Publications by authors named "Chun-fang Zhao"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) affects myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in early-stage cancer treatment, focusing on their differentiation and survival.
  • SBRT was found to increase levels of miR-21, leading to reduced MDSC differentiation and increased cell death in bone marrow cells, with miR-21 influencing the SORBS1 protein in this process.
  • The results suggest that targeting miR-21 could enhance the efficacy of SBRT by limiting MDSC expansion in a mouse model of lung cancer.
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Previous studies in Arabidopsis reported that the PPR protein SOAR1 plays critical roles in plant response to salt stress. In this study, we reported that expression of the Arabidopsis SOAR1 (AtSOAR1) in rice significantly enhanced salt tolerance at seedling growth stage and promoted grain productivity under salt stress without affecting plant productivity under non-stressful conditions. The transgenic rice lines expressing AtSOAR1 exhibited increased ABA sensitivity in ABA-induced inhibition of seedling growth, and showed altered transcription and splicing of numerous genes associated with salt stress, which may explain salt tolerance of the transgenic plants.

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Objective: This study aimed to explore the roles of PARP1 mRNA and protein expression in platinum resistance and prognosis of EOC patients, and reveal the different roles of PARP1 protein in epithelial tumor and stroma cells.

Methods: The mRNA expression of the EOC tissues was examined by RT-qPCR. The impacts of expression on prognosis were measured by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression.

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In order to develop a variety of japonica rice with good eating quality suitable for planting in Jiangsu Province, the genetic basis of high quality, disease resistance and high yield japonica rice varieties in Jiangsu Province was systematically studied. The relationship among different rice qualities of cooking, nutrition, and eating was studied by association analysis. It was clear that amylose content was the key factor affecting eating quality.

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Article Synopsis
  • * KAPP interacts with specific kinases (SnRK2.2, SnRK2.3, and SnRK2.6), suggesting it acts upstream of these proteins in the ABA signaling pathway.
  • * Mutants lacking KAPP show increased sensitivity to ABA, and this hypersensitivity is reduced when SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3 are also mutated, indicating KAPP’s role in modulating ABA responses.
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Browning phenomena are ubiquitous in plant cell cultures that severely hamper scientific research and widespread application of plant cell cultures. Up to now, this problem still has not been well controlled due to the unclear browning mechanisms in plant cell cultures. In this paper, the mechanisms were investigated using two typical materials with severe browning phenomena, Taxus chinensis and Glycyrrhiza inflata cells.

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Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents of Corydalis ochotensis and their antitumor bioactivity.

Methods: The compounds were isolated by silica gel column chromatography and recrystallization. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis (NMR) and physicochemical properties.

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Proanthocyanidins (PCs) with poor bioavailability were argued for their health benefits. In this study, water-soluble polymeric polyphenolic PCs fractions from Pyracanthafortuneana fruit were used to investigate whether the presence of PCs is correlated with the increased cell antioxidant activities (CAA) of quercetin (Q). The results indicated that the most decrement in the values of EC50, which Q inhibited peroxyl radical-induced DCFH oxidation effective in the HepG2 cells, was observed to be 2.

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Metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling data were obtained and integrated to elucidate the crucial network controls on taxol and its precursor biosynthesis during the taxane core functionalization within methyl jasmonate (MJ)-induced Taxus chinensis cells. Twelve metabolites were identified using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. These metabolites contain taxol (paclitaxel), baccatin III (B-III) and its analogs, a group structurally bearing multiple free hydroxyls (TAX), and another group of multiple acyl taxanes (MAT), including taxuyunnanine C (TC) and its analogs.

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Two new dammarane-type compounds were isolated from the leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium L. The new compounds were named as pseudo-ginsenoside RT6 (1) and pseudoginsengenin R1 (2). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by the combined analysis of NMR and HR-ESI-MS as (20S,24R)-6-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-dammar-3-one-20,24-epoxy-6α,12β,25-triol (1) and (20S,24R)-dammar-3-one-20,24-epoxy-6α,12β,25-triol (2).

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Background: Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) has been successfully used as an effective elicitor to enhance production of taxol and other taxanes in cultured Taxus cells. However the mechanism of MeJA-mediated taxane biosynthesis remains unclear. Genomic information for species in the genus Taxus is currently unavailable.

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Objective: To investigate the role of homeobox gene Nkx2-5 in cardiac myogenesis.

Methods: Two P19 cell lines, namely cells transfected with exogenous expression of Nkx2-5 gene and non-transfected cells, were cultured in suspension for 4 days to induce cell aggregation, and the cell aggregates were transferred to the Petri dish for further adherent culture. On days 4, 8, 12 and 16 of adherent culture, the expressions of α-sarcomeric actin (α-SA) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) protein were detected by immunocytochemistry, and the mRNA expressions of GATA-4, α-myosin heavy chain (α-MHC) and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) genes by RT-PCR.

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A simple, quick and efficient method for isolating total RNA from heavy browning cells was developed by adding polyvinylpyrrolidone, mercaptoethanol and 3 M NaAc during the process of the Trizol (a kind of a widely used RNA extraction buffer) method. High-quality total RNA was isolated and synthesized to cDNA. Transcript levels of four paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway genes: dxr, hmgr, ggpps and dbat were assayed by real-time RT-PCR.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to analyze pseudo-ginsenoside GQ (PGQ) in rat bile, feces, and urine to understand its excretion patterns.
  • Researchers used a reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method with specific conditions to accurately identify and measure PGQ levels.
  • Results indicated that most PGQ was excreted through bile (41.60%), with a smaller amount in feces (9.97%), and only trace amounts found in urine.
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Aim: To develop a rapid analytical method for small amount biological samples of taxanes by using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) in small amount biological samples.

Methods: A solution containing five given taxane constituents and the extract from cell cultures of Taxus chinensis were analysed separately. According to the performance of the given taxanes in ESI-MS/MS, run parameters of the mass spectrometer were optimized.

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There is a dichotomy in the biosynthetic pathway of terpenoid precursor isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) in higher plant. One is the classical mevalonate pathway in cytosol, and the other is non-mevalonate pathway in plastid. To know the origin of the taxane ring system of taxol in suspension culture of Taxus chinensis, lovastatin and fosmidomycin were used to block the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) and 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reducto-isomerase (DXR) in the mevalonate and non-mevalonate branch respectively of the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway.

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