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At least 415 records · Page 23

Mitochondrial apoptotic sensor

Mitochondria are central to the intrinsic apoptotic pathway of programmed cell death. Commitment to cell death occurs upon mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, and dysregulation of this vital apoptotic control point is implicated in various pathologies. Provided herein are novel sensors which can detect, in real time and with great sensitivity, the release of protons from intact mitochondria caused by mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization. Embodiments include graphene based ion-sensitive field effect transistors.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Effects of the advanced organosolv pretreatment strategies on structural properties of woody biomass

Plants have evolved their lignocellulosic cell walls through complex structural and chemical mechanisms to protect itself against microbial attacks, which makes native lignocellulosic biomass recalcitrant to enzymatic deconstruction. Pretreatment is a crucial step in the biological conversion of biomass as it can render structural changes in the plant cell wall to reduce the biomass recalcitrance, thus enhancing its sugar release performance. There have been many efforts to develop effective pretreatment technologies to overcome the biomass recalcitrance with a primary focus on the efficient conversion of biomass carbohydrates to liquid fuels, while lignin is significantly underutilized despite its bulk amount and high-value opportunities. In this study, the effects of two recent organosolv pretreatment strategies, co-solvent enhanced lignocellulosic fractionation (CELF) and γ-Valerolactone (GVL) pretreatments, on physicochemical properties of poplar were investigated and compared with the effects of conventional ethanol organosolv pretreatment. Diverse physicochemical properties of biomass including chemical compositions, molecular weights of cellulose and lignin, aromatics and inter-unit linkages of lignin, lignin hydroxyl group contents, cellulose crystallinity, and accessible surface area of cellulose were analyzed before and after pretreatments. The results revealed how each organic solvent pretreatment system affected biomass structural characteristics and recalcitrance.

Meng, Xianzhi↗

Investigating the Impacts of Outdoor Lighting (Final Report)

This report documents the research associated with the Depart of Energy supported project “Investigating the Health Impact of Outdoor Lighting.” This project was developed to consider how alternative solid state lighting options, particularly the spectral power distribution, effected the hormone melatonin which ultimately could lead to potential health issues. The project also provides an opportunity to gather other secondary data with respect to visual performance in a controlled environment. These tasks were developed to consider how alternative solid state lighting applications impacted performance. This report is a complete documentation of the tasks undertaken as part of this project. The report includes a literature review and consideration of the background data which are part of this field of study as well as a documentation of the methods developed as part of the project. The melatonin results, the primary dependent variable are included in the attached peer-review paper that has been recent published (Gibbons et al., 2022). Our discussion of these results are included in that publication. Other results from this project will be documented in one or more future publications.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

2020 State of the Science Report, Chapter 12: Adaptive Management Related to Marine Renewable Energy

As the marine renewable energy (MRE) industry is rapidly ramped up from single devices to commercial-scale deployments, developers and regulators will need evidence of the environmental effects of MRE to inform project development and consenting/permitting (hereafter consenting) processes. Uncertainty surrounding the potential impacts of novel RE technologies on sensitive marine animals, habitats, and ecosystem processes means that even robust baseline environmental information cannot comprehensively address all pre-deployment knowledge gaps. Tools and practical approaches are needed to help with the sustainable development of the industry. Adaptive management (AM), also referred to as learning by/while doing, enables projects to be deployed incrementally, despite uncertainty, in a way that prevents unacceptable harm to the marine environment. If rigorously implemented, this approach may provide a reliable mechanism for closing knowledge gaps, thereby retiring risks for future MRE developments. This chapter explores and suggests a pathway for applying a passive approach to AM for the consenting of single devices and array-scale MRE projects. Complementary information is available online at https://tethys.pnnl.gov/state-of-thescience-2020 -supplementaryadaptive-management. https://tethys.pnnl.gov/publications/state-of-the-science-2020-chapter-12-adaptive-management

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Integrating environmental understanding into freshwater floatovoltaic deployment using an effects hierarchy and decision trees

Abstract In an era of looming land scarcity and environmental degradation, the development of low carbon energy systems without adverse impacts on land and land-based resources is a global challenge. ‘Floatovoltaic’ energy systems—comprising floating photovoltaic (PV) panels over water—are an appealing source of low carbon energy as they spare land for other uses and attain greater electricity outputs compared to land-based systems. However, to date little is understood of the impacts of floatovoltaics on the hosting water body. Anticipating changes to water body processes, properties and services owing to floatovoltaic deployment represents a critical knowledge gap that may result in poor societal choices and water body governance. Here, we developed a theoretically-derived hierarchical effects framework for the assessment of floatovoltaic impacts on freshwater water bodies, emphasising ecological interactions. We describe how the presence of floatovoltaic systems may dramatically alter the air-water interface, with subsequent implications for surface meteorology, air-water fluxes and physical, chemical and biological properties of the recipient water body. We apply knowledge from this framework to delineate three response typologies—‘ magnitude’ , those for which the direction and magnitude of effect can be predicted; ‘ direction’ , those for which only the direction of effect can be predicted; and ‘ uncertain’ , those for which the response cannot be predicted—characterised by the relative importance of levels in the effects hierarchy. Illustrative decision trees are developed for an example water body response within each typology, specifically, evaporative water loss, cyanobacterial biomass, and phosphorus release from bed sediments, and implications for ecosystem services, including climate regulation, are discussed. Finally, the potential to use the new understanding of likely ecosystem perturbations to direct floatovoltaic design innovations and identify future research priorities is outlined, showcasing how inter-sectoral collaboration and environmental science can inform and optimise this low carbon, land-sparing renewable energy for ecosystem gains.

Environmental Sciences & Ecology↗

Cost and Time Effective Lithography of Reusable Millimeter Size Bone Tissue Replicas With Sub‐15 nm Feature Size on A Biocompatible Polymer

Abstract The ability to replicate the microenvironment of biological tissues creates unique biomedical possibilities for stem cell applications. Current fabrication methods are limited by either the control on feature size and shape, or by the throughput and size of the replicas. Here, a novel platform is reported that combines thermal scanning probe lithography (tSPL) with innovative methodologies for the low‐cost and high‐throughput nanofabrication of large area quasi‐3D bone tissue replicas with high fidelity, sub‐15 nm lateral precision, and sub‐2 nm vertical resolution. This bio‐tSPL platform features a biocompatible polymer resist that withstands multiple cell culture cycles, allowing the reuse of the replicas, further decreasing costs and fabrication times. The as‐fabricated replicas support the culture and proliferation of human induced mesenchymal stem cells, which display broad therapeutic and biomedical potential. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that bio‐tSPL can be used to nanopattern the bone tissue replicas with amine groups, for subsequent tissue‐mimetic biofunctionalization. The achieved level of time and cost‐effectiveness, as well as the cell compatibility of the replicas, make bio‐tSPL a promising platform for the production of tissue‐mimetic replicas to study stem cell‐tissue microenvironment interactions, test drugs, and ultimately harness the regenerative capacity of stem cells and tissues for biomedical applications.

Liu, Xiangyu↗

Applicability for MELCOR Accident Code System (MACCS) to Model the Atmospheric Transport of Biological Contaminants

Characterization of airborne transmission behavior for biological contaminants is a critical aspect in developing public health guidelines in the event of an outbreak. Guidelines such as safe separation distances and physical protections (mask and face-shields) are heavily influenced by the particular biological airborne transmission risk, which depends on a multitude of factors and is not easily or readily determined, therefore potentially lagging behind the time sensitive need to inform effective public health guidelines. Herein is proposed a means to leverage the substantial investment over the last three decades of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the MACCS code suite developed at Sandia National Laboratories. This work includes augmenting the MACCS code to represent biological rather than radioactive contaminants in the atmosphere, therefore characterizing the airborne transmission risk for such contaminants and helping to inform critical and time sensitive public health guidelines.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Controlling the toxicity of biomass-derived difunctional molecules as potential pharmaceutical ingredients for specific activity toward microorganisms and mammalian cells

A biomass-derived difuran compound, denoted as HAH (HMF–acetone–HMF), synthesized by aldol-condensation of 5-hydroxyfurfural (HMF) and acetone, can be partially hydrogenated to provide an electron-rich difuran compound (PHAH) for Diels–Alder reactions with maleimide derivatives. The nitrogen (N) site in the maleimide can be substituted by imidation with amine-containing compounds to control the hydrophobicity of the maleimide moiety in adducts of furans and maleimide by Diels–Alder reaction, denoted as norcantharimides (Diels–Alder adducts). The structural effects on the toxicity of various biomass-derived small molecules synthesized in this manner to regulate biological processes, defined as low molecular weight (≤1000 g mol -1 ) organic compounds, were investigated against diverse microbial and mammalian cell types. The biological toxicity increased when hydrophobic N-substitutions and C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonds were introduced into the molecular structure. Among the synthesized norcantharamide derivatives, some compounds demonstrated pH-dependent toxicities against specific cell types. Reaction kinetics analyses of the norcantharimides in biological conditions suggest that this pH-dependent toxicity of norcantharimides could arise from retro Diels–Alder reactions in the presence of a Brønsted acid that catalyzes the release of an N-substituted maleimide, which has higher toxicity against fungal cells than the toxicity of the Diels–Alder adduct. These synthetic approaches can be used to design biologically-active small molecules that exhibit selective toxicity against various cell types (e.g., fungal, cancer cells) and provide a sustainable platform for production of prodrugs that could actively or passively affect the viability of infectious cells.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The α-synuclein hereditary mutation E46K unlocks a more stable, pathogenic fibril structure

Aggregation of α-synuclein is a defining molecular feature of Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and multiple systems atrophy. Hereditary mutations in α-synuclein are linked to both Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia; in particular, patients bearing the E46K disease mutation manifest a clinical picture of parkinsonism and Lewy body dementia, and E46K creates more pathogenic fibrils in vitro. Understanding the effect of these hereditary mutations on α-synuclein fibril structure is fundamental to α-synuclein biology. We therefore determined the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of α-synuclein fibrils containing the hereditary E46K mutation. The 2.5-Å structure reveals a symmetric double protofilament in which the molecules adopt a vastly rearranged, lower energy fold compared to wild-type fibrils. We propose that the E46K misfolding pathway avoids electrostatic repulsion between K46 and K80, a residue pair which form the E46-K80 salt bridge in the wild-type fibril structure. We hypothesize that, under our conditions, the wild-type fold does not reach this deeper energy well of the E46K fold because the E46-K80 salt bridge diverts α-synuclein into a kinetic trap—a shallower, more accessible energy minimum. The E46K mutation apparently unlocks a more stable and pathogenic fibril structure.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

In silico trials predict that combination strategies for enhancing vesicular stomatitis oncolytic virus are determined by tumor aggressivity

Background Immunotherapies, driven by immune-mediated antitumorigenicity, offer the potential for significant improvements to the treatment of multiple cancer types. Identifying therapeutic strategies that bolster antitumor immunity while limiting immune suppression is critical to selecting treatment combinations and schedules that offer durable therapeutic benefits. Combination oncolytic virus (OV) therapy, wherein complementary OVs are administered in succession, offer such promise, yet their translation from preclinical studies to clinical implementation is a major challenge. Overcoming this obstacle requires answering fundamental questions about how to effectively design and tailor schedules to provide the most benefit to patients. Methods We developed a computational biology model of combined oncolytic vaccinia (an enhancer virus) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) calibrated to and validated against multiple data sources. We then optimized protocols in a cohort of heterogeneous virtual individuals by leveraging this model and our previously established in silico clinical trial platform. Results Enhancer multiplicity was shown to have little to no impact on the average response to therapy. However, the duration of the VSV injection lag was found to be determinant for survival outcomes. Importantly, through treatment individualization, we found that optimal combination schedules are closely linked to tumor aggressivity. We predicted that patients with aggressively growing tumors required a single enhancer followed by a VSV injection 1 day later, whereas a small subset of patients with the slowest growing tumors needed multiple enhancers followed by a longer VSV delay of 15 days, suggesting that intrinsic tumor growth rates could inform the segregation of patients into clinical trials and ultimately determine patient survival. These results were validated in entirely new cohorts of virtual individuals with aggressive or non-aggressive subtypes. Conclusions Based on our results, improved therapeutic schedules for combinations with enhancer OVs can be studied and implemented. Our results further underline the impact of interdisciplinary approaches to preclinical planning and the importance of computational approaches to drug discovery and development.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Organic carbon feedbacks to soil structure in Profundihumic and Haplic Ferralsols in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Increasing soil organic matter content coincides with increasing soil porosity and decreasing bulk density, but the mechanisms that lead to changes in soil structure are unclear. We quantified and compared soil characteristics across two contrasting soils (heavily weathered ferralsols in Brazil) to clarify the effects of organic matter content on soil porosity. We found that high organic matter content fosters higher biologic activity, including root growth and animal burrowing, which in turn increase soil porosity and decreases bulk density.This dataset includes soil physical, morophological, and chemical variables from 6 soil profiles were sampled in Campinas, Sa ̃o Paulo state, southeastern Brazil to 1 m depth. Sites are regenerated mixed savanna and rainforest in the protected area of Viracopos Airport in Campinas, lightly grazed by cattle.This dataset includes soil color, bulk density, texture (percent sand, silt, clay, and coarse fragments as well as class), soil pH, cation exchange capacity, C stock, C concentration, N stock, N concentration, delta 13C, Delta 14C, and soil porosity in Excel and csv format.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-Dk1 Duke Forest-open field

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Dk1 Duke Forest-open field. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Dk1 Duke Forest-open field produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - The Duke Forest grass field is approximately 480×305 m, dominated by the C3 grass Festuca arundinacea Shreb. (tall fescue) includes minor components of C3 herbs and the C4 grass Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash, not considered here. The site was burned in 1979 and is mowed annually during the summer for hay according to local practices. Lai, C.T. and G.G. Katul, 2000, "The dynamic role of root-water uptake in coupling potential to actual transpiration" , Advances in Water Resources, 23, 427-439; Novick , K.A., P. C. Stoy, G. G. Katul, D. S. Ellsworth, M. B. S. Siqueira, J. Juang, R. Oren, 2004, Carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange in a warm temperate grassland, Oecologia, 138, 259-274; Stoy PC, Katul GG, Siqueira MBS, Juang J-Y, McCarthy HR, Oishi AC, Uebelherr JM, Kim H-S, Oren R (2006). Separating the effects of climate and vegetation on evapotranspiration along a successional chronosequence in the southeastern U.S. Global Change Biology 12:2115-2135

Oishi, Chris [USDA Forest Service]↗

Oridonin interrupts cellular bioenergetics to suppress glioma cell growth by down‐regulating PCK2

We aim to evaluate the tumor metabolic suppressive activity of Oridonin (extract of Rabdosia rubescens ) in glioma and elucidate its potential mechanism. Effects of Oridonin on U251/U87 cells were determined by CCK8, RTCA, colony formation, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell assay. Xenograft tumor model to evaluate the effect of Oridonin on glioma cells in vivo. Cellular bioenergetics were measured by Seahorse. RNA‐seq was performed to screen potential biological pathways in Oridonin treated cells. Bioinformatics analysis of PCK2 in glioma was performed based on TCGA/CGGA. Endogenous PCK2 was knocked‐down by lentivirus packaged shRNA. We found Oridonin significantly inhibited cell growth in U251/U87 in vitro and in vivo. Both oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) were decreased in Oridonin‐treated U251/U87 cells. Oridonin treatment led to PCK2 down‐regulation. Additionally, PCK2 was up‐regulated in higher grade glioma and correlated with poor outcomes. Furthermore, PCK2 depletion significantly inhibited cell growth and decreased OCR/ECAR in U251/U87 which coincided with the effects of Oridonin. Therefore, we evaluated the potent anti‐tumor property of Oridonin in glioma. Importantly, we demonstrated that PCK2 might be a novel target of Oridonin on glioma by inducing energy crisis and increasing oxidative stress.

Lin, Jianhu↗

Janthinobacter additions reduce rotifer grazing of microalga Microchloropsis salina in biotically complex communities

Grazing and parasitism in algal production systems are significant causes of crop loss. Biological control of algal ponds, such as application of protective bacteria, represents a promising alternative to current mitigation strategies. The major barriers to probiotic methods are the lack of identified protective bacteria and uncertainty of scale-up effects, including potential negative interactions with the resident algal microbiome. Here, we report that application of Janthinobacter lividum affords robust protection against rotifer (Brachionus plicatilis) grazing on Microchloropsis salina. Protection was observed at laboratory scale from live bacteria and solvent extract additions as well as in biologically complex communities from bacterial additions to outdoor mesocosms. J. lividum persisted in outdoor communities for at least 3 days following addition, and did not lead to selective exclusion of specific taxa in the resident microbiome. These results demonstrate that J. lividum can provide protection against grazers in these diverse communities, without severe effects on the resident microbiome. Our results suggest that J. lividum is a promising treatment to mitigate algal crop losses due to pests. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of an ecologically-informed approach to algal crop management that will aid future applications in the biological control of algal ponds.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

QTL × environment interactions underlie ionome divergence in switchgrass

Abstract Ionomics measures elemental concentrations in biological organisms and provides a snapshot of physiology under different conditions. In this study, we evaluate genetic variation of the ionome in outbred, perennial switchgrass in three environments across the species’ native range, and explore patterns of genotype-by-environment interactions. We grew 725 clonally replicated genotypes of a large full sib family from a four-way linkage mapping population, created from deeply diverged upland and lowland switchgrass ecotypes, at three common gardens. Concentrations of 18 mineral elements were determined in whole post-anthesis tillers using ion coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). These measurements were used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) with and without QTL-by-environment interactions (QTLxE) using a multi-environment QTL mapping approach. We found that element concentrations varied significantly both within and between switchgrass ecotypes, and GxE was present at both the trait and QTL level. Concentrations of 14 of the 18 elements were under some genetic control, and 77 QTL were detected for these elements. Seventy-four percent of QTL colocalized multiple elements, half of QTL exhibited significant QTLxE, and roughly equal numbers of QTL had significant differences in magnitude and sign of their effects across environments. The switchgrass ionome is under moderate genetic control and by loci with highly variable effects across environments.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Gut microbiota and its therapeutic implications in tumor microenvironment interactions

The development of cancer is not just the growth and proliferation of a single transformed cell, but its tumor microenvironment (TME) also coevolves with it, which is primarily involved in tumor initiation, development, metastasis, and therapeutic responses. Recent years, TME has been emerged as a potential target for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the clinical efficacy of treatments targeting the TME, especially its specific components, remains insufficient. In parallel, the gut microbiome is an essential TME component that is crucial in cancer immunotherapy. Thus, assessing and constructing frameworks between the gut microbiota and the TME can significantly enhance the exploration of effective treatment strategies for various tumors. In this review the role of the gut microbiota in human cancers, including its function and relationship with various tumors was summarized. In addition, the interaction between the gut microbiota and the TME as well as its potential applications in cancer therapeutics was described. Furthermore, it was summarized that fecal microbiota transplantation, dietary adjustments, and synthetic biology to introduce gut microbiota-based medical technologies for cancer treatment. This review provides a comprehensive summary for uncovering the mechanism underlying the effects of the gut microbiota on the TME and lays a foundation for the development of personalized medicine in further studies.

Feng, Pengya↗

Identification of Colletotrichum aenigma as the new causal agent of leaf blight disease on Aucuba japonica Thunb., and screenings of effective fungicides for its sustainable management

Aucuba japonica Thunb is an evergreen woody ornamental plant with significant economic and ecological values. It also produces aucubin, showing a variety of biological activities. It is widely planted in the southwest region of China, including karst landscape areas in Guizhou Province. In January 2022, a serious leaf blight disease was observed on the leaves of A. japonica in the outdoor gardens of Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China. The causal agent was identified as Colletotrichum aenigma through amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, translation of the chitin synthase ( CHS ) and actin ( ACT ) genes, and morphological characterizations. Koch’s postulates were confirmed by its pathogenicity on healthy leaves, including re-isolation and identification. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. aenigma causing leaf blight on A. japonica worldwide. To identify pathogen characteristics that could be utilized for future disease management, the effects of temperature and light on mycelial growth, conidia production, and conidial germination, and the effects of humidity on conidial germination were studied. Optimal temperatures for mycelial growth of C. aenigma BY827 were 25–30°C, while 15°C and 35°C were favorable for conidia production. Concurrently, alternating 10-h light and 14-h dark, proved to be beneficial for mycelial growth and conidial germination. Additionally, conidial germination was enhanced at 90% humidity. In vitro screenings of ten chemical pesticides to assess their efficacy in suppressing C. aenigma representative strain BY827. Among them, difenoconazole showed the best inhibition rate, with an EC 50 (concentration for 50% of maximal effect) value of 0.0148 μg/ml. Subsequently, field experiment results showed that difenoconazole had the highest control efficiency on A. japonica leaf blight (the decreasing rate of disease incidence and decreasing rate of disease index were 44.60 and 47.75%, respectively). Interestingly, we discovered that C. aenigma BY827 may develop resistance to mancozeb, which is not reported yet among Colletotrichum spp. strains. In conclusion, our study provided new insights into the causal agent of A. japonica leaf blight, and the effective fungicides evaluated provided an important basis and potential resource for the sustainable control of A. japonica leaf blight caused by C. aenigma in the field.

Fan, Ruidong↗

Anti‐adhesive effects of sialic acid and Lactobacillus plantarum on Staphylococcus aureus in vitro

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common food‐borne pathogen that causes severe diseases after adhesion to epithelial cells. Lactobacillus inhibits pathogenic bacterial adhesion and infection. In addition, sialic acid (SA) is widely known for its beneficial biological functions. A new way of reducing the occurrence of diseases and curbing the overuse of antibiotics is ingesting prebiotics and probiotics that regulate the intestinal flora. In this study, we first evaluated the anti‐adhesive effects of several strains of Lactobacillus on S. aureus . The study revealed that the S. aureus adhesion was inhibited by all the strains of Lactobacillus . Besides, the rate of inhibition by L. plantarum Z‐4 was significantly higher than other Lactobacillus species . We then investigated the effects of different SA concentrations (40, 100, 150, 200, and 260 μg/ml) on the growth and adhesion characteristics of L. plantarum and S. aureus . The results showed that SA influences bacterial adhesion by regulating the bacteria's growth characteristics. Finally, the effects of SA combined with Lactobacillus on the adhesion of S. aureus were assessed by competition, exclusion and displacement methods. SA with a concentration of 260 μg/mL combined with L. plantarum had the highest inhibition effect on the competition assays. In addition, the expression of S. aureus adhesion‐related genes was reduced. This provides a new perspective on the application of SA and/or L. plantarum and its potential to resist adhesion of S. aureus .

Lu, Yingying↗