Exogenous application of 5-azacitidin, royal jelly and folic acid regulate plant redox state, expression level of DNA methyltransferases and alleviate adverse effects of salinity stress on L. plants.

DNA methylation is one of induced changes under salinity stress causing reduction in the expression of several crucial genes required for normal plant's operation. Potential use of royal jelly (RJ), folic acid (FA) and 5-azacitidine (5-AZA) on two Egyptian faba bean varieties (Sakha-3 and Giza-716) grown under saline conditions was investigated. Salinity stress affects negatively on seeds germination (G %), mitotic index, membrane stability and induced a significant increase in chromosomal abnormalities (CAs).

The biomineralization of silica induced stress tolerance in plants: a case study for aluminum toxicity.

Biomineralization in plant roots refers to the process of cell-induced self-assembly to form nanostructures on the root surface. Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in soils, and beneficial to plant growth. Meanwhile, silicon is shown to participate in the process of biomineralization, which is useful for improving mechanical strength and alleviating biotic and abiotic stress, for example silicic acid polymerizes to form amorphous silica (SiO-nHO) in the process of growing to resist fungi and environmental stress.

The wall-associated kinase gene family in pea (Pisum sativum) and its function in response to B deficiency and Al toxicity.

Plant cell walls are embedded in a pectin matrix which is physically linked with the wall-associated kinases (WAKs), a subfamily of receptor-like kinases that participate in the cell wall integrity (CWI) sensing. Since cell walls are also the main binding sites for boron (B) and aluminum (Al), WAK may be potentially associated with the regulation of plant responses to Al toxicity and B deficiency. Using pea as a model species, we have identified a total of 28 WAK genes in the genome and named them according to its chromosomal location.

Boron supply restores aluminum-blocked auxin transport by the modulation of PIN2 trafficking in the root apical transition zone.

The supply of boron (B) alleviates the toxic effects of aluminum (Al) on root growth; however, the mechanistic basis of this process remains elusive. This study filled this knowledge gap, demonstrating that boron modifies auxin distribution and transport in Al-exposed Arabidopsis roots. In B-deprived roots, treatment with Al induced an increase in auxin content in the root apical meristem zone (MZ) and transition zone (TZ), whereas in the elongation zone (EZ) the auxin content was decreased beyond the level required for adequate growth.

Effects of Cadmium Stress on Root and Root Border Cells of Some Vegetable Species with Different Types of Root Meristem.

Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy metals and can be easily absorbed by plants, affecting root growth. Root border cells (RBCs), that are located in the periphery of the root cap and originate from the root cap meristem, represent a convenient tool to study the toxic effects of Cd on root performance. In this work, vegetables with contrasting types of root apical meristem (RAM) organizations were used.

Effects of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (FeO) on Growth, Photosynthesis, Antioxidant Activity and Distribution of Mineral Elements in Wheat () Plants.

Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) are considered potential agents for agriculture as fertilizers and growth enhancers. However, their action spectrum differs strongly, depending on the type of NP, its concentrations, and plant species per se, ranging from growth stimulation to toxicity. This work aimed to investigate effects of iron oxide (FeO) NPs on growth, photosynthesis, respiration, antioxidant activity, and leaf mineral content of wheat plants.

pH-Dependent mitigation of aluminum toxicity in pea (Pisum sativum) roots by boron.

Boron (B) deficiency and aluminum (Al) toxicity are two major constraints on plants grown in acidic soils. B supply mitigates Al toxicity; however, the underlying mechanisms of this process remain elusive. In this work, Pisum sativum plants were used to address this issue.

Catalytic ozonation of phenylamine in water with a manganese ore.

Recalcitrant pollutants, which form surface complexes with surface metal sites of the catalyst, are difficult to remove by catalytic ozonation in water. Phenylamine (PA), one of the refractory pollutants, was degraded by ozone catalysis with manganese ore in this paper. And the effectiveness and the mechanism of catalytic ozonation with manganese ore for the degradation of PA in water were studied.

Extracellular silica nanocoat formed by layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly confers aluminum resistance in root border cells of pea (Pisum sativum).

Background: Soil acidity (and associated Al toxicity) is a major factor limiting crop production worldwide and threatening global food security. Electrostatic layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly provides a convenient and versatile method to form an extracellular silica nanocoat, which possess the ability to protect cell from the damage of physical stress or toxic substances. In this work, we have tested a hypothesis that extracellular silica nanocoat formed by LBL self-assembly will protect root border cells (RBCs) and enhance their resistance to Al toxicity.

Boron Alleviates Aluminum Toxicity by Promoting Root Alkalization in Transition Zone via Polar Auxin Transport.

Boron (B) alleviates aluminum (Al) toxicity in higher plants; however, the underlying mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain unknown. Here, we used bromocresol green pH indicator, noninvasive microtest, and microelectrode ion flux estimation techniques to demonstrate that B promotes root surface pH gradients in pea () roots, leading to alkalization in the root transition zone and acidification in the elongation zone, while Al inhibits these pH gradients. B significantly decreased Al accumulation in the transition zone (∼1.

Cell Wall Pectin and its Methyl-esterification in Transition Zone Determine Al Resistance in Cultivars of Pea (Pisum sativum).

The initial response of plants to aluminum (Al) is the inhibition of root elongation, while the transition zone is the most Al sensitive zone in the root apex, which may sense the presence of Al and regulate the responses of root to Al toxicity. In the present study, the effect of Al treatment (30 μM, 24 h) on root growth, Al accumulation, and properties of cell wall of two pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars, cv Onward (Al-resistant) and cv Sima (Al-sensitive), were studied to disclose whether the response of root transition zone to Al toxicity determines Al resistance in pea cultivars.

The effect of down regulation of calcineurin Aα by lentiviral vector-mediated RNAi on the biological behavior of small-cell lung cancer and its bone metastasis.

Bone is the third most common site of cancer metastasis. Over 30 to 40% of lung cancers can develop skeletal metastasis and no effective curative therapy exists in clinic cases. Previously we screened the different expression of proteins between SBC-5 cells and SBC-3 cells by proteomic study methods (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS) and found that calcineurin (hereafter referred as Cn) overexpresses in SBC-5 which has special priority in metastasis to bone in a multiple-organ metastasis mice model.

Down-regulation of β3-integrin inhibits bone metastasis of small cell lung cancer.

Bone is one of the most frequent targets of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) metastasis, but the molecular mechanism remains unclear. β3-integrin plays an important role in invasion of various kinds of tumors. Yet, its role in bone-metastasis of SCLC is still unknown.

[The different structure forms of HBx protein influence their intracellular distribution in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells].

Aim: Different eukaryotic expression vectors were selected in this research, and then we respectively cloned and constructed recombinant plasmids contained HBX gene or its different fusion forms with GFP. We are aimed to explore the influence of the HBX protein with different structure on its intracellular localization.

Methods: Flag-HBX gene was amplified from pcDNA3.

CIDE-3 interacts with lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor, and overexpression increases apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Cell death-inducing DFF45-like effector-3 (CIDE-3) is a novel member of an apoptosis-inducing protein family, but its function is unknown. CIDE-3 shows a different distribution pattern in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and normal adjacent tissues. Therefore, this work tested the hypothesis that CIDE-3 induces apoptosis in HCC cells, inhibiting oncogenesis and tumor development.

Calcineurin promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of small cell lung cancer.

A novel role for calcineurin (Cn) has been reported recently regarding the oncogenic potential in pancreatic and colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the putative causal role calcineurin could play in the development of lung cancer with bone metastases. We found that CnAalpha, an isoform of calcineurin, was significantly overexpressed in lung cancer tissues with bone metastasis as compared to tumors with non-bone metastases as investigated by RT-PCR.

Hepatitis B virus X protein upregulates expression of calpain small subunit 1 via nuclear factor-kappaB/p65 in hepatoma cells.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is closely correlated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in which hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) plays crucial roles. HBx is believed to be a multifunctional oncoprotein. It has been reported that the calpain small subunit 1 (Capn4) is upregulated in the HCC tissues and involved in the metastasis of HCC.

Biological characteristics of a specific brain metastatic cell line derived from human lung adenocarcinoma.

To study the expression of VEGF, MMP-9, EGFR, and S100B in a highly brain metastases sub-clone cell line, PC14/B. The in vitro metastases-related behaviors of PC14 /B cells, such as adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM), migration, and invasion were determined and compared with primary PC14 cells and A549 cells that do not metastasize to brain. The expression of vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), S100B, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the above three cell lines were measured by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot assay.

Hepatitis B virus X-DNA. A serum marker for early detection of resistance development during lamivudine therapy.

HBV genome replication intermediates blocked at early stages of minus strand synthesis have been identified in a study on circulating DNA and RNA during short-term lamivudine therapy. This suggested that the inhibition of HBV replication processes in the liver are mirrored in the blood. Levels of circulating HBV mRNA remained largely unaffected.

Circulating hepatitis B virus RNA in newborns from carrier mothers.

Objective: Despite intermittent flares, progression of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus has generally been related to a decrease in replication levels. In our laboratory, this decrease has been found to be associated with a decline in circulating full-length transcripts (fRNA) and to a shift to truncated transcripts (trRNA). Monitoring fRNA and trRNA as markers allows a more detailed analysis of high or low or non-replicative HBV infection stages.

[X-chromosomal inactivation skewing in blood cells is associated with early development of lung].

Objective: To observe the relationship between skewed X-chromosomal inactivation (SXCI) and development of lung cancer in females.

Methods: DNA was isolated from peripheral blood cells from patients with primary lung cancer (n = 148) and control subjects (n =289). Exon 1 of androgen receptor ( AR) gene was amplified, with its products from different alleles resolved on denaturing polyacrylamide gels and visualized by silver staining.

Skewed X chromosome inactivation of blood cells is associated with early development of lung cancer in females.

The skewed X chromosome inactivation (SXCI) was found mainly in adult females. It has been linked to development of ovarian and breast cancers. The present study aimed to describe the relationship between SXCI and development of lung cancer in females.

Liver cell adenoma: a case report with clonal analysis and literature review.

We report a case of liver cell adenoma (LCA) in a 33-year-old female patient with special respect to its clonality status, pathogenic factors and differential diagnosis. The case was examined by histopathology, immunohistochemistry and a clonality assay based on X-chromosomal inactivation mosaicism in female somatic tissues and polymorphism at androgen receptor focus. The clinicopathological features of the reported cases from China and other countries were compared.

Establishment and characterization of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line FHCC-98.

Aim: To establish a novel human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line FHCC-98 from HCC tissue and to provide a suitable model for studying HCC occurrence, progress and metastasis.

Methods: Serially passaged cells were cultured and their morphologies were observed under light and electron microscope. Cytogenetic study was conducted by using flow cytometry and chromosome analysis.

[X-chromosome inactivation patterns of different tumor nodules in multiple leiomyomas of uterus].

Objective: To describe the relationship among different tumor nodules in multiple leiomyomas of uterus.

Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from fresh tissue samples, digested through incubation with methylation-sensitive Hha I or Hpa II, and amplified via PCR for androgen receptor (AR) and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) genes. The length polymorphism on AR gene was demonstrated by denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining, the PGK gene products were treated with Bst XI and resolved on agarose gels.