Insecticidal and Repellent Effects of the Essential Oils Extract from Zanthoxylum myriacanthum against Three Storage Pests

The co-storage of two or more Chinese herbal medicines can effectively prevent the herbs from the damage by pests. Thus, it is important to protect herbs and crops to study Chinese herbal medicines and their medicinal components against storage pests. This study aimed to assess the insecticidal activities and repellent effect of essential oils (EOs) extracted from fruits at different periods from Zanthoxylum myriacanthum Wall. ex Hook. f. (1 h, 2 h, 3–5 h and 5–7 h), and their major compounds against three kinds of pests (Tribolium castaneum, Lasioderma serricorne, and Liposcelis bostrychophila). The results of gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis revealed homomyrtenol (22.56 %, 28.01 %, 28.48 % and 28.41 %, respectively) and p-cymene (30.58 %, 13.95 %, 24.97 % and 6.85 %, respectively) were the common major compounds of the EOs at 1 h, 2 h, 3–5 h, and 5–7 h. m-Cymene contents in EOs of fruits, 1 h, 2 h and 3–5 h were 3.85 %, 0.95 %, 6.71 %, and 6.15 %, respectively. According to Principal component analysis (PCA), the composition of fruits′ EO was significantly different from other EOs due to the different collection times. The bio-assays showed that EOs and major compounds were toxic to all three pests, but the fumigation effect on L. bostrychophila was not noticeable. EOs extracted at different times had a repellent effect on the three pests at the highest concentration (78.63 nL/cm²), but the attractive effects of the EOs of 3–5 h, 5–7 h, and p-cymene were observed at the low concentrations (3.15, 0.63 and 0.13 nL/cm²). Our results suggest that Z. myriacanthum have the potential to be developed as biological insecticides.     

Differences between migrasome,a ‘new organelle’, and exosome

The migrasome is a new organelle discovered by Professor Yu Li in 2015. When cells migrate, the membranous organelles that appear at the end of the retraction fibres are migrasomes. With the migration of cells, the retraction fibres which connect migrasomes and cells finally break. The migrasomes detach from the cell and are released into the extracellular space or directly absorbed by the recipient cell. The cytoplasmic contents are first transported to the migrasome and then released from the cell through the migrasome. This release mechanism, which depends on cell migration, is named ‘migracytosis’. The main components of the migrasome are extracellular vesicles after they leave the cell, which are easy to remind people of the current hot topic of exosomes. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles wrapped by the lipid bimolecular layer. With extensive research, exosomes have solved many disease problems. This review summarizes the differences between migrasomes and exosomes in size, composition, property and function, extraction method and regulation mechanism for generation and release. At the same time, it also prospects for the current hotspot of migrasomes, hoping to provide literature support for further research on the generation and release mechanism of migrasomes and their clinical application in the future.     

Pan-Cancer analyses of Necroptosis-Related genes as a potential target to predict immunotherapeutic outcome

Necroptosis is a unique programmed death mechanism of necrotic cells. However, its role and specific mechanism in cancer remain unclear, and a systematic pan-cancer analysis of necroptosis is yet to be conducted. Thus, we performed a specific pan-cancer analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression databases to analyse necroptosis expression in terms of cancer prognosis, DNA methylation status, tumour mutative burden, microsatellite instability, immune cell infiltration in different types of cancer and molecular mechanisms. For the first time, we explored the correlation between necroptosis and immunotherapy prognosis. Thus, our study provides a relatively comprehensive understanding of the carcinogenicity of necroptosis in different types of cancer. It is suggested that necroptosis can be used to evaluate the sensitivity of different patients to immunotherapy and may become a potential target for tumour immunotherapy.     

ent-Pimarane Diterpenes from the Aerial Parts of Siegesbeckia pubescens

Five new ent-pimarane diterpenes ( 1 – 5 ) and five known analogs ( 6 – 10 ) were isolated from the aerial parts of Siegesbeckia pubescens. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic methods especially 1D and 2D NMR and quantum chemical electronic circular dichroism calculations. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against human BT549, A549 and H157 cancer cell lines. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 showed mild cytotoxicity against lung cancer cell lines H157 with IC₅₀ values of 16.35±2.59 and 18.86±4.83 μM, respectively.     

Effect of Flowering Stages on the Content of Active Ingredients and Antioxidant Capability of Bletilla striata Flowers

Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reichb.f. is a perennial herb with abundant active ingredients. Previous research mainly focused on its tubers, however, the study on flowers, especially the variation of active ingredient contents at different flowering stages, was rarely seen. This study analyzed the total phenols, flavonoids, polysaccharides, anthocyanins, and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside content of B. striata flowers which were in cultivated in Herb Garden of Zhejiang A&F University and collected in May, 2019, in order to investigate the changes in active ingredients and antioxidant capacity among different flowering stages (bud, initial, and full bloom). Changes in radical scavenging capability of DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical), ABTS (2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate)), and hydroxy were analyzed. Significant differences in active ingredient content of flowers were detected among different flowering stages. The total phenolic content increased continuously during the entire flowering stage. The contents of total flavonoid, total polysaccharide, and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside reached peaks at the initial blooming stage and then fell as the flowering process continued. The antioxidant activity in initial stage was the highest than in any other flowering stages. Therefore, we conclude that the initial blooming stage is the best harvesting stage of B. striata flowers. This study provides a robust basis for the harvest and utilization of B. striata flowers in food, medical, and cosmetic industries.     

含吸氢酶基因（hup）嵌合质粒的构建和吸氢酶活性在阴沟肠杆菌中的表达

以质粒ｐＲＫ４０４为载体亚克隆含大豆根瘤菌吸氢酶结构基因（ｈｕｐ）的片段,构建成嵌合质粒ｐＨＲ１１、ｐＨＲ４和ｐＨＲ１０。通过三亲本杂交将这些嵌合质粒导入无吸氢活性的Ｒｈｏｄｏｂａｃｔｅｒｓｐｈａｅｒｏｉｄｅｓ２４１菌株（Ｈｕｐ－）,均获得Ｈｕｐ＋的接合子。利用启动子检测质粒ｐＭＰ２２０证明,在ｈｕｐ对结构基因上游１．２ｋｂ内存在ｈｕｐ启动基因片段。以ｐＲＫ２０１３为助质粒可将ｐＨＲ１１导入Ｅｎｔｅｒｏｂａｃｔｅｒｃｌｏａｃａｅ和Ｋｌｅｂｓｉｅｌｌａｏｘｙｔｏｃａ等土壤固氮菌株。本文以接合子Ｅ．ｃｌｏａｃａｅＥＨ１１１３为例,通过对基因组ＤＮＡＳｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交分析证明,嵌合质粒ｐＨＲ１１在ＥＨ１１１３中稳定贮存和复制。Ｈ２诱导接合子ＥＨ１１１３吸氢酶活性高表达,吸氢活性与放氢活性比值约为对照的两倍。当以延胡索酸为电子受体时,吸氢酶的吸氢作用支持菌株固氮酶活性的提高。     

蝮蛇毒碱性磷脂酶A_2基因的克隆

从蝮蛇毒腺中抽提总ＲＮＡ．利用人工合成寡核苷酸引物作逆转录,以ｃＤＮＡ为模板进行体外扩增,获得磷脂酶Ａ２（简称ＰＬＡ２）基因,克隆至ｐＢＳ－ｋｓ载体中。通过对３个碱性ＰＬＡ２（简称ＢＰＬＡ２）基因单独克隆分别作ＤＮＡ全序列分析,推导ｐｒｏ－ＢＰＬＡ２由１３８个氨基酸残基构成,与已测定的部分氨基酸序列比较,基本相符。该基因成功的克隆,不仅推导出ＢＰＬＡ２的蛋白质全序列,也为进一步开展蛇毒功能肽蛋白质工程的研究工作打下了良好的基础。