Screening of Bioactive Compounds from Moutan Cortex and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities in Rat Synoviocytes

Moutan Cortex, a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various diseases, is the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (Paeoniaceae). Most of the pharmacological investigations of Moutan Cortex have been addressed to its central nervous system activities, anti-oxidative and sedative actions. Otherwise, there are few reports about the active compounds with anti-inflammatory activity of Moutan Cortex. The aim of the present study was to screen and identify bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory effect from Moutan Cortex. With the aid of preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique, ethyl acetate and ethanol extract of Moutan Cortex were isolated into twenty-two fractions. Bioactivities of these fractions were evaluated by measuring expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in rat synoviocytes subjected to interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Eight compounds were isolated from six active fractions and identified by HPLC/MSn. Purified compounds, paeoniflorin, paeonol and pentagalloylglucose resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of TNF-α synthesis and IL-6 production in synoviocytes treated with proinflammatory mediator. These results suggested that paeonol, paeoniflorin, glycosides and pentagalloylglucose contribute to the anti-inflammatory effect of Moutan Cortex

The genomic and bulked segregant analysis of \u3ci\u3eCurcuma alismatifolia\u3c/i\u3e revealed its diverse bract pigmentation

Compared with most flowers where the showy part comprises specialized leaves (petals) directly subtending the reproductive structures, most Zingiberaceae species produce showy ‘‘flowers’’ through modifications of leaves (bracts) subtending the true flowers throughout an inflorescence. Curcuma alismatifolia, belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, a plant species originating from Southeast Asia, has become increasingly popular in the flower market worldwide because of its varied and esthetically pleasing bracts produced in different cultivars. Here, we present the chromosome-scale genome assembly of C. alismatifolia ‘‘Chiang Mai Pink’’ and explore the underlying mechanisms of bract pigmentation. Comparative genomic analysis revealed C. alismatifolia contains a residual signal of wholegenome duplication. Duplicated genes, including pigment-related genes, exhibit functional and structural differentiation resulting in diverse bract colors among C. alismatifolia cultivars. In addition, we identified the key genes that produce different colored bracts in C. alismatifolia, such as F3\u275’H, DFR, ANS and several transcription factors for anthocyanin synthesis, as well as chlH and CAO in the chlorophyll synthesis pathway by conducting transcriptomic analysis, bulked segregant analysis using both DNA and RNA data, and population genomic analysis. This work provides data for understanding the mechanism of bract pigmentation and will accelerate breeding in developing novel cultivars with richly colored bracts in C. alismatifolia and related species. It is also important to understand the variation in the evolution of the Zingiberaceae family

Paeoniflorin Attenuated Oxidative Stress in Rat COPD Model Induced by Cigarette Smoke

Paeoniflorin (PF), a monoterpene glucoside, might have an effect on the oxidative stress. However, the mechanism is still unknown. In this study, we made the COPD model in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by exposing them to the smoke of 20 cigarettes for 1 hour/day and 6 days/week, for 12 weeks, 24 weeks, or 36 weeks. Our findings suggested that smoke inhalation can trigger the oxidative stress from the very beginning. A 24-week treatment of PF especially in the dosage of 40 mg/kg·d can attenuate oxygen stress by partially quenching reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulating antioxidant enzymes via an Nrf2-dependent mechanism

The Functional and Regulatory Mechanisms of the Thellungiella salsuginea Ascorbate Peroxidase 6 (TsAPX6) in Response to Salinity and Water Deficit Stresses.

Soil salinization is a resource and ecological problem in the world. Thellungiella salsuginea is becoming a new model plant because it resembles its relative species, Arabidopsis thaliana, in small genome and short life cycle. It is highly tolerant to salinity and drought stresses. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is an enzyme that clears H2O2 in plants. The function and molecular and regulation mechanisms of APX in T. salsuginea have rarely been reported. In this study, an APX gene, TsApx6, was cloned from T. salsuginea and its responses to abiotic stresses in transgenic Arabidopsis were studied. Under high salinity treatment, the expression of TsApx6 was significantly induced. Under drought treatment, overexpression of TsApx6 increased the survival rate and reduced leaf water loss rate in Arabidopsis. Compared to the wild type plants, high salinity treatment reduced the concentrations of MDA, H2O2 and proline but elevated the activities of APX, GPX, CAT and SOD in the TsApx6-overexpressing plants. Meanwhile, germination rate, cotyledon greening, and root length were improved in the transgenic plants compared to the wild type plants under salt and water deficit conditions. Based on these findings, TsApx6 has an important function in the resistance of plants to certain abiotic stresses. The TsApx6 promoter sequence was obtained using Genome Walking technology. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that it contains some cis-acting elements related to stress response. The treatments of salt, dehydration, and ABA induced the expression of Gus gene under the regulation of the TsApx6 promoter. Mutation analysis showed that the MBS motif present in the TsApx6 promoter might be a key negative regulatory element which has an important effect on the growth and developmental process of plants

Deep Sequencing of Small RNA Reveals the Molecular Regulatory Network of AtENO2 Regulating Seed Germination

Seed germination is a key step in the new life cycle of plants. In agriculture, we regard the rapid and consistent process of seed germination as one of the necessary conditions to measure the high quality and yield of crops. ENO2 is a key enzyme in glycolysis, which also plays an important role in plant growth and abiotic stress responses. In our study, we found that the time of seed germination in AtENO2 mutation (eno2−) was earlier than that of wild type (WT) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Previous studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) were vital in seed germination. After deep sequencing of small RNA, we found 590 differentially expressed miRNAs in total, of which 87 were significantly differentially expressed miRNAs. By predicting the target genes of miRNAs and analyzing the GO annotation, we have counted 18 genes related to seed germination, including ARF family, TIR1, INVC, RR19, TUDOR2, GA3OX2, PXMT1, and TGA1. MiR9736-z, miR5059-z, ath-miR167a-5p, ath-miR167b, ath-miR5665, ath-miR866-3p, miR10186-z, miR8165-z, ath-miR857, ath-miR399b, ath-miR399c-3p, miR399-y, miR163-z, ath-miR393a-5p, and ath-miR393b-5p are the key miRNAs regulating seed germination-related genes. Through KEGG enrichment analysis, we found that phytohormone signal transduction pathways were significantly enriched, and these miRNAs mentioned above also participate in the regulation of the genes in plant hormone signal transduction pathways, thus affecting the synthesis of plant hormones and further affecting the process of seed germination. This study laid the foundation for further exploration of the AtENO2 regulation for seed germination

The Biological Significance and Regulatory Mechanism of c-Myc Binding Protein 1 (MBP-1)

Alternatively translated from the ENO gene and expressed in an array of vertebrate and plant tissues, c-Myc binding protein 1 (MBP-1) participates in the regulation of growth in organisms, their development and their environmental responses. As a transcriptional repressor of multiple proto-oncogenes, vertebrate MBP-1 interacts with other cellular factors to attenuate the proliferation and metastasis of lung, breast, esophageal, gastric, bone, prostrate, colorectal, and cervical cancer cells. Due to its tumor-suppressive property, MBP-1 and its downstream targets have been investigated as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for various cancers. In plants, MBP-1 plays an integral role in regulating growth and development, fertility and abiotic stress responses. A better understanding of the functions and regulatory factors of MBP-1 in plants may advance current efforts to maximize plant resistance against drought, high salinity, low temperature, and oxidative stress, thus optimizing land use and crop yields. In this review article, we summarize the research advances in biological functions and mechanistic pathways underlying MBP-1, describe our current knowledge of the ENO product and propose future research directions on vertebrate health as well as plant growth, development and abiotic stress responses

Regulatory Mechanisms of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Apple and Pear

Anthocyanins contribute to the quality and flavour of fruits. They are produced through the phenylpropanoid pathway, which is regulated by specific key genes that have been identified in many species. The dominant anthocyanin forms are reversibly transformed at different pH states, thus forming different colours in aqueous solutions. In plants, anthocyanins are controlled by specific factors of the biosynthetic pathway: light, temperature, phytohormones and transcription factors. Although great progress in research on anthocyanin structures and the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis has been made, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis in different plants remain less clear. In addition, the co-regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis is poorly understood. In this review, we summarise previous findings on anthocyanin biosynthesis, including the biochemical and biological features of anthocyanins; differences in anthocyanin biosynthesis among fruit species, i.e., apple, red pear, and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana; and the developmental and environmental regulation of anthocyanin accumulation. This review reveals the molecular mechanisms underlying anthocyanin biosynthesis in different plant species and provides valuable information for the development of anthocyanin-rich red-skinned and red-fleshed apple and pear varieties

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of the Response to Cold Stress in Jojoba, a Tropical Woody Crop

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is a semi-arid, oil-producing industrial crop that have been widely cultivated in tropical arid region. Low temperature is one of the major environmental stress that impair jojoba’s growth, development and yield and limit introduction of jojoba in the vast temperate arid areas. To get insight into the molecular mechanisms of the cold stress response of jojoba, a combined physiological and quantitative proteomic analysis was conducted. Under cold stress, the photosynthesis was repressed, the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), relative electrolyte leakage (REL), soluble sugars, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) were increased in jojoba leaves. Of the 2821 proteins whose abundance were determined, a total of 109 differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) were found and quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of the coding genes for 7 randomly selected DAPs were performed for validation. The identified DAPs were involved in various physiological processes. Functional classification analysis revealed that photosynthesis, adjustment of cytoskeleton and cell wall, lipid metabolism and transport, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and carbohydrate metabolism were closely associated with the cold stress response. Some cold-induced proteins, such as cold-regulated 47 (COR47), staurosporin and temperature sensitive 3-like a (STT3a), phytyl ester synthase 1 (PES1) and copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 1, might play important roles in cold acclimation in jojoba seedlings. Our work provided important data to understand the plant response to the cold stress in tropical woody crops