Rice is the world's largest food crop, and its yield and quality are directly related to food security and human health. Grain size, as one of the important factors determining the rice yield, has been widely concerned by breeders and researchers for a long time. To decipher the regulatory mechanism of rice grain size, we obtained a multi-tiller, dwarf, and small-grain mutant htd1 by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutation from the Japonica rice cultivar 'Zhonghua 11' ('ZH11'). Genetic analysis indicated that the phenotype of htd1 was controlled by a single recessive gene. Using the mutation site map (Mutmap) method, we identified the candidate gene OsHTD1, which encoded a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase involved in the biosynthesis of strigolactone (SL). The SL content in htd1 was significantly lower than that in 'ZH11'. Cytological analysis showed that the grain size of the mutant decreased due to the reductions in the length and width of glume cells. The function of htd1 was further verified by the CRISPR/cas9 gene editing technology. The plants with the gene knockout exhibited similar grain size to the mutant. In addition, gene expression analysis showed that the expression levels of multiple grain size-related genes in the mutant changed significantly, suggesting that HTD1 may interact with other genes regulating grain size. This study provides a new theoretical basis for research on the regulatory mechanism of rice grain size and potential genetic resources for breeding the rice cultivars with high yields.
Oryza/growth & development* ; Mutation ; Edible Grain/growth & development* ; Alleles ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Dioxygenases/genetics* ; Lactones/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genes, Plant ; Gene Editing ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Phenotype

Objective:To explore the effect of fibroblast growth factor 2(FGF2)on ferroptosis of renal fibrotic cells and its po-tential molecular mechanisms.Methods:Rat NRK-52E cells were randomly divided into control group,renal fibrosis model group,FGF2 cytokine stimulation group,knockdown empty plasmid group,si-FGF2 group,overexpression empty plasmid group,overexpres-sion FGF2 group,Fer-1 treatment group.The model group was treated with TGF-β1 to obtain a renal fibrosis cell model.Cellular im-munofluorescence method was used to measure the level of cell fibrosis.Western blot was used to detect ferroptosis-related proteins(Nrf2,GPX4 and SLC7A11)and pathway proteins(STAT3,p-STAT3)expression level in the cells.Results:Knockdown of FGF2 could alleviate the increase in α-SMA and Collagen Ⅲ proteins caused by TGF-β1 stimulation of renal tubular cells(P<0.05).FGF2 could promote the activation of STAT3 protein into p-STAT3.The expression level of SLC7A11 protein was significantly increased after FGF2 cytokine stimulation(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the expressions of Nrf2 and GPX4 in renal fibrotic cells in the si-FGF2 group and Fer-1 treated group were significantly reduced(P<0.05).In addition,knockdown of FGF2 significantly reduced in-terstitial fibrosis of renal tubular epithelial cells(P<0.05).Conclusion:FGF2 may mediate TGF-β1-induced renal ferroptosis through the STAT3/SLC7A11 signaling pathway,and knock down of FGF2 can improve fibrosis of renal tubular epithelial cells.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of Qiwei Tangmaishu capsules on type 2 diabetes mice,and explore the mechanisms of its treatment of type 2 diabetes based on network pharmacology.Methods TCMSP,ETCM databases were used to query all components and of Qiwei Tangmaishu capsules and their targets.OMIM and DrugBank databases were used to search for targets of type 2 diabetes.The targets of type 2 diabetes and Qiwei Tangmaishu capsules were intersected by Venny 2.1.0.to perform GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis on those intersecting targets using the Metascape website.Then,a mouse model of type 2 diabetes was established,and Qiwei Tangmaishu capsules were given to low,medium,and high dose groups(234,468,and 936 mg/kg,respectively),and metformin(MET)group(200 mg/kg)for 2 weeks.The weight of each mouse was measured before and after treatment,and fasting blood glucose was also measured.After the 2 weeks,fasting insulin was measured;ELISA was used to detect levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β,TNF-α,IL-6,TLR4,and NF-κB in serum;Hematoxylin eosin staining was used to observe the morphology of pancreatic islets;and Caspase 3 and INS immunofluorescence were used to detect apoptosis of pancreatic islet cells and the number of pancreatic beta cells.Western Blot assay was used to detect the expression levels of pancreatic tissue proteins such as p-Akt,Akt,p-PI3K,PI3K,Bax,Bcl2.Results 1260 active ingredient targets were identified in Qiwei Tangmaishu capsules;1205 targets of type 2 diabetes were found.Of these,312 targets were intersected by Venny,with core targets involving Akt1,TNF,IL-6,TLR4,among others.Enrichment analysis identified 240 KEGG pathways,among which"insulin resistance""PI3K/Akt signaling pathway"were the key pathways enriched.The animal experiment result showed that compared with the model group,the intervention of Qiwei Tangmaishu capsules and metformin significantly improved blood glucose and insulin resistance;the content of inflammatory factors in serum decreased,and the apoptosis rate of pancreatic islet cells significantly decreased;the number of pancreatic beta cells significantly increased;the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax decreased,the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 significantly increased,and the expression of p-PI3K and p-Akt was upregulated.Conclusions Qiwei Tangmaishu capsules can significantly reduce blood glucose levels,restore insulin sensitivity,and reduce islet cell apoptosis in type 2 diabetic mice.The mechanism may be related to the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

HDAC7, a member of class IIa HDACs, plays a pivotal regulatory role in tumor, immune, fibrosis, and angiogenesis, rendering it a potential therapeutic target. Nevertheless, due to the high similarity in the enzyme active sites of class IIa HDACs, inhibitors encounter challenges in discerning differences among them. Furthermore, the substitution of key residue in the active pocket of class IIa HDACs renders them pseudo-enzymes, leading to a limited impact of enzymatic inhibitors on their function. In this study, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology was employed to develop HDAC7 drugs. We developed an exceedingly selective HDAC7 PROTAC degrader B14 which showcased superior inhibitory effects on cell proliferation compared to TMP269 in various diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Subsequent investigations unveiled that B14 disrupts BCL6 forming a transcriptional inhibition complex by degrading HDAC7, thereby exerting proliferative inhibition in DLBCL. Our study broadened the understanding of the non-enzymatic functions of HDAC7 and underscored the importance of HDAC7 in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, particularly in DLBCL and AML.

Hypercholesterolemia is a significant risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. 2',3',5'-Tri-O-acetyl-N ⁶-(3-hydroxyphenyl) adenosine (IMM-H007), a novel AMPK agonist, has shown protective effects in metabolic diseases. However, its impact on cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism in hypercholesterolemia remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the effects and specific mechanisms by which IMM-H007 regulates cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism. To achieve this goal, we used Apoe ^-/- and Ldlr ^-/- mice to establish a hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis model. Additionally, hepatocyte-specific Ampka1/2 knockout mice were subjected to a 5-week high-cholesterol diet to establish hypercholesterolemia, while atherosclerosis was induced via AAV-PCSK9 injection combined with a 16-week high-cholesterol diet. Our results demonstrated that IMM-H007 improved cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism in mice with hypercholesterolemia. Mechanistically, IMM-H007 modulated the AMPKα1/2-LDLR signaling pathway, increasing cholesterol uptake in the liver. Furthermore, IMM-H007 activated the AMPKα1-FXR pathway, promoting the conversion of hepatic cholesterol to bile acids. Additionally, IMM-H007 prevented hepatic steatosis by activating the AMPKα1/2-ATGL pathway. In conclusion, our study suggests that IMM-H007 is a promising therapeutic agent for improving hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis through the activation of AMPKα.

Maternal health during pregnancy has a direct impact on the risk and severity of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in the offspring, especially in the case of drug exposure. However, little progress has been made to assess the risk of drug exposure during pregnancy due to ethical constraints and drug use factors. We collected and manually curated sub-pathways and pathways (sub-/pathways) and drug information to propose an analytical framework for predicting drug candidates. This framework linked sub-/pathway activity and drug response scores derived from gene transcription data and was applied to human fetal brain development and six NDDs. Further, specific and pleiotropic sub-/pathways/drugs were identified using entropy, and sex bias was analyzed in conjunction with logistic regression and random forest models. We identified 19 disorder-associated and 256 regionally pleiotropic and specific candidate drugs that targeted risk sub-/pathways in NDDs, showing temporal or spatial changes across fetal development. Moreover, 5443 differential drug-sub-/pathways exhibited sex-biased differences after filling in the gender labels. A user-friendly NDDP visualization website ( https://ndd-lab.shinyapps.io/NDDP ) was developed to allow researchers and clinicians to access and retrieve data easily. Our framework overcame data gaps and identified numerous pleiotropic and specific candidates across six disorders and fetal developmental trajectories. This could significantly contribute to drug discovery during pregnancy and can be applied to a wide range of traits.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Neurodevelopmental Disorders/metabolism* ; Male ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Fetal Development/drug effects* ; Drug Discovery/methods* ; Brain/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To identify prognostic genes associated with lysosome-dependent cell death (LDCD) in patients with gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using The Cancer Genome Atlas - Stomach Adenocarcinoma. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to identify the key module genes associated with LDCD score. Candidate genes were identified by DEGs and key module genes. Univariate Cox regression analysis, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed for the selection of prognostic genes, and risk module was established. Subsequently, key cells were identified in the single-cell dataset (GSE183904), and prognostic gene expression was analyzed. Cell proliferation and migration were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and the wound healing assay. RESULTS: A total of 4,465 DEGs, 95 candidate genes, and 4 prognostic genes, including C19orf59, BATF2, TNFAIP2, and TNFSF18, were identified in the analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curves indicated the excellent predictive power of the risk model. Three key cell types (B cells, chief cells, and endothelial/pericyte cells) were identified in the GSE183904 dataset. C19orf59 and TNFAIP2 exhibited predominant expression in macrophage species, whereas TNFAIP2 evolved over time in endothelial/pericyte cells and chief cells. Functional experiments confirmed that interfering with C19orf59 inhibited proliferation and migration in GC cells. CONCLUSION C19orf59, BATF2, TNFAIP2, and TNFSF18 are prognostic genes associated with LDCD in GC. Furthermore, the risk model established in this study showed robust predictive power.
Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Lysosomes/physiology* ; RNA-Seq ; Cell Death ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Cell Proliferation ; Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis

Objective:To carry out a systematic review of the development, introduction or validation of drug literacy assessment tools for adults at home and abroad, and to summarize and analyze the characteristics of the assessment tools.Methods:The research framework of the scoping review was used to systematically search 8 Chinese and English databases, such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine disc, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase. The search period was from database establishment to October 31, 2023. Studies on adult drug literacy assessment tools were screened and included, tool characteristics were extracted and analyzed, and ultimately the extracts were standardized for reporting.Results:A total of 31 articles that met the criteria were included, of which 26 were on the development and validation of assessment tools, three were on the localization and application of assessment tools, and two were on the revision of assessment tools, covering 33 assessment tools.Conclusions:It is needed to recognize the importance of drug literacy assessment, actively explore the diversity of drug literacy assessment tools, clarify the limitations of existing drug literacy assessment tools, further improve the reliability and validity of existing tools, continue to develop and introduce assessment tools suitable for China's national conditions, so as to increase the accuracy of drug literacy assessment.