Highlights d RNA-seq of oocytes and granulosa cells mapped transcriptome and signature genes d KEGG/GSEA analysis uncovered pathways involved in primordial follicle activation d Oocyte-granulosa cell interactions exhibit stage-and species-specific patterns d RNA-seq analysis identified candidate secretory biomarkers of ovarian reserve

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The effect of copper (added as CuCl) on the anaerobic co-digestion of Phragmites straw and cow dung was studied in pilot experiments by investigating the biogas properties, process stability, substrate degradation and enzyme activities at different stages of mesophilic fermentation. The results showed that 30 and 100 mg/L Cu addition increased the cumulative biogas yields by up to 43.62 and 20.77% respectively, and brought forward the daily biogas yield peak, while 500 mg/L Cu addition inhibited biogas production. Meanwhile, the CH content in the 30 and 100 mg/L Cu-added groups was higher than that in the control group. Higher pH values (close to pH 7) and lower oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) values in the Cu-added groups after the 8th day indicated better process stability compared to the control group. In the presence of Cu, the degradation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and other organic molecules (represented by chemical oxygen demand, COD) generated from hydrolysis was enhanced, and the ammonia nitrogen (NH-N) concentrations were more stable than in the control group. The contents of lignin and hemicellulose in the substrate declined in the Cu-added groups while the cellulose contents did not. Neither the cellulase nor the coenzyme F activities could determine the biogas producing efficiency. Taking the whole fermentation process into account, the promoting effect of Cu addition on biogas yields was mainly attributable to better process stability, the enhanced degradation of lignin and hemicellulose, the transformation of intermediates into VFA, and the generation of CH from VFA.

Resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy is the major obstacle to successful treatment of ovarian cancer. It is evident that mitochondrial defects and the dysfunctions of oxidative phosphorylation and energy production in ovarian cancer cells were directly related to their resistance to platinum drugs. Using 2-D DIGE, we compared mitochondrial proteins from two platinum-sensitive human ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3 and A2780) with that of four platinum-resistant sublines (SKOV3/CDDP, SKOV3/CBP, A2780/CDDP, and A2780/CBP). Among the 236 differentially expressed spots, five mitochondrial proteins (ATP-α, PRDX3, PHB, ETF, and ALDH) that participate in the electron transport respiratory chain were identified through mass spectrometry. All of them are downregulated in one or two of the platinum-resistant cell lines. Three proteins (ATP-α, PRDX3, and PHB) were validated by using western blot and immunohistochemistry. There is a significant decrease of PHB in tumor tissues from ovarian cancer patients who were resistant to platinum-based chemotherapies. This is the first direct mitochondrial proteomic comparison between platinum-sensitive and resistant ovarian cancer cells. These studies demonstrated that 2-D DIGE-based proteomic analysis could be a powerful tool to investigate limited mitochondrial proteins, and the association of PHB expression with platinum resistance indicates that mitochondria defects may contribute to platinum resistance in ovarian cancer cells.