafast GLORI enables absolute quantification of mA methylome from low-input samples.

Methods for absolute quantification of N-methyladenosine (mA) have emerged as powerful tools in epitranscriptomics. We previously reported GLORI, a chemical-assisted approach to achieve unbiased and precise mA measurement. However, its lengthy reaction time and severe RNA degradation have limited its applicability, particularly for low-input samples.

Syntaxin-6 restricts SARS-CoV-2 infection by facilitating virus trafficking to autophagosomes.

Despite the diminishing global impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus continues to circulate and undergo mutations, posing ongoing challenges for public health. A comprehensive understanding of virus entry mechanisms is crucial for managing new epidemic strains. However, the cellular processes post-endocytosis remain largely unexplored.

Enhancing mechanical and heat-resistant properties of melt-spun ploy (lactic acid) fiber via crystal structure regulation: The synergistic effects of long-chain branching and drawing process.

The fabrication of ploy (lactic acid) (PLA) fiber with adjustable crystal structure and property still remains a great challenge. In this work, a series of melt-spun PLA fibers with increased strength and heat-resistance are prepared via crystal structure, which is caused by the synergistic effects of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) long-chain branching (LCB) modification and drawing process. The chemical structure of LCB-PLA resin is confirmed by the NMR and FTIR spectrum, which indicates that PLA is successfully modified by DCP free radical reaction through reactive extrusion.

Multifunctional Chitosan-Covalent Bonded Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Composite Binder for Enhanced Electrochemical Performances of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are considered as one of the most promising next-generation energy-storage devices because of their high energy density. However, the long-term use of LSBs is mainly limited by polysulfide shuttling and cathode structural degradation caused by volume changes during charging and discharging. To address these issues, a multifunctional, high-performance aqueous binder is developed by modifying a natural polysaccharide with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs).

Wu-Mei-Wan promotes ferroptosis in gallbladder cancer through STAT3 negative regulation: An integrated HPLC, proteomics, network pharmacology, and experimental validation study.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: As a traditional Chinese medicine, Wu-Mei-Wan (WMW) has shown promise as a second-line treatment for gallbladder cancer, but its mechanism remains to be explored.

Aim Of The Study: To determine the specific mechanism of WMW active ingredients (Palmatine et al.) inducing ferroptosis in gallbladder cancer (GBC) and its synergistic potential with gemcitabine.

Tumor-Derived Exosomal circ_0020095 Promotes Colon Cancer Cell Proliferation and Metastasis by Inhibiting M1 Macrophage Polarization.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) have been shown to regulate colon cancer (CC) progression. However, it is not clear whether tumor-derived exosomal circular RNA (circRNA) regulates TAM to influence CC progression. The expression levels of circ_0020095, M1 macrophage markers, M2 macrophage markers, and interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) were determined by qRT-PCR.

Fast Proton NMR Detection of Aqueous Ammonia with Relaxation Agent and Nitrogen Decoupling.

The Haber-Bosch process, which synthesizes ammonia (NH) from nitrogen (N) and hydrogen (H), consumes approximately 2% of the global energy supply. A sustainable alternative is the direct electrochemical conversion of N to NH. The selectivity and activity of the electrocatalysts for this process are assessed by quantifying the NH present in the electrolyte.

Post-ejaculatory inhibition of female sexual drive via heterogeneous neuronal ensembles in the medial preoptic area.

Male ejaculation acutely suppresses sexual motivation in male mice. In contrast, relatively little is known about how male ejaculation affects sexual motivation and sexual behavior in female mice. How the brain responds to the completion of mating is also unclear.