Comparative Analysis of Volatile Compounds in the Flower Buds of Three Panax Species Using Fast Gas Chromatography Electronic Nose, Headspace-Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry, and Headspace Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Multivariate Statistical Analysis.

The flower buds of three Panax species (PGF: P. ginseng; PQF: P. quinquefolius; PNF: P. notoginseng) widely consumed as health tea are easily confused in market circulation. We aimed to develop a green, fast, and easy analysis strategy to distinguish PGF, PQF, and PNF. In this work, fast gas chromatography electronic nose (fast GC e-nose), headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), and headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) were utilized to comprehensively analyze the volatile organic components (VOCs) of three flowers. Meanwhile, a principal component analysis (PCA) and heatmap were applied to distinguish the VOCs identified in PGF, PQF, and PNF. A random forest (RF) analysis was used to screen key factors affecting the discrimination. As a result, 39, 68, and 78 VOCs were identified in three flowers using fast GC e-nose, HS-GC-IMS, and HS-SPME-GC-MS. Nine VOCs were selected as potential chemical markers based on a model of RF for distinguishing these three species. Conclusively, a complete VOC analysis strategy was created to provide a methodological reference for the rapid, simple, and environmentally friendly detection and identification of food products (tea, oil, honey, etc.) and herbs with flavor characteristics and to provide a basis for further specification of their quality and base sources.

Comparing two unitisation manipulations: effects on familiarity, recollection-based recognition, and semantic interference.

The recognition of associative memory can be significantly influenced by the use of an encoding strategy known as unitisation, which has been implemented through various manipulations. However, [Shao, H., Opitz, B., Yang, J., & Weng, X. (2016). Recollection reduces unitised familiarity effect. Memory (Hove, England), 24(4), 535-547. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2015.1021258] found intriguing distinctions between two common manipulations, the compound task and the imagery task, leading to a dispute. We propose that differences in levels of processing in the imagery task may account for these discrepancies. This study tested our hypothesis using two approaches. The first two experiments utilised the R/K paradigm to investigate the effects of these methods on familiarity-based and recollection-based recognition. The results demonstrated that familiarity was increased in the compound task, while recollection was increased in the imagery task. In the subsequent two experiments, an interference paradigm was employed to examine differences in semantic processing within the two tasks. The results showed that the compound task did not impact participants' inclination towards lures, while the imagery task led to a bias towards semantic lures over episodic lures, suggesting that the two encodings in the imagery task involve different levels of semantic processing. These results support our hypothesis and underscore the importance of carefully choosing comparisons that account for other variables in the study of unitisation.

Effects of toxin metalloproteinases from jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai nematocyst on the dermal toxicity and potential treatment of jellyfish dermatitis.

Jellyfish dermatitis is a common medical problem in many countries due to the jellyfish envenomation. However, there are no specific and targeted medications for their treatment. Here we investigated the possible therapeutic effects of metalloproteinase inhibitors on the dermal toxicity of Nemopilema nomurai nematocyst venom (NnNV), a giant venomous jellyfish from China, using the jellyfish dermatitis model, focusing on inflammatory effector molecules during jellyfish envenomation. Metalloproteinase may further stimulate inflammation by promoting oxidative stress in the organism and play key roles by activating MAPK and NF-κB, in the pathogenesis of jellyfish dermatitis. And the metalloproteinase inhibitors batimastat and EDTA disodium salt may treat the Jellyfish dermatitis by inhibiting the metalloproteinase activity in NnNV. These observations suggest that the metalloproteinase components of NnNV make a considerable contribution to dermal toxicity as the inflammation effect molecular, and metalloproteinase inhibitors can be regarded as novel therapeutic medicines in jellyfish envenomation. This study contributes to understanding the mechanism of jellyfish dermatitis and suggests new targets and ideas for the treatment of jellyfish envenomation.

Wilson's Disease in Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Wilson's disease （WD） is a copper metabolism disorder caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene， with diverse phenotypes and complex pathogenesis. It is one of the few rare diseases that can achieve good clinical efficacy through standardized treatment. Since there are few systematic reviews of this disease， we summarize the pathogenesis and treatment methods of WD from traditional Chinese and western medicine by reviewing the literature related to WD. In western medicine， ATP7B gene mutation is considered as the root cause of WD， which affects copper transport and causes copper metabolism disorders. The excessive copper deposited in the body will result in oxidative stress， defects in mitochondrial function， and cell death. Western medicine treatment of WD relies mainly on drugs， and copper antagonists are the first choice in clinical practice， which are often combined with hepatoprotective and antioxidant therapy. Surgery is a common therapy for the patients with end-stage WD， and gene therapy provides an option for WD patients. According to the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） theory， WD is rooted in constitutional deficiency and copper accumulation and triggered by dampness-heat accumulation or phlegm combined with stasis. The patient syndrome varies in different stages of the disease， and thus the treatment should be based on syndrome differentiation. The TCM treatment method of nourishing the liver and kidneys and warming the spleen and kidneys can address the root cause. The methods of clearing heat and drying dampness， resolving phlegm and dispelling stasis， and soothing liver and regulating qi movement can be adopted to treat symptoms. On the basis of syndrome differentiation， special prescriptions for the treatment of WD have been formulated， such as Gandou decoction， Gandouling， and Gandou Fumu decoction， which have been widely used in clinical practice. TCM and western medicine have their own advantages and shortcomings. The integrated Chinese and western medicine complementing with each other demonstrates great therapeutic potential. This paper summarizes the pathogenesis and treatment of WD with integrated Chinese and western medicine， aiming to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Fucoidan may treat jellyfish dermatitis by inhibiting the inflammatory effect of jellyfish venom.

Jellyfish dermatitis is a common medical problem caused by jellyfish stings. However, there are no targeted and effective medications for their treatment. Here, the biological activity of fucoidan for treatment of jellyfish dermatitis was investigated for the first time. 3 mg/mL Fucoidan attenuated the inflammatory effects of Nemopilema nomurai nematocyst venom (NnNV), including dermal toxicity and myotoxicity. Fucoidan may decrease the inflammatory effects of NnNV by downregulating MAPK and NF-κB pathways. This may be attributed to the inhibitory effect of fucoidan on metalloproteinases and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in NnNV. 3 mg/mL fucoidan reduced the metalloproteinase activity in NnNV from 316.33 ± 20.84 U/mg to 177.33 ± 25.36 U/mg, while the inhibition of PLA2 activity in NnNV by 1 mg/mL fucoidan could reach 37.67 ± 3.42 %. Besides, external application of 3 mg/mL fucoidan can effectively alleviate the symptoms of jellyfish dermatitis. These observations suggest that fucoidan has considerable potential for treatment of jellyfish dermatitis and could be regarded as a novel medicine for jellyfish envenomation. This study provides new ideas for treatment of jellyfish envenomation and suggests evidence for the use of fucoidan in the treatment of jellyfish dermatitis as well as broadens the potential application of fucoidan in clinical practice.

Discovery of the mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of migraine based on functional magnetic resonance imaging and omics.

Migraine is one of the most prevalent and disabling neurological disease, but the current pharmacotherapies show limited efficacy and often accompanied by adverse effects. Acupuncture is a promising complementary therapy, but further clinical evidence is needed. The influence of acupuncture on migraine is not an immediate effect, and its mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to provide further clinical evidence for the anti-migraine effects of acupuncture and explore the mechanism involved. A randomized controlled trial was performed among 10 normal controls and 38 migraineurs. The migraineurs were divided into blank control, sham acupuncture, and acupuncture groups. Patients were subjected to two courses of treatment, and each treatment lasted for 5 days, with an interval of 1 day between the two courses. The effectiveness of treatment was evaluated using pain questionnaire. The functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were analyzed for investigating brain changes induced by treatments. Blood plasma was collected for metabolomics and proteomics studies. Correlation and mediation analyses were performed to investigate the interaction between clinical, fMRI and omics changes. Results showed that acupuncture effectively relieved migraine symptoms in a way different from sham acupuncture in terms of curative effect, affected brain regions, and signaling pathways. The anti-migraine mechanism involves a complex network related to the regulation of the response to hypoxic stress, reversal of brain energy imbalance, and regulation of inflammation. The brain regions of migraineurs affected by acupuncture include the lingual gyrus, default mode network, and cerebellum. The effect of acupuncture on patients' metabolites/proteins may precede that of the brain.

Research Progress on the Role of Akkermansia Muciniphila in Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus / 中国医学科学院学报

The correlation between intestinal flora and diseases has become a hot research topic in recent years.Since the incidence of diabetes is closely related to chronic low-grade inflammation and intestinal flora disorders,the intervention of intestinal flora imbalance has become a research focus in the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus.Akkermansia muciniphila(A.muciniphila) stands out among the intestinal flora as it can alleviate the diabetes-related symptoms by regulating glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) level,improving intestinal barrier function,and inhibiting chronic inflammation,which is a potential target for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.The reduction in the abundance of A.muciniphila is a marker for the early diagnosis of diabetes.The available studies have demonstrated that the administration with A.muciniphila alone can significantly attenuate inflammation and other related symptoms of diabetic patients.Moreover,A.muciniphila has good safety and can be tolerated by human body.Therefore,A.muciniphila has the potential to serve as a new species of probiotics for the treatment of diabetes.The clinical measures for treating diabetes,such as metformin,Chinese herbal medicines,and functional diet,have been confirmed to be associated with the increased abundance of A.muciniphila.Among them,Chinese herbal medicines can treat diabetes via multiple targets and pathways in a systemic manner.Studies have reported that A.muciniphila is a potential target of Chinese herbal medicines intervening in diabetes.After the administration of Chinese herbal medicines,the improvement of diabetes-related indicators was positively correlated with the abundance of A.muciniphila.The above evidence provides a new idea for the research on the interaction between Chinese herbal medicines and intestinal flora in the treatment of diabetes.Therefore,this paper reviewed the role of A.muciniphila in diabetes and the correlation between the abundance of A.muciniphila and the administration of Chinese herbal medicines,aiming to provide new measures for the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

Phylogenetic analysis of chloroplast genome of Tussilago farfara L / 药学学报

italic>Tussilago farfara L. is a perennial herb of Tussilago genus in the Compositae family. Its dried buds and leaves have good biological activities and have a long history of medicinal use in China and Europe. In this paper, we investigated the whole chloroplast genome characteristics, sequence duplication, structural variation and phylogeny of the Tussilago farfara L. After sequencing the Tussilago farfara L. chloroplast genome using Illumination technology, the complete Tussilago farfara L. chloroplast genome was further obtained by assembly and annotation, followed by a series of inverted repeat-large single copy/small single copy region contraction and expansion analysis, genome sequence variation, etc. The sequences of 13 homologous plants downloaded from NCBI were used to construct a neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree. The results showed that the total GC content of the chloroplast genome was 37.4% and the length was 150 300 bp; 125 genes were annotated, including 82 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNAs and 8 rRNAs; 148 (simple sequence repeats, SSR) loci were detected, and the relative synonymous codon usage showed that 31 codons out of 64 codons had a usage of >1. In the phylogenetic analysis, the chloroplast genomes of the seven species of Asteraceae, including the Yulin Tussilago farfara L., were highly conserved, and the sequence variation of the (large single-copy, LSC) and (small single-copy, SSC) regions was higher than that of the (inverted repeat, IR) region. This is in general agreement with the reported phylogeny of Yulin Tussilago farfara L. In this study, we obtained a high quality chloroplast genome and analyzed its genome characteristics, codon preference, SSR characteristics, SC/IR boundary, sequence variation and phylogeny, which can provide a basis for species identification, genetic diversity analysis and resource development of this medicinal plant.

Discovery of a novel jellyfish venom metalloproteinase inhibitor from secondary metabolites isolated from jellyfish-derived fungus Aspergillus versicolor SmT07.

The major jellyfish stings that occur in China are caused by scyphozoan Nemopilema nomurai, whose venom exhibits significant metalloproteinase activity that contributes to the toxic effects of jellyfish envenomation. Researching effective inhibitors suppressing the metalloproteinase activity of jellyfish venom represents a new attempt to cure jellyfish envenomations. In the present study, secondary metabolites produced by the jellyfish-associated fungus Aspergillus versicolor SmT07 were isolated and evaluated for their anti-proteolytic activities. Two xanthones, sterigmatocystin (JC-01) and oxisterigmatocystin C (JC-06), and four alkaloids, cottoquinazoline A (JC-02), phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (JC-03), viridicatin (JC-04) and viridicatol (JC-05), were isolated and identified. Only phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) showed significant anti-proteolytic activity of jellyfish venom assayed on azocasein, and the IC50 value was 2.16 mM. PCA also significantly inhibited fibrinogenolytic activity, protecting the Bß chain of fibrinogen from degradation when preincubated with jellyfish venom at a ratio of >1:0.6 (PCA:venom, w/w). Molecular docking with several well-characterized snake venom metalloproteinases suggested the venom metalloproteinases inhibitory property of PCA by forming complex interactions with the active site via hydrogen bonds, π-π stacking and salt bridges, which was distinct from the binding mode of batimastat. The present study represents the first study identifying natural jellyfish venom metalloproteinase inhibitors from marine natural products, which may provide an alternative to develop therapeutic agents for treating jellyfish envenomations.

Jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai causes myotoxicity through the metalloprotease component of venom.

Jellyfish envenomation is a common medical problem in many countries. However, the myotoxicity and effector molecules of scyphozoan venoms remain uninvestigated. Here, we present the myotoxicity of nematocyst venom from Nemopilema nomurai (NnNV), a giant venomous scyphozoan from China, for the first time, using in vivo models with inhibitors. NnNV was able to induce remarkable myotoxicity including significant muscle swelling, increasing the content of CK and LDH in serum, stimulating inflammation of muscle tissue, and destroying the structure of muscle tissue. In addition, the metalloproteinase inhibitors BMT and EDTA significantly reduced the myotoxicity induced by NnNV. Moreover, BMT and EDTA could decrease the inflammatory stimulation and necrosis of muscle tissue caused by the venom. These observations suggest that the metalloproteinase components of NnNV make a considerable contribution to myotoxicity. This study contributes to understanding the effector molecules of muscle injury caused by jellyfish stings and suggests a new idea for the treatment of scyphozoan envenomation.

GPX4 Plays a Crucial Role in Fuzheng Kang'ai Decoction-Induced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Ferroptosis.

Background: Fuzheng Kang'ai decoction (FZKA) has been widely used to treat Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients in China for decades, showing definitively curative effects in clinic. Recently, we found that FZKA could induce NSCLC cell ferroptosis, another type of programmed cell death (PCD), which is totally different from cell apoptosis. Therefore, in the present study, we aim to discover the exact mechanism by which FZKA induces NSCLC cell ferroptosis, which is rarely studied in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Methods: Cell proliferation assay were performed to detect the cell viability. Cell ferroptosis triggered by FZKA was observed by performing lipid peroxidation assay, Fe2+ Ions assay, and mitochondrial ultrastructure by transmission electron microscopy. Ferroptosis inhibitors including liproxstatin-1 and UAMC 3203 were used to block ferroptosis. The ratio of GSH/GSSG was done to measure the alteration of oxidative stress. Western blot and qRT-PCR were carried out to detect the expression of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), solute carrier family 3 member 2 (SLC3A2) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) at protein and mRNA levels, respectively. Lentivirus transfection was performed to overexpress GPX4 stably. Animal model was done to verify the effect of FZKA-induced ferroptosis in NSCLC in vivo and immunohistochemistry was done to detect the expression of SLC7A11, SLC3A2 and GPX4 at protein level. Results: First of all, in vitro experiments confirmed the inhibition effect of FZKA on NSCLC cell growth. We then, for the first time, found that FZKA induced NSCLC cell ferroptosis by increasing lipid peroxidation and cellular Fe2+ Ions. Moreover, characteristic morphological changes of NSCLC cell ferroptosis was observed under transmission electron microscopy. Mechanistically, GPX4, as a key inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, was greatly suppressed by FZKA treatment both at protein and mRNA levels. Furthermore, system xc- (SLC7A11 and SLC3A2) were found to be suppressed and a decreased GSH/GSSG ratio was observed at the same time when treated with FZKA. Notably, overexpressing GPX4 reversed the effect of FZKA-induced NSCLC cell ferroptosis significantly. Finally, the above effect was validated using animal model in vivo. Conclusion: Our findings conclude that GPX4 plays a crucial role in FZKA-induced NSCLC cell ferroptosis, providing a novel molecular mechanism by which FZKA treats NSCLC.

Electroacupuncture ameliorates neuroinflammation in animal models.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation refers to a wide range of immune responses occurring in the brain or spinal cord. It is closely related to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, for which it potentially represents a new direction for treatment. Electroacupuncture (EA) is one method of acupuncture treatment, which can be used as an adjuvant therapy for many diseases. This review focuses on molecular mechanisms of EA in the reduction of neuroinflammation, summarizes relevant basic research and outlines future directions for investigation. FINDINGS: A growing body of basic research has shown that EA can ameliorate neuroinflammation centrally (in animal models of ischemic stroke, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease and vascular dementia) and peripherally (e.g. after a surgical insult or injection of lipopolysaccharide) and that its effects involve different molecular mechanisms, including activation of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor signaling pathway and P2 type purinergic receptors, inhibition of nuclear factor κB, and mitigation of damage secondary to oxidative stress and NOD-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome activation. CONCLUSIONS: EA is capable of regulating multiple cell signal transduction pathways to alleviate neuroinflammation in animal models. Although the findings of animal studies are encouraging, further prospective clinical trials are needed to verify the efficacy of EA for the treatment of neuroinflammation.

Optimization of fermentation for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production by yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus C21 in okara (soybean residue).

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid with a variety of physiological functions. Recently, yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus strains involved in the catabolism and anabolism of GABA can be used as a microbial platform for GABA production. Okara, rich in nutrients, can be used as a low-cost fermentation substrate for the production of functional materials. This study first proved the advantages of the okara medium to produce GABA by K. marxianus C21 when L-glutamate (L-Glu) or monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the substrate. The highest production of GABA was obtained with 4.31 g/L at optimization condition of culture temperature 35 °C, fermentation time 60 h, and initial pH 4.0. Furthermore, adding peptone significantly increased the GABA production while glucose and vitamin B6 had no positive impact on GABA production. This research provided a powerful new strategy of GABA production by K. marxianus C21 fermentation and is expected to be widely utilized in the functional foods industry to increase GABA content for consumers as a daily supplement as suggested.

New anti-pulmonary fibrosis prenylflavonoid glycosides from Epimedium koreanum / 中国天然药物

Four new prenylflavonoid glycosides, namely koreanoside H-K (1-4), together with eleven known ones (5-15) were isolated from the leaves of Epimedium koreanum Nakai. Their structures were elucidated by 1D NMR, 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, IR and UV. The identification of the sugar moieties was carried out by means of acid hydrolysis and HPLC analysis of their derivatives. It is worth noting that compound 3 and compound 4 were elucidated to contain fucose and quinovose moieties, which were two extremely rare sugar units from the genus Epimedium. The anti-pulmonary fibrosis activity of the new compounds was evaluated using A549 cell line. Compounds 1, 2 and 4 showed significant anti-pulmonary fibrosis activities.

Application of teaching method for the interpretation of acupoint names in the course of Science of Meridians and Acupoints / 中国针灸

The paper summarizes the valuable experience of the famous teachers of all generations in the teaching & research room of meridians and acupoints of Beijing University of CM. The shortcomings are presented when the acupoints are explained in accordance with the flowing route of meridians in classroom teaching of Science of Meridians and Acupoints. Hence, it is proposed that the acupoint names should be interpreted specially for the acupoints distributed on the same meridians or adjacent ones. It is suggested to emphasize the correlation of each acupoint with its adjacent ones from the perspective of the cultural connotation of acupoint names, and then, the differences and similarities in their clinical indications can be analyzed. Eventually, a new approach to the classroom teaching of Science of Meridians and Acupoints may be provided to guide the excavation of traditional cultural connotation and establish the cultural self-confidence and professional identity.

Clinical Efficacy of Gandou Fumu Granules on Wilson Disease with Liver-kidney Deficiency and Phlegm-blood Stasis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Gandou Fumu granules （GDFM） in the treatment of Wilson disease （WD） with liver-kidney deficiency and phlegm-blood stasis. MethodNinety WD patients in The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine were randomly divided into a control group （45 cases） and a treatment group （45 cases）. All patients were treated with sodium 2，3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulfonate （DMPS）， while those in the treatment group received additional GDFM. All patients were treated for four courses （32 days）. The traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores，clinical effective rate，24 h urinary copper，ceruloplasmin （CER），tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α），interleukin-1β（IL-1β），interleukin-6 （IL-6），superoxide dismutase （SOD），glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） and malondialdehyde （MDA） levels of the two groups before and after treatment were observed. ResultAfter treatment， the TCM syndrome scores of the two groups decreased （P<0.01），and the score of TCM syndrome in the treatment group was lower than that of the control group （P<0.01）. The total effective rate of the treatment group was 82.22% （37/45）， higher than 57.78% （26/45） of the control group （χ2=6.402，P<0.05）. There was no significant difference in CER before and after treatment in both groups. The post-treatment 24 hour urinary copper increased （P<0.01）， which was higher in the treatment group than that in the control group （P<0.05）. The TNF-α，IL-1β， and IL-6 levels were significantly reduced in both groups after treatment（P<0.01），and the above indicators in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group （P<0.01）. After treatment，the SOD level increased and the MDA level decreased in the control group （P<0.01）， while no significant difference in GSH-Px level was observed. The SOD and GSH-Px levels increased and the MDA level decreased in the treatment group （P<0.01）. After treatment， SOD and GSH-Px levels of the treatment group were higher than those in the control group， while the MDA level was lower than that in the control group（P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionGDFM can improve the TCM syndrome score and clinical efficacy，enhance the copper removing effect，and inhibit the inflammatory response and antioxidative stress in the treatment of WD with liver and kidney deficiency and phlegm-blood stasis.

Loss-of-function alleles of ZmPLD3 cause haploid induction in maize.

Doubled haploid technology has been widely applied to multiple plant species and is recognized as one of the most important technologies for improving crop breeding efficiency. Although mutations in MATRILINEAL/Zea mays PHOSPHOLIPASE A1/NOT LIKE DAD (MTL/ZmPLA1/NLD) and Zea mays DOMAIN OF UNKNOWN FUNCTION 679 MEMBRANE PROTEIN (ZmDMP) have been shown to generate haploids in maize, knowledge of the genetic basis of haploid induction (HI) remains incomplete. Therefore, cloning of new genes underlying HI is important for further elucidating its genetic architecture. Here, we found that loss-of-function mutations of Zea mays PHOSPHOLIPASE D3 (ZmPLD3), one of the members from the phospholipase D subfamily, could trigger maternal HI in maize. ZmPLD3 was identified through a reverse genetic strategy based on analysis of pollen-specifically expressed phospholipases, followed by validation through the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) system. Mutations of ZmPLD3 resulted in a haploid induction rate (HIR) similar to that of mtl/zmpla1/nld and showed synergistic effects rather than functional redundancy on tripling the HIR (from 1.19% to 4.13%) in the presence of mtl/zmpla1/nld. RNA-seq profiling of mature pollen indicated that a large number of pollen-specific differentially expressed genes were enriched in processes related to gametogenesis development, such as pollen tube development and cell communication, during the double-fertilization process. In addition, ZmPLD3 is highly conserved among cereals, highlighting the potential application of these in vivo haploid-inducer lines for other important crop plant species. Collectively, our discovery identifies a novel gene underlying in vivo maternal HI and provides possibility of breeding haploid inducers with further improved HIR.

Field Experiment Effect on Citrus Spider Mite Panonychus citri of Venom from Jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai: The Potential Use of Jellyfish in Agriculture.

Jellyfish are rich in resources and widely distributed along coastal areas. As a potential approach to respond to jellyfish blooms, the use of jellyfish-derived products is increasing. The citrus spider mite (Panonychus citri) is one of the key citrus pests, negatively impacting the quality and quantity of oranges. Due to the resistance and residue of chemical acaricides, it is important to seek natural substitutes that are environmentally friendly. The field efficacy of the venom from the jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai against P. citri was assayed in a citrus garden. The frozen N. nomurai tentacles were sonicated in different buffers to isolate the venom. The venom isolated by PBS buffer (10 mM, pH 6.0) had the strongest acaricidal activity of the four samples, and the corrected field efficacy 7 days after treatment was up to 95.21%. This study demonstrated that jellyfish has potential use in agriculture.

Cassane diterpenoid derivative induces apoptosis in IDH1 mutant glioma cells through the inhibition of glutaminase in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most frequent, lethal and aggressive tumour of the central nervous system in adults. The discovery of novel anti-GBM agents based on the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant phenotypes and classifications have attracted comprehensive attention. PURPOSE: Diterpenoids are a class of naturally occurring 20-carbon isoprenoid compounds, and have previously been shown to possess high cytotoxicity for a variety of human tumours in many scientific reports. In the present study, 31 cassane diterpenoids of four types, namely, butanolide lactone cassane diterpenoids (I) (1-10), tricyclic cassane diterpenoids (II) (11-15), polyoxybutanolide lactone cassane diterpenoids (III) (16-23), and fused furan ring cassane diterpenoids (IV) (24-31), were tested for their anti-glioblastoma activity and mechanism underlying based on IDH1 mutant phenotypes of primary GBM cell cultures and human oligodendroglioma (HOG) cell lines. RESULTS: We confirmed that tricyclic-type (II) and compound 13 (Caesalpin A, CSA) showed the best anti-neoplastic potencies in IDH1 mutant glioma cells compared with the other types and compounds. Furthermore, the structure-relationship analysis indicated that the carbonyl group at C-12 and an α, ß-unsaturated ketone unit fundamentally contributed to enhancing the anti-glioma activity. Studies investigating the mechanism demonstrated that CSA induced oxidative stress via causing glutathione reduction and NOS activation by negatively regulating glutaminase (GLS), which proved to be highly dependent on IDH mutant type glioblastoma. Finally, GLS overexpression reversed the CSA-induced anti-glioma effects in vitro and in vivo, which indicated that the reduction of GLS contributed to the CSA-induced proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in HOG-IDH1-mu cells. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the present results demonstrated that compared with other diterpenoids, tricyclic-type diterpenoids could be a targeted drug candidate for the treatment of secondary IDH1 mutant type glioblastoma through negatively regulating GLS.

Antiaging effects of rice protein hydrolysates on Drosophila melanogaster.

Rice protein hydrolysates (RPH) prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis have plenty of bioactive functions. Herein, we investigated the antiaging effect of RPH on Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and its mechanisms. According to the results, fruit flies reared on 0.2% and 3.2% RP-supplement diet prolonged their average lifespan, 50% survival days, and the maximum lifespan, together with increasing superoxide dismutase, manganese superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity compared to those reared on basal diet. Further studies showed the lifespan extending effect of RPH was regulated by the cooperation with the intrinsic stress protection system (Nrf2/Keap1), age-related signaling pathway (TOR, S6K) and the expression of longevity genes (methuselah). In conclusion, the lifespan extending effect of RPH makes it possible to be applied in food and healthcare industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In previous studies, rice protein hydrolysates (RPH) have been found to have strong antioxidant properties. But so far, most researches focused on the preparation, identification and in vitro antioxidant experiments of RPH, and there is still a lack of researches on its effect on the antioxidant system of fruit flies and the antiaging of fruit flies. This report showed that RPH enhanced the antioxidant system and prolonged the lifespan of Drosophila, which might help us rationally use rice peptides in functional foods.