Shrub encroachment into grasslands poses a global concern, impacting species biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Yet, the effect of shrub encroachment on herbaceous diseases and the dependence of that effect on climatic factors remain ambiguous. This study spans over 4,000 km, examining significant variability in temperature and precipitation. Our findings reveal that herbaceous plant species richness diminishes the pathogen load of foliar fungal diseases of herbaceous plants in both shrub and grassland patches. Temperature emerges as the primary driver of variations in herbaceous biomass and pathogen load within herbaceous plant communities. Disparities in herbaceous biomass between shrub and grassland patches elucidate changes in pathogen load. In colder regions, shrub encroachment diminishes herbaceous biomass and pathogen load. Conversely, in warmer regions, shrubs either do not reduce or even amplify pathogen load. These discoveries underscore the necessity for adaptive management strategies tailored to specific shrub encroachment scenarios. Shrub encroachment into grasslands affects species biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, but its impact on herbaceous diseases and the role of climatic factors remain unclear. This study finds that shrubs reduce pathogen load in colder regions but may increase it in warmer regions, with temperature being the primary driver of these variations.
Aim Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most lethal thyroid malignancy. Identification of novel drug targets is urgently needed. Materials & Methods We re-analyzed several GEO datasets by systematic retrieval and data merging. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered out. We also performed pathway enrichment analysis to interpret the data. We predicted key genes based on protein–protein interaction networks, weighted gene co-expression network analysis and genes’ cancer/testis expression pattern. We also further characterized these genes using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project and gene ontology annotation. Results Cell cycle-related pathways were significantly enriched in upregulated genes in ATC. We identified TRIP13 , DLGAP5 , HJURP , CDKN3 , NEK2 , KIF15 , TTK , KIF2C , AURKA and TPX2 as cell cycle-related key genes with cancer/testis expression pattern. We further uncovered that most of these putative key genes were critical components during chromosome segregation. Conclusion We predicted several key genes harboring potential therapeutic value in ATC. Cell cycle-related processes, especially chromosome segregation, may be the key to tumorigenesis and treatment of ATC.
Chinese fir (Cunninghamia Lanceolata Lamb, Hook) is generally considered a superior timber in southern China and other areas in the world. In the past few decades, aluminum (Al) toxicity has become one of biggest stress factors in the production and growth of Chinese fir, although this species prefers an acidic environment. To date, the selection of indicator species for Al toxicity remains critical in the field, and Al toxicity has not been successfully treated by artificially controlling Chinese fir plantations. To assess the Al toxicity risk, the height of the dominant tree, the concentration of calcium (Ca2+)/Al3+ in soil solution, and the concentration of Ca2+ / [Ca2+ + iron (Fe3+) + Al3+] in litter leached organic acids were introduced. The results indicated that eight plots had suffered Al toxicity. The threshold of Al toxicity was 37.53 mg kg−1 in soil or 1.39 mmol L−1 in soil solution, a pH of 4.15, a Ca2+ / (Ca2+ + Fe3+ + Al3+) molar ratio of 0.487, and a Ca2+/Al3+ molar ratio of 1.599. The positive effects of exogenous nutrition (Ca, phosphorus [P], and nitrogen [N]) on the growth of Cunninghamia lanceolata seedlings was also studied in pot experiments based on results in the field. The cation nutrition can lead to detoxification, and the exogenous nutrition thresholds were Ca2+/ Al3+ ≥ 2.8, phosphorus (P)/ Al3+ ≥ 4.4, ammonium (NH4 −)–nitrogen (N) / Al3+ ≥ 4.5. The data presented in this study are very helpful for the understanding of the degree of Al toxicity and have notable significance for the management of Chinese fir plantations.
Biological invasions pose a global challenge, affecting ecosystems worldwide and human societies. Knowledge of the evolutionary history of invasive species is critical to understanding their current invasion success and projecting their future spread. However, to date, few studies have addressed the evolutionary history and potential future spread of invaders simultaneously. In this study, we explored both evolutionary history and spatiotemporal dynamic patterns of the distribution of Reynoutria japonica, known as one of the world's worst plant invaders. We analysed 265 R. japonica samples from its current geographical ranges across three continents, using seven chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) markers to establish the phylogenetic relationships among extant populations. We combined these with ecological niche modelling to infer historical and more recent migration patterns and predict potential future distribution changes under climate change. Our results indicate that climate fluctuations and sea level changes likely facilitated the expansion of R. japonica from southern Japan to continental East Asia in the Pliocene, followed by a contraction in East Asian populations. In the recent Holocene, human activities have then enabled a linage of this species to spread from Japan to Europe and North America, resulting in three major global clades. Future climate scenarios suggest a northward expansion of R. japonica in Europe and North America, but shrinking habitat in China. Our study, thus, demonstrates the complex influences of historical climate-driven migrations, human activities and future climate changes on the global distribution of an invasive species.
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most fatal gynecological malignancy because of its early asymptomatic nature and acquired resistance to chemotherapy. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are a heterogeneous group of biological vesicles with a diameter <200 nm released by cells under physiological or pathological conditions. sEVs-derived non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are the essential effectors in the biological environment. sEVs-ncRNAs have critical roles in tumor progression via regulating mRNA expression of target cells to affect cell signaling. In addition, the status of parental cells can be disclosed via analyzing the composition of sEVs-ncRNAs, and their “cargoes” with specific changes can be used as key biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of OC. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that sEVs-ncRNAs are involved in multiple key processes that mediate the development of metastasis and chemotherapeutic resistance in OC: epithelial–mesenchymal transition; tumorigenicity of mesenchymal stem cells; immune evasion; angiogenesis. The nanomedicine delivery system based on engineering sEVs is expected to be a novel therapeutic strategy for OC. Insights into the biological roles of sEVs-ncRNAs in the invasion, metastasis, immune regulation, and chemoresistance of OC will contribute to discovery of novel biomarkers and molecular targets for early detection and innovative therapy. In this review, we highlight recent advances and applications of sEVs-ncRNAs in OC diagnosis and treatment. We also outline current challenges and knowledge gaps.
Abstract Aim Attempts over the past 30 years to explain geographical variation in the strength of herbivore pressure have given rise to ecological hypotheses like the latitudinal herbivory hypothesis. This hypothesis, however, has rarely been tested using community‐level data. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the patterns and potential mechanisms underlying geographical variation in community‐wide herbivory. Location The Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau. Time Period July 2021. Major Taxa Studied Plants. Methods We selected 43 grassland sites along a 1500‐km latitudinal gradient ( c . 27°N to 39°N) and a 2698‐m elevational gradient (1886–4584 m) on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau. We evaluated geographical patterns in invertebrate herbivory pressure at the population and community levels, while also evaluating the importance of geographical variation in mediating the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on intraspecific variation (through changes in herbivory on component species) and species turnover effects (through changes in plant community composition). Results Community‐wide herbivory decreased with latitude, mirroring intraspecific variation, while species turnover effects did not vary along any tested geographical gradients. Furthermore, we found that geographical variation in community‐wide herbivory was strongly positively correlated with soil nitrogen content. We also found a positive effect of soil nitrogen content on intraspecific variation and a negative effect of plant community biomass on species turnover effects. Main Conclusions The latitudinal gradient in community‐wide herbivory was primarily mediated by intraspecific variation, which was in turn associated with a gradient in soil nitrogen content. Our findings highlight the need for community‐wide assessments of geographical variation in plant–herbivore interactions, decomposing community‐wide herbivory into intraspecific variation and species turnover effects.
'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(23.036 .093 25.536)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(45.87 1.273 16.18)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(69.945 .996 12.078)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(20.66 -19.689 31.932)'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
