Primary Pericardial Mesothelioma: A Rare Entity

Primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma is an extremely rare neoplasm that arises from the pericardial mesothelial cell layers. Clinical symptoms and signs are frequently nonspecific, and the diagnosis is usually made after surgery or at autopsy. There is no standard treatment for pericardial mesothelioma; nonetheless, radical surgery is the mainstay of therapy for localized disease. The neoplasm is highly aggressive and carries a dismal prognosis with an overall survival of less than six months. This paper presents a case study of a 68-year-old patient with a primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma. Radiologic evaluation revealed a small nodule in the posterior pericardium with pericardial and bilateral pleural effusions. The diagnosis was established after surgery by histological and immunohistochemical studies. The patient remained alive and free of disease for about 24 months; however, due to rapid local recurrence, the patient died 27 months after the surgical treatment

Structure and Location Studies on Key Enzymes in Saponins Biosynthesis of Panax notoginseng

Panax notoginseng is one of the most widely used traditional herbs for the treatment of various diseases, in which saponins were the main active components. At present, the research of P. notoginseng mainly focused on the discovery of new compounds and pharmacology. However, there were few studies on the molecular mechanism of the synthesis of secondary metabolites of P. notoginseng. In our study, four coding sequences (CDS) encoding the key enzymes involved in saponin biosynthesis were cloned, namely farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPS), squalene synthase (SS), squalene epoxidase (SE), and dammarenediol-II synthase (DS), which contained open reading frame (ORF) of 1029 bp, 1248 bp, 1614 bp, and 2310 bp, and coded 342, 415, 537, and 769 amino acids, respectively. At the same time, their domains, secondary structures, three-dimensional structures, and phylogenetics trees were analyzed by kinds of bioinformatics tools. Their phylogenetics relationships were also analyzed. In addition, GFP (Green fluorescent protein) fusion genes were constructed by the plasmid transformation system to determine the subcellular localization. The results of subcellular localization showed that FPS, SE, and DS were mainly located in cytomembrane and its surrounding, while SS was located both in cytoplasm and cytomembrane. Our findings provided data demonstrating the expression patterns of genes involved in saponin biosynthesis and would facilitate efforts to further elucidate the biosynthesis of the bioactive components in P. notoginseng

The complete chloroplast genome of Scutellaria meehanioides (Lamiaceae) from Shaanxi Province, China

Scutellaria meehanioides C.Y.Wu is a medicinal perennial herb native to China. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the S. meehanioides was determined and assembled using next generation sequencing methodologies. The complete genome is 152,484 base pairs (bp) in length and has an overall GC content of 38.4%. The chloroplast genome contains, a large single-copy region (LSC) of 83,859 bp, small single-copy region (SSC) of 17,467 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,029 bp. The genome of S. meehanioides contains 133 genes, including 87 protein-coding, 38 tRNA,and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis fully resolved S. meehanioides in a clade with S. orthocalyx. This study provides useful information for future genetic study of S. meehanioides

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Cardamine lyrata Bunge(Brassicaceae)

Cardamine lyrata Bunge 1833 grows near paddy fields, streams and shallow water. Its young stems and leaves can be eaten. It can also be used as medicine and has the effect of clearing away heat and dampness. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the C. lyrata was determined and assembled. The complete genome is 155,170 bp in length, including a large single-copy region (LSC) of 84,270 bp, a small single-copy region (SSC) of 17,918 bp and two copies of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,491 bp. The overall GC content of C. lyrata is 36.2%. The genome of C. lyrata contains 131 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the ten species in Cardamine were clustered together into a single branch within the Brassicaceae family and C. amariformis is at the base of the tree and C. lyrata and C. fallax are sister groups of the inner clade

The complete chloroplast genome of Pleione hookeriana (Orchidaceae) from Yunnan Province, China

Pleione hookeriana (Lindl.) B. S. Williams is a species of Orchidaceae with high ornamental value. It is a protected plant in China. To document the genetic history of this rare species, the chloroplast genome sequence of P. hookeriana from the Yunnan Province, China, were analyzed. The complete chloroplast genome is 158,930 bp in length and contains a large single-copy (LSC) region of 86,880 bp, a small single-copy region of 18,664 bp (SSC), and a pair of inverted repeats (IR) of 26,693bp. There are 137 genes, including 89 protein-coding, 40 transfer RNA (tRNA) and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The total GC content of the chloroplast genome sequence is 37.2%. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis indicated that P. hookeriana was sister to P. chunii (MK792342.1). The result may be because the species are roughly the same geographical location and advanced and developed from the same ancestor. This study provides important information for the identification and conservation of species, and genetic engineering of P. hookeriana

The complete chloroplast genome of Aster sampsonii (Hance) Hemsl, a perennial herb

Aster sampsonii (Hance) Hemsl is endemic to China. The complete chloroplast genome of Aster sampsonii was studied here. The genome was 152,686 base pair (bp) in length, containing a large single-copy (LSC) region of 84,345 bp, a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,249 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,046 bp. It contains 132 unique genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 36 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The GC content of the complete chloroplast genome sequence was 37.3%. Phylogenetic analyses using complete chloroplast genomes showed that Aster sampsonii is most closely related to Aster hypoleucus (NC_046503.1)

Primary Pericardial Mesothelioma: A Rare Entity

Primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma is an extremely rare neoplasm that arises from the pericardial mesothelial cell layers. Clinical symptoms and signs are frequently nonspecific, and the diagnosis is usually made after surgery or at autopsy. There is no standard treatment for pericardial mesothelioma; nonetheless, radical surgery is the mainstay of therapy for localized disease. The neoplasm is highly aggressive and carries a dismal prognosis with an overall survival of less than six months. This paper presents a case study of a 68-year-old patient with a primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma. Radiologic evaluation revealed a small nodule in the posterior pericardium with pericardial and bilateral pleural effusions. The diagnosis was established after surgery by histological and immunohistochemical studies. The patient remained alive and free of disease for about 24 months; however, due to rapid local recurrence, the patient died 27 months after the surgical treatment

Quality Evaluation of the Oil of Camellia spp.

The oil of Camellia spp. has become a well-known high-quality edible oil because of its rich nutrition. It is of great significance to breed fine varieties of Camellia spp. for the sustainable growth of the Camellia spp. industry. This study mainly evaluated the quality and antioxidant capacity of the camellia seed from several sources. The fatty acid composition and main active components of 40 kinds of C. oleifera, C. vietnamensis, C. osmantha, and C. gigantocarpa seeds, and so on, from different regions, were tested using GC–MS and HPLC. The quality of different Camellia spp. germplasm resources was comprehensively evaluated using multiple indices. The unsaturated fatty acid content and the antioxidant capacity of C. vietnamensis from Hainan were higher than those of C. oleifera Abel. In addition, there were a few differences in the fatty acid compositions of Camellia spp. oil from different species. Correlation analysis confirmed that rutin, total saponin, total flavonoids, squalene, and vitamin E were strongly correlated to the antioxidant capacity of Camellia spp. In the comprehensive evaluation, the best quality and strongest antioxidant activity were found for Chengmai Dafeng (C. vietnamensis). These methods in the study were applied for the first time for the quality evaluation of the Camellia spp. species. This study provided new insights into the quality evaluation of the Camellia spp. species, thus facilitating further development of variety breeding along with quality evaluation

The complete chloroplast genome of the ornamental plant Primula violaris (Primulaceae)

Primula violaris is a perennial herb distributed throughout the western part of Hubei Province and the southern part of Shaanxi Province, China. We present on of the first reports of the complete chloroplast genome sequence for P. violaris. The complete chloroplast genome was 153,630 bp in size, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 84,526 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 17,812 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 25,646 bp. There were 130 genes in the chloroplast genome, including 86 CDSs, 36 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that P. violaris is closely related to P. oreodoxa. (NC_050848)

Complete chloroplast genome of Holboellia grandiflora Réaubourg (Lardizabalaceae), a plant with an edible fruit

Holboellia grandiflora Réaubourg (Lardizabalaceae) is an evergreen twining perennial woody vine. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the complete chloroplast genome sequence of H. grandiflora. The complete chloroplast genome sequence was 157,811 bp in length and contained a large single-copy region of 86,554 bp and a small single-copy region of 18,975 bp. A pair of inverted repeats of 26,141 bp were included. It contained 130 genes, comprising 37 transfer RNA genes, and eight ribosomal RNA genes, as well as 85 coding sequences (CDSs). The GC content of the complete chloroplast genome sequence was 38.7%. The phylogenetic tree showed a close relationship among the three species of Holboellia (H. grandiflora, H. angustifolia, and H. latifolia). These findings provide a reference for phylogenetic relationships and assessment of the genetic structure of the Lardizabalaceae family