Metabolomics analysis reveals the metabolite profiles of Rheum tanguticum grown under different altitudinal gradients.

BACKGROUND: Plant growth and quality are often affected by environmental factors, including geographical location, climate, and soil. In this study, we describe the effect of altitudinal differences on the growth and active ingredients in Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. (R. tanguticum), a traditional Chinese medicinal herb known for its laxative properties. RESULTS: The results showed that plants grown at lower altitudes had better growth performances than those in higher altitude areas. The yield varied by 2.45-23.68 times with altitude, reaching a maximum of 102.01 t/ha. In addition, total anthraquinone and total sennoside contents decreased with increasing altitude, whereas total tannins increased with increasing altitude. The total anthraquinone content of the indicator compound reached 5.15% at five experimental sites, which exceeded the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standard by 70.87%. The content of the other two categories of active ingredients reached a maximum value of 0.94% (total sennosides) and 2.65% (total tannins). Redundancy analysis revealed that annual rainfall, annual average temperature, annual sunshine hours, and pH significantly affected growth and active ingredients. Moreover, key metabolites, such as flavonoids, amino acids and their derivatives, phenolic acids, lipids, and terpenes, were differentially expressed between samples from low- and high-altitude cultivation areas. These metabolites were enriched in the flavonoid and flavonol biosynthetic pathway and the monoterpene biosynthetic pathway. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that high anthraquinone content was observed in the lowest-latitude cultivation area due to low rainfall and alkaline soil pH. Key metabolites were significantly upregulated in high-latitude cultivation areas. These results provide a scientific basis for quality control and the systematic cultivation of R. tanguticum.

Trophic relationships between protists and bacteria and fungi drive the biogeography of rhizosphere soil microbial community and impact plant physiological and ecological functions.

Rhizosphere microorganisms play a vital role in enhancing plant health, productivity, and the accumulation of secondary metabolites. Currently, there is a limited understanding of the ecological processes that control the assembly of community. To address the role of microbial interactions in assembly and for functioning of the rhizosphere soil microbiota, we collected rhizosphere soil samples from Anisodus tanguticus on the Tibetan Plateau spanning 1500 kilometers, and sequenced the bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protist communities. We observed a significant but weak distance-decay relationship in the microbial communities of rhizosphere soil. Our comprehensive analysis of spatial, abiotic, and biotic factors showed that trophic relationships between protists and bacteria and fungi predominantly influenced the alpha and beta diversity of bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities, while abiotic factors had a greater impact on archaeal communities, including soil pH, available phosphorus, total phosphorus and mean annual temperature. Importantly, microbial interactions had a more significant influence on Anisodus tanguticus physiological and ecological functions compared to individual microorganisms. Network analyses revealed that bacteria occupy a central position of the co-occurrence network and play a crucial role of connector within this community. The addition of protists increased the stability of bacterial, fungal, and archaeal networks. Overall, our findings indicate that trophic relationships play an important role in assembly and for functioning of the rhizosphere soil microbiota. Bacterial communities serve as a crucial link between different kingdoms of microorganisms in the rhizosphere community. These findings help us to fully harness the beneficial functions of rhizosphere microorganisms for plants and achieve sustainable use of biological resources.

Soluble Protein Content, Bioactive Compounds and the Antioxidant Activity in Seeds of Ten Rheum tanguticum Lines from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Rheum tanguticum (Rh. tanguticum) is a Chinese medicinal plant traditionally used in the treatment of constipation. As a byproduct, the seeds of this plant are rich in nutrients and phytochemicals. This study aimed to determine and assess seed germination ability, seed physical characteristics, soluble protein content, chemical constituents and antioxidant capacity from different breeding lines, to promote the development and utilization of seed resources. Significant differences were observed for the soluble protein content and antioxidant assays among the ten lines. The contents of aloe-emodin, rhein and catechins accumulated in seeds were extremely low and significantly different from those in roots. In contrast, emodin and chrysophanol were abundant in seeds, and significant differences were observed between seeds and roots. It was found that associations between gallic acid and catechins were not significant for either soluble protein or antioxidant capacity. There was a significantly positive correlation between the contents of four anthraquinones (aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin and chrysophanol) and soluble protein. Seeds have potent antioxidative capacity and relatively high levels of soluble protein content. The rich chemical composition of seeds can be widely used in the medical industry for further development.

Synovial tissue metabolomics analysis of the therapeutic effects of stir-fried Xanthii Fructus on rheumatoid arthritis in rats.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a rheumatic disease that easily causes synovial hyperplasia and joint damage. Comprehensive metabolomic profiling of synovial tissue can reveal local pathological changes during RA and identify metabolites as candidate biomarkers. Detecting metabolites in synovial tissue can more directly reflect the pathological state and disease activity associated with it. stir-fried Xanthii Fructus has demonstrated efficacy in treating RA, but its pharmacodynamic property and mechanism of action are unclear. In this study, the molecular composition of the extract of stir-fried Xanthium Fructus was determined through HPLC. The major components that exert anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects were speculated to be phenolic acids. Next, the effect of stir-fried Xanthii Fructus extracts in RA treatment was comprehensively evaluated using rat body weight, foot volume, inflammatory factors, and histopathological sections of the ankle joint as evaluation indicators. The results showed that the extract of stir-fried Xanthii Fructus could significantly reduce the inflammatory response and improve the degree of joint swelling and the imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory in adjuvant arthritis rats. Finally, non-targeted metabolomics based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and multivariate statistical analysis were used to explore the changes of endogenous metabolites in synovium tissues and to search for potential biomarkers and related metabolic pathways in stir-fried Xanthii Fructus extract-treated AA rats. The results showed that stir-fried Xanthii Fructus mainly treated RA by regulating energy metabolism, hormone metabolism, amino acid metabolism and oxidative stress response in adjuvant arthritis rats. This study provides a theoretical basis for the mechanism of action of stir-fried Xanthii Fructus extract in treating RA.

[Guidelines for prevention and treatment of colorectal adenoma with integrated Chinese and western medicine].

The Guidelines for prevention and treatment of colorectal adenoma with integrated Chinese and western medicine are put forward by Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and approved by China Association of Chinese Medicine. According to the formulation processes and methods of relevant clinical practice guidelines, the experts in clinical medicine and methodology were organized to discuss the key problems to be addressed in the clinical prevention and treatment of colorectal adenoma(CRA) and provided answers following the evidence-based medicine method, so as to provide guidance for clinical decision-making. CRA is the major precancerous disease of colorectal cancer. Although the prevention and treatment with integrated Chinese and western medicine have been applied to the clinical practice of CRA, there is still a lack of high-quality guidelines. Four basic questions, 15 clinical questions, and 10 outcome indicators were determined by literature research and Delphi questionnaire. The relevant randomized controlled trial(RCT) was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and 2 clinical trial registries, and finally several RCTs meeting the inclusion criteria were included. The data extracted from the RCT was imported into RevMan 5.3 for evidence synthesis, and the evidence was evaluated based on the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations(GRADE). The final recommendations were formed by the nominal group method based on the evidence summary table. The guidelines involve the diagnosis, screening, treatment with integrated Chinese and western medicine, prevention, and follow-up of colorectal adenoma, providing options for the clinical prevention and treatment of CRA.

Transcription Factor IAA27 Positively Regulates P Uptake through Promoted Adventitious Root Development in Apple Plants.

Phosphate (P) deficiency severely limits the growth and production of plants. Adventitious root development plays an essential role in responding to low phosphorus stress for apple plants. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating adventitious root growth and development in response to low phosphorus stress have remained elusive. In this study, a mutation (C-T) in the coding region of the apple AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID 27 (IAA27) gene was identified. MdIAA27T-overexpressing transgenic apple improved the tolerance to phosphorus deficiency, which grew longer and denser adventitious roots and presented higher phosphorous content than the control plants under low phosphorus conditions, while the overexpression of MdIAA27C displayed the opposite trend. Moreover, the heterologous overexpression of MdIAA27 in tobacco yielded the same results, supporting the aforementioned findings. In vitro and in vivo assays showed that MdIAA27 directly interacted with AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF8), ARF26 and ARF27, which regulated Small Auxin-Up RNA 76 (MdSAUR76) and lateral organ boundaries domain 16 (MdLBD16) transcription. The mutation in IAA27 resulted in altered interaction modes, which in turn promoted the release of positive ARFs to upregulate SAUR76 and LBD16 expression in low phosphorus conditions. Altogether, our studies provide insights into how the allelic variation of IAA27 affects adventitious root development in response to low phosphorus stress.

Network pharmacology combined with molecular docking to explore the potential mechanisms for the antioxidant activity of Rheum tanguticum seeds.

BACKGROUND: Rheum tanguticum (R. tanguticum) is an edible and medicinal plant that exhibits high antioxidant activity. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the bioactive components of its seeds and the potential mechanisms of antioxidant activity to provide a foundation for further developmental work on R. tanguticum seeds as a functional food. METHODS: In this study, the antioxidant activities of R. tanguticum seeds were measured using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. LC-Q-TOF/MS was used to identify the active compounds in the seeds, and Swiss Target Prediction was used to identify their potential targets. The DisGENET, DrugBank, OMIM and GeneCard databases were used to search for antioxidant-related targets. RESULTS: The component-target-pathway network was constructed and included 5 compounds and 9 target genes. The hub genes included ESR1, APP, MAPK8, HSP90AA1, AKT1, MMP2, PTGS2, TGFB1 and JUN. The antioxidant activity signaling pathways of the compounds for the treatment of diseases were the cancer signaling pathway, estrogen signaling pathway, colorectal cancer signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, etc. Molecular docking revealed that the compounds in R. tanguticum seeds could inhibit potential targets (AKT1, ESR1 and PTGS2). CONCLUSION: Molecular docking studies revealed that the binding energy score between liriodenine and PTGS2 was the highest (8.16), followed by that of chrysophanol (7.10). This result supports the potential for PTGS2-targeted drug screening and design.

[TGF-ß1/ERK/CTGF pathway involved in effect of acupuncture on exercise-induced skeletal muscle fibrosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of the skeletal muscle fibrosis and changes of transforming growth factor-ß1(TGF-ß1)/ extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) / connective tissue growth factor (CTGF)pathway in rats after long-term eccentric exercise and acupuncture intervention, so as to explore the mechanism of acupuncture in regulating exercise-induced skeletal muscle fibrosis. METHODS: A total of 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, exercise and acupuncture group, with 10 rats in each group. The rat model of skeletal muscle fibrosis was established by eccentric exercise for 3 weeks. After exercise trained every time, the rats of the acupuncture group received acupuncture stimulation by holding the acupuncture needle to obliquely and longitudinally penetrate the ventral part of triceps of the lower leg along its lateral side, followed by retaining the needle for 2 min. Changes of the collagen fibers in each group was observed by scanning electron microscope. The expressions of Collagen Ⅰ, TGF-ß1, phosphated (p)-ERK/ERK and CTGF proteins were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: After 3 weeks of eccentric exercise and acupuncture, the fibrosis and deposition of collagen fibers in the exercise group were significantly higher than that in the normal control group,the degree of fibrosis in the acupuncture group was significantly lower than that in the exercise group. Compared with the normal control group, the expression levels of Collagen Ⅰ, TGF-ß1, CTGF and p-ERK/ERK in the exercise group was significantly higher (P<0.01，P<0.05). After EA interventions, the increased levels of the above indicators were significantly reversed (P<0.05，P<0.01) apart from p-ERK/ERK which had a downward trend, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The accumulation of chronic sports injury can lead to the deposition of collagen fibers in skeletal muscle, which leads to the fibrosis of skeletal muscle. Acupuncture can inhibit skeletal muscle fibrosis via down-regulating TGF-ß1/ERK/CTGF signaling pathway.

Recombinant Silk Proteins with Additional Polyalanine Have Excellent Mechanical Properties.

This paper explores the structures of exogenous protein molecules that can effectively improve the mechanical properties of silkworm silk. Several transgenic vectors fused with the silkworm fibroin light chain and type 3 repeats in different multiples of the ampullate dragline silk protein 1 (MaSp1) from black widow spider with different lengths of the polyalanine motifs were constructed for this study. Transgenic silkworms were successfully obtained by piggyBac-mediated microinjection. Molecular detection showed that foreign proteins were successfully secreted and contained within the cocoon shells. According to the prediction of PONDR® VSL2 and PONDR® VL-XT, the type 3 repeats and the polyalanine motif of the MaSp1 protein were amorphous. The results of FTIR analysis showed that the content of ß-sheets in the silk of transgenic silkworms engineered with transgenic vectors with additional polyalanine was significantly higher than that of wild-type silkworm silk. Additionally, silk with a higher ß-sheet content had better fracture strength and Young's modulus. The mechanical properties of silk with longer chains of exogenous proteins were improved. In general, our results provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the large-scale production of excellent bionic silk.

Positive detection of SARS-CoV-2 combined HSV1 and HHV6B virus nucleic acid in tear and conjunctival secretions of a non-conjunctivitis COVID-19 patient with obstruction of common lacrimal duct.

BACKGROUND: The current outbreak of COVID-19 has spread rapidly all over the world. Respiratory droplets and contaction with infected patients are the two major transmission routes. However, the value of tear virus nucleic acid is still not clear. We dynamic detected the SARS-CoV-2 in eye sample of one COVID-19 patient with obstruction of common lacrimal ducts. METHODS: Besides the routine examination, nasopharyngeal and eye swab were continuously measured by polymerase chain reaction assay and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Gene detection was performed for drug use guidance, and flow cytometry was performed to analyse the lymphocyte subsets. RESULTS: Nasopharyngeal swabs were positive for 22 days, but eye swabs were still continuously positive for 2 weeks after nasopharyngeal swabs turned negative. The low level of lymphocyte and the high level IL-6 lasted for almost 4 weeks, then became near normal. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) confirmed the existing of SARS-CoV-2, HSV1 and HHV6B virus nucleic acid. The gene detection for drug use guidance showed the genetic locus ABCB1 (3435T>C) rs1045642 belonged to type CC and it mean the efficiency of lopinavir-ritonavir would be significantly decreased. The flow cytometry of lymphocyte subsets showed PD-1+  CD95+ cells was accounting for 94.8% in CD3+  CD8+ T subset and for 94.8% in CD3+  TCRγδ+ T subset. CONCLUSIONS: As obstruction of common lacrimal duct, positively detection in one eye for 2 weeks more after nasopharyngeal swab became negative. More eye swabs should be collected from COVID-19 patients, especially from those immunocompromised, those with eye symptoms and those had a history of ocular diseases.

Atypical Multisensory Integration and the Temporal Binding Window in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The present study examined the relationship between multisensory integration and the temporal binding window (TBW) for multisensory processing in adults with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The ASD group was less likely than the typically developing group to perceive an illusory flash induced by multisensory integration during a sound-induced flash illusion (SIFI) task. Although both groups showed comparable TBWs during the multisensory temporal order judgment task, correlation analyses and Bayes factors provided moderate evidence that the reduced SIFI susceptibility was associated with the narrow TBW in the ASD group. These results suggest that the individuals with ASD exhibited atypical multisensory integration and that individual differences in the efficacy of this process might be affected by the temporal processing of multisensory information.

Everything has Its Time: Narrow Temporal Windows are Associated with High Levels of Autistic Traits Via Weaknesses in Multisensory Integration.

The present study examined whether fundamental sensory functions such as temporal processing and multisensory integration are related to autistic traits in the general population. Both a narrower temporal window (TW) for simultaneous perception, as measured by a temporal order judgement task, and a reduced ability to engage in multisensory integration during the sound-induced flash illusion task were related to higher levels of autistic traits. Additionally, a narrow TW is associated with high levels of autistic traits due to a deficiency in multisensory integration. Taken together, these findings suggest that alterations in fundamental functions produce a cascading effect on higher-order social and cognitive functions, such as those experienced by people with autism spectrum disorder.

[A new attempt of re-mapping acupoint atlas in the rat].

OBJECTIVE: To try to re-map an acupoint atlas in vector mode in the experimental rat by using a new-generation drawing tool. METHODS: A total of 5 SD rats were used in the present study. In reference to the current acupoint locations and anatomical structure of rats as well as those of the human body, an acupoint atlas having a stereoscopic mode was re-mapped by using Adobe photoshop/illustrator CS6 imaging processing and drawing system. RESULTS: According to the skeletal structure and body surface landmarks, an acupoint atlas consisting of Shuigou (GV26), Baihui (GV20), Tianmen (i.e. Cuanzhu, BL2), Erjian (MA-H6), Dazhui (GV14), Feishu (BL13), Xinshu (BL15), Geshu (BL17), Jizhong (GV6), Pishu (BL20), Shenshu (BL23), Houhui (SI3), Huantiao (GB30), Houhai, Yanglingquan (GB34), Housanli (ST36), Zhaohai (KI6), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Genduan point, Shenmai (BL62), Taichong (LR3), Zhijian (foot), Yongquan (KI1), Guanyuan (CV4), Xiqian, Weijian, Shenque (CV8), Zhongwan (CV12), Qiansanli (LI10), Waiguan (SJ5), Neiguan (PC6), Quchi (CV6), Zhoujie (EX-UE1), Hegu (LI4), Zhijian (hand), Houxi (SI3), Shenmen (HT7), Taiyuan (LU9), Shaohai (HT3), Chize (LU5), Danzhong (CV17), and Chengjiang (CV24) which have been positioned in plane graph mode by Professor HUA Xing-bang and colleagues in 1991. The newly re-mapped acupoint atlas displayed more clearly in the anatomic locations relevant to the traditional one. CONCLUSION: A new acupoint atlas with 3 dimension image mode is accomplished in the rat, being more convenient and applicable for researchers to edit the relevant graph materials in paper writing, and playing a possibly useful guidance for the standardization of acupoint selection in experimental acupuncture researches.

Inhibition of Yeast-to-Hypha Transition and Virulence of Candida albicans by 2-Alkylaminoquinoline Derivatives.

A rapid increase in Candida albicans infection and drug resistance has caused an emergent need for new clinical strategies against this fungal pathogen. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory activity of a series of 2-alkylaminoquinoline derivatives against C. albicans isolates. A total of 28 compounds were assessed for their efficacy in inhibiting the yeast-to-hypha transition, which is considered one of the key virulence factors in C. albicans Several compounds showed strong activity to decrease the morphological transition and virulence of C. albicans cells. The two leading compounds, compound 1 (2-[piperidin-1-yl]quinolone) and compound 12 (6-methyl-2-[piperidin-1-yl]quinoline), remarkably attenuated C. albicans hyphal formation and cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, but they showed no toxicity to either C. albicans cells or human cells. Intriguingly, compound 12 showed an excellent ability to inhibit C. albicans infection in the mouse oral mucosal infection model. This leading compound also interfered with the expression levels of hypha-specific genes in the cyclic AMP-protein kinase A and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Our findings suggest that 2-alkylaminoquinoline derivatives could potentially be developed as novel therapeutic agents against C. albicans infection due to their interference with the yeast-to-hypha transition.

Anti-Tumor Effects of Paeoniflorin on Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of death in China, and the development of effective drugs is urgently needed. Here, we report on Paeoniflorin (PF), a product isolated from the roots of the peony plant, as a possible candidate because of its anti-tumor effects on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of PF in human colorectal cancer (CRC). MATERIAL AND METHODS Cell proliferation, wound healing, and Transwell assays were used to analyze the effects of PF on in vitro cell migration and invasion of HCT116 and SW480, 2 colorectal cancer cell lines. The tumor xenograft model was used to verify the anti-metastasis effects of PF in vivo. The RNA and protein levels of epithelia-cadherin (E-cadherin), Vimentin, and histone deacetylase2 (HDAC2) were measured by qPCR and Western blot analysis to explore the mechanism involved. RESULTS Our results showed that PF inhibited colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion and suppressed the metastatic potential of the cancer cells in vivo. Moreover, PF significantly decreased the expression of HDAC2 and Vimentin, while increasing the expression of E-cadherin. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that PF inhibits colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion ability and reverses the EMT process, through inhibiting the expression of HDAC2, and then affects the expression level of E-cadherin and Vimentin at the cell level. Our results were also verified in the tumor xenograft model. This indicates that PF may be a candidate for colorectal cancer treatment.

Identification and characterization of phosphate transporter genes in potato.

Phosphate transporter (PHTs) have important roles in Pi acquisition, allocation, and signal transduction. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive knowledge of PHTs in potato. Very strict homology search and subsequent domain verification using Hidden Markov Models revealed that the potato genome has 20 StPHT and StPHOs genes which were grouped into 5 phylogenetical clusters including 8 PHT1 homologs,1 PHT2 homolog, 2 PHT3 homologs, 5 PHT4 homologs and 4 PHO homologs. These genes were mapped on ten S. tuberosum chromosomes (chr1-9 and 12). Analysis of these genes led to identification of 20 conserved motifs and location prediction showed that PHT1 and PHT4 proteins have 12 transmembrane (TM) domains, PHT2 proteins have 13 TM domains, PHT3 proteins contain 4-5 TM domains, and PHO proteins contain 8-10 TM domains. Two tandem and 2 segmental duplications were further identified from these genes. RT-qPCR analysis showed that most of PHTs and PHOs displayed specific expression patterns with respect to phosphate status, fourteen transporters were up regulated in leaves and 11 transporters were up regulated in roots under phosphate deprivation. StPHT2;1 was found to be expressed both in potato leaf and root after phosphate starvation. Most cis-regulatory elements in StPHTs and StPHOs were found associated with light, defense, stress and hormones responsiveness, endosperm and meristem expression, as well as circadian control. A scan of the coding sequences of 20 StPHTs and StPHOs against published miRNAs in potato predicted a total of 2 potential miRNAs, mainly targeting members located on the same chromosome. Expression of StPHTs and StPHOs was selectively induced by biotic and abiotic stresses, and phytohormone treatments, among them, heat stress exclusively caused the up-regulation of 14 StPHT and StPHO genes, in particular PHO1 members. Most of StPHTs and StPHOs do not exhibit the tissue-specific expression. StPHT1;7, StPHT3;1 and StPHTO1;1 were highly expressed in the root of S. tuberosum, especially the gene StPHT3;1 are highly expressed in 14 tissues which covering the entire life cycle of potato. Our results provide comprehensive insights into the PHT and PHO family genes involved in the growth, development, and stress response of the potato.

Changes in ROS production and antioxidant capacity during tuber sprouting in potato.

Potato dormancy is a complex process with an extensive release phase. This study investigated involvement of reactive oxygen species during tuber dormancy release. We found that tuber sprouting was delayed by treatment with diphenylene iodonium chloride, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor; NADPH oxidase catalyze the production of ROS. In situ ROS localization and ROS content estimation revealed that dormancy release was associated with an accumulation of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide in tuber buds. The antioxidant compounds and enzymes display important changes during the progression of dormancy. The application of Ca2+ induced superoxide anion production and promoted in vitro tuber bud sprouting. Among the seven homologues of NADPH oxidases in potato, the expression of StrbohA and StrbohB were detected in particular when dormancy break. In addition, the expression of key genes that function in the potato dormancy release are discussed in relation to ROS metabolism in other plants.

Human cortical activity evoked by contextual processing in attentional orienting.

The ability to assess another person's direction of attention is paramount in social communication, many studies have reported a similar pattern between gaze and arrow cues in attention orienting. Neuroimaging research has also demonstrated no qualitative differences in attention to gaze and arrow cues. However, these studies were implemented under simple experiment conditions. Researchers have highlighted the importance of contextual processing (i.e., the semantic congruence between cue and target) in attentional orienting, showing that attentional orienting by social gaze or arrow cues could be modulated through contextual processing. Here, we examine the neural activity of attentional orienting by gaze and arrow cues in response to contextual processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results demonstrated that the influence of neural activity through contextual processing to attentional orienting occurred under invalid conditions (when the cue and target were incongruent versus congruent) in the ventral frontoparietal network, although we did not identify any differences in the neural substrates of attentional orienting in contextual processing between gaze and arrow cues. These results support behavioural data of attentional orienting modulated by contextual processing based on the neurocognitive architecture.

Proteomic changes during tuber dormancy release process revealed by iTRAQ quantitative proteomics in potato.

Given that limited information is available with regard to tuber dormancy release related proteome, we conducted proteome analysis of tuber dormancy release process at dormant tuber (DT), dormancy release tuber (DRT) and sprouting tuber (ST) using the iTRAQ technology. A total of 1,752 proteins were identified. Among them, a subset of 316 proteins was screened as significant up- (137) and down regulated (179) between DT vs DRT. A subset of 120 proteins experienced significant up- (40) or down-regulation (80) between DRT vs ST. The differentially expressed proteins were grouped into 11 functional categories. Proteins enriched in functional categories of major carbohydrate (CHO) metabolism, glycolysis, fermentation, amino acid metabolism, protein and transport were highly up-regulated, while functional categories of photosynthesis and RNA were down-regulated between DT vs DRT. Proteins enriched in functional groups of protein, cell wall, lipid metabolism, miscellaneous, and signaling were strongly up-regulated, while functional categories of photosynthesis, hormone metabolism and protein were down-regulated between DRT vs ST. Consistent with previous documented differentially expressed genes, most of differentially expressed proteins were also identified between DT and DRT, indicating the metabolism shift from growth suspension to growth activation as tubers dormancy breaking. The changes in protein profiles showed lower concordance with corresponding alterations in transcript levels, indicating possible transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation. Furthermore, the possible mechanism of tuber dormancy release was discussed in relation to what was known in transcripts change and other plant models from carbohydrate metabolism, protein metabolism, stress response, redox regulation, transcription regulation, DNA metabolism, amino acid metabolism, development, signaling as well as hormone metabolism.

Enantiospecific, stereospecific total synthesis of (+)-majvinine, (+)-10-methoxyaffinisine, and (+)-N(a)-methylsarpagine as well as the total synthesis of the Alstonia bisindole macralstonidine.

[structure: see text] The enantiospecific stereospecific total synthesis of majvinine 1a, 10-methoxyaffinisine 1b, and N(a)-methylsarpagine 1c are reported; this method has also resulted in the total synthesis of the Alstonia bisindole macralstonidine 2.