Publications by authors named "Nini Zhou"

Background: The development of cancer is accompanied by metabolic reprogramming, and the liver serves as a central hub for lipid transportation. Apigenin, a plant-derived flavonoid, demonstrates potent anticancer properties across various cancer types and exhibits promising potential as a therapeutic agent for cancer treatment. However, there are limited studies focusing on the downstream targets of apigenin.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Epigenetic alterations are implicated in the early stages of tumorigenesis and are widely recognized as a ubiquitous phenomenon in cancer development. Aberrant epigenetic modifications can alter the expression of target genes, induce heterochromatin formation, and gradually drive normal cells towards immortalized tumor cells with significant consequences. SETDB1 (SET domain bifurcated histone lysine methyltransferase 1), a typical histone me-thyltransferase, promotes the formation of heterochromatin and inhibits the transcription of genes by modifying the methylation of lysine 9 of histone 3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A metal-free and atom-economic route for the synthesis of naphtho[1,2-]furan-3-ones has been realized via -TsOH·HO-catalyzed intramolecular tandem double cyclization of γ-hydroxy acetylenic ketones with alkynes in formic acid. The benzene-linked furanonyl-ynes are the key intermediates obtained by the scission/recombination of C-O double bonds. Further, the structural modifications of the representative product were implemented by reduction, demethylation, substitution, and [5 + 2]-cycloaddition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Genetic screen technology has been applied to study the mechanism of action of bacterial toxins-a special class of virulence factors that contribute to the pathogenesis caused by bacterial infections. These screens aim to identify host factors that directly or indirectly facilitate toxin intoxication. Additionally, specific properties of certain toxins, such as membrane interaction, retrograde trafficking, and carbohydrate binding, provide robust probes to comprehensively investigate the lipid biosynthesis, membrane vesicle transport, and glycosylation pathways, respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A one-pot step-economic tandem process involving (5 + 2)-cycloaddition and Nazarov cyclization reactions has been reported for the facile synthesis of indanone-fused benzo[]azulenes from ()-2-arylidene-3-hydroxyindanones and conjugated eneynes. This highly regio- and stereoselective bisannulation reaction is enabled by dual silver and Brønsted acid catalysis and opens up a new avenue for the construction of important bicyclo[5.3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A metal-free intramolecular [3+2] cycloaddtion has been achieved by treating benzene-linked propynol-ynes with AcOH/HO in a one-pot manner. The reaction provides greener, 100% atom-economic, highly regioselective, and more practical access to functionalized naphtho[1,2-]furan-5-ones with valuable and versatile applications. The regioselective α-deuteration of naphtho[1,2-]furan-5-ones has been also presented with excellent deuterium incorporation and chemical yields.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Brønsted-acid-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions of the in situ generated 3-hydroxy indanones with alcohols and sulfamides were investigated, which provided a facile route for the synthesis of a large variety of 3-alkoxy and 3-sulfamido indanones. The key intermediates, 3-hydroxy indanones, were obtained through the intramolecular Meyer-Schuster rearrangement of o-propargyl alcohol benzaldehydes. The resulting 3-benzyloxy indanone could be selectively modified by allylic sulfonamidation and reduction reactions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Haemophilus parasuis (H. parasuis) is a common commensal in the upper respiratory tract of pigs, but causes Glässer's disease in stress conditions. To date, many studies focused on the immune evasion and virulence of H.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3) is a newly discovered virus affecting pigs globally, prompting researchers to explore its transmission in mice.
  • Blood samples from 20 mice (10 Balb/c and 10 ICR) were tested for PCV3, and all samples contained the virus DNA, confirming infection.
  • Complete genomes of PCV3 were sequenced from four mice, revealing high genetic similarity to pig-derived strains and indicating a potential risk for the swine industry if mice serve as hosts for PCV3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Gram-negative pathogen toxigenic P. multocida causes progressive atrophic rhinitis (PAR) in swine throughout the world. Although some vaccines are being developed against PAR, their efficacy has not been evaluated using carbopol.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A meta-analysis of CD4+ T cell epitope maps reveals clusters and gaps in envelope-protein (E protein) immunogenicity that can be explained by the likelihood of epitope processing, as determined by E protein three-dimensional structures. Differential processing may be at least partially responsible for variations in disease severity among arbo-flaviruses and points to structural features that modulate protection from disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The development of intermolecular [2 + 2]-cycloaddition of α-iodo-unsaturated ketones in the presence of diisobutylaluminum hydride (Dibal-H) is reported to produce various trispirocyclic derivatives containing a cyclobutane ring. This sequential lactonization/[2 + 2]-cycloaddition proceeds in high regioselectivity under mild conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pyrroles are important synthetic targets as a result of their occurrence in numerous biologically active molecules, their important roles in diverse living processes, and their utility as versatile intermediates. As a consequence, numerous efforts focused on the development of concise and efficient methods for the construction of pyrroles. Compared with other transition metals, the group 1B metals (Cu, Ag and Au) are probably more versatile and widely used for the synthesis of pyrroles in organic chemistry.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A novel, Cu(OAc)2/TEMPO promoted one-step approach for the preparation of fully substituted pyrimidines from readily available amino acid esters has been described. In this reaction, the amino acid esters act as the only N-C sources for the construction of corresponding pyrimidines. The mechanism of this process includes oxidative dehydrogenation, the generation of an imine radical, and a formal [3+3] cycloaddition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An effective and concise approach to synthesis of tetrasubstituted pyrroles from readily available amino acid esters by the promotion of Cu(OAc)2 in conjunction with Mn(OAc)3 has been developed. This reaction proceeds through multiple dehydrogenations, deamination, and oxidative cyclization. This oxidized system tolerates substrates bearing various electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In an attempt to generate compounds with superior bioactivity and reduced toxicity, 12 carbamates of 4'-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin, N-(1-oxyl-4'-demethyl- 4-deoxypodophyllic)-α-amino acids amides, were synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activity and cell cycle effects. These synthesized compounds proved to be more hydrophilic, as well as improved or comparable in vitro cytotoxicities against four cell lines (A-549, HeLa, SiHa, and HL-60) compared with either parent DPT or anti-cancer drug VP-16. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis exhibited that N-(1-oxyl-4'-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllic)-d-α-methine amide (15f) induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in A-549 cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF