Synthesis of 15-methylene-eburnamonine from (+)-vincamine,evaluation of anticancer activity,and investigation of mechanism of action by quantitative NMR

The biological role of installing a critical exocyclic enone into the structure of the alkaloid, (?)-eburnamonine, and characterization of the new chemical reactivity by quantitative NMR without using deuterated solvents are described. This selective modification to a natural product imparts potent anticancer activity as well as bestows chemical reactivity toward nucleophilic thiols, which was measured by quantitative NMR. The synthetic strategy provides an overall conversion of 40%. In the key synthetic step, a modified Peterson olefination was accomplished through the facile release of trifluoroacetate to create the requisite enone in the presence of substantial steric hindrance.     

Ancient wheat varieties have a higher ability to interact with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria

Plant interactions with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are highly dependent on plant genotype. Modern plant breeding has largely sought to improve crop performance but with little focus on the optimization of plant × PGPR interactions. The interactions of the model PGPR strain Pseudomonas kilonensis F113 were therefore compared in 199 ancient and modern wheat genotypes. A reporter system, in which F113 colonization and expression of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol biosynthetic genes (phl) were measured on roots was used to quantify F113 × wheat interactions under gnotobiotic conditions. Thereafter, eight wheat accessions that differed in their ability to interact with F113 were inoculated with F113 and grown in greenhouse in the absence or presence of stress. F113 colonization was linked to improved stress tolerance. Moreover, F113 colonization and phl expression were higher overall on ancient genotypes than modern genotypes. F113 colonization improved wheat performance in the four genotypes that showed the highest level of phl expression compared with the four genotypes in which phl expression was lowest. Taken together, these data suggest that recent wheat breeding strategies have had a negative impact on the ability of the plants to interact with PGPR.     

Genomic analyses of heat stress transcription factors (HSFs) in simulated drought stress response and storage root deterioration after harvest in cassava

Molecular Biology Reports - Heat shock factors (HSFs) play crucial roles in various plant stress responses. However, the current knowledge about HSFs in cassava, an important crop, is still...     

Response of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo,a Prized Medicinal Plant,to Continuous UV-B Irradiation at Different C/N Ratios

The response of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (D. officinale) to continuous UV-B irradiation at different carbon to nitrogen ratios (C/N ratios) was investigated. Seedlings grown for 60 days were incubated under aseptic conditions with UV-B irradiation (15.6 µW cm⁻²) at different C/N ratios: control group (CK; C/N 30 without UV-B), UV-B + CK (C/N 30 with UV-B irradiation, similarly hereafter), UV-B + C/N 120, UV-B + C/N 60, UV-B + C/N 15, UV-B + C/N 10, UV-B + C/N 7.5. Growth parameters (the defoliation rate and the sprout number), photosynthetic pigments (carotenoids, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b), total polysaccharides, total alkaloids, and activities of antioxidant enzymes were determined following 4, 8, 12, and 16 days of continuous UV-B exposure. Results indicated that UV-B irradiation increased the defoliation rate and the content of carotenoids, total polysaccharides and total alkaloids, as well as the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Conversely, UV-B irradiation reduced the sprout number and chlorophyll content in D. officinale. Compared with UV-B + CK, lower C/N ratio treatments (UV-B + C/N 15, UV-B + C/N 10 and UV-B + C/N 7.5) enhanced the defoliation rate and sprout number, but decreased antioxidant enzyme activities and total polysaccharide content during the whole period, and reduced total alkaloid content after 4 days of UV-B exposure. Following initial UV-B irradiation, lower C/N ratios increased the contents of carotenoid and chlorophyll b, while after 8 days, a reversal in carotenoid content was observed, and after 12 days, a reversal in chlorophyll b content was observed. Optimizing the C/N ratio (C/N 60) resulted in lower defoliation rate, higher photosynthetic pigments and total polysaccharides, and increased activities of antioxidant enzymes, whereas no significant change in sprout number and total alkaloid content was recorded under long-term UV-B irradiation. Furthermore, the UV-B + C/N 120 treatment negatively affected D. officinale in terms of an increased defoliation rate and reduced sprout number, photosynthetic pigments, and total alkaloids. Therefore, results suggested that an appropriate C/N ratio (C/N 60) could ameliorate the adverse effects of continuous UV-B irradiation on D. officinale.

     

Precise editing of myostatin signal peptide by CRISPR/Cas9 increases the muscle mass of Liang Guang Small Spotted pigs

Myostatin (MSTN), a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, is a negative regulator of muscle growth and development. Disruption of the MSTN gene in various mammalian species markedly promotes muscle growth. Previous studies have mainly focused on the disruption of the MSTN peptide coding region in pigs but not on the modification of the signal peptide region. In this study, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9) system was used to successfully introduce two mutations (PVD20H and GP19del) in the MSTN signal peptide region of the indigenous Chinese pig breed, Liang Guang Small Spotted pig. Both mutations in signal peptide increased the muscle mass without inhibiting the production of mature MSTN peptide in the cells. Histological analysis revealed that the enhanced muscle mass in MSTN^+/PVD20H pig was mainly due to an increase in the number of muscle fibers. The expression of MSTN in the longissimus dorsi muscle of MSTN^+/PVD20H and MSTN^KO/PVD20H pigs was significantly downregulated, whereas that of myogenic regulatory factors, including MyoD, Myogenin, and Myf-5, was significantly upregulated when compared to those in the longissimus dorsi muscle of wild-type pigs. Meanwhile, the mutations also activated the PI3K/Akt pathway. The results of this study indicated that precise editing of the MSTN signal peptide can enhance porcine muscle development without markedly affecting the expression of mature MSTN peptide, which could exert other beneficial biological functions in the edited pigs.

     

Photodynamic therapy regulates fate of cancer stem cells through reactive oxygen species

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective and promising cancer treatment. PDT directly generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) through photochemical reactions. This oxygen-dependent exogenous ROS has anti-cancer stem cell (CSC) effect. In addition, PDT may also increase ROS production by altering metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum stress, or potential of mitochondrial membrane. It is known that the half-life of ROS in PDT is short, with high reactivity and limited diffusion distance. Therefore, the main targeting position of PDT is often the subcellular localization of photosensitizers, which is helpful for us to explain how PDT affects CSC characteristics, including differentiation, self-renewal, apoptosis, autophagy, and immunogenicity. Broadly speaking, excess ROS will damage the redox system and cause oxidative damage to molecules such as DNA, change mitochondrial permeability, activate unfolded protein response, autophagy, and CSC resting state. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanism by which ROS affect CSCs is beneficial to improve the efficiency of PDT and prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis. In this article, we review the effects of two types of photochemical reactions on PDT, the metabolic processes, and the biological effects of ROS in different subcellular locations on CSCs.     

Influence of Short-Term Silicon Application on Endogenous Physiohormonal Levels of Oryza sativa L. Under Wounding Stress

The current study was conducted in order to investigate the short-term effects (6, 12, and 24?h) of silicon (Si) on the endogenous hormonal composition of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Dongjin-beyo), with and without wounding stress. Si applied in different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0?mM) significantly promoted shoot length, plant biomass, and chlorophyll content of rice plants. Plants treated with different concentrations of sole Si for 6, 12, and 24?h had higher endogenous jasmonic acid contents than control. However, a combined application of wounding stress and Si induced a significantly small quantity of endogenous jasmonic acid as compared with control. On the contrary, endogenous salicylic acid level was significantly higher in sole Si-treated plants, while after wounding stress, a similar trend was observed yet again. After 6, 12, and 24?h of Si applications, with and without wounding stress, ethylene levels were significantly lower in comparison to their respective controls. The findings of the present study perpetrate the beneficial role of Si on the growth and development of rice plant by relieving physical injury and stress. Si also affects endogenous jasmonic acid and ethylene levels, while an inverse correlation exists between jasmonic acid and salicylic acid under wounding stress conditions.