Combined LRRK2 mutation, aging and chronic low dose oral rotenone as a model of Parkinson’s disease

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SWATH-MS Quantitative analysis of proteins in the rice inferior and superior spikelets during grain filling

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Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Background: Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. // Methods: We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung's disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. // Findings: We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung's disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middle-income countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in low-income countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. // Interpretation: Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Completion of tricin biosynthesis pathway in rice: Cytochrome P450 75B4 is a unique chrysoeriol 5'-hydroxylase.

Flavones are ubiquitously accumulated in land plants, but their biosynthesis in monocots remained largely elusive until recent years. Recently, we demonstrated that the rice (Oryza sativa) cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP93G1 and CYP93G2 channel flavanones en route to flavone O-linked conjugates and C-glycosides, respectively. In tricin, the 3′,5′-dimethoxyflavone nucleus is formed before O-linked conjugations. Previously, flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylases belonging to the CYP75A subfamily were believed to generate tricetin from apigenin for 3′,5′-O-methylation to form tricin. However, we report here that CYP75B4 a unique flavonoid B-ring hydroxylase indispensable for tricin formation in rice. A CYP75B4 knockout mutant is tricin deficient, with unusual accumulation of chrysoeriol (a 3′-methoxylated flavone). CYP75B4 functions as a bona fide flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase by restoring the accumulation of 3′-hydroxylated flavonoids in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) transparent testa7 mutants and catalyzing in vitro 3′-hydroxylation of different flavonoids. In addition, overexpression of both CYP75B4 and CYP93G1 (a flavone synthase II) in Arabidopsis resulted in tricin accumulation. Specific 5′-hydroxylation of chrysoeriol to selgin by CYP75B4 was further demonstrated in vitro. The reaction steps leading to tricin biosynthesis are then reconstructed as naringenin → apigenin → luteolin → chrysoeriol → selgin → tricin. Hence, chrysoeriol, instead of tricetin, is an intermediate in tricin biosynthesis. CYP75B4 homologous sequences are highly conserved in Poaceae, and they are phylogenetically distinct from the canonical CYP75B flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase sequences. Recruitment of chrysoeriol-specific 5′-hydroxylase activity by an ancestral CYP75B sequence may represent a key event leading to the prevalence of tricin-derived metabolites in grasses and other monocots today

Identification of defense-related genes in sorghum responding to the challenge by Colletotrichum sublineolum

Sorghum is one of the five top cereal crops in the world. It is an annual grass that is extremely drought tolerant, making it an excellent choice for arid and dry areas. Colletotriclum sublineolum, one of the more important genera of plant pathogenic fungi, causes anthracnose in sorghum, affecting leaves, stems, peduncles, panicles and grains, either separately or all together. Sorghum anthracnose, one of the most important sorghum diseases, limits grain production in most growing regions around the world. Suppression subtractive hybridization was used to identify sorghum genes induced in defense response. Two cDNA libraries enriched for transcripts differentially expressed in C. sublineolum -infected and uninfected sorghum (cultivar DK18, which is resistant to C. sublineolum) were generated. After differentially screening by membrane-based hybridization and subsequent confirmation by reverse northern blot analysis, selected clones were sequenced and analyzed. Seventy-five unique cDNA clones were obtained and assigned into fourteen different groups according to the putative functions of their homologous genes in the database. Most of these clones were not previously classified as being induced in response to pathogens. Further analysis and characterisation will be discussed