Genomic analysis based on chromosome-level genome assembly reveals Myrtaceae evolution and terpene biosynthesis of rose myrtle.

BACKGROUND: Rose myrtle (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Ait.) Hassk), is an evergreen shrub species belonging to the family Myrtaceae, which is enriched with bioactive volatiles (α-pinene and ß-caryophyllene) with medicinal and industrial applications. However, the mechanism underlying the volatile accumulation in the rose myrtle is still unclear. RESULTS: Here, we present a chromosome-level genomic assembly of rose myrtle (genome size = 466 Mb, scaffold N50 = 43.7 Mb) with 35,554 protein-coding genes predicted. Through comparative genomic analysis, we found that gene expansion and duplication had a potential contribution to the accumulation of volatile substances. We proposed that the action of positive selection was significantly involved in volatile accumulation. We identified 43 TPS genes in R. tomentosa. Further transcriptomic and TPS gene family analyses demonstrated that the distinct gene subgroups of TPS may contribute greatly to the biosynthesis and accumulation of different volatiles in the Myrtle family of shrubs and trees. The results suggested that the diversity of TPS-a subgroups led to the accumulation of special sesquiterpenes in different plants of the Myrtaceae family. CONCLUSIONS: The high quality chromosome-level rose myrtle genome and the comparative analysis of TPS gene family open new avenues for obtaining a higher commercial value of essential oils in medical plants.

Safety and efficacy of the oral TLR8 agonist selgantolimod in individuals with chronic hepatitis B under viral suppression.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Selgantolimod (GS-9688) is a Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) agonist that suppresses HBV in vitro. In a phase II study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of weekly selgantolimod treatment in virally suppressed individuals with chronic HBV taking oral antiviral treatment. METHODS: Forty-eight patients were randomized into two cohorts (hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg]-positive and -negative [n = 24 each]) to receive oral selgantolimod 3 mg, 1.5 mg, or placebo (2:2:1) once weekly for 24 weeks while maintaining oral antivirals. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percentage of patients with a ≥1 log10 IU/ml decline in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from baseline to week 24. Post-treatment, patients continued on oral antivirals for 24 weeks. RESULTS: The primary endpoint was reached by one participant, who was HBeAg-negative and received selgantolimod 1.5 mg. In contrast with placebo-treated patients (n = 9), only selgantolimod-treated patients (n = 39 total) had HBsAg declines greater than 0.1 log10 IU/ml at weeks 24 (18%, 7/39) and 48 (26%, 10/39), HBsAg loss (5%, 2/39 through 48 weeks), or HBeAg loss (16%, 3/19 through 48 weeks). The most common adverse events in selgantolimod-treated groups were nausea (46%), upper respiratory tract infection (23%), and vomiting (23%). Gastrointestinal disorders were mostly mild and transient. Selgantolimod induced transient dose-dependent increases in serum cytokines, including IL-12p40, IFN-γ, and IL-1RA, as well as rapid redistribution of some circulating immune cell subsets. CONCLUSION: Oral selgantolimod up to 3 mg once weekly for 24 weeks was generally safe and well tolerated and led to serologic changes associated with progression to durable cure in two individuals by week 48. GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT03491553. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: The only robust criterion for stopping treatment in chronic hepatitis B is loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (known as functional cure), which is rare during nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy. It is likely that novel antiviral and immunomodulatory therapies will be needed to achieve finite functional cure. Selgantolimod is an oral Toll-like receptor 8 agonist that has shown antiviral activity in vitro as well as safety in a phase I clinical trial with weekly dosing. In this phase II study, selgantolimod therapy was associated with transient increases in serum cytokines, rapid redistribution of circulating immune cell subsets, modest reductions in HBsAg and HBeAg levels, and occasional loss of HBsAg (5%) and HBeAg (16%) among participants with chronic hepatitis B on nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy with viral suppression. Our results support continued development of selgantolimod as a component of a future hepatitis B cure regimen.

Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir for Patients Coinfected With Chronic Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B in Taiwan: Follow-up at 108 Weeks Posttreatment.

BACKGROUND: For patients coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals can lead to HBV reactivation. We evaluated HBV reactivation during ledipasvir/sofosbuvir treatment and 108-week follow-up. METHODS: In Taiwan, 111 patients with HCV genotype 1 or 2 and HBV received ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (90mg/400mg) once daily for 12 weeks. HBV virologic reactivation was defined as postbaseline increase in HBV DNA from either less than the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ, 20 IU/mL) to equal to or more than LLOQ or equal to or more than LLOQ to >1 log10 IU/mL. HBV clinical reactivation was HBV virologic reactivation with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >2× upper limit of normal. Factors associated with development of HBV virologic or clinical reactivation were evaluated with logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: All patients (100%, 111/111) maintained HCV suppression through 108 weeks after treatment. HBV virologic reactivation occurred in 73% of patients (81/111). Clinical reactivation occurred in 9% (10/111). The majority of HBV virologic reactivations (86%, 70/81) occurred by follow-up week 12, whereas clinical reactivation was generally more delayed. Eight (7%, 8/111) initiated HBV therapy. In regression analyses, baseline HBV DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels were associated with HBV virologic reactivation and baseline ALT and HBV DNA, and HBsAg levels were associated with HBV clinical reactivation. CONCLUSION: Among HCV/HBV coinfected patients treated with direct-acting antivirals for HCV, HBV virologic reactivation occurred in a majority of patients during treatment and follow-up. In most patients, HBV virologic reactivation was asymptomatic; only a small proportion initiated HBV treatment. Notably, clinical reactivation may still occur >3 months after end of therapy. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT02613871.

Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir in Adolescents With Chronic Hepatitis C and Hematological Malignancies Undergoing Chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: In children with hematological malignancies, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with more rapid liver disease progression and higher risk of malignancy relapse due to chemotherapy interruption. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir for 12weeks in these patients. METHODS: In a phase 2, open-label study, at one site in Egypt, patients ages 12-<18years with chronic HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection undergoing maintenance chemotherapy for hematological malignancies received ledipasvir-sofosbuvir (90 mg/400 mg) once daily for 12weeks. The efficacy endpoint was sustained virologic response 12 weeks after treatment (SVR12). Safety was assessed by the incidence of adverse events and clinical and laboratory data, including HCV flares defined as alanine aminotransferase >3-fold increase from Day 1 and HCV RNA elevation >1 × log10 from Day 1. RESULTS: Of the 19 adolescents enrolled and treated, median age was 14 years (range 12-17), 84% (16/19) were male, and all had HCV genotype 4 and were HCV treatment naive. All patients completed treatment and achieved SVR12 (19/19, 100%, 95% confidence interval, 82-100). Common adverse events were pyrexia (5/19, 26%), diarrhea (4/19, 21%), and headache (4/19, 21%). Three patients experienced serious adverse events of pneumonia (two patients), and osteoarthritis and diarrhea (one patient); none were considered related to study drug. No patient experienced HCV flares. CONCLUSIONS: Ledipasvir-sofosbuvir was well-tolerated and efficacious in adolescents with chronic HCV genotype 4 and leukemia undergoing maintenance chemotherapy. These data support the use of this interferon and ribavirin-free regimen in adolescents with hematological malignancies.

Efficacy and Safety of Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C in Persons With Sickle Cell Disease.

Patients with sickle cell disease are at high risk for chronic hepatitis C infection. Prior treatment has been limited due to the use of ribavirin causing hemolytic anemia and interferon causing cytopenias. We demonstrate the safety and efficacy of fixed-dose combination ledipasvir and sofosbuvir for 12 weeks in this population.

Dominance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea community induced by land use change from Masson pine to eucalypt plantation in subtropical China.

A considerable proportion of Masson pine forests have been converted into eucalypt plantations in the last 30 years in Guangdong Province, subtropical China, for economic reasons, which may affect the ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) community and the process of ammonia transformation. In order to determine the effects of forest conversion on AOA community, AOA communities in a Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) plantation and a eucalypt (Eucalyptus urophylla) plantation, which was converted from the Masson pine, were compared. Results showed that the land use change from the Masson pine to the eucalypt plantation decreased soil nutrient levels. A significant decrease of the potential nitrification rates (PNR) was also observed after the forest conversion (p < 5 %, n = 6). AOA were the only ammonia oxidizers in both plantations (no ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were detected). The detected AOA are affiliated with the genera Nitrosotalea and Nitrososphaera. A decrease of AOA abundance and an increase of the diversity were evident with the plantation conversion in the surface layer. AOA amoA gene diversity was negatively correlated with organic C and total N, respectively (p < 0.05, n = 12). AOA amoA gene abundance was negatively correlated with NH4 (+) and available P, respectively (p < 0.05, n = 12). However, AOA abundance was positively correlated with PNR, but not significantly (p < 0.05, n = 6), indicating AOA community change was only a partial reason for the decrease of PNR.

Differential distribution patterns of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in acidic soils of Nanling National Nature Reserve forests in subtropical China.

In addition to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) the more recently discovered ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) can also oxidize ammonia, but little is known about AOA community structure and abundance in subtropical forest soils. In this study, both AOA and AOB were investigated with molecular techniques in eight types of forests at surface soils (0-2 cm) and deep layers (18-20 cm) in Nanling National Nature Reserve in subtropical China. The results showed that the forest soils, all acidic (pH 4.24-5.10), harbored a wide range of AOA phylotypes, including the genera Nitrosotalea, Nitrososphaera, and another 6 clusters, one of which was reported for the first time. For AOB, only members of Nitrosospira were retrieved. Moreover, the abundance of the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) from AOA dominated over AOB in most soil samples (13/16). Soil depth, rather than forest type, was an important factor shaping the community structure of AOA and AOB. The distribution patterns of AOA and AOB in soil layers were reversed: AOA diversity and abundances in the deep layers were higher than those in the surface layers; on the contrary, AOB diversity and abundances in the deep layers were lower than those in the surface layers. Interestingly, the diversity of AOA was positively correlated with pH, but negatively correlated with organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, and the abundance of AOA was negatively correlated with available phosphorus. Our results demonstrated that AOA and AOB were differentially distributed in acidic soils in subtropical forests and affected differently by soil characteristics.

Improvement of DGGE analysis by modifications of PCR protocols for analysis of microbial community members with low abundance.

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) is a powerful technique to reveal the community structures and composition of microorganisms in complex natural environments and samples. However, positive and reproducible polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, which are difficult to acquire for some specific samples due to low abundance of the target microorganisms, significantly impair the effective applications of DGGE. Thus, nested PCR is often introduced to generate positive PCR products from the complex samples, but one problem is also introduced: The total number of thermocycling in nested PCR is usually unacceptably high, which results in skewed community structures by generation of random or mismatched PCR products on the DGGE gel, and this was demonstrated in this study. Furthermore, nested PCR could not resolve the uneven representative issue with PCR products of complex samples with unequal richness of microbial population. In order to solve the two problems in nested PCR, the general protocol was modified and improved in this study. Firstly, a general PCR procedure was used to amplify the target genes with the PCR primers without any guanine cytosine (GC) clamp, and then, the resultant PCR products were purified and diluted to 0.01 µg ml(-1). Subsequently, the diluted PCR products were utilized as templates to amplify again with the same PCR primers with the GC clamp for 17 cycles, and the products were finally subjected to DGGE analysis. We demonstrated that this is a much more reliable approach to obtain a high quality DGGE profile with high reproducibility. Thus, we recommend the adoption of this improved protocol in analyzing microorganisms of low abundance in complex samples when applying the DGGE fingerprinting technique to avoid biased results.

Purity-activity relationships of natural products: the case of anti-TB active ursolic acid.

The present study explores the variability of biological responses from the perspective of sample purity and introduces the concept of purity-activity relationships (PARs) in natural product research. The abundant plant triterpene ursolic acid (1) was selected as an exemplary natural product due to the overwhelming number yet inconsistent nature of its approximate 120 reported biological activities, which include anti-TB potential. Nine different samples of ursolic acid with purity certifications were obtained, and their purity was independently assessed by means of quantitative 1H NMR (qHNMR). Biological evaluation consisted of determining MICs against two strains of virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis and IC50 values in Vero cells. Ab initio structure elucidation provided unequivocal structural confirmation and included an extensive 1H NMR spin system analysis, determination of nearly all J couplings and the complete NOE pattern, and led to the revision of earlier reports. As a net result, a sigmoid PAR profile of 1 was obtained, demonstrating the inverse correlation of purity and anti-TB bioactivity. The results imply that synergistic effects of 1 and its varying impurities are the likely cause of previously reported antimycobacterial potential. Generating PARs is a powerful extension of the routinely performed quantitative correlation of structure and activity ([Q]SAR). Advanced by the use of primary analytical methods such as qHNMR, PARs enable the elucidation of cases like 1 when increasing purity voids biological activity. This underlines the potential of PARs as a tool in drug discovery and synergy research and accentuates the need to routinely combine biological testing with purity assessment.

Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir for treatment-naive and treatment-experienced Chinese patients with genotype 1 HCV: an open-label, phase 3b study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant medical burden in China, affecting more than 10 million persons. In clinical trials and real-world settings, treatment with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir in patients with genotype 1 HCV infection resulted in high sustained virologic response rates. Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir may provide a highly effective, short-duration, single-tablet regimen for Chinese patients with HCV infection. METHODS: Chinese patients with genotype 1 HCV infection who were HCV treatment naive or treatment experienced, without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis, were treated with open-label ledipasvir/sofosbuvir for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing treatment (SVR12). For treatment-naive patients, SVR12 was compared to a historical rate of 57%. The primary safety endpoint was adverse events leading to permanent discontinuation of study drug; serious adverse events were also evaluated. The presence of resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) was evaluated by viral sequencing. RESULTS: All 206 enrolled patients achieved SVR12 (100%; 95% CI 98-100%), including 106 treatment-naive patients (100%; 95% CI 97-100%), which was superior to a historical SVR rate of 57% (p < 0.001). All patients with baseline NS5A and NS5B RASs (14 and 1% of patients, respectively) achieved SVR12. The most common adverse events were viral upper respiratory tract infection (17%), upper respiratory tract infection (14%), and cough (6%). There were no discontinuations due to adverse events; and no treatment-related serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: Ledipasvir/sofosbuvir is a well tolerated and highly effective treatment for Chinese patients with genotype 1 HCV, regardless of prior treatment experience, cirrhosis status, or the presence of pretreatment RASs.

Antitubercular activity of triterpenoids from Asteraceae flowers.

Twenty-eight 3-hydroxy triterpenoids of taraxastane- (1-7), oleanane- (8-12), ursane- (13-15), lupane- (16,18,19), taraxane- (20), cycloartane- (21-25), tirucallane- (26-28), and dammarane-types (29) isolated from the non-saponifiable lipid fraction of the flower extract of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) and one lupane-type 3alpha-hydroxy triterpenoid (17) derived from 16 were tested for their antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv using the Microplate Alamar Blue Assay (MABA). Fifteen compounds showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in the range of 4-64 microg/ml, among which maniladiol (9; MIC 4 microg/ml), 3-epilupeol (17; 4 microg/ml), and 4,5alpha-epoxyhelianol (27; 6 microg/ml) exhibited the highest activity. Cytotoxicity of compound 17 against Vero cells gave an IC50 value of over 62.5 microg/ml, suggesting some degree of selectivity for M. tuberculosis.

Inhibitory effect of sterols from Ruprechtia triflora and diterpenes from Calceolaria pinnifolia on the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the CH 2 Cl 2 /MeOH extract of the aerial part of Ruprechtia triflora Griseb. led to the identification of several sterols and a triterpene as the active components against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This is the first report of a chemical investigation of a member of the genus Ruprechtia. The novel acylated sterol, 5alpha,8alpha-epidioxyergosta-6,22-dien-3beta-yl stearate, was isolated and its structure determined on the basis of spectral evidence including NMR (especially selective 1D NOE, selective 1D TOCSY, HSQC, HMBC) and MS (HR-FAB). In addition, several terpenes obtained from Calceolaria pinnifolia Cav. were also evaluated for their antimycobacterial activity. In a microplate alamar blue assay, sterols from R. triflora were found to be active with MIC values ranging from 2 - 128 microg/mL, with 5alpha,8alpha-epidioxyergost-6,22-dien-3beta-ol, 5alpha,8alpha-epidioxystigmasta-6,22-dien-3beta-ol and stigmast-4-en-6beta-ol-3-one being the most active, each with an MIC value of 2 microg/mL. Among the diterpenes from C. pinnifolia, 19-malonyloxydehydroabietinol and 19-methylmalonyloxy- ent-isopimara-8(9),15-diene were most active each with an MIC value of 4 microg/mL. MIC values for the triterpenes 3-epi-ursolic acid and 3-epi-oleanolic acid from C. pinnifolia were determined to be 8 and 16 microg/mL, respectively.

Manadomanzamines A and B: a novel alkaloid ring system with potent activity against mycobacteria and HIV-1.

Two novel alkaloids, named manadomanzamines A (1) and B (2), were isolated from an Indonesian sponge Acanthostrongylophora sp. (Haplosclerida: Petrosiidae). Their structures were elucidated and shown to be a novel organic skeleton related to the manzamine type alkaloids. Their absolute configuration and conformation were determined by CD, NOESY, and molecular modeling analysis. The microbial community analysis for the sponge that produces these unprecedented alkaloids has also been completed. Manadomanzamines A (1) and B (2) exhibited strong activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) with MIC values of 1.9 and 1.5 mug/mL, respectively. Manadomanzamines A and B also exhibit activities against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and AIDS opportunistic fungal infections.