Flower cultivation regimes aff ect apocarotenoid accumulation and gene expression during the development of saff ron stigma

Gui-Fen Zhou,Li-Qin Li,Jiemiao Lu,Jing Li,Chong Yao,Peng Sun,Kaohua Liu,Yan Dong,Luping Qin,Xiao-Dong Qian 한국원예학회 2020 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.61 No.3

The quality of commercial saff ron largely depends on apocarotenoid levels. Whether they are aff ected by diff erent fl owercultivation regimes remains unknown. In present study, apocarotenoid levels and the expression profi les of 12 genes relatedto apocarotenoid biosynthesis between fi eld- and indoor-cultivated Crocus sativus L. were analyzed during stigma development. Under both cultivation regimes, apocarotenoid accumulation and gene expression showed similar profi les, fi rstsharply increasing and then gradually decreasing with stigma development, which suggested the coordinated function ofgene expression and apocarotenoid accumulation. However, the rate of increase/decrease varied widely between two blossomregimes at diff erent developmental stages. Based on correlation analysis, βCH1 and ZDS seemed to play a more crucial rolein apocarotenoid accumulation under both cultivation regimes. At anthesis, the total apocarotenoid level in saff ron cultivatedin the fi eld was higher than that cultivated indoors. This may be due to lower gene expression levels in the apocarotenoidpathway, especially βCH1 , ZDS , and CCD2 , and higher CCD4a and NCED expression in the competitive pathway in saff roncultivated indoors than that in the fi eld, which indicated higher conversion in apocarotenoid biosynthesis fl ux from crocinsand picrocrocin synthesis to β-ionone and the ABA biosynthetic branch in saff ron cultivated indoors. These results providevaluable information for modifying planting mode to enhance saff ron quality.

Effect and Mechanism of Glutamine on Productive Performance and Egg Quality of Laying Hens

Dong, Xiao-Ying,Yang, Chu-Fen,Tang, Sheng-Qiu,Jiang, Qing-Yan,Zou, Xiao-Ting Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2010 Animal Bioscience Vol.23 No.8

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary glutamine (Gln) on the productive performance and egg quality of laying hens. A total of four hundred Lingnan Yellow laying hens aged 34 weeks were randomly assigned into four groups (100 laying hens/group), and fed, respectively, with diets supplemented with 0% (control group), 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.8% Gln during the 6-week feeding period. The results were as follows. First, the productivity of laying hens fed with 0.8% Gln in diet was significantly increased (p<0.05); however, the egg quality (egg weight, yolk weight, shell weight, egg shape index, shell thickness, shell density, shell breaking strength, yolk color, yolk index, and Haugh unit) was not affected compared with that of the control group (p>0.05). Second, luteinizing hormone (LH) (p<0.01), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (p<0.01), triiodothyronine ($T_3$), and tetraiodothyronine ($T_4$) contents (p<0.05) in blood of laying hens fed with 0.8% Gln in diets were also significantly improved, and greater improvement in the duodenum and oviduct structure was observed in that treatment group. This study indicated for the first time that diets with 0.8% Gln were able to increase the productive performance of laying hens through stimulating hormone secretion and better development of both the duodenum and oviduct structure in laying hens.

Seeing the World: Photoreaction and Photosensory Mechanisms of Cordyceps militaris

Wang Fen,Yang Tao,Dong Caihong 한국버섯학회 2017 버섯 Vol.21 No.2

Light is a necessary environmental factor for stroma formation and development of Cordyceps militaris, a well-known edible and medicinal fungus. In this study, photo morphogenesis and the blue-light receptor gene were studied using five representative strains of C. militaris. The results suggest that light was essential for colony pigmentation and could promote conidia production. Cmwc-1 gene inactivation results in thicker aerial hyphae, disordered fruit body development, a significant reduction in conidial formation, and carotenoid and cordycepin production. These characteristics were restored when the ΔCmwc-1 strains were hybridized with wild-type strains of the opposite mating type. A genomewide expression analysis revealed that there were 1042 light responsive genes in the wild-type strain and only 458 in the ΔCmwc-1 strain. Among five putative photoreceptors identified, Vivid, cryptochrome-1, and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photolyase are strongly induced by light in a Cmwc-1- dependent manner, while phytochrome and cryptochrome-2 were not induced. The transcription factors involved in the fungal light reaction were mainly of the Zn2Cys6 type. CmWC-1 regulates adenylosuccinate synthase, an important enzyme for adenosine de novo synthesis, which could explain the reduction in cordycepin production. Some G proteincoupled receptors that control fungal fruit body formation and the sexual cycle were regulated by CmWC-1, and the cAMP pathway involved in light signal transduction in N. crassa was not critical for the photoreaction in the fungus here. A transcriptional analysis indicated that steroid biosynthesis was more active in the ΔCmwc-1 strain, suggesting that CmWC-1 might switch the vegetative growth state to primordia differentiation by suppressing the expression of related genes.

Enhancement of grain growth and electrical conductivity of La_0.8Sr_0.2MnO₃ ceramics by microwave irradiation

Qin, Fen,Roh, Hee-Suk,Caliskan, Salim,Lee, Seongha,Kim, Sun-Dong,Woo, Sang Kook,Lee, Jung-Kun Elsevier 2019 Journal of the European Ceramic Society Vol.39 No.5

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>We studied crystallization, grain growth and electric properties of La<SUB>0.8</SUB>Sr<SUB>0.2</SUB>MnO<SUB>3</SUB> (LSM) ceramics which were produced using the microwave-treatment. While co-precipitated nanoparticles remain mainly amorphous, the microwave irradiated particles are crystallized into LSM and La<SUB>2</SUB>Mn<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>7</SUB> at 550 °C, due to higher dielectric polarizability of La. This, in turn, decreases the amount of the second phase La<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB> in calcined powder and promotes the growth of perovskite grains during sintering at 1400 °C. Larger grains of LSM ceramics lower the activation energy of small polaron hopping from 0.35 eV to 0.24 eV and increases high-temperature electric conductivity. In addition, high crystallinity of LSM ceramics from the microwave-treatment suppresses a chemical reaction with ZrO<SUB>2</SUB> and NiO in a temperature range of 900 – 1100 °C under oxidizing and reducing ambiances. These results show that LSM ceramics from the microwave-assisted reaction meet requirements for an interconnect layer for solid oxide electrolysis cells.</P>

Polymorphisms in TYMS for Prediction of Capecitabine-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome in Chinese Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Si-Qi Dong,Tong-Min Wang,Jiang-Bo Zhang,Yong-Qiao He,Wen-Qiong Xue,Zi-Yi Wu,Da-Wei Yang,Lian-Jing Cao,Jing-Wen Huang,Xi-Zhao Li,Pei-Fen Zhang,Xiao-Hui Zheng,Wei-Hua Jia 대한암학회 2021 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.53 No.3

Purpose Capecitabine is an extensively used oral prodrug of 5-fluorouracil in treatment of colon cancer and is known to cause hand-foot syndrome (HFS). As the target enzyme for capecitabine, thymidylate synthase (TYMS) plays a key role for 5-fluorouracil metabolism and has been associated with some side effects caused by capecitabine. The aim of our study is to identify the possible genetic predictors of capecitabine-induced HFS (CAP-HFS) in Chinese colorectal cancer patients.Materials and Methods Whole exons of TYMS were sequenced for 288 extreme phenotype HFS patients, including 144 severe or early-onset (first 2 cycles) moderate HFS extreme cases and 144 extreme controls with no reported HFS. The associations between polymorphisms and CAP-HFS were analyzed using logistic regression under an additive model.Results We identified a novel risk mutation (c.1A>G, chr18:657743), was associated with severe HFS in an extreme case who was affected during the first cycle of treatment. Moreover, we identified three new variants, rs3786362, rs699517, rs2790, and two previously reported variants, 5’VNTR 2R/3R and 3′-untranslated region 6-bp ins-del, which were significantly associated with CAP-HFS (p < 0.05). In silico analysis revealed that the effect of these polymorphisms in the TYMS region on the development of HFS might not be restricted solely to the regulation of TYMS expression, but also the TYMS catalytic activity through the indirect effect on ENOSF1 expression.Conclusion This study identified new polymorphisms in TYMS gene significantly associated with CAP-HFS, which may serve as useful genetic predictors for CAP-HFS and help to elucidate the underlying mechanism of HFS.

Notch Inhibitor: a Promising Carcinoma Radiosensitizer

Yu, Shu-Dong,Liu, Fen-Ye,Wang, Qi-Rong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.11

Radiotherapy is an important part of modern cancer management for many malignancies, and enhancing the radiosensitivity of tumor cells is critical for effective cancer therapies. The Notch signaling pathway plays a key role in regulation of numerous fundamental cellular processes. Further, there is accumulating evidence that dysregulated Notch activity is involved in the genesis of many human cancers. As such, Notch inhibitors are attractive therapeutic agents, although as for other anticancer agents, they exhibit significant and potential side effects. Thus, Notch inhibitors may be best used in combination with other agents or therapy. Herein, we describe evidence supporting the use of Notch inhibitors as novel and potent radiosensitizers in cancer therapy.

Microarray Analysis of the Hypoxia-induced Gene Expression Profile in Malignant C6 Glioma Cells

Huang, Xiao-Dong,Wang, Ze-Fen,Dai, Li-Ming,Li, Zhi-Qiang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.9

Hypoxia is commonly featured during glioma growth and plays an important role in the processes underlying tumor progression to increasing malignancy. Here we compared the gene expression profiles of rat C6 malignant glioma cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions by cDNA microarray analysis. Compared to normoxic culture conditions, 180 genes were up-regulated and 67 genes were down-regulated under hypoxia mimicked by $CoCl_2$ treatment. These differentially expressed genes were involved in mutiple biological functions including development and differentiation, immune and stress response, metabolic process, and cellular physiological response. It was found that hypoxia significantly regulated genes involved in regulation of glycolysis and cell differentiation, as well as intracellular signalling pathways related to Notch and focal adhesion, which are closely associated with tumor malignant growth. These results should facilitate investigation of the role of hypoxia in the glioma development and exploration of therapeutic targets for inhibition of glioma growth.

Predictive and Prognostic Roles of Ribonucleotide Reductase M1 in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Gemcitabine: A Meta-analysis

Zhang, Xiong,Jin, Fen-Shu,Zhang, Li-Guo,Chen, Rui-Xue,Zhao, Jin-Hui,Wang, Yan-Nan,Wang, En-Fu,Jiang, Zhen-Dong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.7

Increasing scientific evidence suggests that ribonucleotide reductase M1 (RRM1) may be a powerful predictor of survival in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy after operative resection, but many existing studies have yielded inconclusive results. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the prognostic role of RRM1 in predicting survival in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with gemcitabine. An extensive literature search for relevant studies was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CBM databases from their inception through May 1st, 2013. This meta-analysis was performed using the STATA 12.0 software and crude hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Eight clinical studies were included in this meta-analysis with a total of 665 pancreatic cancer patients treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, including 373 patients in the high RRM1 expression group and 292 patients in the low RRM1 expression group. Our meta-analysis revealed that high RRM1 expression was associated with improved overall survival (OS) of pancreatic cancer patients (HR=1.56, 95%CI=0.95-2.17, P<0.001). High RRM1 expression also was linked to longer disease-free survival (DFS) than low RRM1 expression (HR=1.37, 95%CI=0.25-2.48, P=0.016). In conclusion, our meta-analysis suggests that high RRM1 expression may be associated with improved OS and DFS of pancreatic cancer patients treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Detection of RRM1 expression may be a promising biomarker for gemcitabine response and prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients.

Overexpression of Phospholipase A₂ Group IIA in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Association with Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression

Zhai, Yan-Chun,Dong, Bin,Wei, Wen-Qiang,He, Yan,Li, Xin-Qing,Cormier, Robert T.,Wang, Wei,Liu, Fen Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.21

Background: Esophageal cancer is one of the most frequently occurring malignancies and the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. The esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common histological type of esophageal cancer worldwide. Materials and Methods: Our goal in this study was to detect phospholipase A2 Group IIA (PLA2G2A) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) immuno-expression in ESCC in a high-risk population in China. Results: Positive expression of PLA2G2A protein was observed in 57.2% (166/290) of the cases, while COX-2 was found in 257 of 290 samples (88.6%), both PLA2G2A and COX-2 being expressed in 153 cases (52.8%), with a significant agreement (Kappa=0.091, p=0.031).Overexpression of PLA2G2A was significantly correlated with the depth of invasion (p=0.001). Co-expression of PLA2G2A and COX-2 not only significantly correlated with the depth of invasion (p=0.004) but also with TNM stage (p=0.04). Conclusions: Our results showed that in patients with ESCC, PLA2G2A overexpression and PLA2G2A co-expression with COX-2 is significantly correlated with advanced stage. The biological role and pathophysiologic regulation of PLA2G2A and COX-2 overexpression in ESCC deserve further investigation.

Anticancer Activity of Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L) Merr Extracts is Associated with Inhibition of NF-κB Activity and Decreased Erk1/2 and Akt Phosphorylation

Wang, Hua-Qian,Li, Dong-Li,Lu, Yu-Jing,Cui, Xiao-Xing,Zhou, Xiao-Fen,Lin, Wei-Ping,Conney, Allan H.,Zhang, Kun,Du, Zhi-Yun,Zheng, Xi Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.21

Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L) Merr (AT) is commonly used as an herbal medicine and edible plant in some areas of China and other Asian countries. AT is thought to have anticancer effects, but potential mechanisms remain unknown. To assess the anticancer properties of AT, we exposed prostate cancer cells to AT extracts and assessed cell proliferation and signaling pathways. An ethanol extract of AT was suspended in water followed by sequential extraction with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. PC-3 cells were treated with different concentrations of each extract and cell viability was determined by the MTT and trypan blue exclusion assays. The ethyl acetate extract of the ethanol extract had a stronger inhibitory effect on growth and a stronger stimulatory effect on apoptosis than any of the other extracts. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the ethyl acetate extract suppressed the transcriptional activity of NF-${\kappa}B$, increased the level of caspase-3, and decreased the levels of phospho-Erk1/2 and phospho-Akt. This is the first report on the anticancer activity of AT in cultured human prostate cancer cells. The results suggest that AT can provide a plant-based medicine for the treatment or prevention of prostate cancer.