Surgical approaches to correct corneal astigmatism at time of cataract surgery: a mini-review.

Among refractive errors, astigmatism is the most common optical aberration, where refraction changes in different meridians of the eye. It causes blurred vision at any distance and includes corneal, lenticular, and retinal astigmatism. Cataract surgery used to cause a progressive increase in the pre-exisiting corneal astigmatism because of creating a surgically induced astigmatism, for example, a large size surgery incision. The development of surgical techniques during last decades has made cataract surgery interchange to treat preoperative corneal astigmatism at time of surgery. Nowadays, three surgical approaches can be used. By placing a sutureless clear corneal incision on the steep meridian of the cornea, a preoperative corneal astigmatism less than 1.0 D can be corrected. Single or paired peripheral corneal relaxing incisions (PCRIs) provide 1.0-3.0 D corneal astigmatism correction. PCRIs are typically used for treating 1.0-1.5 D of regular corneal astigmatism, if more than 2.0 D, the risk of overcorrection and irregular astigmatism is increased. When toric intraocular lenses (IOLs) are unavailable in markets, PCRIs are still a reasonable option for patients with up to 3.0 D of pre-existing corneal astigmatism. Toric IOLs implantation can correct 1.0-4.5 D of corneal astigmatism. Several IOLs are approved to correct a high degree of corneal astigmatism with cylinder power up to 12.0 D. These approaches can be used alone or in combination.

To investigate the mechanism of Yiwei Decoction in the treatment of premature ovarian insufficiency-related osteoporosis using transcriptomics, network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques.

To investigate the molecular mechanism of Yiwei Decoction (YWD) in preventing Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)-related osteoporosis from the hypothalamic perspective , and to screen for the key active and acting molecules in YWD. Cyclophosphamide was used to create the POI rat model. Groups A, B, and C were established. The Model + YWD group was group A, the model control group was group B, and the normal control group was group C. ELISA was used to determine serum GnRH and FSH levels after gavage. The transcription levels of mRNAs in each group's hypothalamus tissues were examined using RNA-seq sequencing technology. The GSEA method was used to enrich pathways based on the gene expression levels of each group. The TCM-active ingredient-target-disease network map was created using differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and network pharmacology. The molecular docking method was employed to investigate the affinity of the active ingredient with key targets. GnRH and FSH levels in POI rats' serum were reduced by YWD. Between groups A and B, there were 638 DEmRNAs (P < 0.05) and 55 high-significance DEmRNAs (P-adjust < 0.01). The MAPK, Hedgehog, Calcium, and B cell receptor pathways are primarily enriched in DEmRNAs from Group A and Group B. The GSEA pathway enrichment analysis indicates that YWD may regulate Long-term potentiation, Amphetamine addiction, and the Renin-angiotensin system and play a role in preventing osteoporosis. The Chinese herbal medicine (CHM)-Active ingredient-Target-disease network map includes 137 targets, 4 CHMs, and 22 active ingredients. The result of docking indicated that Stigmasterol, interacts well with the core proteins ALB, VCL and KAT5. Following the screening, we identified the targets, active components, and key pathways associated with YWD osteoporosis prevention. Most of these key targets and pathways are associated with osteoporosis, but further experimental validation is required.

Pure uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery for treating thoracic tuberculous spondylitis: an initial case series of seven patients.

BACKGROUND: The development of thoracic surgical techniques has provided a new avenue for treating thoracic tuberculosis. Moreover, microscopic treatment of spinal tuberculosis has attracted increasing attention, as it affords good visual access and reduces trauma. Traditional thoracoscopic treatment of spinal tuberculosis usually requires 2-3 passages, accompanied by a corresponding number of incisions. With a large number of conventional thoracoscopic surgeries performed, improved resolution of the microscopic field of view, effective hemostasis of the peripheral vessels using the ultrasonic knife, and many reports in the literature, thoracic tuberculosis can now be treated microscopically by creating a single channel. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility and surgical technique for thoracic tuberculous spondylitis treatment via debridement and bone graft fusion surgery employing pure uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), combined with posterior internal fixation. METHODS: Seven patients with relatively complete documentation were included in this study. All patients underwent lesion removal and bone graft reconstruction via uniportal VATS with posterior internal fixation. The mean patient age was 39.6 years. Surgical duration, blood loss volume, postoperative recovery time, and thoracic kyphosis angle were recorded. RESULTS: The surgeries were successful with no severe postoperative complications. All patients were followed-up, and no recurrence of tuberculosis was observed. Imaging data, including computed tomography scans, confirmed the complete removal of the lesions. Additionally, bone fusion at the graft site was successful, no loss of the thoracic kyphosis angle was noted postoperatively, and the thoracic kyphosis angle improved. CONCLUSIONS: Pure uniportal VATS yields satisfactory results and inflicts less trauma than previous surgical techniques. This technique also offers a reference value for treating thoracic tuberculous spondylitis.

Acetylome reprograming participates in the establishment of fruit metabolism during polyploidization in citrus.

Polyploidization leads to novel phenotypes and is a major force in evolution. However, the relationship between the evolution of new traits and variations in the post-translational modifications (PTM) of proteins during polyploidization has not been studied. Acetylation of lysine residues is a common protein PTM that plays a critical regulatory role in central metabolism. To test whether changes in metabolism in citrus fruit is associated with the reprogramming of lysine acetylation (Kac) in non-histone proteins during allotetraploidization, we performed a global acetylome analysis of fruits from a synthetic allotetraploid citrus and its diploid parents. A total of 4,175 Kac sites were identified on 1,640 proteins involved in a wide range of fruit traits. In the allotetraploid, parental dominance (i.e. resemblance to one of the two parents) in specific fruit traits, such as fruit acidity and flavonol metabolism, was highly associated with parental Kac level dominance in pertinent enzymes. This association is due to Kac-mediated regulation of enzyme activity. Moreover, protein Kac probably contributes to the discordance between the transcriptomic and proteomic variations during allotetraploidization. The acetylome reprogramming can be partially explained by the expression pattern of several lysine deacetylases (KDACs). Overexpression of silent information regulator 2 (CgSRT2) and histone deacetylase 8 (CgHDA8) diverted metabolic flux from primary metabolism to secondary metabolism and partially restored a metabolic status to the allotetraploid, which expressed attenuated levels of CgSRT2 and CgHDA8. Additionally, KDAC inhibitor treatment greatly altered metabolism in citrus fruit. Collectively, these findings reveal the important role of acetylome reprogramming in trait evolution during polyploidization.

Identification of a delayed leaf greening gene from a mutation of pummelo.

Delayed greening of young leaves is an unusual phenomenon of plants in nature. Citrus are mostly evergreen tree species. Here, a natural mutant of "Guanxi" pummelo (Citrus maxima), which shows yellow leaves at the young stage, was characterized to identify the genes underlying the trait of delayed leaf greening in plants. A segregating population with this mutant as the seed parent and a normal genotype as the pollen parent was generated. Two DNA pools respectively from the leaves of segregating seedlings with extreme phenotypes of normal leaf greening and delayed leaf greening were collected for sequencing. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and InDel marker analysis demonstrated that the delayed leaf greening trait is governed by a 0.3 Mb candidate region on chromosome 6. Gene expression analysis further identified a key candidate gene (Citrus Delayed Greening gene 1, CDG1) in the 0.3 Mb region, which showed significantly differential expression between the genotypes with delayed and normal leaf greening phenotypes. There was a 67 bp InDel region difference in the CDG1 promoter and the InDel region contains a TATA-box element. Confocal laser-scanning microscopy revealed that the CDG1-GFP fusion protein signals were co-localized with the chloroplast signals in the protoplasts. Overexpression of CDG1 in tobacco and Arabidopsis led to the phenotype of delayed leaf greening. These results suggest that the CDG1 gene is involved in controlling the delayed leaf greening phenotype with important functions in chloroplast development.

Pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of dentin hypersensitivity: an evidence-based overview for dental practitioners.

Though dentin hypersensitivity (DHS) is one of the most common complaints from patients in dental clinics, there are no universally accepted guidelines for differential diagnosis as well as selection of reliable treatment modalities for this condition. The neurosensory mechanisms underlying DHS remain unclear, but fluid movements within exposed dentinal tubules, i.e., the hydrodynamic theory, has been a widely accepted explanation for DHS pain. As several dental conditions have symptoms that mimic DHS at different stages of their progression, diagnosis and treatment of DHS are often confusing, especially for inexperienced dental practitioners. In this paper we provide an up-to-date review on risk factors that play a role in the development and chronicity of DHS and summarize the current principles and strategies for differential diagnosis and management of DHS in dental practices. We will outline the etiology, predisposing factors and the underlying putative mechanisms of DHS, and provide principles and indications for its diagnosis and management. Though desensitization remains to be the first choice for DHS for many dental practitioners and most of desensitizing agents reduce the symptoms of DHS by occluding patent dentinal tubules, the long-term outcome of such treatment is uncertain. With improved understanding of the underlying nociceptive mechanisms of DHS, it is expected that promising novel therapies will emerge and provide more effective relief for patients with DHS.

Effect of combined treatment including surgery and postoperative adjuvant therapy on spinal metastases of Tomita type 7.

OBJECTIVES: Identify the efficacy of multidisciplinary treatment including palliative spinal surgery on patients with Tomita type 7 spinal metastases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of surgery treated spinal metastatic patients from January 2013 to December 2016 in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were performed. Surgical procedures and intraoperative parameters and postoperative adjuvent treatments were studied. Patients' demographic characteristics and medical conditions including paralysis statues, quality of life and pain levels and postoperative survival time were identified. RESULTS: 50 patients were identified with mean age at the time of surgery of 57.68 years old (range 27-78 years). The mean Tokuhashi score was 8.48 and the spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS) averaged at 10.52 points. 48 patients (96%) encountered epidural spinal cord compression. Kaplan-Meier method determined median postoperative survival time was 12.00 months (95% CI: 7.05-16.95 months). The mean score of visual analogue scale (VAS) decreased from 7.66 preoperatively to 1.96 postoperatively. The Frankel scale was improved by at least one grade in 47 patients. Patient's quality of life showed significant improvements. CONCLUSION: Multidisciplinary treatment including palliative spinal surgery was associated with alleviating pain, improving neurologic function and quality of life in patients with Tomita type 7 spinal metastases.

A newly identified cluster of glutathione S-transferase genes provides Verticillium wilt resistance in cotton.

As the largest cultivated fiber crop in the world, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is often exposed to various biotic stresses during its growth periods. Verticillium wilt caused by Verticillium dahliae is a severe disease in cotton, and the molecular mechanism of cotton resistance for Verticillium wilt needs to be further investigated. Here, we revealed that the cotton genome contains nine types of GST genes. An evolutionary analysis showed that a newly identified cluster (including Gh_A09G1508, Gh_A09G1509 and Gh_A09G1510) located on chromosome 09 of the A-subgenome was under positive selection pressure during the formation of an allotetraploid. Transcriptome analysis showed that this cluster participates in Verticillium wilt resistance. Because the Gh_A09G1509 gene showed the greatest differential expression in the resistant cultivar under V. dahliae stress, we overexpressed this gene in tobacco and found that its overexpression resulted in enhanced Verticillium wilt resistance. Suppression of the gene cluster via virus-induced gene silencing made cotton plants of the resistant cultivar Nongda601 significantly susceptible. These results demonstrated that the GST cluster played an important role in Verticillium wilt resistance. Further investigation showed that the encoded enzymes of the cluster were essential for the delicate equilibrium between the production and scavenging of H2 O2 during V. dahliae stress.

Impact of metformin use on survival outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer treated with platinum.

Preclinical evidence suggests that metformin, a widely used antidiabetic drug, may have a sensitizing effect on platinum. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival outcomes for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using metformin during platinum-based chemotherapy.The clinicopathological parameters and survival data of 75 NSCLC patients with T2DM from January 2008 to December 2011 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into 2 groups: metformin exposure group (n = 27) and non-metformin group (patients using other hypoglycemic agents or no drug for controlling n = 48). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the association of metformin usage with overall survival (OS).Mean follow-up time was 58.7 months. The mean survival time was 36.74 months in the metformin group and 40.21 months in the non-metformin group. There was no significant difference in survival time between the 2 groups (P = .661). After adjusting gender, age, smoking status, tumor stage, tumor histology, and differentiation, multivariate analysis showed that metformin was not associated with the OS in NSCLC patients treated with concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy (hazard ratio: 1.071, 95% confidence interval: 0.577-1.986, P = .828).Our results indicated that metformin exposure had no significant effect on OS in NSCLC patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Further studies are warranted to evaluate whether metformin could affect the survival of NSCLC patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.

Proteomic analysis of tree peony (Paeonia ostii 'Feng Dan') seed germination affected by low temperature.

Seed germination is a critical process that is influenced by various factors. In the present study, the effect of low temperature (4 °C) on tree peony seed germination was investigated. Compared to seeds maintained at 25 °C, germination was inhibited when seeds were kept at 4 °C. Furthermore, low-temperature exposure of seeds resulted in a delay in water uptake, starch degradation, and soluble sugar consumption and a subsequent increase in soluble protein levels. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) proteomic analysis identified 100 protein spots. Comparative analysis indicated that low-temperature exposure apparently mainly affected glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, while also significantly affecting proteometabolism-related factors. Moreover, low-temperature exposure led to the induction of abscisic acid, whereas the gibberellin pathway was not affected. Further comparison of the two temperature conditions showed that low-temperature exposure delays carbohydrate metabolism, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, respiration, and proteolysis and increases defense response factors. To further examine the obtained proteomic findings, four genes were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The obtained transcriptional results for the GAPC gene coincided with the translational results, thus further suggesting that the delay in glycolysis may play a key role in low-temperature-induced inhibition of seed germination. However, the other three genes examined, which included FPP synthase, PCNT115, and endochitinase, showed non-correlative transcriptional and translational profiles. Our results suggest that the exposure of tree peony seeds to low temperature results in a delay in the degradation of starch and other metabolites, which in turn affects glycolysis and some other processes, thereby ultimately inhibiting seed germination.

Overexpression of Glutathione S-transferase P1 Inhibits the Viability and Motility of Prostate Cancer via Targeting MYC and Inactivating the MEK/ERK1/2 Pathways.

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the most common malignancies of men. Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) has been suggested to play a protective role in the prostate. The proto-oncogene MYC has been extensively proved to be a key regulator of tumor transformation from early stage to malignant. Our study aims to investigate the mechanism of GSTP1 in the biological behavior of PC. Compared with normal prostate tissues, the expression of GSTP1 was decreased in PC tissues. Conversely, the level of MYC was increased in PC tissues compared with normal tissues. MYC was convinced a direct target of GSTP1. Besides, the overexpression of GSTP1 or MYC siRNA strongly reduced cell viability via decreasing the volume of cell spheres and cell proliferation rate. GSTP1 overexpression or MYC siRNA also decreased cell motility of PC via reducing the closing rate of scratch wounds and the number of invasive cells. We further explored the underlying mechanism, and found that the level of p-MEK and p-ERK1/2 was strongly decreased in PC3 cells with pcDNA-GSTP1 or MYC siRNA transfection compared with control group. The inhibitory effect on cell viability, p-MEK and p-ERK1/2 was stronger when pcDNA-GSTP1 and MYC siRNA function together. Finally, the in vivo experiment displayed that pcDNA-GSTP1 transfection reduced tumor growth and tumor volume in PC xenografts. The decreased level of metastasis-related proteins VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and MMP (metal matrix proteinase)-9 in GSTP1 overexpression model mice was detected by immunohistochemistry. Besides, the expression of MYC, p-MEK and p-ERK1/2 was strongly inhibited in mice with pcDNA-GSTP1 transfection. Taken together, our research indicates that GSTP1 overexpression inhibits the viability and motility of PC in vitro and in vivo, and may through targeting MYC and inactivating MEK/ERK1/2 pathway.

hsa-mir-3199-2 and hsa-mir-1293 as Novel Prognostic Biomarkers of Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma by COX Ratio Risk Regression Model Screening.

Papillary renal cell carcinoma(PRCC) is the second most common and aggressive renal cell carcinoma. Identification of novel microRNA biomarkers could be beneficial for the diagnosis and prognosis of PRCC patients. We aimed to screen differentially expressed miRNAs that can act as prognostic factors and to predict the survival of PRCC patients. High-throughput data of miRNAs of 274 PRCC samples were downloaded from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) dataset and interested miRNAs were identified. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed on these miRNAs. Critical genes that can act as prognostic factors were screened by LASSO. What's more, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) growth curve were used to testify the accuracy of the model. Biological processes of putative targets of miRNAs were analyzed by bioinformatics methods such as GO (Go Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis. A total of 105 differentially expressed miRNAs were screened out in PRCC samples compared with healthy controls. Two critical miRNAs, hsa-mir-3199-2, and hsa-mir-1293, were screened out by LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator), including 197 and 189 target genes, respectively. Furthermore, its' accuracy was testified by ROC analysis with the AUC (Area under the curve) value of 0.7774968 and 0.6743466. These miRNAs were significantly enriched in pathways as platelet activating factor biosynthetic process, epithelial cell maturation, and IkappaB kinase complex. In conclusion, hsa-mir-3199-2 and hsa-mir-1293 that can act as prognostic biomarkers of PRCC were screened out, which can provide new insights for the clinical treatment of the disease. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3488-3494, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Salvianolic acid A as a multifunctional agent ameliorates doxorubicin-induced nephropathy in rats.

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is still a therapeutic challenge. To date there is no ideal treatment. Evidence suggest that multidrug therapy has more effect than monotherapy in amelioration of renal injury. Salvianolic acid A (SAA) is the major active component of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Bunge. Previous studies have demonstrated that SAA is a multi-target agent and has various pharmacological activities. The pleiotropic properties of SAA predict its potential in the treatment of NS. The study investigated the effect of SAA on doxorubicin-induced nephropathy. The kidney function related-biochemical changes, hemorheological parameters and oxidative stress status were determined, and histological examination using light and transmission electron microcopies and western blot analysis were also performed. Results revealed that treatment with SAA alleviated histological damages, relieved proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia and hyperlipidemia, reduced oxidative stress, as well as improving hemorheology. Furthermore, SAA restored podocin expression, down-regulated the expression of NF-κB p65 and p-IκBα while up-regulating IκBα protein expression. Overall, as a multifunctional agent, SAA has a favorable renoprotection in doxorubicin-induced nephropathy. The anti-inflammation, antioxidant, amelioration of podocyte injury, improvement of hemorheology and hypolipidemic properties may constituent an important part of its therapeutic effects. All these indicate that SAA is likely to be a promising agent for NS.

[Case-control study on influence factors of birth defects].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence factors of birth defects. METHODS: The congenital malformational fetuses born from 13 week of gestation to 7 days after birth were selected as the study group between April 1st, 2009 and March 31st, 2010. The health born fetuses were set as control in the same period. Case-control and the three-level of monitor network of birth defects were used in the study in the participating 75 hospitals (Qingdao Women and Children's Medical Center, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, etc.). The study and control group's parents were interviewed by an uniformed questionnaire which was designed specially with influence factors of birth defects. RESULTS: (1) There are 466 congenital malformational fetuses in the total of 77 231 fetuses collected in 75 hospitals. The congenital malformational rate accounts for about 6.034‰. The top six defect diseases were congenital heart disease (112 cases), total harelip (cleft lip; cleft lip with palate: 85 cases), polydactyly (53 cases), neural tube defects (38 cases), congenital hydrocephalus (37 cases) and limb reduction defect (27 cases) in turn, which amounts to 353 cases (54.48%, 353/648). (2) Their mother education level in the birth-defect group (25.6%) were significantly lower than that in control group (30.0%, P<0.05). (3) The rate of passive smoking, drinking, raising pets of the parents in birth-defect group were significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05). (4) The rate of exposure to harmful chemical and physical factors of mothers in birth defects group (13.9% and 20.5%, respectively) was higher than that in control group (1.1% and 11.7%, respectively), the difference between which were significant (P<0.01). The rate of disease (34.3%), fever (13.1%), taking drugs (33.8%) in pregnancy period in birth defect group were higher than that in control group (13.5%, 1.5% and 9.9%, respectively), the difference between which were significant (P<0.01). The rate of bad moral irritation to the mother in pregnancy in birth defect group (11.3%) was significantly higher than that in control group (1.4%, P<0.01). (5) There were 19 cases (2.9%, 19/648) with family heredity medical history in birth defect group, but there were none in the control group, the difference between which were significant (P<0.01). There were 89 cases (13.7%, 89/648) with unusual birth history of their mothers in birth defect group, but there were 31 cases (4.8%, 31/650) in control group, the difference between which were significant (P<0.01). (6) Conditional Logistic Regression model was used for univalent and multivariate analysis. The results showed that main influence factors were identified as having important effect on birth defects, including mothers' exposure to harmful chemical factors (OR=13.46), disease (OR=3.37), taking drugs (OR=2.20), exposure to bad moral irritation (OR=5.44), food-choosy (OR=1.90), anemia (OR=1.52) in gestational period, polyembryony (OR=4.40), father drinking (OR=1.55). While it was protective factors to supplement microelements such as the calcium iron and nutrient, etc.in pregnancy period (OR=0.45). CONCLUSIONS: First, the main birth defects were congenital heart disease, total harelip(cleft lip; cleft lip with palate), polydactyly, neural tube defects, congenital hydrocephalus and limb reduction defect in turn. Second, the main influence factors identified as having important effect on birth defects were mothers' exposure to harmful chemical factors, ill, taking drugs, exposure to bad moral irritation, food-choosy, anemia in gestational period, polyembryony, father drinking. But it is protective factors to supplement microelements such as the calcium iron and nutrient, etc. in pregnancy period. Finally, it is the important part to prevent the birth defects by reducing and controlling dangerous factors in pregnancy period.

PtSVP, an SVP homolog from trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf.), shows seasonal periodicity of meristem determination and affects flower development in transgenic Arabidopsis and tobacco plants.

A MADS-box gene was isolated using the suppressive subtractive hybridization library between early-flowering mutant and wild-type trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf.). This gene is highly homologous with Arabidopsis SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP). Based on real-time PCR and in situ hybridization during bud differentiation, PtSVP was expressed intensively in dormant tissue and vegetative meristems. PtSVP transcripts were detected in apical meristems before floral transition, then down-regulated during the transition. PtSVP expression was higher in differentiated (flower primordium) than in undifferentiated cells (apical meristems). The PtSVP expression pattern during apical meristem determination suggested that its function is not to depress flower initiation but to maintain meristem development. Transcription of PtSVP in Arabidopsis svp-41 showed partially rescued SVP function. Ectopic overexpression of PtSVP in wild-type Arabidopsis induced late flowering similar to the phenotypes induced by other SVP/StMADS-11-like genes, but transformants produced additional trichomes and floral defects, such as flower-like structures instead of carpels. Ectopic expression of PtSVP in tobacco also caused additional florets. Overexpression of PtSVP in tobacco inhibited early transition of the coflorescence and prolonged coflorescence development, thus causing additional florets at the later stage. A yeast two-hybrid assay indicated that PtSVP significantly interacted with PtAP1, a homolog of Arabidopsis APETALA1 (AP1). These findings suggest that citrus SVP homolog genes are involved in flowering time regulation and may influence inflorescence meristem identity in some conditions or genetic backgrounds. SVP homologs might have evolved among plant species, but the protein functions are conserved between Arabidopsis and citrus.