No abstract

Different hypotheses have been proposed to interpret the observed unusual ITS (internal transcribed spacer) sequences in Ophiocordyceps sinensis. The coexistence of diverged ITS paralogs in a single genome was previously shown by amplifying the ITS region from mono-ascospore isolates using specific primers designed for different ITS paralog groups. Among those paralogs, are AT-biased ITS sequences which were hypothesized to result from repeat-induced point mutation (RIP). This is a process that detects and mutates repetitive DNA and frequently leads to epigenetic silencing, and these mutations have been interpreted as pseudogenes. Here we investigate the occurrence and frequency of ITS pseudogenes in populations of O. sinensis using large-scale sampling, and discusses the implications of ITS pseudogenes for fungal phylogenetic and evolutionary studies. Our results demonstrate a wide distribution of ITS pseudogenes amongst different geographic populations, and indicate how ITS pseudogenes can contribute to the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of the species.

No abstract

By ligand, TEMPO, and base screening, we developed a mild and green one-pot imine synthesis from alcohols and amines via a low-loading palladium-catalyzed tandem aerobic alcohol oxidation-dehydrative condensation reaction that can be readily carried out in open air at room temperature.

Background. Insulin resistance (IR) is a physiological condition related to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity, which is associated with high blood insulin and glucose. Inulin-type carbohydrate (ITC) is a kind of fermentable fructan that can reduce glucose and ameliorate IR in an animal model, but the effect in clinical trials is controversial. Objective. The authors conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate the effect of ITC supplementation in ameliorating IR in T2DM and obese patients. Methods. Multiple databases were queried for studies before December 25, 2018, which involved supplementation with ITC in ameliorating IR in T2DM and obese patients. Studies that involved meta-analysis of the body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FI), HbA1c, homeostatic model assessment IR (HOMA-IR), and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) of T2DM subjects were included. HOMA-IR and QUICKI were identified as the primary outcomes. A systematic review was performed to evaluate the effect of ITC on IR in obese patients. Results. The database search yielded 25 studies, which met the inclusion criteria; 11 articles were meta-analyzed, and 5 other articles on T2DM and 9 articles on simple obesity were systematically reviewed. Our results did not find ITC supplementation decrease postintervention and reduction data of BMI (P=0.08). However, it can significantly decrease postintervention and reduction data of FPG, FI, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR. Heterogeneity was eliminated by subgroup analysis according to baseline BMI. There was no significant difference in the amelioration of QUICKI between the ITC and control groups. However, the difference was statistically significant and the heterogeneity was eliminated after subgroup analysis according to intakes of ITC. 14 articles for a systematic review found that the results of blood glucose, insulin, and HbA1c were controversial. Only one of the seven studies on simple obesity concluded that ITC intervention significantly ameliorated HOMA-IR, while the other six did not. Conclusion. Supplementation of ITC can ameliorate IR in T2DM, especially in obese T2DM patients, but the effects are controversial in obese patients.

By simply running the reactions under air and solvent-free conditions using catalytic amounts of manganese dioxide, a practical and efficient N-alkylation method for a variety of sulfonamides and amines using alcohols as green alkylating reagents was developed.

The aim of this study is to investigate the association between serum albumin concentrations and nerve conduction (NC) parameters in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). A total of 409 T2DM patients were enrolled between October 2010 and April 2014. All participants underwent nerve conduction studies. The composite Z scores for NC parameters including conduction velocity (CV), amplitude, and latency were calculated as well. Serum albumin was measured by Bromcresol Green dye-binding method. The composite Z scores of CV and amplitude increased with the increasing albumin tertiles (test for trend, both P < 0.001), while the composite Z score of latency decreased with increasing albumin tertiles (test for trend, P < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, duration, and HbA1c, higher serum albumin concentrations were associated with higher composite Z scores of CV (β = 0.314, P < 0.001), amplitude (β = 0.279, P < 0.001), and lower composite Z score of latency (β = -0.279, P < 0.001). When participants were stratified into albuminuria and normoalbuminuria group, we found the associations of serum albumin with composite Z scores of NC parameters remained significant only in the albuminuria group (CV Z score: β = 0.253, P = 0.002; amplitude Z score: β = 0.233, P = 0.006; latency Z score: β = -0.217 P = 0.013) after further adjustment for urinary albumin to creatinine ratio. The optimal cutoff point of serum albumin to indicate abnormal peripheral nerve function was 36.75 g/L in T2DM patients with albuminuria, with a sensitivity of 65.6 % and a specificity of 78.0 %. Serum albumin was independently associated with peripheral nerve function in T2DM patients, especially in those with albuminuria. Serum albumin could be a potential biomarker for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Genome-based discovery of two previously unreported fungal bifunctional terpene synthases (BFTSs) from phytopathogenic fungi are reported: FoFS catalyzing the formation of fusoxypenes A–C (1–3) and (−)-astellatene (4) and AtAS capable of synthesizing preaspterpenacid I (6). Interestingly, FoFS and AtAS catalyzed the formation of enantiomeric sesterterpenes with a 5–6–7–3–5 ring system. C22-oxidative modification of preaspterpenacid I by AtP450 was characterized as well. Plausible cyclization pathways of the fusoxypenes were illustrated by DFT calculations.