Mechanisms of the Anticancer Action of Ganoderma lucidum （Leyss. ex Fr.） Karst.： A New Understanding

Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss. ex Fr.) Karst., a medicinal fungus called “Lingzhi” in China, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine in China for the prevention and treatment of various types of diseases, such as cancer, hepatopathy, arthritis, hypertension, neurasthenia, and chronic hepatitis. It is clear that the anticancer activity of G. lucidum is mainly due to polysaccharides and/or triterpenoids of the fungus. However, until now, the mechanism of the anticancer action of G. lucidum has not been well understood and, previously, the activation of the immune response of the host was widely considered to be the only mechanism by which G. lucidum prevented and/or treated cancer. However, recent studies reviewed in the present paper have shown that the potential mechanisms of anticancer action include not only the activation of the immune response of the host, but also the induction of cell differentiation, the induction of Phase Ⅱ-metabolizing enzymes, the inhibition of angiogenesis, and the inhibition of the expression of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and the uPA receptor in cancer cells. To further elucidate the mechanisms of action of G. lucidum, more in vivo tests and randomized controlled clinical trials should be carried out, and the molecular mechanisms should be studied intensively. Additionally, whether the anticancer compounds in G. lucidum act synergistically or independently should be further studied.     

New distinct compartments in the G2 phase of the cell cycle defined by the levels of γH2AX.

Induction of DNA double strand breaks leads to phosphorylation and focus-formation of H2AX. However, foci of phosphorylated H2AX (γH2AX) appear during DNA replication also in the absence of exogenously applied injury. We measured the amount and the number of foci of γH2AX in different phases of the cell cycle by flow cytometry, sorting and microscopy in 4 malignant B-lymphocyte cell lines. There were no detectable γH2AX and no γH2AX-foci in G₁ cells in exponentially growing cells and cells treated with PARP inhibitor (PARPi) for 24 h to create damage and reduce DNA repair. The amount of γH2AX increased immediately upon S phase entry, and about 10 and 30 γH2AX foci were found in mid-S phase control and PARPi-treated cells, respectively. The γH2AX-labeled damage caused by DNA replication was not fully repaired before entry into G₂. Intriguingly, G₂ cells populated a continuous distribution of γH2AX levels, from cells with a high content of γH2AX and the same number of foci as S phase cells (termed “G₂H” compartment), to cells that there were almost negative and had about 2 foci (termed “G₂L” compartment). EdU-labeling of S phase cells revealed that G₂H was directly populated from S phase, while G₂L was populated from G₂H, but in control cells also directly from S phase. The length of G₂H in particular increased after PARPi treatment, compatible with longer DNA-repair times. Our results show that cells repair replication-induced damage in G₂H, and enter mitosis after a 2–3 h delay in G₂L.     

Chronostratigraphy and the Palaeoenvironment of the Bistrița Valley. New Interpretations and a Critical Retrospective Evaluation

The Carpathian Arch was certainly a difficult obstacle for the Palaeolithic communities of Eastern and Central Europe, at least during certain stages of the Upper Pleistocene glaciation, such as the Last Glacial Maximum. The density and perennity of the Palaeolithic occupations in the Bistri?a Valley were favoured by the propitious conditions of living and developing long-term survival strategies. The importance of the Bistri?a Valley lies in the fact that it is strongly embedded in the mountainous landscape, with a route extended in the Sub-Carpathian area and a generous opening towards the east to the plateau region and further towards the Great Russian Plain. The Bistri?a Valley is a landmark of the Romanian Palaeolithic due to the number of investigated Palaeolithic settlements, the wealth and variety of archaeological materials and the extensive interdisciplinary studies. All this has entailed a better assessment of the evolution of the palaeoenvironment and of the chronostratigraphy of the Palaeolithic occupations. In a matter of speaking, the Bistri?a Valley is to Romania what the Vézère Valley is to the Dordogne region in France.     

Sphaerotylos C. J. Chen—A Remarkable New Genus of Urticaceae from China,with Notes on Stigmas of the Family

A new subtribe of the family Urticaceae, Sphaerotylinae C. J. Chen, a new genus, Sphaerotylos C. J. Chen and its type species S. medogensis C. J. Chen from south-eastern Xizang (Tibet) in China are described and illustrated. The subtribe is regarded as a primitive group in the tribe Boehmerieae. The ring-shaped stigma and the ball-like connective are the first discovery in the family Urticaceae. The types of the stigma of the family, their taxonomic significance and their evolution are also discussed in the present paper.     

On Circumscription of the Genus Prenanthes L. and Notoseris Shih — A New Genus of Compositae from China

After having examined all specimens of the genus Prenanthes L. of Compositae in the Herbarium of Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, I find that the classic concept on the genus Prenanthes established by G. Bentham in 1873 has not been held exactly by some of European, American, Japanese and Chinese botanists. For example, W. B. Hemsley, S. T. Dunn, A. Franchet, S. Kitamura and C. C. Chang placed plants from China which belong to other groups into the genus; I also find that the classic concept of the genus is not clear. The present paper makes a revision not only on the classic concept of the genus, but also on its concept assumed by the above-mentionded botanists. With the combination of numerous (25-35), white or yellow ligular florets, numerous ribs of achenes, Prenanthes alba L. (Nabalus albus (L.) Shih, comb. nov.) is distinctly different from Prenanthes purpurea L., which has the combination of purple, few (5-15) ligular florests and few ribs of achenes. Nabalus Cass., as a genus established early (1825) by H. Cassini, should be restored. It is not reasonable to treat Nabalus as a subgenus (E. B. Babcock et al. 1947) or a section (S. Kitamura, 1956) or as a synonym (G. Bentham, 1983) of the genus Preanathes L. The present author recognizes seven species in the new revised genus Prenanthes L. in China, 4 of which are described as new. In the genus Nabalus Cass. only one species, N. ochroleuca Maxim., is distributed in Northeast China. As Lactuca melanantha Franch. (1895), Prenanthes henryi Dunn (1903), P. glandulosa Dunn (1903), Lactuca triflora Hemsl. (1888) (it was transferred to Prenanthes L. by C. C. Chang in 1934), Prenanthes formosana Kitam. (1934) and P. wilsoni Chang (1934) all have campanulate involucres, purple phyllaries, purple dorsi-ventrally compressed achenes, longitudinal rids 6-9 on each side of achene truncate and beakless at its apex and pilose tubes of corollae, they should be placed neither into the genus Prenanthes with obtusely tri-or pentagonous, subterete achenes and glabrous tubes of corollae, nor into the genus Lactuca with beak achenes. Besides the above-mentioned species misnamed by some of foreign and Chinese botanists, 6 other species also have the same structure in achenes and corollae. Evidently, they fall into a new genus with the name Notoseris Shih. The new genus Notoseris Shih of the tribe Lactuceae of Compositae seems to be more reminiscent of Lactuca L. than of Prenanthes L. emend. All the 12 species of the genus Notoseris Shih are endemic to China and distributed in the area of south of Yantze River. Of them 6 are new combinations and 6 are described as new.     

Cell Research Announces the Appointment of New Deputy Editor-in-chief

Cell Research is pleased to announce that Dr Dangsheng Li has been appointed as thenew Deputy Editor-in-chief for our journal,starting March 2006.Dangsheng received hisBS degree(in Cell Biology)from the University of Science and Technology of China,and obtained his PhD(in Molecular Biology)from Cornell University Graduate School ofMedical Sciences.After extensive postdoctoral training at New York University MedicalCenter,he joined Cell Press in 2004 to serve as an Associate Editor for the premium biol-ogy journal Cell.Dangsheng will be in charge of the scientific editing operations of Cell     

Nucleosides. LXV. Synthesis of New Pteridine–N8–Nucleosides

A general synthetic approach to various isoxanthopterin‐nucleosides starting from 6‐methyl‐2‐methylthio‐4(3H), 7(8H)‐pterdinedione (1) has been developed. Ribosylation with 1‐O‐acetyl‐2,3,5‐tri‐O‐benzoyl‐β‐d‐ribofuranose via the silyl‐method led to 2 and reaction with 1‐chloro‐2‐deoxy‐3,5‐di‐O‐p‐toluoyl‐α‐d‐ribofuranose using the DBU‐method afforded 28. Protection of the amide function at O⁴ by benzylation to 5 and by a Mitsunobu reaction with 2‐(4‐nitrophenyl)ethanol to 29 gave soluble intermediates which can be oxidized to the corresponding 2‐methylsulfonyl derivatives 8 and 30, respectively. Nucleophilic displacement reactions of the highly reactive 2‐methylsulfonyl functions by various amines proceeded under mild conditions to isoxanthopterin‐N₈‐ribo‐ (11–17) and 2′‐deoxyribomucleosides (31–33). Debenzylation can be achieve by Pd‐catalyzed hydrogenation (9 to 19) and cleavage of the npe‐protecting group (31, 32 to 34, 35) works well with DBU by β‐elimination.     

We appreciate the invaluable contributions of the following reviewers during the editing of Vol. 8 Nos. 1–2.

Acknowledgments

We appreciate the invaluable contributions of the following reviewers during the editing of Vol. 8 Nos. 1–2.     

A New Combination of the genus Zingiber—Z. ellipticum (S. Q. Tong et Y. M. Xia) Q. G. Wu et T. L. Wu and the Systematic Evidence

The distinct characters of the flower of Plagiostachys elliptica, S. Q. Tong et Y. M. Xia are: (1) each flower possesses two large lateral staminodes, which are adnate to the lip (labellum) to form a deeply 3 lobed labellum;(2) connective extends into a curved, beak like conspicuous appendage (anther crest) and envelops the upper part of style. In the Zingiberaceae, these characters are only present in the genus Zingiber.Furthermore, in Sect. Pleuranthesis of Zingiber the spike also arises from side of the leafy stem. Pollen grains of the species are with cerebelloid sculpture,that is the character of the Subtype Cerebelloid areolate in Zingiberaceae, and are similar to those sculpture and morphology of Sect. Zingiber of the genus Zingiber and differ from those of Plagiostachys, of which pollen grains are with longer spines and belong to the Group long spinate of Subtype spinate. The endotesta of seeds in this species is composed of one layer of brick shaped parenchymatous cells, which is similar to the parenchymatous endotesta of Zingiber seeds and obviously differs from that of seeds of Plagiostachys, which consists of one layer of sclereids. Therefore,Plagiostachys elliptica S. Q. Tong et Y. M. Xia should be transferred from Plagiostachys to the genus Zingiber, and a new combination——Zingiber ellipticum (S. Q. Tong et Y. M. Xia) Q. G. Wu et T. L. Wu is made in this paper.     

Remodeling the Fortress of Conservation? Living Landscapes and the New Technologies of Environmental Governance

This essay reflects on paradigm shifts in environmental conservation, to examine elements of the ‘fortress conservation' model that still persist in the context of more participatory approaches. Presenting a case study on Sardinia, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, it considers how existing practices for the protection of natural landscapes and biodiversity are ambivalently shaped by both institutional mandates and informal collaborations. Exploring how these are further reconfigured by the implementation of new information and communication systems, it questions implications for autochthonous visions of landscape. It argues that an engaged anthropology of the environment should critically assess how emerging strategies for generating potent expert knowledge about nature also generate issues of inclusion and exclusion.     

Evidence of absence is not proof of absence: the case of the New Brighton katipō

ABSTRACT

The katipō is an endemic New Zealand spider that was previously common in the sand dunes at New Brighton. At sites on Banks Peninsula, katipō were detected under dried seaweed on the strandline 70% of the time. However, we detected no katipō among strandlines at New Brighton after 382 sampling visits. Incorporating these results into binomial and iterative Bayesian sampling models, it appeared highly unlikely that katipō still existed at New Brighton given so many non-detection events. However, when re-visiting the site, katipō were observed in the dunes at two locations, although they were still not found on the strandline. This specific habitat may be avoided at New Brighton due to high exposure to the prevalent strong easterly winds that occur at this site. The results emphasise that sampling models that use non-detection to indicate the likelihood of species absence can be highly specific to the sampling method used.