Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Patterns of the SWEET Gene Family in Bletilla striata and its Responses to Low Temperature and Oxidative Stress.

SWEETs (sugars will eventually be exported transporters), a well-known class of sugar transporters, are involved in plant growth and development, sugar transport, biotic and abiotic stresses, etc. However, to date, there have been few investigations of SWEETs in Orchidaceae. In this study, 23 SWEET genes were identified in Bletilla striata for the first time, with an MtN3/saliva conserved domain, and were divided into four subgroups by phylogenetic tree. The same subfamily members had similar gene structures and motifs. Multiple cis-elements related to sugar and environmental stresses were found in the promoter region. Further, 21 genes were localized on 11 chromosomes and 2 paralogous pairs were found via intraspecific collinearity analysis. Expression profiling results showed that BsSWEETs were tissue-specific. It also revealed that BsSWEET10 and BsSWEET18 were responsive to low temperature and oxidative stresses. In addition, subcellular localization study indicated that BsSWEET15 and BsSWEET16 were localized in the cell membrane. This study provided important clues for the in-depth elucidation of the sugar transport mechanism of BsSWEET genes and their functional roles in response to abiotic stresses.

Predicting potential distribution of Ziziphus spinosa (Bunge) H.H. Hu ex F.H. Chen in China under climate change scenarios.

Ziziphus spinosa (Bunge) H.H. Hu ex F.H. Chen is a woody plant species of the family Rhamnaceae (order Rhamnales) that possesses high nutritional and medicinal value. Predicting the effects of climate change on the distribution of Z. spinosa is of great significance for the investigation, protection, and exploitation of this germplasm resource. For this study, optimized maximum entropy models were employed to predict the distribution patterns and changes of its present (1970-2000) and future (2050s, 2070s, and 2090s) potential suitable regions in China under multiple climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 & SSP5-8.5). The results revealed that the total area of the present potential suitable region for Z. spinosa is 162.60 × 104 km2, which accounts for 16.94% of China's territory. Within this area, the regions having low, medium, and high suitability were 80.14 × 104 km2, 81.50 × 104 km2, and 0.96 × 104 km2, respectively, with the high suitability regions being distributed primarily in Shanxi, Hebei, and Beijing Provinces. Except for SSP-1-2.6-2070s, SSP-5-8.5-2070s, and SSP-5-8.5-2090s, the suitable areas for Z. spinosa in the future increased to different degrees. Meanwhile, considering the distribution of Z. spinosa during different periods and under different climate scenarios, our study predicted that the low impact areas of Z. spinosa were mainly restricted to Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, and Jilin Provinces. The results of core distributional shifts showed that, except for SSP1-2.6, the center of the potential suitable region of Z. spinosa exhibited a trend of gradually shifting to the northwest.

Genome-Wide Analysis and the Expression Pattern of the MADS-Box Gene Family in Bletilla striata.

Bletilla striata (Thunb. ex A. Murray) Rchb. f., a species of the perennial herb Orchidaceae, has potent anti-inflammatory and antiviral biological activities. MADS-box transcription factors play critical roles in the various developmental processes of plants. Although this gene family has been extensively investigated in many species, it has not been analyzed for B. striata. In total, 45 MADS-box genes were identified from B. striata in this study, which were classified into five subfamilies (Mδ, MIKC, Mα, Mß, and Mγ). Meanwhile, the highly correlated protein domains, motif compositions, and exon-intron structures of BsMADSs were investigated according to local B. striata databases. Chromosome distribution and synteny analyses revealed that segmental duplication and homologous exchange were the main BsMADSs expansion mechanisms. Further, RT-qPCR analysis revealed that BsMADSs had different expression patterns in response to various stress treatments. Our results provide a potential theoretical basis for further investigation of the functions of MADS genes during the growth of B. striata.

Extraction, purification, and determination of the gastroprotective activity of glucomannan from Bletilla striata.

In this study, a water-soluble polysaccharide (BSP) was extracted and purified from pseudobulb of Bletilla striata. The preliminary structure and gastroprotective activity of BSP were analyzed. Results indicate that BSP is a glucomannan with a molar ratio of 7.45:2.55 (Man:Glc), and its molecular weight is approximately 1.7 × 105 Da. BSP displayed outstanding protective action against ethanol-induced GES-1 cell injury in vitro, as well as, excellent gastroprotective activity in vivo. Especially, a high-dose of BSP (100 mg/kg) could reduce the ulcer index of the gastric mucosa and increase the percentage of ulcer inhibition, which possibly caused by enhancing the antioxidant capacity and inhibiting the apoptotic pathway in gastric tissue. Interestingly, BSP exhibited a comparative gastroprotective activity to that of positive control (omeprazole). In summary, our results indicated that BSP could be considered as a potential supplement for the prevention of gastric injury.

De novo sequencing of Bletilla striata (Orchidaceae) transcriptome and identification of genes involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis.

Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) is the main component of Bletilla striata, which has important pharmacological and pharmacological effects; however, due to the lack of genetic data, the metabolic pathways of BSP remain unclear. For this study, 11 representative resources of B. striata were analyzed, and the BSP contents of the different samples were significantly different; however, the monosaccharide composition of BSP was glucose and mannose. The representative samples were selected to observe their life history in situ, which were then divided and cultured in a greenhouse. Finally, samples from various organs of different plants were combined for transcriptome sequencing using the Illumina system. Our results summarized the BSP metabolic pathway, and we found that there were eight enzyme genes involved in biosynthesis, but these genes showed tissue specificity. Following qRT-PCR validation and comparative analysis, manA showed the highest expression; however, there were significant differences between the two germplasm resources in which the BSP content was significantly different, while UGP2, GPI, PMM, and GMPP had significant differences between the two samples. In summary, this study lays the foundation for further research into BSP metabolism and other physiological processes at the molecular level.

Blocking the Glycolytic Pathway Sensitizes Breast Cancer to Sonodynamic Therapy.

Inhibition of the increased aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells is a promising methodology for various malignant tumor therapies but is limited by systemic toxicity, at least in part. Recent studies suggest that dual restriction of glycolysis and mitochondrial function may overcome this issue. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT), a prospective therapeutic modality for cancers, has been reported to induce mitochondria-dependent cell damage. Here, we investigated the combined effect of SDT and 2-deoxyglucose (2DG), an anti-glycolytic agent, on breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, we found that, compared with a single treatment, SDT + 2DG co-treatment significantly decreased cell viability and increased cell apoptosis. Moreover, the generation of reactive oxygen species was enhanced and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was reduced after SDT + 2DG co-treatment. Furthermore, the oxidative phosphorylation was also restrained after SDT + 2DG co-treatment, further to cause the blockage of ATP provision. In vivo, SDT + 2DG markedly reduced tumor volume and weight, consistent with the in vitro findings. Furthermore, toxicology tests concurrently indicated that the dosages of sinoporphyrin sodium and 2DG were comparatively tolerable. Generally, these results indicated that SDT + 2DG combination therapy may be an available, promising therapy for highly metastatic breast cancer.