Background:Traditional Chinese medicine is promising for managing challenging and complex disorders,including cancer,and in particular,saffron is applied in treating various cancer types.However,its potential therapeu...Background:Traditional Chinese medicine is promising for managing challenging and complex disorders,including cancer,and in particular,saffron is applied in treating various cancer types.However,its potential therapeutic efficacy and active components in managing squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck(HNSCC)remain unclear yet.Methods:Using network pharmacology approaches,active ingredients of saffron,their target genes,and HNSCC-related genes were identified.Enrichment analyses were conducted for determining molecular functions and pathways enriched by genes that overlapped between the saffron target gene set and the HNSCC gene set.Among the four known active ingredients of saffron,crocetin was found to have the strongest inhibitory impact on HNSCC,based on the findings of cell viability and migration assays.Therefore,the potential target genes of crocetin in HNSCC cells were examined using molecular docking experiments and were confirmed by qPCR.Result s:Four active ingredients of saffron and 184 of their target genes were identified.Further,a total of 34 overlapping saffron-/HNSCC-associated targets related to the four active ingredients were screened,and crocetin was chosen for further investigation because it had the strongest inhibitory effect on HNSCC cells.Molecular docking experiments indicated that ESR1 and CCND1 were the target genes of crocetin.These results were confirmed through qPCR analysis,in which crocetin was found to lower the expression of the ESR1 and CCND1 genes in AMC-HN-8 and FaDu cells.Conclusion:According to our results,crocetin is a primary active anti-cancer component of saffron that may have potential in the development of novel HNSCC-treating medications.However,more thorough molecular research is necessary for confirming these results and elucidating the anti-cancer mechanism underlying saffron.展开更多
Oxidation of fats and oils during storage causes their degradation and loss of nutritional value and appearance. Electron spin resonance （ESR） is the only method that can be used to directly observe the radicals. In...Oxidation of fats and oils during storage causes their degradation and loss of nutritional value and appearance. Electron spin resonance （ESR） is the only method that can be used to directly observe the radicals. In this study, the authors used an ESR spin-trapping method to study the oxidation of triacylglycerols （TAG） containing different fatty acids （FAs） commonly found in food. The ESR adduct signals were analyzed to study the effect of double bonds and the chain length of the FAs of TAG on oxidation. Oxidation was conducted by applying UV irradiation to TAG by dissolving it in N-tert-buthyl〈t-phenylnitrone （PBN）, which trapped the radicals induced in the TAG as an ESR adduct signal. The detection was clearly successful. There were no differences in the spectra of tristearin （18：0） and tripalmitin （16：0）; thus, it can be concluded that the length of the carbon chain of the FAs of TAG does not affect the oxidation reactions. However, the ESR spectra of tristearin （18：0）, triolein （18：1） and trilinolein （18：3） were clearly different due to the presence/absence of a new peak corresponding to new induced radicals, leading to the conclusion that double bonds play a major role in the oxidation reactions of fats and oils.展开更多
Watermelon(Citrullus lanatus)holds global significance as a fruit with high economic and nutritional value.Exploring the regulatory network of watermelon male reproductive development is crucial for developing male st...Watermelon(Citrullus lanatus)holds global significance as a fruit with high economic and nutritional value.Exploring the regulatory network of watermelon male reproductive development is crucial for developing male sterile materials and facilitating cross-breeding.Despite its importance,there is a lack of research on the regulation mechanism of male reproductive development in watermelon.In this study,we identified that ClESR2,a VIIIb subclass member in the APETALA2/Ethylene Responsive Factor(AP2/ERF)superfamily,was a key factor in pollen development.RNA insitu hybridization confirmed significantClESR2 expression in the tapetum and pollen during the later stage of anther development.The pollens of transgenic plants showed major defects in morphology and vitality at the late development stage.The RNA-seq and protein interaction assay confirmed that ClESR2 regulates pollen morphology and fertility by interacting with key genes involved in pollen development at both transcriptional and protein levels.These suggest that Enhancer of Shoot Regeneration 2(ESR2)plays an important role in pollen maturation and vitality.This study helps understand the male reproductive development of watermelon,providing a theoretical foundation for developing male sterile materials.展开更多
This study aims to explore the potential of ESR1 as a biomarker in breast cancer(BRCA)using bioinformatics analysis tools.The up-regulation of ESR1 expression in BRCA was investigated using UALCAN and GEPIA2,illustrat...This study aims to explore the potential of ESR1 as a biomarker in breast cancer(BRCA)using bioinformatics analysis tools.The up-regulation of ESR1 expression in BRCA was investigated using UALCAN and GEPIA2,illustrating its role in BRCA progression.Furthermore,analyses based on various variables such as gender,age,race,and pathological stages of BRCA patients revealed a consistent up-regulation of ESR1,emphasizing its role in the development and progression of BRCA.Additionally,an analysis of ESR1 promoter methylation levels across various parameters revealed hypomethylation,affirming the inverse correlation between methylation and ESR1 expression.Prognostic analysis further indicated that overexpression of ESR1 is associated with poor overall survival,highlighting its potential as a prognostic biomarker in BRCA.Moreover,genetic mutation analysis using cBioPortal disclosed a minor role of ESR1 genetic mutations in BRCA,with only 2.5%of genetic alterations observed.The STRING and DAVID tools were utilized to conduct pathway enrichment analysis,revealing diverse biological functions of ESR1 and its 10 interconnected genes.Altogether,these results underscore the significance of understanding ESR1 up-regulation in BRCA and demonstrate its potential as a therapeutic,diagnostic,and prognostic biomarker.展开更多
基金the Taishan Scholar Project(No.ts20190991)the Key R&D Project of Shandong Province(2022CXPT023)。
文摘Background:Traditional Chinese medicine is promising for managing challenging and complex disorders,including cancer,and in particular,saffron is applied in treating various cancer types.However,its potential therapeutic efficacy and active components in managing squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck(HNSCC)remain unclear yet.Methods:Using network pharmacology approaches,active ingredients of saffron,their target genes,and HNSCC-related genes were identified.Enrichment analyses were conducted for determining molecular functions and pathways enriched by genes that overlapped between the saffron target gene set and the HNSCC gene set.Among the four known active ingredients of saffron,crocetin was found to have the strongest inhibitory impact on HNSCC,based on the findings of cell viability and migration assays.Therefore,the potential target genes of crocetin in HNSCC cells were examined using molecular docking experiments and were confirmed by qPCR.Result s:Four active ingredients of saffron and 184 of their target genes were identified.Further,a total of 34 overlapping saffron-/HNSCC-associated targets related to the four active ingredients were screened,and crocetin was chosen for further investigation because it had the strongest inhibitory effect on HNSCC cells.Molecular docking experiments indicated that ESR1 and CCND1 were the target genes of crocetin.These results were confirmed through qPCR analysis,in which crocetin was found to lower the expression of the ESR1 and CCND1 genes in AMC-HN-8 and FaDu cells.Conclusion:According to our results,crocetin is a primary active anti-cancer component of saffron that may have potential in the development of novel HNSCC-treating medications.However,more thorough molecular research is necessary for confirming these results and elucidating the anti-cancer mechanism underlying saffron.
文摘Oxidation of fats and oils during storage causes their degradation and loss of nutritional value and appearance. Electron spin resonance （ESR） is the only method that can be used to directly observe the radicals. In this study, the authors used an ESR spin-trapping method to study the oxidation of triacylglycerols （TAG） containing different fatty acids （FAs） commonly found in food. The ESR adduct signals were analyzed to study the effect of double bonds and the chain length of the FAs of TAG on oxidation. Oxidation was conducted by applying UV irradiation to TAG by dissolving it in N-tert-buthyl〈t-phenylnitrone （PBN）, which trapped the radicals induced in the TAG as an ESR adduct signal. The detection was clearly successful. There were no differences in the spectra of tristearin （18：0） and tripalmitin （16：0）; thus, it can be concluded that the length of the carbon chain of the FAs of TAG does not affect the oxidation reactions. However, the ESR spectra of tristearin （18：0）, triolein （18：1） and trilinolein （18：3） were clearly different due to the presence/absence of a new peak corresponding to new induced radicals, leading to the conclusion that double bonds play a major role in the oxidation reactions of fats and oils.
基金support from the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFD1602000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32202514,U22A20498 and 32072596)+2 种基金the Joint Fund of Henan Province Science and Technology Research and Development Plan,China(222103810009)the Science and Technology Innovation Team of Shaanxi,China(2021TD-32)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2022M711064 and 2023M741062).
文摘Watermelon(Citrullus lanatus)holds global significance as a fruit with high economic and nutritional value.Exploring the regulatory network of watermelon male reproductive development is crucial for developing male sterile materials and facilitating cross-breeding.Despite its importance,there is a lack of research on the regulation mechanism of male reproductive development in watermelon.In this study,we identified that ClESR2,a VIIIb subclass member in the APETALA2/Ethylene Responsive Factor(AP2/ERF)superfamily,was a key factor in pollen development.RNA insitu hybridization confirmed significantClESR2 expression in the tapetum and pollen during the later stage of anther development.The pollens of transgenic plants showed major defects in morphology and vitality at the late development stage.The RNA-seq and protein interaction assay confirmed that ClESR2 regulates pollen morphology and fertility by interacting with key genes involved in pollen development at both transcriptional and protein levels.These suggest that Enhancer of Shoot Regeneration 2(ESR2)plays an important role in pollen maturation and vitality.This study helps understand the male reproductive development of watermelon,providing a theoretical foundation for developing male sterile materials.
文摘This study aims to explore the potential of ESR1 as a biomarker in breast cancer(BRCA)using bioinformatics analysis tools.The up-regulation of ESR1 expression in BRCA was investigated using UALCAN and GEPIA2,illustrating its role in BRCA progression.Furthermore,analyses based on various variables such as gender,age,race,and pathological stages of BRCA patients revealed a consistent up-regulation of ESR1,emphasizing its role in the development and progression of BRCA.Additionally,an analysis of ESR1 promoter methylation levels across various parameters revealed hypomethylation,affirming the inverse correlation between methylation and ESR1 expression.Prognostic analysis further indicated that overexpression of ESR1 is associated with poor overall survival,highlighting its potential as a prognostic biomarker in BRCA.Moreover,genetic mutation analysis using cBioPortal disclosed a minor role of ESR1 genetic mutations in BRCA,with only 2.5%of genetic alterations observed.The STRING and DAVID tools were utilized to conduct pathway enrichment analysis,revealing diverse biological functions of ESR1 and its 10 interconnected genes.Altogether,these results underscore the significance of understanding ESR1 up-regulation in BRCA and demonstrate its potential as a therapeutic,diagnostic,and prognostic biomarker.
