Cytotoxic Cyclodepsipeptides and Cyclopentane Derivatives from a Plant-Associated Fungus Fusarium sp.

In this work, four new cyclodepsipeptides, fusarihexins C-E (1-3) and enniatin Q (4), four new cyclopentane derivatives, fusarilins A-D (5-8), together with eight known compounds (9-16), were isolated from cultures of the endophytic fungus Fusarium sp. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by analysis of HRMS and NMR spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations were determined using Marfey's method, a modified Mosher's method, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and ECD analysis. The antitumor activities of the isolated compounds in vitro were evaluated. Cyclodepsipeptides displayed cytotoxicities against the Huh-7, MRMT-1, and HepG-2 cell lines. Compounds 4, 9, 10, and 12 with IC50 values of 1.0-9.1 µM exhibited the most potent cytotoxicities against the three cell lines as compared to the positive control-5-fluorouracil. Compounds 1-3 and 11 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities (IC50 values of 10.7-20.1 µM).

DSCAM/PAK1 pathway suppression reverses neurogenesis deficits in iPSC-derived cerebral organoids from patients with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome (DS), caused by trisomy of chromosome 21, occurs in 1 of every 800 live births. Early defects in cortical development likely account for the cognitive impairments in DS, although the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. Here, we performed histological assays and unbiased single-cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) analysis on cerebral organoids derived from 4 euploid cell lines and from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from 3 individuals with trisomy 21 to explore cell-type-specific abnormalities associated with DS during early brain development. We found that neurogenesis was significantly affected, given the diminished proliferation and decreased expression of layer II and IV markers in cortical neurons in the subcortical regions; this may have been responsible for the reduced size of the organoids. Furthermore, suppression of the DSCAM/PAK1 pathway, which showed enhanced activity in DS, using CRISPR/Cas9, CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), or small-molecule inhibitor treatment reversed abnormal neurogenesis, thereby increasing the size of organoids derived from DS iPSCs. Our study demonstrates that 3D cortical organoids developed in vitro are a valuable model of DS and provide a direct link between dysregulation of the DSCAM/PAK1 pathway and developmental brain defects in DS.

Xanthones and anthraquinones from the soil fungus Penicillium sp. DWS10-P-6.

Two new xanthones, oxisterigmatocystins J and K (1-2), and two new anthraquinones, versicolorins D and E (3-4), were isolated from solid cultures of the fungus Penicillium sp. DWS10-P-6, together with twelve known compounds (5-16). Their structures, including their absolute configurations, were characterized on the basis of extensive 1D NMR, 2D NMR, MS and CD spectral data. The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1-12 against HL-60, MDA-MB-231 and PC-3 cells were also evaluated. Compounds 4 and 5 showed significant cytotoxic activity against the HL-60 cell line with IC50 values of 1.65 µM and 1.05 µM, respectively.

Prognostic significance of combined pretreatment body mass index (BMI) and BMI loss in patients with esophageal cancer.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) has been associated with a risk of esophageal cancer. However, the influence of BMI and BMI loss on people with esophageal cancer that were treated with different therapies has not been described in China. Methods: In total, 615 consecutive patients that underwent esophagectomy and/or chemotherapy/radiotherapy were classified according to the Asian-specific BMI (kg/m2) cutoff values. The impact of BMI and BMI loss on long-term overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that overweight and obese patients had a more favorable survival than normal weight and underweight patients (p=0.017). Patients with a low BMI and high BMI loss before therapy had worse OS than others (p=0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that patients with a high BMI were more likely to suffer hypertension (p<0.001) and receive only surgery (p<0.001), and they were less likely to be smokers (p=0.007) and anemic (p<0.001). Conversely, patients with high BMI loss were more likely to be anemic (p=0.001), to have advanced pathological stage (p=0.012), and to receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy (p=0.001). Moreover, the mortality rate was higher when patients had a high BMI loss. There is no survival benefit of higher BMI in the non-esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) group. Conclusion: Pretreatment BMI was an independent prognostic factor for long-term survival in esophageal cancer patients treated with different treatments. The overall survival was increased in esophageal cancer patients with a high pretreatment BMI and no BMI loss. There is no survival benefit of higher BMI in the non-ESCC group.

Salinicola tamaricis sp. nov., a heavy-metal-tolerant, endophytic bacterium isolated from the halophyte Tamarix chinensis Lour.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterium, strain F01T, was isolated from leaves of Tamarix chinensis Lour. The isolate grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0 and with 5.0 % (w/v) NaCl, and showed a high tolerance to manganese, lead, nickel, ferrous ions and copper ions. The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c and C16 : 0, and the predominant respiratory quinone was Q-9. Polar lipids were dominated by diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, unidentified aminoglycolipids and phospholipids. The DNA G+C content was 65.8 %. Based on multilocus phylogenetic analysis, strain F01T belonged to the genus Salinicola, with highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Salinicola peritrichatus CGMCC 1.12381T (97.7 %). The level of DNA-DNA hybridization between strain F01T and closely related Salinicola strains was well below 70 %. According to the phenotypic, genetic and chemotaxonomic data, strain F01T is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Salinicola, for which the name Salinicola tamaricis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is F01T (=CCTCC AB 2015304T=KCTC 42855T).

[Breeding habitat characteristics of red-crowned crane at Zhalong of Northeast China: a multi-scale approach based on TM and ASAR image data].

Based on the Landsat TM and Envisat ASAR HH/HV imagery data and by using the GPS data of red-crowned crane nesting sites (n = 28) at Zhalong National Nature Reserve of Northeast China, the models of the breeding habitat selection of red-crowned crane at the Reserve were established by binary Logistic regression to identify the key variables for the habitat selection at eight spatial scales (30-240 m). The relative performance of the two models based on the Landsat TM and Envisat ASAR HH/HV databases was compared, and the prediction capacity of the models across the eight scales was approached. The overall precisions of the two models were satisfactory (> or = 69.0%). At scale 30 m, only variable TCA_2 entered with negative value into the model based on Landsat TM database, which indicated that the crane at this scale avoided selecting higher density reed marshes. At scales 60-120 m, the variable PCA_2 entered with positive value into the two models, indicating that the crane at these scales had higher demand of high density reed marshes to improve its concealment. At scale 90 m, the variable HV backward scatting coefficient also entered into the combined model, which indicated that water condition was the important factor for the habitat selection of the crane at this scale. At scales > 120 m, the texture information of the two satellite sensors started to be involved into the two models, indicating that at larger scales, the crane had decreasing demand on the vegetation features for its breeding habitat selection but increasing sensitivity to the anthropogenic disturbance factors. The introduction of ASAR variables into the models increased the prediction accuracy of the models markedly at all scales.

[Spatiotemporal dynamics and landscape pattern of alien species Spartina alterniflora in Yancheng coastal wetlands of Jiangsu Province, China].

Based on the 1992-2007 remote sensing images and field survey data, and by using the landscape ecology theories and the method of conversion matrix, the spatiotemporal dynamics and landscape pattern of Spartina alterniflora in Yancheng coastal wetlands were analyzed by GIS. The results showed that the total area of S. alterniflora along the whole coastal beaches of Yancheng increased from 3561 hm2 in 1992 to 14491 hm2 in 2007, with a growth rate of 306.94%. In 1992-2007, the total area of S. alterniflora conversion-in and conversion-out was 26291 hm2 and 15361 hm2, respectively, and the S. alterniflora community in the core area of Yancheng National Nature Reserve expanded from 597 hm2 to 2814 hm2, with an annual growth rate of 24.74%. The S. alterniflora community transformed from scattered patches in estuarine regions into continuous belt pattern mainly distributed in the periphery of coastal wetlands from Sheyang River to Liangduo River. Its centroid moved to the southeast, with a distance of 2.92 km. The average area of patches increased from 1992 to 2002, and then decreased from 2002 to 2007. The largest patch index and area-weighted contiguity index increased year by year, and the shape of patches tended to be more regular.