Recent advances in understanding of the epigenetic regulation of plant regeneration

Ever since the concept of"plant cell totipotency"was first proposed in the early twentieth century,plant regeneration has been a major focus of study.Regeneration-mediated organogenesis and genetic transformation are important topics in both basic research and modern agriculture.Recent studies in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and other species have expanded our understanding of the molecular regulation of plant regeneration.The hierarchy of transcriptional regulation driven by phytohormone signaling during regeneration is associated with changes in chromatin dynamics and DNA methylation.Here,we summarize how various aspects of epigenetic regulation,including histone modifications and variants,chromatin accessibility dynamics,DNA methylation,and microRNAs,modulate plant regeneration.As the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation are conserved in many plants,research in this field has potential applications in boosting crop breeding,especially if coupled with emerging single-cell omics technologies.

Hybrid liposome-erythrocyte drug delivery system for tumor therapy with enhanced targeting and blood circulation

Liposome,a widely used drug delivery system(DDS),still shows several disadvantages such as dominant clearance by liver and poor target organ deposition.To overcome the drawbacks of liposomes,we developed a novel red blood cell(RBC)-liposome combined DDS to modulate the tumor accumulation and extend the blood circulation life of the existing liposomal DDS.Here,RBCs,an ideal natural carrier DDS,were utilized to carry liposomes and avoid them undergo the fast clearance in the blood.In this study,liposomes could either absorbed onto RBCs’surface or fuse with RBCs’membrane by merely altering the interaction time at 37°C,while the interaction between liposome and RBCs would not affect RBCs’characteristics.In the in vivo antitumor therapeutic efficacy study,1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine(DPPC)liposomes attached onto RBCs’surfaces exhibited lung targeting effect(via RBC-hitchhiking approach)and reduced clearance in the liver,while DPPC liposomes fused with RBCs had prolong blood circulation up to 48 h and no enrichment in any organ.Furthermore,20 mol%of DPPC liposomes were replaced with pH-sensitive phospholipid 1,2-dioleoyl-Sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine(DOPE)as it could respond to the low pH tumor microenvironment and then accumulate in the tumor.The DOPE attached/fusion RBCs showed partial enrichment in lung and about 5-8%tumor accumulation,which were significantly higher than(about 0.7%)the conventional liposomal DDS.Thus,RBC-liposome composite DDS is able to improve the liposomal tumor accumulation and blood circulation and shows the clinical application promises of using autologous RBCs for antitumor therapy.