Evaluating combined bevacizumab and XELOX in advanced colorectal cancer: Serum markers carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 125, carbohydrate antigen 199 analysis

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer ranks third and second among common and fatal cancers.The treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC)is generally based on XELOX in clinical practice,which includes capecitabine(CAP)and oxaliplatin.Serum tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),carbohydrate antigen(CA)125 and CA199 are prognostic factors for various tumors.AIM To investigate evaluating combined bevacizumab(BEV)and XELOX in advanced colorectal cancer:Serum markers CEA,CA125,CA199 analysis.METHODS In this retrospective study,a total of 94 elderly patients diagnosed with mCRC were recruited and subsequently categorized into two groups based on the distinct treatment modalities they received.The control group was treated with XELOX plus CAP(n=47),while the observation group was treated with XELOX plus CAP and BEV(n=47).Several indexes were assessed in both groups,including disease control rate(DCR),incidence of adverse effects,serum marker levels(CEA,CA125,and CA19)and progression-free survival(PFS).RESULTS After 9 wk of treatment,the serum levels of CEA,CA199 and CA125 in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).Moreover,the PFS of the observation group(9.12±0.90 mo)was significantly longer than that of the control group(6.49±0.64 mo).Meanwhile,there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions and DCR between the two groups during maintenance therapy(P>0.05).CONCLUSION On the basis of XELOX treatment,the combination of BEV and CAP can reduce serum tumor marker levels and prolong PFS in patients with mCRC.

Recent progress in hair follicle stem cell markers and their regulatory roles

Hair follicle stem cells(HFSCs)in the bulge are a multipotent adult stem cell population.They can periodically give rise to new HFs and even regenerate the epidermis and sebaceous glands during wound healing.An increasing number of biomarkers have been used to isolate,label,and trace HFSCs in recent years.Considering more detailed data from single-cell transcriptomics technology,we mainly focus on the important HFSC molecular markers and their regulatory roles in this review.

New markers of fibrosis in hepatitis C:A step towards the Holy Grail?

In the present issue of the World Journal of Hepatology,Ferrassi et al examine the problem of liver fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C.They identify novel biomarkers in an effort to predict accurate fibrosis staging with the aid of the metabolome of Hepatitis C patients.Overall I think Ferrassi et al took a different approach in identifying fibrosis biomarkers,by looking at the patients’metabolome.Their biomarkers clearly separate patients from controls.They can also separate out,patients with minimal fibrosis(F0-F1 stage)and patients with cirrhosis(F4 stage).Obviously,if these biomarkers were to be widely used,tests for all the important metabolites would need to be readily available for use in hospitals or outpatient setting and that may prove difficult and above all,costly.Nevertheless,this step could eventually lead to a metabolomic approach for novel biomarkers of Fibrosis.Obviously,it would need to be validated,but could represent a step towards the Holy Grail of Hepatology.

Laparoscopic vs open surgery for gastric cancer: Assessing time, recovery, complications, and markers

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common cancers worldwide.Morbidity and mortality have increased in recent years,making it an urgent issue to address.La-paroscopic radical surgery(LRS)is a crucial method for treating patients with GC;However,its influence on tumor markers is still under investigation.The data of 194 patients treated at Chongqing University Cancer Hospital bet-ween January 2018 and January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients who underwent traditional open surgery and LRS were assigned to the control(n=90)and observation groups(n=104),respectively.Independent sample t-tests andχ2 tests were used to compare the two groups based on clinical efficacy,changes in tumor marker levels after treatment,clinical data,and the incidence of posto-perative complications.To investigate the association between tumor marker levels and clinical efficacy in patients with GC,three-year recurrence rates in the two groups were compared.RESULTS Patients in the observation group had a shorter duration of operation,less in-traoperative blood loss,an earlier postoperative eating time,and a shorter hospital stay than those in the control group(P<0.05).No significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding the number of lymph node dissections(P>0.05).After treatment,the overall response rate in the control group was significantly lower than that in the observation group(P=0.001).Furthermore,after treatment,the levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9,cancer antigen 72-4,carcinoembryonic antigen,and cancer antigen 125 decreased significantly.The observation group also exhibited a significantly lower incidence rate of postoperative complications compared to the control group(P<0.001).Additionally,the two groups did not significantly differ in terms of three-year survival and recurrence rates(P>0.05).CONCLUSION LRS effectively treats early gastric cancer by reducing intraoperative bleeding,length of hospital stays,and postoperative complications.It also significantly lowers tumor marker levels,thus improving the short-term prognosis of the disease.

Preoperative blood markers and intra-abdominal infection after colorectal cancer resection

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)has one of the highest morbidity and mortality rates among digestive tract tumors.Intra-abdominal infection(IAI)is a common postoperative complication that affects the clinical outcomes of patients with CRC and hinders their rehabilitation process.However,the factors influencing abdominal infection after CRC surgery remain unclear;further,prediction models are rarely used to analyze preoperative laboratory indicators and postoperative complications.AIM To explore the predictive value of preoperative blood markers for IAI after radical resection of CRC.METHODS The data of 80 patients who underwent radical resection of CRC in the Anorectal Surgery Department of Suzhou Hospital affiliated with Anhui Medical University were analyzed.These patients were categorized into IAI(n=15)and non-IAI groups(n=65)based on whether IAI occurred.Influencing factors were compared;general data and laboratory indices of both groups were identified.The relationship between the indicators was assessed.Further,a nomogram prediction model was developed and evaluated;its utility and clinical applic-ability were assessed.RESULTS The risk factors for IAI after radical resection of CRC were neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet-lymphocyte ratio(PLR),systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),and carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)levels.NLR was correlated with PLR and SII(r=0.604,0.925,and 0.305,respectively),while PLR was correlated with SII(r=0.787).The nomogram prediction model demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.968[95%confidence interval(CI):0.948-0.988]in the training set(n=60)and 0.926(95%CI:0.906-0.980)in the validation set(n=20).The average absolute errors of the calibration curves for the training and validation sets were 0.032 and 0.048,respectively,indicating a good model fit.The decision curve analysis curves demonstrated high net income above the 5%threshold,indicating the clinical practicality of the model.CONCLUSION The nomogram model constructed using NLR,PLR,SII,and CEA levels had good accuracy and reliability in predicting IAI after radical resection of CRC,potentially aiding clinical treatment decision-making.

Predictive model for non-malignant portal vein thrombosis associated with cirrhosis based on inflammatory biomarkers

BACKGROUND Portal vein thrombosis(PVT),a complication of liver cirrhosis,is a major public health concern.PVT prediction is the most effective method for PVT diagnosis and treatment.AIM To develop and validate a nomogram and network calculator based on clinical indicators to predict PVT in patients with cirrhosis.METHODS Patients with cirrhosis hospitalized between January 2016 and December 2021 at the First Hospital of Lanzhou University were screened and 643 patients with cirrhosis who met the eligibility criteria were retrieved.Following a 1:1 propensity score matching 572 patients with cirrhosis were screened,and relevant clinical data were collected.PVT risk factors were identified using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Variance inflation factors and correlation matrix plots were used to analyze multicollinearity among the variables.A nomogram was constructed to predict the probability of PVT based on independent risk factors for PVT,and its predictive performance was verified using a receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC),calibration curves,and decision curve analysis(DCA).Finally,a network calculator was constructed based on the nomograms.RESULTS This study enrolled 286 cirrhosis patients with PVT and 286 without PVT.LASSO analysis revealed 13 variables as strongly associated with PVT occurrence.Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed nine indicators as independent PVT risk factors,including etiology,ascites,gastroesophageal varices,platelet count,D-dimer,portal vein diameter,portal vein velocity,aspartate transaminase to neutrophil ratio index,and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio.LASSO and correlation matrix plot results revealed no significant multicollinearity or correlation among the variables.A nomogram was constructed based on the screened independent risk factors.The nomogram had excellent predictive performance,with an area under the ROC curve of 0.821 and 0.829 in the training and testing groups,respectively.Calibration curves and DCA revealed its good clinical performance.Finally,the optimal cutoff value for the total nomogram score was 0.513.The sensitivity and specificity of the optimal cutoff values were 0.822 and 0.706,respectively.CONCLUSION A nomogram for predicting PVT occurrence was successfully developed and validated,and a network calculator was constructed.This can enable clinicians to rapidly and easily identify high PVT risk groups.

Salivary C-reactive protein and mean platelet volume as possible diagnostic markers for late-onset neonatal pneumonia

BACKGROUND Neonatal sepsis,a formidable threat to newborns,is a leading cause of neonatal mortality,with late-onset sepsis manifesting after 72 hours post-birth being particularly concerning.Pneumonia,a prevalent sepsis presentation,poses a significant risk,especially during the neonatal phase when lung defenses are compromised.Accurate diagnosis of pneumonia is imperative for timely and effective interventions.Saliva,a minimally invasive diagnostic medium,holds great promise for evaluating infections,especially in infants.AIM To investigate the potential of serum C-reactive protein(CRP),salivary CRP(sCRP),and mean platelet volume(MPV)as diagnostic markers for late-onset neonatal pneumonia(LONP).METHODS Eighty full-term neonates were systematically examined,considering anthropometric measurements,clinical manifestations,radiology findings,and essential biomarkers,including serum CRP,sCRP,and MPV.RESULTS The study reveals noteworthy distinctions in serum CRP levels,MPV,and the serum CRP/MPV ratio between neonates with LONP and healthy controls.MPV exhibited a robust discriminatory ability[area under the curve(AUC)=0.87]with high sensitivity and specificity at a cutoff value of>8.8.Correlations between serum CRP,sCRP,and MPV were also identified.Notably,sCRP demonstrated excellent predictive value for serum CRP levels(AUC=0.89),underscoring its potential as a diagnostic tool.CONCLUSION This study underscores the diagnostic promise of salivary and serum biomarkers,specifically MPV and CRP,in identifying and predicting LONP among neonates.These findings advocate for further research to validate their clinical utility in larger neonatal cohorts.

Assessment of molecular markers and marker-assisted selection for drought tolerance in barley(Hordeum vulgare L.)

This review updates the present status of the field of molecular markers and marker-assisted selection(MAS),using the example of drought tolerance in barley.The accuracy of selected quantitative trait loci(QTLs),candidate genes and suggested markers was assessed in the barley genome cv.Morex.Six common strategies are described for molecular marker development,candidate gene identification and verification,and their possible applications in MAS to improve the grain yield and yield components in barley under drought stress.These strategies are based on the following five principles:(1)Molecular markers are designated as genomic‘tags’,and their‘prediction’is strongly dependent on their distance from a candidate gene on genetic or physical maps;(2)plants react differently under favourable and stressful conditions or depending on their stage of development;(3)each candidate gene must be verified by confirming its expression in the relevant conditions,e.g.,drought;(4)the molecular marker identified must be validated for MAS for tolerance to drought stress and improved grain yield;and(5)the small number of molecular markers realized for MAS in breeding,from among the many studies targeting candidate genes,can be explained by the complex nature of drought stress,and multiple stress-responsive genes in each barley genotype that are expressed differentially depending on many other factors.

Efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with thalidomide and S-1 for esophageal carcinoma and its influence on serum tumor markers

BACKGROUND Although the current conventional treatment strategies for esophageal carcinoma(EC)have been proven effective,they are often accompanied by serious adverse events.Therefore,it is still necessary to continue to explore new therapeutic strategies for EC to improve the clinical outcome of patients.AIM To elucidate the clinical efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy(CCRT)with thalidomide(THAL)and S-1(tegafur,gimeracil,and oteracil potassium capsules)in the treatment of EC as well as its influence on serum tumor markers(STMs).METHODS First,62 patients with EC treated at the Zibo 148 Hospital between November 2019 and November 2022 were selected and grouped according to the received treatment.Among these,30 patients undergoing CCRT with cis-platinum and 5-fluorouracil were assigned to the control group(Con),and 32 patients receiving CCRT with THAL and S-1 were assigned to the research group(Res).Second,inter-group comparisons were carried out with respect to curative efficacy,incidence of drug toxicities,STMs[carbohydrate antigen 125(CA125)and macrophage inflammatory protein-3α(MIP-3α)],angiogenesis-related indicators[vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF);VEGF receptor-1(VEGFR-1);basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF);angiogenin-2(Ang-2)],and quality of life(QoL)[QoL core 30(QLQ-C30)]after one month of treatment.RESULTS The analysis showed no statistical difference in the overall response rate and disease control rate between the two patient cohorts;however,the incidences of grade I–II myelosuppression and gastrointestinal reactions were significantly lower in the Res than in the Con.Besides,the post-treatment CA125,MIP-3α,VEGF,VEGFR-1,bFGF,and Ang-2 Levels in the Res were markedly lower compared with the pre-treatment levels and the corresponding post-treatment levels in the Con.Furthermore,more evident improvements in QLQ-C30 scores from the dimensions of physical,role,emotional,and social functions were determined in the Res.CONCLUSION The above results demonstrate the effectiveness of THAL+S-1 CCRT for EC,which contributes to mild side effects and significant reduction of CA125,MIP-3α,VEGF,VEGFR-1,bFGF,and Ang-2 Levels,thus inhibiting tumors from malignant progression and enhancing patients’QoL.

Study on Quality Markers of Poria cocos Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and Network Pharmacology Technology

[Objectives]To analyze the main chemical components of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)Poria cocos by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry,and explore the active components for P.cocos in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea(PD)by network pharmacology to predict its quality markers(Q-marker).[Methods]Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS)in positive and negative ion mode was used to collect high quality MS and MS/MS data of Poria cocos,and qualitative characterization of the components in Poria cocos was performed using Analyst TF 1.7.1 and PeakView 2.2 software with reference to internal databases and literature.Taking the above identified chemical components as the research object,we used network pharmacology to discover the potential effective components and their key targets of PD,and metabolic pathway enrichment analysis of the core targets was performed to screen the Q-marker of P.cocos based on the five principles of Q-marker of TCM.[Results]UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technique was used to identify 41 chemical components of P.cocos,including 3 amino acids,26 triterpenoids,4 lactones,7 organic acids and 1 adenosine.It was more likely to lose H 2O and CO 2 during cleavage and break at the carbonyl group.The triterpenoids were mainly in the form of[M-H]-peaks in negative ion mode,which was easy to lose some structural fragments such as H 2O,CH 3COOH,CH 4,CO 2,etc.Further network pharmacological analysis showed that 302 targets of chemical components of P.cocos,518 targets of PD,28 common targets of component and disease,and 27 core targets such as PTGS2,ESR1,TNF,IL1B were observed by PPI interactions network analysis.451 biological processes such as hormone response and inflammatory response regulation were obtained by GO enrichment analysis.KEGG enrichment analysis showed that 89 pathways including PI3K/Akt signaling pathway,IL-17 signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway were obtained.The connectivity value of components was analyzed.The core components with the connectivity value greater than 10,including poricoic acid A,polyporenic acid,polyporenic acid C,and 25-hydroxy-3-epidehydrotumoric acid were selected,while the key targets with the connectivity value greater than 15 included TNF,PTGS2,IL1B and CASP3.Molecular docking between core components and key targets was performed,and most of the docking energy was less than-5 kcal/mol,indicating that the binding between the active components and target proteins of P.cocos was relatively stable,so 23 active components of P.cocos were determined.Following the five principles of Q-marker,four possible Q-markers of P.cocos were predicted,including poricoic acid A,pachymic acid,polyporenic acid C,and 25-hydroxy-3-epidehydrotumoric acid.[Conclusions]P.cocos was mainly composed of triterpenoids,its effect on the treatment of PD may be achieved mainly by poricoic acid A,pachymic acid,polyporenic acid C,and 25-hydroxy-3-epi-dehydrotumoric acid acting on PTGS2,ESR1,TNF,IL1B and other targets to regulate PI3K/Akt signaling pathway,IL-17 signaling pathway,TNF signaling pathway,etc.Based on these active components,poricoic acid A,pachymic acid,polyporenic acid C,and 25-hydroxy-3-epi-dehydrotumoric acid could be taken as Q-markers of P.cocos,which provided a solid basis for further improving the quality standard of P.cocos.

Discordant patterns of genetic variation between mitochondrial and microsatellite markers in Acanthogobius ommaturus across the coastal areas of China

Acanthogobius ommaturus, which belongs to the family Gobiidae, is a euryhaline and demersal fish that is widely distributed in the coastal areas, harbors, and estuaries of China, D. P. R. Korea and Japan. In this study, the genetic diversity and genetic structure of five geographical populations of A. ommaturus was assessed using the mitochondrial hypervariable region gene and microsatellite markers. The results of the two genetic markers indicated that the A. ommaturus populations had a high level of genetic diversity. The mitochondrial marker detected weak genetic differentiation among populations, and the Neighbor-Joining tree showed that there was no obvious pedigree branches and geographic structure as well. However, population of Zhoushan showed significant genetic differentiation with other populations by microsatellite markers. The population of A.ommaturus has not experienced bottleneck effect recently. We speculated that the Pleistocene climate change and juvenile fish dispersal played an important role in the population differentiation of A. ommaturus.

The Association between Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) Mutations and Serum Biomarkers of Cardiac Health

Background: Homocysteine (tHcy) has emerged as a new risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) The Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms are seen to give rise to high levels of tHcy which can be a causative factor in the progression of CVD due to its thrombogenic effect. Serum cardiac biomarkers help in the diagnosis, prognosis, or surveillance of CVD. The present study evaluated the association of the two MTHFR mutations, rs1801133 and rs1801131 with 16 well-established serum cardiac markers. Additionally, the influence of age and gender on the association of the two MTHFR polymorphisms with serum cardiac marker levels was also investigated. Methods: The study was carried out on 1295 individuals who visited Vibrant America Clinical Lab for regular or suspected CVD check-ups. The serological markers and genomic variant analysis were carried out as per the standard laboratory protocol under CLIA. The association between serological markers and the rs1801133 and rs1801131 genetic variants with respect to age and gender was evaluated using a one-way ANNOVA test. Results: No significant association was observed in tHcy levels with respect to gender, however, plasma total tHcy levels were higher in males than females. tHcy levels increased with increasing age in the wild and heterozygous genotypes for the mutations, rs1801133 and rs1801131. Additionally, the serum cardiac markers, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), Cholesterol (CHOL), Apolipoprotein A (APOA), Apolipoprotein B (APOB), N-terminal (NT)-pro hormone BNP (BNPNT), LDL calculated (LDLCAL), Small Density Low Density Lipoprotein (SDLDL), APOBAR, Oxidised Low Density Lipoprotein (OXLDL), Lipoprotein (A) (LPA), Triglycerides (TRIG), and Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase (Lp-PLA2) Test (PLAC) showed significant associations with respect to gender and age for rs1801133 and rs1801131 (P Conclusions: The present study reports the association of tHcy, HDL, LDL, CHOL, APOA, APOB, BNPNT, LDLCAL, SDLDL, APOBAR, OXLDL, LPA, TRIG, and PLAC with respect to age and gender for the mutations, rs1801133 and rs1801131. We observed that tHcy levels were high in males and the levels increased with increasing age in males for both polymorphisms. rs1801131 mutant males have high levels of triglyceride whereas rs1801133 mutant postmenopausal females showed high levels of cholesterol. Further analysis will be required to understand the pattern of association of the rest of the serum cardiac markers with age and gender for rs1801133 and rs1801131 mutations.

Core collection construction of tea plant germplasm in Anhui Province based on genetic diversity analysis using simple sequence repeat markers

The tea plant[Camellia sinensis(L.)O.Kuntze]is an industrial crop in China.The Anhui Province has a long history of tea cultivation and has a large resource of tea germplasm with abundant genetic diversity.To reduce the cost of conservation and utilization of germplasm resources,a core collection needs to be constructed.To this end,573 representative tea accessions were collected from six major tea-producing areas in Anhui Province.Based on 60 pairs of simple sequence repeat(SSR)markers,phylogenetic relationships,population structure and principal coordinate analysis(PCoA)were conducted.Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the 573 tea individuals clustered into five groups were related to geographical location and were consistent with the results of the PCoA.Finally,we constructed a core collection consisting of 115 tea individuals,accounting for 20%of the whole collection.The 115 core collections were considered to have a 90.9%retention rate for the observed number of alleles(Na),and Shannon’s information index(I)of the core and whole collections were highly consistent.Of these,39 individuals were preserved in the Huangshan area,accounting for 33.9%of the core collection,while only 10 individuals were reserved in the Jinzhai County,accounting for 8.9%of the core set.PCoA of the accessions in the tea plant core collection exhibited a pattern nearly identical to that of the accessions in the entire collection,further supporting the broad representation of the core germplasm in Anhui Province.The results demonstrated that the core collection could represent the genetic diversity of the original collection.Our present work is valuable for the high-efficiency conservation and utilization of tea plant germplasms in Anhui Province.

Correlation of Abortus Imminence Cases in the First Trimester with Biochemical Markers

Objective: In this study, we compared the biochemical markers of imminent abortion, missed abortion, and healthy pregnant women in the first trimester to see if there were any differences. Materials and Methods: The study method is prospective. Pregnant women who applied to the obstetrics clinic of Istanbul Training and Research Hospital between 01.04.22 and 31.10.22 were diagnosed with abortion imminens or missed abortion between 6 weeks and 12 weeks or had normal pregnancy follow-up, had no chronic diseases, and did not take magnesium and calcium supplements were included in the study. 20 pregnant women with missed abortion, 20 pregnant women with abortion imminens diagnosis and 20 normal pregnant women who met the criteria were included in the study. Magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and hemogram (CBC) levels were checked in pregnant women included in the study. Results: The Mg, Cu, Zn, and CBC values of the study participants’ women did not differ in a statistically significant way. When compared to pregnant women who had a normal pregnancy process, the difference in Ca value was found to be statistically substantially smaller in pregnant women who were diagnosed with abortion imminens and missed abortion. The findings of our study suggest that serum Ca levels be measured prior to conception or at the initial visit. Conclusion: Serum Ca levels were found to be significantly lower in the missed abortion group than in the abortus imminens and normal pregnant groups in our study (p 0.05).

Development and Characterization of Microsatellite Markers for Harpadon nehereus Based on High-Throughput Sequencing and Cross-Species Amplification in Three Myctophiformes Fishes

Harpadon nehereus is a widespread economical fish found in the coastal seas of China and has important ecological value in the marine ecosystem.H_(o)wever,its germplasm resources have been seriously degraded due to natural factors and anthropogenic activities.In this study,high-throughput sequencing was applied to search for microsatellite loci in H.nehereus transcriptome to provide references for its resource conservation and utilization.Polymorphic loci were developed by non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,and their cross-species amplified ability was detected in three related species.A total of 5652 microsatellites were identified from 16974320 unigenes.Among the primer pairs designed for 100 SSRs for PCR amplification,80%were successfully amplified,and 26 loci were polymorphic with a high number of alleles from 3 to 11 each.The expected(H_(e))and observed(H_(o))heterozygosities were 0.355–0.885 and 0.375–0.958,respectively.Most of the loci were highly polymorphic(polymorphism information content:0.316–0.852;mean:0.713),and these markers can be applied in the population genetic diversity research of H.nehereus.H_(o)wever,the transferability of these primers was low,probably because of the close relation of the collected species.In follow-up work,simple sequence repeats will be excavated with genome-based technologies,and related species will be gathered to address the present inadequacies.

Haplotype variation and KASP markers for SiPSY1-A key gene controlling yellow kernel pigmentation in foxtail millet

Carotenoid biosynthesis and accumulation are important in determining nutritional and commercial value of crop products.Yellow pigmentation of mature kernels caused by carotenoids is considered a vital quality trait in foxtail millet,an ancient and widely cultivated cereal crop across the world.Genomic regions associated with yellow pigment content(YPC),lutein and zeaxanthin in foxtail millet grains were identified by genome-wide association analysis(GWAS),and SiPSY1(Phytoene synthase 1 which regulates formation of the 40-carbon backbone of carotenoids)was confirmed as the main contributor to all three components by knockout and overexpression analysis.SiPSY1 was expressed in seedlings,leaves,panicles,and mature seeds,and was subcellularly localized to chloroplasts.Transcription of SiPSY1 in 15 DAP immature grains was responsible for YPC in mature seeds.Selection of SiPSY1 combined with increased YPC in mature grains during domestication of foxtail millet was confirmed.Haplotype analysis suggested that expression level of SiPSY1 could be a selection target for future breeding programs,and a KASP marker was developed for selection of favorable SiPSY1 alleles in breeding.The results of this work will benefit nutritional and commercial improvement of foxtail millet varieties,as well as other cereal crops.

Serum Tumor Markers Combined with 18F-FDG PET/CT Volumetric Metabolic Parameters in the Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most fatal gynecological malignancy, and identifying reliable prognostic indicators can help guide therapeutic treatment. Various tumor marker-guided treatment regimens can considerably improve patient prognosis with a better understanding of the molecular underpinnings of ovarian cancer recurrence and metastasis. Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) is a molecular imaging tool that provides anatomical and functional information about the tumor, and its volume-based metabolic parameters allow for quantifiable observation of ovarian cancer recurrence, prognosis, and therapeutic efficacy. The combined utilization of serological and radiologic markers has been found to provide increased clinical benefit. This article reviewed the predictive value of serum tumor markers and 18F-FDG PET/CT volumetric metabolic parameters for the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer.

Fast tracking alien gene discovery by molecular markers in a late flowering Chinese cabbage-cabbage translocation line‘AT7–4'

Flowering time is an important agronomic trait of Chinese cabbage with late flowering being a primary breeding objective.In our previous work,we obtained Chinese cabbage-cabbage translocation lines that contained several beneficial cabbage genes.Cabbage-specific molecular markers show that these genes were coming from chromosome C01 of cabbage.In this study,we investigated the inheritance of flowering time in a couple of translocation lines and analyzed the transmission rate of molecular markers in the offspring.Consequently,we obtained the late flowering Chinese cabbage-cabbage translocation line‘AT7–4’in which the flowering time was later than that of‘85–1’by about 7 days under 4-week vernalization.Based on previous studies of the genomes of Chinese cabbage and cabbage,we located the cabbage-specific molecular markers that were closely linked at the top of the chromosome A01 in the F2mapping population generated by self-crossing F1s derived from a cross between the translocation line‘AT7–4’and Chinese cabbage‘14–36’.Five flowering-related genes in the alien fragment were found by functional annotation and their molecular markers were developed.This study lays the foundation for the future improvement of Chinese cabbage varieties using A-C translocation lines.

Whole-genome sequencing study to identify candidate markers indicating susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in Bama miniature pigs

Background:Hundreds of single-nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)sites have been found to be potential genetic markers of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).However,SNPs related to T2DM in minipigs have been less reported.This study aimed to screen the T2DM-susceptible candidate SNP loci in Bama minipigs so as to improve the success rate of the minipig T2DM model.Methods:The genomic DNAs of three Bama minipigs with T2DM,six sibling lowsusceptibility minipigs with T2DM,and three normal control minipigs were compared by whole-genome sequencing.The T2DM Bama minipig-specific loci were obtained,and their functions were annotated.Meanwhile,the Biomart software was used to perform homology alignment with T2DM-related loci obtained from the human genome-wide association study to screen candidate SNP markers for T2DM in Bama miniature pigs.Results:Whole-genome resequencing detected 6960 specific loci in the minipigs with T2DM,and 13 loci corresponding to 9 diabetes-related genes were selected.Further,a set of 122 specific loci in 69 orthologous genes of human T2DM candidate genes were obtained in the pigs.Collectively,a batch of T2DM-susceptible candidate SNP markers in Bama minipigs,covering 16 genes and 135 loci,was established.Conclusions:Whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomics analysis of the orthologous genes in pigs that corresponded to the human T2DM-related variant loci successfully screened out T2DM-susceptible candidate markers in Bama miniature pigs.Using these loci to predict the susceptibility of the pigs before constructing an animal model of T2DM may help to establish an ideal animal model.

Micropropagation of Daylily(Hemerocallis fulva)from Crown-Tip Explants and Assessment of Somaclonal Variation of in Vitro-Propagated Plants Using SCoT Markers

Determination of the somaclonal variation of in vitro-propagated plants is crucial to determine the appropriate micropropagation protocol and growth regulators for commercial scale multiplication.In this research,nine multiplication media(MM)augmented with different concentrations of 6-benzyl adenine(BA),Kinetin(Kin),and Thidiazuron(TDZ),Three rooting media(RM)supplemented with three levels ofα-naphthalene acetic acid(NAA)and three types of soil mixtures(v/v);Coco peat/Vermiculite/Sand(CVS),Peat moss/Perlite/Sand(PPS)and Peat moss/Perlite(PP)were used in the micropropagation protocol of daylily plants.MM2 showed the maximum shoot length and the number of leaves,while MM9 showed the maximum number of shoots.The RM1 showed the maximum root length and the number of roots.During acclimatization,CVS,PPS,and PP soil mixture showed similar performance except the CVS mixture showed lower performance regarding plant height and diameter.The genetic fidelity of micropropagated plants was evaluated using Start Codon Targeted(SCoT)Markers.Six SCoT primers amplified 51 scorable bands with an approximate range from 146 bp to 1598 bp size.Thirty one out of 51 loci were presented in the mother plants.40 loci were polymorphic,11 were monomorphic and 7 were unique.The amplification patterns of the micropropagated plants demonstrated genetic integrity to the mother plant ranging from 84.32 to 47.06 and somaclonal variations ranging from 52.94 with 5 mg/l BA pathway to 15.68 with 1mg/l TDZ pathway,thus demonstrating that the homogeneity and the variation of the micropropagated plants affected by the type and the quantity of the plant growth regulator used during multiplication subcultures.This research can be successfully used for other ornamental and medicinal plants’bulk multiplication,germplasm conservation,and future genetic improvement.