Brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates energy through Ucp1-mediated uncoupled respiration and its activation may represent a therapeutic strategy to combat obesity. Here we show that Lkb1 controls BAT expansion and UCP1 expression in mice. We generate adipocyte-specific Lkb1 knockout mice and show that, compared with wild-type littermates, these mice exhibit elevated UCP1 expression in BAT and subcutaneous white adipose tissue, have increased BAT mass and higher energy expenditure. Consequently, KO mice have improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and are more resistant to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Deletion of Lkb1 results in a cytoplasm to nuclear translocation of CRTC3 in brown adipocytes, where it recruits C/EBPβ to enhance Ucp1 transcription. In parallel, the absence of Lkb1 also suppresses AMPK activity, leading to activation of the mTOR signalling pathway and subsequent BAT expansion. These data suggest that inhibition of Lkb1 or its downstream signalling in adipocytes could be a novel strategy to increase energy expenditure in the context of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

Spontaneous chromosome doubling via union of unreduced (2n) gametes has been thought to be the way that common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was originated from the hybridization of T. turgidum L. with Ae. tauschii Cosson. Previous works have observed unreduced gametes in F 1 hybrids of Ae. tauschii with six of the eight T. turgidum subspecies. It is not clear, however, whether the formation of these unreduced gametes is a norm in the F 1 hybrids. In the present study, we tried to answer this question by assessing the occurrence frequency of unreduced gametes in 115 T. turgidum-Ae. tauschii hybrid combinations, involving 76 genotypes of seven T. turgdium subspecies and 24 Ae. tauschii accessions. Our data show that these hybrid combinations differed significantly (P B 0.01, F = 11.40) in selfed seedset, an indicator for production of unreduced gametes. This study clearly showed that meiotic restitution genes are widely distributed within T. turgidum. However, significant differences were found between as well as within T. turgidum subspecies and in the interaction of the T. turgidum genotypes with those of Ae. taushii. The possible application of the meiotic restitution genes from T. turgidum in production of double haploids is also discussed.

Alteration of gene expression tightly regulates lipogenesis. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), a key enzyme in lipogenesis, catalyzes the conversion of SFA to MUFA, and inhibition of its activity impairs lipid synthesis. As posttranscriptional regulators, microRNAs are involved in many pathways of lipid metabolism; however, their effect on SCD-1 has not been reported. In this study, miR-125b was identified as a potential regulator of SCD-1 using bioinformatics analysis. Here, we validated SCD-1 as the target of miR-125b using a dual luciferase assay. During adipogenesis, a synthetic mimic or inhibitor was used to overexpress or reduce the expression of miR-125b in porcine adipocytes. Overexpression of miR-125b reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets and triglycerides concentration and repressed SCD-1 protein expression and MUFA composition. The inhibitor had the reverse effect. Small interfering RNA against tested in adipocytes further proved the direct correlation between miR-125b and SCD-1. Moreover, in vivo experiments in mice showed that injection of miR-125b expression vector decreased the hepatic triglycerides concentration relative to saline. This study indicated that miR-125b regulates lipogenesis by targeting SCD-1; therefore, miR-125b might be applied in therapy of lipid metabolism disorders.

Pollen and nectar resources are unevenly distributed over space and bees must make routing decisions when navigating patchy resources. Determining the patch selection process used by bees is crucial to understanding bee foraging over discontinuous landscapes. To elucidate this process, we developed four distinct probability models of bee movement where the size and the distance to the patch determined the attractiveness of a patch. A field experiment with a center patch and four peripheral patches of two distinct sizes and distances from the center was set up in two configurations. Empirical transition probabilities from the center to each peripheral patch were obtained at two sites and two years. The best model was identified by comparing observed and predicted transition probabilities, where predicted values were obtained by incorporating the spatial dimensions of the field experiment into each model’s mathematical expression. Bumble bees used both patch size and isolation distance when selecting a patch and could assess the total amount of resources available in a patch. Bumble bees prefer large, nearby patches. This information will facilitate the development of a predictive framework to the study of bee movement and of models that predict the movement of genetically engineered pollen in bee-pollinated crops.

Uveitis is an inflammation of the iris, ciliary body, vitreous, retina, or choroid, which has been shown to be the first manifestation of numerous systemic diseases. Studies about the immunopathogenesis and treatment of uveitis are helpful to comprehend systemic autoimmune diseases, and delay the progression of systemic autoimmune diseases, respectively. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a pleiotropic cytokine, plays a pivotal role in intraocular inflammation based on experimental and clinical data. Evidence of the feasibility of using anti-TNF-α agents for uveitis management has increased. Although there are numerous studies on TNF-α in various autoimmune diseases, the pathological mechanism and research progress of TNF-α in uveitis have not been reviewed. Therefore, the objective of this review is to provide a background on the role of TNF-α in the immunopathogenesis of uveitis, as well as from bench to clinical research progress, to better guide TNF-α-based therapeutics for uveitis.

The aim of this study was to isolate and characterise porcine spermatogonial stem cells (PSSCs). The putative porcine germline stem cells from testis were isolated successfully by an improving way of enrichment with lymphocyte separation medium (LSM). Results from RT-PCR analyses showed that PSSCs were positive for OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, PGP9.5, c-MYC, KEL4 and PRDM-14 which are multipotent stem cell markers. At the protein level, the results of immunofluorescence analyses showed that PSSCs were positive for OCT4, PGP9.5, SOX2 and CD29. We successfully differentiated these PSSCs into adipocytes and muscle cells and then defined their characteristics, including morphology, surface stem cell markers, and mechanical properties. But the experiment of teratoma formation was negative. The results indicated the PSSCs could be multipotent. Atomic force microscopy was used to characterise the morphological and mechanical properties of undifferentiated PSSCs, as well as the differentiated adipocytes and muscle cells, which could be potentially useful for distinguishing PSSCs from differentiated cells.

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We identified fosA3 at a rate of 2.6% in 310 Salmonella isolates from food animals in Guangdong province, China. The fosA3 gene was genetically linked to diverse antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), including mcr-1, blaCTX-M-14/55, oqxAB, and rmtB. These gene combinations were embedded in heterogeneous fosA3-containing multidrug resistance regions on the transferable ST3-IncHI2 and F33:A−:B− plasmids and the chromosome. This indicated a great flexibility of fosA3 cotransmission with multiple important ARGs among Salmonella species.