Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are associated with response of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the ...existing methods for detection of samples having rare mutations(i.e. ~0.01%) have limits in terms of specificity, time consumption or cost. In the current study, novel wild-type blocking (WTB) oligonucleotides modified with phosphorothioate or inverted dT at the 5'-termini were designed to precisely detect 11 common deletion mutations in exon 19 of EGFR gene (E19del) using a WTB-PCR assay. And internal competitive leptin amplifications were further applied to enhance the specificity of the WTB-PCR system. Our results showed that WTB-PCR could completely block amplification of wild-type EGFR when 200 ng of DNA was used as template. Furthermore, the current WTB-PCR assay facilitated the detection of E19del mutations with a selectivity of 0.01% and sensitivity as low as a single copy. And, the results showed that the current WTB-PCR system exceeded detection limits afforded by the ARMS-PCR assay. In conclusion, the current WTB-PCR strategy represents a simple and cost-effective method to precisely detect various low-abundance deletion mutations.
Two new isochromenes, 5-methoxy-3-methyl-7-prenyl-1
H
-isochromene (
1
) and 7-(3-hydroxypropyl)-5-methoxy-3-methyl-1
H
-isochromene (
2
), along with four known ones (
3–6
) were isolated from the ...fermentation products of the Nicotiana tabacum-derived endophytic fungus
Aspergillus versicolor
. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds
1
and
2
were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) and anti-methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(anti-MRSA) activities. The results showed that compounds
1
and
2
exhibited potential anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 36.5 and 42.2%, respectively, and also showed good anti-MRSA activities with IZD of 16.8 ± 2.2 and 20.6 ± 2.5 mm, respectively.
Sesquiterpenyl epoxy-cyclohexenoids (SECs) show impressive biological activities. However, the key pathways for SECs still remain unambiguous. Unexpectedly, 11 new SECs and derivatives with diverse ...oxidation patterns were isolated after the deletion of gene 274. A high accumulation of toluquinol and its new glycosides in mutant Δ276 and further isolation of the most crucial precursors farnesyl hydroquinone, farnesyl quinone, and three new derivatives from mutant Δ278 confirm that farnesylation at toluquinol is the key step for SECs.
Soluble urokinase receptor (suPAR) may be involved in the pathological mechanisms of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) changes. However, it remains unclear whether suPAR is correlated with ...the FSGS-like lesions in IgA nephropathy (IgAN).
We measured the plasma suPAR levels in 138 patients with IgAN, and then their clinical and pathological relationships were analyzed.
We found that the plasma suPAR levels were significantly correlated with age and renal function by both univariate and multivariate analysis in our IgAN patient cohort. Female had higher plasma suPAR levels and no significant correlation was observed between plasma suPAR levels and 24-h urine protein and highly sensitive C-reaction protein with multivariate analysis. In our cohort, sixty of these IgAN patients could be diagnosed with a type of FSGS lesions. The plasma suPAR levels were higher in the IgAN patients with FSGS lesions than in the IgAN patients without FSGS lesions by univariate (P < 0.0001) and multivariate (P < 0.001) analysis adjusting for other predictor variables, which might be helpful to differentiate the pathological changes with and without FSGS lesions. And the optimal cutoff value was 1806 pg/ml in this study. The plasma suPAR concentrations were also associated with the degree of tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis in both univariate and multivariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, the plasma suPAR levels were correlated with the percentage of crescents, not global sclerosis and arterial lesions.
Our study suggested that the plasma suPAR levels were associated with age, gender, renal function, the degree of tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis and the percentage of crescent formation. The plasma suPAR might be a potential predictor for the presence of FSGS pathological lesions in Chinese patients with IgAN.
The genus Fuscoporia of the Hymenochaetaceae is characterized by resupinate to pileate basidiocarps, a dimitic hyphal system with fine crystal aggregates and encrusted generative hyphae in ...dissepiment edge and tube trama, the presence of hymenial setae, and hyaline, thin-walled, smooth basidiospores. Members of the F. contigua group are easy to distinguish from other species of Fuscoporia because of the moderately large pores, presence of mycelial setae, and large hymenial setae. Here, we explore phylogenetic relationships among 20 species of Fuscoporia based on examination of some 90 collections sampled worldwide. Seven new species are recognized in the F. contigua group-F. americana, F. centroamericana, F. costaricana, F. latispora, F. monticola, F. septiseta, and F. sinica-described from China, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the United States. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from DNA sequences of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS), D1-D2 domains of nuc 28S rDNA (28S), and translation elongation factor EF-1 alpha (tef1) support the F. contigua group as one of two major clades within Fuscoporia comprising nine species worldwide.
Saponins are a class of important active ingredients. Analysis of saponin-containing herbal medicines is a major challenge for the quality control of medicinal herbs in companies. Taking the medicine ...Astragali radix (AR) as an example, it has been shown that the existing evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) methods of astragaloside IV (AG IV) has the disadvantages of time-consuming sample preparation and low sensitivity. The universality of ELSD results in an inapplicable fingerprint with huge signals from primary compounds and smaller signals from saponins. The purpose of this study was to provide a practical and comprehensive method for the quality control of the astragalosides in AR. A simple sample preparation method with sonication extraction and ammonia hydrolyzation was established, which shortens the preparation time from around 2 days to less than 2 h. A UPLC-QDA method with the SIM mode was established for the quantification of AG IV in AR. Methanol extract was subjected to UPLC-QDA for fingerprinting analysis, and the common peaks were assigned simultaneously with the QDA. The results showed that with the newly established method, the preparation time for a set of samples was less than 90 min. The fingerprints can simultaneously detect both saponins and flavonoids in AR. This simple, rapid, and comprehensive UPLC-QDA method is suitable for quality assessment of RA and its products in companies, and also provides references for the quality control of other saponin ingredients without UV absorption.
Highlights • Expression of C3G was elevated in 65.79% of ovarian tissue samples examined. • Elevated Rap1 activity was correlated with multiple clinicopathological features. • C3G knockdown altered ...the spreading pattern of SKOV3 cells in xenograft assays. • C3G knockdown decreased extravasation and intravasation of SKOV3 cells. • Secretion of MMP-2 and MMP-9 from SKOV3 cells decreased after C3G knockdown.
Two novel dysprosium(III) clusters have been prepared and structurally characterized. One has a tetranuclear core with a rare zigzag arrangement, and the other is an unprecedented octanuclear cluster ...with six triangular Dy3 units sharing vertices. Both dysprosium(III) clusters possess frequency-dependent on alternating-current magnetic susceptibilities, indicating possible single-molecule magnet behavior.
Background
Since
Nicotiana tabacum
(tobacco) has important significance to humans for their medicinal uses, to find antivirus activities inhibitors from tobacco, increase its medicinal value, and ...comprehensive utilization of its by-products, our group had investigated the chemical constituents of the stems of Y-202, a cultivar of tobacco which high resistance to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).
Results
Four new isoindolinone-type alkaloids, nicoisoindoles A–D (
1
–
4
), along with four known isoindole derivatives (
5
–
8
) were isolated. Compounds
1
–
4
represent a new subclass of isoindolinone alkaloids with rare cyclopenta
f
isoindole-1-one frameworks. Among them, nicoisoindole C (
3
) possesses an unusual
N
-2-(5-methoxy-6-methylpyridin-2-yl) ethyl moiety, while nicoisoindole D (
4
) has a novel a
N
-(3-methyl-6-oxo-1,6-dihydropyridin-2-yl)methyl substituent. Interestingly, compounds
1
,
3,
and
4
showed high anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 43.8%, 58.8%, and 67.8% at the concentration of 20 μM, and IC
50
values of 23.6, 19.5 and 15.4 μM, respectively, even more potent than that of positive control.
Conclusions
The successful isolation and structure identification of new oxocyclopenta
f
isoindole-1-ones provide materials for the screening of antivirus activities inhibitors, and contribute to the development and utilization of the waste from tobacco cultivation.
Graphical Abstract
PDF
