Physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal the regulatory mechanisms of Anoectochilus roxburghii in response to high-temperature stress.

BACKGROUND: High temperatures significantly affect the growth, development, and yield of plants. Anoectochilus roxburghii prefers a cool and humid environment, intolerant of high temperatures. It is necessary to enhance the heat tolerance of A. roxburghii and breed heat-tolerant varieties. Therefore, we studied the physiological indexes and transcriptome of A. roxburghii under different times of high-temperature stress treatments. RESULTS: Under high-temperature stress, proline (Pro), H2O2 content increased, then decreased, then increased again, catalase (CAT) activity increased continuously, peroxidase (POD) activity decreased rapidly, then increased, then decreased again, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), and soluble sugars (SS) content all decreased, then increased, and chlorophyll and soluble proteins (SP) content increased, then decreased. Transcriptomic investigation indicated that a total of 2740 DEGs were identified and numerous DEGs were notably enriched for "Plant-pathogen interaction" and "Plant hormone signal transduction". We identified a total of 32 genes in these two pathways that may be the key genes for resistance to high-temperature stress in A. roxburghii. CONCLUSIONS: To sum up, the results of this study provide a reference for the molecular regulation of A. roxburghii's tolerance to high temperatures, which is useful for further cultivation of high-temperature-tolerant A. roxburghii varieties.

Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of CD155 expression in cancer patients: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: It has been previously reported that CD155 is often over-expressed in a variety of cancer types. In fact, it is known to be involved in cancer development, and its role in cancer has been widely established. However, clinical and mechanistic studies involving CD155 yielded conflicting results. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate overall prognostic value of CD155 in cancer patients, using a comprehensive analysis. METHODS: Online databases were searched, data was collected, and clinical value of CD155 was evaluated by combining hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: The present study involved meta-analysis of 26 previous studies that involved 4325 cancer patients. These studies were obtained from 25 research articles. The results of the study revealed that increased CD155 expression was significantly associated with reduced OS in patients with cancer as compared to low CD155 expression (pooled HR = 1.772, 95% CI = 1.441-2.178, P < 0.001). Furthermore, subgroup analysis demonstrated that the level of CD155 expression was significantly associated with OS in patients with digestive system cancer (pooled HR = 1.570, 95% CI = 1.120-2.201, P = 0.009), hepatobiliary pancreatic cancer (pooled HR = 1.677, 95% CI = 1.037-2.712, P = 0.035), digestive tract cancer (pooled HR = 1.512, 95% CI = 1.016-2.250, P = 0.042), breast cancer (pooled HR = 2.137, 95% CI = 1.448-3.154, P < 0.001), lung cancer (pooled HR = 1.706, 95% CI = 1.193-2.440, P = 0.003), head and neck cancer (pooled HR = 1.470, 95% CI = 1.160-1.862, P = 0.001). Additionally, a significant correlation was observed between enhanced CD155 expression and advanced tumor stage (pooled OR = 1.697, 95% CI = 1.217-2.366, P = 0.002), LN metastasis (pooled OR = 1.953, 95% CI = 1.253-3.046, P = 0.003), and distant metastasis (pooled OR = 2.253, 95% CI = 1.235-4.110, P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Altogether, the results of the present study revealed that CD155 acted as an independent marker of prognosis in cancer patients, and it could provide a new and strong direction for cancer treatment.

Prognostic and clinicopathological importance of microRNA-140 expression in cancer patients: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA-140 (miR-140) is one of the most widely investigated miRNAs in cell carcinogenesis and cancer development. Despite present proposals of employing miR-140 as a candidate biomarker for cancer prognosis, its effectiveness in predicting patient survival and clinicopathological outcome is still under debate. METHODS: A systematic search for English literature using online databases was performed with pre-established criteria. Odds ratios (ORs) or hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were collected to delineate the correlation between miR-140 levels and cancer patient prognosis. RESULTS: For this meta-analysis, we selected 12 papers for analysis, involving 1386 participants. Based on our analysis, high levels of miR-140 were strongly correlated with enhanced patient overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.728, 95% CI = 0.601-0.882, P = 0.001). In addition, we also observed that elevated miR-140 levels significantly led to better OS in patients with cancers in different parts of the body like digestive system (HR = 0.675, 95% CI = 0.538-0.848, P = 0.001), digestive tract (HR = 0.709, 95% CI = 0.565-0.889, P = 0.003), and head and neck (HR = 0.603, 95% CI = 0.456-0.797, P < 0.001). Additionally, we verified that the low miR-140 levels was related to advanced TNM stage (OR = 0.420, 95% CI = 0.299-0.590, P < 0.001), worse histologic grade (OR = 0.410, 95% CI = 0.261-0.643, P < 0.001), and positive lymph node metastasis status (OR = 0.341, 95% CI = 0.144-0.807, P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results suggest that elevated miR-140 levels can be employed as a favorable biomarker for cancer patient prognosis. This information can greatly benefit in the formation of an individualized therapeutic plan for the treatment of cancer patients.

Genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression analysis of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeats gene family under environmental stresses in tea (Camellia sinensis).

Plants often use nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeats (NLRs) to recognize specific virulence proteins and activate the hypersensitive response thereby defending against invaders. However, data on NLRs and the resistance mechanism of NLR protein mediation in tea plant are extremely limited. In this study, 400 and 303 CsNLRs were identified from the genomes of C. sinensis var. sinensis (CSS) and C. sinensis var. assamica (CSA), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the numbers in CNL groups are predominant in both CSS and CSA. RNA-Seq revealed that the expression of CsNLRs is induced by Colletotrichum fructicola, cold, drought, salt stress and exogenous methyl jasmonate. The 21 CsCNLs that are highly expressed in tea plant under biotic and abiotic stresses as well as during bud dormancy and in different tissues are identified. Gene structure analysis revealed several cis-regulatory elements associated with phytohormones and light responsiveness in the promoter regions of these 21 CsCNLs.

Diversity of Pestalotiopsis-Like Species Causing Gray Blight Disease of Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis) in China, Including two Novel Pestalotiopsis Species, and Analysis of Their Pathogenicity.

Several Pestalotiopsis-like species cause gray blight disease in tea plants, resulting in severe tea production losses. However, systematic and comprehensive research on the diversity, geographical distribution, and pathogenicity of pathogenic species associated with tea plants in China is limited. In this study, 168 Pestalotiopsis-like isolates were obtained from diseased tea plant leaves from 13 primary tea-producing provinces and cities in China. Based on a multilocus (internal transcribed spacer, translation elongation factor 1-α, and ß-tubulin gene region) phylogenetic analysis coupled with an assessment of conidial characteristics, 20 Neopestalotiopsis unclassified isolates, seven Pestalotiopsis species, including two novel (Pestalotiopsis menhaiensis and Pestalotiopsis sichuanensis), four known (Pestalotiopsis camelliae, Pestalotiopsis chamaeropis, Pestalotiopsis kenyana, and Pestalotiopsis rhodomyrtus) and one indistinguishable species, and three Pseudopestalotiopsis species, including two known (Pseudopestalotiopsis camelliae-sinensis and Pseudopestalotiopsis chinensis) and one indistinguishable species, were identified. This study is the first to evaluate Pestalotiopsis chamaeropis on tea plants in China. The geographical distribution and pathogenicity tests showed Pseudopestalotiopsis camelliae-sinensis to be the dominant cause of gray blight of tea plants in China. In vitro antifungal assays demonstrated that theobromine not only derepressed mycelial growth of the 29 representative isolates but also increased their growth. Correlation analysis revealed a linear positive relationship between the mycelial growth rate and pathogenicity (P = 0.0148).

Fatty acid metabolism-related lncRNA prognostic signature for serous ovarian carcinoma.

Background: To explore the role of fatty acid metabolism (FAM)-related lncRNAs in the prognosis and antitumor immunity of serous ovarian cancer (SOC). Materials & methods: A SOC FAM-related lncRNA risk model was developed and evaluated by a series of analyses. Additional immune-related analyses were performed to further assess the associations between immune state, tumor microenvironment and the prognostic risk model. Results: Five lncRNAs associated with the FAM genes were found and used to create a predictive risk model. The patients with a low-risk profile exhibited favorable prognostic outcomes. Conclusion: The established prognostic risk model exhibits better predictive capabilities for the prognosis of patients with SOC and offers novel potential therapy targets for SOC.

GPX4 Inhibition Enhances the Antitumor Effect of PARP Inhibitor on Homologous Recombination Proficient Ovarian Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are now widely used in BRCA1/2 mutation or homologous recombination (HR) deficiency ovarian cancer but have limited efficacy in HR-proficient patients. GPX4 is a key regulator of ferroptosis and has been proven to be associated with multiple drug sensitivities. As a molecule that regulates the sensitivity of multiple drugs, the relationship between GPX4 and the efficacy of PARPi in HR-proficient ovarian cancer has not been elucidated. METHODS: In this study, siRNA transfection was used to regulate the expression of GPX4. The effect of GPX4 inhibition on HR-proficient ovarian cancer was determined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence and comet assays were used to reflect DNA dam-age. ROS production was measured using DCFH-DA and flow cytometry. The combination index of PARP inhibitors and RSL3 was calculated using CompuSyn software based on Chou-Talalay methodology. RESULTS: GPX4 inhibition confers HR-proficient ovarian cancer cells sensitive to PARPi due to ROS generation and oxidative stress caused by DNA double-strand breakage. The combina-tion of olaparib and niraparib with GPX4 inhibitor RSL3 also showed a synergistic effect. CONCLUSION: Combining GPX4 inhibition with PARP inhibitors resulted in a notable increase in DNA damage, ultimately causing the death of cancer cells with proficient HR pathways. Our findings may provide new therapeutic options for HR-proficient patients to benefit from PARP inhibitors and improve outcomes.

A Cholangiocarcinoma Prediction Model Based on Random Forest and Artificial Neural Network Algorithm.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a prognostic model using artificial neural network (ANN) approach, providing an idea for the prediction and diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of General Surgery, Zhenjiang Hospital, Zhenjiang Province, China, between January and March 2022. METHODOLOGY: Available datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to construct the train cohort and the test cohort of CCA, and screened out the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of CCA. Next, an ANN model for CCA diagnosis was constructed based on the scores of the DEGs and evaluated its accuracy and efficiency using ROC curves. Finally, the immune infiltration and the function of extracellular matrix (ECM) protein SPACRL1 were analysed to reveal the characteristic alterations in CCA. RESULTS: This analysis revealed 166 DEGs, mainly concentrated in the ECM organisation, neutrophil activation and other pathways. Then a set of 17 CCA disease signature genes scores were obtained to build an ANN prediction model and the ROC curve was plotted. The AUC in the train group (0.980) indicated that the accuracy of the diagnosis model is extremely high. Finally, there was a significant increase of B cells naïve (p=0.025), tregs (p=0.004), and macrophages M1 (p<0.001) in the tumour-microenvironment of CCA, while SPARCL1 was a protective factor on disease-specific survival (DSS) in CCA (p=0.009). CONCLUSION: This study has developed an accurate prediction model for CCA diagnosis, and identified SPARCL1 as pivotal factor in CCA by modulating the tumour immune-microenvironment. KEY WORDS: Cholangiocarcinoma, Artificial neural network, Immune microenvironment, Bioinformatics, Prognosis model, SPARCL1.

CircSLC39A8 attenuates paclitaxel resistance in ovarian cancer by regulating the miR­185­5p/BMF axis.

Chemoresistance to paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the main reasons for treatment failure and poor prognosis in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Therefore, it is imperative to explore the mechanisms related to chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer to find potential therapeutic targets. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in cancer development and progression. However, their biological functions and clinical significance in ovarian cancer have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the function and underlying mechanism of hsa_circ_0002782 (circSLC39A8), identified by circRNA sequencing, in regulating PTX resistance. The effects of circSLC39A8 on PTX resistance was assessed by cell viability, colony formation, flow cytometry assays and an in vivo subcutaneous xenografted tumor mouse model. RNA immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to verify the interaction between circSLC39A8 and the miR-185-5p/BMF signal axis. We found that circSLC39A8 was downregulated in PTX-resistant ovarian cancer cells and tissues, and its low expression was associated with poor prognosis. Biologically, circSLC39A8 knockdown promoted PTX resistance in vitro and in vivo, while circSLC39A8 overexpression showed the opposite effect. Mechanistically, circSLC39A8, acting as an endogenous sponge for miR-185-5p, could relieve the inhibition of miR-185-5p on the expression of its downstream target, BMF; thus enhancing the sensitivity of ovarian cancer to PTX. Our findings demonstrate that circSLC39A8 can promote PTX sensitivity by regulating the miR-185-5p/BMF axis. This may be a valuable prognostic biomarker and a promising therapeutic target for patients with ovarian cancer.