In situ observation of mitochondrial biogenesis as the early event of apoptosis.

Mitochondrial biogenesis is a cell response to external stimuli which is generally believed to suppress apoptosis. However, during the process of apoptosis, whether mitochondrial biogenesis occurs in the early stage of the apoptotic cells remains unclear. To address this question, we constructed the COX8-EGFP-ACTIN-mCherry HeLa cells with recombinant fluorescent proteins respectively tagged on the nucleus and mitochondria and monitored the mitochondrial changes in the living cells exposed to gamma-ray radiation.

GPR37 promotes the malignancy of lung adenocarcinoma via TGF-β/Smad pathway.

This paper aimed to research the function and in-depth mechanism of GPR37 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Herein, based on TCGA and Oncomine databases, we revealed that GPR37 was expressed at high levels in LUAD, and upregulation of GPR37 was related to the poor outcomes. Furthermore, biological function experiments were utilized to assess whether GPR37 impacts malignant phenotype of LUAD cells.

Ganoderic acid D induces synergistic autophagic cell death except for apoptosis in ESCC cells.

Ethnophamacological Relevance: Ganoderma lucidum has been used as a medicinal mushroom for more than 2000 years in China. Ganoderic acid D (GAD) as a representative active triterpenoid from Ganoderma lucidum is known to possess anticancer activity. However, the mechanism involved in its anticancer cell process is still largely elusive.

Nitrogen-doped MoS quantum dots: Facile synthesis and application for the assay of hematin in human blood.

Nitrogen-doped MoS quantum dots (N-MoS QDs) were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal approach, and exhibited high fluorescence quantum yield (QY, 14.9%), excellent photostability, biocompatibility and water solubility. A novel method with good selectivity and sensitivity was established to assay hematin using N-MoS QDs as a fluorescent probe based on inner filter effect (IFE).

Characterization of the active fragments of Spodoptera litura Lebocin-1.

Insects can produce various antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) upon immune stimulation. One class of AMPs are characterized by their high proline content in certain fragments. They are generally called proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs).

Antimicrobial activities of a proline-rich proprotein from Spodoptera litura.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are produced by the stimulated humoral immune system. Most mature AMPs contain less than 50 amino acid residues. Some of them are generated from proproteins upon microbial challenges.

Complete genome sequence of goose parvovirus Y strain isolated from Muscovy ducks in China.

A goose parvovirus (GPV) Y strain was isolated from Muscovy ducks in Anhui Province of China. By polymerase chain reaction method, its complete genomic sequence was found to be 5,106 bp in length, consisting of 444-bp inverted terminal repeat, 1,844-bp non-structural protein and 2,199-bp capsid protein (VP) regions. Then its sequence was aligned with the sequences of GPV and Muscovy duck parvovirus published in the GenBank using the neighbor-joining method.

Structural and stereochemical studies of alpha-methylene-gamma-lactone-bearing cembrane diterpenoids from a south china sea soft coral Lobophytum crassum.

Four new alpha-methylene-gamma-lactone-bearing cembranoids, 20-acetylsinularolide B (6), presinularolide B (7), 3-dehydroxylpresinularolide B (8), and 3-dehydroxyl-20-acetylpresinularolide B (9), together with five known analogues, sinularolides B-E (1- 4) and 20-acetylsinularolide C (5), were isolated from a South China Sea soft coral Lobophytum crassum. Their structures and relative stereochemistry were established by a combination of detailed spectroscopic data analysis and chemical correlations. The structures of 1- 9 were further confirmed by an X-ray diffraction study on a single crystal of sinularolide B (1).