AP1c and SOC1 Form a Regulatory Feedback Loop to Regulate Flowering Time in Soybean.

Flowering time is a key agronomic trait that directly affects soybean yield. Both APETALA1 (AP1) and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO 1 (SOC1) regulate flowering time in soybean, but their genetic and regulatory relationships have not been clarified. Here, we report that AP1c physically interacted with two SOC1 proteins, SOC1a and SOC1b, and that these SOC1s upregulated the expression of AP1c, promoting flowering. Moreover, AP1c repressed the expression of the SOC1s by directly binding to their promoters, thus preventing plants from flowering too early. These findings indicate that AP1c and SOC1s form a regulatory feedback loop that regulates flowering time. Importantly, we identified an exceptional allele, AP1cG, that was selected for during soybean domestication and promotes the early-flowering phenotype in cultivated soybean. Collectively, our work identifies a previously unknown allelic combination potentially useful for both classical and molecular soybean breeding.

The AP2/ERF transcription factor TOE4b regulates photoperiodic flowering and grain yield per plant in soybean.

Photoperiod-mediated flowering determines the phenological adaptability of crops including soybean (Glycine max). A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified a new flowering time locus, Time of flowering 13 (Tof13), which defined a gene encoding an AP2/ERF transcription factor. This new transcription factor, which we named TOE4b, is localized in the nucleus. TOE4b has been selected for soybean latitude adaptability. The existing natural variant TOE4bH4 was rare in wild soybean accessions but occurred more frequently in landraces and cultivars. Notably, TOE4bH4 improved high-latitude adaptation of soybean to some extent. The gene-edited TOE4b knockout mutant exhibited earlier flowering, conversely, TOE4b overexpression delayed flowering time. TOE4b is directly bound to the promoters and gene bodies of the key flowering integration factor genes FT2a and FT5a to inhibit their transcription. Importantly, TOE4b overexpression lines in field trials not only showed late flowering but also altered plant architecture, including shorter internode length, more internodes, more branches and pod number per plant, and finally boosted grain yield per plant by 60% in Guangzhou and 87% in Shijiazhuang. Our findings therefore identified TOE4b as a pleiotropic gene to increase yield potential per plant in soybean, and these results provide a promising option for breeding a soybean variety with an idealized plant architecture that promotes high yields.

Candidate loci for breeding compact plant-type soybean varieties.

Plant height and node number are important agronomic traits that influence yield in soybean (Glycine max L.). Here, to better understand the genetic basis of the traits, we used two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with plant height and node number in different environments. This analysis detected 9 and 21 QTLs that control plant height and node number, respectively. Among them, we identified two genomic regions that overlap with Determinate stem 1 (Dt1) and Dt2, which are known to influence both plant height and node number. Furthermore, different combinations of Dt1 and Dt2 alleles were enriched in distinct latitudes. In addition, we determined that the QTLs qPH-13-SE and qPH-13-DW in the two RIL populations overlap with genomic intervals associated with plant height and the QTL qNN-04-DW overlaps with an interval associated with node number. Combining the dwarf allele of qPH-13-SE/qPH-13-DW and the multiple-node allele of qNN-04-DW produced plants with ideal plant architecture, i.e., shorter main stems with more nodes. This plant type may help increase yield at high planting density. This study thus provides candidate loci for breeding elite soybean cultivars for plant height and node number. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-022-01352-2.

Nomogram for predicting opioid-induced nausea and vomiting for cancer pain patients.

OBJECTIVE: Opioid-induced nausea and vomiting are frequently observed as an adverse effect in the treatment of cancer-related pain. The factors that affect OINV in cancer patients remain unclear. In this study, we developed a nomogram for predicting the occurrence of OINV in this population using retrospective clinical data. METHODS: We collected data from 416 cancer pain patients, 70% of whom used the training set to analyze demographic and clinical variables. We used multivariate logistic regression to identify significant factors associated with OINV. Then, we construct a prediction nomogram. The validation set comprises the remaining 30%. The reliability of the nomogram is evaluated by bootstrap resampling. RESULTS: Using multivariate logistic regression, we identified five significant factors associated with OINV. The C-index was 0.835 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.828-0.842) for the training set and 0.810 (95% CI, 0.793-0.826) for the validation set. The calibrated curves show a good agreement between the predicted and actual occurrence of OINV. CONCLUSION: In a retrospective study based on five saliency-found variables, we developed and proved a reliable nomogram model to predict OINV in cancer pain patients. Future prospective studies should assess the model's reliability and usefulness in clinical practice.

Lyonensinols A - C, 24-Norursane-Type Triterpenoids from the Twigs and Leaves of Lyonia doyonensis and Their Potential Anti-inflammatory and PTP1B Inhibitory Activities.

Lyonia doyonensis is a deciduous shrub native to high-altitude regions of Asia. So far, there is no report on any chemical and biological properties of L. doyonensis. An EtOH extract of L. doyonensis twigs and leaves showed inhibitory activities on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B and lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in BV-2 microglial cells. A phytochemical investigation of this extract led to the isolation of a, so far only ambiguously described, 24-norursane-type triterpenoid, now named lyonensinol A (1: ), along with its two new derivatives, lyonensinols B and C (2: and 3: ), and six known triterpenoids (4 - 9: ). Their structures were elucidated by detailed analysis of spectroscopic data. A combination of chemical conversions, electronic circular dichroism, and Mo2(OAc)4-induced electronic circular dichroism was used to confirm their absolute configurations. Lyonensinols B (2: ) and C (3: ) represent the first examples of norursane-type triterpenoids acylated with a p-coumaroyl moiety. The potential anti-inflammatory and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitory activities of all the isolates were evaluated. Compounds 3, 7: , and 8: at 10 µM showed potent inhibitory activities on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in BV-2 microglial cells, with nitric oxide levels decreasing to 31.5, 41.9, and 27.1%, respectively, while compounds 3, 4, 7: , and 8: exhibited notable inhibitory activities against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, with IC50 values ranging from 1.7 to 18.2 µM. Interestingly, compounds 3: and 8: , bearing a C-3 trans-p-coumaroyl group, showed not only more potent anti-inflammatory effects, but also exhibited stronger protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibition than their respective stereoisomers (2: and 7: ) with a cis-p-coumaroyl group.

Highly tunable properties in pressure-treated two-dimensional Dion-Jacobson perovskites.

The application of pressure can achieve novel structures and exotic phenomena in condensed matters. However, such pressure-induced transformations are generally reversible and useless for engineering materials for ambient-environment applications. Here, we report comprehensive high-pressure investigations on a series of Dion-Jacobson (D-J) perovskites A'A n-1Pb n I3n+1 [A' = 3-(aminomethyl) piperidinium (3AMP), A = methylammonium (MA), n = 1, 2, 4]. Our study demonstrates their irreversible behavior, which suggests pressure/strain engineering could viably improve light-absorber material not only in situ but also ex situ, thus potentially fostering the development of optoelectronic and electroluminescent materials. We discovered that the photoluminescence (PL) intensities are remarkably enhanced by one order of magnitude at mild pressures. Also, higher pressure significantly changes the lattices, boundary conditions of electronic wave functions, and possibly leads to semiconductor-metal transitions. For (3AMP)(MA)3Pb4I13, permanent recrystallization from 2D to three-dimensional (3D) structure occurs upon decompression, with dramatic changes in optical properties.

Effects of Washed Microbiota Transplantation on Serum Uric Acid Levels, Symptoms, and Intestinal Barrier Function in Patients with Acute and Recurrent Gout: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Gut dysbiosis has been reported to be closely associated with gout. Washed microbiota transplantation (WMT) is considered as an effective way to restore a healthy gut microbiota with less adverse events than the conventional fecal microbiota transplantation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of WMT on serum uric acid levels, symptoms, and the intestinal barrier function in patients with acute and recurrent gout. METHODS: We performed a pilot study of WMT for acute and recurrent gout. The primary outcome was the changes in the serum uric acid level and gout symptoms. The secondary outcomes included the changes in levels of diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactic acid, and endotoxin. RESULTS: Eleven patients received WMT treatment. The averaged serum uric acid levels in patients with gout reduced after WMT (p = 0.031), accompanied with a decrease in the frequency and duration time of acute gout flares (p < 0.01). The levels of DAO, D-lactic acid, and endotoxin were higher in patients than in healthy donors (p < 0.05). After WMT treatment, the levels of DAO and endotoxin decreased (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: WMT is effective for reducing serum uric acid levels and improving gout symptoms in patients with gout and contributes to improve their impaired intestinal barrier function.

Agronomical selection on loss-of-function of GIGANTEA simultaneously facilitates soybean salt tolerance and early maturity.

Salt stress and flowering time are major factors limiting geographic adaptation and yield productivity in soybean (Glycine max). Although improving crop salt tolerance and latitude adaptation are essential for efficient agricultural production, whether and how these two traits are integrated remains largely unknown. Here, we used a genome-wide association study to identify a major salt-tolerance locus controlled by E2, an ortholog of Arabidopsis thaliana GIGANTEA (GI). Loss of E2 function not only shortened flowering time and maturity, but also enhanced salt-tolerance in soybean. E2 delayed soybean flowering by enhancing the transcription of the core flowering suppressor gene E1, thereby repressing Flowering Locus T (FT) expression. An E2 knockout mutant e2CR displayed reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the response to salt stress by releasing peroxidase, which functions in ROS scavenging to avoid cytotoxicity. Evolutionary and population genetic analyses also suggested that loss-of-function e2 alleles have been artificially selected during breeding for soybean adaptation to high-latitude regions with greater salt stress. Our findings provide insights into the coupled selection for adaptation to both latitude and salt stress in soybean; and offer an ideal target for molecular breeding of early-maturing and salt-tolerant cultivars.

Rapid excavating a FLOWERING LOCUS T-regulator NF-YA using genotyping-by-sequencing.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is one of the most important crop plants in the world as an important source of protein for both human consumption and livestock fodder. As flowering time contributes to yield, finding new QTLs and further identifying candidate genes associated with various flowering time are fundamental to enhancing soybean yield. In this study, a set of 120 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) which was developed from a cross of two soybean cultivars, Suinong4 (SN4) and ZK168, were genotyped by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach and phenotyped to expand the cognitive of flowering time by quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. Eventually, three stable QTLs related to flowering time which were detected separately located on chromosome 14, 18, and 19 under long-day (LD) conditions. We predicted candidate genes for each QTL and carried out association analyses between the putative causal alleles and flowering time. Moreover, a transient transfection assay was performed and showed that NUCLEAR FACTOR YA 1b (GmNF-YA1b) as a strong candidate for the QTL on chromosome 19 might affect flowering time by suppressing the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (GmFT) genes in soybean. QTLs detected in this study would provide fundamental resources for finding candidate genes and clarify the mechanisms of flowering which would be helpful for breeding novel high-yielding soybean cultivars. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-021-01237-w.

A flowering time locus dependent on E2 in soybean.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] is very sensitive to changes in photoperiod as a typical short-day plant. Photoperiodic flowering influences soybean latitudinal adaptability and yield to a considerable degree. Identifying new quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling flowering time is a powerful initial approach for elucidating the mechanisms underlying flowering time and adaptation to different latitudes in soybean. In this study, we developed a Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) population and recorded flowering time under natural long-day conditions. We also constructed a high-density genetic map by genotyping-by-sequencing and used it for QTL mapping. In total, we detected twelve QTLs, four of which are stable and named by qR1-2, qR1-4, qR1-6.1, and qR1-10, respectively. Among these four QTLs, qR1-4 and qR1-6.1 are novel. QTL mapping in two sub-populations classified by the genotype of the maturity locus E2, genetic interaction evaluation between E2 and qR1-2, and qRT-PCR indicated that E2 has an epistatic effect on qR1-2, and that causal gene of qR1-2 acts upstream of E2. We presumed the most likely candidate genes according to the resequencing data and briefly analyzed the geographic distributions of these genes. These findings will be beneficial for our understanding of the mechanisms underlying photoperiodic flowering in soybean, contribute to further investigate of E2, and provide genetic resources for molecular breeding of soybean. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-021-01224-1.

Natural variation of the Dt2 promoter controls plant height and node number in semi-determinant soybean.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) is an important legume crop worldwide. Plant height (PH) is a quantitative trait that is closely related to node number (NN) and internode length (IL) on the main stem, which together affect soybean yield. To identify candidate genes controlling these three traits in soybean, we examined a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between two soybean varieties with semi-determinate stems (Dt1Dt1Dt2Dt2), JKK378 and HXW. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) named qPH18 was identified that simultaneously controls PH, NN, and IL; this region harbors the semi-determinant gene Dt2. Sequencing of the Dt2 promoter from JKK378 identified three polymorphisms relative to HXW, including two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) and an 18-bp insertion/deletion polymorphism (Indel). Dt2 expression was lower in the qPH18JKK378 group than in the qPH18HXW group, whereas the expression level of the downstream gene Dt1 showed the opposite tendency. A transient transfection assay confirmed that Dt2 promoter activity is lower in JKK378 compared to HXW. We propose that the polymorphisms in the dominant Dt2 promoter underlie the differences in Dt2 expression and its downstream gene Dt1 in the two parents, thereby affecting PH, NN, IL, and grain weight per plant without altering stem growth habit. Compared to the PH18HXW allele, the qPH18JKK378 allele suppresses Dt2 expression, which releases the inhibition of Dt1 expression, thus enhancing NN and grain yield. Our findings shed light on the mechanism underlying NN and PH in soybean and provide a molecular marker to facilitate breeding. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-021-01235-y.

Targeting DNA-PK overcomes acquired resistance to third-generation EGFR-TKI osimertinib in non-small-cell lung cancer.

The third-generation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), represented by osimertinib, has achieved remarkable clinical outcomes in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR mutation. However, resistance eventually emerges in most patients and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be fully understood. In this study, we generated an osimertinib-acquired resistant lung cancer model from a NSCLC cell line H1975 harboring EGFR L858R and T790M mutations. We found that the capacity of DNA damage repair was compromised in the osimertinib resistant cells, evidenced by increased levels of γH2AX and higher intensity of the comet tail after withdrawal from cisplatin. Pharmacological inhibiting the activity or genetic knockdown the expression of DNA-PK, a key kinase in DNA damage response (DDR), sensitized the resistant cells to osimertinib. Combination of osimertinib with the DNA-PK inhibitor, PI-103, or NU7441, synergistically suppressed the proliferation of the resistant cells. Mechanistically, we revealed that DNA-PK inhibitor in combination with osimertinib resulted in prolonged DNA damage and cell cycle arrest. These findings shed new light on the mechanisms of osimertinib resistance in the aspect of DNA repair, and provide a rationale for targeting DNA-PK as a therapeutic strategy to overcome osimertinib-acquired resistance in NSCLC.

Isothermal pressure-derived metastable states in 2D hybrid perovskites showing enduring bandgap narrowing.

Materials in metastable states, such as amorphous ice and supercooled condensed matter, often exhibit exotic phenomena. To date, achieving metastability is usually accomplished by rapid quenching through a thermodynamic path function, namely, heating-cooling cycles. However, heat can be detrimental to organic-containing materials because it can induce degradation. Alternatively, the application of pressure can be used to achieve metastable states that are inaccessible via heating-cooling cycles. Here we report metastable states of 2D organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites reached through structural amorphization under compression followed by recrystallization via decompression. Remarkably, such pressure-derived metastable states in 2D hybrid perovskites exhibit enduring bandgap narrowing by as much as 8.2% with stability under ambient conditions. The achieved metastable states in 2D hybrid perovskites via compression-decompression cycles offer an alternative pathway toward manipulating the properties of these "soft" materials.

A recent retrotransposon insertion of J caused E6 locus facilitating soybean adaptation into low latitude.

Soybean (Glycine max) is an important legume crop that was domesticated in temperate regions. Soybean varieties from these regions generally mature early and exhibit extremely low yield when grown under inductive short-day (SD) conditions at low latitudes. The long-juvenile (LJ) trait, which is characterized by delayed flowering and maturity, and improved yield under SD conditions, allowed the cultivation of soybean to expand to lower latitudes. Two major loci control the LJ trait: J and E6. In the current study, positional cloning, sequence analysis, and transgenic complementation confirmed that E6 is a novel allele of J, the ortholog of Arabidopsis thaliana EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3). The mutant allele e6PG , which carries a Ty1/Copia-like retrotransposon insertion, does not suppress the legume-specific flowering repressor E1, allowing E1 to inhibit Flowering Locus T (FT) expression and thus delaying flowering and increasing yields under SD conditions. The e6PG allele is a rare allele that has not been incorporated into modern breeding programs. The dysfunction of J might have greatly facilitated the adaptation of soybean to low latitudes. Our findings increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the LJ trait and provide valuable resources for soybean breeding.

Soybean AP1 homologs control flowering time and plant height.

Flowering time and plant height are key agronomic traits that directly affect soybean (Glycine max) yield. APETALA1 (AP1) functions as a class A gene in the ABCE model for floral organ development, helping to specify carpel, stamen, petal, and sepal identities. There are four AP1 homologs in soybean, all of which are mainly expressed in the shoot apex. Here, we used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) - CRISPR-associated protein 9 technology to generate a homozygous quadruple mutant, gmap1, with loss-of-function mutations in all four GmAP1 genes. Under short-day (SD) conditions, the gmap1 quadruple mutant exhibited delayed flowering, changes in flower morphology, and increased node number and internode length, resulting in plants that were taller than the wild type. Conversely, overexpression of GmAP1a resulted in early flowering and reduced plant height compared to the wild type under SD conditions. The gmap1 mutant and the overexpression lines also exhibited altered expression of several genes related to flowering and gibberellic acid metabolism, thereby providing insight into the role of GmAP1 in the regulatory networks controlling flowering time and plant height in soybean. Increased node number is the trait with the most promise for enhancing soybean pod number and grain yield. Therefore, the mutant alleles of the four AP1 homologs described here will be invaluable for molecular breeding of improved soybean yield.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted mutagenesis of GmLHY genes alters plant height and internode length in soybean.

BACKGROUND: Soybean (Glycine max) is an economically important oil and protein crop. Plant height is a key trait that significantly impacts the yield of soybean; however, research on the molecular mechanisms associated with soybean plant height is lacking. The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)/Cas9 (CRISPR-associated system 9) system is a recently developed technology for gene editing that has been utilized to edit the genomes of crop plants. RESULTS: Here, we designed four gRNAs to mutate four LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY) genes in soybean. In order to test whether the gRNAs could perform properly in transgenic soybean plants, we first tested the CRISPR construct in transgenic soybean hairy roots using Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain K599. Once confirmed, we performed stable soybean transformation and obtained 19 independent transgenic soybean plants. Subsequently, we obtained one T1 transgene-free homozygous quadruple mutant of GmLHY by self-crossing. The phenotypes of the T2-generation transgene-free quadruple mutant plants were observed, and the results showed that the quadruple mutant of GmLHY displayed reduced plant height and shortened internodes. The levels of endogenous gibberellic acid (GA3) in Gmlhy1a1b2a2b was lower than in the wild type (WT), and the shortened internode phenotype could be rescued by treatment with exogenous GA3. In addition, the relative expression levels of GA metabolic pathway genes in the quadruple mutant of GmLHY were significantly decreased in comparison to the WT. These results suggest that GmLHY encodes an MYB transcription factor that affects plant height through mediating the GA pathway in soybean. We also developed genetic markers for identifying mutants for application in breeding studies. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted mutagenesis of four GmLHY genes reduces soybean plant height and shortens internodes from 20 to 35 days after emergence (DAE). These findings provide insight into the mechanisms underlying plant height regulatory networks in soybean.

Simultaneous band-gap narrowing and carrier-lifetime prolongation of organic-inorganic trihalide perovskites.

The organic-inorganic hybrid lead trihalide perovskites have been emerging as the most attractive photovoltaic materials. As regulated by Shockley-Queisser theory, a formidable materials science challenge for improvement to the next level requires further band-gap narrowing for broader absorption in solar spectrum, while retaining or even synergistically prolonging the carrier lifetime, a critical factor responsible for attaining the near-band-gap photovoltage. Herein, by applying controllable hydrostatic pressure, we have achieved unprecedented simultaneous enhancement in both band-gap narrowing and carrier-lifetime prolongation (up to 70% to ∼100% increase) under mild pressures at ∼0.3 GPa. The pressure-induced modulation on pure hybrid perovskites without introducing any adverse chemical or thermal effect clearly demonstrates the importance of band edges on the photon-electron interaction and maps a pioneering route toward a further increase in their photovoltaic performance.

A soybean quantitative trait locus that promotes flowering under long days is identified as FT5a, a FLOWERING LOCUS T ortholog.

FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) is an important floral integrator whose functions are conserved across plant species. In soybean, two orthologs, FT2a and FT5a, play a major role in initiating flowering. Their expression in response to different photoperiods is controlled by allelic combinations at the maturity loci E1 to E4, generating variation in flowering time among cultivars. We determined the molecular basis of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for flowering time in linkage group J (Chromosome 16). Fine-mapping delimited the QTL to a genomic region of 107kb that harbors FT5a We detected 15 DNA polymorphisms between parents with the early-flowering (ef) and late-flowering (lf) alleles in the promoter region, an intron, and the 3' untranslated region of FT5a, although the FT5a coding regions were identical. Transcript abundance of FT5a was higher in near-isogenic lines for ef than in those for lf, suggesting that different transcriptional activities or mRNA stability caused the flowering time difference. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) calling from re-sequencing data for 439 cultivated and wild soybean accessions indicated that ef is a rare haplotype that is distinct from common haplotypes including lf The ef allele at FT5a may play an adaptive role at latitudes where early flowering is desirable.

Targeting STAT3/miR-21 axis inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition via regulating CDK5 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal activation of STAT3 and miR-21 plays a vital role in progression and invasion of solid tumors. The cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is reported to contribute to cancer metastasis by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the role of STAT3/miR-21 axis and CDK5 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma remains unclear. METHODS: We measured the expression of miR-21, CDK5 and EMT markers in 60 HNSCC tumor samples. We used Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization assay to examine the role of STAT3/miR-21 axis and CDK5 activation in the invasiveness of HNSCC. The clinical survival relevance was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate/multivariate COX regression model. Multiple approaches including scratch, transwell chamber assay and other molecular biology techniques were used to validate the anti-invasion effect of targeting miR-21 in Tca8113 and Hep-2 cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, whether miR-21 depletion inhibits HNSCC invasion in vivo was confirmed in Tca8113 xenograft tumor model. RESULTS: The expression of miR-21 and CDK5 were significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis in HNSCC. Hep-2 and Tca8113 cell lines showed co-overexpression of miR-21 and CDK5. WP1066 or asON-miR-21 treatment depleted miR-21 and CDK5 expression and significantly inhibited migration or invasion in Hep-2 and Tca8113 cells. The expression levels of CDK5/p35, N-cadherin, vimentin, ß-catenin were inhibited while E-cadherin level was increased by miR-21 depletion in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, ectopic CDK5 overexpression significantly induced tumor cell motility and EMT. Moreover, ectopic CDK5 overexpression in Hep-2 and Tca8113 cells rescued the observed phenotype after miR-21 silencing or WP1066 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: miR-21 cooperates with CDK5 to promote EMT and invasion in HNSCC. This finding suggests that CDK5 may be an important cofactor for targeting when designing metastasis-blocking therapy by targeting STAT3/miR-21 axis with STAT3 inhibitor or miR-21 antisense oligonucleotide. This is the first demonstration of the novel role of STAT3/miR-21 axis and CDK5/CDK5R1 (p35) in metastasis of HNSCC.

A review of the botany, metabolites, pharmacology, toxicity, industrial applications, and processing of Polygalae Radix: the "key medicine for nourishing life".

Polygalae radix (PR) is the dried root of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. and Polygala sibirica L. and enjoys the reputation as the "key medicine for nourishing life." In this study, information about "Polygala tenuifolia Willd.," "Polygala sibirica L.," and "Yuanzhi" was retrieved from scientific databases, including Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI, and Wan Fang Data. Information from Chinese herbal medicine classics, Yaozhi Data, and the Gaide Chemical Network was also collected. Information related to botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity, industrial applications, and processing is summarized in this paper to tap its potentialities and promote its further development and clinical application. More than 320 metabolites have been isolated from PR; saponins, xanthones, and oligosaccharide esters are the main functional metabolites. Pharmacological research shows that its pharmacological action mainly focuses on resisting nervous system diseases, and it also has the functions of anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-tumor, anti-pathogenic microorganisms and others. The gastrointestinal irritation of its saponins impeded its application, but this irritation can be reduced by controlling the dosage, compatibility with other herbs, or processing. The future progress of PR faces opportunities and challenges. More attention should be paid to the traditional application and processing methods of PR recorded in ancient books. The lack of safety and clinical studies has limited its application and transformation of achievements. Moreover, it is one-sided to take the content of only a few metabolites as the index of processing optimization and quality control, which cannot reflect the full pharmacological and toxicological activities of PR.