BnaABF3 and BnaMYB44 regulate the transcription of zeaxanthin epoxidase genes in carotenoid and abscisic acid biosynthesis.

Zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of zeaxanthin to violaxanthin in the carotenoid and abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis pathways. The rapeseed (Brassica napus) genome has 4 ZEP (BnaZEP) copies that are suspected to have undergone subfunctionalization, yet the 4 genes' underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we genetically confirmed the functional divergence of the gene pairs BnaA09.ZEP/BnaC09.ZEP and BnaA07.ZEP/BnaC07.ZEP, which encode enzymes with tissue-specific roles in carotenoid and ABA biosynthesis in flowers and leaves, respectively. Molecular and transgenic experiments demonstrated that each BnaZEP pair is transcriptionally regulated via ABA-responsive element-binding factor 3 s (BnaABF3s) and BnaMYB44s as common and specific regulators, respectively. BnaABF3s directly bound to the promoters of all 4 BnaZEPs and activated their transcription, with overexpression of individual BnaABF3s inducing BnaZEP expression and ABA accumulation under drought stress. Conversely, loss of BnaABF3s function resulted in lower expression of several genes functioning in carotenoid and ABA metabolism and compromised drought tolerance. BnaMYB44s specifically targeted and repressed the expression of BnaA09.ZEP/BnaC09.ZEP but not BnaA07.ZEP/BnaC07.ZEP. Overexpression of BnaA07.MYB44 resulted in increased carotenoid content and an altered carotenoid profile in petals. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis indicated that BnaMYB44s functions as a repressor in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis. These findings provide clear evidence for the subfunctionalization of duplicated genes and contribute to our understanding of the complex regulatory network involved in carotenoid and ABA biosynthesis in B. napus.

Identification of candidate genes associated with double flowers via integrating BSA-seq and RNA-seq in Brassica napus.

As a Brassica crop, Brassica napus typically has single flowers that contain four petals. The double-flower phenotype of rapeseed has been a desirable trait in China because of its potential commercial value in ornamental tourism. However, few double-flowered germplasms have been documented in B. napus, and knowledge of the underlying genes is limited. Here, B. napus D376 was characterized as a double-flowered strain that presented an average of 10.92 ± 1.40 petals and other normal floral organs. F1, F2 and BC1 populations were constructed by crossing D376 with a single-flowered line reciprocally. Genetic analysis revealed that the double-flower trait was a recessive trait controlled by multiple genes. To identify the key genes controlling the double-flower trait, bulk segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq) and RNA-seq analyses were conducted on F2 individual bulks with opposite extreme phenotypes. Through BSA-seq, one candidate interval was mapped at the region of chromosome C05: 14.56-16.17 Mb. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in carbohydrate metabolic processes, notably starch and sucrose metabolism. Interestingly, five and thirty-six DEGs associated with floral development were significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively, in the double-flowered plants. A combined analysis of BSA-seq and RNA-seq data revealed that five genes were candidates associated with the double flower trait, and BnaC05.ERS2 was the most promising gene. These findings provide novel insights into the breeding of double-flowered varieties and lay a theoretical foundation for unveiling the molecular mechanisms of floral development in B. napus.

In Situ, Fusion-Free, Multiplexed Detection of Small Extracellular Vesicle miRNAs for Cancer Diagnostics.

Tumor-derived small extracellular vesicle (sEV) microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging biomarkers for cancer diagnostics. Conventional sEV miRNA detection methods necessitate the lysis of sEVs, rendering them laborious and time-consuming and potentially leading to damage or loss of miRNAs. Membrane fusion-based in situ detection of sEV miRNAs involves the preparation of probe-loaded vesicles (e.g., liposomes or cellular vesicles), which are typically sophisticated and require specialist equipment. Membrane perforation methods employ chemical treatments that can induce severe miRNA degradation or leaks. Inspired by previous studies that loaded nucleic acids into EVs or cells using hydrophobic tethers for therapeutic applications, herein, we repurposed this strategy by conjugating a hydrophobic tether onto molecular beacons to aid their transportation into sEVs, allowing for in situ detection of miRNAs in a fusion-free and multiplexing manner. This method enables simultaneous detection of multiple miRNA species within serum-derived sEVs for the diagnosis of prostate cancer, breast cancer, and gastric cancer with an accuracy of 83.3%, 81.8%, and 100%, respectively, in a cohort of 66 individuals, indicating that it holds a high application potential in clinical diagnostics.

Development of a novel 18F-labeled small molecule probe for PET imaging of mesenchymal epithelial transition receptor expression.

The mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (c-Met) is frequently overexpressed in numerous cancers and has served as a validated anticancer target. Inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity of c-Met, however, challenges the use of anti-MET therapies, highlighting an urgent need to develop an alternative tool for visualizing whole-body c-Met expression quantitatively and noninvasively. Here we firstly reported an 18F labeled, small-molecule quinine compound-based PET probe, 1-(4-(5-amino-7-(trifluoromethyl) quinolin-3-yl) piperazin-1-yl)-2-(fluoro-[18F]) propan-1-one, herein referred as [18F]-AZC. METHODS: [18F]-AZC was synthesized via a one-step substitution reaction and characterized by radiochemistry methods. [18F]-AZC specificity and affinity toward c-Met were assessed by cell uptake assay, with or without cold compound [19F]-AZC or commercial c-Met inhibitor blocking. MicroPET/CT imaging and biodistribution studies were conducted in subcutaneous murine xenografts of glioma. Additionally, [18F]-AZC was then further evaluated in orthotopic glioma xenografts, by microPET/CT imaging accompanied with MRI and autoradiography for co-registration of the tumor. Immunofluorescence staining was also carried out to qualitatively evaluate the c-Met expression in tumor tissue, co-localizes with H&E staining. RESULTS: This probe shows easy radiosynthesis, high stability in vitro and in vivo, high targeting affinity, and favorable lipophilicity and brain transport coefficient. [18F]-AZC demonstrates excellent tumor imaging properties in vivo and can delineate c-Met positive glioma specifically at 1 h after intravenous injection of the probe. Moreover, favorable correlation was observed between the [18F]-AZC accumulation and the amount of c-Met expression in tumor. CONCLUSION: This novel imaging probe could be applied as a valuable tool for management of anti-c-Met therapies in patients in the future.

Predictive value of the triglyceride-glucose index for short- and long-term all-cause mortality in patients with critical coronary artery disease: a cohort study from the MIMIC-IV database.

BACKGROUND: Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is linked to a poor prognosis for cardiovascular condition and is a valid indicator of insulin resistance. This study evaluated the potential predicting usefulness of the TyG index for all-cause mortality, both short- and long-term, for those concerning critical coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: In this study, information from 5452 critically-ill individuals with CAD in intensive care units were gathered from the Medical Information Marketplace in Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database. Depending on the TyG index degree, the patients were categorized into three categories. Clinical outcomes included short-term (30-day) and long-term (365-day) all-cause mortality. The corresponding relationships involving the TyG index and clinical outcomes were examined by deploying restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression analysis and Cox proportional risk regression. RESULTS: An increased TyG index was associated with increased 30-day (Tertile 1: 6.1%, Tertile 2: 7.3%, Tertile 3: 9.2%, P = 0.001) and 365-day (Tertile 1: 15.2%, Tertile 2: 17.0%, Tertile 3: 19.6%, P = 0.002) death rates across all causes. Cox regression with multiple variables indicates that higher TyG indices were linked to higher all-caused mortality hazard ratios throughout the short and long terms, with a larger predictive value for the former. RCS regression analyses suggested that the risk of death was notably and linearly that is associated with TyG index. CONCLUSIONS: The TyG index is a reliable predictor of all-cause mortality at different stages in critically ill CAD patients, with a higher predictive ability for short-term mortality. Early intervention in patients with elevated TyG index may improve their survival outcomes. Future research should delve into understanding its pathophysiological mechanisms and develop intervention strategies based on the TyG index, providing new insights and strategies to enhance the outlook for critically ill CAD patients.

Too little or too much? Exploring the effectiveness of different policies in air pollution control from technical and non-technical pathways.

Most environmental policy studies focus on the technical pathway effect but ignore the non-technical pathway. This paper analyzes the synergistic governance effects of three types of environmental policies on the technical and non-technical pathways. The super-efficient slacks-based measure-data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) assesses the green total factor productivity, while the Malmquist index decomposes into pure technical efficiency. The findings indicate that: (1) command-and-control policy has the 'too-little-of-a-good-thing' effect, but the policy intensity in most Chinese provinces is strong enough to reduce air pollution, while market-based incentive policy may be 'too-much-of-a-good-thing', but Chinese provinces have not reached the inflection point; (2) there are considerable differences in the environmental effects of different policies through technical and non-technical pathways; (3) different policies have various focuses. Command-and-control policy focuses on the non-technical pathway, whereas market-based incentive policy can induce technological progress.

Selective Oxidative Cleavage of Benzyl C-N Bond under Metal-Free Electrochemical Conditions.

With the growing significance of green chemistry in organic synthesis, electrochemical oxidation has seen rapid development. Compounds undergo oxidation-reduction reactions through electron transfer at the electrode surface. This article proposes the use of electrochemical methods to achieve cleavage of the benzyl C-N bond. This method selectively oxidatively cleaves the C-N bond without the need for metal catalysts or external oxidants. Additionally, primary, secondary, and tertiary amines exhibit good adaptability under these conditions, utilizing water as the sole source of oxygen.

Iodophor-Catalyzed Disulfenylation of Amino Naphthalenes with Aryl Sulfonyl Hydrazines.

An iodophor-catalyzed direct disulfenylation of amino naphthalenes with aryl sulfonyl hydrazines in water was developed. A series of aryl sulfides were obtained in moderate to excellent yields. The advantages of this green protocol were the simple reaction conditions (metal-free, water as the solvent, under air), the odorless and easily available sulfur reagent, the broad substrate scope, and gram-scale synthesis. Moreover, the potential application of aryl sulfides was exemplified by further transformations.

A Programmable DNAzyme for the Sensitive Detection of Nucleic Acids.

Nucleic acids in biofluids are emerging biomarkers for the molecular diagnostics of diseases, but their clinical use has been hindered by the lack of sensitive detection assays. Herein, we report the development of a sensitive nucleic acid detection assay named SPOT (sensitive loop-initiated DNAzyme biosensor for nucleic acid detection) by rationally designing a catalytic DNAzyme of endonuclease capability into a unified one-stranded allosteric biosensor. SPOT is activated once a nucleic acid target of a specific sequence binds to its allosteric module to enable continuous cleavage of molecular reporters. SPOT provides a highly robust platform for sensitive, convenient and cost-effective detection of low-abundance nucleic acids. For clinical validation, we demonstrated that SPOT could detect serum miRNAs for the diagnostics of breast cancer, gastric cancer and prostate cancer. Furthermore, SPOT exhibits potent detection performance over SARS-CoV-2 RNA from clinical swabs with high sensitivity and specificity. Finally, SPOT is compatible with point-of-care testing modalities such as lateral flow assays. Hence, we envision that SPOT may serve as a robust assay for the sensitive detection of a variety of nucleic acid targets enabling molecular diagnostics in clinics.

miRNA Detection for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis by miRoll-Cas: miRNA Rolling Circle Transcription for CRISPR-Cas Assay.

Micro-RNA (miRNA) emerges as a promising type of biomarker for cancer diagnosis. There is an urgent need for developing rapid, convenient, and precise miRNA detection methods that may be conducted with limited laboratory facilities, especially in underdeveloped areas. Herein, we developed a miRNA detection method termed miRoll-Cas, where miRNA is first amplified by rolling circle transcription and then subject to CRISPR-Cas13a assay. Using miRoll-Cas, we realized the sensitive detection of multiple cancer-relevant miRNA markers (miR21, miR141, and Let7b) and specifically identified other variants of the Let7 family, which can accurately discriminate prostate cancer patients from healthy people. We envision that miRoll-Cas may be readily translated to clinical applications in the diagnosis of a variety of diseases beyond cancer.

Precise Detection of Viral RNA by Programming Multiplex Rolling Circle Amplification and Strand Displacement.

Detection of viral infections (e.g., SARS-CoV-2) with high precision is critical to disease control and treatment. There is an urgent need to develop point-of-care detection methods to complement the gold standard laboratory-based PCR assay with comparable sensitivity and specificity. Herein, we developed a method termed mCAD to achieve ultraspecific point-of-care detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA while maintaining high sensitivity by programming multiplex rolling circle amplification and toehold-mediated strand displacement reactions. RCA offers sufficient amplification of RNA targets for subsequent detection. Most importantly, a multilayer of detection specificity is implemented into mCAD via sequence-specific hybridization of nucleic acids across serial steps of this protocol to fully eliminate potential false-positive detections. Using mCAD, we demonstrated a highly specific, sensitive, and convenient visual detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from both synthetic and clinical samples, exhibiting performance comparable to qPCR. We envision that mCAD will find its broad applications in clinical prospects for nucleic acid detections readily beyond SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

Radioactive and Fluorescent Dual Modality Cysteine Cathepsin B Activity-Based Probe for Cancer Theranostics.

Cysteine cathepsin B (CTS-B) is a crucial enzyme that is overexpressed in numerous malignancies and contributes to the invasion and metastasis of cancer. Therefore, this study sets out to develop and evaluate an activity-based multimodality theranostic agent targeting CTS-B for cancer imaging and therapy. A CTS-B activity-based probe, BMX2, was synthesized and labeled efficiently with 68Ga and 90Y to produce 68Ga-BMX2 for multimodality imaging and 90Y-BMX2 for radiation therapy. The affinity and specificity of BMX2 binding with the CTS-B enzyme were determined by fluorescent western blots using recombined active human CTS-B enzyme (rh-CTS-B) and four cancer cell lines including HeLa, HepG2, MCF7, and U87MG, with CA074 as the CTS-B inhibitor for control. Confocal laser scanning microscope imaging and cell uptake measurement were also performed. Then, in vivo PET imaging and fluorescence imaging were acquired on HeLa xenografts. Finally, the therapeutic effect of 90Y-BMX2 was tested. BMX2 could be specifically activated by rh-CTS-B and stably bound to the enzyme. The binding of BMX2 with CTS-B is time-dependent and enzyme concentration-dependent. Although CTS-B expression varied between cell lines, all showed significant uptake of BMX2 and 68Ga-BMX2. In vivo optical and PET imaging showed a high tumor uptake of BMX2 and 68Ga-BMX2 and accumulation for more than 24 h. 90Y-BMX2 could significantly inhibit HeLa tumor growth. The development of 68Ga/90Y-BMX2, a radioactive and fluorescent dual modality theranostic agent, demonstrated an effective theranostic approach for PET diagnostic imaging, fluorescence imaging, and radionuclide therapy of cancers, which may have a potential for clinical translation for cancer theranostics in the future.

Fabricating Amorphous Zero-Valent Iron for Cr(VI) Efficient Reduction: Unveiling the Effect of Ethylenediamine on Physicochemical Properties.

Amorphous zero-valent iron (AZVI) has attracted wide attention due to its high-efficiency reduction ability. However, the effect of different EDA/Fe(II) molar ratios on the physicochemical properties of the synthesized AZVI requires further investigation. Herein, series of AZVI samples were prepared by changing the molar ratio of EDA/Fe(II) to 1/1 (AZVI@1), 2/1 (AZVI@2), 3/1 (AZVI@3), and 4/1 (AZVI@4). When the EDA/Fe(II) ratio increased from 0/1 to 3/1, the Fe0 proportion on the AZVI surface increased from 26.0 to 35.2% and the reducing ability was enhanced. As for AZVI@4, the surface was severely oxidized to form a large amount of Fe3O4, and the Fe0 content was only 74.0%. Moreover, the removal ability of Cr(VI) was in the order AZVI@3 > AZVI@2 > AZVI@1 > AZVI@4. The isothermal titration calorimetry results revealed that the increase of the molar ratio of EDA/Fe(II) would lead to the stronger complexation of EDA with Fe(II), which resulted in the gradual decrease of the yield of AZVI@1 to AZVI@4 and the gradual deterioration of water pollution after the synthesis. Therefore, based on the evaluation of all indicators, AZVI@2 was the optimal material, not only because its yield was as high as 88.7% and the secondary water pollution level was low, but most importantly, the removal efficiency of Cr(VI) by AZVI@2 was excellent. Furthermore, the actual Cr(VI) wastewater with the concentration of 14.80 mg/L was treated with AZVI@2, and the removal rate of 97.0% was achieved after only a 30 min reaction. This work clarified the effect of different ratios of EDA/Fe(II) on the physicochemical properties of AZVI, which provided insights for guiding the reasonable synthesis of AZVI and is also conducive to investigating the reaction mechanism of AZVI in Cr(VI) remediation.

NHPI-Mediated Electrochemical α-Oxygenation of Amides to Benzimides.

This report describes a mild electrochemical α-oxygenation of a wide range of linear and cyclic benzamides mediated by N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) in an undivided cell using O2 as the oxygen source and 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine perchlorate as an electrolyte. The radical scavenger experiment and the 18O labeling experiment were carried out, which indicated the involvement of a radical pathway and suggested O2 as an oxygen source in the imides, respectively.

Bone-Targeted Dual Functional Lipid-coated Drug Delivery System for Osteosarcoma Therapy.

PURPOSE OR OBJECTIVE: Osteosarcoma is well-known for its high incidence in children and adolescents and long-term bone pain, which seriously reduces the life quality of patients. Cisplatin (CDDP), as the first-line anti-osteosarcoma drug, has been used in many anticancer treatments. At the same time, the serious side effects of platinum (Pt) drugs have also attracted widespread attention. To accurately deliver Pt drugs to the lesion site and realize controlled release of Pt drugs, certain modified delivery systems have been extensively studied. METHODS: Among them, liposomes have been approved for clinical cancer treatment due to their highly biocompatibility and superior modifiability. Here, we developed a bone-targeted dual functional lipid-coated drug delivery system, lipid-coated CDDP alendronate nanoparticles (LCA NPs) to target the bone and precisely deliver the drugs to the tumor site. Cell toxicity, apoptosis and cellular uptake were detected to evaluate the anticancer effect for LCA NPs. Furthermore, transwell assay and wound healing assay were conducted to estimate the osteosarcoma cell migration and invasion. Hemolysis assay was utilized to assess the biocapitibility of the kind of NPs. RESULTS: With the aim of bone-targeted unit alendronate (ALD), LCA NPs serve as a rich bone homing Pt delivery system to exert efficient anticancer effects and synergistically reduce bone resorption and bone loss potentially. CONCLUSIONS: By providing a highly biocompatible platform for osteosarcoma therapy, LCA NPs may help to significantly enhance the anticancer effect of Pt and greatly reduce the systemic toxicity and side effects of Pt towards osteosarcoma.

The impact of pharmacist practice of medication therapy management in ambulatory care: an experience from a comprehensive Chinese hospital.

BACKGROUD: With the reform of medical system in China, Beijing municipal hospitals explored a new pharmaceutical care model and set up medication therapy management services (MTMs) in ambulatory care since 2019. We were one of the first hospitals to set up this service in China. At the present, there were relatively few reports about the effect of MTMs in China. In this study, we summarized the implementation of MTMs in our hospital, explore the feasibility of pharmacist-led MTMs in ambulatory care and the impact of MTMs on patients' medical costs. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in a university-affiliated, tertiary comprehensive hospital in Beijing, China. The patients who received at least one MTMs and with complete medical records and pharmaceutical documents from May 2019 to February 2020 were included. Pharmacists provided pharmaceutical care for patients according to the MTMs standards issued by the American Pharmacists Association, identified the numbers and classification of the patients' perceived medication-related demands, identified medication-related problems (MRPs), and developed the medication-related action plans (MAPs). All MRPs found by pharmacists, pharmaceutical interventions, and resolving recommendations were documented, and calculate the cost of treatment drugs that patients can reduce. RESULTS: A total of 112 patients received MTMs in ambulatory care, among them 81 cases with the completed record were included in this study. 67.9% of patients had five or more diseases, 83% of them co-took over 5 drugs. While performing MTMs, 128 patients' perceived medication-related demands were recorded in all, monitoring and judgment of adverse drug reaction (ADR) (17.19%) was the most common demand. 181 MRPs were found, with an average of 2.55 MPRs per patient. Nonadherence (38%), excessive drug treatment (20%), and adverse drug events (17.12%) were the top three MRPs. Pharmaceutical care (29.77%), adjustment of drug treatment plan (29.10%) and referral to the clinical department (23.41%) were the top three MAPs. Whereby the MTMs provided by pharmacists, the cost-saving of each patient was about $ 43.2 monthly. CONCLUSION: By participating in the MTMs of outpatients, the pharmacists could identify more MRPs and develop personalized MAPs timely for patients, thereby promoting rational drug use and reducing medical expenses.

Promoting Cell Fusion by Polyvalent DNA Ligands.

Artificially induced in vitro cell fusion is one essential technique that has been extensively used for biological studies. Nevertheless, there is a lack of robust and efficient method to produce fused cells efficiently. Herein, we proposed to use cell-membrane-anchored polyvalent DNA ligands (PDL) to bring cells into close proximity by forming clusters to enhance PEG-induced cell fusion. PDL of complementary sequences are separately anchored onto different population of cells through cholesterol-induced hydrophobic insertion into lipid membrane. Cells are clustered via mixing cells of complementary PDL prior to cell fusion. PDL exhibited strong stability on cell membrane, induced efficient cell clustering, and eventually achieved cell fusion efficiently in combination with PEG induction. We demonstrated homogeneous and heterogeneous cell fusion of high yield on various cell types. This report presented a programmable yet robust technique for achieving efficient cell fusion that hold great application potentials.

Comparison of adverse drug reactions between tamoxifen and toremifene in breast cancer patients with different CYP2D6 genotypes: A propensity-score matched cohort study.

CYP2D6 gene polymorphism has a profound impact upon the effect of tamoxifen as adjuvant endocrine therapy in breast cancer. However, it had never been reported whether the adverse drug reactions vary by CYP2D6 metabolic status for patients treated with tamoxifen or toremifene. We conducted a retrospective study in breast cancer patients to investigate the impact of CYP2D6 metabolic status on liver dysfunction events, gynecological events and dyslipidemia events. According to CYP2D6*10 (100C → T) genotype, the enrolled patients were further categorized into four cohorts (extensive metabolizers taking tamoxifen [EM + TAM], extensive metabolizers taking toremifene [EM + TOR], intermediate metabolizers taking tamoxifen [IM + TAM], and intermediate metabolizers taking toremifene [IM + TOR]). A total of 192 patients were included in the study, with a median follow-up time of 26.2 months. In EM + TAM cohort, the risks of liver dysfunction events (P = .004) and gynecological events (P = .004) were significantly higher compared to EM + TOR cohort. In IM + TAM cohort, the risks of liver dysfunction events (P = .14) and gynecological events (P = .99) were not significantly different from IM + TOR cohort. A significant decrease of total cholesterol was observed in EM + TAM cohort around 1 year after taking tamoxifen (P < .001). Significant interactions between CYP2D6 metabolic status and endocrine agents were observed in terms of liver dysfunction events (P-interaction = .007) and gynecological events (P-interaction = .026). These findings suggested that CYP2D6 gene polymorphism played a significant role in predicting liver dysfunction, gynecological diseases and lipid metabolism changes among patients taking tamoxifen or toremifene.

Genetic and multi-omics analyses reveal BnaA07.PAP2In-184-317 as the key gene conferring anthocyanin-based color in Brassica napus flowers.

The molecular mechanisms underlying anthocyanin-based flower coloration remain unknown in Brassica napus. To identify the key genes and metabolites associated with apricot and pink flower colors, metabolome, BSA-seq, and RNA-seq analyses were conducted on apricot-, pink-, yellow-, and white-flowered F2B. napus. Yellow carotenoids and red anthocyanins were abundant in apricot petals, while colorless carotenoids and red anthocyanins accumulated in pink petals. Most carotenoid genes were not differentially regulated between apricot and yellow or between pink and white petals. Three regulator genes, BnaMYBL2, BnaA07.PAP2, and BnaTT8, and structural genes in anthocyanin biosynthesis were dramatically enhanced in apricot and pink petals in comparison with yellow and white petals. Map-based cloning revealed that BnaA07.PAP2 is responsible for anthocyanin-based flower color and encodes a nucleus-localized protein predominantly expressed in apricot and pink flowers. Two insertions in the promoter region are responsible for the transcriptional activation of BnaA07.PAP2 in flowers. Introducing the BnaA07.PAP2In-184-317 allele broadly activated the expression of anthocyanin-related genes and promoted anthocyanin accumulation in flowers, yielding color change from yellow to apricot. These findings illustrate the genetic basis of anthocyanin-based flower coloration and provide a valuable genetic resource for breeding varieties with novel flower colors in B. napus.

Dual Drug Loaded pH-sensitive Micelles for Efficient Bacterial Infection Treatment.

PURPOSE: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection at impaired wound is associated with high risks of developing to persistent bacterial infections since bacterial biofilm is easy to form in MRSA infected wounds. An advanced therapeutic approach to effectively penetrate and eliminate bacterial biofilm and to accelerate cell proliferation and migration at the wound is crucial. METHODS: The poly(ε-caprolactone)-monomethoxyl poly (ethylene glycol) (PCL-mPEG) micelles loaded with Quercetin and Rifampicin (QRMs) were prepared. Bacterial biofilm proliferation and elimination effect of QRMs were evaluated with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Antibacterial assay was further performed to detect antibacterial activity and mechanism. The cell scratch assay and cellular uptake were performed in HaCaT skin epithelial cells. RESULTS: Our results showed that the small sized QRMs could penetrate the interior of MRSA biofilm to disperse and eradicate biofilm. Then, antibiotics are released and accumulated in the acidic biofilm environment. QRMs could kill bacteria through increasing bacterial membrane permeability and altering membrane potential and membrane fluidity. Moreover, QRMs improved intracellular and cytoplasmic delivery efficiency of drugs to epithelial cells, and in the scratch test, presented a stronger ability to promote migration and proliferation of HaCaT cells compared with free drugs. Hemolysis test further proved good biocompatibility of QRMs. CONCLUSIONS: QRMs could potentially be used as a novel dual-functional nanotherapeutic for anti-bacterial infection by eradicating biofilm and accelerating cells proliferation at MRSA infected wound.