CDK1 promotes the proliferation of melanocytes in Rex rabbits

Dai Yingying,Hu Shuaishuai,Bai Shaocheng,Li Jiali,Yang Naisu,Zhai Pin,Zhao Bohao,Chen Yang,Wu Xinsheng 한국유전학회 2022 Genes & Genomics Vol.44 No.10

Background: The fur color constitutes one of the most important economic characteristics of fur animals and is determined by the content of melanin. A previous study has shown that the cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) is a member of the protein kinase family, involved in forming the color of the fur in Rex rabbits. However, its effect on the melanocytes remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to provide evidence for the role of CDK1 in melanogenesis. Methods: This study measured the expression of CDK1 in Rex rabbit skins of six coat colors using qRT-PCR. The CDK1-mediated regulation of the pigmentation-related genes and cyclin-dependent kinases were analyzed. The melanin content, proliferation, and apoptosis of the melanocytes were analyzed using the NaOH, CCK8, and Annexin V-FITC methods. Results: The CDK1 expression in the skin of the rex rabbits with different coat colors was found to be regular, and the expression level was found to be the highest in the skin of the black rex rabbits (P < 0.05). The overexpression/knockdown of CDK1 was found to significantly increase/decrease the melanin content in the melanocytes (P < 0.01). Besides, CDK1 was found to significantly promote the proliferation of the melanocyte and inhibit apoptosis (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the overexpression of CDK1 was found to significantly affect the expression of the other melanin-related genes like TYR, PMEL, DCT, as well as the mRNA expression of the cyclin-dependent kinases CDK4, CDK6, CDK8, CCNB1. Conclusions: The results indicated that CDK1 can serve as a key gene regulating melanogenesis, melanocyte proliferation, and apoptosis, providing a new theoretical basis for studying the mechanism by which the different colors of the fur evolve in mammals.

Mitochondrial genome of Euchirus longimanus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and phylogenetic relationship of Euchirini

Yu Yingying,Lee Seunghyun,Jin Lijie,Bai Ming 한국응용곤충학회 2023 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.26 No.4

The long-armed scarab beetles, a charismatic group within the small tribe Euchirini, are characterized by their large body sizes and distinctly elongated forelegs in males. While mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced for two of the included genera, Cheirotonus and Propomacrus, the type genus of the tribe, Euchirus, remains unexplored. It will provide valuable insights into the phylogenetic position and internal relationships of the Euchirini to investigate the mitochondrial genome of Euchirus and conduct phylogenetic analyses. In this study, it presents the first mitochondrial genome of Euchirus longimanus. The length of the mitochondrial genome of Euchirus longimanus is 16,591 bp. We analyzed its genes arrangement, base composition, codon usage frequency, and constructed phylogenetic trees based on the nucleic acid sequences of 13 protein-coding genes. The phylogenetic results are consistent with previous studies, confirming the phylogenetic position of Euchirini within the paraphyletic Melolonthinae. Notably, we firstly elucidate the phylogenetic relationship among all three genera: Propomacrus + (Cheirotonus + Euchirus), supported by robust values in Bayesian inference (BI) analysis. However, the maximum likelihood (ML) tree shows weaker support for the internal node of Euchirini and exhibits distinct topological variations compared to the BI tree, suggesting the potential paraphyly of Cheirotonus with the inclusion of Euchirus longimanus. These findings highlight the importance of including additional species of Euchirus and Cheirotonus in the future phylogenetic investigations to achieve a compre hensive understanding of their evolutionary relationships.

Construction of a Streptomyces lydicus A01 Transformant with a chit42 Gene from Trichoderma harzianum P1 and Evaluation of Its Biocontrol Activity against Botrytis cinerea

Qiong Wu,Linquan Bai,Weicheng Liu,Yingying Li,Caige Lu,Yaqian Li,Kehe Fu,Chuanjin Yu,Jie Chen 한국미생물학회 2013 The journal of microbiology Vol.51 No.2

Streptomyces lydicus A01 and Trichoderma harzianum P1are potential biocontrol agents of fungal diseases in plants. S. lydicus A01 produces natamycin to bind the ergosterol of the fungal cell membrane and inhibits the growth of Botrytis cinerea. T. harzianum P1, on the other hand, features high chitinase activity and decomposes the chitin in the cell wall of B. cinerea. To obtain the synergistic biocontrol effects of chitinase and natamycin on Botrytis cinerea, this study transformed the chit42 gene from T. harzianum P1 to S. lydicus A01. The conjugal transformant (CT) of S. lydicus A01 with the chit42 gene was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Associated chitinase activity and natamycin production were examined using the 3, 5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS)method and ultraviolet spectrophotometry, respectively. The S. lydicus A01-chit42 CT showed substantially higher chitinase activity and natamycin production than its wild type strain (WT). Consequently, the biocontrol effects of S. lydicus A01-chit42 CT on B. cinerea, including inhibition to spore germination and mycelial growth, were highly improved compared with those of the WT. Our research indicates that the biocontrol effect of Streptomyces can be highly improved by transforming the exogenous resistance gene, i.e. chit42from Trichoderma, which not only enhances the production of antibiotics, but also provides a supplementary function by degrading the cell walls of the pathogens.

Effects of prolonged photoperiod on growth performance, serum lipids and meat quality of Jinjiang cattle in winter

Yu, Yan,Qiu, Jingyun,Cao, Jincheng,Guo, Yingying,Bai, Hui,Wei, Shengjuan,Yan, Peishi Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2021 Animal Bioscience Vol.34 No.9

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the potential effects of prolonged photoperiod on the serum lipids, carcass traits, and meat quality of Jinjiang cattle during winter. Methods: Thirty-four Jinjiang bulls aged between 14 and 16 months were randomly assigned to two groups that were alternatively subjected to either natural daylight +4 h supplemental light (long photoperiod, LP) or natural daylight (natural photoperiod, NP) for 96 days. The potential effects on the levels of serum lipids, carcass traits, meat quality, and genes regulating lipid metabolism in the intramuscular fat (IMF) of the cattle were evaluated. Results: Jinjiang cattle kept under LP showed significant increase in both dry matter intake and backfat thickness. the serum glucose and the plasma leptin levels were significantly reduced, while that of melatonin and insulin were observed to be increased. The crude fat contents of biceps femoris muscle and longissimus dorsi muscle were higher in LP than in NP group. In longissimus dorsi muscle, the proportions of C17:0 and C18:0 were significantly higher but that of the C16:1 was found to be significantly lower in LP group. The relative mRNA expressions in IMF of longissimus dorsi muscle, the lipid synthesis genes (proliferator-activated receptor gamma, fatty acid-binding protein) and the fatty acid synthesis genes (acetyl-coa carboxylase, fatty acid synthetase, 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase) were significantly up-regulated in LP group (p<0.05); whereas the hormone-sensitive lipase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 were significantly down-regulated in LP than in NP group. Conclusion: Prolonged photoperiod significantly altered the growth performance, hormonal levels, gene expression and fat deposition in Jinjiang cattle. It suggested that the LP improved the fat deposition by regulating the levels of different hormones and genes related to lipid metabolism, thereby improving the fattening of Jinjiang cattle during winter.

Quantification of Fat Concentration and Vascular Response in Brown and White Adipose Tissue of Rats by Spectral CT Imaging

Xin-Gui Peng,Zhen Zhao,Di Chang,Yingying Bai,Qiuzhen Xu,Shenghong Ju 대한영상의학회 2020 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.21 No.2

Objective: The purpose of the study was to non-invasively characterize and discriminate brown adipose tissue (BAT) from white adipose tissue (WAT) in rats using spectral computed tomography (CT) with histological validation. Materials and Methods: A lipid-containing phantom (lipid fractions from 0% to 100%) was imaged with spectral CT. An in vivo, non-enhanced spectral CT scan was performed on 24 rats, and fat concentrations of BAT and WAT were measured. The rats were randomized to receive intraperitoneal treatment with norepinephrine (NE) (n = 12) or saline (n = 12). Non-enhanced and enhanced spectral CT scans were performed after treatment to measure the elevation of iodine in BAT and WAT. The BAT/ aorta and WAT/aorta ratios were calculated and compared, after which isolated BAT and WAT samples were subjected to histological and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) analyses. Results: The ex-vivo phantom study showed excellent linear fit between measured fat concentration and the known gravimetric reference standard (r2 = 0.996). In vivo, BAT had significantly lower fat concentration than WAT (p < 0.001). Compared to the saline group, the iodine concentration of BAT increased significantly (p < 0.001) after injection of NE, while the iodine concentration of WAT only changed slightly. The BAT/aorta ratio also increased significantly after exposure to NE compared to the saline group (p < 0.001). Histological and UCP1 expression analyses supported the spectral CT imaging results. Conclusion: The study consolidates spectral CT as a new approach for non-invasive imaging of BAT and WAT. Quantitative analyses of BAT and WAT by spectral CT revealed different characteristics and pharmacologic activations in the two types of adipose tissue.

Proteomic analyses on the browning of shade-dried Thompson seedless grape

Liu Fengjuan,Huang Wenshu,Feng Zuoshan,Tao Yongxia,Fan Yingying,He Weizhong,Li XiaoLi,Fang Xiaotong,Wang Cheng,Bai Yujia 한국응용생명화학회 2021 Applied Biological Chemistry (Appl Biol Chem) Vol.64 No.3

China is one of the main producers in the worldwide raisin market. Most China’s raisins are produced in Xinjiang where the Thompson seedless grape ( Vitis vinifera L.cv.Thompson seedless) is the main variety of green raisin. However, the browning of Thompson seedless grape during drying has been well-acknowledged as the primary factor affecting the development of the raisin industry. Data independent acquisition (DIA)-based protein profiling was performed on fresh and shade-dried Thompson seedless grapes. As a result, 5431 proteins were identified, among which the amounts of 739 proteins in fresh grape were found to be significantly different with those in dried grape. The functional annotation based on the Blast2GO showed that the ‘organic substance metabolic process’, ‘regulation of molecular function’, ‘enzyme regulator activity’, and ‘isomerase activity’ related proteins became very active during browning. Further analyses revealed that the browning-related proteins, which with significant different amounts in fresh and in dried grapes, are primarily involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, tyrosine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation metabolism, plutathione metabolism, peroxisome pathway, and fatty acid degradation. And five random differential proteins were verified with parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). The PRM results were in agreement with the DIA data. The main browning-related proteins of Thompson seedless grape were identified in this study. Their properties were tested, and their roles in the browning mechanism were indicated. This will lay base to a better understanding on the enzymatic browning of Thompson seedless grape, and it will also provide guidance for controlling the quality of Thompson seedless grapes in industry.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 9 Overexpression Reduces Osteosarcoma Cell Migration and Invasion

Zilan Lv,Ya-guang Weng,Dandan Yang,Jie Li,Min Hu,Min Luo,Xiaoqin Zhan,Peipei Song,Chen Liu,Huili Bai,Baolin Li,Yang Yang,Yingying Chen,Qiong Shi 한국분자세포생물학회 2013 Molecules and cells Vol.36 No.2

Transforming growth factor- (TGF-) is known to pro-mote tumor migration and invasion. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of the TGF- family expressed in a variety of human carcinoma cell lines. The role of bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9), the most powerful osteogenic factor, in osteosarcoma (OS) progression has not been fully clarified. The expression of BMP9 and its receptors in OS cell lines was analyzed by RT-PCR. We found that BMP9 and its receptors were expressed in OS cell lines. We further investigated the influence of BMP9 on the biological behaviors of OS cells. BMP9 overexpression in the OS cell lines 143B and MG63 inhibited in vitro cell migration and invasion. We further investigated the ex-pression of a panel of cancer-related genes and found that BMP9 overexpression increased the phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8 proteins, increased the expression of ID1, and reduced the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) in OS cells. BMP9 silencing induced the opposite effects. We also found that BMP9 may not affect the chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12)/C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) axis to regulate the invasiveness and metastatic capacity of OS cells. Interestingly, CXCR4 was expressed in both 143B and MG63 cells, while CXCL12 was only detected in MG63 cells. Taken together, we hypothesize that BMP9 inhibits the migration and invasiveness of OS cells through a Smad-dependent pathway by downregulating the expression and activity of MMP9.