PeerJ最新文献

{"title":"Androgen promotes oocyte development by upregulating gap junction intercellular communication activity in granulosa cells in mice.","authors":"Yangyang Zhang, Yongyan Hu, Yang Xu, Yanrong Kuai, Sheng Wang, Jiao Yu","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21194","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21194","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Recent studies have highlighted the role of androgen in poor ovarian response (POR). However, the mechanisms by which androgen works, particularly in older POR patients, remain unclear. The study aimed to investigate the effects of androgen on granulosa cells and to explore the underlying mechanisms preliminarily.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Elderly female C57BL/6J mice were treated with various concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) <i>in vivo</i>. Granulosa cells were exposed to different concentrations of testosterone (T), flutamide (an androgen receptor antagonist, AR antagonist), and GF109203X (a protein kinase C inhibitor, PKC inhibitor) <i>in vitro</i>. Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) activity was analyzed using the scrape loading/dye transfer technique.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>DHEA treatment significantly increased serum DHEA, T, and anti-Müllerian hormone levels, as well as the number of oocytes harvested. Treatment with T within the physiological concentration range significantly increased GJIC activity. These effects of T were partially counteracted by flutamide or GF109203X.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Androgen may enhance GJIC activity in granulosa cells <i>via</i> the AR pathway and PKC signaling pathway, an effect associated with improved oocyte development in mice. The findings provide a theoretical basis for the use of androgen pretreatment to improve ovarian response in older POR patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21194"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135750/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147841416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the scotopic visual sensitivity of walleye (<i>Sander vitreus</i>) and implications for foraging habitat.","authors":"Trevor D Keyler, Loranzie S Rogers, Thomas R Hrabik, Kelly A Harrington, Allen F Mensinger","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21156","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the physiological limits of visual detection is essential for delineating habitat use in freshwater fishes. Walleye (<i>Sander vitreus</i>), a crepuscular predator with well-documented low-light foraging capabilities, exhibits visual adaptations suited for dim environments. Using electroretinography (ERG), we determined the scotopic spectral sensitivity of adult <i>S. vitreus</i> and modeled their potential visual foraging depth under a range of optical conditions. Peak spectral sensitivity occurred between 500-550 nm, aligning with wavelengths that penetrate mesotrophic systems most effectively. We used ERG-derived irradiance thresholds in combination with the Beer-Lambert light attenuation model to estimate maximum depths for visual detection under solar and lunar illumination across a range of turbidity levels. Results indicate that under daylight conditions, <i>S. vitreus</i> can detect light to depths exceeding 77 m in clear water (kPAR = 0.3) and ~13 m in turbid systems (kPAR = 1.2). Under moonlight, detection is possible to 11.3 and 1.9 m, respectively. These depth estimates exceed commonly reported habitat use, suggesting that vision may remain functional beyond expected depth ranges. These results provide a physiological basis for understanding the depth limits and illumination conditions under which scotopic vision may remain functional in walleye across freshwater systems of varying water clarity (kPAR).</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21156"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135330/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Caring for patients with multimorbidity: moral distress and life satisfaction among doctors and nurses in Portugal.","authors":"Filipe Prazeres, Rui Fernandes","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21230","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21230","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The prevalence of multimorbidity (MM), defined as the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions in an individual, presents complex challenges for healthcare providers (HCPs). In Portugal, nearly half of the general population experiences MM, intensifying demands on HCPs. Doctors and nurses often encounter fragmented care pathways, inadequate guidelines, and frequent ethical dilemmas, which can lead to moral distress (MD). MD arises when HCPs are unable to act in accordance with their ethical beliefs due to institutional barriers, and it has consequences for well-being and employee tenure. This study aims to examine whether MM-related clinical work and life satisfaction are associated with MD among HCPs who regularly care for patients with MM.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Cross-sectional study surveyed doctors and nurses employed in hospital and non-hospital healthcare facilities in Portugal between August and October 2024. Data were collected using an anonymous electronic questionnaire including validated instruments: the Portuguese version of Measure of Moral Distress for Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Additional sociodemographic and work-related information was gathered, including sex, age, marital status, professional role, workplace setting, number of years working with patients with MM (professional experience), and the number of patients with MM seen per week (clinical workload). Associations were examined using linear multiple regression, with the significance level set at 0.05.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 340 HCPs participated, mostly women (83.2%), nurses (66.8%), and professionals with more than 10 years of experience caring for patients with MM (75.6%). The median MD (MMD-HP) score was 128 (Q1, Q3: 73, 182); median life satisfaction (SWLS) score was 24 (Q1, Q3: 18, 28). MD was negatively correlated with life satisfaction, indicating that lower life satisfaction was associated with higher MD. Higher MD levels were observed in HCPs under 35 years compared with those over 50 (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.010). HCPs with more than 10 years of experience caring for patients with MM reported significantly lower MD (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.022). A higher MM-related clinical workload was also associated with greater MD (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.003). HCPs currently considering leaving their position due to MD reported significantly higher MD and lower life satisfaction (both &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.0001). In multivariable analysis, MM-related clinical workload and life satisfaction remained significant predictors of MD.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Discussion: &lt;/strong&gt;MD was associated with higher MM-related clinical workload and lower life satisfaction. Younger and less experienced HPCs appeared particularly vulnerable. The reliability of these findings should be interpreted with caution due to the use of composite scores and the observational study design . The results reinforce concerns about the impa","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21230"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135333/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Smoking-induced changes in saliva composition and tongue coating.","authors":"Nurul Asyikin Yahya, A'lia N Muhammad, Nur Atikah Hashim, Mohammed Thoriq Abdul Razab","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21228","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Saliva parameters and tongue coating have global significance because they offer simple, non-invasive indicators of oral and systemic health, helping clinicians and researchers detect disease risk, monitor wellness, and improve early diagnostic strategies across diverse populations.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to investigate the effects of smoking on salivary flow rate, pH, buffering capacity, and tongue coating characteristics among adult smokers and nonsmokers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was designed to compare salivary parameters and tongue coating between smokers and nonsmokers. A purposive sampling method was used. The data collected included patients' resting and stimulated saliva pH, saliva buffering capacity, and tongue coating for both smokers and nonsmokers. The inclusion criteria required the absence of systemic illness and medication that affected saliva flow.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 78 participants were assessed for unstimulated and stimulated saliva flow, salivary pH, buffering capacity, and tongue coating (thickness, area, and colour). Smokers exhibited significantly reduced buffering capacity (<i>p</i> = 0.002) and increased tongue coating thickness and distribution area (<i>p</i> = 0.008 and <i>p</i> = 0.000, respectively), though saliva flow and pH differences were not statistically significant.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings indicate that smoking is associated with reduced salivary buffering capacity and increased accumulation of tongue coating. Smoking may therefore represent a modifiable behavioural factor influencing salivary defence mechanisms and oral ecological balance. Integrating tongue coating and saliva analysis into caries risk assessment protocols could support earlier identification of individuals at increased risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21228"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135328/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Amino acid compound-specific isotope analysis reveals island mass effect subsidies in reef-associated Hawaiian zooplankton.","authors":"Blake Stoner-Osborne, Rita García-Seoane, Christopher B Wall, Natalie Wallsgrove, Jeffrey C Drazen, Brian N Popp","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Island Mass Effect (IME) is the nearshore enhancement of primary productivity around islands and atolls relative to offshore waters. Although its physical and biogeochemical drivers are well characterized, the IME's influence on the diets and distributions of consumers remains poorly resolved. We applied amino acid compound-specific stable isotope analysis (AA-CSIA) to Hawaiian zooplankton sampled across nearshore-offshore and surface-deep gradients to test whether island-derived production alters isotopic composition and trophic structure in reef-associated assemblages relative to offshore counterparts across sites, seasons, and years. Essential amino acid δ¹³C values (δ¹³C_EAA) normalized to their mean values displayed contrasting nearshore-offshore patterns: lysine and threonine δ¹³C values increased with distance from shore, whereas phenylalanine and valine values decreased. These patterns likely reflect shifts in zooplankton diet and the amino acid biosynthetic pathways of their primary producer prey along the coastal-oceanic gradient. Source amino acid δ¹⁵N values (δ¹⁵N_SAA) declined offshore for lysine and phenylalanine but increased with depth, indicating spatial variation in nitrogen sources and greater reliance on microbially reworked organic matter at depth. Trophic position estimates based on δ¹⁵N values of glutamic acid and alanine relative to phenylalanine increased offshore and with depth, consistent with longer food webs and additional microzooplankton trophic steps in offshore waters. Multivariate analysis integrating δ¹³C_EAA and δ¹⁵N_SAA values clearly distinguished reef, offshore surface, and offshore deep zooplankton assemblages, revealing a conservative isotopic tracer of island-derived production in reef communities. These results demonstrate AA-CSIA's utility for tracing island-derived productivity to consumers and clarifying biogeochemical connectivity between coastal and open-ocean food webs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21076"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135334/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel GAM-based method for predicting phosphate (PO₄) concentrations in irrigated drainage/return-flow systems.","authors":"Müge Erkan Can","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21181","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21181","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Phosphate (PO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;) pollution in irrigated catchments and their return-flow and drainage networks threatens water quality and agricultural sustainability, particularly under conditions of intensive fertilization and shallow groundwater. This study presents a predictive approach to estimate PO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; concentration using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM) based on daily monitoring data from the Akarsu Irrigation District in Türkiye's Lower Seyhan Plain. Here, the modeled variable is PO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; in irrigation return-flow/drainage water, measured at the main drainage outlet (L4), which integrates excess irrigation water that has passed through the agricultural landscape and collected surface runoff and subsurface drainage. Downstream of L4, drainage water is conveyed by the main drainage channel; part is reused for irrigation, and the remainder flows toward lagoon and wetland areas and ultimately the Mediterranean Sea. The dataset comprised 522 daily observations from the 2022-2023 water years and included nitrate (NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;), nitrite (NO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;), electrical conductivity (EC), pH (hydrogen ion activity), flow rate (Q), and precipitation (P) as predictors. Despite weak pairwise correlations of PO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; with individual variables (maximum &lt;i&gt;r&lt;/i&gt; = 0.1293 with NO&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;), the GAM captured nonlinear multivariate relationships and produced good agreement between predicted and measured PO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; at the L4 outlet (mean squared error (MSE) = 0.019966; root mean squared error (RMSE) = 0.1413 mg L&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;; mean error = -0.00457 mg L&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;; error SD = 0.14136 mg L&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;), indicating minimal bias and stable performance. In benchmark comparisons using identical inputs and the same time-structured validation design (80/20 split; random splits were used only for sensitivity analysis), the GAM substantially outperformed linear regression (LR), artificial neural network (ANN), and support vector machine (SVM), which showed very low predictive skill (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; ≈ 0.03-0.05). Predictive performance was evaluated primarily using error-based metrics; R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; was reported only as a goodness-of-fit measure. The L4 outlet drains an intensively managed agricultural catchment dominated by irrigated cropland. Model fit, expressed as explained variance values (training R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0.832; testing R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; = 0.788), indicated consistent performance without evidence of substantial overfitting. Overall, the findings demonstrate that GAM-based estimation can reliably reproduce both peak and moderate PO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; concentrations and serve as a practical screening tool for nutrient monitoring at irrigated drainage/return-flow outlets. By leveraging routinely monitored variables, the model can reduce the frequency of laboratory PO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; assays-often requiring additional reagents, consumables, and handling time-thereby lowering analytical workload and spectrophotometric operating time while enabl","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21181"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135335/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating potassium silicate efficacy and mechanisms for improving the strawberry agronomic traits and gray mold fungal resistance.","authors":"Amaranatha R Vennapusa, Rosalyn Battle, Surya Krishna Sakthivel, Venkata H Limmada, Michael Moore, Jayesh Samtani, Sathya Elavarthi, Kalpalatha Melmaiee","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21151","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Strawberries are a high-value crop in the United States due to their increasing demand and nutritional benefits. Strawberry production faces significant losses due to gray mold fruit rot caused by <i>Botrytis cinerea</i>. While fungicides provide major control, concerns about residues and the evolution of fungicide resistance demand alternative approaches to disease management. In this context, our study evaluated the potential use of potassium silicate (K₂SiO₃) to enhance agronomic traits in plants, elucidate its role in combating gray mold in strawberries, and identify the responsible genes. Two strawberry cultivars (Flavorfest and Rutgers Scarlet TM) grown under high-tunnel field conditions were foliar-sprayed with different doses of potassium silicate (K₂SiO₃) (0, 2, 3, and 4 mL per gallon of water). Silicon accumulation and agronomic traits were measured, and antifungal effects were assessed through <i>in vitro</i> assay and post-harvest fruit treatments using Chandler and Ruby June cultivars and molecular analysis using the silicon transporter genes. The 2 mL per gallon treatment showed the highest silicon concentration in leaves and phytolith formation, with limited translocation to roots, and significantly increased plant width and marketable yield. The effective concentration (2 mL/gallon) also reduced B. <i>cinerea</i> growth under <i>in vitro</i> conditions and lowered infection on postharvest-treated fruits, coinciding with enhanced expression of silicon transporter genes. Our study reports that moderate application of K₂SiO₃ as a foliar spray improved plant growth and production, suppressed gray mold under <i>in vitro</i> conditions, and in postharvest treatments. Increased expression of transporter genes indicates the plant's response to its application.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21151"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135329/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819129","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Blood protein biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma: progress and challenges.","authors":"Lu Zhang, Mingjing Zhang, Yingying Bao, Jiajia Yang, Tingting Luo, Yan Zhang, Yange Wang, Peijie Liu, Xiangqian Guo","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21196","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21196","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an important cause of cancer-related death. Due to the lack of typical clinical symptoms in early-stage HCC, most HCC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and have lost the opportunity of surgery, which results in a poor prognosis. Therefore, early detection and timely intervention are the most effective methods to reduce the mortality of HCC. Blood flows through different organs and tissues, and there are abundant tumor biomarkers in blood, which can provide real-time information for the early diagnosis and prognostic prediction of HCC, so blood tumor biomarkers have become an effective supplement to imaging technology. As the most ideal biomarkers for disease diagnosis, serum and plasma proteins have been the main focus for biomarker development. In this review, we summarized the research progress of potential blood protein biomarkers (tumor-associated antigens and tumor-associated autoantibodies) in HCC and discussed their obstacles in clinical translation.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21196"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135331/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated analysis identifies a palmitoylation-associated prognostic model (ACSM5/SKA3) for lung adenocarcinoma across multiple cohorts.","authors":"Chaopeng Wu, Jinsong Wang, Yihan Liu, Zihan Ni, Yujie Zhan, Wanying Feng, Jia Feng, Min Peng","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21160","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer and remains associated with poor prognosis despite therapeutic advances. Protein palmitoylation, particularly reversible S-palmitoylation, modulates oncogenic signaling, membrane localization, and immune checkpoint stability, but the prognostic landscape of palmitoylation-related genes (PRGs) in LUAD and their relationship with the tumor microenvironment are not well defined.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;PRGs were curated from GeneCards and integrated with transcriptomic and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Lung Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-LUAD) cohort. Differential expression and univariate Cox analyses were performed to identify prognostic PRGs, which were then used for consensus clustering to define molecular subtypes and to construct a LASSO-Cox prognostic model. Associations between the risk score and functional pathways, genomic alterations, tumor mutational burden (TMB), tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) scores, and immune infiltration were evaluated. Three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohorts were used for external validation. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) of paired LUAD and adjacent tissues were used to assess cell type-associated expression and validate key genes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;We identified 201 differentially expressed PRGs in LUAD and 15 genes significantly associated with overall survival, including the protective gene ACSM5 and the risk gene SKA3. PRG-based consensus clustering defined two molecular subtypes with distinct prognoses, differential enrichment of metabolism- versus proliferation-related pathways, and divergent immune microenvironment features. A two-gene signature comprising ACSM5 and SKA3 stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and three external cohorts, with time-dependent area under the curve (AUCs) of 0.717, 0.733, and 0.697 at 1, 3, and 5 years in TCGA and comparable performance in GEO validation cohorts (5-year AUC up to 0.778), indicating moderate discriminative performance. Low-risk patients generally showed higher stromal and immune scores and increased infiltration of multiple immune cell subsets, along with complex patterns in TMB and TIDE indices. Single-cell analyses indicated predominant expression of ACSM5 in macrophages and of SKA3 in proliferating CD8+ T cells and macrophages, and RT-qPCR confirmed downregulation of ACSM5 and upregulation of SKA3 in LUAD tissues.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;This integrated analysis outlines a palmitoylation-associated molecular framework in LUAD and supports an ACSM5/SKA3 two-gene signature as a candidate prognostic tool that stratifies patient outcomes and reflects distinct metabolic, proliferative, and immune microenvironmental states, potentially providing a palmitoylation-","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21160"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135332/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cadmium-tolerant root microbes reduce cadmium accumulation in <i>Ligusticum chuanxiong</i> Hort.","authors":"Zongfen Yu, Zhanling Zhang, Silin Jia, Jiayi Ling, Lin Liu, Jianyun Zhang, Weiping Gao, Guiqi Han, Hai Wang, Dongmei He, Chuan Zheng","doi":"10.7717/peerj.21229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.21229","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Ligusticum chuanxiong</i> Hort. is an important medicinal plant whose dried rhizomes are used in traditional Chinese medicine for preventing and treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, this plant tends to accumulate cadmium (Cd), and the Cd content in its rhizomes often exceeds the limit of 1 mg/kg stipulated by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2025 edition). This not only adversely affects the synthesis and accumulation of active compounds, but also leads to rejection of exported products, causing significant economic losses. Given three Cd-tolerant strains (<i>Trichoderma afroharzianum</i> F38, <i>Mucor ctenidius</i> F24, and <i>Bacillus proteolyticus</i> B90) isolated from <i>L. chuanxiong</i> roots with a maximum Cd tolerance of 3 mmol/L, this study performed a co-cultivation experiment under 20 mg/L Cd stress in hydroponics. The results demonstrated that Cd stress significantly inhibited plant growth and induced oxidative damage, manifested as increased malondialdehyde content and activation of the antioxidant enzyme system. Inoculation with any of the three Cd-tolerant strains alleviated growth inhibition and oxidative stress. All three strains significantly reduced Cd content in both aerial parts and underground parts, but with distinct characteristics: F38 reduced underground parts Cd content by 54.72% and promoted Cd translocation to aerial parts; F24 decreased aerial parts Cd content by 40.27%; while B90 exhibited a more prominent effect in enhancing overall plant Cd tolerance. Overall, the efficacy of the strains in mitigating Cd toxicity and promoting growth followed the order: F38 > F24 > B90. In conclusion, the Cd-tolerant strains isolated from the roots system of <i>L. chuanxiong</i> effectively reduced Cd accumulation and alleviated Cd stress, providing feasible microbial resources and micro-ecological regulation strategies to address Cd contamination in medicinal plants and ensure the safety of herbal materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":19799,"journal":{"name":"PeerJ","volume":"14 ","pages":"e21229"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13135327/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}