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Metarhizium acridum is an important microbial pesticide. Conidia (CO) and blastospores (BS) are two types of spores that occur in different patterns in the M. acridum life cycle and exhibit significant differences in cell morphology, structure, and activity. It may suggest that the fungus has a complex gene regulation mechanism. While previous studies on the differences between CO and BS have mainly focused on cell structure and application, little is known regarding the differences between CO and BS in fungi on the transcriptome levels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs crucial to gene regulation and cell function. Understanding the miRNA-like RNAs (milRNA) and mRNA expression profiles related to cell growth and cellular morphological changes would elucidate the roles of miRNAs in spore morphological differences. In this study, 4,646 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and mainly classified in the GO terms cell, cell part, biological process, and catalytic activity. The KEGG annotation suggested that they were enriched in amino acid biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, ribosome, and oxidative phosphorylation and might be involved in cell activity and structure. There were 113 differentially expressed milRNAs (DEMs), targeting 493 DEGs. Target gene functional analysis revealed that the target genes were mainly enriched in RNA transport, purine metabolism, and the cell cycle. In addition, we identified essential genes from milRNA-mRNA pairs that might participate in cell budding growth and cell membrane and wall integrity, including adenosine deaminase, glycosyl hydrolase, and G-patch domain protein (dno-miR-328-3p), WD repeat-containing protein pop1 (age-miR-127), and GPI-anchored wall transfer protein (cgr-miR-598). MilRNAs might therefore play a crucial role in cell growth and cellular morphological changes as transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators.

Anthocyanins are water-soluble flavonoid pigments that play a crucial role in plant growth and metabolism. They serve as attractants for animals by providing plants with red, blue, and purple pigments, facilitating pollination and seed dispersal. The fruits of solanaceous plants, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and eggplant (Solanum melongena), primarily accumulate anthocyanins in the fruit peels, while the ripe fruits of Atropa belladonna (Ab) have a dark purple flesh due to anthocyanin accumulation. In this study, an R2R3-MYB transcription factor (TF), AbMYB1, was identified through association analysis of gene expression and anthocyanin accumulation in different tissues of A. belladonna. Its role in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis was investigated through gene overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi). Overexpression of AbMYB1 significantly enhanced the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, such as AbF3H, AbF3′5′H, AbDFR, AbANS, and Ab3GT, leading to increased anthocyanin production. Conversely, RNAi-mediated suppression of AbMYB1 resulted in decreased expression of most anthocyanin biosynthesis genes, as well as reduced anthocyanin contents in A. belladonna. Overall, AbMYB1 was identified as a fruit-expressed R2R3-MYB TF that positively regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis in A. belladonna. This study provides valuable insights into the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Solanaceae plants, laying the foundation for understanding anthocyanin accumulation especially in the whole fruits of solanaceous plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herpetotriol, a typical lignan in Herpetospermum pedunculosum Wall's seeds that has long been used to treat icterhepatitis and indigestion and other related diseases in Tibet, is of potential hepatoprotection. This study aims to study the pharmacokinetics features of herpetotriol, including the blood drug concentration--time curve and tissue distribution. The ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was established to detect herpetotriol concentration in plasma and tissues, and the method showed good linearity from 10 to 2000 ng/mL (r [greater than or equal to] 0.9972) and sensitivity ([greater than or equal to] 10 ng/mL). Our blood drug concentration--time curve indicated that herpetotriol was distributed quickly in rats with a [T.sub.max] value at about 0.083 h and eliminated rapidly with a clearance rate at 98.13 [+ or -] 8.05 and 137.04 [+ or -] 9.48 L * [h.sup.-1] * [kg.sup.-1] with doses of 5 and 2.5 mg/kg, respectively. Although herpetotriol was detectable in all tested tissues, it has a higher concentration in liver than in heart, lung, spleen, and kidney, which is in line with its hepatoprotection. The pharmacokinetics features uncovered by the present study could provide more information for future pharmacological and toxicological study of herpetotriol. Key words: herpetotriol, Herpetospermum pedunculosum, ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, hepatoprotection, lignan. L'herpetotriol, un lignane typique des graines d'Herpetospermum pedunculosum Wall longtemps utilisees au Tibet dans le traitement de l'hepatite icterique et l'indigestion, ainsi que d'autres maladies associees, aurait un effet hepatoprotecteur. Les presents travaux visent a etudier les caracteristiques pharmacocinetiques de l'herpetotriol, y compris la courbe de la concentration sanguine du medicament en fonction du temps et la distribution tissulaire. Nous avons mis au point une methode de chromatographie liquide a ultra haute performance avec spectrometrie de masse en tandem afin d'etablir les concentrations d'herpetotriol dans le plasma et les tissus. Cette methode a montre une bonne linearite entre 10 et 2000 ng/mL (r [greater than or equal to] 0,9972) avec une bonne sensibilite ([greater than or equal to] 10 ng/mL). Notre courbe de la concentration du medicament dans le sang en fonction du temps a montre que, chez le rat, l'herpetotriol se distribuait rapidement avec des valeurs de [T.sub.max] d'environ 0,083 h et s'eliminait rapidement avec des vitesses de clairance de 98,13 [+ or -] 8,05 et de 137,04 [+ or -] 9,48 L * [h.sup.-1] * [kg.sup.-1] pour des doses de 5 et de 2,5 mg/kg, respectivement. Meme si l'herpetotriol etait decelable dans tous les tissus etudies, sa concentration etait plus elevee dans le foie que dans le creur, les poumons, la rate et les reins, ce qui est compatible avec des effets d'hepatoprotection. Les caracteristiques pharmacocinetiques mises au jour dans la presente etude pourraient fournir plus de renseignements en vue de futures etudes pharmacologiques et toxicologiques portant sur l'herpetotriol. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: herpetotriol, Herpetospermum pedunculosum, chromatographie liquide a ultra haute performance avec spectrometrie de masse en tandem, pharmacocinetique, distribution tissulaire, hepatoprotection, lignane., Introduction Plants of Herpetospermum pedunculosum, also known as 'Se-Ji-Mei-Duo', are mainly distributed in the Tibetan Plateau of China, Nepal, and the northeast of India at elevations of 2300-3500 m (Dentsen [...]

In recent years, the biological activity of plant polysaccharides has received increasing attention. Polysaccharides, as one of the main components of lilies, have pharmacological effects in regulating immunity, anti-tumor, antioxidant, antibacterial, and hypoglycemic effects. To systematically analyze the structural characteristics of the polysaccharide, the polysaccharide LP-1 was prepared from Lilium lancifolium bulbs by water extraction and ethanol precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Structural characterizations show that the weight-average relative molecular weight of LP-1 is 5.3 kDa. LP-1 consists of mannose and glucose at a molar ratio of 1.4:1. Its primary structure is Glcp-α-D-(1 → {4)-β-D-Glcp-(1 → 4)-β-D-2-O-acetyl-Manp-(1 → [4)-β-D-Glcp-(1 → 4)-β-D-Glcp-(1 → 4)-β-D-Manp-(1 → 4)-β-D-Manp-(1 → 4)-β-D-Manp-(1 → 4)-β-D-Manp-(1]2}2 → 4)-α-D-Glcp. Acetylation occurs at the O-2 site of mannose. Acetyl substitution degree is 8.21%. The results of structure elucidation showed that LP-1 was a low-molecular weight linear O-acetylated glucomannan. The results of oxidative stress experiments indicate that LP-1 exerts antioxidant effects on HUVEC by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, thereby improving endothelial cell damage induced by H2O2, and has the potential to be developed as an antioxidant drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lily bulbs (Lilium lancifolium Thunb.) are rich in phytochemicals and have many potential biological activities which could be deep-processed for food or medicine purposes. This study investigated the effects of microwaves combined with hot-air drying on phytochemical profiles and antioxidant activities in lily bulbs. The results showed that six characteristic phytochemicals were identified in lily bulbs. They also showed that with an increase in microwave power and treatment time, regaloside A, regaloside B, regaloside E, and chlorogenic acid increased dramatically in lily bulbs. The 900 W (2 min) and the 500 W (5 min) groups could significantly suppress the browning of lily bulbs, with total color difference values of 28.97 ± 4.05 and 28.58 ± 3.31, respectively, and increase the content of detected phytochemicals. The highest oxygen radical absorbance activity was found in the 500 W, 5 min group, a 1.6-fold increase as compared with the control (57.16 ± 1.07 μmol TE/g DW), which was significantly relevant to the group's phytochemical composition. Microwaves enhanced the phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of lily bulbs, which could be an efficient and environmentally friendly strategy for improving the nutrition quality of lily bulbs during dehydration processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is described as the abrupt decrease in kidney function always accompanied by inflammation. The roots of Oxybaphus himalaicus Edgew. have long been used in Tibetan folk medicine for the treatment of nephritis. Nevertheless, modern pharmacological studies, especially about the underlying mechanism of O. himalaicus medications, are still lacking. Here, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages, the O. himalaicus extract (OE) showed significant anti-inflammatory activity with the dose dependently reducing the LPS-stimulated release of nitric oxide and the mRNA level and protein expression of inflammatory cytokines and reversed the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). Co-immunoprecipitation assay indicated that OE inhibited Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 2 (TLR4/MD2) complex formation and further suppressed both myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)-dependent and TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF)-dependent cascades activation. In addition, OE could restrain NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) endocytosis by blocking TLR4/MD2 complex formation to prevent reactive oxygen species production. In LPS-induced AKI mice, OE treatment mitigated renal injury and inflammatory infiltration by inhibiting TLR4/MD2 complex formation. UPLC-MS/MS analysis tentatively identified 41 components in OE. Our results indicated that OE presented significant anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting TLR4/MD2 complex formation, which alleviated LPS-induced AKI in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyoscyamine and scopolamine, belonging to medicinal tropane alkaloids (MTAs), are potent anticholinergic drugs. Their industrial production relies on medicinal plants, but the levels of the two alkaloids are very low in planta. Engineering the MTA's production is an everlasting hot topic for pharmaceutical industry. With understanding the MTA's biosynthesis, biotechnological approaches are established to produce hyoscyamine and scopolamine in an efficient manner. Great advances have been obtained in engineering MTA's production in planta. In this review, we summarize the advances on the biosynthesis of MTAs and engineering the MTA's production in hairy root cultures, as well in plants. The problems and perspectives on engineering the MTA's production are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is an important technique for studying gene expression analysis, but accurate and reliable results depend on the use of a stable reference gene. This study proposes to test the expression stability of candidate reference genes in the callus of Saussurea laniceps, a unique Tibetan medicinal plant. Based on the S. laniceps callus transcriptome, eleven candidate reference genes, including TUA2, TUB3, TUB8, TIF3B1, TIF3H1, ELF5A, PP2AA2, UEV1D, UBL5, UBC36, and SKIP1), were validated for RT-qPCR normalization in the callus under abiotic stress (salt, cold, and UV) and hormone treatments (abscisic acid, MeJA, and salicylic acid). The stability of the candidate genes was evaluated in all the samples of S. laniceps. Comprehensive analysis of all samples showed that the best reference genes were UBC36 and UBL5. ELF5A and TIF3B1 were ranked as the most stable genes in the sample sets under abiotic stress. For hormone stimulation, UBC36 and TIF3H1 genes had the best stability. This study provides useful guidelines and a starting point for reference gene selection for expression analysis using RT-qPCR techniques in S. laniceps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia annua is the main natural source of artemisinin production. In A. annua , extended drought stress severely reduces its biomass and artemisinin production while short-term water-withholding or abscisic acid (ABA) treatment can increase artemisinin biosynthesis. ABA-responsive transcription factor AabZIP1 and JA signaling AaMYC2 have been shown in separate studies to promote artemisinin production by targeting several artemisinin biosynthesis genes. Here, we found AabZIP1 promote the expression of multiple artemisinin biosynthesis genes including AaDBR2 and AaALDH1 , which AabZIP1 does not directly activate. Subsequently, it was found that AabZIP1 up-regulates AaMYC2 expression through direct binding to its promoter, and that AaMYC2 binds to the promoter of AaALDH1 to activate its transcription. In addition, AabZIP1 directly transactivates wax biosynthesis genes AaCER1 and AaCYP86A1. The biosynthesis of artemisinin and cuticular wax and the tolerance of drought stress were significantly increased by AabZIP1 overexpression, whereas they were significantly decreased in RNAi- AabZIP1 plants. Collectively, we have uncovered the AabZIP1-AaMYC2 transcriptional module as a point of cross-talk between ABA and JA signaling in artemisinin biosynthesis, which may have general implications. We have also identified AabZIP1 as a promising candidate gene for the development of A. annua plants with high artemisinin content and drought tolerance in metabolic engineering breeding. AabZIP1 regulates artemisinin biosynthesis via directly transactivating AaADS and AaCYP71AV1 , and indirectly up-regulating AaDBR2 and AaALDH1 via AaMYC2. Moreover, AabZIP1 improves drought tolerance by promoting wax biosynthesis in Artemisia annua. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five previously undescribed flavonoids (1–5) and ten known ones (6–15) were isolated from the roots of Oxybaphus himalaicus. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic experiments including NMR, HRESIMS and ECD. The cytotoxic activities of all isolated compounds were assayed against human lung carcinoma A549 cells and human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells in vitro. Compound 11 displayed the most powerful inhibitory effect with IC50 values of 19.47 ± 0.28 μM against A549 and 52.6 ± 0.38 μM against HepG2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new cycloartane glycosides, cycloatriosides A and B (1–2), and a new oleanolic acid glycoside, thaliatrioside A (3), along with 7 known triterpenoids (4–10) were isolated from Thalictrum atriplex. The structures of the new compounds were established as 3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl (20S, 24 R)-3β,16β,25,29-tetrahydroxy-20,24-epoxycycloartane-29-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-arabinopyranosyl-3β,22ξ,30-trihydroxycycloart-24-en-21-oic acid α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (2) and 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl]-oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (3) on the basis of extensive NMR and HR-ESI-MS analyses, along with acid hydrolysis. Their cytotoxic activities against human lung cancer cells A549 and human breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 were evaluated using MTT method. Compound 9 showed cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 cell line with the IC50 value of 72.53 ± 1.08 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]