Characterization of TBP and TAFs in Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) and Their Potential Involvement in Abiotic Stress Response.

The TATA-box binding protein (TBP) and TBP-associated factors (TAFs) constitute the transcription factor IID (TFIID), a crucial component of RNA polymerase II, essential for transcription initiation and regulation. Several TFIID subunits are shared with the Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase (SAGA) coactivator complex. Recent research has revealed the roles of TBP and TAFs in organogenesis and stress adaptation. In this study, we identified 1 TBP and 21 putative TAFs in the mungbean genome, among which VrTAF5, VrTAF6, VrTAF8, VrTAF9, VrTAF14, and VrTAF15 have paralogous genes. Their potential involvement in abiotic stress responses was also investigated here, including high salinity, water deficit, heat, and cold. The findings indicated that distinct genes exerted predominant influences in the response to different abiotic stresses through potentially unique mechanisms. Specifically, under salt stress, VrTBP, VrTAF2, and VrTAF15-1 were strongly induced, while VrTAF10, VrTAF11, and VrTAF13 acted as negative regulators. In the case of water-deficit stress, it was likely that VrTAF1, VrTAF2, VrTAF5-2, VrTAF9, and VrTAF15-1 were primarily involved. Additionally, in response to changes in ambient temperature, it was possible that genes such as VrTAF5-1, VrTAF6-1, VrTAF9-2, VrTAF10, VrTAF13, VrTAF14b-2, and VrTAF15-1 might play a dominant role. This comprehensive exploration of VrTBP and VrTAFs can offer a new perspective on understanding plant stress responses and provide valuable insights into breeding improvement.

Genotype selection identified elite lines through quantitative trait loci mapping of agronomically important traits in wheat.

Wheat is one of the most important staple foods in the world. Genetic characterization of wheat agronomically important traits is crucial for yield improvement through molecular breeding. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was developed by crossing a local adapted high yield variety Jimai 22 (JM22) with an external variety Cunmai no.1 (CM1). A high-density genetic map containing 7,359 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers was constructed. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping identified 61 QTL for eight yield-related traits under six environments (years). Among them, 17 QTL affecting spike number per plant, grain number per spike and thousand grain weight showed high predictability for theoretical yield per plant (TYP), of which, 12 QTL alleles positively contributed to TYP. Nine promising candidate genes for seven of the 12 QTL were identified including three known wheat genes and six rice orthologs. Four elite lines with TYP increased by 5.6%-15.2% were identified through genotype selection which carried 7-9 favorable alleles from JM22 and 2-3 favorable alleles from CM1 of the 12 QTL. Moreover, the linked SNPs of the 12 QTL were converted to high-throughput kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers and validated in the population. The mapped QTL, identified promising candidate genes, developed elite lines and KASP markers are highly valuable in future genotype selection to improve wheat yield. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-024-01496-3.

Proanthocyanidins as the marker of amomum fruit from three botanical origins based on comprehensive profiling with LC-MS and GC-MS combined with chemometrics.

INTRODUCTION: Amomum fruit, also known as Sharen, serves as both a functional food and a traditional Chinese medicine with significant pharmacological activities. However, there are three botanical origins of Amomum fruit: Amomum villosum Lour. (AVL), Amomum villosum Lour. var. xanthioides T. L. (AVX), and Amomum longiligulare T. L. Wu (ALW). OBJECTIVE: Conducting a comprehensive chemical composition analysis of Amomum fruit from three botanical origins aims to identify potential differences in metabolic characteristics. METHODS: To annotate the metabolic characteristic ions of multi-origin Amomum fruit, we employed metabolomic techniques, including ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry (MS) and gas chromatography-MS, in conjunction with feature-based molecular networking technology. Additionally, chemometrics was utilized to examine the correlations between the various botanical origins. RESULTS: A total of 201 non-volatile and 151 volatile metabolites were annotated, and most of the proanthocyanidins and flavonoids were identified by feature-based molecular networking. Additionally, 61 non-volatile and 45 volatile feature ions were screened out for classification. Principal component analysis, orthogonal projection to latent structures discrimination analysis, and heat map analysis were employed to clearly distinguish the metabolite profiles of Amomum fruit from different origins. Hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that proanthocyanidins C1 and C2, as well as proanthocyanins oligomers, show significant differential expression between AVX and AVL, which could be the new quality markers for the classification. CONCLUSION: Classification of the botanical origin of Amomum fruit based on LC-MS characteristic ions proved to be more advantageous. This study introduces new strategies and technical support for the quality control of Amomum fruit and facilitates the identification of unknown compounds for future research.

Neighborhood attention transformer multiple instance learning for whole slide image classification.

Introduction: Pathologists rely on whole slide images (WSIs) to diagnose cancer by identifying tumor cells and subtypes. Deep learning models, particularly weakly supervised ones, classify WSIs using image tiles but may overlook false positives and negatives due to the heterogeneous nature of tumors. Both cancerous and healthy cells can proliferate in patterns that extend beyond individual tiles, leading to errors at the tile level that result in inaccurate tumor-level classifications. Methods: To address this limitation, we introduce NATMIL (Neighborhood Attention Transformer Multiple Instance Learning), which utilizes the Neighborhood Attention Transformer to incorporate contextual dependencies among WSI tiles. NATMIL enhances multiple instance learning by integrating a broader tissue context into the model. Our approach enhances the accuracy of tumor classification by considering the broader tissue context, thus reducing errors associated with isolated tile analysis. Results: We conducted a quantitative analysis to evaluate NATMIL's performance against other weakly supervised algorithms. When applied to subtyping non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and lymph node (LN) tumors, NATMIL demonstrated superior accuracy. Specifically, NATMIL achieved accuracy values of 89.6% on the Camelyon dataset and 88.1% on the TCGA-LUSC dataset, outperforming existing methods. These results underscore NATMIL's potential as a robust tool for improving the precision of cancer diagnosis using WSIs. Discussion: Our findings demonstrate that NATMIL significantly improves tumor classification accuracy by reducing errors associated with isolated tile analysis. The integration of contextual dependencies enhances the precision of cancer diagnosis using WSIs, highlighting NATMILs´ potential as a robust tool in pathology.

Deoxyshikonin: a promising lead drug grass against drug resistance or sensitivity to Helicobacter pylori in an acidic environment.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is closely associated with the diseases such as gastric sinusitis, peptic ulcers, and gastric adenocarcinoma. Its drug resistance is very severe, and new antibiotics are urgently needed. Nine comfrey compounds were screened by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, among which deoxyshikonin had the best inhibitory effect, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.5-1 µg/mL. In addition, deoxyshikonin also has a good antibacterial effect in an acidic environment, it is highly safe, and H. pylori does not readily develop drug resistance. Through in vivo experiments, it was proven that deoxyshikonin (7 mg/kg) had a beneficial therapeutic effect on acute gastritis in mice infected with the multidrug-resistant H. pylori BS001 strain. After treatment with desoxyshikonin, colonization of H. pylori in the gastric mucosa of mice was significantly reduced, gastric mucosal damage was repaired, inflammatory factors were reduced, and the treatment effect was better than that of standard triple therapy. Therefore, deoxyshikonin is a promising lead drug to solve the difficulty of drug resistance in H. pylori, and its antibacterial mechanism may be to destroy the biofilm and cause an oxidation reaction.

Dynamic Gas-Bridged Bond: An Opportunity of Fabricating Dynamic Assembled Materials with Gas.

Gas molecules, as a family of unique polyatomic building blocks, have long been considered hard to involve in molecular assembly or construct assembled materials due to their structural simplicity yet paucity of defined interacting sites. To solve this non-trivial challenge, a core idea is to break the limit of current ways of bonding gas molecules, endowing them with new modes of interactions that match the basic requirements of molecular assembly. In recent years, a new concept, named the dynamic gas-bridged bond (DGB), has emerged, which allows for gas molecules to constitute a dynamic bridging structure between other building blocks with the aid of frustrated Lewis pairs. This makes it possible to harness gas in a supramolecular or dynamic manner. Herein, this perspective discusses distinct dynamic natures of DGBs and manifests their particular functions in various fields, including the control of molecular/polymeric self-assembly nanostructures, creation of multidimensional assembled materials, and recyclable catalysts. The future research direction and challenges of dynamic gas-bridged chemistry toward gas-programmed self-assembly and gas-constructed adaptive materials are highlighted.

Preparation of kakkatin derivatives and their anti-tumor activity.

BACKGROUND: Modern pharmacological studies have confirmed that plant-derived compounds from Puerariae flos (PF) has significant biological activities against liver damage, tumors and inflammation. Kakkatin is an isoflavone polyphenolic compound isolated from PF flower. However, the effect of kakkatin and its derivatives on anti-tumor has not been well explored. AIM: To design and synthesize a kakkatin derivative [6-(hept-6-yn-1-yloxy)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one (HK)] to explore its anti-tumor biological activity. METHODS: Hept-6-yn-1-yl ethanesulfonate was introduced to replace hydrogen at the hydroxyl position of kakkatin phenol, and the derivative of kakkatin was prepared; the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide was used to detect cell viability, a clone formation assay was adopted to detect cell proliferation, apoptosis, necrosis, and cell cycles were analyzed by Annexin V/propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion ability were evaluated by cell scratch assay and transwell assay. The potential mechanism of HK on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) SMMC-7721 cells was explored through network pharmacology and molecular docking, and finally real-time PCR assays was used to verify the potential targets and evaluate the biological activity of HK. RESULTS: Compared with kakkatin, the modified HK did not significantly increase the inhibitory activity of gastric cancer MGC803 cells, but the inhibitory activity of HCC SMMC-7721 cells was increased by about 30 times, with an IC50 value of 2.5 µM, and the tumor inhibition effect was better than cisplatin, which could significantly inhibit the cloning, invasion and metastasis of HCC SMMC-7721 cells, and induce apoptosis and G2/M cycle arrest. Its mechanism of action is mainly related to the upregulation of PDE3B and NFKB1 target proteins in the cAMP pathway. CONCLUSION: HK have a significant inhibitory effect on HCC SMMC-7721 cells, and the targets of their action may be PDE3B and NFKB1 proteins in the cAMP pathway, making it a good lead drug for the treatment of HCC.

Proteomic profiling of laser capture microdissection kidneys from diabetic nephropathy patients.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains the primary cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), warranting equal attention and separate analysis of glomerular, tubular, and interstitial lesions in its diagnosis and intervention. This study aims to identify the specific proteomics characteristics of DN, and assess changes in the biological processes associated with DN. 5 patients with DN and 5 healthy kidney transplant donor control individuals were selected for analysis. The proteomic characteristics of glomeruli, renal tubules, and renal interstitial tissue obtained through laser capture microscopy (LCM) were studied using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Significantly, the expression of multiple heat shock proteins (HSPs), tubulins, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) in glomeruli and tubules was significantly reduced. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the glomerulus showed significant enrichment in pathways related to cell junctions and cell movement, including the regulation of actin cytoskeleton and tight junction. DEPs in renal tubules were significantly enriched in glucose metabolism-related pathways, such as glucose metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and the citric acid cycle. Moreover, the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway was a co-enrichment pathway in both DN glomeruli and tubules. Notably, ACTB emerged as the most crucial protein in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis of DEPs in both glomeruli and renal tubules. In this study, we delve into the unique proteomic characteristics of each sub-region of renal tissue. This enhances our understanding of the potential pathophysiological changes in DN, particularly the potential involvement of glycolysis metabolic disorder, glomerular cytoskeleton and cell junctions. These insights are crucial for further research into the identification of disease biomarkers and the pathogenesis of DN.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) significantly impacts the treatment and prognosis of early gastric cancer (EGC). Consequently, the precise prediction of LNM risk in EGC patients is essential to guide the selection of appropriate surgical approaches in clinical settings. AIM: To develop a novel nomogram risk model for predicting LNM in EGC patients, utilizing preoperative clinicopathological data. METHODS: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the correlation between clinicopathological factors and LNM in EGC patients. Additionally, univariate Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to assess the influence of clinical factors on EGC prognosis. A predictive model in the form of a nomogram was developed, and its discrimination ability and calibration were also assessed. RESULTS: The incidence of LNM in the study cohort was 19.6%. Multivariate logistic regression identified tumor size, location, degree of differentiation, and pathological type as independent risk factors for LNM in EGC patients. Both tumor pathological type and LNM independently affected the prognosis of EGC. The model's performance was reflected by an area under the curve of 0.750 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.701-0.789] for the training group and 0.763 (95%CI: 0.687-0.838) for the validation group. CONCLUSION: A clinical prediction model was constructed (using tumor size, low differentiation, location in the middle-lower region, and signet ring cell carcinoma), with its score being a significant prognosis indicator.

Analysis of clinical characteristics of mismatch repair status in colorectal cancer: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Microsatellite instability (MSI) caused by DNA mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency is of great significance in the occurrence, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). AIM: This study aimed to analyze the relationship between mismatch repair status and clinical characteristics of CRC. METHODS: The histopathological results and clinical characteristics of 2029 patients who suffered from CRC and underwent surgery at two centers from 2018 to 2020 were determined. After screening the importance of clinical characteristics through machine learning algorithms, the patients were divided into deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) and proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) groups based on the immunohistochemistry results and the clinical feature data between the two groups were observed by statistical methods. RESULTS: The dMMR and pMMR groups had significant differences in histologic type, TNM stage, maximum tumor diameter, lymph node metastasis, differentiation grade, gross appearance, and vascular invasion. There were significant differences between the MLH1 groups in age, histologic type, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, tumor location, and depth of invasion. The MSH2 groups were significantly different in age. The MSH6 groups had significant differences in age, histologic type, and TNM stage. There were significant differences between the PMS2 groups in lymph node metastasis and tumor location. CRC was dominated by MLH1 and PMS2 combined expression loss (41.77%). There was a positive correlation between MLH1 and MSH2 and between MSH6 and PMS2 as well. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of mucinous adenocarcinoma, protruding type, and poor differentiation is relatively high in dMMR CRCs, but lymph node metastasis is rare. It is worth noting that the expression of MMR protein has different prognostic significance in different stages of CRC disease.

Isobavachalcone: A redox antifungal agent impairs the mitochondria protein of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Isobavachalcone (IBC) is a natural small molecule with various biological activities; however, its inhibitory effects on Cryptococcus neoformans remain unclear. In our study, IBC showed a good antifungal effect. Through in vitro experiments, its minimum inhibitory concentration was 0.5-1 µg/mL. It exhibited the same antifungal effect as Amphotericin B in brain and lung infections in in vivo experiments. IBC also showed a synergistic antifungal effect with emodin with lower toxicity, and C. neoformans did not develop drug resistance to IBC. In the mechanistic study, significantly damaged mitochondria of C. neoformans, a significant reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and adenosine triphosphate production, and an increase in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) caused by IBC were observed using transmission electron microscopy. Through drug affinity-responsive target stability combined with phenotype detection, riboflavin synthases of aconitase and succinate dehydrogenase were screened. Molecular docking, quantitative polymerase chain reaction experiments, target inhibitor and agonist intervention, molecular interaction measurements, and minimum inhibitory concentration detection of the constructed expression strains revealed that IBC targeted the activity of these two enzymes, interfered by the tricarboxylic acid cycle, inhibited the production of adenosine triphosphate, blocked electron transport, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and induced antioxidation imbalance and reactive oxygen species accumulation, thus producing an antifungal effect. Therefore, IBC is a promising lead drug and redox antifungal agent for C. neoformans.

Click method preserves but EDC method compromises the therapeutic activities of the peptide-activated hydrogels for critical ischemic vessel regeneration.

Peptide-functionalized hydrogel is one of commonly used biomaterials to introduce hydrogel-induced vessel regeneration. Despite many reports about the discoveries of high-active peptides (or ligands) for regeneration, the study on the conjugating methods for the hydrogel functionalization with peptides is limited. Here, we compared the vasculogenic efficacy of the peptide-functionalized hydrogels prepared by two commonly used conjugating methods, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylamino propyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and Click methods, through cell models, organ-on-chips models, animal models, and RNA sequencing analysis. Two vascular-related cell types, the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), have been cultured on the hydrogel surfaces prepared by EDC/Click methods. It showed that the hydrogels prepared by Click method supported the higher vasculogenic activities while the ones made by EDC method compromised the peptide activities on hydrogels. The vasculogenesis assays further revealed that hydrogels prepared by Click method promoted a better vascular network formation. In a critical ischemic hindlimb model, only the peptide-functionalized hydrogels prepared by Click method successfully salvaged the ischemic limb, significantly improved blood perfusion, and enhanced the functional recoveries (through gait analysis and animal behavior studies). RNA sequencing studies revealed that the hydrogels prepared by Click method significantly promoted the PI3K-AKT pathway activation compared to the hydrogels prepared by EDC method. All the results suggested that EDC method compromised the functions of the peptides, while Click method preserved the vascular regenerating capacities of the peptides on the hydrogels, illustrating the importance of the conjugating method during the preparation of the peptide-functionalized hydrogels.

Cage-by-cage supramolecular polymerization via panel-decorated triphenylphosphine organic cage.

Significant efforts have been dedicated to designing porous organic cage compounds with geometric complexity and topological diversity. However, the use of these cage molecules as premade building units for constructing infinite cage-based superstructures remains unexplored. Here, we report the use of a panel-decorated phosphine organic cage as a special monomer to achieve supramolecular polymerization, resulting in cage-by-cage noncovalent polymers through the synergy of metal-coordination and intercageπ-πdimerization. At a monomer concentration of 122 mM, the average degree of polymerization reaches 17, corresponding to a molecular weight of 26 kDa. The obtained cage-based supramolecular polymers can further hierarchically self-assemble into vesicular morphologies or one-dimensional nanofiber architectures. Selective control over the cosolvents can regulate their structural hierarchy and assembled morphology. This approach paves a new way for the construction of cage-based hierarchical assemblies and materials.

Active surveillance of hepatitis E: a 10-year epidemiological analysis in a city in eastern China.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important cause of acute hepatitis, however, is highly neglected and largely underreported. This study aimed to describe the detailed epidemiology of hepatitis E (HE) through a 10-year surveillance. A community-based active hepatitis surveillance was conducted between November 2007 and October 2017 in 11 townships of Dongtai City in China, involving 355,673 residents. Serum samples were obtained from patients presenting with hepatitis symptoms for more than 3 days. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels greater than 2.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) were considered acute hepatitis. Samples were subsequently tested for IgG and IgM anti-HEV antibodies, HEV RNA, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The data indicated the incidence of HE fluctuated downward from 2007 to 2017, with an average annual age-standardized incidence of 17.50 per 100,000, exceeding the 10.26 per 100,000 in the National Notifiable Disease Report System (NNDRS). The incidence was notably higher among males (20.95 per 100,000) and individuals aged 50-69 years (37.47 per 100,000). Genotype 4 (HEV-4) was the predominantly circulating genotype during the study period. Furthermore, the study revealed the incidence of hepatitis with HEV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) co-infection was 4.99 per 100,000. The active surveillance system identified a higher incidence of HE compared to NNDRS, with a decreased prevalence over a 10-year period. While efforts are still needed to prevent HE in high-risk populations, including individuals with hepatitis B and the elderly.

Intercage Polymerization of Postfunctionalized Phosphine Organic Prisms into Cage-Based Assemblies with Tunable Morphologies.

Great effort has been dedicated to the engineering of porous organic cages (POCs) in geometry and topology. Yet, harnessing these cage-like entities as premade building units to construct infinite cage-based superstructures remains elusive. In this study, we design a type of vertex-modified phosphine organic prism by a postfunctionalized approach and use it as a ditopic cage monomer to achieve an intercage supramolecular polymerization via the synergy of metal coordination and π-π dimerization. The resulting cage-by-cage polymers can further hierarchically organize into superstructures of diverse morphologies and dimensionalities, including 1D fibers, 2D lamellae, and 3D vesicles. Control over the cosolvents is capable of well regulating their structural hierarchies and self-assembled shapes. This would pave a way for the creation of cage-based supramolecular assemblies and nanomaterials.

Gas-Responsive and Gas-Releasing Polymer Assemblies.

In order to explore the unique physiological roles of gas signaling molecules and gasotransmitters in vivo, chemists have engineered a variety of gas-responsive polymers that can monitor their changes in cellular milieu, and gas-releasing polymers that can orchestrate the release of gases. These have advanced their potential applications in the field of bio-imaging, nanodelivery, and theranostics. Since these polymers are of different chain structures and properties, the morphology of their assemblies will manifest distinct transitions after responding to gas or releasing gas. In this review, we summarize the fundamental design rationale of gas-responsive and gas-releasing polymers in structure and their controlled transition in self-assembled morphology and function, as well as present some perspectives in this prosperous field. Emerging challenges faced for the future research are also discussed.

A Reference Profile of N-Glycosylation for Human Kidney and the Identification of Cell-Cell Interactions between Parietal Epithelial Cells and Capillary Endothelial Cells by Single-Cell Glycosylation-Sequencing.

BACKGROUND: N-glycosylation is one of the most common posttranslational modifications in humans, and these alterations are associated with kidney diseases. METHODS: A novel technological approach, single-cell N-acetyllactosamine sequencing (scLacNAc-seq), was applied to simultaneously detect N-glycosylation expression and the transcriptome at single-cell resolution in three human kidney tissues from zero-time biopsy. Cell clusters, glycation abundance in each cell cluster, functional enrichment analysis, cell-cell crosstalk, and pseudotime analysis were applied. RESULTS: Using scLacNAc-seq, 24,247 cells and 22 cell clusters were identified, and N-glycan abundance in each cell was obtained. Transcriptome analysis revealed a close connection between capillary endothelial cells (CapECs) and parietal epithelial cells (PECs). PECs and CapECs communicate with each other through several pairs of ligand receptors (e.g., TGFB1-EGFR, GRN-EGFR, TIMP1-FGFR2, VEGFB-FLT1, ANGPT2-TEK, and GRN-TNFRSF1A). Finally, a regulatory network of cell-cell crosstalk between PECs and CapECs was constructed, which is involved in cell development. CONCLUSIONS: We here, for the first time, constructed the glycosylation profile of 22 cell clusters in the human kidney from zero-time biopsy. Moreover, cell-cell communication between PECs and CapECs through the ligand-receptor system may play a crucial regulatory role in cell proliferation.

High-fidelity single logical qubit encoding scheme assisted by single-sided quantum dot-cavity systems.

We present an encoding scheme of a single logical qubit with single-sided quantum dot (QD)-cavity systems, which is immune to the collective decoherence. By adjusting the Purcell factor to satisfy the balanced reflection condition, the detrimental effects of unbalanced reflection between the coupled and uncoupled QD-cavity systems can be effectively suppressed. Furthermore, the fidelity of each step can be increased to unity regardless of the strong coupling regime and the weak coupling regime of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) with the assistance of waveform correctors. The scheme requires QD-cavity systems and simple linear optical elements, which can be implemented with the currently experimental techniques.

Cinnamaldehyde: An effective component of Cinnamomum cassia inhibiting Helicobacter pylori.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cinnamomum cassia Presl (Cinnamomum cassia) is a common traditional Chinese medicine, which can promote the secretion and digestion of gastric juice, improve the function of gastrointestinal tract. Cinnamaldehyde (CA) is a synthetic food flavoring in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to search for the active ingredient (CA) of inhibiting H. pylori from Cinnamomum cassia, and elucidate mechanism of action, so as to provide the experimental basis for the treatment of H. pylori infection with Cinnamomum cassia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It's in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties were evaluated based on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and an acute gastric inflammation model in mice infected with H. pylori. Drug safety was evaluated using the CCK8 method and high-dose administration in mice. The advantageous characteristics of CA in inhibiting H. pylori were confirmed using acidic conditions and in combination with the antibiotics. The mechanism underlying the action of CA on H. pylori was explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), adhesion experiments, biofilm inhibition tests, ATP and ROS release experiments, and drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) screening of target proteins. The protein function and target genes were verified by molecular docking and Real-Time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: The results demonstrated that CA was found to be the main active ingredient against H. pylori in Cinnamomum cassia in-vitro tests, with a MIC of 8-16 µg/mL. Moreover, CA effectively inhibited both sensitive and resistant H. pylori strains. The dual therapy of PPI + CA exhibited remarkable in vivo efficacy in the acute gastritis mouse model, superior to the standard triple therapy. DARTS, molecular docking, and qRT-PCR results suggested that the target sites of action were closely associated with GyrA, GyrB, AtpA, and TopA, which made DNA replication and transcription impossible, then leading to inhibition of bacterial adhesion and colonization, suppression of biofilm formation, and inhibition ATP and enhancing ROS. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the suitability of CA as a promising lead drug against H. pylori, The main mechanisms can target GyrA ect, leading to reduce ATP and produce ROS, which induces the apoptosis of bacterial.