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Jasmonic acid (JA) signaling plays a pivotal role in plant development and defense. MYC2 is a master transcription factor in JA signaling, and was found to be phosphorylated and negatively regulated by MAP kinase and receptor-like kinase. However, the kinases that positively regulate MYC2 through phosphorylation and promote MYC2-mediated activation of JA response have not been identified. Here, we identified CK2 as a kinase that phosphorylates MYC2 and thus regulates the JA signaling. CK2 holoenzyme can interact with MYC2 using its regulatory subunits and phosphorylate MYC2 at multiple sites with its catalytic subunits. Inhibition of CK2 activity in a dominant-negative plant line, CK2mut, repressed JA response. On the other hand, increasing CK2 activity by overexpression of CKB4, a regulatory subunit gene of CK2, enhanced JA response in a MYC2-dependent manner. Substitution of the Ser and Thr residues at phosphorylation sites of MYC2 by CK2 with Ala impaired MYC2 function in activating JA response. Further investigations evidenced that CK2 facilitated the JA-induced increase of MYC2 binding to the promoters of JA-responsive genes in vivo. Our study demonstrated that CK2 plays a positive role in JA signaling, and reveals a previously undiscovered mechanism that regulates MYC2 function.

The Lunggar iron deposit belongs to the Bangong-Nujiang metallogenic belt and is located in central Lhasa on the Tibetan Plateau. In the Lunggar deposit, iron mineralization formed in the skarnization contact zone between the Early Cretaceous granodiorite and the late Permian Xiala Formation limestone. In this study, we achieved detailed zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopes and mineral chemistry for the Early Cretaceous granodiorite. Zircon U-Pb dating results indicate that the Early Cretaceous granodiorite emplaced at ca. 119 Ma. Based on the trace elements in zircons and the mineral chemical composition of amphibole and biotite, the Early Cretaceous granodiorite was believed to form under condition of high temperature (>700 °C), low pressure (100–400 MPa), and relatively high oxygen fugacity (lg/O2)(−13.6 to −13.9) and H2O content (4%–8%). Zircon trace elements, Hf isotope and biotite chemistry collectively reveal that significant juvenile mantle-derived magmas contributed to the source of the granodiorite. The relatively high log/O2 and shallow magma chamber are beneficial for skarn iron mineralization, implying remarkable potential for further prospecting in the Lunggar iron deposit.

In this letter, we successfully explored a cascade Pd/Cu-catalyzed intermolecular C(sp3)–H arylation of amides and intramolecular C–N coupling reaction. This method provides a one-pot strategy to synthesize 3,4-2H-quinolinone with good regioselectivity of C–H arylation and C–N coupling from C–I and C–X bonds from readily available starting materials.

The Zhengchong gold deposit is located in the central Jiangnan Orogen Belt, where gold ore occurs mainly as quartz veins, altered slates, and minor breccias hosted by shear zones in the Lengjiaxi Group. Based on its vein crosscutting relationships, mineral assemblages, and paragenetic sequences, mineralization in this deposit is divided into four stages: Stage 1: quartz(Q1)–pyrite stage, Stage 2: quartz(Q2)–pyrite–arsenopyrite stage, Stage 3: quartz(Q3)–pyrite–polymetallic sulfide mineral stage, and Stage 4: quartz(Q4)–carbonate stage. Two types of fluid inclusions have been recognized in the quartz grains: CO2-bearing fluid inclusions (C-type) and aqueous fluid inclusions (W-type). Fluid inclusions in hydrothermal quartz yield homogeneous temperatures and salinities of 312–406 °C and 4.65–9.21 wt% NaClequiv (Stage 1), 252–324 °C and 2.20–8.10 wt% NaClequiv (Stage 2), 193–296 °C and 2.24–14.04 wt% NaClequiv (Stage 3), and 127–209 °C and 2.57–6.59 wt% NaClequiv (Stage 4). The co-occurrence of these inclusion types despite their variable fluid salinities can be explained by fluid boiling during Stages 2 and 3 of mineralization, possibly as a result of episodic pressure decreases linked to fault-valve activity. Laser Raman spectroscopic analysis results reveal that small quantities of CH4 and N2 are present in the Stage 2–3 fluid inclusions. Fluid inclusion data and microthermometric results show that the ore fluids were low-salinity and CO2-rich, yielding both CO2 inclusions (C-type) and aqueous inclusions (W-type). The trapping pressures estimated from the C-type inclusions are 80–180 MPa for Stages 2 and 3, yielding gold mineralization depths of ∼7–8 km. The mineralizing fluids had calculated δ18OH2O values ranging from +3.7‰ to +8.2‰ and δD values from −75.2‰ to −61.8‰, indicating derivation mainly from metamorphic fluids. The sulfide minerals yield δ34S values of −8.9 to −0.1‰ and 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb ratios of 17.83–18.12, 15.67–15.76, and 38.03–38.62, respectively, which differ significantly from the isotopic composition of the granodiorite (δ34S = −2.4‰ to +1.0‰; 206Pb/204Pb = 18.57–19.28; 207Pb/204Pb = 15.69–15.76; 208Pb/204Pb = 38.97–40.34). However, the S–Pb isotopic compositions of the sulfide minerals are similar to those of slates of the Lengjiaxi Group in the study area. The Zhengchong gold deposit probably originated from a metamorphic fluid system characterized by low salinity, low density, and CO2 enrichment with limited admixture of magmatic fluids. Based on similarities to other orogenic gold deposits, we infer that the Zhengchong orebody represents an orogenic gold deposit formed during the Late Ordovician Jiangnan Orogeny caused by collision of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks.

After harvesting the flower buds of Magnolia liliflora Desr. (the traditional Chinese medicine known as “Xinyi”), a significant quantity of M. liliflora leaf (MLL) was generated as a by-product. The aim of this study is to verify the potential use of MLL and isolate its bioactive compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and phytotoxic activities. The ethyl acetate extract (ETE) from ethanol extract of MLL with the highest lignan content and antioxidant activity showed a good application value, from which four new lignans (1–4) along with fifteen known lignans (5–19) were isolated. The structures of lignans were established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR data and HRESIMS data interpretation. Compounds 2, 9 and 10 exhibited antioxidant activities as assessed by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP methods. Compounds 2–3, 9–11 and 13–14 showed pronounced anti-inflammatory activities compared with positive control indomethacin. Compounds 9, 11 and 19 showed antifungal effects on three plant pathogens of economic importance in agriculture (Fusarium graminearum, Pyricularia oryzae, Alternaria alternata) with MIC values ranging from 32 to 128 μg/mL. Compounds 5 and 11 showed an inhibitory effect on lettuce shoots with EC50 = 0.37 and 0.95 mM, respectively. The results indicated that MLL could be regarded as a promising high-potential by-product and inexpensive source of lignans for the pharmaceutical, food and agricultural industries.

Hawk tea, prepared from the young leaves of Litsea coreana Levl. var. lanuginosa, is consumed as a tonic in China. Essential oils (EOs) from Hawk tea collected from six habitats in China were obtained by hydro distillation. Extraction yields ranged from 0.42% (g/g) in samples from Ningguo to 0.11% (g/g) in samples from Qingchuan. A total of 50 compounds in the six EO samples were identified by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer. The dominant compounds were citral (4.67–21.12%), caryophyllene (2.31–15.74%), dodecanal (2.10–15.38%), α-humulene (1.45–13.56%) and decanal (1.91–13.17%). Altitude may contribute the greatest effect on the chemical variation of the six EO samples. All the EO samples showed bioactivities. Among them, the EOs from the Pingshan sample showed the best ABTS radical scavenging activity (78.67 mg TEs /g) and better antimicrobial activities (MIC = 156.25–625 μg/mL) and had stronger DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 0.71 mg/mL) than BHT (IC50 = 0.76 mg/mL). The EOs from the Ningguo sample showed the highest reducing power (26.06 mg Fe2+/g) in a FRAP assay, the best inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase (1.71 mg/mL) and was the most cytotoxic (66.03–77.03 μg/mL) in an MTS assay. Therefore, the EOs from Hawk tea could be suitable for commercialization in the food, cosmetic or medical industries. Due to the activities of their EOs, plants growing in Pingshan and Ningguo are the optimal candidates.

The isolation of secondary metabolites produced by plants can lead to the discovery of new insecticidal agents. The aim of this study was to identify secondary metabolites from the fruits of Carpesium abrotanoides, a well-known medicinal and poisonous plant belonging to the family Asteraceae, with the potential to act as natural insecticides. Two new sesquiterpene lactones 9β-hydroxy-1βH, 11αH-guaia-4,10(14)-dien-12,8α-olide (1) and 9β-hydroxy-1βH, 11βH-guaia-4,10(14)-dien-12,8α-olide (2) along with four known sesquiterpene lactones (3-6) and one monoterpenoid (7) have been isolated. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR data and HRESIMS data interpretation. To characterize their insecticidal activities, bioassays were conducted using two insect pest species of agricultural importance. Compounds 1–7 showed antifeedant effects to 3rd instar larvae of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in a concentration-dependant manner with EC50 of 19.84, 42.82, 97.94, 96.90, 39.94, 37.35 and 43.99 mg/L, respectively. Moreover, all of these compounds display stomach-contact combination toxicity toward 4rd instar larvae of Bradysia odoriphaga Yang and Zhang (Diptera: Sciaridae) (LD50 = 18.71, 80.29, 230.65, 319.67, 31.18, 40.87 and 68.47 mg/L, respectively). In general, this is the first report of insecticidal activities of secondary metabolites isolated from C. abrotanoides. Moreover, compound 1 showed the best insecticidal activity in the test, demonstrating its potential to be used as a natural insecticides.

Protein kinase CK2, which consists of two α and two β subunits, plays an essential role in plant development and is implicated in plant responses to abiotic stresses, including salt and heat. However, the function of CK2 in response to heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) has not yet been established. In this study, the transgenic line CKB4ox, which overexpresses CKB4 encoding the CK2β subunit and has elevated CK2 activity, was used to investigate the potential role of CK2 in response to Cd stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under Cd stress, CKB4ox showed reduced root growth and biomass accumulation as well as decreased chlorophyll and proline contents compared with wild type. Furthermore, increased Cd accumulation and a higher H2O2 content were found in CKB4ox, possibly contributing to the inhibition of CKB4ox growth under Cd stress. Additionally, altered levels of Cd and H2O2 were found to be associated with decreased expression of genes involved in Cd efflux, Cd sequestration and H2O2 scavenging. Taken together, these results suggest that elevated expression of CKB4 and increased CK2 activity enhance the sensitivity of plants to Cd stress by affecting Cd and H2O2 accumulation, including the modulation of genes involved in Cd transport and H2O2 scavenging. This study provides direct evidence for the involvement of plant CK2 in the response to Cd stress.

A new sesquiterpene hyssopusin A (1), together with four known compounds 2–5, was isolated from Hyssopus cuspidatus. The structure of hyssopusin A (1) was elucidated by physical and spectroscopic data analysis, including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS. Compounds 1–4 showed antifeedant effects against the third instar larvae of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in a concentration-dependent manner with 50% antifeedant concentrations (AFC50) of 32.17, 38.33, 25.47, and 36.22 μg/cm2, respectively.

Arabidopsis CK2 α4 subunit regulates the primary root and hypocotyl elongation, lateral root formation, cotyledon expansion, rosette leaf initiation and growth, flowering, and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Casein kinase 2 (CK2) is a conserved tetrameric kinase composed of two α and two β subunits. The inhibition of CK2 activity usually results in severe developmental deficiency. Four genes (CKA1–CKA4) encode CK2 α subunit in Arabidopsis. Single mutations of CKA1, CKA2, and CKA3 do not affect the normal growth of Arabidopsis, while the cka1 cka2 cka3 triple mutants are defective in cotyledon and hypocotyl growth, lateral root development, and flowering. The inhibition of CKA4 expression in cka1 cka2 cka3 background further reduces the number of lateral roots and delays the flowering time. Here, we report the characterization of a novel knockout mutant of CKA4, which exhibits various developmental defects including reduced primary root and hypocotyl elongation, increased lateral root density, delayed cotyledon expansion, retarded rosette leaf initiation and growth, and late flowering. The examination of the cellular basis for abnormal root development of this mutant revealed reduced root meristem cells with enhanced RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED (RBR) expression that promotes cell differentiation in root meristem. Moreover, this cka4-2 mutant accumulates higher anthocyanin in the aerial part and shows an increased expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, suggesting a novel role of CK2 in modulating anthocyanin biosynthesis. In addition, the complementation test using primary root elongation assay as a sample confirms that the changed phenotypes of this cka4-2 mutant are due to the lack of CKA4. Taken together, this study reveals an essential role of CK2 α4 subunit in multiple developmental processes in Arabidopsis.

The Zhengchong gold deposit is located in the central segment of the Jiangnan Orogen in northeastern Hunan Province, South China. The host rocks of this deposit are the Neoproterozoic slates of the Lengjiaxi Group and granodiorite. The structures in the Zhengchong gold deposit are dominated by NE-trending reverse faults, which control the gold-bearing veins. The orebody consists of NE-trending laminated quartz veins and NW-trending quartz veins. The alteration styles include silicification, carbonatization, sulfidation, sericitization and chloritization. The Zhengchong gold mineralization can be divided into four stages: Quartz-pyrite (stage I), quartz-pyrite-arsenopyrite (stage II), quartz-polysulfide (stage III) and quartz-carbonate (stage IV). Three generations of hydrothermal pyrite were identified: Disseminated euhedral to subhedral cubes in altered wall-rock (PyI), euhedral to subhedral cubes inter-grown with arsenopyrite and tetrahedrite in quartz veins and wall-rock (PyII), and euhedral cubes with microinclusions (native gold, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite, and pyrrhotite) or metasomatic textures in sulfide-rich veins or veinlets (PyIII). PyII and PyIII are arsenian pyrite and represent the main Au-bearing minerals. PyI records the lowest concentrations of Au, PyII and PyIII record similar amounts of Au, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Bi, but PyIII is more enriched in Co, Ni, Te, and Se. The substitution of As, Se and Te for S and that of Co and Ni for Fe occurs by direct-ion exchange. Invisible gold is uniformly distributed within the arsenian pyrite, and visible gold fills microfractures in PyII or occurs as inclusions in PyIII. Co, Ni, Cu exhibit positive correlations with Au and a negative correlation between Au + Cu + Co + Ni and Fe reflect that Fe vacancies may have been a major cause of the precipitation of invisible Au and other metal elements in pyrite structure. There are systematic trace element differences between the three generations of pyrite (PyI, PyII, PyIII). The more Co, Ni and Se, Te substitution that occurred for Fe and S, respectively, the greater the increase in the Co/Ni ratio (&lt, 1) and the decrease in the Se/Te ratio (&lt, 10) in stage III, indicating that a more reduced, lower-temperature metamorphic hydrothermal fluid was present in stage III.

Four new acylated triterpene glycosides with aliphatic chains (4-7) as well as five known triterpenoids were isolated from the flower buds of Staphylea bumalda with bioassay guidance. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectral techniques, including IR, 1D and 2D NMR, and HR-APCI-MS. Most compounds (except 8) were isolated from S. bumalda for the first time. Additionally, the neuroprotective effects of 1 and 4-9 on suckling rat primary cultured hippocampal neurons against H

Two new eremophilenolides, ligushicins A (1) and B (2), and two known compounds including β-sitosterol and ursolic acid were isolated from Ligulariopsis shichuana. The structures of new compounds were established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR data and HRESIMS data interpretation. The absolute configuration of new compounds was assigned by ECD spectroscopy, and that of ligushicins A (1) was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The antifungal and antifeedant activities of new compounds were evaluated against four plant pathogenic fungi and third-instar larvae of Plutella xylostella, respectively. Ligushicins A (1) and B (2) exhibited potent antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 50 to 100 mg/L, while they also exhibited weak antifeedant activities.

A new germacrenolide (1) and fourteen known terpenoids (2–15) were isolated from the barks of Magnolia maudiae (Dunn) Figlar (Magnoliaceae). The structure of (7αH,11βH)-2α,8α-dihydroxy-4α,5β-epoxy-germacr-1(10)-en-6α,12-olide (1) was elucidated by physical and spectroscopic data analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS. Lyratol F (9) was isolated from Magnolia for the first time. The structures of known compounds were established by comparing their spectroscopic data with those in literatures.

A new eudesmanolide, 1-oxo-11αH-eudesma-2,4(14)-dien-12,8β-olide (1), and four new guaianolides, 9β,10β-epoxy-4α-hydroxy-1βH,11αH-guaian-12,8α-olide (2), 9β,10β-epoxy-4α-hydroxy-1βH,11βH-guaian-12,8α-olide (3), 4α,9α-dihydroxy-1βH,11αH-guai-10(14)-en-12,8α-olide (4), and 4α,9α-dihydroxy-1βH,11βH-guai-10(14)-en-12,8α-olide (5), together with one known eudesmanolide and two known germacranolides, were isolated from the whole plants of Carpesium triste. Their structures and relative configurations were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, including 2D-NMR techniques.

A new sesquiterpenoid, 1α,3α-dihydroxy-5,7,8,11αH-eudesm-4(15)-en-8β,12-olide (1), together with three known compounds, granilin (2), β-sitosterol (3), and β-daucosterol (4), was isolated from the ethanol extract of the flower buds of Carpesium triste. Their structures were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data, especially13C NMR and 1D NOE spectra.

Protein kinase CK2, which consists of two α and two β subunits, plays an essential role in plant development and is implicated in plant responses to abiotic stresses, including salt and heat. However, the function of CK2 in response to heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) has not yet been established. In this study, the transgenic line CKB4ox, which overexpresses CKB4 encoding the CK2β subunit and has elevated CK2 activity, was used to investigate the potential role of CK2 in response to Cd stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under Cd stress, CKB4ox showed reduced root growth and biomass accumulation as well as decreased chlorophyll and proline contents compared with wild type. Furthermore, increased Cd accumulation and a higher H

Human telomeric G-quadruplex is a four-stranded structure folded by guanines (G) via Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding. The ligands which stabilize the G-quadruplex are often telomerase inhibitors and may become antitumor agents. Here, the interaction between a lignan derivative liliflorin A and human telomeric sequence dGGG (TTAGGG)3G-quadruplex HTG21 were examined by CD, FRET, and NMR spectroscopic methods. In addition, Molecular Docking was used to study the binding of liliflorin A to dTAGGG (TTAGGG)3 G-quadruplex HTG23. The CD data showed that liliflorin A enhanced HTG21 T(m). The T(m) value of G-quadruplex was enhanced 3.2 degrees C by 4.0 μmol x L(-1) liliflorin A in FRET. The NMR spectra of HTG21 showed vivid alteration after reacting with liliflorin A in 3 hours. Molecular Docking suggested liliflorin A bound to the wide groove of HTG23 at G9, G10, G16 and G17. Liliflorin A was the first lignan derivative that could stabilize HTG21 selectively and provided a new candidate for antitumor drug design targeting on human telomeric G-quadruplex.

A new sesquiterpene manghookerins A (1) was isolated from the barks of Manglietia hookeri (Magnoliaceae) together with five known eudesmane-type sesquiterpenes. The structure of manghookerins A (1) was elucidated by physical and spectroscopic data analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS and X-ray diffraction. The structures of known sesquiterpenes were established by comparing their spectroscopic data with those in literatures.

Chemical constituents from the acetone extract of twigs of Manglietia hookeri were isolated and purified by various column chromatographic methods over silica gel and sephadex LH-20, and preparative TLC. The structures of these compounds were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral analysis, including NMR and MS spectra. Six eudesmane sesquiterpenes were obtained and their structures were identified as trans-eudesmane-4, 11-diol(1), β-eudesmol(2), (-) -10-epi-5β-hydroxy-β-eudesmol (3), epi-carrisone (4), 6-hydroxy-eudesm-4(14) -ene(5) and gynurenol(6). All the compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. Furthermore, the 13C-NMR data of compound 3 were reported for the first time.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed priming on the germination and physiology of Pinus bungeana seeds. Seeds were treated by hydropriming with distilled water, halopriming with potassium nitrate (KNO3) at −0.3, −0.6, −1.2 MPa respectively (untreated dry seeds were taken as control). Properties of seed germination and physiology were determined and the effect of hydro- and halopriming on germination and physiology of P. bungeana seeds were investigated. The results showed that, compared with control, each priming treatment had increased the ge rmination percentage (GP) and germination index (GI), shortened the mean germination time (MGT) and the time required for 50% of the seeds to germinate (G 50). Primed P. bungeana seeds significantly decreased the relative conductivity and the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA). Of all the treatments applied to seeds of P. bungeana, halopriming at −0.3 MPa KNO3 produced the highest GP (65.0%) and the shortest MGT (18.8 d) and G 50 (18.2 d).

Six new lignans, 1- 6, along with six known compounds were obtained from the flower buds of Magnolia liliflora Desr. The new lignans were elucidated as (1 S*,2 R*,5 S*,6 S*)-2-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-6-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane (1), (1 R*,2 R*,5 R*,6 S*)-2-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-6-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane (2), (1 R*, 2 R*,5 R*,6 S*)-2,6-bis (3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane (3), (1 R*,2 S*,5 R*,6 R*)-2-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-6-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane ( 4), (7' S*,8 R*,8' R*)-3,5'-dimethoxy-3',4,9'-trihydroxy-7',9-epoxy-8,8'-lignan (5), and (7' R*,8' S*)-3,3',4,5'-tetramethoxy-7-en-7',9-epoxy-8,8'-lignan (6), by the analysis of 1D and 2D-NMR as well as HRESIMS data. The capacity of compound 1 to protect against damages to the DNA of rat lymphocyte cells induced by UV irradiation was assessed by the comet assay. It showed stronger antigenotoxicity than ascorbic acid from 6×10(-3) mmol·L(-1) to 6×10(-6) mmol·L(-1).

From the whole plants of Ligularia duciformis, four new sesquiterpenoids, 3β-acetoxy-6β-methoxyeremophila-7(11),9(10)-dien-12,8β-olide (1), 3β-acetoxy-8α-hydroxy-6β-methoxyeremophila-7(11),9(10)-dien-12,8β-olide (2), 3β-acetoxy-10β-hydroxy-6β,8β-dimethoxyeremophil-7(11)-en-12,8α-olide (3), and 3β-acetoxy-6β,8β,10β-trihydroxyeremophil-7(11)-en-12,8α-olide (4) were isolated. Their structures were established by high-field NMR techniques (1H,1H-COSY, 13C-APT, HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY) and HR-ESI-MS analysis, together with comparison of the spectroscopic data with those of structurally related compounds. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the new compounds against human hepatic cancer cells Bel-7402, human pneumonic cancer cells A-549, and human colonic cancer cells HCT-8 were evaluated, the new compounds showed no cytotoxicity against the three tumor cells (all IC50 values >200 μM).

A new sesquiterpene, (+)-S-1-methyl-abscisic-6-acid (1), together with five known compounds, (+)-S-abscisic acid (2), fusicoccin J (3), 3α-hydroxyfusicoccin J (4), (R)-5-hydroxymethylmellein (5) and 4-hydroxyphenethyl acetate (6) was isolated from the fermentation extract of Phomopsis amygdali, an entomogenous fungus isolated from Call midge. Their structures were determined mainly by analysis of MS and NMR spectroscopic data. Compounds 1–6 were tested for antimicrobial activity against three plant pathogenic fungi: Gibberella zeae, Verticillium albo-atrum, and Fusarium nivale, and two bacteria: Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 2033E. As a result, compounds 1–4 displayed antibacterial activity against Gram-negative P. aeruginosa 2033E, and the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC value) of 1–4 is 30 μg/mL, 58 μg/mL, 26 μg/mL, and 26 μg/mL, respectively.

A thorough investigation of Ligulariopsis shichuana afforded five new sesquiterpenes, including 1β,10β-epoxy-3α-angeloyloxy-9β-acetoxy-8α,11β-dihydroxybakkenolide (1), 1β,7-dihydroxy-3β-acetoxy-noreremophil-6(7),9(10)-dien-8-one (2), 8α-hydroxy-3-oxoeremophil-1(2),7(11),9(10)-trien-8β(12)-olide (3), 1β,10β-dihydroxy-3β-acetoxyeremophil-7(11),8(9)-dien-8(12)-olide (4) and 1β,10β-epoxy-8,12-dihydroxy-3β-acetoxy-9β-angeloyloxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8,12-disemiketal (5). Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods and 2D NMR techniques. In addition, bakkenolide (1) and eremophilenolides (5) showed antibacterial and cytotoxic activities.

Plants exhibit reduced root growth when exposed to low temperature; however, how low temperature modulates root growth remains to be understood. Our study demonstrated that low temperature reduces both meristem size and cell number, repressing the division potential of meristematic cells by reducing auxin accumulation, possibly through the repressed expression of PIN1/3/7 and auxin biosynthesis-related genes, although the experiments with exogenous auxin application also suggest the involvement of other factor(s). In addition, we verified that ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 1 (ARR1) and ARR12 are involved in low temperature-mediated inhibition of root growth by showing that the roots of arr1-3 arr12-1 seedlings were less sensitive than wild-type roots to low temperature, in terms of changes in root length and meristem cell number. Furthermore, low temperature reduced the levels of PIN1/3 transcripts and the auxin level to a lesser extent in arr1-3 arr12-1 roots than in wild-type roots, suggesting that cytokinin signaling is involved in the low-temperature-mediated reduction of auxin accumulation. Taken together, our data suggest that low temperature inhibits root growth by reducing auxin accumulation via ARR1/12.

The ethyl acetate extract from leaves of Illicium micranthum Dunn exhibited radical scavenging ability on DPPH radical-scavenging assay. Further phytochemical investigation led to the isolation of a new sesquiterpenoid, illicinolide C (1), and eight known compounds (2–9). The structural elucidations of the compounds were based on spectroscopic methods and by comparison of their spectroscopic data with those reported in the references. Except compound 9, all the other compounds were isolated from I. micranthum Dunn for the first time, while compounds 1 and 2 were new to the Illiciaceae family.

A new eudesmanolide, 1-oxo-11αH-eudesma-2,4(14)-dien-12,8β-olide (1), and four new guaianolides, 9β,10β-epoxy-4α-hydroxy-1βH,11αH-guaian-12,8α-olide (2), 9β,10β-epoxy-4α-hydroxy-1βH,11βH-guaian-12,8α-olide (3), 4α,9α-dihydroxy-1βH,11αH-guai-10(14)-en-12,8α-olide (4), and 4α,9α-dihydroxy-1βH,11βH-guai-10(14)-en-12,8α-olide (5), together with one known eudesmanolide and two known germacranolides, were isolated from the whole plants of Carpesium triste. Their structures and relative configurations were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, including 2D-NMR techniques.

Investigation of Ligularia duciformis roots afforded four novel coniferyl alcohol derivatives and two new sinapyl alcohol derivatives: 4- O -[6-hydroxy-7(9)-dehydro-6,7-dihydrogeranyl]-coniferyl alcohol, 4- O -[7-hydroxy-5,6 E -dehydro-6,7-dihydrogeranyl]-coniferyl alcohol, 4- O -[6-hydroperoxy-7(9)-dehydro-6,7-dihydrogeranyl]-coniferyl alcohol, 4- O -[7-hydroperoxy-5,6 E -dehydro-6,7-dihydrogeranyl]-coniferyl alcohol, 4- O -[6-hydroxy-7(9)-dehydro-6,7-dihydrogeranyl]-sinapyl alcohol and 4- O -[7-hydroxy-5,6 E -dehydro-6,7-dihydrogeranyl]-sinapyl alcohol.

The title eremophilenolide, C(15)H(22)O(3), is a natural compound isolated from Senecio laetus Edgew. The two cis-fused six-membered rings have chair confomations and the five-membered ring has a planar envelope conformation [maximum deviation = 0.010 (1) Å]. The β-hy-droxy group participates in inter-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding, forming mol-ecular chains along the a axis.

The study was to provided the reference for further development and utilization of Ligularia hodgsonii.The crude polysaccharide LW was extracted from Lugularia hodgsonii with hot water, and prectated by ethanol. The crude polysaccharide has been fractionted and purified, so LW21 was got. Its homogeneity was confirmed by chromatography on Sepharose CL-4B, paper chromatography and cellulous actate electrophoresis. The scavenging effets of the polysacehardes on * OH and O2-* were determined by fluorescence method.Antioxidative experiment shows that LW and LW21 were effective in scavenging superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical. The scavenging capacity for superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical of LW21 had higher than that of LW.The polysaceharide from Ligularia hodgsonii had stronger antioxidant actioxdant activities, and their antioxidant activities had certain dose-relationship.

The low-frequency optical properties of CuS nanoparticles in the composite samples were measured by the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. Then, the power absorption, refractive index, complex dielectric function and conductivity of pure CuS nanoparticles are extracted by applying Bruggeman effective medium theory. The measured dielectric function and conductivity are consistent with the Lorentz theory of dielectric response as well as the Drude-smith model of conductivity in the frequency range from 0.2 to 1.5 THz, respectively. In addition, the extrapolation of the measured data indicates that the absorption is dominated by the lattice vibration localized at 4.7 ± 0.2 THz and the time constant for the carrier scattering is only 64.3 fs due to increased electron interaction with interfaces and grain boundaries.

Sinacalia davidii (Franch) Koyama. grows only in China, its chemical constituents have never been studied before. The compounds were isolated by column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20, and the structures were identified on spectroscopic data (MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR). Six compounds were isolated from S. davidii, and were characterized as p-sitosterol (1), 3-oxo-2alpha, 23-dihydroxy-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (2), 28-hydroxy-olean-12-en-3, 11-dione (3), 3beta-methoxy-olean-11-oxo-18-ene (4), luteolin (5) and 2alpha-hydroxy-ursolic acid (6). All the six compounds above were isolated from S. davidii for the first time.

Two new diterpenes were isolated from Juniperus przewalskii, together with 17 known terpense. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods (IR, MS, 1H, 13C and 2DNMR). In addition, 3 alpha-hinokiol (3) and 3 alpha-hydroxymannol (9) exhibited effective antitumor activities to cervical carcinoma (HeLa) and human ovarian carcinoma (HO-8910) cell lines.

A new jacaranone derivative, 2-(1,6-dihydroxy-4-oxocyclohex-2-enyl) acetic acid (1), has been isolated from the whole plants of Senecio scandens var. incisus, together with three known compounds: 2′-(p-hydroxyl-cinnamoyl)-6′-jacaranone-D-glucopyranoside (2), 2′-caffeoyl-6′-jacaranone-D-glucopyranoside (3) and kampferol-3-rhamnoside (4). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analyses and by comparison with the related known compounds. Cytotoxic activities of 1 against three human tumour cell lines have been evaluated by the MTT method.

Phytochemical investigation of the whole plant of Ligularia fischeri afforded two new sesquiterpenes 11-hydroxy-eremophil 1(10)-en-2,9-dione (1); and 1β,11-dihydroxy-eremophil-9-ene (2); four known compounds (-)-4β,7α-aromadendranediol (3); 1β,6α-dihydroxyeudesm-4(15)-ene (4); Teucdiol A (5); Teucdiol B (6). The new compound structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 2D-NMR techniques.

To investigate the chemical constituents of Pteris multifida.All compounds were isolated and purified by normal column chromatography, paper thin layer chromatography and sephadex chromatography. The chemical structures were mainly elucidated by ESI mass and NMR spectra.Seven compounds were isolated from the methanol extracts of Pteris multifida. In addition to a glycoside of sesquiterpene pterosin C-3-O-beta-D-glucoside(1), six flavonoids were isolated from S. barbata as fouows: apigenin(2), luteolin(3), apigenin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside(4), apigenin-7-O-beta-D-glucosyl-4'-O-alpha-L-rhanrnoside(5), apigenin-4'-O-alpha-L-rhanrnoside(6) and luteolin-7-O-beta-D-glucoside(7).Compound(2), (3) and (5), (6) are isolated from Pteris multifida for the first time.

Two new prenylchalcones, xanthohumol C and D, together with two known prenylchalcone derivatives, xanthohumol (1) and 5''-(2''-hydroxyisopropyl)-dihydrofurano-[2'',3''-b]-4,4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxy-chalcone (4) were isolated and identified from the hops of Humulus lupulus L. The structures of xanhohumol C and D were elucidated as 5''-hydroxy-6'',6''-dimethyl-dihydropyrano-[2'',3''-b]-4,4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxy-chalcone (2) and 5''-hydroxy-6'',6''-dimethyl-dihydropyrano-[2'',3''-b]-4',6'-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-chalcone (3) on the basis of HRFAB-MS, 1D and 2D NMR (HMQC, HMBC) spectroscopic data. Among the new prenylchalcones, compound 2 showed marginal cytotoxic activity against human stomach carcinoma BGC-823 and human hepatic carcinoma HepG2 cells.

Five olean-12-ene triterpenes (1-5) were isolated from the whole plant of Ligulariopsis shichuana. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including IR, EIMS positive HRSIMS, 1DNMR, and 2DNMR. Among them, 16beta,28-dihydroxyolean-12-en-3-one (3), olean-12-en-3beta,6beta,16beta,28-tetraol (4), 6beta,16beta-dihydroxyolean-12-en-3-one (5) are new compounds. In addition, compounds 4 and 5 showed cytotoxic activities on human hepatomacells (SMMC-7721), human ovarian neoplasm cells (HO-8910) and human hepatocytes cells (LO2).

Two new diterpenes were isolated from Juniperus przewalskii, together with 17 known terpense. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods (IR, MS, 1H, 13C and 2DNMR). In addition, 3 alpha-hinokiol (3) and 3 alpha-hydroxymannol (9) exhibited effective antitumor activities to cervical carcinoma (HeLa) and human ovarian carcinoma (HO-8910) cell lines.

The basic/helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are ubiquitous transcriptional regulators that control many different developmental and physiological processes in the eukaryotic kingdom. In this study, the function of AtbHLH112, an uncharacterised member of the bHLH family in Arabidopsis was investigated. Overexpression of AtbHLH112 suppressed lateral root (LR) development in Arabidopsis seedlings. Examination under the microscope revealed that abnormal lateral root primordia (LRP) with flat-head and more than four cell layers retained in the endodermal layer account for over 45% of the total number of LRP and LRs. This suggests that LRP emergence was prevented before LRP penetrated the cortical layer in the transgenic lines. Decreased auxin level within the LRP and parental root cells surrounding the LRP, as well as downregulated expression of cell-wall-remodelling (CWR) genes in the roots may contribute to the suppression of LR emergence in AtbHLH112-overexpressing lines. This finding was further supported by the observation that exogenous application of auxin recovered LR development and upregulated the expression of CWR genes in AtbHLH112-overexpressing lines.