Discovery of novel and potent CDK8 inhibitors for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia.

It has been reported that CDK8 plays a key role in acute myeloid leukaemia. Here, a total of 40 compounds were rational designed and synthesised based on the previous SAR. Among them, compound 12 (3-(3-(furan-3-yl)-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridin-5-yl)benzamide) showed the most potent inhibiting activity against CDK8 with an IC50 value of 39.2 ± 6.3 nM and anti AML cell proliferation activity (molm-13 GC50 = 0.02 ± 0.01 µM, MV4-11 GC50 = 0.03 ± 0.01 µM). Mechanistic studies revealed that this compound 12 could inhibit the phosphorylation of STAT-1 and STAT-5. Importantly, compound 12 showed relative good bioavailability (F = 38.80%) and low toxicity in vivo. This study has great significance for the discovery of more efficient CDK8 inhibitors and the development of drugs for treating AML in the future.

Dihydropyridopyrazine Functionalized Xanthene: Generating Stable NIR Dyes with Small-Molecular Weight by Enhanced Charge Separation.

Near-infrared region (NIR; 650-1700 nm) dyes offer many advantages over traditional dyes with absorption and emission in the visible region. However, developing new NIR dyes, especially organic dyes with long wavelengths, small molecular weight, and excellent stability and biocompatibility, is still quite challenging. Herein, we present a general method to enhance the absorption and emission wavelengths of traditional fluorophores by simply appending a charge separation structure, dihydropyridopyrazine. These novel NIR dyes not only exhibited greatly redshifted wavelengths compared to their parent dyes, but also displayed a small molecular weight increase together with retained stability and biocompatibility. Specifically, dye NIR-OX, a dihydropyridopyra-zine derivative of oxazine with a molecular mass of 386.2 Da, exhibited an absorption at 822 nm and an emission extending to 1200 nm, making it one of the smallest molecular-weight NIR-II emitting dyes. Thanks to its rapid metabolism and long wave-length, NIR-OX enabled high-contrast bioimaging and assessment of cholestatic liver injury in vivo and also facilitated the evalua-tion of the efficacy of liver protection medicines against cholestatic liver injury.

A Review of Crystalline Multibridged Cyclophane Cages: Synthesis, Their Conformational Behavior, and Properties.

This paper reviews the most stable conformation of crystalline three-dimensional cyclophane (CP) achieved by self-assembling based on changing the type of aromatic compound or regulating the type and number of bridging groups. [3n]cyclophanes (CPs) were reported to form supramolecular compounds with bind organic, inorganic anions, or neutral molecules selectively. [3n]cyclophanes ([3n]CPs) have stronger donor capability relative to compound [2n]cyclophanes ([2n]CPs), and it is expected to be a new type of electron donor for the progress of fresh electron conductive materials. The synthesis, conformational behavior, and properties of crystalline multi-bridge rings are summarized and discussed.

Enhancing the Release Efficiency of a Molecular Chemotherapeutic Prodrug by Photodynamic Therapy.

Tumor-specific, hypoxia-activated prodrugs have been developed to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy drugs. However, the release efficiency of hypoxia-activated prodrugs is restricted by the degree of tumor hypoxia, which further leads to poor cancer treatment effects. On the other hand, oxygen is consumed gradually in photodynamic therapy (PDT), which aggravates hypoxia at the tumor site. In this study, we combined hypoxia-activated prodrugs with PDT agents to promote the prodrugs release, thereby improving their bioavailability and therapeutic effects. As a proof of concept, a mitochondria-targeted molecular prodrug, CS-P, was designed and synthesized. It can be selectively activated by tumor hypoxia to release chemotherapeutic drugs and photosensitizers, and then further discharge drugs after light irradiation. The design strategy proposed in this paper provides a new idea for enhancing hypoxia-activated prodrug release and real-time monitoring prodrug release.

Engineering of Reversible NIR-II Redox-Responsive Fluorescent Probes for Imaging of Inflammation In Vivo.

The second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescent imaging shows great potential for deep tissue analysis at high resolution in living body owing to low background autofluorescence and photon scattering. However, reversible monitoring of redox homeostasis using NIR-II fluorescent imaging remains a challenge due to the lack of appropriate probes. In this study, a series of stable and multifunctional NIR-II dyes (NIR-II Cy3s) were constructed based on trimethine skeleton. Significantly, introducing the 1,4-diethyl-decahydroquinoxaline group to the NIR-II Cy3s not only effectively increased the wavelength, but also served as an effective response site for HClO, which can be restored by reactive sulfur species (RSS). Based on this, NIR-II Cy3s were used for reversible monitoring of HClO/RSS-mediated redox processes in the pathophysiology environment. Finally, NIR-II Cy3-988 was successfully utilized for assessment of the redox environments and drug treatment effects in acute inflammation model.

Precipitated Fluorophore-Based Probe for Accurate Detection of Mitochondrial Analytes.

Mitochondria-targeted fluorescent probes are highly important to obtain mitochondrial function information. However, the accuracy of the current mitochondria-targeted fluorescent probes is unsatisfactory owing to the following two reasons. In the first case, some probes that always have a mitochondria-targeting group, thus, would react with the analytes outside of mitochondria and enter mitochondria with the generated fluorophore signal, which leads to a false-positive result. In the other case, after response to the analytes in mitochondria, some probes could diffuse from mitochondria to other organelles, thus triggering a false-negative result. To avoid the two problems, herein, we develop a precipitated fluorophore-based probe, which precipitates in situ after reacting with analytes, for the accurate detection of mitochondrial analytes. The probe was modified with HQPQ, a novel solid-state fluorophore that is insoluble in water. As a proof of concept, we designed and synthesized a probe (HQPQ-B) for H2O2 detection. Based on the different mitochondria-targeting capacities of quinoline salts and quinolone, HQPQ loses the mitochondria-targeting ability after reacting with analytes outside of mitochondria, thus avoiding a false-positive result. On the contrary, when the probe first localized in mitochondria and then reacted with analytes, HQPQ would precipitate and remain in mitochondria without diffusing to other sites, thus avoiding a false-negative result. Therefore, HQPQ enables the accurate detection of mitochondrial analytes. We believe that the novel strategy based on HQPQ will be a general strategy for accurate detection of mitochondrial analytes without interference from other sites, which enables an accurate study on mitochondrial function.

Immediate versus delayed frozen embryo transfer in women following a failed IVF-ET attempt: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The optimal time at which to perform a frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) following a failed in-vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) attempt remains elusive to most reproductive experts. Physicians often delay the introduction of FET due to concerns related to potential residual effects of ovarian hyperstimulation which may interfere with the regular menstrual cycle. Moreover, given that most of the published studies on the topic are retrospective and have inconsistent findings, it is crucial to develop evidence-based randomized control guides for clinical practice. Therefore, this well-designed randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to determine whether it is necessary to delay FET for at least one menstrual cycle after the failure of fresh embryo transfer. METHODS: Infertile women eligible for IVF-ET were invited to participate in this multicenter, randomized, non-inferiority, parallel-group, unblinded, controlled trial at the academic fertility centers of four public hospitals in Chinese Mainland. Infertile women scheduled to receive their first FET cycle after a failed IVF-ET attempt were randomly assigned to either (a) the immediate FET group in which FET was performed in the first menstrual cycle following the failed IVF-ET cycle (n = 366) or (b) the delayed FET group in which FET was performed in the second or subsequent menstrual cycle following the failed IVF-ET cycle (n = 366). All FET cycles were performed during hormone replacement cycles for endometrial preparation. The primary outcome was the ongoing pregnancy, defined as a detectable fetal heart beat beyond twelve weeks of gestation. Secondary outcomes were other pregnancy-related outcomes, maternal and neonatal complications. Analysis was performed by both intention-to-treat and per-protocol principles. RESULTS: A total of 646 FETs were completed. The frequency of moderate to severe depression and high stress level prior to FET in delayed FET group were significantly higher than that in immediate FET group (10.6% vs 6.1%, p = 0.039; 30.3% vs 22.4%, p = 0.022, respectively). Immediate FET resulted in a higher frequency of clinical pregnancy than did delayed FET (41.7% vs 34.1%), for a relative risk (RR) of 1.23 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.50; p = 0.045). Women who underwent immediate FET also had a lower frequency of biochemical pregnancy loss (11.7% vs. 30.6%), with a RR of 0.28 (95% CI 0.23-0.63, p < 0.001), and a higher frequency of embryo implantation (25.2% vs. 20.2%), with a RR of 1.25 (95% CI 1.01-1.53; p = 0.038). Although the ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates did not differ significantly between the immediate FET and delayed FET groups (37.1% vs 30.3%, RR 1.22, 95% CI 0.99-1.52, p = 0.067; 36.5% vs 30.0%, RR 1.22, 95% CI 0.98-1.52, p = 0.079, respectively), a multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders such as depression and stress levels revealed that the immediate FET group had a significantly higher ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates than the delayed FET group (odds ratio 0.68, 95% CI 0.47-0.99, p = 0.041; odds ratio 0.67, 95% CI 0.46-0.96, p = 0.031). The risks of maternal and neonatal complications were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In women with a previous failed IVF-ET attempt, immediate FET resulted in higher ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates than delayed FET. These findings warrant caution in the indiscriminate application of a delayed FET strategy when apparent risk of high stress level is perceived. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2000033313 .

Severity of albuminuria as an early indicator for wound healing in type 2 diabetic foot ulcers.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the severity of albuminuria and wound healing in type 2 diabetic foot ulcers. A total of 121 patients with diabetic foot ulcers were recruited from January 2015 to June 2017 and divided into nonproliferation and proliferation groups according to their healing status. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to assess the risk factors of wound proliferation. Skin biopsies were also taken from normal tissue near the wound in 54 participants. The microvessel density as well as the relationships among the microvessel density, albuminuria and wound proliferation were evaluated. Results showed that in a multiple linear regression model, factors including body-mass index, microalbuminuria, and macroalbuminuria showed independently significant association with wound healing in patients. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated albuminuria as a predicator for wound healing with a cutoff value of 32 mg/g. Meanwhile, normoalbuminuric patients showed significantly higher level of skin microvessels density than microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria patients, while microalbuminuria patients also had statistically more microvessels that macroalbuminuria patients. The microvessel density were statistically significantly higher in the proliferation group than that in the nonproliferation group. In summary, this study suggested that albuminuria can be used as an independent indicator for the healing of type 2 diabetic foot ulcers.

Iodine-Catalyzed Synthesis of N,N'-Chelate Organoboron Aminoquinolate.

We disclose a novel method for the synthesis of fluorescent N,N'-chelate organoboron compounds in high efficiency by treatment of aminoquinolates with NaBAr4/R'COOH in the presence of an iodine catalyst. These compounds display high air and thermal stability. A possible catalytic mechanism based on the results of control experiments has been proposed. Fluorescence quantum yield of 3b is up to 0.79 in dichloromethane.

[Adenovirus pneumonia with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in children: a clinical analysis of 7 children].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features of children with adenovirus pneumonia and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the mediacal data of 7 children with adenovirus pneumonia and HLH from March to September, 2019. RESULTS: The age of these children ranged from 11 months to 5 years, and among these children, 5 were aged <2 years and 5 were boys. None of these children had underlying diseases. All children were hospitalized due to persistent high fever and cough, and the peak temperature of fever was 39°C to 41°C. With disease progression, 7 children developed hepatomegaly and 6 developed splenomegaly. Routine blood test results showed reductions in two or three lineages of blood cells, with increases in serum ferritin (SF), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Phagocytosis of blood cells was observed in 6 children. Radiological examination of lungs showed pneumonia changes. All 7 children were diagnosed with human adenovirus type 7 infection based on pathogenic metagenome detection. No abnormality was found by HLH gene detection and the children were diagnosed with secondary HLH. All children received intravenous immunoglobulin. Among these children, 4 received dexamethasone and etoposide chemotherapy, 3 received dexamethasone alone, and 4 received plasma exchange. Of the 7 children, 2 died and 5 were recovered. Compared with those who survived, the children who died had significantly greater reductions in the three lineages of blood cells and significantly greater increases in serum levels of CRP, PCT, SF, and LDH. CONCLUSIONS: The children with adenovirus pneumonia and HLH have main clinical features of persistent high fever, progressive reductions in two or three lineages of peripheral blood cells, and involvement of other organ systems, including hepatosplenomegaly. Significant increases in serum levels of CRP, PCT, SF, and LDH may suggest a poor prognosis.

[Clinical and genetic characteristics of a young child with combined pituitary hormone deficiency type I caused by POU1F1 gene variation].

This paper reports the clinical and genetic characteristics of a case of combined pituitary hormone deficiency type I (CPHD1) caused by POU domain, class 1, transcription factor 1 (POU1F1) gene variation. A 2 years and 3 months old girl mainly presented with short stature, special facial features of prominent forehead, enophthalmos, and short mandible, loose skin, central hypothyroidism, complete growth hormone deficiency, and anterior pituitary hypoplasia. Gene analysis identified a novel heterozygous mutation, c.889C>T (p.R297W), in POU1F1 gene, and this locus of her parents was wild-type. This mutation was analyzed as a possible pathogenic variant according to the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, which has not been previously reported in the literature and conforms to the autosomal dominant inheritance. This child was diagnosed with CPHD1. Her height increased by 19.8 cm and showed a catch-up growth trend after one year of combined treatment with growth hormone and euthyrox. This study enriches the mutation spectrum of POU1F1 gene and has important significance for the diagnosis and classification of combined pituitary hormone deficiency.

A General Method To Increase Stokes Shift by Introducing Alternating Vibronic Structures.

Fluorescent dyes have enabled much progress in the broad range of biomedical fields. However, many commercially available dyes suffer from small Stokes shifts, resulting in poor signal-to-noise ratio and self-quenching on current microscope configurations. In this work, we have developed a general method to significantly increase the Stokes shifts of common fluorophores. By simply appending a 1,4-diethyl-decahydro-quinoxaline (DQ) moiety onto the conjugated structure, we introduced a vibronic backbone that could facilely expand the Stokes shifts, emission wavelength, and photostability of 11 different fluorophores by more than 3-fold. This generalizable method could significantly improve the imaging efficiency of commercial fluorophores. As a demonstration, we showed that the DQ derivative of hemicyanine generated 5-fold signal in mouse models over indocyanine green. Furthermore, the DQ-modified fluorophores could pair with their parent molecules to conduct one-excitation, multiple emission imaging, allowing us to study the cell behavior more robustly. This approach shows promise in generating dyes suitable for super-resolution microscopy and second window near-infrared imaging.

Metabolomic Analysis Of Human Follicular Fluid: Potential Follicular Fluid Markers Of Reproductive Aging.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the difference in the metabolomics profiles of follicular fluid between older and younger reproductive-aged women. METHODS: The retrospective study was conducted at the Centre of Reproduction and Genetics, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China and comprised patient data related to the period between July and October 2015. Follicular fluid was obtained from male-factor infertility women aged 28-35 years as the younger group A, and those aged 35-42 years as the older group B. The subjects were undergoing in vitro fertilization / intracytoplasmic sperm injection and were retrospectively analysed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. The fragments were structurally identified using debris' information obtained from fragmented ion scans to identify the different compounds. RESULTS: Of the 55 cases studied, 28(51%) were in group A with a mean age of 29.57 ± 2.92 years, and 27(49%) were in group B with a mean age of 39.19±2.95 years. Compared with the group A, four types of compounds, hormones, licithin, lysophospholipids, and protein degradation fragments, were expressed significantly differentially in group B (p<0.05 each). Nicotine glucuronide and phosphatidylcholine were found only in Group B follicular fluid. CONCLUSIONS: The components of follicular fluid and relative contents were found changed with ageing.

Enhancing the Anti-Solvatochromic Two-Photon Fluorescence for Cirrhosis Imaging by Forming a Hydrogen-Bond Network.

Two-photon imaging is an emerging tool for biomedical research and clinical diagnostics. Electron donor-acceptor (D-A) type molecules are the most widely employed two-photon scaffolds. However, current D-A type fluorophores suffer from solvatochromic quenching in aqueous biological samples. To address this issue, we devised a novel class of D-A type green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore analogues that form a hydrogen-bond network in water to improve the two-photon efficiency. Our design results in two-photon chalcone (TPC) dyes with 0.80 quantum yield and large two-photon action cross section (210 GM) in water. This strategy to form hydrogen bonds can be generalized to design two-photon materials with anti-solvatochromic fluorescence. To demonstrate the improved in vivo imaging, we designed a sulfide probe based on TPC dyes and monitored endogenous H2 S generation and scavenging in the cirrhotic rat liver for the first time.

The nitrate-reduction gene cluster components exert lineage-dependent contributions to optimization of Sinorhizobium symbiosis with soybeans.

Receiving nodulation and nitrogen fixation genes does not guarantee rhizobia an effective symbiosis with legumes. Here, variations in gene content were determined for three Sinorhizobium species showing contrasting symbiotic efficiency on soybeans. A nitrate-reduction gene cluster absent in S. sojae was found to be essential for symbiotic adaptations of S. fredii and S. sp. III. In S. fredii, the deletion mutation of the nap (nitrate reductase), instead of nir (nitrite reductase) and nor (nitric oxide reductase), led to defects in nitrogen-fixation (Fix- ). By contrast, none of these core nitrate-reduction genes were required for the symbiosis of S. sp. III. However, within the same gene cluster, the deletion of hemN1 (encoding oxygen-independent coproporphyrinogen III oxidase) in both S. fredii and S. sp. III led to the formation of nitrogen-fixing (Fix+ ) but ineffective (Eff- ) nodules. These Fix+ /Eff- nodules were characterized by significantly lower enzyme activity of glutamine synthetase indicating rhizobial modulation of nitrogen-assimilation by plants. A distant homologue of HemN1 from S. sojae can complement this defect in S. fredii and S. sp. III, but exhibited a more pleotropic role in symbiosis establishment. These findings highlighted the lineage-dependent optimization of symbiotic functions in different rhizobial species associated with the same host.

[Effects of ß-asarone on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Gastric Cancer in Nude Mice].

Objective To observe the effects of ß-asarone on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human gastric cancer MGC-803 cells in BALB/c nude mice,and to study its possible molecular mechanism. Methods Gastric cancer MGC-803 cells were subcutaneously inoculated to nude mice for preparing transplanted tumor model. Totally 24 nude mice were then divided into the negative control group (model) , the positive control group (5-FU,25 mg/kg) , the high dose ß-asarone group (100 mg/ kg) , the low dose ß-asarone group (50 mg/kg) , 8 in each group. Corresponding medicines were adminis- tered to rats in respective group by gastrogavage, once per day for 10 successive days. The mice were sacrificed at the end of the intervention, and the tumor inhibition rate was calculated. The expressions of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Snail, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase ( p-PI3K ) , serine/threonine kinase ( AKT) , phosphorylation of serine/threonine kinase (p-AKT) were detected by Real-time PCR and Western Blot. Results Compared with the model group, the volume of transplanted tumor was obviously reduced in 5-FU group and ß-asarone groups from day7 to day 11 (P <0.05). Protein and mRNA expressions of N-cadherin, Snail, p-PI3K, p-AKT decreased, and protein and mRNA expressions of E-cadherin increased in 5-FU group and ß-asarone groups (P < 0. 05). Conclusions ß-asarone could inhibit proliferation ability of gastric cancer cells, and its mecha- nism might be associated with down-regulating P13K/AKT signal pathway of gastric cancer cells and re- straining EMT of gastric cancer cells.

MucR Is Required for Transcriptional Activation of Conserved Ion Transporters to Support Nitrogen Fixation of Sinorhizobium fredii in Soybean Nodules.

To achieve effective symbiosis with legume, rhizobia should fine-tune their background regulation network in addition to activating key genes involved in nodulation (nod) and nitrogen fixation (nif). Here, we report that an ancestral zinc finger regulator, MucR1, other than its paralog, MucR2, carrying a frameshift mutation, is essential for supporting nitrogen fixation of Sinorhizobium fredii CCBAU45436 within soybean nodules. In contrast to the chromosomal mucR1, mucR2 is located on symbiosis plasmid, indicating its horizontal transfer potential. A MucR2 homolog lacking the frameshift mutation, such as the one from S. fredii NGR234, can complement phenotypic defects of the mucR1 mutant of CCBAU45436. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the MucR1 regulon of CCBAU45436 within nodules exhibits significant difference compared with that of free-living cells. MucR1 is required for active expression of transporters for phosphate, zinc, and elements essential for nitrogenase activity (iron, molybdenum, and sulfur) in nodules but is dispensable for transcription of key genes (nif/fix) involved in nitrogen fixation. Further reverse genetics suggests that S. fredii uses high-affinity transporters to meet the demand for zinc and phosphate within nodules. These findings, together with the horizontal transfer potential of the mucR homolog, imply an intriguing evolutionary role of this ancestral regulator in supporting nitrogen fixation.

[Effect of Jianpi Yangzheng Xiaozheng Recipe on Apoptosis and Autophagy of Subcutaneous Transplanted Tumor in Nude Mice: an Experimental Study on Mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Jianpi Yangzheng Xiaozheng Recipe (JYXR) on the tumor inhibition rate of subcutaneous transplanted tumor gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 in BALB/c nude mice, and to study its molecular mechanism of apoptosis and autophagy. METHODS: Gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 was subcutaneously inoculated to nude mice for preparing transplanted gastric cancer models. Totally 32 BALB/c nude mice were randomly divided into 4 groups according to random digit table, i.e., the negative control group, the positive control group, the high dose JYXR group, the low dose JYXR group, 8 in each group. Normal saline was administered to mice in the negative control group by gastrogavage. 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) at 2. 5 mg/kg was administered to mice in the positive control group by gastrogavage. JYXR at 85 and 43 g/kg was administered to mice in the high dose JYXR group and the low dose JYXR group by gastrogavage, once per day for 10 successive days. The effect of JYXR on the tumor inhibition rate of subcutaneous transplanted tumor was observed. Effects of JYXR on gene expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, Fas, Cyclin D1, Cyclin D2, and Cyclin D3 in transplanted tumor were observed by real-time PCR. Effects of JYXR on protein expression levels of Procaspase-3, Procaspase-8, Procaspase-9, cleaved-PARP, Beclin-1, and LC3B were detected using Western blot. RESULTS: (1) Compared with the negative control group, the tumor weight was obviously reduced in the rest three groups (P <0. 05). The tumor weight was higher in the high dose JYXR group and the low dose JYXR group than in the positive control group (P <0. 05). (2) Results of RT-PCR indicated that, compared with the negative control group, expression levels of Bax were up-regulated, but expression levels of Bcl-2, Cyclin D1, Cyclin D2, and Cyclin D3 were down-regulated in the positive control group and JYXR groups (P <0. 05). The expression level of Fas was up-regulated in the positive control group and the high dose JYXR group (P <0. 05). Compared with the positive control group, expression levels of Fas, and Bax were all down-regulated, but expression levels of Bcl-2, Cyclin D2, and Cyclin D3 were all up-regulated in the high dose JYXR group and the low dose JYXR group (all P <0. 05). The expression level of Cyclin D1 was down-regulated in the high dose JYXR group, but it was up-regulated in the low dose JYXR group ( both P <0. 05). (3) Results of Western blot showed, compared with the negative control group, expression levels of Procaspase-3, Procaspase-8, and Procaspase-9 were down-regulated, but expression levels of cleaved-PARP, Beclin-1, and LC3B II were up-regulated in the high dose JYXR group and the low dose JYXR group (all P <0.05). Compared with the negative control group, expression levels of Procaspase-3, Procaspase-8, Procaspase-9, and LC3B II were down-regulated, but expression levels of cleaved-PARP, Beclin-1, and LC3B I were up-regulated in the positive control group (all P <0. 05). CONCLUSIONS: JYXR showed significant inhibition on subcutaneous transplanted tumor gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 in BALB/c nude mice. Its mechanism might be associated with activating apoptosis and autophagy correlated factors.

Genetic divergence of bradyrhizobium strains nodulating soybeans as revealed by multilocus sequence analysis of genes inside and outside the symbiosis island.

The genus Bradyrhizobium has been considered to be a taxonomically difficult group. In this study, phylogenetics and evolutionary genetics analyses were used to investigate divergence levels among Bradyrhizobium strains nodulating soybeans in China. Eleven genospecies were identified by sequence analysis of three phylogenetic and taxonomic markers (SMc00019, thrA, and truA). This was also supported by analyses of eight genes outside the symbiosis island ("off-island" genes; SMc00019, thrA, truA, fabB, glyA, phyR, exoN, and hsfA). However, seven genes inside the symbiosis island ("island" genes; nifA, nifH, nodC, nodV, fixA, trpD, and rhcC2) showed contrasting lower levels of nucleotide diversity and recombination rates than did off-island genes. Island genes had significantly incongruent gene phylogenies compared to the species tree. Four phylogenetic clusters were observed in island genes, and the epidemic cluster IV (harbored by Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens, Bradyrhizobium huanghuaihaiense, Bradyrhizobium liaoningense, Bradyrhizobium daqingense, Bradyrhizobium sp. I, Bradyrhizobium sp. III, and Bradyrhizobium sp. IV) was not found in Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense, Bradyrhizobium sp. II, or Bradyrhizobium elkanii. The gene flow level of island genes among genospecies is discussed in the context of the divergence level of off-island genes.