Enhancement of porcine in vitro embryonic development through luteolin‑mediated activation of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway

Background Oxidative stress,caused by an imbalance in the production and elimination of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS),has been recognized for its detrimental effects on mammalian embryonic development.Luteolin(Lut)has been documented for its protective effects against oxidative stress in various studies.However,its specific role in embryonic development remains unexplored.This study aims to investigate the influence of Lut on porcine embryonic development and to elucidate the underlying mechanism.Results After undergoing parthenogenetic activation(PA)or in vitro fertilization,embryos supplemented with 0.5μmol/L Lut displayed a significant enhancement in cleavage and blastocyst formation rates,with an increase in total cell numbers and a decrease in the apoptosis rate compared to the control.Measurements on D2 and D6 revealed that embryos with Lut supplementation had lower ROS levels and higher glutathione levels compared to the control.Moreover,Lut supplementation significantly augmented mitochondrial content and membrane potential.Intriguingly,activation of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway was observed in embryos supplemented with Lut,leading to the upregulation of antioxidant-related gene transcription levels.To further validate the relationship between the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway and effects of Lut in porcine embryonic development,we cultured PA embryos in a medium supplemented with brusatol,with or without the inclusion of Lut.The positive effects of Lut on developmental competence were negated by brusatol treatment.Conclusions Our findings indicate that Lut-mediated activation of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway contributes to the enhanced production of porcine embryos with high developmental competence,and offers insight into the mechanisms regulating early embryonic development.

Alteration of p53 and p21 during hepatocarcinogenesis in tree shrews

AIM: To investigate p53 mutation and p21 expression in hepatocarcinogenesis induced by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in tree shrews, and to reveal the role of these genes in hepatocarcinogenesis.METHODS: Tree shrews were divided into four groups:group A, those infected with HBV and fed with AFB1 (n = 39);group B, those infected with HBV alone (n = 28); group C,those fed with AFB1 alone (n = 29); and group D, normal controls (n = 20). The tree shrews underwent liver biopsies once every 15 wk. Expression of p53 and p21 proteins and genes in the biopsies and tumor tissues of the experimental tree shrews was detected, respectively, by immunohistochemistry,and by Southem blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and sequencing.RESULTS: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) was higher in group A (66.7%) than that in group B (3.57%) and C (30%). The time of HCC occurrence was also earlier in group A than that in group C (120.0±16.6 wk vs 153.3±5.8 wk, respectively, P<0.01). p53 protein was not detected by immunohistochemistry in all groups before the 75^th wk of the experiment. At the 105^th wk, the positive rates fo p53 were 78.6%, 60% and 71.4% in groups A, B and C, respectively, which were significantly higher than that in group D (10%) (all P<0.05). An abnormal band of p53 gene was observed in groups A and C. The mutation points of p53gene in tree shrews with HCC were at codons 275, 78 and 13. The nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequence of tree shrew's wild-type p53 showed 91.7% and 93.4% homologies with those of human p53,respectively. The immunopositivity for p21 was found before HCC development. The incidence of HCC was significantly higher in tree shrews that were positive for p21 than those negative for p21 (80.0% vs 11.0%, P<0.001).The incidence of HCC in p21 positive animals in group A was significantly higher than those positive for p21 in group C (P<O.05).CONCLUSION: A remarkable synergistic effect on HCC development exists between HBV and AFB1. p53 mutation promotes the development of HCC. HBV and AFB1 may synergistically induce p53 gene mutation, and stimulate ras gene expression, ras gene is activated at the earlier stage during hepatocarcinogenesis, p21 protein may be an early marker, and the alterations of p53 may be a late event in the development of HCC.

The role of water channel proteins and nitric oxide signaling in rice seed germination

以前的研究在种子萌芽表明了几 aquaporins 的可能的角色。但是在这个过程的 aquaporin 家庭成员的角色的系统的调查正在缺乏。这里，质膜的发展规定在整个萌芽的内在的蛋白质(果仁) 表示和在米饭胚胎的萌芽以后的进程被分析。果仁的 Theexpression 模式建议这些 aquaporins 戏在种子萌芽和幼苗生长的不同角色。水隧道基因的部分 silencing， OsPIP1； 1 并且 OsPIP1； 3，当时，减少了种子萌芽 OsPIP1 的在表示上；在 water-stressconditions 下面的 3 支持的种子萌芽。而且，空间表示分析显示那 OsPIP1； 3 在种子萌芽期间在胚胎主要被表示。我们的数据也表明氮的氧化物(没有) 施主， sodiumnitroprusside (SNP ) 和 S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO ) ，支持的种子萌芽；而且， NOscavenger， 2-(4-carboxyphenyl )-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, 禁止了萌芽并且在米饭上减少了 SNP 和 GSNO 的刺激效果萌芽。外长不刺激了 OsPIP1 的抄写； 1， OsPIP1； 2， OsPIP1； 3 并且 OsPIP2； 8 在发芽种子。这些结果建议水隧道在种子萌芽起一个重要作用，行动，至少部分，响应不发信号的小径。

Genomic and epigenomic heterogeneity in molecularsubtypes of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is a complex disease that is affected by multiple genetic and environmental factors. For the precise diagnosis and effective treatment of gastric cancer, the heterogeneity of the disease must be simplified; one way to achieve this is by dividing the disease into subgroups. Toward this effort, recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technology have revealed four molecular subtypes of gastric cancer, which are classified as Epstein-Barr viruspositive, microsatellite instability, genomically stable, and chromosomal instability subtypes. We anticipate that this molecular subtyping will help to extend our knowledge for basic research purposes and will be valuable for clinical use. Here, we review the genomic and epigenomic heterogeneity of the four molecular subtypes of gastric cancer. We also describe a mutational meta-analysis and a reanalysis of DNA methylation that were performed using previously reported gastric cancer datasets.

Clinical assessment and identification of immuno-oncology markers concerning the 19-gene based risk classifier in stage Ⅳ colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Genomic profiling of tumors has contributed to the understanding of colorectal cancer(CRC), facilitating diagnosis, prognosis and selection of treatments,including targeted regimens. A report suggested that a 19-gene-based risk classifier(TCA19) was a prognostic tool for patients with stage III CRC. The survival outcomes in patients with stage IV CRC are still poor and appropriate selection of targeted therapies and immunotherapies is challenging.AIM To assess clinical implication of TCA19 in patients with stage IV CRC, and to identify TCA19 with involvement in immune-oncology.METHODS A retrospective review of the medical records of 60 patients with stage IV CRC was conducted, assessing clinicopathological variables and progression-free survival(PFS). TCA19 gene expression was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) in matched normal and tumor tissues taken from the study cohort. Expression of potential immune-oncology regulatory proteins and targets was examined by immunohistochemistry(IHC), western blot, immunofluorescence staining in tissues from a validation cohort of 10 patients, and in CRC cell lines co-cultured with monocyte in vitro.RESULTS In the patients with TCA19 score higher than the median, the PFS rates of eight patients who received the targeted regimens were significantly higher than the PFS rates of four patients who received 5-fluorouracil-based regimen(P = 0.041).In multivariate analysis, expression of signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family, member 7(SLAMF7) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1(TREM1) was associated with PFS in the 60-patient cohort. After checking another 10 validate set, the expression of the IHC, the level of real-time qPCR,and the level of western blot were lower for SLAMF7 and higher for TREM7 in primary and metastatic tumors than in normal tissues. In CRC cells expressing SLAMF7 that were co-cultured with a monocytic cell line, levels of CD 68 and CD73 were significantly lower at day 5 of co-culture than at day 0.CONCLUSION The TCA19 score might be prognostic for target-regimen-specific PFS in stage IV CRC. Down-regulation of SLAMF7 and up-regulation of TREM1 occur in primary and metastatic tumor tissues.

Anethole improves the developmental competence of porcine embryos by reducing oxidative stress via the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway

Background Anethole(AN)is an organic antioxidant compound with a benzene ring and is expected to have a positive impact on early embryogenesis in mammals.However,no study has examined the effect of AN on porcine embryonic development.Therefore,we investigated the effect of AN on the development of porcine embryos and the underlying mechanism.Results We cultured porcine in vitro-fertilized embryos in medium with AN(0,0.3,0.5,and 1 mg/mL)for 6 d.AN at 0.5 mg/mL significantly increased the blastocyst formation rate,trophectoderm cell number,and cellular survival rate compared to the control.AN-supplemented embryos exhibited significantly lower reactive oxygen species levels and higher glutathione levels than the control.Moreover,AN significantly improved the quantity of mitochondria and mitochondrial membrane potential,and increased the lipid droplet,fatty acid,and ATP levels.Interestingly,the levels of proteins and genes related to the sonic hedgehog(SHH)signaling pathway were significantly increased by AN.Conclusions These results revealed that AN improved the developmental competence of porcine preimplantation embryos by activating SHH signaling against oxidative stress and could be used for large-scale production of high-quality porcine embryos.

Role of marine natural products in the development of antiviral agents against SARS‑CoV‑2:potential and prospects

A novel coronavirus,known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),has surfaced and caused global concern owing to its ferocity.SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019;however,it was only discovered at the end of the year and was considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization.Therefore,the develop-ment of novel potent inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 and future outbreaks is urgently required.Numerous naturally occurring bioactive substances have been studied in the clinical setting for diverse disorders.The intricate infection and replication mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 offers diverse therapeutic drug targets for developing antiviral medicines by employing natural products that are safer than synthetic compounds.Marine natural products(MNPs)have received increased attention in the development of novel drugs owing to their high diversity and availability.Therefore,this review article investigates the infection and replication mechanisms,including the function of the SARS-CoV-2 genome and structure.Furthermore,we highlighted anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic intervention efforts utilizing MNPs and predicted SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor design.

Oxidative stress and antioxidants in hepatic pathogenesis

Long term hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor in pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases,including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HBV encod-ed proteins,hepatitis B virus X protein and preS,appear to contribute importantly to the pathogenesis of HCC. Both are associated with oxidative stress,which can damage cellular molecules like lipids,proteins,and DNA during chronic infection. Chronic alcohol use is another important factor that contributes to oxidative stress in the liver. Previous studies reported that treatment with antioxidants,such as curcumin,silymarin,green tea,and vitamins C and E,can protect DNA from damage and regulate liver pathogenesis-related cascades by reducing reactive oxygen species. This review summarizes some of the relationships between oxidative stress and liver pathogenesis,focusing upon HBV and alcohol,and suggests antioxidant therapeutic approaches.

HBx-induced reactive oxygen species activates hepatocellular carcinogenesis via dysregulation of PTEN/Akt pathway

AIM:To investigate the role of hepatitis B virus X-protein(HBx)-induced reactive oxygen species(ROS)on liver carcinogenesis in HBx transgenic mice and HepG2-HBx cells.METHODS:Cell growth rate was analyzed,and through western blotting,mitogenic signaling was observed.Endogenous ROS from wild and HBx transgenic mice and HepG2-Mock and HBx cells were assayed by FACS-calibur.Identification of oxidized and reduced phosphatase and tensin homolog(PTEN)was analyzed through N-ethylmaleimide alkylation,nonreducing electrophoresis.RESULTS:We observed that the cell-proliferation-related phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway is activated by HBx in vivo and in vitro.Increased ROS were detected by HBx.Tumor suppressor PTEN,via dephosphorylation of Akt,was oxidized and inactivated by increased ROS.Increased oxidized PTEN activated the mitogenic pathway through over-activated Akt.However,treatment with ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine can reverse PTEN to a reduced form.Endogenously produced ROS also stimulated HBx expression.CONCLUSION:HBx induced ROS promoted Akt pathways via oxidized inactive PTEN.HBx and ROS maintained a positive regulatory loop,which aggravated carcinogenesis.

Ipomoea batatas HKT1 transporter homolog mediates K^+ and Na^+ uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Soil salinity causes the negative effects on the growth and yield of crops. In this study, two sweet potato （Ipomoea batatas L.） cultivars, Xushu 28 （X-28） and Okinawa 100 （O-100）, were examined under 50 and 100 mmol L-1 NaCI stress. X-28 cultivar is relatively high salt tolerant than O-100 cultivar. Interestingly, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （RT-qPCR） results indicated that sweet potato high-affinity K^＋ transporter 1 （IbHKT1） gene expression was highly induced by 50 and 100 mmol L-1 NaCI stress in the stems of X-28 cultivar than in those of O-100 cultivar, but only slightly induced by these stresses in the leaves and fibrous roots in both cultivars. To characterize the function of IbHKT1 transporter, we performed ion-flux analysis in tobacco transient system and yeast complementation. Tobacco transient assay showed that IbHKT1 could uptake sodium （Na^＋）. Yeast complementation assay showed that IbHKT1 could take up K^＋ in 50 mmol L^-1 K^＋ medium without the presence of NaCI. Moreover, Na^＋ uptake significantly increased in yeast overexpressing IbHKTI. These results showed that IbHKT1 transporter could have K^＋-Na^＋ symport function in yeast. Therefore, the modes of action of IbHKT1 in transgenic yeast could differ from the mode of action of the other HKT1 transporters in class I. Potentially, IbHKT1 could be used to improve the salt tolerance nature in sweet potato.

Methylsulfonylmethane suppresses hepatic tumor development through activation of apoptosis

AIM:To investigate the effect of methylsulfonylmethane(MSM), recently reported to have anti-cancer effects, in liver cancer cells and transgenic mice. METHODS: Three liver cancer cell lines, HepG2, Huh7-Mock and Huh7-H-rasG12V, were used. Cell growth was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 and soft agar assay. Western blot analysis was used to detect caspases, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase(PARP), and B-cell lymphoma2(Bcl-2) expressions. For in vivo study, we administered MSM to H-ras12V transgenic mice for 3 mo. RESULTS: MSM decreased the growth of HepG2, Huh7-Mock and Huh7-H-rasG12V cells in a dose-dependent manner. That was correlated with significantly increased apoptosis and reduced cell numbers in MSM treated cells. Cleaved caspase-8, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP were remarkably increased in the liver cancer cells treated with 500 mmol/L of MSM; however, Bcl-2 was slightly decreased in 500 mmol/L. Liver tumor development was greatly inhibited in the H-ras12V transgenic mice treated with MSM, compared to control, by showing reduced tumor size and number. Cleaved PARP was significantly increased in non-tumor treated with MSM compared to control. CONCLUSION: Liver injury was also significantly attenuated in the mice treated with MSM. Taken together, all the results suggest that MSM has anti-cancer effects through inducing apoptosis in liver cancer.

Parameter selection of pocket extraction algorithm using interaction interface

Pockets in proteins have been known to be very important for the life process. There have been several studies in the past to automatically extract the pockets from the structure information of known proteins. However, it is difficult to find a study comparing the precision of the extracted pockets from known pockets on the protein. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for extracting pockets from structure data of proteins and analyze the quality of the algorithm by comparing the extracted pockets with some known pockets. These results in this paper can be used to set the parameter values of the pocket extraction algorithm for getting better results.

Middle cerebral artery occlusion methods in rat versus mouse model of transient focal cerebral ischemic stroke

Experimental stroke research commonly employs focal cerebral ischemic rat models （Bederson et al., 1986a; Longa et al., 1989）. In human patients, ischemic stroke typically results from thrombotic or embolic occlusion of a major cerebral artery, usually the mid- dle cerebral artery （MCA）. Experimental focal cerebral ischemia models have been employed to mimic human stroke （Durukan and Tatlisumak, 2007）. Rodent models of focal cerebral ischemia that do not require craniotomy have been developed using intraluminal suture occlusion of the MCA （MCA occlusion, MCAO） （Rosamond et al., 2008）. Furthermore, mouse MCAO models have been wide- ly used and extended to genetic studies of cell death or recovery mechanisms （Liu and McCullough, 2011）. Genetically engineered mouse stroke models are particularly useful for evaluation of isch- emic pathophysiology and the design of new prophylactic, neuro- protective, and therapeutic agents and interventions （Armstead et al., 2010）. During the past two decades, MCAO surgical techniques have been developed that do not reveal surgical techniques for mouse MCAO model engineering. Therefore, we compared MCAO surgical methods in rats and mice.

Large-Scale Production of Microalgal Lipids Containing High Levels of Docosahexaenoic Acid upon Fermentation of <i>Aurantiochytrium</i>sp. KRS101

In this study, large-scale production of microalgal lipid containing high levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by fermentation of Aurantiochytrium sp. KRS101 was performed. The microalgal strain yielded productivity of docosahex-aenoic acid (DHA) productivity of 1.08 and 1.6 g/L/d by fermentation at 300-L and 5000-L scale stirrer-type bioreactor. The productivity was significantly enhanced upto 5.6 g/L/d by fermentation at 6000-L scale airlift-type bioreactor, probably due to the reduced shearing force. The microalgal lipid could be efficiently recovered by safe extraction methods such as ethanol extraction, hot water extraction or supercritical fluid extraction, promising commercial potential of the microalgal DHA-rich lipid in the food and feed industry.

Alteration of the p53 gene during tree shrews' hepatocarcinogenesis

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression and variation of the p53 gene in hepatocarcinogenesis of tree shrews induced by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and aflatoxin B_1(AFB_1). METHODS: Tree shrews were divided into four groups: group A, infected with HBV and fed with AFB_1; group B, only infected with HBV; group C, fed with AFB_1 alone; and group D normal control. The tree shrews underwent liver biopsy every. 15 weeks. Liver and tumor tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry and molecular biotechnologies. RESULTS: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was higher in group A (66.7%) than in groups B (0) and C (30%). HCC occurrence was earlier in group A than in group C (120.0±16.6 wk vs 153.3±5.8 wk, t=3.336, P<0.01). Mutated p53 protein was not found in all groups before 75 weeks of experiment. At the 105th week, the expression rates of mutated p53 protein were 78.6%, 60.0% and 71.4% in groups A, B and C respectively, which were significantly higher than that in group D (10%) (X^2≥5.03, P<0.05). An abnormal band of the p53 gene was detected in groups A and C. The mutational points of the p53 gene in liver cancer of tree shrews were at codon 275, 78 and 13. Nucleotide sequence and amino acids sequence of tree shrew's wild-type p53 were 91.7% and 93.4% in homology, compared with those of human p53, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Remarkable synergistic effect on HCC exists between HBV and AFB_1. Mutated p53 protein expressed before occurrence of HCC promotes the development of HCC. HBV and AFB_1 may synergistically induce p53 gene mutation.

High Frequency Sporophytes Regeneration from the Spore Culture of the Endangered Aquatic Fern <i>Isoetes coreana</i>

Using a mixed culture of megaspores and microspores from I. coreana, we established high frequency sporophyte regeneration system. After 20 days of culturing in MS basal medium, microscopic examination showed significant morphological changes and the microspore released numerous small vesicles into the culture medium. Megaspores also showed dramatic morphological changes during its incubation time in culture. The spore wall was cracked by the expansion of the megaspore (about 2 times increase in diameter). Simultaneously, brown spots were observed on the surface of the megaspores. The frequency of female gametophytes developing from immature megaspores cultured in MS basal liquid medium (pH 7) supplemented with 1 mgl-1 GA3 was 46%. However, these female gametophytes derived from megaspore only culture could not differentiate into sporophytes. The mixed culture of microspores and megaspores resulted in successful sporophyte regeneration. The highest frequency (12.3%) of green sporophyte regeneration from mixed spore culture occurred when the cultures were maintained at 25℃ under cool-white fluorescent light (40 μmol·m-2·s-1) with a 16 h photoperiod. Regenerated sporophytes were transferred to a test tube containing vermiculite and a sand mixture and left there until they had three leaves. After root growth and the fifth leaf had emerged, more than 95% of the regenerated sporophytes were successfully transferred to the soil and grown to mature plants. The sporophyte regeneration system established in this study could be successfully used for the restoration of the endangered aquatic species, I. coreana.

The Archaea Community Associated with Lava-Formed Gotjawal Forest Soil in Jeju, Korea

The abundance and diversity of archaeal assemblages were analyzed in soils collected from Gyorae Gotjawal forest, Jeju, Korea. Gotjawal soil refers to soil derived from a lava-formed forest, characterized by high organic matter content, fertility, and poor rocky soil. Using domain-specific primers, archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences were PCR amplified for clone library construction, and a total of 185 archaeal clones were examined. The archaeal clones were affiliated with the phyla Thaumarchaeota (96.2%) and Euryarchaeota (3.8%). The most abundant thaumarchaeal group (90.3% of the clones) was the group I.1b clade, which includes soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea. The unique characteristics of Gotjawal soil, including basalt morphology, vegetation, and groundwater aquifer penetration, may be reflected in the archaeal community composition. Further study is necessary to understand the unique factors of Gotjawal soils that influence archaeal abundance, composition, and diversity.

勾儿茶属和小勾儿茶属(鼠李科)的果实及种子形态研究及其系统学意义(英文)

在扫描电镜和解剖镜下研究鼠李科(Rhamnaceae)勾儿茶属(Berchemia)和小勾儿茶属(Berchemiella)共17种植物的果实和种子形态。结果表明:小勾儿茶属的核果1室,具1枚种子,勾儿茶属大多数种的核果2室,每室具1枚种子,但多叶勾儿茶(B.polyphylla)的核果1室较大,具1枚种子,另一室较小而没有种子,该种可能是连接勾儿茶属和小勾儿茶属的中间类群。这两个属的种子形状通常为不规则长椭圆形,种皮纹饰可划分为光滑或几乎光滑、具不明显或稀疏的条纹以及具明显的条纹或沟这三种类型。种皮纹饰的差异对这两个属属下种类的划分具有一定的意义。讨论了与前人研究结果不同之处和可能的原因。