The polygenic nature of essential hypertension and its dependence on environmental factors pose a challenge for biomedical research. We hypothesized that the analysis of gene expression profiles from peripheral blood cells would distinguish patients with hypertension from normotensives. In order to test this, total RNA from peripheral blood cells was isolated. RNA was reversed-transcribed and labeled and gene expression analyzed using significance Analysis Microarrays (Stanford University, CA, USA). Briefly, Significance Analysis Microarrays (SAM) thresholding identified 31 up-regulated and 18 down-regulated genes with fold changes of ≥2 or≤0.5 and q-value ≤5 % in expression. Statistically significantly gene ontology (GO) function and biological process differentially expressed in essential hypertension were MHC class II receptor activity and immune response respectively. Biological pathway analysis identified several related pathways which are associated with immune/inflammatory responses. Quantitative Real- Time RT-PCR results were consistent with the microarray results. The levels of C - reactive protein were higher in hypertensive patients than normotensives and inflammation-related genes were increased as well. In conclusion, genes enriched for “immune/inflammatory responses” may be associated with essential hypertension. In addition, there is a correlation between systemic inflammation and hypertension. It is anticipated that these findings may provide accurate and efficient strategies for prevention, diagnosis and control of this disorder.

MeiShan and Large White pigs differ in their female fecundity. However, the mechanisms behind the gene expression and regulation that cause these differences remain unclear. In this study, we profiled circRNAs and identified 5,879 circRNAs from the ovaries of MeiShan and Large White pigs. Eighty-five circRNAs were differentially expressed between the two pig breeds. Of these, 37 were up-regulated and 48 were down-regulated in MeiShan pigs. Gene ontology enrichment analysis suggested that the differentially expressed circRNA were involved in the hormone-mediated signaling pathway. We verified that circSCIN and its parent gene, scinderin (SCIN), were differentially expressed by reverse transcription and quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Luciferase assays demonstrated that circSCIN can target and sponge miR-133 and miR-148a/b. The identification of differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) and their regulatory functions increased our understanding of the differences in reproductive efficiency between MeiShan and Large White pigs.

Bacteriophages (phages) have been successfully used as disinfectors to kill bacteria in food and the environment and have been used medically for curing human diseases. The objective of this research was to elucidate the morphological and genomic characteristics of two novel Yersinia pestis phages, vB_YpeM_ MHS112 (MHS112) and vB_YpeM_GMS130 (GMS130), belonging to the genus Gaprivervirus, subfamily Tevenvirinae, family Myoviridae. Genome sequencing showed that the sizes of MHS112 and GMS130 were 170507 and 168552 bp, respectively. A total of 303 and 292 open reading frames with 2 tRNA and 3 tRNA were predicted in MHS112 and GMS130, respectively. The phylogenetic relationships were analysed among the two novel Y. pestis phages, phages in the genus Gaprivervirus, and several T4-like phages infecting the Yersinia genus. The bacteriophage MHS112 and GMS130 exhibited a wider lytic host spectrum and exhibited comparative temperature and pH stability. Such features signify that these phages do not need to rely on Y. pestis as their host bacteria in the ecological environment, while they could be based on more massive Enterobacteriales species to propagate and form ecological barriers against Y. pestis pathogens colonised in plague foci. Such characteristics indicated that the two phages have potential as biocontrol agents for eliminating the endemics of animal plague in natural plague foci.

As an important family of pathogenesis‐related (PR) proteins, the functional diversification and roles of PR10s in biotic stress have been well documented. However, the molecular basis of PR10s in plant defense responses against pathogens remains to be further understood. In the present study, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationship and function of a novel PR10 named GbPR10.5D1 in Sea‐Island (or Pima or Egyptian) cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.), which has been identified as a Verticillium dahliae Kleb.‐induced protein in a previous proteomics study. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that GbPR10.5D1, located on chromosome 2, is a unique member of GbPR10. The expression of GbPR10.5D1 was preferably in the root and induced upon V. dahliae infection. GbPR10.5D1 proteins were distributed in both nucleus and cytoplasm. GbPR10.5D1‐virus‐induced gene‐silencing (VIGS) cotton plants were more susceptible to infection by V. dahliae, whereas overexpression (OE) of GbPR10.5D1 in cotton enhanced the resistance. By comparative transcriptome analysis between GbPR10.5D1‐OE and wild‐type (WT) plants and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) verification, we found transcriptional activation of genes involved in cutin, suberine, and wax biosynthesis and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling under normal conditions. Upon pathogen infection, defense signaling, fatty acid degradation, and glycerolipid metabolism were specifically activated in GbPR10.5D1‐OE plants; biological processes (BPs), including glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, DNA replication, and cell wall organization, were specifically repressed in WT plants. Collectively, we proposed that GbPR10.5D1 possibly mediated lipid metabolism pathway to strengthen structural defense and activate defense signaling, which largely released the repression of cell growth caused by V. dahliae infection.