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In the present study, we made further investigation into the diversity of Trichoderma in China than previous ones utilizing comprehensive approaches of morphological microscopic observation and phylogenetic analysis by detecting molecular markers. One thousand nine hundred ten Trichoderma strains were isolated from soil or other materials in China: East (Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Zhejiang province and Shanghai municipality), South-West (Guizhou, Qinghai, Shanxi, Sichuan and Yunnan province, Tibet Autonomous Region and Chongqing municipality), South-East (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan province), and Middle China (Henan, Hubei and Hunan province). Representative isolates were verified at the species level by morphological characters and the oligonucleotide barcode program TrichoOKey v.10 and the custom BLAST server TrichoBLAST, using sequence of the ITS 1 and 2 region of the rDNA cluster and partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1-alpha(tef1-α). A total of 23 Trichoderma species were identified : T.asperellum, T.atrioviride, T.aureovriride, T.brevicompactum, T.citrioviride, T.erinaceum, T.gamsii, T.hamatum, T.harzianum (H.1ixii), T.intricatum, T.koningii (H.koningii), T.koningiopsis, T.longibranchiatum, T.pleuroticola, T.reeseii (H.jecorina), T.sinensis, T.spirale, T.stromaticum, T.tomentosum, T.velutinum, T.vermipilum, T.virens (H.virens), T.viride. Among them, 3 species: T.intricatum, T.stromaticum, T.vermipilum were first reported in China; T.harzianum (H,1ixii) was the most widely distributed species in China. This study further shows that, the highest biodiversity of Trichoderma population appeared in South-West China.

N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) RNA methylation, involved in cancer initiation and progression, is dynamically regulated by the m 6 A RNA methylation regulators. However, the expression of m 6 A RNA methylation regulators in ovarian cancer and their correlation with prognosis remain elusive. Here, we demonstrated that the 18 central m 6 A RNA methylation regulators were expressed differently between ovarian cancer (OC) and normal tissues. By applying consensus clustering, all ovarian cancer patient cases can be divided into three subgroups (cluster1/2/3) based on overall expression levels of all 18 m 6 A RNA methylation regulators. We systematically analyzed the prognostic value of transcription levels of 18 m 6 A RNA methylation regulators in ovarian cancer and found that insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), vir like m 6 A methyltransferase associated (VIRMA), and zinc finger CCCH-type containing 13 (ZC3H13) yield the highest scores for predicting the prognosis of ovarian cancer. Accordingly, we derived a risk signature consisting of transcription levels of these three selected m 6 A RNA methylation regulators as an independent prognostic marker for OC and validated our findings with data derived from a different ovarian cancer cohort. Moreover, by the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), we demonstrated that the three selected regulators were all correlated with pathways in cancer and WNT signaling pathways. In conclusion, m 6 A RNA methylation regulators are vital participants in ovarian cancer pathology; and IGF2BP1, VIRMA, and ZC3H13 mRNA levels are valuable factors for prognosis prediction and treatment strategy development.

Trichoderma harzianum is well known to exhibit induced systemic resistance (ISR) to Curvularia leaf spot. We previously reported that a C6 zinc finger protein (Thc6) is responsible for a major contribution to the ISR to the leaf disease, but the types of effectors and the signals mediated by Thc6 from Trichoderma are unclear. In this work, we demonstrated that two hydrolases, Thph1 and Thph2, from T. harzianum were regulated by Thc6. Furthermore, an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) study revealed that Thc6 regulated mRNA expression by binding to GGCTAA and GGCTAAA in the promoters of the Thph1 and Thph2 genes, respectively. Moreover, the Thph1 and Thph2 proteins triggered the transient production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elevated the free cytosolic calcium levels in maize leaf. Furthermore, the genes related to the jasmonate/ethylene signaling pathway were up-regulated in the wild-type maize strain. However, the ΔThph1- or ΔThph2-deletion mutants could not activate the immune defense-related genes in maize to protect against leaf disease. Therefore, we conclude that functional Thph1 and Thph2 may be required in T. harzianum to activate ISR in maize.

Introduction. Adipogenesis comprises multiple processes by which mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into adipocytes. To increase our knowledge of the mechanism underlying adipogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), we performed full-genome gene expression microarray and gene ontology analyses of induced differentiation of hMSCs. Material and methods. Adipogenic differentiation of hMSCs was induced by an adipogenic medium, and total RNA was extracted from undifferentiated hMSCs (day 0) and differentiated adipocytes (day 14). Then microarray hybridization of RNA samples was performed. The GeneChip Operating Software was used to analyze the hybridization data to identify differentially expressed genes, which were performed Gene Ontology categorization and pathway analysis. Pathway-act-network and genes-act-network were built according to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. Some differentially expressed genes were subjected to qRT-PCR to verify the microarray data. Results. We detected a total of 3,821 differentially expressed genes, of which 753 were upregulated and 3,068 downregulated. These genes were well represented in a variety of functional categories, including collagen fibril organization, brown fat cell differentiation, cell division, and S phase of mitotic cell cycle. Subsequently, pathway analysis was conducted, and significant pathways (from top 50) were selected for pathway-act-network analysis, which indicated that the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and cell cycle were of high degrees (> 10). Gene-act-network analysis showed that insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1), HDAC2, MAPK13, MAPK8, phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 (PI3KR1), and PI3KR2 also had high degrees (> 18). Conclusions. Collectively, these data provide novel information and could serve as a basis for future study to clarify the mechanisms underlying adipocyte differentiation of hMSCs.

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide, accounting for high morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms governing tumor growth and metastasis in CRC require detailed investigation. The results of the present study indicated that the transcription factor (TF) myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) plays a dual role in promoting proliferation and metastasis of CRC by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and activation of WNT/β-catenin signaling. Aberrant expression of MEF2A in CRC clinical specimens was significantly associated with poor prognosis and metastasis. Functionally, MEF2A directly binds to the promoter region to initiate the transcription of ZEB2 and CTNNB1. Simultaneous activation of the expression of EMT-related TFs and Wnt/β-catenin signaling by MEF2A overexpression induced the EMT and increased the frequency of tumor formation and metastasis. The present study identified a new critical oncogene involved in the growth and metastasis of CRC, providing a potential novel therapeutic target for CRC intervention.

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