title: PeerJ description: Articles published in PeerJ link: https://peerj.com/articles/index.rss3?journal=peerj&page=262 creator: info@peerj.com PeerJ errorsTo: info@peerj.com PeerJ language: en title: Potential acetylcholine-based communication in honeybee haemocytes and its modulation by a neonicotinoid insecticide link: https://peerj.com/articles/17978 last-modified: 2024-09-13 description: There is growing concern that some managed and wild insect pollinator populations are in decline, potentially threatening biodiversity and sustainable food production on a global scale. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that sub-lethal exposure to neurotoxic, neonicotinoid pesticides can negatively affect pollinator immunocompetence and could amplify the effects of diseases, likely contributing to pollinator declines. However, a direct pathway connecting neonicotinoids and immune functions remains elusive. In this study we show that haemocytes and non-neural tissues of the honeybee Apis mellifera express the building blocks of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors that are the target of neonicotinoids. In addition, we demonstrate that the haemocytes, which form the cellular arm of the innate immune system, actively express choline acetyltransferase, a key enzyme necessary to synthesize acetylcholine. In a last step, we show that the expression of this key enzyme is affected by field-realistic doses of clothianidin, a widely used neonicotinoid. These results support a potential mechanistic framework to explain the effects of sub-lethal doses of neonicotinoids on the immune function of pollinators. creator: Tobias Pamminger creator: Kate Basley creator: Dave Goulson creator: William O. H. Hughes uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17978 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Pamminger et al. title: Preparation of transferrin-targeted temozolomide nano-micelles and their anti-glioma effect link: https://peerj.com/articles/17979 last-modified: 2024-09-13 description: ObjectivesThis study aims to develop brain-targeted temozolomide (TMZ) nanograins using the biodegradable polymer material PEG-PLA as a carrier. The model drug TMZ was encapsulated within the polymer using targeted nanotechnology. Key characteristics such as appearance, particle size, size distribution, drug loading capacity, in vitro release rate, stability, and anti-tumor effects were systematically evaluated through in vitro experiments.MethodsTransmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Malvern size analyzer were employed to observe the morphological and particle size features of the TMZ nanospheres at various time points to assess stability. The effects of TMZ nanograins on glioma cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated using MTT assays and flow cytometry.ResultsThe targeted TMZ nano-micelles were successfully synthesized. After loading and targeted modifications, the particle size increased from 50.7 to 190 nm, indicating successful encapsulation of TMZ. The average particle size of the nano-micelles remained stable around 145 ± 10 nm at 1 day, 15 days, and 30 days post-preparation. The release rate of the nano-micelles was monitored at 2 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h post-dialysis, ultimately reaching 95.8%. Compared to TMZ alone, the TMZ-loaded PEG-PLA nano-micelles exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in glioma cells. This was accompanied by increased mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels following treatment with the TMZ nano-micelles.ConclusionsTMZ-loaded nano-micelles demonstrated a gradual release profile and significantly enhanced inhibitory effects on human glioma U251 cells compared to TMZ alone. The findings suggest that TMZ-loaded PEG-PLA nano-micelles may offer a more effective therapeutic approach for glioma treatment. creator: Jun Yu creator: Yonghua Xue uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17979 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Yu and Xue title: Discriminating conodont recording bias: a case study from the Nanzhang-Yuan’an Lagerstätte link: https://peerj.com/articles/18011 last-modified: 2024-09-13 description: The Early Triassic Nanzhang-Yuan’an Lagerstätte of Hubei Province, South China, preserves abundant marine reptiles in the uppermost part of the Jialingjiang Formation and provides detailed insights into marine organisms, including newly discovered and well preserved conodont clusters of the Family Ellisonidae. These conodont elements allow us to assess the bias introduced during the acquisition process. We examined conodont elements preserved on the bedding planes and those acquired after the acid-dissolving method to analyze their attributes and length distributions. We identified a biased preservation of different conodont elements related to their morphologies. After the acid-dissolving procedures, the bias increased, and all different elements were affected, with larger individuals being particularly prone to destruction. Among them, the P elements of Ellisonidae were the least affected, while the S elements were the most affected. This study further indicates that paleobiological interpretations based on fossil size or morphology could be obscured if the influence of post-mortem effect is ignored. creator: Kui Wu creator: Boyong Yang creator: Bi Zhao creator: Liangzhe Yang creator: Yarui Zou creator: Gang Chen creator: Jiangli Li uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18011 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Wu et al. title: The characteristics of cognitive and daily living functions of neurocognitive disorders with delusions in elderly Alzheimer’s disease link: https://peerj.com/articles/18026 last-modified: 2024-09-13 description: BackgroundDelusions in neurocognitive disorder due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) worsen patients’ cognitive functions and activities of daily living (ADL), increasing caregiver burden and the risk of mortality. AD patients with delusions tend to experience a more rapid decline in cognition and have demonstrated poorer performance on various cognitive function tests. Considering the prognosis of delusion in AD patients, it tends to be more favorable with appropriate treatment. However, there is a lack of neuropsychological research, specifically examining the impact of delusions in AD, characterized by progressive deterioration of cognitive function. This study investigates the impact of delusions on cognitive function and ADL under conditions controlling for disease severity.MethodsWe compared cognitive function and ADL in AD patients aged 65 years or older according to the presence of delusions. To assess longitudinal change, we analyzed data from patients monitored for an average of 15 to 16 months. We assessed cognitive function and ADL using the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery-Second Edition (SNSB–II) and delusions using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). We used IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0 for all statistical analyses. The analysis was not adjusted for multiple comparisons. We investigated how delusions impact cognitive function and ADL, controlling for age, educational level, and disease severity.ResultsThe delusions group exhibited poorer immediate recall of verbal memory than the non-delusions group. In the follow-up evaluation, patients who developed delusions had lower baseline cognitive function than those who did not, and their language fluency declined over time. In addition, we found the presence of delusions associated with worse functional impairment in ADL as the disease progressed.ConclusionWhile controlling for the severity of AD, we found no significant negative impacts of delusions on most cognitive functions. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the immediate recall of verbal memory and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT)_animal sensitively detected the negative impact of delusions. Furthermore, since delusions are associated with worsening ADL, we understand that delusion treatment is important for improving the quality of life for patients and caregivers. creator: Seo Yoo Kim creator: Soo Jin Lee uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18026 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Kim and Lee title: Phytochemical profiling and antioxidant activity assessment of Bellevalia pseudolongipes via liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry link: https://peerj.com/articles/18046 last-modified: 2024-09-13 description: BackgroundPlant-derived drugs are often preferred over synthetic drugs because of their superior safety profiles. Phenolic compounds and flavonoids—major plant components—possess antioxidant properties. Limited research has been conducted on the bioactive compounds and biochemical properties of Bellevalia pseudolongipes (Asparagaceae), an important pharmacological species endemic to Turkey. Therefore, the chemical composition and antioxidant properties of B. pseudolongipes were investigated in this study.MethodsThe chemical composition of B. pseudolongipes was analyzed using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry, and radical scavenging and antioxidant activities were evaluated using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) tests.ResultsThirty-eight compounds were identified, including trans-cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, vitexin, schaftoside, orientin, and narirutin. B. pseudolongipes showed high antioxidant activity in antioxidant activity tests.ConclusionThese findings provide novel insights into the potential utility of B. pseudolongipes in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries, highlighted by its significant antioxidant capacity. creator: İdris Yolbaş uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18046 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Yolbaş title: Identifying transgene insertions in Caenorhabditis elegans genomes with Oxford Nanopore sequencing link: https://peerj.com/articles/18100 last-modified: 2024-09-13 description: Genetically modified organisms are commonly used in disease research and agriculture but the precise genomic alterations underlying transgenic mutations are often unknown. The position and characteristics of transgenes, including the number of independent insertions, influences the expression of both transgenic and wild-type sequences. We used long-read, Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) to sequence and assemble two transgenic strains of Caenorhabditis elegans commonly used in the research of neurodegenerative diseases: BY250 (pPdat-1::GFP) and UA44 (GFP and human α-synuclein), a model for Parkinson’s research. After scaffolding to the reference, the final assembled sequences were ∼102 Mb with N50s of 17.9 Mb and 18.0 Mb, respectively, and L90s of six contiguous sequences, representing chromosome-level assemblies. Each of the assembled sequences contained more than 99.2% of the Nematoda BUSCO genes found in the C. elegans reference and 99.5% of the annotated C. elegans reference protein-coding genes. We identified the locations of the transgene insertions and confirmed that all transgene sequences were inserted in intergenic regions, leaving the organismal gene content intact. The transgenic C. elegans genomes presented here will be a valuable resource for Parkinson’s research as well as other neurodegenerative diseases. Our work demonstrates that long-read sequencing is a fast, cost-effective way to assemble genome sequences and characterize mutant lines and strains. creator: Paula E. Adams creator: Jennifer L. Thies creator: John M. Sutton creator: Joshua D. Millwood creator: Guy A. Caldwell creator: Kim A. Caldwell creator: Janna L. Fierst uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18100 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Adams et al. title: Insights from single-strain and mixed culture experiments on the effects of heatwaves on freshwater flagellates link: https://peerj.com/articles/17912 last-modified: 2024-09-12 description: The increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves driven by climate change significantly impact microbial communities in freshwater habitats, particularly eukaryotic microorganisms. Heterotrophic nanoflagellates are important bacterivorous grazers and play a crucial role in aquatic food webs, influencing the morphological and taxonomic structure of bacterial communities. This study investigates the responses of three flagellate taxa to heatwave conditions through single-strain and mixed culture experiments, highlighting the impact of both biotic and abiotic factors on functional redundancy between morphologically similar protist species under thermal stress. Our results indicate that temperature can significantly impact growth and community composition. However, density-dependent factors also had a significant impact. In sum, stabilizing effects due to functional redundancy may be pronounced as long as density-dependent factors play a minor role and can be overshadowed when flagellate abundances increase. creator: Lisa Boden creator: Chantal Klagus creator: Jens Boenigk uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17912 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Boden et al. title: Functional ecological traits in young and adult thalli of canopy-forming brown macroalga Gongolaria barbata (Phaeophyta) from a transitional water system link: https://peerj.com/articles/17959 last-modified: 2024-09-12 description: BackgroundGongolaria barbata is a canopy-forming brown macroalga that thrives in the intertidal and subtidal habitats of the warm-temperate Mediterranean Sea, which is particularly exposed to environmental changes due to its peculiar geographical location and exposure to both global and local stressors. Testing whether this species is featured by specific functional, eco-physiological and biochemical traits allowing an efficient use of habitat resources and adaptation to environmental stress, and whether this potential might change with population growth, is essential for predicting the performance of the algae under different environmental abiotic variables (e.g., temperature, nutrient availability, light) and biotic interactions (such as grazing).MethodsYoung (juveniles) and adult thalli of G. barbata were sampled in the winter season from the Venice Lagoon, Italy, featured by high environmental changes (temperature, salinity) and analyzed for thallus dry matter content (TDMC), photosynthetic activity, photosynthetic pigment and protein content, and antioxidant capacity to assess if thallus age may be considered a significant driver in determining the ecological responses of this species to environmental changes.ResultsOur results showed that TDMC was higher in adults than juveniles. At the functional level, rapid light curves indicated an elevated photosynthetic efficiency in juveniles compared to adults highlighted by the higher quantum yield of PSII electron transport, electron transport rate, and Rubisco content observed in juveniles. On the contrary, adults exhibited a higher non-photochemical quenching and total pigment concentration. No difference in maximum PSII photochemical efficiency and D1 protein content between the two thalli groups was found. Along with better photosynthesis, juveniles also displayed a higher amount of total polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins, and a stronger antioxidant capacity compared to adults.ConclusionsOur findings revealed significant differences in the eco-physiological characteristics of G. barbata at different growth stages. It was observed that young thalli, allocate more energy to photosynthesis and chemical defenses by increasing the production of antioxidant compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins. With growth, thalli likely adopt a more conservative strategy, reducing photosynthesis and promoting structural biomass accumulation to mitigate the potential risks associated with prolonged exposure to environmental stressors, such as the wavy way. Although our study focused on a single phase of G. barbata life cycle under winter settings, it offers preliminary insights into this species eco-physiological traits and auto-ecology. Future research could explore the potential implications of these findings, evaluating the species’ resilience to environmental changes at the population level. creator: Maria Luisa Pica creator: Ermenegilda Vitale creator: Rosa Donadio creator: Giulia Costanzo creator: Marco Munari creator: Erika Fabbrizzi creator: Simonetta Fraschetti creator: Carmen Arena uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17959 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Pica et al. title: Effect of body size on the oral pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) link: https://peerj.com/articles/17973 last-modified: 2024-09-11 description: ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the plasma pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline (OTC) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) of different body sizes.MethodsThe research was carried out on three groups as small (30–50 g), medium (90–110 g) and large (185–215 g) body sizes at 8 ± 0.5 °C. OTC was administered orally at a dose of 60 mg/kg to all groups. Blood samples were taken at 19 different sampling times until the 384 h after oxytetracycline administration. The plasma concentrations of OTC were measured using high pressure liquid chromatography-ultraviolet and pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated using non-compartmental analysis.ResultsOTC was detected in small-body sized fish until the 336 h and in medium and large-body sized fish until the 384 h. The elimination half-life of OTC was 85.46, 87.24 and 86.98 h in the small, medium and large body size groups, respectively. The peak plasma concentration increased from 0.66 to 1.11 µg/mL, and the area under the plasma concentration-versus time curve from zero (0) h to infinity (∞) increased from 87.86 to 151.52 h*µg/mL, in tandem with the increase in fish body size. As fish body size increased, volume of distribution and total body clearance decreased.ConclusionThese results show that the pharmacokinetics of OTC vary depending on fish size. Therefore, there is a need to reveal the pharmacodynamic activity of OTC in rainbow trout of different body sizes. creator: Orhan Corum creator: Erdinc Turk creator: Duygu Durna Corum creator: Ertugrul Terzi creator: Mustafa Cellat creator: Önder Yıldırım creator: Kamil Uney uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17973 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: ©2024 Corum et al. title: Integration of full-length Iso-Seq, Illumina RNA-Seq, and flavor testing reveals potential differences in ripened fruits between two Passiflora edulis cultivars link: https://peerj.com/articles/17983 last-modified: 2024-09-11 description: BackgroundPassion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is loved for its delicious flavor and nutritious juice. Although studies have delved into the cultivation and enhancement of passion fruit varieties, the underlying factors contributing to the fruit’s appealing aroma remain unclear.MethodsThis study analyzed the full-length transcriptomes of two passion fruit cultivars with different flavor profiles: “Tainong 1” (TN1), known for its superior fruit flavor, and “Guihan 1” (GH1), noted for its strong environmental resilience but lackluster taste. Utilizing PacBio Iso-Seq and Illumina RNA-Seq technologies, we discovered terpene synthase (TPS) genes implicated in fruit ripening that may help explain the flavor disparities.ResultsWe generated 15,913 isoforms, with N50 lengths of 1,500 and 1,648 bp, and mean lengths of 1,319 and 1,463 bp for TN1 and GH1, respectively. Transcript and isoform lengths ranged from a maximum of 7,779 bp to a minimum of 200 and 209 bp. We identified 14,822 putative coding DNA sequences (CDSs) averaging 1,063 bp, classified 1,007 transcription factors (TFs) into 84 families. Additionally, differential expression analysis of ripening fruit from both cultivars revealed 314 upregulated and 43 downregulated unigenes in TN1 compared to GH1. The top 10 significantly enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms for the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) indicated that TN1’s upregulated genes were primarily involved in nutrient transport, whereas GH1’s up-regulated genes were associated with resistance mechanisms. Meanwhile, 17 PeTPS genes were identified in P. edulis and 13 of them were TPS-b members. A comparative analysis when compared PeTPS with AtTPS highlighted an expansion of the PeTPS-b subfamily in P. edulis, suggesting a role in its fruit flavor profile.ConclusionOur findings explain that the formation of fruit flavor is attributed to the upregulation of essential genes in synthetic pathway, in particular the expansion of TPS-b subfamily involved in terpenoid synthesis. This finding will also provide a foundational genetic basis for understanding the nuanced flavor differences in this species. creator: Yao Teng creator: Ye Wang creator: Sunjian Zhang creator: Xiaoying Zhang creator: Jiayu Li creator: Fengchan Wu creator: Caixia Chen creator: Xiuqin Long creator: Anding Li uri: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17983 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rights: © 2024 Teng et al.