The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Kadsura ananosma

The first complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Kadsura ananosma was determined from Illumina HiSeq pair-end sequencing data in this study. The cpDNA is 145,903 bp in length, contains a large single-copy region (LSC) of 94,757 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,042 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions of 16,552 bp. The genome contains 125 genes, including 82 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 35 transfer RNA genes. Further phylogenomic analysis showed that K. ananosma and Kadsura coccinea clustered in a clade in Schisandraceae family

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Kadsura interior

The first complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Kadsura interior was determined from Illumina HiSeq pair-end sequencing data in this study. The cpDNA is 153,201 bp in length, contains a large single-copy region (LSC) of 85,774 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,077 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions of 24,673 bp each. The genome contains 129 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. The overall GC content of the whole genome is 39.6%, . The further phylogenomic analysis showed that K. interior and Kadsura coccinea clustered in a clade in Schisandraceae family

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Kadsura heteroclita

The first complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Kadsura heteroclita was determined from Illumina HiSeq pair-end sequencing data in this study. The cpDNA is 153,289 bp in length, contains a large single copy region (LSC) of 85,774 bp and a small single copy region (SSC) of 18,201 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions of 24,657 bp. The genome contains 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. Further phylogenomic analysis showed that K. heteroclita and K. interior clustered in a clade in Schisandraceae family

Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Simultaneous Extraction for Preparation of Genipin from Bark of Eucommia ulmoides after Ultrasound, Microwave Pretreatment

A continuous process based on the combination of ultrasounds and/or microwaves pretreatments followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and simultaneous extraction (EHSE) has been proposed to recover genipin from Eucommia ulmoides bark. At first, in the pretreatment step, the mixture of 1.0 g dried bark powder and 10 mL deionized water were irradiated by microwave under 500 W for 10 min. Then, in hydrolysis step, the optimal conditions were as follows: 0.5 mg/mL of cellulase concentration, 4.0 pH of enzyme solution, 24 h of incubation time and 40 °C of incubation temperature. After incubation, 10 mL ethanol was added to extract genipin for 30 min by ultrasound. After EHSE treatment, the yield of genipin could reach 1.71 μmol/g. Moreover, scanning electron micrographs illustrated that severe structural disruption of plant was obtained by EHSE. The results indicated that the EHSE method provided a good alternative for the preparation of genipin from Eucommia ulmoides bark as well as other herbs

The effect of a new process on the environment of soil in ion adsorption rare earth ores

Rare earths are a kind of mineral resource with important strategic value, playing an irreplaceable key role in modern high-tech development and other fields. However, how to realize the efficient and green mining of rare earth resources has been a key issue that the rare earth industry has been trying to break through, because the rare earth mining process is prone to pollute ecological environments such as soil and water. Ion adsorption rare earth ore, mainly distributed in the south of China, is one of the rare earths, for which rare earth researchers have developed a new process leaching system with magnesium salt. In this study, the soil environmental problems as well as the microbial community structure underneath this new process heap-leaching demonstration site are evaluated. The results of the study showed that under the new process, there was a significant accumulation of sulfate content in the soil of the heap-leaching site and an imbalance in the soil calcium-magnesium ratio, which may disrupt the soil structure and reduce soil fertility. Meanwhile, the microbial community structure before and after the leaching site showed large differences at different points and depths, but didn't cause ecological risks. This study helps us to understand the environmental problems and impacts that may be caused by the new process of magnesium salt, and also helps to promote the application of the new process of magnesium salt leaching of ion adsorption rare earth ore, which lays the foundation for the exploitation of rare earth resources

Microwave-Assisted Method for Simultaneous Hydrolysis and Extraction for Preparation of Geniposidic Acid from Eucommia ulmoides Bark Using Basic Imidazolide Ionic Liquid

In order to hydrolyze geniposide and extract geniposidic acid, a novel microwave irradiation heating method for simultaneous hydrolysis and extraction for preparation of geniposidic acid from Eucommia ulmoides bark using basic imidazolide ionic liquid was developed in this work. Basic ionic liquid paired by imidazolide anion and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium cation ([C6mim]Im) was used as a dual hydrolysis catalyst and extraction solvent in the proposed approach. The optimal concentration of [C6mim]Im was 0.4 mol/L. And the independent parameters optimized by Box-Behnken design (BBD) based on single-factor tests were as follows: microwave irradiation time of 20 min at power of 415 W and liquid-solid ratio of 15 mL/g. Yield of geniposidic acid was increased to 3.41±0.17 μmol/g. DM130 macroporous resin, after reaction, was selected to separate geniposidic acid from hydrolysate. The plant materials with different treatment were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The analysis of SEM and TG further indicated that IMSHE is an efficient preparation method for geniposidic acid. It is reasonable to assume that the method and the dual hydrolysis catalyst and extraction solvent would offer an alternative for the preparation of some other kinds of bioactive substances from plant materials

Initiation of Duck Hepatitis B Virus Infection Requires Cleavage by a Furin-Like Protease▿

The entry mechanism of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has not been defined, and this impedes development of antiviral therapies aimed at an early step in the viral life cycle. HBV infection has both host and tissue specificities. For the related duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV), duck carboxypeptidase D (DCPD) has been proposed as the species-specific docking receptor, while glycine decarboxylase (DGD) may serve as a tissue-specific cofactor or secondary receptor. DGD binds to several truncated versions of the viral large envelope protein but not to the full-length protein, suggesting a need for proteolytic cleavage of the envelope protein by a furin-like proprotein convertase. In the present study, we found that transfected DCPD could confer DHBV binding to non-duck cell lines but that this was followed by rapid virus release from cells. Coexpression of furin led to DCPD cleavage and increased virus retention. Treatment of DHBV particles with endosome prepared from duck liver led to cleavage of the large envelope protein, and such viral preparation could generate a small amount of covalently closed circular DNA in LMH cells, a chicken hepatoma cell line resistant to DHBV infection. A furin inhibitor composed of decanoyl-RVKR-chloromethylketone blocked endosomal cleavage of the large envelope protein in vitro and suppressed DHBV infection of primary duck hepatocytes in vivo. These findings suggest that furin or a furin-like proprotein convertase facilitates DHBV infection by cleaving both the docking receptor and the viral large envelope protein