Theanine enhances resistance to Botrytis cinerea in postharvest strawberry fruit via modulating cell-wall and phenylpropanoid metabolisms.

Theanine (N-ethyl-γ-glutamine), as a unique non-protein amino acid, plays vital roles in abiotic stress resistance, while its roles in biotic stress resistance are still unclear. Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is a major disease in strawberries. Effects of theanine on the development of gray mold, cell-wall and phenylpropanoid metabolisms in strawberries were investigated in this study. Results showed that 5 mmol L-1 theanine treatment reduced disease incidence and severity of gray mold in strawberries with antifungal activity in vitro. Meanwhile, theanine treatment enhanced the accumulation of phenolic compounds and lignin, especially ellagic acid, cyanidin, and quercetin, which was associated with increased phenylpropanoid pathway related enzyme activities. Moreover, theanine induced callose deposition and suppressed cell- wall disassembling enzymes, accompanied by higher levels of water insoluble pectin, hemicellulose and cellulose. Therefore, theanine treatment could alleviate decay of B. cinerea-inoculated strawberries by regulating phenylpropanoid and cell-wall metabolisms, maintaining higher levels of phenolic compounds and cell-wall components, thereby contributing to disease resistance and cell-wall structure integrity.

Hydrogen sulfide attenuates chilling injury in loquat fruit by alleviating oxidative stress and maintaining cell membrane integrity.

The effects of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on chilling injury (CI), reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, sugar metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and membrane lipid metabolism in loquat fruit throughout the refrigerated period were investigated in this study. The findings indicated that H2S application restrained the increase in internal browning (IB), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and electrolyte leakage, while sustaining higher total phenolic and total flavonoid levels, and lower soluble quinone content in loquat fruit. Besides, H2S promoted antioxidant accumulation and increased antioxidant enzyme activities by the regulation of ROS metabolism, along with increasing fructose and glucose levels and reducing power by activating sugar metabolism and PPP. Furthermore, H2S treatment retarded the degradation of phospholipids and fatty acids in loquat fruit by modulating membrane lipid metabolism relevant enzyme activities. These findings indicated that H2S application mitigated CI in loquat fruit by alleviating oxidative stress and maintaining cell membrane structural integrity.

Modified SiO2@cinnamaldehyde/nanocellulose coating film for loquat preservation.

Although cinnamaldehyde (CA) is an excellent antimicrobial agent, its application in the food industry was limited by its volatility and lack of antimicrobial persistence. Herein, aminated hollow mesoporous silica (NH2-HMSN) was prepared by selective etching and amino-modified. Subsequently, long-acting antibacterials with regulated release (NH2-HMSN@CA) were obtained by using NH2-HMSN as cinnamaldehyde carrier. NH2-HMSN@CA can effectively regulate the release of CA, and has 100 % inhibition effect on the growth of E. coli, S. aureus and C. acutatum. In addition, nanocellulose/NH2-HMSN@CA (CHA) coating film was prepared for postharvest preservation of loquat. The coating film effectively improved the storage quality and shelf life of loquat, and delayed the postharvest decay of loquat. The prepared coating film active packaging for long-term preservation is expected to provide a scheme for promoting sustainable preservation of postharvest loquat.

γ-aminobutyric acid treatment inhibits browning and promotes storage quality by regulating reactive oxygen species and membrane lipid metabolism in fresh-cut stem lettuce.

The effects of γ-aminobutyric (GABA) on enzymatic browning, storage quality, membrane and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism in fresh-cut stem lettuce were investigated. The results illustrated that GABA treatment delayed browning degree, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and the expression of LsPPO. Meanwhile, higher chlorophyll and ascorbic acid contents were exhibited in GABA-treated stem lettuce, as well as the slower microbial propagation. Further investigation revealed that exogenous GABA application declined malondialdehyde content, electrolyte leakage and the enzyme activities of membrane metabolism, and the expression levels of related genes were also downregulated. In addition, GABA treatment scavenged ROS and strengthened the enzyme activities of ROS metabolism, as well as the expression levels of corresponding genes. Taken together, these findings implied that the repressed enzymatic browning and microbial propagation in GABA-treated stem lettuce were due to the inhibition of ROS accumulation, enhancement of membrane stability and increased resistance to oxidation.

Exogenous CaCl2 reduces the oxidative cleavage of carotenoids in shredded carrots by targeting CAMTA4-mediated transcriptional repression of carotenoid degradation pathway.

Carotenoid oxidative cleavage is a significant factor contributing to the color changes of shredded carrots and treatment with calcium chloride (CaCl2, 1% w/v) has been observed to alleviate the whitening symptom and color loss. However, the specific mechanism by which CaCl2 treatment suppresses carotenoid degradation remains unclear. In this study, the effect of CaCl2 and EGTA (calcium ion chelating agent) treatment on carotenoid biosynthesis and degradation in shredded carrots and the mechanism involved was investigated. CaCl2 treatment promoted the expression and activity of carotenoid biosynthetic enzyme (phytoene synthase, PSY), but inhibited the increases of the degradative enzyme activity of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD) and down-regulated the corresponding transcripts, thus delayed the degradation of total carotenoid and maintaining higher levels of major carotenoid compounds including ß-carotene, α-carotene, lycopene, and lutein in shredded carrots during storage. However, EGTA treatment promoted the gene expression and enzyme activity of CCD and increased the degradation of carotenoid compounds in shredded carrots during storage. Furthermore, the CaCl2 treatment induced DcCAMTA4, identified as a calcium decoder in shredded carrots, which, in turn, suppressed the expressions of DcCCD1 and DcCCD4 by interacting with their promoters. The transient overexpression of DcCAMTA4 in tobacco leaves led to reduced expression of NtCCD1 and NtCCD4, maintaining a higher content of carotenoids. Thus, CaCl2 alleviated the oxidative cleavage of carotenoids in shredded carrots through the DcCAMTA4-mediated carotenoid degradation pathway.

The metabolism of amino acids, AsA and abscisic acid induced by strigolactone participates in chilling tolerance in postharvest zucchini fruit.

Zucchini fruit are notably susceptible to chilling injury when stored at low temperatures. The purpose of this experimental investigation was to assess the influence of strigolactone (ST) (5 µmol L-1) on mitigating chilling injury and the metabolic changes in amino acids, ascorbic acid, and abscisic acid in zucchini fruit stored at 4°C. Research findings demonstrated that ST-treated zucchini fruit displayed a significantly higher tolerance to chilling stress compared to the control group. Postharvest ST treatment led to a decrease in weight loss, accompanied by reduced levels of malondialdehyde and relative ion leakage compared to the untreated group. ST immersion significantly boosted the metabolic pathways associated with proline and arginine, affecting both the enzymatic reactions and gene expressions, thus cumulatively increasing the internal concentrations of these amino acids in zucchini fruit. Zucchini treated with ST exhibited an increased concentration of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a result of augmented activities and elevated transcriptional levels of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), GABA transaminase (GAT), and succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSD). In the ST-treated sample, the elevated enzymatic activities and enhanced gene expressions within the ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthesis pathway worked together to sustain AsA accumulation. The application of ST resulted in a rise in abscisic acid (ABA) concentration, which correspondingly correlated with the induction of both activities and gene expression levels of crucial enzymes involved in ABA metabolism. Our findings revealed that submerging zucchini fruit in ST could be a highly effective strategy for boosting their chilling tolerance. The alleviation in chilling injury induced by ST may be attributed to the modulation of proline, arginine, GABA, AsA and ABA metabolism.

Genome-wide identification and role of HSFs in antioxidant response of hot water treated zucchini fruit during cold storage.

Zucchini squashes are cold-sensitive and vulnerable to chilling injury (CI) resulting from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hot water (HW) immersing effectively reduce CI symptoms during cold storage. However, mechanism involved in reduced ROS due to HW treatment has not been characterized well. In this study, tender green zucchini fruit were treated with HW for 15 min at 45 ± 1 °C and stored for 15 d at 4 ± 1 °C and above 90 % relative humidity. Results showed substantial reduction in CI index, electrolyte leakage, malonaldehyde (MDA) contents and ROS accumulation along with increased activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes due to HW treatment. To gain insight into the molecular mechanism involved in antioxidant defense system, transcriptomic analysis revealed that heat shock factors (HSF) accumulated due to HW treatment regulated the ROS pathway during cold stress. CpHSFA4a was one of the highly expressed transcription factors (TF) due to HW treatment that regulated the transcription of ROS enzymes related genes. CpHSFA4a bind actively with heat shock element (HSE) in promoter regions of CpSOD, CpCAT, CpAPX1, CpAPX2, and CpAPX3, activated and increased the expression of these genes. In conclusion, HW treatment alleviated the CI by maintaining ROS homeostasis through CpHSFA4a mediated ROS pathway in zucchini squashes during cold storage.

Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C-associated phospholipid metabolism mediates DcGLRs channel to promote calcium influx under CaCl2 treatment in shredded carrots during storage.

The rapid activation of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) occurs early after the stimulation of biotic and abiotic stress in plants, which directly associated with the calcium channel-induced calcium ion (Ca2+) influx. Exogenous calcium chloride (CaCl2) mediates the calcium signaling transduction to promote the γ-aminobutyric acid accumulation and nutritional quality in shredded carrots whereas the generation mechanism remains uncertain. Therefore, the involvement of PI-PLC-associated phospholipid metabolism was investigated in present study. Our result revealed that CaCl2 treatment promoted the expression and activity of PI-PLC and increased the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and hexakisphosphate content in shredded carrots. The transcripts of multi-glutamate receptor-like channels (DcGLRs), the glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content, and Ca2+ influx were induced by CaCl2 treatment in shredded carrots during storage. However, PI-PLC inhibitor (U73122) treatment inhibited the activation of PI-PLC, the increase of many DcGLRs family genes expression levels, and Ca2+ influx. Moreover, the identification of DcPI-PLC4/6 and DcGLRs proteins, along with the analysis of characteristic domains such as PLCXc, PLCYc, C2 domain, transmembranous regions, and ligand binding domain, suggests their involvement in phospholipid catalysis and calcium transport in carrots. Furthermore, DcPI-PLC4/6 overexpression in tobacco leaves induced the Ca2+ influx by activating the expressions of NtGLRs and the accumulation of glutamate and GABA. These findings collectively indicate that CaCl2 treatment-induced PI-PLC activation influences DcGLRs expression levels to mediate cytosolic Ca2+ influx, thus, highlighting the "PI-PLC-GLRs-Ca2+" pathway in calcium signaling generation and GABA biosynthesis in shredded carrots.

Effects of the Combined Treatment of Trans-2-Hexenal, Ascorbic Acid, and Dimethyl Dicarbonate on the Quality in Fresh-Cut Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) during Storage.

Fresh-cut potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are susceptible to browning and microbial contamination during storage. In this study, the effects of trans-2-hexenal (E2H), ascorbic acid (VC), dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC), and the combined treatment of E2H, VC, and DMDC on quality deterioration in fresh-cut potatoes were investigated. The response surface methodology (RSM) demonstrated that E2H, VC, and DMDC concentrations of 0.010%, 0.65%, and 240 mg/L, respectively, were the optimum conditions for fresh-cut potato preservation. Further analysis showed that the combined treatment of E2H, VC, and DMDC was the most effective method of reducing quality deterioration in potatoes compared to the control and individual treatments. Furthermore, the combined treatment of E2H, VC, and DMDC could decrease the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via improving antioxidant enzyme activities. Meanwhile, energy-metabolism-related enzyme activities and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity were enhanced, while γ-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T) activity was reduced via the combined treatment of E2H, VC, and DMDC, which contributed to maintaining high energy levels and GABA content in potatoes. These findings suggested that the combined treatment of E2H, VC, and DMDC could protect membrane integrity through enhancing antioxidant capacity, energy levels, and GABA content to maintain quality in fresh-cut potatoes.

Exogenous chlorogenic acid inhibits quality deterioration in fresh-cut potato slices.

Fresh-cut potatoes are prone to surface browning and physiological degradation. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a natural phenolic antioxidant, has demonstrated preservative properties in various postharvest products. However, the underlying mechanisms of its application on maintaining quality remain unclear. Therefore, the effect of exogenous CGA treatment on quality deterioration of potato slices and the mechanisms involved were investigated. Results revealed CGA treatment retarded the browning coloration, suppressed microbial growth and inhibited the declines in starch, and ascorbic acid contents in potato slices. Meanwhile, the treatment activated the phenylpropanoid pathway but decreased the activities of phenolic decomposition-related enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and tyrosinase and downregulated StPPO expression. Moreover, the treated slices exhibited reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes. Additionally, they displayed enhanced 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals scavenging capacity and higher ATP levels. Therefore, these findings indicated that CGA treatment was effective for quality maintenance and antioxidant capacity enhancement in fresh-cut potatoes, thereby providing potential strategies for the preservation and processing of fresh-cut produce.

Degradable chitosan-based bioplastic packaging: Design, preparation and applications.

Food packaging is an essential part of food transportation, storage and preservation. Biodegradable biopolymers are a significant direction for the future development of food packaging materials. As a natural biological polysaccharide, chitosan has been widely concerned by researchers in the field of food packaging due to its excellent film-forming property, good antibacterial property and designability. Thus, the application research of chitosan-based food packaging films, coatings and aerogels has been greatly developed. In this review, recent advances on chitosan-based food packaging materials are summarized. Firstly, the development background of chitosan-based packaging materials was described, and then chitosan itself was introduced. In addition, the design, preparation and applications of films, coatings and aerogels in chitosan-based packaging for food preservation were discussed, and the advantages and disadvantages of each research in the development of chitosan-based packaging materials were analyzed. Finally, the application prospects, challenges and suggestions for solving the problems of chitosan-based packaging are summarized and prospected.

Photothermal controlled antibacterial Ta4C3Tx-AgNPs/nanocellulose bioplastic food packaging.

Uncontrolled antibacterial, insufficient barrier and low strength are the bottlenecks of food packaging applications. Herein, Ta4C3Tx nanosheet as a template was used to prepare Ta4C3Tx immobilized silver nanoparticles (Ta4C3Tx-AgNPs), which was compounded with nanocellulose to obtain high-strength and high barrier controllable bactericidal nanocellulose-based bioplastic packaging (CTa-Ag). The results indicated that due to the hydrogen bonding between nanocellulose and Ta4C3Tx, the bridging effect of QCS (quaternized chitosan) and the filling of Ta4C3Tx-AgNPs, the CTa-Ag had tightly stacked microstructure, which endowed them with excellent mechanical properties (4.0 GPa), ultra-low oxygen permeability (0.009 cm3/m2·d·atm) and stable photothermal conversion efficiency. Importantly, the packaging exhibits the ability to control the release of antibacterial active ingredients. Moreover, the synergistic effects of controllable release of nano active factors, photothermal and photocatalysis in CTa-Ag gave it long-lasting antibacterial properties. This study brings new insights into the design and manufacture of multifunctional, controllable and long-lasting antibacterial bioplastic food packaging.

Clinical efficacy and mechanism study of mid-frequency anti-snoring device in treating moderate obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is primarily caused by airway obstruction due to narrowing and blockage in the nasal and nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, soft palate, and tongue base areas. The mid-frequency anti-snoring device is a new technology based on sublingual nerve stimulation. Its principle is to improve the degree of oropharyngeal airway stenosis in OSAHS patients under mid-frequency wave stimulation. Nevertheless, there is a lack of clinical application and imaging evidence. AIM: To investigate the clinical efficacy and mechanisms of a mid-frequency anti-snoring device in treating moderate OSAHS. METHODS: We selected 50 patients diagnosed with moderate OSAHS in our hospital between July 2022 and August 2023. They underwent a 4-wk treatment regimen involving the mid-frequency anti-snoring device during nighttime sleep. Following the treatment, we monitored and assessed the sleep apnea quality of life index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores. Additionally, we performed computed tomography scans of the oropharynx in the awake state, during snoring, and while using the mid-frequency anti-snoring device. Cross-sectional area measurements in different states were taken at the narrowest airway point in the soft palate posterior and retrolingual areas. RESULTS: Compared to pretreatment measurements, patients exhibited a significant reduction in the apnea-hypopnea index, the percentage of time with oxygen saturation below 90%, snoring frequency, and the duration of the most prolonged apnea event. The lowest oxygen saturation showed a notable increase, and both sleep apnea quality of life index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores improved. Oropharyngeal computed tomography scans revealed that in OSAHS patients cross-sectional areas of the oropharyngeal airway in the soft palate posterior area and retrolingual area decreased during snoring compared to the awake state. Conversely, during mid-frequency anti-snoring device treatment, these areas increased compared to snoring. CONCLUSION: The mid-frequency anti-snoring device demonstrates the potential to enhance various sleep parameters in patients with moderate OSAHS, thereby improving their quality of life and reducing daytime sleepiness. These therapeutic effects are attributed to the device's ability to ameliorate the narrowing of the oropharynx in OSAHS patients.

Glutamate application maintains quality and antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut carrots by modulating GABA shunt, phenylpropanoid and ROS metabolism.

The effects of exogenous glutamate treatment on the quality attributes, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt, phenylpropanoid pathway, and antioxidant capacity of fresh-cut carrots were investigated. Results showed that glutamate treatment suppressed the increases in lightness and whiteness values, inhibited the degradation of total carotenoids and maintained better flavor and taste in fresh-cut carrots. Moreover, glutamate treatment rapidly promoted the activities of glutamate decarboxylase and GABA transaminase, thus improving the GABA content. It also significantly enhanced the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, and 4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase and promoted the accumulation of total phenolics as well as the main individual phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic and caffeic acid. In addition, glutamate application activated the reactive oxygen system-related enzyme including peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase activities to maintain higher antioxidant capacity in fresh-cut carrots. These results demonstrated that exogenous glutamate treatment maintained better nutritional quality and alleviated color deterioration by accelerating the accumulation of GABA and phenolics and enhancing the antioxidant capacity in fresh-cut carrots.

MXene-NH2/chitosan hemostatic sponges for rapid wound healing.

Effective control of wound bleeding and sustained promotion of wound healing remain a major challenge for hemostatic materials. In this study, the hemostatic sponge with controllable antibacterial and adjustable continuous promotion of wound healing (CMNCu) was prepared by chitosan, aminated MXene and copper ion. Interestingly, the internal topological point-line-surface interaction endowed the CMN-Cu sponge longitudinal staggered tubular porous microstructure, combined with the lipophilic properties obtained by modified MXene, which greatly improved its flexibility, wet elasticity and blood enrichment capacity. In addition, the sponge achieved controlled release of active ingredients, which made it present highly effective antibacterial activity and long-lasting ability to promote wound healing. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that CMN-Cu sponge presented high-efficient hemostatic performance. Last but not least, a series of cell experiments showed that the CMN-Cu sponge had excellent safety as a hemostatic material.

CmCML11 interacts with CmCAMTA5 to enhance γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation by regulating GABA shunt in fresh-cut cantaloupe.

The effect of calcium chloride (CaCl2) treatment on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation in fresh-cut cantaloupe and the involved mechanisms were investigated. The result showed that 1% (w/v) CaCl2 treatment increased GABA content and activities of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH), while decreased glutamate (Glu) content and GABA transaminase (GABA-T) activities in fresh-cut cantaloupe. CmCML11 and CmCAMTA5 expressions of CaCl2-treated fruit increased by 187.4% and 165.6% than control fruit in the initial 6 h. Besides, expressions of GABA shunt genes, including CmGAD1, CmGAD2, CmGABA-T and CmSSADH were also up-regulated by CaCl2 treatment during early storage. Moreover, acting as a transcriptional activator, CmCAMTA5 could bind to the CG-box in promoters of CmGAD1, CmGABA-T and CmSSADH and activate their transcription. Furthermore, the interaction between CmCML11 and CmCAMTA5 could enhance the transcriptional activation on GABA shunt genes which were regulated by CmCAMTA5. Collectively, our findings revealed that CaCl2 treatment promoted GABA accumulation in fresh-cut cantaloupe via the combined effect of CmCML11 and CmCAMTA5 in the regulation of expressions of CmGAD1, CmGABA-T, and CmSSADH in GABA shunt.

PRMT5 facilitates angiogenesis and EMT via HIF-1α/VEGFR/Akt signaling axis in lung cancer.

Abnormal angiogenesis is a critical factor in tumor growth and metastasis, and protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), a prominent type II enzyme, is implicated in various human cancers. However, the precise role of PRMT5 in regulating angiogenesis to promote lung cancer cell metastasis and the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we show that PRMT5 is overexpressed in lung cancer cells and tissues, and its expression is triggered by hypoxia. Moreover, inhibiting or silencing PRMT5 disrupts the phosphorylation of the VEGFR/Akt/eNOS angiogenic signaling pathway, NOS activity, and NO production. Additionally, inhibiting PRMT5 activity reduces HIF-1α expression and stability, resulting in the down-regulation of the VEGF/VEGFR signaling pathway. Our findings indicate that PRMT5 promotes lung cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which might be possibly through controlling the HIF-1α/VEGFR/Akt/eNOS signaling axis. Our study provides compelling evidence of the close association between PRMT5 and angiogenesis/EMT and highlights the potential of targeting PRMT5 activity as a promising therapeutic approach for treating lung cancer with abnormal angiogenesis.

PpMYB1 and PpNPR1 interact to enhance the resistance of peach fruit to Rhizopus stolonifer infection.

MYB transcription factors play important role in stress-resistance of plants. Nevertheless, the function of MYB TFs in peach Rhizopus rot remains poorly understood. Herein, Pichia guilliermondii treatment activated resistance against Rhizopus stolonifer, as illustrated by reductions in the incidence rate and severity of Rhizopus rot disease, increased enzyme activities and gene expression of chitinase (CHI) and ß-1,3-glucanase (GLU), and enhancement of energy production by inducing the activities and expression of H+-ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), and cytochrome c oxidase (CCO). Moreover, an R1-type MYB, PpMYB1, from peach fruit was induced during R. stolonifer infection and in response to P. guilliermondii treatment. PpMYB1 activated the transcription of PpCHI-EP3 and PpGLU-like genes and the energy metabolism-related gene PpH+-ATPase1 by directly targeting the MBS element. Importantly, PpMYB1 interacted with PpNPR1 to form a heterodimer, which was conducive to enhancing the activation of target gene transcription. Collectively, our findings suggest that PpMYB1 cooperates with PpNPR1 to positively regulate disease resistance by activating the disease defense system and energy metabolism in peaches.

PRMT5/FGFR3/AKT Signaling Axis Facilitates Lung Cancer Cell Metastasis.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the function of the protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3)/Akt signaling axis in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human lung cancer. Methods: The mRNA and protein expression levels of PRMT5, FGFR3, p-Akt, and EMT markers are determined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively; the expression and localization of PRMT5, p-Akt, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen are detected by immunofluorescence; the human lung cancer cell proliferation is measured by MTS assay. Results: PRMT5 and FGFR3 are highly expressed in human lung cancer tissues and are closely related to lymphatic metastasis. Moreover, down-regulation of PRMT5 by lentivirus-mediated shRNAs or inhibition of PRMT5 by specific inhibitors attenuates FGFR3 expression, Akt phosphorylation, and lung cancer cell proliferation. Further studies show that silencing PRMT5 impairs EMT-related markers, including vimentin, collagen I, and ß-catenin. Conversely, ectopic expression of PRMT5 increases FGFR3 expression, Akt phosphorylation, and EMT-related markers, suggesting that PRMT5 regulates metastasis probably through the FGFR3/Akt signaling axis. Conclusion: PRMT5/FGFR3/Akt signaling axis controls human lung cancer progression and metastasis and also implies that PRMT5 may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic candidate for treating lung cancer.

Exogenous 24-epibrassinolide alleviates chilling injury in peach fruit through modulating PpGATA12-mediated sucrose and energy metabolisms.

24-Epibrassinolide (EBR) may act as a modulator for chilling injury in peach fruit during cold storage. In this study, we screened a EBR-induced GATA-type zinc finger protein PpGATA12. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential roles of EBR treatment and transcriptional regulation of PpGATA12 in regulating chilling resistance of peaches. In the current study, we found that EBR treatment promoted the activities and transcriptions of energy and sucrose metabolism-related enzymes, maintained higher ATP content and energy status, improved the accumulation of sucrose and hexose. Furthermore, molecular biology assays suggested that PpGATA12 up-regulated transcriptions of sucrose metabolism-related genes including PpSS and PpNI, and energy metabolism-related genes including PpCCO, PpSDH and PpH+-ATPase. These results provided a new insight that the enhancement of chilling resistance in peach fruit by EBR treatment might be closely related to the regulatory role of PpGATA12 on sucrose and energy metabolisms.