Mapping quantitative trait loci associated with self-(in)compatibility in goji berries (Lycium barbarum).

Background: Goji (Lycium barbarum L.) is a perennial deciduous shrub widely distributed in arid and semiarid regions of Northwest China. It is highly valued for its medicinal and functional properties.

Anthocyanin biosynthesis in goji berry is inactivated by deletion in a bHLH transcription factor LrLAN1b promoter.

Black goji berry (Lycium ruthenicum Murray) contains a rich source of health-promoting anthocyanins which are used in herbal medicine and nutraceutical foods in China. A natural variant producing white berries allowed us to identify two key genes involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in goji berries: one encoding a MYB transcription factor (LrAN2-like) and one encoding a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor (LrAN1b). We previously found that LrAN1b expression was lost in the white berry variant, but the molecular basis for this phenotype was unknown.

Genome-wide analysis of the TIFY family in Lycium and the negative regulation of stomatal development by LrJAZ2 gene.

Stomata are ports that facilitate gas and water vapor exchange during plant photosynthesis and transpiration. Stomatal development is strictly regulated by endogenous hormone. Jasmonate, an important signal that modulates multiple physiological processes in plants, has been found to negatively regulate stomatal development in Arabidopsis thaliana, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying stomata development signaling remain to be understood.

GDF8 Contributes to Liver Fibrogenesis and Concomitant Skeletal Muscle Wasting.

Patients with end-stage liver disease exhibit progressive skeletal muscle atrophy, highlighting a negative crosstalk between the injured liver and muscle. Our study was to determine whether TGFβ ligands function as the mediators. Acute or chronic liver injury was induced by a single or repeated administration of carbon tetrachloride.

Walnut green husk extract enhances the effect of chlorine dioxide on kernel quality and antioxidant properties of fresh-eating walnuts during their shelf life.

Fresh-eating walnuts are perishable and become mildewed during shelf life, limiting their sales span. The effects of chlorine dioxide (ClO) alone and its combination with walnut green husk extract (WGHE) on shelf stored fresh walnuts were investigated to develop a pollution-free preservative for the produce. The initial development of mildew incidence was delayed by both treatments under 25 °C, whereas, WGHE + ClO acted more effectively than ClO under 5 °C.

Gastrointestinal pharmacology activins in liver health and disease.

Activins are a subgroup of the TGFβ superfamily of growth and differentiation factors, dimeric in nature and consisting of two inhibin beta subunits linked via a disulfide bridge. Canonical activin signaling occurs through Smad2/3, with negative feedback initiated by Smad6/7 following signal transduction, which binds activin type I receptor preventing phosphorylation of Smad2/3 and activation of downstream signaling. In addition to Smad6/7, other inhibitors of activin signaling have been identified as well, including inhibins (dimers of an inhibin alpha and beta subunit), BAMBI, Cripto, follistatin, and follistatin-like 3 (fstl3).

Maternal hepatocytes heterogeneously and dynamically exhibit developmental phenotypes partially via yes-associated protein 1 during pregnancy.

Pregnancy induces reprogramming of maternal physiology to support fetal development and growth. Maternal hepatocytes undergo hypertrophy and hyperplasia to drive maternal liver growth and alter their gene expression profiles simultaneously. This study aimed to further understand maternal hepatocyte adaptation to pregnancy.

Activin B promotes the initiation and progression of liver fibrosis.

The role of activin B, a transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily cytokine, in liver health and disease is largely unknown. We aimed to investigate whether activin B modulates liver fibrogenesis. Liver and serum activin B, along with its analog activin A, were analyzed in patients with liver fibrosis from different etiologies and in mouse acute and chronic liver injury models.

Activation of Proneuronal Transcription Factor Ascl1 in Maternal Liver Ensures a Healthy Pregnancy.

Background & Aims: Maternal liver shows robust adaptations to pregnancy to accommodate the metabolic needs of the developing and growing placenta and fetus by largely unknown mechanisms. We found that Ascl1, a gene encoding a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor essential for neuronal development, is highly activated in maternal hepatocytes during the second half of gestation in mice.

Methods: To investigate whether and how Ascl1 plays a pregnancy-dependent role, we deleted the Ascl1 gene specifically in maternal hepatocytes from midgestation until term.

Circadian clock core component Bmal1 dictates cell cycle rhythm of proliferating hepatocytes during liver regeneration.

After partial hepatectomy (PH), the majority of remnant hepatocytes synchronously enter and rhythmically progress through the cell cycle for three major rounds to regain lost liver mass. Whether and how the circadian clock core component Bmal1 modulates this process remains elusive. We performed PH on and hepatocyte-specific knockout () mice and compared the initiation and progression of the hepatocyte cell cycle.

Transcriptome and Flavonoids Metabolomic Analysis Identifies Regulatory Networks and Hub Genes in Black and White Fruits of Murray.

Murry. is a highly nutritional cash crop due to its fruit abundant anthocyanins. To understand the complex metabolic networks underlying the color formation in black and white fruits of , we conducted transcriptome and flavonoid metabolic profiling to identify the candidate genes possibly involved in flavonoid biosynthesis.

Impact of phosphorus fertilizer level on the yield and metabolome of goji fruit.

Goji (Lycium barbarum L.) is a highly medicinal value tree species. The yield and nutritional contents of goji fruit are significant affected by fertilizer level.

Pregnancy facilitates maternal liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy.

Liver resection induces robust liver regrowth or regeneration to compensate for the lost tissue mass. In a clinical setting, pregnant women may need liver resection without terminating pregnancy in some cases. However, how pregnancy affects maternal liver regeneration remains elusive.

Impact of Nitrogen Fertilizer Levels on Metabolite Profiling of the L. Fruit.

The yield and quality of goji ( L.) fruit are heavily dependent on fertilizer, especially the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N, P, and K, respectively). In this study, we performed a metabolomic analysis of the response of goji berry to nitrogen fertilizer levels using an Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method.

Selective Syntheses of Z-Alkenes via Photocatalyzed Decarboxylative Coupling of N-Hydroxyphthalimide Esters with Terminal Arylalkynes.

A novel, efficient Z-alkene synthesis via photocatalyzed decarboxylative couplings between terminal aryl alkynes and alkyl N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) esters, which are derived from aliphatic carboxylic acids, is described. A wide range of primary, secondary, and tertiary carboxylates as well as α-amino acid and α-oxyacid-derived esters were employed as suitable substrates. The mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope, functional group tolerance, and operational simplicity make this decarboxylative coupling reaction a valuable method in organic syntheses.

Pancreatic prolactin receptor signaling regulates maternal glucose homeostasis.

Prolactin (PRL) signaling has been implicated in the regulation of glucose homeostatic adaptations to pregnancy. In this report, the PRL receptor (Prlr) gene was conditionally disrupted in the pancreas, creating an animal model which proved useful for investigating the biology and pathology of gestational diabetes including its impacts on fetal and placental development. In mice, pancreatic PRLR signaling was demonstrated to be required for pregnancy-associated changes in maternal β cell mass and function.

Solvent Effects: Syntheses of 3,3-Difluorooxindoles and 3-Fluorooxindoles from Hydrazonoindolin-2-one by Selectfluor.

Efficient syntheses of 3,3-difluorooxindoles and 3-fluorooxindoles via fluorination of hydrazonoindolin-2-one with Selectfluor are reported. Under different solvent conditions, this method produced 3,3-difluorooxindoles and 3-fluorooxindoles selectively. The broad substrate scope and mild reaction conditions make this transformation a valuable method in drug discovery and development.

HMGB1 promotes ductular reaction and tumorigenesis in autophagy-deficient livers.

Autophagy is important for liver homeostasis, and the deficiency leads to injury, inflammation, ductular reaction (DR), fibrosis, and tumorigenesis. It is not clear how these events are mechanistically linked to autophagy deficiency. Here, we reveal the role of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in two of these processes.

Epalrestat Stimulated Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Fibrogenesis in Mouse Liver.

Epalrestat (EPS), an aldose reductase inhibitor, is widely prescribed to manage diabetic neuropathy. It is generally believed that EPS is beneficial to diabetic patients because it can protect endothelial cells, Schwann cells, or other neural cells from oxidative stress. However, several clinical studies revealed that EPS therapy led to liver dysfunction, which limited its clinical applications.

Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 Deficiency Results in Amplification of the Liver Fat-Lowering Effect of Estrogen.

Transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates multiple biologic processes, including hepatic lipid metabolism. Estrogen exerts actions affecting energy homeostasis, including a liver fat-lowering effect. Increasing evidence indicates the crosstalk between these two molecules.

Deletion of Nrf2 reduces skeletal mechanical properties and decreases load-driven bone formation.

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor expressed in many cell types, including osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts. Nrf2 has been considered a master regulator of cytoprotective genes against oxidative and chemical insults. The lack of Nrf2 can induce pathologies in multiple organs.