Biochemical and Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Pigment Biosynthesis Influenced Chlorina Leaf Formation in Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl.

Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl is a perennial herb of the Orchidaceae family; a yellow-green mutant and a yellow mutant were obtained from the wild type, thereby providing good material for the study of leaf color variation. Pigment content analysis revealed that chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanin were lower in the yellow-green and yellow mutants than in the wild type. Transcriptome analysis of the yellow mutant and wild type revealed that 78,712 unigenes were obtained, and 599 differentially expressed genes (120 upregulated and 479 downregulated) were identified. Using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, candidate genes involved in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway (five unigenes) and the chlorophyll metabolic pathway (two unigenes) were identified. Meanwhile, the low expression of the chlorophyll and anthocyanin biosynthetic genes resulted in the absence of chlorophylls and anthocyanins in the yellow mutant. This study provides a basis for similar research in other closely related species.

[Cartilage-perichondrium autografting for the repair articular cartilage defects of finger: a report of 11 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical effects of self-invented cartilage-perichondrium autografting for the repair of articular cartilage defects, so as to reconstruct the joint surface. METHODS: Among total 11 patients with hand injuries from Oct. 2005 to Oct. 2009, 7 patients were male and 4 patients were female, ranging in age from 17 to 50 years, with an average of 29 years. All the patients had serious injuries of finger joint and were treated with cartilage-perichondrium autografting. After the operation, function exercises were performed, and composite scores of joints at hand were used to evaluate therapeutic effects. RESULTS: All the patients were followed-up from 1 to 4 years with an average of 24 months. The operation of all the patients were successful, and there were no infection. The mean score was (41.0 +/- 0.63) in 2 years after operation. Eight patients got an excellent result (> 38 scores), 2 good (from 35 to 38 scores) and 1 bad (< 30 scores). CONCLUSION: The cartilage-perichondrium autografting method is effective to reconstruct the defects of articular cartilage, and decrease the disablement rate of hand injuries.

Deguelin blocks cells survival signal pathways and induces apoptosis of HL-60 cells in vitro.

To investigate the anti-cancer effects and molecular mechanism of deguelin on the human leukemia HL-60 cells, to explore the expression and clinical significance of p-AKT, survivin and Bcl-2 in leukemia cell line HL-60 cell. Cell growth rate was assessed by MTT assay. Apoptotic index was evaluated by TUNEL staining. Apoptosis was detected by Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis Detection Kit and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), expression of p-Akt, Bcl-2 and surviving in HL-60 cells was checked by Western blot. Deguelin presented striking proliferation inhibition potency on HL-60 cells in vitro, with the I(C50) value for 48 h being 20.14 nM, and induced apoptosis in HL-60 in a concentration-time-dependent manner. Apoptotic bodies and cell shrinkage and fragmentation were observed by TUNEL and TEM. Deguelin-induced cells morphological changes and degraded several kinase proteins, including Bcl-2 and survivin (members of lap). The degradation of these kinases blocked PI3K/Akt survival signal pathways, inducing apoptosis. Deguelin may induce HL-60 cell apoptosis through depletion of multiple kinase proteins and blockage of survival signal pathways of HL-60 cells.