Involvement of cardiac glycosides targeting Na/K-ATPase in their inhibitory effects on c-Myc expression via its transcription, translation and proteasomal degradation.

Cardiac glycosides (CGs) have been used for decades to treat heart failure and arrhythmic diseases. Recent non-clinical and epidemiological findings have suggested that CGs exhibit anti-tumor activities. Therefore, CGs may be repositioned as drugs for the treatment of cancer.

Prenylated-coumarins from Gmelina arborea and evaluation for neurotrophic activity.

A MeOH extract of the stem of Gmelina arborea Roxb. ex Sm. (Lamiaceae) exhibited neurite outgrowth-promoting activity in NGF-mediated PC12 cells.

Chukranoids A-I, isopimarane diterpenoids from Chukrasia velutina.

Bioactivity guided separation of Chukrasia velutina root methanolic extract led to the isolation of nine new isopimarane diterpenoids, chukranoids A-I (1-9). The absolute configuration was then assigned by comparing the experimental CD spectra and the calculated CD spectra. Chukranoids A-I (1-9) showed moderate antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain.

Diversity of Adenostemma lavenia, multi-potential herbs, and its kaurenoic acid composition between Japan and Taiwan.

Adenostemma lavenia (L.) Kuntze (Asteraceae) is widely distributed in tropical regions of East Asia, and both A. lavenia and A.

Periplocin and cardiac glycosides suppress the unfolded protein response.

The unfolded protein response (UPR) controls protein homeostasis through transcriptional and translational regulation. However, dysregulated UPR signaling has been associated with the pathogenesis of many human diseases. Therefore, the compounds modulating UPR may provide molecular insights for these pathologies in the context of UPR.

Identification of pheophorbide a as an inhibitor of receptor for advanced glycation end products in Mallotus japonicus.

Accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) plays an important role in diabetes, immunoinflammation, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Since AGEs mediate their pathological effects through interaction with receptor for AGEs (RAGE), RAGE antagonists would provide a useful therapeutic option for various health disorders. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to identify phytochemicals that would inhibit binding of AGEs to RAGE, which may help develop new drug leads and/or nutraceuticals for AGE-RAGE-related diseases.

Triterpenoids from Walsura trichostemon.

Bioactivity guided separation of Walsura trichostemon stem methanolic extract led to the isolation of four new dammarane (1-4) and two new apotirucallane triterpenoids (5-6), together with one limonoid (7), 11,25-dideacetyltrichostemonate, 12β, 20S, 24R-trihydroxydammar-25-en-3-one and 12β, 20S, 25-trihydroxydammar-23-en-3-one. Compounds 1-7 showed in vitro inhibitory activity on the proliferation of A549, human lung adenocarcinoma cell line.

Anti-Tumorigenic Activity of Chrysin from via Non-Genotoxic p53 Activation through the ATM-Chk2 Pathway.

The p53 tumor suppressor plays critical roles in cell cycle regulation and apoptotic cell death in response to various cellular stresses, thereby preventing cancer development. Therefore, the activation of p53 through small molecules is an attractive therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancers retaining wild-type p53. We used a library of 700 Myanmar wild plant extracts to identify small molecules that induce p53 transcriptional activity.

Crystal structure of tRNA m(1)A58 methyltransferase TrmI from Aquifex aeolicus in complex with S-adenosyl-L-methionine.

The N (1)-methyladenosine residue at position 58 of tRNA is found in the three domains of life, and contributes to the stability of the three-dimensional L-shaped tRNA structure. In thermophilic bacteria, this modification is important for thermal adaptation, and is catalyzed by the tRNA m(1)A58 methyltransferase TrmI, using S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) as the methyl donor. We present the 2.

Stepwise increase of resveratrol biosynthesis in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by metabolic engineering.

Resveratrol is a unique, natural polyphenolic compound with diverse health benefits. In the present study, we attempted to improve resveratrol biosynthesis in yeast by different methods of metabolic engineering. We first mutated and then re-synthesized tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL) by replacing the bacteria codons with yeast-preferred codons, which increased translation and improved p-coumaric acid and resveratrol biosynthesis drastically.

Evolution of a novel phenolic pathway for pollen development.

Metabolic plasticity, which largely relies on the creation of new genes, is an essential feature of plant adaptation and speciation and has led to the evolution of large gene families. A typical example is provided by the diversification of the cytochrome P450 enzymes in plants. We describe here a retroposition, neofunctionalization, and duplication sequence that, via selective and local amino acid replacement, led to the evolution of a novel phenolic pathway in Brassicaceae.

CYP704B1 is a long-chain fatty acid omega-hydroxylase essential for sporopollenin synthesis in pollen of Arabidopsis.

Sporopollenin is the major component of the outer pollen wall (exine). Fatty acid derivatives and phenolics are thought to be its monomeric building blocks, but the precise structure, biosynthetic route, and genetics of sporopollenin are poorly understood. Based on a phenotypic mutant screen in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), we identified a cytochrome P450, designated CYP704B1, as being essential for exine development.

Partial reconstruction of flavonoid and isoflavonoid biosynthesis in yeast using soybean type I and type II chalcone isomerases.

Flavonoids and isoflavonoids are major plant secondary metabolites that mediate diverse biological functions and exert significant ecological impacts. These compounds play important roles in many essential physiological processes. In addition, flavonoids and isoflavonoids have direct but complex effects on human health, ranging from reducing cholesterol levels and preventing certain cancers to improving women's health.

An Arabidopsis aspartic protease functions as an anti-cell-death component in reproduction and embryogenesis.

The components and pathways that regulate and execute developmental cell death programmes in plants remain largely unknown. We have found that the PROMOTION OF CELL SURVIVAL 1 (PCS1) gene in Arabidopsis, which encodes an aspartic protease, has an important role in determining the fate of cells in embryonic development and in reproduction processes. The loss-of-function mutation of PCS1 causes degeneration of both male and female gametophytes and excessive cell death of developing embryos.

CYP98A6 from Lithospermum erythrorhizon encodes 4-coumaroyl-4'-hydroxyphenyllactic acid 3-hydroxylase involved in rosmarinic acid biosynthesis.

Rosmarinic acid is the dominant hydroxycinnamic acid ester accumulated in Boraginaceae and Lamiaceae plants. A cytochrome P450 cDNA was isolated by differential display from cultured cells of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, and the gene product was designated CYP98A6 based on the deduced amino acid sequence. After expression in yeast, the P450 was shown to catalyze the 3-hydroxylation of 4-coumaroyl-4'-hydroxyphenyllactic acid, one of the final two steps leading to rosmarinic acid.