Two type III polyketide synthases from Polygonum cuspidatum: gene structure, evolutionary route and metabolites

Guo, Yan-Wu,Guo, Hui-Li,Li, Xing,Huang, Li-Li,Zhang, Bo-Ning,Pang, Xiao-Bin,Liu, Ben-Ye,Ma, Lan-Qing,Wang, Hong 한국식물생명공학회 2013 Plant biotechnology reports Vol.7 No.3

In our recent work (Ma et al., in Planta 229(3):457-469, 2009a and 229(4):1077-1086, 2009b), two three-intron type III PKS genes, PcPKS1 and PcPKS2, were isolated from Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. Phylogenetic and functional analyses revealed PcPKS1 is a three-intron chalcone synthase (CHS) gene, and PcPKS2 is found to be a three-intron benzalacetone synthase (BAS) gene. The regular CHS encoded by a single intron gene have not been isolated and characterized from P. cuspidatum. In this work a further CHS with one intron (PcPKS3) and a stilbene synthase (STS) gene with three-intron (PcPKS5) were isolated and characterized by functional and phylogenetic analyses. In comparison with PcPKS1, a bifunctional enzyme with both CHS and BAS activity, the enzymatic product of recombinant PcPKS3 was naringenin, bis-noryangonin (BNY) and 4-coumaroyltriacetic acid lactone (CTAL) occurred as side products. The PcPKS5 synthesized resveratrol and a trace amount of naringenin from p-coumaroyl-CoA. To our knowledge, PcPKS5 is the first reported three-intron STS gene in flowering plants. In this work, we speculated that this involved a possible evolutionary route of plant-specific type III PKS superfamily in P. cuspidatum.

The comparison and optimization of zirconia, alumina, and zirconia-alumina supported PtSnIn trimetallic catalysts for propane dehydrogenation reaction

Liu-Liu Long,Ke Xia,Wan-Zhong Lang,Li-Ling Shen,Qiang Yang,Xi Yan,Ya-Jun Guo 한국공업화학회 2017 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.51 No.-

The zirconia, alumina, and zirconia-alumina (xZr-Al) supported PtSnIn catalysts were prepared andcomparatively studied for propane dehydrogenation reaction. The structure–function relationships ofthe resultant catalysts are well elucidated upon several state-of-art physico-chemical characterizations. The results show that xZr-Al used as support for trimetallic PtSnIn catalysts exhibits the significantcatalytic performances. The PtSnIn/08Zr-Al catalyst has the highest Pt dispersion accompanied with thesmallest average Pt particles, and it presents the initial propane conversion and propylene selectivityabove 55.0% and 98.0% respectively. The initial propane conversions afterfive reaction–regenerationcycles are all above 55.0% and only decrease little ( 3%).

5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine Induces Hepatoma Cell Apoptosis via Enhancing Methionine Adenosyltransferase 1A Expression and Inducing S-Adenosylmethionine Production

Liu, Wei-Jun,Ren, Jian-Guo,Li, Ting,Yu, Guo-Zheng,Zhang, Jin,Li, Chang-Sheng,Liu, Zhi-Su,Liu, Quan-Yan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.11

In hepatocellular cancer (HCC), lack of response to chemotherapy and radiation treatment can be caused by a loss of epigenetic modifications of cancer cells. Methionine adenosyltransferase 1A is inactivated in HCC and may be stimulated by an epigenetic change involving promoter hypermethylation. Therefore, drugs releasing epigenetic repression have been proposed to reverse this process. We studied the effect of the demethylating reagent 5-aza-2'-deoxycitidine (5-Aza-CdR) on MAT1A gene expression, DNA methylation and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) production in the HCC cell line Huh7. We found that MAT1A mRNA and protein expression were activated in Huh7 cells with the treatment of 5-Aza-CdR; the status of promoter hypermethylation was reversed. At the same time, MAT2A mRNA and protein expression was significantly reduced in Huh7 cells treated with 5-Aza-CdR, while SAMe production was significantly induced. However, 5-Aza-CdR showed no effects on MAT2A methylation. Furthermore, 5-Aza-CdR inhibited the growth of Huh7 cells and induced apoptosis and through down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax and caspase-3. Our observations suggest that 5-Aza-CdR exerts its anti-tumor effects in Huh7 cells through an epigenetic change involving increased expression of the methionine adenosyltransferase 1A gene and induction of S-adenosylmethionine production.

Relationship Between Computed Tomography Manifestations of Thymic Epithelial Tumors and the WHO Pathological Classification

Liu, Guo-Bing,Qu, Yan-Juan,Liao, Mei-Yan,Hu, Hui-Juan,Yang, Gui-Fang,Zhou, Su-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.11

Objective: To explore the relationship between computed tomography (CT) manifestations of thymoma and its WHO pathological classification. Methods: One hundred and five histopathologically confirmed cases were collected for their pathological and CT characteristics and results were statistically compared between different pathological types of thymoma. Results: Tumor size, shape, necrosis or cystic change, capsule integrity, invasion to the adjacent tissue, lymphadenopathy, and the presence of pleural effusion were significantly different between different pathological types of thymomas (P<0.05). Type B2, B3 tumors and thymic carcinomas were greater in size than other types. More than 50% of type B3 tumors and thymic carcinomas had a tumor size greater than 10 cm. The shape of types A, AB, and B1 tumors were mostly round or oval, whereas 75% of type B3 tumors and 85% of thymic carcinomas were irregular in shape. Necrosis or cystic change occurred in 67% of type B3 thymomas and 57% of thymic carcinomas, respectively. The respective figures for capsule destruction were 83% and 100%. Increases in the degree of malignancy were associated with increases in the incidence of surrounding tissue invasion: 33%, 75%, and 81% in type B2, type B3, and thymic carcinomas, respectively. Pleural effusion occurred in 48% of thymic carcinomas, while calcification was observed mostly in type B thymomas. Conclusions: Different pathological types of thymic epithelial tumors have different CT manifestations. Distinctive CT features of thymomas may reflect their pathological types.

Copper and Bacterial Diversity in Soil Enhance Paeonol Accumulation in Cortex Moutan of Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Fengdan’

Yanli Liu,Yan Xia,Pan Guo,Guiping Wang,Zhenguo Shen,Yingchun Xu,Yahua Chen 한국원예학회 2013 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.54 No.4

The effects of environmental factors on the paeonol accumulation in cortex moutan of herbal Paeonia suffruticosa cv. Fengdan were investigated. Cortex moutan of ‘Fengdan’ and the corresponding soil samples were collected from Tongling (Anhui Province, China). A pot experiment was also conducted to investigate the responses of plant growth and paeonol concentrations to copper (Cu) supply. The paeonol and Cu concentrations in cortex moutan samples, the basic soil properties and soil’s bacterial diversity were analyzed. The results showed that moderate levels of Cu in the soil enhanced the paeonol concentration in the cortex moutan. Moreover, the paeonol concentration was related significantly to soil bacterial diversity. The results of the pot experiment showed that increasing Cu supply from 63 to 263 mg·kg-1 did not produce any significant effect on the dry weight of ‘Fengdan’ cortex moutan,duramen, and total plant. Increasing Cu supply significantly increased the concentrations of paeonol in cortex moutan and duramen; but at 263 mg·kg-1 Cu there was a slight decline in their concentrations than those obtained at 156mg·kg-1 Cu. In all treatments, the concentrations of paeonol were much higher in the cortex moutan than those in the duramen. Due to its ecological benefits, ‘Fengdan’ can be planted in soil contaminated with moderate Cu.

Combination of Tumor Volume and Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Improved Prognostic Stratification of Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in the Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Era: A Large-Scale Cohort Study

Qiu-Yan Chen,Shao-Yan Guo,Lin-Quan Tang,Tong-Yu Lu,Bo-Lin Chen,Qi-Yu Zhong,Meng-Sha Zou,Qing-Nan Tang,Wen-Hui Chen,Shan-Shan Guo,Li-Ting Liu,Yang Li,Ling Guo,Hao-Yuan Mo,Rui Sun,Dong-Hua Luo,Chong Zha 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.3

Purpose Little is known about combination of the circulating Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) DNA and tumor volume in prognosis of stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era. We conducted this cohort study to evaluate the prognostic values of combining these two factors. Materials and Methods By Kaplan-Meier, we compare the differences of survival curves between 385 patients with different EBV DNA or tumor volume levels, or with the combination of two biomarkers mentioned above. Results Gross tumor volume of cervical lymph nodes (GTVnd, p < 0.001) and total tumor volume (GTVtotal, p < 0.001) were both closely related to pretreatment EBV DNA, while gross tumor volume of nasopharynx (GTVnx, p=0.047) was weakly related to EBV DNA. EBV DNA was significantly correlated with progress-free survival (PFS, p=0.005), locoregional-free survival (LRFS, p=0.039), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, p=0.017), while GTVtotal, regardless of GTVnx and GTVnd, had a significant correlation with PFS and LRFS. The p-values of GTVtotal for PFS and LRFS were 0.008 and 0.001, respectively. According to GTVtotal and pretreatment EBV DNA level, patients were divided into a low-risk group (EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3; EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal  30 cm3; or EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3) and a high-risk group (EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal  30 cm3). When patients in the low-risk group were compared with those in the high-risk group, 3-year PFS (p=0.003), LRFS (p=0.010), and DMFS (p=0.031) rates were statistically significant. Conclusion Pretreatment plasma EBV DNA and tumor volume were both closely correlated with prognosis of stage II NPC patients in the IMRT era. Combination of EBV DNA and tumor volume can refine prognosis and indicate for clinical therapy.

An Aqueous Extract of Yunnan Baiyao Inhibits the Quorum-Sensing-Related Virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Zu-Guo Zhao,Shuang-Shuang Yan,Yun-Mei Yu,Na Mi,La-Xi Zhang,Jun Liu,Xiao-Ling Li,Fang Liu,Jun-Fa Xu,Wei-Qing Yang,Guo-Ming Li 한국미생물학회 2013 The journal of microbiology Vol.51 No.2

Yunnan Baiyao is a famous Chinese medicine that has long been directly applied to wounds to reduce bleeding, pain, and swelling without causing infection. However, little is known about its ability to prevent infection. The present study aimed to assess in vitro the anti-virulence activity of an aqueous extract of Yunnan Baiyao (YBX) using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a pathogenic model. We found that a sub-MIC (2.5 mg/ml) of YBX can efficiently interfere with the quorum-sensing (QS) signaling circuit. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that a sub-MIC of YBX downregulated the transcriptions of lasR, lasI, rhlR, and rhlI,which resulted in global attenuation of QS-regulated virulence activities, such as biofilm formation, and secretion of LasA protease, LasB elastase and pyocyanin. Further, YBX reduced the motility of P. aeruginosa related to QS, and impaired the formation of biofilms. These results suggest that YBX may possess global inhibitory activity against the virulence of P. aeruginosa and that YBX may also exhibit antimicrobial activity in vivo. The present study suggests that Yunnan Baiyao represents a potential source for isolating novel, safe, and efficacious antimicrobial agents.

Polymicrobial and Monomicrobial Infections after Spinal Surgery: A Retrospective Study to Determine which Infection is more Severe

Shaoqiang Liu,Qiang Qi,Zhongqiang Chen,Ning Liu,Zhaoqing Guo,Chuiguo Sun,Weishi Li,Yan Zeng,Zhongjun Liu 대한척추외과학회 2017 Asian Spine Journal Vol.11 No.3

Study Design: A retrospective clinical review. Purpose: To investigate the difference in clinical manifestations and severity between polymicrobial and monomicrobial infections after spinal surgery. Overview of Literature: Surgical site infections (SSIs) after spinal surgery are a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for spinal surgeons. Polymicrobial infections after spinal surgery seem to result in poorer outcomes than monomicrobial infections because of complementary resistance to antibiotics. However, comparison of the clinical manifestations and severity between polymicrobial and monomicrobial infections are limited. Methods: Sixty-seven patients with SSIs after spinal surgery were studied: 20 patients with polymicrobial infections and 47 with monomicrobial infections. Pathogenic bacteria identified were counted and classified. Age, sex, and body mass index were compared between the two groups to identify homogeneity. The groups were compared for clinical manifestations by surgical site, postoperative time to infection, infection site, incisional drainage, incisional swelling, incisional pain, neurological signs, temperature, white blood cell count, and the percentage of neutrophils. Finally, the groups were compared for severity by hospital stay, number of rehospitalizations, number of debridements, duration of antibiotics administration, number of antibiotics administered, and implant removal. Results: Polymicrobial infections comprised 29.9% of SSIs after spinal surgery, and most polymicrobial infections (70.0%) were caused by two species of bacteria only. There was no difference between the groups in terms of clinical manifestations and severity. In total, 96 bacterial strains were isolated from the spinal wounds: 60 strains were gram-positive and 36 were gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus epidermidis , Escherichia coli , and Enterobacter cloacae were cultured in order of the frequency of appearance. Conclusions: Most polymicrobial infections were caused by two bacterial species after spinal surgery. There was no difference in clinical manifestations or severity between polymicrobial and monomicrobial infections.

Pretreatment Serum Amyloid A and C-reactive Protein Comparing with Epstein-Barr Virus DNA as Prognostic Indicators in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Prospective Study

Qiu-Yan Chen,Qing-Nan Tang,Lin-Quan Tang,Wen-Hui Chen,Shan-Shan Guo,Li-Ting Liu,Chao-Feng Li,Yang Li,Yu-Jing Liang,Xue-Song Sun,Ling Guo,Hao-Yuan Mo,Rui Sun,Dong-Hua Luo,Yu-Ying Fan,Yan He,Ming-Yuan C 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.3

Purpose The measuring Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is an important predictor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study evaluated the predictive value of pretreatment serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) comparing with EBV DNA in patients with NPC. Materials and Methods In an observational study of 419 non-metastatic NPC patients, we prospectively evaluated the prognostic effects of pretreatment SAA, CRP, and EBV DNA on survival. The primary endpoint was progress-free survival (PFS). Results The median level of SAA and CRP was 4.28 mg/L and 1.88 mg/L, respectively. For the high- SAA group (> 4.28 mg/L) versus the low-SAA ( 4.28 mg/L) group and the high-CRP group (> 1.88 mg/L) versus the low-CRP ( 1.88 mg/L) group, the 5-year PFS was 64.5% versus 73.1% (p=0.013) and 65.2% versus 73.3% (p=0.064), respectively. EBV DNA detection showed a superior predictive result, the 5-year PFS in the EBV DNA  1,500 copies/mL group was obviously different than the EBV DNA < 1,500 copies/mL group (62.2% versus 77.8%, p < 0.001). Multifactorial Cox regression analysis confirmed that in the PFS, the independent prognostic factors were including EBV DNA (hazard ratio [HR], 1.788; p=0.009), tumour stage (HR, 1.903; p=0.021), and node stage (HR, 1.498; p=0.049), but the SAA and CRP were not included in the independent prognostic factors. Conclusion The results of SAA and CRP had a certain relationship with the prognosis of NPC, and the prognosis of patients with high level of SAA and CRP were poor. However, the predictive ability of SAA and CRP was lower than that of EBV DNA.

Activating Transcription Factor 1 is a Prognostic Marker of Colorectal Cancer

Huang, Guo-Liang,Guo, Hong-Qiang,Yang, Feng,Liu, Ou-Fei,Li, Bin-Bin,Liu, Xing-Yan,Lu, Yan,He, Zhi-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.3

Objective: Identifying cancer-related genes or proteins is critical in preventing and controlling colorectal cancer (CRC). This study was to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic value of activating transcription factor 1 (ATF1) in CRC. Methods: Protein expression of ATF1 was detected using immunohistochemistry in 66 CRC tissues. Clinicopathological association of ATF1 in CRC was analyzed with chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. The prognostic value of ATF1 in CRC is estimated using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression models. Results: The ATF1 protein expression was significantly lower in tumor tissues than corresponding normal tissues (51.5% and 71.1%, respectively, P = 0.038). No correlation was found between ATF1 expression and the investigated clinicopathological parameters, including gender, age, depth of invasion, lymph node status, metastasis, pathological stage, vascular tumoral emboli, peritumoral deposits, chemotherapy and original tumor site (all with P > 0.05). Patients with higher ATF1 expression levels have a significantly higher survival rate than that with lower expression (P = 0.026 for overall survival, P = 0.008 for progress free survival). Multivariate Cox regression model revealed that ATF1 expression and depth of invasion were the predictors of the overall survival (P = 0.008 and P = 0.028) and progress free survival (P = 0.002 and P = 0.005) in CRC. Conclusions: Higher ATF1 expression is a predictor of a favorable outcome for the overall survival and progress free survival in CRC.